Terry Spear’s Wolf Bundle (53 page)

“I’ll keep my hands in my pockets. You’ll need the gloves to make it through the snowdrifts.” Caitlin bit her lip as if another shard of pain sliced through her leg.

Lelandi nodded and brushed snowflakes off the girl’s cheeks.

“Let’s get moving. Standing here, we’ll be frozen statues before long,” Anthony said.

“What were you doing out here?” Minx asked Lelandi.

Lelandi wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to get warm. “Trying to get to town. I had an accident.”

“Oh, that’s why you have a gash on your head. Do you know the way?”

“Before I heard your voices, I smelled chimney smoke from that direction.” Lelandi motioned into the stark, white bleakness.

“There’s the cottage!” Cody pointed in a different direction, and stumbled toward the blurred outline of a log cabin that seemed to appear out of nowhere like a lake mirage on a desert island.

Part of the roof was gone, and the icy wind whipped through the dilapidated building with a vengeance. Lelandi had hoped it would have been a safe haven, walls and a roof to keep the wind and snow out, a place to build a fire. No such luck.

“We can’t stay here.” Minx rubbed her arms. “It’s too cold and our dad will skin us alive when he learns we’re missing. We’ve got to get Caitlin to the doctor.”

Caitlin shook her head. “We’re going to get grounded for sure.”

“Hope Darien doesn’t make us do anything like he already did,” Cody said.

“What did he make you do?” Lelandi peered into the snow, trying to get her bearings, smelling the air.

“Paint the school, because we wrote on the walls. Nothing bad. Just that our parents shouldn’t have to pay school taxes when we can’t go to them.”

“Were they paying school taxes?” Lelandi tied Caitlin more securely to the sled.

“No. It was all Cody’s fault. He’s
always
getting us into a mess.”

Cody grinned, not in the least remorseful.

Minx asked Lelandi, “Will you get in trouble for the car wreck?”

Lelandi offered her a small smile.
Most likely.

“She’s the pack leader’s chosen mate. Dad said. She won’t get in trouble,” Anthony said.

“Oh yes she will. Dad said someone was supposed to guard her at all times because somebody tried to kill her.” Cody banged his gloved hands together, shaking off some of the snow. “She shouldn’t be out here by herself so that means Darien’s going to be pissed.”

“So why are you out here alone?” Minx asked. “You weren’t running away, were you?”

“Oh, she couldn’t do that. She belongs to Darien and the pack now,” Cody said, matter-of-factly. “Dad said.”

“I was taking a drive into town, but I hadn’t realized the snow was so bad. And Cody’s right. I’m Darien’s mate and I’m not going anywhere.” Except to the hospital, if she could make it.

“I suggested we could turn wolf,” Cody said.

Minx frowned at him. “Our parents would kill us if an adult wasn’t chaperoning us.”

Cody pulled his gloved hand out of his parka pocket and waved at Lelandi. “We have a chaperone.”

“Minx and Cody, go ahead and shapeshift. With his good hand, Anthony can pull the sled carrying our clothes. As a wolf, Cody can pull Caitlin. Minx will stay with the rest of you while I scout ahead. Stick close together so we don’t lose anyone. If you sense anything that will help us find the town, just holler or howl.”

Lelandi didn’t think any of them could trek for miles in this snow as humans. If the situation became too dire,
she’d have Anthony and Caitlin shapeshift, and they’d huddle together until the storm let up.

Lelandi helped bury Caitlin under Minx’s and her own coat, while Minx and Cody quickly shapeshifted. Then she helped tie Cody’s coat over Anthony’s shoulders to give him some extra warmth. Afterward, she tied Cody to Caitlin’s sled, while Anthony gathered the rope for the sled carrying their clothes.

Lelandi stripped off her clothes, tossing them on the other garments. Man, was it cold. Her face and body began to shift, but it wasn’t until the fur began to cover her body before she quit shivering.

Everyone watched her, waiting for her to make the first move. She considered Caitlin and Anthony, who appeared bundled up enough. She listened, smelled the air, then headed south. At least Caitlin and Anthony were dressed in ski bibs, snow boots, parkas, hats and gloves—much more prepared than Lelandi had been.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Caitlin asked for the hundredth time.

Lelandi was quite a distance from the teens when she spied the glint of amber eyes watching her from deeper in the woods.
Crap.

