by Peyton Banks
I did something stupid.
* * *
Growling, I had to look away for a moment before I lost my shit. A sense of dread and foreboding left me restless and fighting against my wolf. We both felt the urgency to locate her before something bad happened . . . if it hadn’t already. Becca making a stupid choice equaled someone getting hurt. At this point, that could be anyone within the vicinity.
* * *
There’s been some strange prints around the Cedar Creek property lines. Rinnick is concerned since they aren’t shifter, but he’s distracted with Cole. These human tracks lead all over the wilderness but seemed to concentrate on our property and the bear hunting lodge. I think they might have started there but migrated toward us.
I didn’t figure it was wrong to find out more about them. This is our home, and no one is going to mess with our clan. I followed two of the men who were the leaders.
* * *
“Fuck!” I yelled, almost crumpling the paper in my hand. “Dammit, Becca.”
Why didn’t she come to me with that information? I could have helped her without risking her safety. The woman was too damn stubborn. Who knew what the hell she was thinking?
If only I hadn’t let her pull away from me. I should have insisted that she maintain contact and tried to rekindle our lost connection. If we’d been close, she would have told me about the strange humans. I couldn’t help feeling this was partially my fault and I could have prevented her disappearance.
What if she was hurt?
My wolf whimpered as I turned back to the letter.
* * *
The insignia on their clothes is foreign and odd. I should have looked it up sooner, but I wanted to make sure they were normal humans. They aren’t, Theo. They’re some kind of organization called The Society. Posing as hunters, they search for shifters and capture them. I don’t know what they’re doing but I’m going to find out.
* * *
That was as far as I got before I roared and tossed the piece of paper on the dashboard. Seething with anger, my chest puffed out and I felt the change coming on. Heat infused my body at the same moment my wolf ripped open my humanity. I couldn’t stop the inevitable. Emotion was strongly linked to the man and the wolf which caused a nearly combustive reaction.
Yanking on the handle of the door while I still had the ability, I hopped out of my truck and dashed toward the trees. Luckily for me, no one was around. I barely had the time to strip before my bones began to snap and pop, rearranging into my wolf. Snarling, I pounded the ground as I took off through the forest and raced beneath the canopy of the cedar, oak, big-leaf maple, and spruce trees. My paws barely hit the dirt as I caught a whiff of Becca’s scent and I howled, thundering my displeasure for miles.
Her trail ran cold at the edge of the forest on the other side of the highway and I knew this was where she’d been captured. I could still smell the faded metallic droplets of her blood mixed with the soil. A recent rain had left only traces as my snout buried into the leaves and grass. Desperate to pick up any hint of her whereabouts, I growled when I caught which direction she’d been taken.
Several vehicles left deep enough tread marks that I was able to discern the same type of SUV was used for all three. There were signs of a struggle or planned attack. Scattered bullets from a shotgun were imbedded in the mud. The frayed end of a piece of rope was buried in the bushes nearby. More of Becca’s blood was visible in the twisted threads. Whining, my wolf pawed at the ground and demanded retribution.
Howling again, I headed back to the edge of the forest where I shifted and changed back into my clothes. Climbing inside the truck, I picked up the note and finished but it was hardly necessary. I already knew where I was headed but this confirmed my plans.
* * *
I got too close, Theo. They saw me and somehow knew what I was. I managed to slip away in wolf form, but I know they’re coming for me. I can’t hide forever, and I won’t lead them home. There are too many lives at risk and Elena is expecting her and Joe’s baby soon. My only choice is to lead them farther from Cedar Creek.
Find me. I know you can. You’re the best tracker I know.
Whatever mess is between us, I trust you. You’ve never let me down and I know you won’t now. If I’m right, my father already tried to stop you and you came anyway. I hope you keep going. We have too much unfinished business.
Becca
* * *
My anger temporarily fizzled away as I read her final words. For the first time in over a year, I began to hope that Becca wasn’t lost to me forever. Maybe Rinnick was right. Perhaps fate was finally stepping in and giving me one last chance to prove I was worthy of my mate. If I could rescue her, I’d be able to convince her of my love and devotion. Even after all this time, it never diminished.
A part of me was ecstatic but placing her in danger was never worth the opportunity. I’d rather she was home and safe and still avoiding me than her life at risk. This Society sounded like poachers and big game hunters who flaunted money, power, and authority. I’d seen this type of group before. Most of the time we outsmarted these hunting groups but every once in a while, we’d get a bunch of particularly nasty individuals who knew the truth and didn’t care about our humanity. They saw us as only beasts.
The Society and others like them neglected to realize one important thing – shifters were gifted with enhanced senses and abilities and we had no problem using those against our enemies.
Whatever awaited me I knew I’d fight to the death to save Becca. She was worth whatever sacrifice I would be required to make. Pinning all my hope on that letter, I left to find my mate.
4
Becca
Days. Weeks. A month? I was unsure how long I remained in that metal cage and was forced to endure the cruel experiments and endless torture at the hands of Hall and his associates. The Society was more than anti-shifter. Fully intending to eradicate any shifter species, this organization was only interested in genocide. They were monsters in their own right.
