Baby + the Late Night Howlers

by Kathryn Moon

  "If you're sure," I said slowly.

  Bullet huffed. "Boss said the same thing. I am, kitten. Promise you this, I'm not taking chances with your safety."

  He turned his head to catch my eye and I leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss to his cheek. "I know that. Guess I better put something other than pajamas on."

  "There's a bag here on the seat for you."

  I'd been bundled up at dawn, not long after Mackenzie and Tornado had finally finished with me. Which reminded me...

  I grabbed the bag and ducked back under the cover of the sheets. "How are Books and Tornado doing?"

  "They're riding straight, so no worries. Sure they'll hit the hay hard tonight."

  "And is that what we'll be sleeping on?" I teased. "Hay? You got a barn for us?”

  Bullet made a blustering, offended sound in his throat. "Like I'd take you to a barn, kitten. You'll see. I'm gonna let it be a surprise, just for you making that smart remark."

  I giggled and dug through the bag, finding a pair of leggings and a simple dress, even fresh underwear.

  I finished wiggling into my change of clothes in my crowded transitional nest, grabbed a warm fluffy comforter and pillow, and then climbed into the front passenger seat. Ahead of the truck, Jonah and Seth rode side by side on the wide road, twin wolves howling on their backs.

  It was my first glance at the scenery since we’d been in the suburbs of the city, and I stared greedily out the window at the heavy woods we passed on the road. I assumed we’d be heading south into other populated areas, especially after Bullet mentioned another MC. Instead, we were heading north, snow still heaped in piles through the underbrush and lacing the tops of tall pines.

  “Are we upstate?”

  “Almost over the state line,” Bullet said with a nod. “Once we are, we’ll be in empty territory. But we gotta cut through Rough Diamond club territory, unless we wanna head two hours out of our way and into the mountains.”

  “And where are we gonna be when we get where we’re going?” I asked, wiggling my eyebrows as he glanced at me.

  He laughed, and his eyes traveled down to drink me in and then up again, nice and slow. “Gonna leave that a surprise. You can be patient, can’t you?”

  I snorted and rolled my eyes. Pretty sure my alphas were aware by now that patience was not my strong suit.

  Jonah signaled left at a wide, empty intersection and we followed suit, heading up a slow sloping road that wound its way higher through the trees and heavy rock outcroppings until it narrowed. Small, shingled trailer homes perched at odd angles down steep gravel drives. They were infrequent at first until we started to hit more small roads without street signs and found ourselves in a small town cradled between the curves of two small mountains.

  “Almost there. We’ll slide down the other side of the mountain on our way out, and then it won’t be long till we get to…” Bullet trailed off and then winked at me.

  “Fine. Keep your secrets,” I said.

  “Not for much longer, kitten.”

  We slid into street parking in front of a long building covered with weathered gray wood and a brilliant red neon sign over its awning that read BAR. The sun was already starting to set, and the sky had an eerie orange cast from one mountain to the next. Seth met me at the passenger door, taking my hand and helping me out of Bullet’s absurdly high carriage.

  “Don’t be nervous,” Seth said, reaching past me and pulling out my leather jacket.

  I slid my arms into the narrow sleeves and breathed out slowly, nodding. “It’s not like I have a bad opinion of MCs in general,” I assured him. “Just…recent circumstances.”

  He slung his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Quick stop. No drama, I promise.”

  Jonah waited for us on the sidewalk, watching with that caramel and spice warm gaze of his and I snuggled into Seth a bit extra, enjoying the curve of our alpha’s smile in response.

  Bullet joined Jonah and together they pushed in on the tall swinging doors into the bar. Given the dilapidated look of the exterior, and the blunt introduction to the space from the neon sign, I hadn’t been expecting much. But inside surprised me. The bar top was a glossy cherry red, and the glass shelves stretching high behind it were well lit and stocked with the kind of liquor the restaurant I’d worked at had carried.

