by Alanea Alder
“It’s okay, Nic, you’re going to be okay,” Rebecca said.
“Knew you’d come,” he whispered. “Knew you would keep me safe.” He closed his eyes and snuggled closer.
Rebecca looked up with tears in her eyes. Aleks lay a hand on Rebecca’s back, letting her know that he was there.
“Kate, find them. Find them and kill the bastard who let them in. Seal the perimeter,” Rebecca said, pushing Nicholas’s bangs out of his face. Kate nodded and walked back out into the waiting room.
Bran stood and walked over.
“How is he?” he asked
“He needs a transfusion. Luckily Ashby is a match. But he and Rebecca will probably need to stay the night with him. The bond we share is helping.” She looked around for Caleb.
“He’s outside with the men.” He pointed to the door. Kate hesitated and then looked back to the room where Gina and Nic lay unconscious.
“Go, my brothers and I will stand guard,” Connor said, stepping forward.
“Thank you.” She and Bran walked to the door heading outside. Waiting for her were Beau and Kaden.
“What are you two up to?” she asked, stopping in front of the clinic’s doors as Bran made his way over to Caleb and the men.
“Sticking with you,” Kaden said. Beau nodded.
“I’d prefer it if you helped Aleks watch over Rebecca,” she said.
Kaden snorted. “And I’d prefer to keep breathing. Liam said if anything happened to you he’d rip our intestines out through our cocks. It takes a lot to rile a Lewenhart male, but once they are riled, you stay on their good side. His orders were to protect you. So we’re gonna be all over you, darlin’.”
“Okay, boys, try to keep up,” Kate said and then started walking over to where Bran was coordinating with Riley and Caleb in the open grassy area at the end of the road that the clinic was on. Just beyond the grass the woods that surrounded the town began.
“Saucy wench,” Kaden muttered.
“All day long,” Kate said without turning around.
“We’ll start east and…” Bran was saying. Kate stepped right into the circle next to him.
“I think I know where they are,” Kate said and everyone turned to face her.
“When were you going to share?” Bran asked.
“Don’t be mad. I kinda just put it together. I think the hyenas are at the Wades’ house. It’s the only thing that explains why Gina was hurt and where she was. I bet she saw something she wasn’t supposed to and was on her way to the Pack house when they caught up with her. She was too damn close to home for that deadbeat father not to notice the scent of his daughter’s blood. I think he’s the perimeter breach.” She looked into Bran’s face.
“Okay, men, we know where we’re heading,” he said.
“Wait! Just like that?” Kate asked.
“I doubted you once, Katie Belle. I should have taken Gina’s disappearance more seriously, I won’t doubt you again. Besides, it’s the best theory anyone’s come up with yet.” Bran took her hand.
Caleb walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Bran, if that’s the case, we have a huge problem,” Caleb said. Bran frowned then his face paled.
“What’s the problem?” Kate asked.
“Gina has two younger sisters and two younger brothers. If what you say is true, they are either already dead or in the most dangerous place in a twenty-five mile radius,” Caleb explained.
Kate felt a tightening in her chest. She had never felt so much rage. Her wolf literally burst from her skin. The men, as one, took a step back.
“Sweetheart?” Bran asked.
Kate snarled and snapped at the men, edging them toward the woods.
“She’s right. It’s time to hunt,” Caleb said, his voice sounding deeper.
Kate threw her head back and howled. Caleb then Bran shifted and joined her. Their voices rose in a harmony so perfect that only nature could have designed it. It was as if the other wolves were waiting for that unspoken order and they shifted, one right after the other.
“Kate, we’re right behind you. We’re bringing the truck in case we need to get the munchkins out in a hurry,” Kaden said before he and Beau took off at a dead run to the truck.
Kate swung her head around, bunched up her body, and then her feet took flight and they were hunting.
Chapter 10
They surrounded the small cabin and started to creep forward. On the side of the house, a mountain of trash gave the entire area a pungent odor. On the porch they could see ripped screens and broken boards. Empty beer cans and liquor bottles filled one half of the porch. It was clear that Elias Wade had been trying to drown himself in alcohol to ease the pain of his mate’s passing.
