Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack, #5)(35)

“I haven’t said yes to your offer.”

“Doesn’t matter. Wherever you are and whatever you decide, you’re a Phoenix wolf.” He could see that his answer touched Zac, and Ryan was glad of it. “To answer your question, it’s true. Trey beat his father, who was also the Alpha, in a duel.” But the sick, abusive bastard had deserved it.

Once the waitress placed their Cokes in front of them before disappearing once again, Zac continued, “Was Trey really banished?”

“Yes.” By rights, Trey should have been appointed as Alpha—it was protocol for someone who defeated an Alpha to then replace them, but some of the pack had come together to instead drive him out. However, Ryan decided not to add on that part, since challenging an Alpha was exactly what Zac’s father had done. Ryan didn’t want to dredge up bad memories.

“Was that when he joined the Phoenix Pack?”

“No. When he was banished, the people who disagreed with the decision left with him. Together, they formed the Phoenix Pack.”

“You were one of them?”

Ryan nodded. “Trey’s my friend, and he hadn’t deserved what happened to him.”

“Did your family leave too?”

“They were happy to see Trey go.” His mother was just as happy to see Ryan go.

“Do you see them much?”

Ryan shook his head. He liked it that way.

The waitress reappeared with their pizza. Once she was gone, Zac said, “I have one more question. Does Trey really turn feral during battles?”

“Yes. But he’s never hurt anyone from our pack. And Taryn pulls him back from that state quickly.” He took a swig of his drink. “There are a lot of rumors, and some have truth in them. But our pack is a good one. We take care of our own. The dominants would fight to the death before they would let anyone in our pack come to harm. Let me take you to my territory tomorrow—just for the day. You can meet everyone, explore the land. It will just be a daytrip.”

Zac frowned thoughtfully. “Okay. Just for the day. But I want Makenna to come.”

Ryan inclined his head, though it galled him that Zac didn’t fully trust his pack not to force him to stay.

“You want her, don’t you? Makenna, I mean.”

Ryan veiled his surprise. “Yes.”

“So why aren’t you doing anything about it?”

“I’m concentrating on you right now.”

Zac chewed another chunk of pizza. “Well . . . it would be cool with me if you asked her out. Just . . . don’t hurt her, okay? She’s been hella good to me. She helped me when I wouldn’t help myself. She’s a good person.”

Yes, she was. Her actions were driven by a good heart and a pain she strived to hide. In the beginning, he hadn’t trusted her level of compassion and empathy. He hadn’t seen how it could be real . . . because he’d never before known it.

“I think she likes you too. So she’d probably say yes if you asked her out.”

Ryan narrowed his eyes. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were playing matchmaker.”

Zac just smiled.





CHAPTER NINE





As Ryan drove through the gates of Phoenix Pack territory the next morning, he stopped beside the security shack. Cam strolled toward the car with a “Hey.”

“This is Zac and Makenna,” Ryan told him.

“And you’re Cam, Lydia’s mate,” said Zac, riding shotgun. “You were in a selfie that she sent me.” The Phoenix wolves often sent him photographs.

The baby-faced wolf smiled at him. “It’s good to finally meet you, Zac.” His smile shrunk a little as he nodded at Makenna. He was uncomfortable having a loner on his territory, and Ryan doubted that she would blame Cam for that.

“I’ll see you when your shift ends,” Ryan told Cam. Putting the Chevy in gear, he then proceeded to drive them deeper into his territory. As they neared the mountain, he said to Zac, “Look carefully at the front wall of the cliff. What do you see?”

Leaning forward, Zac studied it intently. “Holy shit,” he breathed. “I mean . . . wow,” he quickly corrected. “Makenna, do you see the windows and doors?”

“I see them.” Makenna was truly awed. She’d never before seen anything like it. “You live inside the mountain?” How cool was that?

The wonder in her voice pleased Ryan’s wolf. He wanted her to like his territory, as it would soon be her home. “Yes.”

“Did your pack build it?” asked Zac.

“No,” replied Ryan, entering the concealed parking lot where he whipped the Chevy in his usual space. “It was once an ancient cave dwelling. It’s been modernized over the years.” He led Zac and Makenna up the smooth stairways that were carved into the face of the cliff. Zac’s excitement grew as he noticed the arched balconies and glanced down at the surrounding land.

Reaching the main entrance, they found the Alpha pair waiting. Trey inclined his head in greeting while Taryn smiled and said, “Welcome to Bedrock.”

Zac chuckled. “This place is seriously awesome.”

Makenna nodded. “Very impressive.”

Taryn’s smile widened. “The interior is even better. Come on, everyone’s waiting.”