The lock finally gave up the ghost, the last pin sliding into place, and the door opened with a soft click. He motioned the other two men over and slipped open the door. And had a moment of déjà vu when a wave of scent nearly knocked him on his ass. It wasn’t the same scent though. That wasn’t to say it wasn’t a familiar scent, although it had definitely changed. Become even more powerful and compelling. And— fertile. Very fertile. How much chocolate did she eat?
The thought formed in his mind with a blinding flash of the obvious. He turned and glanced at Lucas, who met his gaze with a grim stare. Boaz tried to push past both of them, but Lucas blocked him with one arm thrust out like the lever of a toll booth.
“Quietly, yes?” He gave Boaz a narrow-eyed stare and slipped forward into the building.
Boaz’s nostrils flared as he pushed past Jesse to follow. Jesse entered the familiar darkened hallway gingerly. He had a feeling things were going to go to shit any minute.
Lucas reached the first doorway and sent Boaz in with a jerk of his chin. Boaz entered and quickly cleared the room. No one hiding in there. They repeated this process with every room on the hallway, including the bathroom, before reaching what Jesse knew was the lab. Unlike last time, the door was unlocked and just slightly ajar. And bright yellow light streamed out from behind the frame. The scent was stronger here, and Jesse had a pretty good idea what they would find when they entered.
Lucas gave him the chin jerk this time, and Jesse cautiously pushed the door open. Nothing moved. He couldn’t see anyone inside either. But she had to be in there. His nose did not lie. He took one step inside the door and she exploded out from behind the doorway, pointing a very large, chrome-plated six shooter at him. Jesse had one brief second to take in its shiny, seemingly oversized shape swinging towards him before his body took over and he knocked it to the floor.
She stood there, frozen in shock, and Jesse barely resisted the urge to lean in and lick her. Taste her. Her scent was— overwhelming. Like a tractor beam pulling him towards her.
Jesse swallowed and made himself step back. If he could resist the princess in this very room, there was no way he was falling for the evil doctor. No matter how good she smelled. And oh, yeah, she smelled good. Sweet, fertile woman.
Dear Maiden, he’d never smelled anything like it.
Lucas stepped in and scooped the revolver from the floor. “Dr. Evans?”
“H-how did you know my name?” She licked her lips, and Jesse felt certain parts of his body spring to attention.
Boaz gave a low growl and stepped inside. Jesse stepped back, making room for the larger man. And getting the hell out of the danger zone. Because she was dangerous.
“I know all about you,” Lucas said. He thumbed the hammer on the revolver but didn’t cock the weapon, pointing it casually down at the floor.
Jesse swallowed. This could go a variety of ways.
Dr. Evans seemed stunned speechless. She stood there, her mouth open, but nothing came out. Jesse couldn’t help taking her in. She had on a long white lab coat and her dark hair was pulled up in a tight twist. Dark-rimmed glasses gave her a studious look.
“She blinded me— with science,” Boaz murmured.
Jesse turned to stare at him in disbelief. Was he quoting that song from the eighties?
His attention snapped back to Lucas when he heard the distinctive sound of the revolver cocking.
“Unfortunately, you know all about us too. Which is a problem.”
“I don’t know what you mean. I— I don’t even know who you are.”
“And yet, here you are, waiting for us. With this.” Lucas gestured with the gun, the chrome seeming to gleam surreally in the bright fluorescent light of the lab. “Do you care to tell me how that is?”
“I—I…” She swallowed. “My um… associate called and said there might be trouble.” She glanced around wildly, like she was thinking about making a run for it, and then seemed to change her mind. “My last lab burned to the ground. I… I couldn’t take the chance…” Her voice got very soft and then trailed off entirely.
She glanced at the three of them. “That was you guys?” It was little more than a whisper.
Lucas neither confirmed, nor denied it. “Unfortunately, your knowledge of our People, of our genetics, is forbidden.” He raised the gun and pointed it at her. Jesse had never seen Lucas’s face so hard. So pitiless.
“You’re— you’re going to kill me?” Her voice was shrill.
