Force of Nature Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4) (71 page)

“They’re terrified of me too. Stacy said they aren’t used to having big men be kind to them. I’m sorry, Austin. I’ll do whatever you need for me to do.” Austin nodded. “What are we going to do with all this money? We can’t simply not tell anyone about it. Someone is going to start asking questions when we pay cash for things we couldn’t before.”

“Phil said he had that under control. Something about a long lost relative leaving us with a great deal of money. Since there are six of us including mom, we can bring in a great deal and only have to pay inheritance tax on it. I’m not sure of the details, but he said it would work.” Austin looked around the room. “We have to make this work, Dallas. This is what we wanted since we moved here and started our own pack.”

Dallas nodded. He was right, they did want to grow, but he doubted that either of them thought it would be like this. Thinking back, he’d thought of maybe a couple hundred wolves or less. As it was, right now they had over three hundred and growing. He grinned when he looked at Austin again.

“Did you know that Holly was whelping?”

Austin went from overwhelmed-looking too pissed in a heartbeat.

“Yeah, I heard it from Connor a couple of days ago. Phil hasn’t even told his family yet.”

As soon as the vampire came back into the house, Austin hit him. Phil didn’t move off the floor, but looked up at him. He seemed to know why he’d been hit.

“I thought you knew about the birds and the bees, big guy. You do have kids of your own. Maybe I should have a talk—”

“Get up so I can knock you down again.” Austin clenched his fists twice and looked ready to drag the vampire up. “I mean it. I need a good beating and you’re just the—ouch. What the hell was—”

“Don’t make me have to hit you again. I don’t care how big you think you are; you do not hit a man because you feel he’s done something wrong.” Their mom stood behind her son, tapping her foot and holding her wooden spoon like she was ready to use it on him again. “Austin Jackson Force, you help that man up right now before I really get mad.”

“He knocked up Holly. What the he…heck am I supposed to do?” Austin helped Phil up a little too much and he nearly fell again. A glare from their mom had Austin moving back rather than letting him fall.

“You should congratulate him, not kill him. Phil, would you please accept my profound apologizes? I did raise him better than this.”

Phil kissed her on the cheek. “No harm done. None at all. Holly might be a tad upset, but not me. I’m excited.” Phil was still grinning when he sat down and looked at both of them before he told them what he’d figured out. “The man smells like death. He’s killed someone else by his own hand, but I could not smell another wolf around where he’d been at the pay phone.”

“A human?”

Phil nodded at Dallas’ question.

“He’s probably taken someone’s house over and decided that rather than take the chance of being caught again, he’d simply take out the middle man and live there.”

Stacy entering the house made him growl low. She smelled of wolf and not him. She came and sat on his lap without being asked and laid her head on his shoulder. He looked at his mother when she shooed everyone out of the room.

“My father has killed so many. I do not want to bring this on your head, but I think I should leave.” He lifted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. “I have brought shame to your family.”

Dallas lifted her into his arms and stood. He needed her more at this moment than any other time. Carrying her out into the night, he held her all the way to their house and took her to their room. He was going to make his mate need him as much as he needed her.

Chapter 11

Stacy followed the path her uncle had told her about. She’d not been there for many years and didn’t want to get lost on his property. It was the place she’d been told her mother and she had lived before her father had murdered her.

“It’s a small place she had. It was mine, see, and I wanted her to have something nice. Rich had nothing and was more than willing to take something for nothing from another wolf. He always acted as if he was supposed to get more than anyone else’s share.” She watched him stretch and noticed how much thinner he was, but his color was better.

“You let them live on your property? I did not know you had any.” She flushed when he smiled at her. “I am sorry. You were not a pauper when you came to this pack, I know.”

He took her hand and she held on. The table they were sitting at, in addition to the rest of the nicer furniture, made the larger cell look homier rather than prisonlike. He’d been told that he was safest in there rather than in a house where Rich could contact him.

“Did you ever wonder why you spoke so well? Never using contractions and speaking so softly?”

She shook her head.

“Your mother wanted you to be well thought of. She wanted only the best for you and when I found you a home to hide you away, I looked for one that would give you the best education.”

She looked away from him, not wanting him to know that the man and woman she’d been with had beaten the way she’d spoken into her and she wondered even now if she’d ever be able to forget it. She looked back at him when he said her name.

“I am so sorry that you were hurt by them. I paid them…well, they were supposed to give you everything your mother could not. And look what happened to you.” He wiped at tears and she held his hand. “I failed so many people.”

She tried to comfort him, but he was still so weak. When he told her about the house and that he’d been keeping it for her, she decided to go and see if any memories were there yet. She found it about an hour after leaving his cell.

