Alpha Barrett's lips threaten to twitch into a smile. “I didn't want her to have to fight for her place. No one from our pack would challenge her, and I doubted anyone from Pack Cross would, but it will be good for her to demonstrate to the pack that she is their Luna by birth and by strength.”
I straighten and stretch, pushing my fists into my bowed back. I don't care what Bella wants and it doesn't matter where they come from. Bella is weak and Jonathan is weaker. “Do we know how many?”
“Maybe twenty,” Danner says. “Thirty total as far as we can tell.”
I nod. “We can handle that many, but I'll call my dad later and he'll send people.”
“You're not worried?” Danner asks, brows high.
I shrug. “Yes, obviously. But strong packs follow strong leadership. Bella is leading this charge with Jonathan and some of his pack mates. I'm sure if they were to actually win against us that their respective alphas would be thrilled with the additional lands and resources, but neither Bella or Jonathan are strong enough to lead a pack. Bella might get there one day, but Jonathan never will.”
“So you think it will be an easy win for us?” Danner asks, crossing his arms in front of his wide chest.
I shake my head. “I would never assume any win would be easy. There is always a risk. I am completely confident that they will attack. We will fight. But I am also completely confident that they will fall before they ever get solid footing. They don't know the lands and they are angry. Anger leads weak people down the road to stupidity. They will follow their anger into this fight and they will lose.”
Alpha Barrett smiles at me. “You're going to do just fine.”
“So, how long?” I repeat my question, looking between the alpha and his Second.
“If they come through the forests? Two weeks. If they come straight through? Four days, maybe six.”
My eyes clash with Parker's and our shoulders rise and fall in a tandem sigh.
“Let's hope for the forest route,” Parker says, and I nod.
*
“This can't be happening.”
Genie scrubs her cheeks with her palms and falls back onto her bed. Her tiny bed. We need a solution for this bed. Maybe. The past few nights have been cramped, but I have enjoyed all three of us squeezing together to sleep. We haven't had the opportunity or, or energy, to do more than sleep, but I've been thinking about it. A lot.
“I can take a suppressant,” Genie suggests dismally. “It could work. Just enough to make it through this. I can't be in heat when our pack is threatened. You can’t go into rut. It's unacceptable.”
I thought about suppressants. I really did. But ultimately, it won't work. The most they would do at this point is dull the symptoms of the heat, not delay it. Genie would be even moremiserable and still at a disadvantage. Then there's the other thought I had...
“What if we speed it up? Based on your scent – you're killing me, by the way – you're due any day.”
She eyes me warily. “Speed it up?”
My hand goes to the back of my neck as I flick a glance towards Parker. “Kind of bring it on. Convince your body, or your instincts, that it's the perfect time to go into heat right now – “
“Right now?” Her eyebrows climb towards her hairline. “Now?”
“Or soon.” I rub my jaw as Parker's expression mirrors Genie's. “Before Bella and Jonathan get here. They're still at least a week out.
Parker's hands go to his hips. “Her heats last at least four or five days. They could get here in that time, and then what, Cross? The future leading pair holed up somewhere, handling the tail end of her heat, while the pack suffers the attack? And that's if she goes into heat literally tonight.”
I raise a brow. “As opposed to her going into heat right before they get here?”
“And then there's the other thing...”
We both look at Genie, waiting for the rest of the sentence.
She rolls onto her stomach and rests her chin on her crossed arms. “If Bella approaches you while I'm in heat, neither me nor my wolf will tolerate her presence anywhere near you. Either of you. It would be dangerous.” She lets her eyes close in a long blink. “For her.”
Parker drops down onto the bed next to her and starts trailing his fingers up and down the back of her thigh. “If she's brave enough to attack our pack, then she deserves what she gets.”
His touch on her body is mesmerizing. I'll never get tired of seeing it.
