by Jessica Snow
Carly made a face. "What makes you think I want to go after some human chick after I just got the wolf shit knocked out of me and barely survived?"
"Because you owe me for looking after you."
Carly crossed her arms. "Pfft."
Zack made his way over to the end table by the couch and grabbed his car keys. "I’ll just go by myself then." He would try to contact his sister again. If that didn’t work, he had a couple of places to check out where he thought she might have taken McKenzie.
He was almost to the front door when Carly called out. "Wait. I’ll go."
Zack opened the door gave her a wolf-like grin. "I knew I could count on you." He nodded to the open doorway. "Ladies first."
Carly stared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and walking out. "I just know I’m going to regret this."
"Here," Liam pointed.
Kat stared at the dumpster, her heart thumping in her chest. This is where McKenzie’s body supposedly lay.
She stepped forward, her hand poised over the lid. If McKenzie body was inside, what would she do?
I’m going to kill Liam, she thought darkly. And then I’m going to the corners of the earth to find that crazy ass wolf bitch and there will be no one, vampire or wolf, that will stop me from tearing her head off.
Staring down at the lid, the reek of trash filling her nostrils, Kat took a deep breath and composed herself. Then she threw back the lid and peered inside. Trash and the overwhelming smell of rot greeted her. Frantically, she began digging through it all, looking for signs of her sister’s body. After a minute, she gave up and turned to Liam, who had a surprised look in his eyes.
"Why isn’t she here?"
Liam furrowed his brow in confusion. "She was here several hours ago, I swear."
"Well, how come we don’t see her body then?"
"Someone must have moved it," Liam muttered.
Kat shook her head. "You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you lied to me."
Liam was slack-jawed. "Why would I do that to you Kat? What purpose would it serve?"
Kat glared. "Because you want me to just forget about her."
"Kat, that simply doesn’t make any sense."
"It does to me."
Liam reached out to touch her arm. "Kat I swear to you, I’m on your side—"
Kat jerked away from his touch. "Don’t frickin’ touch me! This is all your fault! You pursued me when you knew that you were promised to another. This would have never happened had you just left me alone."
For the first time that morning, anger touched Liam’s face. "Let’s not pretend that you were totally innocent in all this. You called me after the night at the club to set up a date, remember?"
Kat snorted. "Yeah after you rubbed your hot ass body all up against mine, making me want you!"
"And you enjoyed it."
"Hell, yeah, I did," Kat said acidly. "And I bet you were banking on that, too weren’t you? I bet you told yourself, let me chase after this girl because I bet you she’s so desperate she’ll jump on the first dick that comes her way. You just wanted to use me as your little experiment, huh? So, you just tried me out because you were bored and looking for an escape from your upcoming engagement. And you know what? It just shows what a whore you are. You are always talking about how sexy my curves are, but I see now. It was all just a game."
Liam eyed her with shock. "Kat, will you listen to what you’re saying? Why would I do all this, risk my reputation, my job and my place among my pack just for an experiment?"
Kat shook her head angrily, ignoring his logic. "You know what? I’m done with you, Liam. I can find my sister on my own." She spun away and began making her way from the ally. "And don’t you dare try to follow me or I’ll rip your balls off!"
Desperation laced Liam’s words. "Kat, where do you think you are going?"
Kat ignored the pain that shot up her chest at the sound of distress in Liam’s voice. She did not know if she really meant the mean words she had just said to Liam, but she needed someone to blame for her predicament. "It’s none of your fucking business!"
"Kat, come back here!" Liam suddenly roared.
She heard running feet behind her, and suddenly, Liam was in front of her, blocking her way, his golden eyes blazing with anger. To Kat, it looked like he was ready to physically subdue her if he had to.
"Move the hell out of my way, Liam!"
"Nope, I won’t allow you to leave," he growled. "You’re going to come back home with me and we’re going to work our way through this. I’m sure we will be able to find out what happened to McKenzie’s body. In the meantime, we must work on your bear training. It’s dangerous for you to be around people when you do not have full control of your shapeshifting abilities."
"The hell with bear training!" How dare Liam tell her that she should focus on bear training when her sister could still be out there, being tortured by that psychotic bitch of a wolf? If Liam wasn’t lying, then he had clearly been mistaken. Her sister was out there, in danger. And she was damn well sick of him trying to control her!
Without blinking an eye, Kat swiped at Liam’s side, putting all her rage behind it. Liam brought his arms up to block her swing. Kat’s claws easily brushed aside his attempt, and to her surprise, Liam went flying into the alley wall, slamming into it with a cracking sound.
Kat looked down at her hands with shock. She was still amazed by the sheer power she had at her command. Liam was tall, studly, and very strong, but she had just knocked him aside like he was an annoying gnat. After a moment, she glanced at Liam. He was slumped against the wall, his head resting on his chest.
She wanted so badly to run over to see if he was okay, but she ignored the feeling. She had a sister to go find. Besides, the werewolf regeneration would take care of him. She turned and made her way from the alley, but as she rounded the corner in search of a cab that would take her back home to her worried father, she fought back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.
