Chapter 9

Dillon

He hated fighting with Libby, and he hated it more when she was pissed at him—and to top it off, she had a valid reason to be angry. He’d been sure he could handle being around Jaz with no issues. That he’d be able to deal with him, just as Aris said his tribe would, but coming face to face with him and seeing their mating marks left him unsettled. It was a slap to the face, and to make matters worse, his cousin was so happy, but he feared it wouldn’t last. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen, and Libby was going to get caught in the crossfire. He couldn’t protect her from a broken heart.

Libby stayed close to Jaz as they waited for his response. Of course, he’d protect her, but he didn’t know how to deal with demons and ex-assassin mates. The plan to introduce him to the pack needed to be put on hold. He had enough trouble keeping them in line. He knew the wolves hadn’t been right since his dad stepped down from being leader. He sighed. His father hadn’t stepped down correctly. In fact, he’d all but disappeared, leaving the pack with no real leader. Dillon easily slipped into the Alpha role, but he wasn’t anything like his father and the pack knew that.

“I thought you were going to have some sort of pack meeting,” Jaz said as if he could read his mind.

“I think we should wait on that. We don’t need more issues than we already have.” He had to be honest, even though it knowing he wasn’t able to keep his pack in line sucked. “The pack is having its own issues, I’m not willing to add more right now. Bringing a dragon into the mix won’t help matters.”

“Dil, it’s not your fault. The pack hasn’t been stable since—”

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He knew what she was going to say.

Since mom died.

“What if I’m the reason our wolves aren’t stable, though? I thought I would be able to lead.”

Libby stepped out from under Jaz’s arm and closed the distance between them. She pulled him into a tight hug. “You can lead. You just have to accept the Alpha in you. I know it’s there.”

“I’m not so sure about that anymore,” he muttered pulling away from his cousin. He didn’t want comfort. “Let’s just deal with this demon, and then I’ll find a way to bring peace to our wolves.”

He hadn’t realized how badly his father had let things fall before his mom passed away. He knew his father grieved as did the pack did but he’d hoped by bringing them to Stratham it would give them the fresh start they needed. They needed to build new memories instead of living in past failures.

***

Jaz felt the turmoil rolling off Dillon like it was his own. The rage and defeat didn’t settle well with him. No leader should let others see any weakness. He knew at this point that Dillon was doomed, unless he had a major wakeup call. He really shouldn’t care. It wasn’t his pack—his people, but yet Libby was part of him now. Did mating a wolf mean he would have a connection to her pack? He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t like it. Jaz didn’t like having connections to people. They were a distraction he couldn’t afford and that could be bad for everyone involved. He wasn’t sure if mating with Libby was going to cause problems in the long run. She would definitely be a distraction, but there was something different about her.

She wasn’t weak. He could sense that from her. He then had a quick realization that Libby was stronger than Dillon, in both human and beast form. Her power radiated from her, but he wasn’t sure she noticed. Did she know it should be her that was Alpha of the pack and not her cousin?

And a better question, did Dillon know that Libby, his female cousin, was stronger than him?

It amazed him that he was able to sense that with the two of them in the same room in such a short time. He knew wolves ran on some sort of hierarchy and that they needed the strongest of the strong to feel secure. Wolves were pack animals. They needed to be led. As far as he could tell from his mate and her cousin, the pack was not being taken care of correctly. A weak leader would always be a downfall to the rest. That could even be said about dragons, although they weren’t known to live in packs. But those who stayed together, like the Halflings, he noticed, were led by the strongest, and the others, even if they were strong, they, too, followed their appointed leader. They seemed to be more of a family unit from what he saw, but it was still the same concept.

Dillon needed to get over his grief and lead…or step down and find someone else to take over the pack. He would keep his opinion to himself—for now. But if he was going to be part of a damn wolf pack, it was going to be strong. He wouldn’t allow weakness. He’d make it his duty to toughen the wolves up to his standards.

Jaz shook his head. Why the hell should he fix a broken pack? It wasn’t as though he liked wolves. Libby was a first. But the bond between them, already growing strong, seemed to sway him. It was like he and his beast were adapting.

He cringed.

What would happen when he was introduced to the pack? What would happen if Libby ended up leading? That would make him what?

The king to her queen?

Maybe he was thinking too much. Something he didn’t normally do. Jaz was not usually a planner. He liked the adventure of diving in head-first. He liked not knowing what was going to come and figuring a way out of any given situation.

Maybe that was his weakness. Not that he’d ever admit that out loud.

***

Libby was nervous. This was to be the first meeting with the dragons—and Jaz. She had no idea how badly it was going to go. She did know that none of the dragons were going to be exactly thrilled Jaz was with her, but she couldn’t let them see her fear. She also didn’t want her mate to see her as anything other than strong. Bringing him to the dragon den wasn’t something she looked forward to, but the sooner they dealt with the demon the better, for everyone.

