Cry of the Wolf (The Pack Book 5)

by Karen Whiddon

  “Roy, what happened? Where’s Jewel?”

  Wincing, Roy gave a long, shuddering sigh. “Bettina has her. She’s taking her to Leo.”

  A coldness spread through Colton’s chest. “Bettina? How?”

  “She knocked Jewel out with a tranquilizer dart.” Sitting up, Roy rubbed his head and groaned. “Floyd figured out where you’d gone and broadcast it around town. I think Bettina hurt him. Right before she held a gun on me and made me get in the car with her.” His gaze flickered away and he licked his lips, as he’d always done when he got inventive with the truth.

  There’d be time later to ask Roy why he’d lied. Colton knew the lengths men would go to for love.

  “Where?” Colton asked. “Tell me where they’ve gone.”

  Roy took a deep breath, his bright blue eyes glittering strangely. “I don’t know.”

  Colton closed his eyes. Jewel’s worst nightmare.

  When he started for the door, Roy followed.

  “What are you going to do?”

  Turning, Colton looked at the man he’d only thought he’d known, his expression grim. “I’m going to find them, of course. I promised Jewel I’d protect her.”

  “I can’t let you do that,” Roy said. Then he hit Colton with the baseball bat.

  Finally—changed! As a wolf for the first time in months, Jewel yearned to tear off over the rocky terrain, thrilling to the feel of the hard-packed earth under her sensitive paws. Spirit soaring, she stretched her muscles. Her wolf body felt strong, right, though too long unused.

  But the man was too important to her. She’d seen the shock and terror on his handsome face. Even as wolf, she’d felt a pang.

  He had to understand. This was too important.

  She crept closer, keeping her body low to the ground, in the subservient position so he’d know she wasn’t a threat.

  Instead, he stumbled backward, one hand out as if to ward her off.

  She paused. Cocked her head. Inhaled. The sharp tang of perspiration colored with fear filled her sensitive nose.

  Fear? Colton was afraid of her?

  She whimpered, trying to communicate. No matter the body, she was the same soul. But he didn’t understand and took off, away from her, away from the mobile home. Out into the rolling hills, exactly where she wanted to be.

  First, she kept pace with him, willing him to touch her, to call her to him. But after awhile, the sensations were too much for her. The myriad scents and textures of this new wilderness called to her animal nature. Too long denied, she finally veered away from Colton, heading out on her own.

  The dry grass felt prickly under her paws, and in the hot wind she caught a whiff of smoke. Somewhere, a fire burned. But not here.

  The sun beat down, warming her fur, making her lift her muzzle to the sky and bare her teeth. Chancing across deer spoor, she sniffed, following the herd’s trail up the rocky mesa, were she could see for miles.

  Forgetting Colton, forgetting everything of the human world for a few joyful hours, she reveled and played, ran and rolled.

  Grass, sky and sun. What more could one ask for?

  She was wolf. Finally at home in her body again. Free.

  With no way to keep track of time, after an hour or maybe six had passed, she felt pleasantly tired. Her stomach rumbled with hunger.

  Now, she would hunt. She scented and trailed a wild pig, bringing down the small boar and ripping his throat out before eating her fill. She forgot to be on the watch for danger. Sated, happy, she grew careless.

  Cardinal rule of shifters—always remain alert for danger. If one eye closed, keep the other eye open.

  She nearly stumbled upon Bettina, crouched and hiding in a small grove of leafy trees. The wind blew in the wrong direction, carrying Bettina’s scent away from her. If the woman hadn’t made a sudden move, Jewel would have walked into a trap.

  Disbelieving that she’d actually seen the woman before she’d scented her, Jewel backed quietly away to hide in tall grass and watch. The wind shifted and now she caught Bettina’s scent, wrinkling her snout at the mingled odors of perfume and perspiration. As a wolf, her sense of smell was forty times that of a human.

  She crouched low to the ground and hid under a group of bushes, watching. Bettina! The woman who’d claimed Colton had beaten her to within an inch of her life.

  The woman was up to no good. As a matter of fact, even as a wolf, Jewel realized Bettina’s presence could only mean one thing.

