Finding My Pack

by Lane Whitt

  "Got it." Kellan whispers.

  I turn to Kitten, gathering her to me. I kiss the crown of her head before whispering in her ear. "We will not leave you. Never. We have to do this and then we are taking you far away from here. Play along with what Tristan and I say. Okay?" I feel her nod. It usually bugs me when she doesn't speak, but in this case it works in our favor that she keeps her thoughts to herself. The others briefly kiss her temples or squeeze her hand. We've probably taken too long already. Tristan joins us and I pass Kitten off to him. The officers won't question if she clings to him.

  I open the door and we step out. The second guy looks smug as fuck and I'd like nothing more than to smash his face in. The wolves last night had humans working for them and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if this asshole worked for them. The first guy I highly doubt does. He seems more concerned for Kitten than anything. We're escorted to the back of one of the police cars. There were two more of them but the officers never got out. The windows are down so I know they are humans as well.

  Chapter 31

  Kitten is shaking horribly next to me. I hear Tristan whispering to her, too low for the officers on the other side of the screen to hear. Probably too low for her to hear. It doesn't matter though, Tristan's voice seems to calm her. Good. I sit up straight and look out the window. I can't wait for this to be finished so we can get the hell out of here.

  Kitten

  Tristan is whispering non-stop in my ear. I can't really hear what he's saying most of the time but I catch phrases like 'It's going to be okay' and 'You're fine' every once in a while. I let his kind and soothing voice wash over me, soaking it in to try and stop my shaking. I know that everything is not okay though. I'm in the back of a cop car. I've avoided this for so long. I don't want to go into the system. I don't want to leave my new family, my new home. I trust Remy though. He said that he wouldn't let me go. I believe him. I have to. Maybe when they open the door, I can just run away. No....no I can't. Remy and Tristan would get into trouble. Even if they ran with me, the cops would just go back to the house and the rest of the guys would get into trouble. That would be the first place they looked for me.

  I look up into Tristan face. He's looking out the window. I wish he would look at me. I want to stare into his chocolate eyes again. It might be the last time I get to see them for a while. I wonder if I'm taken away, if they would still want me once the state deems me to be eighteen. That could be two years from now. Would they visit me? Tristan looks down at me, finally. His face is blurry through my stupid silent tears. His long fingers reach out and brush them away. I suppress a sob, not wanting the cops to hear me. The thin one in the passenger seat keeps looking back at me and he has mean eyes. He's one of Davis' bad people. It's easy to spot.

  Tristan mouths the words 'You're mine. You're okay' at me. The way his lips over exaggerate the words makes me giggle quietly. His face lights up with his smile. He shifts his arm a little, drawing my attention to it. I blink rapidly when I see the small amounts of blood on his arm from my fingernails digging into him. I release him immediately, looking back up at him. I mouth 'sorry' at him but he just smiles and shakes his head. I grip his hand with both of mine instead, trying not to grip too tightly. Remy shifts his leg so it's pressed against mine. It's as reassuring as I'm sure he meant it to be.

  The two cops start to talk quietly amongst themselves. I can't hear them, but I'm sure my wolves can. I feel them both stiffen at the same time. That can't be good. The pudgy cop that's driving has a frown on his face when he looks back at me in the rearview mirror. He looks confused about something the mean one said. We slow down for a stop sign and the mean one points out his window, making the pudgy one lean around him to look too. Tristan mirrors him and a glance back tells me that Remy is looking as well.

  "I don't see it." The driver says as the car rolls forward into the intersection. He's still looking out the right-hand window. And that's why he doesn't see the big bank truck barreling straight at us. Unfortunately for me...I'm looking right at it.

  Before I can call out, it slams into the side of the police car. Time slows impossibly, every nano second seeming like an hour. I feel my body jerk at the same moment that glass floats at me from the closed windows. Tristan's body slams into mine and mine into Remy's. The sickening crunch of metal sounds and I watch in horror as the body of the car gives way and closes in on us. Shortly after that, I become disoriented as the car flips once, then twice....three times. The only reason I know it's doing that is because the view keeps changing from spotty white clouds in a darkening blue sky, to pavement.

  I must have blacked out at some point because the next thing I know, I'm lying in a heap on the roof of the car. I look up and see the pudgy driver dangling from his seat. The blood and brain matter leaking from his head is enough to tell me he didn't make it. His seatbelt is keeping him in place. The other officer is groaning, so he might be okay.

  Suddenly I'm being pulled backwards, my body sliding over glass that covers the floor, or hood I guess. My heart lurches, thinking it's Remy. He's made it and he's okay. He's going to help me and Tristan. Tristan! My hand is still gripping his. As I'm being pulled, I'm pulling him with me. I cry out when I finally look at him. A piece of metal is stuck into his side, tiny glass pieces are embedded in his face and his head is bleeding. He's not moving, other than my dragging him. Oh God, no. No! Tristan can't be dead. No way.

