DARK DAYS

CHAPTER FIVE

Who was she? That was the question that came up the most often at the pack meeting the next day. One of the many questions that Micah really had no answer to, he didn’t know who she was, he didn’t know how long she’d be there. Yes she strangled Wes. No he wasn’t worried about the safety of the rest of the pack. No he wasn’t taking her side over the pack, thanks for that one Freya make everyone paranoid. He thought as his pack complained about his bringing a stranger into their folds. Wolves are such suspicious creatures. 

Alpha males weren’t just born to be alphas, to be a true alpha it wasn’t how strong you were, how many people you’d fought or killed. It went beyond that, it was a way of life. It was that feeling inside that told you that you wouldn’t be complete without a pack to guide and protect. Alpha status was not about the need to dominate, that was secondary, it was the need to care and protect that made an Alpha. At that moment Micah was seriously contemplating forgoing the whole thing, they were just getting on his nerves now.

Wes was playing the martyr, so he had a slight bruise; he got worse than that from going hunting. And he had deserved it, if she hadn’t attacked Micah had been ready to. But say that out loud and you were suddenly a traitor to the pack. He caught Dante’s amused gaze over the heads of the others, Dante raised a shoulder. Micah knew that look, he’d be getting no help from his second in command, Dante was enjoying the show too much.

Micah didn't get home until close to two in the morning, after hearing how disappointed his pack was in his decision to let Christiana stay they went on to share personal grievances. Christiana was asleep on the living room floor as usual, she refused to sleep in his bed and let him take the couch. She refused a lot of things actually; if he didn't know any better he'd swear she didn't want to get comfortable because she was afraid she'd never leave. 

He stood in the doorway for a minute lost in thought, "Meeting didn't go well I take it." She muttered rolling over slowly to lay on her other side. Finding a comfortable position to sleep in when you had broken ribs was a b***h. 

He shook his head slightly, "Could have been worse, I wasn't lynched." He grinned, "Wes came close to trying though." 

"That makes you proud?" She asked sarcastically. 

Micah laughed slightly taking his jacket off finally, "Wes is a hot head, unfortunately for him he has nothing to back it up with." Micah headed for his room. 

Christiana laid her head down, "You shouldn't put a strangers needs before your pack; it's common sense 101." 

Micah crouched down beside her; he laid a hand between her shoulder blades and could feel her heart beating. “What would you know about running a pack?” He waited patiently running his thumb along her spine, no matter how many times he told himself off he couldn’t help but play dominance games with her. Trying to coax a response that would tell him once and for all what she was.

Christiana sat up, “Enough to know that you aren’t supposed to fraternize with what is considered to be the omega of the group.” 

Micah watched her; he respected her even though she was hiding something. He didn’t care what Wes or anyone else said, she was still just a kid. He knew they were worried he’d take her as his mate. But Micah wasn’t really into kissing babies. “I’m not sure you are the weakest.” He stood up, “Get some sleep.” He ordered before leaving her.

Christiana was sitting on the porch when Micah woke up, in my seat, he though grumpily taking the seat beside her. “You walked on your own.” He commented.

Christiana hid a smile, knowing he hated her sitting in his place, though he was too much of a softy to actually say it. “Yeah, and showered.” She responded indicating towards her wet hair. She passed him a mug of coffee, redeemed, she thought amused. She could see it written all over him, he’d forgive anything for a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

“So how old are you anyway?” He asked staring out at the woods. 

Christiana stared at his profile, “Old enough for someone to ask my father for my hand. But still young enough for you to know better than to think impure thoughts.” She offered, with a grin.

Micah laughed, “I figured that much out. My actions have a purely altruistic backing to them.” He finally moved his head to look at her, “You’re still just a pup, but there are other guys in this pack who wouldn’t be bothered by that.” He warned.

She nodded, “Ah… So I shouldn’t run naked around the yard at night. I’ll remember that.” Christiana stood up carefully, knowing not to push her luck, “You’re warnings are unnecessary, I’m not here to find a man.”

“No, you’re here to escape one.” He muttered watching her walk back into the house in nothing but one of his shirts. He could understand how she could get into trouble with a man in her pack. She was either naïve as hell about men’s reactions to her or just didn’t care. He was leaning towards the latter. He frowned seeing Dante walking towards him, had she heard him coming? he wondered. Dante and Christiana hadn’t been in the same room since she changed form. And it was a conscious move on both their parts.

“Hey.” Dante offered climbing the steps. “Where’d she disappear to?” 

Micah shrugged, “Inside.” He slouched in the chair, looking completely at ease but Dante wasn’t fooled. He knew that Micah had perfected that lazy predatory cat look, “Did you do rounds?” Dante nodded and began to fill him in. 

Christiana sat in the big overstuffed chair in Micah’s room, listening to Dante talk. He reminded her of Ulrich, eerily so. Ulrich wouldn’t be far behind her by now, and she was stuck there unable to travel to make up for the lost days of recuperation. Winter was coming; it would make it even harder to lose him. She closed her eyes as memories assaulted her, and that’s how Micah found her an hour later. Curled up in the chair in his room gazing out the window. 

“I take it you don’t like Dante.” He started, walking over to the closet. 

Christiana raised an eyebrow, “I don’t know him, I don’t particularly want to know him or anyone else.” She answered restlessly; Micah was okay he just tried to get her to talk way too often.

“Uh huh.” He said absently, “I’m going to have a shower.”

“It’s not safe out here.” Dante said, startling Christiana a few nights later as she stood by the lake. She jumped at the sound of his voice when there was perfect silence before. “Sorry.” He apologized realizing he had startled her.

Christiana didn’t look at him, “Don’t be, my senses are still screwed up that’s all.” She crossed her arms even though it was painful, “I can look after myself.” Truthfully she just wanted him away from her, she knew no good could come of them being in the same vicinity.

Dante moved to stand in front of her, “So are we going to ever acknowledge what the problem is between us?” 

“And what would that be?”

He tilted her head up, “It’s rare that two of our kind are instinctively attracted to each other, it happens though. Our bodies feel a biological need to mate, and it’s strong as hell.” He watched her pupils dilate, as she slowly relaxed. Wanting so badly to give in for no other reason than their bodies demanded it. Then as he bent his head to kiss her, he saw her eyes change from soft pools to cold ice.

“You think that’s what our problem is?” She asked scornfully stepping away. Dante had the feeling he was about to be rejected. “My problem is that I’ve felt this before, it’s a nuisance yes but not a problem. The problem is that the last time this happened it had very negative consequences. My problem is that you remind me way too much of the man I’m running from. So if you think for a second that I’m going to jump into bed with you to scratch a goddamned itch, you’re nuts. I don’t want anything to do with you.” 

Dante smiled slightly, “A simple no would have done the trick.” He looked away for a second, “I’m sorry that I remind you of him.” He knew by her expression that she was in some terrible fight inside her head, he understood, the last thing you want in a lover is for them to remind you of an ex that hurt you. And he had no doubt whatsoever that he had hurt her badly. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.” He held out his hand to her and almost laughed when she hesitated at first. They began walking when Dante asked out of the blue, 

“What was his name?”

She answered to his surprise, “Ulrich…Ric.” She amended giving the name he was called by everyone else. “And by the way, I didn’t jump into bed with him either.” She clarified

He grinned, “I had no doubt in my mind.”

As they stood on Micah’s porch he said quietly pressing his forehead against hers, “Don’t let him ruin you for other men, don’t let him kill your ability to trust, if you do he’s won.” Dante kissed her forehead and walked away while Christiana swallowed back tears, and Micah watched the entire thing from the darkened living room.