by Dannika Dark
He pressed a fleeting kiss to my forehead and rolled me over to his left side, tucking me close. Lorenzo understood my body and knew the positions that made me the most comfortable.
“If you had been in my pack, I would have slit his throat,” he said under his breath. “Your father made a mistake letting him go. He wouldn’t have been so lucky with me.”
Hearing a violent threat like that went against my very nature, but something strange transpired. His words made me feel bonded with him—protected. As if nothing could happen to me as long as I were with him. I’d never felt that way with anyone on such a personal level, not even Austin.
“What if Austin throws me out? I respect him, but he has to think about the pack’s reputation within the community, even if it goes against his personal beliefs. I could damage that, and he wouldn’t bounce back as easily because he doesn’t have the numbers. It would make it harder for him to acquire good men. I never thought my past would catch up with me and threaten those I love.”
“If Cole discards you, then he is a bigger fool than I took him for.”
“Thunder, can you stop rumbling for a little while?” I draped an arm over him and snuggled close, watching the rise and fall of his chest. “I want to sleep until the sun sets and then eat. Maybe later we’ll give your pack something to sing about again.”
His warm hand smoothed over my hip and a pulse of tingles roared through me. “Can we negotiate changing the order around?”
I kissed his chest and closed my eyes. “Chicken-fried steak sounds delicious.”
Chapter 13
I never imagined having such an attentive lover, and never once could I have expected him to be as contemptuous a man as Lorenzo was in public. We shared stories, shared our meal, and then shared our bodies. He savored me, explored my curves with a trail of kisses, and rubbed my thigh whenever it gave me trouble. Lorenzo showed me the assertive nature of an alpha, but he also offered me tenderness and patience. When a flashback had slammed into me, Lorenzo didn’t allow me to leave like I wanted to. He understood that some wounds would never heal, because he had a few of his own. I luxuriated in his arms as he whispered words in his native tongue. He told me he had a powerful spirit wolf and that bad dreams could never reach me as long as he was by my side.
He was right.
It was the longest and shortest day and night of my life—one that was pressed in my memory like a rose in a book. He said he’d never allowed a woman to stay the whole night, and he definitely didn’t hold a woman as she slept. I also got the feeling he’d never shown this side of himself to anyone—drawing more than just pleasure from intimacy, but emotional comfort as well.
“Will you cuddle me while I sleep?” I asked when he stood naked before me, drinking a bottle of water.
“I’m one of the most respected Packmasters in the territory. I’ve killed men for disloyalty, and those who follow me do so out of fear. I don’t cuddle,” was all he said.
So my Thunder Wolf crossed his arms and lay on his back, watching me in the mirror above the bed as I rolled on my side and went to sleep. When my breathing became heavy and he thought I’d drifted off, he scooted close behind me and nuzzled his face against the nape of my neck. I took more pleasure in those secret gestures than when he kissed me while awake. I’d always known that the way a man treats a woman when no one is watching showed his true colors, but I’d never given it thought beyond that. There is something pure and honest in the way a man treats a woman when he thinks she isn’t aware. It shows the kind of man he truly is.
Now I knew with absolute certainty that despite his stony presence and arrogant superiority, he possessed a compassionate heart. Lorenzo Church was a man with two sides to his life, like a coin.
One I wished I could keep in my pocket.
When the sunshine made an unexpected appearance and crept into the room, Lorenzo stretched his impressive body and got out of bed. My heart sank listening to his bare feet padding on the flat surface as he went into the bathroom. Those bad thoughts vanished when he returned and abruptly stripped my warm covers away.
“Rise and shine, my sweet,” he said, voice sliding over me like silk. “It’s time for you to get tangled with me in the shower.”
I’d never had a man wash me, and Lorenzo treated my body like a precious stone. In turn, I lathered up the soap and used my hands to clean his body. I learned the way he liked to be touched, and I wondered if he had ever invited other women to touch him in the same intimate manner. Did she kneel and take extra care when washing his ankles? Did she place feathery kisses against his wet chest when he embraced her? Did he get on bended knee to wash her legs?
