Carly and Dylan stood abruptly, “What are we waiting for, let’s go.”
The girls rushed out passed me, heading down the stairs. I couldn’t take my eyes off Carly. She seemed so determined, fierce.
“Carly – hang on.” I grabbed her arm, pulling her back up a step.
“Dylan, we’ll catch up. I need to talk with Carly a second.”
Dylan nodded, bounding down the stairs to the others waiting in the kitchen. I spun Carly around, standing in front of her.
“Look – I just wanted to tell you that I love you.”
“Paul, I know you do… wait, why are you telling me this? Are you going after him?”
“Yes – and you’re staying here. I need you safe, so I’m leaving you with Dylan and Roxy. They can protect you here at the house. And if my suspicions are right – Dylan can’t do magic right now. So, she’s going to need her friend to keep her calm.”
“How… how’d you know?” she eyed me suspiciously.
“Just a hunch. She’s been acting weird, and moving the wedding up – to this weekend, just made me even more suspicious.”
“Don’t tell Jensen. She wants to surprise him at the wedding.”
Pulling her in for a kiss, my lips met hers. The warmth of her mouth against mine sent electric ripples through me. She pressed her breast into my chest, letting out a soft moan.
“Damn woman – you’re going to make me stay here if you keep doing that.”
“Nope – just a reminder as to why you need to come home to me.”
“Alright, let’s go downstairs before I take you right here on the stairs.” Adjusting my pants, I pulled her down the last few steps into the kitchen. Everyone was waiting.
“Ok – Joe, Chris, Stephanie – you will be team bravo. Me, Kai, Paul, and Haven will be team alpha. Haven thinks he has taken him to this abandoned house – a block down the road.” Jensen turned to face Dylan, “You will stay behind with Mike, Haley, Roxy and Carly.”
“Ok.” Dylan smiled, looking at Carly standing beside me. I smiled back, knowing her secret, being here was the safest place for her to wait.
“We are going to just show up and demand him release Carter. No games – well not really.” Jensen stifled a giggle, “You guys will come up from the back, to surprise him. And this time – we aren’t taking prisoners. He’s unstable and needs to be dealt with.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Kai cracked her knuckles, “I don’t plan on mercy this time.”
“Kai.” We all turned to see Cassandra, “You have to be cautious. If you were to be killed, I would kill him too. So, use your head.”
“Mom. What are you doing home?”
“Roxy called me. Thank god – I want to be here with Dylan and Carly. In case something goes wrong. Don’t worry – the school will survive without me. Plus, with the peace and quiet I can look for another replacement for the football coach. The idiot I hired… well, he’s an idiot.”
“Well – maybe you should hire a grown up. That guy – kid, rather, is fresh out of college. Too young to be the head football coach. Anyway, we need to go. You guys lock up after we go.”
Jensen kissed Dylan goodbye, I glanced to see Carly watching me, “I love you Carly – I promise to return, so we can finish what we started on the stairs.”
“Um, you mind. I don’t need that visual please.” Roxy laughed as she sauntered into the living room.
“Be careful – bring Carter home.”
She walked me to the door, watching as I piled into Haven’s car. Pressing my hand to the window, I prayed I could keep my promise. We had only just begun – and I hadn’t claimed her fully. Something I planned to right later on.
We drove in silence, knowing this could get ugly. If this guy was Dante – which I was confident he was, he was hellbent on revenge. That was always a recipe for disaster.
We pulled into the driveway of the abandoned house, immediately my wolf was on alert – itching to get out. We exited the car, glancing around at the land that surrounded the run-down shack.
“Well… I wondered when you would put it together.” There on the steps, stood Dante. My wolf howled to get at him, “I suppose you want that traitor of a wolf back. Well – I’m not done with him yet. So, you can just leave.”
“No – we aren’t going anywhere. Where is he?”
“Oh – he’s occupied right now. And you might as well tell your friends to join us around front. The back is wired with explosives, so they won’t be getting in that way.”
