“If I thought for one minute I could do it and not run us off the road, I’d be driving with my pants down around my ankles already.”
“Be funny to hear you explain that if you got pulled over for speeding, which is likely, considering that you’re doing about eighty.” Sean laughed.
“Well, I guess I’d have to think of something since you’d be no help, what with your mouth full and all.” Dae’s rich laugh helped relax Sean even further, warming him to the bone.
“Now look what you did,” Dae said, taking Sean’s hand and placing it over the bulge between his legs.
Sean molded his fingers over the erection that was swelling under Dae’s zipper. His hand knew the shape, the thickness of it. His palm burned with the memory of its heat. If Sean wasn’t so certain it was a good way to get them both killed, he would have unzipped Dae’s pants and released his cock, bent his head low over Dae’s lap, and tasted it.
Sighing, Sean sat back in his seat, but not before giving Dae a squeeze full of promise he fully intended to make good on later that night. Providing Dae’s family hadn’t turned Sean into human sushi before then, of course.
The miles rolled past, the mountains and surrounding forests brilliant with oranges, reds, and yellows. The jagged peaks glistened with snow that stayed all year, a never-melting reminder that in this part of the country, winter was always looming just around the corner.
Fifty miles or so outside of Jackson, Dae turned off the main road and headed northeast into the rugged high country of the Grand Tetons. The road roughened, narrowing as it snaked its way past crystal-clear lakes that mirrored the towering mountains and forests thick with aspen, evergreen, and cottonwood trees.
Another hour found them turning off again, onto a weed-choked dirt road barely discernable from the surrounding, craggy forest. No signpost stood sentry; if a driver hadn’t known to turn ahead of time, he would have passed it by.
The path—Sean hesitated to grant it the status of “road,” since it was little more than a trail of potholes, rocks, and flattened grass—led through a densely wooded area. The forest loomed so close, the branches scraped the windows and doors of the Suburban. The wood seemed to give over only reluctantly to the road that sliced through its center. The thickness of the trees blotted out most of the sun, allowing only spare, dappled patches to peek through their branches. Sean felt instantly claustrophobic.
“Dae? Are you sure you know where you’re going? I mean, you haven’t been here in a dog’s age, and this doesn’t look like it leads anywhere—”
“There are some things you don’t forget, Sean. Nothing has changed here—it’s exactly how I remember it to be. Everything, from the bumpy, crappy road to the branches that are trying to dig gouges in the truck’s paint job, are all there for a reason—to deter people from coming even this close to the pack.”
No sooner had Dae finished his sentence than the forest thinned, and the Suburban bounced and bucked into full sunlight again. It was almost blinding. Sean had to blink rapidly to adjust to the sudden change.
Ahead of them, enclosing several acres of cleared land, was a tall wooden fence topped with coiled barbed wire. Beyond the fence, Sean spotted several low, split-log buildings and, off to one side, a bright red barn and silver silo.
“It looks like a prison, Dae,” Sean said, eyeing the curling barbed wire.
“Sure as hell felt like it when I lived here. The elders would tell you the purpose of the fence was to keep humans out, but it really worked both ways,” Dae said. Sean could hear the bitterness in his voice, even though he offered Sean a smile.
“It’s not too late to change your mind, Dae. We can still turn around; go back the way we came….”
“What? And miss the joy of a family reunion? Not a chance.”
“Dae….”
“Sorry. No, I have to do this, if for anything else but to see if I can help Cherise. She’s my baby sister, and she never did a damn thing to hurt me, Sean.”
“Okay. Let’s get this over with, then,” Sean said, patting Dae on the knee. “I can’t wait for your family to drag out your naked baby pictures.”
Dae snorted. “I wouldn’t hold my breath. You know, if you’re so anxious to see photos of me in the buff, I’d be happy to give you the live-action experience.”
“Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and the big foam finger.”
Dae laughed, but there was an edge to it, telling Sean he was every bit as nervous as Sean was. Sean realized Dae’s easy, relaxed posture behind the wheel was a sham; his gut was probably twisted up as tightly as the coils of barbed wire running the length of the fence.
