Brendon was getting too old for this. He groaned as he covered his face with his hand to block out the sunlight currently beating down on it. His body felt as if he’d been run over by an entire herd of overweight buffalo. He preferred being run over by the skinny ones.
“I think he’s waking up.” Brendon heard a young voice whisper. It sounded almost hopeful.
Where the hell was he and what the hell had happened?
He opened his eyes, squinting at the early morning sunlight and then he heard a cry of relief, saw a flash of red and then a body was flung against him.
Arms circled his neck, a face pressed against his chest and a soft body lay against the rest of him. He breathed deep, taking in the scent of herbs and his memory came flooding back.
“Ella.” Relief filled him as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She was alive. He had saved her. Then he realized she was crying. Sobbing actually. The tears were silent but her entire body shook with them.
He kissed her messy hair and gently stroked her bare arm with his fingers.
“Ella, honey, why are you crying?” he whispered as he sat up and pulled her with him. He glanced over by the fire, which he realized they must have kept going because he had been asleep at least overnight given the morning sun. Maggie was sitting there with a smile on her face as she watched them. Brendon wondered where her fear had went. Had Ella adjusted the girls memory?
“I thought I had killed you too…Just like…my family.” Ella whispered, the words muffled against his blood stiffened shirt. Ella had covered him in blood as he had carried her away from danger.
“I’m alive, honey. You didn’t kill me.”
“Hehe… of course you’re alive silly! We can see you talking!” Maggie exclaimed brightly.
“See me talking…….?” Brendon said slowly and then he just shook his head and chuckled before kissing Ella’s red hair. “Stop with the waterworks now.” he stated. “I’ve never been good at dealing with them.” Ella pulled away but stayed in his lap, though Brendon wasn’t sure if she stayed because she wanted to or it if was just because Brendon’s vice-like grip on her held her firmly in place.
“I could have killed you, Brendon…. Why would you risk that?” Ella asked with a frown. Brendon smoothed her messy hair from her face and kissed her brow.
“You would have died if I hadn’t. I wasn’t willing to let that happen.”
“I want to stay with you. Please let me stay with you.” she pleaded, her eyes looking deep into his own.
“I will take you to the safe place that I’m taking Maggie to. I have to go to the council alone but I will come back to you every chance I get.” Brendon put his hand on her cheek when he saw doubt enter her eyes. “I promise, Ella. I won’t just leave and forget about you.”
“I’m hungry.” Maggie’s voice spoke up and Brendon glanced over at her.
“I’ll have to find us something to eat then.” Brendon replied with a nod. He was hungry too. Starving actually.
He turned his back to Maggie and put his lips close to Ella’s ear.
“Why is she calm now? What happened while I was asleep?”
“I talked to her.” Ella replied simply.
“Talked? Brendon asked with a raise of his brow and Ella nodded. “No mind tricks to make her forget?”
“It wouldn’t have done any good. We’re both covered in blood and lost out in the middle of nowhere, what would I have told her?”
Brendon had to admit that the woman had a point.
“I told her about vampires and explained that I am one but that I won’t hurt her.”
“What about me? Did you tell her what I am?” Brendon questioned and Ella shook her head.
“No. I was not sure if I’m supposed to.” Brendon sighed.
“I guess it doesn’t matter. Mortals are not supposed to be told about supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves and Hunters but I am sending the girl to live with a werewolf pack so…” he shrugged.
“Brendon, I’m hungry.” Maggie said again, with a bit of impatience in her little voice this time. Brendon grumbled under his breath and then stood up, settling Ella on her feet.
“I’ll go find us something to eat and then we have to get moving. We still have another two weeks of hard riding before we reach the wolves.”
“Wolves?” Maggie asked with a frown as Brendon grabbed his gun, ensured it was loaded and then slid it back in its holster.
“Werewolves.” he replied with a nod and Maggie’s eyes widened.
“Do they have fur?”
“Yep.” Brendon found his hat and plopped it on his head.
“Can I pet one? There was a puppy once that came around the orphanage and I tied bows on its ears! Can I tie bows on their ears?”
Brendon chuckled as he pictured Grange as a wolf. A big, black, muscular killing machine with little pink bows on his ears.
“I’m sure they’d be more than obliged to let you.” he replied with a grin. He tousled the girls hair and then pulled Ella to him and kissed her lips.
“I…” he started and then he frowned. He had almost told her that he loved her. Loved her? He didn’t even know how to do that.
“I’ll be back shortly. Y’all just stay here.” With that he turned and jogged off into the Tennessee mountains, trying hard to ignore the pain still lingering in his blood drained body.
***
“Trig.” Grange ground out between his clenched jaw.
“I did it! I did it! I finally did it!” Trig exclaimed as he danced the two step around and around the pack.
“Trig.” Grange repeated.
“Woohoo! I did it!” Trig cried out with pride as he grabbed Dawn, who was cradling nearly five month old creed against her chest, and began to spin around taking them with him.
“Trig, I will kill you if you don’t calm down.” Grange warned, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.
“You better listen to him, Trig. He’s threatening violence.” Nickolai stated dryly as he lounged against a tree with his arms wrapped loosely around Brie and her back resting against his chest as she smiled at Trig’s antics and the way they were clearly going to give Grange an apoplexy.
