by Karen Lynch
“Sure.”
“You guys don’t have to leave because of me,” I protested.
Shannon shook her head. “I wouldn’t enjoy myself after what happened.”
“Me either,” April said. “Let’s all go together.”
We went outside, and Paul stayed with the girls while Roland and Peter went to get their cars from the parking garage. Before they left, the two of them had a quiet word with Paul, who stayed glued to my side until they returned. I don’t know what they thought might happen, but I felt pretty safe surrounded by werewolves.
The cars pulled up, and everyone decided who would ride with whom. I’d come in Peter’s car, but I found myself shuffled to the front seat of the Mustang with Paul taking my place in the other car. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad to be with Roland, even if neither of us spoke much during the drive home.
When we got to my place, Roland parked in my spot and looked over at me. “You want me to come in?”
“Yes.” The last thing I wanted was to be alone.
We entered the apartment, and I grabbed two sodas from the fridge before we headed into the living room. I sat on one end of the couch, and Roland took the other end, looking like he was worried I’d fall apart any second.
“I’m alright now,” I assured him. “It just freaked me out a bit.”
His brows pulled down. “You had every right to be upset. I wish I’d gotten my hands on those two bastards before they took off. They wouldn’t be bothering you again.”
My fingers began to shred the label on my bottle. “What does he want from me?”
“It doesn’t matter because he’s never getting near you again,” he said with a ferocity I’d never heard in his voice. “You’re safe with me, with us.”
“I know, but you and your friend can’t protect me around the clock.”
He started to say something, and I cut him off.
“You know I’m right. You have jobs and lives of your own, and you can’t keep dropping everything to babysit me. I don’t want to live that way.”
Silence fell between us for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was tight.
“You won’t call the police, and you won’t let us protect you. Are you planning to leave New Hastings?”
I shook my head fervently. “I love it here, and I’m not letting someone scare me away. I’m going to do what Sara told me to do if I saw the man again. I’m calling Dax.”
“Dax?”
“He’s head of Westhorne security.”
His eyes widened. “You know their security guys? How long did you visit?”
“A while.” I floundered, searching for an answer that wouldn’t arouse his suspicions. “I met Dax, but I don’t really know him.”
He nodded approvingly. “If there’s one thing I know about the Mohiri, it’s that they are really good at detective work. Give them a few days, and they’ll know everything about this guy, right down to his favorite toothpaste.”
I rested my head against the back cushion and sighed heavily. “I know. I should have called them on Monday. I guess I was hoping it wasn’t the same guy.”
Roland pulled out his phone and checked the time. “It’s not too late in Idaho. You should call them now. Do you need the number?”
“You have the number for Westhorne?” I laughed. “Oh, wait, of course you do.”
“Don’t tell the others. I have a reputation to protect.” He smiled for the first time since we got home, and my heart squeezed.
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
He found the number in his contacts and handed the phone to me. The number took me to a directory where I chose Dax’s name. A few seconds later, he answered.
“Dax here.”
“Hi, Dax. It’s Emma. Emma Grey,” I added because Roland was listening.
“Emma! How’s Maine?”
I smiled. “I love it here. How are things with you?”
He let out a laugh. “Quiet without you girls around. Now, what can I do for you tonight?”
I glanced at Roland, and he gave a little nod of encouragement.
“I have a problem, and Sara said I should contact you.”
“Must be big if she told you to call me,” he said with more seriousness. “Tell me.”
I related the whole story to him about first seeing the man in Portland and the times since. He asked questions about the man’s description, the SUV he was driving, and the other man, Keith. I knew it wasn’t a lot to go on, but Dax didn’t seem fazed by it.
“I’ve worked with less,” he said, his fingers tapping on his keyboard. The man was never without a computer. “I’ll probably have to send someone to Portland to check it out, so don’t be surprised if a warrior knocks on your door tomorrow or the next day. Are you okay there alone until then?”
“I’m not alone. Sara’s friend Roland is here with me.”
“Ah, the werewolf. You can’t do much better than one of them for protection. Well, except for one of us,” he added with a chuckle. “You’re in good hands. And we’ll get this other guy; don’t you worry.”
My shoulders slumped, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off me. “Thanks, Dax.”
“Anytime. Now, get some rest. We’ll take it from here.”
I hung up and held the phone out to Roland. “They’re sending someone to check it out. Dax said not to worry.”
Roland looked as relieved as I was. “I’ve seen those guys in action. This will be over before you know it.”
“Dax said not to worry.” I pulled my legs up under me and sighed. “I don’t know how to thank you for –”
“You don’t have to thank me. I want to be here.” His gaze held mine. “I’m staying here tonight. I’ll sleep in the car if you want to be alone, but I’m not leaving you here without protection.”
I almost mentioned Remy’s magical wards, but something stopped me. Even if I was safe from danger in here, I didn’t want to be alone tonight. More than that, I wanted Roland here. I blocked out the niggling voice in my head that argued it was a bad idea to spend time alone with him.
“You can have the couch. You don’t snore, do you?”
“You’ll have to let me know.” He smiled, making my stomach flutter madly.
