Werewolves in Love 2: Yours, Mine and Howls (12 page)

“Thank you, Declan. And please, just Sarah Jane. Rebecca’s pretty precious, isn’t she? I know I was horribly rude for barging in like this, but I just had to see that little girl.” She smiled brightly—and completely unapologetically—before she bent to kiss a sleeping Becca. “Well. I’ll leave you young folks to stay up and talk. Ancients like me need all the sleep we can get.”

Ally noted with interest that Dec’s eyes followed Sarah Jane until she’d left the room. She turned to Michael.

“Wouldn’t she be more comfortable in the house with Becca?”

Michael shrugged and flopped back down in the recliner. “She’s lucky I’m letting her stay here at all. I don’t want her watching everything we say and do. Her cabin’s very comfortable.”

Dec sat on the raised hearth, elbows propped on his knees. Dark brows knit in worry, he wore a rare frown. “Michael, are you sure you don’t want to call Cade? He’s bound to think Sarah Jane ambushed him, and he’ll want to know why you didn’t tell him. I’m thinking you’re taking a big gamble here, lad.”

“Dec!” she exclaimed, appalled.

But Michael merely stared at Dec thoughtfully as he dangled a leg over the arm of the recliner and rocked. “No,” he said after a minute. “No, I don’t think I will. You’re right, it’s a gamble. Cade might rip my fur, but I’m thinking about the pack here. This meeting is huge. Thanks to Ally, Sarah Jane shouldn’t find much to object to around here, and if Cade’s pissed off, that’s her problem.”

“All right. You know your Alpha better than I do,” Dec said somewhat sadly as he stood. “Well, the lovely Mrs. Ferguson is right. Ancients do need their rest, and I’m off to get some. Good night, all.”

He winked at her. She shook her head in disbelief as he climbed the stairs. Was there anyone he couldn’t dazzle with his charm? Well, Cade, certainly. And her and Dylan. That was about it.

“Didn’t that piss you off?” she asked Michael.

“What?” he asked, getting up to leave.

“Dec! Didn’t it piss you off when he questioned you like that?”

Michael laughed and shrugged. “Nah. Not Dec. He’s cool. Good night, Ally. And thanks again.” He had lovely blue eyes. When he tried, he could be downright pleasant. “I appreciate it. And so will Cade.”

Chapter Eleven

“My granddaughter needs a haircut. I don’t see how she can hold her little head up under the weight of it.”

They were washing Becca off after a finger painting session. Paint covered Ally head to toe. Her hair was frizzing out. Sarah Jane looked ready for a date.

Becca had spent the morning soaking up the attention like a tiny, lonely sponge. “Don’t cut my hair!” she wailed.

“Don’t whine. I agree,” she said to Sarah Jane, “but maybe we should wait ’til Cade gets back?”

Sarah Jane gave her dubious look. “You’re the nanny, aren’t you? That’s well within a nanny’s discretion.”

“Yeah, well, I mean—yes, but—it’s just, I haven’t been here that long and we hadn’t really talked about how much I’m allowed to…”

“Oh, please.” Sarah Jane waved a dismissive hand. “Males aren’t concerned with little girls’ hairstyles. I’m not suggesting we cut it all off. But just because she’s being raised by wolves doesn’t mean she should look like it.”

“I guess you’re right. And if Cade gets upset, I’ll just blame it on you.”

“There you go.” Sarah Jane smiled in triumph, wiping up the leftover paint. “Cade MacDougall doesn’t scare me. I’m going to my cabin to freshen up and I’ll meet you downstairs, okay?”

“All right.”

She’d wanted to look around town anyway, and she longed for something to take her mind off Cade MacDougall.

Two days later, the scene at the pool seemed less real. She knew she hadn’t imagined it, but she had a hard time believing he was seriously interested in her. Surely he had lovers. Women probably dissolved into little puddles of helpless goo whenever he looked at them. Lord knew
she
did. She cringed a little when she recalled how squishy she got as soon as he touched her, how quickly she agreed to whatever he said.

Once she had Becca clean and dressed, Ally realized nothing short of a shower would get all the paint off herself. And once she was naked in the shower, her mind went back to Cade.

Her whole body flushed at the memory of his touch and his hungry, possessive gaze. She’d always been a little sexually reserved. Not repressed, just…slow to warm up. In Cade MacDougall’s hands, she burned, instantly. Whether they were talking, or arguing, or doing whatever it was they’d done at the pool, her typical inhibitions disappeared in his presence.

Houston seemed thousands, not hundreds, of miles away. This ranch, these wolves, Cade and Becca—she’d known nothing of them a week ago. Now the thought of leaving them behind scared her nearly as much as the thought of losing her own wolves.

