“The ones killed by a pack of wolves?” Lycell questioned. His voice anxious and tone urgent. He began to realize something but didn’t want to think about it or confront it. Or maybe he didn’t believe what Wilder would say. He had made up his mind that Wilder would say anything to get rid of him as a possible rival. And perhaps make Adrienne see him in a bad light.
“Those. They weren’t killed by a pack of wolves, they were killed by a werewolf,” Lycell said making an offhanded explanation.
“What does that have to do with me?” Lycell asked. Adrienne and Wilder’s glances wavered between each other trying to decide how and who should tell Lycell.
“It was you who killed those men,” Wilder said knowing that it was better that he heard it from him. But Wilder didn’t know Lycell’s thinking.
“You must be fucking kidding me. You are kidding? Then why don’t I remember?”
“Because you can’t remember. It must have been that wreck that had this effect on you,” Adrienne said.
Lycell slanted his head and glared at Adrienne. “Are you married to my brothers? Please tell me you’re not.”
“She’s married to all of us,” Wilder said his voice cold with truth. The truth is what Lycell didn’t want to hear. The truth was painful and the truth angered him.
“And who are you pregnant for?” He said glaring at Adrienne. His heart skipped a beat waiting for an answer.
“Wilder’s the father.” Lycell’s eyes became steely and dark. All his emotions died in that second and he became cold. He shifted and before he realized, he was at Wilder’s throat, with Wilder not shifting and trying not to hurt Lycell. Because Lycell didn’t have his strength and Lycell didn’t understand who he was, Wilder wouldn’t attack him. He didn’t want to have to kill his brother.
Adrienne rushed to the corner away from a fiery out of control Lycell with Wilder trying to hold off a snarling out of controlled wolf. She stood in the corner with her hand to her mouth muffling the shrill weak scream.
When Tracker heard his mother he came running from the house. It took only a second. He rushed through the doors and into Lycell’s room.
Tracker had just walked into the house looking for Saadia because she hadn’t come home from the hospital.
Robert and John were in the great room discussing Lycell’s condition. When they saw Tracker hurry on by to the outside, they took off behind him, and they now stood near Tracker as he lunged to pull his father from Wilder, and get his father to calm down.
“I told you it was too dangerous to tell him now. He needed some therapy first,” Robert said to Wilder as he reached for a needle.
Breathing hard as Tracker held him down and Wilder assisting, finally Lycell stopped thrashing and receding his lips. When he calmed, his body shifted back within minutes. The hospital gown in shreds lay on the floor near the bed.
“I don’t need to be sedated, I’m not a wild animal,” Lycell screamed as Tracker held his arms and Wilder held his legs preventing him from moving. After catching his breath and relaxing he said, “Let me go. Let me go. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
When they looked around, Adrienne was slumped in a chair in the corner holding her stomach. Robert rushed to her and then looked to Wilder and Lycell. “Help me get her back to the house.”
Chapter 21
Lycell glanced up at Tracker. “If you’re my son and you know I love your mother, let go of me.” At another time and another day Lycell wouldn’t have begged Tracker to release him. It wouldn’t have been part of the discussion.
Tracker reluctantly released a naked Lycell. “Where are you going, father?”
“To see about your mother.” He headed for the door and a nurse on duty caught sight of Lycell’s magnificent body. She stood to walk around the counter to stop him.
“Where are you going, Mr. Samsa? You know you aren’t permitted to leave here.”
“I can go where I want,” he said turning to the young nurse who had a smile on her face countering Lycell’s sour expression.
“But not without clothes,” she said standing in front of him. He glanced down at himself then realizing why everyone questioned his intentions.
“Wait.” Tracker reached into a closet, pulled a robe down and tossed Lycell a blue robe. He looked down and then pushed through his arms as his muscles strained the fabric. He rushed pass the nurse never stopping to tie the belt until he was out of the door with Tracker trailing behind him.
