Dev pulled him into his arms, holding him close. “No, he hasn’t.”
Caroline shifted a little closer to her mate. “You mean like a demand for ransom?”
“Yes. That’s what he means. As far as Victor knows, none of us know that he has Grammy.” Dev looked over at George. “Or did he see you?”
George shook his head. “No, he didn’t. I suspect he’ll be calling shortly.”
Laine didn’t even want to think about what Victor would want for Grammy’s safe return. He was positive it was going to be something he wasn’t willing to pay. They…Dev was going to have to fight him. Laine sighed and rested his cheek against Dev. He did not want to ask Dev to do that.
Dev rubbed his arm. “We need to get our plan together before he calls. How many wolves can we count on to help out, to keep Victor’s Betas out of the picture? I don’t mind two or three wolves ganging up on the Betas to distract them while I take Victor, but I don’t want anyone interfering with mine and Victor’s fight.”
Laine sat up, looking at Dev. “You’re going to fight Victor?”
Dev smiled and caressed Laine’s cheek. “You know there isn’t any other way.”
Laine nodded, he did know, but he still didn’t have to like it. “I know.”
“From what Dev has said, I can take, probably, two of the Betas but I can’t take all four at the same time,” Cole said.
George leaned forward. “Yes, you should be able to, but it would be better if we can keep them off of you so that you only have one at a time. And we should have enough wolves to do that.”
Laine agreed not all the wolves would get involved, but they would support any movement against Victor. “No one likes Victor. We won’t have to worry about any resistance except from the four Betas.”
Dev kissed Laine’s forehead. “Good, if we can get enough pack members to make sure it’s a fair fight then that is all we need. I don’t want them trying to help Cole or me fight. If I’m going to be Alpha, then it needs to be known that I got the position myself, in a fair fight.”
George nodded. “I agree. Theoretically, you should be done fighting when you defeat Victor, but I won’t swear to that. Peter is a cocky bastard and he might decide to challenge you.”
“Then Cole should go after Peter first,” Dev said.
Caroline frowned. “I don’t like—”
The phone rang.
They all looked at it except Laine, who looked at Caroline. “I don’t either, Caroline, but Dev is right. We don’t have a choice. Victor has to be stopped.”
Chapter Nine
“Lainey, there’s no need for you to go.”
Laine stopped dead in his tracks. Oh, no way. He did not hear that. “I am going to watch my mate’s back and that is all I have to say about that.”
Dev’s hand landed on his shoulder and turned him around. “Lainey…”
“No, Dev. I need to go.”
“No, babe, you don’t.”
Laine opened his mouth to argue, but Dev put a finger to his lips.
“Just listen. If I’m going to beat Victor, I need to concentrate. I can’t do that if I’m worrying about you. And I will worry about you if you are there. I can’t help it. You’re my mate and my responsibility.”
Laine shook his head. He wasn’t a complete idiot. Laine knew his limitations, he wasn’t a fighter, he knew that, but he could be there and be Dev’s eyes. “I don’t want to be a burden on you. But I need to go and help. I can watch your back. I can—”
“You could never be a burden. You’re—”
Laine sighed. “But I am a burden, if you can’t trust me.”
Dev’s lips landed on his in a heated kiss. Just as Laine was getting into it, Dev pulled back. “It has nothing to do with trust. I’d trust you with my life. And I’m not calling you a wimp either, you just aren’t as strong as Victor or his goons. That’s fact. I know you’d die trying, but that’s just it, Lainey, I can’t take that chance.”
Wow. “I…I…” He couldn’t not go and wonder how Dev was, wonder if things turned out okay. He had to go keep an eye on his mate. If he could just watch, he knew Dev would be okay. He could stay out of the fight, if that made Dev feel better, but—
“Promise me you’ll stay here. I need you to do this for me, Laine.”
Laine wasn’t sure what made him do it, but he knew he couldn’t promise and he couldn’t lie, not to Dev, so he crossed his fingers and nodded.
Thankfully, Dev seemed satisfied with that. “I’ll call you as soon as it’s over, okay?”
