by JJ Massa
Elke looked at her son quizzically. “I’d do anything for you boys, Lakon. It’s always been that way.” She sounded a little hurt.
“No, Mom, not that. Will Bet be able to get through to Kaden when he’s like this? Will being his mother still be enough for them to understand each other?” He hoped so. “She is only human, after all.”
“Son, don’t worry. She’ll be able to make him understand what she needs him to know. She’ll be able to understand what he’s trying to tell her. Mothers have radar for their babies. All mothers do. Just trust in that.” Elke leaned over and kissed her own baby’s furry cheek and reached out to caress her grandson’s face.
Kameron nuzzled her hand and licked it. He smiled at her. She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his soft hair. Elke turned and left the room.
* * * *
Southeast of the Toe River
Riker stopped short when he first felt the odd sensation he’d always associated with his brother. It had been years since they’d connected this way. He had forgotten about “the twin connection”.
He sat and waited. Soon images of Kameron bracing himself on the couch moved into his mind. Immediately after that, the pup went nuts. He was growling and snarling as if someone was trying to take away his favorite bone.
Riker heard the things Kameron was saying and the questions Lakon was asking him. He came away knowing a few things.
First, he realized that his sons were connected in the same way he was with his own twin. He realized that the van his mate and pup were traveling in was heading up into the mountains.
He also realized that that bastard, August Livingston, had not only touched his mate but had licked her intimately. He knew the man was taunting Riker’s son but he also knew that Auggie would do it again. The word “craving” had been tossed about.
I should’ve ripped his heart out on general principal.
Riker growled to Tav and the two werewolves headed north again.
* * * *
Blue Ridge Parkway
Heading NW
When Auggie had gone back to the cab of the truck, he’d left the light on. For Bethany, this was a stroke of luck. She looked around their barren little cell. There was the door. It did have a handle on it. She’d bet dollars to donuts that it wasn’t locked from the outside.
It was time to put Kaden to work. He could use all that feral anger on the ties that bound her hands. If she could get her hands free, she’d free her son and they’d escape.
Granted, there were some flaws in her plan but she’d have to work them out on the fly. She didn’t want to wait for Auggie to return. What if he decided to taunt Kaden some more? She didn’t that think either she or her son could survive having August Livingston rape her.
Bethany quietly scooted to the crate where Kaden was contained. She edged up to the wire door and felt around until she found the locking mechanism.
She’d dealt with kitty-carriers before. This was just a larger version of that. She could either find all the little screws around the top or just try to squeeze the jutting metal latches together. The latter seemed to make the most sense.
She’d worried that Auggie had padlocked the cage but he hadn’t. She wasn’t the least bit insulted that he’d underestimated her.
Once she had the door to the crate opened, Bethany whispered to Kaden.
“Chew on mommy’s ties, Kade,” she mumbled through her gag. She extended her fingers as far as she could to touch the ropes encircling her wrists.
Carefully, Kaden took the ropes between his teeth and gave them an experimental shake.
“That’s right, sweetheart!” her praise was muffled but he seemed to understand. “That’s mommy’s good boy!” She had to fight to keep the tears from flowing. She was so glad he’d figured it out.
Kaden turned his head a little and began chewing with his molars. As a lupine, his teeth were sharp and had grown in very early. He chewed through her bonds in no time.
Before she even took the gag from her mouth, Kaden hurtled himself into her arms. He began licking her face and then ripped the gag off of her with his teeth.
“Shh, baby, shh…” she whispered, holding him close. “Bad man will come. Shh,” she edged toward the back door.
Since they were heading up the mountain, the truck was going just a little more slowly than it might have on a flat highway. The road seemed to be very curving so she’d really need to be cautious of that.
She’d have to jump, roll and somehow be aware that she could meet with a drop off.
“Okay, baby, we’re going to open that door and jump out.” She held him to her and stood by the door. “First, I’ll look and see which way the trees are so we don’t fall too far. We’ll need to roll. Hang on tight to mommy and don’t let go, okay?”
