Uncertain Claim

by Rebecca Airies

  “Hello, is Gavin okay?” She frowned and looked at the door.

  “They’re finishing stitching him up and the last of a transfusion right now, although believe me, he wasn’t happy that you didn’t come with him. What happened?” Evan stepped forward and stared down at her.

  Oh, yeah, this was definitely the alpha of the pack. Diana was glad she hadn’t done anything to make this man angry. A presence, an unmistakable cloak of power, surrounded him. Even she felt the urge to answer quickly and she wasn’t one of his pack.

  “He was attacked. I think it was supposed to look like a fatal mugging.” She leaned a shoulder against the wall. Part of her wondered why Gavin would be targeted by those people. He wasn’t the pack member in the media the most.

  The Society had been targeting vamps primarily in the past year, so the attack on a were surprised her, but this was a splinter group. There was no telling what they were trying to do. If they couldn’t get to the alpha, they’d try one of the other werewolves to get what they wanted.

  “You think the authorities were supposed to believe it was a mugging. Why do you think it wasn’t and why did you call the Protectorate?” Evan’s tone lowered into a rumbling demand.

  She blinked at the change. “Well, Gavin knew the woman and the situation reminded me way too much of an attack from a video I’d reviewed earlier this month.”

  “An attack. The man in that situation survived?” Evan frowned.

  “If you want details, you’re going to have to wait to talk to the agent on that case, but yes, the man survived. I know what I saw and the way they attacked was too similar to the other case to ignore. Add in the fact he knew the name of his supposed mugger and it’s too much of a coincidence.” She shrugged and leaned back against the wall. “They told me they were contacting his pack, but I didn’t realize you’d arrive before I could get here.”

  “When I receive word that a member of my pack is hurt, I don’t waste time.” He raised a brow. “Do you know if this was a one-time attack?”

  “If the same people are behind it, no, it won’t be a one-time problem.” Diana drew in a deep breath. Gavin needed to be protected and he’d be relocated for a time. A pang shot through her as she realized that she probably wouldn’t see him again until the people were caught or killed.

  “How did you meet Gavin?” Geneva’s voice cut into the silence that fell.

  Diana smiled. “He was one of the associates sent to the scene of one of the robberies that have been occurring lately. It’s suspected that shifters of one type or another are part of the crew. We met as my relief showed up to give me a break from the monitor in the mobile tech unit. He asked me out then and there and somehow I found myself agreeing.”

  She knew that Evan knew part of what she said. He didn’t seem like the type to leave the small details to someone else. He’d know who was sent to work with Protectorate. The human-run Protectorate generally worked with the paranormal groups, but that cooperation had increased lately.

  Thinking back on that first meeting, she still felt surprise at how easily she’d said yes. She usually didn’t jump into things, but she’d felt an unmistakable pull toward Gavin. It was more than attraction because he was a gorgeous hunk. The emotions began to build from that first day. She was going to get her heart broken here, but she couldn’t seem to pull away from him.

  Chapter Two

  The door to the room opened. She turned and looked inside. A nurse was putting tape and gauze on Gavin’s side. He sat on a bed and gingerly slipped his arm into the sleeve of a blue button-down shirt. From the look the nurse gave him as she finished securing the dressing, he hadn’t been the most cooperative patient.

  She saw the stitches on his side as well as a long bandage on his arm. Locking her feet to the floor, she resisted the urge to run over to him. She didn’t know if he wanted her there. After all, she was just the girlfriend.

  “Diana.” He held out his hand to her.

  She didn’t need any other invitation. She walked into the white room and hugged him, but she was careful to stay clear of his wounds. Resting her head against his chest, she simply breathed in deeply. A surge of anger hit her and fine tremors shook her body. Probably reaction, but she couldn’t push it back. They’d hurt him.

  She gripped his shirt and wanted to shake him because he’d scared her. Only the thought that trying to shake him could cause him pain held her back. The flood of emotion surprised her. Part of her wanted to take a step back to think about it, but that would mean taking her hands off him. Even the idea made her want to hold him a little tighter. She didn’t want to let him go again.

