by K J Carr
“What?” Holden looked back at me. I couldn’t look at her, though. I didn’t want to take my eyes off Edward, who was the biggest danger.
She snorted in frustration, though. “Those are not werewolves, you crazy ass! They are people that I know! Shane is one of my employers, in fact!”
“Oh, no. No, no, no. You have that wrong, sister-in-law. These men turn into wolves. These men are not human at all.” Edward stalked closer, keeping Holden between him and us.
Tessa woke then, screaming. The noise didn’t penetrate much, but it was enough that we all turned our heads to look at the woman. She threw herself at the glass, pounding on it. The man next to her just crouched down smaller, trying to disappear. His eyes glinted, though, and he raised his nose a little to sniff in her direction.
Edward exhaled, watching her.
“Shut up, you stupid bitch.” The calm tone of his voice made my skin crawl. I didn’t like the woman, but I didn’t want to see what Edward would do to her either.
“That one, Holden. Wasn’t she with them?” Edward pointed at the woman, turning to look at her.
“Edward.” Her voice was soft as if she was trying to placate him. “I have never seen her in my life. I have only been with Shane and Max. I have met Baron once, but no one else. The rest were just natural wolves. Because that is what I am – what I do. I am a wolf researcher. I was working with wolves.”
There was a sadness in her tone that pulled at my heart, even as I felt guilty for lying to her. Holden cared that Edward was bat-shit crazy. I huffed. She didn’t realize that even though we were all speaking English, everyone — except her — were communicating in a different language. One where we understood the words but she didn’t.
“You have never seen her before?” Edward sounded confused.
Holden shook her head.
“But they are like Mercer, Holden. Like you. She can change into a wolf.” Edward pointed at Tessa in the cage who had now sunk to the floor crying, finally realizing that Edward would not treat her like the princess she thought she was. “And him and him.” He pointed at Baron and me, before walking closer to Holden and studying her. “And you.” He added.
Holden shook her head. “I cannot change, Edward. I don’t know what you saw in my DNA, but I am human. If I was a werewolf, or lycanthrope, wouldn’t I have changed before this? I am almost thirty. I haven’t changed. I won’t ever change.”
Edward’s eyes took on a gleam. “Not unless you have a catalyst of some sort. Perhaps if I force you into heat. These male wolves would want you then. Perhaps they will force you to change for them.” His voice was almost a mumble as he pulled out a syringe and plunged it into one line going into Holden’s veins.
I took a step forward, my growl silent, but Baron touched my arm to hold me back. This was not the time to attack the man. He was too close to Holden. But I felt the need to protect my mate. This man was hurting her for a stupid reason. Holden was human. There had never been a human-lycanthrope hybrid.
I sent a pulse down the bond towards Shaz, acting as an inquiry. A few minutes passed and five pulses came back from him. Five minutes away. Another two came from Splinter and one from Erin. The team was almost in place. I just wasn’t sure what the mercenaries’ instructions were and if any of them or Edward would hurt Holden, but I needed to do something soon.
I shifted my body, trying to get into a position where it would be harder for someone to shoot me and hit something vital.
Holden twisted on the table and screamed, her voice sounding like a mix between human and wolf. I hesitated, my breath hitching. What had that mad man given her?
I sniffed, my nose catching her rising pheromones. Damn it! Was some of what Edward said true? Was Holden a lycanthrope?
Mercer uncoiled from the corner of his cage, growling as he moved closer to the glass. He was sniffing the air, his nostrils flaring. It appeared he was trying to contain his shift, but wasn’t successful as the hairs kept coming and receding on his arms and torso.
Even Baron was turning towards her, his face tilted up to catch her scent. Edward chortled, not noticing a ceiling tile move above him. Erin plummeted, bringing Edward down with her. Mark was right behind her, although he froze once he got to the floor.
Secure him. Work with Erin. I commanded, hoping that the male could resist Holden, given he was more interested in males. In fact, Mark turned and looked at Mercer, his grin wide while he put one foot on Edward’s arm, holding it there.
