Wolf's Vengeance (After the Crash) (13 page)

“His fingers and mouth still worked, didn’t they? There’s things a man can do to satisfy his wife that don’t take his dick.”

Mel flashed back to last night and cleared her throat as heat built in her. “Well, I guess he didn’t know about that. Neither did I. The bulls and the cows don’t do any of what you did last night.”

Snake chuckled, a sound of male satisfaction.

She cleared her throat again. “I think he expected me to repudiate him and marry someone else. And there were men who strongly hinted I should leave Danny and marry them. But I couldn’t do that. I’d sworn to be with him for better or worse. He kept telling me to go out, have some fun. I thought he was trying to be nice, but I wonder if he wanted to get rid of me for while so he could…”

He must have heard the heaviness in her voice. “Could what?”

“Kill himself,” she whispered. “There was a dance in the old town hall that night, the night he died. I told him I didn’t need to go. I could stay home and read a book to him. We used to do that. He liked to have me read a chapter out loud to him, and then he’d read the next chapter out loud to me. Those are my favorite memories of Danny after the accident. But he insisted I go to the dance that night. I felt kind of guilty, having such a good time without him. It was a fun night, but when Tom escorted me home, we found Danny in bed, dead. I don’t know what happened for sure. Maybe he had a heart attack or maybe he took too many of those expensive pills for the pain. It seemed like the pill bottle was emptier than it should have been. But he died alone, while I was off dancing with other men.”

“And Mike and Mord teased you about it.” Snake sat up.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“To punch Mike in his smug face,” he replied.

She grabbed his arm. With his strength she knew he could have shaken her off easily, but he let her pull him back down. “Relax, Snake.”

“Your brothers made it sound like you killed Danny.”

“Yeah, they love to tease me. That’s just the way little brothers are, right? Do you have brothers?”

“No. My mom died when I was really young. But I have tons of cousins. They tease, sure, but not to hurt me. I’m going to set Mike straight, and Mord too. You didn’t kill Danny. It’s sad he died that way, but you didn’t do it. They shouldn’t try to make it sound like you did.”

Relief filled her, mixed gratitude and something close to tenderness. “Snake, you’re really special.” The words, coming out in a rush, surprised her. But they were true. “You really are.”

“Me?” Snake snorted. “You’re the special one. I can’t wait to show you off to the Pack and Clan.”

The prospect of meeting a whole bunch of wolves made her swallow. “Can’t wait,” she said.

He must know how she felt because he kissed her hair. “It’ll be fine. They’ll like you. Just go to sleep. It’ll be at least a week before we get to the den, maybe more depending on how long it takes for the escort to get to the D, so you can relax until then.”

Mel nodded against his shoulder. “I survived the Fosses. Your family will be a breeze. Good night.”

She was almost asleep when she heard him growl, “Fosses.” But she drifted off before she could respond.

They rose early the next morning, packed up camp, and headed out. The ride home went quickly. They passed through The Empty without seeing anyone, and as the weather remained nice, they didn’t take over any other houses or barns. That meant she and Snake didn’t have privacy for anything more than cuddling and holding hands, but Mel found she liked cuddling and holding Snake’s hand. And it gave Mike no excuse for bellyaching about cooing lovers.

When they hit the road that would take them to the D, they stopped for lunch. Lunch was dried beef, stale bread, and water they ate standing together at the side of the road. Snake ate quickly and took off in wolf form to scout around, leaving Mel, Mike, and Stone behind to eat more slowly.

“Mel, we’ll be home in a couple of hours,” Mike said in a serious tone. “What are we going to tell Marc and Mord about Mom?”

Mel had to work to swallow her bite of jerky. “The truth, I guess. We can’t lie to them about it.”

“What is the truth? That Mom is a liar and a thief?” His voice dropped to an agonized whisper. “Why did she do it? That’s what I can’t figure out.”

Stone pounded his fist into Mike’s shoulder in some form of manly comfort. Mel had seen her brothers do the same thing to each other. “It seemed to me like she was spoiled as a child and never grew out of it.”

“Did Dad really rape her?” He looked at Mel. “Did he?”

Mel lifted her shoulders helplessly. “I don’t know.” Her experiences with Rob were nothing like making love with Snake, but in the beginning he hadn’t been actually cruel, just rough and overwhelming. “Maybe Dad was rougher than he needed to be. Mama was so young when they got married. Maybe she didn’t know how to handle it.”

