by J. J. Massa
“Don’t think about it, My, it’s gonna make you crazy.” Lakon was trying to calm him down. Tav saw aching sympathy for Myles in the other man’s eyes. “We’ll be on tour again in a couple of months.”
“I know you don’t want to leave but…” Riker began.
“Myles?” Tav swore that Ashley was part wolf or part cat. She was always appearing out of nowhere. “Are you going to leave me?”
Looking at the group of werewolves, Tav thought they were frozen in place. Myles was the first to mobilize.
“No, Princess, I’m staying right here until I know you’re safe.” He’d reached her in a few strides.
Mik nudged Lakon who, with Yancey, followed him into the woods toward Tav’s house. Tav and Riker moved around the side. They’d still hear the conversation and Myles knew it. Possibly even Ashley did, Tav wasn’t sure. He saw Myles take her hand and sit on the step, pulling her in front of him.
“After that, though, you’re leaving, aren’t you?” Ashley’s voice sounded infinitely sad.
“I have to, Princess,” Myles sounded desperately sad as well.
“Why, Myles?” she asked simply.
“I have to give you a chance to grow up. If I’m here all the time, you won’t get to play and run around like you should,” Myles explained.
“I’ll run around if you want me to, Myles. You can chase me. We’ll have fun.” Tav could hear the tears in Ashley’s voice.
He heard the swishing sound of fabric against fabric. Myles was hugging the little girl.
“Don’t cry, Princess. Some day we’ll be together as much as we want. And I’ll come to see you on your birthday and when important things happen,” Myles promised.
“You mean like the school play and dance recitals?” Ashley asked shyly. “And maybe Christmas and Thanksgiving?”
“That’s exactly right. We can write letters to each other, as well. It’ll be the bee’s knees, won’t it?” He was obviously trying to sound cheerful.
There was silence for a minute then, “Myles, are you sure bees have knees?” she asked skeptically.
“Well I’m not, really, but it would be almost as smashing as having a letter from you in my mail, wouldn’t it?”
Tav heard the swishing sound of a hug again. “I’d rather have you here.” Her muffled voice sounded very pouty, he thought. He’d never heard Ashley pout. “I won’t be a big baby, I promise,” she said on a very shaky sigh.
“You can be as big a baby as there ever was and you’ll still be my little Princess,” Myles told her. Tav could hear them standing. “Let’s go in and have Grandma Elke spoil you, shall we? You’ll be the only girl.”
“Spoiling is bad, Myles. If something gets spoiled, Mama usually throws it away.” They heard Myles laugh and try to explain how painless being spoiled really was.
* * * * *
“Best I can tell, it’s a big family-type get together, Jack!” Verb called back in a muted voice. “But I recognize some of em!”
“Let me see,” Jack snapped, tugging Verb back and snatching the binoculars from his friend.
These were one of the treasures they’d taken from Sue’s house the day before. Jack figured Sue owed him. For one thing, she’d had a lot to do with his ex-wife’s belated bid for freedom.
He also figured she owed him because she hadn’t been home. He’d promised the other men some “sport”. Since she hadn’t been available to participate, his fellow escapees were harder to control.
Carefully, the two men crept closer to the edge of the trees. They felt sure that they still couldn’t be seen. Jack fondled the gun in his pocket, the heavy weight giving him confidence and reassurance.
“Welcome to the family, Tracey!” Jack heard, incredulous. Goddamn! That’s Riker Montgomery!
As he watched, the actor released two squirming boys who instantly ran at the two boys standing hand in hand behind their mother, his ex-wife. Seeing Riker Montgomery take his wife into his arms for a hug nearly cancelled out his feeling of pride when looking at his sons.
“They look like you,” whispered Verb, smiling.
Jack felt a blush creep up his face and couldn’t stifle a grin. “Yeah, they do, don’t they?” He turned back to look at them again.
“Uncle Riker?” That was Jacob, his first-born, unless you counted the girl.
Jack looked for her, half listening to his son. He spotted the girl standing with a large dog of some kind and two other men. “When Mom marries Tav, that makes Kade and Kam our cousins, right?”
