EnemyMine (16 page)

“What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, trying to think. “I don’t know, but it’s
not good.”

Diskant continued yelling, and Emory could tell the Alpha
was running from room to room calling Ava’s name. The yells became louder,
meaning Diskant was steadily approaching. Worry quickly turned to dread.
Diskant was searching the house like Ava was a human, not his bloodbonded mate.

Fuck.

“Don’t be alarmed, sweetheart.” Emory gave up on trying to
dress, striding toward the door. “Diskant’s about to make an appearance.”

“He’s coming in here? Right now?” She shriveled beneath the
covers until Emory could only see her face, the edge of the comforter and sheet
yanked firmly to her chin.

He didn’t answer, stopping between the door and the bed,
standing between Mary and their oncoming visitor. D’s strange behavior had to
be due to Ava but Emory wasn’t taking any chances with a shifter who had
apparently just lost the bonded connection with his female. Pounding footsteps
raced up the stairs and stormed down the hall. Then the bedroom door crashed
open.

Diskant rushed into the room, eyes wild, hair tangled around
his shoulders and face. His right side was bloody, his leather pants missing in
places. Judging by the way the cloth fell—revealing skinned and oozing pieces
of raw flesh—Diskant had probably wrecked his motorcycle, suffering road rash
as a result.

“Calm down, D,” Emory said smoothly, keeping his composure.
“Tell me what happened.”

Diskant’s eyes changed colors, his face a mixture of pain
and disbelief. “She was there and then she wasn’t.”

“What do you mean she was there then she wasn’t?”

“She was there and then she wasn’t!” Diskant thundered,
hands clenched, breathing hard.

“You need to calm—”

“If you tell me to calm down again, I’ll rip out your
goddamn throat.” Diskant’s teeth lengthened, his fists unraveling so the tips
of his claws could drop from his fingers.

Fucking shit.

Emory maintained a distance but allowed the Alpha wolf in
him to rise. The calm, determined animal reached out to Diskant—an invisible
thread extending outward, seeking correlation, attempting to bring the bestial
halves of the men together. Although Emory couldn’t appeal to the other beasts
inside Diskant—who, as an Omega, could change into any of the shifter races—he
could communicate with the wolf inside the man. Since Diskant had been born
inside of Trey’s pack centuries ago, there was a chance Emory could use their
link to get Diskant to listen to reason. Wolves were united by history and
ancestry, but the relationships created in childhood—when young males grew up
together—were the hardest to break.

Remember who you are.

Diskant’s eyes changed colors—going from silver to green to
gold—informing Emory the wolf was responding, rising above the others to heed
Emory’s call.

Thank God.

“Did Ava have anywhere to go today?” he asked softly. “Do
you know?”

“No.” The hard edge to Diskant’s voice was absent. “She
should be here.”

“Here’s what we’re going to do.” Emory made sure it wasn’t
an order, knowing he had to walk a tight fucking line as he moved toward
Diskant and rested a hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to phone the guards
posted around your building. If Ava went anywhere they’d have to have seen her,
right?”

To Emory’s relief Diskant’s eyes became coherent, meaning
the man was finally taking control from the feral creatures who attacked first
and asked questions later. “Yes,” he said, pulling out his phone, “they would.”
He glanced at the screen and cursed. “The fucking thing is off! I forgot to
turn it on before I left the house. Son of a bitch!”

“While you call, I’m going to get dressed.” Emory hiked his
chin in Mary’s direction. “Why don’t we leave the room and give my mate a bit
of privacy?”

Diskant glanced at Mary, frowning as he realized where he
was and what he’d done. He started to say something but must have decided
against it, spinning on his heel to leave. Emory didn’t immediately follow,
waiting until the Omega disappeared around the corner to look at his mate.

Emory walked to the nearby dresser to retrieve the clothing
he’d stored inside. He yanked out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, pulled them on
and retrieved a matching pair of socks.

“Why don’t you get a bath and relax?” he suggested as he sat
at the edge of the bed and yanked on his boots. “I’ll be back as soon as I
can.”

“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on first?” She moved
close, touching his back.

“I’m not sure.” He sighed, closing his eyes as her fingers
breezed over his neck. “But something must have happened to Ava.”

“I kind of figured that.” She rested her hand on his
shoulder. “Where do you think she went? Do you think she’s been hurt?”

“For Diskant’s sake I hope not. If something happens to her,
there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

She glanced at the door. “He does seem to be a few
sandwiches short of a picnic.”

He wanted to smile or laugh but the circumstances prevented
him from doing so. The more he thought about it, the more his intuition warned
him Ava had gotten herself into some serious trouble—trouble she might not
survive or escape. If something happened to Diskant’s mate, the male probably
wouldn’t last. They were bloodbonded, after all.

