Authors: Lynn Hagen
“This is for Keata. Please. If you do not want to learn, you don’t have to.” Kyoshi wasn’t going to spend the time if they didn’t want to be here. Oliver and Blair seemed to be the only ones willing to learn. Cecil was spitting spitballs at the leather-bound books across the room.
“Please,” Keata begged.
“Fine.” Johnny sat up straighter and picked his pencil up. Cecil slid his straw under his seat and did the same.
Kyoshi ran through the rest of the lesson with no more gripes. He was somewhat surprised at how well Johnny was picking the language up. It seemed all he had to do was tell him the word once and he got it. Drew seemed to be the one who was struggling, so Kyoshi decided he would give him private lessons if he so desired.
They spent the afternoon taking turns at the board as the day flew by. Snacks were brought in by some of the warriors, and Kyoshi smiled when he saw Cody, Tank, and Loco take a seat off to the side. Seemed some of the warriors wished to communicate better with Keata as well.
Tank seemed to be recovering well from the bullet wound he suffered when rescuing the other three Asian men that had been kidnapped and brought over to this country when Kyoshi and Keata had. He didn’t walk as stiff anymore, and his Commander, Hawk, had put him back on the roster for patrol duty. It amazed Kyoshi how quickly the wolves healed. He still wondered about Keata visiting him when he was sick but, as his mate Storm had told him, he let Keata be his own man.
“Okay, we are done for the day. I want you guys to practice your words and try and use them in a sentence as often as you can.” Kyoshi felt proud and accomplished at the lesson taught today.
“I still don’t like school,” Johnny mumbled as he left the library carrying his piece of paper and pencil with him. Kyoshi shook his head and smiled at the blond-haired man.
“How did it go?” Micah kissed Oliver as he entered the den.
“Grueling. Kyoshi is a slave driver, and Keata has gotten ruler happy.” Oliver dropped onto the sofa as his stomach growled. It was dinnertime, and he was starving. The snacks that had been brought in didn’t even put a dent in his appetite. Oliver laid his head in Micah’s lap as he tried to decide what he wanted for dinner. He was glad he had suggested the class but forgot what it had been like in school. Studying and homework were not on his most favorite things to do list but, as Kyoshi had pointed out, it was for Keata. Maybe they could take him out to dinner.
“Hey, Micah.”
“Hmm?” Micah was running his hands over Oliver’s hair, making Oliver forget momentarily what he was about to ask him. He realized over the past couple of days that he was a skin person. He liked to be touch and craved contact. When his mate touched him, all thought stopped and only pleasure remained.
“Do you want to go out to dinner?” Oliver caught the moan before it escaped, goose flesh rising on the surface of his skin. Damn, Micah had him drooling.
“Where do you want to go, babe?” Micah asked. He lightly raked his nails along Oliver’s neck. He could feel goose bumps rising as his body shivered. Micah traced circles with his fingernail down Oliver’s forearm then back up.
“Don’t know. I really don’t know what you have in this small town. Can we take Keata? I want to try the words Kyoshi taught us today.” Oliver turned to his back and pulled his T-shirt up, exposing his stomach, Micah growled and pushed it back down.
“Get Keata. I’ll let Loco and Storm know we’re taking him with us.” Oliver rolled over and stood as Micah pushed up from the couch.
Loco had been asked by the warrior Storm to look after Keata, keep him safe and happy. Loco took the job seriously and guarded Keata with his life, so letting the wolf know they were taking him out was to be expected.
Chapter Six
Keata slept in the backseat after stuffing himself on chicken strips and fries. Oliver had opted for the diner in town.
Oliver was buckled in the front of Micah’s truck as the miles ticked away. It had gotten dark out, and the night was making his mate sleepy. Oliver’s head rested back.
“Did you have a good time?” Micah asked him in the dark interior of the truck, the dials the only thing glowing. Oliver turned his head toward Micah and smiled.
“Yeah, I did. Thanks.”
Micah smiled as his thoughts drifted back to their dinner. Oliver had to read all the choices on the menu to Keata, but the guy barely understood what he was saying. Micah called Storm and spoke to Kyoshi. He pressed the button for speaker phone as Kyoshi related the items until Keata made his choice.
Micah knew Oliver’s decision to have the others learn Keata’s language was a good choice. He felt bad for Keata and the circumstances that brought him here but loved having him around. Now all they had to do was bridge the gap in their communication and Keata would feel better about the whole ordeal.
Micah glanced in the rearview mirror, noticing headlights following too close to his vehicle. He sped up a little. Having precious cargo, he didn’t want to drive too fast. The headlights still trailed closely.
Micah was getting pissed. This was a damn country road in a small town, not a busy street in the congested city. People should have more consideration out here. Maybe if he slowed down they would give up and go around him.
He eased his foot off the gas pedal, and the vehicle behind him slowed as well. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. His gut told him something wasn’t right. Micah glanced over at Oliver then back at Keata. They were both fast asleep. He knew he had to handle this situation with caution. His mate and Keata depended on it.
Micah pulled his cell phone out and dialed Maverick’s number, waiting for him to answer.
“Maverick here.”
“I’m not sure, but I think I have trouble following me. I have my mate and Keata with me. Someone is following us a little too closely.” Micah gave him the road he was on and the direction he was heading.
“I’ll send help. Keep them safe.” Maverick hung up.
Micah glanced in his mirror again for a split second before the other vehicle’s high beams blinded him. He reached up and smacked the rearview mirror to the side to remove the bright light from his eyes. He had to blink a few times to clear the residual effect in his eyes. What the hell was going on?
