The Lamb Who Cried Wolf (10 page)

He pounced on his father, attacking with a savageness he’d never expected to use against his own parent. The older wolf must have been surprised, because he didn’t immediately retaliate. Brody almost backed down, since he found no pleasure in hurting someone who could not fight back. But the wolf did not care about such considerations. His beast’s nature took advantage of a weakness and used it for an advantage, and the fact that his opponent was kin changed nothing.

Still, a part of Brody was not surprised when his father changed his approach. He shifted into wolf form and twisted away from Brody, protecting the most vulnerable parts of his body. He then shot forward and, with a speed that should have been impossible for someone his
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age, replied to Brody’s attack with one of his own. The older wolf’s paw scratched Brody’s snout before he could dodge it. On normal conditions, Brody might have been deterred, not so much by the pain, but by the look in his father’s eyes. They were wolves and obeying their Alpha was ingrained in their beings. But Brody’s anger made him ignore all that in favor of fighting back. He didn’t care about anything anymore. He just would not allow his opponent to hurt his mate.

Snarling, he lunged again, sending the older wolf falling to the floor. He knew he didn’t have much time before his father recovered, so he’d have to settle for a quick kill. He might have actually gone through with it, but once more, Carson’s eyes appeared in his mind.

For the first time in ages, Brody heard his mate’s voice in his mind.

“
Brody, don’t. He’s your father
.”

It came weakly, very much so, but it was there, and it made Brody hesitate. The older wolf had separated Brody from his mate, and he deserved to die for it. But they were still family. How would Brody ever be able to face Carson—sweet, innocent Carson—if he committed patricide?

Still growling, he backed off and turned back into his human form.

His father did the same and gave him a wary look. “What did you mean to prove by that?”

Brody chuckled bitterly. “Nothing. You should thank Carson,” he sneered. “He saved your life, old man.”

His father blinked at him. “You meant to kill me.” It was spoken as if the man never actually understood it.

“You separated me from my mate, my true mate. What do you expect, for me to go along happily with your master plan to fuck a bitch chosen by you, and be thankful? You blackmailed me into claiming Roxanne, and you even want to force my wolf to bond with her. And I might have accepted all that, but just minutes ago, you said
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you intended to kill Carson. I won’t allow it, no matter what I have to do.”

Of course, the moment when he could have stopped it from happening in the most certain way had gone by, but if necessary, he’d find a different solution.

His father just stared at him, as if he’d never seen Brody before.

“Fine. If that’s the way you want it. You’re claiming the lamb as your true mate, and I’ve had it with trying to change your mind. If you can prove the truth of your words, I’ll let you go.”

As the man spoke, Roxanne burst inside the room, followed by three other wolves. They must have heard the commotion. Stupid people. Their delayed help would have been futile if Brody had decided to finish his father off.

Ignoring the new arrival, he arched a brow and asked, “And how do you expect me to prove it? You didn’t believe me the first time.”

“If you can defeat your nature, and show me you see the lamb as a mate, and not a meal, I will agree to support you in whatever you may decide later.”

“Why do I have a feeling it’s not so easy?” Brody narrowed his eyes.

“Important things never are,” his father answered quizzically.

Brody wanted another chance, but he never signed blank checks.

“Tell me what I have to do first.” He didn’t fear for himself, but whatever his father had planned, it would involve Carson’s presence, too.

“For the moment, the only thing you need to know is that no harm will come to you or the lamb by my hand, or anyone from the pack.”

Brody opened his mouth to ask for details, but his father stopped him. “Don’t question me, Brody. Now, come along and don’t be difficult. We have a short trip to make.”

Brody looked into his father’s eyes and, at last, understood his situation. Attacking his elder would be punishable by death, if it got
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out. His father was offering him a way out, and Brody had no choice but to take it.

