by Dannika Dark
“Mmm, now that’s what I like to hear,” she purred.
“So what’s everyone doing?”
“It’s barely been a week. Miss us already?”
I kind of did. I loved the intimacy of time alone with Austin, but vacations reminded me of why I belonged with Shifters. I craved pack life like I craved air, and the family bond always grew stronger during a separation.
“We might be coming home late,” I said, keeping my voice low. “The snow is crazy, and the roads are treacherous.”
“I thought Austin had the plow and chains?” she asked, suspicion in her tone.
I couldn’t tell her about the attacks. The rogue proved how unstable the locals were and how easy it would be for someone seeking an opportunity to use rumors of war as an excuse to commit crimes.
“He can’t get them over to Lorenzo and Reno’s cabins, and they’re waiting for the owner to come out.” In truth, the owner had supplied each cabin with all the equipment needed to handle the bad weather. “Anything new going on?”
She huffed. “If you keep calling me with a weather report, I’m going to think something’s wrong. There’s nothing exciting to tell. Denver spilled red soda on his pool table, Lynn made a blue flower arrangement for her bedroom, Izzy’s had the hiccups for two hours, and Jericho keeps trying to scare her, only what he’s doing is scaring everyone else with all his dramatic screaming and leaping out of closets.”
“Sounds about right. Gotta go, I hear Austin coming.”
“I certainly hope so.”
I set the phone on the side table. The wood all around me was aglow, dripping with flecks of gold from the lamp beside the bed. The logs on the fire downstairs were popping, and every so often, the wind’s scornful whistle skated across the roof of the cabin.
Earlier, Austin had made cheeseburgers with deep-fried onion rings. Afterward, we made love twice more. Not because I was in heat, but just because.
While dressing up in a bustier was fun, I’d rather swim with sharks than have to wear one of those again. I finally knew what a taquito felt like. After our interlude on the dining table, I had changed into a long vintage T-shirt with quarter-length sleeves.
When he reached the top of the steps with a tray in hand, I didn’t know what looked more scrumptious—him or the snacks. Austin’s black boxer briefs fit him like a second skin. He’d also been taking shaving less seriously, and I had to admit that I liked the sexy casualness of his five-o’clock shadow.
“I didn’t know what you wanted, so I brought it all.”
“I see.”
Austin had filled the tray with cheese cubes, a bag of potato chips, stalks of celery, a can of bean dip, cookies, and trail mix. I’m not sure why I thought he would have arranged them nicely in bowls and on napkins—men foraged, they didn’t arrange.
“You can leave the bean dip over there,” I suggested, pointing at the wastebasket.
He set it on the ledge of the stairs beside his medallion and placed the tray in the middle of the bed. I sat up and opened the package of cookies with my teeth.
“So what’s the plan when we get back home?” I asked.
Austin sat across from me—one leg bent at the knee—and opened the trail mix. “Axel said it’s not his job to call the out-of-state Councils. He’ll get a nasty backlash for favoritism if he just contacts a few, and there’s no way he could know everyone’s number. He’s protecting his own. This isn’t the kind of thing I can tell our Council over the phone,” he said, eating a handful of the mix. “As soon as we get back, I’m calling an emergency meeting with the Council.”
“What if they want you to keep it a secret?”
“Then they can go to hell. Sorry, Lexi, but this isn’t something I’m going to tiptoe around. I can’t put the law over lives, especially when they’re my friends. They can reprimand me if they want, but I doubt it’ll come to that.”
“Should we leave Texas?”
He chewed his mouthful of nuts and then swallowed. “There’s no point. If you’re on the run, you have nothing. We’re safer where we have allies.” Austin pointed his finger. “But I’m going to tell you something right now. If it gets bad and for some reason we’re separated, I want you to come back here.”
“Here?” I exclaimed, tossing my half-eaten cookie on the tray. “Why would I drive all the way back to Colorado?”
