Primal Heat: Wolf Shifter Romance (Wild Lake Wolves Book 3) Page 16

  “I do.” God. Dean Stockard. My mind ticked off the limited reasons why he could be calling me personally. Had I flunked out of school? Did my tuition check bounce? Why is it so much easier to think calls like this would bring bad news?

  “Miss Winslow, we have a problem. Several, actually. I’d like to make an appointment for you to come to my office. Preferably tomorrow morning.”

  My eyes flicked to Bas, and my throat had run dry. Sensing my distress, the muscles bunched in his arms as he curled his fingers into fists. I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to punch my way out of trouble for this one.

  “I can make that work. But, Dean, I’d like to know what this is regarding so I can better prepare for this meeting.”

  He took a breath. “Miss Winslow, I’ll be frank. It’s not good news. It’s come to my attention that you might be at the root of a security breach at Congressman Foster’s office. You are interning there this summer, is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’ve just gotten off the phone with the congressman and some of what he had to stay was rather disturbing. I really don’t want to go into details over the phone, but you should know that it’s serious. Our relationship with that office is one I’m rather proud of. It’s been cultivated over decades. Our interns have gone on to some prominent positions in the legal field. It sickens me to think something could happen to taint that.”

  “Of course not.” My heart shot straight to my feet. This was Dale. I wasn’t surprised, except by the speed at which he’d put things in motion. Bas hadn’t even met with Willie Jr. yet. It meant that Kane had already gotten the message to Dale to clear out of Wild Lake. He hadn’t wasted time to try and punish me for it. If he couldn’t get to me through Bas, he’d try to hurt me any other way he could.

  “Now, if the congressman’s accusations are even partially true, I can’t expel you for that. You’re not a lawyer yet. You can’t be disbarred. But, I must tell you, this is the kind of thing that would put your ability to ever get a license in jeopardy. It’s a character and fitness issue of very large proportions. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

  “I do. And, Dean, I . . .”

  “Good. So, when we meet tomorrow, you have to know I expect thorough answers. You’ll need to account for your time and your actions. I expect you in my office by nine o’clock.”

  “Yes, sir.” My eyes locked with Bas’s. I put a hand on his forearm to steady him. I could tell he wanted to rip the phone from my ear. “I’ll be there.” Before I could say anything else, Dean Stockard hung up on me.

  “Abby, what is it?” Bas gripped my forearms and pulled me to my feet.

  “It’s starting,” I said. “Dale’s sent the first volley. I was worried he’d try to hurt me physically. But, it seems he’s trying something much worse. He’s trying to ruin me, Bas.”

  Bas let me go and paced the room, reminding me of the caged wolves I’d seen in the zoo when I was a kid. “Fucking Kane. He couldn’t just tell Dale he was banished. He had to give him details as to why. I’ll kill Dale, Abby. I’ll rip his fucking throat out.”

  “And I’d pay to watch. But I’m afraid that’s not going to help me. I think the dean has pretty much made up his mind.”

  I tried to keep it together, but when Bas turned and faced me, I fell apart. Tears streamed down my face as I realized the truth of my words. I’d been so stupid to think Bas and the pack could protect me. They could, but not from this. Everything I’d worked for may have just slipped through my fingers like grains of sand.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  It was settled. Whatever happened with Dean Stockard, I had to face it on my own. If Foster were accusing me of breaching confidentiality, my showing up with Bas or any of the other Wild Lake wolves would only prove my guilt. And I was guilty. I’d made my choice. Telling Bas the congressman’s plans for Wild Lake was always going to come back to haunt me. It didn’t make the reality of it any less awful.

  “You sure everything’s okay, honey?” Iris met my eyes in the bus’s rearview mirror. I sat as I always did in the seat directly behind her. Bas had thrown a fit when I refused his offer to use one of his cars. But, it mattered to me that I did this completely on my own. I started my legal career with no help from anyone else, I needed to end it the same way if that’s what would happen. He looked gutted when he dropped me back off at Kendra’s apartment. He’d wanted to stay, but I wouldn’t hear of that either. The longer he waited to deal with Willie Jr., the more risk to Pat and Harold. I would not let them be another casualty in this. Bas had finally relented, but not until I agreed to let Connor and Eli follow me from a respectable distance. Since Dale wasn’t part of his pack, Bas couldn’t predict his movements so easily.

