Odd question.
Before Taylor could answer, the door swung open.
Perry hurried in, with his ever present smile on his face. “Oh, good, you’re awake,” he said pleasantly. “Won’t be long now!. And, two of you! At least one of you should survive the change. If both of you do, that’ll be even better.”
“Chantelle’s not a werewolf,” Taylor said, dazed. She had so many questions she didn’t know where to start.
“Ah, ah, ah.” He wagged his finger at her chastisingly. “No point in lying now.”
“Why would I bother lying?”
Perry shrugged. “Joel says she is. He can smell it. Because it’s so close to the full moon.”
Chantelle nodded wearily. “It’s true. Rusty bit me.”
“What the hell?”
“I asked him to. Long story.” Chantelle looked away.
“Joel is a werewolf.” Taylor digested that information. “How did that happen?”
Perry sighed. “He’s such a silly boy. He wanted to find out the formula for the product samples, so he started following the trucks back and spying on people. He was in the army for a while before… Well, anyway. He has good surveillance skills.”
“Before he was dishonorably discharged?” Taylor said nastily.
A rare look of anger flashed across Perry’s face. “He was set up!” he snapped. “Anyway, he figured it out. And he decided that he wanted to become one. The ultimate strength and power. He found out that there was a couple who liked to shift into wolf form outside the pack grounds, and he hunted them down. He got one of them to give him a non-fatal bite as it lay dying.”
Holy hell. Serafina’s parents.
“You’re going to hunt us?” Taylor glared at him with hatred.
Perry let out a peal of laughter. “That’s what you thought? Oh, no, no, no! You have nothing to worry about, Taylor. He just really needs a mate. He’s been having terrible mood swings, and this will settle him right down. I’m sure of it. I wanted a nice girl for him. That’s why I chose you, Taylor. Because you’re a nice girl. I like you.”
“This is how you show me you like me?” she snapped. “By secretly infecting me with the werewolf virus and risking my life? I could die, you know.”
“That’s true,” Perry said sadly. “The last girl I tried it on died.”
“What?” Taylor shrieked in horror.
“She was very skinny, though. And also…let’s say she’d led a troubled life. Not very healthy. That’s the other reason I picked you. You’re larger. More substantial,” he said, in a tone that was meant to be reassuring. “Maybe that will make a difference.” He glanced regretfully at Chantelle. “She’s skinny and she looks sick. She probably won’t make it.” Then his face lit up. “But if she does, then my boy will have two mates instead of one!”
He was a fucking lunatic.
Taylor thought her heart would hammer right through her ribcage. “You’ve gone completely insane. What makes you think I’d voluntarily be with Joel? I love Cliff. I hate Joel’s guts.” Tears filled her eyes. She hadn’t told Cliff she loved him. Now she’d never get the chance.
“Oh, I’ve been studying up on all kinds of compliance techniques,” Perry said cheerfully. “We can keep you chained up all the time if we have to. Hand and foot, if necessary. Of course, if Chantelle survives, that will make it much easier. We’ll just keep you two separate, and if you want your friend to avoid torture, then you’ll cooperate. Otherwise I might just use Chantelle’s cattle prod on her. In some very sensitive areas.” He actually giggled at that, like a naughty little boy who’d just said a bad word.
“How did you turn me? I was never bitten.”
“I mixed some of Joel’s saliva into the coffee I brought you. I gave it to you for months and months. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but it sure did.” He looked proud of himself. Taylor thought she might puke.
Taylor swallowed hard. “We need water. I’m thirsty.”
Perry looked at her, cocking his head to the side. “I don’t think so. You haven’t earned water. That’s one of the compliance techniques I’ve learned about. Eating and drinking is a privilege. For that matter, breathing is a privilege. If you don’t work out, I can always get my boy another mate. And another one after that. Until we find the right one.”
“At least give Chantelle some water,” Taylor pleaded. “You want her to survive the turn. She’s already weak.”
“She probably won’t survive either way. And if she doesn’t, that’ll be a lesson for you. A lesson in compliance.” He giggled again.
Rage and fear swirled in the pit of her stomach, making her nauseated. He was a psychopath. How had she missed that? Sure, he’d always seemed a little off, but in a goofy, harmless way.
