by J. C RIMELL
The animal neared, and she found herself lost within its absolute magnificence. A fleeting second of bravado coaxed her to risk reaching out her hand gingerly until her fingertips met the wolf's cold, wet nose.
“P-please don't eat me,” she whispered, and to her astonishment the wolf licked at the broken skin on her wrists. Was it testing if she tasted good? Too late, the wolf didn't let up, so she either tasted really good and was about to become a late night snack, or it was doing something else. It was a painful kind of pleasure. Like a toothache, you can't help prodding. Kit allowed the animal to continue, not that she appeared to have much choice.
She dared to slip her free hand into the thick carpet of its pelt, soft and warm, hearing the animal whimper under her touch.
“You're so… Beautiful,” she whispered.
Cade remained low to the ground not wanting to scare her with his size. As a wolf, he was tall and well-built with super strength and enhanced senses. His night vision caught the red of her blood and how her eyes still glistened with tears. The thought of her hurt and being in any kind of pain crushed his heart with the weight of a thousand rocks.
He wanted to heal the damaged skin on her wrists. It was one of the wolf's abilities to self-heal and regenerate and they could help mend superficial injuries to others. So, he gently laved her skin, licking and cleaning pleased when she hadn't pulled away. There would be no turning back for the wolf now he'd tasted her blood. She was his, and the man inside happily agreed.
Kit flinched as a howl echoed through the forest disturbing the strangely touching moment. The wolf's ears pricked forward, rising to stand on all fours it let out a cry. Standing tall, it jogged forward and stopped, looking back over its shoulder as though waiting for her to follow. Not knowing where she was, Kit figured following the animal was probably a better option than sitting in the middle of the forest waiting for help that may never come.
She rose with caution. Her legs feeling too weak to carry her own weight. A sudden dizziness caused her to stumble forward, black spots danced in her vision, and her hand shot out to steady herself against the thick girth of a tree.
Cade almost shifted back into human form so he could catch her, but seeing her steady herself he stood his ground. Now wasn't the best time to for her to witness that particular supernatural ability.
He waited patiently as she regained her composure. Watched the loose strands of her golden hair as it swept against her face in the breeze, promising to be like silk to feel slipping through his fingertips, and Cade couldn't help but stare.
God, he thought in stunned silence captivated by her strength and loveliness, she's a vision.
§
Fleet paced his office, waiting for his pack to join him. Two of Jack Henderson's officers sat twitching nervously, lucky they weren't dead and were only being reprimanded for attempting to gain entry into the compound without authority. Fortunately, they weren't human, and Fleet didn't have to use his ability of mind elimination to wipe their memories of the lair's location.
After speaking with the Chief of Police moments later, he let them leave with their tails well and truly tucked between their legs.
Ryker entered his office first, one of the toughest guys in the pack despite having a prosthetic limb. Losing his left leg had done nothing to slow the guy down. His trademark, Harley Davidson ball cap was pulled down low shading his eyes. They were, on the rare occasion you were close enough to see, the most heavenly shade of chestnut. Matching his short spiky hair and his wolf's pelt. That both he and Cade shared a love for Harley's gave them some common ground. Ryker had a keen eye for tactical warfare, strategic planning, and a sense of how the opposition would operate. He also had an aptitude for creating bombs and explosives.
Gunner followed, with Nevada close behind. As one of the females in the pack, she was one of the most beautiful. Her white blonde hair was a short, edgy crop that framed her perfect, oval face and accentuated hypnotic blue/green eyes. Although petite, she was strong as an ox and could clean and prep weapons faster than some of the guys. Her unique gift was speed. All the wolves had it, but she had something extra. Nevada wasn't just quick, she was lightning fast. Blink of an eye and you'd miss her.
