Wolves of Paris

by Tori Knightwood

  They sat on a bench on the far side of the garden and Ryenne pulled a dart from the pouch she always wore at her hip. “Can you recreate the tranquilizer on this dart?” she asked him. “I’m running low and they’re a useful weapon against rogues.”

  Pascal took the dart and smelled it. “Yes, I think so.”

  “I can have my mom email you her formula.”

  “That would make the process quicker.”

  “Good. We’ll need as many darts and other delivery methods as possible before the rescue mission.”

  Pascal nodded. “Can I take this with me?”

  “Of course.” Ryenne pulled out her phone and messaged her mother. “You should get her formula by tonight. How long will you need?”

  He shrugged. “Depends on the formula. I’ll do the best I can.”

  Before he stood, she put a hand on his arm. “There was more to Lucien’s knife wound than you and he said, wasn’t there? It took longer to heal than it should have.”

  Pascal nodded and looked around to make sure no one was listening to them. “Yeah, I found something on his shirt other than blood. There were silver filings and some other things I’m still trying to isolate. Wish I could have your mother’s help on it.”

  “Silver? I thought it no longer affected shifters after centuries of exposure.”

  “Exactly, so why are they there? Was it a silver knife? I don’t know.” H shrugged again. “I’ll keep working on it and maybe we can send a sample to your mother. We won’t have an answer soon but if the Fangs are working on something to slow shifter healing, we need to know and learn how to overcome it.”

  She thought about Pascal’s abilities as she watched him explain to Emma, kiss her and the girls, and leave the garden. Mom’s darts were one of Ryenne’s secret weapons, one of the things that had allowed her to succeed in her business despite being an average-sized woman with slightly above average fighting skills. Tranq darts, a telescoping cattle prod, and Mom’s special vaccine.

  Now, she’d need everything she could muster to get Gavin back alive. Anything it took.

  “We’ve found it!” Mathieu exclaimed from the doorway to the kitchen.

  Ryenne and Emma rushed into the kitchen, Ryenne’s heart pounding in anticipation.

  “Valérie found out that there’s an estate in the name of Hélène Roch,” Mathieu said.

  “And who’s Hélène Roch?” Guy asked.

  Mathieu smiled. “Grieux’s late wife. Mother of Patrick.”

  There was a collective sigh of excitement.

  “Valérie also found out that Hélène Roch Grieux died five years ago.”

  “Oh, Valérie. So the lady friend now has a name,” Emma said under her breath to Ryenne. “You’ll have to invite her to dinner as a thank-you,” she said for all to hear.

  Dany snickered and Françoise shot her a stern look.

  Mathieu, the big bear of a man—despite being a wolf shifter and not a bear—turned red. “Well, um, yes, euh, maybe when this is over.”

  Even Ryenne, who couldn’t get past a huge lump of sadness in her belly, smiled at Mathieu’s discomfort. She hoped he would be happy with Valérie and that the rest of the Malraux clan would accept her.

  “So, where’s this estate?” Lucien asked.

  Ryenne switched her gaze to him but he was looking at his uncle. Tension had tightened the skin around his eyes and mouth and Ryenne wished he’d let her kiss it away. She sighed. She’d lost him. She’d never forgive herself for managing to push away the best thing that had happened to her in her adult life.

  But now she had to concentrate on Mathieu’s words and the plan they would all create to get her best friend out of Grieux’s secret estate. Gavin had been the best thing to happen to her for a long time and would always have a huge piece of her heart.

  Lucien was looking at the map again. “So, here? Near the Forêt Domaniale toward Le-Mesnil-le-Roi?”

  Mathieu nodded. “It’s not very far from my place. Maybe a thirty-minute walk.”

  “Faster if we run,” Guy said.

  The others nodded and made noises of agreement.

  Lucien rose from the table. “We should go check it out.”

  “It might be guarded,” his mother warned, worry etched into her face.

  “If so, it’s likely where they’re keeping Gavin and Axel. If not, we may need to call Valérie again.” Lucien smirked. “Let’s go, Guy.”

