by Lynn Hagen
Tank, Remi, and Cody followed him out back. “Search for track marks or any sign that he may have been taken outside. I want him found. Do it now!”
The three wolves scrambled to find anything that would help. Timber wolves didn’t have the best sense of smell, but Mother Nature compensated them by giving them superb hearing, night vision, and tracking abilities that superseded any other species. They could hear a leaf fall to the ground in autumn. They were the largest of the wolf breeds and were extremely territorial. They fought to the death to protect what was theirs, mate or land.
Cody found signs of disturbance in the grass. Broken blades, something no other would have seen. The grass was only bent the slightest, but enough for Cody to recognize the signs. “Alpha, over here.”
Maverick studied the area that Cody had pointed out, noticing the same signs. The track led off toward the heavily wooded area. “We hunt.”
All four men shifted into their wolf forms, heading into the night.
Cecil was exhausted. How long had he been down here? A couple hours? Days? Time was not something that could be tracked in this darkened prison. He had been walking for what seemed like forever.
Dehydrated, hungry, in pain, and urine soaked, Cecil couldn’t go on. His feet were stinging and sore. He couldn’t even feel his hands anymore. The earthen wall had become his crutch. His muscles turned to jelly. Cecil feared stopping—he may not get back up again. His wrists felt like blades were cutting into them. He had tried for the longest to free his hands, only to do more harm than good.
Cecil tripped again, this time hitting his head against the wall. He felt a warm trickle down the side of his face. Trying to push himself back up, his body wouldn’t cooperate. Rest for a moment. He lay on his side, slipping into a fatigue filled sleep.
Maverick found an entrance. It was well hidden behind years of overgrown foliage. He used his teeth and claws to clear the brush away. It was located on the side of a high rising hill. How had he never seen this before? More Sentries had joined them in their tracking until there were eight in all. He howled to the sky, alerting his pack of his discovery. He heard them racing toward his call.
When all had gathered, Maverick entered with his search party at his flank. They came into a chamber that branched into four different directions. Maverick shifted back into human form. “I want every wolf to pair up. It seems we are in some kind of catacomb. No one is to venture off by themselves. If you find anything, howl.” Maverick took Cody with him, one of the best trackers he had.
All four entrances showed signs of use, so they didn’t have a solid lead to follow. Maverick and Cody took the tunnel to the far right, their night vision making it possible to see in the pitch blackness. Maverick could feel them descending, going further down into the bowels of the earth.
He felt a ripple of pain throughout his entire body. He knew it was his mate, lost down here somewhere, hurt. He concentrated on the trail he was following. If he hurried his pace, he could lose it. Pulling patience from every cell in his body, he continued the slow trek deeper into the tunnel.
Maverick growled as he picked up a blood trail. It had to be Cecil’s. It was fresh. He followed the twists and turns as the blood drops turned into smears that turned into one long, unbroken thread. He spotted a small mound lying at the base of the dirt wall. Maverick shifted and ran to it, finding Cecil bloody and unconscious.
His head fell back and an agonizing howl ripped from his chest. He dropped to his knees, afraid to touch his mate. He didn’t know if anything was broken or what was torn. “Cecil, baby. Can you hear me?”
A whispered moan came from his mate. He could smell urine and blood. A sob escaped him.
Maverick gently reached down and pulled Cecil in his arms, cradling him to his chest. Cecil’s eyes remained closed. His mate’s hands were bound behind his back, Maverick turned him, seeing the piano-thin wire embedded in his skin. He would let the doctor remove it, not wanting to take a chance at hurting him even more.
Cody led the way back to the main chamber, the rest of the pack waiting. Howls and barks rent over the walls at seeing their Alpha’s mate’s battered and bruised body.
Maverick took Cecil home, trying not to jostle him. The wolf physician was called once more. An IV was placed in Cecil for the dehydration. His wounds were cleaned and his wrists stitched.
Maverick watched over the doctor’s shoulder as Cecil’s marks were uncovered. He squeezed his eyes shut at the enormous purple bruise that covered his mate’s entire chest. His wrists looked like they had been sliced with a scalpel all the way around. He had numerous cuts and scrapes all over his body.
