Wolf from the Past: Salvation Pack, Book 4

by N. J. Walters

  “No.” Surprisingly, it was Gator who spoke and not Armand. “You were right to come here. The world is no place for a wolf alone.”

  “Where did you go, Sylvie?” Louis asked. “How did you survive?”

  Her cousin often stood in his older brother’s shadow, but there were depths to Louis she didn’t think even he’d discovered yet. He was steady and strong, relentless in his efforts to protect Jacque. There was a sadness surrounding Louis and she wondered what had happened in his life since she’d last seen him. She’d missed so much.

  “I got on a bus and went out west for a while. I mostly worked as a waitress.”

  Cole’s mate nodded. “You can always find work and a lot of places don’t ask questions.”

  Sylvie got the feeling Cherise really did understand. She wondered what the other woman’s story was. How she’d come to be here with Cole and the rest of the pack.

  “I moved every six months and gradually worked my way back east.” She’d also lived in the woods from time to time when she’d been unable to find work. Those had been lonely, bleak times when she’d almost broken her silence and reached out.

  “What changed?” Armand asked.

  “Andre’s death.” Gator made the pronouncement with certainty. Sylvie wasn’t surprised he’d figured it out. He projected an easygoing image, but beneath it was an intense man with vast intelligence.

  “Yes. Andre’s death.” Even saying the words aloud, she wasn’t sure she believed them. Her mate had loomed like the grim reaper over her for years. It was difficult for her to accept he was actually gone.

  “How did you find out about that?” Jacque asked. Leave it to her cousin to hone in on that little tidbit. “It’s not like there was a funeral or an obituary note in the papers.”

  Sylvie rubbed her hand over the blanket, feeling the soft fabric beneath the pads of her fingertips. “I finally got the courage to make contact with someone in the pack.”

  Armand swore. “Are you crazy? Now they’ll all know you’re alive. Pierre will know.”

  She understood her brother’s anger. There was no telling what their former alpha might do if he discovered she’d fled the pack. “No. I trust this person implicitly.”

  “Who is it?” This wasn’t a question from cousin to cousin, but from the alpha of the pack. Jacque’s power seemed to rise, filling the room around them.

  Sylvie’s throat tightened as fear threatened to choke her. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders. She should have felt trapped, should have jerked away. But she knew it belonged to Gator, and his support made her feel safe, gave her the strength to push past her fear.

  Jacque wouldn’t hurt her. None of them would.

  She stared into her cousin’s golden-brown eyes and answered him. “Your mother.”

  Jacque’s eyes widened in shock and Louis muttered under his breath. “How did you manage to contact our mother? And why her?”

  There was so much more to their mother than they knew. They saw only the face of the downtrodden woman who was mated to their cruel father. But her Aunt Elise was so much stronger than any of them could ever imagine.

  “I have to go back to the beginning.” Gator’s arms flexed and tightened briefly around her before dropping away. She missed his presence as soon as he withdrew it. Which wasn’t smart. She couldn’t afford any entanglements. Didn’t want them.

  “Fine.” She could sense Jacque’s patience growing thin. So could his mate. Gwen placed her hand on Jacque’s arm and some of the tension drained out of her cousin. Sylvie was grateful to the other woman. Gwen offered her a smile of encouragement.

  “Just before I was mated to Andre, your mother came to me. She gave me a phone number and made me memorize it. Nothing written down for anyone to find.” Sylvie could still remember her surprise.

  She reached for her coffee mug only to find it empty. Gator jumped to his feet, strode to the kitchen and returned seconds later with the coffeepot. He refilled her mug and topped up the others around the table before returning the pot to the kitchen. It still shocked her to see Gator and the other men performing household chores. Andre would have never lifted his hand to help, let alone pour her a cup of coffee. That was women’s work in his world.

  “Thank you.” Such little kindnesses were rare in her world and she appreciated them.

  “No problem, chère.” Gator slid back into his seat beside her.

  “Why did our mother give you a phone number?” Louis asked. She could sense his growing confusion. “It wasn’t hers. No way could she have a phone without the old man finding out.”

  “There’s an underground movement in the Louisiana Pack involving a small, select group of women. They help one another when they can. Secrecy is paramount to their survival. If any of their mates found out…” She shook her head, not wanting to voice what would happen if the women were discovered.

  “He’d kill her.” Jacque shook his head and blew out a breath. “I don’t know whether to be amazed by my mother’s bravery or scared to death.”

  “What exactly do they do?” Armand asked.

  “They help where they can. Sometimes it’s little more than someone to listen to, but whenever they can, they actually help. Some of them have managed to start saving accounts of their own, working to get enough money stockpiled in case they ever have to run.” No way was she telling them about the many times Aunt Elise had helped Sylvie after Andre had beaten her.

  “But how are they able to use a phone. Their mates would know about it. No way could they hide something like that.”

  “You’re right, Jacque. The phone belongs to one very special woman with an equally special mate.” Sylvie turned to Cole. “Your mother is part of the network.” She hesitated and added, “So is your father. He’s the only male I know of who is part of it. The phone belongs to them. He’s the one who started the saving accounts for the women and does their banking.”