“Who is the other cage for?” she croaked, her throat as dry as a desert.
“Joel. He’ll be here shortly. Can’t have my boy running around in the woods when he turns. He might get hurt.” He giggled again, and left.
Taylor glanced at Chantelle, who was sitting up, hugging her knees, staring at nothing.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Rusty?” Taylor asked. She cleared her throat. She was so very, very thirsty.
Chantelle laid her head on her folded arms. “We couldn’t risk Jerrold finding out, and Rusty was worried that he might have spies in Cliff’s house, or he might be listening in on my cell phone or Rusty’s cell phone.” Her voice was weary and faint. “We fell for each other right away, but if we told Jerrold, he’d have pulled Rusty out and replaced him with another guard, so we had to act as if we hated each other. When we…uh…fooled around, we made sure we were alone in the room and Truman had our cell phones with him. Truman was in on it all along.”
Taylor shook her head in confusion. “I don’t understand why you let Rusty bite you. You had all the pills you could ever need.”
“They stopped working. I’m getting sick again. My only hope of survival is being turned.”
That was why she’d been wearing makeup. To hide that she was deathly pale. She’d been pale when she’d showed up that first day and Jerrold had caught her. And the headaches… She just hadn’t told Taylor because she didn’t want to worry her, but Taylor should have guessed something was up. Maybe she’d sensed it on some level but denied it, because she couldn’t bear to think of Chantelle getting sick again.
“I sat in on those meditation sessions with you,” Chantelle whispered. “I’m prepared. I should be okay. Rusty said so.”
If Chantelle was sick and weak, there was less chance of her surviving the turn, but Taylor didn’t want to tell her that because she didn’t want to stress her out.
Instead, she stroked her hair and talked to her about changing. Rusty had started the process with her, so maybe Chantelle would have a chance. The change wouldn’t come as a complete shock, and she wouldn’t be alone. Taylor would be with her.
Still. She was so weak. And as the hours marched on, she grew weaker and stopped talking.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The moon hung overhead, fat and round and just a sliver short of being full. It bathed the woods in an otherworldly light. Cliff, Truman, Rusty, Mandy, Taurus, and a dozen other pack members raced through the underbrush, in wolf form, following Dax and Fergus.
Mandy had insisted on coming. When Cliff had tried to argue, she’d picked up the end of a car with one hand. “Super-strength,” she’d said to him, as Truman gaped at her in amazement and said, “Who are you?”
Grant and Austin had offered to come, but Cliff had refused. He couldn’t risk all three of them, not before the trials were done.
Fergus had led them to the spot where he’d found the dead woman’s purse and shoe. It gave them something to go on. And Roger had the best scenting ability in the entire pack. Cliff had a strong feeling deep in his gut that the death was somehow connected to the kidnapping of Taylor and Chantelle, and his gut was never wrong.
Rage rushed through his body. Perry has Taylor. That bastard who kiss
ed up to Cliff every time he called the office, that monster with his Judas smile and fawning words. He’d plotted and schemed and taken Taylor. He was going to die.
They had mere hours to find the girls and get back to the property before the next day’s trial began. The day before the full moon. The Elders had taken a vote and insisted that things proceed according to the pack charter, despite the fact that the two women had been kidnapped. In a few hours, they had the final physical test, and if Cliff wasn’t there, he’d forfeit.
Most likely, Grant would win. Immature, impulsive, a vain peacock who craved attention…he had too much of their father in him to be an effective leader. And Austin – what would he do if he won? He’d likely forfeit out of spite.
And even worse…Jerrold might win.
The moon clouded Cliff’s thinking, its powerful pull calling to his animal nature. Taylor. Must find Taylor. My mate. Need. Find.
Roger stopped, and shivered, and shifted into human form. Rare for one so young to be able to shift so quickly. He’d be a force to be reckoned with some day. Cliff hated to bring a child with him on such a dangerous mission, but he had no choice. Dax had the best chance of catching Taylor’s scent.
They all stopped in their tracks. He was pointing downwind. Could he really scent them?
