“How long we gotta stay out here tonight?” one of the other guys asked Cord.
“Until Peyton tells us otherwise.”
* * * *
Manuel kept his head down and the collar of the jacket turned up as he fell into line behind several other vehicles heading toward the entrance. He knew if he tried to speed past them it would likely draw suspicion and attention.
When he passed the other rental car, he saw it sitting on two flat tires, meaning all four were likely flattened.
Dammit.
No telling how long ago these people had discovered that. All he could hope now was that he could catch up to Jose and the others. He tried calling them when his phone regained a signal, but all his men’s phones went to voice mail.
Which, in this shithole wilderness, he knew didn’t mean anything.
He silently swore as he saw armed men at the entrance slowing vehicles as they approached before letting them out. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and one on the gun in his lap.
He’d go out fighting, if necessary.
But as he approached, one of the men raised a hand in greeting, as if he recognized the vehicle, and waved him through. Manuel had enough sense to let go of the gun and raise his hand without looking at the guy.
He made it through.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he waited until he was out of sight of the entrance to shove the accelerator to the floor and get the hell out of there.
He slowed when he came up on the turn-out south of town and spotted the rental car Jose and his guys had taken.
He didn’t see his guys, but he spotted at least five men and two other vehicles parked there, including the guy from the gas station earlier.
Fuck.
He’d walked into that one. Manuel seriously doubted the guy had even been on the phone with his wife.
Not listening to his instincts had gotten good men killed. He had no doubts that if Jose and the others were still alive, they wouldn’t be for long.
The gruesome sight of the wood chipper mulching his other men came to mind.
These people were cold, ruthless. Whoever—whatever—they were, they’d easily bested his best men.
He’d led them to their deaths.
Keeping his eyes fixed forward and head down, he sped past the men without getting a good look at the rest of them and held his breath, only letting it out again when no one jumped into their vehicles and started following him.
The only thing left for him to do was run.
Chapter Thirty-One
Dewi did her best to stifle her growing panic over Ken and Nami and whether or not they were all right. It wouldn’t help her to think about them when they still had one more of these cartel fuckers loose in the compound.
Peyton helped them with the search. It took them nearly an hour, and it was close to dark, when they finally found a scent trail that disappeared at the parking area. They realized the last man must have stolen a vehicle.
The word was passed for everyone to check on their vehicles. Five minutes later, they had the answer.
Ben Coarsely looked like he wanted to commit murder. “I normally don’t leave my damn keys in it, but I was shifted and helping with the search, so I left my clothes and my keys in it. I came back and was getting dressed. Then I heard the commotion that they’d discovered the car, and I went running toward them without my jacket or my keys. I was going to come back for them.”
“Who’s standing watch at the gate?” Dewi asked Peyton, who was already pulling his phone out.
“Cord Jackson and a couple of other guys.”
A minute later, Peyton hung up, looking enraged. “They saw your truck pass through about an hour ago. They didn’t stop the guy because Cord knows your truck, said he thought it was you. The driver had your baseball cap and jacket on. They didn’t get a close look at the guy’s face.”
Dewi turned and walked a few paces away from the group, threw back her head, and let out a long, enraged howl that echoed through the area and silenced everyone, drawing all eyes to her.
Beck watched her from a safe distance. “Feel better?”
“Let’s go find those other four fucks,” she muttered. “And our mates.”
“What about the guy who took Ben’s truck?” Beck asked.
Peyton wore an expression that looked as murderous as the dark glare his little sister sported. “He’s probably to I-90 by now. By the time we get someone after him, he could be anywhere. Web said when they were in the store they said they came from Spokane. We need to focus now on the search for Ken and Nami.”
“What about the hotel keys we found on some of the guys?” Beck asked. “Maybe he headed back there?”
“They just have the chain listed,” Peyton said, “not the specific hotel. There’s probably at least five hotels in that same related chain in Spokane, and we have no clue what name they used. You want to run that wild goose down, or do you want to go find your mates?”
“My mate,” Dewi said. She pushed past Peyton. Beck followed Dewi and caught up to her, taking the keys from her as Badger waddled up.
“Where do ye think yer goin’?” Badger asked.
“After our mates,” she said. “Either get in, or get out of our way, Badger.”
“Yer not goin’ without me, girlie.”
“Then get in.”
A caravan of vehicles, led by Beck driving Trent’s truck, raced for the front entrance. By the time they made it to the turn-out south of town where the car was parked, Joaquin and the others were standing there, waiting.
Dewi got out and ran up to him. “Did you find the scent trails?”
“Let me show you.” He jogged back up the road, followed by the others.
Joaquin pointed at the ground. “We lose it right around here.”
The snow had come down harder in this area, closer to the river, even though it had melted upon contact. That meant the ground was wet and made faint trails much harder to scent. Even Dewi had trouble figuring it out, at first.
“They went down in this area,” she said. “I can smell another car right here.” She started for the embankment.
Badger put out a hand to stop her. “Wait a minute,” he said, looking stunned.
“What?”
“Just wait,” he said, pulling Prime.
She turned on him, enraged. “What are we waiting for? They could be hurt down there!”
