Living Extinct (25 page)

“Many purebred lines have rumors and skepticism that follows them. How you all handle the rumors isn’t my problem.” He walked slowly toward Dante’s table and then pointed a finger at him. “This werewolf saved my pack. My gratitude toward him has all of you here today.”

A few whispers tickled Dante’s ear, but he didn’t bother trying to hear what any of the other werewolves had to say. Like Ollie had so perfectly pointed out, werewolves didn’t exist around some fucking democracy. The strongest led the pack. Plain and simple. Whispered complaints or mumbled threats did little to impress him.

“Now there is some land,” Ollie began.

The glass doors opened again, this time not as quickly. But every werewolf in the room tensed, ready to jump into action if again threatened.

The mated bitch who’d taken Moira in pushed her head through the door. The smell of terror and fear on her alerted everyone into complete silence. She chewed her lip and a lone tear streamed down her cheek when she began mumbling.

“I know I’m out of line, Ollie. And I’m sorry. I’m so incredibly sorry.” She shook and swallowed heavily but forced herself to step inside and ran her hands down her business suit.

That’s when Dante remembered that she worked in a WA branch just outside the town.

“Oh shit.” Moira stood up quickly, grabbing Dante’s shirt and doing her best to pull him to his feet. “The WA agents, they’re here. And they’re sniffing really hard to find us.”

“Oh my God. How did you know?” Rose Silverman’s fingers trembled over her lips.

Moira ran around the table, hurrying over to the woman.

“What’s going on?” Ollie barked, quite obviously in the dark.

Several of the werewolves at the tables mumbled the same thing. Obviously not all of them had the gift.

“I’ve never done this before in my life, Ollie. You know I haven’t. And I’ve only got a few days left at the job. I have all the respect in the world for WA. You know I do.”

Rose cried so hard it was close to impossible to get any sense out of her. “But I had to come. I mean, I planned on heading into town over my lunch break anyway. You know 131

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I do that sometimes. WA isn’t that far out of town. Please, Ollie, I’m doing this for our pack.”

“Rose, if you don’t stop babbling and tell me what the fuck is going on, I’m going to call your mate and have him put a leash on you.” Ollie’s threat had no backing. The werewolf liked the mated bitch. Dante sensed that much in the clogged mixture of emotions piling on top of each other in the room.

Moira turned to face him, her expression lined with worry. “We’ve got to get out of here. Two agents are on their way into town right now searching for you. They plan on taking me back to GWAR.”

“How did she know that?” Rose took a step backward. “I haven’t told a soul. I mean, I meant to tell you, but I hadn’t yet. It’s like you read my mind.”

Ollie was quick on his feet. “Head into the mountains where we fought the other night,” he told Dante. “We’ve got your hide covered here.”

* * * * *

Moira tore over rough ground, leaping over rock and racing up the side of the mountain alongside Dante. Cold mountain air nipped at her nose. Her long, thick coat kept her warm though. Memories of the first night she’d met Dante popped into her head as she stretched her legs, fighting to keep up the pace Dante set. It seemed such a long time ago. Burnt out on GWAR and frustrated with another mission, she’d raced to escape him. Now she ran alongside him, fighting to stay free and at his side.

Enough daylight remained to see through the thick grove of evergreen trees surrounding them. Dante pushed against her, slowing, when they came to a clearing.

He sniffed the air and she pranced around him, antsy, knowing they’d be followed. It was in the air in the calmness that surrounded them.

Dante ran his thick, rough tongue down the side of her face. She stared into his almond-shaped eyes, glowing silver against his black longhaired coat. There was no more stunning creature on Earth. Long, daggerlike teeth pointed dangerously under his lips. His head was thick, his ears alert and twitching as he continually listened for intruders. But his attention never swayed from her. Slowly, he ran his tongue over her fur, stroking and petting her. She rubbed herself against him.

Dante didn’t race up the mountain, running with his tail between his legs. Ollie told him about this spot and Dante led their run with purpose. It wasn’t by accident that they’d stopped here. She blinked, getting lost in his silver eyes.

