Wolver's Reward

by Jacqueline Rhoades

  No right? He was messing around with her daughter, an Alpha's daughter no less. Her husband was sick, maybe dying. She had people looking to her for comfort and assurance, but no one to give it back. She had every right to question a lone wolver who just happened to show up at what she might think was an opportune time.

  "I wasn't lying about Wolf's Head, but I was born a rogue. Don't ask me how because I don't know. I never knew my father and my mother never wanted me. That's why I don't have a name. She was gone before I was old enough to ask her what it was. I wasn't raised to be anything. I just grew. I was still a pup when the band became a pack," River told her.

  It wasn't a secret. It was what it was, and talking about it wouldn't make it any different. In the past, he only shared what he thought would help the others. They were young enough to change. He wasn't.

  "Don't be thinking that changed things or me," he warned her. "It didn't. A rogue band became a rogue pack. The only difference was having an Alpha to throw his weight around, but that didn't make much difference to me either. My life was shit, no matter who was in charge. I learned to survive. The things that I remember, I wish I could forget. Except for the Mates." He didn't ever want to forget them. "There were three, and not one of them came because they wanted to."

  It was River's turn to shake his head, but he couldn't shake away the pain or the anger that came with the memory. "I was just a pup, so I didn't understand what a Mate was, and it wasn't like there was anyone to tell me. But I was old enough to know some of what was going on. I heard their screams. I heard them begging, and little as I was, I wanted to tell them to stop. Stop crying. Don't make a sound. Don't show how much it hurts. Don't give them what they want. It only makes it worse." He should have told them. Maybe it would have helped. He'd never know.

  "There were other sounds, too. Ones I didn't understand at first." He looked up at the Mate. "You know, the Alpha's touch," he said, thinking that was an inoffensive way to explain the sounds of the arousal that came when an Alpha wanted sex with his Mate. It wasn't a secret at Wolf's Head, so he was surprised to see her blush. He hurried on. "Only afterwards, they always cried."

  Fuck, but he hated to hear them cry. It always sounded so hopeless and ashamed. It was worse than the screaming and begging. After a while they wouldn't cry anymore, and it felt like their silence was louder. It meant they'd given up.

  "Their lives were as shitty as mine, shittier," he corrected, "because I could hide and they couldn't, but no matter how bad it got, they always had a smile for me and the other unclaimed pups. They were the only ones who ever touched me and didn't hurt." River felt a hand against his cheek and realized it was his own, following the path of those long ago female fingers. He dropped his hand to his side and embarrassed, closed his eyes and finished.

  "And then I watched them die. One was killed, but looking back, I think she arranged it that way. The other two just faded away until there was nothing of them left. It was the only escape they had."

  She wanted the truth and so he gave it to her. "I wasn't saving you. I was avenging them."

  A Wolver shall not kill for murder or revenge. It was the Law, and he'd broken it, and he didn't care. His anger burned white hot while he waited in the silence for her condemnation.

  "Your Alpha's name suits you, River." Her voice was quiet and gentle. "You should keep it. Let his name be the reminder of who you are. You are a good man, a good wolver, and I thank you on behalf of those Mates."

  Where his had been rough and callused, the Mate's hand at his cheek was soft and tender. Like theirs. He pulled away and turned his head.

  "That's bullshit." He felt her wince at the word, but didn't care. That, too, was part of who he was.

  "Then I have raised a liar as well as a thief." She gave another of her low and throaty chuckles when his head snapped over and down to stare at her. "Oh, yes. Becky was distraught over her father's collapse. She thought her actions caused it. They didn't, of course, but she can be stubborn and refuse to hear reason. She burst into tears and sobbed out her story. I do apologize for the baseball bat and rock. She wasn't raised to be violent," she said as an aside.

  "She's a wolver, isn't she?" Violence was part of their nature. The Mate continued on her walk and he followed, adding, "And the rock was self-defense. She didn't know who I was."

