by Roxie Ray
Hands shaking, I opened my car door. The redheaded man I was sure was my father shoved Abby into the stranger’s arms, then stormed down the porch steps. I nearly slammed my door shut and locked it in fear, but I couldn’t leave Abby behind.
I stood as he reached me. He grabbed my arm and slammed the car door shut. “Get in here.”
“You don’t have to be rough,” I said. “I came willingly.”
He stopped yanking me, but he didn’t loosen his grip. “You looked like you were about to bolt.”
“Well, I didn’t.”
We walked into the cabin and he let go, pushing me toward Abby on a large couch. “Sit. Were you followed?”
“I don’t think so. I got away pretty cleanly,” I said. Sitting beside Abby, I wrapped my arms around her. She had a bruise growing under her eye and a split lip. “Are you okay?”
She nodded but Richard interrupted before she could talk. “You better be right about not being followed. You’re both dead if they show up before we’re ready.”
Richard sat beside me and inhaled deeply before laughing. “If I’m right, we’ve found Stefan for sure.”
He looked me over. “You don’t even know yet, do you?”
“Know what?” I asked. “Why are you doing this?”
He laughed and the other man joined in, then focused his cruel eyes on me. “We couldn’t have asked for this to go better. Your mate is sure to come now. Not just for you, but for the bastard in your belly.”
I gasped and tears filled my eyes. “How could you know that?”
“Dragons can smell a pregnancy within a week of conception,” Richard explained. “Looks like I’ll be a grandfather soon. About damn time, I was beginning to think something was wrong with you.” He leaned forward. “Don’t worry, if it’s a boy, I’ll teach him what to do when he comes of age. Grandpa to the rescue.”
The cruel stranger’s laugh scratched at my senses like steel wool. “His dad won’t be around to teach him. You’ll have to,” he said after controlling his laughter.
Abby began to sob in my arms. “I’m so sorry,” she said between broken cries. I had to pull myself together. I’d process the pregnancy later, if it was even true. It probably wasn’t, anyway.
“Why are you sorry?” I asked her. “You didn’t do this.”
Richard sat back and roared with laughter. “Who do you think got me all the information I needed?” he asked.
Sitting back and dropping my arms, I looked at Abby in amazement. “What?” I gasped. Betrayal and disappointment coursed through my veins, making my eyes fill with tears.
“Abby here did her dad proud. She spied on you, got to know you, and figured out you were dating one of our biggest payouts.” He spread his arms and legs like the king of the castle, sitting in the corner of the couch. “What a bunch of fortune to fall into our laps.”
Abby buried her face in her hands, repeating her apology over and over. I wanted to feel sorry for her but hurt and anger washed it away. She could’ve warned me or something. Regret didn’t do me any good.
“What are you going to do to him?” I asked.
“Meet Michael here,” Richard said. “Michael is the alpha of Stefan’s old clan. He’s had a handsome bounty on Stefan’s head for years. I always had it in the back of my mind, but never thought I’d run across it while checking up on my own daughter.” He shook his head in amazement. “Oh, the way life weaves its webs.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re talking about my mate,” I said. “What’s going to happen to him? To me and Abby?”
He waved his hand. “Michael here only cares about Stefan.” Michael growled his response before Richard continued. “You’ll be fine. You’re just bait. When this is all over, you’ll have plenty to occupy your time to keep you from being too upset over your mate.”
The angry tears in my eyes spilled over, but I wasn’t crying from weakness or sadness. Anger pounded through me so violently that my emotions overwhelmed me, and tears rose. I hated it when that happened.
“I still don’t understand how you two got mixed up in all this and how our family could be connected to Stefan’s old clan?”
Michael continued pacing and shooting me dirty looks.
Richard seemed unperturbed by Michael’s ire. “I’m a bounty hunter. I have been since I got out of prison. My cellmate was one, for humans, but he was in for life. He gave me his list of contacts, and when I got out, I took over his trade but added dragon bounties to it.”
