Do You Take This Cat [Wind River Pack 4] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Missy Martine

  “I don’t need an escort. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself if needed.”

  “Enough!” Remus growled and let some of his inner power sweep into the room. “Zediah, take her back to the house and tell Taynor I said to make sure nobody else leaves until I give the word. You can catch up to Latan’s group after you drop her off.” He turned to Lyssa. “Is that understood?”

  She narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “Yes, I understand.”

  The alpha watched as Zediah took her arm and led her outside. “Now, let’s go—” Ray grabbed Remus’s arm and gasped. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know. I suddenly felt a chill, and fearful of something.” He rubbed his temple. “So much fear. It’s like I’m trying to remember something specific but can’t quite see it in my mind.” He shook his head. “I feel almost…helpless.”

  “It’s the mate bond,” said Zack.

  “I thought she hadn’t claimed him yet,” said Remus.

  Zack shook his head. “She hasn’t bitten him, but they’ve been intimate and it might have been enough to start the bond.”

  “Are you telling me these feelings are actually coming from Rennia?”

  Zack shrugged. “It’s possible.”

  Ray moved toward the door. “Then we have to hurry, because she’s terrified.”

  Remus looked around the room. “All right, pack. You heard the man. Let’s get moving. I want updates every half hour no matter what.” He watched as they all filed silently out of Rennia’s house. “Now, all we can do is wait and pray.”

  * * * *

  Nathaniel closed his cell phone and leaned back in his chair. He turned his attention to the monitor on his desk and studied his prize specimen. She’d stopped causing trouble once he’d leveled the threats to the children at the complex. Sighing, he flipped open his phone and hit the speed dial for Quentin.

  “Yeah, Boss?”

  “Report!”

  “Everything went just like clockwork. We have our objective, and we’re off the mountain headed your way.”

  Nathaniel frowned. “What do you mean, you’re heading my way. The plan called for you to take her to the old lab right outside Tacoma.”

  “I got a call from your inside source, and they told me it wouldn’t be safe. According to our guy, they’ve pulled in everybody, including men from the National Council, to help with the search. Supposedly, they’ve got a couple of bear shifters that have some special ability when it comes to tracking. I was told we had to get our mark as far away, as fast as possible. I figured the order came down from you.”

  “Have I ever sent you orders through a third individual? I’m sorry to say our inside source is becoming a liability. They seem to be trying to take more and more responsibility for the operations. It may be necessary to take them out sooner than I anticipated.”

  “I’m sorry, Boss. It never occurred to me to be suspicious of their directions. What do you want me to do now?”

  “Where are you? How long before you could be here?”

  “We’re gassing up in some little town called Forest Park. I might be able to be there by late tomorrow if nothing goes wrong. We’ve got the subject sedated, and as long as she stays that way we can move pretty fast. Will the shifting inhibitor last that long? I don’t wanna find my hands full of a pissed off wolf or cat.”

  “Yes, it’s good for up to seventy-two hours.” Nathaniel glanced at his monitor and grimaced. “I don’t want you to bring the subject here.”

  “Sir?”

  “She’s a liability if the pack is searching. I don’t want to take any chances that you could lead them back here.”

  “Where do you want me to take her?”

  “I’ve got an acquaintance near you. He owes me a pretty big favor. I’m going to give him a call, and then I’ll text you his address. He’s got a mini-lab set up in his basement that will work just fine for a few preliminary tests. Once we get confirmation that travel would be safe, we’ll bring her back here to the main facility. You sit tight and give me a few minutes to make the arrangements.” Nathaniel hesitated for a moment. “Make sure your men stay on alert, Quentin. These creatures have abilities we don’t understand yet. I can’t guarantee they won’t be able to track you.”

  “I thought that shot you gave me takes away my scent.”

  “It does, but if they have the scent from your vehicle you may have a problem.”

  “No problem then. It’s a rental. I’ll just trade it in on another model before we go any further.”

