Wolf Tales IV (4 page)

Chapter Four

“So you’re telling me we’ve got two Alpha bitches now?” Stefan grinned at Anton. “One was enough to drive me nuts.”

“Two is two too many.” Anton gently pulled Keisha onto his lap, pleased when she didn’t attempt to get away. “Don’t you agree?”

She swiveled around, rubbing her bottom against his cock as she twisted to look him in the eye. Anton bit back a moan of pure frustration.

“Xandi and I will work it out between us. You two Beta males just stay out of our power play.”

Stefan stood up from the dinner table. “Personally, I intend to work it out between Xandi’s legs. Do you two intend to join us?” He held his hand out. Grinning broadly, Alexandria took it, then reached over and palmed his erection through his soft, cotton pants.

“Down, boy. Behave.” She tugged Stefan’s hand and led him from the room.

Keisha stiffened in Anton’s lap, silently nodded and stood up. He stared at her a moment until she turned away and refused to meet his eyes. He tried to read her thoughts, but she’d completely blocked her mind.

He almost wished he had the guts to mesmerize her. Just use the powers of his mind to entrance her out of her fear, but that was a coward’s way of coping -- Keisha was not a coward. If she ever found out, and she would find out the first time they linked, she would forever resent him. Even worse, he would always wonder if she really loved him, or loved him because he made it so.

Controlling her thoughts with a set of false memories was not an option. Instead, he held out his hand until she slowly placed hers within his grasp.

Stefan and Xandi took the lead. By the time Anton and Keisha entered the bedroom, the other two were already undressed and wrestling playfully on the bed.

Keisha hung back at the doorway, her fingers still tightly grasped in Anton’s hand. He heard the quick rush of her breathing, felt her rising panic.

Suddenly, before he could react, Keisha shifted, became the wolf, and, claws scrabbling for purchase on the hardwood floor, bolted from the room.

“You two stay here. I’ll go after her.” Anton shifted and took off at a full run. He saw Keisha race through the open door, leap over the deck railing and make a mad dash for the thick forest. Anton followed at an easy lope, knowing he would never lose her scent.

She needed this time alone. Once more he would give it to her, but not at so great a distance he couldn’t protect her if the need arose.

It was well past dawn when he tracked her to a small woodland pond. She lay in the thick grass, her fur matted and covered with mud, her paws raw and bleeding.

Anton flopped down beside her with a canine grunt, stretched out his long legs and laid his head across her shoulders. He felt her sigh, waited for her to open her mind to his.

I’m going back to San Francisco, as soon as I can get a flight. My month is almost up. I need to go back to work on my project.

Let me come with you?

No. I need time alone, time away from all of you, the intensity of your feelings for one another… your feelings for me.

I love you, Keisha. I will wait.

It’s so unfair!
She scrambled out from beneath him, standing squarely in front of the water.
You’re so patient and I’m such a fucked-up head case! It’s not fair to you.

I didn’t ask it to be. I only want what’s best for you. I want you to heal.

One week. Give me a week alone. I’ll call you then and let you know if you can come. If it’s worth it for you to even make the trip
.

Her head hung low, her body trembled. Anton sat up on his haunches, then stood. He licked her muzzle and nudged her shoulder in the direction of the house.
Okay. One week. I don’t think you can forget me in a week
.

She took off at a tired, wobbling run, but he caught her thoughts as she passed by him.

I couldn’t forget you in a lifetime. Not if I lived forever
.

* * *

Keisha tipped the cabby an extra ten dollars when he carried her bags to the front door and waited until she got inside and turned on the lights. She’d been terrified of coming home to her townhouse alone at night, terrified of leaving the safety of her friends’ love.

Terrified of staying.

She leaned against the door, staring down the well-lighted hallway at the beautifully decorated entry, the attractive front room. She’d loved this place from the moment she bought it. Now it just felt empty… lonely and empty.

Would it ever feel like home again?

Home now was high in the mountains of Montana, where the air was cool and the forest dark and deep and welcoming. Where she could run freely with her pack, feel the night air against her furred body, stretch her legs out and race the wind.

