Instead, he'd discovered that every time he caught one of the others looking her over speculatively he knew
exactly
what was running through their minds and it took all he could do to refrain from picking a fight.
Another fight.
He'd wanted to kill Con when he'd realized what he'd done. It was probably just as well the others had, too, because it had ended in a general melee and a stand off instead of the orderly combat for supremacy that it should've been—meaning none of them had actually managed to kill anyone.
He didn't like to think of trying to explain to the council why and how the men they'd sent to bring order and hush things up had ended up fighting among themselves instead and killing one or more of the pack leaders of five of the biggest sub-packs in the wolfen nation. It would be uncomfortable enough if Danika had been wolfen. Trying to explain that they'd been fighting over a human female that none of them were supposed to be messing with to start with could only make things even more uncomfortable.
He shuddered to think of his family's reaction to his involvement.
Not that he was in the habit of letting them tell him what to do, but he loved his family. He didn't want to find himself shunned by them for breaking pack law, particularly
that
one, which would earn him a lot more than disapproval.
A cold shower was all he had in mind when he parked his bike. It was just about the only thing that kept the heat in check and kept his cock in his pants, but he had a bad feeling he was fighting a losing battle.
Dakota had just emerged from the shower when the four of them trooped wearily inside. He caught Danika's scent on the fucking bastard instantly, though. For several minutes he was too busy struggling with the urge to stalk across the cabin and attack him to note anything else, but the other scent wafting to him shot his fury even higher. Apparently the others caught the scent about the same time he did. Con and Jared had already stiffened all over and surged toward him.
"The fucking rogue alpha was here,” he growled, waiting for confirmation, though he hardly needed it.
Dakota, who'd already tensed to defend himself, relaxed fractionally. “Yeah. You were right. He was waiting for us to leave to come after Danika. It was a mistake to establish too much of a routine."
Fighting the rogue alpha wasn't all he'd been doing, Balin thought furiously. He was far more interested in taming his beast and convincing himself it didn't bother him than he was in convincing the others, but they needed to try to focus on the mission regardless and it didn't hurt that the two factors required the same restraint. He moved stiffly, and reluctantly, to the chair beneath the window and sprawled in it in a concentrated attempt at nonchalance he was far from feeling. After several taut moments, the others followed suit, but he didn't delude himself into thinking the threat of violence had passed. Con, Jared, and even Xavier, who had a tendency to remain oblivious to pretty much everything around him, were still struggling to contain their beast.
Dakota wasn't fooled. He didn't bother dressing, knowing it would give him an edge—maybe only a slight one, but still the few moments it would take them to shed their binding garments would give him an advantage—which he'd need since Balin wasn't the only one that wanted to tear his head off.
"What happened?” he asked after a long moment.
Dakota shrugged. “The son-of-a-bitch walked up to the camp as bold as brass. No doubt he'd heard the rest of you leave and figured we'd all gone. I'm guessing he spotted my bike and stopped to consider his options."
"You were supposed to park the bike out of sight,” Con growled.
Dakota sent him a narrow eyed look. “I hadn't gotten around to it."
"Meaning you had something else on your fucking mind and you blew the trap we'd set for the son-of-a-bitch."
Dakota folded his arms over his chest, studying Balin assessingly. “Something like that,” he responded tightly.
Jared slammed his fist into the wall furiously and whirled to eye Dakota with deadly promise, clenching and unclenching his fists. “Meaning every fucking one of you waltzes around here saying one thing and thinking something else entirely,
pretending
you've nothing more than a passing interest in fucking Danika and just waiting all the while for the first opportunity to make a play for her!"
"But you haven't?” Balin asked dryly.
Jared flushed.
"I never
pretended
a fucking thing,” Dakota growled. “We agreed to settle who got her in combat. That's a statement of intent that I fully agreed with. I never had any intention but to have her if I was the victor. I sure as fuck never claimed anything else!"
A ripple of shock went through Balin. He was dimly aware that Dakota's statement had had a similar effect on the others, but only vaguely. “She's human,” he said finally.
Dakota turned a cold look on him. “You keep saying that. I don't give a fuck. I want her and I mean to have her ... if she'll have me."
"You know the council will never approve it,” Con ground out angrily.
"They will or they won't,” Dakota retorted grimly. “Either way, I will, even if I have to live outside council law.” He turned to glare at Balin. “That's why I marked her ... twice."
