Bailey Bradford - Southwestern Shifters 07 - Revolution (12 page)

Jameson wished they were the ones out waiting, watching. He was pacing and had been for a solid hour now. Luuk kept watching him but hadn’t told him to sit or relax, which Jameson appreciated. He stopped and glared at the laptop. “How do we know they understood the directions? Maybe Adam didn’t catch onto the code we used. He didn’t reply except for ‘Okay.’ Jeez, he could have said something else…”

Luuk shrugged. “I think he didn’t reply with more because they are on the move. And, I am sure, they do not want to risk their movements being discovered. This Marcus, bringing in so many of his guards—he will be seen as a challenger to Luther. One Alpha Anax invading another’s territory.”

“Yeah, well, fuck Luther,” Jameson sneered. There were times when he was so angry at that asshole, he thought he’d kill him without any more provocation. Of course, there’d already been plenty of that… “He’s a coward, and he has no right to get indignant over any goddamned thing!” Jameson closed his eyes and hung his head. “I’m sorry. I know he hurt you, Luuk. I don’t mean to be throwing a fit.”

Luuk stood. Jameson could hear his footsteps on the floor as he approached. “You have every right, love. Get mad, rant, curse, hit something—it’s all fine with me. Luther hurt me, yes, but not as much as he has angered me by killing so many innocents, by trying to kill you. For those things, I will not spare him, not at all. He will die, Jamie, and by my hands, as is my duty as Alpha Anax.”

Jameson shivered at the quiet, sure note in Luuk’s voice. He snuggled closer and sighed. It’d been six hours since the last e-mail from Adam. Jameson didn’t know how they were approaching, if they were approaching. Luuk had had him use coordinates and an odd pattern of words he sure as shit didn’t understand. Luuk had promised him that if Adam didn’t get it, the Alpha Anax with him would.

“I wonder if they’re coming by car or plane or…” Jameson swallowed. Surely there wasn’t a massive pack of wolves running their way?
“That would be most impressive, and possible, even, considering where we are,” Luuk said. “I think perhaps they have used the jet again. I would, if I had one at my disposal. Criswell would have to find a private airport or landing strip, which could be difficult, though, so perhaps they drove, which would take fourteen hours or more.”
“A caravan heading this way wouldn’t be noticeable at all,” Jameson snarked, irritated and stressed and excited all at once. But he shouldn’t be taking anything out on Luuk. “Sorry, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Jamie.” Luuk tipped his head back and looked at Jamie with such patience and love, Jameson wanted to grovel out another apology. “Don’t. Part of being together is dealing with the bad parts of one another. You’ve certainly had me snap at you on more than one occasion. And if we actually fight, we get to have make-up sex.”
Jameson groaned and clenched his butt just thinking about that. “No fighting, then, because I’m still not recovered enough for sex.”
Luuk snickered and kissed his forehead. “Me either, but a few more hours, oh yes, I might be trying to piss you off just so I can bend you over the bed and take your sweet ass again.”
Jameson bit his bottom lip and looked through his lashes at Luuk. Maybe he wasn’t as sore as he thought he was. A different kind of ache began inside him, and Jameson purred as he rubbed up against Luuk.
“Oh, love, you really are asking for it,” Luuk murmured. He squeezed Jamie’s butt and pleasure-pain spread out from his centre to warm the backs of his thighs.
Jaq came barrelling in the room, eyes bright with excitement, shouting out “Hey! Hey!” Jameson started to jerk away but Luuk tightened his hold and turned a look on Jaq that had the younger man settling down quickly.
“Yes?” Luuk said calmly. He did release Jameson’s ass, but kept his hands right on the small of his back.
Jaq’s cheeks flamed bright red and he shuffled his feet. “I, uh, I’m sorry. I should have not…um—”
“Come running through the house like a herd of horses?” Mem snapped from behind him. “You should comport yourself in a manner appropriate around your Alpha Anax. Really, Jaq, how often you’ve whined to be treated like a man instead of a child—”
“It’s fine,” Luuk said, much to Jamie’s relief—he didn’t think Jaq had done anything wrong, although yeah, Jameson had been scolded as a kid for running in the house. He manoeuvred Jameson to his side so that an arm rested on his shoulders and he was no longer embracing Jamie. “Jaq, what is it you came to tell us?”
