The Second Covenant

I caught the scent of the pack twenty minutes later, and closed my eyes to breathe it in deeply. “I’ll get the door.” I said softly, feeling relaxed now that they were here. Which made me pause inside. I’d not felt relaxed until that strong scent had hit my nose. Like a teddy bear, I wanted to hug and hold to keep the bad thoughts away. I wanted to run down the hall, throw open the door and fling myself into their midst. Wrap them around me like a blanket, my wolf reacted to that need and rose up from the depths of that dark water. I felt Druex’s hand on my nape and the tension fled out of me. Like a switch had been flipped. “Easy honey.” he murmured and reached over me to open the door.

Declan, Donovan, Daire, Dom and a new person. Brunette. Dax. They all looked at me first and then Druex. “Save the wolf stuff for later.” Druex said firmly and I could smell their surprise. “You okay Cherish?” Declan asked me and I nodded slowly. “Am now. Come on in.” I used my body to make Druex back up and saw Dax’s lips tilt up at the corners. One by one they walked past me with a little incline of their heads. Their energy, the aura of their beasts gently brushed along mine, a welcome from my pack.

Dax stopped in front of me, looking down, searching my eyes, his power pressing against me. Hard enough that it made me shudder. If he wanted to, he could have been Ulfric. But there was just something Druex had that he didn’t. And I couldn’t say what that was right then. Because I caught a scent of blood and my wolf shivered. Hungrily. “You healing up okay?” I asked breathlessly and Druex’s arms slid around me slowly. His scent hitting me like a wall, blocking out anything but the smell of his smooth calm. Dax winked at me. “I’ll be fine. I smell bacon.” I blew out a breath and nodded. “Enough to feed an army.”

“Which it appears we have.” Declan and Donovan shifted to put their bodies in front of me and Druex. “Easy guys.” I said with a smile and moved out of Druex’s arms, keeping a hand though as I gently touched Donovan’s back. He looked back and down at me and moved. But I got why they’d bristled protectively. My father, my uncles and my other set of guys, all showing off their demonically black eyes. “Can we quit with the theatrics please?” At once the skin ruffling power eased from my family and I stood pretty much between the two groups of men.

Oh lord. “Are we going to have a battle or are we going to eat like polite people?” No answer. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” Daire said behind me and I looked at him with an apologetic look. “No, it is. Cherish is part of both our families.” Tyler, ever the diplomat said and I smiled at him gratefully. “I’m Tyler Simms, this is my son, Tristan.” Tristan nodded at me once and waved to the wolves. “That’s my father Caleb, you met him already.” Reid and Riley introduced themselves and finally Pogue and Peyton. The moms showed up at this point and were all smiles and welcome. “My mother Sara, Tyler’s wife Lisa, Auntie Paige owns Reid and Riley and Kate.”

I could smell the nerves rolling around in front of me, and when I turned my head, I caught a whiff of uncertainty from the wolves. “Should we just get it out of the way now or wait until after we eat?” I frowned at Dax and he grinned a wolfish grin at me. Get it out of the way. Shift to their animal state. “Get what out of the way?” My father said and pulled my mother under his arm. The moms weren’t nearly as nervous as the witches. “He thinks he’s being funny.” Druex said and curled his lips at his cousin. “You all are freaked out because we’re werewolves and we’re in your house. It’s natural to fear the unknown. So we’ll show you what we are and you’ll get it out of your system.”

I was getting the feeling Dax wasn’t exactly a pack player. “Are you being difficult on purpose?” I asked and my wolf lifted her head inside me, a rumble of challenge rising from her muzzle. I’d not made a sound, but my power lashed over Dax and he shuddered. It was totally unintentional but he backed off at once with a pleased expression on his face. “Usually.” Declan muttered. I rolled my eyes and breathed deeply, told my wolf to just relax. And she did. “That’s Dax,” I said and pointed at him. “Declan and Donovan. Daire, and Dominic.” Reid put up his hand and gave a charming smile. “Whoever I shot a spell at the other night, I do apologize.”

Dominic gave a two fingered salute. “No worries.”
“So are you going to change or what?” Peyton said nastily and Kate slapped the back of his head. “You’re not to old for a butt whooping.” She hissed in his ear, but mine were now enhanced. I was very appreciative when the wolves pretended they hadn’t heard that. Peyton’s cheeks flooded with heat though. I turned around and smiled gently at the wolves. “You don’t have to.” I murmured and they all looked at me with that surprised, but very male expression. I’d done something that pleased them. Declan gave a jaunty grin and looked past me at my family. “We’d love to, but Druex is the only one with enough…” he waffled his hand back and forth. “Control, to shift and keep his clothes on.”
And that broke the ice.