by Louisa Bacio
Maybe she could convince Jerry to get lost. Yeah, because that tactic worked so well in the past.
Leave me alone, she texted back. When nothing else came through, she powered off the phone, resigned to the idea of having to resolve the problem and soon.
A knock sounded on her bedroom door then Tala peeked her head in.
“Want to run into Rapid City with me? I want to pick up a present I ordered for your brother and get a few things for the Solstice festivities.”
A few days ago, Sugar thought she’d be doing just about anything to get out of town, but at the moment she felt pretty content. Still, it would be nice to spend some time alone with Tala and look for something special.
“Sounds good. When were you thinking?”
With a half-smile, she held up her keys. “About now. I want to get back before dark.”
“Sure, let me put on some shoes, and I’m ready.”
The truck dug into the roadway, handling the slick roads. Sugar gazed out the window, in love with the winter landscape. If it was this pretty covered in snow, what would it be like in the springtime?
“What did you get my brother?” Sugar asked.
“Nothing sexy. Some tools at Sears, but I know he’ll use them about every day and think of me, and he’ll appreciate them.”
“That’s nice.” Nice. At one point, even recently, she would have thought giving someone tools would equate to a boring relationship. Now, after finding her mates…a sense of contentment settled over her. She didn’t need exciting or fancy. She needed Derek and Tyler.
With the holidays so close, the only mall parking was out in the boondocks. Tala locked up and took note of their location.
“I hate losing my truck,” she said. “Remember where we’re at. Here’s an extra set of keys in case you get back before me.”
Sugar glanced around, taking in the surroundings, and shoved the keys in her pocket. “Want to meet here in, say, an hour or so?” she asked.
“Sounds good.”
While her sister-in-law headed toward the department store, Sugar set off in search of fun lingerie and maybe some contrasting boxers for the men.
Luckily enough, she found something perfect for a holiday surprise, and, after some window-shopping, headed to the meet-up spot. She placed her packages and purse in the truck and turned to wait for Tala. Leaning against the side of the truck, she took in the beauty of the crisp winter air.
The crunch of footsteps on dead leaves drew her attention. Her stomach clutched, and she grabbed at the door handle. Rather than the friendly face of a woman, it was him, her ex. When Jerry caught sight of her expression, an evil grin spread across his face.
“Well, look-see what I have here. A pretty little gal who thought she’d be able to hide from me.”
He slammed the door shut and grabbed her arm.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “How did you find me?”
A reek came off him, like stale piss and debris. Pants torn and covered in mud, he looked like he’d been through hell. The elements hadn’t been kind to him.
“Doesn’t matter now, does it? You’re coming with me.”
She needed to get out of there. If Tala showed up now, she’d be in danger. If Sugar ran, who knew what he’d be liable to do. She could outrun him, but not if he had a gun and meant to use it. She’d rather not shift in front of him, in public, unless she was forced to.
The day may have started as a celebration, but it had turned into a battle of life and death. It was supposed to be a celebration of Mother Earth, and the changing of the seasons. Rebirth.
“Listen, I’m sorry things didn’t work out between us,” she reasoned, attempting to break his hold without breaking his bones. “But this isn’t going to solve anything.”
“You will be sorry,” he cackled, and drew close to her face. “But I think it’s the perfect solution.”
The stench of alcohol on his rancid breath made her gag. He dragged her toward another vehicle. She stalled, looking for an out. Her Wolf growled, and she fought back the fear-induced desire to shift. Right now, she needed to outthink him, not rip him to shreds. The more dangerous the situation felt, the more she wanted to lash out.
“What do you want from me? What do you need me for?”
“You’re the one I want, and you’re the one who doesn’t want me.” He shook her with each word.
“Do you blame me?” She shouldn’t have underestimated him or his deranged anger. The threatening texts were more than rants. They were threats, and ones he intended to carry out. “How did you find me?”
“Think you’re so smart,” he ranted. “Well, I followed you by your phone! Oh yes. Remember that little app I put on there in case you ever lost it? I can see the recognition in your eyes. Now you get it.”
“Find My Phone,” she whispered.
“Yep, and guess where it led me? Not to your mom’s for the holiday break. The last known spot I had contact from you was here in Rapid City. So I came to look. It was like you dropped off the face of the Earth, until a few hours ago.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tala carrying a high load of packages, making her way through the parking lot.
Jerry followed her gaze and removed a gun from his pocket. “If you say anything, she gets shot. Understand?”
Sugar nodded, and he opened the passenger door. As if in slow motion, Sugar saw Tala place her bags in the backseat, notice the purse in the front, and glance around. They made eye contact.
“Sugar!”
The door slammed shut, and Jerry moved around to the driver’s side door. In that split second, she made the decision. Get out of the car. If she stayed, he’d kill her.
Heart beating, she ran back toward Tala, yelling, “Get it started.”
Smart woman didn’t need to be told twice.
A frustrated scream sounded from behind her, and Sugar didn’t waste time turning around to look. She got into the truck and they sped off. She glanced back and saw Jerry hesitate between shooting and following. By the time they turned out of the lot, he pursued.
