Dark Wolf Unbound (Heart of the Shifter #2) (16 page)

A
bby heard
the footsteps on the landing outside her apartment. Two sets, both heavy, both clearly men. Dear God, was Grigori with him?

She swung to face the front door as the knob turned, fighting against the fear trying to consume her. Lucius walked in first. Sleeping against his shoulder was Seth. At the sight of him, Abby choked back a cry of relief, not wanting to awaken the boy from the protection of sleep.

Then, another shadow filled the doorway. Broader shoulders, heavier muscle, eyes as dark as the pitiless hell that radiated from him. Grigori. Her father.

She swallowed as he walked into the room, walking straight toward her as Lucius walked the other way to set Seth on the couch. Grigori came to a stop in front of her, his eyes fixed on her face.

It had been so long since she'd seen him, so long since she'd stared into the eyes of the man who'd terrorized her and so many others. His eyes were shrewd and calculating, gleaming with the same intelligence that had always guided him through his massacres. "Abigail."

She lifted her chin, ignoring the pain screaming through her shoulders. "Grigori."

"You're the only one left."

"Because you killed them." She knew he was talking about her family.

"They betrayed me. These things happen." He traced a finger along her jaw, his touch so light it felt like the whisper of death before it struck. "But you're different. We need you."

She lifted her chin. "I'll never sing for you again."

"I think you will." He jerked his chin at Lucius, who strode toward the door and walked out into the hall again. "What we've discovered is that the recording of your voice doesn't have a long-term effect on the psyche the way your voice does in real life. We need you to come work for us again."

"Work for you?" She would have laughed at the idea, except for the fact that his words made chills scrape down her spine, because she knew he would have a plan. "I'm not for sale." But even as she said it, she tried frantically to process what was going on. She'd been so sure they were going to have Seth kill her. But if they weren't, then who?

"Everyone is for sale." As he spoke, Lucius walked back in the room, carrying Abby's grandmother. She was bound and gagged, her hands tied behind her back, her eyes glistening with outrage.

"Nana!" Abby gasped at the sight of her grandmother trussed up in Lucius's arms.

Her grandmother, however, just looked pissed. She looked right at Abby and furrowed her brow, clearly commanding Abby not to give in, no matter what they did to her. "Oh, God." Abby's legs started to tremble. She couldn't let them hurt her.
She couldn't do it.

Lucius tossed her grandmother on the couch, and Abby winced as she bounced on the old cushions. He walked over to Abby and gripped her hair, twisting her head back. "You forced me to have my wife murdered, so now you get to fill in for her. You're mine, Abby." He kissed her, a slobbery, disgusting kiss that made revulsion churn in her stomach.

"Get off!" She brought her knee up hard, slamming it into his crotch. He howled in pain, and bent over, fury spitting from his eyes as he glared at her. "There's no chance I'll ever be yours. You don't get to touch me. Ever." How long had it been since Jace had left? Two hours? Was he close? How long could she delay Lucius and Grigori?

He grabbed her around the neck and jerked her toward him. "You stupid bitch. I'll—"

"No." Grigori stayed him with one word. "Never touch her throat, Lucius, or I will cut off your hands. The rest of her body is yours, but her voice is mine. Release her."

Crazed anger glazing over his eyes, Lucius shoved her away from him. She swung on the hook like a pendulum, her shoulders now past the point of pain.

"Your nephew is going to kill your beloved grandmother. She won't be around to save you this time." Lucius grinned, his incisors lengthening. "But I'm going to make you wish that he'd killed you instead. You'll survive, just like before, but this time, you won't get away. This time, you're mine."

Anger roared through Abby. "I'm not going to sing for you. Either of you. I'm not going to destroy Seth and my grandmother."

"You will." Grigori stepped back. "No one can withstand limitless pain, Abigail. We're going to find your limit. When you want Lucius to stop, when the pain is so unbearable you can't think, then you can start to sing. The pain will end, and you will spend the rest of your life with the knowledge that your weakness, your inability to endure, is what forced you to
choose
the path that made your own nephew turn on your own grandmother. We will break you, and you will become
mine.
" Grigori pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and sat down. "And once you have enough shifter blood in you, you'll be one of us anyway. Your morals will be gone." He folded his arms over his chest, and nodded at Lucius. "Whenever you're ready."

A
bby's pain
hit Jace so fiercely, he recoiled violently, her pain knifing through him so intensely he couldn't breathe.

