“My mother has something that is dear to me. I need your help to get it back and then I need you to promise that you will take us somewhere safe. I have nowhere to go and I need help with, well I need help.”
“Of course, no one should be held against their will. I’ll do all I can to help you. I’m not saying that’s a whole lot right now, but I will do anything I can and if we can escape, I will make sure they protect you.”
“Do you really mean that?”
Harmony’s hands shook and she clasped them together.
“I do.” Shauna nodded. “I swear it.”
She finished cutting through the rope and shook it off. She rubbed her raw wrist, it stung, but she would worry about that later. Harmony walked quickly to the back of the room and tugged a heavy looking table away from the wall. She then opened what looked like a trap door in the floor and disappeared inside. Shauna heard snarling, but Harmony kept her voice calm as she spoke to whatever was down there. When she climbed back up she wasn’t alone, there was a man with her.
“This is my half-brother, Reed, he is like your son and I love him. Please, help us. Help us escape? Help me find someone that can help my brother?”
Reed looked around with wild eyes, more animal than man, but Harmony held tight to his arm.
“He is like my… Oh my God. He’s a hybrid...you?” Shauna stammered.
Harmony nodded. “He is. I’m not. I’m older. My dad died when I was two. Mom married Reed’s dad a year later. The rest will have to wait, but he is like your son. I love my brother and if Pete and Douglas find him, they will kill him.”
Reed’s eyes burned with hatred as he looked at Shauna, but he made no move to hurt her.
“Will he hurt me?” Shauna asked.
Harmony shook her head. “We have to hurry. Don will come out to check on you after mama falls asleep and you don’t want to be here when he does.”
That sounded ominous and Shauna agreed that she didn’t want to find out what he would do during his visit. She nodded and followed Harmony as she and Reed slipped from the shed. They were like shadows and Shauna had a hard time keeping up with them in the pitch darkness.
A beam of light pierced the night as it bobbled near the house.
“He’s coming.” Harmony hissed and the terror was clear in her voice.
Shauna could feel the heat as it emanated from Reed, he was struggling with a change, trying to hold on to his human form. She reached out and touched his arm, he was so hot he almost burned her.
“You must stay in control. You must fight. I swear I will help you, but you must stay in control. Can you?”
His eyes glowed yellow in the darkness and Shauna saw something that made her heart sink, he couldn’t fight it much longer. She stumbled back, fear making her thoughts scatter as she realized that she was in far more danger with Reed than with Don.
“He will be fine, he can do this, but we need to hurry.” Harmony whispered.
They heard a shout and a curse from the shed and lights flooded from the scummy windows.
“Harmony! You will pay for this you little bitch!” Don screamed.
“Oh no.” Harmony’s voice shook.
“Let’s go.” Shauna grabbed Harmony’s hand and took off through the forest. No one could track them in this darkness, at least not quickly. With any luck, they would be safe before the sun rose and they lost their advantage, but Don didn’t seem to understand that plan. He plunged after them, keeping his light on the ground. He seemed to be able to track them without sight.
Reed was shaking. “I can’t go any further. I’m sorry sister. I’ll hold him off.” He whispered a moment before a monster wolf ripped from his body. Shauna had never seen a wolf that huge. He towered over them, as big as a car, but he was focused on the threat that approached. He nudged Harmony with his nose.
“No!” Harmony shouted, but it was too late, Reed was charging toward Don.
Shauna tugged at Harmony’s arm. “We have to keep going. Reed can take care of himself.”
“No! You don’t understand. Don isn’t human. He will kill my brother if I don’t go back. I have to go back.” Harmony fought against Shauna’s hold. Shauna did the only thing that came to mind, she slapped the shit out of Harmony.
“Do you think he changed so you would go back? Do you think that is what he just did for you? Are you really that fucking stupid? He is giving us a chance to escape. Will you let that go to waste?” Her heart sank as she remembered the words Ricky had said to her in the cab of his truck earlier that day. “He wants you to get away and be happy.”
