by Parker Skye
At least an hour later, the trucker seemed to run out of story and finally fell silent. He played with the radio until he found a country western station with a fairly decent signal and hummed along. Jude smirked. The guy just couldn’t be silent apparently, but Jude didn’t mind. Jude kept his eyes trained out the passenger window watching the highway fly by at speeds even his tiger couldn’t match. The further away he got from Logan’s home pack, the less his tiger fought to get free. It was as if the beast realized the struggle was futile and was giving up.
No, Jude admitted. Not giving up. Waiting. Waiting until Jude dropped his guard again and then the tiger would hunt its mate at the first chance it got. Jude hated that he had the experience with fighting against his more primal side. Tigers were so damn stubborn about so many things, but Jude knew this was going to be the hardest battle he’d fought against his other half. The tiger’s prize wasn’t just dominance or a meal this time. It was his true mate and Jude briefly admitted the battle to keep his animalistic side under control wasn’t going to be pretty.
In order to have any hope of keeping his distance, Jude had to go back down a path he’d hoped to never travel again. Realizing there was nothing for it, Jude sighed which unfortunately reminded the trucker of his trapped audience.
“Where you headed again?” the trucker asked for what Jude suspected was the fifth time since he’d gotten in the truck.
“Dallas,” Jude answered tonelessly.
“Oh, let me tell you about the last time I was in Dallas. This one’s a humdinger….”
Chapter 24
Logan
When Logan stumbled into the alpha’s dining room still buttoning his shirt sleeves, he flushed in embarrassment. He’d already made a fool out of himself once today. To show up late to a dinner with the alpha and his mate was almost unforgivable. Ben’s concerned face met his and Logan could see the relief wash across his brother’s expression at his entry, late though it was.
“Sorry for being late, Alpha. Alpha’s Mate,” Logan said formally, nodding his head to both. He quickly shuffled into the same seat at the table he had used the night before and a full plate magically appeared in front of him. The teenage wolf that was acting as their server for the evening returned to being invisible against the wall and Logan thanked his hosts again for the meal.
Logan took the first bite of his venison steak before he noticed the murmuring around the table increasing in volume and urgency. He raised his head and took in the empty space directly across from him. Logan dropped his fork with a loud clang.
“Where’s Jude?” Logan asked, searching the faces of everyone at the table for an answer.
“We thought he was with you,” Adam replied. Logan looked at his brother and was surprised to see Ben’s head in his hands. Apparently unwilling to let Logan injure his mate anymore with words that evening, Adam continued, instantly jumping to Ben’s defense.
“Don’t you look at Ben like that. Jude was your responsibility, not Ben’s. Not mine. Yours. If you would get it through that thick skull of yours, that is. All Jude was trying to do was love you. If you’d just fucking accept it, then I bet you wouldn’t be in this situation,” Adam snarled waving his steak knife around in a threatening manner as he ranted. Adam stopped and flushed as he apparently realized he’d just dropped the f-bomb in front of his mother. Logan pushed Adam’s embarrassment aside. There were more important matters that needed his full attention instead.
“I’m not trying to accuse anyone, Adam. I’m just trying to find out where Jude is right now. And about all the rest, you’re right. He is my responsibility. That’s why I need to know where he is,” Logan said, forcing himself to remain calm. Losing his cool wasn’t going to help bring his mate back any faster. Alpha Leikos pushed away from the table and pulled out his cell. He paced the room, obviously waiting for whoever he was calling to pick up on the other end.
“Kieran, have you seen the tiger shifter by any chance this evening?” Alpha Leikos asked. Logan knew the alpha didn’t need to announce himself when he called. No one could mistake his alpha tone for any other. A few moments passed before the alpha said anything again.
“Alright. Well that’s all.” The alpha ended the call with one jab of a finger. Logan flinched at the finality of the motion.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Logan asked, simultaneously desperate for the answer but also terrified to know.
“Yes, Logan. He’s gone. Left a few hours ago on foot with just the backpack he walked in with. Probably time enough to make it to a main road and catch a ride. I suspect he’s out of the state by now,” Alpha Leikos answered. Lucy gasped and Logan felt his heart fall into his stomach. It bounced around with every beat, making Logan regret taking that first bite of food. Logan shot up from the table, intent on starting the search. Before he cleared the door, his alpha’s restraining hand on his bicep pulled him to a stop.
“Now don’t go running off half-cocked, son. Jude’s smart and more than that, he’s determined. If he plans to go to ground and hide, you’ll never find him. Not without help,” Alpha Leikos said. The alpha turned back to the table, five anxious faces trained on his next word.
“Ben, you and Adam take your brother home and put him to bed. I’ll send Sylvia over with something to help him sleep.” Logan started to argue but the glare his alpha aimed in his direction, stopped any complaint before it started.
“You need to sleep, Logan. You’re running on fumes as it is. Everyone in the room can see it. Hell, your wolf’s so close to taking over, I’m afraid we might lose you if you shift right now. I made a promise to your folks when I took over this pack that I would protect you and your brother and I’m going to do that tonight whether you like it or not.” Logan deflated and the alpha turned back to the group continuing to dole out orders.
