by Kate Douglas
Luc and Tia appeared to have fallen asleep in the backseat, so Tinker kept his voice low. “You okay, sweetie? You look worried.”
She turned and smiled at him, still obviously half asleep. “I guess I am worried, a little. What will happen to the sanctuary? Dunlop supported it but he won’t be able to now, I imagine. Not if he’s in jail. I’m concerned that Hal Anderson is involved, and I know Seth is, the creep. Other than me, all who are left are Millie West, Hal’s secretary; a couple of part-time employees; and a bunch of volunteers. I worry about the wolves. I feel as if they depend on me.”
Tinker brushed the loose hair back from her eyes. “They do depend on you, but don’t forget, Pack Dynamics has a lot of resources. If it’s money, we might be able to help. Just hang in there and don’t worry until you know for sure there’s something to worry about.”
She laughed quietly. “Tink, some of your other packmates don’t even know me. How can you be so sure they’d want to help? I’m a stranger to them. My problems aren’t theirs. Besides, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my thirty-four years, it’s that there’s always something to worry about.”
“That’s my job, sweetie. I’ll take care of the worrying. You try and get some sleep.” He flashed her a grin, and she smiled back, but Tinker could tell she wasn’t convinced. Still, she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.
Thirty-four? Tinker grinned at the road ahead. Damn, he’d gone and fallen in love with an older woman. She looked younger than he did, but he was just twenty-seven. Hell, age meant nothing. Her worries were his, though. He hoped the next few hours weren’t going to turn out badly. If there was anything he could do to protect her…The thought made him grin. The last thing Lisa wanted was protection. She was tough. As tough as Tia, if not more so.
There was nothing soft about a Chanku bitch, especially when the chips were down. And she loved Tia. He’d felt it last night, felt the deep range of emotion Lisa had broadcast without even realizing they could all read her like an open book. All her hopes and desires, her needs. He’d been there, a part of what she needed to make her happy. So had Tia and Luc. Maybe, just maybe, things wouldn’t have to change all that much.
If she thought their packmates might not want to help out, it was obvious she hadn’t fully grasped the complexity of the mating bond. She had to learn to embrace all their packmates completely, the way Tinker knew they would embrace Lisa. Somehow, she had to accept that Luc and Tia, even Mik and AJ and Jake, men she’d never met, were more than just friends, more than mere temporary lovers.
They were family. Family with privileges? Tinker chuckled as he headed south along the highway. It could get confusing, now that Lisa’s brother and sister were part of the pack, but they’d work through that. For all their sexual freedom, incest definitely didn’t fly among the Chanku.
They passed a Colorado state patrolman headed the opposite direction on his motorcycle. Tinker checked his speedometer. They were cutting the time close to the raid, but the last thing he needed was a speeding ticket. He glanced to his right and saw that Lisa had rolled to one side, as far as her seatbelt would allow. Her eyes were closed. He took her coffee cup from her hand and set it in the cup holder so it wouldn’t spill. He hoped she’d get a little sleep before the shit hit the fan. He had a feeling it might get real ugly today.
The sun still hadn’t come up, but the sky was growing light in the east. Tinker whistled quietly as he headed toward the sanctuary. All they had to do was get through one more day, and all would be well. Once everything was taken care of, there was that little bit about satisfying Lisa’s wishes.
Thinking of making love to Luc with the girls watching was a marvelous way to take Tinker’s mind off the events waiting for all of them at the High Mountain Wolf Sanctuary.
Chapter 13
Luckily they had time to stop at the cabin for a change of clothes and a quick breakfast, but Lisa almost wished she hadn’t eaten when they pulled into the parking lot at the sanctuary. Her stomach immediately tied into knots. As early as it was, not even seven, Hal Anderson’s car was in front of his office, and it looked like Seth’s mom had just dropped him off as well.
When Lisa saw the teen, she had to consciously unclench her fists. Her hip still hurt where he’d shot her with the tranquilizer dart two days ago.
“Okay.” Lisa took a deep breath. “I can do this.”
