Bayou Wolf (5 page)

“Forty-five minutes. We have to take the long way around town.” Another decision recommended by the Hunters and approved by Mason. The Alphas were allowed certain access to Willow Bend proper, but main thoroughfares, such as town, the schools, and the concentrated suburban stretches, were to be avoided if possible.

Stealing a glance at the rearview mirror, Linc wondered what Serafina did to occupy herself during the drive behind the dark-tinted windows. One of her wolves was behind the wheel because she’d exited from and returned to the back seat at the campground. Most Alphas drove themselves—she didn’t. Did she not drive because she lived in New Orleans?
Does she live in New Orleans?

“Linc?” Mason’s curt tone jerked his attention to the present.

“Sorry, distracted.”
By a very hot wolf. You’d think Mason would have mentioned how gorgeous she is...
“I didn’t catch the question.”

“She has that effect on wolves.” Mason chuckled. Not sharing his Alpha’s amusement, Linc tightened his grip on the wheel and checked the rearview for the hundredth time to assure himself the SUV continued to trail him. “I asked if she agreed to the terms?”

“Yes, she brought her healer—
Traiteur
, I think she called it—a woman named Amy.”
Business.
He could definitely talk business with Mason.
She has that effect on wolves…
Does she seduce many?
The question hovered unspoken on his lips. “Is Emma hosting the first healer welcome dinner tonight?”

While the healers were from other packs, everyone would be treated with kid gloves and protected as if they were Willow Bend’s own. Healers were too rare and too valuable to be treated as anything less than solid gold.

“Yes. By mutual consent, Thomas will pick up each healer and escort them to the lodge. Our Hunters will pull back, save for Owen if Gillian attends and Thomas since his mate will be there. The healers are allowed to bring their mate or one Hunter to the meeting. The Hunters will not be inside with the healers and only healers will be left alone with each other.”

“That works. Miss Serafina…” Damn, he liked how that sounded. “…would prefer to send both of her Hounds with the
Traiteur
.” Since it was a simple request, he’d already considered how to grant it without giving away the farm. “Since our Hunters will be pulling back to patrol, we can let them send secondaries to that line with the primary going to the internal. It will let them feel like they are providing equal security.”

Mason said nothing for a long moment, but Alexis’ husky voice drifted from the background. “That would work if they all brought Hunters with them, but Gillian and Owen said Brett didn’t bring any Hunters and his healer is a ten-year-old boy.”

Linc hadn’t considered that possibility. On the lazy, winding two-way road looping them around downtown Willow Bend, he checked the rearview mirror. The sun angled near perfectly to reveal Serafina’s face leaning forward between the two Hounds in the front seat. A flash of her teeth in a wide smile and Linc’s dick went rock hard.

“The child won’t be at the meeting specifically, so Brett won’t need to be concerned. Trent is here to meet with Gillian because he needs healer training.” Mason’s answer didn’t seem directed at Linc, so he remained mute and listened. “Gillian can fill Brett in personally on the issues Emma will be bringing up, if she hasn’t already. Cassius and Diesel did bring extra Hunters and Sentries respectively, so it’s doable. How hard is she pushing the issue?”

Too fucking hard…
But Mason wasn’t asking about the condition of Linc’s cock, so he only said. “Not hard at all. She stated her preference. When I told her I’d talk to you, she gave me her permission.” Hell, she gave him permission. Linc chuckled. “She also said she’d bring it up with you herself if she didn’t like the answer.” Feisty. Spirited.
Fucking gorgeous.

Mason’s voice lowered. “Can you handle being her liaison?”

The question evaporated all of his amusement.

Scowling, Linc paged through everything he’d said. “Yes, why?”

He’d met her and, other than some verbal missteps, he hadn’t insulted her. Hell, she’d been amused by him and, unless his nose failed him, at least mildly interested. They followed protocol, and she’d agreed to trail him back to the lodgings they’d arranged. No fuckups he could recall.

Silence greeted his question, then the quiet echo of a sliding door opening, followed by the sound of it closing. “Serafina has a gift for seducing the men around her.”

“Mason, I met her at a campground, not a strip club, and I spent five minutes with her.” He couldn’t wait for the next five. “We were polite, exchanged information, and got on the road. Did I do something to make you think I can’t handle this?” Replacing him was possible, even if he hated the idea. Miss Serafina had just arrived, so swapping him out wouldn’t cause any issues. After the events began, though—no. He didn’t have to like politics to understand how bad of an idea a change at a later time would be.

