Isaiah's Haven

by N. J. Walters

  “I don’t understand,” Meredith blurted out. “Why are you doing this?”

  Damek seemed to glide across the floor, coming to a halt in front of her. He reached out and touched a finger to her jaw. Beside her, Isaiah tensed.

  “For some unknown reason, I seem to like these unruly Striker brothers. There is no doubting their exquisite taste in females.” He inclined his head to Isaiah. “And it amuses me. Not much does these days.

  “Then there is the added bonus of having them owe me.” He smiled and his fangs gleamed. “I find that I like that idea best of all.” He glanced at Joshua. “You’ll be happy to know I took care of a few humans who were wandering the street. Really, Striker, you need to shut the door behind you when you enter a building.”

  Took care of? Meredith swallowed hard. Had the vampire killed innocent humans?

  Damek continued on, seemingly oblivious to the growing tension swirling around the room. “They won’t remember a thing when they wake in the morning. They’ll just think they had too much to drink.” He licked his lips. “They made for a tasty late-night snack.”

  Joshua strode up to stand beside his brother. Both men were stark naked. Next to the vampire, who was clothed in what looked to be a designer suit, they appeared primitive and feral.

  “You and your pack should be safe if you choose to stay in Chicago.” Damek pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. “If you ever need my help.”

  Her fingers closed around the heavy vellum card even though she knew she’d never use it. Anything this male did came with strings attached. Lots and lots of strings.

  As though he could read her mind, Damek smiled and bowed. “I’ll leave you now to clean up the mess.”

  The shadows deepened, seeming to swallow Damek whole. They all breathed a sigh of relief when he disappeared.

  “Bastard makes a hell of an entrance and exit.” Isaiah gave her a gentle squeeze before yanking his brother into his arms. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You too.” Joshua surveyed the mess. “We gotta dump these two.” He motioned to the bodies of Briggs and Adams.

  Neema started crying softly in the background, pulling Meredith’s attention back to her pack. They were all shocked. Teague, Hank and Michael all had injuries. They were all bruised, battered and bleeding, but they were alive. Neema was pale and looked as though she was barely holding it together.

  “Neema, we need water and bandages. We can use Benjamin and Michael’s apartment.” She knew the younger female would recover faster if she had something to do. Sure enough, Neema quickly took charge, ordering Benjamin and Kevin to help Hank and Michael while she went to Teague.

  Her little pack disappeared upstairs. Meredith sighed, knowing her job was just beginning. She dug deep for strength. Every bone, every muscle of her body hurt and her heart ached.

  The threat was over. There was no reason for Isaiah to stay any longer. His brother was here to bring him home to his pack. Whatever responsibility he might have felt for her and her pack was gone. He’d more than done his duty toward them.

  She straightened her shoulders and stiffened her spine. She’d had him for a short time, and she would have no regrets. What she needed was advice.

  “What’s the best way to handle the bodies?” She’d never had to dump bodies before. She swallowed hard as bile swirled in her belly and left a sour taste in her throat.

  Joshua was staring at her like she had two heads. Isaiah put his hands on her shoulders, turned her and aimed her toward the stairs. His lips brushed the top of her head. “Go upstairs and see to the pack. I’ll take care of this.”

  “You’re injured.” With everything, she’d forgotten he’d taken a bullet in his thigh. He was so big, so tough. He acted like being shot was no big deal. And maybe it wasn’t to him. She really had no idea what his life had been like before he met her.

  As she watched, he ripped a piece off his shredded shirt. He wrapped it around the wound, stopping the flow of blood. Thankfully, it seemed to have slowed to little more than a trickle. “I’ll take care of it. It’s not serious.”

  She really shouldn’t let him take the burden of this on his shoulders. He’d already done enough. She was alpha. It was her job to clean up this mess.

  He gave her a slight shove. “Go.” His tone was soft, but there was no mistaking the steel command behind it.

  Maybe this was his final job, to fulfill whatever sense of responsibility he felt toward her and her pack. Whatever it was, she was too tired to argue.

