Authors: Elisa Elliot
ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (55 page)
Dalton’s chest felt like it was caving in. He reached for her and took her free hand in his, rubbing the smooth skin lightly with his thumb. Why did it have to be so complicated?
“Let’s just give it a few more days.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but I think that would be best. Let me at least make sure you’re set up somewhere before I go. I owe you that much.”
Autumn smiled down at him. “No, I owe you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You forced me into finding my own way. A way that doesn’t include my mom and Teddy.”
“Oh.” He knew he should feel happy for her. He knew he should feel relieved. She wouldn’t turn him in now for sure. To do so would mean she would have to go back. But he didn’t feel those things. What he felt was an overwhelming sadness, a tearing at his insides that left him raw and bruised.
“Since I’m no longer a captive, let me buy you breakfast today. No reason why I can’t use my debit card now. Thank goodness my direct deposit hit right before you kidnapped me. Teddy and Mom didn’t get a dime this time!”
Dalton nodded faintly. “Yeah…sure. Where do you want to go?”
“Ihop of course.”
Dalton and Autumn kept the conversation light. They talked about the coming fall and how she couldn’t wait for the leaves to turn color and football to be back on. They talked about their childhoods, and she was awe struck to learn that Dalton’s mother had been a she wolf.
“You’re father wasn’t?”
“No. He was one of those poor guys born from a werewolf and a human. There’s a 50/50 chance and, he didn’t come out on the winning side.”
“Why not? He remained with a pack and had a she wolf as a mate.”
“True.” Dalton conceded, but he always pined for the abilities his siblings and wife had.
“So, the pack you were with in Williamsburg, was that your mother’s pack?”
“No. Thomas took me in after my father died, and my mother just wandered off.”
“Wandered off?”
“Sometimes when a shifter loses their mate they kind of grieve themselves to death.”
Autumn nodded her understanding. “Actual wolves do that sometimes.”
“Yes.” Dalton stared into his coffee cup, not wanting to remember those times. “I was nearly eighteen and it was confirmed I was going to be an alpha. My mother and father had lived without a pack for a long time. At least she made arrangements for me to go to Thomas’s pack before she left.”
“You never saw her again?”
Dalton shook his head.
A man entered the restaurant and was seated diagonal from them several tables away. Dalton watched his progression and stared as the man looked at him and nodded.
“Oh boy.” He breathed.
Autumn turned to follow what his eyes were looking at. She spotted the man and turned back with a frown. “Hey, isn’t that…”
“The server from the Bull Mitch.”
The man glanced back at Dalton but didn’t stare openly. Dalton watched as the waitress brought him coffee. He doubted he ordered anything else.
“We need to go.”
“Why?”
“He’s not here to eat. He’s here to watch us.”
Autumn didn’t argue. She glanced at the man once as they made their way to the exit. He stared back at her, his sickly pale skin and dark circled eyes made her grimace.
“He looks sick.” She said once they were outside.
“He’s not sick. He’s a tap.”
Autumn raised one eyebrow and lifted the hood of her hoodie against the misty rain. “A tap?”
“The vampires…probably Daniel himself…taps into his veins. They feed on him.”
Autumn made a face. “Ugh! Why doesn’t he turn after bitten?”
“I really need to get you some new reading material.” He said with a sigh. “In order to turn a human into a vampire, the sucker has to drain the person to death, but it’s tricky.”
“How?”
He unlocked the car and got in, waiting for her to get in before continuing. The “tap” exited the Ihop and put his hands in his pockets, walking quickly up the street. Autumn hadn’t seemed to notice. Dalton wondered how long he had waited outside before coming in, and why did he come in? He knew they would recognize him. And that’s why. Daniel Blacksmith wants you to know he’s tailing you now.
Dalton looked back to Autumn’s expectant face. “It’s tricky because the sucker has to drain enough blood so that the person would die of blood loss if left alone.”
“Then how do they become a vampire?”
Dalton’s eyes hardened. “The vampire has to open one of his or her own veins and force the person to drink.”
“Oh wow. So, the taps are only giving a little blood at a time?”
