by Dianna Love
“Sorry, very sorry,” she started rambling, sounding sick that she’d run them both into danger. “Nico could not be here, but alphas are powerful. Do not trust. Saw him. Hear his voice.” She was close to tears.
Justin wanted to gut the shifter behind this. “Stop apologizing, babe. That’s a magic trap. I figured the little boy was Nico.”
“What?“
“I’m guessing the spell made a general child sound, something any decent person would run toward. The minute you looked at it, the spell probably created a hologram from your memories of the one person you fear losing.”
She was quiet and had stopped thrashing around. “You see Nico?”
“From a distance and only for a second, but when I focused on the image it immediately changed to you.”
“Oh.”
Another one of her loaded words.
He wanted to make sure she understood.
Keeping track of their surroundings, he said, “If you had not been right in front of me, I would have done the same thing to get to you. When emotions are involved, we don’t always take the time to think through something unexpected.”
“How to escape?”
“I won’t know that until I know who is behind this, but I have my gun.” He’d palmed his weapon while racing to catch her. “Just please stay quiet so you don’t distract me.”
Someone finally approached from the top of the trail he and Eli had thrashed their way through.
Wolf, Herc said.
Justin had recognized the shifter’s smell, too.
Wolf hurt mate. Kill wolf.
Damn. That was the most he’d ever heard Herc say. Justin spoke mind-to-mind. That wolf is dead meat walking, but we have to figure out how many wolves are here before we make any moves.
Kill all.
His bear was jonesing for wolf blood and Justin would happily unleash his monster on everyone who had dared to threaten Eli, but this is where the human side had to rule.
He couldn’t make a rash decision. He told Herc, Just be patient. We both want to keep Eli safe.
Herc growled, but stayed back to let Justin assess their situation.
The wolf walking downhill grinned. “Look what we’ve caught.”
“Who are you?” Justin asked, but had a pretty good idea because of the magic used to trap Eli.
“Names are so boring. My title in South America is El Cazador, but you may use Cazador,” the wolf shifter said accommodatingly.
Ah, hell. The Hunter.
Justin had heard stories about this ruthless killer. The Black River pack contracted this shifter for high-risk jobs in South America. But Justin had never heard of Cazador working on US soil.
Guess there was a first time for everything.
Cazador called out, “Toro!”
Evidently, Toro was the wolf shifter who popped up from his hiding place thirty yards away on Justin’s right. The spell must have masked the area down here as well, because Justin hadn’t scented the second wolf yet.
Toro waded through the lush undergrowth and low branches, knocking them aside.
He stood four inches taller than Cazador’s six feet and outweighed his leader by fifty pounds of muscle, but Toro was not the real threat.
Justin had spared shifter number two only a brief look and kept his true focus on Cazador, who held a Glock 17 9mm with an AAC Illusion suppressor in his left hand.
Eli still dangled from their invisible web.
Justin didn’t carry titanium bullets as a rule, at least not unless he was hunting a criminal shifter. Using his weapon would only risk Eli getting caught in crossfire. When Toro walked up to Cazador, Justin shifted his stance so he stood between the wolf shifters and Eli, but no position allowed him to fully protect her.
Cazador asked, “Are we going to be reasonable, bear, or not?”
Buying time to get a handle on these two, Justin started in a conversational tone. “What do you want? If it’s money, we can match—”
“Toro, take his gun,” Cazador said, then told Justin, “If you make any sudden move, I will shoot her. She will heal, but not for days. She might have a body part rot off while waiting to heal and have to suffer through full regeneration. I’ve seen it. Not a pretty sight.”
His lackey, Toro, held his hand out, not getting close to Justin.
With no better option, Justin handed over his weapon.
“Search him,” Cazador ordered.
Toro hesitated.
Cazador said, “He will not harm you, Toro. I can see in this bear’s eyes that he recognizes my name, don’t you bear?”
Justin said nothing.
