Wolf Tales II

by Kate Douglas

  AJ’s soft voice rumbled in Luc’s ear. Mik, Tinker, and I have shifted. We’re going in as close as we can. We’ve got a couple hours before daylight, so we’re practically invisible until then. I’ll bring your weapons to you on our way down.

  Thanks, I’m moving in, too, but I’ll stay on two legs, as planned. Luc heard another slight rustle in the thick undergrowth, recognized the wolf slinking quietly along the down side of the ridge.

  AJ carried two knives in his mouth. He dropped them in front of Luc, then turned to rejoin Mik and Tinker. Luc nodded his thanks and then tucked the eight-inch blade into his boot, the six-inch knife into his waistband.

  No way could he have brought these on a commercial flight.

  Someone’s coming.

  Stefan’s warning caught Luc by surprise. Now who the hell else was showing up?

  Luc’s question was answered when a large rental van pulled into the yard in front of the barn. He should have guessed they’d be planning to move their prisoners. Two men climbed out of the U-Haul. Luc recognized them as special operations forces, good men he’d worked with in the past. In fact, as he looked around, Luc realized every man there was part of special ops.

  What the hell was going on? They had no idea he was able to shift, but they’d covered his back on more than one operation. Luc had trusted them with his life. What were they doing in the middle of something like this? Luc opened his mind, made sure everyone was listening. Looks like the party’s ready to rumble. Everyone in position? Ulrich? You listening?

  Goddamnit, yes, I’m listening. Stone, you keep my daughter safe, you hear me?

  Yes, sir. Okay, report first. What’ve we got?

  Stefan Aragat answered. Two in the Caddy with Tia, the muscle and the driver, two just climbing out of the U-Haul. Bosworth is standing by his car, but I think his driver’s still inside. I’ve checked around the barn and it appears Ulrich is alone, still secured. Xandi and I will take the two holding Tia.

  AJ checked in next. Mik, Tinker, and I are on the two from the U-Haul. We’re currently about two feet behind them. Clueless bastards.

  Don’t get cocky. That’s when you screw up. Every one of these guys is special ops, all highly trained soldiers.

  Yes, sir.

  Cheval, you and Xandi stay close to the target. I want him alive.

  You got it. We’re at the back of his vehicle now.

  Gazing out over the dark parking area, Luc couldn’t see a single wolf. Their dark coats blended with the shadows, their feral instincts kept them totally silent. However, all the humans except Tia were now out of their vehicles, standing while the older man spoke in an anxious whisper.

  Moving cautiously, Luc made his way closer to the back of the van. He had no idea if more forces waited inside or not, but he slipped a heavy stick through the latch, thoroughly jamming it.

  Luc? Luc, where are you?

  Tia! Don’t move. We’re nearby, we’ve got the area surrounded. I want them to think you’re still unconscious. Are you okay?

  I’m fine, other than one hell of a headache. I love you.

  I love you, too. Stay down. Whatever you do, don’t shift.

  Okay.

  Luc strode into the clearing as if he belonged there. “Hello, sir. You’re looking well.”

  “What the fuck?” The man Luc had rescued only days before jerked around and stared. “Arrest this man. He’s the one I warned you about.”

  The two heavily armed special-forces soldiers turned their weapons on Luc. AJ, Tinker, and Mik burst out of the darkness and soundlessly took both soldiers to the ground. Tinker stood in front of the older man, teeth bared.

  At the same time, wolves burst from the shadows on either side of Luc, overpowering both drivers and the man who had aided in Tia’s capture. Well-trained operatives or not, none of them was willing to do battle with an angry wolf.

  It was over in seconds. Luc grabbed plastic restraints out of his back pocket and immobilized all six men. Bosworth’s face looked ashen in the darkness. He stared at the seven wolves milling about snarling and growling, his eyes wide, his mouth slack and hanging open.

  “Watch them.” Luc’s terse order hung in the quiet darkness as he went to the Caddy and opened the back door. Tia tumbled into his arms, her clothing askew, her hair a tangled mess. He’d never seen her so beautiful.

  Luc caught Tia in a tight embrace, buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair. His chest ached, his hands shook, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d be crying like a baby.

  “Damn, baby. You feel so good.”

