“Lucien and Serge are patrolling the perimeter, so keep a watch out,” Mathis said into the cell phone to Jared and the others. When you get to the property line, park and shift. Be careful not to get shot, I’m sure these men have guns. I’ll signal Ujarak as soon as I’m close enough to link telepathically with him.” Mathis would finish Ouelette once and for all. His reign of terror was over.
Suddenly, Margot’s cell phone rang. She struggled to get it out of her purse and looked at the number. “It’s Susan.” She quickly answered the call. “Susan, are you all right? Are the children all right?”
“Where are you, my dear? I grow weary of waiting for you.”
“I’m in the car now. I’m coming, Samuel. Please don’t hurt the children.”
“I hear fear in your voice. That’s good. You just bought your children more time. Hurry, Margot.” She stared at the phone and then turned a stricken look at Mathis.
“He has Susan’s phone.” Her voice quivered.
Mathis saw red. No one should be able to scare his mate, not now, not ever. Containing his rage, he forced his voice to come out calmly. “All that means, honey, is that Susan didn’t take her phone down into the safe room with her. Remember that she had to carry Cybille. She probably left her phone on the counter, or it fell from her pocket, when the alarm sounded.”
Margot nodded, while biting her bottom lip.
“It’s going to be okay, Margot. What does your heart tell you about the children? Do you feel danger to them?”
She stared out the window a moment. “Not really, not if I concentrate really hard.”
“So, you know in your heart, you know the children made it to the safe room. I can tell you that Ujarak made it as well, and if he did, then Susan did. He wouldn’t leave her behind. Now, I need you to stop doubting, and get ready to do your part. When the limo stops you will open the door. I will spring out and take down whoever is watching the entrance. You will stay inside the vehicle. Close the door once I’m out, and JP will drive you to safety. Esme, Brenda, and your parents will be waiting for you at the bridge over the creek. You will go there and wait for me. Do you understand?”
Margot nodded. Mathis reached up and undid his tie, then started to unbutton his shirt. In a few minutes he was completely naked and called the shift. White lights swirled around him, in moments a huge white wolf sat on the seat.
Margot wrapped her arms around his neck. “Stay safe for me, Mathis. I can’t lose you. I want all of my family back, safe and sound.”
Mathis nodded and licked her face, his heart bursting with love for this woman. The limo slowed as it neared the bridge over the creek. The two SUVs that followed swerved to the side and parked. The doors opened, and wolves jumped out. Mathis thumped his tail. These humans thought to go against a bunch of lycans. They would never know what hit them.
“Slow down, JP. Give them a chance to get into position,” Mathis sent to the driver.
§
“What do we do now, Uncle Ujarak?” Tikaani asked from inside the safe room.
“We wait, so everyone needs to get comfortable. Margot and Mathis will be coming soon. Let’s see what we can do to help them when they get here.”
Ujarak studied each monitor. “I see at least six men outside. Nope, make that five. I think one of the Sable Guards took one out. Plus, the five men in the house.”
“Hey, what is that man doing in my room?” Tikaani asked his voice outraged.
“He’s looking for you, silly. Once they don’t find you upstairs, they’ll come looking down here. Don’t worry, the whole pack will come running to protect you, and I’m sure your daddy will be leading the way.”
“Ujarak, I’m not sure it’s good to let him watch the monitor,” Susan said, rocking the baby. “Mathis is going to take these guys apart for threatening his family. Do you really want them to see that?”
“Okay, Suzie-Q, I hear you. Right now, I’m collecting information. Once Mathis gets here, I’ll turn the monitors off.”
“Aww, I want to fight, Uncle Ujarak. These bad men came into my house,” Tikaani said.
“What do you have in mind?” Ujarak asked, surprised at the vehemence in the ten year old’s voice.
“Daddy Mathis can see in the dark, and the bad men can’t. We should turn off all the lights,” Ukiuk said, taking Tikaani’s hand.
“That’s an excellent idea, Uki. We’ll wait until your daddy gets here before we do. That way, the bad men will be surprised.
“Yay, bad man go home,” Elisapie said, clapping her hands.