  Nathaniel smiled. “Good thinking, Quentin. Go ahead and get another car while I make the arrangements with my friend, Michael Beck. I’ll text you the address when it’s all arranged. It’s not far from your location so it’ll be a short drive. In the meantime, keep my subject safe. She very well might have the answers I’ve been seeking.”

  “Will do, Boss. I’ll watch for your text. See you soon.”

  “All right. Drive safely.” Nathaniel ended the call and glanced once more at the tabletop monitor. Once again his guest was sobbing. “I don’t know why you can’t accept that this is your home now. All the crying in the world won’t change that. You’d feel much better if you’d just accept it like everyone else has.” He pulled out his address book from the desk drawer and quickly looked up the number he wanted. He smiled as the phone began to ring. “Hope you’re ready for this, Michael. It’s time to even the score between us.”

  * * * *

  Kitania threw her magazine on to the kitchen table and went to stare out the back door. “I wish somebody would let us know what’s happening. I can’t stand this waiting.”

  Maddie walked over and put her arm around her sister-in-law’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard, but you’ve got to hold it together. The men will call as soon as they have anything to tell. Can you feel anything from Ethan or Latan?”

  Kitania shook her head. “Just the same helpless fear that I’m feeling. I know they haven’t found her yet, because I’d be able to feel their relief.”

  Aurelia walked up behind them and put her hand on Kitania’s shoulder. “Remember, there are several search parties out there. Just because they haven’t found anything yet doesn’t mean one of the others isn’t on to something.”

  “Do you feel anything from Zack?” asked Maddie.

  Aurelia bit her lip, her gaze moving back to Kitania. “No, nothing new.”

  Elyne looked up from the dress she was hemming. “Let’s not forget there’s one search party that nobody here would have a connection to. Who knows what Zander and those friends of his have found. We just need to be a little more patient.”

  “Hey,” said Aurelia. “Should you be out of bed?”

  Maddie turned to see Kati standing in the kitchen doorway. Her long, dark hair lay in tangles over her shoulders. She was so pale Maddie feared she might pass out. “Aurelia’s right, Kati. Maybe you should lie back down. You’re looking a little weak.”

  Kati shook her head and made her way unsteadily across the room where she sank on to one of the kitchen chairs. “I’m fine. I just can’t stay in there by myself anymore. I need to be out here with the rest of the family. Has anybody heard anything?”

  “No, nothing yet,” said Maddie. “Do you feel anything from Kinnith or Synia?”

  “Just feelings of frustration and a lot of anger.”

  “The anger’s understandable,” said Kitania. “They nearly killed you.”

  “Don’t worry, Kitania. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and I don’t think Rennia’s in any immediate danger.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Maddie. “Of course she’s in danger. She was drugged and kidnapped.”

  “That’s right. She was drugged and kidnapped. Someone went to a lot of trouble to get her out of there in one piece. If they wanted her dead it would have been easy to kill her after they put me down. For whatever reason, they wanted Rennia alive and well. At least for now, I think she’s safe wherever she
is.”

  “Let’s take everyone’s mind off things for a while,” said Elyne. “Kati, why don’t you go try on your wedding dress so we can make any necessary changes?”

  Kati sighed, laced her fingers together and placed them on the table in front of her. “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, too, and I think it might be best if we cancel the wedding plans.”

  “Girl!” Maddie growled. “What are you talking about? It would devastate those boys if you pulled away now.”

  “I’m not pulling away, Maddie. I just think a formal wedding is too much for everyone to handle right now. We can still get married in a private ceremony, and then later, when everything is back to normal, we can have a killer party to celebrate.”

  Lyssa put down her coffee cup. “Kati’s right. It would be better to cancel the wedding.”

