Saving Margaret (16 page)

She backed away a few steps and stripped out of her clothes. Magick rippled across her skin like a dark shroud. Her wolf form came forth and she growled with satisfaction. The scent of the men in front of her was intoxicating.

Their blood would be even better.

Margaret opened her eyes and stretched. She licked her lips and sat up with a start. She shook her ears in amusement. She didn't fall asleep in wolf form very often.

They weren't moving and Scott was staring out the window. She leaned against him and rubbed her shoulder into his side. He barely moved and when he turned and met her gaze, she saw pain reflected in his eyes. Magick rolled over her body in an instant and she shifted back to human form.

"What it is it?"

"Margaret, I'm so sorry." He paused and swallowed, running his hands through his short wavy brown hair.

Gods, what was so horrible he couldn't even get out?
She spied her cell phone laying on the dash and snatched it. Five missed calls and one voicemail —all from her mom.

Dad!

She punched the code and listened to her mother hysterical voice. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She listened to the message again. It couldn't be true. They couldn't all be gone. She sobbed and punched the code again, but Scott took the phone from her.

"No!" She screamed and clawed for the small black cell phone. "No! No! No!"

She struggled in his arms for a few moment and then just collapsed into them, weeping. Her pack, her family had been torn apart and she was in the mountains with her mate, safe and sound. She didn't deserve to be safe. Her dad and uncles didn't deserve to be dead. How could this happen?

She pushed away from Scott, trembling. It was pitch black outside except for one porch light. There were no sounds of cars, no sounds of people. They were alone.

Another sob tore through her chest. She moved to the door, opened it, slid from the seat, and ran. Within two strides she had shifted back into wolf form. Scott didn't try to follow and he didn't call to her, but she could feel his sympathy and compassion through their bond. He felt her pain. He knew she would come back when she was ready.

The moon hung bright in the sky and she could see perfectly in the thick forest as she ran. Her padded feet flew along the forest floor. The scent of pine filled her nostrils, reminding her of Scott. She howled, crying for her pack, for her mother and aunts, for her best friend who'd lost her father, too.

She slowed as she came into a flat clearing. The wind blew gently through the treetops, rustling the leaves. An owl hooted somewhere close by. The silence was deafening. She sat on her hunches and mourned, her howls carrying her pain to the sky. The moonlight bathed her in its soft light, but nothing could stanch the flowing anguish in her heart. She should be with her family.

It wasn't fair.

She sang to the moon until there was nothing left to give. Her heart was broken. She'd failed her family.

This Council bullshit had stolen a part of her life she could never get back. They would pay. The pack would rise up and they would all pay for their sins.

Renata Demakis would be first.

Stefan's half-breed children would be a blessing in disguise, but it would be up to what was left of the Vegas pack to find them and help them discover their new identity. A half-breed was only latent until an alpha woke the wolf within them. Once the wolf's soul awakened in the human body, the magick would do the rest. Now more than ever, the North American packs needed full-grown adult wolves. The Vegas Pack was young, full of children.

The war had started and Renata had brought it into their house. Everyone would be out for blood and Renata Demakis was out for theirs.

***

Morning was dawning. The sun peeked above the horizon as she trotted out of the forest into the clearing that sprawled in front of the cabin she'd run away from last night. Scott's truck sat parked in front and wisps of smoke curled from the chimney. The cabin was quite a bit bigger than she'd first thought. It was very large and two stories tall. More of a hidden mountain lodge, surprising since he said his family didn't socialize much and he live alone.

She froze, crouching to the ground. A large black SUV came tearing down the road and pulled to a stop in front of the cabin. A man and a woman got out and hurried up the path to the front door. Scott opened it a moment later and hugged both of them. He scanned the clearing and settled his gaze on the bit of brush she was hiding beneath.

“Come inside when you are ready. My parents would like to meet you.” His voice was low, but she could hear him perfectly. Even now, he was giving her space. She’d disappeared all night. Yet, there were no demands leaving his lips. He was letting her do what she needed. His warmth and compassion flowed through their bond and she found herself trotting to his side. She needed him. He was her rock in all of this horrible mess.

