Wild Instinct (10 page)

“It doesn’t matter what he meant.”

Both Donovan and Kelon stared at him with that impassive way they had. And then they nodded. The way they would when any pack member gave his word.

It was all shit, but somehow good.

Twelve

“I’M not leaving without my son.”

Sarah planted her feet at the cave mouth and tugged on her arm. Garrett paid her no mind, merely switched his grip to her waist and hefted her up. “Cur’s bringing him.”

He said that as if it settled everything. “I don’t know Cur.”

“You will.”

“What does that mean?”

“We pretty much share everything.”

She’d lived among humans, seen rogues at their worst. “Like hell.” They weren’t sharing her.

His green eyes cut to hers and that strange tingle went down her spine, as if he’d touched her deep inside. “You’ll do as you’re told.”

“Not hardly.”

“You lived too long among the humans.”

And that was supposed to cow her? She’d left behind the pack behavior that said she had to submit to a male’s will when she’d married John. “Well, maybe I’ll go back.”

He didn’t even look at her as he stepped over the large rock at the edge of the cave. “No, you won’t.”

The morning air was damp with dew, redolent with scent. No matter how deeply she breathed, there was no scent of Josiah or Rachel. Her stomach clenched on an agony of anxiety. Was he all right?

“Rachel might not go with your friend Cur.”

All that got her, as he set her down, was a cock of an eyebrow and a curt, “One way or another, she’ll go.”

She dug in her heels. “He’ll force her?”

A small smile flirted with his lips. “Never yet known Cur to have to resort to force.”

She assumed he referred to how handsome Cur was. “There’s a first time for everything.”

With a tug of his hand he pulled her along. From her perch against his other shoulder, Megan giggled. “True enough,” Garrett responded.

“But you’re not concerned?”

“No.”

“I’m not leaving Josiah.”

At that he turned. With her hands still captured in his, he brought both to her cheek. “I’m bringing him to you, baby.”

“I’m not a baby.”

His eyes did a rapid but thorough perusal of her figure, starting at her head, lingering on her breasts, before traveling to her feet and then back up. She braced herself for the obvious retort. Instead he asked, “You walking, or am I carrying you?”

“I’m not leaving my son.” She couldn’t.

With a move so rapid her mind only cataloged it afterward, she was facedown over his broad shoulder. And with the same graceful strength he again picked up Megan, effectively mitigating her struggles with the fear of hurting her daughter.

“I figured you for a stubborn one.”

He didn’t sound at all put off by the idea.

Thirteen

HAVEN wasn’t what Sarah Anne had expected. She was used to the rigid community structure of werewolves, with the houses set out by hierarchy, but Haven was actually charming. There were capes mixed in with Victorians and bungalows. Some of the houses were in a state of disrepair, but the majority of them were in the process of being rebuilt.

“How big does Wyatt expect his pack to be?” she asked as the SUV they’d picked up three hours ago left the town behind.

Garrett cut her a glance. “I didn’t get the impression that he thought in terms of limits.”

She thought of all the weres who had been displaced for a variety of reasons. “He can’t expect to take them all in.”

“Where would you suggest he draw the line?”

Donovan’s low drawl from the front seat made her blush. The most likely place would be with half bloods. Like her and her children, who were not even that.

“I don’t know.”

“Yeah, neither does Wyatt.”

“So he’s just taking in whomever?”

The seat creaked as Donovan turned. His hard gaze raked her face, leaving her feeling like less than nothing for asking a perfectly valid question. Garrett’s arm came around her shoulder. He was always doing that. Touching her when she needed it most. Whether she wanted it or not.

“The pack is always protected.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning we investigate anyone who applies.”

“You investigated me?”

There were a whole lot of things she didn’t want them to know about her.

The half smile on Donovan’s mouth raised the hairs on the back of her neck. “We left that to Garrett.”

The sick feeling in her stomach grew. The hairs at her temple stirred. There was the softness of a “Relax” couched inside an exhale. “There was nothing unexpected in your background.”

Then he hadn’t discovered everything. She let out her breath. His lips brushed her temple again in what almost seemed like . . . approval?

