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Cole smelled the smoke before he turned down Isabella’s drive. A tendril of dark gray lifted through an opening in the trees.
Oh, shit.
When he parked in the yard, he stared at her home, smashed and burned as if some giant had hit a fist in the middle and torched it.
Getting out, he ran for the house.
“Here,” a voice croaked.
Cole whipped to his left and squinted at a pile of rags in the grass. He hurried over and Isabella appeared in the material. He didn’t want to ask how she’d done that.
Lifting her carefully, he asked, “Where can I take you?”
Any supernatural being would not go to a human hospital.
“My people will show up soon.” She gripped Cole’s shirt. “You have to find Katelyn.”
Shit. “What happened to her?”
Isabella heaved a deep breath that seemed to steady her. “She was living here in the basement.”
Don’t curse at the witch, if that’s what she is. Cole couldn’t believe how close he’d come to meeting Katelyn yesterday.
Isabella said, “Don’t be angry, wolf. Katelyn needed time to make up her mind to talk to you and I needed time to convince her.”
When Cole realized this woman had been trying to help him, he let go of his anger.
The witch-shifter said, “Katelyn was ready to go back to Sammy. She really loves the shifter and just panicked, like you thought. If that Cadell hadn’t shown up, she’d have met with you.”
“Cadell? How do you know that’s who came here?”
“He was in league with the Power Barons. I recognized a magic signature when he used power a Cadell shouldn’t possess.”
Cole couldn’t hide his surprise that she even knew what a Cadell was, which was why he said, “Are you sure you know what Cadells are?”
She gave him a look that made him feel as if he’d lost most of his IQ points. “Yes, I’m sure. I’m half Cadell. My sire was one and my mother was a shifter. This Cadell bastard was only interested in Katelyn because Cadells keep trying to build a powerful mix from both bloodlines.”
“I know, but Katelyn was only human.”
“They will either force him to change her into a bear and bond with her, or they’ll use her to manipulate him into doing what they want.”
“His bear will go mad either way.”
“That could be, but when magic is involved anything can happen.”
“Why aren’t you in the middle of the Cadell community?”
She made a raspy cough. “When I was born, I didn’t make the cut as a Cadell. Their mother wants strong males of her blood, not women. She thinks we’re only good for breeding if they capture one of you. She has no idea what I’m capable of and I don’t plan to enlighten her. Basically, I was tossed aside and my mother was handed around to his friends until she died. I hate Cadells. So do you, Gallize.”
Cole nodded. “Thank you for that truth.”
“You’re welcome. Now find Katelyn.”
“I’ll do my best. How did they know to come here for her?”
“Probably followed you, wolf.”
“Not a chance. I’m trained to elude any tail.”
“I’m not talking about human tricks. You know Mother Cadellus uses creatures as her minions, right?”
“I thought she used nightingales.”
“That was back in the first couple of centuries. When the world expanded, she adapted, even from a cave.” Appearing thoughtful, Isabella said, “She had something like a bird or animal track you. Whatever it was, you wouldn’t have noticed it.”
Right then, Cole decided if he lived he was going to make friends with this woman and find out what she knew about those bastards.
He said, “Do you have any idea where they were taking Katelyn?”
“My guess would be to Sammy, but that doesn’t mean they’ll deliver her alive.”
Shit. He could hear vehicles coming in the distance. “Who are your people so I don’t let an enemy near you?”
Isabella patted his arm. “I’ll survive. The Cadell got what he wanted. My people will be turning in the drive right ... about ... now.”
Two vehicles tore down the drive, then cars parked and doors slammed.
Voices called out, “Izzy!”
Three women ran up to them, all of them looking ready to turn Cole into a toad or a stump.
Lifting her shaking hand, Isabella said, “He’s in my circle.” That’s all it took to back off the crazy glares. They surrounded Isabella, fussing.
Cole started to stand, but Isabella yanked him down. Her eyes stared straight up and were glazed over.
Everyone went deathly still, including Cole.
Isabella said, “Your woman. Go to her. She needs you.”
The bottom fell out of Cole’s stomach. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Tess?”
Isabella shook her head and looked at him. “I don’t know, but go to her now. And make her your mate before it’s too late.”
Cole had stepped away in a hurry to leave. He swung back. “I can’t.”
“You have to open the bond.”
“Thank you. I’ll find Katelyn. Take care of yourself. If I can, I’ll be back.”
“You’ll be back, wolf.”
That sounded like a threat.
Cole jumped into his SUV and spun wheels cutting around all cars to get out of there. Before he rattled Tess, he called Rory. “Is Tess okay?”
Rory said, “Everything looks quiet ... wait a minute.”
Three words hit Cole in the gut. “What. Tell me.”
“An ambulance just rushed up to the entrance of her building, but I’ve been monitoring the police band. Call Tess.”
Cole snapped the phone closed and hit the speed dial for the burner phone he’d given Tess.
After eight unanswered rings, he knew the truth.
He shoved the accelerator to the floor and called Rory.
Rory picked up his phone with the calm he had when they were under mortar fire. “We got problems. One of the EMTs is definitely a shifter. I saw his eyes.”
Cole said, “Follow that ambulance and keep me on speaker.”
“Already on it.” The sound of Rory’s car squealing away to chase the ambulance came next. Then Rory shouted, “The ambulance is driving crazy.”
Cole could hear the tires screeching as Rory took a corner.
“Shit!” Tires screamed loudly.
Cole was losing his mind. “What?”
“They ran a red light and a tractor trailer pulled across right behind them. I have their tag. I’ll get a—”
The next sound was a gun blast, cursing, then the snarl of a pissed jaguar.
Rory had shifted.
Then loud animal howls and growling.
Then banging around ...
Then nothing.
Cole’s skin turned to ice.
Whoever had come for Tess had gotten Rory, too.
If Cole called Justin, the Guardian or any other Gallize, they’d all come to his aid. But he couldn’t do that until he found Rory and Tess, if they were together.
Once that happened, Cole would call in everyone he could muster to get them back.
His heart was trying to explode.
He had to get a grip and think. First he’d find Tess, because he had ensured he could do that by sticking a tracking device in her hair barrette.
That would work if she’d still had her hair twisted up when she was snatched.