Savage Sanctuary: A Dire Wolves Mission (The Devil's Dires Book 2) (2 page)

Thaus eyed him hard, looking for something Levi wasn’t sure he’d find. Still, Levi refused to flinch or look away. Let the bastard look—he could handle it.

But then Thaus spoke. “You fuck up, it’s on all of us.”

The weight of their ancestry slammed down upon him like a boulder. Dire Wolves…the best of the breed, the strongest, the most trained. Military, focused, and dangerous. Few knew there were any Dires left in the world, and the handful who did would be waiting to knock the legendary beasts down a few pegs. For most missions, Levi chose to act in a team so as not to shoulder that responsibility alone. But this time, he felt the urge to go solo.

“I’ve got this.” Levi stared his brother down, refusing to break.

Thaus glanced at Mammon, then nodded once. “Then you’re up.”

He headed for his truck without another word, though Mammon hung around.

“I’ve got this,” Levi repeated as he walked, refusing to let the worried expression on his brother’s face get to him.

“But your sense of smell—”

Levi cut that shit off with a growl. “My sense of smell does just fine. I realize it’s not as strong as the rest of you fuckers after that volcano thing, but it’s better than most shifters. I’m not helpless.”

“I know that, it’s just…” Mammon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s a weakness, and a weakness in battle could lead to a loss that none of us can afford.”

Levi wanted to roll his eyes, but he couldn’t. He’d burned the fuck out of his nose, throat, and lungs working a mission a little too close to an active volcano in Hawaii a couple centuries back. He’d healed as well as could be expected considering the damage, but his brothers never let him forget that he wasn’t quite the same after that day. He could sort of understand it—he’d almost died that day. But his brothers had almost died a hundred times each over the years. No one doubted them the way they did Levi, and it was a serious wedge in their team. At least to him.

“We’re talking humans and a pack of shifters looking for backup,” Levi said, trying to keep from snapping at the other shifter. “I’m fully capable of handling this.”

Mammon nodded, still looking unsure. “What’s your plan?”

“Secure the Omega, investigate the scent trails, determine the threat level, call in additional support if needed, and eliminate targets as necessary.”

Mammon nodded again before sighing. “Okay, kid. You’re leading this one. You keep her safe at all costs, and we’ll call it a win.” He turned to go back inside the bar before tossing out one final quip. “But keep your dick in your pants. The last thing we need is a pissed off Alpha calling Dante because you got cozy with some shewolf…again.”

“It was just one time,” Levi yelled before kicking the dirt. Bastards never would forget that. He hopped into his truck, starting the beastly engine with a growl. An Omega was in trouble, which meant it was time to ignore the doubts and the endless memories of his brothers. It was time to get his ass to work.

A
my wiped
her hands on her apron and gave the restaurant one last look-over. Chairs in place, tables clean, salt and pepper shakers refilled and sitting beside hot sauce and pepper vinegar bottles, counter shining like a crystal ball, and the smell of fresh-baked breads and muffins floating through the air. Yep. The Hope Springs Diner was ready to open.

“Why don’t you finish up with the flowers, then go ahead and unlock the doors, Miss Kelley?” She patted her elderly hostess on the shoulder and turned to inspect her younger waitstaff. Way younger, especially to a shifter like herself who stood at sixty-seven years on Earth. Not that anyone knew that fact. It helped that she didn’t look a day over twenty-five. Still, even with what the humans thought of as her age, the girls who worked for her were still younger.

Sandy was just twenty—new in town and looking for a way to make ends meet—while Yvonne was only seventeen. She would have been in the high school instead of working the morning shift at the diner if it weren’t for the huge baby bump weighing her down.

“Ladies, are you ready for the morning rush?” Amy didn’t have to ask that question, but the nods the two girls sent her were a relief anyway. “Good. Specials are on the board, and the new menus are in the stack with the others. Smile, be welcoming, and make sure you let me know when Mr. Klaus orders so I can keep his food separate from the rest. No allergic reactions from him in three months. It’s practically a record.”

Sandy, pencil and notepad at the ready, practically vibrated with anticipation. The girl had a ridiculous amount of energy, which worked out well for her and Amy. “Pot roast sandwiches for lunch, right?”

“Right.” The grins on the girls’ faces made her heart soar, and a sense of pride fill her soul. “I know. You ladies will make some good tips today.”

“I love pot roast day,” Yvonne said with a giggle.

“So do the customers.” Sandy winked and headed for her section, looking over the tables one last time. She was such a conscientious employee. So attuned to the smallest details. Amy was lucky to snag her before any of the other local business realized what a gem she was. Sandy even took over for Miss Kelley, sending the older woman to open the doors while she finished placing a single flower in the milk-glass vases on each table.

Adding the flowers to the tables was always the last step before opening, and a tradition Amy simply refused to go without.

When the last flower was in place, Amy moved behind the counter to the cooktop. Time to get to work. “Sheriff’s already at the door waiting for Miss Kelley. I’ll get his eggs going. Yvonne—”

“I know, I know.” The youngest waitress rolled her eyes and pulled a pencil from the messy bun on top of her head. “He’ll sit in my section and question me forever. Be nice. Smile. And don’t tell him to fuck off.”