“Of course,” Donovan continued. “In light of what we now know, those findings could be suspect.”

Garrett cursed.

Donovan laughed. “Relax, cub.”

“Fu—” He glanced at Megan, who was leaning against his other side. “Screw—”

Sarah gasped. Donovan laughed as the car pulled into a driveway that wound through the trees, and said, “You might just want to let that trail off.”

He did, thank the Lord. The wolf in Sarah went on alert as the SUV wound down the driveway. Her nostrils flared, seeking the scent of danger. All she could smell was a hint of leather, the underlying scent of Donovan—wolf, but wrong. The fragrance of her daughter and the overwhelming perfection of Garrett’s scent. Which was slightly stronger in response to the tension.

She bit her lip. If she was worried, how much more so must he be? Not only was his own talent putting him in jeopardy, but as he truly believed she was his mate, he had to worry for Megan. Even if he wanted to escape, she and Megan tied his hands. And who knew what Kelon and Daire were saying to Wyatt? They had a twenty-minute jump on her arrival, as Donovan had stopped for supplies. She glanced up at the flat set of Garrett’s mouth.

He definitely knew they were in trouble. But he wasn’t running. She shouldn’t be surprised. He was a Protector and had claimed her as mate. The one thing a wolf woman never was was alone or vulnerable. Living among the humans, she’d forgotten how good that could make a woman feel. When Garrett looked down, she offered him a smile. The one he offered in return didn’t shake. It was full of the confidence with which a Protector was born, and it settled over her uncertainty with that uncanny yet so welcome calm.

She lay her head against his shoulder. Whatever was going to happen, he was the one who could best handle it. Beneath her ear, she heard his rumble of satisfaction. Her conscience pinged her sense of guilt, but she was tired, worried and, as they pulled in front of the house, more terrified than she’d ever been. The car stopped. The front door of the big Victorian cracked open. Fear chased hope. Suddenly, coming here didn’t seem like such a good idea. A big man stepped through the door. Right behind him came a medium-height woman with brown hair.

Garrett opened the door and stepped out before reaching back to give Sarah Anne a hand. “Too late to change your mind.”

“You’re supposed to support me in whatever I do. Even if I choose not to swear fealty.”

His hand on hers sent that scintillating rush of pleasure down her spine. When he brought the back of her hand to the heat of his lips, the sensation doubled. “So I did.”

She pulled her hand from Garrett’s. A big werewolf who had an expectation of obedience that exuded from his very being caught her eye. That had to be Wyatt. Only the true Alpha had that. He was watching them—no, Garrett—very closely.

Her lip curled up. A snarl rumbled in her throat. Garrett’s hand on her arm held her back when she would have stepped in front of him. Wyatt’s left eyebrow went up.

“So it’s true. You’re mated?”

She tossed her head, not wanting her options closed off so early. “I don’t wear his mark.”

Wyatt’s lips twitched as he glanced over her shoulder. “I see.”

A glance showed why. Garrett stood, head up, shoulders back, glaring at his Alpha. Sarah Anne elbowed him in the gut. He didn’t even grunt.

Wyatt’s lips twitched again. “But I’m thinking that’s just a matter of time.”

The woman behind Wyatt cuffed his shoulder. “Wyatt, remember when we had the discussion about rude assumptions?”

“Not at the moment.” He reached back and drew a woman with long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail forward. “This is my mate, Heather.”

Heather was of medium height with a svelte build, gray blue eyes and a restless energy. Sarah Anne took a breath, confirming what she already knew. “You’re human.”

Heather smiled brightly at her. “To the core.”

“And you’re Alpha.” Wyatt’s warning skittered down her spine. She immediately remembered protocol and lowered her eyes. “Nice to meet you.”

Garrett’s fingers brushed her back. Heather frowned at Wyatt and then at Sarah Anne. “What?”

Wyatt folded his arms across his chest.

“This is one of those wolf things, isn’t it?” Heather asked.

“Yes,” Wyatt replied.

A blush burned Sarah Anne’s cheeks. So much rode on this introduction going well and she’d already insulted the Alpha’s wife. “I’m sorry,” Sarah Anne said.

Heather threw up her hands. “For what?”

