by V. Vaughn
“I agree,” Patricia says. “The ones that delayed me make me think they’re on to us.”
I whisper to Lily, “She’s got that right.”
I don’t buy that my grandmother would consider a relationship with a human unless there was an ulterior motive, but I must admit she’s pretty convincing. Especially when she leans over to kiss the man before they drive off.
When Lily turns on the car, the engine rumbles, and I communicate with Keith. “Patricia and a human are on their way. We’ll follow at a safe distance.”
Keith replies, “Stay back when you get here. We’ve got it under control.”
My instinct is to object, but I let it go and reply, “We will.”
I relay the message to Lily, and we fall silent. Determination to be a capable warrior sets in. Stepping away and waiting feels so wrong, but I’m not ready to fight like a werebear. I glance over at Lily and think about how she started off just like me. She managed to become a capable leader. As the alpha I’ll be stronger, especially with Keith by my side. I realize Lily makes a competent sidekick too.
I say, “Lily, I know I’ve mentioned how much I’d like you to be part of the Veilleux leadership, but I’ve decided I want more from you. What would you think about being my right-hand woman?”
Lily bows her head slightly before she speaks. “I’d be honored.”
I touch her shoulder, and she raises her gaze up to mine. “Me too. I think along with Keith we’re just what the Veilleux clan needs.”
The rear lights of the SUV we’re following flicker as the driver taps on the brakes as if they’re unsure of their speed. A year ago I was having dreams that made me question everything, but now, I’ve realized those dreams and am excited about what’s to come.
Chapter 7
Isabelle
A large SUV that makes me think “soccer mom” pulls into the driveway of the farmhouse. The doors click open, and a human-sized man exits the driver’s side while a thin, tall woman steps out of the passenger door. I inhale slowly and identify from her scent that she’s a werebear. As the couple moves to the porch to greet the guard, light illuminates them, and Tristan’s communication confirms the woman is Patricia.
The moment the front door shuts behind Patricia and her companion, Tristan orders us to get in place. Tristan will disable the guard and instruct the men to work on the trailer. As soon as they’re in and opening the cages, my brother will count down for our ambush on the farmhouse. The commotion will allow the hostage rescue to happen undetected, because if all goes as planned, this group of hunters won’t be able to harm another werebear ever again.
I listen as Jean Luc and I make our way toward the back of the house. A woman speaks, and her voice is harsh. I assume it is Patricia speaking. She says, “There’s been a change of plans. We need to transport the animals tonight.” If that’s Patricia, her choice of words is odd considering we call ourselves werebear.
A man says, “But we’re not due at the lab until the morning. Is it safe to wait in the parking lot with the trailer, or should we take a long route?”
Lab? Do they plan on studying Lucy and the triplets like mice?
“I think killing time on the road is best,” says the woman. “The animals are searching for the hostages, so let’s make it as difficult as possible.”
Another man scoffs, “Like they’re smart enough.”
They think we’re stupid?
The woman snaps back, “Underestimating them is what got men killed in Canada. You’d be wise to remember that.”
Tristan’s countdown begins in my head, and I tap it out on Jean Luc’s arm. After the second beat, we move. The back door splinters under my foot with my kick. The impact radiates up my leg as glass shatters from Brady and the others crashing through the windows. Jean Luc and I thud over the broken door when we enter. Gun safeties click as the hunters scramble to protect themselves, but they’re now surrounded by eight werebear holding them at gunpoint. Tristan’s loud voice calls attention his way as he says, “Yes. You would be wise to remember that.”
He nods toward Patricia. “You. Are you in charge of this?” I do a quick head count and discover we’re up against six male hunters beyond Patricia. The scent of their fear is disgusting, and I crinkle my nose.
Patricia glares at my brother, and her bear flashes in her vivid green eyes as she says, “Go ahead and shoot, but there’re millions of humans like us waiting to rid the world of your kind.”
“Tell me why, Patricia,” says Tristan.
The man next to her scowls as he asks, “How does he know your name?”
