by J. L. Madore
Her brow tightened, as if she was working through things. “That’s how you got to me so quickly despite the weather? When I called Waylon last night.”
I nodded.
“And when you say Fae, you mean witches and sprights and fairies and such?”
Yes, things of that nature. Weres are only one species in my world. I watched her closely, lips apart, breath shallow and quick. Did she think me crazy? Likely not. By her reaction, she was simply processing.
“I don’t fit into your world. That’s why you left me?”
Despite wanting to pull her against my chest and wrap her in a tight embrace, I forced myself to keep my distance and keep my hands moving. I admit, I didn’t want to make you choose between a life you love and one you have no understanding of, but no. There was a war in my world when I left you, doc. My brother was behind it. He killed innocent people to fuel his ambitions. I left because it was my duty to stop him.
When she said nothing, I continued. When you asked me to commit to you and this life, I wanted to accept—too much. How could I live with myself if I ignored my oath to right his wrongs? I wanted to stay with you more than anything, but my wants didn’t factor in. My brother had to be stopped. No one knew who he was and what motivated him better than I did. He was a vile, deplorable male.
She stepped away from her horse’s constant nuzzling. I couldn’t tell if her annoyance stemmed from him or me. Her boots shuffled on the concrete floor, drawing her forward. “Was? This war—it’s over now?”
Yeah, a few months ago.
“Months?” She stopped her approach. “If that was the reason you left why not come tell me right away? You’re here now because I called Waylon for help. If I hadn’t, you’d still be getting into drunken bar fights and living it up.”
Was angry better or worse than disillusioned? I certainly wasn’t living it up. I hadn’t been living at all over the past three years. I’d been little more than existing as a miserable, warrior zombie going through the motions.
I wanted to come sooner. I . . . I was afraid you wouldn’t take me back. Somehow, leaving the possibility out there seemed better than a final no.
She laughed, but it was hard and cold. “You expect me to believe that you’re a coward? After everything you are and do, you’re saying you were afraid to face me? I don’t buy it.”
My hope sank. I’m sorry. I was focused for so long, that once Abaddon was no longer a factor, I was lost. I didn’t know who I was or what I could offer you or my realm or even myself. I’ve been fucked up.
The disappointment in her eyes hollowed me out.
The wild bellowing of upset cattle broke the tension and brought me up short. Something, or someone, had the herd riled up. I ushered Hannah back inside the tack room and backed out. Wait here and lock the door.
“It’s nothing,” she snapped. “Cattle do that all the time. The weather—”
I get that you don’t trust me but for once, do as I say.
Her glare grew hot and hard. “I trust you.”
Bullshit.
“Not with my heart, but I trust you with my life.”
I took the hit, and with a bazooka-sized hole hollowing my chest, pointed a warning finger. Stay here.
Hannah hated being bossed around, but the sudden surge of violence in Savage’s dark eyes convinced her not to argue. She was out of her depths. Magic. Evil twins. God of the Fae. She clicked the latch behind him and grabbed some saddle oil and a cloth. The cattle being riled was nothing, she was almost sure. Savage had a hero complex a mile wide. If he thought danger abounded, he needed to handle it. This was the real him. Not a Marine. Not a farmhand. Savage was a senior soldier in the service of the God of the Fae.
She couldn’t wrap her mind around that.
If he hadn’t Flashed her into the barn and then shown her again how it worked, she’d call him delusional and show him the door. She’d seen people turn into wolves and felt the magic of his transport tingle beneath her skin.
She couldn’t explain that away.
Still, if they were under attack, she wasn’t about to stay locked in a tack room while he defended everything she held dear. Striding over to the corner of the room, she unlocked the gun locker and pulled out her daddy’s rifle. Bullets probably worked better on Weres than shot pellets, right?
She thought so.
Loading up, she filled her pockets with extra rounds and headed toward the door. If wolves were there, they were after Myra. She wasn’t abandoning her neighbor without one heck of a fight.
