Carter hadn’t expected the assault and Law used the surprise to launch another attack. The blond wolf gave a high-pitched yelp as Law bit into his neck, hard. Blood splattered. A growl came from behind her. Bianca turned. The dark-furred one was up on his feet and looked pissed. She considered running but knew she’d never make it far. Fur boy took two steps in her direction before Carter tumbled into him.
Law jumped them both. She backed up, unsure if she should run or stay and help. Since she didn’t know the terrain or where her car sat, she held her branch ready to fight but longed for the gun she’d left behind with her dropped pack. The horrible sounds of the battle etched in her memory.
Law stood outnumbered. She’d never seen wild animals—or whatever the hell they were—fight before, but she was impressed. Her survival hinged on his, and she’d never rooted so hard for someone in her life. Watching the struggle, she considered lunging out with her feeble weapon but realized she’d only be in the way.
At a hundred and sixty pounds and five-six, she wasn’t a delicate little flower, but fighting very big beasties wasn’t in the scope of her physical ability. Then she realized these guys probably killed Lucas. They had to have Chessa.
“Don’t kill them!” she screamed with sudden, terrifying lucidity. “They have Chessa.”
Her pronouncement caused Law to lose focus. The pair pressed their advantage. Cursing herself, she decided she couldn’t stay out of the fight. If she’d die anyway, at least she could tell Saint Peter she’d gone down in a blaze of glory.
Bianca swung her branch as hard as she could and put all her weight behind the assault. Carter yelped as wood connected with his lupine skull. His teeth snapped shut. He yowled, and his buddy’s attention went to her with a growl. Law used their surprise to pounce. He and Carter rolled while the dark furred monster stumbled, unsteady even with four feet. The dark one bolted as Law ripped a good chunk out of Carter’s hindquarter. The coward followed his friend.
Bianca stood in anticlimactic shock as she focused on the direction the werewolves had fled. Werwolves. The word echoed in her brain. When she pulled it together, she turned to look at her unlikely ally.
Law stumbled, and his body returned to that of a man. A very naked man. Her eyes widened and her mouth parted with astonishment as he collapsed in the dirt. She hadn’t expected him to go human so fast. Law was the victor, but he sure didn’t look the part. His wounds made her wonder if winner was the right term. Seeing him so injured made her stomach knot. The quick flash of something deeper than empathy took her by surprise.
“Was that Carter Montgomery?” Bianca asked. Law groaned but nodded an affirmative to her suspicions. “Now I know why he gives me the creeps.” Her body moved on autopilot as she held scraps of Law’s shredded flannel shirt to his gaping injuries. His big body rested in a puddle of blood.
“What you saw wasn’t a bigfoot,” he said between gritted teeth. “We are loup-garou.”
“A what?”
“Basically, we’re werewolves.”
“Basically…”
“The cultural myths get so much wrong. Help me up.”
She did. He wasn’t light. Looking around she realized she’d have to be his crutch because he’d never make it back alone in his condition.
“They’ll have scouts on the road. You’ll never make it back to town.”
She didn’t want to go to his “farm”. Deep down she still hoped this was a hallucination. Returning to Wild Rose Valley had to be safer than staying out here. “I want to go home. I’ll be safe in town.”
“No place is safe for you now. The police won’t help you. Lucas’s death wasn’t national news. Didn’t you find that strange? It was both gruesome and mysterious.” Law trapped her face between his hands. “This town is a safe place for my kind, not yours.” His gray eyes seemed unnaturally bright as she gazed up into his eyes. He clenched his teeth.
“Don’t talk. You need your strength,” Bianca said. She had no idea if that was true, but her mind needed a second to process everything. Guilt surged. She’d forced him to tell her. He’d kept her alive.
He moaned. “Knowing is a death sentence.”
Rage drove out all her kinder feelings. Does that mean his kind murdered Chessa? “If you knew where Chessa was, why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice rose as she slapped her hand against his chest, but he didn’t let her go.