  Cole looked thunderstruck but then he slowly started to smile. “I always wondered why my mama and daddy never came with us when we left. I thought he was too afraid to leave.”

  Sylvie shook her head. “Non, he is incredibly brave. So is your mama. They ferry messages from one woman to another. I wouldn’t have known to come here if it weren’t for them.”

  She took a sip of the fresh coffee Gator had poured for her. It tasted extra good. “When a man answered the phone, I almost hung up.” It had scared her to death. “But he put your mama on the line and she convinced me it was safe to give her a message. I only trusted Aunt Elise, so I left a message for her to call me.”

  “This is incredible.” Armand brushed his hand over her hair. “I’m glad you had someone to turn to.”

  Sylvie’s stomach roiled. She knew she’d hurt her brother deeply by not turning to him. “I didn’t know you’d broken from the pack or I would have found you sooner.” That was the honest truth. She only hoped Armand would accept it.

  He nodded, but his eyes were sad and a muscle in his jaw twitched.

  “I waited several weeks for a call.” Every day had seemed to last forever while she’d waited for her aunt to contact her. “When she finally was able to call, she cried.” They’d both cried. Sylvie regretted hurting her family by letting them believe she was dead all this time. “She didn’t have a lot of time to talk, but she told me about this pack, about all of you who’d left. It was because of her that I’m here. She urged me to find you. Told me to come to Salvation.” Sylvie shrugged. “And here I am.”

  Jacque pushed away from the table and stood. “I think we could all use a break and time to process all this.” He turned to Louis. “You and Cole need to patrol. We have to make sure no one was watching. The last thing we need is the old man’s spies telling him that Sylvie is back from the dead.”

  Fear skated down her spine. It hadn’t even occurred to her that someone might be watchin
g her brother’s new home. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think my coming here might bring trouble down on you.” And she should have. But she’d been alone for so long that the thought of belonging to a pack, of being with her brother, had been an allure she hadn’t been able to ignore.

  Jacque flashed her a quick smile of reassurance. “We already had trouble with them, chère. Your coming here doesn’t change that.” He came around the table and she hastily stood, letting the blanket drop. “You’re a part of this pack now. You understand me.”

  Sylvie nodded. “Thank you. I promise not to be a burden.”

  “You’re a gift to this pack.”

  She closed her eyes and savored his words. Her eyes popped open when she felt Jacque brush a kiss on her forehead. “Welcome home, Sylvie.”

  Louis came to her next and kissed her forehead in greeting, making sure not to touch any other part of her. “Thank you, Louis.” He grinned and saluted her before heading out the back door.

  Cole came next. “Thank you for telling me about my parents.”

  “I owe them more than I can ever repay.” Even though her insides were jittery, she was determined to do the right thing. “If there is ever anything I can do for you, all you have to do is ask.”

  Cole nodded and followed Louis, stopping only long enough to kiss his mate.

  “I know you must have a million questions.” Gwen stopped beside her. “I’ll be at home if you want to talk. I know you must be exhausted and probably want to rest. If you want some company, Armand or one of the others will show you the way to the house.”

  “Thank you.” Sylvie was overwhelmed by their kindness and was barely holding things together. Gwen patted her arm and left with Jacque.

  Cherise smiled at Sylvie and pointed after Gwen. “I think I’ll head over to the main house with Gwen.” She glanced at Armand. “Give you time to talk.”

  Sylvie appreciated the other woman’s kindness. She turned to her brother. “Armand.”

  He stood beside her, stiff and unyielding. The scar on his face was whiter than usual, a reminder of all he’d been through in his quest to protect her. He’d feel as though he’d failed her when, in fact, he’d been her touchstone all her life.

  “I love you and I’m so grateful you’re alive.”

  He hesitated and Sylvie prompted, “But?”

  “I’m not ready to talk yet. I need to run.” As much as it hurt her, Sylvie understood. Armand had always been a sensitive soul, and she knew he was hurting. “Get some rest, okay? We’ll talk later.” He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead and left.

  Anny hesitated and started after him. “He’ll be fine. He’s really happy you’re alive and here.”

  Sylvie watched her brother disappear. Tears pricked her eyes. She’d hurt so many people even though she hadn’t meant to.

  “He’ll be fine.” Gator’s voice made her jump. How had she forgotten he was still here? It was the two of them. Alone.

  Chapter Four

  Gator wanted to punch his best friend in the face. How could Armand just leave Sylvie when it was obvious that she needed reassurance? Armand was the one who was supposed to be good with women, not him.

  She looked so lost just standing there. He was practically vibrating with the need to do something, anything. Problem was, he didn’t know what to do. Last thing he wanted was to do something that frightened her.

  “You want to lie down?” She had to be emotionally drained after sharing her story with them. He grabbed several plates and carried them into the kitchen just to get some space. She picked up several more and followed him.

  “No, I’m too unsettled. I wouldn’t sleep.”

  He opened the dishwasher and shoved the plates inside. “Everything will work itself out.” Fuck, now he was spouting platitudes. He couldn’t guarantee anything would work out. None of them could.