“I’m not saying it’ll come to that, but worst-case scenario. You’ll be safer here. There are more Shifters statewide in Colorado, and they’re organized. It’s only a day’s drive. Reno’s my second-in-command, but you’re my partner. I’ll tell him the plan too, but I need you to enforce it. If we’re in over our heads, and you don’t see victory, then you come here. We’re not one of the bigger packs in the territory, and we might be one of the first targeted.”
I leaned forward. “First of all, I’m not leaving your side. Secondly, you need to talk to the Packmasters in our territory. Some of them have a tendency to be shortsighted and not see the bigger picture that if they make a few small sacrifices to help the other packs, then they’ll strengthen alliances and increase our chances of winning a war. If the Northerners pick off the smaller packs, then it just gets easier for them. Especially if some of those Shifters make bargains and wind up becoming spies or siding with them. If larger packs give up at least one man to the midsize packs, then maybe the smaller ones can band together, and we can have a better line of defense.”
Austin poured a handful of mix into his palm. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I think I’m the luckiest bastard that ever lived. That’s what. You have a head for strategy, and I’ll present the idea to the Council. There’s no guarantee—it’s all contingent on how immediate the threat is. I don’t know about the last suggestion; two packs living in the same house with two alphas running the show will never work.”
“Yeah, I can see that being a problem. It was just a thought.”
I collapsed on my right side, pillow beneath me, wondering why men were so thirsty for war. All this over land. Shifters could easily own land and businesses without humans noticing. The higher authority planted Vampires in key local and government positions, monitoring their systems and using their gifts to erase suspicion. This wasn’t just to benefit Shifters, but all Breeds. Hackers monitored computer databases, and Vampires used their gifts to influence leaders and scrub memories.
Austin pinched my knee and leaned back, giving me a hot look.
“Are you going to tell Axel about the trespasser?”
He held a chocolate candy between his fingers and studied it. “I gave him a quick call, but he’s getting reports of similar skirmishes. There’s not much they can do about the local rogues—not unless they break one of the laws set by the higher authority. The Council mostly keeps order among the packs and other organized groups of Shifters. If a rogue attacks a Packmaster or pisses on his patio, the Council can’t do much. Most rogues are harmless, but there are always jackasses in the bunch.”
Austin continued staring at my foot, watching me stretch and wiggle my toes. He finally sat up and began giving me a foot massage.
Bliss.
Nothing was sexier than lying in bed, half-dressed, spent from an afternoon of amazing sex, and having my shirtless mate rub my body with his warm hands.
“Do you think this is really the pack war everyone’s been talking about?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re just testing our weaknesses, but I have a feeling this isn’t a drill. If they targeted Colorado, then they’re going after the strong Shifter states first. That means we’ll be at the top of the list.”
“Why don’t they just come down and buy land if they want it so bad?”
Austin set the tray on the floor and lay down next to me, stroking his hand up and down my thigh. “They can only sell so much land to rogues, and sometimes none at all. Nobody wants to buy from humans if it means paying taxes and not having any privacy. Shifters who ban
d together and form packs or dens are entitled to more land. The Council sees them as a stable, trustworthy group. They’re not discriminating; they’re trying to maintain balance. It wouldn’t be fair to give one man five hundred acres when a neighboring pack of twenty only owns ten and needs more room. They could probably get something in the extremely rural areas, but living close to a major city is attractive. Food, nightlife, shopping…”
“What’s so bad about living up north? I’m sure there’s enough land up there. And besides, some Shifters would rather live in a condo or house than out in the woods.”
“Mostly it’s the wolves, Ladybug. Territory holds value, and this really goes back a long way. After we gained our freedom, some chose to live up north where it was safer, while others risked everything to venture out. Few were selling land to Shifters at that time, and eventually we formed Councils to help negotiate with that. They bought up land to keep on reserve. It’s jealousy, pure and simple. They want to have their cake and eat it too. These are modern-day barbarians—men who refuse to live by the law and have nothing to contribute to society. Why should we hand them what we’ve worked hard for?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes drowsy.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” I whispered sleepily.
