She moved forward to Melissa’s chair, standing with one hand on her shoulder. Dave followed with Eric. In fact nearly all the guards in the room had moved likewise.
“Stand down,” Templeton ordered and reluctantly, Tegan moved back, but only two steps. She’d take a bullet for Melissa if she had to and she wouldn’t give more than the steps she’d given. If Pellini could just walk into the meeting, things were spinning quickly out of control as it was.
“We are only here to speak in support of our friend, William Reed, for the Mediator spot.” The smile Pellini gave was oily.
“Let us be clear then,” Gina interrupted. “Great Lakes is opposed to Warren Pellini and his band of thugs having any more power within the ranks of National.”
“Cascadia agrees,” Melissa added smoothly. In the years since Carter had been killed and Melissa filled his spot, she’d become a force to be reckoned with, a quiet power. Tegan liked her a lot.
“Well, that’s unfortunate, isn’t it?” Pellini’s drawl was affected, annoyingly fake and Tegan didn’t bother to hide a sneer.
“You’ve already violated the Palaver, Warren, that’s what’s unfortunate. Great Lakes moves the uninvited wolf in the room be asked to leave.” Gina stood but Jack put a hand on her shoulder.
“This will end now, Gina. Yes, Warren has violated the rules of the NC and the infraction will be dealt with. But you will not stir trouble here or you’re the one in violation. Now sit and be silent until we hear the votes of the other Packs.”
With a heavy sigh, Gina sat.
Jack was playing this one close to the vest. Tegan understood it but it made her angry nonetheless.
“Moving along. Yellowstone supports the candidacy of William Reed,” the Third of the Yellowstone Pack spoke, smiling at Pellini as he did.
Two more Packs to be heard from and both could go either way. Tegan breathed in deeply, centering herself and keeping alert. She’d made eye contact with the Great Lakes guards and knew they’d jump in if trouble started.
“Granite respectfully abstains. We feel it is not the place of the member Packs to decide the National Third position and we do not like being called down here to play power games.”
Tegan heard Templeton’s snort and tried not to smile. That’s who they were and you had to admire a Pack of curmudgeons. Still, it could go either way. Knowing Siskiyou was out being wooed by Pellini worried Tegan. If Reed went into the Third position, it wouldn’t be long before tensions rose to the point of inter-clan tensions and turf wars. Briefly, she wondered just what Ben was thinking as he and Benoit listened to all this insanity.
* * *
Ben spoke on the cell to Cade. Cade’s furious bellow at Pellini’s showing up and violating the rules of the Palaver, something their kind held sacrosanct, had Ben holding the phone away from his ear.
“I get you’re angry, Cade. But what do you advise here? We’re out of our depth. Is he going to attack or something if he loses?” God, would he have to run in there and save Tegan? Would that bastard hurt her?
“I don’t know, Ben. I mean, it’s bad enough he’s there, but to cause violence would break so many of our laws, even Templeton would have to openly come out against him. The FBI investigation would go to hell because there’d be no more undercover anything. I have to think even Pellini isn’t that stupid.” Cade paused. “How’s Tegan holding up?”
“She growled at that fucker when he walked in. Should have seen it. Pellini actually jerked back and she did that thing where she walked forward so fast you didn’t even see it but there she was, right at Melissa’s back. The other wolves followed suit. When Jack ordered them to stand down, she only took two steps back and didn’t lower her eyes.” Ben was damned proud of his woman.
“Shit, Granite abstained.”
Ben relayed the info to Cade.
“We got company,” Benoit said as he stood.
They saw fifty wolves approaching the building from two different directions. The National guards were nowhere to be found. The monitors inside showed no one else had entered yet.
“There are fifty fucking wolves here, Cade. Damn it. I have to go.”
“You can’t stand against that many wolves, Ben! Wait. I’ll call and get backup. Gabe has people there, he can...”
Ben hung up as he saw the monitors. He and Benoit grabbed their vests and weapons as they ran out the doors.
