Rogue Wolf (23 page)

She was an Enforcer.

“Your sister is still yours
provided
she hasn’t violated our laws. If she is the victim, we will retrieve her. We will get her home. You are a powerful threat to them. If they see you coming, it will be a bloody war immediately. Give me time to try to resolve this.”

“They already took a shot at you, Margo.” The deep rumble in his voice reflected his dislike, but not his disagreement. Bless him, he considered every word she said. “What makes you think they won’t do it again?”

“Because it was one of their humans, the wolves don’t fight that way.” Then recalling the mad wolf in Hudson River, she added, “Not the sane ones, anyway.”

“I will not be left behind. I nearly lost you once, I won’t risk that again.” It wasn’t a no.

Relieved, she leaned into him. “No, I do want you somewhat behind, but not too far away. The Enforcers will go in first—me, primarily. This is my task, my mission. I have lead and they know that. You and your wolves, in wolf form, shadow us. You can keep them from scenting you, from knowing you’re there, can’t you?”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I can fade us, yes.” Concern still darkened his eyes. “Luciana will scent me on you,
bella
. The others may not recognize my scent, but she will.”

“Then it should help with her, not with them as much.” If Luciana wasn’t guilty, she’d know Margo was there for her brother. She’d reach out. If she was…Margo would deal with that fight when she had to. “Will they understand why?”

“Understanding is not required of them,” Salvatore said. “Only obedience. The Centurions will do as I bid them.”

She pursed her lips. “You’re used to everyone obeying you, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate. “You are the only one to challenge me so boldly in several decades who did not want to kill me.”

Laughing, she rubbed his chest. “I may have wanted to dent that ego of yours and I was pretty sure I wanted to throttle you a time or two. I imagine I will again.”

“I look forward to each and every bruise.” Then his humor vanished, and he traced the marks on her throat. “We have yet to discuss these.”

“I know. We’re not going to. They’re mine. I earned them, and I dealt with it. You don’t have to fight that battle for me.” Even as she said it, she knew he wouldn’t listen. Not on this matter. “If you decide to take the heavy handed route, don’t kill Julian. I care about him, and he has been good to me. He could have called for my punishment, he could have done a lot of things, but he didn’t. In his own way, he does care about me, too. The bruises are simply a reminder of the price I was willing to pay.”

Nodding slowly, Salvatore raised his head and studied the landscape behind her—or maybe he focused on the other Enforcers. “I will consider your request.”

“Benevolence becomes you.” She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his middle, then rested her head against his chest. “I’m sorry I’m a pain in the ass.”

“No you’re not,” he murmured, the words nearly sub vocal. He held her, his strength bracing her. “You’re perfect for me,
bella
. Never doubt that. I would rather argue with you, debate, and struggle than live without. I know I am a difficult wolf. It is who I am, who I have always been.”

“Yes, you might be an asshole.” She said, aware of the stiffness of his cock against her. A thrum of energy rippled through him at the word. “But you’re my asshole.”

His sigh eddied through her. “Then you accept? Finally?”

“Let’s just say I’m not fighting it anymore.” She raised her head. “But we have a lot of work to do before we can do anything about it.” The hunger in his gaze reflected her own. She wanted to be done with the entire crisis. Mated. She would be mated to him, it would be done and there would be no undoing it. Together forever.

“You have made me a very happy wolf, Margo.”

Rising to brush his lips with another light kiss, she whispered. “Good. Because I love you and you’re mine, too.”

His growl was her only warning before his mouth closed over hers in a hard, deep kiss. She savored his hunger, then nipped his lower lip before pulling away. “Sucks to get that kind of information when you can’t celebrate it, doesn’t it?”

Disbelief followed by laughter shook him, he caught her chin in his hand. “Later.” Dark promise licked the word and she smiled.

“I’m counting on it.” Taking a deep breath, she withdrew from his arms. “Let’s do this.”

“I will follow your lead,
bella mia
…unless your life is in direct danger.”

It was all she could ask. She winked. “I like the idea of you watching my ass.” Pivoting, she strolled away but not before she heard the half-growl he released. Yes, teasing him would probably leave her sore and aching with pleasure later.

