Nashville Nights [Mountain Wolf Pack 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jane Jamison

  Damn it, man. Where are you?

  “It is my honor to list the finalists in order of their appearance which, by the way, was done by drawing their names out of a hopper.” Mrs. Henry cleared her throat. “Before I do that, however, I’d like to thank the other esteemed judges.”

  The woman’s voice droned on, but Stone no longer heard her. The ringtone of his phone grabbed his attention. Taking Rae with him, he pushed his way through the crowd toward the hallway and Ruben’s office where the noise wasn’t as loud.

  “Stone here.”

  “Hey, man, I’ve been trying to get hold of you.” Jesse Hilton, one of their pack mates, cleared his throat. “I about gave up on you and Wyatt.”

  The fact that Jesse was calling him was unusual. He and Wyatt hadn’t gotten close with Jesse since the man preferred to stay alone most of the time. But Stone knew his reputation as a stand-up guy and a good pack member.

  “What’s up?”

  “Have you talked to Wyatt?”

  Shit. “No. Why? Have you?”

  “Not directly. I’ve been trying to reach him ever since that lady called. Hang on a sec.” He paused and yelled to someone in the background. “Hey, what’s the name of the lady who called for Wyatt?”

  A cold chill wafted over Stone. Only two ladies had the phone number for the pack’s main house. Sheila and her nurse Dorris. They hadn’t given Rae the number yet. They couldn’t until they told her what they were first.

  Please let it be Sheila that called.

  Jesse’s voice was muffled until he came back to the phone. “Yeah. That was it. Her name was Dorris. I guess she was his sister’s nurse.”

  Was. The pain hit him in the middle of his chest, and if it were possible for a werewolf to have a heart attack, he would’ve sworn he was having one. “Why’d she call?”

  “Man, that’s why we’re trying to reach Wyatt. We need to let him know that his sister died a few hours ago.”

  He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t get the pain to let go.

  “Stone? What’s wrong? Is that Wyatt on the phone?”

  He blinked, only now feeling the warm touch of Rae’s hand on his cheek. “It’s Sheila.”

  The color drained from her face as she dropped her hand. “Oh, no. She’s not—” Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head, trying to deny what he had no choice but to confirm.

  “Yeah. She’s gone.”

  A small cry escaped her before she covered her mouth and held back the sound.

  “Stone? Hey, Stone, are you there?”

  He still held the phone to his ear. “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “Morgan just called to say that he found Wyatt. He was headed to that contest thing, but after he told him about his sister, he dumped his truck and took off on foot in the opposite direction.”

  “Where to?”

  “We don’t know. Morgan figured he needed to be alone so he didn’t go after him.”

  Morgan had thought right, but Stone’s gut told him it was more than that. “Thanks for letting me know, Jesse. And if you find him, call me.”

  He took Rae and forced out the words he didn’t want to say. “I’m sorry. I can’t stick around to hear you sing. I’ve got to find Wyatt.”

  “Is he all right?” She grimaced. “As much as is possible?”

  He had to tell her the truth. He was done lying to her, either directly or by omission. “I don’t know, but I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”

  She drew in a ragged breath. “I’m third in the lineup to go on stage. You’re fifth and Wyatt’s still on the list at tenth.”

  “I don’t give a damn. I’ve got to go.” He managed a half-smile. “You go out there and win it all, you hear?”

  Her fingers dug into his chest as she gripped his shirt. “He’s in trouble, isn’t he? Real trouble?”

  “I think so.”

  “But how do you know?”

  As much as he wanted to tell her, he didn’t have time. “I can’t get into it right now. Just call it a sixth sense when it comes to him. And now to you.”

  He searched her, trying to push the meaning behind his words into her with the connection as his guide. His wolf howled, telling him he needed to hurry. He had to find Wyatt before it was too late. “It’s like this thing that’s between us, the thing I know you’ve felt, it connects us more than just physically. It’s an invisible bond that brings us together. Mentally, emotionally. Do you understand?”

