“He's the same draconian you told me about. When we found you, he was shocking one of the bastards that took you.”
“Shocking him?” Ashley asked, briefly lapsing into thought before musing, “He must have stopped Johnny from stabbing me.”
“Johnny?”
Cade finished tugging his jeans on, and looked over at Ashley to see that his shirt hung down to her thighs, offering decent coverage—but it was hard as hell to take his eyes off of her.
In turn, Ashley became distracted when she saw the scratches on his neck, stepping over to inspect the wound.
“Are you all right?”
Cade had to focus, her show of concern rattling his control as he merely replied, “I'm fine. So who's Johnny?”
His words were clipped, and Ashley lowered her hand, looking away. The reaction made his control slip even further, remembering how Caleb suggested she may think he was upset with her. Need to tell her the truth.
“He's the one-eyed lupine I told you about,” she answered, “and the one who took me was called Paul.”
Cade made a note of that, listening when Ashley mused, “But it makes no sense, why would he try to stab me if they went to the trouble of abducting me?”
“The blade was probably silver to keep you from changing,” he answered, the notion bringing his anger back anew. “Wounding us with it does that.”
When he was done getting his shoes on, Cade risked looking at her to see her watching him. Her eyes were bright, lips soft, and he heard himself letting a low growl.
He stood, the desire to draw her in, kiss her, and tell her how fucking worried he'd been clawing at him harder than it ever had. He stepped closer, ready to admit everything while he had the chance.
But the sound of movement in the trees nearby stopped him.
Ashley heard it as well, letting a soft gasp when Cade pulled her behind himself. His eyes began glowing as protective instincts were roused.
But then he caught a familiar scent. “Mike?”
“Yeah,” Mike started, emerging from the trees. Seeing they were both all right, he seemed relieved. “Came looking for you after what just happened.”
Things must have come to some kind of conclusion. “What's going on?” Cade asked.
The answer was given angrily. “We tracked and killed one of them, but William's been stabbed with silver, Cade, by some one-eyed bitch who got away.”
Cade's expression hardened over the news. Johnny, he thought. “Is William okay?”
“I don't know,” Mike admitted. “He was stabbed in the upper back. Brandon and Maria are with him, waiting on Doc Bellinger to get there.”
If the blade was silver, the wound wouldn't be good. Prolonged contact with the metal only weakened lupines, but being injured with it was a different story.
Wounds in places such as a limb would poison the lupine if the blade wasn't removed. Overtime, it would also prevent changing into a wolf until completely healed, and even death.
But in critical areas, silver could easily kill, even when the blade was removed. So the doctor would have to hurry if William was going to make it.
Cade attempted to control his anger while he asked, “What about the draconian? He say why he's here?”
“Not precisely, but he's got a demon with him, and they shackled one of those lupines in silver, the same guy you've been after for Henry's murder, Cade.”
Cade remembered seeing Ulric shocking one of their enemies, and now he knew from Ashley's story that his name was Paul. But he needed to know why Ulric wanted the bastard, so he decided quickly what needed to be done.
Tugging his keys from his pocket, he handed them to Mike. “Take Ashley to my truck and wait for me there in case that asshole comes back for her.”
While it was the easiest way, Cade felt unsettled. It was his job to protect Ashley, and for the first time in a year, he resented being the Alpha.
But this problem needed to be handled. With the thought in mind, he handed Ashley his phone.
“Take this, I'll call from Caleb's if something happens.”
“Okay,” she replied softly, taking the device. But her expression was worried as she implored, “Be careful, Cade.”
“I will,” he promised, trying to ignore the concern in her voice and the way she looked wearing only his work shirt. He'd never wanted a woman this damned badly, and it got him to impulsively add, “And we're having a long talk when we get home.”
Ashley looked confused, but quickly agreed, and Cade didn't waste any time. If William was still alive, he needed to be there, as well as find out what Ulric was after.
