Forbidden Attraction (23 page)

Bob straightened. Snowflakes continued whirling around in the air, making it harder to determine where the spicy smell of anger originated. Nicolo watched the two leaders and the group surrounding them closely. They were all like time bombs, waiting to explode.

119

Lorie O’Clare

“Say what you wish to say,” Bob ordered.

“I plan on it.” Dimitri put his hands on his hips, scowling at the
lunewulfs
. “Prior to taking this mountain as our territory, none of us gave any thought to your breed. We carry no prejudice, but appreciate a werewolf for his strength and courage. Likewise, we’ll mark an enemy if he smells of deceit and animosity.”

“The same would apply here.” Bob didn’t pull his gaze off Dimitri.

“The humans are working to eliminate us. I’m sure of it. Work with us or step to the side so we can handle the matter. But I won’t take responsibility for any of your deaths or disappearances, nor will I tolerate any of my pack being charged with such offenses.”

“You don’t find it odd that twice when Heidi has disappeared, I’ve found her in the paws of that werewolf?” Bob pointed at Nicolo.

Every muscle inside him tightened. The
lunewulf
was about to lose his fucking finger. He took a step forward and Dimitri jumped between him and Bob. Every werewolf in the small clearing in front of his den braced himself for action.

“Your bitch ran from your pack—she wasn’t fucking howled for!” Dimitri hissed.

“And you damned well better admit to that now before you lose a bunch of your pack.”

120

Forbidden Attraction

“No!” Heidi screamed, hurrying out of Nicolo’s den. She’d heard just about enough. “This is exactly what I didn’t want to have happen.”

The smell of outrage, pushed to the point of attack, stopped her quickly before she ran in between the two pack leaders.

She gulped in the incredibly spicy smell, which instantly made her eyes water. She blinked quickly, determined to stand tall and take on both packs. No matter the fear that mounted inside her, all of this had come to be because of her. And it had to end now.

“Nicolo,” she pleaded, meeting his hard, determined gaze. “Must werewolves die because of us?”

Nicolo took a step toward her and both Malta and
lunewulf
moved. Holding one hand out to her, he turned and faced Bob.

Heidi hurried to his side, every tiny hair on her skin standing at attention. Her muscles and bones wanted to grow and change. The blood inside her ached to flow faster, to protect herself from the danger that surrounded them. Protect her male, her right to live and run the way she wanted.

Nicolo’s large hand wrapped around her wrist, clamping down so hard she swore blood no longer flowed to her hand. He yanked her behind him, although she struggled to see more than his muscular, broad back. She wouldn’t hide and cower when a battle was on the verge of breaking out because of her.

“Give this bitch to me,” Nicolo said, addressing Bob. “Allow her to be my mate.”

“No,” Bob said firmly.

“Like hell,” Dimitri shouted at the same time.

Heidi would have broken down in tears if anger didn’t hit her so hard she shook from it. “Who are you to control my life like this?” she demanded, taking a step forward but then falling backward against Nicolo’s hard chest when he yanked her to him.

“I am your pack leader,” Bob growled. “Would you deny your pack over this werewolf?”

Heidi swallowed, knowing a bitch without a pack would be shunned everywhere.

Her life would be worse than it was now, other bitches snapping and attacking until eventually she would be killed. It wasn’t a life she wanted to think about. She’d already seen how Nicolo’s pack would treat her. Living without a den was a life worse than death.

“I’ll never deny who I am,” she told him, straightening and standing tall while she faced the members of her pack. “I am
lunewulf
and will never be anything else.”

121

Lorie O’Clare

“Then return with your pack and let this werewolf go,” Bob demanded.

Nicolo’s strong hand wrapped around hers. The heat from his body soaked into her backside. Her heart broke, swelling and throbbing painfully in her chest. No longer could she deny the tears, and they stung her cold cheeks as they streamed down her face. She wouldn’t blink, wouldn’t look away from the pack leader who’d taken her in, given her shelter and protection and had been someone she’d called a friend. She’d run with these
lunewulfs
, helped them grow strong as a pack, howled with them and played with them.

“I can’t let him go,” she said.

“Then you are shunned.” Bob turned his back on her, gesturing to the members of her pack—his pack. No longer her pack. “Let’s go.”

