by Lynn Leite
“Disappear?”
“Yeah. Only for a second. I won’t leave you.”
“Nina, be careful.”
Nina didn’t respond. She knew Faith didn’t really understand what she was doing. Her chains were tight, but she could dematerialize and then rematerialize back away from the bed they had her strapped to. At least she hoped she could. She hadn’t tried that little trick since turning. The energy she emitted would be felt by the wolves. Hopefully, the coven members had been able to follow. Her original plan, to blast the wolves to kingdom come and poof to safety, had been assuming Faith was safely in the car. Now she had to rethink her approach to protect her friend.
Concentrating on her very essence, she faded into mist. Rearranging her very structure across the room. Faith gasped. “Wow, that was something.”
“Now, let’s get you out of that collar.” Nina made quick work of the collar and restraints that bound Faiths arms. She saw a bruise starting on the woman’s cheek. “Faith?” She saw that the woman had more than one bruise.
“I’m fine, but I can tell you, one wolf is singing in a higher register. It was worth it.”
“I don’t want you taking any risks. Knight just might kill me if anything happened to his mate,” Nina smiled. It was ironic that this woman was destined to be family. She was developing a health respect for Faith and her dedication to the pack.
“Knight will be fine no matter what. He may be my mate, but we haven’t sealed the bond. If anything happens to me …”
“Stop! Nothing is going to happen. Now listen, before someone comes down here. I can manage the door. You need to stay behind me. As soon as we make it outside, I need you to shift and run like hell.”
“I’m not going to just leave you,” Faith insisted.
“Yes you are. I can handle this. Plus, the coven might not be able to tell you’re not one of them if all hell breaks loose.”
“Nina, I…”
“Faith, I need you to do this.” Nina’s voice was commanding.
“Okay. Be careful.”
“I will. Now let’s go.”
“Stay here. We’ll be back,” Hank and Sam told the women gathered at the Alpha house. The others had gone on ahead. Royal had asked the two enforcers to secure the women on the off chance this was a diversion. Howland had to know he wouldn’t tolerate the women being taken even if he thought Faith was only dating Ranger.
“Willow goes, I go,” Emory said. She was still furious at the two for treating her like a child. She had trained with them. They knew she was an asset. Now, when the going got tough, they expected her to stay home? Not likely.
“Emory, listen to me. You have to stay,” Willow insisted.
“Why? Did you see something? Do I get hurt or die?” Her words were harsh, but she was mad as hell.
“No, you don’t. Because you don’t go.”
“Want to bet?”
“Look, you just have to stay, okay. The reason will be clear soon enough.”
Hank and Sam didn’t like the sound of that cryptic statement. “Willow, are the women in danger?” Sam looked at Hank. Maybe they should stay and secure the Alpha house.
“No. Will you guys just trust me? I really don’t want to go into it.”
“Give me one good reason, or I’m going!” Emory commanded.
“Fine. You’re pregnant, happy?” Willow had not wanted to be the one to tell her. This was a private thing between mates. She had already told Rory she was expecting Maddox before either of them knew. She was just sure having a pregnant woman go after a killer was not a good idea.
“Pregnant?” Hank choked, looking from Sam to Emory and back.
“Willow, if this is your way of making me stay, it isn’t funny.”
“No. It isn’t funny and you are pregnant.”
“We are going to be fathers,” Sam said as he hugged Hank, forgetting that the others were in the room. The two men gripped their mate, pulling her between them in an intimate moment that made the others feel like voyeurs.
“Then it’s settled. Emory, you will not risk my grandchild,” Gemma interrupted.
“Pregnant?” Emory shook her head as she glancing at Willow.”
“Yup. Now, if you Daddies want to stay, I can head out to meet the others.”
“Babe, we have to go.” Hank kissed Emory. It was a searing, possessive kiss filled with promise. He handed her off to Sam who repeated the gesture.
“Okay, go, but both of you come back in one piece, you hear me?”
“You just keep our baby safe. They said as if they were both thinking the same thought.
“I will. Go. Willow, take care of them.”
“You know it. Gemma, take Rory and the baby to the shelter. Emory, you make sure to stay put! I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you,” Willow apologized.
“It’s fine. It’s not like I gave you much choice.” Emory couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. She and her mates were expecting and both men seemed thrilled.
It took the Alpha, Gage, Maverick, and the rest of his brothers to hold Ranger and Knight back. Both of them wanted to rush in to protect what was theirs.
“ Ranger.” The Mage’s voice was clear and commanding enough to break through the Were’s rage.
“Sir?”
“My people are here as well. I don’t know what my daughter was thinking pulling this incredibly stupid stunt, but it is clear that the why of it no longer matters. I can feel her energy. She is moving through the house.”
“We can’t just wait here.” Ranger growled.
“I tend to agree. I do, however, know that going in blindly is not advised. These people took one of ours. We are here to assist. Nina made sure the coven was in place. That shows she was at least thinking.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell me she planned on doing this?” Ranger felt hurt.
“Because you would have stopped her. She was protecting you, my son. She is powerful in her own right. More powerful than you know. I imagine she wished to help both the pack and her coven put an end to this. She is stubborn.”