Race the wind with Anton beside her.

Already she missed him. He’d taken her to the airport, held her tightly before she boarded the plane, kissed her forehead when she turned her lips away from his.

She loved him. Of course she loved him, but how could he know that?

She hadn’t told him, certainly couldn’t show him.

That, of course, was the problem. Until she could come to him freely, make love to him as a whole woman, she was useless to him. Anton deserved better.

She carried her bags up to her bedroom, checked on her studio, made sure the greenhouse watering system had kept her plants alive, then went back inside.

The night called to her. She opened the door to the fenced back yard and took a deep breath. Anton, Stefan and Xandi would be running right now. Running as a pack beneath the nighttime sky, following the trails of deer and rabbits, leaping creeks and fallen logs, baying and yipping with the pure joy of the hunt.

She smiled, imagining Xandi’s beads scattered all over the planks on the deck, and hoped Oliver wouldn’t slip on them when he came to work in the morning.

Slow tears coursed down her cheeks as she sat in the dark on the back porch step. The sounds of the city were all around her, the stars lost in the bright reflection of a million lights. Before Keisha was even aware of what she’d done, she became the wolf.

A single leap took her over the tall fence, into the narrow alleyway that was a direct link to the only wilderness within miles. She ran low to the ground and fast, weaving in and out of shadows until she leapt the last barrier between herself and the freedom of the forest that was Golden Gate Park.

She circled Stow Lake, found the spot where her memorial garden would eventually grow if the commission accepted her entry, then raced the length of the park, staying clear of roads and lights. Watching, always watching, hiding in shadows, avoiding sleeping transients and their skinny, underfed dogs, curling her lip in disgust at the smells of unwashed humanity, overfilled trash cans, the detritus of too many people in too small a space.

She dreamed longingly of the thick forest and fresh air of the Montana mountains, missed the sense of brotherhood she’d known with her pack running beside her, searched fruitlessly for the sense of freedom she’d discovered under the big Montana sky. She ran until her muscles ached, until each breath screamed in her lungs, until her footpads were raw from asphalt and gravel paths.

Well before dawn she retraced her path, slipped quietly through the sleeping neighborhood, leaped her backyard fence and paused in the silence near the greenhouse. Something seemed out of place. Something was not quite as it should be.

Her
Chanku
senses went on high alert as she checked the yard, sniffed the back door still slightly ajar, just as she’d foolishly left it. Hackles rising, she squatted and peed by the back step, marking her territory.

Nothing. She sniffed the air once more, growled quietly and made one last pass around her yard. Still feeling oddly unsettled, she slipped inside to become Keisha once again in the privacy of her home.

Sleep was a long time coming. Her burglar alarms were set, the house secure.

Her dreams, when they finally came, were lonely and unsettled.

* * *

It took three days before she was willing to face the huge pile of mail that filled a box she’d left beneath the mail slot. She thought of calling Anton first, but it was even later in Montana, and she knew he’d be running with the pack. Other than a call to let him know she’d arrived safely, they’d not spoken.

Damn, but she missed the nightly runs, the thrill of the chase when they hunted, the tight mental link of the pack when their prey came into sight.

She’d run just one other time since her return -- run without intention or direction. It wasn’t at all satisfying without the pack. Instead it was lonely, unsettling. She missed the connection, the sense of family.

She missed Anton most of all. So serious and patient, a direct counterpoint to Stefan’s more playful yet sweetly caring nature and Xandi’s nurturing soul.

Anton needed her, if only to lighten him up. Smiling, the sense of Anton strong in her heart, Keisha poured herself a glass of wine and went back into her front room with the box of mail under her arm.

It took almost an hour to sort through everything. She filled a bag for recycling with junk mail, separated out the stuff she needed to run through the shredder, checked the statements for the bills paid automatically out of her account, dismissed the political ads and added them to the recycling bag.