“Whoa,” I whispered. “My father, the bounty hunter. What will your mother say?”
For the first time, he didn’t look so jovial. “It doesn’t matter. This will be over soon, and I’ll have enough money to get out of your lives again. No hard feelings, daughter. It’s just business.”
I seethed and stared at him, hating him with everything in me. How dare he? No hard feelings. He might as well have put a knife in my heart. He didn’t know we had a tracker. Stefan and the Kingstons were probably most of the way here by now, though he didn’t realize it.
I wanted to kill him myself. But if I did, the angry man pacing the floor might kill me in retaliation. Better to wait for the cavalry to show up.
24
Stefan
I should’ve known tracking that asshole out of town was too easy. We were almost on him, his scent as strong as if I’d held a shirt he’d worn to my nose when Jury called. Maverick handed the phone to James in the passenger seat and we rolled up the windows so he could hear.
“Come back, as fast as you can!” Axel’s furious voice sent spikes of fear through my heart. James put it on speaker, even though we could clearly hear Axel through the earpiece. “Harley left like a bat out of hell. Jury and Maddox are tracking her. Right now, they’re driving because her scent is pretty strong, but we don’t know where they’ll end up. Jury said you should be able to pick up everyone’s scent and follow at the county line, route forty-one.”
We were a good half hour from there. “We’re close to the asshole that Jury saw at the grocery store.”
“We think he’s either a decoy or a setup,” Axel said. “We only discussed it for a minute before the boys went after Harley. She’s not far ahead of them.”
Maverick turned the car around. “Why would she leave?” I asked.
“Ava got a phone call, said it was her sister. Next thing we know, she snuck out of here. Took your truck keys, too, if I’m not mistaken. That added the minute to our time to follow. All the other vehicles were out in the barn. Maddox got his truck and they’re on her tail.”
“What would her sister have to do with this?” I asked. “I was so sure this was my old clan all along.”
Possibilities raced through my mind, each as unlikely as the last. There was nothing I could do but sit in the back seat of the squad car and worry while Eros roared his frustration inside me.
“I would’ve gone with them, but, Charlotte,” Axel said, trying to apologize.
“Don’t,” I said loudly. “Nobody would expect you to leave your pregnant mate, Mom, and Mav’s mate and daughter. If things go bad, you’re their defense.”
He went quiet. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Did you tell those boys not to go in half-cocked?” Maverick asked. He had to be worried about his son.
“Of course. I told them to stay well back unless they thought Harley was in imminent danger.”
Maverick sighed. “Okay, we’ll let you know when we know something.”
James hung up the phone and looked back at me. “I don’t know anything about Harley’s father’s lineage. I know his dad was killed in the mines and that was the end of their direct line. He would’ve been adopted into our clan if he hadn’t gotten mixed up with those rogues. Maybe there’s some relation to your clan in Alabama.”
“Fuck, I hope not. Now I’m not only worried about her safety, but what if we’re some sort of cousin or something?” Alabama already got a bad rep about incest, mostly untrue.
James laughed. “I doubt that. It seems more likely that Richard knows someone in the Alabama clan.”
That didn’t stop me from worrying. We wouldn’t know anything until we got there, though.
A few minutes later, Maverick’s phone rang again. This time it was Jury. James answered. “Are you okay, son?”
“Yeah, we’re about a mile away. We got as close as we dared. She’s in there with someone named Abby, and two men. The smells coming from the house were unsettling. I wanted to run in there more than I should have.”
“Do you know who the men are?” I called.
“Their names are Richard and Michael,” he said. “Michael is—”
“I know,” I interrupted. “He’s the alpha of the Alabama clan… and my uncle. Are you sure they were the only two there?”
“Yes. I got their distinct scents, though the female scents are muddied. Maybe there’s another female inside or was recently, I don’t know.”
