by Tia Didmon
She smiled. “She would too. That's probably why I didn't tell her. She was always protective of me. The fact that her family name was synonymous with hunting and killing made my life so much easier the day I met her.”
“Sarah is an amazing sister-in-law.”
He heard her intake of breath. “She's married?”
“Yes, a week after we rescued her. She was very upset you weren't there.”
“Tell her I'm sorry.”
His cat growled. “You'll tell her,” he said sternly.
Racheal looked down at her bunched fingers.
He didn't like the implication of her words but he needed her trust before he pushed her any further. “Were there any special people in your life?”
Her hands relaxed. “Just Dusty.”
“He was a childhood friend?”
Racheal smiled. “Yes. He was a dirty stray dog that adopted me.”
Hunter’s eyebrows raised. “He adopted you?”
“I was crying in the alley after a recent incident. He came up to me and licked my face. He sat with me, then followed me home. When I got up in the morning, he was always outside waiting for me.”
“What happened to him?”
“We had that routine for years before I was transferred to a new home. It was a week before I had a chance to run away and get back to him. He was in bad shape. Skinny. Dirtier than normal. I brought him back to my new home and made an arrangement with my night caregiver. He stayed in my room after that.”
“What kind of arrangement?”
“I helped her with her night chores and she didn't tell her superiors about Dusty.”
“How old were you?”
“I was twelve,” she said.
“When this is over, you're telling me her name,” he growled.
“She may have been lazy but she wasn't mean. She even brought bones and other treats for Dusty.”
Hunter wasn't impressed but he let it go. “What happened to Dusty?”
“A year later he had trouble walking. He barely ate. I knew he was near the end. He was old, and I didn't have any money to take him to the vet. He told me when it was time.”
Hunter's forehead creased. “Told you?”
“In his way. He licked my hand and led me outside. I assumed he needed to go to the bathroom but he didn't. He sat on the grass looking at the moon. When I lay down beside him, he cuddled up against me. He licked my chin and snuggled me until I fell asleep. When I woke up, he was gone.”
Hunter wiped the tear that slid down her cheek. “He sounds amazing.”
She laughed. “Everyone thought he was hideous and dirty. I thought he was an angel sent to watch over me.” She shrugged her shoulders. “He was the first pet I ever had. He taught me what unconditional love looked like. I had another dog named Rocket when I was abducted. Gerry… I mean Gerald, told me Sarah took care of him after I was gone.”
“She did. He died a couple years ago.”
“Jordan told me about that,” she said bitterly.
He wondered if her bitterness was due to abandoning her pet. “Sarah didn't know what was going on with him. He seemed to be sick one moment then get better the next. It went on for quite a while before he died. She thought he must have had some undiagnosed illness.”
Her tone was unconvincing. “He was a rescue, so that's more than possible.”
“So, you like dogs, I take it?”
“Oh yes. Way more than cats.” She looked up quickly, realizing her words.
Hunter laughed. “I'm confident I can persuade you that cats are amazing creatures. I do understand your infatuation with dogs. I’ve become quite attached to them myself.”
He saw her surprise. “Really?”
“Yes, Talen and I rescued a pregnant rottweiler named Sadi after her owner was killed. She had tried to defend Talen's mate, Lucy, despite her condition, and was gravely wounded. She's a great dog and her puppies have the entire lair wrapped around their little paws.”
Racheal laughed, her smile radiant. “I love that story. I thought since shifters didn't get along well with the other species that you wouldn't with other animals as well.”
Hunter stilled. “Years ago, there were territorial wars. It was bad for all the shifter species. The non-predatory species were wiped out. Some of the predators were also close to extinction when a truce was called. Since then, most of us get along.”
She was surprised. “You get along with the other species?”
“We have a good relationship with the wolves and the bears. The local Coyote lair was recently wiped out. The few left alive are living with us.”
Racheal pushed against him. “Can you let me up please?”
He moved. “What is it?”
“I told you that each species gave another up. The Kallans’ assumed none really got along. The Coyotes gave up the shifters in this region.”
“Not the coyotes… Razel.”
“Yes, their leader. You can't trust them,” she said seriously
Hunter didn't like where this was heading. Had she helped bring about the destruction of the coyote pack? Could he accept her if she did?
“Racheal. I have more reason than most to hate the coyotes, but you can't judge a species by one man. Razel sold out his race and the other shifter species in order to obtain the tranquilizer the Kallans' designed that affected us. He used it to shoot the rightful leader of the pack and take control.”
“He was bringing in samples from his own people. Spinal fluid, blood and semen. They're despicable.”
“Racheal. He held the previous pack leader’s son hostage. He pumped him full of drugs given to him by the Kallans'. He beat him. Tortured him. Took his blood. Spinal fluid. I don't even want to know about the last one.”
He saw the look of anger on Racheal’s face turn to horror. “The whole pack wasn't in on this?”
“No. Razel killed all the elders and the packmates who wouldn't follow him. Only three out of forty coyotes are left. The one I told you about, Aiden, is dying. They gave him some kind of drug that killed off his animal. His two friends won't leave him. We’ve all had a change a heart toward the coyote species as we watch the loyalty between them.”