“You’d have rushed off into the woods, and they’d have killed you. I’m not certain she’s alive. You have to face the fact she might be gone. I didn’t—don’t want you to die too.”
He was right, but that still didn’t make her less resentful. “It should’ve been my choice.”
“How much help would your daughter get if they rip you apart?”
“You’re right.” Bianca forced herself to meet his eyes. I hate you for being right. “How do I save my daughter?”
“Right now we need to save ourselves. I was trying to avoid this, but I think it’s too late. More will come. “Fuck!” He screamed in pain as he limped forward.
“We need to get you to a hospital—or a vet. Whatever.”
“I just need to keep moving.”
“Hiking can’t be good for your injuries.”
“A hospital wouldn’t be able to help me. I promise you I’m healing. Walking is best for me, running would be better.”
“Running? You could have a broken leg.”
“If I don’t move I can’t heal right. Trust me. I know more about what I am than you do.”
Bianca couldn’t argue. She let him lean on her. They made their way back to the trail.
Law’s whole body shuddered. “The adrenaline of a run would fix me right up, but I’m still hurting too much so I’ll just walk.”
He pointed to the left. “That way. We get your backpack and go to the farm.”
They walked a few steps. Bianca sucked in a quick sympathy breath as he groaned. She cringed every time he put one deliberate step in front of another. Uneven ground made every step a challenge. Her back ached as she did all she could to support his massive frame and take the weight off his bad leg.
Reaching the ridge top, Bianca found her backpack and managed to grab the strap as they passed without losing her grip on Law. She unzipped the side pocket as they limped forward. Bending her wrist at an awkward angle, she fished out her sweatshirt. Together they tied the garment around his waist. She’d already seen everything, but the act of giving him some modesty back made her feel better. They trudged on in silence.
The walk was far longer than someone in his condition should have been able to handle, but he moved better with every step. My car, thank goodness! Bianca’s strangled cry of relief startled a chipmunk; the little guy darted past their feet. Every muscle in her body hurt. Because of the secluded location, she hadn’t bothered to lock the car doors. The keys were in the ignition. She helped Law get into the passenger seat before going around to collapse on the driver’s side.
“The farm,” Law said. She could hear his agony.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t go to the hospital?”
“Completely. Trust me.”
She’d been doing a lot of that today. For some crazy reason, she did trust him.
Six
Bianca sped up to the gates of Law’s compound. She hit the brake, and her body lurched forward. Law groaned with pain, and he leaned over, honking the horn in a succession of long and short bursts.
“Was that Morse Code?”
“Smart lady,” he said.
When the gates opened, she held her breath. She’d have given anything to explore this place just a few hours ago. There was no anticipation now because she knew Chessa wasn’t here.
Confusion and anger played across the faces of the two men at the gate.
Law rolled down the window. “I give her my protection,” he shouted.
Both men jerked with surprise. She’d never actually seen someone’s mouth drop until now. The guards paused for a heartbeat
, but after another look at Law, one pulled open the gate while the other motioned for her to drive in. Fear squeezed her heart until she had trouble drawing in a full breath. What if they weren’t like Law? What if these were the murdering kind of werewolves and Law didn’t know or didn’t care?
“I shouldn’t be here,” Bianca whispered. Her hands gripped the wheel in white-knuckled desperation.
Law glanced over and placed his hand over hers. “I’ve given you my protection. These are my people; no one will harm you.”
She wished his cryptic vow was more reassuring. Werewolf pack life remained an unknown subculture in her realm of experience. She didn’t know Law Foster well enough to be sure he wasn’t just giving her a line to get her to bring him to safety.
“You need to calm down. The scent of your fear will make everyone edgy. Take a deep breath.”
“The scent?”
“You’ve had to have figured it out by now, right? Bianca Archer, welcome to the secret world of werewolves. Don’t let me down. You can handle this because I’m risking everything bringing you here.”
Blowing the bangs out of her face, she let go of a long sigh. “Um, thanks. Do I get a tattoo or learn some special handshake now?”