Using all her strength and determination, Bethany hit the lever that opened the door and stepped to the edge. She quickly looked around and flung herself left. She tucked her head in and wrapped herself around Kaden rolling as she went, ignoring the biting pain in her shoulder.
She knew that August would realize almost immediately that she’d opened the door. Luckily, left had been a good choice. She hit the shoulder and kept on rolling, clinging tightly to her little boy.
She stopped long enough to look around at a sign she could just barely see. She whispered to Kaden, over and over.
“To US Rt.19 East, ten miles,” she repeated this until she heard Kaden say something that sounded like it. “Good boy! Mommy loves you so much, Kaden. Tell Kameron, Mommy loves you. To US Rt.19 east, ten miles.”
She had heard the truck stop and knew they were being tracked. She headed straight for the river.
“Toe River, Kaden, Toe River.” Holding him tightly, she plunged in.
* * * *
Home of Dr. Anita Livingston
Winston-Salem, NC
Kameron sat up and began chewing the couch. He didn’t stop until he chewed a hole in it. He flung himself at his uncle and began licking his face.
Kameron then fell forward with a great deal of force and rolled across the carpet toward the left. Lakon rolled with him.
Kameron began yipping and barking quietly.
“To US Rt.19 east, ten miles,” Lakon finally understood.
“To US Rt.19 east, ten miles!” the little boy yipped again and began rolling. “Mommy loves me. Mommy loves me.”
Stopping the rolling he flung himself across the room.
“Toe River, Toe River, Toe River…” he yipped over and over.
His little body mimicked bobbing in water.
“Mommy!” he yipped. “Mommy’s bleeding,” he barked. “Swimming away so bad man … under water,” he continued. He conveyed all of this to his uncle in barks, yips, and low growls.
His uncle dropped in front of him. “I’ll tell Daddy,” Lakon told his nephew.
Kameron flung himself into Lakon’s arms. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.” he chanted. Lakon hoped Kameron could make Kaden understand that their father would be looking for them.
He worried about how badly Bethany was hurt. “Mommy’s bleeding” Kameron had said.
Clutching his nephew tightly to him, Lakon grabbed his jeans and tried to stuff himself into them. His body was irregularly formed in half Were-half human form so it was a real chore. He eventually had to put Kameron down for a minute to try to accomplish it. Giving up, he pulled an afghan around his waist.
He didn’t want to be naked in front of all these strangers. He was about to have a crowd in here and in half and half form he had a mighty erection. He was a little larger than many of his kind and there would be females present. He didn’t want to take away from the matter at hand.
“Mom! Yancey!” he yelled. “YANCEY! MOM!” he bellowed louder.
His mother and his friend rushed into the room.
“They’re in the Toe River near a sign that says: To US Rt.19 East, ten miles,” Lakon told them. “Auggie’s apparently hot on their trail, that
’s probably why they’re in the river.”
He hugged Kameron tightly.
“Bethany’s bleeding. They evidently jumped from the moving truck. I guess Kaden chewed through something to help free Bet.” Lakon looked guiltily over at the couch. “I’m sorry about the hole in your couch, Dr. Livingston.”
She chuckled about that and then said seriously, “Elke, go tell Maisie so your husband will rest. I can’t believe that young man would do such evil things. He had such a bright future.” She looked intently at Lakon and Kameron. “I’m fascinated by this “twin connection” and by the boys’ regression…”
“Later, Doctor.” Lakon told her. “Right now, we need to round up some trustworthy pack members between here and there to help Riker and to help Bethany and Kaden.”
Yancey spoke up. “I’m trustworthy, I want to help.”
“Yance,” Lakon turned to him. “I really want you to stay here with me.” When Yancey would have protested, Lakon interrupted him.
“You’re as close as a brother to me, Yancey. If Auggie sees you, he’s going to kill you. My brother’s out there, his mate is out there and my nephew is out there. My dad is in the other room hanging by a thread. I need you, man. Stay here with me, Yance, okay?”
