by Cara Carnes
Kinsey squeezed the woman’s arm. “I know, sweetheart. I know. You’ve done so well, giving a beautiful life to Ellie—helping her move on.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Drayce.” Melanie hiccupped. “Robert made him p-promise to take care of us. I sh-shouldn’t have let him.”
“Listen to me.” Kinsey placed a hand on each of Melanie’s shoulders and waited until she blinked and focused fully. Their gazes locked. “Robert’s soul can rest because you are exactly where he wanted you to be. Don’t ever doubt that.”
She nodded.
“Now, let’s get the blankets and marshmallows because I’m thinking Ellie may need help with those flashlights.” Did Wolves even need flashlights? Would asking offend Melanie? “You know, I don’t know much about packs. I really could use your help figuring stuff out.”
“You know more than most humans.” Her voice lowered to a barely audible whisper. “Not many women speak to our men like you do. Drayce likes brave women.”
“Well, I was raised to have spunk with brains. I’m thinking some of my brains went AWOL when I came out here chasing after Drayce. I’m not normally so assertive or outspoken.” Kinsey shrugged. “I didn’t have anything to lose but him, and I wasn’t prepared to accept that.”
“I can’t imagine trekking clear across country. You’re very brave.”
“There are different types of bravery. In my book you’re a hundred times braver than me.” Kinsey meant every word.
Doubt reflected in Melanie’s gaze. “Why?”
“You wake up every single day missing half of your heart and soul. Yet you move on, loving Ellie with everything in you. She thrives because of you.”
“She’s so much like him. I had no idea how hard she was taking it. I should’ve known.”
“She’ll get through this. We all will.” She wrapped her arm around Melanie. “Together.”
The woman nodded and moved away. Yeah, she was right. The bonding limit had been reached for the night. Now onto activity—anything to forget neither one of them knew where the heck Drayce was.
No way in heck her Wolf was getting nookie under the stars now. Uh-uh. A conversation about cell phones and, well, phones in general had officially been added to list of things to address. Yep. Sure, they were in the middle of nowhere, but there had to be some form of phone or something. Smoke signals. Maybe those pigeons with the itty-bitty notes on their cute little legs. Oh, yes. A whole flock of them would be perfect.
By the time blankets had been foraged from closets and beds, Ellie had discovered the wonderment of all things flashlight. She hopped before them, humming as a beam of white light bounced a few feet in front. Yep, she loved her newest toy.
“Look, I bet Daddy can see this from Heaven.” She tumbled onto the ground and pointed the device upward. “Hi, Daddy!”
Melanie sniffled beside Kinsey, but made no other comment to her daughter. Was she really okay with the way Ellie had chosen to deal with the loss? Would Kinsey be okay with it if Ellie was hers?
Probably.
Her gut twisted as she thought about losing Drayce. The fact she had no idea where he was right now didn’t make the imaginings in her head settle well.
Don’t wuss out. Tend to your charges.
Ellie hummed the song again. Kinsey was pretty sure this was a diabolical test of her nerves designed by demon spawns. Ignoring it proved more difficult now than it had been several hours ago. She worked alongside Melanie as they silently set out the blankets to make a sprawling camp. Trudging to the side of the house where she’d seen the portable grill and charcoal, she grabbed what she needed and made her way back to her charges.
Yep. Like it or not, Drayce was a package deal. Buy into him and all his awesomeness and you get a life-weary Omega in the depths of heartache and a young sprite so innocent she hasn’t accepted her life has crumbled around her.
Kinsey set the grill on the grass beside the blanket’s edge and looked over at Ellie. “Why don’t you go find us three thin but long sticks? Can you do that?”
“Sure.” The girl hopped up.
“Don’t go too far,” Melanie added.
Oh, yeah. It was dark. She was a little thing, more like half a bite for a beastie. Probably not the wisest thing to send her into the dark. When the girl wandered away, Kinsey flashed an apologetic smile to Melanie.
“Sorry, I should’ve asked you first.”
“No problem.”