Connected in life and death…

As if the pack hadn’t already suffered enough.

He shook off what he wasn’t ready to consider. “I won’t be
long.”

“I could come with you. Maybe I can help.”

He turned, staring at his mate. Even now she continued to
amaze him. She’d been through so much but continued to worry for others.

He shook his head. “I want you to stay here. Calls have to
be made and I need to find out what’s going on.” When she frowned at him he
winked. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. That’s my job.”

He nuzzled her hand, breathing in her scent. If something
happened to her he’d be as crazed as Diskant. She was his other half, the only
person who would ever complete him. He wouldn’t survive the loss—he didn’t want
to. He rose from the bed, pulling away from her grasp. As he walked from the
room he braced himself. Until the pack arrived, he’d have to make sure Diskant
didn’t lose his collective shit.

So much easier said than done.

Chapter Ten

Diskant Black was fighting a losing battle. His beasts were
restless, trying to overtake the man. They too felt the loss of Ava’s presence
in his mind. The absence was devastating, making him believe the worst. But he
couldn’t be a heartbroken pussy, crying in his Wheaties instead of taking
control. He had to be strong, to figure out what had happened to his mate. Then
he’d bring her home, tan her pretty little ass and chain her to the bed.

He continued pushing the strongest animals inside of him
away—the wolf, cat and grizzly—listening to the voice on the other end of the
phone. There was finally a chip in Zach’s armor, a panic when he relayed the
news. Diskant heard the words but it took several seconds to put them together.
Ava and Trey had gone to the store down the street ten minutes before. The men
on the rooftops didn’t realize something was wrong until it was too late. They
were unable to get a visual but knew something had happened because the police
showed up minutes later.

Diskant ended the call without saying goodbye, scrolled through
his phonebook and dialed Kinsley MacGregor. Ironically enough, he’d just left
the Alpha panther’s home after discussing security in the area.

Diskant didn’t want to leave his home but what he wanted
might not matter. His location put him and the pack at risk, no matter how many
guards he posted around the area. His pride had gotten in the way of common
fucking sense.

Kinsley answered on the second ring. “Just can’t leave me
alone, can you? What do you want this time?” His Scottish brogue was thick, his
vowels extended.

“There was an altercation at the convenience store down the
street. Trey and Ava went inside and didn’t come out. I need you to contact
your sources at the police department and find out what you can.”

“Bloody hell,” Kinsley muttered. “I’m on it.”

The line went dead and Diskant ended the call, taking deep
breaths. He glanced up when Emory walked into the kitchen. The newly mated male
had gotten dressed. Diskant felt the brush of Emory’s wolf, could sense it
reaching out to his. It was a damn good thing Emory was a born Alpha and
managed to reach through to Diskant when he had. Otherwise…

Hell, who knew what might have happened.

“Ava and Trey went to Becker’s,” Diskant said, knowing Emory
was familiar with the store. “Something happened while they were inside.”

“Trey?” Emory went still. “He’s with her?”

Shit
. In his worry for Ava, Diskant hadn’t considered
how Emory would react to the news his brother might be in trouble. Before he
could respond his cell rang, the shrill noise echoing inside the kitchen.
Diskant answered the call and placed the phone to his ear.

“Talk to me.”

“The police have a report of an assault on a wee female,”
Kinsley said, talking quickly. “Apparently a man dragged her out the back with
another male in pursuit. Everyone was too frightened to follow but a passerby
reported seeing a van leaving the premises.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“The man who took Ava.” Kinsley took a deep breath. “The
manager said he was dressed like a cowboy. That sort of attire does draw attention
around here.”

Diskant snarled, his temperature rising.

Shepherds. Here. In
his
city.

“Contact the prides,” he growled. “Tell them what happened
and instruct them to send out patrols in their areas. The fuckers are back in
the city. We have to alert everyone.”

“Anything else?’

“Keep me up to speed on what the police find. We need to
stay one step ahead of them.”

“Consider it done.”

Diskant hung up and had started scrolling through his
phonebook again when he heard Emory talking. He lifted his head, listening to
Emory’s conversation on the landline.

“Warn the pack, put them on alert and get your ass here.”
Emory returned the phone to the receiver and turned to Diskant. “Nathan’s going
to contact the pack and head over. You need him right now.”

What an understatement. Without Ava, his grip was slowly
slipping. As a Beta, Nathan could help him alleviate his anger. He took deep
breaths, collecting his thoughts. Ava wasn’t dead. Shepherds wouldn’t kill her
if they could use her as leverage. He just had to be patient. Ava had to be
unconscious, that was the only way to sever their mental connection. When she
came to, he’d be able to find out where she was.

It was only a matter of time.