“He’s right,” Beck said, sounding choked. “Hold up.”
Peyton stepped in. “Give us all a minute, Dewi.”
They’ve lost their fucking minds. “Why?” she screamed. “Why are we not going down there?”
* * * *
Ken wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep supporting Nami. Not for lack of wanting to help her, but he was cold, exhausted, and nearing collapse himself. He could barely keep himself upright, much less her additional weight, but he didn’t want to lose the wolf. Something told Ken the wolf was trying to lead them somewhere.
He wouldn’t ignore his instincts.
“Do we even know where he’s goin’?” Nami asked. “I cain’t barely see anything. It’s too dark.”
Ken was really worried about her. Her voice had started sounding a little slurred, like maybe she was in shock, or close to passing out from pain or the cold.
The wolf, now not much more than a moving shadow a few feet in front of them, softly chuffed at her.
Then, as they cleared a rise, they looked down and spotted it in what little remained of the waning light.
The wolf dashed ahead, showing the path through the ravine and up to the sheltered rocky overhang on the other side. Standing there, he looked back at them and chuffed again.
“Holy crap, he understands us,” Nami said.
“Can you make it over there?”
“Barely. And that’s about as far as I’ll be able to make it.”
It took Ken and Nami ten minutes to cross territory that had taken the wolf seconds to run, but they
both collapsed inside the small rocky overhang. Neither of them could stand up inside the sheltered nook, but that was okay. They were out of the wind and weather now, which immediately made it feel at least ten degrees warmer.
Once they were settled inside it, the wolf chuffed at them again before he dashed off.
“Shit,” Nami said. “I’ze hopin’ he’d stay.”
“I’m not sure he’s abandoning us,” Ken said.
“Then where the hell he goin’?”
“I don’t know.” But the certainty wouldn’t leave him. “He got us here. I can’t believe he’d just leave us at this point.”
“It’s just a reg’lar ole wolf. If he’s a shifter, why wouldn’t he shift and talk to us?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there anythin’ you do know?”
* * * *
“I know I’m doing the best I can. You don’t need to snap at me.”
Nami immediately felt guilty. Ken sounded as exhausted and scared as she felt. She laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, sugar. I’m just…I’m sorry. I’m so tired, I hurt so bad, I’m cold, and I’m scared. I know you’re tryin’.”
He draped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, too.” He kissed her temple. “We need to try to rest while we can.”
“Do you think we’re safe here?”
“I…” He sighed. “I don’t know.”
“They cain’t find us, the bad guys, if we’re up here, right? We just lay low and wait for Dewi and Beck to find us, like you said?”
He was shivering nearly as much as she was. At least she had a little extra meat on her bones to help insulate her. Ken was lean and lanky and not the least bit fat. She hooked an arm around him and held him close, as much to try to help with warmth as for comfort.
“Dewi told me,” he wearily said, “when we were on the way here. I joked about hoping I didn’t get lost. She told me wolves can always find their mates. To keep myself alive, and she’d find me.”
“Maybe you should take off in the mornin’. Go for help. Go find the road.”
“No.” Even exhausted, she recognized the firm resolution in his voice. “I will not leave you, so stop saying that.”
Now her tears flowed again. “I don’t want you dyin’ because I slowed you down.”
“We’re not going to die,” he insisted.
But even he didn’t sound so sure of it.
“I don’t suppose you have a lighter or matches stashed in your purse, do you?” he asked a couple of minutes later.
“Sorry, no. I don’t smoke.”
“It was worth a shot. I wish we had a fire.”
“I got a mirror. Maybe if it’s sunny in the morning you can use that.”
“I can try.”
Silence fell between them. Part of her wanted to close her eyes and go to sleep, but she suspected if she did that she might not wake up again. It was cold, and she hurt so bad. Her first aid training told her she was likely close to or in shock, and she knew shock could kill a person.
“I know I haven’t told you this,” Nami said, “but I love you. Like a brother. You’re a good man, Ken. Beck respects and loves the hell out of you, too. Don’t ever let anyone put you down. I’m proud to call you family…even if you are a grazer.”
He managed a chuckle. “I love you, too, Nami. I’m really glad you and Beck met. I’ll admit I felt guilty after me and Dewi got together.”
“Why?”
“I get the mate bond stuff now. I do. But I could see how much Beck cared for Dewi, and I felt horrible that here I literally walked into Dewi’s life and just took her away from him. Even though he told me himself he didn’t begrudge it. But maybe he was right.”
“About what?”
“That Dewi meeting me meant he was free to meet his true mate. He always knew they didn’t have a mate bond.”
Silence settled again. Despite Nami’s exhaustion, she knew she had to try to stay awake. “Do you mind me askin’ somethin’?”
“You can ask me anything. Whether or not I’ll answer is something else.”
“Why are you a vegetarian?”
He sounded sad. “Mostly because of my step-father. He ruled our house. He’d decide what we ate and by god, if I didn’t clean my plate, he’d browbeat the crap out of me. Meatloaf, pork chops, spaghetti with meatballs, chicken. Pepperoni on the pizza. If I found a recipe I thought was interesting, he always put the kibosh on it because it was ‘too fancy.’ Stuff like vegetarian lasagna. Healthy stuff. It became a silent protest. I started eating nothing but non-meat food. He hated fish and was allergic to shellfish, so if we went out to a buffet or something, I’d load up on the peel-and-eat shrimp and silently giggle when he looked sick to his stomach.”
