Wolf Tales 11 (18 page)

And she wanted his child. He still couldn’t believe she was willing, even excited about a baby. The whole concept scared the crap out of him. Neither of them had known a normal childhood. How could they possibly figure out how to raise a baby without totally screwing up?

Not only that, Manda had agreed to be his wife. When he’d asked her, for some reason he’d expected a negative response, but she loved him. She wanted him as her legal husband even as she’d already claimed him as her mate. He wanted to raise his nose to the heavens and howl, but that wouldn’t do. Not here, in the midst of the grounds of the National Zoo. So he put his nose down and ran. Ran with his mate beside him, his packmates up ahead. His pack. Jake’s pack. Did it matter? They loved one another, needed one another. That was what counted.

There were others he could count on. After always thinking of himself as a loner, he wasn’t alone anymore. It was good, and it was scary. Frightening when he thought of the responsibility tonight, the idea that whatever energy
they could create would help to save his sisters’ lives. He’d always avoided that sort of responsibility for Lisa and Tala.

They’d been of his blood, but not really kin. Not until he discovered the amazing heritage they shared. All of them, Chanku shapeshifters. Little Lisa and Mary Ellen, now known as Tala.

Shapeshifters. United by a heritage that was more powerful than any other blood link.

And tonight, they were in terrible trouble.

Thank the Goddess, Anton had given him a way to help. Now that he had a connection to his sisters, he understood their worth, their value. How his life, his happiness, depended on their lives and their happiness. Their safety.

That was the way of the pack. They looked out for one another. Loved one another. Knew they could count on every single member should they ever need help.

And so he ran, with thoughts of Lisa and Tala in the forefront of his mind, and his love for his mate, for Jake and Shannon, filling his heart.

The night seemed to grow darker in spite of the lighting that illuminated trails and cast strange shadows. They ran deeper into the small forest that made up the zoo grounds, running as they would in the woods near their home. The smells here were at once alien and yet familiar. Prey, yet not, as they raced past pens of zebra and gazelle and some kind of goat, and predators that would have had him pausing in the wild to check for danger.

Lions and tigers and bears. His nose couldn’t stop twitching. He sensed the curiosity of those behind bars as the four of them ran, slipping in and out of the forested parkland, skirting pens and cages and even scaring up the occasional wild critter running free on the grounds.

They would not hunt tonight. Not after that amazing meal they’d had earlier. What a day, to go from a weekend getaway to a flight into Washington, DC, to dinner at one
of the finest restaurants within the entire capital city, and now to running as wolves in the presence of creatures from all over the world.

And then he thought of Rolf, the old friend who had set off the madness of their day with his warning, and he wondered if the man’s soul had found rest. There was no doubt in his mind that Rolf had died today because he’d warned Baylor.

So much to think of, which was unusual. Generally when he ran as the wolf, his mind was free of the worries of men. Under normal circumstances, he’d be thinking of the scents on the night air, the way his mate looked as she raced through the darkness.

Under normal circumstances.
But there was nothing normal about tonight. He hoped Anton had been able to use the information they’d gathered. Hoped he could harness the energy Baylor and the others would be sharing tonight.

Manda paused and glanced his way. Her sides heaved in and out with each breath she took, and the glittering light in her amber eyes stopped him dead in his tracks. Bay’s nose went up and he sniffed the air, nose twitching, ears forward in heady anticipation. The rich aroma of Manda’s heat tickled his sensitive nostrils. He growled deep—the low rumble rolled out of his chest.

He noticed Jake sniffing at Shannon and realized she was in heat as well. Both females, receptive and potentially fertile, though he knew of Shannon’s difficulty trying to conceive. Jake had shared their frustration with him, how her body had healed, but she’d not had any luck yet on the occasions when they had tried to fertilize an egg. Jake had feared that the problem could be his, had wondered if his years of excess might have harmed his own ability to reproduce.

Jake said they had talked of seeing Logan about it, now that they had a doctor who truly understood Chanku
physiology, but not yet. Not until they’d tried at least one more time. Bay watched as Jake drew closer to Shannon, as his dark muzzle disappeared beneath her tail. She snarled and shifted away.