“You want to watch a movie? I can make popcorn.”
He nodded. “Yeah. You’re not too tired, are you? Because you don’t have to stay up and keep me company.”
I bit my lip. “I don’t think I can sleep yet.”
His eyes softened. “You make the popcorn and I’ll find a movie. Anything except horror, right?”
“How did you know that?” I tried to remember when we’d talked about our movie preferences.
He reached for the TV remote that lay on the coffee table. “I figured you’d be in the mood for something lighter.”
“You’re right.” I headed to the kitchen. “You like lots of butter on your popcorn?”
“Only if you do,” he called over the TV.
When I returned to the living room with a giant bowl of buttery popcorn, he was stretched out with his feet on the coffee table and looking totally at home.
“Sorry.” He took his feet down to let me pass. “Old habits.”
I placed the bowl on the couch between us. “You spent a lot of time here with Sara, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, except for the last year. I got more into partying and stuff, and Sara was off doing her thing.” He gave me a lopsided smile. “I can’t tell you how many movies I’ve watched in this living room.”
“We’ll have to continue that tradition, then.” As friends, I reminded myself. I got comfortable on my side of the couch. “What are we watching?”
“The Hangover. Ever seen it?”
“No.”
He took a handful of popcorn. “Then you’re in for a good laugh. I figured you could use one.”
“Thanks,” I said, touched by his thoughtfulness. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He gave me another of those heart-melt
ing smiles, and his wonderful scent wrapped around me.
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Roland
My eyes strayed from the TV to Emma, who was curled up asleep on the other end of the couch. She’d made it halfway through the movie before she’d given up trying to keep her eyes open. And I’d spent the rest of the movie trying not to watch her like a creep. It was a losing battle because she was as beautiful in sleep as she was awake.
Moving carefully so I didn’t jostle her, I turned off the TV and went to her bedroom to turn down her covers.
Emma barely made a sound when I scooped her into my arms and carried her to her bed. I pulled the blankets over her and turned on the lamp. She’d slept with it on the other night, and I suspected it was because of her nightmares. I’d give anything to be able to lie beside her and hold her, to keep those bad dreams at bay.
“Goodnight, Emma,” I whispered.
Back in the living room, I stretched out on the couch with my arms folded behind my head. It was getting harder to keep my feelings hidden from her and everyone else. A few times tonight, I’d seen Shannon watching us curiously as if she suspected there was more to us than friendship. When Emma had been frightened, my protective instincts had fired up, and I’d held her close, not caring how it looked to the others. It wasn’t uncommon for werewolves to date humans, but I’d been acting like a mate, something Pete had pointed out to me when the two of us went to get the cars.
What girl wouldn’t want you as a mate?
Emma’s words to me while we were dancing had been on replay in my head all night. Had she been referring to werewolf females or herself? When she’d looked into my eyes and said that to me, I’d never wanted to kiss someone more in my life. Just thinking it now made my body ache with need, and I shifted to get more comfortable.
I was running out of time. I had to tell her soon before she found out on her own. But I also couldn’t lay something this big on her while she was dealing with so much. I’d seen the strain in her eyes as she’d told the Mohiri security guy about the man stalking her. She was a lot more stressed than she let on, and I wouldn’t add to that.
I had every confidence that the Mohiri would catch this guy soon. No one was better than them when it came to stuff like this, and I was grateful to them for helping Emma. Once the man was no longer a threat, I would tell Emma the truth about the imprint and my feelings for her. And hope she cared enough for me to give us a chance.
* * *
Emma insisted on going to work in the morning, saying she wasn’t letting anyone mess with her life. I followed her to the diner at nine and told her I’d be back when her shift was over. I made her promise not to leave the diner alone and to call me or Pete if she saw anyone suspicious. She didn’t argue with me, which told me she was more afraid than she was letting on.
I went to the garage for a few hours because I had patrol duty at noon. New Hastings had been quiet since last fall, and Maxwell was determined to keep it that way. We had twenty-four hour patrols around the town and surrounding areas, with each adult taking six-hour shifts. If anything did try to enter our territory, we’d know about it.
My mind was on Emma as I walked to the run boxes behind Brendan’s farm, so I didn’t see the two female wolves coming out of the woods until they shifted in front of me.
Lex stood between me and the run box, her breasts heaving slightly from her run. My eyes lifted to hers, and she smiled suggestively. Only a blind man wouldn’t look at an attractive naked female standing in front of him. She was wasting her time if she thought it meant anything more than that.
Walking around her, I stopped at the box and stripped, ignoring the two pairs of eyes watching me. Lex huffed in annoyance, but I didn’t bother to acknowledge her. I was done pretending to tolerate her or her scheming, and I couldn’t wait to tell her and everyone else that I’d found my mate.
Shifting, I padded into the trees without a backward glance at Lex or her friend. I’d noticed she and Julie had been spending less time together the last week. With Pete out of the picture and me ignoring their advances, Julie had turned her attention to other unmated males. I’d seen her cozying up to Francis on Friday and both of them had looked happy about it. Not much made Francis smile, so he must really like her.