“Lucas,” Boaz growled.
Lucas’s gaze shifted to Boaz, but his expression didn’t soften.
“I claim her.” Boaz’s voice was firm. No reservations. He gave Lucas an annoyed look and stepped in front of the gun, his back to it.
“Come here, honey. Nobody wants to kill you. Come to me, now. Let me take care of everything.”
She stood there shivering, her arms wrapped around herself. Jesse wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Boaz use so many words at one time.
Better you than me, buddy. But Maiden’s own, she smelled delicious.
“Come on,” he gestured gently with the fingers of one hand, beckoning her to him. Slowly she walked forward, and he waited there, ignoring Lucas and the gun at his back. Ignoring everything but her. A moment later, she reached him, and he enfolded her in his arms, guiding her off to the side of the room and talking softly in her ear.
Then Boaz raised his voice slightly for their benefit. “You are under my protection. No one will harm you. Isn’t that right, Lucas?”
“That depends.” Lucas looked directly at Dr. Evans, who cowered back into Boaz, even though he was no longer pointing the gun at her. “How are you with gunshot wounds?”
“What?” Her voice came out in a squeak.
“My sister was shot tonight.” His eyes dropped briefly to the gun in his hand. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“No, I… Um, your sister? Is she okay?”
“She’d better be— for your sake.” He shifted his gaze to Boaz. “I accept your claim, but I do not accept her. And you are not an official member of my pack, Boaz. Keep her in line. Or I will.” The threat was clear in his voice, and Jesse had no doubt Lucas meant every word.
Chapter 31
Adjudication is a method used to decide the results of an unfinished game. A judge must be appointed ahead of time and it is only used in the event that the game is not completed. Otherwise, the game might be adjourned, that is, temporarily paused to be resumed at a future date.
— From the Journals of Aster Ardennes
Lucas stood on the porch drinking his coffee, trying to admire the flowering bushes he and Mari had planted along the river. It wasn’t working. Early morning sun sparkled off dew glazing the lawn in front of him, mocking him with its innocent beauty.
Dr. Evans was upstairs right now performing surgery on Aster, and he had no idea if she was going to pull through. Dean was with her. He’d refused to leave, which was fine because Lucas wanted someone overseeing the doctor as she worked. But they’d kicked Lucas out of the too-small room as soon as they laid Aster on the bed, and he was relegated to waiting and worrying out here on the porch.
I never should have let her go. I should have left her here, and she could have backed Elizabeth up with that Marten fiasco. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
Boaz was also up there, standing guard in the hallway. He wouldn’t let the human out of his sight. Lucas couldn’t blame the man, not with the way she smelled. But since he wanted her watched anyway, that wasn’t a problem.
He tried to banish the last hour from his mind, but that wasn’t working either. The sight of Dean carrying his blood-soaked sister through the front door was something he would never forget. She looked so small and vulnerable cradled against his chest. But it was the blood matting her smoky grey coat that sent a chill through Lucas’s body. Aster, quicksilver, take-no-prisoners Aster, limp and lifeless in Dean’s arms.
Dr. Evans’ response when h
e informed her she was the patient hadn’t helped things.
“That’s a dog.”
He’d barely managed to refrain from attacking her. Fortunately, he’d held himself in check because Aster needed her. But the menacing growl that rumbled up his throat was mirrored by Dean’s. Dr. Evans took two quick steps back, almost prompting Lucas to lunge at her. Didn’t she know not to draw a predator like that? She crashed into Boaz, who whipped her around his back, so probably Lucas shouldn’t give himself too much credit for his restraint.
“Don’t call my sister a dog,” he gritted out. “She is a person. And you’d better do everything you can to help her.” He leaned in and met her gaze around Boaz’s shoulder. “And pray to all your gods that she survives this, or things will go very badly for you.”
Boaz let out a low growl, but Lucas silenced him with a flash of teeth.
“Take her upstairs,” he said to Dean. “Put her in Gage’s old room. Jesse, get fresh sheets on that bed immediately, and then see what else the doctor needs.”
