Addison looked back at Bg as she winced. The pain of her injuries would hurt at any time. But in the midst of a lunar week, all werewolf senses were heightened. For good and for bad. Which meant that she was silently suffering through, ten times, if not more, pain than she might have normally if this beating had happened outside of lunar week. He noted she was concentrating on breathing slowly and frowned.
Bg’s good eye flicked up to him.
“I think they broke a rib, trying to pull me out of the car window.” She winced. Paris stepped forward, agitated and stilled as Bg looked up at him before looking across at Addison. “You’re the best tracker in here Addison. I want you to get what you can off me, and I’ll tell you the rest, so you can catch these bastards for Cassidy.”
Paris looked at him pained. It was crushing to be so close to his pack mate and not be able to help her. A wave of anger surged up in Addison, and he fisted his hands tightly. The idea of Cassidy, scared and surrounded by lycans not knowing just how much danger she was in, made him want to lash out at everything around him. The thought that she could be as badly hurt or worse, than BG just about more than he could handle.
But he wouldn’t give up. He would get Cassidy back and he would make sure every lycan involved paid for what they had done. It was one thing to get into scrapes and fights with the werewolves of the New York Packs. But even lycans knew better than to involve human casualties. Casualties. Addison threw the word out of his mind. He had to believe Cassidy was ok, that she wasn’t as hurt as Bg appeared to be. Because he honestly would loose control if she looked like she’d suffered anything like Bg had.
He walked forward, cautiously to Bg and bent down, his face close to her bloodied face. Bg’s eyes dropped to the floor. Addison didn’t know if it was out of shame, respect or something else that she averted her gaze for him. His hand covered hers reassuringly soft in it’s gesture. He hated seeing her like that as much as the rest of the males in there did. And he inched his nose closer to the blood coating her split and swollen skin.
He inhaled the fragrance of it. Bg had been smart to not let any of the Manhattan Maen touch her. She wanted Addison to pick up as fast and clearly as he could, all the scents and markers the lycan’s carried on themselves and had passed on to Bg when they’d attacked her.
Blood filled his mind. It made his werewolf hungry for a hunt. And this time he needed to be the one to tear something living apart and a rabbit would in no way suffice.
The scents of cotton, sweat and fur, metallic like copper and diesel oil registered, along with rain water wash. A cell phone sounded from behind him and all eyes but his, went to where he knew Paris was standing. Paris started cursing in French as he pulled out the cell phone and raised it, to throw it across the room.
“Why don’t I take this one?” Jules pipped up falsely cheerful and leaping over to Paris and snatching the phone out of his hand quickly.
“This better be good!” Jules barked down the phone, walking away from the centre of the room. Addison moved to Bg’s good side of her face and placed a light kiss on her unscathed cheek, before standing up straight again and looking at Paris.
“I got ‘em, just need a staring point.” He said to his pack leader.
All wolves, wether werewolf or lycan had scents that they left on everything they touched. Hell, all living beings had a scent. It was as unique as a finger print. And it was the easiest way to track. All werewolves could track, but Addison excelled at tracking more than his pack mates. Growing up a werewolf, Addison had always tried to be the best he could be, he constantly worked on honing his skills and for once, now, he was grateful he had.
He had to find Cassidy or he’d snap. He couldn’t be held accountable for what he would become without her. Right now, he was fury and vengeance, coiled tight and waiting for something to strike out at, with everything he had in him.
Having a scent was all very good and well, but it meant nothing if Addison didn’t know where to start the hunt for the perpetrators of this attack on the Manhattan Maen. And whilst he was a brilliant tracker, tracking those that used vehicles to access things, was a skill no one had mastered, himself included. He could only track the perpetrators if they were on foot somewhere.
Any attack, against those associated with the Manhattan Maen werewolf pack, would be fought back with by the Maen. Bg was their pack leader’s pack mate, and whilst she came from another werewolf pack, in Brooklyn, she was so involved in her pack mate’s life, that she was considered his and therefore, she came under the Maen pack’s protection as much as she did her own pack, the Breukelen.