  "She knows now, or thinks she does. She says you are a good man. You rescued her. You clothed her without regard for your own comfort. You sheltered her. You even bought her a loaded baked potato." This last was said with amusement.

  Having circled the field, River expected her to head back toward the motel, but the Mate wasn't finished. She continued on to the other side of the field, picking a few of the flowers as she went. She had a half dozen in her hand before she spoke again. "You did all that yet you demanded nothing in return. Why is that, River?"

  He shrugged. His smile was much like Darla's, wry and only turning up one side of his mouth. "All I wanted was my truck, ma'am."

  "Becky believes it's because you're an honorable wolver," she said and went on before River could object. "Our Becky is young and inexperienced, and I do not trust her instincts."

  That was what he got for being honest. The Mate had lured him in with her refined and delicate ways. She'd led him directly to the chopping block and had him kneeling in front of it before he even knew it was there. River felt the metaphorical ax rise above his head and waited for it to fall. It didn't.

  "But I do trust Darla's instincts, and she believes you're the man for the job."

  What the fuck? "What job?"

  The Mate took his arm again, bending it at the elbow to suit her required position. The hand holding the flowers covered the one encircling his forearm.

  "Roland needs a Champion and I need someone I can trust."

  Chapter 15

  River was feeling pretty good when he rounded the corner of the motel.

  The gig was a good one. All he had to do was escort the Alpha home and keep him protected along the way. Using the address he'd found in the van, River figured it to be about five hundred miles. You didn't have to read well to tally numbers in your head. The thousand dollars the Mate offered him would work out to two dollars a mile and she was willing to pay for gas and lodging, too. Not bad money for a couple of days on the road.

  If it was up to him, he'd make the run in one ten hour shot, maybe twelve if you counted on a couple of pit stops and a lunch break. "Five hundred miles in a day won't be that hard."

  Margaret, as the Mate insisted he call her, refused his suggestion out of hand.

  "Six hours a day will be more than enough. The pack isn't used to such long hours of travel and Roland will need the extra time to rest and recuperate."

  He didn't argue. For two days' work, it was still good money considering most of it would be spent sitting on his ass and the extra day, and night, he thought with a grin, came with a bonus. He'd get more time to play boyfriend to Reb.

  Anyway, the Mate was probably right. Two days would not only give the Alpha time to heal, it would put them past the third day of the full moon and past the immediate threat of a Challenge should anyone get the bright idea to try it.

  River wasn't really concerned with the members of the Alpha's pack. He saw no one with any fighting potential except Darla and, being female, she was out of the running. For the most part, the others looked out of shape and genuinely concerned for their Alpha's welfare. It was the new members that bothered him and the Mate was bothered by them too, though she voiced it in that funny way she had.

  "I'm concerned about the fidelity of our potential new members. I find their credibility to be somewhat in doubt."

  Yeah, He wasn't sure about the fidelity part, but he knew what credibility was, and he was worried, too. Eighteen members of Saint Dennis's pack were still unaccounted for and it was those that worried him the most. They owed no loyalty to anyone but themselves.

  Saint Dennis sounded too good to be true which meant
he probably was, which meant the joining of packs was a scam. If River was running the swindle, he'd make sure he brought his most innocent looking partners with him. He couldn't remember seeing the wolvers they'd lost, but he would bet they looked more like Ben and the cousins than like Scar. They could call themselves whatever they liked. They were still rogues and couldn't be trusted no matter what their intentions were and it wasn't only the Alpha who would need protection.

  There would be other challenges as well. In River's experience, rogues didn't challenge so much for position within the hierarchy of the pack as they did for power. And they wouldn't mind drawing blood or worse in the process. The rogue world was based on survival of the fittest which Ryker always said was a good thing.

  "Killing each other keeps their numbers down."

