Damn straight about that. Maybe a lot of wolves.
As soon as Jesse was out the door, Alexa picked up her phone and called her real estate developer client. He had a small block of bungalow-style homes he’d picked up that needed a great deal of work. With most of his capital committed elsewhere at the moment, he was offering the use of the homes to whoever would agree to do the renovations. Maybe he’d even work out a plan for them to buy the places because he had to get rid of them. So far, he hadn’t had any takers. Alexa told him she might have some people interested and she’d get back to him.
Then, giving Jesse plenty of time to be gone from the neighborhood, Alexa repeated her process of the previous day and, thirty minutes later, stood at the edge of the old orange grove, waiting for the wolves to notice her.
Derek rose from the place where he’d been resting and padded forward, still in his wolf form.
You’re back.
Did you think I wouldn’t be? I need your help.
Your human, will he allow it, or will he try to destroy us as other humans have?
You have nothing to fear from him. I give you my word.
The air was thick with silence as she waited for him to digest her statement. To determine the truth of it. At last he took one step closer to her.
I’ll ask you again. What do you have to offer in return?
She told him about her client and described what would be required.
If you are clever with your hands and willing to work hard, you can create new homes for yourselves. The rest is up to you. I need an answer from you right now. Tonight, there will be big trouble, and I must protect my…mate.
Was that what Jesse was? She’d find out soon enough when he learned the truth about her.
We have talked. Tell us what you want. We’re ready to help.
Aware that there was still lingering hostility among these strange wolves who didn’t know her from a rock, she told them carefully and clearly exactly what they all needed to do.
Chapter Nine
Alexa led the pack along the same dusty two-lane highway she had been taking every night. By now, she knew every twist and bump and turn and where to swerve to avoid the traffic. Led by Derek, the wolves followed her, silent predators in the fading light.
The crowd noise signaled activity at the convenience store as they approached it. Alexa stopped and signaled the others to move behind the trees while she scoped things out.
Cars were scattered everywhere, several of them pulled into a circle surrounding at least fifty young men armed and ready for battle. Behind the circle were both unmarked police cars like Jesse’s and cruisers with their roof lights flashing. Police were dressed in protective vests, helmets and holding riot shields. From behind the barricade of vehicles, someone was using a bullhorn to address the crowd.
“I am once again ordering you to disperse. Get in your cars and leave, and we will not bother you.”
“Fuck that shit,” someone shouted, and Alexa saw it was Bang Bang. “Stay outta our faces while we take care of these guys. Then we’ll leave.”
“Yeah, Bang Bang,” someone shouted. “We need to teach these assholes some respect. Stay out of our business.”
“Now, Bang Bang, you know we can’t do that.” Jesse’s voice.
Alexa’s heart clenched. She padded forward, keeping the cars between herself and the crowd. She spotted both Jesse and Charlie inside the ring, leaning against one of the cars. The poses they affected were casual, but she knew they were anything but relaxed. Once again, Charlie cradled the riot gun.
Get out of the way, Jesse. Don’t challenge them.
“I don’t see your big dog tonight, cop boy,” Bang Bang sneered. “Tonight, I get rid of the rest of this trash and then it’s just you and me.”
“I will give you one minute to disperse,” the bullhorn voice said again, “or we’ll break this up for you.”
Bang Bang moved forward, chin jutted out, his body in a “bring it on” attitude despite the heavy bandage on his hand and arm. Behind him, his gang surged like a slow-moving wave. Opposite them, the other gang also moved forward, the leader drawing his gun.
Alexa turned to Derek.
Be ready to move. Go for the gun hands. But be swift and don’t give them a target.
Derek dipped his head once then turned back to the pack.
“Come on, Bang Bang.” Jesse pushed away from the car. “Give it up. Let’s all go home.”
“I’ll send him home,” someone from the other gang shouted. “In a box.”
Before anyone could move, the speaker lifted his hand and shot Bang Bang twice.
