Wolf Hunger

by Paige Tyler

  She knew it was hard for Max to see Zane in a hospital bed, unmoving and covered in wires, tubes, and insulated wraps, but it was the only way Dr. Saunders had been able to keep him alive long enough for them to find an antidote to the poison. At least they hoped it would keep Zane alive that long. It was still a race against time, and they’d barely gotten off the starting line so far.

  Max turned at the sound of her entrance. “I thought you’d be getting some sleep.”

  Lana smiled and walked over to wrap her arms around him, pressing her face against his strong chest and breathing in his scent. It was amazing how much different the world was now that she could smell just about everything. But even with all the scents out there, there was only one that was both calming and energizing at the same time—Max’s. It was like nothing she’d ever experienced before, and she couldn’t help but think that she might actually be able to live on nothing more than his scent. It had that much of an effect on her.

  “There’s no way I could sleep any more than you could,” she said softly against his chest. “I’m not going to sleep until we figure out an antidote for this poison and bring Zane out of his coma.”

  She expected Max to complain, but he only squeezed her tighter. He’d stuck close to her ever since they’d brought Zane in yesterday morning, clearly worried. When he wasn’t doing that or checking in on Zane, he was outside, walking the perimeter of the clinic’s property. Lana tried to convince him there was little chance the hunters would find her there, but Max would only nod, then go back out to make another circuit of the area around the clinic, as if he thought the hunters were going to show up any minute.

  “Have you made any headway with the antidote?” he asked, stepping back to look down at her hopefully. “Or at least gotten something back from any of your college professors that might help?”

  Lana and Dr. Saunders had started working on an antidote for the poison within minutes of getting Zane into his hypothermic coma. A short time later, Lacey and Triana had joined them. As a veterinarian, the tall, willowy Lacey had a good understanding of human anatomy and physiology from her undergrad work. While the dark-haired Triana didn’t have a background in medicine, as a forensic scientist, there was little in the way of lab equipment that she didn’t know how to use. It wasn’t the setting Lana would have chosen when it came to meeting the two women for the first time, but at the moment, it wasn’t about getting to know the other members of her new pack. It was about figuring out where the hunters’ poison had come from and how to get it out of Zane.

  Unfortunately, identifying the chemical makeup of the drug had been much more difficult than they’d hoped. Lana and the others had worked straight through the night, trying every test they could think of to figure out the basic structure for the poison, but it was a complicated process, and finding something when you didn’t know where to start looking was hard as hell.

  Realizing they needed all the help they could get, Lana had sent every scrap of data they had on the samples to some of her former professors, telling them that a prospective employer had stumbled over this complex chemical formulation and needed help identifying it. She knew her former professors, and few of them could resist a puzzle. Figuring out what this poison was made out of was definitely a conundrum.

  In the end, the answer hadn’t come from any of her professors or even Dr. Saunders.

  “Triana’s mother, Gemma, put us on the right track,” Lana said. “When Triana asked her if she’d ever heard of a poison that could hurt a werewolf, she mentioned an old folktale about Aconitum lycoctonum.”

  Max frowned. “What’s that?”

  “Wolfsbane. It comes from a very poisonous plant that has been used for millennia to kill people—and wolves. Once we knew where to focus our search, we were able to figure out that the poison in those bullets is a synthetic and highly concentrated form of the juice from one of the lycoctonum subspecies that grows on the high plains of Europe. We think it’s been genetically engineered to make it especially deadly to werewolves, even in tiny amounts.”

  “So you have an antidote?” Max’s face brightened. “Something you can give to Zane right away?”

  Lana hated to disappoint him, especially when he was obviously so desperate for good news. But she couldn’t lie to him.

  “Nothing yet,” she told him gently. “But we’re moving in that direction and hope to have something we can try soon.”

  Max took a deep breath and slowly let it out, his eyes glowing bright yellow-gold, his control teetering on the edge. Lana rested her hand on his chest, standing there with him and matching her breathing to his until the glow faded from his eyes.

  “How the hell did these hunters stumble on this damn poison?” he finally asked.

  “Dr. Saunders doesn’t think they stumbled over it,” Lana said. “The poison came from an engineered species of the plant. That means they have scientists growing, testing, modifying, and retesting over and over until they get the effects they want.”

  Max eyes narrowed. “You mean these hunters have been testing this poison on werewolves? That they have werewolves in captivity somewhere, injecting this crap into them?”

  It was horrible to think Max was right and they were dealing with people who were so demented they’d actually experiment on werewolves to figure out how to kill them more efficiently.

  “There’s no way we can know for sure,” she said. “But Dr. Saunders thinks it’s a good possibility.”

  Max cursed, then fell silent for a moment before tipping her chin up with gentle fingers. “I’m sorry I brought all this trouble into your life,” he said quietly. “Werewolf hunters and poison bullets are a lot of baggage to ask anyone to deal with.”

