Bayou Wolf (2 page)

T
he mid-morning
sun flooded the windows with a bright glow, warming the tiled floors. Seated in a tilted chair, balanced on its back legs with her feet propped on the edge of the table, Serafina soaked in the buzz of conversation surrounding her. Amy Lange, the Delta Crescent
Traiteur
, occupied the breakfast nook bench. A cup of coffee sat on the table to her right, some beignets to her left and her hands full of a crocheting project she’d become obsessed with while Trish LeClere swiped one beignet after the other. One of her pack’s finest Hounds, Trish pulled rotation for guarding the Alpha, but she would have been at coffee regardless. A morning among friends offered her the perfect start to the day.

“What is that going to be?” Trish asked, nibbling on her second swiped beignet.

“Theoretically?” Amy grinned. “Or actually?”

“Pretty sure she meant what it’s supposed to be.” Serafina eyed the wool concoction. A deep shade of evergreen, it filled Amy’s lap before spilling onto the table. Still, she continued hooking and tugging the yarn.

“Well, I wanted to make a scarf, then it got too wide. So I thought maybe a shawl, but I couldn’t figure out the angles, so now it’s going to be a blanket.”

“For a horse?” Regina paused in cursing the eggs she fried to glance over her shoulder. Her platinum blonde hair seemed to glow beneath the rainbow streaks of blue, green, purple and pink.

Instead of being offended, Amy simply stuck her tongue out. “Maybe.”

Serafina chuckled. She loved having them all so close. Sometimes life sent her wolves in different directions. Delta Crescent had nearly three thousand wolves all told. One of the largest packs in the States, but they were scattered over the Gulf Coast with some wolves living as far away as the Florida Keys and as far north as southern Virginia. By right of territory, she controlled one of the largest assets in the States and preferred Louisiana to all of them.

Born there, she’d likely die there. Another sip of coffee and she debated whether she should turn her phone over. With so many pack members, someone always needed her. If it were an emergency, they called. All other messages were sent via texts or emails. The information age made life both easier and far more complicated.

As if summoned by the thought, her phone rang. Scowling, she flipped the phone and stared at the caller identification.

Mason Clayborne.

The others quieted as she answered. “Good morning,
cher
.”

A soft masculine chuckle greeted her. “Good morning, Serafina. First or second cup?”

The problem with former lovers—they learned all the bad habits and how to use them to their advantage. “Third, actually.”

“Excellent, then you’re available for a business call.”

“Unfortunately.” She glanced at Amy, and the woman rolled her eyes, but she bundled her crochet before grabbing her coffee. Trish scooped up the plate of beignets and led the way out to the long porch on the far side of the house. It gave Serafina privacy, yet they remained close enough for her to join them after she and Mason finished.

Regina set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her, then raised her eyebrows. She’d been fixing breakfast for all of them. Should she stay or should she go?

Serafina considered the question while asking Mason. “Is this in regard to our earlier conversation?” In other words, was he calling about the missing wolves? Mason and Julian, the Chief Enforcer, had been a pain in her ass over the last several days.

“Yes.”

Mouthing ‘go’ to Regina, Serafina drained her third cup of coffee. Only once her ears told her she was alone did she ask. “What’s going on?”

“I want to invite you to bring your healer to Willow Bend along with a nominal number of Hounds, if you feel it necessary.”

An unexpected invitation. “I’ll repeat my earlier question, what’s going on?”

“Truthfully? We’ve got a big problem. I want the healers here to confer on some information my healer uncovered over the last year, things I think they should really put their heads together about while you, me, Cassius, Diesel and Brett discuss another, graver matter.”

All the Alphas? In one place?
Mason was either insane or dangerously brilliant. Unfortunately, those ideas were not mutually exclusive. “What is the graver matter?”

“We found the missing wolves,” Mason continued, his tone even and assured. She concentrated on catching any nuance of a lie, though in her experience Mason played it straight with her from the day she’d met him up to the day he’d walked away.

“And you’re calling me instead of Julian because…?” Rayne Barrows had been one of her people. He’d grown up only a few miles from her and functioned as a Hound for her father when he’d been Alpha. Like her and so many of the other Hounds, he’d defended her father’s right to rule. When Papa passed, Rayne surrendered to her rather than fight for dominance, then he’d left to go Lone Wolf. She held a lot of affection for Rayne and his family. If the Enforcers hunted him, she wanted no part of it.

