by Renee Rose
“We can’t work long term.” The words are heavy on my tongue. “Humans and... we don’t work out long term. Believe me, baby, I want you. I want you so badly it hurts.” I grab my cock in my jeans for emphasis. “But I can’t do it.”
“You made your case,” she says stiffly. “I’ll stop thinking of this as our second date.”
A terrible weight drops onto my chest. “No, it’s definitely a date. I don’t kidnap and duct tape just any girl, you know.” I try for humor then sober again. “I want you to know, I don’t do this”—I wave a hand to indicate the bed—“casually.”
“Yeah right. I bet all those girls at the club throw themselves at you.”
Do I detect a note of jealousy? My ego is momentarily cheered. “I don’t,” I growl.
She turns away from me as she steps into her yoga pants.
Fuck. I’ve hurt her. I definitely screwed this up. I walk up behind her and wrap an arm around her waist, but she stiffens. Sensing the walls she’s erected kills me.
She picks up Sedona’s tank like she’s going to put it on instead of her shirt. Then she goes still.
I remain still, too, though I know my touch is unwelcome. It’s like I need the physical closeness to try to counteract the chasm I’ve just put between us.
“She’s in a cage, being taken out of an airplane and put in a white van.”
I drop my hold on her and whirl her around. “Where?” I bark, cursing inwardly when she flinches.
“I don’t know. The men handling her look Latino. So. maybe still in Mexico?”
“Where? What city?”
“I don’t know.”
I pause at the door, then stride back, catching Amber around the waist and pulling her close for a kiss. “Thank you.”
She blushes. “Well, I don’t know if it—”
I stop her protests with another kiss. “Thank you.” I release her as abruptly as I snatched her up.
“Trey,” I shout, slamming the bedroom door open. I’d heard the guys return a few minutes ago. “Call Kylie. Find out about every plane that left this area since Sedona disappeared—especially ones that might have been carrying a caged wolf.”
The pierced wolf has his phone to his ear before I finish. “Closest airport is in Hermosillo.”
I turn to Jared next. “Pull up a map of Mexico.” When the tattooed wolf walks over with his laptop and the map on the screen, I bring it to Amber, who has dressed and come out of the bedroom. “Where?”
She gives me a doubtful look but gazes at the map.
“Don’t think, just say the first thing that comes to your mind.”
“Mexico City,” she blurts, and then looks surprised, as if she didn’t know she was going to speak. She blinks several times. “But I also heard the word Lobo again.”
“I’ll get Kylie to cross reference that area with the word Lobo,” Trey says.
“Do it in the car.” I nod to Jared, who starts packing up his laptop. “We need to get to Hermosillo.”
7
Garrett
At daybreak the next morning, we get on a plane in Hermosillo. It’s a direct flight to Mexico City. Three hours. I should have called my dad before we left. It’s been almost twenty-four hours since Sedona disappeared, but there’s some part of me that needs to handle this on my own. Prove I’m capable of leading my own pack, keeping my sister safe.
Hopefully, I’m not putting Sedona at more risk by waiting to call him.
I stare at the golden head resting on my shoulder, the shiny waves cascading down Amber’s sleeping frame. She normally has her hair up, confined, out of reach. She holds back her trust the same way.
I finger a strand, rubbing the impossibly silky hair between my fingers.
Mine.
God, I want this little human. Not just to fuck, although that, too—definitely that. But my need for her goes beyond sex. I want to possess all of her—heart, body, soul. I want to mark her as my own. I want to treasure and spoil her, tell her every day how special she is. Guard and protect her so she can let her walls down and let her gift out. Live free.
But it’s not in my genetic makeup to settle down. Besides, it’s not possible. I can’t have her and remain alpha, and my wolf is too dominant to be anything else.
I could pull up roots and live as a lone wolf, but I was raised in a pack, destined to lead one. My wolf is too social to be an outcast. The scorn of the pack and disappointment of my parents would be too much to bear. Even with Amber as my mate, my wolf might come to resent her for what I had to give up to claim her.
