The Canergies needed to be dealt with, and this war they wanted would be decided today. He just needed to find them.
Ben walked into the great hall at Shadowbrook. His eyes scanned the room but could not find Derek. Jesus, where the hell was he? They needed to find the Canergies now if they were going to end this today.
“How is Josh?” Tyler walked up to him and his expression showed deep concern for his friend.
“He’ll live.” His words were harsh, but Ben couldn't bring himself to care. He’d thrown away something precious today, and if anyone was looking for a soothing presence, they would not get it from him.
Tyler drew back, and it was like he sensed that his Alpha was in no mood to talk today. His eyes darted away, and Ben felt a stab of regret that he couldn’t shove aside the wound he’d inflicted on himself when he broke things off with Lana so that he could protect his pack. He drew in a deep breath and tried to clamp down on the pain screaming inside him. His pack needed him and he needed to step up.
“I saw Josh this morning, and although he is weak right now, I am positive that he will be back to his old annoying self in no time.” And now that the niceties were dispensed with, he had a more pressing issue to deal with. “Where is Derek? I tasked him with finding the Canergies and I want them found today. If they want a fight, we will bring it to them.”
“No one has seen him since last night, Alpha.”
Ben cursed under his breath. How hard was it to find their enemy? Lenox was a pretty small town, for Christ’s sake! He paced through the great hall. As long as the Canergies were out there, the threat they presented to his pack was too real to ignore.
A commotion came from the doorway, and a wave of cold washed over Ben when he saw a bloodied Derek stagger into the room. Had the Canergies somehow gotten to him, too?
“I failed you, Alpha. I swear I tried my best! There were too many of them.” Derek’s voice was weak as he sagged against the wall and his legs gave way. He melted down to the floor with the wall supporting his torso so that he looked like a bloody ragdoll.
An icy finger of dread went through Ben when he realized the shape Derek was in. He wasn’t making any sense, and it was evident that whatever battle he’d been in had made him distraught. He rushed over to Derek and held onto his shoulders. The other wolf looked at him with pain in his eyes, and there was a deep anguish in there, too.
“Can you tell us where they are?” Did Derek think that Ben had expected him to take them on singlehandedly when he’d sent him after the pack’s enemy? Was that why he was saying he’d failed?
Derek nodded weakly and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper. On it was a quickly drawn map, and as Ben studied at it, he realized he knew exactly where the Canergies were hiding.
“You haven’t failed me, Derek. You’ve done exactly as I asked. I didn’t expect you to take them on by yourself. Why didn’t you come back to the pack and wait for reinforcements?” Had Derek taken what happened to Josh so hard that he’d wanted to take on the Canergies alone?
“I tried to save her, Alpha. I swear I tried to get to her!”
Ben’s blood frozen in his veins, but he shoved the feeling aside. He needed to be calm if he was going to get to the bottom of this.
“Tried to save who, Derek?” And for a moment, fear went through Ben like a knife because he knew deep down that what he’d been trying to avoid by breaking things off with Lana had happened anyway. As he waited for Derek’s answer, he prayed that the she he was talking about was not who he knew it was.
“They have Lana.”
Ben’s blood roared in his ears and he gripped the front of Derek’s shirt. “What are you talking about? There is no way that the Canergies could have her!”
“I was going to see Josh at the hospital to apologize for letting him down. I saw a woman shove Lana into her car. She had a gun.” Derek drew in a deep breath, looked at Ben, and then quickly looked away. “I followed them. I tried to get to her, but there were too many of them. I’m sorry, Alpha, but I couldn't save her.”
Ben closed his eyes for a moment, and horror went through him the likes of which he’d never experienced before. God, he was so stupid to let Lana go. He should have kept her with him and protected her. But he’d let his fear of his mate’s human fragility blind him to the truth. He was in love with Lana, and if something happened to her because he’d failed to see that in time, had failed to protect her and pushed her away, he didn’t think he’d be able to live with himself.
“Was she hurt when you saw her?” Ben’s knuckles ached from the tight grip he held on Derek’s shirt. He slowly loosened his fingers. She had to be okay. She had to be because she needed to know how stupid he’d been. She needed to know that he loved her and wanted her by his side always.
Derek shook his head slowly, and Ben realized that he clearly needed medical attention. His voice was weak when he spoke again. “She wasn’t hurt.”
That was all Ben needed to hear. He shoved aside the fear that beat like a pulse inside him and gathered all the strength he possessed. Lana needed him, his pack needed him, and he would live up to the expectations of strength and power that flowed through the veins of an Alpha. And the Canergies would live to regret their decision to try and take his mate from him.
Gavin stepped forward and put his hand on Ben’s shoulder. Ben loosened his hold on Derek’s shirt and stood up.
“Take the pack and end this. Kevin and I will make sure that Derek gets the help he needs.” Strength radiated from the older wolf. There was no judgment in Gavin’s eyes when he looked at him. “Go get your mate back, and when you have her, don’t let her go again.”
Ben nodded, and he felt his body filled with strength and determination.
