Ty took another few steps backward.
“What will killing me solve?” she asked. “It’s over now.”
“No.”
“Let me go, Ty.”
She approached him.
With a frown, he chuckled. “And if I do, what’s to stop your alpha from taking revenge on me? What’s to stop Zach from killing me?”
She pursed her lips. “I can’t stop stupidity everywhere, but I can control the people who are close to me. Werewolves are capable of love. They know about promises and forgiveness.”
He looked upwards in a manner that she knew meant he was thinking. “And what if I don’t know how to forgive anymore? What if my hate is the only thing keeping me going?” He was closer to the gun now. “What if killing every werewolf takes away the pain for a split second?”
Hearing those words cut deep. She’d told herself over and over again that it was her responsibility to care for Zach and Ty, not the other way around. She knew he was bitter, but they’d never spoken to each other like this before. They’d never talked about the depth of Ty’s pain.
“That’s not living,” she whispered. “That’s surviving.”
“Well, that’s all I got left.”
“Is that all that you and I have left?” Her gaze swept over the room and she spotted the marina supplies. She’d have to hurt her brother to do what needed to be done.
If he dived, he could reach the gun. She searched his light brown eyes, waiting for his decision. A flicker of indecision touched them, but when his eyes jerked to the right in the direction of where he needed to go, she knew the decision had been made.
Ty’s tell.
For those who knew him best, he had the worst poker face.
Cyn hurled herself at him, rammed into his side to drive him toward the marina supplies. His back hit the shelving pretty hard, but he recovered fast enough to throw a few jabs at her. She let him hit the shelf behind her as she grabbed the rope. Ten feet of rope exactly. By the time her brother tried a new attack, she swept his leg and drove him to the ground. She was on him again with her knee pressed into an old shoulder injury.
“Damn it,” he grunted. “You always play dirty.”
After shooting her, her brother had the nerve to complain about the fact that she took advantage of his weaknesses?
For good measure, she didn’t hold back when she punched him out cold and tied him up.
Cyn was certain of one thing at this very moment: No McGinnises would die today.
Chapter 4
Time passed and none of the places they checked turned up Cyn. They didn’t even find any Red clan members. Which left them with one final place. Zach reluctantly relented about going to his parents’ last home. Irony could be a mean bitch.
Cyn’s brother grew quiet as they drove north on the Trans-Canada Highway into North Vancouver.
After a bit of time, Kaden broke the silence. “Anything I need to worry about in terms of your brother?”
“He’s an asshole.”
Kaden held back a laugh. “Cyn said the same thing.”
“It’s true. Ty didn’t take our parents’ death very well. Matter of fact, he changed for the worst.”
Zach continued after he rubbed his face. Kaden had no idea how the man kept his eyes open. The hunter had an open Cheetos bag in his right hand, orange crumbs on the stubble on his chin, and one big piece in his left hand that still hadn’t made it to his mouth for the past fifteen minutes.
“He was really close to our mother,” Zach said. “Every time dad left for a job, she’d rocked Ty to sleep. He always had nightmares about dad not coming home.”
The city turned into woods. At first, Kaden thought Zach had fallen asleep, but he started speaking again.
“When we moved here from Calgary, my parents picked a place they thought would help us feel like kids.” He sighed. “It was too late for that, but the house in Brighton Beach was beautiful. It’s this little town you can only reach by boat that’s northeast of here. The river views are incredible.” He smiled for a moment as if a pleasant memory flashed before his eyes. “The woods are endless. Cyn and I even got a chance to visit Raccoon Island at low tide. When we weren’t worried about moving some place new, we liked to pretend we were conquerors.”
Zach gave him directions to a marina where they could rent a boat that would take them to Brighton Beach. The boat ride up the Indian Arm toward the northeast lasted about a half hour. By the time they reached their destination, Kaden was surprised to see unexpected company along the small town’s shore.
“Is that what I think it is?” Kaden asked Zach.
From their boat going slowly upstream, they peered at a cluster of men lounging in a pontoon boat. The guys were slamming down beers and eating snacks like any group of vacationers, but they smelled like hunters all the same. The signs were all there: no fishing equipment and one of them was on guard for trouble.
“Shit,” Zach whispered. “The gang’s all here.”
“You recognize them?”
“Yeah. They’re all Red clan members. Old Bart is probably about to grill some burgers.”
Kaden nodded. “We could go up farther along the shore and double back?”
“We’ll have to do that. I don’t know if they placed sentries in Brighton Beach, so we’ll have to be careful.” Zach’s brow furrowed. “If Old Bart is here, that means Ty asked him to be here for Cyn.”
***
While Ty slowly came to, Cyn limped upstairs and changed into sweatpants and a clean T-shirt. Her clothes had been covered in blood. The whole living room was in shambles with glass everywhere, so she donned an old pair of boots. The soles were worn and the laces ragged, but they fit perfectly and brought memories of a life she didn’t live anymore.
