Wolf Quest (16 page)

The Mother of All had to be laughing at him right now. She’d led him to his mate and then thrown a few zillion complications at him, just to keep things interesting. Jesse was glad he could provide amusement for that complicated deity that ruled over his life and his people. He’d served Her all his life, but found She often delighted in making him prove his worth over and over.

He wasn’t bitter, but in this situation, he would have preferred no worries, a private beach and a few months alone to savor the experience of being with the one woman who was meant for him. Jesse had honestly thought he’d never meet her. That there was nobody out there for him.

Thank the Lady, he’d been proven wrong. His perfect mate was sitting right next to him, trying to read a map as they sped along the back-country roads. Warm and womanly at his side. Damn, he liked the feeling of having her to protect and to make love to.

Speaking of which… She’d worn the skirt he’d asked her to wear, and every little swish of that soft fabric made him want to flip it up and take her right then and there. Only Zach’s presence and the seriousness of their situation had kept him from bracing her against a tree and fucking her brains out when they’d been in the woods before.

Still, the idea of doing exactly that kept running through his mind until he thought he’d go mad. He had better find some kind of relief soon, or he wouldn’t be able to control the wolf who clawed at his insides to get at its mate.

“We’re running parallel to the interstate, but it’s going to bottleneck by this waterway on the map,” Maria reported, drawing his attention. She pointed to a bunch of squiggles on the map that he couldn’t read the way she was bouncing the thing around. “If we stick to back roads, we’ll have to go about an hour out of our way. We might want to chance the interstate.”

“If they’re watching the roads, they’ll have both paths staked out. We’d have a better chance of slipping past on the interstate because there are a lot more people,” Zach reasoned, impressing Jesse with his astute thought processes. “If they’re waiting for us on that back-road crossing, we’d be sitting ducks.”

“Interstate it is,” Jesse agreed, pointing the SUV in the direction of the onramp. “We’ll get on now so we’re part of the regular flow of traffic. That’s better than just appearing suddenly the exit before the crossing.”

They were driving through farmland but Jesse knew they’d hit forest eventually. He’d be on the lookout for a big stand of trees. As soon as he saw that, he’d stop and let Maria’s magic scout ahead. She might not believe it had to do with the presence of trees, but he knew how his new sister-in-law’s magic worked, and Maria’s had to be similar. Sally talked to the trees, much like Leonora. It might not be exactly the same for Maria, but Jesse was willing to bet that trees were the secret ingredient to Maria’s sixth sense.

Jesse found what he was looking for about twenty minutes later. There was a rest stop just off the highway in a dense stand of woods. The small building had toilet facilities, snack machines, tourist brochures and a small strip of grass along the highway side to walk your dog, if you had one. There was also a set of picnic tables off to one side of the small building and plenty of parking.

The woods behind the building beckoned. Trees lined a sloping hill, going upward. It was clear this was a wild space where people seldom ventured.

“Time for a pit stop,” Jesse said as he stopped the SUV and unbuckled his seat belt. “Hold here for a minute while I scout around. See if you can sense anything, sweetheart,” he said in a softer voice, wanting to encourage Maria to trust her abilities more.

She rolled down the window and shut her eyes. Jesse got out of the vehicle and threw Zach a gesture instructing him to watch over Maria while Jesse did recon. The kid was a bear shifter. He had magical skills most wolves couldn’t match. And even if he was still growing, he was already stronger than most humans. Zach could handle himself if there was trouble, and Jesse wouldn’t be far away. In fact, he wouldn’t let the SUV out of his line of sight for a single moment. He’d parked in such a way as to allow him to see the vehicle from every vantage point.

Jesse did a quick prowl around, inhaling unobtrusively to take in all the scent information he could gather. No shifters had been through this way in a long time. Humans mostly. And nothing overtly magical.

