Heart of the Wolf

Chapter Thirteen

IN HER NAKEDNESS, BELLA GASPED, AND DEVLYN’S temper spiraled when he saw the enemy—zoo man Thompson—seated at her dining room table, cozy as could be. Devlyn shoved Bella behind him, hiding her nudity from the wolf lover, and slammed the kitchen door on their escape. He hit the button for the garage door opener and then met Bella at the SUV before she could open the door. He yanked it open and she scrambled into the car. As fast as he could, he raced around to the driver’s side.

If it wasn’t one damn thing, it was another. Why in the hell had Chrissie brought Thompson back to Bella’s house?

Damn. Thompson thought Chrissie was Bella, and it was her house. She probably couldn’t get rid of him without arousing suspicion. Or maybe she hadn’t wanted to get rid of him so awfully bad. Devlyn growled deep inside.

He jammed the keys in the car’s ignition and turned the engine on, but Chrissie hurried into the garage, waving at them. Devlyn rolled down the passenger’s window and scowled. If Chrissie delayed their escape— “I told Henry everything.” Chrissie winked at Devlyn. “About how you and Bella were old friends who were in love with each other. How Volan Smith—you know, the guy you worked for, Devlyn—wanted the red wolf and how he had the goods on you so you had to release her from the zoo. Only you didn’t. Volan set the red wolf free when you refused to go along with it. But he had taken Bella hostage and left her naked in the zoo’s wolf exhibit in the wolf’s place. He thought it was funnier than hell in his sick twisted mind, except that she could have died.”

Devlyn clamped his gaping mouth shut and then finally said, “And?”

“Well, Henry’s really a pretty great guy. He wants you to give a description of this Volan Smith so he can notify the police. Of course, he wants you to make a statement to the police about everything that happened also.”

Bella glanced at Devlyn. “What about the knocked out police officers and Thompson at the hospital? They’ll blame and arrest you for that.”

“Extenuating circumstances. Volan threatened to kill Bella. Left her for dead already, right, Devlyn?” Chrissie asked. “You knew no one would believe you and worried Volan would get to her at the hospital. Overcome by concern for her, you took any measure you could to protect her.”

Bella shook her head. “I don’t trust Thompson. What did he say about the wolf?”

“He wants her back. But I told him Volan’s the one that got her out, and he’s the one who’ll know where she is.”

Devlyn nodded. “He thinks she’s his.”

“Did he own her before?” Chrissie asked. “Yeah. But she ran away.”

“That’s what I told Henry. He thought humans had owned her before.”

Chrissie glanced at Devlyn’s naked chest. From where she stood, she couldn’t see anything more, but he imagined she wouldn’t mind taking a peek to see what else she might get a glimpse of—if she hadn’t already gotten enough of an eyeful earlier.

“When the two of you are more dressed, maybe you could come in and talk to him?”

“Our clothes are wet and in the dryer,” Bella said. Chrissie raised her brows. “Want me to grab them for you?”

“Sure,” Bella said. “But I don’t want Devlyn arrested. Maybe Thompson won’t press charges, but the police most likely will. The worst of it is, Volan is after me, even now. Devlyn’s my only protection.”

Chrissie’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes, of course, if Volan’s still on the loose and after you.” She pulled a ring of keys out of her pocket. “You can wait at my house while Bella talks to Henry,” she said to Devlyn.

Devlyn shook his head and climbed out of the SUV, the door shielding him from Chrissie’s view. “I stick with Bella.”

Chrissie whipped around, dashed for the laundry room, and yanked the dryer open. In a jiffy, she headed back to Bella’s side of the SUV and handed the warm damp clothes to her. Bella passed Devlyn’s things to him, and while she tugged on her turtleneck, Chrissie hurried for the kitchen door with one backward glance before she closed the door behind her.

Devlyn yanked on his pants, growling under his breath. “Of all the damned things to happen. I should have known.”

Bella objected, “But you can’t go with me. He’ll—”

“I’m not leaving you for a second, Bella. At any time, that bastard could show up.” Devlyn finished buckling his belt while she tugged on her denims.

