Kalen Read online

  “So…what do we do about it, then?”

  Chapter Twelve

  “We get to know each other,” Kalen said with a smile. That was his Ally. She met every new challenge head on with courage that he’d seen only in the bravest of men. Perhaps that was what had drawn him to her.

  He stared at her mouth. God, he loved those full lips of hers. All day he had wondered if they were as soft as they looked, if she would taste as good as she smelled, and it had been driving him crazy. Now that he knew, matters weren’t any better. In fact, they were worse.

  Kalen wanted to close his eyes, take a deep breath and savor her scent. He wanted to lean down, press his face to her neck, and take such a deep breath that he would be able to hold her delicate fragrance within him all day. He knew it was impossible, but it didn’t stop him from wanting.

  “That sounds easy enough.” She smiled and looked past him to the hallway. “But we should get back to Milly’s, don’t you think?” She checked her watch. “We’ve been gone a little over thirty minutes. We want to get back before she changes, don’t we?”

  “We do need to get back there.” He turned and picked up both of her bags. “I don’t think she can change, actually. She may have internal injuries that will have to heal and she’ll heal slower as a human.”

  “That’s good, isn’t?”

  “I don’t know. I have no idea what will happen if the serum is trying to force a change when her body is incapable of such a thing.”

  “Crap!” Grabbing the dart gun from her nightstand, she hurried toward the door. “We have to get back to her. What if she’s suffering? You can help her the same way you helped me. The pain wasn’t so bad then.”

  “I don’t think I can help her the way I helped you, Ally.” He grinned when she lifted the gun and shot the stirring intruder as they passed.

  “Take that, you jerk.”

  It was obvious that she was still upset about the man urinating on her furniture. He followed her out onto the porch, set her bags down, then pulled Milly’s keys from his pocket to lock the door.

  “Why can’t you help her?” She stood with her arms crossed, the dart gun hanging from her fingers as though she held one every day.

  Kalen hated that frown on her face. It was as though she thought him capable of helping her friend, but didn’t want to do so.

  “It’s not like I don’t want to help her, Ally. The reason I could help you is because we have this…connection.”

  “I don’t understand.” She scowled at him. “I thought you had this connection with all weres.”

  “All of us have like a…community connection. I can reach Bastien and he me and I you, I can even communicate with Milly when she’s fully turned, but I can’t connect with another were the way I connect with you.” He held his hands out palms up. “I have no idea why. Only mates are connected fully enough to block one another’s pain. That, and someone I have a blood bond with. I have neither with your friend.”

  He wanted to help Milly if only because he knew it would please Ally, but short of biting her, or letting her bite him, he just didn’t know how. He had already thought of letting her bite him, but he’d needed help getting Ally off him. He wasn’t taking chances with Milly.

  If what the alpha suspected was true, she could come out of it a seventy-year-old werewolf female in her prime. If that was the case, he was going to have his hands full enough without getting in the way of her teeth.

  “I’ll carry my laptop bag so you won’t have to carry them both.” She blushed and looked away. “I’d carry my suitcase, but I know it’s too heavy for me.”

  Kalen picked up the larger bag and followed her to Milly’s. He had no doubt that she would be able to carry both of her bags if she set her mind to it, but her mind still set human limits. It didn’t matter either way. His mother brought him up to be a gentleman.

  The house was quiet when they entered. Too quiet, and Kalen feared the worst. None of them knew what would happen. The older woman could have had a heart attack while they were gone. He only wished he would have thought of that before they left. Either way, it was a good thing he hadn’t let Ally go to her side of the structure alone. If she had, she would be on her way to the doctor’s clutches.

  “Do you suppose she’s still sleeping?” Ally asked as she set her burden down on the kitchen floor.

  “I hope so.” The thought that she could have died of a heart attack while they were gone was something he didn’t want to think about. “Whatever condition she’s in, we need to get her and the asshole at your house in her car along with her luggage. Please tell me she doesn’t drive a compact.”

  Ally laughed. “Milly would never be caught dead in a dinky car. She has one of the largest SUVs you can buy.”

  Kalen couldn’t have been more relieved. “Great. We’ll check on her and if she’s doing okay, I’ll leave you to pack her things and go get mister nice guy, tie him up and carry him over here.”

  They paused outside Milly’s bedroom door as though afraid of what they would find on the other side.

  “Here goes something,” Kalen said as he reached around Ally and opened the door. Neither of them was prepared for the sight that greeted them.

  Milly sat on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands. At least he was pretty sure it was Milly. The woman he saw now no longer had gray hair. Her hair was a glossy black. The ebony waves spilled around her shoulders, contrasting with the sunflower yellow t-shirt she still wore.

  If he wasn’t mistaken, the young woman on the bed was Milly Jenkins, reborn female werewolf. Only the bloodstains on the t-shirt would tell.

  “Milly?” Ally stood just inside the door, obviously afraid to approach the woman for fear it was some sort of trick.

  Even Kalen didn’t know if it was a trick or really Ally’s friend sitting on the bed.

