Lupa (Second Edition)

by Kimberly Odum Wells

Everyone went their separate ways, needing time to come to terms with everything that had happened. Brianne was in the master suite, Julian was in his office, Max gave Josette time alone kissing her lightly on the lips and telling her he was in his bedroom if she needed him. She nodded her thanks. Their mating was bittersweet, everything she would have dreamed of if she had ever dared hoped to find love. But she hadn’t. She’d always sworn she would never be like her mother; handicapped by an emotion that could steal your life.

  Josette sat on the edge of the pool, her feet swinging over the edge in the warm water, the reflections of the water bouncing around the night. When the door open she knew it wasn’t Max and she knew her mother was still in her room crying, she could hear her, which left her father. He bent down and rolled up his pants legs before sitting down next to her. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to Josette.

  “What’s this?”

  “One of your presents.”

  Josette looked at the present for long moments before opening the black velvet box. It was a silver locket, a large oval with a howling wolf on it. “It’s beautiful,” she said taking a deep breath.

  “I didn’t buy it while I was in New York,” he said taking the box from Josette. He pulled the chain and she turned so he could put it on her.

  “Oh.”

  “I bought it the day your mother told me she was pregnant.”

  “And you kept it all this time?” She was shocked.

  “If it took me the rest of my life, I was going to get back to you and your mother,” her father said.

  “That’s really sweet,” she whispered.

  “I don’t understand,” Julian said and the look of confusion was genuine Almost comical if it wasn’t such and unfunny subject and Josette didn’t feel like she was about to burst into tears any second.

  “I thought everything was on track. You know it was the only thing that kept me sane all those years, the thought of seeing her again.”

  Sure her dad was what people thought of as the big bad wolf. Movies portrayed his people—correction—her people, as bloodthirsty monsters unable to do anything but leave a trail of blood and half-eaten bodies in their wake. Even knowing this not to be true, it was weird to see him this way. Josette wanted to see him strong and fearless, a king, instead of half broken with heartache.

  “I wanted to see you too of course,” he added quickly. “I love her Josette. I just don’t understand.”

  “I want to stay with you,” Josette said after they’d sat in silence for a while looking at the reflections of the water. “I belong with you and Max now.”

  Her father didn’t say anything right away. Just sat with his head down, mulling over everything that had happened, maybe thinking about how he could fix the wrong that happened earlier. Josette wondered if it would be easier for her dad to control her mom if she was a werewolf. Max had laid down the law earlier. Josette had to admit she’d heard what they’d said about Pops being given an order by an alpha wolf but until today she didn’t know if she believed someone’s free will could be taken so completely to make them do something they wouldn’t ordinarily do. Max’s words had a weight behind them that made her want to comply.

  “I don’t know if that’s for the best,” her dad finally said. The words weren’t what she was expecting to hear. Josette could feel the fight building inside her and she bit it back. She’d have to have more self control over herself if she didn’t plan on turning into one of those bloodthirsty beasts she’d just thought about. She took a deep breath before saying her next words.

  “I can’t pretend to know what you and mom are going through. You’ve loved each other a long time, have gone through a lot,” she took another deep breath, “For so long I didn’t have a place where I belonged but now I do. I don’t want to go back to my old life. I can’t, no matter how much you or mom wants me to.”

  “I’m not asking you to go back to your old life. You’re mom said that the two of you will leave tomorrow but that’s not acceptable. The house isn’t secure enough for you to stay there. I meant what I said. Just because your mother refuses to marry me doesn’t mean I plan on marrying another. My mother and the other pack are not going to be happy. I can stop the civil war my mother has planned and make it where it’s impossible for her to try to hurt the two of you again. Unfortunately I can’t say the same of The Grey Wolf Clan.”

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “You and your mother will stay here.”

  Josette had spent a lifetime without him but her throat was tight and salty with tears. All the happiness that had been found in the last weeks, fought for by her dad and destroyed by a power grabbing grandmother and a weak mother.

  “But I’m Lupa,” Josette said.

  Julian smiled; one full of pride and pain. “Yes, my darling, you are,” he said and laughed a little. “And one day you will be Nonakris, but not this day. I’m Lycaon and your father. Your mother is doing a noble thing—wrong—but noble. And she will make a fine and good queen. Our wolves will learn to love her.”

