I scan the Wright Pack, but lose sight of the man. I do a second pass over thinking I'll find Kyran and that too doesn't work out. My gut's telling me this isn't right. I connect with Tucker and Kit through the pack bond. "That man isn't the alpha."
"To coward to face you himself?" Tucker asks.
"That doesn't sound right. No alpha could stand to hide in the shadows while a lesser ranking wolf leads his people."
"Then why?" Kit asks.
Tucker and I turn to each other as we answer the question at the same time. "Decoy!"
I open up the connection to the rest of the pack and fire off my orders. "Kit, take a group and protect the back and sides. Tucker, get up stairs now! I'll join you as soon as we finish off this group. Killian, get the girls out of there and to a safe place! Everyone else. ATTACK!"
Chaos breaks out as the other pack shifts and attacks, just as we're doing the same. Tucker is caught in battle with a large grey wolf and can't get away. I try to fight my way through to get to Bloom and Bonnie, and end up going head to head with the phony alpha. I bite and claw at every piece of flesh I can make contact with, but it's taking too long. The need to get our mate is pushing my wolf to new strengths. I just hope it's enough to get us there before it's too late.
****************************
Killian
"Killian, get the girls out of there and to a safe place!" Pike's message bursts into my subconscious. I take in Bloom still passed out on a lounge chair and cuss. Fuck! I guess it's better she doesn't see what's coming if this all goes to hell. But on the other hand it would be easier to protect her if she could protect herself even a tad bit.
"Try to wake her up. We need to get out of here." I order the mouthy brunette my brother mated.
She nods from her seat at her friend’s side. A spot she hasn't moved from since she let me into the suite. While she's trying to wake Bloom I move to the door, partially shifting in hopes of catching any unwanted visitors scents. I’m overwhelmed with the smell of unknown shifters, yet intertwined with theirs is one so similar to mine that it could be my own. “Kyran!” I growl.
“Did I just hear you right?” Bonnie asks.
I nod and place my finger to my lips, indicating she needs to stay quiet. Her eyes widen, but lucky for me instead of freaking out she goes back to the task of rousing Bloom. It’s not going to successful. My traitorous brother and his new pack are bearing down on our location, and I know I have to get these two hidden. I pick-up Bloom and carry her to the master bathroom with her Guardian in tow. I lay her on the tiled floor. Standing up I direct Bonnie. “Lock the door.” I look around and seeing the large armoire against the nearby wall I add. “Barricade it with that.” I cross to the door, and I’m getting ready to slam it behind me when she calls.
“Where are you going?”
“To hold them off until your mates can get here.” She starts to protest, but I cut her off. “We don’t have time for this. Lock this damn door, and make sure your guns are ready. Don’t hesitate to shoot. Do you understand?”
“Gotcha.”
I don’t say another word as I shut the door. I stand there and wait for the click, letting me know she locked it, and the scrape of the armoire moving across the floor. Once I’m satisfied she’s following my directions I walk back into the living room to greet my fate.
Chapter 27 – Killian
Standing in the middle of the living room in my shifted form, I wait. They burst through the entrance, spilling out of the hall and into the room with me. There’s three men who are already shifted, as well. Kyran and another man are behind the wolves. Kyran takes me in with a sardonic smile and a shake of his head. “I see you’ve chosen the wrong side, Brother.”
He steps aside, making room for the man behind him to step forward. The man looks me over, and then with a wave of his hand orders. “Dispose of this one. Quickly.”
The three wolves start to circle me, but Kyran steps forward stopping them. As he starts to strip out of his clothes he says. “I’ll handle him.” Within seconds he’s changed, and is standing before me as his wolf. Where his fur is a pale blonde, mine is a rich brown. Where my eyes match our mother’s emerald ones, his are vibrant amber like our father’s. For being twins we look nothing alike, and more so we act nothing alike. I would never think to betray my family or pack. The fact that he’s done so should blow my mind, but in honesty Kyran has always been a psychotic mess. He once stalked a human girl who rejected him for weeks. He never took it as far as harming her, but he sure as hell scared the shit out of her. I shouldn’t have brushed that kind of behavior off. Maybe if I had stepped up long ago, and told our parents the sick shit he was doing we wouldn’t be going through this now. But it’s too late to change that, and now I need to do my part to put a stop to him.