  The woman looked up. “Ally. What…what’s happened to me?” She looked down at her hands, then felt her body. “How did this happen. How can I be young again?” She laughed, almost hysterically. “Hell, even my boobs are perky again. Can you believe it?”

  She stood and turned to them. “The last thing I remember was those criminals breaking into my home and beating the hell out of me.” She turned toward Kalen and smiled. “Then you came in and saved me from them.” Frowning, she added, “But not before they injected me with werewolf serum.”

  Kalen examined her clothing. Yep that was Milly all right. She looked like her, sounded like her, smelled like her and was wearing her clothes. There was no other explanation than the woman standing in front of him was Milly Jenkins.

  She looked down at herself and grimaced. “I need a shower.” Then I’m going to burn all of my clothes and go out and buy me something sexy. I have the youth and the body for it now.”

  “You can’t, Milly.” Ally stopped her on the way to the shower. “Oh, you can shower the blood off you, but you can’t go shopping. The men who injected you have friends and they’ll be back to get you and they will do their best to make good on the promise of raping you and impregnating you.”

  “Then I’ll just go all bitch on them and rip their damned throats out.”

  “You won’t be strong enough, Milly,” Kalen interjected. “We’re talking about werewolf males against a werewolf female. They’ll be much stronger than you are.”

  “Well you took care of those other two easy enough.”

  “They were new turns and I’ve been a were all my life. I’m stronger than they are.” He leaned against her dresser and crossed his legs. “I’d guess that I’m about six times stronger than a turned were and about twelve times stronger than you two.”

  “He wants to take us somewhere where we’ll be safe.”

  “And you trust him?”

  “Yes,” Ally said with a nod. “He’s already saved my life at least twice, but I think it’s more like three times.”

  “Brave and handsome, huh?” Milly stared at him for a minute. “He’s got eyes only for you, y
ou know,” she whispered.

  It was all he could do to pretend he hadn’t heard her when he wanted nothing more than to grin and agree with her. Straightening, Kalen moved to the door. “I’ll let you ladies pack. Try not to take too long though. It’s only a matter of time before Doctor Thornton sends more men to see what’s taking the others so long.”

  He turned to Milly. “Make sure you take anything you can’t replace or that is valuable. We have to leave your back door ajar to convince the police and any investigators that the men were attacked by coyotes, or wolves.”

  Kalen could only hope that they would take the easy explanation. He didn’t want the women investigated.

  “I’ve been wondering if we could convince them you two took off together for a holiday, but we’d have to come up with a very good excuse as to why Ally would have left her car at work instead of driving it home.”

  Whatever they came up with, Kalen wanted to leave Ally out of it. She’d already been through enough.

  He left the room wondering if Milly had changed while they were gone, but his senses and intellect told him it was impossible. She smelled like pre-adolescent wolf that had never changed, but she wasn’t suffering the way Ally had. Why?

  Fifteen minutes had passed when Ally ran from Milly’s bedroom, her eyes huge with the stink of fear rolling off her in waves.

  “It’s Milly. Come quick. I think she’s changing. I saw her bruises fade from her face almost like magic, then she started to convulse.”

  Kalen jumped up from where he sat and ran into the bedroom where Milly thrashed about on the floor, her hair flying around her. She moaned and Kalen moved to take her hand.

  “Breathe, Milly.” He moved to brush the hair from her face. She opened her eyes and growled at him.

  “Leave me alone.”

  “I’m trying to help you.”

  “I want this. I deserve this.” She stiffened, her body bucking up off the floor. “Gerald died because of me. He could have left me, instead he tried to protect me, and they killed him.”

  “What?” Ally moved to her other side. “You said he died on a camping trip.”

  “He did. He died protecting me so I could get away from the hunters.” Milly squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. “He saved me and died for it. I deserve to die a horrible death. Leave me alone.”

  “You aren’t dying, Milly.” Ally stroked her arm. “You’re changing into a werewolf, like…like Kalen and me.”

  Milly opened her eyes with a groan. “Not you. They didn’t get you, too.”

  “Yes, Milly. They got me at the hotel. I’ve changed into a wolf a few times already. I know it sounds crazy, but it doesn’t hurt as much if you reach for it. If you imagine what it will be like to be a wolf, to run on all fours, to have a soft pelt covering your skin.”

  Kalen watched, proud of what his mate tried to do to help the older woman.

  “I can’t do this. I’m going to have a heart attack. A woman my age shouldn’t have to go through something as painful as this.”

  “Perhaps that’s why your age went through the conversion before your body,” Kalen said, as he held one arm and stroked her hair from her face with the other. “You haven’t seen yourself the way we have.” He smiled down at her. “You’re young again.”

  “I know that. I commented on it.” She chuckled through her pain. “I’m going to need new clothes. I’ll look ridiculous walking around in those shapeless sacks that clothing designers call house dresses.”

  “We’ll worry about that later, Milly. I’ve packed your jeans and a few blouses. I’ve also packed your photo albums and everything you kept of Gerald’s. Just hurry and change so we can get going. I have a bad feeling that we’re going to have company soon.”