“Yes, enough to give their sucker a snack and to keep them anemic and weak. All taps have a tattoo on their first vertebrae, or a brand, showing who they belong to.”
“What does it look like?”
Dalton shrugged. “Depends on the vampire. I imagine the one on the tap we just saw would be a DB. Some vampires, the older ones, use a family crest.”
Autumn wished she had a recorder or a notebook. It was pure fascination for her. “Do the suckers run in packs too?”
Dalton had to laugh out loud. “No. But sometimes they form what they refer to as “families”.
“Daniel said something about a family last night.”
“Yes, but he might have meant that literal. That place he owns was old, and it could have been passed down. So, the family reference may have been literal.”
Dalton’s cell phone began ringing. He checked the ID and answered. “Yes, Brian?”
Autumn watched Dalton’s face change from mild annoyance to outright anger.
“Hold on! Calm down and speak slowly.”
Brian sucked in a breath. “Not long after we talked this morning…the pack that controls Fredericksburg…their leader came here with two of his goons and Rick and Misty!”
“Rick and Misty?”
“Yeah, man, they’ve joined up with him!”
“So, why were they at my place?”
“The leader, Michael somebody…”
“Rodgers.” Dalton said quietly.
“Yeah, that’s it! He said that your pack has fallen into negative numbers as far as he’s concerned, and he said the code of the packs is that he is entitled to absorb your territory. He’s offering a meeting, but you only have three days to respond.”
“Has the alpha from any other territory come there?”
“No, and Dalton, I don’t think this one would have if it hadn’t been for Rick and Misty, but there’s nothing saying they won’t find out eventually.”
Dalton glanced at Autumn. She was straining to try and figure out what was happening.
Dalton licked his lips. “Were Chuck and Winnie there?”
“Thankfully, yes. They were bringing eggs and stuff. Man, Winnie laid a cussing on Rick and Misty that’s still hanging over the front yard!” He chuckled nervously.
“How’s Mika holding up?”
“Aww…ok…She tried to whip up some Vietnamese Voodoo curse after they left, but I told her to knock it off.”
Dalton closed his eyes, feeling a pounding headache begin at the base of his skull. “I’m coming home. I should be there by dark, a little later maybe.” He glanced at Autumn again. “I have something to take care of before I leave here.”
Dalton started the car and drove back towards the motel.
“So, much for a few more days.” Autumn said quietly.
Yeah.
As they mounted the steps to the second floor, Dalton stopped and held an arm out to stop Autumn. There was a single white long stemmed rose wrapped in plastic leaning against the door. Dalton picked it up and a business card like the one Daniel had given him the night before, fluttered to the concrete. Autumn picked it up and read it, before handing it to Dalton.
Autumn, please consider utilizing the room key. I think we have much to discuss. DB
Dalton unlocked the door, and tossed the rose onto his bed as he marched into the room. Autumn followed, locking the door behind her.
“I was afraid of this.” Dalton began packing his belongings in swift jerky movements.
“What were you afraid of?” She asked the question, but she already knew the answer. She just needed the comfort of them speaking to each other.
“That his interest was you all along.” He stopped and stared at her hard, but she knew the hard look wasn’t directed at her, it was meant for Daniel Blacksmith. “You looked so much like the woman in the picture.” He shoved the black dress shoes into his bag. “I can’t…I can’t let you go off on your own now. I certainly can’t let you stay here alone.” His eyes turned haunted and tormented. “But I must go home.”
Dalton sat her down and gave her a condensed version of the scattered conversation he had just had with Brian.
“Dalton, that’s terrible, and I hope you work it out, but you’ve already said I can’t come with you.” Her jaw trembled. “You said it won’t work out.”
“I know what I said, Autumn, but things have changed.”
Autumn stood and paced the room once before coming back and staring down at him (she hoped) defiantly. This had to be Dalton’s decision, and she wouldn’t beg, and she didn’t want her presence to be a source of resentment later.
“I’ll be fine.” She said curtly, and tried to walk away.
Dalton jumped up and grabbed her by the upper arm, jerking her around to face him. He regretted how her eyes filled with fear, but she needed to understand.
“Do you realize the danger you’re in? A vampire…a powerful vampire, has taken a liking to you. You can’t fight him off. You wouldn’t even know what to look for if he was coming after you!”
