by Lisa Kessler
“That’s not necessary. It’s nothing major.”
My father stepped closer, his eyes searching my own. I fought to maintain the eye contact. He finally shook his head and took another bite of the apple.
“It’s not like you to keep secrets from the Pack, Adam.”
I lowered my gaze and shrugged. “No secrets. Just working on a few things.”
“Does this have anything to do with hunting the jaguar who murdered Gabe?”
How did he sense these things? Could I ever be that good at being Alpha? Inwardly I begged him to drop it.
“I think we’re getting closer.”
“I caught the scent of cats on you.” He took one last bite of the apple and inspected the core. “I’ve been calling Aren, but his phone goes right to voice mail. It’s not like him.”
“I know, but we’ve got this handled. Really.”
He came closer and draped his arm around my shoulders. “I trust you and your brother, but something else is going on here. You know our Pack is family, and family is everything. Whatever is happening, we’ll understand, and we’ll come together to help you.”
If only that were true. Even if I told him about Lana and he believed she hadn’t attacked the Pack, Sebastian came into our territory because of her. And the pack would demand his death when they found out he killed Gabe. A week ago I would have too, but now I wasn’t so sure. He was a wildcard. If he really did help us tonight then I couldn’t turn him over to the Pack for justice.
“Look, if we get in too deep we’ll definitely call you for backup, okay?”
“It’s not just the jaguar I’m talking about.” His gaze landed squarely on my face.
“What?”
My Alpha raised a brow and tossed the apple core into the trash. “Luke tells me you haven’t been sleeping here in over a week.”
“Luke has a big mouth.”
Malcolm opened his hands, his all-knowing eyes were difficult to avoid. “Don’t blame the boy. You know how persuasive I can be.”
“I haven’t been around much.”
“Is there a woman behind your absence?”
“Jesus, I don’t have time for this.” It was killing me not to tell him about Lana.
“We don’t have time for you to keep playing the field, Adam. I thought you understood.”
I shook my head. “I have enough on my mind without the Pack-needs-babies talk.”
He took a step back. He looked hurt, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it right now. I promised myself I’d make it up to him later.
“Tell Aren to call me,” he said as he walked out of the house. He stopped at the door and turned back with his all-knowing stare. “I’m ready to listen whenever you’re ready to talk to me.”
…
Lana got our tickets to Vegas, but the next flight wasn’t for another four hours. Dammit. It was a good eight-hour drive to Vegas, so jumping in the Jeep wasn’t going to help either. My hands were tied, and I was stuck waiting. Waiting. I paced my living room floor, wishing I had something to take my frustrations out on.
“I’m going to go batshit crazy.” I grumbled and went out the back door to the barn. I needed to get a grip.
I walked through the barn aisle, and Bruce shook his head as I reached for his halter. “I missed you too, buddy.”
After a quick grooming, I saddled him up and grabbed his bridle off the hook. Bruce was eager to take the bit, and I easily slid the bridle over his ears, giving his neck an extra scratch as I led him out of the barn. He waited for me to get my foot in the stirrup and then started for the ring as soon as my butt hit the saddle. “Impatient today, too?”
He shook his head and we hit the arena. Every gait felt smooth. We were so closely in sync that I could cue each gait with a minor shifting of my weight. The wind blew against my face, lifting his mane so it brushed against my hands where I held the reins.
So simple. Horse and rider.
Why couldn’t life be like that?
I took a deep breath and let Bruce have more rein. He didn’t increase his speed at first, waiting for my command. I grinned and leaned forward closer to his neck. “Go for it, big guy.”
His body lunged forward, his hooves pounding the earth, faster and faster until the scenery around the arena blurred. I lost track of how many laps we did like that before I settled back into the saddle. Bruce’s gait slowed gradually until his gallop was a leisurely lope. The sound of his hooves beat out a perfect three pattern. And the calm that settled over me was intoxicating. I eased back on the reins, and his gait slowed to a jog and finally he just walked. I loosened the reins more, letting his head drop down as he cooled his muscles. When we got back to the barn, I dropped to the ground and found Luke waiting for me.