Following orders, Toro patted Justin down and located nothing else.
Standing, Toro said, “That’s it.” He handed the weapon to Cazador, who stuck it in the back of his waistband.
The wolf clearly did not trust Toro to keep the gun from Justin. A wise move. Justin had fully intended to take it back.
Pointing at a spot on the ground, Cazador told Justin, “Move there.”
“Why? What are you going to do?”
Cazador lifted his weapon. “You don’t really expect me to explain everything I do to you, do you?”
Not really, but Justin had learned that engaging the enemy in conversation often revealed helpful information.
Waving his gun at the spot he’d indicated, Cazador warned, “Move now or I’ll shoot her just to avoid arguments later.”
Taking a step to the side, Justin complied, but kept up his questions. “If this is just a kidnapping for money, I’ll work with you as long as you don’t harm her.”
Justin had no expectations that Cazador cared anything about his compliance, but since Cazador hadn’t shot him first thing, he saw no harm in keeping the wolf talking.
Cazador shrugged. “I don’t care if you help or not, because your life is expendable if you cause me any trouble.”
“No!” Eli shouted.
Justin closed his eyes. Hadn’t he asked her to stay quiet?
“No, what, princess?” Cazador asked as if sincerely interested, which was fouled by his mocking tone.
Calling her princess gave Justin another small piece of intel. That meant they definitely knew she was the daughter of the Romanov alpha.
But who was behind this, because Cazador was only a hired gun, albeit a very expensive one?
Still facing away, Eli said, “He is mate. We bond. Kill him and I die. No money for you.”
Great lie, babe. Would these two believe that?
Justin cut his eyes over at Toro then at Cazador, who stared at Eli as if trying to decide if she was gaming him.
Cazador said, “You were sent here to take a Clan Boudreaux mate. Why would you mate this one?”
“He is Clan Boudreaux,” she replied, sounding tired and bored. Justin could smell her worry, but only because he knew her scent so well. She was doing a damn good job of hiding her fear.
And ... she was selling her claim, because Cazador had lost his smile and now studied the situation silently.
Toro tried to look serious and mean, but Justin had already downgraded him to brainless muscle.
Cazador argued, “Bonding doesn’t work like that.” But he’d sounded unsure.
She made a scoffing noise. “This bond different. I am special.” She loaded the word special with arrogance.
Justin had not heard her sound like a snobby princess even one time since meeting her, but she owned it right now.
He was freaking proud of her.
Toro scratched his nose. “Could be true, Cazador. You said she’s an ursid hybrid and they have weird abilities.”
“Shut up, Toro.”
But Justin figured out the rest. Cazador had warned Toro to be careful around her. Justin had to do some serious research on ursid hybrids if they got out of this.
When they got out of this.
Justin couldn’t accept anything less than success, especially after shifting to feed in the stream. The shift and food had healed him en
ough to fight. He was ready to take on two wolf shifters, but Cazador had not earned his reputation by being careless.
Justin needed more intel. He had no idea if Clan Boudreaux knew Eli was a grolar. If not, then that might point at someone from Russia.
Addressing Eli, Cazador said, “I will not kill the bear for now, but if once we get off this mountain I find out you lied, he will pay.”
Justin held his breath, hoping she didn’t drop her arrogant façade.
She said, “My clan make sorry you harm us.”
Justin held back a grin at her haughty and threatening tone. Her English was definitely getting better. He wanted to kiss her socks off for her threat until he took in Cazador’s confident smile.
The wolf said, “Which clan would that be? The one paying the tab for this?”
She sucked in a breath and he laughed his head off.
Point to Cazador.
Justin would rip the guilty shifters apart, even if he had to travel to Russia and fight every shifter in the legendary Romanov Kamchatka Clan.
“Put the collar on him first,” Cazador said.
Toro eyed Justin and said, “Can you hit him with a tranquilizer load first?”
