Page 12 of Wulf's Pack
Rook sighs. “A few months ago, the Detroit clan was wiped out.”
She blinks. “The whole clan?”
I understand her surprise. Shifter packs can vary in size. Some are huge, but a lot of times there are only a handful of wolves in a pack. But vampire clans are almost always very large. “How?” she asks.
We all cringe. The last master vampire in Detroit was obsessed with my clan sister Nora. He tried to take her and ordered hits on every other member of my clan. We were forced to fight. We’re small, but extremely powerful, and have many allies. It didn’t end well for the Detroit vampires.
“It’s a long story,” Rook says. “But once word got out that Detroit was ripe for the taking, vampires swarmed here. There were several turf wars as clans fought for the right to hold the city. It’s only been a month since the current one took over. So far, they’re holding strong. The current master is a good woman and extremely strong, but her clan is smaller, and things are stilla bit unstable. Occasionally others come to challenge her, and rogues are taking advantage of the fact that she’s still building up her numbers.”
The blood drains from Skylar’s face. “So vampires are running free in the city?”
My wolf shoves at me again, wanting to scoop Skylar up and demand answers from her. I keep him contained, but I do move back to the couch and push my brother out of the way so that I can be the one crouching in front of her. Rook tumbles over and shoots me an annoyed look that I completely ignore. “It’s getting better,” I promise. “The new master is working hard with the FUA to get the city stabilized, but it’s not quite there yet. We still have an unusually high number of rogues and clanless vampires. Your wolf isn’t dominant enough for you to be wandering around the city alone.”
She grimaces, but doesn’t argue. I hadn’t felt her wolf at all while she was wearing her collar, but even now that it’s off, I can’t feel any dominance from her. She’s the least dominant wolf I’ve ever met.
“I can protect you,” I say, surprising us both. I quickly gesture to the other men. “We can keep you safe. Give you a home. A family. We’re small, but very strong.”
Her big, blue eyes bore into mine. “Are you saying you want me?” she asks so shyly it’s practically a whisper. “As your mate?”
The uncertainty in her voice makes me feel like shit. It’s a complicated question. Do I want her? Yes. She’s beautiful, and sweet. She’s not pushy like all the she-wolves who’ve thrown themselves at me over the years. She’s not demanding. My wolf is so sure she’s the one that it’s impossible for me to ignore his feelings.
It’s not that I don’t want her. It’s just that a mate is a lot of responsibility, and I’ve been avoiding that my entire life. And it’s so permanent. I hate to admit it, but I’m a total commitment-phobe. But it’s done. I can’t ignore it, and I don’t want to make her feel rejected. I take her hand. “Youaremy mate,” I promise.
I reach out slowly and brush her hair off her forehead, tucking it back behind her ear. Her cheeks heat, and she chews on her lip. The action has my eyes focusing on her mouth, and desire hits me. I push it down. Now’s not the time to be lusting after her. “I do want you. I’m just shocked. And really nervous, if you’ll believe it. I’ve been a lone wolf for a very long time. I’m afraid I’m going to fumble my way through this relationship for a while.” I crack a smile and add, “You’ll have to tell me when I’m being an ass.”
“Or a chickenshit,” Rook adds with a chuckle.
I glare at him, but my annoyance disappears when Skylar cracks a smile. I give her a small, dry grin in return and shrug. “Brothers.” I roll my eyes. “They’re the worst.”
“But brothers-in-law are the best,” Rook says, winking at my mate.
With the tension completely broken, Oliver stands up. “If things are under control now, I really should get back to work.” He pauses and then adds, “Actually, you should both come with me. You know Nora will kill you if you don’t stop by to introduce your mate. Ren, too, for that matter.”
The man is not wrong. Nora will be more excited than Charlie that I have a mate. Though, she’s going to laugh her ass off about it. She’s always giving me shit about my eternal bachelorhood.
I stand and hold out my hand to Skylar. She blushes as she takes it. I pull her to her feet, and she surprises me when she doesn’t let go of my hand. My wolf is ridiculously thrilled by this. I mentally roll my eyes at him, but deep down I’m pleased too. It’s a bit ridiculous, being so excited that a woman is holding my hand. What am I, thirteen?
“Nora?” Skylar asks curiously, pulling me from my thoughts.
Oliver beams at her. “My mate.”
“And mine,” Rook says.
Charlie raises his hand. “Mine too.”
Skylar opens her mouth to say something, then closes it again. Staring, perplexed, at the three men. I chuckle at her bewildered expression. Nora’s situation has that effect on people. “Nora’s a siren and has five mates,” I explain.
Skylar’s eyes nearly pop out of her head.
Charlie laughs. “You have to see it to understand it, but it works.”
“Nora’s going to be thrilled you’ve joined us,” Oliver says. “She’s the only female in our clan. Well, aside from you now.”
Skylar looks nervous, so I squeeze her hand. “She’s the kindest woman you’ll ever meet. You’re going to love her.”
At least, I hope she does. Because of Nora’s siren’s nature and her natural allure to all the men around her, females tend to dislike her. She’s only got a couple of girlfriends. I really hope Skylar likes her. They have a lot in common with their traumatic pasts. If anyone can make Skylar feel welcome and safe, it’ll be Nora.
“How big is your clan?” Skylar asks.