“Don’t worry, cupcake. Your daddy will make sure they go away,” Ujarak assured her.
Ujarak sat up suddenly watching the monitors. He smiled as Mathis’s limousine pulled onto the property.
“Tell me that everyone is all right!” flooded into his thoughts telepathically.
“We’re all here, safe and sound, Mathis. Some jerk thinks he owns your house,” Ujarak sent back.
“Not for long.”
Ujarak heard the growl that followed the thought, and for one tiny minute felt sorry for the men upstairs.
“What is it, Uncle Ujarak?” Tikaani asked, watching as the limo pulled up to the house.
“Your daddy has arrived. Get ready everyone, I’m going to turn out the lights, in three, two, one…”
§
Margot gritted her teeth and reached for the door handle.
“Now,” Mathis sent telepathically.
She opened the car door. Suddenly, all the lights in the house went dark. Mathis jumped out. Margot closed the door. Mathis leaped at the man who stepped onto the porch from the dark house. Jean Paul turned the car and headed back toward the bridge. She tried to keep Mathis in sight, but quickly lost him as the car pulled away.
“Merde!” Jean Paul swore. A man stepped into their way, holding a gun. “Get down,” JP yelled as he hit the gas.
Margot dropped to the seat. Glass broke. Bullets flew into the car. Jean Paul moaned. Miraculously, they kept moving down the road.
“How badly are you hit?” Margot asked, smelling blood.
“Not too bad. I’ll have you to your parents in a minute,” he said through gritted teeth.
Margot sneaked a peek over the seat. She could see the bridge coming up. The car began to fishtail on the slick surface. “Slow down, Jean Paul, you need to slow down.”
There was no answer.
§
“Ujarak!” Susan cried out.
He turned to look at her and frowned. “What’s the matter with you? You look as white as a sheet.”
“Take the baby, I think I’m going to faint.”
Ujarak jumped up and caught both Susan and Cybille, as Susan collapsed. He lowered them to the floor. Cybille started to cry. Tikaani ran over to comfort her.
“What’s the matter with Aunt Susan?” Nuvuk asked.
“Hopefully, nothing, if that golden thread of light attached to her heart means what I think it means.”
“Oh, I can see it, too. Aunt Susan has found a mate?” Ila asked.
“How come you aren’t her mate?” Uki asked.
“We’re friends. I kind of hoped there might be more to it, but I know how important you lycans take your mating bond. Looks like Susan is meant for someone else.”
“But, who is it?” Nuvuk asked, coming over and patting Susan’s face.
“I don’t know, little buddy. Whoever it is, he must have gotten hurt to make the mating bond snap into place like that.”
“I hope he’s okay,” Elisapie said.
“Me, too, sweetheart. Believe me.”
§
Mathis ripped out the throat of the man who opened the door. Once he heard the rattle of death, he sprang away and into the house. Bullets flew as the men inside saw a flash of white. Mathis dove behind the couch. He crawled close to the floor while sniffing out his next target. Two more men felt his bite before he heard a large crash. A huge black wolf ran into the room. Mathis immediately recognize
d Jared in his wolf form.
“Go, your mate is in trouble,” Jared said. “We’ll finish up here.”
Mathis nodded and ran out the door. “Margot, answer me. Are you all right?”
“Mathis, the limo rolled. The inside is filling with water from the creek,” Margot’s panicked voice filled his head.
“Shift! Right now, I’m coming.” Mathis ran down the road. Guilt assailed him. He’d left the children behind. Still, if something happened to Margot, he wouldn’t be able to live without her. He kept running, praying to the goddess, Asena, that his children would stay safe.
When Mathis got to the creek, Parker and Brenda were dragging JP from the car. Water flowed through the broken windows.
“Margot? Where are you?”
She didn’t answer. He rushed into the frigid water, up to his chest, and made his way to the window of the limo. Peering inside, he couldn’t find his mate. Her silk gown floated on the water, the material snagged on a piece of metal.
“She’s not here, Mathis. She might have been carried downstream,” Brenda said.
Mathis lay back his head and howled, already fearing the worst. Without hesitation, he headed downstream, pausing once in a while to sniff the ground in case Margot had left the water. He had to find her.