He turned toward the wolves who had gathered behind Gavin. “I am going after the Canergies. Not only because they have shot my brother and are trying to take our home, but because they have taken the woman I intend to claim as my mate. If any of you can’t follow an Alpha whose mate is a human, you are free to stay here. But I am going to her, and I intend to eliminate the threat against her and our pack. Anyone who wants to be a part of that, come with me.”
Tyler stepped forward. “We’re with you, Alpha, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure that the threat to the pack is eliminated and that your mate comes home to you.”
“Then let’s go kick some Canergie ass.” Ben turned and strode out of Shadowbrook with his pack solidly behind him.
After what felt like an eternity, the pack finally parked their vehicles near the abandoned farm that the Canergies were using as their base of operations. Thank God, Derek had followed when Lana was taken, otherwise they would have never found this place. It was out in the middle of nowhere, but the Canergies were about to discover they’d picked the worst place possible to hide. The farm was surrounded by trees, and the wolves in his pack were very comfortable navigating the forest, far from the prying eyes of the townsfolk.
The moon was climbing high in the sky and Ben embraced the strength that the moon lent him. He turned to the wolves assembled behind him.
“I don’t need to tell you that we are in a fight for our very survival here. These humans are threatening our home—are threatening our way of life. We’ll show them as much mercy as they have shown us.” Which meant no mercy at all. Ben was prepared to kill his way through however many humans were in there to get his woman and keep his pack safe. And he had a plan in his head for how he was going to do just that.
“What do we need to do, Alpha?” Tyler stepped forward, and the deadly look on his face was echoed by the other members of the pack that stood behind him.
“I want half of you to shift and scatter among the trees surrounding the farm. Then I want you to howl. I want these humans to know that our pack is coming for them. I want them terrified. These humans are the type of cowards who can only pick off one wolf at a time. The rest will come with me, and we will use our fists to fight our way in.
Once we breach the house, those of you who are in wolf form come in and we will fight them with fist and claw. We will show them what it means to take on a wolf pack!” Ben’s eyes zeroed in on Eloise. He had saved the most important job for her. “Eloise, I need you to sneak into the back of the house while the humans are distracted and get my mate out safely.”
Eloise seemed to understand the seriousness of what was being asked of her. Her face was somber as she nodded. “I won’t fail you, Alpha.”
With a nod of his head, Ben turned and led the pack toward the farmhouse. He could feel the murderous energy of the wolves behind him and he embraced it. They stalked toward the farmhouse on silent feet. For a moment, Ben wished that he’d thought to ask Derek how many humans they would be facing, but he decided it didn’t matter. There could be a hundred enemies inside the house and it wouldn't change what he needed to do. He was fighting for his pack’s survival, he was fighting for his woman, and he would kill every enemy that stood in his way.
The Canergies had made a big mistake involving Lana in this fight, and it was one they would die regretting.
They got to the trees that surrounded the house and Ben made a motion with his hand. Half of his pack separated from the others and stripped with quick efficiency. They shifted quickly and once they were in their wolf forms, their eyes glowed amber in the moonlight.
“Scatter,” Ben commanded in a low voice. “Once you see me go into the house, rush out of the woods and we will overwhelm them.”
The wolves melted into the trees and once they had disappeared, Ben looked at Eloise.
“Do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
Eloise nodded and moved through the trees. Once she was gone, Ben gave her a moment to get into position. Once he was certain that she was ready to enter the house as soon as the humans were distracted by the fight, Ben took a step forward. The moon shone down on him, and he threw his head back and let out a mighty howl. It held all his pent-up fury that these humans would dare try to take his woman from him.
His howl was echoed by the wolves hiding in the woods. It sounded like beautiful music to Ben, but he knew that to the humans inside the house, it would sound like the hounds of Hell were knocking at their door.
He rushed forward on swift feet with the rest of his wolf pack behind him. He would not give the humans a chance to gather themselves for the oncoming fight.
When he got to the front door, he lifted his foot and smashed his way inside.
18
Lana
The thing about being bound alone in a room was that it gave a person time to think, and all Lana could think about was Ben. Her mind replayed everything he’d said to her, and she came to the conclusion that he hadn’t rejected her because he didn’t care—he cared too much. He’d been afraid that the people who were after his pack would come after her if she stayed with him.
The irony was that if she’d fought harder to stay with him in that moment, she wouldn’t be in the situation she was now. If she’d fought harder to be with him, perhaps if she’d told him that she’d fallen in love with him, he wouldn’t have found it so easy to walk away from her. But she’d been so hurt that she hadn’t been able to bring herself to open up to him. Her pride had prevented her from telling him how she felt and now it was too late. She would probably die here, and he would never know just how much he meant to her.
As self-pity rose up in her like a swamp, she swallowed it back down. She wasn’t going to give up. If she needed to fight to make Ben see that they belonged together, then she would. She wasn’t going to surrender herself to this fate. She would find a way out of this, she would find her way back to him, and she would tell him exactly how she felt. If he rejected her again after that, then at least she would know that she’d tried everything she could to fight for them.
The first thing she needed to do was get the ropes that bound her hands and ankles off. Then she had to get out of this house. The monumental task ahead threatened to overwhelm her, but she kept the thought of Ben firmly in her mind and it gave her the strength to try.
