I say the last part with a half-smile to let her know I’m joking, although I will be having a little talk with him when she’s not around. I won’t put my hands on him, but he might just need the fear of God put in him.
Lydia finally laughs, her face returning to its normal pallor. She wipes invisible tears away from her eyes.
“I believe I was promised ice cream,” she says, raising her eyebrows at me.
I sigh and pull the car around. “Fine, but you’d better realize how super cool I am,” I say, throwing up a peace sign just to get a laugh out of her. It works.
“Sure, Andy,” she says, rolling her eyes.
Chapter Five
Eve
Anderson gets back with his little sister, who I’ve only sort of met once. “Hi, Eve!” she calls, barely waving over a giant box of fireworks. Gloria, Thompson, Freya, and I have been setting up for the Fourth of July celebration in the courtyard. Apparently, it’s not something that Kenneth ever did, but my dad always set up a huge barbecue for the whole pack, and then we watched the city’s fireworks from the roof.
Thompson, ever the chef, is manning the grill, and a few assorted wolves are doing what they can to help. There’s a wide variety of folding tables from random apartments, and Lydia and Anderson put their boxes of fireworks on one at the very end.
Freya and I set about to put cheap plastic covers on every table, followed by setting out the trays of cooked meats and coleslaw and rolls and fruits. Sarah, the girl from before, is helping organize the plastic flatware while keeping an eye on her little brother, who’s running around with some of the other turned pups who’ve come to live with us.
I catch Lydia watching them, as only a few of the born wolves have arrived yet. “You can go hang out with them,” I tell her. “Take a few sparklers and a lighter.” She beams and does as I say, approaching the others. Poppy is curled up in a folding chair near the grill, fast asleep despite all the noise.
“Did you just give my sister a lighter?” Anderson asks from behind me, wrapping his thick arms around my waist and planting a light kiss on my shoulder.
I turn my head to the side just enough that his lips can more easily brush my neck. “She can handle herself,” I say, and he chuckles, clearly not too concerned about Lydia. After a pause, he asks, “Did you know kids her age are already having sex?”
Based on the anxiety in his voice, this is something important. I grimace. “Lydia? Really?” The girl in question is currently running around in pink basketball shorts, an oversized tie-dye shirt, and pink crocs. She’s still a child.
“Not her, but the others.”
I sigh. I guess that’s yet another thing to worry about. “I’ll make sure we have more resources for younger groups. I think the teachers already have contraception for the teens, but it might be a good idea to make sure the preteens have access as well. And maybe some better sex ed.”
I hate every bit of this conversation, but it’s necessary. If the kids aren’t learning to be safe, then we’ll end up with some teen pregnancies on our hands.
“Thanks,” Anderson says with a sigh. I guess he was really worried about it. These aren’t issues I was expecting to deal with when I took over, but I’ve found that applies to a lot of things at this point. I still don’t regret taking my home back, though.
As the evening draws nearer, more families come down. Everyone in the pack was notified of the dinner, and there are food options for everyone since it’s a potluck. I spent a good chunk of my savings on supplies for today, and Freya and Thompson pitched in some money at the supermarket.
Kids are running around in groups based somewhat on age, although it’s clear that the born pups are staying somewhat separate from those who were shifted later.
“Anderson, can you start up a game for the pups?” I ask. “Something that will involve all of them.” He gives me a little salute and then runs off into the middle of the courtyard. Something tells me he’ll know just what to do. Maybe it’s because he has a younger sister, or maybe it’s just his enthusiastic and playful personality. Either way, by the time he’s got them lined up in two lines across from each other, I’m certain I made the right decision.
“Burger?” Freya offers, handing me a plate. My stomach grumbles as she holds it out, and I smile at her gently.
“Thanks,” I say. I forget to eat far too often, and it’s caused a bit of my muscle to fall off, my weight plummeting.
She kisses me on the cheek and walks away with her own plate, sitting in the lawn chair that Poppy left to play Anderson’s odd game.
Gloria approaches me next, because it’s just not possible for me to be alone when I’m in a somewhat public area. Not when I’m the leader of the pack. My introvert nature is beginning to grind down, and I can’t imagine it will be long before I need to take a break from all this.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Gloria asks, her tone grimmer than her cheery expression. Anderson’s parents come outside, watching in amusement as Lydia goes into a dead sprint toward the opposite line of pups, who have to lock hands to keep her from breaking through.
It takes me a moment to understand what she’s talking about. Is there something wrong with a barbecue?
Right.
The crime.
I take a bite of my juicy burger to give myself a moment to consider her words. She seems pretty cautious about all this, and I wonder what she’s thinking.
“Is there a reason you’re asking?” I retort.
She pins her eyes on me, and, although I’m the alpha of the pack, I have to keep myself from shrinking under her knowing gaze. I’m far too young for this responsibility, that much is clear.
“If you start, you’ll have a permanent target on your back. Your father kept it hidden from you, but the feds were always on his trail. The pack survived, but I suspect that if Kenneth hadn’t killed him, someone else might have.”
