True Wolf (Bennett Pack #3)

7. Zion

CHAPTER SEVEN

ZION

I was anxious, couldn’t focus. Something in me felt unbalanced. She was part of the reason. The way she kept stealing glances at me. Mina wasn’t interested or intrigued, she was nervous and it had nothing to do with my ambush earlier. It took me a minute to remember who she was. She had only been with our pack for a little over a year and never once had been a problem until now. She was hiding something.

“This is good.” I frowned at the sound of my brother’s voice when he approached and his smile expanded seconds before he pulled me into a tight hug.

“Good for you or me?” I responded, assuming he was referencing that I was finally home.

“Both of us…” He turned to find the woman I had been watching then back to me. “You’re interested in someone else which means you’re no longer on this mission to complicate my life.”

I snorted and glanced around the rooftop which was already filled with pack members.

“I’m not interested in her and sorry to disappoint, Alpha, but as long as there is air in my lungs, I will continue to complicate your life.”

He grunted then smiled. “You’re not sorry but you are interested. You’ve been watching her for the past ten minutes. Go talk to her. She might agree to be your welcome home present.”

Annoyed by his persistence, I turned toward the perimeter of the rooftop and lowered my forearms to the glass railing that encased the area. “I said I’m not interested, leave it alone.”

My gaze traveled over the city below us. Lazar got the picture and moved on. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“Are you?” I delivered a speculative stare and he exhaled a sigh.

“Yeah, Zi, I am. I never wanted you chasing that bullshit in the first place but there wasn’t much I could do to stop you…”

I glared and he added, “And before you get all defensive and shit, the only reason I wasn’t onboard with you leaving is because I knew. Nothing about the two of you felt right.”

“She felt right to me…” I defended.

“Until it didn’t and I don’t know why this is but we’ll figure it out, these things…”

“Are bullshit. Let it go, I don’t need to figure out a damn thing and I don’t want to keep talking about it. I’m home. You got what you wanted.”

With frustrated movements, I pushed my body from the railing and walked away but Lazar caught my arm. His brows shifted in and his jaw tensed. “I wanted you home but I don’t want you unhappy. If she was truly your mate, I would have accepted the bond. We all would have but she wasn’t.”

“Yeah…”

I jerked away from my brother and headed to the bar station on the other side of the rooftop.

“Two shots of Cognac,” I murmured to Alec who was assigned the duty of bartender. No doubt because Jo demanded his time. Alec’s pack duty was Beta, however, he owned a mobile bartending service which kept him so busy that he hired a few pack members to help keep up with the demand.

“He was worried. We all were.” Alec pushed two shots across the bar and also placed the bottle beside them.

“Why the fuck is everyone worried? I’m capable of handling my own.” The first shot flowed down my throat with a slight twinge which I smoothed over by quickly following it with the second.

“You’re very capable, Alpha .” When my narrowed stare met his smug expression, I grunted. My brothers and I were all Alphas. However, running the pack was Lazar’s duty. Xander was the oldest and had no interest in being pack leader because his focus was on being the head of our family in our father’s absence and I wasn’t old enough when our father passed.

The pack would occasionally give Xander and I shit about our rightful claim as Alphas but neither myself nor Xander gave a damn about their occasional taunts. We were well aware of our capabilities and rights. “But, no wolf is safe alone in unwelcome territories. That was your brother’s biggest issue. The same concern you had when Xan got a wild hair up his ass and disappeared.”

He had a point but I wasn’t in a good head space, so instead of agreeing, I refilled both shot glasses, pushed the bottle across the bar in his direction and tossed both back before storming off.

“Good chat,” he yelled at my back with amusement laced in his tone.

This dinner was the last place I wanted to be at the moment but I also refused to hurt Jo’s feelings so I found my way to her and pointed to the table to get this thing moving. “We eating or what?”

She grinned and nodded but a slight frown took over seconds later. “You okay?”

I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’m great, Jo. Stop fussing over me before your husband gets in his feelings.” I tossed my chin in his direction but then glared when I noticed him and Xander in a heated discussion. They both looked tense and kept stealing glances at me. When I tried to tap into their conversation, I realized both had me blocked.