Baron had turned back as soon as Erin had dropped, attacking the mercenary behind him. I moved towards Holden as an explosion rocked another lab door.
Splinter came in, his weapon pointed at the other mercenary. Both him, and Boomer behind him, groaned, almost losing their focus. Thank god we had trained for scenarios like this, where pheromones may be high and impacting the men on the mission. I knew that they could work through this. I was more worried about the others coming in. Shaz, Mac and Terry hadn’t had this training and wouldn’t be able to resist her right now.
Shaz! Wait a few minutes before entering the lab. They pumped Holden full of hormones and she is in heat! I started pulling the tubes and needles from her as she squirmed on the table.
The man’s voice was just a growl down the Pack bonds. Damn it! Edward had installed a powerful ventilation system in this lab.
I looked around. There was a door on the far side, which I suspected was an office, but there might not be another way out of there. Not when there were male wolves in rut. I was sure that Edward had a bullet-hole escape route, but it worried me I might not find it before the wolves broke down the door.
There was only one thing to do. I snatched up Holden, threw her over my shoulder, and turned and ran for the door to the hallway. I danced around Mac and hit Shaz in the shoulder with my free hand, spinning the man around. Terry was standing just outside in the hallway, and he growled, his eyes on Holden’s ass.
I growled louder, extending my power to those still around me. I heard yelps as some lesser wolves dropped to their knees, including Terry in front of me. I heard Baron’s answering growl, him still in his human form, but close to turning.
“Get Edward!” I yelled over my shoulder at my Alpha while I ran for the stairs. I didn’t want to get enclosed in the elevator with another one of my Pack and have to fight my way out. I hoped that Baron would take care of the real enemy, but I couldn’t stay and ensure it. Safeguarding Holden was more important right now.
I reached the top of the stairs and extended my senses. There was someone scrabbling into the stairwell below me, but I couldn’t hear or smell anyone on the other side of the door. I opened the stairwell door and then ducked, dodging the gun shot that then ricocheted down the stairs. I heard a yelp. I hoped that the bullet had only grazed whoever was behind me. At least not if they were Pack.
Perfectly okay if it was one of the mercenaries.
I stood, my gun in my hand and shot once, twirling and shooting twice more. I hit both men that were guarding the door but didn’t think any were kill shots. Lucky for me, they had unlocked the door to the lobby, so I ran, making for the outside door. I swerved, missing the shot that had come at me from the side. I had hoped that they wouldn’t try to kill Holden, but the mercenaries didn’t seem to pull their shots. A second bullet missed me by inches.
Bursting through the front door, I leaped to my left and ducked behind a large bush, panting. I felt a hand caress my ass, and I groaned softly.
“Holden! Please, not now.”
“Shane!” Holden’s voice was seductive. She reached for me with one hand while running the other down my back.
Nice she hadn’t tried this earlier, but I didn’t want to fight her off while dodging bullets.
Three men burst through the door, stopping just feet away from us, their heads swiveling. Not lycanthropes. Otherwise, they would have smelled her.
Quiet. I pushed the command down my mate bond connection to Holden, hoping that she heard me. She
stilled, so I took it as the gift it was. I lowered her to the ground, keeping a hand on her shoulder to hold her down.
Pulling out my gun, I realized I had one chance. There were three of them, and as soon as I shot the first, the other two could take me out.
Shit on a brick.
I checked the Pack bonds. Mac and Terry were running up the stairs, almost to the top. Both were in their wolf form and were hunting Holden. I could make use of that.
Mercenaries! I shouted at the two of them, down their personal connections. I sent a visual of the men. The wolves bounded up the last of the stairs and burst through the door into the lobby, heading for the three men.
Two of them turned to look at the attacking wolves, their eyes wide as they started shooting. I took aim on the third, an older man who ignored the commotion behind him.
I shot him, hitting his right shoulder, twirling the man around. The guy was a professional and shifted his gun to his left hand, shooting back. The bullet grazed my cheek, leaving a trail of fire. I couldn’t think of that, though, and shot the man again, as the two wolves exploded out the front door, attacking the other two mercenaries.