  “I’m okay, Iris. It’s just been a bad day. I’ve got a few things to tie up at school, then you might not see me for a while.”

  “Hmm. Well, I don’t like the sound of that. You keep your chin up, honey. Whatever it is, trust me, things don’t always stay that bad.”

  I laughed and finished her sentence with her. “Yep. Sometimes they get worse.”

  She’d been telling me that for as long as I could remember. We smiled over it, but I knew this time, she was absolutely right.

  “You taking the number 45 home? Louann’s driving tonight. I’ll tell her to look out for you.”

  “Thanks. I don’t think I’ll be on campus all that long. Something tells me this is going to be a short meeting.”

  “Well, I’ll be back this way about eleven o’clock. You know how to find me if you need some cheering up.”

  “Thanks, Iris. I just might.” I leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek as she opened the double doors to let me out. Her eyes shone as I turned and waved. Then, I headed into the building and whatever hell Dean Stockard planned to put me through.

  It ended up being just about as bad as I thought. The dean had a scathing letter from Congressman Foster. He’d laid everything out. His suspicions about my relationship with Bas and the credible proof that I’d revealed confidential information that might put his conservation bill in jeopardy. That last part was a bit of a stretch, but it didn’t matter. Stockard bought it. But, the part that shocked me the most was the stack of affidavits Foster had attached to his statement. Grace had supplied one. Now, I could imagine she did it only to protect herself, but it still hurt.

  I explained what I could, but my defense was thin. Yes, the documents I’d copied were all on file at the county courthouse. Anyone could have gone up and viewed them. But not anyone did. Only I had. Foster had another affidavit from Kathy the clerk in case there was any doubt. Stockard wouldn’t let me read Foster’s written statement, and that was what got my blood boiling more than anything.

  “Dean Stockard, if I’m being accused of something, don’t I have the right to at least face my accuser?”

  “You’re not in court, Miss Winslow; this is a matter of your integrity. And so far, you haven’t denied anything. Did you or did you not discuss sensitive information that you gained during the course of your work for Congressman Foster with someone outside his office? And without his express permission?”

  “With all due respect, there’s more to it than that.”

  “Again, you’re not denying the core accusation, Miss Winslow. Your actions have put this program in serious jeopardy. And you’ve actually put a very important bill in jeopardy. I wish I could expel you. But, as I said, that’s not within my power.”

  “Well, I appreciate that. At least.”

  “At the very least, I’m afraid. As you’re aware, your ability to get licensed to practice law in this state upon graduation requires you to pass a character and fitness examination. That’s if you pass the bar examination. Frankly, I see no way you’ll be able to do that. The congressman has asked for a letter of reprimand be included in your file. I’m going to grant that request. Now, I have no power over them, but you need to understand that the odds of the Board of Law Examiners
ever approving you for a license are slim to none.”

  Nothing he said surprised me. From the moment I answered the phone back at the Bonner farmhouse, I knew I would end up right where I was. Still, hearing someone tell you your hard work and dreams were probably gone for good was sobering. Devastating. I wanted to be anywhere but where I was.

  “Do I have any right to appeal that decision?”

  “With the Board? Of course.”

  “No. Before that. I mean with you. Congressman Foster has caused a written statement to be placed in my file. Again, I’d like to be allowed to read it. And I also feel I should be granted permission to put a counter-statement in that file. If I’m going to be judged, I should at least be heard.”

  Stockard sat back in his chair. The fluorescent lights in his office gleamed off his bald head. He idled at dour. Today his expression was morose, with a downturned mouth and deep lines cutting across his reddened forehead.

  “I really don’t see the point.”

