by Alanea Alder
“Rhys is gone,” Abby whispered, her terror-stricken eyes met Moe’s. He closed the distance between them and pulled her in his arms.
“We’ll find them. We’ll bring them home.” Moe kissed Abby and they both helped Rebecca to a chair. Peyton’s arrival and knocked the fight out of the tiny woman.
“I’m going to help in the search.” He was about to head out the door when Connor, Duncan and Aleks came back in.
“Fresh snow covered the tracks, it’s a wet snow, the scent is gone too,” Connor said quietly.
Rebecca began to wail. Aleks walked over and dropped to his knees in front of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Bran, Liam. Widen the search. Check the woods,” Pa said, holding Ma close.
“He’s innocent, I know he is,” Abby whispered as Moe rocked her back and forth.
“Fate. Please. If you’re listening, if my baby is with Rhys, please help Rhys to save him,” Rebecca sobbed.
Moe prayed right along with her.
“That monster has probably already drained him dry,” Salsiby muttered.
This time it was Aleks who punched the small man, and from the sound his fist made, it would be a while before he got back up again.
* * * *
Rhys opened his eyes. Or he thought he did. All he saw was darkness. He blinked slowly and his eyes adjusted to what little light there was. He was in a room. A cold room. He could smell earth. He went to sit up and groaned. His back was killing him. He reached around and felt for a wound. Whatever it was had healed but he knew it had been bad. He had been stabbed deeply. He could tell since his clothes were sticky and drenched in a lot of his blood. He felt hunger begin to gnaw at him. He had used what precious little blood he had to heal. He needed to feed. He looked around and slowly was able to make out tall shapes, like bookcases. There was only one small window high up on one wall. Moonlight streamed in through the dirty panes. He took a deep breath. He smelled something familiar. A second later he heard a tiny cry, his eyes widened. Lying in the center of the moonlight on the floor was baby Aidhan. He crawled over to the child. Hands shaking, he made sure he wasn’t hurt. He saw no marks on the baby, but Aidhan’s little hands were like ice. He went to scoop him up but hesitated. The hunger made itself known again. Shaking, he backed away.
“No,” he whispered. He would not feed from an infant. The addiction, compounded by severe blood loss, turned his hands into claws as his fangs cut through his gums.
“No.” Still, Aidhan whimpered and cried. How long could the baby survive in this cold? Hours? Minutes? Rhys’s mouth watered and he swallowed again and again. He was so hungry. Maybe just a tiny sip?
“No! No! No!” Ragged scream after ragged scream filled his throat. In the background he heard Aidhan’s cries. The poor thing was scared to death.
And he should be. He’s trapped with a monster.
“I’m not a monster. I’m not. I won’t hurt this baby, even if it kills me,” Rhys whispered. He dragged himself over to Aidhan and gently picked him up and held him close. In the moonlight he could see Aidhan’s face. The tiny child calmed down the instant he was picked up. He looked up at Rhys, blinking his purple eyes.
“Okay, kiddo, it’s just you and me.” Rhys stood and bounced Aidhan in his arms. He had to move slowly since he was weak from blood loss. But after a while he had checked the entire room. Of course their captors had not left any way out. The door at the top of the stairs was locked, even throwing his weight against it, it wouldn’t budge. Whoever had taken them wanted him trapped so he would feed on the baby. He slid down the wall until he was seated on the floor.
“We just have to wait for your momma. I bet she is with Moe and your Aunt Abby right now figuring out what happened. You’ll see. We just have to wait.” Rhys tucked the baby close against his body.
Out of nowhere a sense of motherly love filled him. The pain and hunger from the addiction was gone. He felt a peace like he had never known before. In that instant he knew that no matter what he would do whatever it took to get them out of here alive.
Fate had plans for them both.
* * * *
Around her, Rebecca heard voices. They planned search patterns and perimeter checks, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was her baby. Aleks was standing with Bran and Liam coordinating efforts. Abby and Moe could feel that Rhys was awake, but could not pinpoint where their mate was.