“Then tell me what options I have. I’m not going back to Syria. I can’t live like that now.” Her final words came out in a whisper, her eyes shining with fresh tears.
Dalton ran a hand down the side of her face, releasing her arm. “No, you can’t. You’re coming with me…at least for now. Maybe, after a while, you can figure something out for yourself near where I live.”
“Will that be far enough to hide from Daniel Blacksmith?”
Dalton had his doubts, but there was no need to voice them. “I’ll be with you.”
“For a while.” She echoed sadly.
Daniel smiled thinly as he listened to them talk. His acute vampire gifted hearing was a wonder, and all he needed was an extra twenty dollar bill to ensure the front desk clerk gave him the room next to theirs. He winked at his man servant.
“You did an excellent job.” He turned his face back to the wall that his room shred with theirs. He began speaking in his special way, his lips still and unmoving.
“Yes, dog, take her to Spotsylvania and handle your crumbling problematic life. Eventually you will break her heart, and I will be there to mend it. Even if you don’t; I will be there, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”
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Dalton and Autumn pulled into Dalton’s yard at nine o’clock on Monday night. The drive had been tense with little said. They both had their own thoughts and concerns. Dalton had stopped once to call and let Brian know he was on his way.
The house looked quiet, as they pulled into yard. A single light burned in the kitchen and the porch light glowed yellow against the concrete steps. Dalton got out and popped the trunk, handing Autumn her plastic bag. The front door of the house flew open and Brian trotted out with Mika close on his heels.
“Dalton! I’m so glad you’re…” He stopped and stared at Autumn, a tiny smile playing at one corner of his mouth. “Who’s this?”
“This is Autumn. She’s going to stay here for a while…until some things straighten out for her.”
“Right.” Brian was losing the fight with his smile. He closed the ground to Autumn and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He turned slightly and jerked Mika forward. “This is my fiancée, Mika.”
Autumn shook their hands and smiled at the odd couple. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Your hair is so beautiful!” Mika exclaimed, stepping forward and taking a curl gently in her hand. “Is it a box?”
“Uh…no.” Autumn said, taking in Mika’s multi-hued black hair, which obviously received help from numerous boxes. She had never seen anything quite like it, but she liked it. The tiny woman’s clothes were as colorful as her hair.
A truck rumbled up the drive, taking the bend of road at a dangerous speed. Dalton sighed and looked into the starry sky when he realized Winnie was driving.
Autumn frowned at the truck.
“Beware, the wicked witch has arrived.”
“Who are they?”
Dalton closed the trunk and began carrying his bags towards the house. Autumn joined him, in no mood to meet the wicked witch.
“They’re my other two pack mates.”
A truck door slammed behind them, followed by the quieter sound of Chuck closing his door.
“Well, well…is she it?” Winnie yelled, trotting to catch up to them.
Autumn whirled, staring angrily into Winnie’s face. Winnie took a step back, her face becoming a dark scowl. She looked at Dalton accusingly.
“A human?” She flung her hands in the air and barked a mirthless laugh. “I should have known!” She shook her head at Autumn. “Worthless.”
Autumn dropped her overstuffed plastic bag and advanced on Winnie, coming as close to nose to nose as she could, considering Winnie was two inches taller. She could feel the pent up rage and disappointment boiling near the surface. As if it wasn’t bad enough that she had been kidnapped on accident, now a vampire may or may not be after her. To make it that much worse, her kidnapper was now her crush; but Dalton thought he couldn’t be with her because she was human. Yeah, she was in no mood at all.
“What did you call me?”
Winnie’s eyes narrowed to slits. “I…called…you…worthless.”
The punch was fast and hard. Winnie sprawled to the ground on her back, a deep grunt rising from her throat.
Everyone was too stunned to move, except for Brian. His grin poked out on either side of the fist he put to his mouth. “DAAMMNN!”
Winnie popped to her feet, growling and shaking her wild tawny hair.
“What?” Autumn yelled, flinging her arms wide. “You aren’t woman enough to fight me unless you’re a werewolf?”
