by Lisa Kessler
“Thanks, Luke.”
I smiled. “You don’t have to thank me. You’re my mate.” I ran a sore finger down her cheek. “I wish I could turn back time. If I had found you before Caldwell…”
She shook her head. “Going down that path will make me crazy.”
“I’ll never hurt you, Raven.”
“I know.” She swallowed, pressing her lips together. “I don’t understand how I know, but…” She tapped her chest. “My wolf instincts are definitely on Team Luke.”
I chuckled and winced, shaking my head. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”
Alone in the bathroom, I zipped my pants and stared at my battered face.
My hands wouldn’t stop trembling.
I wore sunglasses to the barn. They wouldn’t cover the cuts on my eyebrows or my bruised lips, but my shiner was mostly hidden from view. The grooms didn’t say anything—at least not to my face.
After a quick call to Sasha, I took the first horse out the round pen, the smaller arena surrounded by twelve-foot-high walls. Sasha was not a fan of me going to Caldwell’s place today, but I convinced her with the same argument I’d given Raven.
If he wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be breathing right now.
Either way, I swore I would text her the address and she’d be nearby just in case. Both of us knew she’d be hopelessly outnumbered, but neither of us talked about it. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.
I walked around the center of the ring, keeping myself lined up with the horse’s shoulder. Toby was a dark bay gelding and the old man of the stable. He was already well trained. My job was to keep him in show shape.
The long lines were like extended reins, from the bit up to the rings on the harness and out to me in the center. From the ground, I gave Toby cues and watched him move through his gaits.
It also kept me from jarring my cracked rib.
Footsteps echoed up the stairs outside, and Gabby showed up on the platform. She was quiet at first. When I made Toby stop and go the other direction, she called out. “Did you get the number of the truck that hit you?”
I glanced her way for a second. “Not as bad as it looks.”
Thankfully she didn’t respond, but she also didn’t leave. When I finished, Toby waited patiently while I coiled up the reins and I came closer to him. Once I had them tied to the harness, I walked him out.
Gabby met me at the gate and winced. “Shit. You need to see a doctor. What happened?”
The groom relieved me of my horse, leaving me with nowhere to turn. “I’ll be fine. I took a fall, that’s all.”
She shook her head slowly. “Down more than one flight of stairs.” She reached up to run her hand down my arm. “Maybe we should call the police.”
“Really.” I stepped back, out of her arm’s reach. “It’s no big deal.”
Gabby frowned. “Who is she?”
I turned around, relieved to see Raven walking down the path from my cottage. “She helped me after the accident last night.” Raven stopped in front of us, and I smiled in spite of the pain in my split lip. “Morning, Raven. This is Gabby. She’s the daughter of the owners of Valley Farm.”
Raven nodded, no trace of a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Gabby grinned. “Thanks for helping Luke.” She took my hand, surprising me. “He means so much to us.”
Raven’s gaze snapped to mine. “I can see that.” Her attention shifted to Gabby. “I better get going.”
I pulled away from Gabby. “I’ve got to pick up my car and take care of a couple things, but I’ll be back to work the rest of the horses later.”
Raven crossed her arms without looking at me. “I don’t want to mess with your work schedule. Gabby could take you to your car when you’re finished.”
Aw, shit.
Gabby lit up. “I’d be happy to!”
Shaking my head, I went to Raven’s side, putting my arm around her shoulders. She tensed at my touch, and my chest tightened. Damn it. I didn’t know my mate well yet, but safe to say she was pissed.
I backed off and gave her a little space. “I’ll have plenty of time to finish this afternoon.”
Gabby’s smile dimmed a notch. “Guess I’ll see you later, then.” She glanced at Raven. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Raven walked ahead of me toward the van. Normally I’d have no trouble keeping up, but nothing about my current condition was normal. When we got to her van, I stood in front of her driver’s side door.
She still didn’t look at me. “I can’t drive if I can’t get in.”
I sighed, my voice low. “Gabby is my boss’s daughter. There’s nothing between us.”
