by Beverly Rae
Max, Ranlon, William and Jimmy surrounded them, their faces a mix of concern and confusion. Each one peppered questions at Nick, but he kept quiet until Cally returned with a glass of water.
Nick downed the water and rested against the bench. “If everyone will shut up and give me a minute, I’ll tell you.” He took a few deep breaths.
“We’re waiting, bro.” Michael motioned for Cally to take his glass. “From the way you look, I’d say you either ran into a bunch of wild hogs or a group of angry men.”
Nick snorted then cringed, scrunching his features in pain. “Pigs may gouge a man in the ribs, but they don’t fuck up his ride.”
Jimmy and Ranlon growled as William muttered curses. Max, Michael and the women stayed silent.
“Do you know who they were? Have you ever seen them before?” Michael took Nick’s arm as Max took the other and pulled him to his feet. “Let’s get you inside so Sara can tend to your wounds.”
“Maybe we should take him to the hospital.” Mandy’s big eyes filled with tears. “He could have internal injuries.”
“And do what, babe, when he changes so he can heal faster? Say sorry? I thought we brought our werewolf to the vet?” Jimmy held up his palms at Mandy’s glower. “Never mind.”
Sara held the door open then followed the men up the stairs to Nick’s bedroom. “Cally, can you get some warm water and cloths? And bring the antiseptic, too. I’ll do what I can, and then once he’s gotten some strength back, he can shift to heal.”
“I’ll help you, Cally.” Mandy followed Cally to the kitchen.
They stripped Nick of his clothes then put him on top of his bed, pulling the sheet to his waist. Cally came in with the First Aid kit as well as additional bandages with Mandy carrying a large bowl of warm water. Sara dipped a cloth into the water then gently pressed it to the wounds on his face.
“Talk to us, Nick.” She didn’t want to push him, but knew Michael couldn’t wait much longer for answers. Whoever had beaten Nick would pay.
Ranlon went to the wet bar at the other side of the room and came back with a shot of vodka. “Here. You need something stronger than water.”
Nick chugged the drink, coughed, then groaned and held his arm over his bruised ribs. “I should’ve changed before now, but I didn’t want to get caught out in the daylight alone.”
“Nick, spill.” Sara sensed he was taking his time. Didn’t he want to tell them?
He glanced at her and nodded. “Another pack has moved into the area. Why or exactly where they are, I don’t know.”
“Who’s pack? Where are they staying?” Michael’s tone dropped lower. “Didn’t they say why they attacked you?”
“Their alpha is a big guy by the name of Jackson Walker. Walker Pack is their name. Like I already said, I don’t know where they’re staying.”
Max paced back and forth at the edge of the bed. “So what’d they say? Packs don’t usually attack a lone wolf for no reason.”
“How many were there?” William, as usual, leaned against the door, part of the pack, yet somehow always separate.
“Slow down and let him talk.” Sara glared at the others then handed the bloodied cloth to Cally in exchange for a clean one.
“They came after me because of Tamara.”
Sara paused, her gaze shifting from his cheek to his eyes. “Why do they care about Tamara?”
“The big guy, the alpha, has it in his head that she’s his mate. Or future mate.”
Mandy shook her head, then looked to Jimmy. “But that’s not the way it works, right? Nick knows she’s his intended mate. So how can this Jackson guy claim her?”
“He must’ve lost his mate.”
Everyone pivoted to stare at William. He shrugged. “Either that or he’s given up trying to find her.”
“Can he do that?” Cally put out her hand for Max. “Isn’t he breaking the rules?”
Max gave her the smile he always reserved just for Cally. “It’s not like we can report him to the authorities. Packs police themselves.”
“Sometimes it happens that way. Usually because a werewolf’s mate has died and he wants another. But he’s supposed to look for a female who has lost her own mate. Either that or a human that hasn’t found her mate and, more than likely, was never meant for another shifter.” William stuck his hands in his pockets.
“This Jackson guy sounds like a real jerk.”
