EnemyMine (11 page)

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Ava flashed an
impish grin. “And with great power comes great responsibility.”

It wasn’t the proper time to laugh, nothing in her life was
funny, but she couldn’t help it. For the first time in months, Mary giggled.
Soon she crumbled into a fit of laughter, snorting in a very unattractive
manner when Ava joined in. The entire world had gone to hell in a handbasket
and she didn’t know which end was up. But including Spider-Man in a
conversation about shifters, demons and everything in between?

It took the current what-the-fuckery scale to a whole new
level.

They’re laughing?

What the hell?

Emory’d felt like a total ass for knocking on Diskant and
Ava’s bedroom door after he heard the moans and growls coming from inside but
he’d done it because he had sensed Mary’s distress and heard her pacing as
she’d walked around the room. Intuition had told him it wasn’t wise to leave
her alone. She could harm herself, or even worse, overthink things and
complicate matters. Ava hadn’t seemed to mind, although Diskant had given Emory
the middle finger when he opened the door for his mate and watched her leave.

What had transpired in the few minutes that Ava had vanished
inside the bedroom? What did they find so amusing?

He decided not to wait to find out, grasping the handles of
Mary’s bag as he knocked on the door. He gave them a second to brace themselves
for his intrusion and stepped inside. Doc was coming up at any minute to check
Mary’s sutures and he needed to be close to her, to protect her and calm her
fears. The laughter stopped when he stepped across the threshold but the smiles
on Mary’s and Ava’s faces remained.

“Doc is on his way up,” he informed them, feeling like a
tool as he walked to the dresser and placed Mary’s duffel on it.

“I suppose I should get going.” Ava groaned and climbed off
the bed. “Diskant isn’t known for his patience.”

Emory was about to apologize but Mary beat him to it. “I’m
sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Ava waved a dismissive hand in the air.
“I told you it’ll do him some good to see how it feels.” She pivoted around and
faced Emory. “You take it easy on her. She’s got an awful lot to think about,
with her family searching for her. She’s been on the run for a long time.” Ava
winked. “You can’t blame her for wanting to protect you.”

Ava—sly as always. She was sharing something she’d picked up
from Mary’s thoughts, something she felt was important. Emory got the hidden
meaning, heard it loud and clear.

“I understand,” he said, glancing at Mary, who seemed
fascinated by a loose string on the comforter beneath her, her smile gone.

“Are you going to be okay?” Ava asked Mary. “Do you need me
to stay?”

Mary glanced at him, looked away and her cheeks flushed
pink. “No, I’m fine.”

“Good. I’m glad that’s settled. I guess I’ll leave you two
alone…
again
.” Ava grinned as she strode toward the door, opened it to
step through and closed it behind her.

Emory tried to think of something to say, a way of breaking
the silence without causing further distress. Mary was obviously tense, despite
her contrary reassurance to Ava.

“So where are we?” she asked and lifted her head, meeting
his gaze. “I have a feeling we’re not in Florida or Alabama and I know you
wouldn’t risk taking me back to Colorado.”

“Remembering telling me you always wanted to visit the East
Coast?” She nodded and he cleared his throat. Honesty was best but he hoped he
didn’t stress her further. “We’re in New York, on the Upper East Side.”

“New York?” Her eyes widened. “I thought you hated the
city.”

“Not the city so much as the troubles I left behind.” He
quickly changed the topic at her questioning look. “Now that you’re here you
can visit all the places you talked about. Tell me where you want to go and
I’ll take you there. We’ll make a day of it.”

“You’re covering up something.” As always, Mary detected his
attempt to hide from her. It was something he’d learned the first time they’d
shared a cup of coffee, a trait his mate possessed that he could do without.
“Don’t bother trying to deny it. With everything that’s happened in the last—”
She stopped short, brows furrowing. “How long have I been here? How much dope
did your doctor shoot me up with?”

“The drive here took sixteen hours.” Her jaw dropped and she
gawked at him. “Don’t look at me like that,” he mumbled, ashamed he’d allowed Doc
to keep her sedated for so long. “He had to use butterfly bandages to keep the
bleeding under control and worried you might hurt yourself or do more harm than
good if you woke up in a van full of strange men.” At her admonishing glare he
asked, “What would you have done if the circumstances were different? Can you
honestly tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing?”

