Barely. A minute later, and she could have been dead. His wolf growled, lashing out with his claws.
“You saved me.” She smiled weakly. “And now I’d really like to hand this asshole over to Dante and just get out of here. I could do with a hug too.”
If he weren’t looking right into her eyes, Ryan would have thought she was just trying to distract him. But he could see the sincerity there—along with exhaustion and worry. She didn’t need his anger right now.
Sensing Ryan’s capitulation, Dante snatched Jeff from Makenna. The human flailed, struggling to get free. It was a fruitless attempt. Tao moved to Jeff and whispered something in his ear. Ryan had no idea what the Head Enforcer said, but Jeff stilled and blanched.
Makenna placed her hands on Ryan’s chest. “You okay?”
Ryan wrapped his arms tight around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. A hard exhale shuddered out of him. Feeling her pulse beat against his mouth helped ease the fear that had gripped him with iron jaws. He let her comfort him. Let her scent, touch, and voice smooth over him, settle his heartbeat, and thaw the cold rage that had iced his veins. His wolf, too, took comfort in her presence and warmth.
“I need to take a look at your leg.” But Ryan didn’t release her, just kept breathing her in.
She kissed his throat. “It’s healing fast.”
The SUV pulled up, and Dante quickly tossed Jeff into the trunk. The Beta then smiled at the other humans. “We know how much you all must love Jeff, so if any of you would like to come along and meet the members of The Movement, say so now.”
It wasn’t a shock when none of them said a word. They might be fanatical and prejudiced, but they had a sense of self-preservation. Or, at the very least, they had way too much fear to follow their leader into what would effectively be hell.
Dominic rapped his knuckles on the top of the trunk. “Did you hear that, Jeff? Me neither. There’s nothing but blessed silence. Your disciples aren’t as devoted to you as you thought, huh. That’s gotta hurt.”
Makenna sure hoped it did.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Really, I’m fine,” Makenna assured Madisyn, who had her on speakerphone so that Dawn and Colton could join the conversation. Suspecting they would see the news coverage soon enough, Makenna had called as soon as she reached Phoenix Pack territory to assure them she was okay.
“Give the Phoenix wolves our thanks,” Dawn told her. “We owe that pack more than we’ll ever be able to repay.”
“You should have called me!” whined Madisyn. “I would have come! I would have helped you!”
Makenna smiled, touched by her friend’s protectiveness. “I know you would have, which is exactly why I didn’t call you.” Madisyn hissed, not so touched by Makenna’s protectiveness. “My boss called a few minutes ago; he said extremists turned up at the gas station this morning too. They did some marching and shouting outside.”
Dawn hissed. “Let me guess. You no longer have a job.”
“Good guess.” It wasn’t because she was a loner or that her boss was prejudiced against shifters. He simply couldn’t afford to lose the business that extremists would chase off.
Madisyn bit out a curse. “Where’s that Jeff fucker now?”
Dante had dropped Jeff off at Mercury Pack territory on their way here, certain that Ally’s foster brother would come for him soon. But since Makenna promised Ryan she wouldn’t reveal Ally’s connection to The Movement, she simply said, “He’s no longer a problem.”
“How’s Ryan doing?” asked Colton. “Not so well, I’m thinking.”
From her position in the tunnel, she glanced into the kitchen, where most of the pack was gathered for lunch. Ryan was staring at her with his usual frown. His eyes weren’t as wild now, but he was far from calm. “He’s been better.”
“Is Zac settling in all right?” asked Dawn.
Makenna smiled. “Yes, he’s got the biggest crush on Hope. It’s super cute. He’s very happy here.”
“I think you will be too.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t play with me, Makenna Wray; I’ve known you since you were a child. I know you better than most.”
“Not better than me,” snorted Madisyn.
“And I’ve seen the way Ryan looks at you,” continued Dawn. “That male cares for you, just as you care for him. He might look like a menace to society at first glance, but he’s an honorable person. He’s a keeper. At your age, being alone might not be so bad. But at my age, when you realize you’ll probably grow old alone and even die alone, it hurts. Don’t be like me. If he offers you more than something casual, take it.”
