Michael carried in her pewter and pictures and stored them in a closet. While he went to feed the starving rabbits, she fixed a large lunch. Now that her morning nausea had passed, she was starved. Lunch was quiet and when they finished eating, she helped him to pack up his things.
While she packed his clothes in his suitcases, he gathered up all his important papers. Luckily, anything he might need soon from his safe deposit box, he had already retrieved before they had married.
"What about Koani?” she asked a while later. “You can't just leave her here, can you?"
"No. She may try to follow. Even if not, she wouldn't be safe. Summer is almost here and it would be only a matter of time before she was seen. She doesn't hunt well at her age and she would take chances and come too close to humans. I have a large cage for the rabbits. Somehow I have to get her in it. I want to take her back to Canada."
"Do you think you can get her in it?"
"I don't know, but I've got to try. I can't leave her here unprotected."
"Wait!” She ran outside to the van and rummaged through the trunk. “Yes!” he exclaimed, holding up a pill bottle triumphantly.
"What's that?” he asked.
"Tranquilizers,” she said. “When I drove up from New Orleans, the vet prescribed them for Jasmine in case she got anxious. But I never used them. Let's see,” she murmured to herself. “Right. One half tablet per five pounds. There are twenty tablets. How much do you think she weighs?"
"I'm not sure. About sixty or seventy pounds, I'd guess. “That should be enough.” He hugged her. “That's a great idea. I'll get some hamburger from the freezer and we'll mix it with that. Then I'll get the cage set up in the van. I better take along a few roasts in case she gets hungry."
Michael worked on the cage while Altheia defrosted the hamburger and mixed in the tranquilizers. Them she packed the roasts in the ice chest and carried them to the van.
Michael saw her coming and jumped up to take the chest from her. “I don't want you carrying this heavy stuff. I'll do it. You have to be careful."
"Heavens, Michael, it's not even thirty pounds."
"That's too much. You could hurt yourself. Or the baby,” he added softly.
"Michael,” she said exasperated. “You're going to spoil me. I'm not helpless. Having a baby is perfectly natural."
"But not mine,” he said simply. “And no offense, but even I know it's risky for a first time mother over thirty-five."
"Oh, so now I'm old, am I?” she asked with a grin.
Tugging her into his arms, he kissed her passionately. When her heart began to pound and he felt her grow pliant, he released her, his hands about her waist so she wouldn't fall. “Not too old for me,” he answered with a lecherous grin. Turning her gently, he pushed her toward the cabin and swatted her behind. “Stop distracting me or I'll never get finished."
Back inside, she decided to make sandwiches and finish up the bread. This way they wouldn't have to stop tonight for dinner.
When he was finished with the cage, he came in to carry out the rest of their things. She told him to eat first. She would clean up while he finished loading the van. They talked about New Orleans and what they wanted to do and see together when they got there. Altheia was beginning to believe everything was going to work out. No one would think to look for them there.
Michael sat there watching her finish her sandwich. His wife, he thought, his mate. And she was pregnant with his child. A masculine sense of pride surged through him. He hadn't realized how much he'd wanted ... no, he thought ... needed a family—a sense of continuity of life. Once he'd found his soul mate, he was no longer able to resist the need to procreate.
Whatever Nature had in mind when he had been conceived, he didn't know. But apparently she intended for his kind to continue. He almost wished he could be around in a few hundred years to see what evolution had in mind for those like him. Would they continue to evolve? Or would those abilities that made him different from humans fail to be passed on?
"Come here,” he said softly, holding out his hand.
She reached out her hand to him as she stood, and he drew her around the table to stand in front of him.
His hands dropped to her hips. “I want you,” he said huskily. He moved her to straddle him till her soft warm bottom was resting on his thighs. Slowly he slid her down his thighs till her heat was resting against his groin. He couldn't help but groan at the sensation. “Do you know what you do to me?” he muttered as his hands slid up to encircle her ripe breasts beneath her sweater. His eyes glazed over when she began to sensuously rock against him.
