Forrest, Dawn - Alphas' Prize [WeresRus] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (8 page)

“Pass on the information that she has given us and tell them to try to locate Ashok Khan and Katherine. They should not aggressively engage but keep us posted. Organize a long training hike for the unmated non-Alpha werewolves and recall the other mated warriors, but don’t say why. I’ll brief them tomorrow. We’ll need them all at The Den if we are to protect the females.”

“No problem, Prime, but what about the unmated Alpha Councilors and delegates?”

Will knew that Brad sometimes felt uncomfortable around very dominant males and tended to keep out of the way. The bookish young man had been sneaking around The Den all week, avoiding them and staying in the office or library, but Will needed all hands to the pump at the moment.

“I know it’s not normally your job, Brad, but I don’t want to disturb Angela and Mike in their pre-bonding time. You’ll have to organize and lead a trip for the unmated Alphas tomorrow. A visit, including lunch, to the main village of the Pack should keep them occupied for an hour or two.”

A few lovely, unmated Were females lived in the village, and more women than usual were around because of the college spring break.

Brad looked decidedly uncomfortable, even more so than when he’d agreed to give a communications-technology talk to the Council tomorrow, but he nevertheless nodded his compliance. Will huffed, because he was now reduced to asking a submissive male to take on the role of cupid to a bunch of Alphas. Whatever next?

* * * *

Joanna Akara sat in a quiet corner of an Internet café in the airport, nursing a coffee and writing down the coordinates for The Den. She had purchased new dry clothes and was waiting for a plane to Denver. The Prime Alpha lived in north Montana, which is why she had never gone near the place. It was mountain and forest country with mile upon mile of trails to run. It was the perfect location for werewolves. She sighed and hoped that the Council would not hold her captive because she was a werewolf female. Prime Hawke seemed reasonable enough, although that could be an act.

She was worried about her mom and checked their emergency e-mail box, but there was nothing yet. She left a brief message about what she was going to do. Jo decided not to contact her mother directly in case Khan tried to use her as leverage to get them both. She’d wait until she knew whether or not the Were Council or Hawke would help. After contacting the Pack she used a public pay phone to call her best friend, Lynne. Again she was glad that her mother made her memorize important numbers, because her cell phone had been in her pocket and not the waterproof pack when she’d dived overboard. She sadly thought that she would not be seeing much of Lynne in the future because she didn’t want to place her in danger.

There was something about Lynne that Jo found platonically attractive. Her scent was comforting and suggestive of the stable, settled home she’d never had. She had even visited and stayed at Lynne’s parents’ house a few times and found them to be kind and friendly people. Unfortunately her mom had never met her friend, but if Lynne found it odd she never let on. Her mom had always stayed away from Denver in order to not compromise Jo’s home. It would also be tricky to explain how she looked so young.

Lynne was waiting for Jo at Denver International Airport, and her face lit up with delight when she spotted her.

“Joey,” she yelled and ran to embrace her.

Jo had to lean down to fully engage the enthusiastic hug that Lynne gave her. She had to make a conscious effort to relax because she was not a touchy-feely person, and Lynne, well, Lynne was tactile, a real cuddle cat. It actually felt good to be held. Lynne knew that she wasn’t totally comfortable with close physical contact, but it didn’t stop her. Uncharacteristically, Jo wanted to hang onto her friend and pour out her problems, but she couldn’t.

“You okay, Joey? You only stayed stiff for a few seconds, you must be loosening up, girl,” her friend half joked with concern.

The two women were best friends and had similar interests, but they were different in personality and appearance. Jo was organized and, by necessity, very independent. She was six foot tall with an athletic, almost muscular figure. She had golden skin and dark-brown hair with more than a hint of red, especially when the sun shone on it. Her mom said that her dark eyes were well deep, and her last boyfriend had said that they were like limpid pools, but Jo just thought it was a young man’s poetic attempt to get into her pants. It failed of course, as it always did.

Lynne was like a breath of fresh air, a ball of free energy. She was creative and social, with a wicked sense of humor. She was five foot eight inches tall and had a curvaceous figure with a full chest, small waist, and hips to shake and roll, which she often did on the dance floor. Her hair was the golden color of ripe wheat and her eyes cornflower blue. Although not as physically fit as Jo, she still had a mean punch and could execute a powerful roundhouse when they sparred in karate.

Joanna pulled back from her friend’s embrace, keeping one hand on her arm.

“Not really, Lynne, but I can’t tell you much about it. My mom’s in trouble, and I have to go to Montana quickly to get help. I need my bike. Is it still in the space where I left it?”

“Yeah, I took it for a quick spin last week and checked it over. It’s running well. You’re not thinking of riding all the way, are you? There are faster ways to get there.”

“No, it’ll go with me on a plane.”

When Hawke had suggested sending his jet for her she had quickly considered the options. Flying independently and hanging around Kalispell while she hired transportation wasn’t a great idea. The chances of running into a werewolf there were significantly higher than elsewhere. Arriving in Montana on Hawke’s jet would offer her protection—assuming he was true to his word—and then using her own bike offered a means of possible escape. All in all it was marginally the most logical option. More importantly, over and above logic, was that bike was her most treasured possession. She figured that if this was a one-way trip then she darn well wanted to do it in her version of style.

“Is that possible?”

“It is now,” she replied cryptically. “I’d like to rest up at the house for a few hours if that’s okay?”

“Of course, but only if you don’t have an OCD episode and start warding off cats and dogs again. Let’s go.” Lynne laughed as she quickly walked to her car.

“Ah, well, I can’t promise that.” She winced, knowing that it was exactly what she had to do before she left.

When they were on the freeway, Lynne concentrated on driving, but with a frown on her face she asked, “Are you sure I can’t help you more, Jo?”

