Man to Man [Wolf Creek Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (14 page)

“Jim, it’s okay.” Donovan shook his arm free and walked a few more steps into the light. “Carl Baker is a good man. He’s just trying to protect his family, same as you or I would do. Once he knows it’s me, everything will be fine.”

Jim held his breath as Donovan stepped fully into the porch light. He cocked his head, waiting to hear the cock of a shotgun. If Carl pulled the trigger, it wouldn’t matter to Jim who the man was. Jim would kill him.

Jim was so intent on listening that he almost jumped out of his skin when the door slowly creaked open and a man in his midthirties stepped into the doorway, a shotgun held firmly in his hands.

“Who’s that with you, Donovan?”

“My mate, Jim, and a couple friends from Wolf Creek Pack. They’re here to help, Carl.”

The gun barrel slowly lowered to point at the ground.

“Help with what?” Carl asked.

“Alpha Reece has ordered several of the pack members to head toward Wolf Creek. The alpha there, Daniel Nash, is expecting you.”

“Now, why would I want to leave a perfectly good farm to go stay with some other pack I don’t even know?”

Jim could think of a hundred reasons, all of them starting with
this is how we save your life
.

“The pack is in danger, Carl. Alpha Reece wants you somewhere safe.”

“Danger? Bullshit!” Carl lifted his shotgun up in the air. “If anyone tries to harm my family, they will meet the business end of my shotgun.”

“We’re talking vampires here, Mr. Baker.” Carl’s face instantly drained of color. “I’m not sure your shotgun will do you much good.”

The barrel of the gun wavered as the color in Carl’s face drained away. “Vampires?”

“I’m afraid so, Carl. It seems several of our pack decided to make some money by selling other members to a vampire coven as blood donors. Alpha Reece discovered this information this evening when one of the vampires attacked the alpha’s mate and tried to kill him so she could take his place.”

Carl’s lip curled back. “Timmins always was an asshole.”

Jim’s eyebrows shot up. “You know what Timmins is doing?”

“I know he’s up to no good. It seems might strange to me that members of our pack keep disappearing except for anyone related to Timmins.”

“Do you know of any other pack members that are involved in what Timmins is doing?”

“I know Douglas is involved but just because Douglas is Timmins’s lapdog. He does anything Timmins tells him to do.”

“According to the information we have,” Donovan explained, “each family had to submit their child to a
secret ritual
to be fully accepted into the pack on their eighteenth birthday. If their blood was good enough, they got taken, and their families were told that they were not accepted into the pack, so they were banished.”

“And if their blood wasn’t good enough,” Jim continued for Donovan, “they get sent back to their families to provide cubs in the breeding program set up by the former alpha.”

“Does that sound about right?” Donovan asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Carl gestured over his shoulder. “My Tina was one of the ones sent home. Right after that, the alpha encouraged us to marry. He even offered to pay for the honeymoon. We thought he was being nice.”

“And when did you realize he wasn’t?”

“The last kid really took it out of Tina. Doc says she shouldn’t have anymore. We’re okay with that. We have three healthy kids. We really don’t need any more, but our former alpha wouldn’t hear of it. He wanted Tina pregnant right away, said if I couldn’t do the job he would find someone who would.”

“Damn!”

Carl nodded. “I was never as glad as I was the day Reece killed that bastard.”

“Well,” Donovan said, “I’m afraid it’s not over, Carl. Reece wants all of the families not involved in the mess to get out of here as quickly as possible. There’s a lot of shit coming down, and he doesn’t want any innocent people caught in the crossfire.”

“Do we get to come back?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that at this time. I wish I could. For now, I think it’s best if you pack a bag for a few days for everyone and get out of here. We’ll call you as soon as it’s safe to come home.”

Jim stepped forward and held out his hand. Carl was slow to take it, but he did, shaking it. “My name is Jim Nash, Mr. Baker. My father is alpha of the Wolf Creek Pack. He’s a good man. You and your family will be safe there.”

