by C. C. Wood
Suddenly, the barely leashed animal that had been staring at me became docile, lowering his head and following his father outside.
It wasn’t until they climbed into the SUV and drove away that I realized Brayden hadn’t spoken a single word the entire time they were in the cabin.
The inherent wrongness of the visit crashed over me again. My eyes traveled over the interior of the cabin and what I saw made my instincts twang.
When Chloe turned to me, her mouth open as though she were about to speak, I shook my head and talked over her. “It’s a beautiful day. Why don’t we eat our lunch outside? Have a picnic?” I kept my voice light and as normal as I could manage.
Immediately, she understood that I didn’t want to discuss what just happened inside the house.
“That sounds great,” she agreed, moving to the table to pick up the bags of food that Darrell brought. She also took two bottles of water from the fridge.
Neither of us spoke as we left the cabin. Chloe followed my lead as I walked several hundred feet from the structure, making sure to remain downwind so the sound of our voices wouldn’t carry.
When I stopped, Chloe said, “They bugged the house, didn’t they?”
“I’m almost certain. There were some small things out of place and I know I left the bathroom door open this morning before we left. When we returned it was shut.”
A closed door didn’t necessarily mean anything. Any one of them could have taken a piss and shut the door behind them, but combined with the fact that there were so many other things moved inside the house, it seemed likely.
“They bugged the bathroom?” she asked, a look of disgust on her face.
“Probably,” I answered with a shrug. “I know I would.”
“Ew.”
Though the situation was serious, her adorable reaction made me chuckle.
“I don’t find it very funny, Lach. Every time I use the toilet, I’ll be wondering if they’re listening.” She shuddered. “Or watching.”
“You’re right, it isn’t funny,” I replied, the smile fading from my face at her declaration. It reminded me of something Carter said. Darrell liked to take videos and pictures. It was his fetish. He wanted mementos.
“What?” Chloe asked.
“They probably did place cameras,” I explained. “Remember what Carter said about his father’s tendency to take photos and videos.”
The disgust on her face morphed into rage. “I’m going to enjoy killing that sick motherfucker,” she growled. “I may even keep a memento of my own.”
“You’ll get your chance,” I stated. “If I don’t get to him first.”
She blinked, the anger draining away. “What about Brayden?” she asked. “When you told me he seemed off in Dallas, I thought he was being his usual creepy self, but if he was like he was today, I can understand why you and Calder freaked out. I’ve never smelled anything like it before. It was as if he were angry, jealous, and horny all at the same time.” She paused. “But when he looked at you, all I could smell was hate.”
“I don’t think what he feels for you is a harmless crush, Chloe. It’s almost as if he’s obsessed.”
Chloe rubbed her arms and I saw goose bumps break out on her skin. “And did you see how quickly he shut down when his dad touched him?” she asked.
I nodded.
Chloe stared off into the trees, her eyes unfocused as she thought. “I feel like there’s something bigger happening here, but I can’t figure out what it is. My instincts are telling me it’s all connected; the death of my parents, Darrell’s sick hobbies, and the Kirkpatricks, but I just can’t see how.”
“I agree. Something big is brewing. When we see Carter again, we’ll ask him what he knows about the Kirkpatricks.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the cabin. “I hate the idea of him watching us.”
“I do too. We may not be able to remove the cameras without tipping him off, but we should be able to figure out a way to impede the view of one or two once we know where they are.”
“But he’ll still be able to hear us,” she said, pacing and rubbing her arms. “Fuck, I hate this. I hate waiting. I hate not knowing if Carter is going to double cross us or not. And I hate the fucking idea that Darrell is going to watch us and listen to us, probably while he’s jerking off, the sick bastard.”
I stepped in front of her and put my hands on her shoulders, my thumbs stroking the sides of her neck. “Just a few more days, maybe a week, and we should have the evidence to take to the Tribunal. I know that they’ll rule to take Darrell and his officers into custody and try them for their crimes. Once that happens, this will be over and we can go back to Dallas.”
