Lavos didn’t feel like being sociable. His brother depended upon him though to stay at his side and help host the festivities. It was the first time they were officially welcoming visitors for a social event since his brother had taken leadership. It would help strengthen the bonds between the four clans, something that had been lacking when Decker ruled.
They were using the lodge for a meet and greet. He forced a smile as he entered the foyer, seeing some familiar faces but a lot of new ones. His brother stood near the bar and motioned him over the second he spotted him.
“This is my brother, Lavos.” Lorn looked relaxed, a group of people surrounding him.
“Hello.” Lavos twisted his lips upward in a forced smile.
A woman caught his attention when she reached out and ran a hand over his arm. “You’re single.”
He couldn’t deny it. He’d seen her nostrils flare so she’d taken in his scent. “I am.”
She possessed big dark brown eyes and long matching hair. “Lorn was just telling us that you’re his lead enforcer.” She batted her eyelashes. “That’s impressive.”
He kept his muscles relaxed. She was obviously hunting for a mate with status. “Well, it’s a perk of being the brother to the new clan leader.”
“You’re being modest.” Lorn shot him a look. “Lavos is an excellent fighter.”
The woman ran her hand up Lavos’s biceps, squeezing them. “He’s a strong one.” She stepped closer and pushed out her breasts when she shoved her shoulders back. “I am looking for a mate. We should go somewhere more private and get to know each other.”
She was a beautiful woman but he felt no desire to have sex. His brother would encourage a mating between the clans but Lavos had no interest in her.
He’d had that problem ever since he’d met Jadee.
He couldn’t forget her. She’d haunted his dreams for the past two weeks since they’d parted ways. He’d wake with painful hard-ons, wishing she were naked in his bed.
“My brother has a beautiful house not too far from here. You should ask him for a tour.”
Lavos wanted to kick Lorn. It was his turn to shoot him a look.
His brother smiled, not upset or taking the hint when he continued to speak. “I’m mated, so now it’s his turn.”
The woman rubbed up against Lavos’s side and leaned closer. “I would love to see your home.”
“I have duties to perform first. I’m going to be free later.” He didn’t want to offend her by flat-out refusing to take her to bed, but he silently plotted to avoid her for the rest of the day and evening.
Lorn let it go and helped get him off the hook. “Speaking of, could you please find Brista and make certain she’s prepared to watch all the children for the feast tonight?” Lorn addressed the others. “She’s the clan caretaker for our young. We were told some guests might bring their children and we thought it would be nice for her to entertain them.”
“Of course.” Lavos bowed and untangled his arm from the woman. “I’ll see you later.”
“I’m Mya.”
“Until later, Mya.”
He fled and yanked out his phone the moment he walked outside, calling Brista to relay the message. He knew Lorn wasn’t a fan of the woman but she was well liked by some of the clan, enough that it had assured she held her position when Lorn had taken over, at least for the time being. But he doubted Lorn would ever entrust his own future children to Brista’s care, not after the way she’d mistreated Kira for being so human when they were kids.
He closed his phone when the call ended and marched toward the gas station. He entered and sighed when he saw Volti behind the counter.
“Kill me,” Lavos demanded.
His friend grinned. “I take it you met the delegates from the other clans and it’s a bore?”
“One of them wanted to tour my house. She’s looking for a mate.”
“My heart is bleeding for you.” His friend rolled his eyes. “I’d trade jobs with you in a heartbeat. I’ll go fuck her to test our compatibility and you can clean the bathroom, after you restock the shelves.”
Lavos assessed the small store. “Deal.”
Volti shook his head. “I wish.”
“I mean it. You make her happy and I’ll take over here.”
“Don’t mess with me. It’s cruel.”
“I’m not.” Lavos rounded the counter. “Show me the basics of a cash register since I’ve never done this before.”