Some needed stitches while others were cleaned and ointment applied. After what seemed like forever, the doctor went to the bathroom to wash his hands. The entire pack was in Maverick’s bedroom, watching and waiting.
“He’s human, so he suffered more than a wolf would have. He has two broken ribs and a multitude of cuts and scrapes. His wrists were the worst. The wire tore through his tendons. He may not recover the full use of his hands. I have an IV going to rehydrate him quickly. I also have an antibiotic solution dripping with it as well. Humans are susceptible to infection. I’ll monitor him for the first twenty-four hours to make sure he’s healing properly. There isn’t much to do right now but wait.” The doctor excused himself.
Cecil’s lips were moving. Maverick leaned down to hear his mate. Usually he could hear with clarity, but Cecil was too soft-spoken, mumbling. He ordered everyone to be quiet.
“Lo…Lo…nny.” Cecil fell back into unconsciousness.
Maverick’s nostrils flared. His canines emerged, and his eyes shifted to crimson. “Lonny.” He growled as he left his bedroom to hunt the wolf. His entire pack gasped, unbelieving that one of their own could do such a horrific act.
Tank and Cody searched for the wolf with a vengeance. Cecil had become like a little brother to both of them. Lonny was a dead man walking.
Jasper had gone to Hawk, informing him of the betrayal. Hawk paced furiously, his mate sleeping comfortably in the bed. Jasper stepped back as Hawk’s six foot four bulk towered over his five foot nine frame. The man reminded Jasper of an ancient warrior. The elements seemed to move with every bulging muscle Hawk rippled. “Stay with my mate. Protect him with your life. Lonny dies tonight.”
Jasper nodded and sat on the window seat, safely away from the sleeping youth. He wasn’t crazy enough to go near Johnny. That would send Hawk into a rage that Jasper didn’t want any part of. He hadn’t left the room since bringing Johnny here. When one of the Sentries brought Hawk and his mate food, they set it on the dresser away from the bed. Micah had almost lost a limb getting too close to the human. Everyone learned quickly that Hawk had gone gaga over this slip of a man.
Maverick couldn’t believe his assistant had done this. Why? Lonny had been with him for a century and a half and took care of all the financial records and set up the meetings with his pack. He ran errands for him and made sure the pantry stayed stocked. Why would he hurt Cecil?
Maverick tracked the wolf to the oversized library. He was standing in front of one of the shelves, reading some leather bound book.
“Did you find your mate yet?” Lonny peered up from his reading. His tone was indifferent.
Maverick crossed the room in two long strides, backhanding the wolf into the shelves. He pulled Lonny up with one hand, dangling him in front of him. With his other hand, he ripped his claws across the wide-eyed traitor’s chest. Blood instantly blossomed across his torn sweater vest.
“Alpha, I don’t understand. What have I done?” Lonny whined in an irritating falseness. Maverick could see the feigned shock.
Bastard.
“You poisoned my mate! You kidnapped him and left him for dead in those tunnels. You. I want to know why before I kill you.” Maverick bellowed in Lonny’s face. Lonny paled. The look of shock was genuine this time. His assistant’s face contorted from disbelief to anger.
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��I love you, not that pathetic human. I have been taking care of you and seeing to your needs. I should be the one honored in your bed. That menace has come into my home and disrupted everything, taken from me the one thing I cherish most. You.” Lonny was wild-eyed and hysterical. He was clawing at Maverick’s hand to free himself from his Alpha’s grasp.
Maverick threw him through the library window, shifting and jumping after him. Shards of broken glass littered the ground around Lonny’s body.
Lonny got to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. “You love me, not the worthless human in there. You must realize this.” Lonny stepped back, turned, and ran. He didn’t get far as the Sentries surrounded him. Lonny couldn’t escape. They growled, warning him not to breach the formation.
Lonny backpedaled until he was in the center. Maverick circled him, snapping his jaws, his hair standing on end and his ears tucked back. Maverick stood four feet from his head to the ground. His weight in wolf form was the largest of any Timber wolf ever born at three hundred and ten pounds, and from snout to tail tip, he was six feet long. A monster.
