Wolf on a Mission: Salvation Pack, Book 6 (18 page)

His eyes were closed tight and his lips slightly parted on a soft snore. Billy was her life, her reason for getting up in the morning. The love she had for him was so immense it was frightening at times. She worried about him constantly but tried not to hover. She didn’t want him growing up afraid to test his wings, but at the same time she wanted to protect him from everything that might ever harm him.

That was the plight of all parents.

She slipped off his shoes, socks and jeans and tugged off his dirty shirt. Billy didn’t move. No one could ever accuse her son of not being a good sleeper. She left his underwear on and pulled the sheet over him. He’d live for one night without a bath and brushing his teeth. And if by some miracle he woke before it was time for her to go to bed, she could bath him then.

She sat there for a long time simply watching her son. The room grew darker as evening closed in around them. She didn’t want to leave Billy, but the need to go to the bathroom finally drove her out.

Sue brushed her hand over his baby-fine hair one final time and kissed his forehead before she left, closing the door behind her. She went to the bathroom and then decided to take a shower. She was still wearing her work clothes and felt grungy.

The woman in the bathroom mirror looked tired and defeated. Sue turned her back on the image and stripped out of her clothes. She tossed everything in the hamper and turned on the shower.

Her breasts felt heavy and she was ultra-aware of her body. She’d seen the way Elias had looked at her, his eyes skimming her curves. She swore and grabbed her bath puff and loaded it down with body wash. Ignoring the low-level arousal thrumming through her, she ran the sponge over her body, being careful not to linger on her breasts or between her thighs.

She was panting slightly by the time she finished, every nerve ending in her body alive with sensation. She ignored it as best she could and washed her hair. She wouldn’t have bothered except the scent of the diner always clung to it after a long shift.

When she was totally clean from head to foot, she turned off the shower and stepped out. Twinges in several of her muscles reminded her of Elias and what they’d done last night, and the night before that too.

Sue grabbed a towel and rubbed her body dry, groaning when her nipples pebbled. Her breath quickened and heat built between her thighs.

“No,” she muttered. “Not happening.” She didn’t want to be reminded she was a vital woman. Not tonight. Not when she knew she’d never see Elias again. It was time to go back to being Billy’s mother and nothing more. And if she mourned the loss, so be it.

She left her hair damp and went to her bedroom and yanked on a thin nightgown. It was much too early for her to go to bed in spite of the exhaustion weighing down on her. She poured herself a glass of water and carried it out onto the deck.

She wasn’t waiting for Elias to show. At least that’s what she tried to convince herself.

Chapter Nineteen

Elias was in a foul mood as he made his way back to the house. He knew the pack would be waiting on them. “Be careful what you say,” he warned both his nephews. He didn’t want Sue in any more trouble than she already was. He thought he had Jacque’s measure, but an alpha wolf would do whatever he had to in order to protect his pack.

Everyone was there when they walked back into the room, except for Cole’s father, who was still out patrolling. All eyes landed on him. “She’s gone.”

“This is a hell of a mess.” Jacque prowled in front of the fireplace. “We’ve gone over a year without any trouble.” There was heat in both the man’s words and golden eyes. “I was enjoying the peace.”

“Sue didn’t cause this problem.” Elias wasn’t going to let the alpha put the blame on her. All she’d done was come out here to warn them. Not everyone would have. Most folks would have minded their own business.

“No, I did.” Reece had shifted and pulled on a pair of jeans. “I shifted when maybe I shouldn’t have.” The younger man dragged his fingers through his hair. “I had no idea they were so wary of wolves around here. I figured it was safe because I was on pack land.” Sage walked to his brother’s side and stood next to him, their arms touching.

His nephew made a good point. “It was Anny’s attack that got them all so fired up about wolves, wasn’t it?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

Anny licked her lips nervously. Her mate growled and took a menacing step toward Elias. She grabbed his arm and stopped him. “He’s right. Up until then, no one around here had even mentioned wolves in the area. All this goes back to me.”

Jacque pointed a finger at Anny. “This is not your fault.”

“It’s not anyone’s fault.” This came from Gwen, who went to stand next to her mate. “It simply happened, and we have to deal with it like we’ve dealt with every other problem that’s come our way. Fortunately, this problem is much simpler to handle.”

“How?” Elias wanted to know.

Jacque glared at him and growled. He knew the alpha was very protective of his mate, but he wasn’t backing down.

“Call the sheriff’s department and report that hunters shot one of our dogs. We tell them we liked Gray’s dog so much we got some of our own, all wolf mixes.” Gwen rubbed her husband’s arm. “That should take care of Connor McLennan and his family, especially if we threaten to lay charges of trespassing as well. The men were hunting out of season too.”

Jacque dropped a kiss on the top of Gwen’s head. “Think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?”

“I know I am,” she retorted. “I got you, didn’t I?” The big man laughed and some of the tension bled from the room.

“I want to tell Sue.” Anny’s quiet words brought everyone to a standstill.