Carl stared intently then glanced past Jim to where Donovan stood. “Is he on the up-and-up, Donovan?”

Jim rolled his eyes when he felt Donovan’s arms encircle his waist. “He’s good, Carl. I trust Jim and his father with my life.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Carl replied. “If you can give us directions to this other pack, I’ll get Tina to pack us a bag and we’ll load up the kids.”

Jim turned when Joe and Nate stepped forward. “Do you have a piece of paper?” Joe asked. “I’ll draw you a map.”

“Sure do.” Carl waved his hand and stepped back inside the house. “Come on in. I’ll grab something.”

Jim felt a little apprehensive about stepping into a house he didn’t know, but he trusted Donovan. If his mate said Carl Baker and his family were okay, Jim would trust that he was right. Still, he didn’t let his guard down as he stepped inside the house after Donovan.

A young woman with black hair came in from what was clearly the kitchen. She was wiping her hands off on a hand towel as her gaze darted between Carl and her new guests.

“Tina, you remember Donovan Morgan, one of the new enforcers?”

“Yes, of course,” Tina said as she held her hand out.

“Tina.” Donovan shook her head and gestured to Jim. “This is my mate, Jim Nash, his brother Joe, and Joe’s mate, Nate. They’re from the Wolf Creek Pack.”

Tina nodded to everyone, smiling. “It’s nice to meet you.” She looked at her husband questioningly.

“Go pack a bag for the kids,” Carl said. “Enough for a few days.”

“Are we going somewhere?”

“There’s been trouble with Timmins. Alpha Reece wants us to go to Wolf Creek pack where it’s safe until it’s over.”

Tina’s face darkened. “That rat bastard needs to have his balls nailed to a barn wall.”

Jim blinked. Okay then. The woman was fierce. Jim imagined if he had a few kids, he would be, too. It was too bad he had to give up that dream for another one, one with the man at his side.

“That should be everyone,” Donovan said as he closed the tailgate of a red Jeep Cherokee. He slapped the side of the vehicle and stepped back as it took off down the road. Once the taillights were out of sight, Donovan blew out a relieved breath and turned back to Jim and the others.

So far, they had contacted five different families and got them on the road to Wolf Creek. Joe and Nate left earlier to lead the others back home. After getting Tina and his kids headed on their way to Wolf Creek, Carl had stuck around to help them get the rest of the families to safety. He stood by his truck with Jim.

Donovan walked over and joined them, looping an arm around Jim’s shoulders. It had been a long night, and stressful on everyone. Donovan knew he was ready to climb into bed, and preferably with Jim curled up next to him.

“It’s only a few hours back to Wolf Creek,” Jim said. “We should reach there just as the sun is coming up.”

“Yeah.” Donovan held his hand out to shake Carl’s. “I want to thank you for all of your help tonight. I doubt we could have gathered everyone and got them moving as fast as we did if you hadn’t helped.”

“Hey, it’s no problem,” Carl said. “This is my pack, too. We all have a responsibility to take care of each other.”

Jim snorted and then glanced away sheepishly. “I wish Timmins and Douglas felt the same way. I’m still trying to figure out how someone could sell their pack members out like that, ’cause, frankly, I don’t get it.”

“I don’t really understand it either,” Carl said. “Having a pack means safety and protection for your family, with people that understand the unique needs shifters have. Hell, if we didn’t have a sitter once a month, I don’t—” Suddenly, all of the blood drained from Carl’s face. “Oh my god, we forget Ethan.”

“Ethan?” Donovan asked.

“Ethan Brown. Oh man.” Carl dragged his hand down his face. “We got to get him. Timmins hates Ethan with a deep passion. The only reason Ethan hasn’t been sent up for the alpha’s ritual was because Timmins has a thing for Ethan’s brother.”

“His brother?”

“Virgil. He lives with Ethan, but I haven’t seen him in the last few weeks. I’ve been kind of busy here on the farm, so I haven’t had a chance to talk to Ethan about it.”

“What about Ethan’s parents?”

