There was no way they would have brought me here rather than to a purpose-built prison if they had had a choice. Transporting a dead body to Heir’s House, even by cover of night, was not an easy task for a werewolf in enemy territory, the less distance over which you had to transport it, the better. Did that mean we were in Kenai territory? Perhaps near Heir’s House, if that was where my body was to be discovered. That made sense. If we had been in Arctic territory, then they could have kept me somewhere more suitable without worrying about being found out.
Where this revelation got me was the knowledge that if I yelled out the window at a passing werewolf that I had been kidnapped by Arctic wolves trying to kill Kenai King, then they would be on my side. I would likely get killed, but still. Secondly, the more I looked at the wasted plaster on those cheaply built walls, the more I wondered how securely those bolts were holding my shackles in place. My strength didn't compare to that of a werewolf, but I kept in shape and my part-wolf nature gave me a bit of an edge on other humans in the strength stakes.
If I were to really yank on those chains, then might they come out of the wall?
They might. But, of course, I would only get one try. If I failed, then the guards would be on me and then... I didn't want to think about that.
Though it had not yielded anything solid, this look about the room had gotten me thinking that maybe - just maybe - all these little observations might be made to come together in a plan. There was one more place to check for a possible escape route.
"Excuse me? I need the bathroom."
The guards met my gaze with blank-faced disinterest. "Don't let us stop you," said guard one.
"You're saying there isn't a bathroom?"
Guard two rolled his eyes. "Of course, there is. In the corridor. We're not animals. But you can't use it."
"Why not?"
"What part of 'prisoner' are you failing to understand?"
"So, I just sit here and wet myself? Then get killed. You know how to make a bad day worse."
Guard one shrugged. "Most people wet themselves when they're killed. Get it over with now and you can die with some dignity."
"I can't tell you how much better that makes me feel. Come on, man, be cool."
Guard two shook his head. "We've never been cool. Kurt, here, listens to ABBA."
"Hey, ABBA will never not be cool," guard one - Kurt - objected hotly.
"Will you at least turn around?" I asked, wondering if maybe there was a way I could give the chains a test yank without them seeing.
"No."
"I'm chained to the wall - what do you think I'm going to do?"
"Pee on the chains," said Kurt.
"So, what's that going to do? I'm not a fucking alien."
Guard two made a 'not my problem' face. "Well, be that as it may, the Pack Leader said we were not to look away from you for one second, so go ahead and do what you have to do."
"I'll hold it."
I slumped back and glanced at my watch. It was now lunchtime. Members of the Pack Courts would be laying out their best clothes - or watching their servants do it - ready for tonight's hunt. In Arctic territory, Venus would be preparing to lead her pack in the monthly event, confident in the knowledge that her agent was in Kenai territory, ready to assassinate King. King himself would be getting ready, feeling safe and secure, knowing that his attempted assassin was under lock and key, and wondering if the MacKenzie territory might be up for grabs. Four criminals who thought they had successfully evaded the law were preparing for a night out or a night in, not knowing that tonight they would be hunted and killed for what they had done. And three brothers... What were they doing now? How had they interpreted my vanishing off after last night? It doesn't look good when a woman does that sort of thing. If they asked around, they might find that I had been to the Pack Lodge that morning to see Lennox, but if the girl you slept with disappears before you wake up, do you ask around? Or do you keep it to yourself and pretend it was your decision and you never wanted to see her again anyway?
Perhaps I was being too hard on them. I was confident in the love of Tanner, Gray and Hudson. I was confident that they would try to find me. But how? I had left no note to say where I was. Where could they start? They had no way of tracing me, and with only a few hours until the Lunar Hunt, the chances against them finding me seemed astronomical.
It was early evening, following an afternoon of planning, re-planning and pleading to use the bathroom, that I reached an inevitable conclusion: if I was going to get out of this, then it would have to be by my own efforts. True, I would only get one chance at pulling the shackles from the plaster, but if I didn't at least try, then what the hell use was I? I might not be a full werewolf, but I had enough of my gran in me to have the courage to do this.