The Suburban rolled to a stop in front of a gate that broke the solid line of the perimeter fence. Lowering the window, Dae pressed a button on an intercom that was mounted to a small, free-standing key-card reader.
“Whoa, dude! Look what the cat dragged up the mountain! Is that you, Dae?” The voice was tinny, nearly lost in static, but there was no disguising the surprise it held. Sean noticed a small camera mounted to the fence, a tiny red light blinking.
“Fang? Yeah, it’s me. Open up,” Dae said, a small smile lifting his lips.
Sean felt himself relax a bit. Thank God for small favors, he thought. At least the first voice Dae heard was a friendly one—even if said voice belonged to someone with the ominous moniker of Fang.
“Damn, you got old, Dae.”
“Happens to the best of us, Fang.”
“Man, I didn’t think I’d live to see the day you came back. I was just saying to Jaeger last night it’d be a cold day in hell before you ever set foot on pack territory again, not that I’d blame you. Said if I was you, I sure as hell wouldn’t be willing to—”
“Fang, can we have this conversation inside the gate? My ass is numb from riding all the way out here from the airport.” Dae chuckled, looking at Sean and rolling his eyes.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure thing. Hold on.”
There was a whirring sound before the gate slowly swung inward, allowing the Suburban to roll inside the compound. Dae pulled it off to the side onto a grassy field and threw it in Park.
“Ready?” he asked Sean.
“As I’ll ever be, I guess,” Sean answered, far more confidently than he felt. “Who’s Fang?”
“One of my litter-cousins.”
“Pardon?”
“Just like wolves in the wild, our females almost always whelp at about the same time each spring. Even though we aren’t related by blood, Fang is considered my cousin because his mother gave birth to him just a few days after my mother had me.”
“Oh. He and you were close, then?”
“Yeah, we were. We grew up together,” Dae said, chuckling. “Don’t worry, Sean. Fang is as straight as a two-by-four. Always was. No need to get jealous, love.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Uh-huh. Sure you’re not. Stop chewing your bottom lip and I just might believe you.”
“I’m not jealous. Well, maybe a little,” Sean smirked, covering his mouth with his hand lest Dae see that his teeth were trying to worry a hole in his lower lip. “Is he as sexy as you? Please tell me he’s not.”
“You tell me.” Dae grinned, nodding toward Sean’s window.
Turning, Sean gaped at the man trotting toward the Suburban. Dressed in oil-stained jeans and a heavy flannel shirt, the man’s face was nearly hidden by his long, full beard and mustache. “Holy shit. You didn’t tell me you were related to ZZ Top.”
“Fang always had a strange aversion to razors,” Dae said, laughing. “He’s a nice enough guy, if a little spacey at times. As I recall, he liked heavy metal music, played a mean air guitar, and was overly fond of fungi.”
“Fungi?”
“Mushrooms. The kind of ’shrooms they don’t put on pizza.”
Sean snorted and barely had time to compose himself before Fang reached the Suburban. He watched as Fang jogged around the truck, wrenched open the driver’s side door, and pulled Dae out bod
ily into a bone-crunching bear hug.
“Whoa,” Fang said as Sean slipped out of the truck and stood at a discreet distance, “you brought a human home with you? Oh, man, Alastair is gonna freak, Dae.”
“Alastair can bite my ass,” Dae growled. “He’s not my alpha.”
“He may just do that, in big, hairy mouthfuls,” Fang replied, shaking his head of bushy hair. His beard hung halfway to his waist and seemed to be snagged with an assortment of leaves and twigs. He nodded toward Sean. “This guy, he’ll have for an appetizer.”
“This is Sean. Sean, meet Fang,” Dae said, motioning to Sean to move closer. Sean stiffened as Dae threw his arm around his shoulder, pulling him in close. The last thing he thought Dae needed to do was flaunt their relationship so soon after arriving.
“Sean is mine, Fang. Understand? Anyone lays a paw on him and they’ll answer to me,” Dae growled. “He’s my mate, and I don’t share.”
“Come on, Dae! No need to go alpha on me. I’m cool with it, you know? Live and let live, that’s my motto.” Fang grinned. Or at least Sean thought he was smiling—it was hard to tell under the wild matting covering most of his face. “Welcome, little human-dude. Come on, let’s grab your bags and go inside.”
