by Fel Fern
“Good.”
He bagged the cub in a rucksack and moved on to his other target. This was too easy, like stealing candy from a damn baby.
The outsider was in wolf form, which made him wary. Von quickly pulled out the syringe. The cub’s eyes opened. Shit. The second cub was a lot harder to contain. She leaped out of the way before Von could finish injecting the entire syringe into the big wolf.
“Come back here,” he hissed. The cub darted out of the room, claws hitting the wood floor. Von swung his pack from his shoulder and took out his tranquilizer gun. He came out of the room, annoyed to see the cub scratching uselessly at the door to the woman’s room. Von aimed and shot. The dart hit the brat right in the back.
He couldn’t waste any more time here. His phone rang on cue.
“The two adult wolves are down,” Jude reported, sounding out of breath. “But the male probably managed to reach out to the Alpha. We need to leave now.”
“I’ve got the cubs.” Von didn’t mention he hadn’t completely succeeded in his mission. The outsider was bound to wake up soon, but it didn’t matter. “I’m calling the base to send out the helicopter now.”
Chapter Seven
Kian had a restless sleep. He woke, his wolf completely out of control. Alarmed, he tentatively looked around the room. The little ball of warmth beside him was gone. Where was Ariel? Why did he feel so sluggish? He tried to get on all fours, but his paws didn’t move. He felt a tinge of pain in his neck, but it wasn’t the mating mark.
Kian rolled off the bed. Shit. This situation felt alarmingly familiar. Not long ago, he’d felt the same dizzying sensation. Someone had injected him with something. He found the syringe on the ground. The first thing he did was reach for his mate bond with Noel. He fumbled for the change, but he couldn’t focus.
He felt Noel respond on the other end. The haze started to clear. He went out of the room, sniffing the air. An identifiable scent hit his nose. He reached Melody’s room, heart racing as he saw the she-wolf lying motionless. Jumping on the bed, he was relieved to find her unconscious but breathing.
Where were the cubs? Fuck. Kian ran out of the room, nearly bumping into Russ on the way out. The other wolf growled at him. Kian tried to turn human again. The change was sluggish, but he managed to get the words out.
“The cubs are gone. Melody’s unconscious but alive. My brother went on a patrol with Mal.” Kian touched the needle mark on his neck. Seeing that, Russ growled low in his throat. “I don't know where Nathan and Mal are. We need to find the cubs.”
Russ seemed to consider him for a moment. Kian couldn’t just stand around and wait for Russ to determine if he’d follow his Alpha’s new mate. It was unacceptable these monsters would kidnap two lion cubs. No one kidnapped his adoptive daughter without paying for their mistakes in blood.
Completing the shift, Kian ran out the front door. Russ quickly caught up to him. Sniffing the air, Kian could identify the lingering smells. The mercenary had a strange, almost reptilian scent. They had suspected Alpine Industries had started to experiment on different animal groups, this kidnapper confirmed it.
His mind raced as they ran through the woods. A flare from Noel’s end of the mating bond told him Noel and Ryan were coming. Sooner or later, Nathan and Mal would wake up and back them all up. He didn’t know how many mercenaries they were up against, but Kian had a feeling there were only a few of them this time around. Why else did the bastard leave them all alive?
It was easier, he realized, to immobilize the adults, zero in on the kids, and leave quietly. Too bad the kidnapper made the mistake of not successfully incapacitating Kian.
The trail led them back to a familiar setting. Of course it had to be the infernal lab. They reached the spot where Noel had tackled him to the ground. Russ nudged him sharply, and Kian slowed down. He spotted two men dressed entirely in black squeezing themselves through a hole in the linked fence.
Seeing the brown sack one of the men held caused rage to boil within him. In the distance, he heard the sound of whirling blades. A black something blocked out the night sky—a helicopter. Russ and he traded worried looks. They couldn’t afford to wait for the others. Russ moved first, and Kian trailed discreetly behind.
The bigger wolf found a hole in the fence. The two mercenaries didn’t seem interested in going through the maze of corridors in the facility and remained on the outside instead. Perfect. They didn’t announce their presence. Kian kept to the trees and abandoned vehicles for cover. One of the mercenaries sniffed the air like a shifter would.
