Isaiah's Haven

Chapter Fourteen

Isaiah had decided to have a quick bite to eat at a restaurant just down the road before going back to settle in to his watch for the night. He was enjoying a quick dinner of lasagna and garlic bread when the hairs on the back of his neck stirred.

He lowered his fork slowly, not daring to move, barely daring to breathe. Something was wrong.

His free hand slid down to the sheath strapped to his ankle, his fingers closing around the hilt of his knife. Danger. His instincts were screaming at him.

His first thought was bounty hunters. He scanned the room but didn’t recognize anyone. Not that he expected to. They’d killed the hunters who had attacked last night. All except for the unknown sniper on the rooftop who’d gotten away.

A group of men followed a waitress to a table on the far side of the room. He studied the way they moved, the way their gazes scanned the room. Isaiah glanced down at his plate just in time to avoid being caught looking at them.

Werewolves.

There was no disguising the way they moved or their hyper-awareness of their surroundings. It took one to know one. What were three werewolves doing here?

This neighborhood was getting very crowded with paranormal creatures and hunters.

Coincidence? He didn’t think so.

The smells of the humans and the spices of the food helped mask their scent. Which was a good thing. If he couldn’t smell them, they couldn’t know about him. He’d be fine as long as he didn’t draw their attention.

He picked up his fork and forced himself to start eating. Using his preternatural sense of hearing, he tried to eavesdrop on them. It wasn’t easy. He had to tune out all the other noise around him.

The men ordered dinner and said little until the waitress returned with their meals. A waitress came up to take Isaiah’s empty dinner plate and he ordered coffee and a dessert he didn’t want. But there was no way he could leave before these men. They’d spot him in a heartbeat. And while they were no danger to him, he didn’t want them asking any questions about what he was doing here.

He would do nothing that might jeopardize Meredith and her pack.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably no more than twenty minutes, one of the men shot a glance around the room and leaned in closer. Isaiah pretended to be absorbed with his dessert, but listened intently.

“…email…park…”

Isaiah swore under his breath. He needed to hear more. Had someone contacted them about what had happened in the park last night? Were they possibly here to search for more bounty hunters? That made sense. Werewolves hated the hunters with a passion.

“…wolves…female…”

A low growl threatened to escape him and Isaiah barely managed to swallow it back. The muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled and bunched. He forced himself to breathe deep and slow. The last thing he needed to do was change and let his wolf rip out their throats. That would surely attract unwanted attention.

The metal fork in his hand bent and he carefully set it on the table by his plate. The men shoved away from the table and headed toward the front door. He studied them surreptitiously as they paid for their meal.

When the front door closed behind them, Isaiah was on his feet and across the room. He tossed his waitress the money for his meal and a substantial tip and exited the restaurant.

As the warm air and spicy smells receded, he peered up and down the street, catching a glimpse of the men as they turned a corner. Isaiah loped down the sidewalk. He had to know what they were doing. If they were friend or foe.

Opening all his senses, Isaiah took a quick glance around the corner before following the three men into a dark alley.

The smells that masked his presence also made it more difficult to follow the wolves. Thankfully, they weren’t exactly sneaking around or he’d have had a much harder time.

Isaiah slipped through the darkness, keeping to the shadows. He ducked into a doorway just as one of the men turned suddenly. Shit, he was too close.

“This is the spot,” said a large male with long brown hair, an experienced werewolf from the way he carried himself.

The other two looked around the ground. “The guy who contacted us said there were two females and several males in the park last night.”

“Why would he email us?” the guy who’d almost caught Isaiah asked. That was the same question Isaiah wanted answered. He stood in the shadows, not moving a muscle.

“There’s really only one reason why he would.” He didn’t elaborate, but kept on searching the ground. “I want to know what we’re supposed to be looking for,” the large man complained. “Why couldn’t he have just given us the details in the damn email? This cloak and dagger shit is for amateurs.”

“That’s what you get when you’re dealing with humans.” The wolf who’d done the talking back at the restaurant ignored the other two while he scanned the ground. He suddenly pointed at a bottle. “I think there’s a note in there.”

The male who was closest stalked across the alley, grabbed the bottle and opened it. “Hmmm, looks like our friend has had several men watching the street all day and found what he was looking for.” The male smiled and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. Isaiah peered between a crack in the brickwork and waited with bated breath. Had they found Meredith and her pack?