“Of course you can,” Luc said. “Just remember, Tia and I are friends of yours and Tinker’s, here for a visit. If things go bad, you’re on assignment and you work for me.”
Lisa nodded. She fully expected things to go bad. Didn’t they always?
“Okay. Let’s go.” Tinker climbed out of the SUV and stretched. The sound of the car doors closing seemed to echo across the parking lot.
Hal Anderson charged down the stairs. “Quinn! Where the hell have you been? Did you forget you have a job here?”
Lisa felt a sense of calm settle over her shoulders as the little man stopped on the bottom step and glared at her. Obviously he’d try anything to give himself more height when he was around her. “Good morning to you, too, Hal. I would have called, but as you know, I don’t have a phone in my company-owned cabin.”
Tinker, Luc, and Tia had arranged themselves behind Lisa. She wondered if her sense of confidence and well-being originated with them.
Hal sputtered and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He stared beyond Lisa and the others, and his face went deathly pale. He grabbed the stair railing as if for support.
She turned to see what had caught his attention. At least a dozen sheriff and state trooper cars were pulling into the road leading to the parking lot. Lisa spotted vehicles from other legal agencies as well. “Looks like we’ve got company.”
Visibly upset, Hal brushed by her as Seth came running. The teen looked absolutely stricken. “What do you think they want?”
Lisa glared at him. “I imagine we’ll find out real soon, don’t you agree?”
A white, unmarked sedan pulled into the parking spot closest to the office. A tall man in a business suit got out and talked quietly with Hal for a moment, then handed him a sheaf of papers.
Hal turned around and pointed directly at Lisa. Three sheriff’s deputies approached. One asked, “Are you Lisa Quinn?”
“Yes, sir, I am.” She folded her arms across her chest and smiled at the deputy.
“We’re investigating reports of wolves from the sanctuary ending up at an exclusive hunting club as prey. Mr. Anderson suggests you might be involved.”
Lisa nodded. Was Hal trying to turn suspicion away from himself? Obviously, there was only one way past this roadblock. “In a way, I am. Let me introduce Tia Mason, Lucien Stone, and Martin McClintock. We’re all with an investigative agency known as Pack Dynamics. We’re here investigating the same reports.”
“Pack Dynamics? Really?” The deputy shook his head. “Amazing group. We heard you had operatives inside the compound last night. Did everyone get out okay?”
Luc stepped forward with his ID in his hand. “Yes, we were successful. Thank you. I understand arrests were made?”
The deputy nodded as he looked over Luc’s identification, then handed it back to him. “There were, and it’s going to be all over the news later today. We’ve kept it as quiet as possible using this raid as an excuse, but when you’ve got a well-known senator, shots being fired, and illegal hunting of more than one protected species, well, the media’s going to have a field day.”
He stared back toward Hal Anderson, who remained with the other deputies. “We know Anderson is clean, but that doesn’t explain why he’s so insistent you’re part of this. He actually reported the missing wolves a couple years ago when the first one disappeared. He’s continued to keep us informed when others went missing. Your name, Ms. Quinn, has been in every report.”
Luc stepped up. “We know Lisa’s not involved either.” He glanced around at the small group of curious volunteers stan
ding off to one side, watching all the commotion. “However, it’s definitely an inside job. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep our participation in this under wraps. We try our best to keep a low profile.”
The sheriff nodded, but there was a curios gleam in his eye. “You wouldn’t know anything about the death of a murder suspect we’ve been hunting for the past couple of years, would you? Found his body stuffed in a freezer at the hunting preserve. Not sure how long he’s been there. Strange injuries to his throat. Looks like a wild animal got him.”
Luc shook his head. “No idea. Did they have any big cats on the property? Those things can be nasty.”
“Actually, they did. A couple of tigers and a leopard. Must have been one of those.” The sheriff nodded in agreement, as if filing that bit of information away. “We’ll keep your group’s involvement quiet. No problem with that. Have you had any luck with your investigation? If Ms. Quinn’s not involved, we still don’t have the link between someone working here at the sanctuary and the wolves showing up at the preserve.”
