by J. A. Saare
"He won't punish you for protecting yourself and the female."
"How do you know?"
"He told me."
That provided some reassurance.
"What about the PBI?"
"For now, this is a werewolf issue. Tom doesn't like it, but he doesn't have a say in the matter. The decision came from Michael. His orders take precedence. We're keeping this to ourselves, for as long as we can. Unless we need information only obtainable with PBI resources. We don't need outsiders telling us what to do, or collecting and passing around information."
"Remember what I told you, about the pack. Someone helped Dante change Peter and take me. Michael needs to know." I hesitated at first, but realized if I wanted to keep Angie safe, I had to ask him. "Have you questioned ours, Noah?"
"You think one of them would do something like this?" I heard and sensed his dismay at the notion. "They were with me, remember? Working with Michael."
"Dante said Peter was right where he was supposed to be. He knew we had him. He knew where he was living. I think he'd been to the cabin more than once. We just didn't know about it. How could he accomplish that if he didn't have help? How would he have those specific details about Peter?"
Noah growled. "The fucking town, that's how."
I recalled how people had talked about Peter. At Velma's. A public location. Anyone could have overheard anything. "If it's not our pack, it has to be someone in Michael's." As an alpha, Michael would be offended by my hunch, but I had to say it. "We have to tell them. They need to know what we're dealing with. None of us can trust anyone at the compound. Not until we find out what's going on."
"They're on the way. I'll talk to them."
"What about Bowen?" He'd be in charge of Angie's case.
"He's right outside."
"Can I speak to him?"
He released my hand, and I heard him move.
I pried my eyes open.
I'd been to the medical unit on Michael's compound once. The glass window for observation remained, I could see Lucas and Brianna outside. Michael had to be nearby. I wondered what he'd have to say about everything. When I heard footsteps at the door, I saw Noah and Bowen.
Noah looked awful.
His blond hair was tangled and messy. He hadn't shaved or showered in days. Even his clothing looked worse for the wear. His white T-shirt had stains on the front and a tear at the neck. His jeans had what appeared to be dried mud on them.
Bowen didn't look much better, despite being clean.
He had dark circles under his eyes.
I carefully reached out, looking at Noah, making sure both men knew who I wanted. Noah wrapped his fingers around mine and stopped beside the bed. Bowen stepped in beside him.
"Damn, Ellie," Bowen said. "You really did it this time."
"I want Angie to stay with me," I responded. "I gave her my word I wouldn't leave her. I promised I'd protect her. She won't trust any of you, and she needs to feel safe." I didn't delve deeper, figuring I'd tell Bowen about my theory of a mole at the compound after I'd healed a bit. "You need to move us into the same room."
"I'll talk to Michael." Bowen didn't argue, which was a relief. "If you've made a decision on what you're doing and where you're going. I have to know where she'll be at all times. She has to be carefully monitored. Especially during full moons. Surely you can understand that."
I didn't give him specifics about Angie.
He'd learn about her disconnect with her wolf soon enough.
"Can she stay with us, Noah?" I gave his hand a squeeze.
"Us?"
"I'm not leaving."
He leaned over the bed, blue eyes intense as he gazed at me. "You don't have to decide that right now."
Being in a cage in a musty basement had cleared my head in numerous ways. I thought I'd never see Noah again, and the reality of that devastated me. I didn't want to waste time anymore, or argue. I could work through the issues between us. It wouldn't be immediate, as I still felt like I was betraying Steven, but I knew eventually that would change. Mom's death had taught me time had a way of healing emotional wounds.
"I have decided. I'm staying."
"Make sure it's what you want." There was a hard edge in his tone.
He was contradicting me, because I'd been hurt.
He felt responsible.
"Stop arguing. My mind is set. I'm staying with you. I'm coming home."
"Alright," he acquiesced softly. "If you're sure. Be sure, angel."
"I am," I told him and asked, "Can she stay with us?"
"I'll speak to the pack."
As a guest, she could stay at the house for a limited time. They had to approve her as a member. I hoped they didn't hold my past and present actions against her. She wasn't responsible for the things I'd done.
"Thank you."
"When was she changed?" Bowen questioned. "I need to know."
"I'm not sure. She probably doesn't, either. She'd been kept in the lab for months. She'd been experimented on and left to rot. She's desperate for companionship." There was something else they needed to know. "She knew Peter. They were best friends. They were attacked on the same night and were probably changed around the same time. She didn't see him or know what happened to him. She was upset when she found out he'd died."
"She's shifted?"
"Yes."
"Successfully?"
"She said she has."
"I'll have to talk to her. I don't object to her staying with you, but I want to be sure it's safe. You'll have a baby in your home soon. It's important."
"Her mind is intact. She's stable mentally. I've talked to her."
"It's my job, Ellie."
No debating that fact. "Okay."
Pain bubbled in my chest. I went for relief again, pressing the button.
"Get some sleep." Bowen touched my forearm. "We can decide how to proceed when you're stronger."
"I want her moved in here." I wouldn't let my guard down until I knew she'd be with me when I woke up. "I'll rest easier and heal faster if we're together."
