Page 16

After the shitshow at the new cafe, Samson had called a meeting of the alliance. I didn't blame him—I'd acted like a fool—but I also didn't want to rehash what was already settled.

Samson should leave Nayeli alone, and Jayce could go fuck himself. That was that.

But if I wanted to keep the alliance strong, I couldn't ignore when either of the other Alphas called a meeting. So, three days following the incident at Howlers, I left early in the morning to have breakfast at Joe's house with him and Samson.

We usually met at night, but I was slammed with opening the new shop, and Samson was equally busy now that he didn't have Nayeli to handle his affairs. Apparently, Kiera was doing an admirable job, but with Kit, she didn't have a whole lot of time, either.

I tried not to enjoy Samson's suffering too much, but it was amusing.

It was a nice morning, with the rising sun glittering over the sea as I drove. The road was winding and curvy, and the air smelled fresh. My Land Rover took the turns easily, and I enjoyed the rare moment of solitude on the twenty-minute drive.

Joe's house was outside of Crystal Creek, but not too far. We usually met in town to keep the meeting short, but Samson seemed to think it was important to discuss the Jayce issue as soon as possible. I agreed, but I didn't want to be out here longer than I had to.

I pulled into the driveway of Joe's house and parked behind Samson's vehicle. Joe's motorcycle was beside it, shining in the sunlight. I got out of the Land Rover and headed toward the front door, already feeling the tension in my shoulders as I anticipated dealing with Samson again.

It wasn't his fault, but our alliance felt tenuous at the moment. As if a strong wind might knock it down. I knew it would hold—the marriage made sure of that—but it was still uncomfortable to think about.

I knocked on the door and waited.

Joe answered and shook my hand, putting off none of the suffocating Alpha energy that was always rolling off Samson.

The Brokenclaw Alpha was slightly older than the two of us and owned a plant shop downtown, not too far from my first cafe.

He exuded nonchalance, a rarity among Alphas, right up until he hit his limit.

Once Joe had reached that point, it was like a nuclear explosion.

He was dangerous as hell, and a competent, experienced Alpha.

"Come in," Joe said, motioning me towards the back porch where Samson was already seated. No one had bothered to actually cook breakfast, but there was a box of a dozen donuts on the table next to four cardboard cups of coffee.

I had a single second to wonder who the fourth cup was for before Samson was standing and shaking my hand, too. There was a lot more nuance to his handshake, but then again, our relationship had gotten a lot more complicated since I married his cousin.

"Sit," Joe commanded. He was one of the only people on the planet I'd accept that tone from, but I knew Joe well enough to understand that almost everything he said came off that way.

"Thanks for coming out here," Joe said as he slid into his seat. "I heard you two had a little bit of a dust-up at your shop, Scott."

"It was nothing," I waved the comment away, leaning forward to grab a coffee.

I repressed a wince on the first sip—I'd grown used to the freshly ground and roasted stuff I made.

Joe, on the other hand, had gotten this brew from the local gas station.

"Samson was just under the impression that I wasn't allowed to touch my own wife. "

Joe snorted. "She's not really your wife, though, is she?"

Samson and I both looked at him, alarmed. The misfired spell bond was still a secret, and I was under the impression Joe thought my marriage was legitimate in every way. "What do you mean?"

Joe leaned back in his chair. "Ah, now, I've been in the game long enough to know when something is off.

See, when Samson rolled up with Kiera and Kit in tow, they were at each other's throats, but there was also a familiarity between them.

You and Nayeli smell like you're about to combust every time you're within ten feet of each other, and you've still got that wound-up look to you, even though you're married. "

I was flabbergasted. "How—"

"Now, I don't know the specifics, and you don't have to tell me, but you and that girl are bonded but not mated.

At least not yet. There's a difference." Joe tapped the side of his nose, grinning.

"So now that we've gotten that out of the way, is there anything I should know about this situation that could affect our alliance? "

Samson scowled, which meant that he wasn't happy that Joe had figured us out so easily.

I wanted to lie, but Joe was a powerful Alpha and my ally. I didn't want him getting involved in our personal shit, but I couldn't risk him thinking there was something wrong. "Yes," I said finally.