Suddenly, Pain raced down her leg and she cringed. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
After grabbing a bottle of meds on the kitchen counter, she carefully lumbered down the stairs to face Ty’s death glare. He hadn’t loosened the bindings a bit, but he had inched closer to the shelves where additional tools lay. As to be expected.
“Your ankle switchblade is on the third shelf. Once I leave, you can get it,” she said.
He didn’t answer. Nor did he stop glaring.
“When’s the last time you took your insulin?” Once she left, she didn’t want him stuck here for a prolonged period without his diabetic medicine. Knowing Ty, he wouldn’t be stuck for long, but she couldn’t take that chance.
He still didn’t speak.
She placed the bottle on the shelf next to the switchblade. The need to leave grew until that nagging feeling was stronger than the pain in her leg. But, the need for closure pecked at her.
“Ty, don’t make me leave like this,” she begged.
He finally looked away.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Time passed. Maybe less than a minute, but she wasn’t counting.
If he wouldn’t settle things, at least they could part from each other with some news he needed to know. “I know who killed our parents.”
Finally, his mouth moved. “I don’t want to hear your voice anymore.”
“I tied up your body, not your ears.” She fought clenching her jaw in annoyance. “It was the Baker pack. They made a deal with the Ceruleans.”
His gaze flicked her way. Now that got his attention.
“If I hadn’t met Kaden or the Windham pack, I never would’ve found the missing pieces to bring everything together.” She shook her head as her mind whirled from what went down. “Once I learned that the two heads had met previously, the Ceruleans’ lead on the gang from LA and our parents’ last mission finally made sense.”
“The Baker pack alpha mission,” he mumbled.
“Yes. Their last mission was a referred case from the Ceruleans: corner the Baker pack alpha and kill him.”
“So it was a setup.”
“Yes. The Ceruleans were in on it the entire time. If they eliminated o
ur parents, there would be less competition among the elite ranks.”
Ty let out a long slew of curses.
She waited for him to say anything else, but he didn’t.
You can’t stay here, Cyn, she thought.
Let him go.
All this time, she’d worried about him. Whether he ate properly and took his medicine. She’d still worry after she walked through that door. Her throat grew dry, but somehow she managed to say the words she needed to say. “Goodbye, Ty.”
By the time she walked across the living room, she swore she heard a sad whimper downstairs.
***
The trip further up the river took a minute or two before they reached a clearing in the trees and the shore. Zach grimaced as he got out of the boat, but he didn’t ask for help.
Kaden was tempted to ask him if he wanted to wait, but Zach took point toward Brighton Beach.
The air here was warmer compared to farther north. The breeze from the lake warmed his cheeks and almost put him at ease.
As hopeful as Kaden was to be reunited with Cyn, he couldn’t deny that he was restless inside, thinking about his pack he left alone back at the lake.
The time would come when he’d find a way to right all the wrongs he’d done and return to the time when his father led the pack. So far, there had been more mistakes than successes.
By the time they reached one of the side streets of Brighton Beach, everything was quiet. The small village didn’t have much. Almost like a cozy hideaway that was only reachable by boat. The place seemed ideal as a hunter’s haven.
Zach checked along the road before they walked down the street. The place seemed empty. Kaden couldn’t hear any sounds coming from the two houses they passed.
“Is this a vacation community?” Kaden asked.
“A few of them used to be empty when we lived here. The place is a lot busier during the summer time. Of course, there are folks who live in town year round. It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the house, so I’m not close to the locals.”
No one stopped them as they darted from street to street until they came to the front of a dark green house. The lawn wasn’t mowed and the windows were curtained, almost as if the house had seen little maintenance over the years. A home that had been cast aside by time.
“Do you hear anything?” Zach whispered.
“It’s quiet,” Kaden replied. He strained to listen, but then he caught the faint sounds of footsteps heading toward the back of the house. Ever so faint that he had to focus and tune out the other sounds around him. He pressed against the side of the house as if such an action would help him find her.
“Why can’t we just storm the castle?” Kaden grunted.
“This house might not look like much, but Mom and Dad put in enough safety measures to drive back a T-Rex on a rampage.”
Kaden glanced around, but he couldn’t see much other than the bars on the windows and the thick front door.
“There’s a reason why I didn’t use the front door,” Zach said. “When I was a kid my old man added explosives. If you kick the door down, you’re not gonna have a leg anymore.”
A sound from the nearby river floated his way. Was it Cyn? The sounds in the house had ended.
Someone was moving in the backyard. Not taking any chances, Kaden found a safe spot to hide in the tree in the front yard.
Sounds from the front door locks disengaging caught his attention. From so high up, he couldn’t see a damn thing. He’d have to wait for Ty to come out to act.
Kaden crouched, prepared to spring. He’d do anything to protect Cyn.
Footsteps plodded along until he caught a glimpse of black hair. The woman reached the bottom steps and spoke to her brother who continued to hide next to the house.
She placed her hands on her hips. “Took you two long enough to get here.”
Chapter 5
Cyn strolled to the tree with a wide grin.
Don’t cats hide up in trees and not dogs?
She opened her arms to the sky. She only had to inhale and Kaden was there to wrap his arms around her. The warmth of his body surrounded her. In seconds, he scooped her up and hurried northward. Zach had to run to keep up.
