by D. M. Turner
He laughed. “That’d be fine by me, too.”
Humor fell away. “Do you really think it could come to that?”
“I hope not, but I have to plan for the worst case scenario and pray it doesn’t come to pass.” He frowned. “I’m more worried about me than the enemy.”
“Why?”
“You’ve read about Dresden. You know what I’m capable of if the wolf takes control.”
She nodded.
“Ever since then, it doesn’t take much for the wolf to rise to power. If I only have to kill Brimfield, I’ll be fine. If it goes beyond that….”
Sophia gasped softly. He didn’t need to finish that thought.
“Brett knows, if I lose control, it falls to him to kill me to protect the others.”
“No.”
He pivoted in his seat to face her more fully and pointed to the book on the nightstand. “Have you finished the book?”
“No. I have one more story to go.”
“The last one.”
She nodded.
“It explains how I became alpha. Read it. You’ll understand why I have this… safeguard in place.”
“There must be another way.” She refused to believe killing him was the only option. Ian was too good a leader to be lost to the wolf and death. How many other alphas would’ve given the entire pack the choice to leave rather than stand and fight? He’d risked facing a powerful enemy alone to give them that option.
“I know of no other way.” He half-smiled and caressed her cheek. “When my wolf rises, he’s not as willing to surrender power as yours appears to be. Your wolf settles and returns power to your human self. Mine doesn’t do that. I’m not sure he’ll let Brett intervene next time he breaks free.”
“You can’t just give up.” She hopped to her feet, paced to the far side of the room, and then whipped around and returned to stand in front of him. “You’re giving up without a fight!”
Ian stood and gently gripped her shoulders. “No. I’m preparing for the worst case scenario. There’s a difference.”
Sophia glared at him. There had to be another way.
He cocked his head. “You’re leaving soon. Why does it matter so much to you whether or not I remain alpha here?”
“I—” She frowned in thought. Good question. Was it just about him being a good leader? “I don’t know. It just does.”
A half-grin curved his mouth. “Well, let me know if you figure it out.” After a moment, he left, gently closing the door on his way out.
* * *
“Ian, I was just coming to look for you.” Brett stood in the doorway across the hall. “We have a new problem.”
“Now what?” Lord, don’t we have enough to contend with? We don’t need new problems.
“Come, take a look.” He backed into Ian’s office and pointed to one of three computer monitors. The one that showed the security camera feeds.
Max and Carlos had convinced Ian to add cameras and the computers after a human hired by Kelly’s father sneaked through the main gate (which he’d jammed open) and kidnapped Tanya in late 2015. The guy had meant to take Kelly, but he hadn’t been given enough information to ensure he grabbed the right white wolf.
A dark-skinned woman in a suit stood outside the main gate, looking around, apparently unaware of the pair of hidden cameras that observed her every move. A car sat to one side of the driveway, far enough back to easily pull onto the road but out of the way of outgoing vehicles. The severe style of dress and the nondescript sedan raised the hair on the back of his neck. If she was anything but a federal agent, he’d eat one of the pups.
A red light blinked on another display. The main gate was opening. In moments, cars passed her. The last one stopped. Max.
She spoke briefly with him, showing him something she pulled out of the inner breast pocket of her suit.
After a moment, the satellite phone on the desk rang.
Ian picked it up. “Yes.”
“I have an Agent Keesha Muller of the FBI at the front gate. She wishes to see you about Clara Brimfield.”
He suppressed a growl. How did people keep finding them? “Leave her car where it is. Bring her to the house.”
“Sure thing.” Max’s version of “yes, boss” when anyone “not pack” was within hearing range.
Ian hung up and set the phone on the desk. “Federal agent inquiring about Clara. How did this woman find us?”
“Good question.” Brett’s gaze rested on the computer monitor as Max’s vehicle returned through the main gate. “Do you want me there when you meet with her?”
“No, I think I can handle this, but stay within hearing range. I’ll holler if I need you.”
His friend nodded.
* * *
Hearing voices in the hall, Sophia opened the bedroom door to see who it was, just in time to see Ian retreating to the other end of the house at a clipped pace.
Brett stood in the office doorway across the hall, watching him go with a tight frown.
“Brett, what’s going on? Ian doesn’t look happy.” Neither of them did.
“We just had a federal agent at the gate. Max is bringing her to the house.”
“What?” A shiver ran up her spine. A federal agent on pack grounds? That couldn’t be good. “What does she want?”
“Something about Clara. The agent somehow tracked her to us.” His face tightened into an even fiercer scowl. “The fact she found her here is worrisome to say the least.”
Sophia nodded.
Brett took a deep breath and heaved a heavy sigh. “Nothing we can do for it now. I better get the guard duty schedule drafted out. I assume you’ll stand guard with Ian?”
She nodded again.
He gave a brief nod then turned into the office.
After a quick look down the hall, she followed him and closed the door.
He dropped into the chair at the desk and glanced over his shoulder. “Did you need something?”
“Will you really kill Ian?”
His lips tightened into a thin line, and he turned to stare over the desk out the window. “He told you the plan.”
