Into the Unknown (Werewolf Wars, #2) (9 page)

Inhaling sharply, Natalia looked down at the floor. “She made a home for us in Cabo San Lucas. We lived there for twenty years. All my life. Shortly after my twentieth birthday, they came for me. I do not know how they found us, but they did. When my mother refused them, they killed her. Unfortunately, my parents love wasn’t timeless.”

Her bottom lip trembled as a tear slipped down her cheek. “They slit her throat right in front of me. I watched as she took her last breath, utterly helpless to save her. Then they forced me to come with them to New Mexico. I resisted them, and that’s why they locked me up.” Sniffling, Natalia dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I am sorry to hear about your mother. I’ve lost both of my parents. My own father was murdered during an attack a little over a month ago. No one should have to lose their parents that way,” Gene stated, shifting in his seat to face her. “Your mother’s death won’t be in vain. I promise. I will do everything I can to keep you safe. To keep you out of the Gulf Pack’s hands.”

Gene gathered that she wasn’t sharing the whole story with him, but this little bit of information told him enough. Natalia had only ever experienced pack life while in the clutches of Juarez and McKinley. He couldn’t blame her for being leery and untrusting. Then there was Adrian. By scent, the boy was a wolf, but from what Gene could tell, he didn’t carry the alpha gene. This made him wonder who the boy’s father was. Just thinking about what Juarez might have put her through made Gene shudder. Had she been used as a breeder? Chills shot down his spine at the thought.

Natalia closed her eyes, shaking her head as she leaned back against the headrest. After a long moment, her chestnut eyes drifted open, her head rolling on the cushion to look at him. “Thank you. I am sorry about your father too.”

“Juarez won’t get away with the crimes he’s committed against our families.”

“You sound very confident,” Natalia replied, giving him a small, tight-lipped smile.

“If you don’t believe you have a chance at winning, then you may as well surrender,” Gene smiled as the words slipped easily from his lips. They had been the words of his father. Only now, did he grasp their true meaning.

“Talia,” he said. “If you have questions about our kind—or need help with your shifts—I’m here to help. I want us to be friends.”

Pink lips parted as she seemed to contemplate his offer. With a sigh, she shifted in her seat to gaze out the plane window.

Gene sighed, relaxing into his seat. They were making progress, even if only a little. He would take what he could get.

***

N
atalia shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Gene finished grabbing their bags from the conveyor belt. Adrian remained asleep in his seat. He’d slept the entire flight, and she could only hope he would sleep tonight.

The noisy chaos of the airport put her on edge. Sweat, greasy food, and filth invaded her senses. Hundreds of people bustled around them, chatting and grabbing their belongings. Curling her hand around the infant carrier tighter, she turned and followed Gene toward the exit. As they approached the sliding glass doors, a musky scent filtered in.
Wolves.

A man stood in front of the doors, his eyes quickly finding them in the crowd. Natalia took a step back as he strode towards them. She could tell from his scent that he was not an alpha. To anyone else, he was just a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a firm build. But the way he carried himself told her he could be dangerous.

“Uncle Isaac,” Gene greeted. He set the luggage down and embraced the wolf in a tight hug, clapping him on the back.

“It’s good to see you, Gene.” The man pulled away smiling, turning his attention to her.

“This is Natalia Alvarez,” Gene said, motioning toward her.

“It’s a pleasure,” Isaac replied. His blue eyes flicked to her, a warm smile on his face as he extended his hand to her.

Reluctantly, she took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

“Is this everything?” Isaac asked, gripping one of the bags handles as he hoisted it up.

“I believe so,” Gene said, looking to her for confirmation.

Natalia nodded. Both men wrangled the rest of the cases, and led the way to the double doors. The air outside was stale and filled with smog. Vapors from the cars filled the terminal, and her nose scrunched up in disgust. Vehicles crawled by the doors as people reunited with their loved ones, or claimed a waiting taxi. 

“We’ll have to wait until Nick gets back around with the SUV. You’re not allowed to stop here unless you’re unloading or loading,” Isaac said. Setting the bags down on the sidewalk, he turned to them.

“How was your flight?”

“Good,” Gene said, smiling at Natalia, with a raised eyebrow. The she-wolf took it as a unspoken question.

