Without a sound, she was sucked back with a jerk, twisting through a vortex of energy, represented by swirling colors. She was free falling and she closed her eyes, afraid of what she might see as she landed.
Her eyes popped open. She was back in her prison but instead of the silver moonlight, bright golden sunlight fell into the room. She was not dead. She took a deep breath, relieved when cold air rushed into her lungs, causing her to cough.
Although she could only hope that whatever she had experienced had been more than a dream and that someone had been listening. Sitting up, she held her head as footsteps raced down the stairs. Amy burst into the basement followed by Suzette and Ray.
“What did you do?” The younger woman practically yelled at her, banging her hands on the bars of the cage.
Layla held her head and winced as the noise tore into her skull. “What are you talking about?”
Amy shook the cage angrily. “What did you do?” She looked over at Suzette. “Something’s not right. She did something. I can’t tell what, but I know she did something.”
She eyed Amy speculatively. This was her gift? Ray had alluded that she could sense deception, but on this level? She barely knew what she did and seconds after waking up, Amy was already on her case? No wonder the girl was as arrogant as she sister. Trickery didn’t work with her.
Layla looked at Suzette. “I have no idea what she is talking about.” She groaned again as she held her head. “I just woke up. Someone drugged me last night. I have no idea what was going on.”
Suzette studied her thoughtfully. “Did you give her the pills like I told you?”
Amy nodded. “I ground them up into her food.”
“Then she was out cold,” Suzette announced. “Those pills are the strongest things on the market.”
Amy stared at Layla in suspicion. “She’s up to something, Suzette. We need to watch her. We need to keep a close eye on her.”
Suzette nodded. “I agree. However, I am the alpha of this pack and I give the orders.” She looked at the Amy and Ray. “Go upstairs; I will be there in a moment.”
She stared at Layla as the other two immediately left. “Amy is right. You are up to something.” She sniffed the air. “You even smell different and I will find out what it is. If you think that you can escape, you are wrong. If you think you can somehow contact your…friends, leave them a clue like you did earlier, I’d like to see you try.”
Layla opened her mouth to protest and shut it quickly when Suzette banged her hands against the bars, losing her characteristic cool.
“But don’t worry; I only need you to have a beating heart.” She smiled cruelly. “And by the time Ray is done with you, that is all you will have.”
Suzette whirled around and left, leaving Layla with a tense breath and a sickening feeling. Things were moving along a lot faster than she had thought. This time, when they came for her, she was not going down without a fight, even if it meant not seeing her family again.
*
Brett stood in the bushes far from the house hidden in the hills. So far no one had noticed his presence. Sunlight glared against a basement window and he had a feeling that was where Suzette and the others were keeping Layla. He touched his lips where Layla’s had pressed against his last night.
She was still alive. She was okay. He had awoken in a daze, thinking that it was all a dream, but Pamuya had assured him that Layla had actually visited. That she was learning how to use her gifts.
He smiled as he stooped lower when a shadow stepped near a window in the house. Suzette had been very clever; using her accomplices to leave false trails in the snow. He shuddered to think that if it wasn’t for sheer luck and a few strands of auburn hair in the snow, he would have gone the wrong way and lost her.
Martin caught his eye and signaled to him. Already, the Weres had surrounded the house. They had stayed back far enough that Suzette could not pick up on their presence. He hoped. Now, they were ready to close in. Layla had told Pamuya that they were leaving today. They had to time this right; otherwise he would lose Layla forever.
The group crept closer. Light flickered through the glass windows of the house. He was about to use the bird call they had agreed upon in case they needed to signal the other. Suddenly, the door opened and there she stood. Amy. His face tightened. He had not forgotten how she had tricked him and led him straight to Suzette and stood there while Suzette had almost gutted him. She had let him suffer.
She raised her hand to shield her face against the brightness of the morning sun. “Seriously, Brett? You might as well come out. We know you’re there.” She placed her other hand on her narrow hip. “You too, Martin. We can smell both of you.”