Nick shot Cally a grin, but it lacked the usual easy warmth. “You can say that again.”
“So Tamara’s already a werewolf in their pack. That could make things kind of messy.” Max broke away from Cally and started pacing again.
“Does she want to leave their pack?” Sara pressed a cloth to his chest and wiped away caked blood.
Nick avoided Sara’s gaze. “I haven’t told her what I am yet.”
“That answers the question about the dreams. She’s a werewolf and knows you’re her future mate. Dude, she’s after you, and Jackson found out.” Jimmy chuckled. “Couldn’t you have gone for a nice human girl to change?”
“The question now is what are we going to do about them? I don’t mind other packs in the area, but their alpha doesn’t sound like he’s good at sharing.” Michael sent Sara a pointed look. “He doesn’t like sharing territory or women.”
“He’s not getting Tamara. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Sara felt Nick tense and stroked his arm. “If she wants to be with you, he can’t stop her.”
“I wouldn’t count on that.” Michael’s eyes blazed. “Until we figure out how to handle this, Nick, stay away from her.”
Sara saw the look of defiance on Nick’s face a second before he composed it and gave Michael a curt nod. She arched an eyebrow, letting him know she’d caught his reaction. “We’ll leave you alone now. Go ahead and shift so you can heal.”
Chapter Six
“Are you okay, Nick?”
Figures Candace would notice. Nick dumped a case of beer on the floor and started stacking them in the cooler. “Yeah. Just a little banged up. It was a lot worse before I changed. But shifting fixed most of the damage.”
“I thought you said there wasn’t any trouble brewing.”
He stood up and looked her straight in the eye. He’d never lied to her before and he wasn’t about to start. Better to tell her now before customers started showing up. “I might’ve been wrong about that. Have you heard anything about another pack moving in?”
She flipped a towel onto her shoulder. “Not a word. Why? What’s up?”
“You know the girls that were in here the other night?”
“You mean the ones that caused all the ruckus?”
“Yeah. Well, I’m kind of involved with one of them.”
She let out a low whistle. “Don’t tell me. She’s that girl that came in the other day, right? The one you took off work for?”
“That’s the one.”
Candace gave him a funny look. “Oh, shit. You’re hot for her.”
“More than just hot.”
“Really?” Her jaw dropped. “Nick Rogers, have you met your mate?”
He didn’t answer, letting his grin say it all.
“But what has that got to do with the other pack?”
“I just found out that she’s one of theirs.”
Candace rolled her eyes. “Aw, Nick. Tell me you’re not mixing with another pack’s female. Are you nuts?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time someone called me that. But it doesn’t matter who she is or who she’s with. She’s the one.”
“For real? Do you mean you sent one of those dreams to her?”
“I did once, but actually it’s the other way round. She’s the one who’s been sending me the dreams. I should’ve guessed then that she was a shifter, but you never know. Still, I know it’s her whether she wants to admit it in the light of day or not. I can sense it.”
Candace looked over his shoulder. “Talk about the devil herself.”
&
nbsp; Nick swung around, his heart skipping a beat. Tamara stood silhouetted in the door. He raised his hand in greeting and rounded the corner of the bar. “I’m glad you came back.”
Yet instead of returning his greeting, she took a few steps into the bar, then turned back to the door. Jackson’s large form shadowed the door as he came to her side. More pack members, half of them men, half of them women, followed the two to a nearby table. Nick recognized the men as part of the group who’d attacked him.
The wolf inside him growled and clawed to get free. Anger splintered his control and the tips of his fangs broke through his gums. He clenched his jaw, struggling to keep the beast from taking over.
“Take it easy, Nick.”
He gave Candace a quick nod. He stared at the group, scanning them quickly before coming to rest on Tamara. Sally eased by him, shot him a questioning look, then hurried to take the group’s order. He cleared his throat and headed back behind the bar.
“Do they know this is where you work?” Candace kept her head down, her voice low.
