Into the Unknown (Werewolf Wars, #2) (17 page)

“We don’t want that to happen to you. In fact, I’ll make sure it doesn’t, but you need to help us with Juarez,” Devon said. “What have you been telling him?”

Claire handed Maddie a tissue. “It’s okay, take your time. We are here to protect you—to help you.”

Maddie sniffled as she dabbed at her face. “I tell him things I overhear. Like today. Things that are important. He asks about how many people live here, and what you and Gene do during the day.”

“Are you willing to help us Maddie, or should I turn you over to Juarez now?” Devon asked as he sat back down in his chair.

“I...I want to help,” she whispered, looking at Claire.

Claire wrapped her arms around Maddie and pulled her in for a hug. “It’s okay, sweetie.”

“I’m going to need the phone that you use to contact Juarez. From now on, you will only contact him while you’re with me or with Gene,” Devon ordered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you willing to do that?”

“Should we really keep her in this?” Lark asked, watching the frightened girl. “She’s just a kid.”

Devon let out a long breath. “At this moment, I don’t think she has much of a choice. But, Maddie, I promise we won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I don’t have a phone,” Maddie mumbled into Claire’s shoulder.

“How have you been contacting him then?” Claire asked gently, pushing Maddie back as she gave the girl a stern look.

Maddie licked her lips and looked around the room. Wiping at her face with the back of her hand, she mumbled, “I use other people’s phones. I have Fernando’s phone number written down. He...he told me to use Daniel’s phone. I snuck into his room and called from it when I could. Is Daniel in trouble because of me? Is that why he left? He didn’t know I was doing it.” She turned to Claire and buried her face in the other woman’s shoulder.

Devon leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he asked, “How did you contact Juarez today?”

Maddie swallowed. “I used your phone, Mrs. Claire. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Claire crooned as she cradled the young girl to her. “It’s going to be okay.”

***

N
atalia followed Gene into the large suite. Setting Adrian’s seat on the red carpet, she took in the rest of the room. A brown suede couch sat in front of a large-screen TV. The kitchen was beyond the couch; there were two darkened bedrooms at the far end of the entryway.

“Do you have a preference on which bedroom you want?” Gene asked as he juggled their things in his hands.

“Whichever is fine,” she said, eyeing the assortment of items they’d purchased from the store.

Gene nodded and led the way to the bedroom on the right. “I think this is the master bedroom. Both rooms have an in-suite bathroom.”

Gene set the bags down on the bed and began to open the new pack and play.

“You do not have to do that,” Natalia mumbled, setting Adrian down next to the bed. The infant had fussed for most of the drive, and Natalia had finally been able to calm him down by feeding him while they shopped. He was now thankfully asleep in his carrier. Whether or not he would stay asleep remained to be seen.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind,” Gene replied.

Natalia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I am sorry about earlier.”

“There is no need to apologize,” Gene sighed.

“I was not thinking. Adrian’s safety is my first priority. The leader, Malakai...he is my brother. He is one of the men who murdered my mother and Antonio. I was...I was scared,” she said, her voice thick as a lump formed in her throat.

Gene paused, his eyes lifting to hers. “I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.”

“I truly am sorry for smacking you and for not trusting you,” she said sincerely.

Gene continued working on the pack and play, extending the crib out and placing the mattress inside. “Its fine, Talia. I’m not angry.” He pulled out a blue sheet from the plastic shopping bag tearing the wrapping off of it before placing it in the bed. “I think it’s done. You should probably look it over; I’ve never assembled one of these before.”

Natalia studied him for a long moment. His shoulders were tense as he placed his hands on the edge of the brown and blue plaid pack and play. Gene sighed, meeting her eyes.

“I do trust you, Gene, and I want you to know how sorry I am for reacting the way I did. I was overwhelmed earlier, and scared. You put Adrian first today—protected him. And, for that, I am grateful. Thank you,” Natalia said, placing her hand on top of his.

“I already told you, I’m not angry. I do hope that, one day, you will trust me, but I can understand why you don’t.” Gene squeezed her hand and smiled. “You should probably get him to bed. I was going to order room service. Do you want anything?”

