Xan's Feisty Mate (11 page)

“Tsk, now look at that. You’ve really done some damage. You’ll need to shift in order for this to heal properly, or you’ll be scarred for life.” Kellen bent down on his haunches, his face near her eye level. He knew he was a big son of a bitch, yet she met his gaze. “Now, tell me everything you know and I’ll think of allowing you to live.”

“What do you mean?” Her bravado disappeared as his words registered.

He nodded. “This is my pack. My law. You came into my world, and tried to take one of mine. For that, little bitch, I sentence you how I see fit. As of right now you are a dead wolf walking, or sitting as it is. However, I have the power to save you, or not. It all depends on the next few minutes. I said I had all night, but I’ve changed my mind.” He got to his feet, his leather pants creaking as he stood.

“I can do other things.” She licked her lips.

Kellen grabbed her by the back of the hair. In the position and height they were at, she was in the perfect place to suck him, if he chose. “I wouldn’t allow you anywhere near my dick if you were the last bitch on earth.” He jerked her head back. “Now, get to speaking or I’m sending in my second, who just so happens to be mated to the wolf you tried to take. He’ll be glad to end you in the most painful way possible.”

“I don’t know anything. My job was to retrieve the girl. I am trained like all the other lesser wolves, but I moved up because I’m not a submissive.” She growled.

He glanced at her again. “So you were just to take her, meet at a rendezvous and what?”

“We get picked up by trusted soldiers, and then we are taken back. We are blindfolded the entire time.”

“All right, how long does it take for you to get back to your home base? Don’t lie.”

“An hour, give or take fifteen minutes.”

His eyes narrowed. “How long have you been with this group, and how many of them are there?”

She seemed stunned by his question. “I was always there.”

“How old are you?” He guessed her to be early twenties.

“Does it matter?” She turned her head away.

“Nope, not really. I’d kill you if you were fifteen or fifty for what you did. Just ask my enemies. What’s your name?”

He realized he’d not asked her that in all the time he’d had her captive. Again, he didn’t give two shits, but maybe that would be the key as to why she seemed familiar.

“Carly McCartney.”

The McCartney’s betrayal still stung. He wondered if she was related to them and what the connection to the Iron Wolves were. “How old Carly?”

“Twenty-one. There, happy now?”

When he and Xan had been fourteen they’d been wild as two young wolves, but he knew he hadn’t fathered any young, and neither had Xan. He breathed a sigh of relief. Breezy was only six years older than the girl, so there couldn’t be a connection there.

Whatever the reason he recognized the girl, he assumed it was due to the elderly couple who’d betrayed them. He wouldn’t make any excuses, nor apologize.

“How many men, women, children, wolf or non are in your, whatever you call yourselves?” He paced away from her.

“Why? So you can decimate us? We are stronger than you. We have an army of humans willing to eliminate the trash.” She jerked as if she believed he was what she called him, crying out as the silver hit her flesh again.

He was done being Mr. Nice Guy. “You want to know who is trash?” He allowed himself to partially shift. His nails turning into claws, his face morphing into that of a wolf with huge teeth. Only a true alpha could become the larger being he became, shifting only parts of his body that he allowed. The muscles in his chest and arms bulging as he stalked to her. “Has your alpha ever explained about the big bad wolf who eats its enemies? Right now I’m hungry, and I can guarantee,” he stopped in front of her, his hands resting on the silver ignoring the pain and inhaled. “I can smell everyone who has ever come in contact with you. It would take me some time, but I could track them without a problem. When I do, I will rip their heads off, maybe I’ll play with them for a while before I kill them. Do you know how many in my pack can do what I can? More than a handful. So you think your pack is more powerful than mine? Think again.”

“This isn’t possible.” She tried to shrink away.

He chuckled. “Do you think you’re hallucinating?” He snapped his wolven jaws in front of her, letting her feel his hot breath an inch from her face. “Tell me everything you know right fucking now, or I’m done playing with you. I was being nice before, but I’m done. Feel me?”

Her whimper and fear filled him with victory. It was good to be alpha. He listened as she outlined the almost commune type world she’d grown up in. The look of her neutral clothing he’d thought was due to her trying to slip in and out undetected, now held a different meaning. Her severe braid which had come loose during her struggle, made him blink. He realized she was as much a prisoner of her upbringing as any that had been brainwashed.

“Fuck!” He cursed, a feeling almost like guilt had him turning away abruptly. Laikyn stood in the doorway. Her eyes met his, and he was taken back to a night a couple years ago when he felt his world crumble beneath him.

