Isaiah's Haven

Chapter Thirteen

Meredith bent over Benjamin, checking him for about the hundredth time this morning. She stroked his fur gently, careful not to wake him. Sleep was the best thing for him right now.

“He hasn’t stirred in hours.” Neema sat in the corner, an open magazine on her lap. “Not since I took over from Michael.”

It was just past lunch and Meredith was exhausted. She hadn’t slept at all. Instead, she’d sent the rest of them to bed and gone downstairs to get everything ready for the club to open.

Michael had turned in when Neema had relieved him. The rest of them had gotten a few hours sleep and were now downstairs taking care of business.

“You should take a nap. You don’t look so hot.”

Meredith shook her head. She didn’t want to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, images of Benjamin being shot, of Isaiah walking away beat at her. She couldn’t take it.

“She’s right, Mom.”

Meredith turned to see Michael walking across the room toward her. He put his arm around her and hugged her. She felt the weight of his arm, but no warmth. She was so cold. So numb.

“I’m fine.”

Her son stared down at her, his eyes older and wiser than they’d been a day ago. She wanted to howl and cry at the knowledge that now lingered in them. But what was done was done. And it had truly only been a matter of time. Their lives were precarious at best. It was a miracle they’d gone as long as they had without detection.

“No, you’re not.” Michael caught her chin in his hand and lifted her face. Sadness filled his gaze as he stared at her. She didn’t know what he was searching for, but he didn’t seem to find it.

“Come on. I’m taking you to your apartment. If you can’t sleep, you can at least rest.” He turned to Neema. “Call me if there’s any change.”

“Will do.”

Meredith allowed Michael to lead her from the room, mostly because she was too damn tired to care. They walked across the hall in silence. He shoved open the door to her apartment and waited for her to enter.

Her gaze went straight to her window. She hadn’t changed the locks yet. She had Isaiah’s note tucked away in a drawer. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to toss it in the garbage.

Where was he now? What was he doing? Had he already left Chicago?

“Mom?” Michael stood next to her. Waiting.

“What?” She didn’t know what he wanted and was too tired to figure it out.

“I’m sorry.”

She frowned and studied her son. There were dark shadows under his eyes, but there was resolve in them. “For what?”

He gave a short bark of laughter. “For what? For questioning your leadership. For getting us into that mess last night. It was my fault. We wouldn’t have been at the park if it weren’t for me and my stupid resentment.”

“Resentment?” Meredith was lost. Reaching out, she touched Michael’s arm. “What did you resent?”

He shook his head and heaved out a sigh. “Not what. Who.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Isaiah.” He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Anyone could see the way he looked at you.” He paused. “And the way you watched him. The way he was working his way in to our lives.”

“But you’re my son.” She was bewildered. “Nothing can change how I feel about you. Or Benjamin or any of you.”

“I know that.” He raked his free hand through his short hair, making the ends stand up straight. “It’s just that you’ve never looked at a male like that before. He wasn’t just some guy. He was a powerful male werewolf. An alpha. I struck out in anger, challenging you. Thinking I could do a better job at running the pack.”

“You were afraid he’d take your place in the pack?” While she was alpha, Michael had always acted as her beta, her right hand, her second in command.

“Stupid, huh? And look where it got us. Benjamin is shot and everyone else is scared.”

Meredith grabbed his shoulders and shook him. He was larger than her, but she was still his mother. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re at the age where you want to assert yourself. That’s natural. No,” she stopped him before he could speak. “I’m not done yet.”

He subsided and she continued.

“You haven’t lived around adult males before, so you don’t know. That’s on me too.” She’d deprived her sons of so much by taking them and running from her pack.

“No.” Michael shook his head adamantly. “I haven’t missed anything. I don’t want to be a part of a pack that would force you to mate whether you wanted to or not.”

Meredith closed her eyes and gave thanks that she had such wonderful, understanding sons. She’d told them what had happened when they’d come of age and made their first change. She’d given them the option of returning to the pack, knowing their grandfather would welcome them with open arms, even as he sent assassins to kill her. Not that she’d told her sons that little detail.

But they’d both refused. Even more so when she’d told them about her former pack’s stand on half-breeds, which was that the only good half-breed was a dead one. No way were they putting their brothers and sister in danger.

