Bayou Wolf (3 page)

As quickly as his expression darkened, the Hunter grinned. “She’ll charm him back to his old self in no time.”

“Thank you for not minding this assignment.” The emphasis on the beginning of the statement was one of the reasons Mason earned Linc’s respect as well as his trust. He hadn’t always believed in their Alpha, particularly in the first months following Toman’s death and Mason’s ascension. Mason genuinely cared about them. “Getting Brett here is important. He wouldn’t come for anyone else.”

“He likes Gillian. Sometimes too much, but he likes her. More importantly, he trusts her.” Owen folded his arms. “You still want us to be his liaisons?”

“Yes, more than ever. Besides, I know he wants Gillian to spend time with Trent.” He sighed, then gave Linc a passing look. “As a liaison, you’re going to hear a lot of stuff. I need you to keep it to yourself, understood?” A pulse of command underscored the question.

“Of course.” Linc dropped his gaze and lowered his head. “You have my word.”

“Good.” Mason looked at Owen. “I need Brett to be comfortable here, more than any of the others. Cassius will be a bastard, but Claire can handle him. Ty’s not thrilled, but he trusts his mate, and she knows Cassius better than any of us. Linc will work with Serafina.”

That’s news to me. Great, I get the Alpha bitch.
Linc kept his thoughts to himself. He’d thought he’d be stuck with Diesel from the Yukon, since no one knew anything about him.

“I’ve got Dylan on his way north to meet Diesel in Canada.” Poor Dylan—or maybe poor Yukon Alpha. Dylan could be annoying when he put his mind to it. “He can handle Diesel’s gruff ass and need to control every situation.”
If Mason said so.

“So that leaves Brett to us.” Owen sighed. “Well, to Gillian.”

“He’s still linked to her, Owen.” Mason’s neutral tone lacked any friendly notes. Linc’s wolf crouched. Their Alpha was not a neutral kind of guy. “She will give him the feeling of pack, plus she genuinely cares. You and I both know that. Something’s…something’s off with Brett. Has been since that mess with his wolves. If anyone stands a chance of getting through his guard, it’s her.”

“I know.” Owen sounded agreeable, but his wolf flashed in his eyes. “Gillian is looking forward to seeing Trent, too. Emma’s coordinating the healer meeting, right?”

“Yes. Emma will lead the actual meetings, allowing Gillian to come and go as necessary. She’ll ensure Brett is involved in Trent’s assessment and training, which is going to distract him from meeting with the other Alphas. I need him distracted.”

Linc didn’t see a reason why they’d need to distract the other Alpha, but Owen scratched his jaw. “He’s touchy. Too many threats in one room… You’re worried he’s going to be the one that starts something.”

“Not worried because I won’t allow it to happen. Brett’s survived enough losses. I won’t let him lose his pack over this bullshit. Tell Gillian to do her best to fix him, and I’ll suck it up that he’s still attached to her.” In those few, simple sentences, Mason made it clear why they’d follow him into hell.

“Glad you can.” Owen’s grin belied his words. “However, if he invites her into his bed again, I reserve the right to pound the crap out of him.”

“Noted, just observe protocol.” The sentiment too dry to be a joke, but he added a faint smile to keep it from being too serious. “We need to make this work.”

“Mason.” Linc spoke, seeing an opening. “Mind if I ask exactly what our goal is?”

“To not have to massacre two hundred wolves,” Mason said, his tone chilling. “We’re going to need a unanimous decision. Otherwise, we’re going to have war. I don’t intend to lose anyone, not on my watch.”

Neither Owen nor Linc mustered any response. Across the yard, another truck pulled in. A.J. loped across the grass wearing a grim expression. As triplets, Tyler and A.J. were Linc’s best friends and brothers. Having A.J. home healed a lot of wounds, though his current disposition suggested he brought more issues for their Alpha.

Mason exhaled a long breath and pivoted to face his second. “What’s wrong?”

“Ty’s having a fit over the Cassius thing. He’ll be fine.” A.J.’s tone didn’t invoke the confidence of his words. Linc and Ty came to blows when Claire Webster—now Buckley—rolled back into town. Unlike Vivian, A.J.’s mate, Claire
did
abandon Tyler and it took Linc longer than either of his brothers to forgive the she-wolf for the pain she’d inflicted. Still, they proved a solid pairing. His brother’s happiness mattered a hell of a lot more than Linc’s reservations.

