Primal Heat (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

The next morning, the pack was ready to move. Kane Matthews’s pack
lived at the northernmost tip of the lower peninsula. Bas decided not to give
them a warning that we were on the way. I followed the pack out to the clearing
where Callum waited with the copter, readied for flight.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Bas turned toward Pat. She hadn’t
taken the news of Willie Gaither’s apparent treachery well. She’d produced a
second will and had me review it. It had been dated two months earlier than the
one I found on file at the county courthouse. The best she could figure, Old
Willie had made her father sign the new one and kept it from her. The ownership
issue never came up because the land hadn’t been put up for sale in all that time
and her father had deeded the land before he died. His will was on file, but
there’d never been anything to probate. Now, Pat wanted to be there when Bas
talked to Kane about dealing with Dale.

“Bas, I want Kane to have to look me in the eyes. I’ll deal with Young
Willie later. But Kane needs to handle Dale. If he won’t, I want him to give
his explanation straight to my face. I’ve known him since he was a scruffy-headed
toddler.”

“Fair enough,” Bas said. He held out a hand to help Pat get into the
helicopter.

“What about Harold?” I asked him while Callum helped Pat get strapped
in. “Is it safe for him here by himself?”

“He won’t be for very long. I’ve sent for Tucker, one of the other pack
Alphas, to check in on him.”

I nodded and Bas pulled me into an embrace. Heat flared through me,
burning hottest at the new mark at the base of my neck. I felt Bas’s heart slow
as he kissed the top of my head. He hadn’t lied; my desire to be with him felt
even stronger. I hoped the trip up to Kane’s pack lands wouldn’t take very
long. Sensing my urgent needs, Bas hooked a finger under my chin and tilted my
head toward his.

“I know. I feel it too. I promise I’ll find time for us in a couple of
hours. And hopefully, this will be a quick trip anyway.”

I smiled and swatted his rear end. Then, he lifted me with strong hands
at my waist and delivered me into the helicopter. He gave a wave then dropped
back, joining the rest of the pack near the tree line. They waited until Callum
got airborne, then they shifted and burst through the trees. Once again, Seth’s
wolf took the lead and Bas took up the rear.

We flew up and over the towering pines, leaving Wild Lake behind. The
wolves moved swiftly, not stopping for game or any other diversion this time.
We made quick time and reached the northern point in less than an hour. Callum
brought the bird down on a helipad next to a small airstrip.

“The pack will catch up with us in about an hour,” Callum said. “We’re
going to drive up to Kane’s by Jeep.”

While Callum made his post-flight checks, I scrambled out of the
vehicle and helped Pat down. She pointed to a small hangar and moved with that
same alarming speed and purpose that belied her size and age. She whistled to
Callum and he tossed her a set of keys. She caught them one-handed and led me
into the hangar. Sure enough, a shiny, black Jeep Wrangler waited for us.

Pat scrambled in while I took the passenger seat. She drove back out to
the helicopter just as Callum seemed ready to go. He climbed into the back, and
we headed out. Pat took a strip of highway off the airfield. Then, she turned
down a gravel road, following signs for state lands. Open fields gave way to
dense woods, and the gravel beneath us turned to dirt. Then, the dirt gave way
to little more than beaten down grass as Pat went deeper into the woods,
maneuvering the Jeep with speed and skill over the rough terrain.

Finally, we came to a stop just outside a state park outpost. A carved
wooden sign swung from a large log cabin, and the letters soldered into it read
“Pine Crest State Park.”

“Kane’s pack runs the ranger station up here,” she explained. “Of all
the Wild Lake packs, they keep to themselves the most.”

“He’s kind of an asshole, if you ask me,” Callum offered.

“Yeah. Well, we’re about to see how much of one he is.”

“Sit tight, ladies,” Callum said as he climbed out of the back seat.
“Lemme see if Kane’s in a welcoming mood today. Bas and the others ought to be
here any minute.”

Pat sighed and pressed her back into her seat. “I don’t like this.”

