Tooth and Claw (Kootenai Pack Book 1) Page 7

  I moved further into the kitchen, my path was blocked by Mama Biel, who appeared to be stirring batter of some sort. The Alpha female had never been warm to me. She preferred the company of other dominant she-wolves. My mother had been in her generation, and despite the apathy Mama Biel had shown her all their lives, my mother would do anything she could to win the female’s approval.

  The wolf in me wanted to turn back and run to the safety of her mate. The dud in me had a singular focus this morning and nothing would deter her. I continued walking, keeping my posture casual. Act like you belong and all that. I was past the fridge and on my way past the microwave when Mama Biel deigned to notice me.

  Her topaz eyes stared me down, like my mother, she’d aged a lot since I’d last been scrutinized by her. I stared right back. Mama Biel continued to stir the batter looking down at me. She was taller than me by several inches. Her tawny hair curled around her head like the mane of a lion. But she wasn’t a lion, she was all wolf. I’d seen her wolf form only once in my youth. I’d thought it was a bear at first because of the coloring. I’d never confuse her for a bear now, after having spent the past decade running with an actual grizzly.

  I continued to meet her eyes as I moved around her so close to reaching the phone.

  “Who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?” she finally asked. Her voice was cold, but full of power. My wolf whined; it didn’t like being on the bad side of the wolf in front of her.

  “You know who I am,” I said boldly, her eyes widened, and her pupils twitched in anger, “I’m in your kitchen to call a ride home. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

  I turned my back on her and finally reached the phone. It was an old wall phone with a curly cord. I pressed the buttons dialing the number for the Tooth and Claw. If Evan was awake, he’d answer, if he wasn’t, I’d leave a message.

  After seven rings, “Tooth and Claw,” Evan’s gruff voice half asleep rumbled into my ear and I sighed with relief.

  “Evan, it’s me,” I said. I knew full well all the wolves in the kitchen could hear every word of the conversation.

  “Lee, what happened?” Evan was awake now, “Are you ok? Where are you?”

  “It’s a long story, I’m fine, I can’t tell you where I am,” I said answering all his questions.

  “Lee,” he growled, “Tell me where you are, I’ll come get you. We have security footage of the kidnapping. Don’t try to pretend you wanted to go with them.”

  “Did you call the sheriff?”

  “Yup, he’s running the plates as we speak,” Evan rumbled, “He’s supposed to call me any minute with an update. You could save me a lot of grief and just tell me where you are.”

  “How’s my arm?”

  “Lee,” Evan cautioned.

  “Please tell me it’s ok.”

  Evan’s sigh told me all I needed to hear, “How bad is it?”

  “Irreparable,” he whispered, “I’m so sorry Lee.”

  My breath caught in my throat, “Louie’s going to be so pissed.”

  “Lee,” Evan said, “When are you coming home?”

  “I’m working on it,” I promised.

  “Should I tell the sheriff to stop looking for you?” Evan asked. His tone was serious. He knew this was shifter business.

  I sighed and stared at the ceiling. I should tell him to have the sheriff stop. But I could use it as leverage to get home, “Let me think about it. If I don’t call you later today, have the sheriff rain down hell on the son of a bitch.”

  I heard a low growl over the phone and in the room with me. Mama Biel just heard me call her son a son of a bitch. It was true, in so many ways.

  “I love you Lee,” Evan told me, “You come back to me, ok?”

  “I love you too Ev,” I said, and I meant it he was my best friend, he was my partner and roommate, “A pack of wolves won’t keep me away.”

  I hung up the phone and leaned my forehead on the wall.

  23

  10 years earlier

  Four interviews, four awkward fumbling handshakes, four ‘we’ll call you’s.’ I had no more applications out. I sat in my car at the Pump and Grub staring at my car ceiling after yet another failed interview. What was I going to do for money? Tears flowed freely down my face. I wasn’t good enough to sweep the floors of a gas station.

