A Mating Dance (Ashwood Falls)

by Davis, Lia;

  “What the fuck?”

  Cameron’s voice drew his attention to the front of the lab. Travis stood a few feet from the entrance, his body surrounded with an orange and red hue. Flames covered his hands and arms. Travis turned to face Keegan, focusing on the Alpha.

  A moment later, Keegan shouted, “Get back! Now!”

  Blaine, Graham, Cam, and the others all ran back toward the woods. Turning around, Blaine saw the rogues frozen in place, watching Travis as though they’d never seen anything like him before. Hell, Blaine had never seen anything like it. Yeah, he knew Travis could control fire, but this went beyond control. It was as though the fire was a part of him.

  In a flash of bright orange light, Travis seemed to explode. No, that wasn’t right. The fire and energy that surrounded him thrust outward, hitting the rogues and mutants and the building. The next moment made Blaine’s heart stop. An explosion sounded off from inside the building a split second before metal and other debris flew out in all directions.

  “Shit. The fucker is crazy,” Hayden said as he came to stand next to Blaine.

  Blaine nodded. “I think we just witnessed first-hand how he destroyed his den.”

  About two years before, Travis’s den had been attacked by mutants. They infected his Pack with the virus, turning them all into blood-crazed, half-changed mutants. Travis said he’d had to destroy the den and those infected.

  Now Blaine knew how the male had done it.

  He’d burned the fuckin’ den down.

  Blaine scanned the area but didn’t see Travis anywhere. “Come on, Hunter. Where the fuck are you?”

  The silence was almost unbearable. Blaine so didn’t want to go back home and tell his sister that her mate was dead, although she’d know it as soon as it happened through the mating bond. He didn’t want to see her hurting, not when she was just a few months pregnant and mated just as long.

  “Thank God,” Cameron breathed.

  Blaine followed her gaze to see Travis staggering out of the burning building. Without a second thought, Blaine flashed to his brother-in-law’s side then dematerialized to the medical center.

  ***

  Cameron stayed to do cleanup and some fire control. Dane had found an outside faucet and hose, which wasn’t unusual in the area. Many homes and other dwellings had wells. Alec and a few other enforcers dug up the grass around the area to keep the fire contained within a hundred yard radius around the burning facilities.

  Damn. This was one fucked-up night.

  Cameron scanned the charred land around her. The metal structure had caved into itself and still burned. She wasn’t sure it would stop or if water would put it out. After all, the fire had been forged by magick and Travis’s will.

  She hoped they’d be able to douse the flames instead of waiting for them to die out on their own because she really didn’t feel like camping out tonight to make sure the whole forest didn’t burn.

  Her gaze fell upon Graham as he tossed the blackened remains of the last rogue into the fire. His clothes were bloodied, and he had scratches on both arms and one across his cheek. He was still gorgeous and hers. As if feeling her stare, he looked up. His blue eyes locked with hers, and she smiled. Warmth bloomed in her heart and other, much lower, places. The male was sexy as hell, and he’d fought like a trained solider.

  She was moving before she realized it. Not breaking the visual hold on Graham, she made her way across the field with every intention of possessing the male with her mouth and tongue.

  She was so ready to go home with her males and complete the mating bond. It felt right now, almost complete in a way, now that Graham was in their lives.

  Cameron got about halfway across the field, and a figure stepped out the trees behind him. Graham didn’t notice because he was too fixated on her. She shouted his name and started to run, but it was too late.

  Much faster than she’d ever seen a shifter move, the rogue behind Graham closed in, grabbed him from behind, and hit him on the back of the head. Graham’s eyes grew round with shock right before his big body hit the ground.

  Cameron drew her gun and fired. Once, twice, then a click. Shit, out of bullets. She tossed the weapon to the ground and pushed her legs to move faster. Her vision sharpened, indicating her jaguar had surfaced.

  With claws and fangs bared, she leaped for the rogue, only to grab air as she landed hard on the ground. Rolling to her feet, she looked around.

