Midnight Moon: A Paranormal Werewolf Romance (Roadside Angels Motorcycle Club Book 2) (9 page)

“Yes sir.  I’ll be there in a week or two.” 

Lex knew he spoke only the truth, and had to admit that the way things were headed, wolf society would erupt in civil unrest soon if something decisive was not done.  All this, added to the rogue problem, made his head hurt.  Still, at least his leader was not apparently involved in the plot to kill him.  Another name checked off his list.

Only one remained.  This member of the Council, responsible for the defense of wolf society, was outwardly accepting, but Lex suspected that he was the secret sponsor of the One Blood organization.  Even as a very young cub, Lex had read his aura, and it had left a stain on his mind that had taken a long time to eradicate.  Nothing had changed, except now this shifter had learned to better mask his intent.  And while nothing had ever been proven against him, it was clear he was duplicitous, at best.  He made the call, and steeled himself to read him. 

“Secretary Chase, this is Alexander Cole.”

“Mr. Cole, what a surprise!”  He made no effort to disguise the shock in his voice, and Lex’s hackles rose.  “We haven’t heard from you in such a long time that the Council had begun to believe you were no longer with us.”

“No longer with you?  You mean, as in dead?  Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Chase, but I’m very much alive.”  Lex let the hard note in his voice register, and then said, “I wondered if you had heard from Tony Lancaster recently.”

The pause lengthened while Lex waited.  When Nimrod Chase spoke next, his voice was tainted with tension.  “I’m sure I don’t know why you would think I had heard from Lancaster personally.  It’s being rumored that he is into dog fighting.  Which I suppose isn’t surprising.  He is, after all, a rogue.  Other than that, I haven’t heard anything.  Why do you ask?”

Lex had decided he would give him a bit more information, in hopes he would hang himself.  “He is passing wolves off as dogs, and fighting them, yes.  Do you know where he is?”

“Why do you think I would know that?” Chase responded with an affronted question of his own.

“Well, there have been a rash of wolf sightings and killing of humans, and I am concerned that they might all be connected with him.  I am aware of your past connections with his family.  If you know where he is, it would be in your best interests to speak now.  As a show of your support for the current regime, and for the new one which is soon to be inaugurated.”

He dropped the broad hint about his own return to take his place as Alpha with the clear understanding that this man was his enemy, and that he would plot against Lex to the bitter end.

“I am no traitor, you young whelp!” Chase snapped, enraged, the mask of civility slipping.  “If I had any information regarding illegal activities being engaged in by any member of this community, both you and His Eminence would also know it.  I resent the implication that I am somehow involved with this rogue, or have anything to do with his criminal activities.”

The righteous indignation in his voice could not hide the fact that he was hiding something, and Lex was very much afraid he knew what it was.  He did not respond to Chase’s outrage, but made one last comment instead.

“It’s become clear to me that someone is paying Lancaster to indulge in these criminal activities in order to get my attention.  I just wanted to make sure everyone understood that he has succeeded.  He has my attention.  Everyone does, now.”

“I’m sure no one wants to offend the new Alpha, Mr. Cole, least of all myself, so I can’t really see why this call was necessary.”  While he didn’t sound frightened, he did sound conciliatory, which was more telling than if he were afraid or angry.  Lex backed away from him mentally, unwilling to let the ugliness that seeped through the cracks of Chase’s armor infect him.

“I’ve spoken with His Eminence already, as you know, and he knows exactly when I will be returning.”  Lex let the white lie go, knowing Chase would never approach their Alpha to ask about his return.  He wanted to leave him on edge, off balance, so Lex could gauge its effect on Lancaster.  Because he was certain that this conversation would be relayed to Lancaster.  His gut told him Chase was the traitor.  “I’m sure you will help him get the word out to the Prime Council and the population.”  He only hoped he hadn’t pushed too hard.  He wondered, as he hung up, if he had.

Chapter 5

“We are bound by the secrets we share.”
~ Zoë Heller

Lex could hear the music Tamara was playing, on her laptop he presumed, as she worked.  He realized, as he walked to her room, that he was being forced to make a choice between the safety of his mate, and the safety of the good citizens of Rojo Arroyo.  As long as he remained there, he was convinced their troubles would multiply.  But when he went home, that put his mate more surely in the line of fire than she already would be once that article was published.  And she had to be told who she was before she found herself in danger.  It wasn’t fair to her to keep her in the dark.  Nor was it safe.  He stopped outside her door, forcing himself to relax completely before he knocked. 

“Come in,” she called, and when he opened it, she was sitting at the little table by the window, typing furiously.

“I’ll be right with you, Lex,” she said.  “I just need to tidy up this part a bit.”

“Take your time,” he answered.  “There’s no rush.  I’ll be in my office when you’re ready.”

