Rae, Beverly - Saving Mandy [Night Runner Werewolves 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Special Edition) (14 page)

Jimmy skidded to a stop outside the front door. “What the hell?”

Seeing her father, Mandy caught the edge of the door and pulled back to hide behind the wall. Her pulse raced as she pressed as close as she dared to the long, narrow window next to the door. Peeking through the curtain, she willed her pulse to slow down.

Decker and five men stood, feet apart, glaring at Michael and the rest of the Night Runners. Glen Garland stood off to one side and darted his gaze between the two groups.

“Where’s Mandy?” Decker took a step closer to Jimmy.

“She’s safe. She’s inside.”

“Tell her I’m here to take her home.”

“She’s not going anywhere.” Jimmy jerked his thumb at Glen. “Not even with you.”

Decker’s eyes changed, growing from dark to brilliant amber. “If you don’t send her out, Night Runner, then you’re going to have a problem on your hands. A big problem.”

“Good. I’m glad you know who we are. Even a scumbag like you should know who puts him facedown in the dirt.” Jimmy crossed his arms and widened his stance, mimicking the way Decker stood.

“Mandy! Mandy, girl, come out here.” Glen Garland’s voice wavered at Jimmy’s low growl. “She’s my daughter, and I have the right to talk to her.”

“You don’t deserve to be called her father.” Sara threw back her shoulders. “How anyone as nice as Mandy came from crap like you, I’ll never know.”

“We’re wasting time, Decker,” grumbled the man on Decker’s left. A long scar drew a line down the middle of his face, extending from his left forehead to the right part of his chin.

“You must be Scarface. I heard you were the best-looking one of your bunch.”

Jimmy and the rest of the pack chuckled at Nick’s joke. Scarface snarled and jumped forward, but Decker held him back.

“Wait.”

Everyone turned toward Mandy, amber eyes zeroing in on her. She swallowed, wishing she could quench the sudden dryness in her mouth.

“Mandy, honey, tell them you’re coming home with me.” Her father reached for her, but she ignored his hand, and he dropped it back to his side.

“You knew Decker, didn’t you? I remember your face when you saw him with me. Tell me. Were you part of his scheme?”

Her father opened his mouth, probably to deny her accusation, then closed it and nodded. Decker growled, sending her father scuttling farther away from the large man. He inched closer to the front porch.

“Decker came to me after I lost the money. He told me he saw you and wanted you for his wife. He promised he’d forgive my debt if I told him where to find you. Then, when you showed up here, he made me play along and let him pretend to save me from his thugs. Once you married him, he’d forget about the money I owe him. But I don’t care no more. Can you forgive me, honey?”

“You lying son of a bitch.”

“I ain’t lying.” Glen yelped at Decker’s advance and slithered behind Ranlon. “After what I seen, I cain’t let you take my little girl.”

Ranlon brushed the coward’s hands off him but allowed him to stay behind him, keeping the small man away from Decker.

“Why now? If you felt this way, why wait until now to tell me?” She wanted to believe her father. Needed to believe he wasn’t all bad.

“Mandy, don’t buy his sorry routine. The plan’s busted and now he’s trying to get on your good side.” Sara’s expression left nothing to doubt.

Disgust filled Mandy, rocking her to her core. “Sara’s right. The scheme worked. At least until today. You sold me to Decker just as sure as if he’d handed money to you.”

“No, honey. Please forgive me.” Her father stretched his bony arms toward her.

“I hope you rot in hell,
Father
.” Ice dripped from her words as she dug her hands in her jeans pocket.

“As for you, Decker. Take this and shove it up your ass.” Throwing it as hard as she could, she flung the ring box at his head. He caught it and fisted his hand over it.

“I think we’ve heard enough.” Jimmy slid his arm around her waist. “Mandy doesn’t want any part of either of you. Leave now and none of this has to go any further.”

Decker lurched toward her before she knew what was happening. Jimmy pushed her aside, and Sara grabbed her in time to keep her from falling backward. Together the two women scrambled to the side of the porch and out of the way.