  “Thank you.” She didn’t turn to face either male. Meredith had no idea if she’d even see Isaiah again or if he’d leave with his brother. She heard them moving around the club, righting tables and chairs as well as dragging the bodies closer to the back entrance.

  Heart aching, tears pricking her eyes, she climbed the stairs to her sons’ apartment.

  Quinn ducked into a dark doorway and held his breath. He’d seen the purist werewolves head into Haven. Damn Macmillan for that anyway. Why he had to bring them into the mix, Quinn didn’t know.

  What the hell should he do?

  He heard the first crash and winced. His fingers flexed around the stock of his rifle. He had to stay out of this. This wasn’t his business. Yet it was. There were women and half-breed werewolves in there. They wouldn’t stand a chance against three seasoned purebloods.

  “Shit.” He closed his eyes and banged the back of his head against the brick wall behind him. He was going to blow a year of hard work. He couldn’t just stand here.

  He started to move, but pulled back when a black SUV came to a squealing halt outside Haven. What now?

  A huge man climbed out, stripping his clothing as he went. He kicked open the door and changed in one swoop. Holy crap.

  Quinn blinked and the second man seemed to disappear. He heard a low cry and glanced to his left. He could see another bounty hunter there in the shadows. Mitch, he thought the guy’s name was. Obviously, Macmillan hadn’t trusted Quinn and had sent another man to watch the street. Right now, it looked as though Mitch was under attack. By a frigging vampire. Quinn had only seen a vampire once before, from a safe distance. And he’d never had the desire to repeat the experience. They were dangerous bastards. The situation was deteriorating rapidly.

  Quinn melted back into the shadows as the vampire emerged, licking his lips. His gaze passed over Quinn but quickly moved on, focusing on a group of young men wandering down the street. The vampire quickly enthralled them, taking the time to help himself to some of their blood.

  When he was done, he turned to the club and walked inside, closing the door behind him. Quinn eased out of his hiding spot and hurried over to Mitch.

  The man seemed dazed. “You okay?”

  Mitch nodded. “Yeah. I got a headache.” He rubbed his head. “We might as well head home. No werewolves here.”

  Quinn glanced back at Haven and then gripped Mitch by the arm, leading him down the street to his car. “Right. No werewolves here.” Damn, the vampire was good. Saved Quinn the trouble of having to figure out what the hell to do. He couldn’t lose his place with the hunters, not until he was sure they didn’t have the information he needed. But he sure as hell wasn’t killing women or half-breeds. Or any full breeds who weren’t purists for that matter.

  He opened the door to Mitch’s car. “You okay to drive? I’ve got my truck parked a couple streets over.”

  Mitch winced as he eased into the driver’s seat. “I’m good, man. I’m just gonna call Macmillan, then I’m hitting the bed.”

  Quinn shut the door and watched Mitch drive off. Shaking his head, he headed toward his truck. He had some serious thinking to do. Tonight a vampire had almost caught him. That would have ended badly. As it was, he couldn’t quite believe the creature hadn’t seen him.

  Maybe he had. Maybe the vampire had been able to see into his head and knew exactly what he was and what he was doing.

  Shivering, he pulled his long trench coat aroun
d him, hid his rifle beneath the folds and picked up his pace. He needed to be careful in the days ahead. He couldn’t afford to die. Not until he’d done what he’d set out to do.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Isaiah’s thigh stung like a sonofabitch. When he’d taken a good look at the wound, he’d noted the bullet had only skimmed him. Thankfully, the bullet hadn’t lodged in his leg, allowing the silver coating to poison his system. It made for a bloody wound, but not a serious one.

  “You okay?” Joshua had asked him that question several times as they’d loaded up the bodies in the back of Joshua’s truck and driven to a secluded area well beyond the city to bury the bodies. They wanted no trace of either male found and linked to them in any way.

