by Cali MacKay
Greyson grabbed what weapons they had from the back of his SUV, and armed them all like they were going to war. A ten-minute run in the dark through the trees brought them to Thayer’s men, who were waiting for them, weapons at the ready. “We’ve kept our distance, so we’re hoping he hasn’t picked up on our scent. From what we can tell, he’s alone, and just holed up in the cabin there.”
“We’ll need to man all exits to make sure he doesn’t escape. Double up if you can.” Greyson wasn’t sure how many men they had in total, but Thayer nodded to his men, approving Greyson’s command. His guy relayed the info to the others, and then once everyone was ready and in place, they closed in.
Greyson kicked down the door with Ryder and Thayer at his side, guns drawn.
Except that the man in the cabin wasn’t Flint. “What the fuck? Where’s Flint?”
“Flint…who?” But the man—another shifter—just gave them a smug smile, and it was clear he damn well knew who the fuck Flint was.
And then it became so fucking clear. This was nothing but a distraction.
Flint was going after Juno.
Chapter Eleven
Juno couldn’t help but worry about Greyson, knowing just how dangerous Flint could be, especially when they wouldn’t know what they’d be walking into. All she wanted was for this nightmare to be over, though waiting around, without a clue as to what was happening to them, was making her crazy. And though she appreciated having Cullen there for protection, she’d much rather be alone to climb the walls with worry, rather than try to contain it for appearance’s sake.
Worse still, her worry had her body surging with adrenaline. She could barely contain the energy that was racing through her, though whether it was her curse or her body needing to shift, she couldn’t really tell. And maybe it was that one thing was building on the other, all of it fueled by the adrenaline racing through her.
The last thing she wanted was to lose it in front of Cullen—or worse, have him somehow get hurt, since she couldn’t really control her curse or contain her need to shift. And if she did shift, then matters would only get worse, since she wasn’t mentally present when in the form of the wolf.
Cullen brought her over a tray with a sandwich and a drink. “You should try to have a bite to eat. I doubt you had time for dinner, and you need to keep your strength up.”
Which likely meant that he, too, could tell she was pregnant. “Thanks. I appreciate it, though I don’t have much of an appetite, I’m afraid. I just want Greyson to come back. Screw Flint and going after him. He doesn’t matter if it means Greyson might not survive this mess.”
“He’ll be okay, Juno.” Cullen sat by her side and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “He’s been through a lot during the course of his life, and somehow, he’s always managed to pull through. And now that he has you in his life, there’s nothing that will stop him from making it back to you. You need to believe that.”
“I’m trying to, but this attack isn’t something he had a whole lot of time to think over or prepare for. What if it’s a trap? What if Flint knew he was being followed, and set them up? They don’t know what they’re walking into, and the only person Greyson can trust entirely is Ryder, especially when things have been a bit uneasy with Thayer.” Thayer had made it clear that his own interests came before his friendship with Greyson and maintaining the peace between the packs. It’s not that she didn’t want to trust him. She just wasn’t sure she could, even if she appreciated his help.
“You can’t let yourself worry like this. And frankly, it has to be done, darling. It’s the only way to guarantee your safety. After all that bastard put you through, even if he pays with his life, it won’t be enough.” Cullen’s voice was laced with a barely contained rage, and though Juno hadn’t known Cullen long, she’d never seen him so angry.
“Trust me, I’d murder the bastard with my own hands, given half the chance.” Not that Greyson would let her.
Cullen then cocked his head toward one of the windows, listening and breathing deep, no doubt trying to pick up on any scents there might be.
“Is it Greyson?” Her sense of smell was nowhere near developed as most shifters, though whether that was because she was also human and Laighir, or because she’d only gone through the Change recently, she wasn’t sure.
