by Vella Day
“Sorry, Kenzie. At least for the time being, we need Statler to believe you’re gone or dead and so am I.”
When Jay walked out, all hope disappeared. Cheryl might never be found, and Mac might never be with her men again. She hiccupped as her sobs consumed her.
Brandon held her close. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure something out.”
His optimism was commendable. “No.” She leaned back, not bothering to wipe away the tears. “It won’t be okay. I have a target on my back, and the head of the Colters has it out for you.”
Brandon swiped a thumb under her eyes. “The Pack has been fighting them forever. We’ve been threatened before. And we’ve won.”
She swallowed hard. “Do you really believe there can be some kind of super werewolf or was that an idle threat to get Jay to convince me to leave?”
“I wish I knew, but it’s scary as hell if it’s true.” He squeezed her tight. “I’d rather face a hundred enhanced werewolves than lose you. You’re part of me, darlin’. That means you need to seek refuge, if only for a little while.”
With that sentiment, the tears flowed again. “I’m sorry. I usually don’t cry.”
His smile wobbled. “It means you care. We’re mates, and mates will be together. Someday.”
Mac had always thought of herself as someone who was focused and determined; as someone who could put aside her own feelings for the greater good. Now, she realized her love had grown out of control. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go on if she couldn’t be with her two men.
“Will you tell Sam how much I’m going to miss him?”
He kissed her forehead. Even though he wasn’t crying, she could tell from the way he kept looking away, that he was close to breaking down, too. “I’ll tell him. Now go pack. We’ll defeat these fuckers sooner than you can blink an eye. Look at Harvey Couch and John Hood. They were in charge once and we took them down.”
“Seems to me, these Colters are like bugs. Kill one and more emerge.”
“I think of them as cockroaches.”
That made her smile. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”
“No, but I’ll deal.”
Today was going to be the worst day of her life.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sending Mackenzie off had been pure hell. It was as if his soul had been ripped from his body. Deep in his heart, Brandon understood that keeping her safe had to take precedence over everything else. He and Sam—if his cousin ever returned—would continue to look for Cheryl and the other women. It was what they were trained to do. The sooner The Pack put these pricks out of business, the sooner he could have Mackenzie back.
When she’d left, she said she wanted to make a life with them. He hoped to hell that with time apart, she wouldn’t change her mind. Battling the Colters wasn’t for the faint of heart.
The General had called a classified meeting for later tonight. No doubt, it was to discuss these super werewolves. Brandon wished this had been a hoax, a ploy to throw Jay off kilter and to get rid of Mackenzie. The problem was that Jay believed it was true. Hell, Jay had even been willing to quit his job to keep her safe. Regardless, it didn’t lessen the pain of separation.
While he waited for the meeting time, he tried Sam’s cell again. He didn’t answer and Brandon was forced to leave a voicemail. All he said was for Sam to get in touch. Telling his cousin about the loss of Mackenzie and the development with the Colters, would be too much to mention over the phone.
Brandon needed to keep busy until the meeting time. He pulled out his laptop, determine to dig deeper into the lives of Carl Hampton and Roger Medlock. If any of the other Pack members had found any good intel, they would have called.
Around five, the back door opened, and Brandon jumped up, dread pouring through him. Sam was home. Brandon grabbed two beers out of the fridge. When Sam walked past the kitchen, Brandon stepped out and handed him a beer. “We need to talk.”
“Where’s Mackenzie? I want to hug her then kill her.”
“She’s gone, Sam.” His heart nearly shattered watching the darkness descend on his cousin’s face. Sam stepped back and shifted, clearly wanting to fight, but Brandon refused to engage. “Sam. Don’t do this. It wasn’t our fault.”
The animal in front of him growled and clawed on the hardwood floor. Sam bared his teeth. Why didn’t you stop her?
Brandon tipped back his beer, needing to defuse this tense situation. “She left because Statler threatened to kill her. She’ll be safer in Indiana.”
