Dino's Little Wolf

by Fern Fel

  “Don’t worry. He looks scary, but he’s really a sweetheart,” Martin pointed out.

  “Of course you’d say that about your mate,” Declan muttered.

  “Please, Declan. I know I’m a stranger, but trust me on this. Now is the perfect opportunity for escape.”

  “How? You can’t walk properly and your mate’s injured,” Declan whispered back.

  Okay, the doctor had a point. Martin remembered seeing a dirt bike when their captors dragged them to their campsite. “Convince the guard to get Dino out. When the pack comes for the hunters, I’ll make sure they don’t touch you, and you can get back home.”

  Declan studied him for a couple of seconds. “I must be mad for considering this.”

  Martin grinned. “I knew you had a good heart.”

  Declan sighed, took a deep breath and called back to the guard.

  “What?” the guard grumbled. “This better be good, doc.”

  “The huge guy in the cage, he’s been shot with silver bullets,” Declan began.

  The guard narrowed his eyes. “So?”

  “If I don’t get a good look at him, he might die. That won’t do much for you guys, right? You need him alive.”

  “Gray wants the beast in the cage at all times,” the guard said, sounding a little dubious.

  The guard wasn’t part of Gray’s team of hunters, so Martin knew the only thoughts preoccupying the guy’s mind was the money he’d be bringing in once they traded off Dino and Martin to Alpine Industries. While Declan and the guard spoke, Martin kept an eye out for the second guard, who kept a close eye on Dino’s cage.

  “Fine, but make it quick before Gray and others return,” the guard eventually told Declan.

  “Martin needs to come, too. He can help me calm down his angry mate,” Declan added.

  The guard’s brow furrowed, but he looked at Martin. “If you do anything out of place, I won’t hesitate to shoot you, animal. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal,” Martin answered.

  These humans, he thought, didn’t see shifters or other paranormals on the same wavelength. To Gray and these guards, Martin and Dino were only monsters they needed to get rid of. What was more, there were plenty of these haters and trained killers out there. The thought made his stomach churn.

  “Move,” the guard said. Declan grabbed his kit of medical supplies. Martin was constantly aware, pointing the rifle at him as they walked toward the cage.

  “Keller, what’s up? You’re supposed to be watching the other werewolf. Why bring him and the vet here?” the other guard asked.

  “What if the big fellow dies? We only get to cash in half of what’s promised to us. Let the doc look at the animal,” Keller began.

  “I don’t know.” The other guard looked at Dino doubtfully, still snarling in his cage. “Gray says not to let this one out in any circumstances.”

  Martin swallowed when Keller pressed the muzzle of his gun on the back of his head. At the motion, Dino growled, teeth snapping at the bars of the cage. Keller laughed.

  “You understand, you ugly beast? I’ll shoot your mate if you don’t let the doctor look at your wounds,” Keller said.

  Dino and his gazes crossed. Trust me, Martin mouthed.

  “I won’t hurt you, just going to look at how far the silver bullet’s gone in,” Declan told Dino, who finally settled down.

  “Slow and easy,” the second guard said, keeping a gun pointed at Dino.

  Dino padded out of the cage, upright, hackles raised, but at the very least, he didn’t attack Declan.

  “Lie still,” Declan said in a no-nonsense voice.

  Dino looked to Martin, who nodded. Keller and the other guard started to relax once Declan went to work. Every second that passed made Martin tense. He couldn’t act right now, not yet. The second guard let out a yawn after Declan extracted the two bullets from Dino’s body.

  Martin didn’t know what he was waiting for yet, but the moment these two dropped their defenses, they’d execute the escape plan. Besides, it was wiser not to cause a commotion. The campers might be paid to come here, but they were innocent, too. Making sure they weren’t caught up in the fire was preferable.

  “How long this is going to take?” Keller asked.

  “Keller, watch them, I’m going to take a piss,” mumbled the other guard when Dino simply lay there, eyes closed and looking unconscious. Dino clearly got the memo. Well, Dino still didn’t know his plans, but they’d get to that eventually.

  “How is the beast?” Keller asked Declan.

