True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

William's wandering took him the old pack house porch. He walked around it to the front. The old rocking chair had not been removed yet and he needed to sit. A package was on the porch addressed to Alexandria. The handwriting was childish. The way a kindergartener would write when first learning. There was no return address. He fished his pocket knife out opened the package gently.

Inside was a note written the same as the label on the front. Tissue paper lay underneath the note wrapped around many small items. He took out the note to read it.

Alexandria,

We only wish to talk. The Alphas will not listen and getting their attention is becoming difficult. We know one of them will be in town on their own for a meeting on Thursday. Something big for him. Don't make this any worse. Come and meet us. We even sent you something pretty to wear. The address is in one of the items.

Zeke, Grant, and Drake.

Curiosity burned at him and so he pulled aside the tissue paper. Three articles lay in the bottom of the box. None of them pretty and none of them were things she could wear in public. That threat had been directed to him. He had a meeting this week on Thursday with the investors. But like he would go alone? Not a chance. He had already formulated a plan to get around that. John and Alex were going to be with him. He would rather not get jumped by three psychos.

But the question remained. How in the hell did they know about his meeting? That was business. Personal business. The matter of the discontent in their midst could not wait. He closed the box and took it to the huge dumpster that had already been dropped off. Threaten him. Threaten her. Threaten his parents. It was all too much. Now he was really angry and had a place to put that anger. Right in the guts of three psychos. But first it was time to pull rank. Time to find the mole in their midst

Sunday dawned gloomy and rainy. The brothers were happy for it. That gave they them down time to get some things done. Quincy had woken her with a soft kiss. Having spent the night cuddling her. William had spent all night with Rick going through all the laptops. The logical explanation was there. And Rick found it. Alexandria's laptop. The IP address. It matched.

They recapped times the emails were sent from her laptop and where she was at the time. No one had been home. They had all been out. That was the piece to the puzzle. Hers was not password protected. Theirs was. Rick fixed that quickly. Her new password was what would be inscribed in their rings. True hearts. One love.

While she was in the shower, Alexandria wondered what they would do since it was raining. The smell of breakfast met her as she exited the bathroom. Downstairs her laptop along with the other three were on the table in the living room. She glanced at them curiously but did not ask. They would tell her when they were ready.

In the dining room the brothers were already seated. William and Rick had exhaustion in their eyes. She gave them each a concerned look. But they just smiled and shook their heads. "We are fine." They said.

"Eat your breakfast, sugar." William added tenderly. She looked a the mountain of food that had been prepared. She stacked her plate high with everything pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns. Her cramping better today. She actually had an appetite. "Hungry?" William smiled tiredly at her.

"Very." She replied smiling back but concern was still in her eyes. "You two should go to bed after breakfast. There is nothing to be done today and I still have four books to read." She chastised a little.

"Later, love." Rick replied. "You may not have anything at the moment but we have a ton, now that it is daylight."

She looked up curiously but they offered nothing else. Concentrating on their food. "What is with the laptops?" She asked. Though she had wanted them to broach the subject the sooner she got them to do what they needed the sooner they could go to sleep. They looked awful.

"We figured out what device was used to send us the emails, honey," Quincy replied. "It was yours." He said the last part gently. She froze. Hers? But how? She set down her fork before her hand started to shake. Though she knew nothing of what had been done she had no alibi.

"Relax, sugar. The times match with when we were all gone from the house." William said reaching across the table to take her left hand. "We know it wasn't you." She breathed a sigh of relief. But still held his hand as she lifted her fork with her right. "Your computer is now password protected as it should have been from the start. That was our fault." She nodded. She was not to blame. They knew she was not to blame.

"So what is your next step." She asked.

"Contacting the council. They need to know that there is someone in the compound that is working against the Alphas and new Luna." Rick replied anger edging his voice. She had never really heard Rick anger. It was odd.

"Yes. And I need to confirm my plans for Thursday. I have a meeting with the investors and owner of the nightclub plans. I was planning to go alone a week ago but now it appears that Springfield is not safe for us alone. Someone knows our schedules." William added. She could tell he was trying to hide his frustration. She squeezed his hand gently.

"How do you know it is not safe?" Alexandria asked

Quincy winced at the question. William tensed and Rick had to go rinse his plate. They had not agreed on how much to tell her on that then. She was learning to read them. To understand them. "Alright. Surely you have agreed I must be told something. What is it?" She asked.

