CHAPTER 6
She didn't know what time it was when she woke up again. Adam was splayed out next to her, sound asleep, dead to the world. She smiled, looking at her lover. She was his and he was hers. The thought made her feel giddy inside and she stifled the urge to wake him.
Daylight streaked in from the window through a crack in the curtain, falling across her face. It must have been midday by then, although she couldn’t tell, given how otherwise dark her room was.
She stretched that all-body stretch of a predator, reaching her arms above her head while flexing her toes. She stopped suddenly, holding her breath as she strained her ears.
Something was wrong.
She blinked twice, and suddenly realized what it was. The shadows were moving. In the dark, there was a shape moving that she easily recognized to be a werewolf. The only reason they hadn't attacked was because they thought she was asleep.
If she woke Adam, she would give her assailant the upper hand by letting him know that she knew he was there.
She had to make the first move.
She made a fist and let her lycanthropy fill her veins.
She sensed the shape moving towards her. With her fist, she punched towards the shape behind her. Her fist connected with a furry chest which sent her assailant flying.
She took that moment to yell for help.
“Adam!” she screamed.
Her yell was cut short by the werewolf slamming into her body. She tried to scream again, but the wolf put enough pressure on her chest and lungs to choke off her cry for help. Blood seeped from the wounds made from his claws.
Adam was on his feet, transforming into his brown wolf. He roared and pushed her assailant off her. There was chaos as both wolves tore into each other’s fur, snarling.
“Adam!” she cried again between coughs.
Another wolf slammed into Adam's body, bringing her lover into a battle with two other wolves. She realized that her attacker wasn't Vincent. In her shock and horror, she realized that these were wolves from Adam's pack.
There were more shadows moving and she knew there were more wolves than both she and Adam could take.
“Carmichael!” she yelled, hoping he'd hear. Her voice came out as hoarse and strangled.
Adam yelped in his battle. He might have been newly appointed as an Alpha male, but he still hadn't grown into his new status. It would be a process over several months, even years before his transformed wolf would grow into its large Alpha size. For now, he still had the appearance of being an Omega.
The wolves hurled themselves into Gemma's body, viewing her as the more imminent threat. There were six or so, each one grabbing her ankle, her wrist, holding her prostrate. They were all wolves from Adam’s pack.
What's going on? her mind screamed.
She quickly got her answer.
Vincent promised that there would be rich rewards for whoever brings you to him, the lead wolf, a Beta told her. Get rid of all these stupid rules and have equality for all wolves. But why should HE have all of the glory when we could take you for ourselves? The wolf stopped short. Your smell... His eyes widened. You've chosen a mate.
Adam hurled into him, sending the beast flying off her. He was now battling three wolves. Some of the wolves pinning her down growled at the young wolf, but none of them made a move to help.
Bitch, one of them said to her. You're damaged goods.
The door to the guestroom opened then and reinforcements came to their rescue. Her scream for help had been heard. The wolves came in and tore them off.
She gasped and rolled onto her side, watching the carnage.
Adam, although he was fighting as hard as he could, was still outmatched by his opponents. The other wolves – the ones that weren't on Vincent's side – were similarly outmatched by the bigger, more experienced wolves. This fight wouldn't last much longer. Her lover was getting hurt and she couldn't do anything about it.
A bare foot stepped in front of her. In her haze of pain, she looked up and recognized Carmichael.
“What's th' meaning o' this?” he roared out into the chaos of the room.
“Some of your wolves have chosen the other side,” she told him hoarsely.
He bent down to make sure she was all right. His expression went hard, harder, and then he transformed into a vicious-looking gray wolf, far bigger than any she had ever seen. He growled and jumped over her.
Lots of yelping, growling and roaring followed, but Gemma felt incredibly tired. She folded herself into a fetal position and closed her eyes against the pain. Her wounds would heal quickly, but for right now, she really hurt.
“Gemma,” a voice told her gently. “Open yer eyes.”
She opened her eyes to see Carmichael bending over her.
