“I’ll hurry,” he replied, his sexy voice promising her sweet, hot things she could only imagine.
She laughed and pushed him back to his truck. “Get going. The sooner you get there, the sooner you’ll be back.”
She did not want him to leave and certainly, he did not want to go. His mind touched hers and she felt his reluctance. Even the truck seemed to resist taking him from her. It creaked and groaned like she had not heard it do before. She frowned. Since her mother had taught her to never ignore what some would call silly nonsense, she tried to think of why he should not leave her.
It wasn’t as if she’d never been alone before. She was tougher than she looked. Being bullied tended to either make people tough or break them and it had made her tough. Being a healer had kept her compassionate, but it didn’t make her stupid. Noting the landscape, she looked around for anything suspicious.
It was open for the most part. A gravel pit turned irrigation pond was full, but there were no animals near it. Strange. With standing water not very plentiful around the valley, she would expect there to be more activity. She tried to remember what sights and sounds had been around when they had left this morning but could not. She’d been too focused on Nolan and the recent murders.
Despite not seeing anything specific, she trusted her instincts and locked the handle of the outside door and bolted it. Then, slowly moving up the stairs, she tried to put her finger on her unease. It was frightening her more that she could not pinpoint what her mind had sensed than an actual threat would scare her. Insidious threats scared her the most since sneak attacks tended to do the harshest damage and she could not fight what she could not see.
She locked the front door, bolting it, before going upstairs to the living area, where she sat on the couch to try to get comfortable. But her growing fear made her restless. She moved into the big kitchen just off the living room and put together a sandwich. Presumably, it was fine, but it tasted like sawdust to her. Putting the half-eaten meal down, she grabbed a soda out of the refrigerator. She leaned against the island and contemplated every detail she had seen when overlooking the landscape, both now and when they’d left earlier.
Then it came to her. The difference was the smell. Amid the smells of agriculture and heat, the breeze contained the subtle hint of fear. The animals were afraid, but it was not a cohesive fear; it was instinctive.
Werewolves in human form?
She walked over to the sink and looked out the windows overlooking Nolan’s land both south and west. Nothing. Even with her better than average vision she could not see any signs. “Probably just nerves over being mated,” she muttered to herself to cover up the silence of the big, unfamiliar house.
Just then, the French doors off the kitchen exploded into a combination of glass and wood. Hoping to get to the front door, she ran around the island to the stairs. But as she reached the landing of the curved staircase, the front door smashed open. She turned to go back up the stairs, but someone was there.
“Jason,” she said flatly. He had wanted to mate with her, but his touch made her skin crawl. The scent of the other were came to her from behind. “Boris. What a surprise,” she said facetiously, turning her head to peer over her shoulder and trying to keep her fear at bay. Nothing excited Boris and Jason like fear.
“Why are you here?” Hoping the demand covered up any residual dread she might have left in her voice, she tried to push Jason away from her.
“We’re here for you of course,” Jason responded with a leer. She couldn’t help the revulsion that crossed her face at the idea of him touching her. “Oh don’t worry, sweetheart. I won’t be touching you like that—yet.” His raucous laughter scratched against her mind like nails on a chalkboard.
“I don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t,” Boris said before putting something against her arm. She felt pressure, and then her vision swam before she blacked out.
Chapter Five
Frowning with perplexity and annoyance, Nolan pulled up in front of the warehouse where his pack held official business meetings. Due to the nature of the beast, they needed a place open and easy to clean. It was also somewhere not likely to have other business people overhear any howls or growls. The other warehouse nearby ran loud machinery day and night.
He noticed the three other vehicles parked alongside the long stonewall of the warehouse. He clenched his fist and set his jaw walking in. He felt the beast come to the surface, and unclenched his fist. It was time for a show of power. He walked into the side door, pushing the door in with a loud bang. He stood so he was backlit and let the claws break through his hands and the muscles bulge up but did not turn the rest of the way.
No one else in his pack could control the shift the way he could. Lore said only the very powerful ever attained that kind of control. It gave him a distinct advantage in a fight. And at times, like now, it allowed him to show his power without making specific threats. The jumbled thoughts that had been swirling in his mind had become more singular. He was not sure which, but one of the submissives felt a strong spurt of fear and two were wowed.
He walked purposefully to the now silent men who stood in a circle near the center. His first lieutenant and a witness stood with Darren. So it’s to be that way, is it? Darren wants to make this an official complaint. Nolan’s lieutenant, Kamiakin, who had not been surprised or afraid of the ulfric’s display, held a hand on Darren’s shoulder, but Nolan’s stance was defensive toward the witness—Joseph.
When Nolan approached, he did not offer to shake hands; he growled. “What are you doing here?” He did not like Joseph and had not since they were children and he caught Joseph stealing from a younger kid’s lunch. The feelings were mutual, but as Nolan always played fair and Joseph did not like to lose, it was a stalemate.
Today, he was in an even less bargaining mood than usual with the submissive. Joseph’s upper lip lifted, but he bowed his head and backed away from Nolan before the challenge became overt. “I’m merely here to help Darren in his time of need.”
