“Stay here. Rurik will be back soon. He always knows when we’re in need,”
Jericho
grumbled.
“No. Have to find…Red. Make sure…she’s…okay.”
“That’s what you want?”
Jericho
sounded odd.
“Find her,” he growled, his werewolf wanting the woman right the fuck now. He had to see her safe.
“Whatever. Come on, furball.”
Jericho
helped him take several steps on the path towards Rudra’s house.
A flurry of people raced from that very direction. Rudra among them.
Fenris pushed away from
Jericho
and almost fell into her arms. He steadied himself and looked her over. Still golden-eyed, red-haired and annoyed with him.
“I leave you alone for a few hours and this is what happens?” she asked, glancing away from him to scowl at
Jericho
.
“You okay?” Fenris gripped her chin in his hands and turned her face to clearly see her. “No attacks?” He hissed when she hugged him to keep him from falling.
“
Damn it.
You’re bleeding everywhere.”
“Most amazing damn thing I’ve ever seen,” Brody mumbled in the background.
“Saved our asses, big time,” Gibson added, angling to get closer.
“What happened?” Rudra asked.
Her father and mother suddenly appeared in front of them, the way the smoke creatures had. Fenris wasn’t at the top of his game and took a swing, not expecting anything but trouble.
Thankfully, Rena ducked to avoid a slash across her throat.
“Shit,” he mumbled, having a hard time focusing. “Sorry, Rena. Thought you were someone else.”
“Bring him inside,” he thought he heard Rurik say.
Then someone pressed down hard on his ribs, and he passed out again.
Rudra stared in horror at Fenris, wondering if he’d make it. He looked terrible. Covered in blood, his face pale and waxy, his body burning up.
Yet he wanted to see how
she
fared.
Was it any wonder she couldn’t think around him? She hurried after
Jericho
and the others carrying Fenris into the house. Before she entered, she spun to stop the crowd gathered behind them.
“Is it true Fenris is a werewolf?” Nine-year-old George Hankler asked with wide eyes. “Becky said she heard Gibson tell Netta that—”
“Okay. Everyone, disperse. Brody, Beckett? Put everyone on alert. We have sorcerer troubles again.”
The brothers groaned.
“Gibson? Fill the council in on whatever’s happened. I want them to instil a curfew until we figure this out. Everyone to the village centre. Now.”
The crowd scattered, and she hurried inside. Her father had Fenris on the dining table and was working spells over him. Her mother spoke quietly with
Jericho
and a few red wolves. Spotting Rudra, she left them and pulled her close.
“
Jericho
was telling me what happened. I knew Fenris was a werewolf, but seeing him up close… By the Wolf, he’s impressive. And he saved your beta, did you know that? Tell her.” She shoved Rudra at the bear before moving to help her husband.
“Well? Spill it before I hurt you,” Rudra snarled.
Jericho
recounted everything. About Fenris’ relationship to Mike Barton, about his transformation and how he’d saved the small group. And about how he’d looked like death and could barely stand but wouldn’t stop until he’d seen for himself that Rudra was safe.
“I liked him before, but I can’t say enough about him, now. He’s yours, Rudra. And you know it,”
Jericho
growled. “So stop being such a dipshit and take him to mate. Sometimes I wonder how you manage to be alpha, as slow as you are.”
She blinked in shock, not used to
Jericho
’s criticism.
“Well, you know it’s true,” he muttered. “I love you. I respect you. But I know you. He scares you. He won’t bow down to you and do whatever you tell him to. And that’s exactly what you need. I like him.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Yeah, because he saved your life.”
“No. Well, okay, yeah, because of that. And because he’s strong enough to put you first. I saw him in all his werewolf glory. He’s alpha through and through, but he’s never done anything to impede your rule, and you know it. Goldie can handle you, sister wolf. Don’t fuck it up.”
He kissed her on the forehead and left.
Jericho
and his blunt two cents.
But he had a point.
She watched her father take enspelled poison out of Fenris and thought about all she knew of the male. Aside from the perfection of his body and the amazing sex they continued to have each night, Fenris would make a remarkable mate. Intelligent and thoughtful, he listened without giving her constant advice. Despite her insistence that he answer her questions about his clan, he refused. His loyalty made him that much more attractive.
And what about his decision to help her family stop their curse, a curse that had twice now affected him? Fenris had no reason to help her father, yet, according to Rurik, he’d volunteered to help end the curse because of her, not the clan.
What should she make of him? And why did her heart race only in his presence? Going into heat should have put her in immediate sexual desire for any male within reach. She only burned for Fenris. She liked his wolf, the man, and that giant werewolf that had once again saved the day. She wanted to carry his young and watch a strong male, just like him, grow and develop into a responsible wolf.
Rudra thought about him day and night. She smelled him on her, and she liked it. Loved it. Wanted more.
“Red?” he groaned, reaching out.
Quickly taking his hand in hers, she gripped it tight. “I’m right here, you stubborn werewolf.”
“You okay?” he asked, still more concerned with Rudra’s welfare.
Her mother sighed and murmured, “He’s a keeper.”
“I’m fine, Fenris. I think you’re the one with the problems.”
“No.” His voice grew stronger and his wounds faded under her father’s healing touch. “I just lost a lot of blood.”
“And dealt with ghoul toxin. I’m so sorry about this,” her father apologised. “In just one more week, the full moon will appear. I’ve tripled my spells around the village, but I hadn’t thought to cover the communal areas in the forest, as well.”
“It’s okay, Rurik. With any luck, Mikhail will be there waiting when the moon’s at its peak. I can’t wait to get my claws into the bastard.” Fenris’ eyes gleamed with anger, and he tightened his hold on Rudra without being too harsh. “I won’t let him touch you, Red.”
