Chapter Five
Bored.
Bored. Bored.
Worried.
But still bored.
Had she mentioned bored?
It hadn’t even been that long. Twenty minutes, tops, and since they hadn’t received a call from the men, she knew they hadn’t arrived at the bar yet.
At first, she’d stayed glued to the couch, phone in hand, afraid to move an inch in case one of the males called. That lasted all of five minutes. She didn’t do ‘worried waiting missus’ well.
Her brother and Devlin had searched the house, checked windows, lowered the blinds, and closed the curtains. No sense in making her an easy target, they’d said.
Target. Wow.
All she’d wanted was a mate…a cub…happiness…
Well, she’d gotten the mate and the cub. Happiness was being stubborn as all get out, but she figured she’d get it someday.
Carly pulled her legs onto the couch, wiggled and shifted until she could lie down, and then plopped the phone onto her chest. Letting out a slow, deep breath, she closed her eyes. She might as well relax while she could. No telling when the guys would call in with news. Then again, if Alex’s lions and Max’s wolves couldn’t scent the culprit, she wasn’t sure how the big bad leaders could do any better.
Whatever.
Okay, not whatever. She was worried, terrified, and anxious. Somewhere out there lurked a homicidal freak who wanted her dead for one reason or another. Hell, based on what the guys had said, it could even be groups of crazies.
Carly still thought it was the psycho-bitch, Naomi.
Seriously.
“Okay, little bit?”
She smiled at hearing her nickname on Ian’s lips. “Yeah, Ian. I’m fine.”
“The kit?”
She opened one of her eyes a crack. “Does everyone know?”
He just grinned and she recognized a bit of young Ian, the boy she’d known before he’d had the mantle of being the warren’s Buck thrust upon him. “Everyone that knows you and knows your scent. You’ve got a bit of sunshine added in now.” Ian snagged her hand and held it in the cradle of his palms, eyes serious while he stared at her. “Are you happy, little bit?”
Carly slid her free hand over her abdomen to rest on her lower stomach, thinking of the tiny life growing inside her. “I am.”
“You sure you’re good with that cat? I know you’ve been…hesitant about him.”
She snorted. Couldn’t help it. “That’s putting it mildly. I dug in my heels so deep I thought I’d end up in China.” She sighed. “But he loves me and I refuse to let him off easy and tell him that I love him. I need to make him sweat a bit.”
That comment got her a wide grin from her brother. “That’s my girl.”
“I know, right? I figure I’ll make him suffer a little more and then pounce and sex him up—“
Ian dropped her hand so fast, she thought maybe he’d caught fire. Opening her eyes wider, she watched him clap his palms over his ears. “La la la, I’m not listening. Sex and my sister do not go into the same sentence.” He glared at her. “Ever.”
Carly raised a single brow and smirked at him. “And what do you think I used to do during the Gaian Moon?”
“I pretended you didn’t exist.”
She stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. “Pft on you.”
“Pft on me?” Ian narrowed his eyes. “Don’t make me freeze all your accou—“
“Children?” They turned their attention to Devlin. “Looks like we might have some company. Car’s coming up the driveway.” That really got their attention and they swiveled their heads toward Dev and watched as he kept low, gun in hand, and peered through the covered window. “Small four door, dark. One person behind the wheel, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t hiding in there.”
The gravel crunched and shifted as the car drew nearer.
“Do you really think people trying to kill me would be that stupid?”
Ian pushed from the coffee table and crouched beside her, tugging her from the couch. He pulled her through the room, down the hall, and back toward Neal’s bedroom. Without a word, he yanked her into the master bathroom, pushed her into the tub, and then gave her a glare that told her he’d gladly kill her himself if she moved an inch.
So she stayed put.
Mostly.
Okay, not really.
The second she thought she was safe (from Ian, not the visitor) she crawled from the tub and crept through her mate’s room, skirted the big-assed bed, and then squatted near the window, back against the wall. She twitched the corner of the curtain aside and peered into the darkness. The lights on the vehicle disappeared and she watched as a single person emerged.
She totally knew that silhouette!