“I was pretty little when I lost my parents. I remember Nans keeping me so busy I’d go comatose every night. The activity made mourning easier. The pain didn’t go away, but I had purpose.”
“Purpose sounds good. I’m afraid I’m not doing enough around here. I lost my purpose.”
Kinsey thought on it for a moment as she got the grill going. Camping wasn’t her forte, but what the heck. When in Rome and all that. Every girl needed a toasted marshmallow under a gorgeous star-filled sky, right? Warm, gooey tastiness had cured many cuts to Kinsey’s heart when she was a kid.
“Maybe one night we can camp out here, with sleeping bags and all that,” Kinsey suggested.
“Maybe.”
“I got the sticks!” Ellie yelled as she barreled from the darkness. “And I brought back three men.” The girl shouted the latter as though she’d found a treasure trove of fun.
Shit. Kinsey stood up and placed herself between the darkness and her charges. Why hadn’t she thought to bring a weapon out here?
Did Drayce even have weapons in the house? Huh. Another item for the discussion list.
“Kinsey.” Drew stepped into the soft light of the flashlights and nodded gently down to Melanie, who’d wrapped Ellie into her arms. “Sorry to drop in, but I figured you’d want to know Drayce won’t be home for another few hours. He’s been put on security rotations, and tonight will be his first one. I apologize for the lack of notice, but we had an unexpected opening we had to fill.”
Kinsey nodded. She’d seen this many times with the Jago Den. Security rotations were very important to maintain pack safety. The fact he’d been placed on them spoke volumes. He was working his way back into the pack. Pride made her insides swell. Her man was doing right, mending the fences so to speak.
“I appreciate the visit. Please, have a seat and stay for a while. We were about to roast marshmallows.”
“Yay!” Ellie exclaimed. “I’ll fix one for you, Mr. Drew.”
“Thank you, Ellie.” Drew squatted on the other side of the grill. He looked over his shoulder and made a motion. “I’m sure Drayce will discuss this with you two when he returns, but he’s offered to assist with a situation we have. This is Nate and his older brother Daren. They live a couple miles down the road. They’ll be staying here for a couple hours until their mom gets off from her shift at Gee’s.”
Gee’s. The bar-slash pickle-without-ranch place. Kinsey smiled when the two young men stepped into the light. Their cautious smiles seemed forced as their gazes moved along everyone. They huddled closer.
Worn knees and jagged tears riddled their jeans. Holes exposed more flesh than the T-shirts covered. Whoever these boys were, their attire had seen its day. Dirt covered their arms, faces. Typical teens. They’d probably rolled around in the dirt during a squabble. Teenagers in the Jago Den were expected to fight to learn battle skills.
“Welcome.” Kinsey regarded Melanie cautiously.
Ellie squirmed in her mom’s embrace until she got loose. “Y’all must be real hungry. I heard y’all stomachs growl a lot when I found y’all. Can I feed them?”
Ellie turned her head, clearly seeking permission from either her or Melanie to feed Nate and Daren as though they were newly found pets. Kinsey couldn’t help but laugh. Drew grinned.
“Sure, let’s go inside and warm up some of those leftovers. It’ll help us clear out the fridge for tomorrow’s pot roast dinner.”
“I love Mommy’s pot roast. It’s real good.” Ellie looked up at the two boys and continued chattering
into the tension. “Y’all need to be here earlier tomorrow, then you can have dinner with us. Come on. Let’s eat.”
Melanie stood. “I’ll handle them, so you two can talk.”
Very astute. Kinsey nodded and waited until the four of them had gone into the house before settling her attention on Drayce’s Alpha. “I take it there’s more to this.”
“Drayce will fill you in, I’m sure. The summation is they need a place to stay while their mom works. She’s a widow without family and prefers to remain independent from the pack. She’s stubborn. Drayce offered to help them fix up their place for a couple hours a day until sunset, then they’ll come back here, eat, and stay until their mom can pick them up on the way home.”
Fix up their place. Okay. A project Kinsey could definitely help with. Now all she had to do was get Drayce on board with her hanging around to throw her hammer into the mix. Staying here felt right. Exactly where she needed to be. All she had to do was convince her Wolf.
