Rhys was the reason Blake had been forced out into the open. He was the reason Blake had been shot, and, at first left for dead, but then left paralyzed.
Fury held Chogan in its grip, and he didn’t even need to call to his wolf to start the shift. The animal had sensed the need inside of him and responded by itself, striking his body with a blast of energy.
Instantly, his bones began to break and realign themselves, and his muscles rip apart and reform. His neck thrashed one way and then the other, growing longer and thicker, as his jaw lengthened, his mouth and nose forming the snout. His skin burned as individual strands of fur pushed through. The tips of his fingers and toes split, and curled claws unfurled. His jeans were already shredded, but finally fell from his body as a tail split from his coccyx and pushed the material from his body.
Chogan didn’t even give himself the chance for the pain to dissipate from his body. His only interest was in killing Rhys. He’d made the promise to himself that if he ever saw the other man again, he would kill him, and he intended on keeping that promise.
He set off at a bound and ran past people Ollie’s shifters had attacked. He had no idea what was going on here—the reason for Ollie’s shifters to start attacking people Vivian had armed—but he couldn’t worry about that now. Rhys was still human and vulnerable, and Chogan planned on taking advantage of that.
Rhys had been distracted by the scene in front of him, but he turned as Chogan took a massive leap, flying at him. He lifted his arm and Chogan spotted the weapon a moment too late. The gun went off, and pain speared across Chogan’s shoulder, like being stung by the world’s biggest bee. The scent of his own blood filled his nostrils, but then he collided with Rhys, knocking him onto his back, and he didn’t give his injury any more thought. Rhys twisted as Chogan snapped at his throat, held him off with one powerfully muscled arm.
“You can’t kill me, Chogan.”
Ah, so the man had recognized him, even in wolf form.
“I’m the only one who can tell you where Vivian is, and what her plans are.”
Chogan wasn’t listening. He snarled again and snapped down at the man, his sharp teeth grazing the skin of Rhys’ broad throat.
“Ah, fuck,” the other man swore.
His upper lip curled as he growled, baring his teeth to show Rhys a little grazed skin was the least of his worries.
“Get off him, Chogan!” Autumn’s voice came from over his shoulder. It was the one voice he’d ever listen to. Hearing her made him drop his guard and Rhys lifted the hand with the gun, and smacked him across the injured shoulder with the barrel.
He let out a yelp of pain, and Rhys pushed him off and clambered back to his feet.
Chogan spun around, his hackles raised, every muscle in his body tensed, ready to spring back at Rhys as soon as Autumn gave the word. But she stood, her face stony, her arms folded, looking at Rhys.
“You need to explain to me what is going on here,” she said to him. “And where the hell is Vivian?”
“Vivian wanted to be here, she really did, but she figured hurting what you loved was more important than hurting you directly.”
“She’s already hurt the people I love.”
He shook his head. “No, not people. She wants to hurt what you’ve done for shifters so far. She wants to hurt the position you’ve put yourself in. She wants to bring both you and this whole shifter and human equality bullshit to the ground.”
Confusion rippled across Autumn’s beautiful face. “And how is she doing that? What have the Company of Tooth and Claw got to do with this?”
“Well, you see, that footage that’s just been taken of you signaling for a shifter attack on defenseless people, while you stood by and did nothing to help the people, has just made you look like you’re a part of the Tooth and Claw movement. It’s also made shifters look like the thing you’ve been preaching we aren’t for so long—monsters, things for the general public to be scared of.”
“You’re going to incite hatred,” she spat. “You’re going to have every armed civilian out there, hunting shifters down like animals.”
“Yeah, and it’ll give shifters a reason to fight back and show everyone just who is the stronger species.”
“You’re going to undo everything we’ve been working toward!” she said, her face draining of all color. Chogan watched, helpless. He couldn’t do anything for Autumn in wolf form. He needed to shift back.
With concerted effort, he pushed his spirit guide away. The wolf didn’t want to go, clinging to him and whining in his head, but he needed to be a man now. The spirit released him, and instantly his bones began to shatter, re-creating his shape in that of a man. His body jerked and twisted, pain crushing him in its vice-like grip, allowing him to think of nothing other than the way it encased his body. He was weak like this, vulnerable, and there were all too many people around who would be happy to see him dead, but he needed to have a voice again.
The shift was complete, and Chogan panted, allowing the pain to ebb away. Then he stood straight, not caring he was naked in front of thirty people or more. The humans had long since been dispatched of their weapons, and they cowered as the shifters kept them surrounded, though the extra force seemed unnecessary. The people were never out to do them any harm. They’d been forced to wait here for them by Vivian, a trap set up so he, Autumn, and the others would be made to look like they were part of Tooth and Claw. Chogan realized it wasn’t just Rhys he should be taking his fury out on. The young shifter, Ollie, was the one who had put them in this position. Chogan knew from the first moment he’d seen him that they shouldn’t have trusted the other shifters, but Autumn hadn’t listened.
She’d lost focus on what was important. Her obsessive desire to see Vivian dead meant she was putting those who loved her and supported her at risk.