She cleared her throat, annoyed to feel on the verge of tears. “You helped my clan today. You saved
Jericho
.”
“I know how much you love him.”
But what about how much she loved Fenris? Did the idiot wolf not comprehend his importance to her?
But why should he, when you go out of your way to remain distant?
She sighed.
“He’ll be okay.” He tried to reassure her.
“It’s you I’m worried about,” she snapped. “Now shut up and let my father finish.”
Fenris shot her a dopey grin and closed his eyes. “So damn bossy.”
When her father finished, Fenris lay asleep.
“Can you take us back to my place?” she asked.
“Yes. But before I do, I’d like to know your intentions.”
“Dad?”
“I like Fenris. He has no one here willing to speak for him. Though maybe
Jericho
would, now that he’s seen what I’ve known about this pup from the first moment I laid eyes on him.”
She groaned. “Don’t call him a pup. That makes me feel like a cradle robber.”
“You’re still a pup in my eyes.” Rurik smiled. “Now, tell me. What are you going to do with him? Use him for your own gain, or set him free like the true alpha of her clan would?”
“But I want him to help our clan, not just me.”
“Honey,” her mother said softly. “We are who we are because we’re different than the others. Wouldn’t using Fenris to further our agenda, against his own kind, be just as wrong as the Silver Clan and their actions against us?”
Rudra rubbed her eyes, tired. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“You do,” her father argued. “But now isn’t the time. Grab my hand.”
She did, and he grabbed Fenris’ hand. In the blink of an eye, all three of them were in her bedroom in her house. Fenris lay on the bed. Her father and she stood on either side of it.
“Make sure he takes this twice before tomorrow.” Rurik handed her a bag of herbs. “It will calm his pain and his troubled dreams. The ghoul toxin has a nasty after-effect.”
“I will. Thanks, Dad.”
“No, thank Fenris. This isn’t his fault, but he’s been thrust in the middle of it. Do the right thing, honey. Not for us or even for him, but for you.” He disappeared.
Exhausted and knowing she had much more to do before she could rest, Rudra reluctantly left Fenris’ side and sought the council. She would have time enough to make the decisions she knew she needed to make. She only hoped she’d have the strength to make the right ones, no matter how much it hurt.
Chapter Five
Fenris was damn tired of Rudra avoiding him. It felt as if the rest of the clan had come by in the past three days while he recovered from that nasty altercation in the woods. Yet the alpha couldn’t give him the time of day.
His side itched, but when he moved to scratch it,
Jericho
caught his hand.
“Shit.”
“Easy, Goldie. You open that wound, and Rurik will have my head.”
“Lucky you, babysitting duty.” Fenris glared.
Jericho
shrugged. “Someone had to do it. Unless you’d rather I let the Nash brothers back. Or how about Janice? She seems to like you, and she’s in heat.” He grinned, his amusement turning his face from sombre and scary to almost handsome. No wonder the ladies in the village liked the guy. Couldn’t be his sterling personality.
“Janice?”
“You know, the redhead with a bad dye job? The one trying to pass herself off as a blonde? I think she’s got it bad for the clan’s favourite golden boy.”
Fenris cringed at thoughts of the touchy-feely red wolf. She smelled all wrong and seemed to have nothing on her mind but sex, which he used to find attractive in a woman. How times had changed. “No, thanks. She turns me cold.”
Jericho
smiled.
“Why the hell are you so pleasant lately? It’s scaring me.”
Jericho
laughed. “No way a wolf can turn Janice down when she’s in heat. Except for you. Must be because you’re mated to the alpha. Man. How the hell did I not see this? I only thought you’d bring us back to the
Great
Forest
. I had no idea you’d get Rudra’s panties in a bunch. The woman is so frustrated in love with you, it’s not funny.”
Fenris paused. “She is?” Warmth unfurled at the thought. She’d been acting so cold lately, so distant that it hurt.
“She’s hot for you, bro. But she doesn’t want you to pull anything. You took a pretty bad beating from those things in the woods.”
Uncomfortable with all the praise he’d been receiving, Fenris shrugged. “I needed the challenge. And lucky me, they provided it. But you know, I’m needing something else really bad.” He squirmed, his dick in constant pain whenever he thought about Red.
“Whoa, buddy. Sorry, can’t help you there.”
“Asshole.” Fenris glared. “Red’s avoiding me. And I can’t get the bull-headed woman to stay put long enough to fix whatever’s wrong.”
Jericho
had the nerve to look relieved. “I can help with that. Wait here.” He left the room.
Fenris rolled his eyes. Where else would he go? Rudra had appointed a bevy of guards to make sure he didn’t leave her house until she gave the okay. The confinement should have bothered him more, but here, in her bedroom surrounded by her scent, he felt a measure of peace. Now, if only he could make her stay put and explain why she’d been avoiding him. He had a bad feeling it had to do with his relation to Uncle Mike. And he didn’t know what to do about it.
As he paced the room, trying to figure a way out of this mess, he wondered what to do about his feelings for Red. He knew he loved her. He didn’t want to live without her, but he couldn’t turn against his family. She hadn’t given him much more than her body, but he knew, if he had the chance and time, he could make her fall in love with him. He hoped.
The door banged open.
Jericho
manhandled Rudra into the room. “There. Now work it out, alpha, and don’t leave the house until you do,”
Jericho
growled and slammed the door behind him when he left.
Fenris stared hungrily at the woman he could no longer deny as his mate. Her hair curled around her face and trailed over her heaving breasts. The scent of feminine need and fear filled the air, simultaneously teasing and unnerving him. Red, afraid?