Rule of Claw: Wolves of Worsham #1

by Valerie Evans

  Only a sudden stop from Landon’s wolf brought her awareness of where they’d wound up, almost wishing she had human lips to smile. A side glance didn’t give her much to go on since his wolf’s attention remained straight ahead on the small stream flowing between where the ground dropped off. Its muddy banks and smooth rocks were familiar, but neither made a sound as they approached; however, they’d barely touched the bank when the human Landon stood beside her rather than the wolf.

  Following his lead, she pushed herself to change back then straightened up from the ground, wiping her dirty hands on her thighs and tucking a loose curl behind her ear. Someone else might have been self-conscious about the nudity, but the wolf’s influence and long-time exposure to the pack on full moons kept any from creeping in as she hovered beside him.

  “Did you pick here on purpose?” she asked, quietly, still not looking at him.

  “I did,” he answered, equally quiet and with eyes straight ahead. “We were sitting here, soaked from skinnydipping and wrapped in a blanket together, when I mentioned leaving for the first time so it only seems fair that we’re here when I tell you why I came back.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  It hadn’t dawned on Landon where he led them until the woods began to look familiar, though he didn’t think he’d made a concrete choice to come here despite his words to Imogene. He tried to keep his gaze straight ahead on the water and not think about how close she was or how her curves had filled out or how he wanted to wrap one of her curls around his finger to tug her close enough to kiss as had happened so many times at this spot. While his intention was to talk, his wolf had other thoughts pushing toward the forefront, but he pushed them down to focus on the more important task.

  “They’re all dead,” he said, quietly, glancing down at his hands. He thought he saw fresh blood for a minute except a blink changed it to dirt. “Every one of those I called brothers are dead.”

  Imogene’s hand touched his side, gently. “How?”

  “The simple version is they picked the wrong side in a fight that cost them everything,” he began, trying to ignore the softness of her touch against his skin and how right it felt. “The longer version is we made a series of mistakes that led us straight into a trap without escape unless we shed a lot of blood. We just never expected ours would make up the majority of that blood.”

  Aware of how cryptic those words were, he added, “I don’t want to talk details, Immy, but the choices made by those who were supposed to lead us were suicidal at best, homicidal at worst. A few of us decided to question orders to kill innocents and they nearly killed us.”

  His hand went to the long scar across his ribs to his abdomen with its thick, ridged line. “Without Nathan, I wouldn’t have survived.”

  The touch of Imogene’s hand against the scar had him tensing as he willed his body not to respond in more suggestive ways. Her soft, experimental touch traced the full length of the scar before she questioned, “So where is Nathan now?”

  “Dead.” Landon’s eyes closed on a sharp breath as he blocked out her touch, though his mind chose instead to remind him of holding his friend as he bled out. His eyes shot open to find Imogene in front of him with a familiar frown as he said, “I was right there, and I couldn’t do a thing about it. I just had to watch the light drain from his eyes and know there was nothing I could do to stop it.”

  His voice hitched on those words, and he hated the weakness, except Imogene’s arms were suddenly sliding around his waist. Almost on autopilot, his arms moved to encircle her shoulders while something cracked inside of him, breaking past the walls he’d been keeping up. A rough sound that transformed into a sob escaped, though Imogene didn’t appear bothered and continued to hold him, whispering soft words that were meaningless to the guilt pouring out of him.

  The pain in his chest intensified as he let out everything he’d been holding in since leaving Anberlin and Nathan’s grave, belatedly aware of the tears on his cheeks and how tightly he held onto her; however, Imogene returned the squeeze with equal pressure and made no attempt to pull away. One of her hands stroked over his back while he poured out all the pain, anger, and frustration of having lost what he’d called family for over a decade, some lost at his own hand. He still remembered arguing with Walsh about killing innocent people, fighting his way through his so-called brothers with Nathan, and waking up in pain in a strange motel room which had only been a precursor to the worst yet to come.

  Finally, he began to feel drained and became aware of how intimately her body pressed against his as he felt the knots in his stomach and heart loosen. However, something else began to stir with her naked body so close and the clean, simple scent of her shampoo invading his senses.

  “Umm, Imogene, you might want to . . .”

  “Oh my gosh!” Imogene’s exclamation accompanied jumping back from him, jaw dropping as a glance darted down then back up. “Did you seriously go from crying to turned on that fast?”

  He held up his hands in a warding off gesture. “It’s a natural reaction to realizing a beautiful naked woman is pressed up against you,” he defended, all the more amused by her outraged expression. He reluctantly released her fully from his arms and took a step back. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  One of her brows lifted in question. “You mean, you didn’t plan to trick me into asking you for a run then end up at what used to be our spot and cry all over me? Only a crazy person would plan that, though I’m not saying you aren’t crazy.”

  Landon released an unexpected laugh and wiped the lingering tear tracks from his cheeks. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d had a real, true laugh with someone else, though he preferred having shared that moment with Imogene over anyone else. Then again, things had always been a natural flow between them so why wouldn’t that chemistry rekindle despite the years in-between?