“Ryan, you and Izzy go home, too. Izzy, you need to put your feet up and pretend nothing is wrong. Watch a funny movie, sleep, have sex, I don’t care. Just do anything you can to trick your brain into thinking everything is perfect. Too much stress this early can end a pregnancy, even if you had the advantage of being female. You hear me?” Izzy nodded as the color drained from his mate’s cheeks.
“Yes, sir,” Ryan agreed for them both and stood, pulling Izzy behind him out the door. Their half-touched plates lay abandoned on the table like witnesses to the apocalypse. The alpha watched them go and turned back to the table to find no one else had moved.
“I said go home, people. Now get! I’ve got work to do.” The alpha’s command boomed through the room. Logan felt the unmistakable order all the way to his core. His wolf curled on its side and showed its belly in the ultimate display of submission. Before he could move, he was being herded out the door, Ben on one side, Adam the other.
Whatever was in the draught his brother had almost forced on him the night before was powerful stuff Logan realized. The sun was up long before his leaden eyelids would finally open. He’d felt trapped in a half-sleep, slightly aware of the goings on around him, but not alert enough to do anything about it. His mouth tasted like shit and he felt like death-warmed-over. Logan decided he really needed a drink of water. Logan reached for the water bottle he normally kept on the nightstand and found the note Jude had left again instead. He turned over the fuzzy picture of Izzy’s bean for what felt like the millionth time and read the two words scrawled nearly illegibly.
Be happy.
Logan’s heart felt like it was clenched inside a giant’s fist and it was slowly squeezing the life out of him. The feeling only intensified every time he read the message, but he couldn’t make himself stop. Logan was so desperate for relief, he even considered letting his wolf take over, but the beast had apparently had enough of being Logan’s whipping boy. He hoped it was the effect of the sedative still in his system and that he hadn’t permanently damaged the link to his wolf. Logan had only ever heard of that happening with rogues that were so far gone into insanity they had to be put down.
Logan
jumped when his cellphone rang and started vibrating across his nightstand. He frantically fumbled for the phone, having to swipe his finger across the screen several times before it connected.
“Logan?” Alpha Leikos queried from the other end of the line. As usual, he cut to the chase, eliminating any hint of small talk. Logan had never been more thankful for his alpha’s abrupt nature.
“Did you find him?” Logan asked anxiously.
“Son, I’ve put out feelers to every pack in the country. If he stays in the U.S., we’ll eventually find him,” the alpha responded. Logan’s heart sank as he took in his alpha’s words.
“So you didn’t find him then?” Alpha Leikos’ answering sigh was confirmation enough. Logan forced down the tears he felt trying to brew. He was alpha stock, damn it. Alphas didn’t cry. Logan took a deep breath and felt his wall clicking back into place like a comforting friend. He’d been a fool to let it down for those few moments the day before, he realized.
“Okay then. What do you want us to do now? Go back home and wait?” Logan asked coolly, erasing any hint of emotion from his tone.
“I think that’s the best option. The boys need to get back to school and I’m sure you can find something to occupy your mind better there. I’ll call as soon as I hear anything at all,” Alpha Leikos responded.
“Fine. We’ll leave this morning. Anything else, sir?” Logan asked robotically.
“No, Logan. I guess that’s all. I promise you, Logan, I will do everything…” Logan disconnected before his alpha could finish. He should be pissing his pants in terror right now after hanging up on his alpha, but all Logan felt was the empty hole in his chest where his soul used to be. More empty promises couldn’t fix that.
Chapter 25
Jude
It took a little over a week before Jude finally found himself on the outskirts of Dallas. He’d spent countless hours pacing the shoulders of too many highways and interstates to keep track, but strongly suspected if he added up all the miles he’d travelled in his roundabout path, he could have circled the globe twice over.
Jude took a deep breath and embraced the scent of car exhaust he’d once found so stifling. He pulled out his wallet and counted the few bills remaining. He had just enough for a cab, which was lucky, since he was unlikely to get picked up by anyone on this sketchier side of town.
Jude walked for several miles before he reached a rundown shopping center that housed a donut shop, a Mexican meat market, and a check cashing place. He entered the check cashing center and asked the bored-looking woman behind the bullet-proof glass to please call him a cab. She looked at him like he was scum stuck to the bottom of her shoe, but thankfully she did as he asked.
An hour later, Jude was down to two bucks but soon it wouldn’t matter. He thanked the cabbie as he slammed the door, standing back to examine the wall of glass towering over him. Jude steeled himself for the confrontation he knew was coming and, taking a deep breath, pushed down the familiar self-loathing and walked inside.
“Can I help you, sir?” a petite brunette asked from behind the information desk. Jude knew the type well. While she looked harmless, the muted natural tones of her makeup and sensible bob hairstyle hid the lethality he could read in her emotionless eyes.