Jaq cast a quick look at Mem, then at Luuk, then Jameson. Jameson smiled encouragingly and nodded, and Jaq’s excitement returned so that he bounced up on his toes. “There’s dozens, maybe hundred, I don’t know, but—wolves, shifters, they’re coming, and the white one, he’s huge and you can feel the power—”
“How do we know these aren’t Luther’s men?” Mem snapped.
Jameson was trying to fucking breathe. He knew. It wasn’t Luther’s, not when joy and fear were winging through him like living things invading his veins.
Jaq shook his head. “No, ma’am, because the man Jameson showed us the picture of, he’s walking with the white wolf and a couple of others, and he’s…” Jaq blushed again, and the tinge of arousal hit the air.
“Jaq, he’s mated,” Mem said, sounding kinder than Jameson would have expected.
“I know, but he’s still hot,” Jaq mumbled.
“How far away are they?” Luuk asked. He tightened his hold on Jameson. Jameson was trying not to vibrate, literally vibrate. He wanted…so much. And he was scared, but damn it, he wanted to see Adam, to talk and laugh with him and hug him and—
“Since the man is not shifting, a few hours walking, I’d guess. If he shifted and ran—”
“We’d not have known who was coming, for sure. Thank you, Jaq.” Luuk started to turn away then stopped. “Wait. Do they know they’ve been sighted?”
Jaq shook his head. “No, sir. We’ve done nothing since we are waiting on your command.”
Luuk smiled and tipped his head at the young shifter. “Good. Tell everyone to hold off on doing anything other than observing. I think my mate and I shall go for a run, and you, as well as the others, should accompany us.”
Jameson’s heart pounded so hard his chest hurt. His eyes burned, his vision blurred, but it was happiness that made him so close to tears.
“Come on, love, let’s shift.” Luuk stroked his cheek tenderly, then kissed him. Jamie sniffled and held onto Luuk for a moment before letting Luuk take his hand and lead him to the garage. Silently, Luuk undressed him as Mem joined them. Luuk’s smile never wavered, and the look in his eyes was one Jameson would never forget. He knew Luuk loved him, but to see it so clearly was a gift he’d always treasure.
“Who is staying with the priests?” Jameson asked.
Mem sighed. “I will. I was going to go, but I should stay here, in case.”
In case it was a trap, somehow. In case Adam was now a traitor like Luther.
“He isn’t,” Luuk said as Mem went back inside.
Jameson nodded. “I know. I understand why she would be cautious, but it still irks me on his behalf.”
Luuk’s smile tipped brighter and he chuckled. Then in a heartbeat he shifted and Jameson took a steadying breath before doing the same. Luuk rubbed against his side and nuzzled his face, and Jameson rumbled with pleasure.
Then Luuk yipped, a playful sound Jameson didn’t think many people got to hear, and they took off, loping steadily down the mountain. In minutes, they had a pack behind them, and damned if it wasn’t one of the best things Jameson had ever experienced—besides being with Luuk.
The trek was less bumpy and quicker on paw than it had been in a vehicle, and they also stayed away from any type of path or road. After almost a half an hour of traipsing, working their way down, the first scent of the others reached them. Luuk stopped, his hackles up. He growled and shook himself, giving Jameson a rueful look.
“Hard not to give in to the instinct, scenting another powerful wolf on my packlands. It’s a damn good thing I have the human ability to reason with this beast.”
Luuk shook himself again, from nose to the top of his tail, then he took off, howling a welcome that Jameson echoed along with the other shifters behind them.
Trees, shrubs, rocks and snow, Jameson didn’t really pay attention to any of it, letting his body take care of avoiding obstacles as he sucked more and more of the scent into his lungs. He couldn’t pick out Adam’s, perhaps because there were so many coming their way, or maybe because he didn’t know what Adam smelt like.
Luuk skidded to a halt after shooting out of a dense patch of brush. He sat on his haunches and howled, and Jamie joined him. He could hear the approach of the others, and leapt up, Luuk at his side.