“You never answered my question. What took you so long, hero?” she mumbled against his chest.
“Timing. We had no idea where Ty had taken you.”
By the time they reached a cluster of trees that provided cover, Kaden stopped.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He pulled back the sweatpants along her leg. “How bad is it?”
“A gunshot wound with a silver bullet,” she replied. “The pain is manageable. I just want to get out of here.”
He didn’t look happy at all. “You smell like you’re in pain.”
“So that’s what that smell is.” She chuckled and ran her nose along his chin. There were so many delicious smells here from his aftershave to the underlying smell that was him. Kaden. She could even smell the last thing he had eaten. A greasy burger, fries, and maybe some onion rings. She kissed his chin. Definitely onion rings.
While Zach tried to gather his breath beside them, Kaden kept questioning her. “Ty shot you? Is the bullet still inside?”
“I dug what I could out, but I think the bullet fragmented,” she replied.
Kaden nodded. “I’ll carry you back.”
Cyn snorted. “You should probably carry Zach back.”
Zach made a rude gesture with his middle finger. Same old Zach.
She asked her brother how he was feeling and he shrugged it off.
“I’m on enough painkillers to be borderline high,” he remarked.
Kaden picked up Cyn and they made their way to the boat. The trip back to Vancouver was a quiet one. For Cyn though, it didn’t matter. Kaden didn’t let go of her and she didn’t let go of him. Not once did he break off contact with her skin.
By the time they pulled up to a nondescript apartment building in a South Vancouver neighborhood, everyone was morose and seemed exhausted.
“What’s this place?” Zach asked.
“An old condo of mine,” Kaden replied. “I still own the property.”
The apartment was sparsely decorated, but still furnished. Kaden had to open the windows to circulate the air.
Cyn hobbled to the couch and brought up a cloud of dust. “When’s the last time you’ve been here?”
Kaden laughed and she smiled just hearing the sound. “A few years. Post residency.”
Kaden’s smell was here, too. Faint but in all the corners.
“There’s no food,” Kaden added, “but the place is warm and I know enough delivery places around here until we move on.”
While Zach took some time alone in the bathroom, Kaden gathered Cyn in his lap. Everything felt…right again.
“I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you,” he murmured against her hair.
Cyn tried not to think about that. She’d seen what Kaden was capable of doing. What he was willing to do to protect the pack.
“I’m sorry I didn’t return in time. I…,” he began. He paused a moment and Cyn caught his shudder and long exhale. Something had gone very wrong. “I got caught up in pack matters and things went poorly,” he whispered.
“Kaden, what happened?” She touched the side of his face and ran her fingers along the stubble there. He still refused to shave since the attack on the camp.
He didn’t speak for a bit. Only his stomach quaked as if he fought to gather his senses. “Bastian challenged me. This whole time, he waited for me to be weakened so he could win…”
“And…”
“He told me he shot Zach. We fought and I won.”
The word “won” seemed so final and she knew very well what winning meant in an alpha fight: Bastian was dead.
Kaden had to kill his youngest brother. The very idea that Bastian was the one who shot Zach filled her with anger, and then guilt. Guilt that she
’d thought for a moment of harming Kaden’s kin.
“I had to kill him, Cynthia.” His eyes were barely open and he spoke through clenched teeth as if the weight of what he had done crushed him.
“Kaden...”
“I promised my father that I’d protect him, but I couldn’t do it anymore. A line was crossed and the only thing that was left for me was to do the one thing I thought I could never do.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” A tear fell down Cyn’s face as thoughts of Ty came to mind. Would she ever have to face the same thing someday? Would she have the strength to subdue Ty each time he tried to kill her? Would she always be on the run with Zach for the foreseeable future?
The truth made the lump in her throat hard to swallow. This whole situation, the events from the first time she woke up in Kaden’s cabin up to now, seemed like a strange dream. One with beautiful moments and horrific ones.
She pressed her lips against his cheek and peace settled within her. Every nerve ending in her skin sang and contentment seemed possible.
“So what now?” The ultimate question. There was no going back to her old life.
“First, we eat. Then we sleep.” He captured her lips and they shared a delicious kiss. Hell, even kissing as a werewolf was better. “Then we do other stuff. I haven’t claimed you yet as my mate. No more sneaking off in the night for you.”
She tried to stop herself from giggling but couldn’t. “And what’s this stuff?”
Kaden’s right eyebrow rose. “Stuff I don’t want your brother hearing us do.”
***
Cyn woke up in pure bliss. The pain in her leg wasn’t so bad anymore. After everything she’d been through, this had been the soundest sleep she’d ever had.
She wanted to lie there and bask in the thick silence in the condo, but the man lying beside her had other plans.
Ever so slowly, Kaden’s large hand on her hip rode the curve from beginning to the end. Sneaky little wolf wanted to play.
She turned around and pressed her lips against the hard chest muscle.
His heart skipped a beat. For her. The sound was so loud and clear.
Windham Werewolves Page 23
