[Mammoth Forest Wolves 01.0] Liam

by Kimber White

  I stepped off my small, square, cement patio and knelt in the grass. Pressing my fingers into the earth, I felt heat rising up through the ground.

  “Liam,” I whispered. I felt his slow, rhythmic breathing. He was asleep. There might be miles of rock separating us, but he could have been standing right beside me. God, had he known? Of course he had. Why else would he have chosen that particular section among hundreds of miles of tunnels to sleep?

  It comforted me enough to get through the next day. Still, I felt on edge, hoping to feel his presence. Hoping he would decide spending time apart wasn’t necessary.

  I busied myself with charts and patient intake. Bess had surgeries scheduled all day. She’d taken a group of interns with her, so it left Jason and me mostly alone. It’s what I needed.

  “How’d it go with your new man last night?” Jason asked, nudging me with his shoulder.

  A felt my cheeks heat with a creeping blush. Dammit. My poker face sucked. “Never you mind,” I said. There was no point in trying to deny anything. It would raise more suspicion than honesty.

  “Well, good,” he said. “Glad to hear one of us is getting laid.”

  I raised a brow. “Oh? Care to share?”

  Jason shrugged. “No, Michael’s just off at training for a couple of weeks.”

  I’d forgotten, Jason’s partner served in the Kentucky Air National Guard. He’d been deployed a couple of years ago to the Persian Gulf. Jason had been a wreck the entire time.

  I came up behind him and rested my chin on his shoulder. “Well, let’s just say my new man and I are dealing with a forced separation of our own. Maybe you should come hang out with me tonight. We can watch ‘90s slasher movies and drink homemade wine. My neighbor makes it.”

  Jason touched his temple to my cheek. “That sounds like a slice of heaven, buttercup. Count me in.”

  The television we kept above the waiting room benches was tuned to the local news. My heart tripped as the scenes from last night’s fire at Bernie’s came on. Jason picked up the remote and upped the volume.

  “This was something else,” he said. “I walked by on my way home from work last night.”

  “What are they saying?” I asked, as ice filled my veins.

  Jason stared at the screen, gesturing with the remote. “Arson, maybe. At least they’re not ruling it out. One of Michael’s friends from the gym is a volunteer fireman. I called him last night. It’s awful. That husband and wife were sleeping when it happened. They didn’t get out. You know that boy, their grandson?”

  My throat grew thick. I gripped the edge of the counter, bracing myself for what I knew Jason was going to say next. Oh, God, I didn’t want to hear it. “Brady,” I whispered.

  “Yeah. Sweet kid,” Jason clucked his tongue. “He was up in the attic apartment, I guess. There’s all kinds of rumors floating around. Like maybe the kid was trying to cook meth or something. I don’t know. Anyway, he didn’t make it out either.”

  “Brady’s dead.”

  “Yep,” Jason answered. “Breaks my heart. He was troubled, that kid. I thought maybe he was autistic or something. I don’t know. Something. The Langleys were doing the best they could trying to raise him. I’d just hate it if they ended up getting burned alive for their trouble. Molly?”

  Jason called after me, but I was already out the back door into the alley. I got as far as the dumpster before my stomach lurched and I threw up all over the pavement. Oh, God. Oh, Brady. There was no way this was an accident. This had to be the Chief Pack. They knew. They found out the Langleys were helping Liam and the others.

  Clutching the brick wall, I straightened. If they could find out about the Langleys, it meant this clinic might be next. God, what would I do if anything happened to Jason or Bess or the others inside?

  It meant we were out of time. I would have to pack up as many meds and supplies as I could today and get them to Keara. Then, we’d have to cool it until the Chief Pack moved on. I just prayed she’d have enough to last for a while.

  I ignored Jason’s questions when I went back inside. It was now or never. I made some excuse about needing to finish up inventory. Jason hated doing that kind of administrative stuff, so I wouldn’t have to worry about him snooping. Bess shouldn’t be out of the O.R. for at least an hour. It didn’t leave me much time, but it would have to be enough.

  I sent a quick text to Keara. “We need to step up delivery. Figure out a place to meet that’s far away from the clinic. I’ll meet you tonight.”

