“I have no idea.”
“So, what can Lautner do to take away the heat?”
Daniel's cheeks flood a deep shade of red as he clears his throat.
“Sex?” I ask, feeling the blood rush to my own.
He nods, keeping his eyes averted. “Only with his mate. That is known to take the edge off.”
“And how is the bond completed?”
“The male will mark the female somewhere on her body during sex, and the female will do the same. The marks will never heal, and the bond is complete.”
“Okay, so why am I not in this mating heat like he is?”
“I don’t know. That’s what the whole pack is wondering.”
I groan, putting my head in my hands. “The whole pack knows,” I mutter.
“Relax, your pack has no idea. Luckily for you, Lautner has always been an unpredictable asshole, so no one is any the wiser. The next forty-eight hours are going to be a right bitch, especially the way Drake hangs off your shoulder. Do you want to marry Drake?”
“I don’t have a choice. My father is a dangerous man. Nothing gets in the way of what he wants. The only way to break the contract is with his permission, and trust me, that’s never going to happen.”
“Well, you need to trust me, Dani. Lautner is far more dangerous than your father could ever be, and you both need each other. Fate bound you both for a reason; just think about that. Look, I need to go. I have some work to do for the pack, but come find me if you need anything?”
I nod, watching him leave, mulling over his words. I want to believe that Daniel is right, that nothing could happen between Lautner and Alianna, but I hate that she is here. It’d been obvious in their behavior they have a history, and the look Alianna had thrown my way this morning was nothing short of a challenge. She wanted him, and she’s not backing down.
Chapter 22
Lautner
Drake and Alpha Cortez are already in wolf form when Seth and I arrive at the clearing. I quickly strip out of my clothes as Seth goes over to get our final instructions from Mick. I can feel Drake's eyes at my back, and my wolf within wants nothing more than to challenge him.
“We’re going east,” Seth replies, coming up behind me. I nod my reply throwing Drake a look over my shoulder as he and Alpha Cortez take off to the south.
As Seth and I shift, I shake out my fur, my eyes lowering to the ground, taking in everything around me in a new light. I loved being a wolf. Everything is magnified. It’s like seeing the world in a whole new way. A woman’s scent lingers in the air as I let it guide me towards a discarded bullet. I raise my head, following it to where it disappears over the ridge. Snorting, I gain Seth’s attention. Now a russet brown wolf, Seth heads over, catching the unfamiliar female scent in the air. I take off over the ridge, the sound of Seth’s paws hitting the wet earth echoing behind me. Suddenly the scent in the air vanishes as I stop. Shifting back, I wait for Seth to catch up.
“Where did it go?” Seth asks, confused, looking around at the empty forest floor.
“I don’t know,” I reply. We were in the middle of a clearing deep in the woods. “She can’t have just vanished.” I take a step forward, my foot catching on something sharp. Shit. Fresh blood pools from a cut on the base of my foot. Bending down, I sweep away at the overgrown grass and weeds, revealing an old metal door.
I whistle to Seth. Understanding me perfectly, he quietly comes over.
“We should head back and tell the others,” Seth whispers.
I shake my head. “No, let’s check it out first. For all we know, it could just be an old preppers’ hideout.” I pull at the old rusted handle, the hinges groaning loudly in protest, revealing a dark pit below. Even with my added wolf sight, it’s hard to see what’s down there. Placing my foot on the old metal ladder, I check their stability, carefully making my way down. As I touch solid ground, I run my fingers along the wall, finally feeling a switch. Light floods the small corridor as Seth comes to a stop behind me.
The bunker has two rooms. The first door I come to opens easily, revealing the largest horde of guns I’d ever seen. There’s everything from AK47s to various pistols and even a grenade launcher.
The last room contains a desk and two filing cabinets. Seth goes straight over to the cabinets, testing the drawers and finding them locked.
“I’ll look for the key,” he says, going over to the desk.
Fuck that. Using my wolf strength, I pull the drawer hard as it opens with a loud bang.