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Carson’s day was not going well. It was the first thought he had when yet another stack of books collapsed on top of him. Granted, it had been entirely his fault. His hands were shaking and his heart beating so fast it threatened to burst out of his chest. Something was going on with Brody, and it drove him crazy to just see and feel bits and pieces.

“Carson, are you okay?” his boss and friend, Nicolas, asked.

“You’ve been acting strange all day.”

Carson just sighed, since Nicolas knew the answer to the question before he’d even asked. Nicolas knelt next to him and helped Carson pick up the fallen books. “Maybe you should take some time off,” the other man suggested. “You’ve put a lot of effort into the bookstore lately. You deserve a break.”

Carson sat on the cold floor of the storage room and buried his face in his hands. If he went home, he’d just have more time to think about Brody. If he stayed here, he’d be in the way and might even damage the products.

“I’d rather stay, if that’s okay with you,” he told Nicolas.

Nicolas nodded, his expression suggesting he fully grasped the extent of Carson’s need for distraction. “Sure. Tell you what. Go help Shiloh in the front. I’ll wrap up the inventory here.”

“Thanks, Nicolas.” Carson smiled and got up. “That would be great.”

If customers showed up, making nice would perhaps draw his mind away from Brody. Carson doubted it though. Too much had happened. He was still shaken from the day’s events. Just earlier, he’d
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sensed the man trying to kill his father. He’d managed to reach out to Brody and make himself heard, but the spark was gone now. Even so, he knew Brody’s behavior couldn’t have gone unpunished. He feared for his mate’s life, and he felt more helpless than ever.

Shiloh jumped him as soon as he left the storage room. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “Still loopy?”

“It comes and goes,” Carson answered, not comfortable with telling Shiloh the true extent of the problem in public. “It’s stronger today.”

Shiloh hugged him. “Have you tried shifting?”

Carson groaned. “It just makes it worse. I guess I’ll just have to wait it out.” It was what he always did, although today, it would not work. Carson didn’t even want it to. He just wanted Brody.

Shiloh released him from the embrace and nodded, regret painted on his face. “I’m afraid so. I wish I could help you, but—”

All of a sudden Shiloh stopped speaking, and at the same time, Carson sensed something wasn’t right. The bell announcing new customers rang, and his senses were assaulted by the smell of predator.

Shiloh cursed and pushed Carson behind him. “Nico, you better get out here.”

As their friend and boss appeared from the back, the wolves approached the counter, their gazes fixed on Carson. Carson didn’t know them, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out this had something to do with Brody’s anxiety.

“Hello, little lamb,” one of them said.

“Don’t call me that,” Carson shot back. Only Brody had the right to call him by the sweet pet name.

The second man chuckled. “Don’t get your wool in a knot. We’re merely here regarding a common acquaintance of ours. The elder has given you and Brody another chance. All you have to do is come with us.”

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Carson’s eyes widened. Could it really be true? Could they still be together, even after all this time? In his heart, Carson had never stopped hoping. But trusting the wolves would be just plain stupid.

“No way,” Shiloh replied in his stead. “He isn’t going anywhere with you.”

“And how are you going to stop him, or us, swan?” the first man asked.

“Oh, we have our ways,” Nicolas piped up.

The second wolf laughed. “Right. A swan and a hummingbird.

Some bodyguards you have, lamb.”

As quick as lightning, Shiloh and Nicolas retrieved two shotguns from beneath the counter. They were loaded and ready, Carson knew, the bullets of pure silver, and much like those used by the guards in Ramston. So far, Carson had never seen them used, but judging by the way his two friends held the guns, they must have had other unpleasant experiences with carnivores.

“Back off, fucking dogs,” Nicolas said with a frown, “or else we’ll have to check if you’re so clever with a round of silver inside you.”

The amusement vanished from the wolves’ demeanor and they tensed. “You’re playing with fire, hummingbird,” one of them said.

But even with the warning, neither of the two tried to approach him further. Instead, the second wolf added, “Look, we’re not going to push your hand, lamb. If you don’t want to come, that’s fine. But remember, you won’t get this chance again.”

