Aristotle (The Strong Pack Book 2) Read online

  We spent the whole morning walking around and talking. I was surprised it was lunch time when T.J. said we needed to eat. We went back to the private dining room and waited for Ari and Jer to join us. It wasn’t long before they and some of what I believed were pack betas joined us. They all acknowledged us before sitting but returned to their conversation which was about Deeds and the warden who was coming.

  “He’s not really a warden but he use to be. He’s a council member. One of the new ones that aren’t corrupt,” Edward said.

  “Damon’s coming?” I asked in delight.

  “Yes Damon McDougal’s on his way.”

  “Is his family joining him?”

  “I don’t know,” Edward looked confused when he answered.

  “Marissa his wife, is a cousin to T.J. and Sherona,” Jericho explained.

  “I’ve heard he’s honest, but is he any good? I don’t put much faith in some of the stories I’ve heard. They make him sound like super wolf,” Edward complained.

  “He’s the best. All the McDougal males are good at anything they put their mind to,” I declared.

  Edward raised his brow but didn’t argue. He’d see when he met Damon in the morning. He was exceptional at everything including taking care of our cousin and the babes. The talk continued and I listened closely. It seemed that Deeds had fallen off the face of the Earth. They were hunting high and low with no results.

  “The car turned up two towns over. He sold it to a salvage yard. If the cops hadn’t been running a routine check the car would have never been found. It seems Deeds is experienced in criminal activity or the guy he’s with is,” Edward asserted.

  “Larry? That guy is as stupid as they come,” I advised.

  “How do you know his name?” Edward asked.

  “Deeds called him Larry and complained about how dumb he was,” I said.

  “Do you remember what he looks like?” Edward questioned.

  “I’m not likely to forget even though I wish I could,” I admitted.

  “If I got an artist in here, could you work with him and get me a composite sketch?” Edward asked.

  “I could.” I saw Edward smile for the first time but it wasn’t a friendly heart warming look. It was the look of a predator scenting prey and I was glad Ari’s judge was after Larry and not me. I had no doubt given time and resources that wolf and Deeds were toast.

  After lunch I hung out with T.J while everyone else went their separate ways. She told me Ari had built them a house but it wasn’t ready yet. It sat there a short distance from the pack house in need of decorating and furnishing. We took a walk to it while exploring, it was large and lovely. She showed me the nursery and I offered to help her with it. A crib sat in the middle of the room surrounded by other items that were new and still in boxes or bags. I intended to help with this so my little sis would be ready when the little one came along. We talked colors, furnishings and decorative touches until we were all talked out.

  We went back to the pack house intending to get on line and look up things for the nursery, but Edward’s artist intercepted us. I couldn’t draw a straight line so I was interested in the whole process and T.J. stayed because she was bored. The sketch expert, as I started calling him, turned out to be a teenage boy or rather wolf. He looked like the average nerdy teenager. He carried a sketch pad and explained that he preferred to draw old school. I guess there were other ways to draw but I wasn’t sure what they were.

  He had a book that showed a selection of features. He showed me face shapes and I picked out one of the square ones. He drew it and then he had me pick ears. He discussed the guy’s hair with me and I described it as best as I could. I was beginning to see this that was an in depth process. Now he wanted to know about his chin. Yes, it was dimpled.

  “Don’t worry we’re already halfway through,” he assured me. “Let’s look at eyes next.”

  I never thought of all the things that made eyes different, like shape and how far apart they are. I wasn’t sure of the color only that it wasn’t brown. He picked blue because he thought it more common than green.

  “Which nose looks like his?” He asked showing me a chart.

  “This one,” I replied picking a long wide one.

  He sketched for a couple of seconds. “Is this him?”

  “Oh my God, yes! That’s him!” I exclaimed amazed.

  I smiled and felt a great sense of accomplishment. I hoped they caught these guys and that they got what they deserved. I especially hoped Deeds got smacked around a little first. Yes I did hold a grudge.

  Now we were done with the sketch, which took much longer than I had thought and it was suppertime. We’d been busy for hours. I took a long look at T.J. who was looking very tired. I felt like an awful big sis not keeping a better eye on her tiredness.

  “You should have taken a nap, but it’s not too late now. When you wake up I’ll get you supper. You should have mentioned how exhausted you were. Jer will be pissed at me for not watching you better.”

  “It’s alright. I’ll go lie down if it’ll make you feel better.”

  It made me feel worse that she was so tired she didn’t argue, but at least she would rest now.

  T.J. went to take a nap and that left me at loose ends. I took a walk outside but I felt like someone was watching me. Actually there was and it was Ari. He walked up slowly as if he was afraid I’d run. I might have if there’d been somewhere to run to.

  “We need to talk. I know you’re aware of this thing between us Sherona. You’ve been running but it’s time to stop and take things head on,” he said patiently.

  “You’ve been a wolf all your life. You know how to handle this thing, you embrace it because you were raised to expect it. I’m not wolf, I wasn’t raised this way. I was raised to find someone who was a friend first, then a lover and finally a husband,” I explained.