“Because the missing wolves formed a pack.” The words dropped like a localized detonation. She’d seen enough construction jobs where they imploded a building before they began to recognize the sensation. Her nostrils flared and she scented the air, assuring herself no one lingered close enough to hear his words. “Before you say anything, the Enforcers were handling it, but the new pack is nearly two hundred strong now. This isn’t some rebellion. It’s a full pack, led by an Alpha.”

“Isn’t that the job of the Enforcers?” she asked slowly. “To keep the Lone Wolves in line so we don’t get a clusterfuck of this proportion?”

“Yes and, to their credit, they tried.” Since Mason liked the Enforcers even less than she did and lived under their thumb for several years, she accepted the defense. “The Alpha isn’t one of our Lone Wolves, but…”

“Rayne’s mate.” He’d gone and mated himself to some Italian wolf and brought her back to the States with him. She knew the story, heard the reports from the Enforcers while they investigated the missing wolves. “They were collecting wolves.”

“Pretty much. Sera,” Mason dropped any pretense of boldness and sounded a tad tired. “They’re tucked away in a town in Nebraska. I have it surrounded by Hunters, and I locked them down. The Enforcers can’t take on a whole pack. Even if they worked in concert, it would be too much for them. It’s up to us.”

“Sounds like it’s up to
you
.” His request didn’t fool her. Mason already assigned enough wolves to handle the task. “Are you planning to bring the other Alphas together for a little assassination and takeover plot?”

“Yes, because Willow Bend isn’t large enough for me. I need the whole country.” He laughed. “Seriously?”

“It’s a thought, a clever one, really. Why do you really want us? Do you want to sanction them?” Shock rippled through her at the possibility.

“I don’t know.” Honesty echoed in his words. “It’s a thought. I have a unique perspective most of you don’t possess. I’ve been a Lone Wolf. I know how it feels to be on the outside, to feel like there is no place I belong. This Alpha, she’s young in her power, but she has the right idea. She knows she faces threats from all sides, yet she isn’t backing down, not even to her own brother. And he’s one of the most powerful wolves I’ve ever encountered. Sera, I need your help and your wisdom. You have another unique perspective.”

“Because I’m a woman.” She didn’t have to guess what he hinted at with that comment. The role of Alpha didn’t traditionally go to women. Not because they weren’t capable of leading, but because they weren’t usually tough enough to take on all challengers. Male wolves, especially male dominants, wanted to protect women. The women, while powerful, usually focused more on protecting the pack. In some ways, her gender made her a stronger leader, but she accepted the handicap present when dealing with other males outside of her pack. She’d spent years proving her capability in leadership to her pack.

They’d follow her into fire.

“Yes.”

Serafina smiled faintly.
Trust Mason not to split hairs
. “Mason, inviting all of us into your territory is a bold move. What makes you think one of us won’t take you out and absorb Willow Bend?”

“I can take care of myself, Sera. I’m also offering an escort from my pack to liaise with each of you.”

“Nice.” She chuckled. “You’re giving us a guard dog who can also assassinate.”

“Hopefully not. You’re a woman of your word. I’d like to think mine means something. I do not want Delta Crescent, and this is not a plot to take it from you. I will guarantee your safety while you are on my land. If someone goes after you, I will be in your defense. I am extending this promise to each of you. What I want is a face-to-face for all of us. We have a lot of issues that should be hammered out, not to mention a major problem if the dissolution and isolation of the Lone Wolves led to this rise of a pack.”

“And we need to decide what to do with the pack.” She rose and prowled around the kitchen, her hunger and breakfast forgotten. “Mason, are you prepared for Cassius to eradicate them?”

“I’m prepared for anything. We won’t move without a consensus.” She heard the steel in his tone which she remembered so well. “Cassius may think killing them is the easy answer, and he isn’t wrong. It would send a very hard and resounding message to all Lone Wolves, but is it the right answer? Does it serve our packs?”

She had to admit, “I don’t know.”

