All that could change tomorrow after he made contact with the Salvation Pack. For the millionth time, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Maybe he should just take his nephews and start a new life somewhere else. Just the three of them.
Then Elias remembered the conversations he’d had with Everett and Marcie. They’d wanted more for their sons. Wanted them to have the opportunities that came from being part of a pack. Marcie had never known what that was like, but she’d heard stories from both Everett and Elias. Pack life had its drawbacks, to be sure, but the camaraderie, the feeling of being among your own kind, of running wild in the woods with the pack was something the boys had never had. And only a pack could give that to them.
And they weren’t stuck here. Elias knew how to disappear. If the boys decided they didn’t like pack life, he’d whisk them away and take them somewhere they could start over.
Decision made, he relaxed. His thoughts immediately returned to Sue Walsh. She looked soft and gentle, but there was a core of steel in her as well. The way she’d protected her son and put herself in front of Sage would stay in his memory forever. She was also no stranger to hard work. That was obvious from the way she’d one-handed the tray.
His cock swelled as he wondered what she’d look like naked. She had a woman’s curves. His fingers automatically curled inward. Her hips were curved and her butt was firm and full. Not to mention her breasts.
No, he wouldn’t think about them. His skin already felt too tight as it was. His cock throbbed and his balls were trying to climb up into his body. He couldn’t exactly roll out of his sleeping bag, wander off and take care of the problem. Not with his nephews sleeping right alongside him. They’d wake the second he tried to leave.
If they found out why he was leaving, they’d never let him live it down.
He was stuck here.
He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. His wolf chuffed, wanting to run. He clamped down hard on the animal side of his nature. It wasn’t the right time or place.
But hopefully, he’d soon be able to run wild. His nephews weren’t the only ones who needed that freedom.
* * * * *
Sue lay in bed and stared up at the dark ceiling. It had taken quite a while for Billy to fall asleep. He couldn’t stop talking about Sage and his wolf. She, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking about the boy’s uncle.
“Enough,” she muttered. She turned on her side and punched her pillow before settling down again. Morning came early and she had to be at work by six.
As much as she wanted to sleep, she was wide awake. Billy had finally drifted off around nine, but it was almost eleven and she was still up.
Today had been a roller coaster ride, starting with the call from her lawyer. She still couldn’t believe that William wanted custody of Billy. He’d never changed a diaper, never fed his son or walked the floors with him when he was teething. No, he’d walked away from Billy with barely a glance over his shoulder. While Sue could forgive him for leaving her, she couldn’t forgive him for the way he’d treated his son.
God knows, she’d tried to make up for the lack of a father figure in her son’s life. Her father had stepped into the void, spending a lot of time with Billy. But now he was gone as well.
A lone tear slid down her cheek and plopped onto the pillow. She swiped at her face, angry with herself for giving in to the sadness. She was bone-tired, but it was more of an exhaustion of the spirit. There had been so much loss and change in the past two years. And now this. Just when she was starting to get her feet back under her.
Her parents’ estate had been settled and all the debts paid. What little that remained had gone into starting their new life. Her ex was never going to be able to get his hands on the trust for Billy’s education. Her parents had seen to that.
She rolled onto her back again and sighed. The rate things were going, she’d be getting up for work before she’d slept a wink.
She forced herself to take a deep breath and then another. “Think of something else,” she ordered herself.
Elias Gallagher popped into her head, and her entire body clenched. Not exactly a relaxing thought, rather one guaranteed to get a woman’s blood pumping. She’d steered clear of men since her divorce. Oh, she’d tried dating a few times, some nice men too, including Sam Owens who owned the gas station, but it hadn’t worked out.
Sue had a son to raise and little time for anything else. The last few years had slid by in a blur of hard work, responsibilities and commitments.
She pulled her thoughts away from the dark abyss of loss and focused on Elias. She might not be interested in a relationship, but she wasn’t dead. Elias would conjure hot fantasies in any woman.
Tall with broad shoulders and tanned skin, he looked like he belonged on the cover of some outdoor adventure magazine, the kind with the rugged males who scaled mountains with nothing more than their bare hands and sheer nerve.
His jeans had clung to strong thighs and a tight butt. A bead of sweat rolled across her collarbone and she kicked aside the light sheet covering her. The August night was suddenly a lot hotter.
She was wearing a light cotton nightgown with thin straps. The damp fabric clung to her like a second skin. She plucked at it, hoping to find some relief from the heat. Instead, the brush of thin cotton over her breasts made her nipples tighten.
Sue gasped and then moaned. How long had it been since she’d felt arousal of any kind? Probably since before Billy was born. More than five years. As inconvenient as her attraction to the handsome stranger was, it was nice to know she was still capable of having such feelings.
Her body had been in deep freeze for over five years.
All it had taken was Elias Gallagher to start the thaw.
The ache between her legs deepened. God, it had been so long since a man had touched her. Billy’s father had kept his distance once she’d started to show in her pregnancy. That should have been her first sign that something was wrong in their marriage. But she’d been young and in love and had believed William when he’d told her he was just being considerate, hadn’t wanted to risk hurting her or the baby.
