Wolf's Holiday (10 page)

How dare the woman speak to her like that? “I am perfectly bright. You’ll have to excuse me. I’ve never had a vision before.”

“Look.” Great-grandmother shook her head. “You have some bird juju in you from that shifter who saved your life. It’s Christmastime. Things tend to go haywire this time of year. Everyone thinks about their lives, about what they want for their future. Gee told you about me. Let’s go with this. I’m going to show you some things, and you’ll make some decisions based on them or you won’t.”Elizabeth shrugged as though the whole thing was no big deal.

“So you’re what? The wolf of Christmas past? Am I to be visited by three ghosts?”

Her great-grandmother rolled her eyes. “You’d better hope not. I can only imagine the ghosts hanging around the Tao pack these days. Murderous ex-Alphas with death on their minds. Thwarted lovers. Dead mates.”

“You.” She nodded toward the woman.

Elizabeth shook her head. “I told you. I’m a figment of your imagination.”

“All right, figment, show me what you came to; that way we can both move on to what we have to do.” Like shifting and killing the motorcycle asshat who had hit her with the bike, assuming he’d had the balls to stick around and see if she was okay.

Betty blinked, and she was back in Los Lobos standing next to her great-grandmother. Gee’s bar was in front of her only it wasn’t open. The lights were off, and the door hung off its hinges. Her hand came up to clutch her neck as she watched the door swing in the wind with a creek. Even in the worst Magnum years, Gee had maintained his place.

“What happened?” Betty walked forward and touched the splintered wood.

Elizabeth sighed loudly. “You tell me. This is your trip. I’m only here to provide whatever you need.”

She let her gaze travel over the landscape. Nothing was open. The buildings were decrepit. Her living, breathing pack was nowhere to be found. “Something terrible has happened here.”

“Something…?” Elizabeth’s voice trailed off in a question.

She knew the answer. “This is what happens if Drew doesn’t make it. This is the Tao pack without Drew Tao.”

“Technically, I guess it’s not called the Tao pack, if there is no more pack.”

Betty didn’t want to imagine all the reasons why there wouldn’t be Drew anymore. Murder. Illness the healers couldn’t touch. An accident ending his life.

“Heartsick,” Elizabeth supplied. “You think Drew could hold this pack together if he lost you? You think he would make it a month?”

“I don’t know.” She sank to the ground, sitting on the splintered porch of what should have been Gee’s. “He’s very committed. He’d be sad but he’d hold on for the pack.”

Elizabeth sat next to her and hit her, hard, on the arm.

“Ouch.” Betty rubbed the spot. “What’s the deal? You hit me.”

“You’re being stupid,” Elizabeth growled. “Would you be able to hold on? If you lost him, could you move forward and keep it together for the sake of everyone else?”

“My falling apart has nothing to do with Drew. He’s Alpha. When he was gone for ten years, I knew in my gut he was alive. I held on for the sake of getting to see him again, of getting to kick his ass, of telling him how much I hated him.”Of course, she hadn’t felt at all like she claimed. Betty had loved Drew every second of her life. She’d wanted to despise him. It just hadn’t worked out that way. “He kept going.”

Elizabeth nodded. “He kept himself busy. For a decade. Because he believed he was saving you and your family from Magnum’s destruction. If he’d thought you’d died, he probably would have joined you.”

“You’re saying he loves me as much as I love him.”Saying it allowed made her voice shake. When it came down to it, Betty doubted Drew’s adoration for her. She hated to admit it, even to herself, felt sort of weak to even think it. What woman doubted the love of her mate? She’d fallen for a male who had become Alpha. Other females could have the total attention of their other halves, she never could. And she was fine with sharing Drew…most of the time.

Her great-grandmother laced her fingers through hers. “That boy has been through more in the last year than most will ever see in their entire life. He killed his father. Magnum needed to be dead. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t dwell on that night, when it’s quiet. He has a pack to put back together. Conspiracy everywhere he looks. The only thing he has to count on is you. Be strong enough to be that woman. Figure out what you can do to make yourself happy so you don’t need to have more attention than he can give you right now. He’ll do anything for you. You’re his mate. How much do you need?”

