Saving Margaret (13 page)

A t-shirt came flying his direction. He chuckled and pulled it on as well before wandering into the living room to look for his shoes. A knock at his door caught him off guard. Seconds later the scent of bear put every nerve in his body on end. He stood still and listened. Only one man was on the other side of the door. He could hear the heartbeat. From the scent, he knew it was one of the blasted Kodiak bears from the casino.
What the fuck?

The bear knocked again.

“Scott, who is here?” Margaret asked, walking into the living room.

The door crashed open and she screamed. He moved quickly, grabbing her under his arm and tossing her through the bedroom door. Shutting it, he turned to face the Russian just before being slammed into.
The bear-shifter hit him with the force of a ton of falling bricks. The bedroom door splintered around them. He roared and shoved him off, rolling to his feet to stand between the intruder and he mate.

"Get out that window, shift, and run, Margaret!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

Waves of magick billowed through the room, warming his skin.
Shit!
The Russian was shifting inside the apartment.

"Margaret! Now!" He roared again, shucking his jeans, beginning his shift as well. He didn't have a chance fighting the Kodiak if he wasn't in bear form too. His mate whimpered and hurried to the window, opened it, and slithered out onto the fire escape.

He charged his opponent, catching him off guard and managed to knock him to the floor. They crashed into the wall, smashing through the Sheetrock. A giant claw caught his shoulder and searing pain shot through his upper body. Blood spattered the room from hits both of them had dealt and taken.

Where's the other one?

A scream cut through the din of their fight.

Margaret! No!

"Kill this bastard! The other has our mate."
His bear's voice was darkened with hatred. They had dared to touch his mate and he would have their blood.

Scott lunged with renewed fury, found an opening, and latched on hard. His teeth sunk deep into the Kodiak's neck and ripped the flesh away. Blood poured onto the carpet. He'd caught the edge of the carotid artery. His opponent sank to the floor with a thud.

He shifted back to human form instantly, pulled on his rumpled and bloodied clothes, and ran through the smashed apartment door. A few well-placed leaps had him on the ground floor and running for the back of his building. The alley was empty and scent of the other Kodiak was mixed with Margaret's.

"Fuck!" He kicked the dumpster, denting the steel. "Margaret!"

He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed Keith.

"Scott?"

"We were jumped by two Kodiak bears at my apartment. They have Margaret. One is dead upstairs. I need a clean up containment crew."

"Fucking hell, I was worried when she mentioned them on the phone yesterday. We've suspected for quite some time that they worked for the Council indirectly. Their boss is a business liaison for the Council."

"The Council recruited the Kodiaks because of me, didn't they?"

"I would assume, yes. The human probably smuggled the other two Council agents into the country on his private jet as well."

"Where did they have Peter? They might use the same holding space. Bring the seer. We have to track her fast before they hurt her. Those bears were obsessed with Margaret."

"Fuck.” Keith growled over the line. “Send your address to my phone, we will be there ASAP."

Margaret opened her eyes and groaned. Her body felt like it'd been tossed inside the bingo spinner at the casino. She raised her head and bright flashing spots clouded her vision, making her put it down to the cold floor.

Scott! Oh, gods, no!

She forced her head up again and squinted until her eyes adjusted to the low lighting. It was a large warehouse structure. She was in a wide-open area, but near the wall across from her was an office. The unmarked black van he’d stuffed her into was parked a few yards away.

Background noise from a TV leaked out from beneath the closed doors. A deep male laugh echoed from behind the door, too. The distinct scent of bear and wolf permeated the building. She could only hear one heartbeat.

What happened to Scott? I can’t feel the bond! I can’t feel him.

"There's only one bear here, so he most likely took care of the one he was fighting."
Her wolf assured her quietly.

What if he didn't? What if he's laying there in the apartment dead and Ivan is on his way here?
Her breathing sped up and she pushed herself to her hands and knees, struggling to balance with both wrists cuffed tightly together. The tranquilizer Alex shot her with was screwing with her equilibrium, too. A chain clinked behind her and she looked to the side, horrified to find iron shackles on both ankles chained and bolted to the floor. Iron would block her magick.

“That’s why we can’t feel the bond. The iron is blocking everything.”

The door to the office swung open and Alex strolled out holding a black stick in one hand and a car battery in the other. A long thin wire connected the two items.

Shit! Shit!

