Pack Rogue by Crissy Smith (7)

Chapter Seven

Jesse threw the tennis ball, laughing as the puppy, Daisy, scrambled after it. Kiley watched from her seat on the grass only a few feet away. Jesse threw the ball a dozen or so more times before she ran over and fell into Kiley’s lap. Laughing, Kiley caught her. Daisy barrelled in after the little girl.

“I love my puppy!” Jesse exclaimed.

“She is a very good puppy,” Kiley agreed.

Daisy nipped at the bottom of Jesse’s pants then let go before doing it again, barking the entire time. Jesse giggled and tried to catch her but each time the dog backed away and barked again.

“Silly Daisy,” Jesse told her new pup. She said it so seriously that Kiley couldn’t hold back her grin. Jesse was such a sweet girl. The love she had for her new pet was obvious.

“Do you think Daisy can swim?” Jesse asked a minute later when Daisy had finally settled down on the grass next to them.

“Well, some dogs like water. I think I heard Labs especially do,” Kiley told her. “Do you want to go in and put your swim suit on? We could find out.”

“Really?” Jesse jumped up. “That would be so cool.”

Jesse was hopping around on the spot, causing Daisy to bark and bounce around too. Kiley shook her head in amusement. “Okay, swimming it is.”

They headed back towards the house. They were still several feet away when Daisy growled, stopping in place.

“Daisy?” Jesse asked and reached for the door.

Kiley caught her hand. “Hold on, honey.”

When she turned to pick up the puppy, Daisy took off before she could reach for her.

“Daisy! Daisy!” Jesse called after her in a panic.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, she won’t go far,” Kiley tried to calm the screaming girl.

“But she doesn’t know her way home. What if she goes too far and gets lost?” Jesse asked, looking up at her with tears in her eyes.

Well damn, she couldn’t let Daisy get lost. Kiley waved at one of the guards on the back porch. He walked over but kept his eyes focussed and scanning the area.

Todd was one of the younger guards and she knew he was related to Tyler in some way. It might have been by marriage—Kiley wasn’t one hundred percent sure. But she did know that he wouldn’t let anything happen to Jesse.

She could still hear Daisy barking and she needed to catch the dog before she got too far.

When Todd reached them, she smiled. “Would you take Jesse up to her room? Daisy got away from us and I need to go after her,” Kiley explained.

“Of course I can take Jesse, but what about you?” he asked with concern.

“I want to go with you,” Jesse said loudly right afterwards.

“I will be right back, Jesse. I’m sure your daddy wouldn’t want you hiking through the woods right now. But you can see pretty far from your bedroom window. So why don’t you watch for me from there? That way you can keep an eye out and see when I bring Daisy back,” she suggested.

Jesse thought about it for several moments before shrugging a shoulder and finally agreeing. “Fine.”

Kiley bent down and kissed her cheek. “Thank you. You be good now.”

She was about to turn and head off when Todd spoke again. “Ms. Kiley, I really don’t think that Alpha Austin would like you going by yourself either.”

Kiley looked up at him in shock. Ms. Kiley? Oh hell, he must have heard that she had mated to Austin. So of course he would think she needed protection too, along with Jesse. She tried to hold in her growl but still her words came out sharper than she meant. “I’m a big girl. I’m sure Austin won’t mind me going after a dog.”

With that, she turned on her heel and set off in the direction Daisy had run. It wasn’t difficult to follow the scent trail. The dog hadn’t been in this part of the territory before, so her scent was easy to pick up without having to distinguish old from new.

She could also still hear Daisy, which was good because there was no way she was going back to the house without the dog. She glanced over her shoulder and could see Jesse at her bedroom window, waving. She waved back before returning to her mission.

She kept going north, and after a while Daisy’s bark was getting closer. She wasn’t too far from the house when she cut off the path and found the puppy. Daisy danced around, and Kiley growled at the little thing. “Stupid dog,” she mumbled, scooping the pet up.

That’s when she saw them. Several sets of footprints next to four pawprints. Kiley bent down to get a better look, making sure she had a good hold on the puppy.

The footprints were pretty fresh. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the area that surrounded her. It didn’t seem likely that Tyler would have any guards out this far.

No, this was someone who had been watching the house. The imprints were deep, which made her think they had watched the house for a long time, too.

She shivered as unease travelled down her spine.

She held Daisy more tightly against her chest as she stood and slowly turned in a circle. She could feel no danger around her but still a small part of her started to panic. While she could still see the house, there was no way that she would be seen in the thick brush.

There was the lingering scent of a shifter—not one that she knew. And she had no idea when the stranger would return.

Kiley jumped when a rustle of leaves came behind her. She darted a look around. She still didn’t see or sense anyone but she had had enough.

Without looking back, she took off as fast as she could towards the house. She cradled Daisy as best she could so the little dog wouldn’t be jostled around too much.

She slipped down the path, scraping her leg on a rock, but it didn’t slow her down. The panic remained but it was also accompanied by an urgency to get to safety. The end of the path was coming up. She jumped over a fallen tree branch and stumbled a little when she landed wrong. It didn’t even hurt with the adrenaline pumping through her body. The back door opened as she hit the tree line into the yard. Austin came running at her just as fast as she was going. She launched herself the last several feet.

He caught her but her momentum knocked them both over. His arms went around her and hers were still around Daisy as she shook. “Someone is watching the house,” she panted and dropped her forehead onto his chest.

Austin watched Tyler as he accepted a handshake from Lamont and then Cain. It seemed he would go public with them. He was the sixth Pack to agree. They turned to him and Lamont held his hand out.

Austin felt a little guilty but he had to do what was best for his Pack. “I’m sorry, Alpha, but…”

Lamont squeezed his hand. “There is no need to apologise. I respect your decision. This move isn’t for everyone. We understand that.”