Chest tight, Makenna said, “I didn’t realize how much you hurt inside, Dawn. I’m sorry.” She should have seen it.
“Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. There are many good things and many good people in my life. I don’t have . . . what do you call them, Madisyn? Oh, pity parties. I don’t have them. But a person can be happy and sad at the same time.”
As Grace and Hope began to lay food out on the table, Makenna said her good-byes and ended the call. Ryan had saved her a seat between him and Zac. She slid into it with a smile, watching as both males piled food on her plate. Taking care of her, she knew. “You two are sweeties.” Both males scowled at her, indignant. She laughed.
“I picked up too much stuff, so I dumped some of it on your plate, that’s all,” said Zac with a shrug.
Taryn smiled. “Don’t let him fool you, Makenna. He was seriously worried when he saw the news footage of the extremists outside your building. We all were.” The Alpha female jumped as she dropped her knife.
“Ooh, you’re going to have a visitor,” Makenna told her. At Ryan’s look of confusion, she added, “She dropped her knife.”
Ryan blinked. “Dropping a kitchen utensil symbolizes an upcoming visit?”
Makenna waved a dismissive hand. “You don’t have to believe me, White Fang.”
“I told you to drop—” He inhaled deeply. “You know what? Forget it.” He’d already resigned himself to the fact that his mate wasn’t totally sane.
“Jaime said your boss called on the drive here,” Grace told Makenna. “Did he really fire you?”
“Yeah, but I can understand why. I’m not pissed at him; I’m pissed at the extremists.” Because how was she supposed to afford her rent without a job?
“If the humans traced you to the gas station,” began Gabe, “can they trace you to the shelter?”
Makenna shook her head. “I’m not listed as an employee there. There’s no paperwork to link me with the place.”
“Unless Remy tips them off,” Tao pointed out. “Just like he told them your name and address.”
“Dead men can’t do anything,” rumbled Ryan.
Meeting his gaze, Makenna found vengeance reigning there again. “Don’t go after him, Ryan.”
He grunted.
“You can’t. Think about it. If you go to see him, he’ll twist it around. He’ll argue to the council that Dawn sent packs to intimidate him and spread lies about him. And then there’s the other thing.”
“What other thing?” asked Marcus before stuffing a forkful of food into his mouth.
“It might not be him.”
Roni blinked. “Why would you think that?”
“All his attacks have been indirect and nonviolent.”
“So maybe he’s stepping up his game,” said Tao.
“To the point that extremists are knocking at my door, attracting a news crew?” Makenna shook her head. “It’s a really big escalation.”
Tao shrugged. “Maybe he got pissed that his other attacks weren’t having the desired effect.”
Makenna tilted her head, allowing that.
“Who else could it be but Remy?” asked Dante.
Makenna smiled. “Dear old Deanne.”
Ryan’s frown deepened. “Remy’s mother?”
“I pissed her off real good,” she reminded him.
Ta
ryn adjusted Kye’s position on her lap. “You met her?”
Makenna took a sip of her Coke. “Ryan didn’t tell you?”
Taryn snickered. “Ryan? Share stuff?”
Okay, the female had a point. Makenna gave a brief version of what happened. “What better way for her to get rid of me and away from her son than to sic the extremists on me?”
Trey tapped his fingers on the table. “There is a chance it was her. But there’s also a chance he did this because he was majorly pissed at you for what you said to his mother.”
Makenna pursed her lips. “He doesn’t strike me as the impulsive type. He’s too smart for that.”
“Maybe. But, in any case, he’s still a suspect when you consider what’s going to happen now that you have the extremists’ attention.”
“What do you mean?”
It was Ryan who explained. “The extremists from today will probably skulk away in fear of The Movement. But it’s likely they’ll pass on your name and address to other extremists. You’re on their radar now. Remy will expect you to lie low and hide out somewhere. Think of what that would mean for the shelter.”
“It would leave Dawn short a staff member,” Makenna realized.
