Creature Comforts

by Creature Comforts (lit)

  “No.” Victoria drew the word out thoughtfully. “He’s not in his office? The boy rarely leaves his workshop. He’s been very upset since you stopped including him in your hunts.”

  Carter paced across the small room, taking a deep breath. Digging through his open case, he pulled a button up shirt from his small stockpile of local wear and slipped his arms through the sleeves. “Victoria, where are Tracker’s things kept?” Passing the phone from one hand to another, he could almost imagine the tiny crease between his mother’s elegant brows as she contemplated his question.

  “Well, I…those things were put away.” Calmly, collected Victoria phrased her response carefully. “Carter, dear. Are you well?”

  The question pissed him off. He kicked a foot under the bed to dislodge his shoes. Ignoring the fact that the socks shoved down inside were dirty, he sat to jerk them on to his feet. Chowder’s accusations coming from his own mother were the limit. “I’m fine. I need to know about that knife Tracker used. The silver one he had special made. Where is it now?”

  Victoria’s silence was damning. “I told Derrick, your father’s brother, to keep them. My calling is a different one. I did not want those things in my home. A field Hunter had more use for silver knives than I ever would. Carter, are you sure you are well?”

  “Fine. There was more than the one?” She made a small sound affirming his question. Ritualistic killings How many of those knives had his father had made? His father had taken the deaths of Carter’s brothers hard. Hard enough to begin torturing those he blamed? Pushing the past firmly where it belonged, he pressed his mother. “After Derrick died, who inherited Tracker’s gear?” His mother’s painful hesitation made him feel badly for his curt attitude. Still something was going on that pointed to his long dead father out there and Carter needed to be….somewhere. He hoped his practically non-existent precognition gifts were leading him in the right direction. “I’m alright. Thanks.”

  “Carter?”

  “Yes?”

  “Please be careful.” Victoria took a measured breath. “I do not know what I…just be careful. I have no one else.”

  “I will.” Grabbing his keys, he stopped at the door one hand on the knob. In his mind he felt a quiet stillness, a choice. As if his next actions would change the course of his life. Shaking his head, he snorted at the absurd thought. He was beginning to sound like Victoria. And that wasn’t his plan at all. Some bastard was using his father’s knife and poaching his Hunt. Carter was going to find out who and put a stop to it.

  * * * *

  Tired of the isolation, India wandered through the big house, amazed at the beauty in every room. The colors were soothing, reminiscent of the woods. The carpet was a rich brownish green that reminded her of the earth. The walls were painted lovely shades found in nature. And everywhere was the reminder that this was a family home. So much of the pack was imbued into the house that their scent permeated every room. A small sound caught at India’s hearing and she turned, following the tiny sound to a large out of the way room. A library, she guessed from the bookshelves and the two computers sitting out of the way separate desks. Following the small sob from one of the chairs facing away from the door, the tall blond wolven female sat huddled. India crouched, tentatively laying a hand on the other female.

  Expecting rejection, she was surprised when the blonde woman looked up and gave a watery smile. “Hello. You’re Tamara, right?”

  She nodded, then wiped at her eyes. “I came in here so that the little ones didn’t see me break down.” Tears filled her tender blue eyes. “You fought the Hunters, right?”

  “Just one.” India nodded, not sure where the other female was going. Tears overflowed Tamara’s eyes, leaking in a small waterfall down her face. “What kind of monster does that to someone?” India reached for the box of tissues nearby with one hand, letting Tamara grasp the other. She waited, assuming Tamara was upset about her dead packmember. “I mean, what kind of horrible person cuts up someone like Rick?”

  “I don’t know.” India dabbed at the wet trails. She shook her head. “Why does anyone kill another?”

  “This wasn’t for food—a deer or rabbit.” Tamara clasped India’s free hand between both of her own. “Rick was one of the good guys. He wouldn’t hurt anyone. He was going to coach soccer next year.” Tamara choked a sob. She squeezed her eyes shut. Her lips trembled as her grief washed over India, the packbond made stronger through Tamara’s touch. “Why couldn’t we feel what happened? How could we not know?”