"Shit!" Drake grabbed the steering wheel, jerking the SUV back in its lane as Jace fought for breath.

"They've got her."
I'm coming, Abby. Stay with me.
Shoving aside the pain, he grabbed the wheel and jammed his foot onto the gas.

How far away are you?
Her voice was weak, desperate, terrified.

Almost there.

Her anguish filled him.
Hurry.

Fear tore through him.
Hang in there, sweetheart. You can do it.
He slammed his fist on the steering wheel and gave the vehicle even more gas. "How far away is Cash?"

"Still ten minutes."

"Shit!" Jace spun the wheel to the right. The wheels lifted off the ground as the vehicle cornered, and Drake swore as the tires screeched.

"There!" Jace pointed at the brick building three blocks away. He hit the gas pedal, hurtling down the street—

Another blast of pain from Abby had him gasping for breath, but he held tight, keeping the SUV hurtling right for the building.

Drake gripped the door. "Shit, man, you want to kill us?"

"No. Not today." Jace hit the brakes at the last minute and leapt out of the truck before it had completely stopped. He sprinted for the entrance, Drake on his heels, as he threw his shoulder against the front door, shattering the wood as he burst through. He went right for the stairs, vaulting up the steps four at a time.
I'm coming, Abby!

He reached the fourth floor and tore down the hall. Apartment 4G was at the end of the hall, and the door was shut. He didn't slow down. He didn't hesitate. He just lowered his shoulder and charged, throwing himself against the door.

The wood splintered under the assault, and he vaulted into the room. The first thing he saw was Abby dangling from her wrists in the middle of the room, her shirt bloodied and torn. Lucius was standing in front of her, with the same half-shift he'd had when Jace had first met him.

Jace raised his gun and aimed it at Lucius, who immediately ducked behind Abby, putting her in the path of Jace's bullet. He swore and averted the gun—

Grigori tackled Jace from the side, throwing him against the wall. Pain thudded through his injured side and he gasped for breath as Abby shouted his name. He rolled onto his side in time to see Drake crumple to the ground in the doorway. Jesus. Drake was legendary with his skills. For Grigori to have gotten the drop on both of them...
shit.

Grigori walked over to Jace and pointed Drake's pistol at him. Jace saw in his eyes that he wasn't going to spare him. Fuck that. He had things to do, and dying wasn't one of them. He reacted instantly, lunging for Grigori. He hit Grigori in the chest at the same moment that the gun went off.

The searing pain in his chest was surreal.
Again
with the silver
?
What the hell? Jace landed hard on his back, writhing in pain as the silver coursed through him. His muscles spasmed, convulsing from the third hit of silver in too short of a time.

Grigori laughed softly and tossed the gun aside, turning back to Abby. "Now, he can watch. How fun for all of us."

Jace swore, rolling onto his stomach as he tried to summon strength back into his body, but his battered muscles were already drained, barely recovered from the last time. The bullet had only grazed him, but the hit of silver was already burning through him. It was the same as when he'd been shot in the cage...but the song had given him the strength to overcome the debilitating effect of the silver.

The song had made him strong
.

He met Abby's gaze as Lucius turned back toward her.

Sing.
He sent the command.

Her eyes widened, and he saw her glance at the couch, where the boy and her grandmother were. He calculated the distance, and he knew exactly how much time he'd have.
I got it.

She nodded once, and then began to sing.

The shock of the words hit him hard, but it was different hearing it in person. The raw power of it was palpable, but the song didn't incite him to a rage. Abby's familiar voice poured strength and warmth into him, latching onto the depth of his emotions for her. The song flooded his body with the same fierce power as before, but this time, he merged with his wolf, keeping the sanity of the man while channeling the ferocity of the wolf. He shifted instantly, allowing the song to rip his humanity from him.

He leapt to his feet and lunged at Lucius just as the shifter was baring his teeth to sink them into Abby's torso. Jace slammed into him, crushed his throat with one well-timed bite, hurled him aside, and then spun around toward Grigori.

"Get Seth," Abby shouted. "He's already shifting! He's going to kill my grandmother!"

Drake regained consciousness and surged to his feet. He lunged at Grigori, and the alpha wolf spun to meet him. Within a split second, the two wolves were in full battle, but Drake was bigger, and he was the best fighter Jace had ever met.
You got it?