As a red female, she’d never be able to fight a male gray and as big as he was, he was male. Her only hope was getting back to the kids because she was certain he wouldn’t want witnesses, or to have to kill them, too.
She
was the target.

He growled low and the hair on her back rose. Tail straight, she whipped around and raced back to the sleds, prepared to fight the gray if she had to.

“What’s wrong?” Anthony asked, as soon as she drew close enough.

“What’s the matter?” Caitlin asked, unable to see from the sled.

A cow mooed in the distance. Their salvation.
She hoped.

Anthony waved his arm. “It’s got to be Doc Mitchell’s ranch. He’s the vet. He can set Caitlin’s leg until we get into town.”

Great.
Doc Mitchell would not let Lelandi out of his sight once he saw her, just like when he guarded her in the tavern during the fair. She stuck close to the sled, but made them stop as soon as she spied the house’s snowy silhouette. Hating to shapeshift in the blizzard again, she didn’t have much choice. As quickly as she could, she changed and then hurried to dress.

“Doc Mitchell will get you warmed up and notify your parents. I’ve got to go back to the SUV and wait for Darien.”

“But it’s way too cold out here,” Caitlin said. “And you might get lost.”

Anthony frowned at her. “You should come with us and get warm, too. Doc Mitchell will call Darien for you also.”

Lelandi gave them each a hug. “I’ll be fine. Hurry to the house. And, Caitlin, honey, your parents need to talk to Darien.”

She nodded, although she didn’t seem happy. “Keep my gloves, all right?”

“Thanks. I’ll return them first chance I get. Take care. I’ll see you later.”

When they wouldn’t leave her, Lelandi motioned for them to go. “Hurry.”

“If you’re not going to come with us, take Cody’s coat. It’s warmer than yours.”

She looked at Cody and he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

“All right, thanks.” Cody’s white parka would blend in better with the snow and it would be much warmer. Lelandi threw Darien’s jacket on the sled and yanked on Cody’s coat, figuring Darien would be pissed about this, too. If Cody realized he was wearing the pack leader’s leather jacket, he was sure to tell all his friends, and he’d be the hit of the day.

The teens disappeared in the snow in the direction of the house, and Lelandi headed for the freshly plowed road. The wind hadn’t let up any when she saw a sign declaring it was Silver Town and another posting the speed limit.

But it wasn’t long before she sensed the wolf following her, hidden in the woods. Running wasn’t an option. He’d chase her down and kill her. She turned and stood her ground, although she knew she didn’t stand a chance. But there wasn’t anything else she could do. And wolf to wolf was a better end than human to wolf. She yanked off Caitlin’s gloves and shoved them in Cody’s coat pocket.

The wolf’s fur bristled, his ears erect, staring her down, angry. She wished she could smell him, know who he was, before he attacked, before the end. His lips curled back, showcasing his killer canines, and he snarled. She fumbled with the buttons on the coat. He was waiting, allowing her the chance to change, a contest between wolves.
Some contest.
Bastard.

Suddenly, his tail straightened out, parallel to the ground, signaling danger. She felt the road tremble
with an approaching pickup headed toward town, its headlights a warning. Her heart racing, she threw on the gloves and ran, waving at the truck to stop, hoping he’d see her in the white coat in the blinding snow. Despite being thankful her rescue was imminent, if it was one of Darien’s men, she was sunk.

That’s when she heard the wolf growl and knew the bastard risked killing her in front of a witness, closing in on her fast. The pickup sped up and veered off to the side of her, its brakes squealing, the tires spitting snow. She dodged away from the truck and fell into a snowbank.

The wolf yelped and darted out of the truck’s path in the opposite direction.

“Hey, little lady, get in! Hell, that was close. Looks like you had an accident. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

She took a deep breath.
Human.
She managed a frozen smile and murmured a thanks.

“I’ve never seen a wolf attack a human in these parts. I’ll have to contact the police and let them know. Might be rabid.”

She stared out the window, keeping an eye out for him, wishing she knew who the
lupus garou
was who had attacked her.

The grizzled old man kept talking, but all she could think of was the teens telling Doc Mitchell she’d been with them, he’d alert Darien, and they’d know her last whereabouts soon. Which meant she hadn’t much time.

