Chapter Four
Tracking through the woods over the next couple of days, Liam paid careful attention to any new scent. He hadn’t liked how hunters or enemy packs had been lurking while he’d been on a date with Rebecca. The natural competition in wolves was often sparked to life before a male claimed his mate. They’d be able to sense his territorial threat, and their wolves would crave to compete for the prize. He’d never let anyone take Rebecca from him. There’s no way his wolf would even allow it.
Just thinking about her was enough to make him so fucking hard. He wanted her in his bed as soon as possible. Over the past couple of days, he’d done nothing but think about her. How she’d feel beneath him. The scent of her skin. Her beautiful eyes. Her soft hair. He wondered about her pussy and how tight it would feel wrapped around his cock.
So far, she hadn’t called him back about their second date. Thursday felt like a lifetime away.
He was obsessing. Combing through the surrounding forest and land, he had to make sure everything was safe for her. Two attacks within a short amount of time was just ridiculous. He’d never known that.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Jake asked.
“If you remember, he said not to ask questions.” Eli spoke up this time.
“Guys, shut up otherwise he’s going to go all alpha on our asses,” Ben said.
Liam had gotten his three best friends to help in the perimeter checks of their territory. Not only were they mated males but also good trackers. Shifters from other packs were getting too close to home. Too close to his mate.
“I’ve told you many times before you came out here. I need you to catch any scent at all and head in that direction.”
“Trespassers would be crazy to enter your land,” Ben said.
“There’s a lot of crazy people around.”
“You’re not going to tell us what this is about?” Jake asked.
He remained silent, happy with his thoughts of Rebecca. He wasn’t ready to share them with the pack just yet.
“Guys, haven’t you smelled him?” Eli asked.
This made Liam pause and turn to look toward his group of friends. He didn’t like this.
“He stinks like a woman. A human female.”
Their gazes all landed on him, and he sighed. “So I met someone.”
“A human someone,” Jake said, inhaling the air. “She sweet? She smells sweet.”
“It’s been a couple of days. How the hell are you still smelling her?” With hands on his hips, he glared at the three mated males. If they’d not had females of their own, tonight could have ended differently.
“There are only two possible reasons,” Jake said.
“Number one, she was wearing way too much perfume and it’s kind of seeped into your pores and you need an extra shower,” Eli said.
“Or two, she’s your mate,” Ben said.
“I’d go with two. He’s been behaving like a mated male lately,” Jake said.
“Which now makes us wonder, why you’ve been hiding her.” Eli faced him. “We’re part of your pack. We’re not going to try and take her from you.”
Staring at the three members of his pack that were also his friends, Liam felt guilty. They’d each come to him when they found their woman that they loved, and yet he’d kept his a secret.
“Rebecca’s not like any other woman. She’s not pack. She’s different.”
“All of our women are different, Liam,” Jake said.
“Rebecca struggles in social situations. She’s not good around lots of other people. It’s why I’ve not pushed the issue. Also, she hasn’t called me again.” He shrugged.
“You’ve been so damn busy with hunting things in the woods, would you have even answered?” Eli asked.
“Look, it doesn’t matter. Until I know every single inch of this forest is safe, I’m not bringing her around. She seems to draw danger, and I’m not willing to risk her life for me.” He saw his three friends wanted to argue, but he took off, tracing every step through the forest, trying not to think about how good she’d felt in his arms, or what he wanted to do to her when he finally got her alone.
For years, his pack had been left alone. Being a fierce alpha, not willing to be stepped on, he’d done right by his pack. They were loyal to him and him alone. He made sure they all had a good life without interference from the outside world.
Ben, Eli, and Jake had all become mated recently, and he was in the process of building their homes for them. Whatever they wanted, he’d make sure they got, and he was like this with all of his pack.
He may be alpha, but they were his family, and that meant he stuck by them.
His pack was worried about him. He smelled their concern but ignored it as he made his way out to the edge of the forest, taking a turn that allowed him to look down from the highest peak. Right there, above the tree line, he looked back, seeing his land and the town just past it. It was a thing of beauty to him. If he got the chance to have Rebecca here one day, she’d love it. He just knew she would. He wanted to open her world up to so much more.
She loved everything he’d shown her so far, and she’d not wanted their date to end. He’d been the one to bring it to a close for her own safety.
Glancing around the forest, he took a deep breath, and tried not to think about her. Rebecca was proving to be a distraction, albeit a good one.
“It’s all clear,” Jake said, startling him.
“When did you sneak up on me?”
“You think none of us remember what it was like to find our mate? How distracted we were? You’re our alpha, and we won’t let anything happen to you.”
He stepped back through the thick set of the forest and stared at Jake.
“I won’t let anything happen to the pack,” Liam said.
“It’s not wrong or weak to have someone watching your back. If for whatever reason our enemies are near, they’ll use your distraction to their advantage. We can’t allow that to happen.”
“I won’t ever allow any harm to come to any of you,” Liam said.
Jake sighed. “Why is it so hard to accept help?”
“It’s not hard.”
“Then why won’t you allow us to help you?”
He stared at his friend. He’d protected Jake a lot over the years. When they were little they’d been running out by the lake when a bear had stumbled onto them. Jake had a scar across his chest because the bear attacked before either of them could do anything. Liam recalled being scared. They’d only been nine at the time, but he’d attacked that bear and carried his friend back home where the pack nurse had healed him, and Jake made a full recovery. Just the sliver of an old scar remained on Jake now of that time.
It wasn’t that he was afraid to take help.
To him, being the alpha, he was the one that protected, that made sure all of his pack were safe. They couldn’t afford for him to be out of the loop.
“What do you suggest I do?” Liam asked.
“You know, pretending to take advice doesn’t cut it.”
“I’ve never had a mate before. I’m willing to take any advice that will help me with her. I don’t know what to expect. How to deal with what I’m feeling. It’s all new to me.”