He smiled. “Good morning, love,” he cooed as she bounded up the steps onto the porch. She paused when he leaned down and relished the fabulousness that was a good scratch behind the ears. His hands were large, firm, and ever so gentle. She rubbed against his nearest leg and woofed.

“Come in,” he spoke again, “I put your clothes in our bedroom.”

Our bedroom. So strange to hear that.

“You are mates.”

I know, but I’m an only child. I’ve never shared a room before…or a closet.

“It will be fine.”

She followed him into the house and stopped abruptly. The scent of bear was a little overwhelming, not to mention his parents were giants, too. His dad the same height as Scott, putting him around seven feet tall. Two seven-foot men in one room was intimidating, but throw in a mother who measures around six-foot-five and there just wasn’t a lot of space left. A whimper escaped and she backed into one of Scott’s tree-trunk sized legs.

“Oh, Scott. She’s just lovely. What pretty coloring.” His mother knelt down. “I’m so sorry for your loss, sweetie. Scott told us what happened.”

The woman was just being kind, but Margaret couldn’t do it. Not like this. She needed to shift and these people weren’t family. She wasn’t shifting in front of them.

A howling whine slipped from her muzzle. She locked gazes with Scott, pushing her nervousness across the bond. He nodded.

“Give her a few minutes, Ma. We’ll be right back.”

“Of course. Your father and I will get breakfast going. I see you have some of it started already.”

Scott’s father watched her silently. She shook it off and hurried up the stairs behind her mate. They went down a short hall and then turned to the right. Scott opened a set of double doors and she stopped. The room was trimmed with light natural wood. The ceiling was paneled. Two floor-to-ceiling windows let the morning sun stream into the room. The bed in the center looked handmade and was big enough to be considered its own continent.

A gentle nudge on her rump made her take a few more steps. The doors clicked shut. She took one more step and then shifted to stand open-mouthed. The room was overwhelming and huge. The whole house was. Just like him.

“Do you like it?”

She smiled and turned to face him. His anxiety flowed through the bond. He wanted her to like his home. He’d only ever wanted her to like it. Him.

“It is beautiful. I couldn’t have imagined anything more…you.”

A huge grin spread across his face. He stepped closer and caressed her breast, sending a shiver down her spine. She wanted to strip him of his clothes right then and explore the comforts of his giant bed, but not with his parents right below them.

“Your parents are downstairs.” She took a deep breath and stepped back. “I need clothes.”

He huffed through a chuckle and pointed to a door to her right. “I put your things in the closet. We can go into Logan tomorrow if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” She met his gaze again.

He closed the gap between them pulled her flush to his chest. “Are you okay?”

“I will be.”

His mouth covered hers tenderly. She ran her tongue along his lips. He opened and plunged his tongue deep inside her mouth, claiming every inch. His taste made her heady and she leaned into him, enjoying being devoured.

Her hands made short work of his belt, dropping his pants to his ankles in a matter of seconds. His cock sprung free and she moaned, anticipating having his thickness sliding in and out. Her hand wrapped around the base of his shaft and she worked up and down the length slowly. A rumble started in his throat, vibrating through her mouth, body, and down to her toes.

He trailed kisses along her neck. “Changed your mind?” Her skin tingled with caresses from his tongue. Every warm exhalation was exquisite.

“Yes.” She skimmed her fingertips up his chest, attempting to reach his shoulders.

He smiled, splayed his hands across her ass, and lifted like she was no more than a feather. She wrapped her hands around his neck. He set her down on his erection and then turned to pin her between his massive chest and the paneled wall of the bedroom. She gasped at the quick intrusion and then shivered with pleasure as he began to slide in and out. His mouth came back to hers and one hand moved from her ass to knead a breast.

“I love you.” He breathed the words across her lips. Waves of his magick coated her skin, mixing with hers. The air around them seemed to fill with their energy.

“I love you more,” she whispered.

The nerves throughout her body tightened. Every sense was wound up by his manipulations. Every stroke pushed her closer and closer. He knew what she needed and her body would not be denied. The ache turned to a throb and she arched into his thrusts, taking him even deeper.

