The Werewolf Tycoon's Secret Baby (The Woolven Secret Book 2) (12 page)

“Does this have anything to do with why Sebastian Monk kept calling me Kate?”

“Goddess forgive me, yes.” Lenore sounded so broken, so wounded.

“Is that all you’re going to tell me?” Emmie was more stern than she meant to be.

Lenore’s eyes were haunted. She’d never seen Lenore like this. “There was once a beautiful girl and her name was Kate. She was my best friend. She saved
my
life. It was like we had to outdo each other in the lifesaving gig. Then she was torn apart by foul murdering beasts over and over again. I couldn’t—” Lenore choked on her words. “I didn’t save her. She died.”

“What are you saying?”

“What was Kate is gone. You are Emmie. And if Emmie remembers what Kate knew, Emmie will be gone too, okay?”

“Jesus Christ,” Randi murmured.

Somewhere in her mind, a key was slipped into a lock. It didn’t turn, but the presence of that key was enough to shake the foundations of her world.

“Is this why you blame yourself for Peter?”

“Partially. I swear, I thought he would keep you safe. When you were recovering, and you met, it seemed like you wrought a change in him. He was better. He
was
… And he loved you, as much as anything like him could love. I thought, who better to keep you safe from the wolves than the monster they fear?”

“Have you been carrying this all this time?” Emmie held out her hand to Lenore.

“When you remember, you’re going to hate me.”

“No, I won’t. I’ll remember that you love me.” She pulled Lenore toward her and held her tight. “And I love you. You’re my sister in every way that matters.”

“I failed you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Lenore finally returned the hug.

“Well, I guess shit just got deep,” Randi said.

“It always does at slumber parties.” Maribella shrugged. “At least the ones I go to.”

A
fter he dropped
Emmie off with the other women, Drew sought out War and Noah. It had been a long time since he’d stripped his human skin and run the night simply for the sake of doing it.

He shed his clothes and his skin in the crisp night air.

As soon as the Change overtook him, he was ready to run. To feel the earth of his home under the pads of his paws, to drink in the night air and glide in her arms, to relish the freedom that came with being a wolf.

He wondered if his pup had ever known that?

Drew lifted his head and howled. Warner answered, as did a shorter, higher pitched wolf testing out his lungs for the first time. His chest swelled with pride.

Running toward the sound and using his nose, he found Noah first, but he was obviously trying to hide. He’d crawled halfway into a hollowed out log, but his tail and hindquarters were visible.

Warner howled again, as if playing hide and seek and Noah’s tail wagged.

Drew didn’t know that happiness could break his heart. He loved this little wolf so much it cracked him in two. This kind of love was too big to be held in one organ—or even his whole body.

Warner greeted him by biting his muzzle lightly, and Drew returned the greeting. War nudged the fallen tree, jiggling it, and several excited yips were his reward.

When Noah emerged and saw Drew in his wolf form, the pup launched himself at his father. What he was trying to do, Drew couldn’t know. But the excitement in his eyes was evident. He even smelled like joy.

Warner burst into a run, and he and Noah followed. He noticed the older wolf wasn’t running hard, he was running just fast enough that Noah had to work a little to keep up.

They ran until the ground beneath them was nothing, until they were running on air, the wind carrying them through the forest. They twisted this way and that, covering every old native trail, every whim, for hours. Just as dawn broke pink and soft against the eastern sky, they were drawn close to the edge of their immediate territory.

It was War who stopped first, just before they crossed the boundary.

A black cloak lay seemingly forgotten and innocuous beyond the border. It was anything but, because from the scent, Drew knew it was
his
. Sebastian Monk. He’d told Emmie he’d see her soon.

This was a blatant threat.

War changed back to his human form. “You know this is either a threat or a trap.”

Drew had changed into his warrior form, bipedal and ready to fight. “I know,” he rasped.

“Get control of yourself, nephew.”

“This is control.”

“I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with that one true mate crap at my age.” He shook his head. “This is how we deal with this, and something that human bodies are good for. Longer range.”

Warner was pissing on the cloak. “Marking my territory, showing my derision at the same time.”

Noah was little boy shaped again and looked up at his father and uncle with big, round eyes. “Mama says we don’t do that.”

“We do what Mama says, but this is a special occasion.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed, and soon he’d joined in the fun.

When they were finished, Drew said, “But maybe she doesn’t need to know about this part.”

“This is boy stuff.” Noah nodded solemnly.

He knew then that just as he had found his son, he was going to lose him. They’d have to send him away to Academy, at least until this threat had been dealt with.

In times of extreme stress, wolf children developed faster, calling on their wolf blood to bring them to maturity to fight. Noah was already losing some of the baby roundness to his cheeks and more importantly, the innocence in his eyes.

