Aristotle (The Strong Pack Book 2) Read online

  “That is my position,” Jasper said calmly.

  “Let’s have a speedy deployment and see what we have ready to move out in two hours. To arms gentlemen.”

  It was an old saying my father had used often. I wanted to hit fast and furious. Those who gave up would be spared. Those who fought, well we would see.

  Jasper and I remained after the others left to prepare their people. “So tell me where did this pack come from?”

  “A rogue named Deeds. I don’t know if it’s his first name, surname or maybe a nickname. They settled south of town where that community Jetson Springs used to be.”

  “Yes I remember that place. It’s where the laborers who came in to work the harvests around here lived while they worked. When many of the farms started using machinery the place became a ghost town. Those buildings must be dangerous, especially for young ones that like to explore,” I observed.

  “I’m sure it is, but not as dangerous as living out in the open. Anyway, Deeds came in on a motorcycle with about half a dozen rogue wolves. I thought they had left when I didn’t see them a week later, but it seems they found a place to call home. Some of them find jobs or females in town to get money, food or other things from, but Deeds is their leader and he gets whatever he wants from them.

  He’s slowly been growing his numbers taking in stragglers that come into town. I’m certain he’s put out the word for rogues, runaways, and riff raff to come join his gnarly group of misfits.”

  “Gnarly? What’s that mean?” I asked as I raised my eyebrow at him. I liked Jasper, we were good friends and his oddities only made me like him more. I felt sorry for his mate, but that was another story.

  “Extreme or dangerous. It fits the group.”

  “The rest of the story is that now that he feels he has a core unit of fighters he’s been challenging us. Trespassing can be overlooked, but he has started harassing our females. This last time he took it too far. He attacked Bertha and raped her. It wasn’t just him either but most of the males in his core unit. She was barely alive when she crawled back home. Her father wants justice and this is a clear case of rape. Hell I want justice. I’ve known that sweet young female since she was knee high to a grasshopper. I’m sure you feel the same way.”

  I nodded my head and blinked as the tears sprang to my eyes. Male wolves didn’t cry and that was a damn shame. He’d picked a young widow who was shy and impossibly sweet. She’d only ever been with her husband who’d died last year in an accident on a pipeline. He’d wanted to give her things that he couldn’t afford so he’d taken a high paying but high risk job. The gamble hadn’t paid off. That female had been through so much it just showed how unfair life was.

  “I want her moved to one of the guest cabins near the pack house. I’d move her in here but I know she’d argue. We already went through that when Herb died.”

  Herb had been her mate and after he died I suggested she move in to the pack house to be around others. She insisted she wanted to take care of herself and not be a burden. She wanted to be independent and learn to rely on herself. No one could change her mind not even her folks. This time we would compromise and see her taken care of better.

  She wouldn’t be completely happy with it, but she would be safe and near the doctor if she needed him. She was raised with Jericho and T.J. had developed a good relationship with her. They would both be understandably upset once they knew.

  Deeds must be one sick bastard to pick such a sweet innocent girl. He had chosen well if he wanted to be wiped off the face of the Earth because attacking one of our females would never be overlooked.

  Jasper and I parted ways to see to last minute things. I headed to check on Jericho and his mate. “How are you two doing?”

  “We’re fine. Sherona is at the bar now. What’s going on around here? Everyone is rushing around like it’s the apocalypse,” Jericho joked.

  “We are declaring war on Deeds and his ilk,” I answered.

  “Deeds? You mean that crazy dude that lives in the abandoned houses?” T.J. asked.

  “Yes you know of him?” I asked in surprise, but I shouldn’t have been. T.J. still helped out at the bar or she had until recently and it was the center of whatever gossip went around town.

  “He comes in the bar sometimes. The waitresses hate him because he doesn’t tip but he tries to talk them into joining him. He even approached T.J. and Sandy but Sandy ran him off,” Jericho explained.

  “He’s more dangerous than you think. He abducted Bertha, raped her and shared her with all his men.” It wasn’t how I’d meant to tell them but they needed to know he was dangerous and to be careful in case he got away.

  Jericho immediately got mad and started to get a jacket. “No son. You can’t go. You’ll stay here and see to the pack.”

  T.J. just cried. It made me regret my outburst but I couldn’t unsay what I’d said. It was time to go and take care of the scum sucking loser that had dared harm one of our females. It was my intention to see that no one would use those buildings as a hideout for rogues again too.

  Eight of us big wolves loaded up and squeezed into the SUV. I wasn’t squeezed and neither was the driver but the three guys on each of the bench seats in the back certainly weren’t comfortable. Rank had its privileges and right now I was enjoying the passenger seat while Edward drove.

  We parked a mile away and the hunters moved in first taking out the measly handful of sentries Deeds had posted. They were mostly untrained, young rogues and I was glad. We lost no one and there weren’t even any injuries on the first part of our battle plan.

  Hunters now teamed up taking the houses on the edges and searching them for anyone that was in them. They were restraining people, even the children for their own good. They carried them out and the regular soldiers took them and were carrying them back to the SUVs. Some immediately headed back to carry the prisoners to our pack lands. Their future would be determined later.