D
ARIEN
PLOWED
THROUGH
ANOTHER
SNOWDRIFT
,
GLAD
Tom’s four-wheel drive monster truck could handle just about any road conditions, but he still wasn’t letting either of his brothers drive, figuring if he had a wreck it would be his fault, no one else to blame.

“We’ve been driving for an hour in this mess and have barely made any headway,” Jake said. “How was Lelandi acting before you came down to talk to us?”

“Pissed off about Ural. She probably headed to the jail to make sure we didn’t kill him.” He could barely see the road, or whether they were driving on it, the shoulder, or in the ditch. The only thing he could make out were the trees on either side of the road. Darien squinted, but it wasn’t helping.

“Wait, Darien! I think I see something,” Tom shouted from the backseat.

“Where?”

“To the right…looks like the tail end of a green pickup.”

Darien stopped the truck and they got out. “It’s the Woodcroft boys’ truck. I recognize the crunched right side where Cody backed into their mailbox by accident when he was learning to drive last year.” Now, stuck in the ditch, half-buried in snow and ice. He rubbed the snow off the driver’s side window. No sign of anyone. “Call their dad. See if they made it home, Tom.”

Tom pulled out his cell phone while Jake and Darien scouted around the truck for tracks. “If they hiked out of here on foot, the blowing snow covered their tracks already,” Jake said, rubbing his gloved hands together. “Hope they were dressed warm.”

“Hi, Anthony, this is Tom. Are your boys at home?” he yelled into the phone above the blowing wind.

Darien pointed to a couple of trees nearby. “Branches are broken. They walked this way, marking a trail at least. That abandoned cabin is located half a mile west of here. They’d know about it. Maybe they went there seeking shelter.”

Jake made a disgruntled noise. “Hell, the whole thing might have blown down in this storm. But it’s worth checking if their dad says they’re not home.”

They looked at Tom, whose face puckered into a frown. “I’ll let Darien know. We found their truck and it looks like we’ve discovered the direction they’re headed.” He paused. “A mile south of Darien’s place and the truck’s stuck in the ditch and buried in snow.” Tom looked at Darien. “Yeah, Lelandi’s still missing. All right. Let you know if we find anyone.” He pocketed his phone. “Anthony, Sr. said they went sledding and were late in arriving home. Peter called him to help in the search for Lelandi, so he’s heading out, but his wife will be home waiting on news of the boys. Not only that, but the sixteen-year-old twin girls that joined our pack were with the boys.”

“Hell,” Darien said. “Grab some flashlights. They might be able to see them. We’ll check that abandoned cabin. Call Uncle Sheridan and tell him we’ve got some missing teens out here now, too. He’ll need to report the
girls are with the boys, have abandoned the vehicle, and are on foot somewhere in the woods. And call Bertha Hastings and tell her to start the alert roster calls to account for everyone else.”

With heartfelt thanks, Lelandi climbed out of the Good Samaritan’s truck and headed for the hospital entrance. Glad to have made it, she felt a sliver of relief, knowing she still might get caught before she discovered anything.

What of the receptionist? Lelandi hadn’t thought about how she could get past her if that blasted Angelina was on duty. With trepidation at being discovered, Lelandi opened the hospital door and let in a blast of cold, but the heated air inside welcomed her like a hot blanket.

A woman she didn’t recognize manned the front desk and was talking to a human mother. The woman’s son was coughing nonstop. While the receptionist was busy, Lelandi slinked on past in her wet clothes down the hallway.

The smell of antiseptics brought a flashback of her stay at the hospital. She shivered, not wanting to think about it. Doc was talking to someone in one of the exam rooms and when she passed it, she saw Ritka adding something to a patient’s IV in the next room.

Ohmigod.
Deputy Trevor was peering into a hospital room, his back to her.

Two more hospital rooms to get by and she’d reach Doc’s office at the end of the hall. She hurried past the
deputy and into Doc’s office, then shut the door behind her. Her hands shaking, she took a steadying breath. Immaculately neat, everything was in its place. A brass caduceus sat on a stack of papers in the center of the mahogany desk, and she removed Caitlin’s gloves, shoved them in her pocket, then flipped through the papers. Current patient notes, nothing old enough to relate to Larissa’s case.

Certificates decorated the walls, and a portrait of a white-haired, elegant-looking woman and a distinguished-looking Doc was hanging on one of the walls opposite his desk over a file cabinet.