Volti shoved him back. “No way. Lorn would kick both of our asses. It’s too important that we make a good impression on our visitors. They don’t trust us because of Decker. Not that we can blame them. Our previous leader was a total dickhead. Your job is to kiss ass and mine is to make sure any humans dropping in to fill up their tanks don’t decide to stroll around town.” His eyes brightened, glowing. “You’re in a hurry to get where you’re going so gas up, take a piss, and hit the road. You saw nothing of interest here and it was just a small town. It wasn’t even memorable. Leave.”
“How many vehicles have stopped so far today?”
Volti’s eyes dulled in brilliance. “Three. One family is sightseeing as they travel to visit an uncle. They wanted to check out Janella’s store but I told them it’s closed. They’d bought some jewelry from her online. One guy was heading to a new job. He wanted in and out of here as fast as possible, so I didn’t have to mess with his mind. Then there was a trucker. He’s a regular so no problem there. We’re along his route and he stops in a few times a week.”
“That’s good.”
“Janella was a little upset at losing prospective tourist business but today’s too important to risk someone seeing something they shouldn’t. Lorn purposely planned this for midweek since the weekends bring in more traffic. The delegates will be gone quick enough and life can resume as normal once the other clans feel comfortable with Lorn in charge.”
Lavos knew he needed to get back to the lodge to help Lorn give a good impression but he lingered. “Where’s Kar?”
“On patrol up the hill. He wrestled with Garson for the assignment and won.”
“Why?”
“There are new women in town to flirt with.” Volti grinned. “Why else? He didn’t want to be stuck doing perimeter duty. Garson was dumb enough to take that bet.”
“Horny bastard.”
“It’s totally natural. Our heat cycle is coming on soon. It’s better to find someone to spend it with now than have to travel around, hoping to catch the eye of some babe who isn’t hooked up with someone already. Spending it alone is hellish. This is the first year that other clans might welcome us with open arms instead of suspicion that we’ve come to spy on them, or worse.”
Anger stirred. “I’d almost forgotten that Decker sent one of our women to kill Velder’s son.”
“It wasn’t as if we knew about it until after the fact. Can you imagine? What a messed-up way to get an enforcer’s guard down. She got him into bed and then tried to cut out his heart. I’m glad she failed.”
“Decker had no honor.”
“Is Lorn going to get rid of that law that prevents us from sexual contact with humans? There are a lot of hot babes a few towns over that I’d like to get to know better.”
“It’s never safe when we interact with them.”
“I’m not looking to mate with one. I’d just like to be able to say yes when a cute human wants to jump my bones. It happens sometimes when it’s my turn to go pick up store supplies. It just feels so damn wrong to say no. I want to make them happy and I’m perfectly willing to use condoms.”
Lavos laughed. “Only doing your civic duty to be polite to humans, right?”
“Hell yes! They think we’re gay.”
“That impression keeps them from coming into our town to seek out our males.”
“Hey, I won’t tell them where I live and I’ll make it clear it’s a one-time deal.”
“I’ll bring it up to Lorn next time we’re discussing laws.”
“Thanks.”
Lavos turned away. “I better get back to the lodge.”
“See you later. I’ll be at the feast.”
Lavos avoided the main entrance of the lodge and went in through the kitchen. It had become a hive of activity. He talked to everyone working to make sure there were no problems. Davis, Kira’s father, had everything running smoothly. He had to finally return to Lorn’s side.
Mya ended her conversation with a tall male and came straight to him, gripping his arm. “You’re back.”
“I made my rounds. Everything is going well.”
“Can you leave? I want to see your house.” She licked her lips. “Everyone I’ve spoken to has said nice things about you. My father would approve. He wants me to find a strong mate.”
He had to give her points for persistence. “I’m on duty until this evening.”
She pouted. “Your brother is the clan leader here. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to get someone to cover for you.”
“He’s depending on me for his support. I wouldn’t ask him to do that.” He hoped she’d take the hint.
“I want to test a mating. I’m attracted to you, and you’re strong enough to be worthy of me.”
He’d have to be blunter. He didn’t want to offend her but he wasn’t going to fuck her either. He felt no attraction. “I’m flattered but right now isn’t a good time.”
