New Alpha-New Rules (8 page)

“I think Curtis
took a shine to her, he has a room set up in the basement that he uses for his
‘solace time’ he calls it. I think that means when he needs alone time from the
others. Sometimes they’re like a bunch of twelve year-olds.” So far Harper
hadn’t seen that. They all seemed very responsible and grown up. They were more
mature than Bronson’s friends anyway.

“I can ask her,
but we should ask Curtis first. Sidney is…very um, overbearing sometimes. She
can be loud and annoying, I love her but she is who she is and a lot of people
don’t appreciate it, or her mouth. It’s why she isn’t mated.”

“He didn’t seem to
mind her mouth and she isn’t mated because the right wolf hasn’t come along to
tame her. Sometimes when a she-wolf acts that way it’s for self-preservation.
She is so soft and delicate inside that she feels the need to protect
her…heart. She puts on an aggressive front until someone comes along that sees
through the shield. I think that’s Curtis.” The corners of Ryder’s lips lifted
when he looked at her. She could imagine the look on her face. “I’ll speak to
him. Come here.” He patted his chest. She curled up beside him and rested her
head in the hollow of his shoulder.

“What kind of
chickens do you want?” He asked after a few moments. Harper thought about it.
She knew nothing of chickens except fried, baked, and over easy. “I’ll ask
Cindy.” He squeezed her shoulders. “I thought you grew up on a farm.” She
smacked his chest playfully.

“I know what a
chicken is, I just don’t know the varieties. I know how to feed them and fetch
their eggs. I am somewhat useful.” He grinned down at her smiling face.

“Ryder, truck
coming.” Curtis called from the back door. Harper looked over at him and saw
that there were several wolves behind him.

“The washer?”
Harper asked.

“Not that fast.”
He sprang to his feet and started for the front of the house. When he got to
the side of the porch he took the stairs two at a time. Harper followed him and
watched Max’s white pickup barreling down the dusty drive. He skidded to a stop
and jumped out. He had a few wolves with him who hopped out behind him.

“We have a
problem.” Max said.

“What’s that?”
Ryder asked. His wolves flanked out behind him. Max dropped his head.

“I’ve got more
than a few out of control males. They’ll be coming for her. I’m offering my
help and the help of my remaining loyal wolves.” Harper nodded to them and
Harry, an old friend, took his ball cap off and nodded back. He’d always been
sweet to her.

She knew he felt
like he owed her since she’d saved his boy from drowning a few years ago.
Harper didn’t feel like he owed her anything. The pup got in too deep and she’d
been happy to scoop him out danger. No big deal. “I’ve called in my alliance to
lend a hand, her old pack.” Ryder inhaled sharply. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been
paying more attention. My mate just had our third and it’s been hard on her the
last few months. I’ve been distracted.” Max looked angry at himself. Ryder
nodded.

“Appreciate the
help.” He looked over his shoulder at his wolves. “Let everyone know.” He said
to Jack who hurried inside, the screen door slammed as he went through it.
“What can I expect?” Ryder stepped down off the porch and stood with Max. After
a moment, he held a hand out to Harper and motioned her over. She went to him
and let him pull her into his side. She liked it there. Max looked at her
curiously.

“You aren’t
marked.” Harper shook her head. “That’s going to be a problem.”

“My female wants
her mating this time to be special. The last time she mated it
was…disappointing.” Max exhaled slowly.

“You need to mark
her. Right now, they are coming after her and they think she is marked. If they
find her unmarked I don’t want to know what kind of frenzy that will put them
in.” Max crossed his arms over his chest.

“Max, why are they
so interested in me anyway? I’m not the only unmated female in the pack,
Sidney, Alice, Maria…” Max laughed.

“You think about those
females again and tell me if they are sweet wolves that you would want to trust
behind your back. “You were a good mate. You worked hard, did as you were told,
you took care of the house and you wanted pups. That’s everything a wolf could
want for a mate. You’re already trained. At least that’s they’re thinking.
Ellis needs a mate and he has the others worked up into his fantasy that you
should be passed to him since you’re already family.”

 “Eww.” Harper
muttered. “I could never…” She wrapped her arms around Ryder and buried her
face in his side.

“Hey, it’s okay.
You are
mine
and I protect
mine
. You’re safe.” He growled softly
and she felt it under her cheek then relaxed. “You don’t pass on to the next
family member, you aren’t an heirloom, and you certainly don’t mate with a wolf
you haven’t agreed to mate.” He raised an eyebrow and looked at Max.