Lonny dropped onto his back, exposing his neck. Hopefulness in his expression at the submissive act, probably convinced it would please Maverick and convince him not to kill the traitor.
Maverick growled, shaking his head no at Lonny. His assistant knew nothing he did now was going to get him out of this. Maverick wasn’t accepting any submission, only death. Lonny got to his feet, staring wildly around for an escape. He shifted and ran for the woods like the hounds of hell were at his heels, and they were.
Maverick tackled him, tearing into Lonny’s neck and ripping muscle from bone. He heard the distinctive snap and knew his ex-assistant wasn’t going to recover from this. He dropped the limp body and returned to human form, Sentries shifting as well.
“I will not tolerate betrayal among my own pack!” Maverick was enraged, his index finger pointing at each and every wolf. His arm sliced from the air down toward the dead wolf. “Get him out of here. He will not receive the ceremonial burial. Just dump his carcass far enough away!” The wolves jumped at the command. They didn’t even get dressed before hauling Lonny’s dead body away. If only they could shift without destroying their clothes.
Maverick stormed back into the house, getting straight into the shower to wash away the stench that had clung to his skin. He would not lay next to his mate with traitorous blood clinging to him. Maverick took deep, calming breaths as he washed the evidence away. He had to calm down for Cecil. He refused to go to him still angry.
His head raised as the doctor quietly entered. Maverick made sure the towel was secure as he asked for privacy.
“Boy, I helped your mamma deliver you. You ain’t got anything I haven’t circumcised.” The doctor tenderly smiled as he gave Maverick what he asked for.
Maverick smiled at the old wolf, shaking his head as he pulled a pair of sweats on. Cecil was still sleeping. Maverick breathed a sigh of relief at knowing the culprit was found and justice dispensed. Now all that was left was for his mate to heal.
Maverick carefully raised Cecil’s hands, turning them over to examine the stitches around his wrists. They looked more like wrist bands, the black thread wound all the way around. Lonny had been a cruel son of a bitch. He had looped the wire like bracelets around each wrist and then a small piece had connected the two. They were so tight on his mate’s wrists that Maverick was surprised his hands weren’t severed off. The fact that he may lose use of them sent a clenching pain through Maverick’s heart. Laying light kisses on each injury, he laid them back down.
Cecil’s eyes fluttered open. Tears began to fall as he croaked out. “It hurts.”
Lifting his baby in his arms was out of the question, too many injuries. Instead, his hands caressed the soft hair, pushing the flop out of his eye. Maverick gazed into those amethyst eyes. “I know, baby. Your body is healing at a faster rate than an unmated human, but it’s still gonna take time.”
Cecil tried to reach up and grab Maverick’s hand, but his fingers wouldn’t close. He stared at his wrists for the first time in horror. He examined both, turning them in opened mouth disbelief then shoved the Frankenstein creations under the blanket, sinking back down into the bed.
“Don’t, baby. They’ll heal. Give it time.”
“You can say that! It’s not your body that’s disfigured. Just…just go.” How was he going to use his hands again? He couldn’t even make a fist. Cecil was trying under the blanket. He tried to touch each fingertip to his thumb, but none of them reached. He lashed out in anger. “Just go! I don’t want you to see me like this. Get out!” He squeezed his eyes closed. All he could see was darkness. His eyes flew open, and he realized that he would forever fear the dark now, always be reminded of those tunnels when he tried to sleep.
Maverick gave Cecil his space. He sat in the cushioned chair in the corner, letting Cecil rant and rave, cry and shout. He knew Cecil needed this, needed to release the demons that were now haunting him. Maverick sank back into the chair, fading into the shadows of the room.
Cody looked up when he heard Cecil screaming and crying. Tears brimmed behind his eyes. His little buddy would forever carry those scars. Hell, Cody cringed when he closed his eyes, seeing that bloody and battered form lying tied on the ground of those tunnels.
