CAGED (Mackenzie Grey #2) (5 page)

“Can we eat them?” the Nymph beside me asked.

I wrinkled my nose. “Uh…no, sorry.”

“Shame,” she sighed.

The Ogres came to a stop in front of us. “What a treat,” one of them said. “A whole feast, just for us, boys.”

“Ugh, gross,” I groaned and Roman nudged me to shut up. “Sorry.”

“Easy there, gentlemen,” a voice from behind the Ogres said. “I need a word with our intruders before you gorge on their flesh.”

“Flesh?” I muttered to Roman. “You told me they eat intestines!”

He glanced at me in disbelief. “As if that’s any better, Ace!”

“Ace?” The voice moved to the forefront of the group and we realized he wasn’t an Ogre. “Why is that name familiar?”

I took a few steps forward and shrugged. “What can I say, I’m a popular gal,” I smiled.

The tall slender man appeared human. He looked no younger than maybe sixty. He walked with a cane, his receding hairline only had a few strands of thinning black hair, streaked with white. His smile was sinister and it matched the filth I found the Sucubi in.

“Popular you are, dear. I’ve heard your name float around for quite some time. Sticking your muzzle where it doesn’t belong,” he said, resting his cane in front of him, both hands holding it steady.

“My muzzle?” I touched my nose and felt the ridges of my wolf’s snout. “That’s just insulting.”

“A comedian, I see,” the stranger observed.

“I’d like to think of myself as a Humorist Extraordinaire, but whatever floats your boat,” I grinned. “Now are we going to continue exchanging such stimulating banter, or are you going to tell us who you are? Can I guess?” I asked, not waiting for a response. “You’re Ron Goldstein, aren’t you?”

“Do you want a cookie?” he deadpanned.

I thought about it for a moment, tapping my finger on my chin. “Only if its chocolate chip. I don’t want none of that oatmeal shit,” I stuck my pointer finger in my mouth and gaged.

“Has anyone told you how goddamn annoying you are?” he snarled, his patience growing weary.

“All. The. Damn. Time,” I smirked. I dropped to a crouching position and kicked off in a run on all fours, my wolf growling, canines snapping.

An Ogre jumped in front of me and I slashed my claws across its chest and kicked it out of my way. My silver eyes zeroed in on Ron. “Come back here, Ronnie,” I taunted as I ripped the throats of a few Ogres in my way.
Six, seven.
Blood dripped from the tips of my fingers as I prowled toward the skinny bastard who was walking backwards—away from me.

I could hear the fighting around me as Roman and the Nymphs joined the fun, giving me the opportunity to go after Ron.

“You think you’re better than me?” he spat as he almost tripped. “You wolves are worse!”

“All that yapping is makin’ me hungry, Ron,” I teased. I was catching up to his unsteady steps.

“Stop! Just stop!” he yelled, his palm outstretched. “You don’t want to kill me.”

“And why is that, Ronnie? Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t, as you say, gorge on your flesh?”

“Because,” he screamed, spittle coming out of his mouth. “I have one of yours!”

In two leaps I was in Ron’s face, my clawed hand wrapped tightly around his neck. I slammed his body to the ground. “Where,” I growled. The protectiveness of the wolf erupted out of me. It didn’t matter if I were a lone-wolf, I wouldn’t let him hold one of my own hostage—or anyone for that matter.

“Promise,” he squeaked. “You won’t kill me.”

“Yeah, whatever, now tell me where!”

“Ace?” Roman approached me. “What are you doing?”

“Speak you piece of shit!” I snapped my canines in his face.

“Container,” he choked. “Container 44-HJK-1579.”

I slammed his head on the concrete ground, making it bounce like a basketball, and knocking him unconscious.

“What the hell, Ace! We need him alive!” Roman shrieked as I released Ron and started looking around the Shipyard. He went toward the limp body and checked for a pulse. “You’re lucky he’s still breathing.”

“That’s not luck,” I muttered as I spotted the compartment.