They passed the stables with the horses stomping completely agitated, and then the kennel with the dogs howling nervously.
“What’s their problem,” Lycell grunted trotting fast down the stone walkway up to the ranch door and into the kitchen. The cooks were preparing the food for the entire day and they stopped to look at Lycell because Lycell stopped and glanced at them. Usually he’s not there when they’re cutting and dressing the fresh deer meat and pulling feathers from the lifeless ducks and geese.
They had never been aware of an uproar and any problems within the Samsa household, but this time was different. Wilder let it be known that Lycell wasn’t himself. So when the staff watched him rushing through the house, half dressed, his bath robe open, and his face twisted with sweat beading on his nose, and his eyes narrowed, they moved out of Lycell’s way.
He didn’t appear to be the Lycell they knew. He didn’t show any recognition of them, even as some of the staff had been with the family for years, since he and his brothers were pups.
Normally he was full of jest and happy go lucky. Especially since Adrienne had come there and when there were more pups being born, especially his six, and as they turned into yearlings, but now he had a sullen look about him, and a frantic look like a rabid dog.
When he tore out of the kitchen, they breathed a sigh of relief, the three people preparing the werewolves food shook their heads in disgust thinking that they were right. There was no way a woman could expect to live with three men without something happening. And they bet it wouldn’t be long before she left one or all of them.
Wilder knew this would be impossible. Adrienne had given herself to the pack. How would she leave all her children? Where would she go? She had threatened to leave with Drayton and their young son, but now Wilder had her pregnant, and now where would she go?
When Wilder lay her in the bed, he sat opposite from where Robert stood peering at Wilder and then looking down at Adrienne. He reached for her wrist to check her pulse. Robert checked her to make sure she was OK.
Wilder felt Lycell looming behind him like a vulture. He shifted around to meet Lycell’s eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Wilder said.
“I have a right to be here.”
“I want the both of you out of the room,” Robert said with authority and not giving a damn how they felt. It wasn’t about them anymore it was for the health and safety of Adrienne and her unborn pups. “Don’t you see what the tone of your voices are doing to Adrienne and the babies?” Lycell glanced over and watched at Adrienne. Her eyes closed, her forehead furrowed as if she is in pain. Her stomach moving and you could see two sharp little elbows extending upward on her swollen belly. She held her stomach and kept her eyes closed.
Wilder turned and moved in the direction of the door, but he wasn’t about to leave Adrienne as long as Lycell refused to leave. Wilder waited for Lycell to join him.
Robert strolled over and looked Lycell in the eyes. “I want you out of here, too.”
“Why do I have to leave?” Lycell said. Robert took a large breath. Turned to Wilder with a serious look in his eyes. Robert waiting for Wilder to help him out, but he couldn’t wait any longer.
“Because you aren’t the father.” Robert’s words were poignant and hurtful. But he would do whatever it was necessary to make Lycell understand that he was causing more harm than good. He had begged Wilder earlier to tell him but for some reason Wilder wouldn’t hear of it. Now he saw no way but the truth. For the good of Adrienne and the pups.
“I know I’m not the father but I am her husband, too and if she’s upset then I want to be near her.”
Lycell gazed at Robert for a long time. He turned to look at Wilder’s face but he didn’t reveal to him that he thought all of this could be a lie. But he knew the truth and it was in Wilder’s eyes.
Poised to open his mouth, he decided against it. Then he turned and walked to the opened door and stepped into the hall closing the door quietly behind him and stopped and looked at Wilder standing to the left of the door.
“How do I know that you are even a brother of mine?” Wilder made a hard breath and closed his eyes for a second.
“I always knew you were stubborn and unreasonable, but I never knew you to be a fool who could deny what he has seen with his own eyes. You are a werewolf and my brother. I’m not proud to say that now, and whether you want to believe it or not, it’s a fact. Do I have to show you? If you don’t want to believe it, there is no amount of showing you anything that will convince you.” He watched at Lycell. Lycell looked at Wilder with alarm in his eyes.
