Wolf Quest Read online

  Maria could tell Sally felt very strongly about the dryad. Maria’s tender heart was touched by the unspoken plea in Sally’s voice. Maria would think long and hard about this as she got to know these people better. She was wary by nature, but if her instincts were correct and they were on the level, she would do all she could to help Sally and Leonora.

  She just had to get through the current crisis first.

  At that moment, Jason’s hand appeared on Sally’s shoulder on the screen. The other woman looked up for a moment and then turned back to the screen.

  “Jason says the Lords are ready to talk to your guest. I’ll sign off for now, but I hope we can talk again soon.”

  “I’d like that. Nice talking to you, Sally.”

  “You too, Maria. Bye.” Maria watched Sally remove the headset and hand it back to Jason. Maria was treated to another crotch shot as they changed places in front of the camera and had to hold back a giggle.

  “It’s show time,” Jesse said, reaching for the laptop. He’d already unplugged it. It would run on battery power for an hour or so. Probably much longer than they’d need.

  Maria followed Jesse into the hall and paused when he did to knock on the doorframe of the guest room. Zach was still in bed with his eyes closed, but he opened them the moment Jesse knocked. He was alert but also clearly still exhausted and in a bit of pain.

  “I’ve got my brother and the Lords on video chat. They want to talk to you, Zach.” Jesse walked into the room and left the laptop on the nightstand while he helped the teen sit up. He then transferred the laptop to the kid’s lap. “Just talk, they’ll hear you through the laptop’s mic.”

  Maria stayed by the door, not wanting to upset Zach.

  “Hi,” the kid said, his voice filled with doubt and uncertainty.

  “I’m Jason Moore, Alpha of the Wyoming wolf Pack.” Jason’s voice rang with an authority he hadn’t used when talking to Maria.

  “I mean no disrespect, Alpha, but I don’t know you, and people who said they were friends have turned out to be enemies lately.”

  Maria heard Jason’s audible sigh. “I understand, son. Which is why I called the Lords on your behalf. I’m going to patch through the video now. Hopefully they can convince you.”

  There was a moment’s pause and then Maria saw the teen’s shoulders stiffen. She couldn’t see the screen but assumed the so-called Lords had replaced the image of Jason Moore.

  “Zach, is it?” a new voice asked through the computer’s speakers. “I’m Tim and this is my brother, Rafe. We have someone here who thinks he knows you.”

  There was another pause and then Maria clearly saw tears form in the teen’s eyes.

  “Uncle Rocky?” The youngster’s voice was filled with emotion. Hope, fear, joy, sorrow, and most of all, relief.

  “Zach, my boy, what happened to you?” A gruff, deeper voice came through the speakers, filled with urgency and tinged with anger at what had been done to the kid on the other side of the connection. “Where are your parents?”

  “Captured trying to give me a chance to escape.” The kid broke down at that point, tears falling from his eyes, but his determination helped him remain strong and able to talk through his heartache. “I ran, but I’d already been slashed by silver. I was weak and my magic was blocked by the poison and something I’ve never felt before. Really evil, sinister magic. And then they shot me. I managed to keep running as long as I could, but I ended up in somebody’s backyard and humans caught me. I thought that was better at the time. They drugged me and I woke up in a cage.”

  Colorful cursing came from the other end of the computer connection.

  “The doctor smelled like magic, but she treated me like an animal. She says she didn’t know I was a shifter, but I’m not sure. And then the wolf showed up and he took me out of the cage and brought me into her house, where I am now.” The rambling words made the young man sound more like the frightened teen he really was.

  “I’ve been briefed about where you are, Zach. The doc runs a sanctuary for wild animals. From all reports, she really doesn’t know much about us, though she hosted a female of the Cougar Clan once. She probably didn’t realize you were a shifter. I’d give her the benefit of the doubt, because the moment Jesse told her what you were, they got you out of the cage, right?”