Her glare formed into a scowl—one that had him grinning. It
was the one look he found the most adorable, a mixture of annoyance and attitude.
“I suppose I would have done the same thing,” she admittedly sourly. “But that
doesn’t mean it was okay for you to bring me all the way to New York without
asking.”

“Would you have preferred I left you to your relatives? The
people who would have killed you if I’d given them the opportunity?” He hated
the way he growled the words, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to prevent
himself from doing so even if he tried. The thought of his mate being shot
at—almost killed—did things to him he couldn’t control. “Is that what you’d
have me do?”

The shock on her face sent guilt plunging through him. She
immediately averted her eyes, staring at the bed. “No,” she whispered hoarsely,
wringing her hands. “Of course not.”

“Mary…sweetheart…” He slowly crossed to the bed, step by
step, taking his time. She was overwhelmed, she was confused, and from what Ava
had said as she left the room Mary was terrified of what her family might do to
him. How did he react to that? Like a goddamn asshole, that’s how. Putting more
pressure on her, forcing her to accept things before she was ready.

“They won’t let me walk away, you know.” She spoke so
quietly he had to strain to hear. “Uncle Elijah told me he’d see me dead before
he let me fall into bed with a shifter. He swore it was his duty to protect my
soul from damnation.”

He sat across from her, keeping an intentional space between
them, not wanting to crowd her. “You know he’s crazy, don’t you?” He hoped like
hell she did. Otherwise he was doomed. “He’s not right in the head. None of
them are.”

“I know he’s crazy—certifiably batshit.” She took a deep
breath, the sound uneven. “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think what he’s
doing has purpose. That’s why I can’t stay here. You have to know he’ll show up
eventually. He won’t let this go. He won’t
let
me go.”

“Let me get this straight so our lines aren’t crossed.” He
brought his fingers to her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “You want
to leave because you’re worried about your uncle and what will happen if he
comes here. Is that right?”

“That’s what I just said.”

“It’s not because of me?” He held her steady when she tried
to glance away. “You don’t want to leave because you’re afraid of me and what
we discussed earlier?”

Finally, as if it pained her to admit it, she said, “No,
it’s not because of that.”

He leaned in close and brushed his nose against hers. “I
can’t tell you how happy that makes me.” Pulling away, he gazed into her cloudy
brown eyes. “Since you’re worried about your family, I’m glad I can ease your
concerns. The pack has been ready for a Shepherd attack for months. They came
through here not so long ago and we learned our lesson. Trust me when I say
that they don’t want to fuck with the pack again. If they do they’ll never
leave. Do you understand?”

She lowered her eyes. “You’ll kill them?”

“Yes.”

A simple answer, straightforward and to the point. He braced
himself for the scent of her fear but surprisingly none came. He observed Mary
quietly, wishing they’d started the first stages of the bloodbond so he could
be aware on some level what she was thinking. She straightened her shoulders
and lifted her head, like a solider reporting for duty.

“I’m tired of being afraid, Emory. I’m tired of running.”

That’s my girl.

He rose from the bed to retrieve her bag. Right now he’d
take baby steps, making sure she was comfortable and felt secure. The best way
to accomplish that was to settle her into her new home. Once he had the duffel,
he returned to her side and placed it in front of her.

“Then I suggest you unpack your things.” He took her hand in
his, running his thumb along her knuckles and gazing directly into her eyes.
“I’m not going to let you run anywhere unless it’s to me—
only to me
.”

A knock on the door ruined the moment but Emory managed to
catch the heat in his mate’s gaze, the way she inhaled sharply and her hand
trembled. The faint scent of her arousal hit like a Mack truck, slamming into
him, making his cock harden in his jeans. Soon he’d ease the ache for both of
them and take Mary to places she’d never discover on any map.

“I’m here to check on the patient,” Doc called through the
door.

“If you don’t want him to see you in that T-shirt, I suggest
you get under the sheets,” Emory said, holding back a smile.

She turned beet red and launched for the head of the bed,
cursing as he chuckled. A visit from Doc and he’d be alone with his mate.

Finally alone.

Just the two of them…

Trey’s earlier spectacle gave him pause. Emory couldn’t wait
too long to ask Mary about what they’d found in her bag. If he wanted to clear his
mate of any suspicious behavior it was best done sooner than later. Besides,
who really cared about the money and map she’d stowed away with her clothing?
She’d obviously been prepared to run, something that proved she was just as
smart as he remembered. He was certain she was protecting herself, trying to
stay one step ahead of her enemies.