  I sent some of the soldiers in at this point. We were ready to end it all. I wanted Deeds so bad I could taste it and I was getting more and more frustrated as each building was searched and he was nowhere to be found.

  I finally had to admit he had somehow escaped. We had deprived him of many of his followers, but he and his inner circle were gone. I knew I wouldn’t be pleasant to be around.

  The buildings were completely empty and I gave the signal. In minutes flames were dancing merrily all around the community. Someone should have done this a long time ago. These buildings were old and dangerous and it was a community service to see them gone.

  We headed home. Disappointed but ready to finish the job as soon as the hunters found our target. We had well over a hundred people to deal with when we arrived home. Not all would fit in our prison and not all should be there anyway.

  Jericho was at work sorting through the prisoners and trying to put families together. Some of the young children seemed to be foundlings. This made me suspicious immediately. Those children were set up with families on a temporary basis. Tomorrow we would try to find out if they had parents searching for them.

  I had a tendency to want to think the best of several of the young females, but Jericho said they were loyal to Deeds. For the safety of our pack they needed restrained more than anyone. It made me sad that they could bond with their abuser to the point that they would harm others in his name.

  Today’s work had not given me the sense of satisfaction I had hoped for. It made me think of Sherona and the empty place in my heart that needed to be filled. Having my mate with me would have been a comfort to me now. It was even a small comfort just to know she was nearby.

  I decided to turn in for the night and let the others deal with the fallout of our largely unsuccessful war. The only thing I felt good about was getting those children out of the hands of that monster.

  I went to bed but my sleep was restless and I thought that knowing Sherona was so near but not with me gave me these weird disjointed dreams. I woke up feeling more
tired than I had been when I went to bed. Wolves generally slept better than humans, not having to deal with many of the health issues, but a worried wolf could be an insomniac.

  I wondered how Sherona was doing and if she missed me as much as I did her. She must not or she would be here with me. I saw T.J. eating breakfast and I thought once more about how different they were and how there was little if any family resemblance. I smiled as my thoughts moved on to my grandpup and then I wondered how my pups with Sherona might look. It made me feel better to imagine the end result of our mating because I knew getting there wouldn’t be easy.

  Yesterday’s happenings didn’t make me feel any better. I was now in charge of over a hundred wolves of varying ages, half of which wanted to kill me and destroy my pack in Deeds’ name. I had separated the unclaimed children, twenty-one in all, putting them with families that would see to their needs. A few of the old and infirm had been pulled from the group too and placed with families or in the pack house for care. It still left me with a whole lot of trouble.

  Jericho, goddess bless him, had been up for some time and had already sent an email to the powers that be on the council explaining what had happened and asking them to deal with the more violent rogues among the prisoners since they were keeping the rest of them riled. There were a dozen or so and most of them young females. What any female would see in a lazy violent loser I didn’t know.

  We worked through the morning doing what we could until lunch time. “Why don’t you and T.J. come to the bar with me? I’ll buy you lunch and get a chance to see Sherona where she won’t feel so nervous around me.”

  “Sure Dad. I’ll get T.J. and meet you at the SUV,” Jericho said as he hurried away.

  It was as good a plan as any. She should feel relaxed around her sister and I hoped she wouldn’t run. It had been months since I had seen her and my wolf was barely under control. He paced inside me making me nervous too. I could feel the energy emanating from him ready to morph given the slightest reason. I hoped I could hold him back or Sherona might be embarrassed when I threw her to the floor to take her in front of everyone. I hadn’t had these kinds of control issues since I was a youngling going after my first female.

  I let Jericho drive while I wrestled with my wolf. I explained that we shouldn’t rush our mate. If we did she might run harder and farther than ever. He didn’t look impressed and a bed with ropes on its posters popped into my mind. I could almost hear my mate calling me a caveman. I was sure before I was done wooing her, she might call me worse than that. We pulled into the owner’s special parking spot. Just another reminder that rank did indeed have its privileges.

  We walked in through the door and the smell of cigarettes, beer and sweaty bodies hit me. Tabby’s was a clean place but when it was packed like this nothing could cover the less than enjoyable smells. I moved my eyes over the pool area, the dance floor, the seating area and finally to the bar itself where Sherona captured my complete attention. It wasn’t just me, she stared back with a glazed look until Sandy bumped her. That broke the spell and Sherona started ignoring me. I thought Jericho’s difficulties with T.J. would seem a walk in the park before I saw this mating to its completion.

  We went to sit at a table in the corner near the bar. I was ready to tear some throats out as I witnessed males hitting on my mate. One in particular was a wolf without a doubt. He was in decent shape and I suppose some females might find him attractive enough if they were hard up, but I could tell Sherona wasn’t interested. He didn’t seem to care because he kept trying to engage her interest. He and his attitude were about to take a flying leap out the door. I started to rise but felt a hand on mine. I looked down and saw it was Jericho.

  “That’s Deeds’ Alpha. He might cause a scene if you go near him. It may even be what he’s working on,” Jericho observed.

