by Nalini Singh
His wolf relaxed. His mate had no fear in her scent, in her teasing smile, the bond between them vivid with the red and amber fire that was her brand. Running his hands down the sleek curve of her back, he nuzzled at her. “I may get a little more … flexible after we’ve been mated for a while.”
“No you won’t.” Sienna pressed a hot, wet kiss to his jaw, her fingers stroking the heat of his nape. “But I love you exactly as you are—and I know how to stand my ground. So do your worst, beautiful man.”
He was alternately proud of her strength and aggravated by her intransigence. A familiar occurrence when it came to this woman. Sienna might be younger and physically smaller, but she’d go toe-to-toe with him without a blink. The thought made him grin, every part of him aware they’d likely be butting heads for the next century. He couldn’t wait.
“So,” she said, tracing his smile with a fingertip, “what are the maternals mad about?”
He was used to talking to his lieutenants and senior packmates about pack business, but it felt utterly different talking with Sienna about the same thing. Because she was someone of his own, someone who listened not because it was SnowDancer business, but simply because she liked being with him, liked knowing things that mattered to him.
“The word ‘hormones’ was used,” he told her, already feeling the dull pulse of a throbbing headache. “Some of the older juveniles are apparently getting too frisky. I’ll probably end up dragging the boys off to remind them to keep their paws to themselves.” Groaning, he bent so his forehead touched hers. “And then I’ll have to do the same thing with the girls.” Normally, Indigo and Riley would take care of the situation, but sometimes only an alpha’s voice would get the message across.
“But skin privileges are an accepted part of pack life.” Sienna’s breath kissed his lips. “I know my friends had relationships when they were younger.”
“There are still boundaries,” Hawke said, restraining the urge to undo her braid, to knot his hands in that pretty ruby red hair. “Sometimes the wolf has to be reminded that it needs to wait for the human half to catch up.”
Sienna’s gaze turned thoughtful. “Yes, I understand. That’s why you let your wolf be in charge when you were younger—you said it was more mature.”
He played the end of her braid over his fingertips. “Controlling the wolf is something we learn as children and have to maintain as we grow older. Without that control, there’d be a lot more rogues.” Changeling wolves who gave in to their animals turned into vicious killers—and they most often targeted those who had been their own.
“Do you think the juveniles are responding to the stress of being evacuated out of the den?”
“Yes, but if it’s unsettled them to that degree, we’ll have to organize supervision and retraining for a whole lot of young ones.”
Sienna stroked his nape. “I know it’s a headache for you, but what I feel for you only grows deeper every time I see how you care for each member of the pack, young and old, strong and weak.”
He’d never needed verbal petting—but when Sienna said things like that, yeah, it mattered. Raising his head, he released her braid and ran his knuckles down her cheek. “Go, have your lunch.” It cost him to say that, to know that he was sending her out with a man who had once shown an interest in her. “You’re not leaving den territory?” It was too dangerous to chance yet.
The Council now knew she was alive. Ming LeBon, the man who had attempted to turn her into a weapon when she’d been barely more than a child, knew she was alive. And Sienna’s abilities were of unrivaled potential—no one understood or could predict how her power would develop as she grew older … because there had never been another cardinal X-Psy who’d survived to adulthood.
His gut twisted at the thought of Sienna broken and dead at the hands of the enemy, and he had to clench his fists to keep from grabbing her and stashing her in their quarters, where she’d be safe. He fought the urge because the one thing he would never, ever do to Sienna, was cage her. She’d already spent far too much of her life behind bars, the psychic prison designed to contain her power turning into a place of mental torture.
“No,” she assured him. “I wouldn’t risk that when things are so unstable. Kit and the others are going to meet us in the White Zone, and we’ll go down to the waterfall.”
“Us?”
“Riordan, Evie, and Lake are also coming.”