  River didn't give a shit if the rogues killed each other. It wasn't his business. It wasn't his fight. But until the Alpha was back on his feet and in familiar territory, the Sweet Valley pack was. He was being paid to make it his business.

  Scar didn't appear to be looking for trouble, but a good con artist never did, so River couldn't be sure. The two youngest were definitely not a threat. Big Ben was the big question mark. He was too damn interested in Reb, and didn't seem all that bothered that the Alpha might be at death's door.

  Nope, River didn't like Ben one bit and liked him even less after dropping the Mate off at the RV's door and turning back to the strip of rooms.

  The blond bastard was standing in front of River's room in a full frontal clutch with the Babe-in-the-woods. He had his arms around her, slowly rubbing her back and she wasn't looking like she minded one damn little bit. Her right cheek was pressed to the center of his chest with her hands flattened lightly against his pecs.

  As if to push away, those hands pressed a little harder once she saw River walking toward them. In contrast, Ben strengthened his embrace.

  River's jaw clenched so tight he thought his back teeth might crack. His hands curled into fists and his wolf surged so close to the surface, he thought it might emerge full blown in the broad light of day.

  Ben saw it too, but he only loosened his hold on the girl enough for her to step back. One of his hands stayed at her waist in a casual gesture that belied the bulging tension in his shoulders and his jeans. River marched past the two of them, unlocked the door, and held it open.

  Reb looked from one to the other with a mixture of worry and fear. "River, what's wrong? What did mother…?"

  "Inside," he growled through his still clenched teeth. Reb ducked past him and into the room. Ben made a move to follow. "Not you. Tell your friends I'll be down in a little while to talk."

  He slammed the door without waiting for a response and then laid his head against the framed Rules of the Establishment that hung on the inside of the door.

  "What's wrong?" Reb asked again. The fear was gone, leaving only concern. "Why are you acting this way?"

  River heard her through the haze of his anger. He had to get it under control and so, with deep breaths, he started to count to ten. He only made it to five when the glass in the frame cracked along with his resolve. He turned to her, eyes blazing.

  "What the fuck was that?"

  "What was what? And please don't use that word. It isn't very nice."

  "Good, because I'm not feeling very nice, and I'm talking about the cuddly clutch with the clock tower, that's what."

  "Clock tower?"

  Did she have to repeat everything he said? "Yeah, Big Ben. He can't bong the hour like the real one does, but you can bet your sweet little ass he can bang, and he's looking to bang you."

  "That's crude." With an indignant 'hmph', she put her fists to her hips.

  "I'm crude. Get used to it."

  "You're not. You're angry, and I don't understand why. We weren't doing anything wrong."

  "The hell you weren't." It was wrong on a number of levels, but River only chose one. "You stay away from him."

  "So you're acting on my father's behalf? Because you don't need to, you know. That's not what a Champion is."

  "Thanks for the lesson, Babe, but I already know what it is and if I didn't, your mother explained it pretty clearly, and it's got nothing to do with this. Neither does Daddy. This is about me. And you."

  Reb's eyes widened and she almost smiled, which didn't do a damn thing to settle what was growing inside him.

  "You're jealous," she said, sounding pleased with the idea.

  "Jealous? Not a fucking chance," he snarled. He needed to knock that stupid idea right out of her pretty little head and fast.

  He'd never been jealous of anything in this whole damn life. For that, he'd have to care about something and he didn't let himself care about much of anything except his reputation.

  "I told you I wouldn't be used unless I knew what it was for. You're the one who came up with the boyfriend routine and I agreed." He lowered his head and his voice and stalked forward. Reb took a step back. River continued. "Your rules didn't include making me look like a fool." He kept moving forward and that kept her moving back.

  She licked her lips nervously. "I didn't..."

  The backs of her knees hit the faux bamboo edge of the chair in the corner and she sat, falling back against the palm treed cushion behind her. River gripped the arms of the chair and loomed over her.

  "You did." He brought his face in close to hers. "I don't know what game you think you're playing, little girl, but I don't like it."