Oh, hell. Justin did not want to get knocked out and leave Eli to their mercy, which neither wolf shifter possessed.
“No. I told you, Toro, we are not carrying them off the mountain. It’s too much trouble and will attract attention.”
“You’re right. I forgot.”
Cazador’s weapon made only a slight chuck sound.
The bullet tore a hole through Justin’s thigh and exited the back. He grabbed his leg and cursed.
“Justin?” Eli shouted in a panic. “Okay, yes?”
At the tiny twitch of Cazador’s finger, Justin had moved fast, but there hadn’t been time to avoid being hit. Besides, the wolf would have just shot him again.
“Justin!”
“It’s okay, Eli.” Or it would be once Justin pulled the wolf’s head off and shoved it up his ass. His leg burned like he’d been stabbed with a hot poker. He’d bent over to press against the wound on both sides of his thigh to stem the bleeding.
The pungent stink of titanium singed his nostrils again and the wound burned like fire. This wound would fester in a day. He could heal some if he shifted, but not as much as he needed to as long as that much titanium remained inside his body.
Eli was shouting something in Russian.
Justin sucked in a breath and said, “It’s okay, babe. Take it easy.”
Cazador chuckled. “Now you can put the collar on him, Toro. That’s so much more effective than a tranq in this situation. Plus, he now knows what she’ll feel if I have to shoot her.”
Blood ran through Justin’s fingers.
Herc pounded to get out and heal Justin, then kill the wolves.
But shifting would end with Herc full of titanium.
The landscape swirled.
Justin blinked and shook his head. He could not pass out.
CHAPTER 28
Who wanted her dead?
Elianna had given up thinking the wolves wanted to kidnap her for ransom money. This Cazador marching her and Justin through the narrow trail must have been sent by someone paying to deliver her.
That pointed at one of the clans.
She would not waste time thinking this was her father.
He dealt with issues himself and hated wolf packs.
No, Alexandre was not behind this. The only other group it could be was Clan Boudreaux. Why would they go to all this trouble to bring her over only to have her kidnapped?
Checking over her shoulder for Justin, she felt the chain snap against her back.
“Keep facing forward,” Cazador ordered.
She hissed and drew her shoulders up, unable to rub the pain with titanium cuffs cutting into her wrists. The bloody patches burned, giving her a small idea of how much pain Justin was silently enduring.
She had never touched titanium before. It did not bother her healthy skin now, but the metal burned the abrasions on her wrists.
Toro had laughed at Justin earlier, saying, “That titanium bullet hurts, don’t it?”
Her bear whined, Neck hurts. Fix. Run. Run. Run.
Elianna hated the collar, too, but nothing could be done. This was going down as the longest—and most miserable—Monday of her life. Speaking silently to her bear, she said, Not possible. Must be patient. Justin is warrior. He will free us.
Herc kill wolves.
Elianna walked along, stumbling over rocks at times, trying to figure out how her bear and Herc had become close so quickly. Her bear had never recognized anyone in particular and definitely no other shifter’s animal or name. Nico loved to play with Elianna’s bear, but her bear had never once commented on Nico or his adorable polar bear cub.
Stop. Rest. Stop. Rest. Stop. Rest.
What had her bear so agitated? Elianna realized they were entering a level area for the first time in a while. The hike she and Justin had first made up here had been nice, but she didn’t recall this spot.
Would Justin know this as well as the other areas he’d led them through?
Her bear said, Herc like. Stop here.
How would her bear know that?
Maybe her bear was thinking about Justin’s wound affecting his bear and just saying they needed to rest, but again, that was more interest than her animal had ever shown.
Still, Elianna was just as concerned about Justin and agreed. She said, “Cazador?”
“Yes.”
“Need water. Mate wound hurt me. Am tired.”
“You want to rest?” he asked, sounding appalled any shifter would whine about being tired from walking.
Stop, stop, stop! Mate rest, her bear demanded.
