Sanctuary (A Hunted Novel Book 1)

by Shaw, Bethany

  Rage consumed Nate’s vision. How dare Ray hit her? Lunging forward, he triggered a shift, instantly taking on his alternate form. He dashed at Ray, his lips curled up in a snarl. Reaching out, he sunk his teeth into the other wolf’s leg, biting down until he met bone. Coppery warmth flooded his mouth. Good. I hope that hurts. Typically he didn’t revel in others agony, but for Ray, he might make an exception.

  Ray howled in pain. Nate gripped Ray’s ankle tighter, dragging him backwards, and away from his mother. Ray stumbled and fell to the ground, clasping at his leg as he screamed for mercy. Ray didn’t deserve a second chance. He’d gone too far and hurt too many people Nate cared about. Nate released his hold and gnashed his teeth into Ray’s arm. Ray punched Nate’s side with his other hand in a vain attempt to get free.

  Nate refused to let up, the strike absorbed mostly by his muscular torso. Ray wasn’t going to hurt anyone else again. He flexed his sharp claws and pressed down onto Ray’s abdomen, letting his elongated nails sink into the tender flesh. He dragged his paw down Ray, tearing him open.

  Ray gurgled as blood flooded his mouth. He coughed, sending up a spray of red. The wolf stopped thrashing, and the light left his eyes. It was over. Nate stood up, searching around. Most of the hunters lay on the ground dead or dying. Werecats jogged around the perimeter. One hissed as he made eye contact with it. A large black cat meowed loudly, and the cats followed after him, disappearing down a hill.

  Where were they going?

  “They’ll be back in a minute. They’re shifting,” Tess spoke up.

  Nate took Tess in. Mud caked her hair and blood was smeared across her cheek. A few cuts and bruises, but nothing that wouldn’t heal. Tess would be okay. He let out a relieved breath, letting the muscles in his body relax.

  His mother indicated the house. “I saw spare clothes in there.”

  Nate bobbed his head up and down and trotted into the cabin.

  ***

  Tess wrapped her arms around herself as she watched Nate disappear into the cottage. She let out a relieved breath. He was okay, and she didn’t see any werecats amongst the dead. They’d done well.

  She peered down over the hill, eagerly anticipating her brother’s return. Thomas was alive. She hadn’t gotten a chance to see who else was with him, but it warmed her heart knowing there were other survivors. A sliver of hope chorused through. Could her parents be alive too?

  The stairs behind her creaked, and she spun around, meeting Nate’s gaze.

  She took a step forward, but his mother was faster, launching herself into her son’s arms first.

  Nate hugged his mother, but maintained eye contact with her. “Are you okay?” he mouthed to her.

  She smiled and nodded. They’d both made it.

  “Tess?” Thomas called from behind her.

  Tess whirled around. Tears pooled in her eyes and a lump formed in her throat. “Thomas,” she whispered, darting towards her brother.

  Her older brother caught her in his arms, picked her up, and swung her around.

  “I’m so glad you are okay, baby sis,” he murmured, squeezing her tightly.

  “Stop hogging her,” Theodore jested, wrapping his arms around them.

  “Theodore,” Tess gasped, surprised to see her other brother. She hadn’t seen him earlier. She pulled back and took in the rest of the pride that was making their way up the hill. “Mom, Dad, Terrence?” she whispered.

  “Mom and Dad didn’t make it, and we don’t know where Terrence is,” Thomas replied softly. He cupped her cheeks in his hand. “I’m sorry.”

  Tess’ bottom lip trembled as reality set in. Her parents were gone, and her other brother was still missing. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. “Hey, it’s okay,” Theodore soothed quietly, hugging her again. “It was quick. They didn’t suffer. Mom and Dad died together.”

  Tess nodded, letting a few stray tears fall. Her parents were gone. I never got to say goodbye. I wish I could hold them one more time. Tell them I love them one last time.

  “I know, sweetie, I know,” Thomas cooed, smoothing a hand through her hair. “We’ll mourn them later.” He tipped her head up and wiped away her tears. “It’s not safe here.”

  Tess nodded and swiped away the remaining tears. He was right. More men could be on their way. They needed to leave.