The yard became a flurry of motion. Dalton grabbed Autumn from behind, and began hauling her backwards to the house. Chuck grabbed Winnie in a bear hug, but it was too late.
The sound of her clothes tearing and her flesh shifting proved too fascinating for Autumn to resist. She smacked at Dalton until he allowed her to see. Winnie’s final stretch and pull produced a light brown werewolf. She stood on her hind legs, a deafening roar forcing its way out of her snout.
Mika darted past Dalton and Autumn into the house, her mouth working rapid Vietnamese. Dalton closed his eyes as he heard the dead bolt engage, glancing backwards to see her face pressed against the slender glass of the front door.
“How are we going to get in there, Mika?”
The dead bolt clicked free, and her little feet could be heard running towards the back of the house.
Brian lowered his body to a fight stance, his eyes pinned on Winnie. Chuck did the same, but was murmuring softly to her. Winnie shook her head violently, trying to swipe them out of the way.
“We’re going to have to turn!” Brian shouted.
“I don’t want to hurt her!” Chuck’s face was a mask of indecision.
Dalton let go of Autumn and ordered her into the house. She stayed where she was watching nervously as Dalton walked boldly to Winnie. She let out another deafening roar, causing Brian and Chuck to retreat a little.
Dalton went up to her, keeping full eye contact. It had been a long time since he tried to speak with absolute authority to one of his wolves. The thought crossed his mind that maybe he should have more often.
“Winnie, you’re going to stop this, right now.”
Winnie backed up a step, a low whine coming from her throat.
Dalton advanced again. “Autumn’s had a hard confusing time for the past few days, and most of it was my fault.”
Winnie’s werewolf head rose a notch, and Dalton could see an ‘I bet it was’ expression in her liquid eyes.
“I brought her here because she needs a refuge. You will be nice to her and she will be nice to you.” Dalton dared a glance back to Autumn. She nodded her head slowly. Mika’s round face pressed against the rectangle of glass again.
Dalton turned his head back to Winnie. “Lower yourself.”
Winnie dropped to all fours with another low whine. She stared at Dalton for a few more seconds before dropping her eyes and body to the ground.
Dalton reached out a hand and touched her soft brown fur, speaking quietly. “Thank you. We have big problems, and I need everyone on the same page, ok?”
Winnie licked his hand once.
“I was so scared!” Mika had babbled about the encounter for thirty minutes. She was seated on Brian’s lap, her multi colored pony tails swinging like horse tails as she talked.
Autumn smiled at Dalton as he laid an ice pack on her left hand. “She’s cute.”
He nodded as he looked down at her oddly. “A south paw, huh?”
Autumn shrugged. “Yeah, I’m a lefty.”
“You’re also incredibly tough…or incredibly stupid.”
“I vote tough!” Brian laughed.
“So, do I.” Winnie said as she and Chuck entered the kitchen. Chuck had gone home to get her a change of clothes, and now she was standing there looking down at Autumn. The room fell silent as the two women regarded one another.
Dalton breathed a sigh of relief as Winnie stuck her hand out. “I guess we should be properly introduced. I’m Winnie and that big guy is my husband Chuck.”
Autumn took her hand and shook it firmly. “Autumn Coates.”
Winnie smirked. “You have quite a left hook. Where did you learn how to fight?”
Autumn’s face darkened. “Some things are learned from necessity.”
Winnie stared a moment longer. She nodded understanding before going to stand by Chuck’s side. Dalton blew air from his cheeks. He hadn’t seen Winnie that docile in a year or more. He looked at each of them in turn.
“We better get to work figuring out what we are going to do about this rival pack.” He turned a kitchen chair around and straddled it. “What can you guys tell me about them?”
Brian jumped in first. “Mike isn’t a very big alpha. His about your height and size. From what I understand his pack is twenty strong, Dalton.”
“Yeah, that’s a good sized pack, but I don’t think the number is accurate.”
“Why?” Chuck asked.
“He controls Fredericksburg. That’s a small city. It’s the counties that touch Fredericksburg, which make it seem large.”
“True…” Brian began. “But he said he controls some of Spotsylvania and Stafford already.”