“Not just any staff member,” interrupted Trey, “but the staff member who rehomes the loners. He wouldn’t want the children going anywhere, would he?”
Makenna cursed silently. She hadn’t thought of that. It had seemed most likely to her that the culprit was Deanne. Now, she wasn’t so sure. “No one will keep me away from the shelter.” She’d find a way to get there without leading any watchers there. “I won’t be forced into hiding either.”
As much as part of Ryan wished she’d step back from the shelter, he knew it wouldn’t be right to ask that of her. It wasn’t in Makenna’s nature to sit back and watch the people she cared for struggle. She wouldn’t leave them when they needed her most. To ask her to do differently would be asking her to be someone she wasn’t. If she wanted to keep volunteering at the shelter, he’d go along with her and keep her safe.
“You’re not going to go back to your apartment, are you?” Zac said to Makenna. “I mean, more extremists could be waiting.”
“My stuff is there.”
“It’s probably been trashed,” Roni warned her. Sadly, she was most likely right.
Zac looked at Taryn. “Can Makenna stay with us for a while?”
“She’s staying,” Ryan firmly stated.
That definitive answer pissed her off a little, but Makenna decided not to snap at him. He was still freaked out and it wasn’t the time to push him. Still, she had to point out one thing. “If the extremists somehow find out I’m staying here, it could turn their attention to you,” Makenna warned. Some of the wolves snorted. “What don’t I know?”
“Both our pack and the Mercury Pack had a run-in with them once before,” Trey explained. “The people who invaded our territory mysteriously disappeared. The extremists have stayed away from us since then. They won’t come here.”
Greta spoke. “You’re wrong. The extremists aren’t smart enough to stay away. I’m telling you, we’ll have trouble on our hands again.” She threw Makenna a dirty look. “Surely there’s somewhere else you could—”
“She’s staying here,” Ryan told the old woman.
Cheeks reddening, Greta said, “How can you want that hussy, Ryan? I told you why she was banished from her old pack, and you’re still with her! You’re worth more and you deserve better!” She smacked the table with her hand. “She’s a danger to us, and you swore to protect your pack!”
Hiding her amusement, Makenna shrugged. “Sure, but it’s not like he signed anything.” Wow, Greta looked like she wanted to lunge down Makenna’s throat.
“You might want to know,” began Jaime, stifling a smile, “that Rhett uploaded my photos onto his blog. There have been a lot of comments from shifters and humans. They’re outraged by the extremists’ behavior. I mean, a net and a wasp knife . . . that’s beyond cruel.”
“I agree,” said Dante, glancing at his cell phone. He looked up. “Taryn, Gabe just sent me a message; he said your uncle’s here to see you.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened at the amused smile on his mate’s face. “Don’t say it.”
She raised her hands. “I wasn’t gonna.”
He grunted, not the slightest bit convinced.
Later that day, Makenna was sprawled out on the warm grass, enjoying the sun on her skin . . . and cursing inside her head. All in one day, she’d been attacked, lost her job, and been evicted. Her landlord had called ten minutes ago with that delightful bit of news. She’d argued that it wasn’t legal to throw someone out of their home when they hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d said that he needed to know his tenants were safe, that he couldn’t guarantee that if she were there.
He was right. And so she didn’t fight his decision. But it meant she had no home. Still, things could always be worse. Remy or Deanne had wanted to cut her off from Madisyn and Dawn—the only family she had. That would have hurt like nothing else could.
Hearing a slight rustle in the grass, she looked up to see a magnificently beautiful wolf. His fur was pure black, with the exception of the fur on his face, neck, and the inside of his ears, which was a creamy blond. Ryan, her senses told her.
He’d left her an hour earlier, told her he needed to do a perimeter check. But she’d suspected he wanted some time alone in his wolf form. Wanted the calm and solace that came from it.
The wolf padded over to her and licked at her jaw. She petted the dark, thick fur of his flank, making him release a satisfied growl. Smiling, she playfully shoved at his muzzle, expecting him to pounce in an equally playful move. Instead, he just looked at her.