She raised her bound wrists up to her mouth and grasped the knot between her teeth. She tugged and tugged until her teeth were sore, but the rope wouldn’t budge.
She lowered her hands again, casting her eyes around the room for something she could use to free herself. Despair was rising up inside her when a sound came.
A loud, angry howl pierced the night outside the farmhouse, and she knew from an instinct that went deep that it was Ben. He’d come! Somehow he’d found her, and it gave her hope that maybe it wasn’t too late for them. He cared about her enough to save her, and she promised herself that she wasn’t going to waste this second chance that Fate had given them.
A chorus of howls followed, and the hair on the back of her neck rose at the eerie sound. If she hadn’t known that those wolves were on her side, she would have been terrified. She hoped that the bitch who’d dragged her here was shitting her pants right now.
Thinking quickly, Lana leaned forward and reached for the rope that bound her feet. Ben deserved a strong woman by his side, and she was going to free herself! The knots holding her feet tight together proved to be much easier to break through than those on her wrists. She ignored the sounds of animal growls and men’s screams coming from outside the room—she focused on what she had to do.
As the rope fell away, the door to the bedroom opened and her heart plummeted down to her toes as she fearfully looked toward it. To her relief, it wasn’t the woman who had dragged her coming to finish her off before Ben could get to her. A woman who looked vaguely familiar rushed in.
“I’m Eloise; Ben sent me here to get you.”
“Oh, thank God! Is he alright?”
“Our Alpha can hold his own against a bunch of humans. Stop asking stupid questions and concentrate on getting out of here.” The woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a switchblade. Lana eagerly held out her hands and Eloise sliced through the rope easily and efficiently. “When we get out of this room, stay as close to me as possible. I will do my best to protect you, but don’t do anything stupid that could get yourself killed.”
Lana nodded and moved close behind Eloise’s lithe, strong body as the woman turned toward the door. She followed behind her as close as she dared without touching her and ignored what was happening in the big room behind her as she and Eloise slipped out the back door of the house.
“Let’s get you away from here.” Eloise grabbed her by the arm, and Lana thought for a moment that she was sick of being tugged around like she was some sort of doll. She pulled her arm away from Eloise and the woman looked back at her sharply.
“I’m not a weakling. I can follow you just fine without you dragging me across the lawn.”
A grudging respect passed through the woman’s expression before she nodded and moved around the side of the house. Lana followed, and once they were at the front of the house, shock passed through her at the sight before her.
There were several wolves scattered around the lawn, and judging by the state of the men who lay unmoving on the lawn, whatever had taken place here had been a bloodbath.
“Move.” Eloise shoved her forward, farther away from the house. Lana did her best to ignore the sight, but she knew she’d never be able to forget it. There were no black wolves on the lawn, which meant Ben had not been among them. He must be in the house, and Lana hoped that when he emerged he would be whole and alive.
Her eyes went to the house and relief poured through her when she saw him, big and beautiful, framed in the doorway of the house.
“This isn’t how it’s going to end!” A woman’s scream pierced the air. Lana’s eyes went to the side of the house and the woman who’d kidnapped her came running out. The gun was in her hand and she held it in front of her. “You may have won, Stokes, but you aren’t going to leave here triumphant!”
The gun blasted just as one of the wolves leapt at the woman’s throat. Lana’s eyes went to B
en, but no blood appeared on him. Pain ripped through her. A shocked gasp went through her as she thought she saw Ben’s agonized lips form the word ‘no’.
She looked down at herself and saw blood blossoming on her shirt. Her legs turn to water as she slowly sank to the ground.
From her prone place on the ground, she saw Ben running to her. The edges of the world faded, but she fought to stay conscious. She couldn’t die now. She had to tell him. He had to know how she felt.
He came to her and sank to his knees on the ground before her. He cradled her body against his and held her there. She tried to form the words she needed to tell him, but they wouldn’t come. The darkness that she fought won, and the last thing she saw before she slipped into its embrace was Ben’s anguished face.
19
Ben
No! The word screamed in Ben’s head as he cradled Lana’s limp body in his arms. What he had feared most had happened. She’d been caught up in his war and become a casualty of it. If not for his abject fear that if he let her go she would slip away from him, he would go back and sink his teeth into Rebecca Canergie’s throat as punishment for what she had done.
“I’m sorry, Alpha. That woman came out of nowhere and I wasn’t fast enough to protect your mate.”
Ben turned his eyes to Eloise, but he couldn't bring himself to berate her. The safety of his mate had been his responsibility and no one else’s.
“Help me get her to the hospital. We’ll take my car; I need you to drive.” Ben stood up with Lana in his arms and he strode in the direction of where they’d left the cars.
Footsteps came running up behind him, but he did not stop his forward progress. Lana had to live, she had to survive. She needed to know that he was sorry and he’d been a fool to push her out of his life.
“Alpha, the Canergies are dead.” Tyler walked beside him, and Ben knew that he had to give some sort of instruction to his pack.
Firefighter Wolves Shifters (A Paranormal Romance Series Boxset) Page 8
