Luna's Sokjan (Book one) (30 page)

It had been all too easy
to give Gabriel the slip since he was too busy playing catch up
with work and the pack. Then we had to wait for the next two days.
It had been the longest two days of my life. On the third day,
Gabriel received a call from the wolves at the village, and he was
needed to resolve a dispute between two alphas. I gratefully
declined the offer to go with him. I told him that I didn’t think
the pack was ready for my form of judgment.

While Gabriel had been
wounded I had been forced to make some judgments. Sam told me,
being that I was the female Alpha, and the mate to the Alpha of the
pack. It was my duty to the pack. It only lasted half a
day.

The first case involved
the theft of an object. I decided that the best answer to the
problem was to cut off one hand from either complainant. Both
parties backed down and worked the issue out quietly between
them.

In the other case, I
simply bashed the two complaint's heads together and declared the
first one to recover won the argument. I thought it was a stroke of
genius.

Gabriel had left orders
with the guards that the kids and I weren’t to leave the property
at all. I know this, because the mighty dumb ass said it in front
of me. I took it as a personal challenge. Like his flunkies could
keep me here if I wanted to leave. Please.

Now I had a new challenge,
getting the kids out unseen. Gabriel promised to be back by night
fall, and in my head, I promised to be hunting. As soon as the cars
left the driveway the game began.

We had to get to the pet
stores before they closed, and now we had six of Gabriel’s men to
take of. I always liked even numbers, makes things easier. I spiked
six drinks with visine and arranged them on the table for the men
to have with their meal. I figured I had given them enough to keep
them in the bathroom the rest of the night. I then sent the kids up
stairs to make sure everything was ready. While I stood in the
kitchen drinking coffee and watching the men drink their spiked
tea. Within thirty minutes after eating the men were running for
bathrooms.

The kids and I walked out
the front door. Problem solved.

It was the middle of the
night when we released the rats into cat town. With almost a
hundred we had plenty to go around. The rats gave us just enough
time to get back to climb on the roof of the SUV, before the show
started. Women ran out of houses screaming. While men killed the
rats and children tried to capture the sporty rodents. There was
lots of screaming, blood, and mayhem. As a group, we were extremely
pleased with our performance and gave each other many high fives,
until I got the call.

“Tigress,” Gabriel sounded
remarkably calm. “Where are you?”

“Hunting,” I purred softly
and breathed deeply. Could it be? I took another deep breath.
“You’re late. What are you doing?”

“I am wondering what my
mate did to her guards and why she isn’t where I left her.” Again
his voice sounded unusually calm, too calm for my taste. “Where are
you Tigress?”

“At the Watauga cat town
and I believe I have just found the guy that shot you.” I growled
lowly into the phone. “Are you coming?” The line went
dead.

“Gabriel’s on his way
here.” I told my little pack. “The game has changed we are now
hunting his shooter.”

Time was short, Gabriel
would be here in less than forty minutes, and once he got here. I
wouldn’t get another chance to check out the area. I finished my
candy bar and stood up lifting my arms wide. Closing my eyes I
started chanting, “Show me the guilty, hide from everyone
else.”

Power slipped out of my
hands and down to the little town. After a couple of minutes, I got
a hit, two actually. I opened my eyes to see them. The first was a
man in his fifties, with grey hair. He had a thuggish appearance
and the other was Daniel. I pulled my power back to me and slowly
sat down.

“Thank you.” I whispered
to the night air.

To their credit the kids
hadn’t moved, but they stared at me with a look of awe.

“What did you just do?”
Ben asked. “I felt your power, but I didn’t see any changes in the
people down there.” He pointed to the town.

I would have to test Ben
later to see what I had missed about him. I had positioned the SUV
to overlook the small town on the only hill near it. We had scouted
out the area for the best place to watch the little town. From our
advantage point, we could watch the town and the two roads that fed
it.

“Ben, how much do you know
about our laws?” I asked him
.

“Not that much.” Ben shook
his head in response.

“I know what you are. My
parents told me about the legends of the Sōkjans and what they can
do.” Ethan said softly.

“Good you can share what
you were told with the rest of the group later. For now, all you
need to know is that I can see things that you can’t. Follow all
the instructions you are given and keep your head down.” I nodded
to the approaching cars. “I will deal with Gabriel and try to
protect all you the best I can. If, you get in trouble I am truly
sorry.”

“We knew the risks when we
agreed to help McKenna.” Jennifer said. “We are pack. We accept any
punishment together.”

The rest of the group
nodded in agreement.

Did that mean I was part
of their pack too?

The cars full of Gabriel
and his men pulled up next to us. I eyed him warily as he got out
and walked over to us.

Here, we go.

“Come down, all of you.”
He ordered pushing his power at us.

His mannerisms hid his
anger well, but I knew how angry he was. We all jumped down to face
him.

“Jennifer
,
take your pack and wait with the men. I need a word with
McKenna.” He commanded them. He motioned to the other cars and
waited for them to comply with his order
.

“I had forgotten this was
how you trained our children to hunt. I remembered that on the way
over here.” He said to me as he stalked closer to me. “You always
took the children with you when you went hunting. If you thought it
wouldn’t put them in any danger. I realized that’s what you are
doing now
,
with
these young pups, but you still have to tell me what you’re
planning Branwen. I also realize that being mated is still new to
you. I will allow some indiscretions, McKenna, but not many and
especially, not with the pups.”