Tank wiped a runaway tear that rolled down his cheek, turning his back to everyone for privacy. Cody saw a slight shake in the big man’s shoulders. He was crying. It took a heck of a lot to make a Sherman tank cry. Cody cleared the lump from his throat, taking a swig from his beer bottle. Cody, Tank, Jasper, and Remi were sitting in the kitchen, silently listening to the tortured cries of a broken man.
Remi scrubbed his face as Jasper let the tears fall, sniffing and blowing his nose. Cecil had spent hours with him playing those damn video games. Kicking each other’s butts in the shoot-’em-up games. Jasper had gotten pretty good at the driving ones. Cecil was always a hyper gamer. He bounced around, shouting threats and laughing his head off. The den didn’t seem the same without him there. Jasper wanted to go to him, comfort him, but he knew Cecil wouldn’t be comforted right now. Right now he was fighting a war raging inside him, one only he could win or lose.
“Come here.” Cody held his arms out, waiting for Jasper to climb in them. Cody petted his back and rocked him, kissing his temple and shushing him. Neither was ashamed of their non-mated relationship. Jasper could care less what anyone thought or said.
“He’s so little. How will he recover from this? How, Cody? He may never use his hands again, and the emotional scars, he won’t recover from them anytime soon.” Jasper asked as he lay against Cody.
“I know, baby. He has all of us to lean on. We’ll get him through it.” Cody rose from his sitting position, taking Jasper away for privacy.
Maverick’s heart was being shredded. He listened to Cecil until his mate lost his voice. He had used every curse word invented. He tried to throw his pillow, getting even angrier when he couldn’t grab it. Maverick just sat quietly, taking the brunt of it. When Cecil finally slumped back down, Maverick went to him, tucking him in and turning the light off.
“No! Leave the light on, please. No darkness.” Cecil had a frightened child’s voice, his eyes pleading with Maverick.
Maverick nodded.
He would get a dimmer switch for the lights, always keeping a low light on for his mate. He would do whatever it took to make Cecil feel safe again. The doctor had come in to sit with his patient as Maverick began to leave. The wolf physician had given them their privacy as Cecil released his anger. Doc patted Maverick, giving him an understanding nod. He occupied the chair Maverick had just vacated. The doctor settling down for the night.
It had been two days since Cecil’s ordeal. The doc removed his stitches, claiming Maverick’s were blood had done an excellent job healing him. He gave Cecil a list of exercises to do to strengthen his wrists and hands. Cecil could finally breathe again with his ribs repaired.
He had to hand it to the wolves. They had the market cornered on healing.
Cecil stood in the archway, watching the guys play video games that he could no longer play. He dropped his head in shame when Maverick had to help him use the bathroom. He sat quietly as Tank or Cody fed him. He sat in that cushioned chair for hours, staring at the ceiling, trying to squeeze the rubber ball in his grasp, which continually fell to the carpet. Cecil kicked it, shouting at the stupid thing.
“Fine, don’t help me, you worthless piece of rubber.” How low had he sunk? Cursing an inanimate object as it rolled away.
He watched the ball, and then looked around the room that had become his self-imposed gilded cage. He blinked several times as his mind began to clear from the dismal fog it had been cloaked in.
An epiphany slowing formed. With all his yelling, his silence, and even his kicking rubber objects around, he had been slowly giving up.
His brows furrowed in anger. Cecil Walters never gave up! His parents had taught him better than that. When life threw rocks at him, he mentally pulled his boot straps up and kept pushing on. So why was he giving up now?
He wrestled with the doorknob, squeezing it between his forearms, twisting it until it turned. He stormed to Maverick’s office, kicking at the door.
“How dare you give up on me?” Maverick looked stunned as he stepped aside to allow his irate mate in.
“What are you talking about, baby?”
“You! You sit in here feeling sorry for yourself, or me, whatever. You hide behind your desk like everything is okay. I haven’t seen you for two whole days. You should be kicking me in my butt and telling me to suck it up and continue on. Instead? Instead, I’m slowly slipping into a depression. Help me, Maverick. It’s your job to pull me out of that abyss!” Cecil was stabbing his finger into Maverick’s abdomen, serving Maverick’s balls on a spoon to him.
