Fighting the Pack [Wolf Packs of Fate: Garrett Pack 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jane Jamison

  “Give her a call, Thomas. See where she is and tell her to stay there. We’ll pick her up.”

  “I already tried.” Things weren’t getting any better. Hell, they were getting fucking worse. “She didn’t pick up. But you know how she is. Sometimes she doesn’t keep her phone on her.” His gut churned as his nerves grew more strained. “Charlie said some of the pack’s meeting at the Den. Said they think it’s time to take a stand.”

  “We aren’t ready yet.” Grant pulled his truck away from the curb and almost backed into Mrs. Metcalf. The older werecat shook her fist and shouted for him to “slow the hell down.” Grant gave her a quick wave and cursed until the elderly woman finally managed to make it to the sidewalk and out of their way.

  “I don’t think we have a choice any longer.” Thomas answered an incoming call, hoping it was Willa. Instead, it was yet another pack member. “Yeah?” What the man told him didn’t make him any happier. He ended the call then wished he could chuck the phone out the window. “That was Zack. He said Carl’s at the Den and riling up their supporters. Says Moses is about to show up there.”

  “We need to get there.” Yet Ryan’s tone held the hesitation Thomas felt.

  “No, we need to find Willa first.” Grant’s determination showed in his set jaw.

  “She’s got to be okay.” Yet did he really think so? “Moses wouldn’t do anything to her and then show up at the bar. If he’s there, then she’s all right.”

  “I want to know for sure.”

  Thomas didn’t blame Grant. He wanted to know she was all right as well. But didn’t they owe something to the pack and those who said they’d stand alongside them against Moses? “We can swing by the bar on the way back to our place. Once we get rid of Moses, then she’s safe.”

  “Thomas is right, Grant. Besides, we don’t know for sure where she is.”

  “We’ll get to the bar first then home. If she’s not there, we’ll keep on going and head for Henrietta’s place. What do you say?” Thomas came up with another idea. “Or maybe we should shift and each of us check out a different place?”

  “We’re at the Den already.” Grant swung into the parking lot. “We won’t take long. Then we head to the ranch and hope to hell Charlie was wrong. Maybe she kept her promise and stayed home.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.” Yet Thomas didn’t think so. The fear growing inside him wouldn’t let hope take hold. Any action was better than no action. But what if the action they chose was the wrong one?

  * * * *

  Grant scanned the bar, searching for Willa, even though he sensed in his gut she wasn’t there. Instead, at least a third of the Garrett Pack had congregated there. The bulk of them were males all packed into the center of the bar, all seemingly talking at once.

  “Grant, it’s about time you three show up.” Harvey Trankus slapped him on the back. “It’s really going to happen. Whichever way it goes, the cat’s out of the bag now.” He motioned to a smaller group of men who were arguing with the others. “Moses’s group is here along with Carl. It’s all coming to a head soon.”

  They hadn’t gotten to plan enough. Worse, they hadn’t had time to get the Shadow Ridge Pack members as well as members of the other Fate packs to join in. “Who started this?”

  “Beats the hell out of me.” The excitement in Harvey’s voice lifted the volume of it. “You know how it goes. Someone drinks too much and starts yammering. We’re all tired of waiting to make a move. Why not now?”

  Something told Grant that Harvey might be the one who’d had too much to drink and spilled the beans. He could argue against making a move now, or he could let it happen. “Is Moses here?”

  “Shit no. No one’s seen him since he was in earlier, ranting and raving like a damn fool.”

  Alarm made his animal roar in warning. Something was wrong. Really wrong. “Is Carl here?” Thomas and Ryan pushed their way to his side.

  “Did you see her?” Yet he knew what their answers would be even before they shook their heads.

  “Listen up, everyone!”

  They turned to find Carl standing on a table, holding court over the crowd.

  “No one’s challenging anyone. You all know Moses, and you know he’s our leader.” Carl’s eyes glowed with amber, fangs slipping out from between his teeth. “You challenge him and you challenge me.” He snarled, shifting a little more. “Moses is going to hear about this later. Once he finds out what’s going on, heads are going to roll. Now get the fuck out of here and go on home. Moses will call a pack meeting soon. Until then, back the hell down.”