“Okay.”
Dev kissed him one last time and headed towards the front door of the condo.
“Dev?”
The big man stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?” He turned to face Laine.
I love you. “Be careful.”
Dev grinned. “I will. Caroline will be up in a second. Lock the door once she gets in.”
Laine went to the door and watched Dev go down the stairs.
Cole and Caroline stood at the bottom of the stairs. Cole waved and Caroline started up the stairs. She stepped in the doorway and turned to watch Cole and Dev drive off in Dev’s truck.
When Dev’s taillights disappeared around the corner, Laine shut the door.
“How long should we give them before we follow?” Caroline asked.
Laine chuckled. “Caroline, if I liked women, I do believe I’d have to fight Cole for you.” He kissed Caroline’s freckled nose.
She hugged him. “I’m nervous, Lainey. I know they’re strong and capable and all that crap, but I need to go.”
Laine sighed. He knew how she felt, but he couldn’t take her. Cole would never forgive him. And Dev would be pissed as hell. It was bad enough Laine was about to defy his mate and go, but he couldn’t in good conscience take an unarmed, non-wolf into a fight for dominance. She didn’t have the fast-healing abilities that wolves did. “Caroline—”
“Don’t you dare.” She pulled out of their hug and glared at him.
“All right. Give me the keys and come on. I’m driving.” He snatched the keys out of Caroline’s hands. He’d think of something by the time they got there. He knew damned well she wasn’t going to leave it alone, any more than he would. If he left her, she’d find a way to follow, because that is exactly what he’d do. One thing he could say for Caroline, she was easy to figure out.
Caroline climbed into the passenger seat and gave him a hesitant look. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”
Laine groaned and started the engine. “Yes.” He backed up, somehow managing to run up on the curb.
Caroline grabbed her seatbelt, putting it on, biting her lip. “I’m not saying a thing. Just get us there in one piece.”
Sheesh. Yeah, getting them there in one piece was the easy part. Finding a way to restrain Caroline was…wait. Restrain. That’s what he had to do, he had to find a way to tie her up. “Caroline, is there any kind of rope in the car?”
“What do we need rope for?”
“A weapon?”
“No. Not unless there is something we can use for a weapon in the trunk.”
Now, that was an even better idea, he’d lock her in the trunk. Laine hit another curb when he took a corner too fast, making Caroline squeak.
“Uh, Laine. I hate to be rude, but honey, you really do drive like shit.”
Yep, she was so going in the trunk for that. She was supposed to be on his side.
Dev and Cole stepped out of the truck and looked around. They were fairly high up in altitude. It really was pretty out here. It helped to center his thoughts. He could smell several wolves, all through the trees. He could even pick out Victor’s scent.
“I smell him.” Cole stripped off his shirt. He pitched it in the bed of the truck and started on his shoes.
“Yeah, me too. You ready for this buddy? You know, you don’t—”
“Don’t even start that shit, Dev. We’ve been friends for over thirty years. Have I e
ver once not been there when you needed me?”
“Nope. Not once.” And that was really all there was to say about that. He knew Cole was in this until the end. Dev toed off his boots and tossed them in the truck bed. “Hurry up. Let’s get in there and find out what’s what.” They finished undressing in silence and stalked through the trees side by side.
Victor was still in human form as well. He stood in the middle of a circle of his Betas, the four other men already shifted. The rest of the pack, mostly in human form, remained off to the side.
George waited, fully clothed, in a line of wolves. Grammy was at his side, her hand in his. George caught Dev’s gaze and gave him a nod.
Dev nodded back.
Several of the wolves near Grammy and George spread out, surrounding the Betas, growling.
Victor smiled at him. “As you can see, I lived up to my end of the deal. I gave the pathetic little Omega’s granny back.” He looked around, then lifted his nose, sniffing. He frowned at Dev. “Where is he? Where’s Laine?”
“This is between you and me. Laine no longer has anything to do with this.”
Victor snarled. “I want the Omega. I told you to bring him.”
Dev held out his arms. “Beat me and you can have him.”
