Pack Secrets Read online

  Pack Secrets

  Fated Mate: Book 7

  Shannon Duane

  Copyright © 2014 by: Shannon Duane

  Cover Design by: Laura Shinn

  Edited by: Kama Monroe

  ISBN:

  Dedication

  This book, most definitely, is dedicated to Mrs. Monroe. You are the most dedicated fan and an awesome editor. I love your suggestions and enthusiasm. We’ll have our online coffee and chat soon. I love swapping stories and life experiences. I wonder if I should have had you edit the dedication…too late.

  Also, thanks to the Facebook ladies that give me opinions and double check my spelling and grammar. You know who you are and I’ll be checking in with you for the next book soon.

  On a serious note:

  This past month has been…interesting. Although life is difficult I want to thank my family, co-workers and everyone who has had a positive influence. My motto is to laugh through the stress. I hope that you’re able to find comedy or comfort in my words.

  I love life and the trials associated. I look forward to the future and all the wonderful experiences awaiting me.

  And…a big happy birthday to my Grandpa, you may be gone, but never forgotten.

  Shannon Duane

  Don’t miss the other books in Shannon’s Fated Mate series:

  Book 1 – An Alpha’s Trust

  Book 2 – A Second Chance

  Book 3 – A Pack Family

  Book 4 – Mate Magic

  Book 5 – Pack Law

  Book 6 – Surviving the Pack

  Book 7 – Pack Secrets

  Watch for Book 8 - coming soon!

  Irish Boys Series

  Book 1 – Carrick’s Caress

  Book 2 – Liam’s Danger

  Watch for book 3 –coming soon

  License Notes:

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without express written permission of the author. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy or copies. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Pack Secrets is a work of fiction. Though some of the cities and towns actually exist they are used in a fictitious manner for purposes of this work. All characters are works of fiction and any names or characteristics similar to any person past, present or future are coincidental.

  Prologue

  Justin silently watched as another of his brothers got married. He considered himself the last triplet standing. Ironically, while growing up he was the one who couldn’t wait to be mated and start a family. Which meant his bonehead brothers, no offense intended, had found their other halves first. Wasn’t that just the way of the world? He watched as the newly married Blake spun his mate Delilah around the dance floor during their first song, Stevie Wonder’s, ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered.’

  A little voice interrupted his moody internal dialogue. “Mister Justin, can you come help me? I was playing with a little boy, he’s four, and he fell. His knee hurts, Mister Justin.”

  Crouching to Trevor’s level, Justin laughed to himself because Trevor was six and if you were even days younger than him he considered you little. In all fairness, Trevor was blessed, or cursed, however you wanted to look at it, with the gift of sight. He’d had it all his life and was trying desperately to find a balance with what to tell people about the future and what to hold in. He might only be six, but it was an old six. Justin knew from experience how that sort of ability and responsibility could shape a young boy. He’d been born a natural healer, able to take pain of others into himself so they didn’t feel it and able to help wounds heal much faster, at a small cost to his own health.

  The voice interrupted his inner musings again. “Mister Justin…”

  “I’m sorry, Trev, of course I’ll help your new friend. Just lead on brave soldier and I’ll follow you.” He stood up as Trevor took his hand and led him to the corner of the room near the cake table. Sitting there was a small boy with dirty brown hair and frosting smeared all over his face.

  “Uh oh, someone got into the cake a little early, huh? Trevor, I know you ate some cake too, so go wash your hands or your parents will get mad. Don’t forget to bring me back a washcloth for this lil’ guys face, will ya?”

  Trevor ran off in the direction of the bathroom to do as Justin said. Justin crouched down, approaching the boy slowly. “Hi, my name is Justin, what’s your name?”

  The boy pushed farther into the corner, his brown hair shaking back and forth over his forehead, while he whimpered and clutched his knee. His eyes were wide and innocent, but held a smidge of fear. Obviously, his mother was smart and taught him stranger danger. It was inconvenient right now, but a good thing to know otherwise.