Lakon thought Yancey would burst into tears. He really had a sensitive side. He wrapped his arms around Lakon and Kameron and sniffed.
“I love you, too, man,” Yancey whispered hoarsely.
Lakon chuckled and rested his head on the other man’s for a second.
“Yance?” Lakon said. “You can’t have my Bud Light,” he droned.
*
Yancey looked at him, startled, and then he burst into laughter. Shaking his head, Yancey walked to the other room and began calling Montgomery and Livingston family members, alike.
He made sure that everyone agreeing to help understood that Bethany would probably trust nobody besides Riker or Tav. He was pleased that every single person he called had agreed to help.
He’d had to be sure he didn’t call anyone who liked his brother or who seemed to value bloodlines.
* * * *
South of the Toe River
“To US Rt. 19 East, ten miles…” Riker heard. “Toe River, Toe River…” he understood next. “Bleeding…” he heard.
“Tav, they got out! They’re in the Toe River ten miles from Rt.19 East. One of ‘em’s bleeding,” he told him.
The two wolves took off. They weren’t that far from the Toe River. They just needed to head north. Riker tried not to think about Bethany in the frigid river. She wasn’t even over being sick the last time. Humans just aren’t that strong.
It had to be Bethany that was bleeding. He had no doubt at all about that. Bethany would cut off her own foot to keep that pup safe and if they’d jumped out of a moving vehicle, he was sure that Bethany had taken the impact.
He realized that they were in the river because they were being tracked. It had probably taken no time at all for their captors to realize that they’d escaped.
Riker did his best to channel all of his anger and fear into his intense hatred for August Livingston. That was one Were that wouldn’t be going home to his mother at the end of all this.
They were following the bank of the Toe River now, heading north. Suddenly, Tav stopped.
“Riker!” the other Were yipped. “I can smell Auggie, but look there!” He swung his head over to the road.
The area was beginning to look something like the road leading to a county fair, Riker thought. Vehicles were parking all along the sides of the road and men and women were transforming as soon as they stepped out of their cars.
He was certain that his brother had somehow sent these people. He wondered if he knew any of them. He barked low a few times and they turned toward him.
One large red wolf ambled up to him. It was an older wolf that didn’t look him in the eye.
“You Mik’s boy?” the animal growled. Riker nodded keeping his eyes trained on the other animal’s face.
“Beauford Montgomery. Mik fought me for Alpha of the Montgomery pack. Let me leave instead of killing me. I’m Alpha of my own pack now.” Riker watched the other wolf meet his eyes and look away. “I’m not here to challenge you. Anyone calls Mik Montgomery a mongrel and goes after his family deserves a lynching, that’s all.”
Riker nodded. “My mate’s in the river somewhere with my pup trying to keep Auggie Livingston off their scent. She’s a human.” Riker said the last as if it were a challenge, too.
“She’s your mate, that’s all that matters. Elke wants you to know that your dad’s gonna make it,” the large red wolf said.
“Thanks,” said Riker on a sigh of relief. “Oh, tell everyone that my mate’s not going to trust anyone besides me or Tav here.” Riker had almost forgotten about that.
The red wolf nodded. “Half will look for your mate and the other half will look for her hunter. If we find either, we’ll call.”
Riker nodded again. He threw back his head and howled out the hunt. It was on.
* * * *
In the Toe River
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.” Kaden chanted in Bethany’s ear.
She took that to mean that Kameron had conveyed the message to his brother that Riker was on his way. That knowledge was helping keep her head above water for sure.
She couldn’t let go of Kaden because she might lose him. He was a fine swimmer but she just couldn’t take a chance on getting separated from him.
As they tread water together and moved a bit with the current, Bethany could hear movement along the banks of the river. She knew Auggie was looking for her.
She had little doubt that some of the Montgomery family members were looking too, but she wouldn’t know the difference between them and Auggie’s minions. Neither would Kaden, for that matter.