She shrugged and lifted her eyes. “I know you had a life before fate saddled you with me yesterday.” She shook her head slowly. “Your face wouldn’t be beat to hell right now if you’d been with Gabby last night.” I reached out to caress her cheek, but she caught my wrist. “I’m serious.”
I dropped my hand. “You know how I told you that we recognize our mate when we touch skin to skin?”
She nodded.
“When I got hired here, I was desperate to find my mate. My entire Pack back in Reno, including my twin brother, had all touched the one woman they’d ever love.” I swiped my chin, my gaze drifting toward the barn. “Until me, my uncle was the only one in our Pack who never found his mate.”
Her voice was barely a whisper, but I heard it loud and clear. “What happened to him?”
My eyes burned behind the sunglasses. “He’s dead. He got arrested in a bar brawl the night before a full moon. We couldn’t get him released in time.”
Her fingers were shaky, but she touched my hand.
I looked down at her. “He killed himself so the police wouldn’t find a werewolf in his cell.”
“Oh God.” She tightened her hold on my hand. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “I’m not telling you this for pity.” I cleared my throat. “I’ve had my share of girlfriends and lovers, desperate for that magic touch, and when I came to Sedona and Gabby started dropping hints she wanted to be more than friends, I gave her a boost onto her horse. Grabbed her bare ankle…nothing.”
I took off the glasses to be sure Raven could see my eyes. “That crazy moment when we touched and my wolf howled…” A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “You brought me to life, Raven. And if I die today, I’d have no regrets.” I swallowed hard. “For once in my life…I’m whole. You gave that to me.”
She rose on her toes to brush her lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around her, grateful she didn’t stiffen. Her hands moved up my chest slowly, her touch setting me on fire. I deepened the kiss, ignoring the pain from my cuts, losing myself in her.
When she broke the kiss, her eyes locked on mine. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For dragging you into this sick Pack, for getting you beat up, and for overreacting. I just…” She searched my face. “I’ve never met a man like you, and for a second I let her shake my faith.”
My heart pounded in my ears. “Without this screwed-up Pack, we might not have met. Caldwell wanted you to think you were responsible for the beating, but that was all on him. Our bond…” I struggled for the right words. “We scared him. He’s leading this Pack, but he’s forgotten what makes a Pack strong. It’s not fear, or strength, or power.”
I cupped her cheek. “It’s love, Raven. I love every member of my Pack and I would die for them.” My voice caught. “You’re my Pack now, and that bond terrifies him.”
Chapter Nine
Raven
I tried to wrap my mind around Luke’s words, but the broken pieces of myself wouldn’t shut up. How could he accept me unconditionally so easily? It had to be the wolf instincts. I was nothing special. And if he made me believe I was…
I might never recover from the heartbreak when he left.
Pressing my lips together, I took a step back. “I don’t love you.
”
He recoiled like I’d just slapped him. I shook my head, wishing I had a better filter to think before I spoke. “Shit. I just mean I barely know you. The wolf instincts are really strong, but even if we live through this meeting with Caldwell, and even if your plan works and you shoot him, I don’t know if you like cereal for breakfast, or if you like drinking hot chocolate and watching it rain outside. My singing Disney songs in the shower might drive you apeshit.”
He almost smiled. Maybe he liked cereal after all.
I struggled to find my point. “You know how you said you were desperate when you came here? I was, too.”
“What were you looking for?”
I shrugged. “Myself, I guess? My dad walked out on us when I was twelve. My mom started taking pills and washing them down with vodka.” My heart raced. I’d never told anyone any of this before. I crossed my arms like it might protect me. “Isabelle was eighteen and did her best to raise me, but by the time I was fifteen I was pissed at the world.”
“You ran away.”
I nodded, staring at his feet so I wouldn’t have to see the judgment, or worse yet, pity in his eyes. “First I stayed in Phoenix. I got a fake ID and a job, and I burned through men, searching for…” A sad chuckle escaped my lips. “Maybe if I had known, I wouldn’t have ended up here.”
