Legacy Found

Chapter Fifteen

James took a deep breath and decided it was high time for him to take control of the highly charged situation. He motioned to Grady Tallant, who’d joined the fight. “Gather as many men as you need and get rid of the bodies. Strip them of any weapons and identification. Send out a party to find their vehicles. We need to dispose of them.”

He nodded and Grady headed off.

He turned to Donovan Brody, who was watching the young man—Quinn Lawton—like he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. And no wonder. It wasn’t every day you found out you had a son and a daughter you hadn’t known about. “Take Quinn into the house. We need to talk.” James needed as much information about this situation as he could get.

“Levi, you and Micah take Simon home and tend to his wound.” From what James could see it looked as though a silver bullet had hit his shoulder. They’d been lucky no one was killed.

“Gavin, you and Etienne watch the front and back gates. Just in case there are any more hunters or some other members of the Carlos clan decide they want to try to kill me.”

“Alpha.” Gavin called James by his formal title, inclined his head and headed off with Etienne.

Finally, James turned to Shelley. He admitted that he’d avoided looking at her. Her first morning here and already they’d faced an attack from hunters and an internal threat from fellow wolves. Blood stained the ground and the air was thick with death. Not exactly the welcome he’d envisioned for her.

She’d probably decide she was better off out in the world on her own.

He raked his fingers through his hair and shook off those negative thoughts. She’d promised him a week and he was holding her to it. “Come inside, Shelley.”

Her face was pale, but her lips were set in a thin line. Stubborn woman. Instead of going inside for safety, she’d attacked a hunter, wielding nothing but an axe and determination. His blood still ran cold thinking about it.

Her face was smudged with dirt and blood and her new clothes might never recover. Her hair was hanging around her face, her ponytail holder long gone.

He’d never seen a more beautiful woman in his life.

His body hardened. Muscles tensing. His breathing deepened and he sniffed her unique perfume. Under the fear he caught a tinge of arousal. His cock responded immediately, springing to attention.

Now that the heat of battle was over, another heat was upon him.

“James,” Joshua called from the porch steps.

James wanted to do nothing more than take Shelley in his arms and hold her until she understood he’d protect her with his life, would never let them take her again. Instead, he had to deal with the fallout from this latest attack. Sometimes, being alpha just plain sucked.

He held out his hand. “Come here.” He softened his tone and she inched forward. She was chewing on her bottom lip, a sure sign of nerves. He caught a glimpse of her pink tongue and it kicked up his arousal another notch.

Shelley kept her head down as she passed him. He wasn’t letting her avoid him that easily. He put his hand on her back, guiding her inside.

The group was waiting in the foyer. James turned to Joshua. “Have some coffee. We’ll be down as soon as I make sure Shelley is all right.”

Joshua raised an eyebrow but inclined his head. “As you wish.” He turned and strode toward the kitchen.

“James,” Shelley began. He closed his eyes briefly and savored the sound of his name coming from her lips.

“Upstairs.” He urged her up the stairs to the bathroom, trying not to notice how perfectly her jeans cupped her heart-shaped ass. She kept glancing over her shoulder at him, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Finally, he couldn’t take the temptation any longer. He backed her up against the bathroom door and placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her with his body. Leaning down, he licked her bottom lip. It was red and slightly swollen where she’d been worrying it.

He moaned as her taste exploded on his tongue. Spicy and sweet. His.

Her hands crept up his chest and around his neck. He deepened the kiss, teasing the inside of her mouth. Her tongue sought out his. Twining. Touching.

Something deep inside him relaxed. Shelley was safe. She was here. And she was returning his kiss.

James ate at Shelley’s lips, teasing and tempting. Her fingers fisted in his hair, holding him close. Elation raced through him. She still wanted him. She’d seen him shift into his wolf, seen him kill a man, and she still desired him.

Only the fact that he had a houseful of people waiting for him made him back away. He eased his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers. “Later,” he promised. “I need to deal with the situation downstairs.”

Shelley jerked slightly, her hand coming to her lips. “Of course.”

James hated to see the fear and self-consciousness return to her face. He liked her much better when her eyes were slumberous and sexy and filled with need. For him.

He urged her into the bathroom and grabbed a facecloth. Wetting it, he then brought it to her face and dabbed at the several slight cuts.

Shelley put her hand over his. “It’s nothing. Just a few splinters of wood.”

“Let me see to you.” He knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else until she’d been taken care of.

Standing quietly next to the sink, Shelley allowed him to wash her cuts and remove several small splinters of wood before dabbing them with some antibacterial ointment he found in the cabinet.

“There. All done.” He dumped the tube of ointment on the counter and washed his hands.

Shelley caught his thick wrist, her slender fingers not quite going all the way around. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Get changed and come down to the kitchen.” James was surprised Isaiah hadn’t already come upstairs to check on her. He still had to be in shock. Joshua must have called him and told him the news, but actually seeing his sister in the flesh made it real.