“You want to what?” Jacque demanded. “Are you out of your mind? No one knows about us but pack.” The alpha had spoken. The authority behind his decree was absolute. Anny cringed back against her mate. Armand wrapped his arms around her and glared at his cousin.

Elias could feel Jacque’s frustration. “It’s too dangerous, for her and her son and for us.”

“She’s mine.” Elias had no idea what possessed him to speak. When every eye in the room turned on him, he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.

Reece and Sage flanked him in a show of family support.

“What do you mean, she’s yours?” Jacque demanded.

“My wolf wants to mate with her.” It was strangely liberating to say it out loud.

“Fuck, this situation is way out of control. How does Sue feel about you?”

Elias shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know she wants me.”

“For Christ sake. You’ve already fucked her, haven’t you?”

Elias leapt toward the alpha without thought. Cole stepped in front of Jacque while both his nephews pulled him back. Shit, what had he done? He’d almost attacked the alpha of the pack.

He put his hands on his thighs, bent slightly at the waist and sucked in a huge lungful of air. “That was uncalled for. I apologize.” By his own actions, he’d put his nephews in danger. What was wrong with him?

“I need some coffee,” Jacque muttered.

“I’m on it.” Gator headed toward the kitchen.

Not exactly the reaction Elias had expected. In most packs, he’d be facing pack discipline or be booted out for what he’d just done. “I think we should leave.” Better to get out now and protect his boys.

Jacque shook his head. “It’s not safe for wolves on their own. You know that better than anyone.” The alpha stood in front of him, the two men eye to eye. “Wolves who haven’t claimed their mates do stupid things.”

“Yeah?” The feeling of dread that threatened to overwhelm him began to slowly recede. His wolf felt in no danger from Jacque.

The alpha snorted. “Yeah. We’re all guilty of that. But, Elias, she’s fully human.”

Elias took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I know.”

“I don’t envy you. She has a son too.”

“Believe me, I’m well aware of that.” He turned to Anny. “What do you know about her ex?”

“Billy senior? He’s a good-looking jackass who abandoned Sue and his son not long after the boy was born. Why?” She left the comfort and safety of her mate’s arms and came closer. “What’s going on?”

“He wants custody of Billy.”

Anny’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. “No. Oh, no. That would destroy Sue. I don’t understand. Unless something has changed in the past couple of years, he’s always ignored Billy.”

“Well, William thinks there is money from her parents’ estate. If he pushes, he thinks she’ll hand it over in order to keep her son.” All around him, wolves began to growl. “What he doesn’t understand is that there is no money other than what is in trust for Billy. That can’t be touched by anyone. It’s for his education and only he can access it when he turns eighteen. Sue is out of her mind with worry.”

Elias saw the various expressions on the faces of the people around him. They ranged from anger to disgust and worry. “Sue didn’t have to come out here to warn you about the hunters. You’re all strangers. She has enough problems of her own to deal with, yet she went out of her way to help you. That’s the kind of person she is.”

“He’s right.” Anny leaned back against her mate and briefly closed her eyes. “I’d be dead without her. She saved my life. She had no idea if whatever animal had attacked me was still around, yet she didn’t hesitate to wait beside me and give what aid she could until the authorities arrived. She risked her life for me when she had a child depending on her.” Tears rolled down Anny’s cheeks. “And how did I repay her? I stayed away when she needed me most. I’m so ashamed.” She turned and buried her face against her mate’s chest.

Armand ran his hand down her spine. “It’s not your fault,
ma petite
,” he crooned. “You did what you thought was best to protect them.” Armand wrapped Anny in his embrace. “We had other enemies at the time and didn’t want to bring attention to Sue and Billy.”

“I understand. No one is faulting you, Anny.” Elias hated that he was unintentionally hurting her. It was obvious that she cared for Sue and her son.

“None of this is anyone’s fault.” Jacque rolled his shoulders and accepted a mug of coffee from Gator. He took a sip of the hot brew. “This falls under the category of
shit happens
. We have to figure out how to minimize the damage.”

“Call the sheriff’s office.” Gwen pulled out her phone and offered it to him. “It’s the best solution for now.”

Jacque took it. “What’s the damn number?” Armand rattled it off and they all waited silently as Jacque made the call. It didn’t take the alpha long to report trespassing, illegal hunting and injury of a pet. The last was said with a teasing smile aimed at Reece. Elias’s nephew grinned and shrugged.

Elias couldn’t shake it off quite that easily. Reece had been shot. Just because he’d recovered quickly and was almost back to normal didn’t mean Elias could forget how close he’d come to losing the boy. It took a lot to kill a werewolf, but Reece wasn’t full-blooded. There was no way of knowing how he would respond to a bullet.

Reece was lucky he’d just been grazed. At least they knew his healing abilities were on par with a full-blooded werewolf’s. Except for the scar on his shoulder, Reece seemed to be back to his normal self.

As if Reece knew where Elias’s thoughts had wandered, he squeezed Elias’s hand. “I’m okay,” he whispered.

But it had been a close call. Too close. Elias was being pulled apart. He wanted to stay in Salvation, close to Sue and to the pack. But was it fair to his nephews if being here put them in danger?

