Rule of Claw: Wolves of Worsham #1

by Valerie Evans

  “Where the hell’s Charlie?” The demand came out more growl than human, though Paul Langford’s voice was more recognizable than his face currently. “Come out, you son of a bitch!”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Every ounce of the tension Landon had lost while working tonight came flooding back as the door flew open and a body tumbled through. He’d just slid a pair of beers across to customers and turned back to answer Tyler’s question when it happened. For a second, he had a horrifying thought that someone had survived the massacre in Anberlin and came here to punish him for leaving the Sons yet the demand allowed him to place the voice with the bloody, half-morphed face as well as slow his racing heart. The follow-up words had his hackles raised, but Tyler already stood, hands clenched at his sides, and facing the door.

  “Say one more word about our mother, and Charlie’s going to be the least of your problems,” Tyler threatened, his own words nearly a growl. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop within the large space, including the band coming to an abrupt end. “Susan, can you grab Charlie from the back?”

  Glancing over to the blonde behind the bar, Landon waited for her to nod then slowly made his way around the bar to his brother’s side. Another of the security people helped the bouncer up and checked him over, though he seemed fine and shook off the hold after a minute. The transformed wolves hovered in the open doorway, teeth bared and lines of fur standing up down the center of their backs. He glanced toward them yet hesitated to give any kind of order because who knew where this was going to go? He’d been in enough volatile situations with the Langfords to not trust Paul’s temper. Maybe it would be better to keep the security person with them.

  “Where the hell is he?” Paul demanded as he stalked right up to them. “I want to see him now.”

  “You need an ice pack, a towel, or something?” he asked, sweeping a glance over the other wolf. His jeans and Langford Construction Co. t-shirt were dirtier than usual, and he could smell ashes stronger from their closer proximity. “Shit, what happened to you?”

  Paul glared in response before repeating, “Where the hell is Charlie?”

  “Right here.” Charlie’s voice accompanied several long strides to place him alongside them, though his eyes locked on Paul’s before demanding, “Why the hell are you putting your hands on my staff? And why do you look more like shit than usual?”

  Only a growl met the demands before Paul started forward, though several members of the Langford pack were suddenly there, planting themselves between the two. One’s hand went to Paul’s chest despite the glare and another minute passed before he growled, “Just because your shitty bar is having trouble doesn’t mean you can send people to mess with my projects.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Charlie demanded. “Bordertown’s doing fine and no one gives a shit about your newest code violation. Maybe you should learn to do something more than pay off inspectors.”

  Landon’s brows came together in a frown even as he made the connection that something had happened with one of the properties Langford Construction was overhauling. Based on the ashes, he’d bet some kind of fire, though he couldn’t see why Paul would think they had anything to do with it. Was it just his own version of Scott’s paranoia? Still, he found himself on high alert and waiting for things to escalate with so many tempers rising in the small space.

  “Two assholes wearing Bordertown shirts were the ones who set the fire, asshole,” Paul replied, still straining against his packmates. “You know how many months back that puts me? You Millers like to think you’re so fucking good, but you just haven’t been caught until now.”

  Tyler scoffed. “Seriously? The shirts are sold here and online so anyone could get a hold of one,” he pointed out, folding his thick arms across his chest. “You got any other proof?”

  On his other side, Charlie took a calming breath then questioned, “So your first thought is to rush over here, assault a member of my pack who’s been on duty since five, and make wild accusations in front of my customers and multiple pack members? You might want to call your daddy, and let him know I will be requesting a tribunal on your behavior in addition to the one already requested about Letty’s attack last week.”

  “Screw you,” Paul growled but gave up pushing against the line of wolves between them. “Call a tribunal and I’ll have my proof there. You’re not getting away with this.”

  “We have to do something first to be able to get away with it,” Tyler said with a scowl. “And we haven’t done shit so take your ass back to whatever rock you were under.”

  A hand squeezed Tyler’s shoulder before Charlie said, “If you think you can manage without causing a scene, Paul, you can use the bathroom to clean yourself up before you leave.”

  It felt like an eternity before he growled, “Fine, but this isn’t over.”

  The tension only eased minimally as Paul stalked toward the small area containing the bathrooms, the security person he’d thrown through the door on his heels. Still another minute passed before the band began to play again, though Landon noticed those who’d blocked Paul headed for the door rather than finishing their drinks.

  A glance to the booth where he’d seen Imogene and Riley earlier let him see Alexis had planted herself beside it, eyes narrowed on the wolves leaving the bar, and a quick glance around noted the other waitresses seemed unbothered by the scene despite having taken up residence near any booths containing humans or younger wolves.

  Glancing over to his brothers, he realized Tyler had settled back into drinking while Charlie headed around the bar, phone already in hand. He hesitated a minute then followed to question, “You think it’s a good idea to leave Paul unattended after that scene?”

  Charlie barely glanced at him. “He’s not unattended. Nico’s with him, and he’s not going to be caught off guard a second time,” he replied, eyes back on the screen. “Besides, the best way to control Paul and Elias is to tell Daddy they’re misbehaving. He hates when the little princes make the family look bad, and I guarantee you at least one person has a video of that latest outburst.”

