Authors: Lorie O'Clare
“Why do you want me, Josie?” She stared at his empty living room as if it would offer the answer.
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Snow crunching outside grabbed her attention and she jumped up, moving silently to the window. Three bitches, one of them Heidi, stomped through drifting snow toward the den.
She hurried to open the door, still unsure if she should consider this her den or not.
“Thank you for having a fire,” Heidi said the moment they finished kicking snow off their boots and stepped inside.
“No shit. I’m cold as hell in my flesh.” A bitch she didn’t know with thick, long black hair and a figure to die for rubbed her arms through her down coat. After a moment Maura remembered her from yesterday when Josie and others brought her here from the cave.
“Maura, you remember Moira from yesterday.” Heidi quickly made introductions.
“Moira is Dante Aldo’s mate, and this is Rosa, her cousin through mating.”
“Nice to meet you.” The urge to submit to them warred with a sensation that she should play the role of bitch in this den. She let the latter sensation win out. Her longtime friend and these Malta bitches wouldn’t see her as a female in a crisis, on the run and hiding out. She didn’t want to see herself like that. “I just got the fire going—
give me a second and we’ll have coffee.”
The three bitches left their coats in the living room and followed her into the kitchen where they got cozy around the table. Their relaxed moods helped Maura calm down and enjoy the role of hostess. Within minutes she had coffee brewing and managed to hunt down sugar and milk.
“We’ll have to take you into town to stock up on amenities.” Moira accepted her coffee and blew on it, looking up from her seat with soft black eyes.
Maura leaned against the counter, since there weren’t enough chairs for all of them at the table, and watched the two Malta bitches. They weren’t sniffing her out. If anything, they seemed less curious about her than she was them.
“Josie will take me into town. But thank you.”
Heidi’s laughter and the other two bitches’ smiles confused Maura. It must have shown on her face. She must smell slightly aggravated since she didn’t know why they were here. And now they all laughed like she just told a good joke.
“You’re going to have to get used to the same thing I had to get used to.” Heidi stood and moved in front of Maura, taking her hands and staring her into the eyes.
“Tell me if I’m wrong but I get the feeling you’re going to stay here. And well, if you do, Josie will run just like Nicolo does.”
“Both of them run very close with our pack leader,” Moira interrupted and Heidi turned, her cold hands still holding Maura’s. Moira remained sitting and turned her attention to Rosa when she spoke. “Dimitri’s anger makes him crazy. Nicolo and Josie keep him in line—sometimes.”
“The three of them also have known each other most of their lives,” Heidi added.
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Moira didn’t say anything but stared at Rosa, who returned the hard gaze. For a moment it seemed both bitches forgot anyone else was in the room. Maura glanced from one to the other, smelling strange emotions coming from both of them.
Determination and even the faintest spicy aroma indicating anger suddenly tickled her nose.
It hit her suddenly what she was witnessing. She squeezed Heidi’s hand. “They both have the gift?” Maura whispered.
“Pretty sure,” Heidi said, also whispering.
Rosa leaned back, sighing. She broke her gaze away from Moira and looked up at Maura and Heidi apologetically. “We’re being rude in your brand-new den.” Rosa stood quickly, giving Moira a dirty look. “Moira seems to think she knows my own mind better than I do.”
“It doesn’t take the gift to know you’re turned on by a werewolf who seems
unapproachable to every female in this pack,” Moira said very quietly, her teasing tone bordering on a challenge.
“If and when I decide to take a mate, I won’t need your help doing it.” Rosa tossed her long, thick black hair over her shoulder and turned her back on Moira, focusing on Maura. “We want you to know that we’re here if you need us. When Josie takes off like he did just before we got here, you don’t have to sit up here in this den and feel isolated from the pack. We’re cool with you being here.”
“Your pack leader doesn’t share your opinion.” Maura swore something glistened in Rosa’s pretty eyes when she mentioned their pack leader. Maybe Moira meant Dimitri when she suggested Rosa was interested in a male that no other female could get close to. Dimitri definitely struck her as an unapproachable werewolf.