Balin felt a sudden coldness wash over him that was almost instantly followed by the heat of blinding rage and made him feel almost physically ill. He'd never expected any of them to take that step. It unnerved him to realize Dakota had so obviously been giving the situation a great deal of thought if he'd already made up his mind to challenge the council on it. “And three's the charm,” Balin said coldly, almost amazed that he sounded perfectly calm when he felt anything but. “Except she's human. You won't bind her that way."
"Is that why you marked her? Because you didn't believe that?"
Balin flushed. “My beast was still riding me,” he said tightly. “Chances are she's carrying my pup."
"And just what the hell makes you think the chances are any better that it's yours than mine?” Con demanded furiously.
"Or mine?” Dakota challenged him.
"Well it sure as fuck isn't mine!” Xavier said indignantly. “I'd like to know what the hell is going on, gods damn it! First you say we all need to steer clear of her, then somebody suggested we take turns—and don't fucking tell me that wasn't in the offing because I damned well remember that
somebody
suggested it! Then I find out we're going to settle it in combat who gets to fuck her, nobody else will even get a chance with her, and now I find out all of three of you have been busy going behind everybody else's back trying to mark her and plant your pup in her womb!"
"I don't know what the fuck he just said,” Jared snarled, “but I think I agree with most of it. Especially the part about the fact that this whole fucking thing is shady as hell! Maybe it ain't dishonorable given the fact that she's human, but it sure as hell sounds like it to me if we're talking about marking her now!"
Dakota eyed him speculatively. “I'm in favor of settling it now. I intend to take her as my mate if I'm the victor and she'll have me. I'll take any honorable challenge for the right—but nobody's touching her for any other reason. If you've got no interest in mating, you need to stay out of it."
"What happens when she finds out what you are?” Balin asked coldly.
Uncertainty flickered in Dakota's eyes for the first time and for a moment Balin felt a touch of triumph.
"She won't find out. If I have to live outside council law anyway, and I probably will, I'll live with her as a human. There's no reason why she needs to know."
"Except rogues aren't protected by council law and you'll be challenged. I can guarantee it,” Balin said grimly.
"And I'll settle it like I always have any other challenge."
"The laws won't apply. It won't be one on one."
"That's my problem,” Dakota said coldly.
"Or maybe mine,” Con said. “I'm in."
"Me, too,” Jared agreed.
"Then we settle it tonight between the three of us."
"Now wait just a fucking minute!” Xavier said indignantly. “I was going to throw in, too."
Dakota's lips tightened. “You're a royal, Xavier. The council aside, your family won't go for it. I'm talking mating here. You
did
get that?"
Xavier glared at him. “I got that. If I win, she'll be mine."
"She won't be yours!” Balin snapped, losing patience. “She isn't going to just accept whoever wins—she can't even be present at the trials to approve the victor! If she was, you can be gods damned sure she'd run screaming the other way and you'd have to chase her down and
force
her to accept you! And you could mark her from the top of her head to her toes and it won't take! It isn't in her blood!"
Dakota shrugged. “So we do it the human way—after we settle it between the three of us."
"Four!” Xavier snapped. “You're not going to fucking exclude me just because
my
father decided to whelp me on my mother, gods damn it! I'm not even line! Balin will be king after his father and his brats after him!"
Balin sent him a deadly look. “Not the one I planted in Dani's womb."
"You think!” Dakota snarled.
Balin narrowed his eyes at him. “Know. She's fertile—was."
"She was still fertile when I made love to her while ago,” Dakota said pointedly. “I smelled it on her."
Con and Balin exchanged an uncomfortable glance.
"We settle it tonight, then—the four of us,” Dakota said after a moment, looking at Xavier pointedly. “Balin can officiate since he won't be taking part."
"And you decided this how?” Balin asked coldly.
Dakota frowned at him. “If you don't want to officiate, that's fine—probably for the best since this won't be accepted as official by the council anyway."
"I won't officiating because I
will
be participating,” Balin ground out. “Always assuming the rogues don't decide to crash our party—or Dani."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eleven
"Now that we've settled that, why don't you explain to us, Dakota, why it is that the rogue alpha is still a problem,” Balin said after a long pause, ignoring the stunned looks of the others.
"We
know
why the rogue alpha is still a problem!” Con ground out. “Dakota was too busy fucking Danika to take care of it!"
"Wait! Let's back up a minute!” Xavier put in. “You can't participate in this, Balin!"
Balin narrowed his eyes at his cousin. “Exactly why do you think I can't?"
Xavier gaped at him. “Because you're the prince, damn it!"