Sarah opened her mouth. Heather cut her off with a slash of her hand. “Whatever it was, forget about it.”

“It was disrespect,” Wyatt drawled, displeasure still in his tone.

Heather snorted. “More like shock, I expect.”

That jerked Sarah’s eyes up.

Heather’s smile made her look so much more approachable. “Wyatt’s not nearly as uptight as he appears.”

“I’m not?”

Heather patted Wyatt’s hand. “Nope, and as I told you before, if we’re going to have a community—”

“Pack,” Wyatt corrected.

“Community,” Heather reemphasized. “Of humans and werewolves, then you’re going to have to allow for cultural differences.”

“Sarah Anne is a werewolf—”

“Who has been living among humans for eight years.” Heather walked down the four steps, her smile never faltering. “And I, being human, prefer to be treated as one.” She held out her hand. “Welcome.”

Sarah Anne took her hand, slowly letting out her breath as the relief flowed through her. She hadn’t offended her Alpha female.

Heather included Garrett and Megan in the welcome before coming back to Sarah Anne. “I thought you had a son?”

“Cur’s bringing him,” Garrett cut in.

He didn’t know that. Cur hadn’t had time to call in. The familiar despair clawed at Sarah’s stomach. Heather squeezed her hand.

“There’s no one better than Cur.”

Words were beyond her, so she just nodded and stepped back.

Wyatt stepped down beside her and put his arm around Heather’s shoulder. The other woman looked totally content as she leaned into his side. “Welcome to Haven.”

It had to be a good sign that Heather was so at ease with her mate. “Thank you,” Sarah said.

“Did Teri arrive?” Donovan asked.

“About half an hour ago.” Heather looked toward the tall upstairs corner windows. “Daire has her upstairs. He says she’ll be fine.”

Sarah Anne followed her gaze, dread and hope vying for dominance. “Do you believe him?”

Heather didn’t pull her punches. “As a human or a woman mated to a werewolf?”

“Both.”

Heather sighed. “As a human nurse looking at a human patient, I don’t see how she could be. As a werewolf’s mate, I have hope. Daire is an impressive man.”

Garrett’s fingers pressed the center of her spine and said, “Yes, he is.”

“Thank you.”

Wyatt cocked his eyebrow at Donovan. “I still think that’s one dangerous wolf.”

“Not to us, I don’t think.”

“Don’t think?”

“Hard to tell,” Kelon said, walking up.

“But you brought him here?”

Kelon hauled gear out of the back of the SUV. “You find a way to tell him no and make it stick.”

Wyatt glanced at the second story of the house. “That powerful?”

Kelon put the packs on the suitcase. “That mean.”

Teri must be in that room. Sarah debated handing Megan to Garrett, but with whom would she be safer? The man had muscle on top of muscle and the wherewithal to use it. And he saw the little girl as his to protect.

She shoved Megan into Garrett’s arms before he could figure out what she was doing. She kissed Meg’s cheek. “I’ll be right back, baby.”

Megan plucked her thumb out of her mouth long enough to ask, “Stay, Garrett?”

Sarah Anne looked up into Garrett’s hazel eyes. She hoped trusting her daughter to him wasn’t a mistake. “Yes.”

Fourteen

SARAH Anne made it to just inside the door, but no farther. Daire stood at the foot of the stairs, arms folded across his chest, looking broader and somehow a lot bigger than she remembered. The scars on his face lent a feral cast to his features.

“I want to see Teri.”

“No.”

Just that. A “no” with no explanation. She wanted to gnash her teeth. “Why not?”

He motioned toward the doorway to the right. From the dark wood paneling and the big desk, she figured it must be Wyatt’s office. “We need to talk.”

“After I see Teri.”

The hair on the back of her neck lifted as the floorboards creaked behind her. Wyatt stepped past. Where had he been hiding?

“We have some things to sort out first,” Wyatt said.

“Whatever it is, it can wait.”

The soft smile he gave her did nothing to cover the order. He motioned to the room. “I’m afraid it can’t.”

A touch on her thigh had her looking down. Megan clutched her leg, blue eyes wide as she stared at Wyatt. She made a soft sound of distress.