The door opened, and Sean tensed. A shadow flickered off the wall, and terror zipped through Sean. He lurched up from the bed and hit the floor, ready to fight. What he found stopped him in his tracks.
The boy was young, not yet eighteen, judging by the peach fuzz on his face. His eyes were dark, and Sean wasn’t convinced it was a trick of the light.
“I won’t hurt you.”
“Who are you?”
The kid smiled. “Caleb. My mom is Gareth’s housekeeper.” He pointed to the chair. “Can I sit?”
Sean grinned at something he never thought he’d experience. The kid was more nervous than Sean. He sat down on a nearby chair. “Sure, go ahead.”
Caleb took a seat and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. When he didn’t say anything, Sean cocked his head.
“Is something wrong?”
The frown told Sean there was something there. “What are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re a wolf, but not like any I’ve ever met before. Where did you come from?”
The kid was so earnest that Sean let his guard down, just a bit. “I was born in Washington.”
“I saw you when they brought you in. I’ve never met anyone whose wolf was red. Most of us are gray, or a variation of. The only wolf I’ve ever seen that wasn’t is our Alpha’s, and his is white.”
Sean’s stomach lurched. “I’m the only red wolf I know of.” He squinted in the darkness. “Why are you here?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I should be afraid, I guess, but…. For some reason when I walked by, I was awash in a sea of peace and tranquility. It makes me feel good.”
No. It couldn’t have started already. Sean stood, frantic to get out while he could, but his legs wobbled, forcing him back onto the chair. He tried again, and this time he was able to get up. His head swam and his stomach twisted. He wanted to crawl back into the bed, but he had to get away now, before it was too late.
Caleb was on his feet, reaching for Sean. “What’s wrong? Where are you going?”
“I have to leave. Tell Gareth I said thank you, and I’ll be off his pack lands as soon as possible.” He stepped and pitched forward. The only thing that saved him from falling was the appearance of the man-mountain who snatched Sean up and held him against a firm body. Sean hated the fact that his body reacted to Gareth’s, but he couldn’t deny he enjoyed the warmth of the Alpha.
“What’s going on here?”
Caleb pointed to Sean. “He’s trying to leave.”
Sean drew away and sneered. “I’m not a prisoner!” Then he turned his gaze to Gareth and swallowed hard. “Am I?”
“What? No, of course you’re not. But where would you go?”
“I—I just need to leave.”
Damn it, why was this so hard? Sean hadn’t stayed for more than a day or two anywhere else. He couldn’t risk Ryker finding him. Not only would it end badly for Sean, but for anyone Ryker thought was helping him.
“Your body needs rest.”
The voice was deep and smoky, wrapping around Sean like a caress. Gareth reached out and stroked Sean’s hair, and Sean cursed himself for leaning into it. In less than a day, Gareth had slipped through every one of the defenses Sean had built up for the last ten years and made him feel something he hadn’t since he was sold to Ryker: safe.
“It’s better for you if I leave.” He turned a pleading gaze to Caleb. “You need to keep the pups safe.”
“I can take care of myself.” Caleb tried to puff up his chest, but there wasn’t anything there for him to work with. He deflated when he caught Gareth’s smirk. “I can, but I don’t need to.” He stepped closer and peered at Gareth with affection. “Alpha protects pack. That’s how it works.”
“I’m not pack. I—I don’t have one.”
When Gareth’s fingers grabbed Sean’s chin and forced him to meet his gaze, Sean trembled at the certainty he saw there.
“I’ve already said you could stay with us if you wanted. If you want to be my wolf, you have but to say the word and it’s done. When I found you out there, I swore that whoever left you, alone and injured, would need to pay for it. No Alpha—no pack—would do this to someone. Whoever hurt you is no leader, Sean.”
Sean turned away, his heart breaking. He’d always thought his parents loved him, but as soon as they found…. No, that was over and done with. He was strong now, didn’t need anyone, least of all an Alpha.
“I’m leaving.”
There was silence for a moment before Gareth spoke. “No, you’re not.”