“He won’t hurt your baby,” a melodic voice said. Rebecca turned her head. It was as if each movement was in slow motion. Gabriel kneeled beside her.
“I want my baby, Gabriel. Please find my baby,” she whispered. She saw the pain and helplessness flare in his eyes.
“I swear I will find the ones who took our children.” He took both her hands in his. She had forgotten. Rhys was like a son to Gabriel, he was the only other person besides Aleks who could possibly understand her pain. She just nodded. The whole world was muted. It was as if she was wrapped in soft cotton. All her senses were dull.
“Is she okay?” she heard Gabriel ask.
“She’s in shock, but I dare not move her to the clinic. Another bout of hysterics could shut her down,” she heard Doc say. She nodded, agreeing with him. She would probably lose her mind if she left the diner without her son. They moved away from her.
“My dear. My dear. Oh don’t you look a fright,” a soft voice said. Rebecca tried hard to focus on the figure before her.
“Someone took my baby.” Even to herself her own voice sounded so far away.
“Poor dear.” The nearly transparent figure clucked her tongue.
“Who is she talking to?” she heard Abby ask.
“Better get Doc.” She watched Moe walk toward Doc.
“That pretty young man has him, dear.”
“Who?” Rebecca asked.
“Who, what Rebecca?” Abby asked, her face looking concerned.
“That pretty young man you showed me on your little box. They are in my basement.”
Rebecca felt the world suddenly come rushing back into focus. Smells returned and sounds slammed back into her.
“Oh my god! I know where he is!” she yelled. Everyone in the diner was staring at her like she was crazy but she didn’t care, she had to get to her baby!
“Thank you, Ms. Whittaker!” Rebecca jumped up, heading to the door. Abby caught her arm.
“Where are they?”
“Ms. Whittaker says Rhys and Aidhan are in her basement!” There was a rush of movement and Rebecca and Abby left the diner at a run, Aleks and Moe and Gabriel right behind them.
* * * *
They were almost to the house when Abby heard it. The voice of an angel. Note after note blended together and lifted to the heavens. She and Rebecca stopped and listened. They tried the door only to find it locked. Moe came up behind them and, not even stopping, pulled the door from the hinges and threw it aside. Abby was impressed, that was an extremely heavy door that her mate had thrown like a Frisbee.
They followed the sound of the song to the kitchen. This time Aleks leaned back and with one kick destroyed the door. Abby followed Rebecca into the darkness to the ones their hearts were desperate to hold. Behind them light flooded the room as everyone gathered together with their flashlights and lanterns.
Rhys, hearing the door kick in, had stood. He was drenched in blood and so was Aidhan.
“I told you! He has killed the Arkadion!” Somehow Salsiby had joined them in the basement. Before anyone could think he lifted a small revolver and pointed it at Rhys. Within the confines of the small basement the shots were deafening.
“Aidhan, no!”
“Rhys!”
Rhys turned his body blocking Aidhan from the gunfire. His body jerked as each bullet buried itself deep in his flesh.
An inhuman roar filled the basement. Moe’s body seemed to expand and grow. At seven feet he was scary, at eight feet he was terrifying but at nine feet he was the thing of nightmares. He had grown as broad as he had tal
l with a fine coat of fur covering his body. His upper and lower canines had extended, his jaw and forehead had become squared. Locking his demon-like black eyes on Salsiby, he roared again.
Screaming in terror, the smell of urine filled the air. Salsiby dropped the gun and darted up the stairs. Moe was right behind him.
Rebecca, Abby and Rhys stared at the creature Moe had become as he pounded up the wooden steps after the lawyer.
“Okay, that was totally fucking hot and owww!” Rhys exclaimed.
Rebecca took Aidhan and cuddled him close. Aleks wrapped himself around Rebecca and his son.
Abby held Rhys close, crying as she looked at the bullet holes in his shirt.
“Shush, I’ll heal and be good as new as soon as Doc removes the bullets. It’s one of the advantages of being this old.” Rhys held her close. They both looked at each other when they heard another inhuman roar as it vibrated the walls above them.
“We better go make sure he’s okay,” Rhys said.
