Red Satin Lips (16 page)

“She dares to challenge me in front of my pack,” he snarled and separated her legs.

He had no choice if Gage did this to Tamara now she would never forgive him. Lars stepped in between them, facing and forcing Gage to move back. “Don’t move Tamara,” he ordered all the while he watched Gage.

“You know now is not the time to establish your dominance. She’s hurt and needs our love, Gage.” He slowly moved into Gage’s personal space but his gaze never leaving his lover’s. Lars ran his hands up and down Gages arms. “
That’s it, Gage, take deep breaths. Think of all that our woman has lost in the past twenty-four hours. Right now she needs to be held in your arms and protected.”
He used their personal link not wanting to remind Tamara of all that she had lost.

“You’ve lost too,” Gage sighed before he kissed Lars hard and quick. “Thank you.”

Nodding, Lars stepped aside and watched as Gage pulled up a chair, sitting behind Tamara. “Come here, baby,” Gage whispered and pulled her up onto his lap. “I’m sorry. This is all new to you and I should have more patience.” He accepted the blanket from Ana and tucked it around her.

“Look out over the crowd Tamara. See how they listen to my brother.” Gage looked down at her and she nodded. “You would think that all their attention is drawn to him, but watch.” He picked up an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table.

“See the man holding onto a woman with one hand and a beer in the other. He has red hair and is wearing that bright red shirt.”
Lars stood behind them and listened to them when she nodded again. “Watch.: Gage let loose the apple. Throwing it straight at the man in question.

In a flash, the man pushed the woman back and snatched the apple out of the air. The man laughed and took a bite of the apple before winking at her. “Our woman will always will come first. Even if it looks like I’m busy, I will always have one eye on you as does Lars. Do you understand?”

She scooted up and looked at him, then out at the crowd. “In other words, you wouldn’t have to stop what you were doing? You’d know where I was.” Tamara sucked in a breath. “The whole pack’s going to be watching.”

The expression on her face was comical at best. Lars laughed and relaxed, sitting down again.. “You’re going to be their queen. Of course they’re going to know where you are. Right now every person in this room is watching Ana, making sure she is safe while the Alpha conducts his business.” Lars grabbed the other apple and took a bite of it.

“I just ask you stay in the same room. I want…” Gage shook his head. “No, that isn’t right. I need to know you’re close. Can you do that for us?” Gage asked, tilting her head back.

“Yes, and I’m sorry about earlier. I really didn’t mean for it to come out as a challenge.” She rubbed her cheek against his hand as he placed one hand on each of her cheeks.

“I know now, thanks to Lars.” He kissed her softly and tapped her nose. “Go on. Ana is waiting for you, but Tamara please call us you need us.”

Ana placed her hand on Gage’s shoulder. “I would never place your mate and your children in danger. If the bitches even flinch, I’ll step in.”

The Alpha hearing his females promise, turned and gave her a look that even sent a chill down Gage's spine. Ana laughed and took Tamara’s hand, helping her up. “Don’t give me that look. Save it for those you intimidate,” she teased, drawing out a growl from her husband.

“Ana!” was all he said, but she only smiled at him.

“Relax, we’re just going to walk around so I can introduce her to some of the females.” Both of them stepped off the stairs and headed to what looked like the kitchen. Lars and Gage both knew how deadly a female wolf could get when feeling threatened and so did Herick.

“Who?” Herick asked Gage confusing him for a minute.

“Orlando,” Gage said.

“Should have known, good choice,” his brother acknowledged.

Before Lars could ask what was going on, the man who Lars threw the apple at jumped onto the platform and kneeled in front of Gage. “It would be my honor to guard your woman.” Without waiting, Orlando moved down the stairs Tamara had  just gone down.

“He will be with her always, unless we are there or his replacement comes. We need to pick three others for her, but I’ve known Orlando since school and he’s the best at what he does,” Gage informed Lars as he turned to him.

“And what does he do best?” Lars asked, taking another bite of his apple.

“Kill.” One word, but it was powerful enough that Lars knew Tamara would be safe. Turning, he watched as six men came up in front of their table and kneeled, which he really didn’t like.

He looked to Gage, who shrugged. “It’s always been the way of the pack to show your respect to the Alpha leaders. Please pull up chairs and sit.” Gage nodded to the stack of chairs off to the side.

