This Weakness For You (Entangled Select Otherworld) (Taming the Pack) (20 page)

“You’ll need more food,” Dane said.

Vanessa kicked him in the back of the leg.

Dane stared down Jordan…pointedly. Her brother’s idea of showing respect was aggressive.

“Dane, did you have something to say?”

“You’ll need more food,” Dane said again.

“And you have that cat,” Vanessa said with a scowl. Dane turned to look at her. “What? I have the newest baby. I’m allowed to talk whenever I want. Hormones.”

“My cat’s only been in the bedroom and the study. He only likes rooms with fireplaces lit,” Christa said. “We can keep him in the bedroom and clean the study floors.”

Vanessa frowned and shrugged. “I can be drugged out of my skull if it keeps Nathanial safe.”

Jordan nodded out at the group.

A man said, making eye contact with Jordan, “Dane told us to treat Ross as hostile, but you’re talking about poachers.”

Jordan glanced at Dane. Dane looked down—for the first time that day, he looked down.

“The Lycan targeting us two years ago, the Lycan who Dane shot, was someone Ross knew. We all know it was a justified kill, but Ross blames Dane and me for their death and doesn’t see a problem with throwing the entire pack in front of the target. When I realized it was Ross who’d killed the Lycan at Rainier to get me to come track his killer, I had Travis break into Ross’s residence. They found communication with poachers on his computer where he listed every pack member with our addresses and our weaknesses. Aggie was listed among the top targets. Your offspring were listed—those non-Lycans in the pack were even listed, though they were marked as non-Lycan. Ross’s only stipulation was that they provide cover so he could kill Dane and me. I don’t know how many poachers are here, but obviously the extinction order didn’t go unheeded.”

He rubbed both his hands down his face. “When we leave here, we’ll leave in groups, you’ll gather what you need for a week—if you bring coolers of food or food storage, it’ll save us from living on cold cereal and saltines. Then you’ll come in groups to my place. If anyone chooses to remain in their home, we’ll do our best to protect them, but the risk is on your head. We’ll go from there.”

“Guns,” Dane said in a cough.

Several Lycans smiled…whether they were smiling at Dane’s way of getting around deference or they were all gun-crazy, it was difficult to tell.

“If you have guns and ammunition—or any weapons—bring them. Some of our two-leggeds feel safer holding big guns.”

“Some of them just have big guns,” Vanessa muttered beside her.

Dane either choked or laughed…or both.

“I swear, I’m going to need a sharp stick for my ears,” Christa whispered back.

Jordan laughed. “My mate, Christa, is still learning about how incredible our hearing is. Okay, disperse. Remember—in groups.”

They started to leave, but several paused when Ethan was still standing there, his head bowed.

“Ethan?” Jordan nodded at the man.

“Who was the Lycan—the Lycan that Ross knew?”

The room went still.

“Two Lycans have now died because that information was shared. Perhaps I should tell you, but I don’t intend to, and it’s my right as Alpha to decide that. I will tell you that no one there that day knew the Lycan’s identity until after they were dead. As Lycans, we have always given our dead dignity that perhaps they didn’t deserve in life. I’ve been chasing the ghost of a Lycan for three days instead of being with my mate because he deserved that. Honor is second in the hierarchy—we honor our dead. If it ever becomes more important for the good of the pack that I share that information, I will, but so far it’s brought only more death.”

Ethan nodded and the group dispersed silently.

“They move so quietly,” Christa whispered.

Jordan turned and looked at her, and she froze. She’d just invited a whole lot of Lycans to his house, and she couldn’t seem to remember that whispering was pointless. She totally sucked as an alpha female. He stayed staring at her with a look she couldn’t read. It was different to see him here as a leader. Sometimes, he seemed as charismatic as a cult leader, and the whole thing felt so foreign. Then she caught sight of what he was toying with when his hands were behind his back—he had her ponytail holder. She’d slid it into his bag, wanting to send something of hers with him. Now as they stood there, staring at each other, it was possible she’d totally embarrassed him—in front of his pack.

“We should get a copy of that list Ross posted—it’ll be easier to protect everyone if we know what they know,” Dane said, drawing Jordan’s gaze from her.

“So, that was your first meeting,” Vanessa said to her. “I think you managed your first one better than your brother. He even asked me if it was almost over.”