Anger glinted in her eyes. “I see.” She released his arm.
Shit. Lorn would kick his ass if the woman called her father to complain that someone had been rude to her. “Later tonight I’ll be free.” He winked, hoping he gave the impression he wasn’t flat-out refusing her offer.
She rewarded him with a smile. “Business first. I respect that. I’ll see you later.” She blew him a kiss and returned to the tall man she’d been speaking to before.
He withdrew his phone, calling Volti.
His friend answered right away. “What’s up, Lavos? Didn’t I just see you?”
“Dress to impress for that feast.”
“Are you seeing a lot of hot babes?”
“One. Her name is Mya. Remember it. She’s beautiful and really wants to test a mating with an enforcer.”
“Was she running a fever? There’s nothing better than sex with a woman in heat.”
“She’s hot all right.”
“Thanks.”
He hung up and sighed. Lorn caught his attention and he had a feeling it was going to be a long afternoon. One of the men standing next to his brother was Velder, another clan leader. Velder knew they owed him. He’d supported Lorn taking over the clan from Decker.
It was time to kiss some ass. He could do it.
* * * * *
Jadee’s shoulders hurt and her eyes burned. It was from exhaustion. She’d spent almost four entire days driving with only a few hours of sleep for breaks. She reached over to take a sip of coffee. It wasn’t hot anymore but it helped her stay awake. She glanced at the top monitor on the dash. The GPS said she had nearly reached the town.
“I want to be there already!”
I thought leaving Alaska and driving home had been rough. She’d at least stopped for entire nights to sleep six to eight hours that first time. She’d also pulled over to stretch her legs at rest stops. But the return trip had just been brutal.
It hadn’t helped that she’d started her journey already tired. It wasn’t as if she’d gotten much sleep while she’d waited for dawn to come the night the Vamps had followed her home. She’d dozed off for a few minutes, only to be woken by noises. They had tried to get inside the RV all night but had given up right before the sun rose. She’d showered to wake up some, then hooked up the trailer to haul her car.
Jadee glanced at the dash to the second monitor, the one under the GPS. The sight of her little red car being pulled behind the RV was reassuring. She also checked out traffic. She’d been paranoid that someone would follow her but she felt secure it hadn’t happened. They would have tried to attack her at night already.
She tapped the volume control embedded in the steering wheel for the CD player, heavy metal music blaring from the speakers. It helped her stay awake too. Bone tiredness had hit about the time she’d left Canada and driven into Alaska. She was used to spending eight hours a day on her feet tending bar, not sixteen hours a day with her butt planted on a seat as she drove. Her entire body felt stiff.
Digger’s Auto Repair and Garage had been easy to locate. It was located in some tiny town she’d never heard of. She only hoped he knew how to get ahold of Lavos. She’d been certain Digger was a Werewolf too.
She flashed back to meeting the big mechanic. He’d been a bit cold and distant to her but seemed at ease with Lavos. She’d stayed inside the RV once he’d arrived but his nostrils had flared, as if he were sniffing around, when he’d come to start the engine. She’d noticed.
For at least the hundredth time, she reconsidered her actions. Would Lavos be annoyed that she’d sought him out for help? She just wasn’t sure what else to do. He might have answers, knowing a lot more about Vampires than she did. All the movie and book facts she’d learned seemed like bullshit. He could probably tell her if every nest of Vampires was looking for her or if she just had to avoid Washington. It was information she needed. Otherwise she’d never know if she was safe or not.
He could also clue her into whether Vampires would tell Werewolves about her. The latter could come at her during the daytime. That would shoot her plan to hell to just lock herself inside the RV when the sun went down. She’d be at risk during the day too, and she had no idea how to spot Werewolves.
She tapped the wheel to the beat of the music and glanced at the GPS again. She’d find out soon enough if Digger could relay a message and if Lavos would speak to her. He might be pissed.
Would he kill her? She softly cursed.
No. He won’t do that. He kept me alive before.
