Rocky (Tales of the Were) (11 page)

She wrapped her leg around his thigh, then higher to his hip. He was so huge and solid, so reassuring and totally hot. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit she’d wanted him for a long, long time. But all conscious thought fled as Rocky moved his skillful hands beneath her sweater to touch her ribcage.

He’d held her in his arms before
, but she’d been too uncomfortable both physically and mentally just after the twins were born, to really enjoy the sensations. She was healed now physically, and each day helped her come to terms with her new situation. She felt every brush of his calloused fingers against her sensitive skin as he moved cautiously higher, climbing her ribcage in slow increments.

She moaned when h
e cupped her breast. The soft fabric of her bra was the only thing between his warm palm and the yearning, aching tip that wanted so much to feel his possession. But he was careful with her. He touched her as if he knew how exquisitely sensitive and sometimes painful her nipples were now that she was nursing.

Rocky was
attuned to her body in a way no man had ever been. He touched her, squeezing gently as his other hand palmed her ass, keeping her close to his hard erection. His kiss went on and on, delving deep, claiming and coaxing, demanding and giving.

Until the babies cried.

The first little wail entered her consciousness. Rocky lifted his head immediately and it registered that he was looking downward, but it didn’t occur to her what he was doing right away. She felt drugged. Lethargic and needy. Her mind didn’t want to come back from whatever blissful plane of existence Rocky had sent her to. But then the babies’ cries reached her brain and she pulled away with a gasp.

She had to untwine her leg from around Rocky’s pillar of a body, embarrassment flooding her cheeks as she realized just how far gone she’d been. Rocky looked at her worriedly, seeming torn between taking up where they’d left off and the boys.

Hiccupping cries seemed to decide him. He bent to the carrier and checked the boys. He was such a responsible adult. While she felt more like a horny teenager than ever before.

She watched him, trying to gather her wits and slow her rapid breathing. If they’d been in a car, there would be fog on the windows from the steam they’d generated. How Rocky could function after such a devastating experience was beyond her, but thank goodness he could.

She’d chastise herself later for being a bad mother, but for this moment, she was glad he was here to see to the boys. She wasn’t quite sure if she’d have been able to think rationally enough to do it at the moment.

“They’re okay. Just wet.” He stood with the carrier over one arm. “We’d better go in.”

Chapter Ten

Neither of them spoke of the interlude, but when Maggie fell asleep that night after a boisterous dinner with Rocky, Rafe, Tim, Allie, Betina, Marissa and Joe all crowded into Rocky’s house, she had troubling dreams. She didn’t sleep well. The pattern of her nights prior to arriving on Rocky’s doorstep had returned.

Things were chasing her in the dark of her dreams. Things with hideous, evil faces. Not ugly. No, far from it. These things were beautiful in their evilness and very appealing. They cajoled and teased her even as they tried to lure her into their trap, but she was strong. She had to be. For her babies.

Maggie woke in a familiar cold sweat the next morning, noting that Rocky had apparently come in at some point and taken the babies into the living room. She could just see them in their carrier through the door he had left cracked open. Smart man, he’d realized that she would worry if she couldn’t see the boys the moment she woke up.

They made a cute picture, the three males. Rocky was staring at his laptop screen, occasionally sparing a loving glance for the babies who rested in their comfy carrier at his side. Both the laptop and the big carrier w
ere positioned on the long coffee table in front of the couch on the far side of the living room, in line of sight with the door to the room where she slept.

He must
have traded the use of his more powerful desktop computer for the laptop’s portability so she could see them immediately upon waking. His thoughtful gesture brought a smile to her lips even through the echoing memories of those horrible dreams.

She got up and went to the door as quietly as she could. Rocky heard her the moment the blanket rustled, of course, but said nothing. The babies were sleeping, looking angelic.

“Do I have time for a shower?” She spoke as softly as she could, knowing Rocky would figure out what she was saying. He had super sharp hearing. Unfortunately, so did the boys, and she really didn’t want to wake them until she’d had a chance to calm down from those horrendous nightmares.

He looked down at the babies, then up to her and nodded with a concerned smile. This was a departure from the routine they’d established. Normally, she wanted to cuddle her sons the moment she woke up, but today was different and there was no hiding it from Rocky.

But she couldn’t go near Rocky yet. Not now. She didn’t have time or the inclination to discuss her nightmares with him before she’d had a chance to wash away the sweat that clung to her skin. She’d have to ask Rocky if fear really did have an odor. Maybe it was for the best that she didn’t get too close to her babies if they could smell the terror that had filled her dreams. She didn’t want to upset them—or Rocky.

She wanted to be strong for all three of the males. She wanted to be as strong emotionally as their bear side was physically. It was a tall order, she knew, but she’d been strong for the past ten months. She could be strong a little longer. That was her mantra, and if she repeated it enough she might even begin to believe it.

Maggie grabbed a few items and headed for the bathroom. Fifteen minutes. Just fifteen minutes of cleansing hot water. That’s all she needed now to make her ready to face the bears waiting for her out there again.

Twenty minutes later, a freshly washed and dressed Maggie joined Rocky in the living room. The babies woke as she entered and sent up those cranky sounds that she’d learned preceded outright wailing. Without a word, she took them back into the bedroom and closed the door. This once, she wanted to care for them herself, without Rocky’s help.

About a half hour later, she opened the door to the living room once more. The babies were back in their carrier, dozing lightly. She took them with her as she left the bedroom.

“Is everything okay?” Rocky asked in a gentle, soothing tone she was certain he cultivated for the benefit of the babies. His eyes squinted in concern as he met her gaze.

