Howling on Hold

by E. J. Russell

  “His cousin?”

  “Finn. Tanner saw him in Portland the night of his birthday. That’s the reason—one of the reasons he ran away.”

  Quentin’s expression turned grim. “Finn Lassiter is the one who laid evidence against the Wallowa pack at the arbitration. Against his father.”

  “Against Patrick? But Patrick’s always taken Tanner’s side against Finn.”

  “Because Patrick doesn’t want to share power, not even with his own son. He had to keep Finn repressed. He knew Tanner would never be a threat.”

  Chase’s fists curled, anger swirling on Tanner’s behalf. “Why?”

  “Because he’s had Tanner’s death planned since he was born. Lately, Lassiter has been trying to stage a coup and consolidate several packs in eastern Oregon, Washington, and western Idaho into one. With himself as pack alpha.”

  “But . . . but Tanner’s the pack alpha.”

  “Technically, yes. But Lassiter has been acting as if Tanner didn’t exist since November twenty-third.”

  Chase punched his thigh. “The night of his birthday.”

  “The night he came of age.”

  “But how— He didn’t even know Tanner was missing! I didn’t know Tanner was missing.”

  “He expected Tanner to be missing.” Quentin nodded at the remains of the golems. “Permanently.”

  “Wait. Tanner’s uncle cursed the ring?”

  “Yes.” Quentin’s lips curved in a wintry smile. “He’s probably been waiting for you to report Tanner missing since November.”

  Chase put the twisted pieces together. “So he wouldn’t have bothered to look again—”

  “Until Tanner called and told him there was actually somebody to find.”

  Chase fumbled with his shirt buttons, but when his fingers refused to cooperate, he ripped the damn shirt open, buttons be damned. “I have to find Tanner. Warn him. Tell him.” Gods, this was going to devastate him. He’d always been so certain of his uncle’s devotion. He was devoted, all right. Devoted to his own interests, the asshole. “I know his scent.” Maybe better than my own. “I can find him.”

  Quentin gripped his arm. “I agree we must locate Tanner. But you can’t go off on your own. Patrick Lassiter is a very dangerous man, and his entire power base depends on everyone believing that Tanner’s death—”

  “Don’t say that!”

  “Tanner’s demise—”

  “Don’t say that either!”

  Quentin shook Chase’s arm. “I’m not advocating for it, you infuriating wolf, I’m telling you what Lassiter’s perspective is.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “Anyway, the only way he can consolidate his power grab is by convincing the council that Tanner’s death was an unfortunate accident, the result of an unstable mind, or caused by an attack from an unknown adversary whom someone as young as Tanner wouldn’t be able to adequately counter.”

  “That’s all the more reason to—”

  “And”—Quentin raised his voice to override Chase—“the only way he can manage that is if there are no witnesses to testify to the contrary.”

  “You mean—”

  “At this point, you are in as great a danger as Tanner. In fact, your housemates may be in danger too, as well as myself, Mal, Rusty, Ted.” Quentin’s eyes flashed red behind his glasses and his wings rustled, extending slightly. “Although I will never allow that to happen.”

  “Then what are we supposed to do?” Chase bunched his shirt hem in his fists. “He could be in trouble right now. I can’t just stand here because I might be at risk. I have to do something.”

  “The council took their sweet time reaching a verdict, and the administrative paperwork is even slower, but I expect the warrant for Patrick’s arrest will have been issued by now. So all we need to do is corral our little group until they’ve secured him. Here’s what we’ll—” Quentin’s gaze shifted to a point beyond Chase’s shoulder. “Well. It looks like we won’t have to mount a search after all.”

  Chase whirled. And there, trotting down the path from the lodge—barefoot, but wearing dark trousers and a blue sweater that were both a little too small—was Tanner.

  Tanner didn’t think anything could ever lift his heart again, but the expression on Chase’s face when he turned and saw Tanner running from the lodge—that did it. And when Chase raced to meet him, unbuttoned shirt flapping behind him, that lifted it even more. And when Chase slammed into him, his arms going around Tanner, his lips meeting Tanner’s in a bruising kiss—well, that was a little painful, but Tanner was certain he was floating a foot off the ground.

  Chase broke the kiss but didn’t release him. “Tanner. Gods, are you all right?”