“Just remember where your loyalties lie.” The reminder, so far out of left field, ignited a quiet anger in Linc’s belly.

“I’ve
never
forgotten where my loyalties belong.” His Alpha could not say the same thing. He’d left Willow Bend, left his mate. Sure, he hadn’t known she was his mate at the time, but Linc didn’t have it in him to cut him some slack. “Either you trust me to do this job or you don’t. Maybe you should make that decision before we lead Miss Serafina on.”

The faint sound of grinding teeth sent a shiver of warning skating over his skin. Mason exhaled a long breath. “Serafina is gifted with persuading others to believe in her and her cause. My doubt has
nothing
to do with faith in you, Linc, and everything to do with the power she wields. However, if you keep this shit up, we’re going to have to revisit why defying direct orders is a bad idea.” Once before, Linc took direct action in opposition to Mason’s specific orders. At the time, the choice was between what Linc’s brother A.J. would want, and Mason’s request for information. To his way of thinking, it had been no contest. He’d protected Vivian and would do it again, even if it meant defying Mason.

The situation with the Alphas, however, was completely different. Swallowing his anger, Linc said, “I’m sorry. I get that. For what it’s worth, I don’t think she did anything to me other than be her gorgeous self. I was more floored by how fucking good-looking she is than anything else. She’s tall—perfect in so many ways.”

Mason’s soft laughter eased the knot of tension in his gut. “She is a remarkable woman. Don’t let her beauty lull you into complacency, though. In her case, she is definitely gifted genetically, but she uses it to her advantage. More than one wolf has been fooled into thinking she’s just a beauty. Behind those gorgeous eyes and her stunning smile is a vicious intelligence. She knows exactly how to use her assets to her advantage, and she will lead you to making choices that favor her with a smile on your face. You’ll never once question whether it was your decision or not.”

Irritation at the admiration in Mason’s tone replaced Linc’s brief respite of relief. “It must not work on you, since you walked away.”

“Eh.” Mason didn’t sound perturbed by the accusation. “My heart belonged elsewhere, and we both knew it. That said, I’m serious Linc. I need you at the top of your game and not falling for her.”

“Not a problem. As pretty as she is, she’s an Alpha. I want a meek woman. A wolf who is content to let me protect her and take care of all the difficult stuff.” More Vivian than Claire though, in all fairness, Vivian possessed a core of steel and certainly proved more than a match for A.J.

While not derisive, the snort answering him also didn’t inspire confidence. “You keep telling yourself that, Linc. You’d eat a meek wolf for lunch then wonder what was for dinner. As for the rest, I will be by to see Serafina before the dinner tonight. For now, both Hounds can go. I’ll call if that changes.”

“Got it.” His phone beeped. With a glance at the rearview mirror to check on their progress, he said, “I have another call…”

“Take it. I’ll talk to you later. And, Linc? If you feel at any point overwhelmed by her, don’t keep it to yourself. Tell me. Or, if it’s easier, tell A.J.” As if the concession of letting Linc confide in his brother seemed too much, he added, “That’s an order.”

The call disconnected before Linc could acknowledge Mason, but his wolf straightened at the sheer command in his voice. The man might resent the need for the statement, but the wolf in him would obey. Mason was their Alpha, their chosen leader, and they would do as he bid.

Blowing out a breath, he answered the second call without glancing at the caller ID and growled, “Linc.”

“Well, sugar, if you didn’t want me to call, you shouldn’t have given me the number.” Serafina’s voice poured over him like sweet honey. Stumped for the proper response, he still fumbled when she asked, “Is Mason meeting us at the end of this scenic little drive?”

Clearing his throat once, Linc laughed. “No, Miss Serafina. He will be by this evening before Miss Amy goes to the Healer’s greeting dinner.”

“Well, all right then. So I’m the last to arrive.”

He actually didn’t know the answer without double-checking it with Mason. Rather than make up something pretty, he said, “Maybe. I’m not sure.”

“All right, then.” The purr of her voice sent a lance of heat down his spine to warm his balls. How did one end a call with an Alpha he was supposed to entertain? “Tell me, Linc. Does Willow Bend have a good coffeehouse?”

