Wolf Creek Enforcer (13 page)

Ian sighed as he quickly stepped around her to lead the way.  “Stay
behind me.  And yes, I was staring at your ass.”

Melanie was smiling while walking behind him.  She wasn’t worried, at least not yet.  If they had been in danger, she knew Devlin and Davi
d would have been fighting and expecting them to try and get away.

As they got closer to where the men were, Ian spoke.  “Listen to me Melanie.  I want you to stay behind me.  Until I get a sense of these guys, I don’t want you stepping out from behind my back.  Understand?”

She rolled her eyes, “Got it.  I’ll be a good little soldier until I get the all clear signal.”

Ian saw both David and Devlin standing across from a tall man with a scraggly beard.  He had long auburn hair with braids beside his temples.  The man was wearing a
kilt in subdued red, green and blue.  Ian was happy to see the man’s sword was still on his back and not in his hand. 

He glanced at the other m
en around the area.  They all wore the same color kilt and looked rough and ready to fight.  Ian knew they were highlanders instantly.  Their warrior status was clear in their eyes and bodies. 

“Great, we’re in the middle of Braveheart,” he mumbled.

Melanie was trying to peek around Ian.  She leaned over and saw the man standing in front of Devlin.

“Angus!” she screamed joyfully
, sliding around Ian and running to hug the big guy. 

“Melanie?  Lass, whit are ye
doing with these wolves?” Angus sniffed, his eyes widening.  “Yer mated?”

“Yes, I am.  It’s so wonderful to see you again.” Melanie turned to pull Ian closer.  “This is my mate, Ian.  Ian, this is Angus, an old friend.”

The men stared at one another, sizing each other up.  Finally Angus thrust out his hand, “She be a special lass and part of our clan.  Fer yer own sake, ye better be good ta her,” he said.

Ian shook his hand, “
I’d never hurt her, she scares me.”

Angus l
aughed as he turned to the other men.  Melanie let Angus know that David was her brother but Devlin needed no introduction due to the fact he looked almost exactly like Ian. 

“Where’s
Rory?” Melanie asked.

“Right here,
my wee Melly,” Rory came forward from the back where he’d been standing with the men.

He picked her up and twirled her a
round, grinning as he hugged and kissed her.  Melanie was smiling when he released her.

Ian growled, watching the man that looked a lot like Angus
touching his mate.  He moved around Angus and pulled Melanie away, pushing her toward Devlin.  Then he attacked.

He
leapt at Rory, taking the man down.  Rolling around on the ground, they were both trying to get the upper hand.  As they fought, the men stood around cheering while Melanie just yelled.

“Damn it Ian, stop it.  He’s an old friend.  Rory, if you don’t stop punching my mate, I’ll get even.  You really don’t want to be on my shit list, if you
’ll recall,” Melanie shouted.

Ian turned to her, “Shit list?” he was bleeding slightly from his nose.

Rory wiped the blood trickling from his mouth against his sleeve.  Grinning, he replied, “Mé géilleadh.”

“My Gaelic’s rusty.   What did you say?” Melanie asked.

“Basically, he surrendered,” Ian told her.

“Aye, that’s correct
.  Melly scares me more than ye do,” Rory shivered.

“So, what did she do to you?” Devlin smirked.

“She told Da I was messing around with a married lass.  He wasna happy with me,” Rory glowered at her.

Angu
s looked from Rory to her.  “Ye lied ta me?”

“Okay, I’m sorry, but you know he deserved it.  He hid my clothes in the garderobe!”
Melanie defended herself.

“Ac
h, enough!” shouted Angus.  “Ye two will bring my death.  We’re going home ta Fhaol Castle.  Are ye coming, or are ye headed somewhere else?”

“Which direction will you be going?” David asked.

After seeing Angus point north, David nodded to the others.  “That’s where we’re going, we’ll join you, if we may.”

Doubling up on the horses, they fell into line following Angus.  Melanie rode with Angus,
which Ian was more comfortable with than any of the other wolves.  He could see that Angus regarded her as a daughter.

Rory had jumped on his horse and leaned down to give Ian a hand.  No hard feelings there.  David and Devlin sat behind other warriors for
the ride.

After traveling awhile, Ian asked Rory how he knew Melanie. 

Angus spoke before Rory could.  “She saved his life.  Rory had a fever, an illness our healer couldna’ cure.  Melanie’s medicine healed him.  I am forever in her debt.” 

Melanie was uncomfortable taking credit for saving Rory’s life.  It was twentieth century medicine that saved him, not her.  Giving him penicillin had cured the infection he’d had.

Do they know what you are?
Ian asked through their link. 
Or that you don’t live in this time?

