Brandon was vague, but he’d said his mate had some spotting and was afraid she might be losing the baby. In the end, she seemed okay, but she was planning to stay off her feet as a precaution for a while. The baby’s welfare was at stake, and so was the future health and happiness of their whole family. This baby was so wanted and loved. When the time came for me and my mates… Would the time ever come?
I stopped along the way at the store and bought the makings for chicken noodle soup and some other dishes I associated with healing. Gigi’s recipes, of course. I could stock their fridge and make sure they had enough to eat for at least a few days. Other pack members would no doubt bring food as well, and a lot of it would be carb heavy, cookies, cakes, casseroles, so I was leaning toward the lighter end. High protein, lots of fruits and veggies.
“Hello, anyone home?” I hollered as I came in the front door. I hadn’t knocked. Since the place had become the pack infirmary, we all just walked in like any other community building. But it had been Moss’ home, where Wendi first lived on pack lands, and it still had a homey feel. “I brought dragon fruit.”
Sure, they were about five dollars each, but they were a guilty pleasure of Wendi’s and mine and really yummy in smoothies. I’d brought a lot of smoothie ingredients.
“We’re upstairs,” my friend called, and I tried to decide whether her voice was weak or just coming from another room. “Come on up.”
“Let me put the groceries away.” I stowed the things I’d bought and took the time to fill the blender with dragon fruit, mango, and some plain yogurt as well as a few sneaky greens and things before setting glasses for Wendi, Virginia—who was still here and the reason Wendi wasn’t in her own home—and me on a tray.
Mounting the stairs, I was worried about what I might find, but when I followed the murmurs of voices to a room toward the end of the hall, a lot of my worries fled. Wendi was sitting in an armchair opposite her patient’s bed, and they were smiling, each holding cards, playing some kind of game.
I stood in the doorway for a few minutes and watched my friend, so glad she was feeling well enough to play cards. She must be fairly confident the worry had passed, but I still wanted to do whatever I could to help out. I lingered until they looked up and noticed me.
“Can anyone play?” I sashayed into the room with my tray of tall glasses sporting twisty straws I’d picked up at the store as a funny surprise. “I bring refreshments!”
They welcomed me with cheers and accepted my sneakily healthful treats. While we sipped away, we played a few hands of cards. I perched cross-legged on the foot of the bed, and the atmosphere was more like a sorority sleepover than a sickroom. Maybe that was the magic. As Wendi was gathering the cards to slip them in the box and I was piling our glasses and some small plates I’d brought up more goodies on onto the tray, Virginia gasped.
We both focused on her, and Wendi took her wrist and checked her pulse. “Virginia, what’s wrong? Does something hurt?”
“No…but I just remembered. What part of the woods did I say I was in?” She dropped her face into her hands. “I was so mixed up and strange. All turned around, but I think I might have been wrong. Can you call the alpha? I need to tell him some things.”
I avoided a fist pump, but it wasn’t easy. Once we’d assured ourselves she was okay with Samson coming, I ran for him. She’d remembered things, and believed they were important.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You’re here.” Samson stomped over. He and Tris stared at one another for what seemed like an hour, just sizing each other up as though they hadn’t known each other since birth. Ridiculous, testosterone-fueled asses.
Tris stood his ground and looked Samson straight in the eye. Something about my pregnancy scare had changed the dynamic of our mating, and he was more protective now, not to the point of smothering but just a little more aware of my needs. When I told him I was going with Samson to search for more clues, he insisted on coming with me. He claimed it was because it would help to have one more pair of eyes on the land, but I knew better.
Truth be told, I loved the protective part of both of my mates.
Tris took one step back and was the first to lower his gaze. “I am here for her. I knew you wouldn’t have a problem with extra security when it comes to Christie. There’s someone out there taking young women, and we can’t be too careful.” He stepped toward Samson again and this time whispered. “We can’t be too careful in keeping our mate safe.” Tris made the statement so matter-of-fact. He knew Samson wouldn’t argue because he loved me just as much as Tris did. Samson was just more practiced at being an ass about it.
Samson stepped back like he’d been slapped but then shook it off all in one second. He happened to be really good at schooling his face in times of distress.
“No, not at all. Thank you for coming to help the pack.” He spoke though his jaw was clenched. I didn’t know what had changed, but it was risky to start questioning it. They had come to some kind of understanding, and I was glad for it. If nothing else, it would ease my heart enough to focus on the task at hand, finding as much as we could to help our people.
Samson looked at me and opened his mouth but then snapped it shut. He breathed out slowly, putting his fists on his hips. “Let’s go. Keep your eyes peeled. Anything could be a clue. If you find something, shift and call it out. Even the normal-seeming things could be clues. Whoever this Opal person is, she’s apparently very good at hiding things. We have to be better at finding them.”
Those who had shown up to search shifted immediately and ran off. Samson, Tris, and I picked up the rear. We spread out, but at all times, I was in their view. If Samson ran ahead, Tris was right next to me, and if Tris veered off, Samson returned and took up his place.
Gods they were acting like they should, and I didn’t know what to do with myself.
All this normalcy was unnerving.
Go figure.