"I make you hard?” she whispered innocently as she arched her back.
"God, ‘Theia,” he groaned. Sliding his hands back to her bottom, he hauled her firmly up against his rampant erection. His head dropped and he captured her mouth with his, kissing her savagely. “I need you,” he growled. He stood, holding her pressed tightly against him. Her legs and arms instinctively wrapped around him as he carried her to their bed. Tumbling her onto it, he quickly divested himself of his clothes.
She had already removed her sweater. Her breasts tempted him, lush and inviting. She had lowered the zipper and was struggling to remove her tight jeans. Grabbing the cuffs, he effortlessly pulled them off in his haste. For a second he stood and looked at her, his desire showing stiff and proud in front of him.
He gently stroked the inside of her thigh and her legs parted in invitation. The fragrance of her desire permeated the air around him and he found it difficult to breathe. “Do you want me?” he asked gruffly.
"Yes,” she whimpered as she writhed before him.
Moving his fingers, he stroked the swollen tissue and slipped a finger into her honeyed warmth. “Hot,” he murmured as she gasped. “But not wet enough,” he whispered. Sliding his finger out, he grasped her legs and slowly pulled her to the edge of the bed till her feet touched the floor.
Stroking the inside of her thighs, he sank to his knees. In minutes she was screaming as he sent her over the edge in a paroxysm of ecstasy. With lightly stroking fingers and soft kisses to her abdomen, he soothed her. When her breathing steadied, he sat back.
"Do you still want me?” he asked again.
"Yes,” she whimpered. “Please?"
"But are you wet enough?” he wanted to know. She gasped as he again inserted a finger to check.
"God, yes, Michael,” she cried. “I need you now."
Michael couldn't wait any longer. “Turn over on your knees,” he growled as he stood up. When she didn't move swiftly though, he grabbed her and flipped her over, his hands firmly hauling her hips up to meet his. With a groan, he buried himself deep into her wet, welcoming heat.
She screamed in surprise and ecstasy and she met him stroke for stroke. He drove her into a delirium of lust. Spasms shook her body as she surrendered in orgasmic delight.
Michael gasped as her body clamped tightly around him in her passion. With a growl, he surrendered his control and gave himself up to the pleasure of joining his mate in a tumultuous release.
A while later, as they lay snuggled together in the waning throes of their passion, he stroked her belly gently. “Did you get what you wanted?” he asked softly.
"Mmmm...” she murmured. “Did you?"
"Any more, ‘Theia, and I'll have no energy left to pack the van,” he laughed.
"I don't believe that. I think you could do this all day and all night and still go out and run a marathon. And probably win,” she added.
"Not quite,” he chuckled as he sat up. Giving her a swat on her bottom, he said, “Come on, I want to leave here tonight."
He helped her dress, a project that took several minutes. Finally, she pushed him away and finished herself. He only pulled on a pair of sweat pants as he planned to go look for Koani as soon as they were packed. After making a call to Joe Hawk, letting him know what to do with the rabbits and about closing up the cabin, he grabbed a box and started for the door.
/>
Altheia opened the door for him. He passed through and stepped out onto the porch. His head shot up and he froze, Altheia running into his back. There was a strange man standing in the yard pointing a gun at him. Michael felt a sense of déjà vu. But this time the gun was real ... a .357 magnum. Altheia pushed against his back and then moved around him. He heedlessly dropped the box and tried to keep her behind him, but she was too quick. He felt her stiffen in shock when she saw the man.
"Eric?” she whispered.
His hands went to her shoulders. “You know him?” he asked in surprise.
His voice broke her paralysis and she looked up at him. “My husband,” she answered tonelessly.
His head jerked up to stare at the stranger. Her husband? He felt a growl begin in his chest. She was his mate!