Cassidy, came under their pack protection too, because Addison wouldn’t have it any other god damn way. He might not have known her as long as Paris had been with Bg, but she was ingrained in him, all the same. Paris let out a heavy breath and finally, strode over to Bg, going down on his knees before her, his hands in hers. Bg’s hand cupped her pack mate’s face.
“Okay, now I’ll take you up on that ice-pack.”
Jules finger’s snapped loudly, catching everyone’s attention as they looked at him. He walked back over to them all, the cell phone to his ear.
“I’m putting you on speaker phone with the Alpha.” Jules said into the phone, pressing a button on the phone and putting it on the table beside Bg. They looked at the phone.
“Alpha, it’s Vaughn, I got called in to help trail the Tri-state counsellors as per your orders through Bohm. We followed the Bronx councillor and saw him hold some sort of meeting, with a pack of lycans, in George Town.”
“Say again.” Paris said into the phone.
“It was a pack of lycans, no doubt about it sir, we picked up their scent. Definitely lycan.” Paris glanced at Addison. lycans did not operate like werewolves, they did not form packs. The lycan behaviour tended to compel them to work alone as individuals.
“This meeting took place on Staten Island?” Wiatt asked seeking clarification.
“Yes.”
Paris and Addison looked at one another. “Staten Island is a neutral and free New York territory.”
“We would’ve reported it earlier to the Alpha, except, they seemed to be rather active, so we thought it best to keep trailing them. The lycans, sir. They were up to something, we could tell, but we lost them in traffic, when they got into transport.” Addison slammed his fist down on the table, frustration boiling up in him.
“But we just picked them up again, re-entering Staten Island. But this is different. We saw they appeared to have someone, a prisoner of sorts. Layton is still keeping an eye out on them, I moved away so I could inform you and ask you what you want us to do.”
“It’s Addison. Where are you now? He said leaning further down to the phone. He needed a start point, from there, he could track a scent trail even if it was two days old, he was that good at tracking. Most werewolves could only track scent trails that were fresh, or a few hours old. Paris and Jules could track a trail that was twenty four hours old, but not as well or far as Addison could.
“Arden Woods.” Vaughn replied.
“Sit tight, do not make them aware of your presence. We’re on our way.” Paris spoke into the phone before signing off. He looked over at Addison.
“What’s the best way to do this?”
“You mean other than massacre the lot of them?’ He seethed. The energy in the room spiked at his words. It was lunar week, and being restless and presented with a chance to hunt to kill was like dangling a very exotic temptation in the faces of those there. Not one of them wanted to resist the temptation.
“Might be for the best.” Paris said far too calmly and the werewolf in Addison paced, waiting to be let out of it’s cage.
19
“Oh look, Addison’s bitch wakes at last.” Sneered a dirty looking male to Cassidy’s left. Her eyes fluttered open and wide, as she tried to move and instantly regretted the decision.
Course rope cut into her skin, tightening around her neck as her body started to sw
ing, back and forth heavily. Effectively choking herself, as the rope dug in deeper into her skin.
“Wouldn’t fight it if I were you.” Another male said, walking out from behind her to be in front. He had blonde hair and brown eyes, his hands reached out to her and grabbed her by her sides. Stilling her body from swinging, as Cassidy gasped and gagged, against the sensation of the rope, cutting in under her jaw tightly. Cassidy’s eyes stared back at the male.
She was strung up, her arms raised above her head, and over something above her. She was strung up just enough, so that her feet, didn’t touch the ground and she had just enough rope, tied in a noose around her neck, along with her hands being of no use to her, to effectively hang herself if she tried to escape.
The male’s hands were still on her, even as she stilled. His mouth leering at her. Cassidy tried to shrink internally away from him. His touch on her screamed at her instincts. She didn’t want him touching her. His eyes said he wanted to touch her, without clothes kind of touch her. She felt bile rise in her throat.