The place wasn’t run down nor was it in poor shape like she’d thought it would be. It was a two-story house that had a slate roof and a porch that went all the way around it. She walked up to the front door and used the key he’d given her. It slid in after a few tries and she went inside.

There was little furniture and what there was of it was covered with tarps. She removed them as she walked around the dusty room. Nothing with any padding would have survived, but the wooden couch and end tables sat in the room. There wasn’t any electricity now, but there were two lamps as well as a television that sat in one corner. She moved on to the kitchen area after securing all the tarps again. This room was large, but not as big as the one she now had with Dallas. The refrigerator was empty and standing open, as were all the cabinets. The counters were dirty and he’d told her that because of the scent of the wolf, he doubted that any rodents would enter the house, and he appeared to be right. Wolf’s urine would keep away most smaller animals even if it was very weak.

There was another room, this one empty of anything more than two large corner cabinets that the glass was still in. She wondered if her mother had had pretty dishes in them or if she had simply used this room for affairs. The kitchen had a table and chairs that she would have used. She moved to the stairs and up them.

There was a bathroom here. The one downstairs held a laundry room that was also empty and had no shower. This one held a tub as well as a commode and sink. Peeking into the linen closet and finding it empty, she moved to one of the bedrooms. It was a nursery.

The cradle was hand carved and she could almost see a child of hers in it. She ran her fingers over the smooth wood and wondered if Dallas would let her bring it to his…their home. She decided to ask him. The baby bed was handmade as well and though there were no blankets or mattress, she could see that it was made with love. The shelves on the walls were empty and wondered what had been on them. She stepped closer to find that she had been mistaken. A small blanket was there still and it was wrapped around something hard. The blanket protected whatever was inside from the dirt. She opened it gently and pulled out the small book.

She was looking at the cover of the diary when she heard someone down stairs. She didn’t go down yet, but waited to see if she could figure it out before she got herself killed. She smiled when she thought of what her mate would say if she even got hurt. He was very protective of her.

“As I should be. Where are you?”

His voice startled her and she moved back against the wall when he’d seemingly spoken right next to her.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, love, but I wanted to see you.”

“I am at my mother’s house. There is someone downstairs that I cannot smell. I think it is a vampire. Where is Phil?”
She was not afraid, but she was beginning to feel uneasy.

“He is with me. I’m coming. Stay hidden until I get there. And for your sake, you’d better be in perfect shape when I get to you. It will make spanking you so much more pleasurable.”

The stairs creaked and she waited near them out of sight. There were three rooms up here, but none that she wished to be trapped in. When she saw the person, a woman, she nearly attacked when she realized that she was unable to smell her. And waiting for her mate was no longer an option when she turned to look at her.

“Hello.” She put out her hand, but Stacy did not take it. She was trapped but far from without means. “My name is Melissa Benjamin. I don’t believe we’ve ever been formally introduced.”

A small noise was all the warning she had before Phil and Dallas appeared in the hall with them. Stacy was not sure why, but she felt suddenly protective of the older woman and stepped in front of her between the two males.

“Wait, Dallas. Something isn’t…” Phil looked from one to the other of them and smiled at Stacy. “I think you’ve just met a relative of yours. Am I right?”

“Yes,” Melissa said with a smile. “I’m your aunt on your father’s side. He’s not…I don’t remember the last time I saw him, but when I saw you come in here, well, I knew immediately who you were.”

“You’ve been stalking her?” Dallas moved to her side and she wanted to smack him upside the head. “You should know that, as her mate, I will kill you if you think to take her to that fucktard.”

“Fucktard? I don’t believe I know…it doesn’t sound as if that’s a nice term. Am I to believe that Richard is up to his old tricks again and has managed to piss off some very prominent people?” Melissa shook her head. “He was forever doing that to people he tried to impress. Who are you and what do I need to pay you for you to kill him off?”

Stacy looked at her supposed aunt then at the other two men. She was confused, but more than that, she wanted to ask questions. Dallas put his hand around her and pulled her body to his. Comfort surrounded her and she felt calmed by the move. And just like that, she knew.

“He did not know about you. He thought himself to be an only child and you are a sister he does not know.” Melissa nodded. “And you are as I am. Without scent.”

“Yes. I met you once a long time ago. Your mother and I were very close and she’d have me over when Richard was away. I wasn’t worried he’d find out, you see, because of what I am, but your mother worried so. When she died…when she died, I felt as if a large hole had been put into my heart.” Melissa reached out and moved a strand of hair from her forehead and smiled sadly. “You look like her. I nearly didn’t…I thought you a ghost when I saw you walk into this house.”

“But you said you’d pay to have him killed.” Phil looked at all of them as he spoke. “I’m willing to bet you know something that others might not.”

“He killed his mate when she told him she was leaving him.”

Stacy felt her heart constrict.

