by Honor James
He didn’t want them knowing where she was either, more for her safety and the fact that he had a pack of wild wolves on his land than for his sake. He could rebuild the house, but re-earning the trust of the pack if something happened in their sanctuary would be hard. “We’ll meet them in town at a coffee shop or restaurant. They aren’t allowed to know where you are during your off time any longer.”
“I have to agree. I want to be home with our pack, with our family, Miklos. Can you make your call and take some time off to be with me please?”
“As soon as we get you home and safe,” he told her softly, toying with her fingers gently. The movements were soothing to him. It helped his tension come down a notch. He didn’t expect any problems. Except for the arsonist he had nothing currently outstanding on his desk. He’d ask for a week and, depending on how they were doing at the end of that time he’d consider asking for more.
His touch was soothing her more than she could admit. It was calming her and even though she felt the loss of each precious memory that was held in photos or items given to her over the years, it was soothing to know that he was there. He would always be there. Forever he would be at her side and she knew that with a clarity she didn’t think she could ever possess. “I love you, Miklos, thank you for being with me,” she said finally as she watched him while he drove.
With a surprised expression he shot her a look before returning his eyes to where he was going. “Always, Harker,” he said softly lifting her hand to kiss her fingers gently. “I’ll always be with you.”
She saw their home coming up toward them and she licked her lips even as she leaned back once more and sighed. “I don’t know how to pick up all the pieces.” She was going to have to depend on him for help and she didn’t depend on people for much at all.
Hitting the button for the gates he slowed the car to wait for them to swing open. “What do you mean, Harker?” he asked softly, pulling ahead when he had the space to do so. Driving around he pulled into the garage and parked, turning the car off as the door lowered.
“The only thing I have left is you, Miklos. I lost all of my photos, clothes, credit cards, cash and everything.” She sighed. “Some of it like the credit cards and cash are replaceable as are the clothes, but the memories that I lost with the loss of my photos…” She sighed. “How do I pick it all up again, Miklos? How do I start my new life without anything at all?”
Looking to her he sat in the silence for a long time as he tried to think of the answer and, in the end, couldn’t come up with a damned thing. “I don’t know, Harker,” he said honestly. “Make new memories. You won’t ever forget the others, but you said it, you’re starting a new life, make new memories,” he said softly.
“Can you do that as well, Miklos? Can you make new memories with me?” She reached out and stroked her fingers along his jaw. “I love you and we will have forever but only if you are willing to help me make those new memories.”
Nodding he leaned into her gentle touch. “I’m willing, Harker,” he said with a slight curl to his lips, not quite a smile, but close enough for the moment. “I’d love to make new memories with you. Any memories with you as a part of them will be wonderful and special.”
“I want all of our memories, Miklos, good and bad I want all of them.” She winked at him and pulled back. “Why don’t you and I go inside before we start to get cold?” She was already shivering, shaking with cold, but it was fine because she knew that he would help her warm up. “No, let’s go and see to your wolves first.”
“Only if you put on one of my jackets, Harker,” he said, having noted she was shaking slightly. “You’re already chilled and I don’t want you getting sick on top of everything else. Your poor system’s taken a beating and doesn’t need the knock-out punch to right finish you off.” Sliding from the truck he went around and took her hand as she slid down. “And gloves, too, I think,” he added, looking at her small hand in his.
“How about just the jacket and I will keep my hands in my pockets?” she asked and then sighed. “All right, all right, love, get me a jacket and a pair of gloves and we will then go and see why your pack has been so quiet, all right, love?”
Leading her into the house he went to the front hall and pulled out one of his heavy jackets. As she pulled hers off he held it out open. Turning her he buttoned her into it before handing her the smallest pair of knit gloves he owned. “You can take them off when you pet them, the fur will keep your hands warm, but until we find them this could be a damned cold trek,” he warned as he found a cap and tugged it over her ears with a grin at the image she presented. “What a time to need a camera.” He shook his head.