I made sure to run slowly this time, letting my wolf fully take over my senses. We sniffed out every rock, every hanging branch, took stock of every blade of grass. Samson said no stone should go unturned, and I meant to honor that. I stopped at nearly every tree and random piece of trash, sniffing each one and making sure I didn’t stomp over any tracks.
This had to end. Now. No more kidnappings or waiting in the wings while my pack suffered.
If there was something to be found in these woods, then I would find it.
I spotted a heap of dirt with some child’s footprints in it. Samson and Tris passed it by, but I stopped dead. Something about it smelled off. Yes, I could scent candy from a wrapper nearby, but there was something more—something beneath the surface.
I scratched at the dirt. The deeper I went, the darker the dirt became, and soon, what was once an innocent heap of dirt revealed more.
“What is that? Did you find something?” Tris shifted and walked over. Samson followed suit, and so did I after I let my wolf claws do most of the digging.
“Smell it. It’s a campfire. Look, they took the time to make a circle of rocks.”
Samson was pacing now and kept looking at the thing like it might burst into flames and give us all the answers in one swoosh of heat. “Samson, have some kids been camping out here, maybe some families? This is recent. I can still smell the embers.”
Samson stopped in his tracks. “No. Everyone was on curfew after the first disappearance. No one should’ve been here.” He scanned the area then the trees. He was so desperate to do something for his pack, to make their worries go away.
“Samson, this isn’t your fault,” I offered, taking a chance I was correct in guessing what he was thinking.
He whirled on me, pain and aggravation clear on his face. His brow dipped, and he was grinding his jaw again. “How is it not my fault, Christie? How? They were here, fucking camping out right in our backyard. They were here…” He kicked at the remnants of the fire. “Burning wood and stalking us right under our noses. What kind of alpha al
lows that?”
Tris sighed and took a step toward his brother. “Samson, look at me.”
Samson cursed under his breath, refusing to meet Tris’ gaze.
“Grow a pair and look at me. Get over your self-pity shit because it’s not helping your pack, and it sure as hell isn’t helping Virginia.”
“Fine. What?” he barked and tugged at the roots of his hair.
“If everyone was in their houses, including you, then how in the hell would they notice a fire way the hell out here. We’re almost to the other pack’s lands, right?”
Samson took in the area. “Yeah.”
“There’s no way you or anyone else could’ve known people were out here. Your anger isn’t helping these girls. Get your head on straight and be the alpha you were meant to be. Let’s keep looking.”
I held my breath while Tris spoke and watched while it broke Samson down little by little until he’d squared off his shoulders and shifted back to his gorgeous wolf. He came over and nipped at my knee, wanting me to shift as well.
I let Samson run a little in front of us before I whispered to Tris. “You think you could use that voice on him about me? I mean, shit, you snapped him into action.”
Tris chuckled. “Babe, he’s got to wake up himself about the mating. I’m out of that.”
Damn, no luck.
Chapter Twenty-Four
We had found signs of the kidnapping, and Virginia was remembering more of what happened to her, but it hadn’t resolved the situation. The guy she remembered as being “as old as Methuselah” was still out there somewhere, and he could show up anytime. Gigi was sure he was connected to Opal somehow, but since she hadn’t seen him, she didn’t know any more.
It was massively frustrating. A couple of the betas put it out there maybe the guy had moved on, left, and we didn’t need to worry anymore. But how could we let our guard down? This pack had been through so much, and every time we relaxed, we got targeted. In the meantime, life had to go on, so Samson had small groups searching while the rest did the jobs that kept things running.
Nothing new turned up for weeks, and Virginia hadn’t remembered much more. She was doing better, at least not afraid of her father. And Samson. Other males still had to keep their distance. What had this old guy done to her anyway? If she had any memories of it. she wasn’t saying.
Wendi had tried hard. Since Virginia was back with her folks, Wendi was in her own home with her mates, so other than the occasional visit, she didn’t need me, and one day after a meeting, I stopped in for a while. When I emerged, it was dusk, and at first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. A light darted around in the forest, tree to tree. What could it be? And it wasn’t as if someone was running around with a flashlight. No, the light was higher, up in the canopy, and entirely puzzling.
I had to know…so I paced toward the tree line, squinting to try to see what on earth would be up in the branches with some sort of lamp or torch or…or something.
Part of me knew I should go back and get someone, but the other part insisted it was not necessary. What could be dangerous that flitted around in the trees? A bit large to be a firefly, perhaps it was some sort of reflection from the lights from one of the houses or a headlight from the parking lot. Okay, there were no headlights on at the moment. But a logical explanation could be found. I just needed to get a little closer.
As I passed between two dark, looming pines, any light from the buildings behind me was effectively shut out by the dense foliage. But the little beam remained, at least thirty feet up, maybe more. It moved to the left, and I followed, head tipped way back and hand reaching into my jacket pocket for my phone. If I went back, I was sure I’d lose whatever it was, but Samson and the other pack leaders were close by. A quick press on the screen and a whispered command would bring them right away.
