One of the young males looked straight in his direction, and Sax noted the tension in his broad shoulders. Sax scented the air and the familiar polar bear shifter, similar to the aroma that came from his brothers, filled his lungs.
Sax’s head thumped, and a tiny growl escaped him. He didn’t want trouble. Before he could second-guess himself, he stood and without taking his gaze off the teenager, Sax retreated until he could no longer see the group.
After several frustrating minutes, he stumbled across another tiny splotch of oil. He noted the tire tracks and the way one side of the truck left more distinctive marks on the tundra, especially in the boggy parts.
With Kendall on his mind, he persevered, even when he lost the trail. Alarm surfaced in him when he realized the trail was taking him toward town, but then the truck had turned off and Sax increased his speed. He knew where they were going. The Anders owned a piece of land out of town. Ran and Tate had visited when they were younger. Some party or outing for polar bear shifters only. Sax hadn’t received an invitation.
Sax forged onward, happier now he had a destination, but he couldn’t outrun his growing rage.
Kendall wasn’t a bloody chew toy for them to steal. She was a human who knew nothing of shifters. He, Ran and Tate had decided there was no point in informing her of this part of their lives until they were certain she’d stay with them.
The Anders brothers wouldn’t care if they terrorized her.
Kendall curled up on the raggedy chair where they’d shoved her and tried to formulate a plan. At least they’d removed the foul-smelling gag from her mouth. Jamie hadn’t needed to tell her shouting for help was fruitless. She still had her phone since they hadn’t bothered to search her, but she couldn’t ring anyone with Tall, Blond and Sullen loitering nearby. The way he watched her with those ice-blue eyes chilled her to the marrow. They mightn’t have hurt her yet, but they intended to.
The cabin appeared to be one room with basic cooking facilities. From what she could see by the lamplight, the wood looked solid. The scent of oil from a lamp tinged each breath along with the faint mustiness that came from a closed-up room.
A phone rang somewhere outside. The mumble of voices, then the silent, frowning brother tromped into the cabin.
“Ma called and wants to know when we’ll be at the gathering.”
Tall, Blond and Sullen scowled and glanced at her. “Shit. We’ll have to make an appearance.” He jerked his thumb in Kendall’s direction. “What are we going to do with her?”
“Tie her up and lock the cabin. Jamie suggested that one of us sneaks off. We’ll need to get her food—something to drink anyway.”
“I need the restroom.” Kendall could use the opportunity to mute her phone and send a text. Fiona might be her best bet since Sax didn’t expect Tate and Ran back in Churchill until tomorrow.
“I need to speak with Jamie. You take her,” Tall, Blond and Sullen ordered.
“Why do I always have to do the crap jobs?”
“Because you’re the youngest.”
Tall, Blond and Sullen marched outside, leaving her with the one Anders brother.
“This isn’t right. You could let me go. I won’t tell your brothers.”
The young blond rolled his eyes. “Jamie wants you. He agreed we can all have you, and it will get Ma to back off.” He shook his head. “His fool plan won’t work because any children will be half-breeds. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen. He wants you, so he’s taken you.”
Half-breed? They’d called Sax a half-breed, but the meaning escaped her.
“But he’s broken the law.”
“Please. Stop talking. My brothers aren’t as patient as me.”
Kendall stood. “I’m not a piece of pie for men to fight over. I have feelings. You don’t approve of this. Couldn’t you call my friend for me?”
“Quiet,” the man barked.
Kendall opened her mouth to speak again since he didn’t appear a bully like his older brothers. The door to the cabin squeaked open and Jamie appeared.
“What’s the delay, Pieter?”
“I’m taking her to the outhouse,” Pieter said.
“Well, hurry. Ma called again.” Jamie scowled. “She’s organized her friend’s daughters to meet us.”
Kendall allowed Pieter to drag her outside. He led her behind the cabin to a small building not much bigger than a cupboard. She wrinkled her nose.
