by Jami Gray
She pushed her own wolf back, forcing her body to fully reclaim her human shape. She held Warrick’s furious gaze as her teeth and hands returned to normal. Panting, she pushed against the fur-covered chest above her. “Get off me!”
He dipped his head to nuzzle the skin between her shoulder and neck.
“Warrick.” The underlying warning in her voice was hard to miss.
He raised his head, his tongue swiping out to lick her chin.
She slapped his shoulder. “Get off.”
He stepped back, letting her struggle to a sitting position. She wiped a hand over her bloody mouth, wincing as she brushed a rising bruise from the wizard’s hit. She peered through the gap of splintered spindles to living room below.
The wizard lay in a twisted, lifeless heap in the middle of a slowly spreading pool of blood. If his fall hadn’t been interrupted by the thick edge of the coffee table, he might have survived. Maybe.
“We need a cleanup crew,” she muttered.
A skin-prickling sensation heralded Warrick’s change from wolf to man. His tanned hand appeared in front of her. She grasped it, ignoring the blood streaking her skin, and let him pull her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, surrounding her with his heat.
Closing her eyes, she let her forehead rest against his bare chest while her arms wound around his waist, finding comfort in his hold. Adrenaline receded, leaving her chilled and her voice soft. “What the hell is going on, Warrick?”
“We’ll find out.” His hand stroked over her spine. “I’ll get my phone and call Ryuu.”
She sighed and gently pulled away. “Great. Now I’ll have to pay up.”
Warrick cocked an eyebrow. “What bet do you two have going now?”
She felt the color creeping along her skin. The blush had nothing to do with the temptation his nakedness presented. Nope, not at all. She just wanted to make it down the stairs and end this conversation. “I’ll tell you later.” She tugged at the edge of the blood-spattered T-shirt she wore, as if another fraction of an inch would help her not feel so exposed.
“Tell me now,” he said, stepping close. His nostrils flared, his eyes darkening as her blush deepen. He curled his hands around her waist, closing that last minuscule space between them.
“Not a chance.” The bite of feminine frustration sharpened her tone. She would push him away. In a minute. Maybe.
“Now you have me curious.” His head lowered, the warmth of his breath brushing against her neck. Soft kisses trailed over her sensitive skin.
Some days it just sucked to be a shifter. She could never hide her reactions. Even when her mind knew it wasn’t the right time or place, her body had other ideas.
“Too damn bad.” Her hands rose to his chest, reveling in the flesh covered steel. Raw scratches and ragged bite marks marred his otherwise smooth skin. She brushed her lips over a particularly deep scratch. Against her stomach, she felt him jerk, hot and hard, in response. Yep, in just a second she was going to pull back.
The sharp nip of his teeth against her neck had her doing just that. “What the hell?”
He raised his head, a rare grin curling his lips. “I want to know about the bet.”
“Don’t you think the dead bodies might trump something as trivial as a bet?” He was too close. Every damn breath she took was drowning in his scent. “Go call Ryuu.”
“Fine.” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before letting her go. “I’ll make him tell me then.”
Watching him walk away, she smothered a sigh. Coming or going, Warrick was a hell of a man. “Put on some sweats,” she muttered, knowing he’d hear her.
She turned and made her way down the stairs to see what she could figure out from their not-so-friendly neighborhood wizard.
Chapter Ten
Stepping around the body lying inside the bedroom doorway, Warrick’s faint grin at Xander’s last comment faded. Instead, as the iron-rich odor of blood washed away the familiar scents of his bedroom, his earlier anger retuned. He stopped next to the bed, grabbing one of the end posts as every muscle stretched taut. His wolf clawed against his skin, demanding to be let loose, to hunt down those who dared to threaten his mate and invade his home.
He almost lost her. The choking wave of rage and fear rose, as thick nails burst from his fingers, leaving deep gouges in the wooden bedposts. He dropped his head, closed his eyes, and fought back the constant growls rumbling in his chest. That damn wizard had almost taken her with him. She and her wolf were so far gone, neither had realized how precarious their footing was.