“I thought he trusted Claire’s assessment.” Sharpness edged each of the Alpha’s words.

“He does.” A.J. didn’t flinch from the harsh tone. “Cassius called her about a half hour ago.” He flicked a look at Linc, worry lurking beneath his calm exterior. “Cassius is bringing three of his Hunters with him. No healers.”

Their Alpha said nothing, even his breathing seemed to stop. The stillness sent a nervous titter through the other wolves nearby. Linc swept a look around the field and the wolves present seemed frozen in place, all eyes on Mason.

“Fine,” Mason said slowly. As one, the other wolves began to breathe. “Then he can be shit out of luck about what the healers know. Tell Claire to handle it as she sees fit.”

The level of trust floored Linc. He exchanged a look with A.J.

“You sure you want her to do that? She wants to tell him no healer, no trip.”

Understanding kindled in Linc’s gut. No wonder Ty was pissed and A.J. worried. Claire planned to threaten an Alpha. Tough as she might be, Cassius ruled Sutter Butte and had for years.

“I’m positive.” Mason smiled and relaxed his posture. “She knows him and, if I read Cassius right, this is a test of our authority in the matter. Let her throw down the gauntlet. And don’t worry, boys. She has all of us to back her up. I have no problem knocking some sense into Cassius if I have to.”

One-by-one, the surrounding wolves returned to their work and A.J. reached for his phone, muttering. “You better be right, because I am not letting Ty near that bastard in his current mood.”

The sour scent of nerves perfumed the air. The tension in town would rise before it got better.

“Linc.” Mason commanded his attention. “Walk with me.”

Leaving A.J. and Owen to their tasks, Linc obeyed. They walked a considerable distance, following one of the winding routes through the woods. Though it possessed no true path, some areas had worn down from the recent traffic of workers coming and going. They’d long-since passed earshot for most of the wolves at the house, but Mason continued onward without saying a word, so Linc kept pace.

After the protracted silence lingered for the better part of a mile, Linc slid a sideways glance at his Alpha. “Just to be clear, if you’re taking me somewhere to kill me, I didn’t do it this time.” He was only half-kidding.

Thankfully, Mason’s laughter eased his rising concern. “No, you didn’t, and you’re not in trouble. The only Buckley pissing me off at the moment is Ranae, and she’s being dealt with.”

The mention of his sister made Linc sigh. She wasn’t a baby anymore, but he still saw a little girl with pigtails in her. Her open defiance and blatant attack on Claire earned her probationary status and assignment to Owen’s detail. She’d not been allowed back in Willow Bend proper, though Mason granted his parents the right to visit her once a week if Owen said she’d behaved. So far, so good. If she could get it together, Mason was fair. He’d let her come back home.

“Good to know,” Linc said when Mason didn’t seem in a hurry to add anything more.

Finally, Mason paused and eyed a tree. Alongside of it, just barely out of sight, Linc spotted a string tying back a branch.
Stupid kids.
Without commenting, Mason triggered the trap, caught the branch and then freed the spring. “I need to ask you to do me a favor, one that will put you in a very uncomfortable position.”

A favor, not an order.

“Name it.” He didn’t hesitate. “Provided you’re not asking me to go against A.J. or Tyler.”

The caveat gained him a grin. “No, I wouldn’t ask you to get into the middle of anything with the two of them. The three of you beat each other up enough for any ten families.”

“All right, then.” Relaxed, he nodded. “What can I do for you?”

Thrusting his fingers through his hair, Mason faced him. For the first time in longer than Linc could remember, he saw the man and not the Alpha. “You’re going to be Sera’s liaison. I need you to protect her at all times. She won’t want it and, frankly, in a physical fight, you don’t want to face her. She is a vicious combatant, and she doesn’t hold back…but she will get some flack from the other Alphas. They’ll all want to coddle her and test their dominance against hers. Unfair perhaps, but not unexpected. I’ll deal with the other Alphas, if she doesn’t slap them down first. What I need you to protect her from is Alexis.”

Shock struck Linc mute. Was Mason seriously worried his mate would attack the Delta Crescent Alpha?

Clearing his throat, Mason said, “Sera and I were lovers once upon a time and Alexis doesn’t know that…yet. She will before Sera gets here. I won’t have it used as a way to undermine her or this effort.”

Linc’s jaw locked.

“That said, Alexis has a temper.”
Understatement of the year
. “I do not want Alexis and Serafina left alone together.
Ever
. If Lexi shows up, call me immediately. I will answer your calls, period, no matter what I’m doing.”