“Want me to rinse him off for you?”
Foam had accumulated where the reins rubbed against Bruce’s neck, and sweat dripped from his flanks. I gave his face a gentle rub. “Thanks, buddy. That was just what I needed.”
I handed the reins to Luke. “That’d be great. Thanks.” I gave him a small smile. It wasn’t the boy’s fault he was worried.
He led the horse back to the wash rack and unbridled him. I loosened the cinch and removed the saddle. Bruce gave a good full-body shake and pawed the ground, anxious for a reward.
“I’m going to Vegas to meet up with Aren, so you’ll be in charge again,” I said as I gave Bruce a handful of grain from the treat bucket.
“All right,” Luke replied.
I rested the saddle back on its rack and turned the saddle blanket upside down to dry out. When I came out of the tack room, Luke had washed off Bruce and was feeding him a carrot.
“I saw Malcolm when I got back today.”
Luke’s shoulders rose up a bit, and he didn’t turn around to face me when he spoke. “He’s been looking for you and Aren.”
“Yeah, that’s what he said. Did you mention the woman I brought home with me the other night?”
Luke turned around. “I’m sorry. He kept asking. You know how he is.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing really.” He shrugged. “I didn’t get to see her before she took off in the Jeep. I told him you hadn’t been at the ranch much and that you had a lady with you the last time you came by.”
“That’s all you said?”
Luke thought about it and then nodded. “Yeah, that’s all I knew.” He met my eyes and straightened up a bit. “That was all I knew for sure, at least.” Maybe he assumed the jaguar scent he caught was from me tracking Gabe’s killer. Either way, Malcolm didn’t know. That was all that mattered. “Sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t, Luke. I just wanted to know what you told him.”
“Is she someone special?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. She’s very special.”
“When do we get to meet her?”
I felt my smile fade away. “Hopefully soon,” I lied.
Keeping the truth from the people I care about sucked—fucking sucked. I gave Bruce one last scratch and wondered how I was going to be able to walk away from my life.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lana
The lights on the Las Vegas strip were flashing, dancing, enticing everyone to forget their worries and come play. It was a stark contrast to how I felt. Dwarfed by all the massive towers of hotel rooms and suites, all I could think about was that somewhere in these crowds, Aren was injured and being held against his will.
Because of me.
Adam reached over and took my hand as we drove in our rental car. “You’ve been awfully quiet over there.”
“I’m not the only one.”
He nodded, moving ahead a few feet through the traffic light. “Yeah, I just want to get Aren back and move on with our life.”
I nodded and looked out my window, blinking my eyes to keep the tears back. There wasn’t going to be any “our life.” Adam hadn’t spoken much when he c
ame back to pick me up. His dad had been at the ranch, and Luke too. But beyond that he didn’t offer anything else.
I guess we all had our secrets.
While I was back at the hotel, I double-checked the date of the full moon and then bought my plane tickets with my frequent flier miles. No one would be able to trace the purchase through a credit card. Adam wouldn’t be able to find me. My heart clenched. Under the full moon, he’d run with his Pack and I’d be flying out on a red-eye to Chicago. It’d be easier to disappear in a big city, and I’d have two weeks before the new moon to figure out where I could lay low while I shifted. It was getting easier to accept now, that I really did turn into a large, carnivorous panther on moonless nights. Strange.
When Adam pulled into the back lot of the hotel I laughed. “This is it? We passed all those gorgeous new resort hotels, and our big showdown is going to be here?”
Adam was looking up at the top of the tower. The lit up signboard read, RIDE AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD. He glanced over at me and chuckled. “Maybe Sasha likes wild rides?”
