Fighting For Their Mate

by Vella Day

  “Take the gir—” Dram, who hadn’t shifted, didn’t get to finish his sentence because Ford dragged him to the ground and leapt on his neck.

  He didn’t give the poor bastard the chance to shift. In a fight, the five seconds it took to change was an eternity. Fangs extended, Ford chomped on the jugular and Dram collapsed, bleeding out. Ford gave him only seconds to live.

  One down, four to go. Blood dripping from his teeth, Ford looked for his next prey. Tony was easy to recognize. He had a small gray tuff of hair above his right eye. The man who’d entered with Dram had an even brown coat. Another wolf was mostly gray and the last shifter had a mottled coat.

  Ford chanced a look at Bailey, who seemed frozen, fear splashing across her features. If he’d been human, he would have told her to run. Before he could howl to get her to move, the brown wolf charged Ford’s flank. Rookie mistake. Ford spun around to attack the wolf’s neck, but that presented his rear to a second attacker who succeeded in taking a small piece of skin off Ford’s hind leg. All that would do was slow him down for a few seconds. His only vulnerable point was his neck.

  Yelps sounded behind him from the two men trying to take Ty down. Good luck with that. Tony was a good fighter, but he wasn’t good enough. Ford dropped to his haunches for a better angle and to give him more power to leap. Brownie took the bait and lowered his head. Ignoring the second wolf who was noshing on Ford’s rear, he sprang up and clamped down hard on Brownie’s neck. Just as he was about to sever the artery, delicate footsteps sounded down the corridor. Distracted, Ford gazed up, giving his prey the chance to roll out of the way. While the bite might not kill him, the wolf would be down for a while.

  Just as Ford was about to finish him off, the second wolf charged. Out of the corner of his eye, one of the two men trying to take down Ty shifted back to human and took off after Bailey. Ford had no time to spare. With savage focus, he opened his mouth and went for the mottled one’s neck. Teeth collided. They jostled for position, pawing, snarling, and biting. Ford feigned right and went left. With the neck exposed, he went for it. His attacker dropped, the life bleeding out of him, just as Brownie roused. A quick paw slice and he, too, was gone.

  Time to find Bailey.

  * * *

  Run, run, run.

  Bailey wasn’t quite sure what just happened. One minute Brad was rushing her inside, and the next all hell had broken loose. With her hands tied behind her back with that damn piece of plastic, doing anything was hard, including moving fast. Brad had been holding her arm, keeping her captive. Then suddenly a wolf charged Tom and tore out his throat. Blood splattered everywhere, paralyzing her at the horrific sight. She should have been thrilled that one of her captors went down, but there were so many others.

  Growls filled the entryway and their claws scraped against the tile floor. And then there were the howls and yelps. If her hands had been free, she would have plastered them over her ears.

  The wolves looked alike, and she couldn’t tell who was winning the fight to save her. After staring at the fallen wolf, it had taken her a second to realize she was free—that Brad had shifted and rushed toward the wolves fighting on the other side. She had to assume it was Tyson or another Pack member.

  Move.

  With her back to the door, she fumbled for the handle and thankfully found it wasn’t locked. On the other side was a long, dark corridor. She’d never been in this area before, but it seemed to be a lot better than waiting in the main lobby area. Her breath came out too fast and a tight band constricted her chest, blocking the flow to her brain. Emergency lights glowed at the end, providing enough illumination for her to find her way.

  She couldn’t think where the safest place to hide would be. Her old room was on the second floor. She’d taken the elevator enough times to know that, but was it smart to go there? Would that be the first place they’d look?

  Logistics intruded. Could she even get in to the room? If she could, she’d never get out because the doors automatically locked. And what if another nurse spotted her? She’d call security and Bailey would be marched straight to Statler’s office.

  The main hallway door clicked behind her. Fuck. A stairwell door was to her right. She had to get out of sight. Fumbling for the handle, she finally yanked open the door, hopefully before the man spotted her. She ducked inside the stairwell, blood pounding in her ears, preventing her from hearing his steps. Damn. She wouldn’t know if he’d walked past. She needed her senses, but she couldn’t have slowed her pulse if she tried.

