Two more men stepped into view. One was heavyset with a few too many burgers and fries around his waist. He grinned while the other, just as unassuming as the previous tow cocked his rifle. The first one pointed his rifle at India. “You look like the leader of this little group bitch.”
“I like the blonde,” the overweight one leered. “Maybe I’ll just wound her.”
“Just kill them.” The third glanced around. His skin prickled the same way India’s had previously. India figured they’d have just one chance to run. Gently, she rubbed the puppy. Realizing that he wasn’t sleeping. He was quietly watching their enemy as if he knew how not to draw attention his way. She got ready to drop him. One chance for the others. For herself, she didn’t have much hope of outrunning a silver bullet.
The three men gasped. One twisted dropping his gun as he clawed at his throat. The overweight one swung his gun wide, fixing on Tamara. India dropped Justin, urging the puppy to run as she leaped to shove Tamara out of the way. Reggie and Eddie ran. Her packbrother still clutched Bailey to his chest.
As if attacked by a ghost, the overweight gunman’s head twisted. His neck cracked and a shadow separated attacking a second gunman. A dark blur raced out of the forest, jumping on the back of the third gunman. Growls drowned the cries of the man as his throat exploded in a spray of blood. The dark wolf leaped on the fourth man, larger and muscular than their attackers. The man didn’t cry out as he shoved his forearm into the wolf’s mouth and rolled.
“Brandon! No!” Tamara ran, throwing herself on top of the warden to protect the man and got bitten for her trouble as he let go to deal with his new opponent. Rolling to his feet, the man India realized had attacked the trio. The air stank with Psychic magic. Either from him or the others she didn’t know. Maybe both. Fumbling at his belt, he pulled out a short hunting knife suitable for skinning deer or rabbit. Blood dripped down his shredded arm making India’s ache in sympathy. She knew full well how sharp the warden’s teeth were. Tamara held one hand over her shoulder, shaking her head. “He’s my friend. His name is Carter. He helped us. See!” She gestured to the fallen men while India stared at the dark haired stranger who held himself ready for another wolf attack. No fear, no surprise stamped his lean chiseled features. Her neck prickled with danger.
India swallowed her eyes darting from Brandon to the man, Carter, that Tamara threw herself at to protect. The man’s eyes locked onto hers dark and burning. Familiar. She shook her head, lowering her eyes when the wolf stared her way.
Brandon Changed. Slow and purposeful, he let the man see exactly what he was. Fur slowly receded as he regained his feet. His nose blunted, teeth pulling in to human shortness. His face reshaped into its familiar brooding dark eyed visage. Anger thrummed just below his skin as he seemed to wait for the stranger to respond.
“You bit me.” Carter seemed fascinated by his bloody arm. He blinked up and slowly disengaged himself from Tamara, frowning. He took a breath, then another as if pulling a shroud calm around himself. He wasn’t fazed by the naked man standing threateningly in front of him or the dead men at his feet. “My van is about a hundred yards behind us.” He met Tamara’s eyes. “You said you needed to get someone to the hospital?”
“Tamara and Eddie can take her to the hospital.” Brandon spoke decisively as he glanced down at the shivering puppy who’d crept back to his feet. Gently, he reached down to scoop Justin up and walked the short distance to hand him to Tamara. “Take him with you. He needs to know his mother is safe.”
Behind her, India heard the others. Reggie stopped beside her, blood smeared on his chest. Eddie held Bailey close as he edged as close to Tamara as he could without getting close to the stranger. “Give them the keys.” Brandon ordered. The other male, Carter, stared hard at him. “You don’t have the time for a joyride into town.” Brandon snarled, then waited as Carter handed his keys to Tamara.
“I’m sorry.” Smoke and exertion made her sound hoarse. Tears made dirt tracks in her face.
“Don’t be.” Carter might have said something more but he jerked his head in the direction of the road. “Go. Your friend needs help.” She turned and hurried to the road with Justin in her arms, Eddie on her heels.
India shivered, watching Brandon circle the other man. A wolf sizing up his prey.
“Hunter.” Reggie accused, growling, but staying still when India laid a hand on him. The warden’s circle put him between them and the Hunter and she wanted to keep it that way. She shivered wishing Chase were there at her side.
