Finding Love Ch. 03

"If worse comes to worse..." Daylon said, then sighed. "Who are we kidding? If Sam gets pissed off enough, Dolmas will turn up dead. Might be the best possible answer. And I wouldn't have to kill him."

"I'm surprised you haven't," Rigor said.

"Well now, there's been a change in the lay of the land, hasn't there? I said I'd do my best not to kill her Dad. I think we all know that Dolmas isn't her dad, and that lets me free to kill the bastard now. That is if someone doesn't beat me to it."

Ivy returned with one change of clothes for her and her mom. "I'm ready. And what happened to Caleb?"

"Let's just say he didn't know when to shut up," Daylon said.

Holland grinned as they left the house. "Well, one good thing came out of this."

"Oh, this I got to hear," Daylon said.

"We got out of going to Lowe's."

* * * *

A groan echoed through the debris strewn room as Kern struggled to open his eyes. His mind was telling him that something was wrong, very wrong. Flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, Kern frowned, wondering why he was staring at the ceiling. He sat up slowly and rubbed his jaw, moving it around tenderly.

His stomach ached like a Dall Ram had head-butted him, his jaw felt like he'd been hit with a sledgehammer and his head was full of mushy wet cotton. Confused and more than a little dazed, Kern focused on a foot near where he sat, and trailed up the leg until the owner came into focus. Caleb opened his eyes to find Kern staring at him, completely clueless.

Kern's blank look made Caleb wonder how hard Daylon hit him. Caleb took in his brother's appearance: the bruises that were forming on his jaw, the empty look, the dried blood on the side of his mouth. Then he glanced around the room and his eyes fell on his father and reality snapped back with a ruthlessly hard hit... just like the one Daylon had thrown earlier.

"Ah hell," Caleb said. "Dad? Dad? Can you hear me?"

Caleb lurched to his feet, his head spinning for a moment. Moving carefully, he hurried to his father and slumped to his knees next to him. Blood was everywhere. All over Dolmas, the floor, and splatters of blood droplets ran in lazy paths, snaking their way down the wall. Caleb rested his finger on the pulse point on Dolmas' neck, and breathed easier when he felt the strong beat.

"Shit." Kern voice sounded odd because his jaw was so swollen. "I feel like I went ten rounds with a kick boxing champion. What happened?"

"He must have really rattled your cage," Caleb said. "The fight? Ivy attacking Dad? Mom beat to hell? Any of that ringing a bell yet?"

Anger, as swift as a rising tide, flowed over Kern's face. "Son of a bitch!"

Kern stumbled over to where Caleb sat next to their father. The gashes on his arms and face were healing, but Kern feared there would be scars. One long gash on Dolmas' cheek, from his eyebrow to his chin, looked particularly nasty. The cut was deep and splayed open, the skin curled back.

"That's gonna leave a mark."

"You think?" Caleb answered, sarcasm thick. "Jesus, he's gonna be pissed, Kern."

"The trick is to focus all that anger where it belongs, and not on us. I limped for two days the last time he tore into me. I already feel like hell, I don't need him using me as a punching bag."

A slight moan warned them that Dolmas was waking up.

"Did you know? About Mom or Ivy?"

"You're joking, right?" Kern said. "Of course I didn't know. But I bet Dad had an idea."

"They took Mom," Caleb said. "Just loaded her up like they had every right and left. That one called Sam was paying particular attention to her."

"Okay then, that's where we need to focus this old bastard's attention."

Another low groan followed a weak cough. Dolmas' eyes fluttered open. For a second his mind was a blank and he could find no reason for both his sons to be staring at him with unease chasing around in their faces. He didn't understand why he was on the floor and... his crotch was wet? Then the pain hit, wave after wave crashing down on his body as memory rushed forward.

"That little she-bitch!" Dolmas raged. "I'm going to kill her, rip her limb from limb, then I'm-"

Yeah, right, Kern thought, knowing better than to voice that opinion. That's why the front of your pants are wet. She scared the piss out of you, old man.

"Dad, listen to me," Kern said. "You got to calm down. The wounds are healing slowly, but it might be a good idea to shift to finish the healing. Try not to move around too much."

"Where's your mother?" Dolmas snarled. "Tell her to get her fat ass in here."

Both Kern and Caleb looked at each other. "Ah yeah. Um, well, you see... ah..."

"What? Damn it, Kern, stop fucking around and tell me," Dolmas said.

