by Jenny Frame
Then Caden said, “We’ve been trying to coax Leroux out of her hiding place. Maybe this girl will make them break cover.”
“Perhaps, but she is under our protection until she proves herself dishonest. Blaze, Xander, Flash, organize the guard rota.”
“Yes, Alpha,” the three wolves said in unison and left.
Caden put her hand on Dante’s arm to stop her going back into the room. “Dante, did you see the way Ricky was defending Zaria?”
Dante sighed. “Yes, since we found her, I’ve noticed Ricky is particularly determined to take care of Zaria.”
“Could it be a problem?” Caden asked.
“We’ll find out. Let’s go and speak to her.”
Dante led the way back in and found Kenrick sitting close to Zaria. She cleared her throat and Kenrick jumped up. “Zaria, we will of course give you sanctuary for as long as you need it. We have an apartment you can use while you are here.”
Zaria looked surprised. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me. Can I go running?”
“If a guard goes with you. We have to protect ourselves,” Dante said.
Zaria was about to protest when Kenrick said, “Let me do it. I’ll go running with Zaria and make sure she comes back.”
That was probably the worst idea, but Dante didn’t want to pull rank on Kenrick in public. “Are you sure you want to do this, Ricky?”
“Yes,” Kenrick said firmly.
Dante nodded and then said to Zaria, “You will have everything you need, Zaria, but if you turn out not to be what you portray, I will have no mercy. Are we clear?”
Zaria gulped. “Yeah.”
Chapter Six
Kenrick’s wolf felt alive as she ran through the trees. The sheer exhilaration of chasing Zaria’s wolf was new and exciting, and made all her senses come alive.
Since they left the hospital, Kenrick had purposely run slower so as to give Zaria some space and not make her feel pressured in any way. Zaria’s wolf was beautiful, just like her human form. She was a lot smaller than Kenrick, as submissive wolves were. The markings on her back and face were black, and her undercoat and limbs were a dark honey-brown.
Kenrick picked up her speed and came level with Zaria. There’s a stream up ahead. Follow me, Kenrick said.
She sped ahead, showing off her speed and agility with jumps over fallen logs and tree stumps. Kenrick slowed when they neared the stream and looked back. It’s here.
When she stopped at the riverbank, Zaria was soon by her side.
This is an amazing forest. I can’t tell you how good it is to run again, Zaria said.
They waded into the stream and took big gulps of icy cold water. It wasn’t Wulver Loch, but it was still great. Zaria looked up at her and said, Thank you for volunteering to take me. I feel more comfortable with you.
I’m glad, but all the dominant wolves here are like me, Kenrick said.
Zaria gazed down at her wolf’s reflection in the water as if replaying a memory in her head. That’s not how I was brought up, Ricky. It will take time to trust that.
Take all the time you need, Kenrick assured her.
What do you do in the Wulver pack? Zaria asked.
Kenrick didn’t want to lie but with Zaria’s view of dominant wolves, and Alpha wolves, she didn’t want to admit to anything that would intimidate her.
Whatever’s needed, really. Forestry, the distillery, a jack of all trades. Why don’t we get back to the hospital, and I can take you to your new apartment?
Okay. Let’s go, Zaria said.
* * *
Zaria followed Kenrick up a set of stairs to an apartment building. Maybe when she was left alone at the apartment, she could get away and try to find what she held most dear. As they drove from the hospital and up the main street, Zaria was amazed at what a beautiful little town it was. The Lupas were brought up being told that in Wolfgang County, only the Alpha’s family and elite wolves lived in luxury, on the backs of the lower-ranking wolves.
Her grandpater had seen Wolfgang County and told them what they were taught wasn’t true, and that’s why she and her sister Marta ran here. But she never imagined, even from her insights gained from the Wolfgang website, that it would be like this. Now she was seeing the truth with her own eyes. Happy smiling people filled the sidewalks, cubs were playing in the playground, and shops were brimming full of produce.
Zaria stopped dead. They lied to us. They said the wolves had nothing.
Kenrick looked back. “Is everything okay?”
Zaria gulped down her emotion and nodded. “Yes.”