“I told him what I wanted. He’s not sure he can give it to me. And I guess I have to figure out how to be fine with life without it. Something to do if we never have babies.”

“That’s not what I said. If you need children, you make it clear you do. And if you decide you can do without, then you stop punishing him and you let it go. You forgive him; really say good-bye to his leaving you. Pour the whiskey over his head if you have to but, damn it, you cut this passive-aggressive nonsense and be the woman you were born to be.”Elizabeth hugged Betty tight. It had been such a long time since anyone other than Drew had held her, at first she didn’t know how to react.

Eventually, she gave in to the hug. Elizabeth felt like family. Although, it would make sense since she was, after all, only some vision Betty gave herself.

Wasn’t she?

“I know you can do this, Great-granddaughter. The women of my family have always been tough. Oh, and your phone is ringing.”

Her phone?

Betty darted upright, her head spinning. Two seconds passed before she recognized her surroundings. She was on the side of the road. Skid marks on the highway were the only indication the assholes who had hit her even existed. Her head swam.

A ringing caught her attention, and she looked down. Her cell phone lay on the ground a bit away. With an ache in her back she knew she wasn’t going to feel the true extent of until she shifted, she crawled to the phone.

Four missed calls
. All from Drew. Betty grimaced as she saw the display. Jackson must have told him, and Drew would be worried. The last thing she wanted to do to him during the holidays was be such a pain in the ass.

The phone lit up, her ringtone sounding again. She picked it up, trying to put on her best, happy voice. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“B.” She heard the growl. “Where the hell are you, and why haven’t you be answering?”

“I got knocked pretty hard, but I’m fine, and I’m going to make my way home. Don’t worry. Just go on with your day.” A thought dawned on her and she glanced around until she saw the reason for all her trouble, Drew’s Solstice gift lay in the opposite direction from where the phone had fallen.

“What do you mean you got knocked?”She heard wind in the background, but, other than the tops of the trees blowing, she didn’t feel any around her. Where was
he
?

Betty rubbed at her temple. “Listen, I’m fine. I don’t want you freaking out. I’m not here to make your life harder. I know you need to care for me. I promise, if there was a reason for you to come running, I wouldn’t lie about it.”If nothing else the weird, weird dream she’d had gave her some clarity. “Go take care of stuff. I’ll be there in time to run. We can talk about it later.” She paused. “I love you.”

She needed to remember to tell him more often.

“Listen to me, Elizabeth.” And now he’d pulled out the full name. “I am coming to get you. Tell me where you are.”

“No.” She stood and was glad when the world didn’t sway. “Don’t do anything drastic. I had a little…accident. And let’s say it was probably a good thing. Send Jackson. I’m an hour south of the city. Stay there. You’re Alpha, sweetheart. Life would fall apart without you. In no world should you be traipsing around and….”

The sound of a car ceased her conversation. Considering a motorcycle had whacked her, she had no intention of being foolish with an oncoming car. The vehicle slowed as it approached her, and she grinned at the sight.

Xio and Xan. Perfect timing. Betty waved her hand in greeting, which tugged at her aching shoulder, causing a good ping of pain to shoot up her arm.

Yep, the shift for the Solstice run was going to be a real gift.

“I’ve got a ride. I’ll see you soon, I promise. I’m okay. You can fuss as soon as I get there. Okay? It’s faster to let me get in the car with the twins who just pulled up.”

He exhaled loudly. “You find me first thing when you get here.”

“I will. I promise. I love you.” They’d get her car another time. Betty disconnected the phone. She wasn’t going to argue with Drew when there was nothing to fight about. Not anymore.

They were both doing the best they could.

It was the time of year to be grateful, not snippy. She grabbed the discarded gift from the ground and walked to the window when the car came to a stop.

“I have never been so happy to see anyone as I am the two of you.”

A very pregnant Xio raised an eyebrow. “You all right?”

“I got hit by a motorcycle. Can I get a ride?”

Xan’s eyes widened. “Jump in.”

“Thanks.”

Things were really looking up.

***

She limped and favored her right shoulder when she moved. His heart fell into his stomach. What. The. Fuck. Had. Happened?

