“That’s not true. I respect you.” She rubbed her fingers across his bottom lip. “More than any man I’ve ever met.” It was true. He was the standard by which all other men would be judged from here on in.
“Mon ange,” he began before he broke off and cleared his throat. She could see the emotion in his eyes.
“What will I do?” she asked. That was something that had been on her mind.
The softer emotion vanished, replaced by confusion. “What do you mean?”
She looped her arms around his neck and played with the hair barely covering his strong neck. “I mean, Gwen writes, Anny bakes and Cherise is taking business courses. What will I do?” It embarrassed her that she had no real skills. “I can clean and waitress. I’ve never had any formal training. Neither my father or Andre believed in education for women.”
“We will not mention those names ever again.” Gator stiffened and the tension in the room exploded. “They were both idiots.”
She had to agree with him, but that didn’t change her problem. “I still need to decide what to do. I want to contribute, to be a member of this pack.”
“You are a member.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand.” How did she put this so he would? She thought about it for a moment. “I was born and raised in a pack but I never really belonged to it. Even around all those others of my kind I was alone.”
His arms tightened around her and he rocked her. “I’m sorry.”
“You had Cole and Armand and Jacque and Louis. I had no one. I couldn’t risk trusting another woman. Many of them were spies for—” She stared to say her father or Andre, but stopped short of saying their names.
“I know who you mean,” he all but growled.
“I was isolated most of the time. I can clean and cook but not much more. I snuck books when I could. I sewed a lot to pass the time.”
Gator tilted his head to one side. “Do you like sewing?”
She shrugged. “I’m not big on mending, but I used to make some of my own clothes. I like the colors of the fabric and creating something from nothing, figuring the patterns.” She’d forgotten until this moment just how much. She hadn’t sewn anything in years. Andre had destroyed her sewing machine in a fit of anger one day and never replaced it.
“Then you sew if you want. You can order a machine online.” He grinned and gave her a squeeze. “Get Anny to help you. That woman can find anything online.”
The more she thought about it, the more she liked it. “I always wanted to learn how to quilt.”
He rubbed his big hand up and down her back. “You have time now.”
“Quilting costs money,” she pointed out. “I need to earn some cash before I can buy much in the way of supplies. I have a little saved but not much.” It had been difficult to save money on her low salary, but she’d done what she could to pinch pennies, wanting a nest egg if she had to run.
He caught her face in his hands and scowled. “You don’t need to earn anything. My money is yours and I have plenty of it.”
“I can’t take your money.”
It was a good thing she wasn’t afraid of him. He looked downright deadly and menacing. “Why not? You’re my mate. What’s mine is yours.”
She’d hurt him. That was the last thing she’d ever intended. Sylvie could see past the anger to the pain underneath it. She covered his hands with hers. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to thinking that way.”
Her honesty melted his anger away. He blew out a breath and nodded. “I get it. But you need to change your thinking.”
“I’ll spend so much of your money, you’ll be screaming for mercy,” she promised. As she hoped, he grinned at her pronouncement.
“No need to go that far.” He leaned in to kiss her but stopped short and motioned his head toward the hallway. “We’re about to have company.”
The two cats hurried past and headed straight for their food dishes. Armand was right behind them. He strode into the room, followed by Anny. The other woman was still tying the belt on her robe and mouthed, “Sorry.”
Sylvie couldn’t help but smile. Anny was quickly becoming a good friend.
“What’s going on?” Armand demanded.
“A late-night snack of sandwiches and milk,” Gator drawled. Sylvie tried to move from his lap but he simply tightened his hold. She gave up easily. She rather liked where she was.
Armand pulled out a chair for Anny but he didn’t sit. He studied first Sylvie and then Gator. Then he raised his head, sniffed the air and frowned. “Anything you want to tell me?” her brother asked her.
Sylvie had hoped not to have to explain anything until the morning, but maybe this was better. Before she could reply, Gator did. “Sylvie and I are mated.” He glared at her brother, daring him to make something of it.
That was her mate—tough, blunt and dangerous. But oh so loving as well, at least to her. And she loved him for it.
Gator glared at his friend, daring him to say or do anything that would upset Sylvie. Thankfully, Anny was the first to speak. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations to you both.”
Sylvie relaxed slightly in his arms, some of the anxiety draining from her. “Thank you.” She nibbled on her bottom lip and waited for her idiot brother to say something. “Armand?” Her voice trembled the slightest bit.
Her brother sighed and dragged his fingers through his hair. “I’d hoped you’d wait,” he began and Sylvie tensed again. “But if you’re happy, I’m happy for you.”
Sylvie touched Gator’s face and smiled. “I’m very happy.”
“I don’t need details,” Armand grumbled.
The tension broke and they all laughed. Armand came around the table, plucked Sylvie from Gator’s grasp and hugged her. Because he was her brother, Gator felt no sense of jealousy. He wasn’t too sure how he’d feel if one of the other men were holding her quite so close.