Here we go with this secrecy shit.

“I’m not worried about Lazar’s feelings. He’s a big boy.” She winked and my expression twisted in disgust.

“Keep your personal shit, personal , Jo.”

She laughed and looped her arm through mine. “Come on, let’s get you fed.”

Tira found her way to me. One of many throughout the night that attempted to get my attention and at this point I was exhausted from coming up with reasons why everyone should leave me the fuck alone, so I didn’t send her away.

Dinner had been decent. Excessive amounts of grilled meat, which Jo attempted to balance with vegetables and salad that everyone barely touched. I enjoyed listening to what I missed while away, especially in relation to my nephews. Things moved from celebration dinner to social hour with the pack members enjoying drinks and just hanging out together. I had to admit I did genuinely miss my family and as much shit as I was giving everyone, I was glad to be back with them.

“I’m glad you’re home. You know we missed you.”

“So I’ve been told.” I lifted the glass of Cognac and drained what was left, placing it on the ground beside my chair before I gave her my attention. Tira was pretty—rich brown skin, head full of thick, natural hair currently framing her pretty face. Heavy lids camouflaged soft brown eyes that were smiling at me above pouty lips.

“I bet you have.” A slight tilt of her lips formed a smug grin. “It’s not what you want to hear but no one was pleased about you running off to chase her . At least not any of us.”

Us translated to the females of our pack.

I chuckled lightly. The buzz from the drinks throughout the night lightened my mood. “There are plenty of others that could occupy your time, Tee.”

“Mhm.” She sipped the fruity concoction from the glass she was holding then turned to place the drink on the table behind her. When her hands were free, she settled into my lap and again, I allowed her grace I hadn’t offered to others throughout the night. “There are plenty of eligible wolves in our pack, Zion, but they’re also not you .”

She edged closer, looping her arms around my neck, brushing her pussy over my now hard dick. “The list expressing why they’re not you is very long.”

I smirked and lifted my hands to her ass, giving a firm squeeze which also brought her closer and forced her legs wider. “Sounds like you’re giving me an option on how I can end my evening.”

“I am.”

“Sounds tempting.”

Maybe Xander was right. Getting laid could be a reset to assist with moving past the fuckery of the last three months.

“You have no idea how tempting. Say yes and we both benefit.” She smiled sexily.

“Yes.”

I stood and lifted Tira with ease. She locked her legs around my waist, smiling lazily as I moved toward the elevator.

“You’re leaving?” Toyin was tucked in one of the oasis chairs near the fire pit with Rafe asleep in her lap. She arched her brow as I moved closer with Tira still clinging to my body, her legs circling my waist.

“I’ve had enough family time.”

“Hmm, but isn’t it rude for the guest of honor to leave his celebration before everyone else?” she teased. I smiled and shrugged, unbothered.

“Possibly, but I’ve done my part. Jo said I had to be here, not that I had to stay all night.”

“Let him go,” Laz rumbled from a few feet away where he was in an intense conversation with Xander as he had been for most of the night. Something was up with the two of them but I didn’t have the energy to care. Right now, I had more pressing issues to tend to. One of those pressing matters was warm and pulsing against my abs, eager to receive my attention.

Fuck and sleep.

Those were my only priorities at the moment.

“Have fun.” Toyin rolled her eyes but smiled.

“Oh we certainly will,” Tira sang as we moved closer to the elevators but my focus shifted from the fun back to my brothers when I mistakenly tapped into part of the conversation they were having about me.

Now that he’s occupied, let’s get this shit settled. He just got back. The last thing we need is another disruption connected to Zion. From what you’re saying, the wolf is a problem. Where is she? - Xander

I agree and in the basement. Let’s go. – Lazar

“What the fuck?” I sneered, dropping Tira so quickly the only thing that saved her were quick reflexes.

“Sorry, I need to take a rain check.”

