“I asked you your name.” He allowed his sharp-tipped fingers to rub her shirt. It didn’t hurt but she was aware of each claw. He sniffed at her again, then scowled.
She could stall them until Micah came out and saw the dilemma she was in. It was a public place though. Witnesses would see them fight. That was a big no-no. It’s a public place. She licked her lips and held his gaze.
“I bet there are security cameras in here. Everyone has cell phones now and they love to take videos to upload to the internet when they see drama.” She paused. “I don’t want to cause a scene, but it will be an epic one if you don’t let me go.”
He growled low, not happy.
“Screaming, tears, shrieking. All of the above. Count on it. I’ve got a set of lungs on me, despite my size. Understand? Get out of my face.”
He straightened, his arm sliding along her back. His claws lightly raked her but he didn’t cut her shirt. He leaned back a little, eyes narrowing, as he stopped invading her personal space.
“Thank you.” He seemed in charge. That meant he was the highest-ranking one out of the four. “Now go wherever you were heading before you came over here. I don’t want trouble. Neither do you. Let’s pretend we never crossed paths. That’s easy, right?”
“Who the fuck are you?”
One of the other men sniffed loudly. “I want to know what the fuck that is.”
She glanced at the one who spoke, then back at the man next to her. It sank in that they couldn’t identify the scent that had drawn them to her. At least the one standing couldn’t. “I’m someone you don’t want to mess with. I’m having a bad day. I am so not in the mood to find out what you want with me. Just walk away.”
The leader’s nose flared. “You’re very brave for someone alone.”
“Who says it will stay that way?”
He glanced around, and so did the three men with him. She took the opportunity to do the same. Micah was still out of sight. That was probably for the best. He might not keep his cool. She was trying to.
The Lycan beside her held her gaze again. “I think you ran away from someone. We won’t hurt you, but you will tell me who you belong to.”
“What you belong to,” the blond man standing muttered.
She kept staring at the one sitting next to her. “I belong to no one, I didn’t run away, and none of this is your business. I can appreciate what you’re trying to do but it’s not necessary. I’m no danger to you or yours. I just want you to leave me alone.”
“Ballsy,” the blond snorted.
She glanced up at the man. He seemed to be the outspoken one in the group. “You have no idea. Do yourselves a favor. Walk away.” She returned her gaze to the one in charge. “Four men surrounding one woman looks creepy as shit to my kind, if you need an FYI. Humans will think you’re sexual predators or something. I won’t have to cause a scene if you stay much longer. Your presence will do that.”
“I want you to stand up and follow me out to my car. We’re going to have a private conversation.”
“That’s so not going to happen. I’m in no mood to be kidnapped. Thanks but pass. I wasn’t kidding about the epic screaming fit I’ll throw.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“I’m not. You try to force me out of here and you’ll be starring in a trending video on the internet.” She hesitated, assessing him. “Neither one of us wants that. I’ve known about other races my entire life and have kept them secret. Do you understand? This bullshit isn’t necessary.”
His mouth pressed into a tight line. “Known what?”
He was going to play dumb now? She wanted to roll her eyes but refrained. Lycans could be prissy. “Do you even know what you’re smelling on me?”
He frowned but she saw uncertainty in his eyes.
“Maybe you haven’t smelled one before. I’ll help you out. VampLycan,” she whispered. “He’s an enforcer. You so don’t want to fuck with me, because he would make you wish for death—and he’d grant it. I’m not a runaway, up for grabs, or a fugitive. I grew up with him and we’re lovers. He had to do something for his clan but he’s going to be back with me soon. That’s why I’m alone. He trusts me. You should too. Is everything clear now?”
The guy had paled as she’d talked. He swallowed hard and rose to his feet. “Yes.”
“Fantastic. Are we good?”
He gripped his suitcase handle. “Yes.”
She glanced at the three Lycans with him. They looked fearful too. Sometimes the truth was the best way to deal with a situation. “Have a great day.” She waved.
They took off, striding fast away from her. A few minutes later, she spotted Micah. He walked directly to her. “We need to leave right now.”
“You ran into the friendly foursome?” She grabbed her backpack and stood.
He gaped at her.
“It’s okay. They stopped to have a chat with me. I dealt with it.”
“Are you okay?” He lowered his gaze down her body.
“I’m fine. They seemed to think I was a stray they needed to wrangle.”
“How did you deal with them?”
“We had a heart-to-heart chat. I pretty much explained that Wen—minus using his name—would rip off their heads and shove them where the sun doesn’t shine if they screwed with me.”
Micah’s eyes widened more. “Are you fucking insane?”
“I was a little more polite than that. I was giving you the condensed version.”
He grabbed her arm and hauled her toward the exit doors. “That was Mace Manson.”
“Nice name. Who is he?”
“The son of the local alpha, traveling with his security team.” He hustled her outside and led her to long-term parking, unlocking a gray sedan. He threw himself into the driver’s seat, twisted, and tossed his duffle bag into the back.
She noticed the rental sticker on the bumper as she hurried to the passenger side. It was unlocked so she climbed in, shoving her backpack over the seat to the back too. “Where’s the fire? I told you, it’s handled. They left me alone.”
