by Tortuga, BA
She knew that Junie was being groomed for Minnie’s job—part witchcraft, part spiritual medium, not even Mesa could explain how Junie did what she did for the clan. “Man, that’s a pain in the butt, keeping Kody out of trouble. Then what does Mesa do?”
“Everything.” Junie grinned. “He knows all the members of the clan and what they can contribute. He enforces the law, such as it is. He provides for all of us.”
“And then you’re stuck with me.” Hooray. Sometimes Sammy just wanted to whack Kody in the head for choosing her and complicating so many lives.
“What? Stuck with you? You’re going to be a great Alpha. You just have to learn some stuff.”
“Like what? God, Junie, I’m so lost, and I keep trying to not freak out.” Sometimes she thought she’d be okay, but sometimes…she was so scared.
“Like how when Mesa gets this growly he’s just freaking out, too. He’s scared. He hasn’t been this mean since Kody left.”
Sammy sighed. “I won’t let anything happen to him. I won’t let anything happen to any of you.” This was her family. Hers, damn it.
“I know that, silly.” Junie hugged her impulsively. “You and Mesa just need to get used to each other. It takes time. He loves you already.”
She kissed Juniper’s cheek, grinned. “Love or hate, one, hmm?”
“It’s close, just like they always say.” They walked for a bit, the silence comfortable if not comforting.
Something was bothering her, something itching between her shoulder blades.
“What is it?” Junie glanced at her, that eyebrow going up again.
“Something’s wrong.” A deep growl built inside her.
Junie immediately started to scan the trees around them. They’d walked a good ways from the outskirts of town.
“Run, Juniper.” She smelled something wrong, then something stung her neck and she reached for it, tearing the dart out. “Run!”
Juniper yelped, spinning in a circle before falling to her knees. Too damned late.
She bit the air, growling, the edges of the world going black. “You leave her alone!”
“Don’t worry, Alpha bitch. You’re the one we want.” She saw the cloudy image of that Alicia woman’s face in her field of vision before a cloth covered her eyes.
The blow that landed on the back of her head made the darkness behind her eyes red, for one, bright second, then it was gone.
Chapter Eighteen
“Kody? Baby?” Mesa was starting to worry about Sammy. He hadn’t thought she was that mad when she left. He’d figured she just needed to cool down, and he’d let her go because he’d needed that, too. God, his head hurt.
It was getting on to dusk, though, and she wasn’t back. Kody wasn’t making supper either. Where the hell was everyone?
He headed up the stairs; maybe Kody was napping, just hiding out an…
Oof.
He tripped on something halfway up the stairs and went down hard. When he righted himself he realized it was Kody he’d tripped over. Kody, who was out cold on the stairs, a dart sticking out of his neck. A tranquilizer dart.
“Kody! Shit. Kody, wake up.”
Nothing.
Not a bit of response. Kody’s eyes were rolled back in his head, a hint of foam at the corner of his lips. He slapped that dear face hard before he even stopped to think, needing Kody to open his damned eyes.
“Mesa! Mesa! Juniper’s missing.” Grandma Minnie’s voice was panicked.
“Kody’s unconscious. Someone tranqed him. Fuck.” His head hurt so bad he thought it might kill him.
“Where’s Samantha?” Grandma Minnie’s voice cut like a razor.
“I don’t know! I was coming to ask Kody. She went for a walk.” He picked Kody up, heading downstairs instead of up on shaking legs. He needed to leave Kody with Granny and find Sammy and Junie.
“Kody?” Minnie came to him, hands on his head, eyes closed for a long, long minute and his mind cleared for a single blessed second. “Get Canyon.”
Mesa ran. He ran as fast as his human legs could carry him, because he had to be able to talk to tell Canyon what the hell was going on.
Canyon, bless him, was already halfway to him, eyes glowing hot in their sockets. “Mesa!”
He grabbed Canyon to steady himself. “Sammy and Junie are gone. Kody’s out cold. I need you.”
“Were they together?” Canyon drew him toward Juniper’s cabin, the door closed, no smoke coming from her fireplace.
“I don’t know. Sammy went for a walk…” Mesa’s head throbbed, and he swallowed bile. “She was mad. We fought.”
