Seal Wolf Hunting (9781402293832) (21 page)

Allan nodded. “I'm all for it.”

On the way home, they detoured to the ranch where the men worked. From another ranch hand, they learned that the Cooper brothers were mending fences somewhere out on the 150-acre property. Jerome was mucking out one of the horse stalls, so they went to question him. When he saw Paul and Allan walk in, he immediately straightened and his knuckles whitened as he held the shovel tight in his fisted grasp. “What do you want?”

“Know anything about the sugar in Allan's gas tank?”

Jerome's eyes widened. “Hell, no. Why would I do something like that?”

“What about your friends?”

“They wouldn't have.”

But he didn't sound too sure of himself.

“Tell them if it happens again, you can all find someplace else to live.” Paul turned and Allan followed him out.

“He didn't know anything about it,” Allan said.

“Yeah, I know. I suspect it was one of the brothers, probably pissed that we're here telling them what to do. And maybe because we called the cops on that hunter friend of theirs.”

Allan and Paul climbed into the vehicle. “I doubt they're going to stop causing trouble.”

Paul was sure they wouldn't. But he and Allan would have to catch them in the act next time.

For now, he was busy meeting with female wolves wanting to join the pack as news of the new leadership spread by word of mouth. And he was spending a good deal of every night and some afternoon delight making love to Lori, working around the classes she was giving at the dojo. He couldn't have been happier with his new settled life. Not once had he given the SEAL missions any thought.

Until he got a call from Hunter in the middle of the night.

When Paul heard from Hunter at three in the morning, he knew something bad was up. No way would Hunter call with another mission again so soon unless it was vitally important that Paul and Allan be there. Especially after he'd informed Hunter that he and Lori were now mated and he was sticking closer to home for a good long while. It was unlikely someone on their team was dying or had died. As far as he knew, nobody was on a mission. Finn, Bjornolf, and Hunter were still home with their mates.

Paul quickly said in a hushed voice, “Yeah, just a sec.” He climbed out from underneath Lori, trying not to disturb her, grabbed a pair of boxers, and left the bedroom. The adrenaline was already rushing through his veins, preparing him for the worst. He was trying not to think of what it would mean if he had to leave Lori behind after promising her he would be here for the next ten months.

He pulled on the boxers in the living room and took a seat on the couch. “Yeah, Hunter, what's up?”

“Michael's in trouble. He was at his art exhibit in São Paulo, Brazil, and was taken hostage.”

Immediately, a cold sweat broke out on Paul's skin. Tessa adored her brother, and if anything happened to him, Paul knew she'd be devastated—and Hunter along with her. Even Paul's family would be shattered if Michael was a casualty.

“Tessa's in a panic,” Hunter continued, his voice strained and growly. “Wes Caruthers in my pack, the police officer, went with him to watch over him. But Wes ended up with a bad case of dysentery and was too sick to go with Michael to his art exhibit. When Michael didn't return to the hotel within a reasonable time after the gallery closed, Wes dragged himself out of the hotel and went looking for him.

“Then Tessa got a call from her brother. Some rebels picked him up, figuring Michael was rich and famous, and have taken him into the jungle. They're looking for a ransom. Wes was ready to go into the jungle after him, but I told him to sit tight. He doesn't know his way around the place like we do, and he's still not a hundred percent. We're looking to free Michael with whatever force we have to use as long as we can return him home safely.”

Everyone on the SEAL team and Anna, their unofficial member as an undercover operative, was family. And their families were family. Michael might not be part of Paul's official wolf pack, but that wouldn't keep them from saving one of their own wolves.

“I'll get hold of Allan. We'll meet up with you at the São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport,” Paul said, not hesitating to take part in the mission.

“Finn, Bjornolf, and I have the first flight out of Portland. See you in Brazil.”

After they ended the conversation, Paul called Allan, and before he could even tell him what was going on, the first thing Allan said was, “Where are we going now?”

Paul hated that they'd agreed to take over the pack, that Rose was in a bind, that they hadn't located the father of her baby, and that now he and Allan would be leaving them all behind. He didn't even want to see how disappointed Lori was sure to be. But Michael was like family. If Paul and the rest of the team didn't attempt to bring him home and they lost him for good, Paul would never forgive himself.

“I'll arrange for the flight. You haven't told Lori yet?” Allan asked.

“No. I'll need to let the rest of our pack know also.”

“All right. I'll take care of everything else.”

