Rogue Wolf (20 page)

Julian snorted, then rolled his eyes. The older wolf rarely demonstrated emotional reactions. He grabbed a wooden chair and swung it around, then straddled it so he could rest his arms along the back of the chair. “Margo, don’t be a bitch. You violated the laws and you know the rules. That said, we have a bigger problem to discuss and our guests have already made it clear they’re opposed to any form of punishment.”

She sneezed. Julian didn’t back down from fights and she’d never seen an Alpha intimidate him. So what wasn’t he saying?

Salvatore continued to pet the fur along the back of her neck. “
Bella
, he is right. Perhaps shifting would be better,
if
you are up to it. If not, they can all wait.” The edict carried a great deal of weight, yet she wasn’t entirely positive she could shift.

Her right foreleg didn’t like all her weight on it and she’d been careful to keep herself balanced on the other three. She also wasn’t risking a brutal shift while standing between Salvatore’s pack and the Enforcers—not if it put Salvatore in danger.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way.” Julian shook his head, then glanced toward Salvatore. “You’re here as a guest and because your sister is involved. Mason vouched for you as under his sufferance from Willow Bend, as long as you are on Willow Bend territory, you are welcome to be present. What happens next is a matter for the Enforcers alone. Are we clear?”

Power rippled through the room. While Salvatore was Alpha and his strength mind-boggling, Julian’s familiar energy surged. He didn’t struggle to hold Salvatore’s gaze. The aggression rose until it crackled along her fur and she shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs of anger threatening to choke her.

“In all matters, save for Margo’s and my sister’s safety and direct health, I will concede your point.” The acknowledgement was enough for Julian.

“Fair enough.” Then his attention transferred to her. “We have forty-one wolves unaccounted for. As of this morning, Mason’s identified a group of five humans within his pack who’ve
disappeared
. Most are college students, not home on a regular basis. Three were going to universities in New York, one on an exchange program to Italy and the fifth…” In Tennessee, she would guess. “…was completing an internship with a craftsman in Knoxville.”

Son of a bitch.
Margo wanted to swear.

“As far as we can tell, all their phones have been switched off. They probably picked up burners. The most recent contact was about six weeks ago. The families didn’t think anything of it because…”

They were in school.

What the hell did five humans from Willow Bend have to do with the madness of disappearing wolves? It couldn’t have anything to do with Toman. While he, like Mason, had no problem with human packmates, Toman had little use for them. They were the fortunate ones, ignored more often than not.

Julian wasn’t finished. “As far as we can tell from their cellphone records, and text messages, these five have been close for years. They grew up together, banding together as humans amongst wolves are wont to do. They also worship Mason, appreciating him on every level for reclaiming the pack from Toman’s madness.” Politically incorrect, but since Toman was dead, who cared?

A dozen thoughts tumbled through her mind. Humans loved Mason reclaiming the pack. They were involved in the missing wolves. What did one have to do with the other? Rayne Barrows had been a strong dominant—and he’d asked a lot of questions while with Salvatore’s pack.

She stiffened.

“I told you she would put it together as soon as she had the info.” Julian smiled at her, the indulgence in the action didn’t quite reach his eyes.

They were forming a pack. Violating every single law governing interpack relations and Lone Wolves. On the one hand, she was grateful to hear those wolves weren’t dead. Someone murdering them would be a terrible outcome, a blow the packs might not recover from, but to form a sixth pack? To violate the laws in such a fashion?

It would mean war.

If Willow Bend’s humans were involved, then…

“At this time, Mason has declared those five are to be brought in and questioned by him. If they are found guilty, Willow Bend will deal with it and make reparations to the other packs.” If they weren’t? Then Willow Bend would protect their own. It made sense. But forty-one wolves—and that only counted the ones they were aware of. No way had they managed a full accounting yet.

Her heart ached for Salvatore. His sister was in the middle of what could arguably be one of the worst moments in their recent history. She truly did need to shift, the mission to find Rayne and Luciana Barrows was hers—as had been the missing wolves. Maybe if she continued the lead, she could protect everyone from being hurt. After fixing Julian with a look, Margo backed away a pace and turned to get off the—what was she standing on? A bed. Apparently she’d been the patient, so they let her have the bed.

