Wolf Creek Alpha (Texas Pack 1) (27 page)

Good Lord, I’m acting like a virgin about to be sacrificed to the gods, she thought.  Giggling, Lisa adjusted the covers and sat up in bed.  Deciding that
reading would relax her, she picked her book up from the bedside table and found where she’
d dog-
eared the page.
  She found
herself dozing off after a while
, so she put the book away and turned down the light.  He must have had more work to do, she thought before nodding off. 
 

Rafe quietly opened her door, hoping not to wake her if she was asleep.  The room was dark, but with his wolf’s eyes, he could make out her form
under the covers.  Going over to the bed, he could see
she
was asleep. 
He saw she had placed
a book
on the table and picked it up.  It showed a man and woman in a tight
clench.  Chuckling, he decided
he would have to read one of her books
someday
. 
Laying the book back down, he
padded softly
over
to the chair by the window. 
Even with his vision
,
he couldn’t read in the dark. Adjusting the chair, he could see
both
her and the pond when he looked out. 

It had taken him longer than he’d thought to come
to her room.  He had been talking to his brothers, going
over everything once again.  He’d wished his father had been there, just to bounce ideas off of him.  Ian had told him their parents had gone out for dinner. 
He figured his mom had needed a break from cooking for all of them, and
he
needed to remember to thank her. 

   Which reminded
him,
he
still hadn’
t looked for
a cook.  That could wait, he decided.  He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.  He expected to get a couple hours rest, assuming
he would
wake if anything bothered Lisa. 

Lisa woke during the night.  Looking around the room, she saw Rafe sleeping in the chair by the window.  He looks so
uncomfortable she thought.  Should
I tell him he can lay here with me?  She couldn’t hel
p admiring him. 
He was so good looking, she thought. 
Seeing his long legs stretched out in front of him, she looked him
over, starting with his feet.  There was just something so sexy about a man’s bare feet.
She
saw he was wearing sweat pants aga
in with a t-shirt.  Moving up from his feet
,
she moved quickly past his groin,
thinking how embarrassing to
be caught staring at him there.  She watched his chest, moving up and down slowly,
and then
moved on to his face.  His eyes were open, watching her.

Lisa blushed, crap, she thought.  Caught
,
red handed. 
“Um, Hi.”
 
Oh,
yay for me
, I’m so articulate.

His voice was deep and scratchy.  It sent goose bumps up and down her spine.  “
Trouble sleeping?
” he asked. 

“No, I just woke up and noticed you sitting there.  You look
ed
uncomfortable.  You can come sleep with me, if
you would
like.  Sleep, you know.  That’s not a euphemism
for sex,” she rambled. 

He slowly rose and lifted back the covers, climbing in beside her.  “
Thanks, I appreciate
the offer to sleep with you
, as in resting your mind
, no sex,” he said chuckling. 

“Smart ass,” she said lying back down. 

Lisa tried to get comfortable, turning from one side to the other.  Finally, Rafe pulled her close, with her back tucked against his chest spooning her.

“Go to sleep,” he commanded. 

Lisa lay there barely breathing.  Tense and stiff, eventuall
y she relaxed and went to sleep.

Rafe sighed.  I
t was going to be a long night.

Rafe quietly
slipped from
the bed,
being
sure not to wake Lisa.
  She grumbled
, grabbing his pil
low and hugging it to her body
.  Shaking his head, he left
and went to the kitchen.

Going straight to
the coffeepot, he saw Colin and Robert sitting at the table.  “When did you get back?” he asked Robert.

“This morning.  Colin’s been telling me about your little adventure.  How’
s
yer
shoulder?”

Rafe rubbed
the tender area.  R
eaching under his shirt,
he
tugged
at his
wound. 
The bullet had worked
its
way to
just beneath the wound
. 
Grunting, he
pulled the bullet out and handed it to Colin. 

“It’s fine.  Did you learn anything about Dunstan’s mother?” Rafe asked.

“I didn’t find her, if that tells us something.  I managed to find her family an
d speak with them.  They
couldna
tell me anything.  They
havena
heard from her in years,” he said. 

“Then we go on what we know, which isn’t much,” Rafe said.

“I’ve
been thinking about what Colin told me
.  Why shoot you?  I mean, they have to know you would heal quickly,”
Robert
said. 

“Not if he got shot in the head. 
He would
most likely heal, but it would throw the pack in turmoil.  Maybe distract us so that they could get closer,” Colin said. 

“
I think he was shooting
at
Lisa,”
Rafe told him grimly
.  That fear had been going through his head all night. 

“
Why shoot her?  I mean, he’d lose a powerful witch if he killed her
,” Colin said.

“This isn’t doing us any good.  We could guess all day and still not know his true goal.  We stay with the original plan, guard the women, patrol the pond,”
Rafe declared.

“I just wish we could
do something
,” Colin said.  “I hate sitting around waiting for something to happen.”

They all agr
eed, ready
to fight an enemy
that wasn’
t there.  You could see the frustration on all their faces. 