“It’s safe, Luuk, it’s safe,”
he was thinking, then he was saying it because he’d shifted, his eyes locking with Adam’s as he and several wolves edged past a copse of trees.
“Adam,” Jameson whispered, the cold negligible when Adam was standing, tears spilling over his lower lashes, streaking his cheeks. Adam seemed stunned, and Jameson wasn’t sure, suddenly, of what to do.
“Go to him,” Luuk whispered, touching his hip. “He’s waiting.”
Jameson took one step, and Adam matched it as a tall redheaded man appeared at his side, then Jameson sobbed, and he forgot about feeling awkward, about anything but seeing the one true friend he’d had up until Luuk. He ran, bare feet stinging and he didn’t give a shit. He could hardly see, not when he was crying, but he thought Adam was moving, too.
Then strong arms were around him, and a familiar, loved voice sobbed his name, and Jameson clung to Adam, possibly too hard, but Adam didn’t complain. He just held Jameson, too, and whispered his name over and over.
“I’ve missed you, so much,” Adam rasped, and Jameson tried to say something, anything, but his throat was so clogged with emotions and a jumble of words all he could do was wheeze.
“Adam, honey, he’s probably freezing.”
Jameson sniffed and blinked and couldn’t see for shit, but he figured that had to be Todd.
“I don’t want to let him go, Todd,” Adam said. “I just want to hold onto him for a little while. You’ve gotten so thin, Jameson. I don’t care, I’m so glad, so glad to see you, to find you…”
Jameson finally cleared his throat enough to speak. And his teeth began chattering as the cold hit him. “I l-love you Adam, b-but it’s c-cold.”
Adam cursed softly and took his heavy coat off. The rest of his clothes soon followed then he grinned at Jameson, and shifted.
There were many things to work out, and an odd tension between Luuk and, he thought, Marcus Criswell. That was probably due to the nature of their beasts, but it would be dealt with. For now, Jameson laughed, happy in different way than what he was with Luuk, then he shifted and, with a yip and a pounce, nearly tackling Adam, he took off with his friend chasing his tail.

Inside the odd stone house, Luuk ran a hand over Jamie’s back, rubbing briskly. Even clothed, Jamie still felt cold. Not that he seemed to be aware of it, Jamie was all smiles and it thrilled Luuk to see his mate so happy. He nodded at Adam and his handsome, silent redheaded mate. “Adam, we met years ago. It’s good to see you. And you must be Todd.”

Adam beamed at Todd even as he answered Luuk. “Yes, this is Todd Benson, my husband, best friend, mate—well, he’s everything to me.”
Todd blushed but met Luuk’s gaze with a solid strength in his pretty eyes and in his handshake. Luuk thought Adam had done well finding a man like Todd. Not as well as he’d done with Jamie, but nonetheless, Todd and Adam seemed a perfect fit.
Jamie peeked at him through thick black lashes, and a simmering heat in his expression let Luuk know just how pleased Jamie was with Luuk. Then the one person Luuk was almost itching to talk to entered the room, having headed right to the shower when he first walked in with his redhaired mate. Luuk wondered if there was an abundance of redheaded men in America. There certainly seemed to be in Marcus Criswell’s pack.
“Jamie, I’d like to speak with Criswell. You’re welcome to come, too, or stay and visit with Adam.”
“You’re tense. You’re not going to end up in some dumb alpha wolf squabble, are you? He wouldn’t start a fight, would he?”
Jamie cast a doubtful glance towards the hulking blond with the startling angelic curls. A man as tough as Alpha Anax Criswell most assuredly was, with curls like that—it just boggled the mind.
“I don’t know him, Jamie, but I intend to. I need to ask what his intentions here are. If he came to conquer, we’re sorely outnumbered.”
“He didn’t…did he?”
Jamie nibbled his bottom lip and glanced at Criswell as the man approached.
“Maybe I should go with you—”
“You’re Adam, right? And Luuk,” said the red-haired man with the braid tapping at his ass. “I’m Nathan, Marcus’ mate. It’s a pleasure to meet you both and”—Nathan arched his eyebrows—“to know you’re alive, that’s pretty awesome. Marcus and I know what it’s like, having a psycho trying to take you out.”