  Maddie narrowed her eyes and stared at what she believed was the most troublesome member of their pack. Her mother had been trouble when she was the same age, and it had taken a severe beatdown from Maddie in her wolf form to bring Nanita around. “Is it going to take someone knocking some sense into you to transform you into a decent human being?” She turned back to Kati. “This family needs this wedding to bring us closer together. There’s been so much tragedy and pain the past few months. It’ll be good to be part of something so happy and loving.”

  Lyssa jumped to her feet so fast the chair she was sitting in fell over backward. “This is ridiculous. How can you stand there and act like this marriage is a good thing. Bringing in more full humans into this pack is going to be its downfall.”

  “That’s enough, young lady.” Maddie consciously tried to calm herself. It was times like this she sometimes lost control of her telekinesis.

  “No, it’s not enough, Alpha Femm. All the problems this pack has now are directly related to bringing in outsiders. I’ve studied the pack’s history. Nobody had a clue what we were until your own grandmother, Eloise Wind River, took a human mate. That’s when the trouble started. Somehow, the scientists found out about Eloise, and they were determined to know more. How do you think they found out about shifters?”

  “There’s no way to know exactly when our existence was exposed, but I sincerely doubt we were outed just because my grandfather was human.”

  Lyssa shrugged. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. A human man, with his macho human friends, maybe one beer too many, and he’s bragging about his little shifter at home. Most of them would have laughed it off as a drunken man’s fantasy. But, it would only take one person to believe him that could start a chain reaction. One person who thought there might be just a little truth to the old man’s tales, and so he started investigating and watching the family. Sooner or later he would have seen someone shift, and then the secret would be out.”

  “That’s more than enough,” said Maddie. She walked over and yanked the coffee pot off the stove. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’ve heard enough.”

  “How do you think Dr. Constantine found out about you?” asked Lyssa.

  Maddie whirled around and glared at the young girl, fighting to keep her wolf under control. “You’ve said enough. I think you should leave my home.”

  “You know I’m right. You spent over ten years as a prisoner of that man. How can you not see that bringing in strangers to the pack is a clear danger? Hell, we’re not even pure anymore. You’ve let humans and other species of shifters infiltrate in every aspect of this pack’s life. Soon, there won’t be any pure wolf shifters left.” Lyssa walked over and opened the kitchen door. She paused to turn around and stare at the women in the room. “You still have the power to fix the problem. Cleanse this pack of everyone that doesn’t belong and get us back to the basics. We’ll be stronger for it.” She turned to look at the bride-to-be. “Under the circumstances, I think I’ll pass on being in your wedding.” She turned and left, closing the door softly behind her.

  Kitania sighed, and then walked over and hugged Maddie. “She’s wrong, sweetie. You and Remus have made this pack stronger than ever over the years. We’re going to get through this newest threat, and things will be better than ever.”

  Kati walked over and laid her cheek on Maddie’s shoulder. “I love Kinnith and Synia, and I’ll never do anything to harm this pack. You have my solemn vow on that.”

  Maddie patted her arm. “I’m not worried, Kati. Just love my nephews, and we’ll all be happy.”

  Aurelia jumped to her feet. “Okay, enough of this maudlin crap. I’m getting hungry. Who’s up for ordering some pizzas? We can send one of the men to pick them up.”

  “Oohh,” Elyne cooed. “Sounds good to me. I’m in.”

  “I’m starving,” said Kati. “Anything but anchovies.”

  Maddie laughed. “The number for the pizza place is by the phone in the study, Aurelia. Make sure you order enough for the men, too.” She turned to Kitania. “Don’t worry, sister. We’re gonna get your baby back safely. Remus wouldn’t allow any other outcome.”

  Kitania sniffed. “I hope you’re right.”

  Chapter 14

  Ray watched Colton and Ayden as they laid flat on the ground, sniffing at the tire tracks that led from the dirt path on to the asphalt highway. He glanced at Zander. “Can they really pick up the scent of a particular car from its tire tracks?”