I paused outside the tack room door until I heard Hannah click the lock on the other side of the slab. After laying it out for her, there was no way I would let Weres or cattle or flying pigs interrupt our forward momentum. She would sort through the info I gave her, and she’d forgive me. She had to. It was the only option.
Stalking up the corridor, I couldn’t believe I was about to fight a pack of angry wolves wearing pink pajama pants with cute little lambs on them. At least I had my dagger sheathed to my thigh . . . and they wouldn’t live to tell the tale. Surveying the goings-on in the main barn, I didn’t see anyone from my position back from the entrance.
If I hadn’t spent months with the cattle that first time, I wouldn’t be so sure trouble brewed. But, from the direction the cows stared and how they huddled away, I knew where the intruders were as clear as if I had a scope in the next room.
Trusting in the bovine intel, I outed my guns and Flashed into the opposite corner of the holding room.
One. Two. Three. Back to Hannah and me.
The right cross to my jaw came out of nowhere and hurt like a motherfucker. As my lights flickered, I gave the Were with the concrete fists credit. Distracted as I was, I hadn’t seen that coming, and the guy had a first-rate punch. My head rang as if I clocked it against a bell.
I spit blood. The metallic gob of scarlet splashed the jacket of my attacker as the asshole closed in for hand-to-hand. Impatient to get back to Hannah, I blocked the swing, steeled my fists, and went to town.
The startled look of surprise made me smile. Why did pack Weres always think themselves the top of the food chain? They never realized there were bigger, badder things in the realms than them.
I would’ve toyed with him longer, but with Hannah isolated and Riley alone in the house, I had to lock things down. Man, my dead body hiding spot was about to get crowded. Good thing two hundred cattle produced a lot of fresh shit every day.
When my foe hit the pitted concrete floor, I brushed myself off and Flashed back to the tack room—which was empty. No signs of forced entry and the gun safe was hanging open. Fuuuuck.
Why couldn’t she ever do what she was told?
Throwing my molecules to the wind, I started a frantic search. Would she go for Myra or Riley? I honestly couldn’t guess. The Hannah of three years ago had been driven and independent, but the woman I was dealing with now was downright obstinate.
We needed to get to know one another again.
A shot fired in the distance and my bowels practically liquefied. As I followed the sound, a second shot rang off, hard on its heels. Drive shed.
I materialized in time to tackle Hannah out of the way as a huge gray wolf lunged from behind. When it rounded hard and came back, I unsheathed my dagger and met it head-on. The wolf’s skull fought my blade for a half-second before I plunged straight into its head.
Hannah screamed and I blew the head off the man grabbing at her, bits of brain and gray matter detonating like a bomb in every direction. Before another one came at us, I clutched Hannah to my chest, and Flashed straight inside the farmhouse. Safeguard your sister. I’ve fucking got this.
I Flashed back into the fray, the image of Hannah standing in the living room, pissed and glaring, making me smile. Women.
CHAPTER FIVE
Men. Hannah turned to Riley staring up at her from her homework set out on the dining room table. She was in no mood. She dropped the barrel of the gun and stomped down
the front hall to make sure the front door was still locked. Not that it would make a lick of difference. Werewolves were strong enough to come straight through the solid walnut.
Back in the living room, Riley was still staring. “Huh, first time for everything, eh? You speechless?”
“How? You poofed there and then, poof, he was gone.”
“Hogwarts, remember?”
Riley’s eyes widened even more. “Holy shit. No way.”
“Language, missy.” Hannah emptied some ammunition from her coat pocket and set things up on the island counter. After reloading, she laid the gun down and pointed. “Don’t touch that gun. You don’t know how to use it, and you’ll have better luck throwing things and running, got it?”
“Running from what?” she said, dropping her pencil and abandoning her project. “What’s that in your hair?”
“Wolf brains.”
“And you think they’re going to get into the hou—” A bizarre expression clouded her kid sister’s face before she broke into a wild grin. “Werewolves, amirite? All those hot, buff guys in town are Werewolves. Jed. Matt. Wayne. Bentley in chemistry class. Yeah, he’s gotta be. Ohmigod, ohmigod, this is amazing.”
