Isaiah's Haven

by N. J. Walters

  He paused, closed his eyes and let his head fall back on his neck. He was so damn tired. Exhaustion tugged at him, urging him to curl up on the mattress for a few hours. “Soon,” he promised himself.

  Working his eyes open, he went into the bathroom and turned on the cold tap, flicking water on his face to try to wake himself up. He grabbed the tail of his T-shirt and rubbed it over his face. He peered at himself in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot. His face was grim.

  There was little he could do about how he looked. “Get on with it,” he growled at his reflection. He turned off the tap and headed for the door. He’d get enough supplies to get him through a couple of days. Then he’d come back and catch a few hours sleep.

  Bending down, he checked the knife in his boot. The deadly blade was coated in silver, so it worked well on werewolves and hunters alike. He wasn’t taking any chances. Not with Meredith’s safety.

  Grabbing a flannel shirt from his duffle, he slipped it on and left his new home, locking up behind him. His first stop would be a hardware store to pick up a new lock. He wasn’t taking a chance that anyone else had a key.

  His sneakers made little sound on the treads of the narrow staircase. The entrance to the upper floors was around the back of the building, which suited him just fine. There was also access with another staircase at the front of the building, but the back worked better for him. Less chance of Meredith or any of her pack catching sight of him.

  Not that he expected that to last. After all, he was living here now. They were bound to run into one another eventually. His gut clenched and a muscle beneath his left eye began to pulse. He’d deal with that when he had to.

  For now, he had things to do and places to go. The quicker he got the necessary chores out of the way, the faster he’d be back to start his surveillance of the club for the evening.

  He pushed open the back door and listened. He inhaled, ignoring the stench from a nearby dumpster and the mixture of gas and pollution in the air. He heard nothing out of the ordinary, nor could he smell anyone. He stepped out and glanced around, scanning high and low.

  Satisfied he wasn’t being watched, he headed toward the street. He turned left and started walking, making a mental list of everything he needed.

  His thoughts drifted to Meredith and he swore under his breath. A sense of urgency tugged at him. He didn’t want to leave her, even for a few hours.

  She was safe. For now. He had to believe that. She was surrounded by her pack and they were all on high alert. The bounty hunters would need time to regroup. She was in no danger, not until nightfall.

  Still, that niggling sense that something was wrong wouldn’t leave him. “There is no other danger,” he assured himself. He dragged his hand through his hair and took a deep breath when he noticed several people looking oddly at him.

  Talking to himself in public was not the way to stay unnoticed.

  He noticed a thrift store on a side street. They would have blankets and sheets and maybe some basic kitchen stuff. He’d get whatever he could there. He could dump it back at his place and then go searching for a grocery store. There had to be something close by. Even a convenience store would do. He wasn’t picky.

  But there was no way he could leave the neighborhood. His instincts were screaming at him to stay close. So close he would stay.

  There was always takeout and restaurants for food, and if the thrift shop didn’t have what he needed, he’d sleep on the bare mattress.

  Hell, he’d slept on the ground before. No big deal. He could always shift and curl up if had to. His wolf certainly wouldn’t care.

  Decision made, Isaiah relaxed slightly, but still stayed on alert as he pulled open the door of the thrift shop and stepped inside.

  Meredith cried out. The sound woke her and she wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to shake off the remnants of her dream. It vibrated through her like a never-ending ache. Loneliness filled her, reminding her of all she’d lost.

  She rolled over and glanced at the clock on her bedside table, surprised to see that five hours had passed. In spite of all the thoughts she had running through her brain, she’d eventually drifted off to sleep.

  But Isaiah had followed her there, finding his way into her dreams.

  It had started out so good. She’d been lying in bed trying to sleep, and he’d come to her. It had never occurred to her to question why he was here or why he was naked. She’d reveled in the sight of his wide shoulders, massive biceps, ripped abs and muscular thighs. He’d been aroused. His penis stood tall and proud, the tip red and wet as he moved toward her.

  He belonged with her. She’d pushed back the covers to reveal her nude body, inviting him into her bed. He’d smiled at her then, a roguish smile filled with sensual promise. She knew he could smell her essence. She was wet between her thighs, ready to take him. There was no disguising her puckered nipples or the way her breasts swayed with each deep breath she took.

  She shivered at the memory.

  He’d devoured her with his eyes before kneeling on the bed and starting with his hands and mouth. He’d touched and licked and tasted every inch of her skin from the sensitive curve of her neck to the tips of her toes.

  The look in his eyes had aroused and frightened her at the same time. This was a male who wouldn’t be denied.

  And she didn’t want to.

  She wanted to give him everything. Share every aspect of herself.

  “Roll over.” His deep voice had washed over her. His command demanding her compliance.

  She’d rolled over on her hands and knees. She known what was coming, had wanted him to claim her, to mate with her.

  Meredith had waited, breath held, needing to feel his large body covering hers.

  Nothing but cool air had hit her skin.