She ignores him and says to Tristan, “Don’t act like we don’t know what you have planned for the human race. You’ve already taken young women and forced them to be animals in order to keep your species alive.”
Species? The pieces of the puzzle snap into place. Patricia’s pretending to be a human. But I don’t have time to process the information, because a blast rings out, and one of our men jolts from the impact of a gunshot. I yell as he staggers back. “No!”
Earlier I instructed everyone to stop shooting the moment they saw a flash of purple. Our ace in the hole is my shield, because it will bounce the bullets back at the hunters, making it look as if they shot themselves when the police arrive on the scene. I throw my hands out as magic bursts from my fingertips. I create a tube-like tunnel that runs around the perimeter of the room to enclose the team of werebear. It’s more complex than a simple dome, but it happens quickly. The hunters don’t get another shot off until we’re protected from their bullets. And as we planned, all hell breaks loose when they open fire. The bullets from their guns ricochet back, and we watch as they drop like flies.
Sweat slicks my skin as I tremble with the power exiting my body to maintain our shelter. I catch a glimpse of Patricia. She somehow managed to shift. Our bear form can handle a stray bullet much better than our human body can, and I think she’s had to have taken a hit but is pushing past the pain. She launches herself up and over my barrier to land on the other side in a somersault move that takes her out the door. Because we’re trapped by my protective wall, nobody can go after her right away. Panic makes me dart my eyes around as I try to decide if I should drop it and take a chance one of the hunters is still able to kill.
Tristan decides for me. “Hold the barrier, Isabelle.”
Now my whole body is quaking as I hang on with all I’ve got. Tristan glances around as warriors train their guns on the slain hunters, and when he determines we’re safe, he says, “Drop it.”
I release the wall as Brady growls. My relief makes me crumble to my knees in exhaustion. Brady says, “Keith.” The two shift immediately to go after Patricia. Carly is so pregnant she’d struggle to protect herself, and I’m sure Brady can’t think of anything else.
Bones crack, and I turn as a hunter falls from Ryan’s hands to thud to the floor. He must have snapped the man’s neck to finish him off. My energy is sapped from my use of magic, and Jean Luc tilts his head at me in concern.
I say, “I’m fine.” I gaze at the death before me. Blood pools around the bodies of men whose lives I just ended. A needless loss based on the fear of the unknown. Patricia’s words ring in my head. There’re millions of humans like us waiting to rid the world of your kind. I wonder if this is just the beginning.
Ashton leads the warriors to clean up the carnage as Jean Luc takes my arm to help me up to my feet. “You’re not fine, ma chérie. Come.” He walks me outside, and I watch as men carry an unconscious Lucy and the triplets to our vehicles. A car’s wheels crunch over the dirt as it approaches the scene, and when it stops, Lily and Tori get out.
Tristan heads over to them to talk. When he’s done, he turns to me and waves me over to say, “Lily will drive you and Jean Luc back.”
I frown, because I expected to help transport Lucy and the girls. Tristan adds, “What you did was amazing, Izzy. You had to have used up most of your energy.”
Jean L
uc says, “She’s weak. She needs food and rest.”
Tristan touches my arm in a familiar gesture as he says, “You protected us, and I’d feel better if you were the one being protected right now.”
I nod. The idea of a hot meal and sleep is appealing. Lily says, “I know a place around here with the best poutine you’ve ever tasted.”
The thought of French fries smothered in cheese and gravy makes my mouth water. Jean Luc grins. “No, that will not do.” His thick Canadian accent makes Lily and Tori grin back as he adds, “Perhaps I make you mine, no?”
Lily says, “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.” She pulls the door open to her backseat, and I climb in. Even my bones ache as if I’d had a killer workout, and I lean my head back to close my eyes.
Jean Luc slides in next to me and places an arm around my shoulders to pull me close. His chest is warm under my cheek as I nestle into the crook of his arm. He whispers, “Once again, you’ve saved me. Sleep, ma chérie, and let me save you.”
