Savage Moon: Wolf Shifter Romance (Wild Lake Wolves Book 4) (4 page)

I thought that would end it. Surely Kane wouldn’t
take this any further. But a bloodlust seemed to come over him. He didn’t hear
my voice or Christian’s before the shift. His singular focus was Cole. Kane
stepped off the porch. I moved to follow him. To keep trying to reach him. But
Wade’s hand fell hard on my shoulder, immobilizing me.

Kane went to Cole. He knelt before him and cocked
his head, curious to watch Cole’s suffering. Cole foamed at the mouth and his
chest heaved in and out as he struggled to breathe. God. He was suffocating.
His body wasn’t meant to stay like this, suspended between wolf and man. I think
his lungs had collapsed. Kane stayed human, but barely. He leaned forward on
his hands and got right in Cole’s face. Whatever he whispered in his ear made
Cole close his eyes in defeat. If death was his punishment, he seemed ready to
give in to it. At least it would set him free from Kane’s torture.

I couldn’t watch. “Make him stop! Are you just going
to stand there and let this happen? Cole is part of this pack!” I glared at
Wade, but his eyes had gone completely wolf. If there was any part of the man inside
him, he wasn’t in control of Wade’s emotions right now. The rest of the pack
stood on the porch and watched. Pain etched hard lines in Daniel’s face, but he
stayed immobile, his hands digging into the wooden railing. Brandon stayed
behind. He wasn’t much better than Wade.

To hell with it. I made a move to step off the
porch. Wade clamped his hands around my upper arms, holding me back. This was
madness. Insanity. I couldn’t believe Kane would actually kill one of his own
pack members. Over what?

Blood trickled from Cole’s nose, and Kane leaned
even closer. I wondered if he could kill him just by saying it. Cole’s eyes
found mine and I got my answer. Yes. Kane had that kind of power over his
pack’s physiology. He could will Cole’s heart to stop beating with just a word.
And he was about to do it.

Then all hell broke loose.

So focused on the spectacle on the ground before us,
none of us heard the rumble of the engine. A black Hummer tore through the
trees, barreling down the main path into the compound. It came to a screeching
halt just inches from Kane and Cole. Kane threw himself backward and out of the
way. He stayed human but crouched low, ready to attack this new threat.

That brief break in Kane’s concentration was enough
to give Cole the space he needed to shift back to human. He lay heaving on the
ground. Naked. Exhausted. Damaged. But alive and healing.

The driver’s side door of the Hummer opened and its
driver stepped out. I saw nothing but cowboy boots, denim, and swagger. My eyes
traveled from his shining belt buckle to his black t-shirt, stretched taut over
hard muscles, to his jet black hair with that shock of white through the left
side of his crown. My white wolf. My stranger and savior. Now Cole’s temporary
savior. He arched a dark brow and looked from Cole to Kane and back again. Then
he focused those bright blue eyes on me and his mouth curled into a smirk.

“Is this a private party, or can anyone join?” he
said.

Chapter
Five

Kane rose slowly, squaring his shoulders, and a
long, sustained growl rumbled through him. The rest of the pack came out of the
cabin and flanked Kane. All except for Christian, still in his wolf; he went to
Cole and began sniffing his brother. Still ghostly gray, Cole managed to lift a
hand and smooth back Christian’s ears.

“Alec Martel?” Kane asked through gritted teeth.
“You lost?”

Alec. The white wolf’s name was Alec. I hadn’t
wanted him to tell me last night for fear that Kane would get it out of me
somehow and make me betray him. Heat shot through me at the sound of it. Who
was he?

Alec kept that sexy smirk on his face and stepped
forward. He stretched out his hand and offered it to Cole. Such a subtle
gesture. An act of kindness. But also an open act of defiance and even
disrespect to Kane’s authority. Whoever Alec was, he wasn’t here to make
friends.

For the second time today, Cole acted without
thinking. He reached up and took Alec’s hand then rose on unsteady legs. Christian
stayed at his side. Kane hadn’t released him yet, so he couldn’t shift. But, he
stood with his tail up and his back straight. Cole leaned on him for balance.

“Let’s just say I was in the neighborhood,” Alec
said. “Seemed rude of me not to stop by and see you, Kane. We barely had a
chance to talk the last time I saw you.”

Kane made a quick jerk with his chin toward Cole and
Christian. Clearly, he wanted them out of sight.

“Is there anything going on I can help you with?”
Alec said. “Your one man seems a little shook up. And your other man seems to
be having some trouble shifting.”

“My pack is none of your business,” Kane said,
struggling to keep his temper down. “And this isn’t a good time for visitors.
Especially ones who don’t call ahead. You’re lucky things didn’t get out of
hand before I realized who you were, Alec. That kind of thing is pretty risky,
don’t you think? You could have lost your head over it.”

Alec barely reacted. He just tilted his head
slightly to the side and leaned back against the hood of his car, hooking his
thumbs through his belt loops.

