***
Levi tossed the two dead shifter bodies into the back of the SUV, and slammed the door. Tonight had seen a nightmare in this small town, and he could hardly believe what he’d witnessed. An Alpha betraying another, offering up his best friend’s pups to the rogue pack, and then almost serving up one of his own pack members, was madness. Since he’d first heard of the rogue pack’s actions, he’d been amazed at their callousness and astounded by the influence they had over others. He and Hank hadn’t discussed it with Ryder’s team or Jason, but the SIA had uncovered high-ranking SASS members who were involved with the rogue pack. Now it was a matter of collecting enough evidence against these shifters in order to prosecute them. Part of him was glad he was on the front lines and not a pencil pusher for the SIA, but nights like tonight had him second-guessing his desire to be part of the action.
As he recovered shell casings, he couldn’t help but think of the additional messes tonight, those of the surprise intended shifters. Brady and the waitress confounded him the most. How the hell could a wolf-shifter be mated to a cat-shifter? That craziness had him again thankful he’d never met his mate. He didn’t need trouble like that and, in his eyes, all matings were trouble. Tied to one shifter for life seemed a death sentence.
At least the second pairing only concerned wolf-shifters, but the timing couldn’t be worse. Grayson’s daughter—Hannah? Yeah, he was certain he’d heard Hannah—needed to govern her pack now, not be distracted by her two mates. Not privy to the exact duties of an Alpha, he knew enough to be certain she’d need all her energies now. Diverting energy to mating was ridiculous, and yet she’d be compelled to do so. Inwardly, he shook his head at the entire mating thing, something he knew occurred to further shifter species but also something that caused ludicrous situations like the one Hannah currently faced. He hadn’t liked her mates on sight. Something about the tattooed one in particular hadn’t sat well with him, even as he had no idea why. As Jack Tremblay’s nephews, he supposed they were a good match to Hannah and yet something about them still bothered him.
When Ryder received Jason’s call earlier, he, Wayne, and Hank had left for the Grayson residence, leaving Levi to handle the cleanup on his own. He didn’t mind. Used to working by himself, after hearing why they departed, he was glad not to be included. The worst part of his job was interacting with grieving families. He hated it, and was pleased to be spared that tonight. Jason had called Ryder to inform him of Hannah’s discovery that the Tremblay twins were her mates, and to ask for Ryder’s help in addressing that while he and Jack tried to calm Karen Grayson who, according to Jason was still hysterical. Therefore, Hank, Wayne, and Ryder had departed to deal with Hannah, the new Alpha of the Moon Valley pack. They needed to see Julian Grayson’s finances and Alpha records and would have to convince Hannah to allow them access. The alternative, obtaining an order from the Alliance, would take time, and time wasn’t exactly on their side where the kidnapped shifters were concerned.
As his large fingers ran over the seal of the plastic evidence bag, his phone rang. He quickly opened the passenger’s door of the vehicle, tossed the bag onto the seat, and then fished his phone from his coat pocket. The display informed him the caller was someone from the SIA head office and he answered, curious as to what they’d discovered. A few moments later, he slipped the phone back into his pocket, and couldn’t help but sigh aloud. The agent on the phone had informed him that they’d traced the cheques Julian Grayson had written, and had video footage from the banks where the cheques were cashed. In each video, Jennifer Morrow had cashed the cheques. His mind swirled with more questions than ever. Jennifer Morrow had been missing for five years, possibly the first victim of the rogue pack. Now she’d surfaced, but her actions implied she was working with the pack. Did they coerce her to help them? Brainwash her? The thought of the pack not just forcing women to breed for them but also brainwashing them to their cause was beyond abhorrent.
