Rook (Black Mountain Pack Book 2) Read online

  That challenge was how I found myself in a locked door meeting instead of working with my cubs this afternoon.

  “I THINK YOU SHOULD WAIT until Da gets here.” Mack paced as he spoke.

  “Why? If I wait to respond or even to acknowledge the challenge I’ll be seen as weak. Especially if I wait for Jerome. Part of coming down here was to show I am strong enough to be the Alpha. Part of that is facing any challenge head on. You know how strong I am, you have been working with me every day. Now is the time to show that strength,” Casey acknowledged. “Rook what do you think?”

  “I agree with Casey, if she waits it will only invite further challenges. We need to address this, nip it in the bud so she can focus on repairing the Pride. You know that the rules of a challenge allow her to choose two shifters to fight with her,” I responded.

  “Yes, but he gets to choose two fighters as well.” Mack huffed.

  “You think that we can take them out. Between you and me she will be able to focus on taking out the challenger and squash any rumors that she isn’t up to the task of being Alpha. We need to face it now.”

  “Agreed,” Casey chimed in. “If I choose you and Rook to stand with me we can defeat anyone.” She rose and went to Mack, circling her arms around his neck. “I believe in you and you believe in me. Send Jonas with my answer and let’s set it up for tonight. Give the Pride a good show and shut down any hesitancy there is in the Pride finally accepting me as their Alpha.”

  Mack encircled her waist and rested his forehead on hers. “I don’t want you fighting in your condition. We can use that as an excuse to put him off. At least until the cub is born.” He kissed Casey’s forehead.

  “No, I’ll fight tonight. I won’t let anything happen to me or our cub, and I know you two won’t either.” She turned in his arms. “My decision has been made, I thank you all for your council on this matter.” She looked at each of us before addressing Jonas. “Go tell him I accept his challenge and will meet him in the clearing at the center of the village tonight. He may pick two fighters to bring with him, but no one else that is not Pride will be allowed in.”

  Jonas bowed and left and Casey turned to me. “I am depending on you and Mack to take out his fighters. Do not step in to my fight unless I call you. I have to take him down myself or I am not worthy to be this Pride’s Alpha.”

  Casey turned and kissed Mack on the cheek and left the room.

  “I don’t like it, Rook. This whole challenge feels wrong. I think we need to involve the coven as well. I want to make sure this challenger isn’t planning on cheating in any way. Plus an added protection spell for the cub would set me at ease about the fight.” Mack sat rubbing his face.

  “I’ll go meet with them now. We won’t let anything happen to her, but she is right. She has to defeat this guy on her own for the Pride to fully accept her. Have faith, Mack, I know she can do this.” Mack just nodded at me, lost in his own thoughts and worries.

  I left hoping what I said to be true. Casey had only fought once. I knew she had been working with my team back home, and Mack himself, but I didn’t know how ready she was. It really didn’t matter at this point, she had made her decision and it was my job once again to help secure her safety and ensure Mack’s head was in the fight.

  The next few hours were spent in meetings. First with the coven leader and her two highest witches, discussing what could be done that wouldn’t interfere with the fight. It was decided a protection spell could be cast around Casey’s womb that wouldn’t affect the fight. Then two spells would be cast over the Pride village. One that would deaden the sound so the fight wouldn’t bring on any spectators we didn’t want, and the second would be an alarm spell to help the guards keep a closer eye on the perimeter and would alert the witches and the elite guard to any trespassers. Anyone who attempted to pass through without permission would be temporarily incapacitated giving the guards enough time to get to the intruders.

  I became antsy, wanting to get back and check on Jasmine and the cubs. The more I was around her the stronger the pull to stay with her was. I couldn’t give into the temptation right now though, she needed a gentle hand and someone who could focus on helping her work through her problems. I couldn’t give her that focus until Casey was solidly in control of the Pride as Alpha.

  “Rook, tell these imbeciles to let me through the checkpoint!” Roared through the pack bonds. Shit, that was Jerome, and he was pissed. I grasped the pendant around my neck feeling how little magic was left. I hoped it was enough to get through to Miguel.