  “Steven’s here.” Evan’s voice rolled into the room.

  Diana took a deep breath and reluctantly stepped away from Gavin. Soon they’d take him somewhere to protect him. Her throat tightened and her heart sank. She wouldn’t be able to see him or talk to him again until they caught his attackers. He curved his good arm around her waist as he slid off the bed. The bandage bulged a little under the new shirt. He grimaced as he took the first step, but that was the only sign that he was still in pain.

  “What did the doctor say about your wounds? I’m surprised you’re not strapped to a hospital bed. You lost a lot of blood.” Diana leaned into him, content for the moment simply to feel the warmth and solid mass of his muscle. She needed the assurance that he was still here in spite of seeing it with her own eyes.

  “The arm was the worst. The stab in my side was a flesh wound. They replaced my lost fluids. I’m supposed to eat and rest to help keep up my strength and replenish the lost blood cells.” Gavin’s voice was reassuringly strong. “Now let’s see what Steven has to say. I heard you talking on the phone to the Protectorate. Something about me knowing my attacker being suspicious.”

  “Yes, and that’s a good catch, Diana.” Steven stepped forward as they came out of the room.

  Diana hadn’t expected the head of the Protectorate to make an appearance down here. She briefly wondered if she’d done something wrong, but then she saw his face. He wasn’t angry. He may have been a little tense, but then she’d hardly ever saw him when he wasn’t stressed.

  Steven’s day at work was never easy and he’d been doing the job for years. Dealing with the politics of the position would drive her crazy, but he normally managed to work with the police and the paranormal groups and keep the peace between both of them.

  She nodded. “I wasn’t really sure, because from what I knew, it had only happened to our operatives. Still, the fact that he called her by name was too coincidental.”

  “What are you talking about? And if there’s danger, why didn’t we know about it before now?” Evan stepped forward.

  “As she said, we’ve only been aware of attacks like this on our operatives. We were under the impression that this was strictly aimed at the Protectorate. We’re more vulnerable than some of the paranormal groups are. It’s a known enemy of both of ours, but if you don’t mind, we can go into details on that tomorrow. I’ll give you the basic scheme tonight so that you’ll be aware of what to look for. First, I need to talk to Diana.” Steven looked from the Evan to Diana.

  Diana hugged Gavin briefly. She didn’t want to leave him yet, but she needed to talk to Steven. Gavin’s hand tightened. He didn’t seem to want to let her go, but released her. She walked with Steven down the hall to where the nurse’s station was, but he urged her to a corner. Probably to try to ensure they had some privacy.

  “I have a ride for you outside. I need you to go back to the Protectorate and see if you can help identify the woman and her helpers on any of the crime cameras around the park. They had to have been caught by one of them.” Steven looked down at her.

  “I know I could have done it differently, but I didn’t have time to think. When I saw the similarity, I acted.” Diana smiled, but uncertainty made her lips quiver. “I’ll find her and the two men I saw with her. If they’re different from the last two men, we’ll have two more faces we can
track.”

  “I wasn’t trying to smooth over a situation in there. Now that they’re going after shifters, they’ll go after others too. They need to know. Has he said anything about being your mate or maybe mentioned a future?” Steven looked at her and then looked back at the door.

  She knew what he was asking. He was wondering if there was any reason for Gavin to get territorial. Shifter males became intensely protective of their mates after any dangerous situation.

  “He hasn’t said anything about being my mate. You know they don’t play around like that.” She shrugged. She only wished he felt all possessive and intense about her specifically. Gavin was the kind of man any woman would love to have feel like that about her. “But let me write him a note. I don’t want to simply skip out on him and a text seems too impersonal after everything.”

  She found a pad on the nurse’s station and jotted down a few sentences. Going back down the hallway to say goodbye wouldn’t take that long, but she wouldn’t want to leave him then either. She handed the note to Steven and waved as she slipped into the elevator and rode it up to the ground floor. The walk to the waiting car felt longer than it should. Her feet felt weighted. She wanted to turn around and go back to Gavin with every step.