He was antsier to leave for Saskatoon after receiving the information, and tomorrow morning seemed a century away. He wanted to go this moment, but knew the others would be hours still, dealing with the Graysons and the fallout of Julian’s actions. Besides, he still had to delivery the bodies to the SASS unit in Edmonton. It was roughly a nine-hour round trip. He checked the time. Just past ten. Well, that meant no sleep tonight, and plenty of coffee to get through tomorrow, but it would be worth it, especially if they did get information out of Mark. As he slid his tall frame into the driver’s seat, he figured the others would be finished their tasks by the time he arrived back in Willow Creek tomorrow morning. Thankful they were flying to Saskatoon, as he’d have his fill of driving for a while after tonight’s journey, he started up the SUV, eager to put the horror-filled night to rest. With any luck, tomorrow would bring answers to why Mark was working with the rogue shifters, clarity as to the pack’s true intentions, and, hopefully, the pack’s location.
***
After securing a room at the B&B, Dustin looked for Zack, having not noticed his brother wasn’t with him any longer. Zack must have wandered off sometime during the process, and what a process it had been. Well past the time the establishment was closed for the night, he’d read the sign on the door and rung the bell for assistance. When a pissed-off looking elderly woman answered the door, he knew the situation would be problematic. Her eyes roved over him, taking in his tats, and he clearly saw the scorn in her eyes. She glanced at Zack then met Dustin’s eyes again. He’d politely asked for a room for the night, and she’d allowed them in.
As she’d begun typing at the reception computer, Dustin apologized for the late hour and for disturbing her. He went on to explain how he and his twin had just met their mate and needed a place to be together. Instantly her mood brightened, she’d smiled at him as she congratulated him, and then had gone on to tell him all about the early days of her relationship with her two mates. It was no wonder Zack had escaped, for the woman had droned on for some time. Only the observable love she embodied for her mates kept Dustin from interrupting her, and he found that, despite how long it took her to tell the tale, embellishing it with much unneeded detail, he’d loved hearing her story.
After receiving the key from the woman, he’d realized Zack wasn’t still with him and figured he was with the truck, perhaps sitting in it to keep warm while avoiding the B&B’s proprietor. However, as he exited the establishment, he found his twin sitting on the front steps. The disturbing energy flowing from Zack hit Dustin ten feet from his brother and, quickly closing the distance between them, he passed Zack to stand on the ground facing the stairs, eye level to his seated twin.
“I just got off the phone with Gabrielle,” Zack said wearily. “I had to tell her what happened.”
The regret in Zack’s voice felt like a slap. Dustin hadn’t given Gabby a thought, not at all. Overwhelmed with meeting Hannah, his thoughts had been consumed by nothing but her. He couldn’t wait to see her again, and had assumed Zack felt the same way.
“Sorry,” he offered, with an awkward shrug, “I know you and she were close.”
“More than close. I wanted to mate her.”
“I know, but she wasn’t intended for you. Hannah is.”
“She is.”
His brother’s continued morose tone prompted Dustin to squat before him. Looking up to him, he placed a hand on Zack’s forearm. “I know it’s hard for you, and I can imagine Gabby was upset.”
“She was heartbroken.”
The remorse in Zack’s voice hurt Dustin, and again he wished he could force his feelings upon his brother. He felt bad for Gabrielle, knowing she loved Zack and he her, but Hannah was their mate. She was intended for them and being with her felt so damn perfect he wondered how Zack couldn’t feel it too. Maybe he did, and the breakup with Gabrielle was just overshadowing it right now.
“Look, I don’t want to sound insensitive here, but you and Gabby will get over this. I know you love each other but you were never intended to be mat
es. Hannah is our mate. She’s chosen for us, and she’ll be perfect for us because of that.” Dustin patted his arm. “Come on. Let’s get our stuff in the room, and then try to set something nice up for Hannah.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ryan gave me some candles and some other stuff from the house. It’s not much and maybe won’t be as romantic as Hannah has probably envisioned her mating night, but after the day she’s had, I just wanted to do something for her.”
A tiny smile crept across Zack’s lips. “You’re not nearly the badass you want people to think you are.”
“Yeah well, don’t go blabbing that around.”
Dustin was pleased when Zack laughed softly at that. His brother then got to his feet. “Okay, let’s do this. You’re right, she deserves a great night and we do too. Despite everything that’s happened, it’s still our claiming night. Let’s make it as special as we can.”