“I’m here to see Kai. Can you please tell him I’m here?” Jude responded, planting his feet and keeping his hands free at his sides. His eyes continually scanned the room watching for any threat. Kai probably was already aware of his presence the second he stepped inside the building. Jude wouldn’t put anything past the warlock at this point in their relationship. The smile the brunette offered in answer was still perfectly polite, but Jude didn’t miss the movement of her hand as it slid under the counter’s edge.
“I’m not sure of whom you are referring, sir. There’s no one by that name that works here,” she said, tilting her head to the side slightly as if confused. Jude smiled back, this time full of teeth and agreed.
“Of course he doesn’t work here. He’s the boss. So can you please tell him I’m here? The name’s Jude. He’ll know what it’s about.” The brunette’s cheerful expression faltered and her brows pulled together almost imperceptibly. When the elevator dinged several paces behind her, two burly goons strode out in Jude’s direction.
“Ah, never mind. I can see Kai sent my welcoming party already,” Jude said, turning to face the two bear shifters steadily closing the gap between them.
“Gentleman, good to see you again. I trust you’ve been well since my last visit. George, how’s Serene? Doing well I hope,” Jude asked pleasantly.
“Yeah, she’s doing fine. Thanks for asking,” the bigger of the two guards responded. Jude knew he was losing his game when he failed to predict the fist that followed George’s words.
Jude knew he was imagining the tiny birds circling his head as his brain finally woke up from the assault. He shifted slightly, groaning at the stiffness in his arms. Obviously, they hated the awkward position they had been forced into for however long he’d been unconscious. Jude tried to shift his weight off his cuffed hands by rolling to his side, but the scream in his right shoulder let him know he had bigger problems at the moment. It was dislocated again if he had to guess. He remembered the pain from days past that he’d tried to forget.
Jude’s mouth was dry as the desert. His tongue flicked out unconsciously running across the split in his lower lip. He knew he couldn’t judge how long he’d been out by his lack of healing alone. His normal healing powers were greatly inhibited in Kai’s lair, a fact Jude had known might come to haunt him before he’d ever came up with this hair-brained plan.
“I see you’re finally awake,” a familiar Southern drawl sounded from the corner of the room. Jude struggled to turn enough to see his captor. He spied Kai’s sour face staring at him through thick metal bars. Jude remembered Kai’s cages well. If they were made of simple iron, Jude would have had no problem escaping. Unfortunately, everything in this place was also heavily imbued with magic, leaving anyone on the opposite side of Kai’s wrath at a distinct disadvantage.
“Hey, Kai. Miss me?” Jude asked pleasantly, even going so far as faking a winning smile that he knew was Kai’s weakness. Kai’s answering scowl was disappointing, but expected.
“Guess not. Well, no matter. I’m back so let me out of these fucking cuffs so we can talk. I’ve got a deal you can’t refuse.”
Chapter 21
Logan
Logan stared at his ceiling, ignoring his cell phone again the fourth time it rang. Annoyed, he turned the phone all the way off and tossed it into the corner in disgust. He felt barely a hint of his wolf as it curled back into a ball defensively. His bedroom door slowly slid open and his shoe hit the door frame with an echoing thunk. Logan failed to miss Ben’s look of exasperation as the projectile almost nailed him in the face. What did his brother expect? Served him right for entering his room without permission.
“Damn it, Logan. You almost hit me, you asshole,” Ben accused. Logan simply raised his brow and scowled, his expression easily giving his unconcerned response, saving Logan the effort of speaking.
“Look, if you would answer your fucking phone, I wouldn’t have to keep bothering you. That was the alpha. AGAIN. Now get off your ass and call him back,” Ben said. His brother stood firm in the doorway, arms crossed tight over his chest as if waiting for Logan to comply. Logan rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head instead.
“Damn you, Logan. I know you’re frustrated, but this time Alpha thinks it’s real,” Ben snarled. Logan could hear his brother crossing the room and the cold plastic of his phone was suddenly forced against his most exposed ear and ringing. Logan struggled to move but Ben actually sat on him to keep him from escaping. Logan knew he could fight his brother off, but he honestly couldn’t be bothered to try.
“Logan Sterling, why aren’t you answering when your alpha calls?” Alpha Leikos’ booming accusation filled Logan’s mind and he felt his wolf cower even more, if
that was even possible. Logan opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t form the words. Logan had no memory of the last time he’d actually spoken to someone since they’d left home pack. It already felt like years ago, but probably was only several weeks. Ben put the phone on speaker, thankfully taking in his brother’s predicament.
“Alpha Leikos, this is Ben. Logan’s here with me, but he’s having trouble responding just now. Can you say again what you told me earlier?”
“You’re brother’s a stubborn bastard, Ben. You know that?” the alpha groused.
“Yes, sir. Well aware. Now what do you know?” Ben asked again.
“Logan, this is real this time. I have it from two reliable sources that they’ve located your mate. Jude’s in Dallas hooked up with some warlock causing all kinds of trouble if the stories are true. Frankly, I’m glad he’s making such a spectacle of himself or we likely never would have found him,” Alpha Leikos said.
