Bayou Wolf (7 page)

Chuckling, he bypassed her and entered without hesitation. Brave or foolish, Mason never committed less than his all to an endeavor. Following him inside, she let the door close behind her. The others would remain outside, and she rather suspected that Linc, like her Hounds, would say nothing of the conversation they would surely overhear.

Trust, once earned, matched with the loyalty their wolves possessed. “Thirsty?” She headed into the kitchen, where hot chicory awaited. Jerome had been good to his word in brewing the coffee they preferred rather than indulging in the coffee shop offerings from Willow Bend.

“Did you really bring chicory with you?” Mason leaned against the doorframe and scanned the kitchen.

“Of course.” Perhaps he’d forgotten the importance of strong, rich coffee. Pity, as most who enjoyed chicory would never settle for anything less. Considering he hadn’t actually turned down the offer, she poured two mugs full and carried them over to the table. Wide windows overlooked the yellow grass field bordered by trees behind the house.

Serafina didn’t bother to play the game of who would sit first and slid onto the cushioned bench seat. Mason waited until she’d made herself comfortable before swinging one of the chairs around and straddling it. Mug in hand, he raised it in a gesture of a toast then took a drink. Mirroring his action, she enjoyed the hot scald of the chicory.

The taste of home soothed her more than the icy shower. “So, all pleasantries aside. How bad is it?”

“One of my favorite things about you, Sera, is how you cut through the bullshit.” After setting his mug on the table, Mason scratched at his jaw. The rasp of stubble told her he hadn’t been home since early in the day. Probably, he’d spent many of his hours in similar conversations with the other Alphas—host’s privilege. “We’ll have our first sit down with the five of us tomorrow. After discussing it with the others and getting their impressions, so far the consensus seems to be a meeting in the open is preferred to one inside any building or home, even my own.”

Men—too worried about being caged in to appreciate the finer amenities offered by meeting inside a home or house. “It’s easier to fight in the open, Mason. I don’t particularly care where we meet. Securing a spot in the open makes it harder to contain information. Placing Hunters far enough away to provide security but not so close that they can hear every word becomes problematic.”

“Yes, problematic but not impossible. I have a couple spots that would work.”

“Where did you plan to host it when you invited all of us?” She ran a nail around the rim of her mug. Every nuance of his scent and posture seemed to be under tight control. Had he mastered the art of cloaking his scent? Few wolves possessed the strength of will and discipline of mind to do it. Of those few, most were Alphas. Her scent wouldn’t betray her, but she’d mastered other gifts including those bestowed upon her by her mother.

“At Felicia Carlyle’s,” Mason answered promptly. “She still resides within the manor she and her mate shared.”

The choice of locations did surprise her. “She kept the Alpha manor?”

“It’s a house.” Mason shrugged. “A very large house, too large for my needs. I prefer the house I grew up in and I saw no reason to displace Toman’s widow.”

Soft. Caring. Considerate
. Yes, Mason hadn’t changed too radically, despite having taken his pack. “Very generous of you.”

“Felicia’s a good woman, and Toman’s actions were not hers.” Flat and implacable, his tone ended the subject.

“Have the boys been giving you a hard time?” At his grimace, she chuckled. “Of course they are. Cassius is a man who determines value in everything, a wolf who sees a power vacuum and will charge in to take it. The manor house may not have been anything he desired, yet allowing another to have it? No. Brett? Brett’s a little old world, but he would also see the home as a symbol. One meant to be occupied by the Alpha, whether he cared for it or not.”

Admiration erased his grimace. “Can you guess Diesel’s reaction?”

One sip of chicory gained her time to consider her answer. “Considering his lack of interest in anything material, he probably wondered why you didn’t burn it down.”

“Damn.” Mason shook his head. “Are we all so transparent to you?”

