Page 3

Chapter

Three

Draco Blackwood stepped out of his black SUV and stretched his six foot six frame slightly to get the kinks out of his back and shoulders.

After driving the last two and a half days to get from California to his hometown in North Carolina, all he wanted was to have a couple of beers and talk to those of his team about stupid shit before the seriousness of everything started in the morning.

He looked over as the other SUV pulled in next to his. Out of the eight of his team members, only two of his people wanted to come to The Hen with him.

When they arrived at Pelco Grove three hours ago, they checked into their hotel and grabbed dinner.

When he mentioned going to The Hen, all but two declined due to wanting to rest up for tomorrow.

One wanted to see their old stomping ground and the other wanted to see what his two bosses used to get themselves into.

Leonardo Mason, his Beta, already knew the place as intimately as he did back in the days. The two of them used to sneak out of their rooms and meet up here with fake IDs and have all kinds of fun.

When Draco joined the Army straight out of high school, Leo was right there beside him. When he joined the Special Forces, Leo was again right there with him.

When the military created their specialized spec ops unit of shifters, called “Ghost Ops”, with Draco leading the team, Leo was the first one to join him. His Beta has his back even in the darkest of times, tonight was no different.

Against his and Leo’s parents’ wishes, they stayed in a hotel until other accommodations could be arranged for the rest of their team, permanently. They were used to being on the go all the time, so them having a permanent place more often than not, was going to be a new adjustment for all of them.

“Tony and Ray meeting us at the bar?” Leonardo Mason asked as he clapped his hands rubbing them together in excitement.

“Yeah. They were at Mom’s when I called her. Apparently, there have been some issues with the Maplewood pack trying to expand their territory with sneak attacks. He’s coming to give us a brief rundown of what Dad isn’t telling me over the phone or email.”

“How successful have they been?”

“According to Tony, they just seized Roque’s Pack last week.

They attacked when the Alpha was weak from a sneak attack that rendered him useless hours before from a pack of rogue wolves that were paid for by the Maplewoods.

That’s when Tony convinced my parents to ask if I wanted the Alpha spot.

Dad is aging and knows he wouldn’t survive if he was wounded. The others don’t want the spot.”

“Well, duh! You are an Alpha through and through, boss. You out Alpha even the other Alphas round the planet.”

“Kiss ass!” Leo quipped at his teammate.

“And the ladies love it!” Justin “Case” Holt laughed as he smacked Leo on the back.

Draco shook his head at his two friends and teammates. They are a tight-knit group thanks to the blood and sweat they shared through the years.

His spec ops team followed him into the civilian life when he left after a bad op to start his own company to cut through the government red tape bullshit. He’d lost some damn good soldiers through the years because of that bullshit.

Now, he, along with those who joined his company were rich as hell by forcing those who exploited their wealth and the government to pay out of the ass for their services. Those who couldn’t afford his services and truly needed them were helped for free.

“Who all knows you’ve arrived back in town?”

Draco looked over at Leo with a huge smile.

“Tony, Ray, and my parents. I’m sure there will be hell from the others when the word of my being at The Hen instead of the homestead spreads by morning when we all arrive for the meeting.

Deidra will be there with her report from Dad’s side of the company itself.

I have Hawk and Shades assigned to work with her in regard to the fucknut spreading the rumor he’s the new head of the company. ”

“Think it’s Maplewood making a play?” Leo’s eyes sparked at the thought.

“They aren’t smart enough for that play. I think they are working with someone else and using them as muscle,” Draco admitted as they walked into The Hen.

“Weak ass muscle if you ask me,” Leo fired back, shaking his head.

“Agreed.”

Draco surveyed his surroundings and nearly growled so deep, his shackles and claws wanted to raise as he looked to where he found his baby sister being surrounded by three Maplewood pack members. The female with her was an unknown but damn she made his cock stand at attention.

Not fucking good. Especially in a potentially dangerous situation they could be facing here in a few.

“Isn’t that Robert Maplewood?” Leo questioned, following Draco’s line of sight.

“Unfuckingfortunately.”

“Word is you won’t even run this town pretty soon, cunt. Word is there’s a challenge for a new Alpha going out from my old man to yours!”

“Yes, your waste of space father did challenge mine. But he was informed he would have to challenge me, as my father, not only handed his business over to me, but all Alpha business as well.”

“Draco!”

Draco kept his eyes on the man who dared to sully his sister’s air with their presence. He wrapped his arms around his sister and squeezed.

“Draco, meet my best friend, Athena. She’s the hottie I’ve been telling you about all these years. Athena, this is my oldest brother, Draco.”

Draco’s eyes landed on Athena’s and fuck if his wolf didn’t just react in a way the fucker had never reacted around a woman before in their life. He was suddenly the big bad wolf ready to devour Little Red Riding Hood.

“Hello, Athena. Nice to finally meet you.”

“S-same t-to you.”

“Athena let’s go. Now!”

Draco continued to stare at Athena as she gulped quickly before grabbing her beer bottle and taking a couple of quick swallows. Now he wondered if her sweet little lips would be able to wrap like that around his cock.

“Athena, now !”

Draco turned his stare to the man who yelled at the woman his sister just introduced to him. When she stood up and moved to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips, his fucking cock went rock fucking steel.

“Go to hell, both of you! I am not here with you. Both of you can go fuck yourselves. Leave me the hell alone.”

Yep, he was totally fucked. His wolf wanted her.