One slim envelope dropped out of the small pile remaining in her lap. She leaned over and picked it up off the carpet. There was no postmark, no stamp… no return address. Her name and address were neatly typed on the front, but someone must have slipped it through the mail slot on their own.

Curious, she slit the top of the envelope open with a kitchen knife and dumped out the single folded sheet of paper, then forgot to breathe when she read the message.

I know about the wolf.

Call me.

* * *

Keisha stared at the telephone. The letter she’d received the night before lay on the table next to another piece of paper with Anton’s phone number written across it in his big scrawling hand. She touched the numbers and bit back the tears.

Then she dialed the local number. There was no need to involve Anton. She’d put a stop to this, now.

“Hello? Carl Burns, here.”

“Mr. Burns, my name is Keisha Rialto.”

She heard soft laughter on the other end. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

“What, Mr. Burns? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The wolf, Ms. Rialto. You are the wolf. You killed three men. Somehow you can shift, become a ferocious beast. A killer. You’re a werewolf, right?”

“That’s absolutely preposterous. Who are you? Wait… I know. You’re that tabloid reporter, aren’t you? The one with the vivid imagination?”

The image of that faked newspaper photo was forever seared into her brain. How could he do this to her? All she wanted was to heal, to get past all this. “Please leave me alone. If you persist in bothering me, I will take out a restraining order against you, and I’ll make sure it’s enforced.”

“You’ll shift again, Ms. Rialto. The moon will be full. Maybe something will happen and you’ll shift. When you do, I’ll be there.”

“Are you threatening me, Mr. Burns?” She realized her hands were shaking and prayed it wouldn’t show up in her voice. She couldn’t let him know how much he frightened her.

“Not at all, Ms. Rialto. Have a nice evening. Enjoy your run in the park.”

Chapter Five

Keisha sat on the floor in her studio in the dark, knees drawn up under her chin, the scattered drawings of her memorial project spread out about her on the hardwood floor.

The commission had accepted her entry, which meant she had to stay here in San Francisco, at least until it was completed. She should be thrilled, celebrating, jumping for joy with this amazing news. She should be on the phone to Anton, knowing he would celebrate with her.

She should be happy.

All she really wanted to do was go home. Home to Montana, to Stefan and Alexandria and, most of all, Anton.

Home to the people who loved her.

She wanted to run free in the forest, feel the wind on her muzzle, the damp earth beneath her paws. She wanted the sense of power she experienced when she ran as a wolf, the physical strength, the aggressive nature that became, in essence, a focus for her energy.

Instead she was a virtual prisoner here in her townhouse, afraid to venture out as a human, much less as a wolf.

Now that she knew how to shift, she craved the feeling. Now that she knew she was being watched, she couldn’t risk giving in to her true animal self.

Images of the torn and mutilated bodies of the three men she’d killed flashed through her mind. She shuddered, well aware she recalled more of that fateful night each time she drew the memories forth, more detail, more blood.

The
Chanku
were an ancient race, their rules of survival primitive and violent. Like the wolves of the forest, the
Chanku
hunted. When they were threatened, they killed.

Keisha did not want to kill again.

She couldn’t call Anton. He’d have no sense of remorse over killing Carl Burns. She didn’t want murder on his soul and she knew he would want to protect her. Neither did she want to expose him to her misery, to a woman who wouldn’t take the risk to become whole.

She glanced at the scattered drawings, at the project that had consumed her, given her so much satisfaction before the attack. Work on the memorial garden was scheduled to begin in two weeks. All she could think of now was the fact that she had time to go back to Montana, time to spend with others of her kind.

She knew if she went, she’d never return to San Francisco.

She wanted Anton here. Wanted to feel his warm, undemanding body next to hers. Wanted finally to find the strength to tell him how much she loved him, how very much he meant to her. Wanted to make love to him without fear, without the horrible memories slipping in and stealing her soul. Wanted to ask him to stay, at least until she completed this project, sold her townhouse and moved home with him to stay.

She wanted…

Something moved just outside the front porch. Keisha sensed life, someone or something male… Rolling over to her knees, Keisha slowly crept across the floor of her studio and looked down from the open window.