The man smiled at them, but the gun never wavered. “I suggest neither of you move,” he said calmly. His eyes caught Altheia's. “Hi, Allie. Aren't you glad to see me?"
"You're dead,” she managed.
"I'm afraid the reports of my death were slightly premature, as you can clearly see. He grinned at her. “I see you didn't wait long to replace me.” He glanced briefly at Michael.
"Had I known you were into animals, my dear, I would have bought you a dog,” he laughed. “It would have proved entertaining."
Michael stiffened and his growl deepened at the insult and the implication. This was the other man! He moved to draw Altheia closer to his side and slightly behind him.
"Don't move!"
"I don't understand. I buried you,” Altheia stated in confusion.
"I wasn't driving ... too drunk. I let some guy I was drinking with drive. I was apparently thrown from the car and wandered off with a bump on the head. I woke up in a hospital three days later. I took a taxi home and saw you leaving for the funeral when I arrived. I followed you. When I realized what must have happened, I decided to stay dead."
"But why?” she cried.
His smile dropped. “I owed a lot of money. I was safer dead. But then I thought about the insurance policy I had just taken out on you. If you died, I could come back, claim the insurance and start over fresh. But you fucking moved even before my body was cold!"
Her eyes went wide in shock. “Our apartment!"
"Yeah, it would have been perfect. That heater was always leaking."
"And you hired that man to stalk me?"
He nodded. “But I see he was a fool. How did you get out anyway?” he asked genially.
"The combination,” Michael answered.
Eric glanced at him. “Brilliant. I wouldn't have thought you had it in you. You know you two aren't married, don't you? But since she'd rut with an animal, I suppose I could let you keep her."
Altheia stayed him with a hand to his arm. “Michael, no.” He looked at her, his expression shuttered.
"What do you want?” he asked as he looked back at Eric.
"You,” he said simply. “You're worth more than she'll ever be. Of course, they might give me something for her. I can't have her running around loose."
"They?” he questioned.
"The people I owe money to."
"How much do you owe, Eric,” she asked quietly.
He gave her a hard glance, “$137,000."
"I'll pay your debt,” Michael said quietly.
Eric laughed. “Right. You and my wife I suppose."
"The last man to laugh at my offer of money had his heart ripped out."
Eric stopped laughing, but the gun came up, firmly leveled at the middle of Michael's chest.
Michael didn't cower, but stood up straighter. “Do you really think that will stop me,” he asked as he nodded toward the gun.
Eric paled, but he stood his ground. “Jack's bullet stopped you that night."
"Are you sure I didn't let him go?"
Eric blinked.
"You were there, weren't you?” He had to be sure that he knew what he was, or what he thought he was. “You saw."
Eric paled further and nodded.
"Then unless you have a silver bullet...” he stated.
Eric stared at him for a second, then suddenly grinned. “I don't need one for her,” he said as he shifted the gun toward Altheia.
"Don't move!” he demanded as Michael shifted. “All right, enough old home week. Allie, come here. I want you to tie him up.” Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a couple of tie wraps and tossed them on the ground. He kept his gun trained on her as she moved toward the tie wraps and as she returned to Michael.
"Okay, tie his hands behind him. And don't try anything funny."
Michael stiffly put his hands behind him. If he could get her behind him, maybe he could shove her into the cabin out of Eric's range.
As she went around him, her eyes caught the butt of the shotgun leaning against the inside of the door frame. She had forgotten it. Maybe she could use it. Slowly she wrapped the tie around Michael's wrists. He squeezed her hand in reassurance, then suddenly tensed. Before he could stop her, she stood up and looked around his shoulder and gasped.
Koani was crouched at the edge of the woods, teeth bared, hackles raised, her tail straight out behind her, prepared to attack.
Eric looked toward the woods and saw the wolf as she began to move. Swinging the gun around, he raised it as Koani left the ground, leaping for his throat.