  Justin came a foot closer. “I won’t hurt you lil’ guy, I help people feel better.”

  He was now close enough to pick up a scent that clung to the boy’s clothes. Mango. The child didn’t smell like mango, but the sweet scent was faint on his clothes. Wow, he was instantly awake and alert. Why did such a common scent lingering on this little kid send his senses into overdrive? Could it be the scent of his future mate?

  “Move away from my son.”

  Holy moly, that voice. God, it was like cold butter on a warm biscuit, a nice cool beer on a hot summer day, and a thousand fingers massaging his entire body at the same time. If the kid weren’t right in front of him he might have shot a load into his tux.

  “I said, move away from my son. Please.”

  One minute he was crouched in front of the kid and the next he was on his ass looking up the skirt of a fine looking woman. Her hair might have been a dull brown, but her eyes were amber and had the most beautiful almond shape. Her hair appeared to be kissing her shoulders and was just as straight as her sons. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent deep into his lungs; well, I’ll be darned. Her perfume was…overwhelming. Some mix of flowers that didn’t enhance her natural scent at all. In fact, it was so unpleasant he sneezed.

  “I was just trying to make him feel better.”

  She moved closer and shot him an annoyed look full of a hefty side of disbelief. What did she think he was some sort of child molester? Trevor chose that moment to run up to Justin and throw a soaking wet wad of paper towels at him. He jumped when the towels hit his groin, soaking into his pants.

  “Here ya go, now you can clean up the evidence.”

  The intriguing woman stepped in front of the boy and hissed, an actual hiss like she was a cat and he was annoying her. She followed her hiss with, “I think it’s time we go, Carter.”

  Bending over, she gave him an enticing view of her tight backside followed by another quick whiff of her scent. He sneezed and pulled back in disgust. She must have bathed in a floral perfume: so much that he couldn’t even smell her natural scent. His nose burned, causing him to sneeze again and back away.

  Her son whimpered as she attempted to pick him up, so Justin pulled the wet paper towels out of his now soaked lap and approached slowly on his knees. “Hi, Carter, I’m Justin,” he turned to the woman, “and you are?”

  Trevor piped in, “That’s Carter’s mama, Ms. Dee.”

  Hands up with palms out Justin came closer. “I’m a healer. I just want to make your son more comfortable, I promise I won’t hurt him.”

  Trevor was on a roll, “Pfft, Justin wouldn’t hurt nobody, not even a fly, huh Justin?”

  “That’s right, Trev.” He turned towards Carter, forced to look around a still simmering Dee. “Did you scrape it on the ground when you fell?”

  Carter’s little head bobbed up and down as he looked between his mother and Justin.

  His attention on Dee, he asked, “May I take a look at hi
s knee? I truly won’t hurt him.”

  Just as the words came out of his mouth, he heard his brother, the new alpha, Blake. “Yo, Dee, what’s up? Why are you all mama bear protecting your cub?”

  Her back straightened as she answered. “I’m protecting my son. This man claims to be a healer and was trying to touch Carter.”

  Justin looked up at Blake and shrugged, unconcerned. He knew Blake would have his back.

  “He is a healer. He’s also my brother,” Blake winked at her, joking. “We’re triplets. Yep, three Nunn hunks. We’re so manly and awesome that they had to split us up, our collective charms were too overwhelming.”

  The new Mrs. Nunn, Blake’s mate, Delilah, smacked his arm. “You’re such a goofball. Leave them alone and let’s cut the cake.”

  A little whimper came from Carter’s direction and all eyes turned on his frosting covered face. Justin quickly jumped in front of him to hide the evidence. He passed Carter the paper towels behind his back as he addressed his brother. “Don’t you guys want one more dance before you eat cake? You only get married once, so you should be out on the dance floor.”

  Blake peered over at both Justin and Dee, promptly switching his focus to watch Carter squeeze water out of a paper towel then onto the floor, smacking his hand in the puddle laughing.

  Blake was smiling when he asked, “Whatcha doin’ kiddo?”