  This was not a scratched pool table and pinball motorcycle club bar. There were deep, round booths with high walls of quilted, black leather that offered privacy, a low stage at the back, and a shiny, bright, wooden dancing floor in front. In the heart of the room was a long and wide roulette table, bar stools perched for future players.

  And waiting for us, occupied by tasks I suspected were meant to make them look busy just so they had an excuse to be here, was an assortment of bikers in their rhinestone-studded cuts. Most of them were women, and I pressed my lips together just to keep my jaw from dropping and embarrassing myself. There were men too, a mix of alphas and betas based on the whiffs of them as they followed behind the women to approach us near the bar. But there were only a few of them. Tucked between them was a young man, a little older than me with gray in his dark hair and laugh lines around his eyes. He cuddled into the alphas but he had his own glittering studded leather vest. Their omega. Male omegas were only slightly less rare than omegas who hit their designation in their twenties.

  “Scorch.” A tall, ice-blonde faux-hawk led the charge, her arms folded over her chest but a small golden crown visible over her heart.

  “Queenie,” Jonah said with a bow of his head.

  I might’ve been breaking Seth's fingers with the iron tight grip I had on his hand. This was so cool. So. Freaking. Cool. Because I would’ve bet all the money in my measly bank account that Queenie was the Prez of this club. A woman and an alpha. Flanked by other alpha and beta women, all equally badass looking.

  I loved her. Or at least was quickly developing a lady crush on her.

  “And this must be,” her eyes flinched as she settled on me, “Baby.”

  I smiled at her. “It’s actually my real name. On my license and everything.”

  Her eyebrows ticked up, but over her shoulder the nestled in omega grinned at me.

  “You’re not bonded,” Queenie said catching my gaze. “If you’re not sure about the company you’re keeping, we’ll do what we can for you.”

  My alphas bristled, but not one of them let out the faintest growl. “Oh they’re not scraping me off,” I said, offering my men a smile. “I’m just only in my first month as an omega so they’re doing their best not to let me rush into things.”

  Queenie’s high, narrow shoulders lowered slightly and she took a second assessment of our group. Cole remained at the Plaza since I’d asked Jonah to come with us, at least to get me settled. But aside from that, every alpha I’d asked for was here, Bullet and Jonah standing slightly in front of me, with Ryan, Mackenzie, and Tornado protecting my back. And Seth's hand holding me steady.

  “There’s a pack a neighborhood over from us. They aren’t as interested in letting Baby take her time,” Jonah said. “We aren’t an MC that takes on wars. We definitely aren’t interested in one that risks Baby’s safety.”

  “Go on, Queenie,” the omega in the back called out. “You know you want to like them.”

  One of the alphas tugged on a dark curl of hair and stole a kiss from him as Queenie glared over her shoulder. The glare softened as she stared at the two and with the flex of her neck I caught the shiny, white, half-moon scars on her throat. A bonding mark. An alpha bonding mark on another alpha! This was officially the hottest, coolest pack I’d ever seen and I wanted to ask them a million questions. Was that her alpha kissing the omega? Or was it another one? Did they have massive heat orgies?

  Either way, this MC was a pack not entirely unlike ours, with unusual relationship arrangements, and it made me giddy to see the dynamics of the designations at work.

  “Respect or not, we aren’t shar
ing territory and this area has enough alphas as is,” Queenie said, not offering an inch.

  “We’ll be out of your way,” Bullet said. “Well into the next state.”

  “We aren’t conducting any business. Just want a safe place to take care of our girl,” Jonah said. “All we need is for you to never mention seeing us. And if we have your permission to pass through town on our way to and from the city, we’ll stay entirely out of your way in the process.”

  “We’ll discuss business at the bar,” Queen said. “Devon, you and Baby can gossip about your packs and I’ll make sure someone brings you food.”

  Jonah and Bullet bristled at Queenie stepping in and offering orders on my care but Devon, my fellow omega, weaved his way through the crowd to me and held out his hand.

  “They’ll all be less prickly with us out from under their noses,” Devon said, cheeks full and pink with his smile.