  Lana caught his hand and held it. “This isn’t your fault. If you remember, the hunters came after me, then followed me here from Austin. So if anyone should apologize, it’s me. If I wasn’t a werewolf, Denise would still be alive. If I hadn’t led the hunters here to Dallas, we wouldn’t all be looking over our shoulders. If I hadn’t decided I needed to go to pick up that stuff from my parents’ house because I didn’t want Brooks going through my panty drawer, Zane wouldn’t be in a coma down there in that bed.”

  His brow furrowed. “You aren’t responsible for any of this, Lana. There was no way we could have known those assholes would show up at your parents’ house again. And as for coming to Dallas,” he added, his expression softening, “if you hadn’t, we never would have met, and neither one of us would have found The One we’re meant to be with for the rest of our lives. Speaking of which, I should probably explain the significance of what that means, even though this isn’t exactly the most ideal setting.”

  He was right. It wasn’t. But something told her Zane would be the first to be happy for them.

  Giving Max a smile, she said, “Lacey and Triana already told me about the legend of The One. I only wished someone—no names mentioned—would have clued me in on it earlier. It would have helped explain all this crazy whirlwind of emotions I’ve been dealing with since we met.”

  Max let out a soft chuckle. “Would you have believed me that first night we met if I’d told you we were magically connected and destined to be together?”

  She considered that. “Probably not that night, but after that night you drove me down to Austin, then spent hours afterward talking with me about Denise, I think I would have been open to it, since I’d already figured out you were something special.”

  He pushed her hair back from her face. “I was worried I’d chase you away if I told you too much too soon.”

  “It took a little while, but we have each other now,” she said. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

  He bent his head and kissed her. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

  Lana’s breath hitched, her heart doing little pirouettes. She’d been fairly certain he loved her, but hearing him say the
words to make it official made her feel warm and gooey inside. “I have a pretty good idea,” she whispered with a smile. “Since, if it’s anything close to the way I feel about you, it’s like you can’t imagine being able to breathe without the other person in your life.”

  His mouth curved. “That puts it into words better than I ever could.”

  “Hearing you say you love me is what matters to me,” she said, going up on tiptoes to kiss him again.

  Max wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “Then I love you, Lana Mason.”

  “And I love you, Max Lowry.”

  His mouth covered hers for another long, lingering kiss before the murmur of voices downstairs made them take a step back.

  “It sounds like Gage is here. We should go down,” Max said. “Hopefully, he’ll have something on where to find those damn hunters.”

  They found the SWAT team commander outside the double doors of the OR, talking quietly with Dr. Saunders and Trey.

  The doctor looked exhausted, which wasn’t surprising since he’d been pushing himself nonstop since yesterday morning. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury of taking a break because Zane’s survival rested squarely on his shoulders.

  Trey didn’t look as physically tired as the doctor, even if he hadn’t rested any more than the other man. He’d stood outside the OR, gazing at Zane through the small square window in one of the swinging doors as if he could will his pack mate to wake up. Even though Dr. Saunders had told him multiple times that cutting the muscle out of Zane’s arm had undoubtedly saved the werewolf’s life, it was obvious Trey blamed himself for doing it.

  Dr. Saunders was updating Gage on Zane’s condition as she and Max walked up, and the man wasn’t pulling any punches as he laid out how horrible the poison they were dealing with truly was.

  “Even if we’re able to come up with an antidote, and that’s no given, it may not be in time,” the doctor said. “If a miracle does occur, and he lives, there’s no telling if his arm will ever be functional again.”

  Gage’s tightly controlled emotions slipped a little, sorrow crossing his face. But he quickly recovered, nodding at the man. “Do what you can. That’s all I ask.”

  Dr. Saunders reached out to give Gage’s shoulder a comforting squeeze, then turned and headed back to the lab.

  “Any word on the hunters?” Max asked.

  Gage shook his head. “The DPD was able to get video stills of the big guy Lana told us about—Boyd—and the other man who was with him at the mall. Their faces are pasted all over the internet and the news. We haven’t identified either of them yet, but it’s only a matter of time. There’s no way in hell these men don’t have police records. This kind of evil doesn’t just show up out of the blue.”

  Max cursed. “Isn’t there something else we can be doing to find these assholes?”

  “We are,” Gage said. “Becker is hacking into every video feed in the Dallas metro region, using a bootleg copy of the Department of Homeland Security’s facial recognition software to screen through thousands of hours of footage, but it’s going to take a while.”

  Trey took his eyes off Zane long enough to glance at his commander. “What about Max and me? Can we do anything?”

  “As a matter of fact, that’s one of the reasons I came over here.” Gage looked from Trey to Max. “I need you two back at the compound.”

  Max frowned. “Sarge, I can’t leave Lana here on her own. She’s their target.”

  “I know,” Gage said. “I wouldn’t ask you to leave her side if I had any other choice, but I need you. With Zane out of the lineup, and everything else going on, we’re spread too thin to have you two on the bench.”

  It was Trey’s turn to frown. “What else is going on?”

  “Becker and Connor are digging through video feeds, looking for the hunters. Xander has Hale, Cooper, and Alex out covering every anonymous tip coming in from people claiming they’ve seen the hunters. And Brooks and Carter are rounding up all the werewolves in the area living on their own or in small groups. I want them staying at the compound until this is over.”