She turned to look at him, and he sucked in a sharp breath at the look in her eyes.  She smiled, and he felt sucker punched.  Beating a hasty retreat, he took himself back to his office and called the vet to remind him that he was coming to get his dogs.  Then he checked in with Bear, who told him Ginnie was in better shape than her mom.  Lex wasn’t surprised...Buck had been a mean sonofabitch even on his good days.  Still, no one deserved the horrific nightmare ending he had had, and Lex knew if his family saw the state of his body, it would be traumatic for them. 

“I’m heading back,” Bear told him.  “They boys are fine, but we need to have a strategy meeting soon.”

“I agree,” Lex said.  “I’m going to get the dogs.  I’ll be back later.  Call me if you need me.”

He cut the call and looked up to see Tamara standing in the doorway, looking uncertain. 

“I’m done.  Ready?”

“For?”  She looked puzzled.

“I told you I would take you with me when I went to pick up the dogs.”  He looked at her and added, “You don’t have to come, if you need time to finish, but I’d prefer that you weren’t here alone.”

Tamara stayed at the door, watching him walk towards her.  “You live in the middle of nowhere, Lex.  What could possibly happen to me here?”  She was incredulous, and he felt his guilt at deceiving her swamp him.  If only she knew how much there was to fear, he thought, stopping before her. But he didn’t answer her question, only asked one of his own.

“Does that mean you’re not coming?”

“I didn’t say that!” she retorted.  “Don’t be so quick to jump to the wrong conclusion.”  She turned away and headed toward the front door.  He walked after her, admiring the way her hips swayed in the jeans, the way her back was ramrod straight, the way her legs covered the distance from his office to the door. 

“I can almost feel your eyes on me, Lex.  Stop watching my behind, please.”  She was teasing him again, and his heart leapt. 

“If you have a better offer on the table, I’d like to hear it first,” he answered, chuckling at the look she shot him as she walked out the door.

“In your dreams, mister!”  She laughed with him, and let him help her into the truck.  Before he was settled into his seat, she had moved on to the next topic, as though she sensed his reluctance to discuss the issue of her safety.

“So, what do you call your dogs?  A ridgeback and a wolfdog, you said, right?”

“Yes.  They are rescue dogs.”

“So you told me.  You’re very kind to do that, Lex.” 

Lex didn’t respond to her last comment.  Instead, he said, “I’m afraid the names aren’t particularly clever.  The ridgeback is called Ridge, and the wolfdog is called…”

“Wolf,” she interrupted with a laugh.  “I get it.”

Lex laughed with her.  She seemed so at ease with him, unlike the first days when he and she were in contention.  He loved her relaxed.  She was playful and amusing, and she helped him relax, too.  After they had driven in silence for another five minutes, she put him on the spot again. 

“So, gonna tell me why you didn’t want me to stay at the ranch alone?”

“You’re like a dog with a bone, aren’t you?” he quipped, genuinely amused.

“You have no idea!  Just call me Dog!”  She waited for his shout of laughter to subside before saying, “So, why?”

Lex sighed.  There was no getting around it.  He had to come clean if he had any chance with Tamara.  “I’ll tell you when we get back, I promise.”

She turned to look at him, as if to find evidence of his trustworthiness in his face.  He glanced at her and smiled.  “I promise!” he reassured her.  Then he changed the subject again.  “Do you like dogs?”

“I don’t mind them, though I prefer cats,” she said.  “Dogs are too boisterous, too big,” she added.

“I hope you’ll like Ridge and Wolf.  They’re good dogs.”

He turned off the highway as he spoke, onto a large property that called itself the Rojo Arroyo Animal Practice.  Lex parked in front of the main building, and went round to help her out of the truck.  One of the volunteers was exercising a horse in the wide corral across from the house.  The animal whickered when it saw Lex, as though it recognized him. 

“Let’s go round the back to where the kennels are,” he said, leading her there with a hand at her elbow.  They were met by a tall, rangy older man, with a beard as long and white as Santa Claus’s own.

“Lex!” he exclaimed when he saw him.  “Come to take my babies away?”

“Yeah, Doc.  How are they?”

“Fit as a fiddle, both of them.  And such good dogs, too.  But you take good care of them, Lex, so it’s no wonder they’re so calm and well-behaved.”

He led them to the kennel where the dogs were, and Lex saw Tamara’s eyes open wide in shock when she saw them. 

“Wow!  They’re pretty big dogs, aren’t they?” she commented.  “I didn’t really know what to expect.”

“Don’t be scared.  They won’t hurt you.  Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

He watched the vet release the animals from their pen, as they careened toward Lex as though they had been away from him for longer than a couple of days.  He stooped to meet them, and let them lick his face and sniff him, reacquainting themselves with his scent.  They finally calmed down enough that he could stand and he had them sit quietly while he introduced them to Tamara, who had been watching the reunion with amazement.

