by Zoe Winters
And if he was wrong, he’d given Jane a knife to protect herself. He must be out of his mind giving silver to a human to use against one of his pack. If the others discovered he’d given her a weapon, it could get ugly.
He was losing his edge. Maybe he shouldn’t continue as alpha if his concern was for Jane’s safety over a member of his pack.
It was four hours. Even in some bizarre alternate reality in which Rhonda was hunting humans, she wouldn’t kill this close to home, and she sure as hell wouldn’t kill when she was the only possible suspect and had to know the consequences from Cole.
He turned to see Blake, the pack beta, sitting on a crate watching him. “So . . . are you fucking her?”
Every eye in the cave was on him, waiting for his reply. “No. Not that that’s any of your business.”
“Hey, it’s my business if you bring someone in here who could turn against us. We’ve been trying to get you to settle down and take a mate. What’s wrong with Rhonda? You know she loves you.”
“We grew up together. She’s like a kid sister to me.”
Blake snorted. “Like a sister isn’t the same as being a sister. And baby sis’ is all grown up now. Have you seen the legs and rack on her? Put the poor girl out of her misery and mark her. At least then the temptation to screw the human wouldn’t be there. Everyone saw how you were looking at her.”
Had he been looking at Jane that way?
“Jane is not a threat to us. She despises the vampires as much as we do. She’s under my protection.”
“I just don’t think . . . ”
Cole stalked across the room to stand in front of the beta, using his considerable size as an easy intimidation tactic. “Blake, would you like to challenge me for pack alpha?”
The beta wolf’s eyes grew large, and he threw his hands up in surrender. “Shit no. I’m not that stupid. I prefer life.”
Cole nodded. “Good, then. The discussion about Jane is over. Any other objections to her being here?”
The room was tense. It was obvious his word wasn’t good enough this time. They all thought him compromised because he hadn’t taken a mate. They were probably all right about that. But he also knew he was right about Jane. She wasn’t a threat to them, and he’d become invested in giving her a place of safety.
“I understand your reservations and why you have them,” he began. “And if I were in your position, I would be worried as well. But just give her a chance. Get to know her before you decide she shouldn’t be here. Some of you know first-hand what the vampires can be like. And believe me when I tell you, she’s probably had it worse than any of those few of you who’ve been in that unfortunate position.”
That got the desired reaction. Just a month ago one of their own had been jumped by some of the vampires and taken in for questioning. Where was the den? How did they get out of the city? Calling them terrorists. Please. Terrorists produced terror. The only scary thing the wolf pack was doing was avoiding assimilation into the police state Borg. Their resistance was only a threat to the vampires and others with the same agenda of control.
The wolf in question, Deric, looked down at the ground. Cole knew he’d been close to cracking when they’d reached him. “You didn’t talk though. That’s the important part.”
Since Anthony had taken over, the vampire had been determined to get the wolf problem under control. The vamps had excellent PR, presenting themselves as refined and civilized, as the salvation of the preternaturals. Meanwhile, the wolves were characterized as a pack of savage beasts, intent on maiming hapless humans and everyone else who stood in their way.
Cole looked around the room, his eyes locking briefly with each member of the pack before moving on. The problem with being the alpha was that few would maintain eye contact with him for more than a second. It was too often seen as a challenge for dominance, and no one wanted to challenge him. They’d all witnessed what happened when a wolf challenged.
Was the pack afraid of him? He hadn’t thought they were. He certainly wasn’t the bastard the former leader had been. Rafe had been truly abusive, living up to the werewolf stereotypes. Cole had thought he’d come off differently. Perhaps not.
Wolves were faster than most of the other preternaturals, even vampires in some cases. Stronger than a lot of them too. They hunted in packs; they traveled in packs; they hung out in packs. It was rare for someone to get the drop on one. But Deric had been the exception that proved it could happen if they weren’t all incredibly careful.
Since that time, the rules had become stiffer and penalties for breaking them harsher. It was what he had to do to keep them all safe.
“I’m considering moving us out of Cary Town, somewhere where we won’t be a target. I’m not sure the danger is worth it anymore.”
One of the wolves in the back spoke up. “But what about what they’re doing? If everyone just goes along with these rules they’re setting up, supposedly for everybody’s safety from the humans, they’ll start branching into other cities. Eventually they’ll have control of everything.”
Another wolf added his voice to the discussion. “Don’t be such an alarmist, Mara. We’d still have access to the demon dimension.”
Mara turned toward the other wolf. “There’s no hunting there. No places to run. We can’t live there.”
Cole raised a hand, and the wolves fell silent. “I haven’t said we should give up the fight. Only that with Anthony in charge, it’s not as safe for us as it was under the old administration. This vampire is more ambitious than his predecessor. Even with the stronger security in place, it’s only a matter of time before someone gets caught.”
“I don’t want to leave. This is my home,” a teenage girl said. “Why do any of us even have to go into town at all?”
Cole stared at her for a moment.
“Lucy!” Her mother looked horrified by her daughter’s outburst and at the same time scared for her.