  She peered over her shoulder only to see him fading into the shadows.

  “You sent me away. You sent me away.” His voice had become little more than a whisper until it disappeared totally.

  She’d cried out and the sound had pulled her out of sleep.

  She lay on the bed shivering, not with cold, but with barely suppressed desire. She didn’t want to move. Her breasts ached and her sex throbbed, empty and aching.

  She could easily have stayed in bed forever. Being surrounded by Isaiah’s scent was almost as good as being held in his arms. But he wasn’t here, his smell would eventually fade from the sheets and she had a family to protect.

  Sighing, she shoved the comforter down and sat up. She felt groggy and it was difficult to string a coherent thought together. Her mouth was dry and she felt sticky and uncomfortable.

  She’d slept in her clothes. How grungy was that?

  Sliding her legs over the side of the mattress, she paused and took a moment to collect herself. No one had come looking for her. That was a good sign. Benjamin must be resting and there had been no further threats to the security of the pack, at least for the moment. Still, she had to know.

  It took more effort than she’d thought to stand, but once she was on her feet she went straight to the kitchen and grabbed the phone. She had no idea where her cell phone was and didn’t want to take the time to search for it. The phone rang twice before it was answered.

  “Haven.” Michael’s voice came clearly over the line.

  She tried to swallow and realized too late that she should have had a glass of water first. “Hey, honey.” She cleared her throat and kept going. “How is Benjamin?”

  “He’s still sleeping. Everything is fine. Give me a sec.” She heard him call out to Kevin and then the sounds of the club receded. The sound of footsteps echoed through the receiver. She turned toward her front door just as it opened and Michael walked in.

  Meredith clicked her phone off and put it back in the stand. Michael tucked his phone into his back pocket and kept coming until she was enfolded in his arms.

  “Did you sleep at all?” His voice was gruff with concern.

  She pulled back so she cou
ld see him clearly. “I didn’t expect to, but I did. Thank you.”

  He shook his head, a pained look in his eyes. “Don’t thank me. It’s no more than I should have done.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and continued. “We called in the human staff to work the day shift. Hank and I took turns keeping an eye on things while everyone else rested. We figured it was better if only family worked tonight. Just in case.”

  He didn’t need to finish that statement. They were all expecting trouble of some kind, sooner rather than later.

  Meredith stifled a yawn. She really needed a cool shower to throw off the remnants of her nap, and her erotic dream. “Good thinking.”

  Michael smiled at her, reached out and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. “Why don’t you shower and come downstairs. Teague has a pot of chicken soup on the stove waiting for you.”

  In spite of his rough appearance, Teague was a wizard in the kitchen. And his chicken soup was her favorite. “I think I’d like that.”

  Her son leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Good.”

  “I’ll check on Benjamin first.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Michael kissed her again. “We’ve got it covered downstairs until you get there.”

  He left her standing in her kitchen, slightly bemused. There was a change in her son, a new maturity that hadn’t been there before. Maybe something good had come out of this mess.

  And maybe it was her fault he hadn’t matured as quickly as he possibly should have. She’d been guilty of overprotecting all of them.

  “What’s done is done.” She headed toward the shower, tugging off clothing as she went.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Isaiah had decided to have a quick bite to eat at a restaurant just down the road before going back to settle in to his watch for the night. He was enjoying a quick dinner of lasagna and garlic bread when the hairs on the back of his neck stirred.

  He lowered his fork slowly, not daring to move, barely daring to breathe. Something was wrong.

  His free hand slid down to the sheath strapped to his ankle, his fingers closing around the hilt of his knife. Danger. His instincts were screaming at him.

  His first thought was bounty hunters. He scanned the room but didn’t recognize anyone. Not that he expected to. They’d killed the hunters who had attacked last night. All except for the unknown sniper on the rooftop who’d gotten away.

  A group of men followed a waitress to a table on the far side of the room. He studied the way they moved, the way their gazes scanned the room. Isaiah glanced down at his plate just in time to avoid being caught looking at them.

  Werewolves.

  There was no disguising the way they moved or their hyper-awareness of their surroundings. It took one to know one. What were three werewolves doing here?

  This neighborhood was getting very crowded with paranormal creatures and hunters.

  Coincidence? He didn’t think so.

  The smells of the humans and the spices of the food helped mask their scent. Which was a good thing. If he couldn’t smell them, they couldn’t know about him. He’d be fine as long as he didn’t draw their attention.

  He picked up his fork and forced himself to start eating. Using his preternatural sense of hearing, he tried to eavesdrop on them. It wasn’t easy. He had to tune out all the other noise around him.

  The men ordered dinner and said little until the waitress returned with their meals. A waitress came up to take Isaiah’s empty dinner plate and he ordered coffee and a dessert he didn’t want. But there was no way he could leave before these men. They’d spot him in a heartbeat. And while they were no danger to him, he didn’t want them asking any questions about what he was doing here.