Carson bit his lip, more than ever yearning for his connection with Brody, needing a piece of advice. He couldn’t trust these men, no.

Still, he was afraid of what the wolves’ words meant, what they implied. Had he been right to fear Brody’s behavior would be sanctioned, perhaps even with death? If so, Carson didn’t think he could live without Brody. This might be his last chance of seeing his wolf.

“Okay,” he answered. “I’ll come with you.”

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“What?” Shiloh turned toward him, gaping in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. Once you’re out the door, they’ll kill you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Carson answered with more certainty in his voice than he actually felt.

“The hell you will,” Shiloh shouted at him. “If you’re insisting on this folly, I’m coming with you, and so is my trusty shotgun.”

As much as Carson appreciated his friend’s support, he didn’t know how this would all turn out. If he did indeed die, he didn’t want to drag Shiloh down with him. His friend had done too much for him and still needed to live, to love, to find his place and his purpose in life.

“No, Shil.” Carson shook his head. “This is something I have to do.” He hugged both Shiloh and Nicolas. “Thanks for everything, both of you,” he whispered.

“Don’t say good-bye,” Shiloh murmured back. “Don’t you dare say good-bye.”

So Carson didn’t. Instead, he embraced his friends tighter, then broke away. “See you later,” he said.

The wolves didn’t comment and waited for him patiently. At last, they left the shop, whereupon Carson defeated his instinctual feel and inquired, “Can I drop by my apartment to grab a few things?”

One of the wolves shook his head. “You won’t need them.”

That didn’t sound very encouraging, but it was too late to go back.

Suppressing a shudder, Carson allowed the wolves to lead him to a black van. His entire being screamed,
No. Don’t. Never get inside the
van.
But he guessed that those people who said sheep were stupid must be at least half-right, because he didn’t back down. Then again, it might have been just his need to see Brody. Their connection—

however strained and dim—had kept him going, as much as he hated to admit it. If he lost that, he might as well stop breathing altogether.

The doors of the van opened, revealing a couple more wolves inside. Probably if Shiloh and Nicolas had insisted on keeping him inside the shop, the other predators would have burst inside. In fact,
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Carson would have bet money that even if he’d decided not to come with the wolves after all, they’d have forced him. In the end, it didn’t matter. Either way, the result would be the same.

Without protesting, Carson entered the van and sat next to the wolves. He willed himself to calm down, even if his every instinct shouted at him to get out of there. Thankfully, the predators ignored him, even if Carson could still sense their hostility toward him. The car started, but with the van having no windows in the back, Carson couldn’t see where they were headed. He closed his eyes and focused on not having a panic attack. As a rule, sheep were taught from a very young age to avoid that sort of thing, but in such circumstances, it might prove problematic.

He didn’t know how long the trip took, too concentrated on not losing himself to the panic. He only became aware that it had ended when he sensed the car slow down and stop. Somehow, he managed to muster the courage to ask, “Are we there?”

One of the wolves who’d come after him inside the bookstore nodded. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

Carson blinked in surprise, unsure of how he should interpret the wolf’s words. He didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however. The door of the van opened, revealing even more predators. Great, just great. Taking a deep breath, Carson followed their instructions and left the car.

He found himself in the middle of a grove. How strange. He must have been so lost in his musings that he didn’t even notice the shift from asphalt to dirt road. With a mix of dread and curiosity, he looked around, trying to figure out his current location. His heart began to beat faster when he felt a familiar presence nearby. The wolves hadn’t lied about one thing. Brody was here.

Unable to contain his enthusiasm, Carson broke free of the wolves and ran in the general direction where his senses told him he could find his mate. He froze in his tracks when the tall figure of Brody’s father appeared in front of him.

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“Stop right there, lamb, if you want to live,” the older man said, narrowing his eyes at Carson. “It’s too late to change your mind or run away.”