“We’re not alone,” the man said.
Kian froze. This man had probably injected himself with the formula. Why wasn’t he surprised? Was Alpine Industries handing it out to all the mercenaries under their employ? He supposed the men made perfect test subjects.
Russ went straight for the man who’d drawn his gun.
“Go, I’ll handle this,” the man told the one holding the cubs in a curt voice.
“Hurry. The helicopter won’t wait,” the other said and broke into a run.
Kian was on his heels, appearing from his hiding place. The man ran fast, almost shifter fast. Seeing the flash of metal, Kian managed to dodge at the last second as the bullet grazed his side. He snarled. Silver-tipped.
Relying on his rage, he went for the kidnapper again. His paw muscles burned, but Kian pushed himself harder, ran faster. There were only about two meters between them now. Kian pounced, claws unsheathed. Midleap, Kian glimpsed the two men appearing from the corner, both carrying assault rifles. A bullet took him in the shoulder. Pain shot up his arm. Kian crumpled into a pathetic heap on the ground. The kidnapper cocked his own gun, pointing it right at Kian’s head.
Kian had survived silver bullets before. He healed human-slow from them, but he didn’t think he could survive a direct hit to the head.
“You should have stayed in the cabin, animal,” the man announced, every word laced with venom.
In the background, Kian could hear Russ still fighting for his life against the other mercenary. His gaze moved to the sack the kidnapper had slung casually over his shoulder. It pissed Kian the hell off that this bastard would simply dump two lion cubs in a sack as if they were nothing more than inanimate objects.
Kian refused to go out like this, killed like some stray dog by a conniving asshole who resorted to tricks. If he went out, it would be with a bang. The bastard’s ankle was close enough. When the kidnapper pulled the trigger, Kian would bite back and cripple the bastard. That would give the others time.
Still, leaving Noel after finding him seemed unfair. He thought of Ariel curled up in lion form next to him and the little girl sneaking a bite of his waffle. Ariel and Aaron had a future ahead of them. It couldn’t end here.
The kidnapper pulled the trigger and Kian moved.
* * * *
When Kian reached for the mating mark between them, Noel and Ryan were on their way back to the cabin. They were both still new to the mate bond and hadn’t yet discovered how they could utilize it. Noel could sense Kian’s emotions on the other end. He felt fear and panic from his mate.
“Something’s not right,” Noel said. “Stop the car. We’ll go on four paws. I can sense Kian. He’s moving away from the cabin with Russ.”
Ryan killed the engine and didn’t ask questions. They’d spoken at length about Allie and their future plans, but they’d taken too long. What the hell had happened in Noel’s absence? Shucking off his clothes, Noel turned wolf and ran, knowing his brother followed swiftly behind.
Damn it. Had they become complacent? Sergio had given him information Noel had no access to before, like what exactly this formula the scientists were developing was capable of. If it gave the humans their abilities, it didn’t merely extend to the skills of predators. Some shifters had the ability to hide from their kind. Had someone been secretly spying on them?
Noel had a bad feeling about this. He poured his energy into the run, following Kian’s t
rail. Since Kian and he were connected now, he knew exactly where Kian was heading. These humans certainly expected to succeed if they were making for the old facility.
They reached the labs in record time. He heard a gunshot in the distance. Heart racing, Noel found a hole in the fence and went in search of his mate. He saw Russ first, tangling with a huge man on the ground. Ryan flew past him, a snarl on his muzzle.
Thankful for Ryan’s intervention, Noel finally spotted Kian. His heart nearly stopped. Answering wolf howls came from behind him, and he knew Mal and Nathan were probably close.
A mercenary had a gun pointed at his mate’s head. He could smell the cubs nearby, probably in the sack the enemy carried. Red tinted his vision. Usually, Noel kept his beast leashed, but not tonight. He went right for the bastard. The kidnapper’s gun roared and the bullet found his side, but Noel barely felt the pain.