Shelley nodded and headed to her room. James stopped in his own room long enough to grab a shirt. He left it unbuttoned and didn’t bother with socks or shoes, rather padded barefoot down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Alex had made coffee so he swung by the counter and poured himself a mug. Isaiah sat, arms folded across his chest. His wife Meredith was next to him. James hadn’t realized she was with him and inclined his head in greeting. She returned the nod, looking as aloof and regal as ever. Isaiah had certainly met his match with that female.

Alex was seated next to Joshua, her hand linked with his. They were a unit, a mated pair, and no one would ever come between them. That gave James a lot of comfort. He couldn’t have wished for a better mate for his daughter.

Donovan and Quinn were staring at one another. Seated side by side, the resemblance was uncanny.

James heard Shelley’s soft footsteps on the stairs and turned to watch her walk into the kitchen. Everyone who needed to be here was accounted for.

“You want some coffee?” Shelley still appeared far too pale for his liking. But worse, he could sense her fear and apprehension.

“Please.”

James poured up another mug and handed it to her. It pleased him that she stayed close to him. He seated her next to him and turned to the business at hand.

“Tell me everything you know.” He pinned Quinn with a steely gaze and listened as the younger man recounted everything. The attack on his family. Being separated from his twin. Going undercover with the hunters. The long empty search. The call from Steve Macmillan to come to North Carolina.

Finally, Quinn’s voice trailed off.

“He recognized me at the gas station in Nashville.” Shelley broke the silence.

Quinn shook his head. “I don’t think so. Not consciously. Not at first. But something about you and James made him suspicious and he ran the plates of the truck. What he came up with made him want to dig deeper.”

The younger man turned to James. “Your bad luck that a hunter spotted your truck outside a motel and he followed you here.”

James had mulled over everything. “So no one else knows our location?”

“I don’t think so. Macmillan wanted to keep it wrapped tight. He didn’t want anyone to know about her.” Quinn motioned to Shelley.

“Why?” Isaiah sat forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Why was he after you, Rachel?”

“Shelley. My name is Shelley.”

James could see Isaiah was disgruntled, but he’d have to get used to the new name. The girl who was Rachel had died long ago. A brutal death at the hands of the hunters. The woman who was born was Shelley. Strong and patient and a survivor.

“Shelley,” Isaiah conceded. “Why was this Macmillan guy after you?”

Shelley could feel her entire body trembling. Everyone was watching her. Soon they would all know that this tragedy was her fault. Her time here was coming to an end. They wouldn’t want her to stay now. Not after this.

But the truth needed to come out. She needed to tell someone, release the burden weighing her down. It was all a part of dealing with her past so she could have a future.

“I killed his father.” She waited, but no one condemned her. Licking her dry lips, she gathered her courage. “Tom. That was his father’s name. He was the one who captured me all those years ago.”

Isaiah swore. His eyes blazed with fury. The woman sitting beside him placed her hand on his arm. Shelley hadn’t met her, but she assumed it was Meredith, his mate.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring this trouble to all of you.”

“Fuck that.” Isaiah jumped up from his chair, knocking it to the floor. “I wish I’d found you years ago and killed the lot of them.” He whirled around to face Quinn. “And you. You’re a part of this. You let them get close to my sister. To my sister-in-law. My brothers.”

Quinn surged out of his seat and slammed his hands down flat on the table. “I didn’t let them get hurt. I killed Macmillan. I risked my sister’s life for your women.” He took a deep breath, his chest heaving. “I also helped save your wife’s pack in Chicago by calling your brother. I knew who you were. I’ve been able to find out a few things about my heritage over the past few years.” He took a deep breath. “I won’t deny I’ve killed. But only those sanctimonious pureblooded wolves who would have killed me or my sister and brother if they found us.”

James jumped on Quinn’s last statement. “You have another brother?”

“Yeah. He’s fully human. He’s younger than we are. My mom was in a relationship with another loser.” He shot a glare at Donovan. “Craig is how I found the hunters, how I’ve managed to learn as much about werewolves as I have. He’s hell on wheels with a computer.”

“But how did he find me and get my phone number?” Joshua asked.

Quinn smirked. “I did that all on my own. Isaiah used the same phone all while he was in Chicago.” He turned to face the older brother. “I followed you into Meredith’s club one night. You left your phone in your coat pocket and your coat at the table when you went to the john. I lifted your phone and got your number. I also copied the numbers you called. It wasn’t hard to figure out the one you called the most had to be your family or your alpha. I was gone before you got back to your table.”

“You’re good.” Isaiah eased back into his seat.

“Sit down, Quinn,” James ordered. “If we were going to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

Slowly, the younger man eased back down onto his seat.

Aggression seeped from the males in the room. She almost expected them to snarl and snap at one another any second. Shelley could feel the wolf inside her react to it, bristling and pacing. “I’m so sorry for all this.” She needed to make amends, but didn’t know how. “I’ll leave as soon as I pack my things.”

Every eye turned to her and the tension in the room grew thick. She swallowed hard, but squared her shoulders.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Isaiah looked as though he was going to jump over the table and grab her. Meredith’s hand on his arm seemed to be the only thing restraining him.