Cole snorted beside him.
One of the wolves, Peter, growled and launched himself towards Dev and Cole.
Three of the wolves with George intercepted him.
“Here we go.” Cole shifted and jumped into the fray. Immediately, one of the other Betas leapt in, followed by two more of the other pack members.
Victor glanced at them, shrugging. “Looks like you already have a bit of a following. I’m going to punish them once I kill you.” Victor shifted.
Dev followed suit, actually managing to finish shifting before Victor.
Victor’s eyes widened in surprise. Without further warning he and his remaining two Betas charged Dev.
Dev took out the first wolf easily, grabbing him by the throat. The man’s neck squished between his teeth. Blood went everywhere. The wolf gurgled and Dev let go. He fell to the ground and shifted back to human form instantly, trying to heal himself. Dev’s attention left him. He was no longer a threat. The man wasn’t strong enough to shift again and rejoin the fight.
A sharp pain flared in Dev’s side as the other Beta’s teeth clamped down.
As Dev was trying to dislodge the Beta, Victor went for his throat.
Dev jerked out of reach.
Victor yelped and spun around ready to defend himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, Dev thought he caught a glimpse of red fur. That better not be Lainey. He shrugged off his second of panic and took advantage of Victor’s distraction. He went for the Alpha’s throat. He had Victor pinned to the ground, the other wolf still on his back, when Cole joined him, taking care of the pest clinging to his back.
Victor whimpered and lay still beneath Dev’s teeth.
Dev let go and stepped back at the other man’s surrender. He shifted, standing over Victor. “I want you out of here. I want you to take your Betas and leave Asheville. If I see any of you back here, I’ll kill you on sight.”
Victor gazed around, spotting his vanquished Betas. He dipped his head in defeat.
Dev looked, noticing the rest of the pack standing around. “Anyone have a problem with me being Alpha?”
Everyone shook their heads.
One man in the back shouted, “Welcome to the pack.”
Another met his gaze and nodded. “As long as you keep Laine as Omega, you can stay.”
Dev smiled. “I reckon I can do that. For those of you who haven’t heard, Laine is my mate.”
An older man chuckled. “Good, maybe you can keep him out of trouble.”
“I wouldn’t want to count on that, but I’ll try.” Speaking of Laine… Dev glanced around. He was positive he’d seen red fur. He sniffed the air.
Victor sprang from the ground, teeth bared, growling.
Dev reacted out of instinct. His right hand shifted, catching Victor up under the throat. His claws went all the way through Victor’s neck. He debated holding him there for several seconds. The man certainly deserved to bleed to death, but Dev wasn’t that cruel. He may regret it later, but he tossed Victor away, allowing the man to shift and heal himself. “This is your last warning, Victor. Next time I’ll kill you.”
Victor changed back, choking on his blood. He peered up at Dev, with wide, scared eyes, and nodded.
Peter and one of the other Betas came over and helped him up.
The pack started applauding.
Dev grinned and glanced over at Cole.
Cole shrugged. “I think you should’ve killed him.”
Dev snorted.
Grammy rushed up and hugged his neck.
Dev stepped back, eyes wide. “Uh, Grammy, I’m naked.”
She chuckled and patted his back. “Yes, dear, I can see that. My Lainey is a lucky man.”
Cole and George smirked at him.
George nudged Cole’s shoulder. “He’s almost the same shade as Laine’s hair.”
Dev groaned and moved away from them. He was going to get dressed and go home. He needed to call Laine and let him know that—
Dev blinked and stared at the naked man in front of him. Oh yeah, that was definitely his Lainey. He’d know that ass anywhere. He stepped up behind the man and grabbed the back of his slim neck. “I thought I told you to stay home.”
Laine squeaked, those red eyelashes fluttered and his amber eyes pleaded. “You did?”
“Oh, hell yeah, I did. Would you like to explain why you lied to me?”
Lainey gazed past him to Cole.
Dev turned his head in time to see Cole’s smirk and shake his head. “Don’t look at me for help.”
He looked back at Laine and raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t actually lie, Dev.”