  “Yes, Uncle Rocky.” The kid sounded both contrite and obedient. He must really respect his uncle.

  “Now about the wolf. I know his brother, Jason, the Alpha, and I know him too, son. He’s a good man. One who will protect you with his life. I know this from personal experience. I’ve fought at his side and know him for an honorable man. He’s on our side in this, Zach. You can trust him.”

  Maria was surprised to hear that kind of personal endorsement, but she wasn’t surprised that Jesse was well-respected by his peers. He’d proven, just in these few short hours, to be a capable leader and man of honor.

  She was going to leave with him on some kind of odyssey to discover her real place in the magical world. Well, that and to avoid being attacked in her own home again by the same bastards that had shot the young bear and captured his parents. The thought of his parents suffering somewhere at the hands of such cruel people made her blood boil.

  If she was going to leave her sanctuary, she needed to make arrangements. Maria left the hallway and headed into her office. She had to make a series of phone calls to be certain her animal guests would be well taken care of in her absence.

  Chapter Four

  “She’s gone,” Jesse observed when the conversation over the computer paused. “We can speak freely.” He’d tilted the laptop so both he and Zach were in the frame while they consulted with the Lords and the weregrizzly, Rocky, about how best to proceed. He’d known Maria was in the hall, but hadn’t objected. Still, there were some things he’d rather not have her hear.

  They’d been questioning Zach about what he remembered from before he was shot. It seemed the kidnappers were in Nebraska. Zach and his family had lived in Aurora, just west of Lincoln. He remembered being driven around for about an hour and then being held at a farm. There had been a big house and a stable full of very high-strung horses whose whinnies of fear hurt his ears.

  “As soon as we end this call, I’m on my way to Nebraska, but it’s going to take time for me to get there. You’re the closest, most capable operative we have in the area, Jesse. I know you’ll have the doc in tow, but she could be helpful too, if anyone’s been hurt. And she’s got magic. Maybe it’s untrained, but you said she saw the Venifucus tattoos, so she’s got some power and an ability you don’t. She could help you spot them, if nothing else. Somehow, I think she could be of use on this mission,” Rocky tried to convince him.

  “I don’t want to put her in even more danger, Rock. I came here to protect her, not make her part of an assault team with very little chance of success.”

  “At least do the recon. When I get there, I’m going in guns blazing. It would help if I knew what I was walking into,” Rocky’s voice was firm, demanding.

  Jesse thought about it for a moment. He had Zach—their only eye witness to what had happened to his parents. And Zach had already volunteered to go back and show Jesse where everything had gone down. He could at least follow the trail as long as it was safe, but he didn’t know eastern Nebraska at all. For that, the doc would come in handy. She’d grown up around here and lived on her sanctuary outside Davenport for the past few years, but the original address Sally had found for her had been on the outskirts of Lincoln, Nebraska, where her parents still lived. She would probably know the route from there to here and back again reasonably well.

  “All right. It’s on our way back to Wyoming.” He sighed, not liking where this was going but seeing no other way. “I’ll scout for you. But you’d better bust your ass getting there, Rock. I don’t like putting either one of them in more danger.”

  “Hold on.” Rocky rustled some papers on the other end of the connection. “Weather’s goin
g to play a role here. All flights are grounded on my end, so I’ll have to go by ground transport. That’s going to add time to my ETA. Also, the weather is heading in your direction. Severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches are going up all over the place. You’d better keep one eye to the sky, Jess.”

  He had noticed it getting cloudier, and his sinuses had told him the barometer had definitely dropped, but he hadn’t realized the severity of what they were forecasting. “I won’t expect you tomorrow then.”

  “If the weather plays nice. Dammit!” Rocky growled over the speakers. “Of all the times for severe storms, this takes the cake. I’m sorry, Zach. I’ll get to you as quick as I can. We’ll get your parents out of danger and tear apart the bastards who shot you. I promise.”

