by Alisa Woods
“Terra,” he called after her, his voice annoyed. Then he disappeared around the corner, too.
Olivia closed the door and followed after them, but obviously they were both shifters from the Wilding pack. When she reached the conference room, Terra was muttering something—half curses, half mumbled arguments—but her claws were out and slashing the air as she raced along the offices, looking in each one.
“Where is he, where is he…”
At least, that’s what Olivia thought she was saying.
Then Terra reached the last office. Not finding whatever she was looking for, she turned toward Olivia and screeched. “Where is he?”
“Terra, calm down.” The man had reached her and tried to take her by the shoulders, but she just shoved him aside. Olivia gasped as Terra’s claws sliced across the man’s chest, shredding his shirt and causing a bloom of blood to darken it.
“Goddamn it, Terra!” he said, but he just followed after her as she took off again.
That’s when Olivia noticed Terra was heading straight toward her like a black-haired thunderstorm, eyes blazing with lightning. Olivia’s heart lurched, but she held her ground. She didn’t even bother putting up her hands in defense against Terra’s claws. Probably just get them sliced anyway.
When Terra arrived in front of her, all sound and fury, Olivia said quietly, “I know you’re worried about Cassie.”
Terra came to a teetering halt in front of her, and the storm in her eyes melted tears from the corners. “Do you know where she is?”
“Not yet.” Olivia was proud of how calm her voice was compared to her pounding heart. “But Jaxson will bring her home. You can count on that.”
Terra let out a breath, like it was escaping her without her volition. “How do you know?”
“Because he said he would.” Her words held all the conviction she felt in her heart. Even if she’d only known the man for a few days, she knew he kept his word. In fact, she’d known that much from the first few minutes, when he promised not to hurt her, and she believed him enough to give the electric prod over to him.
“Jaxson’s taken four of his pack members and gone after your sister,” Olivia continued. “The minute he finds her, he’ll call and let you know. He said you might be coming here.”
Terra was nodding, over and over in a distracted way, but Olivia’s words seemed to be having a calming effect.
Olivia reached out a tentative hand to lightly pat Terra’s arm—staying clear of the still-flexing claws. “I’m sorry I don’t have more news for you yet.”
Terra stared at Olivia’s hand, so she pulled it back. But the female shifter’s face wasn’t horrified… just confused. She looked up. “Who are you?”
“Oh… um…” Olivia folded her arms across her chest. “Just the secretary.”
The man accompanying Terra had been hanging back, but now he edged forward and laid a gentle hand on Terra’s shoulder. He arched an eyebrow at Olivia. “Sounds like Riverwise has made a recent and very smart hiring move.”
He lifted his hand from Terra’s shoulder and extended it to Olivia. “My name’s Trent Wilding. I’m the crazy girl’s younger brother.” His hand was warm, and his smile kind.
“Olivia Lilyfield.” He didn’t seem bothered by the red stains across his chest, but she had to ask anyway… “Are you all right? I mean, I’ve heard shifters heal fast, but I could get the first-aid kit, if you would like.”
Trent broke out into a wide grin. “You are new, aren’t you?”
Olivia blushed and ducked her head, feeling like a fool.
“It would be nice if everyone was as considerate as Ms. Lilyfield here,” Trent said. Those words were directed at Terra, but they made Olivia feel better enough to peek up at him. He smiled with enough flirtation to make her blush again.
“Can I get you two something to drink?” Olivia asked, trying to move on. “I can fire up the coffee pot. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. I mean, until we hear news.”
Terra didn’t answer, just drifted over to one of the couches in the center of the room. Trent watched her go with a pinched look. As Terra perched on the edge of the couch, tears slid down her cheeks, flowing freely one after another. She was staring into space and twisting her hands.
Trent’s warm hand landed on Olivia’s shoulder and interrupted her staring. “How about I help you with that coffee?” His long-lashed, black eyes were sparkling, but he didn’t seem in tears over his younger sister the way Terra was.