“Precisely.” Amy perked up as she finally heard the bell over the door sound. Miss Kelley was a lot of things—sweet, kind, beloved by the entire town—but fast wasn’t one of them. That was okay, though. The woman greeted every customer with a smile and a personal comment, and they loved her for it. Which made them love coming here even more.

“Good morning, Sheriff Rodman. Welcome to Hope Springs on this fine day.” Miss Kelley’s soft, calm voice floated through the dining room, making Amy grin. Hiring that woman had been the best decision she’d ever made. “I heard you had company last night. I’m surprised to see you here so early.”

Amy bit back a giggle and peeked over at Yvonne. The young girl had her shoulders squared and a smile pasted on her face. Ready for what she knew was coming. But Amy had a feeling Miss Kelley was running interference for the girl.

“Oh, uh, yes.” The sheriff’s normally booming voice sure was quieter as he stumbled over his words. “I had a—uh—dinner guest.”

“Dinner guest? Is that what they’re calling it these days? Why, when I was younger, we called them
casual lovers
.” That southern drawl of hers really accentuated those last two words, something Amy was sure was quite intentional. She choked back a laugh as Miss Kelley sat the sheriff in Yvonne’s section, seeing the old lady’s plan clear as day. Even Yvonne was grinning.

“Here you go, dear.” Miss Kelley said as she indicated the sheriff’s preferred table. “Yvonne will be your waitress today. You remember Yvonne, right? Can’t say she’d know much about the whole casual lovers thing. She’s been with my cousin’s grandson since they were practically babies. Yvonne, when’s Billy done with basic training?”

Yvonne placed a glass of ice water in front of the sheriff and gave the judgmental old coot a smile. “One month, two weeks, and four days.”

“Must be awful to be separated from your love like that, though I know how proud you are of him for choosing to defend our country.”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s been his dream since he was a little boy.”

“I remember.” Miss Kelley shook her head. “And when’s the wedding?”

Yvonne’s hand slipped down to her bump, a grin lighting up her face. “One month, two weeks, and
five
days.”

The sheriff frowned, glancing from Miss Kelley to Yvonne and back. Yeah, a point had been made. He couldn’t exactly grill the poor girl about her boyfriend and her baby and her plans for the future if he was out there carousing. Well, he could, and he would again, but perhaps that day he’d go a little easy on her.

Just about everyone in town judged Yvonne for getting pregnant before she was married, which was specifically why Amy hired her. Yvonne and Billy may have stubbed their toes a bit with the whole baby thing, but they were good kids who had a lot of life left before them. The girl needed some money and a skill, though, if she was going to make it outside of Hope Ridge. Amy had been training her to cook, and the kid was good. If she had skills in the kitchen, she could work in a restaurant instead of a bar or worse. The girl didn’t want to go to college, didn’t want to live a life far from the man she loved, so she’d need to be able to find a job wherever his career took them. Not quite Amy’s idea of a happily ever after, but it was Yvonne’s life and choice. Amy was just happy she could offer a hand along the way.

As for her, she had no intentions of straying very far from the little town she called home. In Hope Ridge, she was surrounded by lush wilderness, rugged terrain, and the beauty of nature at every turn. The town was tucked into a deep valley, which was situated at the base of the mountain where her pack lived. This place offered the best of both worlds—shifters in the hills, humans down below. Perfection. Plus she had the Hope Springs Diner to run, and she wasn’t giving up her business for anyone or anything. Period.

The bell over the door rang again, signaling another guest. Miss Kelley patted the sheriff on the shoulder before turning for the door…but not before making one last dig. “Better be careful, sheriff. Poor Yvonne gets the church glare from half the town because Billy and she did a couple of things out of order. An adult—an elected official, no less—would probably find himself in a bit more trouble than that.”

The sheriff coughed, looking decidedly red in the face. “I told you, Miss Kelley. She was just a dinner guest.”

Miss Kelley smiled so sweetly at the man. A sure sign she was going in for the kill. “The only thing worse than a liar is a thief, sheriff. Old ladies have trouble sleeping, you know, and dinner guests don’t stay over until after three in the morning.” And with that, she sauntered toward the door. “Why, Jackson and Tyler Sanders. How’s your momma doing? I heard she took a tumble the other day.”

Amy chuckled under her breath as she plated the sheriff’s breakfast. Miss Kelley certainly was one to make a point, but there was no way you could get upset with her about it. The truth hurt, and all that.

“Order up.”

Yvonne hurried over to grab the plate just before the doors opened up and the factory workers who’d been on midnights came strolling in.

“Must be quitting time.” Amy nodded toward the doors. “Better buckle up. Looks like it’ll be a busy one.”

B
reakfast ended
as the hours passed, and the clock rolled through to lunch. The diner stayed busy even during the transition, though. A sure sign Amy was doing something right after six months of endless work. Thank goodness for that, because if she’d failed at this diner, her father would have dragged her butt back up the mountain and locked her away for sure.

“Crowded today.”