  Pushing himself back further Carter attempted to curl into a ball and ended up whimpering again as he clutched his knee. Blake shoved Dee and Justin out of the way asking, “What happened, little buddy? Did you get hurt?”

  Carter nodded.

  Blake twisted around to Justin. “Well…why haven’t you healed him yet?”

  Heaving a sigh, Justin answered. “I was trying to, but I don’t think his ma wants me to. She isn’t comfortable with me yet.”

  Blake’s normally playful eyes hardened. “I don’t care, heal him. I’m his alpha and right now I trump Dee. I want him to be all better so he can dance with all the ladies tonight and have fun. Isn’t that what you want, Dee?”

  Dee stood there watching her son with eagle eyes. She nodded her head once, but didn’t look convinced.

  Advancing slowly, still on his hands and knees, Justin placed his hand on Carter’s knobby knee. Warmth always seemed to flow out of him and into the person he was healing causing him to become cold. He sent his healing magic into the little body and found Carter had only very minor injuries causing him pain; he took the pain and swelling into his body leaving Carter fully healed. He also found an old skull fracture that he ensured was repaired as he wondered how he’d gotten it.

  “All done.” Justin took the now moist paper towels and swiped them over Carter’s face before backing off to sit on the floor in front of their small group.

  Blake took charge with his super charm. “Now, Carter, I want you to go find Mrs. Nunn, the old one, my mom, and ask her to dance. Got it? Oh, and don’t tell her I called her old.”

  Carter shot up and tested his knee, bending it back and forth before doing a few jumping jacks. “Cool, thanks, Mister Justin.” He ran off in the direction of Justin and Blake’s mother.

  The still charming alpha rounded on Dee. “I thought I told you not to wear,” His hand swiped at the air in front of her, “that stuff. It hurts my nose.”

  Dee stood tall and proud, well…as tall as she could considering she was short. Justin watched as her chin came up. “And I thought I explained to you, Alpha, why it was necessary.”

  Attempting a rebuttal Blake was silenced when his new mate Delilah put her finger to his lips. “No more, it’s our wedding day. There are so many people to mingle with and I can’t wait to cut this delicious looking cake. Come on stud,” she smacked his ass, “Let’s eat some cake.”

  His expression evened out to a wicked smile for his mate. “I’d rather eat something else, but if we must cut the cake let’s do it so I can take you home and have another slice of your…”

  Delilah’s entire hand came down on his lips again as her cheeks turned a rosy pink. “No more, Blake, you’re embarrassing me in front of our guests.”

  Justin stood on wobbly legs, noticing his knee hurt, as was the case when he healed someone. He took on their injury and he would heal in record time, his pain would last a half hour maximum.

  He reached over collecting the wedding knife and cake slicer, passing it to Delilah. “I’ll get the photographer.”

  As he limped past Dee he sneezed as he heard Blake reprimand her again. “I told you, no more of that hideous scent.”

  Justin threw a dirty look at his brother, wondering why he was so hard on Dee. Hopefully, there weren’t any hard feelings between her and his brother, because he really wanted to find the person whose scent lingered on Carter and smelled so good. Secretly, he wished it was Carter’s smokin’ hot mama. He loved her protective nature, and take-no-crap attitude. Plus, her lips were plump and ready to be kissed. If only she didn’t smell so bad.

  After hours of dancing, eating and more dancing, Justin removed his dress shoes and sighed. His knee had healed, but he had danced with the entire population of Alaska that was over seventy and several times he found he couldn’t help healing their arthritis, or in one woman’s case her gout. Yikes, that had hurt like crazy. Whoever said getting old was great…lied. The golden years my butt.

  His flight out of Alaska was booked for the next morning and he was hesitant at even the thought of boarding the plane. What if he never found the person behind that scent? He was pretty sure that was his mate’s scent all over the kid. He’d tried all night at the wedding to locate its source, but ended up with nothing. That scent would haunt his dreams. He hoped the owner hadn’t already left, because he planned on staying up all night in wolf form hunting for her.