“Be quick about it,” Pieter ordered, the jut of his chin telling her he’d be every bit as formidable as his older brothers if she became difficult. He opened the door for her.
“It’s dark in there. How am I meant to see what I’m doing?”
“Humans,” he muttered in clear disgust.
Kendall stared at him in confusion.
“Leave the door open.”
“But you’ll see.”
A low growl squeezed up his throat and rumbled outward. Kendall took half a step backward and stumbled over a rock. His hand shot out, saving her from a fall and plastering her against his broad chest. Just as quickly, he set her on her feet and away from him.
She stiffened, eyes blinking rapidly at his weird reaction. “I don’t bite.”
“I don’t want your scent on me.”
He what? “My scent?”
“I have my eye on one of the Tilson girls. She won’t want anything to do with me if she smells you on my clothes.”
Perplexed, Kendall shook her head and entered the outhouse. “Turn around.”
“Don’t try to run,” he warned. “It won’t go well for you.”
Kendall lifted her chin. She’d run at the first opportunity. She refused to sit back and act the ditzy blonde—unless it suited her. “Don’t peek. And stand over there.” She pointed. “I get nervous when someone is listening.”
“Humans,” Pieter spat and stomped away three steps farther.
“Why do you call me human, as if it’s an insult?”
“I can see you’re one of those women who talk everything to death. Hurry or Jamie will come looking for us and then we’ll both be sorry.”
Kendall took heed. Phone first. She’d send a quick SOS to Fiona and pray her friend would wake and send in the cavalry. Or at least check with Ran and Tate once she didn’t reach Kendall or Sax. Sax was counting on her. It couldn’t be a good thing for him to lie on the beach, smelling of blood. The polar bears might find him first.
With her gaze on Pieter, Kendall opened the lid on the throne. Toilet smells wafted upward and in self-defense, she breathed through her mouth. She’d better yank down her jeans in case Pieter peeked. But the man kept his word. He remained with his back to her, unmoving.
Stealthily, Kendall slid her mobile from her pocket. She turned it on and quickly muted the sound. As she’d suspected several messages and texts from her mother. She started to text Fiona and tapped out SOS.
“What are you doing? I can’t hear any sounds,” Pieter said without warning.
Her hand jerked. The message sent before she’d finished and the phone flew from her grasp. Kendall let out a tiny eep and attempted to catch it. Her fingers knocked the mobile off course, and it sailed into the long drop. A bluish light glowed around it.
“What’s going on?” Pieter whirled around, and she wasn’t quick enough to hide the light still coming from her phone.
In two long strides, he reached her and pushed her aside. With her jeans around her knees, she teetered and landed on her butt.
“You had a phone.” Accusation filled his voice.
“I never denied it. No one asked me.” Ignoring the pain in her tailbone, Kendall scrambled to her feet and righted her jeans. She marched to his side and stared down at her phone. If she reached down, she might retrieve—
Pieter zipped down his fly and pulled out his cock. Seconds later, a stream of urine struck her phone. He shook, rearranged himself and zipped up again before speaking. “It won’t work now. I peed on it.”
“Thank you, M
r. Obvious,” she snapped.
“You won’t reach it without falling in. The pit is deeper than it looks.”
“It’s still working,” Kendall protested.
“It won’t if I shit on top of it. Come on. We’ve taken long enough.”
“But I haven’t gone yet.”
“You want to pee on your phone too?”
Kendall snapped her mouth shut, running out of delaying options.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Pieter grasped her arm and dragged her around the side of the cabin. “She had a phone,” he told Jamie.
“Did she call anyone?”
“No, but she might have texted.”
“Where is the phone?” Jamie demanded.
“It fell down the long drop. I peed on it,” Pieter said.
Jamie barked out a laugh. “That must’ve pissed her off.”
Kendall rolled her eyes and inched away when Jamie drew closer.
“Did you send a text?”
“I didn’t have time,” she admitted in frustration. Not a proper text at any rate. Fiona might not understand the SOS with nothing else to give her a clue.
“You’d better not be lying.”
