Remus turned to look at Zander. “Come with me back to my house. We can talk privately there.”
* * * *
David walked side by side with Eric into the banquet hall and immediately looked around for Laynee. He spotted her at once, near the front, sitting alone.
Eric snarled. “Damn, they’re treating her like some kind of pariah. Why’s everyone avoiding her?”
David sighed. “Because she’s human.”
Eric snorted. “Let’s get her out of here. It’ll be better for everyone if we don’t have to worry about what anybody might say or do.”
David nodded and moved through the crowded room. When he touched her arm, she winced and jumped. “Hey, pretty lady, it’s just me.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Took you long enough. Feels like I’ve been sitting here forever.”
Eric touched her other arm. “I’m here, too, Laynee.”
“Have you guys gotten in touch with my father yet?”
David looked at Eric and frowned. What the hell are we gonna tell her?
“No, we had a corporate meeting with the family, and we just got out,” Eric explained.
Laynee frowned and crossed her arms. “Listen, I appreciate everything you guys have done for me, but I’m beginning to feel like a pampered prisoner. Just get me to a phone, and I’ll give him a call. Surely in a place this big, somebody has a phone. I’m worried something’s happened to him. I need to know he’s okay.”
David bit his lip to hold back his growl. Yeah, he’s just fine. Shit, we’ve got to tell her the truth. “Come on, Laynee.” He closed his fingers around her upper arm and pulled her to her feet.
“Where are you taking me?”
It pained him to hear the slight fear in her voice. “We’re going to my uncle Remus’s house. It’s the closest place around that has a phone.”
Laynee nodded and took a step.
Before David could move, Lyssa stepped in front of him, blocking his path. His mouth gaped at the look of malice in her eyes. “What do you want, Lyssa?”
“Must you taint us with your human friends?”
Laynee scowled. “Is she talking about me?”
Before David could say anything, Victor walked up and grabbed Lyssa’s arm. “No, ma’am, she’s not talking about you. You just got in on the punch line of a private joke. My sincerest apologies.”
Laynee cocked her head to the side. “Who are you?”
“I’m sorry, Laynee,” David said. “This is Victor Wind River. He’s the head of our family company, and my cousin. And the young lady is Lyssa Wind River.” He put his hands on Laynee’s shoulders. “And this is our friend, Laynee Conners.”
Laynee laughed. “Wow, this really is a family company. Everyone has the same last name. It’ a pleasure to meet both of you.”
Victor grinned. “It’s our pleasure, Laynee.” His hand tightened on Lyssa’s arm until she winced. “I hope you enjoy yourself today, and please make yourself at home.” He nodded at David and Eric and pulled a struggling Lyssa away, moving her toward the back of the room.
David knew they were going to have to be honest with Laynee if they were going to keep her safe. For that, he knew it would be better to enlist the Alpha’s help. Taking a deep breath, he caressed the back of Laynee’s hand, filling his senses with the scent of his mate. “Come on, pretty lady. Let’s go somewhere quiet where we can talk about your father.”
* * * *
Maddie placed a cup of coffee down in front of Zander and took a seat next to Remus.
“Thank you, Alpha Femm.” Zander took a sip of the dark brew.
“None of that formal crap. Please, call me Maddie.”
He nodded and took another sip, not hiding the grimace on his face.
Remus chuckled. “Sorry about that. Maddie’s been weakening the coffee lately in the hope of turning me against it. She’s convinced that I’ll live longer if I drink tea.”
Zander swallowed hard. “Actually, I agree with her. I seldom drink coffee, but I do love a variety of different teas.”
Grinning, Maddie got up and grabbed both his and Remus’s cups and moved to dump the coffee down the sink. She quickly turned on the burner beneath her teapot. “Don’t worry, gentlemen. I’ll have some tea ready in just a few minutes.”
Remus sighed and frowned at Zander. “Okay, why did you want to talk to me alone?”
“I was Kaugh’s guard for years before making head enforcer. I’ve read his file several times and had endless conversations with the man, but I still couldn’t get a handle on what make him tick. I need some insight if I’ve any chance on figuring out where this supposed son is and if he’s really the threat everyone seems to think he is. You and your pack had the most intimate contact with him and apparently got into his head well enough that you were the ones to bring him down. What can you tell me about him that might help?”
Maddie snorted. “He’s bat-shit crazy.”
Remus growled and closed his eyes. “Maddie, please. Could you be a little more diplomatic?”
“Hey, I call a spade a spade. The crazy old fool made our life hell.”
Zander gave a small growl. “That’s what I’m talking about. I need to know what really happened back then. They left a lot out of the main files, probably in an attempt to protect your privacy. And that’s all well and good, but now I’m trying to piece together how his mind works, and what he’s capable of, to get a better idea of how to stop his successor whether it’s his son or some wannabe.”
Maddie took the teapot off the stove when it started to whistle and quickly poured the boiling water into three cups. She placed them on a tray and carried them to the table. “Okay, I’ll give you a little of the facts.” She looked at Remus as she handed out the cups. “With your permission, mate.”