“You son of a bitch, Rhys,” he said, his voice still containing the raw growl of the wolf. “Your morals haven’t improved any then?”
“Of all people,” Rhys said, folding his big arms across his chest, “I thought you would have been the one on our side.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Company of Tooth and Claw. I thought you would have been with them, Chogan. You always preached that shifters should be held in higher regard than humans, but now you seem to be on the wrong side.”
He snorted. “I don’t think you’re one to be talking about being on the wrong side. And anyway, this wasn’t supposed to be about sides. The whole point was that shifters and people were supposed to live in side by side, in peace. That’s what Autumn has been trying to achieve. We only wanted a chance to be recognized as a species of our own.”
“Sounds like you’ve been brainwashed to me. Is a pretty face and a tight ass all it took?”
“Don’t you fucking talk about her!”
“I don’t need you to speak for me, Chogan,” said Autumn.
Rhys gave a low chuckle. “I guess Autumn here has gotten to you.” He reached up and touched the bloodied mark on his neck left by Chogan’s teeth, and then looked at the blood on his fingertips.
“You’ll heal,” said Chogan, coldly. He had his own wound to worry about, but the bullet had only grazed his shoulder, and it would heal quickly enough.
Rhys shrugged. “I know that.”
“Why the hell would you work with the woman who had kept us captive?” Chogan asked, still in disbelief. “You saw what she did to us, and yet now you’re defending her?”
“She wanted some shifters, and she had the right amount of money.”
“You did this for payment?”
“Sure. A guy’s still got to live. And anyway, I knew it was to help the cause, even if it did help Vivian at the same time. I’m not saying I won’t help you find her now, though.”
“Why would you help us if you work for her?”
“Just because I’ve taken money off her, doesn’t mean I’m loyal. She happened to want the same thing as me, and was willing to pay f
or it.”
“Don’t worry, I hadn’t for one moment assumed you were loyal to anyone,” Chogan snarled.
Autumn turned her attention to Rhys. “All I want is Vivian’s location. Right now, I couldn’t give a shit about the shifter movement. I just want her dead. Once I’ve killed the bitch, then I’ll turn my attention to you.”
“Oh, I know where she is,” said Rhys, a sly smile hidden behind his eyes. “She’s gone back the same way you came.”
Chapter Eleven
“THE SAME WAY I came?” said Autumn, confused. “Do you mean coming from the house? Or Chicago?”
Rhys shrugged. “I only know that she’s gone back south.”
“You know more than that!”
He gave a sly smile. “And I tell you more, and you kill me. Now where’s the sense in that?”
Fury boiled through her veins. Without thinking, she lifted the hand not holding the gun and slapped him hard against the cheek. His head rocked back, and her palm smarted from the contact. “Tell me where she is!” she demanded.
He shook his head, but his cheek had bloomed red, the shape of her handprint against his skin. “Not gonna happen.”
She gritted her teeth, her jaw tight, and lifted the hand holding the revolver to press the gun hard against his temple. He jerked back, but glared at her, his eyes hard.
“Tell me!”
“Or what? You shoot me, and then you’ll never know.”
Her finger trembled on the trigger, her hand shaking. She waged a battle inside herself. One part of her wanted to explode her revenge and anger out on this man, while the other, older more sensible part, told her that she’d never get what she wanted if she did.
“Fuck,” she swore, yanking her hand away and stepped back from him.
Chogan touched her arm and she wrenched away from him, too.
“What are we going to do about the rest of them?” he asked.
She looked around at the people, all cowering under the multitude of weapons and massive beasts. “Let the people go. I doubt they wanted to be here anyway. Knowing Vivian, she probably blackmailed them into waiting for us armed.”
He nodded. “Let them go,” he shouted out to the other shifters.
The shifters stepped back, giving the civilians a gap to run through. The people glanced around, as if making sure it wasn’t a trap, and then, clutching each other, ran, vanishing into the forest.
“What about him?” Marcus called out, nodding toward the soldier they’d brought.
The anger she’d experienced at the soldier earlier had dissipated. He was nothing more than another one of Vivian’s pawns. “Let him go, too.”
“Thank you,” Todd said. “Thank you for not killing me.”
“Get out of here before we change our minds.”
Chogan gave the man a shove, and he stumbled a bit before running in the same direction the civilians had headed.
“I hope we’re not going to regret that,” said Chogan.
“I’m regretting everything right now,” she said, bitterness settling in her stomach like acid. She glanced over her shoulder to the other shifters they’d picked up. Ollie Pritchard stood, naked, with his arms folded across his chest, watching her. His wolf shifters stood protecting each side of him like massive guard dogs. She’d been in that position too, not so long ago, she realized, with Chogan in wolf form on one side, and Blake on the other. A pang of longing clutched her heart, squeezing almost painfully. How had so much changed in such a short period of time? She’d felt strong and powerful then, with both wolves at her side, but now she felt only anger and sorrow.
“We’re still on your side,” called out Ollie. “We still want to help you find this Vivian woman. If she’s an enemy to shifters, she’s an enemy to us as well.”
