The Pack (10 page)

     Mercy followed her outside her gaze immediately going to Kirk who
leaned
against his
car
waiting for them
. H
is eyes
locked on her
from the
moment the
front
door
opened
until
she
reached his side
and she felt her hands shake with apprehension
.

    
“Hi,” h
e said
taking
her bag and tossing
it
into the trunk
before placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her to the passenger si
de
.

    
She was
flustered
and her face must have reflected her emotions
because
Gina, as always covered for her
momentary lapse of sanity
.

    “Hey Kirk,
” Gina said
throwing her
own bag into the trunk before
climbing in
the back seat.
“Let’s go or we’re going to
be late.”

     As he walked to his side of he car, Gina
took the opportunity to reach forward and prod
her arm. “Get yourself
together
,
he’s in to you, stop acting like a scared rabbit.”

     “I’m not,” Mercy
replied hoping her unease
wasn’t
apparent
to Kirk
.

     “You
ready?” he
asked
as he got into the driver’s
seat
and started the car
.

 
   “More
than ever,” s
he
an
swered with a smile
despite a sudden case of regret
.
Never before had she lied to her brothers and Alec’s sudden presence
only
made her
more uneasy about the evening, but she had already committed to the plan so she had to go through with it
.

     “Good.”  He reached across the seat and took her hand in his
squeezing it lightly
.

     S
he looked worriedly to
Gina
who sat
grinning in the back seat
,
but found no comfort there
.
Butterflies swam in her s
tomach and
with every sideways glance he
gave
her,
she felt more uneasy,
but
somehow
she managed to kee
p herself from throwing up
.

*****

    
The game
that night
ended on a high note
.
T
heir team
won
and everyone seemed
in good spirits as they gathered at the lake
to celebrate
their victory
.
A massive bonfire blazed towards the sky and a large group of people had alr
eady gathered
by the time they arrived.
Kirk was greeted with cheers by his teammates and hailed as hero by everyone and Mercy could see he was embarrassed by their attention.

     “I
see someone I need to talk too,
” Gina tol
d them bouncing off
to chase the
football player
she had been flirting with earlier in the day, leaving them
alone for the first time of the evening
.

     “Do you want a drink?” Kirk asked, his hand on the small of her back
,
his fingers rubbing against her t-shirt
as they walked closer to the fire.

  
  “No I
’m good.” Her hands were shaking
and she knew she would
spill any
t
hing she h
e
ld in them.

     “Let’s find a place to sit then
.” He
led
her to a quiet spot at the edge of the group
, close to the woods
and placed a blanket down
on the ground before helping her sit.
Silence reigned between them
until she pulled her jacke
t closer around
her to ward off the chilly night
air
.

   
“You cold?” he asked
with concern
.

     “A little.” She tried
not to jump when he moved behind her and pulled her back between his legs wrapping his arms around her.
His
body was hot despite the cool night air and she felt instantly warmer
in his embrace
.

    “Better?” he asked
,
the heat
of his lips
so close to her
chilled
ear
making her shiver
.

     “Better,” she murmured leaning back,
allowing
herself
to relax in his arms.

     “Mercy you
like me right?” he asked
.

     “Of course I d
o.”

     “I was wondering if
maybe we could go out,
”
he said nervously.

    
His fingers brushe
d hers
and she took a de
ep breath trying to calm herself
.
“I thought
that’s what
we are
doing tonight.
”

     “I meant in a more permanent way, like you would
date only me and
be
my girl friend.”

     Mercy sat in silence
unsure how to respond.
Kirk was
everything
she
wanted
in a guy
and
t
he answer should have been easy
, but still she hesitated
.

     “Mercy?” he prodded
,
a little put ou
t by her lack of response
.

     “Of c
ourse I will be your girlfriend,” s
he answered
pushing aside
her uncertainly.

     “You have made me so happy,” he murmured turning her in his arm
s
and lowering his head to hers.

     She was nervous, dizzy with excitement and
very
unprepared. The moment his
lips brush
ed
hers
she tensed, stiffening in his arms and
she knew he felt her uneasy response.

     “Are yo
u okay?” he asked looking confused
.

    
“I’m good, just a little nervous.”

     “Oh,” he said sounding defeated.

    
“Kirk, I’ve never been kissed before
,
I’m not really sure what I’m doing.” 

     He let out a sigh of relief and pulled her against him. “It doesn’t’ matter, I like that I am the first guy to kiss you.” His head lowered to hers and he kissed
her again, gently prodding
until she was following his lead. 

      Mercy felt her body relax and gave
herself over to the moment
savoring
her first kiss
. Just
as
Gina
advised,
she let him take control
and
followed his patient coaxing until they were comfortable and in sync with one another
.
Carefully
, he
lowered
her to th
e blanket,
lying next to her one h
and on her hip
the other
tangled in h
er
hair
as the kiss deepened.
She wondered what it would be like to have
Alec kiss
her in such a way, but
chastised herself immediately.
Kirk
was the one she should be focusing on
, he was the one who held her in his arms and kissed her so tenderly
.

    
As if sensing her inner struggle he
pulled back
and stared down
on her his
eyes filled with question and desire
.
“You’re so beautiful,” h
e said
nipping her
bottom
lip. “I can’t believe you are not claimed already.” 

     Mercy
smiled
excited by the idea of having her first
real
boyfriend
,
but it
faltered
as a
familiar
figure moved to the edge of the blanket
staring down on them with barely concealed rage
.

     “Get up now!” Lucan d
emanded
as he stood over
the couple
. 

     They
scrambled apart
to stand
before
him
, Kirk moving
in fr
ont of Mercy
offering protection.
    

    
Lucan’s face twisted with anger
and he snarled
. “Get away from her.” 

     “Lucan don’t
do this,
” Mercy pleaded stepping out
from behind Kirk to walk
to his side. “Do not embarrass me like this.”

     “You lied to me.
”
H
is voice
like steel
,
his eyes
refusing
to meet
hers
he stared
at Kirk
with contempt
.

    
“
I am going to Gina’s
,
we
stopped her first.” She laid her hand on his trembling arm hoping he would not make matters worse
,
but the murderous
glare
he
was giving
Kirk
made her anxious
.

     “You are coming home now,
”
h
e growled
grabbing her arm
harder than he intended,
fighting the shift
that was threatening
to overtake him
.
If he changed before
Mercy,
she would be terrified
and would
never forgive him
for his duplicity
,
a fact
he thought
Kirk knew and
was depending upon
.
The boy in
front
of him was not what he seemed
. The aroma
of pack lingered around him
and every fiber of his being told him
he could sense
Mercy was one of them
.

     “Luc please,”
s
he cried out
in a
larm her arm hurting where he held her so roughly
.

     “W
e meant no harm
,
I will bring her home rig
ht now I swear,
”
Kirk,
told him trying to defle
ct his rage
onto himself.

     “Go to hell
!” Lucan sneered
through clenched teeth ignoring his sister
’
s gasp
next to him
. “Stay away from her or else
.”

     “K
nock it off
Luc,
Kirk
has
always been nice to me
,
you are
the one
acting like a jerk.” She did not know where she found the strength
,
but she jerked her arm away from
his grasp
and went to Kirks side. “I am so sorry for all of this.”

     “Don’t worry about it
,
he’s
trying to keep you
safe
,
I can’t blame him for protecting you
.” He placed his h
and on her chin and lifted her face
. “I will call you later.” He brushed her
lips
with his own
ignoring the growl emanating
from her brother
.