  “Have you seen Audrey?” Thomas asked quietly. “We picked up your scent in Ohio. I could smell Audrey’s blood all over the woods. We were about to make contact with you the other day when hunters showed up. We saw them attack, but were too far away to help. We’ve been tracking you for a few days now. I’m glad we got here in time.”

  “She was shot,” Tess croaked out. She squeezed Thomas’ hand. “But we took her back to Sanctuary, and the doctor’s there patched her up. She’s going to be okay.”

  Thomas closed his eyes. A stray tear trickled down his cheek. “Thea?”

  “She’s there too. Her and the baby are fine. Dustin too,” Tess assured.

  “And who are they?” Theodore asked nodding at Nate and Patrice.

  The pair stood alone by the cabin taking in the scene around them. Poor Patrice, she’s probably never seen this many cats before.

  Tess stepped out of their arms, and walked to Nate, her two brothers following closely behind her. Patrice sneered at her as Tess took Nate’s hand in her own. “This is Nate. He saved my life. And this is his mother Patrice.”

  “Thank you, for taking care of my sister,” Thomas said, offering his hand to Nate.

  Nate slid his hand into Thomas’, giving it a firm shake. “You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.”

  Patrice grumbled behind them and Thomas narrowed his eyes.

  Tess swallowed. Thea had been accepting of Nate, Thomas and Theodore should be too. At least that’s what she hoped. She drew in a deep breath. “Nate’s my mate. We are bonded,” she admitted out loud.

  Thomas’ eyes widened, and he took a step back as a frown settled over his face.

  Theodore clapped his hands together. “We leave you alone for a week and you turn up mated to a wolf. Tess,” he shook his head, but a smile splayed across his face.

  Thomas quickly composed himself. “Congratulations, Tess,” he added, pulling her into another hug.

  “Well as sweet as this is,” Patrice began. “We should get out of here before reinforcements come.”

  “She’s right,” Nate replied. “We need to head home. I’m sure you’ll want to see your mate,” he said, looking at Thomas.

  “Then we better be on our way,” Patrice spoke up. She drew in a deep breath as she took in the werecats. Indecision swirled in her eyes as her lips moved, counting each and every cat in sight. “Let’s get them to Sanctuary. There are a few vans on a private drive over this way,” she said pointing over her shoulder. “We should all be able to fit into them.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Tess slumped back into the seat, resting her head on the hard headrest. These large vans could carry a large quantity of people, but they weren’t built for comfort. Hopefully, the drive back to Sanctuary wouldn’t be too much longer.

  There were two large cargo vans. The same vans Callum and Ray had driven with their teams. Only now, seventeen werecats and two wolves occupied them instead of ten wolves. Nate drove the van she rode in and Heath, a member of her pride, drove the other.

  They’d hastily wrapped Jax’s body in plastic and were transporting him back to the compound for a proper burial. Even though Ray had claimed to kill the rest of the team, except for Callum, no other bodies had been found.

  Tess shuddered, wondering what had become of the missing men. That’s a question she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to. In a way, it was nice to know that Eden, Xander, and Callum lived, but what was happening to them? Was death better than torture? She sighed heavily. As long as they were alive they were fighting. Anyone who fought for their life was worth saving.

  “You okay, sis?” Theodore asked, leaning onto the
back of her seat.

  She twisted and smiled, meeting her older brother’s eyes. “Yeah. Tired. It’s been a long few days,” she answered honestly. She could sleep for a week if allowed. There wasn’t time for rest. An attack on Sanctuary was imminent. They had to prepare for that. Unless of course they would flee. I’m tired of running. It’s time we stand our ground.

  “Me too,” Theodore admitted. “Your time couldn’t have been too bad. You met your mate.”

  Tess smiled. He was right. Who would have thought that the worst possible tragedy would have led to her finding Nate. It was bittersweet. I wish Mom and Dad were here too. Her heart clenched at the thought. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears pricking the back of her eyes. They were really gone.

  “I’m glad you found each other. That you have someone who took care of you. Mom and Dad would’ve been happy for you.” Theodore squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

  “Thanks.”

