Desperate for Her Wolves

by West, Tara

  When nobody answered, Skunk placed his knuckles on the table. “Your silence tells me all I need to know.”

  Matt cleared his throat. “What do you propose we do?”

  Skunk thrust a fist in the air. “Send these demons a message that they need to go back to where they came from.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Hakon said I could crash in your den until I find a new place,” Roy said to Amara, helping Takaani set the table. “That is, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course I don’t mind.” She rocked Hrod in Hakon’s big, comfy chair. She peeked under the blanket, kissing his cheek as he fell away from her breast, eyes closed and mouth hanging open, a drop of milk suspended on his chin.

  “And I get to crash in your spare room until....” Takaani blushed.

  “As long as you need to,” Amara said, but she really wanted to say until your mates find you.

  She briefly wondered if Takaani heard her thought. She loved her cousin, but having someone else in her head was going to take some getting used to. She hoped she could help Takaani learn how to control her gift, because guarding her thoughts all the time would become tiresome. Still, she was grateful her cousin was alive and unharmed. For that alone, she was willing to put up with the brain invasions.

  Luc came upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. “I can scent the Johnsons approaching.”

  Roy gaped at him. “You can smell them?”

  Amara beamed at her mate. “He’s got the best nose in all the Amaroki.”

  “Yeah, Roy,” Luc chuckled, “so next time you pass gas, don’t try to blame it on the dogs.”

  Roy’s face turned as bright as a ripe strawberry. “I’ll remember that.”

  Amara and Takaani both hid laughter behind their hands.

  Luc let the Johnsons inside and ushered them into the living room.

  “Hi.” Eilea’s gaze darted around the room. She clutched her purse like a lifeline. “We just dropped by to check on everyone.”

  “They went back to Romania,” Amara answered, knowing full well why Eilea was so on edge.

  “I know.” Her voice cracked.

  Poor Eilea. Her emotions were probably all over the place, given the situation with her fathers. She suspected their reaction to Katarina’s death stemmed more from guilt than sorrow. They’d decided to sever their bond with Katarina shortly before she ran off. They must’ve blamed themselves for her death.

  She handed the baby off to Takaani and went to Luc, taking his hand and facing Agent Johnson. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for us, for the Amaroki.”

  “I’m just doing my job.” He looked uncomfortable.

  “No, you do more than your job, and I appreciate it.”

  He chuckled, rocking on his heels. “You cured my cancer, so I’d say we’re even.”

  Luc gave him a lopsided grin. “You’re gonna lay off those cigarettes now, right?”

  “I quit a few months ago, but I guess I waited too long. No more death sticks for me.” Rone mixed something in the blender, then set the drinks on the side table beside the Johnsons. “Margaritas,” he said. “You two could use something to take the edge off.”

  Amara touched Eilea’s elbow. “Won’t you two stay for dinner?”

  Eilea clutched her uncle’s arm. “We don’t want to impose.”

  “Actually,” Johnson said, “the real reason I came was to discuss the unfortunate death.”

  Amara cringed. “Will the government try to press charges against my father for Richter’s death?”

  “What do you mean?” Johnson asked with a wink. “Richter was killed by a bear.”

  “Good for the bear.” Luc rubbed his chin, smiling. “Can’t say Richter didn’t have it coming.”

  “I’m just glad none of my other agents or soldiers were killed because of Richter’s stupidity,” Johnson said.

  Amara had been relieved when she learned her earthquakes hadn’t killed anyone. One soldier had a broken arm, but it would mend.

  “The unfortunate death I was referring to was Katarina’s,” Johnson continued.

  “Oh. Of course.” Amara flushed. She thought Johnson had been talking about Richter. She felt ten shades of selfish for not thinking of Katarina.

  “My bosses in Washington are not too happy about the way Richter handled things,” Johnson went on. “They’re willing to pay your fathers restitution for the death of their mate.”

  “I’ll be sure to let them know,” Luc said, “though I doubt they’ll accept it. They’ve already had their revenge.”

  Johnson nodded solemnly. “We also want to make it up to you and your team for the way you’ve been treated.”