“He’ll bless your mating. Don’t worry.” Rosa sounded so sure of herself.
“You’ve heard him discuss us?” Maura asked.
“No. But he’ll do anything to keep Josie happy,” Rosa told her. “Josie serves the pack more than any other werewolf with the gift and runs by Dimitri’s side. Dimitri will give Josie whatever he wants to make him happy.”
“That would make him an invaluable tool,” Maura said quietly, imagining the
advantage a pack leader would have if he knew the thoughts of any werewolf
challenging him.
Just like Josie would have an incredible edge if challenged—he would know the thoughts and plans of the werewolves preparing to fight. She thought back to Josie talking to Bob and the challenge to draw first blood. Josie told her he didn’t think he would die tonight. And he agreed to the meeting so easily, without hesitating. Maybe Josie’s gift gave him more of an edge than she thought. Not only could he manipulate the challenge, he would know the thoughts and plans of the Wagner den before each of them attacked him.
“Maura?” Moira asked quietly.
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Pulled out of her thoughts, she looked up quickly.
“Josie has shared with you what he can do with his gift, right?”
“Yes. It’s going to take some getting used to.” She hoped her smile made light of how unnerving his gift had been when he used it on her.
“Rosa and I can do pretty much what Josie can do,” Moira said, straightening in her chair and crossing her arms. “I’m telling you this because your thoughts just leaned toward something that startled the shit out of me.”
“Me too,” Rosa added. She still faced Maura but now her dark eyes lined with silver. “Josie’s a tough werewolf to understand, but if he’s done something that has you scared, maybe we can help.”
Maura stared from Moira to Rosa, remembering what Josie told her when he
explained the gift to her. He heard the thoughts that were in her mind at the moment, but that didn’t mean he knew everything she knew. She didn’t dare replay in her mind what she had just thought about. Rosa and Maura didn’t completely understand what had just been in her mind, but they had picked up on something from her about Josie that neither one of them liked. The last thing she needed was the pack jumping Josie’s tail because a couple bitches in his pack overheard her thoughts while visiting with her in his den and welcoming her to the Malta pack.
“Would one of you mind telling me what’s going on?” Heidi demanded, putting
her hands on her hips and glaring at Rosa and Moira, but then giving Maura her attention. “You have to get used to these two, and if they start making no sense, just howl at them until they remember to include you. Now why are you scared of Josie?”
“I’m not scared of him. Not at all.” Maura squeezed her friend’s arm, reassuring her until Heidi’s worried scent faded. “And I’m not going to share his personal business with you. None of you would talk about your mate behind his back.”
“Okay. Okay.” Rosa held her hands out, a feeble attempt at surrendering, although her curiosity heightened her scent enough to keep the silver lining around her eyes.
“But you’ve got to tell us at least why the right to draw first blood just popped into your mind.”
“A challenge to draw first blood is only called for when a werewolf kills another werewolf without announcing it first,” Moira offered, quoting traditions all of them already knew.
“Has Josie killed someone?” Heidi asked, but then frowned and slowly brought her hand to her mouth, the ripe smell of her shock filling the room quickly. “I wondered how you could have mated with him, even though I smelled his scent so deeply on you.
I know you like a littermate and you would never be with another werewolf if you were mated. But if you were a widow…”
“Oh shit.” Moira jumped to her feet. “Josie killed your mate.”
“And he didn’t announce it, did he?” Rosa snapped her fingers, excited that she’d just figured it out.
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“Stop it.” Maura didn’t mean to yell as loudly as she did, but her heart suddenly beat so hard she could hardly catch her breath. “Josie will know if all of you know.
Maybe you should leave before he gets here.”
“Maura. Damn it.” Heidi pulled Maura into her arms. “You two have to stop. She’s going to panic.”
“I’m fine,” Maura lied.
“Josie would never hit you,” Rosa offered.
Maura closed her eyes, fighting the sudden sting that threatened to make her cry.
There was no way these bitches would see how damaged her mating to Pete left her.
Josie wouldn’t hurt her. She believed that, even after knowing him just for a day. There were certain qualities that ran too strong inside him. His powerful belief in upholding traditions and his honor wouldn’t allow him to strike her the way Pete had.
