Do You Take This Cat [Wind River Pack 4] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Missy Martine

  “Yes,” said Nathaniel. “That’s it.” He moved back to stand on the opposite side of the bar walls and watched.

  Rennia felt the wolf take over her consciousness and sighed. There was nothing she could do now but wait for her to release Rennia. She kicked her way clear of her torn clothing.

  “You’re so beautiful. I’ve never seen the transformation up close and personal. I have them on tape, of course, but there’s nothing like seeing it firsthand. Can you understand what I’m saying?” He took a couple of steps back when she growled.

  What does he think I am, some stupid animal with no brains? Of course I understand you, asshole. If I could reach you, I’d make this an experience you’d never forget.

  “Now I want to see the cat. Can you just show him to me, or am I going to have to help you along?” He walked over to a cabinet and took out what looked like a gun. When Rennia growled louder, he turned and smiled at her. “Don’t worry, little girl. This is a tranq gun.” He pulled another syringe out of his pocket and spent a couple of minutes doing something to the gun. Rennia paced back and forth, her wolf pushing at her consciousness, trying to force her completely away so the wolf could have complete control. It scared her, the animal’s need to take complete control. That had never happened before.

  Nathaniel came to the door of the cage and pointed the gun at Rennia. “Don’t worry, girl. This won’t do any permanent damage. It’s something new I’ve been working on to bring on your shift. I modified it this morning to see if I could make your wolf give up to your cat.” Taking careful aim, he pulled the trigger.

  Rennia howled when she felt the sting in her right leg. Again, the heat poured into her body, traveling quickly up her leg and into her torso. Her heart began to race and she could barely catch her breath. The wolf, in an effort to save itself, pulled back, and before she could stop it, her body began to shift and change again. The pain took her breath completely away as her bones snapped and muscles shrank. She’d never gone from a wolf to the cat before. It was several agonizing minutes before her cat sank into a corner under the cot. Every hair on her body was standing up as she hissed at the doctor.

  The crazy man clapped his hands and laughed. “It’s wonderful, Rennia. I never knew that creatures like you existed. Don’t be afraid, little cat. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you for any reason. I predict you and I will have a long and fruitful relationship together as we finish my work.” He opened the cell door and walked into the cage. Bending, he laughed when Rennia hissed and growled, swiping one of her claws toward his outstretch hand. “Enough of this. I know from my other subjects that shifting can take a lot out of you.”

  Before Rennia could get past him, he’d pulled out another syringe and plunged it into the fleshy part of her butt. She howled and jerked away, running past him toward the open door. Before she could get there, her body cramped and her bones began to change. Crunching and popping sounds filled the small room as her body returned to its human state. Exhausted, she lay on the cold floor, naked and trying to catch her breath.

  Nathaniel walked past her to the cabinet and pulled something out. He turned and tossed some blue material on to the floor beside her. “No one wishes to embarrass or humiliate you, Rennia. That’s like a hospital gown. It’ll cover you adequately for now. I promise to get you real clothes as soon as we get home.” He smiled. “Rest now. You’re going to need your strength if you’re going to help me with my work.” He locked the cage door and then quietly left the room.

  Rennia struggled to sit up. Turning her back to the ceiling camera, she quickly pulled the gown over her head and then sat down on the cot. She brushed at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Ray, where are you? I need you. Mom, Dads, Alpha Remus! Can’t anybody hear me?” Ray, you have to find me soon. If he takes me away I don’t know how you’ll ever find me.

  * * * *

  Ray frowned as Ayden instructed Colton to turn left. They’d been driving around a residential area for the last half hour. It didn’t make any sense for them to take her to any of these middle-class homes. “Are you sure we’re still following their scent?”

  Ayden glanced over his shoulder. “There’s been no rain, nothing to dampen the scent. I’m sure.” He sniffed out the window again. “Colton, pull over and park.”

  “What is it?” Ray asked. “What do you smell?”