“Yes and no.” She sat on the sofa a few feet from him, placing the boys’ carrier back on the coffee table. “Rock, I had awful nightmares all night long.” She studied him to see if he understood the seriousness of her pronouncement
, and it was clear he didn’t get it. “I’ve had nightmares off and on since Tony died, usually right before a close call with the jerks on my trail. The dreams are warnings.” She smiled and shook her head. “I never would have said something like that a year ago, but I’ve learned the truth of it. The dreams come when danger draws near.”

Rocky’s brows lowered and she was glad to see he was considering her words carefully. He stood and started to pace. Well, for a mere human it would have been pacing, for him it was more like stalking silently around the room. She noticed that he went behind the babies’ carrier so they wouldn’t be able to see his agitation. Smart man. Her little boys were very observant for one-month-olds. Of course, they were half grizzly bear, so nothing about them was as it would have been with purely human babies.

“Are you sure about these dreams?” He paused in his prowling to ask.

“Yes. I think our respite is about to come to an end and the nightmares are a warning.” She hated the thought of it, but
as she spoke the words she knew in her heart that they were true.

“I’m glad the Lords and the priestesses will be here for dinner. This is something we need to discuss.” He ran one hand through his hair in a restless gesture. “Will you be okay to talk about the details of the dreams? Betina might be able to interpret what you’re seeing, if you’re willing to describe it.”

Maggie swallowed hard. “Yeah, I can talk about it. I don’t really want to, but if it could help, I’ll do it.”

Rocky returned to her side and took one of her hands. “I’ll be there. You can always lean on me, Mags.”

Dinner was quiet but nice. Rafe, Tim, Rocky and Joe talked about Pack business and told amusing stories about some of the youngsters who were getting into mischief. Betina and Allie spoke with Marissa and Maggie about the dinner and other trivialities until after dessert was served.

But there was a feeling in the air…as if they all knew there was something important hanging over their heads. Maggie felt it most of all. She knew they were going to ask her about the dreams. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but knew it had to be done. They had to know what she had seen and maybe—just maybe—they would help her figure out what in the world it all meant.

“I hear you’ve been having nightmares,” Betina finally broached the subject as Marissa cleared away the dessert plates.

Maggie took a deep breath before replying. “I’ve had them before. Every time danger got too close to me, or the killer had found some sort of clue to my whereabouts, the dreams started up. I came to realize they were sort of an early warning system, giving me time to relocate and hide my trail as best I could.”

She saw that she had everyone’s attention. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as she’d imagined it would be. These were all friends. They would help her and her babies.

“What kind of dreams?” Betina asked gently.

“I’m being chased. That part is pretty straightforward. But the thing that’s chasing me is grotesquely beautiful. No, that’s not the right word. I’m not really sure how to describe it. It’s absolutely stunning. Gorgeous. And wholly evil. So evil its beauty becomes ugly. If you’re just looking at its outer shell, it would be very easy to trust. But underneath, evil radiates from its core. Palpable, pulsing waves of evil. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

Betina’s eyes narrowed in concern and Maggie noticed everyone else around the table had varying expressions of unease, though none showed any fear.

“Is it a creature or a human?” Tim asked.

“Sometimes it’s human. Sometimes it isn’t, but I can’t see the actual shape. I think it has horns and it’s surrounded in a swirl of red. Red and dirty brown. Black.” She tried to recall the images from her nightmare. “It’s like a sickly miasma of evilness. Dull and dirty. Like bloody mud.”

“A demon,” Betina announced after a brief pause.

“I knew nothing mortal could take down our Tony,” Marissa said after a long moment filled with stunned silence.

“Damn, Mags. You’ve been running from a demon for the past nine months?” Rocky seemed impressed and a little horrified.

“I always knew our Maggie was made of sterner stuff than most humans,” Joe said approvingly, giving her a little wink of encouragement.

“The dreams always warned me when to move,” she explained.

“So we’ve got a demon in league with the
Venifucus
coming here.” Tim boiled the situation down to the bare facts. Rafe let out a low whistle between his teeth. Nobody looked pleased at the idea.

“We’ll lose the outer perimeter guards if we don’t pull them back,” Rafe said, sitting back in his chair. “They’re the youngest and least experienced of our fighters,” he explained, probably for Maggie’s benefit.

“Then pull them back,” Betina said swiftly. There was a decisive air about her. “This is not something that can be fought solely on the physical plane. I fear this is a job for Allie and I. And Maggie,” Betina nodded toward her, shocking Maggie speechless.

“No.” Rocky shot up from his chair, clearly agitated. “There’s got to be something I can do.”

“Oh, there is Rocco.” Betina smiled at him and he seemed to calm down. “This evil thing must be fought on the spiritual plane by us women, but you can deal with the body that presents itself in your front yard.”

“You’ve seen something, haven’t you?” Rocky asked as he took his seat again, calmer now.

“I didn’t know what it meant until just now, but I think you’ll get the fight you want, and it will be out there…” She gestured toward the front of the house where there was a small clearing in addition to the gravel drive. “And you will wear the heartstone to protect you from its magical assault,” she announced.

“When?” was Rocky’s only question.

This one Maggie could answer. “Not for a few weeks yet, judging by my experience. But if I’m going to fight instead of flee this time, we all need to prepare. I don’t want anyone been caught off guard. The evil in this thing is unlike anything I ever could’ve contemplated. I don’t want anyone to die—and especially not be killed by this demon—on my account.”

“Forewarned is forearmed,” Tim agreed.

“Don’t worry, Maggie,” Rafe put in. “Now that we know what we’re up against, we can formulate a better plan.”

They left it at that and Maggie’s heart was a little lighter now that the problem was out in the open. Even better, Betina had given her a name for the faceless
danger that had plagued her dreams for so many months.