  Tanner kissed Chase’s neck— Because I can. “I’m okay. But there’s some stuff— Wait. Is that Jordan? In the water?”

  Chase glanced at the lake shore, where a bear and four wolves now stood, shaking the water out of their fur. “Yes, but never mind. There’s something you need to know.”

  Tanner put both hands on Chase’s chest. “Just a minute. I need to tell Mal and Quentin something.” But before Tanner could disengage from Chase, Rusty stormed over, gripping his sledgehammer under the head in a massive—and very grubby—fist.

  Rusty pointed at Tanner. “That’s Cas’s sweater. And his pants. If you’ve hurt him—”

  Tanner held up his hands. “He’s fine. He used his influence with his vampire chief to contact the supe council and they’re sending—”

  “Let me guess,” Mal said, sheathing his sword as he strolled over. “My brother Alun. The Queen’s Champion.”

  “Medical help too. There’s a—” Tanner swallowed, the sight of Finn’s blood still fresh in his memory. “Someone was shot. My uncle.”

  Quentin strode over, his wings mantling. “Someone shot Patrick?”

  “No. Patrick shot somebody else. My cousin.” His own son. “Although I think he was going to try to make it look like I did it.”

  Mal exchanged an enigmatic glance with Quentin, then gripped Tanner’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. Alun will make sure the human authorities aren’t involved, and the fae have their own bag of forensic tricks.”

  Chase laced his fingers with Tanner’s. “So you know? About your uncle?”

  Tanner nodded, his eyes prickling. I won’t cry about Uncle Patrick. I won’t. “He nearly monologued me to death.”

  “Do you know where Patrick is?” Quentin asked.

  “Unless the council authorities have already retrieved him, he’s in Ted’s cave. With a duergar the size of a Volkswagen blocking the entrance.” Tanner smiled shakily. “I need to let Hector know that his FTA app is awesome, although he may need to add a module for a much bigger tip.” Then Tanner glanced at Rusty. “But Cas gave me a message for you, Elm—Rusty. He’d, um, appreciate it if you’d get your . . . self back to the lodge now.”

  Mal leaned in to Quentin. “I’ll bet those weren’t his exact words. He said ‘arse,’ didn’t he? And threatened Rusty with bodily harm?”

  Tanner waggled one hand. “But he did say that if you don’t, um, return, he’ll come down here and collect you himself.”

  Rusty’s eyebrows snapped together. “He can’t— Doesn’t he know— What is he— We’re supposed to be— Gah!”

  “He also told me if you said something like that, to remind you to use your words.” Tanner grimaced. “Sorry?”

  “Urgh.” Rusty shouldered his sledgehammer and almost sprinted toward the lodge.

  Down by the lake, one of the wolves—Jordan by the coltish build and the black blaze on his flank—started after Rusty, his tail waving.

  “Jordan!” Chase called. “No butt-sniffing!” Jordan swerved and trotted back toward the cabin, his tail between his legs. Chase cast an apologetic glance at Mal. “I think Rusty may have supplanted you as Jordan’s latest hero-crush. Which is probably a good thing for you, but not so much for Rusty.”

  “I’ll bear up under the defection,�
� Mal said with a grin. “And I’ll leave Cas to handle the puppy-love.”

  Tanner stumbled forward, catching himself on Chase’s arm when something bumped into the back of his knees. He turned to find Jordan, still in wolf form, gazing up at him with wide happy eyes. He wagged his tail once, then dropped something on the path—something that glinted green-gold in the sunlight and rolled down the slight incline toward Tanner’s bare toes.

  “Shite!” Mal shouted and grabbed Tanner around the waist, lifting him off the ground before the signet could come in contact with his skin. He set Tanner down at a safe distance. “Sorry, mate. But the last thing we need right now is another golem melee.”

  Tanner shuddered. “No apology necessary.”

  Quentin bent down and retrieved the signet. “Damn. This thing has the most repulsive aura I’ve ever seen.” He glanced at Tanner. “Did you ever put it on?”

  “No.” Tanner edged closer to Chase, needing his comforting warmth. “I didn’t want to face being the pack alpha.” He stared down at his toes, once again the worse for running through the woods. “I was shirking my responsibilities.”

