Those In The Forest

Part 19: Rose

She kissed us. On the lips!

        I figured we would have to beg for her to kiss us on the lips. But no, she did it of her own free will. And from the way she smiled after, she seemed proud of making us a flustered mess.

          Honestly, I didn't think this day would go like this. I thought it would just be a lot of the same. Watching Reagan intensely, ensuring she didn't fall down a depressing path, and ensuring we were all on the same page about her.

          Nowhere did I see us bumping into Dean. That wasn't very ideal, and it took me by surprise. Ivy seemed the most shocked, yet she wasn't scared of him. There was fear as well as anger, but it was all directed at something different.

          Ivy was afraid he would come for us. Come for Reagan, and considering Reagan is the weakest of us, I know her fear was primarily targeted toward her.

          I would have done everything in my power to ensure Dean didn't get to any of us. He is a cocky asshole, and in the few times I've met him, my urge to want him dead gets larger and larger.

          With Reagan being included with us now and her having her limitations on how she can protect herself, I'm more afraid this time.

          Having a human mate is not for the weak. So, I need to be strong for all of them.

          In my head, when our Elders and Alphas told us about the Dolin pack being in Washington, I thought we would have more time to prepare. I figured the Dolins pack information on Reagan was low, but I was wrong. Very wrong.

          They know a human knows about us, and worse, they know she is mated to us. The abomination pack. We aren't generational. Karnina and Celia made this pack a few years after their mating.

          While we have some allies who accept us, other packs don't believe we are legit. That we are true to our nature. Being bonded with Iris, Ivy, Hazel, and I was proof enough to them that we weren't natural. Reagan getting involved in making it possible for us to mate is just adding to our problems.

          We all walked into the cabin to the Elders and Alpha staring at us. What the fuck? Why are they pissed now?

          Reagan was clothed, and her demeanor was relaxed. The rest of us were fully nude. Iris shut the door, and that's when our Alphas spoke.

          "Have something to share with us?" Lennox raised a brow.

          We all stood by the door, confused. Reagan was looking at all of us, trying her hardest to read to the room.

          "Not to my knowledge, no," Hazel answered cooly.

          Karina hummed. "Funny because about an hour ago, we scented Dean on our land. Yet, no sign of any of the other Dolin pack." they all looked to Ivy. "What did he want with you all?" Karina asked, panicked.

          "Nothing. Okay? We handled it." Ivy said sternly.

          "DEAN IS NOT SOMETHING FOR YOU ALL TO HANDLE!" Celia growled. We all flinched back, pulling Reagan back with us. She looked at them with wide eyes.

          "He is a threat to all of us. And now that we have a human to take care of... he knows... they all know of her, and we have too many enemies. So tell us what happened with him?" Avah was scared. They all were. Their pheromones had nothing but fear, a little anger, but mostly scared... for us.

          I looked at Ivy silently, asking for her permission to tell them. This was a lot on her, I know. Eventually, today, we'll all sit and talk it out and comfort her, but now isn't the right time.

          She gave me a sad look and nodded her head. "His presence alone was meant to be a threat. He brought up Alan... trying to get a reaction out of us. He didn't get the one he wanted. That is until he threatened Reagan."

          They all looked at her. "He saw her? Scented her?" Celia asked, panicked. We all shook our heads. She sighed. "Fuck!"

          Reagan looked down at the floor. Her expression changed so quickly. She's sad. None of this is her fault. She has no reason to be sad. This was all kind of thrown at her. She had no control.

         "It doesn't matter. Laws are in place, with Reagan being our mates and this land being ours. They can't come here and hurt us. Any of us..." Ivy said, giving Reagan a comforting smile, but from her furrowed brows, it didn't work.

          "Dean already halfway broke our law. He may not have attacked, but he was trying to provoke you, to get you off the land. He was plotting. If he didn't fight... he got all the information he needed." Celia said, plopping down on the couch.

          "We can protect her." Iris finally spoke up.

          "NO YOU CAN'T!! You five aren't fully mated! You only share the bond. That's it. You all are strangers to her." Lennox yelled at us.

          Reagan's whole attitude changed from sad to... regretful. "I-I think I should... I'm going to go to the room."

          Before any of us could stop her, she ran up the stairs. The sound of the door shutting very forcefully filtered through the living room.

          "Are you okay?" I asked through the bond. We all looked to the stairs like we could see her.

          "I'm fine," Reagan answered. I'm not too convinced.

          "We can't force her to mate with us," I said aloud.

          Our Elders and Alphas looked at us with worried expressions.

          "You won't have to. Basic need and instinct will have you five mating before the end of this." Avah said exhaustedly.

          Ivy sighed and rubbed her temples. I really wish I knew what was going on inside that head of hers. I could ask, but this whole stressful situation could provoke her to lie. I wouldn't be upset, but I wish I knew how to fix this.

          I hate these emotions I can feel coming from my mates. How sad, broken, and defeated they feel.

          I'm still confused about why Reagan feels regretful.

A/N: How are you all liking the story so far?