by Dannika Dark
He launched to his feet and stalked forward. “Woman, I’ve had enough of your insolence. I’ve given you more than a person could ask for in your situation. My bed, food, a warm fire, healing magic… What more could you want?”
“Am I free to leave?”
Lorenzo sat on the edge of the bed and glowered. His hair picked up a lustrous shine from the light of the fire, and it made me want to touch it. “Cole will use this against me,” he said in low words. “I have much to lose.”
I reached out and touched his arm, curling my fingers around his wrist. “Austin is a benevolent Packmaster. Perhaps he’ll recognize the generosity you’ve shown me and call it even.”
He peered at me through his hair. “Perhaps piglets will fly and diamonds will spurt from their asses.”
“Well, if you end up with a golden toilet, nothing would surprise me.”
He smiled warmly and tucked his hair behind his ear. Then I felt the heat of his eyes as he studied every feature about me. His gaze traveled from my eyes to my mouth and then down my body until finally settling on the end of my long braid. Lorenzo reached out and touched my face, sliding his finger down my cheek and to my lips. I nervously watched him as he slipped his fingers along the crease in my robe, gently tugging it closed in a spot where it had loosened.
Two hard knocks sounded at the door and Lorenzo sprang to his feet. The door eased open and a man with long curls of black hair that covered his head like a messy mop peered in. He looked like someone from Robin Hood’s Merry Men, not a Shifter pack.
“Say, bad timing?” he asked, slanting his eyes my way.
Lorenzo caught the direction of the man’s gaze and ripped the covers over me so fast I scarcely had time to breathe. The way he moved was predatory, and he approached the man at the door with such a slow stride it made me shudder.
“Has war been declared?”
“No,” the man replied, a smile hovering on his lips. “I just need you to tuck me in.”
Lorenzo’s face flushed when I giggled.
“Go on, Thunder,” I said. “It’ll give me time to finish gnawing on my plate of bones.”
The man’s brow arched and he looked at Lorenzo with amusement dancing in his eyes. “Thunder?”
Lorenzo placed his hand on the man’s chest and shoved him backward. “I’ll be just a moment,” he said to me without looking back.
I immediately felt his absence when he left the room. What a powerful presence he had. We were going into the second day, and I’d be healed as much as my body would allow by the third. Four days was as long as I planned to stay in Lorenzo’s custody, even if that meant climbing out one of his windows.
***
Lorenzo shut the door behind him.
William laughed silently and stared at Lorenzo’s crotch. “As in Thunder from Down Under? That’s quite a reputation to live up to, kemosabe,” he said, his expression deadpan.
“Keep it up, William. I’ll have you riding on a donkey instead of that BMW if you wish to continue. When you go back downstairs, bring up a container of cream cheese and a spoon.”
William scratched the stray hairs on his jaw. “I’m afraid your snack is going to have to wait. Austin Cole is on the property.”
Lorenzo cursed under his breath. “What does he want?”
“He showed up under the guise of speaking with you about the female’s disappearance. As soon as he parked his car, his packmate shifted and began sniffing around. The wolf picked up her scent.”
“Cunning bastard.”
William glanced down the empty hall. “Indeed. So now my involvement is clear since he smelled the blood on my car.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t piss on the grill.”
William shrugged. “I didn’t want to ruin the paint by using bleach, so I sprayed it down with the hose. Can bleach damage your paint?”
Lorenzo smacked him on the forehead. “Lead me to them.”
They trudged down the stairs and Lorenzo met the eyes of those in his pack who hadn’t left for work or gone down to the bar. They were restless and waiting for his command. Four men guarded the door and Lorenzo pushed them aside. “Move away.”
When he opened the door, Austin Cole greeted him with a stony gaze. His unnatural blue eyes were frosty and unblinking.
“Take me to her,” he said in a tight voice.