  Martin couldn’t feel the muzzle against his head anymore, which meant Keller probably dropped his guard a little. That didn’t mean Keller wasn’t still pointing the gun at his head, but they couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

  Once the other guard disappeared into the nearby bushes to empty his bladder, Martin made his move. Elbowing Keller sharply in the ribs, the guard let out a gasp. Whirling, Martin made a grab for the rifle before it accidentally went off. Within seconds, Dino stopped playing dead and was on Keller, easily ripping out the guard’s throat with a jerk. Keller’s eyes widened, but he died quickly, soundlessly.

  “Holy shit that was fast,” Declan muttered under his breath.

  Before Martin could say another word, Dino followed after the guard who disappeared into the bushes. Martin heard a muffled cry later on. In moments, his mate reappeared, back in human form and wearing the other guard’s uniform as well as toting another assault rifle.

  “Dino,” Martin whispered in relief. He walked up to Dino, surprised when Dino reached out and tugged him close into his arms. Sighing in relief, Martin breathed in Dino’s familiar scent. “How hurt are you?”

  Dino grunted. “I’m fine. We can’t relax yet. The others might be coming back soon.”

  “He’s right, these meetings usually last about an hour. It’s almost time,” Declan said, checking his wrist watch.

  Dino looked to Martin. “You trust this human?”

  “I trust him enough.”

  Dino looked around the campsite. Martin followed his gaze. The nearby pretend campers had disappeared into their tents. Doubtless a stray probably ran up to Gray and the rest to tell them what happened.

  “We should go,” Dino said. They started to walk now. “Tell the others about the campsite. I don’t know what Gray his team are planning, but I don’t like it one bit.”

  “There’s a dirt bike leaning against a tree, there.” Seeing the bike, elation filled Martin. Dino slung the rifle across his chest and checked the bike. His heart raced. The thing looked ancient. Would it still work, or was it merely a prop brought along by one of the campers?

  “I’ve got questions, human,” Dino told Declan.

  “Declan,” the vet corrected.

  Dino raised an eyebrow. “Why did Gray and his team do all this? Set up this elaborate hoax?”

  Declan frowned. “I can only tell you what I managed to hear, bits and pieces of information, but nothing more. They didn’t exactly share everything with me.”

  “He’s a prisoner, too,” Martin explained. The thought took root, and he wildly looked around. There was only one bike, and would probably only fit two people.

  “Some information is better than none,” Dino answered.

  “Okay, from what I understand, they hired all these campers so they can enter Darkfall territory. Hide within the human campers so as not to raise suspicion. I mean, I think eventually, the Darkfall pack would be on to them, but I think they only needed the campers temporarily.” Declan swallowed and looked from Dino to Martin.

  It hit Martin then. “The humans are bait, disposable if necessary.”

  Dino swore under his breath. Voices rose and fell from the campsite, followed by a shout and gun firing. “We need to leave now.”

  “What about you?” Martin looked to Declan, worried.

  Dino frowned. “I can shift, and you two can take the bike.”

  Martin shook his head in protest. “You�
�re injured. I’ll shift.”

  “I can run faster, plus I know these woods better.”

  “Stop wasting time arguing. You two need to go. I’ll stay behind,” Declan said.

  “Do you understand what you’re saying? Gray doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who forgives easily, especially once he learns you’ve helped us escape,” Dino explained.

  “I know, but someone has to stay behind. Besides, if something happens to the other campers, at least I can help,” Declan explained.

  They traded looks. Martin didn’t like this one bit. Dino managed to start the engine and mounted the bike.

  “Martin, come on.”

  “Are you serious? We can’t leave Declan,” he protested.

  “We’ll come back for him.” Dino grabbed his arm. Footsteps neared them. Dino tugged him to the bike. It felt like time moved in slow motion. Martin wrapped his arms around Dino’s waist.

  “Declan, we’ll come back for you, I promise,” Martin told the vet, who gave him a grim nod.

  Dino revved up the bike. Guns roared as Gray and his men came into view. Dino left the campsite and entered the rough terrain of the woods. Martin heard Gray shouting orders from behind them. Dino drove faster, but when the ground beneath them turned unstable, Dino killed the engine.