“You’re a good son, Michael. A good man.” She pulled him into her arms, hugging him. His arms banded around her. “This wasn’t your fault. If it hadn’t happened this time, it would have been some other time. Bounty hunters are everywhere. We risk detection every time we go to a park and change.”

He buried his face in her neck, holding her close. “I’m sorry I was jealous of Isaiah. Sorry you felt you had to send him away.”

She pulled back. “That was my decision. Right or wrong, I made it.”

“Can you call him?”

“Why? What’s changed since last night?”

Michael rubbed his hand over his stubbled jaw. “I had a lot of time to think while I watched over Benjamin. He was willing to protect you from me. He came back to the park last night and he didn’t have to. He removed the bullet from Benjamin. But beyond that, he looked at you the same way Teague watches Neema.”

Meredith’s breath caught in her chest. She couldn’t think about that. Couldn’t think about what she’d destroyed in a moment’s anger and pain. She swayed and the edges of the room began to close around her.

“Mom?” Michael caught her in his arms and picked her up, carrying her into her room. His gaze flicked over the tangled sheets, but said nothing. He could easily smell Isaiah’s scent on them and knew she hadn’t changed them.

He laid her on the mattress, tugged off her shoes and pulled the comforter over her. “Rest. I’ll send someone up with something to eat in a few hours.”

She closed her eyes and turned her head into the pillow, breathing in Isaiah’s scent. She didn’t acknowledge when Michael left. Meredith lay there, not sleeping, but remembering the hours she and Isaiah had spent in this room. Knowing it would never happen again.

She clung to the pillow and pulled her legs toward her chest, curling up as tight as she could. But nothing could dispel the pain or fill the empty, aching hole in her heart.

Michael was worried. Not only for his brother but for his mother. She’d always seemed so strong, so confident. She was the rock on which they all leaned. Now that foundation had been shaken.

He realized just how much he depended on her. How much all of them did. It was habit, he supposed. Left over from childhood. But that didn’t make it right. It was time for him, for the other males, to step up and take more on their shoulders.

Hank had been trying to do it since he arrived. Maybe it was because he’d been older when he’d found them. An adult male who’d spent time in the human military. Only Hank had pushed to make Meredith let him take on some of her duties. And she’d let him.

That should have been a sign. But Michael, like the rest of them, had ignored it. Each comfortable in their roles. Well, no more.

He found the rest of the guys sitting at one end of the bar. They had to open on time even though none of them wanted to. Their mother was adamant about that. They could do nothing to draw suspicion to them. Not until the commotion over the killings in the park blew over.

There were two dead men, three if you counted the one in the alleyway not far from the park. Isaiah hadn’t been lying when he’d said he’d been attacked too. Hank had gone out early to get a paper and he’d also checked out the news on the local television station.

Hank’s eyes practically bored a hole in him as he sauntered over and took a seat. “How is she?”

Michael thought about how much to tell them and decided to go with total honestly. They’d never kept secrets from one another in this pack and this was no time to start. “I don’t know.”

“Fuck.” Teague tapped his fingertips on top of the bar, his entire body practically vibrating.

“That says it all.” Kevin raised his coffee mug and saluted all of them.

“We made a mistake last night.” Hank’s pale blue eyes glittered like diamonds, hard and sharp. Deadly. “We were so caught up in the challenge we forgot to be cautious. Those hunters were on us before we knew it.”

“That’s on me.” Michael sat on one of the tall stools and rested his elbows on the edge of the bar. Kevin placed a mug of coffee in front of him and absently wiped a stain off the counter with the edge of his hand.

“Shit, man, there’s enough blame to go around.” Teague swung around on his stool. “None of us were paying attention last night. Too worried about the challenge and Isaiah.”

“Yeah.” Michael dug the heels of his hands against his eyes and sighed. That was another mess he’d helped create.

“Does Meredith know where to find Isaiah?” Kevin leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “’Cause I really think we need to talk to him.”

Michael picked up his mug and sipped his coffee. It was hot and strong, exactly what he needed. “Nope.”

“Shit.” Teague echoed his earlier sentiment.