“It’s Andrew! Don’t shoot him!” She popped to her feet and raced through the house, worried that Ian and Devlin would kill her best guy friend. Then again, she wasn’t sure why she was a big ball of worry since he was part of their warren and her brother was sure to recognize the male. Hopefully. But the guys had seemed uber twitchy, so better safe than sorry.
“Damn it, Carly!” Huh. Her brother could almost roar as loud as Neal.
She dodged her brother and thumped right into Devlin.
“Carly.” Oh. His growl was almost scary.
Ha! As if.
“It’s just Andrew.” She pouted.
Carly could hear her brother’s grumble about dumb sisters and tying them to trees, but ignored him. He’d only gotten the jump on her that one time and she’d been five…
A quick knock interrupted their glare-down and Ian trudged toward the front door. The locks gave way with a few flicks and then the door swung wide to reveal…
“Andrew!” Gawd. If she had to be kept on house arrest, even if it was for her own good, at least she’d have a friend with her. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. “Thank God you’re here. I’m so bored.”
Her friend raised a single brow. “You became bored in all of twenty minutes?”
Carly narrowed her eyes. “I hate you.”
“Naw, you love me.” He grinned at her, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes and she knew she was partly responsible for that look.
They’d been Tweedledum and Tweedledee for so long, the last six months had to have been hard on him. When Carly hadn’t been mooning over her mate, or railing against him for his slutty behavior, she’d been holed up with Maya and eating enough ice cream to fill the ocean. Thank God for shifter metabolism. At least she hadn’t gotten fatter than she already was.
She looped her arm through his and tugged him toward the hall and Neal’s bedroom. Not the best place to take another male, but she wanted to talk without her brother nearby.
“Carly…” Ian’s voice trailed after them.
She ignored him. The best part of being the buck’s sister was that she could resist his growls. Hard to fear a man that she’d seen naked since she was three.
Two steps into the bedroom, she kicked the door shut.
“Save me.” She stumbled toward the bed and pretended to faint, falling onto the soft surface with a bounce.
“Carls…” A frown marred Andrew’s sweet, little boy face. The man was nearing thirty and still looked fifteen.
She stared at the white popcorn ceiling. “I know this isn’t funny. It’s dumb and scary and did I tell you I’m pregnant?” She waved a hand. “Never mind, you probably know already. I smell different, apparently.” Carly stacked her hands behind her head. “So, who do you think wants to kill me?”
For a while, Andrew didn’t say a word, but she didn’t rush him. He was a thinker and tended to work things through in his head before voicing his ideas. Seconds ticked by and finally he lay down next to her, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip. He shifted and wiggled a little next to her, probably getting comfortable, but still he remained silent.
“Who wants to kill you? Hmm…”
She tilted her head to the side and nudged his head with hers. “Yeah. I think it’s that Naomi bitch. The growly guys think its Freedom or HSE, but I still vote for the skinny whore.”
Andrew wiggled again. Sometimes the man couldn’t get comfortable.
“No, I don’t think its Naomi. Though she could be involved somehow. There could be more at play than they realize.”
“No? You think she’s had help?” That wasn’t something she’d ever considered, but Carly couldn’t discount her friend’s opinion.
“Maybe…” He sighed and turned toward her. “You know I love you, Carly, right?”
She internally winced, knowing that the love he confessed was romantic and not friendly. “I know.”
“Good, because I love you and I’m doing this for you. You’ll see, it’ll be so much better this way.” A sharp pinch hit her, the stinging hint of pain emanating from her forearm and she winced. “All along, it’s been me.”
Well, that sucked. She’d totally kick his ass…the second she woke up…
* * *
What could have been minutes, or hours, later, Carly awoke.
Mostly.
Maybe.
A piercing throb invaded her head, pounding in time with her heart, but she couldn’t let the pain overtake her. Nope, she had some business to attend to.
Namely, kicking Andrew’s ass.
She slitted her eyelids, taking stock of her position. She was in a small, one-room cabin, arms tied behind her back and a cloth over her mouth. How trite. Really? Andrew couldn’t have gotten a little creative with the kidnapping? Whatever. When she planned an abduction, she’d go all out with the secret holding location. Something super advanced and technology-y.