  Freeing one hand, India sat on the edge of the chair, wrapping her arm around Tamara. They rocked, gently comforting. “I don’t know. You should have.” India leaned her head against Tamara’s. She closed her eyes, remembering. “We weren’t as close as here.” Shifting, India rubbed her forehead against the fluffy softness of the other female’s. The scent of wolven, of the pack, eased some of the pain of the old memories. “The first one who died, we didn’t know she’d gone missing until later. Then others disappeared. It happened so fast. Some were sick, some picked off with guns.” The tables turned and Tamara was the one holding India. “Everyone gone,” she whispered.

  “You’re not alone now.” Tamara’s breath feathered over her cheek. “Not anymore.”

  A shudder of distress rolled through the packbond. India and Tamara sat up, separating as more packmembers picked up the alarm and broadcasted it. “Something’s wrong,” Tamara whispered. Her still damp lashes the only evidence of her grief. She tugged India to her feet as a screeching alarm sounded from another part of the house. “That’s the fire alarm.” Both females winced as the sound suddenly blared from the ceiling. Tamara pulled her out into the hall. The faint scent of smoke teased at their noses. “The alarms are wired to broadcast over the whole property in case of an emergency. Come, it sounded like it began near the playroom.”

  The faint scent of smoke became stronger, a gray mist creeping through the house. Bailey ran out of the room with Justin, the wolven puppy, clutched to her chest. Her curly hair was a wild halo around her head. Smudges of soot smudged across the freckles of her cheeks as she squinted through her glasses. “All out,” she coughed, refusing Tamara’s silent offer to take the shaking puppy. “Karen has the other kids.”

  “Let’s go.” India pushed at the other two to get them moving. Fear licked at the Packbond, the emotions coming from the one individual she could pick from the other parts of the Pack. She stopped, waving Tamara and Bailey on before running down the hall to the main stairwell. Opening the door leading to the basement, stared down into the dim coolness, free of smoke. “Reggie!” She remembered her packbrother’s new roommate and stormed down the steps. “Eddie! Reggie!” at the base of the steps, the two least dominant wolves practically bounced on their toes. Their arms were overloaded with boxes of computer parts.

  “Oh, good grief.” India knocked the box out of Reggie’s grip, pulling him up the steps when he would have bent to retrieve his burden. “The house is on fire.” She glared at Eddie. “Leave it.” The skinny wolven dropped his box and slipped past to run up the steps ahead of her. The basement area was a series of rooms, a suite of sorts, lit mostly by LED and computer light. “Anyone else down here?” Receiving no answer, she ran up after her two charges. Back at the stairwell, they cringed together against the wall. Smoke and heat seemed to bombard from three sides.

  Stifling a cough, she glanced at the relatively smoke free stairs. Normally, she wouldn’t think of going up in this situation. But wolven could jump from higher distances than humans. Fire was just as fatal. “Come on guys.” She pushed and herded the two up the stairs.

  “India?” Reggie coughed, clinging to her hand.

  “Yeah? This way.” She pushed them along the hall she remembered as being Chase’s.

  “You think Betty is mad at me?” Reggie sounded concerned enough for her to take a second look at him. His not so thin face looked very worried.

  “I think Betty is happy for you to have
a pack again.” Remembering her mate’s window overlooked the back yard, she opened the door with a sense of triumph. “In you go.”

  Eddie shook his head. “Tank and Chase don’t like anyone messing with their stuff.”

  India bared her teeth at the Omega. “Inside. Now.” Eddie complied with a whimper. He stood very uncomfortable staring around the room, making sure not to touch anything. Blowing out a breath, India swept to the upstairs bay window and tiny balcony that overlooked the pool, backyard, and the trees beyond. Taking measure of the damage, she saw that much of the downstairs was on fire, including the rooms directly below from the glow. The haze of smoke stung. The beautiful log home that made her think of a ski lodge in summer was a total loss. She waved the two males to her side and pointed to the pool. “We’re going to have to jump there. Try to aim for the deep end.”

  Eddie shook his head. His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed. “I don’t think diving from the house is allowed.” The bitter scent of fear and sweat rolled off the Omega. He looked wildly around the balcony and backed away. “My computers. I have to—.” India grabbed him and pushed the reluctant male to the front of the line. Changing enough to bring fangs and claws, she growled, enforcing her dominance over the frightened Omega. “Jump!” she snapped, letting the sharp sound of her teeth drive home the command.