“She wouldn’t try to leave. Junie loves her, says she’s trying hard.” Canyon’s nose was working.
“I can’t…” Mesa grunted, going to his knees. “Something is wrong, bro.”
Canyon barked once, and Angie came running from the cabin next to Juniper’s. “Canyon?”
“Get him home, get Jack and Rick guarding the door. Something’s happened to Sammy and Junie.”
“What? What happened?”
Mesa blinked at her, hurting so bad he couldn’t fucking focus. Shit, he felt drugged, almost.
Canyon was the one that managed to answer. “They went for a walk, maybe? Shit, I don’t know. Kody’s out like a light, gone, you know.”
“Fuck. I knew that she was trouble.”
“She’s not trouble!” Mesa roared. His mate was so strong.
“Shut up. Not her. Alicia.” Angie’s growl was deep. “She headed off into the woods earlier with a tranq gun. Said she was looking for that cougar that’s been working the territory. I should have known. She hasn’t been interested in hunting lately.”
Angie’s eyes landed on him. “At least not hunting anything that isn’t the Alpha slot.”
“Which way, Ang?” Canyon puffed up, the man impossibly huge.
“North, toward the cliff face. Watch your back. There’s no coming back from this. This is…bigger than Clan.”
Mesa growled at her words, at the thought that Alicia might hurt his lady and his sister for something as ridiculous as a mating that wasn’t hers to desire, rage building in his chest. “I can come.”
Canyon shook his head. “You’ll get in my fucking way. Stay here, see to Kody.”
“Find them. Bring them home.” He snarled, and Canyon nodded, taking off like a shot.
He let Angie help him up, feeling completely disoriented. Shit, some Alpha he was.
“Come on, Mesa. Let’s go. Kody needs you.” The world was spinning wildly and he couldn’t make his legs work right.
“I’m trying.” He didn’t growl at Angie. She was a good girl. “When you get Jack, help find Alicia.”
“I will. As soon as you’re home.” Angie kept him moving.
“I know, I know.” He felt useless. Something was happening to Sammy, something that had her confused and sick to her stomach. She was hurting, too, and trapped. Scared.
Kody must be coming up out of it, right? God, he hurt.
Damn it. He should be out there hunting her, but he had to protect Kody, too. If Alicia got to him, Mesa and Sammy would go down, too.
MESA! The scream sent him to his knees again, Kody’s utter panic slamming into his brain, then disappearing.
Angie dragged him the last ten feet to his house as he buckled, fiercely protecting her Alpha. He could only vaguely hear her shouting at him.
He slumped down on Kody, breathing hard.
“Kody.” He kissed Kody’s mouth, which was a little blue. “Baby.”
Hurt. She’s hurt. Scared. Mesa. Mesa, please. He heard that. Inside his soul.
“Canyon is finding her.” He had to stay with Kody, keep Kody grounded so they could find Sammy. Somehow that was important.
Minnie’s hand combed through his hair. “He will. He will. Hold on, boys. You have to be strong for her.”
He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, panting, holding Kody, when a banging came to the door.
“Mesa! Mesa, she attacked Juniper! That bitch killed Juniper!”
Mesa raised his head, staring at the door. Where the fuck were Jack and Mike?
It was Alicia, tearing her hair, screaming.
There was no way. No way Sammy would hurt Junie. Sammy treated his baby sister with gentle hands.
It was Kody that growled, though, eyes still rolled back, showing white, even as his teeth bared.
An answering growl rose in his throat, and Mesa fought his wolf back as he pushed to his feet. “Where is she?”
“She’s run. She must have bashed Juniper and ran. I found Juniper’s body in the woods; I came back to get you.”
Minnie rumbled softly. “My girl isn’t dead.”
Mesa made it to her, his hand on her throat. “Where is she?”
“She ran, Alpha. I swear to you.”
Kody’s voice was clear as a bell. Liar.
Liar.
Sammy loved them.
“I know you’re lying.” He could hear Sammy in his mind, too, now. Screaming for them.
His girl needed him. This piece of shit hurt his lady, his mate, and then his baby sister. He snarled, shook her harder. “Where is she?”