“Not as good as Starbuck’s, at least according to our imports, but we do have a nice place.” He couldn’t offer to take her, but he could… “After I get you settled at the house, would you like me to send for some for you?” He’d do it himself, but he needed to remain with her.

And wasn’t that a crying shame?

T
he accommodations proved more
than satisfactory. The two-story house boasted four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, an office, living area and double-sized kitchen. Serafina prowled the interior while her Hounds and Amy waited on the porch. They’d worn perplexed frowns when she’d bid them wait while she investigated the arrangements with her escort. Linc didn’t follow her through the house. Instead, he paused inside the door.

Glancing at him from the top of the stairs, she raised a brow. “Problem?”

“Not at all. This is your territory, and you said come inside.” The corner of his mouth kicked upward with a hint of wryness. “I tend to observe the letter of the law when venturing into foreign territory.”

“Wise wolf. You can come the rest of the way in,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m assuming you will be staying here and not sleeping on the porch.”

“As you wish.” The question in his deep baritone paused her.

Pivoting, she braced a hand on the railing and placed the other hand on her hip. While earlier he’d been fun, flirty, and refreshingly open, he seemed far more guarded and uneasy. “What’s wrong,
sha
?”

The gaze he’d lowered to her earlier rose, carrying wariness side-by-side with curiosity. “
Sha
?”

She’d translate the word for him later, if they had a later. “What’s wrong? You seem uncomfortable.” She could have poured power into the question, but compelling a wolf to answer shouldn’t be a first resort. Throughout her teen years, her father stressed over and over a wolf’s loyalty once
earned
never faded. Trying to order or compel the same level of obedience led to disaster. He’d ruled Delta Crescent unchallenged for decades, so she tended to believe his word on matters such as these.

“Honestly?”

The question surprised her, but she appreciated his candor. “Well, unless you really want to tell me a lie.”

A hint of another smile flirted with his mouth, and the wolf sighed. “We built the houses from the frame up with the intent of keeping our scents outside.”

She’d already noticed the effort. No wolf scent clung to anything inside. A couple of humans, yes, but nothing of Willow Bend.

“Your territory, your scent.” The caution in his eyes retreated. “But your wolves are outside, and I’m in here…”

Understanding dawned, and Serafina laughed. “I see your concern,
sha,
and it’s all right. You’ve done a fine job, but your scent will be here if you’re to be my liaison. My wolves will come in when I’ve determined it’s safe for them.” Let him make of that what he wished. “Now come…I want to see the rest of the fine craftsmanship.” The bannister beneath her hand, for example, appeared very sturdy. Maybe Mason rushed his wolves to completion, yet they hadn’t stinted on materials or style. “Your doing?”

The red crept along the tips of his ears and her smile grew. She rather liked the little tell of his, though his embarrassment didn’t change his scent. If anything, the dark, whole richness of his masculinity sweetened with a hint of pleasure. So, it was his work, and it pleased him she’d noticed.

Hands clasped behind his back, he followed her as far as the bottom three steps. “Mostly local woods, so I handled the carving at the shop and supervise the installation. The house itself took only a few days to frame and build.” A hint of apology accompanied his words. “We have some practice. The trick was to make sure the roof slants correctly and can handle the weight of snow.”

Nodding slowly, she tested his reticence to approach her by continuing her ascent. The rooms were wide open, airy, with windows in each room. One master suite occupied the top floor nearest the stairs, with smaller bedrooms tucked behind it. Since the larger bedroom would be hers to claim, she approved the layout. It put her between the outside and her wolves. The Hounds would take the room on either side of the smallest of the three. Amy would take that one or share Sera’s.

The furnishings were modest, but the bed in her room was a king, while the others had doubles. More than large enough to accommodate the wolves with her as none brought mates or lovers—unless Amy decided to glance in Jerome’s direction. Not likely with Trish in attendance. Trish was well aware of her twin’s interest in the healer. Trish and Amy’s friendship created a potentially bad situation if the lovers didn’t work out.

Relationship drama
…she snorted and shook her head. Her least favorite part of being Alpha, because the last thing she wanted was to meddle. From the first sighting of a mate, the moment lovers took the turn toward the mating dance and the dangerous ice they slipped and slid along—if one longed for what the other couldn’t offer…

“You don’t like it?” Linc’s soft question came from the doorway. He’d trailed her to the room then stopped in the entryway.

