Bayou Wolf (9 page)

T
he adrenaline feeding
Mason’s system from the moment he received the first call about Diesel’s disappearance powered his run from home to Diesel’s and from there to Serafina’s. Dylan losing the Alpha aggravated Mason, but the Hunter’s swift action in tracking him earned him a pass. Keeping an Alpha contained when they didn’t want to be wasn’t the easiest task.

He’d narrowed the distance, covering seven miles as fast as he could run, when the howl carried through the woods—the tug of pure Alpha power unmistakable. Diesel had made it to Serafina’s and whatever the hell they—no,
he
since the power carried a distinctly masculine flavor—was doing, Mason’s wolves struggled against the Call.

A wolf howl split the air, followed by a second. Tearing through the woods, Mason silenced the first wolf with a look, and the second with a passing caress and he shoved his power ahead of him. Six Hunters stood between him and Serafina’s lodgings, and they needed their wits and control. Both of which he returned to them as he shattered Diesel’s Call.

No matter his reasoning, the Yukon Alpha’s actions incited Mason on a primitive level. He’d never asked for a pack, never hungered to lead one, but one unmistakable truth existed.
Willow Bend is mine
.

A sapling branch slapped his cheek as he passed it, scoring deep enough to draw blood. Mason didn’t slow. The scene ahead of him played out in stop motion. Serafina stood on the steps to the house leaning against Linc. The wolf, true to his word, had her back. A handful of steps away, Diesel, the rugged mountain of a wolf with his empty expression and too cold eyes, faced off with them. His back was to Mason and Dylan had gotten within arm’s reach of him.

Pushing his will ahead of him, Mason shattered the hold the Yukon Alpha held over Dylan and the Hunter lunged for the Alpha. Serafina sprang, her motion grace and poetry itself. One minute Dylan charged, the next he was down, cradled by the Alpha.

Satisfied she wouldn’t hurt his Hunter, Mason struck his target. He slammed his power and his fist into Diesel as hard as he could. The pain and force reverberated along his arm. He’d hit stone walls with more give than the wolf.

His wolf roared beneath the surface, half of his mind already fought on four legs while the rest of him understood he was still in his human form. Diesel pivoted, and blocked Mason’s second blow, but not the third. When Mason slammed his foot into the other man’s chest, he staggered backward.

Older than him by many years, Diesel was a powerful wolf and Alpha in his own right. Like Mason, he was fed by pack bonds but, guest or not, the wolf had overstepped the moment he’d used his power to Call Mason’s wolves. They battled in near silence, every blow met and matched by a second blow. Cuts littered his face and Diesel bled freely from his nose and mouth.

Three of his knuckles were broken and a bone shifted in his chest that shouldn’t move, but Mason rolled and slammed into Diesel’s legs. They went down. He narrowly avoided the older wolf’s elbow as he drove into the earth where Mason had lain. Neither held back, something roused to life in the ice blue of Diesel’s eyes, and Mason’s wolf answered.

From blows to wrestling, it took a moment for Mason to recognize Diesel fought to get away from him rather than to continue the battle. Releasing him, they rolled apart and rose to mirroring crouches.

A blur of movement slammed into Diesel. Mason lunged as the Alpha caught the black wolf, fisting her scruff, and hoisted the slender animal into the air.

“Let her go,” he snarled. “Now.” Or fuck the summit and fuck the Yukon. His wolf readied for real blood. Alexis, thankfully, didn’t struggle as the Alpha held her high.

Frowning, Diesel turned his attention to her and said, “You should never get between two men fighting, little one.” He lowered the wolf to the ground with profound gentleness.

“Now,” Mason snapped to her. For once, his hot-headed mate did exactly as he dictated. She came to him and pressed against his legs. Her trembling threatened to shred his control.

“I would never harm a mate,” Diesel said, then raised a palm. No lie coated his statement, nor did anger discolor his scent. “I came to see Serafina Andre, not to start a war.”

