by Lisa Kessler
I sniffled, trying not to smile. “Told you I could take care of myself.”
He almost laughed, wincing. “You still have my phone?”
I had forgotten all about it. “Yeah.”
“Good.” His one eye that still opened drifted closed. “Did you press nine?”
“No.” Maybe he was delirious. We couldn’t call 911. Werewolves couldn’t risk our DNA ending up under a microscope. “We need to get you home.”
“No backup.” He hissed in pain, coughing up a little more blood. “You didn’t call her.”
I had no clue what he was talking about.
Suddenly his good eye opened again. “Where’s Asher?”
“Right here.” He came around to Luke’s side. “You should go back to your Pack.”
“No.” Luke groaned and added, “I’m not going anywhere without Raven and her sister.”
Asher smirked and took his hand. “You’ve got balls of steel, but Caldwell will let them kill you next time. You need to leave Sedona.”
Luke glanced my way. “Help me sit up.”
I did my best to move him without hurting his most likely cracked ribs. He slid his bloody hand up to Asher’s forearm. Asher did the same.
Luke’s voice was wheezy but strong. “This is how you greet a packmate.”
Asher gripped him tighter, a smile tugging at his mouth. “I don’t think Caldwell let you into our Pack yet.”
Luke shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. “This isn’t a Pack. This is a gang built on fear. A Pack is stronger than this.”
Dex and Deacon shared a look, and my heart pounded in my chest. I needed to get Luke out fast before he completely blew his cover. Dex and Deacon were born wolves, not bitten like Asher and Ryker. Caldwell was not only their Alpha, but their father’s, too. I had no idea how deep their loyalty ran, but I didn’t want to risk it.
“Can you guys help me get him up?”
He growled as Asher and I put his arms over our shoulders and lifted him onto his feet. I watched his face. “Can you walk?”
“I can carry him to the van.” Asher stared at me over Luke’s head.
“I can walk my damned self.” Luke took a couple of steps.
Stubborn mule. I shook my head. “I think we’ve got it from here. Thanks, Asher.”
I glanced at the others, but again, what could any of us say? Caldwell had trapped all of us in a no-win situation, and Luke was a very visual reminder of our failure.
Once he was in the van and I got behind the wheel, my hands trembled, the adrenaline waning. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I don’t even know where to go.”
“My place.”
I started to object, but he turned his battered face my way. “If Caldwell wanted us dead, we would be. He had the chance tonight, and we’re both still breathing.”
He was right. I turned on the engine and followed his directions to Valley Farm. It was dark when we pulled up. Sedona had ordinances against light pollution. Not a trace of any neon signs in the city, and even the few streetlights in the tourist areas were a thick yellow hue. We were a perfect destination for stargazers.
I went around to his side and wrapped my arm around his waist to help him toward the door. Once we were inside, he sat on the couch and I plopped down beside him. The walls were stark white, not a single picture or piece of artwork. The kitchen was more of the same. Bare walls and empty countertops.
“I didn’t notice it before. You haven’t settled in here yet.”
He shook his head slowly. “Not really.”
Being here, alone with him…suddenly nervous jitters invaded my bloodstream. For the past few months, being on my own with a man never led to anything good. Luke wasn’t like them. He would’ve given his life tonight to keep me safe.
But the fear shadowed me anyway.
I got up and went into the small kitchen area. “Want a glass of water?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
I found glasses in the cupboard. “So why does Nero want your Pack exterminated so badly?”
He didn’t answer. I came around with the water to find him dozing or unconscious, I wasn’t sure which. But his heartbeat was strong, his breathing regular. I left him alone, figuring he probably needed to rest and heal.
I took a couple swallows of my ice water and toured the rest of his cottage. There wasn’t much to see. One bedroom with a master bath, the tiny living area, and the kitchen.
“Raven?”
I went back to the sofa. “I’m right here.”
A drowsy smile warmed his battered features. “Good. I think I need to go to bed.”