Further inspection of the room revealed the skinny psycho bitch (aka Naomi) tied similarly to her along the opposite wall. Her eyes were wide, the whites nearly glowing in the dim interior, and her nostrils flared with each quick exhale. She huffed and puffed like a freight train, and Carly could smell her panic, the acidy tang flicking her nose.
Blech.
While carnivores were all about having fun with the panic stricken prey, herbivores were just turned off. Actually, the feeling made Carly’s rabbit run as far away as she could, not wanting to get caught up in a predator’s blood thirst. Cause as sure as God made dandelions, a carnivore saw panicking prey as a tasty meal.
Carly was not a tasty meal. Nope. Never. Unless it was Neal and he was between her thighs…
A shuffle to her left drew her attention and she watched a body in the shadows move around the kitchen. Based on the size and build, she figured it was her kidnapper, Andrew.
God.
Andrew.
He’d been her best guy friend for what seemed like forever. He was always at her side, all smiles and laughs, and he’d gotten along famously with Maya and Beth.
And he wanted her dead.
An ache built in her heart, filled it with pain and anger.
He’d killed Beth.
Shot at her.
And now, he’d filled her with drugs.
What would come next?
A whisper-soft whimper from Naomi drew his attention and Carly trailed after him with her eyes. The man she thought she knew spun on his heel and stomped toward his other captive, pulled his leg back and let it fly. Naomi’s muffled cry filled the room and a flare of compassion flickered to life. The woman was probably involved in Andrew’s plot in some way, but humans were delicate and Carly could only imagine the damage he’d just done.
Well, this had been what he’d meant by ‘mostly’. Naomi had to have been involved in some way.
“Stupid bitch. Be quiet. I want my mate to sleep a little longer.” He was crazy. Certifiable. “She’ll need her rest before we get rid of that little brat she’s carrying.” His attention strayed to Carly and she couldn’t keep still any longer; she opened her eyes and growled low, hissed at Andrew. “Ah, sweetheart, don’t be like that.” Her friend approached, boots clunking and thumping against the wood floor, and squatted before her. “I forgive you for mating with that cat. At first I wanted you dead for betraying me, and my new friend agreed. He told me how to do it all, showed me where to go. Gave me my first opportunity… I tried again, but then the bullets didn’t hit home and I changed my mind and decided to keep you.” He licked his lips and she could sense the nervousness building in him. “I just need to convince him that it’s better if you live. Right. Better…”
Her ex-friend stroked her head, fingers sifting through her hair, and she jerked away from his touch, glaring. If only looks could kill… “Aw, dear heart. Don’t be that way.” He traced the line of her nose and tapped the end. “I’m sure I can convince him to be happy with Naomi’s death. After all, a human dying at the hands of a shifter is sure to put the government in an uproar. Now she can die instead of you…” A disgruntled yell came from Naomi and Andrew stomped toward to her, reared his leg back, and delivered a fierce kick.
Leaving the other woman groaning, he came back to Carly. “Now, where was I? Oh.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, a soft ghosting of regret passing across his features. “I am sad about Bethy. She was such a sweet girl.” He rolled to his feet and placed his hands on his hips. “But that can’t be helped. Except, then it all got so mucked up.” He rubbed his brow. “Naomi saw me shoot at you, you know. I got my hands on her and then I kept watch on the lion’s house. It was so easy to get you out once most of them left. So easy…” Andrew jerked his head, shaking it quickly and then seemed to refocus. “So we’ll leave her in your place. It’ll be perfect… I hope he doesn’t make me keep with our original plans, though.” His fingers settled on his temples and he massaged his forehead. “I hope… I hope… I hope…”
Asshole. Demented asshole. Asshole, motherfucker, cocksucker, piece of shit—
The rumble of an approaching engine drew his attention and Carly strained to hear what the hell was going on.
She poked at her internal rabbit, the near-feral animal aching to rip out Andrew’s throat, no questions asked. She did her best to soothe the bunny’s ruffled fur, assure her that they’d taste his blood, but first they needed to figure out all of the players in the game. Who he fuck was ‘he’?
