“Adam hasn’t reported to her yet on his situation,” he informed her. “And all that tells me is that the situation isn’t resolved yet. I won’t jump to conclusions over hearsay from humans.”
“I don’t accept that they are less intelligent simply because they are different from us.” She’d had a lifetime of discrimination and she knew how it could fog someone’s thinking.
John towered over her. His shirt stretched over broad shoulders while muscles rippled over his chest. His dark skin almost glowed while emotions surged through him. Long thick eyelashes hooded his dark stare. Her stomach flip-flopped. He was as good-looking as he was dangerous. A deadly combination.
But if he thought she would cower, he was mistaken. She straightened, meeting his stare, daring not to look away.
“No one is denying the intelligence of humans, my dear.” His voice was so smooth it was almost hypnotic. “But I will acknowledge they are dangerous. They attack what they do not know, and what they fear.”
“I know that,” she hissed, worried if she didn’t interrupt him she might fall into some trance staring into his handsome face.
Margo gave her a quick look, disapproving, a warning. She needed to remind herself that this was her new pack, Margo, her queen bitch. She lowered her head in respect.
“I need to know that he isn’t hurt,” she said quickly, keeping her eyes lowered. “If he needs help, I want to help him. I am fast, faster than your pack. I can escape any human who chases me.”
“I know you want to help.” John sounded calmer, less dangerous.
She dared to look up, glancing from him to Margo.
They were both so attractive, a damned sexy couple. She could seduce them, both of them. Their stares told her that they were interested in her, would fuck her if she let them. It wouldn’t take much to lure them both into bed, distract them with lust, and get what she wanted. She ran her tongue over her upper lip, feeling her heart pound in her chest.
But she wouldn’t do that. She didn’t need to. “I need to help,” she emphasized. “I can’t sit around here watching television while your pack mates come over in anguish about these humans.”
Margo moved closer to her mate, running her delicate fingers up the huge muscles in his arm. “None of us are going to go back to bed. It’s almost light out anyway.”
When John looked down at her she saw his expression relax. His gaze dropped to her arm, but then before she could react, he grabbed her hand, bringing it to his mouth. Trudy saw his teeth clamp down on one of Margo’s fingers, not too hard, but she could swear she felt the slight pinch ride through her like a surge of electricity. Quick and sharp.
Margo sucked in her breath. Trudy caught herself doing the same thing.
“I can find tasks for her today,” Margo offered.
John smiled. His look was dark and predatory though. It almost made Trudy shiver and she found she couldn’t look away.
“Passion runs deep through you, my love.” His voice was no more than a deep, gravelly whisper. “She will move you with her compassion and strong feelings for Adam. You will smell them on her and it will distract you.”
“No.” Margo shook her head. It looked like she watched her finger, which John still held against his lips.
“Yes.” He squeezed her hand. Margo focused on his grip. “I will keep Trudy by my side today. She will work with me.”
He let go of Margo’s hand and she brought it to her chest, searching her mate’s face. But she didn’t argue with him, and she didn’t look at Trudy. John turned and walked out of the room. A minute later, Trudy heard the shower water start in the bathroom.
If Margo had a problem with Trudy spending the day with her mate, she gave no indication of it. Things got busy pretty fast with the phone ringing, and pack members stopping by. Trudy managed a shower before John appeared at the door to his bedroom.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
She turned to question him, ask what it was that they would be doing, but he turned away, heading for the stairs. All she could do was hurry and grab her shoes and follow after him.
By the time she got downstairs, Margo stood at the front door, watching John head for his car.
“Don’t worry.” She smiled while Trudy struggled with her shoe. “He won’t bite. Unless you want him too.”
With her shoes finally tied, Trudy followed John out the front door, making a face at Margo, but otherwise not commenting. She wasn’t sure what to say. Margo gave her rear end a friendly slap, making her jump. Margo giggled.
“Seems to me his mate has a bigger bite than he does,” she said over her shoulder.
Margo gave her a broad grin and Trudy couldn’t help but smile back. “Don’t you worry. I’ll keep him out of trouble.”
“Good luck.” Margo waved then shut the door.
By the end of the morning, she had a good idea of what it was like to be a newspaper reporter. No one in his hectic office, a large room with rows of desks and humans moving around constantly, seemed to care that she was with him. In fact, no one paid any attention to her at all.
She sat opposite him, facing his desk, while he went over email and voice mail, and sorted through his inbox.
“I’d forgotten you were a reporter,” she murmured, although it didn’t matter how quietly she spoke. There was enough noise going on around them that it would have been difficult for the humans to narrow in on their conversation.
“Being pack leader doesn’t pay the mortgage.” He winked at her.
She began analyzing John Campbell while she sat there, watching him interact with humans, manage to calm and cheer all those around him. A true alpha male, in control, assertive, and a leader. It startled her that he led the humans, instead of sticking to himself, but he did. More than one of them approached him throughout the morning with questions, comments, seeking out his advice, or his approval.
“Are you in charge here?” she asked, after the third human had sought him out for his opinion.
