by Milly Taiden
“Well, even if what you say is true, I still have to go back. I have to make sure she didn’t pull anything that could hurt my employees. Nothing’s going to happen if Adam comes with me and we keep it business as usual.”
The two men exchanged looks and Adam shrugged. “If we don’t agree, she’ll only go anyway.”
Zach grumbled, but ended up nodding. He fixed her with a direct look, though. “Tomorrow, and only after my wolves run the perimeter between here and the interstate. The backroads leading here are isolated and too soft a target.”
Adam nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements for a car. The rental we have is the pits.”
“You’ll have to drive into town now. The rental place doesn’t open until noon tomorrow. It’s their late night, so they open later in the morning,” Zach replied.
“I’ll go now, before it gets any later.” He looked at Grace. “Can you behave for a couple of hours? Town isn’t close and by the time I drive there, get the car, and then drive back, it could be late.”
She scoffed. “I’m not eighteen anymore, Adam.”
He left with a smirk and a wink, and a minute later, he pulled out of the circular drive toward the street. Grace sashayed over to where Zach still scowled. “See how easy that was?”
“What?”
“Compromise.” She nodded, going up on tip-toe to give his lips a quick brush. “Give and take. You should try it more often, alpha-grumpy.”
“Give and take, huh?” Lurching forward, Zach tossed her over his shoulder and bounded down the steps to the biggest snow drift in the yard. He dumped her, blanket and all, in a puff of white.
With a smirk, he reached for the hem on his T-shirt and yanked it over his head. “I think you need to cool your jets in the snow while I give and you take.” He pushed her knees apart and knelt in the snow between her legs.
She giggled. “You’re a sly one, Zach. You sent Adam to town on purpose.”
“He’s had you to himself for the past ten years,” he replied, before catching the waistband of her leggings in his teeth.
“Ten years, but no touchy.” Her voice hitched as he rolled her waistband down over her hips and blew on the soft down of her mound.
“I know. That’s why I’m okay with just a few hours alone with you. Besides, being the alpha comes with its privileges, even if I am grumpy.” He flashed a wicked grin. “Ready for a little give and take?”
“Weren’t you the one who said one would never be enough?”
Hooking his hands under her ass, he lowered his mouth to her pussy with a smirk. “Unless that one is me or Adam…and tonight, it’s me.”
Grace lolled in bed, languorous, stretching like a cat in the sun. She glanced at the clock. Eight p.m. He’d been gone for almost four hours and considering it was mid-December, that meant since just about sunset.
Muscles ached in her thighs and she smiled to herself. Well-used. That’s the only phrase that fit. The boys had worked her out good these past few days, together and separately. Rolling over, she tucked one hand under her pillow, sparing a glance for the random movie playing on the TV across the room.
Odd. She hadn’t had more than a half hour to herself at most since she and Adam arrived. Zach and Adam were everywhere she turned. In the kitchen, in the living room, in her shower and, of course, in her bed. She stretched again. If this living arrangement was as permanent as the boys said, then they were going to need a custom-made bed. Even California king wasn’t cutting it. Not with two large, handsy shifters.
Zach had to check the traps and the fishing lines before temperatures dropped even further. Plus, he wanted to satisfy himself the perimeter was safe of nefarious scents. She laughed, hugging the pillow. He was definitely more caveman shifter than Adam, but together they were a perfect blend. Sophistication and city savvy and rough, raw outdoorsman. She literally got the best of both.
Glancing at the clock again, she sat up, bringing her knees to her chest. Zach said he’d only be about a half-hour. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slipped her feet into her slippers. Lifting them, she looked at the delicate rabbit fur across her toes and the small tapered heel. When Adam gave them to her, she laughed, calling them boudoir shoes, but he said they were a turn on, so how could she say no? Especially since her original fuzzies were currently at the bottom of the pond.
She smirked to herself. When Adam got home, it was definitely his turn at a solo roll in the hay. Faint footsteps on the front porch jerked her attention to the bedroom door and the hall beyond.
“Adam?” she called.