Harmony paused, but shook her head. “This way, the road is this way and we can find town.”
She didn’t speak for long moments, the sound of battle raged behind them, but they didn’t look back. Branches tugged at them as they ran, snagging pieces of them as they made their escape, but Shauna knew Harmony was leaving a far bigger piece of herself behind.
Shauna let out a breathless scream when she ran into something solid and arms the size of tree trunks wrapped around her. She heard Harmony fighting and assumed she was also caught, but how had they gotten to them so fast?
How had they known? Had it all been a trap?
She cursed and fought like a demon, but his grip didn’t loosen, she was trapped.
14
Ricky crept through the dense underbrush and tried not to make a sound. Losing Shauna made him jumpy and he felt on edge, and if he were honest, it was making him crazier than a one-legged duck. He stepped on a twig and the snap seemed to echo through the stillness of the night. He saw Clothesline’s eyes shining in the darkness, he asked a silent question.
“I’m fine.” Ricky whispered, but he wasn’t fine. He may never be fine again. His wolf had chosen a woman he couldn’t have and Ricky was living on borrowed time. His wolf would have her or he’d rip Ricky apart. That would force River to put him down and Ricky really didn’t want that to happen
They crept further into the forest, smells assaulted Ricky’s nose, smells that had no place mingling with the pines in the Indiana forest.
“What the hell is that?” Line whispered.
“Panther. Fucking panther.” Books whispered and he didn’t sound happy. “We may need a little help here boys. If there is more than one, they will fuck us up.”
There was a shout, a name, Harmony. Then a scream.
“No time.” Ricky ran toward the sound. It wasn’t long until other sounds erupted. Something big battled ahead of them and something else was headed their way. He didn’t care what he was headed for, he knew that scent and he would give his life for her.
“Shauna.” Ricky breathed. She was running toward him and she didn’t smell like a scared rabbit, she smelled pissed off. She ran straight into him and he wrapped her in his arms before he could help himself. She went on the defensive and started fighting. He let out a laugh when she took a bite out of his shoulder.
“Shauna, it’s me darlin’, calm down.” She stopped struggling. She stood perfectly still for what seemed like forever and then she wrapped her arms around him.
“I knew you’d come for me. I knew you would.”
Her body shook in his arms, her strength draining away.
“I’ll always come for you darlin’.” He whispered.
“That sounds like something Pie would say.” Clothesline snorted out a laugh and then he groaned. “Would someone tell this little hell cat that she’s safe before she knocks my nuts into my throat?”
Shauna laughed. “Harmony, it’s ok. They are the rescue party.”
“We aren’t the ones needing to be rescued.” Harmony’s voice broke and for the first time Shauna realized how quiet the forest had grown.
“Who is the panther Harmony?” Books asked. “We need to know what we are dealing with.”
“My step father and he’s fighting my brother. Please, please help him. He’s like you. He’s a wolf.”
Books spoke in a soothing voice. “We’ll help h
im, but we need to keep you safe. I think he would want that more than anything right now.”
“Good luck with that.” The low snarling voice came from the darkness, but Ricky could smell the monster.
“No.” Harmony’s voice was hollow.
Shauna understood, it meant that Reed was either dead or injured too badly to keep the panther at bay.
“If you think we are afraid of you, you need to think again Pussycat. I have a feeling you know who we are and what we do. You don’t even register on our fear scale.” Ricky laughed.
“Just shows you for the fool you are.”
The monster stepped into the moonlight, he was covered in deep gashes, but he didn’t seem bothered by them. He wore a smile when he looked over at Harmony.
“Your mama never figured it out. Made it all the sweeter.” He sent Harmony a wink. “You’ll come on back with me now and take the punishment you’re owed. We can let this little whore go on with these dogs and we won’t tell your mama. We’ll say you tried to stop her, that that dog kin of yours helped her. He’s dead by the way and that’s all on you too. No one will care and no one will miss him. You betrayed him.”
