by SM Reine
“Over my dead body. Where did those guys go?”
Austin straightened up and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankle. “Two of them are shifting to heal; I’ve never seen anything like it. A female taking down three men—that’s just fucking wild,” he almost said to himself. “Your wolf can hold her own, that’s for sure.” Then his chuckle evolved into a laugh. “One of them came running out with shampoo in his eyes and the ass-end of his jeans hanging open like a flap.” He palmed away the tears and I sat up, staring at my clothes piled on the floor.
“You have a twisted sense of humor, Austin Cole. Get out so I can get dressed. God, this is so embarrassing.”
Embarrassing because I felt no fear. Nor was there a sense I’d been a victim in this situation. In fact, I felt a lot like a prizefighter might after a boxing match. I had no idea what had happened, but my wolf was strutting her stuff and trotting around like nobody’s business.
After I put my clothes back on and brushed off the fur and blood, I rejoined the merry little group in the study. Ivan folded his arms, unable to look away from the drop of blood on my white sneaker.
“This is why you’re taking my daughter,” he said to Austin without lifting his eyes. “If your boys ever try something like that, I’m going to know about it. You hear?”
“Why don’t you think about it before—”
“You backin’ out on me? I’ll back out on you,” he threatened. “Think about it, Cole. I got men in five states who can solve your problems. They got connections in law enforcement and work directly with some of our own internal organizations. We can track a flea in a desert. What do you want me to do with the man who took her?”
It was the kind of question that suggested he had a few things in mind involving cattle prods.
“Austin, no,” I whispered, tugging at his faded red shirt.
“Bring him to us.”
“Unharmed,” I cut in. Austin gave me a sideways glance. “He might be an asshole, but he’s still my dad.”
“Tough girl you got there, Cole. Feel like doing some trading?”
“I’m not a baseball card,” I barked out.
Ivan shook with laughter and released a snarly snort at the end. “I like her. If you change your mind, give me a ring. I got a few bitches you can choose from, unless you want cash.”
“She’s not part of the deal,” he said in slow, threatening words. When he took a step forward, I had to pull him back by the waistband of his jeans. His shoulders were stiff, his back straight, and his jaw was clenched so tightly it created a sharp shadow along his unshaven cheek.
“Fair enough,” Ivan said. “I’ll give you a ring tonight and I should have them in your custody in no more than forty-eight hours. How’s that sound?”
“Like a deal.”
They didn’t shake on it. In fact, I had yet to see a Shifter shake hands.
Ivan patted Austin on the shoulder and led us to the door. Austin held my hand, except now I looked like a hot mess with my hair in tangles. One of the men in the room flew down the hall and slammed a door so hard a picture fell off the wall.
“She’s in the car,” Ivan said in a private voice. “Didn’t want to make a production out of it because some of the men have had their eye on her. She’s a good girl, Austin. But she has an effect like poison in this house because of her beauty. I’ll be in touch to make sure you’re looking after her.”
We reached the car and a young woman peered through the window from the back seat. She appeared to be a little bit younger than me, but not by much. Her hair was pulled back in an untidy braid that fell past her shoulders. It was a beautiful shade of mahogany with a few faded highlights. Her lashes were dark, a soft glow warmed her skin, and she wore a long brown dress that tied around her neck. Very earthy, and Ivan was spot-on about her being beautiful.
“Hi,” I greeted her, sliding into the front seat. I twisted around and she didn’t lift her eyes. “I’m Lexi. This is weird and I’m sure you’re as freaked out as I am about it,” I babbled as Austin walked around the front of the car, glaring through the windshield. “Austin’s not a bad guy and… Good God, this is awkward. What’s your name?”
She lifted her warm brown eyes. “Ivy. My father likes to call me Poison Ivy, but don’t tell anyone. I’d rather no one call me that name again.”
“Did you want to come with us?”