  “This street is a cul-de-sac. If they turned in here, odds are, they’re in one of these houses. It’s going to look suspicious if we slowly move up and down the street going into each of the driveways.” He nodded toward the wooded area behind the houses. “I’m gonna shift and check out the houses one at a time.”

  Ray frowned. “I thought I heard them say you’re a bear.”

  Ayden nodded and began taking off his clothes.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but won’t a bear running around in this residential area draw more attention than a van driving slowly up and down the road?”

  Zander chuckled. “He’s got you there, Ayden. Are you sure about this?”

  He nodded and pulled his pants down past his hips. “I’m sure.” He pointed toward the house they’d just passed. “There’s an access road on the other side of that house. Pull in there. It’s pretty woodsy. I can shift in the trees and make my way down with nobody being the wiser.”

  Ray looked at the houses. “How will you get close enough to the houses to know which one she’s in?”

  “My bear has a better sense of smell than I do. He’ll be able to smell her from the woods since it’s not too far off.”

  “Okay, go for it,” said Zander. “We’ll keep watch, but you be careful.”

  Ayden nodded and moved closer to the door as Colton moved the van. He chuckled when Ray turned away from his nudity. “If you’re gonna mate with a shifter you’d better get used to naked bodies.”

  Ray felt his face redden as Ayden opened the door and moved quickly toward the forest. He disappeared in a matter of seconds. “What now?”

  “Now we wait,” said Zander. “Have you been able to sense anything else from your mate?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why don’t you try and force it?”

  “How do I do that?”

  “Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Clear your mind of everything except your mate. Picture her in your mind. Think about what she sounds like, what she looks like, how she smells. Tune everything else out.”

  “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” He leaned back in his seat and took a couple of deep, relaxing breaths. As his eyes drifted shut, he concentrated on Rennia. Her face filled his vision. Her beautiful, smooth skin, her bright green eyes. He took another deep breath and he could smell the honeysuckle lotion she used on her hands. Suddenly, he stilled. “I can feel something. Fear and fatigue. It feels like complete exhaustion and a sense of hopelessness.”

  “That’s good,” said Zander. “It sounds like you’ve tapped into her feelings.”

  “Why would she be exhausted?” asked Colton.

  Zander frowned. “Maybe they—” He jumped when the door opened and a nude Ayden climbed back into the van.

  He grabbed his pants. “She’s in the last house on the right. It’s perfect for us because it’s set back from the others. There’s plenty of cover to approach from the rear.”

  “What’s the plan?” asked Ray. “How do we get her out of there?”

  “Hold on,” said Zander. “I’m gonna let Remus know our status.”

  “Well, hurry the hell up.” Ray growled. “She’s feeling all that fear for a reason. We’ve got no way of knowing what they’re doing to her.”

  Scowling, Zander placed his call. “Remus, we’ve found her. She’s being held in a house right smack in middle-class America.” He paused and then glanced at Ray. “Yeah, he’s picking up emotions from her. She’s scared and exhausted.” Zander looked out the window. “Okay, but make it quick. We’ll keep watch, and I’ll let you know if anything changes.” He put the phone awa
y and turned to Ray. “We’re to wait here for Remus and his group.”

  “No, way. We’ve got to—”

  “We don’t know how many people are in there with your mate. There could be other hostages or even the big man himself, whoever he may be. The fact is we’re only four men. Remus is bringing at least ten with him. It’s smarter to go in prepared so we can limit the casualties.” He placed his hand on Ray’s shoulder. “They decided to come in vehicles, and they traveled overnight. He’s less than an hour away. We’ll keep watch to make sure nobody leaves, and then we can hit the place from all sides at the same time.”

  Ray looked toward the house and knew that Zander was right. It would be foolish to go in now when they could have a larger force. “Okay, we’ll do it your way. I just hope they aren’t doing anything to her while we sit here twiddling our thumbs.”

  * * * *

  Nathaniel looked up from his microscope when Quentin tapped on the door. “What is it? I’m busy right now.”