“Is it over?” she asked. She ignored how raspy her voice sounded.
“Fer now.” He didn't bother embellishing the cold truth. Some of his wolves had betrayed them. If Gemma wanted to, she could declare war on Carmichael’s entire pack. And he knew it as well. “Had I known that some o' th' wolves in me pack were in on...” He grimaced. “...were in on this, I woulda dealt wit' 'em meself afore it got outta hand.”
“I know,” she whispered. “It's not your fault.” She winced, sitting up. Carmichael steadied her. She looked around, trying not to notice the badly wounded and dying wolves around her.
It was a harsh punishment, but then again, being a werewolf was a harsh life.
“Adam?” she asked. She forced herself up in alarm. “Where's Adam?”
Carmichael nodded to her right. She turned her head painfully. Some of the other pack members were tending to Adam, who sat with his knees drawn up. There was a lot of blood on him, a lot of it his. He had deep gashes all over his entire body. As he was naked, like the rest of the pack, she could see every scratch and wound on his muscular body. She mentally winced, seeing him in pain.
“Adam,” she whispered.
He dazedly looked up briefly before he grimaced when a wolf dabbed at a wound.
Carmichael gave a slow sniff. “Ye smell...different,” he murmured. He glanced over at Adam, and both his nostrils and his eyes flared. A wry smile touched his lips. “So ye decided t' make a move, eh?” he asked. His voice had dropped so the other wolves couldn't hear him.
“I'd thought about it,” Gemma said softly, feeling a blush in her cheeks, despite more pressing matters. “I...” Her voice dropped low, but her eyebrows raised up in surprise, even as she said it. “I’m in love with him.” It wasn’t until she said it that she realized it was true.
“Couldn'ta chosen a better wolf, Gemma,” Carmichael said softly. “We need t' figger out what ta do next.” He clapped his hands quickly. “Leave us,” he commanded to his wolves. “Gemma, Adam, an' I 'ave some things to discuss.”
***
“So,” he said half an hour later with a grin, “yeh've made th' first move with yer...” he waved his hands around, looking for the correct word, “liaison, but yeh need a plan.”
Gemma nodded, barely keeping the blush from her face.
After the brawl, the two lovers quickly showered and bandaged each other up. Adam had taken a beating with that last fight, so Gemma spent a long time bandaging his wounds. It didn't help that he kept distracting her as well.
The bedroom was wrecked, so they had moved to the den area, where they sat across from each other.
A few minutes before, she tried calling her brother. With no answer, she was anxious to head home. If some wolves from Carmichael’s pack were attacking on orders from Vincent, then she could only imagine what was happening back home.
“I want to head back,” she told Carmichael. “I've been away too long from my pack. And I want to settle this.” The silence in the room was deafening to her own ears. She didn't dare look over at Adam next to her, who wasn't too happy with her decision. She swallowed, almost nervously.
“Yeh wanna risk yerself fer a group that you dinnit care at all 'bout only a day ago?
” Carmichael asked.
Gemma would have been offended if he didn't sound so amused. She also couldn't be mad at him for telling the truth.
“It's time that I stepped up to be the pack leader that I should be,” she said slowly. “It's time that I became an Alpha.” Adam gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Now, I came here to get help, Carmichael.” She held the older wolf's eyes. “Will you give it to me and my pack?”
Carmichael watched her with a twinkle in his eyes. “'Course, midear.” He nodded at Adam. “After all, it's fer th' good o' both our packs now.”
She felt the blush burst onto her face. Adam grinned widely. The comment hung in the air between the three of them.
Adam’s cell phone chirped, interrupting the silence.
He handed it to Gemma, who checked the caller ID and visibly paled. “It's Bernice,” she exclaimed. With shaking hands, she answered. “Hello?” she asked. “Bernice, what's happening?”
Her sister-in-law's voice on the other end was choked with sobs and crying. “It's Mark,” she cried.
Gemma's heart tightened in her chest. Mark?!?! her mind screamed. “Oh my God, is he all right?” she asked, aware that her voice was cracking.
