Chapter 27
Caidrik jerked awake and jumped to the other side of the bed, reaching for his jeans. “Who is screaming?”
Nadia sat up, still foggy with sleep, her hair tumbling in every direction. “Holy crap.”
They’d mated. The realization hit him fully awake now, sharp and unavoidable.
He blinked, dragging a hand down his face.
It was what he’d wanted from the first time he met her, even if he hadn’t admitted it to himself.
The bed was warm, tangled sheets holding the scent of them both, thick and unmistakable.
Outside, someone shrieked again, high and panicked, cutting straight through the walls.
“That is loud,” he said, his voice rough as he yanked on his boots. “I’ll go out the window and run around.” He paused, sniffing the air, the instinct automatic. “You’re an Alpha. You have Alpha blood. Can you mask the scent of our mating? For just a short time?”
She blinked several times and then rubbed her eyes like she was trying to wake herself fully. “The scent.” Her hand dropped. Her eyes widened as she looked down at her shoulder. “My shoulder feels like you ripped it off,” she snapped.
Relief surged through him so fast it almost made him laugh. Yeah, he’d marked her for all time. He grinned despite everything. “Can you mask the scent of our mating?”
She rubbed her nose, thinking. “I can put on some lotion and mask for a little while. All Alphas can, I think, but probably not for long.”
Yeah. He could feel their bond already, a steady pull through his chest, growing stronger by the second. The connection was warm and grounding, even with the chaos creeping closer. “Hopefully we can mask long enough for me to take care of the problems.”
The screaming got louder.
She frowned. “Who is that?”
Oh, he knew the voice. “Wait here until I come and get you.” He yanked on the rest of his clothes and barreled out the window, brushing his hair back with his hands as he landed.
The cold hit him immediately, sharp and bracing.
Dawn had broken clean and bright, the sky a hard blue, the sun catching the snow and lighting it up until the ground looked scattered with diamonds.
Was he getting romantic in his mated stage or what?
He shook his head, trying to clear the last of the fog, and rounded the house. He skidded to a halt at the scene in front of him.
His mother stood on the porch, rigid, while both Bussy and Margaret hustled out in their housecoats, their bare feet pink on the icy porch.
The metallic smell hit him next. He slowly turned to see Luca sprawled unconscious on the porch swing, blood pouring from multiple entry points in his body.
Even from where Caidrik stood, he could smell silver.
Luca gurgled once and went silent.
“Bussy, call the doctor,” Caidrik ordered. “Mom. Stop screaming.”
She went silent instantly, eyes wide, face pale. She was dressed in a long silver gown with slight colored accents, her hair once again piled high.
Bussy spun and ran back inside, her bare feet echoing sharply against the marble.
Margaret frowned, folding her arms, her hair still in curlers. “Where in the world did you come from?”
He didn’t look at her as he leaned down to lace his boots. “I was scouting the territory and heard screaming.”
She stiffened. “Without your boots fastened?”
He sighed. “I had taken them off to shift when I heard the screaming.” As a lie, it wasn’t bad.
His mother, her back to Margaret, rolled her eyes. Yeah, she knew him well.
Nadia’s voice cut in clearly as she nudged Margaret aside and stepped into the cold.
She’d thrown on jeans and a white sweater, her hair pulled into a quick ponytail.
He sniffed the air again. Yep. He could smell himself on her.
Since they were all standing there, hopefully the ladies wouldn’t notice.
He urged his body to mask the scent of their mating, forcing the instinct down hard. They wouldn’t be able to do it for long, but he only needed a few hours. He hurried forward, ducking his head as he moved past them, eyes already on Luca.
The guy wasn’t going to make it.
Caidrik ran over and ducked his shoulder, tossing Luca over it before sprinting down the steps. Luca’s blood soaked through Caidrik’s shirt, and silver burned his nose with every breath. “Open the garage,” he yelled as he ran. Nadia disappeared back inside the house.
Moments later, the garage door rolled up with a mechanical groan.
Caidrik hustled inside, boots slipping slightly on the concrete, and dropped Luca into the back seat before straightening.
He turned and let out a high-pitched whistle.
Two patrolling wolves answered immediately, crashing out of the forest where they’d been running, snow spraying beneath their paws.
