Wolf Quest

by Bianca D'Arc

  “Yeah, I know. It doesn’t feel right.” Zach shivered.

  “The weather forecasters are stymied. With no large source of open water, the storm system shouldn’t be expanding like it is. And it’s not moving. Wind should be carrying it across the country. This storm is stationary. We believe it’s being generated by dark magic.” Jesse and Maria had discussed some of this while Zach had been sleeping in the back of the SUV. Every phone call Jesse made or received that day only seemed to confirm their suspicions.

  “Something to do with my parents?” Zach’s expression was bleak for a moment before his mask of maturity came back into play.

  “We think so. The Lords and their mate are working on it from their end. She is a priestess of the Lady and her mates protect her while she tries to penetrate the storm magically. So far, I haven’t heard any positive results from that quarter. I just wanted to catch you up so you’re not blindsided when we video chat—if that’s still possible with all the electrical interference the storm is producing—with everyone in an hour. We set up a conference for eight o’clock. I want you to be part of it.”

  It would be much better, Jesse decided, to make the teen feel as if he was an integral part of the team working to find and free his parents. It wouldn’t be good to have him feel like an outsider in something that affected him so deeply. He was a grizzly shifter with all the magic and brute strength that implied, even if he was still just a kid. If they didn’t include him in the planning, Jesse was pretty certain the kid would go off on his own and it might be at just the wrong moment. Better to have him in on the plan from the beginning, playing with the rest of the team.

  Zach nodded once, his chin wobbling a bit as he went back to eating his fries. Jesse pretended not to notice. Zach was trying to be strong for his family. That was all that mattered. He was maturing well beyond his years, and Jesse didn’t want to do anything to impede that process right now. Zach could go back to being a kid when they got his parents out safely. Not before.

  It was harsh, but that was the way of the shifter world. The human world too, when war and petty dictators screwed with people’s lives. Jesse had seen that firsthand. The same thing happened among magic folk. It was time to give the kid a history lesson.

  “You’ve heard of the Venifucus, right?” Jesse asked.

  At just that moment, the bathroom door opened, releasing a torrent of woman-scented steam that made Jesse’s wolf stand up and growl in appreciation.

  Down boy.

  “That’s the group who sent those guys to my house,” Maria commented as she came out of the bathroom. “The ones with the tattoos.”

  Damn. She looked good in fresh clothes—a shorts set that made Jesse’s mouth water. But he had to keep his mind on business for now. Play could come later.

  Though not tonight, he reminded himself. Not with the kid in the room only a few feet away. Jesse would have to be satisfied with just holding her in his arms. He couldn’t make love to her tonight.

  Soon, though, he promised his wolf. As soon as he could arrange a bit of privacy. It didn’t have to be much privacy. But some. The bare minimum.

  That seemed to placate the wolf who receded and let the man think with his brain once more.

  “Tattoos?” Zach asked as Maria joined them in the room, stowing some things in her bag before sitting on the room’s only chair. Jesse and Zach were camped out on each of the beds, empty fast-food wrappers strewn around them.

  Jesse held up his wrist and pointed. “Usually right here. Apparently, the Venifucus mark some of their minions with a magical brand that only a few people can see. My brother’s mate can see them. As can her cousin, apparently.” Jesse nodded toward Maria. “I’m told it looks like a stylized V in a circle with glyphs or runes written in the border formed by tight, concentric circles.”

  Maria nodded. “That’s what I saw.”

  “Sally did too. She drew a sketch of it, and our ally, the Master Vampire of the region, confirmed he’d seen that before in the old days, when they last fought the Venifucus.”

  “My parents told me a little bit about the legends,” Zach volunteered. “But I don’t really know much.”

