by KD Jones
She smiled, glancing at the bed that she and Connor had shared. “They’ve cleaned the room.”
“Thank God for that,” Lucas commented, “I was worried about having to go to bed tonight smelling you and Connor all over my sheets.”
Roxanne laughed. She noticed Diana frowning, so she explained. “Lucas allowed me and Connor to use his room last night to work out our issues.”
Diana snorted. “How magnanimous of him.” She walked over to the bed and placed her bags on it. “I’m going to take a shower, then try to sleep. I’ll need complete darkness and quiet.”
“Okay. Thanks again for coming to help.” Roxanne watched as her friend went into the bathroom. As soon as she heard the water turn on she whirled and glared at Lucas.
“What the hell did you say to her?”
Lucas sighed. “I’m not sure. One minute we were talking—well, I was talking, but she didn’t move away from me and seemed to be listening. Then the next thing I know she told me to shut the hell up and went to sit somewhere else. She hasn’t spoken to me since.”
“What were you talking about before she told you to shut up?”
“About me coming down here to Strange Lake Falls with hopes of mating you. I told her that a werewolf princess would have been the perfect addition to my small pack. I wanted only the best and nothing could beat a princess. But now that you and Connor were mated, I would be willing to lower my standards a bit.” He stopped talking when Roxanne threw her shoe at his head. “What? What did I say?”
“You are such a pig! I am so glad that I mated Connor. He would never treat anyone like they were less than him.”
“I didn’t mean it exactly like that. But, I mean, she’s part wolf and part Roma. She can’t shift and soothsayers aren’t alpha material. I was trying to let her know that I was interested in dating her despite her flaws.”
Roxanne pointed to the door. “Out. Don’t come back in or I’ll bite where it will hurt for days.”
“But . . .”
“Diana has had to put up with bigoted idiots like you her whole life. She is not fully accepted by the Romani because they fear the animal part of her, even though she can’t turn. She’s not fully accepted by the wolfpacks because her Roma magic keeps her from shifting, which they feel is unnatural. She might have had a chance to live a normal life among the humans, but her longevity would mark her as different and might bring attention to the weres. So the werewolf council took it upon themselves to seclude her and others like her.” Roxanne walked over to the hotel door and opened it pointedly.
“I thought they chose seclusion,” he protested.
She gave him an irritated look. “No child would purposely choose seclusion. But there was no one who would take her in. I was able to get my father and mother to take her in for a little while, but as she grew older her powers became much stronger and she needed to be trained in how to use them. So the council overruled my father and ordered that she be sent to a soothsayer commune.”
“I didn’t think how it would be for her. I guess I haven’t thought much about anyone but myself,” Lucas admitted. “Let me stay and apologize, talk to her.”
Roxanne shook her head. “You meant what you said, Lucas. Whether your opinion changes or not, you can’t undo what you have already done. You might be forgiven and have a chance to move forward, but that will take time. Time we don’t have. Diana needs to relax so she can fall into the psychic dreaming state which will hopefully help us find Mors.”
“I feel helpless, what can I do?”
“These types of dreams are usually very draining for her. She will be hungry and she will need sugar and caffeine to help revive her.”
He shook his head. “I can’t leave you unprotected. The twins were supposed to meet me here to help guard you.”
“There’s a restaurant in the hotel lobby. Go down there. We’ll be fine until you get back.” Roxanne gave him a gentle shove out the door. She turned back around and found Diana watching her from the bathroom door.
“Sorry, he means well,” Roxanne apologized.
Diana waved her off. “He didn’t say anything that I haven’t heard before hundreds of times. Thanks for defending me.”
“Always. I have your back my friend. I just wished I was old enough at the time to tell the council where to go when demanded my family give you up.”
“It wasn’t your parents fault, honey. They did try to fight for me. But I was scared of my powers. I needed help learning how to control them. I told your parents to let me go to the commune.”
