Winter’s Wolf (30 page)

Damon sauntered out beside Winter. “I guess I don’t qualify as a fag, but I’m happy to join the group.” His arm shimmered and furred as he extended a clenched fist.

By now, the dissenters looked damned uncomfortable.

Winter raised his voice. “We’ve got a lot of power here and no laws have been broken, so go home and take your complaints to the alphas.”

Fred Betz stepped out of the crowd. Okay, this wasn’t good. “Are you trying to tell us that you didn’t break the cardinal rule by revealing your wolf to that FBI agent?”

Winter cocked his head. “Funny how you know about that, Fred. And yes, I am claiming I broke no laws because Matt Partridge is not human. He’s a werewolf.”

“What the hell? That’s a desperate lie.”

“No, actually it’s not. Matt is part werewolf, probably three generations back. I got him to shift last night.” Winter narrowed his eyes. “Ask your pal how else we might have escaped from his locked basement.”

The one named Patrick snarled, “It doesn’t matter if he’s part wolf, because Lindsey Vanessen’s mother isn’t. Somebody broke the cardinal rule, and he should pay along with her.”

Damon slouched forward in that relaxed, lethal way of his. “First, you should know that anyone who threatens Lindsey or his family will be instantly killed by me.”

That boosted the noise level. He held up a hand.

“And in addition, since Lindsey is a member of the pack and his mother and grandfather are blood relatives, that makes them pack, you idiots! Sacrosanct. Blood! Get near them and you’ll all be in violation of pack law and subject to severe penalty—which I’ll administer with great joy!”

Lindsey walked out beside him with a glistening submachine gun in his hands. “As you know, I’m not much of a werewolf, but my human skills in marksmanship are unassailable.”

Seth and Matt stepped out. Seth nodded. “As are ours.”

Finally, Casper and Jason joined their group. Casper held a rife and Jason a handgun. Casper smiled. “Think of this as the Vanessen Pack. Any move by you will constitute provocation for war. Do you really think you’re up for it?”

Winter grinned. They’d just been threatened by everyone’s favorite grandfather.
Vanessen Pack. What an idea.

Matt stepped forward. “I’m Matthew Partridge with the FBI, and what you need to know is that you’re all being duped. A New York drug cartel is using you and your children as part of their plan to take over the drug business in Connecticut.”

“Why should we care what happens to humans?” That was Patrick.

“You’ll care when I tell you that the person—I mean wolf—who is profiting is—”

The shot rang out across the open space. Winter gasped and glanced over to see Matt staring at the spreading blanket of red that oozed across his own chest. Like in slow motion, Winter turned back to the group and saw Ben Freedman lowering his rifle at the back of the crowd.

“Noooo!”
Heat! Fire!
Acid shot through him as the great white wolf leaped from his body and into the air like it was shot from a cannon. Paws touched the ground once, and the next leap propelled him straight at Freedman.
Kill!

Wolf. Fear.
Freedman’s eyes widened and he began his shift but too late. Halfway to fur, the white wolf’s teeth buried in his neck. The jaws closed over his scream for help and met in a satisfying crunch.

Blood. Good.

The white shook his head once, dragging Freedman as wolves around him scattered, shrieking. “Holy shit!”

“Did you see that?”

“Nobody can do that.”

Matt. Love.
The wolf spat out Freedman’s body like a broken doll and ran toward the porch. He changed back to Winter halfway there as wolves scattered toward the trees around him. By the time he reached the prostrate body, now with his head cradled on Damon’s lap, Winter had carved a crater in his bare forearm. “Move. Let me get to him.”

Jason looked up at him with tears staining his cheeks. Winter knelt and stared down at the pale white face, breath barely whispering through his nose.

Winter kissed Matt gently and then brought his bleeding arm to Matt’s mouth. “Drink, my wolf. This is all you need. Drink.”
Please, Powers, let that be true.