  EIGHTEEN

  While Guy and Lucien were gone, Ryenne knew she couldn’t just sit around and wait. And pacing had lost its appeal after a couple of minutes. Aurélie came to remind her that she’d promised to play with them, so she and Lucien’s nieces spent an hour playing a board game in the salon and hide-and-seek throughout the house.

  But then, she still had to do something.

  She messaged her mother, who assured Ryenne she had sent her tranquilizer dart formula to Pascal. Then she messaged Pascal, who assured Ryenne he was working on it and making good progress.

  Mathieu, Emma, and Françoise were in the office, reaching out to clients and doing more research into the Fangs and Lord Enterprises in France.

  Ryenne searched the house for Dany and found her in her room on the second floor, lifting dumbbells with her broken arm.

  “All healed?”

  Dany waggled her head. “Almost. It still hurts like my arm was trampled by an elephant, but I want to be in fighting shape in time to join you all when we go against the Fangs.”

  Ryenne grimaced. She understood the sentiment. She had played down her own wounds, since they were minor compared to a broken arm, but she didn’t have shifter healing powers so her cuts and scrapes still hurt. But she didn’t dare say a word and get kicked off the rescue team. No way would she stay home while others saved her best friend. She owed it to Gavin to come get him. And it was high time she gave the Fangs what they deserved.

  They heard low voices from downstairs.

  “They’re back,” Dany said.

  Ryenne’s stomach did a little flip.

  They ran down the stairs and found everyone gathered in the salon. Lucien caught sight of Ryenne and the corners of his lips started to turn up. Then it was as though he remembered he was supposed to be angry at her and his lips straightened into a grim line. The bottom of her stomach fell away and she felt untethered, unwanted.

  It only strengthened her resolve to help the Malraux save their business and get Gavin back in the process.

  “The house and property were well-guarded,” he said. “Beyond what you’d expect for an important man. A camera on the gate, one or two guys walking the perimeter, sure. But this place had at least a dozen people guarding and they were wearing suits and earpieces. Who knows how many others inside?”

  A murmur rose from the family as everyone spoke at once.

  Ryenne raised her voice to be heard above the din. “What’s the plan?”

  Everyone looked at her and Mathieu smiled. “Yes, we have a lot to discuss. I have the architectural plans, thanks to Valérie.” He placed a long paper on the coffee table and started pointing out important features. “Only two entrances to the house, front and back. Same with the gate. The back gate leads directly into the Forêt Domaniale.”

  “Convenient, that,” Guy muttered; the others agreed.

  “The basement is accessed from a door in the kitchen, which is at the back of the house. So, we should enter from the forest. If we’re quick, organized, and lucky, we might get it done without any of the guards at the front even knowing.” Mathieu looked around, thick eyebrows raised.

  “When?” Ryenne asked. She wanted to leave right this minute, but she’d learned her lesson. They needed to be ready. They needed to know as much as possible and be prepared for everything.

  Mathieu looked around again. “How long does everyone need?”

  “Not long,” Guy said. “Enough time to put on dark clothing and gather our weapons.”

  “We should check in with Pascal,” Emma said.
“He was working on a tranquilizer liquid for Ryenne.” She picked up her phone and tapped for several seconds.

  Ryenne nodded. “I want to go after Gavin as soon as possible, but I’d be more comfortable replenishing my stock of darts.” She hated that she didn’t have the natural skills of the Malraux and needed darts, but the tranq darts would even up the score. They were only seven against who knew how many Fangs.

  “He’s got it,” Emma declared, staring at her phone’s display.

  “Have him meet us at my house,” Mathieu said. “I’ve got plenty of weapons we can dip in the liquid.” He looked to Ryenne and she nodded her agreement. “Okay, twenty minutes. Get changed and gather what you need.” Then he looked at Dany and Guy. “Call Martin. We can use all the help we can get and an elephant shifter has the strength of several men.”

  NINETEEN

  One hour later, Ryenne, the Malraux, and their friend Martin, the Senegalese elephant shifter, stood around Mathieu’s workshop wearing special gloves, soaking darts and knives in the tranquilizer liquid Pascal had brought.