“A hamburger and fries,” Natalia said, smiling.

***

N
atalia wove her hair into a loose braid before giving herself one final glance in the mirror. It shouldn’t matter how she looked, but it did. She wanted to look attractive for Gene. Thankfully, Adrian had gone to bed nicely, barely fussing when she’d woken him to change and feed him. She felt refreshed, having used her free time to shower and change into her pajamas, she’d purchased pink and white checkered pants with a white tank top at the store.

Satisfied with how she looked, she padded softly through her bedroom, taking a moment to check on Adrian before walking out into the front room.

Gene lounged across the couch with his head on the armrest, and his legs sprawled out across the cushions.

“Hey,” he said as he pushed himself up. His shirt rode up, giving Natalia a view of sculpted abs. Wetting her lips, she shifted her gaze to the coffee table. “Food should be here any minute. They said forty-five minutes about forty minutes ago.”

“I’m starved,” Natalia said, sitting down on the free end of the couch. Tucking her knees up under her chin, she wrapped her arms around herself.

“How are you feeling?” Gene asked.

“I am a little sore, but nothing serious. Better than the last time.”

“You did good. Where did you learn to fight?”

“Antonio. His father taught at a kick boxing school.”

“Were the two of you together long?” Gene questioned.

Heat crept across her face, causing her cheeks and ears to burn. “We grew up together. We were friends. Best friends. I knew that what he felt for me was more than friendship, but he never acted on it. It was not like that for me. I thought of him as more of a brother.” She flexed her fingers, watching as she curled them in and out. “I did not realize female wolves went into heat. My mother didn’t know either. When it happened, I did not understand it. The emotions and...feelings...the urges were intense. I did not mean for it to happen. Once I came back to my right mind, I regretted it. It hurt our friendship, and now...” she trailed off.

Swallowing, she inhaled a deep breath and looked up at Gene. “Adrian is the best thing to happen to me. I am thankful I was blessed enough to conceive him. Looking back now, I hate that it hurt my friendship with Antonio, but I would never take it back. Without Adrian, without something to hold onto this past year, I am not sure what I would have done. He is my reason for being.”

Gene shifted in his seat. “Adrian is a blessing. I am glad that you have him, too. In the future, when your heat cycle comes again, speak with Claire. I know you don’t care for her, but she’s a woman who has had countless cycles. Since you don’t have a mate, she is the best one to help you through it.

A sharp tap sounded on the door, and a muffled voice called, “Room service.”

Gene rose from the couch and strode to the door. Natalia let out a whoosh of air, hoping they wouldn’t continue this conversation when he came back. Gene looked through the peephole before opening the door. He thanked the man and took the tray, then closed the door.

Natalia slipped her feet to the floor, her mouth watering from the delicious scent of fried food and beef. Gene handed her one of the covered dishes and kept the other for himself as he settled back into the couch.

Setting the silver lid on the floor, Natalia balanced the plate on her knees, and lifted the burger to her mouth to take a bite. They ate in comfortable silence, both too hungry for conversation. Picking up the last fry, Natalia dunked it in ketchup before popping it into her mouth. Setting her empty plate on the table, she turned back to Gene.

His eyes were intent on his food as he finished his sandwich. She swallowed, taking him in as he chewed. His stubble was thicker, sexier. His grey crew neck fit his sculpted upper body, accenting the muscles.

Heat crept throughout her body, and she found herself leaning towards him. His pine-and-moss scent drew her in. Breathing deeply, Natalia scooted closer. Gene turned to look at the female alpha, his chocolate eyes meeting hers. As soon as their gazes met, Natalia shook her head, snapping out of her daze.

“I think I am going to head to bed now. We have a long day of driving tomorrow.”

Natalia stood up, smiling softly at the alpha male before her. He set his dish down and stood as well.

“I was going to set my alarm for seven.” His eyes drifted to the ornate clock hanging on the wall. 12:03 am. “If that’s okay with you?”

“That should be fine. I am sure Adrian will wake before then to eat again. Will we be home tomorrow or stay in a hotel?” Natalia asked.

