Mating the Red Wolf: (Book 10, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas) (11 page)

“Ed… I love you…” she breathed.

It was enough to send him over the edge.  He threw back his head and roared as she felt him swell and come inside her, sending her own climax cascading through her.  She let out her own roar as her claws dug into the pillow, and her body shuddered and shook with the divine intensity.

“I love you too, Kim,” he told her huskily, “so much…”

*

Present day

Kim reddened as a pained look from Olivia brought her out of her reverie.

“Is Ed your true mate?” asked Olivia.

Kim nodded.  “Yes, he is.”

Olivia thought about it for a few moments.  “How did you know?”

“It’s my wolf who realized.  I mean, I’m more attracted to Ed than any other man I’ve ever met, but he calls to my wolf on a level that even I don’t understand.”

“You’re lucky,” murmured Olivia.

“I agree, Ed’s wonderful.”

“No, I mean you’re lucky that the two of you can be together, it’s not always that easy.”

Kim reached out and took Olivia’s hand.  “Is there something you want to talk about?”

Tears sprang to Olivia’s eyes, and she nodded.  “But you have to promise not to tell anyone, even Ed.”

Her wolf grumbled at that, but Kim agreed and Olivia proceeded to pour out her heart.  Olivia’s behavior suddenly made sense.

Chapter Twelve

Kim almost fell off her chair as Judy snorted awake.  The older she-wolf looked around the room in confusion.  Kim jumped up and took Judy’s hand making soothing sounds.

“Water,” gasped Judy slowly.

Olivia passed Kim a glass, and she helped Judy to take a few sips, until she waved at Kim to stop.

“What’s going on?” asked Judy in a low, scratchy voice.

Kim and Olivia looked between each other uncertainly.  Kim cleared her throat.  “There was wolfsbane in the tea you drank at lunch yesterday.”

Judy’s eyes widened in fright.  “Wolfsbane?” she spluttered.

“How did it get there?” asked a contentious sounding voice behind them.

Both Olivia and Kim jumped.  They hadn’t even heard Harold Jr. step into the room.  Kim admonished her wolf for not scenting him.

Tears started forming in Judy’s eyes.  “I don’t know; who would want to hurt me?”

Harold’s jaw ticked.  “Did you put it there yourself?”

“No, I…”

“Did you bring wolfsbane into my family’s home?”

“No, how…”

“Somebody did.  Somebody put wolfsbane in your drink.  Why would they do that?”

Judy started crying; Olivia sat on the bed and put a gentle arm around her shoulders.  She sniffled.  “I don’t know.  I wasn’t even going to drink it, but Marie didn’t want it…”

Kim and her wolf drew in a breath.

“What?” snapped Harold.

Judy shrugged lightly.  “I made the tea for Marie; it’s supposed to be good for rheumatism.  But she complained so much about the taste that I just drank it.”

Kim bit her lip.  “Tell us about when you made it.”

Harold shot her an irritated look for butting in, but he didn’t say anything.  He was far too interested in hearing what Judy had to say.

“Well, it was a few minutes before lunch, so I boiled the kettle…”

“Where did you get the water from?” asked Kim.

Judy gave her an odd look.  “From the refrigerator.”

“Was it a new bottle?”

Judy looked thoroughly confused.  “Yes, as a matter of fact it was.”

“Then what?” demanded Harold impatiently.

“Then I put some tea leaves in the cup…”

“Where did you get them from?” asked Kim.

Judy gave her a look of exasperation.  “Out of that tin.”  She pointed to a battered, brown tin on top of the sideboard.

Hesitantly, Harold picked it up and sniffed the inside.  He wrinkled his nose at the strong scent of peppermint.  “No wolfsbane.”

“Well, of course, there isn’t!” said Judy snippily, “That’s my own blend of tea, designed to ease the pain of my patients.  I already told you I didn’t bring wolfsbane into this house; I would never…”

Judy’s face started turning an alarming shade of puce.  Olivia rubbed her arms and murmured for her to calm down.

Slightly mollified, she continued, “After the tea had brewed, I strained the leaves and then brought the tin back here.”

Kim sucked in a breath.  “So you left the tea in the kitchen – for how long?”

“Just a few minutes.”

Harold’s eyebrow twitched.  “Who else knew that the tea was for my grandmother?”

“Well, I don’t know.  That girl, Helena and that young man Kurt who always follows her around were in the kitchen when I was making it.  She asked me what I was doing, so I told her.  But I suppose anyone could have known that the tea was for Marie, I’ve been giving her numerous cups ever since we arrived here.”