“You’re staying with us,” Joshua insisted, a deep frown on his face.

“I’m not a prisoner. I can leave if I want to,” she shot back. Crazy. She was going crazy. To be arguing to leave when all she wanted to do was stay, she had to be insane.

“No. You’re not a prisoner.” James’s calm voice soothed some of the unsettled feelings inside her. “But you did promise me a week.”

She was so confused. The last few days had changed everything she’d ever believed about herself and her family. Her past had caught up to her and now her future was uncertain.

It was a relief that James had offered her a lifeline. “A week.” Actually it was more like six days now. But it would give her time to figure out her next move.

Her brothers settled back, but she could tell they weren’t pleased with her. She rubbed her forehead. This wasn’t going well. She’d hoped to build some kind of relationship with her family. That wouldn’t happen if they were angry with her.

Levi entered the house, taking some of the attention from her, for which she was eternally grateful.

“How is Simon?” James asked.

“Well. I removed the bullet and he’s stitched up. He should be fine in a few days.”

It shamed Shelley that she hadn’t been the first one to ask about him. Her heart had almost stopped when she’d heard him yell, seen him fall. They might be virtual strangers, but they were already working their way into her heart.

The room seemed to close around her. The air grew thinner, making it harder to breathe. A panic attack. She couldn’t have one now. Not here.

Fingers closed around hers. She glanced at her lap. James’s hand covered hers, offering silent comfort. He knew. Her gaze flew to his face and all she read was concern.

She concentrated on his face. Taking one breath at a time. She could almost hear his voice in her head telling her what to do. Gradually, her panic faded and she was able to pay attention to the conversation going on around her.

“Do you know for certain that hunters have your sister?” Donovan asked Quinn.

“Who else would take her?”

“Wolves.” Donovan rolled his coffee mug back and forth between his hands. “The fact is that females are scarce and a rogue werewolf might have taken a female to mate with.”

“You mean some bastard kidnapped her and turned her into his sex slave?”

Shelley could all too easily understand Quinn’s concern. No female deserved to be taken and kept against her will.

“Maybe she isn’t being kept against her will.” Donovan faced his son. “Have you thought of that?”

Quinn shook his head. “No. We’re extremely close. She’d contact me if she could. She knows I’ll never stop searching for her.” He turned to Isaiah and Joshua. “You above anyone should understand that.”

James held up his hand. “Enough. Give Isaiah and Joshua all the information you have and we’ll help you make inquiries.”

“How? My brother’s the best there is when it comes to hacking computers. If he hasn’t been able to find a trace of her, what makes you think you can?”

James stared at the young man. “We have resources you don’t.”

Isaiah leaned forward and banged his head against the table with a heavy thunk before raising it to glare at James. “You don’t mean—”

James grinned. “You’ll be talking to Damek soon enough.”

“Who’s Damek?” Quinn asked.

“You’ll find out when you head to Chicago with Isaiah. I think you should have your brother join you there. It’s time we all started working together. We’ll find Chris.”

“I want in on this,” Donovan insisted.

James looked at Quinn. “That’s between you and Quinn. This meeting is done.” He stood and Joshua ushered Quinn and Donovan out of the room. Levi followed. Alex paused long enough to kiss her father’s cheek and hug Shelley.

“Don’t worry. Everything will work out.”

Shelley wished she shared Alex’s surety.

Isaiah stood with his woman beside him. “Rach— I mean, Shelley. I want you to meet Meredith, my mate.”

“It’s a pleasure.” The tall, slender woman held out her hand. She was striking with her long black hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in slacks and a blouse, but she seemed sophisticated. Shelley felt like a poor relation next to her.

She rubbed her damp palm over the leg of her jeans before she took Meredith’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Why don’t we go over to our house so we can talk?” Isaiah swept his arm around his wife. Shelley glanced at James and then away. She couldn’t depend on him for support. He had more important things to do than babysit her.

“Sure.” She walked toward the door with her family, but she could feel James’s eyes on her as she walked away.

Letting Shelley leave with her brother wasn’t easy. Every protective instinct inside James was urging him to sweep her into his arms and carry her to his bedroom. She belonged with him.

But she was still planning on leaving.

Her panic attack had caught him off-guard. He’d noted her loss of color and the way she’d stiffened and immediately known what was happening. Like a wild animal who’d tasted freedom, she panicked whenever she felt as though her freedom was being challenged.

Isaiah had almost blown it by insisting she stay.

Thankfully, he’d been able to smooth it over by reminding Shelley she’d promised him a week. Six days now. Not nearly long enough, but it would have to do. He had his work cut out for him to get Shelley to want to stay.

He would make it happen. Any other outcome was unacceptable.

James carried his mug to the sink and poured out his cold coffee. He hadn’t even managed a sip. He heard footsteps on the porch and knew Grady and the others had arrived.

It was time to deal with pack problems. He’d been too lenient and the Carlos family had once again threatened the safety of the pack. He set aside his mug, padded to the front door and swung it open. He stepped out onto the porch.

“Tell me what you’ve learned.” James waited patiently as Grady began to speak.