“Stubborn doesn’t even cover this. Sir, what do you suggest?”
“We create a diversion. Then go in. She will be expecting a signal that we are in place.”
“I got this,” Xavier said as he ran off into the wooded area surrounding the modest home that Nina was currently in along with at least thirty of Howland’s men. The possibilities of something going wrong were astronomical.
Nina and Faith made it to the hallway only to discover there were several doors just like the one they had exited. The entire basement level was divided into cell like rooms.
“Nina?” Faith whispered. She was thinking there were probably more people trapped in this house than just them.
“If there are more prisoners, they are safer here for now.” Faith just nodded.
The women were half way up the stairs on the far end of the quartered off area when they heard gun fire. “Does the coven use guns?” Faith was thinking why, if you could appear and disappear, would guns even be necessary? She knew the only reason Nina was even still in that house was because of her.
“No, but if it got our attention, it will distract the shifters above us. Come on!” Nina grabbed Faiths hand while dragging her quickly to the door at the top of the stairs. She listened for a moment before opening the door.
Nina took seconds to familiarize herself with the room. It was a large country kitchen that appeared to be at the back of the home. A small mud porch held three shifters who were too busy looking to see where the gunfire was coming from to notice the two women were free.
“What the hell?” one of them said, seeing Nina as she slid along the wall with Faith pressed behind her. She had hoped to make it to the door before being discovered.
“Hey boys, what’s all the racket?” She grinned.
For a moment, it looked like one of them was going to actually answer her rhetorical question. “Get her, you idiot!”
A
blur of motion followed as three large shifters rushed Nina with a speed that, if she was human, she wouldn’t have believed possible. Nina used their over confident nature to her advantage, easily sending a blast of pure energy, watching them fall like pins in a bowling alley.
“What the hell are you?” a voice growled from behind her. Nina turned to see Faith being held by the same man that had taken them from the parking garage.
“Who me? Just some stupid human. Why?” Nina taunted while assessing the situation. The enormous were had one meat like arm pulled across Faith’s throat. Nina knew it would be effortless for him to snap her neck.
“Don’t move,” the man tightened his grip cutting off Faith’s airway.
“You kill her and you’re a dead man,” Nina said calmly as if she was reporting the weather, not threatening a killer. “You seem smart. You don’t look feral.”
“You’re a shifter, but how?”
“Ah, that’s an age old family secret. Speaking of family, I think your men might be having a bit of difficulty out there.” The
commotion in the yard sounded like World War Three. Will’s focus drifted to the yard. It was clear his men weren’t winning. His only chance of escape was to make it to the tree line undetected.
“Move!” he growled, inclining his head toward the door.
“Faith, you okay?” Nina ignored the man’s command.
“She’s fine, but she won’t be unless you get moving.”
Nina moved out the back door. The yard was filled with mostly shifted weres. The coven was stationed around the perimeter. No doubt, keeping the action from prying eyes. Nina smiled at the thought of the mailman just wandering across this scene.
“Nina,” Faith choked. This caused Nina to turn toward her. Faith’s expression told her to be ready. This feisty little nurse was not going down without a fight.
Nina nodded as Faith suddenly dropped, her dead weight throwing off the shifter that held her just long enough for her to wriggle free and shift.
Nina blasted the were before he could grab Faith again, sending him across the lawn and into the melee.
18
Shifters littered the lawn like a pack of wild dogs on a feeding frenzy. Nina knew the Black wolves were her family. One in particular stood out, his energy coursing through her. She felt his rage, his fear, and most importantly, his love. It hadn’t occurred to her that Ranger truly loved her. He had said the words, but now she felt the truth of them. She was his mate. They were predestined by some fluke of nature. He was attracted to her on a primal level. She figured in the weeks they had been together that he at least liked and respected her. There was no doubt they had some off the charts chemistry. She felt more love for him than she thought possible. For him, she assumed love would come with time. The emotion flowing from the enormous shifter told her she had been wrong to question it. He loved her. It was clear. The feeling so strong she could taste it.
No one had noticed her standing at the back door. They had other things on their mind. The family was out numbered two to one but
was doing fine with a little help from the three coven members that had followed her.
Nina watched as Faith made it to the tree line, a black wolf following. She hoped it was Knight and not Howland. Black indicated Alpha. Howland was Alpha born.
As she stood on the edge of the lawn several things happened at once.
“Nina!” Ranger called. He was distracted upon seeing her. The were who had taken them and threatened Faith was getting up. Next time, she would have to throw him harder. Nina spotted her father on the far edge of the lawn. The weres seemed not to notice him. She had to assume he was shielded.
A blur of fur in motion flew through the air and Ranger was down.
“Ranger!” Nina called in warning seconds too late.
The were who had taken Ranger by surprise had him by the throat. A sight no mate could tolerate. Especially a mate as pissed off as Nina.
Nina began to chant words she knew well.
“Hercules, Great son of Zues,
Half God, half human. Please unloose
Your great strength and lend it to
Me in this thing that I must do.
Grant me now your nerves of steel
And your physical strength for this ordeal,
So I can complete successfully
This task that’s set in front of me.