“You want to retrieve my phone and check for messages after your brother urinated over it?”
Jamie’s eyes glinted. It wasn’t her imagination—that flicker of gold before she saw blue. And his irises were blue. A pretty blue. A pity about the rest of the package. He stalked over to her and skimmed his hands over her body. He lingered when he came to her breasts, and she kicked him in the shin. Jamie just laughed.
He traced a finger around her lips, drawing the digit back before she could bite it. “I knew you’d be perfect.”
“But I’m human,” she spat. Pieter had seemed to think that was a problem, although she didn’t know why.
His expression shifted at her words. Was that regret?
Jamie winced. “The human part is the sticking point in my plan, but I have plenty to go around.” He cupped his groin in case she was in any doubt as to his meaning. “Tie her up. No, wait. I’ll do it.”
Definitely regret, but she didn’t understand why.
Jamie disappeared and returned with a roll of tape.
Kendall backed away until she bumped into Pieter. The youngest Anders brother didn’t say much when his older brothers were around.
“Hold out your hands. No, put them behind your back.”
“No.” Kendall darted around Pieter.
“Pieter,” Jamie said.
Pieter grasped her left arm and had it behind her back before she had time to run. She tried to free herself but he was so much stronger. Jamie wrapped tape around her hands, and Pieter released her.
“Sit in the chair,” Jamie ordered.
Again, she resisted, and Pieter lifted her off her feet and plonked her on the ratty red chair. Jamie fastened her feet together with the tape, and seconds later, she was on her own in the cabin.
“Fiona.” Arve shook her awake. “Your phone beeped with a message.”
“Don’t care. Wanna sleep.”
“Your phone never goes at this time of the night.” Kirk ran his hand over the curve of her bare hip.
“You want me to check for you?” Arve persisted.
Fiona yawned. “’kay.”
Arve climbed out of the warm bed and returned with her phone. He hit a button and her phone came to life. “It’s from Kendall.”
Fiona yawned again. “What does it say?”
“It’s three letters. SOS. That’s all.”
“What?” Fiona pushed herself upright, uncaring that the covers puddled around her waist. “Let me see.”
Arve handed her the phone, and she looked at the message. She frowned and tried Kendall’s phone. At the worst, she’d wake her friend in the middle of the night. One in the morning, to be exact. “There’s no reply.”
“SOS.” Kirk grimaced. “Is she in trouble? Try to ring one of her men.”
Sax’s phone rang and rang. Fiona left a brief message and tried to ring Tate.
“According to Kendall, Ran and Tate were away for a few days at the site out on the tundra,” Fiona said. “I won’t be able to sleep until I know what the message means.”
Kirk sighed and crawled out of bed. He started to pull on his clothes. “Come on. We’ll stop by Sax’s house. They’re probably curled up in a cozy bed and didn’t hear the phone.”
Arve didn’t grumble like his brother but dressed instead. “You can stay here if you want.”
“No way.” Fiona searched the floor and patted the bedcovers. “What did you do with my panties?”
“Kirk threw them over there. I’ll get them,” Arve said.
“My bra?”
“I’ve got it.” Kirk dangled it from his fingers.
“Wipe that grin off your face, Kirk Swenson.” Fiona hid her smile. “How would you like it if I tossed your clothes around the room?”
“I’d go without underwear,” Kirk said, his expression solemn.
“Huh!” Fiona accepted her lingerie from Arve and dressed as fast as she could.
“Hurry, Fiona,” Kirk teased.
“I’ll put itching powder in your boxers,” she threatened.
“I’ll drive.” Arve snatched up the keys. “Let’s go.”
A few minutes later, they were on their way.
Fiona stared out the window of the big truck when they pulled up outside Sax’s house. “Their vehicle isn’t parked outside.”
“That might mean nothing,” Arve said. “We’ll check inside.”
“We can’t just walk inside their house,” Fiona protested.
“Are you worried about Kendall?” Kirk countered.
“Yes.” She nodded.
