9781616503369 (13 page)

“I can’t pee with you in here.”

“I’m not allowed to let you out of my sight.”

Rolling her shoulders forward and wringing her hands together, Julie tried to look feeble. The wobble she forced into her voice reinforced the intimidated image she strove for.

“Please. I’m just human. What can I do in here to cause trouble?” She pleaded with her eyes. The man snorted but left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Julie turned on the faucet for cover and assessed the contents of the room. Nothing! Not one damn thing would work as a weapon.

Her gaze passed over the toilet but quickly returned. She lifted the lid, grateful to find it wasn’t attached and was heavy enough to do the trick. She needed to be fast. Once she knocked out the guard, she still had to find the keys to the truck she’d spotted in the driveway. With any luck, they’d be out in the open, waiting for her to steal them. But she wasn’t relying on it being that easy. The day hadn’t been lucky for her so far. She needed to get away before anyone discovered she was gone.

Julie opened the door, praying he waited on the other side so the door would provide a moment of cover. Her luck seemed to be turning. She heaved the toilet lid over her shoulder like a bat. A large rectangular bat, but a bat nonetheless.

As soon as the door cleared, she swung out, registering the surprise on his face before she connected with his head. He went down in a pile, and Julie took another swing at his head, making sure he stayed out. The lid shattered under the force.

“Weak link my ass.” She spit on him and searched his pockets, thanking God when she felt keys inside. She looked around and didn’t see Jay anywhere.

Knowing she had a few minutes tops before the guard woke, Julie scrambled up and made her way to the door. She stumbled on the rug, still shaking off the effects of the drugs, but knowing this was her one chance to escape. They wouldn’t mistake her as weak twice.

She fumbled with the door and peeked around the edge. Still no sign of anyone. She looked toward the truck. It sat maybe ten yards away. She could make it.

Instinct took over and she ran. She threw her body inside the cab and shoved the key into the ignition. As it roared to life, she glanced in her rearview mirror.

Jay stood against a shed behind her, staring at her reflection with raw fury. The change overtook him, and he turned into a huge cat before her eyes.

Jason had been wrong. He wasn’t a cheetah, although he had the same spots as one. He wasn’t like any animal. He was as large as a lion, and his paws looked capable of tearing through the metal of the truck. She’d never seen anything so frightening in her life.

Her foot slammed down on the gas pedal, still watching the cat in the mirror. The car shot forward, flying down the dirt path. Now that she was outside, she recognized the area. They were a few miles from Alpine Woods. If she could just get past the barriers of the town, she knew she’d be safe.

Now that she was in a truck, speeding away from the cabin, she could breathe a sigh of relief. No matter what animal he was, it was unlikely he could outrun her, right?

Sparing a glance in the rearview mirror, she realized how wrong she was. Jay had completed his shift and taken pursuit, gaining on her.

She swung the wheel to the right at the end of the dirt road, heading toward the more populated areas. The tires spun out, but she managed to keep control. Dismay filled her as she realized they were alone. She’d hoped another driver would see she was being chased. Preferably one with a gun to shoot the bastard.

The truck jerked as he slammed into the side of the cab. Julie screamed as the wheels left the ground before crashing back to the pavement. The steering wheel jerked in her grip. Jay turned and ran away from the truck. Julie didn’t know whether to be relieved or fearful. Could it possibly be over?

As she relaxed, thinking she’d made her escape, he flew out of the woods on the side of the road, faster than before. He slammed his bulky form against the side of the vehicle, and the weightlessness caused her stomach to lurch as the car rolled. Screaming, she hung on for dear life as it continued to tumble end over end off the road.

This wasn’t how she wanted to die. She thought of Brendan, of the love they’d made that morning, and wanted to rail at the world. She still had so much left to give, so much left to do.

Her head slammed into the window as the car finally stopped. Thank God she’d fastened her seatbelt out of habit.

Water dripped down her face, and she lifted her hand to it in confusion. Where was it coming from?

Raising her fingers to eye level, she saw red smears on her fingertips. Not water. Blood. The world spun, and she sank into welcoming darkness. At least she wouldn’t be conscious as Jay tore into her.