She also had to admit that seeing him again was something she longed to do. He wasn’t forgettable in any way. She’d had a hard time saying goodbye to him. He hadn’t seemed eager to let her drive off either. They’d stared at each other until his brother had ordered her to go. Lorn hadn’t been rude but he hadn’t been overly friendly either. The guy frowned a lot.
A sign caught her attention on the right side of the road. It stated gas was just ahead. Her heart sped up a little and it helped her get a second wind. Some of the tiredness faded. It was possible Lavos lived in that town too, along with Digger. She might see him faster than she’d anticipated.
She straightened in the seat until she got a look at her face in the rearview mirror. Her hair was a mess from opening up the windows a few times to allow air to blow inside and her eyes were bloodshot.
“Great,” she muttered. “I look like hell. What’s new?” It wasn’t as if Lavos had met her at her best.
Jadee slowed when she saw the town. It was as small as the map implied, with several buildings on one side of the road. There was a gas station with a mini market and a few tiny tourist shops. A large barn, with Digger’s name painted in red on the wooden side, sat at the end of the strip, beyond the gas station’s pumps and parking lot.
She spotted another structure off the road, lurking behind the buildings and up a high hill. It had to be the biggest log cabin she’d ever seen, but it seemed to be a private home, since there were no signs near or on it. The road leading to it wasn’t even in view.
Jadee parked at Digger’s Auto Repair and Garage, maneuvering into the wide space beside the building. She noted the main doors were shut as she peered out her passenger-side window. A closed sign was displayed. “Shit.” It was just her luck that he wasn’t there when she arrived.
She turned off the engine and glanced at the sky. It would get dark soon but she had a bit of time. She removed the keys and unlocked the door, climbing out. Her legs protested when she put weight on them but she ignored the achy muscles, stretching. She leaned in and grabbed her purse off the floor under the seat where she’d stored it.
The gas station/mini-mart was open. She slammed the door and hit the remote lock on the RV door, heading that way. No other customers were in the small parking lot and she didn’t see anyone inside except the clerk. He was a handsome guy in his twenties. The music inside was a little loud.
He stopped sweeping the floor and grinned at her. “Hello.” He had a nice voice.
“Hi.”
He turned his head, staring out the windows. “You need gas? I don’t see your vehicle.”
“I parked next door. Do you know when Digger’s auto shop is going to be open?”
“Are you having car trouble? I can call him. He doesn’t live far.”
She hadn’t expected that. “Thank you. That would be great.”
“No problem.” He set down the broom and walked over to the counter. He leaned across and lifted up the receiver of the phone. He flashed her another grin. “We’ll get you up and running fast enough. Digger is magic with anything on four wheels.”
He turned away and dialed. Jadee noticed a small display of hot dogs and walked over. The breakfast bars she’d eaten as road snacks had been tasteless after the first few. She started making two dogs.
“We have a code red,” the clerk said. “A woman has car problems. Get here.” He paused. “Thanks.”
Jadee was surprised at his words. Code red? She met his gaze when he hung up.
He grinned again. “He’s on his way.”
“What’s a code red?”
“That little engine light going off, of course. It’s an inside joke. You know. He’s a mechanic.”
“Got it.” She wasn’t about to correct him on the car trouble. She faced the food stand and put ketchup on her dogs, then put them in their little pouches. She grabbed a bag of chips, a soda, and a candy bar. She went to the counter and set everything down.
“This is a small town.”
“Yes.” He stepped behind the cash register. “We don’t get that many visitors. It’s boring as hell around here.” He started to ring up her purchases.
It was tempting to ask him about Lavos but she didn’t dare. Instead, she studied the man. He was a very muscular guy for a store clerk. Was he a Werewolf who belonged to the pack? Did Werewolves work in gas station convenient stores? Did they even hold real jobs or just run around the vast woods all day, hunting for food? She slid her hand inside her purse and pulled out cash.
“Where are you heading?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
One of his eyebrows lifted. “That’s an odd answer.”
“It was an unplanned trip.” She struggled to come up with something to say that wouldn’t give away too much information. “Ever just want to hit the road and drive? That’s what I did.”
