Reed: Nano Wolves 4

by Donna McDonald

  Grinning when a laughing Katarina walked inside the cabin, Brandi pulled a sandwich out of the bag, set her coffee to the side, and got comfortable enough to wait however long it took.

  “Temptation?”

  Reed rolled in the bed and reached for the owner of the sexy voice. Memories of last night had him smiling and wanting more. He opened his eyes wide when his hand found nothing but empty bed beneath his questing fingers.

  He shifted to look around and found Katarina stuffing everything into their packs before carrying his clothes to the bed.

  “I planned to let you sleep while I catch us more fish. Delivery arrived first.”

  Seeing she was already dressed, Reed scooted upright. “Why are you wearing clothes? We’re not done yet.”

  “Nyet.” Katarina agreed as she laid his clothes on the edge of the bed. “You get dressed now. Agent Nano Wolf bring us excellent food. It is worth getting up to eat.”

  Brandi and Gareth must have found them. “Is that coffee I smell?”

  Katarina nodded. “I pour cup for you. Put clothes on. No time for shower. We need to leave.”

  Reed reached out and pulled his clothes into his lap. “Brandi has a plan?”

  “Good plan,” Katarina said with a chuckle, then shrugged. “Too bad no killing involved.”

  Reed laughed. “Should I be grateful to wake up alive this morning? I thought last night went better than that.”

  Katarina walked to the bed. When Reed was sitting, she could look him in the eyes. “Last night was perfect. I want more, but more will have to wait. We need to save your grandsons and what is left of your pack beta.”

  Reed stood and walked slowly to the bathroom. The fiery female responsible for him sleeping like the dead smiled with pride at his slow gait. “We can forget one grandson. Joshua is long gone.”

  “Nyet,” Katarina said, shaking her head. “Clone Joshua is mole.”

  Reed lifted an eyebrow. “Are you saying they turned my grandson into a blind creature that lives in tunnels underground?”

  Katarina’s face wrinkled in confusion. She laughed when she figured out what he was saying. “Mole as in spy. Clone Joshua is being spy.”

  Reed’s sigh of relief was loud. “I’m really glad I didn’t kill him.”

  “Yes. That was lucky thing. You would have felt terrible.”

  Reed started into the bathroom and stopped. He looked back at Katarina. “Are you okay today?”

  “Da. Good food helped much. Thank you for asking.”

  Reed huffed out his frustration. “Woman, I’m asking about us. Are you okay about us?”

  Katarina pretended to give his question consideration. He was being so serious. Finally, she rolled her eyes. “If I was not okay, I would not have made offer for sex. Do you not know this about females?”

  “I thought I knew a lot until you came along. I’m realizing that I still have a lot to learn,” Reed said dryly.

  “When our time comes again, I will be good teacher for you.”

  Reed blinked. She’d certainly taught him a few new tricks last night. He’d never been with a woman who didn’t get tired before he did. “I think I could handle that.”

  Katarina sighed. Men were so much emotional work. This is why she never kept one for very long. “Does your ego need stroking this morning? This surprises me, Temptation.” She shrugged. “Dress and I will think of worthy compliment while I change sheets on bed so no one know we fucked there.”

  Shaking his head at a female he’d likely never understand, Reed went into the bathroom and quietly closed the door.

  12

  The drive back to Bear Central, as Brandi called the environmental compound Jon had built, was long and boring for her and Reed stuck in the backseat of some jeep-like vehicle. The rest of Brandi’s team were in some kind of cargo van behind them. She’d gotten a whiff of them as they left but couldn’t quite name their animal. Based on hints Brandi had dropped, most were hybrids.

  She didn’t care enough to ask—or maybe she feared learning more truths she’d just as soon not know. Whatever the case, she remained silent during the drive because Brandi and Gareth kept receiving phone call after phone call on some device installed in the vehicle. Reed kept silent too, which was not unusual for him, but she could tell he was listening to everything.