“Yes.” She dropped into the chair next to the desk.
“If it becomes necessary, yes, I’ll kill him.” When he looked at her, his eyes were grim and full of sorrow.
“How can you even consider it? He’s supposed to be your best friend.”
“He is. We’ve been friends a very long time. I’ve never trusted anyone more.” His gaze lowered to the desktop. “But I know how Ian would feel if the wolf took control and hurt or killed innocent humans or anyone he cared about. He’d rather die.”
Sophia rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and laid her mouth against her fist, fighting tears. They couldn’t possibly be so resigned to killing Ian. There had to be a way to pull him back if the wolf took over. There was always an answer to rage.
“Why do you care about this so much? You’re leaving in a few days, anyway. Why concern yourself with what happens to our alpha?”
That question again. “I don’t know.”
Brett studied her, his head cocked to one side, his gaze curious and soft. “I think on some level you do. You have a vested interest in his survival.”
“Meaning what exactly?”
“You’re falling in love with him.”
She snorted. “I barely know him.”
He waved a hand as though that was inconsequential. “That doesn’t mean much to the wolf. Besides, love comes once you submit to the wolf’s instincts and take the time to get to know the other person.”
“Is this about that mate thing you told Graham during the night?”
“As a matter of fact, it is. Your wolf has made it abundantly clear that you’ve chosen Ian as you mate. His wolf has chosen you. There’s no fighting that.”
“You’re nuts.” Sophia lunged to her feet and headed for the door.
“You’re dealing with a wolf’s instincts, and they tend to be black
and white. You can dismiss it, if you like. It won’t matter. The wolf never loses. It’s relentless.” He snorted a laugh. “Even I wasn’t stupid enough to resist.”
The implication that she was annoyed her. Her hand on the doorknob, she glanced back to glare at him, but he was bent over a pad of paper on the desk, a pen in hand.
She left the office door standing open and returned to the guestroom, barely preventing herself from slamming the bedroom door.
* * *
On his feet with a hip against the back of the couch and arms crossed over his chest, Ian studied the woman Max led through the front door. FBI.
She carried herself with the alertness of law enforcement, scanning the room before her gaze stopped on him. Light-chocolate skin glowed with health. Not as dark as it had appeared on the black-and-white digital images. Dark brown eyes narrowed faintly as she assessed him. Her gaze fell almost immediately from his stern one.
Intimidating an FBI agent probably wasn’t smart, but he wasn’t happy about her being on his property. The further the government stayed from the Preserve, the happier he’d be. Having a representative within the gates set him on edge. He didn’t trust any of them within an inch of his life. He’d seen too much in his lifetime to give an ounce of trust to anyone working for the government. Such trust tended to bite people in the butt. Hard.
After a look from Ian, Max went back outside and closed the front door.
“I’m Agent Keesha Muller. Are you Ian Campbell?”
“I am.” He motioned for her to have a seat, seeing no need to pay attention to the ID she held out. Max would already have scrutinized it before bringing her through the outer gate.
To his surprise, she lowered herself onto the couch. He’d fully expected her to take one of the empty chairs that faced doors instead of putting her back to the front door and most of the house or sitting where others might sit beside her. Confident but not pushy or paranoid, even in the presence of strange men. Interesting.
Ian settled in one of the chairs. “How can I help you, Agent Muller?”
“I need to speak to Kelly Mitchell about her sister, Clara Brimfield. It’s my understanding I could find Mrs. Mitchell here at the Preserve. Mrs. Brimfield’s neighbor reported her missing a couple of days ago.”
He cocked his head and considered her then leaned back in the chair, his forearms resting on the upholstered arms. “Clara has taken refuge with us.”
“She’s here?” She scooted toward the edge of the couch, her gaze sharpening.
“Yes. She’s with her sister.” The fact she hadn’t known that reassured him to some degree.
Brett appeared in the entrance to the hall and leaned against the wall instead of entering the dining room.
“Would it be possible for me to speak with her?”
“I’m not sure.” He frowned. “She’s in rough shape. Her husband beat her badly. It’s been ongoing for a number of years, so she’s terrified of people, especially men. She might be willing to speak with you, though. I can find out.” He glanced at Brett and flicked his gaze toward upstairs.
Brett nodded and headed for the second floor.
“When did Mrs. Brimfield arrive?”
“Early this morning.” Movement at the back door sent tension through his core, but he forced his body to remain relaxed.
Max, in wolf form, padded through the open sliding glass door. Pale green eyes locked on the woman on the couch, and he halted. His head tilted to one side, and he blinked, his nose working to catch her scent. The man’s wolf form was lighter framed than Ian’s, resembling a Mexican red wolf instead of the bulkier American gray. His coat contained red, gray, and black, as well as cream around his muzzle and on his underbelly and legs.
If one of the wolves had to out himself to a human, at least it was Max. He was one of the smaller and less intimidating members of the pack, at least to those who didn’t grasp how lethal any wolf could be.
Still, Max had known a human was there since he’d brought her. What was he doing, showing himself in her presence? Why hadn’t he remained out of sight?
“Wow.” She smiled. “That’s a wolf.”