She stared at me for a moment, biting her bottom lip. “You’re right. I’m just so angry I want to beat the shit out of something.” She kicked the bag of food she’d dropped on the ground, knocking it over. “And I’m hungry as hell but I refuse to eat the shit Darrell brought.”
“Well, at least there’s something I can do about that,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. I told myself the hug was meant to comfort her, but, in truth, it was for me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chloe
Lachlan was right about the cameras. We found three. One was in the bathroom, hidden behind a picture on the wall. There was no way to cover it. The lens faced the door rather than the toilet and tub, but I hated knowing it was there.
The second was in the kitchen, inside a fake plant on a shelf that contained someone’s poor attempt at making the place homier. Since I’d cleaned the cabin several times after my arrival, I made a show of complaining about how everything got dusty in the country and using a cloth and polish on all the wooden surfaces in the little house. When I dusted that particular shelf, I made sure to turn the plant away.
The final camera pointed directly at the bed. It was concealed in the lamp on the table by the sofa, just feet from the foot of the mattress. When I realized it was there, it pissed me off to no end. Darrell could have hidden the camera in other places in the room that would have encompassed the entire floor plan. Instead, he’d hidden three, one with the intention of filming us doing whatever we did when we were in that bed.
The angle of that camera was conveniently changed when I “cleaned” the cabin, pointing toward the kitchen and dining area rather than the bed.
The most difficult part of the situation was watching everything I said and did. It put me on edge, my mind in a constant state of awareness. Though shifter senses were sharper than a human’s, we still needed our downtime. Keeping my guard up twenty-four hours a day would wear on me.
When my phone dinged that evening, I was relieved to see it was a text from Carter’s burner phone. It contained the same coordinates that he sent me for our first meet and the word midnight.
Forcing a smile on my face, I walked over to the couch where Lach was stretched out, watching a video. “Aw, look at the picture Ricki sent of the pups,” I said cheerfully.
Lach’s eyes flicked over the screen, taking in the text. From where he lay, the cameras wouldn’t be able to catch the words on the screen or his short nod. “They’re getting bigger every day,” he replied.
I glanced at the time on my phone and saw that it was nearly eight. Only four more hours until we could meet Carter and put an end to all of this.
As if sensing my restlessness, Lachlan reached up and snagged my hand, pulling me down onto the couch with him. “Let’s watch a movie.”
In the end, we watched two movies. Though I was still distracted by our upcoming meet with Carter, I found myself relaxing against Lach. He lay on his back on the wide couch, with me tucked against his side next to the rear cushions. I wondered how many more chances I would have to sprawl across his body like this. I tucked my nose against his chest, inhaling his scent. He talked about both of us returning to Dallas earlier today, but I wasn’t sure if he even realized what he was saying. Or if he truly meant it.
After our co
nversation about Lachlan getting to know me, I’d allowed myself to hope that perhaps our relationship would develop into something more. But when he told Brian that he didn’t want to take another mate this afternoon, I knew he was telling the truth by his smell alone, never mind the sincerity that rang in his words.
Right now, with the two of us lying together quietly, I rarely thought about mating. But each time Lachlan and I had sex, I had to fight my urge to bite him. To mark him as mine.
As we spent more time together, the instinct would only grow stronger until I would either have to mate with him or leave him forever. Even without the mating mark, I sensed that I would pine for him until I withered away into nothing.
When the second movie ended, I saw that it was nearly eleven-thirty. Tonight was cloudy again, which meant the woods would be almost completely dark. It would take us at least twenty minutes to walk to the clearing without the moon to light the way. Probably longer.
I rolled over Lachlan, getting to my feet and stretching my arms over my head. He watched me from his position on the couch, his eyes warm as they moved over me.