Austin opened his door and got in. The car rocked a little and he sighed, turning around. “I’m Austin Cole. I run a small pack and they’re all good men. You have nothing to worry about in my group; they’re just a little rough around the edges because they’ve been on their own for a number of years. I’m very selective, and so far, it’s just my brothers and me. What do they call you?”
She clammed up.
“Her name is Ivy,” I said softly.
Then I turned around in my seat and wondered exactly what had changed regarding slavery. We had essentially just traded my mother’s life for a man’s daughter. No one was fighting it, which evidently meant these people played by rules, even though they still had free will. Austin had explained that women preferred to stay in packs because it offered them the protection they needed. Shifters who were panthers or other animal types didn’t have to be concerned with these things as much as the wolves because of our inherent instincts. After seeing how those men had behaved in the bathroom, I could see his point.
“Jerky?”
She glanced at the overflowing plastic bag in the floor and reached in to pull out a stick. “Love these,” she said. “Got any of the spicy peppered flavor? Something with a kick?”
I leaned around and rifled through the bag, then I glanced at her hands. “Ooo, I love that color polish,” I said. “Turquoise or green?”
“It has an iridescent quality, so it’s a little of both. I brought it with me if you want to borrow it later.”
Austin clucked his tongue and revved up the engine. “Women,” he murmured.
“Everlong” by the Foo Fighters blasted on the radio and we headed back home. Austin kept the air conditioner frosty and I reclined my seat back, kicked off my shoes, and put my feet on the dash. Austin sang under his breath and although the music was loud, he still outsang the shit out of that band.
~ ~ ~
Austin had Ivy’s bags slung over his shoulder when he unlocked the front door to his house.
“How many brothers do you have?” Ivy asked timidly.
“I got five in my pack. And do me a favor,” he said, twisting his body halfway around. “Stay away from Jericho.”
“Which one is he?” Ivy tugged the end of her long braid, which was wrapped around her right shoulder.
“The one with the hickeys all over him.”
I didn’t know what to make of Jericho, but he seemed like kind of guy you wouldn’t want your little sister hanging around. Although I still wasn’t certain how Austin felt about Ivy. She sure didn’t look like a little sister, and he wasn’t blind. I saw the way he appraised her when she got out of the car.
The door swung open and the sound of men filled the house.
Austin tucked his arm around Ivy and escorted her through the main entrance. She slipped out of her flip-flops and leaned into him.
I shut the door and felt a burning coal sitting in the pit of my stomach, and it wasn’t hunger. We’d made a four-hour detour on the way home to eat lunch and pick up a few things at the store for Ivy. Her father hadn’t allowed her to pack very much—just a couple of bags of clothes.
The sun hung low in the sky and the smell of barbecue made my mouth water.
Maizy was sitting outside in the atrium on a bench, blowing bubbles from a wire she dipped in a tall glass. I walked past Austin and Ivy and slid open the door.
Denver turned around, wearing an apron of a nude woman’s body.
“In front of her?” I scolded.
He sniffed and rubbed his nose as a plume of smoke poured out of the grill and into his face. “What’s
the big deal? She’s a chick.”
“And why is she holding a wire? She’s six.”
“Beer bubbles. Damn, where have you been? You didn’t play with those as a kid?”
I took the glass from her along with the sharp metal object. “No, we bought bubbles at the store for a dollar.”
“You wasted a dollar.”
“And you wasted a beer.”
Denver waltzed over and snatched the glass from my hand, chugging down the warm yellow beverage that had a tiny piece of grass floating on top. Then he belched, winking his eye. “Nothing’s wasted around here, honeypie.”
Who would have thought such a pretty boy with his golden locks and dashing smile—despite the scar, which wasn’t that severe—could be such a child himself?
“Did you have fun, Maizy? Come with me and tell me all about it,” I said, taking her hand.
“Uncle Denny let me play video games and we shot the bad guys!”
“Oh, goodie. How about you take this and ask Uncle Reno if he’ll put it on?”
I pulled a DVD out of the back of my jeans and handed it to her. Her face brightened with excitement and she went bounding into the living room with the Beauty and the Beast cartoon.