She couldn’t wait.

Trusting Salvatore to do his part, she headed for the Enforcers and schooled her features along the way. Ignoring their questioning looks and Hadley’s smirk, she waved them toward the SUVs. “Let’s go,” she said. “I’ll fill you in on the drive.”

They discussed strategy once the vehicles were in motion. Margo considered their suggestions, but stuck to her original plan. They were walking into a gathering of wolves with an unknown number. Forty-one missing they knew of, five humans—no, six if she included the Barrows girlfriend from Knoxville. Though they had weapons, she selected only a .45 and made sure the hollow points were loaded.

Like the other Enforcers, she wore jeans, a t-shirt, leather jacket, and running shoes. Her clothing would shred easily if they had to change. Personally she hoped against the need. She simply didn’t possess the energy she’d have to expend on a shift.

Hadley rode with Calitri while Nelson and Adler were in the SUV with Margo. Dialing Hadley’s number, she waited till they answered. “Okay put me on speaker.”

“You’re on speaker. Do we need to call the Italian Stallion’s number, too?” Hadley possessed an audible smirk.

“No, I’ve already discussed the plan with Salvatore, unless you meant Giovanni.” She hadn’t missed Hadley’s wink to the other wolf or the way he’d grinned at her.

Laughing, Hadley said, “You can tell Salvatore I know why Giovanni’s so popular with the women in Rome.”

Adler made a faint gagging sound. “Seriously? You too Hadley?”

“Oh, fuck you, Adler. Like a girl can’t enjoy scratching an itch? We’re not mates. But damn his will be lucky. The things he can do with his…”

“Hadley,” Margo said softly. “Shut it.”

With only a half-grumble, Hadley obeyed.

“Thank you. We’re pulling off up here about an hour out by the GPS. Salvatore and his wolves are going to shift then cross-overland. They’ll be faster than the highway, so we can give them cover, then head in. What do we know about their town?”

“That they have a town,” Nelson said, his tone dispassionate. “It’s one of those old, half-forgotten, historical relics, broken-down and abandoned. I think the population was twelve.”

“How the hell do you buy a town?” Hadley asked.

“It doesn’t matter.” Margo cut off the discussion before it began. “The fact they chose a locale, purchased land, and are setting up, tells us this is well-organized. We are not dealing with a handful of rogues, but a group determined to stick together.”

Silence reigned.

“We’re going in soft, not hard. I need to know who the Alpha is.” Was it Rayne Barrows? Was it Luciana? Was it someone else?

“Margo.” Calitri rarely spoke, so when he stepped up the others listened. “We are five. Even with Salvatore and his Centurions, that’s ten. We’re dealing with at least forty-one rogues, quite possibly more, based on what we’ve seen.”

“That’s why we’re going soft and why Willow Bend is gearing for war.” The last bit of information struck with the force she’d intended. “Julian will organize the other Enforcers to handle evacuating innocents if necessary. These wolves are too close to Willow Bend territory. If they are a full pack, we’re kind of screwed and we know that. If I take out the Alpha, the pack falls apart.”

“Or you become Alpha,” Nelson added.

Then she could disband or better deal with the pack as a whole. “One way or the other, it’s a decision we can’t make until we know exactly what’s happening.”

“So how soft?” Adler glanced at her. He was an older wolf, one of the few to likely list a birthdate shortly after the last turn of the century. Mild and even-tempered, he fooled more than one rogue with his deceptive calm.

“I’m going alone. I’ll walk in.” Four growls reverberated. No one liked the idea. “Shh,” she told them. “I know what I’m doing. Five Enforcers is provocative and they know it. One? One will give them confidence to talk to me. One will give them the impression of the upper hand. You four will be close, and I’ll have my phone on. You can hear everything.”

“Sweetheart, it doesn’t matter how close we are. If you go in there alone, you’re going to have to survive being torn apart in the long minutes it could take for us to get to you.” Adler frowned. “You can’t tell me your Alpha approved this plan.”

