Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack, #5)(34)

Makenna smiled. “I think I’m going to like you.”

“She uses bad words like an expert,” said Madisyn.

Shaya chuckled. “Thanks.”

“Taryn speaks highly of you,” Dawn told Shaya.

Shaya flushed a little. “Let me introduce you to these guys over here. We have my Beta, Derren, and three of my enforcers, Bracken, Roni, and Marcus. Marcus and Roni are mates; we share them with the Phoenix Pack, since that’s Marcus’s original pack.”

All of the guys were tall, hot, and exuded dominance. Roni was tall, though smaller than the males, dominant, and had a lethal vibe that Makenna liked.

“You’re the expert in these situations; what do you think will happen next?” Dawn asked Shaya.

“Taking into account Remy’s vow to have the shelter and his parting words, I’d say he’ll do his best in the next eight weeks to create a situation in which you need the protection and support he’s offering.”

“They’ll never need him,” Ryan vowed.

Shaya smiled apologetically at the females. “I’d love to give you the support of my pack, but I can’t. As the mediator—”

“You need to remain impartial and can’t get involved in disputes,” finished Makenna. “We get it.”

“The last thing we want is for you to lose your job,” added Dawn, and Madisyn nodded.

“Don’t worry so much about Remy,” advised Marcus. “You have the protection of the Phoenix Pack, and that’s no small thing.”

Ryan glanced at his watch. “I need to leave. I’m picking up Zac in an hour.”

After everyone said their good-byes, Ryan remained close to Makenna as he escorted her, Dawn, and Madisyn to the Mustang. He knew his stance was both protective and possessive, but hell if he could stop it. The amount of time he spent around Makenna hadn’t gone unnoticed by his pack. They assumed that he and Makenna were having a casual fling, and he allowed them to believe it, although it galled the possessive streak in him that he couldn’t declare the truth.

“Where are you and Zac going today?” Dawn asked him as they reached the vehicle.

“I told him I’d let him choose.”

“You’ve made a lot of progress with him.”

Not enough. “He won’t accept a place in my pack.”

“Yet. That’s not something you should take personally. Zac’s probably having more trouble trusting his own judgment than trusting you. And if my suspicions are right and he was abused in some way by the people who were supposed to care for him, his hesitancy to put his safety into the hands of another is only to be expected.”

“He trusts you three,” Ryan pointed out.

“We helped him, so he associates us with safety. Be patient. You’ll soon have him in your pack.”

When the females slid into the Mustang, Ryan braced his hands near the open window. “Call me if you have any problems,” he told Makenna.

“You say that a lot,” she said impatiently.

Dominant females liked to take care of their own shit, but this was a lot of shit to shovel. Rather than saying that, he sneakily added, “It’s not just your safety at risk.” He knew she’d accept his help for the sake of those under her protection. He pushed away from the vehicle, almost smiling as she grumbled under her breath before switching on the ignition and driving off.

She made him almost smile a lot, he mused as he hopped into the Chevy and headed for the shelter. She wasn’t afraid to ignore fashion trends—in fact, she carried her whimsical dress sense with confidence and dignity. She felt absolutely no shame about her differences or quirks. And she seemed to believe that rational people were the quirky ones.

What he liked most of all about her was her strength. It was a quiet thing that manifested in her bravery and resolve to make a difference for the loners she met in the shelter.

What he didn’t like was that she still hadn’t shared any of her secrets with him. Although she’d told him some things about herself, they were shallow and superficial. None of it gave him much insight into her or what had happened to her. But if she thought he’d give up, she didn’t know him at all.

Pulling up outside the shelter, he beeped his horn. Zac immediately dashed outside and jogged over to the car. Inside, he tipped his chin. “Sup?”

Ryan nodded. “Where do you want to go?”

“You’re letting me choose? Sweet. Um, how about we go for pizza? I’m starving.” He gave directions to the restaurant he had in mind. Once Ryan began driving, Zac asked, “How did mediation go?” He rolled his eyes at Ryan’s grunt. “Dude, I’m not Makenna. I can’t understand your noises.”

“Remy asked them to join his pack. They said no. It’ll go before the council in eight weeks.”

Mouth twitching into a smile, Zac shook his head. “I shouldn’t have asked. Storytelling’s not your thing.”

Ryan just grunted again, which made Zac laugh.

After they’d settled in a booth at the restaurant and placed their orders, Zac spoke. “I’ve heard little things about your pack. Did Trey really almost kill his father when he was fourteen?” He flushed, looking apologetic. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“Yes, I do. You’re a Phoenix wolf now.” He had a right to know.