Was she okay? Memories of the demon’s energy raking through her body made her shudder. She opened her mind to the energy in the air, but she no longer sensed the demon. His essence now resided in Roberta’s crystal.
“I’m fine.” She smiled, letting the warmth of Luke’s strong embrace slow her racing heart. “We did it.”
He pulled her closer. “You did it. That was amazing.”
Alexis picked up the stone and turned it over on her hands. She curled up her lip at the pale red glow. “What do we do with it now?”
“I know a certain Voodoo priestess who can take care of it,” Macey said. “How’s your head?”
Blood had left a sticky red trail down the side of her face, but it was already starting to dry. She shrugged. “Werewolves are fast healers. I’ll go check on the guys.” She slipped the stone into Macey’s bag and trotted deeper into the woods, leaving her alone with Luke.
Being in his arms felt so right. Maybe it was shock, but as his sapphire eyes searched hers, she wanted to give him everything he needed. All he wanted was to love her, and for her to love him. If she thought about it too much, she’d pull away. Guard her heart.
For now, she rode the adrenaline, allowed herself to be caught in the moment, and she pressed her lips to his. His breath hitched as she kissed him, uncertainty making him hesitate. She slid her hands behind his neck and kissed him harder, letting him know that—at least for now—in his arms was exactly where she wanted to be.
A soft moan escaped his throat as his passion finally met hers. His tongue parted her lips, and she let him in. The salt of his skin mixed with the sweet taste of mint as their tongues tangled, their bodies molding together. Thoughts of caution tumbled through her mind, but she ignored them for now.
“Miss Macey?” Jimmy interrupted them.
Tearing her gaze away from Luke, she looked up at Jimmy, who stood over them, clutching his back. The skin around his eye swelled purple, and abrasions reddened his neck and arms.
“Is m…my brother gone?”
“Yes, he is. You’re safe now.”
The other werewolves in human form approached from the trees. The men froze. The situation must have looked dire, with Jimmy towering over them, Luke clutching Macey in his arms on the ground. Alexis stood between Chase and James, and she put her hands on their arms to stop them. Stephen didn’t hesitate. He barreled toward them, catching Jimmy around the waist and plowing him down. Jimmy yelped as his body crashed to the ground.
“Stop it!” Macey yelled. “Get off him!” She scrambled to her feet and rushed toward them, but Luke stopped her. He calmly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.
“Stand down, Stephen. It’s over.”
Stephen stopped wrestling, but kept Jimmy’s shoulders pinned to the dirt. “He’s one of them. We should rip his throat out and end this for good.”
“He’s innocent.” Macey struggled to get to Jimmy, but Luke’s hold was firm. “He was possessed.”
“Get off him, Stephen.” Authority flowed through Luke’s voice, calm with a hint of warning around the edges.
Stephen narrowed his eyes, his gaze darting between Luke and Macey, as he rose to his feet and dusted off his shirt like he was dusting off Luke’s threat. “No alpha should take orders from a woman.”
Luke tensed, gripping Macey by the shoulders. “The order comes from me.”
“You’re not qualified to give the orders.” Stephen shifted, his body morphing into the black wolf.
Luke shoved Macey to the ground and sprang away from her, shifting in midair. She grunted as she hit the dirt. Something hard jabbed into her shoulder, and she reached her hand into the dead leaves to find it. Her gun. She shot to her feet and leveled the barrel at the black wolf. Jimmy scrambled behind her.
“Macey, don’t.” Alexis raced toward her.
The wolves squared off, snarling as they stalked circles around each other. Chase and James stepped back, their expressions grim.
“It’s a challenge for rank.” Alexis put her hand on the gun, lowering Macey’s arms. “You can’t interfere.”
“What do you mean?”
“Luke’s supposed to be the next alpha. Stephen wants to take his place.”
Macey shook off her sister and pointed the gun at Stephen. “He can’t do that.”
“He can if he kills him.”
“No.” She tightened her grip on the gun, her finger hovering over the trigger.
