A snarl escapes my lips. I cough, clearing my throat. I don’t know where that came from.
“I put no claim on Haisley.”
“Don’t matter. The females have their own way of enforcing rank.”
Yeah, and it doesn’t usually involve blood in the dining room. That’s a great way to rile the males. If this shit becomes a trend, I’m gonna have to put the hammer down again like when I first took over the pack.
Tye keeps going. “Maybe it’s time to put the females on the circuit since they’re so eager to throw down.”
We both laugh. Things ain’t changed that much. If I let a female train and fight for real, Eamon Byrne would have no trouble convincing every male to take turns on me until I bled out, honor be damned.
“I wouldn’t give Eamon the satisfaction.”
“He’s the one pushing Lochlan to challenge for beta.” Tye tells me something I already know.
“Eamon wishes it was the good old days.” There’s more than a few like him. What the hell do they miss about living in caves, shitting in the woods, and freezing all winter?
Tye shakes his head, changing the subject. “I’ve never seen anything like that last night. Una didn’t stand a chance.”
“You take her to her cabin?” I don’t know why I’m asking. Or why I’m suddenly anxious for the answer.
And it’s not just me. My wolf’s ears are perked, too. Maybe this is all him. He’s got some weird attraction to crazy chicks.
Of course, that’s not possible. The wolf and I are two forms, but one being. We don’t have different concerns. That’s a faulty construct. Like pain. It’s in your head. It’s not real. We are our wolves. Period. Every pup who was raised right knows that.
Your wolf’s hungry? You’re hungry. You’re pissed? Your wolf’s pissed. Simple.
“I dropped her behind the lodge,” Tye says.
“By the dumpsters?” My shoulder blades clench. I have to focus on the muscles to relax. The heat isn’t doing it.
“Haisley and her crew were gathered up front. I figure I’d give Una a head start.”
“Goddamn.”
My father never had to deal with this kind of shit. Females would have never dared to shift unbidden. Or approach the alpha and lay claim to him in front of the pack.
Or rub up on him uninvited, for that matter.
“Haisley’s getting above herself.” It’s my fault. I guess I’ve let her suck my dick a few too many times.
Tye settles his arms along the back of the bench. “You should talk to Dermot.”
“She’s not gonna listen to him.”
Dermot is Haisley’s mate. They’re “strictly for heat,” too. He’s forty years older than her and kind of done with the drama. She does what she pleases, and he’s happy to let her.
“Maybe it’s time to tell her to move it along, then.” Tye cracks his neck and stretches his legs, spreading wide. My wolf rumbles. He narrows his spread.
“Maybe it is.”
“Pack comes first, right?”
“Always,” I agree. That’s why I’m careful not to get too close to any of the females. A blow job is one thing, but you don’t want to give anyone any ideas. Packs are built on rank, and there’s two ways to gain status—who you fight and who you fuck. Clearly, I’ve given Haisley too much of my favor.
I need to diversify the roster.
I’ve never touched Una Hayes.
I mean, why would I? It wouldn’t be right. She’s got that messed up leg, and obviously, there’s something wrong with her wolf. And now, maybe her head.
She always seemed smart. She was one of those kids who was early to the bus stop and sat right up front behind the driver. Teacher’s pet. Always eating lunch in the classroom so she could play on the computer.
In my grandfather’s day, she wouldn’t have gone to school. My generation was the first to send the females, and only because Moon Lake Pack wouldn’t let the males go if the females didn’t.
At least my father saw the value in education. There were plenty of packmates who thought schooling was a waste of time for males as well, but if we didn’t know enough math to grow the money we make on the circuit, we’d still be huddling in piles to survive the winter.
Soft gray fur, wriggling and warm. Tucked ears. Small paws kneading my belly.
My breath catches in my lungs, and my wolf growls low. Almost a purr. What the fuck?
Tye drops his arm and raises his eyebrow. I scrub my chest and toss a shoulder. “I don’t know, man. He’s been making weird noises.”