You’re focusing on the positives, not the negatives.

The nagging remainder ate at him, stirring his anger.

So what if the map in her possession had an enormous circle
around New York? Mary had said she’d always wanted to go there. Serendipitous
things occurred all the time. Just because the area was marked didn’t mean
she’d had anything to do with the bombing months before. She’d never harm
anyone or anything, he was certain of it. That was why he’d asked Ava not to
dig the information out of her head, to allow him to ask personally.

Even as he tried to convince himself, a prickle of unease
shot down his spine.

They’d have their time, and then he’d get his answers.

He only hoped they were answers he wanted to hear.

Chapter Six

Caden Stone wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, much less
a member of the pack that had adopted him months before. A human living among
wolf shifters—who would have thunk it? Not him, that’s for fucking sure. He was
grateful they’d uncovered the truth about this wife’s death but it didn’t mean
he liked to socialize or play nice like the rest of the puppies. He continued
to reside in their presence because it benefited him to do so, not because he
had a yen to settle down, join the pack officially and start a family.

Family. One word. A locker full of endless misery.

Been there, done that. Watched them take a trip six feet
under.

Pain speared his chest, the ache heavy. It was difficult to
gasp for breath, the anguish of loss too much to take, bearing down on him…

He forced emotion aside, concentrating on his thoughts,
remembering why he was sitting inside the home of one of the most powerful
shifters in the world. Diskant wanted to kill the Shepherds who annihilated a
good portion of their pack. Caden wanted to find the whereabouts of the man
responsible for the death of his wife, who was connected to Shepherds.

Two people with the same goal—a deadly combination.

Despite the fact that Shepherds had put the hit on Cade’s
wife, it was the man who took her life he wanted dead—as well as the man he
knew only as Mr. Pink. Now that was a motherfucker he intended to bleed dry, so
the bastard could fully appreciate the importance of the moment. Mr. Pink had
enjoyed Andrea’s suffering. Cade had seen it in the memory Ava showed him, as
though he’d been standing inside his kitchen with the murderers the night his
wife died.

Calm down. Don’t work yourself up. There’s protocol to
follow.

As if he could forget.

There was a strict set of laws one respected if you wanted
to survive among shifters, a code of conduct that would keep your head on your
shoulders. It wasn’t as if he could come and go at will—oh no. He had to take
it up the shitter like a big boy, listen to orders and follow them. The pack
liked to be orderly, meaning there were rules. Lots and lots of rules. And the
number one rule was simple: do not fuck with Diskant Black.

The first time he’d met the Omega, he’d decided to go at him
like any other shifter—
huge
mistake. Diskant decided to pull out his
shifter deck of cards and call on the tiger inside of him, wiping the ground
with Cade’s ass good and fucking proper. Caden hadn’t had his ass stomped that
badly since he’d been a puny kid on the elementary school playground and had
tried to defend his secret crush’s honor: a move that left him bleeding on the
ground as the first love of his life walked away with the bully who’d tugged
her hair and called her stupid.

His thoughts drifted from one dismal point in time to
another—his current one.

He tried to act like he didn’t give a shit when Diskant
walked into the kitchen and took a seat across from him. D didn’t do small
talk. If he’d searched Caden out, he wanted something.

Fuck my life.

He really wasn’t in the mood to talk but there was no way
around it. This wasn’t a world that allowed him to take what he wanted. It was
a world of take-what-you-get-and-shut-the-fuck-up. Unicorns and rainbows only
existed in fairytales, little girls’ bedrooms and when Neil Patrick Harris got
his shroom on.

“We need to talk,” Diskant said in a voice so deep it felt
like the air rattled.

“I kinda figured that.” Cade plopped his bottle on the
table, crossed his arms over his chest, reclined in his chair and waited.

“What I’m about to say to you goes no further. This isn’t
pack business, it’s personal.”

Personal
. Not necessarily a good thing. “I’m
listening.”

Diskant leaned forward, words soft. “You’re aware that,
under certain circumstances, I do share information with the Villati.”

Oh shit. Not a good thing at all
. “I’m aware.”

And boy,
was
he aware.