Brett looked around at Dyami and Taini next to him. She shook her head. He understood. Obviously, Pamuya’s shield worked here too. Suzette and Amy had not sensed the other Weres.
Brett quickly stood up and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Martin do the same. “Amy.” He acknowledged coldly, playing his part with minimal effort.
She smiled at him. “Brett, Martin, come on in. You are just in time for the festivities.” She opened the door wider and waited for them to enter the house.
Martin and Brett walked into the older cabin. The smell of fresh blood immediately assaulted Brett. He wrinkled his nose and noticed that Martin’s lips were drawn in distaste. Suzette disgusted him. Two children had gone missing from a nearby Were village and he had a strong feeling that the blood they smelled was not livestock.
Amy stood near the couch as she waited for them. “Took you long enough,” she complained with a grin before walking to a door at the far side of the kitchen. “Come on, she’s down here.”
Brett held his breath as he followed Amy down the rickety wooden stairs. He was right. It led to the basement and in a cage in one corner was Layla. His heart sped up. She was alive. And she was okay.
His eyes narrowed as he took in the bruise on the side of her face and his gaze flickered over to the man standing near her. He was muscular, but shorter than Brett, with a mean look in his eyes and he knew instantly, this was the Were who had hurt her. He made a mental note to make the Were pay.
Suzette stood to one side, her eyebrow raised as she watched them move closer. “Welcome.”
Ever one for dramatics, she gestured to a few chairs in the corner. They had obviously been expected. Two other Weres slipped out of the shadows and grabbed Brett and Martin, forcing them to the chair and strapping them down with metal clamps. Brett felt Martin’s gaze on him and released a slow breath to calm himself. This was all part of the plan; let them become complacent and then attack.
It seemed to be working. Suzette ignored them as she turned back to Layla. She picked up an inwardly spiked collar attached to a chain hanging from ceiling and fixed it around Layla’s neck, effectively restricting her movements; if she struggled too much, she impaled herself.
It was a simple enough concept; the more Layla moved, the greater the chance was that she would puncture her own neck with the spikes on the collar.
Brett tensed as the male Were walked over to Layla. He ran his hand down her arm almost familiarly.
“Brett.” Suzette’s voice whispered to him if through a fog. “See how he touches her? That intimacy.” She smiled cruelly. “It’s about to get a lot more intimate in a second.”
“See, Ray is going to finish what he started in that hotel room in Orlando.” She turned to him and laughed at the blanching of his face as realization dawned. “And the best part is that this time, you get to watch.”
Suzette clapped her hands like a child at the fair. “Okay, you guys, let’s get started and make it good. We have an audience.”
~*~
Chapter 10
All things considered, it was not a shock when the knife which was normally concealed at Martin’s waist was immediately plucked out of his hands before he could throw it. What did wipe the sneer off Suzette’s face was when Brett’s little blade—the same
one that had killed Wattan—flew an inch past her ear to completely lodge in Ray’s throat.
The momentary distraction allowed Martin to wrench his knife from the Were behind him and with three swift strokes the Were lay in pieces on the concrete floor. Brett’s head whipped back as the Were next to him grabbed him and threw him across the room. As he turned to square off with his attacker, Martin raised his knife and this time threw it directly at Suzette. She ducked and the knife crashed through the chain holding Layla prisoner.
Brett ran to her, as his attacker turned to Martin, and helped her to her feet as the other man hurriedly grabbed his knife and transformed. Layla shook her head, her gaze dazed and unfocused. It was obvious she had been drugged. He smoothed his hands over the dark smudges under her eyes and brushed a quick kiss to her lips and she smiled up at him tiredly.
“Come on, you two. Move it.” Martin growled.
A blush crawled across Layla’s face before being replaced by determination. She shook her head as if to clear it and he raced to the window as Layla transformed and joined Martin. Quickly, he placed a crystal in the window, the jewel flashing brilliantly in the sun. That was the signal. Taini and the others would see it and make their way into the house. All they had to do was hold out until then.