She followed Kenrick up to the landing and found there were two wolves standing by the door, waiting for her. Zaria wanted to run. As if sensing her fear, Kenrick put her hand on the small of her back. She should have felt horror and panic at the touch of a dominant wolf—she always had, but not with Kenrick. Kenrick’s touch calmed her wolf.
The two wolves on the door saluted Kenrick. “Your names, wolves?”
“Ryhs and Arric,” the wolf on the right said.
Zaria wondered why they were saluting an ordinary wolf from another pack. Kenrick was very dominant, but still.
“I’ll talk to you both once I’ve settled Zaria in.”
Kenrick took a key from her pocket and opened the door. Zaria followed Kenrick into a large open-plan apartment. This was luxury compared to anywhere she had ever lived. Could this really be somewhere the Wolfgangs kept someone who could be their enemy?
“Welcome to your new home.” Kenrick stood by the door and watched Zaria look around the apartment silently. She walked around the living room area with a comfortable couch, and then over to the kitchen. She ran her hand around the countertop and looked at the built-in oven. Still Zaria said nothing.
“Is this okay for you? The Second’s mate Lena lived and was quite happy here, before they mated.” Kenrick put down Zaria’s bag and joined her in the kitchen.
Zaria wasn’t talking so Kenrick felt obliged to fill in the gaps. She scratched the side of her head nervously and pointed to the three doors that led off from the living room. “Dante said there’s a double bedroom with an adjoining shower room, a full bathroom, and office with a computer. Oh, and I’m sure Dante said she had someone fill the fridge and cupboards with food.” Kenrick walked over to the large fridge and opened it up. “Aye, she has—look.”
Zaria arrived at her side and stood open-mouthed at the sight of various cuts of meat, chicken, bright and colourful vegetables, and, happily, Wulver mineral water.
“I…” Zaria croaked.
Kenrick was taken aback at the emotion in Zaria’s voice and looked to her side. “What’s wrong?” Kenrick was shocked to see tears rolling down Zaria’s face. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”
Zaria hugged herself and shook her head. “They lied to us.”
Kenrick’s immediate urge was to take Zaria into her arms, but it was probably a bad idea. She balled her fists to stop herself and said, “Who lied to you?”
“The Lupa elders, Leroux, Ovid, everyone. We were brought up to think only the Alpha’s family and the elite wolves shared in the Venator business millions. They told us the ordinary wolves lived in grinding poverty, and it was the duty of the Lupas to free those wolves and take over their territory and business.”
“They said that?” Kenrick said. “All the wolves of the Wolfgang and Wulver packs share in the bounty of our lands, share in the kill, share in the business. That’s what we live by. No one goes hungry.”
Zaria tried to wipe her tears, but they kept coming and it hurt Kenrick’s heart to watch her be so upset.
“My grandpater fought in one attack on Wolfgang County many years ago. He told us that the Wolfgangs weren’t what we thought, but he couldn’t talk about it for fear of retribution.”
Every cell in Kenrick’s body was screaming out to touch Zaria and comfort her, so she offered Zaria her arms and left the choice up to her.
Zaria didn’t react fo
r a second, and then tentatively walked into her embrace. Kenrick had to stop herself from growling in contentment as Zaria laid her head against her chest. She wrapped her arms around her and pressed her nose into Zaria’s hair. She closed her eyes. Zaria’s scent showed less fear than it did at the hospital, and she hoped her presence was giving Zaria some strength.
“I promise you, none of the things you were taught were true, not about the pack business or about how dominant wolves are expected to behave.”
Zaria stiffened in her arms, pushed away from her, and wiped away her tears. “Thanks for everything, Ricky,” Zaria said.
Why did she have to mention dominant wolves. She’d frightened Zaria off. There was a silence and Kenrick felt it was her time to leave. “I better go, then. Oh, I’ll give you my phone number in case you need to contact me.”
Kenrick took a notepad and pen and jotted down her number. “Um…the Mater said she would come around tomorrow with some clothes for you.”
Zaria nodded. “That’s kind of her.”
Kenrick really didn’t want to leave, but she had no good excuse to stay. She rubbed her hands together nervously. “I better head off.”