“He – he was attacked...” Bernice began, stringing all of her words together until she ceased to make sense. “Vincent came back, and challenged him to a duel...”
Gemma let out a breath and closed her eyes. Why would Mark accept a challenge when he didn't have to, as Vincent wasn't a part of the pack? “Bernie, Bernie, slow down,” she pleaded. “Just tell me...is my brother all right?”
“He's in the hospital,” Bernice said. Gemma felt her heart start beating again. “In the intensive care unit. Vincent betrayed him and five wolves jumped him.”
As long as he's not dead, Gemma thought with a thrill of relief. Knowing how they healed, he would make it. Duels were challenges that happened within a pack. It was how a wolf was able to move up in the ranks of a pack without mating. Of course, being only Beta, Vincent couldn’t go any higher. Still, a challenge like this was something that as pack leader, Mark would have felt obligated to accept. But with Vincent cheating, it didn't count as a definitive win. Mark was still Alpha and the pack was still his.
“And the pack?” she asked.
“Vincent has claimed himself as the pack leader.”
“Without being my mate…” Gemma stopped and nearly retched at the thought. “Without being my mate or winning the challenge, he's not a real pack leader.”
“Well, you tell him that then!” Bernice cried, her voice hysterical. “And some of the wolves sided with Vincent.”
Gemma's blood turned to ice. “They sided with him?” The same thing that happened with Carmichael’s wolves.
“I'm so sorry, we couldn't stop them. They said...” Bernice dissolved into crying.
Gemma steeled herself for the answer. “Tell me what they said, Bernice.” She closed her eyes and waited for it.
“They said that it was finally time for things to change around the pack. That you and Mark weren't good leaders.”
Gemma nodded. She opened her eyes again. “I see,” she growled. She felt the grip on her lycanthropy slip a bit. The wolf inside of her was angry, raging to be let out. She held onto it. She didn’t want to go wolf now. “Where are you now?” she asked
Adam stiffened at her question. “No,” he whispered. “Gemma, you can't.”
“We're at Brackenridge. With all the wolves who stayed true to you and Mark.” Bernice's voice crackled through, nearly sobbing with relief. “Will you come?”
“Yes,” Gemma said, nodding even though Bernice couldn't see it. “Yes, we will be there. I'll see you in a bit.” She ended the call.
“Gemma, that's a trap,” Adam started.
Carmichael shushed him. “We'll bring th' best wolves wit' us,” he offered.
Adam looked at Carmichael with incredulity on his face. “You can't be serious,” he told them both. He had gotten up and knelt at her feet.
“I have to, Adam,” she said softly. “I can't leave it like this. More wolves will side with Vincent if we don’t get over there soon. The longer I wait here, the more likely we’re going to lose control of the pack. It's the right thing to do.”
He kissed her. “I'm coming with you.”
CHAPTER 7
It was an excruciatingly long drive back down to Austin for Adam. He didn't want to put his new mate in harm's way, which was the exact opposite of what they were doing now.
Great second date, he thought to himself.
He didn't speak, unsure of what he would say to her. He kept glancing at her in the passenger's seat as he drove his truck, leading six other cars full of Carmichael’s wolves. Her knees were drawn up to her chest as she looked out the window onto the highway.
Despite their best efforts, neither could bring themselves to speak any comforting words. Or any words at all. They just held hands throughout the entire trip.
Earlier, they stayed behind in her guestroom to pack while Carmichael rounded up the best of his pack to go with them.
“I don’t want you to go,” Adam told her.
“I won’t be alone,” she said. She gave him a small, conceding smile, although she looked sad. “I’ll have you guys to watch out for me.”
She was dressed in a baggy pair of jeans and an old, loose-fitting t-shirt. It was the best Carmichael could do for her small frame on such short notice.
Combined with the intensity on her face and her tousled hair, he thought she was at her most beautiful at that very moment.