“If you interfere, you’ll jeopardize Luke’s position. The alpha has to be the strongest. Now he has to prove it. If he has help, it will open him up to more threats. More challenges. He has to defeat Stephen on his own.”
Her hands shook as she lowered her gun. “I won’t let Stephen kill him.”
“As long as the fight is between the two of them and no one else, you have to step aside.”
She nodded. She’d let them fight it out, but Luke’s words echoed in her mind. If it’s between your life and his… She gripped her gun at her side.
Stephen sprang, his massive paws connecting with Luke’s chest. The wolves tumbled over each other, biting and clawing until Luke found his footing. He charged at Stephen, his jaws clamping down on his neck. The black wolf yelped, and Luke knocked him to the ground. Stephen flailed, prying his flesh from Luke’s grip.
They squared off again. The black wolf’s lips peeled back over his massive teeth in a ferocious snarl. Luke exhaled, shaking his head. He didn’t want to fight. Macey didn’t want him to fight. Maybe he’d never abandon her willingly, but he might not have a choice if Stephen won.
Stephen lunged again. Luke’s teeth tore into his shoulder as he threw him to the ground. His black fur shone with blood, but he scrambled to his feet. He lunged, and again, Luke deflected him. The fight stretched on endlessly. They were evenly matched; comparable in strength, though Luke’s size gave him an edge. Macey flinched each time teeth tore into flesh. She didn’t want to watch, but she couldn’t look away.
Jimmy stepped from behind her. “Stop it, you mean black wolf. Mr. Luke is my friend.”
“Jimmy, no!” Macey tried to hold him back, but he waved his arms and limped toward the wolves.
“You leave Mr. Luke alone!”
For a moment, the fighting stopped. Both wolves stared at the crazy man flailing his arms and moving toward them. Macey held her breath. Stephen sprang, claws extended, knocking Jimmy to the ground. Luke barreled into the black wolf as his jaws were about to snap on Jimmy’s face. Jimmy squealed and crab-walked backward, scrambling behind Macey again.
She tore her gaze away from the fight to be sure he was okay. “Did he hurt you?”
“A big scratch.” His shirt was torn, and fresh blood oozed from his bullet wound.
“Put pressure on it. You’ll be okay.”
Stephen limped in circles around Luke. Blood gushed from his flank, soaking his leg and matting his fur. Aside from a small gash in his neck, Luke appeared uninjured. There was no way Stephen could win this fight. He must have realized it was over because his gaze suddenly locked on Macey.
He sprinted toward her, and she froze. Panic gripped her muscles, turning them to stone. Luke leapt and tried to tackle the black wolf, but he was too late. Stephen pummeled into Macey, knocking her to the ground. The impact of her head slamming into the dirt brought back her control. Stephen snarled, opening his jaws above her face. Hot saliva dripped onto her cheek. Her shoulders were pinned, but she managed to raise her gun just enough to press the barrel into his fur.
In the split second he reared back, preparing to snap her face off, she fired. His body stiffened, his eyes going wild, as he rolled off her. She scrambled back as Luke clamped down on his neck and dragged him farther away.
Alexis dropped to her knees and held her, frantically searching her for injury. “Are you okay?”
Macey trembled, clutching her sister’s arm as she watched the fight. “Is he going to kill him?”
“Challenges are fig
hts to the death.”
Stephen lay on his right side. His left back leg hung limp, but the gushing blood from the bullet wound had already slowed to a trickle. Luke stood with both paws on the black wolf’s chest, growling.
Macey cringed. She couldn’t watch Luke kill him. Justified or not, Stephen was already down.
Luke lowered his head toward Stephen and blew out a hard breath. The black wolf turned, locking eyes with Luke. Luke’s gaze narrowed, a silent warning that the fight was over. Stephen sucked in a ragged breath and exhaled a sigh. He laid down his head and closed his eyes.