Tasting the hot copper of his own blood in his mouth, Mason really didn’t give a fuck what the hell Diesel’s intentions had been. “You violated the rules of the summit. You left the property gifted to you for the duration. You evaded your Hunter and trespassed on Delta Crescent’s guest property. And, if that were not enough…you
Called
my wolves.”

With a long, harsh sigh, Diesel nodded. “I am guilty of all those charges.”

Resting a hand against Alexis’ fur, Mason studied the other Alpha. For the briefest moment, when he’d studied Alexis in his grasp, his sad expression tore at Mason’s heart.

Accepting his culpability deflected some of Mason’s rage. Alexis’ warmth at his side eroded more. Hunters appeared around them. Though they’d kept their distance from the fight, their anxiety soured the air.

“The battle is over,” Mason told them. “Go—rest, return to your posts.” His wolves obeyed, all save Dylan—whom Serafina had released—and Linc. Arguably, they were both
at
their posts. With a warning look at Diesel, Mason said, “Back away.” Not bothering to phrase it as a request, he waited for the Alpha to comply. Diesel glanced at Alexis once, then nodded. He withdrew a few yards and Dylan moved to stand between them. The arrogant flirt might be a lot of things, but his steady head in a fight was his most valuable quality.

Dropping to his haunches, Mason ran his hands over Alexis, assuring himself she had no injuries. Her gaze met his and he read the worry and apology in them. They’d been talking when the Call came, and he’d rushed to deal with it. “I get why you followed me,” he told her, cupping her chin in his hand. “I do. Never interfere in a battle for me again.”

For those too long seconds, Diesel held Mason’s heart in his hands. One twist and he could have snapped her neck. She was a powerful wolf, but still too young and new in her power. She was no match for Mason, much less the older wolf. She dropped her head and butted against him once. If she’d been human, he knew exactly what she’d say—and the sass that would follow.

Rising, he glanced at Serafina. “You are well?”

“A whole lot better than you.” She’d torn the sleeve on her shirt at some point, but not even her hair was mussed. With a flick of a look toward Diesel, she raised a brow. He nodded once. Yes, the three of them needed to talk.

“Dylan,” Mason said, quietly. “Linc.”

Both wolves faced him immediately.

“Take Alexis home, settle any other wolves along the way. Then return.”

Alexis made a low whining noise, but he didn’t let her upset dissuade him. He needed his mate away from there before he did kill Diesel or die in the attempt. His act of humanity where she was concerned aside, the Yukon Alpha had touched her which pissed Mason off on every level.

“Go with them,” Mason told her. “This time, you stay at home until I return.” And, because he didn’t want to fight another battle later, he added, “Please, baby. I need you to do this.”

The please worked. She nipped his finger then trotted away with Linc and Dylan bracketing her. Only once they were out of sight did Mason allow his gaze to land on Diesel again. The other Alpha hadn’t moved from his spot.

“If you needed to see Serafina, you could have made arrangements—used the liaisons. That’s what they’re here for.”

“I do not answer to you, Mason Clayborne. Make no mistake, I overstepped by Calling your wolves, and I understand your distress when your mate involved herself in our fight. For those things, you have my apologies. For all else? That was a matter between Miss Andre and myself.”

Diesel’s answer succeeded in pissing him off further. Why had he decided hosting the Alphas was a good idea?

“If you didn’t like his rules,” Serafina said slowly. “You shouldn’t have agreed to them in the first place.”

Diesel shrugged. The lack of any real response didn’t sit well with either of them.

“Fine. If you want to play that way, you can take your wolves and get the hell out of Willow Bend as soon as they return from the healer dinner.” Emma would be upset, but he could make it up to his healer later. Being taciturn and stubborn were one thing. Unpredictable and dangerous? No, Mason wouldn’t let him threaten Willow Bend a minute longer than necessary.

As soon as Dylan returned, Mason would summon a full contingent of Hunters, if necessary, and box the other Alpha in until…

“I thought I scented a mate.” The harsh whisper was so low, Mason almost thought he’d misheard the other wolf. The lack of surprise on Serafina’s face or in her scent told him the other wolf spoke the truth. After another harsh exhale, Diesel met his gaze. The complete lack of expression shattered for one of raw pain. “My mate passed a long time ago. On the ride in, I thought—for the briefest of moments—I scented her. Wishful thinking.” Another shrug. “Then, tonight, I scented her again. Just the faintest of tells…so, I tracked it.”

