by Terry Spear
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Darien stopped to sample the breeze. The scent of other grays, a deer, a rabbit. pinesap, fall, nothing else. “He wasn’t after Tom. I suspect. Just the red. Except Tom was following her and would have protected her.”
“You still think your mate committed suicide?”
Yeah, and it was his damned fault. Whirlwind romance, although she’d seemed uncertain about becoming his mate, worried his people would revolt over her being a red, but anxious about something deeper that he could never get her to reveal. Maybe if he hadn’t pushed her to be his mate. But hell, she was his soul mate, the one he’d dreamed about for months. And she’d finally revealed she’d had the dreams about him, too. How could he let her go?
He shook his head. “I don’t know what to think.” Darien still harbored the same deep-seated feelings— that she’d committed suicide. He finally admitted. “She’d tried before.”
Jake’s mouth dropped. “When? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“She was sorry. Told me she wouldn’t try again and begged me not to tell the others.”
“A pack leader has to have a strong mate, Darien, pack rules. You should have at least told me.”
“I promised her.”
And it got her killed. Maybe if he’d deep down listened to what was bothering her. Sleepless nights, medicine to aid her sleep, but still she kept waking, fearful, exhausted, out-of-sorts. Hell, when she managed to kill herself this Ume, he never doubted it was for real.
‘Why did she try before?”
“She wouldn’t say. She was a private person. She was overly tired, distraught—”
“Pregnant.”
Darien’s face heated, anger and regret warring with his emotions. Yeah, pregnant with their triplets. Which made the whole damned thing even more of a travesty.
But if she couldn’t deal with life before the triplets were born, how would she have been able to handle the stress afterward?
“I understand why you think she might have committed suicide then, but don’t you think this business with her sister sheds a different light on it?”
“Maybe.”
Although he couldn’t see that it did. Unless someone coerced Lelandi to write the suicide note. She hadn’t been enthusiastic about having the babies, in fact seemed even more depressed about it. If anyone had coerced her, he didn’t think it took much convincing, yet if anyone had, they’d die at his hand.
Shots rang out a mile away, and Darien cursed under his breath. He charged in the direction, but Jake quickly caught up to him and grabbed his arm. Darien whirled around in fury, but saw Jake’s concerned expression. ‘What?” he whispered.
“Listen.”
He stood as silent as a frozen lake in winter and listened with his wolf’s hearing.
A heart beating farther away, slow, too slow, and then a groan.
“Lelandi!”
Jake glanced at him.
Darien gave him a feral look and yelled. “Larissa!”
They searched the area again, Darien and his brother in closer proximity to each other this time, trying not to miss her. He paused. “Larissa!”
Chapter 4
THROUGH A FOG-FILLED HAZE, LELANDI FELT PRESSURE ON her throat as If a snake encircled her neck, squeezing tight. She struggled for breath, her mind blackening. She tried to smell the snake, but all she sensed was the strong odor of decaying leaves.
Then a gruff, impatient male voice shouted for Larissa, nearer now.
A low, threatening growl sounded.
Ural?
The pressure on her throat ceased, and she gasped for air, unable to catch her breath. She couldn’t focus on anything, where she was, who he was, what had happened to Larissa. The snake moved quickly away, slithering through the brush, hiding from imminent danger. The pungent odor of humus departed with it. But a new scent drifted in the air. Her cousin’s.
“Ural,” she tried to say, but his name stuck in her throat.
He slunk close to her, licked her cheek—warm, wet, welcome. She wanted to hug his neck, but she couldn’t move.
“Larissa!” the male voice shouted, growing closer, his footsteps sending a sliver of a tremor through the ground, and another, not far away.
Lelandi, she corrected him silently. Even her parents, her brother, and the pack members constantly mixed up their names, to her utter annoyance. She swallowed hard, her throat sore, the pain in her chest radiating throughout her body, agonizing, punishing. Where was she?
Ural nudged her face, then backed away.
Was he behind her? Protecting her?
Cold numbed her Joints, her skin, her bones. She couldn’t sit or lift her head. But the darkness was beginning to grow light.