Roxanne walked over to hug Diana. She was always more a sister to her than just a friend. It hurt to have her taken away. “I wanted to go with you so you wouldn’t be alone.”
Diana laughed. “You were with me. Every time we shared our dreams, you were there to encourage me and offer the love I needed from my sister.”
Both women ended up half laughing and half crying. Diana straightened her shoulders. “That’s enough of that. You get the lights while I start my breathing relaxation exercises.”
It amazed Roxanne as she watched her friend settle down on the bed and breath in and out. Within minutes her friend was asleep. She wished she could do that sometimes. She hated restless nights. But with Connor in her life, she might have very pleasant ways to work off her extra energy. She smiled at that thought.
She was just sitting down in a nearby chair when someone knocked softly on the door. It must be Lucas. He had probably forgotten to take his key with him. She went over quickly to keep him from waking Diana up. As she got close to the door, though, she caught a scent, like a cat, like Connor. Had he decided to come by and check on her? She opened the door half smiling before she saw it wasn’t Connor or Lucas on the other side of the door.
“Who are you?”
“The maker of your mate. Come with me or I will have my other panther creation kill your Alpha’s mate. I believe she’s Connor’s mother, isn’t she?”
Oh shit! Roxanne opened her mouth to scream and tried to shut the door but he was stronger than she was. He pulled her out of the hotel room and clamped a hand over her mouth.
“You are a fighter. I can see why Connor wanted you. You will come with me or I will kill the girl in the room and have Connor’s very pregnant mother exterminated. Do you understand me? Blink once for yes.”
She blinked. He released her mouth but kept a tight grip on her arm. He used his free hand to reach down for a knife in his boot. “I’ll slice your throat if you scream. Come with me.”
Roxanne had no choice. She had to get Mors away from Diana and she had to find out if Mary was really in danger. She prayed that Diana would see what was happening and notify Connor. Please Diana, see me.
*****
Diana felt her body go lethargic. That was typical of her psychic dreaming. She had to stay focused, though, otherwise she would end up sailing through other people’s dreams randomly, and she had a specific person she needed to find.
Her abilities were unique. Not all soothsayers could enter others’ dreams. They usually had premonitions of when something bad would happen and could predict which choices the council should take. But Diana could go into her psychic dream state and actually see what was happening with a specific person, even if they weren’t dreaming at the same time. She just needed a subject to focus on.
Mors was her target. Morris Baynard, where are you? She felt herself spinning as her psychic connection started to pull her toward her target. She felt him first. He was excited and walking toward a van. It was a tan van, kind of beat up. He was pulling something behind him and he was talking.
“I have you now and soon I will have Connor.”
“He’s going to kill you,” another voice responded. This voice she knew. Roxanne!
She woke up with a start, screaming out for Roxanne. The door to the hotel room crashed open. She looked at Lucas, breathing hard and clearly ready to shift to his wolf form and fight something.
“What’s wr
ong?” Lucas asked.
“Get Connor on the phone.”
“Why? Did you find Mors?”
“Yes, and he has Roxanne.”
Chapter 18
“How did he get his hands on my mate?” Connor shoved Lucas into the wall. “Where were you?”
“I just went down to the lobby to get some food for the girls. I wasn’t gone that long. There was no signs of struggle and I didn’t know anything was wrong until I heard Diana scream,” Lucas said.
“It’s true, Connor. Roxanne didn’t fight Mors,” Diana said as she drank orange juice that Lucas had been bringing her.
“Why wouldn’t she?”
“I’m sure he threatened her. Probably used me, since I was in my dream state and pretty much defenseless. He could have threatened you too. All I know for sure is that she wouldn’t have left with him without a fight unless he threatened someone she loved.”
“Can you find them again?” Connor ran a hand through his hair.
“I think so. I have a connection now and I also have a deep connection with Roxanne. He won’t get away, I promise. But I’ll need quiet and someone to watch over me while I’m out.”