First up, I needed a distraction. My phone had been taken from me but my purse was still in my pocket - I seldom carry a bag, I prefer to have my hands free. I took a deep breath and hurled it through the window. The purse had all my IDs in it, so if it was found by someone, then maybe - and it was a big maybe - they would put it in the hands of the right authorities.
The guards stared at the window in disbelief, torn between running out after my purse and following their orders. As they stared, momentarily dumbfounded, I sprang to my feet and, throwing all of my weight and all of my strength into the effort, I yanked on my chains. For a second, I could almost feel my gran, in her wolf form, helping me, pulling with me, urging me on.
The bolt sprung from the wall in a shower of aged plaster dust. I seemed to have brought half the wall with me, but I was free. By now, the guards were rushing towards me and I swung my chain around as hard as I could, using the heavy end like a medieval weapon. The metal plate, bolts, and a large lump of plaster impacted with a satisfying sound into the face of guard one as he rushed at me. He was mid-changed as he hit the floor, his mouth filled with blood as I had caught him nicely under the chin. Next time, perhaps, he would let a girl use the damn bathroom.
I swung the chain again, but guard two was too close and I couldn't build up the same momentum. He grabbed the chain itself and I screamed as he wrenched on it, pulling me towards him, the manacles cutting into my wrists. He changed into his wolf form as I was pulled up against him, his breath hot on my face, his clawed hand closing on my throat. With his other hand, he grabbed my wrist to look at my watch, and from the look in his eyes, I knew what he was thinking; close enough. He was going to kill me now.
I felt the grip tighten on my neck, claws digging into my skin. I kicked at him and lashed out with my arms, but the blows felt weak against his thick hide, and they became weaker as his grip cut off my oxygen and the world turned red.
Suddenly, the door exploded in a shower of splinters, and in the empty frame stood Gray, snarling, his brown hair bristling across his body. The guard dropped me to the floor, where I lay, choking and trying to breathe and gulp both at the same time. The guard squared off against Gray, but then the Kenai heir was joined by Hudson and Tanner, looming behind their brother. The guard seemed to realize that, however terrible the wrath of Arctic Venus might be, that was theoretical, while a fatal ass-kicking from the Kenai brothers was very much here and now. He fled, crashing out the window.
I stared at my three handsome saviors as they changed back into human form and rushed to me.
"Are you okay?"
"Are you alright?"
"Did they hurt you?"
"Here's your purse."
I took the purse from Tanner and looked wide-eyed at him. "You found it?"
"It hit Hudson in the head."
"I'm fine," said Hudson.
What the hell were the odds of that? "I can't believe you were out there."
"We tracked you," said Gray.
"How?" Werewolves have a great sense of smell, but it's not that good - not usually.
Tanner smiled at me. "You're our mate. We'll always find you."
I hugged them all, feeling the tears rising i
n my eyes. How wonderful to be so loved that you stand out in a city of millions.
But we didn't have time for emotional reunions, the moon was rising and the hunt would be underway. As I spoke, I frisked the still prone and faintly groaning Kurt, found a set of keys, and unlocked my manacles. "We have to move. It’s Arctic Venus. She's the one who did all this and she's got another assassin ready to kill King at the Lunar Hunt tonight."
"Damn it," Tanner spat angrily. "The hunt is all the way across town, they left early."
"You go," I urged. "I'll catch up."
"What are you going to do?" asked Hudson.
"I gotta use the bathroom."
Chapter 20
The abandoned house in which Venus had kept me, was, as I had surmised, not far from Heir’s House, and I was able to run there to pick up my car before setting off into the night.
As I sped along, I caught occasional glimpses, in the shadows or across the rooftops, of my mates running to save their father. Even at this remove, I could see the effort in their lupine faces, the strain of their muscles as they taxed every sinew, racing for all they were worth. In the distance, drifting on the wind through the night, I heard the sound of the howl. On the night of the full moon, that howl could have come from any of the packs, but my gut told me that was the Kenai. On the bright side, we could use that sound to track them down now they were on the move, but it also meant that the hunt was underway, and that meant that King was already in danger. The brothers heard it, too, and I saw them speed up, pushing themselves even harder.