Liam came to five minutes later with a bout of double vision. Letting out a pained groan, he rubbed the back of his skull, which had probably come close to being crushed by the force of Kat’s blow. Kat sure packed a powerful punch. As an alpha wolf, it galled Liam to think that she was stronger than him.
After a moment of making sure most of his wounds had healed and that he could see clearly, he slowly stood up and looked around. Immediately, he was filled with an overwhelming panic. Kat was nowhere to be seen.
With Liam having taken her up as his mate, Kat was now a part of his pack. As pack leader, it was his duty to protect its members and the fact that he did not know where she was, drove him crazy.
He stumbled out from the alley, hoping that Kat hadn’t driven away in his Porsche, leaving him with no transportation. Liam sighed with relief when he saw it. She hadn’t taken it. That meant she couldn’t have gotten far. He would track her down so he could protect her. Keep her safe from Crystal’s minions, and most of all, herself.
He jumped inside and fired up the engine. Before he pulled off he sniffed at the air multiple times, latching on to her scent. As he drove off, he had only one thing burning on his mind.
He had to find her. He had to find Kat.
Chapter 27
"Kat, thank God you’re alright!" Big Mike exclaimed with relief when Kat came walking into the Headley home. "I’ve been looking all over for you!" The big man rushed over and snatched his eldest daughter up into a gigantic bear hug, nearly crushing her ribs. "I just came back to gather some supplies. You’re so lucky to have come right as I was about to go back out looking for you."
"I was fine, daddy, you needn’t have worried," Kat wheezed breathlessly. "But...I... can’t...breathe."
"Oh." The big man reluctantly pulled away and studied his daughter, checking her for signs of injury.
Besides his obvious worry, Mike looked haggard, with dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes and like he ha
dn’t slept for the entire night. It pained Kat to see her dad in such condition, and what made matters worse was that Kat had to be the bearer of bad news.
"I was so worried about something awful happening to you when you went bear and ran wild through the neighborhood. Several people called animal control and the authorities. I got in my truck to track you down, but you were long gone. I nearly got in several accidents trying to find you." Her father shook his head. "This is all my fault, though," he muttered. "If I would have told you about what you were from the beginning, and gave you the proper training, this would have never happened."
"Never mind me," Kat replied. "McKenzie is in serious trouble."
Her father froze. "What?"
Kat quickly told him about what happened, including her relationship with Liam, the vampires, and jealous Crystal.
"Kat, why didn’t you tell me that you were involved with a wolf?" her father demanded after her story.
Kat glanced at the floor with shame. "I didn’t know if you would approve."
Big Mike shook his head. "Kat, this is something you should have told me."
Kinda like how you told me I was a bear prone to impulsive rages and slapping skinny bitches across the room? Kat wanted to say. But her father was already in enough pain and she did not need to add to it by being vindictive with McKenzie being gone. "At the time, I thought it was harmless enough," Kat said weakly.
Mike glared. "The wolves are very dangerous creatures, Kat. In the past, they, along with the vampires, were our sworn enemy."
The vampire Theon had told her as much. At the time, Kat did not know whether to believe him, but now her father had confirmed it.
Big Mike’s features softened and he placed a large paw on Kat’s shoulder. "But I shouldn’t expect you to know about any of this when I never told you about your birthright." They stood there in silence for a moment before her father said. "Whatever the case, I’ll have time to feel sorry for myself later. Right now, we need to find McKenzie—"
"Liam said McKenzie was dead."
Big Mike’s face turned white as a sheet.
But Kat quickly added, "But I don’t believe it. I think he either just screwed up, or he wanted me to forget about searching for my sister because he’s in hot water."
Big Mike looked like he was about to stroke out, his breathing labored. "All we can do is look for her and hope that he messed up." His expression turned thoughtful. "You know, your mother foresaw something like this happening long ago," he muttered softly. "At the time, I did not want to believe her because I had fooled myself into thinking you weren’t like me."
Suddenly, Kat looked around. "Where’s Rosie?" Kat hadn’t once thought about the white Van cat since McKenzie’s disappearance, but for some reason being at home brought the weird kitty to mind.
Her father looked up and shrugged. "I don’t know, Kat, but who gives a damn about the whereabouts of that stupid cat when your sister is missing?"
"Amen," agreed Kat. She had no idea why she had even asked the question. Rosie was a total non-factor right now. "So, what do you suggest we do, Daddy?"
Her father went into deep thought for a minute before saying, "I have an idea."
"What’s that?" asked Kat.
Her father eyed her raggedy appearance. "Go change your clothes and grab my shotgun out of the safe."
Always one to go with Big Mike on his hunting outings, Kat knew exactly where all her daddy’s guns were and how to handle them. "For what?"
Her father’s face expression turned grim. "First we’re going to go speak with some people that may be able to help us...and then we’re going hunting."
Kat and her father pulled up to what looked like an abandoned warehouse that was in the industrial part of the city. The section of this area was filled with empty and dilapidated factories, the founding companies having long abandoned them and shipped their operations overseas for maximum profit.
