by Stone, Wendy
Drake snorted. “I hope you never let the big guy hear you say that.”
Kit gave him a look that just screamed ... do I look that stupid?
“Well, if he’s out there, then he’s looking for his two sisters, Tallie and Molly Wolfe.”
“There are more of them?” Drake asked, looking up at his team leader in surprise.
“Tallie and Molly are from one litter, Callie is from another and Nashe is from a third. As I said, Callan Wolfe does not like to keep it in his pants.”
“So what’s the plan boss?”
“We go back to the commune and go in the front gate. Lee, how’s your magic?”
Lelia Storm closed her eyes, letting her head fall forward. When she lifted it, her strangely exotic cat’s eyes were sparking with golden fire.
“She’s feeling good, boss,” Drake said, laughing.
“There is a vortex here, Kit,” Lee said softly. “I can feel its power. This is spiritual land, it holds a convergence of ley lines. Bad things can happen if the wrong person finds power here, Kit.”
“Bad such as...” Kit asked.
“Such as taking over the world bad, or destroying the world bad. The power is seductive,” Lee said with a tiny shiver. “It calls to anyone who would know how to use it. They say that ley lines are geothermal lines where the earth’s crust is thinner and the magnetic power that comes through that crust gives it the power. They also say that UFO’s use the ley lines to guide them when they come to this world. They can draw power from them.”
“How do you know this?” Kit asked, impressed.
“I watch the Discovery Channel.”
Drake laughed. “No really, Lee. How do you know?”
“There’s some good stuff on the Discovery Channel. You could benefit from a little intellectual television instead of watching SpongeBob all the time,” Lee said, smacking him lightly on the back of his head.
“Hey, don’t mess with SpongeBob. He’s classic.”
“He’s annoying.”
“You two knock it off. We’ve got to head back out there. By the time we get there, it’ll be dusk. Mage will take out the guards at the gate. Tinman, I’m going to need you to take out the dogs and Lee, give us whatever protection you can. I’d rather not get shot.” She headed around the Hummer and got in her side, letting Drake pack up his equipment. Lee slipped in the back seat behind Drake and Mage climbed into the front. Mage was drinking from one of those cups that have the curly straws in them and smiling.
“Little things for little minds, right Mage?” Drake said, teasingly.
Mage simply nodded, sucking up more of his drink.
* * * *
Molly paced the floor of the small, one room cabin where Tynan had brought her. Her mind was on Brady and wondering what kind of torture Parnell was inflicting. She knew Parnell would do anything he could to get the answers he wanted. He wasn’t afraid of inflicting pain.
“This is all my fault!” she said for the fifth time since they’d arrived. “If I hadn’t gone to him…”
“You’d have been caught and we never would have known where you were. It’s a good thing you got out and that Brady has been taking care of you,” Tynan said. He was sitting at the small kitchen table, playing with a deck of cards.
“When is Nashe going to be here?”
“Soon, very soon.” Tynan glanced out the window of the cabin. His bike was the only vehicle in the small clearing but he knew his friend. He’d be there very soon. Then they could go in and rescue the Weres trapped in that building.
Tynan knew all about being trapped. He’d been caught once, held while white-coated lab techs poked and prodded him. They had him in a plexi-glass cage, observing him at all times. He’d almost gone mad before he’d escaped. If it hadn’t been for Nashe Wolfe, he’d still be in that cage.
He owed Nashe a big debt, so when he’d called him very early in the morning, he’d hopped on his motorcycle and gone, no questions asked.
.She saw Nashe as he slipped out of an SUV and threw open the door, rushing out to him. “Nashe!”
He turned just in time to catch her in his arms. “Hey little sister,” he said softly, brushing a lock of red hair out of her face. “So this is why you missed my mating ceremony?”
“You’ve been mated?” she asked, incredulous. She’d thought him a confirmed bachelor.
“Yes, Terry’s due any day with our first litter. You’ll love her.”