“That about sums it up,” Hank added. “Everything is a mess.” He faced Michael. “So what are we going to do about it?”

They all looked to him. Michael straightened on the stool and shoved his coffee mug aside. He wouldn’t let his mother down. Not this time. “We watch and we wait. We don’t do anything to bring attention our way.”

“What about Isaiah?” Kevin asked.

Michael shrugged. Wasn’t much any of them could do. They’d been so busy trying to get rid of him they’d never taken the time to learn much of anything about him. “Don’t know. Maybe he’ll come back. Maybe he won’t. Either way, it’s not our call.”

Hank frowned, not looking pleased, but he nodded his agreement.

Teague nodded and slid off his stool. “I’m gonna go up and sit with Neema for a bit, help her watch Benjamin.”

They all watched him leave, not blaming him for not wanting his mate out of his sight.

Kevin picked up his half-full mug and headed toward the office. “I have some suppliers I need to deal with. You guys can open the club. I already called in the rest of the staff to cover the kitchen and waitressing duties for the day shift. It will be just family for the evening shift. Everyone should catch an extra few hours of sleep this afternoon.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but hurried off to take care of business.

Michael and Hank shared a look when they were alone in the bar. They would protect the rest of the family from whatever threat came their way.

A knock came on the front door. Hank stood and managed a friendly gesture as Tammy waved enthusiastically at him through the glass. “I’ll get the staff started and take the first watch. I’ll send someone up to wake you in a few hours. Get some rest.”

Michael nodded and Hank went to unlock the door. It was time to start their day.

Macmillan was watching Riley’s Garage when his phone rang. He welcomed the distraction. This was one hell of a boring job. After the depletion of his men last night, there was no one else to put on the job until reinforcements arrived. Mitch and his guys were working on a more important job for him.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Mitch began.

“Tell me something to make me happy.” Macmillan shifted in the front seat of his truck, ignoring the cramp in his leg.

“Bob got up on the roof of the building next door and managed to get a look in one of the windows. He saw an injured wolf lying on a bed. There was a female sitting next to him, keeping watch. And that’s not all.”

“Go on,” Macmillan prompted.

“He saw another guy carrying trash out to the dumpster behind the building. Said he was a redhead with tats and piercings. Moved real smooth. Like a werewolf.”

“I’ve never heard of a redheaded werewolf.”

“Could be a half-breed,” Mitch speculated. “Bob’s convinced he could be one of them. Said he prowled around the alley and sniffed the air before going back inside.”

“Damn.” This was gold. He hated the half-breeds even more then the pure werewolves. After all, some human man or woman had mated with one of those mutants. The products of such unnatural unions needed to be killed on principle alone. Macmillan thought for a moment and then smiled. He couldn’t afford to waste any more men. Maybe there was a way to get rid of the werewolves who’d taken out his men and a few more besides.

“You gotta pen?” he asked Mitch.

There was the sound of rustling and then Mitch was back. “Go.”

“Here’s what I want you to do.” After he finished his instructions, he disconnected and placed another call.

“Quinn.”

“It’s me. I’ve got a job for you.”

Isaiah dumped his duffle bag on the bare mattress. The room was sparse, but clean. It wasn’t really an apartment. More like a living space.

A small kitchen area was comprised of a sink, hot plate and miniscule refrigerator. The pitted blue countertop was about three feet long and there were two upper and lower cabinets.

A battered sofa, a desk and a tiny table with two chairs that had seen better days furnished the place.

A closet and a basic bathroom with toilet, sink and shower completed the space. The walls and the cabinets were painted dull beige and the floors were scuffed planks.

The best thing about the efficiency apartment was the window that gave him a view of the street, of Haven.

It was everything he needed.

He went to the window and stared at the building across the way. His hand flattened against the glass. Meredith was only yards away, but she might as well be a million miles.

Sighing, he turned and surveyed his new home. His landlady had taken cash for the first and last months’ rent and assured him he could pay her in cash every month if he chose. It was perfect for him.

As much as he wanted to crash for a few hours, he needed supplies. Food and some basic bedding at the very least. He glanced out the window again, seeing movement at Haven.

Tammy was banging on the front door. Moments later, Hank let her in, his gaze wandering up and down the street before he shut the door. Good, they were on alert at least.