It felt good to smile. It sort of lightened the lead weight on my shoulders for a moment. Adam called Aren’s phone and let Sasha know we were here. After negotiating a meeting place, we walked into the smoky chaos of lights and jackpot bells.
The sea of people around us parted when we walked through, like Adam was an immovable object. Maybe he was. I did my best to keep up with him, tough given Adam was on full alert, weaving through the crowd with purpose. For a moment I tried to use my jaguar senses, but the odor of smoke and alcohol covered any other scent I might’ve picked up, and the flashing lights were wreaking havoc on my sensitive night vision. Basically I was lowered to my human senses and instincts. Right now my only instinct was to run away.
Adam stopped at a penny slot machine near a hallway with bathrooms, and I walked right into his back. He didn’t even budge.
“Sorry.”
He didn’t respond, just turned slowly, scanning the room, presumably for his brother. I was looking too, but instead of Aren, I noticed Sebastian lurking in a crowd at the roulette table. His eyes met mine and then he turned away. I wasn’t sure what to think, but I told myself if he wanted to screw up this rescue he would’ve done it already.
Adam pulled out his cell phone. “Yeah.” He paused. “We’re at the rendezvous point. Where is my brother?”
He frowned and watched as a photo loaded onto his phone. Aren’s angry, gagged face was staring back at us. Adam’s hand tightened on the phone. “We’ll be right there.”
He took my hand and pulled me through the throngs of people.
“Where are we going?”
“To the parking structure.”
“I thought you told her it had to be in a public place.”
“That was before she told me I had fifteen minutes until she put a bullet in my brother’s head and then came after you.”
My mouth went dry and my palms became slick and clammy. This was all spiraling out of control. This wasn’t the plan. My brain was spinning.
When we got to the elevator of the parking structure Adam pushed the button over and over.
“Which floor?” I asked.
“Top floor.”
“There won’t be any cars up there.”
“Probably not. That’s probably what she’s counting on.”
I jerked my hand out of his. “Yeah, so she can kill you both and then take me back to Nero. We can’t do this, Adam.”
He pivoted toward me. “What other choice do I have Lana? I can’t let her kill Aren.”
“And how are you going to stop her?”
“I’ll tackle her or something.”
“She’ll kill you.”
Right on cue, Sebastian stalked up behind us. “You are not meeting her alone, wolf.”
Then I had an idea. And thankfully Sebastian had a gun.
…
“I don’t like this,” Adam grumbled.
“We have no other choice,” I replied.
Sebastian wisely remained silent as the elevator slowly crept up the floors of the parking structure. When the bell rang and the double doors finally opened, Adam collapsed onto the floor of the elevator and Sebastian pushed me forward with the gun pressed to my temple.
“Sebastian?” Sasha snapped, glancing past us at the elevator.
Hopefully Adam looked very unconscious.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Finishing my mission.”
She shook her head. “Your mission was finished when you failed to bring back the girl. Now give her to me.”
“If you do not leave this rooftop now, I will kill her.”
Sasha’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
He cocked the gun, and my heart pounded. This wasn’t part of my plan. A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead.
“Killing is what I’m best at, isn’t that what you told me?” He tipped his head toward the elevator. “Now go.”
“If you kill her Nero will hunt you down and skin you alive.”
“Perhaps, but they will not have this one to experiment on, and it will be your fault she’s dead.” Sebastian nodded toward Aren. “Finish him and go.”
Aren’s eyes widened and he struggled, screaming behind the gag. He was bound at the wrists and ankles with wire that cut through his skin.
I couldn’t let them kill him.
Sasha turned and raised her gun toward Aren, and I reached forward and slammed my elbow back into Sebastian’s ribcage with all the force I could. He let go of me, and I stumbled forward toward Aren, praying that Sebastian was right about Sasha not killing me. Gunfire deafened my ears a moment before I rammed my shoulder into Sasha’s back. We hit the concrete so hard that I saw stars, but not before I smelled blood. My heart sank when I looked over at Aren. Blood pooled on the pavement, the puddle growing. Adam was at his side in a flash.
