Wolf Tales 12 (40 page)

Tinker stuck the handgun in his waistband and then headed for the cavern. Adam grinned. AJ flashed his most charming smile. Anton caught another strong burst of feminine pheromones.

So far, so good.

“Ms. Carole,” he said, ever the gentleman. “After you.”

Chapter 28

Adam touched his fingers to his forelock in a quick salute. “Anton, I’m going back in. I really need to check on Liana and the baby.”

Melissa Carole’s eyes lit up. “You’ve got a baby?”

Adam nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Born during the night while we were all hunkered down in the shelter, knowing the house was burning over our heads. She came a bit early, but everything’s fine. Liana—she’s my wife—is a real trouper.”

His eyes burned, but he didn’t even try to stop the tears. No point in wasting anything that would garner more sympathy, but the tears were real. The emotions were real.

Liana amazed him. And he really didn’t want to waste time explaining more to this woman, but he appreciated Anton’s concerns.

“Could we come down? Get a shot of your wife and the baby?”

Adam shook his head. No need to check with Anton on this. “No, ma’am. Our families are private. You know what’s out there, the people who don’t think anyone who’s different should be allowed to exist. Personally, I want to keep my children safe, and that means keeping the media and cameras out of our private lives as much as possible.”

When the reporter opened her mouth to protest, Adam held up a hand, though he managed a smile. “This is only my opinion. I’ll ask my wife how she feels about showing off our new daughter. If she’s all right with it, we’ll be back before you leave, but it’s entirely up to Liana. I would never think to make decisions for her. That’s not our way.”

Surprise had the reporter opening her mouth, then shutting it. Adam thought she looked like a rather overly made-up carp.

“But I got the feeling the men were in charge,” she said. “Don’t men make the important decisions among . . . among your kind? Aren’t the women just . . .” She shrugged dismissively and stuck her microphone under his nose.

Adam chuckled. “You must have misunderstood. The ladies let us think we’re in charge, but we all know differently.” He grinned at Anton. “You’re gonna have to tell her how it really works, who’s calling the shots. I need to check on my family.”

As he walked away, Adam listened to Anton setting the reporter straight. He was still laughing over the woman’s astonished gasp at the words, “. . . are a matriarchal society. In our pack, among our kind, the alpha bitch is in control . . . and believe me, every last woman I know, including my six-year-old daughter, is an alpha.”

Doc Logan, Igmutaka, and Sunny were sitting with Liana when Adam reached the cavern. Four-year-old Eve Elizabeth was curled up in Ig’s lap, and three-year-old Jace cuddled with Sunny.

“Adam!” Liana reached for him with her free hand and tugged him down to sit beside her. “I’m glad you’re back. We’ve been listening in on everything. What do you think of that reporter? She’s usually so judgmental and opinionated. Is she going to hurt us? Do you think she’ll turn public opinion against us?”

He leaned over and ruffled Jace’s hair, laughing out loud. “I think Melissa Carole’s met her match in Anton Cheval. She really doesn’t want to approve of us, but he’s being so damned charming he makes your teeth itch. I’ve never seen Anton pour it on quite so thick, but she’s eating it up. She has no idea we can scent her interest, and believe me, you could cut the pheromones with a dull knife.”

Still grinning, he ran his fingers over the baby’s soft blond wisps of hair. “How’s our girl?”

“She’s perfect, just like our other two.” Liana smiled at both of the older kids. “Adam, I think I want to take her topside to meet your reporter.”

“Are you sure?” He really hated the thought of using his family to make a point, but if this was what Liana really wanted . . .

“I am. But I don’t want you with me.”

He jerked his head up and stared at her. “Why not?”

“Because you, Logan, Ig, and Sunny are going out to check for injured wildlife. You should have been out there hours ago. And I’m going to tell that reporter where you are and what you’re doing, that you’re healing suffering animals that couldn’t flee the fire in time. Not only will you be doing what you should have been doing already, but you’ll make a lot of good karma points with the public.”

Logan snorted. Really loudly.

Adam glanced at Logan, who was obviously trying as hard as Adam not to laugh. Finally he lost it. “Your point, Logan?”

“Hell, man . . . she should have been in marketing.”

Liana added, “It will also emphasize the fact that I am an alpha and I can be a bitch at times. And that my man understands his position in the family hierarchy.”