It’s time for me to own up to my responsibilities and follow the rules.
Rule number one: Humans and werewolves don’t mix.
The plane descends. Amber stirs, lifting her head from my shoulder and blinking as she takes my fingers and squeezes.
She lifts her face to me, about to say something, but I cut her off with a kiss. Cupping the back of her head, I stroke her lips with mine, taking my mind off my gnawing dread about Sedona with the best distraction ever. I lick into her mouth, sucking her tongue, biting at her lips. She tastes as sweet as she smells.
The plane bumps the ground, and I tear myself away. Time to focus.
I’m tense as we ride in the cab through thick afternoon traffic. Not even Amber’s hand on my thigh calms me.
When we get to the closest hotel, Jared steps up to handle check-in. I wait with my back to the wall, where no one can surprise me. Humans look at me and then away, scuttling to give me space.
“Boss,” Trey says softly, and I realize I’m growling, a soft, low sound that nonetheless intimidates everyone in a hundred foot radius.
As soon as we set foot in the hotel room, I almost turn around. “I can’t do this.” My voice chokes with my wolf. “I can’t be closed up.”
“All right,” Amber says. “Let’s go look around.”
I nod, chest heaving in an effort to get control. “I would if I knew where to go. Anything from Kylie yet?”
“No. Oh wait—it just came in. Here”—Trey holds up his phone—“Kylie found the name of the passenger traveling with a canine on the plane leaving Hermosillo last night. He’s a textile importer with a warehouse here. I’ve got the address.”
A growl rips out of me at full volume. Trey staggers back a little, showing his throat.
“Garrett,” Amber touches my arm, as my vision tunnels.
I’m about to go under.
“You have to keep control. Sedona needs you.”
“Stay,” I grit out.
She nods. “I’ll stay here. Will you leave me a phone? Mine doesn’t have service here.”
I check my phone to make sure it works and toss it on the dresser. “Trey and Jared’s numbers are in there.”
“Boss? When are we going to tell the rest of the pack?”
“We go now, scout out. See if she’s there and if we can get her out. If we need reinforcements, I’ll call in my dad. He’ll bring both packs, and it will mean war.”
~.~
Amber
I pace the length of the hotel room. I ordered room service, but I can’t eat the torta—a toasted Mexican sandwich, filled with ham and cheese.
I find myself toying with my hair, and twist it up into a bun, only to yank it down several minutes later. I’m coming apart at the seams.
Crazy Amber.
To pull back Lawyer Amber, I file imaginary civil lawsuits against the men who captured Sedona. List all the ways I could bring them down.
But what if Garrett’s right? What if Crazy Amber is the only one who can save her?
Not crazy.
Garrett thinks my visions are a gift.
I sit cross-legged on the bed. “Come to me,” I breathe, trying to call up the relaxed state I had with Garrett. Immediately, my cheeks heat. I shift on my bottom, ignoring the tickle in my special spot. I hope I don’t have to masturbate or receive servicing from a hulking wolf-man every time I need a vision. I let out a humorless laugh. I need
to stop this attachment to Garrett. There’s nothing for us, no future. He made that plain.
Find Sedona. In this, at least, I can help him.
Where is Garrett now?
Pain stabs my head. Fuck. Does that mean I’m holding back my inner sight? I get up and pace around the room. Seeing Garrett’s bag, I rummage through it and pull out one of his shirts.
“Give it to me,” I call out like an absolute madwoman.
Instantly, visions flood my head. Wolves in cages lined up next to one another—dozens of them. One of them, a giant gray wolf, throws himself against the bars, growling.
I come out of my vision, heaving, and throw my hands out to steady myself. My body is charged and ready with adrenaline, as if I had been in one of those cages.
Garrett? I ask. Was that Garrett in the cage?
Urgency throws me off the bed. But what should I do? Another vision swims into focus, and I close my eyes. Garrett leans against my door back in Tucson, showing me how to pick a lock.
I open my eyes. The clock shows six p.m. Precious time lost.
I know what I have to do.