Shit. The pack was afraid of him. He’d been protecting his status to protect them, but it clearly hadn’t been interpreted that way. Jane might be the best PR he could get within the pack, assuming he could convince them she wasn’t out to destroy them all.
“Why didn’t I think of that?” He hadn’t thought of it because it hadn’t been an issue until three months ago. Deric’s capture had caused massive levels of stress for everyone.
“Thought of what?” Blake said.
Cole was glad he hadn’t been the only one. “No more going into town unless you have direct permission from myself or Blake. From here on out, if you aren’t in the hive, you are to be outside the city limits. I’ll have to get more portal charms from Cain but I think I can swing it. We can hop portals from here in the main den.”
No one in the pack knew exactly how he’d struck the arrangement with Cain. Most demons didn’t mingle with preternaturals that had humanity in their veins. But he’d helped Cain out of a bind once. Demons were unkillable, true immortals on this plane. Unlike vampires. But that didn’t mean they didn’t get into tight and unpleasant spots. Plus he thought Cain found the whole thing amusing and liked undermining the vampires. The bastard half-breeds.
***
Jane’s muscles coiled in tension as she sat in the passenger seat of Cole’s Mustang, the black wool fabric covering her eyes. How was she supposed to defend herself against a rabid werewolf if she couldn’t see it?
“Sorry, but I forgot to ask Cole about that, and I’ve never known him to allow anyone outside the pack into the hive without it.”
“No, it’s fine,” Jane said a little shakily, hoping she didn’t sound as scared as she felt. Oh hell, Rhonda could no doubt smell it on her. And if she was the weakest of the pack, it might mean she was the least in control of the change. Jane concentrated on thinking happy thoughts. Peter Pan thoughts. Whatever she had to do to make sure Rhonda didn’t sprout fur on her.
She slipped a finger into the pocket of her jeans, felt the handle of the silver knife and relaxed a bit. If
she had to, she’d use it. How hard could it be after staking a vampire?
Several minutes later Rhonda spoke, popping the bubble of girlie grunge rock music that had been pounding out of the speakers. “Okay, you can take off the blindfold.”
Jane folded it and put it in the glove box, before turning and offering a weak smile to the woman. It was hard to believe she was a werewolf. Somehow, just looking at Cole, she could see it. But Rhonda looked like a slutty cheerleader.
“So where do you want to shop? Cole didn’t give us a limit.” She giggled.
“I don’t care. Just nowhere vampire groupies would shop. And I need hair dye.”
“More pink?”
Jane gave Rhonda a look like she was on acid. More pink, was she serious? “If I never see pink hair again, it’ll be too soon.”
Two and a half hours later, Jane had several bags of clothes and a smaller bag containing hair dye. The label on the box read “Chestnut” and looked close to her natural color, as far as she could remember her natural color. She’d gotten special instructions from the woman who owned the little boutique on how to best cover the pink without unexpected results.
She and Rhonda found an outdoor cafe for lunch. The wolf ordered steak, rare. No surprise. Jane ordered blackened chicken over a bed of romaine lettuce with ranch dressing.
“On a diet?” Rhonda said sympathetically. She patted her sleek stomach. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that. We have very fast metabolisms.”
Or maybe cattily.
Jane smiled around a mouthful of food, chewed, then swallowed and reached for the water on her table. “I’m not on a diet. This just looked good.”
Rhonda didn’t seem to be buying it.
During their shopping excursion she’d poked around to subtly find out the nature of Jane and Cole’s relationship. Then when she was sure they weren’t sleeping together, she’d started playing the Cole and I will be mated soon card, saying things like, “Everyone in the pack knows it’s just a matter of time for us.”
While Jane had been in the dressing room at the third store, Rhonda had gone into graphic detail about her and Cole’s sexual interlude. Jane was glad the wolf didn’t have X-ray vision or she would have seen the gagging faces being made behind the door.
Now at lunch, Rhonda had resumed her territory pissing project. “Once Cole and I are mated and he’s more comfortable with you around the rest of the pack, you can stay in my little den. It’s very cozy. You’ll like it.”
“I’m sure it’s great,” Jane said, forcing a smile and pushing back another impending eye roll. She didn’t know why her skin felt prickly and uncomfortable about the idea. If Cole and Rhonda really were an item, more power to them. She definitely wasn’t looking for a sexual relationship right now.
Her mind drifted to Cole in a towel fresh out of the shower and then his warm body pressed against hers that morning. Then her memory flashed to his tongue running over the back of her hand the night before, far more erotic than it should have been.
Jane stopped herself in time before she reached full-on arousal. If Rhonda smelled her attraction to the alpha, she might have to use the silver knife in her pocket. And how would she explain that to Cole?
She sighed and took another bite of chicken. Maybe Cole had sent her with Rhonda, hoping this conversation would happen so he wouldn’t have to tell her himself. Maybe that was why he’d blatantly ignored her reaction to him the previous night. She’d thought he was being a gentleman and trying not to make her feel unsafe.
She was mortified now for ever thinking he’d want some kind of sexual payment. If he and Rhonda were together that was unlikely to be the case, and it only made her feel dirty. Rhonda went up to the front to pay the bill as Jane dug through all her bags, collecting the receipts.