I swallow the lump of fear that’s lodging itself in my throat. I won’t be intimidated away from keeping my pack—my family—safe. “It’s the only way,” I say. “If I could do something else and still keep them safe, I would. But there are a hundred mouths to feed, a hundred wolves who look to me for their survival.”
Gloria considers my words for a long moment, and I almost think that she’s going to take back her support.
Instead, she hands me a torn sheet of paper with coordinates written in a jagged scrawl.
“This is your best bet,” she says. She must have gone through the paperwork from Annika to pick the best place for us to raid. “The bank comes for the building in two weeks.”
Well, fuck.
I pocket the coordinates to research later. Right now, I have to keep my cool and take care of the pack. As the sun goes down, the pups run around with sparklers while the adults find themselves conversing in tight-knit groups. I catch Sarah hanging out with a few of the other humans whose children have been turned, and I make a mental note to start a support group for them. The rest of the wolves won’t understand exactly what they’re going through, and this has been a difficult transition for everyone.
When it’s dark enough, my mates and I start rallying everyone to the stairs. It’s a hell of a climb to the top of the building, especially with people trying to carry folding chairs and sleepy pups, but it’s worth it when we get situated atop the building. Moments after everyone is sitting, the first firework illuminates the arch, shining over the river that we can barely make out from here. Sometimes I forget how close we are to the iconic monument, but then I get somewhere in the building that seems almost close enough to touch. It’s a dozen blocks away, of course, but there’s still something magical about being so near.
The pack oohs and aahs at the sight as the city lights up fireworks, and some of the younger pups cling to their guardians as the booms shake the very air around us.
Next year, I’ll have to pass out earplugs.
Fingers twine through mine, and I lean over to rest my head
against Thompson’s shoulder. Anderson wraps his arms around my waist again, placing his chin on my shoulder, and Freya joins on the other side, her shoulder brushing mine as she holds a dazzled Poppy in her arms.
If every moment could be like this one, it would be okay.
But as soon as the fireworks end, I’ll have to go back to my responsibilities. I have to move fast if I want to keep theses people safe.
Chapter Six
Freya
“I don’t know what to do,” I tell Thompson as he walks me back down to my apartment. Poppy is asleep in my arms, her squishy toddler face resting on my shoulder while her chubby fingers grasp my shirt. I still haven’t been able to get the image of her parents’ disgust out of my head, nor the offer they made to sell her to me so they could buy more of whatever had them strung out.
I will forever associate two hundred dollars with the horrors of my adoptive daughter’s situation. Within the day, I’d filed the papers so that they couldn’t go back on their word. Poppy had cried when her father tried to hold her, reaching out to me for comfort. We still have a court date in a month, but at least I sort of have custody. She won’t have to go back to that smoky house filled with terror. What would they have done to her if they’d seen her shift? I grow nauseous just thinking about it.
“If we don’t do something, we’re going to lose the building,” Thompson says. “I’d rather follow Eve into danger than let her go alone.”
He’s right, obviously, but Eve is all he has. Well, Anderson, too. If something were to happen to me, though, Poppy would be alone.
Again.
“Listen,” I say, my bitchiness coming out with my words, “I get that this has to be done, but I don’t think I can put myself into these dangerous situations.”
Thompson nods. He doesn’t seem mad at my words, but it’s always been hard to tell what he’s thinking. At least our relationship is less strained now that I’m no longer desperately attempting to take a mate for the pups’ sake.
Before I can get the key off my wrist, Thompson takes it and unlocks my apartment for me, holding the door open.
“Thanks,” I mumble, uncomfortable at the fact that he’s doing things for me. He follows me in, and I set Poppy on her side of our shared bed in our studio. “Sorry for the mess,” I say, self-conscious about the toys lying about and the dishes piled in the sink.
He shrugs, looming in the small space.
“We’re leaving in the morning,” he says. “I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but I think Eve knew you wouldn’t be able to come.” He gives a pointed look at my little girl, fast asleep and half-shifted like she does when she’s extra comfortable. Her pudgy feet have turned into paws, and she has wolfish ears twitching on top of her head.
Shame burns through me for a moment, although I know I shouldn’t actually feel ashamed. I have to think about this little girl, the pup whose been mine for nearly a year now, even before Kenneth was killed.
“Keep me updated,” I say, and he nods, setting my keys on the counter before walking to the door. “And Thompson?”
He turns to me, his eyes dark and hard. None of us like the idea of turning to a life of crime, but if Eve thinks it’s the right thing, we have to trust her.
“Be careful,” I say, and he gives the barest hint of a smile.
Thompson
Freya is much easier to be around now that she’s one of Eve’s mates. She’s no longer throwing herself at Anderson and me, and something in me suspects that she was never truly interested in us in the first place.
I stroll through the dim halls of the building, wandering aimlessly. I should probably go back to the apartment I share with Anderson and Eve, but I need some alone time before our suicide mission tomorrow. Despite my words to Freya, I’m terrified. Not just for myself, but for Anderson and Eve.
“Oh,” a voice says from the end of a darkened hall in the admin wing of the complex. I sniff the air, and Anderson’s scent wafts toward me. I shove my hands in my pockets, suddenly nervous for reasons I can’t explain.