His thoughts tumbled into her head.
A den
.
Territory for the Malta werewolves to call
their own.

They’d twisted their clothes into rope and tied them around their necks before changing. Dante backed away from her, transforming while he moved. She shook her head, yelping her disapproval. They were a hell of a lot safer in their fur. Not to mention, his thoughts faded from her when he started the change.

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“WA agents won’t attack werewolves in their skin while the agents are in their fur.

Surely you know policy as well as I do.” He began dressing, hiding that glorious body of his with jeans and a sweatshirt.

Moira closed her eyes, letting the change take over. Fire burned in her veins as her muscles contorted and bones popped under her skin. The sweet pain of the change, transforming from the greatest creature ever to walk the earth into her human form, always gave her intense pleasure. She gave herself that moment, feeling every bone reshape, muscles cling and wrap around them, until slowly she straightened and stood on her feet.

Dante helped her untie her clothes from her neck.

“I hear a waterfall,” he told her after they’d dressed.

She followed him through the trees and then sucked in a breath at the intense view laid out before them. Water tumbled down the side of the mountain, raw and wild, uncontrolled and free as it bubbled over rocks and raced toward a crystal-blue pool below.

She opened her mouth to ask about the thoughts he had teased her with before changing.

Dante spoke first. “When we first met I worried I’d never be able to give you your dream of a den, cubs and a place to call your own.”

She looked up at his hard features. He continued looking at the water tumble for its freedom in the glistening mountain lake below them. His black hair shimmered from the sun.

“I think this would be a good place to set up that den.” He wrapped his arm around her, warming every inch of her with his massive body.

Moira’s heart almost exploded in her chest. Happiness swept over her so quickly, its clean smell only making the view around her crisper, clearer, as if she’d never really noticed the natural beauty before.

“God. Dante. I love you so much.” She didn’t want this moment to ever end.

Perfect peace settled between them. The calm before the storm, she thought to herself. Already she smelled other werewolves. Without turning around, she knew it would be minutes before this solitary perfection would be disturbed.

A branch cracked behind them and Dante turned, keeping her close to his side.

Several werewolves appeared up the side of the mountain and more followed, sounding like a wild, panting pack. The three slowed quickly, dancing around each other. Behind them a group of Malta werewolves appeared. Their long black coats and large size made them stand out like the magnificent creatures that they were. Incredibly beautiful and more deadly than any other werewolf on the planet. The American werewolves with them paled in their presence. Now they’d live with the reputation the gift bestowed on them. Moira still felt a strong surge of pride as she watched her pack members climb to the clearing and then spread out around the American werewolves.

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More werewolves reached the clearing—all werewolves from Malta. The large, black creatures made an impressive pack. And damn, every werewolf from the meeting room had to be there. They circled around each other, forming a line slowly until the American werewolves were surrounded. There were three American werewolves, the pack leader and two she didn’t recognize.

Daddy, you’d be so proud.

I am, my sweet little cub. Today you make history. I knew you could do it.
Something brushed against her hand.

Moira swore her father’s large fingers, always calloused and rough, squeezed hers.

She looked down, wiggling her hand, and a tear burned her eye. Quickly she straightened, brushing the hand her sire had just touched through her hair, and faced the werewolves.

The older of the two American werewolves spoke after changing into human form.

“Dante Aldo and Moira Tangaree.”

A younger werewolf finished dressing next to him. Both of them were obviously WA from the geekish-looking clothes they wore. She never understood WA’s desire to make their agents stand out, like they were so damned good they didn’t need to worry about their identity.

“It’s Moira Aldo now,” she corrected him.

A few of the werewolves from her pack looked at her, remaining quiet.

The older werewolf raised an eyebrow. “I see. I’m Steve Muller with WA, and this is my partner Jeff Brim. We were assigned to your case after Dante Aldo kidnapped you while you were on a mission for GWAR.”

Moira laughed, carefully hiding the truth deep in her memory so that not even a Malta werewolf, who might have some or all of the gift, would detect it.