“Larissa!”
She opened her mouth to speak, but the snake had stolen her voice. She squeaked out something inaudible. Taking a deep breath, she shut her gaping mouth, and stared in the direction of the footsteps.
Small rocks, twigs, and leaves slid down the hill In advance of the marauders, hurrying down the steep incline toward her, nearer and nearer. They’d found her! But the elation was overshadowed by what they’d want to do with her next.
“Over here!” Darien’s rich baritone voice sent shivers of expectation through her torn-up body.
His hair was tangled by the wind, his brown eyes nearly black, his mouth grim and set.
Then she remembered. Larissa—she was... was dead. And Tom—shot. Was he all right? And Ural! If the grays catch him...
“Over here!” Darien shouted again, and soon another man crashed through the thick brush. Darien Jerked his leather coat off and wrapped her in it.
Jake appeared, yanked a phone off his belt, shouted coordinates into the phone, and gave orders to keep searching for the gunman. “Shit.” Jake paused as whoever he spoke to must have finally got a word in edgewise. Sam was shot.”
Darien stopped unbuttoning his shirt. “Is he...”
“Hit In the arm. He’ll live.”
“What about Silva?” Darien removed his shirt and started to unbutton Lelandi’s jacket.
“She’s shook up, but fine. The gunman’s dead.”
Darien looked up at Jake. “Anyone question him?”
“He’s dead.”
“Hell, Jake. I know that. But did anyone question him before he died?”
Jake shook his head and hung up the phone, then he lifted his nose and sniffed. “Do you smell a hint of a red?”
“Can’t as much perfume as she’s wearing.” Darien pulled up her turtleneck.
The cold air chilled her already frozen skin. He muttered an ancient wolf curse, then tucked his body- warmed flannel shirt against her wounds—smelling of him—all hot and spicy male.
Her mind drifted until he spoke again. “Who killed him?”
She stared at his bare chest, lightly haired, muscled, bronzed, beautiful. Who said men’s bodies couldn’t be beautiful? Every inch of him looked incredibly lickable, kissable, real.
“Not sure who killed him. Darien.”
“Damn it. The gunman should have been questioned.” Darien pulled her shirt down with tenderness, warming her, and then he used the same gentleness to close her Jacket. “First off, who the hell are you?”
So much for the tenderness.
Through clenched teeth, she tried to growl, “Lelandi, and you know who the hell I am,” but her voice was too hoarse. Her eyes were so heavily lidded, she could barely keep them open, except to stare at his magnificent chest.
But why was the rest of him dressed? Naked, that’s the way he appeared to her in the dreams, his corded muscles rippling as he moved, every part of his sculpted anatomy ready to pleasure her. And why was she dressed? When she was always bared to the skin, waiting for his hungry touch?
He cursed. “God of thunder! My mate’s dead, so what the hell do you think you’re trying to pull?”
She lifted her gaze from his chest. Darien’s stem face shook her loose of her fantasy. Unable to
fathom what he was talking about, she knew his mate—Larissa—was dead. She choked on a sob.
He lifted her off the cold ground and the sight of his naked chest, square set Jaw. darkened eyes— everything—faded away.
“Woman.” Darien called out to her from a million miles away, his steely voice cloaked in concern.
She heard him, but couldn’t focus, couldn’t open her eyes. Her body floated, Jostled over the rough terrain while the big gray carried her.
“How many times did he shoot you?”
Too, too many.
“What did he look like?”
Who? Her eyes fluttered open briefly, then slammed shut.
“Speak to me. At the tavern when you went to the restroom, what did the ladies do to upset you?”
Crowded me. Not since she had martial arts training had anyone messed with her. Took a near human rape to convince her she needed a way to protect herself as a human. Too bad she couldn’t have used it to disarm the gunman. But he hadn’t been close enough. If only she’d had her gun.