  Landon’s brows furrowed. “How often does this happen?”

  “Usually once a month, sometimes twice,” he replied with a careless shrug. Whatever he’d been typing finished and the phone was shoved into his back pocket. “I’m just glad I was here since he and Tyler have come to blows more than once. Mom would not be thrilled if it happened again.”

  “What abou---”

  His words came to an abrupt halt as Charlie’s hand came up before he said, “Look, this shit happens, okay? It’s handled. I guarantee that I know better how to handle the Langfords than you, Landon. I’ve been doing this for over a decade while you were playing outlaw so just take a damn break, alright? Come back when you’re ready to actually work and not gossip.”

  He had no opportunity to answer before Charlie headed toward the location of his office, not even glancing back at him. He frowned, though a glance at Susan behind the bar had her informing him, “I don’t mind if you go on a break. There’s only about twenty left in your shift anyway, and the bar isn’t really in demand right now.”

  Giving a grateful nod to her, he stared after Charlie for a minute then glanced at Tyler who pointedly ignored his gaze. The apron around his waist was untied and tossed onto a crate of beers before he stepped out through the off-limits back door. Cool air washed over him as he took in a deep breath, leaning against the wall just to the left of the door. Trash bags were stacked to the right since no one had bothered carrying them further out to the dumpster and a couple cars, likely employees, lingered in the small space.

  Landon’s hands scrubbed over his face while he grumbled a few choice swear words at the fact he’d now lost his temper with two members of his family. It was bad enough his mother kept their conversations stilted and minimal over the last week without adding Charlie, but he felt like he was missing entire chunks of his family’s history. He’d wanted to be proud
of how efficiently Charlie had handled the situation with Scott except when had Tyler become the one whose temper had to be watched? And what had they come to blows about in the past?

  He immediately thought about asking someone else, but his options were on the limited side with Matthew having so few ties remaining to the pack. While Riley or Alexis might be an option, he didn’t want to drag them into any of his messes, though he doubted Alexis would have anything pleasant to say about Tyler. Anything Riley said would probably be biased as his twin or less related to pack business since she kept out of a lot due to her status outside the succession line which said he was back to figuring things out for himself.

  “Shit.” The muffled curse slipped out as he pressed his palms against his eyes and mumbled, “Maybe I should have just done everyone a favor and died.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The tense stand-off between the Millers and Paul had Imogene holding her breath even as she debated sending a message to Micah. It was not a good sign for the two packs to openly show disdain for one another, though the presence of Alexis and Riley’s concern kept her from following through. Thankfully, things ended without blows, but she didn’t find herself relaxing as Paul’s retreat into the bathroom left an opening for Charlie and Landon to talk.

  “Well, that was a shit show,” Alexis grumbled, glancing toward their drinks. “I’ll bring you both refills and your fried green tomatoes, Ri.”

  “Thanks.”

  Only a few minutes after Alexis left them, Riley volunteered, “I think I’m going to check on Paul, make sure he doesn’t need any kind of first-aid. If Alexis asks, just tell her that I went to the bathroom.”

  Much as Imogene wanted to argue against her going after him, she bit the words back and told herself that Riley wasn’t dumb plus she had enough control freaks with her brothers. She nodded instead before finishing her drink, glancing toward the bar just in time to see the door closing behind a familiar back. She hesitated only a minute longer before making her way out the front, keys and phone left behind, then doubled back to come around behind the bar.

  Landon’s slumped posture immediately caught her attention, though his grumble of, “Maybe I should have done everyone a favor and died” prompted her to gasp and his head shot up. His hands dropped, and he straightened up, but she noticed he went to great efforts to not meet her eyes as she approached.

  “Do you really think that?” she questioned, quietly as she stopped just in front of him. “That we’d be better off if you died?”

  His shoulders lifted in a shrug, eyes still fixed on something over her shoulder, but she rocked up on her tiptoes and shifted to plant herself in his line of sight. He had no way to avoid her gaze now so she met the familiar moss shade head-on and held it with hers.

  “I know that wasn’t the ideal way to find anything out, but you got through it,” she said then reached out to lay a hand on his arm. His muscles tensed. “Like I said, things are a lot different in the real world than what tribunal shows and Paul’s tantrums aren’t really new, just rare. It’ll pass.”

  “Will everyone be pissed I was gone so long pass, too? I feel like I’m saying and doing all the wrong things no matter how hard I try,” he said, giving up on trying to ignore her eyes. “Everything feels like it’s changed, but it also feels like nothing’s different with the packs, too, which makes no sense.”

  Instead of calling him on the contradictory words, Imogene withdrew her hand from his arm and wrapped both arms around his waist. He immediately stiffened, but she ignored it as she rested her head against his chest and squeezed, though after a few seconds, she felt his arms encircle her shoulders. Her eyes drifted closed at the familiarity in the actions as she took in the familiar scent of him plus the bar’s scents and felt his hands settle against her upper back and his beard scrape lightly against her forehead.