Then all hell broke loose. The gangs began shooting at each other, and Jesse and Charlie were trapped in the crossfire. No one expected the furry bodies that suddenly leaped out from nowhere, so fast they were blurs of motion. They attacked and retreated, each time causing enough damage to stop the gunplay, then leaping in again. They moved too fast to make themselves targets for guns or Tasers.
In seconds, several of the young men lay writhing on the ground, bleeding from wolf bites, screaming in pain. Derek led his pack quickly back into the trees again, while Alexa stood to the side, waiting and watching.
The police moved forward, guns drawn. No one seemed to be paying enough attention to the young man kneeling beside Bang Bang. Before anyone could reach him, he lifted his gun and pointed it at Jesse.
“This is all your fault, asshole,” he screamed, and his finger tightened on the trigger.
Alexa was a blur of motion, leaping at the gang member. She knocked his arm to the side but not before the gun fired. A bullet ricocheted and plowed into her side, and she dropped to the ground, blood pouring from the wound. Another gun fired, twice, and through pain-filled eyes she saw the man drop, shot twice by Jesse. Everyone else froze, unsure what to do next.
“All right,” the man with the bullhorn shouted. “The next gun I see, the owner’s a dead man. Let’s get in here and clean this up.”
As if released from a time warp, the cops moved forward. They collected guns, cuffed the startled gang members, called for medical treatment for the wounded.
Jesse approached Alexa, frowning.
“Is she dead?” Charlie asked.
“I don’t think so, but I’m afraid to touch her.”
“And where the hell did all those other wolves come from?” Charlie wanted to know. “Think she brought some friends?”
“Don’t know, but I’m damned glad they showed up. Too bad she got hurt.”
“I’ll call animal control.” He reached for his cell phone. “They’ll know what to do.”
No. No, no, no.
Alexa could not let that happen. Panting with the effort, she pulled herself to her feet. Jesse took a step forward then halted, uncertainty in every line of his body. At least, she thought, he didn’t look afraid of her. Slowly, she limped off to the tree line where Derek and the others waited out of sight.
“Come on, Jesse,” she heard Charlie say. “We need to finish up here. You can’t do anything to help her. She’s able to move. Maybe her, uh, friends can take care of her.”
“Yeah.” Jesse sighed. “I guess you’re right.”
With supreme effort, Alexa managed to pull herself close to Derek.
I have to get away from here but so do you. Someone will come after you if you don’t.
You’re badly hurt.
I’ll heal, but I have to know you are safe. Go now.
He didn’t move, still watching her, indecision in his eyes.
Go, please. I have to get home, and you have to get away.
At last, Derek dipped his head once.
We will wait to hear from you again.
Fine, but please get away from here. Now.
Derek and his mate moved close to her, ready to assist, as they made their way back to the orange grove. She watched them lope away before she began the painful process of heading home. If she could make it to the woods behind her house and find a place to lie down for a day or two, she’d be all right. Shifters healed fast, although, right now, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be whole again.
The trek was arduous, and she was dizzy and disoriented from pain and loss of blood. Somehow, she ended up on the edge of the trees at her backyard rather than safely concealed by them. With the last of her strength, she tried to drag herself to a hiding place, but the effort proved too much for her. She dropped to the ground and closed her eyes as another wave of pain washed over her.
***
Jesse thought the night would never end. The mopping up at the scene of the gang fight had been arduous and messy. There had been lots of screaming and cursing and a few last attempts at bravado that made more problems for them. He was eternally grateful most of the cheap guns the gang members had were so poorly made they’d either misfired or jammed.
Finally, they had everyone transported either to the station or the prison ward of the hospital. The booking process took forever, and they had to catalogue all the guns for the evidence locker. By the time he left the station, Jesse felt as if he’d been on duty for a month.
The appearance of the wolf again had startled him, but not nearly as much as the fact she’d brought help with her. Jesse was sure that without those bodies attacking and distracting the gang members, things would have been worse. A lot worse.
Charlie kept teasing him about his pet, but he’d been damned glad she’d shown up.
