Page 20 of Lone Wolf’s Claim (The Kincaid Werewolves #1)

C edric Kincaid, six feet seven inches of pure alpha and head of the Seattle area werewolf pack, cocked his dark head to the side and dug his fingers into the flesh of Lucian's throat. He was getting damned sick and tired of this young pup and his bad attitude.

"Haud yer wheesht!" he growled. "I won't listen tae any more of yer nonsense.

Do ye ken?" He could feel the restless tension in the air coming from the other wolves in the pack, but he felt no fear, even with his back to them.

They were riled up due to what was going on, but they were loyal to him.

On that he would bet his life. They'd been together living as a pack and a family for a long time.

This young one in his grip? Not so much. He still needed to learn his place.

Lucian glared at him with grey eyes that reminded him of a stormy sea. After a tense moment, he lowered his lids and turned his face away as much as he could with Cedric’s large hand cutting off his airway, exposing his throat in a sign of submission.

Cedric pulled his lips back in a snarl, exposing his elongated canines, and clamped them down around the life-giving artery in Lucian's throat.

He pressed down just enough to break the skin, and growled low in his throat until he felt the fight leave the pup's body as he submitted fully to his alpha.

Releasing his teeth and his hand at the same time, he dropped Lucian to the floor at his feet and waited for him to get up before he spoke. "If ye 'ave an issue with what I'm suggesting, we will discuss it. But I'm no' going to put up with yer outbursts."

"I meant nae disrespect," Lucian gritted out.

Cedric narrowed his eyes at his tone but said nothing more.

The boy had pride, and something else, some lingering frustration that stemmed from something that had happened before they'd found him.

He'd always been a wee bit cocky, but lately his pent up anger had been brewing so hot inside that Cedric was afraid the top was going to blow off the pot.

He just hoped that anger didn't boil over to burn them all during a life and death situation.

Turning to the other two wolves in his small pack, he observed their distinctive reactions to Lucian's behavior.

Duncan's green eyes danced with merriment, as usual. He seemed to find the entire situation amusing. It took a hell of a lot more than a spat between pack mates to worry him. His mouth twisted up in a crooked smile as he shook his head at Lucian. "When are ye aft tae learn, wee pup?"

Lucian's jaw flexed as he speared Duncan with his stormy gaze, but the older wolf only slapped him on the back with a show of good-natured commiserating.

"Come on. Let's hear th' rest o' what Cedric has tae say before ya go off all half cocked.

" Throwing an arm over Lucian's stiff shoulders, he led him past Marc and into the living room of Cedric's apartment.

Plunking down onto the couch, he pulled Lucian down beside him.

Marc watched them with his fathomless dark eyes, almost as dark as his hair, then chose the chair farthest from them and sat down. Keeping a close eye on Lucian's auburn head, he waited for Cedric to continue their conversation.

As they got settled, Cedric reached up and pulled the tie from his long, black, wavy hair.

Smoothing the flyaways back from his face with his hands, he gathered the mass together at the nape of his neck and tied it back again.

Then he lifted his ice-blue eyes and looked at each member of his pack in turn as he spoke, taking in their reactions.

"So, as I was saying afore I was sae rudely interrupted, I had a brief visit with th' wolf that helped our friend's female escape China: Brock Hume."

Lucian's only reaction to the other male's name this time was a slight ticking in the muscle of his jaw.

Cedric hesitated a moment to see if there was another outburst coming, but Lucian kept his palms flat on his thighs and his eyes on the floor at his feet. Of course, Duncan's firm grip on his shoulder may have had something to do with that. "Whit dae ye ken about the lad, Lucian?" he asked.

"I ken nothing about him," he muttered.

"That's nae true. If it were true, ye would nae have reacted th' way ye did just a few seconds ago."

Lucian clamped his jaw together and refused to say anything more.

"Why are ye asking?" Marc wanted to know. "He's just visiting here, is he no'?"

"Aye," Cedric told him. "And I'll be th' first tae admit I dinna know anythin' else aboot the lad, except that he is withou' a pack.

I was thinkin' maybe we could invite him in tae ours.

" He held up his hand to stop the protests before they could be voiced.

"We could use another braw lad like him.

Even if he does 'ave bonnie locks better than mine.

" He lifted a hand to his long ponytail and smiled.

"He would 'ave tae earn his place first, o' course, just like ye all did.

" He shrugged. "I just 'ave a feeling about the pup. "

Duncan was nodding his head in agreement. "I say 'aye'. Let's bring him in. Get tae know him. If ye think that he would be a good fit for us, I trust yer instincts."

Cedric turned to Marc. "Whit aboot ye? Dae ya think we should give him a chance?"

Marc's intelligent dark eyes shifted from Lucian to his alpha. "I have nae met him, but I trust ye. If yer impression of this male was that he deserves th' chance, than I say 'aye' also. However, I would like th' chance to get to know him before ya make th' offer."

Cedric nodded. "Lucian? If ye 'ave any knowledge or doubts aboot this male, now would be th' time tae tell us."

They all turned to see what he would say, but he just shook his dark auburn head sharply to the side. "I 'ave nothin' tae say aboot him. Do as ye like."

He was hiding something. Cedric was sure of it.

But if didn't want to tell him what it was, then he would proceed with his plan.

"Well, all right then. As soon as I see him again, I will make th’ offer for him tae stay for a while.

And we'll take it from there. But remember, lads," He waited until he was sure he had all of their attention.

"This is no' just my pack. It is our pack.

I will nae invite anyone in if any one of you has an issue wit' it.

A legitimate issue," he emphasized, crossing his arms over his muscular chest and looking back and forth between Marc and Lucian.

Marc gave him a nod while Lucian grabbed Duncan's hand and threw his arm off with a sound of disgust, much to Duncan's delight.