Far From Innocent (19 page)

98

Far From Innocent

“Because you need me. Both of you are so torn up, and for different reasons. If you put your fears aside, smell how things really are, you’ll truly run and be happy.” She held her other hand out to Erin. “Hiding in the shadows will simply keep you right there—in the dark.”

Erin slowly reached out, afraid of what she would feel if she took Renee’s hand. The older bitch grasped her fingers, her touch warm and reassuring. Suddenly Erin’s eyes burned and she blinked back tears. None of this made any sense. Werewolves didn’t just come back from the dead. And if Renee Tangaree had lived, she wouldn’t just saunter up to them in the dark in a city park as if nothing had ever happened. She squeezed the female’s hand, feeling flesh and bone and a firm, reassuring grip.

“All we want is for Malta werewolves to flourish again. We want the gift to be our blessing, not our curse,” Moira said, almost sounding like she was whining to her mother.

Erin knew these were Moira’s fears, but to hear her voice them, express them without hesitation, added to her already high opinion of the bitch. And it shouldn’t have been a surprise that the female would have normal fears and panic just like any other werewolf. At that moment, Erin wasn’t sure why she’d always had the bitch on some kind of pedestal. Moira wasn’t any different from Erin.

“Your sire and I already told you that Dante wouldn’t lead the pack.”

Erin shot her attention back to Renee.

“Focus on what is important. Malta werewolves will only grow and be strong if there is no more fighting among us. Your mate shouldn’t be in that meeting. He should be in his den with you. Where are my grandbabies?”

“Mom!” Moira pulled her hand from her mother but then jumped at her quickly, as if suddenly remembering her time to touch her mother might be limited.

“And you, sweet Erin. Look how you’ve grown into such a stunning bitch. Have faith in yourself and quit worrying your presence would be desired less than another bitch.” Renee squeezed both of their hands and then let go, taking a step backward. “Go to your werewolves. Help them and together be strong. That is how the Malta pack will become powerful. Sitting here in the dark won’t help our pack prevent destruction.”

“How do I fight for Juan when my littermates won’t let me near his den?” Erin forgot about Moira, anxious to gain insight on how she could get to Juan without causing more fighting.

Renee looked over her shoulder and Erin searched the park behind her, wanting to see what the bitch saw. For a moment she swore there was another figure standing in the street. She focused again on Renee, but the bitch held her hand out to both of them, a parting gesture as she turned and hurried toward the street.

“Mom!” Moira cried out, taking off after her. “Don’t leave!”

She stopped and watched as Renee faded into the darkness until the two of them were alone again. If someone had been standing in the street, they were no longer there.

99

Lorie O’Clare

Erin couldn’t organize her thoughts. Had she just seen a ghost? Renee told her the gift offered more than could be described. But as much as that baffled her, she didn’t dwell on it. Her queen bitch, the only female who cared for her as much as her own mother had, just told her to go to Juan. Her heart leapt at the thought.

Moira turned around slowly, the flushed look that had swept over her face fading.

Once again she appeared as the hard and confident bitch who was always in control.

“Promise me now that you won’t repeat what you just saw here.” There wasn’t a threat in her tone, but her determined scent made it sound damned close.

The fear she’d once experienced around Moira was gone. Erin smiled, suddenly more relaxed than she’d been in days.

“Don’t worry, Moira. Do you really think I want the pack thinking I’m crazier than they already believe me to be?”

Moira nodded, a quick gesture. “What are you going to do?”

She had a feeling Moira already knew the answer to that question. “What I wanted to do before you found me. I’m heading up the mountain.”

“Do you have a phone on you?”

“No. I’m lucky not to have a leash and collar on me.”

Moira snorted—a relaxed sound, but one full of understanding. “I’ll call Juan’s phone when the meeting ends. That will give you time to get to your den before your littermates get there.”

“Thank you.” Erin almost said more but couldn’t think of the words to say.

They’d experienced something that bonded the two of them. She didn’t understand it, but for now, she’d let it go at that. She turned, breaking into a quick sprint, anxious to see her werewolf.