“Oh what’s a matter, not good enough for my kind?” He said at her, his fingers trailing up along her singlet top and pinching her nipple painfully. Cassidy stilled, concentrated on slowing her breathing down. She didn’t want to make this guy angry. She was in no position to make him angry.
“But you’ll let Addison paw you.” He dropped his hands off her then and Cassidy tried not to be obvious in her relief. She didn’t want to give this guy, whoever the hell he was, anything to go on. She was in a very bad position for fighting back or being defiant. He smirked back at her and then did what she’d been dreading he’d do. He tore at her singlet top, causing it to rip open, off her shoulder, pulling the material covering her left breast down.
She shuddered internally and willed herself not to shake externally as his hand went back to her exposed breast.
“Pretty little bitch aren’t you? Oh wait, you’re probably going to tell me, you’re not a bitch.” He leaned into her face and sniffed at her. “Yeah, I get that.” He said his finger running over her hard nipple again. “Doesn’t mean you can’t be tamed, does it?” He went on, twisting the nipple again and watching her nose screw up as she bit her lip from the action. He laughed at her, and she tried not to gag at the smell of alcohol and smoke on him as it brushed across her face. His hand dropped off her nipple and Cassidy blinked, holding the tears that threatened to spill at bay as she looked upwards.
Both his hands sliding down her body to the waist of her underpants, which he rolled down her hips. Cassidy remained silent and teary, looking away. There was nothing else she could do.
“Unlike the Maen, we tend to not be so fussy when it comes to Nons. And I have no problem sharing.” The male said as he slowly pulled her under pants down and looked at the neat shaped hair coming into view. “There’s four of us here. We could do with some…female company.” He leered at her, delighting in her terrified expression.
“Joey, come on, not before the job is done man.” Came another male voice from somewhere behind Cassidy. Joey, the leering male before her brushed a finger over the coarse hair peeping out from the underwear and licked his lips.
“Says who?”
“Says me and the boss.” The voice replied angrily at him. Cassidy watched as Joey was shoved away from her and a taller male came into view. He eyed her suspiciously. His eyes dropping to her exposed breast and down to the underwear rolled lower down her hips.
“You bitches are all the same.” He muttered before turning back to Joey. “Once we’re done with the Manhattan Maen, you can do whatever the fuck you want with her, till then…stay focussed. We’re not done yet.”
Cassidy tried to breath with heavy felt relief but breathing with a choking rope around her neck was hard, so she concentrated on keeping her feelings and need to cry and breath, under control so as to not tighten the rope around her throat. Her arms were starting to feel the strain in her shoulders, from being pulled to taunt, and unable to move them for comfortable relief. She wondered what the Manhattan Maen her kidnappers spoke of were and how they were connected to her Zac, their Addison.
The two males muttered something at one another and one pointed off to the right and then the left and they separated and moved off into the surrounding darkness of the woods around Cassidy. Leaving her all alone. Even that was no comfort she realised, as she took in what she could of her surroundings. All that greeted her was a bit of rustling amongst shrubbery, trees and bushes. And the sway of branches as a wind rustled through tree tops. She was in the woods somewhere. Strung up in an inescapable position, totally vulnerable to whoever came across her. She’d never felt so completely helpless in her entire life.
She had no idea who her kidnappers were, or why she’d been kidnapped. Only that it had something to do with Addison. And that didn’t really explain anything since she still felt like she didn’t know enough about him to know that much. Cassidy squeezed her eyes shut as tears seeped out of them. Wetting her eyelashes.
The memory of horror on Addison’s face turning to fury as she was dragged out of the house, played around in her head. Whatever her kidnapping was about, she was fairly certain he didn’t know anything about it. He’d run after her, like her life depended upon it.
He’d sprinted for her. She’d seen it before being thrown into the van. Cassidy opened her eyes again. Addison would come for her. The thought steeled her and filled her with a calm she needed to get through her ordeal. He would come through her, if he knew where she was or who had her. But how could he know? Did he recognise her kidnapper?