Got it. Get the kid.

Without hesitation, Jace whirled around and sprinted across the room toward the boy. The youth's eyes snapped open, filled with fear as the song jerked him from his sleep and awakened the wolf inside him.

Jace tackled him, pinning him to the couch with his paws, meeting the boy's frightened gaze. He opened a telepathic bridge with him, pouring serenity into his mind, just as he'd done with so many young wolves so many times. Not taking time for words, he filled the boy's mind with images of wolves and shifters, educating him at lightning speed, empowering the youth to own his wolf even before the shift.

Abby stopped singing, but the youth was already shifting. His shift was quick, fueled by the song, but the moment he shifted, Jace gripped the back of Seth's neck, pinning him to the couch, holding him down as the wolf tried to take over. He held the young wolf still, keeping him from attacking Abby's grandmother, while he poured his own power into the boy to help him control his wolf.

Minutes ticked by, more and more, as Jace patiently held him still, waiting for the danger to pass. Eventually, finally, Jace felt the shudder of relief in the young wolf, the moment that the human took control back.

Jace immediately released him and crouched down, nose to nose with the youth. The young wolf was pure white with blue eyes, rare indeed. His eyes were wide as he looked at Jace, but his eyes had human intelligence and understanding. He licked Jace's muzzle, and Jace growled with satisfaction, knowing that the first stage had been successfully handled.

He cuffed the youth lightly, then turned away. Lucius lay on the floor where Jace had tossed him. Grigori and Drake were gone, but he could hear the sounds of battle from outside. He swore, racing back across the room to Abby, shifting as he ran. He caught her in his arms, lifting her wrists off the hook. She threw her still bound wrists over his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "I'm sorry I was late."

She shook her head. "He didn't do much. He hadn't gotten started." She pulled back, her eyes glistening. "You made me sing to you."

He grinned. "I realized you're the source of my power, and it's up to me to control how I react to it." He framed her face with his hands. "I love you, Abby. That's where my power comes from. Love."

She smiled, beaming at him. "I knew you loved me."

"You were right." He slid his hand through her hair and kissed her, the first kiss of his life when he wasn't holding back. He poured everything into the kiss, everything that mattered, everything he was, and it made the kiss become more than it ever had been. "You're mine now. I'm never letting you go, sweetheart."

She pulled back, her smile fading. "I'm Seth's guardian. I'm a mom now."

"I'm in." He didn't hesitate. "I love kids."

She smiled. "You love to mold young shifters into being good, moral people, you mean."

"That, too." He rested his hands on her hips, basking in the sensation of her kiss, her commitment, her everything. "I'm yours for as long as you'll have me, Abby."

"Forever?"

He grinned. "Forever." A loud crash sounded from the hall, and he swore. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He kissed her again, and then raced for the door, shifting back to wolf form. He exploded out the door and followed the sounds of battle down the hall.
Drake! I'm on my way.

Drake didn't answer, but Cash appeared in the doorway. "Drake's gone."

T
wo days later
, Drake was still missing.

Abby perched on the arm of the worn leather couch, her hand on Jace's shoulder. Jace was beside her, once again revived after Kiernan had stripped the silver from him. Roarke was in an armchair, heavily bandaged, his face still pale. His breathing was shallow, rattling in his chest, and his cheeks were even more sunken than before. He looked weaker, as if death was tightening its grip on him, despite Kiernan's healing, but he'd insisted on being part of the discussion.

Cash and his mate, Bryn McKenzie, were sitting on the opposite couch, and Savannah was pacing restlessly. Nana had taken Seth to Jace's house, the most secure facility available, while the others had gathered at Kiernan's new location, another underground bunker he'd clearly already had in place. Jace's pack had been hunting for Drake, and no one had found even a trace of him.

Fear was pressing down upon all of them, and they were becoming increasingly afraid that Grigori had somehow taken him…except that Cash had seen Grigori and Drake fighting when he'd arrived. But by the time he'd stopped the truck and raced over to join the fight, Drake was nowhere in sight, and Grigori was on the run, disappearing into the shadows of the alleys before Cash could reach him. Cash had returned to hunt for Drake, but his scent had literally vanished outside the apartment, the trail ending so suddenly it was as if he'd ceased to exist.

"We've looked everywhere," Cash said, leaning forward and bracing his arms on his quads. His fingers were tangled with Bryn's, just as Jace was doing with Abby. "Drake's gone."