The air around us seemed to crackle with an energy I didn’t like
either. Closing my eyes, I reached out for Bas, testing our new connection. I
felt him, his pulse beating strong and steady, but faster than before. He was
keyed up. Hostile.

Pat put a hand on my arm. “They always get like that when they get
close to another Alpha,” she said.

“You feel it too?”

Pat smiled. “A little. But I’ve also been around them long enough to
know.”

“What about you? Did you have someone like Bas?”

She smoothed an errant gray curl behind her ear and looked off toward
the woods. “Oh, yeah. A couple of them, actually. And my son’s were. That’s how
I know what the marking feels like. And how I recognized you for what you were
the second I saw you.”

“What I am?”

“Bas’s fated mate. It must have been a tense few minutes when he first
laid eyes on you. I’m surprised he managed to control himself.”

A blush
heated my cheeks, and Pat laughed kindly when she saw it.
“You could say that,” I answered. “It was in the middle of Congressman Foster’s
office with Dale Thorp standing between us.”

“Well, shit. So that fucker has been trying to use you against Bas from
the very beginning. I think one ass kicking isn’t going to be enough for dear
old Dale.”

“It appears so.”

“Well, here they come. Bas isn’t one to mince words. Now, I’m going to
warn you. When Kane shows himself, don’t be surprised if it sets your blood
humming a little bit.”

“What do you mean?”

Pat narrowed her eyes. To the west of us, around a group of cabins, Bas
and the others came through the trees, loping slowly but with their tails up
and their ears pricked. Pat leaned across the back seat and pulled out a
plastic bag. Before we left, we’d packed clothes for Bas, Alec, and Seth.

“Hold that thought. And stay put.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and
exited the Jeep. As Bas’s red wolf, Alec’s white, and Seth’s gray approached
her, she set down the clothes and came back to the car. Bas and the others
shifted and dressed. He shot me a quick wink that sent a thrill to me, then
they went around the cabins while the rest of the pack disappeared back into
the woods. They were close, though. Along with Bas’s presence, I was starting
to sense them too.

“What do you mean about Kane?” I asked Pat as she settled herself back
into the driver’s seat.

“Oh. He’s an Alpha, honey. You’re an Alpha’s mate. It’s gonna make you
feel drawn to other Alphas now too. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a
kind of hyperawareness. It’s just some evolutionary throwback. If anything ever
happened to
your
Alpha, you’d be naturally drawn to the next strongest
wolf around.”

A pit formed in my stomach, and fear clawed through me. If anything
ever happened to Bas, my God. Pat put a steadying hand on my shoulder.

“It’s okay, honey. Bas is one of the toughest Alphas I’ve ever seen.
And I’ve seen generations of them. Not many others could lead a pack as large
as his. Kane’s not going to try anything.”

“I think I know what you mean, though. About different wolves making me
feel different things. Like Dale. From the beginning, Bas attracted me like a
magnet, but Dale repels me. They’re like opposite poles.”

“Expect that to get even more sensitive for you.”

“Alec feels different too,” I said without even thinking. But it was
true. Next to Bas, I seemed able to sense him stronger than the other members
of the pack.

Pat’s mouth formed a grim line as she looked toward the woods. Had I
said something wrong? My own face must have transmitted my thoughts because Pat
reached over and patted my knee. “Don’t worry about it, honey. Bas and Alec can
sort that all out.”

She kept talking, but Pat’s voice seemed to recede to a distance,
replaced by a familiar hum in my ears as Bas came back around the cabin. Alec
and Seth were with him, but they weren’t alone. Two large men came with him.

Kane.

Pat had just warned me, but I still wasn’t prepared for the sensation I
felt. My pulse jumped and the air left my lungs. Nearly Bas’s size, Kane
Matthews had thick, dark hair, cold, gray eyes, and legs as thick as tree
trunks. He looked like a straight-up lumberjack with a full beard and muscled
forearms. I sank into my seat, but Kane tilted his head, sniffing the air.
Then, he slowly turned his head and focused his gaze right at me. His silver
eyes went briefly dark than swirled and flashed, his wolf rising almost
violently to the surface.

