Elias was in big trouble. Jacque wasn’t happy, but that was the least of his worries. No, it was his heart that was in the biggest danger. When he’d scented Sue nearby, he’d almost lost his mind. He couldn’t imagine why she’d come when she’d never been here before. He should have known it was her protective streak that would bring her to pack land. Sue naturally mothered and protected everyone she crossed paths with. It was only one of the many reasons he was drawn to her.
He snagged her hand and tugged her down the path toward the main pack house. Reece and Sage were ahead of them all with Billy. The boy laughed as Reece played with Gray’s dog. Shadow was almost as big as Reece and just as playful.
Sue tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold, laying claim on her in front of the rest of the pack. He didn’t think they’d hurt her, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
“I asked why you and Sage are here.”
She was still wearing the skirt and blouse she’d worn to work. The smell of onions and grease clung to her hair. Mixed with her natural scent, it wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it made him hungry.
He stifled a grin, knowing she wouldn’t be pleased if he started smiling. Not when she was so upset. “We’ll talk at the house.” He deftly avoided her question. She pursed her lips and quickened her pace when the boys disappeared around a bend in the path. She didn’t slow when they came back into sight and hurried toward them. He kept pace, not willing to let her go.
They all trooped into the house except Cole’s father. He nodded at Jacque and quietly left. Elias knew he’d patrol the area. If the hunters came back onto pack land, they needed to know.
Sage and Billy were sprawled on a rug in front of the cold fireplace when he and Sue walked in. Both Reece and Shadow were with them. Sue smiled when Billy laughed and some of the tension in her shoulders lessened.
“Coffee or lemonade?” Anny asked. She hovered next to her friend and knotted her hands together.
“Lemonade would be great. I’ve had enough coffee for today,” Sue told her friend. “Thanks.”
Anny opened her mouth and then shut it again. Elias understood her predicament. She obviously cared for her friend, but there was only so much she could tell Sue, for both their sakes. There were too many lives at stake.
Armand stuck close to his mate and helped Anny pour lemonade and coffee while Gator pulled out the cakes and started slicing them. Cole leaned against the backdoor. Elias wasn’t fooled by his casual stance. He was on guard.
“Why don’t we sit down?” It was more an order than a request.
Elias sat on one of the sofas and pulled her down next to him. She glared at him, but he ignored her.
Gator carried both cakes into the living room and put them on the table. Sylvie followed behind him with plates and forks. Since the cakes were already sliced it wasn’t long before everyone had a piece. While that was being done, Armand and Anny carried in the drinks.
Jacque didn’t bother with either cake or coffee. “Who were the men you overheard talking?”
Sue glanced at her son and took a sip of her lemonade. Elias had coffee but he had a hankering for lemonade, tart and sweet. He wanted to lick it from her lips.
“Connor McLennan was the one I overheard talking about shooting a wolf.”
Louis swore and Gray frowned. “Is he any relation to Fergus McLennan?” Gray asked.
Sue nodded. “They’re cousins. Fergus was there with his brother, Sean. Connor’s brother was there too. They often hunt together. How do you know him?”
“I’m Gray, by the way.” She pointed to the big dog licking Billy’s face. “Shadow is my dog.” At the mention of his name, the big animal’s head snapped up and he left Billy behind and went to sit beside Gray.
Before Billy could become upset by the dog’s desertion, Reece nuzzled the boy’s neck. Sage took a small glass half-filled with milk and a piece of chocolate cake from Anny. That was more than enough to distract the child.
“When I first came here, I had trouble with Fergus and his brother,” Gray told Sue. “They were hunting wolves then too. I feared they’d shoot Shadow. I reported them to the local authorities.”
Sue shook her head. “If they’ve been warned off and know Shadow is a dog and not a wolf, why would they do such a thing?” The dog wagged his tail as if to agree with Sue.
“I’m pretty sure they saw Reece.” Jacque frowned toward the fireplace and Elias’s nephew hung his head. A low growl started to work up Elias’s throat, but he swallowed it back. He wouldn’t have anyone blaming Reece for this. The boy had enough problems as it was.
“That’s all I know.” Sue set her glass on the rustic coffee table. “We should go.”
Jacque dragged his fingers through his hair. “It’s not that easy. If the hunters find out you came to us, you could be in trouble.”
Sue shook her head. “I’ve known them all my life. I’ll be fine.” But Elias could tell she wasn’t quite as confident as she was pretending to be. Her eyes strayed toward Anny and then away again. “I should be going home. Billy needs his supper.”
At the mention of his name, the boy lifted his head and frowned. Elias nodded at Sage. His nephew set the cake aside and lifted Billy into his arms. “How about Reece and I walk you back to your car.”
Billy nodded. “There are trucks.” The boy whispered it but everyone in the room heard him. The women smiled and so did some of the men.
“There are a lot of trucks. We’ll go have a look at them.” Sage looked to Sue for permission. When she inclined her head, Sage carried the youngster out of the house with Reece right beside them.
