“Then why go after Cherise and her mother?” Gator began to tap his toe against the plank floor of the deck. “Why risk killing two wolves who are basically no longer members of your pack?”
Armand snorted and touched the scars that dominated the left side of his face. “You really need to ask that question?”
“Armand is right.” Cole wished he weren’t but knew his friend was correct. “We know that wolves often make decisions that make no sense. Why doesn’t Pierre LaForge leave us the hell alone? Sometimes folks don’t know when to let go of something or someone.” And he wished the hell they would. There was no way he could rest until he knew for certain Cherise would be safe from her former pack.
And it wasn’t just Cherise’s safety he was concerned with. They had other women here who needed protecting. Although he wasn’t stupid enough to say that around Gwen or Anny. Gwen would probably kick his ass. And while Anny looked all sweet and gentle, Cole knew she had a core of steel for a backbone.
But they couldn’t have male werewolves wandering around their land. Wolves were very territorial. Add in the human instinct to protect as well, and it was a dangerous situation all the way around. For all of them.
“But you know exactly where they’re living?” Cole asked.
Armand nodded. “I texted you the directions and the layout of their land. From what I’ve been able to piece together through land records and old newspapers, they’ve built up quite an extensive community over the years.”
Gator stopped tapping his toe and went very still. Never a good sign. The male had an abundance of energy, which left him in perpetual motion, unless he was hunting or deadly serious about something. Then he went completely still. “You’re not thinking about paying them folks a visit now, are you, mon ami? ’Cause that would be downright dumb.”
“You know me better than that,” Cole answered, neither confirming nor denying Gator’s accusation. “I just want information. I want to know how many males are in that pack, how many we can expect to pay us a visit.”
Gator stared at him for a long time, his piercing blue eyes boring into Cole.
Cole shrugged and turned his attention back to Armand. “How much longer until you have a complete list of who lives there?”
“It’s not as easy as you think. With werewolves having the potential of living up to two hundred years, the birth and death records aren’t always accurate, but I’m working on it.”
Gator started tapping his toe again and Cole slowly released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His friend knew him too well. Cole wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to do yet, but he knew he couldn’t let the threat to Cherise go unchallenged. The need to protect his mate at all cost overrode most of his common sense.
Still, he wasn’t stupid, wasn’t about to go off half-cocked like some young pup. He’d wait until Armand gathered a bit more information. But he couldn’t wait much longer. The clock was ticking, and Cole’s instincts warned him that time was running out.
A high-pitched howl pierced the air and Cole surged to his feet, his heart pounding. That was Cherise. She was supposed to be at the alpha’s house with the other women. He jumped, easily clearing the porch rail and landing lightly on his feet, and raced toward the woods. Armand and Gator were right behind him.
What had happened? He’d left her with Anny and Gwen just after lunch. And Louis had promised to stick close.
If anything happened to her—no, he couldn’t finish the thought.
Cole had almost reached the tree line when Cherise bolted out of the woods with Louis right behind her. His gaze flew to her face. Was she all right? Was she hurt? He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against his chest. He hugged her and then thrust her back so he could have a better look at her.
She didn’t seem to be bleeding anywhere. “What happened? What’s wrong?” Gator and Armand had taken up defensive positions beside him.
“Nothing.” Cherise was slightly out of breath. She had better stamina than a human, but not quite that of a werewolf, falling somewhere in between. “I just missed you and wanted to be with you.”
Cole stared down at her in disbelief. She’d taken at least ten years off his life when she’d howled. He swallowed hard, feeling the loss of her wolf keenly in that moment. He’d give almost anything to be able to shift and run freely with her through the forest, the two of them in their wolf form.
But that was never to be. And he’d take Cherise any way he could get her. She’d become as vital to him as fresh air and food. More so.
He didn’t know whether to kiss her or shake her for scaring him senseless. He struggled and swore, knowing he’d lost the fight before it even began. He pulled her against his chest and slammed his mouth down on hers.
She sucked in a breath. He knew he’d surprised her. Hell, he knew he had to be shocking his friends. He was Mr. Control, except around Cherise.
She made a small sound in the back of her throat and then she was kissing him back. She went up onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and held nothing back. Her tongue surged into his mouth, warm and inviting.
His cock grew thick and hard almost immediately. Cole lifted her right off her feet and banded one arm under her butt, pulling her snug against him.
Louis laughed. “I’m outta here. I don’t think I need to keep an eye on Cherise any longer.”
Cole broke away from Cherise. It wasn’t nearly as easy as it should be, but he wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassed. “Thanks for looking out for her, man.”
Louis waved off his thanks. “You know you don’t even have to ask.”
And that’s what true friendship was all about. Cole knew he’d never have to ask one of his friends or his alpha to look out for Cherise. They simply would.
Armand slapped him on the back. “I’m going to head over to see what Anny is cooking up.” He dropped a quick kiss on Cherise’s cheek and sniffed her neck. “I smell cinnamon.” The friendly gesture made her cheeks turn red. Cole growled menacingly, but Armand only laughed.