We spent every moment in silent reverence of one another. Some couples live a lifetime together and still never learn who they are because they guard their secrets and fears too closely, never lowering their walls. And in just four days, I felt like I knew more about Lorenzo than his own pack did. We both accepted that we’d soon return to our separate lives. He had a pack to run, and I had to confront my Packmaster with the truth about my past.
I also had to find the courage to live with a disability, something I didn’t talk about with Lorenzo. I had the rest of my life to deal with how much or how little it would affect my relationships.
Someone had left a change of clothes outside the door—a pair of black cotton pants with a drawstring, and a brown sweater. But Lorenzo didn’t let me put on the sweater. He dressed me in his red flannel shirt and made sure each button was secure before bundling me in his leather coat. For himself, he tugged on a pair of dark green cargo pants and a black sweater. I said good-bye to the few pack members I’d gotten to know, and Caleb invited me over for dinner. He glanced at Lorenzo, uncertain of what kind of relationship existed between us, but left the offer on the table.
My thoughts were scattered on the drive home. All I could think about was Lakota. Fox could have been bluffing, but what if he knew how to find him? What if he already had?
“Where are you?” Lorenzo asked as we turned up Austin’s driveway.
“I’m scared for Lakota.”
He threw his Ferrari in park and turned to face me. Lorenzo moved like a hunter, and when he unlatched my seat belt and lifted a tendril of my hair between his fingers, I shivered. He stroked my cheek with his finger and tilted my chin to face him. His dark eyes seemed bottomless, and I fell into his gaze. “Do you trust me?”
I nodded. “A little more than I should.”
Austin stood on the front porch, leaning on the railing with both hands. Reno came up beside him and they were posturing—throwing off as much menace as they could at Lorenzo.
“Stay here,” Lorenzo said, getting out of the car.
He walked around and opened my door, holding something familiar in his hand.
“What’s that?” I asked, looking at a stick.
He crouched down and the wind blew some of his hair away from his face. “It’s the spear you used to take down the wolf. Everyone in my pack has talents, and there’s a woman who knows how to fashion things out of wood. She took off the spearhead, cut it down, and added this silver grip to the top. This is a walking cane, Ivy. Something I want you to be proud to use.”
Lorenzo tipped the cane toward me to admire. I had taken something of his that was once a useless weapon and turned it into an instrument of fear with a single strike to a rogue wolf. Lorenzo was honoring me by transforming this weapon into an instrument that would support me the way I had supported his pack. When I looked at the grip at the top, I realized it was in the shape of a wolf’s head—a fierce wolf baring his teeth, his ears flat.
“This is beautiful.” I turned it in my hand and admired it from top to bottom. “When did you have time to do this?”
“This was the pack’s gift to you. They presented it to me this morning for my approval. It’s a noble thing to save a life. Are you ready?”
I smiled wistfully and touched his face. “Ready as I’ll ever be. I’m sorry that i
t ends here, but you have my confidence. Everything we talked about in private will remain between us.”
Lorenzo helped me out of the car. “Your left side is weaker, so grip the cane with your right hand,” he suggested.
While Lorenzo shut the door, I walked ahead of him, learning how to use my new cane. It drew immediate attention from the men on the porch. Austin stood up and ran his fingers through his dark hair, his eyes on my leg. I was growing more confident about my walk, so I didn’t hesitate ascending the steps.
When I faced Austin, I looked up and waited for him to speak first. Lorenzo lingered halfway up the steps.
“Are you healed?” Austin asked, his blue eyes sharpening on my cane.
“Yes, but I’m not whole. If not for Mr. Church, I’d be dead.”
Austin glanced at Lorenzo and nodded once to show his gratitude. I gasped when he cupped his hands around my neck and kissed my forehead. “We’re glad you’re home safe, Ivy. Everyone’s been worried sick. Why don’t you go in and visit with them while I have a word with Church?”
