Wolf Tracks: Tales of the Were (Grizzly Cove Book 17) Read online

  “Bears are a lot more magical than us, and we’ve always lived in Packs,” Joe said, pushing back a bit.

  Jim relented. “I hear you, but even though we won here today, evil is growing stronger and bolder all over the world. Things seem to be coming to a head, and we all have to be extra careful right now.”

  “Agreed,” Joe said, moving to intercept as Shane walked in the door.

  “Perimeter secure,” the sheriff reported, moving into the room. He glanced at the two bodies and then at the wolf slowly getting to its feet and walking out of the crate as Helen helped him.

  “If you could clean up here,” Joe suggested to the sheriff, “we’ll take Calum home to his family.”

  “The woman’s body is safe. No magic left,” Jim reported to Shane as he passed. “But be careful with the male. He might be booby-trapped or something.”

  “Understood,” Shane replied quietly, already on the radio to his deputies, speaking in codes so that anyone listening in on a police scanner wouldn’t notice anything different about this sheriff’s department from any other in the country.

  Helen and the boy in wolf form walked slowly to where Joe and Jim waited. Joe crouched down to look at the young wolf, talking quietly with the boy, even though the youngster couldn’t answer back in his present form. Helen went to stand next to Jim, and he put his arm around her shoulders. She slumped against him, and he realized she’d given the boy a lot of her energy.

  “You okay, sweetheart?” he asked gently, leaning down to nuzzle a kiss to her temple.

  “I’ll be fine. Just give me a minute, and we can head out. I suspect Calum’s going to need a little help, though. He was as close as I’ve ever seen someone to being drained dry.”

  Jim frowned and snuggled Helen closer into his side. Joe reached out for the wolf pup and gathered him into his arms. He caught Jim’s eyes and jerked his head toward the exit then walked out with Jim and Helen following behind.

  Joe carried the teen all the way to where Helen had left the rental car. He got in the backseat with Calum still in wolf form, sitting on the bench seat with his head resting on Joe’s knee. Helen took the passenger seat and immediately rested her head back with her eyes closed. Jim drove and headed back toward town. Joe gave him directions to Calum’s home.

  When they arrived, Calum’s mother and father were outside, waiting to meet them. Tears ran down the woman’s face as she saw her boy carried in Joe’s strong arms. They followed their Alpha into their home, pointing the way to Calum’s room, where Joe placed him on the bed.

  Jim had followed behind, tugging Helen along with him when she would have held back from entering a stranger’s home. Jim knew they would be welcome for Calum’s sake, and with Joe there, as Alpha, Calum’s family wouldn’t turn them away.

  They stood in the doorway of the teen’s room while Calum’s mother fussed over her child and his father talked in low tones with Joe. The man kept glancing at Jim and Helen, and Jim realized he must be asking the details of his son’s rescue. After a few minutes of this, the conversation ended, and the man came over to Jim, his hand outstretched.

  “Thank you for finding my son,” he said as Jim shook the man’s hand.

  “Jim Hanson, Helen Richards, this is Ephraim and his mate, Audrey,” Joe made the introductions. “Audrey is our Pack healer,” he added, looking at Helen. “She went to medical school, and in the human world, she’s a doctor. She’s actually the town’s only licensed General Practitioner, and her clinic is just next door,” Joe explained. “Audrey doesn’t do magical healing, but she understands the concept and will accept any further help you can give, once she settles down and reassures herself that her pup is whole and mostly undamaged.”

  “I can’t imagine what you both have been going through,” Helen said, offering sympathy to Calum’s father. He shook her hand, in turn.

  “Thank you for all you’ve done to help our son,” he said, and Helen could feel the true emotion behind the man’s words. This was a father who deeply loved his child.

  “It was our pleasure to be able to help,” Helen assured the man. “And I’ll happily do what I can to restore his energy, but he’ll definitely be able to heal on his own, with time, food and rest.”