“Shit. Now they’re going to know we’ve been here.”
“Good. They need to know we’re on their asses just as much as they’re on ours. I mean, look at all this shit,” I say, pulling multiple files out in front of me. I flick through the documents filled with information regarding all the local packs, including charts detailing their significant others and mates. They’re thorough. I’ll give them that.
I pick up the file containing my name as I open it up.
Andrews, Lautner. Age twenty-six. Stone Valley Pack Enforcer. Mother: deceased. Father: Andrews, Drew. Whereabouts: unknown. Threat status: High.
Inside there were blueprints for Micks’ place and a few photos of me fighting at the Warehouse.
I continue to search through the records looking for Dani’s.
Cortez, Danika. Age nineteen. Daughter to the Alpha of the Ridgeway Pack. Mother: unknown. Father: Cortez, Ryder. Threat status low: Unable to shift.
What the … how is this even possible. She’s a wolf. I felt her power.
Most females went into transition at the age of twelve when their menstrual cycle started. For males, however, the transition usually began at around sixteen. What the hell had happened to Dani? I quickly shove the papers back into the cabinet as Seth comes to a stop behind me.
“You find anything else?” he asks.
“Yeah, they have all our geniality here, for fuck’s sake. Names, addresses, mates, marriages, kids. It’s like looking at a fucked-up version of this is your life.”
“How the hell do they know all this stuff?” Seth asks.
“No idea, but someone’s been talking. What did you find?”
“They like to keep pictures of their kills.” He motions with his head to a board on the far wall I’d yet to notice. I head over for a better look. Polaroids decorated the wall, depicting numerous dead shifters, some in mid-transition, others were more grotesque.
“And people think I’m bad?” I mutter, looking at the wall in distaste.
“There must be at least eighty kills here,” Seth confirms.
“Come on. I think we have all we need. Let’s head back.”
***
Everybody is already back at the car’s, waiting when Seth and I return. Mick waits patiently as we shift back, quickly redressing.
“Anything?” he asks.
“We found an old bunker about two miles over the ridge. They have a pretty big arsenal in there and detailed dossiers on every shifter within a two-hundred-and-fifty-mile radius,” I brief him.
“They even have a kill wall. Looks like a pretty professional set up to me,” Seth adds.
Mick nods. “Good work. Let’s head back home and reconvene. Cortez and I will make our plans this afternoon, but I want you both back out here tonight.”
I nod, happy to have a lead. Now I just have to figure out what the hell is wrong with Dani.
Chapter 23
Dani
Collecting the remote off the bed, I switch off the tv. I’d spent the full afternoon watching various old murder porn documentaries in my room, trying to distract myself. It’d been a good few hours now since the packs left, and as I glance over to the window, I can see the sun just starting to set. Restless, I head downstairs looking for Daniel, finding him in the kitchen, making a sandwich.
“You want one?” he asks before taking a big bite.
I shake my head. I’m too anxious to eat. “Any word?”
“Not yet.” Just then, his phone rings,
and I pace the floor, waiting for him to hang up.
“That was Ryan; they’re on the way back.”
“Everyone okay?” I ask although I think we both know I’m asking about Lautner in particular.
“They’re fine. Lautner and Seth found an abandoned bunker not far from the attack. Looks like the hunters have been using it recently.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Lautner’s okay. Excusing myself, I hurry back upstairs to my room. I can feel another migraine coming on, and the last thing I need is the threat of another seizure. Popping two pills, I lie on my bed, wishing I were normal. It’s embarrassing to be a nineteen-year-old shifter that can’t shift. I had no doubt that even if things were different and I wasn’t promised to another, Lautner would undoubtedly reject me. I’m not a true wolf. I could never stand beside him; I would always hold him back. He’s a warrior. He didn’t need a defenseless broken mate by his side.