  Her answer was swift and decisive. She agreed. She gave me an address just outside of town.

  I went back into the supply room. We had a pharmacy shipment coming in tomorrow. Near the end of the day already, I didn’t have to worry about anyone needing things from back here. At best, we’d have some walk-ins needing heartworm pills and flea prevention.

  I grabbed an empty box and straightened my back. No time to get squeamish now. I looted as many of the antibiotics as I could, leaving maybe a two-day supply in the cabinet. I arranged some of the other meds to make it look like the cabinet was more full than it was. My hands shook as I grabbed the vials of phenobarbital. It was the most potent drug we had, mostly used for euthanasia. Keara had a theory that in large enough quantities, it might work to incapacitate a shifter...at least for a little while. I prayed none of us would ever be in a position to test that theory.

  Once I’d filled the box, I sealed it with packing tape. I’d leave it out in the alley by the dumpster, covering it with old newspapers. Garbage pickup wasn’t for two more days. I should be able to slip out and get it to my car before leaving for the day.

  Testing the tape, I slid the box off the counter. The hallway was empty, so I stole outside unseen. I found a darkened corner near the dumpster and plenty of refuse to spread over the top of it. The goods would be safe and sound until I finished my shift. When I turned, I came face to face with Bess, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

  My spine pricked as my brain went a million miles an hour. I tried to concentrate on keeping my breathing steady. We hadn’t really discussed it, but I knew by instinct that Liam was tapped into my emotional state even more keenly since the other night. If he sensed me in distress, there’s no telling what he might do.

  I smoothed a hair out of my eyes and tried to muster the most normal smile I could. “Hey, Bess. Just trying to clean up the mess in the supply room. It got kind of out of hand. How did Dusty’s cruciate repair go?”

  She kept her hands crossed, her eyes darting over me. She was sweating beneath her lab coat and I didn’t like the expression on her face.

  “You’ve been with me a long time, Molly,” she said. “Longer than Jason, even.”

  I moved away from the box by the dumpster, hoping desperately she hadn’t seen too much. The dumpster itself was full to the brim. Pickup was tomorrow morning. It was plausible that I wouldn’t have been able to fit the box inside of it. But, if she’d seen me covering it, I didn’t know how to explain that away.

  “I know,” I said coming toward her. “Crazy, right?”

  “Five years,” she said. “I hired you right out of high school.”

  “Ha! Has it been that long? You thinking about throwing me a party? I’m sure Jason would be all over that. I think when he grows up he wants to be an event planner. He’d be great at it. The 2016 Christmas party is becoming the stuff of legends.”

  When I tried to go for the door, Bess moved, blocking my path. “What’s in the box, Molly?”

  My heart dropped. Fuck. She’d seen. “I told you.” I figured I might as well commit. She was suspicious, but in the end, Bess had always been a pushover. “Expired stuff. Stuff we don’t stock anymore. Garbage, mostly.”

  “There’s a protocol for that,” she said. “We don’t just throw expired medication out in the trash.”

  She moved past me and headed for the dumpster. There was no point in trying to stop her. Bess leaned down, stuffed the newspapers in a corner and l
ifted the flap on the box. Her eyes darted over the contents and all color drained from her face.

  Still squatting, she turned to me. Headlights flooded the alley. Bess’s ride had arrived and my heart dropped.

  “You gotta be kidding me,” I said. It was too late to make a run for the baseball bat. Zeke stepped out of the driver’s seat. His eyes hardened as he recognized me. The dent I’d put in the hood of his truck was still there.

  “This is between us, Zeke,” Bess said. “I’ll be there in just a minute.”

  Zeke’s jaw froze mid-chew. He had a wad of tobacco in his mouth. He let out breath and his mouth curved into a snarl. But, he climbed back into the cab of his truck, keeping the window rolled down.

  Bess picked up the box of meds and walked it over to me. “What are you doing, Molly? You have to know how dangerous this is.”

  My gaze locked with hers. I could see everything she was thinking written plainly there. She knew.

  “How long have you know about them?” I asked.

  Bess’s brow arched. “That’s what you ask me? How long have I known? Come on, Molly. This is Shadow Springs. My father is a city councilman. My mother works in the mayor’s office.