With a ragged sigh, she soaked in the heat of Darien’s body, the strength of his arms wrapped securely around her, the smell of his masculinity, the smell of his sex. No matter how harshly he acted toward her, no matter how disinterested he pretended to be, he couldn’t restrain that part of himself. He couldn’t hide the telltale signals that he wanted her, like any alpha male lupus garou craved a female. The sexual chemistry between them sizzled, sending a volley of heat sliding through her. She moaned and he tightened his grip on her. Larissa must have delighted in mating with such a rugged figure of a man, much, much bigger than a red.
“Larissa,” he said, commanding her to respond.
She frowned and opened her eyes. Jake gave her a look as grave as Darien’s as they climbed up the side of the ridge.
“Lelandi,” she said on edge, with barely the breath to breathe.
Darien’s grim ups scowled further.
She wrinkled her brows in concentration. “Three.”
Darien stared at her. “Three what?”
“Maybe she’s answering your previous question, how many times had she been shot?”
She nodded her head limply.
Jake ran his hand over his scruffy whiskers. “She’s pretty out of it.”
“That’s why I’m trying to keep her talking. Ask her something.”
“Where are your parents?” Jake’s voice was as demanding as his brother’s.
She swallowed hard, tamped down the pain in her heart, in her brain. Dead.
“We need to send her to her own people, let them take care of this.” Jake said.
“Whoever tried to kill her came into our territory. It’s our jurisdiction, our matter to handle.”
“But what if this had nothing to do with Lelandi?” Jake asked.
“Larissa,” she said, correcting him, this time angry. Couldn’t they get their names straight?
Darien ducked with her underneath the branch of an oak. “What If this does have to do with Lelandi?”
“Larissa,” she said again, her voice becoming unduly agitated.
Hugging her closer, Darien climbed over a fallen log. “She’s sure not following the gist of our conversation.”
The aroma of bacon, sausage, and ham cooking in houses at the edge of town wafted in the air, and a rush of voices and footsteps headed her way. A hawk gilded on the wind in search of its own breakfast that morning, and clouds were building. A hint of an early snow on the breeze added to the chill in her bones, while the pain in her chest and back spiraled out of control.
Coveting the heat of the gray, she wanted to lean further into him, but she felt as limp as a rag doll, unable to control her destiny. Taking another deep breath, she tried to smell his sex again. Every man’s was different and most she never paid much attention to, but his was driving her mad. Virile, strong. musky, hot as a heated oven in summer, tantalizing. Had his special scent caught Larissa’s attention?
Lelandi never figured she’d be drawn to the same male as Larissa. Must be the gunshot wounds screwing up her sense of smell.
“Hold on, Larissa,” Darien said, his voice darkly soothing. “Doc will fix you up.”
The look he shared with his brother cast doubt on his words.
“Get Doctor Weber.” she managed to croak out.
The silent glance that passed between Darien and Jake meant they had other plans. But Doctor Weber was one of the reds. He’d know what to do. He’d removed bullets from her flank when hunters had shot her as a wolf, resuscitated her when she’d nearly drowned.
“They’re bringing Sam in,” a guy said, crowding in with several others, hurrying to join Darien.
Sam? Oh, the bartender, devious smile, rugged, mountain-man type.
“Is he wounded badly?” Darien sounded gloomy.
“Not as bad as the little lady appears to be.” The man’s beer breath made her wince when he squeezed in close to get a look.
“Sam was shot in the arm, nothing vital struck,” another said. “But you know him, he’ll be serving drinks by this evening, boss.”
“Lupus,” she whispered and Darien’s eyes grew wide.
Before she uttered another sound, he leaned down and kissed her, but the kiss didn’t slop at silencing her words. His lips pressed deeper, promising more, willing her to agree, and then his warm mouth tantalizing hers faded away.
“Larissa,” he called out, drawing her forth from the darkness.
Darien’s dark eyes gazed at her, pensive, pained.
Several of the men chuckled.
“The ladies will be clamoring for a kiss that would make ‘em pass right out.” Silva’s voice was silky soft, dreamy, wistful.
Vehicle doors creaked open, and Lelandi closed her eyes. wanting to say something more to force the gray to kiss her again, but she couldn’t come up with anything, her mind focusing on the way his lips touched hers— hungry, desirous, feral.
