Heartsblood (3 page)

“Well, you knew that would happen. Since I first met Jax, he’s grown six inches and gained ten more pounds of muscle.”

“But Jax was your natural bloodlust, if anything about this process can be called natural. It wasn’t forced on him by some crazy chemicals Jeremy Tate made up in his laboratory.”

“Still, the effect has been much the same so far, right?”

“I guess so, though Nicky’s changed in other ways too. He’s much more aggressive.”

“Jax too, but again, that’s to be expected. He’s a wolf now, not a human. Not to mention an alpha. I know it has to be harder on you, since the dynamics of your relationship were well established with Nicky before this happened to him. I had only just met Jax, and we were still trying to figure things out.”

Marco fell down in a chair by the fireplace. “I don’t think I know how to handle him very well anymore. At times he seems almost like a stranger.”

“But he’s not. It’s Nicky—just a different Nicky, that’s all. And one you’d better learn to come to terms with if you feel for him the way I know you do.”

Marco stared into the fire for a long time, trying to find the right words to make Cade understand. “It’s not just that he’s acting aggressive and dominant. I know I’m still stronger than he is, but even if he were to one day become more powerful and challenge me for the leadership of the pack, then I’d like to think I’d give in gracefully. After all, it’s the way of our kind—the strongest wolf in the pack always leads. I know that. Nicky is brave and good-hearted too, and I trust him with my life.”

“But?”

Marco smiled. “Nicky’s judgment isn’t always the best. Or at least it wasn’t before, and I haven’t seen any signs of improvement. I’m not sure if he’ll be a good leader. And this wolf inside him…he’s afraid of it, and I can see why. The times I saw it, the thing was out of control. Wild and full of hatred.”

“Then it’s up to you to help him bring his wolf under control. Who else but his alpha could do it?”

“I’ll try. If he’ll let me. He’s always had so much pride and anger inside him. From the very beginning. I don’t know if he can set that aside long enough to listen.”

Cade nodded thoughtfully. “Can you?” He came over to stand beside Marco and put a hand on his shoulder. “In the old days, it was always the male alpha in the pair who led the pack, even though he may not have been the strongest. Remember how it was with our grandparents?”

“God, yes. I think Grandmother hated Grandfather at the end.”

“Maybe not hate, but she sure resented him. She was stronger, yet she always had to defer to him. It ruined their marriage.”

“Nicky hated me for a while when we had that trouble between us. Or he thought he did anyway. Tate had a lot to do with that too, and he tried his best to come between us. I’d kill that son-of-a-bitch if I ever got my hands on him again.”

Cade nodded. “I’d help you. He’s a danger to all of us. He proved that when he attacked our pets on the mountain that day. In the old days, the Hunters mostly focused their attacks on the wolves and not on our mates and children.”

“All the better to demoralize us with. Tate’s an evil son-of-a-bitch, and he’s always had his sights set squarely on Nicky.”

“And now he’s made Nicky into a wolf. Two males to form an alpha pair, just like me and Jax.” Cade squeezed Marco’s shoulder. “Tate may just have created his own personal monster this time. It remains to be seen how strong Nicky will become, and he despises Tate for what he’s done.” Cade shook his head. “In the meantime, don’t let pride get in your way, Marco. Or you might just lose Nicky for good this time.”

“So what do you suggest I do?”

“Teach him. He’s not your pet anymore. Make him shift into his wolf and learn to be a member of your pack. If his wolf is damaged, then all the more reason to try to help him. If he can be healed, it will only happen while he’s in his animal form, and you know that. As his alpha and his mate, it’s your responsibility. Jax was frightened of his wolf at first, too, for very different reasons. I had to force him to shift.”

“How did you do it with Jax?”

“I took him out in the woods and challenged him. Maybe it’s time you do the same with Nicky. If his wolf wants to come out, Nicky will only be moody and restless until it happens.”

Marco nodded and stood up. “Thanks Cade. Keep me posted on what your father finds out in those old papers. I think it’s time Nicky and I had a heart to heart.”

* * * *

“Holy shit,” Gabe said into the cell phone, his voice low so he wasn’t overheard by his mate Zack in the office next door to their bedroom. “What did you say to him afterward?”