“She’s an enemy to anyone who lives,” said Autumn, thinking of her father. “You need to destroy the footage of the attack on those people. I assume you’re responsible.”
He shrugged. “Too late. It was posted on the internet as soon as it was taken. And we made sure your face was in the footage. Everyone will believe you are linked to The Company of Tooth and Claw now, so you might as well let us help you.”
“I don’t see why I need your help. The last time you offered didn’t end up so great for us.”
“More shifters on the ground if you need them.” He glanced over at Mia and Peter, who were still in big cat form. Mia seemed to have gone quiet, holding back, Peter by her side. Autumn frowned. She hoped they were all right. The couple had been late reaching them too, had been slower than the others. If they had stuff going on between them, she didn’t want it affecting their ability to find Vivian. Ollie was right. With no longer having Blake at her side, and so many others having believed the war was won and going home, she was definitely short on shifters right now. She had six—or seven if she included Chogan. Would that be enough? Vivian obviously had decided to play a game with Autumn, and if she only lost a couple of shifters, her numbers would be almost halved.
She gazed around at the shifters of Tooth and Claw. They all stood, solid and resolute, looking up at her as she decided her answer.
“Okay,” she eventually relented. “We’ll stick together.”
“Autumn!” snapped Chogan. “What the hell are you playing at?”
“If you don’t like my decisions, Chogan, you know your way home.”
“You’re not being rational. These shifters won’t help anyone but themselves.”
“If they help me find Vivian, I don’t care what they do afterward. I’ve had enough, Chogan. I don’t have any more fight left in me. Let’s just find Vivian and bring this whole mess to an end.”
“It won’t be an end if you get involved with these guys. They’re getting you mixed up in something new.”
She sighed. “I’ll deal with that when I have to.”
Chogan’s lips twisted. “Great. I suppose we have to put up with that guy, too?” He jerked his chin toward Rhys.
“Yes, but we can have a little fun with him.” She gave a cold smile. “Daisy,” she called back to the waiting paranormals. “Can you make Rhys here a little more ... compliant?”
The girl broke away from the others and walked through the shifters. She didn’t show the slightest fear at being only inches from massive wolves and big cats. The girl smiled and nodded, as she walked up the steps and onto the porch where Rhys still sat on the floor. She reached out both of her hands, that peaceful smile still on her face.
Rhys jerked back. “What’s she going to do to me?”
“Make you a nicer person.”
“No, get the fuck away from me!” But then his expression changed, his eyes growing dreamy. A hint of a smile touched the corners of his lips, and he stared into the distance as if marveling at something beautiful in the tops of the trees.
“You’re going to take us straight to Vivian, aren’t you Rhys?” Autumn asked.
He nodded. “Of course. Right to her.”
Chogan grinned. “And you’re going to kiss our asses the entire time, isn’t that right, Rhys?”
The big man gave another dreamy smile. “Sure is.”
“’Cause you’re a fucking coward, aren’t you, Rhys?”
He nodded again. “Yep. Just a big old coward.”
Chogan laughed. “I could get used to this.”
Ollie approached. “What did she do to him?”
“It’s none of your concern, but don’t think for one minute that we can’t do the same to you if you don’t cooperate in trying to find the woman I want.”
“So what now?” Ollie asked.
“I want the house and grounds searched,” she said.
“She’s not here,” said Rhys in a strange, sing-song voice.
“I know that. But I want the place searched for anything ... unusual.” She pressed her lips together and then admitted, “My father’s body might still be here.”
Chogan nodded. “We’ll get it done.” He turned back to the shi
fters. “Half of you search the house, the other half search this surrounding area.” He turned back to Autumn. “If she’s buried your father in the forest, the shifters will pick up on the scent.”
Her stomach turned at the idea of her father’s body being left, missing a hand, in the forest. Animals and insects might have gotten to it by now. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand seeing it, but at the same time, she didn’t think she’d be able to not say goodbye.
A number of the shifters, including Chogan and Ollie, disappeared inside the house. Rhys had taken a seat on the swing on the porch, and Daisy now sat beside him. They seemed pretty content in each other’s company, which wasn’t surprising considering Daisy was controlling his mood.
“In here,” Chogan’s voice called out from inside the building.
Autumn’s heart lurched. What was she about to see?
She headed into the house. She wondered who owned the property and where they were now. Or was this Vivian’s house all along?
Ollie had found some jeans, and wore them now, though the waist was too big for him and he’d cinched them in with a belt. At least she could look at him now without her cheeks wanting to burst into flames, though even the sight of his smooth, well muscled back was enough to get her attention. He had all the secure confidence of youth on his side. Autumn was still a woman; she was allowed to look. Anything to distract her from the horror that was coming.
She pushed through the others, certain she was about to see her father’s body in the middle of the living room floor. Instead, they all stared down at a large, circular black stain on the carpet. It took her a moment to piece together what she was seeing. The stain was blood, and from the size, it must have been a lot of blood. Her hand went to cover her mouth. This must be the spot where Vivian had slit her father’s throat. That was his spilled blood on the floor.
A shout came from outside.
Avenging Autumn Page 8
