Adamant Spirits, page 70
“You know them?”
“Not personally, but I knew the scent.” He stared across the kitchen, but she didn’t think he was seeing it. “You remember that friend I mentioned?”
“Yes.”
“Caleb’s father used to lead a pack of wolf shifters. Kept them all the way back in the mountains. Way back in time too—he didn’t hold with modern ways.” His face hardened. “At least that’s what he said. I think it was more about keeping them all under his thumb.”
“Is your friend like that?”
“Not at all. He stood up to his father, defeated him, and took most of the pack out of the mountains. But the ones who were here tonight? They didn’t go with him. I think they’re more like his father.”
“Where did you run into them? I thought you couldn’t take the route through the mountains?”
“I didn’t, but they didn’t stay there. That’s why I wanted to let Caleb know. The old alpha was a vicious bastard, but he was canny too. He would never take the chance of exposing our kind. These ones were practically flaunting it at that roadhouse.”
She sat up, her pulse racing. “Did you say roadhouse?”
“Yeah, it’s in an old converted barn, over in Buncombe County. Why?”
“If it’s called The Silver Moon, that’s where Sara was going. My waitress. What if they…”
He was already on his feet. “Fuck. I wondered when you mentioned a roadhouse earlier, but at the time I didn’t think that they were stupid enough to mess with a full human. Didn’t think they’d come after me either.”
Her blood thundered in her ears. “And now?”
“I don’t know. The way they were acting. Hell, even the things they said. There’s something wrong with that pack. I’d better go after her.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Hell no, darlin’.”
“Hell yes. If you think declaring me as your mate means I’m going to sit home while you go traipsing off into danger, then you’re sadly mistaken.”
“But…”
“I’ve got another frying pan. Don’t worry about me.”
She could see the indecision on his face and placed an urgent hand on his arm.
“Please. I have to know she’s all right. And I’ll go on my own if you won’t take me with you,” she added.
He shook his head, but he put his arm around her and pulled her in for a quick hug.
“All right, darlin’. You win. But when we get there, frying pan or no frying pan, you do what I say, understand?”
“I promise.”
Five
Alice perched on the edge of her seat, trying not to panic. She’d snatched a moment to change while Jonah got dressed, and now she rubbed her damp palms over her shorts. She wanted to urge Jonah to drive faster, but he was already pushing his big truck well over the speed limit.
A warm calloused hand closed over hers. “Don’t worry, darlin’. We’ll find her.”
“You don’t know that,” she snapped, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to make me feel better. But we don’t even know if she’ll be there.”
“No,” he agreed. “But the pack was there earlier and you said that’s where she was headed.”
“What’s with the summer solstice thing anyway?”
“Just old stories.”
She could tell he was being deliberately evasive. “What kind of old stories, Jonah?”
“The legends say that it’s a… fertile time. And a child conceived on the summer solstice will have special powers.”
“A child? Sara’s much too young to have a baby. And I took her to the clinic for birth control myself.”
He gave a half-shrug. “I doubt they even considered that. I’m pretty sure the old alpha would never have allowed it.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” she muttered. “Just keep the women barefoot and pregnant?”
“That’s about the size of it.” He slanted a quick glance at her. “You never wanted kids?”
She recognized that he was changing the subject but suspected she might not want to know the details anyway.
“I did,” she admitted. “But it was never the right time. First putting Alan through medical school, then getting the diner running.”
“Why’d you want to come back here?”
“My mama took off when I was a baby. My grandma raised me.” A reminiscent smile twisted her lips. “She loved this town—and she brought me up to love it too. She sure wouldn’t have let some pushy wolf shifters mess with it.”
He laughed.
“What about your family?” she asked.
“My parents retired to Alaska a few years ago.”
“Alaska?”
“It’s the bear shifter version of Florida. They love it up there. I go visit them a few times a year, but this is my home.”
He told her more about his parents as they drove, and she told him more about her grandmother. Despite the underlying worry about Sara, it felt weirdly normal, like they were on a date and getting to know each other. Although usually that part would have come before he had her climaxing in her kitchen.
When they finally pulled into the parking lot of the Silver Moon, her heart sank. The building was dark and the big gravel parking lot was almost empty. Only a few beat-up pickup trucks and a…
“That’s Bobby’s car,” she whispered, pointing to the Camaro with flames painted along the sides.
“Not exactly inconspicuous,” he said dryly.
“Is that what you try to do? Stay out of sight?”
“Mostly.” He flashed her a grin. “Although I’m too big to hide. But we do try to keep a low profile. Usually.”
He guided the truck into a parking space in the shadow of a massive tree, then lowered the window and breathed in the air.
“I can smell smoke. I think they’re in the woods behind the building.”
Her heart sank even further as she took in the shadowy darkness. Scrambling around in the dark with a bunch of werewolves didn’t seem like a good idea. She was trying to gather up her courage when Jonah turned to her and took her hands.
“Darlin’, I need you to stay here in the truck. I can’t protect you and look out for the girl as well. I promise I’ll bring her straight back to you as soon as I find her.”
