Elias kept his senses open and aware, watching for any danger, but his gaze kept being drawn back to Sue. The jeans she wore were old and faded, and they clung to her curves in a way that made him want to howl. Her hips swayed with each step she took.
His mouth watered and he licked his lips. He’d love to have a taste of her.
He made himself look away. No matter what he might want, he could never have her. First off, she was totally human and he was a werewolf. Secondly, she was the mother of a young boy and he had two nephews he was responsible for. And finally, he hoped to make a home for himself and the boys here. The last thing he needed to do was muddy the waters with a relationship with a local, especially one who could never be anything more than a short-term affair.
The last put a damper on his ardor and he pulled his wolf back in check as they rounded a turn. The cottage was small but well kept. He could smell the remains of a barbecue and see toys scattered over the back porch.
“Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll get the cookies and coffee.”
Elias was impressed. She managed to be welcoming without actually allowing them into her home. Smart lady.
“Billy, you can come and help me.” She started up the steps and turned to Sage. “I have lemonade if you’d prefer that to coffee. Or milk.”
Sage sat in one of the chairs and smiled. “Milk would be great. Thanks.”
The tenderness in Sue’s expression made Elias lose his breath. “You’re welcome. What about Reece?”
“He likes milk too,” Sage informed her.
Elias almost chuckled at the surprise on Sue’s face. “Of course, he does,” she muttered as she herded her son inside. “I won’t be long.”
Keeping one eye on the door, he turned to his nephews. “We’re supposed to be laying low,” he reminded them. He kept his voice low so Sue couldn’t hear him. The kitchen window was open and she was talking with Billy, not paying them any attention.
Sage rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “Sorry about that. We’d just been cooped up so long. We only went for a short walk.”
Reece went to Sage and rested his head on his brother’s shoulder. Sage ran his fingers through Reece’s fur. Elias swallowed heavily. Seeing the two of them together like this, looking so sad and isolated, hit him hard. He wanted so much more for them.
“I get it. I do,” he repeated when both of them looked at him. “If things work out here, you’ll be able to get out more. Not be so contained.”
Reece’s ears twitched and Elias hurried up the back steps and opened the door just as Sue went to push it open. “Thank you.” She carried a tray balanced on one hand and kept the other hand on her son’s shoulder.
The ease with which she handled the tray told him she’d had some experience waitressing. She set it down easily on the patio table and distributed a glass of milk to Sage, a smaller one for her son, and two mugs of coffee. She had cream and sugar and a plate of oatmeal cookies on the tray as well.
“Be right back.” She hurried back into the house and retuned seconds later with a bowl, which she set down in front of Reece. “You sure milk is okay?”
Before either he or Sage could answer, Reece was there, lapping up the milk.
Sue laughed. “I guess it is okay.” She took the chair closest to the house and had Billy sit beside her. Cautious in spite of her generosity.
“How long are you camping for?” she asked. She added milk and sugar to her coffee before stirring it.
He picked up his mug and took a sip. The coffee was strong and flavorful. “Not sure yet. A few days at least. Maybe longer.”
“What brought you to Salvation? It’s not a likely tourist destination.” Elias barely hid his grin at the way she subtly pumped him for information.
“Someone I knew mentioned this might be a place we’d like.” He reached over and snagged a cookie off the plate. Sage had already eaten one and was on his second. Billy had taken a cookie but he wasn’t eating it. He was breaking it into smaller pieces and feeding it to Reece. Seemed the son was as courageous as his mother.
Sue nodded and fiddled with her spoon.
“This is a nice place,” he offered, trying to make conversation.
“It is.” Her gaze strayed to her son, but he wasn’t paying the conversation any attention. He was too caught up with feeding Reece. “I should warn you to be careful of wild animals.”
“We’re experienced campers,” he assured her. No way could he tell her they’d be okay because he was a wolf in human clothing, but he didn’t want her worrying.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, and Elias bit back a groan. He was very glad he was sitting down and the table was hiding his lap. No way she’d miss the bulge in the front of his jeans. He wanted to suck on that full bottom lip before sliding his tongue in to taste her sweet mouth.
Sue tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The small action was so feminine and unselfconscious. He wanted to run his fingers through the golden silk. He barely managed to keep from growling.
“It’s just that my friend was attacked by a wolf here almost two years ago.”
“What?” Elias sat forward and leaned his forearms on the table. “What happened?”
She glanced at her son again. Elias caught Sage’s eye and jerked his head to one side. The boy was smart and caught on immediately. “Hey, Billy. How about you show me your trucks? You’ve got some great ones.”
Her son nodded. “I know. Come see.” He pushed away from the table and hurried over to the pile of toy vehicles with Sage by his side. Reece followed behind and sat between Billy and the table. Elias knew he was trying to protect the boy from hearing whatever it was his mother had to say.
Elias’s chest swelled with pride. His nephews were turning into outstanding young men, even if they did try his patience at times.
He brought his attention back to Sue, but she wasn’t watching the boys, she was staring at his bare chest. With everything that had happened, he’d forgotten he wasn’t wearing a shirt. From the way her gaze trailed across his shoulders, he could tell she liked what she saw.