Amy looked up as another newcomer to the town, a wolf shifter named Zeke, slid onto a stool. He ate alone and at the counter every day, and he always made small talk with her. Or attempted to, at least. Amy wasn’t quite sold on him yet. As the only local shifter who wasn’t in her pack, he stood out as something unique. But unique didn’t mean better, and a nomad shifter around humans could easily lead to trouble. So far, it seemed he had the skills to blend in with the humans, but who knew how long that’d last.

“Pot roast day; it’s a local favorite. How are you, Zeke?”

His smile grew. “I’m good, miss. Thank you for asking. And how’re you this bright, winter day?”

“Fine, fine.” Amy caught Yvonne’s eye and gave her a nod to indicate she should handle the counter patron. “Yvonne will take your order, hon. I need to get in the back and cook if we’re going to survive this lunch crowd.”

His smile fell, but Amy couldn’t worry about it. She needed to whip up some more mashed potatoes and fast. It seemed as if half the town had already come in for her pot roast sandwiches, and still every table was full. She’d had to call in her backup waitress, a shifter from her pack named Gracie. The woman was practically dancing through Yvonne’s tables as the other girl kept the food coming. Sandy was still smiling and working her crowd well, and Miss Kelley had the couple of people stuck waiting engaged in a conversation that left them all smiling and laughing. Things were good…for the moment.

The girls would be thrilled with their tips at the end of the day, she had no doubt. But if she wanted to keep patrons happy and satisfied enough to lay down some hard-earned dollars for her staff, she needed to make sure she had what they were coming in for. Which meant she needed to get her butt off the floor and do what she did best. Cook.

Once she had Yvonne manning the flat top, Amy slipped out from behind the counter. She hurried through the swinging door into the kitchen but stopped short at the sight of a man sitting on her stainless steel prep-area counter. A man who shouldn’t have been there.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Benjamin, second oldest in her family, shrugged and continued eating the pot roast sandwich he’d apparently made for himself. “Abel sent me.”

Of course he did. If Amy would have growled any louder, the diners would have heard it for sure. “You tell our big brother that I’m fine. I don’t need a babysitter.”

But Benjamin wasn’t really one to care when Amy got riled up. “Tell him yourself. He’ll be down here in a few.”

The sigh Amy let out was loud and filled with more growl than she cared to admit. She stomped to the stove to pull off the pot of potatoes she’d had boiling for the past half hour. “This is getting ridiculous.”

“Tell Dad,” Benjamin said with a shrug. As if that would ever work.

“Dad’s not going to tell Abel no.” She poured the potatoes into the colander, letting the steaming water drain down the sink before slamming the empty pot back on the counter. “Stupid, overprotective, ignorant, immature—”

“Oooh, I know you are, but what am I?”

Amy spun toward the back door where the man in question stood. The sarcastic grin on his face was directed at her, which was definitely a bad move on his part. “You just proved my point, jackass.”

“Well, damn,” Abel said as he bumped fists with Benjamin. “Someone’s testy today.”

Understatement…and annoying. “I swear to God, if you don’t get out of my kitchen, I’m tossing your sorry ass in the oven.”

Benjamin shoved the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth before nodding at his brother. “I’m out of here. Baked Abel doesn’t sound appetizing.”

Abel didn’t seem bothered by their brother speaking and chewing at the same time, though Amy’s stomach turned a little. Damn animals, the lot of them.

“You running or driving?” Abel asked the younger male.

Ben motioned toward the back door with his thumb. “Running. I’m not even attempting to get up that deathtrap road until spring hits.”

“It’s not that bad,” Amy and Abel said at the same time. Abel grinned, but Amy huffed and rolled her eyes.

“You two have a good time. Try not to kill each other,” Benjamin said with a raised eyebrow and a knowing grin.

“As long as he stays the hell out of my way, he doesn’t have to worry,” Amy grumbled as she added heavy cream, butter, and garlic to the potatoes. Benjamin let the heavy, metal door slam closed behind him as he left, something that didn’t help Amy’s mood. Couldn’t at least one of her brothers try not to sound like a herd of elephants when they were in her place of business?

“Damn it, Ben.”

“Language, sis.” Abel shook his head, looking as if he was trying to bite back a grin. The jackass.

Amy shot him her best glare…and stuck her tongue out…right as the door to the dining area flew open.

“Oh, sorry.” Yvonne let the swinging door slam into the wall, looking a bit nervous as she glanced from Abel to Amy and back again. The girl tended to get a little awkward around Amy’s brothers. Hell, most women did. The men of her family were all big, brawny, and sporting blond curls and blue eyes. Plus, Abel had the best dimples she’d ever seen. Yeah, women loved her brothers. Too bad they were all jackasses…most of the time.

“What do you need?” Amy asked, trying to smile as the girl blushed.

“Oh, uh…I’m almost out of potatoes, and Mr. Klaus just came in and asked if we had any sprouted bread.”

Amy hung her head. “He can’t have sprouted bread because he’s got a gluten allergy. Good lord, is that man ever going to learn?”

Abel pulled the bowl of potatoes from her hold. “Go. I’ve got this.”

But Amy wasn’t about to give up. “I don’t need—”