Taken By The Alpha (Timber Valley Pack) (7 page)

              “We’re back to that, are we?”

              “Yep. You Mordhaus, me Killingworth. It’s always back to that. Let’s go back and see what they managed to uncover.”             

              When they got to the compound, however, he didn’t lead her back to her room.

              “Where am I going now?” she asked as he led her down a long hallway.

              “The room next to mine.” He held open the door. “As I said, I sleep very lightly. There will also be a guard stationed at the window. My men will bring you your clothing and books.”

              She walked in and slammed the door shut without a word. Great. Now she’d be sleeping next to him for an entire month. She’d scent him every minute she was in her room. She’d picture him sleeping – did he sleep naked? Would he be sleeping alone? Why was he torturing her like this?

              A few minutes later he came back and her body did that crazy thing it always did, her nipples instantly swelling to tender buds and her pussy pulsing, sending urgent messages up to her brain.
Want him want him want him…

“You left your tranq gun in your room,” he said. “Why?”

              “It smelled as if there was cyanide mixed in with the tranquilizer,” she said. “If I’d have shot anybody, I would have killed them.”

              His brows drew together in a threatening scowl. “Where did you get that gun?”

              She hesitated a minute, than admitted “I don’t know.”

              His expression turned even angrier.

“Katrina, I need to know, and I’m not screwing around here. I will get an answer.” His voice was harsh, and his eyes had that gleam to them that explained his scary reputation. “My feelings for you don’t matter. That’s my pack members’ lives we’re talking about here.”

              “Maddox, I seriously and truthfully have no idea. Someone apparently managed to pick the lock on the window bars and tossed in the noscentium and the tranq gun.”

              “I see.” He looked thoughtful. “So – you had your chance to kill me, and you blew it.”

              “Don’t get too full of yourself. I’m leaving that part up to my Alpha.”

              He turned and left the room before she had a chance to ask him – exactly what feelings did he have for her?

              It was a warm June night, and the doors and windows of the big log cabin style meeting house were open. 

Maddox sat the head of the table in the council meeting, resisting the urge to tap his fingers impatiently.  This was his least favorite part of being an Alpha. It was like being a CEO, sitting through meetings and having everybody update him.

              Karl, the head of business affairs, went first. “It looks like Roman is trying to undercut our logging contracts. He’s been going around offering much lower prices to new customers and promising to guarantee those new prices for at least one year.  So far, our customers have been loyal to us and have declined the offer, out of concern for what would happen when that year is up, and also because Roman has something of a bad reputation.”

              Carver, who was there to report on pack security issues, shrugged. “We won’t have to worry about it in a month, will we?”

              Everyone else nodded. They all were utterly confident that Maddox would win.

              Maddox nodded. “Still good to know.”

              After a few more minutes of business updates, it was Carver’s turn. “We still haven’t identified the person who tried to break Katrina out of her room. We’ve questioned everybody, searched all rooms on the property, both personal and public, and we’ve got nothing. My money is on someone who came over from the Mordhaus pack.”

Carver had been against Killingworth taking in the members of the Mordhaus pack at all. There had been eight of them so far, and outwardly at least, they were easy to deal with, eager to fit in and hadn’t caused any trouble.

“And we’ve still made no progress on tracing those calls made to the Mordhaus pack?” Maddox asked.

              Somebody had made several calls to the Mordhaus pack’s extension using a burner phone, which had been found discarded in the bushes during a surprise security drill by Carver and his men.  The pack always remained prepared for an attack. 

              “Nothing,” Carver said. “There were no fingerprints on it, and noscentium was applied to disguise the user’s identity.

              “It is possible that the person was just calling friends family members that they missed,” Cecily said. “They might not have been spying on us.” She was a schoolteacher, in charge of education, and always wanted to think the best of everyone. 

“It’s possible that bats could fly out of my ass, but it’s not likely,” Carver said.

“Don’t talk to my aunt that way,” her nephew Drew, the head of agriculture and livestock, snapped.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Carver growled at him.

Both men went hairy and their snouts elongated, and they bristled and snarled at each other for a few seconds until Maddox let out a sharp bark of anger. “Enough! Back to business. Carver, watch your language around the ladies.”

Carver bowed his head to indicate his respect for the Alpha. “Yes sir. Won’t happen again.”

It probably would, because Carver tended to have a foul mouth, but he’d shut up for the time being.