He grinned, bit his quick intake of breath made his pain clear. “No tats. Furry folk, remember?”
Her cheeks heated at the banter. He was teasing her, and the act normalized him. She remembered the naked man better than the hairy monster. His skin had been ink-free, and his body had been Playgirl perfect with defined abs and sculpted biceps. And his ass…
Bianca pushed the memory out of her mind. Her cheeks burned.
“Well, at least tell me there’s some kind of secret password,” she joked. Nervous energy made her giddy. She’d been so alone in her hunt for Chessa. Now she had someone who was finally offering her clues to the truth.
“Nope, but I won’t let anything happen to you,” Law said, reaching out and putting his big, tan hand on her forearm as she held the wheel. He looked so—ordinary. Totally hot guy ordinary, not mystical-shape-shifter ordinary.
“I’m sorry.” The lame apology was all she could say. She’d stalked these people for being different. They might be her only hope of getting Chessa back. “I just wish you’d told me sooner. I’ve lost so much time searching for her by focusing my attention on you and your people.”
“We have a pretty clear no-telling policy. If it weren’t for those cocky SOBs, you’d never have found out. I wouldn’t have risked your life with the truth. I’ll die before I let anyone hurt you,” Law said. Vehemence hung heavy in his tone. Bianca hid her face so he wouldn’t see his effect on her. This man gave a damn if she died and she didn’t know what to do with that. Why does he care?
Apprehension flooded her system as angry eyes glared at her. She kept her focus on the road and put on a brave face. She would show these people no fear; she just hoped her scent didn’t betray her. Thinking about Ches gave her courage, so she focused on the memory of her daughter’s face. Her heartbeat slowed, and she sighed. Each breath was an experiment in control as she remembered to stay calm.
“Keep driving. At the end of the road is where we keep the trucks. There’s parking there, and it’s close to the meeting hall.”
“Shouldn’t you get patched up first, or some clothing or something?” All he wore was her shirt covering his lower body.
“They’ll smell my blood and come to check on me.”
“Okay, it’s your nudity.”
Law snorted. “We aren’t too shy around here.”
She bit her lip. “Well, I’ll be keeping my clothing on.”
Law grinned. “I can’t say I approve.”
Bianca’s stomach clenched. Oh, my God, was he flirting with me? I like this way too much. It’s not like I’ve never seen a naked man. But she’d never seen a naked man like Law before.
A middle-aged woman came running out. She was pretty and petite with a stylish bob of brown hair that blew in the breeze as she rushed toward them. Her eyes startled Bianca because they were such a light brown they almost appeared yellow. The lady’s face became a combination of horror and curiosity as she frowned and pressed her lips together tight.
“My mother,” he said dryly.
Bianca parked in a row of pickup trucks. She unlocked the door and got out to help Law. His mother beat her to his side of the car. She helped him stand.
“What happened to you?” Asked his mother as she helped him stand, Bianca assisted him balanced.
“Janna Foster, Bianca Archer.” Law groaned in pain. “A little trouble in the woods. Rogue wolves thought they’d take care of both of us, but here we are. Ma, get me some pants.”
Janna made sure Bianca had a good hold on Law before she rushed off to a laundry line about twenty yards away. She returned and handed Law a pair of jeans. Both women let him lean on them as they helped him dress in the stiff denim.
“Well Ms. Archer, you’ve seen my son exposed, are you a friend or a foe?” Janna asked.
Bianca grimaced. Awkward, so super incredibly awkward. “He saved my life. I owe him.”
Janna nodded. “Not trusting what you don’t understand happens to the best of us, sweetie, I lost a daughter once too.”
Bianca allowed a moment of comradery to pass between herself and Janna before she opened her mouth. “Shouldn’t we get him a doctor?”
“Oh, no, not at all. Keep him moving and he’ll be right as rain.”
Injuries like Law’s required rest and medicine. Law stood and pushed away from the women. He limped forward, with his head held high and his back straight. Watching him force himself to walk was agony. Bianca shook her head at his stubbornness. This was their culture; she kept her disapproval to herself. His mother didn’t seem concerned.