  She nodded without hesitation. “I don’t know how or why, but I do. I understand. That’s why I’m going with you.”

  “No, Rae. He wouldn’t want you to. You need to win this thing for all three of us.”

  She lifted an eyebrow, her haughty expression telling him everything as her mouth crooked into a rueful smile. “Since when do I have to listen to either one of you, master.”

  Only she could bring a chuckle to his lips when his heart felt so heavy. “Come on. I think I know where he is.”

  * * * *

  “There. Do you see him?” Rae rushed out of the passenger side of Stone’s truck almost before he’d brought the vehicle to a stop.

  “Rae, hold up.”

  But she was already running up the bridge. Although she couldn’t see the man clearly from where he stood in the middle of the expanse, she knew it had to be Wyatt. She breezed past the blockades that had been erected for a movie shoot earlier in the day, closing the bridge to pedestrian traffic.

  “Wyatt!” It wasn’t until she’d gotten closer that he turned her way. She came to an abrupt stop and clamped a hand over her mouth. Blood ran down the side of his chin and one of his eyes had already swollen to a purple-black mound, obscuring his vision.

  “Rae? What are you doing here?” His gaze slid behind her to Stone. “What are you thinking, man? You shouldn’t have brought her.”

  “And you should be on stage about now. We all should.” She drew closer, but when she reached out to touch his face, he jerked back.

  “Go away, Rae. You and Stone belong together. Forget about me. I’m leaving town.”

  She laughed, not to be unkind but because what he’d said was beyond ridiculous. To forget about him was like asking her to forget she had eyes or legs. Or more, a heart. “Don’t be stupid. Come with us. Let’s get you to a doctor.”

  She didn’t have to ask how he’d gotten injured. His troubles had caught up to him. She was thankful it wasn’t any worse. Dealing with people who wanted repayment often ended up with someone lying dead in a ditch. Or just plain disappearing.

  “I don’t need a doctor.”

  The man could give a mule a run at being stubborn. “I think you do. Am I right, Stone?” She whirled to find Stone staring at Wyatt.

  “What went down, man?”

  “Isn’t it clear enough? Those people, that man who wants his money, beat him up. But at least it’s over now.”

  “Naw, that’s not it.” Stone jutted out his chin. “Jac’s not going to do that little damage. No, once Jac finds out that Wyatt pulled out of the contest, Jac’s going to want real revenge. This is something else.”

  “Real revenge?” Fear gripped her and threatened to never let her go. “Okay, that’s it. We need to go to the authorities before he finds out.”

  “We can’t do that. Our kind of people don’t go to the cops.”

  “What do you mean by ‘our people,’ Wyatt?” She jumped her focus from one man to the other, fear coursing its way into her to stiffen her body. “Will you please stop hiding things from me and tell me everything?”

  Stone went to the side of the bridge and gazed out over the river. “Who’d you run into?”

  It was as if they’d forgotten about her, making their conversation only between them. Frustration churned at her stomach, but she recognized that pushing them would do no good.

  “I ran into Charles, Jac’s man, after… Jac sent him to make sure I got to the contest on time. I told him to go fuck himself.”

  “Shit. Then he knows.�
�

  Pain that had nothing to do with his injuries darkened Wyatt’s face. She wanted to reach out to him again, but resisted, hoping he’d say more.

  Wyatt’s voice broke. “If only she’d let me change her. I should’ve forced her like you said you would’ve done. Even if she’d hated me for it.”

  Change her? How?

  “Naw, man. You respected her wishes. Anything else would’ve been wrong.” Stone kept gazing out over the river. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

  Wyatt’s Adam’s apple jumped up and down as he struggled to keep his emotions from taking over. “She was like a sister to you, too. She loved you as much as she loved me.”

  Stone lowered his head. “I know. She was an angel. I still can’t believe she forgave me for what I did to you.”

  “What you did to Wyatt?” There was so much she didn’t understand. But they were worth sticking around and finding out. She was certain of that much.

  “You got into it with Charles.”

