Dual Embrace: 3 (Shadowpeak Wolves)

by Lorna Jean Roberts

  The others didn’t know Brynn. She worried about how they would take having him with them. But he wasn’t going to be left out. He wanted to catch these bastards as much as the pack did. And Cooper had agreed, knowing they could use his help.

  “How long has it been?”

  Dusty looked at her watch. “Fifteen minutes. You should be safe to move now. But I’ll check in with Liam, see if there are any problems.”

  She activated her earpiece. “Liam, status report.”

  Static was her only reply.

  “Liam?” she said harshly. “Liam, answer me.” She looked over at Laney, whose eyes were saucer wide.

  “Shit.”

  “Jesse, you there?”

  Static assaulted her ear.

  “Fuck, fuck.”

  Dusty reached for her gun and phone, searching through her contacts until she found Rye’s number.

  “Do you hear something?” Laney asked. Dusty stilled, turning.

  “What?”

  “Outside, I think I hear someone.”

  Dusty tossed Laney her phone.

  “Call Rye, tell him what’s going on. I’ll go out and check. Ahh, which direction do you think the noise is coming from?”

  Laney’s eyes filled with surprise but she answered quickly. “West.”

  Dusty nodded and opened a corner window in the living area, climbing out to drop as gently as she could onto the ground. Her leg collapsed and she landed jarringly on her butt, biting back a hiss of pain. Ungracefully, she rolled onto her feet, adrenaline helping her ignore the protesting pain in her leg.

  Unfortunately, there weren’t many places for her to hide. There were no bushes or trees close to the house. If anyone was watching with a rifle, she was a dead woman. She drew her gun from the shoulder holster and moved toward the western corner of the house.

  As she slipped around the corner, the man standing there turned and snarled, eyes flashing amber. Okay, not a man, a werewolf. She looked from him to the contraption he’d attached to the side of the house.

  He appeared almost nervous as he stared between her gun and the bomb. “You haven’t got much time.”

  “Dismantle it. Now.”

  He shook his head and took a step backward.

  Dusty spotted Brynn over the man’s shoulder. And in that split second of inattention, the bomber leaped at her, knocking the gun from her hand.

  “Get the bomb out of here!” she screamed at Brynn before her attacker punched her. Dusty brought her head up, smashing her forehead into his nose, grinning at the satisfying crunch.

  He placed his hands around her throat, choking her. Big mistake. That left both her hands free. Dusty gouged her thumbs into his eyes. As he reared back in pain, she jabbed her elbow into his throat.

  His hands loosened around her throat as he struggled to take a breath. Dusty reached into her boot, drawing out the knife she kept in a leather pouch there. The hilt was made of rubber. His hands tightened around her throat again. Black encroached on the edges of her vision as she raised her hand and pierced his side with the silver knife.

  Her attacker yowled and she threw him off, raggedly drawing in a breath. She heard a shout. Looking up, she saw Josiah and Marcus descend on the guy, their eyes flashing dangerously.

  “The blade is silver,” she called out. Marcus and Josiah grabbed the guy, tying his hands with Marcus’ belt before Josiah removed the knife.

  He wiped it clean before handing it back to her.

  Cain raced toward them.

  “I’m okay,” she called out as he reached her. His gaze was intense as he ran his hands over her body before helping her stand. She could see the concern in his eyes but he remained quiet, standing back slightly as Cooper and Rye ran toward them.

  “What the fuck happened?” Rye asked.

  “This bastard tried to blow the house up,” Dusty replied.

  The others stiffened, staring around urgently.

  “Brynn disappeared with the bomb,” Dusty said, worried. Surely he should have returned by now. She wondered how much had been left on the timer.

  “Right. Josiah, Marcus, take our prisoner away.”

  “Where do you want him?” Marcus asked coldly.

  Rye frowned. “Put him in the small storage shed by the creek.”

  “Inside for a debrief,” Cooper ordered. “I don’t want Laney coming out here.”

  Dusty took a step forward but her leg collapsed beneath her, shards of fiery pain swimming through her body. She swore as Cain grabbed her around the waist, steadying her.