  Somehow, Leo had found her.

  As wolf, Jewel wanted to take Bettina down. She readied herself for the leap, tensing her strong leg muscles, glad of her lithe, sleek strength.

  But, at the last minute, she hesitated. The human side of her, in charge for so long, held her wolf-self back.

  She stumbled. Leaves rustled.

  At the sound, Bettina spun. Too late, Jewel saw the tranquilizer gun in the woman’s hand. She knew an instant’s sharp pinprick of pain as the dart struck, then nothing.

  Colton saw the bat coming and dodged, just enough for the blow to glance off his shoulder rather than his head. He staggered back, thinking fast. “What the hell, Roy? Why are you doing this?”

  “Because of what you did to Bettina, you bastard.” Roy came at him again.

  Colton dodged. “I don’t even know her.”

  “So you say,” Roy spat. “But she told me. She knew you before, when you were still married. She told me all about what you did. She wasn’t lying. She loved you, Colton. And I love her. I dated Reba as a ploy to get her to help us. And Bettina knows Leo.” He swung the bat again.

  Colton leaped up, snatching it out of midair. Swing interrupted, Roy stumbled as Colton jerked him toward himself.

  The bat went flying, slamming into the wall and knocking down the clock, which shattered.

  Colton grabbed Roy, twisting him and holding his arms. “You’re crazy, Roy. Think. You’ve known me for years. You know better.”

  “How many times do I have to say it? I saw what you did to Bettina,” Roy snarled. “You’re going to pay.”

  “I don’t have time for this.” Colton shook the man. “Where’s Jewel?”

  “If I say I don’t know,” Roy taunted, “are you going to beat it out of me?”

  “Don’t tempt me. I’ll ask one more time. Where’s Jewel?”

  “Bettina said she was taking her to Dallas. To Leo.”

  “Why? Why would you help a criminal like him?”

  “To punish you,” Roy bit out. “You always thought you were superior, even back at Channel Four. Everyone loved you, until you turned your back on them and left town.” He snorted. “You even refused to come back, even though you had a job most men would kill for handed to you on a silver platter. What makes you think you’re so much better than me?”

  Colton didn’t even bother to try and dignify that comment. “Jewel doesn’t deserve this. Leo will kill her.”

  Roy frowned. “What her own husband does with her is not my problem.”

  “Ex-husband.” Colton ground out the words.

  “Whatever. All I know is, Leo promised to pay. Bettina delivers her, Leo hands over the money. And we escape to Trinidad.”

  “Bettina left you here. Do you really think she’ll come back?”

  “She doesn’t have to.” Roy laughed. “I’m supposed to go there, too. With you. Leo plans to make you pay for touching his woman.”

  “Jewel is not his woman.” Colton let Roy go, shoving him away hard. Snatching up the baseball bat, Colton brandished it over one shoulder as he backed toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” Roy asked, sneering.

  “After them. I’ve got to save Jewel.”

  “Oh, yeah? How are you gonna find them?”

  “Good point.” Colton grabbed the rope that had bound Roy earlier. “Hands behind your back. You’re coming with me and you’re going to show me the way.”

  “Works for me.” Roy grinned without a trace of fear. “All they said was
to bring you. They didn’t say how.”

  Colton drove like a madman. An hour later, they’d reached Fort Worth. Speeding through the mid-cities was tricky. He knew from experience that there were a lot of speed traps. Sill, he kept the accelerator to the floor.

  His luck held. No one stopped him.

  When he finally exited 183 and drove to an industrial area of Dallas, he made the final turn and realized Roy had directed him to an abandoned warehouse.

  Parking, he glanced around. The area appeared deserted, though he knew that wasn’t true.

  Most of the windows were either boarded up or protected with black, wrought-iron burglar bars. The sidewalks were deserted; not even a stray vagrant cluttered the doorways.

  A bad part of town. But perfect for whatever Leo had in mind.

  Colton looked around for observers or cameras. He saw nothing. Good. He glanced at his passenger, still tied. Roy stared back, smirking.