Nodding, she acquiesced to his leadership, but he could tell she wasn’t happy about it. This time it didn’t matter. Any male who wouldn’t protect his mate could never lead a pack; if Thompson had any ideas of having Devlyn arrested, he’d make sure he changed his mind. Even if it meant knocking him out again and running for the hills with Bella.

When Bella was more presentable, Devlyn grabbed her hand and then paused at the door to the kitchen, but everything was quiet in there. He glanced at Bella, but she was waiting for him to make a move. Steeling his back, Devlyn twisted the knob and pulled the door open.

Thompson stopped pacing and stood watching them, his blue eyes shifting from Devlyn, the one he most likely felt threatened by, to Bella.

Instantly, Devlyn felt possessive of his mate and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Thompson, taking the cue, sat down at the table again, playing the part of a nonthreatening male adversary.

Devlyn walked Bella into the kitchen and shut the door. “Chrissie told me the whole story,” Thompson said, glancing in her direction.

Leaning against the bar countertop, Chrissie smiled back at him, and Devlyn fought the urge to laugh. The woman would have made a great seductive gray female in their pack, but he was sure Chrissie wouldn’t agree.

“But,” Thompson continued, “the police are going to need a description of this Volan Smith.”

“He’s still after me,” Bella said, trying to move toward the fridge.

Devlyn finally released her, fearing the others would think he acted like a clinging vine. He couldn’t help feeling possessive when it came to her, blaming it on his wolf nature. He was sure Bella wouldn’t fault him too much for it.

She pulled a picture from the fridge, the rest half burying it.

He moved in closer and glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, it was a recent photo of Volan. “Why did Argos send this to you?” He couldn’t help the irritation that laced his words.

“So I’d know him if he ever came for me.”

“Oh.” He definitely had to get a grip on his emotions. “He was an old boyfriend?” Thompson asked. “No,” both Devlyn and Bella said, and she looked up at him. He gave her a small smile.

Chrissie’s version of the story didn’t hold a thimble of truth. They’d have to concoct something that was more factual than not.

Bella squeezed Devlyn’s hand as if to encourage him to let her explain the situation. “I was adopted after a wildfire killed my family. He was my adoptive brother, only he wanted me for more than a sister.”

“He tried something with you?” Thompson asked, his face stern, as if he would have protected her from the menace, too, if he’d been able.

Bella glanced at Devlyn, and the look on her face revealed a mixture of shame, regret, and anger. All at once, the idea that Volan had attempted to rape her when she was underage raced through Devlyn’s mind. Was that the reason she kept trying to run away? Argos had grown too old and couldn’t fight Volan, so he had wisely stepped down as leader of the pack. Although the pack would sentence a rogue wolf to death for such a crime, it couldn’t do it if the wolf happened to be the leader and unbeatable.

Devlyn frowned at her, his heart thundering, both with concern that Volan had tried to do something so dastardly and with anger for her not telling him. He knew she’d been hiding some deep, dark secret, damn it. The nightmares she was having ... “Bella, did he?”

Bella ran her hands over her jeans and stared at the floor. Her words were no more than a whispered croak. “Argos stopped him.”

“Damn it, Bella, why didn’t you tell me? I would have killed him! Why didn’t Argos tell the rest of the—”

Her eyes shot up in warning.

“Family,” he said, swallowing the word he’d almost used.

“You were adopted, too?” Chrissie asked, her eyes as big as melons. “A brother, too?”

He nodded. “Yeah.” He knew what Chrissie was getting at. He and Bella shared an incestuous relationship, although they wouldn’t have been blood relatives. “We weren’t raised together for long before she ran away.” They had been, but humans wouldn’t understand the lupus garou longevity, nor would they understand the workings of a pack. Besides, they were different kinds of wolves, sharing no close lineage—a red and a gray.

Befuddled, Thompson just stared at them. Chrissie collapsed in her chair. “So, that explains why you don’t go out with guys and you stay home most of the time. And have a post office box and all.”

“But about Rosa,” Thompson said, “why would he want her?”

“She’s like a wild pet,” Bella explained. Devlyn linked his fingers with hers. He couldn’t

believe Argos hadn’t at least told Devlyn to protect Bella. Then he realized Argos couldn’t have. No one could have protected her back then.

