After my training and shower, I sat on the front porch of Alpha Brent’s pack house, despite the chill, letting my mind process everything that had happened when Dean found me. “Hey,” I said, running my hand over my head, vowing to cut my hair. It was getting too long for my tastes. “What did your dad want?”
“The usual. What about you? Anything new?”
“No luck with the laws so far, but Sadie has an idea. What is the usual? Does he want you to convince me to be a good girl and stop making waves?”
Dean gave me a half-smile. “The usual is him complaining I’m not like my brother. He isn’t against you leading, Nic. He believes it’s going to be impossible.”
“So does everyone else, it seems.
“Sorry, Nic,” Jon said with a shrug of his shoulders. He, Wesley, Sadie, and I sat in the game room. Dean helped Wesley get the records we needed, but had to leave to cover someone’s shift at the hospital.I forced a smile onto my lips. “No worries. If pack law states no women challengers, then we’ll find something else. What did you guys find out about Brandon?”Wesley didn’t seem any happier than Jon did when he cleared his throat. “Brandon came along with the alpha of Orlando. It seems a year or so after he left us, the alpha there took him in and they’re now best of friends, apparently.”“Ah,” I said. My chest tightening and my breathing was becoming harder. “Is there anything in the law books preventing a champion of sorts? Could Dean
Dean pulled me over to the couch. He sat next to me, his arm laid around my shoulders, and tucked me right against him. Again, I found myself struck by how nice this was. “Nic, we have to talk about this,” Dean said, sounding serious. I didn’t like him so serious.“Dean, there is nothing to talk about. I don’t even understand why you’re insisting. This should be good news to you,” I said, letting frustration enter my voice.“Is that what you really think?”I shrugged, not sure why he seemed so upset.“Okay, come with me,” Dean said, standing.I stared up at him, confused. “What?”“Come with m
“Hey, Nic, where you bee — whoa, what happened to you two?” Jon asked as Dean and I left the gym. He shook his head, held up his hands. “Actually, I don’t think I want to know. So we’ve been waiting for you and to figure out what we’re going to do next.”“Back to work,” I told Dean and rubbed a kink out of my shoulder. “I need a shower, and then we can discuss the what next. Meet you guys in thirty-forty minutes, okay.”“Sure thing,” Jon said, giving us an odd stare before turning around and going back to where he came from.“Well, rain check on the pampering. I’ll get some sleep and catch you later,” Dean said, and slung his arm around my shoulders and hugged me. “But don’t let them keep you up too long
When Dean joined me on the front porch, we walked back to the pack house. Something had been bothering me since I spoke to Harry. This plan for a better pack wasn’t something Harry just came up. It’d been something he’d been working on for a while. So why was Dean only telling me now?“Well, what do you think?” Dean asked after we’d been walking for a few minutes.“It’s a great idea. Something like this should’ve happened long ago,” I said and with some hesitation added, “Harry didn’t seem to like me too much. Is that why you didn’t tell me about this before?”Dean scoffed and gave me a sidelong glance. “You’re kidding right?”I frowned at him. “No, I’m not.&
“Relax,” Sadie said as I paced the room.Relax? How could I relax when I was waiting for Dean to come here to ask him on a date? An actual date. Me and him. On a date. “This was a bad idea. What was I even thinking?”“It’s a fine idea. You only have to relax,” she insisted.Easy for her to say. She wasn’t going on a date. My stomach tightened, and I was pretty sure I was going to get sick soon. The knock on the door nearly made me jump right out of my skin. Sadie chuckled as she opened the door.“Hey, Sadie, right? I heard Nic was looking for me,” Dean said.“She’s right here,” Sadie replied, opening the door as I contemplated jumping out the window
“So,” Dean said as we sat down on one of the couches in the small room. “What is it you want to talk about?” He sounded almost nervous.I chuckled to myself. He was nervous? Dean had nothing to be nervous about. “Well, I told you I appreciate what you’ve been doing for me since I arrived and well, I wanted to let you know that I, uh, am ready to accept you as my mate,” I told him then added, “And, I understand if you aren’t. We know little about each other, so it’s okay if you’re not sure or if you’re not ready.”When he said nothing for a moment, my nerves ratcheted up, and I ran a hand through my hair. Perhaps I was doing this wrong? Perhaps I misread things. When he asked, “You’re kidding right?” I stared back at him, not sure what he meant. He scooted over closer
Brent allowed me the use of one of his larger offices. Whatever Marquice had to say, I wanted all of my people to hear it. Dean joined us as well. Brent and his mate — Emily, were there as well.“I appreciate your help, Alpha Brent. However, this is a Golden Plains matter to be discussed,” Marquice told him.Before I said it, Brent did. “None of the people here present are members of the Golden Plains pack per your new alpha’s orders.” I appreciated the icy edge to his voice as he spoke.Marquice looked from the alpha to me. “Nic, this is a pack matter, and I’m under orders to tell you what I have to say, and only you.”“As the alpha said, I’m not pack. I am a guest here and in no position to ask the alpha
“This is crazy,” Marquice demanded, and to ensure it was very clear, he gave me the look of bewildered horror. “Your father will never agree to this.”“Then that’s his choice, but if he wants my help, he is going to agree to those terms. I will not save his ass, just to have it all fall apart at the next turn. What happened to Father’s dignity?”He scowled at me, but took out his cell and tapped the screen. “Alpha,” Marquice said with a much softer voice when the call connected. “She’s agreed to help, but with conditions. Yes, Sir, I told her the pack was at risk. Yes, she still insisted.” Marquice glared at me for good measure, and I replied with a grin. “The first condition is Brandon may never become alpha, no matter what happens in the future, and second—”