Poisoned

Tania Stillwater’s POV

Sulphur River Pack House

I looked at Snacks, I mean Bobby, who had just confessed to me that I was his mate and that he had accepted me. I was shocked; the loss of my wolf meant I had given up on a mate after I was sold into slavery. “You’re accepting me, and my son as yours?”

“Yes.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead; it felt warm and wonderful.

I realized he had been with me the whole interview, keeping me calm and giving me strength. He knew EVERYTHING I had been through, and he was still here in my bedroom. He still looked at me like I hung the moon. I didn’t know what to say. It was all I had ever dreamed of, finding the man the Goddess made just for me and having him hold me in his arms and say he accepted me. I looked up at him, my hand reaching for his cheek. “Okay.”

Yeah, I was smooth. He pours his heart out to me and I give him a one-word answer? “Thank you, Tania,” he said with a wide smile.

My mind and body were still in conflict, especially when I realized he was naked and only the tangled sheet was keeping him from poking me. “I have to use the bathroom, and you need to get some clothes on,” I said. “Just because I’ve seen and had sex with thousands of guys doesn’t mean I want to do anything with you right now. I’m not ready for this,” I said as my arms went back to cover myself.

“I understand. Would you like anything? Snacks from Snacks?Maybe some cheese curds?”

I laughed. “Go make me a sandwich,” I said. “I’ll be down after I check on my son.” I rolled away from him until he got up and left the room, then I untangled myself from the sheets and went to the bathroom. I took some time to wash my face, getting rid of the tears from my nightmare. I rarely went a night without them since I was no longer drugged to sleep quietly.

I came back out and a beautiful woman was sitting at the end of my bed, she had a pair of sleep shorts and a cute pink and white pajama top. “Who are you,” I said.

“I’m the older sister, Diane,” she said. “I thought you might need some clothes, and I know you don’t know your way around. Bobby asked me to help you, and I wanted to meet my new sister,” she said with a smile.

I smiled back, women didn’t threaten me, well, almost all. The ones who worked at the slave brokers, and Peggy, the husband of the man who was my last owner. I moved closer to the bed and she jumped up and opened her arms for a hug. I hesitated, just a moment, then let her do it for a few moments. “I’m so happy for my brothers, even if I’m pissed that I still haven’t found MY mate. Even my baby sister is mated now.”

“I’m not mated yet, I don’t even know if it is possible,” I said as I pulled off the old clothes and put on the new ones. I could hear her gasp of breath as I took off my T-shirt and she saw my back and butt. They’d left it scarred and ugly. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” I turned back and saw the tears in her eyes. “I don’t want pity, that doesn’t help me. I need a friend, though.”

She smiled and wiped a tear. “I can do that. You’ll love it here. Dad’s keeping the crowd away for now, and Bobby and I will introduce you to people as you are comfortable with.” She gave a giggle as she walked us to the door, which was hanging off the hinges. “One of the omegas will replace it while you’re eating.”

“Yeah, Snacks wasn’t going to let a door keep him out,” I said.

She took my hand and led me down the hall. “I can’t believe you gave him that nickname, it’s perfect. How did he get it?”

“The first time I met him, he ate almost two pounds of cheddar cheese curds while his wolf sat with me,” I said.

“Oh crap! He was probably bound up for a week!” She walked to the door at the end of the hall, knocking softly before opening it. I followed her in; the room was dimly lit, and her parents were on the huge bed, facing each other. In between them, Phillip was sleeping with his head resting under her chin. He looked peaceful, and I knew he would be safe. I nodded to her and we walked back out, closing the door quietly behind us. “Mom said he settled right down with them. She’s thrilled to have a child in the house.”

“It’s new to me too,” I said. My stomach announced my hunger loudly, and I giggled and moved down the hall as she led me downstairs to the kitchen.

Snacks looked up as we entered the big room, filled with commercial-grade stainless appliances. “I found some brisket, all you all right with barbecue beef sandwiches?”

“You’re kidding, right? My wolf is dead, but my tastes haven’t changed.” It smelled wonderful as he took it out of the microwave and plated a big sandwich, along with potato chips and a big glass of milk. “I can’t eat all this,” I said as I looked at it. The bun was Texas-sized.

“Eat as much as you can, your body needs fuel to recover,” he said. “You want one, Sis?”

“Sure,” she said.

He handed her the plate a minute later, then joined me with his. He also handed me a big slice of a dill pickle. “Mom canned these last year, you can’t get anything this good in a store.”

We didn’t talk much as we ate. The beef was smoky and tender, the sauce tangy, and he was right about the pickle. I enjoyed it, thankful to be free and with family. I didn’t finish the sandwich, but Snacks took care of the extra.

Diane wiped her hands and mouth, then gave me a hug. “I’m going back to bed,” she said. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

She left the room, and I looked back at Bobby. “Where do we go from here,” I asked.

