by Fel Fern
Deacon’s patience was at its limits. It was time this cowardly and cunning Esper and the humans he worked with saw what dealing with the full might of a powerful wolf pack was like. Deacon lifted his head and let out a howl of challenge. Sabine joined him, and his werewolves nearby soon answered. Deacon could sense every wolf posted in this section responding to the Alpha’s call.
Through the mate bond, he felt Daryl stir awake, groggy but still alive. Deacon poured all his protective feelings and his fierce love for his mate through the bond.
I’m coming for you, baby.
* * * *
Daryl regained consciousness, head still aching, only to find his ankles and wrists bound. His head lay on something soft. Daryl groaned when his head bumped against metal. Outside the windows, he spied familiar pine trees.
A car. His fuzzy memories began to clear. He’d been shoved inside a vehicle by Zane. He could finally see the other Esper’s familiar profile in the driver’s seat. He sensed triumph from the traitor, as well as relief and fear. Zane was eager to get out of Devil Hills.
Only now, he began to feel the full effects of the other Esper’s betrayal. Something whined near him, a familiar sound. He spotted the sack on the floor, a rope keeping the top sealed. It moved, then made that sound again. From the tiny bundle, he sensed annoyance and confusion. His heart nearly stopped. Dread and fear lined his stomach.
“You took Sylvia, too?” he whispered, horrified. God. Kidnapping him was one thing, but a child? Just thinking about what the Discipline Squad could do with Sylvia frightened him. Daryl reached out to her mind, tried to send her soothing thoughts. She calmed down. “Why?”
Zane took his eyes off the road a second to look at him through the mirror. “You’re awake? You should be down for a couple more hours. Wow. Voss would really be happy. He’s been looking for a powerful scout for a long time now.”
His stomach churned. Voss? That was the captain of the New City Discipline Squad, a name all Espers and paranormals feared.
“As for the runt? I heard she has Esper blood, too. Is that right? Voss will be fucking stoked. They’ve been experimenting with Esper-shifter hybrids for a long time but always came out unsuccessful.”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” he demanded. Daryl tried to work at the knots on his wrists but they proved too tight. Like hell he’d give up now. He could sense Deacon on the other end of the mate bond. Knowing his mate was on the way felt comforting.
“I did what’s been asked of me,” Zane snapped. “Do you have any idea what I’ve gone through? How hard this has been for me? If I don’t show results, Voss will dispose of me. Unlike you, I’m not an empath. Rehabilitated Espers like me have a limited life span.”
“So, all you care about is yourself. I thought Walt was the one to watch out for. How did you do it? Convince us that he’s the threat?” he asked. He needed to keep Zane talking, distracted, and prevent Zane from leaving the Devil Hills territory.
“Walt’s also like me, but he didn’t survive rehabilitation,” Zane muttered. “He’s a fucking idiot. Walt didn’t know how to survive, he didn’t understand that we have to accept we’re freaks of nature, lower than humans, so we have to prove ourselves useful.”
Jesus. How did Zane hide his true self all along? Daryl had thought their circumstances had been the same, that all Zane wanted was another chance, a fresh start. Maybe he felt sorry for the other Esper, dismissed Zane’s fear of the paranormal as nothing more than propaganda brainwashing left over by living in a Humans Matter-run city for so long.
The Discipline Squad had really done the stellar job of rehabilitating Zane.
“You haven’t answered my question,” he stated.
“Oh. That’s my ability, misdirection of the mind. I thought it didn’t work, especially when that silver-eyed bitch suspected me at the start, but I have a talent for being invisible.”
“Why does the Discipline Squad want empaths like me? What did you mean by Voss wanting scouts?”
Dane threw him a suspicious glance, then laughed. “Whatever. Once they’re done with you, you’ll be a fucking mindless doll. Voss won’t be happy to hear the werewolf Alpha mated you, though. Espers linked to another paranormal are harder to break mentally, but he likes the challenge.”
Fear wormed its way into his heart as the realization dawned on him that it wasn’t just his life at stake, but also Deacon’s. What if the rehabilitation had negative effects on Deacon, and ultimately, the pack? If what Zane said was true, then Voss wanted him alive. What if the Discipline Squad found a way to control Deacon by controlling him? If he took his life, Deacon would go down with him, too.