He didn’t hear the large man’s answer through the pounding in his ears. Marries who? Doesn’t matter, that bitch isn’t marrying anybody. She’s mine and she’ll die mine! Soon, probably. Her and that damned girl.
Jack nudged Verb and carefully walked backward. Verb followed and both men made their way down the hill where they’d been overlooking the gathering. They made their way through the underbrush and back to the other two men as quietly as they could, both considering what was to come.
* * * * *
“Wanna follow ‘em?” whispered Yancey to Lakon. Both men were in wolf form.
“Naw,” we can track ‘em later. Let’s see if they come back,” Lakon answered his cousin quietly.
From the direction of the yard, both Weres heard footfalls heading in their direction. They slowly moved toward the sound.
“Hey, beautiful,” Lakon addressed Bethany when she appeared from around a bush.
“Hey Lakon, Yancey,” she smiled at both wolves and bent down to scratch behind Lakon’s ear. “So what do you think of our new sister?” she asked Lakon.
“Mmm, she’s … pretty,” Lakon began.
“She’s formidable,” Bethany laughed. “Your mother has met her match.”
Lakon chuckled and then became serious again. “You know, given her history and Jack Asshole’s over all—Assholeness—she’s a lot different than I expected.”
“What’d you expect?” Bethany asked curiously. Yancey nodded his curiosity.
“I guess I expected her to be a lot more passive. You know… a lot more downtrodden,” Lakon offered.
“Good God, don’t let Tracey hear you say that!” Tav said, joining the small group. “She’ll have your pelt for a bathmat!”
Yancey and Bethany began to laugh. “Shit, I bet she would,” he chuckled. “I heard her say that bathroom needed a little something.”
“So what’s on tap for tomorrow?” Yancey ventured, scratching his side and yawning loudly.
“Tracey and I are going into town to get a marriage license,” Tav grinned. “Myles is going to take Ashley to school and hang out there until she’s done. Elke, Bet, and Mik are going to stay with the boys.”
“How about I tag along with Myles?” Yancey suggested, “Riker and Lakon,” he nodded at his furry cousin, “you guys take the night shift? You can bed down in Tav’s studio in the morning.”
Chapter 13
“Follow the girl and those two apes!” growled Jack, not looking back at Al and Del. He’d decided whom each man would follow according to his own personal need for revenge. “I don’t care what you do to her, just get rid of her!”
Jack wanted to punish Tracey himself and he didn’t care what happened to Ashley, as long as he never had to see her again. As far as he was concerned, all his troubles began with her. If Tracey hadn’t gotten pregnant with her, things would have been much better. If Ashley had only been a boy, his parents would have been happier with him, he just knew it.
He wanted his sons back and he knew he could count on Len and Verb to get them without hurting them too much. He, Jack, would take Whit and follow the happy couple until they could trap them somewhere. He’d teach that bitch some manners right after he took care of that cocky lothario who thought he was going to marry his wife.
“You ready for school, Ashley?” the men heard from the woods overlooking the yard. “Your chariot awaits, Milady!” Myles swept a low bow and held the door open for her.
; Giggling, Ashley climbed in. Yancey scooted in under her, pulling her onto his lap and mumbling about sports cars and tight fits. He snapped the seatbelt around the two of them as they drove away laughing.
Unknown to them, their sneering audience of two was hiking toward the elementary school. They knew that, once there, she’d be there a while.
“Those two louts will probably hang around so just count on that,” Jack had warned them. By now, Tracey must know that he was out of prison. He wished he’d had more time to study their daily activities.
To the three remaining men, he said, “Verb, Len, go on back there behind the house. When everything is quiet, just get the boys and meet us up on the road up past the hospital. And watch out for that big dog!”
“Yes, Sir!” Verb responded sharply, earning himself an exaggerated roll of the eyes from Len.
“You’re such a suck-up, Verb, sheeit!” he groused as the two men disappeared into the trees behind the house.
Ignoring the two, Jack kept his eyes trained on the couple strolling slowly up the tree-covered road toward the other house. They were met by another couple—that actor, Jack noted, and the blonde woman must be his wife.