Cole slowly set Cherise on her feet and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Something had sent her running to him, but he had no idea what it was.
She nodded and glanced away, a sure sign she wasn’t telling him everything. The wolf inside him could sense her holding back. The man found it totally frustrating, even as he knew he was asking a lot of her in wanting her absolute trust. How could he fix what was wrong if she wouldn’t tell him what was bothering her?
“I’ll be around if you need me.”
Gator had gone so still and quiet, Cole had almost forgotten he was still there. “Thanks.”
“You don’t need to leave on my account.” Cherise frowned at Gator and then back at Cole. “I didn’t mean to run everyone off.”
Gator smiled. “You didn’t. I’m just going to stretch my legs and take a run. Work off some of the excess energy I’ve got penned up. Supper in an hour,” he warned them as he walked between two tall pine trees. The woods swallowed him up, leaving Cole and Cherise alone.
Cole knew Cherise didn’t want to deal with the future, but he couldn’t put it off any longer. He took her by the hand and they walked in silence. Usually, he would have enjoyed walking in the woods with her. Today he was too tense to relax.
Cherise glanced at him several times but never spoke. Cole led her up the porch steps. He sat in one of the comfortable wooden chairs he’d built and pulled her onto his lap.
“We need to talk.”
Cherise’s spine stiffened and the urge to bolt was overwhelming, but she kept her seat. He was right. It was time they talked. Past time. She’d owed Cole that much. He’d been so good to her. So patient.
She wanted to do nothing more than rest her head on his shoulder and snuggle against his chest. He was so warm and solid.
But he deserved more than a woman who depended on him to fight her battles. He deserved a woman who could stand on her ow
n two feet. One who didn’t come with a death threat hanging over her head.
He frowned, giving his face a severe appearance. But she knew him well now and could never fear him no matter how menacing he might look. His shaggy blond hair fell around his shoulders and his eyes seemed even more intense than usual.
“Cole,” she began, wondering if she could put him off yet again, but he shook his head.
“No, Cherise. I’ve let this go long enough.” He loosely wrapped his arms around her waist, as if he was afraid she might try to make a run for it. He wasn’t wrong. If she thought she could make it, she would run.
One minute she wanted to run to him. The next she wanted to flee. The two conflicting urges were driving her crazy.
“All right.” It was time to hear him out. Then he’d have to listen to her concerns as well. “Talk.”
Cole brushed his fingers over the side of her face. So careful. Always so gentle with her, except at certain times when they were making love. Then he was a little rough on purpose. He knew she loved it when he let go of some of his control.
She shivered and his fingers stilled on her cheek. She knew he could smell her arousal. He growled low and started to kiss her but then pulled back.
“No. I won’t be distracted again.”
“I’m not doing it on purpose. It’s all your fault anyway,” she argued.
“My fault? How the hell do you figure that?” His forehead furrowed, bringing his dark brows low.
“You’re too damn sexy.”
His eyes widened. “I’m what?” His skeptical tone told he didn’t quite believe her.
Cherise poked him in the chest. He was wearing a thin black T-shirt—the man owned about a dozen of them—but it clung to him like a second skin, showing off his muscled abs and broad shoulders. “You. Are. Sexy.” She said each word slowly, punctuating each one with a poke to his chest.
“How can I be expected to simply sit here and talk when you smell so damn good and you feel even better?” She stroked his chest, dragging her hands lower.
He swore, caught her hands and held them still. “Enough of that. We’re going to talk if it kills us.”
He stood with her in his arms and deposited her back into the chair. She shivered at the loss of his heat and pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Cole crouched in front of her and placed his hands on the arms of the chair, effectively blocking her in.
“You’re a werewolf, not a human. You understand our customs and ways.”
She nodded. God, she wanted to run but knew she couldn’t. She was going to hurt this man before this conversation was done, and that was the very last thing she wanted to do.
Cole rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and released a long, low sigh. “Listen, Cherise. You know what you are to me, what I am to you.” He touched her knee. “We’re mates. It’s not that I simply find you attractive and want you in my bed. That’s part of it, but it’s so much more.”
“Cole.”
“No, Cherise. You can’t hide from the truth any longer. I know you’re scared, but this is bigger than your fears.” He pried one of her hands away from the death grip she had on her legs and brought it to his mouth. He tenderly kissed her fingers. “You’re my mate, the one who makes me feel whole.”
“But I’m not whole,” she blurted out. “I’m not a werewolf, not really. I mean, what werewolf can’t shift into a wolf?” All her insecurities came surging forward. She felt inadequate, like a fraud.
“Don’t you ever say that.” The harsh retort made all the small hairs on her arms rise. She felt like a rabbit facing a rabid wolf, but she still wasn’t truly afraid of him, knew his anger was on her behalf.
“It’s true.” If he was going to be honest with her, then he’d have to take the same from her. “You might not like it, but you can’t change the facts.”
“Werewolf, human or somewhere in between. I don’t care.” Cole knelt on the deck and pulled her knees down before tugging her close. His chest brushed against hers and his breath fanned over her skin. “You’re it for me.”