“I’ll watch over her and call you as soon as she finds something,” Lucas offered.
Connor nodded at Lucas but turned his attention back to Diana. “Where should I start looking?”
“I saw him getting into an old, beat up tan minivan.” She closed her eyes, trying to remember every detail of the van. “There was something hanging from the rearview mirror, like a sign or a pass. There was a symbol on it for . . . parks and recreation. I would try searching in a recreation area where they let people camp. The van looked lived in.”
Connor perked up. “There’s only one park big enough for camping in Strange Lake Falls. It’s spread out over fifty acres, but if I ask the person running it if they have a camper with a tan van he might remember seeing it.”
“That’s the best lead we have right now. I’ll send out a few more of our pack members and Adrian called to say he’s sending some of his vamps to help the search as soon as it starts to turn dark,” Ric’s said over the speaker on Connor’s cell phone. “I could leave the others to guard Mary while I help you search.”
“No, you need to stay with my mom. Mors knew about Roxanne, he didn’t take just anyone. He’s been watching me for a while and I’m sure he knows about Mom and the baby. He could go after them next. We’ll keep you updated on what’s happening.” Connor hung up his cell phone and looked at Diana. “I won’t shift until I get to the campsite. I have a string and will wear my phone around my neck when I do shift. As soon as you find them, call me.”
Diana nodded. “I will. I am so sorry, Connor. If I hadn’t gone into the deep sleep to find Mors, I would have been awake enough to help Roxanne fight him off.”
Connor shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault you weren’t able to help her. No, I lay the blame for this on Lucas. He should have known better than to leave you two unprotected.” He glared again at Lucas, then stormed out of the hotel room, followed by the wolf twins.
*****
Lucas didn’t argue with him. He knew he had messed up. He turned to Diana. “What do you need me to do?”
“Turn off the lights completely. Sit in a the chair next to the phone and be ready to call Connor as soon as I say something that might help.”
“How does this work exactly? Do you go completely asleep and then wake up? Do I have to wake you up?”
“This is a different type of sleep. Once I get connected to the target, I’ll begin to speak out loud about what I’m seeing. As soon as you hear something that helps locate them, make the call. Don’t try to wake me. A sudden jolt to my body could be . . . dangerous.”
“I’ll watch over you, I swear. I’ll protect you with my life.”
Diana lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. “I know you will. Mors taking Roxanne was not your fault. He was sneaky about it. He could have fought you, killed you, and then still taken Roxanne. He would have found a way to get his hands on someone Connor loved. He was determined. This were is very dangerous.” Diana laid her head down on the pillow and began her breathing exercises.
Lucas watched in surprise at how quickly Diana was able to enter her dream state. She started talking out loud, but it was about the past, telling him how Mors had gotten into the hotel and what happened. She said Mors’ parts and then Roxanne’s responses. It was true, Mors had threatened to go after Mary. He had someone watching her.
Lucas wasn’t sure if Diana could hear him in her state. She had said not to touch her but hadn’t mentioned anything about talking.
“Diana, can you hear me?”
“Lucas? I can hear you.”
“Good, try to focus on the man that Mors has watching the packhouse. We need to find him first. Can you do that?”
“I can do that. He shares a connection with Mors. I will find him.”
Lucas reached for the phone and dialed Ric. “Ric, Mors has someone watching Mary. He threatened her, that’s how he got Roxanne to come with him.”
“Where is he?”
“Diana is trying to locate him now.”
“Panther . . . the man is hiding in panther form. But he can’t control his shifting. He is newly made, a month or two old. There are other animals around him, he wants to eat them. But he can’t, he was ordered not to draw attention. I smell hay. He can see the packhouse. The woman is inside. It’s a barn, I think.”
Lucas repeated what Diana said to Ric. He could hear Ric growling orders to check the barn out back. “Be careful, Ric. This guy is newly made and can’t control his shifting.”