Elianna wished her bear would go to sleep for a while and give her a mental break. She told Cazador, “Yes, please.”
Wolf bad. No please.
Her bear’s attitude change, from bumbling along without a care to sounding angry, was a complete about-face from all the years they had shared a semi-polite relationship.
Was meeting Herc the reason for this change?
The word please must have worked with Cazador, who said, “Fine. You can have your break up ahead.”
When they entered the open space that overlooked miles of mountains and trees, wind whipped through with nothing to slow it down. Elianna stayed thirty feet from the edge of the cliff overlooking a valley thousands of feet down.
Cazador waved his gun at a specific area. “Stand there.”
She hurried over and turned to watch Justin who walked ahead of Toro. Her face chilled at the blood that soaked his pants.
Hunched over, Justin moved slowly, in obvious pain. He stumbled, then dropped to his knees.
She ran toward him.
Cazador yanked her back.
Elianna spun around and snarled viciously at him.
His eyes narrowed. “You forget who is holding your leash, princess. We can continue just as easily as stopping.”
“No. Sorry. Must see mate.” She waited as Cazador watched Justin on his knees with his head down and arms trembling.
She had smelled the sick metallic odor coming from Justin’s wound. Titanium was killing him.
He was dying because of her.
She would never have a chance to be with him if he died. She had destroyed a chance at life with him when she made a bad deal and now she was the reason he suffered.
Tears spilled down her face. She turned to Cazador. “Please.”
He was unmoved.
A sob escaped her.
Finally, he shook his head in disgust. “I’ve got a deadline to meet tonight, princess.”
She repeated, “Please.”
Cursing lividly, Cazador said, “This is why you never want to be tied to a mate, Toro. All this blubbering. It weakens the male. Just look at that bear.” Still shaking his head, Cazador said, “Fine. You have one minute with him, princess. If
you annoy me in any way, I will shoot him again ... and again.”
“I will be good.”
He nodded for her to move and gave her twelve-foot chain leash slack. The links were the size of her finger and welded. Breaking steel chain that thick would be difficult, but snapping welded titanium links was impossible even for a shifter.
She dropped to her knees in front of Justin.
He didn’t lift his head or acknowledge her. Another sob slipped out. She’d never cried as an adult, but seeing her strong and powerful Justin on his knees was too much for her.
She whispered, “Am sorry, Justin. Very sorry.”
His warm fingers slid over hers and squeezed.
Her heart hiccupped, hoping for any sign that he would survive this.
As soon as Cazador and Toro started discussing the route down the mountain, Justin murmured, “If you accept the mating bond now, you’ll have my power joined with yours.”
It hurt to tell him no, but if she survived, she would not live with herself for letting Nico down.
Keeping her voice just as soft, she said, “I can not. I would lose Nico. Your love mean more than all power. I need only you to live.”
“I understand.” He finally lifted his head just enough to look into her eyes.
His gaze was as sharp as bear claws. Not the eyes of a man losing his grip on consciousness as she’d thought.
He whispered, “I’m not dying, but don’t let them know. Be ready. When I give the signal, you run like hell. Don’t argue or hesitate. If you do, we both die.”
CHAPTER 29
Justin remained on his hands and knees, continuing to look as if he struggled to remain conscious, which didn’t require a lot of acting.
The titanium was doing its job to weaken his leg and zap his energy, but not enough to prevent him from taking a chance to free Eli.
He had his hand over Eli’s small one when Toro yanked her chain leash to pull her back.
She yelped, falling over on her side.
Justin’s fingers dug into the ground. Seeing anyone mistreat her sent him and Herc into a rage. He shook for real now, with the need to crush Cazador’s skull.
But when he glanced at Eli to check on her, she gave him a calm face. As she made it to her feet, she lifted her cuffed hands to use a finger to rub the left side of her nose. That was one of Herc’s physical signals. She was telling Justin she was going ahead and would wait on him.