  He was embarrassed to admit he’d asked Trevor if he’d seen his mate in a vision, but Trevor looked at his scowling mother as she shook her head. Why Shana wouldn’t want him to find his mate was beyond him before Trevor’s small voice said, hesitantly, “I’m sorry, Mister Justin, it’s not time; but soon.”

  After that cryptic remark Justin changed into his wolf form and began tracking his prey.

  Chapter 1

  Things happened for a reason. Justin had to keep telling himself that over and over in his head. After Blake and Delilah’s wedding, where he’d scented his mate, he’d had no choice but to board the plane back home and leave the possibility of his fated behind in Alaska.

  Since then, he couldn’t help but be cranky, even though he’d kept very busy. Paul and Bailey welcomed the new additions to their family shortly after, twin girls. He helped to ease Bailey’s pain while attempting to manage Paul’s anxiety. His parents were ecstatic over the birth of their first grandchildren. And so proud of how well Blake was doing with his new alpha status.

  As always, Justin felt like there was a gaping hole in his life just waiting to be filled.

  This is why he jumped when Blake called him to come back to Alaska. The alpha needed his help with a few things. And of course, the old biddies would love to see him again. He was ever the popular one for what he could provide-arthritis relief.

  Not dwelling on those bitter thoughts he loaded himself onto the crowded plane, hating that he’d be trapped in this metallic, scent filled nightmare for a while. Instead he focused on the renewed hope of finding his mate.

  “Mama, why can’t I go to the moon run? I want to go; I never been afor.”

  “It’s before Carter, not afore. I’ve already told you why you can’t go. I can’t watch you. So, please, stop asking.”

  Dee enjoyed having her son back in town, but he didn’t like to hear the word no. Her parents had indulged him while he was living with them. The constant struggle to establish and enforce rules was weighing her down. Not to mention that, in addition to having her son back, the alpha’s cat had decided it was going to live with her-uninvited of course. One day she came home from work, opened the door, and Mr. Boo, accordi
ng to his pet tag, just sauntered in. She’d tried taking him back to the alpha, but he always found his way back. So she was forced to buy it food, and then a cat bed. Then, according to Carter, he needed toys and a litter box too.

  “But, Mama, Alpha Blake can watch me. He’s my alpha, and he says I could go.”

  She could feel the ache begin in her jaw from grinding her teeth. “I’m your mother, and I say no. Enough is enough. Time to shower.”

  “But-“

  “No, Carter, not tonight. Please, let it go for tonight.”

  Carter’s head fell forward as he sniffled, “Okay, Mama.”

  She hated to do this to her son, but she was having a hard time concentrating with the smell of the perfume she constantly bathed in. It was annihilating her sense of smell and even her taste was off. She really needed to shower and put Carter to bed; maybe then her headache would go away.

  After she got Carter washed up in the bath she was soaked anyway. He loved making waves and seeing how high he could get the water. Occasionally he would accidentally create a wave too big and it would inevitable find her. Oh, the joys of motherhood.

  After drying Carter off Dee poured herself a glass of cold milk and warmed up some milk for Carter. She sat him in front of the television with Mr. Boo curled up in his little lap, and put on some cartoons to keep him busy while she took a quick shower. As she carried her milk with her to the bathroom she noticed Mr. Boo small tongue lapping at Carter’s milk so she sent a hiss his way, but he simply looked up briefly before continuing to eye her while he enjoyed her sons drink.

  As she stood under the spray she found herself thinking about her alpha’s brother, Justin Nunn. Not only was he hot, but his presence was calming like her alphas. His healing abilities were extraordinary, and the fact that he would heal her son without knowing him or gaining anything in return was baffling. She’d watched him through the night. He’d dance with the elderly women of the pack and place his hand on the men’s shoulders in passing, always leaving them less stiff afterwards. By the end of the night he was walking a bit more hunched and the people on the dance floor were boogying away into the night. The cook had described that when they danced she had felt flushed and then her chronic arthritis pain was relieved.