Captured Moon-6 (8 page)

They’d figured the bond would be enough to bring her to them, that it would be enough for her to overcome the mistrust she’d learned to have in men. They’d obviously been wrong.

“I don’t know,” he answered softly. “Maybe we should call

Marilyn and Maggie.”

Rule snorted. “Oh yeah. After we talked them into helping get her

to the apartment, how do we explain losing her? You know they’re going 49

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to blame us. And I for one, brother, am not afraid to admit I don’t want to go there with the women in the family right now. Mom is going to freak out.”

Lawe held the phone away from his ear and thumped his head against the wall. He hadn’t even thought of that. Like the situation wasn’t bad enough? Actually… Their mother had always treated Abby like another daughter, and after her parents’ deaths had all but adopted her.

“You think she went to Mom and Dad’s? I mean, if she’s looking for someplace she feels safe…”

The line was quiet a full minute. “Maybe. I’ll pick you up, and we’ll go see.”

They could call, but why give her warning they were coming? If she was even there. Their parents were at the townhouse this weekend, but it wasn’t the only possibility. The family shared a farm about forty miles north of town, but no one was there now. They’d planned on having it to themselves. There were also some cabins shared by the pack in the mountains of north Georgia bordering the lands belonging to the Appalachian pack. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone there, much less Abby. No, his bet was his parents’ or sisters’ houses or maybe the farm.

Several hours later, it was clear no matter how much they searched

that she hadn’t been at any of those places. They were back in their apartment, and the sun was inching its way over the horizon when the phone rang. He jumped for it, hoping it was Abby, but the name in the caller ID display made him pause before answering.

“Who is it?” Lawe asked.

“Abel Williamson.”

The phone kept ringing, and Lawe cocked an eyebrow. Abel and Cain Williamson were twins from the Appalachian pack. Rule and Lawe

met them the previous Christmas in their home territory while hunting a rogue who was targeting mated identical twins. “Better answer it.”

Rule flicked it open and pressed the key to turn on the speaker phone. He set it on the kitchen counter so Lawe could step close enough to hear also. “Hey, Abel. What’s up?”

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“Rule.” Sound shuffled in the background as if Abel was moving around and trying to be quiet. “I have something of yours here.” He laughed softly. “And I get the distinct impression she’d be pissed if she knew I was calling.”

Rule exhaled a sigh of relief. At least they knew where she was, and that she was safe. “Distract her. We’re on the way.”

“Don’t take your time,” Abel answered dryly then sighed. “No, I don’t mean that. She and Delilah have been thick as thieves since she got here. I think she needs answers.” He paused. “The kind of answers none of us can give her. One werewolf mate is a lot to deal with. But two?

That’s a whole other game.”

Lawe clamped his throat around the growl, around the urge to tell

the other were to stay out of their business. Abby had gone to the only place she could to see firsthand how a woman handled being mated to twins. He couldn’t fault her that or blame Abel for providing a safe haven.

The were must have sensed his frustration. He spoke quietly.

“Bring a bag, man. Stay a few days. We have plenty of room. It’ll do you all good. Nothing like a vacation when you’re starting out, right?

Think of it as a honeymoon.”

He wanted to refuse. Rule was watching him closely, and he knew

Abby needed this, but mostly his wolf remembered the joy of running through those mountains, so he agreed. Selfishly, but maybe they all would need to be a little selfish to make the relationship work. To make it real.

Guilt and remorse stabbed him. Was that why she took off? They’d

been so busy thinking of themselves, they hadn’t considered the individuals involved? He knew he was guilty of that.

“We will. See you in a few hours. And Abel? Don’t tell her we’re coming.”

“Sure thing,” he answered before hanging up without a good bye.

Lawe flipped the phone closed and met his twin’s gaze. “So she went to Cain and Abel’s. To meet Delilah.”

Rule stood frozen for a moment, then nodded. “She wants to know

how this works.”

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“I think so. Yeah.” Lawe grinned. He knew they were both thinking

the same thing.

Rule returned the smile. “She won’t be expecting us.”

“Not so soon, no.”

“That could work to our advantage.”

Lawe chuckled. “Never thought I’d be the one to say this, but careful, brother. Slow down. She ran because she felt overwhelmed.”

Rule shrugged. “What could be more normal, casual even, than her

mates joining her? She’ll have whatever buffer she thinks she needs, but she won’t be able to avoid us.”

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Chapter Five

Rule drove since he’d caught a couple hours sleep during the night

while Lawe prowled the apartment waiting for Abby to call. There’d been so much to do before they could leave—find their assistant manager and cover the bar for the next few days, write down the week’s liquor order for her, fill their parents in, go to the bank—that it was well after noon before they left Panama City. He was glad to finally be on the road.

Abel called while Lawe snored in the passenger seat.

“Abel.”

“Rule.” There was a slight hesitation in Abel’s voice, a question.

He’d called Lawe’s phone and wasn’t sure who he’d got.

“Yeah. This is Rule. She okay?”

“Fine.”

“Good. She doesn’t know we’re coming?”

“No. That’s why I called actually. When will you be here?”

“Eight or nine hours. There were a lot of things to take care of here first.”

“Fine. Jackson offered her the old Wilkes cabin while she’s here. It’s half way between our house and the big house. Just restored. It’ll be late when you get in, so come here and we’ll show you where it is.”

“I remember it,” he said dryly. He recalled a disaster of a house. “I hope the restoration’s been finished.”

Abel laughed. “It has. You’ll like it. Stop by here for the key.”

“Will do. See y’all tonight.”