He tore his gaze away from the window once again and strode to the bed. He unzipped his duffle bag and drew out a long, thin case from the bottom. He set it on the mattress and opened the latch. A rifle sat waiting for him. He had enough ammunition for now. What he shot at, he hit. It wasn’t his preferred way to fight, but he’d do whatever he had to do to protect Meredith. Closing and latching the case, he took it to the closet and stored it on the top shelf.

He paused, closed his eyes and let his head fall back on his neck. He was so damn tired. Exhaustion tugged at him, urging him to curl up on the mattress for a few hours. “Soon,” he promised himself.

Working his eyes open, he went into the bathroom and turned on the cold tap, flicking water on his face to try to wake himself up. He grabbed the tail of his T-shirt and rubbed it over his face. He peered at himself in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot. His face was grim.

There was little he could do about how he looked. “Get on with it,” he growled at his reflection. He turned off the tap and headed for the door. He’d get enough supplies to get him through a couple of days. Then he’d come back and catch a few hours sleep.

Bending down, he checked the knife in his boot. The deadly blade was coated in silver, so it worked well on werewolves and hunters alike. He wasn’t taking any chances. Not with Meredith’s safety.

Grabbing a flannel shirt from his duffle, he slipped it on and left his new home, locking up behind him. His first stop would be a hardware store to pick up a new lock. He wasn’t taking a chance that anyone else had a key.

His sneakers made little sound on the treads of the narrow staircase. The entrance to the upper floors was around the back of the building, which suited him just fine. There was also access with another staircase at the front of the building, but the back worked better for him. Less chance of Meredith or any of her pack catching sight of him.

Not that he expected that to last. After all, he was living here now. They were bound to run into one another eventually. His gut clenched and a muscle beneath his left eye began to pulse. He’d deal with that when he had to.

For now, he had things to do and places to go. The quicker he got the necessary chores out of the way, the faster he’d be back to start his surveillance of the club for the evening.

He pushed open the back door and listened. He inhaled, ignoring the stench from a nearby dumpster and the mixture of gas and pollution in the air. He heard nothing out of the ordinary, nor could he smell anyone. He stepped out and glanced around, scanning high and low.

Satisfied he wasn’t being watched, he headed toward the street. He turned left and started walking, making a mental list of everything he needed.

His thoughts drifted to Meredith and he swore under his breath. A sense of urgency tugged at him. He didn’t want to leave her, even for a few hours.

She was safe. For now. He had to believe that. She was surrounded by her pack and they were all on high alert. The bounty hunters would need time to regroup. She was in no danger, not until nightfall.

Still, that niggling sense that something was wrong wouldn’t leave him. “There is no other danger,” he assured himself. He dragged his hand through his hair and took a deep breath when he noticed several people looking oddly at him.

Talking to himself in public was not the way to stay unnoticed.

He noticed a thrift store on a side street. They would have blankets and sheets and maybe some basic kitchen stuff. He’d get whatever he could there. He could dump it back at his place and then go searching for a grocery store. There had to be something close by. Even a convenience store would do. He wasn’t picky.

But there was no way he could leave the neighborhood. His instincts were screaming at him to stay close. So close he would stay.

There was always takeout and restaurants for food, and if the thrift shop didn’t have what he needed, he’d sleep on the bare mattress.

Hell, he’d slept on the ground before. No big deal. He could always shift and curl up if had to. His wolf certainly wouldn’t care.

Decision made, Isaiah relaxed slightly, but still stayed on alert as he pulled open the door of the thrift shop and stepped inside.

Meredith cried out. The sound woke her and she wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to shake off the remnants of her dream. It vibrated through her like a never-ending ache. Loneliness filled her, reminding her of all she’d lost.

She rolled over and glanced at the clock on her bedside table, surprised to see that five hours had passed. In spite of all the thoughts she had running through her brain, she’d eventually drifted off to sleep.

But Isaiah had followed her there, finding his way into her dreams.

It had started out so good. She’d been lying in bed trying to sleep, and he’d come to her. It had never occurred to her to question why he was here or why he was naked. She’d reveled in the sight of his wide shoulders, massive biceps, ripped abs and muscular thighs. He’d been aroused. His penis stood tall and proud, the tip red and wet as he moved toward her.