“Reevaluate your definition of amazing, Ri. It’s deadly and dangerous. You can’t say anything, or they’ll kill you.”
Riley searched the room and grabbed a bronze rodeo trophy off the mantel. She tested the weight of the thing in her hand, looking more excited than scared. “Did you tell? Is that why they’re after you?”
Savage Flashed into their midst, carrying a gold and caramel wolf in his arms. He laid her in front of the fire and patted Chief’s head as the dog inched forward to investigate. The fight took out the heat lamps in the drive shed, and her scent would spook the livestock. She’s not getting any better. I’ll have to phone a friend.
Riley looked at the wolf curled up, and her mouth fell open. “Who’s that? Do you know?”
“It’s Myra. I found her in the creek last night. When I brought her home, I offended the other wolves.” Hannah waved away the look of censure Savage speared her with and shrugged. “The jig was up when you Flashed us in right in front of her. We’re in this now. Like it or not.”
By the scowl on his face and the tightness of his brow, she guessed that was a big “not”. I’ll be back. I gotta get rid of the bodies and bury their scents. I’m stashing them under the manure pile, by the way.
“Are we in the clear for now?”
He shrugged. Depends if they were here scouting or if they knew about Myra. I hate bringing her inside but didn’t think you’d forgive me if I let her die in the cold.
“No. I wouldn’t.”
Hannah called Chief away from Myra and took off her coat. Her pants were wet from plodding through the drifts to the barn, and she was sweating and chilled from fighting. Savage would be even worse after burying the dead.
“So, what now?” Riley asked. “Once a pack cites you for elimination, you’re toast. We’ll be on the run now, unless we can get the Alpha to call things off.”
“What?” Hannah filled the kettle and stared. “You’re making that up.”
“No. I read Mercy Thompson, thank you very much. She’s always dealing with shit like this with Adam and his pack.”
Hannah let the curse slide, under the circumstance. “Sad news there, Ri. Jessop was the Alpha and Jed was next up. I found them both dead right before I found Myra.”
“Oh no.” Riley slumped back into a chair. “Then what do we do?”
The kettle clicked off, and Hannah tossed in two bags and filled the teapot. She used the last of the boiled water to make a hot chocolate for Riley. “Savage is here to keep us safe. He’s a Fae soldier who deals with this stuff all the time. I don’t want you afraid—cautious, yes—but not afraid.”
“You knew him before last night, though, didn’t you? He’s like an old boyfriend or something, amirite?”
She handed Riley her mug and sighed. “That’s none of your business, nosy girl. Focus on what’s happening now. We might have to pull up roots until things settle down.”
Riley swallowed, looking all business. “You better call Tandy and tell him he might have to run the farm for a bit.”
Hannah pulled out her phone and called up his number. “Good idea. Take your hot chocolate to your room and pack a bag. Keep it light and just essentials.”
“A go-bag, got it.” Riley got moving, the smile on her face so inappropriate. Before she ducked into the hall, she turned back. “Hey, do you think if things don’t settle here that I could go to Savage’s Hogwarts school. How cool would that be, amirite?”
Hannah groaned and went to retrieve the bottle of acetaminophen from the coffee table. She tipped a bunch onto the island next to her tea and her rifle and, after swallowing three, prayed either her arm or her head would stop throbbing.
Both would be better, but she didn’t hold out much hope.
She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that things would get worse before they got better.
I buried the last wolf and left the shovel stuck in the shit pile. Odds were good I’d be back there again soon, so no need to go Martha Stewart and put things away. Stepping off the mound, I tightened the collar of my leather jacket, wiped my boots clean on the snow, and Flashed into the front hallway of the farmhouse.
After unbuckling the metal snaps of my shitkickers, I pulled my sweat-soaked feet from my boots. Normally, I’d leave them on in case another surge of hostility hit, but I was sure we had time to regroup and was chilled to the bone.
Hot from physical exertions, but at the same time, freezing and shivering in the torn, wet, pink flannel pants, I felt like a heap of shitty contradictions.
