Out of Smoke and Ashes

  “Do you think it’s the jaguars?” Callie asked.

  Kitty shook her head. “If you mean the Montalvos, it’s not them. For one, the camera angle means the person was upright. They can’t hold a camera while shifted, and they’re only that stealthy in shifted mode. I’ve worked with Ortega and his brothers a few times.”

  “Regardless of who filmed it,” he said, “this information doesn’t help us find Mom.”

  “Let me try to find her, Sir,” Callie asked.

  He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. I can’t risk you like that.”

  “Please?”

  “Do you even have an idea where to start looking for him? I can’t get him to answer his cell phone. Now it goes straight to voice mail and he’s not calling me back. I don’t know where he is or how to find him.”

  She didn’t have an answer for that.

  “Pet?”

  She huffed. “Okay, fine, so I don’t know where he is, but at least I could be out there looking for information.”

  “And that could tip him off and make him spook and kill Mom. I’m sure he assumes we think he’s behind it, but since we’ve not made any accusations about it, he’s smugly keeping his head down.”

  Another point she couldn’t argue against.

  He set his glass down and turned to her, resting both hands on her shoulders. “If you can get either of your sisters to give you information we can use to find Mom, then yes, we’ll go from there.”

  “I can go ask them?”

  He nodded. “But if they can’t or won’t, you come back here immediately. Understand?”

  “Yes, Sir.” Before he could say anything else, she closed her eyes and opened them in Babs’ living room.

  “Babs?” She quickly searched the house, and outside, swearing when she couldn’t find her. That was one of the things that had always sucked, that her two older sisters had more powers than she did, especially when it came to locating each other.

  “Babs!” she yelled outside.

  Around her, the forest echoed her cry back to her.

  “Dammit.”

  She tried Brighde next.

  No luck.

  Dejected, she returned to their kitchen. Both Daniel and Kitty startled when she reappeared. “Nothing,” she softly said.

  “They wouldn’t help you,” he asked, “or you couldn’t find them?”

  “Couldn’t find them.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay, pet. We’ll get her back safely. Lacey insists she sees Carla in the future and for as long as I can remember, she’s rarely wrong. Especially not when she’s had multiple visions about the same thing. We’re all hanging our hats on that. It’s all we can do for now.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was Ain’s turn behind the wheel when they crossed into North Carolina. Lacey, who’d changed over to their RV with Lina and the babies at the last gas stop, walked up and sat in the passenger seat. “Want some company?”

  He nodded. “I’m not about to tell you of all people no.”

  She smiled. “You are a wise little wolf, my boy.”

  He snorted. “Little?”

  She arched an eyebrow at him. “In the grand scheme of things, yes. Compared to me? Definitely.”

  “Sorry.”

  She let out a laugh and glanced behind them. Mai, Lina, and Elain were huddled around the dinette table and deep in discussion. The Beasts, both sound asleep, were securely strapped into car seats, which were seatbelted into the two passenger chairs in front of the dinette.

  “Our family is rapidly growing, son,” she said.

  “You can say that again.”

  “One day, it’ll be your turn.”

  He forced himself to keep his eyes on the road. “Something you’re not telling me?”

  “Nothing you don’t already know for yourself. No, I don’t have details.”

  “You’re taking this whole thing awfully casually, no offense.”

  She shrugged. “I see what I see.”

  “So you see us getting her back safely?”

  He glanced over again and spotted her sly smile. “Nooo, not that exactly.”

  “Then what, exactly?”

  She reached over and patted him on the shoulder, dropping her voice as she did. “I see lots of things that indicate we’re going to have a happy ending, to this part of the tale, at least. Please, don’t worry. Do your best to comfort Elain and not lose your temper over her stress. Giving in the way you did to her about the RV was the best thing you could have done.”

  “Glad you think so.”

  “Come now. You and your brothers can easily afford it.”

  “Not the issue. I feel extremely vulnerable out on the road like this.”