“No, it’s not.” Cullen handed her a handgun, clicking off the safety. But before he could say anything more, something crashed through the window, lighting the floor and wall on fire, the same happening again on the other side of the room. He grabbed her, shielding her body with his as he escorted her to the back of the house, near the back door. “Stay inside as long as you’re able to, back to the wall, and ready to shoot. I’ll do my best to take out as many of them as I can, but they’re trying to flush you out. If you have to make a run for it, shift. You’ll be much faster, and your instincts will kick in.”
Juno jumped into Cullen’s arms and held him tight, desperately wanting him to stay with her, even though she knew he couldn’t. “Please be careful.”
“I will, darling. Stay safe, okay? And do whatever you have to do to survive this—without hesitation. Our pack will come to help.” And then he was pulling away from her and racing for the front door.
She heard gunshots and more smashing glass, as flames and smoke engulfed the home. And yet she waited…desperate to know Cullen was okay and hoping help would come before it was too late. Although as spread out as the homes were, she wondered if anyone would even know they were under attack, especially when Greyson’s cabin was on the edge of pack territory.
Her eyes and lungs were burning—and then the window closest to her shattered as a flaming bottle crashed through it, the flammable liquid within catching alight as it smashed open and sprayed across the floor, spreading the fire. She had to get out, but was worried Flint or his men would be waiting for her. Not that staying here was an option as the fire grew and she had no way of putting it out. Coughing as her lungs filled with smoke, she knew she had to get out of there and take her chances—yet before she could head for the door, it was kicked open, a massive form filling the doorway.
“Greyson!! Juno!!” And then he spotted her—Sawyer. The head of the bear clan knelt down before her. “I’m not going to hurt you, but you need to get out of here. Where’s Greyson?”
“He’s not here.” It was all she could get out before coughing uncontrollably, her lungs burning from the smoke.
“Come on…you need to go.” He scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the burning home, but before she could panic, he set her down. “I’ll do what I can to hold them off and help Cullen. Just run.”
And then she saw him—and he saw her. Flint.
Yet before he could come after her, Sawyer was tackling him, the two of them clashing mid-air as they shifted, bear and wolf dropping to the ground in a warring tangle of fur and deadly jaws and claws. She was desperately worried and wanting to help, and yet she knew they were all fighting to give her a chance to get to safety, to keep her and her child alive. And maybe, if she got away, she could get them help.
With shots ringing out, she ran for the trees, deeper into pack territory, and though she thought of shifting like Cullen had said, he didn’t know how wrong it’d gone the first time around. And then she heard him—or sensed him—and turned just in time to put her hands up defensively as Flint tackled her to the ground and knocked the gun from her grip. She tried to gather her up her energy and unleash it on him, but he punched her in the gut and then grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the ground so she couldn’t touch him.
“Miss me, Juno?”
“You fucking bastard.” Juno tried to buck him off as the pungent smell of blood filled her head. Flint was injured. She doubled her efforts, kicking and bucking. Somehow, she managed to get a hand free—and that was all she needed.
Grabbing Flint’s wrist, Juno unleashed every bit of energy she could muster, jolting him hard enough to have him falling back as he scre
amed in pain. Lunging for him, she used both hands this time and tried to jolt him again, though her energy was mostly spent.
She had to run, knowing that he’d come after her as long as he could draw breath. Her gun. Frantically, she searched the forest floor. There. Her fingers wrapped around the cold, hard metal of the gun, and then she was running…her feet hitting the ground as fast as she could manage.
There was no fucking way she’d let him take her again, no fucking way she’d be his victim, no fucking way he’d ever touch her again. She refused to lose this fight.
His snarl echoed in the night. He’d shifted—and she knew he was coming for her, her thighs burning as she ran. She sensed him upon her and turned just as he leapt for her, his massive wolf form ready to maul her, when she squeezed the trigger—again and again and again. She emptied her gun into his body as they fell to the ground; she was pinned beneath him, trying to hold him back as he tried to tear her throat out, and she swore, the bastard would never fucking die.
Red-hot pain shot through her body, and she knew this was it. One of them was going to die here.