Dane turned and snapped his fingers. “That was a long meeting about nothing.”

“It was about the equinox. Lycans get all wigged out when you take away our night,” Vanessa grumbled.

Jordan turned back to Christa and resumed staring at her. She stared right back. She had no idea what his deal was, but she’d always beat Dane in staring contests. Beside them, Dane and Vanessa argued about anything that touched their brains, and she and Jordan stood there—their eyes focused on the other’s. He had the darkest eyes. Suddenly, he grinned and turned to Dane and Vanessa. “I’ve got a whole lot of Lycans coming for a sleepover, and you’ll be disobeying your Alpha’s orders if we let you go pack on your own. Wrap it up, kids. Vanessa will need a half an hour just to grab all her allergy meds.”

“Just for that, I’m bringing two of my air purifiers.”

“Anything to drown out your snoring,” Jordan muttered.

Chapter Twelve

Dane and Vanessa left the baby on Christa’s lap as they threw stuff into bags. Hopefully no one was waiting at his house, but he suspected it would take a while for some of them to pack and then wait for others in their group to pack.

“Does it bother you that I basically offered up your house as a motel?” Christa asked, meeting his eyes.

It was arousing that she kept doing that—staring him down, meeting his eyes—even in the gathering hall. He’d had this brief fantasy of tossing her brother and sister-in-law out and making love to her on the podium, but that sounded too close to Rainier pack’s lodge orgy for his comfort.

“No. It was a good solution. It’ll save lives. Just as your brother’s modifications to a century-old pattern of patrolling saved lives. Don’t tell him I said that.” He shook his head as he heard Vanessa in the house telling Dane what he’d just said.

“What?”

“Sometimes even Lycans forget what great hearing we have.”

“Speaking of hearing things…” She looked down at Nathanial and brushed a hand across the top of his head. She looked beautiful with a child in her arms. Someday that could be their child. A child with her soft brown hair…her green eyes…hell, the kid could look exactly like Christa, and he’d be happy. Christa was beautiful. He’d had other plans for how they’d spend this time waiting on Dane and Vanessa, but watching her hold a child was almost as good. Almost. Then he smelled her fear, and it sobered him.

“Christa?”

“I woke up two nights ago when I heard a sound at the window. At first I thought it was the wind, but then I realized there was no wind, and then Lucifer hissed at the window. So I loaded your rifle and took it to the window. I wasn’t expecting to see anything.”

He’d heard the expression “their blood ran cold” but he’d never felt it. His veins felt like they were shot through with ice. If Christa could smell anxiety, the scent would be pouring off him.

“And?” he asked when she didn’t continue.

“I jerked back the curtain and there was nothing, at first…but then I saw something in the distance moving—like a wolf. Your back porch light illuminated it for a second.”

“Do you think you were seeing things, or…?” He’d be able to tell if another Lycan had been in his yard. In fact, he usually ran his own yard first before going on patrol. Ross knew how crazy Jordan was about his mate from the tapped phone line. If the bastard’d been there watching Christa, too—he’d rip Ross’s guts out through his throat. Hell, Jordan would have checked around his place when he got back from Rainier, but there wasn’t time, and the only scent he’d been interested in inhaling was Christa’s.

“I thought I was, but when I got up the next morning and went to check it out…”

“You checked it out?” What was she thinking?

She glared at him. “I’m not helpless. Anyway, there were paw prints beneath the window, and I’m assuming you don’t go stand outside your bedroom and look in—and they looked too small to be yours.”

“And you told no one about this?”

“Well, I sort of told Dane.”

Inside the house, Vanessa said, “Oh, yeah, we don’t want to interrupt a special moment they’re enjoying out there. You can pack a little slower, baby.”

“Don’t you dare,” he snarled.

Christa jumped, and Nathanial complained for a moment before snuggling deeper into her arms and going back to staring up at her.

“I was talking to Vanessa—not you,” he said.

She didn’t look so reassured.

“You told Dane a strange Lycan was outside your window, and he did nothing.”

“Hell,” Vanessa said inside the house. “She never mentioned the paw prints. Dane, did your sister ever mention seeing paw prints outside the window?”

“She saw prints? Why the hell didn’t she tell me?” Dane yelled.

“Well, he told me that no Lycans would dare go on your property without permission, and Vanessa said that they’d be killed if they did,” Christa said. Her nose wrinkled up as she bit her lip anxiously.

