Destiny of the Wolf

Chapter 11

EXPECTING TREVOR TO CATCH EVERYTHING SILVA AND Lelandi secretly discussed while he was listening at the guest bedroom door, Darien sat in his favorite leather chair in the living room and motioned to Tom to get on with the abbreviated meeting.

“Uncle Sheridan called and said he’s reconstructing the crime scene over the coffee-drugging incident at the hospital. And Doc Oliver hasn’t fully recovered from the coffee,” Tom said. “One of the lab technicians discovered it was that date rape drug, GHB.”

“Crap. Any fingerprints?”

“Tons. Problem is everyone uses the coffeepot.”

“All right. What have you got for me?” Darien asked as Sam served up the pizza.

“Carol Wood wants to work as a nurse at the hospital, but I heard you told her no. She asked if I’d try to sway you.”

“I still say no. If she doesn’t like working as a school nurse, she can move to another town.”

Jake lifted a slice of pizza from his plate. “She’ll be trouble. I’ll bet my paycheck on it.”

“Other news, Tom?”

“The town is gearing up for the fall festival. Uncle Sheridan is pretty mad that he has to be here again during the activities. That was one of the real reasons he took a vacation,” Tom said.

“He can concentrate on the shootings.”

“Yeah, but he says his men will be so busy with the Influx of tourists...”

Darien motioned to Mason. “I need you to coordinate a thirty-man call-up police force for backup.”

Mason raised a can of beer in agreement. “Will do, Darien. I know you didn’t want to have the fall fair again, but it brought in around seventy-five thousand dollars to small business owners when revenues are way off this time of year. Good for the bank, too.” He grabbed another slice of pizza. “Until we have our first good snowfall and the ski slopes open... we need to do something. The Silver Town Train Ride through the mines hasn’t brought in much in the line of profits this summer either.”

Darien didn’t like the sudden swell in the human population. Too many things could go wrong. But he did believe in his peoples’ say in matters that affected their well-being also. Not all pack leaders would agree.

Tom cleared his throat and flipped over another page from his notepad. “A family of five wants to join the pack.”

Darien took a swig of beer. “Why are so many wanting to move into the town?”

Tom shrugged. “What do you want to do?”

“Has Uncle Sheridan checked them out?”

“They came in during the evening of the shootings. I figured that might change their minds, but they still want to be considered for inclusion in the pack.”

“What’s the breakdown of the family unit?”

“Father, mother, brother of the head of household, and sixteen-year-old twin daughters.”

Jake gave a small smile. “As long as it’s not any more cantankerous young males?”

“Yeah. Have Uncle Sheridan find out what they expect to work at here, their former job skills, training, any past records of problems, why they want to join our pack in particular. Where are they staying in the meantime?”

“Hastings B&B. Bertha knows the drill. She’s taking notes and having them watched when she can’t. What do you want to do about the Woodcroft boys?” Tom asked.

“I thought Uncle Sheridan was taking care of it.”

“He deferred the decision to you about setting the punishment.”

“Have the boys paint the school walls. Carpenter Myers can oversee the Job to ensure they do it right. Mason. I want you to arrange that.”

“Will do.”

Tom waited further word, but Darien shook his head. “Should be enough. Did Uncle Sheridan explain to the boys that their parents didn’t pay taxes to support the school? That only the humans pay them and the silver mine subsidizes the rest?”

“Some have grumbled that they want their kids to go to the school instead of home school them,” Tom said.

“No. Just like with a human nurse working at the hospital, a testy lupus garou teen trying to prove something to one of the humans could get out of hand. We school our own. Several families are happy to teach the kids of other families who are too busy working.”

Tom made a note. “We’ve got another gray wanting to learn all he can about the operation of our town.”

Darien finished his beer. “Why all the interest? We’ve had three in the last month.”

“Word’s getting around we’re a model town.” Jake said. “How many leaders do we know who can boast running their own towns since their inception without human interference? Even though we try to maintain our shabby look to discourage too much Interest, some alpha pack leaders want to build something like we have.”

“All right, same as with the ones who want to join the pack, Tom. I want the guy watched. Do a background check on him. Report anything suspicious to either Uncle Sheridan or me. With this situation with Lelandi and her sister, we can’t be too cautious. Any other business?”