  The rogue was gone.

  And so was Graham.

  ***

  Cameron’s painful, rage-filled scream pierced the night, drawing Keegan’s attention. The female ran by him, shifting into a black jaguar as she ran.

  Keegan recognized the rage as loss of a mate or, in this case, the fear of losing one.

  Graham.

  A quick check of the area told him he’d guessed right. Mind linking to his youngest son, he asked, “Alec, what the hell happened?”

  “I’m not sure. She just started freaking out, and then I noticed Graham was gone.”

  Fuck. This wasn’t happening.

  Keegan shifted, allowing the leopard out. This was the only way to get through to Cam now. She was too far-gone, consumed by the rage of losing a mate. He knew how that felt.

  He took off after the female, paws pounding into the earth. He caught up to her and nipped her flank. Her head whipped toward him, and she bared her fangs. Growling back, he let his Alpha power flow as he quickly moved to stand in front her, stopping her chance of escape.

  Cameron growled deep in her throat and crouched as if she was going to attack him. He pushed his power out to her, covering her with his dominance. He hated doing this to anyone, especially to someone he considered his daughter. But if he let it go and allowed her to challenge him without repercussions, he’d look weak in front of his Pack.

  After a moment, she whimpered and lowered her head. He let out a heavy breath through his nose and stepped forward. Like any dominant solider, she didn’t back away, just stayed in place with her head bowed.

  He continued forward until his head hovered over hers. Pulling his power back in, he licked the top of her head, and then he shifted to human form. He remained in a crouching position, not because he had a problem with being naked but because Cam was like his daughter. From the time a shifter was born, they were taught that nudity is a natural state. However, Cameron would be mated to his son and be his daughter-in-law. So, yeah, there was a slight need for some modesty.

  He ran his hand over her black-spotted fur. Her muscles relaxed under his gentle touch. “We’ll get him back, Cam. I promise you that.”

  Her gold cat eyes lifted to meet his. He smiled. “Come on, let’s go home and see if Shay can help find him.”

  Cameron looked out into the forest, scanning the trees and shadows, then peered back at him. She rose, her body going to her full jaguar height, and rubbed against his knees. He shifted back to leopard form and led her to the den.

  Chapter 14

  Graham came to with a headache that felt as though his skull was about to split open. What the hell had happened? One minute he was watching Cameron prowl toward him as though she wanted to thoroughly enjoy every inch of his body, and the next, a sharp pain rocked the back of his head. Then everything went dark.

  Slowly he opened his eyes and was relieved that the lights were off except for a soft glow filtering through the iron bars. Looking around, he groaned at the reality of being inside some kind of cell. Cement floors, bars, and a bucket in the corner.

  He shuddered.

  Pushing himself off the cot, he walked to the bars and peered out. The light was coming from what looked to be a room at the end of the hall. He gripped the bars and gave a little jerk. Just what he thought. Solid.

  Dumbass.

  He paced the small space and tried to think. There were no windows in the cell, so the only way out was through the bars. He doubted they’d come to see what was wrong with him if he faked being sick. They’d most likely leave h
im suffering.

  No, he needed to be smart about it and find out what the hell they wanted.

  Footsteps froze him in place. When keys jingled behind him, he whirled around. A female with long chocolate-brown hair with honey highlights opened the cell door and stepped inside. A moment later, two large mutant males stepped up behind her.

  Fuck. This was not going to end well.

  “It is good to see you awake,” she purred with so much menace it sent a cold wave up his spine.

  He didn’t respond to her. He just watched her as she motioned the half-human, half-wolves freaks of nature forward. They stepped close, one on each side of him. Graham took a step back, not wanting the creatures to touch him. But they reached out much faster than he could track and gripped his upper arms in their clawed hands.

  The female came forward and gripped his chin. “Now, you will tell me where the children are.”

  Graham narrowed his eyes and held her stare. “Never.”

  Anger flared in the female’s eyes, and a tic formed in her temple. “Boys, show the lion some manners.” She pivoted on her heel and stalked out of the cell.

