Far From Innocent (14 page)

“Then don’t even think about sending me away.” She fisted her hands on her hips, staring at both of them. “Accept Juan, get to know him. Do that much for me if you want my happiness.”

“We saw Juan today,” Dimitri said.

“Dimitri, don’t.” Nicolo stood up, facing Dimitri.

“No. She has a right to know.”

“Know what?” she asked.

“We can smell his mark on you. Believe me, it fills the den with its smell.” Dimitri still sounded so damned calm. “And today, we saw him with another bitch.”

“I’m sure there are bitches around him every day.” She waved her hand

dismissively. No way would they make her think Juan had done something wrong.

“Not like this. They were holding each other, in each other’s arms.”

“Dimitri,” Nicolo warned again. “This isn’t necessary. We don’t need to send her away heartbroken.”

“And she isn’t going to leave blaming us for taking her from a werewolf she thinks she loves.” Dimitri turned on Nicolo but then reached for her.

Erin took a step away from them. “Whatever you saw, it wasn’t like that.”

She almost told them he’d called her, that he cared for her as much as she did him.

Something told her to hold her tongue. Their compassion almost bordered on sadness.

Her littermates knew something, witnessed something. And it was believable enough that they’d made arrangements for her to leave the pack. Her stomach twisted so hard she felt sick.

“You think I’m full of hatred. What I wish you’d sniff out is my caution, my concern that our den never endure the pain it experienced before. Running with that werewolf is going to give you nothing but grief.”

Erin shook her head. Dimitri couldn’t be right. “No,” she said.

“Yes, Erin. He’s running with more than one bitch, as he’s always done, I’m sure.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Trust me on this.” Dimitri’s calm tone was worse than claws scraping a

chalkboard.

Nicolo watched her closely, as if waiting for her to grasp something.

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“You’ve only known him a short time,” Nicolo said. “I’m sure what you feel for him is real. But we want the best for you. Juan isn’t good enough, not for our den. Not for you.”

“Here is a bus ticket. And we are sending you with all the money we’ve got saved.”

Dimitri held out the folded paper. “Your bus leaves tonight. We’ll get you packed, head into Valle and have supper before you go.”

“Just like that.” It was like the calm before the storm. It built up inside her and peaked so quickly she couldn’t stop the explosion. “You two do not control my life.

There is no fucking leash around my neck. I’m not going to do this.”

“Yes. You are.” Dimitri tried shoving the paper into her hand.

The explosion was like a loud popping sound in her head. She smacked at Dimitri’s hand, and the paper flew to the side of the room like it had wings. Nicolo lunged for it.

Dimitri lunged at her. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the pressure releasing in her brain outward. Her littermates crashed into the walls of their den, flying away from her and creating a path to the door.

Erin ran from her den and from her insane littermates. She’d had enough of being controlled.

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Juan stood when Rosa and Maria began gathering their things.

“It’s been too long since we’ve relaxed in a good den.” Rosa extended her hands to Moira. “Your meat was perfectly cooked—nice and rare. Thank you so much for the wonderful dinner.”

“I’m more than willing to put these two out for the night and let you both sleep here.” Moira winked at Dante.

“You’ll be seeing enough of us as it is.” Maria searched for her bag and Juan picked it up and handed it to her.

“And we’ll enjoy every minute of it.” He kissed the old bitch on her wrinkled cheek. She smelled just as she had when he was a cub. “It’s so good to have you here.”

Maria patted him on the cheek and reached for Dante. “Cubs of my sister. My own nephews. Where else would an old bitch go?”

“Come on, Mother.” Rosa took Maria’s hand. “We’ll return to our room tonight and in the morning we’ll see the land Juan and Dante found for us.”

“You’ll love it.” Juan still couldn’t believe how their cousin Rosa had turned into a grown bitch. Always clumsy and shy, she now moved with grace and elegance. He’d be snapping at the heels of every available werewolf in the pack protecting her. “It’s very close to the land you saw earlier today when we were on the side of the mountain. After we show you where your den will be built, I’ll introduce you to some bitches your age.”