“Close the fucking door and put your belt on. You threatened the son of an alpha, damn it.” He started the engine, craning his neck around, peering everywhere.
She shut the door and put on her belt. “He said we were good.”
Micah snarled, throwing the car in reverse. “I was only gone fifteen minutes.”
“You’re being paranoid. Sometimes honesty is best. Didn’t your mother ever teach you that? They aren’t going to mess with us.”
“I’m not risking it. We’re going to your place, packing you some clothes, and then I’m taking you to my pack. Ever been to Colorado? Because you’re about to.”
“You’re overreacting, Micah. They are afraid of VampLycans and I made it clear I’m with one.”
“I’d rather be paranoid than stick around to be attacked by a once-friendly pack. We have alliances with some. The Manson pack is one of them. Mace saw me. He knows my scent, and now yours. They might try to track us down since we’re near their territory. Wen would have my ass if anything happened to you, Gerri.”
She sighed, not in the mood to fight with him. “I’ve never been to Colorado. Well, at least I can’t lose my job since Wen already got me fired.”
* * * * *
Wen was furious as he paced the room. “Don’t order me to come home right now, Trayis. I told you. I need to protect Gerri until my scent fades from her.”
“Are you still in love with her? Are you planning on bringing her home if I allow you time to go get her? Is that your plan? Grab her and return?”
“You know that’s not possible.”
“Do you still love her, Wen? You obviously must, since you had her with you.”
“That’s irrelevant. I can’t ever mate Gerri. You know why.”
“Isn’t it time you stood up to your parents?”
“It’s not that damn simple, Trayis. You know it. They’d never accept her.”
Trayis’s voice calmed. “You’re not Gerbin. It’s not natural for them to treat you as if you are. You’ve allowed them to dictate your life. It’s always been a personal family matter that I haven’t stepped into because it hasn’t affected your duty to the clan.” He paused. “Until now.”
“What does that mean?”
“You volunteered for this mission with Gerri in mind, didn’t you? It’s why you were vague about the details of how you’d convince Horton you were rogue. You planned to talk her into going on this mission with you so you could spend time with her.”
Busted. He didn’t try to deny it. “I got the job done. Horton is dead, and that rogue pack won’t be a problem anymore either.”
“You put Gerri at risk and dragged her into VampLycan affairs. Do you have any idea how much bullshit whining I had to deal with when I agreed to allow Carol to leave with her daughter? The elders felt they posed a threat because they knew about us. I couldn’t force Carol to stay, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to kill her. Your father suggested that, by the way. He argued they were both threats to our clan and offered to kill them himself.”
Wen snarled. He wasn’t surprised. His father had never been happy about his feelings for Gerri.
Trayis went on as if hadn’t interrupted him with his angry outburst. “I had faith that Carol and Gerri were trustworthy. Not once in the past fifteen years has there been a problem—until now.”
“Gerri is no threat to the clan. She’d never betray us to humans.”
“I know that,” Trayis snapped. “Hell, out of all the clan females I’ve had to deal with as a leader, she was the best. Little Gerri never played mind games with the boys or caused fights. I worried about her constantly though because she was so fragile and sweet, something other VampLycan children aren’t. You fucking walked her into a nest and a rogue pack? What the hell were you thinking? I demand an answer right now.”
Wen tried to calm.
“Answer me,” Trayis snapped.
“I wanted to spend time with her,” Wen admitted.
“You couldn’t do that without putting her in danger? You were obviously keeping tabs on her. Couldn’t you have just visited her to say hello? Why in the hell would you take her on one of the most dangerous missions I’ve sent you on? Do I have to spell it out for you what they could have done to her if you’d been killed? Fucking rogues, Wen. They have no honor.”
“She wasn’t hurt.”
“She could have been!”
Wen flinched and jerked the phone farther from his ear when his clan leader yelled. “I wouldn’t have allowed that to happen. Why are you yelling at me?”
“Gerri was raised in this damn clan under my protection. I promised Klentz when he brought her here as a baby that I’d do my best to always keep her safe from other VampLycans. I just never imagined I’d have to protect her from you. I’m giving you a direct order to come home now, Wen.” Trayis paused. “Your ass better be on the next commercial flight out of Washington and on its way to Alaska. Don’t make me personally come after you. I will. You are not to call Micah or Gerri. I will contact my brother, ask him to assign Micah as her guard, and make certain she’s safe until she can seamlessly blend in with humans again. You don’t have her best interests as a priority. I do. Now get your ass home.”
Trayis disconnected the call. “Fuck!” Wen was so mad, he crushed the phone in his hand.
Across the room, Graves looked up from his laptop. “He made some good points. You did put a human in danger.”
Wen knew his cousin had probably overheard most of the conversation with his Lycan hearing. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
Graves shrugged. “This has not been your best week. You’ve pissed off your clan leader and the hot lawyer. All over Geraldine. Want to talk about it? I never asked when you had me scoping out her life. I don’t like to pry.”
“Keep it that way.”
Graves went back to typing on his keyboard. “Want me to book you a flight to Anchorage and hire a bush pilot from there to drop you near home?”
