Sedona Sacrifice

by Lisa Kessler

  “Then the next time I send men to collect Samantha’s boys, the snipers won’t miss.”

  “You’ll have me killed?” I bit back the lump in my throat, hoping somewhere in that clouded mind, the man who loved justice would be able to hear me. “Do you hear yourself? You’re advocating for murder.”

  He stepped back and wiped his brow, shaking his head. “Those boys are all I have left of Samantha. He killed her.”

  “He didn’t. A stray bullet hit her. Taking those boys isn’t going to bring her back. And they love their dad.” I took a tentative step toward him, toward the table where my cell phone sat. “Whatever this serum is…it’s affecting your judgment.”

  “I’m a fucking judge, you bitch!” he screeched, drawing his arm back.

  I spun around to run, but he was too fast. I hit the tile floor, and everything went black.

  CHAPTER 15

  Gage

  I peeked into the boys’ bedroom to make sure they were sleeping. Nothing moved. I smiled and headed back down the hallway. I’d been aching to call Becca, but if the little cubs heard me talking to her, they’d be out of bed itching to talk to her, too. Now the coast was clear. I sat at the table and grabbed my phone. I pressed Becca’s number and waited.

  It rang over and over until her voice mail came on. Maybe she was in the shower. I left a message, and a knock came at my door. Fuck, I’d been so caught up in calling her, I hadn’t noticed a car pull up. Now I heard it. A Jeep’s engine was still running outside.

  I opened the door to find Naomi. I frowned. “What’s going on?”

  She came inside. “I’m going to stay here with the boys.” She opened her hand to flash her ninja stars, and my gaze flicked to the gun on her belt. “Asher is waiting for you downstairs in the Jeep.”

  “What happened?” I stuffed my phone in my pocket and went to the closet to unlock my gun safe.

  “We’re not sure exactly, but he got a flash of a vision.”

  I took out my Glock and a couple of loaded magazines. I straightened and turned around. “Someone in the pack is in danger?”

  She nodded slowly. “Becca.”

  I didn’t stick around long enough to ask any more questions. My wolf growled as I raced down the stairs and jumped in the passenger side of Asher’s Jeep. He gave it some gas, and we roared out of the lot.

  “We’re going to Becca’s?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” He kept his eyes on the road. “I got a vision of her running and someone hitting her from behind. I never saw who.” He glanced my way. “You know where she lives?”

  I gave him directions and kept my eyes on the mirrors for any sign of police as Asher broke the speed limit to get us there as quickly as possible.

  When we got to Becca’s house, nothing seemed out of place. No strange cars, there were a couple lights on inside, but as I leaped out of the Jeep and ran to the door, there was an unfamiliar lingering scent. Not Becca’s, but it was human. At least it wasn’t one of the fucking jaguar shifter snipers who’d been popping up around my kids lately.

  I tried the door. It was locked. I gripped it tighter and cranked it until the interior gears stripped. I’d buy her a new knob. The scent of her blood hit me like an uppercut to the solar plexus as I rushed inside, tracking it until I found her facedown on the tile on the far side of the dining room table.

  No, no, no, no, no.

  I dropped to my knees beside her and rolled her over. Thankfully, I could hear her heartbeat. Her pulse was even, too, but she wasn’t conscious. Her lips were bloodied where she’d hit the floor and her face was bruised. I cradled her head in my lap, stroking her hair back from her forehead. “Becca?”

  No response.

  Asher came over and crouched beside us. “Let’s get her to the ER. She’s not a werewolf. The hospital is still an option. She might have a head trauma.”

  He was right. I nodded and carefully scooped her into my arms. “Let’s go.”

  “We could call an ambulance,” Asher said.

  “We’ll be faster.” My heart was pounding. Maybe the paramedics were the right call, but I couldn’t sit here and do nothing. My mate had been attacked, and this helpless feeling made me simultaneously want to hit something and ball up under the weight of the panic.

  I carried her out and cradled her body with one arm while I climbed into the Jeep and rested her on my lap.

  She groaned and stirred. “Gage?”