He also evaluated those few travelers present at the rest stop in the traditional ways. He observed them with offhand glances that took in their appearance, their demeanor and the other subtle things that could be suspicious. Nobody looked overly interested in the SUV or in Jesse.

So far, so good.

Jesse gave the discrete signal that told Maria and Zach that it was clear for the moment. They got out of the SUV, stretching cramped limbs as they went. Zach hung back, escorting Maria to the rest room before altering course slightly to meet Jesse walking back down the wooded hill behind the building.

“How are you holding up?” Jesse asked the teen in a quiet tone.

Zach shrugged. “Better since you showed up, Alpha.”

Wow. That was it. Right there. The single word that meant the teenager formally recognized Jesse’s leadership and authority. It was a big step. Not one to be taken lightly.

Bears were a law unto themselves. Particularly grizzlies. Bigger and badder than most other shifters, they kept mostly to themselves. When they gave their friendship and loyalty, it was something special.

Jesse nodded, almost choked up a bit, but didn’t let it show. “I’m glad,” he said, and both of them knew he meant far more than the simple words.

“The doc said it felt safe here. She wanted me to tell you.” Zach changed the subject, tucking his hands into his pockets and looking around at the nearby woods. “I sure would love a run.”

“Me too,” Jesse answered with a heartfelt sigh. “But it wouldn’t be wise. Some magic users can sense shifting magic, and I bet you generate more magic than most. If they’re on the lookout for it, they’ll spot us.”

“No kidding. Really?” Zach looked impressed by the idea. Jesse knew where he was coming from. Until a short while ago, Jesse never would have guessed anyone could track a shifter in such a way.

“So the Lords have warned. They’ve been doing a lot of research on our enemies since the attempt was made on their mate’s life.” Jesse grimaced, understanding a bit better now what the Lords had been through not too long ago. “We’ve got to lay low, even if it’s relatively safe here. I had a sniff around up in the woods. No recent scents of note. Humans don’t venture up there beyond the initial few trees.” He looked up at the dense woods and Zach followed his gaze.

“Nothing but human scents down here by the washrooms,” Zach reported, confirming Jesse’s initial assessment. “No magic residue to speak of either. At least nothing I could feel. The doc either. However her senses work.”

“The trees tell her things,” Jesse reminded him. “Even if she doesn’t quite realize it yet herself. Her cousin recently mated my brother and she speaks about hearing the song of the trees and the whisper of their leaves. It’s pretty cool, actually.”

“And you’re not…upset, that your brother mated a woman who can’t shift?” Zach seemed to scrounge around for words that wouldn’t be quite as offensive as the first that probably jumped to his mind.

“Far from it. Sally’s something special, and the Pack loves her. She’s a hell of a woman and she’ll make the Pack stronger. We all saw that almost right away.”

Zach still looked skeptical.

“Do me a favor?” Jesse decided to leave that topic of contention for now. He had better things on his mind. He wanted a moment alone with Maria and this was probably the only opportunity they’d have for some time. It wasn’t ideal, but it was as safe as things were going to get.

“What is it, Alpha?” Zach asked somewhat warily. Jesse liked that Zach gave him the respect of the title while still not agreeing to blindly follow. The kid was shrewd. And cautious. Perhaps more cautious than he’d been before his world had been turned upside down.

But Jesse was going to put things right or die trying. For the moment though, he needed some time alone with Maria.

“I want you to head back to the truck. Keep an eye on things and keep a low profile. I’m going to take a short walk with Maria.”

“The doc? Why?” Suspicion laced his tone.

“You’re probably old enough to understand this, Zach,” Jesse answered plainly. “I just met her yesterday and we’ve been on the go ever since, but I know she’s my mate.”

“Does she know?” Zach looked concerned.

“Not yet, but she’s definitely the one. The wolf keeps gnawing at me from the inside, if you know what I mean.”

“Dad told me about it,” Zach said in a low voice, appearing a little uncomfortable.