Olivia nodded and ushered him back to the lunch room. It was small—even the whole pack couldn’t fit in there at once—and it was just a converted office, but it had a coffee maker on the counter by the sink. Olivia filled the pot with water. The gushing sound of the tap muted any conversation for a moment, but Olivia was painfully aware of how Trent was checking her out. Not like he thought she was hot—more like she was a zoo specimen that fascinated him.
Once she poured the water into the coffeemaker, the silence became more obvious. “Is your sister going to be all right? Terra, I mean.” She only flicked a look at Trent, who was leaned against the counter, watching her measure out coffee.
“Terra is overly dramatic in the calmest of situations.” He sighed. “But she’s very close to Cassie. Our mother died when Cassie was still a baby, so she’s really more a daughter than a sister. Although Terra’s really no one’s idea of a mother.” There was a teasing laugh in his voice, but also an incredible amount of love for both his sisters. Olivia could hear it.
She finished setting up the pot and flipped the switch to run. “I know how hard it is to lose a parent when you’re young.” She pursed her lips and peered at Trent.
He was still studying her, but a frown had gathered on his forehead. “Do you? I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “It was a long time ago.”
His face opened in curiosity. “But you still carry the scars.”
That made her heart stutter. Was it that obvious? “I just…” But there was no way she could explain that she didn’t just lose them, like you lose your keys. And they weren’t stolen from her, the way Cassie had been taken. She was responsible for their deaths. And that was a wound that would never heal. Shouldn’t heal. “I’m just saying, I’m glad you and your sisters had each other. And I’m sure Jaxson will bring Cassie back to you. He’s a good man.”
Trent shifted a little closer, still eyeing her curiously. “Yet he’s not a man. He’s a wolf. A wolf who’s hired a human as a secretary.”
Her back stiffened. “I don’t need to be a wolf to run the accounting.”
A small smile crept out on his face. “I didn’t mean any offense. He obviously trusts you. And I can see why.”
Olivia frowned. “What do you mean?”
Trent gestured back to the open door, beyond which they could hear Terra’s soft sobs. “I’ve seen grown alpha male wolves quiver under one of Terra’s freak out assaults. This one tonight was epic, and you completely kept your cool. And you’re human.” He paused to give her a heart-stopping smile. “If Riverwise ever decides to let you go, please let me know. I could use someone who’s got a good head about her on my staff.”
She was back to blushing again, not least because Trent seemed to mean every word. And he had no reason to flatter her, none that she could see, anyway. “Staff? What kind of work do you do?”
His smile tempered a little, but he seemed pleased that she was asking. “Software development. But we have a need for all sorts on the payroll. The company’s rapidly growing, and I’m always on the hunt for talent. Tell me, Ms. Lilyfield, what kind of work would you like to do?”
The coffeepot sputtered next to them. Olivia could hardly believe Trent was trying to recruit her in the middle of this crisis to find his sister, but maybe that was how they did things in the Wilding pack. The least she could do was make distracting small talk until Jaxson had some real news for them.
She just prayed that would be soon.
&nbs
p; “So, you and Olivia, huh?” Jace’s voice was barely above a whisper.
They were hunched outside a warehouse at the outskirts of Seattle. A little drawn blood and one good bite had convinced the broken-nosed thug to give up the location where the shifters were transported to—the only question was whether Cassie was inside or not. And, if so, how they were going to infiltrate it. They’d left the thug unconscious with his friend so he wouldn’t be ratting them out. Right now, they were waiting for Murphy, Taylor, and Rich to scout the perimeter and report back with options.
“Focus, Jace,” Jaxson said. “We’re on a mission, remember?”
“I’m just saying… I didn’t see that coming.” Jace moved his weight from one foot to the other, easing his muscles. They were crouched behind the natural shrubbery next to the electrified, razor-wire fence surrounding the warehouse. A single guard inhabited the shack next to the gate, but even taking him down wouldn’t necessarily gain them entrance.