Bethany was experiencing severe pain. She’d hit her head and scraped her arms up pretty good when they leaped from that truck. Her left shoulder, though, had taken most of the impact. The water made that injury feel better at first. Maybe the reason for that was because she felt like a bobbing ice cube.
She was shivering and shaking now and wearing out fast.
“Y … You h … h … hold onto Mommy, now, Kade. K … Kick your feet a little,” she told him, teeth chattering.
Suddenly, she heard splashing in the water near her. Clutching Kaden, she tried to swim away. Riker would have said something. Even one of the Montgomery family would have said something.
Whoever this was didn’t have a thing to say. Whoever that was qualified that thought for her almost immediately.
An arm slid around Bethany’s middle and another set of arms pulled Kaden from her. Kaden snarled and snapped, furious.
“You feel as good as you smell, Mommy, even when you’re all cold and clammy,” purred August Livingston. “I know you’ll warm up when I wipe the scent of Riker Montgomery off your body.”
She could hear Kaden struggling with his captor. The quiet sounds of wolves moving nearby were audible to her ears, too. She had become accustomed to listening for the movement of wolves.
As Bethany continued to struggle, she heard Auggie’s quiet chuckle.
“Go ahead, Mommy, keep squirming. It excites me. You want to feel how hard I am?” He turned her against him.
Bethany felt her skin crawl. Her fear was bone deep. What would happen to Kaden? She knew what was going to happen to her. She could feel Auggie’s erection pressing into her rear end.
The idea of anyone besides Riker touching her made her sick. The idea of these animals hurting her baby made her sicker. She’d do whatever she could to spare her little boy that kind of pain.
“Tell your whelp to be still, Mommy, or I’ll let Roland snap his neck,” Auggie whispered harshly into her ear.
Fear shot through her. “Kaden!” her voice cracked. “Please, Mr. Livingston, let me hold him,” she begged. “He’ll be alright if…”
“I’m warning you, Mommy,
” Livingston growled, stopping her pleas. “I don’t care if that little mongrel lives or dies, I’m going to have you anyway.”
“Kaden…” her voice was breaking. “Baby please…” she pleaded with her son. “Kaden, for Mommy, please calm down.”
Chapter 11
Home of Dr. Anita Livingston
Winston-Salem, NC
Lakon was in awe and scared to death when Kameron began to shake and snarl and howl all at the same time. He snatched the little lupine and cradled him close to him.
He yipped quietly and tried to find out what had the pup so upset. When Kameron had whimpered that the bad man had caught his mother and brother, Lakon wished he didn’t know.
Kameron had to tell Lakon all that he knew. The little boy needed to share his pain. He told his uncle what his brother had heard—the bad man was going to have his mommy. He was going to wipe Daddy’s scent off of her. He was going to have someone snap Kaden’s neck.
*
The twin connection was in full force now. Riker knew everything that Lakon knew as it took place. He knew that Auggie had his mate and his son and he knew what their fears were.
Riker let Lakon know where he was and what he was seeing and hearing. It would be up to Lakon to pass the information on to Kameron and then to Kaden.
* * * *
South of the Toe River
Auggie pushed Bethany into the little smokehouse shack he’d found. Roland, carrying Kaden, came in behind them.
“Turn on your flashlight, Roland, I want a real good look at Mommy,” Auggie leered. He produced his own and flicked it on with one hand. Still holding Bethany in one arm, he lowered the flashlight to the floor. There were no windows in the shack.
With a length of rope he had in his pocket, Auggie tied Bethany’s hands in front of her. Bethany hadn’t noticed the hook hanging from the ceiling but Auggie had. He lifted her and hung her from the hook by her bindings. She thought she’d pass out from the pain in her shoulder.
Auggie turned to Kaden. “Watch what I can do, whelp,” he sneered.
His voice was now thicker and deeper than it had been before. Hair was growing rapidly on his face. His short, neat, GQ-esque hairstyle was gone and long shaggy hair was taking its place. Bethany heard the sounds of fabric ripping and tearing and bones popping as Auggie’s body changed shape.