Every muscle in Macey’s body tensed as she waited for Luke to make a move. He could have easily ripped Stephen’s throat out, and apparently would have been justified in doing it. Instead, he walked toward his friends, his tail held high, chest proud. Chase, James, and Alexis dropped to one knee, lowering their heads in acceptance of his dominance.
Luke shifted and wrapped Macey in his arms. She covered her mouth with her hand and leaned into him, a shudder rocking her body. He worried she’d be afraid of him after witnessing the challenge, but she buried her face in his chest and slid her arms around his waist.
“You didn’t kill him.” She pulled away to gaze into his eyes.
“Of course not.” As much as he’d wanted to tear the bastard’s throat out for attacking his fate-bound, he wouldn’t have killed his cousin whether Macey was watching or not. Stephen had relented, and Luke wasn’t capable of murder. Even if their laws allowed it.
Stephen groaned as he shifted into human form and clutched his leg. The bullet probably cracked his femur. It would be a while before he healed.
“Get him out of here,” he said to Chase and James. The men lifted Stephen and carried him toward the city.
“Wait,” Macey called. “They can’t take him to the hospital. My bullet is in his leg.”
“They won’t,” Luke said. “His body will eventually expel it. He won’t need medical attention.”
“He’s a bad werewolf.” Jimmy rubbed a hand up and down his arm like he was trying to comfort himself. Jumping into the middle of a werewolf fight proved his insanity. Hopefully he really was as harmless as Macey made him out to be.
She pulled from his embrace and turned to Jimmy. “Sometimes good people make bad choices. We all make mistakes.” She looked at Luke, and his heart stuttered. Was she admitting leaving him was a mistake? He could only hope.
“Do I get to stay with you now?” Jimmy said. “You promised you’d give me a real bed.”
“No, Jimmy. The police are looking for you. Ross made you do some really bad things.” She reached for him, but he recoiled.
“Will they hurt me?”
“No. You need to tell them everything that happened. Then they’ll take you to see a doctor, and you’ll get to stay in a hospital. People will take care of you, and you’ll have a bed to sleep in every night.”
Luke started to protest, but she raised a hand to silence him. Was she crazy? She wanted him to tell the police everything?
“That’s sounds real nice,” Jimmy said. “And will you come to see me every day?”
She patted his back. “How about once a week?”
He blinked as if contemplating her offer. Then he smiled. “I guess that will be okay.”
“Go with Alexis. She’ll take you to the truck, and I’ll be there soon. I need to talk to Luke for a minute.”
“Okay, Miss Macey.” He turned and followed Alexis out of the swamp.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Luke spoke, “He’s going to expose us all.”
She shook her head. “No one will believe him. As soon as he tells them his brother’s spirit possessed him, and the werewolves saved him, they’ll chalk him up as a lunatic and put him in an asylum.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s the bed you promised him?”
“It will feel like a luxury resort after the life he’s been used to. I’m going to take care of him. I’ve got a doctor friend who will keep an eye on him and make sure he’s treated right.”
He stared at the amazing woman standing in front of him. They ended the reign of demons because of her. She even killed one without his help. She fought off a werewolf attack, and in the end, it was her plan that saved the day. He’d never doubt her abilities again. He could feel the goofy smile tugging at his lips, and he probably looked like an idiot staring at her. But he didn’t care. She was incredible.
She rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks flushing pink under his heated gaze. “We should go before Jimmy changes his mind.”
He grabbed her hand. “Go out with me tonight. Let me take you to dinner.”
“I’m going to have tons of paperwork to file. I’ll probably be there all night dealing with Jimmy. I want to be sure he’s handled gently.”
“Tomorrow then. Give me one dinner. That’s all I’m asking.”
A symphony of crickets chirped in the night, filling the sultry air with music. Macey adjusted the shoulder strap of her bag, and dry leaves crunched under her feet as she moved. A frog croaked nearby. She stared at the ground as she considered his request and inhaled a deep breath. When she finally raised her gaze to his, she smiled.
