Chapter Eight
On hearing that Joe and Kai had never made it back to River Den, Axel did the only thing he could do; he got in his car and put his foot to the floor.
A call from Hunter when he was halfway to Hilltop had him turning around and heading toward River Den. They’d found Joe’s car, abandoned on the side of the road with unfamiliar shifter scents around it and signs of a struggle.
Hunter met him at the bridge and Axel knew it wasn’t good news.
“What’s wrong? Have you found something?”
“No, we haven’t. But there is something you don’t know.”
“What’s that?”
“Hilltop has had a few people report being watched, or their cars being followed over the past few weeks.”
“What? Did Joe know?”
“They didn’t think to mention it to him. It was low-level stuff and they weren’t sure there was actually a problem. They’ve had some issues in the past with humans sniffing around, wondering if the place is a cult or some kind of militia compound, that sort of thing. They assumed it was more of the same.”
“What else?” Axel knew there was more.
“Max was up north a week ago, doing some preparations for setting up the den there. The wolves there have semi-regular contact with a smaller shifter pack, coyotes I think. An omega of theirs went missing almost a month ago. A group of them had gone to a local town to pick up supplies and when they met up to go home, he just never reappeared. When they retraced the omega’s steps, they identified another shifter scent.
“Lion,” Axel surmised.
“No, hyena.”
“But there was a lion’s scent around Joe’s car.”
“Yeah, alongside three different hyena scents.”
So that might have meant it wasn’t connected to Dex’s murder like Axel had assumed.
“Is there anything else I need to know?” Axel asked as he followed Hunter to his and Cade’s house.
From the way Hunter hesitated, there was.
“We have an idea why they might have been taken.”
Axel stopped walking. “Why?”
“It turns out the lions aren’t the only shifters who’ve turned to slavery and they haven’t restricted it to just their own packs.”
“Shit.” Axel stared at Hunter in disbelief. “You think they’ve been abducted to be slaves?”
“Probably to be sold.”
“We have to find them.”
“Yes, we do, and we will. The only problem is that all the information we have is third hand. We have no idea who exactly is behind this or where to find them. Or even if it’s one group or multiple groups.”
Axel nodded slowly. It was an effort to keep calm when all he wanted to do was rush out there and find Joe. But running out there blind wasn’t going to get him anywhere.
“So, what you’re saying is, we need information.”
“Right.”
“I think I know where to start.”
After a quick debate, it was decided that Jensen would accompany Axel to Cody’s bar. Seeing as the lions were somehow involved in whatever was going on, they were hoping having a lion with them might open some doors.
It was a tense drive.
“The last time I came here, Dex was still alive, and Joe was with me.”
“That was after Nevan took Liam, right?”
“Right. Cody mentioned seeing more lions about, which was what we were interested in. There was some talk about hyenas, but it didn’t seem all that important at the time.”
It certainly was important now and Axel struggled not to blame himself for not paying more attention to it then. There were other things to beat himself up over too. The main one being not bringing Joe to the Weir already.
“This is as much my fault as it is yours,” Jensen said suddenly. “I sent Joe to Hilltop alone.”
“Yeah? Well, I upped and left him to go smooth things over with my pack. So, either it’s both our faults or it’s neither of our faults. Logic says it’s the latter, but the guilt is unreal right now.”
“We’re going to find him, Axel. We’re going to find both of them.”
“Hell yeah, we are. He’s my mate. I promised nothing would come between us, and it won’t.”
Axel had called ahead, so Cody knew they were coming. He waved them past the bar, through the door marked ‘Staff Only’ and into a small kitchen. They took seats around a table while Cody made coffee.
“Tell me everything,” he said, passing out mugs and sitting down opposite them.
Axel outlined all that had happened and as much as they knew. Cody looked troubled.
“There have definitely been some dealings between the lions and the hyenas. They don’t make natural allies, but they seem to have found common ground. And I can add three more known disappearances. One omega and two betas.”
“Have you heard any talk of shifters being bought and sold?”
“Shifters, no.” Cody hesitated.
“What? What do you know?”
“I don’t know anything. But, in recent months, the hyenas have taken a great interest in antiques. They talk a lot about prices, buying, selling, auctioning.”
“Antiques,” Axel said flatly.
“Nate and I thought it was code for drugs or maybe guns. It wouldn’t be the first time shifters have got involved in that sort of thing. But now I’m wondering…”
“If ‘antiques’ refers to captured shifters.”
“Exactly.”
“We need to find out where they might be keeping Joe and Kai. And where they hold their auctions. Who’d know that?”
“I’m sure there’s plenty who’d know it. The question is, who would give that information up with the right inducement.” Cody looked thoughtful. “There’s a hyena shifter who lives just outside the city, goes by the name of Springer. He lives by himself but has people passing through all the time. If anyone would know, it’s him. You’d want to catch him alone though, otherwise, you risk them raising the alarm. It would be safest if the hyenas had no idea you were coming.”
“Agreed,” Axel replied.
“That, and we don’t want them to warn the lions,” Jensen added. “They’ve already shown they’ve no hesitation when it comes to killing other shifters.”
“I’ve been to Springer’s place once before, dropping off a bunch of alcohol he’d bought for a party. I’ll draw you a map of what I can remember. If I could, I’d come with you…”
“But if he or the rest of the hyenas got wind you were passing on information, they’d be less than forgiving,” Jensen finished.
“Right. I like my life here, I don’t want to torpedo it over a few bad apples. But you’re still family, Axel. I won’t turn my back on family.”
They scoped out Springer’s place, finding a single vehicle parked outside and no sign that there were any visitors.
“How do you want to do this?” Jensen asked him.
Axel had spent the drive there thinking about it. “I have an idea, but it needs your help to implement it.”
“Of course.”
Ten minutes later, Axel was hidden out of sight while Jensen walked up the path to Springer’s door.
Axel watched as the lion knocked and waited, hearing footsteps moving closer.
The door opened a few inches. “Yeah?”
“Springer?”
“Maybe. What do you want?”
“I’m interested in antiques, I heard you might be the person to point me in the right direction.”
Axel watched as Springer looked Jensen up and down. “Who’s asking?”
“The name’s Bryan.”
“What pack?”
“My birth pack and I had a disagreement. I’ve settled up north, used to be wolf territory before that alpha Zane met his sticky end. I have some people, fixing to start my own pack. Just missing one key ingredient, which is why I’m here talking to you.”
Jensen played the role well, much better than Axel imagined he’d have done in his place. Springer was still looking suspicious until Jensen pulled some cash from his pocket, counted out a few notes, and handed them over.
“Finder’s fee.”
The hyena’s eyes lit up. He snatched the notes from Jensen’s hand and they disappeared into his pocket.
“Just a sec.” Springer stepped back from the door.
He returned a minute later, a piece of paper in his hand.
“Call this number, tell them Springer referred you and you’re interested in purchasing a grandfather clock. They’ll steer you right, for the right price.”
“Thank you, much obliged.”
Jensen turned and walked back toward the car. Axel waited a few more minutes, listening out for any sign that the hyena had rumbled them and was making calls to warn of their potential arrival. But Springer appeared a minute later out on the back porch, beer in hand, and sat down to drink it in the sunshine.
Axel stole back to the car, finding Jensen waiting. He handed over the piece of paper, the number scrawled across it.
“We got what we came for,” Jensen said. That was the first part over and done with, arguably the easiest. But they were one step closer to Joe and Kai.
He and Jensen talked briefly about how they’d approach the next part of their ruse. They were quickly in agreement and Axel took out his phone and made the call.