Dark Refuge (2 page)

It didn’t happen often enough, so many of them racing together through the night. They all had busy lives, and many in the pack had jobs that took them away from Montana and their Chanku home, but this night the moon was full and Anton had called everyone who was able, inviting them to take a few hours to return to their feral roots. It was a chance for the pack to bond, to tighten that sense of family that forever held them close.

Even Sunny Daye and her new man, the forest ranger Fenris Ahlberg, were running, and Igmutaka, once a spirit guide, raced through the moonlit night as a wolf rather than his usual puma. He ran full out, staying ahead of Gabe, hard on his mate Star’s heels. And damn, but the two men were huge wolves. Gabe was large, but he felt like a pup next to either Fen or Ig.

Both of them were Berserkers, another species of Chanku bred eons ago as the race’s warrior class. Instead of human mothers, they’d been born as wolf cub and puma kit respectively, yet they were able to shift to human form as easily as they could become any predator. They were huge, almost twice as big as the average Chanku wolf, but their size wasn’t all that set them apart—their mating had been unusual, too. Ig and Fen as well as Star and Sunny had mated in a four-way bond, and wasn’t that a new twist for the pack? Yet when the men—both already mated to their women—had also experienced the mating bond with one another, not only the goddess but the Mother Herself had blessed their union.

Gabe had never actually considered his unmated status, yet now, when all those he felt closest to suddenly had someone even closer to them, he was all too aware of his lone wolf state.

Times were definitely changing and Gabe was still coming to terms with all of it, but tonight it wasn’t about him. It was about the pack. About bonding with those he loved, including his parents, who had called all of them together to run tonight. His dad, the pack’s alpha, held back a bit, his nose close by his mate’s flank. Gabe had a feeling Anton and Keisha would be slipping off into the woods before long, going in search of time alone, away from the rest of them.

He wondered if he’d ever have anyone to slip away with. Anyone who loved him the way his mom loved his dad, the way Romy loved Jace or Lily loved Sebastian. Everyone here was paired up. Everyone except Gabe. Well, Gabe and his buddy Aaron.

Aaron Cheval, son of Oliver and Mei, shared a last name with Gabe but was not related, thank the Goddess, because no matter how powerful the Chanku libido, incest was never acceptable.

Maybe he and Aaron needed to get together tonight and have a good, rousing drunk and fuck like there was no tomorrow. Just the two of them. He sent the thought to Aaron, who nipped his flank in agreement.

Then Aaron slipped back to run beside his parents, Oliver and Mei. Gabe glanced around and realized EmyIzzy wasn’t with them. He hadn’t seen Aaron’s baby sister, Emeline Isobelle, in years now. Last he’d heard, she was working in Asia. Hard to imagine her in a job halfway around the world. She’d always be little EmyIzzy to him, and how she loathed the nickname Gabe and Aaron had bestowed on her almost from birth.

Which, of course, was all the reason the guys needed to continue using it. Emeline had not been happy, but he wished she were here tonight. She was always fun to tease.

The pack circled a large pond, one grown even bigger this past year with the addition of a pair of industrious beavers. They’d dammed one of the smaller creeks and the shallow pond had become a prime hunting site. Deer and elk and even the occasional moose stayed near the water, breaking through the ice in winter, nibbling on green shoots in spring.

Moonlight cast everything in dark shadows and silver reflections. Gabe was so intent on the beauty around him, he almost ran into Jace’s butt when the pack stopped quickly. All of the wolves went still, noses to the air. The scent of game was strong, and by now they’d run far enough and fast enough that hunger had become a living entity, racing alongside them through the snow-covered night. The full moon leant a ghostly silver glow to snow and trees alike, but it was the scent that held them still.

Elk, nearby if his nose was any indicator. Gabe was known for his ability to scent game—and whatever else he looked for. He nudged Aaron and the two gazed at Wolf. The feral beast stood beside Romy, but his ears were laid back, his tail low to the ground. He growled, a low, chest-rattling rumble. Romy glanced at him and then her voice filled Gabe’s mind and the mind of every other wolf in the pack.

Wolf says man is near, on the far side of the pond. Hiding near the beaver dam.