The shadow on her porch was obviously not a potted plant. It slipped out of the darkness, still partially hidden from view. Could it be Burns? She’d never seen the man, couldn’t identify him at all, but dammit, if he had the temerity to come to her home…

Furious, barely controlling the
Chanku’s
violent nature, the almost overwhelming desire to shift and become the predator, Keisha stomped down the stairs, prepared to do battle. She flung open the front door…

“Hello, sweetheart.”

Anton
!

Sobbing, she threw herself into his arms. He half carried her across the threshold and closed the door behind them. “Keisha? What’s wrong? Has something happened? Are you okay?”

I missed you. I didn’t think I would, not like this, but, Anton, I’ve missed you so much!

I couldn’t stay away, my love. I was certain I sensed your need, then realized the distance was too great and I was merely projecting my own need, my own desire.

He knows about the wolf. He’s threatened me
.

“Who?” Anton’s anger was suddenly a palpable third party in the entryway. “Who’s threatened you?”

Gasping for air, Keisha struggled to get her breathing under control, to cut the flow of tears. “His name is Carl Burns. He’s the tabloid reporter who wrote the story about me being a werewolf. He contacted me… told me to enjoy my runs in the park.”

“You’ve shifted?” Anton stepped back but kept his big hands solidly clasped about her shoulders.

Keisha nodded. “Twice. I had to. I missed all of you so much more than I thought I would. I figured if I shifted, I might feel closer to you, feel like part of the pack, but it was so lonely. I went to Golden Gate Park and pretended it was your mountains, but it’s not the same without you.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

She sighed against his broad chest, inhaled his familiar scent and realized there was no fear in her. Not now, not with Anton here to protect her.

“I got the project. The memorial for the park. I start in two weeks.”

“That’s wonderful.” Anton stepped back but kept his hands on her. “I knew you’d win. You’re talented as well as beautiful.”

She dipped her head. “You’re biased, but thank you. I wish I could enjoy the feeling more, but I’ve been so worried. What about the reporter? He could ruin everything.”

“Leave him to me.” The low snarl behind Anton’s voice left no doubt how he would handle things.

She couldn’t let him kill.

I know. However, it’s very tempting
.

He tilted her chin up and forced her to look at him. The naked desire in his amber eyes practically stole her breath.

“Come away with me. You’ve got a couple weeks before you have to start work. I have a cabin up in Humboldt County, just a few hours north of here. The redwoods and ferns grow thick, there’s no one around, and we can run as much as we want without fear of observation. We’ll figure something out. Please, say you’ll come?”

She couldn’t speak. How could he know exactly what she needed? “Tell me what to pack. I can be ready in five minutes.”

He wasn’t going to give her a chance to know fear, not this time. Anger, hot and heavy, boiled just beneath the surface, anger he struggled to hold under control. Anton had Keisha’s single bag loaded in the back of the rental car just minutes after his arrival. If the reporter were watching, he’d have a hard time following the nondescript sedan up busy Highway 101.

If he followed them, actually found them, Anton figured Burns would regret it… but only for the time it took him to kill the bastard. He’d rather deal with an angry
Chanku
bitch any day than let the reporter expose her.

Within half an hour, Anton was skillfully negotiating rush hour traffic across the Golden Gate. Once they got through the heavy commuter traffic in Santa Rosa, they sped through the wine country, took a jog to the west at Cloverdale and caught the scenic route over the twisting, narrow coast highway heading north. Just north of Rockport they cut east through miles of stately redwoods to Benbow. At Garberville, Anton took another road back to the west. It was growing dark and Keisha had long since fallen asleep.

He studied her throughout the long trip, wishing he could find the secret to help her overcome her fears. It was such a temptation to use his mind, his powers to mesmerize, to compel her to want him, to help her forget the attack.

If he did that, he would be every bit as guilty as the men who assaulted her, would always wonder if she were drawn to him of her own accord or because he had planted the compulsion within her heart.

That was unacceptable. Keisha would love him on her own…

Or not at all.