“I need you to drive him to the doctor,” he said, wondering if it’d matter. “I’m not sure he’ll survive, based on the amount of silver I can smell.” Who had left him on the porch?
Bulwark was the only person he could think of. Was this some kind of twisted gift to Nadia, or was it a challenge meant for him?
Probably both.
The enforcers shifted back into human form immediately, breath steaming in the cold. Mortimore, the eldest of the two, yanked open the vehicle and looked around. “There isn’t anything to wear,” he muttered.
“We’ll get some at Doc’s,” Charlie, the younger enforcer, said, already jumping into the driver’s seat.
Mortimore shut the back door and ran around to get into the passenger side. The doors slammed, engine roaring to life. Caidrik watched them back out and tear down the drive, tires crunching over frozen gravel until the sound disappeared into the trees.
The quiet that followed felt heavy.
Nadia emerged onto the porch again, her posture alert, eyes sharp. “I smelled silver.”
“So did I,” Helena said. She studied her son thoughtfully, head tilted. “You sure came out of nowhere.”
He kept his face stoic, forcing his body to keep masking, every instinct screaming to claim and protect. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
His mother lost the suspicious look and smiled. “I thought I’d come see Nadia. I was wondering how the trials were going.”
He prodded with a look. “Go on.”
She gave a delicate shrug. “I heard around town that Nadia was planning to create farmland between here and a couple of the packs. With my strategic abilities, I want to make myself useful.”
He narrowed his gaze further. “Honestly. No grift.”
She lifted her hands. “I’m looking for a place to belong, Caidrik. I have to admit I’m getting tired of running from the authorities, both human and lupine.” She chuckled and then winked at Nadia. “I am quite the grifter though, dear. If the pack ever needs money, I can help.”
Nadia smiled, real delight in her eyes. “I appreciate that.”
“No. You don’t listen to any of that, Nadia,” he said, holding up a hand. “Mom, I think this new effort to go legit is wonderful, but Bulwark and I have some things to settle. I think it would be better if you were not in the territory when we do.”
The last thing he wanted was to kill Bulwark in front of their mother, but there didn’t seem to be a choice. If Bulwark had left Luca like this, and he had definitely tried to kill Nadia, then he couldn’t live.
Sometimes life really was that simple.
A black Nissan Frontier barreled up the drive and stopped hard, gravel spraying outward before settling into silence.
Caidrik moved instantly, stepping in front of the porch and putting all of the females behind him.
The cold pressed in from every side, the air sharp enough to sting his lungs, and every instinct in him stayed alert.
The driver’s door flew open. Jack Lawrence, the football coach, leaped out, his face tight, jaw set.
He wore a blue baseball cap over his silver hair that matched his sweatshirt.
Jeans and black boots finished his outfit.
He yanked open the back door and dragged two teenage boys out by the collars, one in each hand.
He hauled them forward and shoved them hard.
They hit the ground in front of Caidrik, landing on their knees before scrambling upright.
Caidrik looked at the three. “Coach? What’s going on here?”
Kyle Kelby and Georgie Newington stood there brushing snow and dirt off their jeans, both in sweatshirts that showed the team logo.
They straightened, shoulders back, trying to look tough.
They were both brunettes, their blue eyes different shades, flicking from face to face, clearly realizing too late that this had gone farther than they probably wanted.
“What’s going on?” Georgie muttered.
The coach stepped forward. “These two idiots broke into the high school last night after the play and started a bonfire inside the building.” His voice echoed across the drive, carrying to every corner of the porch. “They were also making out with cheerleaders.”
“It was just a party, man,” Georgie said, lifting his chin.
Caidrik looked at the coach, then back at the boys. “Why are they here in front of me?”
“You’re the closest thing we have to an Alpha,” the coach shot back. “It’s not like we have a sheriff.”
“Oh, honey.” Helena moved to Caidrik’s side, her voice gentle, her hand light on his arm. “You did far worse things in high school. Kids will be kids.”
Nadia stepped in on his other side, solid and calm. “My father’s out of town. We don’t really have an Alpha, Coach.”
“You two are the best we’ve got right now,” Coach said, frustration sharp in every word. “Someone has to make decisions. We can’t be in limbo forever.”
That was one part of being an Alpha Caidrik hadn’t considered.
His first instinct was physical, direct, and probably wrong.
He’d just beat the shit out of both of them.