“I guess one dinner won’t hurt.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Luke held Macey’s hand as they strolled up Dauphine toward her house. The sweetness of the strawberry cheesecake they’d shared still lingered on his lips, but the memory of Macey’s taste was sweeter. A gentle breeze caressed his skin, easing the stifling summer heat, making the night air almost pleasant. A lone musician played a haunting tune on his saxophone, and Luke dropped a dollar into his instrument case. Even the sad music couldn’t dull the spark of happiness in his heart.
They’d spent most of dinner talking about the case, and how Macey had spun it at the station to ensure their secret stayed safe. And even though the talk was work related, the familiar ease of their conversations had returned. She hadn’t pulled away when he’d reached for her hand across the table at the restaurant, and walking with her now felt like the most natural thing in the world.
She leaned into his side and sighed contentedly. “Anyway, he’s got a psych evaluation scheduled. As soon as he told them his dead brother made him do it all, they called a doctor.”
“So the only mystery that remains is what happened to the body.”
She laughed. “No. Jimmy took it.”
“What?”
“Right out of the morgue.”
“No way.”
“If you could have seen the kid on duty when it happened, you wouldn’t be so surprised. It’s funny though. All this time, I assumed you’d taken it.”
“I tried. It was already gone. You almost caught me too.” He told her about sneaking in with Chase and climbing into a locker to hide. “You had your hand on the latch, but then you walked away.”
She laughed as she climbed the steps to her door. “Well, that was a close call.”
“Tell me about it.” He shuddered. “I hate tight spaces.”
She arched an eyebrow. “All tight spaces?”
“Pretty much.”
A mischievous grin lit her face as she ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders. “That’s a shame.”
His eyebrows raised as her words sank in, and blood rushed to his groin. “I suppose some tight spaces aren’t so bad.” The mere thought of being inside her again had him rock hard in seconds. And when she pressed her body against his, he couldn’t help but groan as he kissed her.
She tasted sweet, a hint of strawberry lingering on her tongue, and he slid his hands down her back to cup her butt and pull her closer. The rest of the world slipped away as he held the woman he loved. Caught in the moment, he forgot they stood on her front porch until a passerby whistled and shouted, “Get a room.” He chuckled and leaned his forehead to hers.
“Do you want to come inside?” she asked.
“I do.”
She fumbled with the key, her tre
mbling hands making it hard for her to find the lock. He rested his hand on her back to steady her, and she opened the door. The familiarity of the scene gave him pause. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. They’d talk first, before they got carried away. Macey pulled him inside, but he lingered near the door.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Before we do this, I need to know. Are we official? Are we a couple again?”
Her gaze fell to the floor. “Oh. I…don’t know.” She held her left arm with her right hand. A wall clock chimed. Thor rubbed against Luke’s legs and purred. “He likes you.”
A sour sensation twisted in his stomach as his heart rate kicked up. “Don’t change the subject.”
She let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I’m ready for anything serious.”
“Really? Then you’re sending me some pretty mixed signals.” He crossed his arms.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes I can’t control myself with you.” She bit her bottom lip and gazed up at him.
“I know the feeling.”
“I like you, Luke. I do. But you know I’m scared. I was hoping we could take it slow. Just date for a while and see how it goes. No expectations.” She picked up her cat and scratched it behind the ears.
“You call what happened on your porch slow?”
She shrugged. “I need some time.”
A groan rumbled in his chest. He was going to have to tell her. “Time is the one thing I don’t have.” He’d hoped she fall in love without the pressure of a deadline, but he was out of options. “I’m set to become alpha in two days. If we’re going to be together, I need a commitment from you before then.”
She blinked. “Or what?”
“Or we can’t be together. Ever.”
She put the cat down and fisted her hands on her hips. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“You’re right. It is ridiculous, but it’s the law.” A stupid, archaic law that would be the death of him if he couldn’t get through to her.
“So we can’t be casually dating when you become alpha?”
Werewolves Only: Crescent City Wolf Pack Book One Page 25