  Go up or go down? Assuming she could get into one of the rooms, that might be her best bet. Decision made. Up it was. Trying to make as little noise as possible, Bailey raced up the stairs. If the doors on the next two floors were locked, she’d be stuck in the stairwell with no place to go but back down.

  She tugged and it opened. Victory! Another shot of adrenaline shot through her veins. Before she rushed out, she peered down the hall. What the hell? This hall was dark, too. Where was everyone? At least no one was in sight, but she bet that wouldn’t last for long.

  Moving quietly, she kept close to the wall, checking each room knob. Locked, locked, locked. Damn. Even though she was frustrated, she refused to give up. The tenth handle moved and she ducked inside, the latch loudly settling into place. Crap.

  “I’ll find you, bitch,” came a shout too close down the hall. Had he seen her duck into this room?

  Her stomach clenched. It was pitch black in the room. She couldn’t even make out the outline of the bed, but she didn’t dare turn on the light for fear it might leak into the darkened hallway.

  The bathroom! That would be safe. With her left hand on the wall, she edged her way around the room until her fingers touched a doorjamb. The room handle jiggled. Panic clawed at her. She turned the bathroom knob slowly and slipped in, remembering too late that there were no inside locks. Bailey slid down to her butt and waited, her stomach in her throat and tears close at bay.

  * * *

  Ford! Ty telepathed.

  Ty had already taken down one of his attackers and was now circling Tony, a fierce competitor. He wouldn’t go down easily. A beefy man had entered the fray, but only for a moment. As soon as Bailey escaped, he changed back and charged after her, but Ty doubted he’d harm her. Tony had probably hired the extra security to make sure Bailey didn’t escape. They needed her alive.

  Ford hesitated. I have to find Bailey.

  Could use a little help. Not really, but he wanted to be the one to hold her when they rescued her.

  Ford rushed over and leapt on top of Tony. While Ty liked to win his fights fair and square, Bailey needed him more. Between the two of them, they took Tony down with ease.

  Ford stepped back and shifted, and Ty did the same. One look at the carnage convinced him they’d have to figure out what to do with the bodies. Later.

  “Let’s go,” Ford said.

  Ty grabbed the vest that contained a few of his favorite knives. One never knew when one of them would come in handy. They charged down the hallway and stilled. “Which way?” There were numerous choices.

  “We find the man first then we can call out to Bailey.”

  Why hadn’t he thought of that? “Want to split up? You go down, I go up?”

  Ford nodded.

  Ty took the stairs two at a time. When he reached the second floor, he looked down the corridor but spotted no one, so he headed up to the top floor. This area contained the research lab as well as where the girls had been tested. His gut soured just thinking about what Statler had done to them. If Ty could reverse his enhanced status he would. Benefitting from someone else’s loss sickened him.

  As he neared the research lab, he slowed, sensing another shifter close by. Given the top floor had been abandoned, like the rest of the lab, it would be difficult to find a place to hide. He hoped Bailey hadn’t come up here.

  Just as he reached out to open the door, it swung back, and nearly smacked him in the face. A tall shifter stepped
out. The man should have expected someone to come after him, but from the surprised look on his face, he hadn’t. His bad luck. Ty wasn’t in the mood to stop and chat. Keeping low, he launched himself at the Colter and wrapped his arm around the man’s neck. With his free hand, Ty slipped the knife from its sleeve and dragged it across his neck. Seconds later, the man dropped.

  “Sorry, dude. Hooking up with Dram and Tony was your first mistake.”

  Ty wiped the blood from his knife on the man’s shirt and returned the blade to the holder in his vest. Ford would have been proud if he’d watched that quick match. Now to find Bailey.

  Ty almost forgot about the radio mic on his shoulder. “Threat’s gone, but I haven’t found Bailey.”

  “Me, neither,” came the reply. “Keep looking. We know she’s here.”