  When they’d started out, she’d made Brandi explain to him about the bad grandson being a good grandson. It had eased a great tension in Reed more than last night had.

  Well, maybe not more, but it had definitely eased his mind about his family.

  His green eyes were clear today. He’d showered and left his long dark hair flowing down his back. Somewhere in the night he’d told her he used to have silver strands in his hair, but that after getting a blood transfusion from Ariel, the silver had disappeared. She thought about his stories now, trying to view them from his perspective. The magic of science had taken a male in the autumn of his life and forced his body backwards to springtime. She could see how confusing that could be and how it might take a long while to accept.

  In many ways, Reed was like Stewart. The boy had youthful plans about what he would be when he became an adult. This was the way of the young. When you got older, you wanted things to settle into place and stay sane so you could stop struggling and get on with living. Changes were happening to Stewart rapidly, and the boy was adapting to them with incredible grace. The changes happening to Reed were occurring faster than the Black Wolf alpha could handle. Every day seem to hold surprises and more struggle than he wanted to deal with.

  Feeling both empathy and admiration for him, Katarina reached over and linked her fingers with Reed’s. His large hand instantly swallowed hers, but neither his size nor his power threatened her or her wolf. Instead, she enjoyed being close to his strength. She liked the idea that he wanted to share all he was with her. Reed Black Wolf was definitely the most worthy male she’d ever invited to her bed.

  When they arrived at the compound, it was literally a ghost town. Everything was closed up and secured. The only heartbeats within hearing distance were the four of them.

  They used a public restroom located on the edge of the area, then Brandi passed off her vehicle keys to one of her team members, while the others scattered through the compound searching and checking the area.

  Agent Nano Wolf definitely left no stone unturned.

  Onboard the aircraft they’d flown to Colorado in, Brandi got everyone settled and took off quickly. What surprised both her and Reed was that they were heading back to Alaska.

  “Did they give reason for detour?” Katarina asked Reed when they were airborne.

  Reed shook his head. “Not that I heard, but I think it’s a good idea to check on things there. I think she and Gareth want to make sure all their security measures are in place before we head out on the rescue mission. I heard her and Gareth talking about how your abductors had given up too easily. I agree with that.”

  “Da. Me too,” Katarina said. “It will be good to see Yana. I missed her. All my life I have no family. Now I do. It is strange feeling.”

  Reed reached over and took her hand. “I’m glad you two found each other.”

  Katarina nodded. “I think I sleep on trip.”

  “Sorry I wore you out. I didn’t think about us having company so early.”

  Giggling, Katarina shook her head. “You are like young wolf. Does that not please you?”

  Reed leaned his head back. Did it please him? “It took me hundreds of years to slow down. I have no strategy for speeding back up. It pleases me that I could outlast you.”

  Katarina opened one eye. “You have bad memory, Temptation. Is this ego problem again?”

  Reed chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Maybe. Did I at least keep up?”

  Katarina closed her eyes again and smiled. “You are only male in my entire life to come close. This is best compliment I can give.”

  “I’ll take it,” Reed said and fell asleep with a smile
on his face.

  They landed at the airport in Anchorage when they were met by yet more people who worked with Brandi and Gareth.

  “Does whole government work for you?” Katarina asked as they walked toward yet another military-like vehicle with a driver ready to pass over the keys. She grinned when Gareth kissed his mate goodbye and got into a different one. “You lose partner. Does he hate plan?”

  Brandi laughed at being teased. “Gareth is stopping in Wasilla on the way. He has to prevent an uprising before Matt gets involved. Kent and Aggie have threatened to run away if we don’t let them come too. My kids aren’t used to being apart this long. It will be fine, I hope. Aggie will be fine, but Kent can be a shit starter. I must keep tabs on him.”

  Katarina chuckled as she climbed into the front next to Brandi. Reed had insisted on sitting in the back. “Get Susan and Jon to watch them. Your little alpha will be calm around bears if he has strong survival instinct.”