She looked up at Dante. “Someday you’ll have to share your secret as to how you manage to get so many false rumors started about you.” She quit smiling and looked at Steve Muller. “Do you honestly think any werewolf could kidnap a GWAR agent? I’m with this werewolf of my own free will.”

“You deny charges that Dante Aldo abducted you while on a mission for GWAR?”

“I ran from GWAR with the werewolf I love, Mr. Muller.”

“Call me Steve. And did you?”

“If you have any crime, it is that I left GWAR during a mission to be with Dante.”

“No.” Dante stepped forward, giving her a hard look before turning his attention to the WA agents. “She won’t take the blame for any of this. My reasons for taking her are my own. What you believe happened is the truth. You’ve caught me, now what will you do with me?”

Juan stepped forward from the line of werewolves behind the WA agents. “I’m the one who chased Moira down and took her in my car away from her mission.”

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“It doesn’t matter what either of them confess. I won’t go back with you. If you want to take me away from here, you would have to kill me first,” Moira said.

“Lay a hand on her and you’ll be the one killed.” Dante’s growl left no doubt to his words.

Fire burned in the WA agent’s eyes. Without even blinking, he turned away from Dante. The werewolf was either braver than he looked or an idiot. Moira studied Steve’s backside, moving forward, trying to reach into his thoughts when the agent addressed Ollie.

“How is your pack involved with these Malta werewolves?” Steve asked.

The other agent, Jeff, looked at her pack members. “Do you realize the reputation this pack carries?”

Moira didn’t have to climb into Jeff’s head to smell his aggravation with the entire situation. It surprised her when she mingled with Steve’s thoughts that he had more respect for her than she’d thought. In fact, he envied her freedom. He saw her happiness and her plight. Steve wouldn’t do anything to fuck up his remaining days with WA. Moira saw that it pissed him off that he always had to appear the bad guy in front of other werewolves—especially a pack that he’d rather have watching his back than sniffing him out while he slept.

The least she could do was soothe that thought—if she could pull it off. Moving things physically was a hell of a lot easier than replacing angry thoughts with peaceful ones. She’d done it once before and she had to try again. Everything she’d ever wanted was at her fingertips, so close she could smell it, and these two wouldn’t prance into her life and fuck things up.

“My pack has no beef with WA. And I don’t smell trouble on any of these werewolves.” Ollie was a bit nervous. Sweat beaded on his forehead. But he held his own, keeping eye contact with both agents.

“There isn’t any trouble with any of these werewolves.” Dante grabbed the agents’

attention and both turned to look at him. “All they do is search for territory to claim for their pack. WA has always supported a pack’s rights to unite and hunt, live as we were meant to live. If I understand correctly, that is the entire reason WA exists, to ensure that we are kept strong.”

“You know why we’re here.” Steve wasn’t daunted.

“Yup. And if you need to take me away, then so be it. You will not deny these werewolves the right to make a home for themselves though.”

“They aren’t taking you away.” Moira leapt in front of Dante, glaring at the WA agents.

“Little bitch,” Dante growled.

To hell with his damned werewolf’s pride. She ignored his silent assurance that he’d come back to her, that he just wanted to get the agents off their tails. A cold breeze picked up around them, lifting her hair off her back. She focused on the two agents.

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“I am alive and with Dante of my own free will. Will you charge me with going AWOL from GWAR?” She stared into Steve’s gray eyes.

He hesitated and she grabbed on to that emotion.
Convince him to leave. Convince him
to leave.
But what could she plant in his mind that would make him go?

Not to mention she’d never done anything like this before.

Her stomach twisted, apprehension making her break out in a damp sweat. Her clothes stuck to her skin and the breeze picked up. Her hair blew in her face while twigs and dead leaves danced at their feet. Too many emotions—anger, fear, frustration—

spun around them like mini-tornadoes.

The determination faded in Steve’s eyes while she watched.
Malta werewolves will
harm no one here.
She prayed to make his mind agree with the thought she’d instilled in him.