“Me either. I am not making the decision for all of us, and I want a conversation. So, will you come? Will you bring your
Traiteur
with you so she can meet with Gillian and Emma?”

Leaving Delta Crescent held no appeal, but neither did the decision being left in the hands of whichever Alphas agreed to attend. “I will come. When?”

L
inc Buckley took
a step back and checked the frame to make sure it looked even. Hammers echoed as their team put the finishing touches on the fourth guesthouse they’d put up from scratch in the last three weeks. Thankfully, early winter weather held off, so they’d been able to get the frames up and roofs on without snow adding any complications. Each of the Alpha houses sat equidistant from each other and from Mason’s main residence. It had taken some patience and thorough measurements to make sure none could complain one they were closer than the others.

The scent of his Alpha warned him of Mason’s arrival a moment before he spoke, “Looks good. How close are we to being done here?”

“We’ll have it ready. The Sullivans are already finishing the painting inside.” One of about a dozen human families considered pack, The Sullivan family lived within the precincts of Willow Bend proper. Other humans were part of wolf families, though just as many eventually chose the bite to become a part of the greater pack. The Sullivans were fifth or sixth generation Willow Bend—humans, every single one, save for their great-grandmother, who’d married into the pack and taken the bite much to her sons chagrin.

“Good, good.” The frown Mason wore didn’t match his statement.

“You wanted humans only inside once we’ve finished.” Unless he’d misunderstood the pretty specific orders, Linc didn’t see a problem with the choices he’d made. “We even left the outlets to be screwed in by them after the wiring was finished.” Only humans entered the new houses, a rule devised to keep the wolves’ scents out. Since the homes would be considered territory for the visiting Alphas, their scents needed to be the dominant ones inside.

“It’s fine.” Mason bumped his shoulder with a light fist, his attention sweeping over the wolves trimming back and clearing some of the trees. One of the youths drove in a pattern with a riding mower and had been making rounds of each of the properties to cut the grass. Hell, even Thomas Halifax, the mate to their healer, devoted time to the project, alongside Tiffany Huston, to get winter blooming flowers in place and well-fertilized. Mrs. Huston paused amidst the blooms and waved to Mason. Despite his distraction, Mason paused to put a hand over his heart and nodded to her. Alexis’ parents and Felicia—the surviving mate of their former Alpha—were the only people Mason bowed his head for. Respect, as Mason often said, had to be earned, and those three elders more than earned his.

A pack effort, as it were.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Mason, you don’t sound like it’s all fine.” Unlike his brother A.J., Linc wasn’t tight with him. If anything, he’d clashed with Mason on too many occasions to be comfortable.

Pausing, his Alpha gave him a long look before a smile eased his stern expression. “Sorry, Linc. I’m thinking through all the plans. Protocol has to be observed with every incoming Alpha. Some are harder to predict than others.”

“We’ve got this, Mason.” Owen Chase called from across the clearing. He’d arrived about an hour earlier with a delivery of fresh fertilizer he and Gillian purchased for Thomas. Neither his mate nor Ranae, Linc’s kid sister, rode with him unfortunately. “You need to relax, boss.”

“Uh huh.” Mason scratched his jaw. “You and Gillian should already be on the road.”

Shaking his head, Owen shrugged. As a senior Hunter and one of Mason’s counselors, he had a lot of latitude with their Alpha. Though, according to rumors, Owen clashed with their Alpha upon occasion and he was still breathing. It gave Linc hope for his own future. “Gillian already talked to Brett this morning.”

“Huh, he answered her call.” The comment implied he didn’t answer Mason’s.

“Always.” Owen growled, then his expression softened. “Hard to say no to her.”

“Agreed. How far out is he?”

“He has Trent with him, so he’s stopping every two hours for bathroom breaks. Gillian told him to stop giving the boy pop, but whether he listened or not…” Owen shrugged again. “He’s due at the border by sundown. We’ll be there in plenty of time to lead him in. Do you want to see him tonight or let him have a night to settle first?”

“Let him get settled and spend some time with Gillian.” The assessment sent a dark cloud over Owen’s face. Linc shifted the hammer in his hand and concentrated on not stepping into the brewing storm. Had Mason really suggested Owen let the Alpha of Hudson River spend time with his mate?