His wolf settled. The boys would make sure no one attempted to poach on his territory—and he’d just keep that thought to himself, he decided with a somewhat feral internal grin. “You want to have dinner with the kids?” he asked, knowing they had only a couple more minutes.
That smile again, the one she hadn’t given him before, when they’d been circling each other … and that she gave him every day now. It was a kick to his heart every single time. “Yes,” she said. “You don’t mind how much time we’re spending with them?”
“Of course not.” Toby was her brother, Marlee her cousin. They were Pack, pups to love and protect. “Since Walker’s stopped giving me the death stare, it’s actually become comfortable.” The eldest Lauren was very protective of those under his care, considered Sienna his daughter. Hawke had no doubt the other man would quietly, methodically gut him at the smallest sign that he was causing Sienna distress. His wolf approved.
Laughter wrapping him in silken ropes, the crimson fire of his mate’s touch flickering through his blood. “Lara will protect you.” Stealing another little kiss, she stepped away, paused, her next words vibrant with emotion. “I love you.”
He knew what it meant to her that she could say those words and know no one would hurt her for daring to feel, for daring to love with all the power of her strong, loyal heart. Closing the short distance between them, he answered with a kiss as tender as he knew how to give, his fingers closing possessively around her throat.
“Are you sure you have to go to that meeting?” she whispered when he lifted his head, her lips wet and luscious, her body arching toward his own.
His wolf was tempted. Sorely. “Nell and her crew will hunt us down and interrupt.” Maternal females were not to be messed with. “Then they’ll make us feel like shamed five-year-olds.” He took another kiss, rubbing his thumb over the flutter of her pulse and reining in the urge to bite. Later, he promised his wolf. “I’ll see you tonight.”
He watched after her until she disappeared around the corner, the possessiveness inside him a primal craving that made him want to haul her over his shoulder and drag her to his bed. Maybe tie her to it for good measure.
“Don’t even think about it,” Riley said as he walked over to join Hawke for the Meeting of Doom.
Hawke met his senior lieutenant’s brown eyes, always so calm and stable. “The only way you could know what I was thinking was if you’d had similar thoughts yourself.”
“Mercy forgives me … most of the time.” A slow smile. “Come on, enough procrastinating.”
As they walked, Hawke said, “Adria and Riaz. Problems?”
“Personality clash, I think. They seem to work well enough together despite it.” The lieutenant glanced at him. “Why? You want me to split their shifts?”
“No, better they work it out.” He’d picked up something more violent and intense than a simple personality clash, but his wolf knew when to be discreet, so he didn’t mention it. Instead, he turned the conversation to the juveniles, and the remainder of their walk passed in shoptalk.
While meetings such as this one promised to be weren’t ever on his favorite things-to-do list, it felt good to be doing something as normal as worrying about the juveniles. Not discussing Psy surveillance or planning to defend against an attack. Not stockpiling weapons, or checking medical supplies as they waited to evacuate their vulnerable. Not even meeting with the DarkRiver leopards to assess a suspected threat.
It had been months since his wolves had had a chance to just be Pack.
However, Hawke knew the fact SnowD
ancer and its allies had won the battle didn’t mean their enemies wouldn’t regroup and return. But he was a wolf. He also knew how to live in the moment—a time in which he was mated to a woman who challenged, loved, and teased him; his pack was safe; and the den filled with the vibrant sounds of children’s voices once more. “How’s the planning going for the mating ceremony?” Sienna was indelibly his, but his pack needed to have a chance to celebrate their alpha’s mating, and they’d get that chance four days from now.
“Drew suggested dancing girls.”
Hawke grinned. “How many?”
Riley shot him an unamused look. “Don’t encourage him or I swear to God I will hire a troop of strippers, complete with spangled pasties, and watch cheerfully while Sienna barbecues you.”
Wondering what else Drew had been suggesting, Hawke stifled his laugh. “Seriously, how’s it going?” Riley and Nell were sharing the overall organizational load, in charge of ensuring all the pieces came together into a cohesive whole.