No, transparency would suggest she’d had time to assess their behavior and mannerisms. Applying what she knew of the wolves was simply training and education, but Mason didn’t need to know that. “You’re male, Mason. I apologize if you’re not all that mysterious to me.” Save for the stubborn wolf outside. Wrenching her attention away from Linc, she blew out a breath. “Have the meeting where you planned for it originally. I’m sure there’s an outdoor patio on the manor. We can simply sit there, unless it snows. Then I would prefer to be indoors. I’m not cold blooded like the rest of you.” Save perhaps Cassius, though she suspected the mountains in Arizona had their share of chill.

Though he hid his smile with a mug, he couldn’t disguise his tone. “I’ll tell them we do so to protect your delicate sensibilities. We wouldn’t want the lovely lady to catch a chill.”

Laughter roared out of her, and she shook her head. “I walked into that one.”

“Yes,” he said, still grinning. “You did. That said, however, I like doing it at Felicia’s. It’s comfortable, we have access to heated food, drinks, and we can secure the location easily while still affording privacy for our discussions.” He’d already planned to have it where he wanted. Chances were, he’d persuaded the others or laid down the law before visiting her.

Too clever by half, Mason might prove the one she should be wary of after all. “Glad we’ve decided it for you. Now, tell me about this Italian Alpha.”

“She’s older physically than I am, though Salvatore would not give me her actual age. From all accounts, I’d place her around seventy at least.”

“Okay, she’s not young.”
Interesting.
Older wolves were usually more composed, more settled in who they were…and far harder to dissuade from a decided course of action.

“Exactly. Her brother is the Alpha of all of Italy—” Her skepticism must have shown because he said, “—seriously, he holds all the packs. An interesting tidbit he did not share during his initial visit. Research and some investigation, added to what Margo discussed with Julian, gave us more details. They have over a dozen packs in Italy. Each pack has an alpha, but Salvatore is The Alpha of all of them.”

“That would never work here.” If that was the direction Mason intended for the summit to go, she would leave when Amy returned from the dinner.

“No, that sort of arrangement wouldn’t,” he said, his agreement both a surprise and a reassurance. “I won’t bend knee to another Alpha, and I don’t see you doing it either. By contrast in size, Italy is far smaller than the United States. The system we had in place, while flawed, did work for us.”

Zeroing in on the word flawed, she studied him. “We need change, but how much and instituted by whom is open for discussion.”

Setting his cup down, Mason’s expression sobered. “Exactly. It won’t work if the five of us do not provide a united front. Julian is here. His Enforcers should be a part of whatever solution we develop.”

“Here, as in Willow Bend?” She hadn’t missed the reference.

“Yes,” he said, then raised his hand. “Before you tear into me for keeping his presence a secret, he will not be attending the summit. Prime Enforcer or not, he is
not
Alpha. Our decision will involve them, however. Once we reach a consensus, we will summon him to the table to take action.”

“If the decision is to eradicate the illegal pack?” No emotion distorted her tone.

“Then we eradicate them.” Mason still disliked the idea. “I, for one, do not want it to come to that.”

“Why is their survival so important to you, Mason? They are on
your
border. Of all of us, you have their teeth at your throat. Why defend them?”

He didn’t answer immediately. His fierce frown said a lot about the thought he’d given to the issue. “I am not sure I can explain in a way you will understand, because you have always had Delta Crescent—your father, your brothers, friends. No matter what happened in your life, you had a support structure. You became the support structure for your whole pack. You wouldn’t abandon a single one, not even those who chose to leave you.” Slanting a look at her, he met her gaze. “If Rayne Barrows had brought you his mate, you would have sheltered them.”

Though he hadn’t phrased it as a question, she nodded once. Rayne had been a good Hound, a solid wolf, and a decent man. If he’d requested her assistance, she would have rendered aid. His choice to avoid her spoke volumes.

