Wolf Tales 11 (5 page)

Somehow, they had to end this constant threat to their beloved packmates, to their children, to themselves. If killing was justified, if it was the only choice he could make, Anton needed the strength to make it. The support of his pack, and most of all, the support of his mate.

Bursting into a small, frozen meadow, Keisha twisted about and planted her front feet hard against the ground. She lowered her head and snarled, challenging Anton, daring him to take her.

He skidded to a halt, teeth bared, hackles raised. Searching his mind, she found only the wolf, his thoughts as pure and basic as the frozen world around them.

Mate. Conquer. Control. Dominate.

If she’d been in her human form, Keisha would have laughed. She’d not taken him to this bestial level for far too long. They’d been so caught up in Lily’s amazing growth, in the dynamics of everyday life within the diverse personalities of their pack, that this side of their lives had often been put aside, this need to run as the wolf, to hunt, to howl at the moon, to mate beneath a frozen sky.

Anton snarled again. His amber eyes shimmered and his bared teeth glistened beneath the curl of his lips. Dark whiskers quivered along his muzzle. Tiny drops of condensation sparkled on a couple of the stiff hairs. Keisha yipped, and then she bowed her head, turning and showing her throat as she deferred to his superior size and strength.

Suddenly he lunged at her, nipping unexpectedly at the thick fur protecting her throat and rolling her over into the snow. She scrambled to her feet, shocked and surprised by his attack. What the hell was he doing? Anton was never violent with her. Shaking her head, Keisha backed away.
His behavior left her confused, even afraid. She’d not expected such overt aggression, not from her mate, but he charged again, snarling and growling now, and she yipped in surprise. Frantically she struggled to break free of his hold.

He snarled his satisfaction. She was trapped—his teeth clamped down on the loose skin of her throat held her tightly in place.

She could pull free, but not without injury. Truly frightened now, she opened her thoughts, called out to him as he loosed his grip and lunged closer, biting hard against her neck, forcing her to her belly in the snow.

Anton? Anton, why?

There was no reply. She searched his thoughts and saw nothing beyond the feral needs of a wild wolf, a haze of lust so thick it almost blinded her. So be it. This, at least, she understood. This was what he wanted, what both of them obviously needed, or she never would have led him on this chase. She stopped her struggle, dipped her head until her muzzle scraped the frozen snow.

Her capitulation was complete. His attack ended as quickly as it had begun.

Now he licked the place where he’d bitten, and covered her with his body. She felt the heat of his belly against her back, the powerful grasp of his forelegs as he mounted her, the sharp bite of claws as he anchored himself close to her body. His breath was hot and sweet against her ears, but even though this was all familiar, all a perfect fit to her own desires, she whimpered, still a little afraid and unsure.

It felt so unusual, mating without their usual loving connection. His human mind stayed closed to her—his thoughts were tightly locked into the basic instincts of the mating wolf, a swirling maelstrom of scent and sensation, lust and need.

Keisha struggled to her feet, lifting Anton as she rose up, and planted all four legs to hold his greater weight. His
hips thrust hard and fast. She grunted as the hot length of his wolven cock parted her vulva and slipped inside. She felt the pressure of his knot forcing entry between her folds, locking their straining bodies together.

Then, even she was lost. Lost in a haze of passion, of lust so basic, so entirely bestial that humanity was thrust aside with each powerful drive of his hips, each harsh breath in her ear. She lowered her head, braced her legs, and lost herself to the hunger, the driving need that had carried her on this fool’s mission in the first place.

And once more, sense intruded. Who the hell did she think she was, that she could influence her mate? He was stronger than she, mentally more powerful, magically more adept. He had talents even their mating bond hadn’t explained for her, abilities so far beyond human, beyond wolf, that he was something else altogether, a creature of the gods, one who had consorted with a goddess.

Isn’t that same goddess now Adam’s flesh-and-blood mate?

The knowledge grounded her. Liana had once been a goddess, their Goddess. Eve—now their Goddess—had once shared their bed. They were all linked, all a part of the same pack, the same species, sharing the same convoluted threads of destiny. Each of them with their separate abilities, their individual skills, yet all dependent, one upon the other, Goddess and Chanku alike.