This time, I had gone with a head shot. The man fell to the ground, surprise covering his face. I picked up Holden, realizing I was almost out of time, and threw her again over my shoulder, running straight for Baron’s truck. I hoped that it would take time for Mac and Terry to take down the two mercenaries. Then they would not try to get into Holden’s pants. Fucking aphrodisiac!
I opened the passenger side door, shoving her in.
Worry filled me. She was quiet because she was unconscious. I just hoped no one had shot her. I couldn’t check, though, so I pulled the seat belt over her, clicking it shut, and closed the door.
Mac must have already dispatched his target since he was charging towards me. I leaped up onto the hood of the truck and slid over it, coming down on the driver’s side. Getting in, I had just slammed the door shut when Mac hit the side of the truck with a thunk.
“Keys. Keys.” Mumbling, I reached over and opened the glove compartment. There they were.
Another thump sounded and I looked up. Terry was on the hood, staring down at me, his teeth bared. I shoved the keys into the ignition and started the truck up, slamming it into reverse. I heard a yelp, but Terry was still somehow hanging onto the hood, so it had to have been Mac.
I hoped that Baron wouldn’t be mad about the claw marks on his truck. Putting it into drive, I started forward, before swerving. Terry’s claws scratched the hood’s paint as he slid off it, falling to the road. He yipped in pain.
Wolves poured out of the building, with Baron in their midst, still in his human shape standing among them.
Watching in my rear-view mirror as I peeled down the street, I saw Baron salute me and then put his hands on his hips. I could feel the Alpha pull the Pack back to him, struggling to get his wolves back under control now that Holden and her pheromones were leaving the vicinity. I hoped that they also had secured Edward, but I couldn’t worry about that. Holden came first.
I drove, taking turns and speeding through towns, hoping there was no one following us. I was glad that Holden was out, her body exhausted from whatever Edward had done to her. As dusk fell, I circled around and headed into the woods not too far from the compound. I entered them from the east, finding the right gravel road. I traveled it for about twenty minutes before pulling up beside a lone cabin.
Stopping, I inhaled. Whatever had been in that syringe Edward had given her was wearing off. Glancing over, I noticed her breathing was even and soft. I sighed, wiping sweat from my face. Grimacing, I noticed I was still bleeding from the facial graze. I wiped my bloody hand on my pants and then got out, suddenly light-headed.
Fuck! I only knew of the one bullet grazing my cheek, but I wasn’t sure if someone had hit me somewhere else. It didn’t matter. I had to get Holden inside. Leaning against the car, I staggered to the passenger side door and opened it. I would make it inside. I had to.
Unbuckling her seat belt, I then pulled her into my embrace. She felt heavy to me. I walked towards the cabin, but every step felt like it was harder than the one before. I stumbled up the steps and put a palm against a panel next to the door.
I was glad I had installed the Biometric Lock the last time I had gotten hurt. It’s a real bitch to search for the damn key with a severe injury. I keyed this lock to let me in, either in wolf or human form. The only other person who had access was Max, since when I came here, I needed a doctor. In fact, Max would get a text that the lock had opened as soon as I unlocked it. Which meant he would come here and save my ass. I wasn’t sure where I was hit, but I was losing blood.
Darn silver bullets.
I heard the click as the lock disengaged and shoved the door open. I made it to the couch, laying Holden down on it before I collapsed to the floor.
Chapter 19
Shane
“Is he okay?” I heard Holden’s voice whisper nearby and realized that she was already up and about.
“I think so. I need him awake for his treatment. I cannot determine how bad things are when he is unconscious.”
Max was being vague, not knowing if Holden knew we were lycanthropes. I wasn’t even sure if she knew I was one, even though she now knew lycanthropes existed. Time to get this out in the open.
I blinked open my eyes, groaning at the bright light shining in them. Fuck. I squeezed them closed.
“Damn it, Shane.” Max swore at me. I watched the redness from behind my eyelids fade and then the doctor tapped my arm. “I don’t have the damn light in your eyes now, and Holden has dimmed the overheads. Open your eyes.”