They made their way to the truck and Dustin stole a sideways glance at his twin. Zack was still visibly upset and he guessed he would be for a while. However, he was certain claiming Hannah would go a long way to dispel Gabrielle from Zack’s mind, considering she hadn’t belonged there in the first place. For the first time in ages, Dustin felt invigorated and hopeful. It would be easy to focus on the awful things that had transpired today, but he chose to think only about the best thing that had occurred. He and his brother had found their mate.
***
Holding in the deep sigh he longed to release, Ryder entered the house with Wayne and Hank. Feeling Ashlynn’s absence more profoundly there, he hated being in it, but wouldn’t voice his thoughts. Wayne knew exactly how he felt and Hank had the case to focus on. With tonight’s devastating events, the group had enough to deal with. Ignoring how cold the house felt without his mate in it, he peeled off his coat and boots and then took Hank’s coat from him to hang in the closet. After Wayne hung his coat, he turned to the pair.
“I’m beat. I’m turning in.”
Without waiting for an answer, the big shifter then headed upstairs. Ryder’s heart sank knowing how much Wayne, too, suffered with Ashlynn’s absence but, like Ryder, he wasn’t one to voice his emotions. Hank’s presence didn’t help in that regard as neither Ryder nor Wayne would do anything to lead their former commander to believe they weren’t able to work this case. Not that Hank would think less of them if he did suspect their inability to be objective, but duty would cause Hank to pull them from it. There was no way either would allow that, and so they squashed their emotions, even around one another.
“Are you turning in too?” Hank asked.
“No. I should, but I’m too wired.”
“You need rest, you’ve been going non-stop since this all started.”
“Yeah, but I can’t sleep. I’m making coffee. You want some?”
“Sure,” Hank said and then followed him into the kitchen.
After starting the machine, Ryder felt Hank’s eyes on him and turned to face him. “What is it?”
“Let’s wait for the coffee, and then sit down to talk.”
Hank’s tone had Ryder suppressing another sigh. The shifter’s ‘talks’ consisted of him frankly delivering criticism. Ryder had been on the receiving end of Hank’s talks before and knew what he was in store for.
Shortly after, cups of steaming coffee before each one, the pair sat at the table. Ryder sipped from his mug and waited. Hank always eased the recipient into the full brunt of his rebukes and Ryder fully expected that pattern to transpire now. He was shocked when Hank delivered an alarming opening line.
“You shouldn’t be on this case.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“I’ve been nothing but professional,” he hissed, unable to quell his anger. He didn’t understand where Hank’s opinion was coming from but there was no way he’d allow the shifter to pull him from this case.
“And that’s the problem.”
“Excuse me?”
Hank turned the mug in his hands and Ryder thought he looked uncomfortable. His former commander had never had a problem expressing his views, no matter how harsh. He wasn’t one to pull punches and his hesitancy to speak was worrisome. “Ryder, your mate was taken. Wayne’s out of it. He’s functioning, but he’s on auto-pilot. I know he’ll react in accordance to his training so I’m not worried about him. You though, well, it’s a different story with you. You’re too focused. You appear completely normal and that scares the shit out of me.”
Having no idea what to say in response, Ryder remained quiet and stewed. Hank sure sounded like he was about to pull rank and Ryder prepared to argue his case, even as he had no idea what Hank would say next. This conversation was taking place on new ground, with Hank acting out of character and his words so far completely baffled Ryder. He thought he’d been distant and closed off and was truly stunned by Hank’s observations.
“Just so you know, Levi noticed first and pointed it out to me.”
“So I have him to thank for this?”
“I just wanted you to know that I’m not the only one who sees it. I’m sure if we asked Brady he’d agree as well.”
“Don’t count on it. He’s loyal to the team.”
Hank cocked his head. “Is that what you think this is? Disloyalty on my behalf?”
“I don’t know. You tell me. All I do know is Wayne and I worked for years with you and Mark and didn’t have a clue the pair of you were also SIA agents. We shared everything, or at least I thought we did. ‘Closer than brothers.’ Do you remember saying that? Repeatedly? I believed it, and so did Wayne. But it turns out we aren’t. Not even remotely. Mark’s made it clear that we never knew who he truly was.”