“Mason…” He tried to cobble his concerns together to form a coherent sentence.

“I know, and I need you to promise me you’ll do this. I won’t order you. It’s a hell of a thing, but I need you to promise me you’ll never let them be alone. I don’t care what Serafina orders or Alexis, for that matter. In this, you have my permission to override Alexis.”

A pit yawned out in front of Linc, and it looked suspiciously like his own grave. “If Lexi goes for Serafina…who the hell am I supposed to protect?” Instinct would always put his Alpha’s mate before the Alpha of another pack.

“Both of them.”

Oh. Yeah. No problem.

“
A
re we there
yet
?” The plaintive note in Trent’s youthful voice dragged out the last syllable. They’d been on the road since before sun up. Parked in the passenger seat with his feet on the dashboard, the kid alternated between blasting his eardrums with music on his iPod and working his way through a rather hefty bag of junk food he procured at every stop. Gillian told him to stop plying the child with pop—they’d stopped nearly a dozen times for restroom breaks, which led to more pop and junk food—but Brett didn’t want to tell him no.

Odd as it sounded, he enjoyed the boy’s simple delight. No artifice marred his reactions, and his blatant agenda to acquire all the crap his parents wouldn’t let him eat soothed the jagged places in Brett’s soul.

“Well?” Trent bounced in the seat, a precursor to announcing… “I gotta pee. Are we there yet?”

Rusty as he was, Brett chuckled and took the next exit toward a rest stop. The GPS declared they’d arrived at the agreed upon spot. “We are.” Though only a couple of cars were present, he spotted Gillian Chase’s golden hair at the other end of the lot. Perched on the edge of the truck, she swung her legs as she chatted at her mate. Owen hadn’t changed one whit, save for his normally grim expression seemed easier and a smile hovered around his lips as he inclined his head to listen to his mate.

Satisfaction thrummed through Brett. The unfamiliar emotion dislodged the weight of worry burdening his gut since he’d departed Hudson River. Leaving his top three most reliable Hunters—not that he entrusted them as much as he should—in charge with very specific orders, he’d headed west with only Trent for company. The boy whooped as Gillian hopped down from the truck. Brett pulled into the parking space nearest them. Before he could shut the vehicle off, Trent opened the door and unclipped his seatbelt.

Hesitating with one foot on the blacktop, the child turned his chocolate smeared face toward Brett with an ‘oops’ expression and asked, “May I?”

“Go.” He murmured the word, but Trent bolted and raced around the vehicle. Gillian caught his hug and lifted him into her arms. Radiant with pure joy, the delicate little healer’s smile eased another fist in Brett’s chest. He followed at a more sedate pace and soaked in Trent’s happiness. A young wolf with healer potential, he needed the company of other healers. A pang of regret echoed in the emptiness around his heart. Had he lived, Brett’s grandfather would have taken the boy in to live with him and learn by his side.

If all went well on the trip, Brett would leave Trent in Gillian’s capable hands for the next three months. Then she would bring Trent home and spend the next three months with him in Hudson River.
If all goes well…
When is the last time everything went
well
?

Owen straightened at Brett’s approach. The two men locked gazes, then Owen extended his hand. Instead of challenge, Brett read only welcome in the Hunter’s eyes. Accepting the offer, he clasped his outstretched hand.

“Welcome to Willow Bend.”

“Thank you.” Surprisingly, he meant the words. Like Gillian, Owen was perhaps one of the only wolves he trusted. When Gillian came to Hudson River to train Trent, the Hunter would accompany her. Perhaps they could be convinced to emigrate permanently. He needed more wolves he could rely on.

“I have to pee!” Wiggling in Gillian’s arms, Trent threw him a frantic look.

After setting the young man on his feet, Gillian glanced at Owen. To Brett’s shock, Owen extended a hand to the boy and nodded to him. “I’ll take him.” More than the handshake and welcome, the confidence eased another stone from the tomb of his heart.

Without waiting for a response, the two set off for the facilities in a brick building several yards away. Brett stared after them until a soft hand came to rest against his back. Pivoting, he faced the diminutive healer. She didn’t wait for his invitation before wrapping her arms around him. Accepting her hug, he closed her into an embrace and filled his lungs with her sweet scent. A hint of pack, his pack, clung to her and Brett smiled—truly smiled. The tug against the scarred tissue on his cheek ached, but he soaked in her nearness.

