Wolf Hunt

by Jennifer Ashley

  If Matt killed Nadia, Logan would want to die. The mate bond had sealed when he’d made love to Nadia in the motel, binding her absolutely to him. He could feel her fury, the dark fire of the magic inside her, and her joy when her claws tore open Matt’s flesh.

  Nadia kicked away from Matt and rolled to her feet. She snatched up the pistol Matt had threatened to use on Logan shoved it into Matt’s face. “You’ve hurt my son,” she snarled at him. “You dared.”

  Matt growled, low and savage. His face flattened to human long enough for him to say to her, “Look at Logan. I’ve killed your mate, bitch. I’ve broken your bond connection. That means you turn that gun on yourself.”

  “I’m a demon,” Nadia said clearly. “Not a werewolf.” And she pulled the trigger.

  The moment the silver bullet entered Matt’s brain, all the werewolves in the room, Logan included, lifted their heads and howled. The sound shrieked through the air, making the humans cringe back, curling their arms protectively over themselves. Only Tain remained standing, his face stark. Nadia dropped the gun and clapped her hands over her ears.

  Logan felt unspeakable sorrow wrench through him—wolves mourning the loss of their alpha—before his rational mind kicked in again. He morphed back to human form, panting heavily, his back a mass of pain.

  “The pack leader is dead,” Logan declared, his voice hoarse.

  “Do you claim the pack?” Karl asked him, no less shaky.

  Logan shook his head, looking down at Matt’s still body. “I didn’t kill him.”

  “You and your mate did,” Karl said, reminding him of werewolf law, as was the Packmaster’s duty. “Together. Do you claim the pack?”

  “No.” Logan turned bleary eyes to Karl. “It’s yours unless someone else challenges.”

  “Who gives a shit?” Nadia snapped. “Where’s Joel?”

  “He ran out the back,” Samantha said. “I sent a patrolman after him.”

  Nadia touched Logan’s shoulder, anguish on her demon face.

  “Go,” Logan said, still struggling for breath. Nadia caressed his cheek, eyes full, then she turned and ran, her wings giving her speed.

  The chiseled face of Logan’s Navajo partner filled his vision. “You all right, man?” Nez asked him.

  Logan couldn’t move. “I’ve been shot with a silver bullet,” he managed to say. “What do you think?”

  “Tain,” Samantha said quietly.

  The warrior knelt next to Logan and placed his hand between Logan’s shoulder blades. “This might hurt.”

  It couldn’t hurt more than all the gashes and bites Matt had given him, Logan thought. Or maybe it could. He gasped out loud as the bullet traveled backward along the path it came in, leaving a raw trail. Logan’s gasp turned to a groan as a burst of white magic seared him from the inside out. He felt the bullet wound close and fire chase the silver through his blood, catching it and eradicating it. All this came with red-hot pain, which slowly dissipated as the magic eased away.

  Logan had to wait a long time before he could lift his head to see his friends staring worriedly down at him. “Hell,” he said, switching his glare to Tain. “Remind me to stop getting hurt around you.”

  A brief smile touched Tain’s mouth. Tain had healed him once before, at a time when Tain had been half-dead himself. “I was in a hurry.”

  “Huh. You always are.”

  “Want me to read these guys their rights?” Nez asked as Logan sat up. “Or can I give you the honor?”

  “Right now I have to find Nadia.”

  Samantha reached a slim but strong hand to Logan and helped him stand. She didn’t pay attention to his nakedness, having gotten used to him changing from human to wolf and back again when they’d been partners. “You look awful,” she said. “I’m glad to see you still breathing.”

  “You and me both,” Logan said, giving her a shaky smile, then he left Nez to make the arrests and strode through to the kitchen and out the back door.

  The house had a wide yard behind it with a lawn running down a gentle slope to a cement-block wall. Logan saw movement far to his left, but his enhanced sense of smell told him it was more human police plus a few of Samantha’s most trusted demons.

  Halfway down the hill, however, in the darkness and out of sight from the house, Logan found the crumpled body of a uniformed LAPD officer.

  Logan halted, his heart pounding. Nadia’s scent came to him from the bottom of the hill, overlaying that of her son. But blanketing both Nadia’s and Joel’s scents was the powerful smell of wolf.

