Weremones (21 page)

Karen threw her arms around her mother.

Diana felt awful to be the cause of her daughter’s misery.

“Shhh.” She soothed, rubbing big circles on Karen’s back. “It’s all right.”

“No. It’s not.”

The rest of Karen’s answer garbled into the coat as Diana’s attention focused on the man approaching from the house. The twins followed like two bristling hounds.

“Dad came after Adam left. He, Dad, said you were ... were ...”

Karen stuttered without finishing. “He and Bradley fought.”

Diana noted, with satisfaction, the bruise on her ex’s face. Too bad she couldn’t praise Bradley’s effort on her behalf.

Karen’s hands tightened on Diana as she noticed the big bikers.

On cue, Bradley snarled at the intruders. Usually mild Brandon mirrored his brother.

“It’s about time you showed up.” The Dick gave the boys room while raking his eyes over her rumpled appearance.

“Why are you here Richard?”

All the other males present growled inaudibly. The rumble of the air was no more than a sound. She didn’t know if they were picking up on her irritation or posing for each other’s benefit.

Diana reached out through the pack link to enfold all of the children in a blanket of comfort and peace. Tank’s sharp jerk, and Chase’s more audible growl, told her she’d spilled over to the other wolven.

“My daughter called with a crazy story about a stray dog breaking into the house and you being kidnapped.”

Richard always did like to exaggerate, to put down others and make himself look better. He sneered at Diana, spreading his hands to encompass everything.

“And here it is five
AM
. Apparently the only thing I need to worry about is the example you are setting for my children.”

That was a lie. Richard never cared much about what happened to the children so long as he wasn’t bothered and they were available for holidays.

Matthew, her son, shifted uncomfortably at the back of the group, close to his father. He glared at Tank and Chase with as much hostility as the twins, adding a large dose of fire for his mother, as well. Eerily, she was reminded of a much younger Richard.

Judgmental and angry, like his father had been when he’d walked out on her.

She tried for gracious, as much as she could muster, without underwear, and covered in a borrowed leather duster in the warm early summer night.

It was pretty obvious what she was or wasn’t wearing underneath. It made that lack of underwear thing a little more embarrassing.

Richard was beginning to seriously piss her off. How had she stood his smug attitude all these years? By playing nice to keep the peace. God she was a wimp.

Before she could castigate herself more, the freight train of emotion that was Adam slammed through her barriers. She thought she was pissed, Adam was a red fury.

He was on his way. He
knew
where she was through the strange magical tie that bound the pack together. And her to them.

She smiled at Tank then Chase. “You guys better go. I can handle this.”

“You sure?”

Cocky again, Chase stared over Richard, dismissing the twins and Matthew with a flick of his eyes.

Oh. Yes. She was sure. She didn’t need this much supernatural testosterone in her driveway at five o’clock in the morning.

They’d all kill one another when Adam got here.

Her rescuers stared past her to Richard, their eyes catching the porch light with the feral intensity of wolves.

“Yes. Thank you again. Go,” she urged at the men’s obvious reluctance.

Chase’s amber eyes flared with amber light as he looked down at Karen, quiet and still between them. He traced a finger down the wide-eyed girl’s face. His voice was low and intimate.

“Stay safe Diana. Remember, you’re on the menu.”

He turned abruptly for his bike. The action caused Bradley to snap. He darted forward, faster than a blink, barreling into the blond biker.

“Bradley!” Karen screamed.

“No!” Diana echoed, reflexively trying to hold on to Karen as she twisted free, athletic as any gymnast, to go to her boyfriend.

The two rolled over in the yard, sounding like a couple of junkyard dogs.

In the dim light Diana could see Bradley’s handsome face distorted. She saw a hint of fang and claw as he tried to reach Chase’s jugular.

Older and stronger, he easily held the boy’s head away and dodged Karen’s kick.

“Oh, no you don’t.” Diana grabbed at Brandon before he joined the free for all.

For a change, he looked like a thinner version of his brother. Danger radiated from him. He didn’t resist as she pulled him close.

For all the potential Brandon carried hidden inside to be a dangerous predator, more violence would harm his gentle soul.