  “Shirking nothing.” Quentin pulled a linen handkerchief out of his tattered jacket’s pocket. “If you’d actually worn this, you’d probably have turned suicidal and welcomed death-by-mudslide.”

  Death by mudslide. “There’s something else.” Tanner squared his shoulders. “I don’t think the curse was directed only at me. I think Unc— I think Patrick used it first to kill my father. Only it got my mother too.”

  Quentin met Tanner’s gaze somberly and gave a brief nod. “Thank you for the information, Tanner.” He wrapped the ring in the handkerchief. “I’ll turn this over to the council, but if you could accompany me to preserve the chain of evidence, Mal, I’d appreciate it.”

  “No worries, mate. I’m there.”

  Quentin’s gaze softened. “Tanner, I’m afraid I have some more bad news for you. The decision to disband the Wallowa pack was handed down by the combined supe council this morning. That’s the case I was working on.”

  Tanner swallowed. “Because of me?”

  “No. It’s been coming for a while now. The pack is nearly bankrupt, and with so few members—”

  “Bankrupt? But . . . but the new cars. Unc— Patrick’s clothes.”

  Quentin smiled at him kindly. “That’s where the money went. But with the mills closing, there wasn’t any money coming in.”

  Just then, Patrick emerged from the trees beyond the cabin. Tanner tensed, ready to fling himself between Chase and Patrick in case he’d somehow retrieved his gun, but then Tanner saw the other man looming behind him, one hand gripping the back of Patrick’s neck and the other hand holding a sword even bigger than Mal’s. The second man was Mal’s height, with the same dark hair, and though his shoulders were broader and his eyes hazel instead of Mal’s cobalt blue, it was clear that the two were related.

  Tanner swallowed. The legendary Alun Kendrick. Dr. Kendrick. It was almost more intimidating to meet him than it was to face Patrick.

  Almost.

  Mal saluted his brother with two fingers touched to his forehead. “Brother.”

  “Mal.” Dr. Kendrick’s voice was deeper, weightier than Mal’s, even in that single word. He nodded a greeting at the others.

  “Finn,” Tanner blurted, carefully keeping his gaze averted from Patrick. “My cousin. Is he okay?”

  Dr. Kendrick nodded. “The SMT team arrived right after I did, and they’ve transported him to United Memorial. My husband, David”—there was no mistaking the pride in his voice—“will meet them there and assist with treatment.” His gaze, resting on Tanner, was reassuring, for all he was far more serious than Mal ever was. “You needn’t worry. David is an achubydd.”

  “A supe healer? But I thought they were extinct.”

  Dr. Kendrick’s expression darkened. “He is the only one left. But he’ll save your friend if anyone can.”

  “Thank you.” Tanner turned halfway away. Still in avoidance. Very mature.

  Chase rubbed his hand up and down Tanner’s spine. “It’s okay if you don’t want to face him.”

  Tanner looked into Chase’s eyes and didn’t see a trace of scorn or blame. That acceptance more than anything gave Tanner the courage he needed. He straightened his shoulders, then nodded and turned back, facing Patrick squarely.

  “Why?”

  Patrick sneered, the expression still jarring since Tanner had never seen it on his face before today. “Why? Because the pack is mine. I’ve led it since before you were born, since your father couldn’t be bothered. Too busy sniffing after my sister and trying to forge alliances with other packs when he should have been annexing them instead. You didn’t deserve to be the alpha.”

  “Why didn’t you simply ask, Patrick? I would have abdicated. I never wanted the leadership. I don’t even want to live there.”

  “Nonsense. A were’s status, his power, his identity are all tied up in his pack. It’s tradition. And then my fool of a sister had to shackle herself to a nothing alpha in the sticks of eastern Oregon when she could have mated a pack second in King County and had the run of Seattle.”

  Chase’s hand stilled on Tanner’s back. “Would you have gifted him a cursed signet too? Staged a coup in Seattle the way you tried in Imnaha?”

  “At least it would have been worth it!”

  “So killing my parents wasn’t worth it? Killing me wouldn’t have been worth it?”

  “Not yet. But I’d have made it worth it. I’ve got plans—”

  “Enough,” Dr. Kendrick growled. “You have no plans anymore. You’ll answer to the pack council for your attempts to usurp power not due you, and to the supe council for murder and attempted murder.” He looked at Quentin. “Quentin, if you’ll accompany me?”