  “There’s been a van parked at the end of the street for almost an hour now. As far as we know, no one’s exited or entered it. The windows are tinted so I can’t see how many are inside.”

  “Damn! They’ve tracked her faster than I thought they would. She doesn’t have a mate. There’s no mating scar so she doesn’t have a psychic connection to anybody.” He glanced toward the window. “Get her ready for transport. Sedate her and we’ll leave right away. Conceal her in the floorboard, and we’ll go out the back route. We should be able to avoid her pack mates that way.”

  “What about the asshole that owns this place?”

  “If he gives you any grief, take him out.” Quentin nodded and took off running down the hall. Nathaniel began placing his notes into his briefcase, and then carefully placed the vials of her blood into a chilled container. “I can’t afford to lose these, little half wolf. I’m going to be able to do great things with a little of your blood.” Chuckling, he moved toward the door. “It’ll be good to be home again.”

  * * * *

  “Thank God,” Ray whispered. Remus and his men pulled up in two vehicles.

  Zander smiled. “Looks like he brought the whole family.”

  Ray nodded. He could see Rennia’s brothers, fathers, and a couple of the pack’s men. They should have enough to get the job done now.

  “Everybody out,” said Zander. “Let’s take this meeting over into the woods and make it quick.”

  Ray followed him into the trees and watched the other members of Rennia’s pack fall into step with them. Latan and Ethan put their arms across his shoulders.

  “How are you holding up, son?” asked Latan.

  “I’ll be fine once we get her the hell out of there.”

  Remus nodded. “That’s the spirit, boy.”

  “Okay, listen up,” said Zander. “We’re gonna make this a four-prong assault. I’ll take Colton, Ayden, and Ray in the front. Remus, you take Latan, Ethan, Synia, Kinnith, and Macon in the back.”

  “Why so many in the back?” asked Ray.

  “The odds are pretty good he’ll try and sneak out the back once he knows we’re here. I want a larger block for him to get through back there. Koril, you take Victor and cover the south side, and Brenner, you take David and Eric and cover the north. Everybody understand their position?”

  Ray watched as everyone nodded.

  “Be advised we have no way of knowing if they have other hostages. Use a little caution, and I’d rather we have prisoners than bodies. We need to be able to interrogate a few of these assholes to see who’s behind this.”

  “Don’t take risks,” said Remus. “If it’s you or them, I’ll take the bodies any day.”

  Zander nodded. “Okay, let’s move out.”

  Ray watched the men disappear into the woods and then looked up when Zander stepped in front of him.

  “It would be better if you stayed here. We’re faster and can get things done that you can’t.”

  “I’m going with or without you.”

  Zander sighed. “Fine, just stay behind us. I’ll never hear the end of it if you get your damn fool self killed.”

  Ray snorted and followed them stealthily across the street toward the front of the colonial house. They were almost there when a man opened the front door and came running out. Ayden caught him and pulled him into the bushes.

  Zander looked at the pale little man. “Who are you?”

  He trembled violently. “I’m Michael Beck. This is my house.”

  Ray pushed forward and grabbed the front of his shirt. “Where the hell is Rennia?”

  “I never touched her, I swear! It’s all that crazy fool Nathaniel. He’s obsessed with anything supernatural. I didn’t want him here, but I owed him a favor.”

  “Calm down, man,” said Zander. “We’re not gonna hurt you, but we need information. Where is the girl?”

  “There’s a lab in the basement, and he’s been keeping her locked up down there.”

  “How do we get to the lab, and where in this lab is she being kept?” asked Zander.

  “It doesn’t matter. If you don’t hurry you’ll miss them.”

  Zander frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “There’s an exit from the basement to the back. Nathaniel’s vans are parked behind the house. They’re getting ready to leave. I heard him tell his gorilla that if I gave him any trouble he was to get rid of me. I decided I’d better make myself scarce since I don’t know what he might consider trouble.”