"Dad, she's not here."

"What the hell do you mean? Where else would she be?" Dolmas growled, confused. "What the hell happened?"

"Look, stay calm, and don't move around much, please. You're hurt and need to heal. One of the Wolfland members took her when they left."

The sound that tore out of Dolmas had both brothers crab-walking backwards. Dolmas began to transform.

"Time to go," Kern said, scrambling to his feet.

"Shit, way to break it to him easy," Caleb said as they rushed out the door.

Dolmas was in the middle of the room in wolf form. The anger that radiated off him could be felt into the other room. Snarling, shaking, the wolf attacked whatever wasn't already destroyed. His paws and teeth ripped the room apart, leaving claw marks on the floors and walls. The crunch of broken furniture drifted out to the hall. The maddened barks had Caleb edging toward the front door. In this frame of mind there was no telling what Dolmas would do to either of them.

"I say we get while the getting's good," Caleb said.

"Yeah, we'll come back in a while," Kern replied. "Maybe by then he'll be calmer."

Both of them hurried to the door as the sounds of chaos continued in the room. Kern got in the driver seat and started his truck.

"Where to?"

"The nearest bar, and step on it."

* * * *

The silence on the drive back was deafening. No one wanted to ask the obvious question that was on everyone's mind. As they entered their territory Holland finally broke the silence.

"Whose house first?"

"Mine," Daylon said. "We got things we need to clear up before I deal with Surlak."

Holland parked outside of Daylon's house and Sam carried Mary inside. "I think it would be better if Mary shifted, it'll speed up the healing process. Then we can talk."

"Fifteen minutes," Daylon said. "The longer we wait, the worse it'll be when I contact Surlak."

"Fifteen minutes sounds good," Mary said.

The men left Ivy and Mary alone in the living area. Ivy held her mom's blood stained clothes as she stripped, then transformed. Her wolf looked similar to Ivy's... small, sleek, and regal. The color was nearly the same, just a touch of gray in her coat. Mary lay down on the carpet in front of a huge old fashion brick fireplace, and rested while her injuries healed.

Sam stepped into the room and laid the clothes that were brought back for Mary over the couch. Voices floated out from the kitchen to Ivy. Listening to the deep tone of her mate, Ivy shivered. Now that her mind wasn't occupied by worry over her mother, it turned to other matters, namely the matter of Daylon being shirtless.

His chest was a roadmap of hard defined muscles and black curly hair she wanted to explore all of a sudden. Her nipples pebbled in her shirt-his shirt-and she noticed that it smelled like him, her mate. Ivy wished he'd put a shirt on for her peace of mind. She didn't need him walking around like that, distracting her. Blowing out a breath, Ivy walked into the kitchen to find everyone around the table.

"Sweetie, the clothes you grabbed are upstairs on the bed," Daylon said. "Is your mom okay?"

"Yes, she's resting. I'm going to change, maybe lay down for a moment."

"If it's okay, I'd like to sit with her," Sam said.

Ivy looked at him for a moment. "She'd like that, I think."

Sam left. Daylon stood up and moved closer to Ivy. Gently he eased her into his arms. Ivy rested her head on his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist. Rubbing his hand up and down her back, Daylon offered the comfort he knew Ivy needed. He felt her body relax into his and closed his eyes. She had been through so much, and there was no end in sight. Rigor and Holland slipped out of the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry," Ivy whispered. "Ever since you laid eyes on me it's been nonstop drama. And now-"

"Don't," Daylon murmured. "I wouldn't trade a second. We haven't had a chance to get to know each other yet, but don't doubt this, Ivy; I would do anything for you. You finally have someone who is here for you. All of us are here for you. Okay?"

"I-I don't know exactly what I feel for-"

"Sweetheart, I know you care for me. Same here. As far as the rest of it goes, don't worry about it. Things will calm down, and we'll go from there. Right now I need you to know that you can trust me to stand by you, as will my pack."

"Will they, Daylon? Once they find out about-"

"Will you trust me for now? Will you believe me that it won't change a thing? It won't, Ivy. Just like it doesn't change anything for me."

"You've shown me over and over that you will be by my side. I've never had that. That ability to depend on someone, have someone there for me. And not just you, your whole pack. God, Daylon for the first time in my life I feel... wanted."

"Oh Baby, I want you, make no mistake," Daylon whispered. "From the moment I saw you I knew that I had to find you."

