by Victoria Sue
Mac snaked a hand around her waist as he stood at the door. She leaned into him immediately and rubbed herself all over him. She wanted her scent on Mac today, not some two hundred dollar perfume belonging to someone else.
Erin clattered down the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen. Mac withdrew, flushing slightly. Lisa nearly scowled, then cursed herself quietly. God what was she doing? Scent? What was she, an animal? Wry humor had her smiling. Get a hold of yourself girl.
“I’ll be fine. We’re going to have a quiet day.”
Mac nodded to Miranda. “You go in your car. I’ll meet you there.” He waited calmly while she pouted and got in her car.
“I’m sorry. I have to do this. I know the rogue is gone, but I’d be happier if Zack or Riley weren’t going out too.” Mac seemed to struggle with himself. “I just want you safe. I know I’m being over-protective, but please, just for me, stay inside today, huh?
“You don’t have to worry.” Lisa looked at him longingly, and tried to school her features into something resembling calm.
They were going to have a boring, quiet day.
* * * *
It was ridiculous. Lisa jumped up to look through the window again. She understood why all the forms had to be filled in for the girls, but Cassie seemed to be taking ages over each and every check mark. Erin was enthralled with Codie, who was gnawing at a baby toy, and Molly was glued to the television.
She tried not to think about Mac. Well, no. She tried not to think about Mac and Miranda. She was beautiful. Lisa caught her bottom lip and sat heavily. Tears pricked. There was no way he wouldn’t be attracted to her. She pulled at her plain T-shirt. It wasn’t even her T-shirt. She was a waif and stray.
God, it was warm in here. Sheesh, didn’t they have any air conditioning in this house? Lisa pulled at her T-shirt again and fanned herself.
Cassie glanced at her. “You can’t possibly be too warm. The thermostats only at seventy.”
Lisa tried to smile, but couldn’t help feeling annoyed. She should know if she was warm. For God’s sake, Cassie was treating her like she was one of the kids now. She went to the window. Erin had left Codie in his baby seat and was looking out longingly. I hear you.
“The guys want us to stay inside today, but maybe we can go exploring when Mac gets back?”
Erin nodded agreement. “Does Alex go to a normal school?”
Lisa tried to not look surprised at the question. She remembered Erin instantly giving up her suitcase to him yesterday.
“I think so.” Lisa knew Jamie went to the reservation one. Cassie had told her they had a mutually beneficial privacy arrangement. That, and the fact Riley sorted out their I.T. “Would you like to?”
Erin looked at the floor. “Molly’s not ready for that. I’ll go wherever she is.”
“Where did Molly used to go?”
“After Mom and Dad died, she was home schooled mostly, depending on where she was.”
“What about you?”
“I go wherever she does.” Erin glared, daring Lisa to challenge.
“I’m sure that’ll be fine. No one’s interested in making things harder for you.”
Erin nodded and looked satisfied.
Lisa fidgeted. She felt uncomfortable when the subject of school was brought up. God, what if Erin had asked her where she went to school? Embarrassment washed over her. No one had mentioned anything, but what would Mac say when he knew she didn’t even graduate high school? She sat on the window seat and thought furiously. She knew she’d had episodes at the hospital where she’d had a tutor. She remembered that, but they were few and far between. God, she was so stupid. She pulled at her T-shirt as another wave of heat hit her. Why her? What on earth did Mac see in her? She was stupid, stupid and fat. She jumped up.
“You’re not to go outside,” Cassie said earnestly.
“Yeah, we know, Mom.” Lisa forced the words out, trying to add a little humor and failing miserably. What was wrong with her?
Cassie’s eyes narrowed, and she picked Codie up who was starting to fuss. “I have to feed him. The bottle’s downstairs.”
“I’ll get it for you.” Lisa jumped up, glad of something to do.
“Why don’t we all go?” Cassie replied brightly.
Whoopee. Now, I’m not allowed to go to the kitchen on my own. She chewed her lip and took a deep breath. Lisa pulled at her T-shirt again. Water was in the kitchen at least. Yeah, water was a good idea.