  Tia clung to him. Her body trembled, her breath exploded in sharp gasps. Luc ran his hands over her arms, her sides, touched her everywhere to assure himself she was okay. When her breathing finally settled down, Luc kissed her once more and put his arm around her waist. “C’mon, sweetie. Let’s get your dad.”

  Tia’s smile was a bit watery but definitely triumphant. Her arm went around Luc’s waist. Their hips bumped when they walked.

  The barn door was heavily secured, but Luc slammed it once with his shoulder and the old wood splintered. Tia raced ahead of him as Luc flipped on a light switch. They found Ulrich chained to a cot near the far wall, inside what had once been a stable. He sat on the edge of the bed, smiling.

  Tia threw her arms around him and sobbed. Ulrich hugged her back as well as his restraints would allow.

  “Hush, sweetie. I’m okay. Or I will be, once you find a key for this setup.” He looked over Tia’s shoulder and grinned at Luc. “Looks like I trained you well, son. I’d get up, but they’ve not given me much room to maneuver.”

  Luc turned and marched back outside. None of the prisoners had moved. Guarded by a phalanx of angry Chanku, there wasn’t much they could do beyond holding very still. Luc held out his hand. “Mr. Secretary? The key, please.”

  The men with Bosworth kept their attention glued to the wolf pack surrounding them. Bosworth glared at Luc. “You’ll hang for this. It’s treason, you and your damned wolves. They’re shapeshifters, aren’t they? Not animal, not human. I’ve heard about them. Heard about you. You’ll pay for this.”

  Luc squatted down in front of the older man. “Shape-shifters? Like werewolves? What kind of drivel is that? There’s no such thing, Mr. Secretary. These are highly trained, intelligent animals in the service of our country. As far as treason…it wasn’t treason when we pulled your ass out of that setup in Florida. At least, not our treason. You, on the other hand, are questionable. You were no more the prisoner of al Qaeda terrorists then than you are now. The key.”

  Luc’s hand remained perfectly still. Secretary Bosworth continued staring at him for a moment longer and then nodded to his left. “My back pocket. On the right.”

  Luc fished out the key and left the wolves in charge as he went back into the barn to free Ulrich. He heard voices outside but nothing that caused any alarm.

  Once the collar was off Ulrich, Luc released the other restraints. Tia found his clothes in another stall, shook them out, and gave them to her father. Luc took Tia’s arm and guided her back outside.

  “Anything you want to say to these guys before we leave?”

  Tia stepped forward, ignoring the cabinet member, and spoke to the soldiers. “Why? My father has worked for this government for years. Why would you kidnap him, kidnap me? What have we done to deserve this?”

  One of the men looked at the cabinet member. Bosworth wouldn’t meet his eye. Instead, Bosworth turned his head away. That seemed to answer whatever doubts the soldier had. “Ma’am, Secretary Bosworth told us you were all part of a secret government force that had gone rogue. He said you’d started working against the government. We believed him and he’s our superior. You were our first target, but we settled for your father when our attempts on you were unsuccessful.”

  Tinker’s mental voice intruded. I recognize the scent of the guy on the ground next to him, sweetie. He’s the one who was nosing around your apartment.

  Ulrich Mason cho
se that moment to walk out of the barn. “Settled for me, eh?” He shook his head and then came to a halt in front of Secretary Bosworth. “Milton, you damned fool. I’ve told you there is no such thing as a shapeshifter. Is that what this was all about? You scared the hell out of my daughter, took me away from important work, and dragged along these good men on your stupid quest because you think I’m a goddamned werewolf? Do I look like a werewolf? Do you know how stupid this makes you look?” He gestured behind him, pointing at the wolves sitting silently at guard. “They’re wolves, Milton. Vicious yet well-trained wolves. Not humans who turn into wolves. You’re nuttier than a fruitcake, Milt. You’ve got no business in a position with as much power as our President sees fit to give you. Idiot.” With a look of utter disgust, Ulrich turned away from the Secretary and went to stand next to Tia.

  The soldier who’d been talking dipped his head, almost touching his chin to his chest, and then looked back at Tia. “I will apologize for all of us. We were beginning to have doubts about the entire operation, but Secretary Bosworth has the power to command our unit. We’re trained to follow orders.” He glared at the older man for a moment. Once more, Bosworth turned away. “We won’t follow any more from him, that’s for sure, and I’ll make certain the right people know what he’s done here.”

