No Ifs, Ands, or Bears About It

by Celia Kyle

  “Sarah?” Her grandfather grunted. “Always liked that girl. Too bad women can’t lead. She would have been one tough bitch. Aw well, I’ll have to toughen up the boy.”

  Shock pummeled her, and she turned toward her father. “He’s delusional. Bat-shit crazy.” Surprisingly that didn’t earn a “language” from her dad. She looked to Robert. “You actually think you’ll get Parker back? Griss and Sarah will kill him if we don’t find him soon.”

  He shrugged. “Then I’ll take Griss.”

  “I don’t…” Mia shook her head. “You don’t give a damn about anyone, do you?”

  “I care about my clan.” Robert growled, and she couldn’t find it in herself to fear him. Not when she looked hard and saw the way age had ravaged his body.

  Fine. If that was how she could get to him, then that’s the angle she’d take. “If you care about your clan, who will lead them after Ty guts you for simply existing, you need to know a couple of things. Griss and Sarah will kill Parker if Ty doesn’t get to them in time. And no matter what, Griss won’t see morning. A Holmes will no longer lead in Cutler. So, is there anything you have to say about where we can find your nephew? Or are you happy with your clan going to the strongest bear in your territory?”

  Cold, dead eyes met her gaze, but she didn’t flinch or look away. Right then, right there, Mia wasn’t a half-breed, bastard mongrel. She was the fucking Itana of the God damned Grayslake clan.

  “Language.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ty glared at the map spread across the hood of Van’s cruiser. Hour after hour had passed and still there was no hint about where to find Griss and Sarah. The trace on Sarah’s car and phone led to nothing, both being ditched at opposite ends of town. The clan interviewed the businesses along the main street and even ventured to some of the outlying homes, but no one had seen a thing.

  It was as if the three of them had disappeared, and that was unacceptable.

  “Van!”

  His brother materialized at his side, a grim yet determined expression on his face. “Itan?”

  “Have we checked near the border of our territory? By Redby?” It was a long shot. Hell, Ty knew better than to screw with the wolf pack, but he couldn’t return to Mia without Parker.

  Van raised an eyebrow. “You think he’d be dumb enough to fuck with the wolves? Two against a pack are shitty odds.”

  “Van, I want Parker. Make a call.”

  His brother pressed his lips together, obviously not liking his order, but nodded and moved away. Van yanked his phone out of his pocket and dialed, and Ty turned his attention back to the map. He noted the markings, the areas they’d searched and others they had yet to explore. Fuck, their territory was big, and Griss and Sarah could be anywhere.

  The ringing of his cell drew his attention, and he answered the call without glancing at the caller I.D. “Abrams.”

  “Ty?”

  He swallowed back a groan. He should have looked first. “Mia. I’m sorry about—”

  “It doesn’t matter. I spoke with Robert.”

  Shit. “Mia, you shouldn’t have gone down there. The guard had orders to—”

  “Keep the Itana from visiting her dear, dear grandfather.”

  He imagined her quirking a brow, her expression daring him to explain that yes, the guard had been ordered to keep her the hell out of the basement.

  “Mia…” He didn’t know what else there was to say.

  “Robert understands things now and knows if you don’t get to Parker before,” she sobbed, and he ached to pull her into his arms. “If you don’t get to Parker, he won’t have anyone to inherit his title. He thinks you should look to your enemies. Griss will go to whoever will help him work against you. Robert believes Griss has convinced another group to hide him for a while and then make his getaway.” She cleared her throat. “That’s what Robert would do in this situation.”

  “Fuck.” The word burst from his lips. “All right.” He took a deep calming breath. “Just fuck. I’m going to make a few calls, including one to Keen with orders to keep your ass in the house and away from the basement.”

  “Ty…”

  “No, Mia. I need you to stay away from him. He’s evil and vile and—”

  “He can’t hurt me. I get it. He’s not my family, Ty. You are; my father is. That man is nothing to me.” Conviction filled her words.

  “Okay, but he’s still dangerous. Promise me you’ll stay away from him and stick to Keen like glue. I’m sending a few more guards your way and—”

  “No. I want them all fighting to get Parker back. Period. I’ll be fine.”