The tips of his fangs scraped along the base of her neck, barely warning her before they sank deep into her flesh. The pain from the bite triggered her release and a tsunami of pleasure and endorphins flooded her system. She buried her face in his neck, muffling her scream of ecstasy. Squeezing her legs around his waist, she drew him in deep. He thrust twice more before stiffening and groaning, his mouth still locked on her shoulder. His warm seed filled her.

A sigh of contentment slipped from her chest as he slowly licked the bite, sealing it with magick. It would not scar. Just like the first mate bite, it served to mark her, forever mixing their scents. No supernatural would ever mistake to whom she belonged.

Margaret looked up from sweeping. The place was a mess. They’d actually found several bird nests complete with birds. Inside the building!

She wiped sweat from her brow, cringing at the grime sliding across her skin. On a lighter note, Scott would want to shower with her when they finished and showering with her mate was one of her absolute favorite activities. Although, having mind-blowing sex against the bedroom wall while his parents cooked breakfast downstairs in the kitchen was pretty exciting, too. Scott had assured her they couldn’t hear, but she wasn’t convinced.

They had been sweet. They’d come that morning because he’d called to say he was back in town. His dad had seemed more aloof than his mom, but only time would tell. They lived over forty miles away, so it wasn’t like they’d be over to visit all the time. Scott hadn’t been kidding, when he said he lived far enough away from family that they didn’t usually just pop in for a visit.

“I can’t believe Scott wants us to live here!” Nicole screeched from the dining room, wrenching Margaret from her thoughts. Listening to the three of them banter made the corners of her mouth turn up.

“It won’t be so bad after we get it cleaned up,” Hallie called out from the open room on the second floor. “It’s actually really nice, especially with the remodels he has already done.”

The upstairs open space was meant to be a communal living area for the inn guests. Right now it was a storage space for squirrel nests and broken dining chairs. Though how they’d ended up there, she could only guess.

Margaret stepped into the grand foyer and peeked up at Hallie with a grin. They hadn’t even started scrubbing the hardwood that covered nearly every inch of the walls and floor, but they had managed to clean out most of the broken furniture and animal homes.

“Bull crap!” Tess’s voice joined into the chorus of complaints. “We still will be living out in the middle of nowhere Utah!”

“Logan isn’t that far,” Hallie hollered back.

“Logan isn’t Vegas,” Tess retorted.

“Lunch will be here soon, girls,” Margaret shouted. “Keep after it. We need to have this place spic and span by the end of the month so I can have a wedding.”

“We know!” All three Demakis girls chimed together.

Scott had already remodeled the kitchen —new cabinets, granite counters, new slate flooring, and commercial grade appliances. The bathrooms had all been redone as well, and just waited for a good scrubbing to make them presentable. Each room in the inn had an en suite bathroom, complete with walk-in shower, garden tub, and plenty of counter space around the vanity and sink. The inn would be breathtaking once completed.

Today they were trying to get more of the trash out, so the hardwood floors could be mopped and waxed. The girls were still staying with Scott’s parents, but two weeks with bears and wilderness were beginning to show. On top of that, the loss of their father had devastated them. It had taken Margaret three days to even get them to come out of their room. It had been hard on her too, but at least she’d had Scott to lean on. The girls didn’t have anybody but each other.

When she’d brought up the in-process renovation of an inn down the street from Scott’s home, their curiosity had been perked. Especially when she’d told them they would be given space to live there away from the O’Hearn’s.

It was comforting having them around, not that she minded being alone with Scott. That part of living out in the middle of nowhere was quite pleasant. But, she loved the female companionship. They’d spent hours with her at the house while Scott was at work.

He’d gotten a position as a park ranger through his dad’s connections almost immediately. It wasn’t for the money, because the job didn’t pay shit, but more for the access it allowed them into the law enforcement of the area. None of the O’Hearns needed money. From what she’d seen they were very well off. He’d even offered to hire a cleaning crew to come in and get the inn put to rights, but she’d told him it would be good for all four of them. The work was cleansing.