Daryl tasted despair, finally understood the root of Deacon’s fear. The mating bond was a double-edged sword.
“You know, I almost gave up, too. Thought those monsters would eventually find me out, but you know who made things easier? You.”
Those words felt like the ultimate slap to the face. Zane wasn’t wrong. He’d been the one who persuaded Deacon to take the group in, but he needed to know if Zane was the only rotten apple in the bunch.
“The Baxters?”
“Fodder. Voss was willing to let one Esper family go. I had to earn their trust and convince them to take Walt and me along for the ride,” Zane said. It seemed the Esper became talkative when he thought he succeeded in his mission.
A howl came from the woods nearby, making Daryl twist in his bonds. He thought he imagined it at first, until Sylvia’s muffled growl joined the other werewolves. Hope filled him, replacing dread. That pure wolf song had been joined by many others.
“Shit. What’s gotten all these mutts hyped up?” Zane muttered angrily. The car started to speed up.
“Why are you surprised? You kidnapped the Alpha’s mate and the daughter of one of the Alpha’s deadliest enforcers.” Daryl was surprised his voice came out calm, controlled.
“Don’t get too comfortable there, Daryl,” Zane replied in an angry voice. “I see the border road connecting to the human highway now. There will be a retrieval van waiting. Obtaining you is the Squad’s number one priority. If worse comes to worse, I’m disposable.”
Zane’s words chilled him. The tie on the sack slid open, and he saw Sylvia’s small, angry blue eyes. He shook his head at the pup, warning her to stay put, but she leapt out of the bag, a fast blur, and went right for Zane. Her tiny claws found Zane’s arm.
“Fuck!” Zane smacked her aside, losing control of the wheel in the process. The car swerved.
“Sylvia,” he yelled. “Here, sweetheart. Come back to me.”
Paws scrabbled on the upholstery as she jumped in the backseat again. Zane stopped the car.
“Undo the ropes,” he said. Up front, Zane began fumbling for something on the compartment.
Sylvia dived behind him, and he could feel her tiny fangs working on the rope.
“Voss won’t need that little beast,” Zane said, getting out of the car.
“Hurry,” he whispered, fearing for the little pup.
If she could only undo his bonds, then he could fight back. Daryl planned on using his abilities on Zane, to use Zane’s emotions against him to protect Sylvia and himself, but his powers worked through touch. Daryl needed to get ahold of an arm, any bit of Zane’s skin. Zane yanked the car door open just as the pressure from the ropes on his wrists loosened.
“No,” he said as Zane gripped the back of her neck.
Daryl glimpsed the glint of metal. A gun. Sylvia proved to be a challenge for the Esper. She fought back, clawing at his face while Zane cursed and screamed, trying to bat her away. He tried not to panic, to focus on undoing the bonds on his ankles. Once freed from his bonds, he stumbled out of the car and found himself on the border road. Zane tossed Sylvia away from his face at the same time he tried to tackle the other Esper.
He ended up tasting the asphalt, body still weakened from whatever drug Zane put inside his system and from just freeing himself from the ropes. A w
ave of dizziness hit him and his limbs didn’t move as he wanted. He felt sluggish, too. Daryl forced himself on his knees.
Tires squealed on gravel and he looked up, seeing a white van coming their way, except the largest black wolf in the pack rammed at the van’s sides. Deacon’s fangs found one of the tires just as a window lowered and a gunman toting a rifle peeked out. Deacon moved out of the way, and the van halted on the side of the road.
“Don’t move or I’ll shoot the ugly little animal,” Zane warned.
Daryl froze, so did Sylvia. One of her front paws looked twisted. His heart bled, seeing the tiny wolf pup who defended him in pain.
“This is all wrong. I did everything Voss asked, why is this happening?” Zane whispered, looking crazed, hands shaking.
Daryl didn’t make any sudden movements. Unpredictable opponents are so much deadlier than sane ones, Santino once told him on the training mat.
“If you need to shoot someone, then kill me,” he blurted unthinkingly.
