by Jessica Snow
Kat knew that Liam could see the desire in her eyes, so inappropriate but something that both of them knew was undeniable and to Liam, not wrong at all. He was a wolf, an alpha wolf at that, and in that primal part of his mind that enjoyed the feeling of the moonlight on his skin and relished the thrill of the hunt, felt their desire as something as natural as breathing, and in fact enjoyed it because it reassured him that his mate was still fully his. What was new, and sparked fresh confidence and desire inside them both, was the smell of her pheromones even after he’d gone through his change, and her desire for him hadn’t lessened one bit. He came over and sniffed her hand, then grinned a wolfish grin as his nose drifted to the musky essence starting to seep from between her legs until Kat pushed him away mock embarrassed. “You’re incorrigible.”
“You’re the one mated to him,” Ashley reminded her, both of them turning to see Zack emerge, also in wolf form, his fur a darker tone than Liam’s golden brown. The two met eye to eye before Zack bowed his head slightly, a sign of submission that wasn’t so much that Zack was showing himself as anything less than an Alpha in-waiting himself. It said give me a few years, and I might be a match for you. Not a rival, but a match.
“Now that everyone’s ready, can we start this fucking thing?” Ashley whispered. “It’s nearly midnight, and I’ve got to work in the morning.”
Kat felt frustrated with her inability to transform into her bear form at will and decided not to try and frustrate herself with the effort, instead, shouldering the rifle that Ashley had brought for her. What the hell, she could be a one woman bear cavalry, if she had to. “Let’s rock. Liam, lead us on.”
They approached the Wardens’ compound slowly, using every bit of stealth they had at their disposal. As they got closer, Kat’s nose twitched, and when Liam came to a stop, his head tilting for a moment before his body rippled and he returned to human form, her worries were confirmed. “Zack, stay in wolf form, just in case,” Liam said, turning to Kat. “You smell that?”
“Blood,” Kat whispered. “Human blood. But something else, too.”
“Yeah. Vampire,” Liam whispered, Ashley immediately pulling both of her pistols. Hollow point bullets might not be as good against a vampire as a wooden stake or a good dose of UV radiation, but it still could give a vamp one hell of a headache in the morning if Ashley put one between their eyes.
Still, she was worried. “Should have packed my spear.”
“Well, next time,” Liam whispered, reaching out and picking up a thick tree branch. He twisted, shattering the end and bringing it to a rough if serviceable point and handed it to Ashley before leading them more quickly toward the compound gate, his nudity ignored for now.
Kat’s sense of fear upped a few notches when she saw that the gate was cracked open, not much, but swinging free on its hinges and squeaking slightly in the light breeze. Liam led the way into the compound and the first thing that Kat saw nearly made her lose her lunch. The Wardens lay strewn about, their bodies twisted and mangled in agonizing poses. Still, there was very little blood, which probably explained the almost minuscule scent in the breeze. “What the hell happened here?”
“Whatever happened, the Wardens put up a fight,” Ashley said, kneeling next to a human-shaped pile of ash on the ground. “The wind has screwed up some of them, but I see at least four or five more. These are vampire remains.”
“Keep your eyes open either way,” Liam said, pointing towards the main building. “We still need to see if Big Mike is here.”
At the mention of her father, Kat refocused, lifting her rifle and flipping the safety off. She didn’t know what was in front of her, but she knew that whatever or whoever it was, she was not in the mood to mess around.
The main barn of the compound was huge, easily big enough to hold a decent sized herd of cattle or something else, like a werebear locked in a cage. Liam tried to slide the door back on its track by pure muscular strength alone until a brittle metallic snap pinged, and the door slid open easily. “Whoops. Didn’t realize they had it on an electric opener.”
“It makes sense,” Ashley said. “it would give them a final fallback position in the event of an attack.”
“Then why didn’t they use it?” Kat wondered. “Why did they fight out in the courtyard?”