Dalton shook his head. “He may want to, but I haven’t heard of him taking any territory. That’s why he must want us so badly.”
“To make the lie a truth.” Winnie said flatly.
Dalton nodded. His chin jutting forward. “We just won’t let him.”
Winnie stared at him without emotion. Dalton had to give it to her, she was doing a good job keeping her emotions in check, but he could sense it was a struggle.
“How are we going to do that? We are four werewolves and two humans against a pack of now twenty two?”
Dalton shook his head again. “The last I heard, and that was only six months ago, his pack was only ten strong…that’s it.”
“That’s still a lot compared to us.” She replied quietly. If your number is accurate, now they have twelve because of Rick and Misty.”
Dalton looked at Brian. “Where am I supposed to meet him?”
“Old Mill Park on Wednesday by eight.”
Dalton stood. “Then I guess we will see what he says then. In the meantime, life goes on as normal.”
Normal? Autumn thought acridly. Yeah right.
An hour later, Autumn sat on the edge of the twin bed in her new tiny bedroom. Dalton had been apologetic that Brian and Mika were already occupying the bigger extra room, but she hadn’t complained. The room was simple, with a single bed and a dresser, but she liked the navy blue comforter, and the sheets and pillow looked like they had never been used. A window looked out over his back yard and the dense woods beyond. It was a fine room. It was the type of room one would expect for fresh starts.
Autumn jumped slightly when a light tap on the door yanked her out of her thoughts.
“Come in.”
Dalton opened the door and leaned against the door jam. “All settled in?”
Autumn shrugged. “Wasn’t much to settle.”
“I guess not.” He walked in and sat on the bed beside her. “You really shocked me earlier. No one has ever put Winnie in her place like that.”
Autumn chuckled embarrassingly. “Maybe not, but it wasn’t the best foot to put forward.”
“Sure it was. She was the one I was most worried about, and you’ve earned her respect.”
“It’s an odd way to earn respect.”
He laughed lightly. “Not for werewolves.”
“You have work tomorrow?”
“Yeah, we’re leaving around seven. The car will be here if you want to go out. Mika should be here too, unless she’s working.”
“I don’t know this area, so I doubt I should try to go anywhere just yet.”
“True.”
The tension was building between them. Dalton acutely felt her presence and wished he could just hold her against him. He knew that wouldn’t solve anything and would in reality muddle things further between them. Sometimes Dalton felt like he was drowning in muddy water.
Autumn took his hand in hers. He didn’t resist. “Why are you sad?”
“I’m not?”
“Your eyes…they look different when you’re sad.”
Dalton jerked his head around. She had known him less than a week, and she already had that pinned. Very few people had ever noticed it about him.
“Your eyes look more like sea water when you’re sad. They look like sea water anyway, but the color becomes darker.”
Dalton leaned towards her, placing his forehead against hers. He licked his lips once, and Autumn was prepared (hoping even) for him to kiss her. He pulled away instead and went back to the door.
“You’re welcome to any food that’s here. When I get off work tomorrow, I’ll take you to the grocery so you can pick out some things for yourself.” He closed the door quietly.
Autumn heard the men gather in the yard and watched as they pulled what looked like painting supplies out of a shed in the back yard. She didn’t want to go out there. She didn’t want to see Dalton drive away. She was used to him being with her.
When the trucks left the front yard, Autumn wandered out of her bedroom and took a shower. Once finished she went into the kitchen and found Mika loading the dishwasher. Her wild hair was pulled back in a single pony tail, and she looked up and smiled broadly.
“I saved you some bacon and toast!”
“Thank you.” Autumn smiled in return. “Is it alright if I have some of that coffee?”
“Oh sure, I was just going to pour it out anyway.”
Autumn fixed a mug and found milk in the fridge and sugar in a little container on the table. She sipped it gratefully. “Mm mm, this is good!”
“Yeah, Dalton don’t skimp on the coffee. He’s very serious about it.”
Autumn laughed. She hadn’t noticed him being a coffee connoisseur before. Then again, there wasn’t much she did know about him.
Mika draped the dishrag she had wiped the counter with over the sink edge and turned to Autumn. “I have to work today. Will you be ok here alone?”