  He swallowed. “I just want to be reinstated.”

  “Richter didn’t have the authority to take away your stripes.” Johnson laid a hand on Luc’s shoulder, the lines around his eyes tightening. “Your reenlistment is coming up. We’ll make sure you get a signing bonus.”

  “I don’t need it.” His words were clipped, harsh.

  It was taking all his willpower to keep from breaking down. Luc loved serving in the Army, but she hadn’t realized how much it meant to him until this moment.

  Amara bristled. She jabbed a finger in his chest. “Like hell you don’t! You said it yourself. You’re the Army’s secret weapon. You deserve a bonus.”

  “She’s right.” Johnson said. “You’re getting it.”

  Luc puffed out his chest, blinking back tears. “Yes, sir.”

  She slid her arms around his waist, kissing his cheek. I’m so proud of you.

  I’m proud of you, too, he answered. I didn’t want you leaving the reservation, but your earthquakes and healing magic saved us.

  She placed a hand on her slightly rounded abdomen. We can thank baby for the quakes.

  But you were still brave, very brave.

  At the sound of Johnson clearing his throat, they broke apart.

  He waggled his brows. We’ll finish this later.

  Can’t wait. Amara giggled.

  “Dinner’s ready.” Rone called from the kitchen.

  “Agent Johnson, Eilea.” Amara waved them toward the long dining table overlooking the beautiful forest and pristine lake below. “Please stay and share our meal.”

  Eilea shared an apprehensive look with her uncle, then flashed a half-smile. “Sure, but I have to warn you, I’m as hungry as a wolf.”

  Amara chuckled. “We know how to feed hungry wolves.”

  Luc stopped on the way to the table and lifted his head.

  “Luc, what is it?” Amara asked.

  His nostrils flared. “Someone’s coming.”

  “Who?”

  “Humans.” He looked at her with blazing eyes. “Lots of them.”

  “Aren’t soldiers guarding the entrance to the reservation?” Amara asked Johnson.

  Johnson grimaced. “Most of them were Richter’s men. I have a new team arriving tomorrow. Tor knows this.”

  “So there are no guards?” Amara asked.

  Johnson shook his head. “The road’s all tore up after the earthquake. There are danger signs everywhere.”

  Amara would’ve known this if she hadn’t been sleeping when her mates took her home.

  Luc pushed her toward the stairwell. “Take the doctor and your cousins into the den and lock the doors.” He let out a low howl.

  Hakon and Drakso raced up the stairs in response.

  “What’s happening?” Hakon asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Luc said. “I sure as hell hope it’s not another 1911.”

  AMARA CLUTCHED HROD, listening to the sounds of her mates loading their shotguns. Her two small dogs were hiding under the coffee table, their tails between their legs. Mako, Max, and Buster were at the base of the stairs, growling up at the door. Eilea sat in the corner, arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth. Amara’s wolf-touched ears heard Johnson on the upstairs deck, mumbling into his phone. She sure as hell hoped he was callin
g for backup. The mob hadn’t arrived yet, and she secretly wished Luc’s sense of smell was off, but she doubted it.

  She heard the low hum of trucks as they wound toward their house.

  “What is going on upstairs, and what is a 1911?” Takaani asked as she paced.

  Amara glanced at Roy, who stood at the bottom of the stairwell, clutching a shotgun and keeping his eye on the door. “1911 was the reason I wasn’t allowed to talk to Roy.”

  “I-I don’t understand,” Takaani stammered.

  Her gut churned, and Hrod squirmed and fussed. “A bunch of miners found out what we were and attacked our tribe.”

  “Oh.” Eilea shot from her chair, jaw dropping. “What happened?”

  Rocking her baby, she kissed the top of his head, willing the tears not to fall. “Many alphas were killed defending their families.”

  Roy clutched his gun more tightly. “And the miners?”

  “They disappeared.”

  “Fuck.” Roy dropped to the bottom step, placing the gun across his legs. “Now I see why you didn’t want to talk to me.”

  “But I did want to talk to you, Roy.” Emotion pressed heavily on Amara’s chest. “It broke my heart to turn you away, but I had to think of my family’s safety, especially my baby.”

