by Alisha Basso
“Anything to report?” John inquired.
“Nope. All’s quiet. You folks are heading out for a run?” Thomas surveyed the group.
Helen piped up. “Some of them are running, but I, for one, am planning a leisurely stroll.”
“Well, have fun. It was a long shift, so we’re heading home.” As they turned to go, Thomas accidentally brushed against Elise, then froze in his tracks, a rumbling emitting from his throat. His sudden stop tugged on Julia’s arm causing her to bounce back against him and in turn he bumped into Elise, who stumbled and half fell to the ground.
Thomas spun around, growling low and threatening, his eyes narrowed. In a flash, Kane had him by the throat, his hand like a vice-grip, while the other was swung back, preparing to strike. A low growl ripped from his chest and he looked on the verge of changing forms. Julia screamed and Elise scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding as she quickly took in the scene before her. Unthinkingly, she rushed forward, shoving herself between the two men.
“Kane, no! It was an accident! I’m all right.” Elise grabbed Kane’s arm. The others around them stood frozen, possibly from shock or possibly because Kane was the Alpha. It was his right to discipline the members as he saw fit. John took half a step forward, but then stopped as Kane snarled even louder. Realizing she was the only one who might be able to defuse the situation, Elise reached for Kane’s face, trying to force him to look at her. “Kane, listen to me! No harm was done. Let him go!” He blinked twice and as her message sank in, he began to relax, slowly releasing Thomas. The other man stepped back and swallowed hard but continued to sniff the air, shifting his eyes nervously over the crowd and peering into the woods behind them.
Julia hugged Thomas’ arm and looked nervously at Kane. Elise placed her hands firmly on Kane’s shoulders and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. Stepping in front of an angry Alpha was not the smartest move to make, but she’d reacted to the situation as instinctively as Kane had done. Slowly, she slid her hands down to his chest, rubbing them soothingly over the muscled surface. “It was an accident. You didn’t mean to knock me down, did you, Thomas? And you weren’t growling at any of us, were you?’
Thomas still looked a bit disoriented, but nodded in agreement. “No. Sorry. It’s just that I...I suddenly scented something and it triggered a memory. For a moment I could have sworn I was back in that clearing where Ryne shot me.” He sniffed the air again, searching for the source, before focusing on Elise again. He took a half step forward and sniffed again, a puzzled expression forming on his tanned face. “That’s strange. It’s coming from you.”
“Me?” Elise squeaked in surprise. “I don’t smell like Ryne, do I?” She looked to the others for confirmation.
“No, it’s not Ryne’s scent but...” Thomas seemed to be searching his memory. “It was there at the same time as Ryne. I’m sure I remember both scents.”
“Hmm...” Kane sniffed at Elise. “You’re wearing that new perfume that Marla gave you. But why would Ryne have been wearing it?”
Elise thought rapidly. Marla said the perfume disguised scents so that would explain Ryne wearing it, but if she told Kane this, he’d want to know why she was using it. Then she’d have to explain about seeing Bryan... Out of the corner of her eye, she took in the assembled group. Confessing in front of the pack was less than ideal but... She opened her mouth to explain only to realize that no one was expecting an answer from her. They’d all continued to talk while she’d been thinking.
“Maybe Ryne was trying to hide his scent from us by overpowering it with perfume.” John suggested.
“Could be,” Kane concurred. “But it didn’t work, since Thomas still knew he was there.” He ran his hands through his hair and huffed in exasperation. “Who knows what Ryne is thinking anymore? None of this makes sense to me.”
Looking at his watch, Kane brought the impromptu meeting to a close. “If anyone still wants to go for a run, they should head out now, before it gets much later.”
Murmuring in agreement, the others phased into wolf form. Like shadows they melted into the night, leaving Kane, Elise, Thomas, and Julia standing at the tree line. For a moment, the two couples looked awkwardly at each other. Finally, Kane broke the silence.
“Thomas, I’m sorry I overreacted a few minutes ago.” Kane gruffly apologized, shoving his hands in his back pockets. “But when I saw Elise on the ground and you growled, well...”
“No need to apologize. Any mate would have done the same; it’s your right.” Thomas dismissed the incident with a shrug. “I shouldn’t have reacted so strongly, but like I said, that scent had me flashing back. I was sure I could even hear the click of the gun. While on some level I knew it wasn’t real, I couldn’t stop myself. Sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Kane nodded and Thomas stuck out his hand. With a grin, Kane shook it. There were no hard feelings on either side and the two couples chatted for a while longer before parting amicably.
“Do you still want to go for a run?” Elise asked.
“No, not really. There’s a bench over there. Could we just sit and enjoy the moonlight?” Kane indicated a spot a short distance away. With a nod, Elise agreed and Kane took her hand, leading her towards the secluded niche. The bench was surrounded by pine trees on three sides and gave the illusion of being in a private little room.
Sitting down, Kane tucked Elise to his side and sighed. “Elise, there’s something I have to say.”
