Wolverton by Julie Steimle (best romantic books to read TXT) 📕

More gasps drew in.

But Rick sharply lifted his chin and said, “No. My friends in the Holy Seven don’t go out to hunt wolves. Not unless they have heard accounts of werewolves slaying a human being.”

The elders stared at him. Rick had admitted something that apparently they had thought Mr. Blithe had made up, possibly as slander towards their famed and desired alpha wolf guest.

But Rick didn’t want to lie to them. And if this knowledge made them lay off in their pressure for him to mate with their she-wolves, he was going to take it.

Yet he added, “I know this from being hunted every single full moon. Many hunters have a style. Most carry the trappings of their hunting tools on them, usually while wearing leather clothing, as leather is more protective against claws and teeth—though a number wear kevlar.” He then looked to Mac. “Was there anything that the man or Mr. Whidbee said that might indicate an attempt to go hunting tonight? Words like ‘meet up’ and ‘don’t wear cologne or eat anything with sauce’? Or something like ‘I’ll take care of it’ or ‘Don’t worry, I’ll find him’?”

Mac paled. He nodded. “That man said he was an expert tracker. And if he stuck with him, nothing could go wrong.”

Pressing a hand to his forehead, Rick cringed. “Great…. He’s definitely a hunter.”

“And you led him to us,” Mr. Blithe snarled.

Turning, Rick shook his head with a side glance to Mac while he glared at Mr. Blithe. “Was there any indication that Mr. Whidbee knew of more wolves than one? Or even that I was a wolf?”

Mac shook his head. “No indication whatsoever. Rather, that guy in the Van Helsing costume said he knew a thing or two about you and your rapscallion nature. His words.”

“Rapscallion?” several murmured, including Mr. Blithe who protested it quite loudly.

“You, a famous troublemaker?” Mr. Blithe mockingly laughed. “I should have known.”

Rick rolled his eyes. “An exaggeration. For hunters who want me dead, I am most definitely a lot of trouble.” He then turned to Mac, who would understand. “The problem is, Mr. Whidbee just thinks I’m a rich punk kid who had snuck out the window who he needs to get back before my dad finds out and he gets fired.”

“Is that not what you are?” Mr. Blithe asked.

But Mac shook his head, snarling at Mr. Blithe for being rude. “No. He had to get out because of the full moon. He didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“The bigger problem is,” Rick explained the board, “If that hunter is a decent tracker, he will come here.”

“So you did bring him here!” Mr. Blithe shouted.

Rounding on him, Rick snapped, “For pity’s sake, stop blaming me like you think I brought the hunter along to torment the rest of you. It wasn’t my purpose in coming here! I didn’t even know there was a pack here! I just wanted to survive this full moon in peace.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Mac put an arm around Rick. He then growled at Mr. Blithe. “No wolf likes to be hunted.”

The pack of wolves growled at Mr. Blithe’s attitude. He wasn’t a favorite apparently. That showed good judgement.

“But he is friends with the Holy Seven!” Mr. Blithe pointed at him. “He admitted to it himself!”

The room was silent. Rick hung his shoulders, closing his eyes with a groan. He could feel all their eyes on him.

“Is that true?” Elder Varu finally said.

Opening his eyes, Rick gazed past all the faces staring at him to the old hoary-haired wolf. “Would you kill me if it were?”

Whispers among the werewolves hissed across the table.

Elder Varu said, “Have you ever betrayed a wolf to them?”

Rick shook his head. “No. In fact, I have not told them about the packs that I know. I love my friends dearly. They are good people. But I would not wish to tempt them.”

The pack drew in more breaths and exchanged whispers.

“Do they know you are down here now?” Elder Varu asked.

“You mean in Alabama in this exact location?” Rick asked.

They nodded.

Rick shook his head. “Only my father and our steward Henry knows where I am. We came down here secretly, hoping to lose any hunters on our trail. I had thought we had succeeded, but apparently one had found me.”

“Do you always have hunters on your tail?” one of the wolves in the committee asked.

Nodding, Rick sighed. “Every full moon.”

They exchanged more words and whispers, but soon it ended when Elder Varu banged his gavel on the desk. He gestured to Mac and Rick with his bony, liver-spotted hand. “Thank you for your report. You may step down. The pack will deliberate on our course of action.”

Mac urged Rick toward the door.

But Rick resisted, taking a step toward the table. “I have one more issue with this council.”

All eyes were on him again.

Bristling with indignation once more as he took in their doting and expectant faces, Rick said, “I recall explicitly telling you that I was not interested in rejuvenating the pack when I first came to this town, and yet you purposely encouraged your she-wolves to go after me.”

Some of them snickered. A few stared as if they had done nothing wrong.

“I don’t know how you schemed it out,” Rick grumbled, “but sic’ing Daisy MacTire on me—”

“Do not be mistaken, young wolf, that we sic’d any particular she-wolf on you,” interjected a lady sitting at the right of Mr. Varu. “We encouraged all she-wolves to entice you. The fact that Daisy turned out to be the best mate for you was merely serendipitous.”

Rick flushed, his breath catching in his throat.

