“Wren, my name is Wren,” she whispered softly, not in the least bit phased by the fact that she was literally holding Liam’s life in her hands.
Leah nodded in acknowledgement and then jerked her head toward Dylan. “Maybe someone can take him out of here.”
“I can do that,” Trent volunteered eagerly, hand raised as he swallowed hard. “Come on, Dylan, let’s go see what they’ve got planned.”
Dylan shook his head violently, rocking harder. “I lost Monster. I let them take him,” he cried over and over and I almost burst into tears right there.
“Dylan, go with Trent. Now,” Wren snapped, making all of us jump. I’d never heard Wren use that tone before but it worked as Dylan stood up and shuffled toward the door. Trent followed him as I hovered by the bed.
“Go,” Leah said softly. “We’ve got this. Really, there’s not a lot I can do for him. I’m not a doctor,” she hesitated, glancing down at the furry, four-legged wolf, “Or a veterinarian.”
“You’re his best chance at the moment,” I told her, moving to leave. “No pressure,” I added and she smiled wryly.
“No pressure,” she echoed.
When I walked outside it was chaos. Most of the Navarre Pack were milling around the parking lot, waiting for orders. My Dad stood to the side, his face a hard mask as he listened to them argue.
“We need to go now. They have my son. You don’t know what they’re like,” Sam cried passionately, glancing between the men desperately. “He’s a little boy.”
“Sam,” Dom spoke, his voice unusually calm considering the circumstances. “Do you think Nicholas Hanley is going to hurt his only grandson?” She stared at him resentfully, but finally shook her head no. “Then we have time to come up with a plan.”
“Direct attack. Wipe them out, once and for all,” Caleb concluded and there were more than a few nods of agreement. My Dad wasn’t one of them.
“And if innocents get caught in the crossfire?” Dad asked, his face drawn and looking older than I’d ever seen. “Like my son,” he bit out angrily. “I’m not willing to take that chance.”
“We need to end this,” Dom replied, his voice weary. “We can’t keep doing this back and forth dance with them anymore.”
“What if I challenge Hanley? For Alpha?” Caleb offered resolutely.
“That won’t get my son back,” Sam interjected. “It’ll only give him time to hide him away.”
“He’ll avoid the fight,” Sheriff Navarre said knowingly. “Sam’s right in this instance. We can’t afford to wait too long. If they initiate those boys into the pack,” he broke off, shaking his head.
“What does that mean?” I asked, interrupting them. “Initiating?”
“Basically, it’s how you become part of the Pack. Its when the mental bond is formed with your pack mates. Normally, it’s done when the shifter is old enough to decide and agrees they want to be part of the pack,” Sheriff Navarre answered.
“But what exactly does it entail?” I pushed, needing facts. “And why would they do it to the boys?” No one answered at first, and I didn’t know if it was because they didn’t want to upset me, but I wasn’t having it. “Tell me,” I snapped.
“The bond is formed through a blood exchange,” Dom answered. “It’s not painful,” he paused and then added, “Usually.”
“Its easier to control them when they’re young, easier to indoctrinate them,” Sam finished flatly. “It’s why I ran with Nicky when I did. They started talking about initiating the Pack bond on him. Breaking that bond –” she stopped, her lips clamped shut as she blinked rapidly. Payne wrapped his arm around her and she allowed it, pressing her head into his shoulder.
“It’s bad,” I concluded and Dom nodded. “Monster, they’ll do this to him?” I asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it.
“Yes,” Dom answered. “They will.”
“But Dylan,” I pointed to the tall man with the childlike expression. “He’s okay. He’s not part of the Hanley pack anymore.”
Trent shifted, drawing my attention, “What is it, Trent?”
“Dylan, from what I understand, was never compelled to obey the Alpha’s orders,” he said carefully. “Which means the bond wasn’t fully there and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because he has Down syndrome and his brain is wired differently. But I have lived through having the bond forcibly removed.” His expression was enough to send a chill through me. “I was a teenager when it happened. It was like ripping my brain to shreds.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure a child could survive that.”