“Were you Alpha
when she was bartered for alliance?” Max nodded. Ryder squeezed her tighter.

“She agreed to it.
He agreed to it, her father, her Alpha and I all agreed to it. I can’t help
what happened after the mating because she never talked to me about it. I had
to assume everything was alright.”

“It wasn’t
alright. He raped her, and robbed her of a good life because you didn’t keep
watch over her. That won’t happen here Alphas are obligated to watch over new
pack members.” There were several growls behind him. “I’m not trying to insult
you. I am simply stating a fact.” Max nodded.

“You’re right.” An
old rust colored van labored down the drive slowly and she recognized it as her
father’s but when it stopped, he didn’t climb out. She saw some familiar faces
from her past but it’d been years. Bronson never took her to visit them and
never asked them to come visit her. She went to each of them and gave them all
hugs. These were old wolves and had no business getting involved in a fight.

“Hey there
girlie.” Uncle Bobby finally said when she hugged him. “Heard you’re in a tough
spot. Lost your mate?” She nodded against his chest. “Well, you come on home
then and we’ll take care of you. You don’t have to stay with any of these
strangers.” He clicked his jaw. She laughed. That sound used to put her in
stitches when she was young. There was just something so unnatural about a wolf
clicking. He could do it in either form and for some reason it always made her
giggle. Ryder was behind her now. She could feel his strength and she stepped
back against him as his arms came around her.

“This is my home
now Uncle Bobby. This is Ryder and he’s going to be my mate.” Bobby pushed his
cap higher on his forehead with a finger and leaned back to look Ryder over. He
grunted.

“He’ll do I
reckon. Do you love him?” She smiled. “Will he treat you good?” She nodded.
“Will he fill that belly with pups?” She flushed. “Good, you need a few to
chase after. I always knew you’d be a good mama. And you son, are you willing
to take care of her? Fight for her? Protect her?”

“Of course sir. I
love her.”

“Good enough.
Consider yourself hitched.” Harper’s brow creased then her eyes widened. “Go
on, kiss her.” He cackled. Ryder leaned down and pressed his lips to hers,
Harper melted into him.

“Whoa, you are
performing mating rites?” He nodded when Harper asked.

“No.” Ryder
tightened his grip on Harper. He turned her around to face him and cupped her
jaw gently. “Is this what you want sweetheart? Are you ready for this?” She
gazed up into his face. “She isn’t ready for this, not yet.” Ryder said after a
slight shake of her head and pulled her tight to his chest.

“You both said…”

“And we meant it
but we’ll do this in our own time.” Ryder’s fingers glided up and down her arm
slowly.

“You don’t want to
mate this female?” Bobby visibly stiffened.

“More than you can
imagine but I don’t want her until she is ready. She’s just come out of a bad situation
and she needs time. There was a lot to process.” Ryder finished quietly.

“Harper?” Uncle
Bobby touched her shoulder. “What happened? What happened with Bronson? We all
thought you were happy. You never called for help. We told you before you left…”
She turned slowly.

“He wouldn’t let
me call or visit. I wasn’t allowed to use the phone at all for the first six
years.” Bobby’s face hardened.

“What else?” Bobby
growled. Harper’s brows furrowed. “What else did he do to you in this Alpha’s
care?” Bobby gently lifted her chin with a gnarled finger and stared into her
eyes with his amber ones.

“I don’t know. A
lot of things.” She finished on a whisper. His fingers tightened slightly. “He
raped me, cheated on me, made me work two jobs while he watched porn, and he
was on drugs. I stuck by him like I promised you I would.” He dropped his hand
and turned to Max.

“You let this
happen? You let him abuse her like that? A she-wolf in your care was treated
worse than a…a prisoner and you stand there demanding my help? You should step
down out of shame Maxwell. You’re no Alpha.” Max’s eyes flashed back at Bobby and
Ryder stepped between them.

“We’ll not have
this here. Not now, not today and not on my land, you two settle your
differences elsewhere.” Power and strength rolled off Ryder and both wolves
backed away. “What’s done is done. Harper has to deal with it and I will help
her. You may perform the ceremony when she’s faced her demons and when she is
ready. Ryder turned to the tree line and scented the breeze. “They’re coming.”
Harper watched Ryder’s pack shift and flank the yard. Curtis, Alan, and Jack
went toward the trees while Lee, Will, and Mathew stayed in the yard between
the trees and their Alpha. “Go inside.” He murmured against her ear then kissed
her temple. Harper went to the screen door then slipped inside. She turned to
look at Ryder who stood solidly by the porch steps waiting.