Brother and sister stood together, foreheads touching, both of them physically and emotionally scarred by their pasts. Gator glanced at Anny and she gave him a sad smile of understanding.
“Sylvie needs your help,” he told the other woman.
Anny straightened in her seat. “Whatever you need?” And that was why he loved the woman. Armand had chosen well.
“Sylvie needs to shop.” As he’d hoped, that proclamation made Armand release his sister. He frowned at Gator and then at his sister.
“You need to shop?” Armand asked her.
Gator bit his lip to keep from laughing aloud at the perplexed expression on his friend’s face. Sylvie, bless her heart, caught on to his teasing and gave a serious nod. “Yes, I need to buy a sewing machine and fabric. I’m going to spend all Gator’s money.”
He couldn’t hold back any longer and laughed. He pointed at Armand’s expression. He wanted to tease his friend but couldn’t stop laughing long enough.
“What are we celebrating?” Cole stepped into the room with Cherise beside him. You rarely saw one without the other.
“Sylvie is going to spend all Gator’s money,” Anny replied. “Oh, and they’re mated as well.”
Cherise gave a small squeal of delight. “That’s wonderful.” She went to Sylvie and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.” She turned to her large mate. “Isn’t this wonderful?”
The corners of Cole’s mouth tilted upward. “It’s wonderful,” he agreed. When the women went back to hugging, Cole offered his hand to Gator. “Congratulations, mon ami.”
Gator stood, caught Cole’s hand and dragged the big bastard into a hug. Then he faced Armand.
“Make her happy.” It was an order but one Gator didn’t mind in the least.
“I plan too,” he told Armand.
The two of them hugged and Armand pounded him on the back, maybe just a little too hard for comfort. Gator got the message and he ap
proved. It was good for Sylvie to have a family member who cared about her.
They broke apart and watched the women all talking and smiling. Gator’s chest ached. He’d never thought he’d be so lucky as to have not only a woman of his own but the woman of his dreams.
“Did you ever think we’d get so damn lucky?” Cole asked.
He shook his head. “Never.” He turned to his friends. “And I plan to do everything in my power to protect this life we’re building.” A silent accord was reached between them. He knew these men would do whatever it took to protect their mates. He also knew Jacque and Louis felt the same way.
“Should we wake Jacque?” Gator asked.
Cole shook his head, but Armand nodded. “If we don’t let Gwen know, she’ll never forgive us.”
Gator hadn’t thought about that. He glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and grimaced. It was the middle of the night. “What the hell,” he muttered. He strode to the island that separated the kitchen from the eating area and pulled his phone out of the charger.
“What’s wrong?” The gruff voice answered on the first ring.
“Everything is okay,” he assured Jacque.
“Then why are you calling me in the middle of the night?” Jacque was obviously not pleased.
Gator couldn’t resist tweaking him even more. “I’m not calling you. I want to speak with Gwen.”
“You want to what?” Jacque growled and Gator grinned.
Gwen had obviously heard what he’d said because he could hear her arguing with her mate in the background. There was a slight tussle and then she came on the line. “What is it? Is Sylvie okay? What’s going on over there? Why all the noise?”
Gator swallowed hard. He loved all the members of this pack. They were his true family. “I thought I should let you know that Sylvie and I are mated.” He was going to explain more but the line went dead. He shrugged and hung up.
Sylvie was watching him and he sensed her worry. He went to her, lifted her out of her chair and sat, placing her in his lap. “Gator,” she gasped, obviously surprised by his actions.
“Sylvie,” he teased. He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. The woman needed to laugh more, have more fun.
Gator had been mentally counting and casually glanced at Cole. “You better open the back door.”
His packmate ambled over the door, undid the locks and opened it wide. Sylvie tensed and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. He expected to see Jacque first, but Gwen beat him. She raced through the door and saw him sitting with Sylvie on his lap. Gwen’s smile lit up the entire room.
“Congratulations.” She hurried over and hugged both of them at once, throwing her arms all the way around Sylvie and partially around him. “I’m so happy for you both.”
Jacque and Louis entered the house. Louis grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up. His alpha scowled. “This announcement couldn’t have waited until the morning?”
Gwen whirled on him. “Of course it couldn’t.” She turned away from her mate. “We need cake and champagne or something.”
Anny pushed away from the table. “I’ll see what I can find.”
Jacque prowled toward them and Gator stood with Sylvie still in his arms. She poked him in the chest and he sighed and released her. He locked his arm around her shoulders, keeping her close.
The alpha studied them both for so long Gator was getting ready to punch him. Sylvie trembled in his arms, growing more distressed by the second. Then Jacque smiled. “Congratulations.” He held out his hand to Sylvie and she briefly hesitated before taking it. Jacque pulled her gently into his arms and gave her a quick hug before immediately releasing her.
Then he grabbed Gator and yanked him into a bear hug that nearly cracked his ribs. “I’m happy for you, my man.”
“Thanks.”
Anny’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “There’s no cake but I found chocolate chip cookies.”
They all laughed. Gator eased Sylvie into his arms. “Happy?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Very. You?”