“No?”
“I had my fingers crossed behind my back.”
Dev opened his mouth then snapped it shut. What the hell could he say to that? He heard Cole, Grammy and George laughing behind him. And suddenly the ridiculousness of it hit him. He really, really should have expected something like that. He chuckled, wrapped his arm around Laine’s shoulders, and got them moving towards their cars. The sooner they got clothes on, the better. “I’ll remember that. It won’t work again.” He kissed Laine’s forehead.
Laine beamed up at him. “I did good though, didn’t I? I didn’t actually get into a confrontation, and I stayed out of the way…mostly.”
Dev shook his head. Yeah, at least Laine had stayed out of trouble. That in itself was a major feat. Dev squeezed his mate. “Yeah, Lainey, you did good.” When they got to his truck, he and Cole got their clothes out of the bed and dressed. Surprisingly, Laine gathered his clothes from the truck too. He must have stripped there too. Dev wondered briefly how Laine got here and why he didn’t disrobe by the vehicle he came in, but quickly dismissed it in favor of watching Laine get dressed. Damn, the man looked good hopping around trying to get his pants on. Dev snapped his own pants and reached out and grabbed Laine’s shoulder before he fell over.
Laine pulled his pants up and fastened them. “Thanks.”
When they were finally all clothed again, Cole patted Laine on the back. “Hell, Lainey, I’m just impressed that Caroline didn’t follow you.”
Laine’s pale face went paler and his eyes widened.
“Lainey, what’s that banging noise?” Grammy asked.
Banging noise? Dev listened and sure enough…
Laine dropped his head in his hands. “I left Caroline in the trunk.”
Dev blinked. “You, wh—” He couldn’t help it, he started laughing. He couldn’t even imagine. Then Cole fell against him, cackling. The man was laughing so hard he couldn’t even stand. Which didn’t help Dev’s mirth any. Pretty soon he and Cole were both falling all over each other, laughing their fool heads off.
Poor Lain
ey didn’t know whether to laugh with them or cry.
Grammy and George had no trouble deciding, they joined right in laughing.
Several minutes and a couple of tear-streaked faces later, Dev and Cole lay side by side in the bed of the truck with their legs hanging off the tailgate.
Grammy leaned over and kissed Dev’s cheek, then Cole’s. “George is taking me home, boys. Thank you, Devlin, I’m very proud to call you my grandson-in-law.” She stood up, hugged Laine and patted his back. “Love you, dear.” She was chuckling when she walked off.
George took her hand and waved. “See you later, boys.”
Dev, Cole and Laine all waved.
Cole sat up, the last of his laughter gone, and patted a smiling Laine on the back. “You did good. Now, if I were you, I’d give me the keys and haul ass.”
Laine looked at Dev, an eyebrow arched.
Dev grinned, on the verge of laughing again, stood up and hugged Laine. He took the keys from Laine’s hand and tossed them to Cole. He kissed Laine on the lips and ushered him into the truck. “Come on, babe. Hell hath no fury and all that. And I have plans for your ass before Caroline takes a chunk out of it.”
Laine scooted into the cab without a word. He leaned his head on Dev’s shoulder as Dev started the truck and drove back down the mountain. “Thank you, Dev.”
“You’re more than welcome, love.”
Laine nuzzled his shoulder. He was quiet for the longest time, then he asked, “How long do you think Caroline will stay mad?”
Dev chuckled, shaking his head. “Lainey, you’re one of a kind.”
Epilogue
One year later, Valentine’s Day…
Dev walked into Flower Lane a little after five with a box of candy under his arm and a bag of food in the other. Lainey wasn’t expecting him until six, so he’d managed at least a small surprise for their anniversary. He wished Laine didn’t have to work late tonight, but at least he could hang out here with him.
Beth was on the phone at the front counter. She waved and pointed to the back.
Dev slipped up beside her and kissed her cheek before he went to find his mate. He’d grown attached to Flower Lane’s employees in the last year. Dev grinned and stopped right outside the door at the sound of Caroline’s voice.
With Love Page 7