  I nodded. The male’s behavior made more sense now but I could see his interest in my mate wasn’t faked. Sherona was smart because she was letting Sandy handle him now. Sandy wasn’t drawing his interest like Sherona had, but she was drawing the interest of one of his running buddies. I decided Jericho was right, they were here mainly to cause trouble. I would out wait them and see what developed. I was sure he knew what had happened at his refuge. How could he not?

  Sherona approached us with the caution one might show a ferocious beast. I couldn’t deny one lived inside of me so why try? My eyes drank her in, I breathed in her scent and I nearly came undone. I knew in that moment that I could never let her go away again. I moved over grabbing her hand and pulling her down next to me. My hand shook where it touched her and I couldn’t stop it. I noticed she shuddered and her breath caught in her chest. We were a pair, wanting and needing but unwilling or unable to give in.

  I made a point of leaning against her every chance I got and she glared at me whenever I did.

  She spoke mainly to T.J. asking how she was doing and wanting to know everything about the baby. “I brought the baby a gift,” she said with a smile.

  T.J. was immediately excited. “Can I see it?”

  “No, you’ll have to wait for the baby shower.”

  “I don’t think I’m having one.”

  “Of course you are and I hope it’s soon from the look of things.”

  I listened in but I also watched Deeds who kept a close eye on us. He was trouble and every instinct screamed for me to morph and rip his head off. The human in me argued logic, the beast wanted action.

  I glanced at Jericho and noticed that his beast was disturbed too. He would make a fine alpha in time. I played around with the thought of letting him fill in regularly once I mated to give me time with Sherona. I would think about it later when I had time.

  It was nearly closing time and I wanted Sherona to accompany us home. The thought of leaving her here alone, to be targeted by Deeds was more than a mate could bear. I knew she wouldn’t listen but she wouldn’t be as alone as she thought. A team would be guarding her but she would never know. My life would be impossible if she found out so my solution was to be sure she never would. I allowed her to believe she had won. We finished our drinks and left her to close up. Deeds left just before we did so I looked around as we exited but he was no where to be seen. I wondered where he had found to sleep now.

  The drive home was quiet, everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts. I think T.J. was upset that Sherona refused to go with us and she feared she was unprotected. She should have known better and I was sure that Jericho would explain things to her later. I thought she also knew not to share those facts with Sherona.

  I tried to stay calm, I was too old to be so unsteady and nervous. I guess no matter how old a wolf was, mating would always bring that out in him.

  We got to the pack house and went our separate ways. I was trying to sleep without much success when I got the call. Deeds had attacked Sherona. She had put up a fight long enough for my guards to get to her before he was able to do much. His intent had been to rape her and he had tried his hardest. He had escaped when the guards had gotten close.

  They were bringing her here and they were already on the way. She would be with me but I wasn’t happy at the way it had occurred. I slipped on my pajama bottoms and went downstairs.

  I slept naked as most wolves did. I had the pants in case of company or for lounging around the pack house. Most wolves had some sort of sleep clothing. I wondered if Sherona would bring anything with her. Since she wasn’t as curvy as T.J. she could always wear one of my shirts. I found that I liked the idea of her in my house, my clothes and especially my bed. Even though I doubted she’d agree to be in any of them. I heard someone pull in and I knew they were here.

  Chapter 2

  My Way

  I had lived through so much danger and intrigue in the months since I’d left home and after meeting Aristotle. I could admit, if only to myself, that I had thought about him almost nonstop. He was a lot like Jericho in looks but he had a seductive power emanating from him that threatened to suck me i
n. It scared the shit out of me so before I could end up mated and knocked up I ran like hell. Wouldn’t any independent female get the hell out of Dodge as fast as she could?

  I roamed through Africa checking out the fighting, the human rights violations, the stealing going on from the supplies charities sent to help end the hunger and finally Ebola.

  I went to Mexico to investigate the crime in tourist areas and even went undercover to oust a sex slave ring that kidnapped students who went across the border from the US to party. It had been both male and female which was surprising. Some were never recovered even though the authorities I had given the information to had tried their best.

  I went to Israel and investigated a terrorist group and got more than I ever counted on. I even went to the Middle East and hid under my robes. They say things in front of women since they don’t see those who serve them food. All you have to do is dress properly and look down. You do nothing to be noticed and you’re invisible.

  I went on one story after the other. Each more dangerous than the last until I feared I wouldn’t make it home. I made a name for myself and now I was ready to come home, take a vacation and get back to writing stories about things that wouldn’t cost me my life. The only problem I saw in my near future was the big bad wolf. I wasn’t red riding hood, but I could be eaten whole. I could see me sinking into the identity of mate so deeply I wouldn’t be anything else. I wasn’t ready, nor did I think I ever would be, to lose myself that way. He might be handsome, strong, courageous and undeniably sexy, but so what! Hell who was I kidding? It was all I could do to not fall at his feet and beg him to take me.

  The dreams, oh God those dreams. They had been relentless since the night I left home. Hot sexy dreams that lasted night after night starring me and mister sexy alpha. I never knew I was so creative nor had my dreams ever been so real. He took me every conceivable way and I loved all of them. I had never considered myself a prude, but the way he made me scream in passion made me blush when I thought of it.