  I heard a rap on my car window and looked over to the face of an old man leaning down looking into my window. He made the motions of rolling down a window. My car was an old junker that didn’t have working windows. I cracked the door and stepped outside of it.

  “I’ll be right out,” I said, figuring he wanted the parking spot. The man’s eyes flew down to the stump, just as every other person I’d met that day. I felt a new wave of frustrated tears ready to burst out. My hands-hand flew to my face as I tried to wipe them away before they came down over me.

  “Nigel said you’re looking for work,” the old man said matter of factly.

  I dropped my hand and looked at him confused. I nodded.

  “You got a valid social security number and driver's license?” he asked next.

  I nodded again.

  “You’re hired,” he said sticking out his left hand for me to shake. I accepted it feeling a bubble of hope start in me, “I own the Tooth and Claw pub down the street. I need a new barback, you’ll do just fine.”

  “Than..Thank you,” I stuttered out, “I won’t let you down.”

  He winked at me, “I’m Earl Easterling.”

  “Aster Fields,” I said, “Please call me Lee.”

  Earl smiled at me, “Welcome to the family, Lee.”

  24

  Present day

  Mama Biel was waiting for me when I rounded the corner back into the kitchen, “What’s this about a sheriff?”

  I looked at Owen, who wouldn’t meet my eyes and turned my attention back to Biel, “I was kidnapped from my pub yesterday morning. The whole thing was caught on CCTV and local law enforcement is looking for me.”

  “Call them back and call them off,” Mama Biel’s voice dripped with Alpha power. My wolf shrank inside of me begging me to do as she says.

  I shook my head, “I could, but it won’t matter. Sheriff Lark’s father is a close personal friend of mine. I’m afraid a phone call won’t stop them from coming after me.”

  “Call them off.”

  “Send me home,” I said with as much power as I could manage, I stared straight into her eyes, “I was taken across state lines. Don’t think for a second Sheriff Lark won’t call in the Feds. He’s always fancied himself in the big leagues.”

  “Why aren’t you obeying me?” she snarled, she whipped her head to the wolves watching the show, “Who is this and what is she doing in my house?”

  “That’s Aster Fields,” Owen said sinking into his chair.

  “The dud?” a wolf I didn’t recognize asked, “That can’t be Aster. She was....” whatever he was going to say was cut off by Kyla’s elbow flying into his ribs.

  “Kendrick’s claimed Aster as his mate,” Kyla hissed to the wolf she’d just elbowed, “Don’t insult her.”

  Mama Biel whipped her head back to me, “Mate?” she dropped the bowl of batter she’d been beating to a pulp, “You can’t be my son’s mate.”

  “I happen to agree with you,” I said, “Now if you’ll just direct someone to take me home I’ll be out of your hair for good this time.”

  Mama Biel was not paying attention to what I said. She was shaken by the revelation, muttering incoherently to herself, before she backed out of the kitchen completely. I groaned. I’d hoped she’d send me home. My feet were covered in pancake batter now. Great.

  “Well,” I said turning to Emily, “Did your mate tell you that his little errand could end with him in a human prison for 20 years or is my forced vacation a fun surprise for all the women of the pack?”

  Emily didn’t respond but the twitch of her jaw and the glare she sent his way told me all I needed to know.

>   “This could all go away if someone just brings me home,” I reminded them. My stomach rumbled I was hungry again. Shifting always left me starving. Mama Biel had been in the midst of preparing what looked like pancakes and eggs when I so rudely interrupted. I turned my attention to what she’d laid out. I could do this. When Evan had bear duties, I covered the grill. Even before the bionic arm I helped out in the kitchen, I just wasn’t great with knives.

  I set to cooking. The wolves hadn’t moved from their seats. They watched me curiously. I set out pieces of bacon, letting the grease get into the pancakes as they cooked. I partitioned off a corner of the griddle for eggs and another for the hash browns. Potatoes went on the griddle first, they’d take the longest, I added the bacon next. While they started, I whisked pancake batter in a new bowl and ladled it out over the already hot griddle. The eggs weren’t going to be anything fancy, but they’d be serviceable.