Melanie startled when she heard the voice in her head.  She relaxed her grip around Angus waist when she realized she had clutched him tighter.  Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at Ian before turning her head back to look at the landscape.  She was trying to seem casual, but felt stupid since she knew no one else could hear Ian. 

Umm, they know I’m a druid, but not that I time travel.  I’ve rescued people from this area and time before.  I believe there is a vortex around here somewhere.

Angus welcomes magical beings, as long as they aren’t evil.  I’d heard about him so I knew I would find shelter and food at his castle.

Anyway, Rory was ill and Angus asked for my help, hoping as a druid, I could heal him.  I didn’t want to deceive him and make him think I was a healer, so I told him the truth.  Okay, part of the truth.  I said I’d gotten the medicine on my travels, which was technically true.

She
heard a small chuckle in her head
.  Yeah, technically,
Ian said.

Melanie huffed
, I try to be truthful whenever possible. I have told tiny white lies on occasion.  You know, to protect my identity. 

Ian was grinning to himself.  She was so easy to rile up
.

“Mayhap now yer mated, you’ll dress proper like a lass
should.  No more wearing trews, or looking like a lad,” Angus stated.

Melanie harrumphed while Ian laughed.  

They traveled another hour before leaving the forest and coming upon an open meadow.  Ian could see a castle in the distance with men patrolling the battlements. 

Their horses picked up speed, trotting now in their haste to get home. 
Arriving at the outer wall, they went around to the open gate, going under the barbican.  Passing the inner wall, they arrived in the courtyard and dismounted.  There were people all around, some greeting the returning men, others going about their business. 

Ian noticed several of the men had stopped to stare at him and Devlin, sniffing the air.  Obviously they had picked up on them being
wolves.  Ian immediately went over to help Melanie down, giving a nod to Devlin.

Devlin came and stood beside
him, with Melanie blocked behind them to protect her.  Ian crossed his arms, casually staking his claim. 

“The lads got yer mes
sage, she’ll be safe.  They ken Melanie is under my protection and is always welcome here,” Angus said.

Ian relaxed his stance, taking hold of her hand to follow Angus into the castle. 

Melanie whispered, “You need to chill.  These people are my friends.”

Ian didn’t answer, just pulled her along at his side with Devlin following. 

David stood back, watching as the stable boys took the horses away.  He casually checked out the perimeter and could see that Angus had a well fortified home.  He figured they could use this place as their base from which to look for the lost traveler.

Following the others, he went th
rough the huge doors into the castle.  Angus was hugging a woman whom David assumed was his wife.  She was an older woman, but he could see that she was still pretty. 

He heard Melanie introduce them, turning to point at him.  David walked over to greet her, bowing and thanking her for allowing them to stay.

“My Cait will get ye settled.  After dinner, we’ll talk and ye can tell me yer requirements,” Angus told them.

“Come along, I had rooms readied as soon as I heard we had guests.  I’ll send a bath up for you Melanie, but the men can go bathe in the loch.  No sense making more work for my
girls when the loch will do fer the warriors,” Cait said, her eyes twinkling.

Melanie knew how cold the water was in the loch, so she thanked Cait profusely for having a tub brought up for her. 

Ian and Melanie entered their room, thanking Cait as she closed the door.  Devlin and David were across the hall in separate rooms.

Hearing a knock, Ian opened the door and waited while the tub was put in front of the fire.  They could not talk privately until the tub was filled and everyone left.
  There was no point in speaking telepathically.  They needed David and Devlin in on the conversation.

Ian waited impatiently until they were done
, while Melanie sat on the bed, sighing as the door closed.  She was tired and hungry, on the verge of getting really grumpy. 

“I’m going to get
David.  We need to know what his plans are,” Ian said.

“Okay, but hurry up.  I can’t wait to get this grime off of me and go eat dinner.  I’m starving,” Melanie said.

Ian returned quickly with David and Devlin.  Melanie had laid back on the bed with her legs dangling over the edge.  She didn’t bother sitting up, she could listen and contribute just fine from her prone position. 

Devlin
took a stance by the closed door.  He would alert them if anyone from the castle came near.  David propped himself up by the fireplace, while Ian stood near the window. 

“Okay
you two, how close are we to the target?” Devlin asked. 

Staring at the ceiling, Melanie sent out tendrils of magic.  She closed her eyes, following the magic trail until she knew she had a location.

“Got it.  Probably a couple of days travel from here, leading into the mountains.  Crap.  I really hate the thought of hiking through mountains.  Rough terrain, rock slides, and the higher we go, the colder it gets,” Melanie complained. 

