“Hey, Kane.” Kris’s voice sounded strange, completely unlike his usual jubilant self. “I’m just leaving town, but Mom called. She says there’s a guy up at the main house with some sort of law enforcement credentials. He’s asking a lot of questions about a missing woman who he claims has been abducted.”
Kane swore. “Why didn’t she call me?”
“She says I’m closer. She knew you were taking Lilly over to Woodstock today.”
“Do you know if he has a picture of the woman he’s looking for?”
“She said if he does, he hasn’t gotten around to showing her yet.” Kris sounded agitated. “I’m driving as fast as I can, but we’re still a few minutes out. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“I do, too. Why’d Mom let him in?”
“No idea. You know how she is. Too damn trusting. Why don’t you call your Protectors and see if there’s one still on the premises. If so, have them get over to her.”
“Will do. And I’m on my way also.”
“Kane,” Kris cut in swiftly. “Absolutely not. Think, man. You need to take Lilly and disappear into the woods. Change if you need to, but get her the hell away from here.”
He was right. But also wrong. “I’m not leaving Mom and Dad unprotected.”
“I doubt it will come to that.” But Kris didn’t sound certain. “They’re not here for her or us.”
“Let me notify them. I’ll call you right back.” Kane ended the call and immediately dialed Sly’s number. He passed on what his brother had told him.
“Hellhounds.” Sly sounded furious. “No one’s there. I’m the closest. I can be there in under ten minutes.”
“Good. Get there as quickly as you can.” Kane pressed End and called Kris back. “Sly is on his way. Who’s all at the house with Mom?” Kane prayed Kathy and her husband had gone home.
“Just Mom. I think Dad went into town.”
“Good.” Kane took a deep breath. “Is Kyle heading back with you?”
“Yes. He’s right here. We had Debi take Sharon and the kiddos home.”
“Excellent. Do you and Kyle have access to weapons?”
“Weapons?” Kris sounded grim. “Of course we do, but do you really think—”
“The fact that you called me tells me you do, too. In situations like this, go with your gut. Do not let any harm come to Mom. Swear to me you’ll do your best to protect her.”
“Of course I will. But Kane—”
“Just go. Don’t call me back until you know she’s safe.”
He savagely punched off, then tossed his phone onto the console. Damn. Kane glanced at Lilly. Blue eyes wide, she stared.
“What’s going on?” she asked, fear vibrating in her voice.
“No time to explain.” Pulling over to the side of the road, he grabbed her hand. “Lilly, I want you to listen to me and do exactly as I tell you. Do you understand?”
Terror darkening her gaze, she nodded.
“Good. You’re going to run into the woods and change. I want you to put as much distance between yourself and here as possible.”
“What about you? Aren’t you going with me?”
“I can’t leave my family undefended. You’ll be fine, as long as you follow instructions. Remember those caves, I showed you?”
When she nodded again, he exhaled. “Go there as a wolf, and hide. I’ll come for you when it’s safe.”
“Why as a wolf?”
“Because all your senses are sharper. You’ll be able to hear them coming from much farther away. And you can use your snout, too.” Getting out, he yanked open the door and grabbed her. “Take off. Now.”
Again she hesitated. Chest tight, he gave her a small tug. “Hurry, Lilly. Go.”
Finally, she went, crashing into the woods and heading away from Wolf Hollow. He watched until he could no longer see her, feeling as if he was sending away his heart. Then he stiffened his spine, grabbed both his pistols and, after checking to make sure they were loaded, stuffed them into his hidden holsters. Jumping back into his car, he turned around and stomped on the accelerator, headed back home.
* * *
Heart pounding, Lilly took off running, exactly as Kane had ordered. She made it to the first clearing, stripped off her clothing, carefully folding her new dress, and initiated the change to wolf. Even in her animal form, she couldn’t stop thinking about Kane’s parents and the fact that they were in danger. Because of her.