Then I heard her crying.
“Dammit, Wheeler,” I heard Reno bark out in his gravelly voice. He sounded like Stallone without the accent. “Let her watch it.”
Austin escorted Ivy into the living room in the same fashion as he had me the first time.
“Lexi, come meet the rest of the pack,” he said with a wave of his hand.
“Maizy, go put on your nightgown and brush your teeth,” I said. She smiled and I tried to contain my laugh due to her missing tooth.
“It’s fine,” Austin cut in. “We shouldn’t keep her in the dark.”
I glanced at the twins on the couch. Their dusty brown hair was lighter than the others—choppy and styled a little messy. Their eyebrows were dark and pronounced with a little arch to them, making their eyes stand out. They definitely inherited the Cole looks because despite their more narrow features, they were handsome men in a very stern and mischievous way—I wasn’t quite sure which. Liquid brown eyes sparkled like amber, bright and illuminating. They shared the same medium build with toned arms and lean torsos.
But here is where they differed. The one on the left wore tattoos like sleeves. One shoulder had a wolf, then I saw a dagger, some tribal, and they blended like one fantastic design. He also had a circle beard closely trimmed that he seemed to like stroking with his fingers.
“These are my brothers, Wheeler and Ben.”
I turned my mouth to the side. “Where’s that located?”
Simultaneously, they replied, “Ben Wheeler, Texas.”
“At least it wasn’t Beaver Dam.”
“Ah shit,” Ben said. He was the guy on the right who seemed to have a friendlier personality than his inked brother, and his smile was wider. “Don’t mention that around Denver; he’ll have a field day. The jokes never end with him.”
“At least it’ll get the attention off of me,” Jericho said from behind. I turned around and Jericho greeted us in nothing but a pair of black jeans. He stretched his long arms up and held onto the frame above the hallway entrance. It looked like a vacuum hose had made out with him.
Austin went on with introductions. “This is Lexi, Wes’s little sister.”
I held my tongue and mentally rolled my eyes. I would never be more than Wes’s little sister to these guys.
Ben and Wheeler didn’t talk much. They resumed watching Reno putting the movie in while Maizy plopped down on the round carpet in front of the TV. She was eating up the attention because they didn’t quite know what to do with a little girl around the house. Therefore, they spoiled her with whatever she wanted. Hopefully she didn’t pick up on some of those fun four-letter words they enjoyed using. Regardless, I got a good vibe with the pack. Despite their differences, they were unified.
“Who’s she?” Wheeler (the one with the tats) asked apprehensively.
“Our new packmate,” Austin replied without blinking an eye.
“Since when are we taking in bitches?” Wheeler protested. I was surprised he didn’t like the idea; you’d think a woman would be just the thing they’d want around here. While identical, Wheeler had a little darkness in his eyes that I didn’t see in Ben. Maybe that’s why he covered himself up with ink.
Ivy had attached herself to Austin like a wild vine. “Since today. Ivan is taking over the hunt for Lexi’s mom and to return the favor, he asked that I bring one of his daughters into our pack because she’s nearing the change. We’re growing, and y’all know I make the decisions on who we take in. You’ll get more say-so when it comes to men because I don’t need you guys killing each other, but we need women to balance things out. Since Ivy doesn’t have a mate, as a rule, it’s hands off.”
Denver wandered into the house and lingered in the hall to the right of the recliner. “Did you meet Wheeler and Dealer?” he asked with a smirk.
I couldn’t help but notice that while Ben hardly paid attention, Wheeler’s eyes slid over to Denver and looked volcanic. Odd reaction since the nickname seemed more of a jab at Ben.
Austin made sure to look all of them square in the eye. “Any funny business and I’ll find out. Treat her like a sister, because from this day forward, that’s exactly what she is to you. You know damn well what some of these packs are like, and I’m going to put in my claim officially so we don’t have to worry about anyone closing in on our turf.”
“You claiming Wes’s sister?” Denver asked.