“No. I’ll do it.”
“You just destroyed your phone.”
“I’ll buy a burner or use the hotel one.”
Graves sighed. “I wouldn’t fuck with Trayis. You’ve already filled your quota on stupid lately. He was really pissed. You know my brother will keep this woman safe.”
“I told her I’d be the one to stay with her. Not Micah. Stay out of this.”
“Not a chance. Trayis just gave you a direct order. You don’t want to fuck with him, especially since Arlis is his half-brother. They’re tight. You’ll get us in some shit with our alpha if you make this a bigger mess. I don’t need my ass handed to me by Arlis because you’re in a mood. It would fucking suck worse if I’m ordered to tie your ass up and transport you home by force. Don’t do that to family.”
“What the fuck were you even doing here? I didn’t call you.”
“I told you, Micah did.”
“What did he tell you?”
“To get my ass to Washington because he might need some backup. I didn’t need to hear more. I love road trips.” Graves turned in his chair to look at him. “So…Geraldine?”
Wen took a seat on the bed. “Gerri. She hates to be called that. Her mom only used that name when she got into trouble.”
“She really your mate?”
Wen nodded.
“Why the hell haven’t you claimed her?”
“My parents.”
“I love my parents, but I wouldn’t give a fuck if they didn’t approve of whoever I was drawn to. They could deal with it or stew. I’d still have my mate sharing my bed every night, cousin. It’s not right to deny that shit. A mate is your priority if you find her.”
“Your parents are a lot mellower than mine.”
Graves snorted. “Not really, but the difference is that they know what boundaries to never push with us. You let the lines get blurred, Wen. Never get between a man and his mate. You know that family is everything to me. They’re my motivation to keep doing what I do for my pack.” His eyes bled black, then back to bluish-gray. “I’m dead inside about everything else. It’s the price I paid with this position. I have no regrets, but you can bet your ass that if I felt something for a woman that ran deeper than temporary lust, I’d pity anyone who tried to take her away from me. It wouldn’t matter who.”
A chill ran down Wen’s spine. He knew what Graves did for his alpha, and what he was capable of. “Even Micah?”
Graves suddenly smiled. “He’d never be that stupid. And it’s not as if I have a chance in hell of ever finding a mate anyway.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“I do. You have to have a heart to find love. I lost mine the day our pack was attacked.”
Wen stared at his cousin, horrified. “You loved someone who was killed,” he guessed.
Graves turned back to his computer. “Go home, Wen. I’ll help my brother keep the woman you’re too dumb to claim safe.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Right.”
Wen snarled. “I’d have to kill my parents if I mated her. What kind of fucking choice is that?”
Graves glanced over. “One they forced you to make. It’s not your doing, man. Think about that.”
“My father is an elder. Trayis couldn’t allow that to go down.”
Graves kept typing. “Our pack could always use you.”
“You know I can’t leave my clan.”
“Can’t comes out of your mouth a lot, cousin. It’s fucking sad.”
Wen stormed over, looking at the screen of the laptop. “You’re playing fucking bingo and chatting with the other players while giving me life advice?”
Graves shrugged. “At least I’m doing something I have a chance of winning and making friends at the same time. You? Not so much.”
Wen snarled.
Chapter Fourteen
Gerri was nervous as they entered the cabin. She
stared opened mouthed at the logs along the walls and the huge wooden beams. Micah closed the door with his foot, holding onto her suitcase, his duffle bag, and her backpack slung over his shoulder.
“We’re here!”
She shot him a dirty look.
He grinned. “Sorry. You have human hearing. Was that too loud even for you?”
A door jerked open to the right and a tall, bulky man stepped out. He had black hair, dark brown eyes, and she instantly guessed he was probably Micah’s father. Their facial features were a lot alike. He wore a red flannel shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, faded jeans, and was barefoot. He studied Gerri with a curious look, then stared at Micah.
“Mandy went to the store and should be back soon.” He slid his gaze back to Gerri. “I’m Angelo, Micah’s older brother.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure about Lycan customs; the pack her mother had hooked up with hadn’t been normal. He didn’t offer his hand, so she stayed back and just nodded. “I’m Gerri. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Knock it off, Dad. There’s no reason to lie to her. She knows we’re Lycans. And take out your nose plugs. You were gluing your model ships again, weren’t you? I know that shit stinks. Take a whiff of her.”
Angelo stared at her again. He turned his back to them, reached up, and removed the plugs from his nose. He shoved them into his front pocket then turned back, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled.
Gerri smiled. “You could certainly pass for his brother though. It’s not necessary to pretend. I know Micah didn’t fill you in on any details when he called to tell you he was bringing me home with him. He made the call in the car with me sitting right next to him. I was actually raised in Trayis’s clan. I assume you know who that is?”
“Of course.” Angelo walked closer. “You’re a half-breed? I’m picking up human but also Wen’s scent.”
“Full human. My mom was mated to a VampLycan. I was almost a year old when they met. He adopted me. As for Wen, that’s a longer story.”
Angelo shot his son a confused look. “What’s going on?”
“We’ll go into it more later. We’re starving and I’m exhausted. We’ve been driving since yesterday to get here.”