Climbing the Ladder (11 page)

equal.

“He did. I mean, I tell people I found him, because I was the one not home. He read my

palm, I think I told you that.”

“What did he tell you?” There. That was a turnoff he could take and get them off the

highway.

“That the moon brought us together. That I had a wild side that I had buried. That one

day I would have a huge family to care for.” She chuckled softly. “Two out of three isn’t bad.”

“You never know, honey.” She had no idea. None.

“Hey, it’s better, huh? It would be difficult to explain you to a kid.”

“Actually, in this situation, children are way more understanding.” Wolf kids were pretty

easy. She would give him beautiful children—fierce and strong—and Kody would blossom now,

having both his mates, his Alphas. A family to love, a Clan to care for.

“Yeah. They still believe in magic, though. Then they have to deal with the real world.”

She sighed, softly. “Unless they’re Kody.”

Mesa nodded. “Kody sort of floats above.”

Her eyes met his in the mirror. “Yes. Yes, exactly. It’s like, remembering when you

believed in Santa, being with him.”

“It is.” That was the perfect description. Kody was still childlike without being childish.

She sighed softly, leaned down to kiss Kody’s cheek. “I’m going to miss you, you big

dork.”

Kody snorted, shifted. “Don’ be silly, Sammy. Not going anywhere. Let me sleep, huh?”

Mesa chuffed. Kody was so good at getting to the heart of things. Kody turned over,

snuggling into her belly with a happy little sound.

Mesa could see Sammy smile, shake her head in the rear view mirror.

Kody would make it all work. Mesa just needed to get them home.

“I… It’s beautiful out here. I wish I could stay longer, look around. I was considering

moving up to the mountains, just for a little while.”

“Oh, I’d love to show you everything. See you explore.” She would love it once she let

her wolf out. Of course, she’d miss some of the more modern conveniences at first.

“I can’t. I was brokering a deal, and there are probably ten thousand things to deal with,

especially since I just walked away. I don’t even want to imagine the awful emails I’m getting.”

He thought she seemed pleased with herself, though, to have left it behind.

“What kind of deal?” He’d talked more in the last few days than he had in years maybe.

“There was a business trying to buy out another business, but they want the buildings, the

equipment, everything. I was making it work, but…”

“Sounds like a big deal.” She could be such an Alpha.

“They sure think so.” Her laughter was soft, sexual. Sweet. “Not that it’s any of my

business now, but…I can’t believe I was so mad I just quit. That’s so not like me.”

Mesa found himself smiling along with it, his bones feeling easier, his skin fitting better.

“How did you meet Kody?” she asked.

“We grew up together.” He couldn’t remember not knowing Kody. Kody was made for

him, to stand with him.

“Did you go to school together? Kody didn’t bring any pictures or anything. Hell, all he

had with him when he came to me was a little Honda, that tent, a chest of books, and an old

boom box with John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot CDs.”

Mesa cracked up. “I swear to God, if I had to hear ‘Sunshine’ one more time…”

“Yes, but did you know he has an unnatural Peter Frampton obsession?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we’ve known each other since we were wee.” He’d loved Kody all his life.

“That’s neat. What was his favorite subject in school?”

“Kody?” He thought about what Kody liked, thought what he’d been best at. They had a

relatively loose education structure. “He loved anything that required reading.”

“Yeah? What about you?”

Mesa laughed. He’d resisted anything with rules, back in the day. “You could say I was

more physical. I also like social science.”

“My degree is in environmental science, believe it or not.”

“No shit?” Wow. He’d never have guessed that. “Not animal husbandry?” Man, he

cracked himself up.

“Animal husbandry? I. No. No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cow up close.” She laughed,

though, didn’t she? At his joke.

“Well, keep watching out the window, huh? You might see some.”

“How long will it take?”

“Hmm? To see cows?” He was running things over in his head, how long it would take to

get home, who he needed to see first. What he needed to do.

“No. Until I’m home.” She stretched, giving him a great view of her breasts.

“Oh.” No running off the roads. “You might want to take a nap.”

“No. I’ve slept more in the last day or two. Besides, don’t you want company?”