“Hey,” I say, freezing in place. He walks toward me, though, his stride as confident as ever. As soon as he reaches me, his hands go to my cheeks and his lips meet mine.
I’m not sure what I was so nervous about. I sigh into his kiss, putting my hands on his waist, thumbing his ribcage below his shirt.
“Hi,” he says, his breath hot on my sensitive skin when he pulls away. I have to lean down a little to press my forehead against his, breathing in his scent, his energy.
“Hey,” I say again.
He chuckles, the air tickling my lips. I want to taste him again, but I don’t make a move. Coward. “You said that already,” he breathes.
I shrug, and his lips press gently against mine, less desperate than when he first approached me. His kisses are slow and languid, and I hold him tighter as he presses his body against mine, the smell of smoke and gunpowder almost overpowering from all the fireworks he set off at the party earlier.
“You taste nice,” he mumbles against my lips, and his words awaken something feral in me. I growl and bite his bottom lip, and he groans. My claws come out, digging into his soft skin. “Thompson,” he whines, rolling his hips against mine, his cock hard as it presses against me.
His hands move from my arms to my chest, and then slowly trail down until he reaches my pants. He cups my hard cock, and I growl again as I thrust against his hand. My body is red-hot and electric. How is it like this when he’s just touching me through my clothes?
Slowly, torturously, he undoes my button and then pulls down my zipper before freeing my cock. I gasp and pull my face away, watching his lust-fueled eyes as he stares into mine. He strokes my cock with gentle, teasing motions, and I thrust against him desperately.
When he grips my cock hard, I find myself backing into a wall, leaning my head back as he works me. He’s not quite doing what I need, though, so I move my hand over his and show him how I like it, quick motions with a looser grip as precum wets the head of my cock.
When his lips meet my throat, I suck in a breath, and as he trails kisses over my shirt down my chest, then my somach, I begin to pant.
“Anderson, I—“ I begin, but I lose all semblance of control as his tongue swipes down my length, my body going rigid. I let out a hissing breath when he pulls away, but it’s clear he isn’t done. He presses his lips to the head, parting them just enough to rub over my electric tip. I thrust my hips, but he’s got me so that I can’t get any more pleasure than he wants to give me. When a high whine comes out of me, bringing a flush of embarrassment to my face, he suddenly takes me into his mouth, his tongue slick as it wraps around me and he sucks on the sensitive tip.
His hands move to my hips, holding on tight as he coaxes me to thrust against him slowly. He devours me, desperate as he takes more and more of me with every thrust until his throat is tight around the head and his lips are parted at the base.
With a cry, I find my release, pouring down his throat. He moans against my cock, taking the orgasm to new heights as my body falls to pieces.
When I’m finally finished, he releases my cock, which throbs with heat and aftershocks.
“Holy shit,” I gasp, leaning my head back against the door and gasping for air like I’d been drowning. My hands flutter over Anderson’s face, and he kisses the tips of each of my fingers.
“So you hated it?” he says, the smile in his voice clear despite the fact that I’m not looking at him.
I let out a breathy laugh as he zips and re-buttons my pants, his hand stroking over the length of my cock as he stands up.
“We should probably go,” he whispers in my ear.
I shake my head and tangle a hand through his hair.
“Not yet,” I growl, using my other hand to grip his hardness. “It’s your turn.”
Chapter Seven
Eve
The coordinates Gloria gave me are a few hundred miles away. If Anderson and Thompson are both g
oing, we should probably take Dad’s old Cadillac, along with plenty of cash. Although Taranis did plenty of illegal things, I don’t want anyone to be able to track our movements to this also-illegal thing we’re doing.
I pack the most unassuming clothes possible for all of us, as well as some ski masks I found in my dad’s office, of all places. Do criminals still wear ski masks? Probably. Better than one of those smelly rubber Halloween masks.
My hands shake as I toss things in a duffel bag. Is one bag enough for all of us? I also add toothbrushes and toothpaste. What if our clothes get dirty, though? I’m so distracted that I don’t even hear the bedroom door open, and Anderson’s strong hands land on my shoulder. I take in his scent, which is mixed with the smell of sex.
“You guys should invite me next time,” I growl, disguising my fear with a thick layer of irritation.
He places his lips against my neck. “It wasn’t planned. I promise to invite you when we know in advance.”
I lean back into his touch, my body relaxing from being so near my mate. Everything about him is comforting, from his thick muscles to his woodsy scent.
“Is this the worst idea ever?” I ask, allowing myself one whole second of vulnerability.
“Probably,” he replies with a shrug. “It’s sort of all we’ve got, though.”
He’s not wrong. If only money would just fall from the sky. I still want to turn my father’s property in the woods into a true safe haven, but with everything else going how it is, it’s an impossibility. We’d need millions of dollars worth of infrastructure, and based on the paperwork we sorted through, the pack is nearly ten million in the hole already. How Kenneth achieved that, I have no idea, but I’m the one who has to fix it.
Wolf Queen Page 3