  “I can send Lina up here,” she said. “Then Goddess could be your copilot.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh.

  * * * *

  “This is going to sound stupid,” Mai said as her gaze dropped to her hands. “Promise not to laugh?”

  “Of course we won’t laugh,” Elain assured her. She reached across and gripped her friend and cousin-in-law’s hand. Immediately, a mixed sense of trepidation—over the baby she carried, Elain sensed—and relief over being so readily accepted, flowed through Elain.

  “I keep dreaming,” Mai whispered. “I told you I dream about my baby. But I’ve had other dreams.”

  “Like what?” Lina asked.

  The woman’s face turned pink. “About babies.”

  “Babies in general,” Elain said, “or specific babies?”

  “Well, not babies, specifically.”

  Elain shared a quick glance across the table with Lina before returning her attention to Mai. “What, specifically?”

  “Pregnancies.” She looked up at Elain. “You, for one.”

  Her heart raced. “Me?”

  Mai nodded.

  “And who else?”

  “Please, Goddess, not me,” Lina snarked. “I have the feeling I’m going to need several years of recovery time raising the Beasts before tackling more dragon babies.”

  “Who?” Elain asked again.

  Mai’s face reddened a little more. “Mom.”

  “What?” both women shrieked.

  “Everything okay back there?” Ain called out.

  “Um, yeah. We’re fine,” Elain said before dropping her voice. “Mom? My mom?”

  Mai nodded.

  Lina clamped her lips together but Elain could see the giggles trying to force their way free.

  “My mom’s going on sixty.”

  “I know, believe me, but it’s what I saw. She looked younger, too.”

  “Who’s the daddy?” Lina managed to get out without laughing.

  Mai’s blush deepened. “Dad.”

  “As in Liam?” Elain asked.

  Mai nodded. The poor woman looked like she had a severe case of sunburn, her cheeks were so pink. She was saved any further discomfort by both of the Beasts waking up at the same time. Elain got up and took Luke, while Lina grabbed George.

  “Boob or bottle?” Elain joked.

  Lina smiled. “Bottles for both. No one told me baby dragons were born sporting full sets of teeth. My boobs need a break. Not to mention they apparently have larger appetites than an adult dragon. I cannot keep up without formula.”

  With her free hand, she pulled the diaper bag out from under the table and handed it to Mai. “Can you please make us up two bottles? Two scoops of powder in each and fill them with water.”

  She nodded as she rummaged through the bag for the supplies. “Do we need to heat them or anything?”

  “It’s fine as long as it’s room temp. I’ve also been informed that dragon babies are hardy, that their voracious appetites aren’t picky, and that it’ll only get worse from here on out.”

  Elain smiled down at the baby in her arms, who was reaching out for her fingers. His brown eyes were wide open and full of conscious wonder as he looked directly at her hand, comple
tely focused. Apparently shifter babies developed far faster than their fully human counterparts.

  It left her wondering how quickly a baby wolf would develop.

  And if they were also born with full sets of teeth.

  “Um, seriously Elain, don’t let him latch on to your finger.”

  Luke had grabbed her hand and was pulling it toward his mouth. She looked up at Lina. “Why n—ow!” She yanked her finger from the grinning baby’s mouth and examined the wounded digit. He’d broken the skin, fortunately not deep enough to draw blood, though. If he could do that to her finger, she could only imagine what kind of misery Lina went through trying to breast-feed them.

  Lina smirked. “That’s why. You should see the battle wounds Zack and Kael have. Like I said. Voracious. I do, however think I’ve figured out what baby dragons are called.”

  “What?”

  “Piranha.”

  * * * *

  As they neared the Clan Compound late the next morning, Brodey was behind the wheel while Elain tried to keep herself from pacing a groove in the floor. Ain, now riding shotgun, called Jocko for advice on where to park the RVs. He directed them to a large guest cabin the Council kept for visitors, which was only a few minutes from his own house.