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He flipped the phone closed and stared at the road, calculating the

driving distance in his head. It would dark when they got there. Nine or ten p.m. Would she be in bed when they arrived? She was a night owl, but the last few days had been exhausting for all of them. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with her and sleep for twelve hours.

They switched positions in Montgomery and Rule tried to get some

sleep while Lawe drove. Didn’t do him much good. The closer they got, the more keyed up he got. When they finally turned onto the road leading up the mountain, he was ready to burst from his skin.

They parked at Cain and Abel’s. Cain came out and silently handed

them the keys. Grabbing duffle bags from the back, they set off. The cabin had no road access.

It was a short walk. Lawe took the key and walked up the few steps

to the door. Twisted it in the lock and pushed the door open. Rule followed him inside. The house was dark and quiet. They found her in the only bedroom, curled under a light quilt in a deep sleep.

Rule sat next to her and brushed her hair off her face. Held a lock

between his fingers and gently rubbed it. He wanted to shake her awake, vent his worry and demand explanations. He knew what the marriage to Alex has cost her, knew she was afraid to trust and risk her heart. Just as she knew what a mate bond meant to a werewolf.

He frowned. Of course she didn’t really know what it meant to
them
. He heard a rustle of clothes and looked to up to saw Lawe stripping.

Instead of getting into bed, he stepped towards the door. Rule didn’t ask but cocked his head in question.

“I need to run,” he said softly.

Rule nodded and stood. He did too. After removing his clothes, he

dropped them onto one of the two big plush armchairs in the room. With a last long look at Abby, he followed his twin into the hall. It was only a few feet long and led into a big living room, which opened to an airy kitchen. He paused to lock the front door and chuckled before the kitchen door. There was a swinging doggie door at the bottom that could be latched on the inside. Lawe shrugged, pulled the lock open and shifted.

Rule followed him through, bounded off the rear porch and resisted the 54

Captured Moon by Loribelle Hunt

urge to howl.

Instead, he ran.

Lawe returned to the house long before exhaustion overcame Rule.

He didn’t shift when he reentered the cabin, just padded softly after her scent down the hall. Lawe was in bed, his arm wrapped around Abby’s waist and holding her pressed close. If it had been possible, the wolf would have sighed. He’d have to wait for his own turn. Thwarted in what he most wanted, he jumped up on the bed, curled up at the bottom, and settled for sleep.

* * * * *

She left with no purpose, no destination, in mind. North. Just north.

Confusion had driven her out, but eventually the anger set in. At Alex.

Herself. Rule and Lawe. Still she drove. Always north. As if the truck knew, even if she didn’t, where she was going. She finally realized when she hit Chattanooga where that was and took the road east that led into the lands of the Appalachian pack and one threesome in particular.

The last time she’d been here was a school holiday with one of her

college roommates. She remembered the winding road that led to the Alpha’s home, and Lawe had told her about the Williamson twins, that their house was on the same turn off a half‐mile down the mountain. And of course, everyone knew they’d found their mate at Christmas. It was considered a good omen to bond on a Christmas full moon. The story had spread fast.

The reason for the relentless drive north crystallized in her mind.

She needed to know how this worked. How a woman could learn to trust, even love, two men. How she coped with double the dominance.

Abby arrived early in the morning after a night of no sleep, unsure

of how she would to explain her presence. Explanations were unnecessary as it turned out.

She turned the ignition off and twisted to step down from the truck

only to find herself lifted out by one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen. He had white blond hair that brushed his shoulders. He set her feet 55

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on the ground and took a quick step back, then was joined by his brother.

The other twin could only be differentiated by his military‐short hair. The one with long hair spoke first.

“Where are Rule and Lawe? I can’t believe they let you travel this

far alone.”

There was censure in his voice. Her stomach somersaulted. Of course, they’d pick up the twins’ scents on her, notice the bite marks on her neck. She bit her lip, wondering how to proceed, but was again saved the trouble.

“Why don’t you guys let her come in? No point in carrying on in the front yard.”

She looked past them to see a hugely pregnant woman standing on

the front porch, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the twins. They both froze for half a second then smiled at the woman waiting for them and let Abby enter the house. She followed through a big living area and into the kitchen where the woman went to the stove and carefully flipped several strips of bacon over. She smiled over her shoulder.

“I’m Delilah, by the way. The Neanderthals are Cain and Abel.”

“Delilah.” There was a warning in the long‐haired one’s voice, but

Delilah only laughed and blew him a kiss. The one with the buzz cut had disappeared. She’d bet a week’s tips he’d gone to call Rule and Lawe. She ignored the frisson of unease the thought invoked. They couldn’t blame her for going to the best place to get answers to her questions could they?

They’d been the ones who’d refused to wait, after all.

So she spent a pleasant day with Delilah, but found herself reluctant to discuss why she’d come. Delilah seemed to understand that, was content to let the conversation meander or fall silent.

One of the twins was always close. She’d finally discovered which

was which. Abel, the one with the buzz cut, disappeared for part of the afternoon. Delilah had explained he was the pack Enforcer and was with the Alpha part of most days. Cain was always close. He made her nervous at first. Quiet and intense. He reminded her a little of Rule. He rarely spoke, but his gaze was never far from Delilah.

By dinnertime, she was fighting to keep her eyes open, and Abel 56

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took her to the guest cabin. She hadn’t slept for over twenty‐four hours and that after a very difficult few days. She found herself wishing she could curl up in bed with Rule and Lawe and tried to banish the thought.

She was a little surprised they hadn’t shown up yet. Maybe she’d been wrong, and Abel hadn’t called them? She sighed. She’d better do it, but she couldn’t face the reprimands and disapproval she knew she’d get tonight. She’d do it in the morning.