Lorenzo recognized the man standing behind Austin as his brother, the rock star. Lorenzo narrowed his eyes at Jericho, who had been the one to shift on his property without permission. He wondered if he was the omega in the pack—the lowest-ranking wolf.
Austin stepped in front of him and blocked his view. “I don’t see a point in having this discussion in front of your men. You and I know what’s up. You can invite me in, or I can gather up the Council and pay another visit. Now quit eyeballing my packmate.”
Lorenzo raised his voice and spoke in clipped words. “Back off,” he said over his shoulder. His men dispersed and he stepped away from the door to grant Austin entrance. “Let’s go somewhere private.”
Lorenzo gave William a slight tilt of his head, and with that silent command, William headed upstairs. The men gravitated toward the opposite end from the one Lorenzo was heading to, giving them privacy. He closed the door to his room with the Indian motif and sat in his wooden chair, leaving Austin to stand.
“If you prefer to sit…” Lorenzo waved his arm toward the rug below.
Austin slid his jaw to the side and widened his stance. “We put the word out that Ivy went missing, and I know for a fact word travels fast in this territory. Her scent is all over your car, and you haven’t attempted to contact us. That leads me to believe you’re holding her here against her will.”
Lorenzo’s impatience bled into anger. “Do I look like I need to hold a woman hostage? They flock to my door, begging for me to take them in.”
“I can guarantee Ivy’s not here of her own free will.”
“The woman is injured and—”
“Take me to her, goddammit!” Austin shouted.
Lorenzo held up his hand. “She cannot be moved. Man to man, I’m not happy about this situation any more than you are. But the fact is she needs more time in order to heal. The wounds were grave.”
“What happened?” Austin said gruffly, folding his arms.
“She was struck by a car.”
“And whose car was that?” Jericho inched forward from the shadows, walking on thin ice with his confrontational attitude.
Lorenzo rose to his feet. “Maybe you should zip up your pants and tell me who gave you the authority to shift on my land.”
Austin held out his hands. “Let’s be calm about this.”
“Careful how you allow your wolves to talk to me, Cole. Remember that my rank is higher than yours.”
Austin looked over his shoulder. “Jericho, wait outside.”
The young male scraped his long hair away from his face and scowled. After a moment of kicking at the floor like a stubborn mare, he obediently left the room.
Austin gathered up his composure and spoke with more respect. “Was it one of your men?”
Lorenzo returned to his chair. “Yes. And before you decide to single him out, I’d like to know what a female wolf from your pack was doing running down the road, miles away from her territory. What frightened her that she would expose herself to humans and put her life in mortal danger?”
The Packmaster paced toward the window and tucked his hands in his pockets. “We’ve got a pack of rogues scouting our territory.” Then he turned around and said something that sent a chill up Lorenzo’s spine. “The leader has his sights on Ivy. He aims to take down our pack, although I’m sure he’ll keep a few of the women. It’s no secret we have humans in the house, and that bastard will probably slaughter them.”
“So which does he want more, the land or the woman?”
Austin strode forward and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He didn’t have on a jacket, just a black T-shirt
. Maybe he wanted the ink on his shoulders to announce a Packmaster was on the property. “Ivy identified the leader as her father’s former second-in-command. I tried speaking with her father, but he’s too pissed off about Ivy disappearing to give me any information. He doesn’t trust me.”
“Why should he? He entrusted his daughter to you and she slipped through your fingers.”
The tension in the room crackled. The only light came from a dim lamp on a small table to Lorenzo’s left.
“I need to see her.”
Lorenzo shook his head. If a Packmaster saw one of his own in such a condition, he wouldn’t think sensibly and would try to move her. Cole had no idea of the extent of her injuries, and Lorenzo needed more time to work his healing magic using remedies his grandmother had passed on to him.
“I can assure you she’s receiving excellent care. No one in my pack could ask for better treatment, and you have my word on this. But consider your situation for a moment. If you have a wolf whose goal is to claim her, maybe it’s better that she’s temporarily removed from your property. I can guarantee no rogue is going to tangle with the Church pack. Take your wolf brother home. Work things out with these outsiders. I’ll return the woman on the fourth night in better condition than when she arrived at my doorstep. If you still wish to pursue me for compensation, we can discuss it then.”
