“Which shifter do you think is best suited to cross into Drake’s territory and scrounge up some information while Drake’s meeting with Liam?”
He’s sending someone in? Fuck. “Blade.”
“That’s a death sentence for him, you know that.”
“Only if he’s caught.”
“I’m not sending Blade.”
“You asked who was qualified. No one else is qualified, and you won’t get anything even if you do. I don’t care how many shifters Drake takes with him when he leaves, he will not have shared any information about where he’s hidden the HEV1 or when and where he plans to use it.”
“HEV1?” Mila asked.
“That’s the Human Eradication Virus I was telling you about,” Anna answered. “His response to the Shifter Eradication Virus. Drake fancies himself a wordsmith.”
“Hardly,” Hayden answered without even having to think why Drake did what he did sometimes. He knew his brother too well, better than he wanted. “It’s a message to the humans that for everything they do to him, he’ll dish it right back, harder. When he fights, he often uses his enemy’s tactics against them, except better. It gives him a sense of vindication.”
“That’s very specific,” Mila said, looking rather puzzled.
“I know how Drake thinks. And sending in any of our shifters will gain us nothing, Damien. We’ve had this discussion before. Why are you bringing it up again?”
Damien’s shoulder hunched as he leaned forward, fingers clasped together. It was as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear. They were in his living room, their usual place to meet, but with shifter hearing, it wouldn’t be hard for someone outside to overhear the details.
“There are reports of a deadly virus spreading through Scrawny Ledge, Wyoming.”
“That’s—”
“Not far from where you were,” Damien finished for him. “What you saw was the fifty-mile perimeter block the government set up to contain the virus.”
“Damn him!” Hayden practically jumped out of his chair. He needed to move, to get away from everyone to think. Testing the virus on the small group of backpackers that had trespassed onto his territory was bad enough, but this was a wide-scale massacre with the potential to turn into a pandemic. Had his brother finally lost what little hold he had on reality? The government would slaughter every last shifter when they discovered shifters were behind this. “What provoked him?”
“What do you mean what ‘provoked him’?” Mila asked. “That alpha’s family is full of psychopaths, except for Kate. No doubt she takes after her mother’s side.”
Hayden hissed at her words, drawing not only her but everyone’s attention. He shoved his hand through his hair and paced. Talking about Drake had never been easy for him. But this here, listening to Mila talk about his family with such revulsion made him cringe.
“I’ve seen Drake in action.” She shivered noticeably.
All the males in this room had at one point or another risked their lives for Hayden, as he had done for them, but they still didn’t talk about his family connections. The family curse, as Hayden referred to it.
What would Mila say when she found out Drake was his brother, that Hayden was part of that family of psychopaths?
Anna’s eyes clouded with tears, no doubt her memories rising to the forefront of her mind by this conversation. Blade pulled her into his loving embrace. She had suffered the most of anyone here, and Hayden hadn’t had the courage to tell her why yet. He dragged his hand over his face. So much misery and pain caused by his brother, his family, and he could never make it right, no matter what he did.
There was an exchange of looks between all the shifters, though no one dared look at him, which left Mila looking more confused. She was observant, his beauty.
“Sorry,” Mila said with a look of contrition as she sought Callen’s eye. “I don’t mean to insult Kate, far from it. I’m just saying, you can’t apply the usual logic and sense of motive when it comes to a psychopath like Drake.”
‘You and I aren’t well-suited.’
Hayden had started thinking her hesitation was because the virus had destroyed her bridge and she couldn’t shift. Anna had a fix for that, one that had worked on Tess. Hayden had planned to tell Mila that after the meeting, and he still would, but this inherent hatred she had of white wolves—of his family in particular—gave her words the backing they had previously lacked. Not well-suited, indeed.
Sooner or later, someone here would mention Drake was Hayden’s brother. It was a constant topic of conversation among Damien’s pack, of how Hayden had betrayed his former alpha and could never truly be trusted. Mila would never be able to accept him once she learned of his connection.
Getting to know Mila better wasn’t meant to be, but Hayden still had a job as Damien’s second. That meant doing whatever was in his power to protect the pack, including taking Drake down, if necessary.
“You didn’t answer me, Damien. What provoked Drake?”
“I don’t know. I sent a messenger to Liam, to advise him of the latest and see what if any insight he could get from Drake.” Damien sighed, as his eyes drifted to Tess. She smiled at him, a silent exchange that always gave Damien strength when he appeared to be faltering. The bastard was lucky to have her.
“Any progress on the vaccine, Doctor?” Damien asked. “I know it won’t help us if the government decides to shell us into oblivion, but we need that vaccine now more than ever. The government won’t want to destroy the national parks and spread fires that will wipe out human towns, not when they can use the SEV-2 virus to kill us off more efficiently, with less cleanup. It wouldn’t take much for them to seize control of the WSSO’s stockpile and unleash the virus on us, full scale. Once they realize shifters are behind the HEV1, they’ll start using helicopters and crop dusters to dispense the virus, maybe even use dispersal bombs on every forest in the country. Or worse, contaminate our water supply.”
