The Guardian (The Wolfe Series) (27 page)

             
Laurie had felt different the last couple of days.  Her senses seemed sharper and she was experiencing flashes of heat at unexpected times, like now as she sat waiting for Jake’s return.  He’d ridden out with Anthony earlier, something about a young foal that had been attacked by what appeared to be a mountain lion.  Laurie wondered if it was the same lion that had attacked her and cringed at the thought of a helpless little foal being at the big cat’s mercy.  There would have been little the foal’s mother could have done to protect her baby against such a large predator.

             
The flash of heat came again, sifting through every muscle and blood vessel in Laurie’s body. 
This can’t be happening now, not with Jake gone.
  Jake had told her to let him know the moment she felt the Change symptoms. 

 
              Laurie felt light-headed and grabbed the bedpost to steady herself, panicking a little.  She knew that she needed to find Jake so he could help her through what was about to happen.  “Jake, where are you?” Laurie cried as she raced through the bedroom door and down the long hallway.  The heat increased with every step as she raced out of the house and toward the stables.

             
Jake had just said good-night to Anthony and was closing one of the stall doors when Laurie flew into the barn and into his arms, almost knocking him down.

             
“It’s happening!” Laurie cried.  “Make it stop!”  She thought she’d been looking forward to the experience but realized that deep down inside she’d been terrified all along.

             
“Calm down, Laurie,” Jake soothed as he hugged her tight against his body.  He could feel the heat of the change radiating from her.
 
“You won’t be able to control it at first, but it’s going to be all right.  I’m here with you now.  Just relax and don’t fight it.  When you let it happen, you’ll be amazed at how wonderful you’re going to feel.”

             
There was no way she could stop it even if she’d wanted to.  But Jake’s soothing voice calmed her as heat sifted through every muscle and blood vessel.  Laurie pulled the nightgown over her head and stretched her arms toward the rafters.  More heat invaded her body, stretching her muscles as fur popped out along her arms and legs, a thick silver pelt covering her entire body.  She felt her mouth extend and become a muzzle filled with razor sharp teeth as she dropped down on four paws.

             
Jake watched Laurie change, a blurring of two beautiful shapes, from a naked woman into a stunning gray wolf.  A woman one moment and a wolf the very next.

             
Laurie lifted her nose and sniffed the air.  Freedom, she felt freedom, freedom to move as a wolf.  She had Changed and the world had changed with her, becoming a place of countless smells, sounds and sensations that only a
lupus garous
could appreciate.  The potency of a wild hunter’s heart pumped through her veins, the transformation an instant of pure ecstasy.

             
Laurie tilted her head and watched Jake shed his own clothes as he shifted.  He then slowly walked toward her in his wolf form, licking her face and brushing her shoulder affectionately with his own before nodding toward the open doors of the stable.

             
Jake had been right.  The change was amazing.  Laurie filled her lungs with sweet night air, as she ran out of the stable, her paws pounding the earth as she followed Jake along a well-worn game trail.  She marveled at how well she could see in the dark, the flash of a rabbit’s tail, a tiny cactus wren peaking its head over the side of its nest, a field mouse scurrying for cover.  Laurie ran with total abandon, up and out of arroyos and over rocky ledges with Jake running along beside her, in her heart and in her racing limbs.

             
They ran for what seemed like hours, stopping only to rest and mate when the urge came upon them.  They were mates and would remain so for the rest of their lives, caring for each other, supporting each other in both times of good and bad, and protecting each other from whatever dangers threatened.

             
Laurie’s heart sang with her new found freedom as she followed the man-wolf she’d come to love into the heart of the desert.

              Everything was in readiness, at least as much as an operation like this one could be.  Poncho Vega walked into Enrique Perez’s office, his hat in his hands per his boss’ requirements which rankled Vega no end.  He was growing tired of the freak’s tyrannical demands and had decided to leave after this final mission.  There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for money, but groveling at Enrique Perez’ boots wasn’t one of them.

             
“Is everything ready to go?” Enrique asked, not offering Vega a chair.  He looked up from the papers he was perusing and noted the look of hostility on the other man’s face before it was quickly hidden. 
So that’s the way it is, eh?

             
“Absolutely.  The snatch will be made during the roundup as planned.  I don’t foresee any problems in that regard.  There’ll be plenty of commotion to cover the snatch and by the time they realize what has happened we’ll be long gone.”

             
“The same rendezvous place then?”

             
“Yes, we should be able to reach the shack the slavers use in less than an hour.  I’ll radio you once we’ve secured the captive and you can meet us there.”

             
Enrique nodded his head in understanding.  “Handle the package with care, my friend.  I don’t want any damage done to our unwilling guest.”

             
“That’s understood.”  He more than anyone knew of Enrique’s deviant activities, which was yet another reason for him to leave before the monster decided to use some of those deviant techniques on him. “The tranquilizer I plan to use should keep our guest knocked out for well over an hour.”

             
“That’s good, very good.”  Enrique rubbed his hands together thoughtfully.  “I’ll see you tomorrow night, then.”

             
“Yes, sir.”

Enrique watched
Poncho Vega turn on his heal and stalk out of the office.  “I’d tread carefully if I were you, my friend, very, very carefully.”

             
Luzaro saw Poncho Vega leave Enrique’s office and motioned for the lieutenant to join him on the veranda. 