  “This is important, Zach. I’m afraid we’re all going to know a lot more about ancient history before this is all said and done.” Jesse took a sip of his soda before continuing. “There are two groups we need to be concerned with. The Venifucus and the Altor Custodis. The Venifucus actively supported Elspeth, Destroyer of Worlds, when she made her last bid for power and was banished to the farthest realms by the forces of Light. This was centuries ago, but there are some around who still remember that battle. Bloodletters, mostly. Our peoples were allied back then and worked together to defeat her and her minions.”

  “My parents say you can’t trust the bloodsuckers. They’re only out for themselves,” Zach said with a hint of belligerence common in the young and foolish. Jesse let it slide, though he’d never have tolerated such insolence from anyone under his command. The kid had been through a lot and Jesse didn’t want to traumatize him even more.

  “Sorry to say, but your parents are wrong. There are a few who are like that, of course. There are bad apples in every barrel. But the Council of Masters have always been pledged to the Light. It’s their job to keep their people in line. My brother’s Pack is allied with Dmitri Belakov, a Master who remembers what it was like in the old days. Dmitri recently found his mate—a woman he’s waited centuries for—and her computer software business employs a good portion of the youngsters in our Pack. We are allied on many levels now, but none so important as in the fight against those who seek to bring Elspeth back from her banishment.”

  “They’re trying to bring the Destroyer back?” Zach was finally getting the seriousness of this problem. “That would take incredibly strong magic.” Jesse could almost see the gears turning in Zach’s mind. “Grizzlies are the most magical of the were Tribes. Do you think that’s why they kidnapped my parents and tried to grab me?”

  “I’m sorry, Zach, but yes, that’s what I think.” Jesse tried to deliver the bad news as gently as possible.

  “I see.” Zach swallowed and nodded, his strength returning as calmness descended. “And they tried to kidnap her too?” Zach had been mostly ignoring Maria all day, only talking to Jesse. He jerked his chin over at Maria now, as if she weren’t already part of the conversation. It was insulting, but Jesse understood the kid’s residual anger at being locked up.

  “We’re not sure what that was all about yet. I followed those two men from Wyoming where they’d been involved in the shooting of a young wolf girl and the kidnapping of a wolf boy who was later found strapped to a chair in a booby-trapped basement wearing an explosive vest. The idea was to kill as many of us as they could when we went in to rescue the boy.” Jesse wasn’t sugarcoating the information for Zach. “Those two men were either after the doc because she’s also descended from powerful magic or, less likely, because they knew she’d taken you in.”

  “Why do you say that’s less likely?” Maria asked, jumping on his statement. He hadn’t shared his thoughts with her on this yet, but he’d had time to mull over the situation as they drove all day.

  “First, if they just wanted Zach, it would have been easy to get him out of the cage without you knowing, despite the lock you had on the latch. That barn was too remote from your house for you to have realized he was gone until you went out to feed the animals the next morning. So they had to have a reason to come after you first. Heck, they might not have even known about Zach being on your property. If they’d simply wanted you out of the way so they could bang around your grounds without you hearing, they could’ve shot you through the window. Instead, they entered your house and grappled with you. They wanted to subdue you. Either that was for their own sick amusement…” Jesse didn’t have to spell out the fact that they could have wanted to rape her. One raised eyebrow said it all. “Or they wanted to abduct you. I’m leaning toward abduction. We didn’t f
ind any of the men’s footprints near the barn where Zach was being kept. They came onto your property and went straight for your house with only a cursory attempt at recon around the perimeter. I now believe they were after you, Maria.”

  She swallowed visibly and a hint of fear showed in her eyes.

  “But you saved her,” Zach interrupted, a certain superiority in his tone that implied he knew how the wimpy human had to be saved by the big, strong shifter. Damn. Had Jesse been as cocky and sure of his own magnificence when he was Zach’s age? He hoped not.

  “Actually, she saved herself. When I busted in her backdoor, Maria had one guy out cold on the floor of her kitchen and the other in a hold he couldn’t get out of. She definitely saved herself.” Jesse held Maria’s gaze as he recounted her prowess, sharing a private smile of admiration and pure appreciation with her. He was charmed by the pink that showed on her cheeks as he complimented her ability to handle herself. “Nice work, Doc.”