Chapter 25
Caleb was talking to Ulric when Cade arrived at the roadway where the blue truck was still parked next to the cobblestone wall. He didn't see William, but another man he couldn't identify was standing nearby.
Once he was closer, Cade knew from the scent—as well as his eyes—that he was the demon Mike mentioned. Shorter than Cade, he had wild, dark hair and slitted pupils in irises the color of embers, consistently glowing through the darkness along the unlit road.
As he took this in, Caleb spoke in surprise.
“Cade? I figured you'd be with Ashley.”
“I sent her with Mike so I could see what's going on. Where's William?”
The look on Caleb's face told him everything he needed to know without a word. “Didn't make it. He died a few minutes after Mike left to find you. Brandon and Maria are with him, on the other side of the hill, still waiting on the Doc.”
Cade's anger swelled, his fists balling. William was a young wolf who didn't deserve that fate, and with his control already on the edge, Cade had to fight to keep a logical mind.
From where he stood at the edge of the cobblestone wall, he could see the unconscious lupine named Paul laying in the bed of the pickup truck, bound and gagged with a bit in his mouth. A silver blade was sticking out of his leg, probably the same one that was used to kill William.
While it was satisfying to see the lupine who'd entrapped his father and abducted Ashley in such a position, Cade wasn't pleased. His gaze centered on Ulric and the demon as he climbed off the wall to approach them.
“What the hell do you want exactly?”
Ulric didn't seem offended by Cade's tone, merely introducing himself. “I'm Ulric Vök Dra'Kai,” he started, then looked at the demon, adding, “and this is Isaac, a friend.”
Isaac regarded the Hodgins brothers quietly, and while Cade's instincts weren't railing in opposition, some demons defied perception. So Isaac couldn't be trusted going by instinct alone, and most demons were so duplicitous that even if he was a saint at heart, it would take him a while to earn any trust.
Cade kept that in mind while Ulric spoke.
“Your brother says you have a vendetta with this Alpha, but I need him alive for information, which is why Isaac is here. He's rather good at interrogations.”
Cade could only imagine how easily a demon might be able to get someone to talk, asking, “What information do you need?”
“Specifically, I was hired to find a stolen curse box. I tracked the thief down to find that it was gambled away on a fight those lupines were hosting, which means they have it now.”
“Then you're looking for their territory,” Cade summarized, recalling Ashley saying they'd been at a fighting ring when Ulric released her. “So why not follow them back when they left the ring where you found Ashley? For that matter, why did you disappear from my bar the night you spoke to her?”
“The girl killed one of their wolves during her escape,” Ulric provided. “So the Alpha here informed the rest that they weren't going to stop until she was dead, making my best bet locating her and waiting until they showed.”
With that explained, Ulric added blandly, “As for my disappearing act the other night, Isaac showed up drunk, and I knew it would be better if I led him away from a mortal haunt rather than let him cause trouble.”
Isaac snorted, shrugging indifferen
tly. But it made sense. Cade could only imagine what kinds of things Isaac might do when he was sober, let alone drunk.
“As for tonight, I've been casing your place, and saw the girl leaving to dump the garbage. That's when this one,” Ulric motioned to Paul in the truck bed, “jumped her from behind.”
For the first time since the conversation started, Isaac spoke, mentioning, “With the way he smells, I'm surprised he wasn't hiding inside the fucking trashcan waiting for her.”
Ulric smirked in amusement, and Cade couldn't say he didn't agree with the assessment. But things were finally coming together.
Ashley's escape was a random result of Ulric's hunt for a curse box, and now, in order to find it, Ulric needed Paul to talk, who happened to be the same lupine that Cade sought vengeance against.
Not to mention Cade also needed to know where Paul's pack was hiding to report them to Hunter's Moon. So he and Ulric were after the same thing for different reasons.
Conveniently, there was a chance that the place he wanted Aislinn to haze for might be where Ulric's curse box was located.
This could work for both of them without conflict.