“Come on.” Lucy
waved at her. “We can watch.” Lucy climbed onto the couch and leaned her little
body against the back then pulled the curtains out of the way. “See?” Harper
grinned and joined her at the window. Ryder looked over his shoulder at them
and smirked. Harper grinned back then watched the tree line. Justin wandered
into the living room.

“’Sup?” Harper
thought he was the oldest of Nicole’s pups but couldn’t be sure because they
were all nearly the same size, even the female.

“There are some
wolves coming for me. They want to take me back to my pack.” He looked out the
top window of the door.

“Ryder wants you
to stay?” She nodded. He turned and went back the way he came then reappeared a
few minutes later with his brother and sister.

“Take the back
door Justin, Kelly take the laundry, I’ll watch the basement.” He touched
Harper’s shoulder and she turned to look at him. “I know my mother has a
problem with you but the rest of us don’t. If Ryder wants you here, here is
where you will stay. We won’t let them take you. Pack first and you’re pack now.”

“I…uh…thank you.”
Harper said quietly. He nodded and went to stand by the front door. She quirked
an eyebrow then asked. “Where is the basement?” Jasper bent to lift the stairs
with a handle that that was notched out of the bottom step. He lifted it to reveal
a set of stairs that went down. Harper’s mouth fell open.

“Pretty cool
right?” Jasper grinned. It’s hinged. “Lee is going to put in a proper door someday
but Ryder’s list of ‘to do’ is so long it will be awhile. Meantime, I can throw
my brother down there and lock him in.”

“He can go out the
other door.” Lucy said without looking away from the window.

“Yeah but by then
all of the doors get locked. I don’t know how that happens.” He grinned and
scratched his head. Harper laughed then noticed Ryder coming up the stairs. He
looked angry. The door opened suddenly.

“Jasper.” Jasper
nodded.

“Just guarding the
basement sir, got Kelly and Justin on the other doors. We won’t let anyone get
to her sir.” Jasper kept his head down obediently.

“What’s happening?”
Harper asked. He held an arm out and she went to him. His arms were around her
and his face buried in her hair in an instant.

“Nothing. The boys
are headed back empty handed. They probably got a look at the welcoming
committee and turned tail.” Harper nuzzled his chest and inhaled him deeply to
comfort herself. “You’re okay darling and you’ll stay okay. I meant what I told
Ellis. Are you prepared for that? If it comes to that, will you be okay? He was
family and pack.”

“If Ellis thinks
for a second that I was ever interested in him, he is delusional. If he tries
to hurt anyone here…his fate is not my concern.” Ryder nodded. She closed her
eyes and tried to soak in his strength.

Harper watched the
wolves gathered at the dinner table eat the roast that Cindy made. The aroma
had driven Harper nuts most of the day. It was so long since she’d had a good
piece of meat and this venison roast was cooked to perfection. “Eat.” Ryder
whispered against her ear making her shiver. She speared a small piece and
stuck it in her mouth then chewed. It was heaven.

She wondered if
they hunted often and knew they were good at it. If everyone in the pack worked
for the good of the pack then they would hunt together instead of singly.
Bronson usually hunted alone. He didn’t like to share the deed of killing or
the kill itself. Bronson was selfish. He wouldn’t help anyone else hunt either
and he wouldn’t share any secrets. He knew where to find good game, and he had
tricks to sneak up on game. He was great at ambushing according to him but he
would never tell his cousins anything to help them. She’d given Peter, Jake’s
brother, a roast once out of her full freezer to feed his young and Bronson had
gone ballistic about it. “He’s never going to learn to hunt if he isn’t
hungry.” Bronson had screamed at her then told her that she wasn’t allowed to
eat dinner for three nights to make up for the loss of the roast. Pete may need
to be hungry to learn but she’d starve before a pup went hungry around her.
Selfish bastard.

Ryder’s hand
rubbed circles on her back and she forked more meat into her mouth. She knew
what he was doing. He was trying to keep her mind on the meal and off her
thoughts. He didn’t know what they were but he could always tell when the
wheels were turning. Harper turned her thoughts to her dinner and tuned out
everything else.