The mention of the word made me tense. I clenched my fists without thinking. What was my problem? Luke was in no condition to want sex. I hated that the thought even crossed my mind.
I helped him to his feet. “At least it’s not far.”
He chuckled and his breath caught. “Hurts to laugh.”
Luke sat on the edge of the bed and started to bend over to pull off his shoes. He hissed, straightening up again.
“I’ll get them.” I knelt down and took his shoes and socks off. Once his feet were bare, I took a step back. Nerves getting the best of me again.
“Your heart is pounding.” He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Hard to hide things from a werewolf, but the ones I’d been living with never cared what I was feeling.
“It’s stupid. I don’t know how to explain…I just…” I stared out the door at the sofa, hoping the idiotic anxiety would go away. “All this time, I thought I was tough and had everything under control, but now we’re alone and I’m…”
The bed squeaked as he stood up. I turned around to see him offering his hand. “You’re terrified.” I must’ve looked confused. He added, softly, “Fear has a scent.”
I rubbed my hand down my face. “I shouldn’t be. I know you’re not like them. Even if we wanted to, you’re too beat-up. This is all so dumb. But…”
He caught my hand, drawing my attention back to his face. “Cut yourself some slack.”
I closed my eyes as he brushed a featherlight kiss to my forehead and lumbered past me. “Where are you going?”
He went and sat on the sofa. “I’m sleeping out here. You deserve to have a door you can close and a bed to yourself.”
I shook my head. “You were beaten senseless tonight. You can’t sleep on the couch.”
He lay back and smiled over at me. “I’m settled in. If I have to move again before morning, I might cry.”
I laughed, amazed he could pull off a joke after the night we’d had and even more shocked I still remembered how to laugh. I pulled my hair back from my face, my chest aching, but not from rage or sadness. Something else I wasn’t ready to think about.
“If tonight didn’t make you cry, nothing will.”
He chuckled. “I got kicked in the jewels by a horse once. Those bastards didn’t even come close to that kind of pain.” He closed his eyes. “Get some sleep, Raven. More assholes tomorrow.”
I rested my head on the doorframe, smiling like some lovesick teenager as he drifted off. Luke Reynolds was unlike any man I’d ever known. Even my own father walked out on me. But tonight, Luke had sacrificed his body and his pride to keep me safe. I wasn’t sure how to process that.
Or repay it.
I went into his bedroom and pulled the comforter off the bed along with a pillow. When I came back out, I covered him and carefully lifted his head. He groaned but didn’t open his eyes. Once he settled back onto the pillow, I pressed my lips to his forehead.
“Rest up, Luke,” I whispered.
After I turned out the light, I went inside his room and closed the door. With my back against the cold wood, my legs gave out. I slid down the door, surrendering to the sobs I’d been fighting back all night.
I hugged my knees into my chest and tried to remember the last time I kissed a man simply because I wanted to, because I cared…and I couldn’t.
Luke deserv
ed so much better than me and this fucking mess I was in.
Pulling myself together, I went inside his closet and found a T-shirt to sleep in. When I took off my pants, two phones dropped from the pockets. I frowned, replaying the night. He’d handed it to me and told me to press…nine?
I picked up his phone. He didn’t have the screen locked. I swiped to the phone keypad and pressed nine.
Sasha Sloan.
For some reason I expected it to be his Alpha. Why would he want me to call someone else?
I finished changing and carried both phones to the nightstand. It was after midnight, and we were safe now. There was no need to call.
But now I was curious. I slid into the bed. She probably wouldn’t answer, anyway. I pressed call and put the phone to my ear.
One ring. “Luke?” She sounded sleepy, but instantly alert. “Are you all right?”
My heart raced. I was tempted to hang up, but what if she came looking for him? I cleared my throat, keeping my voice low so I wouldn’t wake Luke.
“He’s resting now.”
Silence. But I could hear her breathing. “Who is this?”