“Thank you for the lemonade and cake.” Sue rose and smoothed her hands over her skirt. Elias noted that Sue hadn’t touched her cake at all. Jacque nodded and Elias walked beside Sue as they followed the boys.
Anny was right behind them and stopped them on the porch. “Sue, I want you to meet my husband. This is Armand LaForge.”
Armand kept his arm around his wife but nodded at Sue. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Anny talks about you all the time.”
“I wish I could say the same.” The sadness and resignation in Sue’s voice cut Elias to the core. She’d lost so much in her life. He could relate. “I’m glad you’re happy,” she told her friend.
Anny nibbled on her bottom lip. “You won’t tell anyone I’m here, will you?”
Sue shook her head. “Of course not. If anyone ever discovers you’re here, it won’t be because I told them.”
“No one else knows,” Armand pointed out. Elias bristled at the underlying threat to Sue.
“You’ve got hunters running around the woods. If Anny’s outside, they could see her. Everyone from around here knows her,” Sue noted.
Armand frowned and Anny looked thoughtful. Elias thought she’d made a damn good point.
“Be happy,” Sue told her friend. Then she went down the steps without a backward glance.
“Don’t be too hard on Anny.” Elias wanted to drag Sue into his arms, but the stiff set of her shoulders told him she wouldn’t be receptive to his advances. Not now. She was dealing with a lot.
“I don’t blame her, but I can’t understand why she’d leave me to deal with everything I’ve been through the past few years on my own when she was so close. That’s not what friends do.”
Elias winced, knowing Anny and Armand could hear Sue. Sometimes werewolf hearing could be a detriment. “She has her reasons.” He felt compelled to defend the other woman.
Sue shrugged. “I’m sure she does. But they’ve got nothing to do with Billy and me. Her life is her own and we’re not a part of it.” She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “I’m glad she’s found a man who makes her happy. I really am. I’m just sorry she felt as though she had to toss away everything in her former life. That’s all.”
“Sue.” Elias struggled with what to say to her. There was so much he couldn’t share.
“No.” Sue stopped and looked up at the clear blue sky. “I get that she’s dealing with a lot of stuff. She probably doesn’t feel safe after her attack. Being isolated probably gives her a sense of safety. I get that.”
She started walking again when she heard Billy’s laughter wafting through the trees. “But she’s not a part of my life anymore and isn’t likely to be again, is she?”
Elias wouldn’t lie to her. “No.”
“There you go. Better to just walk away and put that part of my life behind me.”
“Is that what you’re going to do with me too? Put what we shared behind you.” Elias knew he was being totally unreasonable but couldn’t help himself. The thought of Sue forgetting him and eventually taking up with another man brought out his wolf.
“Like Anny, you’ve got secrets. You’re a part of this place, and you’ve refused to tell me why. And that’s okay. It’s your business.” She held up her hand. “I don’t want to know if it’s going to put Billy in danger. And you can’t share. Not if you want to stay here. I’m not stupid. Whatever is going on here is something only those that live here know about.”
“It’s nothing illegal.” He didn’t want her thinking he was a criminal.
Her gentle smile just about brought him to his knees. “I know. Anny wouldn’t be a part of something like that. And you wouldn’t risk Sage.”
His wolf calmed a little but not much. At least she didn’t think the worst of him.
“But since I’m not a part of whatever is going on, I need to separate myself from it.” Elias knew he wasn’t going to like what she had to say next. “And that includes you too.”
He did growl then. It was loud enough that both his nephews swiveled their heads and stared at him. However, Sue was either so preoccupied she didn’t hear or she wasn’t the least bit afraid.
“Billy is already too attached to Sage and Reece.” She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. Elias wanted to drag her into his arms and promise her everything would be okay, but he couldn’t. At that moment, he hated what he was for the first time in his life. When his wolf whined, he shook off the thought. He loved his wolf. Wouldn’t want to live without it.
But he didn’t want to live without Sue either.
“Time to go.” She left him standing there and went to her son. She thanked Sage and hugged him. Then she patted Reece and kissed his furry head. Billy started to fret and cry, but Sage hoisted the youngster onto his hip and carried him to Sue’s car. Whatever the boy said to him, it had Billy smiling again in no time. Sue, however, didn’t look happy.
Elias waited by the driver’s side of the car while Sue double-checked to make sure Billy was safely strapped in. She hesitated when she saw him but squared her shoulders and kept coming.
Her courage and resilience drew him to her. That and her innate kindness. Okay, and her smoking-hot body. He loved the way her skirt emphasized her curves. The way her full breasts filled out the thin cotton blouse she wore.
His cock sprang to life. It had taken iron control to keep from sporting a massive hard-on in front of the rest of the pack. Now that he was virtually alone with Sue, it was impossible to contain. He knew what she looked like naked. How she felt under his hand.
Sue’s nostrils flared. She was as aware of him as he was of her. He opened the door and waited. She slipped by him but paused. “We can’t see each other again.” With that pronouncement, she slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door.