Madeleine, or Madoc as she was known to everyone, was the packs doctor, and for the most part a scientist, came in and sat beside where Gunner stood. She was treated like the most precious thing ever to walk the earth due to her capability to heal most injuries with her touch alone. That much about being part of the pack she found difficult. Her ability to heal was a secret they'd go to the grave to protect. Being the only healer known to the Society was the reason they had chosen her, despite being a human turned by a rogue wolf. She was a complete enigma.
Tying back her strawberry blonde curls exposed her warm cinnamon eyes, and looking up, she caught Gunner grabbing an eyeful of her rather plump breasts. “You act like you've never seen any before, Gunner!”
“I've seen plenty, it's just yours are so damn fine, Maddy,” Gunner answered with an edge of humor. Yeah, if only that's what he really thought, Gunner scoffed silently, got to keep up that macho image, though.
Ryker suppressed his growl of displeasure at the beta's comments, and the snickers fell silent as the tall, quiet shifter they called Murphy sat down next to him. One of the oldest in the pack, his capacity of picking up emotions and influencing them made some of his comrades uncomfortable.
He was a guy that made a huge impression with tousled black hair falling from a widow's peak. His eyes of midnight blue were set deep in high cheekbones, kept covered with black wraparounds most of the time. Almost every inch of his flesh was an intricate web of tattoos. The largest and most beautiful piece of art was the fallen angel on his back he liked to call Samil, his angel of death.
“The den is tight and secure, no damage done,” Ryker assured his leader. The pack sat in seats set in a semi-circle in the office. Gunner remained standing to the left of Fleet, arms folded tight across his broad chest.
Their Alpha waited for the others to join them before he addressed his team. Moments later, Lakota waltzed in and the younger members rumbled in behind her, all excitement and eagerness. Eve, Delta, and Snow.
“I found these strays in the lounge.” Lakota clipped each one behind the ear as they walked past her. She was in charge of the young shifters, teacher, and psychologist. Her laid back attitude meant she got on well with almost anyone, but she had a temper when it flared. She was invaluable to the team, being able to remove emotional pain and hurt from people made her special. Somehow she took it all inside her and willingly swallowed it up. It wasn't a skill used often. It would drain her for two or three days, so was used only when necessary. When the pain became detrimental to the shifter's health and well-being.
Her auburn locks had come loose from her braid, and her cheeks were rosy. Obviously the young shifters had given her the runaround, but boy would they get it later. Her jade eyes glared at each of them as they hurriedly found seats among the others and noted the discontent in their leader's gaze at their tardiness.
“You three...” Fleet's voice was low as he speared each one of the youngsters with a look that could strip the paint off walls, “...will train tomorrow and then scrub every inch of the communal bathrooms in the gym for the afternoon.” Having been chosen by the Society, the youngsters needed both discipline and training.
Snow opened his mouth to complain, but after a swift dig in the ribs from Ryker, he rubbed the sore spot and thought better of it. Since his transition, he'd become the packs technical wizard. An extra ability that afforded him a talent of being able to crack any code, any computerized puzzle, no matter how big or complex. The guy was a genius, despite being so young, his technical mind was years ahead.
“It looks like Cade's found the missing girl… Alive,” Fleet informed the group.
Gunner snorted. “Nice to know he can do something right.” No hint of the praise he felt for the guy filtering through that tough
shell of his.
Fleet's hands pressed into his hips, ignoring the snide remark. He alone knew Cade's heritage, but now wasn't the time for that conversation. Instead he continued with the matter in hand. “I'm meeting with Jack Henderson later this afternoon after the girl has been questioned. Maybe she can give us an insight into what these bastards want. We have a possible location.” The trail had died somewhere near the outskirts of Shadow Creek. Gunner's highly gifted snout had pinpointed a location near a group of buildings and warehouses that were slowly being demolished to make way for a new sports facility.
“Please tell me we're not going to be working with Henderson's men?” Nevada asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
“What's wrong, Nev? Can't you handle all the male attention?”
Nevada flicked Ryker the bird. “Oh, I can handle them all right, Ryker, baby, they just piss me off with all the sexual innuendos. None of which any of them could live up to in their wildest dreams.”