Not one of them looked at her as they piled into the truck. Bob turned, ignoring her but looking at Nicolo’s den.

“Maura?” he yelled.

Maura appeared in the doorway, her long blonde hair damp and her cheeks flushed with emotion.

“Join your mate,” he ordered firmly.

“Maura,” Heidi cried out.

Nicolo pulled her into his arms, shielding her from the biting wind that seemed to grow colder by the minute. Bob ignored her plea to her friend, focusing only on Maura as she walked alongside the den with her head lowered until she reached the other
lunewulfs
. Pete, her mate, moved toward her, holding his arms out in a show of compassion that reeked of insincerity. Maura walked to him and he hugged her while Maura’s body went limp. She didn’t return the hug. Heidi knew the concern Pete made an effort to display at the moment would disappear the second the door to their den closed.

“You don’t have to do this.” Heidi pleaded with her. “Please, Maura.”

Maura lifted her head, looking at Heidi while Pete started pulling her to the truck.

“I’ll be okay,” she said quietly.

“There is no bitch there for you to talk to,” Pete said, speaking confidently now, although he hastened to get her into the truck and climbed in quickly after her.

Doors slammed shut and Bob climbed in last, turning his attention to Dimitri and not once focusing on her.

“If the humans pull another stunt in your territory, you may call me for assistance if you feel the need.” Bob looked sad.

There were too many emotions clogging the air, her own swarming around her too hard to control. It was impossible to smell what she swore she saw. Bob didn’t want to shun her. She had to believe that. It kept her heart from completely shattering when he closed his truck door and started backing out of the driveway.

122

Forbidden Attraction

Nicolo pulled her into his arms so tightly she almost couldn’t breathe. He kissed the top of her head, keeping her there when he straightened. She should move, face Dimitri and Josie, take on and accept whatever this pack leader would dish out.

“She will not remain in the cold,” Nicolo announced, moving suddenly and managing to almost lift and turn her as he headed for his den.

“Damn it to fucking hell, Nicolo,” Dimitri growled, bounding into the den right after them.

He slammed the door closed behind him. Josie hadn’t entered and she wasn’t sure if he’d take the den being closed to him as an insult or if the werewolf had his own private agenda to tend to. There wasn’t time to worry about that.

Nicolo let her go, facing his littermate. “You’ll announce to the pack that she’s my mate,” he ordered.

“No.” Dimitri shoved his fists into his hips.

“You’ll say nothing of her being shunned to anyone.”

Dimitri scowled at his littermate.

“And you’ll accept her here in our den until spring, when we can build our own den.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Dimitri looked ready to pounce.

“Then don’t be a fucking idiot about this,” Nicolo hissed.

Dimitri leapt through the air, tackling Nicolo and knocking both of them off their feet.

“Stop it. God! No!” Heidi leapt to the side, barely managing to get out of their way as the two giant werewolves snarled and attacked each other.

“There is no way I’ll allow you to destroy our pack like this,” Dimitri yelled and raised his fist, holding Nicolo to the ground with his hand on his neck.

Nicolo howled, throwing Dimitri off him and leaping forward, pushing his littermate backward. The couch made a horrible screeching sound when it slid across the floor. Nicolo got a good punch in, but then Dimitri turned into a wild beast, his teeth growing and a scream ripping from his throat, curdling Heidi’s blood.

“You will destroy this pack if you don’t pull your fucking head out of your ass,”

Nicolo growled and then slid backward on the floor when Dimitri hit him hard on the jaw. Nicolo leapt to his feet, pressing his hand against the wall and then pushing, leaping through the air and falling on his littermate. “Your anger blinds you. And I won’t be miserable simply because you want to be.”

Heidi had never seen such outrage sketched in Nicolo’s face when he took Dimitri down, the coffee table crashing and shattering into pieces underneath them. She jumped out of the way, pressing against the far wall while Nicolo and Dimitri continued attacking each other. Something told her the aggression they released stemmed from more than Nicolo’s demands that Dimitri accept her.