Ricky couldn’t keep the snarl from his voice. “You’re a fucking lunatic if you think she’s going anywhere with you.”
“Oh, she’ll go and when we get back, she’ll spread those pretty white thighs for me too. Won’t you Harmony?”
“I’d rather die!” Harmony screamed.
“Ahhhh, yes, but would you rather your mama die?” He crossed his arms casually and Ricky knew this was a game he was used to playing. “You already killed your brother. Will you kill your mama too, just because you’re a selfish little bitch?”
“No.” Harmony whispered.
Clothesline cursed. “No. No fucking way are we letting that girl go one damned step with you.” He stepped over to Harmony. She was shaking. “Look at me now sweetheart. You walked away from this shit tonight and you knew that your mama would have to handle herself. You walked away to help Shauna and to help your brother. This is nothing different. Your mama ain’t no saint, but we will help her if we get the chance.”
“He’ll kill you too.” She sniffled as she looked up at Clothesline.
Clothesline grinned a grin that made Ricky shiver. It wasn’t a pretty sight and it promised bloodshed.
“Nobody can kill me sweetheart.” He ran his finger across the long scar across his neck. “My own daddy tried and others have too. This fucker ain’t strong enough to kill me. Nobody is unless I say so and tonight ain’t the night to say so.”
He turned and before Ricky could blink, a huge silver wolf burst from Clothesline’s body and he charged.
“Guess that’s that.” Books said. “Stay out of the way ladies and I pray to God neither of you’s squeamish. This will get messy as fuck.”
Then he let his animal out. Ricky followed suit. They attacked as one and the giant panther swatted at them, but he couldn’t fight them all. They were relentless in their attack. They took damage, more than a little, but they kept at him. It took more than an hour, but eventually he lay in the dirt covered in blood.
Ricky didn’t look at Shauna when it was all over, he just used his nose to find Harmony’s brother.
He was in bad shape, but alive, barely. If he was lucky, very lucky, he would pull through.
15
Shauna’s whole body shook from exhaustion, but she wasn’t hurt. If she was rational she would call it shock, but she couldn’t think that clearly. Ricky handed her a bundle of clothes and she was grateful to pull on a soft pair of pants and a thick sweatshirt. The material chafed against her raw skin, but it helped fend off the chill of the night. She caught him watching her, assessing her.
“I don’t need to go to the damned hospital. Ricky, I swear, if you keep me away from Dakota one moment longer than is absolutely necessary, I will rip your face off. I want to go home.” Tears thickened her voice. “Please take me home.
He sighed and the slight curve of his lips only make her angrier.
“Don’t you dare laugh at me either. I’ve been through hell. I’ve had my skin scrubbed off and starved and chased by an insane person. I want to go home. I want my baby.” Her voice shook showing more weakness than she wanted him to see.
“I wouldn’t dream of it sweetheart.” He said, but he was grinning like an idiot now. “You deserve to have anything you want.” His face grinned, but his eyes showed a deep sadness.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Shauna frowned.
“Not one damned thing.”
“Then why are you grinning like you’ve lost your mind?”
“You called my place home. I like the way that sounds.”
She raised a brow.
“Damn it Shauna, for the first time in my whole damned life, something is going right. You don’t smell hurt to me so let’s get the hell out of here. I want to feed you and wrap you up safe and sound and fuck! I want to keep you.”
“Keep me? I think we have a long way to go before I can agree to anything.”
Ricky cursed and looked up at the stars. There were millions of them out, but whatever he’d searched for wasn’t there.
“Oh hell. Just get on the damned bike and we can talk about it later.”
Shauna was more than a little confused, but she was too tired to argue. She climbed on his bike and held on as they sped away from the hospital. Clothesline had insisted on staying behind to protect Harmony and Reed. Poor Reed was in bad shape, but Ricky had been certain he’d pull through. Shifter healing was an amazing thing.