She tugged out her phone and grinned as she handed it to him. “Start a memory with me, Miklos.” Her phone had a camera to it. It wasn’t as good as a camera-camera but it had a three-megapixel camera so it was fairly decent.
Flipping her phone open he stepped back and, carefully holding it still, took her picture before turning it so she could see. “Pretty damned cute,” he told her as he moved back to her passing her the phone back.
She looked at herself and laughed. Shaking her head she forgot for a moment that she had lost everything. “This is a good memory, Miklos.” It was one that she wanted forever to remember and so saving the picture as well as sending it to her e-mail she asked, “Do you want a copy e-mailed to you as well?”
Shaking his head he stuck his hands in his pocket. “You don’t need to but thanks,” he said softly. “Ready?” he asked as he stepped back a pace moving slightly toward the door as he watched her.
“Why wouldn’t you want a copy?” she asked as she closed the phone and stuffed her hands into her pockets. “I had just thought…” She shrugged. Silly of her to make an assumption. She really shouldn’t have. “All right, I’m ready to go if you are.”
“It’s your moment, Harker, and your memory. I don’t want to intrude on it any more than I have,” he said softly to her. Opening the door he watched her walk past him and knew he’d hurt her again. Catching the back of the jacket he pulled her to a stop. “I’m sorry, Harker, I just didn’t want to take the first new memory you had from you, it’s special and should be yours alone. There will be others, love,” he said softly.
“But it’s not.” She sighed and shook her head. “It is our memory, Miklos. It’s a memory for us together, not just me.” She grumbled, “I love you, Mik, and every moment from here on out should belong to both of us and not just me.”
“If it will stop you growling at me you can e-mail it to me.” It might keep her from beating him, too. “I love you, Harker, that’s enough for me to remember every moment with you.”
She smiled at him. “I’m sorry, I just don’t want you to miss one moment and this was our first memory that we took a photo of, Miklos, and it just felt right.”
“I haven’t missed anything yet, Harker,” he said with a confused shake of his head. “I was right here, I took the picture,” he pointed out, not quite understanding where she was coming from and he knew it was in his voice.
“I love photos, Miklos.” She hoped she could explain this right as they stepped out into the cold night air. “I love photos. To me it’s a way to hold on to the memory and I just wanted to be able to share that with you. To have that first photo you took of me have a nice memory attached.” Well not so nice since her home had just gone down into flames, but it was her memory and she demanded to feel it be a nice one.
Shaking his head he closed the door and joined her in the chilly air. Pulling out the flashlight he passed it to her. “I still don’t get it, love. Pictures are just physical manifestations, a 2-D representation of a moment, a passing in time,” he said. “I’ve heard others say that they like to pull them out to refresh their memories but I just don’t get it. Besides, if you have the photo and e-mailed it to yourself then we have a copy right?” he asked, guiding her toward the back of the property. The pack hadn’t come out to greet them, not a good sign a
t all. “Keep the light on the path right in front of you and whatever you do, don’t swing it up and around or into my eyes,” he warned her.
Harker nodded and kept the light down. “Would it be better if I turned it off?” she asked. “This is bad, isn’t it?” She made the logical jump in assumption.
“When I tell you to turn it off will be soon enough,” he said softly as he scented the air and changed directions in midstride. Keeping her hand in his he moved in front of her so the glare of the light wouldn’t screw with his night vision. Stopping he turned his nose up and inhaled and then growled low, the sound dangerous and mean. “Turn the light off, Harker,” he said in a low tone as he began backing her up, not turning around, toward a tree. When he felt her stop against it he bent down. “Climb onto my back and when I stand I need you to pull yourself up into the tree, love,” he told her, his eyes sweeping in front of him. There was a wolf on the land that wasn’t part of his pack or any of his brothers’. It was an interloper and it had caused damage to a female. There were only three in his pack right then, two of which were pregnant, and he wasn’t going to let it hurt them or his own mate.