  Her father speaking in present tense gave Josette hope. “You have a plan,” she said, excitement building in her, making her almost want to bounce up and down.

  “Stay here with your mother. Let me get everything squared away where your grandmother is concerned. I will let the wolves know of your mother’s sacrifice. People may think we wolves are monsters but we’re quite a romantic bunch.”

  Josette didn’t knock; she opened the door and walked into Max’s room. He didn’t have a sitting area but there was a small bench at the foot of the bed he’d been sitting on. He held his hand out to her and pulled her into his lap. He tucked her head under his chin and took a deep breath. They sat that way for a long time in silence, comforting each other, enjoying the feel of each other.

  “Dad has a plan,” she said in a low voice.

  Max kissed her on the top of her head. “Of course he does.”

  “He’s leaving tonight.”

  Max was surprised. He was head of security and knew most of the kings movements before he made them, but tonight’s turn of events would have blown a hole in the most well laid of plans. No one could have ever guessed that Nalia would be so desperate as to threaten a civil war. Max didn’t know if she could pull it off, but if anyone could, it would be the current Nonakris.

  She didn’t say we were leaving tonight. Max knew Josette was excited about starting her new life. The Lycaon obviously told her to stay, which meant he would stay, which meant he needed to speak to the Lycaon before he left. “I need to speak with your father before he leaves.”

  “He’s in his office.”

  “Will you wait up?”

  “You can wake me if I’m not.”

  Max hugged her tight to his chest, loving the feel of her in his arms. If only her mother could be as fearless. The surprising life he found himself in was certainly filled with excitement; a surprise around every corner. The old Max would have eaten it up, new mated Max was just ready to settle down; ready for all the fires to be but out so that he and Josette could spend long days in each other’s arms talking about everything and nothing. Running wild, chasing the moon and starting a family. But maybe that was no longer in the cards for them. Her father was king, she would one day be queen and by default him the Lycaon. It was enough to make a man weary.

 

  The sound of the front door being forced open three floors below them had Max throwing the covers off of him and Josette before he heard the sounds of running feet seconds later. He threw up a prayer of thanks when she woke up alert. He was about to tell her to run to the elevator when the door to her bedroom was thrown open and Jonathan flew through it looking half John McClain half Li Mu Bai, landing on his back with guns drawn. He kicked the door closed with his foot before doing some crazy ninja roll, standing and locking it.

  The butler slash bodyguard had been shot at least twice, in his right shoulder and lower in his
side. Jonathon had returned his own silent fire. The guns in his hands were fitted with the best offered in the world of silencers. They kept the noise level to a minimum; couldn’t have police showing up in the middle of a werewolf gun battle.

  Max and Josette looked at each other for half a second before she made a run for the closet to get dressed. She got extra points for not asking questions.

  “Unknown number of intruders, I saw three coming in the front, but the back doors were being breached when I came up stairs. They’re armed with automatic and semi-automatic weapons. Janet is with the Nonakris.” Jonathon reported without being asked. He was still facing the door, guns drawn. Someone was on the other side shooting at it. The door and frame was steel but not indestructible.

  “Go!” Jonathon said looking a little surprised when he turned and Max was still standing there.

  “I’m not leaving my mother.” Josette barely had the words out when the sound of a small explosion followed by a larger one shook the house.

  “Max, get the Lupa out of here!” Jonathon said. It was impossible to tell if the people had come for the Lycaon or for everyone, but they’d started on the other end of the house. The fact that there was still gunshots coming from the other side of the door told Max that it was only a matter of time before their door would be next.

  “We have to go Josette,” he said running to her and grabbing her arm. She planted her feet and pulled back from him.

  “No. We have to get my mother!” she yelled.

  “If you don’t leave now you’re as good as dead. If your mother is as stubborn as you about leaving, then she’s already dead. Janet reached you’re mother’s room at the same time I reached yours. Go now with Max. Get to safety.”

  Everything Jonathon had said was true, but the shocked look on Josette and the wash of despair that damn near floored him, made Max want to rip the guy’s throat out. He put it on his to-do list for things to be done when and if they got out of the house alive.

  He bent down and held Josette’s face in his hands. “We have to go,” he said.

  “But—”

  “No buts Josette we leave now. You can walk or I’m carrying you out of here.” He was about to dip lower in order to throw her over his shoulder when she nodded quickly. “Good girl.”