  “How long do we have to wait?” Guy asked, bouncing on his feet and clearly itching for a fight.

  “Just until it dries,” Ryenne said. “About five minutes. Not long.”

  “Then let’s figure out our strategy,” Lucien said. “We’ll go through the woods to Grieux’s back gate. And then what? Will we all push into the house or will we divide up the labor in some way?”

  Ryenne smiled at the way his mind was working. His directness had always attracted her. And he was right. Unlike how she’d gone about things yesterday, they needed a plan. This rescue had to work. They had to get Gavin out of there.

  “The tranq darts can be used to take out the guards on the gate and anyone else we encounter on our way into the house,” she said. “We should all have some. I keep them in this leather pouch I wear at my hip.” She looked at Mathieu. “Do you have anything like this for the others?”

  He nodded and pulled out leather pouches from a drawer and distributed them to each member of the team.

  “The tranquilizer only works if it hits the bloodstream, but the pouches and gloves protect us in case of cuts or open sores on our skin. And keep us from getting punctured.” Ryenne glanced around the room. Everyone nodded. “I’d like to lead the team going into the house.”

  The others nodded.

  “Dany and I can stay outside to handle any other guards that wander into the backyard,” Françoise suggested.

  Dany frowned at being left outside but it was smart. Her arm was better but not one hundred percent, and someone had to watch their flank.

  “The rest of us will enter the kitchen,” Mathieu said.

  Lucien nodded. “Then Guy, Martin, Ryenne, and I will go down into the basement. We don’t know how many Fangs will be guarding Axel and Gavin.”

  “If you need help, you can yell up to us. Mathieu and I will be your backup.” Emma’s tone was hard and determined.

  Ryenne was glad Emma had agreed to this mission. She was the one Malraux Ryenne was the least sure of. Ryenne had trouble reading her except when she was clearly annoyed. Emma owed Ryenne and Gavin nothing. Thankfully, she was being as supportive as everyone else in this endeavor.

  They set out all the weapons to dry and went their separate ways for a few minutes. Emma and Françoise whispered in a corner. Dany and Guy kissed in front of the big fireplace. Mathieu sat in the middle of the room and closed his eyes. Lucien stood near the drying weapons, his face rigid.

  “Thanks for helping me get Gavin back,” she said, wishing she could pour out her heart and make him understand how much she regretted her decisions the day before. How much she wished she could change everything. How much she cared about him.

  He nodded. “Thanks for helping us fight the Fangs.”

  Her heart stuttered. His face was still hard and he didn’t meet her gaze, but it was a start.

  He reached out and she thought he would touch her hand. But he touched a dagger. The disappointment was crushing. She ached for his touch.

  “They’re dry,” he announced. “Let’s go.”

  Ryenne squared her shoulders. Right. Time to go. To end this standoff and bring Gavin home.

  She loaded her pouch with darts, put her dagger in its sheath at her back, and checked the stun guns in each sleeve and along her side. She longed to take her sword, back on its shelf in Mathieu’s weapons showroom, but it wouldn’t be as useful to her tonight. It was too long and bulky to carry through the woods and it didn’t seem like the ideal weapon to use in a basement.

  Dany smiled at her. “Ready?”

  “Ready. How’s your arm?”

  “It’ll do.”

  Ryenne was glad Dany would be standing guard outside. Hopefully, it would keep her out of danger unless absolutely necessary.

  Emma kissed her husband goodbye and they left Mathieu’s house by a back door and went into the approaching night. They melted into the woods of the Forêt Domaniale and set off at a brisk jog. The Malraux, Martin, and Guy quickly outpaced Ryenne. She slowed with a grunt of annoyance. Keeping up the pace would tire her too much to fight off rogues.

  Mathieu appeared out of the trees ahead of her. “Sorry about that,” he said, his voice gruff. “We forgot you’re not a shifter.” He turned his back to her and crouched. “Climb on.”

  Ryenne recoiled. “Uh, no.”

  “Ryenne, we don’t have time to argue. Please, climb on my back so we can meet the others. There’s no point in you arriving at Grieux’s out of breath and too tired to lead us into his basement.”