“
I got the same vibes, so be ready to leave tomorrow,” David stated.  “Not knowing how long they’ve been lost, they may need medical attention.  We never know if the persons we’re going after are seasoned campers, or totally lost when not in the city.”

“Angus wants to speak with us after dinner.  Any ideas
on what we’re going to tell him?” Ian asked.

“He won’t be a problem, in fact,
he may very well give us some help.  He knows these mountains.  I’ll tell him we’re looking for a lost friend and ask if he’s heard any rumors,” Melanie said. 

“That works for me.  We always want to keep things as simple as possible.  Elaborate tales end up tripping you up otherwise,” David explained.

“Okay, you three go get cleaned up so I can take my bath.  And no, I’m not sharing my bath water.  I plan on soaking my muscles for a little while.  Go on, out you go,” Melanie ordered. 

Ian went last out the door, turning to look at her.  “We could
always share, I’m a great masseur.”

“Unh uh.  Nope, I’d never get dinner.  Bye, bye now,” Melanie stood with her arms crossed, waiting for him to leave.

Ian sighed pitifully as he closed the door, hanging his head in rejection.

Shaking her head, she quickly stripped and stepped into the tub.  It was small, but
so was she.  Trying to imagine sitting in the tub with Ian made her laugh.  He’d have to be a contortionist to fit.  He would have had to remain standing and then pour water over himself to rinse off. 

Folded into the small space, Melanie slowly washed her body, removing
the dirt from their travels.  She grabbed a pail and dumped it over her head and washed her hair as best she could.  After rinsing her hair, she lay back with her shoulders pressed against the side.  Not the most comfortable position, but the water was still warm, if only a little grimy. 

Melanie dozed off for a few minutes before her cramped position forced her to get out.  Standing, she used the small amount of water left in her bucket to rinse off before stepping out.  Drying quickly, Melanie used a
little bit of magic to clean her clothes.  Once dressed, she combed out her hair, braiding it efficiently. 

Knowing the guys would probably be coming back soon, Melanie stretched out on the bed to wait.  She assumed David would have handled cleaning all their clothes for them too. 

Ian had left David and Devlin downstairs while he went to get Melanie from their room. Once he opened the door, he saw her asleep on the bed.  Quietly closing the door, he strode over and slid onto the bed, lying on his side next to her. 

Gently
running his hand up her arm, he moved to cup her face.  Rising up, he leaned over and nuzzled her neck, running his tongue over her throat.  Gliding across her jaw, he made his way up to her lips, gently kissing her awake.

Melanie moaned when she felt Ian bite her lower lip,
rousing her.  Her body hummed where his touched hers.  Moving against him, she bit him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

Ian rose up to stare down at her.  “The guys are downstairs waiting on us.  Of course, we could skip dinner and raid the pant
ry later.”

Melanie seriously considered doing just that, but at
just that moment, her stomach growled. 

Smiling slightly, Ian gave her a quick kiss before rising.  “Dinner it is.”

Ian held her elbow as they left the room and navigated the stairway.  Entering the great room, he saw Devlin moving toward the long table set out for dinner. 

Angus sat at the head, with his wife Cait on his right, while his son Rory sat to his left.

Seeing his guests, Angus waved them forward to sit near him.  Melanie was happy to sit beside Cait, hoping to catch up on the latest gossip.

With Angus being alpha of this pack, Ian knew Rory would be his head enforcer. 
Seeing other pack members standing at strategic places around the room, Ian also knew the other enforcers were guarding their alpha and his wife.

Filling their trenchers with food b
rought in by the servants, they ate and made small talk between bites. 

“We’re happy to see ye
again Melanie, and it’s nice to meet yer family.  It’s good yer no’ traveling alone this time,” Cait said.

“Yes, it is good to see you all and have my family along,” Melanie said.

“She will never travel alone again,” Ian said simply.

The other men all nodded in agreement, grunting in approval.

Melanie barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes and protesting their macho mentality.  The men in this time would never understand her independence, magically inclined or not.  That was always the hardest part of traveling, suppressing her inner feminist.

Making small talk, they avoided any mention of why they were there.  Once they met privately with Angus, they would be able to speak more openly.
 

Hearing Angus announce he would be in his sol
ar with their guest, Melanie noticed everyone had finished eating and rose to follow.  Accompanying Angus, they entered his solar and waited while he strode across the room to sit in his large chair, while Cait perched on the sofa.  She patted the cushions, indicating she wanted Melanie beside her.     

With Rory standing behind his father, Ian, Devlin and David took the chairs scattered about the room and waited for Angus to speak. 
Ian knew the other enforcers would wait in the hallway on guard. 

“Ye ken
I always welcome any magical beings here that doona practice evil.  Since I ken ye well, I’ll be assuming yer brother is druid also?” Angus asked.

