Mika glanced at the other wolf. It didn’t look familiar to him. Still, he wasn’t letting the other beast out of his sight. He inched along the wall and felt something scrape along his back. He glanced up the stairs, the only way of escape, and saw the deteriorating railing. He gripped it behind his back and pulled. It gave way a little.
“Where’s October?”
The other man smiled smugly. “You don’t have anything to worry about. She’s soon going to be all mine.”
He gritted his teeth and then pulled again, hoping the other two wouldn’t notice. He winced when he heard the groan of the wood. The wolf stepped closer. “She isn’t yours. If you did anything to her, I’ll rip your balls off.” He tugged again. This time the board came with him. He stepped forward at the same time the wolf sprang at him. Mika swung with all his might and hit the wolf across the skull. The wolf dropped to the floor, and the piece of rotten railing splintered into a thousand pieces. The kidnapper growled, but Mika kept on running, head down, and tackled him. They both went down to the floor. The landing knocked the wind out of him, but he straddled him and began to pummel his face.
The kidnapper grabbed the place where he had bitten him and squeezed. Bolts of white-hot pain seared his nerves, and he saw stars from the pain. The other man hit him again across the nose and broke it. Mika concentrated through the agony and poured all of his energy into shifting one part of his body. His hand twisted. His fingers thinned, and his fingernails sharpened. He slashed at the other man and caught him with his claws. The attacker staggered backward toward the center of the great room. Mika had gotten him across the chest, and he could see bone underneath. The other man looked down at his wounds and only smiled.
“You may think this will stop me, but it won’t. We have other holdings. My partner will make sure the other girls will suffer for what you’ve done. You can kill me, but you won’t stop us.”
Mika stood over him and growled. The rage that burned in him nearly blinded him. It took everything in him not to tear at this man’s throat. “Where is she?”
“You must really love that tail. She’s by the generator, but be careful if you move her. The whole place could go boom. You really didn’t think that I was going to let you get away free and clear from this. None of you will get out of this alive,” the other man laughed.
Mika hit him across the face, and the kidnapper fell to the floor. Mika saw the other wolf was under the chandelier. He rushed toward the rope, and with one swipe, he cut it with his claws. The kidnapper looked up as the chandelier fell, pinning him underneath it. Mika waited for the dust to settle. When he did, the other man was still breathing. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth. Mika stood over him and raised his hand for the killing strike, but it was caught. He turned around, ready to snap at whoever had stopped him, and saw Elliot, covered in mud and scraped up. It appeared he had gotten Dawn out of the pit.
“Leave him. The pack is on the way. We want to make sure he gets justice for what he’s done.”
“What about the other one?” Mika asked.
His friend’s brows knitted together. “What other one?’
Mika glanced back to where the wolf had been lying. The body had vanished. Fuck! “His accomplice. There was a red wolf just there.” He pointed to the pool of blood near the right hallway. “Didn’t you see him when you came down here?”
“No. There wasn’t anyone else. We’ll find him, don’t worry. Go get October and see if she’s okay.”
Mika nodded and ran down the hallway. He heard October’s distinct heartbeat, and it was hammering in her chest. When he got into the room, she looked up. The stench of the kerosene was overwhelming and made his eyes water. Piled in the corner were other buckets and a couple of shovels. He saw some other tools, but could only guess what they were for. His heart dropped when he saw his beloved. She was covered in bruises, and there was a gag in her mouth. Mika dropped to his knees and gently pulled the gag from her mouth. Her eyes were wide, and her lip was puffy from where she had been hit. Her arm was sliced open. She was pale, but she was awake. Her shirt had been ripped open, exposing her breasts, and there were superficial scratches running over her chest. She was tied to a pole. He reached for the ropes.
“Stop. There’s a bomb.”
He glanced behind her and saw the thin wires lying on top of the loose earth. He followed the wires and discovered the generator was full to the brim. On the back side was a bundle of dynamite attached to a cell phone. There was a timer next to it with only thirty seconds on the display. Oh shit.
He traced the wires back to a plate that October was sitting on. They had to get her out of there.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’re not going to die in this place.”
A tear slid down her cheek. “You need to go.”
“No. I won’t leave you here. Did he bite you?”
“No. Just the scratches.”
Mika nodded more to himself than to her. “Good. Then he didn’t infect you. Do you know anything about the other wolf, his partner that was with him?”
October shook her head. “No. I never saw his face. He was rougher with the girls. They screamed and died quicker. He came for me once, but the other got to him first and said I was off-limits. He got the left hallway. Sometimes I wished I was his so he would just let me die.”
“Shh. Don’t worry about it. I’m going to be right back.”
“Okay.”
Mika returned to Elliot, who was with Cooper. He saw other wolves opening up the cells in the right hallway, freeing the other women in them. The pack leader looked up at him. “You catch this one?”
“Yeah. I thought I had his partner too, but he got away.”
The kidnapper chuckled and shook his head. For the first time, Mika saw how truly mad he was.
“You’ll never find him. And the best part of it is, he’s been among you all along.”
Cooper grabbed the other man’s face and pulled him closer. “What do you mean? Who is your partner?”