"Do as she says," Bowen said, voice heavy with concern and anger. "Both of them will likely benefit from the contact."
Noah leaned over, I knew he was going to kiss my forehead.
"Wait," I said, causing him to pause midway.
I lifted my free hand, and he immediately bent closer, realizing I wanted to touch him. When I could slide my fingers around his nape, I applied steady pressure. He realized my intention and brought his lips to mine. The kiss was quick and chaste, but he got the point.
I meant it when I said I was staying.
I wasn't going anywhere.
He pulled back and said, "Rest easy, angel. I'll get her in here."
"Wait." He looked at me and I said, "You too. I want you here when I wake up."
The tension around his mouth and eyes eased. "Whatever you say."
I didn't want to let him go, but I had no other choice.
He left the room, and I rested my head on the pillow.
"Ellie," Bowen spoke so quietly, I barely heard him. I turned to look, and he'd kneeled by the bed, so we were nearly eye level. "Give me your hand."
I offered him the right one, as it was free of the IV. He put a delicate white gold bracelet around my wrist and secured the lobster clasp. The metal wasn't cold, instead if felt warm against my skin.
"What's this?"
"A gift," he said. "From Violet."
Why would she give me a present? "What for?"
He studied me, his brows furrowed. He took a moment and informed me, "She went to the place you were held. She walked through the rooms after I asked to her. She took her time." My puzzlement must have shown, because he added, "She can see events in places if she wants. She saw what transpired there. This is her way of making sure she can find you no matter where you are or who you're with if something happens again."
"Did she tell you everything?" I whispered. "About what happened there?"
>
"Yes, and a little more. But that's just between us."
"A little more?"
"She picked up traces of other things. She's going to try to help."
That was excellent news.
Still, I wondered. "Why?"
"It's complicated." He stood and tried to smile. "I'll help Noah."
"Bowen. What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "We'll talk soon."
I watched as he walked away.
Bowen never lied to me.
If he didn't answer a question, it meant he couldn't.
Which made me curious about Violet Silvermist.
There was something going on between them.
Something private.
I hoped it wasn't dangerous.
◆◆◆
I woke some time later.
I scented Angie and turned my head in her direction. She was asleep in a bed near the wall, curled in a ball facing my direction. But she wasn't the reason I'd roused.
The pack stood around my bed, their hands interlocked.
Their eyes were closed.
Noah sat on the bed beside me. His palm rested on my bare chest.
My wolf had been aware of what was taking place, but the human portion of me didn't react immediately. Now that I'd come to, I realized I no longer hurt. The pain was gone. Warmth, strength, and a newfound power flowed through me. The electric tingling sensation was pleasant and comforting. The flow of the revitalizing current came directly from the pack.
Magic.
I knew werewolves had natural elements of magic that couldn't be explained. It was how they could shift forms and create bonds with each other. I'd never felt this level of influence from them, but it didn't frighten me. They held me up, took me in, and offered safety and security. We'd come together when I'd been asleep and merged. Their wolves had surrounded mine and managed to fuse them all together.
Like this, my other half felt completely whole.
My wolf felt loved.
I studied Noah.
His eyes were closed, but he must have known I'd woken.
"Sleep, angel." Not a request, a direct command.
There was no argument. He was in complete control.
My eyes slid shut, and I did as he said.
Chapter Twenty-One
When I'd come to again, I could move without pain. The IV in my arm had been removed. I rose carefully, knew immediately something was different, and inspected the injury on my hip. I couldn't believe it. The flesh had already closed. In another day or two, it would be gone. There would be slight scarring, but that was it. I felt somewhat baffled and terrified. The power of the pack was more than I'd imagined. They had done all the work. They'd given an enormous part of themselves to heal me. They didn't have to do it, and I wondered why they'd decided to. Noah had probably told them I'd made a decision and would be returning to them.
Angie still slept, and I didn't bother her, not that I could. The sedative she'd been given was made to last a long time. It would keep her out for at least another few hours.
The nurse at the compound had been forced to cut off most of her hair, but she'd attempted to do so carefully, creating a pixie-like style. I studied her face, wondering about her life. She appeared to be young, in her early twenties. We hadn't had time to talk about her family or where she was from. I hoped the changes in her life would be something she'd easily overcome.
A soft knock on the door drew my attention.
Noah.
He looked much better, having showered and changed. Although he'd come to me in casual attire, wearing a Tennessee college football T-shirt and jeans, he'd never looked more alluring. I especially like that he'd left his hair somewhat messy, not bothering to style it as he did for work. He produced a thin smile and walked across the room.
"How do you feel?"
"It's almost like nothing ever happened," I whispered. I was still amazed and frightened at the accelerated rate of healing. "I feel fine."
"Good." He sounded weary.
"Are you okay?"
He sat on the side of the bed. The mattress sank heavily beneath his weight. He took my hand. "We know where the mole is."
That was an odd way to phrase it. Not who but where.
"What do you mean?"