“Stay there,” Maverick said. “We’ll come to you.” He hung up and rolled the window down again as we crossed the county line. We made an immediate right onto a winding mountain road that led us out of the county again. I didn’t know how much farther we’d have to go, and every passing moment made Eros and me more anxious.
“Why would the clan alpha be there with Richard and nobody else? If you were traveling to another state to challenge a fugitive, would you go alone?” I asked.
“Hell, no,” James and Maverick said in unison.
“No,” I said. “You’d take backup, and I never got to know Michael very well, but I’m damn sure he has backup.”
“Jury would know if anyone was around,” Maverick said. “Even with a masked scent.”
“We’ll have to be aware, and with only two men inside, maybe only two of us go in at first?” I suggested. “That way if they have backup turn up, we’ve got some in the wings ourselves.”
“I like that, plus we can send Harley out to them as soon as possible,” Maverick said. “Do we know if Harley’s father is an alpha?” he asked.
“Yes, he is,” James said. “That’s why the rogues convinced him to challenge me for the territory.”
It took another half hour for Maddox’s and Jury’s scents to get sharp enough to know we were close. Maverick slowed and carefully continued along the road until their scent dropped completely. We turned around and found a small road to turn onto, soon running into Maddox’s truck. Parking behind it, we got out and waited for Maddox and Jury to come out of the woods.
“They’re just discussing you,” Jury said. “I was closer to the house until a few minutes ago. They told Harley you killed your mother and father in cold blood.”
He gave me a concerned look. I knew he wanted to know if it was true. “I didn’t kill my mother. And it was more complicated than that, but I’m sure that’s what he thinks. That’s par for the course with him.”
“Lead us to the house,” Maverick said. “Then stay back.”
“They said one more thing. They’ve got more of the Alabama clan coming. They had them holed up at some shack several miles away, but they called and said someone never showed up, so they were heading this way. They’re maybe a half hour behind you.”
Maverick nodded. “That makes sense.”
“They led us on the opposite side of town to attack us and either capture Stefan there or get Stefan alone so Harley could draw him out,” Maverick said.
“I don’t think I have service up here,” I said. “If they try to call me to get me out alone, it’s going to go to voicemail.”
“Let’s just get in there and get this done,” Maverick said. “Block the road with our cars and when they show up, do what you can to restrain them, depending on how many there are,” he said.
James nodded. “We’ll take care of it, son. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves.”
Jury nodded his head and we walked up the road, slowing down the closer we got to the cabin. Eros began to get frantic as he got closer to Harley. He couldn’t stand the thought of someone threatening her.
When the house came into sight, we had to assume they knew we were here. Maverick pointed down the road. Jury shook his head, but Maverick’s gaze darkened. He pointed again, and Jury narrowed his eyes but went.
We continued toward the front door. It was opened by a redheaded man before we reached the porch.
“Richard Addison,” Maverick said. “I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you here in these circumstances.”
He stopped in the front yard, forcing Richard to come out to speak to us. I wanted to storm inside, but Maverick was smart to wait outside for them.
Sure enough, Michael came out right behind Richard, and only a restraining hand on his arm from Richard kept him from storming down the stairs. “Stefan Murphy, it is time for you to pay for the murder of your mother and father.”
“You’re a fool,” I called. “I didn’t kill my mother, and my father forced my hand.” That was stretching it a bit. I could’ve stopped before dealing the killing blow, if I was honest with myself. But in the heat of the moment, all that mattered was making sure he’d never hurt my mother again.
“Lies!” He strode forward.
“I challenge you,” I said in a loud voice. He stopped short halfway down the stairs. “For my freedom. If I win, you agree, on your honor, to take the bounty off my head and never contact me again.”
“What are you doing?” Maverick hissed. “That wasn’t the plan.”
It had always been my plan. If I let Michael challenge me, Maverick could’ve stepped in.
A sly smile crossed his face. He knew what that meant. If he won, he could kill me, and Maverick couldn’t seek retribution.