“We’ve got this guy, now find Roxanne,” Ric ordered before hanging up.
Diana sounded weak. “I am having trouble connecting with Mors.”
“Diana, focus on Roxanne. You have stronger connection with her, right?”
“She’s my sister. I can find her anywhere.”
“Focus on her.”
“She’s scared. She’s never been so scared before,” Diana said.
“What does she see? What’s around her?”
“Water, lots of water. It’s everywhere and it is falling down from over her head.”
“A waterfall?”
“I think so. She hurts and there’s something dripping in her eyes. I think she was hit.”
“Does Roxanne recognize the place? Is it far?”
“They didn’t drive too far, they are still in Strange Lake Falls. She had been blindfolded most of the trip. She feels sick to her stomach but it was from all the rocking . . . they had put her on a small boat. Roxanne was never good on boats, she gets seasick.”
Lucas dialed Connor. “They took her someplace with a waterfall. They used a boat to cross over to it. That’s probably why we haven’t been able to track him. We lose the scent at the water.”
“There are several waterfalls. I need more direction,” Connor said with frustration.
Lucas kept the phone at his ear as he spoke to Diana. “Diana, does Roxanne know which waterfall she’s near?”
“Not near, inside. She went through the waterfall. The cave beyond has huge stalactites hanging from the ceiling. If one fell it would impale her. Oh God. We got to get to her soon, Mors wants to . . .”
“What does he want to do, Diana?”
“He wants to impregnate Roxanne.”
Oh fuck! “Connor, did you hear that? Do you know where there is a waterfall with a cave behind it?”
Connor had to pause before he could speak. It came out as a growl. “I know it.” Then he hung up.
Lucas looked over at Diana. There was a fine sheen of sweat all over her body and her arms were trembling. “Diana, you need to wake up now. Connor is on his way to rescue Roxanne. Come back.”
Diana’s voice was shaky. “No, I want to stay with her in case Mors tries to move her.”
“Honey, you're shaking really bad. You need to let the connection go.”
“I won’t leave her.”
Damn it! Lucas ran a hand through his hair. He knew she was right about the possibility of Mors moving Roxanne if he sensed that Connor was getting close. But he didn’t want Diana connected to Roxanne if Mors did rape her, or worse, killed her. He knew that would devastate Diana. He had to protect the small woman. His wolf was demanding they take her, claim her, protect her. What the hell was going on with his wolf?
He ignored his wolf as best he could and moved to sit on the bed next to Diana, who was now shaking uncontrollably. He reached out with gentle fingers and caressed her lips.
“Wake up, Diana. You’ve done enough. Connor is on his way.”
“No . . .”
“Wake, Diana, come back to me.” He leaned forward and kissed her softly. He knew it was the right move because she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Of course, the moment she realized what was really happening, she let go of him and slapped his face.
“Don’t ever touch me without my approval. Damn you, I lost the connection.”
Lucas couldn’t take his eyes off her soft lips. Nothing had ever tastes so sweet to him. He wanted to taste them again and again. Reality hit when she slapped his other cheek.
“What the hell! Stop hitting me!”
“No, not until you stop looking at me that way. Let me up so I can get dressed and help search for her.” Diana swayed as she got to her feet and would have fallen if Lucas hadn’t caught her in his arms.
God, she felt so right, there against his chest, against his heart. His wolf was happy. Damn him. Of course, Diana was furious.
“Put me down, Lucas!”
“Sorry, honey. You’re too weak to help anyone right now. The best thing you could do for Roxanne is rest, in case you have to use your powers to find her again.”
She grumbled something that sounded like jerk. “I’m sorry, honey, what are you saying?”
“I said . . . fine. Put me back on the bed and I promise I’ll rest. Do you have anything for me to eat?”
He smiled at her with a glint in his eyes. “What are you hungry for?” He looked her body over and licked his lips.