Drew stormed to the center of town and took his mate’s hand the moment she exited the vehicle. Without a word, led her toward their small house. He was gentle, even though what he really wanted to do was put her over his shoulder and spank her ass.

“Hi,” she said after a minute. “I’m okay. You don’t need to be worried. I know I scared you. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t stop his trek. “I’m getting the healers to take a look at you at home.”

“Nothing the shift won’t cure. Seriously, I jammed by shoulder and my left ankle is sore. I don’t have any internal injuries. I would tell you if I wasn’t okay.”

They reached their door, and he swung it open. He still didn’t know what had happened to her. All he knew was it felt good to have her home, inside his pack and within the four walls they shared together. She’d gotten hurt for the third time in days. Enough was enough.

“Sit.” He pointed to the chair, and she did as he instructed. She was being really quiet. Not a good sign. Maybe she was hurt worse than she realized. “What happened to you?”

“The car broke down. I decided to hoof it, and I got hit by a motorcycle.”

His heart quit beating for a second. “I’m getting the healers.”

“Drew, I was an ass. I’m sorry. I’ll keep saying it. My heart was in the right place.”

“Save it, B. I’m getting you looked at.” He grabbed his phone. Leaving her wasn’t an option. What if she died while he went for help? He had lost his mother this way. Betty dying couldn’t—wouldn’t—take place. Not ever.

She grabbed his arm. “Drew. Listen to me. I know how my getting hurt the way I did has to be making you feel. You wouldn’t like it if I just fell down. Getting hit the way your mom did has to be making you nuts. Bringing up all kinds of things. I would never be flippant about my health. I know what it would do to you. Okay? I get it. I’m telling you, and please listen to me, I’m fine.”

He tried to breathe. She did sound sure, and she didn’t smell of death. He couldn’t smell any blood. Drew walked in front of her and placed his forehead against hers. The contact helped, and he could really breathe her in. Okay. She smelled…right.

Small injury. He closed his eyes. “Tell me something.”

“Anything, sweetheart.”

She was really being affectionate. First the “I love you” over the phone. Now the sweetheart. What was going on?

He opened his eyes. “Were you leaving me? Because of the baby conversation? Did you take off from pack land without telling anyone where you were going since you can’t forgive me?”

While he had stood on the roof calling over and over again, a million had thoughts pounded on him. That had been the worst.

She took his cheeks in her hands, cupping his face. “No. I’ll never leave. Okay. Never. Ever. Ever. I love you.”

“You keep saying that.”

She smiled. “And that’s a bad thing why?”

“Not bad. Just different.” He sighed. His blood pressure must be lowering. He could think again. “What were you doing?”

“Hold on.”A brown package was in her pants’ pocket, and she gave it to him.

“What’s this?” He looked down at the object.

“A gift. For you. Open it.” B leaned back in the chair.

“You bought me a gift?”

She nodded. “Open it.”

“I didn’t get you anything.”

“For the love of Pete, Drew. Open the gift.”

He undid the dark wrapping and pulled out a book about the Pacific Northwest section of the United States. “What’s this?”

“How else are you going to plan our trip without one? I’m all for travel, but I don’t want to just wander. We have to use our time wisely. Make sure we see everything we can.”

She’d bought him a travel book. Had run off somewhere to buy a book to give him. And a motorcycle had hit her. He kneeled in front of her. B was his life. “When we get back, you’ll be ovulating, right?”

“You have had a hell of a year. It might not be the time. I mean, there has to be the right time someday. I need children eventually. But maybe it doesn’t have to be now.”

What had happened to his mate out on the road? “It’s time, love. Portland. Seattle. Vancouver. Then we’re going to make a baby. The first of many.”

“I….”

He kissed her hard. She was his mate. His deepest wish would always be to make her happy, and Betty Tao would be the best mother there ever was. “Quiet, love, your Alpha is talking.”

She grinned against his lips. “I love you.”

Whatever had happened, he’d take it.

The snow floated down lightly. Not too bad for the humans and the shifters wouldn’t care. Everyone had gathered. They only waited for him to pull the trigger. Drew stared around the group. He wasn’t sure he’d seen anything so beautiful in his whole life as the crew around him. Things weren’t perfect. They might never be.