Wolf on a Mission: Salvation Pack, Book 6 (5 page)

“How can you be reached?” the alpha asked.

Not the question he’d been expecting, but Elias rattled off the number for his cell phone.

“I’m going to confer with my pack.”

Elias felt as though he’d stepped into an alternate universe. The alpha was going to confer with the pack? That just wasn’t done. The alpha made all the decisions and the pack lived with them.

As though understanding what was going through his mind, one corner of the alpha’s mouth quirked up into a half smile. “We do things a little differently around here.”

“That’s what I hoped.” His honest reaction got another partial smile.

“I am Jacque LaForge,” the alpha stated.

Elias nodded his head but still didn’t offer his hand. That had to come from the alpha. Any sudden move on his part would be viewed as a sign of aggression and be met as such.

“Go. We’ll contact you once we’ve had time to discuss your situation.”

It wasn’t the best outcome, but Elias consoled himself with the fact it wasn’t the worst either. He acknowledged the other two men, turned and headed back down the road. He could feel their eyes on him and half-expected a surprise attack. But none was forthcoming and he made it back to the road safely.

He knew at least one of them would be following to make certain he left pack land. When he made it to the highway, Elias crossed over and headed into the woods beyond. He started running as soon as he was out of sight of the road. He put every skill at his disposal to work. No way was he leading them back to his boys.

“What do you think?”

Jacque watched Cole hurry after their uninvited guest before he turned to Gator. “I think this is something we need to seriously consider.”

“They’re only boys,” Gator pointed out.

And that was the kicker. They both knew life was difficult enough for a young male wolf when he was part of a pack. For two orphaned half-breeds, it would be even tougher.

“It’s a big decision. I want Armand to research this Elias Gallagher. I want to know everything about him. I should have asked more questions.”

Gator slapped him on the back. “Not every day a strange werewolf comes waltzing down the road asking for sanctuary for twin half-breeds, one who can shift and one who can’t. I still can’t wrap my brain around that one.”

“But he didn’t ask,” Jacque pointed out. When Gator raised an eyebrow in question, Jacque elaborated. “He didn’t ask for sanctuary for them. He was testing us to see how we’d react.” It had taken guts and not a little bit of craziness to approach an unknown pack and tell them about his nephews. Jacque admired that kind of courage.

“We need to know more,” Gator agreed.

“A lot more.”

Jacque sensed Cole before he heard him. He truly was a ghost, which meant Elias Gallagher was very good at tracking. He’d sensed Cole when most others would never have been aware of his presence.

Cole shifted to his human form. “He’s gone. He left pack land and cut through the woods.”

“Which direction?” Jacque didn’t like the idea of not knowing where the man was.

“Toward town.”

“Let’s get back. I want Armand on this immediately. I want to know everything there is to know about this man and his family. I want to know if he’s telling the truth or if he’s lying.”

“You think it might be some other pack testing our strength before they attack?” Gator asked.

Jacque looked up at the sky and soaked in the sunlight and the peace of the land. He’d only just gotten used to the idea they might be safe, and now this. “I don’t know. But I’m not willing to take the chance.” He headed back to the house. He needed to see Gwen, to reassure himself she was safe. He knew his friends felt the same way about their mates. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Five

It took Elias a lot longer to get back to the campground. He’d stopped long enough to call the boys to let them know he was okay. Then he’d taken his time, backtracking and laying down several false trails just to be safe.

He wasn’t about to underestimate Jacque LaForge and his pack. Their life here had been hard won. That much was obvious by the battle-readiness of the three men he’d encountered. Some packs grew soft over the years, used to being safe by virtue of what they were. Humans were easily beaten in a fight. And most wolf packs just wanted to live quietly and not cause any ripples that might bring unwanted attention their way.

Elias understood that Jacque’s first and only agenda would be to protect his pack. What that meant for Reece and Sage, only time would tell.