“Sebastian’s worried about you. I’m not going to
lie. You haven’t been to a board meeting in months. That’s not good for
business. And Pat says she hasn’t seen you around the Bonner farm for a hell of
a long time either. That’s the kind of thing that makes her worry.”

Kane shot a look back toward me. He flicked his hand
backward and Wade nodded. He’d transmitted some message to him. Wade turned and
shot me a hard look. He came and whispered low, his tone threatening. “Head
back to your cabin and stay there. Kane will come for you later.”

None of it escaped Alec’s notice. My heart pounded
in my chest. He could make trouble for me. But, he kept his face even, showing
no signs of recognition in front of the others. His eyes flashed just for an
instant before he turned his attention back to Kane. If he told Kane he’d seen
me out by the water last night, God knows what Kane would do. For now, though,
Alec seemed content to keep our secret.

Warmth flared through me as I looked at him. He was
new. He was different. And, for the moment, he didn’t seem the least bit
intimidated by Kane. It had been months since I’d been around anyone like that.
I wished I could talk to him alone, just for a few minutes. If he were from
Wild Lake, he’d have news about things happening outside Kane’s compound.

“Let’s go,” Wade said, his voice a menacing simmer
near my ears. His fingers curled around my arm. “We’re discussing pack business
that doesn’t concern you. Time for you to leave.”

Again, Alec’s eyes flicked toward me then narrowed
as he saw Wade’s hands on me. A muscle twitched near his jaw, but he betrayed
no other reaction to what he saw.

“I don’t answer to Sebastian,” Kane said, his voice
barely more than a hiss.

I dragged my feet a little as Wade nudged me
forward. That he and Kane wanted me out of the mix so fast made me curious as
hell as to why. What didn’t they want me to hear? Or was it just the
penetrating glance Alec gave me?

“Aw, come on, Kane,” Alec said, unfazed by the
obvious menace beneath Kane’s tone. “Wild Lake belongs to all of us. That’s the
deal. When you isolate yourself in one corner of it, it looks bad. Makes us
start feeling like you don’t want to be friends anymore. That hurts our
feelings, Kane.”

If Kane’s voice dripped with hate, Alec’s dripped
with sarcasm. He spun a blade of grass between his fingertips. I couldn’t stop
staring. Even his hands were sexy, with long fingers and tapered nails. And I
hated myself a little for even thinking it. It’s exactly the kind of thing that
got me into trouble with Kane in the first place. Whoever Alec Martel was, he
was all werewolf, just like Kane. Just because he seemed to despise Kane didn’t
mean he’d be any kind of ally to me. Still, I wanted desperately to hear more
of what he had to say.

Wade shoved me forward but blocked the motion with
his own body. Alec couldn’t see. I stumbled but kept my balance. Heart
pounding, I put one foot in front of the other until we reached the threshold
of my cabin just around the corner.

I’d hoped that would be the end of it. That Wade
would go back to the little pow wow at the center of the compound and leave me
alone. Maybe then I could still hear dribs and drabs of what Kane and Alec
talked about. But Wade wouldn’t have it. He closed the door behind him and
pulled a chair up the wall next to it. He sat down and crossed his arms,
staring at me through eyelids narrowed to slits.

“Just where do you think I’m going to go, Wade?”
Some of Alec’s and Cole’s defiance rubbed off on me a little. “I didn’t invite
you to stay, anyway.”

“You know, one of these days, Kane’s going to
realize you’re not worth all this trouble.”

I wouldn’t take his bait. Whenever Wade had me
alone, he’d say things like this. He wanted me to believe I was worthless. The
truth was, I think it bothered him that since Kane had brought me here, Wade
had far less of a say in pack matters.

“Lucky for me, today’s not that day, huh?” I sank
down on the edge of the bed and crossed my arms in front of me. With Wade here,
I couldn’t do anything but wait. I wanted desperately to hear what was
happening out there.

Wade shook his head and raked his eyes over me. He
drew his lustful gaze up and down, and his wolf eyes flashed. A sick pit formed
in my stomach, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of reacting more than
that. We both knew that Wade couldn’t touch me unless Kane gave him permission.
And that was never going to happen. At least not today.

“So, it sounds like you’re in trouble with the big
dog,” I said, pointing with my thumb toward the east where the rest of the pack
still was.

“Alec Martel?” Wade shook his head and huffed. I
realized in an instant that this might be even better than trying to eavesdrop
through the window. Wade was big, dangerous, and loyal to Kane. But, he was
also sort of a dumbass. If I played it just right and goaded him enough, he’d
probably tell me everything I wanted to know.

“He’s no fucking big dog,” Wade said. “He’s
Sebastian Lanier’s lackey.”

I bit my lip to stifle the obvious retort.
You
mean just like you are for Kane?
Sebastian Lanier. The name rang a bell. If
memory served, he was one of the Alphas who controlled pack lands west of here.
So Alec must belong to his pack. That seemed strange to me. I surely couldn’t
sense these things as well as a shifter could, but Alec felt . . .
Alpha
to me. He had that commanding air about him. Like no matter who you were, your
head would turn when he walked into a room. It had nothing to do with his
looks, but rather the way he carried himself.