The familiar sound of cars approaching outside has me pulling out of my self-made misery and rushing over to the window. I watch as Lautner gets out of a black Camaro that I instantly know is his. He looks up, catching my eye as I scarcely breathe. The connection between us is too strong. At that moment, I didn’t care that we could never be together or that he wanted to push me away. I needed to see him. I quickly don my leather jacket, racing down the stairs hoping to catch him alone.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Drake asks, appearing at the bottom of the stairs as if he’d been waiting for me.
“To get some air,” I reply, trying to step around him as he cuts me off.
“I’ll join you.”
“No. I’ll only be a minute,” I say hurriedly, wanting to catch Lautner before he headed inside, and I lost my chance to talk to him alone.
“Looking for Lautner?” he mocks, tipping his head to the side. “You think we haven’t noticed you watching him,” he whispers menacingly, inching closer. “You are mine, Danika. Just because I haven’t claimed your body yet makes no difference to me. I’m sure I could persuade your father to forego the no sex before marriage rule.” His hands reach out, gripping my arms so tight, I know there will be bruising tomorrow. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a virgin. I promise I won’t go easy on you. In fact, I think I’d enjoy it better seeing your pain and misery,” he laughs cruelly.
I meet his gaze, refusing to show him the fear he wants to see on my face. Clearly disappointed at my lack of reaction, he lets me go. “Just remember, Danika, I’m not playing games. You’re mine. Besides, Lautner has been talking nonstop about Alianna today. He’s probably off fucking her right now as we speak. I mean, a female like that, why else would he have invited her. I bet she knows just how Lautner likes it,” he snarls as he leans forward and licks a trail at my neck. I swallow down the revulsion building inside. “I think we both know who he’d pick.” With that last remark, he walks away, pulling open the double doors that lead into the small bar and vanishing inside.
Is Drake right? Did Lautner invite Alianna here? I glance towards the door leading outside, but I don’t move. What if I catch him out there right now, kissing her? I don’t think I could face it, another rejection. Taking a deep breath, I rush towards the door before I can change my mind. His car is parked outside along with my father's, but he is nowhere to be found. Lautner is gone.
Chapter 24
Lautner
Both packs are already gathered in Mick’s office as I take my seat beside Seth.
“Where did you go?” he whispers as I sit down.
“Around back in case Alianna was waiting for me.” It’s not a lie. She would be around here somewhere waiting for me, but as we pulled up, I’d caught sight of Dani waiting for me at the window. A haunted look on her face. I know she wants to talk to me about last night and about Alianna, but I have questions of my own. One’s that I’m hoping Mick can help me understand before I confront her.
“Right,” Mick starts. “As you are aware, Lautner and Seth came across a bunker today just a few miles away from yesterday's attack. It looks like it’s been used recently by the hunters. Lautner?” He nods in my direction, waiting for me to speak.
All eyes turn to me as I fidget in my seat. “The bunker is filled full of dossiers about every shifter within at least a two-hundred-and-fifty-mile radius. Details included were births, deaths, arranged marriages, fated mates, etc. Basically, everything they need to know about us, including addresses old and new.” I listen as the packs murmur around me, cursing under their breath.
“So how are they getting this information,” demands one of the Ridgeway Pack, Terry, I believe. “They have only just breached our borders, and already they know more about us than we do them?”
“My bet is they have a few strays on their side. Somebody who knows the area and the local packs,” Seth replies.
Mick nods in agreement. “Most likely, it’s someone we all know or at least have interacted with before,” Mick states.
“Tommy,” I say aloud.
“What?” Seth asks.
“Before the fight started, Tommy was running his mouth. He mentioned something about how we didn’t know what we were up against. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but what if Tommy and Brandon joined them?”
“Makes sense. They both hate the packs and everything we stand for,” Mick agrees.
“But why would the strays team up with the hunters? It doesn’t make any sense. The hunters would hate them more than us, considering what they do,” Daniel jumps in.
“Maybe they’re just using them for information. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. No doubt, when the packs were finally taken care of, they would turn on them. They already know all of our weaknesses,” I reply.
