“It’s a good look on you, Katie,” Damian said, grinning at the way Kate kept kissing the tops of the boys’ little heads.
“I could get used to this, especially in the winter. These guys are like personal space heaters.” She nuzzled their hair. Kate looked down at her burger and frowned, realizing she couldn’t eat with both arms full.
“Give ‘em here so you can eat,” Rian said laughing. She smiled gratefully and then eased each boy into his babysitter’s arms.
“You guys are so amazing for helping us with them. It’s hard enough being newly mated, much less trying to find the hyenas and the traitor in the pack. I couldn’t imagine having to take care of these guys on top of that. They are a full-time job all by themselves.” She picked up her burger.
“They are actually easy to watch despite there being two of them. They aren’t fussy at all,” Rian said as Lucas yawned.
“Okay, boys, nap time,” he said, standing up.
“We’re taking the boys back to the house for their afternoon nap,” Rian said.
Kate stood and kissed each boy. “Thanks again, Ri.” She kissed Rian on the cheek, too, and he smiled. She walked over and kissed Damian on the cheek.
Damian and Rian then walked over to where Bran and Caleb were talking to Ma, Connor, and Aleks, letting them say their goodbyes as well.
Kate had just taken another bite out of her burger when the diner door opened. She was surprised to see Cecelia Raymond walk in. She, as usual, looked elegant and well put together. She radiated a natural beauty and grace. Kate wanted to hate her, considering who her parents were, but found she couldn’t. Cecelia was sweet, kind, and soft-spoken. Everything her own mother had wanted her to be.
When Cecelia scanned the diner, Kate half expected her to head toward Bran, but instead, she started heading her way. Rebecca and Ashby scooted closer to Kate and Kate smiled. They were definitely getting great Christmas gifts this year.
“Ms. Edwards, could I speak to you for a moment?” she asked. Kate, her mouth full of her burger, pointed to the chair across the table from her.
“I know that you must not be feeling very friendly toward me at the moment, but I would like to state, for the record, I never wanted to mate with Bran. That was my parents’ dream for me, not my own. I view Bran as a brotherly figure only,” Cecelia explained, her hands folded primly in her lap.
“Thank you for that. It means a lot. But something tells me you didn’t track me down here in town to tell me that.” Kate pushed her empty plate aside.
“No, ma’am,” she started.
“Please call me Kate.” Kate smiled at the girl and was rewarded with a shy smile in return.
“Thank you, Kate. I came here because I am worried about Gina. I haven’t heard from her since yesterday. I’m worried something may have happened to her.”
“Do you have any reason to believe that?” Kate asked.
“Besides my intuition? No. It’s why I’m reluctant to go right to Bran. I don’t have any evidence that something is wrong except she missed class today and considering how hard she has to work for money, she would never skip a class. Never. Please believe me, Kate. I know my best friend better than anyone. This isn’t like her.”
Kate wiped her hands and stood, motioning for Cecelia to follow her and they both made their way over to Bran, Ashby, and Rebecca in tow.
“Bran, Cecelia believes something has happened to Gina,” Kate said.
“Do we have any reason to think that?” Bran asked.
“Besides the fact that she didn’t show up for class and the perimeter is down allowing homicidal hyenas into town? No,” Kate said.
“We’ll wait until morning. If she still hasn’t turned up, we’ll send out a search party. At her age, she may be at her boyfriend’s house or out studying,” Bran said.
“People usually turn up in the first twenty-four hours, Kate,” Aleks added sounding more like the town’s Sheriff than a friend.
Feeling extremely agitated, Kate spun on her heel and went back to their table. All four sat down dejected.
“The FBI has also reported that eighty-nine percent of all children die within the first twenty-four hours they are missing,” Rebecca said, her violet eyes serious.
Cecelia gasped. Rebecca looked at Kate and they both had a moment of absolute understanding. This was about being a woman, a mother, a friend and following what your heart was telling you.
“Kate...” Rebecca lowered her voice to the barest of whispers. “As Alpha Mother, I am asking that you go and look for Gina,” Rebecca said firmly and unequivocally, taking full responsibility for whatever happened.