Today, I was patrolling the area behind the Knolls, one of my favorite spots because it was a great place for my wolf to run and stretch his legs. A normal wolf could go maybe thirty-five miles per hour. An adult werewolf could do between seventy-five and ninety. My best speed was ninety-five, though I didn’t get to go that fast often. Right now, I was doing around fifty as I weaved through the trees and leaped over several small streams.
It was a constant effort to keep my mind from drifting to Emma. But I had to stay focused, especially in my fur. We didn’t get hikers out here, but you never knew when a couple of humans would get adventurous, or in most cases, lost. The last thing we wanted was for one of them to stumble upon us.
I was on my second pass of my route when I scented other werewolves nearby. With so many pack members visiting, it wasn’t unusual to run into some of them out on patrol, so I paid no mind to it.
Ten minutes later, the wind shifted and I caught their scent again. I lifted my head and sniffed the air, picking up three distinct scents. One of them was familiar, but not someone from the Knolls, so it was a visiting wolf. It had to be females. It wasn’t the first time some of them had followed me on patrol in the last few weeks.
I groaned and picked up my pace, hoping to lose them. At least I didn’t smell Lex among them. That female would run me into the ground if she thought it would help her get what she wanted.
When I was sure I’d lost them, I slowed my pace and headed for a stream I liked. The water was cold and clear, and I lapped it thirstily, taking a moment to rest before I resumed my run.
Inevitably, my mind went to Emma, and I wondered how her day was going. I’d told her this morning that I would stay at her place again tonight, and to my pleasure, she’d agreed.
Anticipation filled me at the thought of spending more time alone with her, even if we were just talking and watching movies. I wanted to touch her and make her mine so much it hurt, but I had to be patient and give her time. I’d earned her trust and her friendship, and now I had to rein in my own desires until she was ready for the next step. If it didn’t kill me first.
The snap of a twig was the only warning I got before a shaggy brown werewolf stepped from the trees on the other side of the narrow stream.
My lips pulled back in a silent snarl when I recognized Trevor Gosse because I knew he wasn’t here for a friendly chat. Or by chance. He also knew he couldn’t take me in a fight, so he hadn’t come alone.
As if they’d read my mind, two more werewolves came out of the woods behind me. I cursed myself for being so distracted that I’d allowed them to surround me. Maxwell would kick my ass if he saw me forgetting a rule he’d spent months drilling into my head.
I swung my head toward the main threat. Go home, Trevor, if you know what’s good for you.
He bared his teeth, but kept his eyes averted from mine. You aren’t my team leader now. I don’t have to follow your orders.
Like you weren’t going to follow them in Portland? I taunted. And how’d that work out for you?
Trevor growled loudly. You ran crying to the Alpha and got me thrown out of the Beta program, you little bastard.
I hadn’t known about Maxwell booting him, but I wasn’t surprised. Trevor Gosse was not fit to be a Beta, and Maxwell knew it.
You complained to Maxwell, and he asked me about it. If you hadn’t lied about what happened, I would have let it go. But you brought this on yourself.
A sound alerted me to movement behind me, and I snarled at Trevor’s two companions.
I’m only telling you this once. Leave before you get hurt.
One of them, a gray wolf, snorted. You’re just like that bitch cousin of yours. Think you’re too
good for the rest of us because you’re the Alpha’s kin.
Gary. I should have known he was a part of this. He was still sore because Seth had imprinted on Lydia first. He wasn’t too happy with me either for taking him down in front of everyone. Looked like he was after some payback. I’d bet my next paycheck that the red wolf beside him was the man I’d forced to submit that night.
So, I guess you three are here to put me in my place, huh?
We’re going to teach you to respect your betters, said the red wolf, whose name evaded me.
My laugh came out as a choked growl. Had he really just said that? When I see my “betters” I’ll be sure to show them some respect.
Cocky little pup, aren’t you? Gary took a step toward me. You’ll change your tune when we’re done with you.
My chest rumbled a warning. You three couldn’t take me before. What makes you think you can do it now?
Trevor suddenly shifted. Before I could figure out what he was up to, he picked up a small sack he must have dropped before he showed himself. He smiled maliciously as he untied the sack and pulled out a pair of leather gloves. Slipping on the gloves, he reached into the sack again, and his hand reappeared, holding a long thin silver chain with a collar fashioned at one end.
My stomach pitched when I realized he planned to use the chain on me. Silver was one of the few things that could harm us, and it burned like hell. I’d been shot with a silver bullet last year, and I’d almost died from it. The memory of that pain would stay with me the rest of my life.
I lifted my head to hide my fear. Are you insane? The penalty for using silver on another pack member is banishment.
Trevor dangled the chain from his hand, careful to not let it touch his bare skin. “Maybe we’ll start our own pack, or find one that suits us better. Right, fellows?” He looked past me. “Guys?”
You said we’d teach him a lesson, the red wolf replied hesitantly. You didn’t say anything about using silver.
“Don’t wimp out on me, Rob,” Trevor warned him. He swung the chain, and it gleamed dangerously in the sunlight. “We are going to teach him a lesson, one he’ll never forget.”