Bas moved. He put his body between Kane’s and the Jeep, blocking his
view of me. He put his hands on Kane’s shoulders and shoved him backward hard.
Fear speared through me. The two Alphas squared off; the instinct to kill
churned inside of Bas, making beads of sweat trickle down my back.

“Take it easy, boys,” Pat whispered.

Alec put a hand on Bas’s shoulder. Kane’s man did the same. Then, the
moment passed. Bas took a step back. Bas’s eyes went human again, and they
picked up their conversation as if nothing had ever happened.

“Glad they got that outta the way,” Pat said as she unlatched her door.
“Now let’s see what other trouble those boys are trying to get into.”

I hesitated before opening the door, but Pat seemed sure. I walked with
her up the wooded trail and met Bas on the cabin porch.

“Abby, this is Kane Matthews,” Bas said, through tight lips. When I
brought my hand up to shake Kane’s, Bas put a hand on my shoulder, stopping me.
He didn’t want me touching another Alpha even that much.

Kane loomed over me, his mouth lifted into a half smile, and he dipped
his head in greeting.

“Good to meet you,” he said. “Pat, you’re looking well.” Kane took a
step forward and hugged Pat. She stiffened and narrowed her eyes at him, but
didn’t pull away.

“Should we all step inside?” Kane asked.

“No. We shouldn’t.” Bas said. “I can’t stay long. I’ve got enough to
deal with in my own backyard. I really just need an answer from you, Kane.”

Kane let out a low noise, part growl, part sigh. “Bas, we’ve had this
conversation half a dozen times.”

“This time is different. Now we’re not dealing with a theoretical
threat from Dale. It’s materialized. Just like I told you it would. Now, out of
respect for you and the arrangements we all honor in Wild Lake, I’ve come here
in person. I need to know what you plan to do.”

“What would you
have
me do? You really want open warfare with
the southern packs again? If I banish Dale from Michigan, it could backfire in
ways you don’t realize.”

“He’s not some diplomat with immunity, Kane. He’s planning to take Wild
Lake out from under us. Through Pat and Harold if he has to. That’s a treaty
violation. I’m done hanging back and waiting for action. If you don’t want to
get your hands dirty, fine. But then you need to give me your word you won’t
interfere if I do. Are we clear on that?”

Bas moved toward him; his shoulders bunched and coarse hairs sprouted
on the back of his neck. A hum went through him as his wolf simmered just below
the surface. Kane’s eyes flashed as his own posture shifted. The two of them
stood suspended in time. Just the slightest wrong move from Kane, and I knew
the time for words would end. I let out a steady breath, trying not to let my
own rising emotions impact Bas in any way.

Kane’s eyes flicked toward me, and I felt Bas’s heartrate spike. Kane
would be no match for him. He was outnumbered, and Bas held blind fury inside
of him, ready to protect me . . . his mate, if Kane made a wrong step.

Kane leaned back against the wooden railing and shook his head. “Fine.”

“Fine what?” Bas’s voice was thick, but his heartrate dipped and leveled
off.

“Fine. I won’t stand in your way if you feel you have to do something
drastic.”

“That’s not enough, Kane. I need you to revoke Dale’s permission to
even be here. He’s got to go back to Kentucky or wherever his home pack is
now.”

Kane’s eyes flashed, and a muscle in his jaw jumped. Alec moved forward,
putting his body between mine and Kane’s. Between him and Bas, I had a wall of
keyed up werewolf shielding me from a brewing threat I felt was more than I
understood.

“Understood,” Kane said.

“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.” With that, Bas turned. He had a
firm grip on my arm and he pulled me away from the porch. His pulse ramped up,
and I felt the bubbling aggression inside of him. It had taken everything in
him to use words, not fists.

Seth followed us, but Alec and Pat stayed on the porch. “Kane,” she
said. “Look me in the eye and swear to me you didn’t know anything about Dale’s
plans or anything he might have brewing with Young Willie.”