Chapter Sixteen
Zane’s wild, bloodshot eyes met his. “No, you’re my meal ticket home.”
“Look behind you, Zane. My mate’s dragged out the van driver and already tore out one gunman’s throat. You have no ride back,” he said, relieved when Zane pointed the gun right at him.
Sylvia snarled at him. Zane laughed. “Don’t worry, little animal. You’re next after I end him.”
“She’s just a baby,” he whispered. “How dare you.”
“Baby? That thing is an abomination,” Zane spat. “Fuck this all. Bye, Daryl. Thanks for nothing.”
Zane put his finger on the trigger. From the corner of his eye, he spotted something sleek and white appear from the nearby bushes. Zane fired, the next moment, blood spurted from his throat as Sabine’s fangs locked down on his neck. The bullet sliced his cheek. Pain flared, but the traitor had missed. He crawled his way toward Sylvia, protecting the tiny injured pup using his body.
Sabine growled at him in warning, and he snapped his head only to see one of the fallen uniformed Discipline Squad member on the ground pointing a gun at his head. Too late to do anything now. Daryl cradled Sylvia in his arms, tucked her close to his chest. I’m sorry, he wanted to tell Deacon. I love you was another. God, he hadn’t told Deacon those three special words this morning, either.
Daryl shut his eyes, ready to die, only to be shoved violently out of the way.
A furious roar full of rage filled the air. Deacon was on the shooter in moments, violently ripping the man’s head from his neck. Something soft fell next to Daryl’s side. Blood began soaking his clothes. Shock rippled through him as he realized what just happened. Sabine didn’t move again. Sylvia clawed at his arms, forcing him to release her. She turned back to human.
“Mama!” Sylvia screamed.
Daryl broke from his paralysis and went to the sobbing little girl, putting his arms around her tiny frame. Moments later, he felt Deacon’s muscled wolf pad next to him, black fur smelling of the blood of their enemies. Drowning grief came from both his mate and Sylvia.
Another large, muscled wolf with dark brown fur and silver eyes came running toward them, eyes full of fury. For a moment, Daryl thought Santino would rip out his throat, but the other enforcer only shifted back to human.
“Get Elaine here,” Santino yelled to a nearby watching packmate.
Elaine was the pack healer, he remembered.
“She’s alive,” he whispered, seeing the rise and fall of Sabine’s chest.
Deacon changed forms, pulling Sylvia to him. Daryl could sense Deacon doing something with the pack bonds to calm the inconsolable little girl.
“Deacon, don’t let Mama die. Please,” Sylvia whispered.
“That won’t happen,” Deacon answered in a gentle voice, then knelt in front of Sabine, running fingers through her fur.
Daryl sucked in a breath, seeing where the bullet had entered the side of her skull.
“Daryl, hold her,” Deacon told him, referring to Sylvia. Deacon, he realized, was keeping her alive through the pack bonds. He did something similar, Daryl recalled, with Forrest when the other enforcer had been seriously injured protecting his brother.
She promised to live long enough for her daughter to come into adulthood, Deacon once told him.
“Wait. I have an idea. I’m no healer, but if I can direct Sylvia’s feelings into her, that might convince her to keep fighting to live,” Daryl blurted.
He didn’t know whether his suggestion would work, but he’d seen Bob do something similar like this once. They paid the hospital a visit. A couple had been in a car accident, the husband on the verge of death, but Bob used himself as a conduit, allowing the wife to send feelings of encouragement to her husband. In the end, the husband still died, his wounds too severe, but the wife thanked them after, because her husband went with a smile on his lips.
“Let’s try it,” Deacon said. His mate began to look a little worn out, telling Daryl that Deacon used a large amount of energy to keep her heart beating.
“Will this work?” Santino asked.
“I hope so.” Daryl didn’t point out he never tried anything like this, not without Bob guiding him, but he needed this to succeed. Sabine was a vital part of the pack, part of Deacon’s family and what also made his mate strong. “Sylvia, give me your hand, sweetheart.”
She sniffed and offered him her uninjured hand. The fact she hadn’t complained about her healing broken arm made him proud of her. He took her small hand in his, and together, they touched Sabine’s unmoving body.