“I brought you something,” Emory said, holding out the map
Trey had warned him about. “Mary said her parents gave this to her as a way to
avoid members of her family.”

Diskant opened the map, eyes darting over the marked areas.
Jesus, they were
everywhere
. He laid the paper on the dining room table
and pointed at one of the markings. “What are these?”

“Where Shepherds reside. I’d wager they’re the locations of
compounds.”

He froze, stunned as he stared at the map. If what Emory
said was true, shifters had just gained an enormous advantage over the hunters
who wanted to destroy them.

“You’re certain?”
Be certain
.

“I am.”

“We have to contact the Alphas in nearby areas,” Diskant
said, studying the map as he started formulating a plan. The packs could catch
Shepherds off guard, using surprise to eliminate the compounds at the same
time. It would take a lot of preparation but if it worked it would change
everything. “They need to know what we’ve found.”

“Agreed.” Emory leaned over the table, studying the map as
well. “I’ll have Nathan work on a list of the exact locations.”

Diskant nodded. “We need to make copies.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Diskant had to restrain the feral creatures inside of him as
he spoke, forcing them to submit to his will. “Ava is alive. I’d feel it if
something happened to her. That means the Shepherds who took her want
something. They’ll be contacting us soon to negotiate terms.” He tapped the
paper. “We can use this as leverage.”

“If you tell Shepherds about this, they’ll spread the word.
Once they relocate the information will become meaningless.”

Like hell
. “Not if we strike while the iron is hot.”
Diskant ripped his eyes away from the table and looked at Emory. “I’m going to
contact the Alphas in our area and instruct them to reach out to the prides and
packs. In turn they can dispatch shifters to investigate and take out any
compounds they find. If we attack each location within forty-eight hours the
odds are they won’t have time to warn anyone.”

Emory didn’t seem convinced. “How do you figure that? The
minute they get wind of what we’re doing they’ll scatter.”

“No they won’t.” Diskant grinned menacingly, revealing his
fangs, his beasts eager for blood. After they found his mate, the war was on.
“Because they’ll all be dead.”

* * * * *

Trey came to awareness when he landed on an unforgiving
surface. His head was swimming, making simple thoughts hard to latch on to. A
loud click resonated in his ears, making the pounding in his temples a thousand
times worse. Instinctively he took a deep breath. The air was earthy and dank,
indicating he was underground.

Where in the hell was he? How had he gotten here?

The events that put him in a precarious situation returned:
the store, a van, Shepherds.

Ava
.

He held his breath when he heard low male voices, listening
carefully to their hushed conversation.

“Keep this one caged. If things don’t go according to plan,
we’ll need him.”

“Are we going to keep him sedated?”

“It’s probably best. We don’t want any problems.”

Problems. Shit.

He released the breath he was holding, relaxed and dredged
in a lungful of air. Ava’s scent was sweet, like cinnamon and sugar. He
searched for that unique fragrance, sifting through the stink of stale water
from rusty pipes, the musky scent of dirt and the individual scents of the
Shepherds in the room. For a moment he caught a small whiff of what he was
searching for, but the smell was faint.

Damn
. Was he picking up her scent off the Shepherds’
clothing? Or was she somewhere close by?

The shuffling of feet told him he couldn’t open his eyes to
get a layout of the place. If they realized he was awake they’d put him under.
This was so not fucking good. Diskant would go crazy when he discovered Ava had
been taken. Her safety was now Trey’s responsibility. No matter what happened,
he had to make sure he got her out alive.

Even if that meant dying in the process.

Remorse flowed through him, staggering in its intensity.
There was a very real possibility he could die, his life cut short when he’d
finally found a reason to greet each day. Images of Sadie flooded his mind,
combined with a crushing weight in his chest. He wanted to find her, talk to
her and pick up where they had left off. Now he didn’t know if it was possible
or if he’d ever see her again.

Anger rolled through him, and he wasn’t aware he was
growling until he heard someone striding in his direction. Trey opened his eyes
and stared through the bars of the cage he was trapped inside, meeting the gaze
of a Shepherd with a gun in his hand. He snarled and prepared to stand and the
gun went off, sending a dart directly into the center of his chest.

Still woozy and off balance, Trey sank back to the ground,
shaking his head. He tried to keep his eyes open, knowing there was no time to
waste. Instead his lids drifted closed and his arms became heavy.

Just before he surrendered to oblivion, he allowed himself
one final recollection of the mate he’d lost but never truly had. She’d been
like a wounded fallen angel staring down at him, her blue eyes reflecting the
misery he’d caused her. He wished he could take it back, if only to see the
pain replaced with the desire.

He sank into a dark void, no longer able to fight the drug
rushing through his bloodstream. As he did, he repeated her name in his mind,
holding on to it like an anchor.

Sadie, Sadie, Sadie…