Cry of the Wolf (25 page)

Just as he always saw his failure to save his sister when he looked at himself, now she would see her failure to save her friend.

“Lydia … no…”

She turned and fled.

He was surprised to find that he suddenly felt strangely calm.

He hadn’t lost her.

He knew what it was like to lose everything and this wasn’t it – this was … a revelation. He
wanted
to go after her; to salvage whatever little they had, and it had been a hell of a long time since he’d wanted anything.

Taylor crouched beside him, surveying the mess. “I wondered what that racket was while Lydia was sleeping … Ryan?”

“Yeah.”

He whistled. “I feel lucky I got the marshmallow treatment now.”

“Yeah.”

He rose to his feet, picked Lawrence’s chair up and gripped him under his arms. “Come on, let’s get you up.”

“Wait … I have to get to my wardrobe.” In a moment of awkwardness and acute embarrassment, he realised he’d never asked anyone what he was about to ask Taylor. “Can you carry me?”

Taylor looked puzzled, until Lawrence shifted.

He fought against the futility he felt as his wolf; ignored the way he felt so useless sitting on his rear with no hind legs.

Taylor smiled, no pity in his gaze – just a subtle admiration he had no idea what he’d done to deserve. “Yeah. I can do that.”

Chapter Sixteen

“He
what
?” said Beth as she handed her a mug of steaming hot chocolate.

“He left. Family emergency – how could he not?”

“That’s what he said?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

Sarah shrugged and wiped her eyes, determined not to cry over it. “I’m fine.”

“Pffft!”

“I am! I mean, we had a really great night –
really
great. Apart from the wild dog that attacked us, but other than that—”

“A wild dog
attacked
you?”

“Yeah, it was the freakiest thing. And I had the weirdest sense of—”

“Wait, wait, wait … when did the dog attack you?”

Sarah took a sip of her cocoa. “Um … when Amil was just about to go call a cab with that waitress, and after I called that guy, Taylor – shit! I completely forgot! I think I left him hanging at the end of the phone.”

“
Don’t
mention that man’s name.” Beth’s face grew red with anger. “Did I tell you that Holly’s been emailing me, and laying into me for having an affair with this Taylor guy and hurting you? The woman is bona fide crazy!”

“I know. She’s on her way here for a visit, so maybe we’ll be able to talk some sense into her.”

“Why did you call him?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to know where Holly was coming from.”

“And?”

“And I didn’t get a chance to say two words to him before Amil appeared, followed by wild dog.”

Beth sighed. “You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

“Yes,” she replied, dryly, “you’ve already said.”

“So, what are you gonna do now?”

“Move on with my life while secretly waiting three months to see if he’ll come back.”

“Sarah,” Beth rolled her eyes.

“Well, I really liked him … I think I might even … um…”

Now, her eyes widened to saucer size. “Love him?”

Sarah scrunched up her face. “Maybe.”

“In three weeks?”

“I know it sounds all school girl crush, but … it just sort of feels like I’m supposed to be with him or something.”

“The full moon’s coming up – maybe you’re hormonal.”

She slapped her friend on the arm with a scowl.

Beth laughed. “Sorry.” Then she smirked. “Soooo … did the new underwear get any good use?”

“Beth!”

“Well, did it?”

She knew she’d gone beetroot, which, of course, gave Beth the answer she was looking for.

“Yes!” cried Beth. “About bloody time! Was it good?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.”

“You barely ever kiss,” she replied, annoyed. “Come on – spill.”

Sarah sighed, knowing she’d never get her off her back. “It was wonderful, okay? Amazing, out-of-this-world wonderful.”

“Ugh, I knew it. I’m so friggin’ jealous. I can just imagine lying on that muscled body … was he all dominant in bed, or was he happy to let you take the lead?”

“Okay,” snapped Sarah, “I am
really
not talking about this any more.”

“All right, all right, just curious. People have quirks, I find it interesting. He seems like the kind that would let you take the lead, but secretly be in charge … and I’ll bet he hated wearing a condom. Honestly, some of the men I’ve been with have said the weirdest things to get out of … Hey, what is it?”

Just as she felt the blood go to her face, she felt every last drop drain from it too. “Er … I didn’t have enough breakfast this morning, and I’m sort of worn out,” she laughed, nervously.

Shit! Condoms!

“I’ll bet you are, you minx,” teased Beth, with a huge grin on her face. “It
is
actually lunch time. We should shut earlier today. You want me to run to the café and get you a sandwich?”

“God, yes, that would be great. And I agree – after last night, this Sunday should be a day of rest. We’ll lock up in an hour.”

“Yey!” She went into the staff room, grabbed her wallet and waltzed back out. “One sandwich coming up.”

“Thank you!” she called out after her as she stepped out of the shop.

Her mind leaped into action as soon as she was alone.

Okay, don’t stress. So you got caught up in the passion after all the craziness that took place. It happens. It was just one night. I mean, what are the chances you’ll get pregnant anyway?

Not huge.

Right.

So don’t worry about it.

But there was one thing that still niggled at her about last night: that Taylor guy had known her name.

Before she could change her mind, she picked up her phone from under the counter and dialled his number. Holding her breath, she waited for his ring tone. It never came. The line went dead – the number had been disconnected.