And she was about to run and hide in a cave like a coward. She might have been able to do such a thing once, but not now. She was no longer the terrified victim she’d been.
As a wolf, she circled around, heading back to the main house, keeping her ears open for any out-of-the-ordinary sounds.
While she ran, she periodically scented the air, just in case. She didn’t expect them, if in fact, this stranger was part of Sanctuary, to be out beating the brush for her. Not yet.
But she owed it to Kane and his family to make sure no one got hurt. They wanted her, not them. Well, she’d damn sure make certain they got exactly what they wanted.
Chapter 15
Though journeying on foot, even as a wolf, would be much slower than Kane traveling by car, Lilly kept moving. As a human, she had absolutely no sense of direction. As a wolf, she knew exactly which way to go.
She paced herself, keeping to a lope rather than a run, aware she had quite a few miles to go. When she reached the first road, one of the winding ones she and Kane had taken to reach the interstate, she looked both ways and waited until there were no cars in sight before crossing.
Since she had no watch, she wasn’t sure how much time passed. Judging from the position of the sun, it took her close to an hour before she reached the boundaries of Wolf Hollow’s land. She only hoped she wasn’t too late.
Keeping to the ridge above, she remained in the shadows of the giant oaks when she finally reached the main house. Below, the place appeared quiet, like an ordinary morning at Wolf Hollow Motor Court. Kane’s Corvette was parked in front, as was Kris’s minivan and the elder McGraws’ sedan. There were no other vehicles, nothing to indicate the stranger might still be there.
A slight rustle of sound caught her attention. She spotted two of the Protectors, weapons drawn, creeping up on the house from the back. They passed directly below her, not seeing her.
She watched as they reached the back door and tried the handle. Apparently they found it unlocked. Glancing at each other, guns still drawn, they opened it and slipped inside. All was quiet once more.
Now what? She wanted to do something, anything, to help, but didn’t want to be in the way. If she was too late and the intruder had gone, at least she’d tried. If not, she’d be waiting while he made his escape.
Creeping closer, Lilly waited for several minutes. Holding herself absolutely still, she listened for any sounds of a scuffle or, heaven forbid, a gunshot. She heard nothing but the ordinary sounds of the forest. Birdsong and small creatures rummaging through the underbrush. The sounds of peace.
Should she try to enter the house? Remain wolf, or change back into a human? Since she had no clothing, she elected to stay wolf.
She cocked her head, listening. She heard the low thrum of voices, but detected no alarm or tension. Still, she knew she needed to be careful.
Cautiously, she circled around, heading toward the east side where the sliding glass door should provide a decent view of the inside. She kept low to the ground as she moved closer, every sense on full alert.
Reaching a decision, she rushed the same back door the two Protectors had just entered. Gripping the knob with her teeth, she managed to turn it enough so she could push the door open with her body. Moving silently, in full-out hunting mode, she entered the house.
* * *
It took a few minutes for Kane’s heart to stop pounding. Adrenaline still flowed as he faced his parents, who were flanked by his two brothers. Sly and one of his team stood on the other side of the room, as though the
y’d formed sides and faced off. Everyone had turned and stared at him when he rushed into the room, weapon drawn.
“Put the gun away,” Kris said. “He’s gone.”
Slowly, Kane thumbed the safety back on and holstered his pistol. Too late. Still, a quick survey of the room told him no one had been harmed.
His mother stood, head up, arms crossed, unharmed and unshaken. His father stood next to her, glowering at Sly as if the next move the Protector made would be his last.
“Mom.” Kane moved forward, cutting off Sly and enveloping his mother in a hug. “Are you all right?”
“Of course I am,” she said, her voice as unflappable as always. “I’ve already told your father and both your brothers, and now this man—” she glared at Sly “—has made me repeat it yet again. I don’t know what the big deal is. The man who was here asking questions is gone. And I didn’t give anything away.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Kane soothed, shooting Sly a look that plainly told him to back off. “What did the stranger want?”