Remus picked up his cup and blew on the steaming liquid. “Be my guest.”
She sat down and clasped her hands together on the table. “Dr. Kaugh was a friend and colleague of Dr. Richard Constantine.”
“Who the hell is Constantine?” Zander shouted. “That’s not a name I’ve heard before.”
Remus growled and got to his feet. “Show some respect to my mate, or get the hell out of my house.”
Zander bowed his head to the side, exposing his throat to Remus. “My apologies, Alpha Remus. This has been so frustrating, getting the pieces of the puzzle so slowly, and only one at a time. I spoke in haste. It won’t happen again.”
Remus nodded and took his seat.
Maddie sipped her tea and then looked at Zander. “Constantine was the doctor that kept me prisoner for ten years.”
“Ten years,” Zander yelled. He glance at Remus and grimaced.
Maddie nodded. “Ten long years. I was in a coma after an accident when I was a young girl. Strange as it sounds, I had telekinetic abilities when I woke up. Constantine convinced my parents that something was wrong and I needed to be contained. They were so afraid of my abilities, they were easy to convince. For ten long years he kept me locked away, using the time to experiment on me. He knew all along about the wolf DNA in my family.”
“Wait a minute,” Zander said. “You’re telling me that you’re telekinetic.”
Remus could hear the skepticism in Zander’s voice and watched to see what his mate would do. It didn’t take her long to react. She glanced down at the table and sent Zander’s teacup moving rapidly around the outer edge, stopping back in its original location. He chuckled when Zander cursed and backed away.
Zander watched the cup suspiciously. “That’s damn sure not in the file anywhere.”
Remus barked out a short laugh. “If you could move things with your mind, would you want it documented in anyone’s files?”
Zander nodded. “Good point.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “After Constantine died, Kaugh came here to continue his work. The pack thought they’d destroyed all Constantine’s records, but they hadn’t known about Kaugh, or a safe-deposit box that Constantine k
ept at the bank. It held backups of all his research.” She took another sip of her tea and glanced at Remus. “I didn’t have much personal contact with him. He had his men kidnap me and my brother, Michael. We were rescued pretty quickly, so he didn’t have time to do much.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what did he do to you?”
“He took a bunch of blood and used his new invention on us.”
“What invention?”
“He’d created a drug that inhibits shifting.” She snarled and rubbed her arm. “He filled me full of it. Damn injection hurt like hell.” Maddie took a deep breath and sighed. “Then I listened while he filled Michael in on some of his plans. He’d worked for another doctor before he joined up with Constantine. I don’t remember his name, but they were involved in trying to combine DNA of various types of dangerous shifters to create some kind of new breed the government could call on to do their dirty work.”
Zander glared at Remus. “Okay, bat-shit crazy is beginning to sound like a compliment.”
Remus chuckled.
“When that didn’t work, Kaugh decided that what they needed was a human element in the mix. Mixing the animals’ DNA together was creating fierce creatures, but they had no way to control them. He decided to take human DNA, namely Michael’s sperm, and mix it with animal.” Maddie laughed. “He talked to Michael about a female cougar. The crazy man thought he’d get something as strong and fierce as a cougar, with a human’s ability to think.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I said, bat-shit crazy.”
Maddie finished her tea and pushed the cup aside. “Later, he managed to get his hands on my sister-in-law, Kitania. He’d been up against her before. She worked for the National Council, and they’d been after him for years. He used his inhibiter on her, captured her, and turned her over to a local vet as a feral cat that needed to be put down. She was just moments away from a lethal injection when the men rescued her.”
She reached over and touched Remus’s hand. “That’s about all I can think to tell. Do you remember anything else that might be important?”
Remus shook his head. “No, that about covers all our dealings with him. After we rescued Kitania, we turned the good doctor over to the council even though I wanted to rip out his throat.”
“Why didn’t you kill him, Remus?” asked Zander.
“I thought there was too much of a chance he had more prisoners, prisoners that he’d probably experimented on. The poor souls could have any number of difficulties. If I spared his life, the council might eventually be able to persuade him to find ways to help them. I’m guessing, since you’re here, they never had any success.”
“No. He’s never been any help with anything. He seemed obsessed with time for the past year, always wanting to know the exact date. During the last six months he’s seemed almost smug, letting things slip about how his legacy should be in place now and how he’ll be avenged. Since it’s been over twenty-five years since he was taken into custody, they believe he’s been waiting for a son, or daughter, to grow up. I think he left instructions on what to do if he was caught, and when to do it. The disappearances began about six months ago, the same time he started getting curious about the date.”
“I don’t know how much help Maddie and I could be, but what’s your plan, Zander?”
“Well, we know he had a secret facility in Canada, but we’ve never been able to find it. Truthfully, I don’t think anyone ever looked all that hard since it was over the border. With him in custody, they probably figured there was no one left to run the show. The Canadian packs are not always willing to work with the American ones. Now, I think it’s important to get a team up there and find the place, no matter the cost. If his work has continued with some kind of heir, then there are probably hostages that need rescuing.” He stared intently at Remus. “Are you interested in helping?”