“Will everyone stop calling me that!”
I stormed past Jericho into his bedroom and slammed the door behind me. Where else could I go? I might have been overreacting just a hair, but I couldn’t get my mom off my mind and what could possibly be going on with her. I’d never felt so helpless and lost—so uncertain of what I should do, and here these guys were, having a meet and greet.
I grabbed my bag and went across the hall into Austin’s room, glancing around for anything that belonged to Maizy. I stuffed her wand into my bag and walked with a determined pace to the living room.
“Come on, Maizy. We’re leaving.”
“But my movie just came on,” she whined.
“Lexi, what do you think you’re doing?” Austin said, attempting to be calm but not doing a very good job of it. Ivy stepped around us and found the bathroom in the hall.
I snapped my fingers impatiently. “Come on, Maizy. I’ve got movies at the house and Auntie Naya bought you a new one as a surprise.”
She got up and pouted, coming over to stand at my side, her blond hair in tangles. I didn’t have time to look for her shoes, so I lifted her up and grunted from her weight. “Sorry, Austin, it’s time for us to return to our lives.”
“I can’t let you go,” he said firmly. The words lingered in the air and he lowered his eyes.
“Let’s not do this here, okay? It’ll get ugly. I really appreciate everything, and I’m going to come back over tomorrow so we can find my mom. I just need to be home, and it’s totally safe. My dad has no idea where I live and just let him try. I think my mom went willingly with him because she still loves him. I don’t know. I have Naya next door to watch Maizy when I’m out, but I can’t keep crashing on your brother’s bed.”
I ignored his hostile stare and brows sloped at a disagreeable angle.
We breezed past the men and into the hall when Maizy cried out. “Wait!”
“What is it?”
“I want to give Uncle Denny a hug,” she whimpered in a small voice.
Denver attempted to suppress his handsome grin, but I could see how such a small request touched him. She gave him a tight squeeze while still in my arms, and I heard the rattle of a plastic candy wrapper and decided to let it go and allow her to have it. Denver’s lips pressed tightly as he turned away and folded his arms.
My car keys were on the same ring as Au
stin’s—a little red flashlight dangled from the ring, so I spotted them easily. I had Maizy grab them since my arms were occupied holding her along with the bag. Austin followed me outside but seemed reluctant to make a scene in front of my sister.
After I buckled her in the car, I crossed around the front and Austin caught my arm. “Wait,” he said in a softened voice. That sexy, growly, just got out of bed voice. “Don’t go. Stay with us until we find Lynn.”
“I have to go, Austin. I need to check on things at work and take care of personal matters. There could also be a message on my machine.”
“We got that covered,” he said.
“You don’t have my life covered. I know you mean well, but maybe it’s better that I’m not in the house if I’m about to have a pheromone party in a few days. I’m sure you can agree.”
He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets and I could see every line of his body through the thin shirt he wore. Shirts shouldn’t be that tight on a man; there should be some kind of a law against it. And then there was that lazy smile of his that nearly made me change my mind.
I stepped forward and slid my arms around his waist, leaning into his chest. His heart beat heavily against my ear where I rested my head. It felt so good to have him back in my life again, and despite all my anger I’d carried through the years, I could never hate Austin Cole.
“Thanks,” I murmured. “Not just for helping with everything, but for coming back. I missed you.”
His hands cupped the top of my head and he whispered into my hair. “Be careful, Ladybug.”
Chapter Eighteen
After cleaning up feathers and hanging the curtains in my bedroom, I tucked Maizy in the bed and covered her with a fuzzy blue blanket. The door remained closed so that I could grill a cheese sandwich and not wake her up with the cacophony of pans rattling around. I relaxed on the sofa and noticed my apartment had that weird smell it gets when it’s been left alone for too long.
The door handle jiggled and I shot up with half a sandwich in my mouth. I tossed the plate on the coffee table and hurried to the door. Naya waved through the peephole and I stepped outside, closing the door behind me.