It was too early in the evening.

He glanced at the watch strapped to his leg. It had one of those stretchy metal bands, so he knew it wouldn’t damage his arm should he have to shift into his human form in a hurry, but according to his spiffy Rolex, they had almost half an hour before Anton needed their energy.

Mating as wolves took less time than they spent as humans, and yet the intensity of their orgasm was more powerful. It lasted longer, coiled deeper within the heart and mind, and that was what Anton needed tonight. What Lisa and Tala needed.

No matter what any of them wanted, they had a purpose to fulfill. Which made him wonder about getting his mate with child when he knew how much Jake and Shannon wanted one of their own. His thoughts were spinning and he wished for that feral state, the forgetfulness that usually accompanied his wolven self. Why the hell was he worrying so much about his human issues?

Then he glanced at Manda and caught her watching him with an intensity that brought him up short.

Our choice to have a child is not dependent on Shannon’s ability to conceive. It’s our choice, Bay. What we want, what we are able to do. Can you agree with me on that?

He felt the tension ease from his limbs. Damn, there was something so sexy about Manda when she stepped up to her role as his bitch.
I can agree with whatever you want,
he said.
You are my mate. The one who matters, who counts. The only one.

She spun about and took off running. With his nose still twitching, Bay followed close behind.

Adam watched closely as Liana slipped out of her warm sweats and stood beside the door, waiting on him. He disrobed, crossed the room, and placed one very chaste kiss on her shoulder.

His cock didn’t think it was all that chaste and rose to attention. He ignored the rush of arousal, the need he felt to pull her close and hold her, to make love to her. The afternoon had crawled so slowly as he’d waited to run with her, finally to mate with her, but now that the time had come, he felt as if everything had gone into fast forward. He didn’t want to rush anything, but they had that damned timetable to adhere to.

Did he want to have his mating with Liana linked to a stupid clock? He frowned at her as she cupped his cheek in her palm. “It’s not a stupid clock we’re linking our mating to, my love. It’s saving the lives of two women we love, saving their babies. You’re a healer. You have to understand that.”

He practically snorted. “I understand it, and logically I think it’s great, but damn it all, Liana, I want you. Now. I always want you. I never seem to get enough of you. Will this need ease at all once we’re mated?”

Her laughter shivered over him like a cooling breeze, though it didn’t cool his desire for her at all.

“No. I think it’s going to be even stronger, this desire we have for each other. That’s a good thing. Now come. I want time to speak with Eve, if she’ll hear me.”

She handed a necklace to him, and it took a moment before he realized what he was holding—a beautiful little timepiece on a silver chain. Anton and his damned timetable! Now what the hell was he supposed to do with this?

Liana opened the door and stepped out onto the icy step. Adam was right behind her. She shifted and glanced at him.
Put it around my neck. Make sure it’s tight. We’ll need it later.

Laughing softly, Adam fastened the chain around her neck. No way was he going to admit how impressed he was—he hadn’t even thought about how they were going to stay on time. Liana yipped once and raced down the stairs. Adam shut the door, shifted, and followed close behind. The snow was packed hard leading from their steps to the woods, and they practically flew across the surface, with Liana holding the lead. He wasn’t certain where she was headed, though he had his suspicions.

He was right. They raced through the woods, climbing higher up the mountain until they reached Eve’s meadow. The place where her ashes were scattered, where he’d tried to kill himself.

Where Liana and Eve, now their Goddess, had saved his life in spite of himself. He stared across the smooth expanse, at the untouched snow reflecting the cold light of the winter’s moon, the bare branches ringing the edge, and he felt a welcoming sense of peace.

This place should haunt him. It should hold nothing but sadness for him, but Adam recognized it for what it was. This meadow and what it represented had saved him. He’d come here to die, but he’d been reborn.

Because of Eve. Because of Liana and the love of his pack. So many who cared for him, who loved him in spite of himself, had come together to save his life. In so doing, they’d managed to save his soul. He paused a moment longer and sniffed the air, curious to see if he could sense Eve in this place, but there was nothing more than the chill night air, the spicy scent of pine and cedar … and the rich, seductive scent of his mate.

