“Don’t call me that!”
“Than what should I call you?”
“They called me Subject 4226,” he said in a quiet voice. “But you do not need to call me anything because you will not be around for long.”
Oh God. He was insane. Based on what little information she could gather, she guessed The Organization had captured him somehow and conducted experiments on him. No wonder he had gone insane, thinking this was somehow all Petros’ fault.
“Take the exit to Highway 79,” he ordered, referring to the old road that connected Blackstone and the next town. It was a smart move because 79 was an older highway that was mostly abandoned when the newer freeway system was set up. At this time of night, no one would be driving there.
As they drove down the road, Kate had to find a way to escape, but how? The farther away they got from Blackstone, the lower her chances of getting away from this madman. Breathe, she told herself. You got this. She had to find a way.
They turned onto 79, and Kate gritted her teeth. Her mind scrambled for a way out of this situation. She was losing hope each second they drove farther away, but then the roar of an engine coming toward them made a lightbulb flash in her brain. I’m sorry, she said in a silent prayer.
The single light of the motorcycle coming toward them appeared in the distance. As it drew closer, Kate braced herself and swerved onto the oncoming bike.
“Bitch!” Milos roared, his eyes going wide as the cab filled with light from the oncoming motorcycle. The sound of brakes screeching rang in her ears. Kate brought her elbow up and knocked it against Milos’ arm, then slammed on the brakes. She heard the gun hit the windshield, and, knowing this might be her only chance, opened the door and slid out.
She ran, as fast as she could, not caring which direction. The sound of growls and bones popping was right behind her, and she knew the only way she could defend herself was to shift. Her wolf was already rearing to go, but before she could call on it, a large, furry body knocked her down.
“No!” she screamed. She covered her face as the wolf’s razor-sharp teeth snapped at her. Her own wolf was making its appearance, and she could feel her incisors elongating as a growl escaped her throat. But before she could fully transform, she heard a loud guttural growl and then the wolf on top of her was gone.
“What the—”
The wolf was flung ten feet to her right. It whimpered and rolled to its feet, but when it looked at her, its tail suddenly lowered. It turned around and then scampered away.
Kate’s heart was still hammering in her chest. What the hell happened? Slowly, she looked up. “Holy shit.”
A very large and angry-looking bear was towering over her. No, it wasn’t just any bear. It was a polar bear. Nearly twelve feet tall, with massive arms and gigantic paws tipped with black claws. It shook its mammoth head from side to side, let out a snarl, then slowly began to shrink.
Oh no.
Oh hell no.
The man standing over her ran his hands down his face and swore. “Hey, are you okay miss—Kate?” Even in the dark, his light blue eyes seemed luminous. “Kate Caldwell?”
Fucking hell.
Of all the fucktards in the world to come rescue her, it had to be him. Mason Fucking Grimes. Polar bear shifter and all-around supreme jerk.
Kate ignored the hand Mason offered and got to her feet by herself. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Mason scowled at her. “Saving your life, apparently.”
“Yeah, well I was doing fine on my own,” she said, wiping her hands down her skirt.
“Didn’t seem like it,” he said. “You still causing trouble, Caldwell?”
“You still a lying asshole, Grimes?” Kate didn’t bother to wait for an answer as she turned her back to him and began to walk away. She didn’t have time for this. Milos really was here, and he obviously wanted to get back at Petros for some reason. She had to get back to Blackstone and warn him.
The truck was still on the side of the road. She climbed inside and turned the ignition. Nothing. “Fucking hell.” Her purse was back in the Mustang, so she couldn’t even call for help.
As she slipped out of the truck, she heard the distinct sound of a Harley coming up behind her. Shit.
Mason stopped his hog right beside her. He’d already gotten dressed in his usual getup—knit beanie, white shirt, leather jacket and riding pants. A thick beard covered half his face, and it looked like he needed a trim. “Get on,” he ordered, offering her a spare helmet.
“Nuh-uh, no thanks!” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’d rather walk back to Blackstone.”
“Suit yourself,” he shrugged. “But that wolf looked really nasty. Wouldn’t want to be here when he comes back.”
Or what if Milos goes after Petros, a voice said inside her. She had to warn him. “Fuck.” She yanked the helmet from him and put it on. “Fine. I just need a ride to Lennox Corp.” She went behind him and swung a leg over his ride. “What the hell are you doing back here anyway?”
“Me? I’m moving to Blackstone.”
The roar of the Harley muffled the string of curses she hurled at him. He laughed and revved the engine even more as they sped down the highway on their way back to Blackstone.
When they reached Lennox Corp., Mason had barely cut the engine when she hopped off the bike. She had to get to Petros now. Who knows what Milos could be planning? She ducked under the barrier gate leading into the building, ignoring the shouts of the guard behind her, and ran straight for the building entrance. As she got closer, relief swept through her as she saw Petros standing out front, speaking to two other agents.
“Petros!” she cried.
He turned toward her, his face changing from serious, to shock, and then relief. “Kate,” he rasped when she flung herself in his arms. He immediately pressed his lips to hers in an urgent kiss.
She wanted to melt into him, her body sagging as the adrenaline left her, and she realized how close she had been to dying.