“We’ll check the door, and if it’s not locked, we’ll enter.” Arve patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. They won’t mind once we explain.”
“No one is home,” Kirk said.
The door opened at Arve’s touch, and she and Kirk followed Arve inside.
Kirk checked the bedrooms. “Empty.”
“They were here earlier. Someone made hot chocolate.” Fiona fingered the packet on the counter along with an empty UHT milk carton. “Where would they have gone?”
“Try ringing them again,” Kirk suggested.
Fiona called Kendall. She tried Sax. “Nothing. Any ideas where to try next?”
They left the house, and Fiona caught the flicker of lights in the distance. “Could they have gone out of town to see the lights? They might have done that. I doubt they’d have gone to the building site because Kendall has work tomorrow. Besides, she would’ve told me she was leaving for a few days. Can you smell anything?”
“Nothing that will help.” Arve prowled the room. “Would they drive to the beach or in the other direction? Any educated guesses?”
“Not a clue. Let’s try the beach first,” Fiona suggested. “If we don’t have any luck at the beach, we can drive the other way.”
“Let’s go.” Kirk appeared tired and uneasy. “The sooner we find them, the quicker we can get back to our warm bed.”
“You didn’t have to come,” Fiona countered.
“I did.” Kirk approached her and smoothed his knuckles down her cheek. “You and Arve would’ve griped all night. Besides, I’ll pretend it’s an adventure.”
When they reached the beach, Arve pulled up. Not a single visible vehicle.
“Get out and do your polar bear sniffing thing,” Fiona ordered.
Arve grunted while Kirk chuckled.
“You have no respect, Fiona, mine,” Arve chided. “You can come with us.”
“But it’s cold,” Fiona protested, leaving the warmth of the vehicle.
“You might see something we miss, darlin’,” Kirk said.
Fiona doubted it, but she sensed Kirk and Arve would make certain she left the cozy vehicle since this was her idea.
Arve dragged in a huge breath. “I smell polar bears.”
>
Kirk stepped away from their truck and followed the same procedure. His head dipped, and he dropped to his haunches. “Blood. It’s fresh.”
Worry swelled in Fiona. “Polar bear shifters or natural polar bears.”
“Not sure.” Arve leaned closer to the ground. “But I’m leaning toward shifters because there are more than two different scents.”
“Didn’t you say Sax is a half-breed and can’t shift?” Fiona asked.
“Yeah,” Kirk said absently. “There is a trail with the blood but it stops over here. Arve, come and check this scent. It smells like a bear. It starts suddenly and goes off in this direction.”
“Should we follow the trail?” Fiona asked.
“It might not be Sax or Kendall,” Kirk stated. “We might be wrong.”
“But what if you’re not? Arve?” Fiona set her gaze on Arve and waited for him to voice his opinion. Every instinct told her Kendall was in trouble. She refused to return home and do nothing.
“What if I follow the trail and you two take a quick drive around the town to see if you can find Sax’s SUV? For all we know, they might have been thirsty and gone for a drink,” Arve pointed out.
“Come on, Fiona. Let’s do that,” Kirk said.
“But what if this blood belongs to either Sax or Kendall?”
“If we don’t find Sax’s vehicle or Sax and Kendall, we’ll come back. Arve, you shifting?”
“Yeah. Easier to track.”
“All right. Keep your phone in your pocket. After half an hour, shift back to human and call us. Let us know where you are and we’ll drive as close as we can and cover the rest of the distance on foot until we meet you. Is that workable?” Kirk asked.
“That’s clever,” Fiona said in admiration. Her men each had a good brain on them. “We’re lucky your clothes shift with you so you have a pocket.”
“Half an hour.” Arve patted his pocket to make certain his phone was secure.
Fiona watched Arve shift with her normal fascination. The sounds of shifting were off-putting but seeing the human body disappear, reshape and emerge into a new, bigger form, covered with fur intrigued her.
“Fiona, stop ogling Arve. We need to move.”
Kendall's Mates Page 18