After Dillon’s confession, she had a feeling it was going to be her who took charge. It didn’t make her feel any better about the situation. It was her cousin the dragons trusted. She didn’t like that he doubted himself so much, but a part of her was relieved that he’d finally let it out. She could work with his doubt, and after the demon was dealt with, she could help him sort through the mess of the pack. He just needed to find his confidence again.

“I need to go home and get changed,” she said breaking the silence.

“I’ll go with you,” Jaz said.

“No, you’ll stay here with Dillon.” She gripped Jaz’s hand when he opened his mouth to argue. “I’ll be quick.”

“Fine,” he replied, clearly unhappy with being told what to do.

Libby smiled. Jaz probably wasn’t used to someone else taking charge, but he better get used to it. She wasn’t some submissive wolf who would bow down to her mate.

Dillon drove with Libby in the middle. Jaz still hadn’t said much, and she wondered if he was always this quiet. It sort of unnerved her. Not that she always had to fill the silence, but between her cousin’s brooding and her mate’s sullenness, she was bursting with the need to break the tension. She wasn’t sure what was said after she’d left, but she hadn’t been gone long, like she promised.

The drive to Aris’ land didn’t take long, and as they made their way up the long drive way she took a deep breath. She wasn’t afraid they’d hurt her physically, but this was bound to be very unpleasant.

“It’ll be fine,” Jaz said.

“How can you be so relaxed? It’s you they hate.”

He shrugged. “Nothing I can do will change what happened, but if I go in reeking of fear it’s not going to help matters. I have to show them I’m confident, and despite how much I fucked up, I mean them no harm.”

“He’s right,” Dillon said quietly. “We have to just get through this first meeting. Afterwards it won’t be so bad.”

“All right. Let’s do this then.”

Dillon parked the truck behind a large black SUV and shut off the engine. He didn’t seem anymore thrilled about this than she did.

Jaz was the first to exit the vehicle and he held his hand out for her. She took it and he pulled her from the truck. He leaned close and whispered, “Show no fear. You’re strong.”

Libby nodded, too afraid to speak, worried her voice would give away everything she felt. Worried he’d see that she wasn’t as strong as she tried to be.

Jaz backed away but kept her hand in his. She followed him around the truck where Dillon met them. It was then her cousin led the way to the front porch.

The door opened, and Aris stood with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed in on Jaz. For a second, her mate tensed, but it didn’t last. His body relaxed as he tugged her closer.

“The others are waiting in the den.” He cleared his throat glaring at Jaz. “Let’s make this clear, one wrong move on any of mine, and I’ll forget we could use your help and I’ll tear you to shreds. Do you understand?”

“Perfectly.”

Aris nodded and backed away from the door to allow them in. Dillon trudged up the stairs as if he were going to his death, and she wondered if he was capable of helping them catch the demon. He seemed to have fallen inside of himself, so much so it reminded her of her uncle.

The dragon led them into a large, homey room, filled with warmth. She could tell already the dragons were nothing like her pack. They were a family, a very upset family. She felt the tension from everyone in the room before she saw them. The hairs on her neck rose and she swallowed, reminding herself that she was strong. Nothing bad was going to happen.

Aris strode to the middle of the room next to Sophie. Libby hadn’t really gotten to know her, but she felt the power. She was one strong beast.

“I suppose introductions are in order,” Aris started across the room furthest away from them. “Zarin, my second, and his mate Willow, Ilias and Andrea, Max, and Blane and Dallas—”

Libby tightened her hold on Jaz’s hand when the woman glared up at them. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. Her eyes conveyed it all, and she wished she could tear Jaz’s throat out, and if given an opportunity, Jaz wouldn’t stand a chance.

Aris gestured to an overstuffed recliner where a small woman with pure white hair sat quietly watching them. Suspicion laced her features as she studied them. Libby squirmed under her watchful eye.

“Over there is Bev, she’s a witch and is here to help. She has a plan to lock the demon away since he can’t just be killed.”

“Why can’t he be killed?” Libby asked.

Bev, the witch glanced at her briefly before responding, “He’s old and powerful. That and the fact that he’s a body jumping demon means we can only trap him, but that won’t be as easy as it might sound.”

“Trap him how?”

“Well, we have to find a way to force him in his true body and then trap his body somewhere it can’t get free—or use someone else to gain its freedom. It’s very precarious. We can’t just run in with teeth and claws. We must tread carefully. He can’t be hurt in a true sense. Only the body he’s in gets hurt, and then he can just find others anytime he pleases. It isn’t hard for a demon like him to find a willing vessel.”

Sophie cleared her throat. “Why don’t you three have a seat. It’s going to be a long day.”

None of them moved.

“Please, we’re all here to work together. We can all put our feelings aside for the bigger picture. We have to.”

Libby nodded and walked to the small couch that was empty. With her movement, Jaz followed and sat next to her. Dillon also nodded and took her other side.

Now, it was cozy—not.