It was difficult, but he brought his focus back to their conversation. “What happened?” he repeated. He knew Billy might not be able to hear the conversation, but both Reece and Sage could, thanks to their werewolf genetics.
“Anny Conrad owns this house. I just rent it.” Sue took a sip of her coffee. He noted her hand shook slightly as she set the mug back on the table. “We were friends. Good friends.”
She stared off into the distance, her eyes fixing on a spot just where the path ended and the yard began. “Billy and I were living with my folks then. We were coming out for a visit and lunch. Anny didn’t answer when I knocked.”
She clenched her fists and her shoulders tensed. Elias knew whatever she was going to tell him wasn’t going to be good. “I left Billy in the car and came around to the back door.” She took a deep breath. “I found her lying on the ground. I thought she was dead. There was so much blood. She’d been mauled by an animal.”
Elias was unable to stand her distress without doing something about it. He shifted his seat closer, reached out and covered her hand. It was so much smaller than his own, but strong and capable. “Did she die?”
Sue shook her head. “She was alive. I called the sheriff’s office and they sent help.” Sue took a deep breath. “Anyway, it was touch and go for a while, and she actually died for a couple of minutes, according to the doctors. She had a horrible fever. They said it was from some kind of infection. She pulled through and then checked herself out of the hospital almost immediately.”
Sue shook her head. He hated the pain and bewilderment he heard in her voice and saw in her eyes. “She hadn’t been home a day when she disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” It was impossible to keep the sharp tone from his voice.
“She just up and left. She called a few times. Said she had to get away. I can understand it. They said she was attacked by a wild dog or wolf. Some said it was a cougar.”
“What did Anny say?” If it was a wolf that had attacked and left the woman for dead, was it part of the Salvation Pack? And if so, did he want his nephews anywhere near a pack that would do such a thing?
“That’s just it. She didn’t say much of anything. She quit her job, put her house up for sale and pretty much disappeared. The house didn’t sell right off, so she decided to start renting it instead, and it was available when I needed a place. She calls occasionally and emails, but it’s not the same.”
Sue had lost her friend that day. Elias knew what it was like to lose someone you loved. It never got easier. But Anny wasn’t dead. She’d simply walked away.
Anger welled inside him at this unknown woman even as he had empathy for her. “How did you come to be living here if the place holds such bad memories for you?” Elias found himself wanting to understand Sue.
She slid her hand out from under his. “I’m sorry. I’ve probably said more than I should. I just wanted to warn you against wild animal attacks. There’s been nothing since that day, but you need to be extra careful.”
Her past was none of his business. Got it loud and clear. That didn’t keep him from wanting to know more. “I can see why you were so upset when you stumbled on Billy with Reece.” That had to have brought back a ton of memories for her, none of them good.
She pressed her hands against her stomach. “God, for a minute, I was terrified the wolf that had attacked Anny was back.”
Reece padded over to her side and laid his head on Sue’s lap. He whined once and licked her hand. Sue gave a wobbly laugh and ran her hands over the wolf’s flanks. “I didn’t know you then, did I? You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
Reece gave her a wolf grin and then padded back to sit with Sage and Billy. Sage was keeping the young boy occupied with his toys.
“I’m sorry about that,” Elias told her. He hated the thought of her being so frightened. “So they don’t know for certain what kind of animal attacked your friend?” He hated to have to make her talk about it, but he needed all the information he could get.
Sue shook her head. “The authorities settled on a wild dog, as there aren’t any wolves around here. They hunted for days but found nothing. The consensus was it was a wild dog that moved on after the attack.”
“And yet you live here.” He really wanted to know more about her.
“I do.” She stood and started loading the mugs and glasses back onto the tray. “It’s past Billy’s bedtime,” she announced.
As much as Elias wanted to stay, he knew it was time to go. He stood and motioned to Sage. “Come on. It’s time we got back to camp.”
“Do you need a flashlight?” she asked.
Elias wanted to hug her. She was such a generous woman. “No, we’ll be fine.”
She hesitated and then hurried into the house. “Wait here.”
Sage stood and brushed off his jeans, and Billy had his face buried against Reece’s fur. Neither of the twins wanted to go any more than Elias did.
Sue returned with a plastic baggie filled with oatmeal cookies. She handed it to Sage. “Just in case you get hungry later tonight.”
Sage took the bag, his gaze solemn. “Thank you.” Before Elias knew what his nephew was about, Sage wrapped his arms around Sue and hugged her. She hesitated and then enfolded the boy in her arms.
Emotion speared through Elias. He wanted to laugh and cry, to howl at the injustice of life and drop to his knees in despair. He did none of those things.
“Come on. Let’s go.” He walked down the steps and waited until Sage and Reece joined him. Sue stood on the porch with Billy clinging to her leg. “Goodbye. It was nice to meet you both.”
“Goodbye,” she echoed. He hated that it sounded so final.
