Wolf Quest (7 page)

“Hold on.” Rocky rustled some papers on the other end of the connection. “Weather’s going to play a role here. All flights are grounded on my end, so I’ll have to go by ground transport. That’s going to add time to my ETA. Also, the weather is heading in your direction. Severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches are going up all over the place. You’d better keep one eye to the sky, Jess.”

He had noticed it getting cloudier, and his sinuses had told him the barometer had definitely dropped, but he hadn’t realized the severity of what they were forecasting. “I won’t expect you tomorrow then.”

“If the weather plays nice. Dammit!” Rocky growled over the speakers. “Of all the times for severe storms, this takes the cake. I’m sorry, Zach. I’ll get to you as quick as I can. We’ll get your parents out of danger and tear apart the bastards who shot you. I promise.”

“I know, Uncle Rocky. Thanks,” Zach said in a remarkably steady voice. He was gaining strength even as Jesse watched him. He’d relaxed his wary stance. Seeing his uncle had done that for him. Allowed him to relax so his magic could flow and heal him. Thank the Lady for modern technology that allowed the kid to see his uncle’s face over the video chat.

“Rocky, there’s one other thing you should know.” Jesse had realized something as soon as the kid had identified Rocky as his uncle.

“Yeah?”

“The doctor’s last name is Garibaldi.”

“You don’t say.” Rocky’s voice turned pensive.

“Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”

“Who are her people?” Rocky was quick to ask.

“You can get what few details we have from my brother’s new mate. I know her stepdad and mom live outside of Lincoln. She’s related through her father’s bloodline to the dryad Leonora who lives in our woods, and she described both her grandmother and aunt as witches.”

“So she descends from magical folk.” Rocky trailed off, thinking, but came back a moment later. “Well, it’s something to investigate. For now, we need to protect Zach and the woman, and help my sister and her mate, if they can still be helped. I think I’d know if she was dead. She’s not. Right, Zach?”

“Definitely,” Zach agreed. “They’re still alive. I can feel it.”

“Good. Hold on to that. And if you can, use your connection to them to help Jesse figure out where they are. I’m coming and I’m bringing reinforcements. We’ll get your folks and bring them to safety. I swear.”

“Thanks, Uncle Rocky.” The kid choked up, unable to say more, and Jesse patted his shoulder.

He turned the laptop and started making plans with the Lords. Rocky had left, already gathering supplies and a bit of help before hitting the road. He’d stay in touch by phone and the Lords would coordinate anything that needed coordination on a larger scale. They gave Jesse Rocky’s direct cell number and he punched it into his phone, sending Rocky a text that had all his contact information. They’d be able to communicate directly now—as long as they were both in range of a cell tower and the storms didn’t interfere too much.

Jesse spent a few more minutes talking with the Lords before they signed off and Jason was back on his screen. They discussed manpower and which of Jesse’s select group of ex-Special Forces soldiers they could send to help. In less than five minutes, they’d ended the video chat and Jesse powered down the laptop.

“We’re going to have to move fast, Zach. Are you up to it?”

Zach nodded, still overcome by the emotion that seeing his uncle and knowing he was in the presence of friends rather than enemies had inspired. Jesse understood. The kid had been through a lot in the past days.

“All right. Rest here for now. I’m going to scrounge some clothes for you and help the doc pack up. We’ll be hitting the road shortly, but I want you to rest as much as possible before we do. Got it?” He smiled to soften his orders and the kid responded with a shaky smile of his own as Jesse headed out the door.

They’d lucked out in a way. Rocky had been able to convince Zach he was among friends much more easily than anyone else could have. And now it was just possible that the doc and Rocky—and Zach too—were somehow related. Both the doc and Rocky’s last name was Garibaldi. Something to ponder later, as Rocky had said, but something that reassured Jesse that the Lady was working in Her mysterious ways to bring all these different players together.

Jesse found Maria in her office, just hanging up the phone as she scrambled to collect some papers and a checkbook, which she threw into her oversized pocketbook. The bag was bulging, so she must’ve been collecting things from the office since she left him and Zach to talk on the computer.

“Do you have a case for this?” Jesse asked, lifting the laptop he still held in one hand.

“In the corner over there.” She gestured with her chin since her hands were still full.

Jesse searched and found a backpack-style computer case made of padded nylon that would be both very protective and easy to carry. The computer slid into one compartment and there were other sections that would hold the charger, wireless modem, mouse and various cables that might be needed to connect to a printer, projector or high-speed internet connection. She had almost all contingencies covered and still had room in the backpack for other stuff.

“You’ll need to pack some clothes and Zach needs something to wear. I have a spare set of fatigues in my bag—”

“You have a bag?” she cut him off, turning her surprised gaze on him.

“Stashed in an old oak on the edge of your property.” He shrugged. “Problem is, Zach isn’t quite full grown yet. He’d fit better in a pair of your sweats, I think. If you have any. He’d look a lot less conspicuous if he’s seen.”

She rolled her eyes but bit back whatever it was she’d been about to say when her phone rang. She placed her hand on the receiver and answered him. “I’ll find something for him.” Then she picked up the phone and answered. “Sanctuary.” She placed the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she continued to rummage around the office. He’d been dismissed.

Jesse had to smile as he walked out to the living room, collecting the laptop charger and stowing it in the backpack. He raided her cabinets looking for snack food that would keep without refrigeration and threw some of that into the front of the backpack, along with a few items that could be used as survival tools—waterproof matches, a Swiss Army knife and some other things he found—until the bag was full. The rest of the snacks, he put in a plastic shopping bag.

Then he went to the fridge and made a bunch of sandwiches, putting them in the cooler he’d found stashed in one of the closets. Cold sodas followed, along with whatever else looked good and easy to eat while on the move. A picnic bag of plastic utensils and bottled water went in as well as paper cups and a bottle of juice.