The yearning to believe Wilder took hold but everything had been muddled and confusing since he couldn’t remember anything so he remained a nonbeliever.
“Follow me,” Wilder said. Just maybe he could reach Lycell and bring back some of the memory he lost.
Lycell followed him into the library where he pulled out a large book. In the book it detailed the transformation of his father into a werewolf. “I know you don’t like to read, but I think you should take the time and read this,” Wilder said to Lycell handing him a large dark blue leather bound book with gold trim.
The next book he opened had a picture of his father, Harper, and his mother Emily. “This is a picture of father. You named your fourth son after our father,” Wilder said to Lycell. Lycell’s eyes stayed fixed on the picture.
“Our mother?”
“Yes. Emily.”
“She’s beautiful. She has eyes like Adrienne.”
“Yes. I know,” Wilder said turning the page. “And that one is you.” He pointed to the one in the middle. “We were pups then.”
In one picture there were three identical looking boys with blond hair and blue eyes and one with deep dark bluish eyes almost black.
“I didn’t have but two sons and Adrienne named them because I was away all the time. “You named your sons because Adrienne was sick then. You named Harper after our father because he looks more like him than all the males in the Samsa family.”
“Harper. Harper,” Lycell repeated as if he was straining to remember. Then his eyes brighten. “Where’s Harper?”
“In San Francisco. He’s coming home soon. I told him you weren’t yourself.” That appeared to make Lycell laugh.
“And who is that?”
“That’s you,” Wilder said placing his finger on a young boy standing in the middle of two equally handsome boys dressed in black short pants and white knee high socks.
“I remember those pants,” he said smiling. “I wanted to burn them but instead, I concentrated so hard one day and shifted, and they were torn to threads. And every time our mother put a pair on me, I shifted until she got tired of replacing those things.”
“You do remember.”
“My memory is coming back but it’s slow.” Lycell pointed to a picture. “Who is that?”
“The one on the end is Drayton. High school days. He had all the girls because he wasn’t trying to get the girls.”
“Friends I’m sure. They knew he was safe,” Lycell said chuckling.
Wilder turned the page. “Still not convinced? This is all three of us at our wedding.”
“Now is where you’ve lost me. It’s illegal for Adrienne to marry all of us.”
“That’s why she didn’t. She married Drayton.”
“Why him and not me?” He shook his head trying to make sense of everything.
“Do you have to ask that? I think it’s evident,” Wilder said with quiet laughter.
“Don’t tell me you’re Mr. Perfect and she didn’t want Mr. Perfect.”
“Adrienne was going to be my mate forever. But then I got the bright idea that to save our pack she had to mate with you. Biggest mistake of my life.”
“Why, because she liked me more? My dick was bigger than yours?” Lycell questioned with a sly grin.
“Don’t fool yourself, Lycell. This is serious, and you think it comes down to how large your dick is.” Wilder shook his head and curled his lip up to the right. “There are more important things to consider. It’s no laughing matter and because you killed Adrienne’s fiancé the spotlight has been put on us. Our father tried to keep us out of the world’s eye. He built this town where we could flourish and go on with our lives by providing a sanctuary for our children, and their children who will all be werewolves of the future. That’s more important than you wondering why Adrienne didn’t marry me instead.”
“How can you say that I killed those men when I don’t remember?”
“You did kill them. Your wolf which has never been under control killed them. The sheriff of Samsaville brought me your locket. Mother gave all of us a gold one with a picture of her and father.”
Wilder walked to a drawer and pulled it out. He held it in his hand in front of Lycell. Lycell reached for it and opened it. Then he placed it over his head, and stared at Wilder.
I’ve been trying to keep us out of the public eye for years, and now look what you’ve done.”
“Why would I killed him?”
“He stood by while his friends raped Adrienne.” Lycell’s eyes grew wide.