She just had to make sure it wasn’t her.
Chapter Twelve
Greyson cursed at his phone and hung up yet again as his call went to voice mail once more. “Where the fuck is she? And why isn’t anyone answering their damn phone?”
“My men should have known that wasn’t Flint. Fuck… I’m sorry they screwed up.” Thayer’s apology sounded sincere, and if Greyson was thinking clearly, he’d admit that it was a mistake anyone could have made.
The shifter at the cabin not only looked similar to Flint, but had his scent lingering about him, no doubt wearing Flint’s clothing to keep them thinking they were following the right guy. They’d been set up from the start. Maybe Flint realized he was being watched, and devised a plan to swap with another—or maybe he never left that last location until his double had lured Thayer’s men away. It wouldn’t have been hard to find out when their plane had touched down, and then once he knew Juno was at her most vulnerable with Greyson away, he could make his move, no doubt with reinforcements.
“It’s done now. We just need to focus on getting back to Juno and making sure she’s okay.” Because if she wasn’t, Greyson didn’t know how the hell he’d live without her. They’d already been through so much together, and somehow managed to pull through it all. And now, they had a child on the way. He had to make it to her…had to make sure he kept his family safe.
Except that each moment felt like an utter eternity, and he knew Flint would make his move well before they got back to Juno—and as they moved through his pack’s territory, it soon became clear that they were too late. The closer they got to his home, the more chaotic things got.
His home…it was engulfed in an inferno, members of his pack scrambling to get the fire out, with Kiernan at the center, barking out orders. Where the hell was Juno?
He was out of the vehicle before it’d fully stopped, running toward his home as his eyes scanned the crowd, looking for Juno, when Kiernan approached him, his mood dire.
“We don’t know if Juno was inside, but we haven’t been able to find her, and with the smoke filling the air, we haven’t been able to pick up her scent.”
“It’s Flint. He must have her.” Unless she got caught in the fire. “Where’s Dad?”
Kiernan’s jaw tightened and his hands curled into fists. “He’s…fuck…he’s not doing well, Greyson. And from what we can tell, it was the bears who attacked them—not Flint.”
“The bears?” None of this was making any sense—unless Juno’s enemies decided to work together. And Cullen…fucking hell…he couldn’t lose him too. “Where’s Dad? Is he being seen to?”
“Yeah, he is. The doctor’s with him, though he’s in rough shape, Greyson.” Kiernan shook his head, worry and grief in his eyes, which were mirrored by the pain in Greyson’s heart. “This way.”
Greyson followed Kiernan, while Ryder and Thayer scoured the area for Juno. Cullen was laid out on the back of someone’s pickup as Jackson, one of their doctors, tended to him. “Dad…”
“Juno…she made it out of the house—but I lost track of her in the fight.” Every word Cullen spoke was strained, the smell of his blood pungent in the air, despite the smoke from his home burning.
“I don’t want you worrying. We’ll find her. She’ll be okay. I just need you to focus on getting well.” Greyson squeezed his hand, hoping to reassure him, even if he couldn’t help but think the worst.
They let Greyson know they’d be in touch, and then drove off, taking Cullen away to tend to his wounds and give him whatever care they could. And if Juno got out of the house in time, then that meant she had to be somewhere around here—unless Flint had taken her once more.
He scoured through the chaos, trying to make sense of it all. There were dead or injured bear shifters—the ones that had threatened Juno before—and then there was Sawyer, who was being held at gunpoint by members of Greyson’s pack.
The moment he spotted Greyson, he called out to him. “Greyson.”
“What the fuck happened, Sawyer?” Greyson’s hands curled into fists, desperate to get some answers.
“I only came to help, Greyson—nothing more. Found out some of my clan had hooked up with Flint and were coming after Juno.” Sawyer coughed through a wave of thick smoke, soot smeared all over his face and body. “Things were already bad by the time I got here. I pulled her out of the fire, and sent her running for cover in the woods, as I went after Flint and then joined Cullen, who was fending off the rest of them on his own.”
