by R. E. Butler
“Where do you know it from?” Malachi asked.
“When I was in college, I took a course on how to recognize toxins, and this stood out as one that has no remedy because it works so fast.” He searched through Adam’s fur. When Adam winced as his fingers grazed his shoulder, Doc said, “Here, there’s a scratch. Whoever shot him must have thought they hit him straight-on and that he was as good as dead. He was very fortunate.”
“Since he didn’t get the full dose, can you counteract it?”
“Maybe,” Doc said, opening his medical bag and moving objects around within it. Adam heard glass bottles tinkling and plastic crinkling. Then Doc lifted a small vial and a syringe. He filled the syringe with a green-tinted liquid, spread the fur on Adam’s foreleg, and sank the needle into his flesh. The liquid burned as it was pushed into his body, but almost immediately he felt the drug within him begin to dissipate.
“Ah, what do you know? It seems to alleviate the symptoms. Give yourself a few minutes, Adam.”
“The fuck he’s going to do that, Doc. His mate is missing.”
“Shit.”
Malachi nodded.
By the time Acksel arrived with Ren and Sam, the beta and theto of the pack, Adam had shifted into his human form and dressed. He grabbed the engagement ring from Dani’s pocket and put it on his pinky finger. Having the piece of jewelry on him made him feel a little closer to her.
He led Acksel and the others to the outside of the fence and followed the scent of the males and Dani. There was little breeze now, so their scent was easy to track until they reached the road. Depressions in the snow and mud at the side of the road told them that there had been two vehicles waiting.
“How did the protectors miss this?” Acksel demanded. “There were two vehicles in our territory at the fucking edge of the woods and no one saw a damn thing?”
Adam wondered the same thing. Letting loose a growl, he thought over what had happened and if he’d seen anything that should have been a clue that things were about to go to shit.
Just as he thought the word ‘shit’ he realized what must have happened. “My dad.”
“What about your dad?” Acksel asked.
“I think he’s behind it. He came to us a while ago and asked for money. I turned him down, but he was pretty desperate.”
“Check your cell. Do you have a ransom demand?” Ren asked.
Adam looked at his phone, but there was no activity since Dani had been taken.
“What if it’s not about who Dani is, but what she is?” Sam asked.
“What do you mean?” Adam asked, unease rising within him.
“She’s a reindeer. You said that she’s unique because her people are nomads and stay off the radar. What if someone would pay for her because she’s a reindeer shifter?”
Acksel growled darkly. “We need to reach out to the police and find out if they know of any groups in the area who might be inclined to traffic in shifters.”
“A better idea is to find my dad and figure out what the hell he did to my mate,” Adam growled.
“Let’s find your dad and ask him a few questions.” Acksel cracked his knuckles, and the males around him readied to leave. Adam was grateful for his pack’s help.
“Thank you,” he said, emotion welling inside him.
Acksel shook his head. “Thank me when she’s safe. This is what the pack does. Rank doesn’t matter when lives are on the line.”
Vehicles appeared in front of the house as Adam dialed his grandmother’s number. He hadn’t spoken to her in years. After his dad had run down to their pack to escape the bookies, Adam had declined to continue being a part of their family. They had always given into his dad’s whims and bailed him out when he was in trouble. He wasn’t sure why he thought they’d help him, but it was worth a try for Dani’s sake.
“Grandma, it’s Adam. I need your help.”
* * * * *
Dani kicked at the gate to the stall. It rattled on its hinges but didn’t open. She kicked again and again, until her hoof broke one of the slats and her skin scraped on the jagged pieces. She winced, extracting her foot and scenting blood. Hours had passed since she’d woken. Whatever drugs had been in her system had taken ages to leave. She wasn’t sure where she was or how long she’d been gone, but she could see sunlight around the edges of the barn door.
The other stalls were empty, except for one reindeer who met Dani’s gaze and subtly shook its head. She didn’t know if the reindeer was a shifter or if she’d imagined the head-shake, but real or imagined, she decided to take its advice and settle down.
The barn doors opened and two men strode in. One of them carried a harness.
“What’s this?” the first one asked, bending over and picking up the broken slat. He gave her a dark look, and she recognized his voice as belonging to the man who’d kicked her when she was paralyzed. “Feeling feisty, bitch? Maybe you need another dose of drugs.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” the scarred man said, hefting the harness over the wall of the stall and dropping it to the straw. He reached over the wall and grabbed the collar around her neck, jerking her forward. The metal spikes dug into her flesh, and she screamed, the sound coming out like a bellow. “The collar is electric. If you leave the barn, you’ll be shocked so badly your skin will burn and it will knock you out.” He pulled her forward roughly until his lips were by her ears. “You will do as I say or you will suffer. The buyers don’t want you harmed, but I’ll do what I have to do to get you to them.”
He released her with a shove, and she stumbled back a few steps. “You’re not going to give us anymore problems, are you?” the other man asked as he put his hand on the gate.
She shook her head and lowered it. She’d have to think of something else. If the collar was a shock collar, than maybe she could find a way to disable it. Her mind spun with possibilities as the gate opened, just far enough for the man to enter, and swung shut with a clang behind him. He buckled the harness on her, strapping it tightly around her torso until she made a pained sound. He chuckled, slapped her on the rump and said, “Be nice and I’ll give you a carrot.”