“No, stay with me.” Dina held tight, frantically trying to think of a way to end the fight. The water hose? Brandon’s body strained to go to his brother’s aid, but he didn’t fight Diana’s restraining hand.

“God, you are so incompetent Diana. This is just like you.”

Diana started. She’d forgotten about Richard. Matthew stood behind his father, trembling with emotion.

“Oh, I don’t think so. Go home Richard. This is none of your business.”

Diana split her attention between the combatants rolling mere feet from them and her ex. Richard reached out a hand snagging Karen when she bounced too close.

“Hey!”

“Anything that involves my children is my business.” He gave Karen a little shake to get her attention, speaking first to his daughter then to Diana. “Matthew, take your sister and get in the car. Now you’re bringing home weirdoes. You need a professional. “

Dark vicious emotions rolled off of Richard. The need to hurt jabbed at Diana sharp as a knife.

With a last snarl, Chase pinned Bradley the ground. Not a scratch marred the boy, other than what he’d picked up rolling across the grass. Chase ground a knee in the boy’s stomach, forcing a whine as Bradley reluctantly submitted.

Tank stepped in front of Richard, stopping him. The very real danger to Richard pressed in on her from all sources as all the wolven focused on him.

Brandon gripped Diana’s hand. She squeezed reassuringly and let go, reaching out to lay a hand on Tank’s dark velvety skin.

“Tank.”

His black eyes, gleaming with power, focused down on her.

“I will not hurt the man, little sister.” He sounded barely human.

Richard raked over the multitude of tiny braids spread over Tank’s massive shoulders, leather vest, pants, and oversized boots.

“I see you’ve sunk to an all time low, Diana. Can’t even stick to your own kind.”

For a brief amazed moment Diana thought that Richard was talking about Tank’s species, not his color. She shook her head, holding Tank’s arm as if that would keep him from ripping Richard into itty-bitty pieces.

“Sooo, you’re a bigot as well as an asshole? I didn’t realize you were multitalented.”

She couldn’t resist one last jab. It wasn’t big of her, but she’d had enough.

She bared teeth at him, wishing her smile was as toothy and sharp as a wolven’s. “I’ll tell Laina and her
girlfriend
you said hi.”

He jerked as if slapped. He turned dull red in the low light.

“Matthew. Karen. Get in the car.”

Diana tamped down the urge to sic all of the guys on him. Or tear into Richard herself. Karen sat, safe in the circle of Bradley’s arms.

“I’m not going.” She lifted her chin, wrapped her arms over Bradley’s.

Diana pointed at the Lexus in the driveway.

“Leave Richard. Before I call the police and slap a restraining order on you.”

Multiple low growls from the wolven males underscored her threat.

“Fine.” His gaze arrogant gaze narrowed on Karen. “But I wash my hands of whoever stays with the freak show. Permanently.”

Karen stayed in Bradley’s embrace. Matthew followed on his father’s retreating heels.

“Matthew?”

“Don’t hold me back Mom.”

Her son’s voice was a cold flashback to the day Richard had walked out. His eyes just as hard and unforgiving. For a second time in her life, her heart ripped in two by a man that she loved.

Warm, familiar hands slid around Diana. She turned into the comfort of Brandon’s scent. He rubbed her back in the same soothing motions she’d used on her daughter.

The betrayal flooded past the numbness.

She’d known he was leaving. Soon. But like this ...

“Little Sister.”

“Go.” She told Tank.

She was at the end of her energy. Her body ached horribly, she was filthy, dressed in a borrowed tee shirt and coat. Her heart lay shattered at her feet.

“Just go.”

Adam stared at the pack piled in the bed curled protectively around their chosen,
what? Den mother?

How the hell had she bonded herself into his pack anyway? And how was he going to convince her to stay?

They watched him warily, waiting for an explosion. Several heartbeats passed, then one by one the group slid off the bed and out of the room.

Karen paused in the doorway. Her steady gaze and tilted head was very wolven for a human.

“She trusts you. We all do.”

The girl left him, slipped away downstairs before he could form an answer.

Diana Ridley was the answer. His answer.