Nicole sat across
from her but ignored her. This must be the whole pack. The table was full and
so were all of the stools at the counter. She knew most of them but there were
a few that she didn’t know. Two of them looked alike and she suspected they
were twins or at least brothers. They sat on the stools at the counter with
another wolf that she remembered from the bar but she couldn’t remember seeing
much of these three around today. “Penny for your thoughts.” Ryder murmured as
she wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“The men on the
stools, I remember one of them from the bar but I didn’t catch any of their
names.”

“You should know
everyone in the pack. Don, Evan, and Eric.” Ryder commanded. They all turned at
once and Harper felt her face burn with embarrassment. “This is Harper, Harper,
Don is on the left,” he waved. “Evan in the middle and Eric on the right,” they
both nodded simultaneously. “They’re twins if you hadn’t guessed.” Ryder said.
“The three of them came from a neighboring pack in Montana. They’ve been with
us for about six years now.” He took a long drink from his soda can and set it
back on the table. “After the kitchen is cleaned up, we’re going to run if any
of you care to join.” Ryder announced.

The pack sprang up
around her and hurriedly carried plates and silverware to the sink after
scraping them. Each wolf loaded their own dishes into the dishwasher after
giving them a rinse. The remains of the roast was quickly dealt with and the
pack filed out the back door while Cindy wiped the table down. She winked at
Harper who giggled. So running is a big deal to this pack. Her pack rarely ran
as a pack when she was growing up and Bronson’s pack never did. There were
smaller groups of four or five but she never felt welcome to run with them.

“I can’t wait to
meet your wolf.” Ryder growled in her ear then stood. A shiver raced through
her. She knew that she was supposed to go with them but she was wary of running
with them. Bronson always said that she should stay home because she was so
dainty and insignificant that she couldn’t defend herself. “Hey, none of that.”
His finger curled under her chin and lifted it. He placed a chaste kiss on her
lips. “We all need to get to know each other and I want to meet your wolf.
Okay?” She nodded. “You’re safe with us, with me.”

Harper took a deep
breath and steeled herself. She would shift and run with them this once. After
this, he probably wouldn’t ask again once he saw how useless her wolf was. Since
her old pack never went out of their way to ask her along, Bronson must’ve been
right about her.

She went outside
and let the wolf take her over. The rest of them were in the grass spread out
and waiting for their Alpha. The magnificent black wolf came up beside her and
sniffed her face then licked her nose. Harper’s wolf huffed at him then pranced
away. Harper didn’t control her wolf. Some could and she knew that Bronson
could but she never developed the skill. She was somewhere in the back of its
mind watching nervously. If her wolf didn’t get along with Ryder’s Alpha wolf,
she would find herself without a pack. Harper hoped anxiously that it would
play nice.

He was beside her
again and nipped at her ear. Harper’s wolf turned away and gave him her back.
She was skittish, Harper could understand why; she was skittish with so many
new wolves surrounding her. Harper could feel her panicking and grew more
anxious. Suddenly the big black wolf was in front of her growling. Harper cried
out in her mind but what could she do? She couldn’t control the beast, had
never controlled it. He was a man again and holding her head. He was trying to
soothe her. Harper calmed.
Ryder
. He would take care of her. He said he
would protect her, that he would lay down his life for her, and that he loved
her. He pulled her into his lap and rubbed her head and back. The wolf gentled
and softened in his arms. She nuzzled his neck and he laughed.

“Easy girl.” Harper
heard that and relaxed from her place in the shadows. The other wolves neared
and sniffed her one at a time. The wolf took in their scents and when everyone
was introduced she felt joy spread through her wolf. Ryder shifted back and she
stayed at his side. He started away from the house at a trot with the pack
yelping and yipping behind him but Harper stayed with him. She felt happy and
light. It was going to be okay here. The pack accepted her and the Alpha wanted
her. She could feel that even more now than when she was herself. 

Ryder stopped half
way across the open field with is ears perked and his nose up. Harper scented
them too. Ellis, Jake, and Mike, they were alone. Usually Mike was following
Sidney around but apparently not tonight. Shit. Harper worried. Her wolf may go
to them. It would recognize them as pack.