Kim looked at Olivia, but the younger wolf hadn’t reacted to the mention of Helena or Kurt.  After Olivia’s confession, it wasn’t so surprising that Olivia wasn’t interested in hearing about Kurt, but Kim had thought Helena was Olivia’s friend.

Olivia gave Judy a gentle nudge.  “Then, what happened?”

“When I came back to the kitchen, I got the tea and took it into the dining room.  Marie refused to drink it, so, rather than let it go to waste, I drank it.  Then, I’m not really sure; everything is a bit unclear after that.”

Everyone looked at each other in uncomfortable silence for a few beats, before Harold huffed and wordlessly strode out the room.

Kim followed him out into the hallway.  “Wait!  What are you going to do?”

Harold stopped and looked back at her; his face was a mixture of vexation but also despair.

Kim felt a modicum of pity for the wolf stood in front of her. 
Wolfsbane was a danger
.  He was the Alpha male, and he was expected to protect the other wolves, not to mention he had four children under the age of ten and his mate to worry about.  Kim just didn’t think he was up to the task.  While Harold might be a killer in the boardroom, she doubted he had the natural instincts of protecting his pack as a real wolf would.

“I need to speak to my family,” he answered tersely.

“Do you think someone’s trying to hurt Marie?”

Harold’s nostrils flared, and he drew himself up to his full height of six foot three.  Kim’s wolf let out a small snarl.  Yes, Harold was pasty and a little out of shape, but he was still bigger than she was.  If Harold attacked her, she doubted she could beat him.

“I will discuss the matter with my family.”

He nodded at Kim dismissively and stalked away. 
Asshole
.  Her wolf huffed.  Okay, maybe she should cut him some slack.  He was facing the reality that maybe one of his family was trying to kill his grandmother.  Although, undoubtedly, he was hoping it would turn out to be Helena or Kurt. 
Or her, even.

Kim shook her head, ignoring the annoyed baying of her wolf, and stepped back into Judy’s room.  Judy was pulling apart a tissue in her hands.

“When I was a nurse, I never treated cases of wolfsbane, but I know how bad the consequences are of wolf shifters even getting some on their skin.”  She shuddered as horror crept over her face.  “I can’t think of a worse way to… to…” 
She left it unsaid, but she was thinking
-
die
.

“You were lucky,” said Kim with feeling, thinking of her late father.

“I don’t feel lucky,” whimpered Judy.  “Whoever did this, they have no regard for life.  They are cold and vicious.”

Kim felt a swell of uneasiness as her wolf prowled unhappily.  Judy was right; feeding another wolf shifter wolfsbane truly did indicate a disturbed mind. 
A disturbed mind that they were all trapped on an island with. 

Her wolf urged her to go to Jamie and Ed, and to wrap them in her arms and protect them from whoever was doing this.

Judy looked between Kim and Olivia.  Kim was taken aback at the suspicious glint that had crept into her eyes.  “I think I’d like to be alone now.”

Olivia was about to protest, but Kim shook her head and moved toward the door.  “Just let us know if you need anything.”

Judy inclined her head, although Kim doubted she would.  The moment she and Olivia had been ushered outside the heavy, scraping bolt of the lock was drawn.

“She doesn’t trust us,” whispered Olivia.

Kim wanted to say something reassuring to Olivia, but what could she say?  She was right; Judy didn’t trust them.  But then, Kim didn’t trust all the people she was surrounded by either.

“No,” admitted Kim quietly, “she doesn’t.”

*

Kim rolled her eyes as she and Olivia entered the family room.  Surprise, surprise, the family members who belonged in that room were arguing.

Will got up and came over to them; he stood a few steps away from Olivia.  Kim noted Jamie was sat in the corner with the other pups.  Pieces of paper and crayons were spread out in front of them.  The boys were engaged in their drawing, but Jamie was darting glances at adults who were arguing.

Kim tried to give her a reassuring smile.  Kim and Jamie’s father, Wade, argued non-stop from the moment they got married until the moment he left.  Kim hoped that Jamie was too young to remember that part of her life, but it distressed Kim immeasurably to think that her daughter could recall those awful times. 
Seeing your mommy being slammed against the wall so hard she almost passed out was not a good first memory for a pup…

Ed came over and gave her hand a squeeze.  She and her wolf felt marginally better at his comforting touch.