I did, squinting at the man in front of me. Max looked worried, even though he was trying to hide it from the woman beside him. I glanced over to her and realized that the doctor wasn’t fooling her.
“I am sorry, Shane, but you need to shift.” His voice low, Max touched my chest. “Someone got you in the chest, breaking a rib and leaving a silver bullet in there. I have removed the bullet, but the bleeding isn’t stopping. I think if you shift, you will heal.”
I opened my eyes wide, my eyes flicking to Holden. She stood there, her arms around herself as if she was holding herself together.
“Can I...?” My voice gave out, and I had to start again. “I need a moment with Holden, Max.”
Max nodded, standing up. “I am sorry.” I knew he was sorrier about how I had to tell Holden than about me having to shift.
The doctor slipped out of the room. A few moments later, I heard the external door open and then close.
Holden stayed where she was, staring at me. I sighed.
“Holden.” I put out a hand. She moved to my side, helping me to sit up.
“You’re a lycanthrope, aren’t you, Shane? A werewolf?” Her voice was low and emotionless.
I nodded. “I am. Well, we don’t use the term werewolf. I was born this way. Born into a Pack. Most everyone around here has been. Maggie? She is a very submissive wolf in Baron’s Pack. Lexi, Soren, and Betta? They are my brother’s pups. Someone killed their parents – my brother and his mate – and stole their pups. By Edward, Holden. Lexi confirmed that he is the bad man she mumbles about, scared out of her mind.”
She shifted, her arms back around her waist. “Max? Is he even a doctor?”
I chuckled. “Yes, he is. Lycanthropes can be doctors. Lycanthropy isn’t a virus. It is not contagious. He cannot pass Lycanthropy onto anyone he treats. Only a few rare cases of bitten wolves exist. It is hard to transfer the necessary… I don’t know, magic perhaps… to a human so they can shift. If they survive the first transformation, they are then invited to enter a Pack.” I shrugged.
“What about me?”
“What?” I stared at her, not understanding.
She grimaced, wrinkling her nose in a way that I thought was adorable.
“Edward mentioned that I was a hybrid. Having both human and lycanthrope genes.” She
paused and then added. “No wolf bit me, Shane. I was born, but my father died when I was seven. I don’t remember him going furry, but I remember how warm he was.”
Her voice took on a sing-song aspect as she continued, lost in her memories. “He was the one that gave me my love of wolves. He would tell me so many stories, show me wolf tracks, help me learn about pups. I would sit on his lap at night, snuggled up against his very warm chest while he talked with me and my mother, falling asleep to his warmth.”
Ah, that made more sense. Her father was the lycanthrope. He had been preparing his daughter for life as a wolf if she ever shifted. But she hasn’t. At least, not yet.
If she had human genes, her mother must have been human, but special. Hybrids didn’t happen. Humans and Lycanthropes typically could not breed – they didn’t have either human babies or wolf pups. Which explained why Holden and Thomas never had kids.
Her gaze sharpened on me. “Why would Edward think I could breed with wolves…. lycanthropes? Thomas and I couldn’t have children. Why would he think Mercer and I could have them?”
Anger flashed through me at the wolf’s name before I wrestled it into the background. The thought of her with any other wolf made me want to claim her right here and now.
Getting my emotions under control, I shrugged. “I am not sure. I know little at all about hybrids. Perhaps we can ask Max. I don’t know if he knows anything, but we can always ask him.”
She nodded and then released her arms, her face looking concerned. She knelt and looked at my chest. “You are still bleeding, Shane. Let me get Max.” She stood and started for the door.
“I need to shift, Holden. I will be a wolf, but I will also still be me. Here, inside.” I tapped on my chest with a finger. I wasn’t sure if she had heard me.
I sighed. I swung my feet over the side of the bed and groaned. Yea. Max had gotten rid of my jeans and put me into shorts. I wasn’t sure I could stand, so I just pushed my shorts down, pooling at my feet, leaning forward and calling my wolf to the fore.