Jake raised a finger. “Rosie delivered twelve vases of flowers for Lelandi, but she told me secret admirers sent four of them.”

Darien snorted. ‘Hell, what next? Have the anonymous buyers traced.”

“And then?” Jake asked.

“I’ll talk to them.”

Tom chuckled, but quickly coughed to cover his response when Darien gave him a sharp look.

Trevor hurried into the living room, his face hard. “I thought her parents were supposed to be dead.”

Darien stared at him. “What? Who?”

“Silva said Lelandi got flowers from them.”

Lelandi stared at the card signed: Love, Morn and Dad, typical order called in and signed at the flower shop. “It has to be a sick joke.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she looked up at Silva, but disbelief filled her face. “Bruin‘s deputies told me my parents had died in a car accident. He put me under guard, but I escaped shortly afterward. They murdered my parents because Larissa ran away. I kept wanting my parents to move, but they wouldn’t budge. I knew our pack leader would take revenge.”

Silva pulled a chair over to the bed and took a seat. ‘What If your parents’ deaths were faked? What if this Bruin character wanted you to look for your sister, then he’d know what became of her? Maybe he had you followed? The guy wearing the hooded copper coat, maybe?”

Bruin? Oh hell, she’d let the pack leader’s name sup. “He put me under armed guard. He said he’d have me mated to his brother after he declared.., my sister was dead.”

“Her husband? Bruin’s brother?”

Why did she have to mention his name? Great, just great. “What do you know about my sister?” Lelandi asked, before she gave away her whole frigging past.

She had to get off this pain medicine for good. Although she was surprised after Ritka had said that the Green Valley deputy knew who she was, Darien never mentioned it to her. Maybe it was a hoax.

“I’d never tell anyone else what Larissa told me in private. But I thought you should know. She was really worried someone would find her. I assumed it was her red pack or her family. That they wouldn’t approve that she’d taken a gray mate, although she said she was a loner and had no living family.” Silva glanced at the card in Lelandi’s hand. “I never in a million years dreamed she might have been mated and the guy was still alive. Do you think he’s the one who put a contract out on her?”

“But someone was blackmailing her before this. That makes me think it was someone else who knew she was mated, and she didn’t want him to tell Darien.”

“Yeah, that’s a pretty low blow for a pack leader. So,” Silva said, her eyes round, “was the other guy she was mated to high up in the chain?”

Lelandi ignored the question. “He’s abusive, drinks too much. I... I wanted my family to leave—to find my brother. To settle somewhere new. But... they wouldn’t.”

Silva patted her hand. “Ties too strong to the pack?”

Lelandi didn’t say anything. They had no ties to the pack—usurpers. Just a connection to the land. But revealing too much wasn’t a good idea. As if she hadn’t already.

When she didn’t respond. Silva took up the slack. “Darien said he’s returning you to your pack. But I figure the way he kissed you means he’s changed his mind. You don’t want to return to them, do you?”

Lelandi’s face heated. “They killed my parents! I’m not returning. The pack leader will force me to mate his brother. I won’t go back,”

“You can’t run off on your own on some wild lupus garou chase looking for your brother either. What if you never find him? You could be found out, hurt, killed. What about this guy in the copper coat? Is he a family member, or one of the pack?”

Lelandi shook her head.

Silva took a breath, then abruptly changed the subject. “I tried to get Larissa to tell me what was bothering her. I thought maybe it was the pregnancy. Hormonal imbalance kind of thing.”

Her sister had been pregnant? Lelandi stifled a cry and tears pricked her eyes.

Silva’s eyes widened. “I... I thought you knew. Oh. sweetie, I’m so sorry. I’ll get you a box of tissues.” She hurried into the attached bathroom and opened a cabinet.

Lelandi couldn’t believe her sister had been pregnant when she couldn’t get that way with Crassus. Had she been taking birth control measures behind his back? No wonder Darien was so devastated. Not only had she died, but his offspring had as well. Oh, god, the travesty of It.

Silva returned to the bedroom and put the box of tissues on the bedside table. “Something about Darien and your sister’s relationship was all wrong. Do you believe in soul mates among lupus garous?”