  “Mia…” He huffed and looked around the gathered bears. If what she said was true, if they were going to have to go against his enemies, then he really did need every male he had. “Fine. But what Keen says goes. Do you hear me? Nothing can happen to you.”

  “I’ll be fine. I promise.” He heard the wavering of her voice and knew if he were there, he’d see tears in her eyes. “I need to be in perfect condition so my Itan can claim me after he brings our cub home.”

  Ty shouldn’t be joyous at her words, not with his world crashing around him, but he couldn’t help the emotions rising in him. “Good. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

  “Okay.”

  “Mia, I…” He swallowed hard. He shouldn’t be saying the words over the phone in the middle of a crisis.

  “Me too, Ty. Me too,” Mia whispered.

  A low click told him she’d cut the call, and he gripped his phone. His beast roared with joy, interpreting the words as a return of his feelings. They’d joked before, but this agreement had been intentional and filled with pure emotion. Except he didn’t have time to be too happy. Not when so much could still go wrong in the coming hours.

  Shoving his phone in his pocket, he sought out his enforcer. “Van!” His brother turned toward him, eyebrows raised. “Ask the wolves how they feel about taking on the hyenas.”

  A half hour later it seemed the wolves were more than happy to kick some hyena ass. Four black SUVs with limo tinted windows rolled to a stop beside Ty’s clan, five males alighting from each, giving him twenty wolves in all.

  The largest, meanest looking wolf approached, his steps predatory and sure. There was no doubt Ty was facing the pack’s Alpha. His bear ceased its pacing inside his mind and turned its attention from grumbling about Parker to snarling about the Alpha’s presence. Not much he could do about it now, the man had come to help. In a way. Ty didn’t kid himself. The Alpha hated the devious hyenas just as much as he did though he sensed the wolf Alpha’s hatred went much deeper than Ty’s.

  “Itan,” the man’s voice was smooth, and he tilted his head ever so slightly. Not in submission, but at least with respect.

  “Alpha,” Ty repeated the man’s gesture. “The Grayslake clan thanks you for your assistance.” It grated on him to ask, but hyenas bred like rabbits and Ty wouldn’t risk his males. There was always the chance the bastards would swarm. Bears were tough, but no one could survive a half dozen of those fucks attacking each of them.

  “Your enforcer indicated your son has been taken.”

  The words stabbed him in the heart. Yes, Parker was his son. “Yes. He’s the son of my heart. He won’t be the next Itan.” He glared at the Alpha. “So if you think this will create a blood bond…”

  The man’s smile was wicked, his inner-wolf peeking through his eyes. “Any bond will do, Itan. My father began the war between us, and I’d like to end it.”

  Ty thought their animal nature had been the true catalyst. Like hyenas, wolves birthed litters and their packs tended to reproduce at twice the rate of bears. If the pack wanted to, they could amass and run the bears out. Of course, they’d be down three-quarters of their members when all was said and done since Ty would be damned if he disappeared without a fight.

  Ty grunted at the man’s words. He wasn’t sure what to make of the male just yet. “Let’s get Parker back and the
n we can share a meal.” He thrust out his hand. “Ty Abrams. You spoke with my brother Van. I’ve got another brother, Isaac, here, as well. He’s our healer and will deal with the wounded when we’re done.”

  The Alpha grunted. “Reid Bennett. Van wasn’t clear on why you believe the hyenas have your pup.”

  “Cub.” Another grunt from the Alpha. “And it’s the boy’s biological uncle who has him. He’s a coward, and second in line to take over as Cutler Itan. He wants Parker out of the way. I thought maybe he’d head to your pack.”

  Reid released a low growl and the wolves scattered throughout the area froze. As one, their gazes centered on them. Ty pretended not to hear the warning. “Then I realized you’d probably kill him for wandering into your territory without permission.” The growl cut off, and that grunt returned. “The current Cutler Itan is locked in a cell in my basement—”

  “You locked up one of your own?”

  Ty nodded. “And he’ll probably be dead by morning by my hand or the Southeast Itan’s when he arrives.” Not that the notion worried him much. “He passed along the idea that he’d hide with my greatest enemy.” Ty smirked. “You’re dangerous, but those pieces of shit can’t care about anyone but themselves. They’re bottom feeders. I know they’d let Parker and his uncle onto their land.”