“Is that what you call your dick now?” the scarred one asked as he let the other man out of the stall.
“Fuck you.”
“We’ll be back in ten minutes to put you in the truck. Try anything funny and we’ll find out how loud reindeer can scream when they’re being tortured,” the scarred man said. Dani had no doubt from the hard look in his eyes that he knew exactly what reindeer sounded like when they were hurt, because he’d done it before and would do it again.
The harness was uncomfortably tight. Dani rubbed against the wall of her stall, trying to dislodge the buckle, but it didn’t budge. She tried to grab the collar with her teeth, but it was too far up her throat for her to even touch the edge of it. The ten minutes slipped by quickly, and at the end of them the back of the barn opened, two huge doors swinging outward. A beeping noise sounded as a horse trailer backed up into the barn and stopped. Seven men came into the barn from the front doors. Two had cattle prods, and moved to stand at either end of the barn where the doors were. One moved to the stall with the reindeer who had shaken its head at Dani, and pulled it out, leading it to the trailer.
Richard Cruz stopped in front of Dani’s stall. His eyes were bloodshot, and the whiskey and body odor scent of him was almost enough to make her throw up. He was holding one shoulder as if it was injured.
He sniffed. “If your mate had given me money when I asked, you wouldn’t be here. This isn’t my fault, it’s his.”
Dani lunged, snapping her teeth at Richard and nearly taking his nose off. He stumbled back with a shout, falling to the ground and scrambling away as the others laughed at him.
“She’s crazy,” Richard said, climbing slowly to his feet.
“They all are at first. She’ll settle down,” the scarred one said. “If she doesn’t, there are drugs that will settle her down just fine.”
>
Another man moved in front of Dani and hooked a lead onto her bridle. He opened the gate and gave a hard tug on the lead, and she followed him out of the stall, toward the trailer. As she was led to the trailer, she watched as the other reindeer, wearing a collar similar to Dani’s, was pushed up a ramp into it.
Dani inhaled quietly, sorting through the scents around her and picking up a sweet burst of peppermint that told her the other reindeer was a shifter. The reindeer was small like her, so she figured she must be a female or a young male. She’d seen pictures of bucks, and they were normally quite big. Dani wanted to cry. She’d finally met another reindeer, and it was because they were both being kept prisoner.
The lights went out suddenly, plunging the barn into complete darkness. The men shouted, and there was a rush of wind as people moved around her. The man holding her lead made a pained sound, followed by a thud. Dani scented the air and found the smell of peppermint was much stronger now.
Screams and shouts surrounded her. Dani kept perfectly still, afraid to move in case she got in the way. The peppermint scent had to mean more reindeer. But how had they found her?
She stood frozen for what felt like an eternity until the lights came on. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the brightness and found herself in the company of a dozen males, all wearing black. They were huge, tall and broad, wearing tactical gear with weapons strapped to their bodies.
In front of her, a large male stood in the trailer and carefully undid the collar around the reindeer’s neck, speaking softly. He met Dani’s gaze, his eyes glistening with tears.
“I think she’s one of us,” a male said as he came to stand in front of Dani. “The collar’s like Tesli’s.”
“Get it the fuck off her,” the male said gruffly as he threw the collar away and the reindeer began to shift. He removed his vest and shirt, covering the shifting woman.
Dani really did want to cry now as the male in front of her undid the collar. It tightened only briefly before loosening completely, and he carefully lifted it from her. She was so happy she could have jumped for joy, but she wanted to shift and find a phone so she could call Adam. She hoped he was okay. She didn’t know what she’d do if he was hurt…or worse. Shoving those dark thoughts away from her mind, she waited until the harness was off her and then let go of her shift.
A warm shirt was laid over her shoulders as she crouched on the ground, and she looked up at the male who had unhooked her collar. “Thank you.”
She saw a large tattoo of a reindeer over his pec and an oval symbol on his left bicep. He offered her his hand and she took it, standing slowly and slipping her arms into the shirt so she could cover herself completely.
“What’s your name?” he asked, his brows drawn.
“Dancer.”
“Are you kidding me? Who named you after one of the myths?” another male asked, coming to stand next to the one who had helped her.
“My parents,” she said, frowning. “My herd was killed by natural coyotes when I was a child. I was taken in by a bear sleuth and raised. My adopted name is Grayson, but my real last name is Hayvlin.”
The male who had helped the other female growled. “All this reclusive bullshit is why our people are dying out.”
“Now is not the time,” the man nearest her said. “My name is Trey, Dancer. Our leader is outside closing this fucking place down for good. Is there someone you can call, or are you alone?”
“I have a mate,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.
He smiled and took his phone out of a vest pocket. “Here you go. Tell him that we’ll stay with you until he comes. We’re in Crowley. Where do you live with your mate?”
“Wilde Creek.”
One of the males whistled. “That’s about two hours from here. How the hell did you get here?”
“I was kidnapped. They drugged me when I was in our backyard; I have no idea why they took me.”