“No.” Lelandi dabbed her eyes with a tissue. No. She didn’t believe in such a thing even if a hunk of a lupus garou had invaded her dreams for the last several months. Alpha pack leaders often decided who could mate. But she’d never heard of their kind finding their own soul mate. Silva studied her so intensely. Lelandi finally opened up as she pulled the covers to her chin. “I’ve had really vivid dreams, and I sure wish the guy was real.”

Silva’s eyes widened. Omigosh, you’ve been dream mated with... with...” She looked down at the floor, then gave an almost imperceptible smile.

“What?”

Silva’s gaze shifted to Lelandi. “Dream mating. That’s what Julia Wildthorn, the romance writer, calls it. When soul mates can’t locate each other in the real world, if one has the ability he or she can reach out to the other, offer the bond that unites them. If the other accepts, they’re dream mated.”

“I don’t understand how she can make all that stuff up. She says the lupus garous talk like humans in their wolf forms, stand upright even, and worse? Their clothes vanish when they shapeshift into the wolf’s form and reappear on their human form without any effort.”

“She can’t reveal our true nature.” Silva huffed. “Besides, I love how her lupus garous find meaningful, heartfelt relationships. We deserve something like that. Your sister said Darien told her he dreamed of her—that’s why he pursued her. Except she didn’t live up to his expectations in real life. Rumors abound that Darien’s grandfather, father, and a couple of his uncles were dream mated.” Silva took a ragged breath. “What if that’s the reason he went after her? Only she wasn’t the right one. What if you were? What if your sister realized this, too?”

Her heart racing, Lelandi stared at the bedcover, her thoughts in turmoil. What if everything Silva said was true? But she never saw her dream lover’s face. Never heard his voice. Couldn’t smell his scent.

Silva stood and looked out the window. “What if she was so depressed because she didn’t want Darien to learn you were the right woman, and she probably wouldn’t want you to know either? On top of that, she was mated to the beast before she met Darien, and she couldn’t let Darien know about that either? Damn. I could see why she was so depressed.”

Her sister couldn’t have done this to her. How could she? But to get away from Bruin and Crassus, Lelandi could understand why Larissa had left. She deserved to be loved.

Silva turned to Lelandi. “What did he look like? This guy in your dreams?”

“I ...” She shook her head. She wasn’t sure.

“Maybe Darien isn’t the guy.” The elusive smile was fixed once again to Silva’s ups. “Another thing is...” She let her breath out. “I think Larissa had some affection for a gray working in the silver mine.”

In disbelief, Lelandi stared at her. Her sister couldn’t have been having an affair with someone else.

Silva dropped into the chair. “What if that had something to do with her depression? She’d found the real guy of her dreams, and she couldn’t have him. Three living male lupus garous at once who pegged her for their own is just not done.”

How could Larissa’s life have gotten so screwed up? Lelandi closed her eyes, fighting tears. “The medicine’s making me sleepy.”

Silva didn’t move for what seemed an eternity, and then she stood. “All right, honey. You get some sleep.” She strode to the door and closed it behind her.

If Larissa had had a lover, who else had known? How could she have done this to Darien?

In the hall, Trevor talked to Silva in a hushed voice. “Darien can’t believe in dream mating. Damned hogwash if you ask me. That’s why he mated the red?”

“Sounds to me like it.” Silva said. “But I think he got the wrong girl.”

Then everything grew deathly quiet.

Lelandi’s head was spinning out of control. The damned medicine? Or Larissa’s unbelievable sordid tale of the double mates, and a lover to boot. But was Lelandi really Darien’s dream mate? What if she wasn’t and she fed into his delusions that she was? She’d be no better than her sister, and she couldn’t do that to Darien. Not after all he’d been through.

The medicine slipped through her blood, and Lelandi fell into another world, always the forest, near the creek where the water flowed over rounded stone in a never-ending, steady stream, crystal clear, but silent.

“Lelandi,” her dream lover whispered to her while she read his lips. Why couldn’t she see more of him? Speak with him? Know him. She pressed her fingers to his mouth, and he kissed them.

No, no. she wanted to read his lips. “Say something” she implored, but he took one of her fingers and sucked.