  Gavin wondered why the talk between Diana and Steven was taking so long. The muscles in his neck and shoulders grew tauter with each moment that passed. He didn’t like that she was out of his sight again. He’d almost lunged off the gurney when those damn ambulance medics had told her she’d have to follow them to the hospital. The straps had held him down long enough that they’d been able to shut the door and start moving.

  When he’d torn the restraints across his chest, they’d administered a powerful sedative. It hadn’t lasted long, but they’d arrived at the hospital by the time the drug had faded enough for him to do anything. The doctor had taken control and then Evan had arrived.

  He still didn’t know much about why she’d called the Protectorate into the situation. Of course, she wouldn’t know how to get in touch with Evan or anyone in the pack. He hadn’t managed to get the relationship even to the point where he’d told her that this was much more than dating and sex.

  He’d wanted to claim her the first day he met her. Or at least shout to the men around her that she was his. Simply asking her out on a date had been torture. The wolf within clamored and clawed. She belonged with him. He’d wanted to pick her up and carry her straight to his house so that they could be alone. As difficult as it was, he waited.

  It had helped a little that she’d looked tired. Her red hair had been escaping her ponytail and she’d come out of the mobile tech vehicle rubbing her eyes. Her black uniform jacket blew back in the slight wind. Her curvy body and the healthy light golden skin had riveted him, though. He’d wanted to reach out and cup his hand over her ripe ass.

  He wanted to give her this time. Humans didn’t know their mate by scent. It took time for them to choose who they wanted. The dates and slow courtship were only delays meant to show her they were meant to be together.

  When Steven walked back down the hallway, Gavin looked behind him for Diana. He frowned and straightened away from the wall as a low growl began to build in his throat. Anxiety rose and the wolf inside raised its head.

  “Diana!” Gavin couldn’t remain still when she didn’t come back down that hall. He started forward.

  “I sent her to the Protectorate headquarters. She’s safe and going to be looking at video to help identify your attacker.” Steven shrugged as he came closer. His tone was easy and unworried.

  Gavin snarled. He couldn’t stand the thought of his mate being out of his sight, especially when the men and woman who’d attacked him had seen her. The wolf that was so much of a part of him came closer to the surface and Gavin struggled to keep from slamming the man into the wall.

  “More than a date for you, Gavin?” Evan’s calm voice carried over Gavin’s growls.

  Gavin turned his head and narrowed his eyes at his alpha. “Yes.”

  “I don’t think she knew and I know Steven didn’t. That’s definitely one surprised man.” Evan nodded and looked toward the Protectorate Commander.

  Gavin looked at Steven again and saw his eyes were wide and he’d taken a few steps back. “She didn’t. I didn’t want to rush her. There seemed to be plenty of time to get to know her. Her job wasn’t dangerous, so I could be relatively sure that she wouldn’t get into trouble while she was working.”

  “She said she wasn’t your mate. She was certain of it, because weres don’t play games. She told me to give you this.” He extended his hand, but looked like he was ready to jerk it back at Gavin’s slightest move.

  Gavin grimaced. It hadn’t been a game. He’d wanted to give her the courting, the romance and the dates that she’d expect from any human man she dated. He wanted to give her what he’d heard his friends’ mates, who had once been human, say they’d like to have. A time to get to know their mate before he swept in and figuratively hauled her into his life. The fact that Diana hadn’t been in danger and worked for the Protectorate behind the scenes had enabled him to do that until now.

  Gavin took the note and read it. She was sorry she had to leave without saying goodbye, but she wanted to help identify the people who’d hurt him on the video. She hoped to talk to him soon and for him to let the others help him take care of himself. Anger rushed through him. That wasn’t good enough. Definitely not for the wolf growling at the back of his mind, demanding that he get his mate, or for him as a man.