  “When did you get the tattoo?” Her question snapped him out of his thoughts as a hand automatically went to it before she added, “You don’t have to tell me.”

  “It’s the club insignia. I got it the same day I officially agreed to join them,” he finally said, shifting his position to let her see it. All his shirts since returning had covered the top half, but he let her look at the full wolf head with the crescent moon done in black above it. “All members are required to get it as a sign of loyalty and brotherhood, especially purebreds to show we give up any previous packs. It’s made by carving with silver then filling in the outline, not exactly the most pleasant experience.”

  Imogene’s brows came together in a frown as her fingertips reached out to stroke the black outline of the wolf’s head. An unexpected line of goosebumps spread across his skin at her touch before she questioned, “So some of them were turneds?”

  Shifting his attention away from her naked body, Landon focused on the water and tried to think about anything but touching her. “The Sons didn’t really care how you became a wolf so long as you were loyal and proud and willing to blindly follow orders,” he admitted, glancing briefly toward her fingers still on his bicep. “The pack meant everything and outsiders weren’t to be trusted, even when they could benefit us.”

  He said a silent prayer that she wouldn’t ask for details, not wanting to see the disappointment on her face when she learned what happened to outsiders who lost their usefulness. That train of thought inevitably led him back toward thoughts of Nathan and the slaughter of his family years ago, though he couldn’t imagine Imogene would look at him the same if she knew the amount of blood staining his hands. None of them would ever be able to see him as the old Landon if they found out how long his list of sins had grown while away.

  Imogene’s touch withdrew, and he immediately missed it, but he pushed down the urge to reach out to her, to try and recover that closeness.

  “Are you just back because you’ve lost your ‘brothers’ and have nowhere else to go?” she questioned, quietly, eyes fixed straight ahead o
n the water. “The truth, Landon.”

  “No,” he said without hesitation, moving to stand in front of her and lock their eyes. “Nathan and I risked everything to protect his estranged wife and their daughter, but he was too late to salvage his place. Someone else was already there, and they were happiest without him. I might have royally screwed things up when I left, but I still have a chance, and I don’t want to die, asking someone else to take care of the people I love so I came home to fix my mess. I don’t want Nathan’s regrets to become mine.”

  Thanks to their friendship, he’d gotten a front row seat to how it had torn Nathan up to see his wife building a life with someone else, to see another man there for his young daughter. The few moments he’d been able to spend with Molly or little Natalie had only intensified the guilt, and Landon had tried to support him while being eaten alive by the guilt at those he’d left behind, too. He didn’t want to be a stranger to the people he loved.

  It felt like an eternity before Imogene gave a nod and stretched her hand out toward him. “Then welcome home for real,” she said, holding his gaze as he slid his palm across hers and locked them together. Her lips tipped up into a familiar smile. “I really hope you don’t regret coming home, Landon, but anytime you need to run, you know where to find me. For the record, I don’t think you’re too late.”

  “Even for you?”

  He hated the hopeful note that had crept in almost as much as he hated the silence that followed, finding silence from Imogene worse than the fights with his mother and Charlie. Something about disappointing her felt worse than being at odds with his family who’d never quite understood his need to not live within the shadow of being the Miller spare. Only Imogene had ever made him feel like his own person which was why waiting for her to speak felt like holding his own breath

  “It’s not too late for us to be friends again.”

  Landon relaxed the smallest bit and shifted back to beside her before remarking, “I stopped into guard practice the other night, ended up seeing Roy and Letty.”

  Imogene slid a glance to him. “And you didn’t die? I guess Roy isn’t doing that bad at anger management then. Surprisingly, Letty didn’t mention it.”

  “It wasn’t much of a visit,” he admitted, focusing on the water below them again. “More of a glimpse really, but Letty told me about the changes you’d put in, and the early training for teenagers who might want to join the guard. Are Elliot and Eliana part of it?”

  “Eliana, yes, but Elliot’s a no.” She wrapped a loose curl of hair around a finger as

  she continued, “A lot of his training is overseen personally by Charlie or Matthew which isn’t exactly uncommon given his position in the succession line.”

  Landon’s brows furrowed. “But not Eliana?”

  Despite asking, he knew where the conversation led and Imogene didn’t disappoint as

  she informed him, “They might be twins, but Eliana’s a second-born which means her place is with the guard. She’s one of the best we have among the younger ones, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if she someday appoints herself as Elliot’s bodyguard.”

  “And how does Elliot feel about that?” he asked, recalling he’d yet to interact with the pair of them together. Hopefully their relationship was better than his and Charlie’s had been at that age. “His little sister wanting to be his bodyguard?”

  “According to him, she’s scary enough before revealing how easily she can flip a guy twice her size.” Imogene’s grin made him laugh before she followed up with, “Honestly, watching them together almost makes me wish Micah and Steven had adopted someone else after me. I always kind of envied you having siblings, even when you told me how mad they made you.”

  Landon tilted his head to study her. “Really?”