A few uniformed police officers ran toward us and I directed them to Roman. I sprinted toward container 44-HJK-1579 and didn’t waste time trying to pick the lock. I ripped the bolt off with a loud roar—not caring if the human officers saw me. The doors flew open with the force and my eyes switched to night vision. Inside were a few Sucubi huddled over a girl who couldn’t be any more than ten years old. Her face was caked with dirt, light brown eyes wide and fearing, and strawberry blonde hair that needed a good wash. But most of all—she smelled like a Luna.

Forty-eight Sucubi from up and down the West Coast had been rescued at the raid at the Port of Long Beach. Ron was an Incubus—a male Succubus—kidnapping his own kind to sell overseas as sex slaves. He had been using the Ogres as bodyguards but that backfired when most of them had been slaughtered tonight. A few got away, but most were either dead or incarcerated with their boss, waiting to be processed and shipped to Ironwood. Good riddance.

I sat behind my desk staring at the little girl seated in front of me, staring back. She was in that awkward stage as a kid when you’re too tall and thin that your pants hitch up to your ankles. Which was more noticeable as she kept bouncing her right leg. We were alone as most of the Sucubi were at the bus station going back home, and only a few milled around the station.

“Do you have a name?” I asked. Her eyes barely blinked as she watched me, not saying a word. “Alright, Kid, you need to tell me something. Where are your parents at least? Can I call someone to get you?” Silence. “Do you need to use the bathroom?” Nothing.

I slumped into my chair and rubbed harshly at my eyes. I was exhausted and hungry. Fatigue was rearing its ugly head and I was losing patience. The only thing I had left to do was to take care of this little Luna girl, and I had no idea how.

“She has no one,” a voice by the elevator startled me. I turned to the side and saw Sonya standing at the entrance of the squad room.

“Excuse me?” I said. “Do you know her?”

She nodded. “Her name is Emma. Her mother was a Succubus.”

My eyes widened. “How?”

“Her father was a wolf. The wolf gene is dominant over any other species,” she said.

I nodded. “Okay, do you know where I can find them?”

Sonya’s smile fell. “They’re both dead. Her father was a lone-wolf killed by the Pack, and her mother had been captured by the Incubus. She died last week of dehydration.”

My gaze went back to the girl whose eyes had glossed over but didn’t dare shed a tear. Her resolve was strong, I could see it in the rigidness of her body.

“Are you going to take responsibility for Emma?”

Sonya gasped. “What? I can’t!” she inched back to the elevators. “She needs to be given to The Summit. They’ll be able to care for her.”

“The Summit?” I jerked. “Are you nuts?”

“Are you?” she questioned. “You should know better!”

I froze. Shit. I couldn’t let it be known I was a lone-wolf. The only ones in the West Coast who knew my secret were Roman and La Loba of the Desert Wolves—I needed to keep it that way.

“What I mean is, shouldn’t she be with someone familiar?”

Sonya thought about it for a moment. “I can’t, I just met her and I’m not prepared to care for a wolf. The Summit is her best chance of survival. I’m sorry.” She apologized to the girl before turning to leave. “And Wolf?”

I glared at the Succubus. “What?”

“Thank you…for saving our lives. If you ever need anything…you have our loyalty,” Sonya said before exiting the room.

“Well damn, ain’t that a bitch,” I mumbled.

“You got that right,” the kid said and I jerked up.

“What?”

“I said, you got that right. This shit sucks,” she said and I thought my jaw would drop to the floor.

“Uh…you shouldn’t talk like that,” I said baffled.

“You shouldn’t either,” she countered. “And you’re not sending me to The Summit. I don’t want to be a Luna.”

I wanted to burst out in laughter but had to swallow the urge.
Ditto, Kid
.

“Well unless you have some family I can send you to, The Summit is your only option. How old are you anyway?”

“Eleven in a half and The Summit isn’t my only choice. You
could
just let me go,” she countered. “I’m big enough to take care of myself.”

I chuckled. “No you’re not. You haven’t even hit puberty yet so you haven’t shifted. There’s no way you can survive.”