To give him a childhood, it would have to be away from both of them.

Whereas only moments ago, his heart had been cracked because it was too full, it had been crushed to pieces because it the loss of him made it hollow. But it was better to give up a year or so with him than for Noah to have to give up those years of childhood.

He didn’t know how he was going to get Emmie to agree. Maybe if she saw the changes in Noah, she’d believe him.

“Let’s run back to the house before your mama gets up.”

“We were out all night. We’re going to be in so much trouble.”

Warner laughed. “No, pup. You were with your pack. You were safe. And most importantly, your mama knew where you were. I’ll race you back.”

Warner and Noah ran toward Aphelion as if they were the hounds of hell themselves. Drew couldn’t resist looking back at the now urine-soaked cloak. He wondered just what Sebastian had in store for them and how best to protect his family.

Drew liked running, but never in his long life had he ever wanted to run
away
. He’d advised Blake on more than one occasion to retreat, to regroup, but then to go on the offensive was the defense was solid.

But this sensation in him now, he wanted to take Noah and Emmie and hide.

He felt like a bitch. Not a she-wolf, as they were fierce and strong. But a
bitch
—weak, whiny, and ineffectual.

And the worst part was that he was sure Monk knew it.

He was grateful for Blake’s return today and his solid advice as his brother and his Alpha.

Drew pushed hard to catch up to War and Noah. He needed to get him in the bath and to bed. When they all reached Aphelion, Noah was a yipping ball of noise and dirt. He resumed his human form and scooped him up, taking the excited, wiggling pup to his room.

The roman bath had anticipated their needs and was full of steaming water and bubbles. Noah leapt right in.

“Hey, hey… it’s time to be a people again, kiddo.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Yes, you do. People get pancakes and sausage before they go to bed.”

“I thought that was when they got out of bed.”

“Not tonight. Maybe next time we’ll hunt a deer.”

“A bambi?” He peeked up out of the water.

Damn Disney
. Making it hard to raise little werewolves since 1942. He was sure the mermaids had it worse. “Would it bother you to eat a bambi?”

“Not if I was really hungry.” He hung his head. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I lied. I don’t wanna eat a bambi.”

“You know what? You don’t have to. There’s plenty of other things to eat.”

“I don’t have to? Uncle War said I have to.” He splashed around, magick sponges scrubbing him down, cleaning him of the evening’s dirt.

“You can werewolf however you want to werewolf.”

“Is Mama your mate?”

“I…what?” Oh Goddess, he wasn’t ready for the birds and bees and the mates discussion.

“Your. Mate. Are you going to bite her?”

He choked and spluttered. “I really think that’s up to your Mama.” Hopefully, that answer would hold him for a little while longer. He wanted to share his knowledge with his son, but he and Emmie weren’t ready to even begin to define what they were to each other.

Well,
she
wasn’t ready.

“I like that answer.” He yawned. “Can I have my sausages when I get up?”

“Yes, you can.”

He crawled out of the bath and Drew wrapped him in a towel and dressed him in a pair of pajamas.

Drew allowed the magick spells and enchantments to clean him. He wanted a shower, but he didn’t have time for that luxury. As soon as Noah was asleep, he was going on patrol. He had to talk to Westwood about reinforcing their perimeter and see if she knew anything about the black tendrils. He didn’t want to upset Emmie before he had to.

“Can I have a story?”

“Yes, but only one.”

“Did Mama warn you?” He narrowed his eyes.

Despite the turmoil in his head, he laughed. “No. I just know how much I loved stories. What kind of story would you like?”

“Any story, but I like the scary ones.”

“Oh, I see.” Drew considered for a long moment. “Once upon a time—”

“I like this part.”

“Me too. Now, shh. Or I’ll forget, and you’ll have no story. Once upon a time, in the dark, dark woods, there was a dark, dark house.”

“Oh!” he squealed. “Is this about Aunt Lennie? She went to the dark, dark house, and she killed the bad werewolves, and she met my mama before she was mama.”

Drew cocked his head to the side. He knew of Lenore’s trials in the woods, how’d she’d stopped those rogue wolves, defeated the demon wolf of the woods… Emmie hadn’t been there.

Had she?

“Maybe you should tell me the story.”

“No, you tell it.”

“I don’t know it.”

“Yes, you do. In the dark, dark house there was a girl in a red cloak…”

And so he retold the boy the legend of the hunter who is the fated mate of the ancient Luchtaine, slayer of the demon wolf, a modern red riding hood—and his “Aunt Lennie.”