“Show me.” The largest male, and obviously the leader of the three, held out his hand. He took the note his friend offered and scanned it. “Seems as though our mysterious contact did more than find them. He had a guy watching and he saw something he thought would interest us.”

“What?” the younger man asked. “Women?”

“Yup. And possibly a half-breed male. Maybe more.” The leader of the three crumpled the paper in his hand and stuffed it into his pocket. “Gotta love online social networking. We’re going to pay a little visit later tonight when the club closes down. I’m just glad we were close enough to Chicago to get here tonight.”

“That’s why they contacted us.” The man who’d done the talking at the restaurant smiled.

“Why don’t we just go and get them?” the younger male asked.

Isaiah’s entire body tensed, ready to fight. No one was touching Meredith or her family. Over his dead body. Or rather, over their dead bodies.

His fingernails elongated and his fangs lengthened. The wolf was close to taking hold. Protecting his mate superseded all else.

The big man smacked the younger one in the back of the head. “Because you never take the word of a human, one who is most likely a hunter. We don’t want to destroy one of our own. Besides, it could be a trap for us. We’ll watch until the club closes, then we’ll pay our visit.”

The three men continued down the alley and disappeared.

Isaiah released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Meredith was safe. For now. It had to have been the sniper on the rooftop who’d contacted these wolves. Either that or someone he was working with. Meredith’s cover was truly blown.

Shit. He swore as he leaned against the wall of the building and hit the back of his head against the brickwork. This meant that both the hunters and a group of purist werewolves knew about Meredith and her family. This was turning into a clusterfuck of epic proportions. And it was all his fault.

There was nothing to be done about it. Their secret was out. The only thing he could do now was protect them. They’d have to be ready to move, and fast.

His heart hammered and blood surged through his veins. He longed for a fight. He needed an outlet for his anger and these males were it. He’d send Meredith and the rest of the pack to safety. Then he’d give these wolves a little something they hadn’t been expecting.

Pushing away from the wall, he listened. He was alone. Still, he was cautious as he loped down the alley and back onto the sidewalk. He could see the lights of Haven down the street. His heart ached at the thought of what he was about to do.

Meredith had sent him away after what happened. He’d be lucky if she didn’t try to kill him, given the bomb he was about to drop on her.

Straightening his shoulders, he strode down the sidewalk. He glanced at his watch. It was still early. But he couldn’t afford to wait.

Hank was leaning against the doorframe chatting with two women when he spotted Isaiah. He straightened and said something to the women that had them laughing and walking into the club.

Music, laughter and happy voices drifted out from the open door. Isaiah hated that he was the one who was going to put an end to it. For all time.

“I didn’t expect to see you again.” Hank spread his legs and rested on the balls of his feet, ready to fight.

“This isn’t about Meredith and me. This is about the safety of all of you.” He stopped two feet from Hank, hands at his sides. He wouldn’t attack, but he would defend himself.

“You can tell me and I can pass your message on to her.”

Isaiah shook his head. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but I’m going to see Meredith.”

“What’s going on?” Michael stepped out, eyeing Isaiah cautiously.

“He wants to talk to Meredith.”

Isaiah studied Michael. He looked older, harder than he had twenty-four hours ago. He was sorry for that. He was sorry for all of it.

He couldn’t change the past. All he could do now was try to minimize the damage from the fallout.

Meredith’s son studied him. Isaiah didn’t shift position, didn’t fidget under Michael’s scrutiny.

“I thought you’d be long gone by now.”

“You thought wrong.”

Isaiah sensed no antagonism, no anger from Michael. The younger male actually smiled. That worried Isaiah. What the heck was going on?

“She’s in her office. You know the way.” Michael stepped back and motioned Isaiah inward.

Not hesitating, Isaiah walked into the club. The familiar sounds and smells surrounded him. It felt like home. He hated like hell that Meredith was going to have to leave it to protect her family.

Tammy waved at him as he passed by. Teague glared at him from his post just outside the kitchen door. Kevin was behind the bar, filling drink orders. He nodded, his gaze solemn, and went back to work.

Isaiah cut through the crowd like a shark through a pool of minnows. Everyone moved out of his way without his having to ask. He was throwing off don’t-fuck-with-me vibes even an idiot could sense.