“Good. My brother, when he isn’t e-mailing me brochures about Brazilian samba dancers and Vegas showgirls, has found a job for every single person who wants to be involved in the preparation.”
That was why, Hawke thought, Drew was so perfect for the position he occupied. Not quite part of the hierarchy, he was Hawke’s eyes and ears in the pack, accessible to even the weakest of their number, those who might feel intimidated approaching one of the other dominants. No one was intimidated by Drew, and that was an incredible achievement, given that the other man was SnowDancer’s tracker, charged with finding and executing rogues if the need arose. “It’ll be a good night.”
“The best,” Riley said quietly, then took a deep breath. “We’re here.”
Hawke folded his arms and stared at the door with a sour expression. “I hate these meetings.”
“We should make Drew attend instead. Teach him a lesson.”
They both stared at each other and grinned. Yeah, he thought, pushing through the door, it was nice to be doing something as ordinary as grousing about a meeting with the maternals.
ALICE
FROM: Lara
TO: Ashaya
Sascha
Tammy
Amara
DATE: Aug 26, 2081 at 11.00 a.m.
SUBJECT: Patient A
I thought you’d all appreciate a quick update on Patient A. She remains unresponsive, in a comalike state. I say coma like, because frankly, she confuses the instruments. However, I can say with certainty that she isn’t brain-dead, so that remains a positive indicator.
I’d almost think J had imagined his conversation with her, except he’s not the imagining type.
I’m making sure her limbs are exercised and that she’s getting the nutrients she needs. Otherwise, I’m at a loss.
Let me know if any of you have had a breakthrough.
FROM: Ashaya
TO: Lara
CC: Sascha
Tammy
Amara
DATE: Aug 26, 2081 at 1.00 p.m.
SUBJECT: re: Patient A
Amara and I are continuing to work on the chemical traces discovered in her blood. We hope to find clues as to an antidote that’ll work better than our emergency formulation, but some of the chemicals appear to be unknown.
FROM: Amara
TO: Ashaya
DATE: Aug 26, 2081 at 1.02 p.m.
SUBJECT: re: re: Patient A
Not unknown. Simply uncategorized. You and I both now know about them.
FROM: Sascha
TO: Lara
CC: Tammy
Amara
Ashaya
DATE: Aug 26, 2081 at 4.45 p.m.
SUBJECT: re: re: Patient A
I’d like to see her. My empathic senses have been in a heightened state since the birth and there’s a higher chance I may sense something, especially since she did wake up once. One thing I know for certain: there is someone within her body. We just have to find a way to set her free.
Chapter 5
ADRIA DIDN’T KNOW how she’d survived the rest of the trip up to the hydro station; the silence in the SUV had been excruciating. The journey down, the mountains bathed in the gentle afternoon sunlight, was better—she chose to ride in Mack’s vehicle, having been able to fix the problem that had stalled it. Her excuse about needing to be with him in case the truck broke down again was accepted without question. Mack’s trainee rode with Riaz, and Mack, with his silver-threaded curls and skin of warm brown marked by quiet laugh lines, was a man comfortable with silences.
Back in the den, she didn’t stop until she was in her quarters with the door safely shut. Only then did she collapse on the bed. “Christ, Adria.” Shaking from the impact of a day that had spiraled out of control from the instant she’d run into Riaz, she just sat there, trying to get a grip on her emotions.
The knock on the door was familiar, but she ignored it. Her visitor persisted, having obviously scented her presence, until she muttered, “It’s open.”
Indigo, dressed in jeans paired with a plain white tee that flattered the curves of her tall body, closed the door and leaned back on it. “Hurts me to say this, Ri, but you look worse than you did after you caught the plague when you were seventeen.”
The “plague” had been a nasty case of food poisoning. “Thanks for the pick-me-up.” She scowled at the woman who had been her friend most of her life. “Now go away.”
