Claiming Clara (6 page)

“That was so your fault,” Heath said out of the side of his mouth.

“Not even!” Clara whispered back.

“So was!” He shoved her one more time and then headed off. Clara glared at the back of his head. Well perhaps she didn’t miss this side of him too much. With a sigh, she headed off back to the house.

Clara didn’t see Laney, Duke, and Abby step around from the side of the garage.

*

“Our mothers are out for blood. I was hoping to distract them long enough so this could be dealt with a little more subtly,” Abby told the siblings.

“I found someone who can help, but it may be a day or two before he can get here,” Duke assured them.

“Good, I want Alberto found,” Laney said. “Keep close to her, Duke. I will not have another member of this pack hurt by any member of that scum’s family. Am I clear?”

“Not a problem. But what about Wall? He’s not my biggest fan right now.”

“Leave Wall to me. This is my pack now, and I will do what I have to in order to protect it, even if it does piss them off.”

“I’ll run interference, but Laney, neither of them is stupid. Wall is not as dumb as he acts,” Abby assured her.

“I know, cuz, but we keep Clara safe, and that way he will be focused on her and not on us.” Laney shrugged.

“What about Heath? He won’t like you getting in the way on this,” Duke told her.

“By the time Heath knows what is going on, we will have dealt with the problem.”

“Yeah right, but it will be your funeral Laney-Girl. I’ll let you know as soon as I have more.” Duke nodded before heading off back into the woods.

Abby rolled her eyes and headed back to the house and the computer game she had been playing with Wall.

“It won’t be me that will be dead and buried when this is done.” Laney promised, her smile chilling.

No one threatened her family.

No one.

Chapter 5

Clara held her breath as she moved slowly out from under Wall’s arm. She had taken a risk, but it was a calculated one all the same.

Wall took a deep breath and Clara froze. He just snuggled closer into his pillow.

She slipped on black jeans and a black sweater, caught her auburn hair up into a high ponytail, opened her bedroom window, and climbed out. She dropped her boots down first and then followed them.

She moved quickly, heading for the woods. If her guess was right, the four sleeping pills she had slipped in Wall’s drink would keep him sleeping for about another hour. Shifter systems were able to process and dispose of medicines far quicker than full humans. She had to give him double the normal dose just to keep him asleep for that small amount of time.

Once clear of the tree line, she kept low and upwind of the house. She made it to a road about a mile from the main track. Coming through the trees, she stopped and smiled. With a shake of her head, she headed toward the vehicle waiting for her.

“I thought I said inconspicuous. This is anything but that,” Clara said, opening the door to the bright yellow Beetle car.

“Err hello, this car perfectly matched my outfit; what else was I meant to do?” Karina asked in shocked disappointment.

Clara laughed. Karina Lovett was part fashionista and part fox. She had the ability to turn a tatty T-shirt and worn pair of jeans into an outfit that could grace the covers of high-end style magazines. She could also shoot a fly off the end of your nose at 500 yards without it feeling a thing.

Of course, she would look fabulous while doing it.

The sound of a howl cut through the air.

“That’s Wall; we need to move.” Clara slammed the car door shut as Karina started the engine and threw it into gear. The effects of the pills hadn’t lasted as long as she had hoped.

They sped out of the area, both knowing that Wall and the rest of Clara’s pack would be hot on their tails.

“You sure this is the best idea?” Karina asked when they had left the town behind.

“I don’t really have a choice. I asked Laney’s brother, Duke, to do some checking around. I will give him a call when we get farther away.”

“I still think this is a dangerous move.”

“It is, but I can’t afford someone in the pack getting hurt. When he took that pot shot at me, he could have killed Duke. I don’t know if I could have lived with myself if that had happened.”

Silence filled the car until Karina suddenly reached out and punched Clara in the arm.

“Ow!” Clara moaned, rubbing the sore spot. “What the hell was that for?”

“It’s not okay to risk some random grease monkey, but you can put my life in danger? Rude!” Karina growled.