  Dusty threw him a pained smile, letting him take most of her weight as they followed the others.

  “Are you really okay?” Cain asked quietly as Josiah and Marcus loaded their prisoner into a car and drove off with him.

  “I’m fine.”

  She was sweating and shaky by the time she got inside, but was determined to make it without being carried. Laney was in the living room, pacing. When Dusty limped in, Lacey ran over, hugging her. Dusty patted her on the back.

  “Everyone sit,” Laney bossed, pushing Dusty into a chair. Concern flashed in Laney’s eyes briefly. Damn, she must look in worse shape than she thought. Cain moved toward his normal spot, but Dusty grabbed his hand before she’d even thought about it. He looked at her in surprise.

  “Sit with me?” she asked.

  His sudden grin filled her with warmth and he perched on the wide arm of her chair, his arm resting across the back.

  Brynn appeared in the doorway. His eyes were immediately drawn to hers and finally the knot in her stomach eased. He was safe. They were all safe.

  “Brynn,” Cooper greeted him. “You got rid of the bomb?”

  Laney took in a sharp breath. “Bomb?”

  Brynn nodded. “It’s been dealt with.”

  “Good. Dusty, report.”

  Dusty took a deep breath. “Shortly after you left, I tried to get hold of Liam— Oh shit, Liam, I couldn’t raise him or Jesse.”

  Rye immediately turned to Tina and Cain. “Go,” he barked.

  Dusty looked over at Brynn. He nodded. “I’ll help.” He disappeared as Cain and Tina took off at a run.

  “We’ll wait until the others are back to hear your report,” Rye said to Dusty, who nodded. Cooper kissed Laney’s forehead as she worried at her bottom lip.

  “Why is someone trying to hurt me?” she whispered quietly.

  “We’ll figure it out, baby. I promise.”

  Suddenly, Dusty longed for her men’s arms around her. And she didn’t care what anyone else saw or thought. Leaning on her men didn’t make her weak. It simply meant she was loved.

  Brynn reappeared. “They’re alive.”

  Dusty and Laney let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

  “They’re unconscious. Looks like a tranquilizer. Cain and Tina are transporting them to your healer.”

  Twenty minutes later, the enforcers, except for Josiah, Marcus and those who were injured, were all assembled.

  Cain had resumed his former position on the arm of her chair while Brynn rested against the wall across the room.

  “Dusty, tell us what happened,” Cooper ordered. Dusty retold everything in detail. Everyone was silent for a moment.

  “So have we finally found the guy who’s been threatening me?” Laney broke the quiet. “But why? Who is he?”

  Rye frowned. “Dusty? Did his scent match the one you picked up when the bookstore was bombed?”

  Dusty froze, unable to think of a good excuse. Shit! She was going to have to tell them her secret. This was it.

  “Dusty?” Cooper asked.

  “I-I don’t know.”

  Rye frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because I couldn’t smell him.”

  Laney frowned. “You didn’t hear him outside either. What’s going on, Dusty?”

  Dusty took a deep breath. “My wolf is gone.”

  “What?” Cooper spoke first as everyone stared at her in shock.

  “My
wolf, she’s umm, sleeping, I think. I can’t rouse her.”

  “When did this happen?” Cooper asked.

  She focused her eyes on the wall in front of her, not wanting to look at anyone. “Ahh, I tried to change after I got out of the hospital.”

  “So after you were injured?” Cooper queried.

  “Yes. Why?”

  He tapped his fingers against his thigh. “What does your doctor say?”

  She forced down the urge to fidget. “I haven’t asked him. I missed my first two checkups but I’ve got another in three days.” More like she’d ignored the appointments, not wanting to hear what he had to say.

  Cooper grabbed his phone. “Call your surgeon. Now.”

  “I don’t know the number.”

  He rose, returning with a card in his hand. She took it from him, dialing the number with a shaking hand.

  Ten minutes later she hung up the phone in amazement.

  “Well?” Brynn asked.