I let out a small moan and respond telepathically. “You save me every day, mon cher. Every day.”
Chapter 8
Annie
Sven struggled to stay awake as he continued to try to communicate with Lucy, but sheer fatigue from his ordeal took over, and now he’s asleep. With nothing to do as I wait for news, I make my way downstairs. It’s well past midnight, and when I glance out the window I notice more lights are off over at the De Rozier dorm. Two males are on the porch with what I suspect is an unofficial night watch, and I detect their low voices as they discuss their love lives.
Two guards are watching my house, but they’re more discreet, and I wonder where they’re stationed. While I’m not one to live in fear, my lack of something to do has me on edge, and my senses are on high alert. I give in to my urge to bake to occupy my time. My industrial mixer motor whines as it kneads dough, and metal pans clatter on the counter when I set them out.
Tristan speaks to me. “It’s done. The hunters are dead, and we’re on our way home with Lucy and the girls.”
I breathe a sigh of relief as I flip off the mixer. “I’m so glad. Is anyone hurt?”
“The triplets and Lucy are still sedated but appear to be fine. One of the Le Roux was shot, but he should recover easily.”
I think about Brady and wonder if he knows Carly is in labor yet. I haven’t heard from her and am tempted to contact my brother, but I’m sure his hands are full. I’m the last thing he has on his mind, as it should be, and I decide to let them update me when they’re ready. I say to Tristan, “I can’t wait to have my family back home.”
“We can’t wait to be there.” He pauses for a moment and then adds, “This isn’t over, Annie. I think there are more hunters out there.”
My brow furrows as I answer, “All the more reason we need the clans to be united as one. The only way we’re going to survive is with numbers.”
“And magic. You should have seen Isabelle tonight. She created a shield around us that kept us safe and bounced the bullets back at the hunters that shot them. It was amazing.”
Pride is in Tristan’s voice, and it makes me smile. Isabelle has come back to him. While I’m not completely comfortable with her yet, perhaps I can find a way to forgive her the way I’ve forgiven my mate. “That does sound incredible. Maybe she and Carly can train together.” I remember that Carly is in labor and say, “Goodness, I almost forgot. Carly’s babies are on their way. I expect to hear she’s had them by morning.”
“And here I was hoping to sleep in with you. As I recall, we had plans, my love.”
Heat rises to my cheeks when I remember how I wanted to re-bond with my true mate tonight before we discovered Lucy and the girls were kidnapped. I say, “Yes. I believe we did. Babies can wait.”
Tristan’s chuckle sends a tingle of desire through me as I say, “See you soon.”
A huge smile covers my face as I go upstairs to wake Sven. He’s going to be so relieved to know that Lucy is on her way back to him. His breathing is soft when I enter the room, but he jerks under my hand when I touch his shoulder and grabs my fingers as he opens his mouth to reveal fangs. It makes me gasp in pain from his grip and terror.
I scream, “Sven, it’s Annie!”
He groans as he releases me, and he swallows before he whispers, “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I just wanted to let you know that I just spoke with Tristan. He’s on his way home with Lucy and the girls. They’re still sedated, and everyone is okay.”
Sven sits up as joy gives his face life. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. They’ll be here soon.”
Sven lifts his arms slowly over his head and winces, but moves to get out of the bed anyway. I suspect he needs to be with Lucy more than he needs to rest, so I say, “What can I do for you? Should I cook something?”
He nods. “Food would be good. I’m not going to be able to sleep until I can talk to Lucy again.”
“I understand. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
As I make my way down the hall, I shake my head at the irregular thumping of his limp as he moves around his room. That’s one determined polar bear. But I shouldn’t be surprised. True mate love is a powerful thing.
When I get back to my baking, dough is sticky in my hands as I divide it and form loaves to put in the bread pans. The oven timer beeps as I set it, and the vibration of bear feet running toward my house captures my attention. I wonder if a warrior has come to warn me of something. A towel is rough on my palms as I wipe my hands, and my senses kick into high gear. When the back door squeaks open, I move toward it. I gasp when I see Patricia Veilleux, and adrenaline floods my bloodstream. How did she get past the guards?
