by Unknown
“Yeah, he carried me off, but it’s all fine. Don’t worry. I’ve got it under control. But what about you? What did the werewolf want with you? Are you still with him?”
She felt suddenly reluctant to tell Gill about Lachlan thinking they were mates. What would Gill think about Lachlan trying to split them up? It might be better to keep it quiet until she figured out what she wanted to do about all of it.
As soon as she thought that, a frisson of fear rolled through her. Didn’t she already know what she wanted to do? There was no way she could stay with Lachlan–right?
She needed to stop these thoughts in their tracks. “Where are you? I’ll come to you.” Lachlan would pitch a fit, but she didn’t care.
“No, it’s okay. I’ve got the situation here under control. Are you still with the werewolf?”
“Yes.” Keira scrambled for a good reason. Why was this so hard? Talking to her sister was never hard. And why wouldn’t Gillian tell her what had happened with her and the dragon? “The Alpha knew how to reach Knightley, so I thought I’d better stick close. Plus, they’re fixing for a war.” She didn’t know why she’d thrown that in. It’s not like the wolves’ war mattered to the guild.
“And you’re helping them with it? Good for you. Why don’t you stay there a few more days and we can catch up then.”
“Gillian, what’s going on? This isn’t like you.”
“I’ll tell you everything in a few days. For now, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Okay?”
Not okay. But Gill still hadn’t told her where she was, so there was little she could do about it. “You’re sure I can’t come to you?”
In the distance, Lachlan continued to stand, staring at her. There was no way he could hear her from that far away. Right?
“Stay where you are. It’s all good. But I’ve got to go now. I’ll call you in a few days. Love you.”
“Love you,” Keira said just before her sister hung up.
#
Lachlan could only make out bits and pieces of Keira’s conversation. If it hadn’t been for the ambient noise in the dining hall, he could have heard more. But he felt sure if he tried to get closer she’d move further away, so he stayed where he was and tried to piece together what she was saying combined with her body language.
It didn’t seem to be going well. Whatever her sister was saying, Keira didn’t like it. When she hung up, she shoved her phone in her pocket then stared into space.
That was it.
Lachlan went to her side. He didn’t touch her, just stood next to her and waited.
“You should be happy. She said to hang tight for a while, so I’m all yours.” Her eyes met his. “For now.”
Stamping down the joy that bubbled up, he said, “I take it she’s okay?”
“She says she is.”
“But?”
“She doesn’t sound like herself. She wouldn’t say why he took her. And she’s never–never–wanted us to be apart before.” Keira headed back into the dining hall.
Lachlan followed. “Where are you going?”
“I didn’t finish my breakfast. Have to keep my strength up if we’re going to win this war.”
And again, she’d said ‘we.’ It sounded even sweeter knowing she’d be sticking around for a little while. He just hoped he could convince her to make it permanent before she got it into her mind to go.
#
After breakfast, Aunt Lorna went to her room to settle in while Lachlan, Keira and Iain met with Colin and Mattie to review their progress. More than half of the troops who’d been called up had arrived, with more streaming in every hour. And Mattie had arranged a time and place for a press conference and had called all of the major news organizations in Inverness.
Early that afternoon, a small contingent drove the hour to the city. Iain stayed behind to manage the continuing influx of soldiers. All along the way, Mattie and Keira coached Lachlan about what to say and how to answer questions. Their instructions were helpful but in the end he just wanted to get the whole thing over with.
The press waited for them at one of the small parks where a little bandstand would allow Lachlan to stand above them. Mattie left the microphone setup to one of their more technical wolves and sent her mate Colin to manage the reporters. Smart move–of the two, Colin was more gregarious while Mattie more detail-oriented.
With all the prep, Lachlan felt sure he was ready but his stomach still flipped over when he stepped up in front of the reporters. He hadn’t expected quite so many.
Colin spoke first. “Quiet down, please. We’re about ready.” He glanced at Lachlan, who nodded at him. “I’d like to introduce Lachlan MacPherson, Alpha of the United Kingdom.” The title they’d use had been debated exhaustively, as had the fact that someone else had to say it, not Lachlan himself.
Lachlan stepped up to the mic. “In recent weeks, the English Alpha has pulled together an army, against my command. I’ve had to call up troops in response. I want to reassure the public that I will do everything in my power to avoid a war between our two powerful factions, but I cannot stand for my underlings to disobey my direct commands.”
Lachlan paused for dramatic effect, as Keira had told him he should. “I am aggrieved we’ve come to this point. Werewolf packs have a simple way to resolve such disputes. Wolves like the English Alpha who want to rise higher and dislike the rule of the wolves above them can issue a direct challenge. I don’t know why, but the English Alpha feels he has to bring us to the edge of war rather than challenging me outright. And war, as you know, could have consequences far beyond our wolf pack. I’ll take any questions now.”
The reporters raised their hands but didn’t wait to be called on, instead peppering him with questions. His hearing allowed him to differentiate what they were saying, so after a few seconds he chose a question he’d be okay answering and pointed at a tiny ginger-haired woman in the front. “Your question?”
The others quieted down. “What is the nature of the dispute?” she said.
