Desert Wolf (20 page)

“Also…” Cassius pulled out his phone, thumbed to a screen and tossed it to Trask. “Do any of you know this asshole?”

The bald wolf shook his head, before he passed the phone to the next wolf. One-by-one, the other five examined it and agreed—they didn’t know him.

“Who is he?” Trask asked as he began to hand the phone to Cassius, but he paused when Sovvan held out her hand. He glanced to his Alpha first. Taking his phone, Cassius passed it to her himself. His fingers brushed hers, and electricity sizzled through her, but she bowed her head to study the image on the screen.

A fairly ordinary wolf, almost
too
ordinary.

“Calls himself Landon Templeton.”

Every wolf was distinctive. Maybe it had to do with their complicated genetics. She didn’t pretend to understand where they came from, yet her very human father had told her once that he found beauty in each wolf. It was as though their very wildness influenced the human half of their DNA and made them stand out from each other. Families had a tendency to look alike but, even in their similarities, they should possess something remarkable.

Trask was tall and hairless, though she suspected he shaved his head. His tattoos also set him apart, but his eyes were a startling shade of azure which matched the desert sky. His companion, JoJo, had long hair he pulled back into a ponytail and, despite his leather, muscles, and scruffy, half-grown beard, beneath the façade he had the face of a figure from some old masterpiece. Each of the wolves in the room had a distinctive feature or presence.

Cassius was…
perfect.
The feminine whisper in the back of her mind sent a quiver of anticipation to her belly. Stubborn. Hard-headed. Tough as hell. Disciplined. Dangerous. Those were all words better-suited to the Alpha.
Still perfect.

“Never heard of a Landon Templeton,” Trask muttered. “What the hell kind of name is that?”

“It’s English,” Sovvan said, continuing to study the image. He was so completely forgettable. It was as though she had to make herself look at him. “So is Templeton.”

Silence greeted her comment, and she met Cassius questioning look with a shrug. “I like names and N’awlins has a lot of history. Landon means something to do with a hill, and Templeton is a sanctuary, temple? Ton is town so it might be the…” She froze. The town of sanctuary on the long hill. Or the long hill under the town of sanctuary.

Summit was a town of sanctuary.

On a hill.

“What?” Cassius dropped his hand on her shoulder. The touch comforted her, and eased the roil in her gut.

“His name is another thing for Summit…for here. A sanctuary on a hill. It may be nothing but…can you really stare at him?” She held the phone up. “I keep wanting to look elsewhere, and I half-forget what he looks like as soon as I do.”

He looked at the screen, and if she hadn’t been studying him she might have missed it. His gaze flicked to the side for a split second then back. Every time he glanced to the image, his frown deepened. It was a struggle.

“What the hell does that mean?” Trask crossed the room to stand next to his Alpha and he had the same issue.

“It could mean an Omega…but I don’t know.” Her gut clenched and a sour taste bloomed in her mouth. “Omegas can be used in combat.”

Every man in the room went still and Cassius stared at her, his gaze a lead weight. “What?”

“It’s a common misconception that Omegas are lesser than any other wolf. Their nature aggravates and can rub others the wrong way. It happens a lot, partially because of our ability to reflect another’s weaknesses but also because where Alpha’s represent all the strengths, an Omega is all the weaknesses and flaws. A weakness, however, doesn’t mean helpless. A horrible temper. An inability to listen. Hanging on to the past. These are all weaknesses, but they don’t make me any less capable of defending myself.” She’d done much the same at the rest stop ambush. “If push comes to shove, I can reflect and enhance the weakness in another wolf, throw them off their game, and leave them chasing their own tail.”

Cassius raised a hand, then glanced at the other wolves. “We’re leaving for the Reaping in three days. We’ll send the call after we’re on the road. The location will be given once we’re in place. You didn’t hear a word of what she just said, is that clear?”

“Didn’t even know she was in the room, boss.” Trask shook his head and motioned to the others, they preceded him out, but he closed the door behind them and paused to look back. “She’s why Claire is here.”

