Wolf Tales V (5 page)

Chapter Eight

Panting, paws torn and bleeding, muzzle covered in froth and saliva, Keisha watched the car fishtail out of the parking lot. Her tail hung low, her body quivered with barely suppressed rage and sorrow.

Everything awful, every terrible thing that had happened… all of it caused by this man. Her mother’s death. Her own rape and assault. All of it because Carl Burns wanted proof.

Well, he had his proof now, only he didn’t know it.

Xandi
?

No answer. Keisha glanced at the sky and wondered if Anton and Stefan were on the ground yet. She’d never needed her mate more, never felt this vulnerable, this bereft.

It had to be well after midnight.

Xandi? Where is he taking you? Where are you
?

The cell phone rang. Keisha nuzzled at the small pack lying on the ground in front of her and caught it in her teeth. She trotted into the shadows and shifted.

Naked and shivering in the foggy night, she answered her phone.

* * *

Unwilling to wait for a rental car, Anton hailed the first cab he saw at the airport. He stuffed a hundred dollar bill into the cabby’s hand. “Four more of those if you can get us to the Golden Gate Bridge in twenty minutes.”

The cab was moving before either Stefan or Anton had their seatbelts buckled. Immediately, Anton felt Keisha’s mental touch. He sighed his relief, but the feeling was short lived. Their minds linked and he sensed her fear, her disgust with herself, her overwhelming anger.

While her thoughts poured into him, the cab raced down the freeway. Anton almost prayed for a highway patrolman, but traffic was light at this hour. Keisha broke the link to return to her search for Alexandria. Anton reached out for Stefan but kept his gaze on the road ahead.

Stefan, have you been able to reach Alexandria
?

No, Anton. Keisha
?

Yes. Just now. She’s waiting for us just below the bridge, near a place called Fort Point. The detective called her a few minutes ago. Said he’d gone back over evidence from her assault. Found Carl Burns’s prints. They’d been taken from a closet door in the apartment. Hadn’t matched them before now. Didn’t think they were pertinent
.

Shit. How’s Keisha
?

A wreck. Worried about Alexandria. Afraid people will find out about us
.

That’s the least of our worries
. Stefan swung his head around to glare at Anton.

Anton turned and held Stefan’s gaze for a brief moment. “I know.” He touched Stefan’s arm. Felt the tension coiling within his pack mate, his lover. “We’ll get to her in time. Hang in there.”

Suddenly Stefan jerked. “Xandi!” Anton linked immediately, felt the familiar mental touch of Stefan’s mate. He pulled Keisha into the link.

You’re all here
! Alexandria’s relief was obvious.
I’m not sure what he’s up to. We’re parked near the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. I think he’s setting up some camera gear, but I’m not sure
.

We’ll pick up Keisha and cross over. Keisha, are you coming as woman or wolf
?

Her relieved laughter bubbled through all of their minds.
Hairy wolf or naked woman. Take your pick
.

If I had my choice, you know what I’d choose
. Stefan’s silly comment seemed to melt away fear. Even Alexandria laughed.

Keisha’s voice sounded clear and calm.
I don’t want to shock the cabby. He’s probably seen a naked woman before… the wolf would scare him to death. Are you wearing a coat? I can put that on
.

At Anton’s request, the cabby pulled over to the side of the road near the tollbooth. Stefan opened the rear door. Keisha raced out of the shadows and crawled into the back seat of the cab, climbing right over Stefan’s lap.

Anton quickly slipped his coat over her shoulders, then leaned forward. He handed the cab driver four one hundred dollar bills. “Drop us off at the far end of the bridge, and thanks.”

Shoving the bills into his back pocket, the cabby pulled back onto the road. Anton thought he spent much too long looking in his rearview mirror.

Poor guy is gonna wonder about this odd group forever
! Keisha snuggled close to Anton.

He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. She felt too damned good in his arms, so warm and alive. So safe. Anton glanced over the top of her head and smiled grimly at Stefan. “We’ll get Alexandria back.”

Stefan merely nodded. Obviously he was still linked with his mate.