Trying the top drawer, she slid it open. Files of current patients. Files of more patients filled the second drawer also. No Wildhaven here though. No, it would be under Darien’s name, Silver.

And there it was.
Lelandi Silver, DECEASED.
Lelandi’s skin prickled. She slipped the file out of the drawer and opened it, her heart fluttering at a quickened pace.

9/6 Lelandi cut her wrists as a plea for help.

Her sister had attempted suicide? Hating how much her sister had to have suffered, Lelandi sat down hard on the doc’s chair.

She must have known she couldn’t die in that manner. I’ve tried speaking with her, but she won’t tell me what’s going on. Nurse Grey spoke with her at some length, but couldn’t determine the cause of depression. Probably brought on in
part by fluctuating hormones from the pregnancy. Suspect underlying reason, but can’t say without further information.

Lelandi’s eyes pricked with tears, and she wiped away a couple rolling down her cheeks. How could she not have been here for her sister?

9/8 Released Lelandi from the hospital. She seemed more upbeat and I had Doctor Craighton visit her from Green Valley. He’ll be seeing her once a week for a month to work with her through her psychological issues.

9/12 Lelandi seemed somewhat less distraught. Silva has made friends with her as well. I’m hoping that she’ll adjust to life here with the pack sooner than later as the pregnancy progresses.

10/6 Darien spoke to me about Lelandi’s crying spells. They’re much more pronounced than for a normal pregnancy. The only thing I can attribute it to is the possibility that the babies aren’t Darien’s. I don’t want to speculate further about that.

Lelandi reread the entry. Did Darien know? What about the rest of the pack? Silva. Maybe Larissa had told her. Or as bad as the news was, maybe not. No wonder Larissa was so distressed.

10/20 Lelandi had to be hospitalized for dehydration. Darien says she’s not eating properly. Too ill with morning sickness.

10/24 Autopsy revealed cause of death: broken neck from strangulation. Deemed a suicide, considering suicide note found in patient’s handwriting, past history of severe depression, and previous suicide attempt.

10/26 Autopsy of fetuses indicate the DNA does not match Darien’s.

Tears streaked down Lelandi’s cheeks, and she quickly brushed them away. How could her sister have done this to Darien? To the family? She’d shamed them all. It was bad enough that she’d mated another wolf when she was already mated, although Lelandi could forgive Larissa’s transgressions considering how cruel Crassus was. But how could Larissa have conceived someone else’s babies?

And who was the villain who seduced her sister? Silva said Larissa was seeing a miner. The only one she knew was Joe Kelly. If not him, would he know her sister’s lover?

She couldn’t believe how bad the situation with her sister was turning out.

“Doctor,” Ritka said from down the hall, jarring Lelandi from her morbid thoughts. “Mrs. Waverly wants more medication, but she’s had enough morphine to put a cow under.”

“Mrs. Waverly’s bone cancer has spread to many of her vital organs. She doesn’t have long to live. She’s entitled to whatever pain medication helps ease her suffering. Anything else?”

“Just Willy Wilkerson. His lungs sound like they’re full of fluid. Might be pneumonia. And Ural seems to be regaining consciousness.”

Ural was here? Unconscious! Lelandi ground her teeth. That’s why Deputy Trevor was here.
Damn Darien and his men.

The doctor and Ritka walked past the office and Lelandi didn’t stir.

Once they’d reached an exam room, Doc Oliver said, “Mrs. Wilkerson. We’ll have Willy on medication and better in no time.”

Lelandi refiled her sister’s health records and made for the door. Whether Trevor liked it or not, she was going to see her cousin and find out what they’d done to him.

The door eased open and Lelandi’s heart nearly quit. But it wasn’t Doc.

Joe Kelly hurried inside and shut the door. Snow covered his coat, hair and whiskers, and his eyes had a madman’s look. “Searching for Larissa’s file?” He pulled a gun out and motioned for Lelandi to back up against the wall.

A sickening feeling rippled through her. Her gaze shifted from the gun to his grim face. “You were the father of her triplets, weren’t you?”

“We thought Darien knew. But he either pretended not to, or was too arrogant to believe someone else had captured his mate’s heart. All that crap about dream mating.”