Zaria gestured to her wrist and walked towards her. “What are these, Ricky?”
Kenrick pointed to her leather wristbands. “These?”
Zaria nodded. “They’re really nice.”
“Our pack tanner makes them. You get awarded a wristband at every stage of your wolf development.”
Zaria took hold of her wrist and looked at each one individually. Kenrick felt the heat from Zaria’s touch spread up her arm and warm her chest and cheeks. She had never felt that from any other wolf’s touch.
Zaria looked up at her and said, “You have a lot of them. You must be really important in your pack.”
“Nah,” Kenrick lied. “Just a jack of all trades.” She didn’t want to frighten Zaria and jeopardize their burgeoning friendship.
Zaria let go of her wrist and said, “Will you take me running tomorrow, or do I have to go with one of the guards at the door?”
“No,” Kenrick said a little too fiercely, but she didn’t want any other wolf to take Zaria running. That was her job, given by Dante, and she was determined to do it well and keep her safe. At Zaria’s startled expression she continued, “Sorry, I mean, I’d like to take you. I’m going running with the cubs first thing, but I could come around eleven.”
Zaria smiled. “Thanks.”
“And don’t worry about the guards. It’s just a precaution. They won’t bother you, I promise.” Kenrick was going to make sure they understood Zaria’s fears of dominant wolves, and make sure Zaria felt safe.
When she got the door, Kenrick hesitated and said, “Zaria, you’re not on your own any more. I won’t let any Lupa wolf near you, or anyone else. I promise.”
“I’ve been looking after myself since I was sixteen, Ricky. I can take care of myself.”
The thought of Zaria out in the world, on the run from Lupa wolves, with no money and no pack to take care of her, made Kenrick feel anger mixed with a need to gather Zaria in her arms.
“Ricky? Can I tell you something?”
“Aye, of course.” Kenrick took a few steps back into the room.
Zaria seemed nervous and uneasy.
“I—my landlord, the one I attacked. I didn’t try to kill him. I’ve never killed anyone in my life, but he was trying to force me…you know, and I had to get away.”
Kenrick tried to keep her simmering anger under wraps. It seemed that both wolves and humans had tried to take advantage of Zaria. No one had ever been kind to her, but Kenrick was determined to show her how wolves were meant to treat each other.
“I know that, Zaria. You don’t have a bad bone in your body.”
Zaria furrowed her eyebrows. “How can you know? You don’t know anything about me, Ricky. Not really.”
Kenrick just smiled and said simply, “I know.”
* * *
After Kenrick left, Zaria’s mind was whizzing with thoughts and emotions. Her grandpater had been right—the Wolfgangs were not what the Lupas painted, and she and her sister had been right to follow their gut instincts here.
Her stomach growled and interrupted her thoughts. Zaria hurried over to the fridge and she salivated at the gorgeous hunks of meat there. It was more than she’d ever had in her life and she couldn’t wait to eat. She quickly seared a large steak on each side and sat down to her meal. It was perfectly rare when she cut into it, and the first bite was out of this world. Zaria had never tasted meat like this before. It was fresh, and so full of flavour, and for someone used to leftovers, cup noodles, and tinned soup, it was heaven.
The Wolfgangs knew meat. She cut it up into bites and dispensed with cutlery, using her fingers to eat each delicious slice of meat.
Zaria’s mind turned to another hunk of gorgeous meat, Kenrick Wulver. She had astonished herself when she walked into Kenrick’s arms. Her warm, reassuring scent was like the happy feeling she had running through the forest with Kenrick.
She had never found another wolf attractive before. Her natural attraction was for dominant wolves, but her upbringing had nurtured her mind to fear them, so lust and attraction had never entered her body before. Kenrick was different. She was much bigger and stronger than Ovid, the wolf that haunted her nightmares, but Kenrick’s strength didn’t scare her.
Zaria couldn’t imagine Kenrick ever using her strength to harm an innocent wolf.
You can’t trust them, Zaria chided herself. Wolf mating was about subjugation, and no matter how good an impression a dominant gave, things would always change once you had that claiming mate bite on your neck.