She handed the photo of Volan to Thompson. Frowning, he considered the picture. “I saw him at the dance club tonight.”

Bella’s face paled. “Yeah, he pretended to be Argos, my adoptive father, in an email to me.”

“You were at the dance club?” Thompson said in surprise. “I—”

Bella gave an elusive smile. “What name did you use on your email to me?”

“Charlie. I thought maybe there was some kind of conspiracy to free all red wolves. I knew it had to be you, the unnamed girl from the hospital, or at least I’d hoped so.”

“Charlie, the one who’s independently wealthy.” Bella noticed Chrissie’s eyes grow big. “Volan doesn’t know where I live, for now. But he’s pretty cagey. He’ll find out sooner or later.”

Thompson glanced at Devlyn. “I won’t press charges against you for knocking me out.”

Devlyn raised a brow. “Who said I struck you?”

Bella’s fingers tightened around his.

He gave her a reassuring squeeze back. “You didn’t see who hit you, did you? Volan was there. That’s why I had to rescue Bella from the hospital. I discovered he’d already knocked out the police officers. He must have gotten to you later.”

Thompson rubbed the back of his head as if remembering the pain. “Yeah, you could be right. I only assumed it was you because I’d seen you at the zoo earlier and then again at the nurse’s station. Downstairs, the receptionist said you’d left with a half-dressed, redheaded woman in a man’s oversized clothes. I just assumed—”

“No one could have protected Bella if I hadn’t slipped her away from the hospital.”

Bella’s fingers still squeezed his, cutting off the circulation, waiting for Thompson’s final verdict.

“Yeah,” Thompson said, nodding. “I’m sure I got a glimpse of this fellow right before he hit me. He’s the one all right.”

Devlyn wrapped his arm around her waist, glad that the zoo man could help corroborate their story, made up as it was. Now the problem was, if the police did arrest Volan, they’d have no proof. Plus imprisoning Volan wasn’t the solution. Like any lupus garou, if he were exposed to the full moon when it shone in all its glory, Volan’s wolf coat could appear. No way could they risk Volan’s imprisonment. To secure Bella’s freedom, Devlyn had to kill Volan.

“You need to make a statement to the police about what he did to you, Miss Wilder,” Thompson said.

She shook her head.

Thompson turned to Devlyn. “Can I talk to you for a moment, alone?”

Devlyn embraced Bella and then released her. “Yeah, we can talk out back.”

Bella frowned at him. Devlyn had every intention of keeping the zoo man on their side. One less problem to have to deal with. Or at least he hoped.

He joined Thompson on the covered brick patio, and the two sat on a pair of cushioned, high-backed rockers. The rain had slowed to a pitter patter, but Devlyn felt damp through and through.

Thompson said, “I’m sorry about the little lady, but she needs to report this to the police. I can see she’s terrified of this man.” He shook his head. “I don’t know why your family wants to keep this under wraps, unless it’s to protect the family name. But Miss Wilder shouldn’t have to fear for her life.”

Thompson paused as if lending weight to his lecture, allowing Devlyn to soak in his words of wisdom. “I can tell she believes you’ll protect her no matter what, but you can’t kill him. Let the police handle this.”

“I didn’t mean I’d kill Volan for real.” Of course Devlyn would kill him. It was the only way to save Bella. “It’s just a saying. I’m not the killing type.”

“Anyone’s got it in them if there’s enough at stake.” Thompson glanced back at the house. “I’d say that the little lady is pretty high stakes.”

The highest. “There can’t be any leak of her address to the media, Henry. She’d be a ready target if that happened.”

Thompson folded his arms. “You think if I tell the police, they’ll question her, need her address, and somehow this Volan will find her?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I think.” But more than that, the reds would locate her. And the killer of the female humans could, too, if he wasn’t one of the pack. In any event, as soon as Thompson vacated the premises, Devlyn was taking steps to move Bella to another location to keep her safe.