  “Be my friend, I want to be yours. I never just wanted a mate. My first mate was my best friend and I loved her,” he said and sighed. “It hurt to lose her, but she wasn’t my fated one. It’s true some wolves just mate when the right one comes along and they don’t try to get to know them or bother to adjust their lives to them. That’s not me and if you would give me a chance you would see that I want to be all you’ll ever need. I won’t lie and say I love you, but I believe from what I’ve seen and been told about you that I could. I very much want the chance to find out. If you’re afraid don’t be. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  “I’m just not sure,” I replied. I was having doubts about the hard stance I’d taken against mating with him. So far he seemed perfect and maybe that too was a warning sign. How could anyone be as wonderful as he seemed?

  “Then why don’t we take it slow. Wouldn’t you rather try and have it either work or not, than give up and always wonder if I was the only one that could ever make you happy?”

  He knew just how to hit me in the heart. I’d intended to turn him down no matter what he suggested but I found the word no was stuck in my throat and wouldn’t come out. There was something so sweet and vulnerable about him when he had said he wanted to be my friend. He also hadn’t been as pushy as I was led to believe wolves were. Maybe he was different and I was being unfair. The biggest worry I had was the man was so damn sexy. I was afraid if I spent much time with him I would jump him and demand he fuck me. What if I did that and he decided I was just friend material after all.

  “We can be friends,” I heard myself saying and wondered where the hell that had come from.

  He escorted me into the dining room and helped me into the seat next to him. I guess the courtship was starting now. He filled my plate and set it in front of me. I had seen Jer do it for T.J. many times. He poured me a glass of wine and we spoke quietly while we ate.

  “What do you see yourself doing now that you’re home?” He asked.

  “I’ve thought about providing articles to magazines and newspapers. I even considered starting a company that would do it wit
h others working for me.”

  “It’s a great compromise to working in the field. It’s dangerous out there and you were lucky. A photographer was killed just yesterday working in the Middle East.”

  “I know. I was pushing my luck that’s why I came home.”

  Ari stepped closer to me. I could feel the heat coming off his body he was so close. He leaned in until his breath hit my ear. “Was that the only reason you came home Sherona?”

  I wasn’t sure how to answer him. Surely he didn’t know that I had dreamed of him every night and thought of him all day. Those dreams had been hot as hell and included things I had never done. Things I had never even imagined before. I couldn’t help but wonder how the reality of him would compare to his dream self. My face flushed as I remembered some of those dreams. I was certain he could smell my arousal, damn those super senses. I didn’t want to lie so I just didn’t answer. I moved my chair away just a little to reclaim my personal space. I felt like everyone’s eyes were on me wondering why I’d slid my chair away from his. Or maybe some of them knew why.

  “So how are things going with bringing Deeds to justice?” I asked not expecting any news. I was just trying to talk about a less personal topic.

  “After supper a team and I will be going after him. We have received some tips and I feel that it’s likely he’s hiding out about thirty miles from here in an abandoned mine,” he said as a matter of fact.

  “I want to go,” I said. I wasn’t sure where that came from but I found I truly did want to go with them. I would get a story if things turned out okay or I would have insight into wolf business if it all went south.

  Ari looked like he’d been handed an opportunity he didn’t know what to do with. If he let me go he’d make major points with me. If he refused I’d be safe but I’d believe the dominant wolf protecting his little mate stereotype. Not good choices for him but in true alpha fashion he made a quick decision the hell with what anyone else thought. I knew some of his men wouldn’t like his decision. I wasn’t sure he really liked being pushed into it himself.

  “I’ll let you go but you have to follow directions, stay quiet and don’t go to the front. Hunters stay in the front at all times and all the rest of us follow them.” He looked at me and it was almost as if he wished I’d refuse his rules so I would stay behind.

  “I agree. When do we leave and what should I wear?”

  “We leave in an hour and we all wear a black security uniform including a bullet proof vest.” He examined me closely. “I think you will fit in the trainee’s size small.”

  I blushed under his perusal but nodded my agreement on the size. I followed him to a closet in the hallway. It was large, more like a storeroom and we walked into it. I noticed one side held the security guards uniforms organized by size. Vests were along the bottom and equipment, including guns, batons, stunners and various weapons filled a long side all by themselves. He gave me a radio too before he sent me to change into my new uniform. I dressed quickly remembering he’d told me we would leave soon. I refused to be left behind because I was late.

  I hurried back toward the kitchen when I noticed males gathering in the living room. There were a few females thrown in that I assumed where either guards or hunters. If Ari and I mated and I wasn’t saying we would, I wondered what I would be considered. I wasn’t entirely sure of his role on this mission either. He’d said he would stay behind the hunters with me so what was his position during this trip?

  I saw Ari heading over to me. Everyone stepped out of his way to let him through and it was like the parting of the Red Sea. I could feel the power rolling off him as I had never before. It drew me to him in a way I couldn’t explain. This authority that he carried like armor was part of who he was and even if some day he passed his position on to Jericho, he would still have this strength. A warm feeling washed over me as I stared at him. The wolf was gorgeous and while Jericho had the promise of youth Aristotle had what had been promised. He had strength, was extreme in his masculinity and the harder edges of his face turned the beauty seen in Jericho into stunning rugged perfection.