  “Yeah, there’s a difference in siblings and a pack,” she said then shifted to face him more head-on. “But I’m guessing you found that out the hard way.”

  Her words hit home, and he gave a mute nod, unwilling to voice that his club brothers had never quite lived up to the real thing, even Nathan. And there was no room for the Rileys or Alexises of the world which had been disappointing in a completely different way.

  Instead of sinking into a pity party, he volunteered, “I’ll give you one of my siblings free of charge. I’m partial to keeping Riley since she’s the nice one, but if you really want her, I won’t say no.”

  Imogene’s laugh was music to his ears and lightened her entire face, wiping aside the melancholy that had lingered since he’d spilled his guts on the basic details of his return. It also brought back his desire to sink his hand into her curls, to tug her forward and kiss her.

  “I definitely want Riley,” she said in mid-laugh then reached out to squeeze his arm. “But I got a feeling you need them more than I do so I’ll wait to collect. It will get better, Landon, and on the bright side? You now have a job and only one person’s punched you.”

  “For now, but I haven’t even been back a month so there’s still time for more punches and getting fired . . .”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Only three days after the outburst at Bordertown and her talk with Landon, Imogene was on her way back to tribunal with Micah and Steven, though the mood was vastly different than their last visit. Over a week had passed since Letty’s attack yet a quarrel between the Langfords and Millers had everyone summoned along with an order that attendance was mandatory which left her with two displeased guardians instead of just Micah.

  “We’ve always known what happens to turneds doesn’t matter to them,” Steven complained from several steps ahead. One of Micah’s hands reached across to grasp his, giving a squeeze likely meant to relax him. “But one outburst from King Dick’s offspring, and the demands start.”

  Imogene hesitated a minute then reminded him, “Charlie did say the situation with Letty would be discussed in addition to Paul’s tantrum.”

  Micah gave a derisive snort. “He said, but I’ll wait for the follow through before putting faith in him or Melanie.”

  She wanted to argue except she could understand their skepticism given how frequently Melanie’s support had been on Scott’s side in the last few years. However, she’d seen genuine concern from not only Charlie but his siblings in the aftermath of Letty’s attack so she wanted to believe something would be different. There did appear to be vigilance on the staff’s part in the last few days, too, though communication with Landon had been relegated to a handful of texts and no visits to the library which she tried to tell herself didn’t matter.

  “Why don’t we try to go in with an open mind?” she suggested before picking up her pace to come up beside Steven. “You’re the one who always says assuming makes an ass of you and me.”

  Micah’s laugh earned a glare, but Steven paused to cup a hand against her cheek, offering the same smile he’d given her younger self. “I swear you only quote me for contradictions,” he teased then gave the top of her head a kiss. “But fine, I will not go in expecting the worst. Happy?”

  Instead of answering, she wrapped an arm around his waist and gave a squeeze then nudged him to continue walking. Given the lack of parking and the short distance to the amphitheater, it wasn’t uncommon for them to walk, though she’d already been at their house to help with a project which made it twice as easy. The trails were relatively well trodden and easy to follow if one knew what to look for so it was no longer than a few minutes before they stepped into the open area packed full of wolves.

  From habit, Imogene’s eyes sought out the Millers and searched their numbers for Landon, finding him seated beside Alexis. Whatever Alexis said made him throw back his head and laugh, drawing her eyes to his neck as an unbidden desire to touch him crossed her mind. An internal whimper escaped her wolf, though she jerked her gaze away, quickly seeking out Melanie and Charlie who stood by the younger twins who were phoneless for once. Only Riley and Tyler were unaccounted for, but a glance toward the back found them talking to a pair of wo
lves from Durand who she thought were about the same age.

  The Langfords were already seated on stage with their own wolves seated silently in the center section, seemingly oblivious to the conversations happening around them. Paul sat in his customary spot front and center, though the absence of Elias made her curious; however, she didn’t have time to ask since Steven moved to sit with the pack while Micah led her toward the stage, offering his hand to help her up once more then following.

  A moment later, Melanie and Charlie settled into their spots on the stage, though unsurprisingly Scott spoke up first. “We’re here to talk about the altercation at Bordertown between my son an---”

  “Actually,” Charlie interrupted, cutting into the speech and earning a glare from the pair of Langfords. “We need to talk about the attack on Letty Watson at Bordertown before we get to your son’s tantrum, or are you forgetting this is a two-fold meeting because I spent over a week trying to arrange one about Letty?”

  Imogene’s eyes widened at not only the interruption but his blatant calling out of Scott’s tendency to pick and choose what went to tribunal. Her gaze slid toward Micah and found her own surprise reflected, though he chimed in with, “I also spent nearly a week trying to arrange a tribunal which leads me to believe you consider my members to be lesser than your son.”

  “I’m sure no one thinks that,” Melanie reassured him with a tight-lipped smile. “Charlie has put new security measures in place to better protect the staff at Bordertown, regardless of pack affiliation. There have been no new attacks, in or outside the bar, but we are open to implementing other security measures to protect all wolves.”