  The older shifter met them there with the keys. “Ye brought the whole kit and caboodle, I see.”

  “The Montalvo brothers and some of the others are staying at the hotel up the road.”

  Jocko nodded as he unlocked the door. “Good, because as big as this place is, it’ll still be tight for ye.”

  He led everyone inside. There were enough bedrooms for Elain and her men, Lina and her men, Mai and her men, and one other bedroom.

  “We’ll stay in the RV,” Zack volunteered. “Liam can have the last bedroom.”

  “No, son, it’s all right,” Liam said. “Ye can have it.”

  Kael smiled and slung an arm around Zack’s shoulders. “Seriously, I think everyone will want us sleeping in the RV.”

  Lina laughed. “Liam, it’s fine. Take the bedroom.”

  Jocko looked at Lacey. “Ready for me to take ye home? Yer blasted beast is driving me crazy.”

  “Jasper’s not a beast.”

  “Naw, he’s a demon is what he is,” he good-naturedly said. “Lucky thing I love the blasted beast.”

  She hugged everyone good-bye. “I’ll stop in later, after I’ve had a shower and a nap.”

  Elain stared at everyone. “It’s Wednesday. Isn’t it?”

  Ain nodded. “Yes, babe. The showdown is in three days. Saturday.”

  Her Alpha made a few grumbles but settled without further complaint. “What are we supposed to do until then? And what if the cops try to contact us?”

  Cail held up his cell phone. “Miracle of modern technology, babe,” he wearily said. She knew he had to be exhausted, because he barely slept during the entire trip. “Jeurgins and our attorney are running interference for us. We told them another family emergency up here had us leaving in a hurry, but that we’ll be back and we’re within reach of our phones. Plus Mark’s working with them down there.”

  “It’s under control,” Ain said as he pulled her to him. “Let’s get unpacked and then I need a shower and some food. Blackie and Callie are coming over later, as are the Montalvos and everyone else, for a confab. I want to be rested.”

  “Rested?” she asked.

  He nodded. “As in a chance to sleep. Not as a euphemism for sex.”

  Elain wasn’t sure, but the Alpha inside her seemed a little disappointed by that.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Marston leaned back in his chair as he sipped his brandy. Before him on the floor sat a naked Mercedes. On her knees, her legs spread as wide as possible, her hands laced behind her back, elbows out, back arched, breasts jutting.

  And the aroma of her arousal filling the room. She already had a small puddle of her juices forming under her.

  Well, that wasn’t completely accurate. He assumed some of that was his own cum dripping out of her, too.

  Her nipples sported brand-new captive bead rings, and one also sat nestled on her clit hood, easily visible due to her completely denuded mound, which he’d had waxed before taking her to get pierced.

  He didn’t think the wolf-atrice could feel embarrassment, but her face had turned a delightful shade of red when he marched her into the day spa and had her lift her miniskirt to show the waxing technician what he wanted.

  Of course, Mercedes was no longer allowed to wear panties.

  Adding to her discomfort was the fact that after he’d sat in and watched the waxing, as soon as the technician left the room he’d bent his mate over the table and fucked her right there.

  And he refused to let her clean up.

  He’d also forbid her to come, leaving her extremely horny and more than a tad bit pissed off.

  To his extreme amusement and her irritation, she was also unable to disobey him due to her willingly submitting to him and becoming his mate.

  He’d deliberately chosen the most seedy-looking place he could find to get her piercings done, in the back of a tattoo parlor next to a liquor store.

  The piercer, also one of the tattoo artists, had grinned when Marston made Mercedes lift her skirt and her shirt right there to show him her wares.

  Marston had placed a hand on the back of her neck. “My little slut here needs a few permanent reminders of her place. Something she cannot easily remove. Something I can attach things to as I see fit.”

  “I think I can help you out, buddy.”

  Behind the flimsy cloth divider screen cordoning off the piercing table, Marston ordered her to strip and get on the table.