“And how do I know you’ll keep your word?”
Lorenzo considered this, pinching his chin. What would instill faith in this alpha? “Take my second-in-command. He’ll be a steadfast guard if you’re fighting off a rogue pack. There are no ulterior motives behind this. We both know I have no desire to claim your pathetic little shed.”
“You can kiss my ass for that remark. But I’ll accept your offer. If he’s under my roof, give him orders to follow my command.”
Lorenzo shrugged. “That goes without saying. You’re the alpha, and he’ll instinctively submit. Keep the rest of your pack away from my land. I don’t want to call the Council myself and give them my concerns about returning an injured woman to an unstable pack.”
Austin’s cheeks reddened and it almost filled Lorenzo with pride, except that he was beginning to feel more concern. Under normal circumstances, he might have gloated over Austin’s situation, but Ivy would be returning to his home, and Lorenzo considered her safety. His wolf paced, growing anxious. He needed to shift soon to maintain balance.
Lorenzo quickly stood up and lifted his chin. “William will return home with you. I’ll go tell him the situation while you two wait outside.”
Austin held up his fingers. “Four days, Church. That’s all.”
“As always, it’s been a treat, Cole. Give my regards to Alexia.”
Chapter 8
After Lorenzo’s packmate had summoned him from the bedroom, I ate as many of the ribs as I could stomach and tried to rest. My body needed to shift again, but I was afraid to do it alone. Afraid my wolf would hurt herself.
I shouldn’t have trusted Lorenzo as much as I did, but he hadn’t hurt me or my wolf. If he didn’t have compassion, he wouldn’t have brought me into his home. Then again, as an influential Packmaster, hiding a wolf in his bedroom without telling his pack seemed dubious. Perhaps I was nothing more than a liability, conveniently hidden away like a dirty secret.
Pain gripped my side like an iron claw when I tried to turn over. I could only imagine how battered I must have been when they brought me in. At the very least, I must have had broken bones and a shattered pelvis. I prayed it would heal enough for me to be normal again. What man would take a crippled Shifter as his mate?
Not that I was searching for a mate. I’d be perfectly content to live with the Cole family for the rest of my days, but I feared that if this didn’t heal, I would become a burden on the pack.
The fire dimmed and shadows flickered on the walls. The bright moon peered at me through the tall windows, and the treetops moved like dark clouds, swaying in the frigid wind. Regretfully, I had thrown the covers off earlier so I could eat without getting them messy, and now my legs were chilled from the cold air penetrating through the windows. All I had to cover me was Lorenzo’s silk robe.
And of all places, I was in the Packmaster’s den. I could only imagine how many times he’d had sex in this bed. Then the memory flashed in my head of his skilled hand on my bare thigh, the heat of his breath against my lips, and the way his expression softened when he spoke to me. No one had ever touched me so tenderly, and I felt a burning desire to know that sensation again.
The door swung open and startled me out of my thoughts.
“Your Packmaster is aware of your situation,” he said flatly, locking the door behind him.
I tried to scoot up using my elbows. “What did Austin say? Is he here?”
“Lie back down, nashoba.” The word he used was an affectionate term for a female wolf, one I’d heard before. He sat on the edge of the bed, pinning my shoulders against the pillow. “We agreed that you’ll stay here temporarily and heal. Cole left the property. I sent him my second-in-command as a show of trust.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why would you do that?”
He pursed his lips and never looked away from me. “Tell me about the wolf who is hunting you.”
“His name is Fox. He was my father’s second-in-command.”
“Was he disloyal to your father?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to my father in some time. Austin might know the reason—”
“No, your father would not speak to Cole. He might be willing to confide in me as I’m of a higher rank and you’re in my custody.”