“Yes, it is.” Ian frowned.
“He’s beautiful.” A small grin appeared. “And huge. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one so big.”
The wolf strolled toward her, head relaxed, tail neutral, then bumped the hand resting on her knee with his nose.
She glanced at Ian. “May I pet him?”
“He’s inviting you to.” What’s he doing? Ian restrained a growl.
Agent Muller ran the fingers of one hand through Max’s scruff and up to one ear. “So gorgeous.”
Max raised his head and offered a canine smile, waving his tail low and slow.
“So, you have wolves here? I hadn’t realized that’s what you seek to preserve.”
“My personal project, I suppose you could say. The bulk of the Preserve was established to protect native, local wildlife.” Mostly true on all counts.
Brett kept a trio of wolves on his acreage to the north, which provided cover for any howling people might hear from a distance. They didn’t need the general public to know any more than that. If someone spread rumors that he had a wolf program beyond two or three pets near Flagstaff, there could be trouble. Folks tended to be irrational about such things, convinced an animal would escape and eat their children. Uproar about a wolf rescue had arisen some years before in rural southern Arizona. The rescue had ended up moving to another state.
Humans weren’t rational at times. Ian would prefer not to have to deal with any more of them than absolutely necessary.
Max stepped close enough to rest his chest against Agent Muller’s knees and nuzzled her cheek.
She chuckled. “He’s very friendly. I thought wolves were supposed to be standoffish with strangers.”
Ian glared at Max, who ignored him. “They generally are. It appears he’s taken a fancy to you.” Which might be less than good.
“What’s his name?”
“Max.” He put just enough growl into the word to draw the wolf’s gaze.
Max lowered his head, and his ears dropped to the side. He turned away, choosing to look at the federal agent instead of his alpha.
Ian sighed.
“Like the man who met me at the gate.”
“His namesake.” As good a lie as any.
“I had a dog named Max when I was a kid.” She cupped the wolf’s head in both hands and gazed into his eyes. “A German shepherd mix. I adored that dog. I didn’t think my heart would ever recover when I lost him.”
“What happened to him?” Not that he really cared, but humans expected such questions about their pets.
“He didn’t like fireworks.” Pain crossed her face. “My father left the back door open one Fourth of July. Max spooked and got out of the yard. A car hit and killed him.”
“I’m sorry.” Horrible way for any creature to die. Common enough, though, that Brett kept his natural wolves well-fed on wild game, thanks to a license to pick up road kill.
“Ian?” Brett passed the breakfast bar and stopped a few feet from the couch. “Clara won’t come out of her room. Kelly’s trying to change her mind.”
Agent Muller pivoted in her seat, a hand still on Max’s thick-ruffed neck, and frowned at the man. “I need to see her. Her neighbor filed a missing persons report. I need to see for myself that she’s alive and well, and I have to confirm that she’s here by choice.”
“Choice?” Ian scowled. “Exactly what choice do you think Clara has in anything? The woman had to run away from home with nothing more than the clothes on her back, unless she wanted to end up dead. She had nowhere to go except here. If you could’ve seen her when she arrived, you wouldn’t question whether she’s here willingly. This is her sanctuary, not a prison. She’s free to come and go as she pleases. We didn’t kidnap her, and we aren’t holding her against her will.” He pointed toward the other end of the house. “That woman is so
battered and traumatized, she won’t even come out of her room.”
The agent shifted her gaze to Ian. Her eye contact remained soft and almost apologetic. “Mr. Campbell, I mean no disrespect, and I don’t mean to be difficult or come across as suspicious, but I have certain procedures I must follow in cases like this. For potential abductions, I must talk to the alleged victim face-to-face, personally. It’s required. If I go back and report to my superiors that you told me she’s safe and here willingly, I’ll be out a job.”
Max nosed her cheek then glanced at Ian.
Good grief. One of his wolves was siding with a federal agent. Just what he needed.
Chapter 20
Sophia knocked softly on the closed door.
“Come in.”
She responded to Kelly’s summons by pushing the door open and pinned Clara with a concerned but determined look. “You should go downstairs.”
“I can’t.” The woman’s eyes widened and watered.
“That federal agent can’t take anyone’s word for it that you’re here of your own free will. If you don’t go down and talk to her, she could decide to come back with more agents. That would put the pack in even more danger than they already are, and this time danger from the government.”
Kelly scowled. “Don’t push her.”
Sophia snarled slightly at the growl in the other woman’s voice and stared her down. “I understand your concern, and I understand her fear more than you think. That said, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Ian and the pack, even if it means hauling her bodily down those stairs to face that agent.”
Lowering her gaze, Kelly stepped between Sophia and Clara.
“No, Kelly. She’s right.” Clara pushed off the bed and laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I don’t want to bring government attention of any kind on the pack. They’re trying to protect me. They deserve the same in return, if I can.”
Kelly glared at Sophia then put an arm around her sister and aided her to the door. Sophia backed into the hall but kept her head up and gaze steady. She hadn’t let any of the men in the pack intimidate her. Kelly certainly wouldn’t do so.