Lisa turned toward Seth. She stared directly at the teen when she spoke. “Actually, the person responsible for trapping and delivering the wolves is here. He tranquilizes them, stuffs them in a cage, and leaves them in an old barn on the north end of the property. Dunlop or his employees would collect them.”
The color completely drained from Seth’s face. Before Lisa had time to react, his arm snaked out and wrapped around her throat. He held a knife in his other hand. “Stay away!”
Lisa tried to jerk out of his surprisingly strong grasp, then felt the sharp pressure of the blade beneath her jaw.
Walking backward, pulling Lisa with him, Seth moved toward the old pickup. Lisa felt his hot breath on her neck and the knife blade biting into her skin. “Seth. What the hell are you doing?”
She reached for his arm with both hands, but he increased the knife pressure against her throat. Lisa felt the bite of the blade and the hot welling of blood. Black spots danced in front of her eyes as the teenager dragged her closer to the car.
Suddenly, there was a roar, a scuffle, and Lisa was down with Tia holding a cloth to her throat while Tinker grabbed Seth by the neck and held him off the ground in a stranglehold. Luc got in one punch before the deputy shouted, “Put him down!”
Tinker dropped him none too gently and raced back to Lisa. Officers moved in and cuffed Seth. A paramedic on hand for the raid arrived.
Two of the deputies grabbed Seth. One said, “Did you see those guys move? Damn, they’re fast. I didn’t even have time to pull my gun.” He used plastic ties to cuff the teen.
Tinker pulled Lisa into his lap and held her close. “I’m okay,” she said, but her hands shook, her body trembled, and tears ran down her cheeks. She felt stupid for crying, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Tinker was in her head, his mental voice an agony of regret. She let him know she was okay, but he didn’t believe her.
The paramedic lifted the cloth away from the knife wound. “Doesn’t appear too deep. I’ll clean it out and use a couple of sterile strips. Should heal without any problem, but you might want to see a doctor for a tetanus shot.”
It only stung a little when the man cleansed the inch-long slice just beneath her jaw, closed the cut with his fingertips, and held the edges together with the adhesive strips. “Looks good,” he said, admiring his handiwork. “Now keep it clean and it should heal just fine.”
Deep, wracking sobs caught Lisa’s attention as the paramedic packed up his equipment and left. She turned and realized the sound came from Seth. The teen was curled up on his side, his hands and feet restrained with plastic cuffs. A deputy rolled him roughly upright. Seth buried his face against his knees and cried.
Lisa pulled away from Tinker’s embrace, marched angrily over to Seth, and hunkered down next to him. “Why? You said you loved the wolves. Why would you send them to die? Why would you want to hurt me? I thought you were my friend.”
Seth wiped his streaming eyes against his knees, then looked up at Lisa. His voice cracked and wavered, but Lisa was certain he spoke the truth. “The man who hired me, Mr. Smith, told me he worked for people who ran a breeding farm. That’s why he wanted the best. Not to kill them, but to breed them. He said he wanted wolves to run free again. I didn’t know anyone was hunting them. I didn’t know! I’m sorry, Lisa. I panicked. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
She sat back on her heels. “I’m sorry, too, Seth. You said you had no choice. Why?”
His head snapped up. “How do you know what I said?”
“I was there, in the barn. I heard you. So did Tinker.”
Seth shook his head, then took a deep breath. “My dad ran out two years ago. I help support my mom and little sister. Mr. Smith paid me a lot of money for the wolves. I thought they were going to be free. God, I was so stupid.”
Lisa nodded. “Yeah, Seth. You were. And ya know what? There’s always a choice. It’s not always easy, but it’s up to you to choose right or wrong.”
Tinker helped her up. The deputies were making a cursory check of the premises, but there wasn’t much left for them to do now that they had Seth. He was the link who could tie Dunlop, through his employee Bill Smith, to the missing wolves here at the sanctuary.
Unfortunately, Tinker, Lisa, Luc, and Tia had only been on the preserve premises as wolves. There’d be no way they could testify against Dunlop.