Sam stopped, his tongue panting. Then fur swirled, nails tapped on the wood, and arms and legs appeared. Sam had changed back into human form. He picked up his beer and chugged the entire bottle. “You better start from the beginning.”
He told him about Jay’s visit, Statler’s threat, and these enhanced werewolves. “We can’t go rushing into this. It could get Cheryl killed.”
Sam paced, his body radiating tension. “At least Mackenzie’s safe.” He whirled around. “And you trust Jay?”
“Yes.” Brandon grabbed his keys. “We need to get to headquarters. I’m driving.”
“I won’t complain. I’m half dead since I haven’t been able to sleep.”
Brandon let Sam stew on the drive over. Even Brandon hadn’t come to grips with the terrible situation. For years The Pack and the Colters had fought, but Brandon always imagined an end in sight. With this new breed of werewolf, The Pack might never win the war. Fuck. Life wasn’t fair. They’d finally found the most amazing, albeit a headstrong mate, and now this had to happen. It sucked.
He parked at headquarters and got out. Both headed inside. Chris Williams was just coming out of his office as he and Sam turned to go to the conference room.
“You guys here for the big pow wow?”
“Afraid so.”
“Me, too.” The three of them entered the room. Trax and Dante Field were there as were Kurt Wendlick and Drake Stanton. The General was standing at the front, apparently waiting for Chris to set up the projector. As brilliant as the General was, he’d never fully embraced technology.
“Gentleman, as soon as Clay and Dirk arrive we can begin.”
As if he’d summoned them, those two walked in and quietly slipped into the remaining chairs around the table.
“I don’t have to tell you, this is a highly confidential meeting. The details of this must never be leaked.”
Brandon had hoped that Statler had been lying. From the solemn tone of the General’s voice, he hadn’t been. Armand went on to explain that Jay Wagner had been sending them information for years.
“I’m afraid Jay was asked to execute Sam and Brandon if Mackenzie Wagner didn’t leave town. While he never would have won that battle, Jay didn’t want to try. Instead, he’s been forced to lay low for an indefinite period of time.”
“Why?” Trax asked.
“Because Statler will kill him if he finds out that Jay is an undercover agent.”
For the next half hour, the General laid out the details of the Colters’ master plan the best he could.
“Do we have any idea where this facility is located?” Dante asked.
The General shook his head. “No, but assuming these captured women were delivered there, I’ve asked Chris to look into the travel plans of all ten men and cross reference them to see if they overlap.”
That’s smart, Brandon telepathed to Sam.
These men won’t be stupid and take the women there themselves.
“What can we do now, General?” Brandon asked.
“I’ll be talking to you two later. As for the rest of you, watch your men like hawks. I want you to be positive that they don’t have the women hidden somewhere. Dig into their finances. Did they buy extra clothing or more food than usual? Did they add security? We need to be positive these women are gone.” The General paced as he sipped from a glass of water. Brandon had never seen General Armand this upset before. “I have called in a few favors. I want to bring in a biochemist
to help.” The group murmured. The general held up his hand to quiet the group. “If what Statler said is true, and these men are no longer affected by the poison, we need to find out what will kill them.”
The men seemed to agree. Then they each gave their status reports. The Pack appeared to be doing everything possible to find the abductees.
When the General dismissed the group he asked Brandon and Sam to stay behind. As soon as the room cleared, he motioned they take a seat again.
“I realize this is going to be very difficult for you, but I’m going to ask you two to be extremely discreet. There will be no more breaking into homes and causing trouble. I don’t need an all-out war.”
Sam’s teeth clenched. “No disrespect, sir, but I can’t sit on my ass and do nothing.”
“I know. Keep the men under surveillance, but, by God, don’t let them see you or smell you. Ask Trax for some long-range surveillance equipment. Here’s the hardest part; don’t contact your mate. If Statler has his eyes on you, they’ll know if you do.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sam might look as if he’d obey, but Brandon knew his cousin. He was more stubborn than Mackenzie, and that was bad.