“To me?” The kindness in Serafina’s voice was far more than Mason could muster, though even in the midst of the rage boiling his blood he could understand the call of a single scent.

He’d tracked the familiar one through a damp city streets and hadn’t even realized what he’d been chasing at first.

“I did not pause to reflect upon my choice. I simply tracked the scent to here. I saw Serafina with her liaison, and the arousal in the air was powerful. I thought at first to leave them, but the scent remained. Almost as though I could touch it, but not quite.”

The arousal in the air?
Mason slanted a look at the Delta Crescent Alpha, but she ignored him in favor of watching the Yukon Alpha.

“So, I attempted to engage Miss Andre. I had to know. She is not the one.” He inclined his head. “My apologies for any offense.”

“Apology accepted.” With two words, she’d deflated half of Mason’s argument. “He didn’t make any violent moves until he tried to test my wolf. Even then, it wouldn’t have affected your wolves so badly if they hadn’t been so close.”

Folding his arms, Mason waited to see if she could find a deflection for the rest.

“As for the fight… Well, Mason, you did come in swinging, but you were also justified. I think if Diesel apologizes—
and swears an oath to not Call wolves again while on your land
—and you accept, we could consider the matter settled.” She raised her eyebrows at him. “Don’t you?”

“I can agree to those terms,” Diesel said slowly before Mason could answer.

Annoyed—and impressed with her tactic—Mason nodded once. She’d given him a way out of his ultimatum while making Diesel acquiesce to what should have been common sense. “I’ll accept his oath.”

They waited and Diesel nodded once. He crossed the intervening distance. Slicing his palm open, he offered his hand to Mason. “You have the word of the Yukon Alpha that I shall not Call the wolf of another while on your land for the duration of the summit…”

“…and the time it takes you to vacate my territory after the summit is complete.” Mason knew how to read between the lines.

The other wolf didn’t want to make that part of the promise, but after a prolonged moment he nodded. “Agreed.”

They clasped hands and the burn traveled up Mason’s bruised arm. Still gripping the other man’s hand, he said, “If you think you scent her again, tell me. I will help you look.”

“Your mate is a determined woman. Few wolves would risk the wrath of an Alpha challenge, not even to save the one they loved.”

Even with a swollen lip, Mason grinned. “Alexis could rule the pack if she put her mind to it.”

“Hold her close,” Diesel said. “Never let her drift too far.” With that cryptic statement, he released Mason and paced away.

“You’re welcome,” Serafina said in a subvocal.

He hadn’t forgotten Diesel’s earlier comment. “Uh huh. Arousal? Are you courting my wolf, Sera?”

“When that becomes your business, I’ll let you know.”

If she’d really set her sights on Linc, his wolf could be in trouble. “Sera?” The last thing he needed was another fight. “He’s mine.” She didn’t get to stampede through his pack, no matter how clever and warm she was.

“I know he is. If I plan to take him from you, I will tell you.” Her words were hardly a comfort. She glanced after Diesel. “I didn’t know he was mated before.”

“What the hell do we really know about each other?” His head hurt; his body bled. He had one Alpha chasing a phantom mate and another trying to seduce one of his wolves. Exhaustion wore at him, and he still had to go home and soothe his upset mate.

And they hadn’t even begun the summit…

F
irst light brought fresh problems
, like a pounding, hangover-shaped headache and the reality of taking Serafina to the first meeting after everything went to hell the night before. Linc chose to sleep on the first floor after the Hounds returned with Amy in tow sometime after midnight. She and Serafina then vanished into quiet conference on the second floor.

In contrast to his earlier standoffishness, Jerome had offered him chicory coffee and a sandwich when he’d made food for himself and his sister. The Hounds were as on point as he. Needless to say, Linc didn’t sleep well or long. The sun crested the eastern sky as he walked out to the porch. In addition to the insanity resulting from Diesel’s confrontation, they’d had to settle the wolves across the Willow Bend Township. The Yukon Alpha’s reach had been considerable and not limited to the immediate area.