“Nathan,” Marcus said, just that, and Nathan glared at him. Marcus held up one hand. “I was simply going to say, I’d like to speak with Luuk.” Marcus offered the hand he’d held up to Nathan. “Marcus Criswell.”
Luuk could feel the man’s power even though he was certain Marcus wasn’t deliberately putting it out there. Luuk had an ego, of course he did, but he’d never thought of himself as the biggest and the baddest Alpha Anax in existence—which was a damned good thing considering the man currently shaking his hand. Luther, however, would want to kill Marcus…right after he shit himself upon seeing the North American Alpha Anax.
“Normally, I’d go listen in on the conversation, but I’m thinking there might be chestthumping, and if there’s chest-thumping—”
“Of course there’s going to be chest-thumping, he’s the Grand Poobah!” Nathan was cut off by a handsome man with bright green eyes.
“What?” Luuk knew he had to be scrunching up every one of his facial features because that…confused the fuck out of him. “The Grand what?”
“Pooh?” Jamie asked doubtfully. “Like…uh—”
“Gabe,” Nathan said as he turned to the man, “Now you’ve terrified the very people we’ve come to help!”
Gabe and his quiet, stone-faced mate stopped beside Luuk and nudged him with an alarmingly inappropriate sense of familiarity even as, at the same time, Gabe bumped his hip to Marcus’.
Marcus scowled and Luuk just moved away because apparently this Gabe guy was unhinged.
“Stop looking at me like I’m nuts,” Gabe told him. Luuk tried, but Jesus Christ, Gabe was nuts. “I am not nuts, I’m just not intimidated by posturing and I’ve seen Marcus and you both naked—you had to shift, dude,” he said when Luuk opened up his mouth to protest. “Whatever, I’ve seen both of yours…both of your…? Ugh. Anyway. I’ve seen your dicks, and Mika’s is bigger, so stop the macho crap.”
“I didn’t think we were doing the macho crap,” Luuk said before he could reconsider. He wasn’t used to people being so forward.
“Don’t encourage him,” Marcus muttered, only to scowl and jerk as he pointed a finger at Gabe. “Stop elbowing me, or so help me, I’ll ask Mika to turn you over his knee.”
“And you told the other guy not to encourage him?” said Mika, finally speaking up. “Now he’s going to run around jabbing everyone in the ribs just so I’ll spank his ass.”
Gabe huffed but his eyes sparkled and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Right. Like you’re not counting down the minutes until you can drag me into a room and do just that before—”
“Hooo-kay,” Nathan interrupted. “That’s enough of this, er, fascinating look into y’all’s kink. Now, can we let the Alpha Anaxes have a conversation—alone, perhaps?”
Luuk wasn’t sure he could hold a coherent conversation with his head still spinning from the encounter with Gabe. The man was something else, and Luuk thought he’d probably be a great deal of fun, if Luuk could even remember how to have fun that didn’t include making love to Jamie. He wasn’t sure that was possible.
“Jamie?” he asked, letting his mate know he was welcome to come with him and Marcus. Jamie looked at Adam then back at him and Luuk reached out to stroke his mate’s cheek. “It’s fine if you don’t want to let Adam out of your sight for a while. You can always join us if you change your mind.”
Jamie gave him a sweet smile that made Luuk want to kiss him—so he did, and he even flipped Gabe off when the man rated it an eight point five.
That kiss had been a solid ten.
“Gabe is really a great man,” Marcus said as they walked down the hall. Nathan had stayed back as well. “He loves to laugh, and that is part of what makes him such a treasure. He can tease anyone out of a bad mood—or into one, I swear. Mika’s perfect for him, all stoic silence and strength. They balance each other well.”
Luuk nodded. “And he calls you…”
Marcus groaned. “The Grand Poobah. I swear to God, I hate that name, but if I bitch, he’ll come up with something worse.”
“Ah.” Luuk stopped by the room they’d be using. “And you don’t order him to stop it because…?”
Marcus stopped as well and gave him a contemplative look. “Would you order him to stop it?”
“No. He’s a friend, isn’t he?”