  “Damn it.” Logan started down the hill. Matt must have had backup, wolves waiting on the fringes, just out of scent range, to come in if Matt went down.

  The lights from inside the house didn’t reach the far corners of the yard, and none of the outside lights were on. Even in the faint light of dawn, it was pitch dark near the wall, but Logan heard the struggle—the sound of beating wings, of a soft cry from Nadia, the snarl of a wolf.

  A growl rumbled in Logan’s throat. He rushed into the darkness and spied a werewolf, one of Matt’s, the man half shifted to wolf, his arms hard around Joel. The wolf-man had lifted the little boy, his powerful arms starting to squeeze the life out of him, while Nadia, still in demon form, desperately clawed at him, trying to free Joel.

  Logan sprang, shifting as he leapt. The half-wolf went down with Logan on top of him, releasing Joel, who rolled away from him.

  Logan felt the Packmaster rise within him. He was the sword of justice—the pack’s judge, jury, and executioner. The wolf he fought had been doing his best to kill Joel for no other reason than Matt had ordered him too—to hurt Nadia and therefore Logan. That act broke every pack law there was. Kills should be clean, to protect the pack against enemies or punish those who would bring down the pack from within.

  Logan pinned the werewolf to the ground and went for his throat. The wolf twisted away, his claws tearing up huge chunks of grass and dirt. He managed to squirm out from under Logan and he leapt, not for freedom, but straight at Nadia who held Joel in her arms.

  His jaws were wide, his curved, razor-sharp claws spread. Joel’s eyes widened as he watched certain death come at him, but at the last minute, Nadia whirled around to take the brunt of the blow.

  The wolf hit Nadia. She fell hard, with the wolf on top of her, his frenzied claws shredding her back and wings.

  Logan landed on the wolf a second later, jamming his jaws around the wolf’s neck. He yanked the wolf off Nadia and shook the half-shifted man once. The werewolf yelped, and then his neck snapped, and he went limp.

  Logan dropped the wolf and swung to Nadia. She lay motionless on the grass, Joel under her. Logan shifted back to human form as he gently turned her over. “Nadia,” he said, pain twisting in his chest.

  “Logan,” Nadia whispered, her voice weak.

  Joel scrambled up, breathing hard, his eyes wide as he looked down at his mother.

  Logan gathered Nadia in his arms. Her blood was hot, her broken wings soft against his skin. He kissed her face, his eyes wet, his heart racing in fear.

  “Thank you,” Nadia said, barely able to speak. “Thank you for saving my boy.”

  “And I saved you,” Logan said fiercely. “I saved you too, love. I’m not losing you.”

  Nadia gave him a faint smile. “I didn’t tell you before, back at the motel.” Her eyes slid closed, her expression creasing with pain as she eased back into her human form. “I love you, Logan.”

  Logan leaned down and kissed her. “Hang on, Nadia. Help is coming.”

  Nadia didn’t answer. Joel grabbed her hand and pressed it between his small ones. “It’s all right, Mom. You’ll be all right.”

  Logan kissed Nadia again, but she didn’t respond. “I love you too, Nadia,” Logan breathed against Nadia’s lips, but he wasn’t certain she heard. “I love you so much. Stay with me, all right?”

  He continued to hold her and kiss her, Joel clasping her hand, as flashlights and life magi
c flowed toward them, blending with the light of the new day. Help was coming, with Tain leading the charge.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Nadia walked out of the house in Thousand Oaks a week later to see Logan explaining the finer points of throwing a baseball to Joel. Sun gleamed off Logan’s golden hair as he bent to show Joel exactly how to place his fingers on the ball.

  Joel wore a small LAPD T-shirt Logan had given him, which had become Joel’s favorite. He’d started talking about becoming a paranormal cop when he grew up.

  Nadia had stayed in bed for five days, recovering from the deep gouges the werewolf had torn into her back. Tain had begun the healing process, but her demon magic fought all the life magic she’d been doused with, and recovery was slow.