  I nodded, relief flooding my senses as Asher started the engine. “I’m right here, Bec.”

  She blinked her eyes open. “My uncle.”

  “Did he do this to you?” I was going to rip him apart.

  “He’s strong, like you. Too fast.” She wet her lips and winced. “He took something. A serum. He’s…paranoid.”

  I looked over at Asher. “The shit Evolution Defense used to shoot up the Timberwolf squad.”

  Before Dr. Harlow died, she’d developed a formula using werewolf DNA to create human super soldiers. She’d shot up one unit and called them the Timberwolves. Most of them died from brain bleeds, but a few survived. Her uncle could die, but until then, he’d be just as strong as we were.

  “Shit.” Asher gave the Jeep more gas as we rushed to the ER.

  “Where are the boys?” she asked, trying to move her head.

  “They’re safe in bed. Naomi is with them.”

  She met my eyes. “How did you know?”

  “You’re pack now. Asher gets visions when we’re in danger or scared.” I caressed her cheek, hating the bruises that were already forming. “I’m so sorry we didn’t get there sooner.”

  “Samantha knew about werewolves before Caldwell took her. She was—” She sucked in a breath. The wind gusted around us as the Jeep raced down the highway, but I had no trouble hearing her voice. “She was part of the Collective. She called her dad after you got her out of the storage facility.” My gut twisted. But before I could curse the mother of my boys, Becca added, “She asked him to leave her boys alone.” She looked up at me. “He thinks you killed her. I told him he’s wrong, but he’s…angry and…paranoid.”

  “Shh.” I held her close to me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

  I hated myself for not being there. She settled against my chest again, closing her eyes. The scent of her blood, the sight of it staining my shirt, curdled my stomach as the wolf howled within.

  Asher stopped the Jeep at the ER doors, and I carried Becca inside even though she kept saying she could walk. I wasn’t going to chance her falling.

  I lowered her into a chair. “I’ll be right back.”

  At the front desk, they handed me a clipboard of paperwork for her to fill out, and a triage nurse followed me over to take her vitals. When she finished up, I sat beside Becca, and Asher settled on my other side.

  Becca peered over at me as she filled in the blanks. “I’m sore, but I’m okay.”

  “You could have a concussion.” Suddenly, she seemed so fragile. Werewolves healed faster than humans, and we were tougher to kill. That bastard had attacked her in her house. She could have died on that floor tonight.

  I pushed the dark thoughts away and glanced over at Asher. “Thanks for coming for me and…for everything.”

  He patted my back. “She’s going to be all right.”

  I kissed her hair as a nurse approached with a wheelchair. “I’ve got a room ready.”

  Becca got in with a little help, and I started to follow. The nurse shot me a look. “I’ll come back for you once the doctor has a chance to examine her.”

  “Okay.” I bent to kiss her cheek and whispered, “See you soon.”

  She squeezed my hand and gave me a weak smile. “Thanks, Gage.”

  I watched her disappear behind two automatic doors and settled back into the chair next to Asher. “You don’t have to wait here with me. I’ll call you when we hear something.”

  “I’ll head over to your place and stay with Naomi until you get back.”


  Asher nodded, his attention on the doors instead of me. “After the full moon tomorrow night, we’ll make plans to silence this threat.”

  I glanced his way. “I thought we couldn’t hurt a judge.”

  Asher’s dark gaze locked on mine. “I think it’s safe to say her uncle is the judge Ryker and Serenity were zeroing in on as the third emperor of the Transparency Collective. Now he’s attacked someone in our pack. He brought the war to our door. We can’t ignore him now.”

  War was something I understood. “Tomorrow we shift, and then we fight.”

  “Exactly.” Asher clasped my forearm and stood. “Call me later and let me know how she’s doing. I’m going to pick up Naomi, and we’ll take the boys back to the ranch with us.”

  “Thanks.” I looked up. “Who’s watching Bart and Ben?”

  “Vance and Kaya were visiting when the vision hit. They stayed at my place.” He glanced at the double doors and back to me with a hint of a smile. “I know she’ll ask. Tell Becca she better not come into work tomorrow.”