It wasn’t exactly a question, but Cassius said nothing.

The bald wolf frowned then glanced at Sovvan. Though he didn’t try to hold her gaze, he didn’t stop staring.

“Is there something you want, Trask?” Nothing friendly lived in Cassius’ tone.

He didn’t look at his Alpha. “Will you show me my weaknesses?”

The request floored her, and she crossed her ankles and braced her hands on her thighs. A number of thoughts tumbled together in her mind, not the least of which was
I don’t think it’s a good idea
and
why are you asking me and not your Alpha?
Instead of vocalizing those, she went with a more basic answer. “Why?”

Few wolves ever
wanted
to know their deficiencies. Fewer asked her to show them—only two wolves in her existence had sought her out specifically.

“Because I need to know if I can hold the line.” He very carefully did not look at Cassius. Instead, the wolf looked somewhere in the distance between them. “I’ve spent the majority of my adult life avoiding the Reaping, avoiding the politics and trying to build an existence. I’ve never cared for the hunting of each other or how some make it a sport. I’ve found friends, allies, and through them…discovered an accord with our Alpha I didn’t believe could exist.” He seemed to be sidestepping some rather large landmines, but Sovvan didn’t interrupt him. “With everything we’re planning, I want to know if my weaknesses or flaws could hamper the effort.”

“If you go looking for them, they might.” Straightening, she spread her hands as though holding two objects. “Imagine that in my right hand are all the things that could go wrong, and you know they could. But if you were to make the list, it could insurmountable.” She dropped her hand all the way down as though overcome by the weight. “You cannot plan for every eventuality, because chaos says anything can happen. What you can do is plan your resolve and your response.” She kept her left hand steady. “If you know the goal and the endgame, this is what you focus on and you tackle the issues as they happen, keeping in mind your destination. If you were a highway, a bridge washed out, you might have to backtrack, off road, abandon the bike and climb down, swim across, then climb up and steal a car…can you plan for those things or simply understand you will do what you must?”

Trask raised his gaze to meet hers, and he blinked slowly. “Knowing my weaknesses won’t answer any questions, but it might cause more problems. I like you.”

Biting back a smile, she clasped her hands together. “I like you, too. Thank you for protecting Faust and for getting him to Bianca.”

“You’re welcome. I’m going to look into the poisoning. We’ll check the guesthouse thoroughly, and we’re going over everything from the attack itself.”

Cassius nodded. “Good. Remember to rotate and get rest. When it’s time to roll out, I don’t want anyone exhausted.”

“We got this.” Trask winked. “You need us to keep an eye on Miss Stark?”

“No.”

The other wolf hid a small smile then let himself out. Alone with him, finally, she moved to stand when Cassius dropped to one knee next to her and clamped a hand on her thigh. “I want you to stay with me. In this house, in my bed. Three days. You go nowhere without me. If I have to leave you—for any reason—it will be with Trask or Claire. Claire’s out for now, so it will be Trask until Faust is on his feet.”

Her earlier argument died in her throat. Moistening her lips, she weighed her objections with the facts she knew. “What’s going on? Can you tell me now?”

“I’ll tell you everything. Just say yes.”

“Yes.”

T
he moment Sovvan
mentioned she could use her abilities in combat, Cassius wanted the other wolves out. His trust in Trask and his wolves only went so far. With so many suspicious and angry about her presence, the last thing they needed to hear was how she could use her abilities to fight.

Catching her hand, he rose and pulled her from the chair. “We’re going upstairs. We can shower and change then we’ll go to bed. Maybe not in that order, but we’re also going to talk.”

“Talk?” She raised her brows. “That’s not the most creative euphemism.”

Heat licked him at her suggestion, so he wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her delectable lips. “We’ll fuck, too, I promise.” Heat flared in her eyes, easing some of her hostility and rebellion from earlier. Desire softened her scent. He’d ticked her off several times, yet she hadn’t called him out after the incident with Alicia. The woman left him with so many questions.