~.~
Amber
A half hour later, the cab I hailed pulls up one block away from the warehouse.
Mouth dry, I pay the cabbie and start walking. Dusk presses upon the concrete buildings; litter scatters in the street. Graffiti covers several of the buildings. The warehouse in question, though, has a fresh paint job and tall, electric fences.
I hesitate.
What if this doesn’t end well? Who will help Sedona?
I pull out Garrett’s phone, which I snagged from the dresser in the hotel before I left. Scroll through his contacts to one called Dad
I punch it.
A deep voice that sounded remarkably similar to Garrett’s answered. “Hi, Son.”
“Hi Mr. Green. My name is Amber Drake, I’m a, uh, friend of your son?”
“What’s going on, Amber?” Power vibrates through the phone, and I almost drop it. Garrett wasn’t kidding when he talked about alpha dominance.
“Sedona was kidnapped, and Garrett, Trey, Jared, and I followed her down to Mexico City. Garrett and the guys went to a warehouse, but I believe they’ve been captured as well. I’m outside, ready to go in and rescue them, but had to call someone and tell them what was happening first.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Garrett’s neighbor.”
There was a pause, and I knew what he wanted to ask. “Human, yes.” Psychic. I still can’t say it. “Garrett planned to call you if he needed reinforcements. If you don’t hear from me or Garrett in the next few hours, you need to come and bring both packs.”
“I will be on a plane tonight with reinforcements. You sit tight until we get there.”
“I’m already at the warehouse. I’m going in.”
“No. Stay where you are until I get there.” Clearly, the elder wolf is as bossy and protective as his son. “You will not go in alone. Wait until I arrive.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Green, but I have to go, I’m already here. I just wanted to get you the address in case I don’t return. I’ll text it.”
“No, dammit—”
I end the call and silence the phone. It flashes with Dad again, immediately, while I text the address to the warehouse, but I ignore the call and drop the device in my pocket. Before I lose my nerve, I force myself to cross the street and head towards the warehouse. I might be crazy, but it’s what the situation calls for.
I open my mind to my intuition as I approach the forbidding concrete building. It hits me with a wave of nausea. My entire body shudders.
Which door? I ask, and let my attention drift. Left of the building.
Striding toward the door on that side, I scan the eaves for cameras. I don’t know what to look for, but it appears clear.
I pull out the tools Garrett dropped in my purse the night he taught me to pick locks, take a deep breath, and imagine I’m back outside my apartment, Garrett’s comforting bulk at my back.
Slow and steady, Counselor.
I hear a noise and drop the pick. Crouching, I wait. Spanish words and the smell of cigarette smoke waft my way. I grab the knob to pull myself up, and it turns. I almost laugh out loud. My intuition brought me to a entry that wasn’t locked.
Inside, a long, dark hallway stretches ahead. Male voices come from a lighted room halfway down, along with the murmur of a television. If I go down the hall, I’ll have to walk right past it.
I force myself to move, creeping like a wolf. Turns out the light in the hall comes from a window in the door. I duck under it and run the rest of the way down the hall. It dead ends into another entryway. I try the knob. Locked.
Fumbling in the dark, I palm the tools and insert them.
You can do it. I imagine Garrett’s large hand closing over mine, guiding me.
Click. First tooth down. I hold it in place and press the second, then third, and ease the door open. Metal shelves house rows of cages. Most are empty, but four are occupied by enormous wolves.
Growls greet me. I slip inside and shut the door quickly, telling my heart to calm down. I’m in the wolf den, now. My basic instincts scream at me to turn and run from the roar of wild animals captive in this cavernous space. The warehouse must be soundproofed because I heard none of this outside.
Eyes glow and fangs snap at me as I go by. Which one is Garrett? I look for the large gray wolf from my vision. I don’t see any white wolves, which means Sedona’s not here.
I edge closer to a silver wolf in a cage but hesitate. Its eyes are yellow. Garrett’s eyes turn silver.
I hear a horrible snarling to my left and whirl. An enormous silver-gray wolf throws himself against his cage, snapping and snarling.