  Lana hadn’t yet met the majority of the Pack that Gage had mentioned, but she found herself worrying for their safety anyway.

  “What about Trevor and Khaki?” Trey asked.

  “They’re still at the hospital guarding Mason and his wife,” Gage said. “Chief Curtis figured out Zane was injured yesterday and lost his mind. The only reason he doesn’t have a dozen cops outside this place right now is because I convinced him Zane would be safer if we didn’t draw any attention to this clinic.”

  Max exchanged looks with Trey. “Then who’s on standby for regular calls?” he asked Gage.

  “Mike, Diego, Remy, and me,” Gage said. “If we get a major incident, we’re not going to be able to cover it and protect the compound, too. That’s why I need the two of you back at the shop. I need you to do your jobs, even if it’s the last thing you want to do right now.”

  Max glanced at Lana, clearly torn. “We can’t leave this place unguarded, Sarge. If the hunters come here…”

  Gage’s mouth edged up. “I’d never think of leaving this place unguarded. You should know me better than that. But simply because a place needs to be protected doesn’t mean it has to be by you or one of your teammates. The Pack has grown enough to give me some other options.”

  Max and Trey were still looking at their boss in confusion when Lana heard a door open at the end of the hallway. A moment later, she picked up scents she was coming to associate with werewolves. Two women and four men walked over to them, including Chris, the guy Brandy had met at the cookout. She was still focusing on the fact that her friend was crushing on a werewolf when Gage started making introductions.

  “Lana, this is Jayna,” he said, gesturing to a tall, slender woman with long, honey-blond hair. “And her pack—Megan, Chris, Moe, and Joseph.” Then he jerked his head at a fourth man. The guy was lean with close-cropped hair and tattoos along his arms and across the top of each finger. “And this is Allen.”

  She offered her hand, shaking each of theirs in turn.

  “I know you don’t know any of them yet, but I promise they’ll do whatever is necessary to protect you and everyone else in this clinic,” Gage told her, then gave Max a pointed look. “We’ll wait for you outside.”

  Catching Trey’s eye, the SWAT commander jerked his head toward the exit. A moment later, the two men disappeared, leaving her and Max alone with the other werewolves.

  Max lingered, clearly not thrilled with the idea of leaving her. Lana didn’t like it any better than he did, but she’d be safe here. She was more worried about him out there, where the hunters could get to him, than she was about herself.

  She took both his hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. “Max, I’ll be fine. The hunters don’t have a clue I’m here and there’s no way they’re going to stumble across me. Go and take care of the other werewolves at the compound. I’ll be safe here.”

  He still hesitated for a moment, gazing at her so intently it was hard not getting lost in his beautiful, blue eyes. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed him back, wondering how it was possible that she loved him even more now than she had five minutes ago.

  “Be careful,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t go outside unless someone is with you, okay?”

  “I won’t,” she promised, stealing another kiss before he turned to leave. “You be careful, too.”

  Lana watched him walk out, praying he’d be safe out there. But he was a cop, as well as a werewolf, and cops did a dangerous job. As the daughter of the deputy chief of police, she knew that better than anyone. Fortunately, she had a job of her own to do now that would keep her distracted.

  Chapter 13

  “Gage wants to put any groups with kids on cots in the training room,” Max said,
stopping Remy as he led a pack of four werewolves and their children toward the exit of the building.

  Max’s head was spinning a hundred miles an hour as he tried to figure out where the hell they were going to put so many people. The whole place was crawling with betas and omegas, all of them trying to find a place to sleep for the night.

  Remy shook his head. “Sorry to tell you this, brother, but the training room is already full. Before you ask, so is the basketball court. And a dozen new omegas just showed up. They’re waiting in the admin building.”

  Max bit back a growl as the two little girls in the group turned big, curious eyes on him. The werewolves who’d come here for protection were already rattled by the news that not only were the hunters in town, but they had also succeeded in taking down a SWAT alpha. He didn’t need to freak them out any worse by losing his cool in front of them.

  “We still have the break room and the maintenance bay,” Max pointed out. “And if we fill those up, we can move some equipment around in the storage areas on the second floor of the admin building and squeeze a few more in over there.”

  Remy considered that, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll see how many more we can fit. But some of the omegas are going to have to sleep in the rappelling tower. There isn’t enough room for everyone inside.”

  “That’ll work,” Max agreed. It wasn’t ideal, since it didn’t have any doors or windows, but it was better than nothing. “At least the walls are thick enough to”—he almost said stop hollow-point bullets but glanced at the kids and caught himself—“keep them warm. Just make sure they stay away from the window openings.”

  Remy agreed and disappeared without another word, leading his small group back down the hallway and into the training room, finally giving Max time to slow down enough to think a little for more than five seconds.

  Then again, that probably wasn’t a good thing, since the first thought that popped into his head was that the hunters were still out there looking for Lana while he was here at the compound coordinating bedding accommodations like he was a frigging hotel concierge. He understood why Gage had wanted him and Trey to come back here, but damn, it was hard to think about anything but the woman he loved being in danger. If something happened to her, he couldn’t imagine wanting to live.