* * *
“Siskiyou resents the power plays they’ve been involved in. We were already convinced Warren Pellini and his group were bad for our people but after the constant attempts at bribery we side with Cascadia and Great Lakes. The last thing National needs is yet another Pellini lackey with power in the Inner Circle.”
Tegan felt the ground under her feet vibrate. “Get them out of here!” she screamed to Dave.
Melissa stood and shoved a chair out of the way. “I stand with you.”
Eric followed suit as the doors busted open and wolves poured into the room in a mass of fists and teeth.
“Stand down! Damn it, Pellini, call these dogs off!” Jack growled, half changed, toward Pellini.
“Fuck this. You can’t handle these dissenting factions, I will. Kill everyone but National and Yellowstone wolves,” he ordered in the direction of the wolves who’d been waiting behind him.
Tegan had trained all her life for this moment. She felt no real fear as she slid her guns from the thigh holsters, flipping the safeties off with her thumbs before aiming one hand and then the other.
Wolves fell and others waded in to hand-to-hand or teeth-to-claw combat.
In the background, Tegan heard Ben’s yells and caught sight of two wolves knocking him back.
She waded through the melee to get to him, shooting, kicking and knocking the shit out of anyone in her way.
The wolves, thank God still in human form, who’d been beating Ben slid to the ground, lifeless, but before Tegan could bend to grab Ben, her guns were knocked from her hands as she was sent wheeling back by a fist to her temple.
Two of Pellini’s people attacked, one in human form, the other as a wolf. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ben struggle up, a smear of blood on the wall he leaned against.
“Get out of here!” she screamed around a mouthful of blood. Setting her balance, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the face of the wolf and sent him reeling.
“You get out of here. Fucking crazy woman. I’m not leaving without you.”
“Isn’t that touching?” Pellini said. “Grab her and Gina, take them out the back.”
“Oh that’s so not gonna happen!” Tegan fought back harder, watching Ben get the shit kicked out of him. He went down and she used the wolf in front of her as a launching point to try and leap to him. The transformation in mid-air took a lot of energy but she bounded toward him, ripping into his attackers. The blood and fear of those who tried to hurt her mate only fed her fury.
Ben’s hand reached out, covered in blood, to caress her side, grab her fur. She whimpered and spun to snarl and protect his injured body. Melissa had turned but Dave had ushered her and Eric out. It was important to save them. Cascadia would live another day to declare vengeance on Pellini for this.
Other wolves rushed in, Tegan scented Pacific but before she could relax, she caught sight of Gina being hit over the head and taken, unconscious, out the side exit.
Two of Pacific’s people bent down over Ben and she licked his hand. She heard him murmur, no but there was no other choice. She was a guard, it was her job. She roared into action, biting, clawing and snarling.
The last thing she remembered was a white-hot pain in her side.
Chapter Sixteen
“I’m going to kill someone in two minutes if I’m not released,” Ben slurred at the nurse. “My wife. Damn it, my wife is in danger.”
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She sighed and patted his hand. “They’ll find her, Detective. You have to calm down. We need to prep you for surgery. I’ll be right back. If you continue to get agitated and threaten people, I’ll trank you up so much you can’t move.”
“Ben? I’m Jack Meyers, we’ve talked on the phone. I’m so sorry.”
Ben tried to focus on the man standing there, tried to commit his face to memory so he’d be able to track him down and shoot him full of silver bullets when he got out of the hospital.
“Fuck you. Your fault.”
“You’re right, I’m afraid. We had no idea.” Jack shook his head. “Cade has already called first dibs on killing me but Lex is on his way out here so I don’t think he’ll get the chance.”
“We’re already looking for her, Ben. I swear to you, I won’t stop until we find Tegan. But you’re in a bad way. You have to let them operate.” Tegan’s cousin Dave came into the room. “If you die, Tegan will kill me and then Jack and probably everyone here in the hospital. So let’s focus on what we need to do. They’re setting up the operating room now. The surgeons are on the way. We’re assembling a team right now.”