His nephews were waiting when he strode into their camp. Sage was sitting quietly reading a book, but Reece was pacing back and forth. Elias knew the boy’s wolf was making him fidgety. The wolf would want to run, and Reece was still learning how to control that part of his nature.

Reece whirled around and Sage jumped to his feet. “What happened?” Reece demanded.

“How did it go?” Sage asked at the same time.”

“I’m not dead, so that’s a plus.” Elias went to the cooler and pulled out a bottle of water. He opened it and drank half of it down. He was parched. He’d spent hours running around some heavily wooded area.

The twins shared a look. Elias knew they could communicate without speaking a word.

“Maybe we should pack up and leave,” Reece suggested. “We can go out west or maybe down south.”

Elias shook his head. “I’ve made first contact. The alpha’s name is Jacque LaForge. He wants to talk to his pack before he makes any decision.”

Sage frowned. “I didn’t think that was the way things worked in a pack.” He bent down and slid his book into the knapsack at his feet.

“It doesn’t.” Elias finished off the last of the water, capped the empty and tossed it back into the cooler. “This pack seems different. I think your mother was right about them.” He didn’t want to build false hope. “Thing is, they may not want to open up their pack to strangers, even if some of their own members are half-breeds.”

Reece shrugged, trying to act indifferent. Sage simply looked away. Elias hated feeling this helpless. He wanted a better life for them, some stability.

“Either way, we’ll know when they call. I expect we’ll hear before nightfall. In the meantime, why don’t we go fishing?”

“Fishing. You want to go fishing?” Reece stared at him like he had two heads. Sage simply went to the SUV and started getting the gear together.

“Yes, fishing.” He went to Reece and caught him in a headlock, tussling with his nephew until he finally drew a laugh from the boy. “We have to eat. No reason we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves while we’re waiting.” He slapped Reece on the back. “No matter what happens, we’re in this together,” he reminded them.

“Together,” both boys echoed at once.

Elias took the fishing rod that Sage held out to him. “Let’s catch some fish. I don’t know about you two, but I’m hungry. A feed of fresh trout would hit the spot.”

“So would more oatmeal cookies,” Sage muttered under his breath. Elias didn’t answer, because there was nothing he could say. More than oatmeal cookies, he wanted to see Sue.

“If we catch enough fish, maybe we can swing by Sue’s place and give some to her and Billy as a thank you for the cookies,” Elias suggested. He knew he should stay away from her, but a short visit wouldn’t hurt. Especially since they’d be leaving tomorrow if the pack didn’t agree to meet with him.

“That’s a great idea.” Reece grabbed his gear from his brother and led the way to the creek.

* * * * *

The entire pack gathered in Gator and Sylvie’s home. They’d taken over the second of the original homes since it had the biggest kitchen and Gator did so much cooking. They all sat around the living room waiting to find out why Jacque had gathered them all here.

Jacque hated the shadow of fear in Gwen’s eyes. He wanted to howl in fury. Why now? Just when they were starting to believe they were safe.

“We had a visitor,” he began.

“The Louisiana Pack?” Gwen asked.

In no other pack that he knew of would anyone have interrupted the alpha while he was talking. Jacque didn’t take it as an affront. He knew Gwen and the others were worried.

“Non.”
He lifted Gwen out of her chair and sat with her in his lap. “Not the Louisiana Pack,
chère
. You’ve got nothing to worry about from that quarter.”

“Then who is it?”

Jacque glanced at Gator and Cole, who were standing beside their mates. He wished he’d had time to discuss this with the males of the pack first. Chauvinistic? Maybe, but his first priority was always the protection of the women.

“A man named Elias Gallagher.” He nodded at Armand. “I know you haven’t had much time, but what do you know?”

His cousin looked from the computer in his lap. “Since I don’t know where he came from, I’m having to narrow things down.” Armand’s fingers tapped on a few more keys. “I did find a newspaper article on an Everett and Marcie Gallagher. They were caught up in a multi-vehicle crash last winter in Michigan. I didn’t find an obituary, which is unusual, but the article mentions they left behind twin sons.”