The Villati were a group of researchers who recorded all
things supernatural. Trey had been furious when he’d discovered Diskant had met
the top dog of the organization, Craig Newlander, following Ava’s final stage
of the bloodbond. None of the pack knew what had taken place between Craig and
Diskant but it continued to make everyone nervous. If information about the
packs leaked, or the mainstream media learned that their nice, crime-infested
world was also inhabited by werewolves, vampires and witches, they’d probably
declare it the end of days.

“Recently Mr. Newlander contacted me about something
important—something he doesn’t know what do with.” For the first time since
Cade had met Diskant, he saw fear in the shifter’s face, and it scared the piss
out of him.

“What kind of something are we talking about?”

“A large-scale catastrophe, one that could possibly wipe out
a solid portion of the United States.”

Cade considered crossing himself
. Speak of the end of
days, receive the end of days.

Fuck my life twice.

Diskant lowered his gaze, staring at the table. “Have you
heard of Pompeii, Caden?”

The question jarred a memory and Cade found himself
recalling a long-forgotten history class, along the lines of a partially buried
town somewhere in Rome—the result of a massive eruption. “Is that the city a
volcano destroyed?”

“Yeah,” Diskant said, eyes remaining dead ahead. “That’s the
one.”

The silence stretched for too long, making Cade’s skin
twitch. “What about it?”

Diskant didn’t answer, as though he didn’t hear.

“Earth to D.” Cade snapped his fingers in front of the
shifter’s face. “Come in.”

He bit back a cry of pain when Diskant snatched his hand at
the wrist and lifted his head. The Omega’s eyes were wild, shifting color as
though he couldn’t get a hold on his emotions. For a moment Cade considered
calling for Ava. If anyone could control the asshole who could cause
irreversible damage it was Diskant’s mate. Before he could, Diskant let him go,
taking deep breaths.

“Outside,” he growled, rose from his seat and spun toward
the door that led to the garage.

Cade didn’t argue, though his sense of logic damned him for
a moron. Something was way off. Diskant never lost control. He couldn’t afford
to. His position as the Alpha and Omega of the city meant he had to keep his
cool, think things through.

What was so important it had him by the balls?

Diskant hated shielding himself from Ava. Fucking hated it.
Especially when he’d have to answer her questions when she met him in their
bedroom—a meeting she’d managed to demand just before he erected a mental wall
between them. How did he tell her about the phone call he’d received while she
was checking up on Mary? How could he possibly explain that something he’d
thought was nothing more than a shifter story to scare children before bedtime
was actually real?

A goddamn conjurer.

Damn Craig Newlander to hell for expecting the pack to take
care of the problem. Shifters avoided witches and warlockes for a damn good
reason. Strong magic had the ability to call to their animal forms, placing the
beast before the man. When that happened a shifter would become a life-sized
pet. Distance was necessary to ensure the safety of his kind, and he sure as
shit wasn’t sending a member of his pack to escort the female to an enclave in
New Orleans. It was too dangerous, and there was too much bad blood between
shifters and those who once used them as familiars. There was only one person
in his pack he could trust to get the job done—the human he’d taken under his
protection.

Caden’s pierced face—usually impossible to read—was visibly
agitated. The scar that ran along his chin was stretched in an unattractive
way, the dark shadow around it making the puckered skin appear even more
sinister, his eyes a hard steely gray. The large man hadn’t bothered sliding on
his coat as they stepped outside, standing in the garage in nothing more than a
wife beater, his massive tattoos like sleeves on his bulky arms. Although he’d
left his coat behind, he had his weapons of choice—daggers—cradled in holsters
under his biceps.

“I need you to do something.” Diskant hated flexing his
muscle and calling rank but in some circumstances it was necessary. “It’s not a
request.”

“Damn it.” Cade scowled, jaw clenching. “I knew I shouldn’t
have come here tonight. I fucking
knew
it.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Diskant said, somewhat relieved he could
trust Cade to do as he asked. Then this entire mess would be behind them.
“You’ve drawn the short straw. It’s time to balls-up and claim your prize.”

“Prize my ass.” The big son of a bitch spread his legs
shoulder width apart. “Tell me.”

“I need you to play bodyguard. It’s not a long trip. Just a
car ride from here to New Orleans.”

“Car ride? Why not fly?”