The dull ache of her pain called to him even in her sleep. Adam couldn’t help but offer the only comfort he could. Shutting the door, he stripped out of his clothes and slipped between the sheets.

Gently, he curled his body around her battered one and inhaled the scent that was unique to her. Other scents that raised his hackles clung to her body, but he set that aside to concentrate on his almost-mate.

She whimpered in her sleep and curled closer. The press of her body to his skin set him on fire. Her hands smoothed across his chest before she buried her nose there and sighed.

“Safe. Missed you.” Her mumbled whisper made him groan.

God, how he wanted her. His body was hard with need, but that, too, he would ignore for her sake. As much as he wanted sex, needed to complete the mate-bond with her, now was not the time.

Adam allowed himself to caress her hair before pressing a chaste kiss on her crown. He’d hold her tonight and prove that he wasn’t like that jerk she’d divorced.

Adam J. Weis was faithful, honorable, and yeah, damn horny.

———

The rich aroma of coffee seduced her from the comfy spot. Her body was a mass of aches and pains.

Sliding off the edge of the bed, she nearly tripped over a full sleeping bag. Only a swatch of reddish brown hair peeked out the end. The bag gently rose and fell, matching the soft breath snores of the occupant. She stepped over carefully, spying Rick’s innocent sleeping face. Another pallet sprawled at the end of the bed contained Mark and Seth, huddled together like sleeping puppies.

Seth whimpered and twitched in his sleep. Immediately, the other boy scooted closer, flinging an arm over his sleeping companion.

Diana smiled. There was nothing sexual or perverse about the action, as a matter of fact, she was sure either boy would viciously defend himself on that score. It was just one pack brother offering comfort and safety. She imagined that if the need arose, Rick would abandon his pallet to plop down on the other side, adding his support to the group.

She considered the rumpled bed, remembering Karen crawling in beside her.

Obviously, others had followed suit.

Rather than getting upset, Diana decided to accept the gift for what it was. She was hurt and the boys had taken her into their circle. The gesture left a warm feeling in the region of her heart.

Too bad she couldn’t have woken up in Adam’s arms. That would have been comfortable. Diana frowned. She liked them all. To be honest, she was far more involved than a mere promise to bake Mark’s birthday cake. She didn’t want to be this involved.

She made a quick run through her drawers, grabbing underwear, the sturdy grandma kind, and a stretchy sports bra. She found another oversize tee shirt and a pair of cutoffs. Sexy, the outfit was not. For comfort and a feeling of blah camouflage, it was perfect.

———

He’d nearly lost her, just like Amanda.

The strays had given her their blood.

Adam poured himself a cup of coffee and struggled to get a grip on his erratic emotions. Otherwise he was going to owe her more than the shattered birdbath in the backyard. He hoped she wasn’t too attached to that one.

First Adam was relieved. Then, the self-recriminations had set in, followed by jealousy. That was the point where the birdbath had lost its cutesy concrete existence in the backyard. It was now a pile of rubble and he was still agitated. Only, now he owed her a birdbath.

What kind of injuries had she sustained, that she needed wolven blood to heal? He owed those strays for protecting what was his.

Then again, they could be the ones moving in on his territory. By creating a blood bond with Diana, taking Adam’s position as Canis Pater would be smoother.

He bared his teeth at the thought. They’d have to take him out first, and Adam didn’t plan on making his death an easy one.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. His hands were raw from the battle with the birdbath, but he didn’t notice.

He didn’t really think that the strays were after his position. They wouldn’t have brought Diana home. She would be the perfect bait to ensure Adam agreed to a formal challenge. Plus, she wouldn’t have needed the strays’ protection if he hadn’t goaded her in the first place.

Diana’s footsteps above alerted Adam that she was up. He’d know her movements anywhere. His breath caught in his chest. He wanted desperately to go up to her again, but decided to give her privacy.

Coward.

To prove that he wasn’t, Adam closed his eyes and followed the pack bond to Diana. Even without the mate-bond, every time they touched, physically or psychically, it seemed their connection became stronger.

Her flimsy barrier did nothing to hide her fragile emotions. The pain and vulnerability triggered Adam’s own volatile emotions.