Michael's hands pulled free of the tie as he cried out in denial, “No!” He felt the change sweep through him as he heard the sharp report of the gun.
Altheia saw Michael shimmer as the gun went off, then saw Koani drop like a weight to the ground. White rage swept away all reason. She reached back and grabbed the shotgun, cocked it as she raised it to sight on Eric as he swung back toward Michael.
Wolf struggled free of the constricting clothes as the blast shattered the sudden quiet. Before he could reach him, Eric was dead on the ground.
Wolf vented a howl of frustration and walked stiff legged to the crumpled body of his pack mate. Whimpering, he nudged her lifeless body. Sitting back, he let out a mournful howl into the growing dusk.
Altheia dropped the shotgun and slowly walked down the steps and across the yard. Approaching the wolf slowly, she dropped to her knees. She wrapped her arms around him as tears fell silently from her eyes. After holding the shaking wolf for a few minutes, she felt him begin to change and her arms tightened.
Michael pulled from her arms to gather Koani to him. He couldn't stop the tears that seemed to rip from his soul. Even his father's death hadn't brought tears. Silently the tears fell as he rocked her body in his arms, unaware of her blood that streaked his naked chest.
Altheia let him mourn, but as the night fell, she reached a hand out to him. “Michael,” she said gently, “we have to call the police. But we can't do it like this."
He looked up at her. “What?” he asked, the sound of his voice reflecting his grief.
"We have to decide what to say. We have to call the police. And we can't tell them what happened."
"I don't think that's a good idea,” a voice came out of the darkness.
They both jerked around. There was still enough light to see another man holding a gun on them. Altheia groaned, “Not again."
Michael slowly lowered Koani's body to the ground, stood up and turned to face the new man. Carefully he reached down and pulled Altheia up next to him.
"Who are you?” he asked quietly.
"Well, let's just say I'd like to be friends.” The voice held the cultured sounds of the south. “I followed Eric, didn't trust him. Plus, I had to see for myself if you were real. But now, I'm not sure just what you really are. There's no full moon tonight,” he said as he glanced up at the starlit sky. He sat back calmly on the edge of the porch and observed them.
"In my experience, a werewolf can only change on a full moon,” he began. “So I wonder what that makes you.” He paused. “Dangerous,” he decided.
Silence fell between them again. “What do you plan to
do?” Michael asked.
"I don't know. Do you think we can trust each other?"
That seemed like a peculiar question to Michael. “Why would we trust each other?” he asked, suddenly wary.
The man seemed to weigh his answer, finally sighing as he came to a decision. “There are silver bullets in this gun,” he said quietly. “But I'd rather not use them anymore then I'd want them used on me."
Michael looked at him questionably. “That's why you can see,” he nodded to himself.
Altheia grabbed his arm. “What do you mean,” she questioned. It had gotten dark and she could barely see herself. Michael squeezed her hand in reassurance.
"Who are you?” he asked.
"Alexander DeMarco,” the man said as he lowered his gun and carefully put it away.
Michael's body tensed—DeMarco? He knew that name. The DeMarcos were one of the biggest crime families in New Orleans. That explained the accent. Altheia's hand tightened under his. She recognized the name also.
"Michael?” she questioned.
"It's all right ‘Theia."
"Don't I know you?” Alex asked. “Aren't you old man Lafayette's grandson?"
Michael started at the question. Not many people knew who he was.
"It's okay; we met about eight years ago at some charity function your grandfather hosted. You took me for four hundred that night at poker. Then you dropped out of sight."
"Grandfather disowned me when I wouldn't marry."
Alex nodded in understanding. “Yeah, my father's been pressuring me lately.” He glanced toward Altheia. “Is she?"
"No."
"But she knows."
Michael nodded.
"Aren't you afraid you'll hurt her?"
"She's my mate,” Michael said simply as he took her hand in his. He drew her in front of him and closed his arms around her. “I'd never let anyone harm her."
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