Werewolf Rage Book #2 in the Taming The Wolf Series (6 page)

Perry sighed in relief.
“See Cole? Ava said she was going to cook us dinner and then we’re going to just hang out and talk and watch a movie.”

Cole snorted and stood up.
He walked over to the fridge and opened it up, grabbing a Coke without even asking. He popped the lid and took a sip before turning around and looking grimly at his sister.

“Well, your new friend here happens to be the daughter of the most powerful man in town.
She’s also the girlfriend of the
second
most powerful man in town. She’d be a good friend to have if you’re going to have a friend,” he said, his eyes looking toward the ceiling as he thought.

Perry glared at her brother and shook her head.
“Cole, she’s never lived like us. She knows what it’s like to be in a world where you have a choice. She knows what it’s like to be heard.”

Ava looked back and forth between the brother and sister and frowned.
Something was going on here. Something big.

“Look, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on Perry.
Come on now, it can’t be
that
bad,” she said, turning her back to Cole and looking at Perry searchingly.

Perry took a deep breath before looking at her clenched hands on the counter.
Cole groaned and walked over to the other side of the counter. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he muttered.

Ava ignored him and so did Perry.
Perry ran her trembling hands through her long red hair and then looked at her. “Ava, Cole and I left Tanner’s Landing because I ran away from a man who claimed me for his mate.
Against my wishes
. He’s a horrible, cruel man. I
hate
him,” she said softly, her lips trembling. She closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. “I couldn’t be with him Ava. I couldn’t picture myself having his children. I couldn’t stand the idea of having him come home to me every night. He . . ., he likes to hurt me,” she whispered, looking away in shame.

Ava let her breath out as she closed her eyes, sympathy flooding her.
She reached out and grabbed Perry’s hand in hers. “You did the right thing Perry. You’ve very brave,” she said quietly.

Perry bit her lip and glanced at Cole as she gripped Ava’s hand in return.
“I’ve put my life and Cole’s life in danger though by running away. In Tanner’s Landing, the penalty for a woman leaving a mate is death. Braxton Mayhew runs the town now. He challenged Vincent Weiss six months ago and killed him right in front of everyone. Since then, he’s taken anything he’s wanted. I couldn’t let him take me too.”

Ava winced and glanced at Cole who was staring unseeingly over his sister’s head.
“Cole, I’m still new to the whole werewolf world of rules and tradition, but as her brother, did you have any say in this? If your sister didn’t want Braxton, could you tell him to back off?”

Cole’s clear green eyes went dark and dangerous.
“
I did
. He just laughed at me and then sent five of his buddies to tear me to pieces. They left me in the woods to die, but Perry found me. She nursed me back to health and the night before her wedding we left and came here. We were followed and hunted for three days. We headed toward Manitoba, circled around a little and then headed back this way. They’re not stupid though. The only other werewolf town close by is up by Fontaine Lake and we don’t know anyone there. Braxton knows we have relatives here. It’s only a matter of time before he comes for her,” he said sounding weary.

Ava paused and really looked at Cole for a moment.
It was obvious he loved his sister. So much that he’d even give up his life for her and almost had. He looked up and caught her staring at him, and his eyes sharpened for a moment. She smiled at him and his eyes softened.

“Well, Braxton doesn’t know what he’s in for because we’re a town that believes women have the right to choose their mates.
We won’t let him take you Perry,” she promised patting her shoulder.

Perry looked at her, her eyes glowing with hope. “That’s why we came here.
We heard that the people here were changing and that women would be treated fairly.” Cole snorted and Ava looked at him with a frown.

“Honey, you obviously haven’t been raised anywhere near werewolves, because I don’t care what this town says it believes,
it’s one thing to say a woman has rights, but another to die for her. Especially for a woman who isn’t even from here,” he said cynically.

Ava stood up, putting her hands on her hips.
“I don’t care if she’s a werewolf or just a regular human being. She needs help. She’s here and I’ll stand for her.”

Cole’s eyes widened and a grin flashed over his face, making his eyes gleam.
Ava had to remind herself forcefully that he really wasn’t that good looking.
Except
. . . ,maybe he was.
Crap
.

“You’re really cute, aren’t you?
You’re standing there telling me you’ll take on the men from Tanner’s Landing single handedly huh? I can just picture you now, going up against Braxton Mayhew,” he said sarcastically.

Ava glared at Cole, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She hated being called cute.
With a passion. “That’s right. I’ve gone up against hybrids and men who wanted me dead before. I know what it’s like to be hunted. I’m standing here today because I had friends help me when I had a death decree on my head. It’s only fair that Perry be given the same chance I had,” she said, her voice whipping through the room like steel.

Cole’s eyebrows snapped together and he frowned at her.
“
You were hunted
?”

Perry stood up and put her hand on Ava’s arm.
“Oh Ava, what happened? How did you survive?”

Ava rubbed her suddenly cold arms as she remembered.
“You know what? I’m hungry and if you really want to know what happened to me, I’ll tell you. We can talk over dinner. Now Perry, I promised you I’d cook for you. What do you feel like?” she asked, turning to look at Perry with a determined smile on her face.

Perry blinked in surprise, but rubbed her stomach.
She was hungry. “Umm, just something simple. Please don’t feel like you have to go to any trouble for me,” she said, looking unsure and almost embarrassed that anyone would do anything nice for her.

Ava rubbed her hand down Perry’s arm and smiled at her encouragingly.
“If you don’t tell me what you like, then I’ll just ask Cole. So if you don’t want enchiladas, you better speak up now,” she said with a smile at Cole.

