by Jami Gray
He held her, saying nothing, but let her explore their connection for answers.
Frustration, anger, need, want, and through them all the cutting edge of fear that she would leave. That she would run and not come back. Neither wolf nor man wanted to take the chance of her leaving when they just managed to get her back. Using his power as alpha to stop her was instinctive. She wasn’t able to tell if it was his decision or his wolf’s, or both together. However, it didn’t matter who made the decision, only that it had been made.
“Never again.” She ignored the lump in her throat as she tried to untangle herself from his part of the bond. She met his wary gaze, letting him see that this was a line he would never again cross. “Swear it.”
They watched each other, ignoring the audience staring at them from the front door. Emotions flitted over his face as he struggled, wrestling with his need to keep her safe at any cost and her demand. Finally, he gave her a solemn nod. “I swear, Xander. Never again.”
She blinked back tears, refusing to allow them to fall. “Get off. You’re heavy.”
Instead of obeying, his body settled closer, blanketing hers. He dropped his head until it rested against a throw pillow, burying his face against her. His warm breath whispered across her neck. She felt the gentle press of his lips against her pulse then heard his muffled, “No.”
“No?”
“No, not moving just yet.” He released her wrists and wrapped his arms under and around her, holding her tight.
“I hate to break up this Hallmark moment,” Ryuu’s voice cut in, “but we have a mess in aisles three and five to clean up.”
Warrick’s long exhalation sent goose bumps racing down her spine. Tension tightened his body as he slowly released her. He rolled to his feet with lithe grace then held his hand out to her.
She thought about ignoring it but after sneaking a peek at his face, decided against it. Once on her feet, she tugged her hand from his. One of the things she honed through the years was her ability to compartmentalize her emotions, but right now, it was a struggle. Between her and Warrick, the stupid bond was a tangle of frustration, anger, worry, resentment, and helplessness.
He shot her an unreadable look before turning to face his Second and the two wolves with him. “Where’s Sebastian?”
“Still cleaning up Neil’s mess,” Ryuu answered. “I brought Saul and Zeke.”
Xander moved out from behind Warrick. “Hey, guys,” she greeted casually, pretending nothing unusual had happened.
“Evening, Xander,” Saul said, his gritty voice a great addition to his stout frame. An older wolf, he helped train the younger ones and worked with Ryuu wherever their skills could be best utilized.
Zeke crouched next to the dead wizard. “Your work?”
“Gravity’s a bitch,” Xander answered.
“Not as much as you, darlin’.” He sent her a wicked grin, avoiding his alpha’s glare, but not Saul’s smack to the side his head.
A massive flirt, Zeke had cut quite a path through the younger females. Xander found him amusing. In a few years, he would challenge for the position of the pack’s Third. When he did, she’d happily start the betting pool and place her money on him.
“Give me a few minutes before you all head upstairs,” she said. “I need to make sure I have the scent of the two in the bedroom.”
Turning toward the stairs, she stepped over broken bits of railing and spindles as she headed up. She forced herself to focus on what needed to be done, because somewhere in this mess lay the hints that would set her on the trail of whoever was threatening Warrick.
Chapter Eleven
The rising wind blew through the hole where Warrick’s bedroom window once stood, as Xander stepped over the body sprawled in doorway. A hint of rain teased the air but she set it aside and concentrated on gathering the intruders’ scents before they disappeared.
Burnt oil with a touch of pine for the one she killed. She moved around the bed and crouched next to Warrick’s kill, being careful to avoid the shards of glass littering the floor. Old wood laced with musk.
The scent triggered a memory.
Closing her eyes, she titled her head, trying to bring the elusive scent closer. The slight scrape of a foot against the floor had her opening her eyes and raising her head. Warrick stepped into the bedroom, Ryuu behind him.
“Ryuu, do you remember that situation in Canada a couple years back?” she asked.
Something dark crossed his face. “The one with the woman and little boy?”
She nodded. “I think we just found her ex-husband.”
Warrick leaned against the doorjamb as Ryuu made his way over. She rose and stepped back, giving Ryuu space to confirm the wolf’s identity.