A wicked smile curved on his lips. “Good to see the drugs did not take too long in your system.” He put the box and stick on the ground out of her reach and walked up to her. She reeled back, but without any control of her coordination her efforts to avoid his meaty hands were futile. “Your bear killed my brother.”

“Scott is alive?” Maybe, just maybe he would confirm her mate had made it through the fight.

“I suppose. He won’t be for long though.”

A small sigh escaped. He would have called the pack. Everyone would be scouring the city looking for her. Siobhan would be casting for her. It was only a matter of time. She just needed to hang on long enough for them to find her. She had to.

“What do you want?”

He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her.

“I will take you from him. He will feel the loss of you, his mate, worse than I feel the loss of my brother.”

Panic crept in and wrapped its dark slimy fingers around her heart. Ivan and Alex had proven on more than one occasion they desired her. The incident at the casino had only fueled their obsession. Now Ivan was dead and Alex had her chained in an empty warehouse in godforsaken who-knows-where.

He yanked her up and attached her hands to a hook above her head she hadn’t seen. The sharp movement sliced through what little skin still remained intact around her wrists and the iron shackles around her ankles inhibited her supernatural healing. She was weakened by the drugs and unable to lift a finger to fight back.

The pain was excruciating. Warm rivulets of blood ran down her arms slowly. She bit her tongue to stifle a whimper. Showing weakness now would not help her out of this mess.

“The Council wants to know where Peter Demakis is. Where Renata Demakis is. And, where your stupid pack has hidden the Demakis sisters.” His hand lifted her chin. She met his gaze and swallowed. If she had been scared before, she was terrified now. The blackness in his soul showed through his glowing golden eyes. “I told him you wouldn’t tell. Was I wrong?”

She shook her head. Betrayal of the pack was as good as a death sentence —not just her death. Betraying pack secrets to the Council usually resulted in mass executions. No. She wouldn’t tell anyone anything about the pack. He was right.

Him who? The Council agent?
Were they working together?

“I didn’t think so. I convinced him you might with the right encouragement.” She followed his gaze to the stick and battery. “But, really. It’s just for my pleasure.”

He yanked on the chain her wrists were attached to and raised them, stretching her arms high above her head, but thankfully leaving her bare feet flat on the ground to support most of her weight. His hand trailed down her face and caressed the top of her breasts.

She flinched, pulling away. He drew back his hand and brought it down hard across her face. She screamed and spit in his face.

“Keep your filthy hands off of me!”

He grabbed the neck of her t-shirt and pulled it away like a piece of tissue paper. Next were her shorts. Her underwear and bra didn’t last long either. In a matter of seconds he had stripped her naked.

Shame warmed her cheeks as he stood back to enjoy the view. He smiled at her and she cursed.

“I see you’ve mated with the grizzly…how are the iron shackles working for you?”

“You are a bastard,” she hissed.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,
suka
.”

He bent down and picked up the stick and battery box. A blue arc of electricity bowed between two metal points on the end of the stick. The crackling sound sent shivers through her body.

Scott needed to hurry.

***

“Arrrrrughhhh!” Scott yelled and kicked the dumpster behind his building again. Putting yet another dent into it. He only prayed the O’Brian seer was powerful enough to find Margaret before it was too late. His bond to her had vanished. He hadn’t felt her die. It was just gone. Blocked. They had done something to cut him off.

His beast was riled and ready to rip someone’s head off.

The injuries he’d suffered from the Kodiak had already started to heal. But not being able to feel his mate was clawing at his insides, making him nauseous. He’d become so accustomed to feeling an emotional link with her, having that suddenly torn away was like a knife to the gut.

“Scott!” Keith’s voice called from the front of his building.

“Back here,” he answered, hurrying out of the alley.

Holy crap!
Over a dozen cars were pulling into the small parking lot. Pack members were pouring out of them as they parked. Some he’d met, others were unfamiliar. He saw Siobhan hurrying toward him after slipping out of a dark blue pickup. He picked up the scent of lion and even a few vampires. They stood to the edge of the property, away from the riled group of wolves.

“Scott, do you have something of Margaret’s? I need something to identify her aura.”

He nodded and dashed to the broken front door. His eyes lighted on her purse, still lying on his recliner from the night before. Hopefully that was enough. Just in case, he grabbed her shoes from the entryway debris as well.