  I pulled down a stack of plates and dished myself up first. I ate from the plate as the next set of pancakes cooked, “What kind of eggs do you want, Kyla?”

  “Uh...me?” she asked surprised.

  I looked over my shoulder, “Is there another Kyla in the room?”

  “Uh...whatever’s fine, I’m not picky,” she said shyly. Her face was red, and the other wolves were looking at her like she’d grown another head. I dished up another plate for her and set it in front of her.

  I looked down the row and stared at the male wolf who’d been elbowed by Kyla earlier, “What kind of eggs do you want?”

  His eyes widened and he looked over at Owen for what seemed like permission. Owen was focused on Emily who was glaring him down.

  “Do you want eggs?” I asked again, he looked back over at Owen who still wasn’t paying attention.

  “Marcus,” Kyla said with a nudge, “Tell Kendrick’s mate if you want eggs.”

  He nodded, “Yes please, scrambled is fine.”

  I cracked two eggs over the griddle top and scrambled them. I dished him up a short stack and his eggs and set it in front of him. He looked panicked.

  “Eat,” I instructed, “Cold eggs are gross eggs.”

  He took a careful bite under my watchful eye and his eyes rolled back into his head. Suspicions confirmed. He was one of the weakest pack members, he’d probably never had warm eggs.

  Kyla was still working on her plate. I scooped up another set of bacon onto my own plate. I was cooking, I could be greedy with the protein.

  I continued cooking as the morning went on. I served the wolves I perceived to be weaker first, much to the surprise of those wolves, and the annoyance of the ones I’d made wait. I served Emily before Owen. They both looked at the plate like they expected poison in it. I ignored them and went back to work. I needed to be busy. It kept my wolf from running off to murder something, or worse, back upstairs and to cuddle with Kendrick.

  I sensed him wake up and run downstairs. The pull to him was stronger when he was awake. I ignored it. I continued cooking. I’d served breakfast to close to thirty wolves by this point. I’d been at it for hours. Most were young ones; they’d been barely older than babies the last time I’d seen them and now they were pack members. No one recognized me or the ones that did kept their mouths shut.

  “He’s heeeerrreee,” I sang to myself feeling the energy of Kendrick burst into the room. I turned away from the door and watched the pancakes bubble. Almost ready to flip.

  25 10 years earlier

  “If you can make your breakfast, you can do anything,” Earl was behind me having me practice cracking eggs one handed. It was a skill I’d tried occasionally back home, but I’d never perfected it, even with my good hand. Now I was trying to crack an egg, using my bad hand. Well, not bad hand anymore. I had to be a lefty now.

  Earl was patient with me. I’d been sleeping in his guest room for two months now. Each day he had me learn a new skill. We started small, opening and closing doors, pouring a gallon of milk, and sweeping. We’d progressed to more difficult things, buttons, opening bottles, writing. and now, cooking.

  I would be starting classes at the college next week and Earl wanted me confident. In my private moments, I was terrified. Lucky for me, Earl kept me busy between work and skills. I didn’t have many private moments.

  I lifted the egg from the carton and rotated it in my hand until it was in position. I took a deep breath and cracked it. Egg shell went everywhere. Egg whites splattered into the hot fry pan with a sizzle.

  “Crap,” I cursed walking over to the sink and turning it on washing the broken yolk from my hand, “I’m sorry, Earl.”

  “Take your time, Lee,” he said, “Eggs are a dollar a dozen, you have eleven more to try.”

  I looked back at him, “Thanks Earl.”

  26

  Present day

  I felt him come up behind me. I pretended to be focused on the pancakes, I needed to flip them at just the right time, or they wouldn’t be fluffy. Kendrick’s hands were on my hips and he pressed close behind me. I heard him inhale and his chest relaxed into my back.