Zaria finished her meat and took a long drink of Wulver water.
One thing in the back of Zaria’s mind bothered her about Kenrick. Whenever she asked about Kenrick’s work or her position in the Scottish pack, Kenrick became nervous and evasive. She was hiding something.
She thought back to looking at Kenrick’s wristbands. There was one, bigger than the rest. It had a silver buckle on it with an engraving of two wolves with a sword underneath. One was sitting in front and one behind. Zaria was sure it meant something.
Regardless, she had to keep Kenrick onside. She was the link to her reason for keeping going all these years, and in a few days she would get out of here and find it.
* * *
Dante rested her sweaty brow on Eden’s stomach. “Mater, you truly inspire my wolf.”
Eden smiled as she traced the gashes her claws had made on Dante’s shoulders. “I told you that we needed this. Maybe now you’ll believe me?”
When Leroux’s pack Second attacked Eden and Lena, she took more than Dante and Eden’s cub. She took an essential part of their relationship, the incredible sexual connection they shared and their need to express it.
Eden had needed to recover physically and mentally, but when she did, Dante was still afraid of hurting her and carried this immense guilt that she hadn’t been able to protect her mate.
“Do you believe that I’m strong enough, Dante?”
Dante lay on her back and pulled Eden to her chest. “Considering what we just did, I’d say so. You ambushed me.”
Despite Eden’s constant reassurances, Dante held back from making love to her mate, wanting her to have more time to recover. But today Eden called Dante at work and asked her to come home at lunchtime. Their youngest child, Conan, was having a nap, and Eden was waiting for her in bed naked.
Eden lifted her head and looked down at Dante. “I know you were trying to protect me, Dante, but what we share when we touch each other is as essential as breathing. I began to feel maybe you didn’t…after all my injuries—”
Dante cupped Eden’s face with her hands. “Don’t ever think that. Ever. You are everything, Eden. You are my heart, the heart of our pack, and nothing makes sense or works without you.”
“Then don’t let Ovid or Leroux take this away from us. We n
eed each other, Dante. I’m well, I’m recovered, and I need my Alpha to make love to me.”
“I’m sorry.” Dante pulled her back down into her arms and stroked her hair. “I need to find Leroux. She has to pay for what she did to you and Lena, and for taking the lives of two good wolves. I promised their families I would find her.”
“You will. I have complete faith in you, but until that time, we get back to normal,” Eden said.
“You’re right, I know, but when I get hold of both of them, I’ll rip them limb from limb. I promise you.”
Eden was silent then said, “So, tell me about this young woman, Zaria. Is she genuine?”
Dante sighed. “I think so, but I’m wary. We’ve fallen for Lupa tricks before, but she gives a good impression of a submissive wolf in trouble and on the run, and the info Blaze got from the human police seems to back her up.”
“You said her sister was mated to Leroux?” Eden said.
Dante nodded. “Leroux beat her mate, in the end, to death. Can you imagine a dominant wolf striking a submissive wolf? It’s unthinkable. I would have no mercy for any wolf who did that in our pack.”
“I can imagine Leroux hitting her mate, but not any wolf I know. I love your strength, Dante. It makes me feel safe, protected. I just can’t picture fearing your strength.”
“Ricky says Zaria has a fear of dominant wolves for that reason, although she seems to trust Kenrick.”
Eden looked up with a grin. “Does she?”
Dante laughed softly. “Don’t think of matchmaking with a wolf we don’t completely trust. But yes, from the moment we found Zaria on the road, I noticed a connection between them. Ricky is determined to protect her.”
“I said I’d take some clothes to Zaria tomorrow. I’ll talk with her and get a feeling about her. I have good instincts.”
Dante turned serious in a second. “Is that really a good idea? If she is in league with the Lupas…I can’t risk losing you, Eden.”
Eden stroked Dante’s brow until her frown softened. “I won’t be on my own. I’ll take Vance, and maybe Kyra. She’s closer to Zaria’s age, plus there are wolves on her door. Trust me, Dante. It’s part of my role as Mater to take care of those wolves who need some extra help.”