  He took a breath, preparing, I think, to launch into another speech about his disappointment in me. But, the landline rang in his office, making both of us jump. He held up a finger and took the call. He listened more than spoke. I heard only “thank you” and “I understand.” He put the phone down and steepled his fingers over the desk.

  “Miss Winslow, can I ask you to be patient for just a few more minutes? It appears that another letter has arrived concerning your case. There’s a courier downstairs. If you’ll wait right here, I’ll see what it’s about, and we can continue our discussion.”

  It was in me to tell him not to bother. He’d already made up his mind. But, I nodded and crossed my legs, hoping against hope that the new letter might be of help. Plus, rudeness wouldn’t improve my situation.

  The dean excused himself and stepped around his desk. He closed the door to his outer office, leaving me staring out the window to the quad. I pressed my fingers to my forehead and concentrated on slowing my breathing. I wanted to wail and rage. I wanted to throw all of his papers across the desk and kick the windows out. Everything I’d done I’d do again. For Bas. For Pat. For me. I just wished the consequences didn’t have to hurt so much.

  If Stockard and Foster got their way, I could get a law degree, but I’d never be able to practice anywhere. The walls seemed to close in around me. I’d lost my way out. At least, the one I’d built completely by myself. I loved Bas. I could spend the rest of my life with him, but without a career of my own, without something of my own, I would wither on the vine.

  I walked to the window and pressed my head against the glass. With spring classes over for more than a month, the grassy knoll was empty. Cars slowed at the stop sign. Connor and Eli’s black SUV rounded the corner. They’d been told to circle the building until they saw me come out. Their presence comforted me, but I couldn’t help also feeling trapped by it. They knew their purpose; I felt mine slipping away.

  The door to the outer office opened and closed behind me. I took a breath, steadying myself on the window ledge. I turned to face Dean Stockard one last time.

  My blood ran cold. My spine seemed to turn to liquid as I turned around. Instead of Stockard, Dale stood in the doorway, and his wolf eyes gleamed yellow and filled with bloodlust.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I dodged around the desk. Dale’s skin rippled and bunched, his urge to shift nearly crippling him as he took a step toward me. I reached out with my mind and heart, screaming silently for help.

  But, it wouldn’t matter. Dale was no more than six feet away from me. He could shift and be on me in a split second. Even Connor and Eli weren’t fast enough to get between us. And Bas. God. Bas. He was miles away with Willie Jr.

  “How did you get here?”

  It was a stupid question, but my mind raced, trying to think of something . . . anything to keep him talking. If he wanted to talk, he’d have to keep his wolf at bay. Only then might I have a chance to save my own life.

  “It won’t help you.”

  “I’m not alone, Dale. You have to know that. And you also have to know who and what I am now.”

  “Bas Lanier’s whore. That’s what I hired you for. So, in that, job well done, sweetie.”

  “I’m Bas’s mate, you asshole. And you knew the second he walked into the room with me. If you lay a finger on me, the pack will kill you. You won’t get out of Michigan; you won’t get out of this room alive.”

  Dale moved so fast. I saw only a blur, and he was on me. He grabbed me, wrenching my arm hard backward. He pressed his teeth to my neck. My flesh burned; my stomach roiled. His touch was poison to me, and my entire body tried to reject it. My pulse roared in my ears like thunder. Bas could sense me. But, he was so very far away. Still, I felt a change in the pack. Connor and Eli coming closer, running fast, but it may as well have been slow motion.

  Bas flew. I felt Alec’s pulse join with him. My own muscles twitched as I sensed their wolves spring forth. Powerful. Lethal. But filled with bleak despair. Even they knew they would be too late if Dale decided to strike.

  “Where will you go, Dale? How far do you think you’ll get?”

  “Far enough,” he hissed in my ear.

  “There won’t be anywhere far enough. He wants to rip your bowels out and make you watch.” Bas’s words filled my head. I felt Alec’s presence too, trying to calm him. Be smart. Be patient. Keep him talking.

  “Kentucky,” I said, though I felt as if Bas were speaking through me. “Mammoth Forest. The chief pack there will give you sanctuary. But you’ll only get there if I’m still alive. If you take me with you.”