“Hot day,” Luzaro commented as he poured himself a glass of lemonade from a frosty pitcher setting on a glass-topped
patio table.  He looked relaxed and comfortable in a button-down shirt and sharply creased khaki pants. He pointed toward one of the patio chairs and said, “Have a seat.  Lemonade?”  He knew that Enrique would be watching them and couldn’t have cared less.  His second-in-command hadn’t been keeping him informed, which wasn’t going to be tolerated much longer.  Luzaro pinned Vega with an arctic glare.  “How goes the search for Laurie Kincaid?  Enrique doesn’t plan to bring her to me, does he?”

             
“No, he doesn’t.”  Poncho Vega knew he was burning his bridges with Perez and actually felt relieved.  “He plans to keep her at the slaver’s shack and do the unspeakable things he enjoys so much.”  Vega spat into the dirt of a nearby flowerbed. 

             
“I thought as much,” Luzaro replied, trying to control the rage that burned in his gut.  He contained his temper with an effort and continued, “Do what he asks . . . and then I want you to do the following . . . .”

             
Enrique had watched the two men conversing as they had known he would.  He found himself wondering just how long it would be before Luzaro made a move to eliminate him. 

             
Enrique turned away from the window . . . . relishing the thought and the conflict to come.

C
hapte
r
T
wenty
-
T
wo

            
 
T
he annual Ranch Roundup  showcased the Kingdom Ranch, engaging children and adults in the history and lore of the Old West. The family-friendly event drew more than two-thousand people each year where people could relive cowboy traditions, watch exciting arena events featuring roping and riding, skill demonstrations, horseshoeing, saddle making, and mule packing.  The ranch also provided wagon rides, a kid's corral, food, and an auction.  Laurie’s mind was boggled by the immensity of the undertaking and applauded Jane and the other organizer’s determination to make the annual event such a huge success.  

             
“How are things going?  Need any help?” Laurie asked Jane who was overseeing a passel of kids who were decorating stick horses.  Laurie had been told that all of the proceeds from the roundup would be used to help under privileged children in the area.

             
“No, I’m just about ready to wrap things up here.  The Roundup is going even better than last year,” Jane explained as she wiped her sweaty brow with a red bandana.  “Where are you headed?  Didn’t think Jake was ever going to let you out of his sight.”

             
Jake had been worried that Laurie might be seen by one of Rivera’s thugs and had insisted that she remain at his side most of the day.  But as the day had progressed she’d felt his concern ease.  He knew many of the people in attendance and hadn’t felt any kind of a threat to her using both his wolf and human senses.

             
“It seems I’m off the leash, at least for now,” Laurie laughed.  After they had attended a session about rescuing horses Laurie had watched Jake demonstrate the skill of mule packing before heading to the other side of the courtyard where they had enjoyed the Dutch oven cobbler and listened to the chuck wagon storytelling for awhile.

             
“Ain’t love grand,” Jane chuckled.  “Where’s the big guy now?”

             
“Seems there was a problem with one of the miniature horses over by the stables.  He’s gone to check it out.”

             
“Loves horses, that boy.  Hope he gets those racing quarter horses started like he wants.  Those Wolfe boys can be pretty determined when they set their mind on something.”  Jane winked at Laurie and handed a dirty-faced little boy the last of the materials to decorate his stick horse.

             
“I think I’ll go find him.” A touch of fear slithered the length of Laurie’s spine as she turned toward the stable. A feeling of dread and impending disaster reached out and grabbed her by the throat when she walked into the stable and found it deserted . . . except for the shadow of the man she saw standing in the doorway at the far end of the center aisle.

             
Enrique Perez stood with his legs spread apart, hands on his hips, relishing the look of disbelief that covered Laurie Kincaid’s lovely face. He hadn’t planned to participate in this part of the kidnapping but had found himself powerless to resist.  “You’re right, your friend’s not here,” Enrique drawled.  “He’s mine now and if you want him to live you’ll do exactly what I say.”

             
Laurie’s mind was numb with shock.  Shock
at finding Enrique Perez and shock that the man had kidnapped Jake.  She forced the words between her paralyzed lips, “Why?  Why do this to Jake?  I’m the one you want.”

             
Enrique examined his perfectly manicured nails before pinning Laurie with a look of such hatred that she cringed despite her determination not to show this man how much she feared him.  “He interfered in my business.  This is his ranch, is it not?  I would normally have him killed right here because of his interference but there is something I want more than his life,” Enrique lied.  He would take the man’s life by slow degrees of torture and the Kincaid woman would be made to watch.

             
“Me, you want me,” Laurie said woodenly.  “I’ll come with you willingly, just don’t hurt Jake or anyone else.”

             
“How very touching, my dear.  Your concern is admirable.” 
But they will pay, they will all pay.
  Enrique heard the click of a gun being cocked as he continued, “You might tell whoever is cocking that gun to back off, Laurie.  If anything happens to me, your friend will be killed immediately.”

             
Rand and Taggert Wolfe stepped out of the shadows and walked to stand on either side of Laurie.  They’d seen her enter the barn alone and it had set alarm bells ringing.  Rand said,  “She’s not going anywhere with you, you bastard!  And if you hurt our brother we’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth.  There’ll be nowhere you can hide and your death will be as painful as I know how to make it.”

             
“A man after my own heart,” Enrique sneered, his attention zeroing in again on Laurie.  “You’ll come to me my dear, won’t you?  If you want to see Jake Wolfe alive again you’ll be at the slave shack tonight at midnight.”  When Laurie looked confused, Enrique waved his hand at Taggert and Rand and said, “One of these two know where that is.  They interrupted some of my business there not too long ago.”  Enrique turned his back on the trio and walked into the night, but before he disappeared he added, “Bring the Wolfe brothers with you if you dare.  The more the merrier I always say.”  And then he was lost to sight.