  Milly closed her eyes. Her body shifted shape, her legs shortened, becoming thick with muscle and her face changed, her face elongating into a muzzle to accommodate her larger teeth.

  Soon, she lay on the floor beneath them as a beautiful pure black wolf. She looked up at them through her violet eyes and panted.

  Boy, that was painful. I can’t wait to change back to my human form, Milly said dryly. Turning her attention back to Ally, she laid her head on her shoulder. We need to get you out of here, sweetheart. I don’t care what those assholes do to me, but you still have your entire life in front of you.

  “So do you, Milly. You’re young again and will remain so for quite a while now. You have your entire life in front of you as well. Perhaps you should stop trying to give your life to others and keep it for yourself.”

  Kalen stood and walked to the bed to grab the two suitcases there. “We need to get the hell out of here. Now!”

  He carried the bags out to Milly’s SUV. Turning, he met the women as they exited the house. Milly trotted out and jumped into the SUV right in the driver’s seat.

  “Um… You can’t drive like that, Milly.”

  Kalen wanted to laugh at the older woman’s antics as she spun around on the seat and laid down.

  I know, but it just goes against the grain to allow someone else to drive it. She sighed, then moved into the back seat. Wreck it and die, mister.

  “One more thing.” Kalen frowned as he thought about the way he entered Milly’s home. “Where’s your dog? We don’t want to leave him behind.”

  I don’t have a dog. I had the doors installed when I bought the house after Gerald disappeared. I always hoped he’d find me. Milly rested her head on her paws and closed her eyes.

  He didn’t know what to say to that. Instead of dwelling on it, he turned his attention to getting the women to safety. “I’ll be right back. I need to go and get the man in Ally’s house.”

  “Kick him for peeing on my couch before you pick him up. He hasn’t paid for that yet.”

  Kalen laughed as he ran to Ally’s side of the structure to get the man who would be their guest. He walked into the house and stopped dead, looking at the sofa where they had left him unconscious.

  “Sonofabitch!”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ally frowned when Kalen left her house empty handed. He locked her door then turned and strode toward them, his expression grim.

  “He’s gone. He knows I’m with you and he knows the others injected Milly.” He shook his head. We should have shot the son of a bitch a second time. Apparently, the tranquilizer in the dart gun is only to incapacitate someone long enough to tie them up.” He glanced at Ally. “Which is something we failed to do because we thought he would be out a while.”

  Kalen climbed into the truck, fastened his seat belt and stuck the key into the ignition. “Dammit!” He slapped the steering wheel. He reached down, started the vehicle and put it in reverse. “We have to get moving. There’s no telling how long he’s been conscious or how long ago he called for reinforcements.”

  He backed out of the driveway and into the street. Putting the gearshift in drive, he mashed on the gas, sending the SUV surging forward. “I apologize in advance for the way I may have to drive your truck, Milly. I’ll buy you a new one if I wreck it.”

  Like someone your age could afford to buy one of these for someone else. Milly rested her head against the seat with a groan. Just do what you have to do to get us to safety.

  “I plan to.” He glanced at Ally. “Nothing is more important to me than getting you to safety. We have far too few females. No doubt, there will be many who will want to meet you, Milly.”

  It’s too late for me. Gerald was my mate and I his. Milly stood on the back seat and looked out the window. He was a werewolf.

  “I thought you said you didn’t know they existed.” Ally frowned.

  I said I didn’t know they existed because Gerald was convinced he was the last of his kind. She sighed. I thought he was invincible. I put us in danger because I was so certain that no one could harm him. He was old, very old, and glad to have found me. He wished I was a were-being like him because he knew our time together was limited and he would mourn me forever, or
die with me. He chose to bind our lives together so he would die with me. Instead, he died first. He was over a thousand years old and looked like he was in his mid-thirties. She lay down on the back seat. All it took was for one arrogant female to end his life.

  Kalen looked at Ally, his shock evident on his face. “He was over one thousand years old?”

  That’s what he told me. He was certain he was the last of his kind, the last of a species hunted to extinction by the people of his home land.

  “We must get you two to Bastien as soon as possible.” Reaching into his pocket, Kalen pulled out his cell phone. “There’s been a new development, Alpha. The woman I told you about has just informed me she and another were formed a bond—a werewolf who claimed to be over a thousand years old.” He paused as he listened. “Yes, sir. I know that. Which would indicate that he is still alive somewhere.” Another pause while he listened. “Yes, Alpha, I’m taking them to the safe house off Federal Road right now. We should be there in about an hour and a half. I’ll drop the bomb on my way.”

  He pressed a button on the side of the screen and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

  Did I just hear you correctly? Milly asked from the back seat. Is Gerald still alive?

  “If what you said was true and he formed a bond with you so he would die when you did, then yes.” He slowed to turn onto the expressway. “Not only would he have done everything he could to keep you safe, but he would have done anything to keep himself alive as well…so you could live.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “When we’re bonded, our life forces are also bound together. If he dies, you die and vice versa.”

  Ally turned in her seat to watch Milly who simply sat on the seat, her head resting against the back of the seat as she stared out the window at the passing scenery.

  He’s alive. I can’t believe he’s alive…