He seemed surprised. “We all have the same rank.” He shrugged. “We’re reporters.”
“They look up to you.” She glanced around, not seeing anyone else who seemed to rank among the lot.
“I’m good.” He had a winning smile, his eyes charming and friendly when he wanted them to be.
She found herself relaxing, leaning back in the chair, even handing him items on the desk while he spoke on the phone, or implied he needed something.
Once, his cell phone rang while he was on the phone. He nodded for her to answer, leaning back and scratching his goatee while he discussed a local issue going on in the town.
“Hello.” She listened to the excited voice on the other end. “Slow down. I need to write this down.”
Grabbing one of the many legal pads scattered over his desk, Trudy reached for a pen, and began taking notes. John’s call ended before hers and he leaned forward, reading upside down while she wrote.
“Tell him we’re on our way.”
“We’re on our way,” she told the werewolf, after noting the address of a house that had caught fire earlier that morning. Several werewolves were now displaced, and although the pack had jumped in and no one was hurt, foul play was suspected.
John’s phone rang before they were out of the building. “Hello,” he said, his voice deep and more dangerous sounding than when he spoke to humans.
Trudy glanced up at him.
“Is anyone home out there?” He scowled, reaching over her head when they reached the exit, and holding the door open for her.
She squinted against the midday sun.
“What’s wrong?” she asked once in his car.
“Two house fires this morning. The second one is still burning.” John merged into traffic, immediately hurrying around slower cars. “We’re headed out there now.”
When his phone rang again, the tone was different. “Hi babe,” he answered, his face still showing his frustration, but his tone softer.
Tr
udy guessed the call was Margo. The excited voice coming through on the other end tickled her ear. Frustration filled the inside of the small car.
“I know of two houses.” He paused. “Calm down. So there are four?”
Again Margo’s excited tones crept through although Trudy couldn’t hear what she said.
“I agree. It doesn’t look good.” After a minute he added. “Okay. Have the pack check in. I’ll contact Werewolf Affairs.”
He hung up the phone, dropping it between them, and slammed his fist against the steering wheel. Trudy jumped, watching him while emotions raced across his face. His handsome features were chiseled in stone, other than a nerve that twitched along his jawbone. The spicy smell of anger, mixed with frustration, almost made her sneeze.
Her heart throbbed painfully while her stomach tied in knots.
“What is Werewolf Affairs?” She knew this had something to do with Adam, and had to know what was going on.
John glanced over at her, his look intimidating. Heat rushed over her but she held her ground. His watching her unnerved her. Margo said he wouldn’t bite, but he sure could if he wanted to. But if she could stand up to Adam, then she could stand up to this werewolf. He wouldn’t keep secrets from her, not if it involved Adam. She had to know.
He seemed to sense that. “It’s a branch of the FBI. I’m sure you know already that Adam works for them.”
She nodded, staring forward. Something was terribly wrong and the instinct to run raced through her. So much more could be accomplished in her fur, instead of moving slowly in her human form.
“Why are you going to contact them?” The painful lump in her chest made it hard to breathe.
“Because it appears the humans are burning us out.” His answer scared her, cold sweat breaking out under her clothes. He paused for a moment before adding, “and it appears that Adam hasn’t succeeded in killing their leader.”
She looked over at him, understanding his anger. The situation frustrated him, but not knowing what was going on with Adam bothered him more. The werewolves were friends, obviously good friends if John had shared his mate with him. She guessed John wished he could go find Adam, help him if needed. But his hands were tied. He was pack leader, and his duties were here.
“Let me go find him,” she whispered.
John turned a corner, and it took her a minute to realize they had gone to his house. He pulled into the drive, hopping out as the front door opened. Margo looked as upset as he did.
“Okay.” John turned to her once they were inside. “You may go.”
Trudy thought her heart would explode. “I won’t let you down,” she promised, and meant it. She wouldn’t stop until she was with Adam.
“We know you won’t.” Margo reached for her, her touch warm. Her soft brown eyes filled with worry and Trudy squeezed her hand, a silent reassurance.
“There are stipulations.” John’s baritone caught her attention.
“What?” She didn’t let go of Margo but focused on the pack leader. He seemed to have grown since they arrived at his house.
“You drive to his house. I want you to stay in your skin.”
Immediately she wanted to protest. She was stronger, faster in her fur.
He raised his hand. With his fingers spread it was almost the size of her face.
“When you get there, you call me,” he continued, his dark eyes watching her, noting her reaction to his words, sensing her emotions.
She had no doubt he knew her thoughts without her voicing them. John Campbell would not be a good werewolf to have as an enemy. She relaxed, nodding.
“And once you are there, I want you to search his place and see if you can find out where he went.”
His last words startled her. Margo gave him a quick look as well. He turned on them though, leaving the room. Margo took a step to follow him but he returned in the next minute.
“Once you have the information, use this phone to call me.” He gave her a cellular phone. “My number is programmed in it.”
Trudy wanted to know what would happen once she called him with the information. But she didn’t want to hear him forbid her to go after him. Margo’s curiosity wasn’t as easily appeased.