* * *
“I’m nervous,” Mac said to Jay as she buttoned up her coat after stepping outside the Indianapolis airport. She’d actually become accustomed to the warm Florida weather despite her short stay.
When she’d called her mom to let her know she’d come back for the holidays, her mother had insisted she stay with her for Christmas, claiming she didn’t want to be alone. Mac understood.
Because she’d taken a shuttle to the airport, Jay rented a car to get them home. “You think you’re nervous?” he asked. “I haven’t been home since your father’s death. When I called my mom to let her know about my surprise visit, I thought she was going to have a heart attack.”
He was exaggerating. “She’ll be thrilled to see you.” Or so she hoped. Mac hadn’t spoken with her aunt since the funeral, and she couldn’t be certain how she viewed her son running off to Florida for seven years, and rarely visiting.
“Maybe.” Jay turned down her street.
Mac sat up straighter. “That’s Aunt Hannah’s car. What’s she doing here?”
“She knows you’re coming. She’ll want to hear any news.”
Her stomach rolled again. “I can’t tell her much.”
Jay pulled in and put the car in park, but left it running. “Try to keep the information as scarce as possible.”
“What can I say? I didn’t find Cheryl. It’s going to kill her.” Acid burned in her gut. “I can guarantee you I won’t be discussing Sam and Brandon with her. If I told her I’ve found my soul mates who just happen to be crime fighting werewolves, she would stroke out.”
“I agree. Listen, it’s Christmas Eve. Enjoy your family and call me if you need to talk.”
“I will.” They both climbed out of the car at the same time. Jay retrieved her bag from the trunk and handed it to her. The wind was bitter cold and from the cloud cover, it looked like it might snow.
“You want to come in?”
He shook his head. “There would be too many questions.”
“I understand.” On a whim, she hugged him. “Thanks for everything, Jaybird.”
“Watch it!”
She smiled for the first time in two days. “Merry Christmas.”
“Back at you.”
She waited for him to pull out before heading up to the front door. It seemed like a lifetime ago since she’d been back. Her heart was close to breaking, but she needed to put up a good front. Mac knocked.
When her mom opened the door, the well of emotion that she’d been bravely holding back nearly burst.
“Oh, Mackenzie!” Her mom lifted the suitcase from her fingers, set it down, and gave her the best embrace ever. “I didn’t think you’d make it back. I heard some of the flights were delayed because of weather.” Her brows pinched. Mac could tell she wanted to ask about Cheryl, but didn’t have the heart.
Mac closed the door behind her and stepped into the living room. “Hi, Aunt Hannah.”
Her aunt was waiting by the sofa, her hands threaded together. “You didn’t find her?”
“No.” It was the hardest word to say. “But there are a ton of people looking for her. They have some great leads.”
“Sit down and tell us everything,” her aunt said.
Her mom headed toward the kitchen. “Coffee, dear?”
“Yes, that would be great.” She needed something to take off the chill.
“While you were gone, your mom and I have had many long talks.” Aunt Hannah looked longingly toward the kitchen. “I hadn’t realized that we’d grown apart so much until we started talking again.”
Her mom came back in with two cups of coffee and handed her a mug. “It was my fault. Your dad made me promise not to tell anyone about his werewolf status.”
Mac nearly dropped her drink. For a brief moment, the last two weeks flew from her mind. “What? You told her?” Mac glanced at her aunt.
“Yes. I was shocked, but it made everything make sense. The excuses why my sister couldn’t go on vacation with us, the dinners she cancelled at the last minute, and the holidays we didn’t share.”
Her mom sat down. “It was why I pulled away from Hannah. I feared I’d let something slip. I could never tell my own sister that your dad and I couldn’t make it to a party because he was out chasing some bad werewolf. You know how he liked to hunt at night.” Mom looked at her sister. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. All those years I wasted. If only I’d told you sooner.”