Bones cracked and clothes shredded as both packs shifted. In less than a minute, twelve werewolves launched themselves at each other. Growls and snarls grew louder. Fangs and claws drew blood. Glen screamed and dashed off, running toward the back of the house. The wolves, their eyes blazing, attacked, darting in for a bite or a swipe of their large paws.

Mandy held on to Sara, whose own eyes were amber-lit, and searched for Jimmy. “Where’s Jimmy? Is he hurt?”

But she didn’t need Sara to point him out. A bellow split the air as Decker, now in the form of a huge black wolf, jumped at the golden wolf. Jimmy leapt into the air, and the two wolves rammed into each other. They dug in their fangs and, snarling their rage, fell to the ground. Decker twisted, landing on top of Jimmy, pinning him. Decker lifted his head, his jaws wide, his teeth dripping saliva. Snarling, he dug his fangs into Jimmy’s neck.

“No!” Mandy pushed Sara aside and raced down the steps. Without thinking, she flung her body at Decker.

Although the black wolf was double her size, the momentum of her body was enough to push him off Jimmy. Decker landed on his side next to her but scrambled into a crouch before she could regain her breath. Jimmy staggered to his feet, using a nearby pile of broken tree limbs to steady himself. Blood oozed from the wound in his neck. Decker growled and moved closer to her, his fangs ready for the kill.

She would’ve sworn she saw a grin on the golden wolf’s face. Seconds later, Jimmy had shifted, returning to his human form. He was unsteady on his feet and holding one hand behind his back.

“Stay away from her, you asshole.”

Decker’s head swung toward him, his eyes glittering with hatred. As the others fought around them, Decker leapt at Jimmy.

Chapter Nine

“No!” Mandy screamed, shock washing over her. The werewolves broke apart, their attention focused on her. She ran to Jimmy, falling then picking herself back up before she finally landed beside the two bodies, one man and one werewolf.

“Jimmy. Please no. Jimmy, answer me.”

Clutching the fur on Decker’s back, she yanked as hard as she could. The black werewolf slid on top of her, and she shoved him away, fearing the gaping jaws. Lifeless amber eyes stared past her. A thick tree branch protruded from the center of his chest, the fur around it soaked in blood.

“What ’cha doing, babe?” Jimmy lay on his back, grinning at her.

“Jimmy. Oh, my God.” Running her hands over his body, she searched for other injuries, but was drawn back to the gaping wound on his neck. She blinked. The wound on his neck suddenly appeared smaller, blurring as new, undamaged skin replaced the torn flesh.

“Ow. Hey, take it easy.”

She pressed a palm to his cheek then laid her head against his chest. “You’re going to be okay.”

“Sure I am. But I might need help getting back on my feet. My head’s still ringing from having two hundred pounds of werewolf flattening me like a pancake.”

“Here, bro.” Michael, human once more, stood over them, his hand outstretched. “Let’s get you inside.”

She glanced up, her face inches from Michael’s shaft.
Oh, my God.

Pulling her gaze away, she scanned the yard. The Night Runner Werewolves, back in their human forms but still naked, checked each other’s injuries. Unexpected desire raked her, wetting her between her legs.

Think. But not about that.

“Where did the rest of Decker’s men, um, pack go?” Would she ever get used to seeing gorgeous men in the buff? Forget that. Would she ever get used to seeing men turn into wolves? Nick and William waved at her then followed Sara and Max into the house.

“They hightailed it out of here once they saw that their leader was a goner.” Ranlon took Jimmy’s other arm and helped Michael lift him to his feet. “I don’t know where your father got off to. Do you want me to find him?”

“Don’t bother. If I’m lucky, I’ll never see his face again.” Her earlier disgust filled her again, wiping away any hope of having her father in her life. Glancing back at the yard, she followed the three naked men up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Their tight buttocks clenched and unclenched with their movements, renewing the heat between her legs. What was wrong with her? Jimmy had just survived a fight over her, and she was lusting after his friends? Yet hadn’t they all fought for her? She dropped her gaze and tried not to see how their long legs ran on for miles.

