Diablo Lake: Protected

by Lauren Dane

  “Sure felt like it.”

  Well, feelings weren’t reality and he wasn’t sure why his father needed that said.

  “Let’s look forward to the town hall next week and not get worked up over nothing.”

  “That girl can’t be perfect,” his father said.

  “Surely not,” Mac said, suppressing his snort. “Everyone has their weak spots. Hers is her inexperience. Which is great, because your strength is your years of experience.”

  “We need to find out what those weaknesses of hers are so we can take her out.”

  Sharp, cold anger slid down Mac’s spine.

  “She’s too cozy with those Dooleys. Mac, you need to talk to her about that,” his mother told him.

  “You don’t need to take her out, for God’s sake. I wouldn’t take kindly to something like that, Dad. Are we clear?”

  His father sneered but didn’t argue.

  “Take this as an opportunity to show all the people in town that you support them. Not just Pembry wolves, but witches too. And Dooleys.”

  “Dooley or not, I expect the wolves to stick with their own on this,” his dad said. “Some of ’em will go with that Katie Faith, of course, and I wager she’ll stick with her friend. The cats, well they’re tricky, but I’ll talk with the Ruizes next week. They’re shifters too, after all.”

  “Except you’ve been dropping rumors about the Patron of the Dooley pack, potentially throwing away any support you might get from them. Even if they do vote for you, you can’t just play the numbers. You need to convince the witches you’re not going to let the magic here die off. They’re worried and if you don’t allay their fears they’ll only redouble their efforts to take your seat.”

  “I’ve done this a time or two before, you know.” His father shot him a look.

  “I’m aware. And it bit you in the ass a time or two before as well. Attacking her will be your weakness and something I will not tolerate—professionally or personally. Don’t do it. People like her. She takes care of a lot of folks in town. You go in on her and you’ll lose even more support.”

  “Not if I expose whatever she’s hiding. Let me do what I do best, boy.” His father gathered his things and headed out the door, his mother right behind him.

  She cast a look over her shoulder at Mac and he wanted to hug her and demand she just tell him what the hell was going on with her.

  “Being a jerk isn’t doing what you do best, Dad,” he called out.

  “You’re Prime now, act like it,” his father replied before he got into the car and left.

  “Okay then. You asked for it,” Mac said.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mac woke up with his woman draped over him, warm and delicious—despite the drool on his arm. Want rose slowly as he woke up little by little.

  She had on flannel pajamas old enough to be soft against his skin. Old enough he knew the heat of his palms on her ass would have registered through the thinned material.

  Her eyes opened slowly and she sighed happily at the sight of him before closing her eyes again and snuggling against him with a little extra squirm to let him know she was just as happy to get up to something dirty as he was.

  Aimee was the best thing in his universe. Even as the mayoral race had kept heating up, things between the two of them had only strengthened.

  At first he thought the knocking at the front door was his heart pounding after she’d grabbed his cock at the base. Enough that he got a little annoyed when she stopped and sat up.

  Then he noted the annoyance in her sigh as she got out of bed and pulled a robe on and realized someone was at the damned door.

  “I’m going to kill whoever it is, okay?” He growled as he managed to get some sweats and a T-shirt on and followed her out. “Let me go see who it is, for fuck’s sake.” The day before she’d received a threat note everyone in the pack had denied knowing anything about. But his brother had certainly seemed mighty pleased to hear it upset her.

  “I already told you that I enlarged my wards of protection all the way to the sidewalk. Whoever it is, they’re recognized as friendly by my magic. Gonna be a Pembry I’ll wager.”

  He moved in front of her anyway. “I can take a lot more physical damage than you can. I don’t know why you argue so much.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, well, it looks like it’s Huston. So I’m going to start some coffee and something for breakfast. Come in when you’re done whispering about how much you adore me.”

  Mac grabbed her, pulling her back for a quick kiss and a hug, drawing in the scent of her a moment. “Good morning. Don’t forget where we left off in there, okay?”

  “I’m pretty sure you’ll know how to get back on track the moment you can,” she called back over her shoulder as she walked away.

  He wiped the grin off his face as he opened the screen door to admit his cousin. “This better be important. Like someone bleeding or on fire important.”

  But Huston’s expression told him it was, indeed, very important.

  “Fuck. Okay, come in the other room and tell me what’s going on.” As he’d sort of taken up residence with Aimee, she’d given him one of her spare rooms as an office so that’s where he took Huston, having him take a seat once they’d closed the door.

  “Your mom is the one who started the rumors about Katie Faith.”

  “Wow, no easing me in on that, huh?” Mac scrubbed his hands over his face.

  “Figured it was one of those ‘shove you in to the freezing-cold water to get it out of the way’ sort of things.”

  “I can’t say I’m surprised. I did find out about this from my dad. I just thought he’d be smart enough not to leave breadcrumbs right straight back to himself or my mom. How did you find out?”

