Slade, Book 1 in Team Greywolf Series

by Eva Gordon

  She yelled, “Stop, damn it!”

  His fangs were out. “He stabbed the bouncer.” He continued the chase.

  “To trap us.” She punched his back. “Idiot!”

  Slade slowed as Pinky turned left on a fork. He moved the motorcycle to a turnoff and stopped. “Shit. You’re right.”

  “The question is who is he working with?”

  Slade cocked his head. “He’s waiting for us.”

  The sound of police sirens and a helicopter headed toward them.

  Slade’s claws emerged.

  Cricket took off her helmet and cocked her head. “He’s talking to someone. On the phone.”

  He listened. “Damn. He’s identifying us.”

  “We need to hide the bike and go wolf,” she said.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Slade sped off.

  Respect from an alpha warmed her heart, but no time for celebrating until they got far away enough to shift.

  Slade stopped, pushed the bike toward an embankment and into the underbrush.

  Cricket stripped and so did he. They shifted and hid in the dark forest. Overhead, the police helicopter hovered over them as Pinky’s motorcycle got closer. Searchlights beamed into the forest. She blinked. “The cops will get that asshole.”

  Like a silent night owl, a darker helicopter, military-grade appeared in the sky. It aimed and released two heat-seeking missiles, hitting the police helicopter and it exploded in midair. Metal and flames raining everywhere.

  Cricket whimpered. “We need to run. Now.”

  Slade didn’t argue. They ran deeper into the forest.

  Slade’s first priority, protect Cricket at any cost. After blowing up the police helicopter, the dark helicopter shone its light down into the forest. Who were they? Werewolf hunters or enemy werewolves? Bad news either way.

  He turned. Too slow. “Come on.”

  Panting, she caught up with him. “I’m not an alpha, remember?”

  Slade spotted a tree with a large cavity. “Hide in here. I’ll get them to chase me.”

  “Sorry, but I won’t allow them to snag our top alpha bachelor.”

  “Do as I say!”

  Cricket backed into the large cavity and snarled. “On missions we’re equals.”

  He thought of biting her, but had no time. “I promise after I lose them, I’ll come get you.”

  She snapped. “We stay together and that’s an order!”

  “How am I supposed to protect you?”

  “I might ask the same question,” she snarled.

  Slade ducked into the brush as the helicopter hovered above. No choice. He growled at her. “Stay.”

  “Fine. Rylee will hear about this.”

  Like he gave a damn. His wolf instinct to protect her overpowered her orders. He dashed toward the search light giving them a clear view of his big white wolf form. He growled at them and then headed deeper into the forest. Maybe if it got too low, they’d hit one of the giant redwood trees.

  Come get me, assholes. He dashed into the canyon, but the helicopter didn’t follow. It circled and headed back toward Cricket. Baiting him to return. Shit.

  The copter’s loud clap drew closer. Was Slade safe? No way could this helicopter land in the dense forest so he might have gotten away. She peeked out from her hiding place.

  A long rope ladder folded out of the hovering helicopter. Six men in dark paramilitary suits climbed down and leapt to the ground, armed to the teeth.

  Literally. Their scent told her everything. Humans and werewolves working together, but why? One carried a net. They intended to add them to the missing werewolf list. At least, Slade. She would be sniffed out as a runt and probably killed immediately like the other omegas had been.

  A motorcycle pulled up. Pinky. He approached a werewolf, some beta douche. “I found their motorcycle and disabled it.” He took out a Glock. Her Glock. “They left all their weapons and clothes.”

  Head werewolf nodded. “Good. Let’s search for wolves.”

  Damn. They’d been caught with their pants down, or rather, off. In wolf form, how could they go back to town? Entering town naked might be their only choice. She had to find Slade. Or better yet, lead them away from him.

  Head werewolf sniffed. “Female, up there.”

  Her cue to run like hell. Cricket ran toward the road then stopped to listen.

  Another werewolf spoke, “Sir, we should focus on the alpha male.”