Her skin heated with desire, but she shook her head, pulled her finger free, and tried again. Pressing his fingers to her lips this time, she said her family name, “Wildhaven.”

But he didn’t repeat the word.

What... is... your... name?” she asked. Could he see her face when she couldn’t see his?

He kissed her lips, licked them, pressed his tongue into the seam, but she was determined to learn who he was. She pushed at his chest. “No. Tell me. Who are you?”

He shook his head. Not understanding? Or not willing to tell her? Did he already have a mate?

Oh, this was so ridiculous. He was just a fantasy lover.

She turned away from him, wanting him to be real, not some made-up illusion. He ran his hand over her shoulder with a tender caress, tickling her. She closed her eyes. He melted her annoyance, stirring a flicker of flame deep inside her. He licked her shoulder, touching her bare hip, not pressuring, using the most sensuous of tactile explorations. Trying not to give in to the lust, she clenched her teeth, lifted his hand from her hip, and moved it to her mouth.

“No,” she mouthed against his hand.

She wanted him to communicate to her. But instead of helping, he pulled away... and vanished.

“No!” She felt the soft bed in the guest bedroom beneath her, and saw Tom sitting in a chair watching her, his look startled. She sat up taller in bed and frowned at him. “Are you all right?”

Although she felt remiss in not saying something earlier, it was the first time she’d even thought about asking him about his injuries. Then again, she hadn’t been herself with all of the medication she’d been on. For the first time since the incident, she felt clearheaded, without any chest pains, just some strange prickling where her healing properties were busily taking care of the injured areas. Maybe by morning, she’d look and feel as good as new. Then again, maybe not.

Tom smiled at her finally, and she imagined he’d been half-asleep, he was so slow to react. He touched his temple where the bandage was gone, just a scratch and it’s nearly healed. Head wounds bleed a lot, so I had to get a little blood. Jake wouldn’t give me any. Said he’d used all he could spare on you.” He winked, the most devilish twinkle in his light brown eyes. “Pretends he doesn’t like you, but his actions tell another story.”

Pulling her covers higher, she gave a ladylike snort. “Right. Nurse Grey forced him to give blood the second time. Probably the same the first time around, too.”

“He’s all show.”

She didn’t believe it for a minute. “He didn’t like my sister, did he?”

“He didn’t like that Darien was upset about what to do concerning her. She was deeply troubled, but she wouldn’t let anyone close enough to find out what was wrong. Jake doesn’t like the silent suffering type. Get it out in the open and deal with it. That’s his motto. I figured whatever nightmare she was living, she couldn’t handle on her own, but she didn’t feel confident enough in herself even to tell Darien. Considering how she was mated to a red, and someone was blackmailing her to keep quiet about ii He shrugged. “She hadn’t known Darien that long. Probably was afraid he’d want to kill her for what she’d done.”

The thought sent a shiver sliding down Lelandi’s spine. “Would he have?”

Tom raised his brows.

She wasn’t sure how to respond to his reaction. What if Darien knew she had a lover? Would Tom tell his brother she asked? Her whole body warmed with mortification. Tom didn’t seem to mind her being here, and now she’d blown it big-time. But the truth of the matter was, what her sister had done could push some lupus garous over the edge. Being that Darien was the leader of his pack and could get pretty angry—

“I should be asking if you’re all right. You’ve been talking a lot in your sleep. Nightmares?” Tom asked, consoling.

‘What... what did I say?”

Sheesh, Larissa never wanted to stay in the same bedroom with her because Lelandi walked and talked in her sleep when she was overly tired and stressed out. But she hadn’t done that in a long time... that she knew of. Of course, after Larissa had moved in with Crassus, no one would have known of Lelandi’s clandestine nighttime activities, although her father scolded her for finding him in the den late one night watching an X-rated movie. She wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t yelled at her and woken her up. From then on, she guessed he knew better and sent her back to her room without waking her, or else he made sure she didn’t catch him watching the movies in the den anymore.

Tom shook his head. “You didn’t say much that made sense.”

Thank god. She looked at her hands clenched into fists and let go, smoothing the comforter to release the tension filling every muscle fiber, while she listened to the voices downstairs, some heated, some calmly speaking, but none of which she could make out clearly.

