Page 20 of Wolf Revealed

Mike looked at her in surprise. “You know Davina?”

Lark nodded. “She’s pretty much our eyes and ears in the supernatural world.”

“Huh. Ours, too.” Mike frowned. “Though I’m kind of surprised Davina never mentioned your pack. She has to know we’d be interested in knowing about another kind of werewolf.”

Lark shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t mention our pack for the same reason she never mentioned yours to us. We aren’t a threat to each other.” She felt a smile tug at her lips. “It’s not like she randomly spills every supernatural’s secret just because she can. Davina is discreet with the information she gathers.”

“You’re right about that,” Mike said dryly.

“In the meantime, what do we do about Roman?” Lark asked.

“Find him before he finds you and Kal,” Mike said firmly.

“You really think he’ll come after them again?” Violet asked worriedly, taking a protective step closer to Lark.

“I’d bet money on it,” Mike admitted. “Not only because he still wants that damn flash drive, but also because he’s pissed at us for embarrassing him today. If it wasn’t personal before, it sure as hell is now.”

That didn’t make Lark feel any better.

“There’s no way we’ll be able to secure the house our pack has been staying in,” Jasper said from the doorway. Beyond him, Lark could still hear Kal playing his video game. “Especially with Roman now knowing we’re here in Dallas.”

Her brother wasn’t wrong there.

“What about here at the compound?” Khaki suggested. “We have several beds on the second floor next door and a kitchenette, so you can cook. Plus, the fence will help with security.”

Mike made a face. “Those cots are tiny, uncomfortable, and squeak every time you move. Plus, there’s not enough of them to accommodate everyone. We need a bigger place. Somewhere we can control access as well as we can here.”

Mike and his pack mates discussed several possibilities, including their various homes, but none of them sounded like they’d work.

“Maybe we could rent a house,” Xander said. “There has to be someplace that specifically fits our needs.”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Hale said, blue eyes thoughtful. “And I think I might have just the place in mind.”

Chapter nine

“Hale knows the people who own this place?” Lark asked, awe filling her voice as they drove through the large metal gate protecting the entrance to what could only be described as a mansion. Stonework on either side of the gate connected to the ten-foot-tall perimeter wall that appeared to surround the entire property. Beyond the gate, at the end of a long tree-lined driveway, stood a grand two-story home. “And they’re willing to let us use it for free?”

Mike took in the big picture windows, wraparound porch, and acres of property. The way the sun was starting to set behind the house only made it that much more beautiful. Eight thousand square feet with fifteen bedrooms, it was perfect for what they needed. And if it gave him a place where he might reconnect with his family, so much the better.

He glanced in the rearview mirror to see Kal looking out the windows in excitement, his head moving this way and that.

“A few months ago, Hale and his fiancée, Karissa, who works as a private security specialist, saved the life of a CEO of an automotive company,” Mike said to Lark. “The guy keeps this place to host VIPs he wants to impress. He had no problem letting Hale use it as long as he wants. Just returning the favor in his mind.”

“Wow. I feel pretty good about having a guest room at our place in Washington,” Lark said with a snort. “Must be nice to have so much money you actually have a guest mansion for when your friends and family come for a visit.”

Mike chuckled, parking in front of the house along with everyone else. Members of both their packs began to climb out of their vehicles, Violet and Jasper leading the way toward the front door. Xander followed with Khaki, Connor, Trey, Carter, and Hale.

“Do you really think we’ll be safe here?” Lark asked, looking over her shoulder at the high stone wall as they stepped out of the SUV.

“Yeah, I do. In addition to the wall that runs around the entire property, the house has a state-of-the-art security system,” Mike said, placing a gentle hand on Kal’s shoulder and nudging him toward the door. “There are cameras, motion sensors, flood lights that move based on sensors, bullet-resistant windows, and a panic room. But the best thing this place has going for it is that Roman has no clue we’re here. In fact, no one outside of Wayne Bowers and our two packs has any idea you and Kal are staying here. If we’re careful, it will stay that way. At least until we can deal with Roman and his crew of supernaturals.”

Lark nodded as she and Kal walked ahead of him into the house. Mike breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind them, feeling better having his family out of sight. Even if there was very little chance of Roman being anywhere within twenty miles of this place.

As predicted, their combined packs had no problem finding enough bedrooms for everyone. Kal led the way up to the second floor and down the hallway to where theirs were located, looking around in excitement like a kid at Christmas. The fact that all the banisters and balusters were already wrapped in lights and garland for the holidays in the two-story entryway probably had a little something to do with that.

“Once everyone gets a room and puts their stuff away, we’re having a house meeting in the living room,” Xander called out from somewhere below them. “There’ll be food.”

Kal moved a little faster at the mention of food, running the rest of the way. When he and Lark caught up, Mike saw that they had three rooms side-by-side, all located along the backside of the house. He and Lark decided Kal would take the one between theirs, but they were nearly identical anyway, each with a balcony overlooking the pool and the gardens bordering the nearby pond. Beyond that were a set of barn-shaped outbuildings, hidden several hundred yards deep within the trees. Mike assumed they were for the property’s maintenance equipment, but if so, they were the nicest barns he’d ever seen.