  “Agreed. Load up your tranquilizer. Jim, you and I will shift.”

  “What about the female?” asked Pinky.

  “Kill her,” said Head werewolf.

  Pinky protested. “She’s sexy. Don’t you want to keep her? As a whore?”

  Ooh. She narrowed her eyes.

  Head werewolf chuckled. “The bitch smells lower ranked than an omega.”

  Not as bad as you stink, asshole.

  “It doesn’t matter to me,” said Pinky. “Part of my reward.”

  “Up to Henrik. But since he invited you to come, keeping her might work out.”

  Who was Henrik? Invited where? Not that it mattered. Time to find Slade before they captured him. She picked up his scent and ran.

  The patter of wolves on her heels motivated her to run faster. Shit. These rogue lycans were more likely to kill her than to save her for their human underling’s kinky needs.

  Slade had not bothered covering his scent, since he wanted them to follow him and not her. He’d gone down a canyon and then up the rocks to the other side. She followed his Yukon wolf aroma toward a cliff. Below the edge, the ocean’s waves pounded the rocks with thunderous claps. The black helicopter hovered low, still searching, while their werewolf team tracked them.

  She cocked her head and turned.

  The enemy beta growled. “Get over here, runt!”

  Cricket’s hackles rose, and she growled in challenge. “I’ll show you who the runt is, mongrel.”

  He snarled and stalked forward. “Bitch!”

  The flash of a white wolf springing out of the brush and a single yelp stopped her from completing her challenge.

  Slade broke the beta’s neck and dropped the dead wolf.

  Cricket looked back. “Come on, they’re looking for you.”

  “Us.”

  “No, only you, the alpha. Me, well I’ll either be immediately disposed of or played with before being disposed.”

  He growled in response. “Not before I break all their necks.”

  “Two of the men carry tranquilizers.”

  He grinned. “You know those don’t work on me.”

  “You can’t protect me from so many.”

  A wolf howled behind them and a human shouted, “They’re up here.”

  Cricket walked to the edge. “We need to make a jump for it.”

  Slade tilted his head and stared at the open ocean. “Are you mad? The waves will slam you against the rocks.”

  “Not if we leap far enough into the surf.”

  “Shift to human form and grab onto my neck.”

  “What?”

  “You might not make it. Better, you hang onto me.”

  “I don’t know.” Hitting the freezing ocean while naked in human form didn’t seem inviting. Still, the arrogant alpha had a point. Compared to him, her legs were not strong enough to offer enough of a leap.

  The werewolf in human form and his men were almost upon them. He commanded his men. “Kill the female.”

  Cricket shifted, climbed on Slade’s back, and held his neck in a death grip.

  Shots fired near them.

  “Not the alpha!”

  Slade leapt off the cliff and into the sea.

  Cricket held her breath and buried her face in his fur as they plunged into the chilly water.

  Slade kicked his powerful hind legs to reach the surface. Above the rough waters, Cricket gasped for air. He swam to shore. Her trembling arms held onto him for dear life. If he didn’t get Cricket to shore soon, she’d freeze to death. He crawled out
onto the rocky shore and set her down gently. He shook his wet fur and then nosed her ice cold face. Her body temperature dipped. Abella. He licked her face and whined. “Shift.”

  She rolled on her side. “I’ll try.” After a few minutes, she shifted into wolf form. Fortunately, her fur remained dry because she’d entered the water as a human. Her legs still shaky, she stood.

  Slade licked behind her ear. “Are you okay?”

  Cricket tilted her head, accepting his licks. “Not a scratch. Thank you again for saving my life.”

  “My pleasure.” Despite their brush with death and ensuing danger, he wagged his tail. His little wolf turned him into a big oaf of a friendly dog.

  She snuggled against him and licked his chin. “I can’t believe you braved the jump.”

  “No choice.”

  “I thought you hated flying and or heights—I mean because of your reaction during the flight.”

  “Not flight, but the sense of being enclosed. Like how you felt inside the log.”