“Tamara did, of course. But one of the other girls could have told them about seeing me here the other night.”
“Nick, if there’s any trouble, do me a favor and take it outside.”
“I’m not going to start anything, but if they do, I’ll try to remember that.”
Sally came to the bar, her notepad in hand. Her face was whiter than usual and her hands shook. “Those guys are seriously creeping me out. Especially the big guy. I feel like he’s going to chew me up and spit me out.”
Jackson could do just that, but Nick wasn’t about to tell Sally. “What’s their order?”
“A couple of pitchers of beer.”
Nick poured the pitchers and set the glasses on the tray. “Do you want me to handle them?”
Sally’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “Would you? I know it’s not your job, but I’m not sure I can deal with them.”
“Nick. Don’t get any ideas.”
Candace’s warning went unheeded. Instead, he picked up the tray and headed for Jackson’s table. Tamara saw him coming and her eyes grew wide.
As he approached, every person turned to stare at him. “Here you go.” He sported a forced smile, one he figured they’d easily recognize as being as fake as a two dollar bill. He set the pitchers and glasses on the table, then scooped up their money and pivoted on his heel toward the bar.
“Keep the change, fur ball.”
Nick froze, the hair on his arms standing on end. Shooting Candace a look of apology, he turned toward Jackson. “I’m going to forget you called me that. And, by the way, you owe me.”
Jackson narrowed his eyes. “What the hell for?”
“For repairs to my motorcycle.”
For a moment, he wasn’t sure if Jackson had heard him. But the big man’s booming laugh said he had.
“Go fuck yourself, pussy.”
A man could take only so much. Nick’s fist connected with Jackson’s chin before Jackson saw it coming. Jackson fell backward in his chair, hitting the back of his head on the floor.
Nick jumped on top of Jackson, but he wasn’t on top for long. The rest of the pack grabbed him, hauling him off. He gave his beast enough freedom to add strength, but four pack members holding him was more than he could handle. They hauled him outside and threw him to the ground. Nick came to his feet, fangs breaking out.
“Get away from him.” Tamara, flanked by Candace, burst out of the bar and hurried toward Nick. Jackson’s pack pushed them away and surrounded Nick.
Jackson stumbled out of the bar, his face a mask of rage. “I guess this shithead didn’t get enough the other day. This time he’s not getting back up.”
The pack closed in on Nick. He planted his feet apart, ready to go down fighting.
“I wouldn’t count on that.”
Jackson and his pack swung toward Michael. The Night Runners, including the women, stood their ground with Michael in the lead, his arms crossed and a snarl on his lips.
“Fuck you, too.” Jackson shifted, tearing his clothes from his body.
Roars and growls split the air as werewolves from both packs changed, not bothering to rip their clothes off first. Nick shifted then leapt at Jackson. Claws extended, he dug into the big werewolf’s back, sending them tumbling over the ground.
Jackson snarled, white fangs dripping saliva, and sank his teeth into Nick’s shoulder. Pain seared through him, but he held on. He raked out, scraping fur and skin away from Jackson’s belly. They fell away from each other, each needing a second to regroup.
The Night Runners held their own, each taking on one of the Walker Pack. Ranlon had his opponent pinned, his front paws holding the animal down. Max took off after a werewolf fleeing toward the parking lot while William and Jimmy cornered two other werewolves. Michael stood on his back legs like a bear and swiped his sharp claws across the muzzle of his attacker.
Where was Tamara? Nick growled, readying for another leap at Jackson when two female werewolves broadsided him. He hit the ground hard, darkness momentarily blinding him. At last his head cleared and he got to his four feet, a snarl on his lips as he tried to find Jackson.
But Jackson was gone, along with Tamara. Wild with worry, he spun around and saw the two females who’d attacked him running away. Roaring, he took off after them. He caught one of them by the back paw, spilling her face-first into the gravel of the parking lot. The other werewolf didn’t stop to see what had happened to her friend.