“I wish.” His features relaxed. “That sounds like fun.” His nostrils flared. “You traveling alone?”
She’d seen that move. He was sniffing her. “Yes.”
“That’s brave. I mean, most women don’t do that. It’s a dangerous world. You’re safe here but you know what I mean.”
“I do.” She was afraid to bring up Lavos but all those dire warnings he’d given her resurfaced. She wasn’t sure if she could trust the clerk or if he’d lunge across the counter to try to kill her if he thought she knew he was a Werewolf. She glanced at his name tag. “Volti. That’s a cool name. I’ve never met someone with that one before.”
“It’s Russian,” he mumbled. “You’ll find a lot of us in this area.”
“Ah.” Russian Werewolves, or is that just an excuse for the odd name? “Very cool.”
“Thanks.” His gaze darted down her body and then back up. “What’s your name?”
“Jadee.”
“What do the initials stand for?”
“It’s just Jadee.” She spelled it. “My parents weren’t exactly the types to do the norm, including give me a name like Mary or Tammy.”
“Hippies? We get some of them in the summer. They come out here saying they’re trying to communicate with nature or find their karma or some such shit. No offense.”
She laughed. “None taken. I bet you do get some odd visitors. This is far off the main highways.”
“Yes, it is. You should have stuck to them though. The next motel is about thirty miles down the road and it’s kind of a dive.”
“I have an RV. I can sleep in it.”
“I like those.” He stepped out from behind the counter and walked to the door, peering toward Digger’s. “Nice. It’s a big sucker.” He came back to her. “I don’t see too many women driving them.”
“It belonged to my father. I inherited it.”
“I’m sorry.” His features softened. “I’d be bummed if I lost my dad. We’re close.”
The front door of the store swung open and Digger came inside. He recognized her right away—his mouth fell open and his eyes widened. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Volti’s voice took on a deeper tone.
“Um…” Digger gave her a once over. “Nothing. This is the lady with the engine troubles?”
“Yes.”
Digger took a few hesitant steps, giving her a suspicious look. “You ever been in this area before?”
He’d definitely recognized her. She was certain of that. He knew she had, so why did he ask? It might be because it wasn’t safe to talk in front of the clerk. She’d play along. “Not this town but some of the ones nearby.”
Digger’s dark eyes started to lighten and he advanced fast, gripping her by her arms. She dropped her purse, stunned. He was trying to control her mind. His eyes didn’t exactly glow. They were a dark, deep brown but they looked eerie as hell with some yellow lighting them up.
“Goddamn,” Digger hissed. “She wasn’t supposed to come back.”
“Who is she?”
“She’s the only survivor from when those bloodsuckers took out that small human town. Lorn said he wiped her mind and sent her back to the lower forty-eight. I was sure he’d told her to never return to Alaska, so what the hell is she doing here?” He kept his gaze locked on her. “You’d better call Lorn, Volti.”
“Are you sure she’s the right one?”
They were talking as if Jadee wasn’t there. Did that mean that Digger thought he had her under his control? Was she supposed to be like some breathing, brainless doll? He looked furious and scary. She masked her features and held very still, prepared to pretend. She didn’t know what he’d do if he realized she was more than aware of what was going on, in control of her body and thoughts.
“I thought that damn RV looked familiar but I didn’t walk up and inspect it. It’ll have California plates but the tow car had Washington ones. That’s why I didn’t put it together.” Digger leaned in a little. “Hold real still, sweetheart. No need to be afraid. We’re going to send you home so we don’t have to kill you. Her heart is racing.”
She tried to slow that down. He either had super-good hearing or he could feel her pulse.
“Lorn is busy. The delegates from the clans are here. They arrived this morning. They’re all up the hill at the lodge. I’m supposed to send any humans on their way so they don’t stick around.”
“Call Lavos then.”