  Reaching into the glove box, Colton pulled out Jewel’s pistol, glad he had the weapon. Remembering what she’d said, he loaded the silver bullets, slipping the metal box in his back pocket in case he needed more ammo. Then, turning to Roy, he slammed him on the back of the head with the butt of the gun, knocking him unconscious. Colton got out of the Jeep.

  A movement made him tense. The warehouse door slowly opened. Heart pounding, he watched, waiting.

  But the door only swung in the breeze. No one appeared behind it, though whoever had opened it could have moved back into the shadows.

  Taking a deep breath, Colton prayed for strength. Then he headed for the door.

  Whatever drugs the dart gun had carried hit Jewel hard, though not hard enough to keep her from changing back to human. Several times, she struggled to swim up to the edge of consciousness. Each time she slid back down into the black hole of oblivion before she could break the surface of the water. It didn’t surprise her, this subconscious use of water analogies. The lake—and Colton—had become the center of her existence, a shining symbol of hope.

  She refused to let that spark go out.

  Stubborn, she kept trying. She wanted to open her eyes. But the lids felt too heavy. Finally, after her fifth or fiftieth attempt, she succeeded. They’d put her in a small, windowless room. Most likely a storage closet. There were no clocks, no pictures, nothing but unfinished walls and the cold cement floor. She had no idea how much time had passed—hours or days—but she was still alive.

  Leo would keep her that way, until he’d had his fun. Knowing him, the sadistic bastard would torture her for months, maybe years, until she finally expired or he accidentally killed her.

  But she was still optimistic. She had one advantage. Unless Bettina’d had time to tell, Leo didn’t know she could change again. If she could speed up the process of becoming a wolf, she could rip out his throat before he had time to change himself. Not entirely impossible, and right now, her only chance.

  Clank. The sound of a lock turning, a bolt sliding back. Unable to help herself, she tensed, then feigned unconsciousness. Eyes screwed shut, she worked to slow her breathing, to steady the fine trembling of her hands.

  The door opened with a creak. Someone entered the room.

  Despite herself, her nostrils flared. Leo’s scent. Pungent. Strong. Evil. She swallowed hard.

  He didn’t speak and she kept her eyes closed. She heard the sound of metal rasping against metal. Her heart started pounding, feeling as though it would leap from her chest. Had he brought a knife? Knowing he could cut her until her skin shredded like ribbon and she wouldn’t die?

  Giving up the pretense, she raised her head and saw he waited, silently watching her. Silver glinted in his hands. Not a knife, but some kind of pendant. Prison hadn’t changed him as far as she could tell; if anything the experience had taught him to hone his cruelty to an even sharper edge. His dark gaze glinted with malice.

  “Finally, the princess awakes.”

  Princess had been his nickname for her, given only when he meant to do something painful to her to give himself pleasure. Unable to help herself, she shuddered. His voice repulsed her. She knew if she could succeed in keeping her face expressionless, not allowing him to see her instinctive terror, he wouldn’t be pleased. Good. He was going to hurt her no matter what. She’d deny him his satisfaction as long as she could.

  She gave him her best blank stare. “Why don’t you kill me now and be done with this, Leo.”

  Though she’d expected it, his laugh chilled her to the marrow of her bones. “Now that would deprive me of my fun, wouldn’t it? You know better than anyone I’ve always found my greatest pleasure in torture.”

  At least he didn’t try to claim she’d enjoyed his vile acts, too.

  “What, nothing to say?” he taunted. “Cat got your tongue?”

  Though she wanted to speak, to pop off some snappy and snide comment, the old terror clogged her throat. Too many years of conditioning and pain, too many times of being shown exactly who was boss in their marriage, and why.

  Heart pounding, she had to look away. Looking at him sickened her.

  As if he knew, he came closer. She tried to lift her hands and dimly realized she was tied. “How did you find me?”

  His grin was pure evil. “Your necklace. That stupid, ugly piece of jewelry you never took off. When you sent it off for repair that time, I had a tracking device installed in the wolf charm. That way, I always knew where you were.”