She folded them neatly and put them in the pocket of her jeans. She would find a way eventually to pay Cole back. She wasn’t a charity case.
On the ride back Rhonda said, “I always knew Cole and I would be together.” They were back to that again? You’ve made your point, really. Cole is off-limits. Gotcha. Jane was glad for the first time the blindfold was over her eyes.
Rhonda continued with the Cole talk. “When he was nine and I was six, he said he was going to marry me. Of course, that was before he knew about mating.”
“That’s very nice,” Jane said, trying to sound sincere. But then a smile broke out on her face.
When Cole was nine and Rhonda was six? If Cole was really so in love with her all that time, he would have mated with her by now. Jane had thought they’d just gotten together. Maybe things weren’t what they appeared. He’d given her a silver knife. He wouldn’t give some human woman he’d just met the means to end his future mate. Duh, Jane.
She tried to ignore the fact that she seemed to give a damn about Cole Riley’s love life all of a sudden. Hadn’t she learned by now that men were evil?
Chapter Eight
After pack business was squared away, Cole retreated to his study to catch up on emails and get an update from Mick on the Dayne situation.
He wondered if he should tell Jane how worried Charlee had been. He stared at the phone on the desk. Maybe he should give her a phone call at least. Didn’t most prisoners in this country get one phone call? Then again, she’d already used up that privilege the previous night.
He was disturbed by how strongly he felt the need to care for the woman. No one in his pack had inspired such strong protective feelings in him before. If she were a wolf he’d suspect she was his mate. Werewolves didn’t mate with humans . . . did they? Moments like this it was lonely being the leader. Who did Cole go to for guidance and direction? Who kept his secrets? Who listened to his fears?
That was the alpha female’s job. He had no alpha female, though Rhonda had been trying her damnedest to get the position. His excuse had always been that she was like a sister. And while that was true, she was also the pack omega.
She wasn’t strong enough to command respect as his mate. He really couldn’t think of looking at Jane in that way.
His human guest had been quiet since she’d gotten back from her shopping excursion, and he couldn’t get a read on her emotional state. All he knew was she’d come back with plenty of bags, which very much pleased him. That was another thing that should have him worried. Cole had always been an excellent money manager, and in less than forty-eight hours he’d lost ten grand and dropped however much Rhonda and Jane had managed to spend on clothes.
He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, and a low growl rumbled from his chest. A long lavender dress flowed off her frame. The garment had thin straps that could be ripped apart with barely any effort. Her hair was a warm honey brown now, which made her blue eyes glitter in contrast. Jane most definitely was not a vampire groupie.
He cleared his throat, searching for the ability to speak. “I . . . is this what you would wear if you’d never met me or a vampire?”
Her face flamed red. “You don’t like it?”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Yes. This is what I would wear.”
“It’s very nice. Would you like to go out to dinner?”
“The sun is down. Vampires,” she mumbled.
“We’ll be leaving the city.”
She bit her lip, hovering in a moment of indecision, then nodded and put the rest of her things away. When she returned, he created a portal in his private den and placed the amulet around his neck.
“Shall we?”
She walked through the shimmery film with her arm in his. Cole watched her reaction as they passed through the portal together. The film felt like walking through a spider’s web until it dissipated into nothing.
Thirty minutes later they were in an Italian restaurant in Georgia. Jane’s expression was guarded as she took in her surroundings, trying to get her bearings. No doubt she’d been shocked going through Cain’s domain. And it hadn’t helped that the demon had a woman hanging off hi
m at the time, giggling and unaware she was about to become a footnote in history.
“It’s safe here,” Cole said as she continued her surveillance of the room. “There are no vampires living in Golatha Falls.”
“How do you know?”
“I come here a lot. It’s a good area for hunting, and it’s an easy entry point to get to from Cain’s neighborhood.”
She shivered at the mention of Cain’s name and looked down at her plate. Cole smelled the fear wafting off her and could see how frustrating it must be for vampires not to be able to get into her head. It was frustrating for him, and he couldn’t get inside anyone’s head. Unsure if it was the right move, he reached across the table and took her hand in his.
“Cain and I have an alliance. It doesn’t mean I approve of his behavior. But we need the portal to protect the pack.”
She nodded.
He made his own visual appraisal of the room. Although there were no vampires in Golatha Falls, it didn’t mean there was no danger. He let out a sigh as he noted only one person he recognized.
Quinton Worthington, CEO of Worthington Paper Products, was low on the danger meter. The man sat in a corner booth eating a plate of spaghetti way larger than he should and packing in the bread. Cole had heard the man had a weak heart. He’s not doing it any good being here.
Worthington had purchased a pint of therian blood from Cole’s company and found a sorcerer to work some magic over his business. Which was why his stocks had gone through the roof the past quarter. The man glanced absently in Cole’s direction then went back to his dinner.
Not for the first time, Cole was glad he’d kept his identity in his company dealings a secret. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized and have to talk business while having dinner with Jane.
He’d been unable to take his hand from hers since he’d moved to reassure her. Now his thumb was running slowly over the back of her hand.