“We need to put a watch on the bunker starting tonight. Seth, Lautner, I want you on tonight’s watch,” Mick commands.
“No,” Cortez replies. “I think a member of both packs should be there.”
“You don’t trust us?” Mick asks.
“It’s not that I don’t trust your pack, but we did promise the Council we would work together,” Cortez sneers in return.
“Fine by me.” Mick turns to Drake. “How about you? Are you volunteering?”
Drake glances my way. “Yeah, I’ll be happy to keep an eye on things.”
“I’ll go too,” Terry volunteers.
“Then it's settled.” Mick looks between us. “If anyone shows up, I want them brought back here alive, understood? Daniel, any luck on the abandoned houses in the area?”
“I’ve looked online at satellite maps, and there are a few within driving distance we should take a look at.”
“Good. If we don’t have any luck tonight, we hit them tomorrow. I want a hunter within the next twenty-four hours. You have anything to add, Cortez?”
“No, you seem to have covered all bases,” he replies, leaning back in his chair.
“Alright then.” Mick looks at his watch. “It’s six-thirty. I want you four to head out at midnight. Everyone else rest up. Meeting adjourned.”
I wait as the packs start to file out, and the door closes behind them, ensuring our privacy.
“She can’t shift,” I tell Mick.
I watch his face furrow as he tries to understand my words.
“What do you mean, can’t shift?” Ryan asks from where he stands behind Mick.
“Exactly that. It must be why she is barely displaying the mating heat. I catch glimpses of her wolf here and there if I push, but she panics and starts taking these pills. When I asked her about them, she said she suffered from seizures, and her father gets her these pills to help her control them.”
“But you’re not convinced?” Mick asks.
I shake my head. “When we kissed, I sensed her wolf, and I could feel the mating heat start to take effect, but as soon as she took the pills, it was gone as if it never happened.”
“You think the pills have something to do with it?”
“Yeah, I do. Since
when have you ever known a shifter to suffer from any type of illness?”
“It’s certainly unheard of.”
“I thought you didn’t care about Dani Cortez,” Ryan asks. “Isn't that why Alianna’s here?”
“I don’t,” I lie, “but if her father is drugging her to keep her weak, I think she has the right to know, don’t you?” I wait for his reply, but he keeps quiet as I turn back to my alpha. “I want your permission to get one of the pills and take it to Thane to test. My guess is it's laced with wolfsbane or something else used as a suppressor.”
“Why would a father drug his own daughter?” Ryan butts in.
“Isn’t it obvious? Cortez is a control freak. He has Dani marrying a man she hates, and she can’t do a damn thing to defend herself,” I snap angrily.
“Okay.” Mick holds up his hands. “See if you can get a hold of one of these pills, but I want it done quietly. If it is Cortez’s doing, I don’t want him to know that we’re on to him.”
I nod. “I’ll be discreet.”
“Good. Because if it is something like this, it’s not just Dani or the Council we have to worry about. If he can physically cause a wolf not to shift, that makes him even more dangerous than we realize. As an enforcer, how powerful would it be to have a drug to stop the change during interrogation?”
“Silver works.”
“Yeah, it does, but we can see that coming a mile away. If he can slip it into our drink, we would have no idea until it’s too late. I’ll look into it, and I’ll let you know what I find out.”
I nod, heading towards the door.
“Oh, one more thing, Alianna is gone for the night. I told her I needed you for the next twenty-four hours, so she made other plans. She shouldn’t be here, Lautner, and you know it. I take it you can get rid of her before she finds out about Dani.”
“Yeah.”
“Good. We don’t need any more trouble.”
Closing the door to Mick's office, I can't help but feel relieved that Alianna is away for the night. I should never have texted her. I could feel the tension in her this morning. She saw Dani as a threat, and Alianna doesn’t like threats. I have no idea what will happen if she finds out Dani is also my fated mate.
Lautner: A Dark Fated Mates Romance Page 10