Kate nodded and stood. “Bran, I’m running Cecelia back to the Pack house. She caught a ride with some friends who are at the movies.” Kate yelled and Bran and Caleb smiled and waved.
“Hurry up, hun, before they smell the lie,” Kate said, ushering Cecelia out the door and into her truck.
“They’ll know something’s wrong if they come out here and see my parents’ car,” Cecelia said, pointing to the ostentatious red Beemer.
Kate thought for a moment.
“Grab your keys and follow me. We’re heading to Gina’s house.”
Cecelia got into her car and Kate jumped into her truck.
Kate drove east toward the pack lands. She found herself getting anxious and her wolf was getting restless. Unsure of the reason, she lowered the window to get some cool air into the cab and a familiar scent hit her nose. She slammed on her brakes and saw the red car nearly crash into the back of her truck. She threw the truck into park and turned off the ignition. She jumped out and walked back to where Cecelia looked spooked.
“What happened?” Cecelia asked, looking up at Kate.
“I smell blood. How far is it to Gina’s house?” Kate asked.
“About three miles from here, then there is a long driveway,” Cecelia said.
“Let’s move the cars off the road and shift here,” Kate said. Cecelia nodded.
They moved the vehicles to the shoulder and Kate met Cecelia at the back of the truck. Cecelia handed her a small bag that, at first glance, looked as though it was made out of a net, but when she looked closer, she realized it was crocheted. Kate looked at the pink bag in her hand then back to Cecelia who blushed.
“I’m still not very comfortable when I shift back and I’m naked, so I made these for me and Gina. They can hold your clothes but don’t add bulk or weight. That loop is thin enough that you can easily carry it in your mouth. You can have that one if you want. I crochet when I get stressed. I have a ton of them.” Cecelia opened the drawstring to her bag.
“These are awesome, thank you. To tell you the truth, I’m still not that comfortable either,” Kate said smiling gently.
Both women stripped their clothes and folded them into tiny squares before stuffing them in the surprisingly durable bags. Both shifted and, using their muzzle, carried their clothes with them.
After they shifted, the smell of blood became magnified. Both wolves headed toward it. As the scent became stronger, their pace increased. They came upon a small clearing and skidded to a halt. Hanging upside down from the tree, a small, white figure swayed with the wind. Cecelia shifted back and, with an anguished cry, ran toward Gina. Kate shifted and ran over to help pull the girl down. Neither one of them carried a knife so Kate simply reached up and snapped the branch off. Kate felt sick as she saw various cuts on Gina’s arms and inner thighs. Whoever had hurt the girl had intended for her to die slowly.
Cecelia sat on the ground, holding Gina in her arms, crying.
“Cecelia! Cecelia, focus!” Kate said, sharply.
“She’s still breathing. Get up and get dressed. We need to get her to town and the clinic. Hurry!” Kate said, pulling on her clothes. Cecelia gently placed Gina on the ground and pulled on her clothes as well. Kate easily lifted the small girl in her arms and they ran as quickly as they could back to the vehicles.
“Cecelia, I know you want
to go with Gina, but I need you to do me a huge favor.” Cecelia nodded rapidly, eyes blinking.
“Cecelia Raymond, are you with me?” Kate asked.
Cecelia shook her head as if to clear it and then met Kate’s eyes. “I’m okay. What do you need me to do, Alpha?”
“I need you to go to the Pack house and tell Rian to take the boys to the Pride House, that I am personally asking the Pride Alpha to guard my sons. Tell Riley what happened and have him bring only his most trusted men to the clinic.” She strapped Gina into the passenger seat of her truck.
“Can I tell my mom? Gina will want her there. My mom is like a second mom to her,” Cecelia said.
Kate hesitated for only a moment. She knew that a woman who doted on her daughter as much as Beverly Raymond did would never do this to Gina.
“Yes, now hurry. Do not stop the car for anything. Literally drive up to the front door. Do you understand me?” She grabbed the girl and looked her in the eye.
“Yes, Alpha!” Cecelia said.
“Good girl, now go and be safe!” She said.