He caught her mouth in a desperate kiss, sweeping her mouth with his tongue. Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, “Don’t go, Gemma.” She kissed him back, playfully biting his lip. He pulled back and searched her face, coming to terms with the simple truth. He wasn’t going to change her mind.
A great, desperate need filled him, feeding the wolf inside him as well. He grabbed her legs and wrapped them around him, picking her up in his arms. Cupping her against him, he walked them over to the dresser where he sat her on the edge. A small, surprised whimper escaped her throat, which just made him want her even more. He kissed her again, and this time, she responded, grabbing him around his neck and pulling him towards her.
He gave a low growl and ripped her t-shirt off and proceeded to work on her bra, this time more careful than he was with her shirt. She undid his jeans and they slid silently to the floor. He pulled off her own jeans and panties, exposing her to him. Briefly, he wondered about taking off his own shirt, but she grabbed him in another kiss and he was lost to her.
Her body once again tenderly accepted his as he slid into her. She gave a little moan which he covered with a kiss. He picked her up again, so that he held her aloft in his arms. She clung to him while he moved inside her, panting with the exertion. She wasn’t heavy, but he focused on making it last as long as he could.
The movement was fast, quick, and they both loved every minute of it. She covered his face in kisses, while he bit her neck softly. They were silent, save for the sounds of their heavy breathing, bordering on panting.
The sensations between their bodies was delicious. He closed his eyes, unsure how much longer he would last.
“Adam!” she cried out, digging her nails into his back. She slumped over him, half crying out, half moaning.
He came himself, his own orgasm ripping through his entire being like an animal all on its own. It left him exhausted and panting for breath. He backpedaled over the bed, and collapsed on it, bringing her down on top of him.
She was breathing heavily herself, but she managed to prop herself up, and looked down on him. She kissed his lips. They lay in a lovers' embrace, enjoying a moment of tenderness and intimacy, neither of them voicing their concerns of what was to come.
“I love you, Adam,” she whispered, although the resignation in her voice said everything he didn't want to hear.
Those were the last words they said in privacy to e
ach other. They got dressed in silence, and he handed over his shirt for her to wear. He went without a shirt on, which didn’t escape Carmichael’s notice, but the older wolf didn’t say anything.
Now, as they were driving, they still weren't speaking. Words would be conflict between them and it seemed like Gemma didn't want to fight. Neither did he.
Adam felt the most exhausted he'd ever been. Wordlessly, he held her hand through the entire trip south.
They decided that they would head back to the bar to take care of everything before visiting Mark in the hospital. It was against Gemma's wishes, but Carmichael insisted that they take care of business with the traitors. “Bringin' the pack t'gether again would do Mark a lot more good than jest showin' up at th' hospital,” were his words.
Gemma begrudgingly agreed.
They reached her pack's bar at around seven in the evening. A cold downpour cast the entire area in a gray light with the setting sun. The shingled parking lot was still half full with cars from the night before. Huddled at the entrance of the bar was a tall, wiry, naked man.
“Jon!” Gemma cried, letting go of Adam's hand. He watched her run to the door and kneel down to check on the wolf. Adam could tell from this distance that he was badly bruised and hurt. Jon was ashen and his eyes were closed. He hadn't even moved at the sound of the cars coming up.
Adam got out of the truck, and cast an eye about the place. If there was a trap, this was where it was going to be, and Gemma's lack of concern for herself made it harder for him to relax.
“Jon,” she whispered, gently touching his forehead.
The wiry man's eyes fluttered open at her touch. “Gemma?” he asked weakly. She nodded. Relief spread across his face. “I tried...telling them that they were wrong.”
“Don't worry, we're here now,” she told him.
“Vincent...” Jon said. “He's...he's inside.”
Gemma looked at the door, and her nose twitched as she sniffed the air. “I know,” she said, her voice taking on a steel edge that Adam had never heard before. She had a hard expression etched into her features. She glanced back at Adam and at Carmichael's wolves getting out of their cars. “Someone take care of Jon,” she cried back at them.
Paranormal Magic (Shades of Prey Book 1) Page 75