Cassidy’s mind raced, she might be on her own.
She had to get free. But how?
Addison, Paris and Jules met up with Vaughn just outside of Arden Woods. Bohm was stationed back at Paris’s apartment with Bg with three other werewolves on guard duty around his house.
Paris had issued his tracking wolves, to round up the councillors and to bring them to Manhattan wether they were willing or not to co-operate with them. In the mean time, Addison, Paris and Jules would go into Arden woods with Vaughn to get Cassidy.
Vaughn explained the layout of the woods to the Manhattan Maen Alpha before him and that an attack in daylight, looked like it was expected by the Lycan’s behaviour.
Addison didn’t care. If the Lycans knew he was gunning for them, all the better was his mindset. He wanted to them to experience the terror of his full blown rage for taking Cassidy away from him. All he knew was he had to get to Cassidy and that was all that mattered. Getting Cassidy back, making sure she was safe, in his arms again.
He had to make her safe again. A small voice in his head interrupted his thought. She would never be safe with him. Because of him. Look what had happened to her after just a handful of dates. Lycans had kidnapped her. Targeted her, because somehow they’d known she was with Addison. Because he was a werewolf and she was a human, an easy target. Because he was a Manhattan Maen werewolf, and someone wanted him to get at him by kidnapping Cassidy.
“Addison?” Paris asked softly watching as Addison blinked rapidly and refocussed on his pack leader.
“You with us? Did you get that?” Paris asked watching a range of emotions filter across his friend’s normally, poker face in battle. Addison looked back at Paris, having missed the entirety of what the plan of attack was clearly going to be.
“Vaughn counted four of them. One for each of us. Or in your case, you head straight to Cassidy and get her out. You’ve got the lead to direct us where they are.“
“I want blood.” Addison stated definitely.
Paris stared at his friend. “I know, but if we’re going to get Cassidy out unscathed, then you need to focus on that first. Cassidy first, lycans second. Jules and I will take care of the extra one. If we for some reason can’t then he’s all yours. Just get Cassidy out of there. We’ll meet back here at the car park, if that’s compromised, you know the fall back location.”
Addison nodded his head silently
. The four males looked around them, and noting they were otherwise alone at Arden woods, so early in the morning. Quickly they stripped off their clothing, and ran into the woods, to ready for their shape shift to tribal form.
20
Cassidy’s hands attempted to feel the tree branch she was tied to. What she could make out from the feel of it separating her hands, was it was wide. And it seemed to hold her weight without effort. So there was no chance of her breaking it somehow, to get free. Panic started to fill her, there had to be a way out of the situation she was in.
Movement in the bushes around her, made her eyes dart out in front of her. Her eyes went wide, as a scraggily wolf walked through the bushes and eyed her. Hungrily she thought. The wolf loped towards her and Cassidy tried to be very still. Lowering her breathing level.
The wolf snorted at her, as if laughing at her situation. As if laughing at the fact that someone had strung up such an easy dinner for it to take down. But then it turned around, turning it’s back on her and sat down, looking out into the woods, ignoring her.
Guarding her, Cassidy thought silently. Guarding her from what? Her mind raced trying to figure out her predicament and what was coming her way. A wolf guarding a tied up human being, was not normal animal behaviour.
Surely a wild wolf would find the temptation of her as food, too easy to pass up? So what could make the wolf, that looked hungrily enough at her, and like it could do with a good solid meal, pass up on something as easy as she was, laid out before it?
“Stay focussed on the job and you can do whatever the fuck you want with her afterwards.” The words reverberated through her mind.
Had the kidnappers trained a wolf to guard her while they went off somewhere to do, whatever was the next part of the job? To ensure she couldn’t get away? Cassidy’s eyes fell on the back of the scraggily wolf. For some reason, she couldn’t put a finger on, the wolf kind of reminded her of Joey the perve who’d been touching her up earlier. Which was stupid, right?
Wild Life Page 13
