“Who are you to order her around?” Benjamin asked.
He held her stare.
“It’s fine. I want to go.” Holly tugged on her hand for him to let go, and even that action was tough. He hated seeing her walk away.
Why do you think that is?
What is she to you?
She’s more than just a plaything.
Damon shoved all those thoughts to the back of his mind. He wasn’t in the mood to think about what Holly meant to him. She was just a willing fuck.
With Holly out of the room, the men and women glared at him. Their angry growls filled the air, and he grew even more annoyed.
“This will not work on me. We all know I’m stronger than you.”
“We can take you,” a man to his left said.
Damon laughed and kept his attention on Christopher. “You want to fight me? We can go for it, right here, right now, but I will still keep Holly. She will not leave my side. Do you want to risk making her life miserable?”
“Chris, don’t. This man has offered to help,” Holly’s mother said.
“He is only helping for a price.”
“Holly wouldn’t want this.”
“She is not alpha here.”
“Chris!” the woman said with a bark.
Finally, he looked away, and the tension in the room melted away.
“I’m Lidia, Holly’s mother,” she said, holding her hand out for him to take.
He shook her hand, and Christopher growled deep in his chest.
“What is it you need to know?” Lidia asked.
“I need all the details. Any of you see anything suspicious. I also want to know your last known location.”
“Why?”
“I need to go back to see what they left behind.”
“They were burning,” Christopher said. “I saw enough to know there is nothing left of our home.”
Damon sighed. “Maybe not, but you guys were a target. I don’t want hungry hunters coming to give me trouble. That’s not how I roll.”
“There’s nothing you can do to stop them when they come,” Benjamin said. “They have guns. They can take us down easily.”
“We’re stronger and faster than all of them. A gun will stun us, and if they hit us right, we can die, but we can still heal.” He returned his attention to Christopher. “You’re not a fighting pack, are you?”
“We know how to take care of ourselves,” he said.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Lidia stepped forward. “We never have to. We don’t believe in war or violence. There is always a peaceful answer.”
“It’s going to get you killed. It’s fine to read about that shit in storybooks, but there are real people out there, human and wolf, who will hunt us down and kill us. I want you to come with me tomorrow,” he said. “Stop by my house. We’ll head out at first light and get as close to your old home as possible. I need to get a scent of the men involved.”
“Why?”
“In case you didn’t notice, a lot of tourists and travelers pass through this town every single day. I want to be able to detect the same smell. You’re on my turf. You’re not my responsibility, but I sure as hell don’t want you all to die.”
“He’ll be there,” Lidia said.
He nodded. “We’re done here.”
“I want our daughter back. I can smell her on you. She’s not yours,” Christopher said.
“A deal’s a deal. You want her back, you can pack your shit up and leave. She’s mine until I’m bored.”
“No wonder you don’t have a pack.”
“You’re still here out of the goodness of my heart, so I suggest you keep the insults to yourself. A wolf I may be, but I don’t have time for packs. I can’t abide by them. You carry a wretched stink.”
He lied. This pack didn’t smell like any of the others.
It was strange; other than Henry, all other wolves had smelled the same. At times acrid to his sense, but also like something was missing. When he was younger, he’d searched for a home, only to not be able to find it. No one but Henry had been able to match him. Christopher and his pack, they had no vile stench coming from them. They smelled free and wild. They were pure.
He didn’t know why he thought that, but he did.
Henry followed close behind him as he left the town hall and went straight to the nursery.
Rather than barge in, he opened the door quietly.
He entered the room with Henry at his back to watch Holly as she was surrounded by children. In her arms was a baby. He wondered if that was the son she’d told him about.
Another girl pulled at her arm, demanding a hug.
Natalie took the baby from her, and Holly picked the girl up.
He was so mesmerized by her. She loved those children, and they adored her. From the moment he saw her, he’d known she was special. Her loving nature shone through.
Someone pulled on his pants leg, and he saw it was a little boy. He crouched down to get to eye level with him.
“What’s the matter, little guy?” he asked.
“Are you the big, nasty wolf that is hurting Holly?”
“No. Holly and I are good friends.”
“She’s everyone’s friend.” He glanced back toward Holly.
“I’ll take care of her.”
“Please. She’s really nice. We all love her.”
He got the feeling everyone did. Holly glanced at him with a smile. She held her hand up for five more minutes. He didn’t want to share her for another second, but seeing the kids around her as well as her overall love, he couldn’t bring himself to tear her away from them.
Chapter Six
The following day, Holly slammed her hand on the door, stopping her father and Damon from leaving. “No!”
“Do you think you’re in a position to tell me what to do?”
“You’re not going. You’re not going to put my father or yourself at risk.”
“Do you care about me now?”
“It’s suicide.”
“We’re going to be careful.”
“You have no reason to go back. There is nothing good that can come from seeing … that. Are you just doing it to make my father miserable?” The accusation was out of her mouth before she could stop it. The moment she spoke it, she felt ashamed.
“I have no reason to make your family miserable, Holly. If you actually thought clearly rather than emotionally, you’d understand how important this is.”
Holly got it, which was why he was so annoying for being right. “It’s dangerous. I’m coming with you.”
Damon grabbed her arm. “No.”
“If something was to happen to the two of you, I wouldn’t forgive myself. I’m not letting either of you go. You’re going to need someone there.”
“We’re going to check it out. We’re not staying long. I want to see the damage, smell the area, and leave. That’s all.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“I will take care of your dad.”
“Who will take care of you?”
He fell silent, and she slowly lifted her head to look at him, expecting to see a smirk. Instead, he looked confused. His brow was puckered as if deep in thought.