She chuckled. “Always.” She held his hand while Allan pushed the wheelchair to the door.
All the members of their pack, new and old, were smiling at them. She suspected Paul didn’t realize they were all wolves and part of their pack now.
“Welcome home,” Catherine said with tears in her eyes, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek, Rose and Emma doing the same afterward.
Paul was still fighting a fever but no longer feeling disoriented. He hated that he had to be pushed out in a wheelchair and couldn’t walk under his own power. He could have, but he was still a little tipsy. The wound was infected and hurt like the devil. Lori was holding his hand with a firm grasp, as if she thought he might try to slip away. He loved the contact and wished he could pull her into his lap and really kiss her like he wanted.
When he had seen Lori with roses in hand—along with Emma, Catherine, Rose, and maybe twenty other people waiting for others to get off the plane—he was so grateful to be home again. He realized then that this really was home. Not just a place to drop by for a visit to recuperate from a mission. It felt good, and he understood now how important Hunter’s pack had become for him, once he’d found a mate and truly settled down.
Paul and Lori’s pack might even expand a bit more if they found other wolves that would like to join. With a lupus garou pack, all members would be family. It wasn’t just a community of them living in the same territory. So each had to fit in and contribute to the well-being of the whole pack.
Lori leaned down and handed the flowers to Paul, which made him smile. He loved her, the roses, everything. Her hugging and kissing had made him hard for her. Even feeling like hell, he wanted to take her to bed and renew their mated vows.
When he saw the ambulance parked just outside the doors, he frowned.
Two EMTs quickly brought the ambulance gurney out and Paul said, “What—”
“We’re taking you to our new pack clinic. This is Dr. Christine Holt, and her registered nurse, Allie Wertheimer. They’ll take care of you,” Lori said, introducing them.
“This isn’t necessary,” Paul said, but Allan helped them load him into the ambulance. That’s when Paul noticed that many of the people he’d seen waiting for family or friends in the airport were standing around watching him. What the hell?
Didn’t anyone have flights to catch, others to greet? He guessed it was like the scene of a crime or injury—there would always be onlookers who wanted to see what was going on. He just hoped no one would take a picture of him like this.
When he’d seen Emma proudly showing off the Cunningham pack sign and smiling warmly at him, he couldn’t have been more touched. Of any of the members of his small pack, he believed she was the most pleased that he had taken it over. Maybe because he was mated to Lori, and now Emma didn’t have to worry about putting curses on any wolf sniffing around Lori with interest.
A little girl came up and gave Lori a pink carnation, and then Lori climbed into the ambulance and gave the carnation to Paul. “From your pack members, the youngest to the oldest.”
The doors were closed and the ambulance drove to the clinic.
Paul eyed the roses, his vision blurring a little with the fever. And his head was pounding. “What?” He knew he wasn’t hearing her right.
“Twenty-four pack members. Teach you to leave me alone and in charge of the pack.” She grinned and leaned down for another kiss.
* * *
Before Paul knew what had happened, he was in a room recovering from the surgery to remove the bullet and on antibiotics for the infection. Because of lupus garous’ faster healing genetics, he would recover quicker than a human would, but even so, wolves didn’t heal instantaneously. What he hadn’t expected, but should have, was that when he fully woke, he would have an audience of Lori, Emma, Catherine, Rose, and Allan.
They all smiled at him. He realized he had a ton of new houseplants in the room, and one vase holding a couple of dozen red roses and the one pink carnation. When he’d half awakened, he thought about what Lori had said to him before he was out. She’d commented about the pack members.
“How long has it been since the surgery?” He’d lost track of time, though he’d been up and about, limping, wanting to prove he was ready to go home, but the doctor had wanted to keep him there just a little bit longer.
“Five days,” Lori said.
“I wasn’t quite certain if I heard right. You said…we have a couple of new pack members?” Paul asked.
Everyone but Allan laughed.
Allan folded his arms. “This has to be a record for the fastest-growing lupus garou pack in the West. One little pack of six has increased to twenty-four.”
“They’re good people,” Lori said. “They were tired of being lone wolves or small families without a pack.”
“How did you solicit so many so quickly?” Paul couldn’t believe it.
“We started a Facebook page for wolves only. Well, our kind only, not as in wolf lovers. It’s a private group, by invitation only. We were looking for special skills, compatibility with a pack, that sort of thing. All of us,” Lori said, motioning to the rest of their original pack members, “interviewed them while you were in the jungle, and we said their membership was contingent on the alpha male leader’s approval. But if you want to delegate that job to Allan since you’re still under the weather…”
Paul looked at Allan to see if he wanted the job. As far as Paul was concerned, all he wanted to do was spend some quality time with Lori. He was all too happy to give Allan the opportunity to make a difference with the pack. Paul would always treasure the small core of family and friends that had made up the Cunningham pack for so many years. As to the rest, he knew, given time, he’d be just as pleased to have them here.
“You got it,” Allan said, sounding a little more enthusiastic than Paul thought he would. He was relieved that Allan was eager to take on the job.