  “Once he hears about this later?” Grant looked to Thomas. “Didn’t you say Moses knew?”

  Thomas shook his head and started pushing his way through the crowd. “No. Carl said he was going to show up, but I haven’t seen him.”

  Fury stormed to life inside Grant. His wolf howled, clawing its way to the surface. By the time he’d shoved his way through the crowd, he could barely keep his beast from taking over. He reached the table where Carl stood then took the end of it and shoved it upward.

  Carl let out a curse as he fell to the side and landed on the floor. He was on his feet a moment later, the shift rolling through him.

  Grant didn’t care if he’d be holding a man or a wolf. Either way, he was going to get answers. His hand cuffed Carl’s neck, picked up the smaller man, then rammed him on his back against the floor. Carl struggled but couldn’t get free. At last, he realized he couldn’t get away and stopped struggling, instead fighting for a gasp of air.

  “What the fuck’s going on? Where’s Moses?”

  The satisfied gleam in Carl’s eyes was enough to send chills through Grant.

  “Easy, man. He can’t talk if he can’t breathe.”

  Grant shrugged off Ryan’s hand on his shoulder but loosened his grip. “Start talking or I rip your throat out. Where is Moses?”

  “He’s not here.”

  Grant smiled, but the smile came from his inner wolf’s snarl. “Cut the shit. Where is he?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Taking hold of Carl’s neck again, he lifted his upper torso off the floor then brought him back down—hard. “Want to try that again?”

  Carl’s smugness had taken a fast dive. “Shit, man, I don’t know. He said he was going to claim his mate then shut you guys down. That’s all I know.” He did his best to pry Grant’s hand off his neck. “Turn me loose and I’ll tell you more.”

  It was a mistake, and he knew Carl was lying. Yet, he had to try. He jerked his hand back and let Carl scramble to his feet. Before he could get hold of him again, two of Moses’s supporters leapt in between them. With a growl, Carl spun around and disappeared into the crowd. Grant started after him, but Thomas and Ryan grabbed him, holding him back.

  “No. Let him go.” Thomas shoved Grant toward the door. “We need to find Willa. Now.”

  They were in the truck a few minutes later and speeding their way to the ranch. Grant’s heart thundered in his chest and breathing became difficult. Even more difficult was keeping his wolf at bay. If he didn’t, he’d have to stop the truck, shift, and run the rest of the way home.

  As soon as they pulled up to their home, all three of them threw themselves out of the pickup. Grant raced toward the woman lying on the ground, her face turned away from them.

  Please, not her. Don’t let it be her.

  His mind barely registered seeing Bosco lying on the ground, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, even if his heart registered the pain. No doubt the dog had done its best to protect their mate and had died doing so.

  He skidded to a stop next to the woman’s body but couldn’t bring himself to turn her onto her back. Instead, he waited, feeling sick to his stomach, as Ryan knelt beside her.

  “It’s not her.”

  Relief rushed through Grant.

  Ryan, his expression filled with both relief and anger, looked up at him. “It’s Henrietta. She’s gone.”

  “Moses killed her.
It had to be him.” Thomas whirled and ran for the house. “We have to find her.”

  It isn’t her. Thank God, it isn’t her.

  He’d mourn Henrietta later. He pointed toward the barn. “Ryan, check the barn. I’ll look around outside and in the pasture.”

  Minutes later they had returned to Henrietta’s body. From their expressions, it was easy to see that they hadn’t found anything.

  “I’ll take her inside for now.” Thomas covered Henrietta’s body with the blanket off the couch, lifted her into his arms, and carried her back inside. He returned, carrying a sheet to place over Bosco’s body.

  Grant turned in a slow circle. “There has to be something to give a clue where he took her.”

  “Blood.” Ryan bent low and touched his finger to the dirt. “I didn’t see this before, but there’s blood here.”

  “Hers or his?” asked Thomas in a strangled voice.

  Ryan dipped his finger into the blood then held it to his nose. “The scent is faint, but I don’t think it’s hers.”

  Grant found he could breathe a little easier. Hopefully, she was still alive. “He took her. But where?”