“Why aren’t we allowed outside?” Erin asked as they all trooped out the bedroom.
Lisa smiled. “Well—”
Cassie interrupted. “Because it’s not a good idea without the guys.”
Oh yeah, great idea. Tell a kid they can’t do something, and they’ll want to all the more. “Cassie, I think—”
“Riley’s orders.”
“Yes, but—”
Cassie rounded on her and whispered. “You know it’s not safe. Why are you encouraging them?”
Lisa opened her mouth, shocked, her voice rising. “I wasn’t. I was just saying—”
“Lisa, you’re supposed to be helping me.”
Lisa’s mouth thinned. If she’d just let her get a word in. “I’m trying to help. You’re not letting me get a word in.”
They both heard a soft sob.
Lisa whirled around. Molly’s eyes were swimming, and her thumb was clamped in. Hell. Molly had heard them arguing. She didn’t even have to be a shifter to hear them. Erin glowered, and shame burned through Lisa. She suddenly remembered Mrs. Kelly, Molly’s really sensitive to emotions, least little thing sets her off. God, could she be more useless if she tried?
“I’ll be upstairs,” Lisa said quietly and turned. The girls would be better off with Cassie. At least, she wouldn’t raise her voice or lose her temper.
Lisa trudged upstairs. Hot waves seemed to roll through her, and she fisted her hands. She was useless. Couldn’t even control herself in front of little kids.
She flung herself on the bed. Doubts crept into her mind again. If she couldn’t control herself here, how could she stay? Would Mac even want her to stay? What if she was too much trouble? Too much trouble and fat? Misery warred with anger, when she heard a cry from downstairs.
Shooting off the bed, taking the steps two at a time, she burst through the kitchen door to see a distressed Cassie trying to balance a crying Codie and punch numbers into her cell phone.
“What is it? Where are the girls? Where are they?”
Cassie sobbed. “I went to the fridge for Codie’s bottle, and when I turned around, they’d disappeared out the door. This is all my fault,” Cassie wailed. “I can’t get hold of anybody.”
“No, Cassie.” Lisa grabbed her hands. “It’s my fault.” Shit. “Ring the guys in turn until someone answers. I’m going after them. They’ll probably just have gone to the court where they were watching Zack earlier.”
“You can’t,” Cassie gasped again.
“He’s dead, Cassie. The guys told us. They were just being over-cautious. Stop worrying. Look, you stick by the phone and take care of Codie. I bet we’ll be back in five minutes.”
Cassie’s hand shot out. “I’m sorry. I never get much responsibility around here. Too much protective testosterone. I was too busy trying to be in charge.” Cassie smiled apologetically. “I shouldn’t have—”
Lisa hugged her quickly and shot to the mud room. She grabbed spare jackets for the girls as well as pulling one on herself. They’d only had sweatshirts on upstairs, and it was freezing outside.
Lisa ran to the yard at the back first. No sign of them. She swallowed and looked toward the trees. Would they? Lisa walked determinedly to the tree line, nerves ramping up with visions of the last time she had come out here with Mac.
She shrugged. Concentrate. The rogues are dead. The worst thing that can happen here is catching a cold. Lisa smiled, squared her shoulders and called for the girls.
Chapter Twelve
Mac sighed as
Miranda drove away. He had no idea why she’d turned up at their house. They were supposed to be meeting at the foster mom’s. He’d made the mistake once of calling home for some papers when they were both with Daniel, and she seemed to take that as an open invitation. He was going to have to say something about that to Daniel. Her thinking she could just show up was too risky. He wanted the kids there to feel like they were at home, not worried that someone might see them shift.
He remembered a cat they’d had once, a teenager who used to shift suddenly if he was angry or frightened. The kids needed that sort of release without having to worry about being seen. It was bad enough when they got older and had to cope with the real world.
Miranda had asked him about taking her to a benefit next week that they had attended together last year. He’d tried to tactfully say he wasn’t interested. He shook his head. I hope she gets the damn message. This is where it got complicated talking to humans. He couldn’t explain the whole mating thing.