Would my voice also end whatever effect I witnessed? My wolf’s low growl inside me made my decision, and I lifted the phone to my face and punched in the contact for Samson. Before he answered, I heard a whoomp, and a blast of air slammed my phone from my hand. The screen shattered and a large foot with whorls of gray hair adorning the toes crushed it into the ground.
I looked up to find a tall, lean elderly man in front of me. Wings spread behind him, and he held a penlight. What the…? I’d heard that some bird shifters had a third form, where they didn’t entirely take either but retained some characteristics of their human and animal form. But I’d never seen it before.
“What do you want?” I demanded. “You don’t belong here.”
He tipped back his face and roared with an odd-screeching laughter. I prayed it would carry to someone outside the forest. “I belong here more than you know, and you, by rights, should belong to me. You should have been my family.”
I was very confused, but he took a step toward me, and I was more concerned with keeping his clawlike fingers from closing on my arms to think it out. “I-I think you have the wrong person. But you’re on private property, so maybe you should leave. We have security patrolling all night, and they will be by any minute.” I hoped they would, anyway. They had a lot of land to patrol. “They deal harshly with trespassers.”
“I think I will leave. But not alone.” He moved so fast, I tripped over my own feet trying to get out of reach, but it was no use. He caught me with those claws digging into my elbows and jerked me close. His wings were moving, and we were lifting off the ground.
I screamed as loudly as I could, struggling and writhing in his grasp. “Help, someone come right away. Help!”
“Christie!” Samson’s voice carried to me from not too far away. “Hang on, we’re coming.”
I lifted my hand and, remembering something I’d read once, poked two stiffened fingers in the hawk man’s eye. “Let. Me. Go!”
We were off the ground, and I wasn’t sure how high in the air when he shrieked and grabbed for his face, allowing me to twist free. I plummeted down, expecting broken bones or worse, but I landed in the strong arms of my reluctant mate. “Samson! Stop him. He’s the one.”
He held me close and rested his cheek against mine. “He is, but he’s flying away. Maybe he won’t be back.”
“He said I should be his family. I don’t know what that means.”
Epilogue
The next day, I opened the door to see Samson with a huge grin on his face, something I would have to get used to. We hadn’t been able to figure out much about the hawk man, but none of us believed he was gone for good. And Gigi had no idea either what he meant. He was old enough to be of her generation, and she said there had been some raptor shifters around when she was young, but none that stood out in her mind.
“I’m a little late. Sorry. I nearly threw my phone in the ditch. The damned thing never stops ringing.” He was wearing a dark-blue button-down shirt rolled up at the sleeves, revealing some of his pack tattoos. Samson was the only one who had them, but I envied him. Maybe I would get one of my own eventually. He held a store-bought cake and a bottle of wine in a canvas bag.
One day, I hoped to get the man into the kitchen. I bet he would be a mess, but a fun mess. Of course, with every single—single as in unattached—female in the pack bringing him pies, cakes, and casseroles, he had no real reason to learn to cook. I tried to think if it were healthier food I wouldn’t mind, but that would’ve been a lie. I sort of wanted to rip their fur out with both hands.
“It’s no problem. We’re glad you came. Come on in.”
I took the bag from him, and he stalled right inside the house, looking down on me. “Um, thank you all for inviting me.”
“Of course.” I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “One day, I won’t have to invite you at all.”
He blushed, and if it wasn’t the most adorable thing in the world, I didn’t know what was. “Get on in here, Samson. My lasagna is ready!” Gigi interrupted our little moment, but hope bloomed in my chest it was the first of many moments between us.
“Yes, m
a’am.”
We went into the kitchen where Tris was helping Gigi get the lasagna out of the oven. Her homemade garlic twists were already steaming hot in a basket on the table, and there was tiramisu in the fridge.
If the rest of the night went to shit, at least I had chocolate and sugar to bury my sorrows in later.
“Come on and sit down,” Gigi ordered. Tris and Samson sat across from each other as did Gigi and I. She served out perfect slices of lasagna, and I didn’t get the first bite in before she spoke. “Now, what are we going to do about keeping my granddaughter safe? Because I’ll be damned if something happens to her before I get a great-grandbaby.”
I scoffed. “Oh, so once I produce a child, it’s fine if I die.”
“Pretty much.” She smiled to take the sting out of the words, but I wasn’t sure what to think. “So, boys, what do you say? Time to get over yourselves, don’t we think?”
They tucked into their dinner and ignored her question. She shrugged and ate, and after her square was gone and she’d taken the last bite of her garlic twist, she wiped her mouth. “Time for this old lady to leave the room so you three can get down to business. Not that kind of business, mind you. At least, not on the kitchen table. I’m going to take a walk. By the time I get back, some kind of plan is going to be in place. Are we clear?”
Gods above, if I could have half of Gigi’s moxie by the time I reached her age, I would consider myself blessed.
She kissed my temple and left me alone with Samson and Tris. Normally, this would be how one of my fantasies started but, today, it made me kind of nervous. We needed to work things out, not get into a knock-down-drag-out.
“I have a plan that might work for all of us.” Samson spoke first, shocking the hell out of me.
Tether: A Shifter of Consequence Tale (Shifters of Consequence Book 6) Page 8