  “Oh,” Marston added, “if you need to play with her nipples to get them hard for the piercings, feel free.”

  She’d glared at him, but didn’t dare argue.

  Marston leaned back against the wall to watch, arms crossed over his chest. “Hands behind your head, dear,” he said. “And legs spread wide. Keep them there until I say otherwise.”

  She’d obeyed.

  “And keep your eyes open. I’m paying the man good money to bling you out, as it were. The least you can do is be courteous.”

  As he’d watched her discomfort grow, he felt his cock throb. No, she wasn’t a guy.

  But this was the first time in a long time he’d been able to completely satisfy his sadistic urges without the slightest bit of care or hesitation. Apparently, his libido liked it.

  He’d fucked her immediately after, once again refusing to let her come as he bent her over the hood of her car in the alley behind the building, her skirt hiked up around her waist.

  He cocked his head as he watched her. “How’s the new jewelry, dear? Comfy?”

  She glared at him, but didn’t respond.

  He swiftly reached down and tugged on the clit ring, making her cry out. “I suggest you answer me, slut, when I ask you a question, or you’ll find yourself sporting a very heavy, very uncomfortable weight attached to this.”

  “They’re fine!” she said, desperation tinging her tone.

  He let go. He’d had her sitting like that for the better part of twenty minutes. He knew it couldn’t be comfortable, shifter or not, to remain like that.

  But he still had a couple of things he wanted to do to her today, to absolutely cement in her mind her place in their dynamic when it came to this. After they finished their talk.

  “Now, my dear, explain your plan to trap Rodolfo. If he has, in fact, had Elain Pardie’s mother abducted, I would guess that his life is now forfeit once they get her back.”

  “You’re going to stay in the car to follow him if he actually gets to leave the place after the meeting. No one there knows what I look like. I’ve got a couple of smoke bombs. If it looks like he might get his throat ripped out right there, I’ll lob them, grab him, and run with him. If he gets out of the building, I’ll track him down.”

  “And if they kill him right there?”
/>
  “They won’t. I’m sure the wily bastard has plans of his own on how to escape. I am almost certain he’ll manage to get himself out of the building, one way or another.”

  “You seem very certain of yourself.”

  “I am. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

  “And once he’s in our custody?”

  She smiled. “Daddy’s going to be signing everything over to me.”

  “Such a clever girl.” Setting his drink aside, he stood and unzipped his pants. She immediately opened her mouth wide, making him laugh.

  “Good girl, but wrong idea.” He turned and shoved his pants down to his ankles. Then he bent over the chair and braced himself on it. “Shove your tongue in there and lick my asshole, you little whore. Get it in there nice and deep. And keep your hands behind your head.”

  Immediately, he felt her nose and tongue burrowing between his ass cheeks, her soft, plaintive moans sending sweet waves of vibration through him.

  “Yes, you like that, don’t you? Well, believe me, you’ll be doing a lot of that.” His cock had completely hardened as well, a drop of pre-cum pearling at the slit. “You won’t have any doubts about your place in the world in a very short time. And if you do a very good job, I might let you come the next time I fuck you.”

  At that another long, anxious moan vibrated through her mouth and straight to his balls as she kept her tongue wiggling inside his ass. Her smell grew stronger. He suspected if he looked, her juices would practically be flowing from her as horny as she was.

  “That’s right,” he sadistically cooed. “Be a good girl and lick my ass and maybe I’ll reward you for it.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Late Friday afternoon was quickly jogging toward evening. Despite their best efforts and a wide network of shifters of various races being brought in to help, they were no closer to locating Carla before the meeting the next day.

  Elain sat on the cabin’s back porch with Lina, Mai, Callie, Kitty, and Lacey. Lina’s guys were handling the Beasts, giving Lina a break to sit and talk with the other women. The two younger Montalvo brothers and Oscar Chaudhuri tensely stood watch in the backyard.