  “Miguel,” I called.

  “Yeah, boss, you sound weak, everything ok?”

  “Yeah, the magic is wearing off. I need you to contact the checkpoint and tell them to let Jerome and his people through before he tears their heads off. He’s tired and pissed.”

  I heard Miguel chuckle through the Pride bond. “10-4 boss, already on it.” The pendant gave me a small zap and I knew that would be the last time I could communicate through the Pride until Casey joined us. I needed to remind her that was top priority before the challenge took place.

  A Jeep rumbled into the village a little faster than was safe. It skidded to stop at the meeting hall and Jerome exited the driver’s door. “Jesus, that is one hell of a drive.” He glanced around, landing on me. “Rook, you have some idiots for guards out there. I hope that’s just a temporary situation.” His frustration radiated off him in waves.

  “Yes, for now. They are loyal and accepting of a female Alpha. They also have the skills needed to guard, though maybe not the brains to differentiate such.” I bowed my head to the side in submission. Jerome was also radiating Alpha power that made my cat cringe.

  A female in stilettos and a tailored business suit got out of the passenger side and walked around the front of the Jeep placing her hand on Jerome’s arm. “Jerome, you need to calm yourself. If you don’t you’ll have everyone in a five mile radius on their knees.” She seemed so out of place in the jungle with her coifed hair, pristine make up, and manicured nails. Her eyes were hidden behind designer sunglasses, and a slim Gucci attaché tucked under her arm.

  Jerome took a visible breath and the urge to submit lifted. “Thanks Katarina, let me introduce you.”

  “No need,” she replied. “Hello, Rook, where are the women, and where is Jasmine? I need to speak to her first.”

  I growled deep in my throat at her rudeness. My cat agreed with me, growling as well. I looked at Jerome in question. With a sigh he explained. “Rook, this is Katarina. She seems a bit rude, but is the best shifter therapist on the continent. Her time is dedicated to helping shifters get past any trauma they have had, acclimate to living among humans and among other shifters. She is good at what she does and she knows it. She is also a descendant of a very long line of psychics. Combine that ability with her shifter abilities and she is the best at what she does, but not so good dealing with people outside her office.” Jerome grinned.

  “That really was unnecessary, Jerome. He will find out in time, right now I need to find Jasmine.” She turned to me. “Interesting. Looks like your kitty there doesn’t like that idea. Are you her mate?” Katarina stepped forward.

  I growled. “No, but I will protect her from anyone I feel is a threat.”

  She stopped right in front of me. “Take a good whiff and let’s get this over with. I am not a threat to you or her. I only want to help. My goal is to see our shifter species thrive and grow. Not wither and die. So take a whiff and then take me to her.”

  I took a deep breath, filtering through shampoo, body wash, lotion, and perfume that were layered on her skin. Finding her true scent beneath all of that surprised me. I raised my eyebrows at her in shock. What she said was true, she didn’t want to hurt any of the women, she truly wanted to help them. What shocked me though was the shifter I smelled. “You’re a lion,” I stated.

  “Lioness, yes. One of the last alive. I don’t advertise it, so please keep that bit to yourself. I only reveal her
when absolutely necessary.”

  “That’s why the layers of fragrance.” I stroked my chin, still trying to get a good handle on this woman. “Ok I’ll introduce you to Jasmine, but you only stay if she feels comfortable.”

  “Agreed.” Katarina turned and gracefully sat in the Jeep again.

  I glanced at Jerome, seeing him still smiling. “Where the hell did you find her?” I asked.

  “It’s a long story, I’d hop in that Jeep and drive her wherever you need to. She’s not a patient woman, and an even more impatient lion. Remember, she could rip you in two if she wanted.” He laughed.

  I shook my head as I climbed in the Jeep and drove her the short distance to the house.