  “The wolves supporting your father to that degree are a very small number. I think you don’t really get that. The pool of possibles was pretty easy to go through. I started with Darrell and his little followers and sure enough I found someone who bragged about what he’d heard after I bought him a few beers. From there it was only one more person until I found your momma as the source.”

  “Do we know if this has gone any further than these numbskulls my brother lets fetch his water?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve got my ear to the ground. The dipshit I bought beers for says he talked about it at the bar, but it’s so damned loud in there, even with shifter hearing I’m not sure anyone could have overheard unless they were very close. I don’t want to poke around so much I actually create a problem where there is none.”

  “I’ll go talk with her now. I expect she got it right straight from my dad. I’ll just handle them both at once.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Huston told him.

  “You don’t need to be in the middle of this mess.”

  “I’m already in the middle of this mess, Mac. I’m your lieutenant. It’s my job to be with you when you deal with this sort of thing. And this is my pack too. My family too.”

  “Aimee is in there making us coffee and breakfast. Come on through and visit with us. I have to figure out how much to tell her. Some of it is about the campaign and we’ve said we weren’t going to talk about that. So far she’s respected that and kept her distance. But this involves her personally.”

  “And she’ll be Patron with you someday soon enough. This mayoral race has only sped up the process for you to take over. You know that. Your dad loses more of his grip on his control every day. He’s letting this get personal. Your momma? I don’t know what is going on with her, but she’s gone from salty to bitter. And they’re letting Darrell run riot all over town stirring up his buddies and causing trouble. At some point you’re going to have to share this with her.”

  “It’s the when and how much that I’m struggling with. She’s intuitive. Goo
d with people. Wolves keep telling me what an asset she is. Like I’m buying a piece of art or some property.”

  Huston laughed. “She’ll handle herself just fine. Aimee isn’t one for letting herself get talked over. She’s quiet, surely. But a quiet force. Tell her all you can, as soon as you can. That’s my advice. Now let’s go eat. I smell bacon and coffee.”

  * * *

  Aimee gave them both the once-over when they joined her in the kitchen. She’d gotten dressed and put her hair back with a headband and looked fresh and pretty.

  “Coffee is done so help yourselves. I’d say something like I hope y’all like pancakes but whether you do or not, that’s what I’m making.”

  Huston just shook his head as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “I never would have pegged you for so much sass. Mac needs more sass in his life. He’s too used to getting his own way.”

  “On account of being so smart and handsome and accomplished? Yeah, it sucks,” Mac snagged the butter from the fridge, along with some preserves and syrup.

  “He’s got low self-esteem, Huston. Give him a break.”

  Laughing, she reached over to grab her phone, which had started to ring.

  “Hey, Mom, how are you today?”

  He and Huston took over the pancake flipping as she dealt with her mom’s call, but about three minutes in Aimee said, “What?” with so much alarm he knew the rumors about Katie Faith had to have gotten out.

  Aimee cut her eyes to him and set her mouth in a hard line as she listened to whatever TeeFaye was telling her. Finally, she said her goodbyes and with one hand on her hip, she said, “Something you want to talk to me about?”

  Huston, the traitor, jumped a little. “I’m just going to, uh...not be here. Sorry, Mac, but you’re on your own. Call me later if you’re still alive.” He grabbed his freshly buttered pancakes, rolled them up and scampered from the house lickety-split.

  “Let’s have breakfast while we talk,” he said, taking the platter of pancakes to the table, where she’d already settled.

  “I take it your mom had something to tell you that upset you. Why don’t we start there.”

  “Don’t do that. It won’t end well for you.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t fucking patronize me. Or try to handle me. I’m empathic! I felt it when I was talking to my mom. You knew what it was about. You weren’t surprised when I confronted you and Huston ran out of here so fast he left burn marks so he knew too.”

  “Will you please tell me what your mom said? I’m not going to lie to you, I just want to know what happened.”

  She frowned at him. “My momma and Nadine were at the market when they overheard a Pembry wolf telling another that my best friend had been a total whore and that’s why Darrell left her at the altar. As you might imagine, Nadine was none too happy to hear such things being said about her daughter and she threw a jumbo can of peaches at the wolf saying it. Surprise surprise, it was Ronnie who, according to my mother, cried like a baby when the can hit him square in the goolies.”

  Mac winced.

  “Before Nadine could grab him though, he ran out of the store along with some other Pembry wolf he was with. What is going on? And is that why Huston was just here? They reported Nadine’s can to the junk like a bunch of crybabies?”

  Aimee was pissed off and his wolf responded, wanting to fix it. Needing to make her feel better.

  “Because if you all think we’re going to sit idly by while our reputations are being torn down by your fucking family yet again, you have another think coming and you all better watch out for your goolies. You catch my meaning?”

  Damn, she was scary. And that was really hot. Something he wasn’t going to pass on at that moment.