He belonged with her. She’d pushed back the covers to reveal her nude body, inviting him into her bed. He’d smiled at her then, a roguish smile filled with sensual promise. She knew he could smell her essence. She was wet between her thighs, ready to take him. There was no disguising her puckered nipples or the way her breasts swayed with each deep breath she took.

She shivered at the memory.

He’d devoured her with his eyes before kneeling on the bed and starting with his hands and mouth. He’d touched and licked and tasted every inch of her skin from the sensitive curve of her neck to the tips of her toes.

The look in his eyes had aroused and frightened her at the same time. This was a male who wouldn’t be denied.

And she didn’t want to.

She wanted to give him everything. Share every aspect of herself.

“Roll over.” His deep voice had washed over her. His command demanding her compliance.

She’d rolled over on her hands and knees. She known what was coming, had wanted him to claim her, to mate with her.

Meredith had waited, breath held, needing to feel his large body covering hers.

Nothing but cool air had hit her skin.

She peered over her shoulder only to see him fading into the shadows.

“You sent me away. You sent me away.” His voice had become little more than a whisper until it disappeared totally.

She’d cried out and the sound had pulled her out of sleep.

She lay on the bed shivering, not with cold, but with barely suppressed desire. She didn’t want to move. Her breasts ached and her sex throbbed, empty and aching.

She could easily have stayed in bed forever. Being surrounded by Isaiah’s scent was almost as good as being held in his arms. But he wasn’t here, his smell would eventually fade from the sheets and she had a family to protect.

Sighing, she shoved the comforter down and sat up. She felt groggy and it was difficult to string a coherent thought together. Her mouth was dry and she felt sticky and uncomfortable.

She’d slept in her clothes. How grungy was that?

Sliding her legs over the side of the mattress, she paused and took a moment to collect herself. No one had come looking for her. That was a good sign. Benjamin must be resting and there had been no further threats to the security of the pack, at least for the moment. Still, she had to know.

It took more effort than she’d thought to stand, but once she was on her feet she went straight to the kitchen and grabbed the phone. She had no idea where her cell phone was and didn’t want to take the time to search for it. The phone rang twice before it was answered.

“Haven.” Michael’s voice came clearly over the line.

She tried to swallow and realized too late that she should have had a glass of water first. “Hey, honey.” She cleared her throat and kept going. “How is Benjamin?”

“He’s still sleeping. Everything is fine. Give me a sec.” She heard him call out to Kevin and then the sounds of the club receded. The sound of footsteps echoed through the receiver. She turned toward her front door just as it opened and Michael walked in.

Meredith clicked her phone off and put it back in the stand. Michael tucked his phone into his back pocket and kept coming until she was enfolded in his arms.

“Did you sleep at all?” His voice was gruff with concern.

She pulled back so she could see him clearly. “I didn’t expect to, but I did. Thank you.”

He shook his head, a pained look in his eyes. “Don’t thank me. It’s no more than I should have done.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and continued. “We called in the human staff to work the day shift. Hank and I took turns keeping an eye on things while everyone else rested. We figured it was better if only family worked tonight. Just in case.”

He didn’t need to finish that statement. They were all expecting trouble of some kind, sooner rather than later.

Meredith stifled a yawn. She really needed a cool shower to throw off the remnants of her nap, and her erotic dream. “Good thinking.”

Michael smiled at her, reached out and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. “Why don’t you shower and come downstairs. Teague has a pot of chicken soup on the stove waiting for you.”

In spite of his rough appearance, Teague was a wizard in the kitchen. And his chicken soup was her favorite. “I think I’d like that.”

Her son leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Good.”

“I’ll check on Benjamin first.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Michael kissed her again. “We’ve got it covered downstairs until you get there.”

He left her standing in her kitchen, slightly bemused. There was a change in her son, a new maturity that hadn’t been there before. Maybe something good had come out of this mess.

And maybe it was her fault he hadn’t matured as quickly as he possibly should have. She’d been guilty of overprotecting all of them.

“What’s done is done.” She headed toward the shower, tugging off clothing as she went.