Revolting

Chapter Thirty Seven - Surrounded William

Shane and Nina came through for us. They granted that Heath and Hannah could move onto pack lands. Although we didn't have the manpower to guarantee their safety, at least we could offer them asylum and the protection of our boundaries. Heath was reluctant at first, but when I mentioned the danger to his sister, he reconsidered and agreed to move inside our boundaries. Although they would be subject to our pack rules and regulations, they would not be actual pack members. They would be like ex-pats living in a foreign country.

For her part, Hannah looked thrilled. I'm pretty sure in her heart, she was already a part of the pack. She seemed to be in pretty tight with Daisy. We started out the back door, intent to go out to their camp, and move their sparse belongings to a new sight on our land. "There's a nice spot to the south," I offered, pointing in that direction. "There is a fresh spring there, with a spring box and the foundations of an old house." I scratched the back of my neck. "Seems like it would make a pretty good shelter." I hoped he didn't realize that I was purposely relocating them to a location between our pack house and the Black Crow boundary. We were under the protection of the Black Crow, and they were a huge and powerful pack. Michael wouldn't dare cross their lands to get to William.

Heath nodded absently. "Fresh water is good. We'll check it out." The three of us entered the tree line behind the house.

"Hannah, wait!" Daisy called Hannah from the back door.

"You guys go ahead," Hannah said, spinning around, "I'll catch up with you."

"You better," Heath said in a mock-threatening voice, "Most of that junk belongs to you! I'm not carrying all that stuff by myself."

She waved a hand carelessly at him and stuck out her tongue before she ran back to see what Daisy wanted. Heath and I continued through the woods. All werewolves were at home in the forest, but I noticed that for Heath, it was almost supernatural. He moved in absolute silence, even in his human form. It was quite remarkable for someone so large to be so stealthy. He moved through the trees without tagging a leaf, leaving virtually no scent and no prints. Well, no scent to a normal wolf, but I was ultra-sensitive to his unique pheromones. He smelled so good; I couldn't get enough of it. I glanced back and wondered how long we had before Hannah caught up.

I had always thought it was kind of cutesy, the way that Nina would come and sit on Shane's lap, or Shane would casually drop his arm around her shoulders and pull him against his body. Gabe and Daisy did it too. How many times had Gabe walked into the kitchen and picked Daisy up, wrapping her legs around his waist? Now I understood that it wasn't an attempt at public displays of affection. It was this compulsion to touch and be touching at all times. Not having skin-to-skin contact with him felt almost painful. I was actually wandering through the woods trying to think up a good excuse to touch him.

We came up to the little camp. Heath headed for the lean-to to get his pack, which he claimed held everything that was important to his survival. He was half way across the camp when he froze, and lifted his nose in the air. "Do you smell that?"

I tensed and followed his lead, sniffing at the air. At first I smelled nothing, but a low growl erupted from Heath's throat. "Some has been here," he said lowly. I watched his body fold on itself into a defensive, crouching position. "Several of them. Recently." Seeing his survival instincts in action was awe-inspiring. There was a reason he and his sister had survived without a pack for all these years.

I strained my senses, and then I found the faintest traces of a scent. I might not have noticed it at all, except that it was familiar to me. "Michael." I sprang into action. "He's already here Heath, hurry, go back to the pack house." I was mind linking the pack, alerting them to trouble.

"Too late." I heard Michaels deep voice and searched the shadows. Not too long ago, that voice had sent shivers of anticipation and desire through me, now I felt only dread and disgust. He stepped out from the shadows, so big and broad that he almost seemed unreal. In one smooth and deft action he had pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it against his bow. It wasn't an ordinary bow, but one of those fancy compound bows with cams and sights. He was looking down the sight, straight at Heath.

Without a second thought, I jumped into the line of fire, my arms spread. "Michael, stop!"

"Step aside William," Michael said smoothly, as though they were simply having polite conversation. "I have unfinished business with this rogue. You and I can catch up later."

I sensed Heath moving behind me before I felt the comfort of his hand on my shoulder. I glanced back at him. He looked at me sadly. "We are surrounded, Will." His eyes went around the edges of the clearing. I sensed them then, invisible others, multiple pairs of eyes trained on us. Heath shook his head, giving me a silent message. We couldn't escape.

I looked back at Michael, my eyes pleading. "Please, Alpha Bishop." He moved slightly, training the tip of his arrow on me, looking at me through the sight.

Michael looked up sharply from the the sight, his eyebrows arching so high they practically climbed into his hair line. The point of the arrow dipped down. "You are marked?" His eyes darted back and forth between me and Heath, as he began to put the puzzle together. "You let this filthy rogue put his mouth on you?" He through his head back and laughed maniacally. "So you run from my bed into his? That's fucking rich." Heath pulled his shirt aside, showing my mark on his milky-white skin. "That's right," Heath's voice was challenging. "He's my--"

"Mate!" Michael said the word in a hiss, but he wasn't looking at me, or at Heath. His eyes had gone to the edge of the clearing. I turned my head so fast I felt my neck pop. Hannah was frozen there, two large, empty baskets in her hands. She was a tiny vision in the sundress, which hung down past her knees, her strawberry blond hair escaping from the up-do to frame her pretty face. She was trembling, and her eyes were locked on Michael. The baskets slid from her numb fingers and bounced on the ground.

"Oh fuck," I muttered.