“I can’t lay here while she’s out there.” Ben’s head raced but his body wouldn’t obey the orders to stand and go find his wife. He realized what he needed to do. “Change. So—someone bite me.”
“Are you sure? God, Ben, Tegan won’t like it if you do this and then regret it. You know how she is. And then Nina will be pissed.” Dave shuddered in fear.
“To save her? I’m sure. Do it, damn it.” He’d cut off a damned limb to save Tegan. Weeks of recovery versus a few days. He’d take being a werewolf to gain some time for his woman. It wasn’t even a hard choice.
“My bite will be best. I’m the older and stronger of us.” Jack looked back at Dave. “You’ll need to guard the door. It’s good he’s so weak already, the virus will react far more quickly this way. You have to protect me from Tegan though. She’s going to be pissed when she hears.”
“You have another choice, Ben Stoner.” Another man walked into the room and Ben felt the power ride over his skin like a thousand bites of electricity.
“I am Templeton Mancini. Watch the door, Dave. Jack, hold him, get a gag in his mouth. If you’re one hundred percent sure of this, Ben, I’ll bite you right now. There’s no time to waste.”
Weakly, he nodded and let Jack put a wadded up washcloth between his teeth to keep him from crying out.
“This will hurt. I’m sorry. God, so sorry for all that’s happened. Let this be a step in cleansing the way between us.” Templeton spoke before transforming into a wolf so fast Ben’s brain couldn’t even register it.
He did register the feel of sharp teeth slicing through the damaged skin on his side. Things nearly destroyed were utterly damaged as the last thing he heard was a gasp and a muffled growl.
* * *
Ben was eating a sandwich and sitting up when Lex pushed through the door and stopped, surprised. “Well now, I guess Templeton’s blood supercharged the shit right into you then didn’t it?”
“Let’s go. I’m ready.”
Ben shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth as he made to get up.
“Wait. Jesus, it’s only been seven hours since the attack and what, six since you were bitten? My God, Ben, this is incredible. Nina was out two days when she was attacked by our Third. Hours is just unheard of.”
“Whatever the case may be, I’m up and ready to go. My woman is out there and she’s in danger and I’m here eating a fucking sandwich. This is ridiculous. I’m fine!” His voice shook as he yelled and Lex sighed.
“Just eat that second sandwich and rest for a few minutes, okay? I’m waiting for a call from Dave and we can sit tight here until it comes. I cannot imagine what it feels like. The mere thought of Nina being...” Lex shook his head sharply. “But Tegan is my sister, I love her and you love her and we are going to find her and bring her home. You don’t get to feel guilty for eating just mere hours after nearly dying and then being transformed. Your body is going to need a lot of extra protein in the first month or so especially. If you don’t take care of that need, you’re not going to be strong enough to fight off any threat. Full moon is tonight. Man, it’s going to be a wild one for you. I’m sorry this was all forced. Tegan is going to kill me. Nina is already all over my ass.”
Ben shrugged. “I don’t care about that. I don’t know why anyone would think I’d blow off the chance to gain more strength to save my wife. Where is Nina anyway? I can’t imagine she’d stay at home. Didja lock her up in the bathroom and run for the door back home?”
Lex laughed for a moment. “Once you ran into the building, everything went crazy. I was out the door, running to the car when Nina jumped in the passenger side. She was already on the phone with our pilot and getting the plane ready. She stuck to me like a freaking barnacle until we got to Detroit. We had to refuel and since the plane took off so fast in Seattle, there wasn’t much food. I told her to run into the airport and grab us something, shoved her bag and a wad of cash at her, sent Megan after her and we took off without them.”
Ben stilled. “Whoa.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna wear a cup. I have no doubt the two of them will get here soon but she won’t be able to get a commercial flight right away. I hope. I just don’t want her in the middle of this.”