“That’s so sad,” Gwen murmured.

“That matches the story Elias told us.”

Gwen swiveled in his arms and poked him in the chest. “What exactly happened? What did he tell you?”

Jacque caught her hand and brought it to his mouth where he nipped the tip of her fingers. Her breath caught and her eyes glazed over slightly. He loved how she responded to his every touch. As much as he wanted to drag her back to their home and take her to bed, they had a serious problem that had to be dealt with. “He walked down the main road, bold as brass.”

“I thought I felt someone watching earlier in the morning, but I couldn’t smell or see anything out of the ordinary,” Gator added. “I think it was him.”

“He’s that good?” Louis asked.

Jacque nodded. “He’s good. He knew Cole was in the woods watching.”

“That makes him exceptional,” Armand pointed out. They all knew Cole was like a ghost in the woods.

“What did he want?” Joseph Blanchard asked. It was only lately that Cole’s father had started speaking up at pack meetings. He still wasn’t used to the openness of this pack, but he was getting there.

“He is a werewolf and, according to him, so was his brother. His sister-in-law was a half-breed.” Jacque wasn’t surprised when Gray gasped. She’d spent most of her life not knowing what she was. It still amazed him she hadn’t been discovered by some pack and killed. Louis immediately put his arm around his mate and pulled her close to reassure her.

“That makes the sons half-breeds as well,” Gwen pointed out.

“More like three-quarter werewolf,” Jacque corrected. “Which leads me to why Elias Gallagher walked down our road.”

“The boys.” Sylvie had been quietly listening. His cousin was very perceptive and, more than the other women, she understood pack law and hierarchy. “He wants protection for the boys.”

Jacque nodded. “He didn’t say as much, but that’s my assumption. He says one of the boys can shift.”

The room erupted in gasps of surprise and wonder. “A wolf and a half-breed having a child is almost unheard of,” his mother pointed out. Elise LaForge had come a long way since the death of her brutal mate. She no longer looked pinched and worn and was now vibrant and alive. “To have twins is beyond a miracle.” Her eyes lit with wonder. “To have one who can actually shift is the stuff of legends.”

“If it’s true,” he felt compelled to point out. “We only have Elias’s word on that.”

Jacque stood and deposited Gwen back in the chair. He stood in front of the fireplace and faced the twelve members of his pack. “We need to decide what we’re going to do. Allowing outsiders to even visit our compound opens us up to danger. I’d want to meet with Elias first and find out more before we made any decisions about the boys.”

He added that last stipulation, otherwise the women would have them moved in by the end of the day. They were all softhearted, which was fine. It was his job to protect them.

“What do you say? Do we invite Elias for a meeting?”

“Yes.” Gwen spoke first, and Jacque wasn’t surprised.

“Yes,” his mother added. The other women agreed. That left the men.

“
Oui.
I think we need to know more about this man and his nephews.” Gator gave Sylvie a hug and headed to the kitchen. “I need to start making lunch.”

Jacque barely held back his grin. That was Gator. Practical in the face of any crisis. He waited, not rushing the other men. Each had to make up his own mind.

Louis and Armand agreed and that left Cole and his daddy. “Well?” Jacque wanted this done. He was a decisive man and already knew he wanted to contact Elias.

“You think it’s the right thing to do and I’ll support you,” Cole told him. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it was enough. Not surprisingly, Joseph threw his support behind his son.

“It is done.” Jacque drew out his phone and dialed the number Elias had given him. It was answered on the first ring.

Jacque didn’t bother with niceties. “We will meet you tomorrow morning. Nine o’clock. Come alone.” He ended the call and tucked his phone away. Gwen was staring at him with her mouth slightly open. “What?” he demanded.

She shook her head and rose. “We still have to work on your phone etiquette.” She went up on her toes and kissed him.

“
Chère
, we can work on whatever you want,” he murmured before he deepened the kiss.