Her wave of relief was immediately followed by a wave of guilt, but what he was saying made sense.
“All right. Just hurry back and… stay safe.”
“I will.” He gave her a wickedly seductive smile. “I still plan on Claiming you properly.”
She felt a corresponding warmth in her own body and licked suddenly dry lips. His eyes followed the motion before he shook his head and reached for the handle.
“Just stay here and—”
“Keep the doors locked?”
“For real this time,” he said sternly, but his eyes were smiling as he turned and headed for the woods.
Jonah took the path around the building, following the smell of smoke, then swore under his breath. Even human senses were quite capable of detecting the flickering flames of a campfire in the woods below. This pack really didn’t seem to care about discovery at all. He stalked down the narrow trail.
The trail widened into a small clearing, the fire blazing in the center. A big redheaded shifter sprawled in an old folding chair—he must be the alpha, Rufus. Several more shifters sat on logs around the fire. He recognized the two brothers who had attacked him earlier, their injuries still obvious. They snarled at him, but remained seated.
The older male to the alpha’s right was obviously his beta. Another older male had a female at his side, her face pale and careworn. Her eyes kept flicking to the young girl drooping against the remaining shifter’s side, her pretty face vacant. That must be Sara, but he could smell the drugs on her. How was he going to get her away from the wolves?
Before he could decide on a plan, the wind shifted and the alpha’s head snapped up.
“We have a visitor. Come and join us, bear.”
So much for stealth. He forced himself to stroll casually into the clearing.
“I got your message.”
The alpha’s eyes narrowed. Up close, Jonah could see that his size was deceptive. Even with his shifter metabolism, his muscles were turning to fat, like an aging high school football player. But despite that, there was an undeniable power to his presence, and Jonah didn’t discount the danger he represented.
“What happened to my messengers?” Rufus asked, his voice threatening.
“I don’t know exactly,” he said truthfully. Their bodies were somewhere at the bottom of a ravine halfway between the town and the roadhouse. “They were… detained.”
He was aware that the beta was studying his face, but the alpha only shook his head in disgust.
“I thought Ronnie at least knew better. They’d better not bring trouble back with them.”
“Like stealing a human female?” he asked dryly, nodding at the girl.
“She wanted to come with me,” the male she was leaning against protested.
“Shut up, Bobby.” The alpha looked over and licked his lips. “Your job was just to bring her here.”
“But Rufus—” One look from the alpha and Bobby shut up and bowed his head.
“Why did you want to see me?” Jonah demanded, hoping to draw attention away from the girl.
“We don’t get many of your kind through here.” The alpha’s eyes narrowed. “Why were you here?”
“Just passing through. I-40 is blocked going through the mountains because of a rock slide.”
“Then why didn’t you come when my boys first asked you?”
Jonah bared his teeth. “I didn’t like the way they asked.”
Rufus chuckled. “I guess you decided to teach them some manners.”
The other male seemed surprisingly unconcerned about either his missing pack members or the damage to the two who had attacked him, and Jonah fought to keep his face impassive. He knew his friend Caleb worried about every member of his pack.
“It’s the solstice. I’m inclined to be forgiving.” Rufus waved a hand, but his eyes had gone back to the girl. “Time to—”
“Look what I found in the parking lot,” a new voice interrupted.
Six
Jonah roared in outrage when he spun around to find Alice being dragged into the clearing by another male. His claws sprang free, but he managed to prevent the rest of his shift. If he allowed his bear to take over, it wouldn’t end until every one of these males was dead.
“Get your hands off me,” Alice snapped. She looked flushed and defiant, silvery blonde strands escaping from her tight braid, but she gave him an apologetic look. “He broke the window.”
Fuck. He should never have brought her with him. These wolves kept surprising him with their disregard for staying under the radar.
“Well, well. Is she with you, bear? She looks kind of old to me,” Rufus said mockingly.
“At least he’s not a pervert who’s only interested in teenage girls.” Alice glared at the alpha. “What have you done to her?”
Alice started towards the young girl, and the wolf holding her captive snatched her back, his fingers digging cruelly into her arm.
“Get your hands off my mate.”
Jonah’s growled words echoed through the clearing, and Alice’s captor actually paled, his cockiness fading.
“Mate?” Rufus laughed. “I didn’t think you bears went in for that sort of thing.”
“You were wrong.”
Jonah hadn’t taken his eyes off of Alice and she gave him a quick, shaky smile, her face pale but determined.
“Shame we’re so short of females,” Rufus said thoughtfully. “I might have been willing to let her go. But my boys are hungry and even a skinny old female is better than none. You’ll just have to share.”
Never, his bear roared.
Jonah ignored the insult—for now—as he took stock of the other wolves. None of them looked eager to fight. The only one who presented a serious challenge was the alpha, but while he was sure of his eventual victory, what damage might the others do to his mate and the girl while he was eliminating the alpha?
“You can’t have her,” he growled.
“How are you going to stop me? You’re outnumbered, bear.”