“Salsiby?” Rebecca demanded.
“No, Moe.”
They made their way upstairs where under the light of the moon, most of the town had gathered and stood in awe as their nine-foot mate beat Salsiby.
“I’m so glad he caught up with him outside, it would have been a bitch to get blood out of the wood floors,” Abby commented. Rebecca nodded, nuzzling Aidhan.
“Maybe you girls should head to the diner,” Aleks said, looking a bit sick.
They turned to him.
“Why?” they asked, tilting their heads in unison.
Aleks shook his head.
“Never mind.”
“Is that…Is he using…?” Rhys’s eyes widened.
“Yes it is,” Gabriel said, looking on, amused.
“Papa,” Rhys whispered. Gabriel laid a hand on Rhys’s shoulder.
“The darkness is gone from your eyes,” Gabriel said, his voice filled with love.
“In the basement, I felt Fate come to me. She lifted the addiction. I’m free.” Rhys smiled at his prince.
“She heard my prayer,” Rebecca said.
“Is our mate beating Salsiby to death with his own arm?” Abby asked, looking at the bloody mess in the front yard of their future home.
Rhys turned from his maker as Gabriel moved away to hold Ashby, who was watching everything with a horrified yet fascinated expression.
“Yes he is,” Rhys said proudly.
“Do you know what kind of strength he would need to pull a shifter’s arm from its socket like that?” Abby asked.
Rhys shivered in lust.
“Yup.”
Behind them a shadow darted away. Rhys turned sharply. Gabriel saw the movement as well and barked an order. Two vampires peeled from the shadows and gave chase.
“I thought he was a spider monkey, aren’t they, well you know, little and cute?” Rebecca asked as Moe continued to beat out his rage on Salsiby’s lifeless body.
“I heard a rumor a long time ago that since primate DNA was so close to humans, monkeys were the only shifter to receive a third form.” Gabriel motioned to the creature in front of them.
“Umm how do we get him to stop? Not that I’m against the beat down, but I think Salsiby died like five minutes ago,” Rebecca asked.
Abby looked at Rhys and smirked. His eyes narrowed.
“What are you up to?” he asked. Abby stood back and drew in a deep breath.
“Oh my god, we need to get him to the clinic!” she screamed. Moe instantly halted. He dropped the arm and stalked closer to them. He sniffed Rhys’s back and howled his fury. With a gentleness, which contrasted his size, he swept Rhys up in his arms and began to lope toward the clinic.
“I better race ahead of them and prepare Doc,” Abby said.
“Better hurry.” Rebecca laughed. She pointed to Moe’s disappearing figure.
“Shit!” Abby swore and ran behind them.
Chapter 13
“Did you ever find out who was in the woods?” Abby asked Rebecca the next day. Abby was seated between her mates. Rhys looked tired but considering the life-threatening wounds from the previous day he almost looked normal. Moe had shocked her and Rhys the next morning when he had woken up with a head full of beautiful dark curls. He had kept his head shaved because he had been teased as a child. They had convinced him to keep them for the time being.
“No, which concerns me,” Gabriel said.
“What did the council say?” Abby asked. She was scared that Moe would be in trouble for killing Salsiby.
“Not much. They have his cell phone and will soon learn who he was he was communicating with. We all knew that Salsiby was a little crooked, but for him to try and shoot Aidhan.” Liam shook his head.
“He didn’t. He was shooting at Rhys,” Rebecca interrupted. Liam looked at Aleks. Aleks moved closer and held Rebecca tight.
“If Rhys hadn’t turned Becca, both shots would have hit Aidhan,” Aleks said softly. Trembling, Rebecca held Aidhan close until he squeaked. She released him, but only a little bit.
“Someone else is pulling these strings and has been for a long time. I called Baptista, he should be here soon with an update from Mikhail.” Gabriel growled.
“Look at you.” Abby bumped shoulders with Peyton who blushed.
“I figured I was attacked twice at the bar. Maybe getting out more wouldn’t be so bad,” he said quietly, and everyone laughed.
“Stop staring.” Moe growled at Rian, Damian and Giddey.
