Free The Road to Redemption by Nicky Charles Page B

each
other, a silent battle passing between them. He didn’t look away
and neither did she. Their surroundings faded into the background
until all that remained was the force of their wills colliding in
the space separating them. How long they stood there, he wasn’t
sure. Eventually, as one, they both nodded and the tension that had
been crackling between them eased.
     

Chapter
6
    Sam stood behind her chair at the head of the
dining room table waiting for the pack members to file in. After
their confrontation in the weight room, she’d left Damien to his
own devices, stating she had work to do and would see him at
dinner. As far as she knew, he’d spent some time in the cellar
working out, and had then begun to repair the porch like he’d said
he would. The sounds of hammering, and some random swearing, had
drifted into her office. Perversely, she’d hoped that he’d hit his
thumb with a hammer. The man irritated her. He challenged her
authority, pushed her buttons. He stayed just this side of
insubordination, and that was only because she was being lenient
with him. Dammit, she needed him and couldn’t afford to have him
leave—after all, where would she find another rogue at this late
date? But that didn’t mean she was enthralled with his
presence.
    “Sam.”
    Hiram, Keith
and Alyssa entered the room, each calling a greeting. At the same
time, from the direction of the kitchen, Jonah entered carrying a
steaming bowl of pasta; he was on kitchen duty, much to everyone’s
delight. Jonah was a trained chef and his meals were always
delicious.
    Jonah gave
Damien a suspicious look as he set down the dish before making his
way to his chair. He’d been against taking on a rogue, but had been
outnumbered when they’d put it to a vote. Of course, he accepted
the will of the pack, but it didn’t mean he was happy with the
fact.
    Damien stood
silently to her right. There were no signs of tension coming from
him despite the fact that he had to have sensed Jonah’s animosity.
And the other Lycans who entered were unabashedly studying him as
well. He withstood the scrutiny without any change in his breathing
pattern, his face expressionless as he met each person’s gaze with
a steady look. In each instance, it was the other wolf that looked
away first, and through that simple act, Damien’s authority was
recognized.
    It irked Sam,
even though it shouldn’t, and made her voice come out sharper than
she intended.
    “Listen up.”
The undercurrent of conversation ended and everyone looked her way.
“Pack, this is Damien, the rogue we talked about. He’s going to be
our temporary Beta.” She emphasized the word temporary and gave him
a sidelong look to which he barely raised a brow.
    General
greetings were murmured and Damien inclined his head in response.
Sam scanned the faces that surrounded the table. There was no
tension, no animosity. Good. Giving a nod, she took her seat and
everyone followed suit.
    Dinner was
fairly informal beyond the custom of everyone waiting for her
permission to be seated. It was a throwback to her
great-grandfather’s day or perhaps even earlier. She’d yet to
decide whether she wanted it to continue or not. It reinforced her
position as Alpha, yet smacked a tad too much of the military for
her taste. Oh well, she had more pressing matters to deal with than
petty protocol and launched into giving Damien a brief introduction
to the Lycans that were present. Of course, not everyone had been
able to attend. A few were still on patrol and some held jobs at
local establishments; their incomes were badly needed to help keep
up with daily operating expenses.
    As plates
emptied and stomachs filled, Sam began to ask the various members
about their day, whether it was pack business or, for the pup, his
homework. Florence, who cared for her grandfather, gave an update
on his condition.
    Sam nodded and
made notes when needed. She’d eaten quickly so as to be able to
focus most of her attention on