Wolf Creek Alpha (Texas Pack 1)

by Ellen, Jo

  “All right, but I’d planned to let them sleep in my bed, you know, like you did, so they’d be close by,” she said seriously.

  “One day, that sense of humor of yours is going to get you a spanking,” he said.

  “Really? Oh yeah, spank me, baby,” she whispered in a deep, smoky voice.

  Shaking his head, Rafe guided her out of his office, leading her to the pond.

  Seeing Robert and Niall, they headed over to them. The rest of the family stood back, watching and waiting. The fae warriors stood with their arms outstretched over the pond, storing up their magic.

  Before getting closer to them, Rafe stopped Lisa to whisper in her ear. “I love you,” he said, quickly kissing her and walking away.

  Stunned, she had tears in her eyes as she stared at his back. Quietly, she whispered, “I love you too.”

  Rafe turned and stared at her and she realized he’d heard her. Damn wolf ears.

  Robert and Niall both took ahold of his arms, and in a flash, they were gone.

  Walking back towards the house, Devlin resolved to cheer Lisa up. “I’ll make the sacrifice and sleep with you tonight, just to make sure you’re safe, of course,” he stated somberly.

  Lisa glanced back at Ian and Devlin. “Like I told Rafe, I thought both of you could sleep with me, you know, a ménage a trois.” She calmly put her arms through Mack and Liz’s and entered the house.

  Patting her hand, Liz said, “That was beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Devlin at a loss for words. I will never forget that look of shock on their faces,” she said laughing.

  Smiling slightly, Lisa left them both to go to her room. She needed some time alone. Her kitten wasn’t anywhere to be found. She had started leaving her door open for it to roam, thinking they all knew by now it wasn’t prey. What a weird thing to have to think about. I wonder how they would react to a puppy?

  She was avoiding thinking about the guy’s mission. Gathering up her dirty clothes, she went to the laundry room to get started washing. That took all of ten minutes. Leaving once she had the washer going, she went looking for something to do. Finding Anna dusting the great room, she asked if she could use some help.

  “Nope, I have a system, and I’m very particular,” she smiled, taking the sting out of her words.

  Melissa had come in and heard Lisa’s offer to help. Grabbing her arm, she marched her to the kitchen.

  “We’re baking today. Whenever I need to distract my mind, I bake. We’ll go nuts. Cookies, cakes, whatever we feel like,” Melissa said.

  “All right, but the only cookies I bake come from a tube. That’s if I manage to get them to the oven before I eat the dough,” Lisa said.

  “You are such a plebian. I’ll teach you how to make easy homemade cookies. Impress all your friends,” she said pompously.

  Lisa was surprised to find she could laugh. Melissa was good for her. Stephanie came in with the girls, and before very long, they were all covered in flour.

  Amy and Sarah loved rolling out the cookie dough, then making their own shapes. Liz came in to join the group, putting on an apron and diving in.

  When the men came in for lunch, Liz ordered them to go get some pizzas. The kitchen was off limits for now.

  They had several dozen cookies cooling when the guy’s got back. Setting the pizza boxes on the table, they all dug in. After pigging out on pizza and cookies, Lisa went to get her book and settle once again in the great room.

  She was trying to read, but kept picturing Rafe in trouble in some dark realm. Laying her book aside, she decided to walk to the pond and try to ‘see’ him.

  Ian and Devlin followed her out. They hung back, watching, but trying to give her some space. She motioned them forward, explaining what she was going to try and do. They both nodded, with Devlin telling her they would watch over her while she mind surfed.

  Shaking her head, Lisa thought that probably was as good a term as any. Reaching out her hands, she pulled magic from the pond, sending it through her body. She focused on Rafe, picturing him in her mind.

  She found herself in a dark forest. Looking around, she suddenly realized she was seeing it through his eyes. I’m in his head, she thought. He was following Robert, who was leading the way. I wonder if he can sense me?

  ‘Yes, I can. I don’t know if it’s dangerous for you to be with me, even in mind only, so pull out. Robert tells me we’re not far from Ciar’s castle and I don’t want him sensing you.’