“If you hadn’t gone through all you did and if you still had your wolf, we wouldn’t be talking right now,” he said. “I’m holding back, giving you time until you are comfortable and ready because it’s what you need. Do not ever mistake my patience for not wanting you, Tania. I’ve wanted you since I first scented you, and I’ll be the happiest man in Texas when we complete the mating.”

“I can’t give you the bite back,” I said.

“Then I’ll tattoo a mating bite on my neck to show them all I’m taken,” he said.

I looked up at the clock, it was three in the morning. “Stay with me?” His eyes got wide and his wolf came forward. “Just to sleep. I always slept better with my Snacks, and I want you to hold me and keep the bad dreams away.”

“That’s what I want too, Tania. You in my arms at night.” He led me up the stairs, and a man was finishing with the door. He bowed his head and put his tools away, then we went in. Someone had changed the bed, and Bobby pulled the covers back and covered me as I tucked in. He went around the other side, pulling his shirt off then going under in just his shorts. He was chiseled, and I couldn’t help but appreciate what a strong man I’d found. He laid on his back, and I rolled into his side, my head on his shoulder and his arm holding me tight.

I felt safe, I felt loved, and I was asleep in moments.

Chairman Lewis Wolfe’s POV

Somewhere over Iowa

I’d spent most of the flight on the phone, dealing with angry Alphas and the other Council members. I was catching hell from both sides; those who feared the Alpha Killer were furious I wasn’t making Alpha Clark turn her over, while others were furious at what had been done to her family. At least one of the men I had arrested was innocent, and that investigation had to start. I was hesitant to use enforcers for the investigation since their boss was a suspect, and the other lawyers on the Council staff had the same problem. I needed someone independent, someone with investigative experience. Kicking it around with the Enforcers on the plane, I got a few names. The top man on the list was easy.

I didn’t have his direct number, so I called his Alpha. “Alpha Meechum,” the groggy voice said.

“Brent, it’s Lewis Wolfe,” I said. I’d known him for over a hundred years, and we’d always been friendly. “I need a favor.”

“It’s three in the morning,” he said. “Hang on, I’ve got to go to another room before my grandson wakes up.” I heard him moving, then a door closed. “What’s going on?”

“You heard the accusations by Alpha Clark last night. The reason we didn’t arrest Alphas Todd and Justin was because someone betrayed us to them. I need to find out who, and I can’t trust my own Council right now to find the truth.”

“What do you need from me, Mr. Chairman?”

“I want to borrow your son Randall for a while to head up the investigation.”

I didn’t hear anything for a moment, then he laughed. Full out belly laughed. “You don’t know, do you,” he said.

“Know what?”

“He’s already on the job, and he’s not working for you. The younger sister, Tania, the one who was rescued? He was the one who did the interview with her. He won’t work for you, but he will find out the truth.”

Shit. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. He doesn’t want anything to do with the Council after what you did, and didn’t do, for those girls. I’m sorry, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Good night, sir.” He hung up.

One of the warriors looked up from his phone, his face was ashen. “Sir, you’ve got to see this.”

“What is it?”

“A video from my brother, he’s a warrior in the Winona Pack. He said he took it at the La Crosse Pack.” He handed me his phone and hit play.

My jaw dropped.

Alpha Justin Heranus was being walked up the road into the challenge circle by a couple of big guys. It looked like other Packs were present from the way they were standing in groups. The crowd parted, and two people walked through into the ring. One was the Alpha Killer. “Holy shit,” I said. “When was this taken?”

“A few hours ago,” he said.

I continued watching as the battle started, and it was one-sided. Alpha Justin's wolf, despite a hundred pounds in weight advantage and decades of fighting experience, was no match for the lightning-fast female he was facing in human form. She made him look like an untrained boy as she sliced and diced him.

He never had a chance, and she didn’t even shift until the end. She took his submission and his Pack from him as he lay bleeding on the dirt from hundreds of slashes. The other warriors were just as shocked; this was a foe none of them ever wanted to face. “What is she,” one of the men asked.

“She’s the Alpha Killer,” I said.

Jarrod Covington’s POV

New Orleans

Marceline left for the restroom, leaving me alone at our table by the dance floor of the nightclub. She loved to dance, and I loved to be with her. I felt the vibration of my cellphone in my pocket and pulled it out. I smiled as I saw the caller ID. “Talia, nice job with Justin,” I said. “You get your revenge?”

“I’ve got a problem, Jarrod,” she said. She was crying, on the edge of control. “I bit my mate. Oh Selene, what have I done? I bit Randall when we were mating! I didn’t mean to, I can’t lose him now! Not when I’ve just found him!”

“Talia, calm yourself. The venom won’t take him quickly.” I looked at my watch, there was no time to get there tonight. “Bring him to me, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“OK. We’ll leave immediately. Is there anything I can do now?”

It may not work, but I told her. Maybe it would delay things until they could get here. In the meantime, I had my own problems.

I needed to get the Vampire Council to rescind their previous decision, or Talia would watch her mate die.