  Maria said nothing as she lowered her eyes. The demure look was doing things to Jesse’s libido. Things he couldn’t act on with the kid in the room.

  “But she’s human,” Zach objected, breaking the mood with a crash.

  “Never underestimate humans,” Jesse said sternly. “I’ve fought alongside human soldiers that would put some of our best fighters to shame. They are more than we think in our arrogance. But, as it happens, the doc is a little bit more than just human. She’s got magical blood and healing hands. She’s got the touch, Zach, and don’t ever forget it.”

  “And a black belt in aikido,” Maria commented from the sidelines, surprising Jesse. He’d guessed she’d had training but hadn’t known about the level or style.

  “Aikido? Really?” Jesse was impressed. “I knew an aikido master in the service. It’s a fascinating fighting style.”

  “It’s all about directing the flow of energy,” she replied with a nod.

  “No wonder you’re so good at it. Healers sense energy flows more than others, from what I’ve heard.” Jesse grinned at her, unreasonably proud of her skills and abilities.

  Zach polished off another cheeseburger in three silent bites. He was keeping quiet on the subject of humans in general, and Maria in particular, which was a good sign as far as Jesse was concerned. The kid was thinking about what he’d seen and heard, making more reasoned judgments than the base reactions he’d had in his bear form.

  Maria glanced at the silent television and her eyes widened. “Is that the storm? Holy Mother...”

  She grabbed the remote control that was on the dresser next to her and switched on the sound. The meteorologists were trying their best to explain something with science that was totally outside their experience, and not doing a great job of it. She turned the sound off again after a minute.

  “We’re heading right for the eye of the storm.” Her troubled gaze sought Jesse’s.

  “In more ways than one,” he confirmed. “Which is why—” he turned to Zach, “—you have to be as healed as we can get you. Will you let Maria take a look at your injuries?”

  He didn’t have to ask Maria if she would help the youngster. He knew without doubt that her heart was in the right place. She’d wanted to help Zach from the beginning when she thought he was simply a young bear.

  Zach seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded. “She can help if she wants.”

  Grudging acceptance was all the kid was capable of at the moment, which was better than snarling opposition, so Jesse took it. Zach would unbend in time. Some things couldn’t be rushed. Trust and respect had to be earned.

  Maria knew her cue and stood, gathering the bag with the medical supplies before heading over to sit at Zach’s side. The teen allowed her to remove the remaining bandages and inspect his wounds. As she laid her hands on him, Jesse felt the rise of her healing power. She was purging the wound of the remaining poison in a way that fascinated him. No healer he knew could do that when silver blocked their magic, but then, he didn’t know any human-dryad healers. She took her hands away from Zach’s arm a moment later, looking over her handiwork.

  “You’re in a lot better shape than I expected,” she commented to Zach. “You could probably take a shower if you feel up to it. This one scab should probably be covered after it’s washed, but judging by the rate at which you’re healing, it’ll probably be okay by tomorrow morning.”

  Zach perked up at mention of the shower. “I’d like to get clean,” he said in as soft a voice as Jesse had so far heard from him.

  Maria smiled at Zach. “Good. I packed some more sweats for you. Or you could try the T-shirt I picked up at the gas station. I also packed an old pair of jeans that might fit you.”

  “Sweats for tonight,” Zach said decisively. “I’m still kind of stiff. But I’d be happier in the jeans tomorrow, if they fit.”

  “Okay.” Maria patted Zach’s knee as she stood, smiling.

  She sorted through her bags and found the change of clothes for Zach, shooing him off to the bathroom while she reorganized her supplies. She spent a few minutes sorting and repacking her bags, segregating the dirty clothes from the clean in a way that amused Jesse. He just threw everything in one bag and was happy. Maria put a lot more effort into her packing. It was kind of cute.