  “I know, Uncle Rocky. Thanks,” Zach said in a remarkably steady voice. He was gaining strength even as Jesse watched him. He’d relaxed his wary stance. Seeing his uncle had done that for him. Allowed him to relax so his magic could flow and heal him. Thank the Lady for modern technology that allowed the kid to see his uncle’s face over the video chat.

  “Rocky, there’s one other thing you should know.” Jesse had realized something as soon as the kid had identified Rocky as his uncle.

  “Yeah?”

  “The doctor’s last name is Garibaldi.”

  “You don’t say.” Rocky’s voice turned pensive.

  “Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”

  “Who are her people?” Rocky was quick to ask.

  “You can get what few details we have from my brother’s new mate. I know her stepdad and mom live outside of Lincoln. She’s related through her father’s bloodline to the dryad Leonora who lives in our woods, and she described both her grandmother and aunt as witches.”

  “So she descends from magical folk.” Rocky trailed off, thinking, but came back a moment later. “Well, it’s something to investigate. For now, we need to protect Zach and the woman, and help my sister and her mate, if they can still be helped. I think I’d know if she was dead. She’s not. Right, Zach?”

  “Definitely,” Zach agreed. “They’re still alive. I can feel it.”

  “Good. Hold on to that. And if you can, use your connection to them to help Jesse figure out where they are. I’m coming and I’m bringing reinforcements. We’ll get your folks and bring them to safety. I swear.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Rocky.” The kid choked up, unable to say more, and Jesse patted his shoulder.

  He turned the laptop and started making plans with the Lords. Rocky had left, already gathering supplies and a bit of help before hitting the road. He’d stay in touch by phone and the Lords would coordinate anything that needed coordination on a larger scale. They gave Jesse Rocky’s direct cell number and he punched it into his phone, sending Rocky a text that had all his contact information. They’d be able to communicate directly now—as long as they were both in range of a cell tower and the storms didn’t interfere too much.

  Jesse spent a few more minutes talking with the Lords before they signed off and Jason was back on his screen. They discussed manpower and which of Jesse’s select group of ex-Special Forces soldiers they could send to help. In less than five minutes, they’d ended the video chat and Jesse powered down the laptop.

  “We’re going to have to move fast, Zach. Are you up to it?”

  Zach nodded, still overcome by the emotion that seeing his uncle and knowing he was in the presence of friends rather than enemies had inspired. Jesse understood. The kid had been through a lot in the past days.

  “All right. Rest here for now. I’m going to scrounge some clothes for you and help the doc pack up. We’ll be hitting the road shortly, but I want you to rest as much as possible before we do. Got it?” He smiled to soften his orders and the kid responded with a shaky smile of his own as Jesse headed out the door.

  They’d lucked out in a way. Rocky had been able to convince Zach he was among friends much more easily than anyone else could have. And now it was just possible that the doc and Rocky—and Zach too—were somehow related. Both the doc and Rocky’s last name was Garibaldi. Something to ponder later, as Rocky had said, but something that reassured Jesse that the Lady was working in Her mysterious ways to bring all these different players together.

  Jesse found Maria in her office, just hanging up the phone as she scrambled to collect some papers and a checkbook, which she threw into her oversized pocketbook. The bag was bulging, so she must’ve been collecting things from the office since she left him and Zach to talk on the computer.

  “Do you have a case for this?” Jesse asked, lifting the laptop he still held in one hand.

  “In the corner over there.” She gestured with her chin since her hands were still full.

  Jesse searched and found a backpack-style computer case made of padded nylon that would be both very protective and easy to carry. The computer slid into one compartment and there were other sections that would hold the charger, wireless modem, mouse and various cables that might be needed to connect to a printer, projector or high-speed internet connection. She had almost all contingencies covered and still had room in the backpack for other stuff.

  “You’ll need to pack some clothes and Zach needs something to wear. I have a spare set of fatigues in my bag—”

  “You have a bag?” she cut him off, turning her surprised gaze on him.