Joe and Chris appeared from behind the house, but Kai was nowhere to be seen. Shooting Jensen, a look of worry, he just dipped his chin at me.
“Look, I don’t think you want to mess with his mate. She’s pretty pissed and I am pretty sure she will do just about anything to get him back.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kai’s black wolf jumped from the side of the house. Her teeth wrapped around Dante’s throat as they both fell from the porch. Dante immediately shifting as they hit the ground.
My wolf tore from me without thinking about it, racing towards the two wolves, not rolling around on the ground. Jensen was in his wolf form as well. Three against one – there would be nothing left of him.
Finally, Dante’s wolf went still. Jensen and I fell back, leaving Kai with her jaws squeezing his neck. She shook her head, a sickening crunch resounding as she released him. His prone form fell lifeless to the ground. Jensen cautiously walked towards him, lowering his muzzle to smell his head.
He’s dead.
“Jensen,” Haven called out, “Let me check him.”
Haven stood beside the still wolf, magic flowing from his hands. Time seemed to stand still, “He’s gone.”
“Kai – shift. It’s over now.” Jensen and I stood in our human forms. Kai shifted, immediately racing towards the house.
“Wait – Kai,” Jensen hollered, but it was too late, she’d already kicked open the door.
The blast was small, but strong enough to throw everyone off their feet. Scrambling, I stood, checking for the others. Haven and Stephanie had created a barrier, protecting us from the full explosion. Kai laid on her side at the base of the steps, Chris, Joe and Jensen were seated, legs sprawled out in front of them. Everyone sat dazed.
“Shit – Kai!” I ran towards her, as she slowly rolled to her knees.
“Oh. My. God – CARTER?!!” She screamed, jumping up. She started to move towards the remains of the entrance, swaying on her feet.
“Whoa, hold on. Sit down, Kai. You took the brunt of the blast. I’ll go look.”
Reluctantly she agreed, sitting back on the cold earth. I pulled myself up through the large gaping hole that used to be the front door.
“Anyone in here?” I called out, hoping it was empty and that Cater was somewhere else.
The house was small, and with the explosion it was in complete disarray. The kitchen and living room, or what was left, was one open room. Moving around the debris, I found a door partially blocked by some of the shattered wood. Heaving, I pushed the wood out of the way. Pulling it open, a dark set of stairs greeted me.
“Hello? Anyone in here?”
My wolf inhaled, catching the scent of something familiar. Slowly, I made my way down the steps. They had been damaged in the blast as well. I was careful not to move too fast, fearful I’d cause them to collapse. Reaching the bottom, the sight before me causes me to suck in a breath. Carter was there, tied and gagged. Some of the splintered wood had fallen from above and was covering his unmoving body.
“Shit – Carter?” I rushed to his side, “Can you hear me?” Moving the wood from his body, I leaned in, feeling and listening for a pulse. My wolf assuring me he was alive. His leg was severed at his thigh, blood pouring out. I pulled my belt off, placing it above the injury as a tourniquet.
“Paul? You down here?” Jensen hollered.
“Don’t come down – the stairs are too weak. I’m coming back up… I found Carter. He’s alive but unconscious.”
I carefully scooped him, cradling him against me I edged my way up the rickety stairs. They creaked and groaned under our combined weight, but slowly I got us to the top. Jensen was waiting for us, Chris standing behind him.
“Let’s get him home. Haley will need to check him over. He’s lost a lot of blood, but I think she can heal him.”
I pushed passed them, carrying Carter out to the car. Kai jumped to her feet, rushing towards us, “Is he dead?”
“No, his leg was badly injured, but I think he will be ok.”
We pilled into the car, leaving Haven and Chris behind with Joe. They would clean up the mess and dispose of Dante’s body. We hated to take another’s life, but he had threatened one too many of our family.
Kai sat in the back with Carter. His head rested in her lap, still unconscious, she ran her fingers through his hair. The worry etched in her face mirrored everyone’s in the car.