Anton needed her even as she needed him. And with that thought rising to the surface, Keisha opened her mind. Drew her mate in, not merely to link during the sexual act, but to bond once again, to share on that unbelievable level that connected them, tied them more closely than the physical mating itself.

She opened her thoughts, felt him enter her mind, and just as easily, Keisha entered his.

In the past, she’d been impressed by the orderliness of Anton’s mind, the memories so neatly catalogued, the knowledge
so unbelievably precise. Now, though, she sensed a certain amount of chaos, as if he’d gone searching through a closet and left shirts and pants and shoes scattered about the floor.

She might have smiled to find this evidence of his humanity, but in many ways it frightened her to see Anton as less than he was. Somehow, she’d always held him so far above the common man—above herself. It made her uneasy to see that he had as many questions as answers, as many fears as she felt.

And his greatest fear was failure. He saw himself as the only one capable of saving Lisa and Tala and their babies, of finding Tia. He took on the responsibilities his packmates shared with him—took them and tried to shoulder them entirely on his own. He felt a sense of duty to protect them. He loved the pack, depended on their energy to power his own strength, but still he saw himself standing alone.

Idiot.
She would have laughed if her climax weren’t hovering right on a knife’s edge of sensation. Completion first, then she fully intended to give him hell. When was he ever going to accept the fact that a matriarchal society was just that?

He might have powers she’d never understand, an intelligence she couldn’t hope to equal, and a heart as big as the sun, but when it came right down to it, he was not the boss.

With that thought in mind and a smile in her heart, Keisha set herself free to sensation. She felt the slick heat of his shaft riding hard against her womb, tightened around the hard knot of flesh and blood stretching her vaginal muscles, and let herself fly. Her climax ripped through her even as Anton’s caught him in its powerful grasp.

Together they tumbled into freefall, locked body and mind in a mating as powerful as that very first time so long
ago. Only this mating didn’t occur beneath redwood trees as old as life. She wasn’t a frightened young woman with a damaged soul.

No, Keisha soared with the knowledge she was strong now, and self-assured. An alpha bitch making love with her mate, taking from him and giving in equal shares. A woman who knew her own strengths, who finally understood the healing power of love and the beauty of finding her one true mate.

The pack was threatened once again. Tia, Tala, and Lisa were missing and their mates were frantic, but the solution to their horrible situation didn’t lie with one man alone. She gave that assurance to her mate as her body pulsed and tightened around him. Shared her strength and her confidence not only in Anton, but in the power of the pack.

They would bring their women home safely. They would protect their unborn young.

And the ones who threatened not only the members of the pack but the leader of the free world would never threaten anyone, ever again.

Luc? Luc, where are you?

Tia? We’re crossing the Golden Gate, honey. Are you okay?
Luc shot a quick glance at Tinker. “Punch it, Tink. I’ve got Tia.” Then he focused entirely on Tia’s voice. At least she sounded stronger, proof they were getting closer to her.

Tinker nodded and passed the vehicle on his right. Traffic was heavy going north—typical for a Friday morning—but at least it was moving. Luc waited impatiently for Tia’s answer. It took less than a heartbeat but felt like forever.

I’m okay. The bleeding’s slowed, but it hurts.

Bleeding? You? What the hell happened?

Men. At least three. Black suits, short hair. Agency types. Used needles on all three of us. Drug worked really fast. Took Lisa and Tala. Shot me. Small caliber with a silencer.

Shit. Where? How badly? How are you?

Hurts like hell, but the hole’s not too big. Bullet’s still in me, I think. I’m really pissed, so guess I’ll be all right. Luc? Are the babies okay? Have you talked to Beth and Nick?

Cami and Shay are fine. They’re all at the house on Marina with AJ and Mik for added protection. Honey, where are you?

In a bathroom at the mall. We were near Nordstrom when they attacked. I can’t raise Lisa or Tala. I don’t know how long I’ve been out. I keep waiting for someone to come in to use the restroom, but there’s been no one.

We’re north of Sausalito. Less than ten minutes. Hang on, babe. We’re almost there.

I love you, Luc. I’m so sorry.

You know I love you. But why are you sorry?

