“Come inside,” Lakota said, climbing slowly from the vehicle. “I guess you’ve had a long drive to get here.”
Mia smiled at him. “Yes, we have.”
They followed him into the house, and through to a small, but tidy living room.
“I think you should sit down, Sir,” said Peter. “We don’t bring good news with us, I’m afraid.”
“What did I tell you about calling me ‘sir’?”
Mia glanced over at Peter, and he sensed her wanting to speak. This was, after all, part of the reason he’d used to get her out of the city.
“Lakota,” she started. “Things have developed since Blake and Autumn were last here.”
“I know that. Blake was here, alone, only a few days ago, searching for Chogan and Tala. Neither my daughter, nor my nephew has resurfaced, Ms. Mia. I know them too well. Blake told me Chogan was out making trouble. I guess that trouble has bitten him in the ass.”
“That is one way of looking at it,” said Mia, sitting back a little, blinking at his reaction. “Blake, Chogan and Tala have all been taken captive by the government. They’re being kept in a type of compound in the middle of the forest north-west of Chicago. They’re safe, but right now we have no idea how we’re going to get them free again.”
Lakota nodded. “I had a feeling something like this would happen.”
“That’s not all. Tala wanted to become like Blake and Chogan. She abducted Autumn and injected her blood. It’s changed her, but not how she hoped.”
Lakota shook his head and slowly lowered it, his long hair falling around his face. He muttered a few words, as though in a prayer, and then lifted his head again. “I’m sorry for what my daughter did to your friend. I hope she didn’t hurt her. I always knew Tala’s desire to be a shifter would be the thing that broke her. She let her desire eat away at her soul.” He shook his head again. “My poor, poor girl.”
“We don’t know what’s going to happen to all the shifters they’ve got in the compound. The government is broadcasting that anyone found associating with shifters will be imprisoned.”
“They’re going to have to arrest the whole of the reservation then!” Lakota said, the first flash of anger darting across his wizened features.
Peter stepped in. “And regular citizens are going to start to appreciate how closely linked many of them are to spirit shifters. Now our secret is in the open, and the army is going around rooting shifters out like the Nazis did the Jews during the holocaust, people are going to start to realize just how many of us there are. When their brothers or sisters, or friends, or neighbors, all start to go missing, people aren’t going to sit on their hands forever. This tide will break, and I hope the government is prepared for a revolution.”
“But what about all those who protested against the existence of shifters?” Mia said. “They didn’t exactly seem like the type who would back up shifters against the government.”
“People are fickle. They’ll switch their opinions quickly enough. It’s fine to think shifters are monsters until you discover one of your loved ones is actually one of the monsters you hated. And then when they’re persecuted as well ... Well, let’s just say, no one likes for the big guys to crush the little people.”
“I hope you’re right.” Mia twisted her fingers together in her lap.
“And what about Autumn?” Lakota asked, leaning forward in his chair. “Has she recovered from what Tala did to her? How is she now?
Peter shook his head. “Not good. The military took her from the compound where the shifters are being held. They know what she can do—what her blood can do—and they’ve taken her to use it for their own gain.”
“Blake touched on what was happening when he was here with Autumn. I’m not fully sure I understand though. What can they gain from her? If they’re looking to rid the general population of shifters, what can they possibly want with someone who can make more?”
“It’s a twofold situation. They’ve taken her from us, so we’re not able to use her to make shifters for ourselves. But the main reason they’ve taken her is that they’ve been trying to harness the strengths of shifters for years. They’ve failed ... up until now.”
“Tell me more,” the old man said.
“They want to create an army that can beat all other armies. Shifters can use their spirit guides to watch over enemy territories without the enemy ever knowing they were there. They are fast and strong, and heal quicker than regular men.”
“It doesn’t matter if they have Autumn,” Lakota said. Then he looked to Mia, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Of course it matters. What I mean is the military won’t achieve what they want. Becoming a spirit shifter in such a way—forcing a connection and a shift—isn’t just about Autumn’s blood. There’s an ancient ceremony which is needed to be performed in order to do it correctly. The ancients didn’t have the ability to inject, but they added a few drops to an open wound. This would initiate the physical changes, but then a ceremony was needed to draw the appropriate willing spirit guide. Without this, all you have is what I imagine Tala is going through now.” His shoulders dropped at the thought of his daughter. “She has forced a guide to share her body, and now neither of them knows who is supposed to be in control.”
Peter glanced at Mia, who was nodding in recognition. They’d not had much chance to witness Tala, but from the little they’d seen, it sounded as though Lakota understood exactly what had happened.
“So what do we do now?” asked Lakota.
“At least we know the military can’t create shifters just yet, though God only knows what kind of mess they’ll create while they’re trying. I have someone, an ex-colleague, who I can question to try to figure out the whereabouts of Autumn. I’m not sure if he’ll even speak to me, never mind give me that kind of information, but it’s the best place I can think of to start.” He cleared his throat, suddenly nervous, wondering if Mia was going to give him an argument about what he was about to say next. “I’d like for Mia to stay here with you, Sir. Where it’s safe.”