  “I do catch your meaning, yes. And in the interest and well-being of goolies everywhere, I’ll let you know, yes, I was aware of the rumors and Huston has been doing his best to track down where they came from.” Ronnie had been sent away from town and he’d just been allowed back the day before for this sort of shit. When he ran that fucker to ground it would be to grind him into a greasy spot and then kick him out of Pembry for good.

  She raised her brows at him and the room got colder. “How long have you known and not mentioned it to me? Because I’ve got a problem with that, Mac.”

  “I only found out two days ago and got right on handling it because I didn’t want it getting out and upsetting you or Katie Faith.”

  His New Year’s Eve plans of sex and champagne at midnight were quickly fading.

  Because of his damned family. Again.

  Sometimes being the only adult in a room full of people supposed to be adults really fucking sucked.

  “This isn’t going to help your dad in the polls. I know we’re not supposed to talk about this election, but there’s no way I can see this as anything but a pitiable last gasp of your dad’s as he’s losing his ass.”

  Mac thought about it. Didn’t want to harm the pack, and despite what his father said, would never do anything to damage it, even if it meant not telling Aimee anything right then and possibly damaging their relationship.

  But he didn’t think he had to do that. Because she was right, it was totally out of line.

  “I know it won’t help him in the polls. Rumors like that never do. Especially when he’s done Katie Faith wrong, as has my brother. And my mother. She’s who’s to blame for this. That’s what Huston came over to tell me.”

  “And?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Really? Are you that sure you’re fast enough to escape me when I leap across this table and use that wooden spoon on your head?”

  He barely withheld his surprised laughter, and was glad he had because she wasn’t in the mood to be teased.

  “No, ma’am. I understand a woman as pissed off as you are can move very fast indeed. I’m only relying on the truth here. I am trying to fix this. This is not a pack thing. Some members of the pack did it. And they will be dealt with. Ronnie had been exiled after the shit at the market with you. He just violated the terms of his return to Diablo Lake. When I find him this will be handled.”

  He had to go to his mother and talk this over with her.

  “He’s too tight with your brother. He knows he can get away with stuff.”

  Mac shook his head. “He did get away with stuff. Now I’m Prime. Like I said, when I find him, this will be handled. I’m asking you to trust me, even though you don’t have a lot of reason to trust my family right now.”

  She gave him a long look and then sighed. “I do trust you, Mac. That’s why I’m not kicking you out and using the hose on you. Nadine would have called Katie Faith by this point. And I’m guessing it was a long call or she’d be lighting my phone up already. I’m going over there. She’s my best friend and this is happening to her because of me.”

  “It’s not because of you. It’s totally on Ronnie, Darrell and my parents. I wish you’d wait for me. We could go over there together. Then I’ll have something concrete to tell Jace as to how my wolves were dealt with.”

  “I’m not about to make your job easier right now, Mac. If the situation was reversed she’d come to me too. I’m going over there in an hour. You can deal with your business and go there to meet me, or come when you’ve taken care of it. I don’t care which. As to the rest. The next campaign event is in three days. I need this to be dealt with by then or I’ll have to deal with it myself and I’m quite sure your daddy won’t like that one bit.”

  “After breakfast I’m headed out to do just that.” He looked across the table at her, his beautiful woman. “I promise you.”

  “I’m trusting you. Don’t make me regret that.”

  “I do my best, Aimee. I truly do.”

  * * *

  But when he stopped by his parents’ pl
ace, no one was there. He even used his key to let himself inside just in case they were ducking him. Annoyed, he headed over to his aunt and uncle’s place.

  Huston was there, but he hadn’t told anyone else what was up. A very good quality in a lieutenant, Mac believed.

  But this was the core of his new administration, so to speak. His cousins, aunt and uncle and a few trusted insiders, so he gave them a quick update.

  “This is a waste of time and energy. Why all this focus on Katie Faith? She hasn’t done a damned thing to Pembry. She’s over at Dooley, being a Patron and not causing us any grief. But let me tell you right now, those rumors? Ronnie and whoever it was with him got Nadine and TeeFaye all worked up, and then they called Aimee. My woman is beyond angry. And she has the right to be. Which means the witches are going to be angry at us. Again. And for what?”

  “You’re preaching to the choir.” His uncle Bern got himself another cup of coffee. “What are you going to do about it? We moving the timeline?”

  They’d planned to challenge Dwayne after the election. To get the decks cleared so all the effort necessary would be far more easily used with no other distractions. “I wish he could keep himself under control so we could have an easy transition once he loses.”

  His aunt gave him a stern look. “Boohoo. I want to be twenty-five again. I want a million dollars. Wanting’s just a wish. Stop whining, boy. I know this is hard. We know you love your momma and daddy and want to do the right thing by everyone. That’s impossible and this still needs to be done. You’re the only one who can do it. You have the support of the bulk of this pack. You’re strong and smart and you’re Prime. You can hide all that before the election, maybe if you can keep him from doing something else stupid. But that’s a lot of maybe and hope.”