  Eddie scrambled up, teetered on the edge of the iron rail, and dove toward the pool. His scream of terror ended in a belly-flopping splat on the shallow end of the water. India cringed, then waved Reggie in place. Her packbrother held on to the wall and rail with ease. “India?” She looked up, ready to snarl and push him to safety. Reggie offered a shy smile. “When this is over, would you check on Betty for me?” India nodded. Reggie hesitated once more, glancing at the fire creeping up the outside logs a couple of rooms away. “I was mad because I had to leave her, but I’m not anymore.” He swallowed, turned back to her. “I just miss her. You’ll check for me?” India nodded and Reggie jumped. A shot rang out, making India lean over the rail to check her charges. Both swam to the far end of the pool. She didn’t see any telltale blood in the water and breathed a sigh of relief.

  Climbing onto the rail, she tensed at another shot, then jumped, praying that she wouldn’t get hit by a superheated stray bullet escaping storage. It occurred to her that the fire might have been set on purpose. She hoped the shots were stored ammunition and not something with a much more deadly aim. Please, she prayed to whatever deity wanted listen, let this be an accident and not the Hunter. She didn’t know if she could bear being the reason these people lost their home.

  India dove, aiming for the deepest part of the pool. She hit mid-center of the large pool. Cold water closed over her head as she propelled underwater. Breaking the surface under the diving board, she looked around and located Eddie and Reggie huddled against the ladder. Heat from the main house and burning pool house roasted them on both sides. Reaching the guys, she offered a couple of encouraging pats, then pushed them ahead of her. The pool house succumbed with a crashing crunch, embers as bright as glowing fairies escaped into the sky. Climbing out of the pool, India felt like a drowned rat. She wanted to shake the water from her skin, but didn’t want to take the time. “Let’s go.” Probably, everyone would meet in the front.

  Running to the forest to circle around, India stopped. Eddie and Reggie stopped with her. More than just the house was on fire. The property looked like a section of hell. The woods themselves were on fire. “I smell fumes.”

  India glanced at Reggie and inhaled. “I smell it too.” She lifted her nose, sniffing. “High. In the trees. All around.”

  Eddie sneezed. “Smells like someone crop-dusted with alcohol.” Reggie nodded in agreement while India tried to gauge the best way out. She hated to say it, but this looked like a case of every man for himself.

  Mommy! The childish sob vibrated in her mind. The other two wolven stiffened, confirming that they’d heard the cry as well. Eddie ran toward the house and India cursed, then followed, Reggie on her heels. Mommy! Wake up! Past the ruins of the pool house and the surrounding glowing woods, they ran. Eddie slowed over a still figure on the ground that she recognized as Bailey. The yellow puppy jumped and squirmed until Eddie picked him up. The mental cries he gave were heart wrenching.

  Hurrying to the female’s side, she rolled her over. Blood soaked her shirt and her skin was cool but India heard a heartbeat. A wad of cloth appeared under her nose and India took it. She glanced up at bare-chested Reggie and quickly pressed the shirt to the female’s wounds.

  Is my mommy going to die? India moved to let Reggie pick up the woman. India had the strength but the male was taller, and better able to balance her weight. Where is my daddy? He can fix anything. She reached out and touched the puppy’s head, wishing she could give him the assurance he wanted.

  “Shah. Let’s go.” Behind them, the house gave a shudder, collapsing part of the roof. Flames reached up, Hell claiming its victim. India blinked the analogy away and tried to inhale a clean breath. Using the fledging Packbond, she tried to search for anyone nearby as they moved into the woods. The haze of smoke made it hard to navigate. Feeling a ‘tug’ she drifted toward the slight sensation. The scent of wolven drifted toward her. “Tamara?”

  The figure jerked. Tamara’s shadow solidifying as she let go of the tree she’d been hanging onto for support. Her hand went to her mouth. “Bailey! What happened?” India rushed, her own dirty fingers calling for silence. She glanced around the forest.