I wanted to ask her the same question. “I’m Raven. Luke told me to call you.”
“Do they have him?”
“No.” I swallowed, struggling to keep my voice even. “But he’s beat up pretty bad.”
“Shit.” She sighed. “I’m his backup. He was supposed to let me know before he went in.”
“He surprised me, too, when he showed up tonight.”
“Luke thinks with his heart more than his head sometimes.”
I glanced at the door, wishing I could see him. “Are you in his Pack?”
“Yeah.” She chuckled. “I married the Alpha’s brother.”
It was a stupid thing really, but hearing she was married settled my wolf. I wasn’t usually a jealous person, but when I saw a woman’s name pop up on his phone, my hackles had risen more than I realized. There was definitely something primal about this mate bond growing inside me.
“So you’re here in Sedona?”
“Yes. Adam sent me to be sure Luke was safe. Tough to do when he doesn’t tell me where he is.”
My voice dropped to a whisper. “He saved my life tonight.”
It took her a second to reply. And with my enhanced hearing, the warmth in her tone was impossible to miss. “Luke’s a good man. I’m guessing you must be his mate?”
I nodded before I remembered she couldn’t see me. “Yeah. I think so.”
“He’s been aching to find you. I’m glad something good has come out of this mess in Sedona.”
Hearing myself referred to as “something good” almost made me laugh. Luke was nearly beaten to death tonight because of me. I was a curse.
I stared at the clock on the nightstand. “Sorry I called so late.”
“Don’t worry about it, that’s what I’m here for. Can you have Luke call me tomorrow? Sounds like he could use some help.”
“I will.” I chuckled. “Your Pack sounds much better than mine.”
“Adam’s big on keeping everyone safe.” She paused and added, “Thanks for letting me know Luke’s home.”
We ended the call, and I set his phone beside mine. An Alpha who cared about the safety of his Pack. Sounded like heaven.
I turned out the light and settled into the pillow, smiling as Luke’s scent enveloped me.
Chapter Eight
Luke
My inner alarm clock still worked even if other parts of me were broken. I sat up, growling at the pain in my side. Definitely a cracked rib. With my feet on the floor, I pushed to stand.
Fuck. My feet were about the only part of me that didn’t ache.
I turned on some coffee, squinting to force my eyes to focus. Seven o’clock. I had a half hour to change and maybe get a horse or two worked before the meeting with Caldwell. I would be working them from the ground with long lines today. No way was I getting up into a saddle.
But I’d be damned if I was going to let those gutless assholes mess up my job like they did my face.
While the coffee percolated, I opened my bedroom door. Raven’s scent overwhelmed me. Her dark hair covered the pillow, the rest of her buried under the blankets. I glanced back at the sofa. She’d given up the down comforter last night to cover me. Warmth filled my chest in spite of the cold room. I went back to the couch, slower than I would’ve liked, and grabbed the comforter. She didn’t move as I laid it over her, then I slipped into the bathroom.
Aw, hell. My face looked like I went a round or two with a diesel truck. My right eye was swollen shut and a deep shade of purple. I had cuts in both eyebrows that matched the two on either side of my mouth. I grabbed my toothbrush and brushed my teeth while checking for any that might have cracked or broken.
Okay, my teeth and my feet were uninjured. Small victory, but still a win.
I didn’t want to think about it, but I was lucky to be able to stand. If that wolf hadn’t disobeyed Caldwell’s order to hold me up, I wasn’t sure how much more my body could have taken.
Over the years, I’d been in more fights than I could count. That was how I ended up on the ranch working with horses in the first place, but I’d never been beaten by anyone before. Last night was the first time in my life that I didn’t fight back. I couldn’t. Defenseless.
It scared the living shit out of me.
I shoved the dark thoughts away. There hadn’t been another way out. I needed to protect Raven.
But until now, I’d never known fear. Not really.