She felt it growl.
That was good. Ryder yipped at the wolves behind him and they flanked out.
Strange wolves were in their territory. Strange wolves in the wrong territory
would result in carnage. Eight large wolves went in the direction of the scent.
She couldn’t remember seeing wolves so big. Bronson was larger than most wolves
but he had been smaller than these were. By wolf standards, Ryder’s wolves were
huge and he was the biggest of them all. She felt small and self-loathing. Dainty
and insignificant would never be any truer than it was right now.

Ryder nipped at
her cheek then and startled her. He was pulling her out of her thoughts. She
wondered if he knew that she was not in control of this wolf. She also wished
that he could teach her the control that he obviously had of his wolf.

Cindy stepped up
quietly to Ryder and yipped then turned and took her pup back to the house.
This was going to get intense if she was leaving a pack run with those big
wolves almost at the tree line and a huge Alpha standing here protecting them.
Harper wondered where Nicole and her pups were. She didn’t recall them in the
yard but there were so many new wolves and she hadn’t really looked for them.
Cindy, Lucy, and Mathew were going inside the house now behind her. Her wolf
should follow but it stayed right beside Ryder. 

The scouts were
coming back now. The moon climbed in the sky and lit their way back to their
Alpha with the ‘all clear.’ Ryder acknowledged them then took off at a sprint
passing the barn and heading for the trees. Harper’s wolf followed. It kept up
and Harper thought he must have been running slower than usual to let her. The
pack followed them. Ryder crashed through the brambles and the trees then
turned suddenly. Harper scented it too. Turkey. Oh how she loved turkey.

Bronson rarely
brought her a turkey, he preferred duck so she had to settle for turkey cold
cuts and it was not the same. He stopped short and her wolf darted around him
with only one thought. Turkey dinner with all the trimmings! Her wolf rounded a
huge tree and there they stood two Toms and a hen. She wanted that Tom. She
would leave the pair to breed but she wanted turkey dinner.

Her wolf eased
around them and trapped them in a small clearing surrounded by dense thicket.
She glanced over at Ryder whose eyes flashed back at her. She hoped that her
wolf wasn’t making the Alpha angry. She saw the others then, they were going to
let her have the kill. Her wolf sprang and captured the biggest of the three
birds. The other two darted passed her but she didn’t move and didn’t give up
her kill. Her wolf was ecstatic, pure joy raced through her veins. Bronson was
right about one thing, hunger for something was a real motivator. Maybe he was
trying to teach her to go get her own bird if she wanted one. No. He just hated
turkey.

Her wolf trotted
back to the house with the big bird flopping around with every step she took.
Ryder was beside her, he seemed okay with her killing the bird, not angry like
her former mate would’ve been. She shifted back to herself when she got to the
house. “You were spectacular.” Ryder wrapped his arms around her and kissed the
top of her head. “You are a great hunter my sweet.” She shook her head slightly
and gave him a small smile. “What is that look for? You did a great job and now
we will have turkey tomorrow for dinner. I need to get that damned freezer
ordered.” He said more to himself than to her.

“Bronson always
said that I was a lousy hunter, that I was ‘dainty and too insignificant’ to
hunt or to be of any use whatsoever.” Ryder scoffed.

“Darling, I know
it is going to take some time to forget everything that you were ever told by
that…wolf but you need to forget it. You are not dainty or insignificant. You
showed a prowess not often found when you went after that bird. It was wise to
leave a breeding pair behind and it took cunning to capture the one that you
did. Turkeys are hard to catch, even with a gun and a blind. I’ve known plenty
of humans that spent their hunting careers striving for that bird and you did
it on the first try. Great job! Now for the other part, you are far from dainty.
You are a strong well-toned wolf, you are beautiful and a sight to behold.” Her
brows furrowed. “It was all I could do to keep him from mounting you.” Harper
buried her face in her hands and he laughed. Her face was hot and she knew it
was beet red. “Come on. Leave your kill on the porch, the boys will tend to
it.”

“I should take
care of it since I killed it.”

“You have to cook
it. They can clean it. Come, I want to see if they made any progress upstairs
today.” She let him take her hand and lead her up the stairs. Lucy was in her
pink one-piece pajama set and laying on her belly watching TV. She giggled at
something as they passed. Harper smiled. One day she would have a pup giggling
there too. The thought made her happy and she felt Ryder’s hand tighten around
her own for a moment. Her muscles clenched deep in her belly. She wanted him to
father those pups.

This man, this
wolf was incredible. He was caring and giving at once, something she’d never
seen displayed in a wolf except her father perhaps.