123

Lorie O’Clare

Her teeth pricked her lower lip, having sharpened as her defenses kicked in. The two werewolves blocked her path to the door. Although for the first time in her life, running didn’t appeal to her. No matter whether they had approval of any pack leader, Nicolo was her mate, her life partner, and through battle and happiness, she’d stand by his side. Even so, her heart pounded so hard in her chest, she had to fight to keep the change from taking over. The intensity of emotions filling the small cabin made that damned hard to pull off.

“I will not have our pack shunned and attacked again. You won’t be the cause of us losing everything when we barely have it again.” Dimitri pushed Nicolo off him.

Blood trickled down Nicolo’s chin. His black hair hung wildly around his outraged face and his dark eyes flickered with silver when he opened his mouth and showed off dangerous-looking teeth. His words were garbled when he spoke.

“We will only be destroyed if we continue to live as if we were extinct, hiding and refusing to allow other breeds to be part of our lives. We aren’t any better than any other werewolf on this planet.”

“How dare you speak that way of your own kind.” Dimitri’s words were also muffled from his body fighting to change and turn into the deadly creature that ached to come forward.

Heidi shrieked when someone pounded loudly on the door. She turned, staring at the closed wooden door, and then glanced at the two werewolves who glared at each other.

Dimitri shoved Nicolo off him, standing and straightening his shirt over muscles that bulged with enough fierceness that the material barely stretched over them.

“Who is it?” Dimitri barked, glaring at the door but then looking back at Nicolo when he stood slowly.

He wiped his mouth, smearing blood over his dark skin while he breathed heavily.

Even outraged, his large presence made Heidi’s heart skip a beat. She had to be insane imagining how aggressive a lover he’d be after this fight was over.

Whoever was at the door pounded again. None of them spoke, and the werewolf on the other side didn’t identify himself. She waited for either Dimitri or Nicolo to move.

Something filled the air—an eerie calm that tickled her scalp and sent a rush of nerves over her skin. The den grew deathly quiet.

Dimitri growled and yanked open the door, then almost stumbled backward into her.

“What the hell?” he whispered.

Heidi jumped out of the way so that he wouldn’t knock her over. She stared at the older werewolf who sauntered into the room. Silver streaked his black hair, and his relaxed expression and movements smothered the animosity in the den with a calmness that made her dizzy with the quick shift of smells.

124

Forbidden Attraction

“Damn cold out there,” the old werewolf said, rubbing his arms. He didn’t wear a coat and didn’t smell like the outside. “My old bones will never get used to this harsh winter.”

“Bruno,” Nicolo whispered, quickly grabbing the pieces of the broken coffee table and shoving them to the side. He suddenly acted like a pup who’d been caught scrapping when he shouldn’t have been. “Please forgive us.”

Heidi frowned at him, baffled by Nicolo’s suddenly strange behavior.

“You can’t be Bruno. I don’t believe it.” Even Dimitri suddenly seemed humbled, an emotion she’d never noticed on the werewolf before.

“You see and still you don’t believe.” Bruno shook his head and walked into the middle of the den where he then turned and looked from one werewolf to the other. “I remember when you two used to fight as cubs. Now look at you, all grown up.”

He chuckled and then looked around the den. “Of course, if you’d destroyed your den then like you have now, your sire would have whipped both of your hides.”

“Don’t speak of our sire,” Dimitri said.

Bruno pointed a dark, wrinkled finger at him and Dimitri straightened, shifting his weight to one leg and then the other. Heidi swore Dimitri almost smelled nervous. She watched the old werewolf, whose dark eyes seemed glassy against his weathered, almost leathery-looking skin. Many werewolves didn’t live to be so old, and in a pack like Nicolo’s, where they fought for territory and rights not only here but in Malta as well, she’d guess there were few old werewolves. That wasn’t what hit her as odd though. This old male, Bruno, didn’t smell. Not of old age, or the outside, or of emotions. If she weren’t staring at him, she wouldn’t know he was in the room.

“The day you quit honoring the great warrior who sired you is when you die inside,” Bruno said. “Look at you two. Will you fight each other until you’ve destroyed all that I’ve taught you to cherish?”

“I’m fighting to improve Malta werewolves.” Dimitri turned to point at her, although he didn’t look away from Bruno. “Don’t tell me you approve of diluting our bloodline.”