More guns went off, but Noel knew Mal and Nathan would take care of the shooters. A bullet grazed his shoulder, but Noel kept on going for his prey. The kidnapper went down with a cry as Kian moved, biting down on the mercenary’s ankle.
Without hesitation, Noel went for the guy's throat, ripping it out with relish. Kian instantly went to check on the cubs. Noel tugged on their mate bond again, hoping Kian understood his orders. His mate remained by the cubs. Good.
Now it was time for a hunt.
“Retreat, the operation’s failed,” shouted one of the mercenaries who arrived on the scene. Both the two extra shooters were down. Noel loped toward the direction of the copter. Ryan was back by his side.
The vehicle came into view now. The pilot was smart enough to start the helicopter again. By the time Noel and Ryan arrived, it had risen a couple of feet from the ground. Letting these bastards escape was unacceptable.
“Wait for me, you fuckers,” cried one of the mercenaries left behind. Noel took that one down, giving him a quick death. He shifted back to human, yanking the assault rifle from the corpse. Looking through the scope, Noel aimed carefully.
“Noel, hurry,” Ryan said behind him, back in human form as well.
“Don’t rush me.” Noel found his target. He pulled the trigger. Glass broke and his bullet found the pilot’s chest. As the pilot lost control of the helicopter, the man beside him fumbled for the controls, but it was too late. Swerving sideways, the helicopter fell with a crash back on the landing pad and exploded.
“If you find a survivor, don’t kill him yet,” Noel told his brother, who gave him a curt nod.
He returned to the rest of his pack and mate. Russ looked injured but alive. So were Mal and Nathan.
“Mal, help Ryan,” he ordered. Nathan followed Mal to the helipad.
Seeing Kian still in wolf form with blood spreading across his fur, Noel nearly panicked. He brought his mate close in an embrace, careful of his wound. Kian started to shift, and Noel was relieved to see the wound on Kian’s left shoulder wasn’t fatal.
“Hey, baby,” Kian whispered, reaching out to touch Noel’s bullet wound. “Look, we have matching scars.”
Noel grinned. Only his mate could use humor in a situation like this. Two mewls coming from the sack stole Noel’s attention. The lion cubs came out, looking a little drugged but alive. Noel scooped them into his arms. Ariel and Aaron began to protest, but accepted the group hug.
“For a second there, I thought I was going to lose you,” Noel told Kian.
“I was ready to die.”
Noel snarled at that.
“These cubs deserved to live, and I knew you and the others would arrive soon.”
Noel kissed his mate on the lips. “Promise me you won’t ever be that reckless again.”
Kian sniffed. “Well, that’s up for debate. You didn’t mate a wolf you can order around.”
Noel chuckled. “That’s true.”
“Noel, there were no survivors,” came Ryan’s voice.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure we’ll get answers soon.”
“We did retrieve a laptop,” Mal said, sounding hopeful.
Noel nodded, looking at each of his pack members, his mate, and Nathan. Without his mate’s bravery and everyone’s help, Ariel and Aaron would probably have ended up in a cage. “Good work, everyone. Melody?”
“She’s back at the cabin,” Kian explained. “Still sleeping.”
“Good. We’ll need her to help patch us up.”
Now that they’d had a brush with the enemy, Noel had a rough idea where they stood in relation to them. Before all this, they had no information about what these humans were capable of. Gone were the days the paranormal had the upper advantage. If the mercenaries hadn’t been jacked up on that drug, Noel and his pack would have taken care of them without a problem.
“We barely survived,” Ryan pointed out, glancing back at the crash site. “These humans, we can’t underestimate them any longer. This situation is worse than we imagined.”
Noel nodded. A less powerful pack might not have survived the night. He was glad they didn’t suffer any casualties. While Noel hadn’t been entirely certain they should ally themselves with the Darkfall Pack before, Noel realized they needed each other.
Shifters needed to stop having useless fights and territorial wars with each other. There was a much bigger threat out there now, and a war was inevitable. Some of the packs they’d talk to were afraid of confronting these humans, but that was as good as giving up. They needed to be on the winning side.