“Their method of gathering wolves? Their choice to do so in absolute secrecy? I dislike these intensely. A foreign power establishing a base here? I dislike that even more. All of that said, Salvatore repudiated her. She has no ties to Seven Hills, and he’s withdrawn all aid or offers of shelter. He’s also recanted his request for mercy where she is concerned.” Mason exhaled. “They are, however, dissolute wolves. Lone Wolves who gathered together for a common purpose. I can respect the need.”

“They weren’t all Lone Wolves, Mason. Some were members of packs, like your humans. Some chose to leave their packs to follow a different Alpha. And…not to insult your experience, but not all Lone Wolves leave their packs because their Alpha is a narcissistic asshole.”

The darkness edging his expression drifted away with his faint grin. “True words. Alexis said the same thing. While I agree, I still want them to have a chance to succeed or be dissolved without executing them. They don’t deserve death.”

“What is the point of a law if you will not enforce it? You want to set a dangerous precedent. Say some wolf in Delta Crescent decides they would make a better Alpha, but rather than complete the challenge, they lure other wolves to follow them and establish a pack in some unclaimed land? What of Cassius’ band of thugs? He’s fended off more coups than we can probably count. What if they accomplish it? How long before we have a hundred smaller packs running amok, threatening all of us with exposure and war? Are two hundred souls worth the cost of several thousand?”

She would never allow such a threat to Delta Crescent to flourish. Mason had only been Alpha a couple of years, while she had been Alpha for over a decade and her father for several decades longer than either she or Mason had been alive. He’d taught her that to allow one person to get away with a crime out of affection or mercy offered the opportunity to others. If one were willing to accept the risk, then do so. If not, then embrace the law for what it offered—protection for all of them.

“Honestly, Sera, I don’t know. These are all issues we need to discuss. We need everyone’s viewpoints. If left to me, I would be inclined to see how she did, but it isn’t only up to me.”

“Do you trust her, this Luciana Barrows? Do you
trust
her?”

His lack of an answer was all she needed. Not only did they have a sixth pack, but one led by an Alpha they did not know nor have any reason to believe in.

“I should go,” he said, edging his chair back. “I promised Alexis I would be home for dinner tonight as I will likely be far too busy over the next several days.” Yes, they all would be.

“You can go after I see a picture of your daughter,” Serafina allowed him to change the subject, because like him, she had a great deal to consider.

The speed at which Mason pulled out his phone and flipped to the photos made her laugh. He was a good father and a proud one. Fifteen minutes later, she walked him to the porch. Her Hounds and Amy were already gone, having been fetched while she and Mason spoke. Only Linc remained behind. He’d completed chopping the firewood and straightened at their appearance.

“I will see you tomorrow, Mason,” she said by way of farewell, then returned to the house to allow him to confer with his wolf in private. Drawing out her phone, she dialed her brother’s number and waited for him to answer as she returned to the kitchen.

“Etienne,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. “I need you to have our investigators pull a full report on Luciana Esposito Barrows. They have all the particulars, and I want you to track down a number for Salvtore Esposito…no…get me Margo’s number. I’ll talk to her first.”

Julian would be next, but she could call him directly and she wanted Margo’s assessment. Then when the time was right, she’d meet this Luciana Barrows and make her own decisions about the would-be Alpha.

If worse came to worse, she’d deal with her privately then take the disparate wolves into Delta Crescent. Solve all their problems with one slit throat.

M
ason spent
a long time inside the house, long enough for the sun to begin setting and for Thomas to make an appearance with A.J. riding shotgun. If two Hounds were traveling with Amy to the dinner, A.J. had come along to smooth the waters. With both Alphas preoccupied, the introduction and pickup went smoothly. Though he played it cool, A.J. gave him a small frown. Keeping things from his brothers was a virtual impossibility. Fortunately for Linc, the summit had left A.J. busy with any number of issues as he acted in Mason’s stead and Tyler wouldn’t be pried away from Claire as long as she acted in the same function for Cassius’ people as Linc did for Serafina.