The narrow hallway closed around him and then he was in front of her office door. He didn’t knock, didn’t want to give her the opportunity to send him away without allowing him to see her first.

He gripped the handle, turned it and shoved the door open.

She looked tired. That was his first thought. Meredith was sitting at her desk working on her computer. She wasn’t wearing her usual flashy, sexy dress, but a pair of jeans and a turtleneck sweater. The sweater was soft and clung to her breasts like a lover’s caress.

She glanced up, her eyes widening as she jumped to her feet. Her gaze went behind him and narrowed. “Did you hurt any of them?”

He took the punch to his heart without flinching. “I wouldn’t hurt any of your children.” And they all belonged to her, heart and soul.

She nodded and glanced down at her computer screen, downsizing whatever she’d been working on. Her hair was pulled back in a braid rather than flowing down her back. He wanted to release it, to set it and her free.

“We need to talk.” He shut the door and the room suddenly felt smaller. The noise from the club muted and he could hear every breath Meredith took.

He could smell her too. Her soap and the essence that was pure female, pure Meredith.

His cock jerked to attention. Isaiah longed to go to her and drag her into his arms. He wanted to feel her feminine curves against the hard planes of his body, softening and accommodating his much larger frame. He wanted to inhale her scent into his lungs until it drove out every other smell.

Her lips parted and her tongue flicked out to touch the bottom one. He swallowed a groan as his balls drew up close to his body. Meredith had lips that were made for kissing, full and soft and sweet.

He clenched the muscles in his thighs to keep from walking across the room and sweeping her into his arms. The urge to take her, to make her his once again was overwhelming.

The only other urge that could take precedence, that could control the primal instincts beating at him, was the urge to keep her safe. Nothing was more important than that.

“I thought you’d gone.” The words “for good” went unsaid. Tension crept over him, hardening every muscle in his body.

“No.” He wouldn’t tell her he’d rented a place and was watching her club for any sight of her.

“Oh.” She fiddled with her pen, then tossed it onto the battered desk and squared her shoulders. “Why are you here?”

Meredith could barely breathe. She was finding it extremely difficult to slap together a string of coherent words. Isaiah was here.

He filled the room with his larger-than-life presence. The jeans he wore clung to his thighs. They were well worn and had been washed so often they were soft and supple, molding to the thick muscles. They also did nothing to hide the rather large bulge pressing against the zipper.

Her sex spasmed and cream dampened her panties. She resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest to disguise her puckered nipples. Thankfully, the sweater she was wearing was thick enough to hide her arousal. Not that it mattered. If he got close enough, he’d smell it.

He was wearing a T-shirt with a flannel shirt over it. The inner shirt stretched taut across his abs, outlining his hard chest. Her fingers itched to touch him.

She wanted to run her hands through his shaggy hair and touch her lips to his. He looked tired. The lines radiating from the corners of his eyes were deeper than they’d been. His chocolate brown eyes ate her up as they stood watching one another.

She realized his gaze was on her lips and they parted of their own accord.

Isaiah sucked in a breath and took a step toward her before coming up short. He raked his fingers through his hair. “We need to talk.”

“Okay.” She managed to nod. Neither of them moved. She didn’t know how she felt about him being here. She was elated and frightened at the same time.

She’d sent him away. A man as proud as Isaiah wouldn’t come crawling back. That meant something had sent him here and whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Only his innate sense of responsibility would have brought him back to her.

“What is it?” She had to know. Her stomach was jittery and her palms were sweating. “Is it about what happened in the park?” She felt slightly ill. Had someone seen them last night?

“I overheard a conversation in a restaurant,” he began. She nodded encouragingly and he continued. “There were three of them. Werewolves.”

“Oh, God.” She swayed, catching herself on the back of her chair. “What did you hear?”

“With the noise of the crowd, I could only catch a word or two so I followed them when they left.”

Meredith swallowed hard. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was—

She stopped trying to kid herself. If it weren’t deadly serious, Isaiah wouldn’t be here.

“They stopped in an alley and found a note they’d been told to expect. Seems that the bounty hunters saw where you came from last night and set someone to watch your place today. They had a man on a nearby roof and saw Benjamin and Neema. They also saw Teague.” He hesitated for a second and then continued. “They suspect he might be a half-breed.”

This couldn’t be happening. This was her biggest nightmare unfolding. “Oh, God,” she whispered.