“Oh, it’s fine.” She waved a hand at the room. The decorations were too gender neutral and the colors too earth tone, but for a weeklong visit—if that long—it would more than suffice. “It’s new. Smells only of a couple of humans and something I’m suspecting is potpourri.” Cooking a couple of meals and brewing some coffee would make the internal scent more palatable.

When he didn’t respond immediately, she found him staring at her in puzzlement.
Hmmm…quiet and reserved are one thing.
Although the wolf had not been remotely reserved when he greeted her at the campground. Straightening, she focused on him and her wolf perked forward, sensing a hunt. “What?”

“You don’t like it.” The challenging statement lacked any heat or defiance, merely the same curious puzzlement he wore in his expression. “It won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t care for the guest house, but I would like an opportunity to improve the experience for you.”

“It’s fine,” she said with a shrug. Though his ears remained red, he didn’t look away. Doubt echoed in those blue eyes, doubt and a measure of disbelief. “It’s not my home. It’s new.” How did she explain it to him?
Why the hell am I explaining anything to him?
The question tumbled around in her mind, but neither she nor her wolf had a ready answer.

With deliberateness, he dropped his gaze. “New is bad?” The strain to understand added an acid note to his scent.

“Not bad, just—I know many wolves build new homes when they establish themselves, whether it’s with a mate or a new pack or even a position.” Some of her wolves did the same after her ascension. Leaving homes they’d occupied for years, they moved to a different parish or, in cases like Rayne Barrows, left the pack altogether.

“You’d prefer a different location? Something—older? With history?” His brows drew together in a consternated frown. Despite being a hulking brute of a man, he seemed to allow every emotion play across his expression. The openness made for a refreshing, if infinitely dangerous, combination.
No wonder he didn’t care for being a Hunter.
In most packs, they were not only the first line of defense, but they also disciplined the young. His openness could be manipulated, or at least read for advantage.

Rubbing a hand across her mouth to hide a smile, she let her power bleed into her next words because he needed to relax and not worry about the ‘accommodations’ so much. It was a place for her to sleep for the next few days, nothing more. “Back home, I still live in the three-hundred-year-old plantation house my great-grandfather built when he settled in Louisiana. It’s been the home of the Alpha ever since. You can scent every person who ever lived there. The age is a part of its charm. Sometimes, when I go to the library on the second floor, I can almost catch a hint of my great-grandfather, especially in the old armchair.” Why the hell did she share the memory with him?

Curiosity displaced his frown, and the tension in his shoulders eased. “You grew up there?”

Seeing no harm in answering his inquiry, she said, “All the Andres have. It is our family home. History is important, the lifeblood of the pack. For Delta Crescent, the Andre home is their home, too. All know who come through its doors they are safe and cared for.”

“Delta Crescent inherits their Alpha through bloodlines?” He leaned against the doorframe, watching her with those too-curious eyes of his.

“Well, if you are asking do we Andres control the pack because it’s gift wrapped, then the answer would be no.” Her wolf roused. No matter how attractive she found the packaging, the Willow Bend wolf needed to understand. “We took what was ours and will defend it against all contenders.”

The low thrum of a growl rumbled within her words. Everything about Linc stood out in sharp relief, from the staccato drumbeat of his rapid pulse to the warmth of his arousal beneath the confusion and curiosity. The sense of him filled her lungs. The other wolf dropped his chin along with his gaze and a lonely bead of sweat slid down his forehead to skate along his cheek to his chiseled jaw.

“Forgive me,” he said in genuine apology. “I did not mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t.” She smiled, releasing the power she’d called and her wolf settled. She could almost feel the animal’s satisfaction. The wolf before them had not only accepted their dominance, but he’d done so with perfect grace. He’d neither gone to his belly nor lifted his throat. Instead, he’d shown them respect and thoughtfulness. “Truly,” she reinforced the sentiment when he shot her an incredulous look. “A lot of new wolves assume that since my great-grandfather, my great-uncle, my second cousin, and my father were all Alphas before me, I did not earn my position. It is a mistake I would prefer you did not make.”

