by Lily Graison
She looked back at Nicolas when he spoke. “Flattery will get you no where unless you’re leading me to the front door. Want to hold daddy dearest back while I make a run for it?”
He leaned toward her and his nostrils flared. “If you weren’t mated I might take you up on it.”
“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” Turning back to Thaddeus, Rayna crossed her arms under her breast. “How long am I to be kept here?”
“Until the leaders have gathered. Victor has a small reception planned for you.”
Rayna rolled her eyes. “Great. It’s Malcolm’s all over again. Why can’t you people just do what it is you plan to do instead of dicking around?”
“You sound eager.”
“No. Impatient. I’m tired of looking at the same four walls. I don’t like being locked up. I don’t like being in the dark about things and I’m getting a little pissed off at being treated like a criminal.”
Nicolas chuckled at her and tilted his head to one side. “You’re eyes have changed color.”
The growl that rumbled in her chest surprised even her. She felt that familiar fire racing through her limbs before her fingertips burned. She knew without looking her nails were growing. Closing her eyes she chased the wolf away, willing it back inside. The burning stopped a few moments later and when she opened her eyes, Thaddeus was grinning at her.
“It won’t take much to bring that wolf out, Ms. Ford. You’ll make the process less painful for yourself if you’re able to achieve it on your own. I can assure you, Victor will make it as traumatic as he can. As your breed leader, he will demand your respect in all things. As of yet, you haven’t shown him any.”
“And I won’t,” she said.
Thaddeus laughed. “I believe you’ll think differently when the time comes, Ms. Ford.”
Rayna had a snotty reply ready but Nicolas gave her a small shake of his head. She looked at him curiously before turning and walking back into her room. The door was pulled shut and Thaddeus locked her inside.
The voices coming from the hall were barely heard but she could tell Thaddeus and Nicolas were arguing about something. She wondered if Nicolas agreed with what the Breed leaders were doing. If not, he may be able to help her escape. Of course, talking to him alone wouldn’t be easy. Convincing him to help her wouldn’t be either.
She had no one but herself. She looked down at her hands, at her short clipped fingernails, and wondered if the wolf was ready to be born. She’d made her presence known a number of times now when Rayna became agitated. Could she be called at will?
Concentrating on her, Rayna felt the familiar burning sensation in her hands and watched as her nails started to lengthen. Her pulse leaped and when the claws continued to grow and hair grew thick on the back of her hands, she panicked. She shook her hands and willed the wolf away. The burning sensation stopped moments later and her pulse slowed.
When she looked at her hands and saw them once again normal, Rayna knew she could probably call the wolf on her own. But knowing she could do it and actually calling the beast were two very different things. The pain alone made her want to avoid the entire thing. It was one of the reason she was fighting the shift.
Sighing, she walked to the bed and fell across the mattress. The Breed leaders were gathering and by nightfall tomorrow, their master plan would be revealed. She just hoped Garrett found her before she was forced to shift in front of the world. Once humans knew the supernatural existed, all of mankind would see them destroyed.
* * * *
“If I go any faster, I’ll get pulled over.”
Garrett clenched his jaw and held back a biting retort. They were less than twenty minutes away from Bluff’s Point and the distance seemed to be getting longer instead of shorter.
He’d spent the entire trip trying to think of what he would tell Chad when he saw him. The less his old friend knew about what was really happening, the better off he’d be, but Garrett knew Chad. Knew he wouldn’t believe any of the lies he was prepared to tell him. And he’d thought up more than a few, weighing each one for the most believability.
“Turn here,” he said, pointing to the left. He wasn’t sure if Chad was at home or still at the police station. He wasn’t ready to face the people he’d walked out on the day Carmen had called and informed him Malcolm had Rayna, so he chose Chad’s home as their meeting place. He just hoped he was there.
The rest of the drive felt like torture. The familiar landmarks he remembered caused his wolf to stir. They were closer to finding Rayna now.
He’d tried not to think about what the Collective was doing to her. What they’d done to her. Thinking about it only fueled the beast. It howled inside his head and pushed against his skin. The wolf was still restless and it took every ounce of strength Garrett had to hold him back. Bloodlust was quick to rise and he knew if he let the wolf feed off his anger, there would be no controlling it. His mate had been taken from him and for that alone they all deserved to feel the beast’s wrath.
He was prepared to fight to get Rayna back but fight how many? What species? Wolves were aggressive when threatened but no more than the other shifters were. He’d had little dealings with them. Most breeds didn’t mingle. There was no need to. He’d met a few, scented them in a crowd, but couldn’t distinguish what breed they were. A wolf, he knew, the others, not so much.
Chad’s house came into view and Garrett almost jumped from the car when he saw the lights on. He waited, his foot bouncing in anticipation after directing Gavin to the house. They’d barely rolled to a stop before he was out of the car and hurrying toward the door. It opened as he reached it.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” Chad said. “Either Wolf’s Creek isn’t that far away or you broke every speed law known to man between there to here.”
“A little bit of both, actually.” Garrett turned to look over his shoulder at the others. They were all standing by the SUV, stretching their legs. “I need the address where Rayna’s being held.”