With Billy calling his goodbyes to Reece and Sage, Elias led his small pack down the path and into the woods.
Chapter Three
“What are we going to do?” Reece asked. His nephew, back in human form and wearing jeans and an old T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, sat next to the small fire they had lit and munched on one of Sue’s oatmeal cookies.
Elias snagged one out of the bag. At the rate they were disappearing, the cookies would be gone long before he and the boys turned in for the night. He chewed, enjoying the flavor of the treat before swallowing. Sue was a great baker.
He took a sip of the coffee he’d made over the fire. It wasn’t as good as what he’d had at Sue’s place, but it was coffee, and that was all that mattered.
“You two are going to lay low while I check out the Salvation Pack.” It was risky to go there alone. If the pack was hostile, he might not make it back alive. But there was no way he was taking his nephews anywhere near them until he’d determined if they were responsible for the attack on Sue’s friend.
“Do you think one of them attacked the woman who owns the house?” Sage asked. Elias wasn’t surprised he’d come to the same conclusion. Sage was quiet and saw and heard more than people realized.
“I don’t know, and that’s the problem.” Sticking to his policy of honesty when it came to his nephews, Elias elaborated, “If they’re responsible for attacking an innocent woman and leaving her for dead, they’re not the pack for us.” He believed it was the responsibility of the strong to protect those weaker. His brother had taught him that. Everett had raised his sons that way too.
Reece rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t like the idea of you going there alone.” He pinned Elias with a gaze so much like his father’s that it momentarily took Elias aback.
“I know you don’t.” Both boys were growing up with a protective streak. They were turning into men with principles and values that would serve them well. “But I won’t risk either of you. I promised your parents I would look after you, and I will.” This was not open for discussion.
“What if something happens?” Sage asked. The worry in his eyes hurt Elias. They should be normal young men, worried about school and girls, stretching their wings and testing their freedom. Instead, they’d been dealt more loss than a lot of folks ever experience. Their whole lives had been turned upside down.
“If something happens to me, you need to run.” He held up his hand before either of them could object. “That’s not a suggestion. It’s an order.” Reece’s mouth tightened, but he didn’t say anything. Sage turned away from the fire and stared into the darkness.
“You take the SUV and go. You have access to the safety deposit box I set up in Chicago. Go there, get everything out and use the fake IDs to start a new life somewhere else.”
He dumped the remains of his coffee on the small blaze. It sputtered and smoked before it finally died down, leaving them with only a few glowing coals. “But nothing will happen. Everything will be fine. If they’re not the right pack for us, we’ll just go somewhere else and start a new life together.”
“Couldn’t we do that instead?” Sage asked.
Elias had asked himself the same question a hundred times or more. “You’re safer in a pack,” he told them. “It’s not easy for wolves on their own.”
“You and Dad managed,” Reece pointed out.
“We did. We had your mother too. And then you two. But it was still hard.” Even though the fire was out, Elias could easily see both boys. The moon was shining bright in the sky and the stars glistened.
“Wolves are pack animals. It’s our nature to seek others of our kind. Plus, if you want to run, want to understand yourselves better, you need to spend time with other wolves.”
“Maybe it’s not in my nature,” Sage muttered.
“Doesn’t matter if you can’t shift,” Elias told him. “You’re a wolf through and through.”
“Yeah?”
The question and thread of hope in the boy’s tone almost broke Elias, and his voice was rough with emotion. “Yeah. You’ve got the speed, stamina and strength of any werewolf your age. Your vision and hearing are second to none. And you’ve got more. Maybe it’s because you can’t shift, but you’re very good at reading people, which gives you an edge in dealing with them. You’d be hell on wheels in the business world.”
“What about me?” Reece asked.
Elias chuckled. “Unfortunately, you’re more like me.” Both boys snickered. “You’re smart, but you don’t always stop and think before you act. That’s something you’ll have to work at.”
“Like you did.”
Elias nodded. “Yes, like I did. I was lucky. I had your father to help me. You have Sage and me. Now, it’s time to get some sleep.”
They all settled into their sleeping bags. Elias stacked his hands behind his head and stared up at the sky. He wondered what Sue was doing right about now. Was she asleep or was she lying awake in bed thinking about him? What did she wear to bed? Did she sleep naked? Doubtful with a young son to deal with, but a man could fantasize.
“Uncle Elias?”
“Yeah, Sage.”
“I really liked Sue and Billy.”
“Me too. But it’s probably better if we steer clear of them.”
“Why?” Reece asked. “They’re good people.”
“And it’s for that very reason we need to stay away. If the local pack was behind the attack, we don’t want to bring their attention toward Sue and her son. If we move here, you’re not going to be able to socialize much with them. Secrecy is everything with a pack.”
Reece huffed out a breath. “Sometimes being a werewolf sucks.”
“I know, son, I know.”
“Night,” Sage called and then turned onto his side.
Elias continued to look at the stars while he listened to the comforting sounds of the night. An owl hooted and some small animal scooted through the underbrush. Everything was normal and safe.
Wolf on a Mission: Salvation Pack, Book 6 Page 3