“Is he…” I couldn’t finish my question.
Sebastian collected Sasha’s pistol and tucked it into the back of his pants.
Adam looked back at me. “It hit his ankle.”
“His ankle?” Sebastian raised a brow at Sasha. “An extremity shot?” He glanced at Aren, then back to Sasha, frowning. “You spared him…”
“She threw off my aim.” Sasha ducked past him and into her car.
Sebastian side-stepped the car as Sasha gunned the engine. Her tires squealed, echoing through the parking structure, but I kept my eyes on Aren. Adam yanked the gag free, and relief flooded me when I heard Aren grunt. “Shit, that fucking hurts.”
“Hold still so I can get these wires off.” Adam winced, and I noticed bone mixed with the blood. I glanced away, fighting to keep myself from throwing up. Adam’s voice stayed even despite the gore. “I know it’s a risk, but we might need to get you to a hospital.”
“No.” Aren gasped and winced as Adam manipulated his legs to pull the rest of the wire free. “Just take me home. Jason can fix me.”
Adam freed his brother’s hands and then took a closer look at his ankle. “Looks like the bullet went straight through, but the bone is probably shattered, bro.” He looked up at Aren. “Even if we stop the bleeding, you might need surgery.”
He shook his stubborn head. “Take me home.”
“All right. But if you pass out on me, your ass is in the hospital.”
“Deal.” Aren bit back a groan as he sat up and pulled in his good leg.
I got to my feet to help him up when I noticed we were down one man. “Where’d Sebastian go?”
“Who cares.” Adam grunted helping his injured twin to his feet. “He was going to let her shoot my brother. He might’ve shot you if you hadn’t attacked him first.”
“Maybe.” But I didn’t think so. I thought Sebastian had actually helped us, but I kept it to myself. I didn’t feel up to a fight with Adam and his brother. Adam’s brother was still alive. That was all that mattered.
I went to the other side of Aren and looked up in
to eyes that were an identical match to those of the man I loved. This man wasn’t him. This man didn’t trust me. I swallowed down the hurt and wrapped my arm around his waist.
“Let me help you.”
He didn’t rest his other arm around my shoulders. “I can make it.”
“She just saved your life, Aren. Stop being an asshole,” Adam growled.
Grudgingly, Aren rested his arm around my shoulders and hobbled between the two of us to the elevator. Adam had us wait in the elevator while he scanned the area for any sign of Sasha. We could hear police sirens in the distance. Someone must’ve heard the gunshot. Surely Sasha and Sebastian were long gone by now.
Adam came back in and helped me get Aren over to the car. Once we had him inside I felt like I could breathe again. We’d be back in Reno and with any luck Aren’s ankle could get patched up before morning.
…
Adam and Aren both slept on the plane ride, but I was too keyed up to rest. Sasha was still out there. She wouldn’t give up looking for me. Nero wouldn’t let her. And what about Sebastian? Would he have killed me rather than let Nero have me? And why was he so certain now that I shouldn’t go to the Organization? The first time we met, he was ready to abduct me for them. What changed? Maybe the breeding experiment wasn’t the only information he’d found while nosing around the Nero Organization’s computer files.
I glanced down at Aren’s ankle, relieved to see there wasn’t any blood soaking through the bandages we got on our way to the airport. I was also relieved that werewolves have a high tolerance for pain. Aren winced a couple of times, but other than that, he kept his agony quiet. He fell asleep shortly after the plane took off, too. The rest would do him good.
Then he shifted in his seat and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Sasha.”
…
We pulled into Adam’s house in the middle of the night, and I was left in the awkward position of figuring out how to help. Or how to stay out of the way. I tried to keep my distance from Aren who seemed even grouchier than usual, if that was possible. I cut him some slack since I knew his ankle had to be killing him.