I steeled myself and lifted my eyes. “When I turned twenty-one, I hitchhiked to Sedona and met Bo. After a few weeks, he asked me to meet him at Bell Rock during the full moon. A wolf bolted out of the underbrush. I screamed, scrambling for my car, but I couldn’t outrun him. He bit me.”
Luke took my hand, his voice tight. “It’s not supposed to be like that. We don’t attack humans and bite them. Not in my Pack. The only one you ever bite is your mate, and only if she wants to be changed. We have three women in our Pack who aren’t werewolves and may never choose to be bitten and changed. It’s supposed to be a special moment for a couple, not an ambush.” He paused, squeezing my hand. “You getting bitten was not your fault.”
I sighed. “It is what it is. I’ve been their prisoner, working in their Alpha’s bar. I didn’t have anyone to turn to, and no way out. I found Isabelle on Facebook. She was so excited to hear from me.” I rolled my eyes. I wouldn’t cry. No more tears left. “And then I ruined her life, too.”
“Stop.” His deep voice drew my gaze up to his. “Life happens. Isabelle made choices. You told me she insisted you bite her, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but if I’d never run away…”
“Then you wouldn’t be who you are today.”
“Exactly.” I laughed. “I might still be human, maybe a nurse or veterinarian or…”
He caught my chin, his thumb brushing my bottom lip. “I want to get to know the woman, the wolf, standing in front of me right now. I don’t care who she could have been—you’re a survivor and that’s more than enough for me.”
For a second, I couldn’t find my voice. I swallowed the emotions choking me. If he was right, if fate chose him for me, I didn’t deserve it. Eventually he’d realize that.
“What if once you get to know me, you don’t like what you see?”
He took my hand and lifted it to his battered lips. “I already know you’re the only woman in the world I’d allow myself to get my ass kicked for. I’m pretty sure it can only get better from here.”
I almost smiled. “Ah, so you’re an optimist.”
“Not until I met you.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I hope you always feel that way.”
We got to Caldwell’s place two minutes before nine o’clock. I got out and looked over at Luke. “Bo and Blake are here.” No sign of my sister’s scent. My stomach twisted.
Luke nodded. “I smell them.” One more breath, and he frowned. “There’s a jaguar, too.” He tugged his shirt down over the holster at his back. “But it’s not Sebastian.”
The head of the Nero Organization, Antonio Severino, was a longtime friend of Caldwell, but none of the rest of us had ever seen him. Severino always sent his oldest son, Sebastian, to do his bidding.
He took another breath. “It’s not Sasha, either.”
“She’s a jaguar?” I shook my head. “I’m not judging. I just…I assumed she was a werewolf.”
“She used to work for Nero, but she’s Pack now.” Luke glanced my way. “Any reason another Nero assassin would be here?”
“We’ve seen a few recently, since Damian was killed. The ones who were backing him to be Antonio’s heir have been helping us train to wipe out your Pack in Reno.”
“Perfect.” Luke slid his sunglasses over his bruised eyes and headed for the door.
I went with him, trying to slow my pounding heart. A pack of wolves could tell when someone was hiding something by their racing pulse and scent. I didn’t want to be the reason Luke’s plan failed.
Bo answered the door, glaring at me. “Raven.” He smirked at Luke. “Your face looks sore.”
Luke grabbed Bo’s shirt and yanked him close so fast Bo gasped. Luke lifted his other hand. “My fists aren’t injured, since I wasn’t allowed to use them. If you’d like a second round, I’m ready.”
Luke shoved Bo back and put a protective arm around my waist.
Before Bo could get in Luke’s face again, I stepped between them. “Where’s my sister?”
Bo’s eyes shone with self-importance. “Alive.”
I wanted to wipe the shit-eating grin off his face, but there was no time now. His lame excuse for an answer would have to be enough. “Caldwell’s waiting for us.”
Bo got out of our way, and I took Luke down the long hallway, praying this wasn’t our last walk together.
He squeezed my hand. “We’re going to get out of this. He needs us.”