Lachlan had been warned not to spend too long talking about genealogies. “The inheritance of the Alpha position in the UK is much like that of the monarchy. For centuries, the English Alpha was also the UK Alpha. But now the position has passed to me, the Scottish Alpha. The English wolves believe I should hand over the UK Alpha position to them, even though I inherited it according to our traditions. And I refuse.”
As soon as he finished speaking, voices rose with a spate of new questions. He answered them as best he could, but never got his own question answered–would this press conference change anything? Could it change anything?
Later as they traveled back to the Stronghold, Lachlan sat next to Keira in the seat in the very back of the SUV. They weren’t exactly alone but it was better than nothing. And the other wolves were talking and listening to headsets and watching little televisions, paying no attention to the two of them in the back. He rested his hand on her thigh and wished he knew whether she’d let him hold her hand.
“It went well,” she said.
She hadn’t moved his hand off her leg. That was something. “You’re the expert.”
“Not hardly. Now we get to see if it makes any difference.” She rested her hand on her leg, not far from his hand.
The hell with it. He covered her hand with his. “Thank you for your help today.”
She didn’t answer, just gazed at his hand. Slowly, her eyes met his. She looked like she had something to say, but she’d finally realized that even a whisper would be heard by every wolf in the vehicle. She swallowed.
Then she turned her hand over and laced her fingers through his.
Lachlan sucked in his breath. It wasn’t the feel of her skin that got him but the significance of having his mate accept his touch.
He’d bedded plenty of women in the past but their acceptance of him in their bed had had no meaning, not like this. They’d been easy conquests compared to the way his mate made him fight for every inch. And it made ev
ery inch that much sweeter.
As they continued to look into each other’s eyes, their breathing changed until they breathed in time, every part of them wanting to meld together.
“Lachlan?” Mattie said.
He didn’t take his eyes off of Keira. “Yes?”
“I’ve got the first newscast. Want to see?”
“Is it bad?”
“No, it’s good. Really good.”
“Then save it for later. You can show me a bunch of them at once tonight.” He squeezed Keira’s hand.
“Will do,” Mattie said.
Lachlan’s cell phone rang. Could he not catch a break? He had to let go of Keira’s hand to pull it out of his pocket. Iain.
Lachlan answered it. “Yes?”
Iain’s voice sounded tight. “Sebastian saw the newscast and he rang you up. He’s spitting mad. Wants you to call him back.”
“Good. I hope he’s angry because he’s embarrassed. I’ll let him stew a bit. We’ll be home soon. We’ll discuss this more over dinner.”
He and Iain said goodbye and hung up. After Lachlan had shoved his phone back in his pocket, he looked to take Keira’s hand again, but she’d slumped in her seat, arms crossed over her chest, head tipped back.
She couldn’t possibly be asleep so quickly. “Napping?” he said.
“Thinking.”
When she said no more, he dropped his hand onto her thigh and watched the landscape roll past outside the window.
#
Keira’s mind spun. Sick to death of trying to figure out what was happening between Lachlan and her, she instead puzzled over her sister. What could make Gillian tell her not to come?
Maybe she’d said that under duress. The dragon could be forcing her. Yet she’d used Keira’s nickname and that was a cue they used to mean “all clear.”
But if Gill weren’t under duress, then what? If it were anyone else, she’d wonder about a secret deal going on between Gill and the dragon, but this was Gill. There was no one in the world Keira trusted more than her sister.
Keira thumped her head back against the seat and Lachlan immediately squeezed her thigh. She stamped down hard on the arousal that spiked through her and hoped he couldn’t smell the chemical changes in her body every single time he touched her. Was it too much to ask for a man with a normal sense of smell?
Not that she wanted a man in the first place, but if she were going to craft one, she couldn’t have put together anyone better. He was easy on the eyes, had a ready smile and yet was fierce as all get out. And strong…stronger than her. That shouldn’t be a turn on, but it was.
And damn it, there she was thinking about him again, just when she’d been determined not to.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” he said softly.
She rolled her head on the seat so her eyes met his. “Nothing I want prying ears to hear.”
His thumb rubbed her thigh. “As long as it’s not my ears you’re talking about.”
Oddly enough, it wasn’t. When had that happened? Only a couple of days ago, she could only talk to her sister, would never even trust Harris with anything but the facts. And now she didn’t just feel comfortable with Lachlan, but actually wanted to tell him about her thoughts. Well, some of them. Still best he didn’t know the things she thought about him. “No. I don’t mean you.”
He squeezed her leg again causing a rush of desire to flow through her.
“You shouldn’t keep doing that.” She spoke so softly she almost couldn’t hear herself. “This SUV has a lot of prying noses too.”
His brow crinkled. She knew the moment he got it because he broke out in a grin and got a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “We should have dinner in our room tonight.”
“We’re talking about the war over dinner.” She turned his hand over and placed hers in it–to keep him from squeezing her leg again. And that was the only reason.
“We can meet about the war and then get dinner.” He threaded his fingers through hers.
“The meeting could take a while.”
“We’ll make sure it doesn’t.” He lifted their joined hands and placed a kiss on the back of hers. “I can talk verra fast if I have to.”