  “Will do.” I clasped his forearm and Asher got up and left me behind.

  I don’t know how long I sat in the waiting room chair, choking on the fumes of alcohol and disinfectant. I hadn’t been inside a hospital since I’d been bitten. With my new heightened senses, the acrid scents of blood, urine, and death attacked me, and I couldn’t hide from the quiet sobs and pained moans that assaulted my sensitive ears.

  I needed to get the fuck out of this hell, but I couldn’t leave Becca here alone. I wouldn’t. My headphones were back at my apartment. I did my best to focus on a video on my phone—anything to pass the time.

  Finally, a nurse approached me. “Are you here for Becca Yates?”

  “Yes.” I stuffed my phone in my pocket. “Is she okay?”

  “The doctor would like to keep her in the hospital for observation overnight, but I can take you back to see her.”

  “Thank you.” I got up and followed the nurse through the maze of identical hallways until I finally caught Becca’s scent in the onslaught of others. I could probably find her on my own now, but I stayed just behind the nurse.

  She stopped outside Becca’s door. “Visiting hours are over at eleven o’clock.”

  “All right. Thanks again.” I entered the room, checking the clock on the wall. It was already nine o’clock. Somehow I’d survived almost three hours in that waiting room.

  Becca looked my way and smiled. It was crooked, her lips swollen on one side, but I’d never been more relieved. I bent to kiss her forehead, far from the butterfly bandages holding together a cut on her hairline. I pulled back, cataloguing every injury. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I got hit by a truck.”

  I took her hand in mine. “I never should have left you there alone.”

  “I have a slight concussion and a cracked tooth. I’ll be all right.” She shook her head slowly. “My uncle took some kind of serum that he thinks gives him werewolf powers. He was manic. I’ve never seen him like that before.”

  I sighed, shaking my head. “One of the contractors working on a top-secret super solider program for the military was using werewolf DNA to make a serum to give humans heightened senses and strength, but it led to brain bleeds and paranoia. Most of the unit they injected with it died.” I met her eyes. “I can’t believe your uncle would take it willingly. He must know the results of the experiment.”

  “He said General Sloan was following him.” Her thumb stroked the back of my hand. “That’s the same guy who was after me, right?”

  “Yeah.” Even with a concussion, she was putting the pieces together. Would she get all the way to ending where I killed her uncle to protect my pack? Would I be a hero or a murderer in her eyes? I wasn’t even sure which I was anymore. I was a soldier in a war I’d never realized existed. But I’d fight for the rest of my life if that’s what it took to keep my boys safe.

  Her eyes met mine. “My uncle hit me when I wouldn’t commit to bringing the boys to Phoenix. He’s not going to stop coming for them.”

  “I know.” I ground my teeth as I bent to kiss the back of her hand. “Tomorrow night, after we shift, the pack is getting together to make a plan to deal with him.”

  She studied me silently before she whispered, “How are you going to stop him without being arrested? He knows how to wield the law like a weapon.”

  “We’ll find a way.” I stared at our joined hands and back to her face. “I won’t stop fighting. From the moment I knocked you out of the way of that bullet, you’ve changed my whole world, and I finally know what I want my life to be. I want it to be us. You and me against the world.”

  Her gaze locked on mine. “I want that, too.”

  And in spite of being inside a hospital and the constant assault on my heightened senses, my heart wanted to leap out of my damned chest.

  I stared into her eyes. “I love you, Bec.”

  Her lips curved into another crooked smile. “I love you, too.”

  “Sorry this isn’t a very romantic spot for this.”

  She chuckled and cringed a little. “All I need is you.”

  “I’m all yours,” I whispered.

  Her eyes drifted closed, and I sat beside her bed, holding her hand until she fell asleep. The nurse eventually came by to tell me visiting hours were over. I pressed a kiss to Becca’s forehead.

  “See you tomorrow.”

  She didn’t stir.

  Yet, somehow, I forced myself to leave the room.

  CHAPTER 16

  Becca

  I woke up to a nurse taking my blood pressure.