“I might have an easier way for you to get information,” Cade started, explaining his plans for the hazing. Ulric listened until he finished, stating, “I just need some of this bastard's hair, and you'll know by tomorrow without doing much more than waiting.”
The draconian considered it. “That would be easier, but if it's not at the place this Witch derives, I'll still need him.”
“I'm not the only one who wants a piece of this bastard,” Cade pointed out, “so I think we're in agreement that he lives until he's paid what's due.”
“Very well,” Ulric agreed. “But there's one other thing I need from you. Do not notify Hunter's Moon until I have the box in my possession. If the Order comes across it first, they may confiscate it. I can't allow that.”
Normally, that request would've been denied. Neglecting to notify the Order about something like this could have consequences.
But Cade easily acquiesced, saying, “You released Ashley and helped her again tonight. I owe you for that, so consider it done.”
Ulric gave a single nod of his head, stepping over to reach out his hand, which Cade took.
They had an accord.
That's when a groan sounded in the bed of the truck, signaling that Paul was waking up. Good, I've got some questions.
Cade walked over and grabbed the lupine's collar, jerking him up by his shirt. With his other hand, he loosened the strap of the bit in Paul's mouth, tugging it out.
When he could speak again, Cade demanded, “What's so important about the newborn you lost that you tried to abduct her? Why not turn back when she came here?”
Paul let a growl, responding on a lethal tone, “Hadda make sure she didn't 'member nothin' ta tell ya. And she killed my brother, asshole. The bitch owes us blood.”
A flash of anger caused Cade to snap out, “You owe me! You led my father into a trap!”
Paul flinched in response to the booming words, but then eyed Cade, his brows drawing together in recognition. “So yer Cade Hodgins, huh?”
Cade wasn't exactly sure what that question was supposed to insinuate, but he soon found out when Paul added, “Gotta say, ya've earned yerself a bad rep with the wolves I know, not that I expect ya ta give a shit. But yer old man weren't nothin' personal, and you can't blame me fer it when Brady set it up.”
“That doesn't change a goddamn thing!” Cade snarled. “You tried to abduct one of my wolves tonight, killed another, and break our laws by turning humans without permission.”
On a feral tone, he demanded, “So tell me how many of your wolves are here waiting on you.”
Paul simply grinned, lifting his head back before he spit at Cade, growling, “Fuck you, Hodgins.”
Cade had to be restrained by his brother and Ulric before he killed the lupine—while Isaac urged them to let him beat Paul's ass for that shit. But they needed him alive, and Cade finally reigned in his anger, though he was still seething.
Because Paul had nothing better to do than spit when asked a question, Caleb put the bit back in his mouth while discussing with Cade where to keep him locked away.
There was an abandoned lumber mill just north of the city that the pack used on occasion to conduct business out of sight of humans, and it was the best place they could think of.
With that decided, Caleb grabbed Ashley's clothes to hand to his brother.
“Just put them in the truck for now,” Cade instructed, but stopped when Caleb rolled his eyes. “What?”
At the question, Caleb took his arm and stepped away from everyone else for a little more privacy. Just down the road, he said, “I know a lot's going on here, but you need to go to Ashley. You're bonding, and you've been ignoring your instincts for too damned long.”
More pointedly, he shoved the clothing into Cade's hands and added, “Besides, you look like shit, so stop being a stubborn jackass. If you're lucky, Aislinn's still at Blue Moon, so you can give her some of this asshole's hair now. I'll take care of things here and call you with an update later.”
His brother was right. Caleb was just as capable of handling the situation, and besides, Cade did feel inconvenienced, even jealous at the thought of Mike watching over Ashley—and Mike was marked.
Ignoring his instincts was making him irrational.
“All right, I'll go,” he agreed, “but get someone else to keep a watch on this asshole with you. I want two wolves there constantly, and only a handful to know where he is.”
“Good idea,” Caleb agreed. “Anyone could stop by to retaliate for William if they knew where to go.”
