Ashwood Falls Volume Two (26 page)

The news that Vance, Onyx’s Marshal, had a hand in the human rebel groups just put the fucking cherry on top.

He’d gladly put all of it aside for a brief moment to get Graham and confront Cam on the real reason she’d been avoiding them.

He was going to be a father.

C
hrista sat on the sofa sandwiched between Bryce and Brenna, which was their usual evening ritual, pile on the couch like puppies and watch TV. Only right now they didn’t have a TV. So they did the next best thing. They watched funny animal videos from YouTube on Brenna’s tablet.

She felt Hayden watching her from across the room where he sat at a small round table with his brother, speaking to him in hushed tones. Brenna said they were talking about Ashwood and someone named Blaine, which Christa knew was the new leopard Alpha.

So Christa tried not to pay Hayden any attention and enjoy the time she had with the twins. God, it had been a long time since she’d been able to do this with them. To just sit and be a family. She wanted to squeeze them both and never let go.

Beside her, Bryce tensed then Brenna followed almost immediately. Christa was about to ask what they’d heard or smelled when Hayden and Tanner jumped up from the table and went to the door. The twins stood and walked around the sofa to stand between her and the door.

Tanner jerked the door open and cursed. “Fuck, Kirk. What the hell?”

Christa stood and moved around the twins to get a better look. It was the man who had been with them the day Hayden took her from Shield HQ, and his shirt was soaked in blood.

Tanner reached out toward the man, but he slapped Tanner’s hand away. “It’s not my blood. I just killed a mutant, and I don’t think he was the only one.”

Hayden drew his gun and clicked off the safety. “Where?”

The man looked from her to Hayden. “A few feet from the tree line, but the bastard was headed into the den. I think it was looking for someone.”

“Fuck.” Hayden turned to her. “Stay here with the twins.”

Christa shook her head. “Give me a gun. I’m going with you.”

Hayden growled and stepped into her personal space, trying to intimidate her into obeying.
What. Ever.

She held out a hand and raised her brows. “I’m going. I know that those creatures are strong and fast. I’ve also taken a few down.”

Tanner stepped out the door. “Hayden, this is not the time to argue.”

Hayden looked at Bryce and gritted out, “The twins stay here. One distraction is enough.”

Christa peered back at her nephew. Bryce fisted his hands by his sides, but he nodded to Hayden. Relief rushed through Christa. She didn’t want them fighting. Not yet. Not until they went through the proper training that only a Pack could give them.

Bryce moved his gaze to her and took his sister’s hand. “We’ll stay here and keep the door locked. Please be careful.”

Christa went to them and hugged them. Bryce was the more dominant twin. He usually made the final decisions between the two of them.

She pulled back and kissed each of their cheeks. “I’ll be back, promise.”

Moments later, Christa followed the three shifters into the wooded area around the den. All her senses were on alert. She noted every sound, every smell and searched for changes in the wildlife activity around her. Yet, nothing seemed off.

It was like the night her parents had died.

Utter quiet. No wind. No sounds of nature—as though the universe was waiting for something to happen.

An icy chill shot up her spine right before she smelled it. The rotten stench of a mutant.

The guys smelled it too by the way they turned sharply to the right. Christa had to run to stay with them, but she didn’t care. The thrill of the hunt, fueled by an unsatisfied need for revenge, filled her.

She palmed the Sig that Hayden had given her when they left the house as she caught up with him. He didn’t glance her way, but she knew he was watching her in that wolfy way of his. She’d seen the twins do it. The constant watching of their surroundings was instinct, something they did without effort or conscious thought.

All of a sudden, Hayden gripped her hand and stopped. Tanner and Kirk stilled beside them. Hayden squeezed her hand in a silent warning.

Yeah, he didn’t have to warn her. She heard it too, not as well as they probably did, but she heard the growls and grunts of the mutants. By the sounds of it, there were more than two.

Hayden stepped closer to her and bent to whisper in her ear. “My guess is there are four of them, and they’re headed our way. Now’s your chance to kill some shifters, hunter.”