“Better. Except…I thought we were leaving the relationship part in Pandora’s Box?”

It had seemed a decent idea at the time. “Do you want me to leave it there?” If she said yes, he’d find a way to persuade her otherwise. When was the last time he’d pursued a woman?

Claire?
Though dinner and smoothing the way for her to return to her pack didn’t really count as pursuit. She’d intrigued him with her honesty and lack of malice or greed. Her utter lack of interest in him, coupled with a fervent desire to return to Willow Bend, ended any potential pursuit before he began. Sovvan, on the other hand…he
wanted
to pursue her.

His pack needed her.
So do I.
Squeezing her hand, he nodded to the door. “We can discuss it upstairs.” His skin itched. He wanted both of them out of their clothes and a few minutes to recapture those perfect peaceful moments at the lake.

“Cassius.” Her solemnity stopped him. When she disentangled her hand from his, he released her, but his wolf went predator still.

“I need to call Serafina. She needs to be informed of Faust’s condition. Also, if what you said about the Russians moving is true, I need to make sure she knows of the threat.”

“The latter yes, though I am certain Mason and Brett called her long before they notified me.” When she raised her eyebrows, he allowed a small smile. “They like her better.” Despite his attempt at humor, she didn’t laugh. Maybe he shouldn’t try to make jokes. “I would prefer you didn’t do the former.” Not ordering her should have been like chewing glass. He was used to making all the decisions, cutting off bad avenues before they happened and deciding who knew what, and when. No one had the full picture of his plan, no one save him.

As long as no one else understood all his moves, they wouldn’t be able to stop him until it was too late.

“Tell me why.”

Another reason he didn’t want to answer questions or ask them. Orders had to be obeyed, not challenged. Pacing away from her, he gripped the back of the sofa in an attempt to keep his temper in check and his eye on the prize. Hadn’t she said earlier it was better to meet each challenge as it came with the dedication to the end goal? It had been Cassius’ whole focus since he took the pack as his own. “I can answer you two ways. Both require a story, one about what happened between Serafina and I in Delta Crescent—my side of it, anyway—and the other about what happens when one Alpha lets another know they’ve failed to keep a promise.”

Concern tightened her eyes. “You didn’t
fail
her.”

“No, but I failed to keep my promise to protect her wolves with my life. Faust nearly lost his, and I wasn’t here.” Accepting his culpability brought no shame, only an iron certainty he would not allow anything to happen to Sovvan. “She wanted your Hound here because you mean a great deal to her.”

“She values all of her wolves.” Was the Omega blind, or did she not understand her real value? Serafina had absolutely not wanted to send Sovvan to him. From the moment he’d made the request, her skepticism and suspicion weighed on him. Even the act of demurring an answer until she asked Sovvan directly…

“I’m sure she does.”
Not.
Holding the last word in check cost him, and Sovvan folded her arms.

“If you’re going to mock me, we’re not going to get very far with any of this.”

Flexing his grip on the sofa, he didn’t growl. It was a barely missed thing, however. “I’m not mocking you. I’m sure you believe she values all of her wolves, just as I am certain you do not believe you have a greater value than them.”

“I’m an Omega, not an idiot, Cassius. I know what I bring to the table. I know what I did for Delta Crescent…I also know she has Johan, so I’m not irreplaceable.”

“Yes, you are.” Straightening, he extended his hand to her. “You are as irreplaceable as any Alpha. We are not carbon copies of each other. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. We bring our experiences to the table, and we respond differently to stimuli. You are unique, Sovvan. Brilliant. Beautiful. Provocative. Frustrating.”

A smile softened her lips at the last, and she took the few short steps separating them to glide her palm over his.