The truth was, Greyson believed him. This type of attack wasn’t like Sawyer—and he’d been the voice of reason when his clan came after Juno. Greyson nodded to his men, who lowered their weapons. “Which way did she go?”
He tilted his head toward the tree line. “She headed out the back door of the cabin and straight for the woods.”
Greyson jogged in that direction, scanning the area—and then he spotted her coming down the hillside. “Juno!”
He ran to her, scooping her into his arms as she collapsed against him, her face and her body covered in blood. She was barely conscious as he carried her back to his SUV, but he spotted Sawyer heading into the woods where Juno had come through the tree line, and knew he was going after Flint. “We need to get you seen to, love. Where are you injured?”
“Flint…make sure he’s dead. And Cullen…he’s hurt.” She barely got the words out, drifting in and out of consciousness.
“Cullen’s being seen to, and Sawyer’s tracking down Flint. We’ll make sure he’s dead. But right now, I want to make sure you’re okay.” Ryder was at his side, helping to get her into his SUV, though he wasn’t sure where to take her. His cabin was gone…still engulfed in flames as his pack fought to put out the fire. Yet none of it mattered now that he had Juno back. He just needed the nearest and safest place so she could be seen to.
Ryder put a hand on a shoulder, instinctively knowing what he needed. “My place. She’ll be safe there, and we can have her looked at.”
Thayer stopped him before he could leave. “I’ll stay here and make sure Flint’s dead…help get things sorted. Just let me know how she’s doing, okay? And if you need anything, just call.”
Greyson nodded, and climbed into the backseat, pulling Juno into his arms as Ryder drove them to his place. Luckily, it didn’t take more than ten minutes to get there, and just moments later, Greyson was laying Juno down in the guest room, trying to figure out her injuries, so they could tackle the worst of them and stave off any bleeding. Yet as he peeled the bloody clothing from her body, he was relieved to see that most of the blood wasn’t hers, even if she was still injured.
Ryder stood at the doorway, his phone still in his hand. “Aster is on her way.”
“Good.” Aster was one of the other doctors in their pack. Greyson turned his attention back to Juno, who had several deep gashes over her body. “You’re going
to need stitches. Some of these cuts are pretty deep.”
“I’ll heal, but…the baby…”
Chapter Thirteen
Juno couldn’t keep her tears from streaming down her cheeks, worried not only about their baby, but Cullen. Cullen had always been kind to her, supportive and protective. And now…he’d put his life on the line to protect her.
“The doctor’s on her way, and she’ll check to make sure the baby’s okay.” Greyson wet the rag in the bowl of warm water Ryder brought them, and started to gingerly wipe the dried blood from her face.
Her wounds throbbed with pain, though it was her heart that was in tatters. She’d finally wrapped her head around them having a baby and now…the thought of losing their child—all because of Flint—was doing her head in. She wanted this baby…wanted a family with Greyson…and Flint may have just taken that away from her—as if he hadn’t already fucked with her life enough. And there was more…Cullen…Greyson’s home… “What about your dad? Please tell me he’s okay, Greyson. It’s my fault he’s been hurt…”
“It’s not your fault, love—it’s Flint’s. And those fucking bears.” Greyson brushed the tears from her cheeks, his touch so incredibly gentle, her heart ached with the love she had for him. “Sawyer, though…he said he helped you?”
“He did. I was too scared to leave the house, worried Flint was waiting for me, but the fire…it was everywhere. Sawyer pulled me out of there, and then went after Flint and tried to help your dad. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Sawyer, I don’t think I’d have survived this—and I don’t think Cullen would have either, given how outnumbered he was.” The last thing she would have ever counted on would be one of the bears coming to save her. And yet, Sawyer had done exactly that. “Greyson…I’m so sorry about Cullen…about your home. If it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened.”