“We’re going to go find him. Right?” Her expression glowed. She was up for the adventure just like Trudy was.
“Pack leaders do not interfere with Werewolf Affairs.” His tone was stern, his expression revealing nothing.
But she wasn’t pack leader, nor was she queen bitch. She fought a grin, eager to get on the road.
“I’ll call you as soon as I get there.” She glanced from one of them to the other, not even daring to think what she would do after she learned where he was.
Hugging both of them, she turned and headed for her car.
Chapter Twenty-One
Adam studied the door to his prison, the soft dirt underneath him cold and damp. He’d pissed Christopher Hordan off earlier. Whatever his reasons, the human despised werewolves. But what really puzzled Adam was that it appeared the human had werewolf blood in him.
Searching his memory, recalling the childhood tales, he wondered at the truth in them. In all of his years with the Bureau, he’d never heard of the two species reproducing together. Obviously humans and werewolves could have sex. In his human form he could fuck a human as easily as he could fuck a werewolf. The idea had never crossed his mind though. Humans didn’t appeal to him.
But there were werewolves who sought out humans. It would be risky. He would think the distraction of keeping emotions at bay so the beast didn’t surface would be too distracting to enjoy the sex. Not his idea of a good time.
But the chances of a werewolf and human conceiving together had to be slim if not close to impossible. Yet he’d seen two humans inside that house who obviously had werewolf blood in them.
He needed answers. Sitting here was getting him nowhere. His cell was almost airtight, but what smells lingered through the closed door told him it was night. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his breathing. It wouldn’t do him any good at the moment to change completely, but he was tired of his handcuffs.
His heartbeat accelerated, blood rushing through his veins, the muscles around his bones contorting, strengthening. He bit his lip, his teeth slightly longer and more pointed than a second ago. Focusing on the slight pain, running his tongue over the bitter taste of blood, he fought to keep his senses about him, prevent the change from rippling through him completely.
His muscles strained around the handcuffs, pain rippling through him as his wrists thickened, pressed against the muscles. In the next minute the metal popped, torn apart while his body continued to grow.
Humans were talking in the yard outside. His heightened senses picked up on their words, his ears itching, twitching to catch what was said.
“None of that matters now.” Hordan’s voice sounded angry, the walls of his cell too thick for him to smell emotions. “Everything is going as planned. More than likely they will start a mass exodus and then we can catch them on the run.”
“Best to get them out of the towns,” a male human added.
What didn’t matter now? And why did Hordan think the werewolves would start a mass exodus? Adam brought his wrists together, his heartbeat pulsating where the metal had cut his skin. The thickness of his body made it harder to move like a human. But he wanted to hear what they said. Half-changed, he could take advantage of better sight and vision. Changing all the way right now wouldn’t work. He needed to stay here as long as possible to learn as much as he could. If he changed, they would assume he meant to escape, and he wasn’t ready to leave yet.
“Father!” The female’s voice perked his ears up. “We’ve found Knight’s house.”
Adam felt a steel sword stab straight through his heart. He held his breath until it hurt, needing to hear what was said next. They couldn’t get to Trudy, unless she disarmed the security system.
“Do you think he can’t hear you?” Christopher
hissed. “That brick cage doesn’t confine his senses. And it won’t confine him either if he hears something that forces him to change.”
Adam edged across the dirt floor, pressing his ear to the door. Blood surged through him, creating a ringing in his head. Everything that he was ached to change and lunge through the door, protect what was his. The instinct rushed through him like hot lava, burning and powerful.
“Well, then put him in a stronger cage.” Silence followed her defiant tone.
Adam could only imagine what actions might be taking place on the other side of his brick and mortar cell.
“Where is his house?” Christopher spoke much quieter, forcing Adam to strain to hear.
“Not far from here. But it gets better, Father. There is a woman there.”
Adam swore he could smell her sick pleasure over her finding. His stomach turned. If any of them lay a hand on Trudy, they would die. He couldn’t stay here any longer. The Bureau wanted more information on Hordan, a history, a motive, a list of all involved. But his instincts wouldn’t stay at bay, not if Trudy was in danger.
Adam heard footsteps. They faded quickly. More than likely Christopher guided his daughter out of the yard to discuss his plans. The human knew quite a bit about the abilities of werewolves, and Adam’s guess was because he was part werewolf himself.
He circled twice in his small confinement before realizing his animal needs were consuming his human rationale.
Protect Trudy. Keep the humans away from her.
The Bureau had sent him out here to find the werewolf killer, learn what he could about him, and bring him down. He’d come this far. Now somehow he needed to buy time and finish his assignment. But he also needed to know that Trudy was safe.
No other humans came out into the backyard. He’d been left alone. An hour passed. Maybe more. He only knew that darkness surrounded him. The smells of night seeped through the walls of his prison. Humans weren’t nocturnal and he would use that to his advantage.
He slipped out of the pants Mary had given him and let the change consume him. It felt so good. After restraining all this time, holding in his carnal instincts, keeping his raw emotions at bay, to allow them all to release was a pure soul cleansing.
Lunewulf 5: In Her Soul Page 12