“Then when I win, you will die for your crimes,” he declared.
I shook off my jacket and threw it to the side, ready to fight him, followed by my shoes and pants. It felt silly to stand in my underwear and tee, but if I needed to shift, I wanted something to put on after. I might need a shift to win this. I wasn’t an alpha with the added strength, but I was quite a bit younger than Michael. Plus, I was damn determined.
Richard walked casually down the stairs as Harley and her doppelgänger—presumably her sister, Abby—came out of the door. Abby was still working ropes off of her wrists.
“Stefan,” Harley whispered. I didn’t know if she realized I could hear her, but the worry in her voice cut me to the quick.
“Stay back,” I called.
When Richard reached the grass, he smiled at Maverick. “Maverick Kingston, I challenge you to the leadership of the Black Claw clan.”
Maverick snorted. “This should be fun.” He took off his jacket and threw it on top of mine. Chances were, they’d be trampled in the coming foray, but jackets were expensive. We’d end up shifting during the fight and didn’t want to destroy them. Maverick pulled off his boots, so I did the same. Richard and Michael followed suit.
Michael followed me as I stepped several feet to my right and lost sight of Maverick and Richard. His beef with Harley’s father was old and not my fault. At least this way I could keep Michael away from him.
I preferred to be on the defensive until I knew his strength, so I waited and let him rush me. Ignoring the sounds of Maverick and Richard already fighting and the sound of Harley’s beating heart, I narrowed my vision and focused solely on Michael. It would take all of my skills to beat an alpha.
He moved back and forth, waiting for me to make a move, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Your brother beat my mother nearly to death. I came in on the tail end of it and put him out of her misery. It wasn’t cold blood. It was defense of my mother, and any man has that right.”
Among the dragons, I should’ve had that right, anyway. “If you were the alpha you should be, I would’ve had a fair trial and it would’ve been determined I did have that right.”
Harley called out from the porch. “If you’d been a good alpha, you would’ve stopped Stefan’s father from
beating him!”
He snarled at me without looking to her, but her words put him over the edge, and he rushed me.
I stepped out of the way in time to avoid his shoulder and pushed him past me. He stumbled, snarled, and whirled around.
Faking, I pretended to go forward as if to rush him, but then stopped. He’d started my way, too, and I ended up making him rush me again. I was readier this time, dodging him, then delivering an uppercut with all my strength as he passed by.
Whoops, time to shift. As soon as his dragon registered my fist connecting with his jaw, he began to shift. I let Eros have his head. It was on him now.
We shifted quickly and Eros immediately blasted Michael’s dark-red dragon with fire, which didn’t bother him. It did obscure his vision for a second, which was Eros’s intent. Eros rushed in before the other dragon had his bearings and bit the softer scales under his jaw. His teeth didn’t break through, though, unfortunately, so the effort was wasted.
Jamison. Eros knew the other dragon’s name. I’d left the clan before my first shift and never knew it. The dragons had a way of knowing each other’s names and other basic facts.
Eros wasted no time, whipping his tail around to slam into Jamison’s side. Before Jamison knew what happened, Eros slashed at his face with his claws.
Jamison blocked it but staggered backward a few steps. Angry roars filled the air, telling us that Maverick and Richard had shifted as well.
We exchanged blows for several minutes, but our hard hides protected us. Dragon fights tended to go on for a while. Our most vulnerable spots were in our armpit area, and hard to get to. Most dragons were too strong to get a broken leg or neck from another dragon. The softer underside of our neck was the best bet, but even that was difficult to bite through.
Finally, Eros and I caught a break and slashed our claws across Jamison’s left eye. He roared in agony. We’d connected with his eyeball.
While he writhed in pain, Eros pressed his advantage. He rammed his body into Jamison’s, throwing him off balance. As soon as he stumbled, Eros clamped his mouth down on Jamison’s throat. It left Eros’s throat exposed to the slightly smaller dragon’s claws, but it was worth the risk.