  Ty clicked off the mic and called her name. No answer. In case, she was afraid to show her face, he checked all of the rooms and the possible hiding places. Nothing.

  He descended to the second floor where the women’s rooms were located. If she wasn’t in the basement level, she probably was there. Ty doubted she’d think to go into an office on the first floor. He was halfway down the hall when Ford showed up.

  “Anything yet?” Ford asked.

  “No.” Ty tested another knob. “They’re all locked.”

  “She’s got to be here.”

  Each taking one side of the hallway, they knocked and called her name, determined to be thorough. “Come on, honey. Where are you? It’s us. Ty and Ford. We know you’re here. It’s safe to come out. The men are gone.” It would have been too gruesome to say they were dead, bloody messes.

  Down the hall, a door squeaked open and Bailey poked out her head. How Ty remained standing, he didn’t know. Faster than he’d ever moved before, he raced down the hall and gathered her in his arms. Tears streamed down his cheeks for the first time in a very long time.

  After a hug, Bailey leaned back, kissed him quickly then looked over at Ford. “Can I have a hug, too?”

  Ty’s heart broke. His brother had done some damage by leaving her. Bailey deserved more.

  “Just waitin’ my turn.” He opened his arms.

  Her smiled wobbled as she stepped into his embrace. When Ty spotted his brother’s teeth elongate, part of his heart mended. They might end up together after all.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Are you just going to leave those wolves in the entranceway?” Bailey asked as Tyson led her outside.

  “We’ll worry about that later,” he said as he escorted her to the car. Once he loaded her into the backseat, he removed his jacket and slipped it over her shoulders.

  “You won’t be cold?” she asked.

  “No, hon.”

  Ty remained in the back with her as Ford started the engine, which warmed up the car. For the first time in a long time, Bailey felt safe. “Why isn’t the place swarming with Colters?” Until Statler was dead, she’d be hunted.

  Tyson lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “He’s gone, as are his men.”

  “Gone?” Her pulse shot through the roof.

  “Not gone, gone. Statler must have gotten wind of The Pack’s involvement and taken off.”

  The words didn’t make sense. “Where did he go?” Had Statler just quit?

  Ty slid his hands under her butt and lifted her onto his lap where she snuggled against his chest, enjoying not only his warmth but the comfort of his arms.

  “He moved his entire operation, lock, stock, and barrel to some other place. The computers are gone and the lab is empty. He even emptied out his office.”

  She leaned back. “What about the girls?” This was terrible news. How would they save them if they didn’t know where they were? This nightmare never seemed to end.

  “We’ll find them,” Tyson answered.

  He was trying to placate her. “And when you do, what’s to stop Statler from moving them again?” That might have been mean, but she felt vulnerable and way too raw right now.

  “I’m going to call the General,” Ford said.

  He pulled out his phone and pressed a few buttons. Despite it being late, someone actually answered. Perhaps generals didn’t sleep. When Ford explained that the lab had been vacated, she watched Ford’s expression.

  His brows rose. “What do you mean you have a tracker, sir? I see. We can do that. Maybe three days? Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.” Ford disconnected and turned around.

  “Well?” Ty asked.

  “I’m blown away. First off, he said not to worry about the dead wolves. He’ll send someone from here to clean up the mess.”

  She was happy there wouldn’t be any evidence. “What’s a tracker?”

  Ford smiled. “Seems our fearless leader has an ace up his sleeve, though I must admit, I’m a little upset he didn’t trust us enough to tell us.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “He has some kind of tracker installed and knows where Statler is.”

  “No fucking way,” Ty said. “That’s fantastic.”

  Bailey couldn’t believe it. “So now what?”

  “The General wants us to head to Florida.”

  Florida? Given how cold she’d been of late, she’d welcome the warmth. “Why does he want us there?”

  She slumped against Ty’s chest, wanting to forget all about these Colter assholes and get on with her life.

  “He needs to debrief us—and you.”

  “I don’t know anything.” She ran her hand down Ty’s chest, her fingers tracing his delicious abs.