Chapter Four
THE IMAGES that Gareth’s wolf sent caused his knees to buckle. They were all the same. Sean’s body, tattered and torn, blood matting his fur as the life seeped out of him, and another wolf standing over him, howling in triumph, then tearing Sean’s throat out.
Sean stood, fists clenching at his sides. “What do you mean, I’m not leaving?”
The wolf in Gareth reared up, snarling. It refused to let Sean go, and if Gareth didn’t defuse the situation, he knew the wolf would come out and force Sean to stay.
“I asked you a question. What the hell do you mean, I can’t leave?”
If any of his wolves had spoken that way, Gareth’s wolf would have taken it as a challenge and treated it as such. Why, then, did his wolf actually calm a bit? Nothing that had happened since Sean had been brought in made sense.
The thing of it was, even if his wolf had calmed, it still demanded Gareth not allow Sean to leave. Images of Sean, flesh shredded, death imminent, and another wolf standing over his body, claiming it as a trophy, ripped through Gareth’s mind. Since he’d become Alpha, Gareth and his wolf had coexisted peacefully, but Sean had changed that. Now his wolf was more aggressive, straining Gareth’s attempts to get it to calm. His wolf was freaking out that something was going to happen to Sean, and it was pleading with Gareth not to let it happen.
“Why were you in the forest? What happened to you? Who did it?”
“That’s….” Sean glared directly into Gareth’s eyes. “That’s none of your business.”
Gareth drew closer, getting right in Sean’s face. “You’re on my lands, so it is my business.”
Sean made to move around Gareth, but he crowded him, forcing him back down onto the bed.
“You don’t want to do this,” Sean warned.
“Caleb, go home.”
“But, Alpha, I—”
“Now, Caleb.” The words came out in a low, throaty growl. “And don’t leave your room for the rest of the night, unless it’s a dire emergency.”
He’d never seen the pup move so fast.
Gareth turned back to Sean, catching the acrid scent of fear wafting off him. He narrowed his gaze. “Now tell me, what don’t I want to do?”
Sean swallowed hard, and he was tearing up. “Please, don’t hurt me.”
If Gareth thought his wolf was angry before, he wasn’t prepared when it lunged in his mind, demanding to get to Sean to attack….
No, not attack.
“Protect?”
He took a step back. His wolf was trying to protect Sean from Gareth.
“Sean, I—”
Sean got off the bed and rushed for the door. He flung it open and ran out into the night. Gareth stood, stunned. His wolf wanted to attack him. Who was Sean to his wolf?
THOUGH THE pain was intense, Sean shifted and ran as fast as he could. He was a fool to believe Gareth could possibly be different than any other Alpha. He’d said the nice words, made Sean imagine the possibility he could have found a place to be safe, and then, once more, it had been ripped away.
In the distance, a wolf howled, and a shudder ran through Sean. They’d be coming for him. Gareth would finally do what Ryker couldn’t: he’d cage or kill Sean.
What did it matter? He was too tired to go on anyway. The energy he’d gotten from Gareth had helped to heal the physical wounds, but this time there was so much pain in his heart. How could
Gareth’s betrayal be worse than that of Sean’s parents?
The wolf cried out again, this time closer. Every instinct told Sean to run, but to his soul he was tired. Ten years of looking over his shoulder, of running, of narrowly escaping Ryker’s attacks, and he was just done.
He knew someone would find him, and though he wished life could be different, he finally accepted his fate. He shifted back to human and lay on the cold, damp ground and waited to see if he’d end up dead or as a prisoner.
How much did it suck that he prayed for death?
The beat of paws on the ground nearby caused Sean’s breath to hitch. This was it. He lay perfectly still, wanting to let Gareth or his enforcers know that he wasn’t going to fight back.
“Sean?”
Gareth’s voice. Soft and gentle, so close that Sean could reach out and touch him.
“I’m sorry if I scared you. I swear to the goddess, I would never hurt you. Never have I raised a hand to my wolves. I don’t even like to yell at them. I’m going to be honest with you, though. There’s something about you that has my wolf baying and wanting to protect you. He’s riding me hard, and has been ever since he scented you. I know you have no reason to trust me, and I am painfully aware I’ve given you no reason to, but I want you to be safe. Will you please come back with me?”