Thank our brother for us, Romy.
Anton trotted ahead to stand beside the newest members of the pack.
Does he have any idea how many?

She stared at the wolf a moment.
Not as many as we are, but he can’t tell me. Specific numbers aren’t within his ability to communicate.

Anton turned and gazed toward the back of the pack.
Gabe, what are you picking up?

He took a deep breath, moved forward ahead of the pack and past the smell of wolves, raised his nose into the icy air and drew a deep breath, taking a moment to separate the various scents, allowing his wolven brain time to identify what his nose was collecting.
At least two men. They’ve been smoking pot and they’re armed. I can smell gunpowder, the faint scent of blood. Goose, I think. They probably shot at least one earlier.

What say we give them a good scare?
Anton swept his gaze over the pack, making eye contact with each of them. It wasn’t quite a democracy, but he always appeared to welcome input from anyone with ideas. This time the pack merely listened.

He dipped his head, easily reaffirming his role as their alpha.
We can all use the practice. We’re going to sneak up on them, carefully. No one is allowed to get shot.

The laughter was silent but impossible to ignore. Anton managed to lift an eyebrow, something that never ceased to amaze Gabe, how his dad could still be so human even when standing on four legs.

That was not said in jest. Our healers are out for an enjoyable run tonight, not to fix anyone, so don’t do anything stupid. Whoever gets in behind these idiots first might as well go ahead and shift and remind them they’re trespassing, but not until you scare the crap out of them. Got it? Gabe, take this side of the pond. We’ll go around the other side and come across the dam.

Without a sound, Anton and more than half the pack were gone, slipping like wraiths through the moonlight, gliding silently through the shadows to circle around the south end of the beaver pond. Gabe and Aaron veered north around the upper side with Romy and Jace and a few of the others, including Aaron’s parents. Anton had Adam and Liana and half a dozen more.

They moved quickly, dark phantoms slipping silently through even darker shadows. Gabe loved the hunt when their prey was sentient, when he hunted something that could just as easily hunt him. The challenge had his heart pounding and his blood racing, and he moved almost soundlessly, slower now as he sensed and scented humans nearby.

He heard them whispering, at least two men. The pond was in a natural bowl, an amphitheater with hills on three sides that magnified and distorted sound, but they had to be close by. The leaf-burning, skunky smell of marijuana irritated his sensitive nostrils. Gabe searched for visual clues until he saw movement, much closer than he’d originally expected. He stopped, breathing slowly, steadily. The others paused around him, crouching low behind frozen tules and cattails at the water’s edge.

There,
he said
. Between those two big aspens.
He cast his thoughts out, connecting with Anton on the far side of the pond.
Dad, I’ve got a visual. Looks like two men in hunting gear. They’re about twenty feet ahead of us, hunkered down between those big aspens this side of the beaver dam.

I see them. They’re all yours. Be careful, son.

You got it.
He glanced over his shoulder.
Romy and Jace, take Wolf and block the trail above us. That’s their most obvious means of escape. It looks like they came in on at least one ATV. Dad and his group are waiting across the beaver dam. The rest of you, block exits and watch for any possible escape, but stay hidden. I think there are only two, but I don’t want to take any chances. We know they’re armed. Aaron, let’s you and me go play big bad wolf.

They took their time, working their way closer, moving in from above until they had a clear line of sight to the two men. Both appeared fairly young, late twenties, maybe. The ground around them was littered with beer cans, the air thick with the stench of the dope they’d been smoking.

A couple of dead geese lay in the snow beside them.

Hunters were bad enough, but slobs were even more irritating. He wouldn’t bite them, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t scare them enough to keep them from coming back. Gabe shot a quick look around, saw that everyone was out of sight of the hunters.
I want everyone to howl, loud and long. If they try and run, block their way. Now!

The night exploded from absolute silence to a wild cacophony of howling wolves in little more than a heartbeat. Gabe noticed a few snarls and barks added for effect as he and Aaron slipped into the open space beside the hunters’ ATV.