“One more thing, before I forget,” Carver said. “Heather’s father hasn’t checked in to the rehab center yet. It’s been three days since we kicked him out.”

Maddox nodded curtly. He didn’t expect this to end well.

After the meeting, he went outside and walked through the common area on his way back to his quarters.

He felt that warm, pleasurable swell sweep over his body, which meant that Katrina was somewhere nearby. It was dark out, and electric lanterns cast yellow pools of light on the central common square and lit the paths between the buildings. 

She sat at a picnic table in the common area, with Heather, who was her shadow these days.  A shifter named Phillip was on guard duty.  Caroline and Peony and Teresa were there too.

From what he’d been told, Peony had just announced she was delaying her marriage to Alexander. Alexander claimed he had no idea why, and Peony refused to talk about it. Emotions and relationships weren’t really Maddox’s thing, so he’d let it go.

Katrina and Heather were leaning in over some crafts project, their heads bent towards each other, off in their own little world. Was Katrina thinking of him as much as he thought of her?

He’d been doing his very best to avoid Katrina for the past few days, but it was getting harder and harder to deny the hunger and need that swelled up inside him. He didn’t bother to slake that thirst with any of the other pack females; he knew it wouldn’t satisfy him. And on some level, he knew it would hurt Katrina and he didn’t want to do that.

He’d sent other wolves in to bring her breakfast, had other wolves guarding her while she was hanging out with the rest of the pack during the day.

It didn’t help. He couldn’t stop thinking about that night a few days past, when he’d lain on top of her soft naked body and smelled the intoxicating scent of her aroma. The sound of her moans when he moved, when he bent down to kiss her…

He realized that without even meaning too, he was headed over to her table.

Well, that was okay. He had a matter he needed to discuss with her anyway.

He saw Katrina tense up when he got close, a subtle change in body language that only he would notice. She sensed him when he was near, the same way that he did her.

“Katrina,” he said, when he got to the table. “I need to talk to you.”

When Katrina got up, Heather tried to follow her, but Katrina leaned down and said something to her. Heather looked unhappy.

Katrina let him lead her away from the table into a dark area of the

“Well, well, a rare sighting of the shifter species known as the common North American jackass. I gather that you’ve come to your senses and you’re letting me go?” she said.

“Not happening, babe. Listen, Katrina, here’s the thing. Heather really likes you.”

She shrugged. “Well, of course. I’m totally awesome and very likable. Lovable, some might even say.”

“But she’s already lost her mother, she’s probably going to lose her father too, and you’re leaving in a few weeks.. And you’ve only been here a few days and she’s latched on to you like a barnacle.”

Katrina grimaced.  “You’re right. About this. You’re wrong about everything else in the universe, of course.  I know It’s not fair to let her get too close and then leave. It’s a shame, I love spending time with her. She’s my perfect little craftsy helper.” She glanced up at him. “Her father’s not getting any better?”

“Apparently not.”

“I guess I should somehow avoid her, but I need to do it without hurting her feelings. Should I just stay in my room until after the Death Match?”

Maddox felt a sharp twist inside him. Katrina was a decent enough person that she really would sit in her room by herself for the few weeks rather than hurt Heather.

He shook his head. “No. I’ll just make sure that Heather stays on the other side of the property with one of the other families while you’re here. It’s best for her.”

Katrina nodded. “I’ll tell her good night and then head back to my room,” she said, looking glum.

Maddox paused. He couldn’t believe that he was about to ask her this, but what could it hurt…Peony had been looking miserable for the past few days.

“Do you have any idea why the wedding was delayed?” he asked quietly.

“Because Alexander’s mother is an overbearing bitch who constantly insults Peony and her family, and Alexander doesn’t do jack to stop it,” Katrina said, her tone heated. Then she looked at him speculatively. “Maybe you could talk to him. Try the angle that he’s failing to protect his mate to be.  Or tell him to freaking wolf up and be a big boy. Something. Peony totally loves him, except for that.”

Maddox nodded. If Katrina weren’t the stepdaughter of his mortal enemy, he’d think that his perfect mate had walked right in to the pack. She fit in with almost everyone, the pack members were already sharing confidences with her…and he had no doubt that sex with her would be the best he’d ever had.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said, his tone more curt than he intended, but he ignored the flash of hurt on her face and walked away quickly.