  Ryan strode toward the pickup, leading the other two. “To his ranch.”

  “No,” said Thomas. “That’d be crazy. Why would he take her home? He’s got to know we’ll come after him.”

  Grant had never liked Moses, but he’d grown to understand him. At times, Moses listened more to his werewolf than to reason and logic. The animal inside him would want to take his mate back to his home. “He’s not thinking like a man. He’s thinking like a wolf.”

  “Maybe he’s right,” added Ryan.

  “And if you’re wrong, Grant?” asked Thomas as he hopped into the truck again. “What then?”

  “I’m not.” But was he? If he was, they were losing valuable time. Time that could cost them everything.

  * * * *

  “You’re a murderer.” The hated, the fury overwhelmed Willa. She no longer worried for her safety. Instead, she’d lay down her life if it meant taking Moses out. He’d killed a truly sweet spirit when he took Henrietta’s life. Then, to add insult to injury, he’d killed Bosco, whose only crime had been to try and keep her safe.

  “Fuck, bitch, we’re all murderers at heart. We’re fucking werewolves, for fuck’s sake. I’m just honest about what I am.” Moses rubbed dried blood from his face and chest. Strangely, even once the blood was gone, he still kept rubbing. “You stay put. Don’t make me tie your ankles, too.”

  Whenever he wasn’t watching, she struggled, but the ropes he’d tied around her wrists wouldn’t give any slack. Still, even tied, if he left her alone and she got a chance to run, she’d take it. As it was with him sticking close by, she wouldn’t make it two feet before he’d grab her.

  Another quick look around his house didn’t give her any hope of finding a weapon. His guns were locked in a gun cabinet, and although she assumed the swinging door to her left would lead into a kitchen, she couldn’t be sure she’d find anything more than a sharp knife.

  If only I’d already been changed. I could shift and fight him.

  But she was only a human woman who couldn’t match his strength. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

  His cackle of a laugh made her sick to her stomach. “Where’d you hear that shit? From some cop show? This isn’t a show. Look around you. See anyone here to save your ass?”

  “It doesn’t matter. One way or another, you’ll pay.”

  He lunged toward her, making her pull her legs close to her chest. “Shut the fuck up.” Rage and insanity blazed in his eyes. “Everything was going fine until you showed up. I’m the lead alpha of the pack. Everyone listens to me and does what I tell them to do.”

  “Not everyone,” she whispered.

  He brought his fist up, inches from her face, then stopped. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and fought to calm himself. When he opened his eyes again, the anger had lessened, but the insanity was as strong as before. “You’re my mate, not theirs. Once I bite you and fuck you, you’ll change your mind. You’re going to like being the lead female alpha.”

  Although she realized she should stay quiet and not antagonize him, she couldn’t help herself. “I will never be your mate. Bite me if you want, but that won’t change things. I love my men, my mates.” She met his gaze dead-on and emphasized each word she spoke. “I will never be your mate.”

  Again, he pulled his arm back, preparing to hit her. And again, he stopped short of doing so. Instead, a wicked smile pulled his lips as he straightened up, amber eyes glaring. “It doesn’t matter what you say, bitch. You’re mine.” He stepped away, but his movements were stiff as though he struggled to control his body. “It’s going to be fun teaching you how to behave. I’ll beat some sense into you, and you’ll listen. Hell, yeah, you’ll listen.”

  She had no doubt he meant what he’d said. But she meant what she said, too. “My men won’t let it happen. When they find me—and they will find me—they’re going to tear you apart.”

  Her threat, her promise, hit home. Alarm flared in his amber eyes before he could squash it.

  “Let them try.”

  A noise outside drew their attention. She smiled and hoped she was right. “See? They’re already here. You’d better run out the back before they find you.”

  Moses stalked toward the door, but it opened before he reached it. Yet instead of finding her men charging in to save her, Carl rushed in.

  His gaze swept over her then on to Moses. “Damn it, Moses, what did you do?”

  Moses slammed the door behind Carl. “What’s it look like? I took my mate. I said I would, and I did.” He rubbed at a spot where dried blood remained.