Suddenly a long, plaintive howl split the air, undulating mournfully before slowly fading away.
“You came just in time, Dae,” Fang said, a frown creasing his forehead. “That’s Cherise. She’s whelping out of season and having a hard time of it too. You’d better hurry.”
Chapter Four
“CHERISE IS pregnant?” Dae gasped, grabbing Fang’s arm. “Jaeger didn’t mention that in his letter! Where is she?”
“She’s in the healer’s lodge. We didn’t know it until a couple of months ago. She hasn’t exactly been talkative since the attack,” Fang said softly. “We only realized she’d caught when she started to show.”
“Did they find the asshole who did this to her?”
“No way, man,” Fang said, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Alastair wouldn’t let us search. Said going into town, asking a bunch of questions would only be asking for more trouble. Jaeger has been going nuts over it, Dae.”
“You mean to tell me,” Dae said through gritted teeth, his hands balling into tight fists at his sides, “that no one has even been questioned? Tell me they reported the attack to the authorities! Tell me Alastair did at least that much!”
Fang’s averted eyes and soft whine told Dae everything he needed to know. No one had even reported the attack. By now whoever raped his sister would have gone so deep to ground he may as well have fallen off the face of the earth. Chances were good that they’d never find him. The rage Dae had felt when he’d first learned of the attack through Jaeger’s letter came flooding back, and a low, dangerous growl rumbled deep in his chest.
“Come on,” Dae said to Sean, taking off at a quick pace in the direction the howls had come from—a long, one-story outbuilding to the right of the main house. He’d see to Cherise, and God help Alastair when he was done.
Reaching the healer’s lodge, Dae paused as another agonized howl raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He felt Sean’s touch on his arm, calming and familiar, and took a deep breath to steady himself. Cherise would be frightened and in pain and might not even remember Dae. She’d only been a child when he left, and he’d changed a lot since then. It wouldn’t do to charge in like an invading army. Composed again, at least for the time being, he opened the door and stepped inside.
The lodge was lined with single-width bunks neatly made over with crisp, white sheets. Near the far end of the room was an array of machinery ranging from sphygmomanometers to a portable x-ray machine. Against the wall a large glass cabinet held an assortment of bottles, vials, and boxes of medical supplies. Dae remembered that the swinging doors at the rear of the room led to a small, well-equipped surgical suite.
The pack’s medical facilities rivaled that of any rural human hospital. They could treat just about any disease or injury, short of major brain, spine, or heart surgery. Bones could be x-rayed and set and babies delivered, even by caesarean section when necessary. But serious illness, including rabies and a form of distemper, and injuries often claimed the lives of pack members. They couldn’t allow any of their members, no matter how sick, to enter a human medical facility and risk exposure for the rest of them.
On a bed near the center of the room lay a young woman, hands fisted in the sheets. Her face was shiny with a thin sheen of sweat, her features twisted in agony as she panted for breath. Dae saw her eyes widen as another pain hit her, her body arching from the bed as she howled. Beneath her, blood and sweat soaked the linens.
Dae slipped his coat off and handed it to Sean. He picked up a green surgical gown folded neatly at the foot of the bed and thrust his arms into it.
An older man suddenly burst into the room, followed by several others. He stopped short at the sight of Dae and Sean. “Who are you? Fang! Who let these people into the compound?”
“It’s only Dae, Alastair. This is his… friend, Sean. They just got here,” Fang answered.
Dae ignored everyone else in the room, his attention focused on his baby sister and her pain. He stalked to the sink at the rear of the room. Reaching for the antibacterial soap and a stiff brush, he quickly scrubbed up.
“She’s been in hard labor for over ten hours, Dae,” an older woman said, holding out a pair of latex gloves for him. “She’s fully dilated, but her water hasn’t broken yet.”
“Don’t you touch her!” Alastair bellowed. “You aren’t welcome here! I warned you when you left that if you ever returned I’d see you skinned and mounted over my fireplace! And him!” he continued, jabbing a finger toward Sean. “How dare you bring a human here? Get out!”