Interesting
,
that’s not what I was doing at all. This mission tonight had
merely been a prank. I said nothing as I pondered his little
speech. He pressed me against the SUV and leaned in
closer.

“You’re still in trouble,
but I get what you’re doing.” He kissed me, and every thought left
me.

I wrapped my arms around
his neck as he deepened the kiss, pressing our bodies closer
together. Could I ever get enough of his touch?

“Show me what you have
found.” He ordered me when he pulled back. I blinked at him making
him laughed low and deep. “Just wait until later tonight when I get
you home alone in bed.” He promised me.

Hmmm, I couldn’t
wait.

“Don’t call me Branwen
again. Only my father called me that.” I told him.

He nipped my bottom
lip.

“I have called you Branwen
for over nine hundred years. I will not stop now, my love.” He said
softly against my lips, my pulse raced, and I forgot to
breathe.

Being entirely honest with
myself, I actually didn’t mind him calling me by my first name. It
sounded extremely sexy with his accent.

I sighed, “The grey haired
man that looks like, a thug, I believe he shot you. Angus can
compare the shell casing against any gun he has.” I
said.

I didn't see a need to
include Daniel at the moment. Not until I had more time to find out
what he’d done.

“Let’s go talk to him.” As
we moved away from the car, he took my hand in his.

We’d taken two steps when
he asked me, “Why do you smell like rats?”

I sighed, score one for
Jennifer she had said that we needed some febreze and thank Luna
that we had stopped to get some. We needed more Milky Ways also.
Someone had eaten all the other ones. Opening the car door I pulled
out the febreze and sprayed myself down with it. Now I smelled
mountain fresh.

“Better?” I asked and put
the aerosol back.

“No, you need a bath.” He
shook his head pulling me to his side. “Why did you smell like
rats?”

“They didn’t like the
frozen rats I sent. So I thought that they might like the live ones
better.” I answered.

“So this is what you and
your pack have been planning for the last couple of days?” He asked
with a straight face.

“Yes and let me remind
you. That is how I found the guy who shot you.” I told him
smugly.

“That has yet to be
confirmed.” He grinned at me.

Whatever.

The Watauga clan sanctuary
was still in a state of confusion when we walked in. Tiberius was
yelling orders at anyone who would listen, and people were still
running around in a state of panic. Honestly it was a sad day for
cats everywhere.

I watched them with an
amused expression on my face. This was so much better than I had
hoped for. Personally
,
I would have let the children chase the rats. They were
shrewd, cunning, fast, and made an excellent opponent for the young
and inexperienced. Looking around I spotted our man. He was getting
guns ready. He wasn't even aware that we were there.
Nice.

“You!” Tiberius roared
when he saw me. “Did you come to see the damage you caused first
hand? Gabriel you had better put a leash on her, before I do.” He
roared at us and charged that impressive golden body in our
direction.

I narrowed my eyes at
him.

Leash on me? I don’t think
so.

“Did you really think that
this prank would go over well?” Gabriel asked me watching Tiberius
charge towards us.

“Actually I hadn’t given
it any thought. Usually I don’t go around announcing what I have
done.” I responded. “Why don’t they just let the kids catch the
rats? I haven’t seen so many babies in one spot before in my
life.”

“If the wolves had been
your victims, what would you have released?” He asked.

We were waiting for
Tiberius to reach us
.

“Cats of course.” I said
with a small grin.

“Tiberius, I have some men
coming over to help with the cleanup. McKenna won’t be playing any
more pranks on you or your clan.” He told him when he reached
us.

Don’t make promises you
can’t keep Gabriel. I guess we could consider the cat toys as an
early Christmas present.

“I’ll hold you to that
Gabriel. Conditions between our clans are strained at best without
your mate causing any more problems.” He boomed at
Gabriel.

His anger rolled over both
of us, and it pissed me off.

“If you’re kitten hadn’t
insulted me and my mate you wouldn’t be having these problems
Tiberius.” I spat at him and would have moved towards him, but
Gabriel held me back.

“I told you I would take
care of him, and I sent you retribution McKenna. What I didn’t send
you enough?” He asked me.

We stared at each other
for a heartbeat.

Really? I didn’t get
Daniel’s head in a hat box
.

“Did you really think that
money would be enough retribution? He attacked me! You’re both
lucky I didn’t kill him that day or the other day at the other drop
site.” I shouted at Tiberius.

The looked that crossed
his face told me he hadn’t known about the newest drop site. Now
was that intriguing, Daniel’s been keeping secrets. He was involved
up to his eyeballs I just didn’t know how yet. “And then that dumb
bastard over there shot Gabriel right outside our house.” I pointed
at the grey haired man with all the guns. “Tell me Tiberius.
If
,
Gabriel had
died would you have enough money to cover that?”

“What?” He gasped in shock
and he looked over at Gabriel.

“I was shot six days ago,
and McKenna believes that man is responsible. I would like to talk
to him, and if he did shoot me Tiberius
.
I will kill him.” Gabriel was
remarkably calm about the whole matter.

“Jerry, come here.”
Tiberius called to the man.

Jerry looked up at
Tiberius and then at us.

“Run, run,” I chanted
over, and over in my head, and he did.

Gabriel and I chased after
him with Tiberius right behind us. Jerry didn’t get far before
Gabriel’s flying tackle brought him down. He did manage to get one
shot off during the struggle. A lucky one in a million kinda shot.
Jerry was trying to shoot Gabriel, but Gabriel slammed his gun hand
down on the ground. At the same time he pulled the
trigger.