"I wanted you, too. I hoped you could somehow stop the mating ceremony. I knew when we met by the pond in that dream you were my mate."

"Ah yeah, that pond. You have a thing for water, don't you?"

"Yes, I spent so much time there. It was my escape."

"Tell you what; tonight I'm going to take you to a small waterfall near the house. It has a shallow pool that is surrounded by evergreens, lush plants, and smooth rocks. It's beautiful, Ivy. It's peaceful and untouched. I'm going to make love to you there, my beauty, under the stars near the water. Short of someone declaring war on us, I promise you this."

Ivy noticed everyone left the kitchen, giving her and Daylon privacy. No one stood around, listening in or making lewd comments. Daylon smiled at her and cut his eyes toward the bedroom. Ivy blushed, his message clear. He wanted her rested up for tonight. She resisted the urge to skip to the bedroom, her happiness overflowing. She knew Daylon would keep his word, if at all possible.

Daylon watched Ivy leave and grabbed the back of the kitchen table chair, his knuckles white. Her hips swayed as she walked, and Daylon had to fight the urge to stalk after her, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her to the bedroom and... taking a deep breath he found another urge he had to deal with, the sudden lack of space in his jeans.

Damn, he wanted to toss everyone out on their ear and go make love to his mate until she couldn't see, stand, or walk. Then he wanted to do it all again. He wanted to follow her to the bedroom, pull her into bed, and stay there for the rest of the day. Rigor and Holland chose that moment to reenter the kitchen. Holland grinned at the strained look on Daylon's face.

"Not one word or I will toss your ass out the window," Daylon said.

"Hey, I wasn't going to say anything," Holland said. "But now that you brought it up I'd have to say you look a bit... strained."

"I got your strained right here," Daylon mumbled.

"Boys," Rigor said, "you both sound like you're kids again."

"I guess this is where I say 'he started it'," Daylon laughed as the tension left his shoulders, and other body parts.

"And I say 'did not'," Holland laughed.

About that time Ivy walked back into the kitchen, dressed in cut-off blue jean shorts and a v-neck shirt. She threw Daylon's t-shirt she had been wearing back to him. The sassy wink she tossed over her shoulder on the way back to the bedroom had his wolf sitting up, tail thumping on the ground, and paying attention.

It took all Daylon had not to thump his own tail on the ground. He knew without a doubt she didn't have a bra on under that shirt, and wondered what else she didn't have on under her clothes. A strangled cough warned him that his tongue was probably hanging to his knees.

"Aw damn," Holland laughed at the look on Daylon's face. "You may have finally met your match."

"Yeah." Daylon's smile was slow, sly, and full of promise.

Almost fifteen minutes on the dot, Mary walked in the kitchen. She had changed into the clothes that Ivy had left out for her. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and most of the bruising was gone, nothing left behind but a faint tinge where she had been hit. Sam was by her side.

Daylon went to check on Ivy to find her sprawled out across the bed, her beautiful red hair fanned out behind her. Daylon stood in the door, admiring her. As much as he hated to wake her, it needed to be done. As Daylon stepped toward the bed, Ivy suddenly opened her eyes and smiled at him.

Daylon felt his heart lurch. That smile was peaceful, happy, and he wanted to see that on her face every damn day for the rest of their lives. Not saying a word, he held out his hand and Ivy let him pull her up. When they returned to the kitchen both Rigor and Holland had left.

Ivy walked to her Mom. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now. I'm better, sweetie," Mary said, then sighed. "So, do you want me to start talking or ask questions?"

"It's your story, Mom," Ivy said. "You tell it."

"Okay... My father chose Dolmas as my mate. There was no attraction between us, and I didn't want to mate with him. I had vague dreams of a man, but they were never clear, and infrequent. It was like we were looking through a broken and stained mirror at each other. Not that it mattered, he chose Dolmas because he had status in the village, and my father knew he was going places, as he called it," Mary said.

"Must be something that runs in the family," Daylon said.

"That's where he got the idea from. Our pack doesn't have much use for its female members, you know that. Back then, things were worse. Unfortunately, no one showed up to save me, and Dolmas and I were mated. And the abuse started immediately. He was insanely jealous and possessive. This went on for years. I gave him two sons, both healthy boys to be proud of, and I hoped that things would get better..."

"They didn't, did they?" Daylon asked.