Adam winked at Liana. She sent him a smile that would put the Madonna to shame.

Ig grinned. “I’m not all that sure what Logan means, but such a decision will help sway public opinion. And the animals do suffer. I was about to leave with Sunny to see what we could do to help when Liana made her suggestion. I would add one thing—that we shift and go with Liana so that she can show us off to the reporter before we leave.”

He turned and nodded to Logan. “Of course, the good doctor will have his medical bag slung around his neck.”

“Hadn’t thought of that.” Logan picked up the ever-present bag. “Ig, maybe you and Liana should go into public relations together. Sunny? Are you sure you’re up to this? You had a busy night and I really don’t want to exhaust you.”

Adam caught Sunny’s soft glance in Ig’s direction. “Oh, Ig, you didn’t?”

The spirit guide shot him an innocent look. Sunny blushed all the way to the roots of her short blond hair.

Liana frowned. “What did Ig do?” She turned and stared at him.

Adam sighed. “I think he gave Sunny a taste of the Louisville Slugger.”

Sunny burst into laughter and covered her face with both hands. “He did. Oh Lordy, he did, and it was absolutely delicious. But I didn’t realize everyone would find out!”

Even Igmutaka laughed at that one. Adam cocked one eyebrow at Logan and nodded sagely. “I think Sunny’s going to do just fine in this madhouse, don’t you, Doc?”

“Definitely. Most definitely.” Then Logan lost it all over again.

The laughter ended the moment they stepped out of the unburned stairwell and into hell. Liana fought tears as she crossed the scorched meadow carrying her newborn daughter in her arms. Adam had tried to prepare her for the utter devastation, but she hadn’t expected this. She glanced down at the beautiful dark wolf on her left. “I hope you don’t burn your paws. This is horrible, Adam. It’s absolutely horrible. How did Anton handle seeing his beautiful home . . .”

Better than I did. And don’t worry about our paws. It rained during the night. Only a few of the heavier logs are still smoldering. The ground’s fairly cool—it’s merely warmed by the sun.

Sunny’s fair wolf and Logan’s solid black were at Liana’s right. Igmutaka’s big cougar followed along behind. Surrounding Liana and her baby. Protecting both of them. They reached the shadow beside the huge helicopter and Liana smiled at the camera. In her dark blue sarong with her blond hair unbound and falling in graceful waves to her hips and a beautiful newborn in her arms, she knew she made an impressive picture.

But wasn’t that what Anton wanted? Pictures to capture a world’s attention? Faces the people would remember? Anton turned away from a conversation with Mik and AJ and rushed toward her.

“Liana? Are you sure you should be up? Why . . . ?” He gestured at the others.

She nodded. “Thank you, Anton. I’m fine.” Though her words were directed at Anton, she spoke to the reporter and the dark eye of the camera.

“Adam, Logan, Ig, and Sunny are going into the forest to check on the wildlife. While a lot of the animals escaped the fire, there’ll be many who need care to heal from their burns. Adam and Logan are healers and Igmutaka can communicate with the various species. Sunny’s going along for the experience. She’s new, you know.”

This time she smiled directly at the reporter and tried to ignore the microphone shoved in her face. Goddesses never had to deal with nosy reporters.

“You met Adam earlier . . . my husband.” It was so hard to say
husband
when she generally thought of him as her mate, but they were legally married, and if she could only remember to wear her plain gold band, she would show it off.

Then she realized she couldn’t. It was somewhere in the burned-out rubble—probably melted back into a nugget by now.

“Yes, we did. Where is he? I thought he’d be coming with you.”

“Oh.” Liana smiled. “He did. That’s him.” She pointed at the gorgeous russet wolf with the striking gold streaks running through his coat. He really was a beautiful animal. “And that’s Logan Pierce, our doctor, and the big cat is Igmutaka. He’s Lakota Sioux . . . a spirit guide. Beside him, that beautiful blond wolf? That’s Sunny Daye. She was the girl in the wheelchair, the one the bomb was attached to. She’s the only reason Nick was able to save everyone.”

“You’re Sunny?” The reporter stared at the blond wolf and looked about ready to pass out. “But . . . but . . . how did she save people? How can she be walking? She was paralyzed!”