“He will follow my lead. He trusts me on this, and I trust him. He’ll be close and so will the four of you. No matter what happens, do not jump in unless you see it going in the shitter. If we can avoid a war, we’re going to.” Though she projected a hell of a lot more confidence than she actually felt, Margo believed the course to be the right one. If it were one or two rogues, or even just Salvatore’s sister and her mate, they’d go in and deal with it.

The organization bothered her. The number of recruits bothered her. The whole situation smelled like a dangerous trap…

And I’m going in anyway.

Twenty minutes later, Margo watched as Salvatore and his wolves streaked off into the night. The speed at which the Centurions shifted nearly matched their Alpha. She wasn’t alone in her amazement, the other Enforcers were silently impressed. Once they were back on the road, she taking one SUV while Adler and Nelson took over Salvatore’s, she took the most direct route while the others took longer loops. The further out they went, the emptier the countryside.

If they were as organized as believed, they had to have some kind of surveillance, even if it was one wolf in a field watching the road. She didn’t bother to shut off her lights or try to be inconspicuous. She wanted them to know she was coming. Ten minutes away according to the GPS, she called Mason’s number. He answered on the first ring.

“Julian’s here,” he told her. “Almost there?”

“Yep. This is some empty desolate looking land. I get why they called it the great prairie, nothing but grass and what I think could be wheat fields.”

“We’re starting the clock now. If I haven’t heard from you in twelve hours, Willow Bend will move.” The confidence in Mason’s voice, the authority—they both belonged. Hard to believe just a couple of years before he was a construction worker, keeping his head down and his wolf on a leash.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” she told him. “And Mason?”

“Yeah?”

“Do me a favor?”

“Maybe. What is it?”

“There’s a wolf named Veronica Shaw, she’s from the Yukon. She went Lone Wolf a couple of years ago—right around the time you were heading north. She’s a good wolf, a sweet one. I’d hate for anything to happen to her.”

“I’ll keep it mind. Do me a favor? Don’t get dead. I don’t need an insane Alpha out there.” Despite the dry tone, she heard what sounded suspiciously like sentiment.

“Are you getting soft on me?” She poked at him.

“No,” he growled. “I’m looking forward to kicking your ass off this continent with your mate so I never have to see you again.”

She laughed. “Me, too.” On that, they disconnected and she dialed Adler’s number. After he answered, she had him add Hadley’s cell to the three-way. “I’m about two minutes out and I can see them.”

The town rose out of the darkness like a reliquary, illuminated from within. The lights were orange and yellow and lacked the insane brightness of the city. Vehicles were parked in multiple spots and new construction was visible, even in the dark of the evening.

The closer she drew to the town, the more evidence she saw to the organization of the wolves involved. At the edge of the road where the back road she traveled on would become the main strip wolves took up position.

A dozen of them.

“I’m here,” she said aloud, locking the phone’s screen and sliding it into her pocket. “Keep it muted on your end.” The lack of a response was all she needed. Stopping the vehicle, she put it in park and studied those arraying the road. Several wolves and at least one human she recognized including Kirk Andrews, the finance wizard from Willow Bend. In their center stood Rayne Barrows.

Dressed only in jeans, even his feet were bare. He was a wolf ready for battle. Margo shut off the engine, but left the keys in place so the headlights would stay on. Their brightness would annoy the night vision of the wolves facing her. The majority standing with Rayne were fairly strong dominants including his brother.

“You’re not welcome here, Enforcer.” Rayne said, his voice easily carrying on the night air despite the southern lilt tingeing the words. “We mean you no harm, but you need to turn around and go back the way you came.”

Closing the SUV door, Margo circled to the front of the vehicle. The other wolves watched her, but they didn’t once look to Rayne. His posture stiffened and his hands curled into fists. No.

He isn’t Alpha.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” She folded her arms, and met their gazes, one at a time until each looked away. The Alpha wasn’t among them either. “You are in violation of every law we hold to keep the packs safe. You are a Lone Wolf, Rayne Barrows.” Though she addressed her comments to him directly, Margo didn’t miss how the others edged back a step. “By taking this action, each and every one of you has chosen the path of the Rogue. These actions have not gone unnoticed.”

“Enforcer,” Rayne, unlike the others, took a step forward. “We will not issue another warning. This is
our
territory. We will defend it.”