“We don’t use manmade weapons on one another during a challenge.” If she was going to be his mate he had to teach her their laws.
She snorted. “Tell that to the guy with the rifle on the roof.”
His gaze shot to the rooflines of the house and sure enough on the top of Ian’s home a man was slumped over, his body hanging half off the roof, a rifle dangling from his fingers. “My apologizes.”
“Accepted,” she snapped. “Can we just finish this?”
“With pleasure.” He stalked forward with his brothers by his side, sensing that the rest of the betrayers were making a break for the back gate. Joshua broke into a run. There was no way he could let them escape.
Frightened howls and vicious growls ripped through the air. Joshua and his brothers came to a screeching halt and watched the carnage unfold in front of them. Donovan Brody and the rest of his clan had arrived and they were making short work of their kinsmen. They showed no mercy. It was over in mere minutes.
Bodies of men and wolves alike littered the ground, their blood seeping into the dirt. Joshua tilted back his head and roared at the sheer sickening loss of it. He’d never understand what could cause a man to turn his back on his own kind, on his family, and betray their trust. But just because he didn’t understand it, didn’t mean he didn’t feel the sorrow at their passing. They were all much too young to die.
Donovan shifted from wolf to human and strode toward him, seemingly totally unconcerned by his nudity or by the bloody gashes on his chest. He stopped when he was in front of Joshua. His pale blue eyes, so unusual for a werewolf, were as cold as ice. “My clan offers an apology to the Wolf Creek pack. We understand if you do not wish us to remain among you.”
It was the ultimate shame for a clan to be banished from its pack and Joshua knew just what it had cost his friend to utter those words. He shook his head. “That I cannot do.”
Donovan’s head jerked as if he’d been hit and Joshua knew his friend had misinterpreted his words to mean that he would not accept the apology.
He held out his hand. “There is no need for an apology. I hold the Brody family in no way responsible for the act of a few angry young men. The loyalty of the Brody clan is never in doubt and the Wolf Creek pack counts itself lucky to have you.” The words were formal but necessary to mend the breach between them. With Ian dead, Joshua, in his position as Striker, was acting head of the pack until a competition could be held to select the new alpha.
Donovan took Joshua’s hand, smearing it with the blood of his slain family members. Joshua yanked the other man into his arms and gave his friend a quick, hard hug. The two of them separated and stepped back. Emotions were running high and the scent of blood, sweat and anger wafted in the air around them.
“We need to call a meeting of the pack. Here. Now.” There had been too much discord. They needed a leader and the matter of Alex had to be settled. Her scent was growing stronger by the minute. Several of the Brody men were staring at her. The heat and change were almost upon her. There wasn’t time to waste.
Donovan’s eyes flicked to Alex and then back to Joshua. “I will send out runners.”
Nodding, he turned his back on his friend, gathered Alex to his side and led her away. He snapped out orders to his brothers as he went, secure in the knowledge that all would be done as he asked. All of this would be over in a matter of hours and then he could finally be alone with Alex.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Alex stood just beyond Joshua’s front porch. Five other homes and various other buildings circled around a fifty-foot clearing. She assumed the large log home belonged to the alpha of the pack. The rest of the homes were compact but cozy and blended in with the surrounding landscape.
She was feeling slightly better, but longed for about twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep. God, she was tired. But at least she was clean. After watching the brutal deaths in the yard, she’d been only too ready to follow Joshua as he’d led her away. The other men were all watching her in a way that made her both uncomfortable and aroused.
Now that the immediate danger had passed, her body was once again reminding her that she wasn’t totally human. Her skin was tight and confining. Her breasts ached and her nipples were tight buds that brushed against her bra, sending a blast of heat rocketing down between her thighs. The folds of her sex were sensitive and she was consumed with an almost overwhelming need to touch herself. Her panties were damp, a stark reminder of her constant arousal.
Her feet were encased in a pair of soft slippers that Joshua had dug up from somewhere. She suspected they had belonged to his mother. He’d also given her one of his shirts to wear. It was an older shirt with a well-worn, often-washed softness about it. The material was a pearly gray that matched her eyes. Her jeans needed a good washing, but she wouldn’t be wearing them for long. After this meeting, she was going to go find a bed, crawl into it and sleep for about twelve hours straight.
Raising her hand to the back of her neck, she rubbed. She still felt battered and bruised, but the hot bath had helped loosen up her stiff muscles. The long scratches on her arms and the furrow from the gunshot had all been properly cleansed. Joshua had taken the time to rub a healing ointment on it himself. She’d allowed him to do so, knowing instinctively he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he took care of it himself.
But turnabout was fair play. He hadn’t been too pleased, but he’d sat and allowed her to tend to his injuries as well, all the while complaining it was unnecessary. As a werewolf, he would heal much faster than a normal human would. Still, she needed to take care of him in some small way.
Then he’d planted a rough kiss on her lips, told her to stay out of trouble, and stalked off to talk to some of the men who had arrived. Stay out of trouble. None of this was her fault to begin with. Trouble just seemed to follow Joshua around. She’d wandered outside to look around but was starting to get rather uncomfortable with all the covert stares she was receiving from the groups of men and women who were gathering.
She felt very alone and uncertain and she didn’t like the sensation. All these other people knew one another. She was the odd man out, or rather odd woman out. It was because of her those other werewolves had mutinied and died. Alex didn’t think her transition to life here was going to be easy.
She was contemplating retreating back to the covered porch of Joshua’s home when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping it was Joshua, but had to swallow her disappointment when it wasn’t. What was wrong with her? She’d never been the type to need a man around before and she sure as heck wasn’t going to start now. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and went to meet her father.
“How are you?” He stood back and ran his eyes over her body, his fingers tracing the bruise that still bloomed on the side of her face.
“I’m okay. How about you?”
One corner of his mouth kicked upward. “I’m fine.” He drew her into his arms and she rested her head against his solid chest. “I’m sorry this has been so hard on you.” He rubbed his hand over her back, soothing her frayed nerves.
“I know you are.” The last thing she wanted was for him to feel guilty. He’d done everything he could possibly do to protect her and, no matter what, he was still the best father a girl could have. But she was also looking at him a bit differently these days. “So what will happen now?”