It seemed like only a few seconds before Ricky was pulling up in front of his little cabin, which scared Shauna more than a little. She’d actually fallen asleep on the back of his Harley.
“It’s alright sweetheart, I had you.” He whispered as he wrapped an arm around her and led her up the front steps. She reached for the door, but he stopped her. The uncertainty in his eyes made the fog in her mind clear for a few minutes.
“What’s the matter? Is something wrong?” She asked, almost panicked.
“No. Everything’s fine, but I need to tell you something and I need you to listen.”
“Ricky, I’m too tired.”
He shook his head. “It’s waited too long. You were right about what happened with Maverick. I was there when he died, but I didn’t just murder him. He called me because he knew I would give him honor.” He looked away. “I fought him. It took us two hours to give out and I was pretty sure I’d die right along with him, probably would have if Lucian hadn’t come alone and patched me up. Wolves believe that if they don’t die an honorable death that they can’t rest in peace. I wanted to give that to Mav. I would have given my own life to do that for him.”
Shauna was crying. Her body shook with the sobs, but she understood and she couldn’t hate him for what he was. She looked up into his sky-blue eyes and saw tears.
“He was the closest thing I had left to family.” He whispered and she watched one tear slowly roll down his face.
“I’m so sorry Ricky.” She held him tighter and stood there with him in the glow of the porch light.
“There’s more.” He said and took a deep breath.
Shauna wasn’t sure she was ready for more, but she would listen.
“My wolf chooses you. I can’t change that, but I will stay away if you want me to. He will still bring you breakfast and still guard you, but I will stay clear.”
She leaned on him. “I don’t want that.”
He let out a breath that seemed to deflate him. “Thank God.” He lifted her chin and kissed her like he was starving for her. “I know we have shit to work on, but this is it for me. You need to understand that.”
“I do.” Her voice was breathless as she looked up at him.
“Now get in there and see the kid, he’s been worried sick.”
She started to walk past him and stopped to look up into his eyes. “Thank you, Ricky. Just, thank you for al
l of it, even the hard parts, even the parts I don’t understand. If it was what needed to be done, thank you for it.” Her heart broke as she said the words, but in her heart, she meant them. If Maverick called Ricky, he’d trusted him to do the right thing and she loved him for being strong enough to do it.
His eyes were damp when she left him there, but she didn’t see it as weakness. She saw it as love.
15
Ricky couldn’t sleep. He had an itch on the back of his neck that promised trouble. He slipped from his bed where his mate lay spent under his covers. He crept out onto his back porch and lifted his nose to the air.
There.
Subtle, but there.
He caught the scent again as the breeze ruffled his hair.
“I don’t know who the fuck you are or why you’re in my territory, but I do know I’m gonna fucking hurt you.”
He stepped to the edge of his porch and took a deep breath. The night carried a chill in the air that had him wishing he’d pulled on his boxers, but the strange scent stayed illusive.
“I know how to help your alpha.” The voice snarled from the darkness raised the hair along Ricky’s neck.
“Tell me then.” Ricky tried to see through the trees, but couldn’t make out the man he knew stood less than twenty feet from him.
“I left him a gift with the tiger. You tell him, tell River. If he wants enough to survive, he needs to find me.”
“I’ll tell him. Who the fuck are you?” Ricky demanded.
“You tell him blood heals blood. He’ll understand. It’s in his hands now.”
There was no sound, not even one leaf rustled, but Ricky knew the man was gone. He stepped into the woods and used his nose to find where the stranger had been, but the scent wasn’t any stronger there than it had been by the porch.
Who the fuck was that?
He ran inside and grabbed his clothes. When he was dressed he leaned over Shauna.
“Got club business darlin. I’ll send Mouse over or somebody. You’re safe”
She mumbled something incoherent and he smiled as he leaned in to kiss her.
Ricky: Howlers MC : Book 2 Page 7