“It was alright,” she mumbled.

“She’s not a fan of airplanes,” Gene beamed teasingly.

“I don’t blame you,” Isaac said, folding his arms over his chest. “There is something about being locked in a thousand-pound piece of metal, and flying hundreds of miles in the sky, that is a little unnerving.”

“No worse than a car,” Gene said.

“Hmmm, I’d rather run across country on all fours. One of these days I might give it a go,” Isaac grinned.

Adrian stretched in his seat as he began to fuss. “How long of a drive is it?” Natalia questioned as she brushed her finger on his cheek, trying to soothe him.

“About three hours,” Gene replied. “He’s getting hungry?”

Adrian let out a long wail as he began to cry. Snorting, he scrunched his face up and balled his fist, shoving it toward his mouth.

“I will need to feed him before we leave,” Natalia said.

“Why don’t we go back inside and find a spot to feed him. Isaac will wait for us here,” Gene suggested. “It will take a minute for the car to circle back and load our stuff anyway.”

“Okay,” Natalia agreed. “I need...” She pointed to the diaper bag draped over his shoulder.

Gene handed the green and brown bag to her, his fingers brushing against hers in the process. Ignoring the jolt that shot through her at his touch, Natalia spun on her heel, hurrying inside. Finding a bench in a corner, she plopped down and prepared his bottle, before taking Adrian out of his carrier.

Her eyes scanned the airport as people passed by. Gene stood in a corner to her right, about ten feet away. There were so many people—it would be easy to get lost in here easy to disappear. For the first time in over a year, she was relatively unguarded. Her heart raced at the thought, and she glanced around again. Gene was the only one watching her. Otherwise, she was completely alone in a sea of people. It would be easy to go to the bathroom and slip out, blending in with everyone else. Her papers were tucked into the top of the diaper bag. Money would be an issue, but she was certain she could figure something out.

Clearing her throat, she sat Adrian up to burp him. His blue eyes looked up at her contently, a small smile slipping across his face. If she left, they would be on their own.

“What are we going to do, Adrian?” she whispered, placing a kiss to his forehead.

Adrian’s eyes widened, a coo escaping his lips. She laughed as tears pricked her eyes. “I just want to keep you safe,” she mumbled, burying her face into his hair.

She gazed longingly at the crowd of people before her. If she were going to run, now was the time. Grasping the carrier, she stood up cradling Adrian to her. Catching Gene’s eye, she motioned to the ladies room. Gene nodded, and she let out a long breath, making her way into the bathroom. As she laid out the mat, she contemplated her options.

This wasn’t just about her. If she ran, it would affect Adrian too. She wasn’t equipped to provide for him—not here, not now. She’d lost everything she owned when Juarez had taken her. Natalia was certain she could find a job, but it would take some time before she could secure them a decent place to live. Then there was the problem of Juarez. He would find her eventually. It was safer for her and Adrian in a pack setting.

Gene had brought her to New York, knowing she could easily flee in this busy airport. This meant that some part of him trusted her. He’d been more than kind to her. Her bottom lip trembled with realization. A part of her didn’t want to let him down—didn’t want to betray his trust. The alpha had been nothing but kind to her, and wanted to help. As much as she didn’t want to trust him she was beginning to.

Tossing the dirty diaper in the trash can, Natalia tucked Adrian back into the seat. The she-wolf let out a long breath, combing a hand through her tangled coffee locks. Walking to the sink to wash her hands, she carefully inspected her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles wound beneath her eyes and her once-full cheeks were shallow. The past ten and a half months had been hard on her, filling her with worry and doubt. Perhaps it was time for her to trust again, to allow someone back in. As her mother often said ‘a life without family and friends isn’t worth living.’ She was tired of being on her own, of being afraid. She was also tired of jumping at every shrill sound, and second-guessing every word spoken to her.

“Let’s do this,” she whispered. Picking Adrian up, she maneuvered through the people to get back to Gene. He gave her a warm smile as he lifted the diaper bag from her arm, and led the way to the cars.

The warm, sticky air greeted her as she stepped outside. Isaac waved at them as he finished shoving a bag into the trunk. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to steel herself as she walked toward the vehicle. Natalia was doing something she’d sworn to never do—she was trusting a wolf. She only hoped that it didn’t turn out to be a grave mistake.