  A slow breath escaped him and rustled her curly hair, but she didn’t pull back as she reassured him, “Nothing’s forever, Landon, so yes, we are going to forgive you one day. All of us.”

  “Even you?” His words were almost too quiet to hear, though her advanced hearing let her pick them with ease.

  “Even me,” she agreed, lifting her head to focus on his face. “Have you turned since you’ve been back? And I mean, a real turn and not just as an escape from tension. You know keeping our wolves contained reeks havoc on our emotional well-being.”

  Landon’s hesitation gave all the answer she needed so she eased back a bit, shifting her hands to rest at his waist. His arms stayed linked behind her back. “What if you and I took our wolves for a run after your shift tonight? Just us.”

  His brows furrowed before he questioned, “Tonight?”

  “Yeah, we used to do it all the time so why not tonight? I’ll finish my quesadilla while you end your shift then we can go,” she said, offering a smile to him. “Besides, do you really have anything else to do besides sulk?”

  A corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. “No.”

  “Then you have no reason to say no which means we’re doing this,” she stated and slid out of his arms with ease this time. “Now, go show Charlie what a model employee you are so you don’t get fired on your first night while I go keep Riley company.”

  “Thanks, Immy.”

  For once, she didn’t bother correcting him on the use of the nickname as she simply smiled then headed back inside, wondering if spending time with the wolf would go any better than arguing with the man.

  * * *

  Upon returning to her booth, Imogene found a replacement drink for herself as well as Riley snacking on a fried green tomato. An inquiry about Paul’s condition found he’d rejected her offer of first aid in favor of storming out, though she didn’t seem bothered by it. Their conversation mostly fell away while they finished eating, and she could admit her attention was a little distracted by watching Landon at the bar. He seemed calmer than earlier, but she could still read tension in him as he tugged off his apron again and headed into the back, likely to retrieve his belongings.

  Shoving the last bite of quesadilla into her mouth, she flagged down Alexis and requested to close out her tab then caught Letty’s eye. She nodded in the direction Landon had gone before her friend shot her a discrete thumbs up and went back to her own tables.

  “Are you good by yourself if I head out?” she questioned, glancing over to Riley who had picked up another fried green tomato. “I have to meet someone.”

  The corner of Riley’s lips lifted into a smile, and she sent a knowing look her way. “I’m sure you do, and I’ll be fine. I give it five minutes before Ty takes over your spot anyway.”

  As if to confirm the words, Imogene watched him stand from the bar and grab his new drink before heading their way. Satisfied she wasn’t leaving the younger wolf in a situation that made her uncomfortable, she scrawled a quick tip and signature on Alexis’ paper then headed outside. Only to find Landon leaned against the side of her car, hands shoved into his pockets.

  “No bike tonight?”

  His shoulders lifted in a shrug before he admitted, “I caught a ride with Alexis since I didn’t realize her shift went later than mine. You don’t mind giving me a ride, do you?”

  “Of course not, but I wasn’t thinking about driving,” she said, gesturing for him to follow her then heading toward the woods several yards out from the bar’s left side. “We’re wolves remember? I can come back for the car in the morning.”

  Not giving him time to argue, she stepped into the coverage of the trees and kicked off her flats. Her sweatshirt and jeans along with her underwear were stripped off a minute later then tucked into one of the tree holes intended for just that purpose. Landon’s gaze pricked her bare skin with goosebumps, though she forced herself to remain seemingly oblivious to him quietly stripping beside her even if she did sneak a peek at the muscles that had strained against his shirt. She spotted the black ink on his shoulder again, noting a wolf head and full moon, but he seemed to se
nse the attention and shifted position to block it from view.

  Imogene shifted her attention away from his skin and concentrated on pushing her wolf to the surface, though mere seconds passed before the changes began. Bones cracked and shifted while her teeth began to elongate to push against her newly forming snout and fur sprouted. The pain had lessened immensely since the early years, but she still felt the familiar aches as she dropped down to her knees and braced for the final changes, gripping the ground beneath her newly formed claws.

  Unsurprisingly, the familiar reddish-brown wolf of Landon already waited when she finished shifting. His wolf stood quite a bit larger as a purebred, and he’d pushed himself up on two legs which had never been an easy task for her smaller wolf; however, the howl he released sounded almost friendly before he pushed himself into a run through the trees ahead.

  Releasing a howl of her own, she chased after him, feeling the cool ground and snap of twigs beneath her paws as she kept up fairly well. His clumsiness in wolf form made her think he hadn’t spent a lot of time outside of human form in recent days, though she didn’t push him to move quicker or take any particular path, letting him lead. He needed the run more than her, but she didn’t want him to be alone, especially with his destructive words from earlier ringing in her ears, so she followed him with the occasional howl answered by one of his own.

  From time to time, a small animal would be scared up by their run, but she knew neither was on the hunt so no chase happened despite more predatory instincts rearing their head. Her wolf tried to pull toward a rabbit several times, though she applied the techniques Micah and Steven had taught her to outweigh the wolf’s will with her own. It had gotten vastly easier in recent years than when she’d started, but she knew the wolf’s instincts would never completely be controlled by the human part.