“What happened?” he asked. “You weren’t answering your phone and I had someone check on you. We found your car and your purse—”
“It was Milos,” she said. “He took me and—”
“Hey, Caldwell!”
Fucker. She disentangled herself from Petros’ arms and turned around. “What the fuck are you still doing here?”
Mason strode up to them, his scowl deepening. “You have my helmet.”
Kate unbuckled the chin strap and then shoved it at him. “Here you go. Now get the hell away from me.”
“You’re fucking welcome by the way.” He grabbed the helmet. “For, you know, saving your life.”
“What is going on?” Petros said, his shoulders squaring. “Kate, who is this man? Did he really save your life?”
Kate answered with a strangled cry that was as close to an affirmative as she could get.
“Mason Grimes,” the other man said, offering his hand.
“Petros Thalassa.” He took Mason’s hand and gripped it tight. “Thank you for saving my mate’s life.”
“Mate?” Mason’s face turned to disbelief, then he let out a laugh. “Seriously?” He looked at Kate and then back at Petros. “Oh man, I don’t know if I should say congratulations or sorry.”
Kate’s clenched her fists. “If you’re just going to stand here and insult me, then you should just leave.”
Mason raised his hands. “Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That wolf,” he shook his head, “he didn’t feel right. He was out for blood. Feral.”
Petros tensed up. “I’m very grateful to you, Mr. Grimes—”
“Mason. Just Mason.”
Petros nodded. “Mason. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Mason shrugged. “It’s fine. Anyone would have done the same.” He glanced at Kate. “Well, almost anyone. I’ll see you around then.” He pivoted and began to walk away.
“That lying sonofabitch,” Kate muttered.
“Wha
t’s the matter?” Petros asked. “Did he—” He stopped suddenly, his jaw hardening and his mouth setting into a straight line. The silence was deafening between them until he decided to speak. “Kate, is he a former lover?”
“I—what? Oh gross!” The creepy crawlies spread over her arms. “God no!” She gagged. “That loser is Amelia’s ex!” Oh God. “Shit!” If Amelia found out Mason was moving to Blackstone, she might never come home. But if she kept this from Amelia, her friend would never forgive her.
Petros visibly relaxed. “I told you before, the past does not matter to me. However if you—”
She swatted him playfully on the arm. “Green is a good look on you.”
He gave her a wry smile, but his expression darkened. “Let’s go inside. You need to tell me what happened from the beginning.”
Chapter Thirteen
Now that his mate was here, the maelstrom of emotions inside Petros was finally calming down. His wolf seemed mollified at the sight and smell of her too, and it lay quietly inside him. Still, his wolf was anything but relaxed, and neither was he. No, they would be on alert at all times, at least until they hunted down Milos and put a stop to his madness.
After his video call with the Alpha, Kate had not texted him that she was home. It was strange because she usually had something witty to say or sent him a provocative picture the moment she was in the door. When he called her, Petros tried not to panic when she didn’t answer, but his wolf was screaming at him to make sure she was all right. He asked Christina to check if she had come home, and when she said no one answered when she knocked on the door, Petros knew something was wrong.
He sent someone to go to her house, but the agent wasn’t even gone five minutes when he got the call. The Mustang was found on the side of the road, the door open, and Kate’s things inside. There were no signs of a struggle, but Petros knew Kate would never abandon her brother’s car like that. He immediately called Christina, Jason, and all their agents to begin the search.
“Petros, I’m here,” she said in a soothing voice. She was planted on his lap as they sat on his chair in his office. His arms were wound around her, unable to let her go.
“I know,” he said.
“Then stop growling, yeah?” she said, giving him a weak smile. She placed a hand over his chest and rested her head on his shoulder, which indeed had been rumbling with the unsatisfied growls of his wolf. Her touch soothed his animal, and it quieted down.
“Catch us up with what’s happening,” Jason said as he and Christina walked into Petros’s office.
Kate slipped off his lap but remained at his side, their hands linked. “I was driving home when this animal showed up on the road. I went to check on it and ….”
Petros couldn’t help the anger building in him as Kate told the story of what happened to her. Hearing for the second time did not tamper his anger; it only fanned the flames. Milos had tried to kill his mate, and he was doing it as revenge. The only way he could describe the torment he was feeling right now was like trying to grasp the blade of a knife. There was no way to make it less painful, no matter which way he positioned his hand. He had to protect his mate from the man who had been like a brother to him growing up, which could mean ending Milos’ life. But when the choice came down, he knew which one he would make.
“Wait, how did you overpower him?” Jason asked.
Kate grimaced. “The man on the Harley. Mason Grimes.” Her face scrunched into distaste at the name. “Scared Milos off.”
“Where have I heard that name … Tim’s nephew?” Jason said, his brows scrunching together. “I remember him. He was here, what, three or four years ago? Stayed the whole summer while he was on leave from the military.”
“Don’t remind me,” Kate said. “Anyway, what are we going to do about Milos?”
“We are not going to do anything,” Petros said. “You will stay out of this. I will handle Milos.”