He settled on his heels, his eyes narrowing as he studied the body. “I’d have to pull the photos on file, but I think you’re right.”
“You know him?” Warrick asked.
“Kurt Stevenson,” Ryuu answered. “From the Jasper Pack.”
“And an all-around bastard,” Xander added.
Ryuu got to his feet, his lips curling in disgust. “Used his wife and son as punching bags.”
A flash of fury burst through their bond, causing Xander to flinch. Warrick straightened, his eyes bleeding to burning amber. “Why didn’t Jasper’s alpha step in?”
“He tried,” she said. “Unfortunately, Kurt recruited a couple mavericks to ambush the alpha. They put him in a coma for three weeks. Their Second called us. Ryuu sent Sebastian and me up to help.”
“You came home with a broken arm,” Warrick growled.
She blinked, shocked that he remembered. “Uh, yeah. Sebastian and I got the two recruits, but we got called home before we could corner Kurt. We gave Jasper’s Second all the information we had and left it to him to track Kurt down. Last I knew, Kurt had gone maverick.”
“The wife and child?” Warrick asked.
“I moved them to a different pack,” Ryuu answered. “So long as Kurt was out running around, they needed to be somewhere safe.” Calling for outside help meant the Jasper Pack relinquished any say in Ryuu’s decisions on the matter.
“We should probably check on them,” Xander said.
Ryuu gave a short nod and stepped away, pulling out his cell phone.
A cool push of air through the gaping hole caused her to shiver. Refusing to look at the man in the doorway, she let her gaze skim over the room. Heat rushed to her face when she caught sight of the torn green satin of her panties bunched in front of the dresser. She sliced a quick look at Ryuu’s back. Damn it, there was no way he had missed that. She stalked over to snatch them up and stuffed them in the wastebasket against the wall.
A soft male chuckle jerked her head up.
“Come here.” Warrick’s low demand stroked over her skin.
She curled her fingers until her nails bit into her palm, trying to ignore the urge to walk closer. “I’m fine where I’m at, thanks.”
“Don’t trust yourself?” he mocked softly.
“Don’t trust you,” she spat back, her earlier anger burning through her emotional dividers. It wasn’t fair! Even with his rejection still stinging, she wanted to walk over and bury her face in his chest, and have his arms wrap around her. Memories of their earlier encounter taunted her, ripping at her heart. Damn him for tempting her with the unattainable. Damn her for believing it.
“Little liar,” he said.
“They’re fine.” Ryuu drew their attention. “No threats. No signs of Kurt being anywhere near them.”
She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the dresser, shoving her inner turmoil away. “So why now? Why wait two years to strike back?”
Ryuu shared a look with Warrick. “I’m not so sure he did.”
The silent exchange left her stomach tight. She turned to Warrick. “What are you two seeing that I’m not?”
Warrick didn’t pay her any attention. Instead, his gaze was fixed on Ryuu. She could feel the tension
in the room rising.
“You want to explain it to her? Or do you want me to do it?” Ryuu’s verbal challenge surprised her. Especially after he already read her the riot act for pushing Warrick.
A low, vibrating growl trickled from Warrick, but it failed to drown out Ryuu’s next words. “Two wolves and a wizard says they aren’t fucking around, Vidis. They want you dead.”
“Who’s they?” When the two men continued to stare at each other, she stalked to Warrick and shoved her palms against his chest. It didn’t even rock him. “Who’s they?”
The two men remained silent.
Keeping her frustration in check, she shuffled the bits and pieces together from the last few weeks. “The ones I’ve had to hunt? They’re part of this?” A picture emerged, creating a frustrated fury, underlined with a sinking fear. “Explain to me how tonight is connected to that mess, Warrick.”
He flicked his gaze to her but remained mute.
“Start talking before I kill you myself,” she hissed.
He wrapped his hands around her wrists, holding her palms against his chest. “We don’t know for certain it’s connected.”