“Unless the men can find an alternate entry point, I’m thinking the shack is our best option. But we need the guard alive if we’re going to gain a passcode.”
“Agreed.” Jace stretched his arms, limbering up. “I still think I can clear the fence, though. Or just take it out.” His brother had enhanced shifter abilities, beyond what most wolves possessed. But shifting for him was… unpredictable. And potentially very dangerous, for everyone—including Jace himself.
“I don’t like that option.” Jaxson peered around the back of the bush, but still no sign of his pack. “Plus I didn’t bring the appropriate supplies for that.”
“Last resort, then,” Jace said, dipping his head.
Jaxson nodded. He would take the chance in using Jace’s abilities if he had to. None of them wanted Cassie trapped inside that building one second longer than necessary.
Jace leaned over to bump Jaxson’s shoulder with his. “So… our new office assistant is working out for you, huh?”
“Can we not talk about this right now?” Jaxson growled. He couldn’t believe his willpower had failed him so utterly, so soon. His wolf was howling for her, but that was no excuse. It was the man in him who couldn’t resist her curves. Or her bravery. Or her sweet, sweet mouth. He still hadn’t deciphered that electric jolt he got every time he touched her, but after the agony of the date with Morrigan, the breath-of-fresh-air that was Olivia had been way too much temptation for him.
Jace chuckled, low and quiet. “I think we need to talk about the proper use of Riverwise office furniture—“
“Shut up.”
“Hey, I have to work there, too.” Jace’s harassment was clearly just getting started. “But if you’ve got a taste for humans now, I’ve got several who—”
Jaxson whipped his hand to his brother’s throat. “Shut. It.”
Jace’s eyes were wide with surprise, not fear. “Okay, then,” he said in a strained way around Jaxson’s hold on his throat. Jaxson released him, but Jace’s expression just went straight to Jaxson has lost his marbles.
“I guess we’ll talk about this later,” Jace said carefully.
“Later.” Jaxson checked his weapon. Much later. All of it would eventually come out. Right now, they really did need to focus on getting back this kidnaped shifter girl. The whole thing ran icicles through his heart—this was a change in the game, whatever game had been going on before with the shifter disappearances. And he didn’t like it one bit.
Thankfully, an almost-silent scuffle in the dirt behind him signaled the return of his three pack members from surveillance.
“What do you have for me?” Jaxson asked.
Murphy hunched next to him. “Razor-wire all around. Electrification is solid.”
“I’d have to go back for the right equipment to take down the fence,” Taylor added.
“No time for that,” Jaxson said.
There was agreement and frowns all around.
Jaxson sighed. “All right, the guard. Same drill as before. Murphy, we need him conscious.”
“You got it, boss.” He shifted his claws in and out.
Maybe Jaxson would let Murphy take point in tormenting the passcode out of the guard. Jaxson did what he had to, but he took no pleasure from it. And he’d already had his fill for the night.
“Okay, we’ll have to make this fast. Once we take the shack, Taylor works the control system from the inside. Maybe we can get access that way. Murphy, you go to work on the guard. Jace, Rich, and I will get ready for whatever’s going to storm out of the warehouse once we attack. I’m sure they’ve got—”
The crunch of car tires interrupted him. A beam of headlights swept across the shrubbery in front of them. Everyone dropped to a tighter crouch in their hiding spot, while Jaxson peered through the branches, searching for the source. A white van pulled to a stop at the guard shack.
“White van.” Jace’s voice was low and tight. That’s all they had for a description of the vehicle used to snatch Cassie, but it was enough.
“New plan,” Jaxson said to all of them. “Get that goddamned van before it breaches the gate. Go.”