“I don’t mind.” Mesa was surprised to find that he didn’t, actually.

“Oh. Okay.” She leaned back, pushing down in the seat a bit.

“No, I mean I don’t mind the company.” He smiled back at her again. “I just didn’t want

you to get bored.”

“Mesa, I’m naked in the mountains with my husband’s lover who plays werewolf role-

playing games and makes me a little stupid.” Those bright green eyes met his in the mirror.

“Boredom isn’t going to be a factor.”

That tickled him, and he laughed long and hard, hoping he wouldn’t tear up so badly he

couldn’t see the road.

“God, I need a long, hot bath when I get home. I’m a little ripe.”

“You smell wonderful.” The whole cab of the truck smelled like the three of them. Sex.

She flushed, his words making her pleased. He could smell that too. She was marked with

his scent—inside and out.

“We’ll grab a bath, though, all of us. That will make Kody happy.” Kody loved the water.

“Kody loves the water.” Her words made him smile, nod, the connection between them

getting stronger every minute.

He had a terrible urge to make them both happy. God, he wanted to keep them safe and

with him.

Kody hummed, stretched, a wave of gentle peace hitting him in the chest. That felt

damned good. He could tell she felt it, too. One of her hands reached out, fingers carefully

petting his hair.

Mesa hummed. Oh, God. She’d touched him voluntarily. “That feels good.”

“It does. It’s so thick.” She petted him, the caress going straight to his balls.

“Yeah. I’m a hairy monkey man.”

Her giggle was young, and Mesa could see her, in his mind’s eye, blossoming, happy.

“Now, now. Don’t start adding animals on me.”

“No? You don’t want us swinging from trees?” It felt good to tease.

“Ooo. Ook. Eee.” Oh, God. That was adorable. Look at her smile.

His Kody had done such a good job. He just had to get her home. To their home.

To their bed.

To their pack.

That would give him the space, and the help, he needed to make this transition perfect.

The entire family would be eager to meet her. He sure as hell hoped that Grandma Minnie had

some advice on how to convince her werewolves were real.

“Do you live close to your family?”

“Yep. We’re a pretty close-knit bunch.” A pack.

Her eyes met his, a sudden tension in the air that he didn’t understand. “Kody’s family,

too?”

“Yes.” How else could he describe it? Kody’s dam came to visit regularly. His sire had

been at his trials, had come back for them. They’d taken his sister, Victoria, up deep into the mountains, looking for a more solitary place. Kody’s leaving had broken them all a little, left them lost and confused.

Of course, Kevin had believed his son was going to be Alpha one day, not the Clan Beta.

“Oh.” Her hand fell away. “He said…well, I guess it’s best that they never met me. You

know, if you just find a town with a car rental place, I’ll get myself home.”

“No.” She had to quit fighting it.

“There’s no reason to go out of your way.”

Kody started to wake up.

“It’s not out of my way. Trust me.”

“I’m trying to make sense of all this.” Something was wrong; Mesa didn’t understand it,

but he knew how hard she was trying to fit this whole thing into what she believed of the world.

He knew it, but it didn’t change anything. They were mated. They bonded for life.

“Don’t worry, honey. Even if it doesn’t make sense, it will work.” It had to.

Kody hummed. “Please, Sammy. I promise you, you’re doing so well.”

Her breath hitched, and Mesa could smell tears. “You said you were all alone, like me,

Kody. When I told you about the foster homes and things, you said you understood. You have a

family? A real family? You lied?”

“No.” Kody rumbled. “I do understand. I understand about being an outsider. I had to

leave everyone, everything I knew, but they’d turned from me before I ever left. They wanted me to be someone I’m not.”

“He wasn’t lying.” Mesa thought that was important, too, that she knew Kody was the

weird one, the odd man out.

Kody slipped up, wrapped around her. “I left because I was different, because there was

something missing. I walked away from my whole world to find you. Just you, Samantha.”

The truth in Kody’s voice was undeniable. Absolute. Mesa heard Sam gasp, heard

Kody’s soft rumble.

“And now we’re all where we should be.” Almost, Home-home-home.

“I’m pretty sure I’m out of my element here.”