  Tess followed her brother’s gaze as he looked at Thomas. Her other brother slept soundly, his head resting against the darkened glass window.

  “He hasn’t stopped moving since that night. We followed your trail to Tennessee and then it stopped, so we went to Ohio. Audrey’s scent was all over. I’ve never seen him so terrified. Thomas was hell bent on finding you, Audrey and Thea,” Theodore spoke.

  “I’ve been looking too. There was no one in Ohio. It was designed as a safe house. The hideaway is an underground bunker. Not that it matters now, hunters found it,” Tess grumbled.

  “It kept you safe for a bit,” Theodore argued. “That’s what the place was designed for. Besides, if you hadn’t of been there the other day, we would’ve never tracked you to the cabin, and who knows what would’ve happened then.”

  Tess grimaced at the thought. It could've been bad. Ray would have sent them off to be experimented on and God knows what else.

  “Are we here?” Theodore asked as the van turned down a dirt road.

  Tess nodded her head, watching as Thomas jolted awake. He rubbed his eyes and stared out the window.

  Tess turned back in her seat, meeting Patrice’s gaze. The elder wolf narrowed her eyes, glaring a long moment before whipping her head back around to give Nate instructions.

  Looks like she still doesn’t like me. I wonder what else I’ll have to do to get in her good graces? If saving her tail, literally, doesn’t do the trick, I’m not sure what will.

  She didn’t need Patrice to like her, but it would be nice. Patrice was Nate’s mother, and hopefully, if they were allowed to stay, an imperative part of their lives. For Nate’s sake, it was important to get along with Patrice. The only thing she could do was give it her best. Everything else was up to Patrice.

  The van rolled to a stop, and Theodore popped out of his seat, maneuvering to the sliding door. Nate turned off the van and he and his mom stepped out to greet the welcoming party that was filing out of Sanctuary.

  The shifters, most of them wolves, pointed and stared at Tess and her family. A few turned their lips up in disgust, and though she couldn’t hear the words, she could tell there was a heated debate taking place amongst Patrice, Nate, and a few of the older shifters.

  “They seem like a friendly bunch,” Theodore commented as he looked back at the other werecats in the van. “Remember we are guests here. Behave accordingly.” Without waiting for questions, he ducked out of the van, taking a few steps toward Patrice.

  Tess stayed in her seat as the rest of the werecats filed out of the cramped van. Watching through the windshield, she observed the way Patrice carried herself as she spoke to a few other people. She stood tall, fixing her angry glare on anyone who seemed to be challenging her. It was probably members of the council though Tess couldn’t be sure. Charles and Patrice were the only council members she’d formally met.

  “You coming?” Thomas asked.

  Tess looked around; she was the last one in the van. She bobbed her head up and down and climbed out of the seat.

  “First chance we get, will you take me to see Audrey?” Thomas asked.

  “Of course,” Tess grinned, linking her arm with her brother’s.

  “I need to see she is okay with my own eyes,” he whispered.

  Tess nodded, noticing for the first time the tenseness of his jaw and the deep purple bags beneath his eyes. She could understand his unease. It was one thing to hear, but quite another to see.

  Her stomach twisted. Thomas must have been worried out of his mind. She’d thought she'd had it bad, fearing for her family. But losing your mate was different. Thomas and Audrey weren’t bonded like she and Nate were, but their love was deep. I can’t imagine the hell he’s been through. If the roles were reversed, and it had been her separated from Nate, she would’ve gone insane. I hope that never happens. I can’t imagine not knowing where he is.

  Charles and Patrice approached their group, causing the werecats quiet mumblings to cease. Nate followed behind them, his eyes locking with Tess’.

  Tess bit her lip getting lost in his cobalt eyes. Calm washed over her. Everything was going to work out. She didn’t know how yet, just that it was.

  Patrice cleared her throat. “We’ve set up a wing of rooms for your group to stay in. some other members of your pride are there as well.” Patrice motioned to two wolves. “These men will show you to your quarters.”

  “Excuse me,” Thomas spoke up. “I’d like to see my wife.”

  “I can show him the way,” Tess offered.