Riley handed me a hot mug the second I emerged into the living space. “I’ve got my go-bag packed and put together some of Chief’s food and his favorite squeaker toy. Hannah said we might have to bug out.”
I tossed my gloves over the heat register and sipped at the heated edge of the ceramic mug. I wasn’t a tea drinker, but at that moment, it was hot, and it was kind of Riley, so I drank it down with a nod of thanks.
“FYI, Hannah’s taking a shower. I think you should get in there before she uses all the hot water. She’s got it bad for you, you know? I can tell. Anyway, you should go. I’ll be fine out here, with my headphones in and my music on. Maybe you should leave me a gun. I’ll only interrupt if there’s an emergency . . . just sayin’.”
Gods, she looked so much like her older sister. I’d bet if we got out the albums, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart without using the backgrounds to sleuth things out. Reaching over the chaos of homework and school supplies, I snagged a pencil and got writing.
No gun. You aren’t trained, and stats prove you’re more likely to get disarmed and shot, than save yourself.
Headphones out. Stay alert to your surroundings and take cues from Chief. He’ll sense an intruder before you will.
Stay away from the wolf. She’s in a healing sleep and Weres are vicious and dangerous when vulnerable.
If you need anything—even if you just get the creeps—interrupt. If you’re in trouble, run right in without second thought. Nothing is more important than your safety, got it?
I waited for her to finish reading and then held out a fist for a bump. She didn’t hesitate. She even made the explosion noise and spread her fingers like Coal did when I bumped with him.
Chuckling, I took the wingman advice of the teenager and headed through Hannah’s bedroom to the large en suite bath. I wasn’t sure if the unlocked door was an invitation or simply her habit, but I preferred to think of it as a welcome.
Standing with my back to the bathroom door, I stripped down and stalled out. Was this too much too soon? Not for me. Gods, after seeing her face death twice in twenty-four hours, I needed her with everything in me. I longed to linger at her lips. Ached to wrap myself around her. Burned to lose myself inside her heat while her body pulsed and pulled
and the world melted away.
One look at her and I was hard as granite and hungry.
With her eyes closed against the spray, the impish grin on her face had me wondering what filled her mind. Could it be me? Maybe? Hopefully? Was I right thinking Hannah still loved me? I prayed so.
Hannah had full ownership of everything in me, and I wanted her to take advantage. The “just sex” offer was great, and would soothe the most ragged of needs, but I wanted more.
I wanted it all. Wrapped up. Locked down. Everything.
But what if she truly, deep down, didn’t want that? What if I was deluding myself? I faced the strongest, most deadly situations imaginable, but I had never been as afraid to act as I was at that moment.
Please, doc. Love me back.
Taking the header into freefall, I opened the glass door and closed us in together. Hannah peeked out of one eye, saw it was me, and went back to worshipping the hot spray as if she’d known I would come all along.
With my heart hammering, I pressed behind her and slid my hands over the rise and falls of her slick, wet body. Thankful for even this, I kissed the back of her shoulder and got reacquainted.
Unlike the massive antique tub, the shower was a few decades more modern and confining. The tight dimensions were a plus. No matter how she turned or shifted, there was no getting away from one another. I remained within easy reaching distance of one body part or another.
With a smile on my face, I wrapped one arm under her breasts and sent the other lazily down her thigh. She arched against my chest, the crack of her ass hugging the length of my cock. “I’m having trouble washing my hair with my wrist. Would you mind?”
Hells to the no.
Reaching around her, I snagged the pretty bottle of organic shampoo and squeezed a blue puddle into the palm of my hand. After rubbing it into a lather, I started at the line of her scalp and worked back to the lengths of dark chestnut.
Heaven. Seriously.
My breath locked in my lungs as I struggled not to tear up. Yep, I was being stripped down to a total Nancy girl by my emotions. I didn’t give a shit. Being able to service her in some way made things so much easier on my end. As a task-oriented male, give me a job, and it’ll get done.