  “He said that he didn’t want me changing with the plate in my leg. If I did the plate could ruin my leg irreparably. So he injected a little disc under my skin. It slowly releases a drug that keeps my wolf asleep. When they remove the plate, they’ll take the disc out and my wolf will gradually wake up.”

  She held her tears back through sheer force of will. “He said he explained all of this, but I can’t have been listening, I was kind of out of it.”

  Glancing up, she found everyone staring at her in sympathy. She glared at them.

  “What?” she snapped.

  Brynn laughed. “Better watch the wind doesn’t change, hellcat.” Everyone turned to stare at him, frowning, taking their attention from her. Which had been his intention, of course. She sent him a small smile and once everyone had turned back to her, he winked.

  “So Dusty’s wolf can’t distinguish this guy’s scent, which means we’ll have to get the information we want another way.” Rye’s voice was cold, dark. Dusty stared at him and nodded. She was the pack interrogator. It would be up to her to get this guy to talk, with Rye and Marcus’ help.

  “He must have been the one to set the bomb at the bookstore,” she said slowly. “The question is, why? Who is he? And why didn’t he or whoever he’s working with kill Jesse and Liam instead of simply tranquilizing them?”

  “Well, only one way to get an answer.”

  Dusty nodded at Rye’s words and stood.

  “Yep.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dusty limped into the small storage shed they were using as a temporary jail. When Zachary had been alive, they’d used his basement as a holding cell. But no one suggested taking their prisoner there.

  She nodded at Josiah, who was standing guard outside the shed. Inside, Marcus lounged back on a plastic chair. He looked up as Rye and Dusty entered, his expression calm.

  Rising, he offered her the chair, which she took gratefully. Her leg was stiff and sore. Cain had made her take some pain pills but they hadn’t kicked in yet.

  Dusty smiled at the prisoner as he raised his head to look at her. She was playing the friendly, helpless female today. It was her turn to play good cop. Damn it. She much preferred bad cop.

  Their prisoner sat on the dirty floor, his arms and legs chained up in silver, which had to be making him feel as weak as a kitten. Silver would drain him, ensuring there was no way he could break free.

  Not that he was putting up any resistance. He stared at her from broken eyes.

  “What’s your name?” she asked softly.

  He shook his head. “Why should I tell you?”

  She raised a brow. “What? It’s some big secret? You know, these accommodations aren’t bad. You have four walls, a window, even a light. We have a coffin, about five feet long, that we like to put our really recalcitrant prisoners in. No windows, silver joins and a small hole for you to breathe out of. Would you prefer that?”

  Okay, so good cop had just flown the coop. But this guy had punched her, choked her and tried to blow her up.

  She studied him closely. His clothes were cheap and he hadn’t had a decent haircut in a while. His hair was unkempt and greasy. And yet he might have been handsome were it not for the defeated, weak feel to him. He was too pasty, too thin.

  “What does it matter? You’ll just kill me anyway. Once I tell you I’m as good as dead.”

  “And if you don’t tell us what we want to know, you’ll spend your last hours in a lot of pain,” Rye growled.

  “Look, I didn’t want to do any of this but I had no other choice, they gave me no choice.” Sweat gathered on his forehead, dripping down his face.

  His gaze flitted between Rye and Marcus, trying to decide who the bigger threat was. Licking his lips, he tried to straighten up.

  “You can’t do this. I have rights. I don’t belong to this pack.”

  “Thank God,” Marcus said fervently. “You’re trespassing on our land. You tried to blow up our Alpha’s mate. Do you really think we’re interested in your rights?”

  The prisoner gulped audibly.

  “They made me do it.”

  “Who?” Dusty asked. “Who made you do it?”

  He shook his head.

  “Enough of this.” Marcus stepped forward. Pulling the prisoner up until the chains were taut, he held him by the neck, choking him.

  “Do you know who you almost killed? Who you’ve been terrorizing? Do you?” He shook the other werewolf easily, slamming his head back against the wooden wall with a loud crack.

  “My sister,” he whispered in a deadly voice. “Now you tell us what we want to know or I’m going to make sure every inch of your body is in pain.”