Both Adam and Zach used the back sliding doors or the garage, and the rest of the perimeter pack rarely came inside for anything. She grabbed the silken robe Adam gave her to wear with the heeled slippers and shoved her arms through the bell sleeves before walking from the bedroom to the top of the stairs.
Listening, she heard nothing but the wind. Weird. She knew Zach would want her to alert one of his wolves regardless, but she refused to cower in a corner at every bump in the night. She headed downstairs, her shoes clacking on the hardwood, to see what was what.
The grandfather clock ticked in the hall, but other than that, the house seemed at peace. She went to the front door to peek through the sidelight. The snow on the front porch was disturbed and the screen was ajar.
Hesitating, she frowned, dismissing the warning slash across her gut and unlocked the door. Inside the screen was a brown delivery box. She bent to pick it up, brushing the snow from the top. The mailing label had her name on it and the source address was Snow Industries.
She chewed on her lip. Adam had said at some point he’d get her a new phone, but she didn’t expect it to be delivered here. Didn’t matter. If they were heading back to the city in the morning, this would give her a chance to catch up on emails.
Stepping back inside, she closed the door and locked it, turning with the parcel to the living room. She sat on the couch and tore open the packaging. Inside was a small, white Apple iPhone box. “Oooh…good choice, Adam,” she muttered.
She lifted the small rectangular box from the protective bubble wrap, popping some for fun as she read the enclosed note. The memo was on Snow letterhead, but it wasn’t personalized the way she expected, nor was it signed
No matter, it was sent from Snow so the only person who could have ordered the phone was Adam. She sliced the shrink wrap from the box with her fingernail and opened the box. She smiled. The phone was apple red and too delicious looking to ignore. The memo said it was pre-charged and ready to go, so she lifted it from its plastic casing and peeled the thin protective cover from the glass. Running her fingers over the front screen, she pressed the on button.
Pain scored her fingers the moment the screen illuminated. The telltale iPhone chime died and the apple emblem at the center of the screen glowed red and then faded to black.
With a cry, she struggled to her feet, the cell phone dropping from her hand to the floor. She took three steps, but crumpled to her knees as pain seared her skin. Holding her wrist, her eyes widened at the red blisters blooming on her palm and fingers.
The agony spread. Veins in her wrist and arm throbbed, their normal blueish tint through her skin now blackened. Her heart raced as the searing pain in her arm traveled higher and higher until it reached her throat. No breath passed and her chest locked. Blackness closed in and she collapsed.
11
“Grace!” Adam called from the basement steps. “I got us the coolest Hummer. It’s practically bulletproof—” Adam stood frozen in the doorway, boots in hand. “Grace! Holy shit!” Her bare legs sprawled on the floor by the living room door. “ZACH!” Dread raced through his body, and every ounce of preternatural strength went into the summons rattling the windows. “ZACH, NOW!”
Heavy boots raced across the back porch. “Adam! What the fuck?” The sliders banged open and Zach stalked in, fists clenched. He stopped short and stared at Grace’s crumpled form. “Holy God, what happened?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Adam’s eyes flashed red. “Where have you been?”
Shaking his head, Zach dragged a hand through his hair. “This can’t be happening. I left guards specifically so I could run the perimeter myself. There was no sign of anything. No unfamiliar scents in the woods. I spoke with Wes and Randy ten minutes ago! They said the house was quiet and Grace was upstairs watching a movie.” He inhaled, growling. “FUCK! They were each posted, front and back.”
“Who cares? Jesus, God, call 911! She’s barely breathing!” He looked from her to Zach. “Look at the skin on her hand…and her arm.” He reached for her fingers, but the alpha knocked his hand away. “What the fuck?” Adam turned, fists balled.
“Can’t you smell it, Adam?” he shot back. “Grace was poisoned. Local EMTs mean well, but they’re a volunteer corps. We have to handle this ourselves.”
“Poisoned? How? Every scrap of food in this house we either brought in ourselves or hunted or trapped, and how are we to handle this alone? At the very least, we need to call poison control.”