He turned to Layla and Martin. They were face to face with the lone male Were as well as Amy and Suzette. They were all transformed. He felt almost insulted when he realized he was paired up with Amy. The blonde was small but wiry and although he hated her, he hated the male more. Layla noticed his discomfort and rolled her eyes before quickly switching with him, leaving Martin to fight Suzette.
Brett flexed his arms as the male Were across from him sneered as his human state. “Hey, I killed your buddy with one hand tied behind my back. Literally. So you want to watch it when making fun of the human.” He raised an eyebrow.
The Were glared at him for a second and then lunged. Brett stepped out of the way, slightly dismayed when the Were deftly turned and took a swipe at him. Only a quick jump back saved him a gash across the stomach. He retaliated and struck back, catching the Were with a wicked haymaker that had the Were stumbling back against the bars of the cage.
He glanced over his shoulder. Amy and Layla swiped at each other, dancing around the small space. Layla fought viciously, but was still out of it a bit, which allowed Amy to easily dodge most of her blows. Martin and Suzette were more cautious. Neither had thrown a single blow. They were circling each other, looking for a weakness.
Suddenly Amy’s head snapped up. “Suzette!” she yelled. “Company!”
The other woman nodded and before Martin could respond, she lashed out at him with a series of kicks, swipes and hits that had the older, more experienced Were on the defense. Amy smiled at Layla and executed a perfect spin move that knocked her off her feet and onto the floor. Before Martin, Layla or Brett could respond; Suzette and Amy ran to a small doorway hidden beneath the main stairwell and disappeared.
The lone male Were swallowed nervously as they heard the start of a motor and realized that Suzette and Amy had run to the snowmobiles, leaving him to fend for himself.
Brett cracked his knuckles and grinned. “Hey buddy. How you doing?”
*
Layla took in a deep breath of the fresh Florida air. She filled her lungs with the scents of pine and oak and dirt. She had missed home. Thanksgiving was over, but there were always a few die-hard fans with homemade pies. All in all, even Alaska had been great; it had been wonderful to meet her sisters and their family, but she had wanted to get back to her own. To her aunt Susan and Nali.
Her aunt had been excited at their return; the older woman almost been in tears when their flight had landed and she’d called home. She grabbed the bags and smiled as Brett pulled the car into the makeshift car-port. It was tiny which meant she had to hop out first to allow him room but it was worth it. The area hid the car perfectly.
It would take him a minute to cover the car to disguise it and they only had a few carryon pieces; nothing she couldn’t handle. Martin had chosen to head straight to the Were Council to update them on what had happened in Alaska with Suzette and Amy.
She walked into the house and stopped. The hair on the back of her neck stood straight up and her stomach churned so badly, it was almost in knots.
Something was wrong.
The last time she had felt this way was when she was trapped in the woods with Kuruk and his men. She looked around cautiously.
Something was very wrong. By now, her aunt or Nali would have greeted her.
Neither did.
Suddenly, she heard a gasp. Against her better judgment, she ran into the living room and stopped as she took in the scene. The TV was on and her aunt sat on the couch next to Nali, her eyes on the screen. The sweet everyday scene was broken by the large menacing man who sat next to her aunt. His suit was molded to his body and he held a paring knife in his hand as he deftly cut slices from an apple and brought the fruit to his lips.
“Layla.” he acknowledged.
She seethed. In a little more than a week, she had barely survived two kidnappings and here he was again. She was going down fighting this time.
“Kuruk,” she practically spat the name. “What do you want?”
Kuruk inclined his head and three Weres slid from the shadows. They surrounded her. “The same thing I’ve always wanted Layla. You.”
“Well, you’re going to have to do a hell of a lot more than want her to get her.”
The words were low and full of danger. Layla looked over her shoulder at Brett. He stared coolly at the larger Were.
Kuruk smiled. “It’s the little human who wants to play with the big, bad werewolves.”
