Karen Whiddon - The Wolf Siren

Lilly watched, as detached as if she were separated from the others by a thick sheet of glass. Blythe, hugged Kane as if he was a long-lost brother, then her daughter, Hailey, squealed with delight as she threw herself at the tall man’s legs.

Once the greetings and hugs were finished and things quieted down, Lucas led the way into the kitchen. He waited until everyone else had disappeared inside before returning to retrieve Lilly, who still stood frozen, unable to make herself move.

“Are you coming?” he asked, the concern in his voice making her feel guilty.

Rather than answer, she shook her head, sending her long hair whipping around her. Wrapping her arms around herself, even though the movement gave her no comfort, she swallowed. “I’m not feeling well,” she told him. “I’m going to go lie down.”

His expression sharpened, letting her know he didn’t entirely buy the lie. But then, as she’d known he would, he nodded. “I’ll bring you something to eat later then, okay?”

Angry—both at herself for lacking the courage to join them and, unreasonably, at him for cutting her so much slack—she nodded. Then, without another word, she spun on her heel and marched away to her room.

Once there, she didn’t dissolve into tears and throw herself on her bed. She supposed that would have been progress, at least. Instead, she went to the small desk she’d placed in front of the window, and took a seat, gazing outside and marveling once again at how green everything was here. As she’d learned to do while trapped in a dank, basement cell, she let her mind separate from her body. She wondered if she’d ever stop wanting to curl up and die.

* * *

Following Lucas and Blythe into the kitchen, Kane fought the urge to turn back and go after Lilly. His wolf had once again reared his wild head the instant he’d inhaled Lilly’s fragile and feminine scent. On the long drive from Texas to Seattle, he’d thought about this reaction, which had stunned him the first time he’d seen her, half-dead in a concrete cell. Then, he’d wondered if it had been a fluke. Now he knew it hadn’t. The question was, what was he going to do about it?

Though she no longer looked like a broken rag-doll, Lilly was still clearly damaged. Kane would have to be careful, especially since he’d just agreed to act as her full-time bodyguard.

“Does she know why I’m here?” Kane asked, taking a seat at the oak-planked, country-style table and accepting the beer Blythe brought him.

“Just a minute.” Lucas cast a warning look at Hailey, which Blythe picked up on.

“Hailey, why don’t we watch one of your DVDs,” Blythe said, taking her daughter’s hand and leading her from the kitchen.

Kane sipped on his beer. Lucas waited until the sound of the television came on before speaking. “No. Despite therapy once a week, she spends most of her time in a state close to terrified anxiety. I thought it better if she didn’t know.” He got up, crossed to the fridge and snagged his own beer.

“About any of it?”

Lucas’s troubled expression gave Kane his answer. “I’ve been trying to shield her as best I can. She isn’t aware of the break-in attempt. I had Blythe and Hailey take her out for ice cream when the police came to make their report.”

“And you’re confident they weren’t after Hailey?”

“Yes.” Lucas clenched his jaw. “They broke in through Lilly’s window. This might have been a coincidence, except they never left her room. They tore it apart like they were looking for something.”

“You also said someone tried to abduct her?”

“Yes. Someone tried to grab her when she and Blythe were leaving therapy, but Blythe pretty much convinced her that the guy was trying to rob them.”

“How sure are you that he wasn’t?”

Dragging his hand across his chin, Lucas nodded. “First off, he didn’t try and get their purses. Second, he left Blythe alone. The SOB went right for Lilly.”

Kane nodded. Both he and Lucas had dealt with the crazy cult members who’d belonged to Sanctuary, Jacob Gideon’s pseudo-religious organization. They’d worked together, along with The Society of Pack Protectors, to take them down. In the process, they’d not only rescued Blythe and her daughter, Hailey, but they’d saved Lilly, Lucas’s sister, whom he’d believed had been murdered fifteen years earlier.

“Most of the cultists are locked up,” Kane mused. “Though we’ve been made aware of a few others who weren’t there the day the raid went down.”

“You know how determined those bastards are.” Lucas didn’t bother to hide his bitterness. “My sister suffered for years because of them.”

“I think I should take her out of here,” Kane said. “And quickly.”

Lucas stared at him in shock. Of course, Kane had known getting Lucas to accept his plan wasn’t going to be easy.

“Hear me out.”

After a moment, Lucas finally nodded. His guarded expression made it clear he wasn’t happy with the idea. “Go on.”

“You want me to keep her safe.” Kane leaned forward. “I can do that. I’m good at my job. But...”

The word hung in the air. Lucas took a long drink of his beer, waiting for his friend to finish the statement.

“She needs to go into hiding.”

“You really think you can protect her better away from here?” The low pitch of Lucas’s voice told Kane he recognized the truth, whether or not he liked it.

“Don’t you?”

Grimacing, Lucas gave a reluctant nod. “Where are you planning to take her?”

“I think it’s actually better if you don’t know.”

“Then she’s not going anywhere.” Lucas’s emphatic answer came without hesitation. “I lost her once before. I won’t do so again.”

This Kane could understand. He nodded. “Fine. I want to take her to my hometown. Leaning Tree, New York.”

From Lucas’s frown, it was clear he’d never heard of it. This was one of the reasons Kane had chosen the small town. “Is it Pack?”

“Mostly. It’s pretty remote, tucked away in the rolling Catskill Mountains. My entire family lives there—parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins.” He shrugged. “I haven’t been home in a few years. My parents own a resort—actually, it’s an old-fashioned motor court. With separate cabins. They’re pretty secluded and there’s only one road in and out. I’m thinking Lilly and I will stay there.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes. “You’ve got this all planned out, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Kane smiled and then rolled his shoulders, trying to release some of the knots he’d incurred on the long drive northwest. “I’m damn good at what I do. That’s why you called me, isn’t it?”

Instead of answering, Lucas pushed to his feet. He strode to the doorway and peered out into the den, his expression softening noticeably. “Blythe, could you come here for a minute? I need to get your opinion.”

Instantly, Blythe appeared, sweeping her silky, brownish-blond hair away from her face.

“Kane wants to take Lilly away,” Lucas said. “He feels he can keep her safer if he does.”

Blythe’s bright green gaze locked on her husband’s as they linked hands. She and Lucas appeared to communicate silently. Watching them, Kane pushed away a sharp stab of envy. Not everyone in the Pack was fortunate enough to find their mate like their wild cousins. Human Shape-shifters only mated once. Kane had been privileged to be present when Lucas and Blythe had realized they were meant for each other. Witnessing this had only increased Kane’s intense and private hunger to join with a mate of his own someday.

“How do you feel about that?” Blythe finally asked, a soft frown of worry creasing her smooth brow. Kane noted she didn’t ask whether Lucas felt Lilly would be safer somewhere else. She knew her husband well and understood how tightly Lucas wanted to hold on to the sister he’d believed to be dead fifteen years gone. Kane got this, too, but he knew what he wanted to do was ultimately the best way to keep Lilly safe.