That would probably cause too many problems with their mothers.
The porch was crowded now, the weight of expectation heavy, eyes locked on him to see what kind of authority he’d claim.
“Did they leave any damage?” he asked.
Coach gave him a look. “They had an indoor fire. Of course they left damage.”
“Well, good,” Caidrik said evenly. “They’re going to clean it up. All of it. I want it perfect. If they have to retile, they retile. If they have to redo Sheetrock, they learn how and do it themselves.”
Both boys groaned.
Nadia nodded sharply beside him. Oh good. He was on the right track.
“What else?” he muttered.
She smiled. “I want a new garden.”
Kyle frowned. “A garden? It’s snowing. The ground’s frozen.”
“Yes, but I’ve ordered three massive greenhouses,” she said, far too cheerful. “And you two are going to put them together.”
Coach watched them carefully and then gave a short nod. “That’s fair. You think that’s fair, boys?”
They glowered, silent.
“What about the cheerleaders?” Nadia asked.
Coach shrugged. “Sent them home.”
“They’re going to help,” Nadia said instantly. “They’re not off the hook just because they’re females.”
The coach slowly nodded, his posture easing as the plan settled in. “Okay. So you want all the kids to clean up the school and then build your greenhouses?”
“Yep. They should arrive any day.” Nadia leaned closer to Caidrik, lowering her voice. “This was excellent,” she whispered.
Helena smiled. “What an excellent plan, but you know, it would probably be a good idea if the new Alpha helped the kids and got to know them better?”
“No,” Caidrik growled. He wasn’t the Alpha yet, anyway.
“Not right now. I’ll check on their progress, but I have plenty to do, including finding my brother.
” The cold seemed to creep in closer at that, the weight of everything pressing down on him again.
He didn’t need dead shifters or bodies left on Nadia’s porch.
“You’re so grumpy,” his mother muttered.
The coach stepped forward, clearing his throat. “I do apologize for my lack of manners. I am Coach Jack Lawrence. We haven’t met.”
“How delightful. I’m Helena McGregor.” She swept down the porch steps and held out her hand, all grace and confidence. “It’s such an honor to meet you. I do love coaches. What a difficult job. Kids are wild, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they are,” he said, patting her hand. “You’re just lovely. You must be Caidrik’s sister?”
“Actually,” she chuckled, “I’m his mother. I had him young, I assure you.” She tilted her head. “Apparently my son is too busy to escort me to brunch today. Coach, are you free?”
“I surely am,” he said quickly. He guided her toward the vehicle, opening the passenger side door for her. “Why don’t we go right now?”
“That would be perfect.” She glanced over the door.
“It was nice to see you, Caidrik. Please get matters taken care of so we can move on with our lives.” Her gaze slid to Nadia.
“I wasn’t joking about helping you plan the farmland.
I’d very much like to do that. I’m quite organized.
You have to be, to survive in my line of business. ”
The coach paused. “What is your line of business?”
Helena laughed, the sound low and throaty. “I entertain people. Tarot cards, energy work, crystals. That sort of thing. You meet a lot of people that way.”
“I think that’s fascinating,” he said sincerely. “I’d love to hear more.” He shut the door, walked around the front, then barked, “Get in,” at the kids. They hustled into the backseat. “I’ll talk to you later, Caidrik. Good call on this one.” He sat and shut his door.
The engine turned over and the vehicle pulled away. Caidrik watched it go, bemused.
Nadia popped up beside him. “Your mom’s fascinating.”
“That’s one word for her.” He glanced down at Nadia, suddenly aware of the older women behind them. Turning, he asked, “How was the play last night?”
“It was great,” Bussy said, pushing curls from her face. “We had fun date nights with our husbands. They do miss us, which is good for them.”
Margaret, curlers still in her hair, nodded. “We got back to your place late. We went out for a while and had a little to drink. We didn’t want to disturb you, Nadia.”
“Oh no,” Nadia said, rolling her shoulders. “I went to bed early.”
Caidrik looked from Nadia to the women, then back again.
He wanted to talk to her and make sure she was all right, but not with two nosy lupine aunts behind her.
He had to end this entire Alpha challenge first—before anybody smelled their mating on them.
“I have work to do but will check on you later.”
“As do I,” Nadia said.
“I need to find Bulwark,” Caidrik added quietly. “And now.”