"A package arrived yesterday at the old pack house. I walked over there to think. It was addressed to you." William started. He held up his hand that was free. "The contents are in the trash so do not ask." She waited patiently. Knowing there was more by the war of exhaustion and truth in his eyes. "On top of the items was a note. Stating you either met with them or I was going to have a bad day on Thursday." William paraphrased.

"I see." Alexandria sighed. The smiled. "Those idiots. Thank you for telling me that much. And no I would not have asked what was in the package. I think I can fill in those blanks well enough." She shuddered. "So I am grounded?"

"We all are." Quincy groaned. "This is becoming serious."

"Well I still have the meeting. I will ask to change the location and time. Joseph will drive and Alex will have my back." William said and rose from the table his plate in hand. "Yes until these fuckers are caught not a one of us leaves the compound alone."

"Your parents?" She asked.

"They already tried that. Did not work the way they wanted. Mom's flat out disappointed. Dad is relieved and our grandparents do not have to leave the Dojo." Quincy grinned. "So today we play Parcheesi, tomorrow you start your classes online."

Alexandria took the last bite on her plate and rose from the table. William already had his laptop and was typing out an email. Rick joined her at the sink as she rinsed her plate. "Are you worried?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" She countered. She shook her head. "I still don't understand why they are so set on me. It is not like there were not others." She had mulling that over for days. The same question kept popping up. Why?

"Don't worry, love." Rick kissed her bare shoulder inhaling her scent. Her body responded immediately. He stretched next to her and her mouth went dry. "I am gonna go crash. You good for dishes? Quincy cooked."

"Yes." She said smiling. "I can take clean up." She ran a fingertip down his chest. He groaned and shuddered.

"Not nice." He shook his head with a grin. He kissed her nose. "I won't crash for long."

"Yes you will. A full eight." She smiled in return. "No less." He laughed and turned to leave the kitchen. She watched him navigate to the stairs. William met her eyes as she shifted her gaze after Rick disappeared up the stairs. "What?" She asked.

He finished his email to change the location and time of his meeting. Using personal problems as his excuse. He got to his feet and approached the partition to watch her as she loaded the dishwasher with the breakfast dishes. "Mama bear now?" He asked with a sardonic smile.

"I cannot worry about you?" She asked not looking up. The shrugged. "My nature it to caretake. That is why I was given children to manage. I am patient, firm, and kind." She met his eyes. "When I am comfortable." She returned his smile as well with a raised questioning eyebrow. "So what are you doing still awake?" He laughed. But instead of going to the stairs he came around the partition and entered the kitchen. His arms circled around her and his warm body pressed against her back. She sighed and leaned her head against his chest.

"I do not want to sleep." He whispered over the top of her hair. "At least not without you." His hands slid up the front of her pausing to cup her breasts and then up to her shoulders. She gently let go of what she had in her hands and he turned her to look at him. "Come nap with me?"

"Quincy will be upset if he gets stuck doing the dishes after making breakfast. Besides it is his day remember." She said gently. She rested the back of her knuckles against his cheek. "Go to my bed, William. When I get tired I will join you." She said. She made to drop her hand but he caught her hand and kissed the palm of it.

"Is that an order, Alexandria." He asked. His eyes the dark green of his desire. She melted at the soft touch of his mouth on her sensitive skin.

"Yes." She breathed softly. He chuckled and released her hand. Stepped back and turned to walk away.

Quincy had gone upstairs to change his clothes. He passed William on the way down. "The house is secure. Go to sleep, man. I got this."

"I will be sleeping light." William replied and clasped his brother's shoulder as he passed. Quincy nodded and finished his descent down the stairs in jeans and polo shirt.

Alexandria had heard the exchange. Was William worried about something then? She could feel an undercurrent with the three. Something just a little tense. She brushed it off at first as them just being tired. But after that she was not sure. Quincy stood watching her load the dishwasher at the partition. She could feel his eyes on her. "Yes, darling?" She asked raising her eyes to his.

"What do you know of Monopoly?" He asked his grin evil.

She laughed. "Enough to know I will kick your ass in two hours." She replied as she put the last pan in the dishwasher and bent to put a tab of detergent in it. He was behind her before she finished. His hands on her hips. She tensed for just a second and relaxed. Reminding herself who was behind her. She had to do that from time to time.

"I noticed that." He said huskily behind her as she righted herself to start the dishwasher. "You do that from time to time." He stepped back to drop his hands from her.

"No. Don't back away." She said and reached for his hands. "I do not mind it." She relaxed back against him as his hands slid over her hips again.

"Monopoly." He said laughing.