  “Of course. I have the evidence to log as well.” Quentin turned to Tanner and Chase. “Please make yourselves at home. When Ted finishes playing with the pups, reassure him that I’ll return in time to don a”—he flicked his tattered jacket—“less ventilated suit in time for the wedding.” He furled his wings and flanked Dr. Kendrick as the two of them marched Patrick into the trees and—hopefully—out of Tanner’s life for good.

  Mal raced after his brother and had a few words with him before the trees swallowed up Dr. Kendrick, Quentin, and Tanner’s asshole uncle. Since they were more or less alone—the juniors were still in wolf form, gamboling around Ted-the-bear—Chase draped his arm across Tanner’s shoulders. “Are you okay?”

  Tanner shot him a wry glance. “Let’s see. Within the last twenty-four hours, I’ve been scared witless by having my hiding place discovered, gotten nearly buried in mud twice, suffered shift withdrawal—also twice—”

  “What?”

  Tanner patted Chase’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I took some more of Dr. MacLeod’s magic elixir. Where was I? Oh yeah. Suffered shift withdrawal twice, gotten scared out of my wits by an avenging incubus, met a vampire, watched my cousin get shot . . .” He swallowed convulsively, his shoulders trembling under Chase’s arm. Chase hugged him closer. “Had my pack disbanded. Found out my uncle is a psychopath who killed my parents and hates me enough to kill me too.”

  “Ah, shit, Tanner.” Chase leaned his forehead against Tanner’s temple.

  “I’ve also kissed you for the first time. Had sex with you for the first, second, and third times. And found out that I have far more options—that we both have far more options than we ever imagined. So I guess it’s kind of a—”

  “Yin-yang thing?”

  Tanner chuckled. “Exactly.”

  “When you said we both have more options—”

  “I’m sorry!” Tanner turned wide, stricken eyes on Chase. “I was assuming that you— That we— The book—”

  Chase chuckled and nuzzled Tanner’s hair. “What was that message you gave Rusty? ‘Use your words’?” He kissed Tanner’s forehead. “But there’s no hurry. Use ’em whenever you’re ready.”<
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  Tanner blinked at him. “Why talk when I could be kissing you some more?” He angled his head and captured Chase’s mouth, and, man, the guy was a fast learner. Chase wrapped his arms around Tanner’s waist, tempted to let his hands drift lower, because those too-tight pants hugged Tanner’s ass in a most mouthwatering way.

  But then Tanner disengaged, gasping, “I can’t— These stupid trousers are about to amputate my dick!”

  “We can’t have that. Besides”—Chase nodded to the side—“we’re about to have company.”

  Mal strode up to them, his usual grin strained. “I’ve got to take off for a bit.” He shrugged apologetically at Chase. “Since you hired us, technically I can’t turn over our findings to the council for Patrick’s trial unless—”

  “Do you need me to sign a release? Because hells, yes, I’ll sign. Do me a favor, though, and make sure he doesn’t get off on a technicality.”

  Mal chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. Supe tribunals are a damn sight different than human courtrooms. For one thing?” He winked. “Nobody can lie. It makes things so much simpler.” He shaded his eyes and gazed out at the lake. “I’ll have to hurry if I expect to get back in time for the wedding—and if I don’t get back in time, Bryce will have my hide.” He winked again. “Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing.”

  Chase’s jaw dropped. Did he just say . . . He met Tanner’s wide-eyed gaze, his mouth likewise agape. Yes, he did.

  A yip from the edge of the forest drew Mal’s attention. “I’ll round up the pups and take them back to the Doghouse.”

  “I’m not sure I can trust them there,” Chase said, running a hand through his hair. “They certainly didn’t follow instructions last time. Although, now that I think of it, that was probably a good thing.”

  “Eh, maybe. We had the goods on Patrick with the ring spell. I, ah . . .” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I paid Grizel another visit, and asked her nicely this time. She pointed out that only a comatose imbecile could have missed the bloody spell.” He shrugged. “It put her in a good mood to tear a few strips out of me, so maybe she’ll be inclined to be cooperative when we need her help next time too.” Mal touched his forehead and strode off for the Doghouse pack.