“How could I not, if she makes you this happy. I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Now we just have to get you straightened out. What’s going on, Molly? Where’s Tallie? And who is this Brady Knight you were talking about?”
“It’s best if we do this inside,” Molly said, pulling on his arm.
Nashe let her lead him inside. Tynan stood up as he came in, pulling his friend into a manly embrace. “I got her here, Nashe. Now what?”
“Now we have to break into the compound, rescue Tallie and Brady and the rest and do something about Dr. Parnell,” Molly said. “I can’t even imagine what that man is doing to them.”
“We’ll rescue them, Molly, never fear.” Nashe gave her shoulders a squeeze before pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. “Damn, I’ve got no signal.”
“You wouldn’t,” Tynan said, “we’re in a valley.”
Nashe pushed the phone back into his pocket. He’d try her later. Besides, he’d know if anything was wrong with Terry.
They left the cabin, taking only the necessities along. Tynan carried a seven inch dagger in his boot. Nashe had a similar dagger but sheathed on his belt. Molly used her magic and created a ball of light to help them see through the darkening woods.
“How much farther?” Nashe asked as they reached another valley, hills all around them.
“Up that hill,” Molly said. She bounced the ball of light once upon her hand and then it broke up, like hundreds of fireflies flying off, leaving them in the dark. “We have to be quiet. And no more light. They’ll have guards out looking for us.”
“Lead the way,” Tynan said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m starving.”
“You can’t eat them,” Molly said.”
“I’m only going to drain enough blood so they’re close to death. I haven’t killed anyone is centuries.”
“How come I find that hard to believe?”
“Nevertheless, it’s true.” He started up the hill, his boots digging into the loose soil and moss, being careful not to step on twigs or branches that might snap and give away their position. When he reached the top, he dropped to his belly, crawling through the wooded vegetation.
“Something’s going on,” he told the others when they arrived. “It looks like someone got free and now they are battening down the hatches, so to speak.” Men were running around in the compound as if they were chickens with their heads chopped off. “Come on, now’s the time to strike.”
The three of them half-slid, half-ran down the other side to the compound. With a set of wire cutters, Nashe clipped the fence, leaving a space big enough for them to get through.
“You should stay here,” Nashe said to Molly.
“Fuck that,” Molly growled, her wolf coming to the surface, barely held in check. “I’ve been locked up in here. I know where everything is. You need me.”
“She has a point,” Tynan said, almost laughing when Nashe turned and growled at him, his own beast wanting to break loose of his tenacious grasp.
“Which building?” Nashe asked, his voice slightly changed because of his teeth turning into fangs.
“That one,” Molly said. “I crawled out a broken window when Dr. Parnell was distracted.”
The building she pointed out was the object of the camp’s unrest, everyone rushing in that direction. Nashe pulled Molly into the shadows. “You’ve got to be crazy, Molls. There’s just no way we can go in there with all the fire power I saw. It would be suicide.”
“It doesn’t matter, Nashe,” she said, angri
ly wiping away a tear that streamed down her cheek. “I have to go. Brady’s in there. I can feel him. Tallie’s in there too.
“So what next?” Tynan growled, his fangs lengthening. His skin was turning a golden color and his shirt seemed too small to hold his muscular shape. His eyes were eerie, a swirling of hypnotic colors. His hands were bigger, tipped with sharp claws.
He was impressively big. So big that he made Molly feel smaller in comparison.
“What are you?” she asked, running her eyes over him.
“I’m part Panther and part vampire. I told you that before.” He turned away from her admiring gaze. “What are we going to do?” He repeated the question to Nashe.
Nashe stripped and became his beast. “I guess we’re going in. Molly, can you make us some kind of shield?”
“No problem,” Molly said. She rubbed her hands together and concentrated, her magic throwing a shield up around them. Stripping quickly, she turned into the red wolf. Rushing forward in the lead, she kept the magic shield in front of them. Come on, she snarled.