“It is very difficult to pair wolves, sometimes,” she explained, gazing grandmotherly at him, almost with adoration. “But your attraction to Daisy comes from your natural feral desire for her in particular. We could not have planned such a thing half as well.”

“I believe,” another elder she-wolf cut in, “That you two are fated mates by the goddess of the moon.”

Groaning, Rick rolled his eyes and said loudly, “Oh, please. That is all nonsense. I don’t believe in any moon goddess.”

“I told you he was a heretic,” Mr. Blithe interjected.

Several wolves hissed for him to be quiet.

“He is an alpha,” Elder Varu, chastened Mr. Blithe with dark looks. “Very few alphas are open to the worship of the goddess—and we won’t make him.”

There it was again. Rick could feel them stepping back, letting it go. They were so different from the French, who were downright fanatical about Diana, the moon goddess. These Alabama wolves really didn’t care what he believed, as long as he was impregnating one of their she-wolves. But then again, they were American.

“Tell me,” said one he-wolf elder, “Though you said you did not wish to rejuvenate our pack, why did you go off and mate with that she-wolf?”

Rick stiffened, blushing as his heart thundered. “I…” He shook his head. “I forgot my brain. I don’t know. I was taken up in the mood of the hunt. She smelled so amazing and….” Panting, Rick put his hand to his forehead as panic washed through him. He was mortified that it had happened, that he couldn’t control himself with Daisy. And yet just thinking about her made him want to do it again. It made him want to go out and find her, to apologize for running off then start back where they had left off.

“You can feel it in your blood,” one of them said. He didn’t know which wolf. His face was hot and there was a pounding in his ears. He could hardly see straight. “You desperately want to be with her, but you are fighting your nature. Give in to the wolf.”

Shaking his head, Rick stepped back. “No. You don’t understand. I can’t. I have responsibilities. I am Howard Richard Deacon the Third for pity’s sake. I have to keep circumspect. I have to follow a strict path. I can’t just give in to the wolf. It is too dangerous for me, and all those around me.”

Their eyes looked sad, sad for him.

“I can’t have a scandal,” Rick explained. “I know you want fresh blood in the pack, but I can’t be the one to provide it. I can’t just inseminate a female then leave her and the baby in the care of the pack.”

“Then stay with us,” an elder said.

“I can’t do that!” Rick protested, staring at him. “Don’t you understand? I am the heir to a multi-national multi-billion dollar corporation. My home is in Massachusetts. If I were to get Daisy pregnant—”

“She is pregnant,” one of the lady elders said.

Rick stared at her. “How can you possibly tell? It has been only one day, and I am sure it takes at least two weeks.”

“A she-wolf’s intuition,” one of them said, grinning confidently.

He rolled his eyes.

“The point is,” he growled out, “I know the repercussions of a he-wolf leaving pups behind. I’ve seen it in other packs, and I can’t do that.” His mind went to his father and all his half siblings. They had hated him a long time. They had felt abandoned and lost because of it. He didn’t want to do that to a child he helped create.

“So, you would marry Daisy?” one of them asked.

Rick flushed. He had always hoped marriage would be a choice of mutual affection and not a rushed thing because he had gotten a girl pregnant. The thing was, he liked Daisy. He was madly attracted to her, though the logical reasons why skipped his mind except for all the obvious physical stuff. But marriage? They really didn’t have anything in common except that she had read My Family and Other Animals and he might have seen the movie. That was not a good foundation for a marriage.

“I…” He couldn’t say it. He shook his head and breathed out, “Can I at least date her first before we go that far? I mean… maybe you are right in that we are somehow fated to be together. I don’t understand what it is that is driving me to… be with her. But I am only eighteen. I have to go to college. I have to get my Masters in Business Administration and take over the company when Dad retires. I—”

Mac put his arm around him. “We understand. You are overwhelmed right now.”

“This is the first time you have ever really been a full wolf,” another one said. “And this is going too fast for you to digest.”

Hanging his shoulders, Rick groaned. “Way too fast. It is one thing being part of the hunt, quite another….” He groaned in himself as he was now sure that Daisy was pregnant. He was going to be a teenage father. Mrs. Blithe had been right. He was trapped. Stuck in their honey. And though he had to physically leave the pack to go off to school in August—with a child and a young mother to take care of, he was now inseparably connected with this village. The worst part was, he had to find a way to visit often without drawing hunters to them.

“Do not worry, Mr. Deacon,” Elder Varu said. “Daisy and her child will get the finest care of the pack.”

Rick shook his head, cringing. “I have no doubts about that…”

They smiled, though they also puzzled over what he meant.

“Do you have any further concerns?” Elder Varu finally asked.

Lifting his head, Rick sighed then shook it. There was nothing else left to say. This entire problem really was his.

“Very well.” Elder Varu then gestured for Mac to gently show Rick out.

All eyes followed him as he exited the room. Several of them pitied him. Others, he could tell, were quite pleased with themselves. Only Mr. Blithe watched him with distaste. Rick had a feeling he would not be invited to sleep at their house that night. And though he really wanted to talk to Mrs. Blithe again, he didn’t think it was such