A Pack of Two

by Jacky Russell

  Melting into the crowd, I joined in with the drunken cheering and ridiculous singing. A tall, thin blond human climbed onto the bar stool beside me. I ignored him until he tapped my arm.

  “Are you tired?” he asked in perfect English.

  “Uh, no, not really, why?”

  “Because you’ve been walking in my dreams all night and I can’t get enough of the way your ass looks in those jeans.”

  I took a big gulp of beer and leveled the coldest look I had. “That is a terrible pick-up line.”

  The human wrinkled his forehead before slithering off the stool and back into the crowd. A fresh beer appeared in front of me.

  “On the house. You deserve it after that come-on,” the female bartender said.

  We laughed and I spun on the stool, hoping for a better seat near a window. I liked to watch people. Humans were interesting, with their lovey-dovey ways and emotional melodramas. Romance was lost on me. You didn’t make it as far as I had in the military by living with your head in the clouds and waiting for a white knight to show up. Hell, if I saw someone in chainmail, he was going down.

  A booth in the far corner of the bar finally opened, the googly-eyed couple leaving for more private surroundings. I sprinted to the open table, just beating a giggling group of bimbos. Leaning against the window and stretching out my legs on the bench would ward off any more pathetic pick-up lines.

  Not.

  Another human man slid onto the bench across from me. He seemed nice enough, but my Italian wasn’t so good and his English was terrible. The conversation lasted all of forty-five seconds before he smiled politely and excused himself. Poor guy took a bunch of ribbing from his buddies. Sorry. No speaka da Italiano.

  It was a good hockey game, several goals and lots of fights. The nachos were hot and crispy, the salsa spicy. It was a great evening until the scent of musk ruined it.

  Where the hell were the exits?

  The musk grew stronger and so did the power associated with whatever werewolf was coming. There was no guarantee the werewolf coming in was hostile–heck, maybe he was just looking for a cold beer. It wasn’t unusual for werewolf guys to hook up with human women for a wild night of sex. Female werewolves didn’t generally hook up with humans. Human men couldn’t satisfy the needs of a werewolf.

  However, it was odd since there was a pack run tonight. Lone wolves in Italian Pack territory weren’t likely and there was only one werewolf I knew wasn’t at the run. The musk was definitely male.

  I licked my lips and tried to pinpoint the musk. Luckily I was sitting when I saw him, otherwise I may have become a puddle on the floor. Smoldering brown eyes made me weak. Broad shoulders tapering to a slim waist made me bite my tongue. A quiver started in my belly. My heart threatened to stop beating at any moment.

  He’s really here.

  Lucas smiled as the crowd parted. Every human woman turned to stare as he strode through the bar with the power and grace of a predator. His eyes locked onto mine and I smiled like an idiot.

  “Breanna?” he asked as he stopped at the end of my table. His eyes sparkled and my body tightened at the thought of those powerful arms surrounding me.

  “Hi, Lucas,” I replied, moving my legs so he could sit down.

  His smile widened as he settled next to me, trapping me against the glass. I’d just willingly given up my only escape route. What the hell was wrong with me? God, he smelled good.

  He was what was wrong with me. I was a pile of goo whenever he looked at me. Lucas oozed masculinity in a way that made me want to rip off his shirt and kiss him senseless.

  “Do you mind if I join you?”

  Oh dear God, he was polite, too? “No, please, be my guest.”

  “I’m surprised you’re here by yourself.”

  I laughed like a nervous teenager. “Pack run.”

  He nodded but didn’t elaborate.

  “I’m surprised you’re here by yourself,” I countered.

  His forehead crinkled. “I was working late.”

  Hmm, wonder where the phone bitch was.

  “You are even more beautiful than I remembered.”

  Beer went up my nose and a nacho wedged in my throat. My face was getting hot, but at least the nacho slid on down.

  “I was across the street and saw you through the window.”