Deliberately, I moved into the line of the camera lens and stripped my shirt over my head, making sure to hold it in my left hand. I would need it later. “I have an idea,” I said, trailing my finger over the waistband of my jeans. “Let’s go for a walk. It’s a beautiful night.”
Lachlan understood what I was doing immediately. He growled playfully. “Maybe I don’t want to go for a walk. Maybe I want to fuck you right here.”
My mind working quickly, I taunted, “If you want to fuck me, you have to catch me first.”
Turning on my heel, I darted out the front door and around the house toward the tree line. I heard Lach’s heavy steps behind me. I made sure that I didn’t stop until I was hidden in the trees. As I waited for Lachlan to join me, I pulled my shirt on and sniffed the air. Someone had been here recently. Maybe a few hours ago, but their scent had faded too much for me to recognize it easily.
When Lachlan appeared beside me, I knew he smelled it too.
“Someone was here,” I whispered. “Do you recognize the scent?”
He shook his head. “Whoever it was has been gone for hours.”
“We should check the perimeter, make sure there’s no one here now.”
Quickly, we circled the house, finding signs that someone had been in the woods, just far enough away that we wouldn’t notice them, but they were gone now.
A chill crept down my spine, even though the night was warm. I’d been here for days now, and no one had bothered with me except Darrell. Now we were being watched via cameras and by other wolves. Whatever they were planning would happen soon.
Lachlan and I met up where we started and headed deeper into the forest. I let Lachlan take the lead since his sense of smell was better than mine. I focused on making my steps silent in the darkness, keeping my head up so I could sniff the air and my eyes moving constantly along the shadows.
A short while later, we approached the meeting place. Lachlan stopped abruptly, still hidden by the darkness and underbrush. That was when I smelled it.
Blood.
I craned my neck, looking around Lachlan’s shoulder toward the clearing. It was empty.
Lachlan turned toward me, putting his mouth directly against my ear. When he spoke it was barely audible. “I want you to follow right behind me. Step where I step and stop when I stop.”
I gave a single nod of agreement.
Lachlan turned away from me then, moving slowly and stealthily through the brush and trees, circling the clearing. I put my feet in his footprints and watched him closely in case he stopped.
When he did, I peered around him, my eyes widening when I saw a heap leaning against a tree nearby. In the faint light from the stars, I could see Carter’s bloody face. His body was utterly still.
I swallowed the sound that wanted to escape my throat when he gasped, his chest rising in a deep, ragged breath. His exhale ended in a low sigh.
Lachlan crept closer, still silent, and crouched down next to Carter. The wolf looked up at him, blood covering half his face and his right eye swollen shut.
“What happened?” Lach asked.
“I got caught,” Carter replied, coughing a little. The sound was painful and I winced at the wetness of it. Then he grinned, revealing teeth stained with blood. “But I also got away.”
Lachlan’s fingers went to his neck, checking his pulse.
Carter shoved his hand away. “I’ll survive. I’ve taken worse beatings than this before.”
“You may have internal bleeding,” Lachlan argued.
Carter leveled his good eye at Lach, his stare piercing even in the shadows. “I’m already healing. I’ll live.” He reached behind him and Lachlan and I both tensed. When he revealed a small backpack, our bodies loosened a little. “Here is everything you asked for.”
“Thank you,” Lachlan said, taking the bag.
“I didn’t tell them about you,” Carter stated suddenly. “But they already suspect you’re helping me. You need to leave the area tonight. As quickly as you can.” With a rough groan, Carter hauled himself to his feet, keeping his back braced against the tree. “Come back when you have a plan and help.”
“What about you?” I asked, stepping forward.
He looked at me and once more I was struck by the strength of his personality. Carter Whelby, the alpha, was here tonight, even in his currently bloodied state. “I’m not leaving my pack.”
“He’ll kill you,” Lachlan argued. “You should come with us.”
Carter shook his head. “I have a place to hide. I’ll contact you when I’m healed. Even if you have help, you’ll need me when you return for the evidence.”