Sure, she had jealous Andrew in front of her, but this new arrival, Andrew’s mysterious ‘friend’… that had her worried.
If it’d been Neal and the rest of the big, bad leaders, they wouldn’t have driven right up to the front door, which meant this guy…he was yet another piece of the fucked up puzzle.
Part of her felt bad for Naomi. Almost. Okay, mostly. The woman had been at the wrong place at the wrong time and now she’d suffer for that simple twist of fate.
Rabbit now playing her part, Carly strained to hear, but all she could catch were the murmur of voices; the newcomer’s was soft and deep, cutting off Andrew whenever he uttered a sound.
A heavier tread entered the one-room cabin and Carly felt her first wave of fear as the man’s scent was carried on the cool air of the AC.
Polar bear. Big, short-fused, evil polar bear. They were notorious for killing first and not asking questions later.
Fuckity fuck fuck.
Carly rolled back a bit, struggling to see the new arrival. She didn’t have to wait long. In moments the huge man came into view and, oh shit, she was totally dead.
He was taller than Alex—wider, too—with muscles that had muscles that had muscles. Dressed in all black from head to toe, he looked like a man most would run from without hesitation. He had a wicked long scar running from hairline to collar bone, the wide swath of his white injury simply adding to the air of danger that surrounded him.
For the first time in her life, she felt pure terror; the fear pounded through her blood stream until she couldn’t breathe.
The newcomer squatted before her, his long black hair falling forward as he stared down at her tied form. “Hello, pretty. You’ve caused me a bit of grief, you know. You were supposed to die tonight, but I can see that Andrew had a bit of trouble doing his job.” He reached behind him, hand out of sight for barely a moment, before it returned with a ten-inch knife, the sharp blade glistening in the dim light. “It’s not a problem, though.”
* * *
Neal was ready to tear his hair out. They’d just pulled into the parking lot when he got the call.
Andrew had taken Carly right from underneath their noses.
Pressing the ‘end call’ button on his cell, he wasn’t surprised when his thumb cracked the screen.
“He’s got her.”
The males stomping across the graveled parking lot of Honey’s Bar stilled and turned back toward him.
Alex was the first to speak, voice deadly. “Who’s got whom?”
“Andrew.” The lion surged forward, stalked him just beneath his skin, muscles and bones bunched in preparation for a fight. “Ian and Devlin let him in because he’s her friend and part of the warren. And now he’s kidnapped her.” The cat wanted to tear something to shreds. Preferably the male who had dared touch what belonged to him. “The male snuck her out the window and shoved her into his car. Drove away before they even knew she’d been abducted. Ian is researching the rabbit’s assets to see if there’s somewhere he’d take her. Somewhere…”
“It’s not just that bunny, Neal.” The voice came from the darkness, but he recognized the male with ease. He’d been ‘vacationing’ in Ridgeville for the last six months or so and was a well-known tracker for the council, a man who went after feral shifters and dangerous Freedom members.
He was also one of the most dominant and dangerous males he’d ever met. The guy had been nice enough during the visit, but this was something…different. Dominance, anger, and power radiated from the male in giant waves that he couldn’t help but recognize.
The tiger was pissed.
“Ricker.” Neal tilted his head to the side, not anxious to anger the man. He heard a murmured echo of the tiger’s name from those behind him and assumed the others were mimicking his movement.
The cat stalked forward, feet not making a sound on the loose gravel, body moving like the ultimate predator, and Neal couldn’t suppress the slivers of fear that entered his blood. This man could end Neal within the blink of an eye and there were whispers that the male wouldn’t hold an ounce of remorse for the act.
“I know who has her and I know where she is.”
“Where?”
“Who?” Alex’s voice drowned out his.
“One-room cabin near Crest Lake. As for who, it started with her friend, Andrew, but it’s truly…” The tiger’s eyes, deep golden amber, bore into his. “Alistair McCain.”
* * *
Oh shit, oh god, oh shit, oh god… The blade inched closer and closer to her face and she couldn’t do a damned thing about it. Honestly, she wasn’t all that concerned about him slicing the vulnerable skin and leaving her with scars… Nope, her biggest worry was that he wouldn’t stop there.