“We need to do something,” I choked out, reeling around, my eyes pleading with Dom. “I can’t lose…not Monster.”
“If we go now, surprise them,” Payne suggested, his body supporting Sam as she sagged against him. “It may be enough. The shifters can fight while we send other guys to retrieve the boys.”
“We have enough guys here. We know where they’re at,” Caleb declared and Dom nodded slowly.
“No,” the single word was sharp and concise, freezing everyone in their tracks as they stared at the girl who’d spoken. Anna’s eyes burned as she stepped forward, spinning in a slow circle to make sure everyone was listening. “That’s exactly what they want. What they expect. We’ll be playing into their hands. Reacting instead of working for the best possible outcome.”
We all stood there, listening, as she spoke, her words determined and more than that…she spoke with authority, I realized. Trent’s eyes glowed with pride as he watched her and none of the men questioned her right to speak.
“What do you suggest?” Caleb asked, his tone curious instead of dismissive.
“We can go after the Hanleys later,” she replied, glancing around the group. “Right now, our priority are the boys. We need to get them back sooner rather than later. They’ll expect us to go charging in. Instead, we sneak in and steal them back.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Dead silence met her suggestion until Trent said, “And how do you suggest we do that? I’m not familiar with the Hanley lands.” Again, there was no hint of mockery in his questioning.
“I am,” Sam replied, her gaze focused. “I got us out of there. I can get us back in.”
“And I’m not saying we won’t need you, Sam, but I was actually thinking about him,” Anna replied, pointing to Dylan. “He’s been going back and forth from the Hanley land to our border without being caught. He can show us the way.”
“We don’t know how many men or women they have or what may have changed since you’ve been gone,” Dom mentioned, nodding to Sam. The skin around his eyes crinkled in concern as he studied Dylan. “I’m not sure if Dylan will be able to get us where we need to go,” he said carefully.
“Liam,” I said suddenly and they all glanced toward me. “They left him for dead, but he’s not dead. He would know. He could get us there. He followed Dylan.”
Dom nodded, “It’s worth a shot.”
“When do we go?” Trent directed his question at Anna, and I saw a flash of gratitude in her eyes as she answered.
“Tonight. We can’t wait any longer than that and the darkness will give us an advantage.” She scanned the group, relaxing as nods met her suggestion. “We need to talk to Liam.” Her gaze shifted behind me and she asked, “How is he?”
“Alive,” Leah answered, and I turned to see her standing there, wiping her bloody hands on a towel. “But he needs blood if he’s going to make it.” She eyed the group. “I can do a blood transfusion if we have any volunteers.”
The men exchanged glances and Trent said, “I’d do it, but – ”
“No,” Dom cut him off instantly as they traded a glance. “That wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Am I missing something?” I asked and Leah nodded in agreement, clearly as lost as I was.
“Remember, what we said about initiation involving a blood exchange?” Trent answered and I nodded. “Well, that’s exactly what this is. Normally, if a shift
er needs blood it would come from one of his pack mates.” He spread his hands. “No Hanleys to give him any though.”
My gaze darted to Dylan but Leah shook her head. “No, it would be better from someone else,” she said.
“I can do it,” Dom decided, stepping forward. “Will it be enough?”
“Dom,” Caleb put his hand out, stopping him. “It’ll form a link between the two of you.”
“Better me than you,” Dom replied. He caught my confusion and explained, “The Alpha is the one that links us all together. If Caleb gave him blood, it would link him to the entire Pack. That could potentially be dangerous for all of us. It would also overwhelm him mentally and emotionally as the Pack bond took over.”
“But you’ll just form a mental link with him?” I asked, wanting to be sure I understood. When he nodded, my gaze skated to Trent as curiosity once again rose at their connection.
“If that’s been decided, follow me,” Leah said abruptly, nodding to Dom. “We need to get blood in him, especially if you want his help.” She marched back to the room and as Dom passed, he squeezed my hand gently.
“We’ll get him back.”
