She leaped into the Volvo and took off with a screech of tires.
Screw that. He jumped in his jeep and took off after her, calling Maddox to let him know what he was doing.
“She seems to be heading out of town,” he told him.
“And you’re positive she’s not a Mordhaus member?”
“Oh, I’d remember this woman. Believe me.”
“You want me to send backup?”
Carver burst out laughing. “Sir, the day I can’t handle a five foot five she wolf is the day I hand in my badge as pack enforcer.”
“Yep. Sounds like you’ve done a great job with her so far,” Maddox said. And he hung up.
Carver scowled at that. Very funny. Unfortunately, since Maddox was the Alpha, he was the one person that Carver could not possibly suggest should take a flying leap onto a giant dick. Not if he wanted to keep his jugular intact.
He concentrated on the road ahead – she kept driving and driving, zipping around curves, foot on the accelerator. He matched her speed easily, following her through human territory and out again, until a couple of hours later, they were in Timber Valley.
As they crossed the county line, a half dozen cars pulled out from the side of the road and surrounded him, and forced him to a halt. Two of them were patrol cars.
He climbed out of his car, watching the beautiful brunette leap out of her car and slam the door.
Within seconds, six male wolf shifters were barreling down on him. He pulled out his badge and held it up. They glanced at it suspiciously as they stopped and stood side by side, still bristing and defensive.
“Carver Lawrence, enforcer for the Killingworth Pack,” Carver said. He glanced at Virginia, who was shooting him murderous looks. “I take it this she-devil is one of yours?”
An older man with streaks of gray in his hair stepped forward. Despite his years, he was in perfect physical shape, barrel chested and muscular, with a dominating air. Clearly Alpha. Vince Battle, Carver was pretty sure, from various state-wide shifter gatherings he’d attended over the years.
“Vince Battle, Alpha of the Battle Pack. I expect you’ve got a really good reason for following my daughter into our territory.” His voice was a menacing growl, his dark eyes blazing with anger.
The brunette strolled up to stand next to her father, hands shoved in her pockets.
Carver met Vince’s gaze and didn’t show a trace of submission. He didn’t bow down to anyone but his own Alpha. He’d been told quite often that he could easily be Alpha of his own pack; he was just barely Beta. Sometimes he went over the line.
“I expect your daughter’s got a really good reason for coming in to our territory and physically assaulting me, twice, despite the fact that I’ve never met her before. Something about Katrina?” He raised an eyebrow and shot her a look.
Vince sucked in an angry breath. He turned to shoot an angry look at his daughter. “Virginia?”
She lifted her chin defiantly. “They kidnapped her when she went in to town to go shoe shopping. It’s outrageous. We should be rescuing her. She’s my cousin, for God’s sake!”
“We have discussed this. They did not violate the Covenant. This is an issue between two packs. She is not in danger, and the Killingworth pack does not have the reputation of abusing females or breaking the law.”
She put her hands on her hips. “What would you do if it had happened to me? You’d just sit there and let me be kidnapped? We know you’d go all Alpha and declare pack war.”
“We’re not having this conversation here. You’re grounded.”
Virginia threw back her head and laughed, but there was a harsh edge to it. “I am twenty. You can not ground me!”
“As your father and your Alpha, I damned well can. You just added another month to your grounding.”
“Then I will move off pack property. I am an adult, and you can not continue treating me like a child.” Her eyes glittered with anger.
“So you’re an adult, but you come in to my territory to harass me and then go running back to call for help and hide behind daddy like a five year old?” Carver said scornfully. She was a spoiled little daddy’s girl and a total brat.
She was also incredibly hot and she turned him on like nothing he’d ever experienced before, but at the moment all he wanted to do was throw her over his knee and spank her.
To his surprise, she nodded. “You’re right. Next time, I’ll handle the consequences on my own.”
“There won’t be a next time!” Vince shouted, his face flushing with anger.
“You all have a good day, now.” Carver turned and walked back to his car without looking back, climbed in, and slammed the door. He backed up, made a u-turn, and headed back towards Greenville.
* * *
The sunrise painted a red and orange glow along the horizon, and the high, jagged mountains were outlined against the sky. The pack was up early, as ever. Maddox and Katrina stood on the front porch of the common house, sipping coffee and watching the morning mists swirl on the ground. Soon the sun’s rays would burn the mists away and chase the mild chill from the air.
“Wow, we still haven’t gotten it out of our system. I thought maybe we’d be sick of each other by now.” Katrina shook her head in amazement. It had been a week. A week of the best, most earth-shatteringly delicious sex she’d ever had. A week of waking up, wrung out and sweaty, in Maddox’s arms, breathing him in and feeling his heart beat against her chest. And wishing it could last forever.
Maddox winked at her.
“We’ll have to try harder.”
“Ha,” she scoffed. “I may need a day off just to recuperate.” At his stricken look, she added quickly “Oh, there are other things that we can do. It’s fun to get creative.”
He slung his arm around her shoulder, and she started.
“What?” he said, looking puzzled.
“Everybody can see us. You. Me. The enemy. Together.”