A police car and blue unmarked van were pulling into the parking lot, just as he made it back to Siobhan’s side.

“Damn it, how did the cops get here so fast?”

He started when a hand fastened to his shoulder from behind. “Settle down. We are going to find her.” Keith’s voice was firm, but there was a tremor of underlying fear. “The cops are with us.”

He relaxed his shoulders and shook his head. “I can’t feel the bond. It’s gone.”

“Did you feel her die?” Siobhan cut in.

“No,” he answered.

“They are blocking it with iron. It will make it harder to find her, but it can still be done. Breathe, Scott. Keith’s right. We will find her. Pack sticks together.”

A tall man stepped forward into the small circle. Peter Demakis, the reason for all of this mess was standing not three feet from him.

Scott growled and lunged. “You! They took her because of you!” Keith and at least three other men jumped on top of him before he could wrap his hands around the fucking royal’s neck.

“Scott, stop!”

“Scott!”

Their shouts fell on deaf ears. He huffed, feeling his bear clawing to get out. If it wasn’t the middle of public parking lot, he might have let it.

“You must control yourself. Margaret would never forgive you for hurting her family.” Siobhan’s calm voice cut through the shouting.

How?

He stilled and took several deep breaths. The men on top of him slowly climbed off and backed away.

“You must be strong for her,” her soothing tones continued. He focused on Siobhan. Her lips weren’t moving. “We are here for you. You wear Margaret’s mark. You are Pack. You are family.”

All of these people aren’t pack. I’m a bear. I can’t be part of a wolf pack.

“Yes they are,” she finally spoke aloud. “Just as you are.”

“There are cats and vampires over there.” He waved his hand to the small group standing away from everyone else.

“They have mates in the pack. Don’t you see the wolves next to them?”

He looked again. The small group met his gaze and nodded, acknowledging they’d heard the conversation. One of the lions mouthed, “we’re here to help.” It was unheard of. Since when did cats help wolves? And, vampires didn’t talk to anyone.

“We are all here to help find Margaret. Give me the purse and shoes.”

He held out the items and stood quietly as Siobhan passed the items out to various people in the gathering. The purse she kept for herself and called one of the vampire females forward. They joined hands and began to chant.

Keith rattled off instructions to the rest, splitting them into search teams. Everyone dispersed within minutes. The parking lot was empty except for Keith, Peter, Siobhan, and the unfamiliar vampire. Siobhan and the vampire opened their eyes at the same time.

“She’s near the power plant west of Henderson,” they spoke together.

Keith nodded and dialed a number on his phone.

“Chris, pass the word. Tell everyone to head toward the power plant outside of Henderson.” Keith hung up the phone and looked up to meet his gaze. Scott nodded. “Ride with me. Peter, you’re with the ladies.”

***

She’d long since lost feeling in her wrists. Her legs had taken so many hits from the cattle prod they couldn’t support her at all. She hung limp from the metal cuffs, blood running slowly down her body and dripping into a sticky pool around her bare feet. Burn marks littered her torso from Alex’s playtime, along with multiple shallow knife cuts.

She’d never been more thankful to hear a phone to ring. When he’d stepped back into the office and shut the door, the sobs she’d been holding back came pouring out. The pain was more than anything she’d ever felt. Her magick had always protected her. As a werewolf, things didn’t hurt to the same degree. The magick constantly replaced injured cells with brand new ones, giving them life spans of many centuries. She knew iron blocked their supernatural ability to shift, but it did more than that —it made her feel human.

The doorknob to the office turned and Alex emerged. He smiled, walked to an outside door, and pushed it open. She squinted as bright light shined into the dim warehouse. Seconds later a large man walked through the doorway. Alex closed the door and plunged them all back into the shadows. She couldn’t see the newcomers face yet, but he was wolf. The scent was familiar. She’d noticed it when she’d first awakened, chained to the floor.

“I told you not to kill her, you imbecile,” the wolf spoke angrily.

“She’s not dead,” Alex answered and huffed.

“Did she reveal anything?”

“No. I told you she wouldn’t.”

“The loyalty of this pack is infuriating. I haven’t been able to find anyone to spearhead the Council’s side of the fight. They love Demakis and Taylor.” He moved in closer, putting his face inches from hers. His breath was warm on her face and smelled of tobacco. Nasty habit. Even if it couldn’t kill him because he was supernatural, it still smelled disgusting.