“Alistair.” Andrew stepped into her line of sight. “I changed my mind. I want to keep her. We’ll kill Naomi, make it look like shifters, and then Carly and I can disappear and—“
Her enemy—yet still somehow her friend—didn’t get the rest of his words out. Nope, not before Alistair spun on the balls of his feet quicker than she could blink and shoved that deadly blade into Andrew just below his breastbone and straight up into the man’s heart. Shock was stuck on her friend’s features, his eyes and mouth open wide. A brief look of regret flashed across his face just before the vacant stare of death took over.
That fast. A blink. A heartbeat. That’s all it took for the male to end Andrew’s life. No hesitation, no wonder or arguing. Just death. Period. Full stop.
The big motherfucker slid the knife free of Andrew’s body and then turned his attention back to her, wiping the blade clean on her jeans and coating her in her friend’s fluids.
“Sorry about that, lovely. Now, let me introduce myself. I’m Alistair McCain and you are our first step to freedom.”
Alistair McCain. Leader of Freedom and a bad-assed, ‘fuck you and die’ polar bear. Freedom’s only focus was destroying the communal structure shifters had operated under since the beginning of time. They wanted the council abolished and Alphas, Primes and all other leaders destroyed. According to them, shifters were fine on their own and they didn’t need anyone telling them what to do or how to live their lives.
She was dead. Deader than dead. A ghost walking—er, laying. It was only a matter of time before…
A whimper from across the room drew Alistair’s attention away from her and Carly was torn in two. She could draw the man’s anger onto herself or let Naomi suffer next.
Decisions, decisions…
Oh, who the fuck was she kidding. Naomi may have been a bitch, but she hadn’t done anything ‘wrong’, per se.
Drawing one leg back, she brought it forward as hard as she could and kicked Alistair in the ass, knocking him to the floor before he could get to the evil bitch and use his Ginsu on her.
“Fucking cunt!” The male roared and spun back to her, a pale white hint of fur covering his features, the lines of his cheeks and chin sharper than before. “Are you ready for death, little one? Is that it?” He reached for her and yanked at her gag, tugged it free of her mouth. “Will you scream for me while I gut you?”
“Fuck you.” She spat at him, a glob of saliva landing on his chiseled cheek.
Stupid, but at least he wasn’t bearing down on Naomi.
“Ah, lovely, how you tempt me. Perhaps I should sample you first.” The bastard grasped her chin with a bruising hold and held her still, licked her face from chin to brow. “How sweet you taste.” His voice was a deep growl and she could smell his arousal, the perverted need in him. Another lap at her skin. “So lovely.”
Alistair released her and changed position, shifting so that she could stare into Naomi’s fear painted eyes. The human didn’t move, barely breathed, while the fucker sliced through Carly’s top, the long blade cutting through the fabric like butter. Soon, the cool air of the cabin sent goose bumps over her skin, and his next cut rendered her bra useless. Her breasts were bared to the room and she chanced a look at Alistair’s features only to turn her attention from him again.
Lust, pure and simple.
Depraved fucker. Just wait until she was free of the ropes. She’d let her little claws come out to play so she could slice and dice his balls.
Yeah, that sounded like a fuck-ton of fun.
“Look at those pretty nipples.” He grasped them between his fingers and pinched, harder and harder until tears formed in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. But she wouldn’t make a sound. No, she figured he took enjoyment in others’ pain and she wasn’t about to help him get his rocks off. He twisted, increasing the pressure, and she breathed deeply through her nose, great puffing breaths heaved in and out of her lungs while she bore the pain.
The rabbit inside her growled and reared, chomped on air, desperate to get the male’s hands off of her. Alistair wasn’t her mate. He had no right to touch her. Ever.
With a growl, he released her and then turned his attention further down her body, eyes resting at the juncture of her thighs. She’d die first. Truly.
Alistair brandished the wicked blade, edge gleaming, and brought it to the button of her jeans. Again, it parted the fabric near the fastener like a hot knife through butter, the cloth melting away with barely a touch. More and more of her was revealed and she cringed when his fingers glided over the skin of her lower belly. “That’s lovely.”