She pressed her lips together and pushed away the urge to shoot him. He was baiting her, pushing her buttons. Irritating man.

With a load crash, a tree fell to the ground in front of them, making the ground shake under her feet. Then two large mutants appeared. Both were bigger than she’d ever seen. They must have stood about seven feet tall. Hair covered every inch of their bodies. She knew this because the beasts didn’t have a stitch of clothing on.

Flashes of her parents’ brutal murders entered her mind. Her mother’s screams filled her head as though she’d been sucked back in time to that awful night.

Her mother ran out the front door and out of her sight. Christa’s heart pounded as she saw one of the mutants give chase. A moment later the screams cut off, leaving Christa in a heartbreaking silence. That silence was broken seconds later by her father yelling to her to run.

She glanced his way in time to see a mutant latch on to his neck, gnawing and sucking like a starved vampire. Christa picked up the lamp from the end table in front of her and threw it at the creature’s head. It hit and shattered and fell to the floor. It was effective in focusing it to let go of her father, but the sound made it turn to her.

Spearing a glance at her father, she saw his chest rise and fall in short, rapid breaths. Focusing back on the mutant, she raised her gun and fired twice, hitting him in the head. The beast dropped to the floor.

She ran over to her father. His neck was torn open, blood pouring out too fast for her to stop it. “Dad.”

His gaze found hers, but he didn’t appear to see her. Dread cut right through her heart, and tears stung her eyes. “Dad,” she said again around a lump in her throat.

He coughed, but managed to say, “Kill me.”

She shook her head. She couldn’t kill her own father. “Hang in there. I’ll get help.”

“Too...late. Mutant. Virus.” He started to convulse in her arms, his skin much too hot.

“Hang on, damn it.”

He cupped her cheek with a shaky hand. “Kill me before...” He coughed again then continued, “...I turn into...mutant.”

She peered over her shoulder to the creature she’d killed and shuddered. Grief hit her hard, and she knew he was right. After all, her brother-in-law was a shifter and had warned them of the mutants.

With slow movements, she rose and walked over to where she’d dropped the gun. After picking it up, she aimed. “I love you, Dad.”

A gunshot echoed off the trees in the forest around her, bringing her back to the present. A mutant lay dead on the forest floor at her feet.

A moment later something large and heavy hit her in the side, knocking her to the ground, hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She struggled to catch her breath as she started into the eyes of a mutant. Two-inch-long fangs poked out from its top lip. Its eyes glowed an unnatural gold.

She raised the gun, but before she could fire, he gripped her hand and slammed it to ground, knocking the gun out of her grip. Pain shot through her wrist and traveled up her arm. She ground her teeth together, forcing the pain away.

With her uninjured hand, she swung at the mutant’s head as hard as she could. She felt the sting of the slap the instant her hand made contact. It didn’t, however, hurt the creature, but it did distract it long enough for her thrust her hips sideways to throw him off balance.

The beast let out a growl as she scrambled from under him, desperate to get to her gun. Just as she reached out and grabbed her gun, the mutant latched on to her ankle and squeezed. She cried out at the same time she swung her arm around, aimed, and fired.

The shot echoed through the forest, and the mutant dropped with a heavy
thud
beside her.

When she stood, Hayden stepped into her line of sight. She met his gaze and blinked. “You froze up.”

She pursed her lips and went to move around him. She so didn’t need to be told that. Yeah, she’d fucked up. “It was nothing.”

“Nothing hell. You could have been killed.”

She swung around and met him head-on. “That would solve a lot of our issues, now wouldn’t it?”

“You don’t mean that.”

When she said nothing, he drew his brows together and reached out to touch her cheek. She slapped at his hand and stepped back. Of course she didn’t mean it, and she didn’t think for a minute that he believed that.

Damn it, she’d fucked up. Freezing up when facing a mutant went against everything she’d learned during training. It wasn’t like her.

Hell, she’d never frozen up before. The memories hit her hard, and she didn’t know why. She turned and walked back to the den, not really caring if there were more creatures out there.