  Luc pulled the knife out of his waistband, leaned over, and cut the restraints on the soldier’s wrists. “We’ve served together in the past, and you’ve always been honorable. A good soldier. My group is classified, so we can’t bring anyone in on this. We’ll make sure our contact in D.C. knows what’s happened here, but I’m putting you in charge of getting this bastard away from me before I lose my cool.”

  Luc handed over the knife, grinned at Ulrich, and then took Tia’s hand in his and whistled. Like a pack of well-trained dogs, seven large wolves trotted after him into the darkness. Looking back from the top of the ridge, Luc paused to glance back. The light spilling from the open barn door highlighted the soldiers standing in a small group, while their leader hauled a sputtering Secretary Milton Bosworth to his feet.

  When Luc turned around, seven humans were pulling on clothing where once wolves had stood. He glanced at Tia and then caught Ulrich’s eye. Biting back laughter, they headed for their vehicles and drove back to the small airport where Anton’s jet waited. Right now, Montana sounded every bit as inviting as home.

  Chapter 18

  Tia and Luc sat across the aisle from Ulrich on the flight back. Clinging tightly to Luc’s arm as if she’d never turn him loose, Tia fell asleep before the plane left the runway.

  Xandi and Keisha slept as well, curled up in the very back of the aircraft. Stefan and Anton, AJ and Mik sat near the front by Ulrich and Luc, all of them admittedly too wound up to relax.

  Luc checked once more to make certain Tia slept soundly and then turned to her father, speaking softly. “It doesn’t make sense. Why the elaborate ruse in Florida? Why take you if Tia was the target, and why the hell did Bosworth want Tia?”

  Mason rubbed his eyes. “The only thing I can figure is the Florida deal was a setup to prove we existed. Bosworth got wind of Pack Dynamics through one of the scientists who helped develop the supplement, but he wanted proof. Ergo, he needed to see one of us shift.”

  Anton interrupted. “I’ve heard you mention a supplement. The nutrients?”

  Mason nodded. “Yeah. Condensed into capsule form so we can take them daily, though I’ve gone for as long as a couple months off them without affecting my Chanku abilities. I imagine once the physiology changes from human to Chanku with the first few doses, it’s going to stay changed. I’ve just never been willing to push the envelope.”

  “I’d like to get them for our group. Would that be possible?”

  Laughing, Mason shook his head. “After all you’ve done, Cheval, you need to ask?”

  Anton shrugged. “It never hurts. Thank you. We’ve got so much to learn about Chanku. Sharing information will help all of us, but I’ll admit I’m concerned about your scientist speaking openly of our existence.”

  “It was purely accidental. The doctor warned me he’d talked to Bosworth—thought he was our contact. I made the mistake of discounting the risk. Bosworth’s such an idiot, I never dreamed he’d be a threat.”

  Mason glanced back at Luc. “Turns out Bosworth had the entire cavern monitored, assuming you’d shift during the rescue, but you went in as wolf and human teams and stayed in character. Still, he was convinced there might be something to the werewolf theory.”

  “We are not werewolves.” Anton’s voice, with its usual haughty timbre, had Tinker and Luc grinning ear to ear.

  “Semantics, Cheval.” Mason smiled as well, but only for a moment. “I have no idea why they took me, or why Bosworth wanted Tia. We need to understand his motive before we can figure out a solution.”

  Anton sighed. “I can answer that. Bosworth envisions a breeding farm where he will create a cadre of werewolves. The idiot doesn’t know the difference between mythical creatures and shape-shifting Chanku.”

  “What?” Luc glanced at Tia to make sure she still slept. “A breeding farm? That’s not good. How do you know?”

  “His thoughts are an open book to me. A disgusting manuscript, but quite simple to decipher. An attempt to grab Tia was actually made while she was still in Boston, but it failed. Once she arrived in San Francisco, Tinker made an excellent bodyguard. Mason was a target of opportunity. Bosworth figured, quite rightly, that Tia would do anything to save her father. He appears to know that the genetic code for Chanku is carried by the female.”

  “Could Tia’s friend Shannon Murphy be in danger?” Luc turned to Mason, but once again Anton answered.