Why the hell had she invited Mason inside? They’d taken every precaution to avoid muddying their scents in the homes. She not only had Linc in there, she’d encouraged Mason to traipse around as well. It made no damn sense. When another fifteen minutes passed, he stopped pacing and resumed chopping the wood. At least the physical activity allowed him to relieve some aggression. He’d stacked more than enough for three weeks by the time he’d finished clearing the damaged trees. Using the hose, he rinsed sweat from his arms and chest. After drying off with the old shirt, he tossed it into the back of the truck and dug a clean one from his duffel.

When the front door opened to let Mason out, Linc blew out a breath. Serafina waved him off before she pivoted and returned to the deepening shadows of the unlit living room. Wearing an air of tired, Mason clapped him on the shoulder and nodded down the drive toward where he’d parked. “Walk with me.”

Mason said nothing as they set out, waiting until they were near the tree line before he glanced at him. “How are you doing?”

“Fine. Found some storm damaged trees in the thickets. I took them down and chopped some firewood. We might want to ask Thomas or one of the other agriculturalists to do some inspections as we go into winter. Too much snow on the fragile ones, and we could lose a lot more when they fall.” Linc clenched his fists, and the bite of his nails into his palms had him forcing his fingers to relax.

Pausing at the truck, Mason studied him with an unreadable expression. “You’re really upset…about trees?”

“Not upset.” He disputed the charge, then cleared his throat. “Concerned. Snow is in the offing. I keep catching the changes in the breeze. The temperature has fallen steadily all day. We’re going to see our first snow before the week is out, ice at the very least. It could become a problem.”

“Uh huh.” Mason rubbed his jaw and shook his head. “The dinner at Emma’s will likely run late. The healers have a lot to chat about. Stay close to Serafina while her Hounds are gone. She won’t like the idea…”

She’s not the only one
.

“…so find an excuse for it. Cassius and Diesel are being too cagey, and I’m not sure I altogether trust either one of them. I don’t want her vulnerable while her Hounds aren’t here to back her up.”

Soaking in the note of reservation underlying Mason’s tone, Linc frowned. “You think one of them might pull something while they are here?” Alphas were wolves, too. Sometimes Linc forgot that while Mason proved a thousand times more approachable than Toman, he was still a wolf driven by the same basic desires they all shared: mate, family, and pack. If he worried about the presence of the other Alphas, even after all their precautions…

“I don’t know, and that lack of knowledge is what concerns me. I don’t doubt she can take care of herself. For as long as she remains in Willow Bend, she is under my protection. If they try to start something with her while her Hounds are focused on Amy, or with Brett because he brought no Hunters with him…” Mason chewed on the last few words, then shook his head. “It doesn’t matter who tries something or why, the point is to make sure they are not successful. Stay close, keep an eye on her, and watch her back. Understood?”

“Understood.” He didn’t hesitate and his earlier reticence evaporated under the harsh light of potential threat. “Mason, why’d you go inside?”

Linc clamped his lips together. The question hadn’t been the one he’d intended to ask.

His Alpha paused and favored him with a long, inscrutable look. “Does it matter?”

Yes, it matters.
“No,” Linc began, but thought better of the lie he tasted. “Well, it does because we took a lot of precautions to keep our scents out of the house. Then you walked in without a care for the time we spent.”

Folding his arms, Mason studied him for the space of several heartbeats. “Are you really worried about my scent in the house?”

“Yes. No.” Linc wanted to swear, and he thrust his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, it was a concern. I pretty much climbed down the throat of every single wolf working on these projects over the last few weeks over it. Then you blithely marched in there.”