I tried to keep track of where we were, but at this speed, and with my mind in turmoil, even I was struggling to figure where we might be going. I took a few wrong turns and plowed down a few streets I shouldn't, to the accompaniment of angry horns from other drivers - who had every right to be pissed at me. Thankfully, the streets were relatively clear as most humans preferred to have a night in on the full moon - you saw some nasty stuff.
The howl sounded again, louder now - we were closing in. If only we could get there in time. Then, up ahead, I saw the churning mass of werewolf bodies, closing in for the kill. This was the point when King had been attacked before.
I jumped on the brakes, making the tires scream, then leaped out, yelling but struggling to be heard above the growls of the pack. Before I could reach them, I saw Tanner spring down from the darkness, snarling angrily and tackling his father to the ground. He was trying to keep King safe, of course, but his actions were misinterpreted by the rest of the pack.
"He's trying to help!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as the Kenai Pack Court turned on King's immediate heir, but even if they could hear me, they weren't about to listen to a part-wolf.
But suddenly, Tanner was not alone, Hudson and Gray leaped to his aid, fighting back any who came near, and aiding Tanner in keeping their father safe. They were outnumbered three to one, but odds did not matter to them, they held their ground, snapping and slashing at any who dared come close. At this point, they had no idea who could be trusted - they were not letting anyone get near King. A series of snarls, barks and growls went back and forth as the brothers tried to explain what they were doing. Werewolves do have a language of their own, but it is very simplistic, communicating basic ideas like 'enemy', 'food', 'hump', it was certainly not enough to communicate a complex conspiracy, but hopefully it was enough to say 'he's in danger, you jackasses, back the fuck off!'. I assumed it was, as the other wolves now backed off a little, though still suspicious and growling.
As I watched, I saw one wolf at the edge of the group, backing off further, allowing himself to be swallowed into the darkness of an alley.
"Hey." I hurried forward to get a better look down the alley and saw the wolf was now running at high speed away from the scene. "HEY!"
If the Pack Court had not noticed my presence, then my mates immediately picked up on the sound of my voice, and their heads instantly turned to look at me.
"He's getting away."
"Who's getting away?" The voice was that of Kenai King, the only wolf with the self-control to go against his natural instincts and change in the heat of the hunt.
"The assassin. It was Arctic Venus. She hired Hendry Lennox to put us on the wrong scent and got someone else to try and kill you tonight."
That was all King needed to hear. His icy eyes turned to the alley as he roared a command at his pack. "The hunt continues!"
The end of the word was lost in snarl as he shifted back to wolf and the pack took off down the alley, led by Tanner, Gray and Hudson, and with me trailing along at the end. I couldn't follow by car, and I sure as shit wasn't letting this play out without me there, so I ran with the wolves. I felt the blood of my werewolf ancestors coursing through my veins as I struggled to keep up. My heart pounded with exhilaration, connecting with some primal urge to hunt that I had kept suppressed all these years. Damn, but it felt good. I watched a pair of humans, out on an ill-advised full moon date, jumping out of the way as we thundered past, hot on the trail of our prey.
But even as we ran, a thread of uncertainty found its way into me that would not be troubling the wolves. I could see where we were heading - for Arctic territory.
Which made sense, of course; the assassin was heading for home. But what happened when the Pack Court of the Kenai reached the boundary of Arctic territory? Were they going to stop? It didn't look like it to me.
We entered No Man’s Land without even slowing, and hit Arctic territory soon after, with our quarry not far ahead. Cries went up from around us, from Arctic wolves assuming this was an invasion. It would only be a matter of time before Venus showed up with her own Pack Court, and then... War.