  Zander nodded. “Yeah, it’s a bear trait. Our sense of smell is more developed than most other shifter species. If he can grab the scent here, we can follow it down the road.”

  “How do they—”

  Colton jumped to his feet, followed quickly by Ayden. “Three human males and a faint animal scent that doesn’t make sense.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Ray.

  “I’m picking up feline and wolf scents, but neither is definitive enough to be viable. My nose is telling me there’s more than one shifter involved, and my head is telling me there’s only the female. At least, only the female you know is missing. Could there be someone else not accounted for?”

  Zander looked at Ray and raised his brow.

  Ray scowled. “Let me guess. You’re afraid to say anything, because you’re not sure how much I know about Rennia.” When Zander shrugged, Ray turned to Colton. “There’s nobody else missing. Rennia is special. Her mother is part wolf and part cat, while her fathers are full wolf shifters. Rennia can shift into a wolf and a cat.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Ayden. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. There are half-breeds all over the country, but there’s always a dominant and recessive gene. They always shift into whatever the dominant gene is.”

  Ray snorted. “Believe me, I’m sure. I’ve had the privilege of experiencing both of her other forms.”

  “What kind of cat is she?” asked Colton. “A mountain lion, lynx, tiger, what?”

  Ray glanced at Zander when he chuckled. “She’s a small house cat.”

  Ayden’s mouth dropped open. “That I’ve got to see.”

  “You’d better be careful what you wish for,” said Zander. “Her mother also turns into a small house cat, a very lethal small house cat. I would not want to be on that feline’s bad side.”

  “Enough!” Ray ran his fingers through his hair. “Can you track their vehicle or not?”

  Ayden nodded. “Colton, go get the car. I’ve got the scent. If we go slowly enough, I can follow its trail.”

  “Okay! I’ll be right back.” Colton ran off, disappearing quickly into the trees.

  Zander looked at Ray. “Can you still feel her?”

  Ray closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. Where are you, Rennia? We have unfinished business. I’m not sure what’s gonna happen with us, but I want you back safe and sound. After a moment he opened his eyes. “I’m not getting anything from her at all. It’s like she’s gone. Do you think it means something bad?”

  Zander frowned. “No, I think she’s probably been sedated. If she’s unconscious you wouldn’t feel anything. They went to too much trouble to g
et their hands on her to kill her. For now, I believe she’s safe. I wish we knew why she was taken. Knowing why would go a long way to helping us figure out who.”

  Ray watched a gray Jeep Liberty pull over to the side of the road. Colton rolled down the window. “Come on, guys. Daylight’s wasting. Zander, you join me in the front. Ray, you be ready to move back and forth in the back seat. Ayden may have to switch from side to side to keep track of the scent he’s following.”

  Ray nodded and climbed into the vehicle.

  When the other men were buckled in, Ayden leaned out the window, his head dropping low to the ground. “Take it east, bro. Slow down at any side streets or intersections so I can verify I’m still on the right trail.”

  “Will do,” said Colton. He put the Jeep in gear and slowly pulled out onto the street.

  Ray took a deep breath. Hang on, darlin’, we’re coming to get you.

  * * * *

  Rennia slowly came awake but was careful to keep her breathing even and her eyes closed. She didn’t want to alert her captors that she was awake. She knew the car had stopped, and she could hear the men in the front seat talking. Her mind was still a little fuzzy.

  “There, that’s the right house.”

  “Are you sure, Quentin?”

  “I’m not stupid, Vincent. The address the boss sent is right here on my phone. You and Armando stay here and watch the package. I’m gonna see if anybody’s home.”

  Rennia heard the car door open and then close. She took a chance and opened her eyes a tiny bit. She could see the top of a house through the side window. There were still two men in the front seat, and they were both looking out the driver’s window. She tried to move her hands and found her bindings too tight. Silently, she searched for her inner beasts and had to blink back tears when neither of them responded. She stilled when the driver rolled down his window.