  Grinning, Brandi nodded at the suggestion. “Honestly, I’m more worried about how they’ll feel about Stewart. He was already bigger than them when we left, but now he’s all but an adult.”

  “Is it hard?”

  “Watching them go through all these crazy fast changes? Yeah, it’s really hard,” Brandi admitted.

  “I meant whole motherhood thing,” Katarina said.

  Brandi lifted an eyebrow. “Is your biological clock ticking?”

  Katarina laughed. If it was, she wouldn’t tell anyone. She’d find a way to stop it. “Nyet. My mind was curious—nothing more. I never watch wolf children grow up.”

  “Gareth and the kids are the best thing to ever happen to me. As hard as it is, they’ve brought balance to my life.” Brandi chuckled. “Being Agent Nano Wolf takes a back seat to taking care of them. Gareth says they’re keeping me alive.”

  “Will you make biological child with Gareth one day?”

  Brandi lifted a shoulder. “It’s not out of the question. Like me, he never got to create one before. I’d probably want to wait a few more years. Ariel says we’re aging slowly. I figured I’d wait until the current three are all out of the house before thinking about it.”

  “Sounds like good plan.”

  Brandi chuckled. “I love a good plan.”

  Eventually, Brandi made Reed join their conversation. He moved to the middle of the back seat and leaned forward into their space a little. Katarina felt his fingers stretching around her seat to brush against her shoulder and stroke her hair. The pleasure she got from his affection put a smile on her face that stayed there the whole trip.

  When they pulled into Reed’s village, she was sorry the trip was ending. They stepped out of the vehicle and saw a dozen or more bears lumbering about the streets.

  A Russian Big Brown strolled down the middle of it all toward them.

  Brandi waved to the bear in greeting. She leaned against her vehicle and got out her phone.

  It was strange that no wolves were about, so she and Reed walked forward to meet him on his trek. Katarina stopped in front of Jon and looked up. His bear was so large that she felt like a child standing so far below him. She could feel eyes watching their encounter from behind every window and many cracked doors.

  The wolves were afraid. She couldn’t blame them for following their instincts, but this could not remain the case. To be safe, all creatures in the village had to work as one united people.

  She stepped forward, rose to her toes, and reached up to rub a gentle hand down Jon’s enormous bear snout. He rewarded her with an up-close view of a mouthful of sharp bear teeth. Jon could snap off her head with those teeth of his, but she knew he had no leanings to do so. The male barely ate any meat at all. What would he do with a wolf in his mouth? Nothing.

  “I am glad you and your people are here and safe, Jon. How is beautiful daughter doing? I’m glad she and Stewart got away.”

  Jon morphed into his human self. It was not an elegant shift like when she or Reed changed forms, but if there was pain in his shifting, the male had long ago learned to hide it.

  “Our heroine returns at last,” Jon said, bending to catch Katarina up in a hug. He kissed both her cheeks before setting her back down. “Thank the gods and goddesses that you are free.”

  Ruffled by the public display and from feeling Jon’s considerable strength, Katarina righted her clothes and nodded. She winced as a cacophony of bear bellows assaulted her ears. Looking around, all the bears rose to their hind legs and roared loud. She understood them plainly. Gratitude was a universal language.

  “You all are welcome, comrades,” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

  A stampede of bears running toward her made her laugh too much to be afraid. She stepped into the middle of the group to stop their forward motion. She gave each bear a pat and let them nuzzle her in gratitude. It was like sitting in the middle of many playful puppies—not that she would speak of that comparison to these majestic creatures.

  She looked back to find Reed studying her thoughtfully and Jon grinning from ear to ear.

  Doors opened up and down the street to let werewolves in human form outside. The bears turned and went to greet the human wolves. They used their heads to gently make the human wolves pet them.

  Finding herself finally alone, Katarina calmly strolled back to Reed and Jon. “Most of my life I think… wouldn’t it better to be tall and strong-looking?” She pointed at the bears going from human wolf to human wolf to say hello. “Now I think my size is good thing. Tiny me make wolves ashamed of being afraid.”