“You’ve been in the city too long, Adam.” He gestured to the empty box and bubble wrap on the coffee table behind where Grace collapsed. “Someone sent us a Trojan horse.”
Adam jerked his head to the box on the coffee table. He lifted the top flap to skim the mailing label. “It’s from Snow. Addressed to Grace.” His eyes met Zach’s. “It’s got my name on it as the sender. I ordered her a new phone, but I asked Violet to bring it herself. It’s been a while, but she’s still a member of this pack.”
Shoving the box away, he exhaled but then stopped, turning toward a glimpse of red poking out from under the couch. “I think I found our culprit.” He moved the couch back and squatted next to the iPhone. “Someone sent our Snow White a poisoned apple.”
“Stop! Violet! NO!” Wes shouted from the back porch.
“Grace!” Panic laced her voice as she rushed in through the kitchen. “Please, God! GRACE!” She crashed down the hall, her eyes frantic.
“She’s in here, Violet,” Adam replied. “You’re too late.”
She froze in the doorway, both Adam and Zach staring at her as her eyes fell to Gracie’s still form. “Oh my God! No!” Wes rushed in seconds after and Violet turned, burying her face in his chest.
Eyes flashing red, Zach took a step toward the young woman, but Adam held his arm. He shook his head. “Let me.”
Jaw tight, Zach let his hands drop to his sides and Adam moved a step closer. “Violet, what happened? Do you know who did this to Grace?”
She sniffled, lifting her face from Wes’s chest. “Yes. It was Margot. It had to be. I ordered the cell phone as you requested and had it delivered to me at the office yesterday afternoon. Last I saw, the box was on my desk. I went to the ladies’ room and when I got back, it was gone. The request for the phone required approval from the head of purchasing, and that meant an executive’s name and address—” She dissolved into tears again.
“Violet, you didn’t,” Wes interrupted, surprised.
Crying, her shoulders shook. “I process so many purchasing orders for Margot, I didn’t think. Instead of skipping the address section on the requisition form, I filled it in out of habit.” Her voice hitched. “I searched everywhere, Adam. At first, I thought someone took the package to the mailroom, but it wasn’t there. By then Margot had left for the day. I went into her office to close the lights and shut down her computer, and that’s when I saw the google map on her screen. A second tab had an email to someone about a subdermal poison. Something called, cure-something.”
“Curare?” Adam asked shocked.
Violet nodded. “That sounds about right.”
“You knew Grace was in trouble?” Wes asked. “Then why didn’t you call the minute you suspected the package had been taken? I saw the damn thing on the front porch, but Adam said you were bringing it at some point. I checked the box. It had Adam’s name on the label and your scent all over the wrapping. I thought it was legit.”
Zach reached for his phone. “I’m calling the rest of the wolves. We need to force a transformation. Gracie is in there, somewhere, but not for long.”
“Is…is Grace…dead?” Violet asked.
Adam shook his head. “Not if we can help it, honey.”
Wes exhaled. “How the hell did the box get on the porch, then? I checked it, but I didn’t put it there. Either someone was adept enough to evade us, or we have a traitor in our ranks.”
“We don’t have time enough to worry about that,” Zach replied. “First things first. Gather the wolves. Grace has to shift to purge the poison from her body.”
Adam looked at him. “How?”
“We have to force a transformation by blending our essence with Grace’s. It’s dangerous, but we’re her mates. If we weren’t a triad, we wouldn’t stand a chance.
Violet took a step toward Zach. “Please, let me help.”
Before Zach could say no, Adam nodded. “We’ll need someone in human form in case we need a set of mortal hands, plus feminine energy is best to guide the rite.”
“What if I don’t remember how? Can I link with the others?” she asked.
Zach shook his head. “A gathering of seven wolves with pure intent is what’s required. It’s why I chose the same number for my personal squad. Seven is a number that can’t be divided.” He gave her a soft smile. “Grace needs us and she needs you. If Margot is responsible, I promise she will be dealt with later.”