When in Rome…Bianca felt more like she was in OZ. If someone had told her yesterday, Wild Rose Valley was full of werewolves she’d have laughed. Today, not so much.
Law seemed to be walking a little easier now. She had to give him credit for being one tough son-of-a-bitch. People watched him—them—walk toward the building. Gazes bored into Bianca, but she refused to look at the gathering crowd. She focused on her breathing and not being afraid.
If they can smell fear then all they’ll get a whiff of is my orchid perfume.
“Everything will be okay, sweetie,” Janna whispered.
Bianca nodded, but she sensed the older woman was just being kind.
Nik came jogging up beside Law. “Fuck! What happened to you?”
“Feral wolves acting alone. Tobias is losing control, and that puts us all in danger.”
“She knows?” Nik glanced at Bianca and his eyes widened.
“Yeah, and she’s under my protection.”
Janna gasped. Nik whistled as if he’d just heard a doozy of a statement. “Better you than me buddy. Whatever you say, bro. I’m not the judgmental type. Hell, it’s time we exterminate the vermin on the bluff.
They entered what looked like a very plain shed the structure was large, and the type of place farmers would store large equipment. The inside looked different than she’d expected. Bianca noticed the floor looked to have seen many feet; it was a dirt and barn lime mixture appearing well trampled. Two of the four walls were finished with drywall, but the other two were still the same white metal as the exterior and appeared to be work-in-progress. The place smelled good, like new plywood.
Bianca noticed Janna’s face lost its color, and her lip trembled.
“You okay?” Bianca asked.
Janna gave Bianca a tight smile that didn’t reach up to her eyes and nodded. Janna’s trembling hand betrayed her previous lie as she led Bianca to the left row of seats in front of a large rectangular piece of plywood. There were two rows of metal folding chairs in the center of the room.
A few tables were lined up around the perimeter of the space, flush against the walls, but otherwise, the room was very open. Law and Nic went up front, and they spoke with
hushed voices in private before Nik took a seat in back. The spot where Law stood wasn’t much of a stage, but she noticed no one stepped on the wood except for Law.
Bianca sat down, observing Law stand before the room. Women and children filled the folding chairs, but the men stood at the back. They tried to stare down their leader, but to Law’s credit, he didn’t appear bothered.
Janna pointed at a group of men in the back. “That’s Kort. You watch out for him.” Janna Studied Bianca’s expression then looked around the room. “Don’t worry; we have more good men here than bad.” Janna pointed at men who had to be twins. “Tristan and Rune Smith, those two are good boys you can trust.”
Werewolves with Smith for a last name was epically twilight zone.
Janna started pointed at the people sitting behind them in the chairs. “That’s Mari Anna and her son James; they’re Kort’s.”
Bianca thought the way Janna said they belonged to a man was odd, but Janna continued pointing and naming so fast there was no time to question the turn of phrase.
A cute, petite woman with long dark brown hair sat down next to Janna. The stranger’s entire demeanor was unreserved in a friendly way. “Hi, I’m Reylin Foster.”
Bianca glanced at Janna. “My one-and-only favorite niece,” Janna explained with a dramatic hand gesture towards Reylin. In response, Reylin smiled wide and pushed her light reddish-brown hair off her face. Bianca didn’t see suspicion or hostility in the big amber eyes regarding her warmly, only curiosity. A sense of gratitude toward Law’s cousin filled her.
“My cuz is always causing trouble. Damn, someone roughed him up. How does the other guy look?”
Bianca didn’t know how much she should say, but Janna seemed comfortable with the question. “Other guys, and worse.”
“Wicked. That’s why he’s alpha,” Reylin replied. She was young, probably not older than twenty-five. Reylin sat back and looked up at Law. Bianca noticed how her lips quirked up as she glowed with unmistakable pride. “That’s my cuz.”
Moonlight's Peril (Moonlight Series Book 1) Page 4