Maddox threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Sweetheart, you know that every wolf pack is like a high school full of teenaged girls when it comes to gossip, right? Everybody knows. And they’re fine with it.”
She stared up at him. “Are you fine with it?”
“If you are.” Now his expression turned serious, with maybe the faintest hint of worry.
She bit her lip. The Death Challenge was getting closer and closer. “Is there any way that you’d consider seeking an alliance with my stepfather?” she finally asked him. “He might be open to it. It’s worth a shot.”
He sighed. “It’s not possible. Even if he would agree to it, I wouldn’t. I’m sorry.”
“Your two packs would be stronger together.”
“For me to form an alliance with someone, I have to be willing to defend them and their actions, and stand behind them. I can not defend or even tolerate your stepfather’s actions.”
She nodded. She wished she could talk to Maddox about whatever the hell was going on with the gophers, and with everyone in town for that matter, but that would be betraying her own pack. It sucked not being able to confide in him. The more time that she spent with him, the more she felt like they were melding together, like two halves of a whole.
Across the common area, she saw Peony and Alexander walking hand in hand. They were smiling. Peony caught her eye and gave her a happy wave.
“Hello, check that out,” she said.
“Yep. I had a few words with Alexander and his mother, both. His mother won’t be moving in next to them – I let them know that I personally was forbidding it, for the sake of pack harmony, which took some of the responsibility off Alexander – and Alexander actually stood up to her.”
“Well, praise the Lord and pass the pudding. It’s a miracle.”
He laughed. “See, I do have my uses.”
Her tone turned lascivious. “Plenty of uses.”
“Really? Would you like to use me right now?”
She wanted to, but she couldn’t let this death match
thing go. It was nagging at her like a sharp splinter she couldn’t quite reach.
“Maddox, you do realize, and I am not questioning your abilities as an Alpha, I’m being completely respectful for once – enjoy it while it lasts, which will be about sixty seconds – that it is possible that my stepfather could win? He has not lost a single Death Challenge. Ever.”
“Neither have I. And I will win.” He met her gaze, and he’d gone dead serious. “Believe me when I tell you that I’m very, very good. There’s a lot that I’m fighting for. I won’t lose.”
She could tell what he meant. Her. He was fighting for her. Not just for his pack, but her.
“He’s up to something,” she blurted out. “There had to be some reason why he set the death match in a month.”
“I’m sure he is. That’s your stepfather’s nature.”
For once, she didn’t lash out and defend the honor of her pack. Maddox was right, she knew it, and she’d probably sensed it on some level for a long time but loyalty to her pack had prevented her from acknowledging it to herself. “He’ll find a way to cheat.”
Maddox shook his head. “He can try. You know how much the Council of Elders has tightened the scrutiny on the Death Challenges.”
There had been a terrible cheating scandal a couple of years back, when it turned out that one of the officials who oversaw the Death Challenges was actually being blackmailed by an Alpha. The official had pretended that the Alpha tested clear of magic enhancement, but the Alpha was doping himself so he could win.
The cheater and the official had both been put to death. Now an entire five person panel did the testing. There would be no magic, no steroids, no drugs, no way that Roman could cheat.
“I thought I saw him moving a little stiffly a while back,” Katrina ventured. By telling Maddox that, she was stepping so far over into pack treason territory that there was no going back.
“It had occurred to me that he might have some kind of injury, and he was giving it time to heal completely.” Maddox didn’t look at all concerned. “Although his healer really should be able to take care of most injuries. Anyway, it won’t help.”
She sighed. She dreaded the Challenge and desperately wanted it to be over with, at the same time.
“Listen, if you want…and this is not what I want at all, but I’m telling you that I’d understand…if you want to move back to your room and wait until after the fight, I’d understand.” Maddox’s voice was pained as he said it, and he tensed, waiting for her answer.
Katrina considered it. If she had any common sense that’s what she’d do. Then again, if she had any common sense, she would have resisted her overwhelming, burning attraction for Maddox. What kind of repercussions would there be for her if Maddox lost?
She sighed and considered it. To be away from Maddox…to wake up to an empty bed…
“I’ll stay with you,” she said, and she felt the tension flow out of Maddox’s body.
He bent down and swept her in his arms and kissed her passionately, a kiss that was hot and hungry, his tongue probing deeply. She whimpered into his mouth and melted up against him. Her heart thudded in her chest, and her knees went weak and wobbly.
When he finally released her, he looked down at her with a wide, satisfied grin. “In case there was anyone on the entire property who didn’t know, I’m pretty sure they’re all clear now. And if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to brush up on my ass kicking skills, so I’m off to the training center. I pity that poor punching bag.”
Katrina headed back inside to take a shower, and as she walked down the hall, she passed Carver.
“Hey, I saw your cousin Virginia the other day,” he said.
Katrina raised an eyebrow. “Really? How did that go?”
“Violently.” Carter had a half baffled, half amused look on his face. “She’s got some quick reflexes, that girl.”
Katrina through back her head and laughed. That sounded about right for Virginia, who was probably thoroughly cheesed off about Katrina’s abduction.
“Serves you right. Where did you meet her?” she asked. Katrina didn’t see Virginia that often, since she lived two hours away.