  “That’s really good to hear,” Ephraim said, his hand over his heart, as if feeling her reassuring words very deeply. “Let’s talk in the hall for a moment while Audrey gets Calum comfortable.”

  Joe stayed behind while Helen, Jim and Ephraim moved out into the hall. Their home was built on a large scale but wasn’t ostentatious. It was just big and comfortable in a way that told Helen a lot about the couple. They were clearly doing well for themselves, but they didn’t live in a grandiose manner.

  “Audrey’s been just about going out of her mind,” Ephraim said as he closed the door to his son’s room gently. “It’s been all I could do to keep her calm and wait for news. We both searched all over town before calling for help.”

  “It was good you called when you did,” Jim said, his expression grave. “I don’t know how much Joe’s told you yet, but your son got caught in a trap set by a couple of evil mages.”

  “Joe gave me the bare bones of it, and I’m sure I’ll get all the details once things settle down, but please know that we owe you a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. You saved our son, and that means…” His voice wobbled, and he stopped talking. Helen reached out to touch Ephraim’s arm in sympathy.

  “I believe the good we do for others comes back in a multitude of ways. The good you’ve done allowed this blessing into your life,” Helen told him. “The Mother of All put us in the right place to help, and as far as I’m concerned, there is no debt. I did what I did because I serve the Light. I could do no less.”

  “You’re not what I expected of a human mage,” Ephraim told her candidly. Helen laughed.

  “We’re not all alike. Even in my family, we all have different talents and specialties. I’m one of the more docile ones since my strongest gift is healing, but some of my siblings are a bit more like the stereotype than I am.” Helen looked down, still smiling. At that moment, the door to Calum’s room opened, and Joe beckoned to Helen.

  Jim stayed with Ephraim while Helen went into the room to find the young wolf had transformed into a teenaged boy. His mother was helping him put on a T-shirt over the pajama bottoms he already wore, and then she tucked him into bed. Helen hung back with Joe while the mother fussed over her son. When it looked like she was done tucking him in, Helen walked over.

  “Is it all right with you both if we do another treatment now? It’ll help him sleep, and that will bring back even more of his energy,” Helen told Audrey.

  They agreed, and Audrey watched carefully as Helen sat on the edge of Calum’s bed and took his hand in hers. She closed her eyes and concentrated on transferring energy to the youngster, seeking out the damaged pathways in his system and curing them with an influx of healing Light energy. She let her mind wander in a sort of wordless prayer as she worked, as she often did in these kinds of situations. Helen wasn’t sure, but she thought maybe, when she healed, she was somehow channeling just a little bit of the Divine.

  She did what she could for Calum before her own strength gave out, then opened her eyes and smiled at him. He looked better to her. There was more color in his cheeks, and he had a healthier—if fatigued—look about him. She let go of his hand and tried to stand, but her knees were a bit wobbly.

  Jim was at her side in a flash, supporting her with an arm around her waist. Audrey looked worried as Jim guided her from the room, but Helen waved at her and smiled. “I’m fine. So is Calum. We just both need a little rest to restore our energy. That’s all.” Helen’s voice faded as they walked out of the room, and then, Jim surprised her by lifting her into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all.

  Helen clung to Jim, looping her hands around his neck, but she was in no danger of falling. Jim was so strong, and his steps were sure as he walked back through the
house and out to the car. Joe followed behind, shaking his head. Helen could just see the Alpha over Jim’s muscular shoulder.

  Jim paused by the passenger door of their rental vehicle for Joe to come and open the door, then he placed her into the car as gently as he could. She knew he was concerned by the hard cast to his features.

  “I’m all right,” she told him, touching his cheek as he buckled her into the passenger seat. “Just tired. I’ll be good as new in a little bit. I promise.”

  His mouth formed a tight line. “I’ll see that you keep that promise, sweetheart. We’re going back to the B&B.”