“Grace is my friend, Zach.” She glanced at the young woman’s still form. “And I have no doubt Margot is behind this. Her scent is all over that phone and its wrapper. She poisoned Grace. She wanted her out of the picture.”
Adam exchanged a look with Zach. “How do you know that?” he asked.
Her face tightened. “I heard her blackmailing you, Adam. I know I’ve been away from our pack for a long time, but I’m a wolf. Gracie’s mother was my godmother and I loved her. When she died, I moved to New York—just in case. I knew Margot had a hand in Grace’s mother’s death, and when she tried to eliminate Grace as well—” She exhaled, pressing her lips together. “You stopped her, thank God, but at a price. I swore then I would stay close, but keep the enemy closer.” She reached into her purse and took out a manila mailing envelope. “Margot’s got nothing on you anymore, Adam. These are the original tapes. I destroyed all the others. If you or Zach get the chance to kill the bitch, do it.”
Adam slipped an arm around her shoulder. “You’re a scary broad, Vi. A good friend, but very scary.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ll make sure Grace knows you’re here for her.”
Seven wolves stood in human form. They formed a circle with Grace lying on the snow-packed earth at the center. Surrounded by candles and tall torches, crushed herbs and incense burned at her head and feet. The sheen from pungent ointment glistened on her exposed skin, and the acrid smell lingered in the air.
Her body was as still as death and her skin pale against the snow and her hair fanned out in ebony waves over her shoulders. Adam and Zach moved to flank her body, and when the alpha yipped, the remaining wolves closed ranks.
“Call to her, Adam. She knows your voice better,” Violet directed. She took a step toward the pack. “You both need to re-invoke your bonds. I know you don’t want to hurt her, but it has to be done. You’re forcing a transformation, but the women say the only way to ensure success is through blood. You have to pierce her flesh and reclaim her as yours.”
Adam whined, lowering his head to lick Grace’s face. The wind picked up, stirring the candles, yet they stayed lit as if by magic. The torches sputtered and hissed and Violet raised her arms to the sky. “Blood and bone, love and lust. Animals rise in ones you trust. Through darkened mists, their howls call. Awaken now and join us all. The moon, it waits with silvered breath, for fur and fang to conquer death.”
With a nod from her, the five remaining wolves howled into the night and the mournful sound echoed
through the trees. The wind matched their resonant plea, moaning in counterpoint. Dead leaves swirled, forming a skittering vortex around their circle and Violet cast her hands out to finish her invocation. “Blood now bound and bodies merged, souls to soul, let your minds converge.”
Teeth bared, the alpha and omega each pierced Grace’s flesh, their fangs sinking deep into the place where they first marked their triad. An inner whoosh pulled the alpha and omega deep into Gracie’s mind, sending the sensation of a chilling wind racing across their flesh.
“Hang on, bro! This is gonna be a bumpy ride!” Zach’s voice was nearly lost in the dissonance of wolf howls and wind. Their minds tumbled, twisting and falling until everything stopped.
“Ugh, talk about channeling The Wizard of Oz!” Zach said, grabbing the sides of his head. “If that’s a mind merge, I hope we never have to do this again.”
Adam smirked. “That’s what happens when you ride the twister’s tail.”
“I feel hungover—”
“Zach,” Adam tapped him on the shoulder. “It worked. Look.” He gestured to the mists swirling chest deep. “We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto.”
They walked through the curling vapors with disjointed images projected in fragments as if on torn pieces of many movie screens. The images and whispered bits of thought made no sense, only to crumble like splintered glass as they drifted past.
“Holy fuck!” Zach said, his eyes scanning the surreal landscape. “If this is the inside of a woman’s mind, then I thank fucking God I’m a dude! It’s like living in a Van Gogh painting or a weirdo Picasso piece of modern art.”
Adam cocked an eyebrow. “Grace likes modern art. The Guggenheim is one of her favorite museums.”
“Well, that explains a lot then.” Zach exhaled, frowning. “This merge is giving me the heebie-jeebies.”
“Will you please concentrate? Grace is in here somewhere, Zach. We need to find her before we can coax her inner wolf.”