“G-Garrett?”
The wolf launches at its cage, slamming his shoulder into the wires. Silver eyes. I recoil from the snapping jaws and gleaming teeth. It can’t be Garrett; he wouldn’t try to attack me. Except, I recognize those eyes. I know it’s him.
I try to think rationally but can’t bring myself to step any closer. This giant, terrifying animal snapping at the bars has no humanity.
“Garrett?” I try again.
A croak from several cages down reaches me. “It’s him. He’s freaking out because you’re in danger.” I identify the voice. Down the row, a naked human form curls in a cage. Jared.
“Is it safe to let him out?” I ask, my spine unraveling as Garrett snarls again.
“I don’t know.” Jared’s face contorts in pain. He throws his head back, his human form swallowed by an explosion of fur. Seconds later, a wolf stares at me.
Garrett’s wolf lets out a half growl, half roar, and Jared’s wolf whimpers and tucks tail. Goose bumps rise on my arms.
“All right,” I whisper, and crouch so my head is lower than Garrett’s wolf. “Hey, it’s me. Amber.”
My hands shake as I reach for the lock. He’s right there, though, snarling through the bars at me.
“Would you mind backing off a bit? You’re scaring me.”
He throws his shoulder against the gate of the cage again.
“I need you to calm down, or I won’t be able to concentrate. We have to get out of here so you can find Sedona, remember?”
Another half roar, and I cringe on the ground. Maybe mentioning his sister wasn’t a good idea. Garrett’s wolf paces back and forth, stopping to gnaw on the silver bars and bellow in pain.
I resist curling into a ball and pulling my shirt over my head like a child hiding from a monster. At any moment, Garrett’s captors could come back here and find me. Then I’ll be in a cage, too. If I’m lucky.
“We need to get out of here. Let me help you,” I plead, careful not to make eye contact. Garrett’s wolf chuffs but refuses to back away as I start to use the tools. His stare makes the hair on the back of my neck rise as I fiddle with the padlock.
As soon as I open the gate, Garrett launches out. I drop to the floor. He hurtles ov
er my head, landing on all fours in a so-fast-he’s-a-blur move that nearly makes me pee my pants. The giant wolf sniffs me up and down. I close my eyes, stifling a whimper. A satisfied chuff blows my hair back, and when I open my eyes, he’s moved on. I guess he decided not to eat me. He lopes to the hallway and stops in front of it, growling.
“Okay, just a minute.” I run to Jared’s cage to spring the lock. The gray wolf, smaller than Garrett, is still frightening. One snap of those ferocious jaws, and I’ll lose a limb.
Once he’s out, he catches my purse strap in his teeth and tugs me to a third cage.
“Trey?” The gray-and-brown wolf licks my fingers through the cage as I fumble with the lock.
Garrett growls from the door again, and I rush to open it for him. With a furious roar, he and Trey barrel down the hall, towards the office.
“Senorita,” a voice calls from a cage. “Sueltame y te ayudaré.” The cage of the yellow-eyed wolf now holds a naked man, whose black-eyed stare is no less intimidating than his wolf’s.
Jared tugs my purse strap, but I resist.
“He says if I set him free, he will help us,” I tell Jared, who stills as if considering. He cocks his head at me.
“I think we can trust him.” My intuition comes as a warm feeling in my gut this time.
Guns fire down the corridor. I scream, dropping to the floor and scrambling back. Jared thrusts his body between me and the entryway. A grunt of pain, and he shifts again to human form.
I reach out a hand but don’t touch him. Muscles ripple under his tattoos. He stands, and I keep my gaze on his face, but not before I notice taut six-pack abs etched into his tanned skin.
More shots blast through the hall.
“We need to help them,” I cry, but Jared catches me before I can run forward.
“I don’t think so, Counselor. Garrett would kill me if I left you unprotected.”
“We have to do something.”
“I—help,” the strange wolf offers again.
“Give me the lock pick.” Jared holds out his hand. He heads to the cage but halts me when I try to follow. “Amber, stay back.”