The banter subsided as Fleet cleared his throat, his power gradually seeping out into the room. “Cade is bringing her here first. Madoc, I want you to treat any injuries she may have, and take precaution, we don't know what the Others may have done to her.” His gaze narrowed in contemplation. “Be thorough before you take her home. You'll stay while she's questioned, Jack's already agreed to it.”
Madeleine gave a clipped nod. She'd spent four years in medical school and another three in residency before she was turned. Being attacked by a rogue wolf gave her an ability that was to her like a double-edged sword. She could heal, but it had to remain a secret. An invaluable asset to the team and the Society, she took her work seriously and didn't complain. Even though she hadn't been born a shifter, she had been accepted, taken in, and ultimately… chosen.
The only family she had left was her sick mother, who was a permanent resident in Maple Wood, Alzheimers Care Facility back in Seattle. Madeleine visited as often as she could, but it broke her heart every time. While Madeleine's ability allowed her to heal injuries, it didn't stretch as far as incurable diseases. Regrettably she had to drop out of the medical program when Shadow Creek became her new home.
“Any more information on what these bastards are?” Fleet continued, the weight of expectancy heavy on her shoulders.
Madeleine sighed, afraid she would be asked that very question. Having been testing samples taken from the dead pack members' bodies, she linked some DNA patterns but was still pretty much in the dark. “It seems as though they carry a similar genetic to ours, but not entirely the same.” She paused, considering. “The trouble is the other half. I've seen nothing like it. The cells seem to change, mutate in more than one way. Sorry chief, I'm no expert on this kind of thing. I'm still working on it.”
“So they're partly shifters?” Ryker asked, his eyes shaded by the peak of his cap as his gaze lingered on her lips, kissable, soft, generous...
“It seems so, yes. But they're missing two important chromosomes. While they appear to have the genetic makeup pattern of a shifter, there's something not quite right.”
Fleet took a minute and paced as the group chatted amongst themselves. The pack lived a peaceful, secret life, answering to the Society, the leaders and protectors of the shifting race. The fundamental foundations on which their existence was built upon.
Spanning out from the Society were branches. The pack groups of highly trained and skilled soldiers. Both males and females were specifically chosen for their strength and abilities. As well as the shifting families that co-habited with maternal females and the elders in Silver Skies, situated in the Alaskan wilderness.
Fleet had a good team. As humans they were all highly trained in weaponry, combat, and martial arts. As wolves, each of them was deadly and inherited or gifted at least one unique ability at birth, or on the rare occasion having been turned.
They had each other's backs, but even he knew that this wasn't just another mission. The ones they called the Others were a supernatural species they knew nothing about, and that was a worrying thought.
“Madoc,” he said, eyes fixed on hers but grabbing everyone's attention. “Call Henderson, see if he has someone either in another pack or in the Scenes of Crime department that's trustworthy and might help you shed some light on those samples, ASAP.” His hands shifted to rest back on his hips. “And remember,” he said, addressing everyone as they got up ready to leave, “the girl is in the dark about our shifting abilities, so human form only if you're anywhere in the den.” The last thing he needed was that privy information to be leaked to the public or worse, to reach their enemies' ears. They'd done a good job of keeping their true identities unknown and that's how he intended for it to stay.
Chapter Eleven
Cade's wolf shortened his stride. Keeping just a few paces ahead of Kit he could see from the dark circles under her eyes she was tired and worn out. The look of terror he'd first seen etched on her face had slowly ebbed away. Though, haunting stains hunkered behind her sleepy gaze. For security reasons he had to take her the long way around, and they reached the back entrance to the den just as the sun was appearing on the horizon.
Kit had no idea where the wolf had led her, but it looked like a two-story building set into the craggy rocks and woodland. Made from timber and glass, it fit in flawlessly with the natural surroundings. A wide wraparound porch with wooden flooring and rails seemed to run all the way around the facade, with green plants and vines snaking up the spindles and along the roof edge.