I gripped his arm. “Why would you get involved in Weston business?”
He leaned forward and his nostrils flared. “Because his business is currently lying between my sheets wearing my robe, so that makes it my business too.”
“Stay out of our affairs.”
Lorenzo licked his lips slowly. “Are you giving an alpha orders?”
“Is there something you want to say about it, Thunder?”
Something flashed in his eyes and he sat back. “I think it’s time for me to examine you again.”
My heart rocketed within my chest.
We simultaneously looked toward the window when the sound of howling wolves broke the silence outside. One howl was joined by at least three more. Lorenzo launched to his feet and strode toward the window.
“I don’t recognize those wolves.” His eyes scanned the land below, but it was too dark, and he didn’t have a clearing around the house like Austin did.
“Fox is a dangerous man.”
“Then he’s met his match.” Lorenzo pivoted on his heel and folded his sculpted arms. He stood by the window barefoot, dressed in black.
“I don’t know how many he has in his group. At least three, but there could be more. If he’s come for me, maybe…”
“Throw you out like an offering?”
“No. Take me home so I can fight with my pack.”
He laughed quietly and pulled his hair back. “You are in no condition to fight. My men are on alert; you have nothing to fear.”
“Who said I was afraid? The more fear you give a man, the more power he’ll have over you.” Fox was no longer the demon who haunted my dreams. He was not the bump in the night.
Lorenzo didn’t reply. He walked to the fireplace and put a fresh log on the fire.
I needed to get up, do something. I didn’t like feeling useless, so I slid my legs over the edge of the bed and began to get up.
“Woman—”
“Don’t woman me, Mr. Church.” I sat up with my shoulders proud and straight. “Pain is only temporary. What I need to do is move before I turn into one of your antiques. Now help me stand or watch me fall. Your choice.”
Lorenzo bent down and gently slid his arms beneath mine. With careful ease, he pulled me to my feet, and I leaned against his body for a moment until I felt like I could balance.
My cheek re
sted against his left bicep, and the light flickering from the fireplace illuminated the menacing tattoo of a skull and crossbones on his left arm. “Why do you have such a morbid marking? Most Packmasters choose symbols or custom designs.”
“Perhaps I’m a pirate,” he murmured against my hair.
“You must spend an awful lot of time coming up with methods to intimidate your pack. Aside from your beta, not one person has come up here to check on you. Don’t they care?”
“Care?” I felt him ask, the word rumbling against his chest.
“Being a leader doesn’t mean you have to shut off emotions. You should care or else…”
“Or else?” He leaned back and studied me closely.
“Or else you’ll end up like my father. He was a better man when my mother was alive, but he never had sons. It’s what he had hoped for and it hardened him. Now I can look back and see where fissures were formed in the pack.”
He kept his right arm hooked around my back and brushed away a stray hair. “And what is your point, little wolf?”
“Love makes a man more loyal than fear. If you were mortally wounded and lying on the ground with enemies surrounding you and all was lost, how many of your men would risk their lives to die by your side? If they only gain respect out of fear, then why should they care if you die? But if they respect you out of love, then that wolf will lay down his life for you. If you don’t love something, then it can be easily replaced, like your car. Wouldn’t you rather be irreplaceable to your pack?”
Lorenzo leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. The kiss was so fleeting that I didn’t have time to realize what he’d done. He didn’t give me time to process it either.
“Let’s walk.” He turned, and I braved small steps until we reached the window.
The air grew colder the nearer we approached, and I shuddered, drawing closer to Lorenzo. The unfamiliar howls had died off, and I squinted from the sharp light of the moon.
“I don’t like the moon,” I said absently.
“And why is that?”
“It robs the stars of all their brightness. Haven’t you noticed at its peak, it steals the brilliance out of the night sky and blackens it? The moon is showy and wants all the attention, never allowing the others to shine.” I patted his flat stomach. “You know a little about that, don’t you, Thunder Wolf?”