Lakota nodded. “Yes, of course that’s fine.
Both men glanced at Mia, but she shrugged as though to say, ‘what can I do?’
“And what about Blake, Tala, Chogan, and all the other poor sons of bitches they’ve got captive in this compound you’re speaking of?”
“I don’t know yet. I wish I had some kind of amazing plan to free them, but the truth is, I don’t. I was never the fighter. That was always Blake. All the shifters I know are with them at the cabin.”
“There are plenty more shifters here and in the surrounding reservation towns. Plus, shifters are already known and respected here. There will be an uproar when people hear what has happened. I wasn’t joking when I said the government would have to arrest the whole reservation.”
Peter lifted his hand to stop him. “We can’t go rushing in. The soldiers surrounding the perimeter are heavily armed. We can’t afford to get more people either killed or captured.”
“Agreed,” said Lakota. “You go see your friend first, and I’ll speak to a few of mine. We’ll reconvene and take things from there.”
Peter bowed his head in respect. “Thank you.”
Chapter Eleven
LAKOTA WOLFCOLLAR PUSHED himself up from his chair and got to his feet. “I’m gonna give you young folks some privacy,” he said. “I have some people I need to round up, let them know what’s happening. Please, Ms. Mia, take my daughter’s old room. It’s just down the hall on the right. You must be tired after everything you’ve been through.”
Peter was thankful for his consideration. “Thank you. I may be gone before you’re back.”
“I know that already, son. I trust you will do whatever is necessary to bring an end to this soon.”
Peter gave a grim smile. “I sure hope so.”
“We all hope so.”
Lakota Wolfcollar banged out of the back door, the screen slamming behind him, leaving them alone in the
house.
Peter took Mia’s hand and led her down the hall in the direction Lakota had pointed them. Cautiously, he pushed open the door. It felt strange to walk into the childhood room of a girl who was now a woman, a woman he barely knew. The room had a slightly musty, unaired smell to it, as if no one had been in here for a while. A floral bedspread lay on the bed, a pink spotty lamp on the nightstand. Nothing in the room indicated that Tala, who must be in her mid-twenties now, had spent any time here recently.
“You should get some rest,” Peter told Mia, pulling her toward him by her shoulders and placing a kiss on the top of her head.
“You’re leaving me already?”
“I have to. You’re safe here, and there is someone I need to talk to if you want me to find out where they’ve taken Autumn.”
She looked up at him, her big, dark eyes swimming with tears. “Please, Peter. We’ve spoken with Blake and Tala’s father now. I did what was needed of me. Now take me with you.”
“I can’t, Mia. It’s going to be hard enough to get him to talk with me, without having a complete stranger, who is also a civilian, with me.”
He didn’t want to leave her either. His soul tore at the thought of being separated from her, but he had no choice. Not only did he want her to be safe, he was also telling the truth about his ex-colleague not speaking to him if she was with him. He couldn’t leave her in Chicago; it was too dangerous.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He forced himself to turn from her, made his feet take steps back toward the bedroom door. But no. Though his head told him to leave, his heart and body wanted her.
Abruptly, he turned back around. She stood there, exactly as he had left her, and he took a couple of long strides back across the room to gather her in his arms. He held her tight, buried his face in her hair.
“Peter,” she said, and he heard longing in her tone. She lifted her face to him and he kissed her, softly at first, but quickly growing more urgent as she opened her mouth to him and their tongues met.
He wanted her, right here, right now. He needed to claim her as his before he left. This might be the last time he could hold her, could kiss her mouth and push himself inside her. He wanted to feel her soft, wet heat surrounding him while he buried his face against her throat and crushed her slender body to his.
His hand reached up to lace the short strands of her hair between his fingers, tightening his grip and tugging her head back so he could deepen the kiss. The action caused her back to curve, pushing her full breasts into his chest. Her arms wrapped around the back of his neck, and he sensed her wanting to meld closer, joining their bodies in fierce intimacy. His other hand ran down the side of her body, lingering at the swell of her breast, the curve of her hip. She was a little package of taut muscle and soft, warm curves. He’d never wanted anyone so badly in his life.
Her hands ran down the muscles of his back, and he hated that material was between his skin and the touch of her fingers. He pulled away from her, just long enough to undo the top button of his shirt, allowing him to pull the offending item over his head and drop it to the floor. Taking his initiative, Mia pulled her own sweater over her head, and he was finally able to take in the sweet swell of her breasts cupped within the lace of her white bra. Beyond the lace, the dark areolae of her nipples peeped out. The fullness of her breasts only helped to accentuate the narrowness of her waist and the breadth of her hips.
The kiss had left her breathless, her lips swollen and bruised from the force of their desire. Her gaze flicked over his face, something changing in her expression, and she shook her head.
“Peter, not here. We can’t ...”
“Yes, we can,” he said, pulling her back against him.
