Werewolves in Love 2: Yours, Mine and Howls (30 page)

“Yeah,” Dylan piped up. “Remember, the Fae guy told him to get out of town.”

Dec paused with the beer bottle halfway to his mouth. “Fae guy? What Fae guy?”

Dylan started to answer with a mouth full of meatloaf. Ally backhanded him on the shoulder. “Not with your mouth full!”

Apparently over his earlier shock and anxiety, Cade answered for his nephew. “Well,” he drawled, “a strange Fae followed Ally and Dylan and Becca around town a few weeks ago, but nobody bothered to tell me about it. And then tonight, the same guy showed up at the police station and told the cops to let Dylan and Lind go, and they did. But that’s not the worst part.”

Dec, no longer smiling, had put the beer down and now sat perfectly still. Sindri too, stopped in mid-motion, his back to them, holding a plate over the sink.

“So what’s the worst part?” asked Dec with unnerving seriousness.

“The worst part is, his description fits the guy who killed my mother.”

The plate Sindri was holding crashed into the sink.

Cade jumped up. “Old man! Are you okay?”

The brownie turned to stare at Dec with a horrified expression. He said something that sounded like a question. Dec, not turning to look at him, replied in the same language.

“Why not, Dec?” Dylan asked, food forgotten.

Ally gaped at him. When had he learned to speak a new language?

Instead of answering, Dec asked, “Did he speak to you, pup? Did he tell you anything?”

Dylan nodded, wide-eyed. “Yeah. He said to tell Eirny he was sorry, and he wanted to see her.”

An ashen-faced Dec said something in the foreign language again. Then, in English, “The mad bastard doesn’t know she’s dead. How the hell did he get loose?”

“Forget that,” Cade growled. “What the hell do you know about my mother, MacSorley?”

“Oh shit,” Ally whispered to herself. Like they hadn’t had enough stress and surprise for one evening…

Cade’s hands gripped the back of the chair he’d been sitting in. His knuckles were white, the veins and tendons of his forearm standing out ropey and rigid. He leaned over the table and stared Dec in the face.

“I asked you a question, MacSorley. Answer it or you’re going out a window.”

Dec didn’t flinch, or whimper, or run like hell. He did none of the things a beta would’ve been expected to do with an enraged Pack Alpha inches from his face.

With an authority she’d never heard from him before, he replied, “I’m your uncle, pup. Eirny was my sister.”

“Dude,” Dylan breathed. “You’re my great-uncle? How
old
are you?”

No one laughed. The only sound in the kitchen was Cade’s harsh, rapid breaths. He didn’t move a muscle, but his body vibrated with tension as he faced the Irishwolf across the table. Cade stared at Dec with loathing. Ally stared at Cade, watching for any sign he might start changing.

He hadn’t mastered his earlier shock and anxiety after all. And this could push him over the edge.

His jaw was clenched so tightly his mouth barely moved, but there was no mistaking his next words. “Leave. Now.”

Dec stood. Behind him, Sindri said, “No,
barn.
He must stay. There is so much you do not know.”

Cade’s expression went from surprise, to confusion, and finally to heartbreak. Seconds later, his face a stony mask, all he said to Sindri was, “Sounds as if there’s much you haven’t told me.”

She heard the pain behind his words and she longed to throw her arms around him, comfort him with her touch as she’d done in the car.

Touching him didn’t seem like a good idea at the moment.

“Cade,” she implored, “he was going to tell you. He was waiting for the—”

His eyes cut to her. “You
knew?
Goddamn it, Allison, will I ever be able to trust you?”

She swallowed against the sudden ache in her throat.

Dec laid a hand on her shoulder. “Leave off,
barn
. It’s my fault, I asked her not to say anything. I put her in a terrible spot.”

Touching
her
wasn’t a good idea at the moment, either.

Cade threw himself across the table with a roar. Dec shoved her out of the way as he was borne backwards, flying across the kitchen and slamming into the counter. Sindri moved just in time to avoid being crushed. Ally scooped the little brownie up and dove for the other side of the room.

To her amazement, Sindri lunged out of her grasp and was halfway across the huge kitchen before she dragged him back. Someone’s elbow—she thought it was Cade’s—clipped her in the jaw as she slid across the floor.

“Let me go!” Sindri screamed. “He will kill him! Let me go!”

Arms wrapped tightly around the frantic brownie, she huddled against the pantry door while Cade and Dec grappled and punched and rolled on the floor. The kitchen seemed much smaller with werewolves tearing it up. Chairs went flying. Fists and feet and heads punched holes in cabinets. The sound was terrifying, the smell worse.