“Christa.” Hayden’s stern voice boomed through the forest. She didn’t look back; she couldn’t look at him. She was afraid she’d see that he thought she was weak. Why did she care? She was still going to leave as soon as the twins were safe and secure.

Once she exited the forest into the den, she headed straight to the medical center. All the while she heard Hayden’s heavy footsteps behind her. She closed her eyes briefly. He wasn’t going to let this drop. He’d probably give her a lecture. She sure would if the situation was reversed.

She entered the building and stilled.

Standing in the middle of the large waiting area was a mutant, or at least Christa thought it was. This one was female and looked more human than any she’d ever seen.

The female’s eyes grew round, and she tightened her grip on the armful of food and a first aid kit. “Please, let me go. I’m not here to harm anyone.”

Shock made Christa draw back and study the female a little more. Just then Hayden stepped inside. Christa grabbed his arm when he stopped next to her and drew his gun. “Wait. She can speak. I’ve never heard any of them speak.”

Hayden pulled his arm from her grip and took a step forward. The female mutant backed up a step. A tear rolled down her cheek, and Christa saw real terror in her eyes.

“What do you want, female?” Hayden asked in that commanding tone of his.

The female shifted her gaze from him to Christa and back to him before peering at the floor. “Just food and some supplies.”

“Supplies.” He indicated to the first aid kit. “You don’t appear to be hurt.”

She started to shake, and Christa almost felt sorry for her. This mutant was not at all like the blood-hungry monsters she’d tracked over the last eight years. No, this one still had her humanity.

“Speak, female.”

Hayden’s harsh tone made both of them jump. Christa watched as the female took a deep, shaky breath before answering. “My friend is hurt. He’s dying.”

“Where?”

She hesitated and looked up to meet Christa’s gaze. Christa didn’t say anything. She couldn’t really. Hayden was the superior in this situation.

“I’ll show you,” the female said and pointed to the door.

Hayden stepped aside to allow her to pass.

They followed her to the back of the den to a small dilapidated house. The mutant walked to the back of the house and into the only bedroom still intact. Christa’s gaze went to the dirty mattress on the floor where a male mutant lay.

She gasped and covered her mouth. It couldn’t be.

But it was.

She’d know the brown and gold fur of her brother-in-law anywhere. Only this wasn’t Rick, not fully. She’d always thought he’d just gone rogue, but the man in front of her was no ordinary rogue. He was a mutant.

Her sister’s husband.

The twins’ father.

Hair covered his body, but unlike other mutants Rick had pants on. His extended fangs weren’t as large as the others either. Then there was his eyes. They held more clarity like he’s been lifted out of a fog or something.

His eyes grow large when he met her gaze, then grew shiny. He shook his head and started to sit up. The female mutant rushed over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “No, Rick. Don’t sit.”

He didn’t take his watery eyes off Christa as he lay back down. “Sorry,” he said and held out a hand to her.

Christa shook her head and ran out of the house. Outside, she fell to her knees and released the hold on her pain, her tears. Her whole body shook as she just cried for the parents she’d lost and her sister, who’d died by the hand of her mate.

Hayden’s warm, large arms lifted her off the ground and cradled her to his chest as he walked. She didn’t bother to speak. Instead, she gave into the warmth of him and allowed him to care for her. Even if it was only for the moment.

H
ayden had suspected Christa held on to demons from her past. The panic she’d experienced when they first arrived at Hunter Ridge and he’d brought inside the dark house was only one clue. The next was her lack of trust in all things shifter except her niece and nephew.

Now he was certain that something traumatic had happened to her. Whether it was before she became a Shield hunter or after he wasn’t sure.

Because trained soldiers—human and shifters alike—didn’t freeze up in the middle of an OP.

He carried her into the temporary house and sat on the sofa and held her. Brenna and Bryce were there in an instant, taking Christa’s hands in theirs to offer their love and strength. He didn’t push them away or tell them to leave. After all, they were her family, her small Pack.

The twins didn’t ask any questions. Then again, they could already know.

Hayden dug out his cell from his jeans pocket and called Blaine. The Alpha answered on the first ring.

“Yeah!”

Hayden sighed. “I need you to bring Ana here.”