Hoping for a distraction, Lelandi backed toward the desk where she could reach the caduceus paperweight. Then she recalled her gun. Hell, she could have used it on the wolf stalking her. Slipping her hand into her pocket, she realized with a sinking heart she’d exchanged jackets with Cody. Oh, god, an underage
lupus garou
had her gun filled with silver bullets. Darien would kill her if this lunatic didn’t beat him to it.

Joe waved his gun at her and spoke in a hushed voice. “Silver bullets, Lelandi. So don’t try me. She was my one true mate. She told me everything about that abusive red mate of hers, how she couldn’t stand Darien’s touch, but went along with the mating so he’d protect her against Crassus. Not to mention that Darien insisted she was his because he’d seen her in the damned dreams. When I saw you, I figured you were the one he dreamed of.”

“What…what are you going to do?”

“Clean up loose ends.”

Which meant? He’d kill Doc because he’d known about the pregnancy. She lunged for the heavy brass paperweight, but Joe grabbed her arm, and they fell to the floor with a thud. “Shit, woman. I’m not going to kill you. I have to get rid of the medical records.”

She didn’t believe him for an instant. She and Doc knew about her sister’s babies. Why wouldn’t Joe kill them both? Hell, he had silver bullets in his gun. Why would he even be armed if he didn’t intend to murder someone?

She tried to squirm loose, but Joe kept her effectively pinned down.

“Listen, I’ll get the records for you and you can leave,” she coaxed.

“Nice try, Lelandi. What would prevent you from telling Darien everything you know? Even if you tried to keep your promise, he could force you to tell him the truth. I’ve made arrangements with your cousin Ural to take you away from here, and I want to stay with the pack. So you’ll have to leave,” he whispered against her ear.

And Doc? She wanted to ask him what he intended to do to Doc, but she had a pretty good idea. She feared Joe would be desperate enough to do anything to cover up his deeds.

“Okay, I’ll go quietly with you. Let’s get the files.” She hoped she could come up with a plan before anyone got hurt.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ritka hollered down the hall at someone. “Visiting hours are from ten to five, and as far as I know you don’t have any relatives in the hospital.”

“I need to see the doctor. It’s an emergency.”

Carol Wood?

“Oh, no you don’t. Darien already said you can’t have a job here.”

“It’s urgent and has nothing to do with working.”

Joe pulled Lelandi off the floor and motioned for her to brace the wall. Then he began shuffling through the files.

“You can’t go down there to see him! He’s with a patient right now!” Ritka’s footfalls pounded after Carol Wood’s.

Then a thud sounded against the doctor’s door. Carol swore, but the door banged open, and she fell into Doc’s office, landing on her hands and knees.

Lelandi and Joe froze.

For a heartbeat, both Ritka and Carol stared at Joe and Lelandi, then Ritka shouted, “Deputy Trevor! Break-in in progress!”

Joe whipped the gun around and fired two shots at Ritka, the gunfire exploding in Lelandi’s ears. She leapt at Joe and seized the weapon as Ritka crumpled
to the floor. He thrust Lelandi aside. Carol screamed and scrambled to her feet, but Doc Oliver appeared in the entryway, blocking her escape. Joe fired at Doc. Clutching his chest, his eyes round, he collapsed. Carol dashed out of the office, and Lelandi dove for the brass weight.

With a lightning reaction, Joe struck the butt of his gun against her head and sent her sprawling. Flashes of pain streaked through her skull. Momentarily, she saw nothing but blackness, heard nothing, felt nothing. But then files crashed to the floor while Joe ransacked the file cabinet, until he found Larissa’s. He shoved it inside his jacket, went to the window, and jerked it open.

A mixture of snow and ice blew into the office, chilling her. She blinked her eyes, trying to clear her head.

Where the hell was Deputy Trevor? And what if Doc Mitchell arrived with Caitlin and became embroiled in this mess. And the other teens, too. She could see Cody and Anthony trying to rescue her.

Doc Oliver groaned. His face was sickly pale. Lelandi crawled over to him. Ritka was out cold, and Carol had vanished. Lelandi ripped open Doc’s shirt and meant to dig out the bullet with her fingers, but Joe grabbed her hair and yanked her back. Pain shot through her scalp. “Time to go.”

“No!” she screamed, wanting to save Doc, and clawed at Joe’s fingers to free herself.