Blurred Expectations

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  They walked out into the chilled air and looked on the porch for their mate. Unease crept up Reed’s spine when they couldn’t find her right away.

  “Hannah?” he called out.

  “Maybe she took a walk on the property?” Josh said as he inhaled a big gulp of air. As a partial demon, Josh’s senses were heightened, much like a werewolf’s.

  Reed let his wolf come to the surface, scratching beneath his skin, as nervousness swept through him. Hannah could have taken a walk on their property, sure, but she still should have been visible to them. With the attacks on their den, even with the added protection of Bay’s blood in the wards, Hannah wouldn’t have walked deep into the forest without letting them know or without an escort.

  She wouldn’t have, no matter how much pain radiated through her.

  Right?

  Reed opened his senses and inhaled her sweet scent. He followed her trail to a copse of trees and growled.

  “Where is she?” Josh growled, his tattoos pulsing and his eyes glowing red.

  Reed sniffed the air, this time catching a sweet metallic scent mingling with their Hannah’s bitter-apple scent.

  “Someone else was here,” Reed growled as his wolf tried to claw to the surface.

  Josh walked into the forest and cursed, then knelt on the ground. Reed came up behind him and placed his shaking palm on Josh’s shoulder.

  “What is it?”

  “A needle,” Josh bit out, and Reed almost fell to his knees. No, not this, not again. It couldn’t be happening again. They’d almost lost Willow to a sadistic bitch and a needle; they couldn’t lose Hannah.

  Reed moved past Josh and surveyed the area, taking in every detail, every scent, every change in the environment. Even though, as he did it, his body raged. Pain and anger coursed through him, and fear threatened to claw his stomach. The scent ended at the wards, which the kidnapper must have gone through. How, Reed didn’t know, yet. There would be no point in going after Hannah on foot or in his wolf form now because he couldn’t follow the scent. They would have to rely on Josh’s Finding abilities, however erratic they were.

  Whoever had taken her hadn’t been of their Pack because Reed didn’t recognize the scent. He closed his eyes, letting the foreign scent settle on his tongue, in his skin. He wouldn’t forget this. No, he would find the fucker who dared to try and break up his family and gut him.

  He might not have been the most alpha of his brothers, but he’d kill any who harmed what was his. He’d vowed it before when Caym had taken Josh, and he vowed it again.

  He vaguely heard Josh on his phone with Adam, the Enforcer, Reed’s brother, and Josh’s boss. Even though Adam was still learning to walk with this prosthesis, his brother would still know what to do and would help them. Which was good because his wolf didn’t want anyone but Josh around.

  “I don’t trust anyone. We need Hannah,” his wolf growled.

  Reed took a deep breath and tried to soothe his wolf. It would do no good to attack his own family out of pain and anger. Though a brawl would help him focus.

  Reed felt an arm come around his waist and leaned into Josh’s hold.

  “We’ll find her,” Josh said, his voice deep, cracking.

  “We have to,” Reed whispered.

  They turned back toward the house, Reed’s body shaking. When they got there, Jasper and Maddox where already on the porch, their eyes gold and their bodies radiating with tension.

  “Adam is on his way,” Jasper said as he opened the door to the house and walked in. Reed and Josh followed, with Maddox taking up the rear.

  “What did you get out of the scent?” Maddox asked.

  “Like a sweet metallic scent,” Reed answered and shook his head. “I didn’t recognize it, so it’s not Pack. And this doesn’t feel like a Central move. They shouldn’t have been able to breach the wards.”

  Jasper nodded, his face thoughtful. “Josh, did you recognize the scent?”

  Josh looked up with a frown. “I’m not sure.”

  Reed stiffened then walked over to his mate to run a calming hand down his lover’s face. “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t always had these senses, so I don’t know. The scent wasn’t something I’ve been near since I’ve changed, but it’s almost like a memory. Like I’ve scented it before… when I was human.”