He turned his gaze on Liana for a moment, appreciating her beauty, her regal stance, her gray coat shining silvery in the moonlight. She watched him carefully, as if weighing his reaction to the place she’d led him.

I wondered if this was where you wanted to come, he said. It’s a good choice.

It’s the only choice.

Liana gazed at him with such pure and absolute love that Adam felt an ache in his heart. To think he’d been so lucky, so blessed, that he could have two such amazing women love him.
I’m one lucky bastard, Liana. You and Eve have both changed my life.

There was a soft
pop,
as if the pressure had changed, and suddenly Eve was standing there, bathed in moonlight, gowned in a flowing white dress that swirled about her ankles. Her eyes swirled from gray to green to blue, and her blond hair blew about her shoulders, carried by some ethereal breeze Adam neither sensed nor felt.

Her laughter sent shivers across his spine, but there was no sense of arousal, no need to reach for her. She was Eve, his Goddess. The woman he had once loved. She flashed him a saucy wink, reminding him of that woman.

“You are that, Adam,” she said. “One very lucky bastard.”

She waved her hand. Immediately, a clear bubble encased the three of them. The snow disappeared and the two wolves stood in knee-deep grass with wild primroses blooming all about. Adam was the first to shift. Liana followed suit, grabbing for the chain that miraculously remained around her neck. He reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers.

She dipped her head, bowing slightly to Eve. “We wanted to ask your blessing, Eve. It seemed only right.”

Eve’s smile widened. “Ah, Liana. I owe you much, and you and Adam already have my blessing. You were meant for this life, Liana. Meant to be a flesh and blood woman, to mate with one man, to bear his children.” She shook her head and smiled again at Adam. “Remember how I fought you in the beginning? How I ran from your love? I should have listened to my heart, Adam. I was not meant to be mated. I know that now. I loved you, but not enough. Not ever enough.”

Her gaze rested on Liana again. “All those men you took to your bed, Liana. Remember? Across the ages, so many men as you searched for power through their energy. That wasn’t it at all. You were searching for the love you’ve found with Adam. I can see it so clearly, now. I’ve had no need to call any man to my bed. My power comes from the love all of you share, one with the other, each of you with the pack. It’s enough. It’s more than enough, and it makes me almost complete.”

Adam cocked his head to one side. “Almost?”

“Almost. There is one thing I ask of you, when you mate tonight. Liana, I want you to conceive. I want you both to create a baby with this mating. Please tell me it’s not too much to ask.” She smiled at Liana and then turned to Adam.

He sensed her hesitancy, as if she feared she’d overstepped her bounds, but her request went straight to his heart. Before she could explain herself, Adam reached for Eve’s hand, so that he now held on to both women he loved, who loved him. “It’s Liana’s choice to have a child, just as it was yours. But, if we have a little girl…” He turned to Liana and saw hope in her eyes. “If we have a girl, I would like to call her Eve.”

Tears sparkled in Eve’s swirling eyes and there was sadness in her smile. Had he made a mistake in speaking his heart?

Eve shook her head. “Not a mistake, Adam. I would be honored. But Liana, Adam’s right. If you’re not ready …”

Liana stepped forward and drew Eve into a warm embrace. “I am more than ready. I just never …” She choked back a sob. “All those years, I never once dreamed motherhood could be mine. Even when Adam and I’ve talked about children, it hasn’t felt real. Adam? Are you sure?”

He nodded. Then, before he had time to think of what he was doing, Adam pulled Eve into his arms and kissed her. Her lips felt warm and alive against his, her body
molded against his as if she’d never left him, and yet he felt none of the arousal, none of the heat her touch had once fired in his blood.

Still, he loved her. He would always love her, though that love had changed from one of passion to admiration, from desire to friendship. “Thank you,” he said, leaning away from her lush mouth, yet still holding her in his embrace. “For the love you gave me so unselfishly when you lived, for the care you give all of us now. Please, watch over us, but tonight, I beg of you, be with Anton. With Luc and Tinker, Mik and AJ. All of them. Keep Lisa and Tala safe.”