Chapter Seven

 

Adam was hesitant to leave his mate alone in that cabin. He hoped his trust in the Deliverance pack was not misplaced. Their very lives depended on this pack’s good will. Adam didn’t know these wolves, and they didn’t know him. He’d heard whispers about this pack and about how different they were. Gut instinct had driven Adam here, and he prayed he’d not made a mistake.

“You’re trespassing on Deliverance territory,” John called out.

The Deliverance Alpha’s presence was palpable, and several of the Hillbrooke pack cowered under the authority that wafted off of John McClintock. Adam had heard Deliverance pack had all served in the Special Forces, and the men who stood by John’s side were equally as formidable as their Alpha and yet they all followed John.

Adam’s father stepped forward in wolf form. The air rippled and warped as he shifted into his human skin. Adam hated the man that stood before him, and his hackles rose when his father opened his mouth.

“I mean no disrespect. I’m Bill Atwood, the Hillbrooke pack Alpha, and one of our pack members has gone missing.” His father looked pointedly at Adam. “We’ll just retrieve him and the human female and we’ll be out of your territory.”

John contemplated Bill’s words before he turned towards Adam and raised his brows. “Do you want to return to his pack, Adam?” John asked.

“No. Not if you aren’t going to accept Hannah as my mate,” Adam called out.

“The human whore?” his father bit out in disgust and sniffed the air before he smiled. “It’s a good thing you haven’t fully claimed her, son. She’s poisoned you and your wolf, but I have the cure and I’m here to purge you.”

“No!” Adam’s wolf reared up and snapped viciously in his head, and he bared his fangs at his father. His wolf clamored to get out, and he craved blood. The threat against his mate was almost too much to bear. Adam tried to rein in his wolf, but he feared the blood lust might overwhelm him. Adam was thankful when several Deliverance pack snarled and moved forward to flank him.

“Fuck this, John. Even my wolf wants to challenge this fucker,” Tyler muttered.

“You’re disrespecting fate, you dumb fuck,” Brandon called out.

Out of the corner of his eye Adam watched two of Deliverance pack’s largest members discreetly move towards the cabin door, and he felt relief when Kieran and Kellan took up sentry there. Kellan must have sensed his gaze because he nodded at Adam reassuringly.

“She doesn’t have to bear his mark to be his mate, and it sounds like you have your answer, Alpha,” John said.

“He’s my pack member and son. He and the whore are coming with me,” Adam’s father spit out, his face and neck growing red with anger.

Bill Atwood obviously hadn’t expected any sort of resistance from the Deliverance pack. These men had no reason to help Adam other than through their own good will, and Adam knew that concept was foreign to his father.

“I renounce the Hillbrooke Creek pack,” Adam called out. He could hear and see the disbelief from his now former pack members. This was huge. No one left their pack of their own volition, and for the Alpha’s son to renounce his own father’s pack could only be seen as failure.

“You—”

 John cut Bill off. “You heard him, Bill. Adam and his mate Hannah are under my protection. Now get the fuck out of Deliverance territory.”

 If looks could kill, Adam would be dead. “Don’t bother coming back for your shit, boy, because it won’t be there. You’re dead to me,” Bill Atwood called out.

Adam glared at him before his father shifted back into his wolf and disappeared into the woods. Adam’s former pack members quickly followed, but neither Adam nor his wolf relaxed until he could no longer scent his former pack. When he turned around, Adam could see Hannah’s pale face as she peeked out through the window. One of the men opened the door, and she disappeared before she rushed out and jumped into his arms. He lifted her up and hugged her tight, bathing in her scent. John stepped up and held out his hand for Adam to shake.

“Welcome to the pack.” John smiled warmly.

“Really? John, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. All of you,” Adam said. John and the Deliverance pack had just saved their lives.

“All I ask is that you are loyal to this pack and are a productive member.” John embraced them both.

“I don’t make anything fancy, but I can cook.” Hannah spoke up.

“Hallelujah!” One of the men called out.

Another set of arms wrapped around them. “Welcome,” Kellan told them before he leaned down and sniffed Hannah. Adam couldn’t contain his wolf’s growl and had to resist the urge to pull Hannah away from them all.

“You smell special,” he told Hannah.

“Kieran, get over here.” Kellan called out, and his brother stepped up. “You smell that?” Kellan asked him.

Kieran also sniffed Hannah and nodded his head. “You smell like family.,” Kieran tilted his head in confusion and furrowed his brows.

“Oh! Thank you.” Hannah yelped and then giggled when another set of arms embraced them and then another until the entire Deliverance pack encircled them in their arms, mixing their scents and welcoming them to the pack.

“We should probably move this inside and check their location. I don’t know your father, but that seemed way too easy,” John said, and the group broke up and milled inside. They immediately moved to check the monitors that lined one of the living room walls.

“It was too easy. He’s not one to back down like that, especially not after I just embarrassed him in front of everyone. At the very least he’s going to want to teach me a lesson,” Adam said.

“Well, they haven’t left our territory.” Bryce pointed to a red blot on one of the screens. “They’re here, about three miles to the east.”

“They think they’re so slick.”

“I don’t want anyone here to get hurt,” Adam said. These men had already done so much for them, but John shook his head.

“Your father thinks he has an advantage because he outnumbers us.” John snorted. “But there is no way the wolves I just saw can outfight my pack. No offense to your former pack.” John cleared his throat.

“How do you want to play this, John?” one of the pack members asked.

“I say we go over there and just kick their asses,” another said.

John studied Hannah and Adam thoughtfully. “Why don’t we get our newly mated couple set up in the east cabin so they can have their privacy? It’s wired just as secure as the main cabin. What do you think, Adam?”

“Thank you, sounds good, John.” Adam understood exactly what John left unsaid.