“Carter,” I said quietly. “Come with us.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m not leaving h—” he cut himself off. “My pack.” He grimaced. “Besides, in my state, I’ll only slow you down. You need to go. Now. They’ll be coming back soon and you should be gone by then.”
I started to argue further, but Lachlan reached out and took Carter’s hand, shaking it. “Thank you for the warning. If you ever need us, the MacIntire pack will be here for you.”
Carter nodded. “You’re welcome.”
I tried to resist when Lach took my arm, looking back at Carter. He leaned heavily against the tree and shook his head at me. “Go,” he commanded.
I loathed it, but I did as he said. Lachlan slung the backpack over his shoulders as we walked away, moving quickly through the trees.
“We need to run,” he muttered to me. “If they know he’s gone, they’ll be coming for us next.”
Without a word, I picked up my pace. The darkness slowed us down, but only a little. Adrenaline sharpened my night vision and soon I was flying through the trees, my feet barely touching the ground.
Within a few minutes, we reached the edge of the cabin property. The house was still dark. I looked around as Lachlan scented the air.
“There’s no one here yet,” he commented. When he turned to look at me, I realized I was seeing another side of Lachlan. Yes, he was an alpha, but he was also a strategist. As good as any warlord. “When we get to the house, you go inside and get our bags. We’ll take the truck since it’s a 4x4. If they planted cameras in the house, it’s also likely they put a tracking device on our vehicles. I’m going to look for it. We need to drive out of here in five minutes.”
There was a reason I never wanted to be the alpha of my own pack, and this was it. I could win almost any fight, one-on-one, but strategy and battle planning weren’t my strengths. I also lacked the patience necessary in a good leader.
Lachlan appeared surprised when I nodded in agreement without a word of argument. Rather than questioning his good luck, he grabbed my hand and we ran toward the cabin. He released me as he headed toward the truck, dropping to the ground and pulling out his phone to use the flashlight capabilities.
I dashed into the house an
d scooped up the few personal items we left lying around. For the most part, Lachlan and I both kept our bags packed for this very reason.
As I shoved things inside, an odd feeling washed over me. They had put cameras all over the house, so maybe they’d done something to our bags as well. Moving quickly, I unpacked everything once again and ran my hands on along the exterior and interior of our bags. Sure enough I found a tiny device tucked into the lining of each bag. I repacked everything as quickly as possible, leaving the tracking devices lying in the middle of the bed.
I grabbed our phone chargers, some water and food, and walked back out the door. It took me longer than expected, but I was surprised to see that Lachlan wasn’t waiting on me.
When I returned, I found a tracking device on the ground next to the truck, but Lach was rummaging around in the cab of the pick-up as though he were looking for something.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Without stopping, he answered, “I found that one within sixty seconds. It was almost as if Darrell wanted it found. Since he’s not stupid, I’m betting he planted another one…” Lachlan trailed off as he bent to look beneath the passenger seat.
He shoved the seat back as far as it would go and reached beneath, cursing under his breath. I smelled the metallic tang of blood in the air when he swore again and pulled his hand free. Between his index and middle finger, he held a slim disc, barely the size of a quarter. Blood trickled from the small cut on his hand.
“Found it,” he said triumphantly, dropping it on the ground. Taking the bags from me, he tossed them in the storage space behind the seats. “Let’s go.”
“I found two devices in our bags too,” I informed him as he gestured for me to get in.
“Shit. Are you sure that’s all there was?”
“I think so,” I answered.
He nodded and walked around the front of the vehicle.
I climbed into the passenger seat, shutting the door just as Lach got inside and turned the key. I’d barely buckled my seatbelt when he put the truck in gear and shot down the driveway. He didn’t bother with the headlights, trusting his shifter night vision to guide us to the main road. When we reached it, I looked to the right and saw headlights in the distance, coming from town.