“I’m sorry, child, but she was doing it for you.”

“Let’s take this to our home.” Dallas held onto her and glared at Phil. “I’ll walk this time, thanks. It’s nearly too much to ride with you.”

Phil laughed as he headed down the stairs. “I have a great time every time I carry one of you wolves for the first time. You should have seen—” He stopped suddenly and looked back at them. “Stacy, when you told Dallas someone was here, you said vamp. Why?”

“I thought I smelled…blood. Why?”

He shook his head and told her that he would explain later.

“Phil, what’s going on? What do you know about this place?”

He looked up at them from the bottom stair and then at her aunt. She knew something was going on, but not what. He continued to stare at her until they both looked up at her.

“Your aunt is part vampire, as you said. And if you can smell her, blood, as you said, then she’s more than I thought.” He looked at Melissa hard. “How much and why now?”

She didn’t look as if she was going to answer. Melissa looked at the door for so long that Phil stepped in front of it. She looked up at her before looking back at Phil.

“He told me if I found her, he’d let my family go. I don’t…they aren’t day walkers like me, but true night shadows. I can’t let him kill them.”

“So you were to bring her to him and then what?” All Melissa did was shrug at Dallas’ question. “How much did he pay you?”

“Nothing,” she nearly shrieked. “He has my family. I swear to you.” Phil reached out to touch her and she shrank back. “Please don’t. He’ll know that you’ve touched me.”

“No he won’t because you’re not going back to him.” Phil’s voice was hard and unforgiving. He put his hand to her head and seemed to stiffen from the touch. When he finished, Melissa dropped to the floor without a sound.

“Come on. We have to get the hell out of here right fucking now.” He grabbed both her and Dallas and suddenly, they were moving. She felt her belly lurch and Dallas pulled her head to his chest.

~~~

Phil was pissed. He should have scented that something was off, but had nearly waited too long to see it. Thankfully, Stacy had been smarter than him. He walked around the yard several times hoping to calm himself before he went back into the house. The vampire from the house was currently with his parents.

“If you don’t stop that, I’m going to have to hurt you.”

He looked up at Austin who was leaning against the column to his porch.

“You just have to realize that wolves are by far smarter than vampires and you won’t be so disappointed when it hits you between the eyes.”

“Fuck off. She could have been killed. Or worse, she could have been taken by that vampire and we’d never know it.”

Austin shrugged.

“You mean you don’t care that she was a paid assassin by your rival?”

“Oh I care all right. But this is the new me. The more ‘in touch with my inner self’ alpha.” He grinned. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s stupid. Where did you come up with that lame-brained idea? Reading one of those girly magazines for help?”

Austin growled low.

“Oh no, let me guess. Your mate. CJ decided that you needed to be self-aware and now you’re a pussy instead of a wolf?”

“Yes, it was her idea and until you came along and fucked it all up, it was working for me.” Austin stretched his neck. “Not really, but it makes CJ happy so I was willing to give it a try. Tell me what you know about the imposter.”

“She’s not. An imposter, I mean. She really is being blackmailed by Rich. And he really does have her family. Her human mate as well as their household. He gave her as much information as he thought she’d need except for one thing. Stacy’s ability to smell a vampire.”

“I don’t understand. Can’t anyone smell one of you guys? Especially if they’re not human?”

Phil shook his head.

“I can smell you.”

“Yes because we’re friends. But a normal wolf, one without contact with one of our kind, wouldn’t know what we smell like. I bet if you asked any of those people you brought here if they could smell her, they’d tell you no. Stacy, because of her inability to be scented, has a little extra nostril power.”

Austin sat down on the steps and looked to be processing what he was telling him. That’s why he liked the big man. He never went off half-cocked. Phil moved to the steps and sat beside him.

“You’re saying that because of our friendship, we can have a certain ability over a lot of other wolves? That not only can we smell you, but you can’t hide from us as easily?”

Phil nodded.

“How was she able to hide her scent from me then?”

“She can mask her scent, as can I. But she didn’t fool Stacy because of what she is. And what she is can be something very useful to you if you want to employ her to use it.”

“No.” Dallas came out of the house and glared down at the two of them. “You’ll not use her in any way, shape, or form. I’ll not have my mate used as bait so that we can catch the bastard that sired her.”

“I don’t think you have much say in that, buddy. You’re going to have to do better than that if Stacy has any say in this.” Phil nodded to the doorway. “And a great deal of explaining to do if her face is any indication.”

Stacy stood there looking like fury, if fury had a face, that is. Phil could see the tension in her body and her eyes had turned. He’d been around Holly when she’d been nearly this pissed and didn’t envy Dallas her anger at all. She simply walked between him and Austin and toward the tree line. Phil put his hand out to stop the man before he could follow.