The yard wasn’t in any better shape than the small home. Weeds were everywhere and the grass was high. Kate could see a pile of toys in the back that looked as if they had been thrown out the back door. These children had so little. How could Elias throw away what little they did have?
What was probably the saddest sight was a single rose bush that looked as though it had been well tended. It had been tied back with shoestrings and hair ribbons and sat in a pink pot which read “Happy Mother’s Day.” The Wade children had done everything they could to protect this one rose bush, the only thing of beauty in an otherwise bleak home.
Kate shifted to human and eased her way to the window where the curtains were pulled back on one side. She looked inside and had to cover her mouth so that her gasp wouldn’t be heard.
The Wade children were huddled together in the corner of the front room. The oldest boy, who looked to be about twelve, sat in front of his younger brother and sisters. He was staring at the disheveled man sitting by the fireplace holding a shotgun with flat hatred in his eyes. The two small girls were crying. The old man swayed in his chair, a macabre grin on his face. Kate stepped back and motioned to Bran and Caleb. The men shifted and met her on the edge of the property.
“The children are in the front family room. Wade is in there with a shotgun and he looks the way humans do when they’re on drugs. His eyes are glassy and he’s just sitting there giggling to himself,” Kate said.
“The children are the priority,” Caleb said.
“Get them out to us and we’ll take them to the clinic,” Kaden said and Beau nodded.
“Getting them out is going to be the problem. I think he’s so far gone he’ll shoot the kids,” Kate said.
“I’ll head to the porch and draw him outside away from the children and then we’ll rush him,” Bran said.
Kate’s heart was in her throat. Bran was strong, but Wade was holding a shotgun and that could do some real damage, even to a shifter.
Without waiting, Bran walked up to the porch and navigated the three broken stairs and walked past the screen door hanging from one hinge to knock on the front door. Kate made her way to the window, watching as Wade struggled to stand and lurched forward toward the door. When the door flew open, Bran sprang forward and grabbed the gun. Kate ran forward as a shot went off. She jumped up on the porch in time to see Bran throw the gun into the yard. Kaden and Beau moved forward into the house, scooped up the kids, and carried them outside to the porch. Kate walked over to stand beside them.
“Are you going to kill my father?” the boy asked in a lifeless voice. Kaden looked over his shoulder to where Bran and Caleb were standing over the man.
“Yes, Ethan, we’re going to kill him. He has hurt a lot of people,” Caleb said.
“Good! He killed my sister, Mr. Caleb,” the boy said, tears making two white streaks down his dirty cheeks.
Kate leaned over and wiped his tears away.
“Cecelia came to me when Gina didn’t show up to class. We got to her in time, Ethan. She’s going to be okay,” Kate said, her hand cupping his cheek.
Those words seemed to crack the brave façade that the boy had been holding in place for his sisters. He buried his face in Beau’s chest, his
tiny body shaking with sobs. Beau looked over to where Mr. Wade sat between Caleb and Bran and he let out a long hiss. Ethan’s head snapped up.
“You’re a lion?” he asked, his eyes wide with wonder. Beau simply nodded.
“Cool,” he said, sniffling. Beau smiled. Kaden loaded the other small boy and the two little girls into the truck.
“We’re going to the clinic. Even Liam would agree that children’s safety take priority. We’ll meet you there. We still have hyenas to kill,” Kaden said.
“The hyena man said they were going after the Alpha Mother then the babies,” Ethan said.
“Kaden, your cell!” Kate asked, holding out her hand. He immediately handed it over and she quickly dialed Liam’s number.
“Kaden! What’s wrong? Is Kate, okay?” she heard Liam ask.
“Liam, are the boys okay? Ethan said the hyenas might be heading your way,” she said.
“We’re fine, Kate, completely locked down. The boys have had dinner and Rian has them watching an educational video. Landon is yawning,” Liam said and she could hear the smile in his voice.