He turned back to the human cowering behind Boaz. “You are going to perform surgery, Doctor,” he ground out. “What will you need?”
Fortunately, she had brought most of what she needed with her, since she knew she would be dealing with a gunshot wound. And what she didn’t have, Dean was able to provide. Including blood, since he was a universal donor. For the People, anyway.
That had been over an hour ago, and he still hadn’t heard anything. His stomach growled and he considered getting up to grab something to eat, but he didn’t move. Elizabeth wouldn’t be in to make lunch today. Probably not dinner either. It was possible Cray wouldn’t let her leave their cottage for a week. The thing with Marten had shaken him.
Elizabeth. He shook his head. That had been something. He’d arrived home only to discover he couldn’t get in the front door. He, Jesse and Boaz had been the first team to make it back, and it had been an eye-opening experience. The Prophecy implied Lyla’s magic would be strong, but somehow he’d never believed it would be that strong. It had stopped him in his tracks, and the defensive spell had stopped Marten in his. It took Elizabeth climbing up on a chair and removing a bundle of herbs from the doorframe before he could step inside.
But he’d come in to find Lyla collapsed on the couch, remembering too late how much the magic she’d used to help find Elizabeth had cost her. And he’d asked her to defend the pack house singlehanded. He sighed and rubbed his face. She was still out cold.
Lucas took a sip of coffee and settled into one of the Adirondack chairs. He had no idea how the magic worked or what kind of permanent toll it might take on Lyla. Just one more thing he had to figure out before he asked her to put herself in jeopardy for the pack. Again.
He felt his fists clench and had to set the coffee cup down on the arm of the chair to keep from breaking it. He’d left the women alone to defend themselves— left Mari alone. He hadn’t been able to find a way around it. But he should have. He was their Alpha. They should be able to depend on him to keep them safe. Thank the Maiden they’d come through it all right. He forced his hands to relax and drew in a slow breath.
A reluctant smile tugged at his lips. Mari’s rendition of Elizabeth telling Marten he better not think he was going to huff and puff their house down still made him want to laugh. He could just imagine her doing it. He couldn’t quite picture Marten’s reaction. That, I would have liked to see. He felt his smile widen, just slightly. Elizabeth was a force to be reckoned with.
But Mari was back in bed now, and Elizabeth had left the moment Cray returned. Aaron was sitting grimly on the couch next to Lyla, and Zeke and Jeff were down in the basement. Probably stretched out on the couches asleep by now, but definitely keeping a low profile. He had no idea where Jesse had gotten to. Probably out running the perimeter.
It was just him here on the porch, second guessing all his decisions.
What did it mean, Marten coming down in the middle of the night like that, only to leave again? Was it only Lyla’s magic that stopped him? Would things have been different without the spell? And why was he demanding to talk to Lucas about the Sickness? Marten had been the one to cause all this trouble in the first place. Ultimately, he was responsible for what had happened to Aster. For setting this chain of events in motion. Him and Dr. Evans. Who was upstairs operating on Aster at this very moment.
He glanced up at the clear blue sky. The moon had been visible against its inky darkness for most of the ride home, hanging low over the tree line to the west. And all that time he couldn’t help wondering. What are you up to, Maiden? Just what is it you expect me to do?
It had not escaped him that just when he needed a doctor, one had been provided. Or that Aaron—his second, his most loyal and reliable friend—had ignored all his warnings and brought a witch into the pack. Who turned out to be the very same witch the Silver Scroll Prophecy spoke of. The one who was supposed to bring power to her pack. Or so it seemed.
And now the Sickness. Marten wanted to discuss it. And if he accepted Boaz and Dr. Evans, Dean would not only have her notes on the ancient disease, but Dr. Evans herself to help him solve the puzzle.
Dear Maiden, just what are you playing at?
A thought struck Lucas as he stared out into the sun-drenched meadow. The perfect time to make changes to something that existed was when the moon was shrinking. Such as right now. The perfect time for destruction. He pondered that for a while. They had waited until after the full moon out of necessity. So that Aaron and Dean would be out of seclusion. But…
Could the Maiden have orchestrated all of this?