“I’ll never tell.”
Cooper gripped the man’s face and growled, “Tell me!”
The other man spit on the pack leader. He wiped the spittle from his face and then slugged him.
“Take him upstairs and let the others bring him back into town. Help bring the remaining victims to safety. Be quick about it. See they are cared for. The same with Dawn,” he said to Elliot. Cooper glanced at Mika. “Is your girl back there?”
Mika nodded. “Yeah. But there’s a bomb. I’m not sure I can move her.” He led Cooper back into the room at the end of the hall. October looked up at him with a hopeful light in her eye and a small smile.
Cooper glanced at her and then to the setup. He knelt down and picked up the wires. “This isn’t good. If we move her, the timer will be triggered.”
Mika stayed with her and kissed the top of her head.
“How much do you weigh?” Cooper asked.
October blushed and then glanced at Mika. “One thirty. One forty. I don’t know. I haven’t been on a scale in a while. You know, being a prisoner and all.”
The pack leader grunted and then left the room. Mika stayed behind and chuckled.
October glanced at him. “What’s so funny?”
“Just how you are with him. He hates attitude of any kind.”
“Let me guess, he’s the type of guy who thinks he can look at someone and they will bow down and suck his dick, right?”
“Actually, I prefer a hand job rather than a blow job. Maybe when you get out of here, you can give it a try.” Cooper came back in carrying a woman over his shoulder.
“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t substitute another life for hers.”
“Relax. This one was already dead. I’d say within the past hour or so. She seems to be about your weight. I don’t know how long we have, but when we switch, we have to run like hell.”
“Do you think it’ll work?” Mika asked.
Samuel never showed up, and he’s the only one who had training with this kind of thing. We try it or we leave your girl down here.”
Mika glanced at October. “Do it,” she said. “I’m not going to die down here no matter what. He won’t get the better of me.”
She held up her bound hands, and Mika sliced through the rope. He carefully undid the bindings around her. Cooper knelt down next to them. Mika glanced at the pack leader and then nodded.
At the same moment, he scooped up October, and then Cooper set the body on the plate. It all seemed seamless. They glanced at one another. Mika heard a faint click.
“We gotta go!” Cooper yelled and took off down the hallway.
They raced against time. The first explosion rocked the cellar. Mika was halfway up the stairs when he felt the heat of the flames. October whimpered, but he made it up another couple of steps before he leaped to solid ground and landed safely. The rest of the pack was nowhere around. He tried to catch his breath, but felt the earth rumbling beneath his feet. He and Cooper met eyes and then kept on running. They didn’t stop until they were safely away from the cellar and Cooper had rejoined the other wolves. Dawn was looking over the girls, who were being cared for by other members of the pack. Mika set October down. She looked up at him and then went over to Elliot and kissed him. A pang of jealousy went through Mika, and he couldn’t help the small growl that escaped his chest.
“If you love her, then you’ll figure a way to work it out. You have to fight our instincts.” Cooper motioned toward them.
“I don’t want to lose her because I’m being an ass. Thank you for coming.”
Cooper eyed him. “You have more balls than I gave you credit for. You did something that even my best hunters couldn’t. I’ll take that into consideration when I meet with the council. Maybe we can think about reversing the decision about you being banned from the pack.”
Mika nodded, not sure what else to say. He had never expected any praise from the pack leader. Cooper walked away. Mika joined Elliot and October. He ran his fingers over her face and then looked at Elliot. His friend’s muscles were tensed as if he was waiting for Mika to strike out at him.
He offered his hand to Elliot. The other man smiled and then pulled him into a hug.
“Why don’t we get October back home and get her cleaned up? I think our girl needs to get some rest.”
October glanced at both of them. “I’d like that.”
Mika kissed her cheek. He would do anything to keep her happy. Even work out whatever schedule they needed so the three of them could be with one another. However it was going to work out, he would make an effort for the love of the woman who was with him.
Chapter Thirteen
October had been questioned by the pack leader and the other cops in the town. It had been another week, and she was still recovering from the last incident of being abducted. The superficial wounds had healed, and her ankle was finally sound. Mika and Elliot had left her alone for the last week, but she sensed the tension in them. They wanted to make her happy. She had wanted to make them happy too, but so much had happened. She had to get away for a while and see if she could reintegrate back into a normal life. Questions ran through her mind. Was her attraction to them brought on just because they had rescued her? Did she really love them? Her heart screamed yes, but her head dictated her actions, and she needed normalcy, where there were no woods, no wolves, and no dark cellars. The hustle and bustle of the city called to her. October was tempted to fly back to Massachusetts, to her family, but that seemed too far. So she was heading back to Charlotte for now. Once she figured it out, then she would make up her mind.
She zipped her bag and then headed out to the dining room, where Elliot and Mika were waiting.
Elliot’s face was blank. The walls were up around his heart once more. Mika’s eyes burned with rage and with wanting. She could see it. Dawn stood in the kitchen and smiled at her.
“All packed?” Elliot asked.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’ll put your things in the car.” Dawn grabbed her bags and headed outside, leaving her with the two men.