  “Yeah. But not before he was on the phone telling Jac where I was. And where I wasn’t going.”

  “So the men you owe the money to know you’re not doing the contest. That you’re messing up their plans.” She’d hoped they’d have more time, but that hope was gone.

  Wyatt’s eyes held all the pain in the world. Pain she wanted to take from him. He came to Stone’s side, the two of them forming a union nothing could ever break.

  “Wyatt, we talked about this when you decided not to go through with the contest. You don’t have any choice now. Take the money from the pack, man.” Stone’s jaw was set, but so was Wyatt’s.

  She stood apart, feeling more isolated from them than mere distance could ever do. But she wouldn’t give up. She’d thrown away her chance of winning the contest, but she didn’t care. She’d have sacrificed everything she had or ever would have to keep them.

  “I can’t do that. You know Sheila wouldn’t want that. It’s better if I leave. Then you and Rae will have a chance.”

  “That’s bullshit, man. It’s the three of us, not just me and Rae.” He flattened his hands on the railing. “Look, I don’t mean this as hard as it sounds, but Sheila’s gone. You can do it now. You can take the pack’s money. Besides, she’d want you safe no matter what.”

  The noise coming out of Wyatt stunned her. It sounded too hard, too cold, too animalistic to have come from a human. It had to be the pain causing it.

  “I can’t dishonor her memory by going to the pack. After you changed me, she never wanted anything to do with them. She came a long way from those first days, but I know she wouldn’t have wanted me to take their money. No. I’m not going against her wishes. Not even now that she’s gone.”

  “She wouldn’t have wanted you to take money from Jac, either.”

  Wyatt glared at his friend, then turned away. “What’s done is done.”

  Pack? Change? “Are you going to explain all of this to me or not?”

  They ignored her, lost in their own world.

  “Would she want you to die? Hell, no.” Stone put his hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “She’d want you to take the pack’s money and pay Jac off instead of getting your hide skinned. Instead of leaving your home. You know she would.”

  She recognized the muscle jumping in Wyatt’s jaw. He wasn’t about to give in.

  “This is fucked up.” Wyatt rested his forearms on the railing and bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Rae, but you need to leave with Stone. I’ll be okay.”

  “He’s right about that much, Rae. Take my truck and get out of here while you can.”

  “It’s too late for that.”

  Stone grabbed her and tugged her behind him, protecting her with his body. Four men moved fast across the bridge, their heads held low. The way they glared at them made her think that they were both angry and excited.

  “Rae, run. The keys are still in the truck. Get out of here.”

  Stone tried to shove her toward the side of the bridge where he’d left the truck. Wyatt started walking toward the men.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Either we all run or we all stay.”

  Yet the look Stone gave her frightened her to the core. He was furious, worried, and not taking any more gruff from her. “Get. Out. Now.”

  She swallowed and nodded. He gave a satisfied caveman-like grunt, then pivoted on his heel and strode after Wyatt.

  “Montgomery, we had a deal.” The man in front, the one who didn’t look like much of a badass and wasn’t half as big as the thugs behind him, had a swagger that said he was in charge. He kept coming toward her men.

  “Go fuck yourself, Jac. I’m not helping you cheat. I’ll get you your money as soon as I can.” Wyatt crossed his arms and put his feet apart. Although his tone was nonchalant as though they were chatting about their favorite fishing spot, his body was tense and ready to spring into action.

  Jac threw up his hands and scoffed. “Oh, well, then, that’s okay. No problem. You take your time.”

  Wyatt grinned. “Thanks. I appreciate you understanding.”

  Jac’s jovial attitude was gone in a flash. “Either you hand over my money or I’m going to take it out of your hide. Or I might do both after the way you left me hanging at The Dive. You damaged my credibility.”

  “Aw, shoot. Well, damn it all, Jac, I’m real sorry about that.”

  Jac’s eyes grew even darker as they slid past Wyatt and Stone and landed on her. “Huh. Well, looka here. This must be the sweet thang I’ve been hearing about.” His leer broadened. “Maybe I should get more of a repayment than just the money or even beating you to a pulp. After I get rid of you two hounds, me and the boys here are going to have some fun.”