I didn’t protect Tala and Lisa. We were laughing and having fun. We didn’t pay attention. You’re always warning me to be careful. I wasn’t…

Don’t even go there. This is not your fault. Hang on, honey.
Again he turned to his packmate. “Tink? Can you go any faster?”

Tinker grunted. “Not unless you want the cops involved. I’m thinking that’s the last thing we need.”

Luc nodded. Tink was right, but it felt like they were crawling up the 101. He dialed Ulrich Mason’s number in Colorado. Ulrich’s mate answered. “Millie? I’ve made contact with Tia. Tinker and I are on our way to Corte Madera right now. We should be there in a couple of minutes. Let Ulrich know she’s alive. She’s been injured, but it doesn’t sound too serious. We’ll call as soon as we reach her.”

Millie’s soft prayer of relief was drowned out by Ulrich’s rough curse. Luc filled him in and then ended the call. He didn’t even want to think what Ulrich was going through right now. Tia was his only child and he loved her desperately. Luc tried to imagine what it would be like, knowing one of his daughters was in danger.

No.
He couldn’t go there. Not and continue to function.

Tinker pulled into the parking lot behind Nordstrom.

Luc was out of the vehicle before it even stopped rolling. Tia? We’re at the mall. Talk to me, sweetheart. Tink’s with me. Talk to both of us so we can find you.

Okay. I’ve got to be somewhere near Nordstrom. I
don’t think they could have taken us too far without attracting attention. We were in the area right in front of the store. It hadn’t opened yet when we got here.

I hear you, sweetheart. Your voice is stronger. Keep talking.
He glanced at Tinker as the two of them jogged across the parking lot. The urge to shift, to race as a wolf to his mate’s side was overpowering. He fought it, concentrated on Tia. “What do you think? That way?”

Tink nodded. He headed through the open pavilion between the stores, moving quickly for all his size. Luc noticed that people automatically got out of the man’s way. There was something feral about Tink, a sense of danger radiating from his powerful frame.

Suddenly Tinker changed course. He walked across the open area toward one of the public restrooms. Tia’s mental signature worked like a beacon, drawing both men. Luc stopped in front of the door to the women’s restroom. “Shit. That’s got to be her.”

There was a hastily scribbled
OUT OF ORDER
sign taped to the door. Luc tried the handle. It was locked. Tink didn’t say a word. He merely elbowed Luc out of the way, put his big shoulder to the door, and shoved.

It took a moment before the lock gave. The door popped open. Rubbing his shoulder, Tinker held the door and let Luc through. Immediately, he spotted the pool of blood beneath the stall at the far end. “Tia! Honey, are you …?”

“I’m here, Luc. I’m here.” The door jiggled and swung free.

Luc carefully pulled it open. Tia leaned against the wall, holding herself up with both hands braced on the tissue dispenser, but her usual bronzed complexion was an unhealthy shade of pale. “Goddess, sweetheart. What the fuck did those bastards do to you?” Luc swung her into his arms and carefully carried her out of the bathroom.

Tinker waited by the open door. He slipped his jacket
off his shoulders and draped it over Tia, hiding her blood-soaked clothing. “Let’s get her to the car. We really don’t need security finding us here. Keep your head down. They’ve got cameras everywhere.”

Luc nodded. He walked quickly. Tia’d wrapped her arms around his neck and had her lips buried against his throat. He felt her warmth through the layers of clothing, and in spite of her injury, he wanted to shout to the rooftops that he loved her, that she was alive. Then he glanced toward Tinker.

Worry radiated from the man. Lisa and Tala were still out there, somewhere. More vulnerable than Tia with both of them in the late stages of pregnancy. They were possibly hurt, probably terrified. Guilt washed through him. Guilt that he should be rejoicing while Tinker, AJ, and Mik had to be worried sick.

Tia raised her head and touched the side of his jaw with her fingertips.
They’ll be okay,
she said.
You’ll find them.

He nodded, a short, sharp jerk of his head, and held his woman close. A few people gave them curious glances, but no one tried to stop them. By the time Luc reached the SUV, Tinker had the door to the back open and the engine running.

He turned in his seat and watched as Luc settled her in the backseat. Then, his voice low and rough, he sighed. “Sweetie, any idea what the bastards did with Tala and Lisa?”