“Who is that?” Tala asked, checking the rearview mirror.
“An ex who can’t take a no,” Sugar said. “I had no idea he was that crazy.”
“We can’t go back to Los Lobos and have him follow us.”
There’d be no reasoning with him. He wouldn’t let her go. Sugar knew there was only one way to stop him.
“Head toward the wooded area. Maybe we can lose him.”
As she drove, Tala looked at Sugar, and an awareness passed between them. There would be no losing him.
A few miles from the mall was a wooded, parklike area. Tala pulled into the far end, and they got out of the truck and ran into the trees.
“I don’t want you near him,” Sugar said. “If anything happens to you, Yas would die.”
“Shut up. Nothing’s happening to me, and nothing’s happening to you. That asshole, though….”
“At least hide. You can be my backup.”
With a nod, Tala ducked behind a tree. The sound of another engine reached her, and Jerry came roaring into the clearing.
“You bitch.” He didn’t even check the surroundings but stayed focused on her.
Part of Sugar wagered there might be another way. He might listen to reason. Doubtful.
“It’s not safe for you here,” she said. “You need to let this go.”
“Me?” He laughed, dashing toward her faster than expected. He smacked her across the face, and she tasted blood.
She licked her lip. Fuck that. Trash him. Kill him. Don’t take his shit.
She’d never killed someone before. Could she? Physically, yes. Mentally? If it was a matter of him or her. Yes.
Frustrated, she lashed out, turning on him, kicking and hitting. “Let me go, you asshole. I told you, I don’t want you anymore. What’s it going to take?”
“I don’t care if y
ou want to be with me. You’re going to pay for what you put me through.” He brought out the gun. “You should have heard the guys laughing at me after you skipped town. No way in hell.”
Dread seeped into her veins and froze her heart. He’d lost it. She wasn’t sure if she was the catalyst, or she’d missed the signs somehow. Spittle leaked out of the side of his mouth.
Sugar closed her eyes, allowing the power of the Wolf to overtake her. The chill of the winter’s eve brushed against her bare skin for the briefest of moments, and then silver-white fur covered her body and she fully transformed.
She leapt at Jerry, clamping down on the arm holding the gun.
“What the fuck?” He discharged the weapon right as she was wrestling it away, and it went flying into the brush.
“Where did you come from?” Jerry turned in circles, looking around him, and reached into his front pocket, pulling out a switchblade. The knife clicked open, and the blade glimmered with evil intent. “Come here, puppy. Let me show you how I bite.”
She lowered the front of her body, growling and waiting for the moment to strike. As he lunged, so did she—snapping down on his throat and squeezing tight.
“Sugar, no!” Tala called out.
Too late. She shook her prey, fury fueling her actions until he stopped fighting and lay limp. She dropped him, watching him crumple to the forest floor. Puncture wounds pierced the side of his neck, and the taste of his rotten blood filled her mouth.
Tala ran to her side. “Are you all right?”
Blood splatter covered her muzzle. She must look a sight. Using the damp grasses, she rubbed it out, hoping to get most off before taking her human shape. She shifted back, lying on the ground. Everything hurt, and her stomach roiled from the distaste of her actions. What have I done?
Rubbing her back, Tala soothed. “You had no choice. It’s going to be all right.”
And it was true. It would be. From here forward, the fear was gone. He could no longer hurt her or those she loved.
“Let’s get you home.”
From the trunk, they pulled out some drop cloths and together wrapped his body and shoved him into the bed.
“I don’t think that’s a present any of the guys will expect,” Tala said, before chuckling.
The absurdity of it hit Sugar, and she joined in the laughter. Nothing was funny, really. Someone was dead. But they’d gone out in search of holiday goodies and were coming back with the corpse of a stalker.
Most of the ride passed in silence, each locked in her thoughts.
“What are we going to do with him?” Sugar asked as they neared the town.
“Find Ryker, and do whatever he says. It’s now bigger than you. It can affect the pack.”
With a few hours before the festivities were to begin, Main Street bustled. They caught sight of the Enforcer, and Tala rolled down her window.
“We need to talk to you,” she said.
He looked through the cab at Sugar and nodded. “Go ahead.”
“We ran into a little trouble,” Tala started.
“I killed someone,” Sugar blurted out.
“What?” Ryker growled.
For a moment, Sugar thought he’d crawl through the window to get at her.
“Get out of the truck.”
Dread setting in, she followed his order. Sugar felt like she was under his evaluation, as if he was weighing her future—or lack thereof. Memories surfaced of all the stories her mother had warned her about the pack, and its leader, and the Enforcer. The violence and the fear. She’d walked right into it. When all she’d meant to do was lie low, and not stir up any trouble.
“Tell me what happened.” He crossed his arms.
Tala got out to stand beside her. As she relayed the events, her sister-in-law held her hand. At the mention of said loser in the bed of the truck, they all looked to where Jerry’s body lay. Her Wolf might have gotten a bit carried away.