"And?" Joe prompted. "I'm not going to sit here and play twenty questions with you two. If there's a problem, I need to know about it. We all do. This is about more than just our packs, remember? There's a bigger picture here. We need to think about the safety of all shifters in Maine."

I knew he was right, and I glanced at Samson for confirmation.

He nodded. I kept it short, explaining how Nayeli was my mate, how I'd rejected the bond, and everything that happened with the spell.

It was highly unlikely that it could be dangerous to anyone outside of Nayeli and me, but I still felt better knowing that the other Alpha in our alliance was in on the secret.

Plus, I liked Joe a hell of a lot more than I liked Samson.

Joe raised his eyebrows as I finished. "Damn, Scott, that's rough. Has she gone into heat since this spell fucked up?"

Again, I was shocked and met eyes with Samson, who looked wildly uncomfortable. "That's a personal fucking question, Joe."

He shrugged one shoulder and drank his coffee.

..without wincing, I noticed. I made a mental note to bring him a bag of beans.

"We've got a lot of Omegas in Brokenclaw.

A few of them have some small amounts of magic, and when they go into heat—" he whistled low, "The ones that aren't mated can cause a lot of trouble without even meaning to do so.

The heat makes their power unstable at times.

If you and Nayeli have some weird magical thing going on, and she goes into heat, just be aware. "

Samson grunted. "Now that you mention it, Kiera is a little bit of a loose cannon during her heat, too."

"Fucking great." I drank the nasty coffee, this time beyond caring that it was burnt and bitter. "Well, that's a problem for another time. We're here to talk about this asshole Jayce."

"Yes, we are," Joe said, sitting up straighter. "Now I have a feeling you two aren't going to like this, but—"

Before he could finish, the door to the porch opened, and Jayce walked out, hands in his pockets, looking way too casual, considering that our last run-in had nearly ended in blows. Just his presence was a silent challenge, and I was instantly on my feet, Samson behind me.

Joe moved between us, his eyes flashing gold, the color of his wolf's eyes. "Sit. Down."

I didn't want to, but my respect for Joe won. I sank into the chair, my teeth gritted as I stared at Jayce, who looked back with a cocky smirk on his face.

"What's the meaning of this, Joe?" Samson growled, his voice deepening. His eyes were shifting to gold too, his wolf riding high within him, but he controlled his temper. He sat back down and glared at Joe.

The older Alpha shrugged one shoulder, sipping his coffee as he leaned back. "I thought we should all be on the same page. I invited Jayce here because he's the newest pack Alpha in town, and I'd like to know what his intentions are."

"How do you even know him?"

"Well, after you and Samson gave him shit the other day, he came to my shop. I can't say I was happy about finding a new Alpha on my doorstep, but unlike the two of you, Nayeli wasn't there to make me crazy, so we had a rational conversation."

Samson and I found ourselves united against Jayce, a rarity for us, but I was glad I wasn't the only one who was suspicious as hell of the guy. Our combined hostility was palpable in the air, but Jayce grabbed that damned fourth cup of coffee and took a seat like he belonged.

I imagined breaking all of his fingers, one by one, and it helped me calm down.

Finally, Jayce spoke. "Believe it or not, I'm not here to start trouble.

And the other night, when I ran into your Omega, I was only out there to see exactly where the pack boundaries were, so none of my wolves accidentally crossed.

" He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

"But I will say this. My pack has settled nearby, outside of Crystal Creek, but still close enough to easily access the town, and I have zero intention of uprooting them again.

We've chosen a territory. It was empty, so none of you have a hold on it. "

"It doesn't work that way," Samson growled. "If you want to settle here permanently, then you need to ask permission."

"From who?" Jayce asked, his tone challenging. "I know damn well you two didn't ask permission before you expanded your territory to include Crystal Creek."

I didn't point out that Samson's father had first claimed the area for his pack. It wasn't relevant. "You still should have fucking asked. Out of respect."

"I respect my pack's right to a peaceful life. I'm not going to force them to move again."

Samson barked a laugh. "You can take that savior complex and shove it—"

"Enough!" Joe snapped. "Samson, Scott, I'm asking as your friend and fellow Alpha to calm down and let the man talk." He looked at Jayce. "We're all here because you have some territory you want to keep, right? That's what you told me."

Jayce nodded once. "I do. We've settled outside of Crystal Creek, near the mountains."