“Ooh, you rebel.”
“I know, right? My mom did her best and tried to add extra veggies and non-meat proteins to our meals when she could.” He shrugged. “When I was on my own, that’s how I kept eating, only I had the freedom to finally try all the recipes I never could before.”
“Well, now. I guess I need you to give me some cookin’ lessons.”
“You’re a good cook.”
“Yeah, but you’re family. I want to be able to take care of you. You’ve been tryin’ to take care of me. It’s the least I can do.”
He nuzzled his head against hers and she fought the urge to cry. It’d be a waste of precious fluids, for starters. She did love this man as a brother. Since meeting Beck, her life—other than this current, unexpected diversion—had been a fairy tale.
“Please tell me we’re gonna be okay,” Nami whispered. “Even if you gotta lie to me.”
“We’re going to be okay.”
* * * *
Badger stared down the embankment, a stunned look on his face. In the thickening darkness, it was difficult even for Dewi to see down the slope more than a couple of yards.
“Why are we just standing here?” Dewi asked. “We need to go after them!”
“Because,” Badger said, “I need a moment.”
“Why?”
He looked at her. “Yer too upset. Yer not rememberin’.”
“Remembering what?”
Peyton spoke up. “It’s where Grandmother Louisa died.”
Her eyes widened as recognition slammed into her brain. “What?”
“That’s why the gap,” Badger said, nodding at the unusual break in the trees. “It’s where the truck and her car went over. When the load shifted and came loose, the logs broke free and started comin’ off. It jack-knifed the trailer, which took her car and the truck cab with it down the slope here. The truck and trailer and logs all rolled and pinned her car under them. And it caught fire.”
Badger pointed at the downed trees. “That’s why all the damage.” He slowly shook his head. “Nasty business. Duncan was crazed with grief. Took me and Charlie both holdin’ him back, physically and with our Prime. He was almost too powerful for the two of us together.”
Badger sighed. “Wasn’t much left of her, unfortunately, by the time they got the logs and trailer and truck off her car. It looked like she’d tried to shift, too, maybe to try to escape the car, but…”
He looked at Dewi. “It crushed her. She didn’t stand a chance. I suspected it was only a matter of time before we lost Duncan. Honestly? I figured once Charlie and Chelsea had Trent that Duncan would hand the pack over to Charlie then and we’d lose him.” He stared down the slope again. “He lasted longer than I thought he would.”
“You think Grandpa Duncan killed himself,” Dewi said.
Now, the truth of it hung in the air, finally given voice by her, no longer avoided.
Badger grimly nodded. “I’d bet on it. He ran his car off the road into the river. No one could’ve survived that. Water washed his body away.” The old wolf’s voice sounded choked. “Can’t blame him, either. It would have been really easy for me to make that choice meself. If it hadn’t been for Charlie talkin’ me through it at the time…”
Dewi hugged the man. “I’m glad you didn’t,” she said. She was anxious to get underway again but now knew why this needed to be said.
“Me, too, lass.” He forced a smile. “Poor Collette. And Gillian and Asia. Ye woulda skinned their hides a thousand times over had they tried to raise ye. Ye were no match for anyone but another Prime, even as a toddler. And Peyton here didn’t have time for ye.”
“Hey,” Peyton protested.
“Well, ye didn’t. Ye said so yerself. Thrust into the pack Alpha role, tryin’ to figure out who murdered Charlie and Chelsea. It was a lot to deal with already.”
Badger met Dewi’s steady gaze. “Yer father once told me way back then, in Scotland, after I lost Tahlia. He said to me, ‘Rodney, I know I’m gonna need ye. Ye can’t take the coward’s way out. Tahlia wouldn’t want ye to. We made a pact to each other as blood brothers to watch each other’s backs, and ye canna leave me now.’”
He sighed again. “Somehow, he got me through it. I’m glad he did, but I canna blame Duncan for choosin’ different. All his pups, grown, mated, starting families. I wish he’d talked to me before he did, but I canna blame him.”
“Spread out,” Peyton said, sounding exhausted. “Be careful. Is everyone armed?”
They nodded.
“Stay on two feet,” Peyton ordered. “I don’t want anyone unarmed. As we head down the slope, stay in sight of the others.” He pulled Prime. “No one goes off alone.” He directed a pointed gaze at Dewi. “Not until we know what we’re dealing with and I say so.”
They started down the slope, carefully working their way through the wet dirt and grass.
When the wrecked Honda came into view, Dewi and Beck both let out strangled cries as they ran for it, and nearly identical sighs of relief as they realized it was empty.
“They survived it,” Badger said, slowly nodding after he’d checked it out for himself. “No scent of blood in the car at all. They were relatively uninjured and got out under their own power.” He looked around, nose to the air. “No blood nearby. They escaped and ran.”
A Bleacke Wind (Bleacke Shifters Book 3) Page 28
