Mellizo Wolves (6 page)

Damon’s
thoughts were still on the snake. He remembered wondering, before he knew
Reeves was his half-brother and a vicious killer werewolf, why when he left the
room, he often reminded him of a snake slithering into the darkness.

The chill
that shot through Damon had nothing to do with the chilly breeze coming from
the northeast. He made a mental note to tell Angela to stay the hell away from
this area.

He blew
out a gust of air. His mouth felt as dry as the hillside beyond them, yet every
cell in his body hummed with anticipation. He was so keyed up he had to remind
himself to breathe. “What about the other studies we discussed?”

“I’ve
done a great deal of research on lycanthropes, both documented reports and
folklore, and I’m confident I can develop a serum. However, please understand
the process is by trial and error and may take years. To achieve our goal, I’ll
need a supply of healthy wolves.”

“Will
they be hurt?” Damon couldn’t allow that.

“Just a
prick,” Lazar said. “We need some of their blood. After we’ve tested a wide
sample and performed the related studies, we’ll let them go.”

Damon
watched the huge hole-boring machines plunge into the ground and bring out
shovels of mud samples. When Lazar headed back to the lab, Damon followed him.
The other scientists remained behind and continued gathering mud samples. “Do
you need additional researchers to speed things along?”

“Ever
hear of too many cooks spoiling the broth? We prefer to do our own research and
studies. Bringing other egos into our limited space will impede the process.”

“I’m
aware you’re all writing papers and competing for the Nobel Prize on your
findings here and you want to be thorough, but time is of the essence. Lives
are at risk.”

Lazar’s
eyes brightened. “That’s what makes this project so exciting. Don’t worry. I’ll
have answers for you soon.”

“Great.
So where are we on this?”

“Our
samples to date have revealed that the liquefaction in the area contains both
evil toxins and healing properties—nature’s balance of good and evil in
turmoil, if you will.” His mordant laugh snapped the morning air like a whip.

Damon
glanced up and caught a glimpse of the backdrop of rocky, savage hills. The
wolf who once resided within him loved them—they had given him a sense of
freedom. Now their rugged austerity reminded him of the evil brewing under the
surface. An icy sense of panic made it difficult to breathe. He thought of the
two-headed snake intent upon sinking his fangs into flesh. Why did life have to
be so violent? He ran his fingers through his hair. Why had
he
been so
violent? Would he ever lose the bloody image of his brutal attack on his
stepbrother? Perhaps his horrendous exploit had now come back to haunt him. His
stomach knotted. “How will the toxins affect humans?”

“We can’t
risk injecting humans with the sludge liquid to find out. But if a human comes
into contact with it by accident, you can bet the outcome will be tragic.” He
laughed cynically. “It’d be an interesting commentary on nature’s
weighing-scale if the liquid affected humans according to the lives they led, a
healing potion to the good and a toxic potion to the evil souls.”

* * * *

A week
later, Christmas rode in on a flurry of excitement and chilling breezes.

Their
twenty-foot high Christmas tree filled the downstairs with the fragrance of
pine, and its lights and decorations were stunning, even magical. But in spite
of the festive creation that Angela, Damon, and Kyle Cooper had designed and
decorated together, she felt the holiday spirit was hampered by having mad
scientists with joyless, pale faces marching in and out like zombies in white
sterile coats.

When
Angela couldn’t stand the constant invasion of their privacy a day longer, she
whirled and faced him. “Damon, having the lab in the dungeon isn’t working. You
forgot to mention that wolves would be housed down there. Keeping feral animals
penned up is cruel, and I hate to think of the danger if one got loose. I can’t
bear their forlorn howls, and after our girls are born, I don’t want wolves
anywhere around. Besides, all these weird goings-on could start up all the old
rumors about the mansion and the Lamont family again.”

He stepped close and drew her into his arms. “Honey, your
feelings are valid and understandable, but we can’t move the operation yet. We
must operate around the clock on-site to obtain the most accurate readings. If
you’ll just be patient until we gauge exactly what’s going on out there in that
broiling mud, I’ll be eternally grateful.”

Fighting to hold firm, she studied his handsome, strong face
and her heart did a flip-flop at the love gleaming in his eyes.

Then he moved in for the kill and kissed the lobe of her ear,
sending heat along her nerve endings. “And it will greatly benefit the whole
community.”

She
backed up a step and narrowed her eyes. “O…Okay. How long, Damon?”

The
winter sun slanted low in the window and fell at their feet. As the silence
extended between them, he offered his usual answer to any complaint. He drew
her close again, brought his lips hotly down on hers, kissed her until she was
dizzy with wanting him, and then swept her off her feet and carried her
upstairs.
Damn him.

 
* * * *

Damon inhaled. The bright sunshine streaming through the open window
highlighted the king-sized bed. He glanced down at Angela and the always
dependable wave
of desire flared
through him and stiffened his penis. Although her very enticing form-fitting
jeans and sleeveless sweater that clung to her breast like second skin showed
off her body in aces, he couldn’t wait to get her out of them. Her body would
feel firm and fit against his, yet soft and womanly. He sought her gaze and
brushed her knuckles with his lips. Her emerald eyes darkened. Her lips parted,
all dewy and inviting.
He cupped her face in his hands and touched her lips. She moaned and
pressed against him, inviting his passion, his power.

Answering the call, he brought his
mouth down gently on hers, savoring the minty flavor and losing himself in her
warm softness. He slid his hands down the curve of her spine. As the scent of
fresh shampoo hit his nostrils, he stroked a strand of her hair. His
mouth watered,
anticipating the release of the volatile energy that always rode the
electrified air between them.