Aunt Hannah placed a hand on her mom’s arm. “I understand. Your husband wanted you to keep his secret.”
Her mom’s chin wobbled. “Well, nothing is going to keep us apart now.”
Mac wasn’t so sure. Once she told both of them how she might have ruined things, they might not see eye-to-eye again.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Christmas had been really nice, especially since Aunt Hannah and Uncle Walt had come over for the day. Mac felt bad because she hadn’t had time to buy anything for her mom or Cheryl’s parents. Thankfully, Mom pretended a few of the gifts she’d purchased for her sister and brother-in-law were from Mac.
After a wonderful dinner, they were all sitting around chatting when Uncle Walt announced he planned to fly to Florida to look for his daughter. Mac couldn’t let that happen. Because the Colters wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, she had no choice but to tell Aunt Hannah and Uncle Walt about the human trafficking ring, and the eyewitness report from a woman who had escaped. That seemed to give Aunt Hannah some hope, but her uncle didn’t appear convinced. What Mac didn’t dare reveal was that Cheryl might be long gone, sent to a laboratory to help create super werewolves. If Mac had told them, it would have devastated them.
Because they were now aware of werewolves, Mac could tell them about The Pack and what they were doing to find their daughter. “Uncle Walt. You’d be defenseless against these wolves. The Pack is doing everything they can to find her.”
“Is that why you left Florida?” Understandably, he was still angry.
Mac didn’t feel comfortable telling them about Jay and his involvement. “Yes, I felt that I was in the way and actually feared I might be abducted, too.”
Finally, her uncle calmed down, and seemed to understand that he needed to be more patient.
Because of the horror of Cheryl’s disappearance, the day had been both heartwarming and heart wrenching. Finally, Aunt Hannah asked Uncle Walt to take her home, since she had a lot to think about. It was sad seeing them grieve when all Mac wanted to do was hop on a plane and keep looking.
After she helped her mom clean up, fatigue claimed her. “I think I’m going to take a shower, call Jay to wish him a Merry Christmas, and hit the hay.”
“You do that, dear.” They hugged. “I’m glad both of you came home for the holidays.”
“Me, too.” As so
on as Mac stepped into her former room, she called her cousin. Jay wouldn’t have heard anything, since his FBI boss had asked him not to communicate with anyone in Gulfside, but she needed to hear a familiar voice; someone connected to Sam and Brandon.
Their conversation only lasted a few minutes, but her spirits were boosted being able to talk to each other about their day. If only she could figure out a way to communicate with Sam and Brandon without any stupid Colter finding out, she would.
* * *
Right after Christmas, Mac moved back into her apartment and questioned if she’d made a mistake. Being alone was hard. She dreamed of Florida and her men. Working on something important during the day and loving her men at night had been the perfect life for her. Now it was gone.
When Mac returned to work at her PI firm that first Monday, she found she had no desire to go into the field and investigate. Not only did the weather suck, the searches held no interest for her. Sitting in a car and seeing if a man cheated on his wife did not constitute excitement. She was content to do her computer searches.
The first few weekends she was back, she’d gone out with her girlfriends, and while she’d enjoyed catching up, by the end of January, she’d become bored. None of her friends had any idea her dad had been a shifter, which meant the whole concept of being a mate was not a topic she could discuss. She wouldn’t dare admit that she’d met two men, and that in a matter of two weeks, had fallen in love with them. She’d be laughed out of the group.
Each night, the image of Cheryl would appear, piercing her with sadness. What torture did she have to endure? Her cousin must be terribly afraid, lonely, and scared, which made sleep more and more difficult.
It had been horrible for Elena to be in a dirty, smelly cage all those weeks, but at least her captor hadn’t touched her. Elena was one of the lucky ones. She got out.
As the weeks wore on, Mac developed a routine of going to work, shopping, reading, and falling asleep with the e-reader in her hand. When she was motivated, she’d research the ten men to see if she could find a pattern between them, but nothing popped up. However, she refused to give up.