  The Chief Pack is everywhere. That’s what Liam told me when we first met. I just never realized how deep. I took a gamble. She’d either think I was crazy, or she wouldn’t.

  “Then you must know all of it. Have you seen what they do? How they force women to mate with shifters against their will? It’s human trafficking, Bess. Do you support that?”

  Pain crossed her face. She didn’t think I was crazy. She looked back at Zeke to see if he was paying attention. At the moment, he was fiddling with the radio.

  “Molly, this is dangerous, what you’re doing. Never mind illegal. If you get caught…” She didn’t finish the sentence. I couldn’t bring myself to ask her whether she knew about the Langleys.

  I grew bold. Stepping forward, I took the box from her. My heart started to beat again when she didn’t try to keep it from me. She heaved it into my arms and took a step back.

  “What do we do here, Bess?” I asked.

  Her face went white as conflict swirled within her. Bess Kennedy had a big heart. It’s what I liked most about her. I just prayed it would be the thing that kept her from standing in my way.

  “No more,” she whispered. “I mean it. I can’t let you risk it. Those meds are assigned to me.”

  “Do you think I haven’t thought of that? I’ve scraped off every serial and batch number. If anyone ever finds them, they won’t be tied to you.”

  She spit out a laugh. “Jesus, Molly. You’re not dumb. Don’t act like it. How many veterinary clinics do you think there are in Shadow Springs? We’re it. Sure, it might not hold up in a court of law, but that’s not what we’re dealing with, is it?”

  “Are you going to turn me in?” I asked. A pregnant pause hovered between us. Bess searched my face. Zeke’s car door opened and he headed for us.

  Bess plastered on a smile and turned to him. “Sorry, babe. We just had to go over some things so I don’t forget tomorrow. We’re about wrapped up now.”

  “Whatcha got in the box?” Zeke said. The smell of tobacco and liquor wafted off of him. Good God, he staggered when he walked. Was Bess actually thinking of letting him get behind the wheel like that with her in the car?

  “Stool samples,” I said pretending to foist it toward him. Zeke drew back. His eyes narrowed with contempt as he realized I’d just been joking.

  “I’ll take care of this,” I said to Bess. “You two go on. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “You better watch yourself,” Zeke said, stepping closer. “You’ve got a mouth on you. You’re bossy. You do what Bess tells you, not the other way around.”

  “Hmm. I might say the same to you.” God, I don’t know why I didn’t just smile and nod like some simpleton. I couldn’t help it, Zeke brought out the worst in me.

  “Molly,” Bess warned. She put a hand on Zeke’s arm and tried to pull him away. “Come on, baby. I’m hungry. You promised to take me to dinner.”

  He jerked his arm away from her and raised it. Bess’s involuntary flinch seared through me. She took a few steps back, then turned, heading for the pickup. She’d abandoned me with Zeke.

  He licked his lips and leered at me. My stomach rolled again. “I think you might need to start looking for another job. You know if you piss me off enough, I’ll get her to fire you. Bess does what I say.” Zeke got close enough that I could smell the beer on his breath.

  A shadow crossed his face. My heart tripped and a hand came down, gripping Zeke’s arm. Liam came from everywhere and nowhere. He pulled Zeke back and shoved him toward the pickup.

  “Zeke, I think it’s in your best interests to do what the fuck I say. Get in your car, drive away. Don’t look back.”

  Zeke stumbled, but made his way back to the truck. Bess sat slack-jawed in the front seat. Zeke squealed the tires as he backed out and drove away.

  Liam turned to me. “Come on. It’s time to get you out of here.”

  Fifteen

  Liam

  It was Molly’s light touch on my arm that kept the wolf from coming out. It would have been so easy. I saw what she couldn’t see. Zeke Redmond would hurt her. Angry lust poured through him as he looked at her, licking his lips. He wanted to control her, make her submit to him in the most degrading ways to punish her for standing up to him. My fingers trembled with the need to draw blood. My entire body emitted a low vibration as I stood between them.

  Mercy. He would beg for it. I would show him none. But, Zeke got smart at the last second, knowing full well what I was. That was a different problem.

