New Alpha – New Rules(30)

“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.





Chapter 11


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.”