  “Get off me,” I snarled in a low voice. There were too many pack members around for me to start a proper fight.

  “You’re still here,” he murmured low into my neck, pressing his lips gently along my neck, “I figured you’d have left by now. I admit I’m a little disappointed, my wolf was looking forward to chasing you.”

  “Get off me,” I snarled a little louder this time. I flipped a pancake, then another.

  “My mate cooking for my pack,” he whispered, continuing his exploration of my neck and shoulders, “like a proper alpha female. You should see the texts I’ve been getting about you.”

  “I’m not your mate,” I snarled, even louder still. I cracked another egg letting it start to cook, sunny side up this time, for Beta Lorde, Jackson’s father. Jackson Lorde hadn’t shown his face yet, but I’d wager he’d show up eventually. Jackson wouldn’t be able to resist once he heard the dud was back, and in the alpha house. I picked up the spatula and flipped the next batch of pancakes.

  Kendrick’s grip tightened on my hips and his mouth stilled. I elbowed his side forcing him to take a step back. I dished up Beta Lorde’s food and slid it across the island. He nodded to me and started to eat.

  “Kendrick,” Beta Lorde said nodding his head to the wolf at my side, “This your mate?”

  He said yes as I said no.

  Lorde’s eyebrow raised and he took a bite of the stack of pancakes on his plate, “You better hope she turns that no into a yes, boy.”

  “Why is that, Lorde?” I asked leaning over the island looking deep into his brown eyes. His gaze flicked from my face to my stump over to Kendrick before falling back to me. His eyes move with a quick efficiency just like he did.

  “‘Cause his daddy’s dyin’” Lorde said, his southern drawl slipping into his speech, “And he can’t take over without a mate.”

  I nodded thoughtfully. It was all becoming so clear now. I left the spatula on the island and walked out of the kitchen. Bacon still sizzling on the grill. I walked through the living room which was packed with the pack members I’d already fed this morning. They were milling about and talking to each other. Their conversations stopped when I entered the room. I kept walking through until I reached the foyer.

  Mama Biel was sitting on the bench putting on a pair of boots.

  “Are you taking me home?” I asked her, “Or will the feds?”

  She looked up at me, her topaz eyes seemed to have aged another five years since this morning, “Are you my son’s mate?”

  I shook my head, “I’m a dud, no mate has claimed me.”

  “That is not what Kendrick says,” Mama Biel said, “He tried to claim you after his first shift.”

  “He...he did?”

  Mama Biel stood up now, she was so much taller than me especially now wearing thick snow boot while I remained bare foot. She glared down at me her topaz eyes sparkled as the sunlight danced through the glass door,
“But my mate wouldn’t let him,” Mama Biel said, her words were explanatory, but her tone was threatening, “You were too young, too weak, too dumb. Never got stronger. It also seems you never got smarter.”

  Her arms flew out and pinned me to the far wall, “Let go of me,” I snarled meeting her gaze, I tried to kick up my legs, but she held them in place with her knees. I tried to squirm out of her grasp, but she held me firm with her hands. She wasn’t even trying to keep me pinned.

  “Mom, let her go!” Kendrick called from behind Mama Biel.

  “Your father wants to see her,” Mama Biel snarled not looking away from me and my pathetic attempts to get out of her hold. She was holding me so easily, like I was nothing. She dug her fingernails into my biceps and lifted me into the air with ease. I wriggled attempting to get free of her grasp. My kicks did nothing but irritate the massive woman. She threw me to the ground skidding toward the stairs. I scrambled to my feet and bolted at a sprint toward the kitchen, there were weapons there, and a back door.

  Mama Biel and Kendrick were chasing me now, my feet slide against the hardwood floors and then the tile when I reached the kitchen. I grasped at the knife block pulling out a blade and kept running. Outside. There was a small concrete paddock for the dumpsters just behind the building. From there, it was all forests. Where could I go? I was rapidly losing my head start; I ran towards the trees.