Louis laughed and Armand snorted. Behind Gwen’s back, Jacque held up his middle finger. Now several of the women were trying to smother their giggles as well. Jacque ended the kiss and sighed. “There is no privacy in a pack.”

Gwen rubbed her nose against his. “You wouldn’t have it any other way.”

His mate knew him well. He slung his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s eat.”

* * * * *

Elias tucked his phone away. Reece and Sage were both watching him intently. “You heard?” With their enhanced hearing, he knew there was no way they could have missed Jacque LaForge’s invitation.

“Just you. Tomorrow morning.” Reece pulled his line out of the water and set his pole on the ground at his feet. “I don’t like it.”

Elias didn’t much like it either, but he wasn’t the one in control. He cast his line again and watched it drift over the running water. “The alpha wants to talk, wants to know more. I’d do the same in his position. He’s probably already done some research with what little I did tell him.”

“We should leave.” Sage was already breaking down his rod and packing away his gear. “Now. Tonight.” He was close to full-blown panic.

“Hey, buddy.” Elias dropped his rod at his feet and went to his nephew. “It’s okay.” He kept his voice low and calm. “There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“There’s everything to worry about. This could be a trap.”

There was enough wolf in Sage that Elias could tell the boy was close to running. It was his natural instinct to either fight or run, and no one wanted a fight with the Salvation Pack. “Give the old man some credit,” he teased. “I’ll keep my guard up.”

He cupped his hand around the back of Sage’s neck and pulled him forward until their foreheads were touching. Tension vibrated in the air, but Elias didn’t move. He knew his nephew needed the contact. It was a part of his werewolf heritage. Wolves were social creatures, and Elias knew both boys were missing the love and support of their parents.

He was a poor substitute, but he was doing the best he could.

Finally, Sage relaxed. Reece was standing behind his brother with both hands on Sage’s shoulders, a physical reminder that Reece would always have his back. Pride exploded inside Elias. They might be teenagers, but Sage and Reece would be formidable men someday.

Elias raised his head and playfully cuffed Sage on the chin. “Worrying won’t change anything. Trust me.”

Sage nodded and broke away. “Do we have enough fish to share with Sue and Billy?”

Elias motioned to the cooler and the more than a dozen nice-size trout they’d caught. “What do you think?”

“I think we’re heading to Sue’s place.” Sage grinned as he finished packing his belongings. “Do you think she’ll have more cookies?” The hopeful plea made Elias smile. If going to Sue’s helped the boy take his mind off things, Elias was all for it.

Yeah, he was a saint. It didn’t have anything at all to do with the fact he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman. He snorted and his wolf chuffed.

“Wouldn’t surprise me at all if she had more cookies.” He turned to Reece. “You realize you’re going to have to shift.” No way could he just wander up to Sue’s place with the twins in tow. “They know you as a wolf.”

Reece grinned and began to strip off his clothes. “Just make sure I get some of that trout.” He handed his belongings to Sage and began to shift.

Elias watched as fur covered Reece’s skin and his limbs cracked and reshaped. His head flattened and his jaw elongated. It took him longer to shift than it did Elias, but considering he wasn’t a full-blooded werewolf, Reece did extremely well. Elias had seen other wolves take longer.

Reece stood quivering with pent-up energy. Elias chuckled and gathered the cooler. “Let’s go. But stay close,” he added as Reece bounded off toward Sue’s place.

* * * * *

Sue pulled her car to a stop in front of the house. She was glad to be home. She hadn’t slept well last night at all. Too much on her mind.

Billy had been quiet the entire trip home. She knew he enjoyed being with Mrs. Beecham. The woman had been her mother’s best friend and had been watching Billy since Sue’s mom had gotten ill. The arrangement worked well for them. Mrs. Beecham made some money to supplement her small retirement pension and Sue knew Billy was with someone she could trust.

“We’re home,” she announced. She climbed out of the car and grabbed her bag. Billy had his seatbelt unbuckled by the time she came around and opened the door. He hopped out of the vehicle and looked up at her with pleading eyes.