The dribbled drops of red looked shocking against Matt’s almost blue lips, but nothing happened. No licking. No movement. Winter wet his finger in blood and stuck it into Matt’s mouth. Nothing.
Sweet Powers, please.
Again he wet his finger and pushed it in. “Drink, Matt. I said I’d never leave you, but that means you can’t leave me. Drink.”

Jason leaned forward. “Come on, son. I need you here with me. Imagine how great life can be now that we know who we are. Please, Matt. Please.”

Not a movement. Had his breath stopped? Winter’s heart stopped with it. Having a reason to live also meant having one to die.

Winter leaned down to Matt’s ear. Cold. Too cold. Tears slid down his cheeks. “Please live for me. I know it’s selfish, but you’re the only thing I’ve ever wanted.”

What?
A soft tongue brushed against the finger Winter still held in Matt’s mouth. Winter’s heart started to pound.
Hope. Powers. Hope.
He gently removed his finger, swiped more blood, and stuck it back in. Matt sucked slightly.

Oh Powers, yes!
He slashed his arm deeper and dripped the blood against Matt’s mouth. Matt’s soft tongue slipped out and licked it. It was like the red of the blood went straight to Matt’s cheeks as color flooded back into his face. Winter wiped at his own face and laughed as salty tears dripped from his nose.

Cole stuck out an arm. “Want some of mine?”

A flash of jealousy sparked in Winter’s chest.
Dumb.
“Yes, the more strong blood he gets, the better.”

Cole swiped some blood from his scratched forearm and dripped it into Matt’s mouth. Matt licked it and frowned a little.

Winter whispered, “It’s okay, sweetheart. More powerful wolf blood will make you better.”

“Want some type kitty?” Paris grinned, standing over Cole’s back.

Winter smiled back. “Thanks, but his system is probably as confused as it ought to get.”

Matt grabbed Winter’s arm and began to drink in earnest.

Winter pulled back a little. “Careful, sweetheart. We want you to heal but not shift.” Matt slowed a little, and Winter pressed his lips to the soft brown hair.

Lindsey’s mom stepped beside him, holding the same throw she’d covered Matt with earlier. “Winter, you might want this.”

“He’s getting warm, ma’am.”

“I meant for you.”

Winter looked up, then down at his totally naked condition. “Thank you, ma’am. I’m afraid modesty isn’t a werewolf strong suit.”

“Nothing I haven’t seen before.” She grinned. “But maybe in a slightly smaller size.”

Damon cleared his throat.

Winter laughed, and the others joined in.

“Cole!”

Winter looked up to see Landon Harker, Merced Marketo, and several of their beta wolves standing at the foot of the porch. Winter frowned. “Better late than never, I suppose.”

Cole stood slowly. “Yes.”

Landon held up his phone. “I was called and told that someone here murdered Ben Freedman.”

“Oh yeah?” Cole looked out at the few remaining wolves—probably about twenty die-hards since all the rest had fled—with such disdain it practically dripped. “I suppose they neglected to mention that Ben Freedman shot FBI agent Matthew Partridge with a semiautomatic weapon and might have used it on someone else had he not been stopped by Winter Thane.” Funny. Cole didn’t seem to have any trouble talking at the moment. “Maybe they also forgot to mention that they were attacking the Vanessen estate with torches and guns.”

Casper Vanessen stepped forward. “All true, Mr. Harker. And I should advise you and them that if there is any question about the happenings here, I’ll call for a full police and FBI investigation, and your friends can take their chances in
human
jail.”

Harker looked startled. Damon stood beside Casper. “This is the Vanessen pack, Harker. I’m a member of it. These wolves are not welcome in our territory. If they don’t leave, there will be repercussions.”

Winter hid his grin. Law said any declared pack had absolute say over its own territory.

Casper nodded. “And since our pack owns more than ten thousand acres of land in the northeast, I think we may be larger—” He glanced at Damon.

Damon smiled. “Actually, the largest independent pack, probably in North America.”

Patrick frowned and pointed at Casper. “You’re not a werewolf.”