“He was on a fishing expedition,” she continued, lifting her chin, pale blue eyes glinting. “Plain and simple. He was here trying to find out if Lilly is staying with us.”
“What did you tell him?”
Her frustrated sigh reminded him of when he’d been a child and she’d caught him and his brothers doing something they weren’t supposed to. “Absolutely nothing that could harm anyone. Sure, he asked about Lilly. I told him I hadn’t seen her. But Kane, he seemed way more interested in you.”
Kane exchanged a look with Sly. Without exchanging a word, they both knew what this meant. Somehow, the cultists knew Lilly was with Kane. They’d come here because they’d learned this was where his family lived. In other words, he’d led them right to her.
“Are you even sure this man was the one you’re looking for?” his mother continued. “He might have just been an old friend of yours or maybe someone from college, trying to track you down. I swear he looked perfectly normal to me.”
“Normal?” Kane gestured at Sly. One of the team members handed over a computer tablet. “Tell me mom, was it one of these men?”
He pulled up the file and opened it. When he passed it over to his mother, pictures of the two remaining male Sanctuary members showed.
Her eyebrows rose. “Well, I’ll be darned. Yes, it was this man right here.” She stabbed her index finger at the one on the left, who had an afro and large aviator glasses. “He sure doesn’t look like a member of a religious cult. Where’s the third? I thought you said there were three?”
“There are.” Sly answered for him. “The third one is a female.”
A sound from the kitchen made everyone freeze. Kane and the Protectors all withdrew their weapons, motioning at everyone else to move away and take cover.
As soon as everyone was safely around the wall and in the hallway, Kane opened his mouth to ask who was there. Before he could, a beautiful gray wolf padded into the room.
“Lilly?”
At her name, the wolf turned toward him, staring at him with Lilly’s stunning blue eyes.
“Stand down,” Kane ordered, even though Sly should have been the one to give the command. “It’s only Lilly.” He put away his gun.
Instantly, the other men did the same.
“Lilly?” Kane’s mother breathed. Kane hadn’t even heard her reenter the room. “Oh, you’re so beautiful, sweetheart.”
Then, with everyone looking on in amazement, the older woman dropped to her knees and held out her arms. “Come here, Lilly, and let me have a look at you.”
Casting Kane one more swift look, wolf Lilly did as his mother asked. The two women—one wolf, one human—touched noses, a sign of respect. Lilly allowed the older woman to coo over her, stroke her fur, and she even lifted her paw in a gesture of friendship.
When his mother had finished admiring Lilly, Kane showed her the way to the spare bedroom, borrowed a T-shirt and shorts from his mother, and left her alone to change back to her human form. Though the clothes would hang loosely on her, they’d have to do until he could take her back to the caves and retrieve her own clothing. Briefly he remembered her brightly colored sundress and wondered if it had been ruined.
Most of all, he couldn’t believe Lilly had put herself at risk and come back to Wolf Hollow.
Anger had replaced the adrenaline now. When Lilly emerged, looking like a street person from the alleys of New York City, he grabbed her arm and led her outside.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. “You promised me you’d stay safe at the caves.”
“I did no such thing.” When she lifted her face to his, her enlarged pupils took his breath away. Since she’d just changed back into human form, he knew she was fighting her own arousal.
The thought, and the sight of her swaying before him, was enough to set his body on fire. Using every ounce of willpower he possessed, he fought his own sharp stab of desire. He even jammed his hands into his pockets to make sure he didn’t reach for her.
“At first, I did as you wanted,” she told him softly, the sensual thrum in her voice tantalizing his already overheated body. “And while I was running, I realized I could no longer cower in the shadows, hiding from danger.”
The cost of this bravery, the amount of courage it had to have taken for Lilly to decide to face her demons head on, wasn’t lost in him. Wasn’t this what he’d been trying to teach her all along?