  “Morning.” She smiled and pointed at the whiteboard with staff names hanging on the wall. “I’m Jamie. I’ll be your nurse today. Gina went home.”

  “Hi.” I glanced around the room. I didn’t remember Gage leaving last night. Glancing over at the door, I frowned. There was a police officer outside. “What’s he doing here?”

  Jamie’s empathic smile faltered as she jotted down my vitals and moved to the IV bag of fluids. “He’s going to make sure you stay safe.”

  “Safe?” The last few moments of the night before flashed though my head. Right up until my uncle struck me from behind. Did Gage call the police? That didn’t feel right. “Where’s Gage?”

  “Who is Gage?” she asked as she typed on the rolling portable terminal.

  “My boyfriend. He was here with me last night.”

  He back stiffened, and her expression darkened. “You don’t need to worry about him anymore.”

  I sat up, a drip of adrenaline lacing my bloodstream. “What are you talking about?” I scanned the room. “Where’s my cell phone?”

  “I don’t think you came in with it.” She picked up a plastic sack that said PERSONAL BELONGINGS on it and carried it over.

  Then I remembered. My phone had been on the table behind my uncle. I couldn’t get to it. It was probably still back at my house. Maybe Gage would be back this morning. Hopefully, I could go home soon.

  The nurse handed me the bag and tapped the bar on the side of the bed. “We have a social worker who will be by in a little while. She has resources for you.”

  Resources? For a concussion? “Okay… I just fell. I’m fine, really.” She raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t respond. It was like I’d woken up in an alternative reality. “I want to go home.”

  “We’ll have to wait for the doctor to discharge you.” She went to the door. “Just relax. Your uncle said he’d be back this afternoon. If the doctor says it’s okay, then he can take you home.”

  She walked past the officer at my door, and the realization finally hit me. Uncle Mitch. A judge from the Arizona Supreme Court told them Gage had hit me. I kept my eye on the armed man as I pieced together the scenario. Could Uncle Mitch have filed a restraining order against Gage on my behalf?

  Oh shit. Tonight was the full moon. If Gage came in here and got arrested, he would shift in jail. My pulse raced as I picked up the phone
beside the bed and stared at the numbers. Dammit, I didn’t know Gage’s number. It was saved in my phone.

  I quickly dialed the one I knew by heart. The office wouldn’t be open yet, but the calls automatically forwarded to Asher’s cell phone.

  Asher answered on the second ring. “Becca? How are you feeling?”

  I kept my attention focused on the officer outside my door. “I’m sore, but I’m all right.” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “Listen, my uncle came in while I was sleeping and told everyone Gage beat me up. There’s an officer outside my room. I think he filed a restraining order against Gage.”

  Asher’s deep voice rumbled. “Shit.”

  “The nurse said my uncle is coming back for me this afternoon as soon as the doctor gives the okay. I need to get out of here.”

  “Naomi can come pick you up. I’ll warn Gage to stay away.” He paused. “Any idea what time you’ll be discharged?”

  “No.” I narrowed my eyes at the back of the officer’s head.

  “Call me once the doctor discharges you. I’ll let Naomi know what’s going on. She’ll be over there soon.”

  “Thanks, Asher.” I hung up the phone, and the officer got up and came into my room. I raised a brow. “Shouldn’t you be outside?”

  He smirked. “Shouldn’t you be staying away from wolves?” He jerked the phone cord out of the jack. “How could you hear…?”

  He leaned in close. “I work for your uncle. Be a good girl and play by the rules and no one else gets hurt.”

  “Screw you.” I reached for the nurse call button, but he snatched it from my hand.

  His eyes were cold and emotionless. “The cat in me is aching for you to be bad. We like to toy with our prey.”

  I blinked. What did that mean? Was he a jaguar shifter like Vance? “Does my uncle know what you are?”

  “Just making a living, lady.” He straightened up. “Your uncle and his group pay us well. Don’t be a pain in my ass, and this will be over before you know it.”

  He went back to his post outside my door, leaving me with no way to communicate with the outside world. Gage had said the snipers had been jaguar shifters. This same guy could have been the one shooting at us the other night.