“He’s up there too. He dropped in about half an hour ago and said he had to go kiss some ass. I think we should handle this. Put her to sleep and I’ll carry her to the back storeroom while you go find out what’s wrong with her engine. We’ll wake her up and send her on her way as soon as you get it running right. I’ll even fill her tank. She’ll just remember it was something trivial you fixed fast, she pumped her own gas, and took off.”
“She got food.”
“Not a problem. I saw how she likes her hot dogs. I’ll just get her fresh ones. She won’t even notice a time gap if we implant that she arrived here whenever you get her engine going.”
“Sleep,” Digger ordered.
Jadee closed her eyes and let her body slump. It was going to hurt if she hit the floor but the idea of letting the two Werewolves know she was immune might be more painful, since Digger mentioned killing her.
The mechanic didn’t allow her fall. He held her up until Volti walked up behind her and grabbed her under her arms. He lifted her off her feet, against his solid body.
“Her keys are on the counter.” Volti turned with her. She let her head fall forward, playing dead to the world. He adjusted his hold on her to free a hand when they must have reached a door. He bent back to keep her body against his front. Then he eased her down on something soft. She waited until she heard a door close before she peeked.
It was a small storage room and there was a sleeping bag on the floor, where she’d been gently dumped. She listened, hearing Volti and Digger softly speaking from the other room. She just couldn’t make out what they said. She sat up when she realized she was alone.
She saw the back door and rose up, walking toward it. There was a glass window and she peeked out. The big log cabin up the hill was within sight. That had to be the lodge they’d talked about. Lavos would be there.
She glanced at the other door that led into the store. She could lie back down and play along until they sent her on her way. It would mean she couldn’t return. Digger and Volti would know she’d fooled them then for sure.
She looked out the window again, watching the line of trees. No one else was around. She glanced at the log structure. It wasn’t too far away and thick trees covered most of the hill. She debated her options.
It would be stupid to make a dash for that lodge to find Lavos on her own. They’d mentioned delegates from other clans. She could guess what that meant. Werewolves from other packs had come to visit. The woods could literally be crawling with them. The memory of what Lavos looked like while shifted sent a chill down her spine.
Her other alternative would be to forget about trying to gain his help by meekly leaving town. But she’d come a long way. It was a hell of a choice.
The memory of those Vampires flashed in her mind. What if they did send out messages to other Vampire nests? Lavos said they loved to live in cities. She’d be safe if she avoided any large ones, probably.
“Damn,” she muttered.
What if Vampires and Werewolf packs talked to share information? They knew she was immune to mind control. Was there already some alert going out for her? Would everything that went bump in the night and day be after her ass? Paranoia could only go so far to keep her safe. She needed to know what she was up against if she wanted a chance at surviving. That meant she’d have to get answers.
She could kidnap a Werewolf and make him talk. She ditched that idea as soon as it formed. She wasn’t about to kill someone like Lavos, regardless of what they wanted to do to her. They were just trying to protect their secrets, unlike Vampires, who were bloodthirsty perverts who attacked women for no good reason. The two men in the store had just wanted to wipe her memory and send her on her way. Neither one had demanded she perform sexual acts on them.
Her last option would be to change her looks, ditch the RV and her car. That RV was her only protection though. Her dad had left her a lot of money. She could order another RV that wasn’t traceable, but it would take months to have all the special features added to it. Months she’d be sleeping in motels with cheap doors and easy access to her if something wanted in.
Fuck. She stared up at that lodge. She needed to talk to Lavos. She didn’t want to die. Digger was going to go play with her engine and he’d figure out fast that there wasn’t anything wrong with it. He’d come back and she’d have to leave town. Her only chance at finding Lavos would be gone.
She gripped the handle of the door but examined the frame first. There was no alarm hooked to it. It wasn’t even a sturdy security door. The town must not have much crime. She twisted the knob and it turned. She opened the door an inch.
“Damn,” she hissed. “This is stupid—but what choice do I have?”
She eased the door open and stepped outside. She froze momentarily, looking at the woods once more, not seeing any other people or hairy beasts. She pushed off the wall and ran for all she was worth to the line of trees.