Tom eased out of the chair and handed her the card from his roses. “From me.”

She read the card.

You saved my life and I owe you mine. Love, Tom.

“You’re... you’re welcome. But it was all my fault that the gunman came after me. If you hadn’t been with me, he wouldn’t have shot you. Heck, if you hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t have called for help, and no one would have known what had become of me. So you saved my life.”

Tom leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Then it means you owe me.” He glanced toward the door. Someone was coming. “Looks like my relief.”

Despite saying he felt fine, he looked weary.

The door opened slowly and Darien stepped in, first looking at Tom, who gave him a lopsided grin, then at Lelandi. Surprise reflected in his expression to see her awake. “Feeling pain?” A frown collected across his brow.

“No. Just woke up.”

Darien turned back to Tom. “Are you doing okay?”

“Yep, fine as can be. I’ll Join the ruckus downstairs, and then retire.”

Darien listened to the noise drifting upstairs. “Tell them to keep it down.”

“Yeah, will do.”

Secrets? She was certain whatever the grays wanted to discuss was not to be shared with the rest of the grays in the pack, and certainly not with her unless Darien said so.

“See you in the morning, Tom.” Darien waited for him to leave.

Tom gave Lelandi a nod and a smile. “Night, Lelandi.”

“Good night, and thanks for watching over me,” she said, with a hint of sarcasm.

She knew damned well they were not only making sure Ural didn’t get to her again, but she had a sneaking suspicion they didn’t trust her to stay put either.

Tom’s smile broadened, then he closed the door behind him.

Darien opened his mouth to speak, but paused when Tom hollered halfway down the stairs. “Keep it quiet down there!”

To her surprise, Darien crossed the floor and touched her forehead, then used the back of his hand to feel her cheek. “No fever.” He seemed somewhat relieved, yet the wrinkle in his brow didn’t fade.

“I’ll be ready to run laps by tomorrow morning.”

A trace of a smile formed. ‘Wouldn’t surprise me.” He remained in place, hovering over her, and she wondered what he wanted now. He glanced at her water cup, still full. His gaze returned to hers. “Need anything?”

“Nope, thank you.”

“All right.” He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it.

Whatever was bothering him was starting to bother her. He seemed glued to the patch of carpet next to the bed, and she assumed he wanted to interrogate her.

Glancing down at the comforter pulled up to her chin, he said, “Doc’s orders, we have to change your bandages every four hours.”

Lupus garous were not shy around others. So why did she feel nervous? Her skin grew a faint coating of goose bumps. Maybe because he was acting anxious. Silva had already changed her bandages twice earlier in the day, no big deal. Yet, it seemed a big deal when the male gray leader wanted to change them. Maybe it was because he was waiting for her to say It was all right, when Silva charged in like she’d been trained as a nurse before she began waitressing, knew what she was doing, and had no qualms about It. Or maybe because every time Darien got near Lelandi, she felt the sexual tension in the air between them sizzling like exposed live electric wires, smelled the scent of his sex, could nearly taste the craving he had for her.

“Doesn’t need changing.”

Folding his arms, he lifted a brow. Doc said the wounds weep until everything’s healed. If the bandage gets too wet, you could get chilled again. That’s what Doc said. Change it every four hours to keep it dry and free of infection.” He glanced at the clock on the bedside table to emphasize the time. “Been four hours.” He looked back at her, waiting for her to agree.

“I’ll take care of it.” She pulled the comforter away so she could get out of bed and go to the bathroom where she could use the mirror to see what she was doing. Big mistake.

The flannel shirt Silva had helped her into earlier that night had ridden up to her navel, exposing her nakedness all the way to her toes. She was sure her skin had turned as red as her short curly hairs, especially when she saw him taking in his fill.

She jerked down the shirt, and his gaze shifted from her bare legs to her eyes. He shook his head tightly, but she noticed that he shifted in his stance then. A glance at his crotch gave her the reason. Hard as a rock.

“Why don’t you let me help you?”

“I don’t need your help.”

He pulled the comforter up to her waist. “Might as well get this over.”

He began to unbutton her shirt, his shirt, but it felt too much like he was getting her ready for sex, and she quickly brushed his hands away. “I can do it.”

“Just trying to be helpful.”