We’d faced Nero assassins, mercenary teams, jaguars in coffee shops, mutated werewolves, and I’d even been kidnapped by a newly bitten jaguar, but even in those situations, my confidence in my ability to survive, and in my Pack to have my back, never faltered.
Last night no one was watching my back, and I couldn’t defend myself.
I ground my teeth, welcoming the ache in my bruised jaw as I struggled to box up the emotional tempest brewing in my gut.
A quick shower helped wash away some of the remnants of scents from the night before. At least I wasn’t smelling my own blood anymore. I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped out to go into my closet.
And almost bumped into Raven.
She was wearing one of my long-sleeved thermal shirts that came down to midthigh, her hair tousled from sleep, and despite all my aches and pains, I discovered another body part was uninjured.
Her gaze ran slowly up my bruised and battered body, and damn it, I wished I looked better for her.
When her dark eyes finally met mine, I tried to smile. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
“You’re lucky you’re a werewolf.” She shook her head. “No human would have survived.”
I nodded, unwilling to dig around in those memories again. “I need to get a couple things done at the barn before we go to meet Caldwell.”
“We can’t go back there.” She frowned. “If we get in the van now, we might make it to Reno to warn your Pack.” She hesitated for a second. “I pressed nine on your phone last night.”
I raised a brow. “And Sasha’s not here yet?”
She started to smile, and I forgot all my aches and pains. Seeing her happy. That was all I wanted.
“She wants you to call her.”
“Probably wants to kick my ass, but they beat her to it.” I chuckled and winced.
“Maybe she can help us rescue Isabelle and get out of town.”
“Sasha is deadly with her Glock, and we might be able to grab Isabelle, but it wouldn’t solve the problem. Caldwell would still come after us.”
Even pulling on my shirt hurt like hell. When my head popped through, I glanced her way. “This Pack outnumbers mine, plus there are little ones to protect. We wouldn’t be able to stop all of them. Not alone. If I can get Caldwell to accept me, this could be a chance keep the bloodshed from ever getting to Reno.”
She crossed her arms tight. “If he kills you today, your
Pack is even more screwed.”
“He’s not going to kill me.” I paused, collecting my thoughts. “If he wanted me dead, last night was the time to do it. He needs me. I didn’t crack and confess to being a spy. He has to at least be considering I might really be switching sides.”
Damn, I wanted to believe that. I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince more, her or me.
“You almost blew your cover to Asher.”
I met her eyes. “Thanks for getting me out of there when you did.” I swallowed. “He saved my life.”
She nodded slowly. “Probably both our lives.”
“So this Pack isn’t a lost cause.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
I took out a pair of underwear and grabbed clean jeans. “If we can trust a few of them, they might help us get rid of Caldwell. Then the Pack here in Sedona could rebuild. Those other guys said it wasn’t always like this.”
“Deacon and Dex. They grew up here.” Her hands slid down to her sides. “They’re usually okay guys, but they follow their Alpha. Their father died serving his country in some secret project at Nero. Caldwell pulled some strings to get him in, but he never came back.”
Operation Moonlight. An ex–Special Forces werewolf had come to Reno hunting for Sasha a couple years ago. He was the last surviving member of that doomed squad of werewolves. Nero juiced them up to shift without the full moon. The experiment left them high on adrenaline, paranoid, and dying of brain hemorrhages.
“Do you think they’re loyal to Caldwell?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Last night shook everyone up.”
“One step at a time, I guess we’ll find out.” I bent to kiss her temple. My lips hurt, but if she had tilted her head back, offering her soft mouth, I would’ve claimed her in a second. As it was, her heart was already starting to race.
She’d lived through hell. I needed to be patient. And soon Caldwell would pay for allowing Bo and Blake to treat her like garbage.
First, I had to live long enough to heal my injuries.
“I’m going to finish getting dressed. Coffee’s in the kitchen, and you’re welcome to come down to the barn if you want. If it’s too cold, I’ll be back up in time to get to Caldwell’s by nine.”