  “I’m ready,” Molly said. She stepped in my line of sight as Zeke’s tires squealed and he drove away. She held a cardboard box in her arms, the sides bowed out from the weight of it. I took it from her.

  “I brought my own truck this time,” I said. She gave me a wide-eyed look.

  “It’s Keara’s dad’s,” I said. “Or was. He passed away a couple of years ago. We don’t use it much, but I figured it would be less conspicuous than me hauling you off over my shoulder.”

  A glimmer of desire made her eyes shine. It acted on me just like a drug. Lust poured through me and my cock was already hard just standing this close to her. I had to get a lid on it, fast. The Chief Pack was everywhere tonight. I’d passed two patrol cars on my way in. One of them slowed and gave me a curious look, but they didn’t stop me. Word was, they were focusing on the Langley tragedy. If we were very lucky, they would think the trouble stopped with Brady.

  God, my heart tore in two thinking about that poor kid.

  “Did you see him?” Molly asked as she slid into the passenger seat. She was already getting so good at picking up my moods. She couldn’t read my thoughts. Someday, if I ever marked her, she would. But pain sparked in her eyes that mirrored my own. Yes, I’d seen what they did to Brady, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about it yet.

  I’d parked the old Ford pickup one street over. I leaned forward and locked her seatbelt. She gave me a wry smile.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

  She leaned in and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. Well, I think she meant it that way at any rate. Just that light touch stirred my wolf. We had only just begun the other night. I had so many more things I wanted to do to her if we ever got the chance.

  “I’m safe,” she said. “For now.”

  I started to drive out of town, happy to put some distance between us and the clinic. It had gotten so I could barely stand pavement beneath my feet or walls surrounding me. I needed the open air and the woods. I knew what that could mean. With each passing day, more of my wildness took root. It was like that for all of us. Well, some of us. Molly kept me tethered to the tamer parts of my nature. Keara did the same for Jagger. For Mac, Gunnar, and Payne, I worried the most. The more feral we went, the easier it woul
d be for the Pack to track us down.

  “What was that back there?” She knew I’d evaded her question about Brady and let it go for now. Now it was her turn to be evasive.

  “It was nothing,” she said. “Nothing I couldn’t handle, anyway.”

  I turned off the highway. In another mile, we’d reach the edge of the woods and would have to go the rest of the way on foot. I had a plan to conceal the truck beneath some fallen branches.

  “Molly, it’s no good. You’ve got to be straight with me. I’ll be able to tell if you’re not.”

  Her heartbeat quickened. I put a hand over hers to calm her. Then, I drew her palm to my lips and kissed her. I loved how just that little touch sent gooseflesh straight up her arm.

  “Bess knows,” she sighed. “I don’t know how deep her knowledge goes, but she knows. She’s got family in local government.”

  I dropped Molly’s hand in my lap. Keeping my eyes on the road, I nodded. The Chief Pack had Shadow Springs on lock. It had been that way for over fifty years. The mayor himself was one of the Alpha’s strongest enforcers. He wasn’t in charge though. We’d been trying to root out his top general for months. Jagger had a theory that if we took him out, we might punch a dent into the Pack’s hold on Shadow Springs. He hadn’t yet told Keara about the plan. Evading the Pack and stockpiling supplies was one thing. Going on the offensive was something altogether different.

  “Then I don’t want you going back there. I’m serious, Molly. We can’t trust anyone.”

  She tapped her fingers against the dashboard. “Normally, I’d agree with you. I don’t know though. She let me leave with the meds, Liam. She didn’t have to. Hell, she could have called the police then and there. She knows it’s her neck in the noose if anyone figures out what I stole.”

  I parked the car down a shallow embankment right before the woods got deep. Stepping out, I came around and helped Molly down. It took ten seconds to camouflage the car, then I took her hand and led her toward the cave entrance. Each step of the way, I stalled for time. I didn’t like the risk she’d taken one bit. Bess Kennedy was weak. She couldn’t be trusted. If I had my way, Molly would never leave the caves again. Though I knew that wasn’t fair. There was also no way Jagger and the others would allow it. Not yet.