“We’ll find out from these scumbags for sure, but it’s our belief that our sister and you were taken because reindeer are unique – especially females, who are born less frequently than males. There are evil people in this world who would kidnap and sell a female reindeer to any number of sick weirdoes out there.”
She shivered at the thought of being sold off because she was a reindeer, and dialed Adam’s cell. She stared at the center of the barn, where most of the kidnappers who had been putting her and Tesli into the trailer were piled on top of each other, bloody and unmoving. “Are they dead?” she asked Trey.
“Yeah. There is one human who is still alive, so we can get answers from him.”
“Good.” She could see Adam’s dad among the dead. She turned her back on the scene when Adam’s voice came over the line. She was so relieved to hear his voice that she started to cry.
“Dani? Dani! Are you okay?” he demanded, his voice a low growl.
She tried to answer, but she couldn’t stop crying. Trey took the phone from her and said, “My name is Trey Parks. My herd rescued Dani from the Little Lambs Petting Zoo in Crowley. She’s safe, and we’re securing the park. How soon can you get here?”
Adam answered as Dani struggled to get her emotions under control.
“Okay. Yes, she’s okay. We found her when we were searching for our king’s sister. We’ll keep her safe until you’re here.”
Trey held out the phone to Dani and she accepted it, taking a few deep breaths and trying to calm down. “Adam?”
“Sweetheart, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry about me. We’ll be there in less than two hours. Hold tight.”
“Hurry,” she said. She clutched the phone, her knuckles cracking with the pressure.
“I will,” he promised.
The call ended, and she forced herself to let go of the phone. “Thank you.”
Tesli came over, her arm around the waist of the male who had set her free. “This is my brother, Liam. Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?”
“I’m okay.” She looked at the male with his arm around Tesli. “You’re the king of the herd?”
“I’m his younger brother. Dragos is outside securing the park. The owners are about to lose their investment in this fucking place.”
“You curse too much,” Tesli said.
He kissed the top of her head. “Can’t help it. I’m happy to have my baby sister back.” He eyed Dani. “Did I hear right? Were you really orphaned as a kid?”
She nodded. “My adopted mom kept trying to find a herd. It wasn’t until recently that she actually found one, through a private detective. I was on the way to meet them when I found my truemate.”
“Wilde Creek is wolf territory, so I’m guessing your mate’s a wolf?” Liam asked.
Dani bristled. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
“Whoa, calm down, Dancer, it’s fine. Finding a mate is a good thing, regardless of whether they shift or not, or what they shift into.”
A hush fell over the barn as a huge male walked inside. He wore the same black military garb as the others, but he clearly was an important male.
“Tes,” he said as she ran to him and he folded her into his embrace. “Are you well?”
“I am now. How long was I gone? The days and nights blended together, and they kept me drugged up for what felt like a long time.”
“Nearly a week. Last night we caught a break in the search. Did they…harm you?”
“No,” she said. “They kept me in my shift and made me wear a really nasty collar that kept me from shifting into my human form. Remember when we were kids and Mom and Dad talked about microchipping us in case we were ever kidnapped? I vote we do that now.”
Dragos smiled. “Whatever my sister wants.” He looked at Dani. “I’m Dragos, king of the herd. I understand you’re waiting for your mate. How long have you been here?”
“They came for me on the full moon, I think that was just last night.”
“It was,” he s
aid. “Let’s get you the fuck out of the barn. My men will find out what the human has to say about your kidnappings. I think we can find some clothes in the storage unit, and we’ll wait for your mate in the main office.”
“Let me carry you,” Trey offered. “You’re barefoot and it’s freezing.”
Dani accepted. Trey lifted her into his arms and carried her, falling into step behind Dragos, who carried his sister, and the other males. After stopping in the storage building and donning janitorial uniforms with cartoon lambs on the back, they sat down in the main office and waited for Adam.
She watched out the window and saw a lot of males dressed all in black, carrying buckets back and forth between all the buildings.
“What are they doing?” she asked, turning to look at Liam and Dragos who were sitting on top of a metal desk.
Liam said, “They’re soaking the buildings with accelerant. It will ensure that the bodies left behind are difficult to identify.”
A reindeer male walked into the office, introduced himself as Rell, and then turned to Dragos. “This place hasn’t been in operation for years, but according to the human, a local mob run by shifters used the barn to hold abducted shifters until buyers were located. They were going to sell Tesli to become a sex slave out of the country. They were on the way to pick her up when they were told about Dani. They held off on Tesli’s sale for her.”
“Shit,” Tesli said. “If you hadn’t been spotted I would have been gone.”
Dragos growled. “It’s shameful what sick minds will do.”
Rell asked, “Do you know who took you?”
“No. I have no idea who they were. My mate’s dad was among the dead. He said that I was here because he needed money, so I guess he knew whoever these kidnappers were.”
“They’re dead now, but make sure your mate knows to keep an extra eye out for you just to be safe. Scumbags like these tend to have friends in low places,” Liam said.
Turning her attention back to the window, she watched as three of the reindeer males carried containers of accelerant toward the barn. She rubbed at the space between her eyes, her mind slipping back to the past without her consent.