Page 25 of The Alpha's Arrangement
“Know you’re pissed, but it’s pack law. I can’t change it or fight it. It’s how we operate.”
“So, you’re telling me that I’m going to meet your entire family, who may or may not like me, then I’m going to have to fight some Alpha bitch to keep you and stay alive?”
“Yes.”
He’s way too nonchalant about all this.
I stand abruptly, my wolf seeming to take control. “This is shit, Carter. If you think for one second some woman wolf bitch is going to come and try to take you away from me and my life, you’re sadly mistaken. Not to mention, I’m pissed as hell at you.” With that, I open the door to the back deck, strip my clothes, and let my wolf run free. I’ve learned in this brief time that this is the best way to calm her—letting her run.
My wolf feels happy she could express herself through me. Even I feel better that it’s out.
By the time I get back, Carter is on the phone. He ends it when he sees me.
“Better?”
“I’m still pissed at you, but my wolf is better.”
He stalks toward me and wraps his arms around me, pulling me to him. “You got this, Izzy.”
“You want one of your wolves to die? You want me to have to kill someone?”
“She knows it’s to the death, she knows. And if she doesn’t want to take that risk, she will bow down and not challenge you.”
“What about me? You’re okay with me dying?”
“Fuck no. I don’t want you to have to do this at all, but there isn’t a choice.”
“Aren’t you Alpha? Can’t you forbid it or something?”
“If I do that, it will make you come out as weak and my pack won’t respect you. That isn’t an option, Izzy. They have to know you, have to respect you, for this to work.”
“I can’t believe you’re taking me to your family and I could end up dead and not come back home.”
Carter growls. “No, you won’t die. Your wolf is damn strong, and you can hack this. You need to trust in yourself and your wolf.”
“How can you be this sure?”
“Because only Alpha female wolves can mate with an Alpha male. I’ve seen you out hunting.”
My gut twists at thinking about the bunny and raccoon I took on and ate. Ew. Still not used to that part of being a wolf. She loved it. Me? The aftertaste made me a little nauseous.
“You’d better hope so, because if I die after becoming a wolf for you, I’m haunting your ass until you join me on the other side.”
Carter laughs full-out. Asshole.
THE DEN IS HUGE. No other way to put it. I’m not sure what I expected, but a huge-ass house that looks similar to a hotel wasn’t it.
As we enter a large, open room with couches and a television, all sounds stop. There must be fifty people in this room. Some I remember from the field, and a couple came to my house. Each of them have smiles for me.
“Alpha,” Owen calls out with a wide smile on his face. “Izzy, so good to see you. And you’re a wolf.”
He doesn’t come any closer, which I’m happy for. Something in my gut tells me that, if he got too close, Carter would pounce. I don’t want that to happen with his family. I may be pissed at him, I may be getting into a hell of a fight today, or dying, but I don’t want him not to have his family if I’m not here.
“Hi, Owen.”
Introductions go around. I note some of the females give me sideways glances, but not one has stepped forward to “challenge” me. I take that as a good sign.
“Hi, Izzy.” I turn toward the voice, and my heart drops as anger begins to bubble.