“Is she here?” I heard Lexi yell out anxiously from inside the house.
The door opened and Lynn stepped out. She wrapped me in a warm embrace and kissed my temple. Lynn was a loving woman and we often sang together early in the morning while cooking breakfast. I’d bonded with her as if she were my own mother.
“Come inside and I’ll make you some hot tea.”
I regretfully took off Lorenzo’s coat and handed it to him without a word.
***
After Ivy went into the house, Lorenzo slipped on his leather coat and discreetly drew in a deep breath. It still smelled like her. Before they awoke that morning, when she was nestled closed beside him, Lorenzo had leaned in close, drawing in her scent, running his nose along her shoulder and then her hair. He’d needed to breathe her in—consume all that he could before she left him.
The sunshine warmed the chilly air, but it didn’t faze Austin in his sleeveless army-green shirt. They walked toward the tree Lorenzo had first seen Ivy swinging from and something about standing beneath it filled him with contentment. Reno followed behind and leaned against the trunk of the tree with his arms folded. He had on mirrored shades and a leather coat similar to his own.
Austin kicked up a clump of dirt. “Maybe you need to talk to me about what happened to Ivy.”
Lorenzo didn’t bother to shake away a few strands of long hair that tangled in front of his face. “Earlier that night, I sent one of my men to get information on the woman.”
“Oh?” Austin stepped forward, but Lorenzo held his ground.
“I thought he’d sniff around town or hack a computer. It’s my fault for not laying down the rules with him. He drove out this way and a few miles from my territory, struck a wolf. Ivy. He understands the severity of his actions and the consequences it could bring to the pack. Instead of leaving her to die, he brought her back so I could heal her. She won’t improve more than the woman you saw moments ago. She’ll walk with a limp and will struggle to keep up with the pack in wolf form. Her wolf has a tenacious spirit though and moves faster than I’d expected. But she’s still not a hundred percent.”
“And the man who struck her?” Reno bit out through clenched teeth.
“William Rush.”
Reno pushed off the tree. “Say again?”
“He’s my second-in-command and most trusted. He bleeds loyalty, and while you may not choose to believe it, sending him to you was a great honor.” Lorenzo flicked his glance back to Austin and lifted his chin. “And I want him to remain here a while longer. You have a rogue pack at your door and you need all the help you can get.”
“Maybe I can manage things just fine,” Austin said, voice rising with every word.
“Maybe so,” Lorenzo admitted. “But I spoke with Ivan. He said Fox runs with other animals, and my men spotted two panthers in our territory. He tried and failed to infiltrate my pack and take us down. He just doesn’t have the numbers to come after a pack of my size. But you…”
“Goddammit,” Reno whispered, turning around.
“I want to loan you my best man,” Lorenzo continued. “Has he been respectful and obedient?”
Austin lowered his chin and arched his brows. “I can’t complain. The house has taken a shine to William. I can’t say they’ll be bringing him cookies when they learn he was the one who almost killed Ivy. She’s important to this pack and loved. Lexi doesn’t realize it because she didn’t grow up with Shifters, but the rest of us can see Ivy’s an alpha female. She humbly takes a lower position within the pack to keep the peace, and I respect the hell out of that woman.”
Just hearing compliments showered on her filled Lorenzo with pride, and that made no sense. Ivy wasn’t his to feel proud of.
“Will you accept my offer of my second-in-command to help you out as compensation for what happened to your packmate?”
Austin rubbed his chin and turned to Reno, who was scoping the property. “Yeah, Church, I accept. We could use another skilled wolf. He seems pretty content with taking the position below Reno, so there’s no issue there. But you can bet I’m not going to tolerate insubordination. As long as he’s under my roof, then he damn well better follow my orders. I don’t want him trying to knock heads with Reno because he’s used to being the top dog.”