“I think that—” Drew paused when she held up her hand.
“I’d rather wait and speak with Drayce about this.”
“Of course.” Drew smiled. “Have a good evening.”
She watched him leave as she killed the grill. Asking if they were trouble or if she should be concerned would’ve probably been a good idea, but she doubted a good Alpha like Drew would leave the two of them here if they were a problem. Hopefully, Drayce would have a good night.
Night. Hours gone.
“Drew!” She shouted the call and hoped he heard it.
“Yes?”
“Wait just a moment.” She raced into the house, past Melanie and to the fridge. She yanked out the sandwich fixings and grabbed bread, a knife, and chips from the cupboard.
There was no way her man was going to wander around the Black Hills on an empty stomach. No way. She threw together a couple of ham sandwiches with cheese. Then she took a piece of the steak that’d been left over after Melanie had piled two plates down for Nate and Daren. She diced it into small bits and made what she hoped would be a couple of tasty sandwiches, complete with mayo and veggies.
Four sandwiches loaded into separate baggies later, she loaded a couple of baggies with six cookies each that she, Ellie, and Melanie had made earlier. How much did Wolves eat when they were working hard?
He’d had a good appetite so far. Huh. Better be safe than sorry. She grabbed a paper bag from the pantry and piled in the bag of chips, the sandwiches, and cookies and headed to the entrance, where Drew leaned against the doorjamb with a grin on his face.
“You have something to say?” She shoved the bag into Drew’s arms.
“Not at all. Just wondering if you think that’s enough.”
Crap. She’d probably forgotten something. Think. Think. Ellie tugged on her shirt. Kinsey looked down, and the little girl held up a couple bottles of water.
“You are so smart. Thank you, Ellie.” She hugged the little girl and took the waters. She glared at a laughing Drew as she shoved the bottles into the bag. “I will ask him what was in this bag, so don’t pilfer. I counted the cookies.”
Chapter Seven
The trip to town would’ve taken a lot longer if Melanie and Ellie hadn’t tagged along. Drayce wanted to yank Kinsey behind the nearest tree and fuck her senseless several times. But there were more important things to deal with. They’d slept, both comatose from their wild bout of wilderness sex earlier. The toolshed had forged a playful need within both of them to explore.
His dick ached as the memories fired his blood. Kinsey was a little minx willing to try anything at least once. He’d died and was now living his ultimate fantasy. It was the only explanation he had for the turn of events. Things moved so rapidly all he could do was hold on and brace for the next bout of shock and awe.
The object of his need walked hand in hand with Ellie while chatting with Melanie. No way in hell could he have imagined his woman embracing Robert’s family without reservation. None of the women in the pack had befriended Melanie. A couple of them had confessed she made them uncomfortable. Betas in the Tao pack were possessive, strong females—with the same headstrong personality Kinsey charged into life with. But she possessed a rare quality he hadn’t predicted. Understanding. Complete, unflinching trust.
He’d come home expecting a battle. He’d left Kinsey with an Omega, a little kid, and two teenaged strangers. Talk about asking for trouble. Presented with all that, what did she do?
Sent enough food to feed him and Ryker. Fuck the Enforcer, though. Drayce hadn’t been about to share those cookies. His Wolf had been crawling beneath his skin, determined to return home and thank her for every sweet morsel of goodness she’d given him.
He didn’t deserve that sweetness, or her. She was beyond too good for him, but he wasn’t about to give her up. The night had gone quickly. Surprisingly, Drayce had enjoyed learning the terrain, hearing about the adventures and troubles the Tao pack had endured over the past few years. Last night proved how disconnected from everything and everyone he’d been. Half the residents of Los Lobos were strangers to him. Even fewer remembered him.
An uphill battle had presented itself last night. He might’ve gotten into the better graces of Drew and Ryker, but he had a ways to go with the pack. None of that had mattered when he’d come home.
To Kinsey.