Racheal dry-heaved, grabbing her stomach.
“Are you alright?”
“No. I'm going to be sick.”
Racheal tried not to let Hunter’s closeness distract her from her thoughts. Should she tell him that she was directly responsible for the destruction of the coyote pack? Their leader had given up all the other shifter species in the Cascade Mountains. They had no loyalty to their brethren or other shifter species. She couldn't understand why Hunter would feel remorse for their demise considering what they had done. Was there a chance she condemned an entire species based on the actions of a few? If so, she needed to know. Her misdeeds were piling up and she was running out of time to rectify them. “I helped Jordan with the coyote research,” she said tentatively. She didn't know what he would do or think of her, but she had an idea of how to save him and she secretly needed his help.
“Aiden was given a serum that neutralized his animal. Do you know what it is?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes. I made it.”
Anger flashed in Hunter's eyes. “You what?”
“I had to work on something. I was a prisoner remember. I chose to do the most damage to the Coyote race. I know what loyalty is. I had seen none. I didn't know.”
Hunter held her arms. “Racheal, there was a time not long ago I would have agreed with you, but like you, I didn't have the facts.”
“How so?”
“Razel was Aiden's uncle. He never mated. You don't understand what happens to an elder shifter if he doesn't find his other half.”
“Tell me.”
“Later in life, if a shifter doesn't find his mate, his animal loses interest in life. The longer this goes on the more erratic he becomes. It's rare but we are forced to put down our unmated elders. Enforcers cover all aspects of lai
r security.”
“You said the eldest are the enforcers. If they go squirrely...”
“Yes, but there is more than one. I told you my brothers were with me. They’ll keep their distance because I asked them to but they are three minutes away. If a member of my lair becomes unstable, they’re put down.”
Anger flashed in her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. “You would murder a member of your own family because he didn't find a wife!” She couldn't hide the disgust in her voice. She had grown up without a family. She couldn't fathom treating them so cheaply.
“First… it's done in animal form. Secondly - an unstable shifter begins to attack and kill those around him. You saw what Cyril did. Would you intentionally leave him to attack innocent women? Keep in mind we are stronger, faster and heal immediately. If a cop shoots a crazed shifter, he is only going piss the shifter off.”
Racheal thought hard about his words. The reference to Cyril had her making connections in her head. She just figured out a stunning fact about the shifter species, one the Kallans' could never find out. She had found her opening and she was going to take it. “I know how we can help Aiden,” she said.
Hunter wanted to help Aiden but he wouldn't sacrifice his woman's safety to do it. He could tell by the look in her eye he wasn't going to like what she said next. “How?”
Racheal slipped on the long yellow dress that Hunter had given her. “The Kallans' have samples from Aiden prior to him being given the neutralizing agent. If we can get them, I can synthesize a serum that will help him.”
Hunter ran a hand through his hair. There was no way Racheal was getting near Kallan Corp. “Can't you just take new samples from Aiden?”
“No. He's essentially human right now. I need his original samples. If we're going...”
Hunter growled. “WE are not going anywhere. You aren't going near a Kallan building. You'll tell me what you need and my brothers and I will retrieve it.”
Racheal pursed her lips, she was holding back her anger. “You won’t be able to tell one sample from another.”
“Just write down what I’m looking for and I’ll get it.”
“Jordan codes his samples. You’ll not only need to know what you’re looking for but also be able to break his cipher.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me. Is he a scientist or a fucking hacker?”
“Jordan is a sociopath. He’s also brilliant. He can deconstruct a genetic code and write a new computer program at the same time. He's more adept than I am. He does, however, tag his work. If you know what to look for you can decipher it. You don't know him as I do.”
Hunter approached her, pulling her body against his. She was irritated with him. He didn't care. He slammed his mouth onto hers, thrusting his tongue in her mouth. He was staking his claim. He knew she hated Jordan. It pissed him off that she also admired his brilliance. “Don't forget who you belong too.”
Her eyes widened. “Jordan is despicable. I'm telling you the facts about his intelligence. I can also tell you that I think it's a travesty that such a brilliant mind has been wasted.”
“You can't go near a Kallan facility.”
“Technically the facility we're going to break into is not owned by Kevin Kallan.”
Hunter pulled back. “Kevin has another company doing this kind of research?” he asked.
“Jordan is doing the research. It's at his mother's Lab.”
Hunter was startled. “Kevin is still in contact with Jordan's mother? They're still together?”
Racheal swallowed. “No. Jordan's mother is a genius. Kevin was visiting Spain on company business when they had an affair.”
“If you say his last name is Garcia and is related to Lucy, I'm gonna be sick.”
Racheal's eyebrows went up. “No, but you aren't far off. Mrs. Valeria Garcia, Lucy's grandmother grew up best friends with Camila Cortez. Both girls had arranged marriages but when Camila became pregnant her family disowned her. Kevin told her to have an abortion. She refused.”
“He isn't known for backing down.”
“He didn't. He said he would provide for her and her son but without the abortion, he would never be with her again.”
“So, he resents Jordan for ruining his relationship with Camila?”