The fleeting moment ended all too soon. She pulled back enough for him to meet her warm blue eyes. They shimmered and he fought the urge to squirm under the assessment he read there. He was Alpha. No one made him squirm. “Don’t—”

“Hush.” She cut him off, and a gentle wave of purely feminine-sparked energy surged through him. Her gaze fixed on his scarred face. With soft, gentle pets, she stroked her hands down his bare arms, the right one still disfigured with a mottle of thick tissue. Lips pursed in disapproval, she pinned him with a gimlet stare. “Brett Dalton, you disappoint me. I warned you, you needed to shift.”

“Enough, little wolf.” Indulging her because she did care so much, he captured her hands and lifted both to his lips. After kissing one, then the other, he released her. “I am satisfied with my recovery.” The scars remained, a physical reminder of his failure to his pack. He would never allow himself to forget how much his blindness cost his people.

“Brett…”

“Enough, Gillian. I’m here to meet with Mason and to escort Trent. The rest is the past. Let it lie.” While he had no desire to growl at her, he did not want to pursue the argument further. Mason’s cryptic call about a new pack served as enough of a concern. The rest would sort itself out.

Wrinkling her nose, she wagged her finger at him. Her next words were sub-vocal and, had he not already scented Owen and Trent returning, he would have suspected as much. “I’m not done with you.”

“I look forward to future chastisements. “ Chuckling, Brett leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead as much for the comfort as to tweak Owen. The Hunter’s answering growl amused him.

“I have no problem
chastising
you.” A hint of humor twined with Owen’s snarl, and Brett slid his arm around Gillian so they could face her mate side-by-side. Frankly, the deliberate honesty in the other wolf’s actions quieted his earlier discomfort.

“Will Gillian kiss it and make it better?”

Her laughter sparkled in the air and the sun’s warmth intensified. “Yes, she will.” Skipping away from Brett, she bounced onto her tiptoes to kiss Owen’s lips. To their side, Trent stared up at her in wonder and Brett blew out a long breath, relaxing a fraction for the first time in months. He shared Trent’s fascination with the healer. He should have brought the boy to her much sooner.

They were in Willow Bend for the moment, so he would defer to them. “So, what’s the plan?”

L
eaving the highway
, Cassius controlled his acceleration along the exit ramp. He would have preferred a higher speed. With Bianca in the Lincoln Town Car and three of his Hunters riding along as escort for her, he kept his pace steady. Mason Clayborne’s invitation bordered on insulting. Only the fact Claire handled the negotiations prevented Cassius from taking real offense. Claire Webster had been his wolf, and he liked the stubborn, tough little female.

Pity she’d truly wanted to return to Willow Bend
. Given enough time, Cassius might have won her in a way his wolves failed. Beautiful, clever, and skilled, Claire more than made a perfect match for him. With her at his side, he would have been a leg ahead of any potential challengers.

The corner of his mouth kicked up into a smile. Alas—a word she’d used when demurring his meaningful invitation to his bed—she still belonged to the mate she’d abandoned. Her loyalty was a thing of beauty, a prize worth defending, and Cassius had been hard-pressed not to help her. Releasing her to return to Willow Bend was the honorable thing to do and, if Mason declined to let her return, Cassius might have even taken it a step farther.

Is she happy?
The thought filtered through his mind as he closed the distance between the highway and the former waystation where Claire Webster—no, Buckley was her last name these days—waited to welcome him to Willow Bend. Crazy Mason, the Lone Wolf with too much attitude and a deep sense of responsibility. Cassius admired the younger man, but admiration only went so far.

Catching Claire’s scent on the rushing breeze, he raised his left fist and clenched it. The motorcycles behind him throttled back their engines and the Town Car slowed. For the meet and greet, they would remain some distance away until summoned. Following the curving road through the trees, he grinned. Claire stood in an open section of grass, arms folded and a stubborn set to her expression. The wind pulled at her dark hair. In the months since she’d left Sutter Butte, she’d let the blunt cut grow and it hung to her shoulders. The effect softened her, but he hardened his heart to the illusion of a softer, gentler Claire.

She’d survived the gauntlet of too many years and too many battles. Mistaking the changes in her for weakness would not be his failing. A half-mile behind him, the Town Car halted. The three Hunters he’d chosen for the task formed a triangle around the vehicle. Parking his bike, Cassius dismounted and took the time to study the male lurking at Claire’s shoulder. Dark blonde, tall, and broad-shouldered, he wore a stern expression—one so tightly held, a muscle in his cheek ticked. Cassius’ presence infuriated the male. Scenting the challenge wreathing the man who must be her mate, Cassius locked gazes with him.