“He didn’t leave me any choice.” Remembering brought her back to that moment of clarity when she’d realized she had to kill him. It was going to take a long time to get over the fear.
“Quite a mess,” Ryker said.
“She didn’t mean any harm to the pack,” Tala interjected.
“But you two brought it back anyway.”
“What should we do with his body?” A few beats passed where the ability to breathe left Sugar.
“You don’t have to fear me for this, though.” He gestured toward Jerry’s body. “You took care of the problem. It doesn’t sound like he would have stopped.”
He lifted a shoulder and evaluated them. “Drive home. I’ll call some men to come by and dispose of the body, far away enough not to direct suspicion to the pack. And if we’re lucky, we’ll have plenty of snow this winter and he won’t be discovered until spring.”
Chapter Nine
As they stepped out of the truck, Yas opened the front door, and, behind him, Sugar saw the shadows of her two mates. Three worried men waited for them at the B&B.
“Ready for this?” Tala asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Where have you been?” Yas asked.
Sugar opened her mouth to respond, and he stepped past her and hugged Tala. Internally, part of her went awww.
“We ran into some unexpected happenings,” Tala said.
“You stink,” Yas said. “What died?”
She made eye contact with her partner in crime, and Tala said, “We’ll explain.”
Derek and Tyler flocked to her side.
“Are you all right?” Tyler asked.
Derek pulled a bandana from his back pocket and wiped something wet from the side of her lip. “I think you’re bleeding.”
She licked her lips and lifted a hand to the tenderness. “It’s nothing. It’ll heal by tomorrow. Let’s get inside.”
The retelling of the story took only a few moments. Pent-up energy vibrated off the men. They were used to being the protectors.
“What were you thinking?” Yas said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t know he’d flip out,” Sugar said. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Coming here was supposed to be a good thing, and she’d turned it bad. “Maybe I should leave.”
“Don’t be melodramatic,” Yas said.
Derek wrapped his arm around her. “Don’t lock us out. It’s over now. But know, you don’t need to face anything alone. You have a lot of people who care about you.”
Behind him, Tyler stepped up. “If that bastard wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him for hurting you.”
Her gaze went from one handsome, concerned twin to the other, taking in all of their similarities and the few differences. Tightness broke free from her heart, and a new lightness lifted her soul. She’d found her home.
“All better?” Tala asked, breaking the serious mood. “While I’d love to hang out and hug, we’ve got places to be. We need to get to the square, and you need a shower.”
“Go on,” Tyler said. “We’ll meet you there.”
Before leaving, Tala embraced Sugar. “Remember, you did what you had to out there,” she said. “Now, clean up and come enjoy the celebrations.”
Once they had gone, Derek took Sugar’s hand, and guided her to the stairs. “Shower, upstairs?”
“Yes, but you don’t need to come with me.”
“Think we’re going to leave you alone after what happened today?” Tyler said. “No way in hell. You go, and we’ll follow.”
Despite their earlier interlude, shyness struck Sugar. “Really, guys, I can get clean on my own.”
“We’re not arguing that point,” Derek said, opening the bathroom door and checking it out before ushering her in. “But we can make the process more fun.”
Excitement pooled in her belly. “We don’t have time….”
“To play?” Tyler finished. “There’s always time.”
Slowly, he approached her, reaching to remove her sweater then pants and undergarments. Derek turned on the shower and soon steam filled the small room. With both of them completely dressed, she stood bare.
Hesitantly, Tyler reached out, caressing the skin of her arm. “You are so gorgeous.” He leaned in to kiss her.
From behind, Derek placed his hands on her hips, and brushed her hair aside, placing a kiss on the back of her neck. “Let’s get you under that warm water.”
With no more protests, Sugar allowed them to guide her in. Mindful of the time, she washed as fast as possible but did her best not to get her hair wet. It would be way too cold on the winter night, and she didn’t have time to dry it.
The moment she stepped out, Tyler embraced her with a fluffy towel and treated her body to an extravaganza of sensation.
“I know how to make you feel better,” Derek said.
The hunky man dropped to his knees in front of Sugar, and a surge of need pulsed between her legs. He wrapped his hands around her body and delved into her swollen sex. Expertly, he flicked his tongue against her clit, alternating between sucking and rubbing until her approaching climax coiled tight.
She wound his fingers through his hair. “Don’t stop. Oh please.”
Warmth pressed from behind and Tyler joined the party, squeezing her breasts, and running his tongue along the line of her shoulders and neck and behind her ear.
Derek added one finger and then two inside her. Legs shaking, Sugar leaned into Tyler, letting him take her weight as the pleasure overtook her.
The sense of fulfillment pushed away the bad. “Yes. Thank you.”
Rising, Derek embodied the strength she needed. And, on the other side, she had the gentle nature of Tyler.
“Are you ready?” Ty asked. Coming from him, she knew the question held so much more. Not just ready to move on to the Winter Solstice activities, but to travel the road of the future with them.
“If it weren’t for the two of you....”
“Don’t say it,” Tyler said. “You are a kick-ass woman, and you handled that loser by yourself.”