“This is your last warning. Let her go. Let them both go.”
Rufus only laughed. “Now why would I do that? The summer solstice is the best time for breeding—the best time to make sure the wolf dominates.”
“Breeding?” Alice snapped. “We’re both on birth control, you idiot.”
The alpha actually looked shocked, confirming Jonah’s suspicion about the pack run by Caleb’s father. He would never have allowed the females he kept under his thumb to escape pregnancy. The shock was followed by anger, then he pulled his nonchalant mask back in place.
“No matter. Even if it takes a few extra days, the result will be the same. Bring the girl to me. The young one.”
“Wait a minute,” Bobby protested. “You promised her to me.”
“And you will get her. Eventually. Or do you want to challenge your position in the pack now?”
The boy looked at the girl swaying in his hold, then back to the leader. She had an innocent prettiness. For a moment, Jonah thought Bobby might actually have the courage to fight for the woman he so obviously wanted, but then he shook his head and dropped his eyes.
“No, Rufus.”
“I thought not. Bring her over here.”
Bobby reluctantly pulled Sara to her feet. Rufus frowned and nodded at one of the brothers who came to take her other arm. As they started to lead her across the clearing, whatever she had been given must have started to wear off because her eyes widened and she made a feeble attempt to resist.
“What are you doing?” Her words came out shaky and barely audible. “Bobby, help me.”
Bobby hesitated, obviously torn, and Rufus growled, his affable manner disappearing.
“I’m not going to tell you again.”
“What’s the matter, Rufus?” Jonah drawled. “You can’t get a female of your own?”
He saw the two by the fire exchange a quick glance, and Bobby didn’t move.
“Keep your mouth shut, bear, or I’ll start with your female,” Rufus snarled.
“That’s never going to happen.”
“How are you going to stop me? You’re just lucky I like my females a little… fresher.”
Rufus rose to his full height, kicking the chair out of the way.
“Now,” he snarled, the weight of his anger filling the clearing.
For the first time, Jonah sensed the power of an alpha. So there was more to him than threats. But alpha or not, he was going down.
As Rufus started unfastening his jeans, Sara’s feeble struggles increased. Bobby came to a halt again, even as the other male tried to keep dragging her. He snarled at Bobby, his fangs extending, and the sight must have penetrated Sara’s drugged haze because her face turned even paler.
“No,” she whispered, and then her body went limp.
“Sara!” Alice cried, trying to escape her own captor.
“Keep that bitch quiet,” Rufus snapped.
“Harm a hair on her head and you die,” he said, his voice ice cold.
The alpha whirled and glared at him. “You’ve outstayed your welcome, bear. Now leave. Unless you’re willing to take on the whole pack?”
“I don’t need to take on the whole pack. I challenge you.”
“You’re not a wolf. You have no right to challenge me.”
“In other words, you’re afraid to face me?”
Even though he kept his focus on Rufus, Jonah knew the rest of the pack were exchanging glances. The alpha must have noticed as well because he snarled, drawing himself up.
“Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Rufus looked over at Alice. “I’ll make sure your female knows her suffering is the result of your failure.”
Both males stripped, but Jonah was still pulling his shirt over his head when Rufus attacked.
The outcome of the fight was never really in doubt, especially since none of the rest of the pack interfered. The alpha was big and fast and tricky, but he was obviously out of practice. Jonah suspected it had been a long time since anyone challenged him. The third time Rufus went down, he didn’t get up. Instead, his body transformed back to human, the damage from the fight more obvious once it wasn’t masked by fur, but he was still alive.
“Let him go, Jonah. You don’t need to do that,” Alice said softly, before he could administer the killing blow.
He looked down at the crumpled figure beneath his paws. She was right. It wasn’t worth it. He transformed back to human and stood, looking directly at the beta.
“I challenged him, and I won. By your laws, I am the new alpha.”
The beta studied him coolly, and Jonah suddenly suspected that he would have been a far more dangerous opponent.
“But you are not a wolf,” the other male said quietly. “And I can’t imagine you wish to lead what remains of our pack.”
The beta looked around, and Jonah followed his gaze. The older male and his female had disappeared, along with the two brothers. Bobby remained, hovering uncertainly over the girl’s limp body, as did the shifter still holding Alice’s arm. He paled and released her when Jonah growled at him, and she rushed over to Sara. The other member of the pack hovered at the edge of the clearing, his gaze darting nervously from Jonah to the beta.
“You’re right,” Jonah agreed. He looked over at Alice who was kneeling next to Sara, ignoring Bobby, and sighed. “I’m leaving, with both females,” he added over Bobby’s muttered protest. “And I’d best not see any of your pack in my town.”
“You won’t.” The beta walked over and looked down at Rufus’s crumpled body, then kicked it in the side. Jonah heard a rib crack. “I told him this was a bad idea, but he wouldn’t listen. We’re going back to the mountains where we belong.”
Jonah believed him, but he kept him in his sight as he walked over and retrieved his jeans. When he returned to Alice and the girl, she looked up at him, her face worried.