  “If she is Chanku, yes. Bosworth is a powerful man, despite his stupidity. She should be protected.”

  Mason shook his head. “We merely suspect Shannon might be Chanku, but damnit, I hate to risk her safety. AJ? Can you reach Jake, have him fly to Boston immediately and keep an eye on the young lady? Her phone number and address are in the Rolodex on my desk.”

  “Will do.” AJ stood and headed for the cockpit.

  Luc grinned. “Boss, that’s the perfect solution for Jake right now. I’ve been worried about him. Thanks.”

  “Tinker explained what happened. Personally, I’d like Jacob Trent as far from my daughter as we can get him. Boston sounds like an excellent destination. Something needs to be done about Bosworth, however.”

  Mason tapped his fingers on the armrest for a moment and then muttered, more to himself than the men around him, “Looks like I’m flying back to D.C.”

  Cheval turned and caught Luc’s eye. Be sure to let us know if your alpha needs assistance.

  Luc nodded and squeezed Tia’s hand. She slept on, peacefully, safely, beside him.

  Exhausted, the members of the Montana pack headed to their quarters as soon as they reached home. Though it was still early afternoon, AJ and Mik took one of the guest rooms. Obviously exhausted by his ordeal, Mason headed for another.

  Tia paused in the kitchen to make a brief phone call and then quietly set down the phone. “Okay, Luc. I’ve called Shannon and told her Jake’s on his way, that she might be in danger. I didn’t mention Chanku, merely the fact it’s tied to my father’s work and her connection through me.” Tia shook her head, obviously worried. “I sure hope it wasn’t a mistake to send Jake.”

  “I think it’s the best thing for Jake right now. He needs a project to take his mind off you.”

  Tia looked up and laughed.

  Damn. Luc wondered if he’d ever hear that sound enough.

  “Well, Shannon is definitely a project. She might be more than Jake can handle.”

  “Then it’s definitely an excellent plan.” Luc grabbed Tia’s hand and then looked across the room and caught Tinker’s eye. “Are you coming?”

  Tinker set down his bags and frowned. “With you?”

  It was impossible to ignore the hopeful, almost wistful sound in his vo
ice.

  Tia held out her hand. “Yeah. With us. It’s a big bed.”

  Smiling self-consciously, Tinker followed them into the third guest room.

  Tia headed straight for the shower. Luc grabbed a couple of cold beers from a small refrigerator in the room and handed one to Tinker. The two men walked outside to the shaded deck.

  Luc stared off toward the dense forest, now bathed in sunlight, sipping at his beer, his mind still buzzing with all the activities of the past week. The sound of the shower in the background, the knowledge his mate was just on the other side of the room, filled him with a sense of satisfaction he’d never imagined.

  Luc turned to his friend, his packmate, and held out his hand. Tinker grasped Luc’s wrist in the manner of brothers. Luc held tightly to Tinker’s. “I owe you, big guy. Anton said there was more than one attempt on Tia while I was gone. You never left her side, and you kept her safe.”

  Tinker looked away. His chest rose and fell, but he didn’t release his hold on Luc. “You know I love her, don’t you? She’s your mate, and I would never do anything to hurt either one of you, but I will always love your woman.”

  Luc nodded. He’d suspected as much. Trust, though, was an amazing thing. As was the love of the pack. “Tia loves you, too. Don’t ever doubt that, but she chose to mate with me. That doesn’t mean you won’t always be welcome in our lives, in our bed.”

  Tinker slowly turned to stare at Luc. “Are you sure? Does Tia want me as well? I thought that one time…”

  Luc shook his head. “I’m learning a lot from our hosts. A lot about love, about the power of the pack, the strength inherent in our ties to one another, sexual and otherwise. We’re not meant to be alone, Tink. Look at Anton Cheval. The man seems all-powerful, almost impossibly contained, but until he met Keisha, Anton Cheval shared Xandi and Stefan’s bed. He didn’t want to be alone.”

  “Well, neither of you are sharing my bed until you’re clean.” Tia stood in the doorway, her hair flowing about her shoulders in damp, silky waves, and a bright yellow towel wrapped around her torso. She reached up and touched her hair. “Keisha told me it’s the shifting that does this, takes the kink out of hair. Amazing, isn’t it?” She took Tinker’s beer out of his hand and shooed him toward the shower.