  He would do nothing that might jeopardize Meredith and her pack.

  After what felt like an eternity, but was probably no more than twenty minutes, one of the men shot a glance around the room and leaned in closer. Isaiah pretended to be absorbed with his dessert, but listened intently.

  “…email…park…”

  Isaiah swore under his breath. He needed to hear more. Had someone contacted them about what had happened in the park last night? Were they possibly here to search for more bounty hunters? That made sense. Werewolves hated the hunters with a passion.

  “…wolves…female…”

  A low growl threatened to escape him and Isaiah barely managed to swallow it back. The muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled and bunched. He forced himself to breathe deep and slow. The last thing he needed to do was change and let his wolf rip out their throats. That would surely attract unwanted attention.

  The metal fork in his hand bent and he carefully set it on the table by his plate. The men shoved away from the table and headed toward the front door. He studied them surreptitiously as they paid for their meal.

  When the front door closed behind them, Isaiah was on his feet and across the room. He tossed his waitress the money for his meal and a substantial tip and exited the restaurant.

  As the warm air and spicy smells receded, he peered up and down the street, catching a glimpse of the men as they turned a corner. Isaiah loped down the sidewalk. He had to know what they were doing. If they were friend or foe.

  Opening all his senses, Isaiah took a quick glance around the corner before following the three men into a dark alley.

  The smells that masked his presence also made it more difficult to follow the wolves. Thankfully, they weren’t exactly sneaking around or he’d have had a much harder time.

  Isaiah slipped through the darkness, keeping to the shadows. He ducked into a doorway just as one of the men turned suddenly. Shit, he was too close.

  “This is the spot,” said a large male with long brown hair, an experienced werewolf from the way he carried himself.

  The other two looked around the ground. “The guy who contacted us said there were two females and several males in the park last night.”

  “Why would he email us?” the guy who’d almost caught Isaiah asked. That was the same question Isaiah wanted answered. He stood in the shadows, not moving a muscle.

  “There’s really only one reason why he would.” He didn’t elaborate, but kept on searching the ground. “I want to know what we’re supposed to be looking for,” the large man complained. “Why couldn’t he have just given us the details in the damn email? This cloak and dagger shit is for amateurs.”

  “That’s what you get when you’re dealing with humans.” The wolf who’d done the talking back at the restaurant ignored the other two while he scanned the ground. He suddenly pointed at a bottle. “I think there’s a note in there.”

  The male who was closest stalked across the alley, grabbed the bottle and opened it. “Hmmm, looks like our friend has had several men watching the street all day and found what he was looking for.” The male smiled and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. Isaiah peered between a crack in the brickwork and waited with bated breath. Had they found Meredith and her pack?

  “Show me.” The largest male, and obviously the leader of the three, held out his hand. He took the note his friend offered and scanned it. “Seems as though our mysterious contact did more than find them. He had a guy watching and he saw something he thought would interest us.”

  “What?” the younger man asked. “Women?”

  “Yup. And possibly a half-breed male. Maybe more.” The leader of the three crumpled the paper in his hand and stuffed it into his pocket. “Gotta love online social networking. We’re going to pay a little visit later tonight when the club closes down. I’m just glad we were close enough to Chicago to get here tonight.”

  “That’s why they contacted us.” The man who’d done the talking at the restaurant smiled.

  “Why don’t we just go and get them?” the younger male asked.

  Isaiah’s entire body tensed, ready to fight. No one was touching Meredith or her family. Over his dead body. Or rather, over their dead bodies.

  His fingernails elon
gated and his fangs lengthened. The wolf was close to taking hold. Protecting his mate superseded all else.

  The big man smacked the younger one in the back of the head. “Because you never take the word of a human, one who is most likely a hunter. We don’t want to destroy one of our own. Besides, it could be a trap for us. We’ll watch until the club closes, then we’ll pay our visit.”

  The three men continued down the alley and disappeared.

  Isaiah released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Meredith was safe. For now. It had to have been the sniper on the rooftop who’d contacted these wolves. Either that or someone he was working with. Meredith’s cover was truly blown.

  Shit. He swore as he leaned against the wall of the building and hit the back of his head against the brickwork. This meant that both the hunters and a group of purist werewolves knew about Meredith and her family. This was turning into a clusterfuck of epic proportions. And it was all his fault.

  There was nothing to be done about it. Their secret was out. The only thing he could do now was protect them. They’d have to be ready to move, and fast.

  His heart hammered and blood surged through his veins. He longed for a fight. He needed an outlet for his anger and these males were it. He’d send Meredith and the rest of the pack to safety. Then he’d give these wolves a little something they hadn’t been expecting.

  Pushing away from the wall, he listened. He was alone. Still, he was cautious as he loped down the alley and back onto the sidewalk. He could see the lights of Haven down the street. His heart ached at the thought of what he was about to do.

  Meredith had sent him away after what happened. He’d be lucky if she didn’t try to kill him, given the bomb he was about to drop on her.