“And you think the same of me?”
“How can I not? You deceived us for years and now you want to pull me from this case.”
“Did I say that?”
“You didn’t have to,” he snapped. He noisily pushed his chair back as he leapt to his feet. Stomping blindly, not sure where he was headed, Hank’s next words stopped him dead in his tracks.
“I don’t want to pull you from the case.”
He turned to see Hank and frowned. “But you made it sound like ...”
Hank shrugged. “I should pull rank and order you off the case but I don’t want to.” He gestured to the chair Ryder had vacated. “Please, let’s talk. You can stay on the case but you can’t continue to bottle up your emotions.”
“I can’t sit. I have to do something.”
Without waiting for a response, Ryder moved to the dishwasher, intent on washing the plates and mugs in the sink. There weren’t many dirty items but he needed to do something. While grateful Hank wasn’t ordering him off the case, he still didn’t want to converse with him further, and no way in hell was he going to discuss his feelings. He opened the dishwasher to find it full of clean dishes. As he started putting them away in cupboards, Hank rose from his chair and slowly approached him.
“It’s not healthy to shut down like this.” His tone was fatherly now. It called to a place in Ryder that held fond memories of his former commander, yet he still wouldn’t confide in him. He wondered if he ever should have. Like Mark, Hank wasn’t the person Ryder had believed him to be. “I’m trying to help. I’m on your side.”
“Are you?” Concentrating a little too hard on putting away cutlery, he still hadn’t met Hank’s eyes. He couldn’t.
“What you view as disloyalty is anything but. I never told you I was in the SIA in order to protect you.” When all Ryder did was scoff in response, Hank continued. “I never lied to you or Wayne. Ever. Everything I disclosed to you was the truth.”
“I’m not sure I can take you at your word.” He started loading the dishwasher and stole a sideways glance at Hank. The shifter appeared upset with his statement but he couldn’t be sure. How could he trust anything that came out of Hank’s mouth? Despite Hank’s assertion that omission wasn’t the same as lying, he saw it differently. He’d al
ways considered Hank a combination of brother, father figure, and mentor, even if the shifter was only a few years older than he was. He’d idolized Hank and couldn’t help but feel betrayed by the shifter’s actions. For seven years he’d followed Hank’s orders, heeded his advice, and practically hung on his every word. Now, running his eyes over him, Ryder wasn’t sure he knew anything about the man he’d stopped just shy of worshipping.
“Okay, enough,” Hank spit out through clenched teeth. “I’ve tried to be patient but I’ve had enough. You’re being petulant. Sit the fuck down and let’s discuss this rationally.”
“Fuck you, and no,” Ryder shot back. “You’re not my commander anymore. I don’t have to listen to orders from you, especially not in my house. In fact, I rescind my offer for you and that asshole to stay here.”
Hank shook his head. “If you weren’t as emotionally battered as you are, I’d split your fucking lip for talking to me like that.”
“Do it,” Ryder taunted. “Give me I reason to swing at you because I sure as shit want to.”
Jumping forward, Hank delivered a sharp jab to Ryder’s nose that sent him reeling, tears stinging his eyes. With a primal roar, he leapt upon Hank, blindly raining blows. In a flash, he found himself belly-down on the floor, Hank atop him, the shifter’s arm under his throat, with his right arm wrenched behind his back. His other arm was pinned by Hank’s knee and he struggled even as he knew he was helpless. In his rage, he’d disregarded the first lesson Hank had taught him, to ensure he engaged the enemy with a clear head.
“You gonna calm down and talk like a normal shifter?” Hank asked as he pulled on Ryder’s arm a little more, causing him to wince.
“No. Fuck you. Get the fuck off me and out of my fucking house!”
“What the hell is going on in here?” Wayne’s voice sounded from behind them.
“It’s okay,” Hank said calmly, “Ryder’s just blowing off some steam. Sorry we woke you.”
Saved by Her Wolves Page 10
