Book 8 Part 16

Book 8 Part 16
I woke up as the sun started rising and felt something wet on my shoulder. I realized that we must have fallen asleep last night. I turned my head and looked at Dani sleeping on my shoulder. It was odd that I didn’t feel that unstoppable pull toward her. The movement woke her and she sat upright and wiped her mouth.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry,” she said as she wiped the drool from my shoulder and blushed a bright red as I laughed at her.

“I guess it must have been good if you were drooling,” I said to her and she blushed again.

“Shut up,” she said and laughed.

“I’ll ask Sam for some clothes. Go take a shower and then you should probably phone your parents, tell them you spent the night at Harper’s or something,” I said to her and got out of bed.

“Jericho,” she said as I opened the door and turned towards her. “Thank you…for everything.” I nodded as I closed the door behind me.

Waking up next to her felt platonic, like we were friends and nothing more. I wondered if it was the fact that she hadn’t shifted yet. Slade and Harper didn’t seem to have that problem and I wondered what was wrong with me. Maybe Kai had done the right thing in banishing me and making Gabriel his heir.

I went downstairs and found everyone in the kitchen, drinking coffee. I sat down and they all looked at me. I didn’t realize it at first but I was smiling and Slade pointed it out to me. I was smiling because my thoughts had taken me to Gabriel and Adira. I knew Gabriel was cursing me in his head and that thought made me smile.

“With a smile like that I hope you used protection,” he said to me.

‘Is he mocking us?’ Blaise asked me.

“Nothing happened,” I said and Slade smiled.

“Uh huh,” he said.

“Did Harper go home last night?” I asked him.

“She left right after her father called her and yelled at her for being out so late,” Slade said.

“Sam, could you let Dani borrow something to wear?” I asked her.

“Sure, are her clothes dirty?” she asked me and everyone laughed.

“You guys are such pigs,” I said but started laughing too.

Sam went upstairs with clean clothes for Dani and they both came downstairs twenty minutes later. Sam’s clothes were an almost perfect fit. I pulled a chair out for Dani and she sat down next to me as Slade and Leon stared at her.

“What?” she asked them.

“Just ignore them, their minds are in the gutter,” I said and she blushed.

“His smile, your blush, I’m sure nothing happened,” Slade said.

“Jealous?” Dani asked him and he choked on his coffee and Leon almost fell off his chair laughing.

“Nice,” Leon said as we laughed.

“On a more serious note now, we have some stuff to discuss,” I said as I stood up and moved to the dining room table where we could all sit down.

“I thought as much when she spent the night,” Slade said as he sat down.

“My parents are human,” Dani said. I wasn’t sure what reaction she was expecting but nobody gasped or looked surprised. It was rare but not that uncommon.

“Rick said that the Alpha would kill my parents if they ever found out what I really am, he called me an Omega. He gives me this mix to drink every second Friday to hide my scent from others,” she said.

“Son of a bitch,” Sam said.

“Wait, hold on, how do you know what you are if your parents are human?” Leon asked her with a frown.

“I have memories of my real parents, I was adopted when I was eleven, so I’ve always known what I am,” Dani said.

“And Rick figured it out and because he’s the king of douchebags he started bullying you?” Slade asked.

“Something like that,” Dani said.

“What’s the plan, Jericho?” Slade asked me.

“At school, Dani and I will pretend to be in a relationship. We’ll pick her up for school and take her home in the afternoons, we’ll all eat lunch together and walk to classes together,” I said and Slade laughed.

“Pretend? The way you two look at each other there’ll be no pretending,” he said and Leon smiled.

“The point is, Slade, we can’t let Rick be alone with Dani at all,” I said.

“Operation Dani in full swing,” Leon said.

“Why are you guys doing this for me?” Dani asked.

“Oh man, didn’t you tell her? Can I tell her?” Slade asked as I glared at him.

“Tell me what?” Dani asked.

“Nothing, Slade’s being an asshole. As an Alpha I can’t allow any wolf in my territory to be hurt,” I said to her.

‘Tell her,’ Slade said in my mind.

‘No,’ I said to him.

‘Wuss,’ he said and Blaise growled at him.

“Are you and Harper an item now?” I asked Slade.

“I thought Rick and Harper were an item,” Dani said and Slade literally growled at that.

“Why would you think that?” he asked her.

“Because he told me,” Dani said.

“Dani, do you know what imprinting is?” Slade asked her.

“No,” she said.

“Slade…” I warned him but he shook his head at me.

“Imprinting is a gift and it only happens to wolves. It’s a connection to your soulmate, the person that you’re meant to be with. You can try and fight it, but it’s futile because that bond exists for a reason and it pulls you to that other person. You feel things that you can’t explain and it’s the one thing in our life that’s a guarantee. The one you imprint on will be yours forever if you respect that bond,” Slade said.

“So did you and Harper imprint?” she asked him.

“Yes, so it doesn’t matter who thinks or says what, Harper and I belong to each other,” he said.

“Wow,” she said.

“I never took you for a romantic, Slade,” Leon said and laughed.

“Whatever, man,” Slade said and picked his phone up as it pinged and he smiled.

“What time do you need to go home?” I asked Dani.

“My mom’s mad but I told her I’d be home by lunch time,” she said.

“Harper should be here soon,” Slade said and walked out of the kitchen.

We ate breakfast and I kept thinking about what to do about Rick as everyone else laughed and joked. My first priority obviously was to keep Dani away from him. I would have to call Kiran and find out what to do about the poisoning and the lies he was feeding her. I wouldn’t call Kai for advice, besides, Kiran was the head Alpha of the World Council.

Rick’s father, Alpha Stewart, had allegiance to the throne which essentially meant that he was under the king’s protection and I wasn’t. My pack had four members and his pack would be much bigger than mine. Also, I was sixteen, I was winging it at being an Alpha. We had a steady income and I’m sure that soon we’d even be able to call ourselves a very wealthy pack but we were still kids, all of us.

I would have to be careful because the imprinting on Dani would ensure that I put her safety first and I had to think about consequences for all of us, not just me, I was responsible for their lives and I had made my claim when I told Kai that this was my territory although Cloverdale belonged to no one.

“I think that’s Harper now,” Slade said and stood up.

“I hear two cars,” I said to him.

“Odd, she didn’t say she was bringing someone else,” he said.

I heard Slade open the front door and then Harper’s voice as she greeted Slade very formally. I started to stand up when I heard another voice.

“I’m here in an official capacity to speak to your Alpha,” the man said.

“Of course, Beta Michaels. You can follow me to his office,” Slade said.

Harper sauntered into the kitchen and plopped down in the seat where Slade had been sitting. “My dad wants to see you.”