  “I’m fine.” They were now sitting in Joshua’s truck outside Haven. They’d snuck up the back stairs to Isaiah’s apartment building and used his shower. They’d both needed to wash away all the blood, sweat and grime, and Isaiah had needed to get some clean clothes since most of his had been bloodied or shredded during the fight.

  Joshua hadn’t commented on the fact that Isaiah was no longer staying at a motel, but had moved in just down the street from Meredith. He could sense his brother wanted to say something more to him but was choosing his words carefully.

  “You’re really staying?”

  Isaiah didn’t even need to think about it. “Yeah.” Whether Meredith eventually accepted him fully into her life or not, he loved her and wanted to be with her. More than that, he needed to protect her. “She’s the one for me.”

  Joshua tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “You sure don’t do things the easy way.”

  A rough laugh broke from Isaiah at his brother’s dry tone. “I guess I don’t.”

  “You deserve this, man.” Joshua turned, resting his back against the truck door. “You were always meant to be alpha of your own pack.”

  His brother had struck the nail on the head. That was what terrified him the most. What if he let them down as he had his sister? He rubbed his hands over his face, feeling the heavy scrape of stubble against his palm. “I don’t know.”

  Joshua snorted. “What’s to know? I’ve never seen you look at a female like this before. And she looks right back. Love her and protect her. You’ll figure the rest out.”

  “When the hell did you get so smart?”

  His brother grinned, white teeth flashing. “I always told you I was the smart one of the bunch.”

  Isaiah punched Joshua on the shoulder. “You told James?” He hadn’t had time to contact his alpha yet.

  “Yeah, James is good. If anyone understands needing to find your own way, it’s him. He wishes you well.”

  “I’ll call him in a day or two when things settle down.” He glanced up at the third floor. The lights were on even though the sun was starting to lighten the sky. Meredith was up there with her sons, her family.

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  Isaiah closed his eyes and swallowed hard as a wave of love rose up inside him. He could always count on his brother. Always. He was going to miss Joshua. Not that he’d ever tell him to his face. His younger brother had a swelled enough head as it was. Ever since he’d married Alexandra, he’d been strutting around like a peacock, more than pleased with himself.

  He opened his eyes. “No. I’m good.”

  “Hey, it’s not the end. You’ll come to visit. And you know Alex is going to want to meet Meredith and the rest of your pack.”

  Your pack.

  Isaiah liked the sound of that. But they weren’t his. Not yet.

  “I’ve got work to do before too many people wake up and start their day. The club is wrecked inside. It’s going to take a while to make repairs.” He opened the door and slid out. “Thanks again. For everything.”

  Joshua’s gaze was somber, his dark eyes a mirror of Isaiah’s. “Call me if you need anything. I mean it,” he added. “I’ll be in the city a few more days. I’ll leave my truck at Riley’s Garage and drive the moving truck back to Wolf Creek.”

  “Be careful, brother.” Isaiah couldn’t shake the nagging feeling they hadn’t seen the last of the bounty hunters in spite of Damek’s mind-meld vampire trick.

  “You too.”

  Isaiah stepped away from the truck and gave the roof a thump. Joshua pulled away from the curb and the vehicle disappeared down the street.

  He made his way to the front entrance of the club. He had no idea how he was going to get inside. He shrugged. He could always go up the fire escape around the side and enter through Meredith’s apartment. Wouldn’t be the first time.

  The door opened and Michael stood poised in the entrance. Every muscle in Isaiah’s body tightened. Would Michael let him in or turn him away?

  Not that it would matter. He wasn’t going anywhere until he talked with Meredith. “I came to help clean up the place.” That was true too. The club was important to Meredith. Therefore, it was important to him.

  “That’s funny, I thought you’d come to see my mother.” Michael stared at him, as though he was trying to see into Isaiah’s soul. He could have told Michael it was a dark, desolate place and, whatever he was searching for, he wouldn’t find it there.

  Michael suddenly stepped back. “Come on in.”

