DARK DAYS

CHAPTER TWENTY

Micah led them to his house, not wanting Ghost around anyone else in his pack if it could be helped, “Why were you tracking her for Ulrich if your loyalty is to her family?” Micah asked still not trusting him.

Ghost sat in the big over sized chair in the living room, watching Ana move around the kitchen with familiarity. “How long have you been taking care of her?” he countered.

It was Dante that responded, “ almost Six months now.” 

Ghost grimaced, glancing at Dante, “It’s really disconcerting…” referring to how much Dante reminded him of Ric.

Ana walked over to hand Ghost his drink, and found herself seated in his lap, “You get used to it.” 

Ghost stroked her hair staring at her intently, “I told you, I took an oath to her father to protect her. I am her mentor, her bodyguard, her friend, it is in her best interest to be found if for no other reason than to make sure she was okay. But I don’t take orders from Ulrich.” H added to her, “I got in touch with Cole, when you didn’t arrive in Alaska I got worried.” 

She laid her head on his shoulder, “I got injured, and exhausted, ended up on their property and Micah was good enough not to throw me off it.” She explained.

Ghost inclined his head to Micah, “I and my pack are indebted to you then.” 

Micah fought the urge to roll his eyes at Ghosts gestures, knowing that it was how he had been raised and trained, as much as Micah wanted to believe his almost knightly behavior was a show he knew it wasn’t, “From what I understand she wasn’t treated very well in her pack.” 

“Some treated her well, most didn’t. it is the reality of our kind, those that are different are shunned.” Ghost explained, without making it seem like he accepted it. “No one got away with hurting her… ever..” Ghost added, a dangerous light entering his eyes.

Dante believed him, he was inclined to believe everything he said. Ghost had that effect on people, he was lethal. “How do you think we should fight Ric?” Dante asked quietly.

Ana just closed her eyes, “We don’t” Ghost said calmly.

“So you want me to just hand her over? Not going to happen.” Micah said coldly.

Ghost frowned, “Ulrich is an ass, and I don’t want her married to him anymore than you do. But his claim is legitimate, he has every right to request you turn her over to him.” He pointed out logically.

Micah growled, “She’s seventeen!”

“He’ll wait.” Ghost assured him, “In a month she turns eighteen… then she’s fair game.” 

“Cole…” She started.

“Has been gone for two years, there was nothing public, just private understanding.” Ghost interrupted. He sighed, “No one is willing to challenge it.”

Micah sat there feeling like he was missing a hell of a lot. 

Ghost finished his drink, and took a long stretch before saying with a pat on her leg, “I need a shower.” 

Ana wrinkled her nose standing up, “You do kinda smell…” her comment earned her a swat on her behind by Ghosts very large hand. “Ow!” She complained rubbing her butt, sometimes he didn’t know his own strength.

Ghost stood, towering over her, “Ow my ass! You’ve gone soft Keller.” He muttered putting his arm around her and kissing her forehead nevertheless. He added looking down at her darkly, ignoring everyone else in the room, “Keep rubbing that cute little ass of yours and I’ll give you something to yelp about.” 

Ana hid a grin and led him towards the door, “He can shower here.” Micah ordered, feeling like he was quickly loosing control of the situation. When Ana looked like she was going to ignore him he grabbed her arm, “I don’t want him wandering around the property Ana.” 

“It’s less than ten houses away Micah… I think he can use my shower without causing a riot.” She replied disbelieving how much he trying to throw his weight around.  She understood that he was going through the whole alpha male, someone I don’t know is on my land thing, but she had never actually seen him like this before. “He’s not going to hurt me Micah.”

Micah shook his head, but Ghost interrupted whatever he was going to say with a dark rumbling, “Let her go.”

Ana closed her eyes briefly, knowing the minute Micah had grabbed her arm that Ghosts protective streak had kicked in, “What?!” Micah said.

Ghost stood close enough behind her that she could feel the heat coming off of him, “I said, let her go… you’re the only one hurting her right now.” He said nodding to the arm Micah was gripping. Ana was shocked at how rational Ghost was being. “you aren’t trying to, but at the moment, you’re holding her a bit to tightly… and if she ends up with a trace of a bruise I’ll rip your arm out of its socket and keep it as a trophy.” He added staring Micah in the eye. There was the Ghost she knew and loved, violence and gory threats, worked every time.

Micah let her go, seeing something there he didn’t want to chance, “And you wonder why I don’t want you out of my sight.” Micah said calmly to him.

Ghost smiled slightly, rubbing his bottom lip absently, “I don’t wonder at all…” he murmured. “But you are about to find out why you don’t cross Christiana Keller.” He added amused.

Micah glanced back at Ana and realized that while he and Ghost had been playing dominance games she had gone eerily calm. He had never seen that look before, angry yes, but absolutely calm. “Sorry...” He started slow on the uptake.

“Shut up.” She snapped, “Madds, Dante… wait outside.” Ghost complied nodding his head, knowing not to argue. “Now Dante!” she exclaimed when he hesitated. He didn’t wait to see if Micah was okay with it.

Ana looked Micah in the eyes and knew what he was seeing, “This is what you were hiding,…” he said almost in awe of what he saw. “Jesus.” He breathed. 

“First of all, never grab me like that again. You aren’t my father; you have no right to try to discipline me. Do you understand?” She said slowly. Micah nodded, “Second, Madds, would never intentionally hurt me. He wouldn’t cause a scene here, you know nothing about him so don’t you ever treat him like some homicidal psychopath that you need to keep in constant surveillance. He may be used to people treating him like that, but I don’t like it. He has never been anything but good to me.” 

Micah nodded again, “You seemed afraid when you thought he had followed you here this morning.” He pointed out.

Ana shook her head, “Not of him, I just knew that if he was here Ric wasn’t far behind.” 

Micah looked away, “I understand why you’d want to hide your alpha status, I really do. You weren’t welcomed by everyone even as an omega… you could have told me… but I just don’t know how you did it.” He said standing very still.

Christiana sighed, “Madds. Ghost, he was my mentor, he taught me.”

Micah looked back at her quizzically, “You two bonded over the whole outcast thing huh?” he didn’t wait for an answer, “I don’t like him here, I don’t trust him, I don’t know him. It has nothing to do with what he is, I’m not nearly as narrow minded as you seem to think I am.”

Ana bit her lip, “I know, and I’m sorry… it’s just.”

“You’ve been protecting each other from the idiots in your old pack for so long it’s instinct?” He supplied. 

It was Anas’ turn to look away, “He doesn’t deserve the way people treat him. He accepts it cause that’s how it’s always been, but… you can’t just cast someone aside until the next time you want them to do your dirty work.” She explained quietly. “He’s a good guy.” She added with a shrug.

Micah wrapped his arms around her, no matter how strong she actually was, he couldn’t shake the need to take care of her, “I’ll trust your judgment, for now. But if he screws up… you have to admit he’s a scary guy.”

Ana laughed shakily, taking a moment to compose herself, effectively going back into hiding. “That’s eerie… suddenly that power is just gone.” Micah said staring down at her. 

“It’s not gone, just masked.” She explained as best she could. She pulled away and walked over to the front door, opening it to see Ghost leaning against the railing of the porch looking quite amused, “Don’t even… let’s go get you clean.” She warned taking his hand and leading him to her place.  

Micah stepped out watching them walk away. “Ya sure it’s smart letting him go off with her?” Dante asked still kinda spooked from meeting Ghost.

“No, but since when have I ever had any say in what she does?” He glanced at Dante sideways, “Come on in, you can explain to me why you remind them so much of Ric.” He ordered, not missing the sick look that Dante tried to hide.