Bailey Bradford - Southwestern Shifters 07 - Revolution (9 page)

Luuk looked at the barely discernible dirt…road. “That’s a road? It looks more like a rocky path.”
Father Norbert snorted and patted his shoulder. “I am certain this, er, fine vehicle you procured will withstand the drive.”
“I’m not,” Luuk muttered. “And I told you, I bought this piece of…junk, I didn’t steal it.”
“Of course you did.”
Jamie snickered and Luuk was fairly certain Father Norbert was just messing with him, possibly to try and distract him from his justified fear that they might be driving right into a trap.
“We have to trust someone sometime,” Jamie had told him when he’d voiced his concerns over meeting with the Fathers’ shifter family members. He knew Jamie was right, but trusting someone—other than Jamie—had led to their current situation.
No, being deliberately blind to Luther’s duplicity, that’s what led to this.
Luuk sighed and slowed the car as he took the turn.
“Piotr will be arriving tonight, his sister said. It will be good for him to be with his family.” Father Norbert sounded pretty damned happy, and Luuk tried to borrow some of that.
“It’ll be good to see him, for us, too,” Jamie said, taking the thought right out of Luuk’s head. “I’m glad he’s being allowed to leave the hospital and stay with family instead of staying there and being cared for.”
Father Norbert huffed with enough force that his breath made the back of Luuk’s hair flutter. Of course, the close proximity in the tiny vehicle probably contributed to that. “The poor staff at the hospital would no doubt quit if they had to deal with him much longer. Piotr does not make a good patient, at all.”
“I can imagine.” As kind as the old priest was, Luuk would bet he didn’t like being hovered over, and treated as if he were feeble.
Any further conversation was stilted by the violent bumps along the road. Jamie and Norbert both had hands pressed to the roof of the car in attempts to protect their heads. Luuk wasn’t so lucky, and the seat belts were useless, stretched out as they were. Luuk couldn’t do anything but creep along at a snail’s pace, and even then, he’d give himself a knot or two.
“It is a deterrent,” Father Norbert explained. “Not many will drive this road, and it is the only access to where we are going.”
“It wouldn’t have to be driven to be accessible,” Luuk pointed out. “This is nothing for us in our wolf form.”
“Mmm. But a wolf, or wolves, would not need to follow a man-made road, so the point is moot. This is as safe as it can be, considering what you and Jameson are, what the others are.”
The priest had a point, and Luuk knew there were only so many precautions anyone could take.
“We’ll be okay, Luuk. I feel it. Things are going to change. We aren’t going to have to run anymore.”
“I shouldn’t have run in the first place.”
He should have fought, but Jamie would have stayed and fought with him, and while Luuk would sacrifice himself, he wouldn’t sacrifice Jamie.
“Stop. We did what was right for us,” Jamie scolded him out loud, and Luuk nodded.
One tight turn after another, the switchbacks up the mountain were scary enough to make the hair stand up on the back of Luuk’s neck. The road smoothed out some, but he couldn’t go any faster or else he’d risk running off the side of the mountain. They hadn’t come this far to die such a stupid death.
“I’d prefer us not to die at all, not for a long time, love.”
Jamie squeezed Luuk’s thigh, and Luuk smiled slightly at the comfort. After another particularly sharp turn, Jamie sucked in a breath and pointed. “Look! I see a roof!”
Luuk saw it too. Norbert leant forward, putting his head right between them. “Yes, that is cousin Mem’s home, where the remaining shifters reside. There used to be more in this area, but the fighting has depleted their numbers. Many are battling Luther’s followers. Some have been trying to find you, Luuk, and Jamie. Mem and the others will want to let them know that both of you are safe.”
“After we leave here,” Luuk told him. “Perhaps we will have some plan in place then.” He wanted to find out if there were truly others sent by Alpha Anaxes abroad, and if so, who they were, whether he could trust them. “Is there any Internet connection up here?”
Father Norbert chuckled and patted his shoulder again. “Oh yes, yes there is. Few places cannot be connected via satellite or with ever-changing technology. Mem would go crazy without her Internet.”
“Good.” He’d been careless before, and it had cost him dearly, but Luuk wasn’t being careless by contacting his brother, nor was Jamie putting them at risk by attempting to reach his friend. They both needed support, either physically, as in bodies to help them fight, or morally, emotionally. Luuk thought that contacting Adam might help Jamie through some of the depression he’d been trying to keep at bay. Luuk wasn’t educated about mental illness, but he would be. He’d not let Jamie deal with it alone, and if, through their bond, he could carry some of that dark weight of depression, he would, gladly.