“I doubt it is the only reason you’re here,” Nolan snarled.
Joseph looked up. “I’ve a mate with child. Not as far along as Jenny, but she’s worried she’ll be next. Frankly, so am I! Why haven’t you met this challenge?”
Nolan looked to Darren who was frowning and glancing from Joseph to Kamiakin who had stepped between Nolan and Joseph when Joseph spoke the accusation. Not an open challenge, but something more subtle lurking in the shadows of Joseph’s eyes.
The claws on Nolan’s hands itched as if they would welcome the fight. He forced himself to relax. The beast recognized the challenge for sure. But the detective in him recognized the undercutting Joseph was up to. He wanted Nolan to strike in front of other witnesses for no obvious reason. Instead, Nolan smiled at him, baring a lot of teeth and turned to his lieutenant.
“Report, Kamiakin,” he demanded softly.
Kamiakin’s dark brown eyes met his, looking almost black with emotion. In them, Nolan could see Kamiakin’s knowledge of the unspoken challenge as well as the underhanded passive aggressive maneuvering.
“Joseph has brought Darren here to officially complain that you haven’t protected the pack. That your ways have put the pack and its young in danger as the enemy doesn’t see you as a threat,” he said in a neutral tone, not allowing any emotions into his voice.
He was proud of his lieutenant. But for the witness? The tingling began in his arms and moved through his whole body. He wanted to change and kill Joseph now. How dare he put Darren through this when he’d just lost a family member.
“Darren. Do you feel that I have endangered you or your young?” he asked instead of attacking the weasel who’d acted as witness.
“I…” Darren paused and looked at his ulfric. Frowning in concentration, he shook his head. “No, I guess not. I wasn’t thinking straight. You’ve made it possible for so many of our mates to get pregnant at once. Now the warring pack sees you and
our young as a bigger threat. I didn’t think it through before coming. I beg your forgiveness.” He bowed his head and held out his hand palm down in a show of submission.
Nolan believed Darren had had a change of heart about his complaint once seeing the ulfric. Maybe it helped him remember how I took care of the blood earlier? He would have to talk to Darren outside of the meeting.
Unleashing a wave of power, Nolan spoke to the three of them. “Any who wish to challenge me must do so openly and without hiding behind others. The punishment for getting a fellow pack member hurt in a dishonorable or sneaky challenge will be severe. I’m living within the century we live in, trying to protect the pack.” His voice became deeper and the growling underlined his power at not making the full change. “Do not mistake that for weakness. It’ll be one I won’t let you live to regret. Any questions?”
The warehouse felt over full as his power radiated out. The two submissives actually stepped back, and Nolan saw the raw fear on Joseph’s face when the submissive retreated. Darren looked ashamed. Of course, Nolan’s lieutenant wasn’t surprised. Kamiakin had seen it on the hunts they went on together. Nolan rarely showed power for power’s sake, but this time, he felt he needed to so Joseph would not be tempted to undermine him in a more insidious manner.
For a second, Nolan heard the specific thoughts from Joseph. “I wish I’d seen his power before I—” then the thought was gone. Damn it. When he had first walked in, all the thoughts had been jumbled and mostly about the meeting. Then they were swallowing their surprise and fear at his partial transformation and nothing else came through. Now their thoughts were shutdown. He had been too effective in his display of power.
“There is a pack meeting two weeks hence at seven, the usual time. At that point, I will discuss everything I’m allowed to from the police files as well as anything I’ve learned that’s pack business. In the meantime, keep cool heads about you. I’m seeking justice for our people.”
He heard Darren’s thoughts of embarrassment and thankfulness that their leader was more civilized. By old pack rites, Nolan could have torn off the heads of Joseph and Darren for daring to challenge him.
“It wasn’t supposed to be a challenge, just a complaint. I see now we did present it as a challenge. I never meant to challenge our leader. God, he’s powerful. No one really knows how powerful.”
Interesting. So Joseph was the instigator in the official set up. Nolan wished he could get more direct thoughts from Joseph, but the man stank of fear, and it overpowered any telepathic waves Nolan might have intercepted.
“Joseph, you may leave. I expect you to be at the pack meeting. And make no mistake. I will not take your next challenge so mildly,” he said calmly, as if telling the were the weather. “The pack needs to pull together now, not be torn apart.” He turned his back on Joseph, a clear dismissal and a sign of complete lack of fear of the other. An insult.
“You’ll pay. I’ve already—”
Nolan cursed the ability that didn’t let him follow a thought to its conclusion if the other person started thinking of other things. He waited until Joseph was outside, then talked to Kamiakin.
“Have him followed by a pack member. I’m going to have someone look into his affairs. Something’s off about him. I can smell it.”
And he could not get over the unease that filled him regarding Alex. He needed her but could not sense her anymore. It’s like she just shut off. Was it him? The situation? This mate thing can be annoying.
Kamiakin nodded as he moved to do his bidding and stepped away. Ostensibly, for calling in a few of the trusted pack members but mostly to give Darren the illusion of a private scolding.
“What happened, Darren?”
“I’m sorry, ulfric. I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgment.”