Thompson reached underneath his jacket and Devlyn’s back stiffened. “Got something I want to read to you,” Thompson explained when he noticed Devlyn’s reaction. He pulled out a newspaper clipping and shook out the folded paper. “This was in the Mail Tribune about Wolf Creek and some trouble they were having. Namely, a barbecue that was held in the neighborhood there. A nonprofit wolf sanctuary that takes care of abandoned and abused wolves once raised by humans was negotiating the purchase of the Golden Coyote Wetlands, one hundred acres of land near Wolf Creek. One of the men threatened to use the wolves for target practice.”

Devlyn’s neck muscles tightened.

Thompson took a deep breath and proceeded. “The thing is, people have painted over their signs, caused lots of other vandalism at the current facility, and even attacked the founder’s home. These people who take in wolves to raise as pets have the best intentions. Or maybe not always, but they take in a wolf thinking that it’s different and they can handle it. Then they find out they can’t. The abused animals have no place else to go. My point is that, if people like the one who was threatening to kill wolves learn that a red wolf is running through the woods, releasing Rosa into the wild will get her killed.”

Devlyn nodded. What else could he do? Lupus garous generally knew to stay out of the human’s way when they took a run in the wild, except in Bella’s case. He figured she had been distracted when she sensed other reds nearby. He didn’t like it that people were mistreating real wolves, but he didn’t want to sound too interested. “The founder’s name?”

Thompson refolded the paper and shoved it under his jacket. “Probably best if you didn’t know it.”

Why? Because Devlyn might try to release those wolves into the wild? Seal their doom? But he would discover the name soon enough. And then? He’d make a private donation. Maybe, with additional funds, the founder could find a place far enough away from civilization where the wolves could live out their days in peace, like the insurance company did for a couple of pairs of red wolves in North Carolina at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

Thompson waved Volan’s picture. “I’ll run this photo by the police station on my way home. I can’t promise anything about keeping Miss Wilder and you out of this forever, but for now, I’ll say I received an anonymous tip about your circumstances. No addresses, no statement.” Thompson shoved the photo inside his jacket. “In the meantime, I’ll ask the chief, a good buddy of mine, to pull the warrants for your arrest and trash them, as a case of mistaken identity. The fact that I swear out a complaint against this Volan Smith striking me at the hospital should get the ball rolling as far as getting him into custody.”

Somehow, Devlyn didn’t figure Thompson’s plans would fall into place so easily.

Thompson tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. “Then Miss Wilder and you can come forward with further charges. But remember what I said.” He rose from the chair. “Convince her to press charges. It’s the only way to put the bastard behind bars.”

Devlyn intended putting Volan six feet under, not behind bars.

He stretched his hand out and gave Thompson’s a firm shake. “Thanks for helping us.”

“Because of circumstantial evidence, I’ve pinned the blame on the two of you, and put you both at more risk. I’m the one who should be apologizing. If you need any further assistance, feel free to call me.” Thompson pulled a business card from his pocket.

“Thanks.” Devlyn hoped his movements didn’t appear too rushed as he grabbed the patio door and yanked it open. And he hoped removing Chrissie from the house wouldn’t take too much effort.

All he could think of was moving Bella. A cousin’s condo in Sacramento might be a good bet.

But would Bella agree to leave? He’d grown used to her unpredictable behavior. Thinking he’d have the situation well at hand, she’d surprise him. So, when he planned their next move, he had an inkling he’d have a fight on his hands.

Drawing himself taller, he entered the dining room as Bella sat at the table watching him, her face showing her concern. A paper napkin she’d been toying with lay in shreds on the tabletop. She quickly released the tortured paper and placed her hands in her lap.

Trying to reassure her that he’d take care of her, he smiled. He glanced at Chrissie, whose focus had returned to his bare chest where his shirt still hung open.

Thompson said, “Night, Chrissie. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Grinning at him, she twisted a dark curl around her finger. “Sure thing. I’ll be waiting.”

Devlyn let Thompson out and then locked the door. Now, for Chrissie’s removal.

He stalked back into the kitchen. For a second, it didn’t register that Chrissie had already left. He looked inquisitively at Bella.

She rose from her seat. “She told me to say good night to you and slipped out the back door. She figured we had more getting acquainted to do, and she needed to get some beauty rest for her date tomorrow with Thompson.”

“Bella, listen,” Devlyn said, drawing close. He rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned down and kissed her cheek. “For your own protection, you have to leave here.”