Mila sat forward on the sofa, “Why not approach the government, tell them exactly who’s behind this so they can get ahead of the spread of the HEV1, even stop it? They can contain Drake. Take him out for you.”
Damien looked to Hayden. “Do you want to field this one?”
Hayden placed his hands on his hips as he stared down at Mila. God, she was so lovely and full of life, and she had no fucking clue who they were dealing with.
“Drake is a strategist when he’s thinking straight. He either has something in place to prevent us from making any such move and we’re just not seeing it, or the second we make that move, he’ll shut us down through some form of retaliation that will wipe us out. When he unleashed the HEV1 on this pack, infecting us, it wasn’t by accident. He counted on us spreading the virus for him, making us complicit and therefore tying us to his destiny. We were fortunate Anna developed the cure, but we can’t assume anything when it comes to Drake. We’re better off learning what he’s planning before we make any moves.”
“Which is why I want to send someone in. You and Blade can’t go.”
“Where’s Kate?” He just realized she was missing. Damien should have included her since she was the resident hacker. Granted, they weren’t connected to the internet or WIFI up here, but Devil’s Peak was only an hour away by truck.
Callen’s eyes shot up at the question. “Running an errand for you. Why?”
Hell, Hayden had forgotten all about the shipment. She had probably gone to town with Mason and Frank to ensure the transaction went smoothly. Damien had put her in charge of managing the accounts for the pack, and Kate had eagerly accepted. Any chance to hook up to the internet whenever possible. Hayden worried about that girl. She definitely had a penchant for finding trouble.
“After Blade, Kate’s the best choice,” Hayden said.
Callen rose. Yellow flared in his brown eyes. “Are you crazy?”
Crazy, maybe. He was a white wolf, after all. Wrong, no.
“Drake has a soft spot for her. If she’s capt
ured, he’ll likely buy any story she gives. She never turned against him. And Drake would expect us to send in a scout, a guard, even you, Callen. Anyone with fighting capability. Kate is not a threat.”
“She’s not going.” Callen folded his massive arms over his chest.
“It’s a good idea, Callen,” Damien agreed.
Callen was still starting at Hayden. “You of all shifters would send her in?”
“I don’t want to, but if Damien insists, she’s the one I’d send.”
As Callen started arguing with him and Damien, Hayden could feel Mila watching him, studying him almost. He glanced at her for a brief second, at how confused she looked. She was still innocent in so many ways, and so very important to their survival. If the government did confiscate and use the WSSO’s stockpile, it would be through one coordinated effort to wipe out shifters everywhere with the least damage to the humans, plants, and animals.
They needed the vaccine Mila was developing, now more than ever. She was here for that alone and had no interest in him. He would always be just a white wolf to her, a breed she didn’t trust. Once the truth came out about his connection to Drake, that would be the end of any chance Hayden had with Dr. Mila Evans.
* * *
MILA
There was more going on in that meeting that mere brainstorming. Mila couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly, only that it somehow centered around Hayden. How had the shifter become such an expert on Drake? And what was his connection to Kate that made Callen hold off from punching him like he clearly wanted? The more she lived and worked with these shifters, the more questions surfaced about Mila’s handsome white wolf.
After the meeting broke up, with Callen remaining back to continue arguing with Damien over the possibility of sending Kate in to spy on Drake, Hayden left without a single glance in Mila’s direction. That was odd. Each time they crossed paths in the past week, he had always watched her closely, like he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Perhaps that was simply her reading into what she’d seen in those deep black eyes several times now. She was torn between the need to get to know Hayden better and the knowledge that he would walk away from her if they ever got serious. From those smoldering looks he kept giving her, things between them could get serious, fast.
Nothing about Hayden was ordinary, from his handsome face and square jaw to the way he spoke with the shifters here with a casual ease while never losing that sense of command. Only once had she truly seen him lose his temper. Given the number of shifters here who clearly didn’t approve of him, his control was impressive.
More than once she’d heard shifters mumble behind his back, yet Hayden never turned and said or did anything to punish them. He had to hear them. Even she could hear the insults they lobbed. She couldn’t understand why so many hated him given how hard he worked and how much he truly cared about the welfare of this pack. The only shifters who truly had Hayden’s back were in Damien’s inner circle. Even in the meeting, where the tension had been suffocating, it was clear those shifters would do anything for Hayden, including put up with outrageous ideas like sending Kate in against Drake. Then again, it wasn’t so outrageous. Kate was Drake’s cousin. . . Mila still couldn’t get used to that idea. Poor Kate, to be related to Drake!
The curly-haired shifter Hayden was talking to on the edge of the main compound glanced over at Mila. This was one of those times it would pay to have better hearing. A half-smile should settle everything and let her escape with some dignity. Except it didn’t. Hayden dismissed the shifter and strolled over to her.
“Can we talk?” Hayden asked, his voice as serious as it had been at the meeting, except he was more relaxed and smiling. Oh, it was a real treat seeing Hayden smile, considering it was so rare. Her insides got all tingly when he smiled at her.
“Can I ask you something first?” she asked.
“Anything.”