Canyon’s voice sounded. “Granny! I have Junie. I need you.”
Grandma Minnie moved faster than he would have thought she could. Mesa wanted to go to Canyon, but he had to deal with Alicia.
“We have the Alpha bond. Me and Sammy and Kody. I know she’s out there. Where did you put her?” Kody was waking up, coming back to them.
“She did this to us. Mesa. Mesa, please. I would be yours.”
Kody stood on suddenly strong legs, flying at Alicia as he changed, fangs flashing.
Mesa let Kody take her, but stopped those strong jaws from closing on Alicia’s throat. “You tell me where she is, or I will let him kill you. You have no idea what you’ve done.”
She looked terrified, somehow, that gentle, loving Kody would attack, intend to kill her. That satisfied something deep in Mesa’s soul.
“She’s caged. She’s dying. She won’t live.”
“You should have killed Kody, bitch, if you didn’t want the bond to hold.” Mesa shoved Kody aside and bared his teeth. He was through. “You’d better hope she lives. Canyon! Alicia is going to show us where she is. Her scent will be all over it.”
“Mesa…” Junie’s voice was weak, her eyes unfocused, blood covering the dear face. “She loves you. She fought for me.”
“I know, baby-girl.” He did. He spared a moment to kiss Junie’s nose, bending over her to praise. “You did good. I’ll find her.”
Kody stood, barking. Now. Now, Mate. Now.
Mesa let Canyon do the manhandling of Alicia. He let his wolf come, instead, scenting the ground. They had to backtrack the woman’s trail.
As the wolf, he could sense Sammy, too, so clearly. She was furious, hurt, scared, but awake. Alive.
And calling.
He and Kody followed the call, not even scenting anymore. Instinct would lead them.
Suddenly, Canyon was beside them, claws digging into the dirt as they climbed. His second had his back, would fight for him and his mates.
Mate! Mate! Her yelps were in his ears this time, and Kody howled.
She was close now. He could swear he could smell her.
The cage was half crushed, Sammy slamming herself against the blood-stained bars, over and over.
Mesa barked, but it was Kody who managed to change, naked and human, working at the lock with shaking fingers.
As soon as he popped it, Sammy burst out, howling furiously, biting the air.
Mesa went to her, pushing at her, licking her muzzle. She growled at him, panicked and scared, dancing, then he licked again. His lady. She came to him, then, calling out to him, to Kody.
Mesa nuzzled her, vocalizing. She was so good, so pretty, so strong. Kody came to her, lapping the dried blood from her shoulder, behind her ears.
Home. Kody growled softly. Home, Mesa.
Mesa nudged Sammy, hoping she could walk that far. Canyon fell in with them, right on his flank. Sammy made it farther than he’d expected, clearing the trees before she collapsed.
Mesa had to fight with his wolf, who wanted to drag her. He summoned the human in him instead, standing to pick her up and carry her. His arms and legs shook with the effort.
“Alicia?”
Canyon barked, Jack and Rick at the door to his house, the screaming woman in their hands.
“Get her out of here.” He carried Sammy into the house, where Minnie was waiting, frowning.
“Grandma… I need help.”
“You have it.” She looked Sammy over, shook her head. “Let’s get her cleaned up and dosed with something to ease her.”
“Thanks.” He didn’t know where the man took Alicia, and he only cared in that he didn’t want the bitch around here. He would deal with her later.
Mesa knew he couldn’t make it up the stairs. He got them to the downstairs room, eased her onto the bed. They curled around her, protecting her, and soon enough Granny was there, dosing Sammy with a tonic.
Sammy growled softly, head tossing, but she took it. Good. Good. It calmed her almost immediately, enough that he and Kody could check for injuries. One of her shoulders was hot, swollen, the shape wrong, and there was a cut by her ear.
Damn. Damn, the pack would have to see her soon, to know she was all right.
Grandma Minnie started packing her shoulder, wrapping it, and once that was done, Sammy relaxed.
Poor baby. He nuzzled her throat.
Sammy nosed him. Home.
Home.
They were home. Safe.
Together.