  The color drained from Takaani’s face. “Who do you think is up there?”

  “I’m not sure, but it sounds like a mob.” Her gut roiled as the trucks barreled into the driveway. “Probably humans who found out about us after Hakon saved them from the explosion.”

  Roy gaped at her. “He saved them, and they’re attacking us?”

  “Ironic, isn’t it?”

  Roy’s face hardened. Handing the gun to Takaani, he kissed his sister on the cheek and then bolted up the stairs two at a time.

  “Roy!” Takaani called. “Where are you going?”

  He clutched the door handle at the top of the stairs, his expression grim. “I have a feeling I know who it is.”

  “HAKON AND DRASKO THUNDERFOOT!” a man with a drunken slur bellowed into the bullhorn. “We have you surrounded. Come out with your hands up!”

  Hakon clutched his shotgun as he looked out the front window. Through the blinding high beams pointed at the house, he made out over a dozen men, all armed. A few of them carried semi-automatics. Some of them had torches and gasoline cans. Fuck.

  Letting out a shaky breath, he grasped the door handle and sent a silent prayer to the Ancients to keep his family safe.

  “Stay here, brother.” Rone clutched Hakon’s elbow. “Johnson called for backup.”

  Hakon shook his head, keeping his eye on the two men with gasoline cans and torches. They were inching their way to the side of the house. “We don’t have time to wait for backup.”

  He threw open the door and stepped into the flood of light, knowing he must protect his family at all costs. “What is the meaning of this?” he roared.

  “Demon!” a familiar voice boomed. “You and your brothers are wanted regarding the disappearance of Roy Miller.”

  What the fuck? Had Amara’s cousin told his friends about Drasko’s eyes? Hakon squinted at the man with the bullhorn, recognizing Skunk’s distended beer gut and bushy red beard. The fucker had gone crazy. Hakon’s heart sank when he recognized the skinny, wild-eyed man behind Skunk. It was Henry, the man he’d saved from the explosion.

  This is what Hakon got for being kind to humans.

  The door opened behind him and his brothers joined him.

  Hakon slowly raised his shotgun. “You’re trespassing on private property. Leave now.”

  “Lower your weapons before we burn your whole damn house down!” Skunk waved at the two men who carried torches, then two more on the other side of the mob.

  The door opened again, and Roy stepped out, raising his hands. “Skunk, what the fuck are you doing?”

  “Roy!” Skunk dropped the bullhorn, stumbling forward. “You’re alive.”

  Roy looked at Skunk as if a dick had grown out of his forehead. “Of course I’m alive.”

  Skunk gaped at those behind him, then back at Roy. “What are you doing here?”

  “Visiting my cousin.” Roy made it sound as if staying in a den of wolves was the most natural thing in the world.

  Skunk swayed and made sputtering noises, making it clear he’d had too much to drink on the way over. “But your house was destroyed.”

  “It was robbed.” Roy’s tone was clipped, annoyed. “Why do you think I’m staying with my cousin?”

  Hakon thanked the Ancients that Amara’s cousin was on their side. Maybe not all humans were idiots.

  “Something’s changed.” Skunk staggered forward a few more feet, pointing a shaky finger at Roy. “This ain’t Roy. The demons took over his body, too!”

  “What the ever-loving fuck are these goddamn pervs doing here?” Mako at her side, Takaani sauntered onto the porch, waving her shotgun before centering it on Skunk.

  “The demon bitch!” Skunk fell against Henry in surprise, nearly toppling them both to the ground. “This place is infested with demons.”

  Roy clucked his tongue and advanced down the stairs. “Dude, you need to lay off the drugs.”

  “Get thee back, demon!” Skunk cowered behind Henry, using the smaller man as a shield.

  Roy turned his attention to the mob. “Do you all seriously believe this guy? He’s a fucking druggie.”

  Skunk pushed Henry forward. “Tell him what you saw, Henry.”

  Henry’s knees shook as he looked from Hakon to Skunk. “Hakon, he, he....”

  Bile rose in the back of Hakon’s throat. He’d never felt more betrayed in all his life.