The wood was freezing beneath his bare feet. Ignoring the icy sensation, he padded across the frost-kissed yard to his truck. Not waking their guests meant he needed a Red Bull from the truck. He found the too-tall can in the cooler, not frozen thankfully. After popping the lid, he drained half of it in one long drink.

Shit was nasty, but effective. Shaking his head, he tried to clear the cobwebs of sleep from his brain. The dull thud of the pain continued to hammer against the inside of his skull. After fishing his cell phone from his back pocket, he hit speed dial for A.J.

“What?” The clipped, short answer told him more about A.J.’s state of mind than all he explanations in the world. “Don’t tell me that son of a bitch is there again.”

“No.” Linc leaned against the truck. The cold helped the soreness in his muscles. Fighting the desire to shift took everything he had. H he likely would have answered the bastard if not for Serafina. She’d done…
something
to him. “Not here. Wanted to make sure everyone was okay. Mom texted this morning.” The message had woken him. “She said Dad was hurting this morning. Some kids got out of hand?”

“Yeah,” A.J. began, but paused at a distinctly feminine groan. “Hang on a sec.” The phone muffled, but A.J.’s voice softened. “Shh, go back to sleep. You need to sleep through this.” The command resonated in his voice even beneath the covering of the phone.
Vivian.

Turned wolves would take the call even harder than the natural born ones. Trusting his brother wouldn’t have bothered with the phone if his mate really needed him, Linc waited.

“Shh, that’s my girl. All right. Sleep.” A faint squeak of a door, then a gentle thump followed by the padding of feet, then the distinctive hiss of the coffee maker. Voice lower, A.J. said, “Mom and Dad are fine. Dad had an issue with a bunch of kids who’d decided to flout curfew and play around at Tyler’s place while Tyler and Claire weren’t there. He contained them, but got a couple of bites in the process. He’s healing fine. Emma will be along to see him directly. She had more than a few broken bones to set.”

“Broken bones?” What the hell happened?

“Claire had to put a few wolves down to break up fights.” A hint of pride curled in A.J.’s voice. “She only broke the bones of those who wouldn’t stay down. By and large, we’re all good. It seems pretty limited to the immediate town and everyone within five to seven mile radius of your place.”

Still a hell of a reach.

“Vivian?”

“She’s—coping. She’s never lost controlbefore. I think it scared her more than anything.” Dislike filled his tone, a dislike Linc shared. “She didn’t hurt anyone, and she wasn’t hurt, but if her head hurts anywhere near as bad as mine, I’d prefer if she slept.”

“What the hell is up with the headache?” He’d powered through a bottle of vodka once on a dare and hadn’t been this hungover.

“The fight. The Call. Mason’s need. Stress. It’s a lot of things. Most Alphas don’t call because if you don’t have the strength or presence of mind, they get only the wolf and not the rest of us.”

Linc could almost imagine his shrug. “So I gathered.” After draining the rest of the Red Bull, he asked, “What about Ranae? Have we heard from her?”

“She’s well outside the radius, but I’ll call Collin. Owen left her under his supervision for the duration of Brett’s visit.” Linc heard a yawn followed by the spill of coffee into a cup. “Before you ask, Ty’s fine. He sent Claire out to deal with it while he stayed with Cassius.”

“Does he seriously like the Sutter Butte Alpha?” The shit Claire went through in Sutter Butte had turned Ty inside out, and he’d only told his brothers a small portion of the story. A.J. knew more, Linc would bet, but what he’d learned from Mason and Claire, he kept to himself.

“Yeah, so he says. Weird, but then nothing about this situation isn’t weird.”

Agreeing, Linc glanced at the house. He found Serafina standing at the window of her bedroom dressed only in a t-shirt, which barely skimmed the top of her pretty, pale pink lace panties. All trace of sleep vanished, and he forgot how to breathe.

“Hey, Mason’s on the other line. I’ll call you later.” Thankfully, his brother didn’t wait for a response, because Linc couldn’t quite unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth.