"Michael had a suspicion. He has for a while, actually, but I didn't agree with him. It didn't seem probable. Anyway, he set up a room in the ICU at the hospital under your name. Everything was listed as private. Then he told me to tell Tom you were there, not here. I followed his wishes to the letter." His sigh was a mixture of anger and disbelief. He lowered his head. "Within hours, the Coalition and Watchers were there. The rat isn't in the pack, Ray. It's in the PBI."
Not good.
That was dangerous on numerous levels.
I didn't want to believe it. "Tom?"
"Could be. Or someone he told."
"I don't think it's him." I truly didn't. The way he reacted around Noah was very real. The human considered Noah a friend. "He cares about you."
"Doesn't matter." Noah looked at me, the light radiating from his irises warned me he was more than angry, he was experiencing outrage. "From now on, we work with the PBI carefully. Pack information remains pack information. We only take cases if we're called in directly. Whoever's doing the talking can't know that we know about them. Not if we want to flush them out." He squeezed my hand and said, "We know the identities of the men you killed. All of them had stable, seemingly happy lives, until they fell off the radar completely. We're going to question their families."
"Dante?"
"He lost his medical license a couple of years ago, after a malpractice suit of some kind. Then he went off the grid. He isn't registered to any pack. None were even aware of him. It's the same with the others you took out. All of them have only one connection that we know of. They were members of the Watchers of the Moon."
"But they had been changed." It didn't make sense. Supporting a group that wanted you dead. Who did that? "Why would they?"
"Michael hired people to attend Watchers meetings years ago. They attend all the rallies and report to him directly. Last month, the organizers told everyone they were on the verge of a medical breakthrough. They indicated they knew a way to reverse bites of werewolf victims regardless of time of contamination."
It made sense. "Dante's research. That's why he was doing experiments. He was trying to reverse the trait even after a shift."
"We think so. It fits."
"What about Peter?"
"We're not sure of his involvement. Dante had taken people randomly, or at least that's how it seems. We went back to Burlesque and Muriel's. At night, if you park in certain areas, the cameras can't see everything. It's the same where Floyd went missing. We think Floyd and Peter were victims, but we don't know what part Dante thought they'd play. We have no idea why they were released and not contained."
"What about the house?"
"It was condemned decades ago. The original owner was a witch."
That explained the magic masking the place. "What now?"
"Now, we get you healthy and back on your feet. Michael has already established a rotating guard duty. He's also hired contractors to install lights and cameras around the entire compound, which is something he should have done a long time ago. No one will be coming or going without our knowledge."
"What about Angie? What did the pack say?"
"They want to meet her. For obvious reasons. They won't make a decision until they know it's the right one." He reached over and touched the bracelet on my wrist. He ran his index finger along the metal. "Bowen told me what this does. I never want you to take it off."
"Then I won't."
A shuffle of feet came from the doorway.
Michael watched us for a moment, amber eyes pensive, then entered. "You're awake. Welcome back." He strode to the bed, stopped beside Noah, and questioned, "Did you ask her?"
"Not yet," Noah replied, clearly agitated. "I was
about to."
"Hmm." Michael seemed amused as he peered down at me. "Eleonora, I won't ask the question. It would be rude. So, I'll set up the scenario, and let Noah take over. You've been on the news, which could have been a mess. Thankfully, you saved not one, not two, but three people." My brows furrowed as I concentrated and tried to think, I couldn't remember three human victims. Michael continued, "Angie is listed as human. We're keeping it that way, for now. Then there's the little boy in the mall. His mother and the witnesses from that day have been on the news talking about what you did. She's speaking up for you. People are calling you their werewolf protector."
Surprising and rewarding, but I didn't understand. "What does that have to do with a question?"
"Noah told you about the PBI?" I nodded slowly and he said, "We have to proceed carefully with them, and werewolves need good PR right now. We can say with certainty that the Watchers kidnapped you and killed others, including humans, for experimentation. Right now, Watchers are the bad guys, not us. That will gain traction, but it won't be enough, and it won't last long. People will talk about it for a few weeks and move on. Things will be good for us until there's another way to vilify werewolves. Then we'll be right back where we started. We need to take advantage of the positive human interest while we can."
"Okay." I wasn't sure where he was taking the conversation. "How?"
"Many are calling you a hero. News stations are aware of this, so they're not being hostile. Humans are viewing you as one of their own. You can speak to them and serve as a link between us. You can establish a connection we've never been able to before."
Dread lined my stomach. "You want me to be a werewolf celebrity?"
"After a fashion. Humans, as you are well aware, devour love stories. So we give them one. What is more romantic than a young woman reconnecting with her first love?"
"I'm not following."
"Will you marry me, angel?" Noah asked in a deep voice.
I jerked back, stunned. "Are you serious?"
"You're so romantic," Michael said with humor. "We present your story. Even your departure from the pack after you cared for your mother, which we're saying we allowed because we're understanding like that. You are more human than wolf, that's why you left for a time. But when you saved the child at the bank, and were harmed, you came into contact with the man you'd always loved. That's why you came back to the pack. You're a human that recognizes love, regardless of who or what it's for. You're loyal and faithful, two traits humans idolize."