“Sure they weren’t a special kind of bullet?” someone asked, his voice hushed.
“No. She’s lost a lot of blood. The cold’s taken a toll on her, too. Riding with her, brother?” Jake asked.
Darien released her and she reached out to him, wanting his warmth, his comfort, another of his mind numbing kisses. He seemed torn about showing any further affection.
Lying on something long, flat, and hard, she felt the blankets covering her, but the bone-chilling cold renewed after losing the heat of the big gray’s body.
“Meet you over there.” Darien’s voice sounded gruff and unreal, like he was trying to put on a show for his pack. trying to distance himself from her. “Got to check out Silva and Sam’s story.”
Feeling rejected, she wanted more of his touch, scowling at her, paying attention to her, anything. Yet, on another level, she shouldn’t feel any of these things.
“I can give you a report,” Jake offered.
Again, there was a prolonged hesitation. “No, I’ll check on her later.”
Darien’s rejection cut deep, and she turned her misty gaze away so she couldn’t see the hardened look in his eyes.
“I’ll go with her, Doc.” Jake climbed in beside her and the vehicle rocked like a boat adrift in turbulent water. He smelled different, not as sexual as Darien. Maybe because he wasn’t attracted to her like she sensed Darien was.
Heaven forbid. A gray. Her dead sister’s mate. And torn emotionally because of losing her. Yet. Lelandi couldn’t stop craving his touch.
“Wait up!” Silva said. “I want to ride with her.”
Darien put a hand on her arm, stopping her. “I need to talk to you first, Silva.”
“Can’t it wait, boss? Sam saw everything anyway. Uhm, as much as there was to see.”
Again, there was a long pause before he responded.
“Got to take care of the little lady,” a white-haired man said.
“All right. Doc. But I want to hear what happened out there soonest. SIlva.”
Pack business.
Nothing else counted. Certainly not Lelandi. Only the shooter who killed the gunman mattered. She gritted her teeth against the pain in her heart.
“Yes, siree, boss.” Silva said, her voice like cotton candy.
The ambulance jiggled some more, and Silva’s slight feminine fragrance scented the air.
The doors slammed shut and the woman smiled at Lelandi, her expression wistful.
“You sure shook that big gray out of his doldrums, sugar.” Silva turned to Jake. “So what in the world happened out there?”
“I could ask you the same, Sllva. Why the hell did the gunman have to die before he talked?”
Lelandi croaked out, “He had to die. No witnesses.”
Chapter 5
As SOON AS LELANDI’S LOOK-ALIKE SISTER HAD INVADED his favorite Friday night getaway since the death of his mate, Darien knew there’d be trouble. His men were sure he wanted her to replace his dead mate. The women were already jealous he’d be interested in another red. Despite the fact he’d made every effort to show no interest in her.
Except for the kiss. Hell, he’d only done it to silence her words. Yet, the kiss hadn’t just stopped at prohibiting her from speaking, nor had he wanted it to, which was absolute madness. Worse, he made her pass out, not because of his passionate kiss either. She was severely injured for Odin’s sake. What the hell was the matter with him anyway?
Letting his breath out in exasperation, he stood in front of Hastings Bed and Breakfast and examined Sam’s flesh wound, seeing where the bullet had grazed his upper arm.
Sam was telling his story again, probably for the fiftieth time, relishing every second of his moment of glory while the townsfolk crowded around, listening in. “The gunman was following us, but Silva was chattering as usual and must have distracted me. He fired before I could get a shot off. Whoever killed the man hid in the trees on a ridge. Have no idea why he hasn’t joined us to get a pat on the back.”
“Probably worried Darien would be pissed at him for not hitting the gunman somewhere less fatal.” Mason slanted Darien a look.
Humans, curious about what had happened, mingled with his people, so Sam and the rest of Darien’s people were cautious about what they revealed. Which made Darien think again about the kiss. Hell, he couldn’t have the little red wolf, half out of her head, talking about lupus garous.