Chapter Thirteen
The sound of gunfire was loud as Molly, Tynan and Nashe swarmed their way into the building. Molly couldn’t believe her eyes. Brady and a group of Weres stood at the end of the hall. Facing them were Parnell’s men, including Parnell himself.
Her eyes narrowed as the men took aim down the hall, never seeing the threat that was coming up from behind them. They pulled their triggers before the unnoticed three could reach them. Molly saw a flash of light and heard the tinkling sound of metal against linoleum as Brady stopped the bullets in mid-flight.
Before they could fire again, they were upon them. Molly slammed into the men threatening Brady and the others, the first moments of the battle a confusing mix of blood and the screams of injured men. She took a step back. Tynan was holding onto a man with one fist, while the other arm clasped a victim to his viciously long teeth. He dropped the first, pulling the other screaming man to his mouth.
When Brady saw help coming, he and a few of the Weres he’d rescued charged. Brady used his magic, relieving the soldiers of their weapons.
Soon they had the men rounded up and subdued, except for those that Tynan had drained. Those needed no guard. Tynan stood tall amid the other Weres, turned back from the shape of the beast that inhabited his body. Blood streaked down his angular face and was caked around his full lips.
Parnell stood off to one side, shaking his head and cleaning his glasses over and over. “You must go back to your cells,” he pleaded with the Weres. “My research could help millions of humans.”
There was a growl and Molly knew it was coming from her. She pounced on the man who’d done so much damage to her and to others. Her teeth went for his throat, digging into the skin. Reluctantly, she stopped short of causing permanent injury.
“Right now, Dr. Parnell, I think you should watch what you say. Molly here has a hot temper and a viciously clear memory.” Brady walked closer to where the red wolf was growling and leaving a trail of saliva that coated the doctor’s throat.
“But ... but my research...” he panted.
Nashe came forward. He’d changed back to a man and was pulling on his shirt as he walked up to the ‘good’ doctor.
“I’m sorry, Parnell, but your little lab here is done.” He turned and looked at Brady. “You have to be the guy Molly was going nuts about. I’m Nashe, her brother.”
He shook Brady’s hand, growling a bit as an electric shock seemed to arc between their hands. “Yep, Magic Man is a good term for you. So, Magic Man, what do you want us to do with them?” he said, cocking his head at the people who worked for Parnell.
“I think we should burn the compound, making sure we have destroyed all of Parnell’s research. But with them...” he shrugged.
“Uh, excuse me,” Parnell stammered. “Could one of you ... call her off?” Molly still held the man in the grip of her fangs.
Nashe stooped and smiled into the Doctor’s eyes. “Now why would we want to do that?”
“Nashe?” Tallie rose from where Brady had laid her. “Nashe, is that you?”
Brady went to help her, noting her pallor and the way she seemed to weave. Before he could, Tynan stepped in front of him and lifted the trembling girl into his arms. “You’re safe, sweetheart. We’ve come to bring you home.”
Tallie lifted her hand to Tynan’s face. “Do I know you?”
Tynan shook his head, his long hair falling around his angular face. “I’m Tynan Stavaros, Miss Tallie. I work for your father.”
“Oh,” she said. “Would you tell me what’s going on? How did I get out of that room?”
Molly heard Tallie’s voice as well. She released Parnell and rushed to Tynan’s legs. She let out a yip, standing on her back legs to sniff at her sister.
“Molly? Oh God, I thought you were dead.” Tallie reached down from her lofty position in Tynan’s arms and ran her fingers through the wolf’s red hair.
Molly yipped again in response than hurried for the door to change, get dressed and talk to her sister. She was almost at the door when a silver man walked in. Molly skidded to a halt, noting the taser the man carried.
“What the hell is going on here?” Drake asked, pulling down the flap that hid his badge against the silver of the uniform.
Molly slipped under his arm and out the door. The compound was empty except for the agents of ASP. Even the gate had been left unattended during the fray to get the Weres back. Molly changed back to her human form and was reaching for her clothes when she felt the cold metallic connectors of a taser against her back.