He tries to circle me, looking for an opening, but I refuse to give him my back. I snap my teeth at him and he answers with a growl. He lunges for my throat but misses. I make a move for his throat but he moves, just in time. We go at each other in a fury. It’s all teeth and claws, going for blood. He gets a chunk of my shoulder, and I get a chunk of his hind leg. We’re tearing each other apart piece by piece, each hoping to be the one to take the final bite.
A loud bang behind us shatters my focus, giving him the in he needs. His teeth latch onto my throat, and I know I’m done. He tightens his grip on my neck, and I’m waiting for the final blow that ends me forever. But it doesn’t come. He’s injuring me, I’m losing large amounts of blood, but he’s not finishing me. Just as I’m on the verge of blacking out from the blood loss he releases me, and shifts. Leaning over me, our faces almost touching, he whispers. “Don’t move.”
My mouth forms the word “Why”, but no sound comes out. He sees it and answers my unspoken question. “I can’t kill my twin. Now play dead. They’re coming back.” I close my eyes and hold my breath, willing every inch of myself not to move. I don’t have to try very hard because within seconds the darkness takes me under as I pass out.
****************************
Bonnie
Seeing Kyran standing over the motionless form of his twin has me squirming in my capture’s arms as I scream. “You fucking killed your own brother. Your twin! I swear if it’s the last thing I ever do, I WILL KILL YOU.”
He stands, not even caring that he’s naked as a jay bird and rumbles. “Why are you bringing the human?”
The man carrying me chuckles. “She’s feisty. I’m going to make her mine.”
“Daryl, she shot and killed Stan.” The guy carrying Bloom says, shaking his head.
“Like I said she’s feisty. She’ll make a hell of a mate.”
Squirming in Daryl’s arms I scream. “I’m going to kill you, too, and dance on your lifeless body.”
He smacks my ass, causing me to see red. “You’re a vicious little human.”
I kick harder, using my bound hands to pound on his back. He drops me on my ass, and the man who is obviously in charge crouches in front of me. He takes hold of my chin and warns. “You have two choices. One, you shut the fuck up and we take you with us. Or two, we kill you now and leave you here. Choose now.”
I swallow hard around the lump in my throat and respond immediately. “I’ll go with choice one.”
He releases my chin and pats the top of my head. “Good choice.” He stands and directs the guy who dropped me to pick me back up. Daryl does as directed and we exit the suite. I manage to keep my mouth shut while they rush us down a back stairwell that leads to a delivery entrance where a van is waiting. Daryl climbs into the back, still holding me and takes a seat with me in his lap. I manage to keep my lips pressed shut when I really want to verbally rip him a new one. I settle for shooting invisible daggers at him with my eyes. He takes in the death glare I’m shooting his way and laughs. He fucking laughs!
“Don’t worry. I’ll rip out his throat and he’ll never laugh again.” Tucker rumbles through our bond.
“You need to hurry
up they have us in a van…” I’m cut off when I feel a pinch in my neck and everything instantly goes black.
****************************
Tucker
“Bonnie!” I shout through our bond. When no response comes I pick up the object closest to me and throw it. I watch the lamp shatter against the wall, but it does nothing to soothe me.
“What did you get?” Pike asks.
“They’re in a van. I lost Bonnie before I could find out anything else.”
“Can you still feel the bond?”
“Yes, they must not realize she’s mated.”
He pats me on the back. “Then we can track them.”
“I’m coming with you.” My eyes land on my mother. She’s sitting on the floor where we found Killian. He was just wheeled out of the room to be taken down to the make shift infirmary, but she’s still on her knees by the puddle of his blood.