The closer they got to the large home, the more tense Luuk became. Jamie stroked his leg, his side, but Luuk couldn’t help it. Trusting others was difficult even if it was necessary.
“My ancestors built this themselves, from native rock,” Father Norbert said, and somehow, between his voice and Jamie’s soothing touch and thoughts, Luuk felt slightly less close to cracking. “It took my great-grandfather more than ten years to complete. He kept adding on, and so it is now a hodge-podge of rooms and, in many places, unlevel. Watch your heads at the doorways once we are into the interior. That is where the problems lie—a step up or down into a room does not always coincide with the appropriate height of the entrance.”
Luuk frowned, trying to picture that. He couldn’t. “I guess we’ll just have to see it.”
“I’m sure it’s very interesting inside.” Jamie leant forward, peering out of the window. “It’s, um, interesting on the outside.”
“Interesting, indeed,” Norbert chuckled. “I am not certain my great-grandfather, nor that his sight wasn’t quite awful, when he was working on the house, but it is unique.”
Luuk made the last turn and almost snickered. ‘Unique’ was certainly one way to describe the house, which seemed to meander in the oddest directions. Looking at the mismatched rocks, unsmoothed and protruding at odd places and angles, Luuk thought it appeared to be something vomited out from the mountainside. But—“I’m thinking there might be more to his design plan than meets the eye. With the native stone used as it has been, this wouldn’t look much different from the mountainside even through a scope. The windows are barely discernible with the turn of the walls. I suspect your great-grandfather was quite brilliant in his planning and execution of the design.”
“Hm, I think you’re right,” Jamie said. “If the stones were smooth and the walls all straight, that would look unnatural, and would stand out. And the uneven exterior would mean the interior would also be varied in height and such.”
“Ah, and I always thought of him as an unskilled builder. I have misjudged my relative,” Father Norbert murmured. “You have given me new eyes with which to view this now.”
Luuk hitched a shoulder up and slowed the car even more. “Where do I—oh.” He blinked in surprise as a portion of the rock began sliding open.
“Oh my God, it’s like, like the Batcave or something!” Jamie’s excitement was unmistakable as he bounced in his seat. “This is so cool!”
“Yeah,” Luuk muttered, trying not to feel trapped as he pulled into the garage and the doors began closing behind the vehicle. Lights kept the cavernous space from being too dark, but there were shadows and places for attackers to hide. He was trying to spot any potential threats when a large woman, in both height and weight, stepped out of an opening he’d not seen before.
Another mysterious sliding wall, no doubt.
The man who’d designed this place was a genius, Luuk was certain of it.
“Mem!” Father Norbert was out of the vehicle before Luuk could even shut it off. Luuk watched as the older man ran, dignity tossed aside for welcoming family, and embraced the woman.
“It’s going to be okay here,” Jamie told him, and Luuk turned to him. The certainty in Jamie’s eyes was reassuring, but Luuk couldn’t just relax. “I’m not asking you to forget everything that’s happening, but I do want you to try to consider trusting these shifters. Norbert and Piotr—you trust them, and I don’t believe they’d ever put us in danger.”
“No, I don’t either, but sometimes the people you trust are the ones who turn on you.” Luuk sighed and shook his head. “That’s not always true, though, and I didn’t trust Luther, exactly, I just didn’t think he was a true threat. That was my foolishness, not his. He was smart enough to almost take me out.”
“He isn’t smart, he’s a conniving bastard,” Jamie snapped, “and that is a totally different thing than being intelligent. Of course you wouldn’t have thought he’d do what he’s done, because
you
aren’t an evil fuckhead. Now.” Jamie huffed and ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s get out and meet this nice woman who is going to hug the stuffing out of Norbert.”
Luuk glanced at the two still hugging, saw Norbert’s slight grimace as he was hefted off his feet, and nodded. “Yes, he does seem to need rescuing.”

Jameson tried not to stare at Mem’s eyebrow, but it was…disconcerting, as the thing seemed to have a life of its own, squirming there on her brow.
Stop it,
he scolded himself, but as if it—she—whatever—read his mind, Mem’s eyebrow did something damn close to the ‘Wave’.

“I think she’s doing it on purpose,”
Luuk thought as they stopped in front of the large woman. Mem released Father Norbert, who gasped and stumbled. Likely he’d have fallen had Mem not caught a hold of his shoulder with one big hand.

“Steady,” she said in a thickly accented voice that was, surprisingly melodic. “I would not have you hurt yourself.”
Father Norbert snorted and rubbed at his ribs. “Saving that part for yourself, Mem?”