She frowned when he watched. This was worse than if he unbuttoned the shirt. Problem was, his touching her was making her way too hot. But his watching her had the same damned effect. “Can you do something else? Read a book or something?”

“Just pretend I’m the doctor.

Oh, god, yeah, playing doctor and patient. She gave him a dirty look while he attempted to hide a saucy smirk.

When she finished unbuttoning the shirt, she grumpily said, “It’s done.”

He rubbed his hands together like he was excited to get started, and she frowned at him.

“Getting my hands warmed up. They’re cold,” Gingerly, he peeled back her shirt, exposing her left breast and the bandaged wounds. “Tell me if anything is sore or hurts.” His demeanor was professional, well, maybe a little anxious.

She cringed, afraid it would hurt as much as it had before.

He pulled off the tape around the pads, and considered the wounds with considerable scrutiny. “How does it feel?”

“Itching, burning some.”

He nodded and dumped the used bandages in the wastepaper basket. He applied some salve on the bullet holes with such a light touch that it tickled. She couldn’t help smiling, although she fought it. No way did she want to show she wasn’t mad at him.

He caught her look and his mouth curved up. “Guess it’s not hurting.”

She pursed her lips. “Tickling.”

“Be done in a minute.” He situated the new pad over the wounds, brushing her already taut nipple with the edge of his hand, and taped the pad in place.

“It’s getting cold,” she said, tersely.

“Looks like you’re healing well. After Jake pulls guard duty. I’ll change it again.”

She pulled the shirt closed and began buttoning it. “Maybe Silva will be up by then.”

“She’s a late sleeper. Used to staying up late at the bar. And Jake doesn’t have an ounce of doctoring sense. Tom will probably be asleep still, but even if he isn’t, he’d probably forget what he came in here to do. Doc said you might be getting edgy about not healing faster. He wanted you to know it’s because of the severity of the injuries. If you’d been human, you’d be dead. And if by some miracle you’d lived, Doc said it would take several months to heal. He said you might be feeling all right by the end of the week.”

She gave him a disparaging look, “I’ll be up and about tomorrow.”

Darien shook his head. “You’re not anything like your sister. Need anything? Something to eat?”

“No, thank you.” She closed her eyes, hoping he’d go away, but he took a seat in the recliner and leaned back, making it squeak.

She tried hearing what was being said downstairs, but the conversation was too low. She was too keyed up to sleep while Darien watched her. The image of his bandaging her, the way he looked at her, the feel of his hand against her nipple made her ache for his touch again. She ground her teeth, willing her mind to crush the thought so she could sleep.

Darien could tell from the way she licked her lips and swallowed hard, then ground her teeth, she wasn’t sleeping. He squirmed to get comfortable, his erection springing to life again, just from visualizing her naked supple body under the covers. He hadn’t expected to get an eyeful when she pulled her covers aside. The problem was he had to see for himself she was healing adequately. He didn’t just want Silva’s word for it. Not when he had to prove to Lelandi she was the one meant for him.

But being more than just a lupus garou with a raging hard-on, he was a pack leader that needed some damned answers if he was to take her for his mate.

“We found your bag.” Darien’s voice sounded harsher than he intended.

Lelandi’s eyes popped open.

He motioned to the tapestry bag sitting by the dresser, it looked like you planned to stay for a while. That guy in the copper coat had taken it. Had his scent all over it, inside and out.”

Her eyes grew big.

“Which means the guy had broken into your room when Uncle Sheridan and I were trying to get in. What kind of a pack leader would allow two of his females to run off? First your sister, now you? At least now I know his name is Bruin. Or maybe that’s your cover. Maybe his name is really Leidolf.”

Her mouth gaped, but she quickly clamped it shut.

That got a response. Although he wasn’t sure what her response meant. “And your parents are alive.”

Darien wanted to send word to her pack concerning her whereabouts, and he wanted to set things straight with her sisters mate—the honorable thing to do. Plus, this time he was getting the fathers permission to take the woman for his mate. But he still didn’t know who her pack leader really was, and he couldn’t be sure that her pack was innocent when it came to the harm done to either Lelandi or her sister.

He folded his arms and leaned back into the recliner. ‘Why don’t you tell me the truth now?”