Diskant almost smirked. He’d asked the same question. It was
then Craig reminded him of the horrible things that could happen when air
shifted, or turned into a tornado. All possible with the package Caden was
protecting.

“She gets airsick.”

“
She
?” If Caden had hackles, Diskant was sure they
would have been raised. “You want me to leave so I can drive a fucking female
to New Orleans?”

“No,” Diskant growled the word and took a step in Caden’s
direction. “I want you to escort this female—a very important one, I might add—to
New Orleans. You need to stay off the radar and avoid any unnecessary
attention. The quicker you get her to where she needs to be, the quicker you
can get your ass back here.”

“Why can’t someone else do it?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Does it look like I have somewhere I need to be? Explain it
to me.”

Damn it
. The stupid human always pushed people’s
buttons. “I have somewhere I need to be. Sorry, Cade, we’re out of time.”

“You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?”

And that was the bitch of it. He couldn’t tell Caden
anything. It was too dangerous. The reckless man needed to keep as much space
between him and the female he would be escorting to safety as possible.
Physical and emotional distance was important and everyone knew that Caden
still mourned his wife, continued to love her.

In fact, Diskant was banking on that very thing.

“Why’s she so important?” Cade asked, impatient and now
full-blown bitchy. “Will you at least tell me that?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Diskant shrugged. He’d given his word he
wouldn’t reveal what the girl was to anyone. If word got out, supernatural
creatures the world over would be scrambling to get their hands on her. “She’ll
arrive in two weeks.” Diskant held up a hand when Caden tried to interrupt. “I
know that means you can’t go with the pack if they decide to track down leads
but I’m considering this a personal favor. Something I’ll owe you for. When you
get back I can tell you where everyone is. You can leave to join them
immediately. This is just a couple of weeks and few days of your life I’m
asking for. That’s it.”

Caden stared at him, eyes narrowed. “Go on.”

“I’m going to arrange for a vehicle, weapons and cash.” At
Caden’s arched brow, Diskant added, “You should only have to stop for one
night—two tops. I’m not expecting any trouble but it’s never smart to travel
with precious cargo unarmed.”

“
Precious. Fucking. Cargo
?” Caden snarled, not
backing down, reckless in the face of danger. “You expect me to stay
behind—doing you a personal favor—to haul a female you consider ‘precious
cargo’ to Louisiana? I’m not a goddamn babysitter. Find someone else.”

Diskant felt his beasts answer the challenge, fighting for a
place in line. “Best shut up while you can,” he snapped. “My mate isn’t in a
good mood and I’m not likely to take your shit right now. I told you I’d owe
you and this is important. As a member of the pack, that’s more than enough
information.”

Caden opened his mouth to speak and Diskant snarled, “If I
tell you to babysit, you’ll fucking do it. I’m not asking anymore, I’m telling
you. Period. No argument. End of discussion.”

“Whatever you say, boss. It’s not like I can tell you to go
fuck yourself.” Caden stepped around him, stomping toward the door to the
house. “I’ve had enough of your shifter asses anyway. Always mysterious,
sulking around and shit. I could use the break. I’m turning off my cell and
taking a few days off. I’ll be back in a week. You’re all driving me insane.”

“Glad to hear it,” Diskant called to his departing back.
“Call me in a few days. I’ll give you all the details.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Cade lifted his hand into the air, a middle
finger salute tall and proud as he walked away. “Fuck you very much.”

Diskant released a long breath when the door closed and
tried to calm his beasts, hoping that he’d made the right decision. He shook
his shoulders to relieve the tension in his muscles, counting to ten in an
effort to ice his temper. The pack had enough on their plate without worrying
about witch business. Emory had to mate his female. The pack was on high alert
for Shepherds in the vicinity. And Trey wouldn’t stop bitching about the map
Mary had in her bag.

Enough was enough.

He could count on Caden. He knew he could. He brought a
human into the pack and had to trust him to make smart choices. Caden would
take the female to New Orleans in a couple of weeks, drop her off at her
destination and his life would resume.

Even as Diskant tried to convince himself that what he’d
done was right, he felt a strange heaviness in the air, something that warned
him all was not what it seemed. All shifters had strong instincts, their gut
guiding them in the right direction. In this case, what he’d done didn’t feel
instinctive at all. Maybe it was the bad timing, or perhaps it was trusting
Caden for the first time as a member of the pack.