By the time she reached the narrow part of the mountain road where Juan’s den was, Erin was breathless. She couldn’t wait to see him. Being excited about something felt real damned good when she knew the outcome would be so perfect. And it had to be. Renee Tangaree wouldn’t have appeared before them and then sent her after her werewolf if seeing him would be disastrous.

She combed her fingers through her hair, nerves hitting her hard all of a sudden.

“He’s alone, right?” she asked the darkness, feeling the fool for actually looking up and down the hard-packed road that twisted both directions into the night.

There were no other werewolves around her. Nightly runs had been called off since they’d returned from the
lunewulf
pack. In spite of the challenge still being days off, when Dimitri announced to everyone at the impromptu meeting that had been held the other day that they needed to keep tight rein on all their bitches, no one had questioned him. She was glad they hadn’t. Anyone who saw her would report her whereabouts immediately to Nicolo and Dimitri.

Nonetheless, a bit of reassurance as she neared Juan’s den would be nice.

“He better be alone.” She chewed her lower lip and cut off the road toward his den.

100

Far From Innocent

The small wooden house stood quiet when she neared it. A light was on somewhere inside—possibly a lamp from the dimness of it through the window. She sucked in a breath, marched up to the door and rapped quietly.

What if he was asleep? Maybe she should just enter.

God, she hated being indecisive. It was a damned annoying trait and one she always thought made other werewolves look weak. Straightening, she shoved her hair over her shoulder and lifted her hand to knock harder.

The door opened before she struck it. Rosa, the bitch she’d seen while in
lunewulf
territory, frowned into the darkness. Her gaze fell on Erin and she opened the door farther, stepping to the side.

Something that felt like a razor-sharp dagger twisted inside Erin’s gut. Her mouth went dry and she froze, unable to accept for a moment that her worse fears had come true. How could Renee send her here when another bitch was with Juan?

Unless…

Was she supposed to fight for her werewolf?

Taking on another bitch and defeating her over a werewolf was as powerful an action as announcing to the entire pack that they’d been mated. Once or twice in her life she’d even heard how a bitch had challenged another bitch for her mate. It happened.

They were a species who hung on tightly to the belief that it was a survival of the fittest.

The strongest prevailed. The weak didn’t survive.

“Why are you here?” Erin asked, standing in the doorway.

“I was just going to ask you the same question.” There wasn’t any hostility on the bitch.

Did she not even know how Erin felt about Juan? If that was the case, then no one in this den had mentioned her name. That didn’t make sense when she swore she’d run up here with Moira’s blessing. But then, maybe Moira didn’t want Rosa to be with Juan.

“I’m here for Juan. You can leave now.” Her knees shook when she pressed forward, entering the den.

“Damn. You don’t have to be rude about it.” If there was any anger on Rosa, she hid it well.

But then all Erin smelled was her own growing fury.

“Believe me, you haven’t seen rude. I’m not sure what you’re doing here, but you’re no longer welcome.”

“This isn’t your den. And if you’re going to enter with an attitude, you can leave.”

She would fight for her werewolf. She would. Her breathing turned to hard panting and she marched into the middle of the small living area. Turning quickly on the bitch who still held on to the doorknob, Erin pointed outside.

“Leave. Now.” She narrowed her gaze, calling forth the gift and imagining the air growing arms—strong, muscular arms with the strength to send a bitch flying.

101

Lorie O’Clare

Rosa opened her mouth, shocked, and cried out when her feet left the ground and she was hurled through the air, falling hard on the ground outside.

“Why you fucking little bitch,” Rosa screamed, recovering quickly.

Erin hurried to the door, ready to close and lock it when Rosa surprised her. She had no clue the bitch also had the gift. This female didn’t grow up in her pack. Not once had she heard that Bruno Tangaree helped anyone outside their pack learn how to use the elements and control their minds so they could move or alter things.

Rosa flew through the air, her arms extended, reaching for Erin’s neck. It was as if someone had hit rewind and Rosa came back at her just as she’d been thrown from the den.

She hit Erin full force and the two of them tumbled to the floor.

“That’s enough!” Juan’s bellow made them both freeze.

Strong arms grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.