Then why the fury? While he wanted her to have more confidence, there was a difference between being self-assured and acting foolishly. He just couldn’t get past the idea that she’d willingly placed herself in danger for no good reason. Imagining what could have happened to her made him break out in a cold sweat. Yet since she’d come so far, he knew he had to choose his words carefully.
“Lilly, it’s fantastic that you want to stand up to a threat.” Unable to help himself, he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her forward. As he did, she moved closer to him, apparently aware he was already rock hard.
In desperation, he took a step back, forgetting what he’d been about to say.
“Thank you,” she said, her husky voice nearly a purr. “I can honestly say my progress in that area is entirely due to you.”
Her voice caressed his nerve endings. He swallowed, realizing he was perilously close to losing all control. “I know you just changed back.”
Purposely making his tone as harsh and cold as he could, he turned his back to her, breathing rapidly and fighting for self-control. “We need to go find that pretty little dress you were wearing earlier. After that, I need to meet with Sly and his crew. We’ll need to develop a plan of action now that they’ve made their presence known.”
“Okay.” Her voice was right behind him. Close. Too close.
He wondered if she knew how he had to struggle to keep from taking her in his arms. Hell, taking her period, right there on the front lawn of his parents’ house. As if he had no self-control left. Like the night she’d sung to him and he’d blacked out. Yet one more aspect of Lilly he needed to investigate.
She was dangerous to him. Even without her singing. He’d always been known for his unshakable self-control. And now part of him ached to forget his training, the situation, and reach for her, so he could luxuriate in the pleasure they gave each other.
This would be wrong, in more ways than one.
Luckily, the other part of him, the rational side, still had the upper hand. As of right this moment, at least.
Clearing his throat, he tried to find words. Any words, as long as they weren’t come to me.
“So, do you want to go get my dress now?” Even with his back turned, he could hear the sensual smile in her voice. No doubt she had visions of the two of them, alone in the woods, desire pulsing like a living thing between them.
Dangerous. And he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted, especially not now, when things might be coming to a head.
Without turning, he
nodded. “I’m going to send you up there with Kris or Kyle. I’ve got to get with Sly right away.”
She protested, as he’d thought she would. “I want to be in on the meeting with Sly and the team.”
“Why?” He didn’t want to hurt her, but every aching moment he spent near her only increased his arousal.
“I want an update.”
“I’ll make sure that you get one, as soon as I can.”
“But—”
“Lilly.” He cut her off. “We don’t have time for this right now. Wait here, I’ll send my brother out, and he’ll go with you to retrieve your dress.”
Unbelievably, she still argued. “I know the way. I can go myself.”
Though he realized it was out of proportion, infuriated, he turned. First mistake. He saw her expression the instant she caught sight of the bulge in the front of his jeans. Desire, raw and primitive, blazed from her amazing blue eyes.
“Oh, Kane...” She took a step toward him.
He took a step back. “Yes, I want you. No, we can’t. Not right now.” He spoke through clenched teeth. “Now please. Go inside the house and get one of my brothers. Kyle or Kris, I don’t care. Tell him what I need him to do.”
Finally, she lowered her head, giving in. “Fine. Where are you going?”
Feeling savage, he had to bite back a snarl. “I’m taking a quick walk. Alone. Once I have myself under control, I need to go talk to Sly and his crew.”
“We can walk up to the caves together,” she offered.
“Lilly.” His tone carried a wealth of warning.
Without another word, she turned and went back inside, her back ramrod straight.
Despite it all, he couldn’t help but grin. Any other time, in any other situation, he would have loved to explore her emerging feistiness.
He took off in the opposite direction from the caves. He hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of his brother’s minivan starting. Good. Walking calmed his overheated body. Lilly’s absence helped even more. By the time he reached the cabin where the Protectors were staying, he had himself back under control.
Sly and Bronwyn were waiting on the front porch. “I’ve already sent two teams of two out to try to sniff out that guy,” Sly said by way of greeting.
The Wolf Siren Page 21
