Fighting for her Mate

4

Caleb met Aric’s gaze. He was his best friend and only he knew the story, but he appreciated that Aric had never talked about his personal business, not even to his brothers.

“It was so long ago. I don’t like to talk about it. I was out of town when it happened. Rocco took care of the arrangements before I could make it back into town. He said the fire—” Caleb paused to clear his throat. “Rocco said little remained to bury. We had a memorial service after I returned.” Jake squeezed his shoulder, silently relaying his support and friendship.

Caleb looked up. “I’m sorry, Mr. Wolfe. Please continue about your wife’s brother.”

Instead of speaking, Tristan turned his eyes from Caleb. The man’s expression was unreadable. Almost as if he pulled on a mask. Then with a snap, it was gone.

A waitress set a tray of fresh beers on their table and left.

Tristan swallowed a gulp of beer and continued. “Long story short, your mother became the heir and whoever she married would rule and rename the pack. I moved here and the rest is history.” He stood abruptly and tossed money onto the table. “Let’s get back to the house. I’m hungry.”

Caleb watched Tristan closely. For years, Caleb had looked up to Tristan as an alpha role model. His pack loved him and would die for him. That’s what Caleb wanted—not to reign by fear and hate as his uncle. He wanted his people’s lives to be full and happy. Ever since his dad’s car wreck that killed him years ago, he’d only seen his pack become frightened recluses who only came out to go to work and come home.

The children didn’t play outside anymore; afraid they’d be kidnapped. Teens, especially the girls, were seldom seen without a group of adults around them, if they even dared to venture out. And the alpha house…the debauchery there. He moved out a long time ago when Rocco started having strange women staying overnight.

For a guy in high school, having so many partially clad women would’ve been a dream come true. But not for Caleb. His last bit of tolerance dissolved in one night his senior year.

It was homecoming weekend at school. The varsity football team won the game, sporting the best record in the school’s history. The school sanctioned dance after the game was wonderful. Ellie was stunning and lighting up his insides with desire and love. He knew he’d marry her not too long into the future and together they would guide the pack as an awesome alpha couple.

Ellie wanted to wait until they were married before they fully bonded. Meaning she was too nervous to have s*x. That was fine with Caleb. He’d wait forever for her. The thought instantly turned his balls blue. When it came to Ellie, he’d suffer through anything to make her happy.

At midnight, he had Ellie home by curfew and headed back to the alpha house. He didn’t like being there most of the time. Ever since Rocco took over as alpha a while back, the house environment changed for him.

Unfamiliar women stayed the night, making disgusting groans and moans from the alpha’s bedroom into the early morning hours. The women were nice on their own, for the most part. But when they were drinking and snorting powder with Rocco and his enforcers, the clothes came off and the f*****g began.

Most of the time, Caleb was either in his room studying or hanging out at the Wolfe’s house. Of course, Ellie was there, so that was the only place he wanted to be. This night would be no exception to his routine—get to my room asap and lock the door. He’d hurry upstairs and turn the radio on to block out screams of “more” and “yeah, baby.”

As he pulled into the drive, he noticed unfamiliar cars parked out front. Not many, but enough to warrant questions about a party his uncle neglected to tell him about. Not that they talked that much. He parked in the garage and came in through the kitchen entrance.

He grabbed a water bottle and winced at the loud music and girly squeals coming from the living room. Of course, he had to walk through the room to get to the stairs leading to his bedroom down the second-story hall.

When he reached the main room, he froze where he stood. Naked skin filled the space. Bodies, arms, legs were writhing in piles of human women; at the bottom of each pile lay a male. He spotted his uncle under five women, all the enforcers, and even men he didn’t recognize.

His uncle saw him and sat up, shoving away the females. “Hey, tiger.” Caleb rolled his eyes. The man was just disgusting, still thinking he was a male role model, a father figure. “I got something special for you. Come on over here.” His words were slightly slurred.

Caleb raised a hand in passing, “Thanks, Rocco. It’s late. I’ll just go on up to bed.”

As Rocco lay back with the women, he said, “I thought you’d say that.”

Caleb didn’t like the smug sneer on his uncle’s face. He kept reminding himself he would leave for college in a few months and never come back to this house.

He opened his bedroom door then closed it quickly, locking it. His finger punched the power button on his radio then a sickly sweet scent hit his nose.

Behind him, women poured out of the en suite bathroom. This invasion of his privacy pissed him off, big time. But he would play the gentleman and not yell or hurt anyone in the process of getting them out.

The gaggle of naked women pushed and grabbed at him. Hands were everywhere on his body, feeling, rubbing, squeezing. He politely knocked away reaching arms, but when one was gone, another took its place.

The women pushed him backward until his legs hit the bed and they shoved him back onto the mattress. He’d reached the point he didn’t care if he hurt someone or not. He put as much of his young alpha as he could into his voice. “Out now. Get out of my room.”

The women ran for the door. There was a moment of chaos as they tried to unlock the knob, everyone pushing and crowding against the door.