Sue snorted. Yeah, right. More like he’d already been sleeping with another woman. But she had Billy, and she wouldn’t change that for anything.
Her thoughts drifted to Sage. Now there was an interesting young man. She pegged his age at anywhere between sixteen and nineteen. It was hard to tell, as he was solemn and self-contained. He’d seemed so much older when she’d first laid eyes on him. Some of it was his size. He had to be six feet tall and showed all the signs that someday he’d fill out to be as large as Elias.
She wondered where his parents were and why it was his uncle who’d taken him camping. Maybe Elias was giving the kid’s parents a break. But Sue thought there was something more to it than that. There was a sadness surrounding Sage that made her want to hug him.
“Not your business,” she reminded herself. Yes, they’d crossed paths tonight, but they were probably only in the area for a few days. The likelihood she’d see either of them again was low.
Unless they stopped at the diner for a meal. She ignored the sly voice in the back of her head.
It was probably better if they steered clear of town, especially with a wolf for a pet. All the locals remembered the attack on Anny, and it wouldn’t take much to have the hunters out in the woods again, shooting at anything that moved. There had been problems with some men hunting out of season. It always happened whenever anyone saw a large dog or what they thought was a wolf.
Sue didn’t want anything to happen to Reece. She still couldn’t believe how tame and gentle the large animal was with Billy. Sue could foresee a newfound interest in wolves from her son. He’d been totally enthralled with the large creature.
Which just went to prove her earlier theory—Billy needed a pet. Something he could bon
d with. And while a dog was out due to her work situation, maybe she could get him interested in the idea of a cat.
Sue snorted. Yeah, like that was going to happen now. The idea of a pet would have to wait until the memory of Reece faded away. Such a strange name for a pet wolf, but it somehow seemed to suit him.
Giving up on the idea of sleep for the moment, she rolled out of bed. It was so warm she didn’t bother with a robe or slippers. On bare feet, she padded out of the room, stopping long enough to check on Billy. Her son was sprawled across the bed on his stomach with both his arms and legs stretched out. For such a small guy, he took up a lot of real estate in bed.
She ran her hands over his blond head. He didn’t stir. Nothing short of a nuclear disaster could wake Billy once he went to sleep. That made mornings challenging, but once she managed to wake him, he was up and raring to go.
She left his room and went to the kitchen. The moonlight was beautiful on the backyard. Still, she couldn’t help but shiver as her gaze fell to the place where she’d found Anny’s bleeding body.
She really needed advice and longed to talk to Anny. They’d been best friends for years. Anny had been there for her when Billy was a baby. But everything had changed after the attack. Anny had left and never come back. Sue didn’t even know where she was living or who she was with. Anny sidestepped or ignored her questions until Sue had stopped asking.
It had put a strain on their relationship until it was practically nonexistent. Yes, they emailed on occasion, but their phone conversations had dwindled over the past year. That was as much her fault as it was Anny’s, she conceded.
She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the jug of lemonade she’d made earlier. She got a small glass out of the cupboard and filled it before returning the pitcher to the fridge. The liquid was tart and sweet. Refreshing.
Sue went to the back door, opened it and stepped out onto the deck. There was a very light breeze. It skated over her skin like a warm caress. She shivered and placed the glass against her forehead, the condensation cooling her face.
Elias was out there somewhere in the woods with Sage and Reece. She had no doubt they were okay. Elias seemed like the kind of man who knew what he was doing in the woods. Heck, he seemed like the kind of guy who enjoyed it. Her idea of roughing it was an economy motel. She liked her running water and indoor plumbing just fine, thank you very much.
Still, it might be fun to spend a day or two in the wilderness with the right man. Her nipples tightened and the ache between her legs became a heavy throb.
She downed the last of her lemonade and went back inside, closing and locking the door behind her. Ignoring the stirrings of her body, she went back to her room and threw herself down onto her bed.
Elias was gone, so there was no point in thinking about him. What did matter was Billy and work. Those two things were her priority.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and tried to will herself to sleep.
Chapter Four
Jacque LaForge stood on the back porch of his home. It was only morning, but the heat was already heavy and dense. It was going to be another scorcher. He surveyed the land around him, and a deep sense of satisfaction welled up inside him. They’d built something special here, something they could all be proud of.
When he’d settled here with his brother and three friends almost five years ago, he’d never dreamed they’d all find mates. Nor could he ever have imagined his mother and Cole’s parents would join them. They’d gone from having two houses to seven, and the pack had expanded from the original five to thirteen.
“What are you thinking?” Gwen, his beautiful mate, stepped out of the house and leaned into his side. He automatically wrapped his arm around her.
“That I’m a very lucky man.” He kissed the top of her head and inhaled her sweet scent. His body automatically responded to her nearness. He’d made love to her before they’d left their bed this morning, but it wouldn’t take much to persuade him to head back inside.