“Can you blame us? You went from super, mega, bad-boy hot, to Chernobyl hot! I mean hair like that begs to be used as a handle!” Giddey exclaimed. Moe turned scarlet and Abby and Rhys nudged each other.
“Oh my.” Ma smiled and turned to Peyton.
“Good to see you here, you’re welcome anytime.” Ma put a huge bowl of soup in front of him.
“Thank you ma’am,” he said, ducking his head.
“So adorable!” Kate grinned.
“We have dibs!” Duncan and Emmett said. Everyone looked at them, and Aleks raised an eyebrow. Rian gasped.
“Both of you switched teams!”
“What?” they asked, looking confused.
“Dibs for what?” Rebecca asked gently.
“For him being our little brother,” Emmett explained.
Rian collapsed back against his chair.
“Y’all can’t do that to me, my heart can’t take it,” Rian exclaimed. Abby laughed.
“By the way Rhys, the council has removed your probationary status. You are a redeemed man, my friend.” Liam grinned.
“Feels good.” Rhys’s smile lit up the diner. Abby felt her heart expand. Under the table Rhys and Moe each took her hand.
“I’m looking forward to the future,” Rhys said, squeezing her hand.
“Me too.” Moe brought her hand up and kissed it.
The diner door opened and Baptista walked in holding a brown envelope. His eyes found Gabriel and he took a step forward. He was about to walk to his prince when he took another deep breath. He stood riveted to the spot. Abby watched in fascination as his eyes, looking confused, scanned everyone before they locked on their table.
Abby looked at Moe and Rhys, seeing if either of them was responding to the large vampire enforcer. He dropped the brown envelope and shoved tables out of his way, heading directly toward them. Seconds later he had scooped up Peyton and was running a gentle hand against the back of his head where he still sported a bloody bandage, his nostrils flared. Peyton had just enough time to squeak before Baptista captured his lips.
Abby, Moe and Rhys stared, shocked.
When Baptista lifted his mouth from Peyton’s, the smaller man’s lips were swollen.
“I knew I should have stayed in the bar,” Peyton whispered.
“Mine!” Baptista growled.
Epilogue
“Sir, Fate responded to the Alpha Mother’s plea. The addiction was lifted from Rhys so that he would not harm the Alpha Mother’s son. Salsiby�
��s efforts to shoot the next Arkadion were useless.” The small man knelt before the gentleman. Smiling, the gentleman ran a hand over the man’s soft curls.
“Good work. See pups, this is what it looks like to do the job right.” The gentleman was pleased. His newest recruit held such promise. When the man looked up at him there was nothing but adoration in his eyes. Yes, this could prove to be useful.
“But sir, Salsiby is dead,” Devon said. The gentleman raised an eyebrow.
“I know, such a pity, he deprived me the pleasure of killing him myself. Luckily your beta wasn’t that smart. I had so much fun with him.” The gentleman sighed and moved away from his new devotee.
He watched the wolf Alpha carefully. The shifter tried and failed to hide his anger at the death of his wolf, but dared not say a word. The gentleman decided that the usefulness of the wolf Alpha had just expired.
“Hyena, your clan still owes me blood, and a lot of it. It’s time for you to pay your debt.” The gentleman sat at his desk.
“What about my pack?” Devon asked carefully. The gentleman looked up and smiled. The Alpha flinched and the gentleman knew that the wolf hated himself for fearing him so.
“I am done with your pack,” he said.
“We’re free to go?” Devon asked. The gentleman couldn’t help it. He laughed and laughed.
“No, what I said was I was done with your pack. Unless you come up with a way to please me and soon, I plan on killing every last man, woman, and child.” The gentleman waved his hand. The wolf looked like he was about to be sick. If the Alpha threw up on his new rug he wouldn’t have to worry about his pack, he would kill him right here and now.
“You’re free to go. Oh and boys? Don’t disappoint me.”
The small man curled up around his feet like a faithful hound.
“Payne, a bowl of kibble for my new pet.” The gentleman eyed his chessboard. Soon. Soon the real game would begin.