  "Let go!" A voice I don't recognize keep repeating to me. I refuse to let go. If I'm going, Tristan is coming with me. We need to get him to Kellan. Kellan will fix him. He'll know what to do. Tristan isn't dead, he just needs Kellan. He'll make him perfect again and I'll be his assistant. He'll call me Dr. Kitten and all three of us will laugh about it. No. All nine of us will.

  A sharp blow lands on my elbow, making my whole arm go numb. I whimper, watching my fingers release Tristan. I try to use my other arm to brace myself. To stop me from moving backwards, away from my sweet boy. Arms wrap around me once I'm free from the car. I don't recognize them. I now realize that it's not Remy pulling me out. As I'm swung around, I see him. I see Remy. He's sprawled on his front, his face to the blacktop. He's not moving either. I reach my hand out to him. I can't get my voice to work for some reason.

  My brain finally catches up to my eyes and I start kicking at the person carrying me. My body is too weak to fight though and the person manages to get me in the back of the bank truck with little effort. There is a bunch of loud noises but I can't process them. Two of my boys are badly hurt, possibly dead. I weakly beat on the doors, looking for a latch, but there isn't one.

  As the truck lurches forward, I get knocked back. I curl into a ball and cry. I scream silently. I don't even care who has me now. Nothing they do could be worse than what's already happened. I've lost them. Tristan and Remy.... they're gone. My world goes black as I forget to breathe.

  ............................

  Kellan

  "Stop that!" I bark at Finn. I know he's nervous, we all are, but his leg is bouncing so hard it's shaking the whole truck. He crosses one foot over his knee and the shaking stops. For all of two minutes. I sigh.

  I keep wondering if I missed anything at the house. I had planned on going room to room, grabbing anything we'd want or anything we didn't want others to find. That didn't work out though. Ash insisted on trailing Remy, Kitten and Tristan in his wolf form. We had all tried to talk him out of it, but once Ash gets something in his head...well, he's unstoppable. I had raced through the house at that point, not wanting to be too far behind him. I spent the most time grabbing Kitten's things. I know she'll want them. I didn't bother with clothes or anything that's easily replaceable.

  I'm not even sure where Jace arranged for us to go. I suppose it doesn't matter, we just need to get away. If only we would have done this earlier. Before the police showed up on our doorstep. I knew after last night, that this was a serious situation but...I didn't think they'd risk exposing her to the authorities. It's a despe
rate move. Which means that whoever wants her, is desperate. And desperate people are the worst kind of people. I'd know, I see them every day.

  The truck starts rocking from side to side again. I let out a frustrated breath of air. "Finn, seriously. Everything is going to be okay. She has two of us with her." I try to say reassuringly.

  "I know." Long pause. "But what if they can't get her back out? What if..."

  "They will." I cut him off. He needs to stop thinking so negatively. It's not helpful and it's not healthy. "You know Tristan....he's not above whipping it out and shaking it around to draw attention to himself."

  Finn cracks a small smile, probably thinking of the extra embarrassing moment in time when Tristan pulled his pants down in a crowded restaurant just because Logan said he wouldn't do it. I snort at the memory. It was a damn good place to eat too. That wasn't the only place we've gotten banned from. Secretly, I've always wondered if he did it because their chef's salmon was better than his. Tristan is a God in the kitchen, but despises competition.

  "Yeah, you're probably correct." Finn sighs out.

  We continue to drive towards town. The trip seemingly taking days. Until we're stopped by a police barricade. It looks like an accident has taken place further up the street. The officer standing in front of his car in the middle of the road waves us to the left. As I straighten the truck out after the turn, I look in rearview, making sure Jace and the rest of them are staying right behind me. It doesn't appear to be, but it could be another trick for all I know. Logan must see me and waves like a loon. That's good, we need to stick together.

  The road we end up on to avoid the car accident runs parallel to a wooded area. I tense, wondering if we're being followed or watched by the wolves that attacked. There's a loud 'thump' and the bed of the truck dips down. Before I know what's happening, Finn is out of the truck, snarling and wrestling someone in the back. I stop the truck quickly and jump out to investigate. Finn is now perched on the rail and a naked Ash is laying in the back.

  "What the hell?" I ask him. Ash's face is normally scary but the panic I see in his eyes, stops me in my tracks.

  "No time." Ash says, jumping back out. "We need to get Rem and Tristan." He dashes back into the woods and Logan and Reed follow him. I get back in the truck, positioning it right at the edge of the trees. Jace does the same with the white SUV.

  When Finn gets back in, his face is sickly pale and he's as stiff as a board. "He said Remington and Tristan." He turns his wide eyes to me. I frown at him. "Ash didn't mention anything about Kitten." He explains.

  Oh God. He's right. Why would we need to get the guys and not her? Surly she's with them though? "He seemed in a hurry, maybe it doesn't mean anything." I don't know if I'm trying to convince myself or him.

  "I told her I loved her today." Finn whispers. He swallows like he's about to throw up. "I was too chicken to actually say it though. I put it in a note."

  "Hey, it's okay. It's going to be okay. And Kitten probably liked that better anyhow. Now she can keep it. She likes keeping things." I grip his shoulder, pulling him in for a one-armed hug.