Makenna rolled her eyes and sat upright. “So you’re as serious as Ryan, huh?” Her wolf would make him play, but her wolf would also brand the shit out of him—something that wolves shouldn’t do unless they were mates. Makenna needed to be 100 percent certain that Ryan was hers before she laid any such claim on him. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to him.
The wolf nuzzled her throat, so she lightly shoved him again and wagged her finger. Again, he just stared at her. “I want to play.” After the shitty day she’d had, she needed some downtime. Playing with her favorite wolf would definitely give her that. “If you’re not going to play, you have to leave.”
He growled, eyes flashing human. Ryan—unlike the wolf—understood her words.
“Grouchy.” She dived at the wolf, wrestling him to the ground. He squirmed and struggled free of her grip. Righting himself, he looked startled. Confused. A little lost. She shoved at his muzzle with a playful snarl. He swiped at her shoulder, claws sheathed. Ooh, progress. She lunged again, knocking him to the ground. He got up, looking exasperated. That was better than him looking lost.
“I need to up my game here, huh.” Makenna jumped to her feet and took off. The wind whipped her skin and the branches abraded her cheeks and arms as she ran through the trees, the wolf fast on her heels. Birds and other wildlife scattered.
Sensing the wolf closing in on her, she put on a burst of speed—racing into a clearing, where she spun to face him with a growl. Skidding to a halt in front of her, he bared his teeth. She snapped hers. And . . . he wagged his tail. “That’s it.”
They tussled, wrestled, and pounced until Makenna flopped to her back, out of breath. The wolf stood over her, triumphant. Bones cracked and popped as his body shifted shape, and she then had a very naked Ryan on top of her. She wound her arms around his neck. “Your wolf played with me. He’s fun.”
“Only with you.”
She moaned as Ryan kissed her, twining his tongue with hers. Within moments, she was just as naked, and he was giving her exactly what she needed, pounding into her at a feral pace that soon had them both exploding.
In the aftermath, she snuggled into his side as he lay on his back. Sated and riding her post-orgasm buzz, she said, “This territory is pretty awe
some.” Her wolf was utterly relaxed, surrounded by the scents of Ryan, pine, grass, and sun-warmed earth. The only sounds she could hear were those of wildlife and water trickling in the near distance.
Cupping her chin, Ryan lifted her head to meet her eyes. “Then why do I hear a little sadness in your voice?” He didn’t like it. Wanted to fix whatever was wrong.
“There must have been countless times in your life when you’ve roamed your territory and found a cozy little spot where you feel safe. My wolf . . . she never had that. I never had it.”
“You can have it, and you know it,” he said a little too sharply. This place was her home. She just had to step forward and claim it. His wolf was just as frustrated by her failure to do so. Others would have been surprised to see his wolf—always so serious and gloomy—playing with her. Ryan wasn’t. The animal adored her, he considered her his own; there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for her.
“So, you told your pack that you believe we’re mates.”
“They guessed. They agree with me. You’re the only one that doesn’t.”
He looked so hurt by that, like she was rejecting him. Makenna snuggled closer. “I would be proud to be your mate. You’re the full package. Loyal. Strong. Hot. Honorable. A born protector who never lets people down. That’s—What? What did I say?” Because he was averting his gaze. “Ryan?”
“I let you down today.”
She frowned. “How?”
“I asked you to trust me to keep you safe. I promised I would. But I wasn’t there for you today.” If there was one thing Ryan was good at, it was keeping people, under his protection, safe. But his mate had been in danger, and he hadn’t been there. That fact had tormented him and his wolf all day long. “I should have stayed with you this morning.”
“That’s ridiculous. You have a job, a very important job.”
“If I’d been with you earlier, you would never have ended up tangled in a net.” Like an animal.
“For someone so practical, you can be seriously dumb sometimes.” Her wolf totally agreed. Makenna propped her chin on his chest. “It’s not that you should have been there. It’s that they shouldn’t have been there. They were the ones who were in the wrong place, not you. And the person who’s most to blame for all of it is Remy.” Assuming it wasn’t Deanne.