  Seth held onto my hand until I nodded to him and Jonah. “Go. Sort out the details. I’m good.”

  It wasn’t lost on me that Queenie watched our exchange with serious attention. But my pack didn’t disappoint. Seth released me, and Bullet and Jonah both gave me additional marking kisses to my temple—as if Devon cared if I was scent marked—before turning to the bar.

  “You could send some cocktails over too, while you’re at it,” Devon called, winking at his pack. One of his alphas skipped to, hurrying to high shelf bottles of liquor. “Queenie just wants me to make sure you’re not like, brainwashed or kidnapped or whatever,” Devon said under his breath to me. “So are you?”

  “Neither, promise,” I said, sliding in behind him to the back of a deep round booth. “She’s… the Prez, yeah?”

  “Oh, yeah. She’s got some big dick energy, don’t she?” Devon asked, bright with pride. Under the light of the low booth lamp I could see a soft, purple color in his eye. Violet was stitched on his vest, his club name. “You’re old to be a new omega.”

  I nodded. “Late bloomer. Like, majorly late.”

  “Huh. And you met your pack…”

  “Through the Omega Center,” I said, smiling as his eyes widened. “We didn’t get to do the full fancy process ‘cause my heat came on.”

  I caught Devon up on the full version from the Devil’s Noose to leaving our HQ, pausing when gin and ginger ales arrived, and then some high end grilled cheese sandwiches and French fries. It wasn’t quite as good as Chef’s food, but I certainly wasn’t complaining.

  “That’s some wild shit,” Devon said in summary, munching on a fry. “But at least I can tell Queenie we don’t need to pull a rescue unit, or whatever she was thinking. You got way more alphas than us.”

  I opted not to tell I only brought half of them. Queenie probably knew already anyway, and if she didn’t, then it wasn’t for me to give it away. We finished our food as the packs wrapped up at the bar.

  “I don’t know how our packs would handle it, and it should probably wait till your heat’s wrapped up, but if you ever need like an omega buddy to talk to, hit me up,” Devon offered as my pack headed across the long bar to me.

  “I could use that talk,” I said.

  He caught my hand and squeezed it in his, those laugh lines around his eyes crinkling with sweetness. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re in good hands. We don’t all get it right on the first try.”

  My head tipped and the question was on my lips, but I couldn’t find the words before Ryan arrived at the end of the booth.

  “Ready, sweetness? Bull says we’ve got a few hours left before we’re done for the night.”

  “Ready,” I said, nodding.

  Before I pushed myself out though, I paused and turned back to Devon. He grinned and without a word we hugged one another. He smelled faintly of brownies and maple syrup, and I didn’t know if it would stir up trouble for us to touch. If his alphas or mine would feel territorial about our scents, but there was something comforting in the exchange. It wasn’t the melting reassurance of safety from my alphas, of approval and security and adoration. But there was affection in it and camaraderie.

  “Safe travels,” Devon said.

  I slid away, Ryan helping me out and sliding me between himself and Tornado. “Everything good?” I asked them.

  Tornado seemed relaxed, which was the best sign I could think of. Although he did still have a hazy glow about and a swing in his hips that might have had to do with our night together.

  Ryan nodded, fingers settling briefly at the back of my neck before sliding down my back. “Good. The clubs are friendly. We’ll be in safe territory. Now we just need to find you a bed.”

  A nest, I thought. Although I could make do with sheets and pillows again if I needed to. As long as I had my pack.

  27

  Baby

  I slept through the last leg of the drive. I woke as I was lifted out of the truck in Jonah’s arms, his purr humming to try and help me sleep through the jostling. My eyes slid open but what I found for a view was so incongruous and confusing, that they shut again before I’d finished processing the sight.

  Enormous gray stone and stained glass and shrubbery.

  “Jesus, Bull. What the hell is this place?”

  That was what finally caught my attention, the shock in Ryan’s voice. I opened my eyes again, my jaw dropping slowly as Jonah carried me up a pebbled drive to a palatial front staircase. With stone lions perched on either side.

