The Gift of My Mate (Siberian Volkov Pack Romance Book 9) (12 page)

Margot struggled against the current. Pieces of ice had formed on the surface. They broke beneath her weight sending her back down into the frigid water. Finally, she crawled out of the creek and lay on the bank, a wet and bedraggled wolf. She knew she wasn’t that far from the bridge, but a bend in the creek prevented her from seeing the limo. Thank goodness she had listened to Mathis and shifted into her wolf form. Otherwise, she might have drowned or suffered hypothermia.

A sudden wolf howl filled the air. Margot looked up and around, recognizing Mathis’s call. Near the tree line, she saw a man dressed in black and holding a gun, start toward the sound. She stiffened. Luckily, he hadn’t see her lying on the frozen ground.

Instead of answering, and giving herself away, she crept closer to the trees. Ouelette’s smell wafted in the air. Rage slowly filled her. This man threatened her children. She edged closer, keeping her body low to the ground. This man had terrorized her. His brain, so twisted, a mental push wouldn’t work on him. There was one way to keep her family safe. Her lips pulled back and her hackles rose. She let the wildness of the wolf rush forward. She hunted.

He moved closer and closer to the bridge. She followed, keeping her tread quiet, so as not to spook her target. He was downwind of the others, and they wouldn’t sense his approach. Her sensitive hearing caught her Father’s voice and the murmur of a women speaking to Jean Paul.

Ouelette paused behind a tree. He peered at the wreckage of the limo. Margot inched closer, her eyes trained on her prey. Her muscles bunched. Then he raised the gun and took aim at her father as he knelt next to the injured driver.

Margot leapt the last distance. Ouelette wouldn’t hurt anyone, ever again. She slammed into him. Growling with hate, her teeth sank deep. He fell over. The gun went off. Blood gushed as she ripped at Ouelette’s throat. She shook his body. Bones cracked. His breath gurgled as blood poured onto the ground.

§

Mathis found the place where Margot left the stream. His sides heaved and he lowered his head and shuddered. She was all right. Her wet footprints headed into the trees. Why hadn’t she answered his call? He followed her trail past the tree line. He froze when he caught the scent of his mate’s enemy. Ouelette wasn’t at the house. He had chased after the limousine, knowing Margot was inside.

Mathis’s heart thundered in his chest. The sound of a gun going off made him flinch. He sprang forward, calling on his lycan speed and agility. He raced to find his mate, praying he wasn’t too late.

He ran toward the bridge keeping Margot’s scent in his nose. She hunted Ouelette. He read the signs of her passage through the trees and when she had lowered to her belly and crawled. He came around a stand of trees and saw her. Blood covered her muzzle. She kicked dirt with her back paws at Ouelette’s dead body.

Mathis rushed up to her, his heart in his throat. He didn’t know whether to kiss her, or yell at her for scaring him so completely.
“Are you all right?”
He nosed her, searching for injuries.

“What are you doing here? Where are the children?”
Her tail straight out, she greeted him, Alpha to Alpha.

“I needed to check on you, to know you’re okay.”
He licked her face before checking the dead body. Ouelette was dead.
“You killed him.”

“He was going to shoot my father. No one hurts my family. Now, I’m fine. Go rescue my children!”

Mathis turned and sprinted back to the house. Inside, he smiled. If Margot felt well enough to telepathically yell at him, then she was fine. He saw a man slinking around the house and took a detour. He crashed into the man, knocking him from his feet. Growling and ripping, it didn’t take long to finish him off. Jumping up, Mathis raced into the house.

Jared, his black wolf staring aggressively, stood over a body. He looked up as soon as Mathis raced into the room.

“I think the house is clear. Our brothers still hunt outside. It appears that anyone left alive ran away. Ouelette isn’t here, he must have escaped.”

“No, he didn’t. My mate took care of him, personally. Thank you for your help, Jared.”

“A pack is family. We look out for each other.”

“I might need more help cleaning this mess. The children will want to come upstairs, eventually.”

“We’ll round up and dispose of the bodies,”
Jared replied.