Dante opened the door and led the way outside. Rosa wrapped her arm around Juan’s.

“I knew you had a bitch. You think I’ll like her?” she teased.

He ignored the looks Dante and Moira gave him.

“You’ll love her.”

“What’s her name?”

Footsteps quieted the small group and Juan instinctively pulled Rosa closer while Dante stepped in front of Maria. The smell of hostility and anger greeted all of them and Juan groaned at the timing of their unexpected visitors. The last thing he wanted his aunt and cousin on his mother’s side to see was the feuding that already existed in the pack they were so excited to join.

“You are such a wasted excuse for werewolf flesh.” Dimitri growled his greeting through clenched teeth and scowled at Rosa, who immediately cowered behind him.

Nicolo slapped his littermate’s shoulder and gestured toward Maria. The older bitch had grabbed her small bosom and stared at the two werewolves with wide eyes.

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“Now isn’t the time.” Dante made his warning clear.

“Obviously she isn’t here if you are entertaining one of your other bitches.”

Dimitri’s tone didn’t soften.

“Who isn’t here?” Juan narrowed his gaze on both of them. “Where is Erin?”

“She’s none of your business. If she isn’t here, that’s all we needed to know.”

Dimitri turned, although he showed enough respect to nod to Maria before retreating.

“My apologies for interrupting your evening.”

“She was supposed to stay at her den.” Juan let go of Rosa and headed toward Dimitri. They were at his den now, and paybacks sucked. “If you ran her off in any way, I’ll have your fucking hide.”

“Juan,” Dante growled.

Juan pointed a warning finger at Dimitri. He glanced at Maria. “Forgive me. But I guess you are part of our den and might as well see our imperfections right away.”

“Part of your den?” Nicolo asked, giving Dimitri a worried look.

“Our cousin and aunt have traveled quite a distance to join our pack.” Juan offered the information out of respect for the older bitch who stood there looking baffled.

The two werewolves standing before him showed enough good breeding to look humbled in front of her.

“Where is Erin?” he asked, grabbing their attention.

“She took off,” Nicolo offered quickly. “We both assumed she would come here. It’s dark, and if she headed toward the valley…”

He didn’t finish but let out a sigh, filling the air with an uneasiness that twisted Juan’s gut.

“I’ll drive Rosa and Maria into town.” Moira stepped forward. “Sounds to me like a search needs to be formed. Go find her.” She patted Juan’s arm.

“We’ll all search for her.” Dante turned to the women. “And if you two don’t mind waiting to go into town, I think it might be best if someone stays here in case she does show up.”

Dimitri looked ready to complain, but his worry for his littermate must have been greater than his anger toward Dante. Nicolo nodded his agreement.

“Your help is appreciated. I’m afraid she tore out of our den in a fury that might not have her thinking right.”

“I can imagine what you might have said to her.” Already Juan pulled off his shirt.

He ached to kick Dimitri’s ass, and he really didn’t care if he did it in his flesh or his fur.

“If I didn’t care for her, I wouldn’t have come here.” Dimitri didn’t back down when Juan pushed into his space.

“Well, I care about her too.” The admission would have given him pause if his outrage wasn’t to the boiling point. “And she damned well knew that when I talked to her this afternoon.”

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“When did you talk to her?” Nicolo asked.

“Earlier today. I called her.”

“Obviously it was while we weren’t there,” Dimitri grunted.

“You had already left the site where we’d hauled lumber. Rosa had just shown up and I spoke with her when you two left.”

“You told her Juan was with another bitch,” Dante hissed.

Dimitri moved quickly toward Dante but stopped when Juan stepped in his path.

“Stay out of my fucking head,” Dimitri snarled.

“I don’t have to be in your head to see what is obvious on your face. Your hatred for me is being taken out on my littermate and now has chased Erin off.” Dante stepped around Juan, pulling his shirt off. His teeth were longer and his hair was ruffled when he threw the shirt to the ground. “The gift, more than likely, will save Erin’s ass tonight, unless we can find her before some stray werewolf does.”

Juan growled at the thought, grabbing the others’ attention. “If she is hurt at all, you will pay dearly, werewolf.” His voice garbled with his last words.