“Humans.” Mem huffed and crossed her arms over her ample chest. Then she looked, really looked at Luuk, and she paled even as twin spots of red popped to her cheeks. “Oh. Oh, it is you! Alpha Anax…” Mem canted her head and dropped to her knees. “I was afraid to believe.”
Jameson fought with the awkward feeling someone kneeling at his man’s feet caused him. It was just, well, weird. But, he could feel the low hum of power coming from Luuk, saw the way Mem’s skin prickled.
“Mem, please stand. My mate isn’t familiar with many of our ways.” Luuk touched Mem’s nape and she whimpered, but rose to her feet. “This is my mate, Jameson.”
Jameson was terrified the woman would kneel or squat or some other sign of respect he wouldn’t know how to handle, so he thrust his hand out briskly. “Pleased to meet you.”
Mem’s expression showed some nervousness, but more hope and joy than anything else as she looked at Jameson and shook his hand. “It is my pleasure to meet you, Jameson. The Alpha Anax has been blessed with a very handsome mate, yes, Norbert?”
“Er…” Father Norbert cleared his throat as Jameson’s cheeks burned. “Yes?”
Mem grinned. “I live to make my cousin squirm.”
That startled a snicker out of Jameson and he could feel Luuk’s amusement as well. Mem glowed, obviously aware of pleasing her Alpha Anax. Luuk’s ability to pour out the power he had in his core was something Jameson had witnessed only rarely, but he suspected it’d be much more of a common occurrence when he had his rightful packs and position back. Although, to Jameson and those who loved Luuk, he had never stopped being the AA.
“Come, come inside. I have been cooking in case”—Mem glanced at Luuk and blushed again—“in case it truly was the Alpha Anax and his mate. I am not the finest chef, but I hope you will be pleased.”
She opened a door and the scents rolling out of the house made Jameson’s mouth water.
“Oh, Mem, you made your bread and the roast!” Father Norbert bounced, actually bounced, in place. “You have always been my favourite cousin!” The priest winked at her and bustled past Mem.
Mem started to reach for him but Luuk stopped her. “No, Mem. He isn’t one of us, and he has been a good friend to Jamie and I. I take no offence in Father Norbert entering your home before me or my mate.”
“I did something wrong?” Father Norbert asked, concern pinching the corners of his eyes. “I did not mean to offend.”
“You did nothing wrong nor did you offend,” Luuk assured him. “I would have insisted on you going first.”
Jameson nodded when Norbert checked with him. “Really, it’s fine. Please don’t treat us any differently than you have been—like friends.” That meant so much to him, because the whole shifters dropping to kneel at Luuk’s feet was weird, and made Jameson fear he’d never have any friends other than Luuk. Be hard to, if everyone was all but sitting on the ground.
“It’s not like that, and I’m not like that, and the shifters, our people, aren’t like that,”
Luuk told him, amusement in his mental voice.
“That would drive me insane in no time. Mem did the appropriate thing, though, as it is our first meeting, and she wanted to show her loyalty. She won’t be doing it every time she sees us again.”
“God, I hope not,”
Jamie thought back. At least he’d got distracted from Mem’s eyebrow.
Inside the house, the walls were smooth stone, polished almost to a gleam. The thick rocks used on the outside also made the interior walls, and warm golden wood had been laid for the floors. Large, colourful rugs covered most of the flooring, and paintings of all sorts hung on the walls. The place was cavernous, but had a homey feel, which Jameson couldn’t quite make sense of in his mind.
Then he saw the food on the table and quit worrying about it.
“Please, sit and help yourselves. The others are not to bother us, not until you have rested. Patrik has gone to bring Piotr to us.”
They sat and Mem put glasses full of dark, rich beer in front of them.
“I thought Piotr was your cousin,” Jameson said as he tried to decide what to get first. The roast was beyond succulent-looking, and there were vegetables in something that might have been a brown gravy, he wasn’t sure. Loaves of fresh bread were still steaming in their loaf pans, and there were desserts and other side dishes… Jameson just wanted to eat it all.
“Norbert is family whether we share blood or not.” Mem set a small dish with butter on it between him and Luuk.
“Yes, I would not trade Mem for another,” Father Norbert said. “Once I tried her bread, at least.”
Mem barked out a laugh and took her seat. “True. If Patrik had not been my mate, I would have won him over with my cooking.”
Forty-five minutes later, Jameson was convinced she was right. He wasn’t the only one to groan and every one of the men rubbed their stomach. Mem looked well-pleased with herself as she watched them and spoke.
“Now, I will have Jaq show you to your rooms while I clean up. Jaq!”
A teenage boy ran into the kitchen only to skid to a stop as if he’d hit a glass wall when Mem glared at him. “Sorry, Mama.”