Daryl shut his eyes, blocking out the feelings of others and focusing on Sylvia alone. “Now I want you to send your feelings to your mama, Sylvia. Think of all the happy memories you have, about how much you love her. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, I think.”
He gathered those positive, warm emotions from her and tried to push it all on Sabine, hoping those feelings would go through.
“Don’t you dare die on us,” Santino said in a fierce whisper.
“I’m sorry,” he found himself saying, not breaking the connection with Sylvia and Sabine. He looked up guiltily at Santino.
“What for?”
“She got shot protecting me,” he found himself saying, hoping the little girl who looked so focus on helping her mom wouldn’t end up hating him.
“She did her duty. By protecting you, she also protected Deacon. It’s what any enforcer of the pack would do,” Santino said.
“She won’t die,” he said fiercely, even though he didn’t feel a hundred percent confident about what he was doing.
It felt like hours, but in reality, only minutes had passed. A car arrived, bearing Elaine, who hurried over with her medical supplies, but it was her healing abilities that would make a difference.
“Clear the space,” Elaine ordered. “Why is Sylvia here?”
Daryl explained what he was doing. Elaine studied all of them, nodded. “I understand what you’re doing. I’ve worked with Bob before. Everyone but the Alpha can clear the space now,” she said in a firm voice.
Daryl gently pried Sylvia away from her mom. “Did we help at all?” he asked, wincing as Elaine took out scalpel, probably to extract the bullet from Sabine’s skull. The fact it hadn’t healed over told him it had silver in it.
“Yes, with this extent of an injury, she shouldn’t be alive. Now move. I need space to work,” Elaine said.
“I don’t want to leave Mama,” Sylvia told him, clutching at his hand.
“Sylvia, we’ll let Elaine do what she does best,” Santino said, nodding to Daryl and taking her hand instead. “Go to Deacon, Daryl. He needs you.”
“Elaine said—” he began.
“You’re the Alpha’s mate. You make him stronger,” Santino interrupted, then gave him a push toward the Alpha.
He joined Deacon’s side. Seeing him, Elaine huffed but didn’t tell him to scram. He stayed by Deacon’s side, gave his mate a hug. Deacon’s tensed muscles
relaxed a little. Remembering Sabine’s lesson on how to utilize the mate bond, he transferred some of his life force to Deacon. Deacon shot him a grateful smile.
Watching Elaine pry the bullet from Sabine’s skull made him grimace. Elaine laid her hands over the wound. It didn’t close immediately, but he could see Sabine’s breathing turning even. Her silver eyes opened, looking groggy, finally focusing on Deacon, who petted her ears.
“Mama!” Sylvia cried out, slipping from Santino’s hand to run up to her.
Sabine’s gaze flickered to her daughter, before her eyes closed again.
“Will Mama be okay?” Sylvia asked Elaine.
“She’s stabilized,” the healer told Sylvia.
Sylvia furrowed her brows. “Okay?” she repeated, plea in her blue eyes as she asked Deacon.
“Yes, sweetheart, she will be,” Deacon told her solemnly.
She gave him a hesitant smile.
“Come on, Sylvia,” Santino called. “We’ll let them finish and see to your arm, okay? Your mom will worry otherwise when she wakes up.”
Sylvia bit her lip.
“You’ve been incredibly brave today,” Daryl told the little girl, who lit up at those words.
He remembered her once telling him that she wanted to be just like her mom, a protector of the pack. Deacon confirmed she definitely had a dominant wolf inside of her.
“Protect Deacon’s mate,” she said.
He beamed at her. “Yes, you did just that, but now it’s time you take care of yourself.”
“Okay,” Sylvia replied, going with her uncle.
“She’ll make it?” Deacon asked the healer once the two left.
“She might be in a coma for the next few days,” Elaine replied.
Daryl reached out for Deacon’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to be all right,” he told his mate. Today’s events shook all of them up. The most important thing was, aside from Sabine, no one in the pack seemed seriously injured.
Deacon pulled him close for a hug, scenting him. “Yes, we’re going to come out of this better and stronger. We’ll never underestimate our enemies again.”