I nodded automatically, my brain a jumbled mess from everything that had happened so far. Trent’s weighted stare drew my attention and I glanced at him, raising my eyebrow in question. He jerked his head and I followed him to the breezeway where Dad had installed vending machines.
“You can’t mention the fact that I have a Pack link with Dom,” he said immediately, his voice low enough even a shifter’s sensitive hearing couldn’t pick up his words.
“I wasn’t planning to,” I replied, confused by his sudden need to state that fact.
“No, you don’t understand,” he responded fiercely. “Dom saved my life and I would do anything for him. Protect him; die for him, whatever is necessary. That’s why he trusts me to guard you.”
“I get that, Trent. I’ve never questioned your loyalty to Dom,” I answered, caught off guard by his adamant tone.
“Exactly my point. You don’t question my loyalty. You should. Lone wolves don’t do the bidding of Pack wolves,” Trent explained, his eyes begging me to understand what he was saying, but I was lost. He scrubbed his hands over his jeans, for once a sucker nowhere in sight. “A link, a bond, like the one I share with Dom. It’s like creating a little bitty Pack,” he continued, his fingers forming a tiny gap. “Now, Dom goes in there and gives blood to that Hanley pup and he's linked to two wolves outside his Pack.”
My forehead furrowed as I thought about what he said. “How many does it take to form a separate Pack?” I asked slowly and he rocked back, bracing himself against the cinder block wall.
“Now, you’re getting it,” he muttered, tugging a sucker out of one of his pockets. “Technically, two wolves can make a Pack. Three, well, that’s definitely something.”
“Why didn’t you give Liam blood?”
Trent cocked his eyebrow, “Because that would have been like me declaring I’m forming a Pack on Navarre lands. I’m supposed to be a lone wolf, and bonding another wolf….” He trailed off as I put it together.
“Two wolves make a Pack. But why did Dom?” I asked, gazing toward the room where his blood was no doubt saving the life of a Hanley pup, as Trent called him.
“Because he’s a good guy,” Trent answered and then shrugged, “And because admitting he’d done the same with me and never informed his Alpha wouldn’t exactly go over well.”
“Okay, so Dom has a separate link to you and after he gives his blood to Liam, he’ll have a separate link to him, right? It’s not like the three of you will be linked together like the Pack is with Caleb, right?” The last part came out as a squeak and Trent’s worried expression didn’t help. “Trent?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Honestly, we’ll find out when Liam wakes up after the transfusion.” He sucked hard on the candy in his mouth, his face tight. “What a fucked up day,” he added under his breath.
“Its not your fault,” I told him, patting his arm and he gave me a look.
“We’ll agree to disagree,” he replied shortly, pushing off from the wall and leaving me in the dim corridor.
This is a stupid risk, I shouted mentally over the bond to Dom.
Trent explained, he answered and I rolled my eyes.
Yes, your errand boy explained. Do you really think this is the best course of action? I asked in exasperation.
I can’t let him die. He saved your life. I owe him, Dom replied as if that made perfect sense.
Actually, if anyone owes him it’s me. I should be giving him blood, I responded tartly.
You’re not compatible, he replied, distracting me.
What do you mean?
Shifters have a specific antigen in their blood. After the first shift, shifters can only get blood from other shifters, he explained.
That would have been nice to know, I fussed angrily. Anger was easier than the fear I could feel pressing in on me. Do you think…what do you think will happen when Liam wakes up?
I think there will be a Pack bond, Dom said heavily. And that knowledge will be dangerous if we can’t trust Liam to keep it a secret.
There’s not another option?
If Caleb is willing to allow him in the Pack, that bond would override the one I have with him, Dom said, but after a long pause added, in theory.
“Great,” I whispered out loud before being distracted by raised voices. I followed the yelling to find Sam and Anna at an impasse, arms crossed as they glared at one another.
“What’s going on?” I asked tiredly.
“Anna says I can’t go with them, but she’s not the Alpha,” Sam snapped. “Caleb thinks I should go.”
“No, he doesn’t think you should go, he’s just too scared to tell you no,” Anna retorted. “Besides, he’s not going either.”