  Well, wasn’t this embarrassing. I was the recon specialist and he’d spotted me. Maybe I was losing my edge.

  Lucas cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Breanna. I’m being extremely forward here. I really wasn’t stalking you, I swear. I have a client dinner meeting at Danton’s.”

  Him stalking me? I was the one who had flown up and peeped in his window. “Did you leave your client?”

  He nodded before pulling his phone from his jacket pocket. His conversation was in Italian and I didn’t have a clue, but he hung up and smiled at me.

  “Client meeting is over,” he said. “Would you like something more substantial than nachos?” His smile was contagious and I was turning to mush. Damn, he was gorgeous.

  “Sure, cheesy fries are always good. Do you like hockey?”

  “Love it.”

  “For real? I’ve never met a wolf who liked any kind of sports.”

  He motioned for the waitress and ordered a large basket of fries. “I played a little in college.”

  My jaw dropped. “No way! Where did you go to college?”

  He ducked his head and fidgeted with his beer. “Dartmouth.”

  An Italian wolf educated at a private university in New Hampshire? Not what I’d expected.

  “I had to be careful and not hit the puck too hard. A few panes of glass broke my freshman year when I missed the net.”

  I grinned at him. “Bet you were the fastest skater.”

  He beamed. “Hands down.”

  The waitress arrived with the fries and we dug in. We talked about the hockey game and he explained the differences between European and NHL hockey.

  “Would you like to go to a game? There’s one tomorrow night. I could get tickets.” The pink color in his cheeks was adorable. Damn, he was gorgeous and sweet.

  My heart rate tripled. I almost choked on a fry. He was going to think I had some type of eating disorder if I kept choking.

  “That sounds like a lot of fun. I don’t think we’ve got anything on schedule for tomorrow night.”

  We cheered and jeered along with the human crowd as the hockey game wound down. He asked lots of questions about Bravo and exactly what I did. I’d never spent so much time talking about myself.

  “I wanted to thank you again for saving my life.” Our eyes locked, our conversation stopping but our souls continuing to communicate. Our bodies touched, our fingers inching together on top of the table.

  That little door inside me that had clicked the night I met him was standing wide open now. The warmth of his body soaked into mine. My hand acted on its own, reaching for the shadowy beard on his chin. The stubble tickled my fingers, his lips parting as I leaned closer.

  His fingers brushed my jaw as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

  His eyes were like pools of chocolate and I was drowning. It was a good way to die.

  Our booth shook. We had company. Damn.

  “Bre, why didn’t you answer your phone? Who the hell are you?” Aaron growled at Lucas.

  Lucas’s eyes went silver.

  “Aaron Miller, this is Lucas Benelli.” I hoped a neutral tone would rattle them out of their eyeball battle. It didn’t. “What do you want, Aaron?”

  He ignored me and continued the staring contest with Lucas. The scent and feel of the air was changing. The humans felt the disturbance and turned to look. Not good.

  “Lieutenant Miller, what is your business here? And don’t play the selective deafness card because I know you heard me.”

  Lucas leaned back from the table and wrapped my hand in his. He was giving Aaron a chance to back out of this
stupid dominance game all the werewolves played. Aaron didn’t take the hint. He leaned forward.

  “Aaron. Stop. Now.”

  There was a slight tremor in his eyes but he would not disengage. Lucas, the more dominant, let out a breath before turning to me. His eyes were almost completely silver.

  Lucas ground his teeth while staring into my eyes. I was eyeball-to-eyeball with his wolf.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Lucas dipped his head and closed his eyes. The air around us calmed as he took both my hands in his. The power coursing through him was incredible. Rage, dominance, strength.

  “Hey, Bre!” Ordy shouted over the milling humans. He strolled over and stopped abruptly beside Aaron. “Take it down a notch, Miller. You don’t want none of him.” Ordy nodded toward Lucas while waving a hand in front in Aaron.