  “I’ll arrange for dinner to be delivered,” Joe added. “You just rest up now, Helen, and thanks again, for what you did for my Pack. I won’t forget your generous heart.”

  Helen felt the impact of the Alpha’s soft words. He was a good man, and she really liked the way he looked out for his Pack. They were all his extended family, in a way, and it was clear he cared for each and every one. No wonder this group was so successful. With a leader like Joe in command, caring for every soul under his protection, they couldn’t help but succeed in all they did.

  Jim drove them back through town, to the B&B. He parked out front and wouldn’t let Helen walk. Instead, he carried her again, and Felicia flung open the front door even before they got to the steps. Helen felt a bit conspicuous, but it also felt wonderful to be in Jim’s arms, no matter the circumstances. He was really pulling out all the stops in his care for her welfare and the way he looked after her touched her deeply. It felt like… Like he really cared.

  He walked right in, muttering a quick greeting and thanks to Felicia as he made for the stairs. Helen expected he’d put her down, but instead, he mounted the stairs, holding her as if she weighed nothing. He wasn’t even the tiniest bit out of breath when they got to the top. She’d known he was strong, but this was ridiculous…in the best possible way.

  Shifter strength must be even greater than Helen had thought. He turned to their door and backed up to the electronic lock. Normally, all they had to do was wave their cards the sensor and the door would unlock. Helen heard the latch pop open as Jim’s back pocket came into contact with the sensor, and he grinned at her.

  “I put the card in my back pocket.” He looked so proud of himself she had to laugh. “Always think ahead, that’s what Uncle Arch says.” He moved a little, sort of rubbing against the door, and Helen realized he was pushing the handle on the door downward with his butt. The door opened a moment later, and his grin widened. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

  “You’re quoting The A Team?” she asked, surprised.

  “I loved that show when I was a kid,” he told her.

  “When you were a…” A few explanations raced through her mind, but he was a shifter, after all. They aged differently than normal folk. “Wait a minute. Just how old are you?”

  He gave her a wolfish grin. “Older than you, baby doll, by at least a couple of decades.” He walked through the open door to her bedroom and lay her on the bed then sat on the side, looking down at her. “Does it really matter? Do you think I’m a dirty old man now? Or a cradle robber? I’ll live a few hundred years if I don’t screw up and get killed,” he said, his tone almost speculative. “I won’t look much older than I do now, for a good two centuries or so.”

  She was stunned by the concept, though she’d been learning a bit about shifters for the past few months. Ever since her distant cousin had mated a werewolf, in fact. Still, the idea of just how long they could live caught her by surprise. It had been a nebulous concept before, but now, it was real. Jim was real.

  Jim was, slowly but surely, taking little bits of her heart. She was very much afraid she was falling in love with him, but knowing how long he would live, how could such a thing work?

  “Even with all the magic in my family, the most I’ll likely get is about a hundred and fifty years, and that’s only if I’m one of the lucky ones,” she told him, her tone and expression turning serious.

  “That’s still a lot more than most non-magical folk, even in this day of modern medicine,” he offered.

  She noticed he’d avoided any talk of a possible future shared between them. She’d heard from her sister that mating with a shifter often had the effect of extending the human mate’s lifespan to match the shifter’s. Either Jim was being obtuse or evasive. She’d bet on the latter because, if there was one thing Jim was not, it was stupid.

  Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the outer door of the suite. Jim got up and went out into the main room, talking quietly with a woman. Probably Felicia, Helen thought, but she was too tired to get up and be polite at the moment. She’d given a lot of her own energy to Calum, but she wasn’t too concerned about it. She knew Jim would keep her safe.

  Even if he wouldn’t keep her forever.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jim chatted with Felicia when she delivered the bags of food Joe had ordered to be sent over from the diner. Two big shopping bags full of various things in containers that smelled really good. Jim thanked Felicia and assured her that Helen was fine, just a bit tired. Felicia left, asking him to pass on her good wishes to Helen, and he closed the door behind her.