He silenced her protest with another kiss, forceful, using his size and strength to push her backward. She bumped against the wall, making a small ‘ugh’ sound that made him hard. His hands found her jeans, the soft material molded to her hips. He popped the button and yanked them down, her helping by kicking off her sneakers with alternate feet and then pushing at the material with her heels.
She stood in matching lace bra and panties, the white setting off the olive tone in her skin. He fell to his knees, wanting to worship her the only way he knew how ... with his body. He planted kisses on her navel, his tongue swirling in the dip. He moved lower, his thumbs catching her panties on both sides of her hips, rolling them down her supple thighs. She gasped as his tongue buried through the soft patch of curls at the juncture of her thighs, and made contact with the little nub of nerves hidden there.
“Oh, Peter!”
Her words, the gasp of breath he’d elicited, were the sweetest things he’d ever heard. He worked her, teasing her with licks and flicks and bites, taking her to the very edge. He coated his tongue with the musky cream of her desire, thinking nothing he’d ever tasted had affected him in such a way. His own arousal pressed hard against the front of his pants. When he sensed her body tighten, he took his mouth from her and got to his feet, ignoring her moan of disappointment, to undo the belt of his pants and free himself. He lifted her, his hands cupping her thighs, using the wall behind her for support. His hard length found her soft, wet heat, and he pushed inside her with a grunt that sounded primal, even to his own ears. He lowered his head, placing his forehead against her shoulder as he thrust again and again. She clung to him, the blunt ellipses of her nails digging into his shoulders. Her little cries only served to heighten his arousal. He felt his pleasure coil and tighten, pulling him into a physical grip he knew there was no turning back from.
“Oh, God, Peter,” Mia cried, her hips crashing into his.
He felt her peak around him, and lost it himself, bursting into her with such relief his whole body weakened.
They held each other, panting, legs trembling. When Peter regained his strength, he lifted her back up and carried her to place her gently on the bed. He began to gather his clothes.
“You’re still leaving?” she asked, watching his every move.
“I’m sorry. I have to. If you want me to find Autumn, neither of us has a choice.”
For once, she didn’t argue with him, and her submission twisted something strange inside of him.
He wasn’t placing himself in jeopardy for Autumn Anderson. While he wished no harm to come to the woman, he couldn’t help but feel like if she’d never gotten involved in this whole thing, if she simply didn’t exist, life would be a whole lot easier. Perhaps Dumas would still be torturing and experimenting on shifters, but it seemed things had gotten a whole lot worse since Autumn’s abilities were revealed. Now they were looking at a whole population of shifters being held in captivity, and God only knew what would happen then.
But he also knew that if Autumn had never come along, then he’d also never have met Mia. Everything happening now was worth meeting her alone.
He kissed her again, one last time, drinking her in. He didn’t want to think that this might be the last time he ever got to hold her, ever got to taste her mouth.
They broke the kiss, his forehead rested against hers, her small hand still pressed against his cheek, and his on hers, as if they were creating a little bubble no one else could penetrate.
“Tell me you’ll be okay,” she said, fiercely.
“I’ll be okay,” he repeated, though there was a dullness to his voice.
She moved back from him and smacked him on the arm, the slap of skin on skin.
“Hey!” he said, astounded.
“Now say it like you mean it!”
“Mia, I can’t promise anything, but I will do my absolute best to make sure I’m all right. That’s the best I can manage. I’m sorry.”
She nodded, but the corners of her mouth twitched down. “Okay. I understand. You know I’m going to worry every second we’re apart.”
“I don’t want us to be apart.”
She smiled, but it was forced. “Me neither.”
“I need to go now. Try to get some sleep. I’ll
contact you as soon as I can.”
He kissed her one last time and forced himself to walk from the room, leaving her behind so he could start the long drive back to Chicago.
Chapter Twelve
THE SHIFTERS SLEPT most of the day with no further interruptions.
Chogan had rested fitfully, one ear alert for any disturbance. He kept his wolf close by to prowl around the outskirts of the cabin. He was tempted to send his wolf farther, to try to get an idea of what the military were up to, but the greater the distance his wolf went from him, the weaker their connection. By doing so, he worried that he’d miss something close by and leave them open and vulnerable to attack.
He hadn’t been the only one who had been restless. Soft crying had come from the new girl, Lexie, until she’d finally fallen asleep, her head rested in Danny’s lap. Rhys had muttered and grumbled to himself as well, until sleep too claimed him and he’d started snoring softly. Blake, used to sleeping in uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations, had lain himself down on his back, his hands behind his head, and had quickly given in to his slumber. The others hadn’t even emerged from the two bedrooms.
But now night was falling, and he intended on keeping his promise to Rhys. They needed to come up with a plan, and they would put it into action this very same night. He had no intention of standing around useless while more and more shifters were dumped here and he did nothing.
He got to his feet, silent. He nudged Blake and Rhys awake, placing his finger on his lips to keep them quiet as well, and motioned with his head toward the cabin door to show that he wanted to speak with them outside. He hesitated for a moment, and then nudged the new guy, Danny, awake as well. The guy seemed to have some balls, and he figured the more the better.
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