  Aaron’s eyes flitted to me. Lucas eased forward. The air was stuffy again, dominance flowing freely.

  “Lucas?” I squeezed his fingers.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. I glanced at Ordy and inclined my head to Aaron. “Ordy, can you take him out and find a fire hydrant to keep him entertained?”

  Ordy gave me a sly grin before grabbing Aaron by the arm. Aaron tried to snatch away but there was no getting away from Ordy’s meat hooks. “We’re supposed to bring you back to base, Bre. DuChard recalled us from the run. Something about a new sighting we have to check out.”

  Damn. Damn. Damn.

  Ordy yanked Aaron from the bench. “We’ll wait outside.”

  “Thanks, Ordy. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Lucas squeezed my fingers again, bowed his head, and closed his eyes. After several moments, he looked up, his eyes mostly brown, a crooked smile on his face. “Sorry about that.” His cheeks flushed an adorable shade of pink. “My wolf really likes you.”

  His wolf liked me? What the hell did that mean?

  Aaron tapped on the window and pointed to his watch. I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to go away.

  “I gotta go before they start peeing on the light poles.”

  Lucas smiled and shook his head. I wanted to grab him by the ears and kiss the breath out of him.

  Aaron rapped on the window again and Ordy grabbed him. Three more werewolves from my unit came inside and waved for me. Damn it.

  “It might be best if you wait here until I get them away.”

  Lucas glared at the pacing wolves and then back to me. His face softened. “May I call you?”

  My hands shook as we exchanged numbers. I didn’t want to leave, but this time there was no choice. I had to go or there would be a dogfight, literally.

  His shoulders heaved as he slid off the bench. “Be careful,” he said without releasing my hand.

  “You too.”

  He pressed his lips to the back of my hand and my knees jellified. “Good night, my angel.”

  Chapter 8

  Lucas

  “Trist, I’m telling you, she’s amazing. I’ve never met anybody like her.”

  The phone conversation with my best friend of over twenty years had gone on for almost half an hour as he listened to me go on about Breanna.

  “Did she say what kind of witch she was?”

  “An earth witch.”

  “Bet your wolf liked her.”

  I swallowed hard, remembering the way my wolf had reacted to her. “Yeah, he did.” It should be a great thing, my wolf liking her, but it scared the shit out of me. My wolf didn’t like anybody.

  “Luc? You there, buddy?”

  “Call her, Lucas. Call her tonight,” a woman called from the background.

  Tristyn laughed. “You hear that? My witch wants you to get your own witch so we can double date.”

  When we were agents for the Divine Council, before Tristyn met his mate, we would often double date with human girls. Truthfully, I went along because he felt bad about leaving me at home alone. “Wolves need companionship,” he would say before always adding, “and I promised this girl you would go out with her friend.”

  “So, when are you going to tell your dad?” Tristyn asked.

  “Not now.”

  “No, but it’s only a matter of time and you’ll be head over heels in love with her.”

  In love with her? My chest was so tight I could barely breathe.

  “Luc? Are you all right?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll deal with him when I have to. Do you think Alex could help me with some info on earth witches?”

  Tristyn’s mate, Alexandria, was a powerful white witch and the Witch Representative to the Divine Council. She took her job very seriously, especially considering the negative attitude the supernatural world had against her kind. Most supernaturals, werewolves included, didn’t bother to find out if witches were peaceful or evil. They killed them all, usually without repercussion.

  In the background Tristyn spoke to his mate before returning to the phone. “Alex said she’d have to make a few inquiries and see what she could find out for you.”

  We hung up a few moments later and I headed back to the office to renew my battle with the fax machine. The sidewalks were busy but I did my best to avoid the crowds. I glanced around, hoping Breanna might appear from the darkness, but no such luck. She was gone.

  I entered the office building without bothering with the lights. The carpet crunched softly under my shoes as I approached the open door to my office. A surge of adrenaline shot through me, my body tensing at the knowledge someone had been here. There was no strange musk, no vibration of vampire, but there was something different.