* * *

“Note to self, ask for sleeping pills tomorrow,” Katrina muttered to no-one at 3 a.m. She felt irritable and tired and her fur itched under her skin and she was ready to explode. She’d shifted and paced the floor earlier. Hadn’t helped.

She was sad that she couldn’t hang out with Heather any more, although she agreed with Maddox that it was for the best.

And she was exhausted because every single night she lay awake in bed knowing that Maddox on the other side of her wall, and sleep eluded.  She thought of them lying on that soft mossy forest floor, and imagined what would have happened if Maddox hadn’t stopped himself. She’d have let him take her any way he wanted. From behind. On all fours. Anything. She’d have taken him in her mouth, tasted his come…

She heard a whistling sound, and then her window shuttled inward and exploded. A shower of glass rained inward, and she fell off the bed on to the floor.  Her arms were bleeding from small cuts, and shards of glass clung to her pajamas. She plucked them of and tossed them aside, dazed.

Smoke. The room was full of smoke.  She crawled towards the door, which flew open before she reached it.

“Katrina?” Maddox’ voice was panicked. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms. Shifters were running down the hall, cursing.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Her ears were ringing. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Wasn’t there a guard outside my window? Go check on him. I feel panic and pain – well, not too bad – he’s not dying. He’s calming down.”

“There’ll be others checking on him,” he growled.

He ran into his room and set her down on his bed, a big oak four-poster. 

              Carver stuck his head in the door. “Maddox! You okay?” he yelled.

              “Go get the healer,” Maddox called out. “I’m fine.”

              He turned his attention back to Katrina. “What happened? It sounded like someone shot a grenade into your room using a grenade launcher.”

              “I’m not a weapons expert, but that sounds about right.” She shook her head. “Woo. Ringing ears. Oh crud, I’m bleeding on your bedspread.”

              He waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s not a problem.” A minute later, the pack’s healer, Robyn, rushed in. 

“All right, we’ll have you fixed up in no time.” She sat next to Katrina and put her hands on her, and closed her eyes.  Katrina felt the pain begin to fade.  Her cuts sealed up, and within a minute she was healed and her ears had stopped ringing.

“I’m fine. That was perfect,” Katrina said. Robyn was slightly pale, but not too bad; Katrina’s wounds hadn’t drained too much power because they were minor. She nodded at Katrina and hurried out of the room.

Maddox ran his hands over her arms, sending a little shiver through her. “You’re all right now?”

She nodded.

“Then I’m going to go find out who did this and rip their head off with my bare hands.”

He called Michael in to watch her, and headed out.

He was back in about two hours, looking frustrated. He waved Michael off, and settled down on the bed next to Katrina with a sound somewhere between a growl and a sigh.

“No luck?” she said.

He shook his head in exasperation. “I really thought that Lula was behind this but I had my men watching her all night. She went for a stroll by herself, went into the woods…she was far away when this attack happened.  We found the grenade launcher; it had actually been taken from our armory.  Opposite end of the property from where Lula was. Noscentium all over it, again. Thank God the grenade was a dud.”

“First someone tries to bust me out of here, then someone tries to kill me. You’re right, Lula sounds like the most likely candidate for both of those incidents.” Katrina heaved a sigh and looked around the room.  Deer head with antlers mounted on the wall, heavy, rough-hewn oak furniture, a woven Navajo style rug on the broad oak planked floor.

“Whoa,” she said.

“What? You going to insult my taste in decorating? Bring it.” Maddox had that maddening grin again. “I’ll try to take it like a man.”

“No, no, not that. You and I. We’re alone in a room. Together. I’m sitting on a bed, next to you. Did you ever think you’d see the day?”

“Can’t say I anticipated this happy accident.” His voice was husky and his breathing was quickening.

“I, uh…I can’t go back to my room.” Her voice was small.  Desire sizzled through her body, and she felt slightly dizzy. “There’s glass on my bed.”

“Nope. That’s true.  And it seems like your room is a dangerous place these days.  You’ll just have to sleep here.”

“I…oh? You…think we can keep our hands off each other? Given the unfortunate…” he moved closer to her. He was sitting right next to her, pressed up against her. “Given the unfortunate fact that our wolves are very attracted to each other?” Blame it on her animal nature, she thought, because there was nothing rational about it.

“No. I’m sure we can’t. See?” He ran his fingers along her arm and she whimpered, not even trying to hide it.