Elias watched as she drove away. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered. It would be wise to do as she’d asked. But he’d always acted more on his instincts. And he knew now he could never let Sue go. Even if that meant walking away from the Salvation Pack. Whether his nephews came with him or not was up to them. He wanted them to be with him, but he also wanted them to have the protection of a pack.
He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. The tension thrumming through him had made his shoulder muscles rock solid.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Elias. Everything will work itself out.” He wished he had Sage’s optimism.
“Let’s get back to the house. Reece should be resting.” Still in wolf form, the boy snorted and trotted ahead of them. Elias peered down the road but Sue was long gone.
Sue kept her eyes on the road ahead of her and refused to think about anything but the drive home. If she let anything else intrude, she’d probably break down in tears. All this time, Anny had been a short drive away.
She didn’t want to think of the nights they’d talked on the phone and Anny had told her she wished she could be there to help. Her friend could have easily been there when Sue’s mother got sick, when she’d died and then when her father had passed. Not to mention when Sue had sold off things and settled her parents’ estate. Her friend had simply chosen not to be there.
Why?
That was the big question. Did Anny feel too afraid to leave her home?
Sue’s heart ached for her friend in spite of everything. She had no way of knowing what was going on in Anny’s head. Maybe her friend was too ashamed to admit she had a problem. She could understand and forgive that. But she was also realistic. As much as she wished it were different, Anny wouldn’t be a part of her life in a real way ever again.
And that hurt.
But nothing made her ache as much as the thought of never seeing Elias again. She had to stay firm. Letting him walk in and out of her life would only lead to more heartbreak. Not to mention what it would do to Billy. He’d already had enough people leave him.
“We’re home,” she announced. She forced some cheer into her voice. Not that Billy noticed. He’d fallen asleep on the drive. It was past mealtime, but he probably wasn’t very hungry. Mrs. Beecham had given him an afternoon snack when Sue’s shift had run over. And he had chocolate stains on his shirt from the cake he’d consumed not long ago.
She shut off the engine and sat in the car for the longest time. She wasn’t sure if she had the energy to get out, gather Billy and his belongings and walk to the house. Sue was exhausted both physically and emotionally.
“You can do this.” This situation with Anny and Elias was just one more in a long line of unpleasant things she’d had to deal with. She grabbed her purse and climbed out. It was only the work of a minute to get her son and his knapsack. Arms full, she staggered toward the house.
It took some doing to get the door open. She dropped her purse but kept going with Billy. He should eat, brush his teeth and have a bath, but those things could wait until morning. She set him on the bed and deposited his knapsack beside it.
His eyes were closed tight and his lips slightly parted on a soft snore. Billy was her life, her reason for getting up in the morning. The love she had for him was so immense it was frightening at times. She worried about him constantly but tried not to hover. She didn’t want him growing up afraid to test his wings, but at the same time she wanted to protect him from everything that might ever harm him.
That was the plight of all parents.
She slipped off his shoes, socks and jeans and tugged off his dirty shirt. Billy didn’t move. No one could ever accuse her son of not being a good sleeper. She left his underwear on and pulled the sheet over him. He’d live for one night without a bath and brushing his teeth. And if by some miracle he woke before it was time for her to go to bed, she could bath him then.
She sat there for a long time simply watching her son. The room grew darker as evening closed in around them. She didn’t want to leave Billy, but the need to go to the bathroom finally drove her out.
Sue brushed her hand over his baby-fine hair one final time and kissed his forehead before she left, closing the door behind her. She went to the bathroom and then decided to take a shower. She was still wearing her work clothes and felt grungy.
The woman in the bathroom mirror looked tired and defeated. Sue turned her back on the image and stripped out of her clothes. She tossed everything in the hamper and turned on the shower.
Her breasts felt heavy and she was ultra-aware of her body. She’d seen the way Elias had looked at her, his eyes skimming her curves. She swore and grabbed her bath puff and loaded it down with body wash. Ignoring the low-level arousal thrumming through her, she ran the sponge over her body, being careful not to linger on her breasts or between her thighs.
She was panting slightly by the time she finished, every nerve ending in her body alive with sensation. She ignored it as best she could and washed her hair. She wouldn’t have bothered except the scent of the diner always clung to it after a long shift.
When she was totally clean from head to foot, she turned off the shower and stepped out. Twinges in several of her muscles reminded her of Elias and what they’d done last night, and the night before that too.
Sue grabbed a towel and rubbed her body dry, groaning when her nipples pebbled. Her breath quickened and heat built between her thighs.
“No,” she muttered. “Not happening.” She didn’t want to be reminded she was a vital woman. Not tonight. Not when she knew she’d never see Elias again. It was time to go back to being Billy’s mother and nothing more. And if she mourned the loss, so be it.
She left her hair damp and went to her bedroom and yanked on a thin nightgown. It was much too early for her to go to bed in spite of the exhaustion weighing down on her. She poured herself a glass of water and carried it out onto the deck.
She wasn’t waiting for Elias to show. At least that’s what she tried to convince herself.