  Lisa saw a wall closing around his mind, cutting her off. “Damn it! Don’t shut me out!” she yelled.

  She glared at Ian and Devlin. “I was in his head, but he pushed me out.”

  Ian guided her back towards the house. “What did you see?”

  “A dark forest. He said they were almost to Ciar’s castle, so he wanted me to go. Why didn’t they just appear there? I know Dunstan told them where it was.”

  Lisa flopped down on the sofa beside Melissa. She put her magazine down and listened in.

  “They would want to scout the area out first. Never a good idea to just appear in the enemy’s camp without knowing what you’re getting in to,” said Ian.

  “What happened?” asked Melissa.

  Lisa told her about being able to ‘see’ through Rafe’s eyes and then him putting up a wall.

  Melissa looked at Lisa, studying her. “You know you could probably break through his wall,” she said.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Obviously, he had a good reason for keeping you out,” Ian said disapprovingly.

  Ignoring him, Lisa asked how she could do it.

  “You could imagine blasting through, like exploding the wall into pieces. But that could be too abrupt.” Pausing, Melissa thought about it. “Try to imagine a hammer or chisel and slowly chip away at it until you break through,” Melissa said, grinning hugely.

  “You two are unbelievable. Are you not listening at all?” demanded Devlin.

  “No we’re not,” said Lisa. “He may be in danger and maybe I’ll be able to help him. I’ll be subtle. Yeah, I can do subtle,” she added, chewing on her nail.

  They decided to wait until evening, since she had just been kicked out. She didn’t want him to know she was going to try again.

  Colin came in from work, asking where Stephanie was first thing. Melissa told him she had been down at the stable with the girls earlier.

  Looking at Ian, Colin told him he had sent the bullet off to ballistics. “I had some friends look in to Stephen’s whereabouts. He hasn’t been seen in days. I think it probably was him that shot Rafe. He must be under Ciar’s control because everyone my friends spoke to said he was a normal, quiet guy. More interested in research than socializing was the conclusion.”

  “That’s so sad. Will he be aware he’s being used or sort of like a zombie?” Lisa asked.

  The men laughed at her metaphor, saying he would be unaware.

  “If Ciar releases him, he’ll have no memory of anything he has done,” said Devlin.

  Colin left to find Stephanie and his girls, while Melissa and Lisa went to eat a light snack for dinner. Lisa wasn’t hungry. She only went along to keep herself busy.

  Robert was leading the way through the forest, with Rafe following while Niall brought up the rear. Getting close to the castle, they stopped to watch for any activity.

  “I hate the dark realm. It’s cold, and well, dark,” Niall whispered.

  Rafe chucked quietly while Robert shushed them. “I don’t see or feel any strong power,” Robert stated.

  “I think we should walk right in. They can’t be expecting that. Maybe we can find one of his minions and get some information out of him,” Rafe said.

  They agreed, figuring it was safe with Ciar gone. They left the woods, walking right up to the huge doors. Not stopping to knock, they entered and saw they were in the great room of the castle.

  There was no one around. This wasn’t right, Rafe thought. Suddenly, both Robert and Niall drew their swords.
Rafe could feel the change in the air. He stiffened, ready to shift.

  Ciar appeared, sitting in the large chair that looked like a throne.

  “What a pleasant surprise. Always good to see my fae brothers and their pet wolf.”

  “We’re not yer brothers,” Robert snapped. “We know you sent those men to attack Rafe. We’ve come to give you a warning.”

  Rafe interrupted before Robert could continue. “Stay away from my family or I’ll rip your throat out,” he growled.

  “You dare to come into my home uninvited and threaten me? Either you are very stupid or very brave. I haven’t decided which it is yet,” Ciar said with distaste.

  Niall thought to distract him. “What is it yer wanting? You keep attacking his pack and it will bring the Queen and her warriors to your doorstep.”

  “You have no proof I attacked anyone,” Ciar said smugly.

  “No word games. What do you want?” demanded Robert.