"No. If anything, they got worse. He accused me of the most outlandish things, then beat me for no reason. He was always careful not to leave any marks that could be seen, or hurt me to where I was unable to perform my... duties."

Sam closed his eyes for a second.

"But one night he came home smelling like another woman. How dare he accuse me of everything under the sun when he was out doing the same! I said something to him, and I shouldn't have. He went into a rage unlike any I had ever seen; I honestly thought he was going to kill me."

"How old were Kern and Caleb?" Ivy asked.

"Two and three."

"Jesus," Daylon said.

"He eventually got tired of hurting me and stumbled off the bed. I shifted and healed as best I could. The next night he... well, there's no other word for it; he raped me. Didn't matter that I could hardly walk, or still hurt. Our laws say that a woman can't be raped by her mate; she's married so it's not considered rape, it's sex."

"Dear god," Daylon said.

"Two days later I ran. I had money I kept hidden. My mother slipped it to me before we mated, and Dolmas didn't know. Yes, I left the boys there. I thought it was for the best. I had every intention of coming back for them, but I needed time, and help. I was young, and I had no idea how hopeless the situation was," Mary said.

"Where did you go?" Ivy asked.

"I asked my family for help, and they, in turn, called Dolmas and told him where to find me. I ran again. Several towns and many days later I stopped overnight to rest. And then I met someone, the man who visited my dreams."

"Me," Sam said. "We met in a small town near here. She was down to her last hundred dollars. I walked past her at a local fast food place and... knew."

"I know that feeling," Daylon said. "It knocks the breath out of you for a second."

"Exactly," Sam said, and took Mary's hand.

"The next couple of days were the best in my life. I'd found my mate, and we planned to be together even though I was mated to someone else. We were going to get my boys and run away together. Ivy, you were conceived during that time. Sam is your biological father."

"Would either of you be shocked if I said I'd figured that out already? Just seeing how the two of you are together told me all I needed to know," Ivy said. "What I really want to know about is this other form."

"Well, simply put, it's a mutated gene that runs in my family. It pops up from generation to generation. My father carried the gene, but couldn't shift into the other form. The telepathy doesn't seem to be something connected to the ability to shift. My father could communicate telepathically, as can I. But I can shift, and he can't," Sam said. "Sorry, Mary, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's okay. Anyway, everything was planned out. We were staying at a cheap motel on the outskirts of town. Sam left to buy some groceries. And then things went to hell."

"Let me guess, Dolmas found you," Daylon said.

"Yes. He busted in the motel door. He had seen Sam and me together and he used my feelings against me. The things he said to me, the names he called me, and, god, the anger. I panicked. I was scared to death the eight mercenaries' he brought with him would kill Sam. He told me I could either come home, raise his sons, or the man that just left would die. I didn't really have a choice; I left with him."

Sam shook his head at Ivy's stunned look. "Ivy, your mother was young, scared, and to be honest... she was very naive. The amount of guts it took for her to run still amazes me. Plus Dolmas is a consummate liar. She didn't know I was more than capable of taking care of myself, especially if I'm pissed. The form you shifted into is from me."

"Well, I've got a question," Daylon said. "Why did our pack not go after her? I know my dad; he would have burned that village down looking for the one you considered your mate."

"I wasn't part of your pack yet, Daylon. I had just been kicked out of mine because of my ability. Not the ability to shift, but the telepathy. They considered that more of a freakish trait than my ability to shift into two different forms," Sam laughed ruefully.

"Well, they were idiots," Daylon said.

Sam shook his head. "I could shift into a form that was wildly dangerous, and that was just fine with them. But being able to get into someone's mind? Well, that freaked them the hell out. I didn't join your pack until five years later, and by then... it was too late."

"Why was it too late," Ivy asked.

"I still worried that Sam could be hurt. But his main threat was to hurt you, sweetie. He knew you were special to me. I love my boys, but they have grown up just like their dad," Mary said.

"He must have had an idea," Daylon said. "Why else use that for a threat?"

"Because he's an all out bastard," Sam said.

"Anyway, that night I returned with Dolmas, he... claimed his marital rights. Not long after that I found out I was pregnant. I let him think you were his child, and you could have been, Ivy. Until you shifted this afternoon, I couldn't be sure. You take after my side of the family in looks. You don't look like Dolmas or Sam. Until lately Dolmas never had much to do with you. That changed as you got closer to coming of age."