  Patrice pursed her lips, sending Tess another annoyed glance before sighing. “Nate and Tess will take you to her,” she addressed Thomas before returning her scrutinizing eyes to Nate and Tess. “Then I expect the both of you to return to my office. There is much to discuss.” Patrice huffed, and then spun on her heel, marching toward the compound with Charles following closely behind her.

  Great. Tess suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Giving attitude wasn’t going to win her any points.

  One by one the werecats filed into Sanctuary. They walked down a long corridor before Nate led her and Thomas to the right toward the infirmary.

  “Is everything okay, Tess?” Thomas asked as they broke off from the group.

  “It’s fine. Cats don’t get a warm welcome here. A few of the packs of wolves here were members of the packs affected by the feud,” she explained.

  “I see,” Thomas replied, giving her a grim look.

  “It’ll be fine,” Nate insisted. “My mom may not be a fan of Tess’ and my relationship, but she went to bat for your pride a few minutes ago. You saved her life and mine, and she won’t forget that.”

  “As long as you are sure,” Thomas pressed.

  “It’s okay,” Tess patted Thomas’ back. “Worry about Audrey.” They came to a stop in front of a door. Thomas had done enough worrying the past few days. It was time for him to have a little joy. “Audrey’s in here.”

  Thomas swallowed thickly and walked to the door, lifting his hand, he hesitantly knocked.

  “Come in,” Audrey’s soft voice called.

  Thomas twisted the knob and Audrey gasped loudly.

  “Thomas,” Audrey sobbed.

  Thomas rushed into the room, letting the large heavy door shut behind him.

  Tess smiled to herself as her heart swelled in her chest. “I’m glad they got a happy ending,” she said out loud.

  Nate wrapped his arm around her belly, pulling her against his chest. “There hasn’t been a lot of that lately.”

  Tess shook her head. “We should give them some privacy.” Dread rolled through her. They had to go see Patrice now. Fantastic. “Your mom is expecting us.”

  Nate placed a kiss to the top of her head and then spun her around. His hands reached up and brushed the hair from her face before he cupped her cheeks with his palms. “Whatever she has to say, it doesn’t change anything. I love you, Tess. You are my mate, and I couldn’t be happier.”

  A smile slid over her features and she blinked up into hi
s gaze. He loved her. The past week had been insane, but it had brought them together. “I love you too,” she whispered.

  Nate bent his head down to capture her lips. They had each other. That’s all they needed.

  ***

  Nate clasped Tess’ hand tighter as they neared his mother’s office. The walk seemed to take forever, and the two of them seemed to be drawing everyone’s attention. People whispered about them under their breath as they passed. One shifter had made a few nasty remarks. So far, it appeared his mother hadn’t been exaggerating about other shifters accepting their relationship. He had no idea what his mother was going to say about he and Tess. The last time they’d spoken about Tess, it hadn’t been pleasant. He could only guess what she would say now.

  It didn’t matter what she said. His mind was made up. There was no going back on it now anyway. And he wouldn’t change his decisions even if he could. Tess made him happy. For the first time in his life, he felt whole. It was all Tess’ doing.

  The door to the office was closed. He gave Tess’ hand a squeeze, trying to reassure her everything was fine. She gave him a faint smile, and he placed a chaste kiss to her lips. Time to get this over with. Lifting his hand, he knocked on the door.

  Heels clicked on the floor and the door jiggled before opening. His mother peered out at them, opening the door fully, and motioning for them to enter.

  “Have a seat,” she instructed.

  Patrice marched across the room, taking a seat beside Charles on the opposite side of the desk. Nate scooted a chair out for Tess before taking his own seat.

  Apprehension rolled through his stomach. The moment reminded him of the times his parents scolded him for doing something wrong. Only he hadn’t done anything. And he wasn’t going to take crap for a choice that made him happy.

  Patrice lifted a bottled water to her lips, taking a long sip. She set the water back on the desk and twisted the lid on. Clearing her throat she began, “Did you tell Ray the truth?”

  “About us being mated? Yes,” Nate answered honestly.

  Patrice pursed her lips and looked away, staring down at her desk.