Delirious from the constant flow of drugs through my system, my mind drifted to memories of the past and previous mistakes that cost the happiness of my own heart. Theo Bardolf was my intended mate. Five years ago, I broke off our engagement to please my father, but that choice had left my wolf and I desperately unhappy ever since. My father didn’t understand that I didn’t want the same things he did. I didn’t care about mating an alpha or being the mate of the strongest wolf in the pack. My feelings were irrelevant. Jedd Harlow dictated his desires and his children all obediently followed his orders. He was an alpha and expected his daughter to unite with one.
There was no room for argument.
My first mistake was falling in love with a handsome young wolf with a constant smile, towering height, deep blue eyes, and a fantastic sense of humor. Theo made me laugh. For a girl without her mother, I was surrounded by men and rules. I wanted to live, to be free, to choose from my heart for my mate and not the directive from my overprotective father.
Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t cruel. The man lost his wife when his children were young, and he was forced to be strong and raise them on his own. The other pack members including my brothers didn’t have a problem with how my father conducted pack business, but they weren’t his daughter. The other females had freedom to do as they wished but I was stifled. My father made it clear that I was expected to choose my mate from one of the clan alphas and I rebelled. The night of the full moon when shifters ran free into the forest and explored possible mates, I was held back and unable to join the festivities.
Theo came to my rescue. Tossing small rocks at my bedroom window he signaled his arrival. I climbed out and joined him, racing through the forest as we shifted into our wolves and ran for hours until exhaustion forced us to return home. He placed a chaste kiss on my cheek that night, but it was the way his gaze softened as his eyes roamed every inch of my face that confirmed my suspicions. He was attracted to me and my wolf.
I d
idn’t know how I felt about him at the time. We were young, my wolf and I inexperienced. At only fifteen, I was unaccustomed to the attention of males who weren’t my father and brothers. Lor and Elias were nearly as bad as my father. They kept a tight watch on my every activity. Maybe that was why I ran off so often with Theo in the middle of the night. He was everything my heart longed for and needed. He was a symbol of the freedom I desperately craved.
Three years later I still hadn’t decided on a mate and neither had Theo. At eighteen, we were each old enough to declare our intentions to the pack. Nearly every day I awaited his choice of mate, but Theo never said a word. Many of my friends thought he was handsome and charming. His cousin Elena used to tease me often until she fell for Joe Harley.
Thinking back to those days I wished I would have been strong enough to ask Theo what he wanted. I was too shy and uncertain to pursue such a sensitive subject. As a result, Theo and I drifted in limbo for another year, neither of us confessing our feelings but clearly attracted to one another. The innocent romps through the forest at night had changed into more intimate encounters where stolen kisses, hands clasped in more than friendship, and light touches became the focus until one night everything changed . . .
* * *
“Run away with me, Becca,” Theo whispered, his lips brushing along the length of my jaw.
My heart rate accelerated with his words. “Run away? Leave the pack and our families?”
“Your father will never allow me to mate you. He’s already denied my request twice.”
His confession shocked me. Theo never said he wanted to be my mate. “You’ve never told me anything like that, Theo. I don’t –”
My words were cut off as his lips met mine. The kiss was our first and sent shockwaves of unexpected desire pulsing throughout my body. Confused by the rush of eagerness and lust in my body, I wasn’t sure what was happening. The heat of his mouth scorched mine as he gingerly pressed his tongue against the seam of my lips. Gaining entrance, he deepened the kiss and twirled his tongue with my own, a deep groan of desire rising up and out of his chest.
“I love you,” he whispered when we parted, his fingers lightly stroking my cheek with tenderness. “I’d do anything for you. As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted you, Bec. If you ask me to, I’ll wait as long as you want but I’m not going anywhere.”
“Theo,” I whispered, as he covered my body with his own and lowered his head to pepper kisses along my throat and slowly down to my shoulder. The edge of the material fell to the side as his lips met my fevered skin. “Why am I so hot?”
“It’s the mating response,” he answered with a groan, “I feel it as strongly as you do. We’re meant to be together.”
* * *
The memory faded as hot tears dripped down my face. I loved and I lost Theo. My own choices were partially to blame but I couldn’t expect him to keep waiting forever. We had barely spoken in over a year. At every pack function we avoided one another until the ache hurt too much to remain outdoors for long. Even in our pack hunts during the full moon I noticed that Theo hardly participated anymore. His large gray wolf was always absent now as if it was too great a burden to answer the call of his wolf.
I knew that first night we were together was the cause of his withdrawal. Theo and I had made love for the first time. Two young people who explored one another and gave into their attraction and desire. Under the moonlight and deep in the forest, Theo claimed my virginity and my heart. He was all I wanted, all I needed.
Until my father caught me sneaking out and I had to cut off all connection to the young man who wanted to be my mate. His eyes held a level of pain and accusation that I avoided as much as possible. We grew apart but oddly enough that didn’t sever the strong bond we shared. I could still look up at the moon and feel his beating heart. My wolf sensed his presence whenever he was near. My heart hammered in my chest the moment our eyes met, brief as those encounters had become.