Zach was a growing boy. He’d be hungry as he healed. Jesse gobbled two giant sandwiches as he worked, not having eaten in quite a while. He needed fuel too. He put aside a smaller sandwich for Maria. She needed to eat too, and he’d be sure she had at least a sandwich before they took off.

“My friends are coming over to take care of the animals. Do you want to do a quick run through to make sure I don’t have any other shifters caged?” She made a face and he could see again how bad she felt about Zach.

“We’ll do that on the way out. I don’t want to leave you or Zach on your own in case they send in the A Team this time. The guys last night were definitely the B Team. We’d already dealt with their friends back in Wyoming. The
Venifucus
definitely didn’t send their elite forces when they sent those guys.” Jesse handed her the sandwich he’d made for her after she placed her bag on the kitchen table next to the laptop backpack and the cooler he’d stocked.

“Okay, but my car is in the front. We’ll have to double back.”

“We won’t be taking your car. It’s too slow and too easy to trace. I have a rented four-by-four waiting in the woods. We can check your guests as we make our way to the SUV.” She looked like she wanted to argue, but he pushed the sandwich at her. “Eat. You’ll need the fuel.”

She cracked a smile and picked up the sandwich. It looked huge in her delicate hands. “Now you sound like my nona. She’s always telling me I’m too skinny. She refuses to believe I really need to lose about thirty pounds.”

Jesse paused and let his gaze run over her. He knew his tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth, but he couldn’t help himself.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re perfect, Doc.” He heard the growl escape his throat and walked his gaze up her luscious body to meet her gaze. She seemed not only shocked but…aroused?

He sniffed the air as he stepped closer to her. Oh, yeah. She was definitely aroused. Fuck. She smelled so damn good.

He was instantly hard and ready to go. He wanted her bad. His wolf wanted to sink his teeth—and his cock—into her and fuck her senseless. He wanted to hear her scream his name as she came around him, taking him with her to the moon.

He put his arms around her and tugged her close his body. He had enough presence of mind to take the sandwich out of her hands and place it back on the table behind her. Then the beast was in control. It pulled her against him with a single hard tug that startled her. She gasped when her soft body met his hardness. Her eyes widened as she gazed up into his eyes. Caught. He was hers.

Jesse’s head dipped and he captured her lips with his. The kiss started savage and then…morphed. It changed into something much more serious than the blind lust that had ridden him to this point.

He hadn’t meant to touch her, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. The scent of her arousal was more than he could take. He had to taste her, sample her sweetness, claim it for himself, even if just for this moment out of time.

She tangled her hands in the short hair at the base of his neck. Her body strained against him as she responded. She wasn’t just a recipient of his kiss, she was a full participant in the lust that ignited from the kiss into a conflagration neither of them could deny or control.

Jesse backed her against the table, lifting her until she sat on the very edge. He nudged her legs apart with his hips, taking his place between them as their mouths continued to consume each other, driving the fire that had flared between them higher.

Jesse dragged his lips from hers and began nibbling his way down her throat, pausing in the delicately scented place in the crook of her neck, nosing under her soft brown hair. She smelled so damn good. Like ambrosia. Like the finest wine. Delicious.

He kept moving lower, shaping her ribs one by one with his fingers, then moving higher, supporting her generous breasts. She was built like a woman with a capital W. Just the way he liked his women. Not scrawny or overly muscular, but luscious and stacked with generous hips and an ass he could sink his teeth into. Hot damn.

She wasn’t stopping him as his nose found its way down into the V of her blouse and he worked his hands up over her bra to cup her and mold her. Satisfaction growled through him when her nipples bloomed against the palms of his hands. He pinched gently and learning her shape.

And a fine shape it was, indeed. He couldn’t wait. The beast wanted to taste her skin. He pulled on the cotton of her shirt, ripping it with a single tug. Buttons bounced off his chest, the small projectiles making little zaps against his T-shirt. He didn’t feel it. The only thing that really registered was the white lace of her bra. Her hard nipples poked outward, their darker color clear against the translucent lace. He wanted to howl in approval.

Down, boy.

Her hands still tangled in his hair, silent encouragement for him to go farther. He wasn’t about to argue. He pulled down the lace cups until her luscious tits popped free with a happy bounce. He almost grinned, but the desire to lick her won out.

Jesse leaned closer and ran his tongue up the crease between her breasts, then over to the right in a spiraling motion, closer and closer, over her soft skin to the pointy center that seemed to strain for his attention. The taste of her skin was absolutely addictive. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and teased it with his tongue. He liked the way she shivered in his arms. She was so responsive that he knew she loved what he was doing to her.

Sucking and moving his head back, he let that nipple go with a little wet pop, admiring the way it stood out from the incredibly soft and supple mound of her generous breast. Her skin was pale, as if the sun never touched it, and the pointed tip had grown even pinker than it had been due to his attentions. He liked the way it looked and he decided he wanted to see a matched set.

Without preamble this time, he dove for and found the other nipple, pointed and waiting for him. He was a little bit rougher with this one, seeing how far he could push her. She took it all, writhing against him as she slid her hands under his shirt and around his back, pulling him closer. The way she touched him nearly drove him out of his mind.

He nipped gently on her bud, growling low in his throat when she scratched a path lightly over his back and around to his abdomen. She didn’t mark him, but he felt the blunt tips of her short nails with every fiber of his being. Seemed like it was his turn to shiver with pleasure.

Jesse slipped one hand beneath the waistband of her pants and lacy panties. There was just enough room for him to cup her pussy and insert one finger between her slippery folds. She creamed when he rubbed her clit, bathing his hand in her essence. He wanted to taste it, but something else was driving him beyond his own pleasure.