They were greeted by a woman with wild, strawberry blonde curls tied back off of her face, showing high cheekbones and soft cinnamon eyes.
“Hello?” The woman's voice was warm and pliable. “You look a little worse for wear.” She smiled softly cocking her head to one side. “I'm a doctor, why don't you come on inside.” Stepping aside, she gestured inward with her hand. “My name's Madeleine, but people round here call me Madoc.”
The woman kept her smile and after several long seconds her inviting gaze eased Kit inside. Hesitantly, she edged forward into the building. “My name's… Kit.” Her voice cracked against the broken glass she felt lining her throat. “Kit McCoy.”
Peering back over her shoulder, Kit stared after the black wolf who slipped out of view as the woman called Madeleine closed the door.
Having telepathically informed the good doctor that Kit hadn't been compromised by the Others, and happy Kit was now in safe hands, Cade went directly to his quarters. All the male rooms were on the east side of the den while the females had the west. The lair was intricately linked by tunnels which ran underground and into the caves at the foothills of the mountains. The pack's private quarters, medical room, lab, and Fleet's office were located there, as well as the meeting, communication room, and garages.
The extensive timber-built house was used more for everyday things, and for any human eyes on professional business. It was forbidden to bring any personal business back to the lair. The large living room boasted a state of the art home cinema which bagged the most use, as did the gym, with all the latest equipment, a sauna, steam room, and an indoor pool attached. A cider wood kitchen with dark granite worktops and a breakfast bar with seating for twelve was light and airy with windows running all the way around three sides, bringing the outside forest in. An adjoining dining room spanned the full length of the house with a long polished oak table seating twenty at the center.
Shifting outside the door to his room, Cade entered having used the biometric fingerprint scanner. Keys were a waste of time and easily lost because of shifting back and forth. Each pack member had a scanner to their private quarters. Left your door unlocked, and you were asking for trouble. As Alpha, Fleet had the authorization to override the system and enter any room in the den.
Cade needed neither keys nor codes. He could simply transfer himself from one place to another, but he didn't use his ability of teleportation unless he needed or wanted to.
Not wanting to miss anything, he hastily slippe
d into a clean black T-shirt and the black jeans he'd left on the bed. He grabbed his spare black biker boots out of the closet, tugging them on before he located his gray hoodie still hanging where he'd left it on the back of the bedroom door. Then he headed straight to the medical wing.
“Where's the wolf gone?” Kit asked, her voice rough against her sore trachea. She glanced behind as Madeleine led her forward through a corridor which sloped downward and underground into a fluorescent-lit tunnel with numerous other corridors leading off of it. After a few minutes, they arrived at a wide set of double doors with a 'Medical Room' sign above it in white bold lettering on a green background.
Madeleine's face gave nothing away, it never did. “Oh, we get a lot of wolves hanging around out here. Some are friendly,” she said, turning and facing Kit as she pushed the doors open using her backside, “others, not so much.”
Kit's eyes wandered around the sterile, white tiled room. A couple of gurneys at the far end, medical supplies and another adjoining room which looked just like an operating theater.
“So, what exactly do you do here?” she asked, raising a hand to her neck, she rubbed it, trying to ease the pain on the inside that flared with the effort of talking.
Madeleine patted the gurney. “Sit.”
Kit did as instructed while allowing her gaze to follow the other woman curiously around the room. Seconds later, Madeleine returned with a stainless steel trolley and a tray of medical utensils.
The doctor smiled. “Well, to put it simply,” she said, picking up where they'd left off, “it's restricted information.” She slipped her hands into some latex gloves and took a gentle hold of Kit's forearms, examining the rope marks on her wrists. “But you seem like the kind of girl someone can trust.” Madeleine looked Kit straight in the eyes. “I'm a doctor, the others here are soldiers and this is a training facility. We also work alongside other agencies, but you never heard that from me.” She winked playfully.