He was asking?
“Why don’t you just collar me and drag me back? Isn’t that what Alphas do?”
A sharp intake of breath. “What do you mean?”
Sean rolled to his side and did his best to telegraph his anger. “Alphas take what they want. They don’t give a damn about anything that doesn’t benefit them. So if I’ve got something you want, go ahead and take it. Want to fuck me? Here, let me roll over. Got no lube? Why should that matter?”
When Gareth’s eyes went dark, Sean shivered.
“Who hurt you?” Gareth grabbed Sean’s arms and lifted him off the ground. “Who would do such a thing to any member of their pack?”
“Who doesn’t? Every damned Alpha I’ve ever met has wanted to own me or kill me. Why the hell should you be any different?”
Gareth winced as he put Sean down again. “Is that what you think of me?”
Did he? No, he didn’t. Yeah, Gareth was no-nonsense, but he’d healed Sean. He’d fed him. Hadn’t made any demands. Though Sean had only met Dr. Frank and Caleb, they seemed to worship Gareth, not fear him.
“I don’t know.”
Once again, Sean found himself wrapped in Gareth’s arms and pulled to his chest. “I vow to you, as Alpha of the Lydon pack and the son of my ancestors, I would never hurt you, and if you want to be one of my wolves, I will defend you unto my death.” He took a deep breath, as if he was inhaling Sean’s scent. “If you want to go, I will take you anywhere in the world you’ll feel safe. If it helps, I’ll provide you with bodyguards. Whatever it takes to allow you to breathe easier, I’ll do it.”
Words. They all said them. Promising him money, power, sex, love…. But Gareth was offering him a chance to stop running. To belong to a pack again. Could he walk away from that, knowing full well it might be his only chance at a normal life?
“I want to.”
“Then do it. Trust in me, and I swear I will never let you down.”
His voice was soft, but it carried so much sincerity, it was all Sean could do to stop himself from telling Gareth everything. But… if Gareth was going to offer Sean a life, then shouldn’t Sean be honest about what could happen?
“I—I’m in trouble. There’s a man—”
“We can talk later. It’s cold, you’re naked, and I won’t let you freeze out here. Can you shift so we can go back?”
Sean nodded. He reached for his wolf, but…. “I can’t.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My wolf is hiding. He’s afraid. See, this is the thing. There’s not just me—it’s both of us. If you’re taking one, you kinda get stuck with the package deal here.”
“Then this is what we’re going to do.” He turned his back to Sean. “Hop on.”
“What? No. I can walk back.”
Gareth chuckled. “You probably don’t realize it, but you were moving pretty damn fast. We’re almost two miles from the town. I don’t think you’re in any shape to make that trek. Get on.”
“But you’re naked too.”
“I’m also an Alpha. I don’t know what kind you’ve dealt with in the past, but I promise you, I’m made of much sterner stuff. Now, get on or I’ll throw you over my shoulder. Either way, you’re not walking back.”
Emotion choked Sean. For the first time in years, he wanted to put his faith in someone. No, he wanted it to be Gareth. “Why—why would you do this?”
Gareth turned again and gazed into Sean’s eyes. “Because trust isn’t given—it’s earned. Let me show you that I’m worthy of yours.”
The urge to protest was huge, but so was the desire to finally let go and trust someone. Would he regret it? Maybe. You don’t forget an entire lifetime of being kicked, only to let a few sweet words—no matter how nice—change your fundamental beliefs. Strangely, though, with all the Alphas that Sean had dealt with, not one had ever given Sean shivers just by talking to him.
With a sigh born of desire to find out if it was true that Gareth was different, Sean walked behind him. Gareth squatted down, allowing Sean to wrap his arms around the muscular body. When Gareth stood, he wrapped his arms around Sean’s legs.
“Hold on to me.”
The emotions in his voice threatened to undo Sean. There was a need there Sean had never heard from anyone.