“There.” Roger pointed ahead into the woods, finger trembling. “I smell her, and Chantelle, and another werewolf, and a human man. Half a mile.”
Half a mile. Fuck.
Cliff nodded at Mandy, indicating that she should stay with Dax and Fergus – she’d insisted on coming along – but she growled and raced ahead. Rage boiled through him. No time for this.
Taurus ran over to his nephew and Fergus, then nodded at Cliff. Go. I got this.
Cliff and the rest of them ran, faster than they’d ever run before. Their legs slashed through the brush. Tree branches slapped their snouts, thorns snagged at their fur. Their tongues lolled from their mouths and the fur stood up on their backs. Rusty kept pace with Cliff, legs churning, eyes maddened. Froth hung on his lips. Chantelle was his. Cliff knew what he was feeling. Painragefearkillneeddestroy…
A small cabin came into view up ahead.
They slowed down and began creeping forward, keeping to the cover in the underbrush.
Perry and Joel were standing in front of the cabin, both holding rifles. They were arguing about something. Perry was trying to calm Joel down, and Joel was waving his arms around, yelling.
Joel’s words drifted towards him.
“Why can’t I have them now?” he whined like a toddler. “Chantelle might not even last until tomorrow! Then I’ll never get to have any fun with her!”
Rusty went stiff with rage and let out a very low growl.
“But if you mess her up too badly, she won’t survive the shift,” Perry argued. “Wouldn’t you rather have two mates?”
“Who cares?” Joel growled. “We’ll just grab another one. Give me the fucking key to the cage!”
Die. Die. Die.
They crept closer and closer.
Almost there.
Ten yards to the cabin.
“Fine,” Perry said resignedly, pulling the key out of his pocket. “I never could say no to you.” He handed it to Joel, who said, “Thanks, Dad!” with boyish glee, and dashed inside the cabin.
The wolves burst from the woods, slinking low to the ground.
Five yards. Perry saw them and let out a high-pitched shriek of terror. Frantic, he aimed his rifle at them and fired wildly.
A bullet hit Rusty in the side, and Cliff could smell the silver and hear the sizzling of Rusty’s flesh. Rusty let out a howl of anguish. Truman pounced on him and clawed the bullet from Rusty’s ribcage, as Mandy shot forward. A bullet hit her in the shoulder, but she barreled forward and knocked Perry off his feet onto his back.
“Joel! Help me!” Perry screamed, his shots going wild now.
Joel shot out the door in wolf form and ran right past his bleeding father, disappearing into the woods. Perry kept shooting, hitting Cliff and Truman. Their packmates jumped on them, clawing out the bullets and the burning flesh they had touched.
Cliff and Rusty, blood pouring from their wounds, leaped onto Perry, who’d run out of ammo.
“No! It’s not fair! I did it to help my son! He’s one of you, one of you!” Perry cried. The stink of urine filled the air – he’d peed himself. He curled up in a ball, sobbing in terror. “Joel, Joel, come back!” he wailed, but Joel was running for his life, leaving them far behind.
Cliff’s jaws clamped down on Perry’s neck. He shook his head, and there was a rending of flesh and then a hot, salty gush of blood as Perry gurgled his last, panicked breaths.
Cliff released him and raced into the cabin, with Rusty scrambling at his heels.
Taylor and Chantelle were in a cage. A cage. Cliff ran over, still in wolf form, and with Randy, using his superhuman strength, ripped the door of the cage from its hinges.
Taylor looked at Cliff with a weak smile. “I forgot to mention something,” she said, her voice a hoarse croak. Her lips were dry and cracked. “I love you, too. Times infinity. I love you, Cliff.”
* * * * *
Serafina and Dax sat next to Anita on the bleachers by the final obstacle course. Jerrold was staring at Serafina in a horrifyingly creepy way…licking his lips and wiggling his tongue.
Grant was deliberately distracting Austin, Serafina saw. He’d started an argument with Austin, and Austin was too busy yelling at him to notice what Jerrold was doing. Austin didn’t realize it, but Grant was helping him – because with her Uncle Austin’s temper, he was liable to go ballistic and attack Jerrold. Or try to. As usual, Jerrold was surrounded by his packmates.