  I wanted to throw myself at his feet and worship him. The thought was so out of character it threw me for a moment while I wavered on the edge between doing it and holding back. Common sense or some inner strength held me back.

  He must have seen the struggle on my face because he raised a brow at me in question. I found myself blushing a lot around him because my thoughts embarrassed me but I couldn’t share them.

  “We will be leaving soon. Are you ready?” He asked.

  I nodded not trusting my voice to work. Now that his looks had made an impression I found it hard to focus on anything else. My eyes were drawn to his full lips as I wondered what they would feel like on my lips and even on my body. Just the thought made me aroused and I saw him draw in a deep breath and his eyes flared with need. He knew I wanted him and he liked it.

  He turned to go because it was time to leave. I could barely get my head out of my fantasies of Ari to follow him out the door. I knew that something important was happening here. He was treating me as an equal and trusting me to do the right thing when the time came. I knew that he wasn’t like most the pack alphas his age. He was progressive like many of the young ones were. He gave his females equal opportunities, but he insisted that they earn them.

  If a female wanted to be a hunter she needed to show she had the abilities a hunter needed. If she wanted to be a guard she would compete with the males for the position. Same thing went for the males. If a male wanted to be the cook he better be able to make a tasty meal. Of course no one could cook better than the chef he had hired that had trained in some of the best schools and restaurants in Europe.

  I had been around and asked around enough to know that Ari was nothing if not fair. We loaded into SUVs. It was all the pack had because male wolves were big. They didn’t try to squeeze into small cars. They also carried a lot of equipment with them on missions. These vehicles could go off road when necessary too.

  I settled into the passenger seat and Ari drove. I examined him when I thought he was concentrated on driving. The wolf was big and taller than anyone I knew. There were taller males in TV and in magazines, but I didn’t know any of them personally.

  If I hadn’t known he was a wolf I might have thought him a bear as broad as he was in the shoulders. His waist was trim and I would swear the male didn’t have an ounce of extra fat on him. His eyes were dark and sometimes a deep black that a girl could get lost in. When his wolf was near the surface there was a glow that was like warm honey around his irises and his black curly hair was shoulder length. It begged to be touched right now because it kept falling in his face and I just wanted to brush it out of his eyes so much.

  He lacked the dimples Jericho had, but he had a power and authority that made up for it. I wondered if Jericho would have that too someday. I’d never met a stronger male than Ari. I doubted if I lived to be a hundred that I ever would. I’d met others that had that strength as well. Blake, Drake, Damon and Mac all wore the alpha power. I’d never met a human man that had that.

  Ari peered over at me and I realized he’d known I had been staring at him and thinking about him the whole time. His smile said it all.

  “It’s a long trip, but at least we ride in comfort,” he said.

  It was a new and comfortable Yukon and the men in back watched a movie as Ari drove. The movie in back wasn’t turned up loud, werewolf hearing being what it was, but occasionally I could hear explosions and such. Of course they were watching an action movie. These guys were all about action all of the time. We drove on and every time we turned the road seemed a little rougher until we finally hit dirt. Ari pulled over and parked a mile or so from where we needed to go. We got out and the others took off while Ari pulled me up against him.

  “This is important Sherona. These males are killers and as ruthless as they come. I know you’ve dealt with the worst humanity has to offer, but trust me, the
se males are even worse than anything you’ve seen. Please follow my orders for this mission,” he looked at me straight on and I could see the honesty and the concern in his eyes.

  I nodded. His nearness and his fresh male scent had stolen my ability to speak. His head moved down and I thought he would kiss me and I couldn’t even breathe. His lips brushed across mine so softly it was like a whisper. He came back and I marveled at how soft and full his lips felt. He was so gentle but he pressed harder and his hot wet tongue slid along my lower lip. He nibbled on my upper lip and I gasp as need rocketed through me. I’d never felt such a wave of passion blast through me and I knew it was because of what we were to each other.

  He took advantage of me briefly parting my lips and swept his tongue inside. He was no longer gentle but demanding. He took what he wanted and gave me immense pleasure as he forced a response I hadn’t wanted to give. He had moved our relationship to the next level in a matter of seconds and all I could think about was what it would be like to have him between my thighs. I knew I should step back and recover my dignity, but I was helpless in his arms and overcome by a desire that had taken me by surprise. Sure he was gorgeous and yes I wanted him, but I had never felt such a loss of control as he had just caused me to feel.

  My breath came in pants and my heart beat was heavy as he stepped back and released me. I was glad that he had because had he not stopped I would have probably let him do whatever he wanted. I would have forgotten about our mission and everything else in the pure bliss his embrace had given me. I was starting to understand just how Jericho had convinced T.J. to mate him and become a wolf herself even though she had been so against the idea when she’d met him. I shook my head to clear the lust that was making me act dazed. I realized Ari had spoken to me and I’d missed it.

  “I said we better hurry to catch up or we’ll miss everything,” Ari said with a wink and a smirk. He knew he’d had an effect on me and he was proud of it. I was going to pull myself together and give that male one hell of a fight.