Wrapped in Stefan’s loving thoughts, Xandi felt her racing heart calm and her panic subside as she sensed her pack mates growing closer. She still wasn’t certain what Burns was planning. He’d left her in the car, hands cuffed to the steering wheel, rope tied tightly around her neck. The car was just outside the regular parking lot, close up against the side of a hill.

Car lights flashed nearby on the freeway.

Xandi pressed on the horn and Stefan’s laughter echoed in her mind. His mind immediately touched hers.
Where the hell is the jerk
?

Xandi took a deep, steadying breath.
I don’t know, but I imagine I’m bait and he’s nearby with a camera
.

All he’s gonna get is a shot of a really pissed off human adult male hauling your sweet ass out of his car. The police should be right behind us. Hang on, sweetheart
!

Whatever you do, don’t shift. I mean it, Stefan! He’s already got a shot of Keisha in wolf form. We have to get his camera
.

Suddenly Stefan was beside her, tall and strong and so beautiful he took her breath. He kissed her hard and removed the noose from around her neck. Then he threw his jacket over her body.
Shift, pull your hands free of the cuffs, then shift back
.

It was all so simple. Xandi’s paws slipped out of the cuffs beneath the coat and she immediately regained her human form. She was free, wrapped in Stefan’s arms, and he was pulling her out of the car, taking her to safety.

Where are Anton and Keisha
?

Taking care of the camera
.

A scream nearby filled the night. Snarls and yelps. Something heavy raced ahead of them through the thick brush. Moments later, Xandi spotted a man running along the pedestrian access to the bridge.

A howl, long and low, then another.

“Sounds like they got it.”

“What are they doing to him?”

“Making sure he doesn’t take any more pictures or plan any more assaults.”

Flashing lights suddenly appeared near the southern end of the bridge. Xandi and Stefan watched from an outcropping at the opposite end.

What could have been two large dogs chased a man along the narrow walkway, then quickly stopped when he crawled up on top of the railing to escape them. One leapt for his camera bag, barely missing the strap.

The man balanced for a moment on the edge of the railing, his body outlined by the harsh bridge lighting, arms flailing, the camera bag swinging from one hand. Suddenly the heavy bag seemed to pull him off center and he tumbled, almost in slow motion, falling end over end from the center of the span.

The animals watched briefly then turned and raced back along the walkway. They disappeared into a small construction area just beneath the bridge abutment.

Moments later, Anton ran across the road with Keisha’s hand tightly clasped in his. He wore his slacks and a white dress shirt. Keisha had on his suit coat, but her legs and feet were bare and bleeding.

Xandi was caught in a full-body hug when the police finally pulled into the parking area.

Chapter Nine

The sun had barely breached the horizon by the time Stefan finished his shower and crawled into Keisha’s big bed to join his pack mates. He wrapped Xandi in his arms and held her tightly, much too aware how close he’d come to losing her.

“Interrogations aren’t all that bad when you can link.”

Anton’s wry comment made Stefan smile. “I think the police bought the idea the man was nuts, that he was fixated on Keisha and his weird idea she was a werewolf.”

Keisha sighed. “Thank goodness Anton found the video camera. I can’t believe Burns actually filmed me shifting right here on my back porch.”

There’d been one small camera hidden inside a hanging plant, another near the greenhouse. Stefan had discovered and destroyed them. Luckily, they were unable to transmit images, merely store them.

“Not anymore.” Anton leaned over and kissed Keisha full on the mouth. “No more Burns. No more cameras. No record. Period. Police are happy, the case is closed, and we’re going home in the morning.”

Xandi groaned. “No, we’re not. It’s almost morning and we’ve got a dedication to attend. We’ve got time for about an hour’s nap before we leave. I am not missing this, not after all we’ve been through.”

She snuggled closer to Stefan, her round bottom fitting perfectly against the cradle of his hips. His cock wedged comfortably in the crease of her behind.

“Napping is the last thing on my mind, woman. It’s been a week and that’s too damned long to go without sex.”

“Excuse me? What was that we were doing last night?” Anton lifted himself up on one elbow, looking properly outraged.

Keisha laughed. “Yeah. What
were
you doing last night? How the hell did you hear me? We can’t link that far.”

Anton lay back down and tucked Keisha close under his chin. “I don’t know what happened. Stefan and I reached climax at the same time, and that’s when we heard you scream. Somehow, the orgasm must have heightened our senses, allowed us to pick up your thoughts. I don’t ever want that to happen again.”