Mathis called the shift and raced upstairs for a pair of pants. Margot insisted that nudity in front of the children was frowned upon. He ran back down and opened the door to the basement. The lights were still out, but he could hear someone breathing under the stairs.

“I’ve got one hiding down here,”
Mathis sent to Jared.

“I’ve got your back,”
Jared replied telepathically.

Mathis jumped down the stairs and rolled when he hit the bottom. The man hiding under the stairs stepped out to get a shot. Mathis jumped to his feet and then stiffened when he saw the gun pointed at his face. Jared jumped from above taking the man down. His huge jaws clamped down on the man’s throat. In moments it was over.

“Thanks,” Mathis said to the black wolf. “Margot would be terribly upset if I got myself shot.”

“That’s what friends are for,”
Jared replied wagging his tail.

“Ujarak, you can open the door now,” Mathis called out.

The lights came on in the house and the huge metal door opened. Mathis rushed into the room. The children gathered around him, all talking at once. Mathis’s gaze landed on Ujarak, who knelt next to an unconscious Susan.

“We have a problem,” Ujarak said, brushing a blond curl from her face.

“What happened? Is she injured?” Mathis asked, striding forward and kneeling beside the woman.

“She suddenly collapsed, but that golden cord of light appeared attached to her heart. It leads upstairs,” Ujarak explained.

“Does her mate have to kiss her, like the princess in the movie who fell asleep?” Ukiuk asked.

“No, sweetheart. He just needs to be okay. I’ll carry her upstairs, Ujarak. You take the kids to their rooms. Uh, try not to let them see the mess,” Mathis said. How would the children sleep tonight after seeing the dead bodies upstairs? Deciding they needed to be protected against the violence, he motioned to them. “Come here, everyone. I’m afraid the fancy dinner I ate with mommy didn’t sit well. You’ll need to hold your noses while you go upstairs.” Mathis gave all of the children a telepathic push. They wouldn’t notice the smell of blood or anything else on their trek upstairs.

“What he means is he
farted
.” Ujarak smirked. “Believe me it smells worse than Cybille’s diapers. We’ll have to run as fast as we can.”

“Eewww…” the children responded.

“Nice,” Mathis said as he picked up Susan.

“Hey, just trying to help,” Ujarak said as he picked up Cybille. “Okay, kids, last one to make it into their room is a silly dinkleberry,” Ujarak challenged.

“I’ll win,” Tikaani said racing from the room his fingers pinching his nose. The other children followed. Ujarak hurried after them. Mathis maneuvered Susan out the door and up the stairs.

He walked into the living room, listening to the children run up the stairs. Surprisingly, no dead bodies were in sight. Jared apparently took care of the situation. Mathis lowered Susan to the sofa and looked around for the others.

The front door burst open, and a newly cleaned Margot rushed in. She ran over to Mathis and jumped up, her paws landing on his chest. She licked his face. Cold water dripped from her muzzle onto his chest.

“You’re all right?”
came flooding into his thoughts.

“Yes, and I see you are as well.” Mathis ran his hands in her wet fur, petting down her back.

“The children?”

“Are upstairs in their rooms.”

Mathis wasn’t surprised a bit when Margot sprinted up the stairs. He heard the children’s enthusiastic response when she entered. Jared walked in the front door carrying clothes in his mouth. He looked at Mathis, then headed for the nearest bathroom. Next, Parker and Esme, helped a bedraggled Jean Paul into the house.

“Put him on the floor next to Susan,” Brenda, the pack healer directed, striding through the door. She hurried to the driver and opened his blood soaked shirt. Esme and Parker backed out of the way.

Lizette entered last, looked around and then at Mathis. “The children?”

“Upstairs with Margot,” he answered.

Lizette hurried up the stairs, almost tripping over Ujarak as he made his way down. Parker followed her. Ujarak made his way to the sofa, and picked up Susan’s hand.

“Don’t touch her! Get away from her!” came from the injured man. Brenda quickly held JP down. “No! Mathis help me, he still has a bullet in him. I only healed the wound on his head and got him conscious again. Ujarak, get away from her. JP is in the thrall of the mating heat.”