  Graham’s heart hammered, and he jerked side-to-side, trying to break the mutants’ hold on him. No such luck. Instead, he got a punch to the gut, so hard his ability to breathe ceased for a moment. Then a punch struck his side, followed by another and another until he crumpled to the ground, his vision going in and out. One of them gave a hard kick to his back, forcing a painful growl from his throat.

  A second later he heard the bars click back in place as his vision blurred then went out altogether.

  ***

  Sable Darwin was still seething when she entered her private quarters inside the Onyx den, which was hidden inside a large mountain only about fifty miles outside of Ashwood territory. Convenience had its advantages. However, in recent months, the advantage was starting to bite them all in the ass. The Ashwood Packs were closing in, and they’d have to move the den, again.

  The male she’d captured when Keegan and his soldiers raided the laboratory thought he could withhold information from her. Ha. That was a mistake he’d soon regret.

  No one refused her. Ever.

  And she always got what she wanted.

  She really couldn’t blame him from wanting to protect the children. She was a mother herself and would do anything to keep her son safe, especially from his bastard father.

  A little piece of her was glad those kids were safe, even if they were in the enemies’ hands.

  Crossing the living room, she headed straight to her bedroom. On the way, she paused in front of her son’s room. Heavy bass mixed with screaming seeped through the wood door. She shook her head and continued to her room next door. She never understood his need to blow his eardrums out with what he called music. To her, it was noise.

  Closing herself inside her room, she stripped and headed for the shower. A few moments later, she stepped under the hot spray and closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted to the children who’d escaped a couple of nights ago. Her maternal instincts told her they were better off, safe and secure with the Ashwood Packs. However, her whole upbringing inside the Onyx Pack told her that the leopards and wolves were the enemy. The ones that wanted to keep the old laws of secrecy, keeping all shifters weak.

  There had been a time she believed in her father’s fight, when she’d stormed the front lines with the strongest soldiers. She was young and a daddy’s girl. She’d do anything the Alpha said because she was the princess, and he knew what was best for the pack.

  That was a lifetime ago. Before she’d met and lost her mate.

  After washing her body and hair, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She slipped into her short nightgown before settling onto her bed with her tablet in hand. Her thoughts returned to the male she’d left in the dungeon. She kind of hoped the mutants didn’t kill him. He was much more useful alive.

  A light knock sounded on her door, drawing her from her thoughts. “Come in.”

  Nigel entered and smiled at her. “I came to say good night.”

  She held her arms out wide, and he instantly came to her. When he settled on the bed next to her, she wrapped her arms around him. “How is my baby?”

  He grunted but didn’t pull away. “Mom, I’m not a baby.”

  She pinched him in the side, making him jump. “You are my only son and will always be my baby.”

  He fell silent, and Sable picked up on his uneasiness, as though he wanted to tell her something but didn’t know how. “Nigel? Speak your mind.”

  He let out a sigh. “I got in a fight today.” When she started to pull back, he tightened his hold on her and rushed out his next sentence. “They said my dad wasn’t dead, that he left us.”

  Her heart stopped briefly then started beating in rapid thumps against her ribcage. “I’ve told you not to listen to the other males. They play on your emotions to get a rise out of you.” She held him a little tighter and kissed the top of his head. “Your father is dead.”

  At least he was dead to her. Jared Nickels had turned his back on them fifteen years ago and cut them off from his life forever. But she wouldn’t dare tell Nigel the truth. It’d kill him like it did her to know what a cold-hearted bastard his father was.

  ***

  Blaine paced his father’s living room with his hands clenched in tight fists. His skin felt too tight, his muscles too tense. And his leopard wasn’t doing too well either. The animal wanted to jump out and kill. Not that Blaine disagreed. The Onyx bastards would pay for taking his mate from him.

  He snapped his head toward the front door as it opened. Cameron entered, meeting his gaze. Her eyes still burned with the gold glow of her jaguar, and her hair was wet. He growled, not liking that she was hurting.