For now, even though they complained, the girls worked tirelessly on the old inn. The quicker it was put back together, the quicker they could move in. And, the quicker she could start decorating the downstairs living room for a small wedding ceremony. The whole pack couldn’t come. But at least Maggie and her mom would be able to sneak out of town without the Council knowing…probably.

“Are y’all ready for lunch,” she called out. The sound of a rumbling truck in the drive meant Scott had arrived and so had food. She smiled at the sound of mops and brooms being dropped and light footsteps scurrying toward her.

The front door swung open. Scott came through, leaned down, and captured her mouth with a quick kiss. She wanted to just melt into his chest. He licked her lips with his tongue and then pulled away with a satisfied grin. “How’s my girl?”

“Doing well,” she answered and smirked.
Damn man was teasing her on purpose. “I think we’ve made good progress over the last few days. The renovations you got pushed through last week look amazing. I still don’t know how you managed to get all of that work done so fast.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“The girls are really looking forward to moving in. They’ve claimed the three rooms in the east upstairs wing already.”

“Good, I’m glad they are settling. Ma was really worried about them before you got them to start working on this project. She says they seem much brighter now. You seem a little better, too. How are you, really?”

“I’m okay.” She leaned the broom against the wall and hooked her arm into his. “It’s really helped to have the girls around to talk to.” They walked into the kitchen and he set a bag of wrapped sandwiches on the counter.

“Hi, Scott,” Tess chirped from across the kitchen where she was wiping down a windowsill.

“Hello, Tess,” he answered. “We should be able to go furniture shopping this weekend if you girls keep up this pace.”

“Finally!” Hallie piped up as she walked through the door. “I’m starved.”

“Help yourself.” He backed away from the bag. “I need to talk to Margaret. We’ll be right back.”

“If you need a room, there’s plenty upstairs,” Nicole giggled, grabbing a sandwich.

Scott huffed at the jab and Margaret shook her head. They walked out of the kitchen, through the main door, and sat next to each other on the front steps of the giant wrap-around porch.

“Mom said Sam and Chase are coming back to Vegas.”

Scott nodded. “With Peter’s passing and your father’s, Chase was voted by the pack to step in as the alpha. His marriage to Sam creates a link to the other Demakis lines.”

“Even though they are so young?”

“Chase isn’t much younger than me.”

Heat rose in her cheeks. It was so easy to forget that her mate and his best friend were so much older than her. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought…I don’t know.”

“Your Uncle Mitchell has stepped into the Beta role, but right now the pack is still trying to gather itself from the loss of so many. Renata has been seen in Texas, so right now—”

“Gods! She’s already tracking the Cartwright line. We have to get Sarah out of Vegas. And what about Bonnie?”

“Bonnie is too old. I don’t think she’s in danger. She wouldn’t survive the change at her age. The pack is approaching Sarah and the other younger descendents of Stefan.”

Margaret breathed a small sigh of relief. She’d never forgive herself if her friends were hurt, too. The pack had already lost so much.

“What I wanted to say, though…the pack is planning to send them here. They have their hands full with all your cousins and a mountain retreat is as good a place as any to learn how to be a werewolf. The magick will be overwhelming for them because they haven’t grown up with it.”

She nodded and leaned against his arm. “Good thing we have an inn.”

He grasped her chin and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “That’s just what I said.”

“Won’t Renata come looking for us? And the Council?”

“I have some friends coming to stay on at the inn, too. They will arrive in a few days and the Pack is sending Chris and Maggie with the latents to help with training as well.”

“It’s going to be busy around here.”

“And you though you’d be bored.” He clicked his tongue behind his teeth.

Margaret laughed and shoved at his shoulder, but his massive form barely gave an inch. He grabbed her arms and pressed her to the railing. She stilled in his grasp and smiled, meeting the twinkling gaze in his brown eyes.

“What are all the bears going to think about so many wolves moving into Logan?”

“They won’t mind. Change is coming, love. We all have to compromise and bend a little.”

“You like bending,” she snickered.

A huge laugh rumbled from his chest. “I like bending you, for sure.”