Chapter 23
Kane put his arm around her shoulders, his thumb gently rubbing over her upper arm. When he spoke, his voice held a tinge of regret and self-reproach. “I can’t believe I reacted that strongly to Thomas knocking you down. I acted without even thinking and I never do that. I’m the Alpha, the one that’s supposed to be in control. But when I heard that growl, I lost it. My only thought was to protect my mate. I’m sorry if I frightened you.”
“I wasn’t frightened—not exactly. Surprised, worried, wondering what the hell was going on... But frightened of you? No.”
“I’d never hurt you.”
“I know.”
He tightened his arm around her and she turned in towards him, leaning her head against his chest. They sat there silently for a while, absorbing the warmth and essence of the other.
Elise savoured the moment. This was what she wanted. Time when they were just together as a normal couple. The sex between them was great, but in truth Kane could get that anywhere. She wanted an actual relationship, where they talked and shared their ideas and feelings. Maybe Kane wanted that, too. The intense emotions of a few minutes ago seemed to have loosened his tight self-control. While she was reluctant to ruin the companionable silence between them, she didn’t want to let this opportunity go by. Gathering her courage, she wet her lips, then spoke softly. “Kane, this afternoon—”
Simultaneously, he began to speak as well. “You know—”
They both stopped and laughed self-consciously. Kane laid a finger on her lips. “Let me, please? I’m not good at sharing stuff and I’ve finally got my nerve up, okay?”
She nodded. Her news wasn’t that earth shattering really. It could wait. This was Kane’s time.
“I try to be a leader of the twenty-first century; calm, reasonable, civilized...setting an example for the others to follow. I want my pack to move forward and fit into society, but sometimes, like tonight, my instincts take over and I find that I’m more wolf than man. Don’t get me wrong, being a wolf is an important part of who I am—it’s just not always easy to keep it under control.”
“I think you do a fine job balancing the man and the wolf.” Elise idly traced the pattern on his shirt.
“I’m glad you think so. Me—I’m not so sure.” He inhaled deeply then surprised her by seeming to change the subject. “Has anyone told you about my parents?”
“Well, I’ve heard some stories...” Elise answered hesitantly, not sure if she was or wasn’t supposed to know.
“My father w
as a rogue wolf; a throwback to days long gone. The kind of rogue who could never settle down or integrate into a pack. He dragged us all over the countryside, spending a month here, a month there. I think my mother was the only one who could tolerate him for any length of time.” Kane tipped his head up and stared at the night sky as if a picture of the man was forming in the stars. “He had his good points. He could be spontaneous and fun, always coming up with ideas for a new adventure. Apparently, he was quite a charmer of the ladies and a rather smooth talker too, which was a good thing because it got him out of quite a few scrapes. Unfortunately, even his glib tongue wasn’t always sufficient and his temper was what lingered on in everyone’s memory. We were kicked out of more places than I care to remember because of him.”
“That must have been awfully hard on you.”
“It had its moments. We—Ryne and I—became pretty good at reading the signs and staying away when he was in a mood. Mom was great and did what she could to keep us fed and safe but it didn’t always work.” Kane paused and seemed lost in his own memories. Elise could easily imagine him as a child, undernourished and afraid, his dark hair all tousled, while his amber eyes solemnly assessed the mood in the house, wondering if it was safe or if he should hide... It was so foreign to her own experiences. She wished she’d been there to offer him some comfort.
Kane came out of his reverie and turned his head so he could look in her eyes. “Sometimes I worry about how much of my father is in me. I don’t want to be him. I don’t want his anger to be part of me. I fight to keep that side buried. But sometimes, like tonight, it escapes and I worry about what could happen.”
“Nothing happened.” Elise reassured. “You stopped yourself.”
“No, I didn’t. You stopped me, which, by the way, was a very brave but foolish thing to try and do. I could have accidentally hurt you.”
“I wasn’t brave. I just reacted. And no, you wouldn’t have hurt me. You don’t have it in you. You stopped yourself. If you’d really intended to kill Thomas, I couldn’t have prevented it. You would have ripped his throat out before I even got to my feet.” Kane looked sceptical. “You’re a good man, Kane. You didn’t hurt Thomas tonight. You didn’t kill Ryne in the challenge. You aren’t your father. Yes, you have a temper—every werewolf does, especially the males—but you control it, not the other way around.” She paused, trying to clarify her own thinking. “I think we’re all walking a tightrope, trying to fit in, to control our wolf and not to be discovered. I’m always amazed at what a good job we do and how few people actually know we exist.”
He studied her for a moment, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight, before leaning forward and pressing a slow kiss to her forehead. “You’re very clever you know.”
“I always thought so.” She smiled up at him.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you. For trying to make ‘us’ work, despite the fact that you were thrown into this mating.” He took her hand and laced their fingers together. “I know I’m not good at expressing myself, but I hope you know how glad I am that you’re here with me. The pack is my extended family, but I’ve never really had anyone that was just mine, until you came along.” He brought their entwined hands up to his mouth and kissed hers gently. “You’re my mate, Elise.” Kane whispered.
Elise felt herself getting all misty. There was so much feeling evident in Kane’s gaze and tone of voice. He might not be saying the exact words that she wanted to hear, but she was sure the emotion was there, just unspoken. With his upbringing, he’d probably learned never to get too attached, to keep a wall of reserve around his heart and never to say how he really felt. But he was trying now, in his own way.