“Then he probably told you that mates need a lot of time alone when they first discover each other. I’ve been able to keep a lid on it because of the danger of our situation and the fact that she’s not
were
and probably doesn’t feel it as acutely as one of our women would. But the problem remains. I need to calm the wolf.”

“No problem, Alpha. I’ll hold down the fort.”

“Stay with the SUV. Don’t wander around down there. I’ll keep the vehicle in sight at all times. We’re just going for a stroll in the woods. No doubt her dryad side needs some communing with nature too, after all that time we’ve been cooped up in the car. Sorry you have to keep under wraps, but the less people who see you, the better right now.”

“I understand.” Both of them saw Maria walking toward them at the same moment. “I’ll go down to the car and send her up this way.”

“Thanks, sport. I’ll remember this.” Jesse clapped Zach on the back as he turned to go.

Maria spotted Jesse on the hill behind the small building that housed a few snack machines and the washrooms. It wasn’t much of a rest stop, but it was good enough for a little break between all the driving they’d been doing. Her legs were cramped and walking up the hill felt good to her underused muscles. She’d been sitting too long. She needed a little stretch to work out the kinks. A walk was just the thing.

Zach passed her on the way down and actually gave her a smile as he told her he was going back to the car. Wonder of wonders. The kid was actually beginning to thaw toward her. Maria didn’t understand exactly why, but she was glad of it. She hated that she’d kept him in a cage and couldn’t apologize enough. She wanted his forgiveness badly, but knew she’d have to earn it.

She kept on up the hill until she met up with Jesse who was waiting for her, standing there looking so handsome she could jump his bones right then and there. The smile he gave her was downright sinful as he held out one hand in silent invitation. Knowing it might lead to trouble of the very best kind, she took it and followed where he led.

He walked farther into the dense woods, navigating a path only he could see through the large and small tree trunks and saplings. It was a beautiful place, filled with the loud silence of the forest. It spoke to her. Not in words, but in impressions. It seemed happy to see her and she was definitely glad to feel the untainted presence of the old trees looking after the younger ones and the little creatures that flitted among the boughs and scurried along the leafy ground.

She looked back once to realize they had full view of most of the rest stop, including a good vantage point from which to watch the vehicle. They’d be able to see right away if Zach needed help. She, for one, was glad of some time alone in the quiet woods. Maria wasn’t used to having people around every minute of the day. She was more comfortable with animals out on her land in the sanctuary she had built for herself.

Zach was probably glad to get a break from her too. The teenager had warmed to her slightly over the past day, but she was afraid her mistake would always stand between them. She hoped not, but she was really afraid it would. She couldn’t even begin to know how to make it up to him.

“He’s safe enough for now,” Jesse said near her ear. His warm breath on her skin sent an uncontrollable shiver down her spine. She turned to find him much closer than she’d expected. He was looking at her, but shifted his gaze to the SUV for a moment, no doubt having noticed the direction of her gaze. “I’ll keep him in sight at all times, Maria. I promise.” He held her hand as he took her a few steps farther into the dense woods. “I just thought we should have some time alone in this special place.”

She looked around, noting the way the forest seemed to welcome them. “It is special, isn’t it?” She looked upward at the small circle of trees he’d brought her to. They were between two of the largest of the trunks, surrounded by equally old trees forming a natural circle around a wide flat stone at the center. It seemed an odd formation, but as she listened, the power of her surroundings came through to her.

“A natural place of power,” Jesse confirmed. “In ancient days, even humans would worship the Lady in circles like this all over the world. In modern times, most humans have forgotten about Her, but we haven’t. We serve the Lady and are allied with all the forces of Light.”

“I know about the Lady. My grandmother taught me Her ways, only we call her Mother Earth most of the time.”

“Really?” He sounded both surprised and pleased. “That’s good. That’s really good.” A smile came over his face. “So we follow the same religion.”

She had to laugh. “I guess so. I’ve never really thought about it. Does it make a difference?”