  Isaiah strode through the door, shutting and locking it behind him. Glass and shards of wood crunched beneath his feet as he walked across the floor. The stench of liquor and blood permeated the place. Glass glittered everywhere. Shelves of glassware and booze had been shattered when Michael had been thrown over the bar. Tables and chairs were smashed. There were several large gouges in the bar.

  Isaiah winced. “You okay?” The younger male was moving surprisingly well, all things considered.

  “Yeah. I’m a bit stiff, but nothing is broken.” He paused. “You?”

  Isaiah nodded. “I’m fine.” He didn’t want to talk about himself. “Do you have anything we can use to put over the windows to block the destruction from the outside? We also need to post a note on the door saying we’re closed for renovations. Then we need to contact the human staff and give them all a week’s vacation.” He looked around, studying the damage. It wasn’t too bad on second inspection. “We should be able to handle the bulk of the repairs in that time and it will give the rest of the pack time to recover.”

  “We should be able to do a lot of things, according to you.” Meredith’s voice was soft and thoughtful. Isaiah froze as she walked into view. Dark circles gave her eyes a slightly bruised look. Her face was pale, her lips compressed in a thin line.

  He refused to apologize for wanting to make things easier for her, for taking on some of the burdens. She had enough to deal with. Most of her pack had minor injuries and those who didn’t had to be shocked by what they’d just gone through.

  She glanced over his shoulder. “Your brother didn’t return with you?”

  “He’s gone to complete the business I came to Chicago to handle.”

  Meredith wrapped her arms around her upper body. “I see.”

  Frustration filled him. He was glad that she seemed to understand something because he was totally lost.

  “Umm, I’ll just get some brown paper to cover the windows.” Michael left without a backward glance, stopping only to place a kiss on his mother’s cheek.

  Meredith meandered farther into the room, checking out the damage.

  “I’m sorry about wrecking the joint.”

  “Not your fault,” she countered.

  Her leather loafers weren’t very sturdy and Isaiah worried about her cutting her feet. “Maybe we should talk in your office.”

  Her cheeks flushed a flattering rosy shade and her hand shook slightly as she pushed a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Not a good idea.”

  Memories of what had happened the only other time they’d been in her office slammed into him. His muscles rippled, his dick springing to attention. His need for her was always simmering just below the surface, taking little to
send it surging to life.

  He shifted slightly, trying to find a way to stand comfortably with a huge erection. An impossible task.

  “Why are you here?” Meredith tugged on the hem of her top, not meeting his gaze.

  Isaiah narrowed his eyes, studying her. He could skate around the issue or he could be totally honest with her. He went for the second option. There was no reason to hold anything back. Whether he stayed with her and her pack or lived down the street, he wasn’t leaving.

  “Because I have to be.” He took a step closer. Meredith’s head jerked up but she stood her ground. Pride filled him. She’d fought alongside him to protect the pack, to protect him. “Because whether you ever accept my claim or not, you’re my mate, the only female I’ll ever want.”

  She tilted up her chin and swallowed hard, the slender column of her neck rippling. He wanted to put his lips against her fluttering pulse and feel her life’s blood pumping through her. He wanted to taste her soft skin.

  “Why do you want to claim me?”

  Isaiah raked his fingers through his hair. The motion tugged at his shoulder wound, reminding him he wasn’t at a hundred percent yet. Still, the pain in his body was nothing compared to the ache in his chest.

  “Why? After everything you need to ask me why?”

  Her chin went even higher and her stormy blue eyes flashed. “Do you want a brood mare as those other men wanted? A female at your beck and call? A pack of your own? The financial stability of the club? What?”

  He rubbed his hand across his chest, surprised his damaged heart wasn’t bleeding through his shirt. The red furrow from where Adam’s knife had ripped through him stung, reminding him of how much he was willing to sacrifice for this woman.

  “What do I want?” He prowled forward, cupping her chin in his hands. He lowered his face until their noses were practically touching. He could smell her spicy fragrance and knew she was aroused. But he could also smell the slightly sour bite of fear mixed with the coppery flavor of spilled blood.