  He threw his question back over his shoulder. “You don’t mind fucking her after I’m finished with her, do you, boys?”

  His thugs made rude gestures at her and laughed. Stone and Wyatt stood side by side, their hands fisted and ready to fight.

  “Rae, I told you to leave.”

  But Rae had no intention of obeying. She didn’t care how many times Stone told her to run. If her men were in trouble, she’d stay and help in any way she could.

  “What’s it going to be, Montgomery? Are you paying your debt with interest? Or am I’m going to fuck your mate?”

  His mate? That was one more question Wyatt and Stone would have to answer once everything else was sorted out.

  Her hand shook, but she’d do her best to get evidence of the assault. She pulled her phone out of her hip pocket, clicked on the video camera function, and aimed it at the men as she backed up to the railing.

  “Come on over here, bitch. Let Jac show you what a real man is like.”

  The low growl coming from Wyatt wasn’t like anything she’d ever heard before. At least not from a human. Her arm dropped as she stared at Wyatt’s back.

  “Touch her and die, asshole.”

  Keep it steady.

  She brought the phone back up and aimed it again. Yet what she saw in the viewfinder almost made her lose her grip on it. Why were all the men getting undressed? Wyatt dropped his jeans as he kicked off his boots and Stone wasn’t far behind. The four assailants were already unclothed.

  What kind of a fight was this?

  She lifted the camera high again, determined to get every last action recorded. All the men were firm and hard muscled, but she couldn’t help thinking how much better, bigger, stronger Wyatt and Stone were.

  And then her camera started malfunctioning.

  She stared at the fuzzy screen. Her thumb slid over the lens then over the entire phone, hoping to clear up the trouble. But nothing helped. At least not until she realized that it wasn’t her phone or the built-in camera that was going haywire. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

  Good gracious alive.

  She blinked two times for good measure, and still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. All six men, the attackers and her men, were changing. Their bodies blurred as human arms grew hair—no
, fur!—and limbs reshaped, losing elbows and wrists as legs took their places. Hands reformed into paws with deadly claws. Faces lost their human characteristics and elongated to have snouts and wide vicious gaping jaws.

  Wyatt had changed into a light-brown wolf, slightly larger than Stone’s black wolf. Their wolf bodies were as hard as their human ones had been, and they both exuded a wild power she only now realized had been part of their appeal all along.

  She pressed her back to the railing, her phone and her hope to capture everything on video forgotten.

  Within a matter of only a couple of minutes, six men had transformed into six very large and very ferocious wolves.

  * * * *

  Wyatt couldn’t think as a man any longer. His wolf had remained locked inside for far too long. A part of him had died with his sister’s death, and his wolf wanted revenge for her loss. The taste for blood, anyone’s blood, was too great to resist. He dropped to all fours and snarled.

  It wasn’t a surprise when Stone came to his side. Although Stone had been the one to change him, forced by the pack’s former cruel leader, they’d become brothers, connected not only by Stone’s bite, but by the pack.

  Stone’s darker fur was raised as he flattened his ears back and lowered his body ready to fight. His friend wasn’t as large as he was, but he wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by his side.

  Wyatt was the first one to leap at the others. Stone jumped after him, both hurling their bodies together in midair. Snarls erupted, and howls split the air, loud enough to be heard across the river. The four wolves clawed and bit at the two wolves, knocking them to the ground, biting and tearing at their bellies.

  He tore at the belly of one of Jac’s wolves, ripping away the tender flesh until blood spurted over him. The warm liquid ran down his throat, yet didn’t quench his thirst for more. Throwing the injured wolf to the side, he moved toward his next victim.

  Stone rolled away from the claws of one of the other attackers and came back to Wyatt’s side. Wyatt lowered his head, a silent signal to get ready to charge again. No matter which way the fight went, they would remain at each other’s side until it was over.