Chapter Twelve
Margot struggled against the current. Pieces of ice had formed on the surface. They broke beneath her weight sending her back down into the frigid water. Finally, she crawled out of the creek and lay on the bank, a wet and bedraggled wolf. She knew she wasn’t that far from the bridge, but a bend in the creek prevented her from seeing the limo. Thank goodness she had listened to Mathis and shifted into her wolf form. Otherwise, she might have drowned or suffered hypothermia.
A sudden wolf howl filled the air. Margot looked up and around, recognizing Mathis’s call. Near the tree line, she saw a man dressed in black and holding a gun, start toward the sound. She stiffened. Luckily, he hadn’t see her lying on the frozen ground.
Instead of answering, and giving herself away, she crept closer to the trees. Ouelette’s smell wafted in the air. Rage slowly filled her. This man threatened her children. She edged closer, keeping her body low to the ground. This man had terrorized her. His brain, so twisted, a mental push wouldn’t work on him. There was one way to keep her family safe. Her lips pulled back and her hackles rose. She let the wildness of the wolf rush forward. She hunted.
He moved closer and closer to the bridge. She followed, keeping her tread quiet, so as not to spook her target. He was downwind of the others, and they wouldn’t sense his approach. Her sensitive hearing caught her Father’s voice and the murmur of a women speaking to Jean Paul.
Ouelette paused behind a tree. He peered at the wreckage of the limo. Margot inched closer, her eyes trained on her prey. Her muscles bunched. Then he raised the gun and took aim at her father as he knelt next to the injured driver.
Margot leapt the last distance. Ouelette wouldn’t hurt anyone, ever again. She slammed into him. Growling with hate, her teeth sank deep. He fell over. The gun went off. Blood gushed as she ripped at Ouelette’s throat. She shook his body. Bones cracked. His breath gurgled as blood poured onto the ground.
§
Mathis found the place where Margot left the stream. His sides heaved and he lowered his head and shuddered. She was all right. Her wet footprints headed into the trees. Why hadn’t she answered his call? He followed her trail past the tree line. He froze when he caught the scent of his mate’s enemy. Ouelette wasn’t at the house. He had chased after the limousine, knowing Margot was inside.
Mathis’s heart thundered in his chest. The sound of a gun going off made him flinch. He sprang forward, calling on his lycan speed and agility. He raced to find his mate, praying he wasn’t too late.
He ran toward the bridge keeping Margot’s scent in his nose. She hunted Ouelette. He read the signs of her passage through the trees and when she had lowered to her belly and crawled. He came around a stand of trees and saw her. Blood covered her muzzle. She kicked dirt with her back paws at Ouelette’s dead body.
Mathis rushed up to her, his heart in his throat. He didn’t know whether to kiss her, or yell at her for scaring him so completely. “Are you all right?” He nosed her, searching for injuries.
“What are you doing here? Where are the children?” Her tail straight out, she greeted him, Alpha to Alpha.
“I needed to check on you, to know you’re okay.” He licked her face before checking the dead body. Ouelette was dead. “You killed him.”
“He was going to shoot my father. No one hurts my family. Now, I’m fine. Go rescue my children!”
Mathis turned and sprinted back to the house. Inside, he smiled. If Margot felt well enough to telepathically yell at him, then she was fine. He saw a man slinking around the house and took a detour. He crashed into the man, knocking him from his feet. Growling and ripping, it didn’t take long to finish him off. Jumping up, Mathis raced into the house.
Jared, his black wolf staring aggressively, stood over a body. He looked up as soon as Mathis raced into the room.
“I think the house is clear. Our brothers still hunt outside. It appears that anyone left alive ran away. Ouelette isn’t here, he must have escaped.”
“No, he didn’t. My mate took care of him, personally. Thank you for your help, Jared.”
“A pack is family. We look out for each other.”
“I might need more help cleaning this mess. The children will want to come upstairs, eventually.”
“We’ll round up and dispose of the bodies,” Jared replied.