Brett smiled tightly. “You know what she is, don’t you?”
Kuruk sighed. “Of course I know. Why do you think I have been wasting my time around this dump?” He waved a hand at the room.
Susan’s spine stiffened and Layla closed her eyes in warning. Now was not the time for her aunt to become offended by an insult to her home’s décor. She breathed a sigh as she aunt relaxed somewhat, understanding her predicament. She looked at Nali as the little girl’s eyes filled with tears.
Damn. This was similar to how Nali’s family had died. This was going to haunt the child for a long while. She chewed at her bottom lip as she thought of a way to keep Nali calm. If the girl transformed now, she would be stuck at five for a very long time. Besides, she was getting tired of this game. She was getting tired of Kuruk.
“Well, if you know what she is, then I have to tell you that I may be human, but I am also her Protector.”
Kuruk chuckled. “Yes. You’re Brett. The human that Mai-coh saved.” He placed the fruit and knife on a plate on the coffee table. “So, you have a learned a few Were tricks and you think you can take me on?”
Before Brett could answer, Kuruk nodded and the group of Weres around Layla were joined by others who surrounded Brett as well.
Kuruk chuckled again. “Like you said, you’re going to have to do a hell of a lot more than want her to get her.”
Brett glared at Kuruk. “You lay a finger on her and you’ll regret it.”
Kuruk’s face hardened. “Don’t threaten me, boy. When you were only a thought in your parent’s minds, I was killing Weres.” He stood up and grabbed Susan’s arm roughly.
“Let’s go.” He stalked out and the others grabbed Layla and Brett. Layla reached for Nali as the little girl started to scream. One of the Weres raised his hand to strike her.
“Don’t you dare.” Layla’s voice cut sharply.
The Were regarded her with a look. She pulled Nali into her arms and the little girl wrapped her arms around Layla’s waist as the Were approached them ominously.
“Hassun.”
The Were back away, pushing them roughly as he heeded his Alpha’s command.
The night air was cool and refreshing as they headed outside, but her thoughts were not on the nice fall
evening. She needed to protect her family and that meant getting them out of this situation. The area behind the house was heavily wooded; one of the reasons they had chosen it, it made a great place to hide the bodies if they had to kill.
Kuruk walked quickly in front of the group, his familiarity with the area frightening. Layla shared a glance with Brett and lifted Nali to her hip as the little girl’s arms wrapped around her neck. The woods sounded with nocturnal creatures. The call of a bird was especially eerie and Nali whimpered in Layla’s ear.
“Shh,” Layla soothed, trying to keep the child calm. “It’s okay, we’ll be fine.” She caught Brett’s eyes again and then suddenly swore when her foot caught a root.
*
The momentary distraction was all Brett needed. He had been trying to tell Layla that Martin was following them. She was so focused on keeping Nali calm and she didn’t think to smell for more Weres. The morons that Kuruk had hired had forgotten to check him and he’d pocket dialed Martin’s number the minute he realized something was wrong.
The old man had kept quiet, which confirmed that he was on his way. The phone line remained open to allow him to hear every word Kuruk had said and when Brett heard the bird call they had used in Alaska, he made his move.
He lunged for the Were closet to him and pushed the Were into Kuruk. The older Were lost his balance momentarily and released Susan, but quickly recovered.
Brett was faster. Used to being underestimated, he grabbed Susan and pushed her into one of the escape tunnels they had built around the perimeter. He silently apologized to Susan as she screamed as she fell into the dark hole. Once she calmed down, she would be able to find her way towards the reinforced basement they had transformed into a safe room underneath the house where she would be protected.
The others Weres sprang into action. They transformed and he took off into the trees. He figured that at least three would follow him in the excitement and that would leave at least six, including Kuruk, for Layla and Martin to handle. Those odds were better than the ones they had earlier and now that Layla’s aunt was out of the way, it just made things easier.
Maikoda: Power of the Moon (Blue Moon Trilogy Book 2) Page 20