“Miss Serafina,” Linc said, placing a hand on his chest. The action drew her attention to his thick arms and long fingers not to mention the hint of sculpted muscle beneath the thin fabric of his t-shirt. “I give you my solemn word I will never make such a mistake.”

How would all that muscle feel in bed with her? Powerful? The chances he could pin her existed…raw strength wasn’t what defined an Alpha. Some of her wolves were stronger than her in a pure muscle-to-muscle contest. Linc would be one of them. He could hold her, keep her captive and…

A loud knock on the door downstairs interrupted the lustful imaginings and she scowled.

“Sera, I know you’re inspecting…
the house
…” Amy’s call followed her knock. “But I’d really like to pee now.”

The wolf across from her chuckled, a deep baritone sound, and she grinned. “Keep your pants on, Amy,” she called in response. Sweeping her gaze around the room once, she sauntered over to Linc. To his credit, he didn’t move from the door and, when they were face-to-face, he dared to meet her gaze again.

“Does it pass inspection, Miss Serafina?”

If she wanted to play games, she could pretend to misunderstand his question. Of course, he could very well be asking about the house. Having already decided on the construction and the rooms, she simply trailed her gaze over him from his thick, denim-clad thighs to the definitive bulge at his zipper, then upward across his flat stomach, his sturdy chest, and finally to gorgeous blue eyes. “Definitely.”

He licked his lips, and she considered repeating the action, only Amy hit the door again.

“Sera, unless we’re going to be killed by dust bunnies, I’m coming in.”

Linc glanced at the stairs, and the corners of his mouth kicked higher. “Healers.”

“Indeed.” She allowed herself the pleasure of brushing against him on her way to the hall and felt his heat at her back as she headed down the stairs. “It’s all safe, Amy. You three can come inside now.”

She hadn’t descended before the door opened and Jerome entered only to have Amy shove him aside and charge through. “Bathroom?”

“There’s one to the right,” Linc answered.

“Thank you!” She hurried toward the room, and Jerome stared past Sera toward Linc. His dark eyes held hostility and challenge. Stepping between the two men, Sera continued down the steps. When his sister elbowed him, Jerome stopped glaring, but only just.

“Behave,” Serafina told him as she passed them both, her voice subvocal. Though Linc waited for her to reach the bottom step before following, she didn’t doubt he caught what she’d said. Refusing to let it escalate, she continued, “Amy will be in the third room. It’s in the middle, so she will have us on all sides. Trish and Jerome, you can decide who takes the other two rooms. There is a bathroom for Trish and Amy, another for you and Jerome.”

“Oh, thank the lawd,” Trish drawled. “No one wants to use a bathroom after him.”

“Hey.” Jerome’s bad mood disappeared and he snarled at his sister.

She grinned and, though Trish seemed more relaxed, neither of her Hounds moved from their position between the stairs and the bathroom until Linc cleared the last step and followed Sera toward the living room.

“Are you ready, then?” Linc asked and the half-formed image of him powering into her drifted across her mind’s eye. She was more than ready. “I can call to have the coffee delivered.” Of course he had to go and ruin a perfectly healthy fantasy.

“Yes, if you all want coffee, you should tell Linc your orders.”

“Latte, no foam,” Trish said, still waiting for Amy by the stairs.

“Nothing,” Jerome answered from upstairs. “I brought the chicory to brew.”

“Mocha!” Amy said over the sound of running water. “Extra whipped cream.”

Only once they finished did Linc glance at her again. “Your orders, Miss Serafina?”

Damn.
The temptation. Unfortunately, she had too much to do to play. “Coffee. Black. The strongest they have.” It wouldn’t be strong enough…

“I’ll step outside to let you settle while I check in, then I’ll get your coffee on its way.”

“Thank you.” She folded her arms before she did something ridiculous, like strip off his t-shirt so she could take a bite out of the firm muscle she knew it hid.
I’m Alpha, not some randy damn teenager.
She’d bet money he’d been an equally randy teenager and made several she-wolves quite happy.

Amy emerged as the front door closed and her laughing gaze met Serafina’s. “See something you like?”

“Shut up and get settled,” she growled without heat. Ignoring Amy’s giggles as she returned to her room upstairs, Sera’s gaze went to the door then to the window. Linc left the porch and strolled out toward his truck, cell phone in hand.
Check in
.