“Don’t make me have to use this,” a female voice said.
* * * *
Terry stared at her tiny daughter who wasn’t breathing, willing her to live. She watched as the midwife rubbed her back briskly, using the blue bulb to suction out her mouth and nose.
“Come on, baby, breathe. Breathe for momma,” she cried softly, wishing Nashe were here.
A squeak emerged and then another. Her daughter’s skin slowly changed colors, turning pink and healthy as a loud cry came from the small mouth. Terry gave a long sigh of relief, waiting until the assistant midwife checked the baby’s lungs then cleaned her up and put a soft pink hat upon her head before bringing her over to Terry.
“You scared me,” she whispered against the soft cheek of her daughter’s.
“Do you have a name for her?”
“Faith Marie,” Terry said, bemused with the beauty of her daughter. They all had their father’s dark hair. The eyes that stared back at Terry were a dark blue, but she hoped they’d take on his green.
“She’s beautiful,” the midwife sighed, relieved that all had gone well. “Let’s get you up, change the bed and get you comfortable. I think I hear visitors coming.”
Terry was helped up and into the bathroom. She discovered that walking felt a little funny and her stomach, once round with babies, felt strangely empty. The assistant midwife helped her get clean and put on another nightgown. It was a nursing gown, with flaps over her breasts for easy accesses.
Then she was helped into a bed that had been remade with clean sheets. The plastic that had been used to cover the mattress had already been discarded. As soon as she was situated in bed, she held out her arms for one of the crying babies.
Self-consciously, she pulled aside the flap, bearing her nipple and her milk-engorged breast. A little mouth clamped down hard, making her jump a bit. Soon he was suckling contentedly upon her breast, making little cooing sounds.
“Just like a pro,” the midwife said. She put a pillow under Terry’s arm to help her hold the baby and then did the same with the other arm, laying the littlest of her babies in her arms and helping her to find the other nipple.
“Oh, I’m so sorry that Nashe had to miss this,” Marissa said from the door.
“Come in,” Terry called. “Meet your Godchildren.”
“Really?” Marissa said excitedly.
�
�Of course, who else would we have but you and Lukah?”
Marissa sat at the edge of the bed and the midwife handed her little Abigail. “She’s so pretty,” Marissa said.
“Her name is Abigail Marissa Wolfe,” Terry said, watching her best friend’s eyes widen as she stared down at the quiet child. “This little one is Faith Marie and this big boy,” she said, pointing with her chin at her son, “is Christopher Lukah Wolfe. Where is Lukah anyway?”
“He’s trying to hunt down your husband.” Marissa shrugged. “I don’t think he’s having much luck though. He says his cell phone goes right to voice mail, so he either doesn’t have a signal or it’s been turned off.”
“Nashe wouldn’t turn it off. He wanted to be here so badly for their births,” Terry glanced down at her nursing babies. “He’s going to be so disappointed that he missed this.”
Christopher was asleep at her breast, his little rosebud mouth pursed, his cheeks rosy. She let Marissa take him to burp and put her other baby to that nipple.
“This is definitely going to be a juggling act,” she said.
“But a wonderful one,” Marissa said as she laid the freshly burped baby back in the bassinette. Her hand slid over his back and then touched her own flat stomach. “I hope my babies are as beautiful as yours,” she said to Terry.
“You...” Terry stuttered.
“Yes, we found out yesterday. I wanted to tell you when you got here, but you were a little distracted,” Marissa grinned.
“I’m so happy for you,” Terry said quietly, as little Faith burped and let go of her nipple. She gave Faith to Marissa and then turning Abigail so she could nurse off the nipple where Faith had been suckling.
Lukah took that moment to knock on the open door of the bedroom. “May I see the newest members of our clan?”
“Come meet your namesake,” Marissa said, standing by the bassinette.
“Namesake?” Lukah asked, his eyes showing his pleasure.
“Well, sort of,” Terry said. “His name is Christopher Lukah Wolfe.