Micah’s head snapped back when the rear of his truck was hit. He swerved but managed to get the truck back under control. His knuckles turned white as his fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter.
“What’s happening?” Oliver yelled as the truck took another impact. Micah craned his neck to look behind them and saw Keata gripping the strap of his seat belt, his eyes wide with fear. All Micah could see were headlights. “They’re coming at us again,” he warned as the headlights ate up the distance and the truck lurched forward. This time Keata screamed. Oliver twisted his body to look behind them.
“Turn around and sit, Oliver. I don’t know who it is, but I don’t want either of you hurt.” Micah sped up as he prayed that whoever was doing this would leave them alone. They didn’t have any enemies that he was aware of. They had called a truce with the Eastern pack after the warrior Zeus had won the fight against the old Alpha, Jackson.
To his knowledge, no other pack lived around here. Maybe Zeus was really tired of waiting on Jasper and taking out his frustration on them. As quickly as Micah thought of it, he dismissed the idea. An Alpha wouldn’t do something like this. Would he?
Keata and Oliver both cried out as the truck was struck again. This time Micah lost control, and the truck veered off the road and into a ditch. The impact made Oliver hit his head on the passenger door window.
Micah panicked when his truck hit the ditch. He could hear Oliver’s head hit the window. He glanced over at his mate to see him unconscious. He reached over and felt Oliver’s neck. His pulse beat strong under Micah’s fingers, and relief flood him. He snarled as he hit the button to lower his window. These assholes were going to pay for this.
“No, Micah. No leave us,” Keata begged as tears washed from his eyes.
“No worries. Gonna kick some butt.” Micah reached back and squeezed Keata’s hand that had a death grip on the seatbelt. He crawled out of his window and shifted, circling the truck as he looked for signs of the vehicle that knocked them off of the road. He growled as Keata clamored out of his window. What the hell did he think he was doing? Before he could shift back and yell at the young man, he was hit across the head and knocked away from his truck, landing on his side. Micah shook it off and leaped at the shadow by his truck.
Keata wailed, and the hairs on Micah stood. Someone was hurting Keata. Micah had to get to him but hesitated at leaving his mate in the truck unprotected.
Howls echoed in the forest as Micah heard footsteps on the other side. They were by his mate. Micah leaped over the hood of his truck and sank his teeth into soft flesh, his claws shredding skin. No one was getting Oliver. He snapped his head back and forth as he pulled the assailant away from his mate.
Tank, Cody, Loco, and Ludo emerged from the forest, the wind carrying their massive forms to the fight. Tank jumped onto the back of the one who had Keata, his weight bringing the attacker down. Cody stood over Keata, his muzzle pulled back, showing off his long and sharp canines. His ears tucked back and his head lowered, daring anyone to come near the little man.
Ludo and Loco were tearing apart the ones they had found hiding just beyond the road.
Micah heard the neck snap but still shook the attacker, his teeth tearing flesh from bone. How dare anyone attempt to hurt Oliver or Keata! They were cherished above all others, and the thought spiked Micah’s wrath into a higher level of untapped fury. He heard Oliver whimper. His mate needed him. Micah dropped his prey and ran to the truck, shifting as he leapt through his window.
“Are you okay, baby?” Micah unbuckled Oliver, aware that a neck injury could paralyze him if moved. What the hell should he do? Oliver grabbed his head as he rolled over onto Micah, crying.
“Shh, it’s over. You’re safe.” He prayed he was doing the right thing as he pulled his mate to him. God, if he lost Oliverno, he couldn’t think of that. His heart was gripped in pain at the thought.
Micah pulled Oliver from the truck as headlights washed over them. Micah snarled as he pushed Oliver behind him.
“It’s just me, Micah,” Jasper yelled as he ran over to the wreck, tossing sweat pants and a T-shirt at Micah. “Is everyone okay? Where’s Cody? Keata?” Jasper stopped to look around then ran past Micah over to where the other wolves were gathered.
* * * *
Jasper came to a halt at the sight before him. Cody had Keata in his arms as he ran his hand down Keata’s face. He was staring tenderly into the young man’s eyes. A growl ripped from his chest as he stormed over to his Code-man.
“What the hell is going on?” Jasper demanded with jealousy he shouldn’t feel. He had a mate waiting for him, yet the sight of another man in Cody’s arms sent him over the edge. What the hell was wrong with him? Keata was injured, and all Jasper could think about was gouging the human’s eyes out. This wasn’t right. His feelings weren’t right. Cody was free to be with whomever he wanted to be with, so why was Jasper seething?
“Back off, Jazz. He’s scared and hurt. Don’t you have a mate to piss off somewhere?” Cody glared at Jasper.
“Cody…don’t.” In that moment, Jasper knew it was time to go. He knew he had to break Cody’s heart and go to his mate. This wasn’t fair to anyone, least of all Cody. If he stayed much longer, Cody would only grow to resent him, and that’s something Jasper couldn’t live with. He tossed the clothing at Cody.
“I called Maverick,” Tank informed them. “He’s on his way, along with Zeus. They want to identify these men, see if they belong to the Eastern pack.” Tank looked over at Jasper then down at Cody. He thanked Jasper for the clothes as the redheaded warrior passed them out to the now naked wolves.
“Thanks.” Cody pulled to his feet as he carried Keata over to the SUV Jasper had brought.
* * * *