“Just wait a Goddamn minute!” Kate pulled her hand from his and placed it on her hip. “You don’t get to tell me what to do! I can help—”
“No!” Petros got to his feet. “I will not have you in harm’s way.”
“You can’t—”
“Stop acting like children, both of you,” Christina said. “Calm down. We’re dealing with one wolf here. A near-feral wolf, but it’s not something The Agency can’t handle.”
“Christina is right,” Jason said. “I’m assuming you want him captured alive and unharmed?”
“If possible.” His gut clenched as he looked at Kate and thought of how close he had been to losing her. “But not necessary.” If Milos had truly gone feral, then death would be a merciful thing.
“Then we have to try to help him,” Christina said in a calm voice. “I’m sure Father would agree. He was one of us, part of our pack, and it is our duty to help him.”
Relief swept over Petros. It was one of the rules of the Lykos pack: always care for the sick, the old, and the injured. “We need to draw him out and be ready.”
“How do we do that?” Kate asked.
“We give him what he wants,” Petros said. “Me.”
“No freaking way!” Kate protested. “I’m not letting him get his claws on you!”
“That won’t happen,” Jason said. “He’s on our turf. We can control all the variables.”
“Jason is right,” Petros said, trying to reassure Kate. “And we need to capture him before he hurts anyone else or himself.”
“We need a plan,” Jason said.
“It’s obvious he’s not going to stop until he kills me,” Petros said. “But he’s also going to start making mistakes.”
“He’s been observing your movements and striking whenever he sees a vulnerability,” Christina said. “First after you guys had dinner at Rosie’s and tonight when Kate was alone.”
“How can we draw him out then?” Kate asked.
“Milos will strike soon. He knows we’re on the lookout for him,” Christina said. She tapped her finger on her chin, then her face lit up. “Tomorrow. At the Block Party to celebrate the reopening of Main Street.”
“That’s tomorrow?” Kate asked, a confused look on her face.
“If you two had come up for some air at some point,” Jason said with a knowing smile, “you would have seen all the flyers and signs.”
“He won’t strike tonight because he knows I’ll be on alert,” Petros said. “But he will not wait any longer because he knows we’ll be closing in on him.”
“You should just stay put,” Kate said. “Go somewhere secure, and The Agency—”
“Then he will know something is wrong,” Petros pointed out. “Milos is much smarter than he seems. He needs to think my guard is down again. We will mingle at the party and look relaxed and carefree.”
“But we’ll have eyes on him the whole time,” Christina said.
“And everyone else?” Jason asked. “What about the people at the party?”
“He won’t strike in front of a crowd, especially not a group of shifters, including three dragons,” Petros said. “He’s crazy but not stupid. I’ll leave the party at certain points and attempt to draw him out.”
“You mean we’ll leave the party.” Kate clasped her hand around his. “Together. We can pretend we’re going to have a quickie or something.”
Petros bit his lip. “All right.”
Christina stood up, then clasped her hands together. “All right, inform the team. Let’s go to the conference room and work out the details.”
Kate nodded at him. “We’ll get him, babe. And then you can have your best friend back.”
“I know we will.” Despite Kate’s reassurance, his insides were twisting. While he didn’t want to have Milos put down, he was not going to let his mate get hurt again. But if he forbade her from being there, the more she was going to resist. He had to find a way to keep her safe so he could concentrate on catching Milos.
By the time they walked into the conference room, he al
ready had a backup plan forming in his head. He only hoped Kate would forgive him.
Chapter Fourteen
The Main Street Block Party was in full swing by the time Petros and Kate arrived sometime after dark. Paper lanterns, streamers, balloons, and other festive decor had been set up, and the street and all the businesses had their lights on and doors open to let people inside. Many had also set up booths outside on the sidewalk to sell their goods and refreshments. At the end of the street, there was a stage and a band. It was hard to believe it wasn’t too long ago that Hank Lennox stood in his dragon form in the exact same spot and razed the street where The Organization’s soldiers and The Chief tried to kill his son, Luke. The entire road had been cleaned and re-paved as if nothing had ever happened.
“Auntie Kate! Auntie Kate!”
A bundle of energy barreled into her legs, nearly knocking Kate over. Little Grayson Mills held his chubby arms up, and she graciously complied. “Hello Grayson! How are you?” She gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the nose, then put him back down on the ground.
“I’m doin' great, Auntie Kate!” he said, looking up at her with a grin. “I just had some candy apples and cotton candy and corn dogs, then we went to see the clowns ….”
As Grayson continued his story, Petros alternated his gaze from Grayson to her, then flashed her meaningful look. She rolled her eyes.
He merely wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Petros had seemed disappointed when she told him she was religious about getting her birth control shot every three months. Since then, he’d been not-so-discretely trying to figure out when her next doctor’s appointment was. Kate had a feeling he was going to find some way to convince her to forgo it this next cycle.
“I know what you’re thinking. Not gonna happen, buddy,” she whispered to him.
“What?” he asked in an innocent tone. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Ha.” She motioned to her stomach, “Nothing’s ‘ripening’ around here anytime soon and don’t you be thinking otherwise.”
The Blackstone She-Wolf: Blackstone Mountain 6 Page 12