“No,” Maddie screeched. Zander’s teacup slid off the table, crashing to the floor.
“Maddie,” Remus cried.
Before she could say anything, the back door opened, and Eric stuck his head into the kitchen. He glanced down at the broken cup. “Sorry, is this a bad time, Aunt Maddie?”
Remus got to his feet. “No, Eric, it’s not a bad time. I think our discussion is over, at least for now.”
Zander nodded and stood, grabbing a napkin from the table and drying his pants. “Sure, Remus. I think we’ve covered pretty much everything. We can always talk again later.”
“What’s all the commotion?”
Maddie turned to see her daughter standing in the door to the living room. “There’s no commotion, dear. I just knocked over a teacup. Nothing for you to worry about.”
Remus sighed and motioned toward his daughter. “Zander, this is our daughter, Eloise. Eloise, Zander is from the National Council.”
“Pleased to meet you, young lady.”
Eloise snorted and then walked over to hug Eric. “Where you been keeping yourself, cousin?”
“Come on in, Eric,” Remus said. “What brings you here today?”
Maddie watched as Eric walked in, followed by David and a pretty, young girl. This must be the mate that’s causing so much worry.
Remus grabbed his daughter’s arm. “Eloise, please escort our guest back to the banquet hall so he can avail himself of the women’s fine cooking.”
Zander grimaced. “That won’t be—”
Remus growled. “Yes, I must insist.”
Zander looked at him for a moment and then nodded. He smiled and held out his arm to Eloise. “Shall we go?”
She rolled her eyes and followed him to the door. Just before she went out, she turned to look at her mother. She mouthed her words. You owe me!
Remus waited until the door closed. “Eric, David, I’m sorry, but I’m supposed to tell you to be patient. Latan’s business is taking longer than he thought, and they won’t be back until tomorrow. I do apologize. They’re handling a personal matter for me. Now, introduce us to your friend.”
Maddie watched the girl swallow convulsively while David performed the introductions. Her white-knuckled grip on David’s hand, along with her scent, broadcast her fear. There was no way she’d allow this situation to continue. She turned and caught her mate’s gaze. “Remus, would you show our guests to the living room while I have a word with David?”
“Please,” Laynee said. “I just need a phone to call my father.”
Maddie walked over and took Laynee’s cold hand between her own. “I promise as soon as I speak to David we’ll get you taken care of. You’re safe here with us.”
Laynee nodded, and her shoulders slumped as she meekly allowed Eric to lead her from the room.
David sighed. “What are we gonna do, Aunt Maddie? She wants us to check on her father. She’s convinced that something happened to him out in the woods and wants us to call in the authorities to go look for him. Until we get some idea of why he did this, I don’t know what to tell her, and we sure can’t let her go back to the bastard. He might succeed the next time he tries to kill her.”
Maddie narrowed her eyes. “You can’t keep the girl here without explaining. I know you can smell her fear. If she’s really your mate, she won’t appreciate you keeping the truth from her. We’ve got to tell her what we know happened and that we’re investigating to find out why it happened. Only then will she calm down enough to be comfortable around us. Right now, she’s probably beginning to feel like a prisoner.”
“Aunt Maddie, I can’t lose her. We can’t let her go back.”
She hugged him close. “Honey, give her a chance to make the right decision. We’ll give her the facts and see what happens.”
“How can we make her see how dangerous he is?
Maddie turned toward the door. “Don’t you worry. I’ve got something I think will make her see the light about her scheming father.”
Chapter 4
“No,” Laynee cried. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.
”
Eric knelt at her feet. “Laynee, I heard your father and some other man talking around their campfire.”
She sniffed and clasped her hands between her knees. “What did they look like?”
“Your father is middle-aged, close to six feet tall, and probably weighs in at around two hundred pounds. He dressed very preppy, like he had money.”
“What about the other man?”
“Around the same age, maybe a little younger, but not quite as big. He was sort of puny with a pale complexion.”
“I’m sorry, Laynee,” Maddie said, “but why are you asking for descriptions? Have you ever seen either man in your lifetime?”
Laynee sighed and wiped the moisture from her eyes. She didn’t like to think that she wouldn’t even know her father on the street unless he opened his mouth to talk. “No, I’ve never seen either of them.” David and Eric’s aunt has a kind, soothing voice. Her husband is kind of gruff, but still seemed nice. But I don’t care what they say. My father would not try to kill me. I know we’ve never been really close since Mom died, but that doesn’t make him a killer.
“Laynee, would you recognize your father’s voice?” asked Maddie.
Laynee frowned. “Of course. I’d know him in an instant.”
“Good, then I have something I want you to listen to.”
“What is it?”
Maddie patted Laynee’s hand. “After David explained what happened this morning, I taped the next newscast that covered your story.”
“The news is covering a story about me? I don’t understand.”
“Honey, your father reported you missing, and the news media has been all over it. He even gave an interview. I taped it, so why don’t we let him tell you in his own words what happened?”
Laynee heard a click and then the sound of the television shot out into the room. She listened as some woman asked her father questions.
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