  He dropped the prisoner, who gasped for breath, whimpering. Cowering, he looked up at Marcus warily.

  “If I-if I tell you what I know, will you do something for me?”

  Marcus growled, showing his teeth. The man shook.

  “It’s not for me, it’s my mate. She’s innocent.”

  “What about her?” Dusty asked.

  “They’re holding her. That’s how they got me to do this. They said they’d kill her if I didn’t do what they said.”

  “And what do you want from us?” Rye asked coldly.

  “I want you to find her, protect her. You can kill me. Just save her. She doesn’t deserve this, any of this.”

  Rye was silent for a long moment. “All right, you have our word we will try to find her and if we do, we won’t hurt her.”

  Chains rattled as their prisoner relaxed a little and nodded.

  “All right, so what’s your name?” Dusty asked

  “Dan Edwards.”

  “And what pack are you from, Dan?”

  “Highmoon.”

  “Highmoon?” Dusty asked in surprise. “Texas? You don’t have an accent.”

  He shrugged. “I haven’t lived in Texas for a long time. I’ve been moving around for the last few years.”

  “You’ve been living without a pack?” Marcus asked in disbelief. Most werewolves needed the pack to keep them grounded.

  “There were four of us. My mate, Hanna, myself, my father and my cousin.”

  Dusty frowned. “So where are your father and cousin?”

  “Dead,” he said dully. Dusty took a breath.

  “What are you doing here? Did your pack send you?”

  Dusty hoped not. The last thing they needed was a fight with one of the largest packs in the States.

  He shook his head. “No, no, they’ve probably forgotten I even exist. I didn’t exactly leave in the best circumstances.”

  “And why was that?”

  “My father is—was—addicted to gambling. He couldn’t help himself—he’d get in too deep then do anything he could to get himself out. Our pack grew sick of it. They kicked him out after he was caught stealing. From our Alpha. My cousin and I left with him.” Edwards shrugged. “We were lazy, I guess. We preferred to earn a living playing poker and fleecing others than working.”

  “You�
�re con men,” Dusty said, trying not to show her disgust.

  “Yeah.”

  “And your wife?” Rye asked, obviously wondering what they’d gotten themselves into.

  Edwards’ head rose, his eyes strangely fierce. “She’s got nothing to do with it. I met her about a year ago. Hanna’s really just a kid. She wouldn’t hurt anyone. She never knew what we were doing.”

  Dusty was skeptical that she’d had no idea, but he seemed determined to protect her.

  “How’d you get the ability to set up a bomb? Not a normal hobby.”

  His eyes dropped. “I was always good at that sort of thing. My father had a human friend, older guy. He was crooked. Years ago he was dishonorably discharged from the armed forces. He taught me.”

  “So you were behind the bombing at the bookstore?”

  He nodded.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because they made me. They killed my father and Al, my cousin, when I resisted. And they said Hanna would be next unless I did what they said.”

  He may have been spineless scum, but he obviously loved his mate.

  “Who did this?”

  His eyes were miserable as he gazed up at her. “I don’t know. They were masked. Always.”

  “Well, how did they get hold of you?” she asked impatiently.

  “My father. He got in too deep with these guys. They were bookies and he owed them money. I got a call from him, asking me to come and get him. When I got to the address he gave me, they’d beaten him really badly. He was tied up to a chair in this large warehouse and they were there. Three of them. They’re wolves, I know that, but they all had masks on and I didn’t recognize any scents.”

  “Where was this?”

  “Over in Sioux City.”

  “That’s Reefton territory. Why would Ian’s wolves want to hurt Laney?” Dusty pondered. The Reefton Alpha wasn’t a friend. But he wasn’t an enemy either. The Reefton pack was small and kept to themselves.

  Edwards shook his head. “I don’t know that they were Reefton wolves. They seemed to want to get out of the city quickly and they didn’t act like they knew the place that well.”

  Rye growled. “If Ian let his werewolves leave their estate more often they’d have noticed other wolves in their territory.”