When her sweeping glance across the yard came to rest upon him, he straightened immediately. His chest squeezed, and his dick throbbed. The corners of her mouth curved slowly. Heat pulsed from his head to his toes. Not even the cold air could diminish the inferno raging through him.

Her lips moved slowly framing two words. ‘Wait’ followed by ‘there,’ then she pressed her lips to the glass and the condensation created a kiss mark. All too soon, she’d vanished. As the blinds closed, Linc exhaled the breath he’d been holding.

His blatantly physical reaction stumped him. Her sexuality appealed to him on every level, as did her playful nature. She’d been
flirting
with him, and the urge to play swamped him. If she were any other wolf—
but she’s not. She’s Alpha of Delta Crescent.

More, she was
his
Alpha’s former lover. The rational side of his brain argued, so what? Ty would understand, he’d see the same issues. His brother went with the flow, but some rules one didn’t break. Mason mated Alexis. His relationship with Serafina was long over. He hadn’t been Alpha at the time of it, and yet none of that mattered. He was Linc’s Alpha, and he’d been Serafina’s lover. Some lines existed which one simply didn’t cross.

A.J. would roll his eyes.
The past is the past.
You can let it haunt you, control you, and make your decisions—or you can let it go and find your own way. I prefer my own way.
The oldest of the triplets, A.J.’s past included too many years in prison, cut off from pack and mate. He could have let it warp him, twist him beyond recognition. Yes, his brother had changed, but A.J. was stronger for every single change. He’d found his mate, reunited, and more, he was second only to Mason in Willow Bend.

The front door opened and Serafina strolled out. Instead of her bare legs, she’d put on jeans. Like Linc, her feet were bare. His gaze traced the gold rings around her middle toes. They stood out beautifully against her dark skin, perfect drops of pure sunshine caught against the fabric of night. His wolf shifted in agitation and the ache inside his skull rose from a dull pound to a full raucous thunder.

Still, he didn’t look away as she strolled toward him. If the frost on the grass bothered her, she revealed nothing in her slow, steady prowl—and it was definitely a prowl. The predator stalked him, yet he stayed where he was. Instinct said fight or flight, but Linc raised his gaze to the amber jewels in her tawny eyes. Instinct had also told him to kiss the hell out of her.

He waited for her. Waited for her to decide. He couldn’t pursue her, shouldn’t let her pursue him…but his wolf stilled as their gazes locked. Fuck it all if he didn’t want to be the meat at the end of her hunt and let her sink her teeth into him. More, he wanted to taste all her lusciousness for himself. Would she be sweet? Tart? Spicy? Dammit, his mouth watered even considering the idea.

When she came to a stop, he rolled the empty can against his forehead. The throb moved to his eyes. Maybe he needed another drink…

Without saying a word, Serafina reached out and touched his temples with two fingers on each side. Coolness flashed to heat as she began to massage his skin in slow circles. The touch soothed the angry ache behind his eyes. Bowing his head, he leaned into the contact.

“You fought hard against the Call,” she said, her voice a gentle murmur. The soft drawl rolled over him, soothing every nerve. “The tension, and the battle between man and beast…it can leave you hurting.”

She extended the massage, roaming from his temple to his scalp. The first faint brush of her nails sent a frisson of need even as it brought relief. A groan rode his sigh, and he dared a glance at her eyes.

“Thank you.”

Warmth bloomed in her smile. “You’re welcome.”

“It could have been worse.” Should have been… “You did something to help me last night.”

“Did I?” Teasing softened her voice further.

“You know you did.” He could still feel the strength in her grip when she’d held his hand. The power eddying over his skin and the flare of her scent flooding his lungs—she’d done more than simply stepped in front of him. She’d encased him, shielded him, and the safety had been unlike anything he’d ever experienced, even with his brothers.

“Perhaps.” The strokes across his scalp turned to pets and he sighed. The lightest tug against his hair and he acquiesced, swooping down to catch her in a kiss. Her lips parted at the first brush of his mouth to hers. Softer than satin, she tasted of the chicory coffee he’d drunk the night before, of honeysuckle, and a spice so heady his tongue burned with the need for more.

