SWNOVELS Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
"NO!" I scream. "Stop!"
The two Alphas tumble to the floor.
I leap over the table. "Clear this hall! Now!!!" I glance at Cameron's dad, daring him to contradict me.
He growls, but says, "You heard her. Everybody out." He jerks his hand toward the food that's being carted out of the kitchen. "Set up tables in the square!"
The servants spin around and head back through the revolving doors.
I squat beside Eric and Cameron. They're locked in a chokehold. "This isn't good for either of your packs. Please. Please let's not do this."
Eric comes to his senses first. He holds up his hands. It must hurt like hell, because Cam has not loosened his grip.
With the flick of his wrist, Eric orders his people to file out of the hall.
"Cameron!" I scream. He glares at me, that I should defend another man.
But it isn't about choosing one over the other. It is about the survival of our respective packs, and right now, we have too many enemies to squander our energies fighting each other. Cam lets go and begrudgingly each Alpha stands back up.
There's food on the floor, all over Eric's clothes.
He dusts at his shirt and pants. "Maybe I should just get naked too."
Cam's growl is deadly.
Eric laughs.
"Look, all of this starts and ends with Ashley, right?" I keep my focus on Cameron because I'm worried what my face might show if I look at Eric.
Because part of me...is really happy he's here.
This wolf defended me, protected me, and when push came to shove, he let me go, because my safety was more important than keeping me underfoot.
"Let's go see her and get to the bottom of this. I know you both want answers. Maybe your doctor can get them."
"Wait here," Cam tells Eric. "Mia, come with me."
Eric makes a show of picking up a spilled coffee cup and pouring himself another. He calmly sits at the head of the table this time. Then he holds up his mug in a smug toast as if to say, 'go ahead, I'll be waiting right here.'
I follow Cam out of the hall and toward his rooms. He doesn't say anything as he's ripping a shirt from his closet and dragging it on. Next, he goes to his armoire and grabs jeans and he jerks those on angrily
too.
"Everything about that guy makes me murderous. You know that, right?"
I cross my arms. "I do think I know a little something about feeling murderous, yes. You can imagine how I would've felt when not an hour after we'd made love you professed Ashley your mate, married her and declared her Luna--all without a single word, apology or explanation to me."
He shoves a hand through his hair.
"These are old arguments now, Cam. What's done is done. Let's not replay the past. It does neither of us any good."
"Do you want him?" Cam asks flatout.
I suck a breath. I'm not sure how to respond.
"Damnit, Mia, the fact that you have to even think about it, is answer enough!"
He's so angry. So... hurt.
My stomach sinks. I don't want to hurt him. Or Eric. I never asked to be in this situation.
I take his hands and immediately he stills. This is what it means to be mates, to have the ability to center and calm each other. "I don't know what the future holds, Cam. I only know that we have two beautiful children and you have a baby too. It's not just about us."
He grunts.
I squeeze his hands. "I don't think Eric is your enemy. Not today anyway. When I was at his packlands in California, Jace, Michail, Liam... they all saw the same things. He was under attack-from wraiths and wolves loyal to Ashley's family. Her pack aligned with vampires, Cam. There are bigger threats here at play that we need to consider."
"I've already stepped up our security and we are prepared for an assault."
"Just so you know, they airlifted onto Eric's lands too. So we might be more vulnerable from above."
As evidenced by how easily Eric's pack had dropped in. Unless... "You knew they were parachuting in?"
"Of course we did." Cam nods. "We have radar and infrared monitors covering every inch of these packlands. The system is sophisticated. You're into tech now. Go meet up with Jacob if you want to conduct your own analysis. I'd value your opinion if you think we're prepared or not."
I'm humbled. And I'm impressed. I always knew Cameron was a capable Alpha, but he's a strategist as well, so even though I'm miffed about him taking me on a run as 'bait' I have to respect his strategy. He set a trap within a trap.
And it worked.
"You didn't tell me about your plans though..."
"No," he says.
"You don't trust me?"
"Can I trust you, Mia?" he counters.
I flinch. That hurts.
"You... you wanted to see how I'd react to Eric. You wanted him to find us in the woods." A thought occurs to me and I don't like it. "Would you have fucked me just to prove you could?"
He shrugs. "I thought about it." He tilts his head. "You used to scream my name and not give a damn about who might hear. What's the matter, you don't want that other Alpha knowing that I've had my hands on you, my hands... in you?"
I swallow hard.
He walks toward me and I find myself backing up until I hit the wall. "Scared of me, Mia?"
No. But something in the way he stalks me...it's predatory.
He tilts my chin back, forcefully.
He leans in and drags his teeth down my neck. "What's to stop me from marking you right now? Hmm?"
I shudder and I'm pretty sure my panties are wet.
He bites at the straining column where my neck meets my shoulder, testing my flesh. A touch more pressure and he'll break the skin.
I'm breathless.
"Hmm," he hums again. His mouth moves until it's against my ear. "It's inevitable," he whispers. "You and I. There is no world in which you aren't mine. There is no man who will replace me. I will be your mate, Mia. Get used to it."
He bites down once more on my neck as if in warning.
Then he walks back out of the room.
I'd be a fool to think that Cameron is caring or guided by love.
He's an Alpha.
And he is ruthless.