––––––––

G
ene gently placed a hand on Natalia, shaking her awake. The pale green tank top she wore barely covered her shoulder, allowing his fingertips to graze across her smooth skin. Her eyelids fluttered before she jolted away from him, her head colliding against the glass window.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Gene apologized, removing his hand from her shoulder. Flexing his fingers, the alpha tried to ignore the budding heat he felt from touching her. “We are here.”

Natalia narrowed her eyes at him, peering down at her son, before turning to look out her window. Gene watched as her mouth popped open. He smiled, observing as she took in the thick foliage that surrounded a large brick mansion. Roses lined the flowerbeds in front of the home, permeating the air with a rosy oak scent. Vine-covered pillars towered well above their heads on the front porch. An equally remarkable expanse of grass surrounded the house, which was edged with a carefully cropped line of bushes.

“It’s completely secluded,” Gene said. He’d been cooped up too long. The animal inside him ached to be let loose—to run through the woods on four paws, and explore the vast nature before them.

“It’s beautiful,” Natalia mumbled.

“The trees stretch for miles.” Gene opened his door, and walked around to her side, taking the diaper bag from her as she unlatched Adrian from the carrier base. “Wait until you see the inside.”

They both turned as the front door clanged against the house.

“Gene,” a female greeted with a smile as she bounded down the front steps. Natalia got a whiff of her as she got closer. Definitely the alpha.

“Ramona,” Gene replied, embracing the mystery female.

As Ramona pulled away, tucking red locks behind her ear, two other men walked to the trunk—plucking out a few bags—and carried them inside.

“It’s good to see you,” she added, before turning to Natalia.

“And you must be Natalia,” she said, enveloping Natalia into a hug. “Welcome to our home.”

Natalia stiffened under the woman’s touch, but didn’t pull away. Ramona withdrew after a moment, her pearly white smile widening as she knelt down to look at Adrian.

“Isn’t he adorable. Oh my, it’s been so long since I’ve seen an infant,” she gushed. “I keep waiting for my Mike and his Amiee to conceive.”

Gene offered Natalia a shrug as her chestnut eyes flitted to his. He could see her unease, but gave her a nod, hoping she would realize they were among friends. Perhaps he should have warned her about Ramona’s friendly nature.

Ramona led the way up the steps, turning to Natalia as she spoke. “I forget my manners. The three of you must be exhausted. Please come in. Clive is just finishing up speaking with Melanie. Can you believe my baby girl is in her final year of graduate school? They grow up so fast, sweetheart. Cherish the time you have with them.”

Gene inhaled, savoring the smell of pot roast and fresh vegetables as he walked into the room. “It smells good in here, Ramona.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “Dinner’s done, it just needs to be served. I imagine after traveling all day, you want to eat a hot meal and unwind. Come fix yourselves a plate.”

Gene’s stomach gurgled. They hadn’t really eaten since they’d left the ranch earlier this morning. After the trip to the airport, the flight, and then the drive to Binghamton, he was famished. Gene followed Natalia into the kitchen while Ramona busied herself, setting out plates and silverware.

“Help yourselves.” Ramona motioned toward the plates on the counter.

“Thank you,” Gene said, picking up a plate and handing it to Natalia. She set Adrian’s carrier on the floor by the table, quietly accepting the plate.

Gene motioned for Natalia to serve her food first. She smiled slightly at the alpha male, feeling his eyes on the back of her neck as she picked up the serving fork, scooping some beef, potatoes, carrots, and celery onto her plate. The moment she placed the serving utensil back in the pot Adrian snorted, a cry gurgling from his lips as he stretched in his carrier.

“I’ll get him, if you don’t mind,” Ramona offered, looking at Natalia.

“It is okay. I do not want to put you out,” she said, setting the plate down on the grey and white checkered tiles. Stooping down, she went to unhook Adrian’s buckles.

“Oh nonsense. It is no bother. I remember how it was when I was a new mother. No sooner had I sat down to eat, than they started screaming their little heads off. Eat! I’ll keep him happy until you are done,” Ramona offered, bending to pick Adrian up.