  “Any bear in this village would die to protect you, Katarina Volkov. And I will always be in your debt for saving my daughter. Terra’s finally starting to come around. Stewart made some concoction his sister told him about and rubbed it on her Terra’s feet. A few hours later, she woke up for a few minutes. Each time she wakes now, her consciousness lasts a little longer.”

  “Wolf boy is wonderful male,” Katarina said with a nod. She looked at Reed. “What is matter, Temptation?”

  Reed lifted an eyebrow and looked down at her. “I had an epiphany while you were busy petting bears.”

  “So…” Katarina waved a hand in the air. “This is not time to be silent. Share with us what furrows your brow.”

  Reed shook his head. “Some other time. I need to think about it.”

  Katarina sighed loudly and fisted both hands on her hips. “We do not have century for you to brood.”

  Reed grabbed the front of her shirt with both his enormous hands and lifted her up to kiss her hotly. She squirmed in his grip when it lasted too long to be proper in public, but his talented lips eventually made her forget she was dangling in the air. When he let go, she dropped roughly to her feet and staggered back into Jon, who chuckled as he kept her from falling on her ass in the dirt.

  “What was purpose of that… that… whatever that was?” she demanded.

  “I’m not sure yet,” Reed said. “I need to…”

  “…think about it. Da, we know you like to think. This is no surprise,” Katarina declared as she rolled her eyes. “I’m going to find Yana. She is probably afraid of bears too.”

  Jon covered his mouth and snickered.

  “What is funny?” Katarina demanded.

  “Your sister was never afraid of us. She’s been helping our doctor take care of Terra and watch Stewart. Yana and Waylon have become quite good friends.”

  Katarina walked away shaking her head. So many changes. So many surprises. She’d always thought she was good at dealing with what life sent her way, but now? She was no longer confident.

  In fact, she was so distracted by her thoughts that it took her a good ten minutes to realize she was being trailed across town by six or seven lumbering guard bears.

  She looked skyward. “You win humor competition, okay? No more jokes at my expense, Nicolai. No more.”

  13

  Katarina headed to the medical center in Reed’s village. It was a plain building that looked like a
warehouse, but inside it was full of hallways and rooms. Caretakers roamed about talking to wolves they were helping. One of them saw her, somehow recognized her, and told her where to find her sister without her even asking. Maybe this was the upside of Yana looking like a younger version of her.

  She found Yana in a waiting area reading a book. Her sister tossed the book down and ran to hug her. “I fear for you, Katarina Volkov. But I knew they couldn’t keep my fierce alpha sister for long. Never for one minute did I think you would not escape them.”

  Katarina hugged her sibling tightly. She’d never returned home to anyone who’d missed her before. She didn’t know what to say.

  “I am very lucky wolf. Worst fear came true. Bastard father was there working with bad guys, but I still escaped.”

  One look at Yana’s shocked expression told her that had been the absolute worst thing she could have shared.

  “I’m sorry—so sorry to speak bad news so soon,” Katarina whispered contritely. She pulled Yana back into her arms and squeezed hard. “I am not good at being missed. Thank you for missing me. No family missed me before you.”

  She repeated everything again in Russian until color seeped back into her sister’s face.

  “I am relieved. Now I feel weak,” Yana said after a while.

  “I’m relieved as well, but I feel strong. After I escaped cage, Temptation rescued me. I had to express full measure of gratitude. You understand, of course.”

  Yana stepped away from sister’s reach. She scrubbed her face with her hands. Then she laughed. “It was the least you could do for him. Was he good, sister?”

  Katarina grunted. “Da. Too good,” she admitted.

  She laughed when Yana laughed and laughed more when Yana picked her up and swung her around. The girl was stronger than she looked.

  “I wish to see daughter of bear alive. Where is Terra?” Katarina asked when her feet touched the floor once more.