  Strawberries.

  I clicked the light, my heart hammering at the idea Breanna might be here, in my office. The strawberry scent lingered strongest near my nemesis, the fax machine. When I left, the fax machine had demanded paper and had been strangling on the jam I couldn’t reach. Now it was calm and quiet, all red lights off and the paper tray fully loaded. Three incoming faxes waited patiently in the stacker.

  I had to see her again. I grabbed my coat on the way out the door.

  * * * *

  Ten gun-wielding guards watched warily as I approached the brightly lit gate of Camp Ederle. The American base was located near Vicenza and housed soldiers stationed in the United States Army Africa Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. According to Breanna, Bravo Company utilized the base anytime it deployed to Europe.

  “I must be out of my mind,” I muttered, rolling down the window as the guards approached. The soldiers at the bar had made it clear they didn’t want me talking to Breanna, yet here I was, asking for her like I was her new best friend.

  The human guards agreed to call her. Endless seconds stretched into minutes before the echo of boot stomps made my breath catch. Stepping out of my car, I waited as the heavy steel door beside the gate opened. The smell of musk rolled over me and my wolf took notice of the humans scurrying inside and the flood of werewolves pouring out.

  “What the hell do you want?” one of the wolves asked.

  Ten of them burst through the door and surrounded me. My wolf surged, demanding control, as I fought to push down the rising bile in my throat. I gave over to the beast within, my own dominance flowing forth. The soldiers backed away a few steps, giving me much-needed breathing room. My wolf wanted total control, to kill these who threatened me.

  “I’m here to see Breanna,” I said between gritted teeth.

  The blond wolf from the bar marched forward. His fist connected with my chin before I could react. I dropped my head and charged him, catching him in the stomach and slamming him into the iron gates. He pummeled the back of my head, but the pain barely registered as I landed blow after blow to his midsection.

  Hands grabbed at me and I reacted, raining blows upon anyone within striking distance. The scent of blood, musk, and rage filled the night air. I was an animal, acting on sheer instinct, the need to survive taking over all rational thought. There was yelling, but nothing came through as words until she spoke my name.

&nbs
p; “Lucas.”

  I didn’t throw another punch, though a few more landed on me. I didn’t feel anything or see anything except Breanna.

  Time stood still as she walked toward me. She was dressed in black fatigues and a US Army sweatshirt. Her brows were raised, a splatter of blood on her cheek, as she reached for my hand. Her lips moved but there was a deafening roaring in my ears now, my wolf furious at the attack.

  Her eyes locked onto mine, her lips continuing to move as she stood mere inches from my face. I was gasping for air, desperate to calm my wolf, but unwilling to let go of the power he gave me. She came closer, until the warmth of her body pressed against mine.

  She touched my jaw and my wolf retreated, leaving a trail of pain from the beating I had taken. For the first time I noticed the other wolves, now watching me warily, some on the ground while the others were leaning against the gate. One sprawled on the hood of my truck.

  “Lucas, can you hear me?”

  I nodded, not yet trusting my voice to stay steady. My body trembled under her fingers and I did what I could to pull myself together. This was not at all what I wanted her to see.

  “C’mon in and I’ll get you cleaned up,” Breanna said softly as she turned my hands over to examine bloody knuckles.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I rasped. The others were watching us, their eyes swirling with silver.

  “Fuck them,” she snarled, leading me past two wolves who were holding their ribs. “I’ll deal with them later. Right now, I need to get you taken care of.”

  We passed the human guards and she told them to pull my truck inside the gates. They saluted her and dashed toward the front entrance.

  “I’m sorry about all that,” she said as she led me into a room filled with medical supplies. She nodded toward a small examining bed and I pulled myself onto the paper-covered mattress.

  “Seems every time you get around me, you end up getting hurt,” she said with a smile.