Once everyone was seated, Gage introduced five of Herick’s security team. “You five are staying here, then?” Gage asked as Herick came up behind them.

“I’m only taking our personal guards when we leave. As soon as I feel comfortable with the pack there, and can trust those there, I’ll give those men a choice if they want to stay or not. I won’t drag whole families unless they want to make the change,” his brother said and took a seat next to Gage. “These men are the best we have for intelligence. Each of them also has Fae blood in them,” Herick looked at Gage, then at Lars. “This Baal can’t penetrate anyone with Fae blood.” He pointed to his head.

“I have a feeling it’s one of the reasons why Baal is angry. You’ve bonded with Gage long ago. You carry his blood inside of you, so Baal, or Michael, or whatever you want to call him, can’t get into your mind. Since he does not have a bond with his daughter, Baal must really be furious. From what we’ve heard, he likes to keep close contact on all his children. The ones who give him trouble, he kills or they go into hiding.” Herick nodded to the one called Javier.

“We know for a fact two of his children has taken up residence in the Fae realm. The Queen and King have a few of their men watching, but they have lived there for over a hundred years and have seen nothing. Baal can’t penetrate the Fae world or influence anyone carrying our blood. Do you have anyone on your team that might carry Fae blood?”

He looked at Gage who frowned. “I have no idea, but we should call the rest of the team in. Lars called the Admiral. He’ll be here tomorrow and as well as our contact with the human FBI.”

His brother leaned forward. “You aren’t going to mention anything about the Fae in front of the human, are you?” Herick asked.

“Do you really think I’m that stupid?” Gage snarled. “I might not have been Alpha here, but I kept up on things and I know the Fae do not want to be exposed. We’ll meet them at the guest lodge, use the conference rooms there, but I’d like our team at the main house.”

“There are only about six left of our team,” Lars explained. “The explosion took out Team B and over half of our team,” Lars announced.

“Damn, I didn’t know it was that bad.” Herick drummed his fingers on the table, but stopped when they heard the snarl. All three of them stood and moved towards the kitchen.

****

Tamara shook her head as she stared down at the bitch on the floor under her foot. “Well that went well,” she muttered to Ana who was still snarling, but what caught her attention was the man who Gage had thrown the apple to.

He had tried to stop Belinda’s attack, but he hadn’t reached her in time. “You want to explain what is up your ass that you’d risk being banned?”

“She’s Gage’s old girlfriend. I thought Connie had gotten over the fact he’d moved on, but I guess I was wrong,” Ana snarled again as three hyped up Alpha males came flying into the kitchen ready to take on anyone who threatened them.

Cocking her head to the side, Tamara tapped her finger to her lips. “Let’s see, you would think my husband would inform me when old flames were still around? Ana, what do you think they’d do if my old boyfriend showed up?”

A snort came from behind her. “They’d tear the guy apart. You can release her. She won’t touch you now.” Ana touched her shoulder and Tamara stepped away from the ex-girlfriend..

Giving her a brief glance, Tamara said. “Stay away from us. I better not hear about you causing any trouble or you’re out of here.” She glanced at Lars, then at Gage. “I take it he’s my new guard?” She nodded to the man who leaned against the wall.

“Come here,” Gage held out his hand and she knew he was once more trying to battle the wolf inside him.

Not thinking, Tamara placed her hand in his and stepped into his arms. “I’m okay, Gage.” She wrapped one arm around her and held out the other for Lars including him. Oh he might act like he could handle all of this, but Tamara could see the strain of this night on him.

“You’re done meeting the women. Come keep us company. Maybe you can give us some input,” Lars said hugging them both, but winked at her.

“She’s trouble and you all know it,” Connie snapped, but Gage and Lars didn’t budge, holding on to her.

“Level two,” she heard Herick say.

When she turned around in Gage’s arms, the woman in question was gone. Herick held Ana in a tight grip at his side. She rolled her eyes. “They’ll be very clingy for the rest of the night,” she sighed, but Tamara could see the smile in her eyes.