The shift came involuntarily. Her plea to the gods for victory continued in her head, unspoken but just as powerful.
Laurel of the Ancient Ones,
Let your power to me come.
Grant success and strength to me.
As I will it so mote it be!
Her fury started sending a pulse of energy out into the chaos. As a wolf, she could feel her family, both families. Their essence stood out making her job easier. The blast she sent was more than she had ever tried. The bands of energy snaked out of her, twisting, and gaining substance. The shifters were hit by a blast equal to a bomb going off. Only her family was safe. The rage fueling her power was allowing it to seek out the correct targets.
The sight of the attacking weres that had threatened her family, literally exploding into nothingness was the last thing Nina saw before collapsing. Her energy completely gone, she succumbed to the darkness.
Blake Howland stood on the edge of the road that wound above the safe house. He had been right to stop and assess the situation before meeting Will. The sight below was bedlam. He couldn’t tell who was who in the attack. It was clear that the human and the shifter girl were important to the Alpha. The show of black pelts was impressive. The entire Alpha family was present.
Howland rummaged around in his trunk, taking out binoculars to better gauge the situation. The two women emerged from the back of the home with Will following. “What the hell is he doing?” Howland muttered.
He watched as the were bitch dropped and the human, who wasn’t human evidently, thrust a hand out and knocked Will back. She hadn’t even touched him.
“Witch,” he growled. The damn human was a witch. How did his men miss that? He was working with idiots.
The only saving grace was his men seemed to have the upper hand. The Alpha and their pet witch were still outnumbered. Or so he thought.
Howland’s dreams of retribution faded as the witch dropped to all fours. Her black coat taunted Howland. “Impossible,” he uttered as a wave seemed to cross the lawn like a ripple on a pond’s surface. The energy widened in all directions, seemingly skimming over the Cheveyo wolves and dismembering his pack.
“NOOOOO!” he howled.
He had moved most of his men to this house on the outskirts of shit-ville with the intention of finally making his move. He had the manpower to start the slow purging of the Cheveyo disease.
Now they were gone.
Fury blinded him. His enemies had won again. The human was a mutant just like the others. How did the council not see this aberration as the end to the were way of life?
“The council,” he mumbled. Perhaps he had gone about this the wrong way. Lone wolves were unpredictable. Too often one went feral and then, what a mess. He could try more conventional means to take down the pack that had destroyed his family.
“Another day, Royal. We will meet another day.” Howland strode toward the car. Better to get as far away from this as possible. He’d lay low for a bit; maybe tour Canada before regrouping. The fates had seen fit that he
avoided the attack he had just seen. A few moments more and he might have been there on that lawn with his men. No. It was fate that he had hesitated. He was sure of it.
“Nina!” Ranger howled, seeing his mate drop. She was still in wolf form. The slow labored rise and fall of her chest meant she was still breathing.
Malcolm appeared instantly at his daughter’s side. He arrived even before Ranger. “She’s fine,” he declared by laying a hand across her brow. “She needs to rest.”
“Nina,” Ranger groaned. He needed to feel
for himself that his mate was alright. She didn’t look alright. Although, there was no visible damage. Scooping up his mate, he held her gently against his chest. The slow breathing calmed him. “Come on baby, wake up,” he cooed trying to will her back.
Ranger felt the first stir of his mate. Her form transferred from wolf to human as she opened her eyes. “Are they gone?”
“Yes dear,” Royal stated reverently.
“Nina, I swear you will be the death of me. Do you have any idea how risky that was?”
“Dad, could you yell at me later? I’m a little tired.” She lifted her heavy lids to see Willow and every man from both her families looking at her with curious expressions. She saw pride and awe in their faces as she swept the crowd.
“Babe, can you do that clothes thing?” Ranger asked with a note of humor. That’s right. The shift had left her naked, and about eight males and another five of her father’s men were looking down at her.
“Sure,” she laughed as she waved her hand. As she sat up from her mate’s lap.
“That was just about the stupidest thing I think you have ever done,” Sam grinned. She had worked with the man for years and saw the look of admiration on his face. He might have thought it was stupid, but he respected the motivation.
“I heard the gun fire. Thanks for the distraction,” she smiled, assuming it was Sam who had thought of the diversion.
“I didn’t fire any guns. In fact, who did?”
“It wasn’t guns. It was fireworks,” Xavier beamed.
“Fireworks?” Royal questioningly looked at his youngest.
“Yeah. I remembered when those kids had us all running. All because they lit a few packs of salutes. I figured it would work, and it did.”
“And you just happened to bring fireworks?” Maverick raised his brow.
“They were in my jacket pocket from when we read those kids the riot act.”
“Well, that was convenient,” Nina laughed.
“Hey, I’m still mad at you for risking this,” Ranger tried to growl but it came out more of a purr. He couldn’t be too mad at her if he was clutching her too him as if his life depended on it.
“I got tired of sharing my mate with his girlfriend…” Nina hesitated for a moment scanning the crowd still huddled around her. “Faith…where’s Faith?” she asked seeing that her friend wasn’t among the on lookers.