The inside of the barn was just as much a battle scene as the outside, but immediately they could see the place where what had probably been the place where her father’s cage had sat. The scrape marks across the concrete were clear and deep, whatever had pulled the cage had done it by brute force alone.
“Crap,” Liam growled. “Ashley I thought you said the Wardens could handle vampires?”
Before Ashley could answer, a light groan from the darkened corner caught their attention. Zack led the way, covering the distance in three big jumps. When Kat got closer a few seconds later, she saw a man lying on the ground bleeding. Obviously here was the source of the majority of the blood smell in the air. “Who is it?”
“Tom Vail,” Ashley said, kneeling. “He was the man I talked to about Big Mike. He was one of the Wardens who taught me about sniping.”
Ashley helped turn Tom over, and they could see that he was still alive if only barely. “Y... You. You’re too late,” he said in a papery thin voice. “They took him about two hours ago.”
“What happened?” Liam asked. “How did the vampires get in here so easily?”
“I was on a perimeter security,” Tom whispered back. “I’d just come down from the observation nest because Jim said he wanted to ask me a question.”
“Who is Jim?” Kat asked. “Another Warden?”
“Our chief Warden,” Tom rasped. “At least he was until he shot me in the back. God, we’d spent all that time worrying about attacks from the outside, trying to make sure you or the other wolf packs didn’t get him, we were totally unprepared for an interior betrayal. He let them in, and actually, he was the first one to die too. I guess the bloodsuckers don’t reward their lackeys as much as we do.”
“Why did they leave you alive?” Kat asked. “Did you just get lucky?”
“Yeah… lucky,” Tom painfully answered, a slight cough coming from his punctured chest that Kat was realized was him trying to laugh. Gallows humor indeed, the man was dying and could still work up the effort to try and laugh. “No, it was the other Wardens. Even with an inside job, they fought as hard as they could. And the lead vampire was worried that you might show up anytime. So, they dragged your father off, still in his cage. They left me behind, that’s all.”
“Do you know where they took him?”
Tom shook his head, his strength fading. “No, they didn’t say anything I could overhear. The lead one, though, I know his face. He’s one of the big vampires in the area. I think his name is Cole. I’m... I’m sorry. We screwed up...”
Tom’s head sagged back to the concrete, and Liam put his ear to the man’s chest, lifting in a moment later to shake his head. “He’s dead.”
“So, what now?” Ashley asked, her eyes constantly scanning the inside of the barn. She was ready for another attack and didn’t like sticking around, that was for sure. “Tom said the vamps took Big Mike, but where?”
“Theon might know,” Kat said, earning an immediate growl from Liam. “Dammit Liam, I know you don’t trust him. But he said he would help me if I needed it! I can’t think of a better time, or a better need, than right this minute!”
“He’s a fucking bloodsucker!” Liam exploded, turning on his mate. “And let’s face it, he’s got the fucking hots for you!”
“No shit!” Kat says, not backing down. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t use him! Liam, I’m your mate. I’m not up for games! If we can use Theon, then let’s use him, and who cares if he gets a stiff one for me or not!”
“Will you two cut the fucking hormones?” Ashley said, earning a growl from Zack who she turned on, her pistol out. “As for you Zack, back the fuck off. I might be Kat’s friend, I might be her Gu
ardian, and I might trust Liam at least a little. That doesn’t mean I’m going to do everything he says, or not share my opinion. And right now, I might just put one in your ass just to teach you a fucking lesson.”
The tension was thick, so thick it could be cut by one of Ashley’s bullets very easily, but instead it was interrupted by Ashley herself, who tilted her head to the side as a buzzing sound came from her hip, and she picked up her phone. “Shit, it’s Carly.”
“What? She knows we’re here,” Liam asked, Kat hearing the concern in his voice. She understood. As much as Carly was sometimes annoying, especially with her over the top, unrequited crush on Zack, she was Liam’s cousin, and in a lot of ways, Kat had come to see her in the same sort of little sister role that Liam did. Besides, Carly was also a wolf, and from a family of alphas. If she was calling, something had gone wrong. “Put her on speaker. Zack, change.”