Isaiah’s grim expression didn’t give away any of his thoughts or feelings on the matter. “They also know there might be two werewolf females here.”

Meredith flew around the desk, making for the door. Her kids. She had to protect her children.

Isaiah’s muscled forearm shot around her waist, stopping her. She turned on him and struck out. He captured her arms easily, pinning them behind her. She brought her knee upward in a lightning-fast move, but he countered it. Shoving her against the wall, he leaned against her, holding her prisoner with his weight.

She glared at him, trying to ignore the feel of his body against hers. His thighs were on the outside of hers, squeezing them. That put his erection right at the juncture of her legs. His cock was hard and hot against her mound. His broad chest covered hers, making her nipples ache.

“The others are safe. For the moment,” he added. He leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. “The wolves are planning to wait until closing to check out the situation. They want to make certain of their information before they attack. After all, the intel came from hunters.”

That made sense. She took a deep breath, but relaxation was beyond her. “I don’t understand. Why would hunters contact werewolves and why would the wolves have anything to do with the hunters?” That didn’t make any sense. All wolves hated bounty hunters. It was bred into them from the day they were born. They were natural enemies.

“I’ve come across this before. The bounty hunters use the wolves to do their dirty work for them. They let us kill one another without putting any of their men in danger. And the purist werewolves don’t care. All they care about is keeping the species line strong and untainted.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, it is.” Isaiah raised his head. “Considering how our species is clinging to survival, every member needs to be protected.”

Something deep inside her broke open and a warm, healing balm enveloped her. “Then you don’t agree with them?”

A low growl came from deep inside Isaiah. “Hell, no. What kind of male do you think I am?”

Pain flashed in his eyes and then it was gone. He stepped away and she felt the loss of his warmth.

“That’s why you didn’t tell me.” He glared at her and she felt the full weight of his displeasure.

Emotions pummeled her. Fear warred with desire, making her lightheaded. It took her a moment to make sense of his words. “You knew?”

“I suspected as much. It wasn’t hard. You’re a female alone with two pups. The rest of them would have been children or barely adults when they came to be with you. There’s only one reason all of them wouldn’t have been within the protection of a pack.”

“I think I need to sit down.” Her head was spinning. She lurched for the desk and sat down on the corner. Isaiah’s hand shot out to steady her while she tried to absorb everything he’d told her.

The sensual tension between them sizzled, but she shoved it aside. Bounty hunters knew about them. Werewolves knew about the half-breed members of her pack.

It hit her with the force of a sledgehammer. Their home had been compromised. Chicago was no longer safe. Haven was lost to them forever.

Tears threatened, but she blinked them back. She’d done harder things than this before. She would survive. Her pack would survive.

But there was something she could do.

Isaiah wasn’t a part of this. Nothing he’d said indicated they knew anything about him or his involvement with her pack. It might kill her, but she had to do this. She had to send him away again. And this time it had to be for good.

He was a pure werewolf with a pack of his own. He didn’t need to be a part of this mess. She and her small pack would spend the next five or ten years running and hiding until it was safe to set up a home base again. She couldn’t ask that of him.

Taking a deep breath, Meredith faced the male she loved. “Thank you for telling me this. We’ll take care of it.”

His expression went blank. “That’s it?”

She forced herself to shrug nonchalantly though her heart was breaking. Her wolf was howling in pain at the thought of never seeing her mate again. Because that’s what he was. And she would protect his life at all costs. “What else did you expect?”

“What else indeed?” he muttered.

He turned to leave and her hand automatically reached for him. He opened the door and she closed her eyes, not able to watch him leave again. This was the third time she’d sent him away. Maybe it was karma for what she’d done, for leaving her pack and taking her children with her. Being forced to do this to him was killing her even though she knew it was the right thing, the only thing to do.

The door closed softly and she let out a soft moan of pain. Wrapping her arms around herself, she hunched over as pain radiated from her heart to every part of her body and soul. Tears seeped from the corners of her eyes.

He was truly gone.

Warm arms surrounded her, pulling her gently against a strong chest. Her head shot up and her eyes widened as Isaiah stared back at her. His expression was no longer blank. Fire burned from his eyes and determination filled his face.

“You cheated,” she accused. “You didn’t really leave.” She couldn’t believe he was here.

“So sue me,” he growled. He swooped down, captured her lips with his and thrust his tongue into her mouth, devouring her whole.