Cursing, the crunch of branches snapping and loose snow falling from the aspen branches preceded the two hunters. They burst out of the brush heading for their vehicle, almost colliding with Aaron. Standing a full three feet tall at the shoulder, he was huge and deadly, and when he snarled, baring long canines, both men stopped dead in their tracks.

Other wolves drifted in from the shadows, and Anton led his group across the beaver dam to join the rest of the pack. Taking positions that ringed the two in a tight circle of dozens of snarling wolves, they waited while the two men clung to each other, babbling unintelligible, panicked gibberish.

Gabe shifted. At six three and two hundred pounds he wasn’t the largest of the men, but he had the presence of his father and the confidence in knowing the entire pack was behind him. It didn’t hurt that he was bare-assed naked. He’d discovered long ago that humans were notoriously nonplussed by a large, naked man, especially one who was totally unconcerned with his lack of clothing. “You are trespassing on Chanku land.” He held out his hand. “Put your weapons down and show me your IDs, please.”

• • •

“Why was I not surprised those idiots were from California?” Gabe tipped his beer and took a swallow. Freshly showered and dressed, his body sated after a hard and fast fuck with Aaron following their run, he hooked his bare feet in the rungs of the bar stool in his father’s den and stretched his arms high over his head, twisting to loosen up the kinks.

Sitting on the big leather couch with Mei sleeping beside him in her snow-leopard form, Oliver Cheval swirled the dark cognac in his glass and shook his head. “What bothers me is that they seriously believed those stupid ID cards they’d bought—for one hell of a lot of money, I might add—gave them access to our property. In that respect, they didn’t think they were breaking the law. I’ll give them that, but their maps were too damned good for my peace of mind.”

Aaron walked into the den with his digital notepad. He scrolled through a few pages and highlighted a website. “It’s a good thing we caught them. I watch for this sort of crap all the time, but this is a new website, and one I’ve missed. This group is selling private hunting privileges on Chanku land. They have a very authentic—though false, I checked—U.S. Forest Service certificate of approval. The only restriction is that you can’t shoot wolves or other predators, but any other game is fine.”

Anton leaned on the bar, his favorite spot when they met in here for drinks and conversation. “That caveat will keep them from an attempted murder or even murder-for-hire charge, but Aaron, you didn’t get that law degree for nothing. I want to hit the owners of that website with a lawsuit that’s big enough to get their attention. Have you got screen shots of everything?”

“I do, along with the taped confessions of our two erstwhile hunters. I believe they were honestly apologetic.” He laughed. “They also cleaned up all their trash, so Gabe let them keep the dead geese. But yes, I’ll get right on it.”

Oliver’s mobile phone chirped. He stepped away from the group and answered the call. “Emeline. I didn’t realize you were back in the states, sweetie. How are you? What? Tell me more.” His voice faded as he left the room.

It was a full five minutes before he returned, still talking. “Honey, Aaron’s busy. Anton gave him an important project. Just a minute.” He covered the phone, glanced at Anton. “Who can make a quick trip to San Francisco? Em’s got a situation. It’s not one I want her to handle alone.”

Anton glanced around the room until his gaze settled on Gabe. “Gabe? Can you do it? I know you wanted to be here for the winter solstice celebration, but . . .” He shrugged.

Gabe shot him a grin. “Sure. I can go. I haven’t seen EmyIzzy in years. Whatever it is can’t take three weeks, so there should be time.” He glanced at Oliver. “When, and what do I need to take? Let me talk to her.” He held his hand out for the phone.

Em’s father shot Anton a look that was impossible to interpret. Then he turned to Gabe. “No. I’ll get the particulars. You go pack. She needs someone there as soon as possible, preferably tonight.” He lifted the phone, covered it again and then shot another look at Gabe. “I’d suggest you drop the EmyIzzy tag for the duration, okay?”

Laughing, Gabe stood. “Suggestion noted.” He saluted Oliver and headed for his cottage, well aware his mood was vastly improved.

Chapter 2

Emeline arrived at San Francisco International and waited in the Chanku Global Industries hangar. The company maintained a fleet of jets and helicopters, which allowed her to bypass the general airport entrance and all the security hassles. After the frustrating couple of days she’d had, Em really didn’t want to deal with all that.