"He can't be
gone
." Abby focused on Jace tracing circles on the palm of her hand. "Grigori must have done something. He has lairs everywhere. It's just a matter of finding him."

Cash stood up. "He's my best friend. I can't sit here and wait. We have to find him."

Jace watched him steadily, his strong frame relaxed, conveying the message that he had this situation under control. Abby could feel his tension, however, in the rapid lines he was drawing on her palm. He presented complete control and confidence, but the deeply emotional and compassionate man who'd been ready to die to protect others from himself was beneath the surface, hidden from everyone except her. Jace bled silently, inside, and never showed it. But she knew, because he'd let her see it. "Abby has agreed to map out all known locations of Grigori and his pack," he said, rubbing his knuckles over the back of her hand. "We'll check them systematically. I've recalled my pack. They'll arrive tomorrow and we'll divvy up the locations. Abby and I will take some, Cash and Bryn will take a set, and—"

"I'll take a set." Savannah stopped pacing.

Roarke leveled a hard gaze at her. "You can't go in after him, Savannah—"

"I can." She walked over to her brother. "Lucius kidnapped me, but he's dead. I can handle Grigori."

"Grigori's more dangerous," Jace said quietly. "He's extremely intelligent, connected, and ruthless."

She turned toward Jace. "Which is why I'm going to help. How long do you think Drake can survive him? We all know what he's like." She looked at her brother. "Lucius caught me unaware," she said softly. "I didn't know that kind of world existed, and I wasn't prepared for it. I'm ready now. I'm not the same innocent he took. That girl doesn't exist anymore."

Anguish filled Roarke's face. "Damn it, Savannah."

"It's okay, Roarke." She walked over to him and knelt beside him, taking his hand in hers. "If you hadn't saved me, I'd be dead now. You're amazing, but now I have to pay that forward and help Drake."

Abby felt her own heart tighten. She knew what Savannah was saying. She'd also changed forever because of Grigori, seeing things she'd never be able to strip from her mind, and like Savannah, she couldn't stand back and let Grigori hurt anyone else, not if she could stop it. "We don't even know if Grigori has Drake."

"Someone has him," Cash said. "He'd be back with us if he could. If it's not Grigori, it's someone else. I'd know if he were dead. He's not."

"I agree," Jace said. "I'd know if he were dead. He's alive, but somehow, cut off from us."

"That's why I'm helping," Savannah said. "He built a psychic bridge between us. I might be able to sense him."

"Dammit, Savannah," Roarke muttered. "You don't even know what we're dealing with." He closed his eyes. "Don't go," he said softly. "Don't go out there."

Empathy flashed across Savannah's face. "I have to, Roarke. I'm sorry. I'll be careful."

"I have an idea." Jace rubbed his palm against Abby's. "Roarke, I'll assign one of my other wolves to go with her. Tristan is an excellent fighter, and he can protect her."

"No!" Savannah shook her head. "I don't want a partner. I'm going alone."

Abby sighed as Roarke and Jace tried to argue with her. She understood Savannah. After Lucius, she had never been willing to let any man near her...until Jace. The moment she'd met Jace, she'd known she was safe with him. Somehow, Drake had done the same for Savannah, but no other male had earned her trust. Abby knew that the thought of isolating herself with another male was too much for Savannah to handle. "I'll go with you, Savannah—"

"No." Jace dragged her off the arm of the couch and onto his lap. "You're with me." He looked at Abby's face, and understanding flashed in his eyes as he read her expression. He turned to Savannah. "You can team up with us." A perfect solution that didn't require her to be alone with a male. It gave her the buffer of another woman, but the protection of a skilled fighter.

She shook her head stubbornly. "If we split into three groups, we'll cover the ground faster. Don't you understand what Grigori can do? Minutes can make a difference for Drake. Even if it's not Grigori, one minute could be the difference between life and death for him. Something's terribly wrong, and we all know it."

The room fell silent. Everyone knew she spoke the truth. Drake's life, sanity, and heaven knew what else was in danger as they sat there.

It was Jace who spoke up. "All right," he said. "Here's the situation. Anyone who gets a lead on Drake
must report it in
, and wait until the others get there. If Grigori or his wolves are around, abort." He looked hard at Savannah. "Anyone who violates this will be locked down until Drake is found. One step over the line and you're recalled from the field. Understood?"