“I will not tell you no to calling your Alpha, no matter how much I don’t want you to. Not because I give a damn if she knows, but because she may tell you to come home or send her Hounds here to bring you home. Either outcome isn’t good for me and may be bad for them.” Raising her hand to his chest, he flattened her palm to his heart. “I give you my word, while I may seem selfish in wanting to keep her out of it, too many uncertainties are in play. If Serafina flexes her muscle, and already unstable situation could become rapidly toxic.”

If the Delta Crescent Alpha declared war on him over her Omega, he needed his pack united to fend her off.

“Lying to her bothers me, and a lie of omission is still a lie.” She didn’t say she wouldn’t do it. Leaning into him, she raised her chin. Not a poet, he didn’t have the words to adequately describe the warmth in her deep brown eyes or how sharp their intelligent gleam or even how they bled gold at the edges as though her wolf rose to the surface.

Nor could he illustrate the way his body reacted to her nearness. For days he’d avoided any contact and, after their time at the lake, he couldn’t stop touching or wanting to touch her. His wolf settled with every caress, yet the possessiveness streaking through his blood warred with the intellectual knowledge he’d brought her to Sutter Butte willing to sacrifice her.

When the time came, would he be able to complete the mission?

“Then don’t lie. If you have to, call her.” He’d live with the consequences one way or another. If his pack couldn’t locate the Reaping or Summit unless he told them, then Serafina might be hard-pressed to find them once he and Sovvan were on the road.

Canting her head, she traced the line of his jaw with a finger. “You looked very pleased with yourself for a moment there. What occurred to you?”

“Your Alpha is a long way away, and I’m right here.”

The hollows in her cheekbones and the sudden grumbling from her stomach reminded him she hadn’t eaten. “Come,” he drew her with him to the doors. “Maria,” he called. “Can you bring a meal up to my room for us?”

“
Sí
, Papa.” A hint of laughter underscored the patience in Maria’s tone. “Let me finish feeding the
niña
. She is very hungry. Then I will bring you up food. Try to be clothed when I come in.” The note of levity surprised him.

“Maria?”

“What, Papa? I have children, I know how that happens. I’d rather not intrude…”

Amused despite himself, he chuckled. “No promises.” Trask and his wolves had left, likely on their assignments. He checked the door security and entered the code, letting Sovvan see the six digits. She mouthed the words
thank you
, and the grin pulling at her mouth relaxed him further.

Upstairs, he opened the door to the second floor suite with another code, a different one, and he didn’t hide it from her either. Inside the room, she frowned. “Is this as soundproof as downstairs?”

“Yes,” he said, tugging his shirt over his head and stripping. The skin along his back itched. Whether it was due to worry or sand, he wanted a shower and then he wanted her in a bed where he could spend hours devouring her. Pausing one step in the bathroom, he glanced at her wiry, curled hair. It had an untamed look to it, not remotely as smooth or straight as she normally wore it. “Do you need your things from the guesthouse? I didn’t have them brought, just in case the poison was in your cosmetics or toiletries.” The fact he’d had to consider it grated, because it suggested someone violated the security of the compound. Still, he’d rather accept the potential failure on his part than risk her.

“Do you have a blow dryer?” She gave her hair a squeeze. “And a good comb? Maybe some detangling shampoo or at least a really good conditioner?”

He had no idea.

“Maria might. She has girl things.” Plenty, he would imagine, though Maria hadn’t been into primping since she was a teenager. “Let me check.”

Letting himself out of the suite, he jogged down the stairs and through the kitchen. Maria glanced at him while she stirred what smelled like macaroni and cheese with a bit of beef. He paused to peek in the pan, and she slapped his hand. “It’s for Maddy.”

Grinning, he looked at the little girl perched at the bar in front of a coloring book. She didn’t look up, just kept shading a picture with a purple crayon. “I’ll be good, then. Actually, I wanted to see if you had some shampoo and detangling something…for Sovvan. And a blow dryer. And a comb.”

Shaking her head, Maria pointed toward her bedroom. “Hall closet. Guest supplies, including deodorant, fresh towels and other hair care products for potential females who stay over.”