“So why would Sebastian send Alec down here? Is
there some trouble in Wild Lake you need to know about?”

Wade shrugged. “Nothing we can’t handle, princess.
Don’t you worry. Whatever it is, Kane will have that asshole run out of here
before too long.”

“You think so? Mr. uh . . . Martel, is it? He didn’t
seem like he was in too big a hurry to leave. Plus, isn’t it customary for you
to offer to hunt with other pack members when they come to visit? I mean, I’m
no expert, but it would seem like a pretty big slight if Kane just chased him
off. Very bad form.”

“What do you know about it? You’re just a bear
whore.”

That got an actual laugh out of me. “That’s not even
a thing, Wade. Don’t hurt yourself.”

He kept his arms crossed and glowered at me. “No.
It’s what you are. I trust Kane, but I don’t see it. You’re not even a shifter.
You’re just . . . ordinary. You must be such a disappointment to your father.”

Rage shot through me like acid. Wade wasn’t smart
enough to know how to play me. But, he’d just taken a lucky shot. He
was
smart enough to realize it. His lips curled into a sneer. He leaned back in his
chair and hooked his hands behind his head. “All that werebear DNA coursing
through your veins and you can’t shift. You’re a dud. You know, in the olden
days, some wolf packs would just put a baby out of its misery for that.”

“Too bad they don’t still do it for idiocy. You
wouldn’t have made it past your first birthday, Wade.”

“And Kane says it’s even worse where you’re
concerned. Your mama didn’t even survive having you. So why again does your big,
bad bear dad think you’re worth negotiating for? Seems to me Kane did him a big
favor taking you off his hands. Well, don’t worry, sweetheart. This will all be
over soon for you anyway.”

My blood ran cold as his expression darkened. He’d
said more than he meant to and more than I really wanted to hear.

“Bet you thought your brother was going to come
charging through those woods to save you. That’s what you’ve been waiting for,
isn’t it? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but he’s been dealt with too. Squealed
more like a pig than a bear when I shot him.”

I rose off the bed, though it felt like my legs had
turned to rubber. White rage made dark spots swim in front of my eyes. If I
could shift, I would have done it then. Even though it would have likely meant
a fight to the death with Wade. I would have welcomed it.

“That’s right. About a month ago it happened. Didn’t
Kane tell you? He came charging through those woods one night. All brave and
big. Thinking he could take on the whole pack. Looking for your sorry ass, I
guess. But we were waiting for him. It was Kane’s idea. Told him we were
finally ready to make a trade. Him for you. Caleb, your dad, told him not to
come. Your brother should have listened.”

Wade lifted his arms and pantomimed holding a
shotgun. He licked his lips and closed one eye as he pretended to squeeze a
phantom trigger. I swear I heard a shot crack and sear through my heart when he
did it.

“Lights out, sister,” he said. “Dead as a doornail.
Nobody’s coming for you now, Olivia. You better hope Kane thinks you’re worth
more alive than dead for a good long time.”

I tasted bile in my throat and my whole body shook. Jax
wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. Wade didn’t know Kane had shown me that picture of
him in chains on some dingy cement floor. If Wade were telling the truth, my
brother had survived the shooting. I knew he was alive. I would have
felt
it if Jaxson died. I know I would. So either Wade was lying to me or Kane was
lying to Wade. Either way, it caused me physical pain to keep my mouth shut and
sink slowly back down to the bed.

I had to bide my time. Keep my wits about me.
There’d be a chance. I had to believe that. I concentrated on slowing my heart
and letting calm wash over me. It worked until the door burst open and Kane
came in. His face flushed red with anger as he looked from me to Wade and back
again. Wade jumped to his feet and stood at attention.

“Is he gone, boss?” Wade said, swallowing hard.

Kane shook his head. “No. I’ve invited him to hunt
with us tonight only. He’ll be on his way in the morning.”

“Motherfucker,” Wade muttered. “So we’ve gotta put
him up too?”

Kane nodded. He kept his eyes locked with mine. He
sensed something. I tried to clear my mind. Had Alec told him about meeting me
last night? My mind raced. They were going on a hunt. The whole pack would have
to join. It might be a chance. Kane would have no choice but to leave me alone.
Maybe for hours.

Wade looked back at me with a smug smile on his
face. “What are we going to do with her in the meantime? We can’t very well
leave anyone from the pack behind if we’re going on a hunt.”

My heart dropped to the floor. Kane crossed the room
and opened the closet near the bathroom door. He pulled out a set of metal
shackles just like the ones I’d seen him use on my brother. Before I could even
muster a protest, Kane tossed the shackles to Wade.

“You know what to do,” Kane said. He slammed the
door behind him, and Wade turned toward me, his wolf eyes flashing. Then he
grabbed my wrists and clamped the shackles around them then looped the chain
through the metal bed frame. Unless I planned on dragging the bed with me, my
hopes of escape were gone.