Everyone agreed, and Savannah let out a breath of visible relief. "Okay. I agree."

Jace looked over at Roarke. "That work for you?"

Roarke grimaced. "We can't keep her here, so yeah." He looked over at Savannah. "Be careful. I'll meet up with you when I can."

She nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate that." She shoved her hands in the front pocket of her jeans. "I'm going to go catch some sleep before we go. Abby? When will you have the maps ready?"

"By morning."

"Okay. I'll see you then." Savannah pressed a kiss to Roarke's forehead, then slipped out of the room, her feet making no sound as she walked down the hall to the room she was staying in.

When she left, Jace tucked Abby more tightly against him, as if he needed to protect her the way Roarke couldn't protect Savannah. "You trust her not to go in after Drake?" Jace asked Roarke.

He was still watching the doorway his sister had disappeared through. "I don't know," he said. "She's different now. Harder. Jaded. I don't know why she's obsessed with finding him, but she is." He looked over at Jace. "She's all I have left. I can't lose her, too."

Jace nodded, his arm tightening around Abby. "I understand. We'll keep track of her—"

"No." Abby touched his arm. "You guys need to give her space. She needs to find her own power again. Lucius took that from her, and she has to be the one to find it."

Roarke's face darkened. "But if she gets in trouble—"

"Didn't you hear her? She wants to save Drake. If she gets killed, she can't save him. She'll be careful." Abby leaned her head against Jace's shoulder, suddenly exhausted. "He matters to her for some reason. She needs that."

"We all need that." Jace kissed her gently. "Let's go, sweetheart. We have a long day tomorrow."

Abby let him pull her to her feet, leaning against his side as Cash and Bryn rose. Kiernan picked up Roarke easily, and Abby's throat tightened. How badly must Roarke be hurt to have to be carried? How badly must he be hurt to let his sister leave without him? Roarke was as much an alpha as Jace, so to be left behind when his sister was in danger was against everything he lived by.

She looked at Kiernan, but he shook his head, warning her not to ask.

As Kiernan carried Roarke out, Cash walked over to Jace. He didn't say anything, but he pulled Jace into a massive bear hug. The two men held tight for a long moment before releasing. "I'd have been pissed if you'd had to die," Cash said, his voice raw. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too." Jace took Abby's hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Thank Abby."

She started to protest, but her words faded when Cash turned toward her. "Jace matters to me," he said. "Anytime you need anything, you just let me know." He grabbed her and hugged her too. The strength of his embrace made tears fill Abby's eyes, and she hugged him back.

"Thank you," she whispered, her throat tightening. After growing up in Grigori's dysfunctional pack, she'd cherished being on her own after the attack. But the loyalty between these men was powerful, making her realize how much better life was with that kind of support.

"You're one of us now," Jace said, his gaze kind as he watched her. "You're my mate, which means you're part of the pack. You're home, sweetheart, forever."

She nodded, then her throat tightened even more when Bryn pulled her into a hug, too. "I'm glad there's another female around," she whispered. "Did you know Jace's entire pack is males? It's time to even things up a bit." She pulled back, her eyes serious. "Grigori almost destroyed Jace, and you saved him. Never forget that."

Abby nodded, unable to speak over the lump in her throat.

Jace laughed softly and wrapped his arm over her shoulder, tucking her against him. "Come on, babe. We have a lot to get done."

Abby melted against his side and waved goodnight as she let Jace escort her out of the living room to their room at the end of the hall. The moment the door was closed, Jace pulled her into his arms, kissing her with that same long, slow, delicious kiss that made her heart melt every time he did it.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, pouring all her love into the kiss. "I love you, Jace."

"I love you, too," he said as he slipped his arm under her legs and scooped her up, still kissing her as he carried her across the room and set her on the bed.

She propped herself up on her arms as he jerked off his shirt, showcasing the powerful muscles that still made her heart skip. "Don't we need to work on the maps?"

"We will, but first, I need you." He crawled onto the bed, moving over her like a predator about to take his prey. "I need your kiss. I need your touch. I need your love. I need it all, Abby."

Her heart softened as she slipped her arms around his neck. Her big, bad alpha, whose tenderness made her soul turn over. "I need you, too, Jace. Always and forever."

"Always and forever," he agreed, just before he kissed her, a kiss that promised the kind of love she'd never believed in, until she'd met him.