“I did not do this.” Carter the Hunter faced them. Stoically, he faced Brandon. His shredded arm dripped blood on the forest floor with a steady pit pat. The other held his knife pointed down, as if the Hunter did not want to hurt the warden. “Not this. I came to help.”
“I just came from the morgue, identifying my brother.” Brandon snarled, the tips of his wolf’s teeth showing how close he was to Changing back and ripping the Hunter’s throat out. And conveniently here you are. My packsister silver shot.” He cocked his head to the side. “Our home is in flames. And you, the Hunter, are friends with another packsister.” The red glint in Brandon’s eyes and the slow steady growth of his claws betrayed the false calm in his stance.
Whatever Carter Hunter thought of the scary wolven warden, he easily kept to himself. Brandon snarled again, his claws flexed and fisted in front of him. Fury and grief built, rolling off of him seeping though the packbond. “I saw my little brother’s body cut and tortured. Silver dust poured into his wounds, to burn from the inside out. His healing ability compromised. Jaw broken, legs, ribs.” Rage shook the warden. His face mottled with the emotion. Veins stood out against his skin. He snarled again without any pretense of humanity. His eyes gleamed red.
The Hunter watched Brandon distantly, almost curiously. Beneath mussed brown hair, his eyes glazed a bit. Sweat dampened the Hunter’s skin. India bit her lip, taking in the scene. In the back of her mind, she felt Chase, not her sweet Tag, but the warden bent on protecting his pack racing to his duty. Her feet moved of their own volition.
Brandon turned, growling when she dared lay her hand on his arm. The raw scabbed over bites stood out in stark relief against her delicate skin. Instead of flinching, she stared into the pain-filled red of his eyes. “He’s going to Change soon.” Brandon pulled away, his intent clear. India reached out and grabbed him again. She stood her ground, placing herself between the warden and the Hunter, without relinquishing her hold on the angry wolven male. “Think about it Brandon. He’s had plenty of time to destroy the pack. No doubt he has intimate details on our lives.” She shook her head, long strands of hair sifted over her shoulder while she tried to bring her thoughts into focus. A part of her wanted to eat the Hunter alive in vengeance for her pack. She bit her lip, swallowed, tried not to focus on those coming this way.
Carter Hunter made a small sound. The knife sheathed itself in the dirt with a small sound. “I killed one of the other shapeshifters. Slimy little guy.”
India ignored him. She kept her gaze locked on the warden. “He wants to die,” she whispered, tuning out the Hunter’s mumbling about darts and wolves. “But he hasn’t really harmed one of ours.” The red light dimmed in the warden’s eyes. Sensing that he was listening, thinking about her words, India let go. Brandon didn’t relinquish his hold so easily. One clawed hand circled her wrist, keeping her at his side while he studied his wavering enemy. She looked up at him, willing him to listen with more than his ears. “Warden, this Hunter did not kill my old pack. Something else is at work here.”
Brandon let go of her wrist. A surge of power heralded his Change to the wolfman form their kind preferred. His body washed over with fur, bulking up to more than twice his usual body mass. His head elongated again, the wolf fangs becoming true monster teeth. He grinned at India, tongue lolling for a brief moment. “I hear you little sister.” Gently, Brandon the wolfman touched her on the head before turning to the Hunter. “I know what has to be done
.” He turned slowly towards the Hunter, massive fist raised.
India moved back and closed her eyes, relieved to feel Chase’s arms circle her with comfort. She didn’t want to see the bloody outcome. She’d seen too much gore already. Eyes still closed, she flinched at the meaty sound of fist on flesh. The grunt of pain and the angry growl of wolven males.
“I have you Cleo.” With a sob of relief, she buried her face in her mate’s chest while his arms formed a protective wall around her. Warm hands rubbed the chill from her arms. The fall of his hair surrounded her in the scent of male and security overpowered the scent of blood and the burgeoning magic of the Change in the air. “It’s okay baby. I’ve got you now.” Laying her cheek against the crisp hairs and warm skin, the gravelly rumble beneath drowned out the last of the primal sounds of fighting. “We’ve got everything under control.”