  “Come here, Doc,” Jesse growled when she stood, looking at her bags with her hands on her hips. She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled.

  “Down, tiger. We don’t have time for what you have in mind.” Regardless, she walked toward him, her hips rolling in a way that made his mouth water.

  “How do you know what I have in mind?” His hands went to her hips when she stopped in front of where he sat on the edge of the bed.

  “I think I have a pretty good idea because—” she paused, licking her lips, “—I’m thinking it too.”

  He groaned, raising one hand up her spine, under her jersey shirt. He slipped his other hand down to the hem of her shorts, delving his fingers beneath, down the short distance to the elastic rim of her panties. A few more inches and he’d be able to feel her soft, wet heat. Already the fragrance of her arousal was driving him wild.

  “Jesse…” She leaned forward, her loose, still-damp hair forming a little enclosure between their faces where only they existed.

  Jesse silenced her words with his lips, denying any objection she might’ve voiced as he slid his finger under the elastic and found his way into her folds. She moved her legs apart and he knew he had her compliance. Her breathing quickened and he moved his other hand around to cup her breast, tugging the silky cup down under her shirt to reveal even silkier skin to his clandestine touch.

  He felt her tremble as he reached his lower hand farther under her shorts. He slid his fingers in her slippery softness until he found the void and filled it. Two of his fingers entered the welcoming sheath he’d claimed too many hours before. The wolf wanted to claim her again. Rip their clothes off and lean her over the bed, the table, anywhere he could mount her hard and fast.

  But the man knew there was another person present. A teen taking a shower in the bathroom only a few feet away. The rushing water masked any sounds they made for now, but they had little time to play this night. Duty had to come first. Duty to the teen, to Zach’s parents, to the Pack and all weres. Duty to keep them all safe—especially the amazing woman in his arms. The wolf would not be happy until she was completely out of danger.

  Only then would the wolf be satisfied.

  Chapter Seven

  Sweet Mother, what was he doing to her? Overnight, it seemed, Maria had become a wanton, craving this man’s touch at every turn.

  He plumbed her depths with his fingers as he claimed her mouth and squeezed her nipple with his other hand until she squeaked. It felt so good. Too good. Almost addictive.

  She lost track of time and space. Nothing mattered but Jesse and what he was doing to her. Even so, she was surprised when her knees nearly collapsed under her when a hard, fast climax hit her like a wave. Her whole body
shook and she moaned.

  Jesse let go of her nipple and supported her quaking body, lending her his strength even as he continued to pump into her with his other hand, driving her higher. Oh, man. Nobody had ever made her come so fast. She strained against his hand, loving the way he mastered her body.

  She lifted her mouth from his and rested her forehead against his while he strummed the end of the most glorious melody against her clit with his talented fingers. It was intimate, gazing at him in the moist cave formed by her hair. She swore she almost felt steam rising from her skin.

  He removed his hand from her shorts as their eyes met and held.

  “You drive me wild, wolf man,” she whispered, feeling bold and sexy for the first time in a very, very long time. He’d given that to her. She owed him.

  She tried to drop to her knees to give a little back, but his hand on her back stopped her.

  “We can’t,” he cautioned her when she frowned at him.

  “Why not?”

  “Zach is probably finishing his shower. There isn’t time.”

  Maria jerked upright. She’d forgotten all about the teen in the shower only a few feet and one closed door away. Heat flooded her cheeks and she knew she was probably bright red with embarrassment.

  “Ohmigod,” she whispered, stepping away from his supporting hand and trying to straighten her clothes at the same time.

  Jesse laughed. The bastard actually laughed. She looked at him in consternation.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You, sweetheart,” he had the balls to answer. She scowled at him, but he didn’t seem affected by her death glare. “I love that I got you so hot and bothered that you forgot about the kid.” His voice dropped down into that sexy low rumble that sent thrills down her spine and right to her clit. Damn. Even his voice made her want more of him.