Ashley hit the speakerphone button just as the cracks and crackles of Zack’s body changing back into human form echoed through the room, Kat ignoring it as Carly’s breathing came on. Kat didn’t even wait for Ashley or Liam to take the lead, her voice filled with concern. “Carly, what’s wrong?”
The girl panted but sounded unhurt. “The cave. It was attacked.”
A wave of dread swept through Kat, but she kept her voice as level as possible. “What happened? Who attacked? Was anybody hurt?”
“No, the babies are fine,” Carly answered, at Kat could see the relief wash over Liam’s face. She felt it too. Before she could say anything, though, Carly continued. “Elizabeth and I are okay also, for anyone keeping score there. As for who attacked, we’ve got a big problem on our hands. I think it was Crystal at the head of the attack. I’d remember that scrawny bitch form anywhere, even though she’s a lot more scarred than the last time I saw her.”
“Was she by herself?” Zack asked as he heard his sister’s name. “I know she’s batshit crazy, but I didn’t think she was that stupid.”
“She wasn’t alone,” Carly replied. “I don’t know who all she has, but she had a full pack with her. We were shit out of luck until McKenzie arrived.”
“Wait… McKenzie showed up?” Kat said, excitement, surprise, and disbelief in her voice. “How?”
“I have no damn clue how, but just as Elizabeth and I were about to get overrun, she came sweeping out of the forest like some sort of weird swirly white-clad Valkyrie or some shit. Her and that damn cat of hers, throwing fireballs and whipping people around with the wind and funky craziness like that. It was really fucking impressive. Anyway, she covered for us and chased the rest of that pack off. But we had to ditch the cave.”
Kat ran her hands through her hair, trying not to weep with relief. Her babies were alive, and her sister had somehow found them. Still, she was going to have to kick McKenzie’s ass for making her wonder about where the hell she was for the past nine months without even a fucking peep. “So where are you guys now?”
“McKenzie took us to a cabin in the woods in the hills near Bone Lake. She said that it belonged to your father?”
Kat knew exactly where Carly was talking about. She never understood before why her Dad kept the small hunting cabin in the deep mountains when they struggled to pay the rent on the shitty tract house that they had, but now she did. And she was grateful. “Okay. I know exactly where you are. Hunker down, and don’t let McKenzie out of your sight. I swear to God if she disappears on you, I’m going to be kicking ass from here to Los Angeles.”
“Don’t worry, she said she’s not going anywhere. Apparently, she’s decided that your little ones need her protection.”
Kat looked over at her mate, whose face was also written in deep relief. “Okay. In any case, we’ll get there as soon as we can. The vampires have my father, and we need to talk about what happens next.”
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the line, and Kat knew that Carly was just as upset about the news as they were. “Is everyone okay?”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kat could hear the concern in Carly’s voice, especially for Zack. It made her smile, or at least not want to tear somebody’s head off. “We are all fine, although Ashley threatened to shoot Zack in the ass.”
Carly growled, and even Zack had to smile a little at the threat contained therein. The young teen wolf was no match for Ashley, who more than once had gotten that drop on Zack and even Liam. Carly was outclassed and out of her league, and everybody knew it. Not that it would stop the girl from trying. “Relax Carly,” Liam finally said. “Zack is fine, and you need to make sure you protect my children. McKenzie might be back, but you’re my blood. Understand?”
“I understand,” Carly replied. “We will be waiting for you when you show up.”
After the call hung up, Ashley put the phone back in her pocket. “So, what now? Go to them or go to this bloodsucker Theon?”
“We split up,” Liam said. “Crystal’s track from the cave should still be fresh, and I still know her scent. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I’ve fucked her. I can trace that scent wherever it goes. Kat, take the other two back to your father’s hunting lodge. Which side of Bone Lake is it on?”
“The west side, near Stony Point Cove,” Kat said. She felt nervous and knew that she also wanted to go to Theon to get information before the trail went cold. “Are you sure you want to split up?”