She followed the aroma of fresh baking into the kitchen, where she wasn’t surprised to find Dylan scarfing muffins as fast as Sindri could happily serve them. At ten o’clock in the morning. After he’d consumed a huge breakfast two hours earlier.

“I wish I’d known about y’all a long time ago,” she told Sindri as she sat down at the table. “He started eating twenty-four/seven when he turned twelve.”

Dylan rolled his eyes.

Sindri smiled in his mysteriously placid way. “It is good to feed a young wolf again.”

“But there’s other young wolves here, Sindri,” Dylan said. “You feed them, don’t you?”

“Yes. But they are not of my
hefoar kona’s
line.”

“His
what’s
line?” she asked Dylan, rhetorically.

To her amazement, he seemed to know. “His important lady’s,” he said, starting on another muffin.

“How do you—?”

“Where’s my Nana? When’re we going?”

They turned to see Becca in the doorway. She wore the jeans, T-shirt and tennis shoes Ally had put on her, and the feather boa and sunglasses she had put on herself. She looked like a backup singer for David Bowie circa 1975.

“We’re leaving as soon as your Nana gets here. Did she tell you to call her Nana?”

“Yes. It means Gramma.”

“I know.”

“Where are y’all going?” Dylan asked.

“We’re taking the munchkin to town for a haircut.”

“Can I come?” He’d stopped eating for the moment.

“Sure. I haven’t had any time with you since we got here. I’ve missed you. Stop rolling your eyes. Come on, sweet girl,” she said to Becca. “I hear Nana. Let’s go see if she’s ready.”

Sarah Jane looked just as fresh as she had thirty minutes earlier. So Ally was disappointed when she said, “On second thought, hon, I’m just exhausted. I don’t think I’m up for a trip into town. Why don’t you go on without me?”

“Are you sure? We can do it some other time…” Ally would never have thought to get Becca’s hair cut if the older woman hadn’t suggested it.

“No, no, y’all go on. Are you going with them, Dylan? That’s lovely, y’all can have a nice day together. Shall we take Rebecca to Mass tomorrow?”

“Um, sure. Look, we don’t have to go today…”

“I wanna go! I wanna go, Ally, please?” Becca clutched Ally’s hand in both of her hot little ones, pulling on Ally’s arm while staring up at her and doing the
pl-eee-eee-eee-ase
little kid bounce.

She squealed in delight when Dylan swung her up into the air. “Yeah, let’s do it. It’ll be fun to get off the ranch. I might even talk to you. You can ask me questions and stuff.”

“I can’t pass that up, can I?”

“Good! Just take the Lexus. I had the rental place strap in a child seat.” Sarah Jane pressed keys into Ally’s hand. “Rebecca,” she said, kissing the child’s cheek, “are you really going to wear those glasses and that feather thing?” At Becca’s emphatic nod, she sighed. “Well, be good and have fun.”

Dec was coming in as they were going out. Ally asked if he’d like to join them. He looked past her, to Sarah Jane standing in the living room.

“I don’t think so. I’m feelin’ a mite knackered. I’m thinking I’ll take a nap after I see if the wee fella’s cooking anything tasty.” Sindri had appeared behind Sarah Jane. Dec went inside the house and closed the door behind him.

“Dec has a crush on Sarah Jane,” Ally said in wonder.

“You think so? Cool.”

“You don’t think it’s weird?”

“Nah. Who knows how old he is? He needs a female. So does Seth. Maybe with me out of the way, they can settle down.” He dangled a shrieking Becca over his shoulder as they walked to the car.

Michael hollered to them from the front porch of the woodshop.

“Hey, Stinky Butt. Where you off to?”

“I’m getting a haircut!” she crowed.

“You think Cade would mind?” Ally asked him.

Michael shrugged as he jogged over to meet them. “Not if you think she needs it. You got any plans tonight, when you get back?”

“I have a date. He’s picking me up at seven.”

He laughed. “Very funny.” She liked Laughing Michael. She hoped to see more of him. “We’re playing poker tonight. Seth says you play, and we’ve never had a female at a game. What do you think?” He slouched against the Lexus, hands in his jeans pockets.

“Who’s we? It’s just you and Shawn—my wolves don’t play.”

“The guys will be up here after dark. I’m hoping Sarah Jane turns in early like she did last night. So, you in?”

She smiled innocently. “Yeah, that sounds fun. It’s just friendly, right? No hundred dollar pots? I’m not a big gambler.”

Michael smirked. “It’s twenty to buy in, chips go for a quarter, fifty, and a buck.”