I rested my head on my right arm, eyes closed, and enjoyed the tranquility. Austin cupped my jaw with his rough hand, stroking his thumb across my cheekbone.
“I don’t say it enough, Lexi, but I love you.”
I smiled, snuggling closer to him. “Tell me again how you first fell in love with me.”
“You’ve heard the story.”
“Yeah, but I want to hear it again.”
Chapter 5
I’d never experienced a heat spell so short in duration. Either Austin was a phenomenal lover, or something was wrong with me.
Still, I couldn’t complain. Despite the anomaly, Austin still behaved as a lover on a mission to satiate his woman. Luckily, there wasn’t as much to break in the cabin. Austin and I had a tendency to lose control when we made love, and we’d torn down many a curtain. Plus he’d packed his fringed leather gloves. They were a souvenir from his teens, and even though I made fun of their tackiness, I secretly loved Austin in those gloves. He knew it and I knew it, but neither of us admitted it.
Three days later, I shouldn’t have been able to walk. My heat spell hadn’t returned, but we were acting like newlyweds on our honeymoon. Axel finally called to confirm it was safe to leave the state if we wanted to.
Austin wanted to.
Thirty minutes after the call, he was plowing a path to the main road while I packed our things. I walked through the cabin a dozen times to make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything, and Austin cleaned all the embers from the fireplace. Halfway to the main road, Austin cussed when I went back for the second time to make sure the stove was off. Men don’t seem to understand that all women are afraid of burning down the house by way of stove or curling iron.
Twenty minutes after fueling up, Austin made an unexpected detour and pulled into another busy gas station. He parked the truck facing the road, away from the gas pumps. Lorenzo’s monster truck rumbled as it pulled up next to us. Austin rolled down the window, letting in a gust of the cold, humid air that often accompanied a wet snow.
Lorenzo eased up to Austin’s window. “Car trouble, Cole?”
Austin shut off the engine. “Nope. Just want to make sure we don’t run into any snags crossing the border. Three Texas plates moving in a group might attract attention.”
Lorenzo raised his head and scanned the parking lot. His long hair tangled in the cold wind, and he gave his head a shake to get it out of his eyes.
“Something up?” Reno asked in a gravelly voice, coming up behind Lorenzo.
“We need to swap out our plates,” Austin said. “We’re traveling in a group and—”
“Yeah, that’s problematic,” Reno agreed, hands in his leather coat. “I’ve got a friend I can call. He’s not far.”
Austin reclined his head, taking a minute to gather his thoughts. “I want two Colorado plates and one Louisiana. Think he can pull that off?”
“No sweat.”
I shivered and grabbed my coat from the backseat. “Austin, I’m going to run inside. Do you want anything?”
“Bring me something hot—whatever they got sitting underneath one of those heat lamps.”
I snorted. “It’s ten in the morning, so you might end up with either a sausage biscuit or a slice of pizza.”
When Ivy and April saw me getting out, they quickly followed. We strolled across the wet parking lot, past the gas tanks, and into the convenience store. Once inside, I cupped my hands and blew a heated breath to warm my fingers.
Ivy tapped a chunk of dirty ice from the end of her cane and headed toward the auto aisle while April and I sought out the snacks.
“Reno wanted me to stay here,” she said, grabbing a package of powdered donuts, beef jerky, and corn nuts.
I pulled two bottles of orange soda out of the cooler and grabbed a few snacks. “Alone?”
“No, not in the cabin. He wanted me to stay with a pack who takes in troubled Shifters—the same place he took Naya’s friend all those years ago. With me being human, he’s worried something might happen. Jeez. Do you think they’ll come after us in Texas?”
“I don’t know.” I set my basket on the floor and adjusted my knit hat so it wasn’t covering my eyebrows. “Did you hear about the wolf that showed up on our property?”
“No,” she said as I picked up my basket, clearly surprised.
“Just a local rogue. He was going to challenge Austin and blame his actions on the Northerners.”