She’d handled Denise with ease apparently, managing to negotiate the two boys having dinner with Drayce and crew every night their mom had to work. In return, Denise was going to help Melanie and Kinsey precook some stuff on her days off.
She’d mumbled all that in a delirium of exhaustion. And the thankless fuck he was had rolled her over and kissed her until she woke enough for them to make love. Guilt should’ve been his companion this morning. She’d practically been comatose when he’d kissed her, but he’d wanted to claim her, possess every inch of her.
“Stop.”
“Stop what?” he asked.
“Stop thinking you shouldn’t have woken me up last night.” She squeezed his waist and stood on toes to kiss his lips. “I expect you to wake me up like that every single night, my sexy Wolf.”
“Mmm, done.” He hugged her to him. “You’re an amazing woman. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to let you go.”
“Good. Because you and I have a lot of stuff to do. The list is pretty long now.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Lots of lists with sub lists. It could take an eternity to get through,” she teased.
“Oh, really?”
“Yep. First things first, though. Houses. We’ve got one to expand and one to fix up. Let’s move it, sexy. Things to do, people to see, and all that.” She narrowed her eyes as she pulled away. “Wait. You didn’t talk to Drew without me yesterday, did you? You promised.”
The promise. For a man who didn’t believe in making them, he’d sure gotten talked into a doozy last night. Make amends with the Alpha. None of the dancing around what’d gone down between their parents. He also needed to make sure Melanie and Ellie were good with the pack. Skulking in the outskirts of town wasn’t healthy for either of them. He’d known that but hadn’t accepted it as truth until his woman had set him straight last night. Kinsey didn’t understand pack ways. Her naïve approach to life sealed her in a safe cocoon no one would dare pierce with harsh reality.
Which was why Drayce paused in front of Gee’s bar and waited for them to notice. Kinsey turned, her eyebrows raised. “Now’s not really the time for pickles, is it?”
“I’ll go get Drew. You three can hang out here.”
“I want to be with you when you discuss this, Drayce.” Kinsey walked up to him and wrapped around him. “We’re a team, remember?”
Yeah, every inch of him remembered all too well. Dislodging himself from her steely embrace, he kissed her forehead. “I’m thinking Drew wouldn’t appreciate us all showing up on his doorstep.”
“Okay. We’ll hang here, then. Wait for you two to come back.”
Her absolute faith and trust in him almost undid him. He wanted to carry her off, away from everyone. Live the rest of his days inhaling her scent and basking in the blistering pleasure she gave him so freely. Fuck, he was pathetic.
He made quick work of getting to Drew’s. The sooner he dealt with this shit, the better. He hadn’t thought much past this point. Options would be limited if this went bad.
Drew met him at the edge of his property, wiping sweat from his brow as he stood with a grin. “Drayce. Good timing, I just finished my run.”
“I was hoping to chat about a couple of things.”
Drew smirked. “Funny, I expected one of these conversations last night.”
How did he know what Drayce wanted to discuss?
“You have the look of a man gone feral over a woman.”
“That obvious?”
“Pretty much.” Drew chuckled. “Where did you leave your brood?”
“Gee’s.”
“We’ll head there, then. Get things sorted along the way.” Drew walked slowly, the gait favoring his left leg. “You’re worried about Melanie and Ellie.”
He’d never known Drew for being into small talk. “You did right by the pack, taking on Magnum. It couldn’t have been easy to do what you did.”
“It needed to be done.”
“Yeah, it did. I always knew you’d make a good Alpha. I wouldn’t have ever dared broach someone with the requests I have, but in light of recent events I….” He stumbled to a halt. Finishing didn’t matter. Drew knew what he wanted on both counts.
“Hell of a shitty way to lose Robert. He was a good man who made some tough choices.” Drew stopped abruptly. “Almost as tough as the one you made.”
Drayce refused to consider the comparison. Drayce hadn’t bled out on a piece of shit tract of land in the name of duty. “I’m thinking we’ll have to agree to disagree. I did what I vowed to do.”
“I’ve been chatting with Daniel. The man can get wound up when it comes to Kinsey. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him put so many words together in a threatening tone.”
