The Challenge (The Pack 2)

I pushed myself up on my elbows still trying to absorb the fact that a nervous Dom had just admitted he loved me.

“You don’t need to say it back, but could you say something, maybe? Are you okay with me loving you?”

“Well, yeah,” I said stupidly. “I mean I guess I kind of assumed?” I gave a one-shouldered shrug. “You did mention long term. I figure that’s not something you do with a girl you just like.”

His laughter shook the bed as he said, “And that’s why I love you, Jess.”

“You’re not saying this because you want to have sex with me, are you? Because I’m not having sex with a deadline of my brother showing back up.”

His laughter cut off abruptly as I spoke and he moved so quickly I couldn’t process it as he suddenly cupped my cheek in his hand.

“Absolutely not. I didn’t tell you I love you so you’d have sex with me, Jess. I told you because I need you to know it.” The corners of his eyes crinkled with worry and involuntarily my finger reached up to smooth the tiny lines. “I’ve seen too much uncertainty lately. I don’t want this to be one of those things. Us. I don’t want us to be an uncertainty.”

“We’re not,” I assured him. “So long as you don’t suddenly decide to hook up with one of the breeding females surrounding us.”

“Never,” he promised, his yellow eyes gleaming as he leaned down to kiss me. “Of course, that goes both ways.” I felt his lips curl up. “You can’t hook up some random wolf.”

“Well, Anna is pretty cute,” I teased and his chuckle rumbled through me.

“I won’t argue that,” he replied, his eyebrow arched wickedly and I thumped his side.

“Caleb….he’s not interested in her, is he?”

Dom eased down next to me, curling his arm under my head. “I don’t know. He was….before.” He didn’t need to explain when before was, we were all intimately acquainted with when hell had broken loose. “Now, I’m not sure Caleb knows what he wants and unless Anna is willing to wait and find out,” Dom trailed off as I nodded.

“Can I wish that things would go back?”

“I think we all wish it. Our Alpha died without honor, shot in the back by an enemy with no honor.” I stroked my hand along his chest, my fingers memorizing the dips and ridges of muscle as he spoke. “Caleb knew what his future would be, but none of us expected it so soon or this way.”

“What about his brother? Payne.”

I felt Dom shift. “You know him?”

I shook my head. “No, but Sam seemed to.”

“What do you mean? Was he here?”

“Yeah, a few days ago when I convinced Sam to come outside for a while. A guy showed up at the edge of the forest. I didn’t recognize him and was going to call out, but Sam knew him.”

“Yeah, she would.”

“She didn’t seem to thrilled to see him. I wondered why he would show up. He’s not a shifter so he wouldn’t be patrolling.”

“No, he wouldn’t.”

“Do you know why he would come here?”

“No, I can’t imagine,” Dom answered, smoothing his hand down my back, and smiling as I shivered at the sensation.

“Could you find out?”

“Are you asking me to meddle?”

“Yes,” I answered promptly and felt him sigh.

“There’s a lot of history here you don’t know about,” he said carefully and I lifted myself up to look at him.

“Oh, I’m aware,” I told him. “But I know Sam came back here because this is where she wants to raise Nicky. Because this is where her family is.”

“Family she won’t talk to,” Dom interjected shortly, a frown marring his expression.

“Yeah, I’m working on that. It would be helpful to know why she left,” I wheedled and he shook his head.

“I wish I knew. It all happened right after I left for college. By the time I realized she was gone, she wasn’t answering my calls.”

“Can I say I find it surprising you didn’t storm over to the Hanleys and start a war right then?”

“Trust me, it was a near thing.” His expression tightened and I rubbed my thumb over his rock hard jaw. “Alpha’s orders were the only thing that kept me from going.” My finger stopped moving, as I comprehended what he said. He smiled mirthlessly. “An Alpha is more powerful than you think, Jess. We have to obey his command. Why do you think Caleb being Alpha has the elders so worried?”

“You dad isn’t worried.”

“My dad…..he has other things on his mind. And he considers Caleb my responsibility. The same way Caleb’s dad was his responsibility.”

“Isn’t that a tad backwards? Shouldn’t betas be Alpha’s responsibilities?”

“They should and they are, but someone has to have the Alpha’s back. A strong beta can hold a pack together better than a strong Alpha can.”