“What was that all about in there? How do you know Drake so well?”
“Would you believe me if I said it’s part of my job? In addition to vetting new shifters and overseeing daily operations around here, I counsel Damien when it comes to our enemies. Though, technically Drake is an ally, or rather his pack is. It’s rather complicated, and I’d rather not bore you.”
“Just as well, thinking of him and all those white wolves on the border of this pack was the one thing that made me think twice about coming here.”
“Then why did you come?”
“Aside from making sure Kate was okay? I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do what I could to protect our race. I had procured a sample of the virus from one of the first packs affected and newer samples from a nearby pack before the WSSO came in and incinerated what was left of the small group. There were differences between the samples, evidence that the virus had mutated. I had heard both Damien and Drake had doctors working on the virus to develop a vaccine. Pooling information and resources may be the only way to get in front of this virus, but there was no way I was going near Drake’s pack, even though my alpha had asked me to.”
“Smart move on your part.”
“I was hoping to meet your Dr. Kerns, but at least I have his research. And Anna’s an invaluable resource as well.”
“Did she tell you about the treatment then, to return your ability to shift?”
“Yes, but it’s new, relatively untested.”
“It worked for Tess.”
“Then Tess is quite fortunate. A thousand things could go wrong, making it incompatible for the next shifter.”
“You’re not going to try the treatment?”
He looked and sounded shocked, and she certainly could understand that. For a shifter, the very idea of losing one’s ability to shift was scarier than the idea of dying in battle. Every shifter she knew who had survived the virus could no longer access their wolves. Every one of them would gladly give an arm or a leg to regain that ability.
“I’ll go over the protocols with her, so I can bring the treatment back to my pack when I leave here.” There, not another lie exactly, but a misdirect. She’d bring back the treatment to her pack, but she didn’t plan on taking it herself, at least not yet. Maybe eventually. Losing her connection to her wolf had given her a freedom she hadn’t known before, and that was something she couldn’t explain to Hayden. Maybe Finley and Benji would understand, but not Hayden.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he took her by her hand and led her down what was barely a path if at all.
“I want to show you something,” he said, trying to hide a grin.
Oh, that grin of his, when it surfaced, was too hard to resist. She’d follow it—and Hayden—anywhere.
Hayden held several aside, so she could squeeze through the thicket of branches on the windy path that seemed to lead nowhere. More than once, his hand settled on her lower back, as he guided her forward with the slightest of touches. He could be really gentle and sweet when he wanted. The farther they got from camp, the more relaxed he became. This Hayden, the one who smiled more and almost glided through the woods, was at ease with himself out here, in the middle of nature with no one around.
No one except her.
“This would make a good set-up for a horror movie.”
“Your pack has tv? I thought you lived in the woods, similar to us.” His thumb started moving over her hand, almost absent-mindedly. “I guess that was another assumption on my part. I have to stop doing that.”
She couldn’t help smiling. Hayden was nervous.
“You assumed correctly, but I went to college and then medical school, so tv and movies became a part of my life for those eight years. Not that I had a lot of time for either. They were more of an indulgence when I needed a break.”
“What else did you indulge in?” he asked.
His tone gave his curiosity away. He wanted to know about boyfriends.
“The occasional slice of chocolate cake. With dark chocolate icing.”
“You have a thing for choc
olate.”
There it was again, that sly look crossing his face that she’d seen once before.
“What about you, Hayden? How do you like to relax? A lot of the males I know enjoying running in the woods, and there’s one or two that like fishing, both in human and wolf form, though I never understood the appeal in either form.”
Hayden swung her around and eased her against a tree. “This is relaxing,” he said as he trailed a finger down her cheek.
She tried to ignore the electricity running through her and ducked beneath his arms. “Hiking. Another good choice,” she said as she continued walking, not sure if she was going the right way. Have you tried any rock climbing?”
He appeared beside her again, his move of a moment before apparently in the past as he seemed completely at ease next to her. His hand slid atop hers again. She didn’t have the heart or desire to pull away. Even shifters like her were allowed to indulge in life’s small pleasures, beyond chocolate that is.
“You’re quiet, Mila.”
“Thinking about chocolate again and how one goes about licking it off a person. Oh, I know how I’d lick it off, but the issue is how to get the chocolate on the guy in the first place. I mean, you can’t exactly pour it on hot because that would burn. And a chocolate syrup, while probably the best option, just wouldn’t taste as good as melted dark chocolate. I can’t see myself running my tongue over every inch of a guy, really having fun with it if the taste of the chocolate made me cringe. You know, I think you’re right, Hayden. Hiking is relaxing. I’m not sure when the last time was that I just let my mind wander about unimportant things.”
When he didn’t answer, she turned to face him. His face looked strained. “Are you okay? Did you hear anything I said?”
“Not much beyond licking chocolate off a person. Blood rushed south at that point.”
Her cheeks heated, and then everything seemed to happen so fast. Hayden laughed, scooped her up, and darted through trees. She locked her hands around his neck, holding on for dear life as he ran up a narrow path that quickly grew steep.
Hayden’s Haven Page 10
