Unbound (Bound To You sequel)

Chapter 21 - What Do You Want!

AN: If something seems familiar it's because some of this is "recycled" from the other version of this story.  Also during October, you will be able to buy book 1 (BOUND TO YOU) in this series for only 2.99 as it is part of Kindle Monthly Deal.

21 - What Do You Want!

"Someone is here," Dante said as we joined him and Robin by the entrance.

"Yes," James agreed, apparently able to smell or sense something I couldn't. "One of St. Claire's?"

"Dani's youngest brother," Dante said, his face neutral but his voice tense. "Pete."

"Think your brother sent him?"

Dante shook his head. "No. He's a good kid."

James didn't look convinced but seemed not to think one kid was a big enough threat to worry about. I agreed, even when I smelt the blood when we reached the second story landing. One child was no match for four full-grown werewolves, three if you didn't count me. I wasn't sure they did.

Dante's door didn't creak or squeak as he opened it, but by the looks of how old the place was, I thought it rightly should have.

It hadn't been locked.

Dante went first, even though James was alpha. Because James wasn't Dante's alpha and this was Dante's private sanctuary. Even if it had already been breached today.

The place was threadbare and gloomy, with pulled curtains. Besides the blood, I could smell old take out and dust.

"It's the maid's day off," Dante said, maybe having noticed my look or just feeling self-conscious.

"More like the maid's year off," Robin said flippantly.

"Shut up Forell," Dante replied.

Turning into the kitchen we found the person we already knew was here - Dani's little brother.

He sat leaning against one of the gray-white kitchen bases, a baseball ball next to his limp left hand. He had blood down the side of his face and neck and under his swollen nose.

"Still breathing," James determined even from across the room. His hearing or eyesight was much better than mine clearly.

Dante swore while wetting a kitchen towel and then kneeling next to the boy, who looked maybe fifteen or sixteen. His hair was dark and curly and even with the blood, it was easy to tell he was probably a good looking kid most of the time.

"Pete, buddy," Dante said, squeezing water from the towel into his face before giving him a little shake. "Wakey-wakey."

James, me and Robin all squeezed into the relatively small kitchen as Pete began regaining consciousness. His hand grasped for the bat but Dante was faster and slid it away.

For a second he looked confused and terrified. Like an animal in a cage, then he realized Dante was there and seemed to come back to himself.

"Hi," I said, gently as the boy's eyes swept over us, questioningly.

"Hello," he said and swiped at his nose with his shirt sleeve. He didn't meet my eyes.

"I'm Megan and this is James and Robin. You're Pete?" I said, squatting down and holding out my hand for him to help him up.

He was clearly a submissive wolf and would need some gentle handling. Only I wasn't sure any of the guys knew what that looked like.

"Yes," he said as he stood on wobbly legs. Dante had to help him over to the only kitchen chair in there.

Dante asked before I could, "You wanna tell us what happened? Why are you here?"

Pete swiped at his nose with his shirt sleeve again and shrugged. I wanted to tell Dante to be nicer, not so demanding.

"Speak," James said when the boy kept looking around as if to find some other distraction. Understandable, he was giving up information about his pack - or at least what had happened to it. I gave James a look which he ignored.

"There were people at the house," Pete said, voice thick from his broken nose. "Like soldiers. They had guns and big cars."

"Military? Canadian or American?" Dante asked, frowning.

Pete shrugged, looking miserable. "I don't know. They were dressed in black. I was on my way out the back...they tried to get me but I fought and..."

"You got away," I said softly and encouragingly. "That was very brave of you."

"You think?" he asked, unsure.

"I do."

"What about the rest of them?" Dante asked. "St. Claire?"

"Who were the soldiers?" Robin added. "No uniform either means black ops or private security."

"I don't know," Pete said, his voice cracking. "I know two of the pack died. But the rest...it's like they're far away."

He hunched into himself then, pulling his legs up and hiding his face in his knees. He shook with silent tears and anger at being helpless. At not knowing. If he'd been one of mine, I'd have gone to him. Hugged him. Comforted him. But he wasn't one of mine.

Dante, thankfully put a hand on the boy's shoulder and Pete's posture seemed to relax some.

"Megan? A word?" James posed it as a question but took my arm and led me off to the living before I had a chance to give a reply.

I felt my heart sink. Had I once more I'd disappointed him by trying to help. I clearly wasn't good at helping. Coming to Montreal to figure out what was going on with St. Claire had been to show him I could be useful to the pack. To make him respect me more.

All I'd done was get us stuck in something he was going to have to fix.

I probably should just go home to Sandleholm manor. Probably should take up knitting too. Maybe if I was more the kind of mate he wanted and had grown up thinking he'd have, he'd like me better. Probably that was all I could hope for. A strong like, lots of impersonal sex and living two different lives which didn't intersect.

"What do you want?" James asked once we were out of earshot, surprising me, for blunt as it was, his tone was gentle.

"What?" I asked, trying to figure out what he was asking. Was it a sort of what I want from him? From life? Was it an angry 'why are you here and what do you get out of it?'

"I agree that something strange is going on here, " he said, nodding towards Pete, before putting his hands on my shoulders. "And whatever it is, we need to figure it out. So we're going to go see what happened at St. Claire's. If he's there then he'll die."

I nodded my understanding.

He continued. "Do you want to come with us, me, for that? Or do you want to stay here, take care of the kid? Or even for Robin to take you back to the hotel? Home?"

His eyes were green, flecked with wolf gold, and his strong jaw was set. Our mate bond was half closed off but from what I could feel, what he wanted, was for me to decide. He wanted me to make the choice. And he waited, man and wolf, to hear it and would adjust whatever he had planned accordingly.

Today sure was a day of first. Before in the car, that look. And now he was asking for what I wanted. It made me feel warm and happy just realizing something was changing for us. Him. And in a good way. 

I wanted to go with him. Be included. Perhaps that was all I had ever really wanted. This choice to let me do that, let me take part, was what I'd been missing.

"I want to go with you," I said, wanting to whisper, I love you, don't die but not quite daring to.

"Alright. Together then." he said and unexpectedly he shifted down and caught my mouth with his. The kiss was hard and demanding. Possessive. It also tasted of desperation and loss, which I didn't understand, but scared me all the same.