“Thank God! Gotta go, gotta call Rebecca.” She hit the End button and dialed Rebecca’s phone.
“Hello?” a deep male voice answered.
“Aleks, it’s Kate. Ethan, one of the Wade children, said that the hyenas said they were going after the Alpha Mother. How are things there?”
“We’re fine. Rebecca, Ashby, and Nic just went to sleep. I’m here with Connor, Gavin, Benedict, and Finn. So far all is quiet. Did you seal the perimeter?” he asked.
“We’re about to. Stay alert. We should be back soon,” Kate said.
“Will do,” Aleks replied.
She hung up the phone and tossed it back to Kaden. She was getting better at being naked in front of men, though, she wished she had the little pink bag that Cecelia had given her.
“Get them to the clinic so Doc can look them over and then hole up with Aleks until we get there,” Kate said.
“Meet you there,” Kaden said and both he and Beau climbed into the truck and left.
Kate turned around to face Elias Wade. The man looked at them and started giggling.
“You think you’ve won, but you haven’t. They will kill you, all of you and then the hyenas will take Arkadia.” He giggled and pointed at each of the Alphas.
“They’ll kill you and you and you,” he said.
“Like they did Gina?” Kate said harshly.
Elias’s face twisted and Kate saw a glimpse of the monster this man had kept hidden.
“She was a whore like her mother. They both deserved to die,” he said, spittle flying out of his mouth.
Bran’s jaw clenched. “You killed your mate, the mother of your children, and a member of my pack?” he demanded.
Elias nodded absently, slipping back into his giggling self.
“She had to die, you see. She wanted to leave and she couldn’t leave,” he said in a singsong manner.
Kate turned her head. This was worse than if he had been fighting. Caleb stepped forward.
“You gave your daughter to those animals,” Caleb choked out. To a wolf, betraying your children and mate was the worst possible sin.
“She was going to ruin everything. She was going to tell. She had to die,” Elias said.
Bran straightened, pulling his body to its full height. “Elias Wade, for crimes against your family, your pack, and Arkadia, I sentence you to death. Do you have any last words?”
“I hope they fuck your mate in front of you before they drain her dry,” he shrieked blood vessels bursting in his eyes.
Caleb simply reached forward and snapped his neck.
“Fuck!” Bran yelled, frustrated, turning away from the body of the man who had caused so much pain.
“Alpha, this is not your fault. You cannot be held responsible for every member of your pack,” Riley said.
Caleb looked at Bran and simply placed a hand on his shoulder.
“As Alpha, you are responsible for every member of your pack, Bran,” Caleb began.
Kate gasped. “Caleb!” she started and he held up his hand.
“And, as Alpha, you have taken measures to ensure that this monster won’t hurt another innocent soul. Learn what you can from this and become stronger,” he said, removing his hand when Bran turned to face him.
“You’re right. Thank you, Caleb.”
Bran opened his arms and Kate stepped into the warmth of his embrace. Without clothing, they were going to have to shift soon.
“Robert, can you and a few men take care of the body?” Bran asked.
The wolf to his right nodded and two other men stepped forward with him to lift the older man’s body and carry it to the woods.
Kate smiled up at Bran before she grabbed her stomach. Wave upon wave of desperation and fear hit her, making it nearly impossible to stay standing.
“Rebecca! They are at the clinic!” she cried out.
Bran shifted then Caleb. Kate stood there, shaking, her emotions ricocheting all over the place. She couldn’t focus enough to shift. Caleb stepped forward, got on his hind feet, and licked her face. She shook her head and pushed him down. Reaching into her core, she let her wolf free. Dropping down as her wolf, she took off west toward town.
When they got close enough, she could hear the sounds of bear roars and the cackles of the hyena clan. Bursting out of the woods, she headed straight to the clinic. Gavin and Benedict were shifted and doing their best to block the front entrance. From the other side of the building, Kate watched as a hyena body was thrown into the street by a four-hundred-and-fifty-pound tiger, who followed the body and started to bat it around like a cat toy.