Nicky adjusted his phone to sit between his shoulder and his chin as he twisted the cap off a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator. “What the hell could I say? He didn’t give me a chance to say much of anything. Marco stormed out of the room so fast I never knew what hit me. I was looking out the window later and saw him running toward the perimeter. He runs like that when he’s upset about something. I guess the something is me this time. He’s probably heading up to Cade’s lodge to talk to him about me. He does that a lot now too. But hell, if he couldn’t figure out for himself what the fuck I was doing, I obviously wasn’t doing it right.”

Gabe’s voice was breathless. “Oh, he knew all right. He just didn’t like submitting to you. You didn’t like…force him, did you?”

“No. I wouldn’t do that to him. We both knew he could get away if he tried—he just decided not to try very hard.”

“I would have paid to see it, Nicky.” Gabe laughed gaily and Nicky’s stomach did a strange flip. He got a sudden longing to see Gabe and stare into those blue eyes of his again. And where the hell did that thought come from? Gabe was his friend.
Nothing
more. Nicky shook his head and leaned against the wall. What was wrong with him today?

“Really, Nicky. Macho Marco a bottom? Oh my God, to have been a fly on the wall.”

“You’re such a freak, Gabe. I didn’t do it to humiliate him or make him mad. I was only trying to show him that things are different now. More equal. He has to respect that, or I don’t know what’s going to happen between us.”

“Well, give it some time. Give Marco some time. This has to be quite an adjustment to him.”

“I know, but what about me? I never know what I’m going to see when I look in the mirror anymore. I mean, it’s me, but not me, you know? I’m bigger, of course, but even my face is changing. I look older…”

“Oh my God!”

“Shut up—not that much older. I mean, I’m still pretty, of course.”

“Of course,” Gabe said, laughing. “But tell me about this getting bigger aspect of it all. Like you’re bigger
everywhere
?”

“Hell, I don’t know. I don’t sit around and contemplate my dick, like you do.” He got a sudden image of Gabe’s nicely shaped dick. They’d been swimming together several times and always in the nude. Neither of them was shy. Gabe, in particular, was proud of his body and rightfully so. He was a good-looking guy with a great build, but Nicky had never had the slightest desire for him. He was a good friend, and that was all.

“I’d be glad to come up there and inspect your dick for you.”

Nicky shifted uneasily, the dick under discussion beginning to plump up. Gabe was so full of shit—always had been. Nicky knew he was devoted to his mate, Zack.

“Yeah, I’ll bet. And have Zack come down on my ass? No thanks. One enraged alpha to deal with at a time, thank you very much.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Nothing. Marco will get over it, or at least I hope he will. He’ll probably give me the cold shoulder for a day or two.”

“Or else he’ll come home tonight and show you who’s boss. Lucky you.”

Nicky laughed softly and shifted the phone back up to his ear. “I would like to see you. If Zack will let me. The wolves around here act like I’m about to snatch their mates up and run under the bed with them.”

“I’d like to say Zack will be different, but who knows? He’s not exactly the soul of restraint when it comes to me, though not, thank God, as bad as Marco is. Or was, anyway.”

Nicky stood up restlessly and paced back over to the window. “I’d better go. I’m beginning to get stir crazy in this room.”

“What do you do with yourself these days? Are you working on a painting?”

“No,” Nicky said shortly. That was an area he didn’t want to discuss. “I don’t have much to do. I guess I was expected to sit around like a good little wifey before with my feet propped up or something, reading magazines. I don’t know how I could have stood it for so long.”

A short silence greeted these words and then Gabe gave a small, nervous laugh. “Who are you and what have you done with Nicky?”

Nicky snorted and shook his head. “I was that bad, huh?”

Another silence and then, “Not to me.” The feeling of unease came back over Nicky at these softly spoken words and a sudden fierce longing to see Gabe again swept over him. Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with him?

“Well, I have to find something to do with myself or go crazy. I guess I’ll find Ian and see if he can assign me to a work detail.”

“Okay, now you’re just trying to scare me.”

“Goodbye, Gabe. I’ll call you later.”

“See to it that you do, and Nicky…”

“Yeah?”

“I know you’re going through a lot of changes with your body and stuff—all things I can’t wait to see, by the way. But don’t lose Nicky along the way, okay? I love that guy. I’d hate to see him disappear.”

