Alexandra's Legacy

Chapter Five

James downshifted, his hands smooth and steady on the gears as he brought the vintage sports car to a halt behind a bus and a truck, both of which were stopped at a traffic light. He glanced in the rearview mirror, satisfied that no one was on his tail. He tried not to think about Alex. He had to assume that Joshua would keep her safe.

He shook his head as the traffic began to move once again. Deep down in his gut he’d known that their time in Chicago was growing short. As much as he wanted to believe that his daughter was more human than wolf, he’d known that wasn’t likely. He didn’t like to admit that part of him was fiercely proud and glad that she was like him. That she was a werewolf.

It wouldn’t be easy on her though. James was under no misconceptions about that. Even though she was being sought out as a mate, he knew that many others of his kind would look down on her, disdain her for her tainted blood. A low growl rumbled from deep in his chest. If they thought they could hurt her in any way they were in for a huge awakening. She was his daughter and he would protect her against any and all threats.

Even if that meant sending her away with another wolf.

He’d been shocked to hear of his old friend’s death and to find young Joshua in his place. Well, he guessed that Joshua wasn’t quite so young anymore. He’d always assumed that Joshua’s older brother, Isaiah, would take his father’s place, but it seemed that the younger brother had taken over that honor and burden.

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. He couldn’t regret the choices he’d made in his life. Because of them, he’d gotten Alexandra, and since the day she was born she’d been his life and his joy.

He did however regret that his friend had died while searching for him. James didn’t know that he could have done anything differently. He’d been crushed after Leda’s death. He’d lost all interest in pack life and the inevitable politics that went with it. All he’d wanted to do was to go off alone and lick his wounds in private. And he’d done just that.

He’d wandered for almost thirty years before he’d met Charlene. He’d been ready to move on when she’d told him she was pregnant. There had been no doubt in his mind that he was the father. While she’d been with him, she’d been faithful. He knew that for a fact. He’d have been able to smell the stench of any other male on her no matter how hard she might have tried to hide it. No, the child she’d carried was his and, from that moment forward, his life had had purpose for the first time in decades.

James followed the road to the downtown district. He was lucky that he’d just finished fixing the minor problem on the exhaust system of the Mustang this morning. Pulling into a parking garage next to an office complex, he drove to the top level and swung into an empty spot.

Turning off the ignition, he pocketed the keys and leaned back against the seat. It was hard to believe the life he’d built over the past two decades was now lost to him. He’d known that he wouldn’t be able to stay here much longer, but he’d hoped for a bit more time, had wanted to leave on his own terms.

With Alex coming into her sexual maturity, he’d known that he would have to return to the Wolf Creek pack in order for her to meet eligible males she might mate with. There really was no other choice. A female in heat needed a male wolf to satisfy her. She could have as many lovers as she wanted, but no human male could ever sate her sexual hunger. They would bring her some relief, but she would always be left wanting, yearning for more.

It had been that way with him and Charlene. She’d filled a void in his life when he’d needed it. For that reason alone, not to mention the fact that she’d given him Alex, he would always have a soft spot for her in his heart. It didn’t matter that she’d abandoned her daughter to go back to a life of drugs and prostitution. Everyone had demons of their own to deal with. He was in no position to criticize.

Then there was the pesky little detail that he hadn’t aged in twenty years. He couldn’t have gotten away with that for much longer. Already people were beginning to talk. It was only a casual remark here and there, but it was enough for James to know that the time had come to pull up stakes and move on.

He’d allowed himself to become a bit too attached to the garage. All his memories from Alex’s childhood were associated with the place. He was sad to leave, but he better than anyone knew that life went on. He still had Alex and that was all that mattered.

Climbing out of the vehicle, he locked the door and strode away without a backward glance. When he reached street level, he ambled into the office building situated beside it.

James often wondered about people who could work in these places all day long, being told what to do by someone else. He didn’t know how they did it. He couldn’t imagine any other way of life except working for himself. But they were working for what they wanted, not expecting it to be handed to them for free. He could respect them for that.

He glanced at his reflection as he pulled open the large glass door. Faded jeans stained with grease and a T-shirt with a rip down the front didn’t exactly help him look respectable. Ah well, he wasn’t planning on staying long. His boots made no sound as he sauntered across the lobby to the security desk. The closer he got the more nervous the two men working behind the console became. He could smell their fear.