“Well, actually, there is one thing. Can I borrow your GPS and that scarf you’re wearing?”

If Lynne’s biker leathers had fit she would have snaffled those, too, but unfortunately they were way too short. She was hoping that by wearing another woman’s item of clothing she could disguise her own scent or at least confuse a hunter. It was a long shot.

“You’re back two minutes, and you already want my stuff!” She put on a face of mock outrage. “Your leathers, helmet, boots, and gloves are still in a box in your room. I won’t pretend to understand, but if you need my scarf or anything else, it’s yours.”

“Thanks, you’re a star, and if I could tell you what’s going on, I would.”

“But you can’t, I know, after all you’re my clandestine best friend who disappears at a moment’s notice.” Lynne gave a half chuckle. “Just be careful, and don’t do anything rash or dangerous.”

You mean like ride right into a den full of werewolves who’ll want to fuck me and get me pregnant?
But all she said was, “You know me.”

Lynne suddenly grew serious. “Now we both know that’s not altogether true.”

Yet here she was, helping her out, requiring no explanation, a true friend.

When they were back at her apartment, she used Lynne’s computer to print off the information that Hawke had sent. There were coordinates to The Den and also to a relatively small private airport sixteen miles outside of Denver. The plane would be waiting for her from eight o’clock in the morning. She checked her e-mail in-box again, but there were still no new messages from her mom. Jo was definitely worried now, and it reaffirmed that she was doing the right thing by contacting Hawke. In truth she was relieved that the decision about contacting the Pack had been an easy one to make, given the circumstances. She honestly couldn’t see herself spending her life on the run like her mom. She would be careful about giving the Pack too much information, though, as she never underestimated her mother.

She tried to get a few hours of sleep on her old bed but was almost overwhelmed by the feeling that major changes to her life were about to occur. After tomorrow, things would never be the same. It could be a good or bad thing, depending on how a group of Alphas saw her situation. She rested fitfully and had a strange, erotic half dream about frenzied mating with two snow-white werewolves while howling at the moon.

Chapter 6

At first Kil couldn’t quite believe his eyes because stumbling along the shoreline toward him and Greg was Ashok Khan, wet, shirtless, shivering, and apparently disorientated. Greg, being well trained by him, was careful not to say anything, but the quick look cast his way said, “What the heck?” On closer inspection, Kil saw that Khan’s skin looked like badly dyed cloth, with green, purple, and blue colors bleeding into each other. The bad bruising on his torso and on his drawn, paler face looked suspiciously like boot prints. Jesus, was it possible that a female werewolf had given Khan such a mauling? If so, he thought he might be in love with the hellion.

The man was clearly exhausted because he wasn’t healing as fast as he should. He must have been outside all night to be lurching around here this early in the morning. No wonder they tracked him down so easily. It crossed Kil’s mind that now would be the best time to take Khan out and save his Prime and their kind a lot of grief. His intuition told him that Khan was big trouble, but he needed Will’s permission, so he shelved the appealing idea, made certain he was outside Khan’s hearing range, and called the Chief.

“Take him to the nearest safe house, and bring him in tomorrow,” Will instructed.

“I could easily solve the problem permanently, right now.” He left it unspoken that no one would ever know what happened to the Indian Prime.

“No, we have to do this right. He will go before the Council and explain himself. Don’t let on that you know anything, and if he asks questions just say that you’re following orders. If he is aggressive or a danger to you then tranq’ him.”

Kil thought that Khan just looked grateful to see them.

“I went fishing, slipped, hit my face on a piece of equipment, and fell overboard,” Khan tried to explain through swollen lips and what looked and sounded like a broken nose.

It took all of Kil’s self-discipline not to laugh.
Yeah right, fishing for females to fuck.
He almost hoped that the bully would give him trouble.

“Prime Hawke was concerned about you, and we were sent to track you down and bring you back to The Den.” He let Khan think that Will was psychic and that they were the most amazing trackers who ever lived. “C’mon, let’s get you somewhere warm, buddy.” Kil’s mouth smiled at the man, but it never reached his cold, hard eyes, and Khan did not hold his gaze for long.

* * * *

Jo awoke early and immediately accessed the emergency e-mail in-box one last time. There was still nothing from her mom.
Damn.
She showered and then dressed in her own very impractical but totally hot white biker leathers. The thought crossed her mind that she’d do better to wear something less sexy and appealing, but she didn’t have time to go shopping. Lynne made them both a light breakfast and strong coffee. She didn’t feel like eating, as worry filled her stomach, but she knew that she’d need the energy for the day ahead.

She surprised her friend and herself by giving Lynne a big, grateful, and somewhat-desperate bear hug that had been brewing inside her for the past hour.

“Now I’m really worried,” Lynne said as she held her tight.

“Don’t be. Thanks for being a great friend.” She realized that sounded like a “good-bye” rather than a “see you later.”

She then collected her motorcycle, and with a promise to call Lynne as soon as was practical, she said good-bye. The machine felt good between her thighs. It was as if all that power was just waiting for her to open the throttle and unleash it. She rode to the private airport and was quickly directed to Mr. Hawke’s jet. The pilot, Harry, was polite and efficient.

“We’ll have to drain the fuel tank before we load your bike,” he said.

“Why?” She wasn’t happy about being unable to make a quick getaway.

“Safety regulations.”

She studied him and hoped that she was correct in her assessment that he wasn’t about to make a move against her. She nodded, but while he siphoned off the fuel, she literally sniffed around and visually checked out the plane for any unexpected passengers. It seemed all clear. She helped Harry to load her bike. The cargo hold looked a bit like a jail. She almost lost her nerve when she was securing her bike and saw manacles hanging on the bars.

“I never thought I’d say this to a strange guy, Harry, but I rather hope you’re into kinky sex. It’s better than any other explanation.”