“I understand it. I truly do. I wish I’d thought of something like that with Tegan. Damned woman. She was safe with me but she saw Gina being attacked and once they started stanching the blood and giving me first aid, she jumped into the fray. Lex, I’m going to kill Warren Pellini for having his men shoot her the way they did.”
“Was it silver? Do you think she’s...”
“I don’t. She kept moving, struggling as they hauled her up. It happened in slow motion. I tried to get up but I couldn’t. Others rushed in to help but Pellini’s people got out the door. You tell me what the hell Mancini and Meyers were thinking to let that bastard stay in the room that way?”
Templeton walked in at that moment with Jack. Jack who found himself with his back against the wall and Lex’s forearm cutting off oxygen. “You fuck! I ought to rip your head off right now and toss it on the train tracks. My sister might be dead because of your gross incompetence. You have no right to hold this spot.” Lex’s voice was barely human.
Ben blinked at the fury rolling off his brother-in-law. He’d seen Lex kill men before but he’d never seen Lex this outraged and murderous.
Templeton hauled Lex back and stood between them. “Knock it off, Warden. You’ll have me to contend with if you keep this up.”
“That’s all right with me. You’re more at fault than he is. The minute Pellini walked into that Palaver and broke the rules he should have been removed. You let him stay. You violated your oath of safety to all those wolves in that room. Cascadia is not convinced of your ability to rule at this point, Alpha.”
Ben moved to stand next to Lex. He felt odd; his insides churned and all his senses were turned up to twelve. Still, his wolf surfaced, pressing against his human skin and he understood exactly what Tegan had tried to explain before. He was no longer upset he’d been changed, he loved the way it felt, wanted to share it with his mate. And mate she was. He really felt their mate bond as a wolf. She ran through his veins like blood.
Templeton blew out a breath. “Look, I made a mistake. I thought he showed up to bluster but if he lost, we could handle it and keep him in the dark. I thought he’d blow off steam and storm out. I was sure his little show of self-importance would sway anyone who hadn’t voted by then. He still thinks we’re on his side, or in his pocket as it were. We can use this. I am Alpha here and I will find my wolves. I give you my word that I won’t stop until we find Gina and Tegan. I’m just waiting for him to call.”
“I’m sorry, Lex. Y
ou have every right to blood me for this. I would never want harm to come to any of our wolves, especially your sister.” Jack got on his knees and exposed his neck to Lex.
The room got very still as everyone waited to see what Lex would do. He stepped back and sighed. “I will trust you. For now. And it’s not me you need to beg forgiveness from. Ben may have lost his mate today. I swear to you if my sister ends up dead, you will pay. I will burn this city down.”
“And I will help you.” Ben stood tall. “You saved me and I owe you, Alpha. But my woman is out there because your people messed up. If I lose her, I’ll have nothing left to hold me to any manners at all. Help us find these bastards who’ve stolen Tegan and let me have first crack at separating them from their lives.”
“After I clean my teeth with their bones, you mean. Boy are you two nitwits.” Nina strode into the room, looking Templeton and Jack up and down with disgust. Megan took a station near the door. Nina spun to face Lex, her hands on her hips, face a mask of fury. “And you! I can’t believe you thought you could just ditch me when we had to refuel in Detroit. You left me there when I went to get some food. You will pay, buddy. By the way, I charged a private flight and drinks for everyone on the flight crew for getting me here so fast.”
Lex closed his eyes for a moment and Ben felt Tegan’s absence so sharply he wanted to howl in pain.
“We’ll find her,” Templeton said, seeing Ben’s anguish.
“I knew it was too good to be true to hope you’d be safe just for once.” Lex kissed Nina who pinched his arm until he winced.
“Wow, wolf looks good on you. Tee will be pleased.” Nina winked before she hugged Ben. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“Come to the safehouse. It’s not too far and Carla has a huge meal waiting. We can grab the call there as easily as here.” Templeton gave them directions and left with Jack. They’d follow separately so no one would know they were all together. Ben had no doubt Pellini would be watching.