It was mid-day, the sun shining overhead in a clear, blue sky. It was a very beautiful day; one Kat would have relished enjoying with Liam. She could see them now, having a picnic by a peaceful brook, dining on fish, blueberries, and steak. Unfortunately, a picnic between the two was out of the question. She couldn’t get over the fact that he had likely lied to her about McKenzie. It really hurt. Angry at herself for losing focus, she brushed the handsome Liam from her mind and studied her surroundings.
Kat had no idea why her father had brought them here. She had told him that McKenzie could either be held by the vampires or still be held by Crystal, she did not know which, and had argued that they should track the wolf woman down, but her father had insisted that he knew a group of hunters that could help them find McKenzie.
Tired of arguing, Kat had eventually given up.
Several feet out from the warehouse, near several very large metal crates, her father parked the car and quieted the engine and looked over at her daughter. "Stay in the car," he ordered. "Don’t do anything unless you see me signal you." He opened the door and half-way stepped out, but paused to say, "And whatever you do, control your anger, got it?"
Kat nodded slowly and said through gritted teeth, "Yes, daddy. You only told me this a thousand times on the drive over."
On the way to the warehouse, her father had explained the importance of her controlling her anger and how, as soon as they found McKenzie, Kat would need extensive training to learn how to control her inner bear.
After staring at her for a moment, Big Mike jumped out of the truck, slammed the door, and began making his way to the warehouse entrance.
Kat watched as her father approached a door and knocked on it. Several breaths later a tall man appeared and began speaking with her dad.
Kat watched in exasperated impatience. She did not understand why they were here. Unless these people her father was meeting with werewolves or vampires, which her father had told her they were not, she had no idea how they could help with finding McKenzie.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Kat saw movement. She quickly rolled down her window and peered out, scanning the area. At the last possible second, she saw something small, furry and white round a crate several feet from her father.
Was that a cat?
Kat sniffed. Besides the rusty smell of metal and dust in the area, she definitely smelled something feline about. Maybe the area was rife with strays. For some reason, though, she thought of Rosie.
Stop thinking about that Goddamned cat when McKenzie is missing! Kat thought with annoyance.
Still, something about Rosie being missing bothered her. She could not quite put her finger on it.
Kat tore her gaze away from the crate and moved it along the rooftops. After a minute of looking, she spotted a man, dressed all in black with a skullcap on, on the roof. What bothered Kat was that he was armed with some sort of rifle. Worst of all, he had it aimed directly at Big Mike.
Alarm shot up her spine as she stared at the man.
What the hell is going on here? she thought.
She looked back to her father. The men appeared to be chatting quietly, when suddenly, Big Mike became animated, swinging his arms around in anger and stabbing his finger into the warehouse man’s face. But the man looked like he wasn’t having any of Big Mike’s shit. He shoved Mike violently. Big Mike stumbled back a few steps and then his face twisted into a mask of rage and he began roaring, sounding like an enraged grizzly.
Meanwhile, the man on the roof looked as if he was preparing to bust a cap in her father’s ass.
"Shit!" Kat exclaimed.
It was ironic that her father had told her about controlling her anger when he couldn’t control his own.
She grabbed the shotgun and jumped out of the vehicle, running toward her father while aiming up at the man on the roof. She couldn’t hit him at this distance, but she bet she could make him duck long enough for them to get to cover.
By this time, her father had ripped his shirt to shreds and hair began to sprout all over his bod
y.
"Daddy, stop it!" Kat yelled, her eye on the man on the roof.
Kat’s desperate yell drew the attention of the sniper. Their eyes met. He grinned evilly at her and turned his gun on her. Kat cursed. His hand was on the trigger.
Taking a deep breath, Kat quickly pointed her shotgun at the man’s face. Too late. She heard the click of the man pulling the trigger. At the same time, a dark shadow raced across her peripheral vision and slammed into her body. A moment later, a large dart hit the ground where Kat had been standing.
The breath left Kat’s lungs as she was pulled along at supernatural speeds into the shadows behind a stack of crates. She opened her mouth to scream, but a gloved hand clamped over her mouth.
"Quiet," a smooth voice whispered in her ear. "Your father brought this on himself."
She watched with frustrated helplessness as her father turned into a bear and lunged at the frightened warehouseman. But he didn’t get several steps. The man on the roof shot him several times with those darts. Her father let out a loud groan and collapsed at the feet of his would-be victim.
Enraged, Kat struggled against her captor, feeling the change starting to take effect inside her body. This was it. The moment her dad had warned her about. She would transform into a bear and rip her captor to shreds, and then go on to slaughter the men in the warehouse.
But the man held on to her with incredible strength, cutting off her oxygen supply. Gradually, Kat felt her knees grow weak and the fight leave her body.
"Hush now," the smooth voice whispered in her ear. "It’s time to take a little nap."
As her vision began to fade, the last thing Kat saw before she lost consciousness was several men coming out of the warehouse with a large, metal cage and dragging her father’s prone bear form into it.
Chapter 28
Bathed in darkness, McKenzie shivered against the wall as another tortured scream ripped through the cell next to her. The scream was so strangled she could not tell if it was Daisy screaming or Annabelle. She just knew that she was likely next.