Carly shimmied and wiggled, tugged and tore at her bonds. No. She wouldn’t let him do this to her. God, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but fight. Her rabbit, all for getting the hell away from this fucker, urged her on, shoved forward and became desperate for the change.
She let a little of the furball’s power slither through the walls that kept her bunny at bay. In a blink, the rabbit pushed, yanked control, and forced her wrists and hands to change.
While the pain of a partial change tore through her, she kicked at Alistair, nailed him in the thigh and then again between his legs.
The male roared and reached for her jeans, tore them from her body, exposed her. With his grab, her panties followed, leaving her bare from the waist down.
The rabbit helped her then, got her wrists free of her bindings with a quick slice of her claws, releasing her arms. Hands free, she used them to brace her as she struck out with her leg again, fighting with all that she had. Alistair staggered back a step.
Taking advantage of the distraction, she scrambled for the knife, crawled and clawed until the handle of the ten-inch blade rested against her palm.
Hand wrapped around the hilt, a roar of triumph grew in her chest. But it was short-lived. A scream erupted when searing hot, near debilitating pain roared through her hip and leg. She was flipped over, Alistair’s shifted claws digging into her flesh, slicing through the fat and muscle of her body. Without thought, she struck out with the blade, cut and carved at his hands and arms, uncaring of any damage she may have caused to herself. She wouldn’t be raped by his filth, and refused to let the demented male take her kit from her.
Another swipe and she caught his face, the blade traveling over one cheek, across his nose, and then against the other cheek. Now he had a new scar to go with the other.
“Bitch.” He pulled one claw free and then sunk it in again, gripping her waist and tugging her toward him, wicked nails cutting down to the bone.
Alistair bared his fangs, saliva dripping from his extended canines and dropping against her exposed skin. She sliced at him again, repeating the move yet the man didn’t seem to notice. She gave him another cut, even deeper and Alistair snarled in response, his jaw elongating to resemble the polar bear he held inside his body.
The male froze, body half over her, Carly’s blood pouring from her wounds, and he tilted his head to the side. “It sounds as if the cavalry has arrived. Apparently the sniveling male did not do very well.” He released her in an instant, claws retracting from her flesh, and he rose to his full height. The rabbit wanted to jump to her feet, cut and claw at the male, destroy him. She’d kill him or die trying. “Until we meet again.”
With that simple goodbye, he melted from the room, leaving Carly alone with the pale-faced, white-eyed Naomi and her ex-friend’s body.
Damn, but she wished she could bring Andrew back so she could take a piece out of his hide.
Carly breathed deep, chest heaving and heart struggling with every beat. The minute she woke up, she’d figure out a way to bring Andrew back from the dead so she could kill him again.
She just needed a tiny nap first.
* * *
Six hours later, Neal was still shaking, lion pacing inside his mind, stalking back and forth while he fought the urge to join Ricker’s hunt for Alistair McCain. He battled the urge to snarl at the thought of the man’s name.
He couldn’t do anything while he waited for Carly to heal. Her injuries were severe, deep enough to reveal bone, and the blood loss was staggering. He only hoped that the cub had survived. He knew his mate would have been devastated with the loss of their young, and he wanted to spare her that news.
Neal traced each of her delicate fingers, noticing the pale hue of her skin, and he could see the blue of her veins within. God, he’d almost lost her to the jealousy and the destructive plans of an insane male.
Freedom. He snarled.
Alistair had preyed on Andrew’s demented feelings and convinced the male that Carly’s death would be the answer to his prayers. No one would have the female that belonged to him.
Instead, Andrew had ended up dead, and Naomi…
“You know she’ll be fine. Little Bit’s always bounced back.” Ian joined him, standing tall at the end of the bed. “Did she tell you about the time she got caught by a fox?”
Neal turned to him, eyes wide. “You’re joking.”
His mate’s brother shook his head. “Nope. She’d gotten mad at our mother, shifted, and ran off into the woods. She’d been gone for an hour or so, our parents frantic, before she came hopping back, bloodied from head to toe and dragging that fucking fox behind her. At seven she informed our mother that foxes did not play fair.”