It’s not like I’d do anything with his friends, right? Right?

Yet she couldn’t stop her mind from drifting to the dreams. More than one man in her bed? Was there a reason her dreams always included multiple lovers? She cleared her throat and
struggled to push the image of their big shafts out of her mind.

“Put him in the guest room with me.”

Michael and Ranlon exchanged a pleased look and did as she told them. Gently, they helped Jimmy onto her bed.

“Guys, can you leave us alone?” Jimmy scooted his body to a sitting position, his back resting against the headboard.

“Sure thing. Just let us know if you need anything.” Michael shoved Ranlon out of the room. “Let’s get some clothes on, man.”

“Speak for yourself.” Ranlon pushed Michael back. “Besides, if Jimmy has his way, we’re going to be back in here before long.”

Mandy caught the look Jimmy shot Ranlon, but she waited for his friends to leave. She touched his wound, marveling at the already-healing tissue. “What was Ranlon talking about?”

“It’s what I wanted to tell you before the fight.”

One look at his serious expression sent her nerves into high gear. “I’m not going to like this part, am I?”

“I don’t know. Sara and Cally didn’t have any problems with it. But just know, nothing will ever happen if you don’t want it to.”

“I’m confused.”

He took her hand to capture it between both of his hands. “I want you, Mandy. I want you to be part of us.”

“I thought you said I already was.”

The hazel of his eyes grew brighter. “You are. But you’re not a true werewolf yet. I’m asking you to become a werewolf like me. Like the rest of us. Will you?”

His question should’ve made her run. Yet, like before, she found herself thrilled at the news. How many times had she longed for a man like Jimmy? How many times had she’d yearned to feel included in a special group?

“Before you answer, I should explain everything to you.”

“Okay.” She scooted closer to him.

“It’s not a coincidence that you came to Lost Hills.”

A sting of alarm hit her. “Please don’t tell me you tricked me like Decker did.”

“Not like that. No. But you were meant for us as I said. So that’s why we, the pack and I, sent you the dreams, Mandy.”

The dreams were real. Having six men make love to her was real. “Then everything that happened in the dreams really happened?”

He nodded, then drew her closer. “In a way, yes. We didn’t physically touch you, but it was real all the same.”

“But I don’t understand. It doesn’t bother you that your friends and I…”

“No, it doesn’t.” He drew in a long breath. “I know this is difficult to understand. Human society doesn’t work this way. But this is the way of our kind. All the members of the pack are bonded. Not just emotionally, but physically. The dreams help us to know that you’ll accept all of us.”

“So Sara and Cally had dreams, too?” No wonder Sara was so close to the men.

“Sara did. Her dream brought her to us because she’s the first female of the pack, the alpha-female. We got lucky finding Cally. She was dancing and singing at a local saloon when Max found her.”

“What does it mean that Sara’s an alpha-female?”

“It means the men are all mated to her and can share her bed at any time. Even after we find our own mate.”

“So, if I agree to be your mate, then you’ll still want to be with Sara?” Could she accept Jimmy having sex with another woman? Yet wasn’t she thinking about having sex with the rest of the men?

“Yes. But I don’t want to. Not since I found you. I don’t want any other woman. Just you.”

“What about Michael? I got the impression he and Sara were together.”

“As the alphas of the pack, they have a stronger connection.” He smiled, giving her silent comfort. “I know this is hard to wrap your brain around. But there’s more.”

“More?” Could she handle more?

“To become one of us, you’ll go through an initiation.” He pressed a finger to her lips, shutting down her question. “An initiation is like your dreams. The entire male pack will take you to bed and bring you into the pack.”

“So I turn into a werewolf by having sex with all of you?” She couldn’t help but giggle. Talk about a welcome-to-the-family party.