“She came to town to inquire after your welfare, shall we say. She must give her boyfriend absolute hell.”
“She doesn’t have one,” Katrina said as she headed off to her room, and she was already getting ready for her shower when she suddenly realized that Carter had said that because he was fishing to find out if Virginia was single.
Later that day, Teresa approached her in the kitchen at the rec center, as she rolled out pie dough for homemade apple pies they’d be making later. “I hate to say I told you so, but no I don’t,” Teresa said, smiling. “Has he asked you yet?”
“Who asked me what?”
Teresa glanced around and lowered her voice. “You know. Maddox. To marry him. To be his mate.”
“Oh, good God, no.” Katrina actually found herself blushing as she rolled the dough out. “It’s hardly the time for that. I mean…well, death challenge, and all that fun stuff coming up.”
“Oh, well, after he wins, I’m sure he’ll ask you,” Teresa said confidently. Katrina could only pray that Teresa was right – about winning, at least. And, if she was being honest with herself, about the rest of it too.
The longer she’d come to stay with Maddox, the more she’d realized that she’d grown up with a false image of him and his pack. Most of his pack were decent, just like most of her pack was decent. Maddox was known as a strong Alpha and a harsh disciplinarian, but she’d never seen him behave like the brutal, abusive bully that her parents had described.
Violet wandered by, holding a rolling pin and looking confused. “What am I supposed to be doing, again?” she asked Katrina.
“You came to help me roll some dough, remember?” Katrina moved out of the way for her.
“Oh, yes. Now I remember. We’re making pie for your baby shower. What are you and Maddox going to name her?” Violet settled in next to her and dumped some flour on her rolling pin.
“Oh, uh…still thinking of names,” Katrina said, blushing again. Violet sure was eager to have her start pumping out those cubs.
“I don’t remember your wedding at all,” Violet confided in her. “I must have been thoroughly sauced. Shame on me.” She let out a demure titter, hiding it behind her hand.
“See, Miss Violet called it from the beginning,” Teresa said, winking at her. “She knew Maddox was sweet on you. Speaking of Maddox…” Teresa looked through the big picture window. Maddox was striding towards the kitchen, and he didn’t look happy.
“What?” Katrina said as soon as he walked in the door. “What’s happened?”
“Heather’s father. Hit a tree while drunk, last night. Didn’t survive.”
There were exclamations of dismay throughout the room.
“Oh.” Katrina went pale. She felt mingled pity and fury for Heather’s father. Of course he was heartbroken. She got that. Now that she’d started to have real feelings for Maddox, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose a mate – but how could he abandon a perfect little girl like Heather?
“Let’s talk about this outside,” he said. Katrina followed him outdoors.
“Heather’s asking for you,” he said. They’d still kept Heather with a family on the far end of the pack property, and Katrina hadn’t seen her again.
“What should I do?” She blinked back tears. “This sucks. It’s horrible. I’m furious at him, no matter how sad I am for him. Damn it, I want to punch someone.”
“I was going to wait to ask you this, but…” he took a deep breath and grabbed her hand. “I need to know if you’re going to stay here permanently.”
Her heart leaped in her chest. “You’re asking me…”
“I want you to stay here. Everyone wants you to stay here. I want you with me. In my room. Our room. Well, we’d move in to our own house, of course. Damn it, I’m not good at this.”
; Katrina managed a shaky laugh. “No, you’re not.”
“What I’m doing is proposing. Not just because of Heather. Because I want you by my side for the rest of my life, and I want to have lots of beautiful cubs with you.”
“We better hope they take after their mother than, huh?”
“Hey.” Maddox pretended to look injured. “I am a very handsome man. My mother told me so.”
“She wore glasses, right?” Katrina threw her arms around him. “Yes. I accept. If you come up with a more romantic proposal, after the Death Match, the answer will be – odds are pretty good, if I were a betting person – I’d place all my money on yes.”
His grin was so huge it looked as if his face was going to split in two. “I’d be jumping up and down with joy and celebrating, if we didn’t have to go talk to Heather right now.”
It was a long, tear-filled day, and Heather fell asleep in Katrina’s arms. They moved her to the main house, along with Caroline, who was her aunt on her mother’s side, and did their best to keep her busy during the days that followed.
Chapter Eleven
Katrina strolled through the woods, struggling to keep the nagging worry inside her at bay. Two more days. Then this would finally be over.
She kept telling herself that as long as it was a fair fight, Maddox was sure to win. The problem was, she knew that her stepfather didn’t fight fair.
Despite the fact that she and Maddox were together, she still had security trailing after her – partly because of the attack on her from earlier that month. She didn’t bother to object; it wouldn’t have changed Maddox’s mind, and she understood that he had to make sure that she stayed on the property. Losing a hostage would mean losing respect and appearing weak.
“I need to find some more daisies for Heather’s hair, and then we can go back,” she told Michael.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged. “Nice day. I’m in no hurry.”
She spotted a clump of daisies, knelt down to pick them, and as she did, she scented Lula in the area.
Taken By The Alpha (Timber Valley Pack) Page 8