She pushed aside her sense of disappointment.

No, this is good. It means you have even
less
to worry about.

The bell above the door tinkled and Sarah let out a little ‘thank you’ for the distraction. In walked three women, giggling away as they went straight to the wedding dresses and started oohing and aahing.

I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to ooh and aah as I pick out my own wedding dress?

She smiled and approached them, forcing the image of Amil as her groom out of her mind.

~*~

Selena fidgeted as she waited for the woman. It was bordering on quarter past three now. She was fifteen minutes late, but then she didn’t look like she could walk that fast.

In the pit of her stomach, she felt a little sick.

What have you gotten yourself involved in?

Fuck that, it wasn’t her fault. If that red-haired bitch hadn’t come whoring into all their lives…

She smelled the woman’s horrendous perfume before she saw her half-hobble, half-stride into the café.
How does she do that? How does someone hobble and stride at the same time? I wonder if she puts it on.

The woman, who had introduced herself as Gladys a couple of weeks back, spotted her straight away and headed on over. She sighed heavily as she carefully descended onto her chair. “What a morning. Eighty is too old for this kind of networking. I believe I’ll be hiring a full time chauffeur.”

Selena’s fidgeting worsened. “I thought you might not show.”

“I’m said I’m old, not dead.”

Selena cringed. She hadn’t asked what was in the back of the truck she’d driven, although now she wished she had, but the smell of fresh human blood had been disconcerting to say the least. Following Lydia around – yeah, she could do that. Spying on her – no problem. Jacking her truck – whatever, she didn’t care. Jacking her truck while it held dubious cargo … well, that had gotten her back up. Then, of course, there was the moment when the cargo had been revealed and the shit had hit the fan big time. And Selena had almost had a heart attack. “Speaking of dead…”

“The Trident are thorough, aren’t they?”

“How did they know he meant something to Lydia?”

“You give me the information I ask for – you don’t tell me what do with it.”

Jesus Christ!
She had thought she was giving someone trusted the information, not the enemy. If anyone found out, she’d be thrown out of the pack … or worse. “You lied to me.” Her voice quavered. “You said you were a Human Hand.”

“I am.”

“The Hands are friends of the wolves.”

“I am.”

The waitress approached them.

“I’ll have a cup of peppermint tea, dear,” said Gladys.

Selena clutched her wavering stomach. “Just a glass of water for me, thanks.”

“We only do bottled,” replied the waitress.

“Fine.”

She glared at Selena briefly, then wandered off.

Selena dropped her voice to a whisper. “You didn’t tell me there was someone
dead
in the back of the truck.”

“It’s none of my business what The Trident do.”

“But you’re the one that told them—”

“
You
, missy, told me you wanted Lydia gone.”

“I do, but—”

“She’s put you all in danger; put a huge question mark over your life span.”

“I know, but—”

“Taken three of your males.”

Selena slumped in her chair. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“It isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

She looked up confused. “It’s not?”

“I’m old, child, and every female in my family line has lived well into their nineties. The Trident forget everything except what they record, they live for such a short time. And werewolves bury anything they don’t like to talk about. Who’s left to pick up the pieces? Humans, that’s who – those of us that remember; that know and want to change things.

“Four hundred years ago, a storm-wielder in Somerset took three mates. In the pack the next county over, in Wiltshire, two females never found their mates and died. Mates were much less scattered then. A war was started between clans in Somerset and Wiltshire, a war that faded because The Trident became a greater threat when they started annihilating packs to flush out the storm-wielders. Then, of course, humans began to hunt wolves too…

“So what did the packs do? Flush out the storm-wielders themselves. Killed them, threw them out, anything to keep their packs safe, both from The Trident and from the storm-wielders themselves who seemed to be developing a gene that demanded they claim three mates. But with the war between the clans buried, and with the extermination of storm-wielders, we’ll never know if that is the true extent of the future of your species: three men for every woman. A lot of females might die if the storm-wielders are allowed to evolve. Do you want to take that risk?

“Mark my words, child, two female wolves somewhere will die because of Lydia. Maybe one of them will be you.”

“No, I don’t want that,” she said, although her voice still shook. She felt like that Judas guy from that religion humans liked so much.

“Well then… That man’s death was a shame, but necessary.”

They both shut up when the waitress came back and placed their drinks on the table.

After she’d sauntered off, Gladys continued. “Lydia is distraught, is she not?”

“Yes.”

“She’ll never be able to make peace with her wolf now, knowing the harm it has already caused … and she’ll never be able to look at Lawrence Gunvald again without remembering the death of her friend.”

Selena paled. She didn’t want Lawrence harmed – she loved her pack – it was just Lydia she wanted gone. “What’s Lawrence got to do with—”

“Secrets never stay hidden for long, child. I suggest you take a closer look at him – he is not the great king you’d all like him to be.” She spat that out as if the words poisoned her. “None of the Gunvalds were worthy of the royal status you were always so ready to bestow on them.”

She shuffled in her seat. Discussing Lawrence and his family line was something that didn’t sit well with her wolf, so she decided not to ask more on the subject. Instead, she reached into her bag and brought out the bottle of perfume that the woman had given her. “Here.”