“Mom.”
“Rose.” Pike and I both start, but she stops us by raising her bloody hand. “Don’t try and stop me. This is happening because of me and I’m going to make sure it ends.”
“Kyran will be there. Can you handle…” Pike begins.
“He attacked his brother, and conspired to have his sister kidnapped, again. I’ll do what has to be done.”
“Then you can come, but don’t make me regret it.” Pike warns and then turns to me. “Lead the way. Our women are waiting on us.”
Chapter 28 – Bloom
My eyelids grate against my eyeballs like sandpaper as I pry them open. As I try to push myself up into a sitting position I feel arms come around my back and shoulders to help. I turn into my helper, planning on thanking them, but when I meet the gun-metal grey eyes of a stranger I recoil. He steps back and runs his fingers through his golden hair. “I’m sorry. I was only trying to help.”
“Who are you?” I ask, my voice coming out croaky as my wolf rumbles her warning. Strange wolf, don’t trust!
He straddles a chair that’s setting in front of a vanity table. His arms laying along the top he asks. “If I tell you will you promise not to explode until I’ve given you an explanation?”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re the Wright Pack Alpha.” Enemy!
“I prefer to be called, Carson, but that’ll work as well.” He sighs.
I force my legs out of the bed and try to stand. I almost collapse to the floor, so I settle on sitting on the edge of the mattress. Glaring at the man I growl. “You kidnapped me!”
“You’re mine.” He responds instantly.
“You’re delusional.”
He stands, pushing the chair out of his way. He’s in front of me so quickly I gasp. He wraps my hair around his fist, forcing my head back, so I’m staring up at him. Leaning down so his face is right in front of mine he growls. “You. Are. MINE!”
“Too late, asshole.”
“If you think a bond to that weak wolf is going to stop me from claiming what is mine then you are sorely mistaken.”
“You can’t break a mating bond.” I say, trying to push him away.
He releases my hair, but doesn’t move. “Little do you know. Killing your mate is a pretty effective way of breaking the connection you have.”
My mouth falls open in shock, and my wolf lets loose a warning growl so strong that it causes my skin to ripple. Is this guy completely off his rocker? “You’ll kill me.”
“Not as long as I mate you right away. Bonding with me will save you.” He smiles like a big fat know-it-all as he eyes my rippling skin, questioningly. I try to resist the urge to hurt him, but my anger over rules that, and I end up punching the jerk in the eye.
He slaps me so hard my head snaps to the side. Grabbing me by the back of the head he jerks me forward. “You will learn your place or I’ll beat it into you.”
“Do you really think that’s the way to treat the person you see as your mate?”
“If they need to be trained, then yes.”
“I’m not your mate, and I sure as hell am not some pet you need to train.”
“My parent’s sent your mother to mate with that human so you would be born. For me! You were created…For me! If that bitch hadn’t taken off and hidden you from us you already would’ve been here with me, and I’d have you trained to know your place. But since she pulled the shit she did you’re behind so let me start with your first lesson.”
“Oh, Psycho, please enlighten me.”
He ignores my comment and continues. “You don’t mouth your Alpha, and you sure as hell don’t slap him. Doing so will cause you to be punished by my hand. That slaps was just the tip of the punishment iceberg you have coming your way if you keep this behavior up.”
“Thanks for the suggestion, but I choose to set my own rules.”
“So be it. But don’t cry to me when you’re more black and blue than creamy white.” He says releasing his hold on me and walking away. At the door he stops and turns. “I’ll send someone in with food. I don’t know what that worthless pack was doing to you, but you’re about as weak as a rag doll, and I need you strong for what I have in store.”
“Good, strengthen me.” I mumble as he makes his exit. We’ll use it to rip out his throat. My wolfs adds, and I whole heartedly agree. If the fool thinks I’ll just roll over and let him take possession of me he’s a bigger moron than I thought.