“I’m glad I did it. Even if I don’t remember. He deserved it,” Lycell said.
“We don’t deserve the attention we’re going to get because you did a stupid and careless thing. You behaved like a child leaving here because Adrienne was pregnant for me,” Wilder said to Lycell with Lycell raising one eyebrow and flashing a dark glare in protest.
“But I say I can’t remember,” Lycell said raising his voice, shaking his head and touching the purple and blue mark on the side of his head where a wound was still in its healing stages.
“That’s why I brought in an outsider to help you remember. You have to be able to remember where you were before that. There are people looking for you.”
“I don’t like John and I don’t trust him.”
“That’s because you saw how he watches at Adrienne. Even with your memory lost you still remain jealous. That is your weakness Lycell and it will get you killed.”
“I’ve lost my memory not my instincts as a man.”
“You are no longer just a man. You are a werewolf and you need to understand that and adjust. Adrienne would never give John a second look. She’s pregnant.”
“Even pregnant he’s watching at her. Even knowing she has three husbands he’s lusting behind her,” Lycell said not focusing on what Wilder is telling him but on his jealousy of John.
“Well maybe you’re coming back to yourself because you are behaving like the Lycell I know.” With his back to the door, Lycell heard Tracker and he turned to see him standing near.
“What is it, Tracker?” Wilder asked.
“Father, Uncle Wilder, there’s a man at the door. He says he’s a detective.” Lycell glanced at Tracker then turned to Wilder. But before he could take a step to see the detective, Wilder stopped him with his hand on Lycell’s shoulder.
“You can’t go out there,” Wilder said to Lycell.
“I’m going out and tell the detective it’s all a mistake,” Lycell said.
“What do you mean? He may have come here to discuss the wreck and not the killing. You can’t go out there. You have scratches and wounds on your body. You need a few more days to heal. I’ll go,” Wilder said. “Stay here,” Wilder said to Lycell. “They can’t tell us apart. And Tracker, make sure he stays.”
Chapter 22
“Mr. Samsa,” The detective said looking Wilder in the eyes. A tall man
over six feet with wide shoulders and heavy arms stood in the foyer wearing a deceptive grin. He observed Wilder close up. He took note of his physic from his head down to his wide muscular chest and long muscled arms.
Wilder’s hand holding the door handle of the library door. He looked hard evaluating the detective, too.
The detective recognizing an alpha male because that’s what he thought he was, but as he neared he knew the difference. He strode to Wilder with his hand extended. “My name is detective Marcus Bradford.” He held his hand out to shake Wilder’s hand. His handshake unnecessarily strong and hard as if he was trying to exert his authority over the Alpha male in his presence.
“Lycell Samsa,” Wilder said with a closed smile which disappeared as quickly as he dropped his hand.
It had been the right call to assume Lycell’s identity. Lycell would have reacted to the detective’s display of hierarchy. He was just a man with a badge trying to assert his power and do his job. And at this moment he did have the power in his hands. That is if he could make it out of the ranch if he decided to arrest someone. It wasn’t a good idea to travel to the Samsa ranch without a partner. But a partner wouldn’t have helped, Wilder thought, as he shot him a gloomy smile and took a deep breath.
Wilder’s smile quick and closed.
The power nevertheless rest with Wilder and it was unnecessary to display it. Wilder, physically powerful, and rich and powerful. As detective Marcus spoke to Wilder he looked around the house and at the large expensive home.
“I’m from the next county that borders your town. You have a nice little town here. You went off the road and from looking at the wreck, I’m surprised you have no wounds.” The detective shot back a closed smile.
He had been observing Wilder with obvious pleasure. The kind of pleasure where a cop takes notice of his surroundings and thinks he knows something about the person. Always seeing others as guilty of something, and detective Marcus was no different than anyone of his rank. Detective Marcus leaned to the right to get a better look at the large room in his view. He leaned to the side trying to see out to the patio and all he saw was a pool with a cover over it catching the falling snow.
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