“Yes I can,” she said.

“No you can’t.”

“Yes I can.”

“No.”

“Yes,” she inched to the edge of her seat. “Yes, times infinity!”

“No, times infinity, times infinity!”

She gasped. “You can’t do that!”

I smirked. “I’m a grown up, I can do whatever I want.”

She slouched into the seat and huffed. “That’s bullshit.”

“Hey!” I reprimanded. “Language.”

“Whatever,” she muttered and turned her head away.

With that battle won, I stood and headed toward the breakroom to get her something to eat. She had already devoured two bottles of water.

Roman leaned against the doorway with a grin on his face. “How’s it going with the little one?”

“She’s impossible,” I complained. “And the mouth on her is despicable.”

He laughed. “Oh yeah? Seems a bit familiar, don’t you think?”

I glanced over my shoulder to find her flipping me off. “That little monster!” I gave her the finger in return. “And here I was about to get her a snack.”

Roman covered his mouth with the palm of his hand and he looked like he was about to sneeze. “Holy shit, Ace, don’t you see it?”

“See what?” I asked frustrated. “That she’s an annoying little girl with no manners? Yeah, I caught on.”

“No, Ace, she’s a mini you.”

I was taken aback. “Excuse me?” I placed a hand over my chest in mock horror. “That kid is nothing like me!”

Roman shook his head. “She is exactly like you,” he leaned forward and whispered. “Right down to the rebellious part that prefers to be a lone-wolf than conform.” He pushed off the door frame and walked over to Emma. She smiled brightly at him as he extended his hand in introduction to her. That conniving little person…she was going to be trouble.

“Do you need to use the bathroom?” I yelled to her. That bouncing leg was driving me nuts.

“I don’t use public bathrooms!” she screamed.
What the fuck?

“Well aren’t you a bundle of rainbows and sunshine,” I mumbled.

I went in the break room and grabbed a roll of Ritz crackers that I had started eating last night and another bottle of water for Emma. She was giggling at Roman and I had to swallow the urge to growl. How come she was sweet with him and not with me? I was pretty darn lovable.

“Alright Kid, eat up because we have to go,” I said as I dropped her snacks on her lap.

“Go where?” she asked.

“Mojave Desert.”

Roman’s eyes snapped to me. “You’re taking her to the Desert Wolves?”

I nodded.

“So soon?”

“Yes, Roman,” I huffed. “I can’t take care of her, and she’s better off with the Pack anyways.”

His hazel eyes narrowed as he grabbed me and pulled me to the side, out of Emma’s ear shot.

“Isn’t that a bit hypocritical of you? You know she’s not better off with them.”

“What do you expect me to do?” I whispered. “You want her to shack up with us, and we become all domesticated and shit?”

He blanched, as I expected. “Of course not.”

“Then what other options do we have?”

“All I’m saying—”

“I know what you’re saying, Rome, but we don’t have any other choice. I’m sorry,” I said as I pushed past him. Emma was munching loudly on the crackers, crumbs decorating her face and shirt. “Ready, Kid?”

She pouted. “Can I stay with you? Pretty please?” she pleaded. Her glassy eyes were almost my undoing. The last thing I wanted was for her to lose all that attitude and independence by joining the Pack. But when puberty hit and if she were alone on the streets, she could hurt someone. She needed to be taught the right way, unlike me.

“Sorry, but you can’t stay with me. I’m not an adult,” I admitted. I still had a lot of growing up to do before I could take on the responsibility of caring for a child. I squatted in front of her. “But I promise that the wolves will take you in and love you. Just don’t ever lose that spunk,” I winked.

“My mom told me I was different from the Lunas.”

I smiled. “You’re definitely something, Kid, but that’s what makes you special. You’re going to kick-ass as a Luna, you hear?”

She cracked a smile and nodded.

“Good. Now get your stuff and let’s go. It’s going to be a long drive.”