The distance from the edge to the floor gave her pause. Would her leg hold up or would it collapse beneath her? The weight of Salvatore’s regard drifted over her, and she sidestepped him when he reached to put an arm around her and made the short leap to the floor. Her right foreleg jolted and a pierce of pain drilled through her, but the leg held.

One careful paw in front of the other she headed for the only door she could see. Salvatore arrived a step ahead of her and opened it. Tossing him a grateful look, she slid inside—a second room. Another bed occupied the room, and she scented Owen and Gillian. So they were in the healer’s home? Or maybe a place the healer and Hunter had been staying?

It didn’t matter.

The door closed behind her, Salvatore leaned against the wood frame and studied her. “Take your time,” he said, quiet encouragement and patience in his voice. “I will be here if you need me.”

She should snap and send him out, but she was grateful for his presence. Melancholy spilled through her. She didn’t need anyone or want anyone protecting her—except him. God she had messed so much of this task up, and now she wanted an Alpha to look after her and clean it up. What was wrong with her?

“
Bella
, do not worry,” Salvatore had left the door and knelt before her. Hell, she hadn’t even seen him move. “You have been through a great deal in the last thirty-six hours.”

Thirty-six hours? Her mind locked on the time. They’d been only a few hours behind their quarry and she’d been out thirty-six hours?

He closed his hand over her ruff and pressed his face to hers. “If you’re too tired, you can still rest. Don’t push the shift…”

No, she needed to finish the hunt, make it right before the pack building got any further out of hand. Then she needed to face Julian. After rubbing her face to his cheek, she withdrew. Bone-deep exhaustion held her captive, but she concentrated. The ability to shift from human to wolf and back again was ingrained in her DNA. She could shift in her sleep, the only reason she hadn’t probably had more to do with their forcing her to shift so many times to heal.

Holding the image in her mind, she let the fur slide off on her body and it seemed to take hours for her muscles and bones to reassert themselves. Her right arm felt like someone had dropped it into boiling oil, but she pressed on past the pain until she knelt on the floor and panted.

One moment the hardwood was beneath her, then the next she was in Salvatore’s lap and he cradled her to his chest. Trembling too much to argue, she closed her eyes and nestled to him. His strength flared over her, chasing away the fatigue and the pain, until all she could sense was him.

Salvatore insisted she eat after she dressed, going so far as to bring the food back to her in the room rather than sending her out to face the Enforcers. Though she felt a modicum of cowardice at letting him take over, she had to admit eating was the best plan. They brought her a stack of roast beef sandwiches, and she managed to eat five of them before her stomach stopped gnawing on her spine.

With a quiet smile, he unscrewed a water bottle and passed her the third one she’d drunk. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she said, taking the bottle. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Of course,
bella mia
.” Settling on the bed next to where she perched, he trailed his fingers over her hair. She’d showered—not as fun as their last experience—while he watched, prepared to catch her if she fell. Rolling her right shoulder, she tested her mobility. It ached like hell. Wolves might heal swiftly, swifter still with a healer’s energy flowing through them—Gillian had to be some healer. Her injuries felt several days old rather than only several hours. The bruising would pass in time. She wasn’t pack…

I have her. Take what you need…

“You helped her help me, didn’t you?” Taking a long drink of water, she watched him carefully.

“Yes. My pack came to my call. They gave of themselves, too. We kept you alive until I could get you to the healer. They were a few hours away, almost too far.”

Margo rubbed a hand against the center of her chest. She still felt like herself, and she tested the theory for any new connections.

“I did not take your choice from you.” The grave words jerked her attention back to him. He ran a finger down her cheek. “Had it been the only option, I would have. But my men were near enough, so they gave me what they had and I used it to hold you close, to feed you what you needed. What bonds exist will fade now that you are healing until you choose to make it permanent.”

She sucked in her upper lip. Guilt turned the food in her stomach to a leaden rock. “I’m sorry for assuming…”

“No,” he cupped her chin, then brushed his thumb across her lips to silence her. “You are mine,
bella
. Make no mistake of that. Had it been the only way to keep you with me, I would have claimed you and worked to earn your forgiveness later.”