She’s naked from her shift, and her eyes are wild as she pants from her run. There’s a wound in her shoulder that is an angry shade of red. She says, “Annie, come quick.”
She latches on to my arm before I can back away, and because her claws haven’t quite retracted, they dig into my flesh with sharp pain. My skin prickles with the beginning of an instinctual need to shift as she says, “It’s Tristan.”
“Tristan—” I blink in confusion as she swipes out at my neck. Agony burns at my throat as blood sprays forward. Heat spreads down my chest, and I clasp my hand to my throat to stop my bleeding. I open my mouth to inhale air, but I can’t breathe. Stars float before my eyes as I fall to the floor. I croak out final words to my mate. “I’m dying. I lo—”
The angry roar of a polar bear explodes around me. Patricia’s head is jerked back as it twists too far in a grotesque manner. Like a horror movie, it appears to rip from her body as blood sprays, and warmth covers me as I fade away.
Chapter 9
Isabelle
I bolt up in the backseat of the car as if I’ve been shocked when Tristan’s voice screams in my head, “Isabelle, get to my house, now!”
Jean Luc asks, “What’s wrong?”
My seatbelt clicks as I remove it, and I lean toward Lily, who’s driving the BMW. “I need to get to Tristan’s fast.”
“On it,” she says as she stomps on the gas pedal. “We’re less than five miles away.”
I speak to Tristan telepathically. “We’ll be there in minutes.”
“Oh god, Izzy, it’s Annie. She’s—I need you! You have to heal her!”
Heal? I recall one of my sessions with Tallulah. She discussed how we should explore that avenue with my powers. The Ouellette medicine woman believes I have potential beyond most with magical powers, and she’s quite excited to test out all the things I can do. I’m not so sure and think she might be overly optimistic. But the panic I hear in Tristan’s voice makes me want to try.
A horn blares as we whoosh by a truck. It’s déjà vu from when I first arrived in Maine and was racing in a car to save the Veilleux babies. Annie was the crazy driver that night. Annie. The woman I came here to destroy.
Her death was something I wanted not too long ago. But now...
Jean Luc asks, “What
’s wrong?”
“It’s Annie.” Jean Luc wraps an arm around my shoulders to brace me as I communicate with Tristan. “Talk to me.”
“Patricia attacked her. She sliced Annie’s throat open. HURRY!”
I say out loud, “Patricia got to Annie, and Tristan thinks I can save her.”
Lily says, “Turning!”
I’m grateful Jean Luc is holding me and keeps me from slamming into the door. My strength is lacking, and I have no idea if I’m going to have enough energy to heal Annie. “Jean Luc, what if I can’t save her?”
“Don’t think that. Believe you can.”
We swerve erratically as we travel up the driveway to Tristan and Annie’s house. I’m out the door before Lily comes to a complete stop, and energy I can’t believe I have lets my feet pound up the two stairs to the house. Nadia, a De Rozier I remember being married to Sven, is at the entrance, and she says, “Mudroom,” as I tear by her.
I stop in my tracks the moment I see blood pooled on the floor beneath Annie. More is sprayed on the walls. So. Much. Blood. My stomach lurches as I flash back to the convenience store where Helga had sliced open the throat of a sales clerk. My body trembles, and I’m suddenly lightheaded. Oh god. I can’t do this.
Tristan’s voice pulls me out of my momentary trance. “Save her, please.” His face is tear stained, and I’ve never seen my brother look so weak. So devastated.
I nod and drop to my knees. A straw is sticking out of Annie’s throat, and I realize the extent of the damage as I say, “Hold her head.” Air rasps in and out of Annie’s makeshift windpipe. Sweet Annie, the woman who takes care of everyone around her. A vice grips my heart, and I realize I want her alive. Her death would hurt me. I love someone other than Tristan without a true mate bond?