They’d discussed this already. No telepathy. “It was the fear in her eyes that led Nick to her. Her fear was a palpable thing. As Chanku, we’re close enough to our feral selves that we sense it the way animals do. It didn’t fit the occasion. Nick is very perceptive and he was drawn to her. Once his curiosity took him close enough, he smelled the explosive in the bag, and you know the rest.

“As far as her paralysis—once Nick got close, he recognized that Sunny was like us. He knew she was Chanku, but she couldn’t shift. There are certain nutrients the body needs in order for that to happen, and Sunny had never had them. Now she has. When she shifted, her body was able to heal itself.”

Liana adjusted her daughter’s slight weight in her arms and spoke to the wolves and the big cat. “I’m okay. Animals are out there hurting. You guys really need to get out there and help them.”

Logan yipped and spun about. The others followed, though Adam paused long enough to rise up on his hind legs and swipe his tongue over his daughter. Then he dropped back to all four big paws and licked Liana’s hand before racing across the burned-out meadow toward the equally devastated forest.

“Oh. How sweet!”

The reporter’s soft exclamation mirrored Liana’s thoughts. He was sweet. There was so much of Adam that most people never saw. She might once have been a goddess, but Adam was by far the better person. She loved him. Loved him so much her heart ached.

So many years searching for something. She hadn’t realized what she looked for until she found him. She smiled as Adam caught up to the others and disappeared into the thick undergrowth at the edge of the burned forest. At least here, where the fire had crowned, there was still greenery at the base of the trees.

Already, she knew the forest was beginning to recover. It would take time, but last night’s rain would bring new growth. The coming winter would allow the land to heal. Spring would once more bring rebirth.

She stared at the waving branches where Adam and the others had passed. Any other time, she’d be running beside all of them. Not this time. Not for a while—until her daughter was older, her body strong again. Logan and Adam had healed the minor tears from birthing this little one, but it would take a while to regain her Chanku strength.

“May I see your baby? What’s her name?”

Snapped out of her musings, Liana pulled the soft blanket back from her daughter’s face.

“Oh. She’s absolutely gorgeous. And so new!”

Nothing like a new baby to get everyone’s attention. Even the cameraman was smiling, but this little one really was beautiful. Her eyes opened. Now they were as blue as could be, like a newborn pup. But, as with wolves in the wild, that would change as she got older.

“Thank you. We think she’s pretty special. We haven’t named her yet,” Liana said, though in her heart, she already knew what this one would be called. She hadn’t said a word to Adam yet. Liana already thought of her as Phoenix. It seemed perfect for this little one, born on the night their world burned.

She was the child who would help all of them rise from the ashes—of the fire, of their discovery by the world. She was the key.
Phoenix Olivia Wolf
.

“Why not? Do you have some sort of naming ceremony?”

Liana frowned at the reporter. “No, but naming a baby means you have to discuss it with the baby’s father, and this little one’s father has been just a bit busy since she was born. As our healer, he was up most of the night with a badly burned packmate before helping me with her birth.”

It was time to go back. Liana turned and focused on Anton. “Is everything okay out here? Do you need anyone else to help keep an eye on these men?”

Grinning broadly, most likely at the sound of authority in her voice, Anton shook his head. “No. We’ve got it covered. Thanks for bringing this little angel out.” He brushed his finger across the baby’s cheek and she instinctively turned toward his touch. “She’s as beautiful as her mother.”

“I think Adam’s been practicing your line of BS, Anton, but thank you.” Liana turned again to the camera and the reporter. “Did Anton tell you how we handle labor pain during delivery?”

Ms. Carole’s eyes lit up. “No. He didn’t mention it.”

“Our packmates are able to absorb the laboring mother’s pain, which makes childbirth entirely pain free, without need of any drugs. Anton was one of those with me last night while I was in labor. You might ask him how it felt from his point of view.”

She sensed rather than heard Anton’s snort.
I can’t believe you told her that.

Tell her all about it. Be very descriptive. Maybe even whimper a little. Women across the world will love you. Having a spouse experience labor pains is every woman’s wet dream. Trust me on this.

As if on cue, the baby let out a little cry. Liana nodded to the reporter. “It’s time for me to feed her. It was very nice meeting you.” And then she turned and walked away, leaving Anton to explain childbirth from the newly enlightened male point of view. His silent laughter followed her all the way back to the stairs.