“They passed away a few years ago. Virgil had been raising Ethan for the last few years.”

“Are you sure he was taken?”

“I don’t know. He could just be out of town or something,” Carl said as he started rubbing his hands together nervously. “But Ethan babysits for us every full moon, and I haven’t seen either of them since the last one. I’m beginning to wonder if maybe they were both taken.”

“I know I’ve never met him before,” Donovan said, “and Reece called together everyone in the pack right after he took over. He wanted to get to know everyone. I guess I could have missed him somewhere in the crowd, but I doubt it.”

“Then we need to get them both,” Jim said.

“I agree.” Donovan nodded. He wasn’t about to let anyone else fall under Timmins evil plan. “Carl, I want you to show us where Ethan lives and then hightail it out of here. Your family needs you. Jim and I can collect Ethan, and maybe his brother, too, if Timmins hasn’t already gotten to him.”

“I can help,” Carl insisted.

Donovan shook his head while holding up his hand. “Carl, you’ve done more than enough. You helped us get everyone else out of here. It’s time for you to go be with your family. We’ll handle Ethan.”

Carl didn’t look convinced, but Donovan could see the need in the man’s eyes to go to his family and make sure that they made it okay. Donovan couldn’t blame him. He’d feel the same way if it was Jim or anyone in his family.

After giving them directions to Ethan’s house, Carl climbed into his truck. Donovan and Jim climbed into his and followed Carl down the road. When Carl slowed his vehicle near the end of a driveway after a couple of miles, Donovan glanced at the house sitting just beyond the road.

It was a small, two-story, white house. It had seen better days. The house had an older feel to it like it was built many years ago. The paint seemed to be peeling in some places, and one of the window screens on the second floor hung off the window.

And the place was totally dark.

Donovan flashed his lights and after a moment, Carl drove off down the road again, leaving Jim and Donovan behind. Donovan debated whether to pull into the driveway or just park on the side of the road. He didn’t know what kind of danger he and Jim would face once they reached the house. And the cold chill making the hairs on his arms stand up told him there was indeed danger.

Donovan worried his lip with his teeth as he glanced over at Jim. His mate looked just as pensive as he felt. “Are you ready for this?”

“Not really,” Jim replied, “but what other choice do we have? We can’t leave this guy here on his own, especially if Timmins has it out for him.”

“Yeah.” Donovan wished he could argue with Jim’s assessment, but he couldn’t. “I just don’t like it. Getting everyone else out of here was almost too easy. Somehow, I get the impression this won’t be.”

“You and me both.”

Donovan pulled his truck into the driveway and turned off the engine. He cast a careful glance around the yard before opening his door and climbing out. Lifting his nose into the air, he took a deep sniff. There was something in the air but nothing Donovan could place. It was more of an impression of a scent than an actual scent.

“Keep your eyes and ears open, Jim,” Donovan said as he glanced around the yard. It was dark, the sun having set hours ago. Shadows danced in and out of the trees surrounding the house, giving hint to things better left. “I don’t think we’re alone.”

“Yeah, I’m kind of feeling that, too.” By the time Donovan glanced over at Jim, the man was frowning deeply. “Someone’s watching us, but I can’t place exactly where they are. There are too many scents in the air.”

“Wolf scents?” Donovan lifted his nose into the air again. To a human, he might have looked ridiculous. To another wolf shifter, Donovan knew they would understand exactly what he was doing.

“Several, but…”

Donovan looked over at Jim when his words trailed off. The worried frown on Jim’s face along with the way his eyes seemed to dart around sent a chill of foreboding up Donovan’s spine. “But?”

Jim gave his head a little shake. “There’s something else. I can’t quite place it.”

Donovan sniffed again. The night air was crisp with a slight chill to it. Donovan could smell the same wolf scents Jim was getting, and like Jim, he could smell something else, something he couldn’t define.

And he didn’t like it.

“Come on, let’s go get this guy. I want to get out of here as fast as we can. Something about all of this doesn’t feel right.”