Anger fueled the change inside him. He barely managed to kick off his shoes and strip out of his jeans when blood boiled in his veins. His hands had already changed and he struggled to rope his clothes together and tie them around his neck. His vision blurred briefly from the intensity of energy that rushed inside him. When it cleared, everything around him had a new light. Shadows disappeared and the blackness around them turned to shades of gray. His bones popped, shifted and contorted—the pain fueling him, calling the predator to life.

Instinct guided him. Juan fell to all fours, knocking Dimitri to the side and not caring that he was a bit rougher than expected. The werewolf had an ass-kicking coming his way, and it would be sooner than later if he didn’t stay out of Juan’s path.

He roared at the others, staring into their silver eyes. Four intimidating werewolves, their long black coats the color of night and their size enough to terrify any creature on the mountain into hiding, leapt toward the road. Juan led the small pack.

He didn’t seek instruction. There was no plan or discussion about where they would search. Juan tore at the ground, sending dirt and rocks flying with his large claws as he gained speed. Human hesitation no longer hindered him. His senses and gut led him to where he prayed Erin would be. Her own private haven, a place she sought out to escape. Her words from their first meeting rang in his head, and they led him. He created a path for the others to follow and raced to where he’d first found Erin.

Their conversation earlier had been brief. The words he wanted to share with her, he didn’t want to say on the phone. Not the first time he told her. He loved Erin. She needed to know. His heart ached for her to know. Only a few days had passed, but in that time she’d put her mark on him. Rosa teased him when they first embraced. Erin’s scent was on his skin, in his hair, covering his body.

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And he’d only partially joked when he’d suggested coming by to see her. Dimitri wouldn’t attack twice. Once, the pack would accept. Twice, Juan wouldn’t allow. Seeing Erin meant enough to him to risk her littermates’ wrath.

He’d spent the afternoon fighting with what he would say to them. Kissing ass put a foul taste in his mouth. It wasn’t his style, and he wouldn’t put out like that to have Erin. The simple truth appealed to him much more.

If only he had gone to her. Whatever argument she’d had with Dimitri and Nicolo would have been interrupted. Then she would have left with him. Damn it! She’d better fucking be okay.

He barely noticed the thinness of the air, the speed they traveled or if the others were even still behind him. He really didn’t care. Getting to Erin was all that mattered.

Within minutes, he reached the spot where he’d found Erin taunting the
lunewulfs
earlier that week. He slowed, sniffing the air, and the other werewolves followed suit, circling around each other and growling.

He didn’t pick up her scent.

Dante stopped next to him, his head to the ground, and turned slowly to meet his gaze with glowing silver eyes. He growled a warning and the other werewolves straightened, their ears twitching.

If I ever wanted you to use your gift, now would be the time.
Juan prayed Dante was doing just that.

His littermate stared at him for a moment and his scent dominated the air around them. Everything inside Juan tightened, anticipation gripping him. He’d learned his littermate’s scent when he exerted efforts to manipulate his surroundings. Dante used his gift, looking away from him slowly, searching the darkness in a way none of the others could. The other two werewolves had enough sense to understand what he did.

No one moved or breathed. They waited.

Dante, the only one who stood out with his shorter coat, black like the rest of them but lacking the silky sheen, now controlled the moment. A mixed breed, feared most of his adult life and respected only because he wasn’t understood, Dante had never shoved his abilities under any werewolf’s nose. He scanned the dark meadow below them, the trees tall and thick and impossible for Juan to see past in the night. Dante saw, and the moment he picked up on something, his ears twitched and every muscle in his body tensed.

Let’s go!
His growl was loud and clear when he quickly glanced at all of them and then leapt forward.

Juan’s insides prickled with anticipation. There was no way of knowing what Dante sensed, smelled or saw. This wasn’t the first time he’d jumped blindly, following his littermate’s lead without understanding. It was the first time he cared so much about the end result though.

The longer they ran, the more human emotions strained at his werewolf conscience.

In this form, instinct prevailed. His heart hurt too much to ignore it though. And he 76