Chapter Twenty Four
Every bone and muscle in Carter’s body ached with vengeance. His head pounded to the drumbeat throbbing in his veins that made him wonder what vile alcohol he’d been drinking. The stench of sweat, blood, and metal caught at the back of his throat, making his stomach lurch. Never one to take the easy way out, he rolled over…and realized that he was naked as certain parts of him hit the cold floor. His hiss of complaint was followed by a loud gasp and scuttling sound that made him look up.
The world tilted and blurred before he refocused on the lines in front of him. He frowned, realizing that the lines were bars and that he was in a cage. Hating confinement of any kind he gritted his teeth, surprised at the rumble of sound that escaped. A flash of color drew his attention beyond the bars. Barefoot and dressed in drab gray sweats that did nothing to dull the sunny tumble of yellow hair around her shoulders. Crawling closer to the bars, he focused on her wide blue eyes staring at him with…fear? Hurt? Grasping the bars, he let go, grunting at the stinging burn on his palms. Fisting against the discomfort, he tried to make sense of his surroundings and the jumble of images, scents, and sounds that tumbled around his mind. “Tamara?” Even his throat felt raw. “What? Where am I?”
Bouncing to her feet in a single graceful move that made him grip the bars again to get closer, she closed half the distance between him. He let go of the bars, the painful itch distracting too much from the woman. Whatever her perfume, it smelled of musk and woman, making him want to reach through the bars and bury his nose against her skin.
“Did it make you feel powerful? Did you laugh every time you hung up?” This close he could see the wet tears that had been making her skin damp and her long lashes spike. Not understanding the question, he shook his head. “You sorry dog! Cur! How dare you use me against my people?” She screamed and would have rushed him with her fists had another not intervened. Carter growled at the interference. The werewolf ignored him, holding Tamara in his arms while letting her scream her hate. Carter protested the other man’s protectiveness, allowing her to beat her fists and cry. “He doesn’t understand,” the man said. “It’s too soon for him to sort it out.”
Tamara shook her head, blond hair flying in every direction. She pulled away, letting her tears fall unheeded. “Damn you Carter. I won’t forgive you…ever!” He did not have to strain to hear the slap of her bare feet carrying her away or the final slam of the door that separated him from her. Raw fury slipped over him, intense in every way, feeding other things he rarely thought about, lust, hunger, loneliness…the bite of the bars that kept him caged. All of it surged through his body, crawling over his skin, pulling and stretching until he screamed, howled, and beat against his cage. Finally, exhausted, he lay down in the center of his confinement and let the darkness overtake him.
* * * *
Chase took a moment to savor the salty, greasy treat of his take out French fry before pulling another out of the bag. Directly across from him, his…prisoner? Detainee? Finally, he settled on guest. His guest stirred enough to make him think that the bastard might wake up. Munching on another fry, he watched the male to pull himself into a semblance of a sitting position. He waited until those dark eyes were on him before using his foot to kick the other take out bag to the bars. He hardened his heart and waited for the Hunter to crawl to the edge of the cage to retrieve the food, then waited while the male slowly opened and sorted the food with shaking hands. Four wrapped double meat burgers and a bottle of water. After waiting a few minutes for the jerk off to tear into the meal, he paused mid-fry. “Eat. It’s not poisoned. Not that you don’t deserve it.” He finished munching the fry.
The newly Changed wolven’s stomach won out over caution, just as Chase knew it would. The first twenty-four to forty-eight hours of being bitten were the most critical in a wolven’s Change. Newborn animal instincts, raw primal emotions, enhanced senses overwhelmed the male psychic in every way. Unmonitored, a newly Changed bitten could turn werewolf and attack the easiest prey to fill their needs. Chase pushed the memory of his own first Change away and ate another fry, watching as the caged male slowly regained control of the tremors and his body. Soon the glaze and confusion cleared from his eyes and they stared at one another.
The ex-Hunter took a long drink of water from the bottle, recapped it, and set it aside. Chase crushed his greasy fast food bag between his hands, balling it into a smelly lump and set it on the ground. “What now?” asked his guest. Chase smirked, drawing an angry frown from Carter. “Well? Am I going to be the basement sideshow until you decide to kill me?”