Any second now, Mason’s going to remember why he doesn’t like me and knock me on my ass.
Even recalling all the reasons why Mason might slug him didn’t stop Linc from asking the question. He’d dared Mason’s temper once to protect A.J.’s mate. He’d damn well do it again if it came down to protecting his family. Why was he willing to get into it over the house?
Maybe cause Mason asked me to keep Alexis from being pissed. Maybe because I spent weeks getting this done in record time and keeping our scents out. Maybe because he was alone with Serafina…

“Because she invited me,” Mason said. “We kept our scents out so they could make the decision once they got here. When she invited me inside, it made it her call. To tell her no, we don’t want our scent there, would border on rudeness. Serafina is one of the politest wolves you’ll ever meet because her mother raised her with manners—her words, not mine—and if she makes an offer, it’s considered polite to respect the boundaries she sets. Feel better?”

Not really
, but he nodded anyway. Though Mason’s reasoning made sense, Linc’s continued discomfort did not. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye on her. Hunters are still ranging out between all the properties, right?”

“Absolutely. We’ve pulled a handful between here and Brett’s—he’s the closet to Serafina on the east—so they can cover the healer dinner, but you’ve got backup if you need it.” Mason slid into the driver’s seat and started the truck. “And, word to the wise, Linc. If you do find yourself in a fight and Serafina takes one of them down, do not get between her and her target. Just keep them off her back.”

“Good to know.” He patted the truck hood and backed away a step, but Mason didn’t pull out immediately. Instead, he continued to study Linc. “Call your brother tonight.”

“Which one?”

“Either one, but call them.” The force of the order meant he would do it, but Mason didn’t add anything else before he twisted in the seat and backed the truck onto the road.

Annoyed, Linc pulled his cell phone out and pressed the speed dial for Tyler. His brother answered on the first ring. “What?” Aggravation seethed in the single syllable.

Concern chipped away at his bad mood. “Calling to check in on you. Everything all right?”

“No it’s not fucking all right,” Tyler’s growl reverberated through the line. “I want to hate this douchenozzle.”

“You
want
to?” Linc frowned. Tyler’s issues with Cassius were directly related to the hellish life Claire experienced in Sutter Butte. One of the reasons she was best suited to handle the task as liaison during the summit was her relationship with and knowledge of the Alpha in question. Linc scanned the area, then made his way toward the house. “You want to, but you don’t hate him?” Was he supposed to get in his truck and go back his brother up on an Alpha assassination, joke him out of his bad mood, or make fun of him?

A brother needed to know.

“No, he’s actually not a bad guy. I can’t figure out why the fuck his pack is such a shithole. He’s genuinely concerned about Claire, means every damn word he says, and isn’t near the hardass I expected.”

Concern for Claire was always a way to persuade Tyler to accept someone else. He was head over heels for his mate, so much so that even when he hated her, he’d attacked Linc for kicking her out of their family home.

“Well, better to be surprised than disappointed,” Linc said, still looking for what reaction his brother would need.

“No, I was good with hating him.” Laughter came out in a tumble of short, staccato sounds. “But, whatever. What do you need?”

A drink. Several of them. Preferably straight from the bottle.
“Not a damn thing, Mason told me to call you.” Not a lie. “So I’m calling. You got this?”

“Yeah, I got it. Speaking of which, they’re about to serve dinner, so I’m going to keep an eye on the charming shit and make sure that it’s not an act. You good?”

“I’m fine.”

“K.” The phone disconnected before Linc could say anything further. Still, he’d done what Mason ordered him to do. Tyler liked the Sutter Butte Alpha?

“Huh. Miracles do happen I guess.”

“Do they,
sha
?” Serafina’s voice wrapped around him, and he damn near jumped. Head snapping up, he scanned the porch and his wolf surged forward, giving him better night vision. She sat on the porch swing Amy occupied earlier. When had she come outside, and how did he miss it? “Oh no,” Serafina said, laughter soft in her words. “I’ve gone and done it again. Made you mad. Whatever will I do?”

The growl rumbled from his chest before he could swallow the sound. He didn’t give a damn who she was, he hated being mocked. Clenching his fists, he fought to keep his jaw locked lest he give voice to the temper grating like sandpaper over his insides. “My apologies,” he said when he trusted himself to speak. “I should have paid closer attention. It won’t happen again.” How useful was his protection if he couldn’t keep track of her?