Mike nodded, looking down. “Maybe. But she hated him, and she hated the ranch. She hated us too. That’s not how I remember her.”

“Me neither.” Mel went to her horse to tuck the last of the dried meat back in her saddlebag. “Let’s try to remember her the way she was when we were kids.” She almost felt like crying. “It’s better than what she’s like now.”

They mounted and moved down the faint track beside the broken road from the Times Before. Stone nudge his mount beside her. “I don’t want to say anything bad about your mom, but she’s so self-centered, she doesn’t care about anyone else, even her children.”

That hurt because it was true. “Yeah. I’m seeing things in a whole new way now that I know what she’s like. She and Dad weren’t affectionate in public. I just assumed they were private people. She always kept our clothes clean, and if they started getting worn, she’d patch them right away. She insisted on new clothes for all of us at least once a year. I thought it showed how much she loved us. But you know what? I think it embarrassed her to have us looking ragged. She always bought lots of clothes for herself too, more than she really needed. Dad said he liked seeing his wife dressed so pretty.”

“He loved her,” Stone said.

“I hope so.”

“He did. I think your mom knew it too, by the way she smelled when she said she hated him. The way I see it, the problem was that he loved his ranch too, and she didn’t want to share his love with anything else. She wanted to live in a city with lots of people around to admire her, not a ranch out away from people. She didn’t get that from him, and the only way she could get it is to have enough money. She got the man she wanted, but all he had was that little farm, and she needed lots more money than what he could give her.”

“So she took it from us by making us believe she was in danger of being murdered or mutilated.” Mel wanted to scream at the blue sky, to find her mother and kick her. “That’s not being a little spoiled, that’s so wrong, there are no words for it.”

Stone was quiet for a long time before sighing heavily. “I think Sara is like her.”

“What? No! Sara is a little spoiled, sure, but she has a good heart. She’s really young. I bet she’ll grow up to be a wonderful woman. You just need to give her some time.”

Stone nodded, but his face was gloomy. “She’s only sixteen. I guess it’s a good thing we’re waiting to have our wedding night. What if she thinks I’m raping her?”

Mel felt a flush rising to her cheeks. “Um. Has Taye taught you about how to, um…”

He nodded earnestly. “Yep. The Chief has given us plenty of talks about how to please our mates.”

“Well, then.” She cleared her throat. “I’m pretty sure everything will be fine. Just take it really slow and don’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to. And wait until she’s older.”

“Okay.” Stone gave her a sunny smile that beamed with optimism. “I guess it’ll all work out. The Chief has lots of books about love, and no matter how hard it seems, all those people live happily ever after. It might take me and Sara some time to get to our happily ever, but we’ll make it eventually. Thanks for listening.”

Chapter 9

Snake joined them when they turned off the road onto the gravel that led to the D. Mel looked at the ranch she called home with affection and sadness. From a stranger’s view it looked run down. The tall arch in the fence with the name of the ranch was in need of fresh paint. The fence, once strong and painted pristine white, was missing rails. The house, still a mile off, looked grand, but Mel knew it too was in need of paint. She knew their stock, once plentiful and fertile, was scant. However rundown it was now, someday it would be back to its old glory. Marc would see to it.

“Almost there,” Snake said, walking in his human form beside her horse.

He smiled up at her, and she was struck by how handsome he was.

“Happy?”

“Yeah.” And sad, too, a little, because she was going to have to tell Marc and Mord about their mother. “It will be good to sleep in my own bed tonight. I mean, our bed.”

His smile became wicked. “I love that bed. Maybe we should take it with us to the den.”

She laughed, remembering how they both slid into the sagging middle of her old bed. “I think it’s time for a new bed.”

“Sure. Whatever you want.”

By the time they rode under the arch, Marc would have seen them coming, but they rode slowly to be sure he saw them and recognized them. Snake walked a little in the lead, dressed in his minimal Lakota clothing, his hair in two braids falling to the middle of his back. Mike and Mel rode behind him, and Stone brought up the rear.

“I’m glad to be home, but I hate what we’re going to have to say,” Mike muttered.

“I know what you mean,” Mel agreed.