His need to protect her was going to tear him apart.
She wanted a partner, not a protector. He was bonded to a warrior and not just any warrior, but one of the most lethal fighters in the Kyn community. She was a Wraith, a premier hunter of monsters. Dammit, he knew she could handle herself, but the prowling animal inside wasn’t easily calmed.
Reining his emotions in, he locked them away from the connection with Xander. He didn’t want her to see how close he was to losing it. He forced his fingers to uncurl from the bedpost. Teasing her about the damn bet had given him a touchstone, keeping the man in the driver’s seat, while covering his wolf’s desperate need for the reassurance of her touch.
He grabbed a pair of sweats from his dresser before stepping over the mangled nude body lying amongst shards of glass from the shattered window. He pulled the sweats on then picked up his cell phone from the nightstand and flicked on the lamp. The warm light pushed back the room’s shadows as he tucked his cell between his shoulder and ear then crouched next to the body.
On the fourth ring, Ryuu answered. “Yeah?”
“How soon can you make it to my house?” Warrick demanded.
There was a pause. “Fifteen minutes.”
“Good. I had some unexpected visitors tonight.” He turned the body over, inspecting it.
Ryuu snarled softly. “How many?”
“Three. Two wolves, one wizard.”
Warrick studied the slack face, ignoring the gaping hole where a jugular once resided. He didn’t recognize this wolf. Under the gore, the body bore numerous scars. Amidst the ragged marks of claws were the telltale puckers of several bullet wounds.
“A wizard? Do you need me to arrange a meeting with Cheveyo?” Ryuu asked.
“No,” Warrick ground out.
The name of the most powerful witch in the Northwest left Warrick’s wolf lunging against the man’s restraints. He picked his way through the miasma of emotion roiling under his skin, trying to unravel why Cheveyo riled his wolf. Was Cheveyo a threat? A soft growl vibrated across his spirit. A flash of Xander standing between a shadowy evil and Cheveyo seared his mind. He flinched. The small movement left him mentally snapping at his wolf.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. This damn bond was driving him and his wolf crazy. “No,” he repeated. “Not just yet.”
Maybe there was something more going on than what he could see right now. Xander was safe downstairs with the dead wizard. Cheveyo was the logical choice to go to for information, but unease whispered through Warrick. Cheveyo was recovering from his battle with the Soul Stealer, and his position as head of the Magi House was precarious at best. If someone wanted Cheveyo’s seat, now was the best time to strike because it would drive a wedge between the houses.
“Warrick, whoever it was sent three against one,” Ryuu said. “They weren’t playing around.”
“Three against two,” he corrected.
There was a pause then, “Damn it, Vidis! Your woman’s gonna wipe out my bank account. She just couldn’t wait until the next full moon?”
Lifting his head, Warrick adjusted the cell. “You were betting on when we’d have sex?”
Ryuu chuckled softly. “Actually the whole pack has a pool going.”
Warrick shook his head, fighting the small grin tugging at his lips. “Get over here, Ryuu, and bring a couple of helping hands. Oh, and be prepared to pay up.”
He hun
g up without waiting for an answer. His pack was betting on his sex life? Didn’t they have anything better to do?
He rose to his feet and went to his dresser. Pulling open a drawer, he grabbed the pair of yoga pants Xander left behind months ago. Ryuu and a couple of other wolves would be here soon. As much as he enjoyed seeing Xander in only his discarded T-shirt, he wasn’t in a sharing frame of mind. Turning, he headed to the door. Fierce pride filled him and his wolf as he stepped over the second body. Xander had managed to break the fool’s neck. She was beautiful, lethal, and his.
Xander was crouched beside the dead wizard when Warrick, now wearing sweats and nothing else, joined her. He held out a pair of soft yoga pants, too small to be his. She must have left them here on a previous visit.
“Anything?” he asked.
She took the pants from him. “I don’t recognize him.”