Mathis hurried over. The ground underneath the house suddenly heaved. The windows rattled and the light in the dining room swung back and forth. He tried to calm Jean Paul with his telepathy. An unknown male touched Jean Paul’s mate. He hadn’t attacked Ujarak, only because his mind was clouded with pain from his wounds.

“She doesn’t even know this guy. Why should I leave her to a complete stranger?” Ujarak demanded. “Besides, he doesn’t smell like any kind of shifter I know.”

“Because if he dies, she dies with him. Please, I know you care for her. I need you to get away,” Brenda begged. She turned to Mathis. “Tell Ujarak, and hurry. I still need to get this bullet out of JP’s chest.”

Wind howled as it whipped around the house. The building shook again, weaker this time. Jean Paul’s face paled even more. Blue tinged his lips.

Ujarak stared down at Mathis, his face a mask of confusion. “She’s right, brother,” Mathis said. “Why don’t you go see what Jared has done with the bodies, and check in with Serge and Lucien.” Ujarak nodded and then reluctantly headed for the kitchen.

Jean Paul’s struggles ceased. His head dropped to the carpet. The wind died outside and all was quiet. Mathis looked to Brenda. He’d never seen the handmaiden of Asena use her healing powers before.

She ran her hands over JP’s body, before cupping her palm over the bullet wound in his chest. Mathis could feel the warmth pouring into Jean Paul’s chest. Slowly, the redness of the wound lessened, and the surrounding skin became less enflamed. Brenda reached down and pulled the bullet from the hole with one hand, while the other continued to send healing energy into the wound. The hole in the man’s chest got smaller and smaller until the skin closed. Brenda kept up her treatment until not a mark marred JP’s body. Mathis watched amazed. Brenda was truly a blessing to the pack.

Jean Paul groaned and sat up. Susan breathed deeply and then her eyelids began to flutter. Mathis helped JP to his feet, while Brenda checked Susan.

“Brenda, I felt like I was shot. One bullet grazed my head and the other went into my chest. The pain was terrible. I blacked out.”

“That was your mate getting shot, not you,” Brenda explained.

JP moved forward and held out his hand to Susan. “Hi, I’m Jean Paul Nadeau, I’m your destined mate.”

“Are you okay? You’re the limousine driver? ” Susan asked.

“Only on special occasions. I would have asked for hazard pay if I knew guns would be involved. I’m fine, now, thanks to Asena’s handmaiden.” JP glanced at Mathis. “I think we should get to know each other better, since the lycan mating bond has connected us. Can I call on you tomorrow?”

Susan smiled shyly. “I guess that would be okay. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes, Brenda saved my life, and yours too when you connected with me. I’ll have to perform a ceremony of thanksgiving and dedicate it to the lycan mother goddess.”

“Jean Paul, I suggest you stay with us tonight,” Jared said coming in from the kitchen. “Granger found Ouelette’s car, Mathis. I’m afraid he and his friends will have a terrible accident. They should really know better than to carry gasoline inside the vehicle. A cleaning crew will arrive in the morning to deal with the rugs.”

Esme moved from where she stood by the wall to Jared’s side. “Shall we go home,
ma petit louve?”
Jared asked his mate.

“Wow, you really do fix everything don’t you,” Susan said while getting up from the couch.

“The Alpha’s job is to take care of his pack, Susan. You know that,” Esme chided.

“I was trying to give Jared a compliment. Geez,” Susan grumbled.

“May I walk you to the car?” Jean Paul asked, holding his arm out to Susan.

“I guess so, since you’re coming with us.” Susan hesitantly linked her arm with JP’s.

“Susan, wait, your phone,” Ujarak said. He hurried from the kitchen with a pink phone in his hand and frowned when he saw Jean Paul and Susan together. “You almost forgot it.”

“Oh, thanks. I guess I’ll call you tomorrow,” Susan said taking the phone.

Jean Paul glared at Ujarak and hurried Susan outside after Jared and Esme. Parker and Lizette walked down the stairs, hand in hand. “We’ll see you later, Mathis.” Parker waved and they walked out the door.