He pinned the werewolf and put his jaws close to her jugular vein. Growling, he warned her not to move. She panted and stayed where she was, not trying to struggle against him.
Nick shifted, keeping a firm grip on the werewolf. “Change back. Now.”
She did as he requested, her naked human body trembling underneath him. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“Where is she, Linda? Where’s Tamara?” Sounds of the battle were dying down, but he didn’t bother checking to see which pack had come out on top. Nothing mattered except Tamara.
Linda shook her head. “I don’t know.”
He let the animal inside take over again, just enough to show her his fangs. “Bullshit. Where does your pack stay?”
Fear wafted off her, but he could see the stubbornness in her eyes. “Go to hell.”
“Nick, the big guy took off with her.” Candace stood at the edge of the parking lot. “She didn’t go willingly.”
So Jackson had forced Tamara to leave. But what would he do with her? Hell, to her? He focused his wrath on Linda.
“I’m not going to ask you again. Where does your pack stay?” He couldn’t be certain, but he’d count on Jackson taking her back to the pack’s home. He bent lower, grazing the tips of his fangs over her neck. She uttered a strangled sound.
“We’re over in the next county. In a home we rented that everyone calls the Williams’ old place.”
Nick glanced toward the rest of his pack. He was right not to worry. The other pack huddled together against the wall of the bar while Max, Ranlon, William, Cally, and Jimmy stood guard.
Michael, returned to human form, sauntered over to Nick with Sara and Mandy at his heels. “Damn, I enjoyed that. I haven’t had a good fight in a long time.”
Nick turned Linda loose, and she scurried away, her eyes wide with fear. “Can you take things from here? I’ve got to find Tamara.”
“Don’t you want some help? You don’t know how many more there are.”
“No. I’m going to do this on my own. Just hold on to this group long enough to give me time.”
Michael saluted Nick and grinned. “You taking a bike or going for a run?”
“Fastest route from one point to another is how the crow flies. Roads would take too long, and I don’t want to get hauled over for riding in the buff.”
“Speaking of which.” Candace started picking up clothes and tossing them to the shifters. “Get dressed as much as you can before someone sees you. Thankfully, Sally
hightailed into the office before anyone changed.”
Michael laughed and caught a torn shirt she’d tossed at him. “Then I guess you’d better get your ass in gear and get going, Nick.”
Nick shifted, letting the Change take him. Back on all fours, he spun around and ran.
* * * *
Tamara fought against Jackson. But he was twice her size and mad as hell. “Turn me loose.”
She tried to open the pickup’s door, but he grabbed her then slapped her. Her face stung where he’d hit her, and her sight grew dizzy. Blood trickled down her chin from the cut on her lip.
“Stay put, bitch.” Rage burned in his eyes, his fangs covering his lips in his partial shift.
“You can’t do this, Jackson. You can’t take me against my will.”
The sound he made was part snort, part laugh. “Like hell I can’t. I don’t give a damn about anyone else. I’m going to make you mine.”
Her heart pounded against her chest. How could he go against pack rules? “Miss Louise won’t let you.”
“I don’t give a crap what that old bitch wants. I’m the alpha, and I say what goes.”
He drove down the dirt road leading to their house then slammed the car to a stop in front of the barn. Tamara jerked the door open, fell out, and scrambled to her feet. But she wasn’t fast enough. She cried out as he snatched her by the hair and dragged her into the barn.
“Jackson, please. Think about what you’re doing.” She pleaded, yet she knew it was useless. No one could stop him.
He gripped her by the neck and rammed her back against the wall. Dancer and the other horses whinnied and stomped their feet, picking up on the danger. “I haven’t thought of anything else from the first moment you joined our pack. You were the hottest teenager I’ve ever seen and you’re even hotter now.”
She beat against his chest but her strikes were nothing more than moths bumping against a light bulb. “Please don’t. We’re not meant to be together.”
He pushed his body against her, thrusting his knee between her legs. “Shut up. You’re going to learn your place and keep your piehole closed.”