Jacque ended the call. “The deputy said he’d talk to them. I’m not expecting much, but it’s on record. We’re going to increase the patrols for a while. Stay in your human form unless you’re one hundred percent sure you’re alone. No one patrols alone. Go in pairs.”

Cole nodded, kissed his mate and immediately left the room. His father was out there on his own. Elias knew Cole would find him.

Jacque handed Gwen’s phone back to her. “And you—” he pointed at Elias, “—get a grip on your emotions and don’t do anything stupid. Sue isn’t going anywhere and the boys are as safe here as they’d be anywhere. Safer.”

Elias knew Jacque was right. He also recognized his words as the invitation they were. He looked at Sage and Reece for confirmation. They glanced at one another and then nodded at the same time. “We’ll stay.”

“Good enough.” Jacque gave both boys a nod of approval. “Now let’s eat. I’m starving.”

The group laughed and gravitated toward the kitchen. Anny and Armand stayed behind with Elias. “You really care about Sue, don’t you?” she asked.

He nodded. “I do.” Frustration ate at him. He wanted to be with her. She was all alone while he was surrounded by pack. It didn’t seem fair.

“We’ll figure out some way to deal with her ex. I’ll help in whatever way I can, even if it means coming out of hiding. It’s probably past time now that the threat to me is gone. It just felt safer to keep things the way they were.”

“No one is faulting you for anything, Anny. You did what you had to do.”

“I did, but it became habit. Protecting the pack at all costs. It’s powerful motivation.” She smiled at Sage and Reece. “I’d like to have children someday, if we’re blessed. And I want them protected.”

His lingering anger at Anny bled away. Of course she wanted the pack safe and insulated from danger. It was only natural that some of the couples here would have kids eventually. It was a mother’s natural instinct to protect. Anny and Sue were a lot alike in that respect.

“Keeping Sue away from my new life was the only way to protect her. I know I hurt her, but I did what I had to do.”

“You did.” Her mate wrapped his arms around her from behind, cradling her in his strength. “We’ll help Sue if we can.” Armand kissed her temple and shared a private look with Elias.

He knew Armand’s first priority was protecting Anny. Good enough, his priority was protecting his boys and Sue. When he pictured his family, he now included Sue and Billy in that group. Billy might not be his biological son, but that didn’t alter his protective instincts one little bit. Billy belonged to Sue. Therefore he belonged to Elias. It was as simple as that.

She might not know it yet, but Sue was a part of him. Whether or not they’d be able to be together was something only time would tell.

“Food is up.” Gator called them over. Supper was later than usual and Elias was hungry. He wondered if Sue had eaten. He hated not being with her. Not that she’d want him with her right now. She’d been angry when she’d left earlier.

No matter what happened, he planned to go by her place later and check on her. He’d never sleep until he knew she was safe.

* * * * *

Fergus McLennan was furious. As soon as the deputy’s truck turned onto the main road and disappeared, he whirled around and punched his cousin in the face. Connor fell back a few steps but stayed on his feet.

“What the hell was that for?” Connor demanded. He felt around the corner of his mouth with his tongue and swiped away the trickle of blood on his lip.

“For getting the law called down on us. I told you hunting for wolves was a stupid idea.” He glanced toward the house, but his wife was inside. He didn’t want her to know the law had been called on them.

“You’ve gotten soft,” Connor accused. “You used to be as gung-ho as us about tracking wolves.” His eyes narrowed. “You just lost interest one day. What happen? You lose your nerve?”

Fergus would never admit it out loud, but he had. He could still remember the visit in the middle of the night from the dangerous stranger who’d threatened him with death if he didn’t stay away from Gray Everson and her dog. To this day, Fergus had no idea who the man was, but he believed him. It had taken Fergus months to start sleeping through the night again. Now his stupid cousin had destroyed what peace he’d found.

“I told you we should just go and take a look.” He’d only agreed to that because it had been so long since the threat he’d started to feel safe. And he didn’t want to look like a pussy to his kin. “Now we’ve got the law watching us.” He turned his head and spit on the ground.

“You heard the deputy.” Sean stepped up beside him, taking Fergus’s side against their cousins. “They got dogs out there.”

“Part wolf,” Connor shot back.

“But pets and legal too.” Sean took off his ball cap and scratched his head before jamming it back on. “I know I’d be pissed if someone shot one of my hunting dogs.” Sean loved his hounds. Sometimes Fergus thought his brother loved them more than he did his wife.

“We need to stay away from those people.” They were strangers even though they’d lived out there on the land for years. Fergus was as curious as most folks, but they minded their own business and kept to themselves. The only reason they were involving the law was because his stupid cousin had shot one of their animals.

“It’s a wolf. I’m telling you.” Connor began to pace, never a good sign. Meant the idiot was working himself up to do something stupid.

“How do you think the law found out it was us who done the shooting?” They all stared at Angus. Connor’s brother rarely spoke, but when he did you had to listen. He usually made good sense. Angus shrugged. “Those folks barely leave their land. How would they even know who we were?”