  She smiled, showing her small canines. “Something we have in common.”

  The helicopter’s search light honed in on the beach. They scrambled behind the rocks and ducked. His snow-white fur acted like a beacon, but at least he blended with the bleached boulders.

  The helicopter headed up the cliff.

  Slade growled. “It’s retrieving the men.”

  Cricket ran ahead and turned. “We need to get back to the city.”

  “You do.”

  She snapped as if she was an alpha. “No. Don’t even think of playing decoy.”

  “They want me alive, but sweetie, they intend to kill you.”

  “I’m the seasoned member here, and I’m commanding you to stay with me.”

  “Not if it means your life.”

  “Slade, you are a royal alpha prince and way more important than me. I’m the one who should sacrifice myself and see to your safety.”

  Maddened by the low value of herself, he pawed her to the ground and onto her back. “You are worth one thousand alphas and don’t you forget that.”

  She cocked her head, her eyes wide. “Yes, sir.”

  “Come on.”

  They ran down the beach, heading for the distant lights. Before they reached humans, they’d have to shift. Cricket might have ideas on how to explain why two naked people needed to borrow a phone.

  The helicopter hovered above the cliff and flew directly over them. Bright light encircled them. Slade might have climbed up the cliff to elude them, but Cricket would never make it and no way would he abandon her to fuckers intent on killing her.

  The helicopter lowered to the ground and men jumped out.

  Slade slammed to a stop and shielded Cricket. Like a wild wolf facing hunters, he pulled his lips back in a feral snarl.

  Cricket whimpered. “We better head back.”

  Slade pushed her toward a bed of washed up kelp, and she stumbled. “Run away.” He then ran away from her. He howled to draw their attention.

  Satisfied the men followed him, Slade slowed.

  A man shot his hip with a dart.

  Slade yelped and snapped out the syringe.

  The men threw a net over him.

  “We’ve got him!”

  Slade snarled. That’s what they think. He scanned for Cricket. Gone. Good.

  “Shoot him again!”

  The man aimed.

  Slade growled as the second dart hit his shoulder. He staggered and then collapsed. Pretending. Waiting.

  “Watch him,” the commanding werewolf said in a familiar voice, but with a tinge of an accent. German.

  Slade caught his scent. Henri, Dr. Warner’s assistant. The bastard who overdosed him. No, made him lose his memory. He could still taste the salty earlobe he’d bitten off.

  “The amnesia drug never worked on this one.”

  Henri’s scent threw Slade off. Last time he encountered him in Europe, he clearly smelled like an omega. Now alpha scent diffused from his body. How the hell did he disguise his status odor?

  A cage lowered from the helicopter. Slade almost passed out when he saw Cricket cowering behind a boulder. Damn it. Why had she not run away?

  Pinky shouted, “Over there!”

  Slade’s panic rose. His heartbeat raced, and the tranquilizer flushed from his system. His energy surged. Must protect Abella.

  Slade feigned being knocked out as they approached. A beta reached for him, and Slade exploded into action. He raked the net open with his claws and ripped out the beta’s throat.

  Before another dart hit him, he leapt onto the man holding the tranquilizer and slashed his chest open. He charged Henri or whoever the hell he was.

  They rolled on the ground. Henri in mid-shift proved a strong foe. Slade fought to reach Henri’s throat, but he held him back with strong arms.

  Cricket’s yelp struck him like a sledgehammer. No! He dropped Henri to look. She’d been darted and as she struggled to escape, she collapsed on her side. Not dead, but unconscious.

  Pinky moved in and slipped a noose around her neck and pointed a gun to her head. “Get in the cage, or I’ll shoot her.”

  Slade growled, but hesitated. By the time he reached her, she’d be dead.

  “Shift now, Prince Slade, if you want her to live,” said Henri. The men behind Henri pointed their weapons at him.

  Slade shifted and narrowed his eyes. He vowed to kill the oath breaker. “Henri, is it?”