“Gareth?”
“I thought… I thought I’d driven you away. I never want my wolves to be afraid. Too many of them have known fear in their lives. Lydon gives them a chance to start fresh, to live a life free from…. It’s not important.”
But it was.
“Tell me. Please.”
As Gareth stalked through the forest, the muscles in his shoulders tightened. “Many—not all, but too many—of the wolves here have suffered some kind of trauma in their past. Our most recent addition, Alina, contacted me because her pack had been taken over and she was afraid that the more traditional Alpha would force her to marry and bear pups. She didn’t want that. At least not yet. She has a dream of opening a bakery and showing off the talents she has. I’m giving her that opportunity. Lydon is a refuge for the… well, for lack of better phrasing, the misfits and castoffs. My father, his father, and his before him all thought there was a better way. To them, there was nothing wrong with wanting to be who you were. We’ve been blessed by Mother Moon, and only she can say if something is wrong.”
Sean liked hearing Gareth’s voice. It was deep, crisp, and left no doubt that the man was in charge. He laid his head on Gareth’s back and closed his eyes, letting the warmth wash over him.
GARETH COULDN’T help but smile when Sean’s breath evened out and he slumped over Gareth’s back. It took some work, but he was able to get Sean into his arms and cradle him. Exhaustion was written on his face in the deep lines around his mouth. The fact that Sean fell asleep showed that on some level he trusted Gareth, but it seemed he was torn between wanting to put his faith in someone and running. Gareth would have to see what he could do about that.
He peered down at Sean for a moment, then strode for home again, this time loping through the woods. Sean was far too warm, and Gareth needed to get him back home, where he could be taken care of.
When they arrived back at the house, Gareth pushed open the door and carried Sean into the guest room. No more hospital for him. If Dr. Franklin wanted to examine him, he could come to the house. He put him on the bed with as much care as he could, then drew the black comforter with the gold moon symbol emblazoned on it over Sean’s naked form.
He still couldn’t understand what had come over him, going after Sean the way he had. He’d been through something, and here Gareth was, compounding the problem by browbeating him. And his wolf’s reactio
n. It was like he didn’t understand they were the same being. To him, Gareth was a threat to Sean.
Sean moaned in his sleep, then thrashed, tangling the covers around him.
“You’re safe. Sleep.”
A shuddering sigh escaped, but Sean fell back to sleep.
“What did they do to you?” Gareth brushed a few strands of the long, dark red hair away from what he would call a pixie face. It held an innocence that Gareth wanted to preserve, because all wolves deserved it.
What did Sean mean when he said all Alphas were alike? True, Lydon was fairly insular, and unless it was talks about taking in a new member, their contact with other bands of wolves was usually done through intermediaries, but Gareth had never heard of a problem before. When Sean was ready to talk, Gareth hoped he’d find out more.
He switched off the light, plunging the guest room into darkness, then closed the door behind him. He went to the kitchen, where Dani Whitestar stood, stirring a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. He crossed the open expanse in three easy strides, then leaned over the pot and inhaled deeply.
“This smells delicious, but it’s three in the morning. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“You have a sick boy to take care of. Dr. Franklin will be over shortly to check on him.” She lifted the spoon and took a sip. “Chicken soup is good for whatever ails you, human or wolf.”
A chuckle escaped before Gareth could rein it in. Dani was only thirty-six, but she was mother and grandmother rolled into one short, curvy package. From the dark hair that flowed down to the center of her back, to the deep brown eyes, it was easy to see that Caleb definitely got his looks from her, and not the lanky body of his father.
“How’d you know he was going to come back?”
She placed the wooden spoon on a ceramic holder and turned to him. “He’s been hurt. Anyone can tell that just by looking at him. He needs healing, and I don’t just mean his body. I believe you’re the man who can do it.” She leaned in, and he brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “When Micah died, I wanted so desperately to go with him. You pulled me out of my despair and helped get me back on track. I miss Micah every day, but I have to live for my son and myself. Show him you can give him the same thing.”
The Night Wolf Page 4