Lori cleared her throat and Paul looked over the back of the couch to see her watching him, wearing a long T-shirt, arms folded over her chest, brows raised.

He said to Allan, “Got to go. See you in a few.”

“Good luck.”

Paul ended the call and rose from the couch.

“I'll let the pack know that you're both leaving.” Lori was trying hard to look like it didn't bother her, but he knew her better.

He stalked across the floor, placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her close, kissing her. “Tessa's brother has been taken hostage in Brazil. Hunter needs our help to bring him home.”

Lori's eyes misted and Paul held her tight.

“I'm sorry. I know I said I'd stay…”

“Oh, Paul. You couldn't. He's just like family. Tessa would be shattered if she lost him. And we would be too. If you didn't go and Michael didn't make it out, I would feel it was all my fault. Knowing you, you would feel it was all yours too. I'll drive you and Allan to the airport. I'll let the others know what has happened when it's a more decent hour.”

Trying to lighten the mood, he said, “I trust you in everything you do. Just don't make any wild changes while I'm gone.”

She smiled so wickedly that he wasn't sure what she might have in mind.

* * *

This was why Lori had such a difficult time with the kind of work Paul and Allan did. Before, she'd put her heart on hold. Now, she'd given it to him, and for however long it took for him to come home, she'd be worrying about him and the rest of the team. Not that she hadn't always been concerned about them when they were gone on assignments. But now that she and Paul were mated, it was more personal. They had declared they'd run the pack, and now it was strictly her responsibility. But she knew he had to do this. She loved him whether he was here with her or not. And she would run the pack whenever he was away.

Yet when she kissed and hugged him, trying so hard not to get all misty-eyed, she knew it wasn't going to be as easy as all that. Then, she checked with Emma to see if she was up to taking the trip with Rose to see the wolf doctor in Oregon about Rose's pregnancy.

* * *

As soon as Allan and Paul had taken their seats on the plane, Allan said, “Was Lori upset about us leaving?”

“No. I mean, yeah, of course she's upset. Lori and the rest of our pack took Michael in like he was one of our own, partly because he's Hunter's brother-in-law and partly because they love Tessa. But the guy is plain likable on his own. So it's personal. She's as concerned about him as she is about the rest of us. She also knew neither of us would have forgiven ourselves if we hadn't gone with Hunter and the rest of our team to free Michael. Lori's running the pack while we're gone.”

“So things will be as they usually are,” Allan said. “Except for the nine new females in the pack.”

“And your sister's pregnant.”

“And we haven't located the dad. But nothing life-threatening.”

“Right.” Paul knew that during any mission they undertook, they had to remain focused or risk getting their team members or themselves killed. Simple as that. Yet he couldn't help remembering the tearful expression on Lori's face and how hard it had been for her to keep her feelings in check. He hoped that everything would be all right while she was in charge of the pack, and he felt bad that he had left her with all the responsibilities.

And he worried that if the Cooper brothers and their friend learned Paul and Allan were away, the women would have trouble.

* * *

One thing Lori, her grandma, Catherine, and Rose wanted more than anything was a real pack. A real backup for each other in case they needed it. More family. More wolf friends.

In the four and a half weeks the SEAL team had been gone, Lori and the others did get some new males in the pack, but they were mated. So no worry about them. Lori and the other original members of the pack ensured the men were beta wolves and wouldn't try to take over. Trying not to worry about Paul and Allan going back into the Amazon this soon, the ladies continued to chat with other female
lupus
garous
, offering them a safe haven with the Cunningham pack.

When a female wolf doctor contacted Lori, she was ecstatic. She knew Paul would be pleased with the news that Rose wouldn't have to continue to fly anywhere to see another pack's doctor.

The only problem was the Cooper brothers and their friend Jerome. Once they'd caught scent of the female wolves joining the pack and found out that Allan and Paul were gone, they'd begun causing trouble.

“Well,” Emma said as she and Rose, Catherine, and Lori sat down to coffee and chocolate cake, “now that we've got our doctor, EMTs, and a nurse, we're all set for Rose's babies.”

Rose groaned. “I can't believe I'm having triplets.”

Lori patted her hand. “I'm so excited for you.”

“Yeah, but what will Paul and Allan think about Everett?” Rose asked, looking worried.