She tugged against his grip until he let go. “You promised no games.” She rubbed her wrist absently, stepping back to watch the two men. “That phone call—” Warrick crossed his arms over his chest and remained silent, but she wasn’t fooled. “Whoever called you, they’re using the Bitten to challenge your leadership.” She arranged and rearranged the puzzle pieces. “There’s something more, something I’m missing.” It teased her, but remained illusive. “‘A real alpha protects the pack. Who are you protecting?’” She repeated the words that had echoed through their bond back at the club. There was more, she could hear the whisper of it.
“‘How many deaths will it take?’” Warrick’s voice was flat as he gave her the rest.
The ominous question drew a chilling finger across her soul. It spoke of someone who wanted Warrick to suffer, to bleed before they took his place. A straight-up challenge she could understand. But this, this was personal. She fought back the fear that this time she may not be able to protect her alpha. “Who would hate you so much?”
Something bleak and heart-rending flashed over his face, so fast that if she wasn’t watching him, she would’ve missed it. “There’s no one left who feels that deeply toward me.”
His words ripped tiny holes in her heart. He was so wrong. Whether he knew it or not, there was someone who hated him as much as she loved him. Yet, arguing with him would gain her nothing, so she looked to Ryuu. “Why ask a question like that?” she asked him, ignoring Warrick—for now.
Ryuu raised an eyebrow.
“They asked who he was protecting.” She began to pace, her brain picking through the facts. “An alpha is the ultimate protector. Pack is their priority. So, why?”
Following her line of reasoning, Ryuu asked, “Better question, who else do they think he’s protecting?”
“He’s the head of the Lycan House, so maybe the Kyn?” she offered.
“Humans.” Warrick’s rough answer had them both turning toward him.
“Humans?” She shook her head. “That does not make sense. Anyone who knows you knows the pack always comes first.”
“Unless the pack member used to be human,” Ryuu said.
“The Bitten were once human.” She stopped next to the second body and faced Warrick. Her alpha’s face remained blank. “So whoever they are, they’re taking the Bitten to experiment on as a challenge to you. The first three were mavericks, but from the threat, it sounds like the next victim could be a pack member. It’s like they’re trying to warn you before they attack.”
Warrick winced but said nothing.
“We don’t have any Bitten in our pack, which is why they’ve targeted mavericks.” Pieces came together, but she was still missing something. “Could it be a maverick who’s behind all this?”
“Doubtful,” Ryuu answered. “What would they gain? Mavericks rarely work together without self-destructing.” He gestured to the two bodies in the room. “Besides, they’d have no compassion for a Bitten wolf. If anything, they consider them a lesser creature.”
“Or prey,” Warrick added.
Ryuu shrugged. “Perhaps. Regardless, it would take something huge to unite the mavericks.”
“Because working together requires a level of trust the mavericks have never shown,” Xander said.
“Right.” Ryuu drummed his fingers against his thigh. “But it’s not just the mavericks we have to worry about.” He snuck a look at Warrick before continuing. “We think whoever’s behind the phone calls is also behind the partial shifts.” He looked at the body at their feet and grimaced. “There’ve been a few rumors floating around.”
That was news to her. “What kind of rumors?”
“The kind that lead to false hope,” Warrick answered, his voice cutting. “Claims that there’s a cure to being Bitten.”
She understood his anger. The Bitten were the most vulnerable wolves of any pack, and for someone to prey upon that weakness was unforgivable. “Who’s making the claims?”
“We’re trying to find out,” Ryuu said. “The problem is, without knowing who’s behind it, we don’t know where to start looking.”
She studied both men, noting their tension. A few more pieces clicked into place. “You think the Talbot Foundation has a hand in this, don’t you?”
Warrick shrugged. “We may not have physical proof, but we know they’re still experimenting on other Kyn. What’s stopping them from taking a run at shifters?”
Only months ago, she had helped Raine rescue Gavin from a demented scientist determined to unlock the genetic secrets of the Kyn. She watched as Raine reduced the hidden lab to a pile of rubble and terrorized the scientist into a blathering mess. Together, they delivered Dr. Lawson to Warrick and the Tribunal for judgment. “Have you looked into Jonah Talbot?”