Carly stirred, muscles twitching and legs shifting beneath the thin fabric of the sheet covering her and he stroked her hand, trailed his fingers over her cheek. “Shh, I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Ian’s hand rested on his shoulder. “She’s tough, cat. By morning she’ll be ready to hunt down Andrew and skin him alive. Not that there’ll be anything left of the body, since we’ll burn it, but she’ll still try and figure out a way.”
God, Neal hoped so. He could deal with an angry, vengeful Carly any day.
A knock on the bedroom door yanked their attention and they found Alex standing in the hallway. Smart man. Neal wasn’t sure he could tolerate an unrelated male near his woman right then.
“We need you two in the living room. Ricker would like a word. Neal, Maya will stay with Carly until you return.” With that, Prime disappeared and the very pregnant Maya waddled into the room, worry etched into every line of her face.
Neal rose from his chair and stepped aside. The woman toddled even faster and practically fell into the seat he’d vacated. She snatched up Carly’s still hand. “You utter bitch. You go on another adventure without me? I bet we coulda sliced and diced that ass. Remember when…”
He smiled at Prima’s railing and turned to follow Ian out of the room. His mate would be well cared for by her best friend. Now he had other things to deal with, and he was anxious to hear what the council’s tracker had to say.
In the living room, Alex and Ricker waited for them; Max and his enforcer had left as soon as they’d seen the cats and rabbits home. They didn’t want to leave their wolves alone while Alistair was in the area and Neal couldn’t blame them.
Ricker sat in one of the chairs, elbows resting on his knees. He’d been hunting for hours and looked exhausted. “I lost him on the other side of the lake. Fucker hopped into an SUV and took off. There were tracks of at least three others, but I caught the scent of another two that had probably stayed in the vehicle. A hard scent of fear hung around, which means they’ve either got a reluctant Freedom member or they have their hands on someone else.”
Neal clenched his hands, fought the urge to shift and roar, take off into the wilderness and hunt the bastard, the leader of Freedom.
His mate. His mate had been hurt.
He ached for the death of every member of that fucking organization. He wanted the blood of Freedom members to flow in rivers so that they couldn’t hurt anyone else.
Ever.
The tracker stood and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll be gone as soon as I pack my stuff. The council staff are running the tire treads and checking on recent rentals. I’m going to ground for now and waiting to see if there’s any whispers.”
“What about Naomi?” God, she was crazed after what she’d been through. Her body had been battered, bruised, and broken in several places, but she was human. Knowing enough about shifters to have sex with them and bear their cubs was one thing…seeing the violence they were capable of was another.
He didn’t know how she’d fare or what to tell the kids just yet. He wasn’t sure if he should lie or tell the truth…their mother wouldn’t be the same, either way.
Ricker crossed his arms over his massive chest. “It’s your call. She’ll be damaged, maybe permanently, and she knows a lot about y’all. More than the average human. As far as the council is concerned, it’s an internal matter unless she starts talking.”
Neal nodded, quickly followed by the other two males, and Ricker seemed to relax. The male probably had enough of dispensing judgment on others and he apparently didn’t want to be saddled with a human’s future. “Good.” He jerked his head in a quick nod. “I hope to never see you again. At least, not when blood’s involved.”
He shook the male’s hand, Ian and Alex repeating the gesture in turn, but Alex held fast. “You are always welcome on our land and in our pride, Ricker. We won’t ever forget this. If you decide to retire, you have a home in Ridgeville.”
Neal watched the tiger stride from the house and, while his lion was respectfully fearful of the huge beast, a part of him couldn’t help but be sad at the male’s departure. Their pride would be stronger with him in it. Maybe…
Maya’s voice cut into his thoughts. “Neal? She’s asking for you.” The woman smirked. “And when I say ‘asking’, I mean ready to gnaw your ass if you don’t get in there ASAP. She said she’s horny, hungry, and hormonal from the kit which is your fault. In that order.”
Praise Jesus hallelujah amen. She’d live.