Kody murmured softly, obviously trying to comfort. “You’ll learn, honey.”

“I have to get home and finish dealing with things, don’t I?”

“Not yet. We have to see Mesa’s house.” Kody pushed that thought so hard Mesa could

feel it. “Then I’ll help you deal with the house, everything else. It’s what I was born to do.”

It made his right eye throb a bit. Lord. Kody was strong.

“Mesa’s…”

“Yes, Sammy. We have to. Now. We need to go to Mesa’s house.” Kody slumped a little.

“Shit.” He hoped to hell Kody hadn’t hurt himself.

“Okay. Okay, if we need to, Kody.” Sammy held Kody, rocked him a little. That was

perfect. That would keep her busy, caring for Kody. She had a strong instinct.

“We need to. It’s important, lady. Very important. All our babies will be born there.”

She chuckled. “Do you have a fever, honey?”

“No.” Kody laughed. “At least I don’t think so.”

“I’m never going to have babies. You know that.”

Kody snorted. “Nonsense.”

Mesa checked the mirror, just to make sure he didn’t need to cut this off. It was obviously

a sore subject. How Kody could have explained that, in their particular bond, she wouldn’t catch pregnant without him, that Beta males couldn’t breed with Alphas, he didn’t know. He was fairly sure he didn’t want to know all the excuses Kody had used. Maybe she thought it was her and

Kody had never told her otherwise. Man, was she in for a shock.

“I think you need more sleep.” She brought Kody’s head down to her shoulder.

“Mmm. Sleep.” Kody rumbled, sounding like a sleepy, well, wolf. It made Mesa happy.

“I really think we should get him to a doctor. I have insurance on him.”

“Do you?” He wondered how that had happened, too. It wasn’t like they couldn’t fake

credentials. But it wasn’t easy. The physical, though…

“It’s through the company. Automatic, when you get married. They can’t have cancelled

it yet, right?”

“Oh, right.” There was a lot even he didn’t know, Mesa guessed.

“I’ll pay the deductible and everything. I care about him. Really.”

“I can tell you do, honey. I wish you’d stop acting like you’re losing him. I keep telling

you that you’re not.” He tried not to growl.

“I just…things are not going the way I’d planned.”

“Nothing ever does, Sam.” They sure weren’t going the way Mesa expected them to, but

he couldn’t complain. He had his mates.

“No. No, not since this psychic dude walked into my life. Nothing has been the same.”

Kody chuckled, the sound lazy and sensual. It was hot, somehow.

Mesa heard Sammy give a soft laugh that increased to a happy cackle. “No tickling!”

“No?” Kody made a chuffing sound, and Mesa shook his head. They were like kids.

“No!” Her laughter rang out, and he heard their skin slapping together.

“Don’t make me come back there, now.” If he’d had time, he would have. He’d stop right

there on the side of the road and join them and slap and tickle until they all howled.

“Threats. You can’t reach me.” Kody was pushing, testing Mesa playfully.

“Not right at the moment, but I can change that fast.” Silly man.

He felt the rush of air as Kody’s cheek slid against his, the caress so fast. “Promises,

promises.” As Kody leaned back, he heard the whispered, “Missed you, so bad.”

Oh, fuck, he needed to get home. He needed to get them to his den and love on them.

Sammy was squealing now, laughing with abandon.

Thank goodness for distraction.

They might make it home after all.

They drove up higher and higher, the scent of Pack growing stronger, and Kody breathed

deeply. The cliffs framed the road as they climbed, the old-growth trees heavy.

“Kody…”

“Shh. It’s okay.”

It was late, past late, heading toward very early, but he knew they were close, knew

they’d be reaching the guardhouse soon. He could feel the waves of satisfaction coming from

Mesa. The man was happy to be home.

“We’re almost there, Sammy. Come here, hmm?” He grabbed the blanket, opened it.

“Almost where? This isn’t California.”

“No, we’re going to Mesa’s house, first, and there’s going to be a guardhouse.”

Mesa wouldn’t want them to look at her naked.

“A guardhouse? What’s being guarded?”

“It’s like a wilderness preserve, honey.” Mesa sounded jazzed.