“I’ll be glad to talk to our new pack members, welcome them, and get to know them.” He smiled broadly. Paul hadn’t even thought of it, but several of the ones standing around watching them at the airport were women who looked about Allan and Paul’s age. Allan was going to really enjoy this “getting to know the pack members better” business.
Rose was looking so anxious to talk with him that Lori shooed the others out, saying Paul was going home today and should be ready to see everyone in a couple days.
Rose held back while Emma and Catherine kissed Paul.
Allan shook his hand, and then they all left.
Paul eyed Rose, who looked rather grim-faced.
“You found the father of the baby, and it’s not good news, I take it,” Paul guessed. “Have a seat, Rose, before you fall down. Everything is going to be all right.”
Both Lori and Rose took seats.
“He’s here. With the pack now,” Rose said. “We learned he’s…well, he’s the brother to Tara, Widow Jean Baxter’s son.”
“So he wasn’t just a loner. He must have come here to visit them.” Which Paul gave him points for. “What is the trouble they’re in?”
“There was a bank robbery—”
Paul narrowed his eyes.
“He didn’t do it. He was framed. He rides a motorcycle and someone stole his helmet when he was at a grocery store in the vicinity of the bank that was robbed. The pack he was with didn’t believe he didn’t do it. They said it was too much of coincidence that he suddenly came into money at the same time the bank was robbed.”
“The bank robberies in western Montana.”
“No, it was in Seattle. That’s where they’re from. As to the two bank robberies here, he was home with his mother and sister when the one occurred.”
“So he could have been a copycat. Or someone else could have copied him.”
Rose ground her teeth and looked furious with Paul.
&nbs
p; “It could be everything you say it is,” Paul said, not wanting to be bamboozled by some slick-talking wolf, “but I’m trying to look at this in a more objective way. He could have copied what the other man had done. And beyond that, his mother and sister could have vouched for him if his other pack wants his head and they’re trying to save him. He didn’t tell you what he’d done before he slept with you, did he?”
When she looked away from Paul, he frowned, suspecting the worst. “Did he?”
“I believe him when he says he’s innocent!”
Paul couldn’t believe it. He glanced at Lori to see her take on it.
“I didn’t know anything about it until he returned, and Rose finally told me. He should be her mate if they can agree on it.”
Paul glanced back at Rose, surprised she wouldn’t agree to it. Or maybe Everett had refused.
Lori sighed. “Everett Johnston wants to be part of the pack, but he said he wouldn’t stay if it caused you any trouble with the law or with his previous wolf pack.”
Paul hadn’t given any thought to how much trouble running a pack could be. The original members of their own small pack had been fine together all these years, and they’d never had this kind of difficulty before. He understood now what Hunter had to deal with in managing his own pack and respected him all the more.
“I’m leaving with him if he goes,” Rose said, looking as though it was tearing her up inside to say so.
Hell, Paul only had her best interests at heart. No way could she be out on her own if Everett’s former wolf pack wanted to terminate him, and Rose was left all alone with babies—
The doctor. They had a doctor. He had to thank Lori for having done such a great job with that. He asked Rose, “Did the doctor check you out?”
Rose nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, her lower lip trembling. She started to cry. “I’m going to have triplets.”
Paul felt like a real heel. “Ahh, come here, Rose.”
She joined him at the bed and he lifted his arms to give her a hug. She melted against him, her hot tears soaking the front of his hospital gown. He would do anything for her, but he wouldn’t risk her life or her babies’.
“If he’s innocent of the bank robbery charges, we’ll prove who actually did it. Does your mother like him?” It shouldn’t matter, but Paul trusted Catherine’s opinion because she was a lot more levelheaded than Rose right now.
She nodded against his chest, still sniffling.
He’d never seen Rose so emotional. Was it due to the pregnancy? He glanced at Lori as she smiled brightly at him.
“Good. We’ll…work it all out somehow,” he reassured Rose.
He wondered if he was in for the same emotional turmoil when Lori got pregnant. Speaking of which, he was ready to go home with his mate.
Lori said, “Come on, Rose. Your mom will be waiting for you.”
“Thank you, Paul,” Rose said, wiping her tears away.
He smiled at her. “You’re my sister. I only want what’s best for you.” He was afraid to mention the triplets, in case that was what had upset her so much. But he wanted her to know he was happy for her. “Congratulations on the triplets. They’ll be the first ones born to the Cunningham pack in years. It’s a real cause to celebrate.”
She swallowed hard and kissed him on the cheek. Then Lori said, “I’ll be right back.” She wrapped her arm around Rose’s shoulders and walked her out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Paul took the opportunity to get dressed. He felt much better. His leg would be sore for a few days, and he probably couldn’t go running for that time, but he was ready for another form of exercise. Fully dressed in a fresh set of clothes—jean shorts, his palm-tree shirt that made him smile, and a pair of sandals—he was about ready to limp out of the room. He was trying hard not to show he was limping when Lori returned, pushing a wheelchair.
“I don’t need that,” he said with conviction.