The light was off and she stuffed it into her coat and did as he asked. “Miklos,” she whispered and then got onto his back and when he stood she grabbed the tree and pulled herself onto the lowest branch and then up one more branch, just to be sure. “What’s happening?” she whispered, fear clear in her voice. “Is our pack all right?” She hadn’t met any of them so far. However, she damn well had them as hers because they belonged to Miklos.
Looking up at her he put his hand on her ankle and shook his head. “One of the females is hurt,” he said very softly. “Two are pregnant right now and if it’s one of them they could lose their pups. I need to check on them,” he told her as he shed his jacket and kicked off his boots. Passing them up to her he pulled off his clothes and handed them up as well. “Don’t you dare move until I come for you,” he warned and then, in the next breath he changed form, the familiar prickling and tingling a comfort across his flesh, and then he was on four paws shaking out his heavy fur.
She watched him change and held the clothes close to her. “My god.” He was beautiful, spectacular really. She watched him as he loped off and then leaned against the tree trunk to wait for him to come back to her, for her. Her mind worried about the pups. She would be really upset if something happened to some little unborn wolf pups. They were babies even if they were animals.
Moving carefully through his lands Miklos kept one ear pricked behind him and the other turned ahead as he jogged. Stopping when he heard just the barest sound of fur against bark he lowered himself slowly to his belly as his eyes scanned the dark. A whimper to his left caught his attention but he stayed still. She was alive which was a good thing, but there was an interloper on his lands that needed to be taken care of first.
Another sound just ahead of him alerted him that he wasn’t alone. Narrowing his eyes so that he wouldn’t give his position away with the glow he kept them moving until…There, right there, he felt the growl building at the large shape that eased out of the undergrowth with blood on the pale fur. The large male was cautious but also a bit cocky in the fact that the pack was more concerned about protecting the female than coming after him. Why the pack hadn’t finished the bastard off worried Miklos to no end but he didn’t have time to think on it now. He needed to be ready.
The wolf eased further out in the path and lifted his nose, scenting the air before turning to look toward the tree that Harker was in. Damn, should have moved her a little further downwind. Tensing Miklos waited as the wolf seemed to grin and then turned to stalk toward her. At the last instant as the large pale wolf passed him Miklos attacked. He went for the throat, knowing if he could get a hold he could choke the other wolf to death. Snarls and growls filled the no-longer-still air as claws slashed and teeth snapped.
He knew the other wolf was getting in hits on him but Miklos had an opening and, with a snap of his jaw, caught the other wolf at the throat and bit down hard. Blood poured as the other beast fought him with everything he had knowing it was his last chance for life. Slowly, ever so slowly, the strength ebbed from the beast, but Miklos didn’t make the mistake of letting go until he was absolutely sure he was dead. It took a while, seconds, minutes, hell it could have been hours for all he knew, but eventually the large body became dead weight. Rolling aside Miklos changed and puked up all the blood, his body shuddering at the taste as he expelled all of it and everything else in his stomach.
Panting he got to his feet and looked at the animal knowing he’d have to figure out later if it was a Wolf or a wild animal. Changing once more he rolled in the snow to get rid of as much of the blood as he could before he ran back to Harker and changed. “Toss me my jeans,” he called to her as he shivered in the chill.
She tossed him his jeans and then boots with the socks in them. She was in shock. She had seen everything from her perch, the moon shining down on Miklos and making it as if he were in a spotlight. When the wolf had turned her way Harker had felt fear. Terrifying and real, it was there.
He tugged on his pants with a wince as he felt the wounds on his legs, back, and shoulders tugging and bleeding even as he straightened from pulling on his boots. Taking his shirt he yanked it on with a hiss and, with a little more care, pulled on his jacket before looking up at her.
Looking around once he was finished dressing she licked her lips. “Is it safe for me to come down, or do you need me to stay up here longer?” She could hear the whine of the female and wanted to do whatever she could to help. The cries from the female were almost tearing at her heartstrings.