Werewolf brawls belonged out-of-doors.

“Dylan!” she screamed. “Go get Michael!”

The teenager, whimpering and shivering beneath the table, stumbled to his feet and ran out, even as she heard someone crashing through the front door. From outside came the sound of panicked howling, the pack picking up on their Alpha’s fury.

Cade was snarling like a wild animal. The two of them were moving so fast she could barely tell them apart. She didn’t know what was most incredible about the spectacle—the fact that Dec was holding his own, or that he kept trying to
talk
to Cade as they fought.

“Cade—Christ—listen to me! Stop it,
barn!
Calm down and give me—shite! I don’t want to hurt you—
leave off, you fecking maniac!
I need to talk to you!”

She heard wolves in the living room all talking at once, but no one howling inside, thank God. Becca might actually sleep through this.

Michael, Roman, and another alpha raced in, paused a split second to gawk, then threw themselves on Cade. Eventually the three of them peeled him off his uncle, who lay panting on the floor.

Cade had sustained some cuts and bruises. They’d heal in hours, but she was impressed—and by now, strangely unsurprised—at the damage Dec had inflicted.

Sindri was still pushing and kicking to be free, so she let him go. Weeping, he ran straight to Dec and threw himself on the Irishwolf. Cade watched, still snarling, trying to break Michael and Roman’s grip. They held him fast.

“Goddamn it, let me go!”

“No way, boss.” Michael, blasé as ever, stood behind his Alpha with one hand on Cade’s arm and one arm around Cade’s neck. “You don’t want to kill your mate’s friend, and I’m not gonna let you.” Roman held onto Cade’s other arm as Cade twisted and fought.

Dec pushed himself up to his feet with a grunt, then leaned over with his hands on his knees, fighting to get his breath back. Now she saw that his right eye was beginning to swell. Blood seeped from a cut on his temple.

“Someone gonna tell me what this was about?” Michael asked.

Sindri was weeping, babbling beside Dec.

Ally stood up. “It’s a long story, but—”

“It’s my fault,” said Dec as he reached down to hug Sindri to his side. “I’ve bollixed everything to bits. I never meant—”

“Get out.”

They both fell silent at the guttural command.

Cade had quit struggling. His chest heaved as he panted. Though his pupils were round and surrounded by white, his eyes held a distinctly Jack Nicholson “here’s Johnny” cast as he stared at his uncle.

“Cade, this is too important,” Dec protested. “There’s too much I have—”

“You leave now,” Cade snarled. “You’re not welcome in my home or in my pack.”

“You can’t do that! Cade, for God’s sake, hear what he has to say!” The group turned as one to look at Sarah Jane, who’d slipped in unnoticed amid the turmoil.

“Is Becca awake?” Ally asked quietly.

“Of course she is. I’ll check on her in a minute.” She stopped to take a look at Dec and drop a quick kiss on Sindri’s head. Then she faced Cade with her hands on her hips. “Cade. You need to talk to us, all three of us. Declan, Sindri, me… There are things you need to know. Please, honey, calm down and—”

They all knew she was wasting her breath.

Ally still had a lot to learn about this wolf she’d probably spend her life with. One thing she already knew was that he hated lies. She and Dec had basically lied to him. He’d have to forgive her, eventually, but he wouldn’t forgive Dec.

“You’re welcome to go with him, Sarah Jane. In fact, I think you should.”

Ally gasped. “Cade! You can’t—”

He closed his eyes and grimaced, taking deep breaths. “Let go. I’m fine.” Michael and Roman stepped back.

Cade squeezed his eyes shut and took another deep breath. He ran both hands through his hair, his face contorted as if in pain. When he opened his eyes and spoke, his tone was conversational.

“Ally, see to Rebecca. Sarah Jane, Dec, get off my ranch and don’t come back. And Sarah Jane, you even think about challenging me for custody, I’ll bankrupt you. Michael, get the pickup, we’re going into town to look for Lind and the Fae.”

“Okay…” said Michael, cocking his head. “Who’s Lind and who’s the Fae and why are we looking for them?”

“Now would be a good time to shut the fuck up and act like an obedient second.”

“You’ll explain later. Got it.” Michael left, Roman behind him.

Dec, Sarah Jane and Sindri remained huddled together.

“That wasn’t a suggestion,” Cade growled. “Move.”