  He knew he’d been evasive with Helen just a few minutes ago, but he honestly didn’t think she was ready to hear what he wanted to say. Increasingly, he was starting to feel incredibly possessive of her. So much so that he was seriously considering whether or not they could make a go of a more permanent relationship. Permanent, as in…forever.

  There were no half-measures with shifters when it came to mating. Either she was his forever mate or she wasn’t, but he had been having a hard time reconciling his inner wolf’s thoughts about Helen, and how awesome she was, with his human half’s confused expectations. He’d always imagined that, when he met his mate, he’d be hit by a lightning bolt of recognition and just know, right away, that she was the one.

  That hadn’t happened with Helen, though he did recall feeling an immediate attraction toward her. They’d had chemistry from the first moment they’d met, though he hadn’t really recognized it at the time. He’d been so focused on his mission and so…in denial, really…that a human could be his fated mate. How pompous he’d been in his own thoughts. What a fool he’d been. What an unmitigated ass he’d been.

  Jim could kick himself now, for wasting all that time. He should have been wooing her, and instead, he’d packed her off home with a half-assed goodbye. It had been Helen who’d listened to her instincts and come to his rescue. Helen—who didn’t have the benefit of an animal side—who had been more in touch with her intuition than he had. What a joke he was for a shifter. He hadn’t listened to the wolf who had wanted to keep her near at all times. He hadn’t understood the wolf’s desire to be with her and keep her safe. He’d been an idiot.

  And now, it was probably too late. She was clearly confused by his behavior. Hell, he was confused by his own actions toward her.

  He still didn’t understand how it could work between them. Their most recent conversation about the vast differences in their ages and life expectancies was something he didn’t know the answer to, and something that needed to be figured out if he really was going to entertain the idea of anything permanent between them.

  All he knew for now, was that he wanted to be with her. He wanted to take care of her and make sure she was safe and healthy. He wanted to protect her while she was so drained from putting herself out for others.

  She had such a generous heart. A brave heart, as well. That stunt on the beach where she’d scared off the hyena pack with a few fireworks impressed the hell out of him. He couldn’t imagine the courage it took for her to do all that. For him.

  She’d been so good to him from the moment they’d met. He’d known she was attracted to him. He was older than her. He’d been around the block more than a few times, and he wasn’t unaware when a woman found him attractive. He’d chosen to ignore it, for the most p
art. A foolish move, in retrospect. Why? Because she was human, and he’d had a mental block against getting involved romantically with humans—even magical ones.

  Stupid.

  He cursed himself as he set out the boxes and cartons of food on the table. He’d make up a plate with a little of everything and bring it in to her. Then, he’d find out what she liked best and get more of whatever it was, so she could eat and regain her strength. He was going to treat her like the queen she was and make sure she didn’t suffer for her kind act this day.

  Jim put little bits of meatloaf, mac and cheese, baked chicken over seasoned rice, turkey with stuffing, and salmon on a plate and brought it in to her. Helen was laying on the bed, in the position he’d left her in, her eyes closed. He thought she might actually be asleep, but when he drew closer, her eyes opened, and she sniffed appreciatively at the scent of the food wafting toward her.

  “That smells good,” she said, “but also confusing. I smell fish and turkey and beef?” She sat up, leaning against the headboard of her bed.

  “I brought a sampler. A little bit of everything on offer. Taste it and tell me what you want, and I’ll go get it for you from the other room. There’s also a tossed salad with tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing, some vegetable side dishes, and a selection of desserts.” He handed her the plate and watched as her eyes lit with pleasure. “Were there any green beans?” she asked as she nibbled a bit of the turkey.

  He nodded. “Green bean casserole. With the mushrooms and fried onions. There was also cranberry sauce in that bag and mashed potatoes.”

  “Like Thanksgiving dinner,” she said, grinning. “I’ll have a little of each of those, please. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and applesauce, if there’s any. Just a spoonful of each, okay?”