Once he’d fallen asleep, Drew set out to patrol. He planned to give the interior of the estate a once over and then take to the grounds—and he needed to teach Noah the secret passages sooner rather than later.

He hadn’t been roving the halls long before “Aunt Lenny” cornered him.

“I have to talk to you.” The expression on her face was one he imagined few people ever saw. Lenore Breslin didn’t do fear.

Her scent was unnerving. It was exactly fear, but it definitely wasn’t sunshine and roses. When he’d launched himself at her before and taken her to the ground, her scent hadn’t changed. Not even a bit. She hadn’t been distressed or afraid, but whatever it was she had to talk to him about was apparently more concerning than being taken to the ground by a raging werewolf.

Drew would listen very carefully to whatever it was she had to say. “Would you like to step into the boardroom? I need to speak with you as well.”

She nodded and he led her to the place where his brother, the Alpha, held meetings for both the pack and the family.

“This is fancy,” she said stepping inside. “I guess it’s true what they say, that money never sleeps. Or werewolves.”

He pulled out a crystal decanter and two tumblers.

“Make it a double, please.”

He obliged her and then sat in his usual seat at the right hand of the empty chair at the head of the table.

“What is it?”

Lenore sat without ceremony and downed the brandy, then refilled her tumbler. “I’ve already told your witch, and she’s assured me all will be well, but I’m going to lay this on your shoulders, too. Do you love her?” She held up her hand. “And don’t give me any bullshit about how you just met or whatever else. Is she your mate? Please say no.”

At first glance, his impulse would be to take a swipe at her for implying he wasn’t good enough for Emmie and, coming from a hunter, he’d assume it was because he was a werewolf. But this was something else.

“Well, I’d rather not lie.” He took a sip of the brandy.

“Fuck.” Her eyes were haunted.

“Just tell me, Lenore.”

The hunter’s eyes teared, and she blinked hard. “I’m going to tell you a story. It was once upon a time, but not a long time ago. At least, not for you. For me? A lifetime. Do you know how hunters are tested?”

“I actually just told Noah that story before he went to sleep. Your story.” He eyed her. “He thinks you hung the moon.”

Lenore inhaled deeply, held it for a long moment before exhaling a shaky breath. “I love that kid more than my own breath. You know that, right?”

“Of course I do. I’m proud that you’re his aunt. Never doubt your welcome in this pack.”

“I’ll admit, when I realized you were his father, I thought I was going to lose him.” She took another swig.

“Did you think I’m that much of an asshole?” Or was it because of what he was?

“No, not an asshole, but I have to say, if I was a werewolf and there was a hunter hanging around with my kid, especially a hunter related to Peter Breslin, I’d kill first and ask questions later.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Drew squeezed her shoulder. “That’s not who you are.”

“I don’t know.” She put her head in the bowl of her hands for a moment before pushing her hair out of her face. “Do you remember the illegal hunting parties that were quite the thing with wolves?”

Drew’s stomach twisted on itself. “That’s a foul corruption of who our people are. It’s the human evil tainting the purity of our wolf spirits.”

“I know that,” she reassured him. “When I went to the proving ground, I saved a Woolven wolf by the name of Kate Rouen from one of those parties. She’d managed to escape her cage and, when two of the hunting party came for her, we took them down. But it didn’t stop there. She went back to the camp where they were keeping their other prey, and she helped me take down the whole ring. We saved a lot of people, and we were determined to save more. We traced the money to Royce DeVayne.”

Drew was silent at the mention of DeVayne, but that knot that had twisted up in his gut seemed to double in size. DeVayne was the worst kind of predator, and his drug of choice was other people’s pain.

“I was still a young hunter. I took down that pack before I’d even passed the test. DeVayne was the first op I’d tried on my own. Kate demanded to help. And I couldn’t tell her no. I should have, but I didn’t because I was afraid.”

“Of course you were. Jesus, you hunters are just kids when you’re tested.” Drew thought it was rather brutal to test children so young.

“You may not have as much sympathy for me when I tell you the rest.” She looked down at her hands with a sigh. “Because if I’d been strong enough, brave enough to do this myself, Emmie wouldn’t be in the position she is now. She’d never have married Peter. He was the only one I thought could protect her. But I didn’t know. I just…” she shook her head. “I didn’t know.”

She exhaled again, but was silent.

He’d never seen her like this. She was ripping herself open telling this.

Drew prodded gently. “It’s okay. Tell me.”

“I keep telling her that when she remembers, she’s going to hate me. She swears she won’t.”

“Have you told her all of this?”

“No, that’s the thing. She knows something about a Kate, and the damndest thing is she wants to remember, but we can’t let her. Not ever.”

“My guess is Sebastian Monk will do everything in his power to
make
her remember.”