Staying on the edge of the cooling pool of blood, Warrick crouched as well, his arms resting on his knees. “Doesn’t mean he’s not one of Cheveyo’s.”
She snorted, bracing herself against Warrick’s shoulder as she pulled on the pants. “Are you really that paranoid? What in the hell would Cheveyo gain by destroying our pack?”
“That’s what I’m determined to find out,” Warrick said. “Besides, I’m not being paranoid if the threat is real.”
“Oh it’s real, but it’s not from Cheveyo.” She straightened and moved around to the other side of the body. “If Cheveyo wanted to challenge you, he wouldn’t send some two-bit wizard after you in the middle of the night. Maybe we should call him and see if he recognizes him.”
“No.” Warrick’s sharp denial snapped her head up.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re just looking for any reason to not ask for help.”
“Not true,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.
She guessed she was starting to ruffle his fur the wrong way. Poor baby. “Prove it.”
He stared up at her for a moment, the muscles in his jaw tensing. “How?”
“If you won’t go to Cheveyo, then ask Raine to examine the bodies. Maybe she can find a link between the rogues and this wizard.”
“Hell, no!” he snarled. “Even she admits her talents are unpredictable.”
“What’s your problem, Warrick?” Xander snapped. “You had no issue dragging Raine to the Gardens a few hours ago. What changed?”
He glared at her. “If Cheveyo’s involved, I can’t afford to bring Raine in.”
Despite her resolve to stay calm, her voice rose. “You need answers, and the only way to get them is to ask. Someone is using rogues to attack our pack. They’re altering the Bitten. How long before they decide to take a pack wolf?”
A muscle jumped in his clenched jaw. “Pack wolves are safe,” he argued.
“Why? Because of pack ties?” she pushed. “You think that whoever’s experimenting on the Bitten, won’t figure out a way to interfere with the ties? If they can alter the magic that controls when a Bitten shifts, the ties will be a cakewalk.”
“The ties are not my wolves’ only protection.” He rose to his feet.
“What?” she challenged. “Do you have every wolf tagged with a GPS chip or something?” She knew as well as he did that implanting electronic devices in any Kyn was a waste of time. Mixing electronics and magic never ended well.
He opened his mouth, but she held her hand up, cutting him off. “No, enough! No matter what I say, you’ll find some reason not to reach out.” She paced away from him then turned, trying to scrape her fraying patience back together. “We need help here, Warrick, before it’s too late.”
“Once I know it’s not Cheveyo, I’ll consider going to him.”
Damn stubborn ass! Fear and frustration seethed together, making her sick to her stomach. Some instinctive sense screamed he was making a mistake. If he didn’t reach out for help now, someone else would pay. “They know you won’t ask for outside help,”
His jaw firmed and his lips thinned.
She didn’t need the spark of irritation echoing through their bond to know he wasn’t happy with her comment. Tough shit. “They’re counting on it.”
His hands curled into fists, his eyes dark. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You’re one of the most powerful Northwest Kyn, Warrick.” She struggled to keep her frustration out of her voice. She wasn’t challenging her alpha, or lover, right now. She was trying to understand potential threats. “But you’re also the most isolated. It’s common knowledge that you never wanted to be the head of the Lycan House.”
His nostrils flared as he frowned. “Nobody wants the damn position.”
She sighed. “I know, but you will always be the best one for the job. Political power games don’t interest you, so you tend to be the most logical voice among the houses. That impartiality sets you apart from the others. They watch their step with you because you’re fiercely protective of what’s yours and you make a terrible enemy. If someone wanted you out of the way, for whatever reason, all they needed to do is start picking off your wolves, one by one. To do that, they’d have to shatter your connection to pack. Your guilt and grief would cripple you.” She reached up and cupped his cheek, refusing to back down because this was too important. He was too important. “You’ve said it yourself, you’re our alpha, and we are your weakness.”