Rolling her eyes, Indigo strode across the room to sit beside her instead. “Martin’s not been hassling you, has he?”
“No. I made it clear we were done.” He hadn’t taken the news with any grace, all traces of the funny, gentle man she’d fallen for corroded to nothingness by years of slow bitterness. But Martin wasn’t the male on her mind right then. “You had a thing with Riaz, right?”
Indigo blinked at the blunt question. “Yes, but years ago, well before he left for Europe. We were friends.”
It wasn’t such a strange thing to hear from a changeling. Sharing intimate skin privileges was an integral part of their nature, and there was nothing wrong with being with a friend who cared enough about you to ensure your pleasure. It didn’t matter if the lovers knew their friendship would never lead to a relationship—friendship was a precious thing to a wolf, to be cherished on its own merits.
Indigo nudged at her when she didn’t continue, her namesake eyes perceptive. “Riaz?”
“Yeah.” Knowing no further explanation was needed, she shoved her hands through her hair, messing up her braid. “It’s weird. You’re my niece.”
Indigo made a distinctly inelegant sound. “Please. We grew up as sisters.”
“Even worse.”
“Would you cut that out?” A sharp elbow to the ribs. “Everything else aside, we happen to be two dominant women in one pack with a bare few years between us—the only surprise is that we didn’t cross paths with the same man before now.”
In spite of the fact she was the one who’d brought it up, Adria’s wolf was sanguine about a past long gone. The human part of her, too, knew that Indigo and Riaz’s old relationship had no bearing on the present situation, not given the time that had passed and their complete lack of interest in one another now. It would’ve just made it easier to hide from the turbulence of her own emotions if it had been an issue.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Indigo.” No man had ever incited her to behave as she had today. “I almost attacked him.” She’d wanted to rip his clothes off, shove him to the ground, taste every inch of his bronzed skin with her lips. “I drew blood.” The taste of iron, metallic and distinctive, had been hot, strong … exhilarating.
&n
bsp; Indigo’s laugh was affectionate. “That’s fairly normal when a female wolf is as on edge as you’ve been.” A playful waggle of her eyebrows. “Long time?”
“A year,” she said and knew exactly when Indigo understood the ramifications of her statement, because she seemed to stop breathing for a second.
“So, when you and Martin came to the dinner to meet Drew…”
“I’d ended it months earlier.” The flash of hurt in Indigo’s eyes had her nudging the other woman’s shoulder in a silent apology. “I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone—needed to get my head on straight.” When Indigo squeezed her hand, she continued. “I’m not proud to admit it, but I used him when I ‘gave in’ to his persistent efforts to win me back and asked him to come along that night.”
It hadn’t taken Martin long to realize the invitation didn’t equal one to her bed or to her life, and he’d been in an ugly temper by the time they’d arrived. Feeling guilty for having consciously misled the man who had once walked by her side, she’d tried to reach out, pacify him.
His response had, for a single painful second, returned her to the ruins of their relationship, before it hardened her resolve. “I thought you were making a horrible mistake.” The realization that Indigo was seeing a man whose dominance didn’t match Indigo’s own, had chilled her blood.
“And you wanted me confronted with the results.”
“I’m so sorry.” It had to be said, because Drew was nothing, nothing like Martin, his adoration of his “Indy’s” strength open.
“I understand.” Indigo’s response was fierce. “You won’t have any of those problems with Riaz. He’s strong enough not to be scared of your hunger, and”—a smile that lit up her eyes—“he’s got enough wildness in him to lead you astray.”
Most lone wolves did. As a young woman, Adria had always steered clear of them, aware that while such a male might make love to her with primal intensity, he was as likely to disappear into the mountains come morning. She’d always known she needed someone more stable, more rooted. But things had changed. She had changed. “You’re not saying something.” Adria knew Indigo too well not to have caught the subtle hesitation.