The dawn broke the horizon as they approached Yellow Pack, and though Sharon had always protested that she didn't want to go home, she still crept forward with a keen sense of anticipation as the city materialized in view. She was beautiful like that, all tight in her body and her face aglow, her dark eyes drinking in the familiar landscape. She had grown up since last being in the city, and so had the city.
There were two packs in the beach town—Luthor's pack, the Tenzclaw, and the Bakin pack led by Klaus Lots. Klaus had allied with Luthor's father and kept it strong and intact when Luthor took over as leader. While Luthor did not like living quarters with another dominating Alpha like Klaus, the town was big enough that it was not a problem.
No one but Luthor's Beta, Mark Stye, his council, and a few of the higher-ranking pack members even knew he was bringing Sharon and Alexander home. The right thing to do would have been to tell her parents, but they'd moved four years earlier. Luthor didn't require any outside interference for what was going to happen.
Yellow Pack was nice—even Luthor wasn't cynical enough to deny that. The sun broke over the ocean in the morning, shining and sparkling as if trying to show itself off for the small town it bordered. Saltwater smell filled the air with scents of people and breakfast food from area diners. It was soon enough that there were not as many cars on the road, but they were on their way to Luthor's house and out of the middle of town in minutes.
"Home sweet home," Luthor sneered.
Sharon did not look at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, come on," Luthor said as he parked the car in his garage, "You know it feels wonderful to be back within pack grounds."
"Like hell it does," Sharon strained to look through the window, rubbing instinctively at her cuffed wrist. "Where are we headed then?"
"My house." Luthor grinned at her. "Where else would we be going? I don't precisely have time to wine and dine you, mate."
"I'm not your friend!" She snarled, facing him, but her eyes wandered from his and fell to his lips, and a flush of pink appeared on her cheeks. She didn't deceive when she spoke, but her body was another story. Luthor could smell her desire for the little car, and it made him smile against his will.
"Relax, firecracker. I've got a little welcome home party in store for you at my apartment."
She was clearly being cautious, but didn't press, because Alexander was waking in the back once more. She offered him a water bottle and a granola bar, choosing the same for herself and absently crunching on it as they drove down Luthor's street. Her suspicion grew when she caught sight of the group of cars parked out front of his family home, her head jerking over to him.
"Why are there so many people here?"
Luthor didn't answer. There was no going back now, and Sharon was simply going to have to take the bitter pill of her discipline—being bonded to him for life, as his mate, liked it or not.
The family home was at the edge of town along the border of the pine forest, huge and old, built by Luthor's great-grandfather when he established his little pack in Yellow Pack as the very first Tenzclaw Alpha. It was not the perfect home by any means of consideration. It was far too big for him by himself; it needed to be repaired and maintained constantly, the furniture was older than the town, and there were rooms Luthor didn't even bother opening. It was home, though. Where he had grown up and where he wanted Alexander to grow up, too.
Luthor drove up and looked at Sharon, but she was observing the house. Luthor didn't have to view it from where she did; it was quaintly charming and would probably look strange and empty, especially at this time of morning. It looked like a huge, abandoned cabin that had not been disturbed in years.
Without uttering a word, Luthor bent over and undid her cuffs with the key that he had been carrying in his pocket, watching as she massaged her bruised wrist while glaring at him. Part of him wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her into the house, but he knew there was an easier method of making her do what he wanted.
"Alexander," Luthor reached back and ruffled the boy's hair, "want to go on a tour and choose out your new bedroom?"
The boy was nearly quivering with anticipation. He did not appear anxious that the driver of the automobile was his long-lost dad and his mother had had to come back here. In fact, Alexander appeared to enjoy Luthor quite a lot already.
The boy nodded, and Luthor stepped out of the car, opening his door and offering him his hand to go in. When Luthor looked back over his shoulder at Sharon, he knew her eyes could launch daggers, but just as he suspected, she was never going to let him take Alexander away from her. In a matter of seconds, she stepped out of the car behind them.
The front door was open, and there was a feeling of heaviness in the house the minute they stepped in. Luthor escorted the two of them through the ground level, not even breaking pace when Alexander tried to pull on his arm to look at something, and didn't give way until they were emerging at the rear of the house into the yard.
There, on Luthor's father's wooden porch, was his entire council, standing in a semicircle in complete silence. In the middle of the semicircle stood Mark, Luthor's Beta. The rest of the pack's dominant wolves were next to him, and on any other day, so much dominance in one place would always start a fight.
Not with Luthor, however. The pack was controlled by its Alpha, and they all bowed their heads to him in respect. Sharon gasped behind him, and Luthor could tell she was going to flee. Luthor released Alexander's hand and grasped Sharon's, dragging her along as he strode toward his pack.
"Sharon Spark," Mark growled, large arms crossed over his chest. "Welcome home, and welcome to your mating ceremony."
"Ceremony?" Sharon seemed to have been slapped. "No way in hell!" She tried to wriggle free of Luthor's hold, but he did not let her go, leaning forward so that when he spoke, she barely heard him.
"You're worrying the boy," Luthor snarled, "Look at him."
She looked at Alexander, who was shifting back and forth, staring at his mom with wide, frightened eyes. He was starting to figure out that something was wrong and Sharon wasn't happy about it. The need to protect and reassure him crept over her out of nowhere, but Luthor was not about to let go of that urge now.
"Smile, Sharon. This is not going to be completed anytime in the near future. Once you're mated with me, you and the boy will be under the protection of the whole pack. Do you really want the son of an Alpha out here unprotected?"