  “We’ll continue on paws and lose them. I know a shortcut that would be hard for men on two feet to follow,” Dino said.

  Martin reached for his wolf. Trusting Dino, he shifted. With Dino taking the lead, escaping the hunters wouldn’t be a problem, he knew. He worried more about Declan, but thanks to the vet, they escaped safely. Would he ever see Declan again?

  Chapter Eight

  They reached town after sunset, battered, bruised, but relatively safe. Martin did a good job of keeping up with his speed, Dino mused. They timed the escape just right. Any longer and Dino would be severely weakened by the silver. After the vet extracted the bullets, the wounds started to heal. He’d recover a little slower because they were silver, but there wasn’t any permanent damage done.

  Dino went to the safest place he knew, Raul and Logan’s apartment.

  “What the fuck happened? I have men looking out for you guys,” Raul demanded after opening the apartment door to see them, still in wolf form. Logan peered over Raul’s shoulder and gently pushed his huge mate aside

  “Come in, we’ll talk later,” Logan told them.

  “I’ll update the others that Dino and Martin are safe,” Raul said.

  Dino and Martin loped inside. With the exhaustion creeping into his bones, Dino slumped on the living room couch. Looking worried, Martin shifted back to human. Seeing Martin’s bruises, Logan cursed. Dino noted with some satisfaction that while Logan fussed over Martin, Martin ignored his best friend and settled for kneeling by Dino’s side. He liked the feel of Martin’s fingers hooked into his fur.

  “Raul, he’s been shot. The bullets were taken out, but they were silver. Please,” Martin begged, looking to Raul. “Help him.”

  “Calm down. I’ve already phoned Doc, the Darkfall pack doctor. He said to give him fifteen minutes,” Raul reassured Logan.

  Martin bit his lip. Dino rested his head on Martin’s thigh. Damn, Dino didn’t know he could feel such fear when one of the humans pointed a gun at Martin’s head. He’d faced down plenty of monsters in his time and won, and been in precarious situations, but the thought of losing Martin was inconceivable.

  “You’ll be fine, baby,” Martin murmured, caressing his fur.

  Dino stuck out a tongue and licked Martin’s hand.

  “Hold on a second here, did we miss something?” Raul asked Logan.

  “Seems like it,” Logan said.

  Dino glimpsed what suspiciously looked like a mischievous smile on Logan’s lips. The dratted Omega must have set them both up. Dino wondered why Raul and Logan had been insistent on him meeting Martin at the tailor’s. Oh well. Dino was grateful for that.

  Sleep took Dino. The next time he woke, Doc was there, demanding everyone give him space so he can work.

  “That means you, too, Martin,” Doc said.

  “Oh, leave him. He’s just worried,” Raul said. The bastard must love teasing them, Dino thought. He’ll never hear the end of this, but they had other matters to worry about.

  Doc disinfected the bullet wounds and bandaged him up. Dino was strong enough to shift back to human. After food, a shower, and pulling clothes on he borrowed from Raul, he was ready for action. Martin must have updated the others on what happened because Dino met with grim faces at the table.

  “I don’t like the fact the hunters have resorted to using humans,” Doc commented.

  Seeing Dino emerge from the bathroom, Raul told him, “I’ve already updated Sergio and the others. We’ll be having an emergency meeting soon. Right now, we still don’t know what the hunters really want.”

  Dino took the empty seat next to Martin. Seeing his little wolf appear worried, Dino reached for Martin’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I do, but let’s talk about it during the meeting.”

  Martin frowned, glancing at him. “You don’t have to tell me, I can guess. You don’t want me in that meeting.”

  Dino gripped Martin’s fingers, but Martin pulled away, looking angry. He tried to explain his reasoning. “Martin, let the Darkfall pack take over. We’ll deal with these hunters on our terms.”

  Martin gave him a steely glare Dino didn’t think his little wolf was capable of. Didn’t Martin understand Dino was doing this for Martin’s own good? Dino’s position in the pack meant he confronted danger on a daily basis, but he couldn’t risk putting Martin in danger, not again. He didn’t think he could live through something like that again. As Martin’s mate, it was his job to protect and keep his little wolf safe.