“I think they’re all coming.” Moira made the announcement and stood, heading to the doorway.
Maura let go of Heidi’s hands, patting her friend and smiling reassuringly, then stepped past Moira. She heard the males before she reached the front door. As she reached for the doorknob, the door opened toward her, cold air rushing around her filled with the incredibly dominating scent of Josie.
Even though the other males filled the doorway and then the small living area as they all entered and stomped snow from their boots, all she noticed was Josie.
The spicy smell of his anger couldn’t be ignored.
“Are you two done devouring her mind and gaining every bit of information you can get out of her?” he bellowed, glaring at Moira and Rosa.
“We came over here to welcome her to the pack and you damn well know that,”
Moira snapped, standing up to him in spite of the fact that Josie and the other males stood a good six inches taller than any of the females in the room.
“Seems odd you would do that when she isn’t part of this pack,” Dimitri said coldly.
Josie glared at him then pushed into Maura, wrapping his arms around her and forcing her to step backward and out of the crowd. Hard muscle and his wonderful scent mixed with leather and the outdoors made her heart race. Blood pumped so hard in her veins that the change cried out to come forth. She ached to allow her senses to heighten and to take on the large male who held her so close and protectively. She gulped in a breath of air that filled her lungs with his smell while fighting to prevent her craving from growing too much. Although maybe filling the living room with the smell of lust would give the males and bitches around them clue enough to leave.
“Why do you lie when you know damned good and well that you’re going to
approve their mating?” Rosa walked to Dimitri, stabbing her finger into his chest.
Amusement washed over the room. Even Josie tucked Maura next to him, keeping one arm around her while turning to watch Rosa take on his pack leader. Maura 103
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remembered Moira suggesting that Rosa would challenge a male who was
unapproachable.
“Bitch,” Dimitri growled, “you’re out of line. I suggest you quit sniffing where your nose doesn’t belong or I swear I’ll find a mate for you who can keep you in line.”
“I doubt you could find one,” Rosa growled, then turned from her pack leader, intentionally ignoring him and looking at Maura.
For a moment it looked like Dimitri might pick her up and throw her out of the den.
“We really did come over here to welcome you to our pack.” Rosa’s tone softened so much it was impossible not to believe her. “Your mate can explain to you how hard it is not to hear the thoughts of anyone who is in the same room with you. There’s no way you can blame us for being concerned about what we discovered.”
Maura nodded, knowing if she said anything, it would jeopardize Josie, especially if he didn’t want his pack leader knowing. Apparently living with Josie and this pack would mean avoiding anyone who would sniff out her thoughts or accept that her mate wouldn’t share his life with her so others wouldn’t be able to discover what he chose to do or not do.
“I won’t forbid you from seeing these bitches, if you wish to see them again,” Josie said, looking down at her with smoldering, dark eyes. “Nor will I ever hide my actions from you. I’ve done nothing that I’m ashamed of.”
“What the hell have you done?” Dimitri asked. “Other than bringing her to your den and letting it slip your mind that you should consult with your pack leader before taking a mate.”
Moira stared at Josie, a look that bothered Maura, even though she knew the bitch was mated. And Moira didn’t look happy—far from it. Her eyes widened the longer she studied him until Maura looked up at Josie. He broke eye contact with Moira, his features softening quickly when he looked at her.
“Josie, you want to enlighten us as to what these bitches are talking about?” Nicolo prodded, reaching his hand to Heidi, who quickly moved around everyone until she was in his arms. “Kind of sucks being out in the cold here.”
“These bitches need tighter leashes on them,” Josie muttered.
“That can be arranged.” Dimitri scowled at Rosa, who raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him while growling under her breath.
“You have a right to know though, so I will tell you. Tonight at midnight I will enter the
lunewulf
pack with Maura. I’ve accepted the challenge from the Wagner den to draw first blood.”
“Right to draw first blood?” Dimitri whispered, sounding like he didn’t believe Josie.
“Yup. The right to draw first blood.”