“No, son, I’m the grandfather of a werewolf and soon to be the father-in-law of a werewolf.”

Winter stood, wrapping the throw around his waist like a short sarong. “And he’ll also be the step-grandfather of a werewolf.”

Lindsey smiled sweetly, baring his even teeth. “And that werewolf happens to be as powerful an alphanta as there is in this land.”

Winter shook his head.

Lindsey put a hand on his arm. “And he’s my brother.”

Son of a bitch. Winter closed his fingers over Lindsey’s and fought back the heat behind his eyes. He looked out over the remaining wolves. “Get off our pack land until you’re invited. The wolf I love is still in need of care, and I plan to give it to him.”

T
HE
WOLVES
left, including Harker and Marketo, and two hours later the human doctor walked out of the bedroom the Vanessens had assigned to Matt, declaring him a lucky man. The doc said with a wound that close to the heart, he should have died. Matt looked amazingly robust.

Winter sat on the edge of the bed, holding Matt’s hand. A soft rap on the door made him look up. Caruthers stuck his head in. “I hear you escaped death. Ready to talk about it?”

Matt shrugged. “Can’t be as bad as the doc says or I’d feel worse.”

Caruthers walked in with two other FBI types—a woman with short hair and glasses and a man in his midthirties. They pulled chairs over beside the bed.

Winter started to rise, but Caruthers stopped him. “We need to talk to you too, Thane.”

He sat back down.
Okay, if things get tough, there are only three of them.
He could grab Matt and Jason and be halfway to China before they knew what hit them. He squeezed Matt’s hand.

“So this guy Freedman that Thane killed—”

Matt nodded. “Turned out to be the head of the drug cartel.”

Winter glanced at Caruthers. “You remember I said I didn’t think it was Kubelik.”

“What proof did you have?”

Winter’s eyebrow rose so his lip wouldn’t curl over his fangs. “You mean besides the fact that he shot Matt?”

“Yes, besides that.”

“He took both of us captive and confessed to me at the time that he was the head of the drug ring.”

“Captive? Where?”

“In the basement of the marshal’s office. You need to get someone over there fast and you’ll find evidence.”

“How did you get away?”

“Through a small window I guess he didn’t think we could reach. Of course, he had us restrained. We were lucky to get out.”
Don’t look away. Be sincere.

“And how did you kill him?”

“With a knife I had hidden in my boot. I cut his throat after he shot Matt.” That was the story they’d agreed to, and he was sticking to it.

They asked more questions, but Matt’s eyes got heavy, and Caruthers called it quits. “You should take some time off, Partridge, but we need you back soon, before someone else tries to fill the void this drug leader left.”

Matt nodded and fell sound asleep.

Caruthers smiled and looked at Winter. “What about you, Thane? You’ve been an enormous asset to the FBI on this investigation. If you were to decide to join our ranks, I’d be happy to write you a letter of recommendation.”

Winter almost laughed. “Thank you. I’ll think about it.”

“You could train in Virginia, then request assignment here. We could sure use a man with your skills.”

“I’ll think about it seriously.” He shook hands with Caruthers. Imagine. The homeless, off-the-grid wolf in the FBI.

T
HE
MOONLIGHT
shone through the windows in the small sitting room where they’d been told to wait. Winter looked down at Matt and gripped his hand tightly.
So handsome.
In the weeks of his recovery, he’d let his light brown hair grow, and it curled softly on his neck and formed a wavy frame for his bright green eyes. Winter kissed his nose. “You nervous?”

“Me? Hell, I don’t get nervous. I’m a tough werewolf. The blood of alphas flows in my—stomach!” He laughed. “Scared shitless, how about you?”

“A little.”

“You’re giving up all that footloose freedom for me. Taking on a family, responsibilities. Hell, you might join the Feds. I don’t know how I could ever have deserved your love.”

Winter touched his cheek just to prove to himself Matt was really there. “I was footloose, which only meant I had nowhere to go. From the moment I saw you, you were all I wanted. Now I have the freedom to love you, and that means everything.”