  Christ! I was negotiating myself into being his hostage. But, I understood. The only weapon I had was time. The only weapon Dale had was me. Bas would never let him live if he killed me. I only prayed his life still mattered to him. What if whatever waited for him with the southern packs was worse?

  “I should have killed you straight out. I see that now. That’s where I made the mistake. I’ll give you that much credit, Abby. I misjudged you. I thought you’d be dumber than you are. Easier to manipulate. So, kudos to you. You outsmarted yourself until this very moment.”

  He shoved me hard. The force of it sent me airborne and slamming into Dean Stockard’s wall of law books. Seven thick volumes of the Northwest Reporter came crashing down on my head. Pain blossomed across my shoulder as the joint popped. The fear in my heart gave way to deadly rage. I felt Bas inside of me, taking my pain for his own. Without him, I might have passed out.

  Dale came toward me, his body crumpling and contorting, unable to control his wolf. He wasn’t done, though.

  “You win, Bas,” he said. He spoke to me, kneeling down to put himself at eye level. Cold menace widened his pupils, and his golden irises blazed hot. His fangs protruded, distorting his jaw. His words were barely intelligible, his mouth quickly losing the form to speak.

  “But I win too. You thought marking her would protect her. I waited for it. Because now, you’ll feel the pain of her loss forever.”

  Oh, God!

  Dale dropped to his hands and his wolf sprang forth, dripping saliva from his yellowed fangs. His yellow eyes went red as he arched his back and got ready to strike.

  Movement by the door as Stockard came back into the room. He screamed and pressed himself against the wall.

  “Run!”

  The voice was mine. Dale was gone; only his raging wolf remained. Once he ripped me apart, Stockard would be next.

  The door to the hallway splintered and exploded off its hinges. Through the blinding pain in my shoulder, I dove to the side. A flash of red clouded my vision as all hell broke loose.

  Bas was there. He was everywhere. Filling my head with red murder. His wolf covered me, then turned on Dale. Dale’s cold, gray wolf circled, his snout nearly touching the ground as he growled. Bas advanced, keeping his body between me and Dale’s. I crawled away. One powerful lunge and Dale could still kill me.

  Then Alec’s white wolf blazed
through the door, flanking Dale’s rear.

  Alec and Bas formed a circle of deadly menace. Dale had nowhere left to go. Alec struck first, tearing his fangs into Dale’s hindquarters. He should have dropped to the ground. But, fueled by adrenaline and the desire to kill, he stayed on his feet.

  Bas arced through the air, suspended for a moment in time. He was power, grace, and ruthless violence all at once. With a great swipe of his paw, he had Dale down on the ground. Blood sprayed from the tear in his shoulder, landing across my nose in a red arc. Then, Bas sank his fangs into Dale’s neck, tearing the jugular with one brutal bite.

  Dale’s death howl cut through me with a power to haunt me for the rest of my life. Then, his fierce golden eyes went dark, staring at hell and nothing.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Dean Stockard’s office was bathed in blood. Dale’s broken body shifted in death, caught between his wolf and the tattered man. Alec’s white wolf stood over him. But Bas shifted, rising to his full height.

  He turned to me, diving across the space between us he slid to his knees in front of me.

  “Abby?”

  I nodded but even the effort of that burned acid through my dislocated shoulder. Bas’s eyes went wide. “Hold still.”

  He moved so fast I didn’t have a chance to register his intentions or protest. He put one hand on my back, the other on my upper arm. He popped the joint back into place. One beat. Two. Then I screamed for all I was worth. But, the pain became instantly manageable.

  “I’m okay,” I gasped when I had enough breath to do so.

  Bas pulled me to him, cradling my head against his chest.

  “How?” It was all I could manage.

  “I had a hunch. I don’t know. Something didn’t seem right. You coming here felt like a trap.” As he held me against him, his eyes blazed fury as he looked at Dean Stockard.

  Stockard huddled against the wall. A dark patch spread across the front of his tan trousers. The man had pissed himself.