***

The drive to Mojave Desert was always a pain for me. It was too long for me to sit still, and I dreaded meeting with the Desert Wolves every time. Even though I shifted with them on full moons, I wasn’t part of their Pack, so I was considered an outsider. But with all that, I appreciated La Loba and everything she was doing for me. Because of her, I survived my Vision Quest. That day was forever ingrained into the forefront of my mind and I get chills thinking about it. I spent the day in a sweat lodge with La Loba guiding me through the ritual. When it was over, I was puking, about to pass out from heat stroke, and kept mumbling a riddle I had been gifted with—my vision. To this day, I still had no idea what it meant, and didn’t care to figure it out.

Roman pulled over on the side of the road nearest the encampment. I slid out of the Jeep and pushed the seat forward to allow Emma to get out from the back. She didn’t move.

“Come on, Emma, this isn’t the time to mess around. It’s almost morning and Roman needs to get home,” I said.

“Why?”

“Because he’s a vampire.”

“So he can’t be in the sun?”

“He can, but it just makes him tired.”

“So why didn’t he stay home?”

I sighed. “Emma, stop with the million questions. Please get out of the Jeep.”

Her small eyes widened. “Please, Ace, please don’t take me to them. I’ll be nicer to you, I promise,” she gulped.

Her little eleven-year-old hands gripped the back seat of Roman’s beat-up Jeep. Her knuckles whitened with fear of the unknown. I could relate.

“Hey, Rome?” I called out to him. “Can you go on ahead, we’ll be there in a minute.

He nodded and walked toward the fire of the Desert Wolves.

I climbed onto the Jeep again and slid next to Emma.

“I’m not scared,” she said. Her voice small.

“I know you’re not. You’re too tough to be scared,” I said. “I mean, what eleven-year-old has the balls to stand up to me?”

“Eleven and a half,” she corrected.

“My bad, I meant eleven and a half. You see? Balls of steel you got there.”

There was a pause as she looked away from me. “What are they going to do with me?”

“They’re going to give you a home, Emma. A home with your own kind.”

She gulped. “My mother said Lunas are slaves. I don’t want to be that.”

It was my turn to freeze in uncertainty. Lunas weren’t slaves, but they weren’t free to be who they wanted to be. There was a structure and they had to follow it. It was the reason I was on the run and not part of the Brooklyn Pack. I couldn’t live like that—I’d rather be dead.

“You won’t be a slave, Emma,” I lied without looking at her. “Whatever Pack you belong to, don’t let them change you—and you give them hell if they try.”

Through my peripheral vision, I saw her scoot closer and wrap her arms around me. Her little breath exhaling a sigh of relief as she rested her blonde head on my arm. “Thank you,” she muttered, still embracing me.

I wrapped my free arm over her as a single tear escaped my eye. I didn’t deserve a thank you, I was putting the last nail in her coffin.

***

Emma wouldn’t let go of my hand as we walked through the open land to the entrance of the camp. The Desert Wolves lived freely, most of the time in their wolf form. You would have thought being a wolf full-time would make them less human, but it didn’t. They were so in tune with the earth, if anything they were more human than wolf. I envied that sometimes.

La Loba and her son Emmanuel stood by the bon-fire with Roman. While she was old and weathered, Emmanuel was tall, strong, and a warrior. He was shirtless with only a pair of basketball shorts on. His long black hair was braided behind him to his mid-back. And like his mother, his eyes glowed yellow—the only inkling that his wolf was present. 

Everyone knew La Loba was the Alpha of the Desert Wolves, but Emmanuel assumed the role when they meet with The Summit, since women couldn’t hold that position. Their tribe believed the oldest in their community were the wisest and only ones qualified to be Alpha. I liked their way of thinking even if they practiced their ways in secret.

“We missed you last month,” Emmanuel said as he smiled, his canines peeking over his bottom lip.

I shrugged. “Was busy with a case, but I’ll be around next time.”

He nodded. “Good. So what brings you around on a non-full moon?” his eyes glided over to Emma and back to me.

I cleared my dry throat. “Emmanuel, La Loba, I’d like to introduce you to Emma…a Luna.”