Others started showing up for breakfast, so Rafe went to the fridge to get the food out. 

“You sit bac
k down,
I’ll do the cooking.  I’m not t
oo bad, if I do say so myself,” Melissa said smiling. 

Rafe sat back down at the table.  He was thankful for Melissa, cooking was not something he enjoyed. 

Lisa came in and got a cup of coffee, asking Melissa if she could help.  Melissa shooed her away, saying she could handle it. 

Conversation flowed around the table, with everyone throwing out their own ideas about
yesterday’s
attack.  When Dunstan walked in with Anna, Robert just shook his head, letting him know there was no news. 

“Ian, I want the forest and property line patrolled again.  It was a mistake for me to pull everyone to the pond and house.  Call in some of the pack living further out if you have to,” Rafe said. 

Mack and Liz came in the back door.  “We heard what happened.  How’s the wound, son?”

Liz came over a
nd hugged Rafe as he stood up.  “I was so worried.”

“I’m fine, bullets out and it’s almost closed already,” Rafe said. 

Melissa sat a mound of bacon and eggs on the table.  She then went back to get the biscuits from the oven.  She had made a ton of
food, knowing how much shifter’s
ate.

Everyone was complimenting her on her cooking. 
She had
added her own touch to the eggs, making them more flavorful. 
She told them how she loved cooking and experimenting with new recipes. 

“Dad,
any thoughts on why he’s attacking
us?  You know our theories and I’d like to hear yours,” Rafe said.

After given it some thought, Mac
k
spoke.  “I’m putting the visions, Dunstan showing up, Anna’s connection, Lisa being a witch, and my new daughter,” smiling at
her, “all together and coming to the same conclusion. 
It’s
Ciar.
”

“But why shoot Rafe?” asked Liz.

“Take him out, and
then
he could grab Lisa.  Dunstan and Anna may be his children, but this
fae
thrives on power.  I’m leaning toward him wanting her and
that he’s
not looking for his wife,” Mack stated.

“I agree.  I still want protection for Anna, but I don’t believe she’
s the target, Lisa is,” Rafe said grimly.

“But how could he know about her?  She just found out she was a witch,” Liz asked.

“If he was tracking Dunstan, for whatever reason, Lisa may have been just a happenstance for him.  My bet is his seer told him about her.  If his seer or maybe his witch, whatever, saw Lisa’s power, then she would have informed Ciar,” Mac
k
informed them all. 
 

They all looked at her.  Lisa tried to put on a brave face, but she wasn’t feeling very brave. 

“I think Niall and I need to take a trip
to
visit Ciar,” Robert said.

They were all talking over each other, some protest
ing
, others thinking it was a good idea. 

“I’m going with you,” Rafe declared.

“No! You could be walking right into a trap,” Lisa exclaimed.

“Don’t
worry,
lass, we’ll take care of him. 
Niall and I can protect him with our magic,” said Robert. 

“Let me go instead,” Ian said.  “If anything happened to you, the pack would be devastated.”

“If anything happened to me, you would be alpha.  I am confident you co
uld lead this pack as well as I do
,” Rafe said
to
Ian. 

Lisa was watching and listening, realizing he was going and
nothing would stop him.
Being
the
alpha, she knew he felt he had to do this.
  He wouldn’t expect another to do
a dangerous job he wouldn’t
do himself.

“He needs to go
as alpha
of this pack
.  Ciar needs to see that Rafe isn’t afraid of him and that he’ll protect what’s his,” Mack said. 

“It’s settled then.  I’ll go find Niall and meet you by the pond when
yer
ready.  Oh
, and
Rafe, take
yer
airsickness pills
before we go
,” Robert said grinning.
 

Rafe started to shoot him the bird,
and then
remembered his parents and Lisa were in the room. 
After thanking Melissa for their breakfast, he asked Lisa to come talk with him privately. 

They entered his office and he closed the door behind him.  “I know you’re worried, but nothing will happen to me.  Ciar may be powerful, but he can’
t take on two
fae
and a wolf.”

“From what I’ve heard, he does have others to help
him,
you know.  I think this is just stupid.  It’s like the girl that trips in the zombie movies, never taking her heels off to run,” Lisa said, frustrated. 

Rafe laughed, “I don’t think I like your analogies.  I’m no girl.  Seriously, I’ll be fine.  Think of it as a diplomatic mission.  No weapons, just words.”

She realized nothing she said would change his mind.  Instead, she reached up, pulled his head down and
kissed him passionately.  Let him see what he’d be missing, she thought deviously. 
Problem was, he was just as passionate. 

“Hold that thought, I’ll get back as soon as possible,” he hesitated
.
“
Time
passes different
ly
in Faerie, so it may take a little longer for us to get back.  I wanted you to know so you didn’t think something happened.”

“Oh great, so instead of a day, we’re talking what, a week?” she asked.

“Well,” he said slowly, “It could possibly be a month.”