“You sure you can’t read minds?” I glanced up at him.
He shook his head. “Just a lucky guess.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m worried about Isabelle.”
“One problem at a time. We’ll get her out. I promise.”
I needed him to keep that one.
Luke opened the door and waited for me to pass through before he came in behind me. Caldwell was seated behind his massive cherrywood desk.
He gestured to the chairs. “Take a seat.”
We sat, and he nodded to Luke. “I’m impressed you’re upright today.”
“No thanks to you.” Luke’s jaw was tight.
Caldwell chuckled. “You don’t get to be an Alpha as long as I have by being weak. I had to know if you were sincere in your request to join us.”
“Threatening my mate and allowing your wolves to attack me while forbidding me to defend myself doesn’t seem like a great way to win my loyalty.”
Caldwell raised a brow. “But it’s a fine way to discover if you can follow orders.”
“Hope I passed.”
My palms were sweating while watching them posture.
“With flying colors.” Caldwell gestured to me. “I let her stay with you last night, didn’t I? An olive branch, per se.”
“Not to mention I’ll kill your bodyguards if they ever touch her again.”
Caldwell laughed, his attention shifting my way. “He’s a fighter, Raven. You could do worse.”
I didn’t dignify him with a response. As far as I was concerned, I’d never met a better man than Luke Reynolds. “Are we here for a reason? I need to get supplies for the bar.”
“Yes, you are.” He hit a button on his phone, and the jaguar we smelled earlier entered the office. “I want you both to meet Vance.”
Luke stiffened for a second. The jaguar frowned and glanced over at Caldwell. “He’s from the Reno Pack. He should have a scar from my claws.”
“That was my twin brother, Logan, you scratched up at Tahoe.”
Caldwell smirked. “Vance is here for the same reason you are. He wants to be on the winning side.”
Vance stared at Luke and frowned. “You’re going to help us kill your family?”<
br />
Now my armpits were sweating, too. We had to get out of here.
“Raven is my family now.” Luke took my hand, tight. His palm was wet, too.
I stood. “Good to meet you, but I have work to do, and I need to take Luke back to his car.”
Caldwell got up behind his desk. “You seem skittish, Raven.”
I blew out a pent-up breath and prayed he couldn’t see my nerves through my bravado. “You had a knife to my throat last night. Forgive me for not being happy to see you today.” I gestured to the cat in the room. “And now I’m supposed to be excited to see an assassin joining our Pack?”
Vance chuckled. “I’m not part of this Pack, just ensuring Damian is avenged.”
Luke narrowed his eyes at the jaguar. “I thought that’s Sebastian’s job.”
“He’s weak. That’s why we were backing Damian. He would’ve been a stronger heir for Nero.”
“Damian Severino was a psychotic lunatic,” Luke growled, standing beside me.
Even all beat to hell, my mate was a hothead. I squeezed his hand. “Damian isn’t why we’re here.”
“Raven’s right.” Caldwell came around from behind the desk, his eyes on Luke. “Vance is going ahead of us to scout the area. I want you to give him Adam Sloan’s address, as well as his brother’s. Those are our first two targets. The rest of the Pack will fall quickly after the Sloans are dead.”
Luke’s grip on my hand tightened, but it didn’t show on his face. “We’ll talk tonight after the bar closes.”
“You’ll do it now.” Caldwell took a step closer.
Luke’s jaw tensed. “You seriously think I have their addresses memorized?”
Caldwell crossed his arms. “You have a cell phone, right?”
“Yeah.” Luke dropped my hand and fished it out of his pocket, his attention never leaving Caldwell’s face. “It’s full of phone numbers.” He glanced at Vance. “Adam’s ranch is on Whispering Pines Court.” And back to Caldwell he added, “And Aren just moved to a new place with his mate, so I’d have to call him to get it.”
Caldwell’s arms dropped to his sides. “So call. Now.”
Shit. There was nothing I could do but watch. Then Luke pressed nine on his phone. Sasha. His backup. My breath caught.