  “Whose blood is that?” Carl checked her again, saw that she wasn’t bloody, then stared at his leader. “Fuck. Who did you hurt?”

  “He murdered Henrietta.”

  “Henrietta? The Janks men’s mate? What the hell for?” Carl paced to the other side of the room, anguish and worry darkening his face.

  “I didn’t murder her. She attacked me.”

  She wouldn’t allow Moses to lie. Not about her friend’s murder. “She was protecting me. It’s not as though she came after you first. She wasn’t any match against you, and you killed her. And the dog, too.”

  “The dog? What dog?” Carl shook his head, his eyes wide as he tried to understand.

  “I killed the bitch standing in my way. She deserved it for going against her pack’s alpha.” Moses rubbed a different spot that had no blood on it. His hands shook, and his eyes grew wild as he went from one front window to the next, peering out then muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

  “Moses, man, get a grip. What the hell happened?”

  “He killed my mates’ dog, Bosco.”

  “Shut the fuck up!” Spittle flew out of Moses’s mouth. “I did what I had to do. She’s my mate, not theirs.” He strode toward one side of the room then back again, repeating the back-and-forth motion several times. “She’s my mate, damn it. Mine. No one else’s. I’m their fucking alpha. I claimed her first.”

  Carl glanced at her. His fear was almost palpable. “Moses, man, they’re coming for you.”

  In the next moment, Moses had Carl by the throat and shoved him against the wall. “Who’s coming for me?”

  “Grant, Ryan, and Thomas. Probably more of the others, too.” His eyes darted toward Willa. “They’re coming for her.”

  “She’s mine.” Moses squeezed harder.

  Carl gasped, his fingers frantically clawing at Moses’s hand. “Let me go.” He sucked in a hard breath. “I’m on your side, remember?”

  “How do you know they’re coming?”

  “I was at the Den. They attacked me, but I didn’t say anything. I swear I didn’t.”

  Moses put his face a couple of inches from Carl’s. The shift swept over him as fangs erupted from teeth. His words were garbled but still understandable. “You
stupid shit. You told them where I was.” He shook Carl, eliciting fearful cries from his friend.

  “No, man. I didn’t tell them anything. Let me go. Please.”

  Moses threw Carl to the floor near her. “You little fucker. You were at the Den, and you told them.” He advanced on Carl, his fury a tangible thing rolling in waves off him. “It’s your fault they’re coming here.”

  “No, no. You’ve got it all wrong.” On his back, Carl lifted a hand, a sorry attempt to ward Moses off. “You’re my alpha, the one true leader. I came to warn you.”

  Another noise grabbed their attention. Moses twisted toward the front as though he could see through the walls.

  “You asshole, you led them straight to me.” Claws sprang out from his fingertips as fur skimmed over his face. He tilted his head at Carl and towered over the frightened man. “Now I understand. Fuck I should’ve seen this earlier. You led them to me, didn’t you? You’re part of their group. You’re trying to take my place.”

  “What? No. Of course not. I follow you, Moses.” Still on his back, Carl attempted to scramble away. “I didn’t do anything. You’ve got to believe me.”

  Moses growled as he grabbed hold of Carl’s leg and yanked him back. “You betrayed me.”

  Willa’s focus never left the men, even as she pulled herself into a crouch and got ready to run. If she could get past them while they argued, maybe she could hide in the trees until help came.

  “You. Betrayed. Me.” Moses was a frightening spectacle, part man, part animal.

  Carl, tears streaming down his face, begged for his life. “No. Please, Moses. I didn’t—”

  The attack was so swift that Willa was unprepared for the brutality of it. The first swipe of Moses’s claws slashed through Carl’s neck. Blood spurted outward, drenching both him and Moses. As Carl lay choking to death on his own blood, Moses lifted his head and howled. And still Carl held up his hand, a pitiful plea for Moses to stop.

  Willa stared, unable to make her body move as Moses jumped on top of Carl and began tearing him apart. Growls mixed with howls and garbled curse words as the half-transformed Moses attacked, his frenzied slashes growing faster. Blood splattered everywhere, including on her. She couldn’t scream, couldn’t move. Instead, all she could do was watch in horror.