They might have survived this battle, but who knew if they could live through the next one? Sergio had told him to be patient, that they would do their best to find more information about Allie’s disappearance. Noel trusted the other Alpha would pull through. For now, they could do nothing else. Noel knew his sister was strong enough to hold out against the humans.
Wait a little longer, Allie. We’re coming for you.
“Let’s go home,” Noel told everyone.
Chapter Eight
Kian woke to the delicious smell of pancakes and bacon. Tucked beside Noel, he snuck a peek at the door, surprised to see Ariel in a dress, holding a breakfast tray. Rubbing at his eyes, Kian parted from Noel, or tried to. The Alpha let out a soft growl and pulled him back.
“Is that for me, baby girl?” Kian asked, pushing at the Alpha lightly. Noel grunted and finally relented.
“Uh-huh. I made them myself,” she said, beaming.
Noel turned on his side, giving a Kian a view of his muscled back, clearly uninterested in waking up. He gave Noel a scrutinizing glance. Three days had passed since the kidnapping, and all of Noel’s wounds seemed to have healed, even the one caused by the silver bullet. He was the same. Usually, it took him longer to heal, but thanks to the mate bond, he healed almost Alpha-fast.
Ariel tugged at his arm again and pouted, still holding the tray. Kian gave her a kiss on the cheek, taking it from her.
“Thanks, I’m starving.” The sight of the oddly shaped pancakes made him smile. “Did Melody help you?”
“And Ryan. He says you like Mickey.”
“I’m going to kill my brother for imparting something so embarrassing,” Kian muttered under his breath.
Ariel wormed her way onto the bed and settled beside him. She pointed to the vaguely Mickey-shaped cake. “See? I made that especially for you. This dog-shaped one is for Daddy Noel, and this little cat-shaped will remind you guys of me.”
Sentiment tugged at his heartstrings. Kian wouldn’t know what to do if those humans managed to take the cubs away. Without realizing it, he’d become used to waking up to Ariel and his mate. He could no longer imagine life without them.
“Daddy Kian? You have the sad look on your face again,” Ariel declared, poking a finger into his cheek. “After breakfast, can we go for a run in the woods? We can play catch.”
Kian furrowed his brows. “Baby girl, what did we talk about three days ago?”
Ariel groaned. “Daddy, no one’s going to try anything. Uncle Ryan said so. He said you and Daddy Noel will ri
p those fuckers apart.”
Kian’s hand flew to his mouth and his eyes widened in shock. “Young lady, where did you learn that word?”
Ariel squirmed. “I overheard Uncle Ryan and Uncle Nathan using it often.”
“I’m going to have a serious talk with those two,” Kian said with a huff.
She giggled. “You’re scary when you’re mad, Daddy.”
Kian ruffled her hair. “Let’s see how these pancakes taste.”
She sobered up, golden eyes hopeful. “I await your verdict, judge.”
“You’ve been watching too many cooking shows.” He cut up a piece, dunked it in syrup, and put it in his mouth. Sighing at the sugary explosion, Kian cut up another and ate it with bacon. “It’s good.”
“Can I taste?”
Kian pulled his plate away. “I thought this was for me.”
She pouted.
Laughing, he handed her the fork. She took one bite and nodded. “I want to be a chef when I grow up so I can cook for Daddy Noel, you, and the pack, even grumpy Uncle Nathan.”
Kian grinned. “I’d think you’d make a good chef.”
She paused, looking nervous.
“What’s wrong, baby girl?”
“I heard Daddy Noel and you are leaving town to meet friends. Can’t I go with you two?”
“Well,” Kian faltered.
Noel turned to face them, finally opening his eyes to peer at the two of them. Kian had a feeling his mate had been listening to their conversation. Noel always seemed aware of his surroundings. They’d discussed this before. Taking Ariel with them wouldn’t do any good.
Noel was still wary of bringing a cub with them when visiting strangers. On Kian’s part, he’d been overprotective of their cub lately, plagued with irrational fears she might be taken under his nose again. The guilt hadn’t completely gone away. Melody felt the same. Being defeated by a crazy mercenary and a syringe was an awful thought.