Erin shoved her hair out of her face, glaring at the female who jumped up quickly.

“Get out of here now,” Erin hissed at her, shaking from anger that burned her alive.

“Erin. Calm down. Rosa is my cousin. She is no threat to you.” Juan wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her backside up against his powerful body. “I’m flattered to see that my little bitch would so willingly fight for me though.”

102

Far From Innocent

“I’m glad one of us is flattered,” Rosa fumed.

Her spicy scent didn’t dampen Juan’s good mood. It was the first time he hadn’t been grouchy in a couple days, and nothing would bring him down. Not after what he’d just seen.

Juan didn’t let go of Erin. He couldn’t. All he’d dreamed about while lying in his damned bed, urging his body to recover faster, was this sweet, adorable female who now shook in his arms.

Fuck. She had flown into his den with all claws extended, ready to take Rosa on because she’d thought Rosa was with him. His heart swelled so large in his chest that his mending ribs ached. Not like he gave a damn. For the first time since he’d played chicken with a car and lost, the pain in his body didn’t bother him a bit.

“You two are cousins?” Erin’s voice cracked, her embarrassment filling the air around them and mixing with Rosa’s anger. “I thought…I mean…Damn. I’m sorry.”

Rosa made a face, shrugging and then adjusting her clothes. She scowled at Erin. “I didn’t know it was a secret,” she mumbled.

“Obviously your littermates didn’t tell you,” Juan said, nuzzling his nose into Erin’s hair.

She smelled so damned good, like lavender, the outdoors and aggressive,

possessive emotions that made her scent real fucking sexy.

“Obviously not.” Erin moved in his arms, turning to face him and then gave him the once-over. “You are okay?”

“Never been better,” he told her, grinning at her concern.

“Tell me the truth.” Her hands were on him them, exploring and stroking, inspecting his body.

“I’m getting better and better every second.” He tangled his hands into her hair, tilting her head back and taking in her flushed cheeks, the streaks of silver in her eyes and her extended teeth.

He loved how easy her emotions surfaced, how they made her glow and added to how damned beautiful she looked. He leaned in to her, dipping his face to hers and brushing his lips over her pouting mouth. She tasted better than she had the last time he’d had her.

“I need to know everything. No one would tell me,” she whispered, talking as his mouth moved over hers. “Where were you hurt? Are you really all better?”

“Maybe I should leave,” Rosa said from behind Erin.

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Lorie O’Clare

He nipped Erin’s upper lip and watched her tongue dart out to touch the spot.

Instantly his cock jumped to life. He wrapped her into his arms and she relaxed against him, cuddling her cheek against his chest. Juan looked over her head at his cousin who shifted from one foot to the other, looking rather uncomfortable.

“No. You can’t leave by yourself.” More than anything he wanted to haul Erin back to his bed, to keep her there with him for the rest of the night. But he couldn’t send his cousin out into the night by herself. She was an unmated bitch. “We’ll go outside for a bit. Stay here.”

Rosa made a face, studying Erin, and nodded, then walked over to the couch and slumped down on it. Obviously she didn’t want to be here, especially thinking he would take Erin outside and fuck her. And God. That sounded like a damned good idea.

Erin turned again in his arms then walked over to Rosa. “I’m sorry that I attacked you. I was scared that you were…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

Rosa waved her hand in the air. “You didn’t hurt me. It’s all good.”

“Were you with Juan a few days ago while they were getting ready to build a new den?” Erin asked, her back to him. “It would have been the same day I was taken by the
lunewulfs
.”

Rosa frowned.

“That was the day you and your mother got here,” Juan said, thinking back to why Erin would ask that question. Then it hit him. “When the two of you showed up, you met us on the other side of the mountain. Dimitri and Nicolo were there and left as you two arrived.”

“I didn’t notice them,” Rosa mumbled.

“Obviously they noticed you.” And the bastards had rubbed it in Erin’s face that he’d been with another bitch.

“Dimitri and Nicolo told me you were hanging on some bitch,” Erin said quietly, turning slowly and staring at his feet. “That’s why I took off running that night. It kind of got me pissed.”