Sedona Sacrifice

by Lisa Kessler

  “By ‘handled,’ have they been…eliminated?” I chose my words carefully, still concerned about scaring Becca.

  Asher shook his head. “We found blood from one of them, but they got away. They were definitely jaguar shifters, but Vance didn’t recognize their scents. They still could have worked at the Nero Organization before we destroyed it, but Vance figures they didn’t work at the headquarters.”

  Naomi peered into the house, her voice a little distant. “Maybe from one of the satellite facilities.”

  Becca leaned forward, keeping her voice down. “I might be able to get my uncle to call them off if I go to Phoenix.”

  My wolf growled from the shadows of my soul. I shook my head. “I don’t like that idea. He knows you’ve been spending time with me and Asher. He could—”

  She glanced my way and cut in. “Uncle Mitch would never hurt me.”

  I wasn’t as sure as she was, though. “But what would be the point?”

  “Because I want to know if Samantha contacted him. We need to know for sure how he found out Henry and Hawk are his grandsons.” She looked at Asher. “I think I can remind him these boys are his flesh and blood and he’s putting them in danger. We could end this without anyone getting hurt.”

  A crease formed on Asher’s brow. “You think Samantha came looking for werewolves.”

  “Maybe?” She shrugged. “It would be worth finding out.”

  Asher seemed to mull over her words, making eye contact with Naomi before focusing on Becca again. “That might explain why Caldwell had her bitten. I chalked it up to a mistake, but maybe I was wrong. I don’t think he knew the Transparency Collective existed, but if a woman came to town poking around and asking questions, Caldwell might’ve seen that as a threat.”

  “Maybe?” Becca sighed. “I know he’s got eyes on the ground in Sedona because he knew I’ve been hanging around with Gage, and he warned me that he can’t protect me much longer. I need to convince him to that the pack didn’t kill Samantha, and his grandsons don’t need a cure.”

  “I still can’t wrap my head around Samantha calling him and telling him about the kids.” my gut twisted with bitterness as I glanced through the glass door at the innocent little boys on the couch “—if she was part of the Collective, would she have handed them over to be experimented on and studied?”

  Just saying the words out loud put a bad taste in my mouth. What if she’d lived that day? Would she have abducted the boys in the middle of the night? I could’ve lost them forever.

  Becca placed her hand on my knee, grounding me as she squeezed my leg. “Maybe that’s why he thinks you killed her. He might think found out she talked to him.”

  I put my hand over hers and met her eyes. “I didn’t.”

  “I know.” She nodded. “Asher told me what happened to Sam.”

  I dropped my gaze, staring down at my boots while I digested this new information. My heart ached. Samantha hadn’t been the love of my life, but I had trusted her with the boys. I would’ve sacrificed my life to save hers if I could’ve.

  And she had been ready to have her father extract her. She had been planning to steal my boys from me.

  Fuck, it hurt so bad to imagine that happening that I couldn’t sit still. I stood, my attention locked on my Alpha. “I’m going with Becca to Phoenix.”

  Asher got to his feet, gripping my shoulder. “You’re too close to all this. We can have Vance shadow her. He’s used to working alone anyway.”

  “No. Becca is my mate, and those boys are my sons. I’ll protect them.”

  Asher’s tone changed, infused with the dominance of the Alpha. “You will stay here with the boys. The full moon is tomorrow night. Your wolf is too aggressive right now. We can’t afford to have anything be traced back to us.”

  My wolf snarled, fighting the pull to obey our Alpha’s command. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Becca would be in jeopardy if she went to see her uncle. I shook my head and looked back at her. “Put your uncle off until after the full moon. Then we’ll go.” I faced Asher again. “Vance can still come along, too, if that’ll make you feel better, but I can’t stay here during the full moon while Becca’s in Phoenix. You wouldn’t if Naomi was meeting with an enemy.”