Grinning slowly, he strode toward them and Claire stepped forward, breaking his line of sight. Only the faintest of creases wrinkled the line between her brows. The scowl of displeasure warmed Cassius’ heart. Being home hadn’t diminished her strength one whit nor relaxed her guard to dangerous proportions. Her arrival in his pack, courtesy of Toman Carlyle’s ridiculous dismissal, pissed Cassius off. Too soft, too sweet, and far too unaware of her own strength, Claire seemed fodder for his wolves.

Still, she’d surprised him. She’d used her suspected ‘weakness’ to her own advantage, and Cassius couldn’t be prouder of the wolf she’d become. Three steps away from her, he paused and held open his arms.

“Do I get a hug?”

Her mate’s low, almost sub-vocal, growl nearly ruined the moment. He didn’t plan on upsetting the male, but the reaction definitely amused him. Claire might have gone home to Willow Bend, but she remained one of his favorites. Whomever she chose had better damn well value her enough to fight for her. Her lips compressed in disapproval.

“Don’t be an ass,” she muttered. Whether she directed the comment to him or to her mate, Cassius didn’t know. She did, however, step into the invitation of his hug. Accepting her fierce embrace, he deposited a kiss on the top of her head. Claire understood his offer. It allowed her to check him for weapons and be close enough to his throat to tear it out.

The hug offered his trust, which she’d earned through bloody battle when she’d killed Justin—fucking little bastard—then told Cassius to his face that the last thing she planned—or desired—involved challenging him or anyone else.

She gave him a squeeze. In accepting his invitation, she’d also given him the courtesy of showing him her trust and welcome. He’d made Claire a promise the day she’d told him she wanted to return to Willow Bend. He intended to honor the promise.

Against her hair, he murmured, “I’m here. Came when you called. Are you sure this is the favor you wish me to grant?”

Easing back, she halted when his arms tightened and she met his gaze. “Yes, and don’t be an ass. Ty’s showing you a great deal of courtesy at the moment, but if you keep touching me,
I’ll
pull your arms off and beat you with them.”

Laughing, Cassius released her then glanced at her mate. Extending his hand, he said, “Tyler Buckley, you are a lucky damn wolf. As you offer my Claire safety and heart, I offer you the friendship of the Sutter Butte pack and the right to call upon me should you require it.”

The moment elongated as the other wolf studied him. Quiet hatred lurked in his eyes without pretense of politics to soften the mistrust. Claire said nothing. Though the weight of her regard remained on Cassius, her stance protective of her mate—Cassius knew she paid attention. She wouldn’t let Ty attack him. Not out of loyalty to his status as Alpha, no, she’d prevent Cassius from exacting retribution.

No sense in telling her he’d allow her mate a free shot, if only one, simply because Tyler
was
her mate. He’d won the hardest heart of Sutter Butte to capture, a precious gift. It was his right to defend her, even at this late a date. The male surprised him, however, when he accepted the handshake. The strength in the grip matched his, and Cassius’ grin grew wider.

“On behalf of Mason and our pack, I extend to you the welcome of Willow Bend.” Controlled power shimmered in every word. Claire had been right. Tyler possessed every ounce of her alpha potential. His acquiescence, like hers, a gift they bestowed to their alpha.

Fucking Mason earned the loyalty of two powerful wolves. Were all his wolves as such? If so, the trip proved even more interesting than he’d suspected. “I accept your welcome.” Then, with a glance to Claire, he raised an eyebrow. Her focus lingered on the wolves behind him. He sensed her power rising. The wolf in her eyes would be enough to back down the wolves he’d brought with him.

Amusement curled through him as he sensed the aggression from his pack. Withdrawing to the side, he split his attention. Sure enough, his wolves lowered their eyes one by one.
Damn. If even one of my females possessed her sense of self-worth and possession…

Tyler caught her hand, and his shoulder bumped hers—a true mating existed between them.
Oh well.
“So,” Cassius said with a grin. “What the hell is this all about?”

“Is your healer in the car?”
Pushy. Direct. Beautiful.

“If she’s not?” He let the challenge slam onto the ground between them.

Gaze zeroing on his, she raised her chin and her nostrils flared, searching for his lie. “Then you can get your ass back on the bike, and go the hell home. I told you, she came or you didn’t.”