Chapter Nineteen
Sammy woke with a start, nose working furiously. The sun was pouring in the window, and she wasn’t in the cage. Bad cage. Bad.
She was in bed. With her mates.
Oh.
She leaned, muzzle digging into Mesa’s ruff.
Mesa rolled to one side, legs kicking out when he stretched. Such a beautiful wolf. She wagged once, tried to roll up to all fours, but her front leg screamed at her and she yelped, gnawing on the cloths wrapped around it. Kody nipped at her tail, stopping her.
She stared at him, rumbling. It hurt.
Kody nipped her again.
Mesa chuffed, those pretty eyes glowing at her. Mate. She rubbed her muzzle on his, then her eyes went wide. Juniper. Juniper! Mate! A cage!
That bitch had put her in a cage!
Mesa licked her whiskers, and she could hear Kody’s voice in her head. Safe.
Safe.
She nudged Mesa, whining softly. She’d tried to get out, to come to them.
Mesa stropped his cheek against hers, making these amazing noises. He knew. He was proud. Kody’s growls and chirrups joined Mesa’s, soothing her, easing her deep inside.
Safe.
That meant Juniper was safe, too. Poor Junie.
Alicia wanted her mate, had been willing to kill Junie to have him.
The door opened, the creak of hinges making them all look up. Grandma Minnie.
Sammy’s tail wagged, once, in greeting.
“It’s me.” There was a scent of something…off. Mesa leaned up, rumbling, and Granny stroked his chin. “She left, Mesa. Alicia. She’s gone. We found footprints outside the window where she was kept; someone slipped Jack a drug. She’s gone east.”
She could feel Mesa’s fury, then a wave of peace came from Kody, washing over all of them.
“That’s right. Healing first, then we’ll find her.” Granny’s fingers came near her hurt shoulder and she rumbled softly. “I have to look.”
She grumbled, but buried her face in Kody’s soft belly fur, let Minnie look. There was fire in her shoulder for a moment, then it went away. She heard Mesa growl, the sound unhappy, deep. Kody, though, he made soothing noises, panted a tiny bit.
Her Kody.
As she thought it, a wave of warmth hit her.
Kody grunted, pushing up against her, warm and solid.
My Kody.
Her nose wrinkled as Minnie brought something vile smelling to her muzzle. Mesa made approving noises, though, pushing her to take what Minnie had brought. She drank it, shuddering through it. Nasty. Bad stuff. Kody laughed at her, tongue lolling.
She snapped at him, lazily.
Mesa bit her good shoulder, gently enough that she barely felt it.
“You’re going to be fine, Samantha. Sleep now. Heal.”
She could do that. She could sleep for a long while.
She barely felt Minnie’s soft touch before she faded away.
Chapter Twenty
Kody cut the carrots and celery, the chicken breast. Soup. Soup would be good. Soup and bread. Lots of garlic. And cake.
“She doesn’t have a cold, brother.” Juniper’s voice was soft, amused.
“So? Chicken soup cures everything.” He grinned at her sideways. “Got you here.”
“Was worried. Bad dreams.” Junie nuzzled him, clinging a little.
“What about?” He hugged her tightly, pouring safe/happy/love thoughts into her little body.
She slumped a little, started to cry. “Kody, she wanted to kill me.”
“She’s crazy, you know? She’s gone, though.”
“I know. How’s Sammy?”
“She’s better. Her shoulder is bothering her, and she’s really mad.” His grin turned into a laugh. She wanted to hunt Alicia down.
“She fought for me, brother. So fierce. I was so proud.”
“I’m proud, too.” So was Mesa. Their Alpha was strutting these days.
“Can I have supper here with you? Granny is busy.”
“Of course you can.” Sammy came downstairs in one of Mesa’s shirts, blinking slowly. “Smells good. Where’s Mesa?”
“He’s out with Canyon. He’ll be back in time for supper.” Kody reached out to Sammy, who came and hugged him and Junie both with one-armed hugs.
“Of course you can eat here.” Sammy nodded at Junie. “Smells good, huh?”
Juniper put one hand on Sammy’s forehead, whispering softly. Praying. “It does, Sammy.”