  “Why, I just want to see my children. You know a father’s love knows no bounds,” he said innocently.

  “Since both of us know that’s a load of crap, I’m warning you now to stay away from them. They want nothing to do with you,” Rafe stated.

  Ciar laughed. “So arrogant. I believe I will enjoy having a wolf pet and two fae to play with.”

  “You’ve been warned, we’re leaving now,” Robert said.

  Before he and Niall could take hold of Rafe, Ciar waved his hand and they were frozen in place.

  “I don’t think so. I believe the three of you should visit my dungeon. I bet you’re wondering how I could stop you from leaving. Well, that’s my little secret. You’ll have to work for some information, you know. Can’t make it too easy on you,” Ciar waved his arm and they disappeared.

  They found themselves chained to the dungeon wall with their wrists and ankles shackled.

  “How the hell did he do that? He shouldn’t be able freeze us. Our magic should have protected us from him,” Robert said, confused.

  “I’m thinking some potion from a witch, or some dark object he has in his possession” said Niall.

  “And you didn’t think of that before we walked in?” Rafe asked angrily.

  “Weel, it takes a lot of power to hold a fae. It would be almost impossible to obtain the right object, or find a witch with the knowledge he needed,” Niall answered slowly.

  “I’d say the almost impossible is now possible,” Robert said scornfully.

  Rafe sighed, “Okay, let’s move on. I’ve already tried breaking these chains. They seem to be held together by magic and not just steel.”

  “I tried too, but I can’t get loose,” Niall said.

  “I didn’t mention it earlier, but when we were in the woods, Lisa contacted me, telepathically. I told her to get out, basically, and built a wall in my head. I’m going to see if I can contact her now. If this is strong magic, maybe her magic can break this,” Rafe said.

  “Let’s hope you didn’t piss her off too much and she’ll answer yer call,” Robert said.

  Rafe snorted, closing his eyes. He sent a mental picture out to her. He was remembering the other picture he’d sent her before, then cut that thought off immediately. She’d think he was teasing her unless he got his shit together.

  He thought the best way would be to convey that they needed help. He sent the image of them chained in the dungeon, then asked for her help.

  “We’ll never hear the end of it if Lisa has to rescue us,” Robert said morosely.

  Nibbling at her salad, Lisa had a sudden sense of urgency from Rafe. She jumped up and ran to the great room, with Melissa following.

  “What’s wrong? What is it?” Melissa asked, frightened.

  Seeing Ian and Devlin still in the living room, Lisa ran up to them and started tugging at their arms.

  “I think Rafe needs me. I feel like he’s calling to me. Hurry. Let’s go to the pond. He needs me,” Lisa was almost desperate. She still had enough sense to know she shouldn’t go to the pond alone.

  They all hurried out the door, running to the pond. She knew she would need the magic in the water. Closing her eyes, she moved as fast as she could through the mist. Seeing a picture of the men chained up, she flinched.

  “They’re chained to a wall. I’m going to try to talk to Rafe to find out what we can do.”

  Rafe felt her enter his head. Thank God, she got his message.

  ‘Ciar used some sort of magic on us to put us here. Robert and Niall’s powers are bound. They can’t flash us out of here. I need you to see if you can break the magical hold that he has on us. If this hurts you in any way, stop immediately. We’ll figure something else out.’

  Lisa quickly pulled the magic from the water. Concentrating on the men, seen through Rafe’s eyes, she sent her magic flowing towards Robert and Niall. Looking down, she sent another two bolts to Rafe’s legs and arms. She could feel her magic vibrating against the dark magic. She needed more power! She reached out to Melissa, grabbing her hand. Melissa understood. She started channeling more magic into Lisa. Pushing all she could towards the men, she saw their chains fall away. Lisa collapsed on the ground, exhausted.

  Before they could grab her, Robert, Niall, and Rafe appeared before them. Rafe reached for Lisa and lifted her in his arms.

  “What happened to her?” he demanded, worried.

  Melissa answered. “It took all her power and then some to release the three of you.”