Liam wasn’t going to do that, however. The first priority, always and forever to him, was to protect his mate and his children. To him, Big Mike could come later. “Yeah. I’m not going to confront them, but I need to know where they are. If the trail is fresh, that means she’ll still be with her pack. I can trace them, and then we can decide what to do later. I’ll be back at the cabin by sunup.”
Kat and Liam exchanged deep looks, so deep that even Ashley and Zack knew to retreat from the area, giving them a moment of privacy. Once they were alone, Kat wrapped her arms around her mate, pulling him close. She let her fear go, and decided to put her trust in Liam. “You promise me you’ll be careful. I need you.”
“I need you too,” Liam said, inhaling the rich scent of her hair. “You are my heart and soul, my mate. I know that you want to find your father, and I know that you understand why I’m doing this, which is even more special. When this started, I didn’t know what this would become. But I know that I love you.”
Kat felt tears come to her eyes, he so rarely used the word love with her. Mate yes, affection yes, need want, desire, all those words were common between them. So rarely did he use the word love, but it made it even more special when he did. “You hurry back. I love you too.”
Liam eased her head back, looking into her eyes with his own which were already starting to swirl with gold. He bent his head to hers, and kissed her passionately, the heat of his lips and his tongue and the strength of his hands telling her more than any words could. This was more than love, this was something that poets wrote about and usually fucked up. Their tongues swirled around each other once, twice, and a third time before Liam stepped back, his body already rippling and cracking as he changed back to wolf form. Still, she could see him in the lupine gaze, and as he turned to run out of the barn, she silently wished him luck. Following him outside, she saw Ashley and Zack waiting for her, Zack kneeling down ready to change himself. “No need,” Kat said. “Unless you want to.”
“I’m good,” Zack replied, not ashamed at all about his nudity. “You ladies have seen what I’ve got. I am more interested in getting back and seeing McKenzie.”
“Well, make sure you put on some pants before you do,” Ashley quipped. “You don’t want to scare her. I’ve had more experience than her, and you’ve got a lot to be proud of down there.”
“No, he doesn’t want to see his Alpha female bust him in the eye,” Kat lightly threatened as Zack blushed. “Especially, since my little sister is still seventeen.”
“It’s more than that,” Zack defended himself, making Kat smirk. She’d kno
wn it was ‘more than that’ for months, especially since the young man had been so loyal even with his sister gone. Not too many men would still be loyal nine months after a girl took off without a single word goodbye. “I will be a perfect gentleman.”
Ashley smirked, turning away and leading them out of the gate. “For a wolf.”
Chapter 42
The trees ripped at his fur, but Liam barely felt anything as he ran through the woods. The fact that his home had been attacked not just once but twice by Crystal left him trembling with rage. Add to it that his children had been threatened, and he was barely able to control himself.
What if McKenzie hadn’t shown up? What if it has been just Carly and Elizabeth? What if he had been running through the woods not to track down an attacker, but rather to track down the murderers of my family?
Thoughts like this swirled in his head as he leaped over the woodlands stream that he thought of as the border of his territory. He forced himself to slow, knowing that while Crystal might be crazy, she was also smart. He had underestimated her before, and it was a mistake he did not want to repeat again. Not when the consequences could be as steep as they were. He was at least a hundred yards from the cave when he caught the metallic, bitter smell that still haunted his nightmares. How is the world did I ever had sex with this woman even one time? Even her scent is insane.
Liam slowed, doing his best to separate his rage from his need to track the attackers down. His sense of smell was sharper than a Japanese katana, and he immediately could discern that there were twelve attackers in total, and while all of them had left the cave after being beaten off by McKenzie, he could smell the blood of at least one of them. Even with werewolf regeneration, at least one of them was mortally wounded. Still, Crystal’s scent cut through the rest of the stench like a knife, and he quickly turned, heading northwest towards what he suspected was the same place that she had nearly barbecued his ass alive.