Wolfen (7 page)

 
So she'd exaggerated a little bit! She was still older, wiser, and just as damned determined to have her own way as they were to get theirs!

 
She discovered they'd moved subtly closer while she was distracted by her temper and she found herself surrounded. Amusement vied with the fury glittering in Balin's eyes, she realized. His gaze slid down her length, paused for a long moment at the juncture of her thighs, and moved back up to her breasts for another significant pause before it returned to hers. There was heat besides the anger in his eyes now. “You're an alpha female,” he murmured, his voice husky with a promise that evoked a startling rise of heat inside of her in response.

 
Unnerved, Danika flicked a quick glance around at the others. What she saw didn't reassure her. They were all looking at her in much the same way as Balin. When she met Balin's stare again, she discovered he'd moved closer still. He reached out to lift a lock of hair lying across her shoulder, brushing the back of his hand very deliberately across her breast as he did. Her breath stilled her chest as tingles of awareness radiated through her from the light touch. Her thoughts scattered in a million different directions.

 
"Stay in your cabin."

 
Sucking in a much needed breath of air, she set her jaw. “I won't and you can't make me!"

 
A wolfish grin split lips. “I can and I can think of a lot of things I could do to occupy your time while I'm at it."

 
Her eyes widened with shock. “You wouldn't
dare
!"

 
"Oh, I would,” he assured her.

 
"Rape carries a healthy jail sentence,” she said in a voice that quavered with a lack of conviction.

 
"I can guarantee you it wouldn't be rape."

 
She was afraid he could. “It would,” she declared stubbornly, “because I'm sure as hell not going to cooperate."

 
His gaze flickered over her face. “Liar,” he murmured mockingly.

 
"I'll scream,” she threatened.

 
The flames leapt higher in his eyes. “I'm counting on it. Quit pushing while you're ahead, Dani,” he added, almost gently. “I find challenges hard to ignore and I'm pretty sure you're not ready to face the consequences."

 
Shivering, Danika averted her gaze, flicking another quick look at the others. To a man, she saw challenge in every gaze. She looked away, studying her feet. Taking it as defeat, Balin grasped her arm and led her around to the front of the cabin. Jared, who'd undoubtedly gone in through the window, unlocked the door when they reached it. Expecting them to leave, Balin surprised her by escorting her inside. She glanced at him uneasily and then at Jared and Con, who'd followed her and Balin inside.

 
There was surprisingly little damage to either Con's or Balin's faces considering the battle between them only a little earlier, she noted absently, most of her mind on why they had all crowded into her cabin. Dakota and Xavier entered a few minutes later. Armed with hammers and nails they'd found somewhere, they strode to the cabin's windows, closed them and nailed them shut while Danika gaped at them in disbelief.

 
"That's a fire hazard!” she said when she finally found her voice.

 
"Then don't start a fire!” Balin shot back at her.

 
"This isn't happening,” she muttered to herself, plopping weakly on the edge of her bed. “This is some kind of bizarre dream."

 
"Hopefully it won't turn into a nightmare for you,” Balin said dryly as Dakota and Xavier finished and headed for the door. Jared paused to pat her cheek before following them. Con and Balin, after exchanging a long, challenging look, followed the others, closing the door behind them.

 
Anger flickered through Danika after they were gone. Jolting to her feet, she stalked to the door and locked it and then leaned weakly against the door as the brief spurt of defiance left her. After staring around at the one room cabin for several moments, she finally made her way back to her bed, pushed her shoes and jeans off and climbed under the covers. She lay staring at the shadows in the room for a while. The music next door died. Sometime later, she heard the distant howl of a wolf. It was followed by others, too many to count.

 
She'd missed her chance to get a look at the pack, she realized. She couldn't seem to summon enough energy for anger to take hold, though. She felt completely drained by everything that had happened.

 
* * * *

"What the fuck was that all about?” Con growled when they reached their own cabin.

 
Balin paused to study him through narrowed eyes for a long moment. When Con made no attempt to approach him, he continued to the chair near one window and dropped into it. Jared and Dakota took up each end of the couch. After surveying the room for a place to light, Xavier finally settled on one of the bunks with his back to the wall.

 
"I'd like an answer to that myself,” Dakota said.