Stefan snorted. “What, a mutual climax? It’s not nearly as much fun alone.” His fingers trailed between Xandi’s legs where he found her wet and ready. It was such a simple, marvelous thing to slide his cock slowly inside her welcoming pussy.

From the look of pleasure on Keisha’s face, Anton was doing the same thing to his mate. Both women sighed. Xandi wriggled her butt, giving Stefan better access. He thrust inside, slow and smooth, withdrawing just as slowly. His mind opened, his thoughts spilled out over all of them.

He sensed Xandi’s pleasure, her need, at the same time felt Keisha’s response to Anton, experienced Keisha’s heat and the full, even slide of Anton’s huge erection filling her, touching the mouth of her womb, pausing a moment and then slipping back along the rippling muscles.

Xandi and Keisha closed the narrow gap between them. Keisha leaned forward and sucked at Xandi’s nipple. Stefan felt the pull between his legs, between Xandi’s legs.

The four of them moved as one, their bodies together in a slow and graceful ballet, sensation building on sensation as the link grew stronger. They shared the common coil of pending orgasm, the heat building, the gut tightening, their bodies so perfectly in sync it was difficult to tell where one began and the other ended.

Thrusting harder, faster, finding a perfect rhythm, filling Xandi, filling Keisha,
being
Anton, Keisha and his beloved mate, Stefan tipped over the edge between light and dark, felt his body take flight, his mind and soul in perfect communion with the three he loved.

Gasping, crying out Xandi’s name, he came in a rush of heat and life, his seed filling her, his body wrapping around hers and holding her close, holding Keisha and Anton as they arched and cried out together.

Suddenly, a gate seemed to open in Stefan’s heart, a blossoming in his soul that was as fierce as it was unexpected. The memories of pain and misery, of his years caught between worlds both human and wolf were so totally overwhelmed by love and light that the harsh sob raging out of his chest caught Stefan unaware.

He held Xandi in his arms, his tears falling into her thick mass of hair, remembering how alone he’d been, how much the outcast, half wolf, half human, unaware of his true heritage, unaware of the gift that was
Chanku
.

The gift made whole by these three who loved him, who so completely loved one another.

He opened his thoughts, halting their worry, their loving concern, showing them what was in his heart. Sharing his memories.

Anton’s hand reached across the two women, his fingers tightened around Stefan’s shoulder.

“I know.”

Two simple words of understanding. Male to male, their women between them, basking in the strength of the pack.

Epilogue

Keisha’s speech at the dedication was short, simple and filled with her wry sense of humor. As she turned to step down from the podium, San Francisco’s handsome young mayor held out his hand to assist her. Anton quickly stepped between them.

“We have a plane to catch.”

The mayor nodded, grinned at Anton and stepped aside. It was obvious he was reluctant to let go of Keisha’s hand.

Keisha burst into laughter once they were away from the crowd. “Could you have been any ruder to the poor man? He’s the mayor, Anton!”

“I didn’t bite him.”

“Yeah. He didn’t pee on the monument, either.” Stefan laughed when Xandi punched him in the shoulder.

“And I thought men were bad. Wolves are worse.”

“Thank goodness.” Keisha stopped next to the car. “And thank you. All of you, for talking me into staying for this.”

“Your mom and dad would have been so proud of you.” Xandi drew her into a quick hug. “Just as we are.”

Keisha looked back across the green expanse of park, at the memorial garden she’d designed, at the city that had been her home. No longer. It was time to head back to Montana, back to the place she belonged.

It was time to run through the forest, to hunt with her beloved pack mates, to prowl and race the moon.

It was time to make love on the mossy forest floor, and maybe, just maybe, time for babies.

She turned and smiled at Anton.

It was time for
Chanku
.

Kate Douglas

Kate Douglas has been writing professionally for over thirty years, but she's never enjoyed the job as much as she does now. For her, a day at the office consists of long, pleasurable hours at her computer in the company of strong, gutsy, smart, sexy men and women, fictional characters who want their sex hot and their mates hotter. Making sure they -- and her readers -- get what they want is this author's prime responsibility. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.