He slipped her sweater
over her head. “Lovely,” he murmured, tracing the line of her breasts with a
feather light fingertip. She kissed his fingers and then sucked the index
finger, her eyes promising more.

He slowly lowered her
jeans. She wriggled to help. When they were almost off, she kicked the denim to
the floor and yanked at his shirt and trousers. Breathing hard, they finally faced
each other in the nude. The sunshine had transformed her slender body into a
golden silhouette. They crawled to the center of the bed and challenged each
other, knees and thighs branding one another’s skin. He almost exploded when
she stroked his bare chest and then trailed her fingers lower.

While their kisses grew
more frantic, he traced her thigh and then moved higher between her legs and
found her silky vagina heated to a shivery liquid. His trusty male member throbbed
and without any conscious thought on his part, reacting to her signals.

Wild with fever, she
arched her back and thrust her hips forward; leaving no doubt that she was
inviting him to love her. Now!

She inhaled and released a
moan of ecstasy as he explored the smooth contour of her belly and the moist
triangle of curly hair with his hands, his lips.

“I want you now.” She moaned,
arching her hips even higher to meet his seeking fingers.

He slid on top of her. She
clung to him as he gently entered her and began the feral dance of rising
passion. She slid her hand down his chest and around his waist…then lower…and
dug her fingers into his buttocks and cried out. Her cries of pleasure increased
his own and together they exploded again and again. Then he convulsed inside
her and together they plunged over the edge, clinging to one another.

Damon lay still until her
breathing evened out then he rolled off her and they lay side-by-side.

Angela traced a prominent
tendon in his hand. “Damon, I’m trusting you to protect us.”

“I know.” His afterglow
faded fast and worry filled its place. He scooted down in bed, taking her with
him. He placed her head on his shoulder. “Close your eyes.” He stroked her hair
and felt her relax. But he couldn’t unwind. So many things were out of his
control. He decided the least he could do was to hire a crew to build an
outside entrance to the dungeon. Maybe if he could make her understand the
importance of the work she’d accept that compromise for now.

* * * *

In
Angela’s office, in her sixth month of pregnancy, Dudley Knox, the cowboy toad,
cornered Louise the bookkeeper again and berated her until she cried. He
shouted so loud Kat came running to help. Angela waved her back. “I’ll handle
this, Kat,” she said, and then leveled her gaze at Dudley. “Look, Napoleon,
Louise is the best bookkeeper we’ve ever had and she deserves praise, not your
constant insults.”

Dudley
glared at Angela with fire in his eyes. “I’ll let you get away with your
smart-mouthed insubordination because I know PG women have all those bitchy
hormones charging around inside them.”

Angela
bristled but broke eye contact when she sensed Kat start forward. Again, she
waved her back.
No sense getting both of us canned.

Before
she could let loose on him, he growled on, “But don’t get lippy again. Or I’ll
fire your expanding ass.”

Angela
clenched her hands into fists. But rather than smack Dudley in the mouth like
he deserved, she clamped them at her side. “Don’t bother, I quit. And I plan to
tell the big bosses exactly why. And why two of our best accountants quit since
they put you in charge.”

“If you
know what’s good for you,” Dudley said, “you’ll keep your mouth shut just like
they did.”

She
narrowed her eyes. “Is that a threat?”

“I don’t
make threats. But be careful of stairs from now on. Be a shame to fall at this
stage of your pregnancy.”

* * * *

Thirty
minutes later when she stormed into the house, Damon met her at the door.

“I heard
your car in the driveway. Is something wrong?” He wrapped his arms around her
and drew her close.

In spite
of the comfort his warm embrace provided, she was unable to stop trembling. She
looked up at him. “I finally got enough of Dudley and quit. And then, the toad
threatened me and our precious unborn babies—he said to watch out for stairs,”
she muttered against a sob.

Damon released
her, his eyes ablaze. “The bastard.” He balled his hands into fists. “He won’t
give you any more trouble, that’s a guarantee.”

“No.
Please, don’t do anything. I don’t want to escalate the animosity. I said some
things maybe I shouldn’t have said. Just hold me for a few minutes.”

He drew
her back into his arms. “I’m going to talk to him,” he said into her hair.
“Afterwards, if he comes within a mile of you, I’ll kill him.”

She
stiffened. “No! Don’t even say such a thing.” She meant it, but the fact that
he felt so strongly about keeping her safe sent a surge of love to her heart.

Unfortunately,
as evidence by the pulse throbbing angrily in his jaw, she’d awakened a
murderous emotion that would only get him in trouble. She stroked the pulsing
line until it evened out and disappeared.

As though
nothing had ruffled him, he bent and kissed her nose. “I’m glad you quit. It’ll
give us more time together.”

“And
it’ll give me more time to fix up the nursery. I want it to be perfect for our
little girls’ arrival into the world. I want to decorate the room adjoining ours.

His
expression darkened again. “My sister’s room?”

“No.” Her
heart speeded. She didn’t want the room his sister was murdered in for their
girls. “I meant the room on the other side that adjoins ours. Although it’s a
bit smaller, I like the layout better.”

His
expression lost its tension. “Let’s go take a look,” he said, and swept her
from her feet and started up the stairway.

She
shivered, remembering Dudley’s words about steps.

Damon
lowered her to her feet and opened the door. The room smelled musty, and he
opened a window. An air mattress lay on the floor.

“Isn’t
that the mattress you kept in the dungeon?” she asked. It hadn’t been here
yesterday when she looked at the room.