The five of them sprung from their hiding spot and raced toward the van and the guard who had just stepped out of his shack. Murphy and Rich shifted mid-sprint, using their wolf forms to run faster and get there first. Their black coats and silent paws meant the guard barely had warning before they descended upon him in a flurry of midnight fur and fangs. Jaxson took the driver’s side while Taylor went passenger-side. Jace bee-lined to the back door of the van. The ripping sound of claws going through steel tore through the night just as Jaxson arrived at the driver’s still-open window. One solid fist to the face put the driver down. Taylor had him covered with his gun from the passenger side, but there was no need. Jaxson waved him off. Then he pulled open the door and dragged the driver out into the dirt.
A scream from the guard drew Jaxson’s attention. Murphy had the man’s throat in his jaws, and Rich had clamped down on a leg. The scream must have been from that, but the guard wasn’t struggling. He seemed to realize he wasn’t dead yet, but Murphy could make him that way if he moved. Jaxson pulled his weapon and pointed it at the guard’s head, just in case.
“Jace!” Jaxson called to the back of the van. “What do we have?”
“I’ve got her!” Jace yelled from inside the van. That was followed by a muffled whimper and Jace’s voice dropped to soft and reassuring.
Liquid relief flushed through Jaxson’s body. On the heels of that emotion came the need to shoot the driver lying in the dust as well as the prone guard. But he resisted. Dead bodies with his pack’s DNA all over them? Not worth the sweet taste of revenge.
A klaxon sound roared through the air, and million-watt spotlights sprung to life outside the warehouse. Black shapes spilled from a side door.
Shit.
“Everyone in the van!” Jaxson shouted.
Bullets pinged the ground, and Taylor went down in the dirt on the passenger side. Goddammit. Jaxson climbed into the driver’s side and army-crawled across the bench to reach the passenger door. Glass from the windshield shattered as a bullet found a home there. Jaxson flung open the door. Taylor was down but still moving. Jaxson reached down and hauled him up into the cab. A glance up showed the paramilitary guys who had disgorged from the warehouse were held up at the still-closed gate. They couldn’t touch it—one was screaming orders for it to open up while the others sent a spray of bullets thunking into the van. Jaxson felt one clip his arm before he managed to duck back behind the cover of the dash.
“Jace! Are we clear?” Jaxson shouted over the sound of ripping metal and bullet retorts.
“Clear! Clear! Clear!” Jace yelled, which meant Murphy and Rich must have made it into the back of the van.
Jaxson threw the van in reverse and floored it. He was driving blind, but he had to put distance between the van and the gate before the reinforcements managed to get it open. He mapped the terrain from memory, remembering the slight curve in the dirt r
oad just before it reached the warehouse and how it met up with the paved city road. A hard bounce told him he’d reached the pavement, so he cranked the wheel, which brought the lit-up warehouse into view through the side window.
The gate was just starting to spring open.
Jaxson popped upright in the driver’s seat, slammed the brakes, then shoved the van into drive. Another hard turn brought him around facing the right direction to make their escape, peeling rubber but accelerating as fast as the lumbering rental van could manage. It felt like driving through molasses compared to the bullets still biting the ground and pinging the metal of the van, but after ten, long heart-stopping seconds, they reached another turn in the road. He took it as fast as he could without rolling the van.
He knew they were out of line-of-sight when the bullets stopped finding them.
“Fuck,” said Taylor, struggling to sit up in the passenger seat.
“You all right?” Jaxson asked. It came out as a gasp—his lungs were struggling for oxygen, just now catching up to the adrenaline pumping through his system with a heart beating twice as fast as normal.
“Yeah.” Taylor sounded disappointed. And his voice held very little strain for as much blood as was running down his front. “This was one of my favorite shirts.”
Jaxson let out a chuckle. “You’re such an ass.”
Taylor looked offended. “It was a present from my mom.”
Jaxson grinned. “Jace?” he called to the back. “What’s our status?”
Silence.
Jaxson’s grin fell off his face. Icy hands clenched his heart. “Jace!”
His brother popped his head through the opening in the glass window between the cab and the back of the van. “Keep your pants on. Everything’s fine.”
Jaxson breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. “Injuries?”
“Murphy took a bullet. He’s complaining like a baby, but it’s nothing.”