Austin relaxed just a little. “Thank you, Alpha.”

Lamont dipped his head. “You are an extremely good Alpha. With your mate by your side, I have no doubt that your Pack will flourish in the next few years.”

Lamont released his hand and Austin couldn’t hide his grin. “I believe so.”

Cain, who was never one for formality, didn’t shake his hand. They’d been friends for too long, both once Betas of their Packs, until Austin had taken over his and become Alpha. Cain wrapped his big arms around Austin’s waist and lifted him off his feet in a strong bear hug.

“So happy for you, man,” Cain said quietly.

Austin pounded on the other man’s back until he was released. He knew Cain had found true happiness with his mate, Emily. Austin had yet to meet the special woman but he hoped to do so soon.

“I look forward to being as happy as you,” Austin told his friend.

Cain smirked and opened his mouth to respond, when a sharp pain in Austin’s chest had his breath catching. He placed a hand over his heart as his vision swam. His bond screamed at him that he needed to get to Kiley.

Without a thought for anyone else, Austin raced from the room. He heard Lamont say something about a mate but he was already in the hallway. He sped to the back door, his wolf telling him his mate was that way.

Austin scanned with all his senses for any sign of danger but he couldn’t find any. Yet he could feel Kiley’s fear. It was almost as if his heart beat in time with hers. He passed a couple of guards but didn’t slow down. He could hear the others behind him and that made him feel a little calmer, but until he could see his mate, nothing would be okay.

She was getting closer, running to him. He thanked all the gods in heaven that he had a strong bond with Kiley, that they were true mates. He was so connected to her that when he opened the door and flew out of the house, he could feel her relief at seeing him.

He still ran at full speed, until she jumped into the air and he had to stop to catch her. He wrapped his arms around her as they fell to the ground. His back hit the ground but he cradled her and the dog she carried. His breath whooshed out of him as she panted, “Someone is watching the house.”

He didn’t hesitate but rolled her over onto her back and covered her body with his. The puppy she held wiggled around but there was no way he was letting his mate up until he knew she was safe.

He lifted his head as Gray, Colt, and Cain all took off in the direction Kiley had come from. The air around them swirled and he knew they had shifted.

It didn’t take long before he heard the howl from Colt telling him it was safe for now.

When Austin was sure there was no immediate danger to his mate he finally took the time to look her over. Her cheeks were flushed from her run, but she was starting to calm down. However she hadn’t released her hold on the dog or him.

A shadow passed over him and he looked up to see Tyler watching him. He held out a hand to help him up but Austin shook his head. He couldn’t let go of Kiley just yet. He rolled off Kiley while he kept his hand on her arm and got to his feet. He pulled Kiley up with him and held her elbow to check for injuries.

“You okay?” Tyler asked her.

She nodded but allowed Austin to run his free hand over her to be sure. He was grateful. He didn’t know if he could handle her independence right then, after being afraid for her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, blushing, her voice cracking a little. “When I realised someone was watching the house…how close they were to Jesse, I panicked a little.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Austin tried to soothe, running his hands over her shoulders.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Kiley,” Tyler added. “My daughter is the most precious thing in the world to me. I would have done the same.”

“I doubt that,” Kiley mumbled.

Austin ignored her comment. He would talk to her later about being so hard on herself. Right now, though, she needed to be taken care of. “You’re bleeding,” he told her lightly. He didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but the wolf could smell her blood and he was furious. “Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”

She started limping to the house.

“What the hell is wrong with your foot?” he demanded.

Kiley froze. When she glanced back at him, she was frowning. “I must have twisted my ankle. It’s no big deal.”

Austin almost exploded. He growled low, managing to keep most of his anger in. Tyler stepped over and took Daisy out of Kiley’s arms. It was a good thing, too, because a second later Austin had her scooped up and was stalking his way through the yard.

He made sure his hold was firm but wouldn’t hurt. He would get her all patched up, then they were going to talk.

The back door was still open, so he didn’t pause as he entered the house. He didn’t realise he was still growling until Kiley put her hand over his heart.

“Your eyes are glowing,” she said quietly.

He wasn’t surprised. His wolf was closer now than usual. He hadn’t been this upset in a very long time. He didn’t respond, just carefully took each step up the stairs. His room was the farthest down the hall. He carried her, stopping just long enough to open the door then slam it behind them.

He set her gently on the bed and turned to pace away from her. On his third pass, she tried to speak.

“Austin…”

He held up a hand, stopping her. He just needed a few minutes. Luckily she seemed to understand, since she remained silent. When he thought he had regained control, he stood in front of her, looking down.

She met his gaze for only a moment before looking away.

“Look at me,” he ground out between clenched teeth. When she did, he nodded his approval. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but you are mated now.”

“It’s not that hard to understand,” she quipped back.

Austin lifted a brow, amazed despite himself. Score one to his mate for not being afraid of him. “Apparently it is,” he responded, “since you are not capable of staying out of trouble and not getting hurt.”

Kiley opened her mouth, snapped it closed, then opened it again. No words came out. Austin almost laughed it was so comical.

“From now on, I’m in charge of your body, since you seem to think it’s okay to abuse it,” he told her sternly.

“My body?” she repeated slowly.

Austin nodded. “Yes, now take off your pants.”

“Take off my pants?” she asked with a grin. “Well why didn’t you ask sooner?”

Austin chuckled as she scrambled to her knees. She put her fingers on her button but paused.

“Now, are you sure you just want my pants off?” she teased.

Austin liked this part of his mate. She was flirting with him. The remaining anger drained from him. If she was in a playful mood, he would take advantage of it. In fact, he had a pretty good idea.

“You’re right. You could have other injuries. Go ahead and undress completely,” he agreed.