  Max grabbed her hand and pulled Josette to the elevator door. “Listen to me,” Max said turning to a shocked Josette. “If anything happens when we get to the bottom I want you to get back in the elevator and come back to Jonathon, he can protect you.” Max grabbed her face again holding it very hard in place so that she had to look in his eyes.

  He didn’t like that she was being so quiet. Her heart was beating like crazy and she was worried about her mother, but there was the far off look of shock in her eyes. She was shutting down.

  “Josette,” he said and then closed his eyes, concentrating on her breathing, on each flurried beat of her heart. He focused on calming her down enough to get them through the next few crucial minutes. When he felt her become more focused he opened his eyes.

  “Better?” he asked

  “Yeah,” she said in a low voice still on the edge of panic, but the edge was better than already off the cliff.

  “I don’t know what’s going on but I have to know you’re going to be safe and Jonathan will keep you safe if anything happen to me. So promise me you’ll come back up if anything happens at the bottom.

  “Okay.”

  The elevator ride felt like an eternity. The orange glow of the emergency lights told Max that the main power to the house had been cut and the moon rooms and tunnels lights were working off the auxiliary power. He entered a code in a panel that was on the wall right outside the elevator. A doorway to the left of the panel opened and an arsenal of weapons were lined up on hooks. Max took down a hand gun and handed it to Josette and then took two more putting one in the back of his waistband and the other he checked to make sure that the safety wasn’t on and there was a bullet in the chamber. He checked Josette’s and gave it back to her.

  “Don’t shoot me in the back,” he said and smiled. He kissed her quickly on my forehead and then grabbed her hand and they took off running down the tunnel. About ten steps in they heard and felt an explosion that shook the tunnel. Josette was about to turn around when Max’s grip tightened.

  “You can’t go back.”

  It wasn’t very long before they reached the end of the tunnel and Max pulled Josette up the stairs two at a time. He entered a code in a second panel and grabbed a lone key off a peg mounted next to the keypad, this one opening a door to a garage with one truck. If a military grade Hummer was considered a truck. The flat black paint and thick treaded tires looked battle ready. Max ran to the beast of an automobile pushing Josette in through the driver’s side. The garage door came up without him pushing any button that Josette could see and he floored it.

  The neighborhood wasn’t in a rural area, but the new community was still thick with trees. Max didn’t drive out onto any of the paved street that led out of the neighborhood, he drove through the trees. Lights off and at ridiculous speeds, he maneuvered the behemoth tank-like vehicle over rough terrain; the rocking and bouncing throwing their bodies until they knew what popping corn felt like.

  Josette screamed in surprise at the face that popped into view in the middle of the Hummer’s windshield. Max didn’t break as the body landed on the hood of the car and pulled out a handgun pointing it right at Josette. She turned away from the impending shot. Max watched as the man pulled the trigger. Saw the look on the guy’s face as the bullet bounced back and lodged in his chest.

  “Bulletproof glass asshole!” Max yelled before slamming on the breaks, sending the man flying off the hood. Max showed no mercy, he stomped on the gas pedal hard enough to send vibrations through the floorboard and ran the jackass over.

  Josette was sitting next to him looking at him. He didn’t risk taking his eyes from front and center. She was scared, worried, and...happy? Happy may not be the right word, he was still getting use to all the metaphysical stuff of their bond but he knew without doubt she was pleased that he’d ran the man over.

  “Is he dead?” She asked turning around in her seat looking through the back window.

  “Not likely,” Max said threw gritted teeth. The Hummer took a nosedive into the ravine of a long dried stream.

  Just then the interior of the Hummer was filled with the sound of a ringing phone. He touched the button on the display in the center of the console, picking up the call.

  “Hello!” Josette yelled without waiting for the person on the other end to say anything.

  “Nonakris,” a confused voice said on the other end that was not her father.

  “Who’s this,” she asked.

  “Lupa?” the stunned voice said on the other end. “My name is Benjamin, I’m Max’s father. Is he with you?”

  “Yes sir, are you with my father? I need to speak to him please.” she said now crying.

  “No, your highness, the Lycaon is not with me, can I speak to Max please,” the man said.

  “Is he dead,” she asked the voice on the other end. “Tell me, is my father dead.”

  “Yes.”