Opening the Cage (8 page)

“Hello?”

“Hey, Mesa.” Canyon felt pathetically grateful to hear his brother’s voice. After the explosion of their orgasm, he’d been fucking frantic to get the truck going, knowing anyone with a psychic bone would be on them like white on rice. The truck had taken some tinkering, the electrical going in and out to begin with, and he’d wasted valuable time.

“Where the fuck are you, Canyon?” Canyon smiled at Mesa's words. His twin was the wolf voted least likely to listen to portents and dreams. Mesa wanted him home.

“We’re on the road. This is a mess, man.”

“What happened? Kody’s all dizzy, Junie’s wandering around like she’s had her bell rung, and Granny’s speaking in tongues.”

“Uh—” His cheeks heated, which was ridiculous, because nobody was there to see it. “There was a thing.”

“A thing.” Mesa’s voice had a little, growing growl.

“Yeah. It was kind of unexpected.” Hell, it had been full-on face-slapping.

“Are they…Are they real, Canyon? The twins?”

“Yeah. Super real.” The two of them blew him away. “Not twins. Not sibs at all, in fact.”

“Okay, well then, we have to keep them safe until we figure out what the fuck to do with them.”

Well, no shit.

“That’s what I’m trying to do, bro. I need to move, though. Thanks to our thing, people will be coming.”

“Yeah. Shit. Come toward us, lead them here and we’ll fight them, altogether.”

No. No, Juniper had been very sure. So sure. She’d told him to take them up into the mountains.

“Sure,” he lied, glancing at the sleeping pair next to him. He knew Mesa wouldn't understand, but Junie had been so sure. Canyon trusted that. “We’ll kick ass.”

There was no way he was taking them to the Clan. Not now. Not with the way they made things sing. Not with Alicia and Markus and the witch coming for them. They needed someplace to make a stand, someplace isolated where no one else would get hurt. Not that he intended any of them to get hurt.

A low growl built in his chest. In fact, he’d tear apart anyone that touched them.

Riana whimpered softly in her sleep and Wend stretched, one hand on his thigh.

“Don’t lie to me, Canyon.” Mesa always knew—either it was a pack Alpha thing or a brother thing. “Where are you going?”

“North. Up into the mountains, somewhere I can protect them.”

“You could protect them here, with your Pack.”

“Junie said no, man.” Mesa just had to understand.

“Junie’s a turd.” Mesa sighed, and Canyon heard Sammy’s soft laughter close by.

“Tell him to be good and that we miss him, love.”

“You heard my lady?” Mesa asked.

Canyon nodded, then remembered he was on the phone. “I did. Tell her and Kody I love them. You I can do without.” It was an old joke, and Mesa knew it.

“Fuck off, baby brother.” Mesa sighed. “Come home soon.”

“I will. I miss you.” He missed his sister, too, and his TV and satellite and all sorts of shit.

“Yeah. Bye.”

The line went dead, and he felt the urge to go home, to protect his family, his Clan. They would have to fight, too, and he knew it. Still, it was his job to keep the Pair from being caught again.

Riana’s eyes popped open, and her soft sigh echoed inside him.
I’m sorry
.

Why?
He smiled at her briefly.
I’ll never be sorry you came into my life.

Her cheeks pinked and she almost smiled.
The Alpha will come. I think he has to, now.

He will.
Markus was crazy. How he understood that so unerringly, he didn’t know, but there it was.

He could feel Riana’s worry, like the scent of spoiled meat.
I…Not good for you.

We’ve been through this before.
He tapped her knee gently.

She nodded, fingers on his, touching him.
I want to protect you.

Oh.

Oh, moon above, that was dear—this tiny, lovely woman, wanting to defend him. This was his, and he was keeping it. Her and her Wend and this amazing feeling that someone wanted him. Him.

Wend shifted restlessly as Riana moved closer, vocalizing softly as she pressed against him, wrapped in a blanket.

Canyon smiled. He did miss his pack, but he had the beginnings of a new family, too. That had to count for something.

Her head landed on his shoulder, eyes on the dashboard, searching. She was warm, soft, and he hummed, happy in his soul, even if he knew trouble lay ahead.

One finger reached out, touched the dashboard, the buttons on the stereo, the heater.
Can there be music, Canyon?

Of course, love.
Canyon chuffed softly, turned on a classic country channel. It was that or hard-core old time religion stuff out here.
It must all seem strange.

It is. I must seem strange to you.

No. No, they seemed like they belonged. He didn’t know why, and he didn’t know how Junie could have missed something this big.

Wend shifted, went fuzzy, and Riana made a soft, relaxing sound, easing him down into sleep again. She was so protective of him, so good. He loved that about her.

The snow was beginning to fall, the wind howling, seeming to sing. It was a little early, really, for a storm this bad. Junie would purse her lips and look at the sky and say a bad moon was about to rise.

Riana shivered, shook her head, eyes huge. “Inside.”

“Soon, love.” He was afraid he was lying, because he had no idea where they would stop, but clearly being out in the open was wigging her out.

“The winds are mad at me.” She pressed closer to him.

“Why would they be mad?” He freed one arm to put around her.

“I make…” She shook her head, hiding in her face.

“Make what, sweet?”
Why?
It seemed harder for her to talk out loud.

I make things bad. I make things bad, Canyon.

Wend’s eyes popped open.
Stop it.

No.

Wend growled softly, bared his teeth.
I say stop.

Canyon bit back a grin. Wend sometimes reminded him of Kody, his brother’s Beta. He could be fierce when he needed to be.