She watched the red car speed away from her as she turned the truck west toward town. Driving with one hand, she dialed Liam’s cell.
“Chelllo, Katie Belle, to what do I owe this honor?” Liam said cheerfully.
“I just found Gina Wade strung up in a tree in the woods on pack lands nearly drained of blood. I sent Cecelia Raymond to the Pack house to tell Rian to bring the boys to you. I am asking for you to guard my sons, Liam Lewenhart,” she said formally.
“I will personally watch over them and guard them with my life, Alpha Kate Edwards of the Arkadian wolf pack,” he said, finishing the formal response.
“Fuck, Kate! Is there anything else I can do?” he asked. She could hear him barking orders in the background to start locking down the Pride house.
“You have the most important job already in my opinion. I am trusting you with my children,” she said.
“I won’t let you down, Katie. I am sending you Beau and Kaden. Be careful,” Liam said.
“You, too.” She hung up and then called Bran.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Bran said. She could picture his relaxed smile.
“Bran,” she started and her voice broke. Just hearing his voice made her want him next to her.
“Kate! Kate, where are you? What’s going on?” he yelled into the phone.
“I’m on the east road heading into town. I have Gina. They got to her, Bran. I’m heading straight to the clinic.” She looked up. She could see the lights from the town.
“I can see the town. Meet me at the clinic.” She threw her phone in the console next to her.
She drove straight down Congress Avenue and skidded to a stop in front of the clinic. She nearly stripped the gears as she put the truck in park, the back tires still coming to a stop. She jumped out and was met by Dr. Claybourne. She opened the passenger side of the truck, very gently lifted Gina out, and passed her to the doc. He immediately ran inside the clinic and disappeared behind the sliding double doors. Kate followed and found herself standing alone in the waiting room.
“Kate! Oh thank God!” Bran strode into the waiting room. He spun her around and pulled her into his arms. She immediately felt Caleb behind her, pressing his body into hers. Both held her as if afraid to let go.
“Kate! What happened?” Rebecca said as she and Aleks came through the doors, followed by Ashby and Ma.
“Cecelia was right. We found Gina hanging from a tree on pack lands a few miles from her home. She had been stripped and it looked like she had been beaten then drained.” Kate pulled her head from Bran’s chest.
“I hate to think how long they had her or how long she had been hanging in that fucking tree,” Kate said, her voice breaking.
“Thank God you didn’t listen to me,” Aleks said, looking pale.
“Kate, I’m so sorry for not listening to you,” Bran said, closing his eyes.
“I was so concerned with keeping the pack safe I let this happen to Gina.” Bran kept his eyes closed as if he couldn’t face her or the others in the room.
“You didn’t let this happen. If you’d known it was happening, you would have stopped it. The hyenas and the hyenas alone are responsible for this.” Kate rubbed her hands up and down his upper arms.
“She’s right, Bran. You’re not God. What we have to concentrate on right now is making sure we do everything we can for Gina and find these bastards,” Caleb said, his voice filled with emotion.
“Where is she!” a penetrating voice said from the clinic doorway minutes later.
Kate looked up to see Beverly Raymond breathing hard, her husband and daughter close behind her. Cecelia had been able to get her parents released given the severity of the situation. Beverly’s hair was undone and sticking out in every direction and her normally well-pressed blouse and pants were creased. Kate moved away from Bran.
“Ms. Raymond, Dr. Claybourne is with her now. I’m sure he’ll come tell us something as soon as he can,” Kate said, stepping toward the older woman.
“My Beverly told me what you did, what both you and the Alpha Mother did to go look for Gina. Thank you, Alpha. Thank you for what you have done for Gina. Her mother was my best friend. I failed her and I have failed to look after her children, but that stops now. You have my full support.” She placed her fisted hand over her heart. Kate stared in shock. With a shaking hand, she returned the gesture. That final gesture seemed to take the last of Ms. Raymond’s strength. She crumpled in front of Kate, who caught her as she fell forward.
“Please, God, let her be okay.” Kate could hear the steady repetition of words coming from the older woman.
“It’ll be ok, Mama,” Cecelia said and took her mother from Kate’s arms.