Nolan waved that away and realized he needed to let the wolf claws recede. He let his form go back to fully human and felt Darren relax. “I want to know how it happened. When I left you, you were fine considering the circumstances. Twenty minutes later, I’m getting a phone call of an official meeting with my lieutenant. What happened?”
“Joseph came over right as we were leaving for the hotel. He said that my brother-in-law would still be alive if you were a real leader by the old ways. I’m afraid we got all worked up. By the time my wife was ready to leave, so was I. I sent her to the hotel with her sister, Marie, and came here with Joseph. I never should have left her.”
The power of Nolan’s anger moved through him. Even though they shared no love between them, he had not realized he had an enemy in Joseph. He would deal with the backstabber later.
“No, you shouldn’t have. You’ll be given penance for listening to him rather than taking care of Jenny. Now go. Take care of your wife. I’ll take care of the other things as I’ve always done.”
“Thank you, Ulfric.” He bowed and left.
Kamiakin finished his call and came over to where Nolan stood. “Karl and Katrina are on it,” he said, speaking of their security partners who were also twins. Twins were rare. Usually one died before the birthing. These two were hulks. Six foot four and all muscle.
“Good.”
“I never knew he was your enemy. You should keep your second in command informed if you make enemies. I can be better prepared that way,” Kamiakin scolded with some force.
“I agree. I wonder if we can make it pack law to inform your ulfric if you’ve decided to be enemies with him. We’ve never gotten along real well, but I hadn’t realized it had reached such strong proportions. I’ll step more carefully around him. He’s trouble.” Nolan felt the burden of leadership as he never had before.
He loved being leader, loved caring for the pack. It was the politics he hated. The infighting, the backstabbing, all of it made him feel dirty, even if he did not participate. With their super-human powers, he would think they would all get a bit more self-control to go along with it. Instead, the beast ruled as often as not.
As their ulfric, he had fought to change that, to make people use reason first. It was a long struggle and obviously not over. He wished Alex was here to talk to. Having someone he could talk to telepathically had been a pleasure and had helped him in dealing with the rest of the political stuff by relieving some of his stress. At least his mate was one who shared in his aversion of violence for violence’s sake.
What if fate had stuck him with someone like Roxy? The distaste he felt made him want to shake it off like a dog shaking off excess water.
“Joseph has always been trouble,” Kamiakin responded. “It seems he has decided to play with the big boys now. But challenging the ulfric is a big step to take. He’s never fought any of the lower ranked wolves. What’s changed?” he asked, looking at Nolan.
“I wish I knew.” Whatever it was, it would have to wait. He could not get rid of his unease about Alex’s presence suddenly disappearing from his mind.
“Kamiakin,” he said urgently. “Follow me to my house. I feel something’s wrong with my mate.”
Giving in to the intense worry that flowed through him all at once, he stormed out of the warehouse to his truck.
“Mate? What mate?” He heard his lieutenant frantically trying to keep up and make sense of his words at the same time.
When Kamiakin finished locking up the warehouse and headed to his car, Nolan stuck his head out. “I’ve found my mate. She’s a healer. She’s at my house, and I feel like something’s wrong. Call in backup. Next in rank after the twins.”
His second in command merely nodded. Nolan backed out and left for his house, pushing the speed limit and wishing he had his official vehicle with lights and sirens.
As he drove down his driveway, he watched the area closely, looking for any warnings. It was too quiet. The winter ducks which normally swam in the pond were nowhere to be seen and were not making any noises.
He practically jumped out of his truck before it came to a complete stop. As he rushed up the two stairs, he let out a howl that echoed back a
t him. The door frame was splintered, the door slowly swinging back and forth against the frame as the wind caught it.
He pushed through it and ran up the stairs, not waiting for Kamiakin. The smell of the other pack wafted over him as did Alex’s scent. They had stood on the stairs for a bit, judging by the strength of the odors. He became more careful, hugging the walls; he had to make sure she was gone even though he felt her absence in the depths of his mind. He was afraid she was dead. He called to her using his thoughts, over and over, the beast roared its fury within him when there was no answer.
He heard his lieutenant slam the car door shut, and rushed down to meet him. “She’s been kidnapped. Call in everyone except the twins. Joseph’s at the top of my suspect list, as well as the mates of the previously murdered women. Get people here. Now!” He called the sheriff’s office as well as the tribal police. He would let them duke it out as to who got to be primary in the investigation. He just wanted to get Alex back. He had recognized the scent of one of the men who had been in his house as the same were who had attacked him in the forest.
He felt a protective surge as well as fear at the thought that Boris might have realized Alex could change and that she had attacked Boris in protection of him. He could hear Kamiakin talking in the background, never mentioning Nolan’s claim of mate, but saying that someone had been kidnapped from the ulfric’s house. He knew the moment Kamiakin’s attention turned to him by what raced through the lieutenant’s head.
“Who’s the mate? How’d the attackers know when to strike? Had somebody set them up? How in the hell are we going to get out of this?”
The thoughts came to Nolan’s mind, but he did not respond. He waited for the were to chose which question to ask first and was surprised at the one he got.
“Is the mate privileged information?” Kamiakin asked.
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