 
Balin met each of the other men's gazes, holding it for a long moment before he moved to the next. “She's an alpha female,” he responded finally. Stretching his long legs out before him, he crossed them, studying the toe of one boot thoughtfully.

 
Jared's lips tightened. “I think we've all pretty much figured that out by now."

 
Balin flicked a glance at him. “She's still a human female."

 
"And I give a fuck!” Con snarled.

 
Balin's face hardened. “Are you challenging me for her?"

 
"God damn it!” Dakota snarled, surging up from the couch. “You said you weren't interested!"

 
Balin sent him an enigmatic look. “What's your interest?"

 
Dakota glared at him. “I think you can figure it out."

 
"Humor me."

 
Dakota opened his mouth and then closed it again. “She's human,” he snarled finally, dropping back into his seat. “What do you think?"

 
"I think she's off limits,” Balin growled. “Alpha or not, she isn't one of ours. If you need something to stick your dick in, go find a wolfen or a werefemale."

 
Con scowled at him but finally moved to prop one shoulder against the wall, facing the group. “What was that all about while ago, then, if you consider her off limits? Or is she just off limits to us?"

 
Balin frowned. “I think the alpha of the rogue pack is after her."

 
Con flicked a glance at the others and came away from the wall. “What makes you think that?"

 
A mixture of amusement and anger glittered in Balin's eyes. “She said she'd spotted a wolf right outside her cabin a couple of times since she's been here. She tried to tag him—twice. I didn't make the connection until she bowed up at me. She's an alpha. He knows that. He's looking for a mate."

 
Dakota, Jared, and Con exchanged looks of outrage. “The slimy, fucking bastard!” Dakota snarled, voicing Jared and Con's sentiments along with his own.

 
Xavier frowned. “If you're right, why hasn't he marked her?"

 
Balin grinned abruptly. “Possibly because every time he comes near her she shoots him with one of her darts and he wakes up with a tracker in his ass."

 
Xavier looked taken aback. “Ouch!"

 
Dakota stared at him a moment and began laughing. Even Con and Jared grinned.

 
"She must have some potent joy juice in those things to take down a wolfen. Remind me to steer clear of her when she's packing."

 
Balin sobered. “I'm not sure he's wolfen. If he is, he's either got some serious mental issues or he has virtually no control over his rogue pack. From what I saw, the son-of-a-bitch and his pack have infected most of the fucking town. I doubt that's allowed by the Canadian council any more than ours and for the same reason—the best way to coexist with the humans is to make certain they don't know we exist. I don't know what his agenda is, or if he even has one."

 
Dakota and Con shrugged when he looked at them questioningly.

 
"We spotted maybe a handful that weren't. Without going door to door, though, I don't know how we can tell just how many have been infected and how many aren't,” Con answered.

 
"I hadn't expected it to be this bad,” Dakota added.

 
"I'm pretty sure the council didn't either,” Balin retorted shortly.

 
Jared scrubbed his hand over his face and then raked his fingers through his hair irritably. “Fuck! I hate to admit it, but I don't have a fucking clue of where to go from here. He's got an army. Maybe we should send for reinforcements?"

 
Balin looked disgusted. “Rabble. There's no army and no clear leader. It's going to be a blood bath when the
weres
hit their first transition. I don't think there's anything we can do to stop it. About all we're going to be able to manage is clean up and we'll be damned lucky if we can do that without having a horde of humans breathing down our necks if it's as bad as I'm thinking it'll be."

 
"The council isn't going to be happy with that,” Xavier retorted. “The idea was we were going to come in and clean things up quietly. I sure as hell don't see any way to do that—not with most of the town about to go into transition."

 
Balin spread his hands. “We're only wolfen, not gods. There are limits even to what we can do."

 
Dakota frowned thoughtfully. After a moment, he sat forward. “What about the church? Tomorrow's Sunday, right?"

 
Balin eyed him with interest. “And?"

 
"I figure most of the community is going to turn out for church. I counted three. If we station ourselves at the churches, we can at least get a head count of those not already infected and it would give us a better idea of what we're dealing with."

 
"It's an idea,” Balin agreed thoughtfully.

 
"A good one,” Jared said.