“Shush, Mama, Kate will take care of everything. She and our Alpha Mother will keep us safe.” Cecelia moved her mother to one of the chairs.
“Bran, we have ten pack members that I trust out here. Just say the word. We’re ready to hunt,” Riley said from the doorway.
“If you’re here, then who is guarding the boys?” Caleb demanded, turning to Riley.
“Kate sent Rian and Damian to Liam. They have the Pride House on lock down. Liam has given his word of honor to protect the boys,” Riley said, his eyes showing his disbelief. It wasn’t often that another shifter group would take in another’s young and swear to defend it to the last dying man of that group.
“Thank God!” Caleb said, running his hand over his face.
Bran looked at Kate. “Liam agreed to this?”
“For me, he did,” she said simply.
Rebecca had somehow closely woven their small town together. Before her arrival everyone stayed close to their pride or pack. It was as if her arrival helped others see beyond their animal and helped them become friends. Kate smiled when she realized that she hadn’t even hesitated in calling Liam.
Dr. Claybourne came through the double doors. He looked up and went to Kate.
“She’s not doing well. If and it’s a big if, she survives the night, she’ll still have a rough next couple days. She’s been beaten and then drained of blood. Our normal rapid healing has been slowed to a crawl. She had bruising on her inner thighs. I administered a rape kit, but results are inconclusive. She will need a lot of support in the next couple weeks and months it will take her to recover,” he said slowly and carefully.
Kate looked over to Beverly Raymond.
“She’ll be coming home with us, Dr. Claybourne. God only knows her father is useless and would not be of any help to her,” Beverly said with disdain. She turned to Kate.
“They die,” she said.
Kate nodded. “Every last motherfucking one of them,” Kate said, blinking hard.
“Alpha Kate, Alpha Liam sent us,” a familiar voice said from the clinic door. Kate looked up to see Beau Thompson and Kaden Barnett waiting on her.
She went to take a step forward toward them when a wave of dizziness swept thro
ugh her. She wrapped her arms around her body as her teeth began to chatter. She was cold, so cold. She felt her knees give out and suddenly, she was blinking up into Bran’s frantic face. She saw his lips moving but couldn’t hear him. So cold. She knew she was shaking and couldn’t stop. Then, from the distance, she heard a faint voice.
Alpha Mother, help me.
All at once, sound and motion returned. She sat up.
“Nicholas!” Her screams echoed with Ashby’s and Rebecca’s. She turned her head and saw that they, too, lay on the floor. Kaden was holding Ashby and Aleks hovered franticly over Rebecca.
“Bran, Caleb, Kaden, Beau, Riley, take the men and go! The Grind, save Nic! Hurry!” she yelled. Her voice acted as a release and the men sprang into action. Bran gave her one last look before standing and running out the door.
Kate tried to crawl to Ashby and Rebecca, but her arms gave out. Gently, Arthur Raymond picked her up and carried her to where Ashby now lay cuddled next to Rebecca on the floor. Arthur set her down on the other side and they waited. In the background, she heard Dr. Claybourne barking out orders to get a second trauma unit prepped to receive Nicholas.
They didn’t have to wait long. Less than twenty minutes later, Caleb barreled into the clinic carrying Nic’s unconscious form. Ashby cried out in anguish. Caleb carried Nic back to where the doctor waited behind the double doors open. A few minutes later, Dr. Claybourne came rushing back out.
He pointed to Ashby and Rebecca. “You and you come with me. Hurry!” They scrambled to get up and ran into the room. Kate followed without being asked. She walked in as Dr. Claybourne was explaining his treatment.
“Rebecca, he will benefit from your bond so lie as close to him as possible. He also needs a blood transfusion. Ashby, surprisingly, you are also O negative. He’s lucky. O negative is a universal donor but can receive only O negative. It’s extremely rare among shifters. Lie down and I’ll get the transfusion started. ” He pointed to the bear-sized bed where Nicholas lay. Ashby and Rebecca jumped into bed with Nic. Nic moaned and buried his face into Rebecca’s neck. Ashby snuggled up behind him.