“Yes, and he’s a good little druid too,” Melanie smiled.

They all laughed, the tension now easing from the room. 

“Also, my mate and his brother are very well trained, good little canines you know,” she said.

“Melanie,” Ian growled while Angus roared with laughter and Cait smiled behind her hand.

“Only ye
could get away with calling us dogs,” Rory said, shaking his head.  

“I didn’t say dogs, I said canines,”
Melanie shrugged, unconcerned.  “Tomato, Tamato.”  She loved Angus and Cait like surrogate parents.

Growing serious, Angu
s asked if they needed his help, and how long they would be staying.  He never asked for the details of why they were there, as he knew it was druid business.  At this point, David took over. 

“We’re searching for someone and heard they may have come this way.  We believe they may have gone north into the mountains and wondered if you’d heard any rumors.”

“North into the mountains, ye say?” Angus looked unsettled.  “Aye, I’ve heard talk.  Nae of yer missing friends, but of a wizard camping in one of the caves up there.  We’ve no’ traveled near there as it goes beyond my borders and we’ve no need.” 

“Ah dinnae ken
why a wizard would hide out in the mountain, but he could only be doing dark magic.”  Angus looked to David, “I woodna go there, lad.”

Melanie paled, glancing at Ian, who shook his head.

We’ll tell David and Devlin privately about your wizard.  It can’t be the same one,
Ian told her telepathically.

She had a bad feeling about this, not liking the coincidence. 

David glanced to Ian and Devlin before speaking.  “We don’t have a choice.  As druids, it’s what we do when called upon.”

Angus rose, “It’s good ye have two wolves along ta help.  Mayhap that will be enough, but Rory and I will go with ye.”

They all rose, with both Melanie and David speaking over one another.

“No!  I appreciate the offer, but this is druid business and I cannot involve you,” Melanie stated. 

“Lass, I’m not afraid
ta fight, but we’ll bow ta yer wishes.  We’ll travel with ye ta the base of the mountain, but go nae further.  I dinnae like it, but I understand because I woodna involve you in pack business either.”

“You’re going to camp out near there and wait for us, aren’t you?” Melanie asked, knowing Angus well.

Smiling, Angus replied, “Aye, along with a few of my pack.  Doona worry, we’ll be camping in the woods, not following you up the mountain.”

David thanked Angus, knowing the man would follow no matter what they said.  Making plans to leave first thing in the morning, they all returned to Ian and Melanie’s room.

Ian was tense as he walked into their room, almost vibrating with energy.  “I don’t like it,” he growled.  “The only good wizard is a dead wizard, as far as I’m concerned.  Their power comes from the dark arts and I don’t have magic to fight that,” Ian said.

“We don’t know that our target is with the wizard, but we’ll assume so and make a plan of attack.  Melanie and I will combine our magic to try and hold him if necessary.  Ian and Devlin will be on protection detail.  Your job is to get to the target and get him or her out of there.  Since there are two of you, if possible, one can get them down the mountain, while the other provides backup for me and Melanie,” David told them.

Melanie nodded in agreement, not happy with the thought of going up against a wizard.  Not knowing how strong this guy was magically was very frustrating.

“I’ll get our target out,” Devlin said.  “I know Ian will want to have Melanie’s back.”

“Damn st
raight, I won’t leave her side,” Ian said as he gave Melanie a nod.

“If we’re lucky, our target won’t be anywhere near the wi
zard and this is all for naught.” Melanie cleared her throat, gaining everyone’s attention.

She repeated her story of running into the wizard on the road.  Watching David as he paced, Melanie looked to Devlin for his reaction.  He was staring intently at her.

“I think it’s the same wizard.  If I did the numbers, I know the odds would be off the charts, but something about this just doesn’t add up,” Devlin held his hand up for silence when the room erupted.  “I believe this wizard has set up this scenario so he can get to Melanie.  Think about it.  He meets her and soon after she gets the ‘call’ to rescue someone,” Devlin said. 

David stopped pacing, resting his hands on his hips.  “That doesn’t make sense.  He didn’t hang around to find her on the road, and also, it just isn’t common knowledge that some druids time travel.  If it’s the same wizard, how did he get here?  Why not just take her from our time?”

“He thought I might be fae and had disappeared.  That’s why he left.  Also, I heard him say something about meeting or capturing a fae,” Melanie said.

Devlin took over again, “
Taking her in this century would be a hell of a lot easier than in ours.  No electronic tracking, no phones, no satellite system I can tap into.”

“By your reasoning, he knows she’s a druid and not fae.  He also knows of her abilities,” Ian growled.