  PULLING UP TO THE HOUSE Katarina didn’t wait for me to open her door. She got out and walked right in as if she owned the place. I had to hustle to catch up to her. I found her in the foyer, eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

  “Bring my bag in from the Jeep. I’ll need a room as far from the main part of the house as possible to meet with the women.” She breathed again. “I want to speak with the one in charge of the cubs first.” She stepped out of her stiletto heels and looked at me. “Well, what are you waiting for? Chop Chop.”

  “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, just because Jerome brought you doesn’t mean you can order us around as if you were Alpha.” I glared at her. I did not like this woman at all.

  “I know exactly who I am. I am here to help those in the Pride that are broken to heal, and help them acclimate to what living in a Pride should be like. I have been requested specifically among the therapists available to your Alpha. I don’t have time to wait around, and I don’t tolerate bossy attitudes. I may be abrupt and for that I apologize.” She smiled. “I would greatly appreciate your help in my requests,” she added with sarcasm.

  Realizing it wasn’t worth the time or my breath to argue with this woman I ran to grab her bag and showed her the farthest guest room on the second floor. “This is as far as I’m willing to place you. The room is away from the main living areas, but close enough to alert me if anyone needs me.”

  She walked around inspecting the room. “This will do, I will need two comfortable chairs if you can spare them and a portable room divider if you have one. I don’t want the women to see the bed when we chat.”

  That was probably the first smart thing I heard come out of her mouth. “I’ll see what I can have brought in.”

  “Wonderful, and again I want to speak to the girl in charge of the cubs. Please send her to see me as soon as you can. The sooner I can start the better.” She turned away from me in dismissal.

  I really didn’t like this woman and neither did my cat. Every time she brought up Jasmine he growled and wanted to pounce. I held back only because she came on Jerome’s recommendation and I knew he wouldn’t bring anyone to the Pride that would hurt them. I left her to prepare however she needed to and went in search of Jasmine.

  Jasmine was outside playing with the cubs. I took a moment to just observe her. She laughed and chased them in a game of tag, her head thrown back, pure joy radiating off her. My cat purred in content watching her. I didn’t want to interrupt this time, but knew I needed to. I wanted to see her like this all the time, and that wouldn’t happen until she faced the demons she lived with every day. The Pride was on its way to healing, but many of the shifters had a long way to go before the process would be done. I approached her as she fell to the ground rolling with one of the cubs. My shadow fell over them and she looked up at me. I saw the shutters fall behind her eyes instantly.

  “Hey.” I smiled.

  She stood and dusted herself off. “Hi.”

  “The counselor is here. She would like to meet with you to get a schedule set up for those you feel need the most help first.” A little white lie. If I admitted that Katarina wanted to start Jasmine’s session right away she might run.

  “Of course. Whatever you need.” She motioned one of the oldest cubs over and bent to whisper in her ear. “Ok, I’m ready.”

  “I put her in the farthest room from everyone else. Her name is Katrina. I’ll warn you she is very straight forward, and seems a bit short when she talks.” I placed my hand on her lower back to guide her into the house. She stiffened at my touch but didn’t jump away. I kept my hand where it was. I needed her to get used to my touch and associate it with love, concern, and caring. My cat hated that she stiffened, but I calmed him with the knowledge we would win her over and be here to help her through her healing process.

  Katrina was in the kitchen when we entered. Jasmine stopped just inside the door. “Katrina, this is Jasmine. She has taken over caring for the cubs and the women who were kept secluded from the pack.” I couldn’t bring myself to call them a harem out loud or voice what they had been forced to do.

  Katrina walked over hand extended. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jasmine. You are much younger than I had imagined.” She shook Jasmine’s hand. “Would you have a few moments to sit down with me and tell me about the women and cubs here, and help me decide who I need to start working with first?” Her voice was warm and welcoming, her posture as well. She had changed from her business suit and heels into a pair of worn jeans and t-shirt, her feet bare. This version of Katrina was much more approachable, and set both myself and my cat at ease.

  “Yes I have time,” Jasmine shyly answered.

  “Wonderful, please come join me in my room. I am still unpacking. We can talk while I finish.”