  Evan cleared his throat. “You recognized the woman who attacked you?”

  “Yes, it was Ally. Allison Smith, at least, that’s the name she gave me. We dated for a couple of weeks, but I called it off about a week before I met Diana. There was something missing there. Not enough sexual chemistry to keep me interested and she never let me close enough for friendship to grow.” Gavin grimaced. To tell the truth, he hadn’t thought about Ally since he’d met Diana.

  “We’ll check the name out, but I’m already fairly certain it will be a stolen identity. That was the case with the attack on the Protectorate agent.” Steven keyed the information into the tablet computer he carried with him.

  “What were they after?” Evan asked.

  “As far as we can tell, information or access to the Protectorate. With this attack, it will probably be access to your pack or information about it. The thing is, the woman who targeted the agent was found dead two weeks after the first attack. They only attack if the relationship is broken off and they believe there’s not a chance of reconciliation. The man in the first attack had broken off that relationship months before, but only that week got engaged.” Steven heaved a heavy sigh. “It was the first indication that one of our enemies had grown bold enough to directly attack us.”

  “Which group is it?” Gavin straightened. He wanted to know the name of his enemy. He wanted to hunt them down.

  “The Society of Pure Hearts, or rather, a splinter group of it. It’s not the main group and they’re not affiliated as far as we know. It’s a small number of them that have gone more radical. From what we can piece together, they target anyone affiliated or associated with paranormals.” Steven shrugged. “We’re dealing with unknown players here and they’re dedicated. We think that the attempts to kill our operative were to get rid of anyone who knew what the woman looked like.”

  “So if we want information about what they were after, we’re on a time limit.” Evan nodded slowly. “They’ll let her live only as long as they think they can clean up the mess. Diana’s a target now too. She saw the woman and the two men with her.”

  Gavin’s eyes narrowed as he realized that what Evan said could very well be true. He knew that he’d remain the primary goal, but she’d be in danger. He couldn’t leave her on her own. He had no doubt that they’d find her somehow if they didn’t already know where she lived.

  These people had been watching him, but he wasn’t so sure that simple surve
illance would give them the means to get to Diana now. Sometimes information leaked or was unwittingly revealed. With the number of agencies able to access records, it wasn’t easy to find the source.

  “I want to go get her now.” He looked at the head of the Protectorate and barely resisted the urge to give him a good shake to reinforce his wishes. “She’s not going back to her apartment, not while those people are out there hunting me.”

  “After you said she was your mate, I realized you wouldn’t want to be separated from her. We have safe houses all around the city as well as throughout the state.” Steven tilted his head and seemed to be waiting.

  “We have safe houses of our own. I want him in one of ours, but we will cooperate fully with the Protectorate. These people targeted wolves, and to get to him or her, they’re going to have to go through wolves.” Evan’s voice lowered and rumbled with a distinct growl.

  “Um, I hesitate to add this because it didn’t matter much to me at the time. It probably won’t change anything for you either, but the men, we’ve never seen the same ones twice. They don’t show up in the morgue like the women. We think they’re just muscle and will be relocated if the mission fails.” Steven grimaced and shrugged.

  “You’re right. It doesn’t change anything. I’m going to make a few calls to get one of our safe houses and the necessities ready and then we’ll head to the Protectorate. You can show us anything you have on these people and their practices. We’ll pick up his woman after that. Since you now know they’re targeting paranormals, you have some calls to make.” Evan raised a brow.

  Gavin almost smiled at that look. He was too anxious to get to his mate to appreciate the dig at the Protectorate’s earlier strategy. Knowing that women might target them to get information or access to other people would have been great. It might not have stopped this from happening.

  On the other hand, he might have seen something in Ally’s behavior, because looking back, there was so much that raised warning flags. Thinking about that only frustrated him and he didn’t need the extra agitation. His skin prickled with the need to hold Diana. Nightmare scenarios played through his mind even though he knew she was safe. His instincts clawed at him to go get her. He wouldn’t be able to relax until he could see her again.