  Rafe hurried to the house and placed her on the sofa.

  “I’m all right, really. That took a little more energy than I had in me,” she said, trying to reassure him.

  “I’m so sorry, I’ll never ask for your help with magic again,” Rafe said regretfully.

  “That would be dumb. So I’m a little tired, no big deal. I saved your ass. And you two also,” she said glancing at Robert and Niall.

  “I knew she would point that out,” Robert said smiling at her. “Thank you, lass, you did save us.”

  Niall nodded his thanks to her.

  “I want to know what happened,” Ian said. “After you put Lisa to bed.”

  “I’m staying right here. I want to hear it to.”

  Knowing there was no way she would agree to go to bed, they called Dunstan and Anna in to hear what had happened.

  After explaining how Ciar had imprisoned them, Rafe told them they hadn’t learned anything useful.

  “Actually you did,” said Devlin. “Now I have something to go on when I start my research. We know a lot about witches, but I’ll still dig deeper. What’s interesting is if he’s using some object to gain more power. I’ll start looking into the old records and see if anything pops. Also, now we know we need something to counteract him freezing any of us. We would not have been prepared for that before.”

  “I’ll send Niall to see the Queen. She may know what he’s using and how to fight against it,” Robert said.

  Niall immediately stood, saying he’d get back as soon as possible. He shimmered and was gone.

  “Um, I was able to break his magic,” Lisa said shrugging. “Just saying.”

  “And we appreciate it, but you won’t be fighting him. I don’t want him anywhere near you. Devlin or Niall will figure something out,” Rafe said.

  “I hope they do, but don’t be stubborn. If I can help, I will. You cannot expect me to stand by if he attacks any of you,” Lisa insisted. “I may not be known for my bravery, well, let’s face it, I’m a big chicken. But I won’t stand by if I can help.”

  They all laughed at her statement, relieving some of the tension in the room.

  Rafe was thinking about locking her up somewhere, but that was just a fantasy. He hoped it wouldn’t come to her having to use her magic again, but he was afraid it was already fait accompli.

  “I’m pretty tired. If everyone will excuse me, I’m going to shower, then bed. Goodnight,” Lisa said leaving the room.

  She really was tired. Using magic that way, had taken everything out o
f her. She rushed through her shower, just wanting to fall into bed. Quickly brushing her teeth, she was in bed and asleep within five minutes. She was unaware when later, Rafe got into the bed, tucking himself around her.

  Chapter 15

  Once again, Lisa woke up alone in bed. Glancing over at the alarm clock, she was surprised to see it was after eleven am. Boy, I really was tired. She lay there a moment, staring up at the ceiling.

  Am I ready to move here, commit to Rafe for the rest of my life? Her answer was easier than she thought it’d be. Yes, I am. Counting back to Friday, she realized she had known him now for five days. The time doesn’t matter, she understood now. It made sense to her why Colin and Stephanie married so quickly after meeting one another.

  Throwing back the covers, she decided she needed another shower. Last night she had rushed through it, just wanting to sleep. Now she needed one to wake up. Going into the bathroom, she changed her mind and ran the water for a bath. The morning was already gone, so why not indulge.

  Lying back in the tub, she soaked her washcloth in hot water and placed it over her face. That feels so nice. She let her mind drift, relaxing.

  “Lisa?” she heard Rafe call for her and sat up, the washcloth slipping from her face. Oh crap, I didn’t close the door. She quickly slipped under the bubbles, covering the important parts.

  “I’m taking a bath, give me a couple minutes and I’ll be right out,” she yelled.

  Too late, she looked up to see him standing in the doorway. This was uncomfortable. They hadn’t known each other long enough for her to be casual about her nakedness.

  “Um, I’ll be out in a second, if you want to wait in the bedroom. Close the door behind you,” she said, slipping further under the water.

  Grinning, he leaned casually against the door. “Need any help? I could wash your hair for you,” he said helpfully.

  Lisa gave him a baleful look. “No, but thanks for the offer,” she said sarcastically.