Chad glanced at the others and smiled. “Bring your friends, Garrett. I’ve got something to show you.” He turned and walked back inside the house, leaving Garrett on the front porch, alone. Garrett clenched his jaw. Why did he think this would be easy? Or quick?
He turned, motioned for the others, and followed Chad into the house.
Chad’s place hadn’t changed much. It was still clean, smelled of stale beer and dirty clothes and was the quintessential, Man Den.
A large screen TV sat along the far wall in the living room. A sofa, loveseat and two recliners faced the entertainment center. Bookshelves lined the wall by the television, the shelves filled with movies, and a computer desk stacked with papers and books stood behind the recliners.
The only difference he saw from the last time he’d been there was the mutt standing in the center of the room. He didn’t look friendly. His wiry brown hair was bristled, ears laid back. The dog lowered his head before growling.
Garrett nodded toward the mutt. “Nice addition. Doesn’t exactly go with the furniture, though.”
Chad grinned and rubbed the dog’s head. “Calm down, boy.”
The others walked inside and the dog lunged. Chad wasn’t fast enough to grab him. Judith was the one to take the brunt of impact. She staggered back, caught the dog with both hands and to everyone’s surprise, one look from her, and the dog whined, sat, and looked up at her with guilt shining in his eyes.
No one moved for long moments. Chad was the first to recover and crossed the room to where the dog sat. “How the hell did you do that?”
Judith straightened her shirt, pulling her shirtsleeves back down. “You just have to show them who is more dominant.”
Chad grabbed the dog by his collar and looked up at Judith. They stared at one another for long moments and Garrett raised an eyebrow at them before clearing his throat. “Chad, this is Judith.”
Judith smiled. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine.” Chad gave her a lon
g look from head to toe before raising his head back up to meet her gaze.
For the first time since meeting Judith, Garrett saw her cheeks redden. She was blushing like a schoolgirl and averted her gaze. She cleared her throat and nodded to the dog. “He doesn’t seem to like strangers.”
“He doesn’t like anybody. He’s never bitten anyone but he can be a ornery old cuss when he wants to be. He reminded me of you, Garrett,” he said, turning his head to look at him. “I named him after you.”
Garrett scowled. “You named your dog, Garrett?”
“Yes.”
Chad’s laughter reminded Garrett of how much he’d missed his friend. “I didn’t know you’d miss me so much.”
“I don’t. It’s just fun ordering the dog around and actually have him listen.”
Garrett ignored Chad when he laughed again and introduced him to Gavin, Dillon, Ethan and Henry. The dog was still weary, watching the others, and Garrett knew he smelled the wolf. It’s why he’d attacked. Judith just happened to be the closest.
Chad put the dog away, closing him off in a bedroom before re-joining them in the living room.
“The address, Chad. I’m running out of time.”
“Keep your pants on.” He walked to a desk on the far wall. “Look at this.” He pulled a map up on the computer and clicked a few times until a picture came into focus. He waited until the image cleared and zoomed in. “Have you ever seen that place before?”
Garrett looked at the house on the screen. It was large, three stories tall, and surrounded by acres of fields and a thick forest of trees on all four sides. “No. Should I have?”
“Not necessarily.” A few mouse clicks and the picture zoomed in again. There were people outside, flanking the house at various spots. “It’s guarded like a fortress,” Chad said. “I’ve been checking this thing for hours now and every time it updates, the men are still there.” He moved the curser, focusing on the back of the house. Seven cars were parked near what looked like a garage. More men were stationed around the back of the property.
“Okay,” Garrett said, impatiently. “What does this have to do with Rayna?”
Chad leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s the address of the number I traced.”
Garrett’s wolf slid against his bones and he gritted his teeth. Images of Rayna filled his minds eye. Images of her there, somewhere in that house. Alone. Unprotected. He stared at the computer screen, counting the men he saw, the number of cars, and tried to find the entrances.
A glance at Chad and Garrett knew he wouldn’t just let things go. He hadn’t expected him to look into anything after they’d talked. Why he was surprised he did, he wasn’t sure. Chad was a detective, just as he had been.
Chad grabbed a small black notebook of the edge of the desk. “The house belongs to a man by the name of Victor Carroll. He’s older than dirt and has enough money to buy the town of Bluff’s Point six times over.”
Gavin whistled and walked closer to the computer. “How the hell are we going to get in there?”
“Good question,” Dillon said. “With that many men guarding the house, getting inside unnoticed will be impossible.”
“There has to be a way in.” Garrett studied the layout of the property, trying to find the best way to get onto the grounds. He wasn’t going to let the Collective use Rayna for their coming out party. If he had to fight his way through those men, he would.
Dillon pointed to the screen and said, “Zoom in on those trees.” He waited until Chad had enlarged an area near the forest at the back of the house. “There. What is that?”
Garrett leaned forward and squinted. Something was standing near the trees. He couldn’t make it out. It was large and dark in color but that was about all he could tell. It didn’t look like a wolf, though. It was on two feet but the head was too large for a wolf. It also looked as if it were slick. There wasn’t any hair on it that he could see.