  I followed their movements out of the room until they were no longer in my line of sight. I really hoped this therapist could break through the pain that surrounded the Pride. I took a moment to reflect on what I had seen in the last few days since arriving.. There were a lot of markers for PTSD that I hadn’t recognized at the time. Many of the shifters had triggers that would set them on edge, ready to attack, or the complete opposite, sending them into themselves and unable to function around others. The combination of PTSD and a wild animal living inside you was not a good combination. I had experience with dealing with fellow soldiers with PTSD but it had been quite a few years. It was time I dug up and dusted that knowledge off. I had no doubt Jasmine suffered from it, among many other things. Therapy would help, but my cat and I would have to approach her a little differently. I wanted her in my life for a long time. She didn’t know it, but my cat had already decided she was ours. I agreed.

  I needed to talk to Mack and Jerome. If I wanted to be able to help her and court her properly then I would need to delegate some of my duties to others so I could devote the time needed. I left the main house reaching through the Pack bond to find Mack. “Hey Mack, do you and Casey have a few minutes? I need to talk to you both.”

  “Yeah, man, we were just grabbing a bite with some of the Pride at the meeting hall. Come join us.” Mack answered.

  MACK, CASEY, AND I HAD moved to a corner table to talk after they finished their meal. It was as private as we could get considering where we were.

  “What’s up, Rook?” Mack looked curiously at me.

  “Well, after Casey’s challenge fight I would like to delegate some of my duties to Pride members that are ready to take them on. I want to focus more time on helping Jasmine through her therapy.” My face flamed with heat.

  “I think that is a great idea, Rook. I wanted to suggest that myself but Mack told me to wait,” Casey commented. “You have done a great job getting things going in the short time you have been here, but I never intended for you to be a permanent fixture in the Pride. I know you feel more at home in the States, and I want you to return there whenever you feel ready.”

  “Thank you, Casey. I don’t want to leave at this moment, but you are right. The States are home now, and I do want to return. Hopefully, I can convince Jasmine to return with me in time. The Pride is strong and each day I see them growing as the knowledge that Tomas is truly gone. There are still a few of his men we need to weed out before I am confident enough to leave them. I thi
nk your fight tonight will help with that. Are you ready?” I turned my full attention to Casey. My head had been full of Jasmine all day and I needed to focus on Casey and her upcoming fight. Jazz would be there when Casey had fully established her rule.

  Jazz..I rolled the nickname over in my head and it felt good. She was my Jazz. I would show her that soon enough.

  “I am as ready as I can be.” Casey smiled. We spent the next hour going over who would be there for her as she faced the challenger. This was going to be a huge gathering, and Mack made sure I had plenty of guards ready to keep the crowd under control. I assured him that all bases were covered. I had even had Jonah place snipers in the trees at sporadic intervals so we had eyes on the forest for at least a mile out. They would rotate shifts through the night, even after the fight. They were instructed to shoot any unknown shifter on sight but just an injury. We wanted to be able to speak with anyone who may be a threat, and determine if death was warranted. I was sure there would have to be a few.There always was when a shift in leaders happened, but we wanted to keep the deaths to a minimum. Casey wouldn’t rule by fear like her father, but she wouldn’t be a pushover either.

  I put Jazz out of my mind for the rest of the day as we prepared the challenge field. Casey would be meeting her challenger at dusk, per his request. She chose the place; he got to choose the time. We had less than an hour until showtime. Jonah and the elite arrived on the heels of Jerome and Marla.

  “Is everything ready?” Jerome asked.

  “Yes, sir. We have the perimeter secured and Casey has chosen Mack, myself, and Jonah to stand with her. The challenger is no match for Casey though. This should be a quick fight,” I assured him.

  “Good.”

  Casey and Mack joined us in the clearing just as her challenger emerged on the other side, two shifters at his side. The clearing filled up quickly with onlookers. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation. This was the moment Casey would either prove herself as capable of leading the Pride or not. The fight was between Casey and her challenger. Those chosen as seconds were simply here to make sure the fight was fair, and to remove whomever lost. We were not to enter into the fight.