But Marc wasn’t the first person they saw. On the porch stood a tall man with long, dark brown hair and an eye patch. “Paint!” shouted Snake, waving at the man. He turned his head to smile at Mel. “Guess the escort from the den must have got here while we were travelling. We can head back to the den as soon as you want to leave.”

Mel nodded. “Yeah. Let’s talk to Marc and see what he says, but the day after tomorrow sounds good to me.”

“Sure. That gives you some time to be with your brothers.”

Now the dogs were racing around from the back of the house, barking a warning of riders approaching. Mel squinted. “Is Paint alone? Aren’t there more wolves who came with him?”

“Don’t see any, but he wouldn’t have come alone. I bet they’re around.”

Marc stepped out onto the porch, his face shadowed by his hat, but Mel thought his posture seemed tense. Probably wondering about their mother. She dreaded telling him.

They dismounted in the yard in front of the porch. Paint was there to hug Snake and Stone and nod politely to her. She remembered him very well. He was one of the men Taye Wolfe sent down to fetch Ellie, and he had been with Snake when he burst into the hotel room in Ellsworth and killed the three Fosses. She smiled at him before looking at Marc. Before she could say anything, Mike spoke.

“We’ve got news, Marc. It ain’t all that good. Where’s Mord?”

“He’s around back. Put the horses up. We’ll meet in the kitchen.”

Stone stepped up beside. “Sara?” he asked eagerly.

“In the kitchen.” Marc turned to go inside. “I’ll have her get some food and water on the table for you all.”

Feeling reprieved, Mel took her horse’s reins and led it around to the shed in back where the tack was stored. Mike’s face said he felt the same.

Stone pounded Paint on the back. “When did you get here? Where are the others?”

“Just got here ten minutes ago. Left Sand and the others back a ways. They’ll be here in an hour or so with the horses.” Paint fell into step with Snake. “How was the trip?”

“The trip itself was fine. Safe and mostly good weather. The rest though, well, not so good.”

“You didn’t find Mrs. Dirk?”

Grimness shaded Snake’s reply. “We found her.”

Mike spat as they came to a stop a few yards from the tack shed. “Yeah, we found her. Don’t know how I’m going to tell Marc, though.”

“Do you want me to tell it?” Snake asked.

“I could tell it,” Stone offered. “After all, I was the one who…” His voice trailed off, his eyes staring at something inside the little shed.

Mel saw the door was ajar and inside were two people. One, dressed in a yellow blouse, was sitting on the counter, the other standing close, close enough to kiss. Mel’s mouth fell slack when she recognized Sara and Mord with their arms around each other, kissing as if nothing else existed but their mouths.

“God almighty!” Mike breathed almost soundlessly.

An icy wave of disbelief poured over Mel. She jerked her gaze from Mord and Sara to Stone. He was standing utterly still, face pale and eyes shimmering with what she was afraid was the beginnings of a shift to his wolf. Snake clamped a hand on Stone’s arm.

“Easy, now,” he said soothingly. “Easy.”

The pair in the shed finally seemed to sense they weren’t alone. Mord pulled his lips from Sara’s and looked around. His face paled, and he stumbled away from Sara.

“I’m sorry,” he babbled. “I’m sorry. Don’t blame Sara, this is my fault.”

Sara slipped off the counter to stand beside Mord. “No. This is my fault.”

Mel wasn’t sure what was in Sara’s face, but it wasn’t the shame and regret her brother showed.

Sara’s poisonously sweet smile was directed at Stone. “I was alone. You left me behind when you went off on your adventure, and I was lonely.”

Horrified silence reigned. Stone turned to Mel. “I told you she was like your mother.” The pain in his eyes made her wince. “I have to leave. I have to get out of here before I kill somebody.”

He spun on his heel, shedding clothes with rapid desperation, changed into his wolf, and ran away. When Mel looked back at Sara, the teenager’s smile was filled with shaky bravado. Snake handed his reins to Paint.

“I better go after him. Take care of my horse? We’ll be back.” Snake paused only to kiss Mel quickly before undressing and letting his wolf out.

Mike said quickly, “Mine too?” He glared at their little brother. “We need to go find Marc and let him know what’s going on.”

“It’s my fault,” Mord maintained, steady in spite of his white lips. “I love Sara. She isn’t to blame.”