“You can’t know that.” What she was really afraid of was believing Cole, believing they could have a chance and then him changing his mind somewhere down the road. “I’ll never be able to shift and run with you.”
“You can run with me in your human form. Maybe not as fast and as long, but you have the stamina of a wolf.”
“A weak wolf.” Cherise was under no misconceptions about herself. She’d long ago come to terms with who and what she was. “Yes, my senses are as keen as any wolf. I’m stronger than a human and have more endurance, but I’m not as strong or as fast as I would be as a full werewolf.”
“Tell me about the fever you had when you were a child.”
Cole’s abrupt change in subject startled her. “What do you want to know?”
“When it started. How long it lasted. All of it.” Everything about Cole was intense, from the rigidity of his body to the darker green of his eyes. She leaned back to get a bit of space.
“I was seven years old, and I have no idea how I got sick. It seemed that one day I was well and the next I wasn’t.”
Cole nodded in understanding. Werewolves simply didn’t catch human diseases.
“My parents were frantic. No one quite knew how to treat the fever I had. It raged for five days straight. I don’t remember much. I was out of it a lot.”
“That must have been frightening.” He rubbed his hands down her arms, trying to comfort her. Cherise soaked in his concern. She loved how he was constantly touching her, small gestures that meant so much to her when she’d known so little of it in her lifetime.
She placed a hand over one of his. He turned it so his fingers brushed against hers before he laced them together.
Cherise swallowed hard. “More for my parents than for me. Like I said, I don’t remember much. My mama told me later that they tried everything. Everyone thought I was going to die.”
His grip tightened, almost becoming painful. She wiggled her fingers slightly and he eased up his hold. Cole brought her hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle. “I’m sorry.”
Heat radiated from his touch, up her arm and over her entire body. His physical touch and emotional caring meant so much to her.
“The pack was shocked when I woke one morning and was fine. They all kept their distance for a while. I guess they wanted to make sure I wasn’t contagious or anything.”
“They kept their pups away too, didn’t they?”
Cherise nodded. “Of course they did. I understood.” Or she did now. As a child, all she’d felt was hurt and sadness. “As time went on, everyone kind of forgot about it until I reached my teens and discovered I couldn’t shift.”
“You’re sure it was the fever that caused it?” She knew what Cole was trying to do, but she couldn’t give him false hope.
“Yes. The fever killed my wolf. She wasn’t old enough or strong enough to fight against it and save me too.” Cherise told him something she’d never told another living person, not even her mama. “I wouldn’t have survived without my wolf. She knew I was dying and she gave me her strength, sacrificing herself to save me.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. Cole reached out and caught it on the tip of his finger. He looked so sad.
She turned away, not wanting to see his disappointment. Her heart ached for what might have been.
Cole eased her face back around until she had no choice but to look at him. “I’m glad.”
She was so shocked by his statement, her mouth fell open. “What?”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m sorry your wolf died, that you’ll never have the pleasure of merging with her, of letting her run free. But if you died she was dead anyway. She gave her life for you.”
Cole pulled her out of the chair and into his lap. He banded his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. His heart beat strong and solid beneath her ear. His heat surrounded her like a blanket,
warm and comforting.
He tilted her head back and she met his gaze. His eyes burned with passion and regret, with caring and need. She couldn’t say love. Wouldn’t say it. Not until she knew her being with him wouldn’t bring more hardship down on him and his pack. She loved him too much not to protect him.
She loved him.
There was no more denying it from herself. He held her heart in his hands. Never had she thought she would meet a man who would know everything about her and love her anyway. A human would never understand her or her world. A werewolf would find her defective and shun her as a potential mate. But not Cole. He accepted her as she was, understanding just how devastating the loss of her wolf had been.
“Tell me about her, about your wolf.”
At first, she was confused by his request. No one had ever asked her about her wolf. Cherise closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “She was small with black and gray fur and gray eyes. I thought she was the most beautiful wolf in the world.”
Cole kissed her forehead. “She was. She gave you to me.”
Cherise felt the hard nudge of his erection against her hip and knew he was aroused. But Cole made no move to satisfy his lust. Most werewolves were primal and had a high sex drive. Cole was no different than any other male of their species in that regard. But he put her needs ahead of his own. It was another reason for her to love him.
“I wish I could have embraced her just once.” It was one of her biggest regrets that she’d never know what it was like to run as a wolf, to fully inhabit that other part of herself. It had left a void inside her that nothing had filled until she’d met Cole.
He couldn’t replace her wolf. Nothing could. But he lessened the aching loss and made it more of a dull aching regret rather than an open wound.
“Oh, Cole.” Leaving him would be worse than losing her wolf. She’d recovered from that, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever recover from losing him.
She loved him and she was going to lie to him. There was no other way she’d be able to leave. He watched her too intently. They all did. Somehow, she had to find a way out from under the watchful eye of the pack. She had to return to her former home and confront them once and for all.
Wolf on the Run: Salvation Pack, Book 3 Page 13