“Not when he first slapped that moniker on me, he wasn’t. He was angry, and ready to defend his mate against the big, bad Alpha Anax.” Marcus snorted and gestured at the door. “Shall we?”
“Of course.” Luuk opened the door. “I was never the sort of leader who sought to lead by fear. I would like to have had some people comfortable enough with me to joke as Gabe does with you, but things are, perhaps, different here. A long line of Alpha Anaxes who were quick to kill anyone for even a perceived insult or disrespect. I loved my father, but he was also a very hard-hearted man at times.” Luuk sat in one of the thickly padded chairs in the study. He watched Marcus closely as the man sat across from him. “And you, you are the most powerful shifter I’ve ever met. Which means I have to ask, why are you doing this? Sending guards out to help, or so I’d heard, and coming here yourself.” Luuk stared into those dark brown eyes and couldn’t read a thing in their depths. “I don’t know you, nor you me.”
Marcus grunted and tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling as he steepled his fingers in front of his chest. “See, here’s the thing. Gabe and Mika are very dear to Nathan and me, and Adam and Todd, in turn are dear to them. And to be honest, Adam and Todd— neither of them should be shifters.” Marcus sighed and lowered his head until he was looking at Luuk again. “They came here, searching for Jameson and you, and your brother Maarten’s medicine man accidentally turned Adam into a shifter. It was painful, and should never have happened, and it almost cost Todd his life.”
Luuk wondered what the hell Maarten had done, but he merely nodded as Marcus went on.
“And, I assure you, I am not here with nefarious plans to take Luther’s place, or yours. I’m here because, I’ve learned, sometimes doing nothing and claiming that is the path to take because something is none of one’s business is the coward’s way of shirking responsibility. Adam and Todd were forced, really, to become what we are. That is a responsibility I bear. Me, and Luther. I’d blame Maarten but he’s not really at fault. His medicine man should have known better, but again, he had no ill intentions. And, let’s just say I’ve also come to believe compassion is a trait we need to explore. As shifters, we do tend to let the wolf decide more than we should.”
Luuk leant forward a little. “Okay, that sounds all well and good. There is nothing in this for you, that’s hard to believe.”
Marcus canted his head to the side and blinked. “I never said there’s nothing in this for me. It will make Adam and Todd happy, and Gabe and Mika, and those two things, those four people, make me happy. And Nathan happy. That means a lot. I also would hope for better relations between you and I, as Alpha Anaxes. I’d like to see shifters as a whole led by AAs who use brains over brawn when possible, and who aren’t just the biggest sociopath in the pack.”
“I have seen that happen,” Luuk murmured. “Besides Luther, I mean. The AA of South America…”
Marcus nodded. “I’ve heard he is brutal. He’s not the only one, though.”
Luuk leant back again and contemplated Marcus Criswell again. “You truly just want to help me, and my people?”
Marcus didn’t answer right away, instead seeming to think about his answer. “I wouldn’t say just. I want a working relationship with you, in a manner of speaking. I mean, I never met you or your father or any of the other AAs around the world. That’s not a good thing for us or our people. We need to talk, to see if we can help each other. And we need to quit persecuting our own for being different. Even Gabe, were he straight, would have been killed by the former AA in North America, just for being so forward.”
“Yes, my father would have torn his throat out the first time Gabe nudged him like he did me.” Or the first time he called the AA by some silly name. “I will not be that type of leader, but if you are sincere, and truly will lend some of your strength to help me, I would gladly accept it.” Luuk’s heart beat faster even though he tried to remain calm. Hope was swelling in him, making his pulse race. Marcus Criswell would be too formidable an enemy for Luther.
Marcus stood and held out his hand. “I promise I mean no harm to you or those who will follow you. I can’t promise that Luther will survive this retaking of your position.”
Luuk stood as well and shook Marcus’ hand. “I understand, and he can’t live, Marcus. Even if he does make it through the coming battle, he will be killed for all the lives he’s taken and the pain he’s caused. Hundreds of good people were slaughtered under his orders. That must be avenged.”
Marcus nodded as he released Luuk’s hand. “Yes, it must. While we hope to lead more with compassion than strength, that, too, has its place.”
It did, and Luuk knew he’d take no pleasure in killing Luther, but he’d do what he had to.