A sense of belonging shredded his thoughts. Startled, he raised his head only to have her hand tighten in his hair and tug him down for another kiss. Her tongue swept over his, the demand equal to his own need. He may have initiated the kiss, but she took possession. Sliding his arms around her, he lifted until her thighs hitched at his waist.

Tongues tangling together, he luxuriated in the feel of her curves pressed against him. The strength in her legs demanded he lock his. The wild rub of her denim rasping against his had his cock stiffening. He was drunk in equal measure on the taste of her and her erotic scent. Her teeth grazed his lip, and a groan broke from him when she sank her teeth gently then pulled at his lip.

Opening his eyes, he met the amber eyes of her wolf. She had his lip between her teeth and he relaxed, taking advantage of the pause to run his hands along the solid muscle of her back to the sweet curve of her ass. He wanted skin—ached for it—and tried to content himself with the lazy petting her clothing afforded him.

When she released his lip, she licked at the tiny nick she’d created. A shudder raced over his spine and his balls tightened with every tiny lap of her tongue. “Good morning,” she murmured against his mouth.

“It is now,” he admitted, framing his hands around her hips and indulging himself with a grind of her pelvis to his. The stroke threatened his control as the lust seemed to pulse through his system and his cock ached. They had on too many damn clothes.

Soft, throaty laughter fanned over his mouth. She nuzzled the corner of his lips, then continued to deposit gentle kisses along his jaw, then to his eyes. A vulnerable place, but with her mouth hovering so close, he closed them and almost felt the smile as she brushed each eyelid.

Voice gentle, she whispered, “I wish you’d let me kiss you last night.”

“I shouldn’t have kissed you this morning.” Though he longed to give her a different answer, honesty was better.

“Is it so very hard to play with me?” Instead of pulling away, she tightened her arms around him, the soft stroke of her nails along his scalp as distracting as the heat of her wrapped around his waist.

“Impossible,” he admitted, then clenched her ass. “I
want
to play with you, Miss Serafina.”

“Sera.” All the softness in her tone, and yet the order was unmistakable.

Sighing, he pressed his forehead to hers. “You are the Alpha of Delta Crescent.”

Her eyes widened in a mockery of shock. “Ooh, news flash.”

Amused, he chuckled and her smile widened. “Willow Bend is my home, my pack. I’m your liaison.” That she’d been Mason’s lover shouldn’t bother him, but at the same time… “And
Mason
is my Alpha.” The Alpha he’d chosen to follow, the Alpha his family swore to—the Alpha who’d helped bring his brother home.

The relaxed mirth in her expression sobered. “Would you ever ask me to act against the interest of my pack?”

“No.” It would be a stupid request to even consider, but he shook his head. “You’re a good Alpha.” The absolute certainty in him over the simple fact couldn’t be disputed. She’d
protected
him the night before, when she’d had no reason to do so. “You treat me with respect, even while you seem intent on torturing me.”

Her sudden smile delivered a hard kick to his heart. Everything about her seemed to come alive when she smiled. “You have done the same for me, except when you’ve fought your own nature to push me away or endured my company when you wanted to escape it.”

Flushing, he would have ducked his chin at the gentle reprimand but she was too close and her skin so soft against his. “You make me want things I shouldn’t. The desire to play with you is…”

“…intense.” The word fit more than she knew.

“Yes.” At her soft chuckle, he said, “Sera…” Before he could complete the thought, the door to the house opened. Linc jerked his gaze to find Jerome striding outside.

“Go away,” Serafina ordered without looking. Jerome paused then pivoted and returned to the house. The door shut behind him. Soft fingers stroked his cheek, then nudged his gaze to hers. “You were saying?”

Impressed by the calm display, he murmured, “Sera, you’re putting me in an impossible position.”

“Not at all. I would never ask you to act against your conscience or Mason’s.” Another teasing brush of her nails along his jaw sent electricity skating over his skin. “What is between you and me, will remain between Sera and Linc.”