“I’m right here and I’m not scared,” Caleb blustered, but he quickly shrank back when Anna shot him a hard stare. “And what do you mean I’m not going? I’m the Alpha.”
“Exactly, you need to stay here and lead the Pack if something goes wrong,” Anna told him, before pointing at Sam. “And you, you’re too invested. Too emotional. You could put us all at risk if you go off halfcocked while we’re rescuing them.”
Sam opened her mouth and then closed it, glancing away from Anna’s knowing gaze.
“What about me?” Payne spoke up then. “What if I come?” Sam glanced at him in surprise, shifting slightly to gauge Anna’s reaction to this request.
“We don’t want too many people,” Anna started to say, about to deny him, but at Sam’s crestfallen expression, she relented. “But Nicky trusts you and you’re a good fighter.”
Sam exhaled in relief at the small victory as Payne nodded in acceptance. Sam poked Payne in the chest, drawing his attention as she gave him a narrow glare, “Don’t fuck this up. You bring my son back to me or I will make your life a living hell.” She spun away from him before he could respond, missing his rueful expression.
“And that would be new?” He muttered under his breath and I felt a completely inappropriate chuckle bubble up inside of me. I pressed my knuckles against my lips to contain the laughter, afraid if I started, I might not stop, and this was no time for hysteria.
“I’m going,” I said abruptly, cutting whatever Anna was about to say off. She opened her mouth and I shook my head. “I’m going,” I repeated. “So are Dom and Trent.” She looked like she wanted to argue when I said Trent, but finally nodded.
“So, that’s five of us,” she concluded, exhaling.
“Six,” I corrected. “We need a guide.”
“Do you really think it’s the best idea for you to waltz onto Hanley territory?” Trent questioned, coming to stand next to Anna, who tensed but didn’t move away.
“I don’t see a problem,” she retorted and he raised an eyebrow.
“You wouldn’t but that doesn’t mean you won’t be a distraction,” he repl
ied and she crossed her arms.
“A distraction to who? You? If so, you can stay here and guard the motel,” she paused, her eyes glittering. “If you think you can manage it this time.”
A growl reverberated through the air at the insult and Anna took a step back. “Maybe you should go,” he snarled. “Maybe they can teach you some manners.” His glare was cold as he shoved past her roughly, and headed toward the motel.
Anna looked stunned by Trent’s anger and I patted her arm awkwardly as I sidled by her, following Trent. I noticed Dad speaking quietly to Dylan near his office, and that Dylan had calmed down.
Trent paced in front of Wren’s motel room, running his hands agitatedly through his hair. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he warned me and I mimed zipping my lips. “She’s infuriating. Reckless. Careless with her own life,” he ranted and I pressed my lips together as he clenched and unclenched his fists. “She has no idea how important –” he stopped speaking suddenly, seeming to realize I was standing there.
“Please continue,” I said brightly. “I’m dying of curiosity.”
The motel door opened and Leah looked taken aback at our presence. “He’s still alive,” she said, eyeing us.
“Yeah, I know,” Trent muttered, glancing at me pointedly and I closed my eyes for a second as I realized what Trent meant. Liam was awake and connected to both Dom and Trent through a Pack link. A link none of them shared with the Navarre Pack.
“You okay?” Leah asked me, concerned by my sudden pallor.
I forced a smile. “I’m fine. How are you?”
She stepped outside, her smile tired and Trent gestured to the door, asking if he could go inside. She nodded in permission, saying, “Dom is talking to him now.” Trent stepped around her and went inside, leaving us standing in the breezeway.
“You saved the day,” I told her, adding with a rueful smile, “Again.”
She laughed, glancing up. “Luck,” she answered, shaking her head lightly. “And nosiness.”
It was my turn to chuckle and she grinned, her eyes straying to the parking lot where Caleb stood next to Anna. Her smile lost some of its luster and she glanced back at me. “I saw you leave. It looked like you were in a hurry.” She bit her lip before admitting, “I was curious so I followed the Jeep.”
The Challenge (The Pack Book 2) Page 20