  Reed tilted his head. “So you may know this guy?” An irrational anger pulsated through him again, and he forced it down. It wasn’t Josh’s fault that someone had taken their mate. It wasn’t.

  “I don’t know. I won’t know until I see him. But, it’s odd, isn’t it? That he made it through our wards, and that I may know him?”

  Jasper stood up and walked toward them. “We’ll find her. We thought we were safer with Bay’s blood, but we were only safer from the Centrals. With the war and our losses, we’ve forgotten there are other dangers out there for a werewolf, a witch, and a demon.”

  “Shit,” Reed muttered, and Maddox raised a brow. “Why can’t we just live in peace? Why is everything a God damn battle or war?”

  “Because we’re different. We’re wolves.” Jasper said, and Reed wanted to slug the bastard. Less than ten minutes had passed since Hannah had been taken, and that had still been too long.

  Reed looked over at Josh. “When we get out of the wards, can you Find her?”

  “I’ll try,” Josh said as he walked to their weapons closet. Yes, their military mate had a weapons closet. Josh geared up with knives, guns, and other equipment while Reed got the small medical bag that he could attach to his belt in case Hannah was… Yeah, he didn’t want to think about that.

  “We’re going to Find her,” Reed said. “We don’t know if this is a solitary attack or if the Pack is in danger, so I want you guys to stay behind and make sure the Pack is safe. We’ll call if we need you.”

  Jasper and Maddox blinked at the forcefulness of Reed’s order but nodded. Reed might not have a title in the Pack, but Hannah was his mate, his and Josh’s. They would Find her and bring her home.

  ****

  Hannah opened her eyes and spied a grungy cement wall.

  Oh, goddess, not again.

  She’d woken up in a cold, cement room before. Though she’d found her Reed and Josh through the ordeal, that didn’t make it any more pleasant a memory.

  She picked her upper body off up the floor and groaned because the aches in her limbs didn’t go away; they intensified. She took a deep breath and looked around, trying to get her bearings.

  She’d been kidnapped—again. This really needed to stop happening. Whoever had taken her had been strong enough to carry her pretty far. Her magic had touched him, and she hadn’t recognized him as a wolf, witch, or demon. He’d been human. Though he’d smelled…off. Like he was a human, though not entirely, as though he weren’t quite himself. She wasn't sure what that meant, but she knew it did not bode well for her.

  Whoever had taken her had the power, or whatever it was, to confuse the wards and come on to the Redwood Pack land without being noticed. She shuddered as she thought of who or what could have done that because she was now at his mercy.

  The basement wasn't quite the same as the one that held Corbin’s torture chamber. There were no manacles, no places for her to be tied down and beaten. Just an empty room with a cage at the other end. She swallowed hard as she looked at the thick, steeled cell. It looked stronger than a normal one.

  Hannah closed her eyes for a second, not wanting to think about what that could mean because that wasn’t a normal cage, one built by a normal human who knew nothing about the paranormal. No, that was one built for something stronger than her, stronger even than Josh. It was designed to hold a werewolf. Like her Reed. Whoever had taken her knew that such things as werewolves existed. It wouldn't make any sense otherwise. Since they'd known exactly how to take her, then it would stand to reason they knew what they were taking.

  Why was the cage in the room with her? Did they have Reed as well? Her body
shook and her hands fisted, terror trying to suffocate her. When she'd woken up in the basement a year ago, she’d been across from Reed. She didn't want to go through it again. Nor with Josh.

  “I see you're awake,” a voice said from the now-open doorway.

  Hannah started and curled herself into a ball. She couldn’t feel the earth around her, so her magic was useless. Again. She hated being weak.

  “Who are you?” she asked, surprised at how steady her voice was. She had to remain strong and keep some semblance of control. Josh would Find her if his powers were working, and Reed would be with him. She had to have faith in them, faith in herself.

  “Does it really matter who I am?” The man gave a small, creepy smile, and Hannah finally looked at her captor in the waning light.