  “Since Dram and Tony are dead, what you know might not help much, but you’ve seen and heard things that even you might not realize are important.”

  “If he thinks my knowledge can help save the girls, I’m game.” Driving to Florida would take forever, but she had nowhere to go. She sat up. “As long as we’re heading south, would it be possible to stop in Pittsburgh to see Tatum? I’m worried about her.” And Clare to a certain degree. She had helped Tatum escape and for that she’d be eternally grateful.

  Ford pulled out of the parking lot and she couldn’t get far enough away from this place. Neither answered her question, but she guessed they were discussing something from the way Ford kept glancing in the mirror.

  After a minute of the silence, it pissed her off. “I thought you said it took energy to do that mind talking stuff when in human form.”

  Tyson hugged her. “It does.”

  “Then talk. If I’m your mate, there should be no secrets between us.”

  Ford lifted a hand. “Sorry. We were discussing the threat level.”

  For her? “Is it red, orange, yellow, or what?”

  “Yellow. Even though Statler probably still wants you, he has other things on his plate right now. Like finding some other unsuspecting woman with your special blood type.”

  “Now I’m glad it’s rare.” Regardless of the future threat, she’d be safe for the time being. “So can we see Tatum?”

  “Sure. It’s on the way. We can stay the night, but that’s all.”

  “Good enough for me.” She stiffened. “I don’t have my passport.” She had no desire to cross over in the trunk again.

  “Got ’em,” Ty said. I kept them in the glove compartment of my car, remember?”

  She sank back against him. “I remember now.”

  She was tired and wasn’t thinking clearly. She leaned her head against Tyson’s chest and shelved her worries for the next few hours.

  * * *

  Bailey was happy the men let her take the wheel for a few hours. Not wanting to stay in Canada any longer than necessary meant they had to drive all night. By the time they reached Pittsburgh, it was almost noon. Ford had called Cam to let them know they’d be stopping by for the day.

  It sounded dumb, but Bailey was a bit nervous to see her sister. Bailey certainly wasn’t the same person she was a few weeks ago when they’d blissfully hiked in the woods. Tatum had changed, too. Bailey ha
d been the lucky one. A day after her kidnapping, Ford and Tyson had rescued her. While the second kidnapping was bad, she sensed she was too important to Brad and Tom for them to hurt her.

  “You okay?” Tyson asked. “You got real quiet there.”

  “I’m good.” She scooted out of the car.

  When Tatum answered the apartment door, her coloring wasn’t good. Instead of the squeal Bailey longed to hear, Tatum gave her a long, hard hug. “Come on in. You guys must be exhausted. I want to hear about everything.”

  Clare came out from the hallway. “Hello.”

  While they didn’t hug, Bailey was glad to see her. “How are you holding up?”

  She shrugged. “It’s comforting having Cam and Spence hang around. They said Statler dissembled the lab?”

  “Yes,” Ford said.

  Tatum motioned they all take a seat and they chatted for a bit, but her sister seemed distracted. “I’ll make some tea and coffee.”

  Bailey rushed after her. “I’ll help.”

  She let her sister prepare the drinks before saying anything. While Tatum waited for the pot to perk and the water to boil, she leaned against the counter. “Your men really seem nice. I was sorry to hear you were taken again.”

  Bailey waved a hand. “Water under the bridge. And they are nice, but they’re also amazing, noble, protective and…” She wasn’t sure how to say it.

  A smile flitted across her lips. “Are you looking for the word loving?”

  Bailey’s pulse soared. She’d never mentioned to Tatum that she cared for the men, but with the way they kept looking at her during their brief conversation, her sister must have noticed. Bailey was hesitant to bring up the concept of being with two men, but Tatum had always been open-minded. It was their parents who weren’t. “Yes. I think I love them.” There she’d admitted it.

  “Did you say them?” Tatum lowered her voice. “I find that hard to believe. You’re so…”

  “Straight? Conservative?”

  “Well, yes.” Her eyes widened. “Have you…you know…been with both at the same time?”