  “Come here,” he commanded.

  She cocked an eyebrow but continued forward. When she stopped inches from him, he slid a hand behind her neck and drew her in so he could press his forehead against hers. “We’ll find him and bring him home.”

  Cameron twisted out of his hold as the Alphas, Hayden, and Jared walked in. Blaine nodded at Cameron’s brother as he came over to stand next to his sister against the wall. He didn’t say anything to her, just stood so his shoulder touched hers.

  Blaine moved to stand on the other side of Cam when his father took his place in front of the room. The leopard Alpha set his jaw and started grinding his molars in frustration, a habit Blaine’s father had always had when he was pissed and seeking control of his inner cat.

  When Keegan finally spoke, he couldn’t keep the tension from his voice. “So it appears Ashwood isn’t the only Pack with a teleporter.”

  Blaine suppressed a shudder. It wasn’t out of fear but the impact of his father’s barely contained power, which radiated with each word. Beside him, Cameron didn’t shudder. She most likely hadn’t shaken off the wash of power from the forest. He closed his eyes, knowing first-hand what it felt like for his father to unleash his Alpha strength to calm a leopard or, in Cam’s case, a jaguar, into submission when they lost control.

  Her fingers twined with his, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze while sending her a mental reassurance. “We will get him back.”

  Chapter 15

  The click of a lock brought Graham back to awareness. When no one rushed in to beat him back into unconsciousness, confusion clouded his mind. He lifted his head from the sand-covered cement floor and looked around. A small robed figure darted away from the cell door.

  Scrambling to his feet, and wincing at the sharp pain in his ribs, he reached the bars, too slow to catch the female. She was gone, no sign of her anywhere. He knew it was a female by her scent. He shook his head to try to regain some sanity back because he swore the scent was that of the female jaguar that had come in earlier and ordered his beating.

  What the hell? Did she have regrets?

  He snorted. That was highly doubtful.

  He peered down at the lock and gr
oaned. The bars were unlocked and slightly open. It was a trap. It had to be. Why else would she do it?

  Desperation was a crazy thing. It took control of all rational thoughts and caged them up. Hesitantly, Graham pushed the bars open and peered down the hall. No one in sight. He listened and heard only the soft snores of someone sleeping farther down the hall to his right. That meant Graham was going left.

  Slowly he walked down the dark hallway, careful not to alert any of the guards that may be lurking about. When he came to the end of the hall, he eased around the corner. There was no one there. Suspicion crept up his spine. This had to be a trap, but what choice did he have?

  Die trying to escape or die cowering in that damned cell?

  He wasn’t weak, and he damn sure didn’t cower for anyone.

  Pushing on, he made his way to a door. He sucked in a breath and slowly opened the door expecting alarms to sound off. He waited a few moments and let out the breath he held when he wasn’t stormed by a dozen mutants. He stepped through the door and smiled at the scent of clean mountain air that announced he was outside. Then he took off.

  He ran as fast as his human legs could carry him while ignoring the searing pain in his chest as he breathed. Yet, he was too slow. The lights around the building flashed on, and shouts sounded behind him.

  Adrenaline rushed through his veins, pushing him to move faster, to reach the thick part of the forest where he could have a better chance of evading them. The sound of heavy, booted feet pounding on the earth made his heart hammer against his ribs. Fuck. He wasn’t going to make it home alive.

  Sammie’s strong, sweet face flashed in his mind, and then Cameron, laughing and playing with Max, filled his sight. He had to survive, had to tell Cameron and Blaine how much they had come to mean to him. That he loved them.

  They were his mates, and he was fucking going to make it back to them.

  He dodged around trees and zigzagged through the forest in hopes of spreading his scent to confuse the trackers. Jumping over a rotting trunk, he rounded another large oak. He didn’t even know if he was going in the right direction. Hell, he could be going farther away from Ashwood. But he wasn’t going to stop. Besides, it wasn’t as though he could ask for directions.