Shaking his head he held up his hands. “You can come down, love,” he said softly. Catching her as she slid down, he bit back a whimper of pure agony and quickly put her on her feet. “Come on, we need to go and check on her. She’s hurt badly. We may need to take her up to the house though to work on her.” Which was his next worry since he didn’t know if the pack would let him.
“You’re hurt.” She could feel it in how he was holding her. She had noted the small nuances as he had pulled on his clothes and even though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was hurt. “Should we call in a vet maybe?” She stepped closer to him and lifted her hand. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“No vet,” he told her, catching her hand before she touched him. “They won’t let anyone they don’t know touch them especially when injured. Frankly, I don’t even know if they’ll let me near her. Depending on how bad she is they may circle the wagons so to speak and keep us from her entirely. No matter what, do not approach her,” he warned softly. “Stay behind me unless I say otherwise and don’t run. That will just instigate their instinct to attack.”
“Right, no running and I need to make sure that the nice wolves don’t take my throat out.” She smiled up at him and nodded. “I’m ready, Miklos, let’s go and see to our wolf and see if we can help her, shall we?” Her breathing was coming in short gasps. Fear and adrenaline were warring but she would do anything to help her family, and the wolves were her family.
Chapter 21
Tugging her to him even though it hurt, Miklos wrapped his arms around her. “Calm yourself, love,” he said softly against her ear. Kissing her neck gently he burrowed his face down until he found her mating mark with his lips and gently brushed back and forth over it. “Just breathe for a moment and relax,” he murmured as he rubbed her back, careful of her injury.
His gentle and kind words were what she needed. She seemed to calm as he spoke to her, a whisper of a sound really to her ears that were thumping with the blood of her fear. She relaxed, however, calmed even as he rocked her.
When he felt her relax and her breathing slowed to a more normal rate he stepped back and took her hand. “Come on, honey,” he said softly before guiding her toward where the pack was. After a few minutes he saw the first line of defense and stopped until he was greeted. Crouching he ran his hands t
hrough the wolf’s fur as the wolf nuzzled his face. “We’re here to help, buddy. No one’s taking our girl from us tonight, I promise,” he said and smiled when a wet tongue swiped his cheek. “That’s right,” he murmured before he slowly stood. “Lead us in, big guy,” he ordered, waving his hand in a silent signal all the wolves knew.
Taking Harker’s hand in his again he followed the wolf, who led them through the lines of the pack to the center where the female was lying. What Miklos saw nearly had his heart stopping as he moved forward to greet the pack’s leader before kneeling by the female. “Oh baby,” he whispered, stroking her fur gently and scratching her cheek when she weakly licked his hand. “Harker, pass me the light, will you please,” he asked quietly as he surveyed the damage, but with her dark fur and the dark blood he really couldn’t tell what was really damage and what was just splatter.
She pulled out the light and handed it over with shaky fingers. “I don’t want to turn it on because I don’t want to hurt them. I will trust you for this,” she said softly, her hand on his back. “Please tell me how I can help you, Miklos? I hate that she’s hurt. I want to help.”
Hissing slightly he arched from her touch. “Crouch down here, love, and let her scent you,” he said through his teeth as he blinked back the pain he was feeling. Taking the light he turned it on and carefully checked her fur and the wounds underneath. “She’s got a couple cuts here that need stitches,” he said with a curse. “We’ll need to move her to the house,” he told her as she knelt at his side. “You’re going to have to lead the way, love. I’m going to have to carry her which means we’re going to have some wolves joining us inside.”
“It doesn’t matter, love. All that matters is that we get her fixed up so that I can tend to your wounds.” She bent down at his side and offered her hand to the wolf, allowing it to sniff at her. When the wolf nuzzled against her hand and then licked it lightly before lying back down with a whimper she gave Miklos a hard and fast look. “Oh god, honey.” She felt tears falling. “Can we please, can we please hurry and get her there. I don’t care if the whole pack takes up residence in our home but we need to get her taken care of so that I can take care of you.”