Sindri said something she couldn’t hear and reached out a hand to Cade. Cade knocked it aside and stomped out, ignoring her as he passed.

The four of them looked at each other sadly.

“All right, old girl,” sighed Dec. “We’ll take your car. Get your things. I’ll meet you outside.”

Sindri threw his arms around Dec’s waist, still crying. Ally found it profoundly disturbing to see the placid, inscrutable little brownie so distraught. Dec murmured something in that language again.

Sindri looked up at Dec, said something else, then disappeared down the hatch in the floor that led to his underground den beneath the kitchen.

“I don’t—you can’t—shit! Where will y’all go?” Ally threw her arms around Sarah Jane. “Becca will be hysterical. I can’t believe this is happening. When Cade gets back, I’ll talk to him. I’ll make him sit down and listen, and then we—”

“He’s too upset at us, and at you.” Sarah Jane gave her a squeeze and pushed her away. “Look, honey. We’re not going to stick you in the middle of this anymore. Dec will find a way to make Cade listen to him. I think Sindri can see to that.”

“And Sarah Jane will be taking a little trip,” Dec interjected.

“I will?” She looked up at him. “Where?”

“Keflavík.”

The older woman’s reaction was as startling as Sindri’s had been. “Oh my God, Declan! He’s here? He’s
here?
I knew something was happening! I knew something was coming but I didn’t see this, I never thought he—” Clutching at Dec’s arm, she laid her head against his chest. Ally feared she’d faint.

Dec, though, seemed more annoyed than concerned. He patted her shoulder briskly before pushing her away to look at her. “Come on, woman, don’t get weepy on me. We’ve too much to do.”

“Just a goddamned minute!” Ally squealed. “What’s going
on?
How can she just go like that, and where the hell is Kefwhatever?”

“Keflavík,” Dec said calmly. “It’s on the high Fae homeland in Iceland. It’s where Adnar’s been imprisoned since he killed Louis. Sarah Jane will find out what happened. I’ll stay and look for the bastard.”

“Adnar—that’s the Fae guy’s name?”

“Yes. He’s my first priority. Then Sindri and I will find a way to sit down with my nephew and make him listen.”

“But he’s gone into town himself! What if he sees you?”

Dec shrugged. “I can handle him. I’m not a normal werewolf, and Cade can’t kick me out of Fremont.” He put a hand to her back and gave her a little shove toward the living room, where he turned and went up the stairs.

“I need to get up there right away,” said the older woman. “Those oblivious idiots probably don’t even know he’s gotten loose, and they’re the only ones who can recapture him.”

The night she died had been less confusing than this. Ally threw her hands up in frustration. “
Who
, Sarah Jane? What oblivious idiots?
What the hell is going on?
”

“We’ll be in touch in a few days,” said Dec as he came back downstairs. “And I’ll explain everything, all of it, I swear, to you and to Cade. But we have to get going. I want to know why Adnar’s here and how he’s connected to Jakob Lind. I’m thinking maybe he’s the reason Lind showed up back in Houston to begin with.”

He and Sarah Jane walked out to the front porch with Ally at their heels, determined to get every scrap of information she could before they left.

“You think he sent Jakob to find us? Maybe dating me was a way to get to—who? Dylan?”

“Maybe. Maybe he knew Dylan was Eirny’s grandson. I don’t know. I intend to find out. Come on,” he said to Sarah Jane.

“But, Dec, wait! You haven’t told me anything! Who
is
Adnar anyway, and why’d he kill Louis MacDougall? Damn it, Dec! Why are you being so mysterious?”

“I’m sorry, Ally, truly I am.” He wrapped one arm around her in a fierce bear hug. “Shite. This isn’t the way I planned it. I fucked it all up, just like I fucked it up thirty-three years ago. I wasn’t there for Eirny and her family then, but I’m here for Cade now, even though he doesn’t want me.” He put his hand to her chin and turned her face up. “It’s very, very complicated, Ally girl, and I can’t tell you about it before I tell Cade. Which I will, and soon. Trust me, love.”

He kissed her forehead and released her. “Meanwhile, and this is very important, keep an eye on Becca at all times. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“You think this Fae—Adnar—you think he’d harm Becca?”

“I’m not sure,” Sarah Jane said. “He wasn’t quite sane thirty-three years ago. There’s no telling what state of mind he’s in now. But Becca— Becca needs watching anyhow.”

“Well, of course she does! She’s four. Sarah Jane, how the hell do
you
know about all this? Can you at least tell me that?”