The Challenge (The Pack 2)

“Who’s the big bad wolf?” He taunted as I tried to grab his forearm and hold him off. My fingers couldn’t wrap all the way around and I couldn’t budge his arm.

“Uncle.”

“Nope. Who’s territory is this?” He continued to tickle me as I gasped, flopping like a fish. “Hmmm? Who?”

“Dom! It’s your territory, you big bad wolf,” I shouted. “Now, let me go!”

He stopped tickling me, but his hands kept my arms firmly anchored against the bed as he leaned forward. A sharp nip along my jaw had me gasping as he pressed his lips against a particularly sensitive spot on my neck. His mark burned and any attempt at struggling on my part ceased.

“MINE,” he growled again for good measure, shoving himself up in a smooth move as he crossed back to the window. The loose pants did nothing to hide his reaction and I gave him a slow smile.

“Mine,” I repeated back to him as I sat up, feeling my hair spill across my shoulders. My ponytail must have loosened during our tussle and I knew he didn’t mind as he watched me gather it up.

“Yours,” he agreed, slipping back through the window and disappearing.

A minute later, my door opened and Anna walked in. Her nose wrinkled and she looked at me. “Dom was here?”

“You just missed him,” I answered, pointing to the window. She saw my messy hair and the rumpled bedspread and grimaced.

“Thank God for small favors,” she muttered and I grinned. I felt around for the ponytail holder as I yanked my hair back.

“How’s Caleb?” I asked bluntly, knowing that was why she wanted to come by.

“Overwhelmed, sad, angry, pick an emotion.” She collapsed on my desk chair, her own expression unhappy. “I don’t know how to help him.” She bit her lip. “I don’t know if he wants my help.”

“I imagine Caleb doesn’t know what he wants right now. He just lost his dad.” I gave her a sympathetic glance. “I would lose my mind if something happened to my Dad. Even now, after he just told me I’m going to live with Mom.”

She shot me a panicked glance. “You’re leaving?”

I snorted. “Hell no. Like me living with my Mom would ever happen. I’d move in with Dom first.”

Anna’s eyes widened comically as she glanced at the window and then the bed. “Have you two?” She wiggled her fingers and I shook my head.

“No! Why does everyone assume that?”

“Because it’s the next step,” Anna answered logically. “You’re already partially mated which is basically unheard of. You’ve pushed so many boundaries what’s one more?”

“He’s a teacher at our school?”

“Coach,” Anna said dismissively.

“We’re in the middle of a potential pack war?”

“Okay, I could see why your dad might want to send you away.”

“What about your parents? And Gregory? What are they saying? With Caleb as Alpha?”

Anna rubbed her face, not answering and I sank into the bed, grabbing a pillow. “That bad?”

She nodded, “They want Hank or Dominic.”

“But Caleb…”

“His dad wanted him to be Alpha, but everyone thought that was years away and it would have been fine if that was the case. But it’s not and Caleb isn’t ready.” She jammed her fist in her mouth after she said it, her eyes glossy as she admitted out loud something none of us wanted to say. “Jess, I’m worried.”

“Dom doesn’t want the alpha position,” I rushed to reassure her, knowing it was true. I’d read it enough times in his mind to be confident in my words.

“I know that. I know Hank doesn’t want it either, but it’s more about what the Pack wants.” Dominic’s father, Hank, had been beta of the Pack, essentially the enforcer and for the moment he still was, but everyone knew Dom would take the position eventually. “It’s dividing people and we can’t afford that right now. It’s only a matter of time before they strike at us again.”

“The Hanleys,” I murmured, remembering the massive fight that had taken place in the motel parking lot a couple weeks before. They’d also been responsible for kidnapping me and I had no love for them. Anna was right when she said they’d retaliate. We had their women and children after all.

“Have you talked to Sam?”

I sighed and nodded. “I have but she won’t budge.”

“I can’t believe she doesn’t want to talk to Dom. Their dad, I can understand.” Anna’s eyes met mine as I nodded in agreement. Hank Navarre was roughly the same size as his son, but he’d had years to perfect the intimidating stare. It was all I could do to form words in his presence. I could only imagine how Sam would feel facing her father after all this time.

“I’m still working on her. I know Dom wants to see her and Nicky.”

“He’s adorable,” Anna cried and I nodded. He was Samantha’s son by one of the Hanleys, but there was no mistaking he was a Navarre too. The unusual yellow eyes were a dead giveaway. They were a trait shared by all the Navarre’s I’d met so far.