“Let me introduce you to Orlando,” Gage whispered in her ear and lead her toward the man who had been shadowing her. “Orlando, this is our wife, Tamara. Tamara, Orlando will be your head guard. He will be personally coordinating all your guards and the security around you. If you have to go somewhere, you will speak with him after you speak with us, of course.” Gage nipped her shoulder.

Holding out her hand, Tamara smiled at the man. “You are going to have a boring job since I doubt my men will allow me to venture too far from their view from now on,” she teased and he grinned.

“That’s okay, I’d rather have boring than to have to kill someone,” he kissed the top of her hand.

Behind her Gage snarled and pulled her away from him. “You don’t need to be kissing her.”

“I was just showing my respect. After all she will be queen,” he winked at her and she laughed as Gage and Lars pulled her out of the kitchen and back to the table where they had been sitting..

“When can I take a shower? I’m really starting to itch,” she asked Lars as he pulled out her chair for her.

“Tonight, when we go home,” Lars said and kissed her cheek, “I want you to listen to what these men have to say.”

For the next hour, Tamara listened to the men informing her of all the weaknesses of her father. They all knew there was no way to kill him, but they could send him back, restrict his movements on Earth

All the while she listened, Tamara kept coming back to the fact she had an older brother and sister in the Fae world. Somehow this was important and could be used, but Tamara also wanted to meet them.

Furor, one of the new men, seemed to know more than anyone else about her siblings. With the talking settled for a minute, Tamara leaned onto the table and focused her attention on him. “Furor, do you know where my brother and sister are? Could I meet them?”

“No!” Shouts erupted from every male around the table which made had her stiffen her spine and glare at each man.

Chapter Twelve

“Are you crazy? We’re trying to get you away from him and you want to meet his children?” Lars shouted. He jumped up and started to pace back and forth. “He killed my grandmother, your mother!” Lars glared at her.

She gasped. Her hand flew to her chest. He actually blamed her. Slowly, Tamara stood as she kept the tears back. “Of all things you have ever said to me, this hurts the most.” She held up her hand and backed away from them.

“These are my siblings. Since you blame me for these deaths, there is no reason for me not to meet them. Furor, I don’t know if you know where they are, but let it be known I want to meet them. Orlando, I want to go back to the house alone. Would you arrange it please?”

“No, you’ll go back to the house when we do,” Gage stood and stepped toward her, but Tamara couldn’t do it.

“Stop! I’ve obeyed everything you’ve said tonight, done everything you wanted, but this I can’t and won’t give you. I’m sorry you feel my family did this to you, but I will meet them and that is one thing you will not stop. Go home Lars, it’s obvious you need them. I won’t be with a man who feels I’m a threat to him.” Tamara grasped onto Orlando’s arm and wished to be back at the house in front of the fireplace in the den.

Opening her eyes, Tamara stared at the fire through tear-filled eyes. “Sorry about that Orlando, I knew if I didn’t at least bring you Gage would be throwing one of his fits.”

“What the hell is going on?” Maxim asked as he ran into the room. He looked to Orlando, then to her.

“Just a disagreement with Gage and Lars,” she said studying him. “Do you know my brother and sister?” She stepped forward, but jumped back as soon as Lars and Gage appeared in the room, furious.

“Are you crazy? What if your father took you when you were flashing here?” Lars yelled as he grabbed hold of her shoulders and shook her.

“Let go of me.” His fingers were digging into her shoulders only for a minute when he realized what he was doing and released her. “Both of you need to decide what you want.” She glared at Gage when he started to say something.

“All night I’ve had to sooth your ruffled feathers and I’m tired of it. I want this, I need this. I know I have family that wants me dead, but maybe I also have some family who would like to be part of my life. Both of you have that, I don’t. There is also the possibility that with the three of us together we might be able to come up with something to stop my father and this crazy bitch.” She took a deep breath and turned to sit by the fireplace.

“As you’ve pointed out Lars, I don’t want any more deaths on my head or in my heart.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “Go home and visit your folks, Lars. It’s obvious you need to see them.” She stretched her legs out in front of her.

“So, Maxim, do you know where my brother and sister are?” She looked up, but he was gone as was Orlando. Tamara shook her head. “Just go, the both of you. All I’m going to do is sit here and relax. Maybe I’ll have some hot chocolate later and a nice hot bath. I promise not to go anywhere else.”