“I did say that,” Vanessa said. “But she never mentioned the paw prints.”

“It still makes more sense for you to report it to your brother or to me,” Jordan said.

To his consternation, Christa glared at him. “Not if you were going to kill Ethan!”

“It was Ethan?” Vanessa and Jordan said at the same time.

“Wow, I was not expecting that,” Vanessa said. “He has a bit of a Peeping Tom aspect to him that I didn’t see coming.”

“It was Ethan?” Dane shouted.

“Well, I don’t know,” Christa said. “I met Ethan in the grocery store after that, and he was so nice, and he said the pack takes care of everyone, and he talked about inviting me over for dinner. I thought maybe he was just checking on me to make sure I was okay.”

“So, you don’t know that it was Ethan,” Jordan stated.

“It wasn’t Ethan,” Vanessa told Dane.

“Of course it wasn’t Ethan,” Dane said.

Jordan blinked. Keeping all these conversations straight was making it hard to concentrate on Christa.

“No, I realize now that it probably wasn’t, but I didn’t want you to rip some poor guy’s throat out like Vanessa said for trespassing when he was only checking on me.”

“But Dane didn’t have someone come over and check out the prints?”

“I didn’t exactly, technically, tell him about the prints,” Christa said slowly while focusing on the baby instead of meeting his eyes.

“Hah! She just admitted she never mentioned the prints!” Vanessa told Dane.

“If I’d told him about the prints, he would have sent someone, and then maybe you’d track them down, and then the whole throat-being-ripped-out thing.”

“Christa, I’m not completely unreasonable,” he said.

Vanessa started laughing inside the house.

“Shut up!” he said.

Christa jumped again. “Yeah, because that wasn’t
at all
unreasonable.”

“No, I was talking to Vanessa again.”

Christa’s eyes narrowed for a moment before she turned to look out the window. “I’m trying to talk about something with you, and you’re having a discussion with Vanessa?”

“Crap, pack slower again, Dane…pack very, very slow,” Vanessa said.

“I wasn’t having a discussion with her. She keeps interrupting, and I couldn’t concentrate on what you were saying.”

“Ohhhh, dude, that wasn’t much better,” Vanessa said.

Sure enough, Christa’s mouth dropped open.

“You should Hail Mary and say something outrageously romantic,” Vanessa said.

“Are you giving Jordan advice about his love life?” Dane asked.

“Yes,” his wife said.

“Okay, good, I just want to remember this moment.”

“Christa, I was listening. When we get home, I’m going to go check on the prints, and if they’re from our pack, I promise I won’t rip their throats out.”

“You promise? You won’t change your mind if you find out it’s someone you don’t like very much?”

“Yes! Christa, honor is second, remember? Besides, I’ve put up with your brother for two years—you’ll notice he’s not lying in a pool of blood. I don’t go around ripping people’s throats out for things like checking on my mate while I’m not around.”

“I know, but…”

“No, you don’t know, and that’s okay—you’ve known about Lycans less than a week, and it sounds like your best sources for learning our ways have been Dane and Vanessa—whom I tend to ignore at meetings because neither of them knows a thing about deference.”

“Hey!” Vanessa said. Then a moment later, she added, “No, you’re right…go ahead.”

“Also, you haven’t seen me acting as Alpha outside of a crisis. It’s not usually this intense.”

“That’s true,” Christa said, wrinkling up her nose.

“So we’ll go back, and I’ll check on those prints. Then if we’re still waiting on those in the pack to arrive, I’ll show you how to shoot a rifle.”

Vanessa burst out laughing.

“What?” Dane asked.

“He just told her he’d show her how to shoot a rifle.”

Dane laughed too. “Okay, pack fast. I want to be there when this happens, not out doing surveillance or something.”

Jordan looked over Christa’s shoulder at the house they were in front of. Why were they both laughing? It was a reasonable thing to show her. She might need to defend herself in the very near future. Not that he was ever planning on leaving her defenseless, but it was still good for her to know. Maybe they were concerned she was too small or not strong enough to hold a rifle.

“What?” Christa asked, looking behind her…and she was smiling slightly also. She wouldn’t be smiling if she didn’t think she could hold a rifle.

“They both started laughing.”

“Hmm,” Christa said.