  “What if you’re wrong?” Yellow eyes met his and Ty shrugged.

  “You go home with a few cuts and bruises and there are a few less hyenas hanging around. We’ll keep searching.” Pain at Parker’s loss, rage at Griss and Sarah for taking the boy, ate at him. “I’m not returning to my Itana without my cub.”

  Reid grunted and reached out, thumping his hand onto Ty’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze. Ty’s bears froze and the tension surrounding them intensified, growing and thickening with every passing second. Ty’s bear snarled at the touch, urging him to rip out the Alpha’s throat while they had the chance.

  “We’ll find your pup.” Another squeeze.

  The bear wasn’t satisfied. It wanted to eliminate the threat standing before them, and Ty shoved the animal back. They needed peace with the wolves, at least long enough to find Parker. It could go back to hating the wolves once he had the boy in his arms.

  Ty nodded. “Van!” His brother appeared in an instant, halting when a couple of feet separated them. “Speak with Reid’s enforcer…” He raised his eyebrows in question.

  “Beta. Morgan.”

  “With Morgan, make sure we’re all on the same page. I want to be out of here in fifteen minutes.”

  “Yes, Itan.” Van immediately strode away and toward a large wolf.

  “What’s the plan?” Reid’s words drew his attention back to the male before him.

  “We go after their Alpha.”

  Another grunt.

  * * *

  The stench of urine and grime grew as they rolled through the decrepit town. It didn’t matter that the A/C was set to recycle the interior air, the stink managed to creep into the SUV. Ty parted his lips to breathe through his mouth, and now he tasted the rank aromas of the hyenas. They truly were like dogs, pissing on everything to mark their territory.

  They rolled to a stop before a seedy, run down home. The fence was half-fallen, pieces of board littering the scraggly, brown grass. Shutters clung to the walls of the house by a handful of screws, and the wind battered the panels, sending them banging against the brick.

  Ty gazed at their surroundings, noting the absence of people, human or hyena, along the street. Not a soul strode down the sidewalk. No children playing in yards.

  Quiet.

  “Itan, I don’t like this.” Van’s tone held more than a hint of worry.

  Yeah, he didn’t like it either.

  “Hate to admit it, but I agree with the bear.” Morgan’s voice immediately followed Van’s and a new tension filled is brother.

  “The men are in position surrounding the house.” Reid cut in, slicing the rigid hostility in two. “We’re going in. But if you’re too much of a pussy, Morgan, you can keep your ass here.”

  With Reid’s pronouncement, Ty climbed from the SUV, not bothering to close the door quietly. The hyenas knew they were there. They were destructive assholes, not stupid.

  Ty and Reid, flanked by Van and Morgan, approached the seedy, run down home. The wind shifted, blowing from the south instead of north, and familiar scents drifted to him. Griss. Sarah. Parker.

  Increasing his pace, Ty went from a determined walk to a flat out run toward the door. His booted feet pounded on the pavement, and he distantly recognized the other men trailing in his wake. Fur sprouted from his pores, coating his arms, chest and neck before sliding higher to his face. His jaw cracked and the bones around his mouth snapped, reshaping into his bear’s muzzle. His snarls were joined by the rip of cloth as his chest expanded, muscles enlarging with his impending shift. Seams burst and fabric tore into small pieces with every inhale. It’d been a stretched assumption that the hyenas aided Griss and Sarah, but now it was a certainty.

  Pausing for the briefest of seconds, Ty kicked in the flimsy wooden door and strode into the dim interior. Aided by his bear’s senses, he swept the room with his gaze. He noted the occupants that rushed to their feet, bodies morphing into their beasts before his eyes. But it was the single man in the back of the room that drew his attention.

  The male was bigger than the other hyenas and a shroud of menace clung to him like a cape. He easily neared six feet in height and his chest was broad and heavily muscled, but he had nothing on Ty. Nothing.