Cole was staring at her with a faint smile on his face that had her feeling nervous for some reason.
Perry laughed lightly. “In that case, I would love a grilled cheese sandwich. Our mom used to make us grilled cheese sandwiches on cold days and read to us by the fire.”

Ava smiled as Cole moaned in disappointment.
“Grilled cheese sandwiches coming up. Perry, why don’t you look in the cupboard for tomato soup while I get started. I’ll put you two in charge of that,” she said opening the fridge and grabbing a block of cheddar.

Ten minutes later,
they were sitting around the counter as she told them how she’d been kidnapped. When she told them about getting her ribs kicked in Cole growled low in his throat, his eyes blazing angrily. She tried to ignore him and focused on talking to Perry. When she described what it was like to be in a tree with broken ribs while hybrids were climbing the tree to get to her, Perry’s mouth fell open in horror and her face went white. Cole stayed silent, looking down at his clenched hands.

She finished by telling them about her father challenging Titus and of Cyrus getting stabbed by the machete.
Cole’s mouth hardened but he didn’t say anything. Perry’s eyes glowed with tears and she shook her head in wonder.

“Ava, your father is the most amazing man I’ve ever met,” she breathed out, her cheeks pink and a big smile on her face.

Ava grinned and nodded.
“I think so. He’s an amazing man. He’s been pretty lonely for the past fifteen years. He’s focused his life on raising and protecting me. I’ve never had to wonder if he regretted not having a son. I’ve always known that he loved me completely and totally.”

Perry’s face softened and she sighed.
“I wish every girl could have been raised with a father like that.”

Cole groaned.
“Perry, I know you like Harry. I think everyone in town knows he likes you. But don’t you think he should know that you’re already mated?”

Perry’s eyes blazed in anger and she slapped the table with the flat of her hand making Ava jump in surprise.
“I don’t
want
Braxton!” she shouted.

Cole’s eyes gentled and he reached across the table to cover his sister’s hand in his.
“
I know that.
I’m just saying, he needs to know.”

For a moment Perry looked frightened but she nodded her head. “He won’t like me too much when he finds out.
But that’s okay. Just knowing that there are men like Harry in the world, gives me hope,” she said with only a little tremor in her voice.

Ava bit her lip.
“If you know anything about my dad, you’ll know that he would stand for you against anything and anyone no matter what.”

Cole sat up and glared at her.
“Don’t give my sister false hope. If a woman is mated, no man would stand in his way. He’d die for it.”

Ava glared right back at Cole.
“
You
know I’m mated to Cyrus, when has that ever stopped you from flirting with me. Would you stand up to Cyrus if I wanted to be with you instead?” she demanded, just to prove her point.

Cole looked at her with an intensity that made her blink.
“If you wanted me as much as I wanted you, I’d stand up to Cyrus and anyone else who got in my way.
And I’d win
,” he said leaning forward.

Ava looked away, wincing.
“I was just using that as an example. Please don’t assume I meant anything by that,
or
that I
wanted
you to challenge Cyrus. I was just trying to show you that it’s not so odd to think that a man would stand for Perry. She’s a beautiful woman and she shouldn’t be forced into a relationship with a man she doesn’t love.”

Cole smiled at her as he leaned back in his chair. “Well, just in case you were wondering Ava, you’re free too. How about it?”

Perry made a strangled sound in her throat and whispered her brother’s name.
Ava laughed and shook her head. “Cole, get it through your head.
I love Cyrus
. He didn’t pick me for a mate. I chose him. I don’t need you to save me from anything or anyone. Sorry to disappoint you. Let’s just focus on Perry okay?”

Cole stared at her for a moment silently before he sighed.
“Fine, we’ll focus on Perry, but you can always change your mind you know.”

Ava closed her eyes and shook her head.
“For once and for all Cole,
no
. My answer is no.”

“
That’s a relief
.”

Ava whipped her head around, her mouth falling open as she stared at Cyrus standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking furious. She jumped up from her stool and ran to his side.

“
Cyrus
, how much of that did you hear?” she demanded, glancing over her shoulder at Perry, who looked sick to her stomach and terrified now. Cole just looked hopeful. She glared at him warningly before turning back to Cyrus.

Cyrus looked down at her, his pale blue eyes seething with emotion.
“I walked in at the part where you said,
would you stand up to Cyrus if I wanted to be with you
?”

Ava closed her eyes and groaned.
He had walked in at the very worst moment possible and how was she going to explain that?

Perry stood up and walked over to stand in front of Cyrus.
“Cyrus, I know that sounded bad, but Ava was just trying to make a point. She doesn’t want my brother. I can tell. Any werewolf can sense how she feels about you. My brother is a passionate, loving man, but your mate is safe from him. He knows her heart belongs to you. We’ll leave now. Ava, you have my permission to tell Cyrus what I’ve told you,” she said with quiet dignity and then looked over her shoulder at Cole.

Cole stood up, picking up an extra grilled cheese sandwich in one hand as he walked around the counter to stand by his sister.
He looked at Cyrus with cool green eyes before glancing at Ava. “Don’t give her a hard time. She’s been good to my sister. I don’t want you to take out your jealousy on her,” he said warningly, his eyes narrowing.

Cyrus tilted his head as he stared back at Cole.
“I want you to remember that I let you walk out of my house tonight without killing you. Someday you’re going to repay the favor.”

Cole nodded his head silently and then left the kitchen.
Perry glanced at Ava with soft pleading eyes and then followed quickly, leaving her alone in the kitchen with Cyrus.