  Joel’s grandparents had been wonderful about taking care of her and of Joel, and they seemed happy with Logan, who visited every day. Trust the gorgeous Logan to soothe them from the traumatic event of a werewolf battle in their living room.

  Nadia paused in the sun, self-consciously straightening the sleeveless dress she’d bought herself as a reward for surviving. It bared her arms and legs and covered the hideous scars on her back that Tain told her she’d have for life.

  If not for Logan, Nadia knew she’d be dead, and Joel too.

  Joel caught sight of Nadia, smiled, and waved at her. Logan turned, saw Nadia, and went still. Only werewolves could go that still, standing motionless, waiting for their prey.

  Joel looked at his mother again, then at Logan, then nonchalantly moved to the corner of the yard and started practice throws against the fence.

  Nadia walked across the grass to Logan, liking the cool tickle of the grass blades on her ankles.

  Logan waited without changing expression, without speaking. Nadia folded her arms as she stopped close to him, and suppressed a shiver. “You’ve been here every day,” she said, keeping her voice neutral. “Keeping an eye on things, are you?”

  Logan gave her a brief nod. “I wanted to make sure none of the pack tried for revenge,” he said, his tone no more emotional than hers. “I thought Kayla might seek vengeance on you for killing Matt, but from what I hear, it sounds like she’s vying to become pack leader.”

  Nadia looked at him in surprise. “Female werewolves can become pack leader?”

  Logan shrugged. “They never have before, but times change. Besides, the Packmaster and Matt’s most loyal wolves are in a human jail awaiting trial for kidnapping and assault.”

  “Good,” Nadia said darkly. “I hope they get life.”

  “The humans will sentence them, but even when they’re done with that, they’ll have to face trial before the new pack leader and Packmaster. They broke a lot of pack laws, foremost of which is interfering with the challenge. Matt and I should have fought alone, with no help on either side, but instead he and his wolves kidnapped you to corner me and murder me.”

  “He did it that way because you’d have kicked his ass in a straight challenge,” Nadia said. “And he knew it. He had to shoot you before he could fight you.”

  Logan nodded. “Matt was always a cheater.”

  “And now he’s dead.” Nadia searched within herself for remorse, but her demon had killed to protect her young, and the demon didn’t care. The paranormal police hadn’t arrested her for it either. The paranormal police were busy as well, Logan had told her, trying to make sure the wolf hunt up at the lake didn’t happen again. Apparently Dan Martin at the lodge had been paid to lend a van to Matt and look the other way, and he was now trying to explain this to state law enforcement. Paranormal police didn’t just go after paranormal criminals—they protected innocent supernatural creatures, even demons, from harm.

  Nadia had another thought. “Will the new pack leader want try me?”

  “No,” Logan said at once. “Not only did Matt violate the challenge, you were defending your mate and your cub—your son.”

  “Werewolf law again?” she asked.

  Another nod. “Yes.”

  “Never studied it, sorry.” Nadia took another step closer to him, the warmth of his tall body and the tawny eyes that flicked to her. “You’ve come to see Joel every day.”

  Logan shrugged again. “To keep an eye on him, I said. And to show him that not all werewolves are bad.”

  “They’re not?” Nadia asked in an innocent voice.

  Logan didn’t smile. “Not even all the ones in my pack are bad. Some are still my friends.”

  Nadia suppressed a shudder. “Well, I don’t want to meet them. Not right now.”

  “Maybe later. Definitely when we go to Minnesota to visit. I’ll wait until things simmer down back there, but then we have to go. I’m still part of the pack, and there are rules.”

  Nadia blinked. “Wait a minute. What do you mean when we go? You mean you and me? Why would I go with you to your wolf pack?”

  The heat in Logan’s eyes was incandescent. “I mean you and me, and Joel too. Because I have to present my mate to the pack.”

  Nadia’s heart tripped in strange, fast beats. “Hang on, hang on. Present your mate to the pack? I thought the talk about me being your mate was just bullshit for Matt’s benefit.”

  Logan’s gaze pinned her, the wolf not letting her get away. “No. It wasn’t.”

  Nadia dragged in a panicked breath. “But Matt was right. I’m demon. Death magic. You’re life magic. We’ll cancel each other out.”