  Ty strode toward him, intent on his target. This was the Alpha, the leader of the hyenas, and the man he needed to tear apart with his paws. Splatters of dried blood coated the other man’s clothing, droplets clinging to the fabric and dyeing them a morbid burgundy. Even more decorated his exposed arms. Ty had no doubt it wasn’t the Alpha’s. The man was a sadistic fuck and probably wore the blood of one of his pack members, or worse, Parker.

  “Van, keep these bastards back,” he called over his shoulder.

  He didn’t wait for a response. He knew his brother, his enforcer, would do as ordered. He also had no doubt that Reid and Morgan would stick to the plan. The Alpha was his and he didn’t give a fuck about what happened to everyone else.

  He weaved around one shifting body and then another, discarding the idea that the writhing hyenas were a threat. Whines and groans came from the shifting hyenas. Weaklings. Shifting didn’t hurt unless the human was disconnected from his animal and refused to respect the beast. They thrashed on the floor, their clothes sagging as their animals took shape.

  Pathetic.

  So intent on the hyena Alpha, Ty didn’t notice the only other threat in the room until it was too late. A clawed hand swiped across his abdomen. The owner of said hand quickly followed and stepped into his path. Fuck, the man was huge. Bigger than the alpha by six inches and fifty pounds. But he was still a hyena, a fucking dog, and alone he was no match for a grizzly.

  Pain radiated from the wound, the ache slithering through him and burning him from inside out. Fuck, it hurt a hell of a lot more than it should. He’d endured a shit-ton of pain over the years, but this ate at him.

  He glanced at the Alpha, noting the smirk the man wore and the cocky attitude that surrounded him. All that stood between Ty and the hyena leader was the massive stack of dumbass in front of him.

  The battle raged behind him and Van’s roar was quickly joined by Reid and Morgan’s howl. The call had been sent and was immediately returned by the males outside. Their men would join the battle, more blood would flow and seep into the ground and Ty was ready to add this hyena’s to the river of red.

  The man snarled and brought his claw-tipped hand back, shifting his weight as he prepared to strike once again. Hell no. Pain in his side or not, he wasn’t about to fall to this piece of crap. As that deadly hand descended, Ty ducked and countered with a swipe of his own, digging his nails into the hyena’s flesh. He tore at the skin, sinking his cla
ws into the male’s hip and then dragging them across his body. Deep furrows were left in his wake, the marks stretching from hip to ribcage.

  An anguished snarl followed the attack and then the male was on him again, swinging at Ty with no rhyme or reason. He wasn’t a fighter, wasn’t trained to protect his pack and Alpha. He was a bully who’d obviously gotten by on his size alone.

  Ty had grown up with three brothers and none of them had a problem with bloodying the other when their bears got the best of them.

  The only difference was the burning wound that ate at him and enraged his bear. It wasn’t normal, wasn’t the type of pain he was accustomed to. Blood still flowed freely with no hint at when the wound would begin healing.

  He ducked the male’s next strike, dipping low to avoid his claws and popping back up on his other side. Without hesitation, he returned the attack. He drew his claws across the man’s body, forming a bloody, macabre “x” that allowed even more blood to escape. His opponent’s incensed bellow overrode the sounds of the fight that surrounded them, but Ty only had eyes for the man with murder in his gaze.

  With rage overriding sense, the male sloppily attacked. Claw-tipped hands struck out at him. The movements were random, unplanned and fueled by fury.

  Ty returned each one, connecting when the male didn’t and wincing when he did. His arms and chest were covered in scratches and scrapes. Each one burned and sent fire through his veins. Fuck, something was wrong.

  His opponent circled right and Ty mirrored him, unwilling to allow the man behind him. Each shift of muscle sent a renewed ache through him, the agony pulsing and throbbing in time with his heartbeat. But he fought through it, fought through the aches and pain. He remained intent on putting the male down so he could get on to more important things.

  Like killing the hyena Alpha.

  Movement drew his attention and he watched his brother Isaac take on a partially shifted hyena. They grappled and swung at one another, colliding and then shoving apart only to attack once again. Blood decorated Isaac’s shirt, turning the white fabric to a deep red. Every drop flowed from a deep gash that dissected his brother’s face and Ty decided that particular hyena would die slowly… Except his brother chose that moment to snap the male’s neck and stole his fun.