“I want ‘us’ to work, too.” She whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to his hand, before wrapping her other arm around him and resting her cheek on his chest.
*****
Elise skipped down the stairs the next morning. It was a beautiful day, even if the sky was grey and overcast. Last night had been incredible and its afterglow was transferring to her whole day. Kane had made love to her, not just had sex. It had been slow and sweet, everything she had ever imagined. Skilfully, he’d made her come over and over, gently stroking and caressing every inch of her, all the while whispering tender words into her ear. While he hadn’t initiated a blood-bond, she was sure he was close. His teeth had grazed her neck several times and he’d seemed on the verge of saying something, only to draw back. At one point, she’d considered mentioning it, but then he’d used his wickedly talented fingers to distract her...
Never mind, it would be soon she consoled herself. She could tell. A secret smile played over her lips; her heat would likely start tomorrow or the next day. Surely then Kane would lose his reserve. Already she was feeling so much closer to him. What would it be like to be blood-bonded and to be privileged to have a sense of his actual thoughts and feelings? An excited shiver ran through her at the very idea.
Impulsively, she turned towards his office instead of the kitchen, which had been her original destination. She rapped lightly on the door and popped her head in. He was just hanging up the phone and looked more than a little frustrated. The smile left her face and she walked over resting her hands on his shoulders. “You look like you lost your last best friend. What’s wrong?”
He leaned back against her and sighed. “You know the environmental report I was telling you about? The one I thought I’d misplaced yesterday? Well, I found it this morning and read it over, but it’s not nearly as positive as I’d been led to believe it would be.”
“You mean the land isn’t environmentally significant?”
“No, the report doesn’t negate the fact the area is of interest, but it doesn’t say anything about it being endangered if the oil drilling were to occur.” Kane rubbed his eyes. “I don’t get it. Chloe and the people at the university knew what we needed in the report and had sounded so positive when we’d met, but this reads like a whole section has been left out.”
“Could someone have forgotten to print out part of the report?”
“I suppose it’s possible. Maybe I’ll give Chloe a call and ask her about it.” He shrugged his shoulders as if trying to ease the tension and she began to knead the tight muscles. “To top things off, I just finished talking with our lawyers. Apparently, Northern Oil has already gotten wind of our having a study done. Now they want their own people to do another assessment because they question the validity of our experts.”
“But how did they find out so fast?”
“I don’t know. Only a few of us in the Alpha house knew about it. Maybe someone at the university let it slip.”
“Does it really matter? I mean, won’t another assessment show the same thing? It could even help if their own people come up with similar findings.”
“That’s not how these companies work. Their ‘experts’ will make sure the report is favourable to the company that hired them. Studies and statistics can always be reworded and twisted around so they seem to support whatever point of view you want.”
“So it comes down to our word against theirs.”
“Pretty much—the courts will have to look at the qualifications of the ‘experts’, check previous work done by them, their educational background, even how much they will profit by the report. It’s a long drawn out process and can get really petty.” Kane turned in his chair and pulled her down into his lap, nuzzling her neck. “But enough of that. Your incredibly talented fingers have managed to transfer the tension in my shoulders to an entirely different location.”
“After last night, I don’t know how you could possibly need—”
“Elise, when I’m around you I always need.” He laughed seductively and his hands crept up from her hips to cup her breasts, caressing the soft flesh until her nipples peaked. She could feel his desire pressing against her through the denim material of his pants and wiggled slightly, eliciting a low growl from him. He picked her up and moved
her so that she was straddling him and his hands pushed their way under her shirt, while his mouth locked onto hers. Their tongues battled for dominance as Elise raked her fingers across his scalp. How could he make her so hot, so fast? Finally, she had to pull back, gasping for air and that was when she noticed the phone was ringing.
“We should answer that,” she panted.
“No, let the machine take it. I’m too busy.” Kane was kissing her breasts through her shirt, tugging at her nipples causing reciprocal twinges down low in her belly. The answer machine came on and a crackly male voice spoke. “Hey, this is Marty’s Auto calling. The part for the sensor in your car is in. If you can have it here before noon, I can get it installed today.”
Elise groaned and regretfully pulled away from Kane. “As much as I hate to stop, I really should go. I want to get the car taken care of today. The mechanic could be fixing it while I’m at work.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Kane had a slight pout on his face, as he slid his hands out from under her clothing.
Giving him a quick peck, she climbed off his lap. “We can finish this tonight, I promise.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
Smiling, Elise started to leave, then paused in the door way. “That voice didn’t sound at all like the mechanic I talked to. I think you need to get a new answering machine.”
“It’s getting old and the tape is probably worn out, too. I’m actually thinking of going with an automated voice mail through the phone company.”
“Might be an idea.” With a wave, Elise headed for the stairs to change. There was a distinct wet spot on the front of her shirt from Kane’s mouth and she needed to put on a fresh top before leaving.
*****
After changing her clothes, she grabbed her coat and purse and headed for the door, intent on getting her car to the shop and still making it to work on time. Opening the back door, she walked right into Marla.