  Logan seemed to suddenly be closer to her, but she swore he hadn’t moved. “Samantha married Tain.”

  “That’s different. Samantha is only half-demon, and Tain’s a . . . freak of nature.”

  Logan’s body was against hers now. “You need life essence to exist, and I’m not letting you take it from anyone but me.”

  “Maybe you’re addicted to demons,” Nadia said rapidly. “Did you ever think of that?”

  Logan slid his arms around her, closing the last fraction of an inch between them. Nadia felt the warmth of his chest, the rough of his jeans against her bare legs, and the beating of his heart. “I’ve only given life essence to one other demon, and I never became addicted to her. I didn’t give you life essence until last week, and I’ve wanted you in my bed ever since I met you.”

  “Why? You have a thing for crime victims?”

  “I have a thing for you, Nadia.” Logan gathered her close and pressed his cheek to her hair. “You’re brave, and strong, and beautiful. I love your prickliness, and I love how I can surprise you into smiling. I love your dark eyes and your soft hair, and I love how you groan when I make love to you.”

  Nadia looked up at him. “I lured you to Matt—he could have killed you. I’m so sorry about that Logan, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

  Logan gazed into her eyes, and she read understanding there, not anger. “Matt had you cornered,” he said. “And you were right. If you’d told me about it, and I went on a rampage, Matt would have killed Joel without waiting to fight me. You keep on protecting your son. Only you won’t have to do it alone any more.”

  Nadia felt happiness breaking over her, but years of struggle and desperation made her continue the questions. “Are you sure, Logan? What about my demon form? Could you love that?”

  Logan smoothed her hair from her face. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful as you in your demon form. Unless it’s you in your human form.”

  Nadia smiled, shyly pleased. “You and your wolf aren’t so bad either.” She slid her hand down between them, finding the bulge of him pressing the zipper of his jeans. “My, what a big . . . cock . . . you have.” She squeezed it through the denim.

  Logan laughed, turning his body to block Joel’s view, but her son was playing an imaginary baseball game, not watching them. “All the better to love you with, my dear,” Logan growled. “I like your wings. I keep thinking of them brushing over my naked body.”

  Nadia tightened. “I could arrange that.”

  The teasing look left Logan’s eyes. “Gods, Nadia. I love you and wa
nt you in my life. How can I prove that to you?”

  “Hmm.” Nadia touched her cheek, pretending to think. “By taking me home and screwing me senseless?”

  Logan laughed, then he slanted a hard, hot kiss across her mouth. “I could arrange that,” he said, breath warm on her lips. “And then I’m arranging for you to marry me. I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”

  Nadia shivered, the heat suddenly leaving her. “Are you sure? I’m not really the kind of girl you take home to mother.”

  “My family is gone. There’s only me, and you’re the kind of girl I marry.” Logan’s arms closed around her, his lips pressing a searing kiss to her temple. “You never have to worry again, Nadia. I’ll take care of you and Joel. When a wolf takes a mate, it’s for life, and we protect what’s ours.”

  “No kidding.” She gave him a shaky smile. “From what I’ve seen, werewolves, especially Packmasters, are overprotective as hell.”

  “Like I could ever keep you from doing something you made up your mind to,” Logan said. “I know you better than that. You’re strong, resilient, and independent. All I ask is that you share that strength and independent spirit with me.”

  Nadia pressed her hand to his cheek. “Being independent is one thing. Being alone all the time is another. I’d rather be with you. I’ve always wanted to be with you.”

  “That’s settled then.” Logan kissed her, his strong lips opening her mouth. Nadia let herself sink into the kiss, tasting his spice, feeling the spark of his life essence dance across her skin.

  “One thing first,” she whispered when the kiss eased to a close.

  “Mmm?” Logan wouldn’t release her, but Nadia turned in his arms.

  “Joel, honey,” she called to her son. “What would you say if Logan asked to marry me?”

  Joel caught the ball he’d bounced off the wall. He glanced at Logan and Nadia standing together then turned back to his game. “I’d say it’s about time,” he said. “He’s in love with you, Mom. It’s obvious.” He spoke with the quiet wisdom of a ten-year-old who knew what was what.