Mating thing? He’d spent too much time amongst teenagers. Thing? Christ, his whole body burned.
He dropped the file down on the car seat next to him. Cute kid. It had all been a mistake. Kids all over the world were places they shouldn’t be, and he thought Miranda had panicked calling him in. They’d tracked the kid to a new friend’s house. Little tyke had just got carried away with a new video game and hadn’t told the foster mom where he’d be after deciding an impromptu sleep-over was a good idea. The other kid’s parents had been a bit casual about the whole thing though. There’s no way any kid of his would ever be somewhere he didn’t know.
Mac suddenly blew out a sharp breath as an image of a dark-haired little boy with hazel eyes, came running through his head. He smiled to himself. All this responsibility was getting addictive.
He’d loved seeing the foster mom’s face when they’d brought the kid back. It was nice when things went the way they were supposed to. It shouldn’t take too long to get him permanently placed. They already had a beta couple who had expressed an interest, and there was no point yanking him out of his current foster placement where he was happy. He was still too young to be in danger of his first shift.
He waved at Mrs. Grayson as he drove away, and wished they had more foster families like them. It certainly made his job easier.
Mac pulled out of the driveway and smiled, satisfied at the thought of getting home to his mate. A warm feeling settled in him, and he remembered her rubbing up on him this morning. He chuckled. She certainly didn’t seem to have much of an off switch, but they would be happier once everything was settled. He might even take her away. Maybe a cruise? She hadn’t seen anything but four walls for a long time. Yeah, a cruise was a good idea.
Mac unconsciously eased his pants out as he thought about hot sunny beaches and Lisa in a bikini, or maybe even not. He grinned.
His cell phone rang. “Yeah.”
“Daniel.”
Mac’s hackles rose. “What? You have news?”
“You’re not going to like this. Where’s Lisa? Are you with her?”
“She’s at home with Cassie. Shit, Daniel. What’s up?” Mac didn’t like the sound of this. He pulled onto the highway and pointed the car to home.
“We’ve found the nurse.”
“Well, that’s good. What’s she saying?”
“She’s dead.”
Mac pressed down on the gas.
“We’ve done some digging, but haven’t got much.”
Mac heard the frustration. “So speculate.”
“We talked to the nurse’s neighbors. Apparently, they were under the impression she was a foster mother. Different kids coming in and out of the house were seen, but none of the kids were ever placed at the local school. The explanation given was that they were all homeschooled short term, rescued out of abusive situations. Incidentally, the kids that the woman had with her were always girls. My speculation would be child porn, sex ring, and prostitution.” Daniel added dryly, “Unfortunately, the list is endless.”
“Lisa was kept in that place for years. Why would she be different?”
“We think because the nurse knew she was an alpha female. We’re not sure how high up this goes. Obviously, the nurse was some sort of scout, looking for suitable kids. She may have even been placed there deliberately to keep an eye on Lisa.”
Mac blew a harsh breath and eased off the gas slightly. Being pulled over wouldn’t get him home any faster.
“Daniel, I know alpha females are a big thing, but isn’t this a bit extreme?”
“Alpha females are rare, Mac. They are an instant in to anyone wanting to do an alpha challenge. That rogue you told me about? Mating to an alpha female would immediately give him precedence over any small pack. He could literally just walk in and take over. They’re rare enough that the larger packs would take note also. The ruling alpha would be obligated to accept a one-on-one challenge.”
Daniel hesitated. “Put simply. Lisa’s worth a lot of money. Have you two mated?”
Mac shook his head, frustrated. “No, Daniel, we’re not. Not officially. Hell, with what she’s been through? She only found out she was a shifter a couple of days ago.” Mac didn’t like the silence that followed. “At least, the rogue’s been taken care of.”
Every hair on the back of Mac’s neck stood up when he didn’t get an answer.
“That’s the thing, Mac. He was wrongly identified. To be fair, a human pathologist took the first pass and wouldn’t know what he was looking for. We only got a special p.m. done this morning, after we realized he shouldn’t have gone to the regular morgue and got him transferred.”