  Ryenne huffed out a breath. Mathieu made a good point. She’d have to put her pride aside for the sake of the mission. “Fine.”

  Settling herself on his back, her arms wrapped around the huge man’s neck, she tried not to feel like she was five again. But a memory of her father giving her a piggy-back ride slammed into her as she bounced up and down through the forest. For a few seconds, she was a little girl again, her blond hair flying behind her, giggling and screeching with delight. And her father was alive.

  Then they caught up to the others and she forced the memory away as she slid off Mathieu’s back. Her father’s fight against the rogues who had killed Cody had ended in tragedy; Ryenne wouldn’t let history repeat itself. Tonight, her determination and training would prevail.

  The Grieux property was within sight. A typical two-story stone house, it fit its idyllic surroundings. The external shutters on the windows had already been closed against the night, and all was silent.

  She felt a moment of doubt. The house looked abandoned. But Lucien and Mathieu had checked it out earlier in the day, and the grounds had been crawling with guards. An abandoned house didn’t need guarding.

  The Malraux stood behind a line of trees, checking weapons and waiting.

  The familiar tingling came to Ryenne’s stomach as it always did before a new job. She ignored the queasiness and adjusted her dart pouch and dagger. Sliding a stun gun from her sleeve into her hand, she looked through the trees to their target.

  “Ready?”

  Lucien’s voice so close to her ear made her jump. Letting boldness overtake her in preparation for their attack, she leaned up and kissed his lips, gently, barely a touch. “Yes,” she said, as if she didn’t want to grab him and pull him behind a tree and tear his clothes off. “You?”

  He looked at the ground, bit his lip, then met her gaze. “Look, I’m sorry for yelling at you yesterday. I... you...”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  “Do you?” His intense gaze burned through her.

  “I was wrong. I’m sorry for putting you through it.”

  He dropped his gaze from hers and stepped away. “Yeah. Okay.”

  “Okay. Let’s go.”

  She thought he might have been about to tell her words she hadn’t known she wanted to hear until yesterday, but they were too important, and now wasn’t the time. And if he didn’t say them, she’d be cru
shed. She couldn’t lay her emotions bare right now, not when she needed all of her physical, mental, and emotional strength focused on this mission.

  The group gathered behind Mathieu and Lucien and surged toward the gate. No one guarded the narrow wooden door set in stone from this side.

  Ryenne stepped forward and knocked on the door. The others melted away to either side. Ryenne fluffed out her hair and cocked a hip.

  The door opened a crack. “Oui?”

  “Hi,” she said in a bright voice. “I’m here to see Patrick. He’s expecting me.” It didn’t matter if the guard understood English or not. Even his confusion would give them a chance.

  The door opened wider and she pushed against it, aided by Lucien. The surprise was enough that the guard stumbled back. Ryenne shot her stun gun into the first guard’s chest. They all ran into the yard as he slumped to the ground.

  On silent feet, each Malraux targeted a guard and took him or her down with their natural abilities, followed by a round of tranq darts to keep them knocked out longer. They dragged them into a pile under a tree, where Françoise and Dany gagged them and used plastic ties to secure their hands behind their backs.

  Ryenne handed Dany her telescoping cattle prod. “In case any of them start to wake.”

  Dany nodded, and she and her mother crossed their arms over their chests and took up defensive positions, one near the gate and one fifty feet away near the kitchen door.

  Ryenne and the others continued to the house, led by Lucien. The door opened easily and they all entered the empty room. Lucien nudged open a door on the far side of the kitchen, where they could all see light coming from a room at the front of the house. An archway to the right led into a pantry and another to the left opened onto a hallway leading to a formal dining room, empty and dark at this hour.

  The basement door had a chain across it, which Guy released. He, Martin, Lucien, and Ryenne stalked down the stone steps, this time with Guy in the lead, leaving Emma and Mathieu in the kitchen. Cold and dank, the basement was unwelcoming and silent. Ryenne’s stomach twisted at the thought that Gavin could be here in this awful place, cold, hurt, and abandoned.