Kym Grosso - Tristan's Lyceum Wolves

Nearly jumping out of the bed, Kalli sat straight up and shot him a questioning look. “South Carolina? When are we going? Did they find him?”

Tristan returned her look with a serious expression. “You, my lovely little wolf, are not going anywhere. And yes, we’ve found Gerald. I expect the wolf who killed Toby will be with him, or he’ll know his location. Logan’s got all the intel, and we’re flying in tomorrow night on the jet.”

As much as Kalli wanted to see Tristan rip Gerald’s throat out, she still held a healthy fear of the man who’d wanted to hurt her. All things considered, she should be happy that Tristan didn’t want to take her with him. But her protective streak couldn’t let him go alone.

“Tristan, here’s the thing, I know that place. I know how to get around in the woods, where they hide, the wolves. I can help,” she suggested, trying to convince him to let her go.

“Not an option, baby.” Swinging his legs off the bed, he strode across the room. There was no way in hell he was putting her in danger.

“Please. Just think about it. Gerald, he’s ruthless. He doesn’t play by the rules.”

Tristan turned before going into the bathroom. His eyes narrowed into the predatory scowl she’d seen at the Summit. “There won’t be anyone left when this is done, Kalli. I’ll spare the women and pups, but subordinates who support him will die. I’ve got this. As for you, you’re staying here. End of discussion.”

Kalli’s stomach lurched as she thought about Tristan, Logan and the others going after the Wallace pack. Merciless, they’d go for the kill every time. While she was confident that Tristan could best Gerald one to one, they played dirty, often employing human weapons that could injure wolves, weakening their prey. Maybe Tristan thought her going wasn’t an option, but losing him wasn’t an option either. Quietly, she resolved to try and talk him into taking her after she checked the horses.

“Stop worrying,” Tristan ordered as he pulled the car in front of the barn. “Seriously, you’ve got to let it go and trust that I will handle this. I’ve got news for you; it’s not my first time to the rodeo. I won’t be able to do my job if you’re there with me. It’s literally impossible to concentrate when I’m within five feet of you.” He gave her a small smile. “Now go take care of my baby…my big four-legged baby, that is.”

“Baby, huh?”

“Jellybean’s the one who’s sick. She’s a sweet girl, picked her out myself. And yes, she’s my baby. So go give her a look, would you? Janie can give you a ride back if you want.”

“Nah, I think a walk back to the house would do me good. I’ll take the path you showed me yesterday. Should only take me about ten minutes, right?”

“Yep, the cabin’s open. I should be done in a few hours, okay?”

Kalli leaned over, giving him a brief kiss on the lips. As she contemplated kissing him more deeply, she ran her tongue across the seam of his lips. He reluctantly resisted, softly laughing.

“If you keep this up, I swear I’ll have you up in that hay loft within five seconds. I don’t think Janie would appreciate us going like rabbits in her stables.”

She smiled against his lips. “Later. You owe me,” she teased seductively.

With a peck to his cheek, she opened the car door, shut it and walked into the barn. Janie, a pixie-sized woman with red cropped hair, waved her over. Looking around, Kalli considered maybe taking a ride, but regretfully, she hadn’t thought about it when dressing in a pair of shorts. She admired the neatly kept facilities. The stable already housed around twelve horses, and it appeared as if it could easily hold twelve more.

“Janie?” Kalli asked, extending her hand.

“Kalli?” They shook hands and she quickly ushered Kalli toward Jellybean’s stall. She was a beautiful palomino American Quarter Horse, standing fourteen hands high with a small refined head and strong muscular body.

Slowly approaching her, Kalli flattened her palm, letting the horse sniff her before gently stroking her neck. “That’s a girl. Now what seems to be wrong? You a sick baby?” she crooned.

Janie shot her a broad smile. “You really are Tristan’s mate, aren’t you?”

Kalli nodded, smiling in kind. “Yes, I am. Or, I should say that I will be. Why?”

“They’re his babies too, you know. I’m glad to have you in the pack. He needs a good woman,” she offered. “And I couldn’t be happier now that we’ve got ourselves a pack veterinarian.”

“I’d love to help with them when we’re here, but I’m more of a generalist. Not a lot of expertise with these big babies, I’m afraid. But I’d be happy to check her vitals. What did Dr. Evans say?”

“He said she was doing better. She had been diagnosed with influenza. She seems all right, but I get worried, ya know. She’s been on stall rest, isolated. I figured since you were here, you could give her a looksee.”

“I’d love to. Got a stethoscope handy?” Kalli happily opened the stall and began her exam.

After checking all of Jellybean’s vitals, she was happy to report that the big girl was making a speedy recovery. Janie and Kalli talked horses for over an hour before she decided to get home. Promising to return later in the day for a ride, she took off toward the path.

Enjoying the warm afternoon, Kalli took her time on the trails, thrilled that she actually remembered her way through the forest after their run. Approaching the spring, she sat on a rock, trying to decide the best way to convince Tristan to take her with him to South Carolina. She was sure she could help him, even if she agreed to stay in the car. Perhaps if she remotely assisted via a wire, she could feed them information about location.

Deep in thought, she heard a branch snap. Her lupine senses, having returned to normal, didn’t detect any kind of animal or wolf. She sniffed into the air again, wondering if perhaps she was mistaken. The altogether familiar scent of a human wafted into her nostrils. She knew that sometimes humans came onto the compound to bring in supplies to the clubhouse or help with the horses, but was also certain that none should be in the forest.

Like a deer on alert, she stilled, scanning the trees. Seeing nothing, she decided to shift. At the very least, she’d get home more quickly. At worst, she’d outrun any human predator. Crouching down into a defensive stance, she readied to shift, calling her wolf to the surface. But as she went to lift her shirt in an effort to strip, a dark covering fell over her. Struggling to remove it, she hissed in pain. Laced in silver, she’d been effectively blinded and trapped. Strong arms wrapped around her as she fought to escape. The silver restrained her from shifting, weakening her entire body. Screaming for help and writhing, she jerked as a sharp needle pierced her thigh. Tranquilizer. Mouthing Tristan’s name in silence, she hit the forest floor, enveloped in darkness

They’d spent hours reviewing intel, including maps and names, in preparation for their attack. Logan, in charge of weapons, had worked with Declan to load the plane and procure the necessary bulletproof equipment. While Tristan normally didn’t do weapons, he was aware that Gerald liked guns. And he planned on taking him out by any means possible.

‘ Do you know where Kalli is? ’ buzzed across his cell phone screen as he finished up with the wolves. The text from Janie didn’t automatically send him into a panic, until he realized it was nearly five o’clock in the afternoon and he’d been gone for four hours.

Tapping Janie’s mobile number, he waited. “Where is she?” he barked when Janie picked up the line.