“Yes. And Camila resents him for the same thing. Jordan never had a chance. He is caught in an endless struggle to impress two parents who despise each other.”
Hunter sighed. “You feel sorry for him.”
Racheal looked away. “There was a time when I felt I understood him. Admired his resilience and brilliance but his circumstances don't excuse his actions.”
“So, Kevin put Camila to work for him?”
“She started out working for him but created her own company. She does her own research and has several military contracts.”
“Does she know about the shifters species? Kevin's experiments?” he said.
Racheal nodded. “She contracts to Kevin. Jordan thinks she's still in love with him.”
Hunter felt she was going to say more. “Racheal?”
“The lab is located just outside Vancouver. We need to get schematics of the building. I was in lockdown any time I was there."
“Camila's lab is in Vancouver? Is it a coincidence that I found you in close proximity to that facility?”
Racheal looked down. “I may have considered breaking in myself to see if I could find out what Jordan poisoned me with,” she said quietly.
Hunter said through clenched teeth. “You don't think he would be expecting that?”
Racheal's head snapped up. “Of course he’s expecting it but what choice do I have? This is how it is with Jordan and me. He creates a puzzle and I figure it out or I die. If I die, I'm not worthy of bearing his children anyway.”
Hunter lost it. He grabbed her. “That fucking puke will never touch you. You’ll figure out what he used on you and then create an antidote for it. Then I’ll kill that psycho motherfucker and do this world a favor.”
Racheal put a hand on his chest. “Kevin hates him but he recognizes his brilliance. Jordan has made both his parents a lot of money. His mother is more adept than he is when it comes to genetic sequencing but she doesn't have his tech skills.”
“If I allow you to go...”
“If I don't go you have zero chance of success,” she interrupted.
Hunter’s teeth snapped together. “Then you get what you need to save yourself then Aiden. Are we clear?”
She nodded.
Hunter had a bad feeling about her assent. “You'll need to trust my family. I’m going to call the boys in to test their reaction to you.”
Racheal's body stiffened. “Okay.”
Hunter called Luca, explaining everything that had transpired with Racheal. He became concerned when Luca didn't respond.
“Luca?”
“Yeah. There's a slight problem.”
“What now?”
“We're five hundred feet from the cabin. Cade is with us.”
“Are you feeling any effects from Racheal. Any aggression?” He didn't want to ask his brother if he had the urge to mate.
“No. Liam and I are fine. Cade says his cat is reacting badly. He can't come near Racheal. He's backing off.”
“Shit we need his tech skills.”
“Fuck!” Luca growled.
“What is it?” Hunter asked.
“Cade texted me. He called Garrett.”
“No! There'll be no way to hide why he's not affected by her.” Hunter felt sick. They grew up best friends with Garrett and Cade. They knew Garrett’s secret. Cade's lair didn't. Hunter closed his eyes not sure if he wanted this answer. “What did Garrett say.”
Luca sighed “Garrett's on his way.”
Hunter ended the call and looked at his concerned mate.
“What happened?” Racheal asked.
“I may have started a lair war.”
Chapter 5
Racheal wasn’t about to l
et Hunter start a lair war over her. “Why will Garrett helping us start a war?”
Hunter sighed. “First you have to understand we are older. We grew up in a different time.” He was stalling and hesitant.
“Spill it.”
“My youngest brother Nicolas and Garrett are the same age. We have a close relationship with the Canadian lair. We spent many summers with Cade and Garrett's parents. Cade, Liam, and Luca, even joined special forces together. Nicholas and Garrett were inseparable as teenagers.”
“It sounds like your families are close. Why will it upset them that Garrett is helping you?”
“As young men out on the town, Nicki realized that Garrett didn't like girls the same way he did.”
Racheal's face scrunched. “You think his family will be mad he is gay?”
“Racheal you’re forgetting this was over sixty years ago. Some lairs were known to put down an animal that wouldn't contribute to the lair. They didn't believe a gay male could find a mate.”
Racheal felt sick. “They would have killed him?”
“We weren't sure. Anyway, Nicky told us and begged us to protect Garrett if it came out. We agreed. He was family to us and Nicky knew we wouldn't turn our back on him. It gave Garrett the courage to tell his brother Cade.”
“What did Cade do?”
“Cade doesn't care, and he's a candidate to be the next leader of the Canadian lair. We had hoped to keep this under the radar until we knew who would be in charge.”
“Can't we just keep this between us. Him helping us.”
“They know everything we do. We share information. They know about you and that Cade's cat was affected by you. When Garrett helps, they’ll know why. There have been rumors going around the lair but without proof, no one will cross Cade.”
Racheal felt a kinship to Garrett, knowing what it felt like to be different. Ostracized by her peers. She was glad Garrett had the Cascades and his brother. She hadn't had anyone until Sarah. “I'm not sure I want him involved.” A knock at the door started her.
Hunter opened the door to his brothers. “Racheal, this is Liam and Luca. We sometimes refer to them as the twins.”
Racheal saw the resemblance to the other Cascades. “You're fraternal twins?” They looked similar. Not identical.