That was exactly what Cade wanted to avoid. Before he could respond though, Isaac spoke up.
The demon was leaning against the truck now, his manner casual as he mentioned, “If you need someone to watch him, you know I don't sleep quite as often as your kind does.”
Cade shot him a confused look, asking, “Did I just hear a demon offering help.”
Isaac grinned, showing off his permanently fanged canines. “You'd like to think so, wouldn't you?”
That definitely wasn't a line Cade wanted to hear from a demon, and he asked Ulric immediately, “I'm supposed to trust him?”
“Don't worry,” Ulric scoffed. “We've known each other for several centuries. He's an unconventional ally, but a loyal one who wouldn't jeopardize my job. He simply has no tact.”
“Or shame,” Isaac pointed out as if that were the most important part, and Ulric rolled his eyes.
“Besides, I'll be there,” Ulric reminded Cade.
While Cade didn't trust his instincts with Isaac, Ulric's intentions seemed honest enough, and it was a commonly known fact that all draconians took their work seriously. So if Isaac wasn't trustworthy in some capacity, Ulric wouldn't have him there at all.
“Stay if you want, but I'm still posting guard.” Cade told Isaac.
In response, he shrugged indifferently, so Cade guessed it was all settled.
Caleb opted to stay on watch for the night and called Hobbs in to help, though with a draconian and a demon present, their prisoner wasn't going anywhere.
In the meantime, Cade exchanged contact information with Ulric, got some of Paul's hair for Aislinn, and began heading back through the trees to Blue Moon.
“Cade.”
He stopped when Caleb called, looking to see his brother jumping the wall to catch up.
Once Caleb reached him, he asked, “Does Ashley know anything about how you feel yet?”
“Not yet,” Cade muttered.
“Well, here's a tip. Try to remember that she's a lupine now, but she still sees things like a human, and they can be kind of weird about the bonding thing. You'll have to be patient if she doesn't just buckle. I mean when I . . . ”
Trailing, Caleb stopped himself short, his smile fading. “Never mind. Just go easy with her.”
Ca
de couldn't help recalling the infamous story of the human Caleb bonded with who'd disappeared when she'd learned the truth about what he was. Ever since, Caleb avoided trying for anything with human women, and never went into detail about what happened.
So Cade would've asked what he'd been about to say, but he knew Caleb would only close up.
Instead, he let sleeping dogs lie. “You're right, Caleb, I'll have to keep it in mind. Here's hoping Aislinn was right about Ashley being receptive.”
Chuckling, Caleb wished him, “Good luck.”
“Won't need it,” Cade returned, smirking as he moved on.
Chapter 26
Ashley was losing her battle.
Over the past several days, she'd noticed a number of changes in herself, such as possessing boldness in certain situations where before, she would've timidly backed down. That night, she'd learned something else new.
When she changed back into a human, she didn't feel embarrassed about her nudity whatsoever. In turn, it was a challenge to keep her eyes off of Cade. He had dark hair sparsely trailing across his hard chest, and his abs leading down into his pants were nicely toned, invoking an urge to run her fingers across his skin, and her lips.
She was even getting used to thinking of him in a more intimate fashion, but damned if it was the right time for those kinds of thoughts. She'd nearly been abducted by her tormentors that evening, yet she was still preoccupied with her attraction to the Alpha.
Not only that, but the idea that she'd never have anything with him made her feel sick with want. What the hell is wrong with me?
She kept remembering how he said they needed to talk, which made her wary. After the things she'd overheard, and how clipped he'd been, she figured he was ready to tell her to pack her bags.
But isn't that what I wanted?
Because this was something she needed to talk to Cade about, or not at all, she neglected asking Mike for any information, saying he even had it. Instead, she inquired about William to find out what would happen if the worse came to worst.
Mike told her that William's older brother, Christian, was currently in Atlanta, due to come back any time, and would seek retribution for his brother. William was also bonding with a woman named Elizabeth who'd be out for blood as well.
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