Marie gave everyone a mirthless smile.  “I don’t know why you’re all arguing; it’s me that one of you wants to kill.”

“Not in front of the children!” cried Christine in a yelled whisper.

“Don’t talk to me that way, you worthless she-wolf!” sneered Marie.  “You’re only here because your redneck father happened to strike oil.  Did you honestly think we would tolerate your lowbrow company if it weren't for your father’s money?”

Christine’s cheeks flamed to a dark red and her mate let out a bellow of displeasure.

“Do not speak to my mate that way!” roared Harold Jr.; his eyes blazed a dangerous amber.

“I will speak to her however I want; I control the family’s money.  Don’t you dare forget that!”

Jonathan let out a snort and downed a glass of whiskey.  “Really?  I had no idea.  Did you have any idea, Ed? Will?  It’s the first I’m hearing of it.”

“Keep your idiot comments to yourself,” snapped Helena.

Jonathan smirked.  “Charming as always, hellcat.”

“Leave her alone,” snarled Kurt.

“Don’t speak to my son that way!” yelled Marguerite.  “You’re not family; you have no say in anything that happens here.”

Kim closed her eyes. 
What was with this family?
  They made the Borgias look like the freaking Waltons!  Enough was enough.  Kim put her fingers to her lips and let out a loud, imposing whistle.

“Look, I know I’m not family,” she started.

“Not yet,” corrected Ed.

“But, this arguing is getting us nowhere.” 

Ed’s father bared his fangs at her but Ed put his body in front of hers and let out a low growl.  In spite of the situation, her wolf yipped like a puppy at Ed’s show of protection and Kim felt a tingle of arousal.  Yep, despite the danger and despite how adamant she was that she didn’t like possessive wolves who treated her like a weak female, she was getting turned on.  She had a messed-up wolf. 
Or maybe, it’s just that she was starting to like that behavior from Ed.

When Ed’s father quieted, she continued.  “The fact is, someone brought wolfsbane with them.  And somehow, it found its way into the cup of tea that Judy made for Marie and which she ended up drinking herself.  Maybe, it was an accident.”

This was met with numerous snorts and rumbles of disbelief.

Ed jumped in, “Yeah, maybe it was an accident.  So if anyone wants to admit to bringing it with them…”

There were grumbles and accusatory eyes swept across the room, but nobody admitted to anything.  As good an idea as it was, Kim did have to admit that she wouldn’t admit anything in front of Ed’s grandmother either.

“If no one will admit to what they’ve done, then we’ll just have to search everybody’s rooms,” declared Harold Jr., with more than a little hostility.

There were murmurs of annoyance and Helena jumped to her feet.  “You’re not searching my room.  I’m a guest here, and I don’t deserve to be treated like a criminal.”

Kim’s wolf snapped her jaws; she strongly disagreed with that sentiment.  Kim could see that Ed was holding back his own objection.  She gave another look at Jamie; as much as she didn’t want Jamie hearing any of this, she didn’t want her out of her sight.

Harold Jr. fixed Helena with a furious glare, at which she was smart enough to incline her head in submission.

Marguerite sniffed at Helena.  “You may have wheedled your way into our private party, but I wouldn’t say you were a guest.”

Kim was felt somewhat pleased that, although Marguerite didn’t want Kim for a daughter-in-law, she wouldn’t have been thrilled with Helena instead.  It was a small consolation, although Kim did feel very petty for thinking it.  Her wolf told her to shut-up and enjoy the brief glimmer of a rainbow while they could.

Helena stamped her foot as her cheeks dusted with red.  Kurt shuffled as if he was about to get up and defend her, but she gave him such a disagreeable look that he thought better of it.

“I am a guest; Arthur invited me,” she said through gritted teeth.

Anyone who didn’t already know that fact looked at Arthur in surprise.  He was in the middle of pouring another drink and froze.

“Did you?” asked his mate, Jennifer in a faint voice.

“Well, I, uh…” he stammered.

Helena folded her arms and tapped her foot.  “Tell her!”

“Yes, I did,” he admitted quietly.

Jennifer looked between Helena and her mate for a few moments.  “Is there something going on between you two?”

Arthur looked at his mate in disbelief.  “How can you ask me that?”

“That isn’t a no, Arthur,” she murmured, her voice breaking.

Christine took Jennifer's hand and gave Arthur a look that told him if she weren’t so civilized she would have already strung him up by his balls.