  Mate. That word no longer sounded taboo. His other pack members might judge Dino for choosing to pick a second mate, but Dino didn’t care, especially when Martin and his happiness was at stake. He needed his mate on his side and focus on the forces threatening his pack. These hunters had gone far enough.

  “What about Declan and the other campers? Most of them were frightened when we left,” Martin pointed out.

  “I know, but we’ll get them all out.”

  Dino knew he shouldn’t be making promises he couldn’t keep. Those human campers must have known the risks, but perhaps the money swayed them. Still, most humans knew the reputation of their pack and the risk of accepting dirty money from an organization like Alpine Industries.

  “We’re in this together,” Martin replied.

  “We are, and you’ve done your part. Let me handle this, please?” Dino added the last word as a silent plea, and he wasn’t the kind to beg.

  Martin bit his lip, but he eventually nodded curtly at him. “Fine.”

  Dino had a feeling Martin and he would have a serious talk after this. First, they had to tackle the imminent task ahead. They left Logan and Raul behind. Dino was glad Logan managed to convince Martin to help him with more wedding planning. That would hopefully help take the edge off things. They took Raul’s car to Esteban’s Pasta Mania. He wanted the drive to be a silent one. Of course it turned out to be the exact opposite.

  “So Martin and you,” Raul began, grinning.

  “Watch the road,” Dino muttered. “A lot of things happened.”

  “Oh, I know. Being kidnapped and all, but you failed to mention what happened before,” Raul said.

  His best friend apparently didn’t want to let this go, but Doc was in the back seat, pretending to not hear their conversation. Dino didn’t know Doc well. Oh, Doc had been in the pack long enough, and he trusted the man, but Doc always seemed like an individual who valued his privacy.

  “It’s personal stuff,” Dino murmured.

  “Fine if you don’t want to tell me, but you will eventually,” Raul said.

  They reached the restaurant. On their way in, Dino noticed several cars parked outside. Sergio, Alessio, and a couple of their men mixed in
with the pack’s official enforcers were gathered. Going straight to business, Dino told the story again.

  “What are these hunters planning?” Sergio finally asked, meeting his gaze.

  It was the same question Raul asked. Dino reviewed the events in his head. No matter how much trouble he caused, the hunters made sure not to kill him. Even the shots they fired didn’t hit any vital areas.

  He spoke, “The campsite was an elaborately designed bait. Sure, the hunters hired the human campers, but they knew sooner or later, we’d send out scouts. Their mission was covert, but it’s clear what they wanted. I overheard them talking about the scientists being interested in having a Darkfall wolf on their hands. A mate would prove useful for their sick experiments.”

  Most of the pack members gathered reacted. Snarls, protests, curses, and growls filled the room.

  Sergio shook with fury, his pupils yellow. Through the pack bonds, Dino could sense the intense emotions riding the Alpha. It was seldom Sergio lost control, but he was pissed off, too, when he learned why the hunters took great care to keep Martin and him alive.

  “They want to cut us open and breed us?” Sergio’s voice sounded like a growl, more animal than human.

  “But they fucked up,” Alessio continued. “Once they realize they lost their prize, will they pack up or continue?”

  “We’ve sent our avian allies to spy on them,” Sergio said, calming down. “They’re returning with word soon.”

  The front door of the restaurant opened, and a lean man entered, nervously looking around the room full of angry wolves. Dino recognized Kayden, a hawk shifter who belonged to Darkfall’s avian community and the group who occasionally helped spy for the pack. At Sergio’s nod, Kayden whispered in the Alpha’s ear.

  “Thank you,” Sergio told Kayden.

  The hawk shifter lingered. That was a first, usually their avian allies left after delivering news. This didn’t seem good. Sergio looked grim. It didn’t seem like Kayden brought any good news.

  Sergio let out a heavy sigh. “Kayden tells me the hunters haven’t left the campsite. It looks like more reinforcement have arrived, about two dozen more hunters. They’re rounding up the humans.”