He gazed down at her, arrogance etched in the fine tension running through his body. She recognized the look, it was one he used when dealing with other Kyn and their leaders—distant and cold. It hurt to see it here, when it was just the two of them.
She and her wolf reached down the link they shared, only to come up short at the wall he erected. Bitter disappointment had her throat aching. Even her wolf was pulled up short by his stinging rejection. The emotional hit burrowed deep. “Don’t,” she whispered.
She dropped her hand and stepped back, out of his reach. She wasn’t doing this. If he didn’t want to listen, so be it. She didn’t need to stick around and try to pound some sense into his thick head. So much for trying to make this whole bonding thing work. The first time she pushed, he shut her out. It wouldn’t be long before she was going for his throat just to get a reaction.
“Xander,” he rasped, but she ignored him.
The sound of tires on gravel cut through the tense silence. Warrick glanced through the windows behind her as headlights flickered over the walls.
She moved deeper into the shadows. She tried to stop the trembling in her hands. Hurt filled anger sent cracks through her normally steady control. As her emotions rioted, her wolf crept forward. They could leave, her wolf whispered. Run wild and free, and not come back.
It was a tempting offer. She snuck a glance at the front door. With Ryuu here, Warrick wouldn’t need her. And if he didn’t want to listen, fine. But it didn’t mean she couldn’t go hunting on her own. There was more than one way to protect the pack. The scent trails of their attackers would be relatively fresh. Maybe she’d find something to use there. Plus, she could use the time away from the constant need to make him see her as more than a warm body and rebuild the barriers around her heart.
“Stop.” Warrick’s low command made her pause.
Without realizing it, she had inched her way to the door. The sound of approaching footsteps kept her focus on the door, waiting for her chance to escape.
“Stop.” This time his command held a push of power behind it.
She gritted her teeth as her body obeyed her alpha, freezing in place. Her inability to move spiked her fury, and her wolf snapped and snarled. Striking out in the only way left to her, she sent the firestorm of anger and hurt roaring down their bond. He would dare use this against her?
Behind her came a low growl, and the invisible hold on her body disappeared.
As soon as she was free, she spun on her heel and leapt at Warrick.
He raised an arm to block her upraised fist, wrapping his hand around her wrist, and tried to pull her off balance.
Undeterred, she used her momentum to spin her body behind him. With her wrist locked in his grip and her arm wrapped around his waist, it didn’t stop her from using her foot to rake a punishing kick against the inside of his knee.
He stumbled forward, but didn’t loosen his grip and she fell with him. As his knees hit the floor, she landed, draped over his back, their legs tangled together.
The sound of the door slamming open barely pierced her fury. Startled exclamations sounded behind her, but she ignored them as well.
Before she could free herself, Warrick grabbed her T-shirt and shifted his grip.
Then she was flying through the air to land with a bounce on the couch. Momentarily stunned, she blinked at the shadowed ceiling above her.
Between one blink and the next, his wild face filled her vision. His hair was a riot of blonds and browns, while a red flush ran under his tanned skin. His eyes sparked between wolf and man and his lips were peeled back from his teeth.
She tugged against his hold as he pinned her wrists to the cushion. Before she could get a leg up to push him off, he dropped his lower body, trapping her.
“Knock it off!” he roared.
She stilled, silence settling like a heavy blanket around them. “Don’t you ever pull that shit again or, so help me, I will rip your throat out,” she whispered harshly, struggling not to scream at him.
No one, not even this man, had the right to take away her free will. Her wolf clawed at her, demanding freedom, and she fought her back down before this situation became any more screwed than it already was.
“I’m sorry.” His soft words were followed by someone’s sharply indrawn breath. His unexpected words brought both the woman and wolf up short. Alphas didn’t apologize for anything. He studied her and something that felt perilously close to fear, trickled through their bond. His fear, not hers. “You were going to leave.”
It took effort to set aside her anger and hurt, to listen, really listen to what was coming through that damn bond. Like a radio tuned slightly out of frequency, she picked out his emotions from the chaos of her own.