  She closed her eyes. He’d even defiled the one thing she’d thought solely hers. Opening them again, she chanced a quick glance at him before staring at the wall to his right. “From prison?”

  “I had help.” Glee rang in his voice. “Though keeping you from changing was all me.”

  Since she knew he’d tell her whether she wanted to know or not, she kept silent.

  “Contacts been bothering you lately?”

  “What?” She couldn’t believe he’d managed to do something to her contacts. “How?”

  “The solution.” Grin full of pride, he tilted his head. “You always bought two large bottles of cleaning solution, so you’d have a backup. I doctored those.”

  So every time she’d cleaned her contacts, she’d dosed herself again. When she’d lost the bottle in the fire and had purchased a new untainted bottle, she’d finally been able and change. In the meantime, Leo’s interference had nearly killed her. Hellhounds, how she hated this man.

  “Now it’s your turn to talk.” His voice turned serious. “I’ve heard you took another lover.”

  From past experience, she knew if she argued, or even spoke, his punishment would be even more harsh.

  When she didn’t respond, he moved closer still. Close enough that his breath tickled her cheek, close enough for him to change and rip out her throat, if he wanted.

  “He’s on his way here. I’ll let you watch me kill him for daring to touch you. You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”

  Pain knifed through her. Despite that, she lifted her chin and met his gaze, her own unflinching. The depths of the fury simmering in his eyes told her he meant his words.

  Of course he did. Leo Licciardoni always killed when he said he would. He believed that alone made him a man of his word, despite his many other lies.

  He turned to go, pausing to let his gaze roam over her in such an intimate way he made her shudder.

  “By the way,” he said, his tone indifferent. “I got rid of your parents, too. Their car crash? Me. The ensuing fire? Yep, you guessed it. Once they were gone, you had nowhere left to turn, now did you?”

  Flabbergasted, her shock turned to rage. “If you’d told me that when we were married, I would have found a way to kill you, even if I had to kill myself to do it.”

  The bastard laughed. “I should have told you. It would have been fun to let you try.” Shoving a gag in her mouth, he tied it tightly and left, closing the door behind him.

  Though tears prickled at her eyes, she refused to cry. No way would she give Leo the sati
sfaction. He’d killed her parents. How she despised him. And now Colton’s life was in danger because of her.

  She had to figure out a way to save him.

  Chapter 14

  Taking a deep breath, Colton entered the building. Damp and gloomy, the smell of musk and perspiration brought to mind death and decay.

  Where was Jewel? Was she being held here?

  He moved forward. His footsteps echoed on concrete, making the dust swirl. Looking down, he could see other footprints had disturbed the dusty layers. Mixed among the human marks, he saw animal tracks, like those of a large dog or a…wolf.

  Jewel? Or worse, had Leo become his wolf alter ego?

  Colton continued on. Now he had the advantage. Unless Leo’s men had seen him enter, they weren’t expecting him yet. They were waiting for Roy to bring him, bound and unconscious.

  His plan was simple. Find Jewel, get out, call the police.

  He’d accomplished the first objective rather easily. So easily, he felt the wrongness in the air like an electrical charge on his skin. He moved across the large room toward the office area and looked in the first small office. There he found Jewel, gagged and tied to a chair.

  Not questioning blind luck, he freed her and helped her to her feet.

  “Come with me.”

  Instead of moving, she stared at him hard. “No. This is a trap! You’re not safe.” Yanking her hand from his, she gave him a shove. “Go.”

  “And leave you? No way.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door. “Let’s go.”

  Though she gave him an exasperated look, she went with him, rushing toward the door and freedom.

  Halfway across the main room, they heard a click. A supernova of light flashed, blinding them. Someone had turned on an immense spotlight, trained only on Colton.

  Pinned in the illumination, a highlighted target, they froze. Caught in a spider’s web. If the bad guys were going to shoot them, Colton couldn’t see to fight back.

  Despite that, the gun felt heavy in his pocket, its weight reassuring. Maybe having it loaded with silver bullets was only foolishness, but after what he’d seen Jewel do, he couldn’t help but believe.