Jonah Talbot was the power behind the Talbot Foundation and the former employer of the late Dr. Lawson. Even though it was never proven, it was strongly suspected that he might have encouraged Lawson’s little science experiments.
Warrick shook his head. “You’re starting to sound like Raine. Talbot isn’t the only powerful human who would dearly love to replicate the strengths of the Kyn for his own use.”
“Perhaps not,” she said, “but it’s a logical starting point.”
“It’s not him, Xander,” Ryuu said. She turned to him but he held up a hand before she could speak. “I looked for a tie, and there isn’t one that I can find, at least right now.”
She blew out a breath. “Fine.” She studied Kurt’s body. “Then we start here and find out what ties these three have to the three Bitten. They have to connect somewhere.” She raised her head and met Warrick’s gaze. “We find the connection, we find out who wants you dead.”
Chapter Twelve
Over an hour later, Mother Nature was vying with Warrick for the top spot on Xander’s shit list. She had shifted into her wolf form to better track the scent trail of the attacking wolves, yet the rain was quickly washing away the lingering traces.
The first pale streamers of dawn began to strip layers off the darkness, lending a surreal aspect to the dense foliage and gray clouds. She padded farther into the damp forest surrounding Warrick’s home. Beside her, Ryuu’s idea of back up, kept pace.
“You know, Xander,” Zeke drawled, adjusting his backpack with her clothes in it, “getting some is supposed to put you in your happy place, and you don’t seem to be anywhere near your happy place.”
She let a low growl trickle out of her throat as she continued tracking the delicate traces of scent hiding in patches along the ground. The combined scents of fur and magic led her to a fallen log, where the smell was stronger. She followed it, winding her way through thick tree trunks, ignoring Zeke’s muttered complaints as he scrambled to keep up.
A gust of wind whipped the light rain directly into her face. She sneez
ed and shook her head, frustration rising as she lost the scent again. Water beaded over her fur, and she lifted her head to scan her surroundings. The rain might be washing the scents away, but that wasn’t the only thing she could track. No matter who, or what, made its way through the forest, there would be visible signs of their passing.
Meticulously, she quartered the area. Over by one tree, she found a clump of dark fur caught in the ragged bark. She snagged Zeke’s attention with a sharp yip.
“What is it, Lassie?” Zeke dropped into a crouch next to her, dropping an arm around her neck. “Did you find Timmy?”
She gave his chin a sharp nip. Dear gods, she was going to gut this boy wonder someday. Seriously, how did anyone manage to work with him without killing him?
“Hey now,” he said, jerking back. “Where’s your sense of humor?”
Too bad she couldn’t roll her eyes in wolf form. Instead, she bumped her head into his arm as he rubbed his chin. Then she set a paw on the tree trunk near the clump of fur.
His humor faded and his eyes narrowed as he scanned the area around them. He pointed at a spot a few feet away. “There’s broken branches over there.”
Sure enough, thin branches, about shoulder height, were sporting the white marks of recent breaks. Someone hadn’t been at all careful as they barged their way through the forest.
She bumped her head against his shoulder again, then pawed at the backpack. It was time for her to get back on two feet.
Zeke shrugged off the pack. “I’ll wait for you over there.” He turned and walked away.
She was grateful for his small courtesy. Most shifters had no problem with nudity, but maybe she’d been on her own too long, because she preferred privacy when she shifted. Xander waited until his back was turned then called the change. The twist of bones and muscles sliced hot fire across her nerves as she regained her human form.
It wasn’t as fast or as smooth as normal, since she was functioning on roughly three hours of sleep and her battered body was still repairing the damage she sustained earlier. Yet, only minutes passed before she was crouching naked as a jaybird, as the drizzle turned into a downpour, flattening her hair against her skull. Grumbling under her breath, she scrambled into the yoga pants and another of Warrick’s T-shirts before pulling on one of his sweatshirts. Her boots were at the house, which meant she would have to go barefoot. She grabbed the backpack and made her way over to Zeke.