The picture refreshed again and the thing had stepped out of the shadow of the trees. Garrett’s heart skipped a beat. It was a demon. The curling horns on the things head gave it away. Although the picture was fuzzy, Garrett knew without being told it was eight foot tall with scales. A Kriladon. He’d seen that Breed in Seattle when he first left the pack. The stench those things gave off took your breath away. They were rare, hired themselves out as executioners, and were deadly. They killed without mercy and ate what was left of you when they were through.
He glanced at Gavin and shook his head, no. He didn’t want any of them to say anything with Chad in the room. Of course, his old friend was too smart for his own good.
“Does that thing have horns?” Chad leaned forward, refreshing the screen again. The moonlight lit the creature and Chad sat back quickly. “What the fuck is that?”
Garrett ran his hand over his face and sighed. “Give me the address, Chad.”
“Are you insane?” Chad turned in his chair to look at him. He pointed to the computer screen, his eyes slightly wide. “Did you see all those men? That… thing, hiding in the woods?”
“I did and I still need the address.”
Chad stared at him for long minutes before he stood up. “You know, we’ve seen some weird shit in this town, Garrett, and I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re not telling me something. Now is one of those times.”
“You’re better off not knowing, Chad.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But Rayna asked for my help and I gave it to her. I even kept her kidnapping to myself instead of involving the rest of the department, just as she requested. The least you could do is tell me what’s going on. You owe me that much.”
He did owe him that much but it didn’t mean he was going to tell. He stared at Chad and wished like hell he could be honest with him. Wished he could tell him what he was, what lurked in the dark in every city of the world, and what he should do to protect himself from it. He’d stopped trusting humans years ago. Stopped trusting anyone. He couldn’t afford to let anyone into his world. It was dangerous for him. For the people who knew what he was. It was why he hadn’t told Rayna when they practically moved in together while they lived in Bluff’s Point. Why he’d kept her in the dark.
But your secret almost got her killed.
Garrett sighed and looked across the room at nothing in particular. The others were standing quietly at his back. He glanced at them and Judith’s eyes flashed amber for a brief second. “I have nothing to hide,” she said. “Nothing to loose.”
“Judith.”
“It’s my choice. We need that address and if this is how we have to get it, then so be it.”
Chad looked around Garrett at her. “What is she talking about?”
Garrett stared at her and knew she was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He either forced Chad to give up his information, and lose his respect, or he told him everything.
Turning back to his friend, he scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “You’re going to wish you didn’t know when you find out.”
“I doubt that.”
He glanced at Judith when she took a step closer to him and he shook his head. “I’ll do it.”
“Are you sure?”
Garrett laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, glancing down at his feet. “No, but he’s not going to give me a choice.”
He looked up at Chad and stared at him for long moments. “Just remember you asked for this.”
Garrett called the beast, letting him pull to the surface enough for his eyes to change color, for the bones in his face to shift slightly. When Chad went wide-eyed and gasped, Garrett grinned, showing his fangs. “Aren’t you glad you asked now?”
Chapter Twelve
Chad’s reaction was instantaneous. He jumped backwards, knocking into the computer desk and sending the papers and books stacked on the side tumbling to the floor.
Garrett let the wolf slide back down until he knew he looked normal again. “Sit down before you fall down
.” He reached out to grab Chad’s arm. His friend jerked away from him and Garrett took several steps back and waited.
It took Chad three attempts before the words, “What are you,” came out.
“For lack of a better word, a werewolf.” Garrett watched Chad’s face and didn’t say anything else. They stared at one another for long minutes. The house was quiet, the ticking of a clock echoed in the silence and Garrett crossed the room to put some distance between them.
When Chad had recovered, he took a deep breath and released it. “Werewolves don’t exist.”
Garrett grinned. “I’ll assure you they do.” He held up his hand, called the beast until his claws grew. “There’s more, but if I do a complete shift, I’ll be stuck in that form for a while.”
Chad blinked and looked to the others. “Are they…?” The question hung in the air.
Judith let her eyes shift to wolf amber before flashing back to normal. “We all are.”
The look on Chad’s face would have been comical if Garrett had time enough to be amused. At the moment, he didn’t. “I need that address, Chad. I have to get to Rayna before the Collective sends her to her death.”
Chad stared at him sightlessly for long moments before finally blinking. “Does she know? I mean about you? That you’re a…” He laughed. “I can’t even say it.”
“She knows.”
“Is that why you left?” Chad took a step out from behind the recliners, hesitated for a few seconds, and crossed to the center of the room. His face looked stricken, like Garrett had told him he had less than six months to live. He wasn’t screaming like a girl so Garrett thought he was handling it pretty well.
He glanced at the others before facing his friend. “My pack, the other wolves I used to live with, lured Rayna to them. They wanted to infect her. To make her one of us so she could show the world we exist. When I found out, I went to get her back. That’s why I left the day Reynolds told me Rayna and Mitch left town. To make a long story short, Rayna was infected. That’s why we didn’t come back. It’s not safe for us.”