Wend wrapped around Riana, all arms and legs.
It isn’t you. It’s them. You’re not bad. We’re not bad.

How could these two be bad? Canyon mused. They were beautiful and weirdly innocent and sensual and perfect. And his. No, that crazy bastard was the one who was completely unbalanced.

Wend’s hand found his thigh, fingers warm.
Yours. Mate. Where are we going?

Someplace safe.
He really had no idea. God, he needed to focus.

Something hit the side of the truck, so fast and hard he never ever saw it, the wheels sliding on the road. Canyon steered into his skid, the snow too much for any traction they might find. Shit. He gritted his teeth, the world spinning in a sickening way.

He heard Wend’s sharp cry, and a horrifying, terrible scream as the truck slammed into the trees.

Snow plopped down on the windshield, which had cracked like thin ice on a frozen lake. Canyon’s ears rang, the seat belt so tight he couldn’t breathe. He was still bouncing off the side window and the steering wheel when the whole fucking world started to go dark.

Chapter Eight

Wake up.

Wend grabbed Canyon’s shirt, biting and tearing, the agony inside him overwhelming.

Wake up.

Wake up.

WAKE UP!

Canyon’s head rolled, the bruises and cuts so lurid on his face, so awful. One dark eye opened, though, staring at him.

She’s gone. You have to wake up.
He licked at Canyon’s face, lapping away the blood.
Please. Please, wake up. I can’t find her. They took her.

“What?” Canyon’s voice sounded like his name. All gravel and wind.

Wend howled, pure panic flooding him as he scrabbled back out of the truck. He had to find her. He had to help Canyon. He had to…

Fuck.

Wend?
The voice in his head cut through his panic. Canyon sounded so much stronger like that.
Wend, I need you. Where is Riana?

Gone. Gone. She’s gone
. He pushed back in, biting at the belts around Canyon.

“Wend.” Now Canyon’s physical voice sounded stronger. “I need you to be a man for a minute. Think hard, love. Real hard.”

A man. A man. Riana. His Riana.

The scent of blood was everywhere, making him pant.

“That’s it, honey. I need you to help me get this mess sorted out, okay? Once I’m out we’ll find her, I swear it.”

He was suddenly cold, naked, tailless. “Riana.”

“She’s gone.” Canyon nodded, eyes clouding over a little with pain. “Okay. There’s a button under the steering wheel. See if you can get it to move up.”

He reached under, fingers clumsy, unsure what they were searching for, soft, panicked sounds escaping him.

“It’s little, hard and round.” He could smell Canyon’s blood, fresh compared to his and Riana’s. Canyon was still bleeding.

“Uh-huh. You’re hurt.”

“I’ll be fine once I get out of here.” Grunting, Canyon tried to help him find the thing he looked for.

His fingers found the button and the lever popped up, Canyon jerking as the pressure came off his belly.

“Oh.” The long sound was half moan and half sigh. “Better. Okay, now the damned belt, huh?”

Wend nodded, worked that open with numb and shaking fingers. The cold was everywhere—inside, outside, everywhere. Riana was gone.

She’d never been gone before.

Never.

Canyon spilled out of the truck, nearly knocking him down. There was something wrong with Canyon’s left leg.

He went fuzzy instinctively, moving to lick and lap at Canyon’s wounds.

Chuffing, Canyon stroked his ruff. “Thanks, sweet.”

The flavor of Canyon’s blood was bright, so wrong that his mate hurt, and he pushed closer, trying to ignore the screaming in his head that kept insisting Riana was gone.

Canyon finally pushed him away, trying to climb to his feet. When that leg crumpled, Canyon snarled, and suddenly he had another wolf with him instead of a man.

He yelped, danced.
What do we do? What do we do?

We go get her.
Canyon stood, shaking like he was wet. Then he began circling, sniffing.

Wend sniffed too, but what he smelled was Death. He’d smelled that too many times, and it always came with pain, with his Riana’s cries.

Wend tucked his tail.

Canyon growled, snapping at his neck. It startled him out of his funk, making him jump.

He backed away, baring his teeth. He hadn’t done this.

Help me.
Canyon wasn’t snarling in his head. There was urgency, but no anger.

How? It has her
. It brought her back when it had fed before, but it wouldn’t bring her back this time.

It?
Canyon’s head lifted, ears pricked.

It. Death. The Alpha. The witch made him. The new girl wants its babies, wants to be what it is.
He stepped closer, letting Canyon into his head, letting Canyon see, know.

The thing was a monster, feeding on the Alpha, wearing his skin.

Alicia?
Canyon growled, but Wend knew it was at the monster, not at him. He knew it deep down.

It has her.
Wend danced, the throbbing in his head constant, maddening.

Stop. Just hush.
Canyon went absolutely still, scenting the air. Then that brushy tail went up and Canyon yipped, heading off to the west.

He followed, the silence in his head making his whimper.

Focus, Wend.
The sound made him feel less alone.

Trying. She’s not in me.
It was so wrong.

She’s just too far away. Maybe drugged.
Canyon was there now, in his head, keeping him from bashing himself against a tree.

They ran, the snow getting heavier, deeper, clinging to his fur. He was cold, so cold. If he was this cold, Riana had to be freezing.

A scream rocked him, deep in the center of his brain, and he stopped still, barking furiously.
Riana! Riana!

Wend! Wend, we need to hear her.
Canyon circled back to stand next to him, shoulder holding him up.

He stared, wild. Hear her? He couldn’t hear anything but her.