* * * *

They heard the screams and the crunch of metal as they neared. Brendan had never been more terrified in his life. He’d sensed her bravery and knew she planned an escape. Pride had filled him at the thought, even as he worried and wished she’d wait.

He could save her. But Julie wasn’t the type to sit and wait for rescue. She was braver and smarter than anyone realized. Even him.

They’d thought she needed protection, but Julie was born of wolves. She had a warrior inside her. He hoped she got out without being harmed.

His paws pounded the ground between them, never stopping in his pursuit. Even if she got away, he’d still have to deal with her captors. They would live only as long as it took to track them down.

He sensed the moment her heart sped up in fear and knew her kidnappers followed her. He picked up speed, needing to reach her before they did. But even as he sensed they were closing in, he heard the crash. They were too late.

His wolf howled in pain and fury as the truck came into sight. It stood a few yards from the road, right side up, but the dents in the roof and sides showed evidence of a roll. The beast stood on its hind legs, its paws stripping the metal from the driver’s side door. Inside he saw Julie, her face covered in blood, her eyes closed and lifeless.

The cat, some lion-cheetah hybrid by the look of it, raised its head as they neared. It roared once before taking off. The bastard was fast–faster than any of them–but Brendan was determined. No way was it going to escape. Not after taking his mate away from him.

The howls of his surrounding pack assured him they felt the same. The cat and whoever had helped him wouldn’t live past the day. Brendan put on a burst of speed, but was brought up short as Jason dashed past him, blocking his way. He snapped his jaws threateningly. Premier or not, nothing would stand in Brendan’s way.

“Brendan, stop. Julie needs you right now.” He looked toward Danny, back in his human form and standing naked next to the car. Brendan looked past him, his stillness allowing him to hear the moan within.
Alive
! His heart leapt. He hadn’t lost her yet.

“We’ll take care of the bastard. We promise. But you’re needed here. And none of us can be the mate she needs with her now. Only you.”

It grated his nerves to admit they were right. He wanted to chase after their foe, the one who’d dared to hurt his love. But his mate needed him. Not her brothers. Him. He shifted to human and pointed in the direction the pack had disappeared.

“Find him and make him pay.” He didn’t care that he just issued an order to his Premier. Evidently the wolf didn’t either, as it jerked its head in a nod and took off. He had to trust them to deal with the threat. Right now, he had more important things to take care of.

He crossed to the mangled truck as her father pulled off the side of the road. Unable to shift and join the rest of the pack, he’d offered to follow them in his car, desperate to help find his baby girl any way he could.

“I’ll call an ambulance,” Charles said, pulling out his cellphone. Thank God he’d come along. Brendan didn’t want to move her and risk worse injury, but didn’t have any pockets in his fur for a cellphone. He brushed his hand down her cheek, wiping away the blood trail. She moaned as she tried to nuzzle his hand.

“No, no beautiful. You need to remain still until the paramedics arrive.” He held his breath as her eyes opened and moved where she could see him without turning her head.

“Brendan? What are you…? Am I dead?” His heart missed a beat. The very thought was enough to bring him to his knees.

“No, honey, you’re not dead. But you have to stay still, okay?” He gazed into her eyes as she agreed. “We’re gonna get you out of here and get you patched up. I promise nothing will ever happen to you again.”

“I got away,” she whispered, then groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. “Kind of.”

“You did good. I’m so proud of you, my mate.” He whispered words of endearments, holding her hand as they waited for help to arrive until her father shoved jeans and a shirt at him.

“You’d better get dressed before the cops arrive.”

He stood in indecision, hating to leave Julie’s side, but her father was right. The last thing he needed was for the cops to arrest him for public indecency. He glanced between Julie’s hand wrapped in both of his and the clothes Charles held out for him.

The wail of sirens in the distance made up his mind for him. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. Assuring her he was right next to her as he pulled on the clothes, he finished just as the ambulance arrived.

The paramedics assessed the situation, bracing her neck and pulling her out of the truck and onto a stretcher. Brendan followed behind the stretcher. The EMC workers tried to stop him from climbing into the back of the ambulance with her, but after one growl and a flash of his eyes they relented.