I knew what love was supposed to feel like and when I lost the one person who made me feel complete, a little part of my soul died and withered away. Theo also felt this loss. Many times, he tried to visit, and my father turned him away. Jedd wasn’t going to give in and accept Theo’s lesser position or birth among the clans, not for his only daughter.
Time hadn’t changed his opinion. Five years only confirmed his resolve.
Sighing, I curled into a ball and shivered as the cold metal of the cage bit into my flesh and seeped into the far corners of my mind. My sanity felt like it was slipping. Every hour that I remained locked up like a beast only further punctuated my lack of hope.
Food and water became so scarce that I was dehydrated and unable to lift my head. Soon I would pass out from the absence of nutrients. My condition was dire.
“Help me, Theo,” I whispered in the dark and hoped he was close.
5
Theo
The truck’s tires skid along the gravel as I shoved the gas pedal into the floorboards and followed the trail far west. A quick scan of the internet had turned up several locations for The Society’s operations but only one was the main headquarters. The address was only five hours away.
Hell, they even had a map on their website that gave the damn directions from every prominent highway in the vicinity.
It couldn’t be that easy, could it?
Who left their main address so vulnerable and exposed to the enemy?
Maybe it was just plain arrogance. Stupidity was also an option, but this sadistic group of killers didn’t strike me as the careless or reckless type. They weren’t ignorant of shifters or their abilities. The only logical conclusion was these men welcomed and expected their enemy to seek them out which meant The Society was prepared and their compound well-fortified.
Disabling their defenses wouldn’t be easy.
Not that it would stop me from killing everyone in the compound and finding Becca.
I parked the truck several miles away and close to the main road. I wasn’t in doubt that we may need a quick getaway, especially if Becca was injured. My wolf howled at the mere thought and I shook my head, determined not to let negative thoughts consume me.
The short jog to the main building didn’t take long. I was there within minutes. Crouched low, I used my keen senses of hearing and sight to assess my enemy. My left ear flicked back as male voices rose in argument, several laughing in the background. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end as I heard the distinct and familiar whimper of the woman I came to rescue.
Scanning the bodies of the men closest to my position, I memorized each location within a few seconds. Rage built beneath my skin as my stomach clenched. I would kill every last one of them before I got to Becca and any that survived would also meet their doom the moment she was secured. Stripping out of my clothes, I left them in a pile under a bush and slowly stood as a tingling sensation erupted along my spine.
Seek out your prey.
The wolf and I were always closest right before a shift. Our minds melded and collided as our mutual urges and desires became one. Pinpricks danced along my skin as the need to transform and seek retribution rolled over my entire body in a heavy haze. Claws erupted from my fingers as I swiped along the tree with three quick slashes, marking the direction I would leave once Becca was next to my side. Broken bones and shifting flesh were a temporary discomfort and one that I had learned to overcome with time and experience.
My wolf and I were now one bloodthirsty and dangerous creature.
The forest bloomed as if suddenly alive with a burst of colors, smells, and the stench of man. Sweat and human musk clung to the air as I turned toward my prey. My paws hit the ground in a muffled thud as I made my way toward the farthest man from the warehouse. Sweeping in a wide arc, I let my wolf lead the hunt.
Our prey.
The human never saw or heard me before the leap knocked him to the ground. Going immediately for the throat, I clamped down with my jaws and severed the main arter
ies. His body twitched a few times before I shook his flesh violently and tossed him like a ragdoll to the ground. Dragging the corpse into the nearby trees, I made sure no one would find him long enough to finish my objective.
One by one I picked off the surrounding guards until no one remained outdoors. Lifting my snout, I inhaled and sifted through the myriad of odors until I found the scent I was looking for. Becca’s normally sweet and intoxicating smell was masked by the metallic and rustic tinge of blood. The wolf and I snarled, our rage increasing as we headed inside the building.
The stench of gunpowder was heavy in the air as if a weapon had been recently discharged. Something made a loud clatter as it hit the ground and slammed against the wall. I couldn’t see the individual but heard the grunt of pain that followed. A human male had been attacked. Perhaps Becca wasn’t as incapacitated as I previously thought.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I crept around the corner and searched for any hint of life. The wide-open room was empty. Two halls split to the left and right and I went to the left first knowing Becca was in that direction. My heart hammered inside my chest as my wolf trembled in a combination of excitement and anticipation. Voices could be heard as they raised in argument.
Something was banging against metal and the vibrations made my wolf wince.
Prowling around the corner, I found a group of human men gathered in a large room. They were shouting as someone described the carnage outside. Fear scented the air along with human sweat. Good. I wanted them to be afraid.
Lunging for the first man, I snatched him from the others and darted into the shadows as I snapped his neck. Cries of confusion filled the air as I attacked again. The next two men went down without revealing my position. The room was much too dark but my keen wolf senses were sharp and my vision was accustomed to darkness. They never stood a chance.