“They'll be fine,” Catherine said. “I'm glad Everett finally returned to see you and told us what was going on, that he'd only been afraid to involve his family and the rest of us in his situation. Paul and Allan will look into this bank robbery business and clear Everett's name. Then his sister, Tara, and widowed mother will join the pack. No wonder we didn't make the connection between mother, daughter, and son, since Jean was using her maiden name. We'll be one happy family.”

“Right,” Emma said. “We'll make sure that if their former pack comes looking for them, Everett will be like Bjornolf, a ghost SEAL. No one will ever know he's here.”

They all looked at Lori.

“Well?” Emma said. “Do you have anything you want to share with us? Rose waited far too long to tell us about her pregnancy.”

Lori hesitated. “I should tell Paul first, but I haven't been able to reach them since they went into silent mode in the jungle. He was able to get a message to me daily for a while, but then said they had to go silent.”

“Well, he's not here, so we need to be here for you,” Emma said, smiling. She had already started making baby moccasins for Rose's babies, and Lori knew she was dying to make some for hers as well.

“Oh, all right. Don't let on that I told everyone before I told him.”

“
Ohmigod!
” Rose screeched and threw her arms around Lori. “They'll be born only a few months after mine. How many?”

“Too early to tell. When I have my first ultrasound, I'll know for sure.”

“This is too exciting,” Rose said, beaming.

All grins, Catherine and Emma gave her huge hugs.

Lori just hoped Paul was ready for it. And…all the other changes she'd made while he was gone.

“You're not going to keep training students at the dojo, are you?” Emma asked.

“I will for a while. In fact, I've got to get going. I'll see you all later. Things are really looking great with the pack.”

One thing Lori wouldn't give up was jogging around the park near her dojo. She might be walking later, but until she was too far along, she was keeping in shape.

As soon as she was on the walking trail, she breathed in the pine fragrance and was enjoying the cool afternoon air when she heard someone jogging behind her. She moved farther over on the path so the man—she could tell it was a man from his heavier step and longer stride on the footpath—could pass her.

When he pulled in beside her and smirked, she felt a chill slip up her spine. Dusty Cooper.

They hadn't had any trouble with them while Paul and Allan were away…well, not too much. She had taken Dusty to task for bothering three of the females in the pack, and he'd thrown up his hands, sneering, and left.

“The SEALs are gone. You're here, all alone, running things. What if they don't ever come back? It's been…what, nearly five weeks already?”

She didn't respond.

“I've only been interested in you, you know. What if we got together just for a drink at the—”

“No. Having you and your brother up at the lake was a mistake. I'm a mated wolf and pack leader here. You're not welcome. Quit hassling me.” She continued to jog at her regular pace, but she felt wary, smelling the aggression rolling off the cowboy in waves. He hadn't liked it when she'd rejected him the first time and then taken up with Paul. She supposed the human women didn't often turn down his advances. Why couldn't he just let it be? She was a mated wolf and that meant forever.

“Hey, I wanted to…” He paused. “Well, I wanted to say sorry about the necklace. I just felt you led me on and then I got mad.”

He wasn't sorry and she suspected he'd always behave in such a manner when he was turned down.

“Thanks for the apology.” Then she turned down the trail that would take her back to her dojo.

When he followed her, she felt like shifting and taking a bite out of him.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. Furious, she immediately twisted away from him, and before he knew what hit him, she kneed him in the jewels.

He roared as he clutched his crotch and fell to his knees. She ran full out then, figuring he wasn't going to chase after her, but not wanting to risk it.

When she reached the parking lot, she heard heavy footfalls behind her on the trail and she turned, expecting to face a pissed-off Dusty. Instead, she saw his brother and Jerome, but they still had a ways to go. She sprinted for her dojo and saw four of her students getting out of their cars to join her at the class. She hurried to get her keys out and unlocked the door, just as Howard Cooper came around the corner of the building.

She ushered her students in as the two men reached the door.

“What do you want?” she growled.

“We want to sign up for classes,” Howard said.

So they could learn how to counter her devastating moves? She didn't believe they really wanted to sign up to learn anything.

“I'm sorry. This is strictly a women-only class and my others are all full.”

They exchanged glances and she prepared to take them both on, calculating how hard it would be. If she took Howard down, she figured Jerome might leave on his own accord.

Howard said, “If a wolf appeals to us, she's ours. You're not going to be able to do anything about it.”

Meeting his challenge to her authority, Lori kicked her foot out and slammed it into Howard's chest, knocking him flat on his back on the concrete.