  “He saved your life, and this is how you repay him?” Roy snapped. “You should be ashamed. He could’ve run out on you. He has a family, a new baby. What are you, Henry, but a pothead and drunk?”

  Henry puffed up his scrawny chest. “I’m more than that.”

  Roy laughed. “You’re nothing, if you burn down the house of the man who risked his life for yours.”

  “Don’t listen to him, Henry,” Skunk yelled, pulling a pistol out of his vest. “Hakon is a demon. You saw him change. You saw that bar bitch change.” He pointed his gun at Takaani.

  Rone quickly jumped in front of Takaani, who was holding Mako’s collar, begging him to be still. The dog growled and bared his teeth, trying to break free. Hakon hoped she had a good grip on Mako; Skunk wouldn’t hesitate to shoot the dog.

  Roy charged Skunk, cracking his nose with the butt of the bullhorn. Skunk fell back and landed hard on his ass.

  “She’s my goddamn sister, you son of a bitch.” Roy waved the horn at Skunk’s bloody face. “And if you ever badmouth her again, I’ll fucking kill you.”

  Several unmarked vehicles tore into the drive and about a dozen agents jumped out.

  “Federal agents!” one of them hollered. “Trespassers, lower your weapons!”

  The mob lowered them. A few of them dropped their guns and threw up their hands in surrender.

  Hakon breathed a sigh of relief when Johnson stepped onto the porch, waving a flashlight in their faces. “You people have two choices. Get in your vehicles and leave or stay and be arrested.”

  A few slowly backed up to their vehicles, but most of them dove for their trucks.

  “It’s a conspiracy!” Skunk wildly waved one hand while shielding his bloody nose with the other. “The government’s in on it, too!”

  Johnson gestured to his men. “Arrest this loon.”

  “No!” Skunk cried as two agents dragged him toward their truck. “They’ll take my soul, too!” He called to his friends. “Where are you going?“Fight! Fight!”

  But they tore off down the road, leaving Skunk behind.

  Only Henry remained, slinking away like a dog that’d been caught pissing on the carpet. He mouthed “sorry” to Hakon before getting into his truck.

  “You think you can silence me, but you can’t,” Skunk hollered as the age
nts loaded him into the back of a vehicle. “I saw her eyes change. I’ve heard the stories. You think I’m the crazy one? I’m not. You’re the crazy ones!”

  When the agents slammed the door on him, his mantrum was muffled behind glass, but Hakon could tell by the rage in Skunk’s eyes that he wouldn’t be silenced for long.

  Johnson walked down the steps. “Sorry I can’t stay for dinner. I need to handle this.”

  “Thank you, Johnson,” Hakon said. “I’ll send the doctor home with a doggie bag.”

  “That’s ironic,” Roy said. “A wolf giving a human a doggie bag.”

  Hakon shot Roy a dirty look, and then he and his brothers burst out laughing.

  AMARA STEPPED INTO the shower, weak and drained from stress. She flattened her palms against the wall and stood under the pulsing shower head for long minutes, letting the water absorb her tears. She’d almost lost her family several times in the past few days. Great Ancients, she sure as hell hoped this nightmare was finally behind them.

  She tensed when the shower door opened and Drasko got in with her.

  “Hey, you okay?” he rumbled in her ear, holding her close.

  She leaned into his strong embrace. “I will be.”

  “Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked, tracing delicate kisses across her neck.

  “That.” She groaned. “You can keep doing that.”

  He rubbed the swelling where his child grew before dipping lower, tracing gentle circles until he reached her mound.

  “Drasko,” she protested weakly. “We can’t do this here.”

  “Of course we can.” He turned her around and lowered her onto the tile bench.

  Desire shone in his eyes when he knelt and draped her ankles over his shoulders. He nibbled her thighs, teasing her clit with a slick finger.

  She moaned, coursing her fingers through his long, wet hair. “Maybe those humans are right. Maybe you are a demon.”

  “Maybe I am.” He chuckled, then speared her with his tongue.

  She sucked in a hiss as he tongue-fucked her, stroking her blooming bud with his thumb.