Anderson brushed by Lisa on his way to his office. No comment about Seth’s attack, no sign of concern for her injury. He glared at her but didn’t say a word. Obviously, he’d been convinced she was behind the missing animals. It was just as obvious he didn’t like being proved wrong, especially since Seth had long been his favorite. Lisa was almost sure Anderson planned to fire her. She figured that was coming as soon as he could do it without an audience.
Lisa leaned against Tinker. “He is such a jerk.” She felt like crying. The thought of losing her job here was heartbreaking, but it was obvious things could never go back to the way they’d been. What would happen to the wolves?
Luc brushed the dust off Tia’s butt and wiped his pants off as well. “Let us know what your duties for today are, and we’ll help you get them done and get out of here. Are you okay?”
“I think she needs to see a doctor.” Tinker’s voice sounded as if he barely controlled his rage. He wouldn’t even look at Seth.
Lisa stood on her toes and kissed him soundly. “No, she does not need a doctor. Thank you. You saved my life. I had no idea how fast you were. I knew you were strong, but you’re very, very fast.”
Tinker kissed the smile off her lips. “Not all the time. Sometimes I’m real, real slow.”
Luc laughed, then leaned close and gave Lisa a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re okay, but you’re getting off the subject. Jobs?”
“Follow me. I’ll show you what you can do while Tia and I make the roadkill run.”
Tia made retching noises in the background. “Please tell me that’s not what it sounds like.”
Lisa laughed. She wanted to hug Luc and Tia and Tinker. Without them here, she had no idea how she’d handle something this awful. “You guys can clean out the quarantine pens. I think you two gentlemen can handle wolf-poop duty without supervision. Then, as soon as we’re done, I want to go back to the cabin and sleep for a month. The docents and volunteer staff can feed the animals and take care of any visitors, and Hal will deal with the media. I imagine the reporters will be swarming once they realize this is connected with what happened with the senator and Charles Dunlop. Hal should be in his glory with reporters hanging on his every word.”
They reached the pens, and Lisa pointed them toward the shovels. Tinker grabbed Luc’s arm in one hand and Tia’s with the other. “Now, aren’t you sorry you asked how you could help?”
They both groaned.
“I can’t believe you met Tinker while picking up flattened critters. That is just so gross!” Tia, riding shotgun in the old pickup, leaned out the window and let
her hair tangle in the wind. Lisa kept picturing her as a wolf with her ears flattened in the breeze.
“It was pretty gross, but I guess if he can say he loves me after seeing what I do as part of my job, it might actually be real love.”
Tia pulled her head back inside the window and frowned at Lisa. “What do you mean, ‘say he loves me,’ and ‘might actually be real love’? You act like you don’t believe he means it.”
Lisa glanced in the rearview mirror and shrugged. “I’ve only known him a week. You can’t fall in love in a week.”
“I disagree. You’ve bonded. You guys did the deep-link thing, didn’t you?” Tia shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what Lisa was saying.
“Yeah, but it was sort of by accident. I mean, the sex was so good, and I was on the verge of shifting for the very first time, and when it was all over, we were two wolves fucking, not two humans.”
“Was it really great? Tinker’s an amazing lover.”
Tia sighed and Lisa burst out laughing. “Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” This was all so odd, the way she actually felt comfortable talking about Tinker’s lovemaking with a woman who’d been his lover. Who would most likely be his lover again…and her own. Embracing her Chanku heritage had opened up an entirely new side to Lisa’s normally monogamous nature, but it was all so new, so hard to understand.
Just as difficult to accept was the fact that she was attracted not only to Tia, but also to Tia’s mate. It felt like the most normal thing in the world. Her memories of past relationships were so convoluted and painful. Now there was a lightness about love, about sex. It was suddenly a primary focus, yet as natural as breathing. One wanted, one loved. The old taboos were a thing of the past, no longer intruding on her amazingly healthy libido.
Shifting from woman to wolf was a huge change. Even larger was the absolute shift of her basic nature. So many changes, so many roads to travel, each welcoming her with something new, something different.