  Asher crossed his arms, his gaze moving between me and Becca. “All right. After the full moon, you and Becca will go to Phoenix. I’ll have Vance tail you as a backup just in case.”

  Becca got up and came to my side. “Okay. I’ll call my uncle and let him know I’m coming later this week after the full moon.” She took my hand, the touch soothing some of the wolf’s aggression. “But you’ll have to keep your distance in Phoenix. He knows who you are. He’ll be looking for you.”

  I ground my teeth as I nodded. “And what happens after you talk to him and he still comes for my boys?”

  Becca shook her head slowly. “I hope it won’t come to that. But we need to know how he found out about Hawk and Henry, and if he has any proof they’re related to him.” She lifted her gaze to my face. “I can do this.”

  I knew she could. I had faith in her.

  It was her uncle I didn’t fucking trust.

  CHAPTER 14

  Becca

  Gage pulled into my driveway, and I got out of the truck, leaving the boys snoozing in their car seats in the backseat of the extra cab. Funny how a few days ago, I never would have dreamed that Gage might drive me anywhere, and now here I was, wishing he and his little boys were coming inside with me.

  He got out and met me at the tailgate. He embraced me, and I breathed him in, closing my eyes. I hadn’t felt this happy and content since before I’d lost my dad. I wasn’t just existing; I was present, whole.

  “Come home with me.” He kissed the top of my head, his voice vibrating in his chest against my ear. I smiled and looked up at him. His lips curved into a crooked smile that left my knees a little wobbly. “I’m not ready for last night to be over.”

  I pulled him down to me, kissing him long and slow. He slid one hand into my hair, gripping my ponytail just right. Dammit. Now I wanted to drag him inside. The truth was, I didn’t want last night to end, either, but there was still a part of me firmly grounded in reality, and in real life, you didn’t go from single to married with two kids overnight.

  I grudgingly stepped back and sighed. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

  “I have to work in the morning, but later in the afternoon I was thinking about taking the boys for a short hike before I head to the ranch to shift.” He raised a brow. “Want to come along?”

  I might never stop smiling. “For sure. Which trail?”

  “Airport Vortex. Great place to watch the sunset.”

  “Will that give you enough time to get to the ranch before you shift?”

  “Yeah.” He smiled. “You could come out to Asher’s with me, too, if you’re curious.”

  Oh, I was extremely curious to see Gage’s wolf. And I was already eager to see him again, and he hadn’t even left yet. These intense feelings were getting more real by the second, but instead of running away, I dove in headfirst. “It’s a date.”

  “What time will you be off work?”

  I took out my cell and opened my Google calendar. “Asher’s last tour is at three o’clock. Once they’re underway, I can close up the office.”

  “I’ll pick you up at three thirty.”

  “Sounds great.” I looked up at him, the stars twinkling in the background, and for a second, I almost invited him and the boys to stay at my place.

  But it wouldn’t be fair to the little guys not to have their own beds and toothbrushes. They needed pj’s, too. I rose on my toes and pecked his cheek since I didn’t trust myself to kiss him on the lips again.

  I might never get inside. “See you tomorrow.”

  He nodded, and I headed for the house, giving my ass an extra shake on my way. I glanced over my shoulder for one last look and caught him watching me. I liked knowing he wanted me.

  I bit my lo
wer lip. “’Night Gage.”

  “’Night, Bec.”

  I took out my keys and unlocked the door. When I got inside and turned the dead bolt, his truck engine started and he drove away. I leaned my back against the door, grinning like a high school girl who had just met her favorite rock star.

  Get a grip, girl.

  I headed for the kitchen when my cell phone buzzed. Uncle Mitch’s name lit up the screen. I sighed and accepted the call. “Hey, Uncle Mitch.”

  “You never called me back.” His voice was clipped like he was distracted or annoyed, maybe both. It was hard to tell for sure.

  My shoulders tensed. “I was going to. I was just trying to figure out my schedule to see when I could get away to visit.”