“Where’s Doc?” Dae asked, pointedly ignoring Alastair and his outburst. He glanced at Cherise. The contraction had subsided, and she lay panting for breath, eyes glassy.
“He died two years ago, Dae. Heart attack.”
“What the hell have you been doing for medical care since then?”
The woman stiffened, glaring at him. “I’ve assisted Doc since I was a youngling. Or don’t you remember all the times I patched you up?”
“I know, Esther, I remember. I’m sorry. It’s just hard to see her like this. She was only a baby when I left,” Dae said, feeling a lump rise in his throat. He took a step toward the bed where Cherise lay.
“Have you gone deaf since you left? I said not to touch her! Get them out of here!” Alastair shouted to the people standing behind him. They looked at one another in confusion, hesitating to follow his order.
Dae turned on the shorter, older man with an angry snarl. Drawing himself up to his full height, Dae let his incisors drop down, curling his lip in defiance. A low, threatening growl rumbled in his chest as he glared at him. “Back off, Alastair. I’m going to do all I can to help my sister. If you want to continue breathing, I’d suggest that you stay out of my way. I’m not a frightened little pup anymore.”
Their eyes locked in a battle of wills, until at last Alastair averted his gaze. The people behind him gasped, looking back and forth between Alastair and Dae in shock. One by one, they nodded to Dae and slipped outside the door.
“Where are you going?” Alastair demanded. “Come back in here! I’m the alpha! Obey me!”
No one came back inside.
Dae ignored him as well and quickly moved to his sister’s bed.
“Cherise,” he said softly, petting her hair tenderly. “It’s Dae, hon.”
“Dae? Is it really you?” Cherise’s voice sounded weak, her throat no doubt rasped raw by her screams of pain. “You came.”
“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s me. I’m here. Everything’s going to be okay. I’m going to examine you now, okay?”
“Hurts, Dae.”
“I know, hon. Stay with me now, okay?” Quickly, Dae untwisted the bloodied sheets from Cherise’s body, tossing them to the floor behind
him. “Get some clean sheets,” he ordered Esther, never taking his attention from his sister. He gave her a quick but thorough examination, frowning at the intensity of the next contraction that contorted her body.
Cherise was in a bad way. The baby was in position, but she had been in labor for so long, she was weakened. Dae felt a shiver race down his spine, realizing her life and the life of her baby were in his hands—hands that had never delivered a human infant before.
“Dae?” Sean whispered from his side. “They’ve got morphine in the cabinet back here.”
Dae nodded. Not ideal, but the drug would have to suffice. “Get a dose ready, Sean, and scrub up, please. I’m going to need your help.”
“No!” Alastair suddenly bellowed, facing off against Dae again. “He’s human! He will not touch her! I forbid it!”
Dae fought a powerful urge to shift and tear Alastair’s throat out. It was the animal in him, the alpha wolf straining at the leash the human part of Dae kept him on, all but howling for the chance to challenge the leader of the pack for dominance. Dae gritted his teeth, forcing the wolf within back into submission. Now was not the time or place. Cherise needed all of Dae’s attention.
“Humans are our enemies, and yet you’ve brought one into our den!” Alastair hissed. “First they corrupted you, then they tainted your sister!” He took a step toward Sean, muscles bunching under his skin as his body began to shift.
Alastair was dressed, and his cumbersome clothing inhibited the Change, slowing him down just long enough for Dae to place himself between Alastair and Sean.
A pop sounded, and Alastair howled with rage as he turned on his attacker. Fang stood near the door, a rifle in his hand.
“Not cool, dude. Cherise first, human kibble later.” He tossed Dae a quick grin as Alastair slowly toppled onto his side. “Tranked him, dude. Gonna have a bitch of a headache when he wakes up. I’ll bring him back to his cabin for now, but after you see to Cherise, I’d make myself scarce. He’s gonna be seriously pissed when he comes around.”
“He hasn’t seen pissed yet, Fang. But thanks,” Dae said. He looked at Sean, whose face was frozen in a mask of terror. “Sean? You okay? Come on, babe, I need you.” Dae nudged him with his shoulder until Sean blinked and nodded. Sighing with relief, Dae turned back to Cherise just as another contraction started.
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