Caressed by the shadows, her face still reflected a hint of amusement though sobriety soon overwrote her laughter. “Paid closer attention to me?” The seductive note of teasing in her tone curved around him like a caress. “I like the sound of that.”

So did he. The drowsy note in her voice combined with the hint of amusement filled his mind with thoughts of sex. Lots and lots of sex. The bolt of lust traveled straight from his brain to his cock with almost painful accuracy. “Miss Serafina…”

“Hmm?” She patted the swing next to her. “Come sit down. You’ve been working all afternoon.”

Sitting next to her was the last place he needed to be.
Alpha
, he reminded himself.
Delta Crescent.
Not pack.
His dick didn’t give a damn about any of those things and, frankly, neither would Linc except he had a task to fulfill and an oath to maintain.
She has that effect on wolves…
Yeah, not accepting her invitation would be better for all involved. “I’m good.”

“Are you really?” She drummed her fingers against her knee. “Because from where I’m sitting, you don’t look, sound or smell like you mean it.”

“I said I was good,” he repeated the earlier sentiment. Maybe if he said it enough, it would stick. After forcing his fingers to uncurl, he concentrated on getting his respiration under control. Monitoring every word leaving his mouth, not to mention every action, grated on him further. A.J. made a better diplomat and manager than he did and Tyler was a hell of a lot better at fixing shit and knocking it back into shape. Linc’s strength lay in his ability to build and to tear things down. Brute force was his forte.

“I heard you. I have remarkably good hearing. I can hear every word that’s said to me and sometimes those that aren’t.” The playful note in her voice diminished. “You’re pissed about something. If it’s not me, then does it have something to do with your brother and the Sutter Butte Alpha?”

A fresh wave of aggravation flooded his system. “It’s rude to eavesdrop. Ruder still to bring up what was a
private
conversation.” No amount of breathing exercises could control the snarl resonating through him.
Son of a bitch.

Her slow smile lit up the darkness. “There he is…that sounds more like the man I met at the campground and not the polite little lapdog who’s been running around here all afternoon.”

His half-formed apology died a swift death. “
Lap dog?
”

“Well,
sha
, if the leash fits…” She rose from the swing. “You’ve all but stapled your tongue to the floor to say exactly the right thing.” The slow sway of her hips marked her movement from the swing to the steps. “You don’t turn down company when it’s the last thing you want or refuse to sit when you are being offered the chance. Instead of excusing yourself, you’re standing there apologizing when I chose to be rude. I want to talk to Linc the man, not whatever this is you’re doing.”

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out for a long moment. Snapping his jaw shut, he followed her progress with a glare.

“Don’t be boring,
sha.
I want to hear whatever has you growling.” Her nose wrinkled. “It turns me on.”

Another wave of lust crashed over him. The breeze carried the sweet nectar of her arousal, and Linc scowled. “Miss Serafina. My job is to be your liaison. I’m here to smooth things over, make arrangements, and see to your protection. I’m not sure what else you want from me, but…” How the hell did he end the conversation without challenging or insulting her?

He was so fucked.

“But what?” She leaned toward him, as though eager for his response. “C’mon, puppy, I know you can do better than that.”

The tether snapped. Every time she’d touched him, she’d set him on fire. Every word she spoke in that delicious southern accent rolled over him like a caress. Torn between the sweet scent of her and the wild invitation in her smile, he growled. “Woman, if you keep teasing and pushing me, I’m going to do more than just play. I’m going fuck you right there on the porch.”

“Promise?” Pure sensuality radiated from her question, and Linc locked gazes with her. Her wolf blazed in her eyes. Her power seemed to shimmer in the air around her, and a wall of pure strength rippled away from her to collide into him. But that wasn’t what held him captive. No it was her striking figure—a perfect piece of the night carved away just for his pleasure. The idea of tasting her, even once, set his blood on fire.