  He stalked back to the table and grabbed several mugs by the handles. He almost slammed into Sylvie when he turned. She was right behind him. He caught a whiff of sunshine and woman before she sidled past him and started piling dirty plates on top of one another.

  Her hair was so fine it didn’t want to stay confined to the braid. Fine wisps were making a halo around her face. “Gator?”

  Fuck him. He was standing there like an idiot. He went to the dishwasher and deposited the mugs. Once again, she was right behind him with her load of plates.

  “I can do this.” He grabbed the plates from her hands and tried to ignore the subtle way she jerked away before she caught herself. He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally left the dishes to him and gave him some much-needed space.

  Better if she was as far away from him as possible. He was too on edge to have her this close. The blood was pumping hard through his veins, all his muscles were coiled for action and his cock was standing upright, more than ready for sex.

  He swallowed hard and tried to ignore her while he finished cleaning up from their late lunch. Sylvie went to stand by the window near the dining table. Both cats were sunning themselves in a sunbeam but jumped to their feet and padded away when she approached. She glanced longingly at them, wrapped her arms around herself and peered out through the glass.

  Now he felt like a sonofabitch for snapping at her. She’d only been trying to help. It wasn’t her fault that being around her brought out his more animal side.

  He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face and prayed for patience. Keeping one eye on her, he finished putting his kitchen to rights. When everything was clean and in its proper place, he went to her.

  She ignored him, continuing to stare out into the yard at nothing in particular, or at least nothing he could see.

  “I’m sorry.” His quiet apology had her head snapping around. The incredulous look in her eyes made him grin.

  She opened her mouth, closed it and opened it again. “For what?”

  Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. Too late for that now. “For snapping at you. I know you only wanted to help.”

  Sylvie tilted her head to one side and studied him like he was some foreign species. And maybe he was. His father would never have apologized to his mother for anything. He damn well knew her father and ex-mate never would have either.

  All his good intentions went up in smoke. He had to touch her. He couldn’t be this close to her and not. Gator slid his fingers up her bare arm. Her skin was cool and he frowned. Was she still cold? The house was warm and all the windows were wide open to allow the breeze inside. He’d hoped eating would help level out her metabolism.

  Her eyes darkened and she swallowed heavily. “Gator?”

  “What, chère?” Whatever she wanted, whatever she need, he would provide. Fuck, he had it bad. The more he was around her, the more he was attracted.

  Yes, he was angry she’d run, that she hadn’t made contact with her brother and come to Armand, to them for help. But, heaven help him, he understood her motives. She’d been protecting her brother, the one person she loved.

  Jealousy, raw and ripe, welled up inside him. His wolf began to growl at the thought of another male around her, even if it was her brother.

  As if sensing his dark emotions, she took a step away. He simply followed her, not willing to lose the light contact. Just stroking his fingers up and down her arm calmed him.

  “Why are you touching me?”

  How could he answer her question so he didn’t scare the shit out of her? He wasn’t sure himself why it was so important for him to be near her, to let his skin slide over hers.

  Liar. The voice in the back of his head taunted him. He knew full well why he was touching her. He was marking her as his. For better or worse, he wanted her.

  He’d wanted her when they were barely out of their teens. But she’d kept to herself and he’d known her father would never allow her to mate with the likes of him. His family lived on
the outskirts of the pack, deep in the swamp. Swamp trash some called them.

  He’d wanted her when she’d been mated to Andre Dubois. Gator remembered that day all too well. It was the one and only time in his life he’d been drunk. It wasn’t an easy task for a werewolf to get drunk. Their metabolism ran so fast they burned off the alcohol as quickly as they consumed it. But he’d gotten his hands on some moonshine and downed jug after jug after jug. Things had gotten a bit hazy after that.

  And he still wanted her even though she’d run from all of them and hadn’t trusted them to protect her. He was thirty-five, almost thirty-six years old, and he’d never wanted another woman the way he did Sylvie.

  At this point in his life, he knew he never would.

  His wolf howled in agreement. The crazy animal knew she was his mate and wanted her. But if he weren’t cautious, she’d run again. He knew that all the way to his very bones. And if she disappeared again, Gator wasn’t sure he’d survive.

  “Gator?” Once again, he’d been lost in thought and hadn’t answered her question.

  “Why am I touching you?” He teased the edge of her blouse, grazing her bare shoulders. She had toned arms, sleek and muscular. “Because I have to.” He trailed them down to her wrist and back up again. “Because I can.”

  “But you don’t even like me,” she blurted.

  That stopped him cold. Not like her. He’d been obsessed with her for years. “Of course I like you.”

  She shook her head. Her dark eyes were serious and she pursed her lips. He wanted to kiss them and make her smile. “Of course you don’t. You’ve always growled at me, never seemed to want me around.”

  Gator briefly closed his eyes and prayed for divine guidance. “Non, chère. I like you too much. I always have.”

  Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned a pale rosy shade. She was blushing. She started to look down and away, but he caught her chin with the edge of his hand and raised it. “Never be afraid to look at me.”

  She squared her shoulders and faced him head on. “You have an odd way of showing you like me, Gator Rollins.”