CH. 17
Paul POV
"So now we have three of them?" cuts through thick Washington fog.
His voice was tinged with condescention and disgust and I fucking hated it. I am not sure when Will became such a chauvinist asshole. He was a nice kid, if a bit cocky, and he's been a solid work horse in the pack. Still, if I've learned anything from being around Leah the past few days it's that I needed to lead by example and had to shut his shit down.
"Slow your fucking roll, Will," shot out of me like a bullet. "Ava, and now Akeala are part of our pack. They are our sisters and we will treat them as such. All of us," this boomed like a siren from my gritted teeth and everyone took notice. "You will not disrespect them in any way, including questioning their place in the pack."
I moved just a few inches from his face, peering down at him. "Am I clear?" My eyes glared at him as I did this over the top show of dominance. These women had been through the fucking wringer and I wasn't about to tolerate his immature attempt at being a tough guy.
He stared at the dirt below his feet and gave me one single nod. It was enough for me, at least in that moment, so I stepped back and looked at the rest of the pack, gathered around in the clearing all in human form. Usually when we had a new wolf, some or most of us were phased to talk them through it, but in that moment it was still just Akeala and Leah.
The rest of us were just stuck in a circle looking at one another, and them. This was in my direction, of course. It had been over an hour, but I still felt the need to give them privacy. Or maybe I was just too fucking chicken shit to see what they hell was actually rolling around in Leah's goddamn brain. Hesitancy has never been a part of my process, especially as Alpha, but Christ what that woman did to me.
"Leah is not planning to stay wolf long," I stressed to everyone as I waved my hand around. "She agreed to shift back to assist with Ava's, and now Akeala's, training."
Will moved on from eyeing the ground and had his gaze on Ava, specifically her hand in the confines of Omar's. I have to hand it to that kid. Omar took all this shit like a champ. He learned that his soul was tethered to a vampire killing shape shifter, and 20 minutes later saw his
mother and sister as giant wolves. They had just recently stopped licking one another, and I assumed Leah was trying to coax Akeala into shifting back, but no dice.
I scratched my neck and shifted my weight from one foot to the other. This whole thing really made me feel like I was operating in the dark, and although I trusted Leah, It's my pack and I needed to gauge the state of my new recruit.
I shot my eyes over to Seth to give an order.
"Seth, phase and see what the hell is going on over there," I waved my hand in the direction of Leah and Akeala.
He was hovering around Omar, but at my words gave him a tap on the back of shoulder and then a single chin lift to me. Seth dropped a backpack of Alex's clothing behind a rock meant for Leah and Akeala, stripped and then shifted.
I watched eagerly as three wolves stared at each other. I had never wanted to mind link more in my life, but for some reason felt like I couldn't or shouldn't. Truthfully, it didn't matter as within seconds of Seth's phasing Leah's wolf pivoted her neck and glanced back at me, letting me know exactly how she felt. With large, glassy eyes she looked like she wanted to devour me for fucking breakfast. And not in a sexual way. In a murder me way. I don't think she meant to, but it turned me on and lit me up like a goddamn Christmas tree.
Embry pulled me over to the side, like that mattered as the rest of the pack could hear us even if we were miles away.
"We need to get some guys back out on patrol,"
My face and body became stiff at his words. Did he think I wasn't aware of that fucking fact? For most of my life all I have thought about is the safety of this fucking pack and tribe.
"I fucking know that Embry," I hissed out. He didn't back down, damn fucker has known me too long.
"Then what the hell are you doing?" He waved his hands around like he was some sort of confused air traffic controller.
In fairness, this was an excellent question. None of the guys had privacy when they first phased or ever for that matter. My keeping the guys out of Akeala's head felt almost like a double standard. I knew how sensitive things had been with them lately, but Leah wouldn't want me treating her or her daughter with kid gloves. I huffed out some air.
"Colin, Brady, phase for patrol, but try to stay out of Akeala's head for now." They nodded and made their way to the woods to undress. "The rest of you can leave. We'll circle back later."
As they started to make their way out of the clearing, Leah's wolf jumped back behind the rock, phased and then quickly dressed in Alex's work out clothes.
She hastily strutted ober to me, with determination in each step and ire in her eyes. "A word," she said directly as she grabbed my forearm and dragged me to the treeline. Again, it didn't matter as they could all hear us anyway.
"What the fuck is going on?" she spat out.
"You want to tell me that? You just spent the last hour licking Akeala. I have no fucking clue what you guys have been up to."
"What? I have been trying to acclimate her and make her relaxed enough to phase back, but that sure as hell won't happen if all those assholes get in her head and you know that."
"Leah, I have been trying to give you both some privacy, but we need to have someone on patrol. And they are going to get in her head. It's just inevitable. I figured you wouldn't want me to use kid gloves,"
"Well, she is a fucking 15 year old kid!" Damn she was sexy when she was angry. I stared at her.
"How's she doing?" I asked calmly.
Leah took a deep breath and looked back over to Akeala and Seth as wolves. "She's surprisingly calm, but can't seem to focus enough to phase back. Ugh. I didn't fucking want this shit for her," she said in defeat.
I reached my arm out to her, touching her shoulder and bicep in a sweeping motion. Her skin was buttery soft and she just ever so slightly relaxed in my touch. She still looked away, off to the sky and then to her toes and then over on the other side of the clearing, where Omar and Ava stood. She became stiff again.
"What?!" Let out of her lips. "What is Omar doing here? He saw us?" Ava's ears immediately perked up and Leah's alarmed tone. And then she noticed his hand in Ava's.
"Of fuck." She turned to me, slipping out of my touch. Her mouth was agape and her eyes glistened in question. "When the fuck did that happen?"
"Apparently just before you phased," I tried to stay calm as I noticed Ava walking over, still firmly holding Omar's hand. He locked eyes with his mother, but seemed confident himself, unwavering in his place next to Ava.
The two of them moved toward us. Ava gave Leah a soft smile and then looked me straight in the eyes. "I think I might be able to help," she said in a direct voice. I knew what she wanted to do. Ava was clearly convinced that she could help Akeala, but this girl had been a wolf for a short period of time and only phased once herself. New recruits never got to help with the phasing of other new recruits.
"No, Ava." I say with finality, but that doesn't stop her.
"Hear me out, I can do it. I can talk to Akeala and help her phase back. I was so clear to me when I was a wolf, I know I can help her. It's like I saw pictures in my mind of how to do it. I can explain it to Akeala, I know I can,"
Leah and I both look at this girl in front of us. I have known Ava her whole life, but this might be the first time I am looking at her closely. She was always just one of the kids, but standing before us she had an unparalleled confidence in her voice. She pulled away from Omar and approached me. I had already said no to her. She was my subordinate, and it was an Alpha order for her to drop it, but here was this teenage girl strutting over to me.
I glanced over at Leah. She wasn't able to aid Akeala in phasing back, but Ava thinks she can? I had been the Alpha of this pack for nearly two decades. I had guided us through an insurmountable amount of danger and had always made sound decisions for us. Leah's eyes were wide and curious. Did she want me to let Ava try? Did she think she could do it?
Ava did phases effortlessly her first day. She is the descendant of Ephriam Black.
I took a deep breath in through my nostril, my eyes still locked on this fucking teenage girl.
Will and some of the others already resent her, and I just made a big ass speech about how we need to welcome these women and that includes trust. I lifted my chin toward her.
"Fine. Do it." left my lips.
A/N: Next up his Akeala's POV as Ava tries to help her. What is going on in her mind?