“I will feel safer back at the ranch, but, I know all this traveling must be hard on Adrian. If we need to stop again for the night, we can.”

Natalia beamed as her heart fluttered in her chest. His concern for Adrian made her heart swell. “Thank you for taking Adrian’s well-being into consideration. That means a lot to me.”

Gene smiled and nodded. He took a step toward her, and his foot brushed against hers. Tingles shot through her, and gravity seemed to pull her toward him again. Inches apart, she met his gaze, holding it for a long moment. Her pulse thrummed in her ears as desire rolled through her.

Gene’s phone chimed, breaking the spell. Rolling his eyes, he picked his phone up from the table. “It’s Preston. I’m sorry, but I need to take this,” he groaned.

“Goodnight,” she mumbled.

Clearing her throat, Natalia took a step back and walked to her room.

D
evon groaned as the alarm blared above his head. Lark shifted next to him, and the bed creaked as she pushed up to grab her cell phone. She fumbled with it for a moment but finally silenced the offensive shrills. Groaning, she curled up to her wolf, and rested her head on his shoulder.

The alpha wrapped an arm around the blonde to pull her closer. “Aren’t you getting up?” he asked as he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Anxious for me to get out of bed?”

“No! It’s not like you to lounge after the alarm goes off. You usually bolt out of bed first thing.”

“I didn’t sleep well,” Lark whispered.

“What’s wrong?” he questioned, maneuvering himself so he could look at her. Devon propped one hand under his pillow and entwined his fingers with hers; she smiled when he squeezed her hand lightly.

Lark bit her lip and looked up at the white ceiling. “I was just thinking about what Maddie said.”

“She’s a silly girl who doesn’t know what she is saying,” Devon said before she could continue.

“I know.” Lark shook her head. “I don’t care what people think of me. I mean I do...but I can get over that. It’s just what she said about if we have kids. Is that how people would view them...as half-breeds?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“Maybe some people like Juarez,” Devon sighed. “Not everyone would see them that way, though. You’re my equal, Lark. Men like Juarez—like Emmett—they treat the alpha female as a subordinate. Rick taught Gene and me that the alpha female carries as much weight as the male. Your orders are just as powerful as mine. The next meeting we have, I will make this clear to everyone.”

Lark nodded.

“Why are you worried about children anyway?” Devon asked, frowning.

“I don’t know. I just thought maybe one day we’d have kids of our own and, well, that’s something to consider. Then there is Adrian, and if Sarah and Preston ever...” Lark trailed off.

“I didn’t realize Adrian was half human,” Devon answered honestly. “He obviously isn’t an alpha. That can be determined by scent, even at a young age. However, I doubt anyone would know Adrian was part human if they weren’t told. Which means any kids we have in the distant future should be the same way.”

“The distant future,” Lark chuckled.

“Yes,” he said, giving her a pointed look.

“I’m not in any rush either,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I just didn’t realize there was so much hate.”

“There is hate everywhere, Lark. Whether it be in the human world or the werewolf world. Try as we might, it’s never going to completely go away.”

Lark nuzzled in closer, her silky hair tickling his nose as she wrapped her arm around his bare torso.

“How are you holding up?” Lark asked, kissing his shoulder.

“What do you mean?”

“Daniel,” she said softly.

Devon sighed, his finger tracing a circle on her back. “I don’t know what to think. If he’s innocent, why did he run?” He’d spent the better part of the night wondering about his brother’s actions.

“Maybe he thought you wouldn’t listen,” Lark shrugged.

The cell phone blared again, causing Lark to jump in his arms. She reached out with a weary arm and hushed the jarring chimes.

“I should probably get up for the day. I have a ton of stuff to get ready this morning.” Lark slid out of his grip and got out of bed. She leaned back in to kiss him tenderly.

“I love you,” Devon mumbled against her lips.

Lark grinned; she placed one more peck on his mouth before standing up. “I love you too.”

***

N
atalia yawned, covering her mouth with her hand as she looked out the window. They’d abandoned the stolen car at a diner three towns back and had picked up a rental car for the remainder of the trip. The crisp leather seats and spacious legroom of the SUV were a welcome reprieve from the cramped, older sedan.