Mem shook a finger at him. “You will take their bags and show them to your grandfather’s room. Norbert knows where he will be sleeping.”
“Yes, I do, and thank you for the lovely meal, Mem.” Father Norbert waved at Jaq. “When you have time, come and tell me how you are doing, Jaq.”
“Yes sir, Uncle Norbert.” Jaq beamed until he looked at Luuk, then his eyes almost bugged right out of his head. “
Eep
.”
Luuk’s lips twitched and Jameson was torn between laughing and feeling sorry for the teenager as he clearly felt mortified for squeaking.
“It’s fine,” Jameson blurted out, moving towards Jaq. “He’s intimidating, isn’t he?” Jameson thumbed at Luuk. “But he’s also a good man, Jaq. And I am Jameson, Luuk’s mate.”
Jaq wavered, and Jameson thought he might be on the verge of passing out, then he realised Jaq was fixing to kneel, and started to protest.
“Let him, Jamie. Not for me, or you, but for himself. He needs to feel that he hasn’t embarrassed himself to the point of hopelessness.”
“It’s not—he’s not—”
Jameson started just as Jaq knelt, head down, tipped aside. Seeing the pride that Mem felt as she watched her son, Jameson looked at Jaq. The boy was kneeling, showing respect for Luuk, yes, but also for himself and his family.
“Stand,” Luuk said, touching Jaq’s nape as he had Mem’s. As soon as Jaq was on his feet, Luuk held out his hand. Jaq gulped but shook it.
“It’s good to meet you, Sir…Sirs—both of you.” Jaq bobbed his head as the handshake ended.
“The pleasure is mine,” Jameson returned, because it was the truth. Jaq had taught him a little more about shifters in the few seconds he’d knelt. “We need to get our bags then you can show us to our room.”
“I can carry them for you,” Jaq offered, and after a quick check with Luuk, Jameson agreed.
The returned to the car and took out their duffle bags and Norbert’s as well. Jameson carried the laptop bag. “There is Internet, Father Norbert said?”
“Yes sir. I can show you how to access it, if you want.” Jaq darted a nervous glance at Luuk. “Um, if that is okay with the Alpha Anax.”
“I do think young Jaq here has a budding crush on you, Jamie, and who could blame him?”
Luuk thought while telling Jaq, “Yes, that would be very nice of you to show us how it’s accessed.”
Jameson wanted to tell Luuk the little territorial ‘us’ was unnecessary, but all things considered, with the way some shifters only respected a show of force, Jameson let it go. It wasn’t like Luuk had hiked up his leg and marked him.
“And don’t even think about doing that, Luuk. You can’t hide your amusement from me.”
“I wouldn’t even try, on either count. But you should know, water sports are not anything I care to indulge in.”
Jameson wrinkled his nose.
“I wouldn’t call it an indulgence—”
“This will be your room, Sirs,” Jaq said, stopping before a wooden door carved with numerous wolves. “It was my grandfather’s before he passed.” Jaq looked up at Luuk for a second before averting his gaze. “He fought for you. It would be an honour for you to stay here.”
Luuk put a hand on Jaq’s shoulder and urged the young man to return his gaze, which Jaq did. “The honour is certainly mine, and Jameson’s. Your grandfather’s sacrifice will not be wasted. I am sorry you lost him, you and your family, and sorry I can’t thank him.”
“Or maybe you can, in a manner. When you have reclaimed your packs, and once Jaq is old enough, he would be a very fine guard, don’t you think?”
Jameson asked.
Luuk squeezed Jaq’s shoulder gently. “Perhaps, while I am here, we could discuss your goals for the future, once you are an adult.”
“Oh,” Jaq sighed more than said. “Oh, I-I—yes, yes sir!”
Luuk had clearly made the young man’s day, possibly even his week and month. Jaq was all boundless energy and enthusiasm after that, and it wasn’t long before Jameson sighed, exhausted on every level. He sat on the bed, moaned at the firm mattress, thinking it’d feel damned awesome beneath him while Luuk fucked him like a beast. He closed his eyes and began rubbing his chest, want pooling in his groin.
“Jamie, come here, please.”
Jameson opened one eye and lifted his head up so he could see Luuk. He sat at an aged wooden desk, the laptop open in front of him. “Did you hear from your brother?” Jameson asked, excitement and hope springing him up off the bed. “What did he—”
“It opened to your e-mail. I guess you didn’t log out.”
Jameson’s excitement and hope turned to something else entirely, something shrouded in fear and darkness. “W-why are you telling me?”
Luuk stood and came to him, putting an arm around Jameson’s shoulder, the other around his waist. “Because, Jamie, love, there’s a reply from your friend Adam, and I think you should read it.”