That would be Dr. Claybourne defending his patients, she thought.
Two male lions roared. One was perched in the bed of the truck guarding the back window and the other stood in front of the truck swiping deadly claws at any hyena stupid enough to get close. She barked and four wolves ran past her to assist Beau and Kaden.
She, Bran, and Caleb ran between Gavin and Benedict to get inside the clinic. When they got inside, she skidded to a halt. Connor and Finn stood on their back haunches, fighting off six hyenas who were taking turns darting in and biting the two bears. Kate immediately jumped on the back of one of the hyenas and bit the back of his neck. She shook her head from side to side and heard a dull crack. She dropped that body and moved to the next. Caleb and Bran had also taken out at least one hyena each. Darting past Finn, she looked up to see him stab the hyena in the throat with his six-inch bear claws. He shook his great paw as if flinging water off his fingers. The hyena went flying.
Kate ran into the recovery rooms where Aleks stood in human form in front of the bed. His large hands shifted as Rebecca looked on in fear. The Raymonds stood shifted in front of Gina’s bed, where Cecelia, holding Gina’s hand, looked out at the room with large eyes. Kate shifted and headed toward Ashby and Rebecca.
Aleks stood holding one shoulder, which was bleeding profusely. Rebecca sat huddled with Ashby, who was holding Nic close.
“My brothers?” Aleks asked, breathing hard.
“Fine. They were flinging bodies left and right outside,” Kate said, walking over and taking Ashby’s hand. Bran and Caleb ran in.
“Aleks, why aren’t you shifted?” Caleb asked.
“I wouldn’t leave Rebecca and Nic still needed to have his transfusion bag changed, so Doc handed me the bag and ran out to try and hold them off. Only one made it past Connor and Finn. Is the doc okay?” Aleks asked.
“I’m fine,” Dr. Claybourne said. He strode in, pulling on a pair of green scrubs. He walked over and checked Nic’s pulse before going to check on Gina. He went to a side cabinet and gathered a stack of spare scrubs in all sizes and then he turned and threw them into the empty chair. Kate went over and pulled on a shirt and a pair pants. She turned back around and watched Doc go from patient to patient. Caleb and Bran pulled on scrubs and walked over to Kate.
&
nbsp; “Thank God they slept through this! Any more mental trauma may have been detrimental,” Doc said.
They all turned as a thundering roar was heard outside before yips and whimpers sounded off around the outside of the building. Aleks slumped against the wall in relief. Finn, Connor, Benedict, and Gavin walked in and went to the pile of scrubs.
“Ma,” Aleks said simply grinning, a goofy smile on his face. The other Arkadion boys were grinning at each other knowingly.
“Aleks! Are you okay? Doc, is he okay?” Rebecca said when she saw Aleks slide down the wall, her voice reaching octaves that made most of the shifters wince.
Rebecca started to shake then cry. Aleks struggled to stand. Caleb walked over and pulled him to his feet. Aleks staggered over to the chair next to the bed and took Rebecca’s hand.
“Shush, Becca, baby it’s okay.”
She shook her head, sending her curls flying.
“No, no, no, no, it’s not okay! Everyone is getting hurt. The hyenas won’t stop. Why are they doing this?” Her words had turned into unintelligible shrieks as she began to hyperventilate.
And just like that, Kate knew Rebecca had found her breaking point. Aleks looked up at Doc and nodded, she could see his soul shattering in his eyes. Ma and Pa walked in just as Doc started to administer a sedative. Slowly, her breathing evened out and her sobs slowed down. Her eyes started to droop as she snuggled into Nic’s body. Ashby, who had been sharing her emotions through the bond, breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. Soon all three were fast asleep.
Ma and Pa had blood and gore covering their clothes. Like Aleks, they were strong enough to do partial shifts and attack with just their claws. Duncan and Emmett followed, the blood only visible on their hands from where their claws had been. Their clothes were unmarred by blood.