  Reb's eyes were wide and nervously locked with his. He kept them there, staring her down until his point was made. She blinked and lowered her lashes, which was enough to show that she understood. River began to ease away, ready to let her up, but she had to go and ruin his intent by wetting her lips again before she spoke. Her mouth closed and opened around the word like a kiss.

  "But..."

  River's head came down, tilting to the side as he captured her mouth with his. It wasn't his plan, but once his lips were locked onto hers, there was no going back. He felt her body tense and knew he should release her, but his body refused to obey.

  In contrast to the cool, clean, crispness of her scent, her lips were warm and soft beneath his. There was that honeyed sweetness again that became all the sweeter when her hands touched his chest and her fingers played upward over the muscles of his shoulders. He deepened the kiss, drawing her tongue to his.

  All hesitancy gone, she followed him willingly, teasing him with her tongue and playfully showering his cheeks and eyes with kisses. He nuzzled her neck and nibbled at the place he'd discovered behind her ear that sent a shiver of desire through her body and into his.

  "Mmmm."

  The feel of her pleasure vibrating against his lips drove away all but the last ounce of his control. He used it to ask, "Are you sure you want this?"

  He pressed his hand lightly over her breast and was only mildly surprised when she pressed back.

  "Why? Don't I seem interested?" she asked with a slight lift of her brows.

  River drew in air through his nose, exaggerating the display to make sure she understood. "You're interested."

  She shrugged and laughed, a deep throated laugh that sent his already hardened cock straining against the confines of his jeans.

  "Maybe it's only the moon."

  Her comment made him hesitate, but only for a second. So what if it was only the moon that made his body ache for want of her? So what if it was only the moon that made her want him? This is what wolvers did.

  "Maybe it is? Does it matter?" he asked as he leaned further in to be closer to her lips.

  She shrugged again, but this time lowered her eyes almost shyly. "Probably, but not to me."

  That's what he needed to hear. River brought his lips to hers in a kiss much softer than his body wanted and decided he liked the taste of her even more than her scent. Her tiny tongue darted out in invitation, and he accepted it by capturing her mouth and invading it with his tongue.

  Bracing himself above h
er with one forearm on the chair, his fingers worked at freeing the tiny buttons of her blouse. Their awkward positions in the chair made it damn near impossible and his normally nimble fingers had suddenly become all thumbs. He growled in frustration.

  Reb's breathy laughter made it even worse. "Need some help?"

  "No," he barked out, which made her laugh again.

  The last time he'd fumbled this badly was when he fell over his own four feet his first time going over the moon. That was normal. This wasn't. He was good at this. He was smooth. He'd heard the whispers of the females as they watched him saunter past. Some sighed, some speculated, and some shared. He was never alone when he came home from going over the moon.

  Giving pleasure to a female was something he enjoyed. Feeling their bodies writhing beneath his touch gave him the same sense of power and control that he got from speeding along the highway on his bike. Women thought he was giving and they were pleased by it, but they were wrong. He didn't give. He took. So what was wrong with him now?

  His wolf thought this was howlingly funny. It rolled to its back, feet kicking in the air to express its amusement.

  "Fuck it," River muttered and stood. He took Reb's hand and pulled her to her feet.

  "Fudge," she whispered as he brought her body against his.

  "Whatever."

  He growled and she giggled and he caught the sound with his kiss. While his mouth occupied hers, his hands roamed under the tiny-buttoned shirt. Her skin was like silk. Everything about her was silk; skin, hair, lips, and tongue. Even her lashes had a silky sheen. He held her sides and ran his thumbs over the ridges of her ribs then slid his hands around to her back and traced the line of her spine with the tips of his fingers. When their journey was halted by the band of her bra, he searched for the clasp and smiled when he found it where he thought it should be. He felt the slight hitch in her breath when the sides of the band fell free. He smiled at that, too.