Chapter 29 – Tucker
My connection to Bonnie leads us deep into Kentucky. The heart of the Wright Pack’s territory to be more exact. Rose guides us to a two-story Greek revival home that is surrounded by woods. The brick building, with its large white pillars, is being guarded by no less than ten wolves. That should be deterring me from wanting to barrel in to rescue Bonnie and Bloom, but my wolf is on the verge of going feral, and wants nothing more than to run in there to rip apart the enemy. We want our mate back. We want our sister back. And we want the strange wolves dead, especially the one who dares to claim our mate.
“The house has a secret entrance in the woods that leads into the cellar. Not many know about it, so I doubt they’ll have it heavily guarded. We can get into the house that way, and hopefully get to the girls before someone catches our scent.” Rose explains. She starts moving through the woods taking us away from the house. We enter a crumbling cemetery, and she goes straight to a mausoleum. I don’t take the time to read the names engraved on the tombs as she pulls open a trap door in the floor and descends a rickety set of wood stairs. Pike follows behind her and I take the rear, making sure to close the door behind us.
“When we get inside I’m going for Bonnie first.”
Pike glances over his shoulder. “Of course.”
“We’ll meet back in the cellar.” Rose suggests.
Pike’s head snaps in her direction. “We’re leaving out the front door.”
“But…”
“I’m killing everyone who helped steal my mate.” His voice holds no room for arguing, not that we would anyways. It’s his right to eliminate the threat to his mate. Rose concedes with a nod ash she continues guiding us through the tunnel.
After a short distance we reach a wood door. She lays her hand on it, but stops short of pushing it open. She lets out a sigh. “I’m going after, Kyran.”
“Rose.” Pike warns with a low growl.
“To kill him, Alpha.”
“Mom?” I gasp in shock. I know this has to be done, but I never thought it would be her to do so.
“Are you sure?” Pike asks.
She nods. “I’m his mother. I need to be the one to put him to rest.”
“Fine.” Pike looks at both of us and adds. “Let’s get this done.”
Rose pushes the door open so we can enter the cellar, taking stairs that lead to the main floor. Pike snaps the neck of a man who is standing guard, and starts taking the steps to the second floor two at a time, not caring if anyone sees him.
The mating bond is telling me to go right to find Bonnie. I turn to go that way but hesitate long enough to warn my mother.
“He won’t take it easy on you.”
She’s staring down the left side of the hall, where Kyran’s scent is strongest. When she looks at me I see her mouth is twisted into a frown. “I know he won’t.” We hold each other’s gaze and after a moment I lean down to press a kiss to her cheek. “Love you.”
Her hand comes to my jaw as she flashes a weak smile. “I love you too, Son. Now go get your mate.”
Placing my hand over hers I pull it away from my face and give it a gentle squeeze. “Please, be careful.”
She jerks her head in a nod and then turning on her heels she takes off. I watch her until she rounds a corner and is out of sight. There’s a feeling of dread settling heavily in my stomach, but instead of dwelling on it I turn to the right. It’s time to find, Bonnie.
****************************
Bonnie
Holding my hand out in front of my face I inspect my nails. The bastard chipped one. I fling my dagger at his head. It imbeds itself in the headboard, a millimeter from his right ear. The bastard whimpers, causing me to smile. “You’re a sadistic bitch.”
“Hey! It wasn’t me who wanted to be handcuffed and spanked. That was all you, Christian Grey wannabe.” I walk to the bed and jerk my dagger out of the giant wood frame. Luckily, the guy had one made that could withstand his supernatural strength, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to keep him contained. But there’s no way he’s breaking that solid wood structure. This kinky bastard even had metal loops built into the headboard to latch his handcuffs to. Handcuffs that are surprisingly not breaking under the struggling he’s doing. I trail the dagger along his throat, letting it slice open the skin near his jaw.
bloom daniels 02 - lightening bloom Page 12