…

Jordan had insisted she stay inside while he checked out the backyard. He had given her a warning glare when she’d gone to open the window.

She’d folded her arms and glared right back, which had made him smile—which ruined both their efforts. Especially since his gaze had then slid down her like she was there naked and for his entertainment.

Then Dane had joined him, and it’d gotten serious real fast…even without Dane’s narrowed gaze flicking between them.

His windows were apparently extra thick, because she couldn’t hear a word they’d said, but she wasn’t half bad at reading lips. She used to spy on Dane and his dates—and he had dated some real winners. She had fond memories of mimicking back the brainless things they’d said. Every younger sister in the world had mastered lipreading.

When Jordan crouched beneath the window, with his jaw clenched, she’d seen his mouth move in some pretty foul profanity. If this were a silent movie, it would have been rated R several times over.

Dane gestured at the ground and then at her, and he clearly said, “She never told me about this.”

Her eyes narrowed. Dane had
always
ratted her out.

Jordan gestured at the ground and then at her and said something very sarcastic if his body language was anything to go by, but he was facing Dane so she couldn’t see his mouth.

Dane pointed at her several times and then threw up his hands in aggravation. It looked like he said, “You try dealing with her when…” And then he’d turned to the side.

She hadn’t been able to read Jordan’s lips most of the time because he’d been at an angle, but he turned to face her and said, “I know!” and nodded in agreement.

Yeah, this wasn’t going well. It’d almost been better when they’d been disagreeing. She crossed her arms again and glared at both of them—hard.

Dane caught her look and tried to ask Jordan through clenched teeth, “She can’t hear us, right?” He sucked at talking without his lips moving. He always had.

“No,” Jordan mouthed. Then he turned and waved at her with a fake-cheerful smile.

“I think she can,” Dane said, still through clenched teeth.

“There’s no way. That room has extra-thick windows—that’s my bedroom,” Jordan said. He wasn’t even doing her the courtesy of
trying
to disguise what he was saying like Dane was.

Dane laughed. “Yeah, the room you are never having sex in. She can totally hear us.”

Jordan looked at her speculatively and then said, “You look beautiful, Christa.”

She kept glaring at him.

“See, she couldn’t hear me,” Jordan said to Dane.

Dane kept laughing. “She could…and you are never having sex with my sister. I couldn’t have planned this better if I’d tried.”

Jordan’s gaze dropped back to the ground and his face sobered. “What are we going to do about this? He knows about your sister, and he’s been watching her.” Wow, hopefully little Nathanial didn’t have awesome Lycan hearing yet, because Jordan said some really foul stuff before adding, “And he wiretapped my damn phone—so he heard our conversations.”

“I don’t know. I feel like there are all these targets between him and us now.”

Jordan went back to swearing. Dane turned away and dragged both hands through his hair.

Maybe there were worse things than your brother and mate agreeing—especially when they were agreeing everyone was in danger. They both looked nervous right now, and it made her want to hurl. Lucifer rubbed up against her legs while staring out at Jordan. Christa crouched beside him and scratched between his ears. “It looks like you’re not the only devil in town now, Lucifer.” When she glanced up, she met Jordan’s eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t just hear that.”

He nodded.

Her stomach felt sour—like the acid was burning a hole straight through. She yanked the curtain back into place. No. Oh no. Oh no. She hadn’t really realized how well Lycans could hear at that point. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

A moment later, Jordan stormed in. “Why?”

“Why what?” she asked, swallowing.

“Why did you want to know if I could hear you?”

Crap. He had noticed her freaking out.

She cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot. “Because I was talking to Lucifer when I went to investigate, and I can’t remember all that I said, but I didn’t think anyone was listening.” She’d been talking to Lucifer all night, in fact. At least Lucifer was alive—he was no Muffin—and the house was too quiet with no one in it. She
had
to talk to someone. She spent her whole day talking to people. So she talked to her cat if no one else was available…and most of it was nonsense. Most of it. The stuff just before the window was pretty damning, though.

“It probably wasn’t a big deal,” he said.

“I think I said that if I was murdered in my bed, at least that would make you come back home,” she said.

Jordan tilted his head and nodded. “Okay, that might have been a big deal, but since he wanted me to stay at Rainier maybe that actually worked in your favor.”

“I think I also mentioned it was like being in a horror film where there was only a landline and no cell reception.”