“Doctor’s orders. Now that we have one, we all have to listen to her.”
He grunted and let Lori push him in the wheelchair out to his SUV.
“So I asked about what physical activity you can do—”
“No running, right?” he asked.
Lori helped him into the vehicle. He didn’t need her help, but he’d humor his mate. Then the nurse joined them to take the wheelchair back inside.
“That’s all I’m agreeing to,” he said as he fastened his seat belt. “No running for a couple of days.”
She laughed as she climbed into her seat, shut the door, and pulled out of the parking lot. “Grandma gave us the lake cottage as a wedding gift. It’s ours. All ours.”
“That’s great news.” He loved the lakeside cottage. “Good thing we like the colors we chose for the furniture and paint.” Now he knew for certain Emma had been trying to get him and Lori together. He had to show his appreciation to her later. “I’ve got to get the painting Michael did of you from the Rappaports’ cabin and hang it over the fireplace.”
Lori shook her head. “While you were gone, we moved all your clothes over to the cabin and everyone said the painting had to hang over the mantel. Though I was thinking we should commission one of the two of us for that special spot.”
“We could do that later. But for now, I’ll enjoy seeing you sitting by the river as a wolf.”
“Grandma said the reason she didn’t answer my text about the furniture was that she wanted it to be our decision, if you had any decorating sense. Otherwise, she hoped I would prevail on what I wanted the most. Are you really all right after this last mission?”
“Yeah. We all got out safely this time.” He rubbed Lori’s back. “I missed you though.”
She humphed. “As busy as you were, having the adventure of a lifetime?”
He smiled. “Yeah, I did. Every time we took a break, I thought of you.”
“Allan told me you offered to stay behind. You felt you were holding the rest of them back because of your injury, and you wanted to make sure that they got Cora out all right,” Lori said softly.
“We had to get her out.”
She frowned at him. “And you! I told Allan that if he had come back without you…”
Paul chuckled. “Did he tell you he was going to stay with me and let the others get her to safety?”
“No. He just said if he’d left you behind, I would have killed him.” Then she glanced at Paul and sighed. “And he was right. I’ve always wondered why you took off on your own when he was shot in Florida.”
“To give the assassin someone else to track, in case he realized Allan had survived. Then I thought the assassin was headed for the Oregon coast. Just a hunch.”
“You’re good at that.” She chewed her bottom lip, then asked, “You’re not upset with having so many new pack members, are you? Not feeling a little overwhelmed?”
“Why? Are you?”
She shook her head. “I hoped you weren’t just taking over because you thought there were so few of us.”
He laughed.
“What about Rose’s mate? What do you think we should do about him?”
“You’ve met him. What does your gut instinct tell you?”
“I think he’s telling the truth. Catherine does too.”
“Good. I respect your opinion and Catherine’s. Both of you would only want the best for Rose. I’ll make every effort to learn the truth and prove his innocence.”
Lori breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”
“Anything else happen while I was gone that we need to discuss about the pack or otherwise?”
“Nothing else that needs your attention.”
“Okay, good.” He figured Rose’s situation with Everett was enough of a problem for now. “I guess I need to get back to working on that list.”
“Forget that!”
&nb
sp; Paul eyed her with curiosity. “It’s our place now, so if we still need to do some work around the cabin…”
Lori shook her head.
“I’ll be perfectly fine in a couple of days.” He wasn’t about to be babied when he was healing just fine.
“We have a wolf pack now.”
“I’m not asking the wolves in the pack to do work for—”
“You don’t have to. They were so excited to be part of the pack, wanting you to approve them, that we had picnics and swimming and work parties the first week you were gone.” She parked at the cabin.
He couldn’t believe it.
“See? Having a bigger pack was worth it.”
“Hell, Lori,” he said, getting out of the car. “You should have taken over the pack years ago.”
She laughed, took his hand, and led him up to the deck. “Then I would have been fighting off all the hot male wolves who wanted to mate with me and help run the pack.”
He smiled down at her. “I would have been fighting them all off.”
Despite her objection, as soon as she unlocked the door, he swept her up in his arms, bumped the door closed with his hip, and turned to let her lock the door. Then he carried her into the bedroom, trying damn hard not to limp. He wanted her to believe he was completely healed and nothing was stopping him from the next thing on his list.
Oh my God, Lori loved Paul. He was the only wolf for her. No matter how much she hadn’t wanted him to go, she’d made the most of her time and had actually loved being the pack leader while he was gone. Now she was even more thrilled for him to be home. She knew he was the right wolf for her because he seemed to admire everything she had done while he’d been away.
She’d told Allan about all the new pack members, but Allan had said she had to tell Paul all the good news on her own. She suspected Allan had worried a little that Paul wouldn’t be happy about it. Or maybe he just thought that since she was the alpha she-wolf leader of the pack, it was her responsibility to tell her mate.
But now that they were in the privacy of their home, she had to tell Paul the news and hope he was happy with it.
“You know if we keep doing much more of this,” he said as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom, “we could end up with some pups of our own.”