“Okay, whatever,” Nicky said, his voice a little gruff to hide his embarrassment. Had Gabe said this kind of thing all along, and had he just never noticed it before? It was sweet, in a way, but it made him uncomfortable in ways he didn’t want to think about. And he suddenly realized he hated someone talking about him in the third person. It sounded silly and pretentious—
don’t lose Nicky along the way.
Jesus.

“Look, I’ll talk to you later,” he said, already feeling guilty at having disloyal thoughts about his good friend but needing to get off the phone before…well, he wasn’t sure why, but he needed to hang up. Now.

“Okay,” Gabe said softly as Nicky hit the end button on his phone.

Chapter Two

Nicky sighed and slipped his phone back in his pocket. He hoped he hadn’t been rude to Gabe. He scrubbed his face with his hands. So far today he was batting a thousand when it came to pissing people off or hurting their feelings. And that strange, restless longing to see Gabe again. What was that about? What the fuck was wrong with him today? He felt like he had to move and work off some of this tension or go crazy.

He took off to find Ian and see about getting assigned to a work detail. Even cutting wood would be better than sitting around this room all day. On his way down the stairs, he passed Rory, Marco’s cousin and lead gamma of the pack, coming up. He hadn’t seen much of him since that day on the mountain when both of them had been hurt. Rory had been a member of their party, one of the guard detail assigned to them and had been badly injured in the attack, wounded in the leg and shoulder with silver bullets. He’d lost a lot of blood and a bad infection had set in from the silver, a substance poisonous to wolves.

“Hey man, I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you feeling?” Nicky asked, stopping on the stairs.

“I’m fine,” Rory replied. Nicky and Rory had always had a close but teasing relationship. Rory disapproved of the way he said Marco spoiled Nicky and he’d never made any bones about it. “But look at you. Damn, you were always tall, but you were like a beanpole before. Is Marco feeding you steroids or something?”

Nicky shrugged, uncomfortable at the turn in the conversation. That seemed to be the only thing anyone had to say to him these days. “I guess I’ve put on a few pounds. So are your wounds healing up okay?”

“Oh yeah. Casey’s seen to that.” He smiled ruefully. “He’s fed me so much of his blood I think I slosh when I walk. The doc finally had to tell him to back off.” When Rory had mated with Casey, an aggressive alpha, everyone had been shocked, but they seemed to make it work, even though Casey was extremely controlling and protective.

“Yeah, I know how that is. Marco’s been known to get a little overzealous in that department himself whenever I’ve been sick or hurt.”

“They’re only looking out for what’s best for us,” Rory said, frowning a little defensively, even though he’d been the one to start this.

Nicky smirked. “Yeah, right. Have you been drinking the Kool-aid along with all that blood?”

Rory flushed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You’re always such a smartass when it comes to the wolves. I see that still hasn’t changed a bit. You’d think that since you’re supposed to be changing into a wolf you would show a little more respect.”

Nicky gave Rory a long, narrow look. “I’m not
supposed
to changing, Rory. I
have
changed. And into an alpha at that, so maybe you’re the one who needs to show a little respect.” Nicky gave him a long hard look and was astonished to see Rory flush even more deeply and then lower his gaze.

“Sorry,” he muttered, almost under his breath. Rory was a gamma, and it wasn’t surprising that he’d back down in the face of a more dominant wolf. It was a pack hierarchy thing, and if Nicky was ever to gain the wolves’ respect, he had to start somewhere. The wolves respected strength, after all, and pack rank meant everything. Still, it felt like a cheap shot.

Rory had been Nicky’s first antagonist when he’d come to Mountainwood, but also his first friend. He loved him like a brother, and like brothers, they’d always bickered back and forth. Up to now, that’s all it had ever been.

“It’s okay,” Nicky said softly. “I have to go see Ian. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Rory murmured something he didn’t quite catch and took off up the stairs. Nicky stared after him and sighed. This seemed to be his day for burning bridges. He just hoped he wouldn’t need to cross one of them again anytime soon.

Moving on down the stairs, he passed a few pack members in the lounge area, and each of them nodded to him, and he even got a few tentative smiles, but as soon as he’d passed he heard the whispers start up behind him. The others were nervous around him now, not completely understanding the changes in him. Hell, who did? He kept going, heading outside to find Ian.