Plucking the keys out of his pocket, he laid them on the marble countertop. “These belong to Mr. Ashanti, of Ashanti Investments, tenth floor. Tell him his Mustang is running perfectly and that it’s parked next door, top level, slot eight.”

He didn’t bother to wait for a reply, but turned and walked away. “Hey, mister,” one of the guards yelled after him. James ignored him and kept going.

When he reached the street again, he took a deep breath, scenting the air. Turning left, he strolled down the sidewalk. It wasn’t too busy this time of the morning. Most folks were already at work, but there were still enough people to make him uncomfortable. No matter how long he lived in the city he didn’t think he’d ever get used to being surrounded by so many people. It made him edgy.

That was why he’d chosen it. Wolves didn’t like crowds and cities. Too overwhelming to their highly developed senses. It was like being bombarded by sights, sounds and smells twenty-four hours a day. It was safer here for Alex so he’d learned to control his reaction to the city, reining in his ever-present desire to escape and leave it behind.

He longed to strip off his clothing and let the change wash over him. The wolf within him was restless, needing to run wild and free. He’d curtailed his wolf over the past few weeks, worried about being away from Alex for any extended period of time.

Over the years, he’d made do running in the city parks. Sometimes, he’d driven just outside the city limits where he’d allowed his wolf to take over and roam the night. The once-a-month trips beyond the city had been enough to keep the beast at bay. Barely. The thought that he wouldn’t have to control that aspect of himself for much longer was one of the only good things to come out of this mess.

He sauntered down the street, ignoring the people who quickly got out of his way. He found what he was looking for a few blocks away. Pulling open the door, he stepped into the small thrift shop. An older woman with graying hair was manning the place. He nodded at her as he scanned the room.

“Can I help you find anything?” Her voice was raspy. Too many years of cigarettes if his nose was correct.

“T-shirts.” He nodded again when she pointed to a rack near the back. He kept one eye on the door as he flipped through the clothing on the rack. Pulling out a chocolate brown shirt in his size, he headed back to the front of the shop. He stopped by another rack long enough to grab a faded denim shirt. Depositing them both on the counter, he waited while she rang up the total. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out enough money to cover it. The whole transaction had taken about two minutes and he was back on the street again, bag in hand.

He resumed his stroll down the sidewalk, not walking too fast or too slow, but melding with the flow of foot traffic around him. His eyes were never still, always scanning. A smile touched his lips when he found exactly what he was looking for.

Stepping into a busy restaurant, James took a deep breath. Coffee. The half of a muffin he’d eaten this morning seemed like it was days ago. He was starving. First things first, though. He kept his head down as he headed toward the restrooms at the back.

Once inside, he took his new clothing out of the bag and laid it on the edge of the sink. He stripped off his ripped shirt and stuffed it deep into the garbage before shaking out his new T-shirt and pulling it on. Then he tugged the denim shirt on over it. He reached around to the small of his back and withdrew the gun he’d secreted there. Checking it, he returned it to its place. The metal was warm and reassuring. He was just grateful that his original shirt had been baggy enough to hide the slight bulge at his back. The denim shirt gave him better coverage.

He stuffed the bag into the garbage and left the restroom. Ambling back out to the dining area, he found a quiet table in the corner. He was barely seated when a waitress hurried up with a pot of coffee in one hand and a menu in the other. He scanned the menu and ordered while she filled his mug. When she left he allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment.

Alex. Where was she? He had no idea where his little girl was. He could only hope that her own skills combined with young Striker would be enough to get them both out of the city safe and alive. His job was to get out of the city undetected and meet them at Wolf Creek. He wanted to get there ahead of them so that he could be beside Alex when she met the rest of the pack.

But first he had to clean up the mess back at the garage and get some transportation. He opened the menu, scanned it and quickly made his choice. He’d have breakfast first. Hopefully by that time their pursuers would have abandoned the area, believing they’d all run.

If there were any of them left waiting. Well, that was too bad for them. He wasn’t feeling real tolerant this morning. They’d have to take their chances. He could feel his entire body start to vibrate and took a deep breath to calm himself, conjuring up what he hoped passed for a smile when the waitress returned to take his order.