He pondered it for a while, not sure he believed that was possible. But it was hard to ignore the idea once it popped into his head. A short time later, he stood and stretched. Just as he turned to go into the house for more coffee, his phone rang.
Gage. About time.
“Oui,” he said as he walked through the living room.
“Lucas, we’re at the strip mall. You won’t believe it. The stuff Lyla put in those spray bottles worked like a charm.” His brother broke off with a chortle. Lucas rolled his eyes. “That one store is burned to the ground. Just a bunch of smoking ash, but none of the other stores were touched. Well, except for some cinders that landed on the roof. Not enough to spread the fire though. You should see the fire inspectors. It looks like someone kicked an anthill over there.”
Interesting. His gaze went to Lyla’s prone form. “You are keeping well back?”
“Of course. We’re watching the whole scene from a distance.”
Aaron met his gaze across the room. “Gage,” he mouthed.
“And what about Auburn? What about the headquarters? Was it the same?”
“Auburn wasn’t as dramatic. We stayed just long enough to see the results. The facility is toast, and the fire didn’t spread. But that was a small corner property separated from the next building by an alley. The headquarters—well, that whole building is pretty much gone, including the first floor, which is not part of Special-T. Not sure what went wrong there.”
Aster was shot, he thought silently, but didn’t say anything. “So the lab was completely destroyed?” That was the main thing. He didn’t expect there would have been anyone in the industrial complex in the middle of the night. A little extra property damage he could live with.
“Gonzo. No problems there. We’re going to grab something to eat and then head to Albany next. I’ll check in a again once we get there.”
“Good, Gage. Thank you.” Lucas ended the call, his heart heavy with worry and guilt. He’d had Aaron warn Gage and Eli about the extra security, but he’d held back about Aster. They had the task of visiting each facility and confirming the damage. He didn’t think it was fair to expect Gage to complete that while knowing his sister was near death. It would rip him apart wanting to rush back, but compelled to do his duty to the pack. Lucas didn’t fool himself that Gage would thank him though.
He strode into the liv
ing room to give Aaron the update. Lyla still hadn’t moved.
It was half an hour later when Boaz trotted down the stairs. Lucas heard him coming and rose from his chair. “Anything?”
“She made it through the surgery. Her heartbeat seems strong. Nina is cautiously optimistic.”
“Nina?”
“Dr. Evans.”
Lucas nodded. “What else does the doctor say?”
Boaz met his gaze with a steady stare. “The next twenty-four hours are crucial. She’s worried about infection. I tried to tell her that’s not an issue, but…” He shrugged.
“What does Dean say?”
Boaz’s mouth tightened. “She’s still too weak to shift.”
“Right. I’m going up.”
He took the stairs two at a time. He needed to see her for himself. The door was just slightly ajar when he reached the room and he pushed it open.
She lay on the bed curled on her side, her tail tucked close to her body. Her beautiful fur was still matted with blood, although he could see they had tried to remove some of it. A thick bandage protruded from her chest and also her back, held in place by strips of gauze wound around her body. There was an IV drip attached to one foreleg with clear fluid in the bag. And Dean and Dr. Evans were arguing.
“I’m telling you, she doesn’t need an antibiotic drip. Or a sedative.” Dean pushed a shaking hand through his hair. The man looked exhausted. “You don’t need to look up dosages for… dogs.”
Lucas felt the growl rumble up his throat before he was aware he was doing it. It must have been almost inaudible, because the doctor didn’t turn.
“I’m responsible for the health of this patient.” Dr. Evans was typing something on her phone. He probably should have taken that. “She had a bullet pass through her body. She needs antibiotics! I just have to check the dosage. I’m sorry it’s for dogs. They don’t list wolf dosages on the internet.” She didn’t sound sorry. She sounded annoyed and distraught. And worried. And she smelled that way too. He could detect it even over the unbelievable scent she was giving off.
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