“Hey! It’s not as if I wanted you to be here. You, with your little network of spies and thieves, heard about the shooting. From the second I got your text—what did it say? Oh yeah ‘I always said your reflexes were slow.’ Thanks for that by the way—I knew you would stick your fat nose where it didn’t belong.”

“It’s true. You were never as quick as me.” Karina sniffed.

“He shot me from behind and through glass for crying out loud!”

God! Why she ever thought this overgrown rat catcher could help her out, she would never know.

“Well, just before we remove his bowels and carve his heart out of his chest, we will ask him if he thought you could have moved quicker, shall we?” the fox snapped back.

Ah, that was why she brought her along.

They drove for several hours until Clara was confident it would be nearly impossible for the pack and Wall to track them down before she had time to fix this.

Karina pulled in to a non-descript motel that looked like it had seen better days.

“I’ll go check in. You give the grease monkey a call, and see if he’s found anything yet,” she threw over her shoulder as she climbed out of the car.

Clara nodded and pulled out her phone.

“Where the hell are you?” Duke greeted her when he answered.

“Out of town,” Clara told him honestly. She wouldn’t tell him where; no doubt the pack had already checked to see if she had gone back to him.

“Where exactly?” Duke snapped. “Do you know your rabid boyfriend has already been here, and if your dumbass brother hadn’t come with him, one of us would be dead by now?”

Clara closed her eyes and sighed. Nothing was ever simple or easy. She didn’t know why she ever expected that to change.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, like I said, Heath was here. Now, where the hell are you? It’s not safe out on your own,” Duke insisted.

“Is Wall okay?” She had to ask. Those two lunkheads would beat each other to death if someone didn’t keep them apart.

“Just about, although I think you’re running out on him again has probably pushed him closer to the edge than he’s been in a long time,” Duke admitted.

Clara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Although it hurt putting Wall through this, she knew it was the right thing. He may not understand, may never forgive her, but if he was alive and safe, even if he didn’t want to be with her anymore, then she would be happy he was okay. She would be alone and miserable but happy for him.

“Did you find anything out?” Clara asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah, Alberto is more cautious than his brother, but they do have one thing in common, their self-importance. He started talking about the shot he took at us. Apparently he wants people to know that not only did he nearly take you out but, he did it under the nose of the Alpha. Christophe’s brother seems to be looking to take on that role too.”

Clara felt the deep growl as it rumbled low in her chest.

“Where is he?” she demanded through clenched teeth.

“In a town east of here called Marshland. Assuming you haven’t run in the wrong direction,” Duke’s sarcastic tone had Clara raising an eyebrow, “you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting there.”

Wiping a hand down her face, she leaned back in the seat. At least she knew where the man was, and luckily or not, they had headed east. Now they would be able to stop that wolf before he caused any further harm to her or her family.

She had put Duke in the middle of this enough, but she couldn’t risk that Wall or Heath would come back to see if he had heard from her. So she lied like a cheap piano.

“No, we headed north. It will take us a while to get back on track, but I will get there. Can you keep the pack off my trail for a few more hours?”

“Yeah sure, but I don’t like it. Watch your six, little wolf girl.” Duke spoke softly, reminding her of the few times she had seen him and Laney together when they weren’t arguing. Typical big brother, always worried.

“I will, don’t worry. Thanks, Duke, I owe you one.” Clara promised.

“Just make sure you’re around so I can collect,” he said before ending the call.

Clara took a deep breath. A day, maybe two, and this would be all over. Then she could go home and find out if Wall still wanted anything to do with her. God, she hoped he did.

She didn’t know if she would be able to live without him.

* * * *

Duke dropped the phone back on the cradle and looked up at the other man in the room.

“You get all that?” he asked as Wall hung up the other extension.

“Yep.” He looked down at the mobile phone in his hand as it pinged. “And that says my boys have tracked her.”

“I’ll come with you.” Duke moved around the desk. Wall stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“I don’t think so, dude.” He was going after his woman, and he sure wasn’t bringing
her
new best friend with him.