  “Hunter, I think. He’s trying to burn us out.” Tamara looked horrified at the idea. She glanced at Bailey’s pale features. Holding out her hands for the whimpering puppy, India kept her voice low as she explained. “My nose is full of smoke, but there is silver in the wound. I think the Hunter is trying to pick us off one by one.” She held a hand on the puppy’s head. “Shhh. She’s human enough that the silver will stay solid and not poison her or the baby.”

  “Baby?” The others echoed with wide eyes.

  India shook her head, cuddling Justin to her chest. The lot of them were fairly prolific for wolven. Yet, apparently, they had not noticed the faint scent of pregnancy hormones on the female’s skin. “We’ve got to get her out of here and to a hospital where the humans can tend to her.” Bailey’s pale plump features seemed to glow in the night. She hung limp in Reggie’s arms, the breathy sound of her breathing harsh between them.

  “Tank would know what to do.” Eddie fidgeted, making India’s anger flare.

  “Well, your Tank isn’t here. I am and I’m damn well not going to let the Hunter win.” She should have sent Reggie away at the first sign of another Hunter and made herself the target. She might have been able to take him out herself. “I’ve done it once—.”

  “You can do it again.” Reggie smiled. The trust in his gaze made her look around for a safe way to the nearest road. Please let the Hunter not be there when we hit the road.

  “Let’s go.” She moved away from the flaming heat of the house. Sounds of activity. Yells and directions came from different sections the property. Voices they did not recognize. “We need to get to the road. Then get help we can trust.” She smiled at Reggie. “Unfortunately, Betty’s too far away.” He nodded in agreement.

  “I know who might help.” Tamara pulled her cell phone from her jeans pocket. She frowned as she looked at the front display. “No bars.” Her face lit up with hope even as she sent a worried glance back from the direction of the house. Thank goodness for their wolven stamina. India hoped to get her little group far from the danger before giving away their position. “I’ll keep checking. As soon as I get a signal I’ll call Carter. He’ll come. I know he will.”

  * * * *

  “Gross.” Tamara backed away from the savaged wolf corpse. In the day or so since it’ had died, scavengers had already begun picking at it. Ants and beetles had established trails to their underground homes. “Dead stray.”

  “I guess we know what happened to that gu
y now.” Reggie didn’t sound upset. He looked satisfied that the one who’d broken his arm had gotten his just desserts. A smug lift of his lips confirmed it as he glanced at India. “Smells like your mate had a hand in it.”

  “My nose works fine.” She growled, uncomfortable with the thought that her sweet Tag was capable of doing this. She huffed out a breath, going around the offensive remains. Her mate did what he had to in order to protect his pack. She glanced down as she passed by what had once been an arrogant stray. That included her now too. “Tamara, check your phone again.”

  “Carter? It’s me, Tamara.” The blond wolven female rushed on, as if her friend might hang up. “I have a problem. The house burned down and I have to get to the hospital.”

  “Hospital? You’re hurt?” the human’s deep voice came through loud and clear for India’s wolven hearing. “Where are you?”

  Tamara bit her lip, glancing around the trees. “I’m okay, but my friend Bailey is bleeding pretty badly.” She named the nearest crossroads where she thought they were. “We’re still walking--.”

  “Say no more. I’m close by. I’ll come find you.” Carter hung up fast. India hoped the reason was that he was worried about Tamara and less about the prickling at her nape. She took a moment to scent the air. Finding nothing, she urged them on.

  Arms around the puppy, India figured they’d been walking for ten minutes when the prickling on her neck became unbearable. The big puppy slept heavily on her shoulder. Reggie waited, tired but she knew he could carry the injured female all night if needed. Tamara pulled her arms around her and looked around uncertainly. She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head at Eddie before he could say anything. The Omega hunched his shoulders and waited. Everyone looked to her for guidance. The hilarious thing was, this was their home. Where they’d been for years. India had no idea where she was. She rubbed the uneasy feeling at her nape and decided on a direction.

  “Sorry. That’s the wrong way.” A male voice preceded him stepping out into sight. Thin and wiry, He carried some kind of rifle crossways in his hands. One moment he wasn’t there then he appeared. The shot of fear from Tamara shouted that this wasn’t her friend.