  "KELLAN!" Ash's voice booms from the tree line. "Get your ass in the back!" He orders. He's got Remington's upper body in his grasp while Reed carries his legs. Behind them I see Logan carrying Tristan, tears streaming down his face.

  As soon as they are both loaded into the bed of the truck, I climb in between them. I assess the damage done to my brothers, holding my anger in check. When Ash jumps in the driver seat of the truck, panic takes hold of me.

  "Where's Kitten?" I demand.

  "Gone." He growls.

  "WHAT?! We need to go after her then!" Finn shouts at him.

  Ash turns his big body to face him. "You think I don't know that! What was I supposed to do Finn? Leave Rem and Tristan on the side of the road? Let them be taken to a hospital where they'd see them recovering too quickly and they'd be given human blood?" He slams his palm on the dash, making it dent.

  "Let's get them to the clinic." I interject. Tristan is barely breathing and Remy's smashed in face worries me. We can recover from a lot of things, but I need to clear away any and all debris in order for them to heal properly. I just hope that Remy's brain is still intact, if not..... No. I refuse to think that way.

  The truck begins to move and I duck down. I don't want anyone to see me back here and wonder what I'm up to. Police are still in the area. I have a million questions for Ash, but they'll have to wait. Obviously, my brothers were in that car crash we saw. I can't help think....If two strong as hell changed wolves look like this....then what happened to fragile little Kitten?

  Chapter 32

  Kitten

  I wake up freezing cold. I don't know how much time has passed but I'm no longer in the bank van. If I had to guess, I'd say I was in a basement of some sort. I push myself up till I'm sitting. I expected an assortment of pain but...I feel fine. More than fine actually. My clothes have been removed, which is scary as heck, but I'm able to see that I don't have so much as a scratch or bruise on me. "How...."

  "Werewolf blood." Says a voice that sends ice down my spine. I jerk my head up, looking around for Adam. I don't see him. He sounded close though. I cover my exposed body with my arms and hair.

  Adam laughs. "No need for that." I hear shuffling before I see him step out of the shadows in the corner. "You've been laying there for a long time. I've already seen everything." He leers at me while he circles around. I keep my eyes on him.

  Adam clasps his hands behind his back and he continues to circle me. "Did you know that born werewolf blood has curative properties? No? Well it does. It can cure just about anything, broken bones, lacerations, disease."

  I don't say anything. I don't want to talk to him. Adam continues. "I know you're just a street rat and your werewolf lore is probably lacking, but did you know that the stupid humans invented vampires from wolves?" He laughs cruelly. "Funny how they pitted wolves against vampires when, in fact, we are the same. The longer life spans, the inhuman strength, the retractable fangs." As he says the last, he smiles, revealing his canine teeth sliding down from his gums.

  I gasp. Adam is a wolf? How? He stops in front of me, stepping close enough that he's staring down at me. "I could never figure out why they said we were cold though. Wolves run hot." He shrugs. "Anyway, I've assumed that some idiot humans have seen us having sex before, as some of us like to bite during. We don't drink the blood though. That's just stupid, tasting it is amazing, but actually drinking all of it would be impossible. My guess is that they saw a wolf in human form fighting a wolf in wolf form and that's why we're supposedly enemies."

  Adam stares down at me. Does he want me to respond to that? "Look Adam, that's interesting and all, but where are my clothes? Why am I here? Why are you here?"

  He squats down in front of me, reaching out a hand and running his fingers over my shoulder. I flinch away. His eyes narrow and he stands back up. "You're naked because you were tainted by those filthy changed wolves. You smelled like them. Don't worry though, I made sure you were nice and clean." His smile is predatory and I shudder at the thought of him touching me.

  "How...how did. I mean...the guys would have been able to smell you. They would have known you were a wolf." I ask. My heart clenches painfully thinking about them. Do they know about the accident yet? Did Kellan get there in time?

  "There are ways around that. Pump enough human blood into any wolf and their scents will change." He shrugs again, looking bored.

  There's a clanking noise and then a loud bang. Adam steps back away from me as a tall, wiry looking man comes in. "Stop harassing my niece Vanderson, that's my job. Yours is to feed her. Go" He commands. Adam retreats from the room without another look my way as the man walks to the corner and drags a metal chair from the shadows to sit in front of me.

  He stares at me for what seems like forever, one leg crossed over the other, shrewd blue eyes on me, his fingers rubbing at his chin. "Hello Katerina." He final
ly speaks.

  "That's not my name." I tell him. Maybe they've been after the wrong girl all along?

  "Oh, but it is. You were born Katerina Ivaskov." I blink at him. Ivaskov? Like in the book?

  I shake my head at him slowly. "Even if I was, even if that's the name I was given, it's not the name I've earned. I'm Kitten." I tell him.

  The man laughs. "You are so right about that. You have not earned the Ivaskov name." That isn't what I meant, but whatever.

  "Why am I here?" I ask again. Adam didn't tell me but I'm hoping he will.

  "To be honest with you Katerina, I wanted to kill you." He sighs, looking annoyed. "Fortunately for you, others have pointed out the benefits of keeping you alive. For now." He stands and walks away.