Chase reached down for the extra large strawberry milkshake he’d been enjoying during the females’ distraction. Food quality had not been a priority recently, so the guys were loading up on everything they could get away with while they could. “Nope. You’re the basement sideshow until the Alphas make the final decision.” He took a sip of sweet milky goodness, taking a deep satisfaction in the way the other male’s eyes focused the Styrofoam cup with covetous thirst. Yeah, it was petty. So, what? “Until then, here we are.”
Sullen, the male grabbed his water bottle and walked to the back of the cage, forgetting the lesson his earlier Changed self kept forgetting as well. He hissed as his back made contact with the bars and moved foreword, confused enough to reach out and touch the metal. Stupid bastard. “Silver bars are gonna burn, buddy. Doesn’t change into something else. Silver is silver.” He took another long pull on the straw before slouching back in his lawn chair. He figured he still had an hour or two before everyone woke up, got angry again, and all hell broke loose. Again. “Damned expensive too. Don’t know how those Hunters stay stocked up on bullets with the price of the stuff.”
Carter Hunter sat as dignified as one could, naked and cross-legged, when you can’t lean on anything behind you. Chase, taking his cue from his mate, watched the stranger with fascinating curiosity. Sure, he hated the Hunters, but this one was an anomaly. His looks, his actions, everything was a contradiction of what he’d come to accept in his life. The basement door above opened with a faint squeak. For a brief moment, he considered the merits of giving the shake to the guy in the cage, then decided to hell with it. No bitten Hunter bastard was getting his shake. He’d throw the damn thing away first.
He stood up respectfully as the females, minus poor little Bailey and pissed off Tamara, slipped down the steps. Diana and India waited while Karen walked around the cage, one hand on her big baby belly. Chase didn’t have a clue what the ladies were up to. He had half a mind to poke at the boss through the packbond. Instead he growled at the Hunter when he might have moved. “You so much as think about touching her and I’ll come in there and rip your gonads off. Then shove them down your throat.”
“Chase,” Diana’s soft reprimand was echoed by India’s frown. They were up to something for sure. He went ahead and prodded Adam through the packbond, just in case, plastering on an innocent smile for the females’ benefit.
Karen walked to the far side of the cage, closest to the Hunter. Chase growled again in warning, surprised when Carter stepped back. She frowned, grasping the silve
r bars in a graceful long fingered grip. “Come here. I want to see you.”
“You can see him fine from where he is darlin’. Now it’s time to go back upstairs.” Seeing and feeling the displeasure in his mate and his Alpha female, he edged closer to Karen. “Sweetheart,” he pleaded. Chase himself was close to having a fit. If a female was close enough to his heart to be called daughter or niece, Karen was it. He’d been to high school football games when she was a cheerleader. Ridden herd on Bradley when the two dated. Waited just like everyone else for news when she left for college, and nearly cried when she birthed her first babe. It was no wonder he didn’t want any kids of his own. He’d helped raise too many already. “You’re mate’s going to shit a brick if he smells this guy on you.”
Thankfully, the door opened and closed above and the much heavier steps of the pack Alpha started down. The females jumped guiltily, showing their duplicity. As a unit, they crossed their arms under their breasts, closing their ranks in a show of solidarity. Adam frowned as he walked into view. Chase held back a sigh of relief and gently urged her back to the others, keeping sure to place himself between the cage and the very pregnant female. Opening the matebond, he urged India to take the others back upstairs. She ignored his ‘push’.
“Why don’t you ladies go back upstairs?” Steel laced Adam’s casual request. His pale blue gaze held neither mercy nor condemnation on the prisoner as he leaned down to brush a kiss over his mate’s head. He looked concerned as Karen passed and touched her shoulder. “You look tired. Why don’t you rest a bit?”
Nodding, she cast one more look back at the Hunter before climbing the stairs. India brushed by, setting Chase’s nerves alive, the small set of her mouth said that she knew exactly what she’d done. The wolf in him wanted to bark and chase her sassy self back up the stairs and into the woods for a romp. The man tamped down the urge and turned away, automatically tossing his hair over one shoulder while he moved to Adam’s flank. The door upstairs closed with a decided snap and they faced the solemn appraisal of the Hunter.
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