“More than I thought possible.” He kissed her, loving how she opened so easily and completely to him. He knew the others were watching and listening but didn’t care. “I love you.”
She smiled, the sexy little one she used only with him. “I love you too.”
“Let’s eat,” Jacque announced.
Still smiling, Gator faced his pack. Louis was standing off to the side by himself. He was talking with the others but there was a deep sadness in his eyes that went all the way to his soul. Gator understood it all too well. Louis was the last one of them unmated. As much as he wanted to help his friend, he knew there was nothing he could do. Nothing any of them could do to change the situation.
As if sensing Gator’s gaze, Louis turned his head toward him. Their eyes met in silent understanding. Then Sylvie caught his attention and he drew her in for another kiss.
Gator was the luckiest of men. He had the woman from his past that he’d always loved and now she was his. Forever.
He was surrounded by idiots. Pierre LaForge hung on to his temper by the barest of threads. He hadn’t heard from Travis in so long he’d finally sent the Dupointe brothers to North Carolina to find him. They’d returned with disturbing news. Travis was nowhere to be found. That meant only one thing—he was dead.
Pierre paced in the woods behind his home, hoping to work off some of his rage. Normally, he wouldn’t care, but he couldn’t afford to kill anyone. He’d lost a lot of men in the past few months to this war with his sons. Smart, dependable men. Now he had to make do with what was left.
He could care less about most of them. They were expendable. And good riddance to his brother. He no longer had to look over his shoulder, wondering when Remy was going to try to stab him in the back and take over as alpha.
He did miss Andre Dubois. The man had been his only friend. They’d grown up together. Pierre had understood Andre’s need to kill and had given him an outlet for it. He’d even allowed him to mate with whatever woman he’d wanted.
This latest debacle was all Sylvie’s fault. His niece had made fools of them all by faking her own death and hiding all this time.
Pierre paused and slowly turned, sensing the man near him. “Why are you following me?” He briefly thought about killing him but decided against it. He couldn’t afford to lose any more men without a damn good reason.
Robert Dubois stepped out from behind a tree and shrugged. “Thought someone should watch your back.”
Pierre studied the man. He was big but not overly bright. His dark hair hung around his shoulders and a beard obscured the lower half of his face. “Where’s your brother?” Because you never found one of the Dupointe brothers without the other.
Jean Paul stepped out on the path in front of him, almost a carbon copy of his younger brother. They were a year apart in age but they might as well of been twins. Pierre motioned to them and they both hurried toward him.
The fight with his sons was going to have to be put on hold for a while longer. He needed to rebuild his base of power, and this was the place to start. “You tell no one what you discovered in North Carolina. In fact, you were never there.”
“We weren’t?” Robert questioned.
Thankfully, Jean Paul had more brains and nodded. “Understood.”
“Good. I need men like you at my side.” Both men preened, and Pierre knew he had them. Give them a taste of power and they’d be loyal to him. “Go now. I want you both at my home at ten tomorrow morning.”
They both nodded and headed toward their home.
Pierre watched them go and sighed. They would never be as cunning and ruthless as Andre or his brother. Travis Dubois was dead. Of that, Pierre had no doubt.
What had gotten him killed?
The answer came to him quickly. Sylvie. Travis
had always wanted what his brother had. It stood to reason he’d want his brother’s mate as well. And now that Sylvie was unmated, he would have taken her if he’d seen an opportunity.
“Stupid bastard,” Pierre muttered. He turned and headed toward home. If only he’d waited, he could have had her when the time was right.
Now Pierre would have to wait and sow the seeds of Travis’s disappearance. He’d have to show concern over his missing pack member and send the males of his pack into the swamp searching. Some of them knew he’d sent Travis to North Carolina to spy. They might even speculate what had happened. But he knew none of them would confront him directly.
They were all afraid of him.
All except that bastard Joseph Blanchard. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Joseph knew more about the situation with his sons’ pack than he let on. There was something about the man that made Pierre’s back itch. Joseph was always watching, always wary. Pierre couldn’t prove anything, but he’d damn well be keeping more of an eye on him in the days ahead. And if he found out something incriminating…well, then Joseph and his meddling wife would have to go.
He smiled. He enjoyed the power he wielded over them. He was the only law in this pack.
His home came into view. He knew his mate would be inside waiting for him. She didn’t dare do anything else. He thought about going to her but decided against it. He wasn’t in the mood for sex. No, tonight he was in the mood to run.
He stripped off his clothing and tossed it onto the deck. Then he embraced the change, letting his wolf take over. The beast howled and Pierre began to run. He’d find something or someone to kill to sate his bloodlust.
He picked up speed as he headed toward the nearby town.
Tomorrow, he’d begin planning again. He’d give his sons enough time alone to lull them into a false sense of security. In the meantime, he’d see just what Jean Paul and his brother were made of. If they were bloodthirsty enough for his liking, he’d take them both on as his private assassins.
Wolf from the Past: Salvation Pack, Book 4 Page 24