  “You could get in your car and be in Phoenix in two hours.”

  I glanced at the clock. “It’s after eight o’clock. But I’ll be there soon. Maybe this weekend if you’re free?”

  “That could be too late. The full moon is tomorrow night. They’ll be dangerous animals.”

  I stared at the ceiling. “I’m not in any danger.”

  “Fine. I’ll come to you.” His voice was muffled for a second, as if he was talking to someone else.

  I blinked. “What?”

  He hung up. Headlights immediately came up my driveway.

  What the hell?

  I peered through the window as my uncle got out of a car I didn’t recognize. Did he seriously take an Uber here from Phoenix?

  He knocked on the door, and I opened it before the thought even crossed my mind that it might be a bad decision. This was my uncle. I’d known him all my life.

  But very recently, I’d discovered that maybe I only thought I knew him…

  “Uncle Mitch? What are you doing here?”

  He walked right past me, peering around every corner as though the boogeyman would jump out at any second. His face shone with sweat, and his tie was askew.

  I closed the door, frowning. “Uncle Mitch?”

  He finally met my eyes. “I couldn’t drive my car. I’m being followed.”

  “By whom?” I glanced out the window, but the Uber was gone. No other cars were on my street. I turned back to my uncle. “What’s going on?”

  He went to my dining room table. His gait was jerky and unrecognizable—definitely not his usual all-business rush. When I was a little girl, I’d always believed my uncle was handsome in a Disney-prince kind of way. He kept his dark, silver-dusted hair coifed back flawlessly, and his hands weren’t rough like my dad’s. He wore fancy suits that fit him like a glove, and as I had gotten older and learned he was a well-respected prosecutor, I’d begun to understand him better. He believed the law provided order in the world.

  I’d also noticed the way he had looked down on my father. Uncle Mitch made more money, wielded more power, and was eventually appointed by the Governor to the Arizona Supreme Court. His attitude had dimmed my affection for him, but we’d lived far enough away in San Diego that we only saw Uncle Mitch for holidays and sometimes for a milestone birthday. When my dad had been killed, however, my uncle had stepped up, helping my mom pay her bills and navigate the FBI’s paperwork to get my dad’s life insurance settlement.

  Although he was far from perfect, I had never had any reason to distrust my uncle before.

  “Please sit.” He gestured to a chair and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow.

  I didn’t need Gage’s werewolf hearing to guess his heart was racing. I’d never seen Uncle Mitch afraid before.

  I sat down across from him. “Why do you think you’re being followed?”

  “I know he’s following me.”

  “Who?” I asked again.

  “Sloan. The general.” The words shot from his lips like bullets from a machine gun as his gaze darted around the room until it finally landed on me again. “I had to take the serum. It was the only way to protect myself against these monsters.”

  Okay, now my heart was racing, too.

  “What serum?” Gage had mentioned super soldier research, but it hadn’t occurred to me to ask for more details.

  “Do you know the Department of Defense spends our tax dollars to study those werewolves? Evolution Defense developed a serum to give humans all the heightened abilities of a werewolf. I’m just as strong as they are now, and I hear everything, and smell…” His voice trailed off as he sucked in a deep breath. “You’re alone in this house.”

  My heart hammered in my chest as goosebumps rose on my arms.

  His head snapped toward me, and his eyes narrowed. “I’m not the one you should be afraid of.”

  Could he hear my heartbeat the way Gage could? No, that was impossible. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m not scared,” I lied. “I just don’t understand any of this.”

  “Dr. Deidra Harlow was part of my Collective before the monsters killed her.” He loosened his tie and popped the top button of his shirt as he spoke. “They hated her because she found a way to give humans the same abilities as the werewolves without making us animals. They’re jealous, Becca. And I’m going to expose them for the killers they are.” He got up, pacing the length of my table and waving his hands as if he were laying out his argument for a jury that only he could see. “That’s why General Sloan is hunting me. I’m as strong as he is now.”