“I hope you’re not getting the wrong idea,” she said softly. “I’m not promising anything.”
“Nay, but I’m chipping away at your defenses. And tonight I’ll chip a little more off. It’s up to you how far I get.” The twinkle came back. “I’ll make it worth your while to give in to me.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Her words came out as barely more than a grumble, but he nevertheless laughed.
He put his mouth against her ear, causing yet another wave of lust to wash through her. “I’ll win you yet, Keira Harlow. Just wait.”
#
So far, Greer hadn’t seen a single person since they’d locked her in. The room had a bathroom but no food and she was getting hungry. Which was good—once they brought her food, she’d be able to glean some more information.
Assuming they did bring her some food.
She’d searched every nook and cranny of the room just in case there was a secret entrance the guards didn’t know about. Unlikely, but she didn’t have anything better to do.
Then finally, the door opened. The sound of laughter preceded a wolf bearing a tray of food. He closed the door behind him.
Immediately, his demeanor changed, the smile falling from his face and his eyes narrowing. He put the tray on the table, saying loudly, “Hope you like it, cause this is all you’re getting.” Then he hurried over to her and pulled her to the far wall. “Lachlan sent me,” he said in a soft whisper.
Thank the Gods for her brother.
“I can’t help much or it’ll blow my cover but here’s what you need to know. Starting in half an hour, there will be only one guard at your door. They drugged your food and think they don’t need to have more than one guard while you’re out cold.”
She got it--don’t eat. Her stomach rumbled.
“You’re on the second floor of a brownstone in London. Once you take out the guard at the door, there will be one more guard downstairs—maybe watching telly, maybe asleep. From there you’re home free.”
“Will this door be locked?” she said.
“I’ll leave it unlocked when I go.”
She wanted to ask more questions but she knew the danger he was in. “Thank you. Go.”
Chapter 9
Lachlan’s man nodded and hurried across the room to the door. His eyes met Greer’s and he mouthed ‘sorry.’ She found out why a second later. As the door closed, he said, “Can you believe it? Damned woman tried to seduce me. Probably thought I’d let her go free.”
Sorry indeed.
Half an hour. She’d hide the food and make the plate look like she’d eaten. And maybe she should lie down, too. They might look in before they let the other guards go and she wanted them to think she was good and drugged.
Thirty-five minutes later—she kept checking her watch as each minute took at least half an hour—a guard stuck his head in the door. She kept her breathing slow and steady while he looked her over then closed the door behind him again.
She waited another twenty minutes to make sure the guards had all left. She should really wait longer but couldn’t make herself do it. She had to get out of there.
They hadn’t left her much that she could use as a weapon—plastic utensils for her dinner, no heavy statues or convenient swords hanging on the walls. But she’d had nearly an hour of lying on the bed to think. In the end, she pulled the pillowcase off the pillow and wound it up tight then did the same with the sheet. If she could get the pillowcase over the guard’s head from behind, she could tighten it around his neck and knock him out—preferably without a lot of noise.
Greer slowly cracked the door open just enough so she could see the guard standing a few feet away leaning against the wall. He had his head down, his hands fiddling with something. Probably a cell phone. Stupid for him, fortuit
ous for her.
She pushed the door open just enough for her to slip through, waiting for it to squeak or groan and give her away. When it didn’t, she crossed on her tiptoes to the guard. At the last second, a board under her feet creaked. The guard’s head jerked up and he turned.
Tossing the twisted pillowcase over his head, she kicked the back of his knee. He dropped and she just barely caught the pillowcase under his neck as he did so. His weight combined with her pulling on the ends caused sufficient pressure.
He struggled, trying to pull the pillowcase away from his throat. A soft croak came out of his mouth but he didn’t manage to yell. Agonizing seconds passed while she kept up the pressure, waiting, waiting. Finally, he slumped, out cold.
Greer picked him up and carried him into her room and laid him on the bed. She quickly used the pillowcase to gag him then grabbed her twisted-up sheet and wrapped it around him a few times before tying it off tightly in the back. By the time she finished he was already coming around. She punched him hard to knock him out then pulled the blanket up over his body and tucked it in tightly on all sides, binding him in place.
It wasn’t much and might not hold him very long but it was the best she could do. Hopefully she could get to the other guy before this one started making a racket.
She crept out of the room and quickly found the stairs. All in all, the place wasn’t very big. Each step she took, she worried about the creaking of old wood. The guy downstairs wouldn’t worry if he heard those kinds of noises from upstairs but if he heard them on the stairs or in the entryway, he’d investigate.
She’d made it halfway down the stairs when the inevitable happened. A stair creaked under her weight.
“Miller?” a voice called from the front room.
She could run back upstairs but she’d be trapped. Better to reach the entryway before he did and get the upper hand. She hurried down the rest of the stairs. Just as she reached the entryway, she heard voices at the outside door.
Fuck. She could take on one guard, but she heard at least three more voices outside. Four wolves in close quarters against just her? She’d beaten four wolves at once before but with no room to maneuver it would be difficult. And she couldn’t be sure there were only three wolves behind that door.