Mac’s phone bleeped to indicate another call, and when Mac saw it was home, he just cut Daniel off.
“Mac,” a voice wailed.
“Cassie? What’s up? Lisa?” Mac’s hands gripped the wheel tighter.
“The girls ran off. Lisa’s gone to look for them. Mac.” Cassie’s voice rose with every word. “Riley’s not picking up.”
“Calm down, Cassie, I’m twenty minutes away. If Riley’s in a client meeting, he has to turn his phone off. I’ll be there soon. Just keep trying to get hold of them. “
Mac disconnected. He knew he shouldn’t have gone. Opening his phone, he went to dial Brett then stopped himself. Angie’s plane was due to land about now, and Brett would be over an hour’s drive away.
Mac gunned it.
* * * *
Lisa was tiring. She trudged on through the trees, stopped every few feet and called for Erin. She knew she hadn’t got her strength back yet and as hot as she’d felt in the house, she was getting really cold, and alarm started to snake through her. Where the hell were they? She was debating whether to turn around and go check if she had missed them and they were back at the house, when she heard a twig crack.
She whipped her head around. Thank God. “Erin? Molly?”
Oh God.
Heart beating out of her throat, she watched as three huge wolves padded out of the trees. She immediately recognized the badass in the middle, the black one that had attacked Mac. In the split second it had taken her to decide there was no point in running, with ominous bone popping noises, all three morphed into humans.
Bewildered, Lisa gazed at the middle one. “But, you’re dead.”
Badass cracked up. “Yeah, walking corpse, me.” He glanced at his men imperiously, and they dutifully sniggered.
He stalked toward Lisa. She backed up, but not in time to stop the huge arm that twisted hers. Black eyes glinted out of a pockmarked face, and she could smell his unwashed body. Sick horror washed over her, and she really didn’t like that he was naked. Disgust overrode fear, and she straightened her spine as Badass lifted his face at her, chest expanding on a long inhale.
“So little wolf, what you doing hanging around with stupid bears, huh? Not got a proper man? Having to slum it?” Lisa wanted to close her eyes as his fingers bit into her arm, but terror snaked around and held them open. He snickered and graze
d a hand down her face curling it around her breast painfully. “Not what I usually go for, but any port in a storm and all that.”
“Let me go.” Push. “Now.” Please.
Badass’s eyes lit up. “Not going to work on me, but nice try bitch.”
Lisa stumbled as his hand connected with her face. Black edges tugged at swimming eyes, and she blinked furiously. God that hurt. She would have fallen over if he wasn’t holding her.
He yanked her closer. Black eyes shadowed as he inhaled. “Well, well, well, alpha mate. Very nice.” He laughed gleefully, and Lisa tried to look dumb.
“What do you mean?”
Cruel hands tightened. “Don’t ask stupid questions, bitch. You know what you are, trying to use your alpha power on me. Now, I know what you are. You just need starving a bit. Get that fat ass down, so I won’t have to close my eyes when I fuck you.”
Lisa’s fist curved to his head, fury making her quick.
He caught her hand and twisted. Pain shot through her arm, and she bit her lip, refusing to cry out.
She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced at the younger guy who was staring at her. Black hair fell over deep scars on his face. Amber eyes lowered fractionally. I remember you. Pulse beating hopefully, she turned to look back at the badass, so not to draw attention.
“What do you want?” Lisa raised her chin defiantly. Where the hell are the girls?
“We found something and thought it might belong to you.” He nodded to someone unseen in the trees.
Horrified Lisa’s breath hitched. A huge guy stomped out of the trees holding Erin, a hand clamped over her mouth and her legs swinging. Another guy followed holding Molly. She hung limply, dazed green eyes pleading.
Oh God, Molly?
Lisa drew herself up. “Let them go.”
Badass laughed. “Well, we can definitely throw the trash out.” He nodded at Erin and Lisa gasped. He nodded at Molly. “But this one is good breeding stock.”
Lisa thought she was going to vomit. Disgust nearly made her gag. They were babies.