He sat by her head as they rushed to the hospital, stroking her hair. Julie kept fading in and out of consciousness, confused and disoriented each time she woke. He heard words like
concussion, broken, laceration,
but wasn’t paying attention to them. All his focus was on Julie.

He couldn’t lose her now. Not after everything that had happened. Why had he waited so long? Why had he let her out of his sight? She was everything to him, and he might lose her through his carelessness. Never would he forgive himself if anything happened. If she died, he wouldn’t be far behind. His life would be nothing without her.

Brendan followed the stretcher as far as he could into the hospital. As it rolled into the “staff only” area, he put his head in his hands and did something he hadn’t done since his mother’s funeral–he wept.

* * * *

Jason didn’t feel the coldness of the ground under his paws, or the branches whipping his face. All his focus remained on the figure in front of him. They were gaining ground on their prey, sheer determination driving the pack forward.

The man who’d kidnapped his baby sister tripped, giving him the opening he needed. With a burst of speed, Jason closed the distance between them and tackled the man to the ground. His fangs sank into the beast’s hip as they rolled across the forest floor.

The creature was larger than Jason’s wolf, but Jason had something the thug didn’t. A pack to fight beside him. The large cat didn’t stand a chance. As the beast turned to confront Jason, three more wolves joined in the fray, but the villain only fought harder.

One of his wolves went down with a yelp as the cat’s massive claws swung out, two wolves jumping forward to take the empty place. The claws caught Jason on the side of the face, but he ignored the pain.

By kidnapping Julie, the man had not only attacked Jason’s family, but also his pack. As Premier, he needed to be the one to finish this.

More wolves joined the fight until her abductor lay immobile and panting on the ground, overcome by sheer numbers. Jason unhooked his fangs from the cat’s side and moved forward until he stood next to the bastard’s head.

Rage hammered through his blood. As a rule, he didn’t enjoy killing, taking down prey only when he needed to eat. But this man was a threat to his pack, to his family. He had drugged and stolen his baby sister from her driveway. A snarl erupted at the thought. It would be Jason’s pleasure to bring this man to justice.

Positioning his mouth just right, Jason hardened his heart. One twist would crack the man’s neck and end this nightmare.

“Jason, no!” His body froze even as his gaze rose at the shout. Cody, Premier to the neighboring fox pack–skulk, he reminded himself–stood naked in front of him, surrounded by dozens of red foxes.

“Stay out of this, Cody. It doesn’t concern you,” Ethan spoke as he stepped forward, having shifted to human. Jason remained exactly where he was, mouth wrapped around the cat’s neck, gaze glued to the fox in front of him. They’d chased the beast closer to fox territory than he’d realized.

“We need him to find Julie,” Cody reasoned. How the hell did he know about Julie?

“How do you know about Julie?” Danny voiced the question Jason wasn’t able to ask as he strode forward to stand beside Ethan.

“Samantha called.”

The statement caused a growl to burst from Jason’s throat. Months ago, his mate had gotten turned around in the woods and ended up in the fox town. When Jason and Laurie had gone to pick her up, Samantha had on the fox Premier’s clothes, having none to wear after shifting back to her human form. Even though he knew nothing inappropriate had happened, he still resented the reminder that the two had remained friends.
 

If his hands weren’t currently full, he’d wipe the smirk right off Cody’s face.

“We’ve got Julie. This is tying up loose ends.” Ethan’s voice was rife with a companionable fury to his own.

His mouth tightened on the neck below him, preparing for the final blow, but Cody’s voice halted him once again.

“Stop. If Julie’s safe, killing the cat is vengeance.” Cody came forward and stooped, meeting Jason’s wolf eyes. “You know the repercussions this kind of thing can bring.”

When the shifter council had formed, they’d created a set of rules for all shifters to abide by. Although they respected each pack’s need to protect its territory, killing another human or shifter was forbidden unless a pack member was in danger. And the council had members– assassins–to enforce the rules. There’d be a trial, and although it was doubtful Jason would be punished too severely, there was a risk. He thought of Samantha, waiting in her wedding dress for him at the church. Of the child they were expecting and knew the risk was too great.