Yes, that sounded exactly like the wolf she’d spent the last several days with. “Thank you all the same…and for understanding why I’m torn.”

“You look tired. Perhaps more sleep?”

“No,” she said, though the idea of curling up even with the scent of the other wolves around her held appeal. “We need to do this and I need to talk to Julian and the others.”

“To be clear, your fate—is not theirs to decide.” Salvatore rose, then held his hand out to her.

“No, I think I know exactly who plans to control my fate.” She slid her palm over his. He tugged her to her feet then pulled her into his arms. “Just watch how pushy you get. I bite.”

The tease was the exact right thing to say, as his sober expression softened. “I can’t wait to push.”

Savoring his expression, she led the way to the door but Salvatore opened it for her. The main room held only Julian. The others—Enforcers and Salvatore’s packmates—were gone. An older male, Julian had to be at least as old as Salvatore, perhaps a few years older still. He’d been an Enforcer longer than any other, and often as not trained any new Enforcers brought under their aegis.

“You look better.” Leaning against the far wall, Julian folded his arms. He looked like he had all the time in the world. The casual air was a mistake to believe, so Margo didn’t even try.

“How pissed are you?” She couldn’t scent any aggression or anger rolling off him, but it didn’t mean anything. Julian was the best wolf at hiding his emotions from everyone. She’d seen rogues blow right past him in public, never sensing his wolf.

He gave her a bland look, then glanced at Salvatore. “Pretty damn pissed. You’re the best Enforcer I’ve ever trained. I hate losing you.”

“Well that’s not decided yet…” Yes, it was. Even she could hear the dishonesty in her words.

“Don’t split hairs, Margo.” The Prime Enforcer pushed away from the wall and stalked toward her. Behind her, Salvatore stiffened, but she held her hand up toward him so he wouldn’t lunge in front of her. Invading her space, Julian rested his hands on her shoulders lightly. “I’m happy for you and I’m worried about you. You broke the law, but the Seven Hills Alpha has spoken for you and insisted he pursued you until you had no choice. He’s also intent on not leaving the U.S. without you. If you’d planned to stay we’d have to find a way to not kill you. As it is, I will have to find a way to replace you.”

Shock kept her mute.

His sudden laughter stunned her further. “Salvatore, I have to admit, I did not think anything could silence her vicious tongue and yet you have found a way to do it.” Then the older wolf rocked her world more when he tugged her in for a hug. “You were always my favorite,” he said against her ear. “We still have a problem and I expect you to finish the job, but afterward? If you choose to go, you go with my blessing.”

Tears prickled her eyes and she hugged him in return. “I hate the idea of leaving all of you.”

“As well you should. Who else will keep Hadley in line? Or tease Jax out of his bad moods?” Julian straightened and released her. “Sphinx will go back to being a silent martyr without you to beat him at billiards so he has to talk.”

“Wow, thanks for the guilt.” She gave him a shove and he chuckled, though the humor was fleeting.

“You’re welcome. Hadley and the others have gone to confirm a sighting of our missing wolves.”

Her own humor evaporated at the statement. “Where?”

“Western Nebraska. State Police answered a BOLO for one of the missing college students. Vincent Michael. Know him?”

She shook her head. The name meant nothing, but a college student now would have at best been a toddler when she lived in Willow Bend. “What did Mason say?”

“He’s sent Dylan Royce with Hadley, they are to identify and observe only. Once they have the information, we’ll head there ourselves. I have a private plane ready to go.” He glanced at Salvatore. “You do understand that the majority of these wolves are
not
your sister. I am willing to turn her over to you, but the rest are our issue.”

“What about Barrows?” Salvatore accepted the invitation to join the discussion.

Julian raised an eyebrow and focused on her. So, Barrows was her problem. “I stand by our previous decision.” Turning, she trusted Salvatore to watch Julian at her back. Facing the Alpha, she rested her hand above his heart. “If they have truly mated, I will let you make the decision. If not, I’m killing him.” There could be no halfway. Awareness of the hypocrisy swept through her. “Do you mind if Julian and I talk alone?”