  “Stashed in an old oak on the edge of your property.” He shrugged. “Problem is, Zach isn’t quite full grown yet. He’d fit better in a pair of your sweats, I think. If you have any. He’d look a lot less conspicuous if he’s seen.”

  She rolled her eyes but bit back whatever it was she’d been about to say when her phone rang. She placed her hand on the receiver and answered him. “I’ll find something for him.” Then she picked up the phone and answered. “Sanctuary.” She placed the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she continued to rummage around the office. He’d been dismissed.

  Jesse had to smile as he walked out to the living room, collecting the laptop charger and stowing it in the backpack. He raided her cabinets looking for snack food that would keep without refrigeration and threw some of that into the front of the backpack, along with a few items that could be used as survival tools—waterproof matches, a Swiss Army knife and some other things he found—until the bag was full. The rest of the snacks, he put in a plastic shopping bag.

  Then he went to the fridge and made a bunch of sandwiches, putting them in the cooler he’d found stashed in one of the closets. Cold sodas followed, along with whatever else looked good and easy to eat while on the move. A picnic bag of plastic utensils and bottled water went in as well as paper cups and a bottle of juice.

  Zach was a growing boy. He’d be hungry as he healed. Jesse gobbled two giant sandwiches as he worked, not having eaten in quite a while. He needed fuel too. He put aside a smaller sandwich for Maria. She needed to eat too, and he’d be sure she had at least a sandwich before they took off.

  “My friends are coming over to take care of the animals. Do you want to do a quick run through to make sure I don’t have any other shifters caged?” She made a face and he could see again how bad she felt about Zach.

  “We’ll do that on the way out. I don’t want to leave you or Zach on your own in case they send in the A Team this time. The guys last night were definitely the B Team. We’d already dealt with their friends back in Wyoming. The Venifucus definitely didn’t send their elite forces when they sent those guys.” Jesse handed her the sandwich he’d made for her after she placed her bag on the kitchen table next to the laptop backpack and the cooler he’d stocked.

  “Okay, but my car is in the front. We’ll have to double back.”

  “We won’t be taking your car. It’s too slow and too easy to trace. I have a rented four-by-four waiting in the woods. We can check your guests as we make our way to the SUV.” She looked like she wanted to argue, but he pushed the sandwich at her. “Eat. You’ll need the fuel.”

  She
cracked a smile and picked up the sandwich. It looked huge in her delicate hands. “Now you sound like my nona. She’s always telling me I’m too skinny. She refuses to believe I really need to lose about thirty pounds.”

  Jesse paused and let his gaze run over her. He knew his tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth, but he couldn’t help himself.

  “As far as I’m concerned, you’re perfect, Doc.” He heard the growl escape his throat and walked his gaze up her luscious body to meet her gaze. She seemed not only shocked but…aroused?

  He sniffed the air as he stepped closer to her. Oh, yeah. She was definitely aroused. Fuck. She smelled so damn good.

  He was instantly hard and ready to go. He wanted her bad. His wolf wanted to sink his teeth—and his cock—into her and fuck her senseless. He wanted to hear her scream his name as she came around him, taking him with her to the moon.

  He put his arms around her and tugged her close his body. He had enough presence of mind to take the sandwich out of her hands and place it back on the table behind her. Then the beast was in control. It pulled her against him with a single hard tug that startled her. She gasped when her soft body met his hardness. Her eyes widened as she gazed up into his eyes. Caught. He was hers.

  Jesse’s head dipped and he captured her lips with his. The kiss started savage and then…morphed. It changed into something much more serious than the blind lust that had ridden him to this point.

  He hadn’t meant to touch her, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. The scent of her arousal was more than he could take. He had to taste her, sample her sweetness, claim it for himself, even if just for this moment out of time.

  She tangled her hands in the short hair at the base of his neck. Her body strained against him as she responded. She wasn’t just a recipient of his kiss, she was a full participant in the lust that ignited from the kiss into a conflagration neither of them could deny or control.