“When isn’t he threatening violence?” Dawn asked with a laugh as she broke away from Trig and went to her mates arms. Trig simply continued his dancing with Anika, much to the displeasure of Blain who had grown very protective of the she wolf as of late.
“What’s wrong, Grange? You should be happy for your beta.” Dawn scolded. Grange let out a breath and shook his head, sure that his mate had lost her mind.
“You do realize that in a few months we’ll have a miniature that..” he pointed to Trig who had a goofy grin on his face and his tongue lolling out as he spun Anika in fast circles. “Mixed with a little of that..” he pointed at Farrah who was staring off into space while spinning the large Bowie knife in her hand. “Running around here and creating chaos.”
“Yes and I’m sure that Creed here will help them keep all the chaos going.” Dawn replied. Grange snorted and took his son.
“Not my boy. You’re not going to give your daddy a single gray hair are you, son?”
Creed grinned a big toothless grin in response and then proceeded to burp out a long line of spit up onto Grange’s buckskin shirt.
“Nope, not a single one.” Nickolai commented, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as Dawn used the rag in her hand to hastily try to mop up the mess.
“I’m gonna be a daddy!” Trig hollered as he grabbed a hold of Grange and tried to spin him around. Grange kept his feet planted firmly, not allowing himself to be moved.
“Yes, and if you want to see your child born you will let go of me.”
“Stop being such a hard ass, Grange, you know you’re just as happy about this as Trig is.” Blain said quietly.
Grange just sighed and shook his head, though a smile pulled at his lips. He was happy. His pack was thriving. There had been no challenges since Faugrimm had been killed. Life had been peaceful and the pack was growing.
Not to mention that perhaps a baby would be the one thing to finally wear Trig out and take away some of the annoying pups energy. And… well Grange might just love the little pup and want him to be as happy as Grange was now that Creed had come into his and Dawn’s life.
“You might want to go love on your mate seeing as how she’s the one carrying your child.” Nickolai stated.
Trig chuckled, rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and then went to Farrah who slipped the knife back into the sheath on her hip and tilted her head as she looked at him.
“I take it you are happy?” she asked quietly and Trig’s grin instantly transformed into a confused frown.
“You’re not?”
Sensing the deep direction the conversation was about to take, Grange instantly began to walk away and then he froze when a scent reached his nostrils.
“Vampire.” he growled. Instantly he handed Creed to Dawn and then stepped in front of them both. Nickolai, Trig and Blain herded Anika, Brie and Farrah to the middle of the snarling circle they made.
Grange heard the grumbles from the women and knew they were not amused but he did not care.
His mate, the alpha female, was holding the only pup in the pack. Farrah was carrying another pup (or kitten, only time would tell which) and Brie was not known for fighting, while Anika… Well Blain watched over Anika very closely. Grange would protect them all with his life if need be.
Then another scent came to him.
“Isn’t that Brendon?” Dawn asked as she shoved her way out of the protective circle and Grange glared at Blain who had allowed her out.
“She scares me.” the wolf replied with a shrug.
“Scares you? She’s barely five feet tall.” Grange grumbled, relaxing now that he knew Brendon was with the vampire. He wasn’t sure why the Hunter would be traveling with a vampire but surely Brendon wouldn’t have brought her if she was trouble.
“Yes but she controls you.” Blain stated. “And anyone who can control you scares me.”
“Farrah, Dawn, get to the house until we know it’s safe.” Grange ordered.
“But…” Dawn started and Grange sent her a look to let her know he meant business. She sighed and kissed their sons dark hair.
“Fine.” she grumbled as she and Farrah headed toward the house.
“I can look out for myself.” Grange heard Farrah complain.
“Get used to being overprotected. That happens when you’ve got a bun in the oven.” Dawn sighed knowingly.
Grange shook his head and chuckled at his mates antics.
“Brie, you go as well.” Nickolai ordered gently.
“No.” Brie replied simply and when Blain looked at Anika and opened his mouth to speak, the look she shot him had his mouth snapping shut.
Grange shook his head. It seemed as if the women ruled the men in this pack. He wanted that to change but knew that would probably be a cold day in hell and he had always known how to pick his battles wisely. That simply wasn’t a war he was willing to throw his hat into.
“There’s a child with him.” Nickolai stated with confusion and Grange nodded.
Finally Brendon rode in to view. He had a small girl with brown ponytails and glasses seating on the horse in front of him and a female vampire with red hair and snow pale skin.
“Brendon.” Grange said in greeting as he stepped forward.
“Hey there, Grange.” Brendon replied with a tip of his hat toward everyone else.
“What are you doing here?” Grange asked. “I know I told you to come back any time but I didn’t really think you’d take me up on that.”
Something was wrong and Grange could feel it in his bones. That peace he’d been enjoying was going to be coming to an end and it was going to be Brendon’s fault.
“Well actually, Grange, I was just passing through, but these two here… They want to join your pack.”
And there it was.
“A vampire and a mortal girl with a bad leg?” Grange asked as his nostrils flared. “In my pack?”
“Yes.” Brendon replied, his grip tightening a little around the girl in front of him. Grange shook his head.
“No.” he turned and began to walk away.
“Grange, if you want to know who hired me to kill you then you will take these two in.”
Grange stopped, his spine stiffening.
He liked Brendon, he really did, but why was it that every time the bastard showed up, somebody wanted Grange dead?