And that’s just as unacceptable
.

Many narrow, unnamed roads, locked gates, private thoughts and private roads later, he pulled up in front of a small, well-kept cabin. He’d called ahead to have it stocked and prepared for his arrival. It helped that he’d owned the property for years and the caretakers were trusted friends.

Keisha stirred in the seat beside him, stretched, opened her eyes and looked about her curiously. “Where are we? How long have I been asleep?”

“We’re at the cabin. It’s not all that far from the King Range National Conservation Area, and about as private as can be. There’s no way your reporter or anyone else can find you here. You’re safe and I want you to relax. Think you can do that?”

She stared at him a long moment, her amber eyes like golden disks against her dark skin, glinting in the pale starlight. “I always feel safe with you. Always.”

He nodded, deeply moved by her trust. “C’mon, we’ll get something to eat. Then the
Chanku
are going to run for as long as they want. No one will disturb us.”

Everything was as he had expected. The generator was fueled, the refrigerator stocked and the stove working fine. The cupboards had plenty of provisions. Anton fixed a quick meal while Keisha unpacked their few belongings, wrapped herself in a comfortable sarong and explored the cabin. There was a single room for the kitchen and living area, one bedroom with an enormous bed and a serviceable bathroom with a tub and shower combination.

Her eyes were constantly drawn back to the bed. Was she ready? Could she make love to Anton without flashing back to her attack? She wanted him. She knew she could experience sexual pleasure. Xandi had certainly proved that.

Somehow, some way, she had to get over her reactionary fear of men and sex.

Anton called her to come and eat. He’d prepared fresh salmon, a salad and pasta, skillfully using the gas range that dominated the small kitchen.

“Ah, and he can cook too! I didn’t know you were so talented.”

“I’m a man of many talents, my love.” He tapped her nose with his fingertip and she rewarded him with a smile.

“Actually, I love to cook. It’s easier to let Oliver take over when I’m at home, but cooking is a pleasure I enjoy.” He leaned close and kissed her, a light touch of lips to cheek. “I enjoy it almost as much as running through the forest with an Alpha bitch at my side.”

Keisha giggled. “I guess Xandi talked, eh?”

“Alexandria did more than talk… she showed Stefan exactly what you did with those nylons of yours. And the flat of your hand. He couldn’t sit down the next day, though I didn’t hear him complaining. In fact, he smiled an awful lot. It was truly disgusting. I chose not to join them that night.”

Keisha’s laughter shifted to a contemplative smile. “I had no idea I could find sexual pleasure with a woman. It was absolutely amazing. Xandi said the
Chanku
…” Her voice trailed off.

“The
Chanku
are a polyamorous people. We find sexual satisfaction with both sexes. It’s part of who we are… an important part.”

“It’s a part of me that’s still not whole. Anton, can you still love me the way I am?”

She looked desolate, as if her soul were shredded. Somehow, some way, he would bring her through this. The
Chanku
were a strong and powerful race.

A vengeful race… yet adaptable. He would find a way.

They finished their meal in silence. His thoughts were anything but quiet.

Chanku
? He set down his fork and neatly folded his napkin, then touched the side of her face, gently forced her to look at him.
My love, when you shift… when you are the wolf, do you fear your sensual nature then? Do you fear me
?

Slowly, eyes unblinking, she shook her head.
I have no fear when I am the wolf. No fear at all.

Run with me tonight. The forest calls us. I also think it heals that which is broken. Are you willing
?

Keisha stood and shifted in the same motion, then waited uncertainly in front of the closed door. Anton laughed, stood up and walked to the door. “It’s always a good idea to open the door first. Paws are no good for that sort of thing.”

He opened the door and stepped out onto the narrow front porch, carefully removed his clothing and shifted. His muscles bunched and he leapt over the railing, landing lightly in the thick ferns beyond the cabin.

Keisha followed, her leap almost as far, her body primed and ready to run.

The night called them. The forest and its myriad scents beckoned. With a sharp yelp and a nip at her shoulder, Anton took the lead.