“Holy smokes,” she whispered. “Were you hurt?”
I grabbed two sausage biscuits from under the warming lamp. “Just a few splinters on my ass, but nothing serious.”
When she furrowed her brow, I laughed and said, “Never mind.”
My mouth watered when I passed the summer sausages, so I bought a few. Something about the cold weather was making my wolf hungry for meat.
A dark-haired man in a suede coat leaned in front of April to reach for a bagel.
“Can I buy you breakfast?” he asked, his heavy cologne wafting my way.
When the bell on the door jingled and Reno walked in, I knew this situation was about to get epic. He had on his mirrored shades, dirty ice sliding off his black boots. He scanned the store while removing his gloves and stuffing them into his coat pockets. Everything about Reno looked like a soldier, from his short hair and clean shave to the way he carried himself.
He slid his glasses on top of his head and locked eyes with the guy hitting on April.
“Oh, shit,” I murmured.
He moved in our direction, his arms swinging and making the leather on his coat creak.
I started to turn when the checkout guy said, “Ma’am, are you ready?”
I quickly moved forward and set my basket on the counter, and naturally he wanted to converse about the weather.
“April!” I hissed.
She peered around and spotted Reno approaching.
Reno didn’t like men invading his woman’s space. He was protective of her, as all Shifters were with their women. In fact, that sort of possessiveness went both ways. It was instinctual to guard our territory.
“Let me buy that for you,” I heard the man offer.
Reno clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I ain’t gonna church it up for you—”
April wrapped her arms around Reno’s neck and locked lips with him.
Stunned, Reno had little choice but to kiss her back. When his fingers clawed at her sweats, and I saw his tongue moving in, it was clear the stranger in the tan coat was long forgotten.
“Where’s Reno?” Austin asked when I got in the car with our bags.
“He’s having sex with April on the counter. Look what I got you!”
I handed him the hot sausage biscuit, and
he immediately opened it and took a bite, steam rising from the meat.
“Reno’s guy should be here any minute,” he said around a mouthful of biscuit. “What the hell is all that?” He nodded at my bag.
“Summer sausage.”
He picked it up and read the label. “Are you sure a pound is enough?”
I snatched it back and placed the sack on the floor, opening the second sausage biscuit. “Did Ivy make it back? She checked out before we did.”
Austin wadded up the empty wrapper. “Church wanted an ice scraper for his side windows.”
“Huh. All that money, and he doesn’t come prepared.”
I suddenly coughed when a piece of biscuit tiptoed to the back of my throat before I was ready to swallow. Austin patted my back and quickly handed me his bottle of water.
“You okay?”
I chugged it down and coughed a little more.
Austin rubbed my back, his hand moving in a circle. “You’re supposed to eat it, Ladybug, not inhale it.”
We both simultaneously looked up when a thunderous noise filled the parking lot. A small group of eight motorcycles circled the lot, driving past Reno and April, who were walking at a brisk pace toward the trucks.
Reno knocked twice on Austin’s window and jerked his thumb at the bikers.
“What is it?” I asked, pivoting in my seat and looking through the back windshield. “Hey, that’s Axel.”
I recognized him by his impressive bike with a unique style. Axel was wearing leather from head to toe. His helmet wasn’t black but a burnt-orange color that matched his gas tank. The rest of his bike was all black—not a single speck of silver chrome on it.
“Can you even drive a bike in this weather?” I mused.
What kind of crazy person wants to ride around, exposing themselves to freezing temperatures?
Austin rolled down the window when Axel approached.
“I had a feeling it was you with the Texas plates.”
“We’re taking care of that,” Austin replied.
Axel blew out a breath of frosty air. “Good thinking. I just heard through the grapevine that Texas is on the hit list. Some of my men spotted you ten miles back, and since I was in the area, I thought I’d swing by and give you fair warning. I don’t know any more than that. One of the rogues we captured has been very cooperative. He doesn’t have any idea what’s going on, only what the original plan was. Stay alert, and good luck to you.”