She glanced at Mika and Elliot. She brushed a kiss along their cheeks. Everything she wanted to say to them stuck in her heart. “I need some time to figure all this out.”
“Of course. Take all the time you need,” Elliot choked out.
“We’ll be here.” Mika gave her a stiff hug.
She wiped the tears that slid down her cheeks and then went outside to meet Dawn. As they pulled away in the car, she looked in the mirror and saw the men on the porch. Dawn and she drove for a while. The knowledge of what she had done to Mika lingered in October’s mind, but she couldn’t judge her just on that. Dawn had been kind to her and helped treat her. She had brought her clothes, and now they were going back to her apartment.
“Running away from the wolves?” Dawn asked.
“I’m not running away. I’m trying to get my life back. I need to figure things out. You would too after you’d been kidnapped. I just want normal for a bit.”
“So you don’t love them?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You going away like this is hurting them both. Mika especially.”
October glanced over and saw the hard look in her eyes. “What do you care about Mika? You’re the one who threw him to the wolves. No pun intended.”
“I did what I thought was right at the time. I loved him once upon a time. I wanted to make his life a living hell. I never expected him to almost die or to meet you. Then you broke down the walls around Elliot’s heart. I didn’t think that was possible. I loved him like a brother. Still do because he was going to marry my sister. Now you’re leaving, and that wall will go back up. He’ll never open up again.”
“I’m not leaving them all alone. I just need some time to think. I’m not used to all this supernatural stuff. Give me a break.” October stared out the window and didn’t want to think about what she was leaving behind. It hurt her heart enough, but it was something she had to do. I slept with both of them, and I know I feel something for them, but is it love? Thinking about it only made her want to turn around and head back to them. She shook her head, knowing she was doing the right thing.
They didn’t talk for the rest of the ride home until they pulled up outside of her apartment building.
She got out and thanked Dawn for the ride. The other woman smiled and pulled away. October looked up at her residence and then took a breath. She had told her roommate she was coming back today. Hopefully, she could settle back into her old life and find another job. Once all the rubble cleared in her head, then she would head back up Lupine Gorge.
* * * *
October tapped on the keyboard again and tried not to let the boredom of her temp job overtake her. After trying to get her job back, her boss was sympathetic, but he had already fired her. He gave her some great recommendations and said that he hadn’t wanted to let her go, but when she didn’t show up, he had had to fill her position. The references had been great, but in this economy, she wasn’t getting anything permanent. So she was making rent the best way she could.
Each day that passed, her thoughts turned more toward Elliot and Mika. She missed the way their hands roamed over her body. How their lips felt on hers. Ever since she had left, part of her was empty, a vacant hole that needed to be filled with their warm presence. A tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of them, but she wiped it away before it could ruin her mascara. It didn’t matter that they were wolves. The idea of being away from them any longer was grating on her soul.
She had claimed she wanted to get back to a normal life. Now she was back, and the craving to be immersed in the world she had discovered consumed her more and more each day. October pulled out her cell phone and looked at their numbers. She had their address too. Being away fr
om them tugged at the very fabric of her being. She was getting more depressed by the day and had never thought a man, or even two men, would have such an effect on her. Her roommate tried to cheer her up by setting her up on blind dates. The men she had seen hadn’t ignited any sparks.
That’s it. She punched in the navigation and then looked at how long it would take her to drive there. Two and a half hours. It would be after dark and late when she arrived. I hope they’ll be there.
The rest of the day passed slowly as she tapped in the data the job required of her. At her apartment, she changed into T-shirt and jeans. She packed a bag for a couple of days and didn’t care if she was blowing off her job. The compulsion to see Mika and Elliot drove her forward as she made her way closer to the men she loved. Darkness pressed around her. Rain had started falling when she got into the mountains. Lightning bounced off the peaks. A bolt struck a tree, and it blazed into flames. She jumped, but sped past the natural light show. She got off the exit and made her way down the two-lane road where she had emerged after escaping her kidnapper. It was good to know the wolves had dealt with him. That meant his partner was still on the loose, but she couldn’t think about him. If she did, then she wouldn’t move past the trauma that lived within her nightmares. Her roommate had asked her about what had happened, but October couldn’t bring herself to tell her all the details.
Maybe I wanted to see if I could put it all behind me, but that didn’t dull my attraction for them. Maybe I figured it would. But it didn’t. She bit her lip and continued driving until she arrived at the entrance to their long driveway. Her heart beat in time with her blinker. It was now or never. She could turn around and head back to her apartment or go down the driveway and make her life go in another direction. That small fear of the unknown almost held her back, but the thought of never seeing Mika or Elliot again broke her heart. She couldn’t do that. They might have been big bad wolves, but they would blow any house down to get her if she was in trouble.
October turned into the driveway, then shut off the engine. It took a minute before she got out of the car. When she did, the cool November air cut through her. The house was dark. The clouds were distorting the moon. In the distance, she heard another rumble of thunder, and then underneath that, the howl of wolves. She remembered the jacket in her trunk. She grabbed it and then followed the driveway around the back. She glanced up and saw the deck and bit her lip. Maybe it’s open.
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