  “Henrik.” He smiled, while stroking his missing ear. “My true name. More fitting of my alpha status, yes?”

  “You killed Dr. Warner.”

  Henrik laughed. “He found a connection between me and Prince Raulf so I returned to clean up my mess and thought, why not invite a few of his patients on a long trip? Besides, it was his fault I didn’t apprehend you in the first place.”

  “Let her go, and I’ll go quietly.”

  “Why doesn’t the tranquilizer work on you?” Henrik asked.

  He couldn’t deny he didn’t feel the effects of the drugs; they clearly had him at a disadvantage. However, unlike Cricket who lay in wolf form with her tongue lolling out in a stupor, he could still do plenty of damage. “Superior blood, I suppose.”

  Henrik smiled. “Which makes you an ideal candidate.” He turned to Pinky. “Get her on board.”

  Pinky grinned. “Yes, sir.”

  Slade growled. “I said, I would come willingly.”

  “Yes, of course, you will. As long as we hold her hostage, you will behave.”

  “The deal is I come, and she stays.”

  “There is no deal. I read Dr. Warner’s report about your attachment to the runt. Get in the cage and behave or this insignificant bitch dies.”

  Offended he dared to criticize her, Slade growled long and hard, but did not move.

  Pinky lifted Cricket and draped her over his shoulders then boarded the helicopter.

  At least in wolf form, the foul human wouldn’t feel her body. Slade entered the cage. “If you harm her, I will kill you all.” Who was he kidding? He would kill Pinky no matter what. He’d earned his death sentence. The bastard had stabbed the bouncer and with his masters killed the police helicopter pilots.

  Henrik smiled. “Fair enough.”

  Chapter 13

  Cricket sighed and squeezed a blanket over her eyes. On the verge of waking from a tranquil sleep, probably due to the gentle drone of the airplane’s engine.

  She shot up. Airplane. The beach. Helicopter. Fuck. She lay on a cot inside a roomy cage in some airplane cargo hold. The narcotic they used on her dizzied her.

  Slade’s familiar scent soothed her and despite her throbbing head, she sat up and looked past the bars. “I would have preferred first class.”

  He stared at her from his cage. “I was worried you would never wake up.”

  Naked. She wrapped the blanked around herself and stood. A thick collar locked around his neck.

  Her mouth dry, she rasped. “How long?”


  “Almost two days and damn it, not a clue where we’re heading.” He pointed his chin toward the bottles of water on the table next to her cot. “Drink.”

  Cricket opened the lid and drank one, then opened another. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this thirsty. She noticed her luggage. “It must have been Pinky who had the good sense to bring my clothes. But the bad sense to steal my Glock.” Poor Slade. His jail was bare. He wore black cargo pants and a black t-shirt, probably given to him by the crew.

  “You will have to call all the humans, Pinky.”

  “All are missing their small digit?”

  “And three wolf claw marks on their arm.”

  The humans had signed the lycan non-disclosure contract. “They at least followed protocol, but the pinky appears specific for these werewolf thugs.” She searched for others. The rest of the plane held other large, but empty animal cages. “The only human I want to kill is Pinky.”

  “You and me both. The ass brought me some food and had the balls to thank me. Apparently, my capture was his reward to board the plane heading to some secret werewolf enclave.”

  Cricket quirked her brow. Was using her body as his personal toy still part of the bonus for a job well done?

  “I’m sorry, I let them trap us.”

  “Hey, it’s your first mission.”

  Slade banged the bar with his fist. “I fucked up again.”

  She blinked back tears. He still blamed himself for not being there for his pack. “Slade, listen to me. This is not a bad thing.”

  “What?”

  “Being captured is the only way to find out what’s going on. We had nothing. Now we have a chance of saving them.”

  “Cricket, they kill captured werewolves below beta status.”

  She lifted her chin. “Then we should let them know, Rylee gave me beta status.”

  “I doubt they’ll see it that way. They scent your biological status.”

  She sniffed her underarms. “That obvious?”