Cassius stilled. “At no point in your entire life have I had a woman over when you’ve been home.”

“Things change, Papa,” Maria bumped him. “You have a woman over now.”

True
. “Still, why were you shopping like I would?”

“Because you never tell anyone what you’re doing until you do it, so I am prepared. Do you want to keep quizzing me and make the child and your lady wait for their meals? Or would you like to take her the things I set aside for your elusive guest?”

The answer hardly mollified him, but he opened the door and inspected the contents before selecting a few that sounded right. Maria set a bowl in front of Maddy, before she joined him and tugged one of the bottles away, only to replace it with another.

“You and I are going to have a talk about your
planning
for my potential lovers.”

“No, we’re not.” She smiled, adding the hair dryer and another box that said flat iron on it to the top. “You’ve never had sex. You’re chaste, and that’s how I prefer to think about it.”

Narrowing his eyes, he fought the twitching corners of his mouth. “As I recall, that should be my line.”

“I have five children and seven grandchildren.” Her chin raised. “What’s your count?”

“Only one impudent, rude, little girl who grew up way too fast.” Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he gave her a nudge. “
Gracias
, Maria.”

“
De nada
, Papa.”

On his way out of the kitchen, he paused next to the blond pixie who hadn’t touched her food but continued to color instead. The book was open to a page of forest animals. She’d colored every prey creature a shade of purple. “Be a good girl for Maria, Maddy.” Then he took the crayon from her hand and set it aside, before setting the bowl in front of her. “And eat your food.”

The little girl sighed, but she picked up the spoon. “Okay.”

The less than thrilled notes worried him, but Maria waved him off. “We will be fine, Papa. I have lots of games we can play, and Maddy can come sleep in my room tonight. We can watch movies.”

Instead of responding, Maddy stuck a spoonful of the mac and cheese in her mouth. Torn between staying and going, Cassius nodded once. “Ring me if you need help.” When everything was settled, perhaps he could find a family for Maddy or make a place for her in his home.

Future plans had to wait until he’d guaranteed a future.

Leaving them, he took a beat to scan the yard. No movement outside and the security panel indicated all was closed. He’d do a circuit after his shower. Upstairs, he let himself back into his suite and found Sovvan leaning against the bathroom door, utterly nude with her arms folded. Steam curled from the shower.

Damn, she was beautiful. Her darkness was the perfect contrast to the pale cream paint. When he’d furnished the compound, he’d gone with neutral tones because it was a place to sleep. He’d never imagined the exquisite frame it would provide for her deep brown skin.

“You’ve been holding out on me.” She pushed away from the bathroom door and sauntered to him and claimed the items he held.

Not releasing them, he roused to the air of challenge. “Oh?”

Tugging she tried to walk backward, but rather than let her fall when she failed to yank the items from him, he followed her into the bathroom, intent on hanging onto both his prizes.

“That shower.” She pointed to the six-by-six shower stall he’d had built in with an array of shower sprays, two from overhead, four on the sides, one in each corner and a third set that washed the feet. “That’s like a slice of heaven, and you were hoarding it.”

Chuckling softly, he relinquished her gifts. “I spend about six months of my year riding through the territory, visiting even the most distant of my wolves, and verifying that everyone is where they say they are. I look for wolves in trouble. The other three months I might spend in various places, a week here, or a week there.” His least favorite part of his position. “The worst is when I must stay with the families, and they try to impress me. That leaves little time actually in Summit, so when I am here, I enjoy myself how I can.”

“But you don’t share it with other people?” She sorted through the items, then claimed the bottles of shampoo and conditioner before slipping into the stall.

Content in a way he couldn’t describe, he settled against the counter and folded his arms. Watching the hot water slip over her skin, curving along her stomach and then down her thighs provided a unique form of torture. Twisting beneath one of the sprays, she soaked her hair and gave him a view of her gorgeous ass. His marks gleamed against her skin, and satisfaction swelled in his gut.