With a snarl of triumph, I saw Tanner leap and bring down the would-be assassin. He was joined by his father, while Gray and Hudson led the pack in a howl of victory. I just stood there, hands on my hips, trying to catch my breath, feeling light-headed after the run. I didn't know what was going to happen next, but I knew it was going to happen soon and it was going to be bad.
Another howl ripped through the night, but this one was aggressive and fierce, and it wasn't the Kenai. Seconds later, another pack tore out of the shadows. The Arctic did not pause or ask for explanations, they simply attacked, leaping for the jugulars of the intruders. The Kenai fought back with equal violence. In the thick of the fight, I saw my mates - Tanner, Gray and Hudson - all fighting ferociously.
I had seen them fight before, of course, but that had been different, that had been for their lives or for mine. This was, too, in its way, but it seemed to me that this was, at best, a misunderstanding, and, at worst, an act of conquest, by both packs. King had made his enemies and so Venus had turned on him, and when King fought back it started a war. What the hell way was that to run a world? I didn't want my mates to be any part of it and I knew that in their hearts they didn't want to be part of it - they had more brains than that. More heart. But could they go against their instinct, their tradition, everything they were.
To my shock, it turned out that they could. As I watched, I saw Tanner trying to push Kenai wolves back, then rounding on the Arctic attackers and, rather than fighting, barking at them, trying to calm the situation. He was quickly joined by Gray and Hudson, trying to glean some space between the two fighting packs, as both the Arctic and their own werewolves, snarled at them. My heart swelled to see them trying, but sank again to see it was not just a losing battle, but a dangerous one. When Tanner tried to urge his own pack to retreat, he turned his back on the Arctic and a wolf slashed its claws across his broad back. When Hudson tried to help, a pair of Kenai wolves ran at him, treating him like a traitor. Gray, meanwhile, was caught in a pincer between Kenai and Arctic, his nose bloodied, limping on one leg.
They were going to die trying to stop a war that seemed doomed to happen one way or the other. I couldn't let this happen, but what the hell did a part-wolf private detective do to stop a werewolf war?
"STOP THE FUCK FIGHTING AND SIT THE FUCK
DOWN!"
I surprised myself with how loud I could yell if I wanted. The werewolves of both sides stopped what they were doing and stared up at me in dismay. I think it was more disbelief that a part-wolf was telling them what to do that had stopped them than anything else, but it would do.
"Arctic Venus." My eyes sought out the silver wolf in the middle. "It's over."
No response.
"The attempted assassination on Kenai King was orchestrated by Arctic Venus," I addressed the Arctic Pack, "contrary to werewolf lore. Whether she has the courage to admit it or not. And the proof is... well, that bloody smear on the street there, I think can still be identified as one of your own."
"He is." They were starting to change back to human now. It was a good sign, it meant they wanted to think. Say what you liked about wolves, they were generally honest. That was one of the things Venus despised about them. I saw Tanner, Gray and Hudson looking up at me - they were all hurt, but I could still see the pride in their eyes, and it gave me strength.
"He tried to kill Kenai King tonight, on Venus's orders. We followed him, caught him, maybe got a bit carried away, but that's no reason this has to end in more bloodshed." I heard a few dissenting growls from those who clearly thought bloodshed was the way to go. "What we do here tonight - what you choose to do here tonight - will determine the history of werewolves for generations to come. Your children and grandchildren, as yet unborn, stand in judgment on you. Don't let the ambitions of an evil woman," I looked at Venus, "and the territorial lust of a vain old man," I saw King grit his teeth, "lead these two packs into war. It's not worth it."
Chapter 21
I really should have been torn to shreds that night. But I learned something; I may not be one, but I know werewolves. I know what to say and how to say it. I learned that maybe I could be an influence for good if the opportunity arose, and that allying myself to them does not necessarily mean compromising my beliefs or giving myself over to the dangerous intrigues of werewolf politics. Most importantly, I learned what I had already been starting to learn, that all werewolves aren't the same.
Her Werewolf Harem Page 14