  He was tall, strongly muscled, and had a military-haircut, though she could still see the slight gray to the color. His brown eyes looked hard, unforgiving, and he had scars down his arms, and some on his chest, but she couldn't see a lot because of the shirt he was wearing. Everything about him screamed military.

  Had he known Josh? Or was this just a man who wanted something paranormal for experimentation? She’d heard the horror stories of the tests that were done on the supernaturals taken from their homes. Josh himself had been part of an elite crew that had known about supernaturals, though his team hadn’t harmed them; they’d merely known of their existence.

  “Of course it matters who you are,” she finally answered. “Why did you take me? Where am I?”

  “Oh, good, all the normal questions the captive asks. You must be getting good at this.” He walked over to her, and she bolted upright and lashed out, her fist connecting with his jaw. He grunted in pain, but the glint in his eyes scared her. Before she could breathe, he had his hand around her throat and her body against the wall.

  Hannah struggled against his hold, but he slammed her head against the wall again. Her vision blurred, and her head suddenly ached as his fist tightened, restricting her air. He slapped her hard with his other hand, and she felt the ring he wore cut her lip. She clawed at his hands, trying to free herself, but he was stronger than her. Too strong…

  “Don’t struggle. It only makes me want to hurt you more,” he growled. “Why don’t you use your strength, or whatever the hell it is you have? You’re an abomination. I thought you'd be stronger than this.”

  He squeezed harder as the darkness threatened to take hold. Before she could fight back, he threw her by the neck against another wall. She slid down to the ground, her muscles not ready to move. Her breaths coming in ragged pants, she tried to take in as much oxygen as possible.

  Oh, goddess, he was going to kill her, even though he didn't know what she was. It didn’t matter at the moment because she could tell he didn’t care what she was as long as she wasn’t human. He would kill her for it.

  “What are you?” he spat out then kicked her in the ribs. Pain ricocheted through her body as she curled herself into a ball again. Instinctively, she knew to protect her stomach and all her vital organs.

  “Who are you?” she asked again, knowing she would probably be kicked again for her attitude. But she would not give up. She would wait for Reed and Josh. Or find a way to get out on her own.

  “You think you’re so cute? Well, if you’re not going to answer me, I guess I'll have to beat it out of you.”

  He punched her in the face, and she felt her cheekbone crack. Tears slid down her cheeks as she tried to fight him off, but he kicked again, harder.

  “I saw you with Josh and that wolf. You’re a whore, living with two men, spreading your legs because you can. It's probably because of whatever the fuck you are. Do all of you just spread your legs for anyone with a cock? Maybe you’ll spread your legs for me.”

  Terror and revulsion warred within her as she reached deep within to her magic. She didn’t have much, not with the lack of earth around, but she had enough to get him off her. It had to be enough. She pushed with her magic and arms, kicking out as she did so. She got him in the stomach, and he flew back into the other wall.

  “Bitch!”

  Woozy and bleeding, she stood up on shaky legs and made it to the door he’d stupidly left open. A hand gripped her hair and flung her back. Hannah hit the ground, hard, her wrist fracturing to break her fall. She bit out a sob and cradled it closer to her. Being a Healer, she could only Heal others, not herself. Her cheek and wrist would have to heal on their own when she made it out of here. If she made it out of here.

  No, she had to think positively. She could get out, and if not, Reed and Josh would be there. They wouldn’t let her stay here, even though she’d left them in the living room for time alone. Another sob racked her body at the thought of never seeing them again, never telling them she loved them and that, no matter what, she’d stand by them.

  Purpose gripped her. She’d get out of here. She had to because she needed to see her men. They needed her as much as she needed them. Hannah would make it happen. She would.

  She stood again, and the man came at her, fists raised. She hit him with her unbroken hand, and he slapped her again on her broken cheek. This time, the pain didn’t hurt as much. That didn’t bode well for the rest of her.

  “You’re a fighter. I like that,” he growled then took her by the neck again. She struggled, but it was no use. He threw her into the cage and locked it behind her. “I’m not going to rape you. Don’t worry. I don’t want to catch anything from you and your whorish ways.”