Gwen slid her arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze. “Life is good.”
That was an understatement. The threat from their former pack was gone and they’d had a year of uninterrupted peace. But the men never let their guard down, not when they had mates to protect.
“Gator called. He’s going to grill some burgers for lunch.” Gwen grinned up at him. “If you’re interested.”
It never failed to amuse him that a badass like Gator Rollins loved to cook, but they were all glad he did. Even though there were seven women living here now, including Jacque’s mama, Gator still did most of the cooking.
He nuzzled the curve of her shoulder. “How long do we have until lunch?”
Gwen walked her fingers up his bare chest. “Maybe an hour, give or take.”
Jacque scooped her into his arms. “I can work with that.” As Gwen laughed, he carried her into the house.
Elias watched the couple from a distance. He hated having to rely on binoculars, but security was tight around the homes. There were men constantly on the prowl around the perimeter. He’d also noticed motion sensors in strategic locations. Good security was something he could appreciate.
He’d left the boys and their camp just after dawn. He didn’t like being away from Sage and Reece for so long, but he wasn’t about to put his nephews at risk. He only hoped they stuck to their word and stayed put.
He knew they were worried about losing him. They might be almost grown men, but they were still young. And they’d lost their parents only months before. Elias was all they had left in the world.
He stored his binoculars in his knapsack and moved out. Staying in one place for too long was a surefire way to get caught. He’d grown up in one of the harshest environments on the face of the earth. Alaska was beautiful but deadly. It was also filled with hunters. From a very early age, Elias had learned how to evade those who stalked him and he put all those skills to use now.
From what he’d seen, the pack was small. He’d counted thirteen. Not as large as he’d hoped, but maybe that was better. Not as much hierarchy. Maybe not as many rules.
He’d seen several couples together and they all seemed genuinely affectionate. That wasn’t always the case in a pack. It gave him hope this might be a safe place for his nephews.
Elias slowly worked his way out of the dense woods to the highway, not rushing and careful to hide any trace of his passing. He’d left the SUV with Sage and Reece. He didn’t want to think in terms of worst-case scenario, but it paid to be prepared.
He pulled out his phone and hit the first of only two contacts on his list. It was answered before the first ring was finished. “Yeah.”
“I’ve finished scouting the area.”
“Just a second, I’m putting you on speaker so Sage can hear.” A brief second passed. “What happened?”
Elias crouched by a tree just off the main road, instinct making him stay out of sight. “They’re a small pack. I counted thirteen. Don’t know if anyone is missing or not, but there won’t be too many more.”
“What do you think?” Sage asked.
That was the million-dollar question. Elias ran his fingers through his hair, shoving it out of his face. “I think it’s worth a try.”
“Are you sure?” Reece asked. “We can be there in no time if you need backup.”
“No.” The last thing he wanted was his nephews traipsing through the woods. “This pack has a tight security perimeter. They’d catch you.” He figured it was better to be blunt. “You’re not good enough yet to evade them.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Elias smiled at Reece’s brusque reply.
“I should be fine if I approach them openly.”
“You hope,” Sage muttered.
“We’ve talked about this,” he reminded them. “This is what your parents wanted.” Elias hated playing the parent
card, but he knew it would make an impact on them both. He wanted a better life for his nephews and this could be a way to do it.
“Call us in a half hour.” The concern in Sage’s voice made his heart ache.
“Not sure if I’ll be able to contact you as quick as that, but I’ll call as soon as I can.” He kept his senses open and his gaze constantly moving over the terrain. “If you don’t hear from me in two hours, run.”
“Uncle Elias.”
“Yeah, Reece.” His voice was rough with emotion.
“Love you.”
“I love you too. Both of you.” He ended the call and tucked his phone away before he did something stupid, like go back to camp, bundle the boys aboard the SUV and take off for parts unknown.
He loved them enough to put their safety first. And they’d be safer in a pack. It had been different when Everett was still alive. And Marcie. She might have been a half-breed, but she’d been fierce in her protection of her boys.
Elias didn’t want to think what might happen to them if he was hurt or killed. In spite of what they believed, they were still young enough to need protection. And this was a way to provide it for them.
Elias stood and hitched the knapsack higher on his shoulder. It was time.
His thoughts went back to Sue with her kind blue eyes, giving nature and curvy body. He wondered if he’d ever see her again. Part of him wanted to settle in the area because then he’d be sure to run into her from time to time. His wolf chuffed in agreement and then growled, wanting to be released so he could run.
Only years of discipline kept him in human form.
Elias walked down the main road until he came to the dirt one that marked the entrance to the pack’s property. He’d spotted their security cams earlier and knew they’d know he was there before he got anywhere near the houses. He expected someone would meet him before too long.
He took a deep breath and turned onto the path. This was for his nephews, to give them a future and to fulfill his obligations to his dead brother and sister-in-law. He kept his gait slow and steady. No need to spook them.
Wolf on a Mission: Salvation Pack, Book 6 Page 4