Chapter 21

James

 

The two little shitheads just brought Anna back from weapons training unconscious. I think it was safe to say that things did not go well. I made sure she was safe in her bed before chasing the fucks out to the hall.

“What the fuck?” I growled at Mason. “You really thought shooting her with a tranq gun was the best option? Those tranqs are calibrated for a two or three-hundred-pound male.”

Mason paled but growled back at me. “You weren’t there.” Jason stepped up to his side to face me down.

We stood like that for a moment, none of us willing to back down. I heard Austin’s footsteps come up behind me. “I want to know what happened. Now.” He told the twins.

They lowered their eyes from mine and took a step back. Mason let out a breath and hunched his shoulders in a little. “Everything was fine. We were cleaning up the explosion when Anna caught a scent.”

“The guys had already followed it and it lead to nowhere.” Jason added. “I didn’t think there was any harm in letting her see for herself. She seemed really determined to help.”

Jason shrugged self-consciously. “I don’t know what happened. She looked angry and said that she knew the scent and that he was ‘there’. I thought she was talking about the IED, but I think it was more than that.”

I closed my eyes briefly. “It was definitely more than that.”

Austin and the twins looked at me with a question in their eyes. “We had already determined that the same men who murdered Evelyn were responsible for the attack on the house. Is it really that much of a stretch that they would also be responsible for the IED?”

I saw understanding flash in Austin’s eyes, but the twins looked like they were not following. “Anna walked through the crime scene after Evelyn was murdered. The body was already removed, but it was still obvious what happened in that room. The killer’s scents were still strong enough to be identified.”

I saw pity in their eyes and Jason glanced towards Anna’s room. “I didn’t know.” He said quietly. “She never said anything.”

“That explains a lot.” Mason murmured. “I never thought I would see Anna out of control like that, but it was impossible to reason with her.” He turned to Austin with a pleading look. “She was out in the middle of the road in plain sight of humans, howling out her frustrations. She just...lost it.”

“We had to get her back here and without the pack bond we couldn’t reach her…” Jason told him.

Austin nodded. “When she wakes up, I will be having a talk with her.” He said firmly. “I need you back at the scene for now. Make sure Trevor’s team has whatever they need.”

Mason glanced at Anna’s room and looked like he wanted to object.

“I will watch over her.” I growled at him.

The twins both looked at me in surprise, but nodded. They both murmured an assent to Austin and headed back down the stairs.

Austin turned to me with a sigh. “We can move her to Caleb’s room if you need to go.”

I stiffened. “I can contact my sources by phone and coordinate with Trevor from here.”

Austin looked at me critically. “Anna might be fragile when she wakes up, can you handle that?”

“I can handle it.” I grumbled. “She’s more likely to be combative, anyway. We fucking tranqed her in the middle of her hunt for vengeance when she was on the killer’s trail. What would you have done in that situation?”

Austin sighed. “We are lucky Anna is more gentle than the rest of us, I’m not sure what would have happened if that was you or Trevor.”

I grunted in response. It probably would have taken more than just a tranq to take me down and stop me from tearing someone to pieces. The second I was awake I would be right back after them. As much as we liked to act human in this pack, we weren’t. There was still a part of us that was wolf.

It was a mistake to think that Anna was going to be sweet and gentle all the time, though. I was starting to see that Anna had a fierce and protective side to her. But I had realized it only came out on behalf of others, not herself.

“I’m taking Cody and a few of our guys to meet with Arminius after the pack meeting. He wanted to meet to discuss our payment for help with Caleb’s trial, but I’m going to see if I can get a referral for a witch.” He told me solemnly.

My eyebrows rose. “Can they really be trusted?” I asked.

“No.” Austin said bluntly. “But we can’t continue to wait around to be attacked. We need to put a stop to this and track down whomever is harassing us. If we have to make a deal with a witch, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“I don’t like it.” I told Austin bluntly.

“I don’t either.” He confessed. “But we have a lot at stake here.” He glanced towards Anna’s room.

“And if the trail leads back to your father?” I asked softly.

His eyes hardened. “Then I will deal with him.”

I clapped his shoulder in a sign of solidarity. “You will have the whole pack at your side. You are not facing him alone.”

Austin gave me a small smile in return. “He won’t be facing us alone either.”

I hesitated, glancing between Austin and Anna’s room. I didn’t like sending my pack-master into a meeting with the lamia without me. But Anna… would Caleb be able to handle a vicious Anna, intent on destroying her enemies?

I wasn’t able to provide Anna with romance, and loving relationships were not my area of expertise. But when it came to vengeance and violence? I could understand that.

Austin must have picked up on my internal debate. “Stay with her.” He said quietly. “She’s going to need you. I have more than enough back-up to meet with one of our allies.”

I nodded at him in agreement and we said our goodbyes. I headed back into Anna’s room and closed the door behind me. I was immersed in her scent as I walked further into her room and sat down on the bed next to her.

Her breathing was deep and steady, her face peaceful. I carefully brushed a stray lock of hair off her face affectionately. If the tranq had been too much for her body to handle she would have been showing signs of distress by now. But it would probably take longer for her to come out of it than one of us.

I did not like her like this, she was completely defenseless. Anyone could walk in here… I found myself growling and stopped. No one was getting near her.

I laid down next to her with my phone. I planned on keeping a close eye on her. Just in case.