  She didn’t comment that she was a witch and didn’t have those diseases. Or the fact that she wasn’t a whore. Whatever she could use to keep her body safe from him she’d take.

  “What are you?” he asked again, and she gave in. She hurt too much to fight.

  “I’m a witch.” No need to tell him she was a rare earth witch who was the Healer of the Redwood Pack. She needed to keep some things close to herself, even if it did no good.

  His eyes widened fractionally. She could tell she’d surprised him, though how he didn’t make the connection when she’d pushed him off her with magic was beyond her. Maybe he wasn’t as smart as he thought. That could be good for her.

  “A witch? Good to know. But if you use any magic on me, I’ll kill you then your precious mates. I’ll make it hurt, too.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because you’re all abominations that we should have killed when the team first found out about you!”

  She slid back farther into the cage, trying to get as much distance between them as possible. “So, you’re military?”

  He nodded, a scowl on his face. “You’re pretty smart, for a dead girl.”

  Hannah gulped but tried not to move at that statement. She just had to keep him talking, and maybe that would be enough time for Josh and Reed to get here. The bars were too strong for her to break, and she had a feeling they’d been made for a wolf, something way stronger than her.

  “How did you get into the den?”

  He shook his head then sat down in front of the cage, his body drawn and ragged. Good.

  “I drank some of Josh’s blood to get through your wards.”

  Her stomach revolted, and she barely resisted the urge to throw up what was left in her stomach.

  “What? How?”

  He sighed and took a gun from his waistband that she hadn’t known he’d had. “I guess I’ll tell you the story from the beginning, shall I? I knew Josh from the team. He was my subordinate when he first started, but then he moved up the ranks, too quickly for my taste. Soon we were equals in rank, though the bastard was so much younger.”

  She nodded, trying to keep him going. She needed to give her men time.

  “I knew there was something different about him from the get-go. He was too good at his job and used whatever the fuck was wrong with him to find our targets. It pissed me off that he could use that freakiness to surpass me.”

  She bit her tongue at the urge to defend her mate. It wouldn’t do a
ny good here.

  “When we’d found out the werewolves and other freaks were real, Josh didn’t bat an eye, like he’d found his own people or some shit. I wanted to take y’all out right there, but no, the higher-ups frowned on stuff like that. They wanted to use you or something, but Josh and the others just let y’all live normally.” He snorted. “Or however normal y’all fucking freaks can be.”

  “You wanted to kill a whole group of people because you think we’re different?” she asked before she thought better of it. It wouldn’t do good to anger him.

  “You don’t deserve to live,” he spat.

  He wasn’t so different from Caym, the demon who wanted to take over the world and rule the humans. It didn’t matter that one was human and the other from hell. No, it mattered who they were and what they wanted. Hannah didn’t think this man would appreciate the irony.

  “So, you’ve kidnapped me for… what? What good will I do?”

  “I’m going to use you to prove to the world you’re all dangerous. Though I would have preferred using a wolf, a witch will do. Plus, I don’t think that bastard Josh, and whatever the fuck the other freak’s name is, will leave you alone with me for too long. I figure I’ll use all three of you if I have to.”

  He wanted to show the world that paranormals existed? That would destroy them and maybe even the humans. Humans couldn’t take knowing about the existence of others; it would be too much for them. Wars would break out, and people, no matter their species, would be slaughtered.

  Did this man not know what he was doing? He was going to risk the death of millions because he had a grudge against Josh, or whatever it was he hated?

  “You’re crazy.”

  “And, you’re a freak. Get the fuck over it.”

  “You can’t do this. You’ll kill millions of people.”

  “You think I care? You deserve it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you shouldn’t exist. You’re nothing. You’re just something that needs to die.”

  “Why are you using me to do it?”

  “Because Josh is a traitor. He shouldn’t have left his men to shack up with a whore.”