  “It’s… where I grew up,” Bullet said, his back facing mine as he trudged up those deep steps to huge front doors with dim golden knockers, goblin faces screaming and trying to loose the heavy rings trapped in their jaws.

  “Put me down,” I whispered, sitting up in Jonah’s arms.

  He set me on my feet at the first step, his own attention caught on the… it was a mansion. A big stone mansion with electric candles in the tall windows and what looked like long wings of rooms stretching in either direction.

  “Did you know about this?” Seth whispered to Jonah, who shook his head.

  I expected Bullet to knock when he reached the top of the steps, but instead he pulled a key out from his back pants pocket, and slid aside a false old fashioned looking keyhole on the door to reveal a more modern one. I hurried up the steps, wanting that first look inside this strange place. It was like something out of an old movie, grand and ancient, with tall pillars holding up a stone balcony above our heads.

  “Grab her things,” Jonah said to the others. “Bullet, who else is here?”

  “No one,” Bullet said, glancing over his shoulder, finding me at his back and giving me a tight-lipped smile. “It’s just us. We can stay as long as we need. Come on, kitten.”

  His huge hand enveloped mine, and with a heavy turn of the key and a dense click from inside, he pushed open the door. The floor was marble, that was the first thing I saw. A soft beeping sounded from inside, and Bullet pulled me in, guiding me to a narrow carpet in a huge and shadowy entrance hall as he went to key in a code at an alarm system on the right side of the room near a side table with a stained glass lamp. He pulled it on and the space became clearer.

  In front of me a round table sat loaded with a heavy, low vase, overflowing with roses. Fresh roses, deep reds and orangey peaches and bruised purples. A few leaves had fallen to the surface of the table, but otherwise the bouquet was intact, and fragrant as if someone had set it there this morning. Beyond the table, a wide staircase led up and split in two directions. Heavy, dark wallpaper stretched up from half paneled wood walls. I looked up to follow the line of the staircases, saw the balustrades extending above me, and then the enormous and unlit chandelier.

  “Bullet,” I whispered.

  “I know,” he grumbled, and I snorted by how unimpressed he sounded.

  Behind me, the others entered, soft curses muttered under their breath as they lined up behind me, their boots noisy on the marble until they reached the carpet.

  “What the fuck, Bullet?” Mackenzie said, a breathless laugh in his throa
t.

  “So, yeah,” Bullet said, and then the words ended lamely there.

  “Yeah?”

  “Um… bedrooms are upstairs,” Bullet said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Kitchen is, um, there’s a smaller staircase back there on the left that takes you down there. Greenhouse at the end of the left-wing. Lots of sitting rooms…and shit.”

  We stared at him and I watched the flush rise up his neck, hiding in his beard until it flooded his cheeks.

  “Baby, I got…somewhere to show you.”

  “Man, you cannot just swing open a fucking iron gate, drive up to this place, and then be like, ‘there are bedrooms upstairs,’” Seth said, laughing.

  “Fuckin’ watch me,” Bullet muttered.

  I left the carpet, tried not to flinch at the echoing slap of my shoes on marble, and crossed to Bullet. His tension melted as I pressed myself to his chest and rested my head over his heartbeat. Was it right that we came here if it made him so uncomfortable?

  “I’ll explain everything tomorrow,” Bullet said to the others. “And there’s nothing stopping you from lookin’ around. Helping yourself. But right now, I’m taking Baby up to bed.”

  “Where?” Jonah asked.

  “Take the stairs up to the right-wing, door at the end of the hall will take you up to the nest.”

  “A nest?” I asked, perking up and leaning back to find Bullet’s stare.

  He nodded, lip quirking up to the left. “Proper one.”

  A part of me agreed with the others, I wanted the answers to the mystery of this place now. I could wait for my nest if it weren’t for the twitch of tension running up and down Bullet’s arms. Bringing me and the others here was costing Bullet something, and if he needed to retreat, then I could help with that. I faced the others and met Jonah’s gaze, nodding and watching his jaw lock before he answered with a nod of his own.