Mathis called the shift and raced upstairs for a pair of pants. Margot insisted that nudity in front of the children was frowned upon. He ran back down and opened the door to the basement. The lights were still out, but he could hear someone breathing under the stairs.
“I’ve got one hiding down here,” Mathis sent to Jared.
“I’ve got your back,” Jared replied telepathically.
Mathis jumped down the stairs and rolled when he hit the bottom. The man hiding under the stairs stepped out to get a shot. Mathis jumped to his feet and then stiffened when he saw the gun pointed at his face. Jared jumped from above taking the man down. His huge jaws clamped down on the man’s throat. In moments it was over.
“Thanks,” Mathis said to the black wolf. “Margot would be terribly upset if I got myself shot.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Jared replied wagging his tail.
“Ujarak, you can open the door now,” Mathis called out.
The lights came on in the house and the huge metal door opened. Mathis rushed into the room. The children gathered around him, all talking at once. Mathis’s gaze landed on Ujarak, who knelt next to an unconscious Susan.
“We have a problem,” Ujarak said, brushing a blond curl from her face.
“What happened? Is she injured?” Mathis asked, striding forward and kneeling beside the woman.
“She suddenly collapsed, but that golden cord of light appeared attached to her heart. It leads upstairs,” Ujarak explained.
“Does her mate have to kiss her, like the princess in the movie who fell asleep?” Ukiuk asked.
“No, sweetheart. He just needs to be okay. I’ll carry her upstairs, Ujarak. You take the kids to their rooms. Uh, try not to let them see the mess,” Mathis said. How would the children sleep tonight after seeing the dead bodies upstairs? Deciding they needed to be protected against the violence, he motioned to them. “Come here, everyone. I’m afraid the fancy dinner I ate with mommy didn’t sit well. You’ll need to hold your noses while you go upstairs.” Mathis gave all of the children a telepathic push. They wouldn’t notice the smell of blood or anything else on their trek upstairs.
“What he means is he farted.” Ujarak smirked. “Believe me it smells worse than Cybille’s diapers. We’ll have to run as fast as we can.”
“Eewww…” the children responded.
“Nice,
” Mathis said as he picked up Susan.
“Hey, just trying to help,” Ujarak said as he picked up Cybille. “Okay, kids, last one to make it into their room is a silly dinkleberry,” Ujarak challenged.
“I’ll win,” Tikaani said racing from the room his fingers pinching his nose. The other children followed. Ujarak hurried after them. Mathis maneuvered Susan out the door and up the stairs.
He walked into the living room, listening to the children run up the stairs. Surprisingly, no dead bodies were in sight. Jared apparently took care of the situation. Mathis lowered Susan to the sofa and looked around for the others.
The front door burst open, and a newly cleaned Margot rushed in. She ran over to Mathis and jumped up, her paws landing on his chest. She licked his face. Cold water dripped from her muzzle onto his chest.
“You’re all right?” came flooding into his thoughts.
“Yes, and I see you are as well.” Mathis ran his hands in her wet fur, petting down her back.
“The children?”
“Are upstairs in their rooms.”
Mathis wasn’t surprised a bit when Margot sprinted up the stairs. He heard the children’s enthusiastic response when she entered. Jared walked in the front door carrying clothes in his mouth. He looked at Mathis, then headed for the nearest bathroom. Next, Parker and Esme, helped a bedraggled Jean Paul into the house.
“Put him on the floor next to Susan,” Brenda, the pack healer directed, striding through the door. She hurried to the driver and opened his blood soaked shirt. Esme and Parker backed out of the way.
Lizette entered last, looked around and then at Mathis. “The children?”
“Upstairs with Margot,” he answered.
Lizette hurried up the stairs, almost tripping over Ujarak as he made his way down. Parker followed her. Ujarak made his way to the sofa, and picked up Susan’s hand.
“Don’t touch her! Get away from her!” came from the injured man. Brenda quickly held JP down. “No! Mathis help me, he still has a bullet in him. I only healed the wound on his head and got him conscious again. Ujarak, get away from her. JP is in the thrall of the mating heat.”
The Gift of My Mate (Siberian Volkov Pack Romance Book 9) Page 10