“MMM…” Grinning and groaning, Bethany strolled up to Tav and Tracey and stretched her arms up in the air and settled them around them. “What a beautiful morning!”
“Group hug!” Laughing, Riker came up behind them and wrapped his arms around all three.
“Disgusting!” Jack growled to himself, watching the two couples exchange their morning greetings.
“I’m going to go sit with Elke and the boys,” Bethany began. “Riker’s going to go over to the studio and join Lakon. They’re going to nap.” She stood on her toes and kissed her husband’s cheek.
Turning to them, Riker explained, “This way you’ll have some privacy in case you want to … visit… when you get back from town.” He flexed his eyebrows up and down suggestively.
Jack looked on as two people, Tracey and Tav, slid into a battered pick-up truck while the other two walked off in separate directions.
“What we gonna do now, Boss?” Whit asked, looking for direction.
“Simple, we’re going to go into that house and wait for our prey to return,” Jack’s grin was feral. “They’re going to walk right up to us and hand themselves over. Let’s go see what’s to eat in there.”
* * * * *
“Gandad?” Mik heard a quiet whisper. He opened one eye when he felt small fingers in his ear. “GANDAD!” a little voice whisper-shouted.
He started to speak but a pair of plump little hands stretched around his snout holding it closed. “Shhh, Gandad. The man want to play. Shh.”
Mik narrowed his eyes and looked up at the redheaded cherub seated on his back and draped over his neck. He got an upside down view of Christopher’s serious face and managed to mumble, “Where?”
Christopher slid down Mik’s back and looped both arms around him. “There,” he whispered, pointing a chubby finger. Mik licked the finger causing the little boy to giggle loudly.
“You go play with him, puppy, I’ll go lay down over by the house, okay?” Mik whispered back. He felt bad about encouraging the boy to play with an adult stranger but, just this once, it would be necessary.
Christopher clapped and nodded, releasing Mik who stood and stretched. Shaking himself out to the accompaniment of the child’s giggles, he walked around the side of the house and sat down.
Now he could clearly smell both men and barked a warning yip to Elke. He heard a pan rattle and a low yip of acknowledgement.
He kept the sounds of the boy and the man walking into the woods to his left. For a few minutes, he just moved along with them silently, gliding through the trees as they tromped.
“No!” he heard Christopher’s irate voice exclaim. “Put me down!” the little boy demanded loudly and angrily. “Gandad!!!”
“Shut up, ya little bastard! Shut up!” The sound of an open palm striking flesh was heard accompanied by a small boy’s wail.
Mik’s plan was to separate the two men and Christopher had been cooperating beautifully. There was no reason to hit him—the man couldn’t suspect that a werewolf was nearby. Anger shot through the big wolf.
His hackles went up and he bared his teeth. Dropping his head and shoulders low, he began to close in on the fool who’d raised his hand to an innocent child.
Christopher was sobbing and struggling in the man’s arms when he caught sight of Mik.
“Gandad!” he cried and bit down on the man’s arm with all his might.
“Why you little…” he dropped Christopher, swearing.
“Gandad, Gandad, Gandad!” Christopher repeated, crawling behind the wolf and grabbing his tail.
Ears back, lip curled and brow furrowed, Mik sucked in a large breath and began to snarl menacingly, still advancing.
“Mother of God, Jesus and all the Saints,” croaked Verb, his eyes wide as he stumbled backward, obviously in awe of the enormous and angry animal.
“Get ‘im, Gandad!” Christopher growled. He placed both tiny hands on Mik’s haunch and shoved.
Mik grinned evilly and leaped.
“Bad dog,” Verb squeaked right before he passed out.
* * * * *
Elke had heard and acknowledged Mik’s warning. The idea that anyone thought that they could bother her grandchildren just made her mad.
“Bethany, honey, we apparently have uninvited company,” she warned her daughter—in-law.
“Jack’s kid don’t have no yella eyes,” Elke heard as she followed Bethany into the living room. “C’mere kid, you got dark hair and dark eyes. You’re Jack’s.”