She placed her hands on her hips as I watched Lazar and Xander push through the door leading to the stairwell entrance on the opposite side of the rooftop.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” I stabbed at the button to the elevator. As soon as the steel doors opened, I was on my way, but Tira grabbed my arm until my eyes glowed and my wolf growled in my chest.

“Never mind, rain check.” She threw her hands up in surrender, palms facing me seconds before I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to take me to the basement.

Whatever the fuck was going on with my brothers wasn’t going to make me happy, I could already sense the bullshit in my gut, and based on the way the two of them had been acting all night, I was likely going to be on the opposing side of this situation.

By the time I reached the basement, Xander and Lazar were already there in one of the rooms at the end of the hall. Xander’s voice echoed in a low growl which had my strides quick and determined.

“I would suggest that you stop wasting our gotdamn time and tell us what you’re hiding, Nessah. The longer you keep this going, the more pissed I’m going to be and the more extreme your consequences will be in return.”

I pushed through the cracked door and the moment I stepped into the room, the air shifted, electrifying my senses. My eyes locked on the woman caged in one of our holding cells. She was fucking beautiful. Deep chocolate skin, wide, steely gray eyes that currently looked like a raging storm, and heart shaped lips were firmly flattened together. I sensed her fear and witnessed her wide eyes and trembling hands which betrayed the confidence she was desperately attempting to display.

Her presence attached to me like a warning. My heart thundered in my chest, primal instincts roared to life. I could feel the pull, a magnetic force drawing me toward her, igniting every nerve ending in my body but I fought the urge to move.

“Who is she and why do you think she’s connected to me?”

I lost the fight and walked deeper into the room, keeping my eyes fixated on the wolf. My brothers tensed but kept quiet, which worked in their favor. As I approached, an overwhelming mix of protectiveness and desire surged through me.

Her scent, which was sweet and intoxicating, enveloped me, sending a jolt of adrenaline coursing through my veins. My fists clenched to a painful degree to calm the desire to reach out.

“Zion, we thought you were occupied,” Lazar finally said.

“I’m sure you wished I was,” I growled in anger, now fully aware she was the reason for the secret discussions between them all evening. She was what they were keeping from me and based on what I was currently feeling I understood why.

My wolf was going crazy.

Mate.

Mate.

Mate.

But how the fuck could that be?

The same feeling I had three months ago was back and stronger than ever which pissed me off but also had me prepared to start a war with my brothers. Why did they have her locked away down here?

“Give me the gotdamn key,” I yelled, extending my arm to the side but never removing my eyes from hers.

I could feel her heartbeat echoing in harmony with mine. Both were thundering erratically but for different reasons. Mine… anger and attraction. Hers… fear and attraction. But the attraction married each other, conspiring to bring us together.

In that instant, I knew I’d do anything to keep her safe, to cherish her, to claim her as my own. She was my world, and I was hers, bound by something far greater than mere chance but the anger was just as strong.

“Zion…” Xander spoke calmly until I shifted my eyes from her and locked on his.

“Give me the gotdamn key or I’ll rip that muthafuckin’ cage apart. Your choice.”

“No…” Lazar moved beside Xander as if asserting his position. “Stand the fuck down and that’s not a request, Zion. It’s a demand from your Alpha.”

My wolf was going ballistic to the point where I felt cagey. My eyes blazed and I narrowed them on my brother. I snarled and stood my ground, muscles coiled tightly, every instinct screaming for battle. I locked eyes with my brothers, first Lazar, then Xander, as a low growl rumbled in my throat. Primal energy surged through me, demanding respect and dominance.

My jaw clenched, teeth bared, but each breath that moved through my lungs steadied my resolve. The scent of challenge hung heavy in the air but I would not back down.

I took a step forward, and so did Lazar, but Xander held out his arm to block him. They shared a look before he spoke.

“I know you feel that, Laz. Give him the key.”

Mirroring my stance, Lazar stood tall, muscles coiled to a painful degree, exuding an aura of raw power and dominance but he relented when I should have. Alpha or not, before anything he was my brother, my blood. He conceded, reached into his pocket, and handed over the key.