“Tamara, this is Ridge.  Note the ridge of hair going the wrong way down his back.  Hence the name.  Wanna shake hands?”

Tamara looked at him as if he had lost his mind.  Lex laughed.  “Say hello, Ridge.”

The dog dutifully put up his right paw, and a disbelieving laugh escaped Tamara as she extended her hand, not sure what to expect.  She touched the pad of his paw.  Lex knew it was rough but warm, and she was clearly surprised by it.  She shook the extended paw gently, and released it.

“And this is Wolf,” Lex continued.  This time Lex watched to see what she would do.  He could see she was still a bit skeptical, but he watched her say hello and extend her hand.  Wolf put her paw in it and Tamara shook it, chuckling in delight.

“Clever clogs!” she said, meaning Lex. 

“Clogs or dogs?” he asked.

“Clogs. It means you’re a clever man! It’s something my grandma says.”

“I have my moments,” he agreed unabashedly.  One more thing she needed to know about him.  His bond with the dogs was special not just because he was good with animals, but because he was an alpha animal himself.  He turned to the vet, who brought out the paperwork for Lex to sign, and after they said their goodbyes, Lex led the animals back to the truck.  Both dogs leapt into the back of the huge vehicle, and sat quietly while he settled Tamara and himself.  They didn’t bark or raise a ruckus the entire journey back.

Once back at the ranch, Lex led the way into his den.  He had hoped to delay this conversation until things were more settled, but having decided that he must return to the Prime lands to fulfill his destiny, he knew he had no choice.  Tamara was his mate.  Her safety was his highest priority.  And his sanity was a close second.  She needed to know who she was to him, and why that meant she was in need of his protection.  And she needed to know that his feelings for her were growing, and his nature demanded that he claim her.  And as she could not go with him this first time, he had to mark her, and claim her, which meant telling her the whole truth. 

“Would you like a drink?” he asked, turning to the side table. 

“Sure.  I’m not much of a drinker.  Give me something you think I won’t mind.” 

She sat in the easy chair and curled her legs under her while he poured them both some Mar Azul Chocolate Tequila.  Handing her a glass, he sat across from her and took a healthy sip.  Then he began.

“Earlier today, you asked me why I didn’t want you to stay on the ranch by yourself.”

“And you’re actually going to tell me, without me having to wring it out of you?”  She was clearly shocked.  Under other circumstances, he would have been amused, but this time, all he felt was regret and fear.  Once she knew the whole truth, how would she react?  Would he lose his mate before he had even really had her?  He would be in even worse shape than Bear.  He sighed heavily and took another gulp, not tasting the drink and not noticing that he didn’t.

“Yes, I am.  Because it’s important for your safety.”

“Okay.  Shoot.  I’m all ears.”  She settled her back against the seat and sipped her own drink.

“Tony Lancaster is more than he appears to be,” he began.  “And what he is, is dangerous to you.”

She stared at him with a puzzled look.  “What are you talking about?”

He tried a different tack.  “What did you read about the wolf attack, when you first found this story?”  He knew what she had found.  There was one story that reported some of the locals’ fears that the wolf that had attacked Toby was a werewolf.

Her stare became more fixed, and she swung her legs out from under her and sat up.  She took a long sip, and cradled the drink in her hands. 

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” she asked.  He could hear the incredulity in her voice, and he wasn’t surprised when she added, “Because if you are, you’ve got to be kidding me!” 

She forced a laugh that chilled Lex to the bone.  “What do you think I’m saying, Tamara?” he asked.  He wanted to be completely sure. 

“Are you asking me about that one article that claimed that the wolf that attacked Toby was a werewolf?”  She had such a quick mind, that even though he was worried about how she would take the truth, he felt his admiration for her soar.   “Because I have to tell you, not even my boss believes in that mumbo jumbo, even though that’s the gimmick he uses to get readers.”

Lex held her stare, unblinking, and knew when she realized he was serious.

“Oh come on, Lex!  Really?  Are you honestly trying to tell me that Tony Lancaster is a werewolf?”  When he didn’t immediately respond, she set her glass down and stood up, walking over to the window, distancing herself from him.  “Werewolves are an urban legend, Lex.  They are fantasy.  They don’t exist.”  She sounded as though she was trying to convince herself more than she was arguing with him.  He let her talk.  “Surely you of all people…” 

She stopped and looked keenly at him.  Lex could almost see the wheels turning in her brain.

“Why is he a danger to me?  He doesn’t know me.  He doesn’t even know I exist.”  Her voice was hard now, the reporter in full control.  “What haven’t you told me?”

Lex emptied his glass and said, “Come back and sit down, please, Tamara.”  He pushed the mildest compulsion into her mind, and when she returned to her seat, he continued.