Lorenzo buried his laugh so Austin wouldn’t take offense. When Lorenzo had formed his pack, both Caleb and William were equally positioned for second. Lorenzo had purchased a BMW for the man who would be chosen, and when he parked the flashy car in the driveway, Caleb began working a little bit harder. That’s when Lorenzo sensed that material things motivated Caleb, while William worked harder for respect. It didn’t say anything bad about Caleb, but it tipped the scales in William’s favor. A Packmaster doesn’t disclose that kind of information, but no one is more observant than an alpha.
“William will be no problem, Cole. If he is, then let me know and I’ll handle it my way. Are we settled? You won’t come after me for further compensation or challenge William? Is this payment enough to make us even?”
Austin sighed noisily, his pale blue eyes darting back toward the house. “I’ll agree to that. Now that we’ve cleared the air on Ivy, tell me about the attack on your property. Prince called me this morning; word spreads fast.”
Lorenzo tucked his cold fingers in his pockets and widened his stance. “We took out three of his men—all wolves. That diminishes his numbers, although how many he still has remains to be seen. He’s using panthers as a distraction to spook the wolves. They didn’t attack, but it made all my men jumpy. I would advise you to keep everyone inside, especially the humans. If you need to leave, you should anticipate a roadblock.”
Reno opened his jacket and patted the gun strapped on the outside of his shirt. “I got a nine millimeter roadblock right here. How ’bout that?”
Reno and Austin favored one another in many ways. Same dark hair and features, but Reno was older, more experienced, and a wolf who knew about combat. Someone like him was a good asset in a pack.
“I’ll be inside,” Reno said, stalking toward the house in menacing strides.
Lorenzo stepped closer to Austin. “There’s something else you should know.”
“And what’s that?”
The words that followed burned like fire on his tongue. “Fox has a history with Ivy. Not the kind a girl wants to talk about. He raped her when she was sixteen.”
Austin’s face turned an ugly shade of red. Lorenzo took a step back when Austin bent forward with his hands on his knees as if he were going to be sick.
When he finally looked up, his eyes were dead. “Well, that changes the game.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, Cole. Your pack can’t afford to lose their Packmaster because you went chasing after him on your own. I’ve known you many years, and I remember the impulsive boy you once were. The one who couldn’t hold his temper and who looked for any reason to start a fight. Control y
our anger before it controls you.”
Austin shook his head. “Maybe I’m not like you, Church. Maybe hearing about a young girl being raped—one I care about—isn’t something I can talk about with such indifference.”
Lorenzo lunged and almost knocked him down. Austin shoved back and thrust out his chest, daring Lorenzo to take a swing. Lorenzo’s face tightened. “Don’t mistake my words for apathy. There are bigger matters at hand that need your focus. Ivy won’t go to battle with Fox. She just might surrender willingly.”
“Bullshit.”
“They had a child.”
Austin blanched.
“She was forced to give up the baby. Fox didn’t say it in so many words, but he threatened to kill him if she doesn’t heed his command.”
Lorenzo watched apprehensively while Austin rubbed his jaw, his eyes downcast. “Are you going to turn your back on that woman?”
Austin lifted his resolute eyes. “I don’t turn my back on family. And I sure as hell won’t let her walk into the arms of a man who violated her. Is that all the good news you have to share?”
“You can pass along the word to William that he’ll stay indefinitely until I give him further orders. But I want you to do me a favor, and this is something I’ll be in your debt for.”
Austin rubbed his hand across a few whiskers on his chin. “And what’s that?”
“Reno has connections. See if he can trace Ivy’s son. It’s your choice whether you tell Ivy or not, but we need to track him down before Fox does.”
“Yeah, I can do that. I’ll put that favor in my pocket and call on it another time. Jesus, I can’t process this.” Austin shook his head, collecting his thoughts. “But if the kid lives far away, that poses a problem. I can’t afford to send one of my men after him; that’s the kind of job that would require at least two. If Fox is smart, he’ll order his pack to weaken our defenses and continue with their attack. Tell me one thing.”
“Yes, I’m still more handsome than you,” Lorenzo said, completely deadpan.