“This whole stupid, stupid Alpha Trials thing is so stupid,” Serafina muttered. She looked at the road that led to the obstacle course for the millionth time. The day’s trial started in fifteen minutes, and Cliff wasn’t back yet, and neither was Roger. She felt sick. She’d been too stressed out to eat that morning.
Anita followed her gaze, looking at the road and then at Jerrold. She nodded resolutely. “Come on,” she said abruptly, standing up. “We’re leaving.”
Serafina looked at her in confusion. “Where are we going?”
“We can’t risk what will happen if Jerrold wins. I want to get you off pack property. I know someone who’s a member of the Network.”
Serafina gasped, scandalized and delighted at the same time. “You do?” The Network helped smuggle rogue wolves to safety. They helped wolves escape abusive situations and moved them to safe packs. It was strictly forbidden. Getting caught could result in being executed, depending on which pack caught them. “They’re so badass.”
“You said ass,” Dax whispered with a faint smile. He was desperately worried about his brother, and trying not to show it.
Serafina looked at Anita. “Why do you want us to leave?”
“Because with Cliff gone… I’m just not sure what the outcome is going to be.” Anita glanced at Grant and Austin. “It’s down to Grant and Austin, if Cliff doesn’t come back.” She’d said it. She’d said it out loud. Serafina felt sick. “And with the sabotage on the obstacle course…no matter how carefully they check over it…what if something happened to both Grant and Austin today? Or even just to Grant? Austin’s very tough, yes, but Jerrold knows how to provoke him, and he’s sloppy and undisciplined.”
“No he isn’t,” Serafina said automatically, because he was her favorite uncle, but she knew that Anita was right. “You’re afraid that if Cliff doesn’t come back…Jerrold might win and then he’d…take me.”
Anita nodded wearily. “Yes. We already sent our children away for a little visit with their cousins…in Wyoming. Early this morning. If Jerrold wins, they’ll stay there. He’s going to take his vengeance on me and James for helping Leota, but our children will be safe.”
Serafina saw that Anita had bluish circles under her eyes.
“Why didn
’t you go too?”
Anita sighed. “Our place is with the pack.”
“Is Leota still here?”
Anita smiled faintly. “No comment.”
Serafina frowned. “I can’t leave until Roger gets back. I just can’t, Anita. But you should take Roger.”
“Without you and Roger? No.” Dax said it so fiercely that Serafina knew there was no way they’d be able to convince him. He’d pitch a screaming fit and attract too much attention if they tried to drag him away.
“Serafina, let’s go get something to eat,” Anita said in a light tone, and Serafina looked up and saw that Jerrold was strolling towards them.
“Oh, Serafiiiiina. I can’t wait to get to know you better,” Jerrold said in a high, sing-song voice. “Did you know that an Alpha can take as many mates as he likes? We’re going to be so close.”
The Elder Juliette hurried over and moved in front of him as Serafina and Roger climbed to their feet and stepped behind Anita.
“Trolling for dates in middle school?” Juliette hissed. “Not on my watch.”
“I don’t need to show you any respect, you old bitch, because I already know you’ll vote against me if there’s a tie,” Jerrold said in a low, vicious voice. “So if you want to keep breathing after I become Alpha, you’d better move out of my way now.”
Elders Minnie, Sylvester, and Oswald stood staring at them. Not doing anything. Herbert and Maurice were across the field, and they started moving towards them. Unfortunately, Jerrold hadn’t done anything they could act on. He never did.
He was just being creepy, and he kept glancing in Austin’s direction hoping he’d notice, but Grant had managed to get a whole group of men gathered around Austin to distract him.
And Grant didn’t care enough about Serafina to get upset, no matter what Jerrold did to her. He didn’t care about anyone except himself.
“You insolent pup,” Juliette snarled. “In my day—”
“In your day? When you were getting lucky with Tutankhamun? Move your sagging—”
“Look!” Roger shouted, and pointed at the sky. They’d all gotten so distracted that they hadn’t noticed the helicopter approaching.
The Billion-were Needs A Mate (The Alpha Billion-weres Book 1) Page 16