  Zander growled. “Stay here.” He looked at his men. “Let’s join Remus in the back and see if we can’t stop this guy.” They made their way around the side of the house with Ray following close behind them.

  As Ray rounded the corner he spotted a man carrying what looked like a body wrapped in a blanket toward a parked van. His breath caught when Remus, Zander, and several of the other men shifted into their animals. Bones popped, clothes ripped, and suddenly there were wolves, bears, and coyotes running loose. The man screamed, dropped the body, and jumped into the nearest van. Before Remus’s men could get to him, he’d started the engine and tore down the driveway.

  Another man rushed out the door to the second van. He raised a gun and shot at the shifted men. As soon as he shut the door, his van took off as well. Several of the wolves gave chase.

  Ray rushed to the body and peeled back the blanket. He sighed and blinked back tears when he uncovered Rennia. She was unconscious, probably drugged. Quickly, he checked her over for injuries and then pulled her up into his lap to bury his face in her hair, just to breath in her scent. “You’re safe now. Nothing is gonna hurt you. I’ve got you. You’re safe, Rennia. You’re safe.” He looked up when Zander approached. He shook his head and concentrated on studying Rennia’s face. I’m never going to get used to naked men running around.

  “How is she?” asked Zander.

  “I think she’s been drugged. Her pupils are dilated, and I can’t wake her up yet.”

  “She’s probably just been given a sedative so they could transport her. It’ll be out of her system in a few hours.”

  “Did you catch any of the assholes responsible for taking her?”

  “No, damn it. They all got away.”

  Ray sighed. “When can I take her home?”

  Before Zander could answer, Remus walked up, and even Ray could sense the tension rolling off of him. “Zander, we have a problem.”

  “What now?”

  “I just saw Dr. Kaugh.”

  Zander frowned. “You mean he escaped?”

  “No, he looks exactly like he did thirty years ago.”

  Zander scratched his head. “So, he did have a son. I think it’s time we had a heart-to-heart chat with the good doc.”

  Remus glanced at Ray. “Is Rennia okay?”

  “Zander said she’s probably been sedated, and I can’t find any real injuries on her. She’s got some needle marks on the inside of her arms, so I’m guessing they took blood from her.”<
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  Ethan came running up followed closely by Latan. “Is she okay?”

  Remus stopped the two of them from picking her up. “She’s fine. Her mate has everything under control. She’s been sedated.”

  “Then let’s get her home so Tehran can take a look at her,” said Ethan.

  Remus nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’ll give him a call and let him know you’re on your way.”

  Ray got to his feet, Rennia cuddled tight against his chest. “Your doc can check her out, but I’ll tell you right now she’s coming home with me.”

  Latan growled softly. “Now wait—”

  “He’s right, Latan,” said Remus. “We know for a fact Ray’s her mate. Even if they haven’t solidified the bond, it’s still his right to decide.”

  Ethan growled. “All right, human, we’ll do it your way for now. Once she’s awake, it’s her decision.”

  * * * *

  Nathaniel walked into his lab and threw the box of test tubes across the room. He smiled grimly when the blood splattered in a pattern across the pristine white wall. He turned on Quentin in fury. “How could we lose her? How could you just drop her so you could save yourself?” He paced back and forth several times. “We have to get her back. She’s vital to my research. She could well be the answer to all the problems we’ve had copying the shifting gene.” He stopped pacing and moved to stand directly in front of Quentin. “You get back to Takoda and find a way to get Rennia back here. I don’t care what it takes or what it costs. I’ll get my inside contact to assist you. It’s vital we get her here, to this lab.”

  Quentin nodded. “I’m sorry, boss. I won’t let you down again.”

  “See that you don’t. You’re not irreplaceable.” He watched as his number one man left the room, and then looked down at the DVD he carried in his hand. He’d managed to grab the video of Rennia’s shifting before he escaped. “Don’t you worry, little girl. Before you know it, I’ll have you back with me, right here where you belong.”

  Chapter 16