“Great! I can handle that.”

“Yeah, I figured you could. Seth says sometimes you pay the rent with poker.”

“Aw, shit. When is he gonna learn?”

“Boss, I’m telling you, everything’s fine here.” Michael sounded cheerful, which made Cade suspicious.

He’d called home before sitting back down with St. Louis and Chicago. The Brown Palace Hotel was the finest in Denver, but Cade had never slept alone there. He wondered if he could take Ally any time soon. She probably hadn’t spent a lot of time in luxury hotels.

He wanted to spoil her. He wanted to impress her. He wanted to know her, because finding yourself mated to a virtual stranger was disconcerting as hell.

“Cade? Are you going to fill me in, or do I have to wait ’til you get home?”

Goddamn it.
His mind had wandered again. How long had Michael been talking?

“It’s going great, in fact. St. Louis and Chicago are ready to recognize us. I think your little brother’s recognition has a lot to do with it.”

“About damned time. That’s great news.” Michael laughed. “So yeah, you were right to make the deal with Nick.”

“Oh, now you don’t mind having Ally around?”

“Not at all. She’s been a lot of help with Becca and everyone likes her. Honestly, boss, if you’re stuck with a mate, you could do a lot worse.”

“Michael, what the hell’s going on?”

“It’s under control. Fuck, Cade, how long have I had your back? You’ve trusted me under fire, you trusted me to build a pack, but you can’t trust me when you’re in Denver for two days?”

He relaxed when he heard the irritation in Michael’s voice. “All right, all right. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Look, the main reason I called is I have news about Rufus. If it weren’t for Aaron I wouldn’t care, but we’ve got to be alert. No one’s seen him since the other morning when I talked to him—he just dropped out of sight. The pack’s trying to keep it quiet, but they’re worried. He hasn’t been right since his wife died. With Aaron in a coma, who knows what he might do.”

Michael was silent for a minute. “Fuck. You think Rufus might be headed down here?”

“That’s what I expected,” mused Cade. “Now I’m wondering. He’s probably senile, he hates me, his pup’s almost dead…who knows? Spread the word so we hear about it if anyone sees him.” All the wolves in Colorado, never more than fifty at a time, communicated with the Rocky Mountain Pack, even those who didn’t belong to it. Cade and Michael had spent years establishing their network, and even Lones respected them.

“I’ll put some guys on perimeter watch.”

“Good. Shit. I can see him challenging me, maybe. I just don’t know if he’s crazy enough to ambush me. He’s a Pack Alpha, for Chrissakes.” It was unimaginable for a wolf of Rufus Stapkis’ stature to engage in such behavior.

Personal honor was paramount in wolf culture; personal confrontation was part of that. A fight could be a formal challenge or an old-fashioned brawl, but a surprise attack was the depth of dishonor. It rendered the offending wolf liable to prosecution. Courts didn’t meddle much in the affairs of wolves. The Sentients Equal Rights Act of 1965 included the right of wolves to engage in combat without the threat of human law. Though many humans disliked it, courts consistently upheld the principle. Ironically, once wolves came out officially in human society, and even more after SERA passed, wolf on wolf violence had decreased dramatically.

“Then again,” Cade mused, “I don’t like what Ally told me about Aaron and that other wolf in the restaurant. What if Seattle tried to pressure Aaron? The pup’s barely out of his teens—he’d be vulnerable to something like that.”

“I’m putting some of the guys out on the edges at night for a while—just ’til we get a better feel for what’s going on. And a second wolf in Aaron’s room,” Michael said firmly.

“Good.” Cade exhaled. “Shit. I know I’m invincible—” they both laughed “—but I’m tired.” He rubbed his face and lay back on the hotel bed. “Between Aaron and Rufus and this meeting and now Ally…” Hell. Michael was his second, not his shrink.

“You’ve got a lot on your mind. That’s why I’m here. I’ve got it covered on this end.”

“Yeah, I know you do, wolf. I know you do.” He paused, trying to figure out a way to say it without sounding like he was femming out. He couldn’t. “How’s Ally?”

Michael didn’t laugh, but Cade heard his smile. “She’s great. She and Dylan have gone into town to get Baby Girl a haircut. Oh, and the nanny service called again.”

He laughed. “Whatever it is, you handle it, I don’t care.” He thought for a minute. “So. Ally likes Becca, doesn’t she?”

“Yep. And Becca likes Ally. I’ve been thinking—if our Alpha’s got a mate, a lot of wolves will stop with all the ‘you’re not a pack, you’re fraternity or a gang’ bullshit. And we could use a grown female around here.”