“Am not!” bellowed Jacob. “Tav’s my daddy now! You let me go!”
Two snarling little bodies whirled around the man’s legs until a yelp was heard and Kaden went flying backward. Jacob’s shouts and Kameron’s snarls increased.
“How dare you touch my grandbabies!” roared Elke. She began to change into half- were form and was just glad she was wearing a dress with a long full skirt. No need to traumatize the little angels by seeing Gramma naked.
She curled her lips and snarled, still changing into half-were form. “You put that boy down, right now!” she barked.
Without a word, Len loosened his arms and let Jacob slide to the floor. Free of the weight of the little boy, he continued backing and stumbling away, wide-eyed and shaking. He lost control of his bladder when his back hit the wall and he could go no further.
“He wet his pants!” snickered Kameron and Kaden who were clinging to Bethany. Kaden had his arm around a stunned Jacob.
As they watched, Elke lifted the terrified would-be kidnapper and tossed him into the yard following him out.
“That is so incredibly cool!” she heard Jacob exclaim to his new cousins. “Gramma rules!”
She was still grinning as she tied the would-be kidnapper’s hands behind his back with her apron.
* * * * *
“Are you sure you’re ready to take on a grouchy redhead and her three troublesome children?” Tracey asked Tav as he started to help her down from the seat of his old truck.
“Piece of cake,” he boasted, placing his hands on her waist.
“Anyone ever tell you “you can’t have your cake and eat it too?”“ came a sneering voice from behind them.
Quickly, Tav pushed Tracey away and began to turn. His blood ran cold as he spotted the gun in the smirking man’s hand.
“Uh, uh, ah,” Jack sing-songed. “That’s far enough, Loverboy!” he barked.
Tav took a single step toward him. That’s as far as he got before he heard the loud pop of the gun and felt the burning in his shoulder. As the white-hot pain seared him, he sunk to his knees. Stay there, Tracey, please. He hoped she would heed his mental warning.
As evidenced by her red, red hair, her temper reigned. Tav groaned when he heard her hop from the seat of the truck and stomp past him.
“How dare you
shoot the man I love you—you… You big, fat JERK!” she bellowed.
“Tracey!” he croaked, trying to shake off the pain in his shoulder. “Tracey don’t…”
Speech failed him as he watched his fiery mate ignore the gun in the other man’s hand and turned marching right up and into his face. Jack was apparently as taken aback as Tav, seeming to forget the weapon as his mouth dropped open.
Everything moved in slow motion after that, Tracey’s arm flexed and pulled back and then she let loose, slugging the other man hard on the side of the mouth with all her might. The strength of the blow lifted him and flung him backward leaving him a groaning heap a few feet away. The gun bounced away and Tav noticed absently that it landed under the truck.
Her temper still simmering, Tracey stomped over to the fallen man and kicked him. “Get up, you bully! I’m not done punching you yet!” She kicked him again, “GET!” Kick, “UP!”
Tav began to chuckle, memorizing the image of his diminutive mate standing over what had been her worst nightmare, kicking him and ordering him to “Get up so I can hit you again!”
He felt the tingle in his shoulder that told him the healing had begun. Pulling himself to his feet, he was surprised by the sound of a strangled gasp coming from the other side of Tracey.
“Boss!” Whit croaked. “Boss!” he bellowed.
Before Tav’s agile mind could grasp what was happening, Whit backhanded Tracey across the mouth sending her flying backward into a tree. She landed hard and he could see blood pouring from her nose. Her cheek was a deep pink and he knew she’d have a bruise before too long.
Rushing to her side, he checked her pulse and mopped at the blood. She was dazed but okay. Tav felt anger sweep over him.
He began to growl low in his throat as he turned toward the man who’d hit his mate. He felt his fangs lengthen and his nails grow and curve as he advanced, still snarling.
Whit dropped to the ground scanning frantically and spotted the gun under the truck. He scrambled toward it. With a roar, Tav leaped at the retreating man, changing in midair. His powerful jaws closed over the other man’s shoulder and clavicle, crushing them and tearing the flesh.