had been used to doing things her own way, and so had Kyle. Neither of them was particularly adept at listening to the other. If they couldn't overcome this hurdle, their relationship would be extremely rocky. She knew that healthy relationships thrive on compromise.
It wasn't that she didn't want to listen to him. She simply wanted him to consider her opinions. When she was in the witch's house, he, Ethan, and Anthony had all been in her mind, and they had collaborated. They had listened to her, and she had listened to them. "What the hell?" she exclaimed suddenly, and Kyle's head lifted from her lap. He watched her for a moment, his expression tense, before noticing the confusion on her face. "What is it, love?" he asked, his tone laced with concern. "In the witch's house, I felt Ethan and Anthony press into my mind. They gave me directions and worked with me," she paused for a moment, carefully considering what she was about to say next. "I was stilThe room burst into applause when Kyle said he thought they should go.'So we have to be vocal in agreeing with one another?' Rosette questioned into his mind.'As much as we can be, until they believe we are strong and stable. Otherwise, we may have someone try to challenge us,' he said back to her.'You could best any challenger,' she thought confidently.'I could and I have before,' he answered, 'but the challenges are stressful for the pack. They fear their leaders may be replaced at a moment's notice. They become restless. It is not a healthy atmosphere.'Kyle looked calmly out over his pack in the dining room, and Rosette took his hand. They sat silently watching them for several long moments."What's a celebration entail?" Dee asked, breaking the silence at the table."Running, fucking, eating, and dancing," Rosette told her succinctly."Humans allowed?" she asked."I'll carry you there, Dee," Will said, pulling her in for a kiss.
"So everything is fixed?" Rosette asked, smiling, "No more spells, no more source magic, doesn't that mean the problems are all gone."Kyle grinned paternally and looked down at her. 'Do you mean,' he sent into her head, 'are we fixed? That is an entirely different problem.'He sighed and inclined his head towards the few warriors still in the infirmary. 'They do not trust us,' he said. 'They think we are ill-fitted as an Alpha pair. None would dare say this to me directly, but they have been brazen enough to tell Ethan.'Rosette sighed and shook her head. There had to be a way to fix this. Kyle had worked too hard to create a strong pack to just have it destroyed in one night.The rest of the morning was odd. Rosette tried to agree with Kyle about everything and anything. Honestly, she felt like a parrot saying whatever he did. Her hands rested over him, and when he moved, she went with him. Finally, he rolled his eyes and looked at her.'It won't work, lov
Kyle stood as a man, eyeing Rosette curiously. The other women who had dragged back their kills were circling their men, eager to celebrate their prowess. Rosette wanted to bathe."Can you catch me before I make it to the water, love?" Kyle taunted, backing away.Rosette tilted her head and watched him for a moment. Was he giving her the option to get in the water and wash off first?He bolted for the water as a man, and Rosette took off after him. Chasing him in her wolf form wasn't appealing if he wasn't running in that form, so she shifted.She tackled him as he reached the water's edge, and they splashed into the lake together. They tussled in the shallow water, and Rosette ended up dirtier than when she started. Kyle landed on top of her, pinning her hands."I think I win," he laughed, kissing a less muddy spot on her cheek. "I get to wash you."Kyle picked her up and carried her deeper into the lake. His large hands soothed over every inch of her
"Well," Donna said awkwardly, "you said they could...be close, and April really wanted to. Rick took her into the woods to a quieter place. He wanted it to be private, in case she got scared and they had to stop. He thought it would be too much, with everyone around."Anthony interrupted, "I told the kid, Rick, a nice place. It's somewhere not real close to the festivities. Most of us wouldn't go that far, so no one will bother them."Kyle shrugged and motioned for the ball, which they threw to him. They joined the game for several minutes before wandering out of the water and onto the beach.Rosette walked with Kyle, heading towards the cooking fires. The Omegas tending the meat were all sweating and working very hard. She felt bad for them; everyone else was having a good time. She had to ask Kyle about it."Service to the pack, my love," he told her. "They will enjoy the festivities later, but this is their duty to the family."Katrina bounced up beside them, her usual whirlwind of
"Don't call the pack with a howl," Rosette pleaded, her voice a hushed whisper as she remained on her knees. "The rogues are unaware of our knowledge. Let them believe we're in the dark."Kyle, his jaw clenched, responded in a low growl, "Shift. Everyone here, shift now. Spread the word quietly."The pack, a silent audience, watched them intently. Those who understood the command shifted, their forms morphing into wolves, while the rest followed suit, mimicking the actions of their packmates.Rosette heard Kyle's voice, clear and commanding, ordering the warriors to take up strategic positions around the pack. He then reached into her mind, his thoughts merging with hers and with Rick's, a silent telepathic connection."Which way and when?" Kyle inquired."They seemed to be heading north, sir. Last I saw them was about thirty minutes ago," Rick replied."No better directions?" Kyle pressed, his voice laced with urgency."I didn't want to get caught, sir. I wanted to get back to you an
The van was almost to the trees when Kyle made his decision. "Destroy a tire on each van and get back up on the hill. Stay away from them."Rosette struck like a snake, clawing the tires on the driver's side. She moved so fast she was just a white blur with claws. Quickly, she darted up the hill.Anthony and his group joined her near the top, closing ranks around her silently. They had no other reinforcements, so they just waited.The rogues jumped out of the disabled vans. Several tried to bring the Omegas they had kidnapped with them. The girls knew they were close and continued to fight as best they could.Rosette wanted to help them, to run down the hill and slay the monsters that had kidnapped her pack. But she waited for Kyle. He was right; she would lose this fight.Anthony seemed to sense her distress and comforted her softly. "The girls will be fine," he said, "the rest of the pack will get here in time." Rosette hoped he was right.The rogues regrou
Rosette walked beside Kyle, growling at every stray leaf that blew past them. Despite his reassurances, she was still agitated, struggling to regain her composure. The warriors instinctively kept their distance, sensing her unpredictable mood. Kyle noticed her distress but didn't try to force her to calm down."Get Dee's truck," he instructed Ethan. "Have one of the men from the docks drive it down here and pick up the remains. I'm sure one of them knows how to handle a semi. We'll take the remains to the circle and burn them.""Dee doesn't own the trailer," Rosette argued, her voice laced with frustration. "Whoever she was hauling for would own the trailer part. We can't use it to transport dead bodies."Her thoughts were jumbled, her frustration simmering. She felt agitated, craving a release, even if it meant picking a fight with Kyle."Shift," Kyle commanded, turning to face her. "We will speak in our human form."Kyle shifted, standing before her, waiting. R
Rosette walked to the passenger side of the truck and slid into the seat as Dee climbed in on her side. They locked the doors and waited.They sat, feeling the truck shift and sway as the back was loaded. A wolf stood outside Rosette's door, guarding it, and she could see the same arrangement on Dee's side."He's a controlling prick," Dee fumed, staring straight ahead. "I've taken care of myself for a long damn time. I don't need to be treated like a child.""He'll get a little better once you've been changed," Rosette offered, trying to soothe Dee's frustration.Rosette knew how Dee felt. Kyle had initially come across as smothering in his protectiveness. It had taken some getting used to. She decided to change the subject, as this discussion was only going to aggravate Dee further."The boys said you came into money and started trucking. What happened that made you start doing this for a living?" Rosette asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a different di