The sun was well over the horizon by the time he finally dragged his weary body home. Pulling his car into the driveway and climbing out of it seemed about all he had energy left to do.
He wondered if Alexa was waiting for him. He needed a long shower and a month of sleep before he felt fit enough to see her. But he at least owed her an explanation.
As he headed toward her house, something in her backyard caught his eye. With weary steps, he forced himself across the lawn to the tree line. He was shocked to see his wolf lying on the ground, panting shallow breaths. The bullet that hit her had plowed a furrow in her side, fortunately not penetrating her body but leaving a rough wound just the same. Blood matted the silver-white fur.
Blocking Charlie’s warnings from his mind, he knelt on the grass beside the animal and stretched out a hand to caress her head. She moaned and reached her tongue out to lick his palm. Her eyes were shadowed with pain and…something else. What?
Jesse sighed. She’d helped him. Now it was his turn to do as much for her.
“Come on, girl. Let’s see if I can fix this wound. It doesn’t look too bad.”
Exhausted and barely able to manage himself, he lifted her in his arms. He was surprised at how small and light she actually was. Being careful not to jostle her, he carried her into his house and placed her gently on the couch. Fighting to stay awake, he went to get a bowl of warm water, a cloth, and his first aid kit. Did you treat wolves the same as humans?
He’d have to chance it.
With gentle fingers, he cleaned the wound on her side and applied what remained of the antibiotic salve. He fetched a second bowl of water from the kitchen and put it on the floor, hoping she could reach down to drink from it. Finally, he took the blanket that still lay folded at the end of the couch and covered her with it.
“That’ll have to do for now, girl. If I don’t go to bed, I’m going to pass out.”
And Alexa will have to wait until tomorrow.
***
Sunlight blazing through his window woke Jesse in the late morning. He hoped his wolf had slept through the past few hours. Dragging himself out of bed, he stumbled into the living room to check on her and stopped, frozen to the floor.
The wolf was gone. Instead, Alexa Morgan, nude shoulders showing above the edge of the blanket, lay there fast asleep.
What the hell?
He shook his head as if to clear it, but the scene didn’t change.
His brain had to be playing tricks on him. It’s the fatigue, he thought and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, a very pale Alexa was awake. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and clutched it around her, a look of desperation on her face.
Jesse stared.
Am I asleep and dreaming this? Am I so tired I’m not smart enough to be afraid of this? Whatever this is? I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I can’t leave her lying here.
“Jesus Christ. Alexa?” He could barely croak her name.
She turned whiter than a sheet. “Jesse?” she whispered.
“How did you get here?” he demanded. “And what happened to…?” He stopped. Maybe he’d imagined the whole thing. Maybe he’d brought Alexa home last night and didn’t remember it. Yeah, right. And maybe he’d won a million dollars in the lottery.
No, something weird had happened here.
“Jesse, listen.” She changed position, trying to push herself into the corner of the couch, and pain slashed across her features.
“What is it? What’s wrong? What are you hiding there?” He moved to the couch and lifted the blanket.
Alexa shrank away from him but not before he got a good look at the angry gouge in her side. Like his wolf! And, strangely, the wound seemed to be partially healed.
He dropped the blanket as if it was on fire. “What the hell’s going on here?”
She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Jesse, listen to me. We have to talk.”
“How did you get hurt? And where’s the wolf?” He looked around the room and demanded, “There was a wolf here, right?”
She was trembling as she looked up at him. “If you’ll stop shouting and sit down, I’ll explain.”
He raked his fingers through his hair, frustration running through him. “Explain what? Jesus, am I dreaming this? Or maybe having a nightmare?”
Alexa swallowed, hard. “Can you come sit down beside me?” She giggled nervously. “I won’t bite you.”
Oh, oh, bad joke.
“You know,” he said, “maybe it’s the fatigue, or the stress from everything that happened tonight. Maybe I should go back to bed, get up again, and it will be yesterday. None of this will have happened.”