“I can help.” Duke stepped in front of him, barring him from leaving. The full human was a least six inches taller, but Wall wasn’t worried. Even if he wasn’t a wolf shifter, Wall was trained to hurt, maim, and if needed, kill. This man was not going to stop him.

“You need to move, or I’ll do it for you.” Wall took a step toward the other man.

“You caught me twice before, little man, ’cause you blindsided me. This time I am facing you and ready. What will you do?”

Wall growled deep letting his wolf shine through his eyes.

“Do you really think they were lucky shots, dude?” Wall raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s find out, puppy.”

They both took another step forward, bringing them almost chest to chest.

“Now, now, boys. This isn’t the time or place. Wall, you have a runaway to bring home, and Duke, we have a business to run.” Laney’s voice cut through the tension in the air.

Neither man moved. They just stared at each other, waiting for the first to make a move.

Laney sighed. “I really don’t want to have to get the hose, boys.”

Still neither man moved.

“Wall, Clara is out there all alone. Do you really think now is the time for this?” Finally, her voice got through to him. With a final snarl, Wall stepped away and looked to where Laney leaned against the doorframe of Duke’s office.

“Next time, little puppy.”

Wall heard the threat in the other man’s voice and snarled.

He would wait, but as soon as Clara was back safe and sound, then he and Duke would be all over this.

*

Laney watched Wall head out before turning to glare at her big brother.

“Was that really the right time for your chest puffing?”

Duke smiled and winked at her.

“Laney-girl, it’s always the right time for chest puffing!” he told her before picking up the phone again.

“Did you track them?” he asked when the call connected. “Good. I want people there ASAP. Nothing is to happen to Marsterson.”

Duke didn’t wait for an answer. He hung up and turned back to his sister.

“We will bring her home.” He promised.

“Good, I would really hate to have to tell the twins.” Laney rolled her eyes.

Duke nodded. Yeah, that would really be bad.

* * * *

Wall was shaking he was so angry. When he got his hands on Clara, he was going to strangle her. He’d make sure she was okay first, but right after that, she was so dead.

He drove like a bat out of hell, determined to get to Clara before she could do anything stupid, like say, drug a person.

Yeah, he owed her for that one too. Once he had her back in his arms and marked her, right after that, she would be in so much trouble.

The night had closed in as he left town. The sun was high in the sky when he pulled in to the parking lot of the motel they had tracked Clara to.

Sitting in the car, Wall took a breath. His heart started to calm down some. He was close. All he had to do was cast for her scent so he could track her to the right room, kick the door in, throw her over his shoulder, and get the hell out of there.

As plans went, he’d heard worse.

With a hand on the handle, Wall started to push the door open. He was quite unaware when a short redhead shoved him back into the car and leaned her whole body on the door, attempting to keep him inside.

“So you must be Wall,” she said, peering down to look through the window at him.

Wall sniffed the air and caught the pungent scent of fox mixed with a little of Clara’s scent.

“You must be the getaway driver.” Wall pushed at the door again, his great wolf strength moving it and the little fox with ease.

“Maybe, maybe not. But I am her friend, and trust me when I say you really don’t want to get between Clara and her prey,” the woman told him matter-of-factly.

“Her prey?” Wall smiled.

“Yeah, prey. Do you think Clara ran away ’cause she was scared?” She shook her head at him. “Silly puppy.”

Wall’s eyebrows climbed high.
Who was this woman?
He leaned back against the car.

“Now listen here, puppy.” She leaned next to him.

“Wall, or Mr. Wallbanger, if you prefer.”

“I prefer puppy. So where was I? Oh yeah, listen up; Clara knows exactly what she is doing. You just have to stay your…” She opened her eyes wide and shook her head at what she saw. “…broad pretty ass out of the way, and when the lady is done, she may come back to, you know, give you a doggy treat or something.”

Wall looked down at her and wondered if there was a mental facility she’d escaped from.

“Who are you?” he asked confused.

“Oh sorry, my manners are terrible. Name is Karina Lovett.” She held her hand out. Wall took it, engulfing it with his own.