  He was manic and unraveling before my eyes. When had he taken this serum? Adrenaline flooded my veins, every instinct screaming at me to run. I wanted him out of my house. I still didn’t think he’d hurt me, but he wasn’t thinking straight, either.

  “Why come here?” I shook my head. “I can’t help you.”

  He stalked around the table to my side so fast that I gasped. “Oh, you’re going to help me, Becca.” He pointed a finger at my chest like I was a witness he was questioning instead of his niece. “You are going to bring me my grandsons.”

  Henry’s and Hawk’s smiling faces popped into my head and something happened. The fear and panic were eclipsed by an iron will I’d never realized I possessed. A ferocious determination clawed its way forward. I was not going to allow him anywhere near those boys. He’d have to go through me first.

  I stood, meeting his gaze. “You don’t have any grandsons.”

  Surprise flashed in his eyes for a second before he smacked his hand on my table, the sound echoing through my dark house. “Don’t lie to me.” He snarled. “I hired top men to gather information and intel. I’ve seen you with them. Henry and Hawk.” He spat Hawk’s name out like it had a bad taste. “I’ll give them real names and a chance at a real life.”

  I shook my head. “They must have misunderstood. Those are Gage’s boys.”

  “They are Samantha’s babies!” he shouted. His eyes were bulging, a vein throbbing in his forehead. Nothing like the cool, serene Prince Charming I’d always imagined him to be.

  “Why would you think that?” I had to keep him talking. Maybe I could wear him out or calm him down.

  Spittle flew from his lips as he hissed, “Samantha called me after she was free from the werewolf Alpha. She wept and begged me not to hurt her babies.”

  Oh shit. Sam did know about her dad’s association with the Transparency Collective. I needed to get to my phone.

  I crossed my arms to hide my trembling hands. “Did she know about werewolves before she went to Sedona?”

  “Yes.” He laughed, but it was thin and maniacal as he wandered to the other side of the table again, mumbling to himself. A chill shot down my spine. This man was no longer my uncle. This man was a stranger, and he’d get those little boys over my dead body. I wasn’t their real mother, but this animalistic urge to protect them didn’t give a shit about who had given birth to Henry and Hawk. I loved those boys, and right now they needed me to keep my head.

  Uncle Mitch looked at me with an unstable smile. “Samantha went to Sedona to find out about a man named Allen Caldwell for me. Our Collective had surmised he was most likely the leader of the wolves that were a
massing an army in the backcountry of our state.” His eyes narrowed. “My daughter was a patriot for humanity.”

  “She asked you to leave her boys alone.” My voice was steady, even, and determined as fuck. I balled my hands into fists at my sides. “You should honor her wishes.”

  “You don’t understand.” He came around the table, sweat rolling down his forehead again. “We didn’t have a cure for them back then. She didn’t know we could save them. I’m going to use it to cure myself once General Sloan is neutralized. Until then, this serum is a necessary precaution.”

  I took a step back from him, shaking my head slowly. “I think whatever you took is clouding your judgment.”

  “You’re wrong.” He shook his head, his lips pulling back into a toothy grin that reminded me more of the Joker than my uncle. “I’m stronger and faster than any human, and if you turned off the lights right now, I could sniff you out. There’s nowhere to run, Becca. Help me save my grandsons.” He came to my side of the table again, prompting me to move back. “I don’t want to hurt you…but I will.”

  “Are you threatening me?” I raised my chin a notch, forcing myself to stand my ground while every instinct was screaming to get as far away from him as possible. “Because these people you keep calling ‘monsters’ have never done anything to me, never pressured or threatened me.”

  “The full moon is tomorrow night. This is our chance to take the boys back to Phoenix. I can protect them there. I’ll get a restraining order. Bring them to me and no one has to be hurt or prosecuted.”

  I took another step back, wishing like hell I had my phone. “And if I don’t?”