“Can I tend to her wounds?” She nodded in the direction behind him.

Kellen shook his head. “Not alone. I don’t trust her. She’s been trained to kill without remorse.”

Laikyn licked her perfect bow shaped lips. “There’s a couple guys out here, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t allow her to leave the building.”

She thought he didn’t care if the she bitch killed her. He’d allowed her to think that. He growled, but Laikyn didn’t flinch. Not like most other wolves would have. “I’ll have Aaryn come in with you. He will protect you and make sure she is not a threat.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel, and pinned Carly with a glare. “You try anything stupid, and I will gut you. They’ll find your insides on the side of the road, and your head will be hanging on my mantel.”

The she wolf nodded.

“She may look harmless, but remember she drugged Breezy then took her out of here, right out from under our noses. Even knowing she would be taking her back to wherever and that they’d be killing or doing worse to her, without a qualm. Don’t let your guard down. If you have to kill her, do it.”

He left them both with their mouths hanging open, calling out to Aaryn.
“I need you in the garage to watch over Laikyn while she does her doctor shit on the captive.”

“Alrighty then. I can sense you’re all twisted up. You need me?”
Aaryn’s quiet presence soothed through their connection.

“Nah, I’m solid. Just get your ass there quick like. If anything happens to Lake, I’d hate to have to kill the bitch and hurt you, too.”

His Omega’s chuckle came across loud and clear. “
Walking in now. Laikyn is gloving up, and that is not me talking dirty you nasty bastard.”

Kellen flashed an image of him in wolf form, snapping his teeth at him, then ending their connection. He was twisted as the Omega so eloquently put it, and not because of Carly. No, having Laikyn back was making him think of things best left in the past.

Walking back into what they called the War Room, or his office, he glared at the men who’d made themselves comfortable in his space. Grabbing a glass tumbler he filled it with some Maker’s and a cube of ice. Nobody could accuse him of not being civilized.

Kayan cleared his throat. “What’s the game plan, boss?”

Chapter Eight

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X
an left Breezy with Lyric. Kellen had made sure there were five guards with them, but he’d noticed Syn was nowhere to be found. The alpha’s sister not being on the property had to be bothering him so he’d made sure Shaw and Parker were two of the five, knowing they’d make damn sure their sister was protected, before going in search of his best friend.

Brien Mattice standing in the bar, a scowl on his face wasn’t who he’d expected to see, but Xan figured it was inevitable. He bit back his first instinct of snarling. It wasn’t the old man’s fault he’d married a crazy bitch who’d nearly beaten their child to death. At least the elder Mattice had finally woken up before the bitch had killed Breezy, or damaged her beyond repair.

“Brien, what’s up? You looking for your family?” Xan asked, refusing to act anything other than the confident wolf he was. He respected Breezy’s father, but he still outranked him.

The man shook his red hair. “I came to see you. How’s my baby girl.”

“She’s fine. We called Doc Davalari to run some tests on her blood, but we’re hoping that Kellen can get some answers from the little bitch we captured.” It still galled that he couldn’t be there for the questioning, but he knew he’d have slit her throat if he didn’t like what she said.

“Good. Breezy’s been through enough in her life. She deserves to be happy.” He shifted on the balls of his feet. “You plan to make her happy, son?”

Xan laughed. “I’d kill anyone who dared to take her sunshine away.”

Brien nodded. “I failed her more than once. Ignored my gut, thinking that a mother would never harm her child. Especially a mama wolf. I mean who ever heard of such a thing?” He turned pleading eyes up at Xan. “Shaw and Parker tried telling me something was wrong with their mama, but I denied it. I loved her with my entire being. She showed so much devotion to me and the boys, but once Breezy was born, it was like this gorgeous little thing was too precious for words. Shaw and Parker wanted to protect her like all cubs, and it seemed to piss their mama off. I thought it was that disease that humans get,” he paused. “Anyways, it didn’t get better. Me and the boys took over caring for Breezy after we noticed their mama wasn’t feeding her anymore. She’d gotten so tiny a stiff breeze would’ve blown her over. That’s where her nickname came in. It seemed to make my mate happy if she didn’t see the babe. Things got better once Breezy got older, or so we thought.” Brien wiped his eyes and turned away.

Xan knew what was coming but his heart still hurt for his mate.

“We had no clue all this time my mate was hurting Breezy. Me and the boys came home early one day. I swear to you I had no clue until I saw my baby lying on top that table, her back a bloody mess. It’s a miracle she was alive, and that I didn’t kill my mate for what she’d done.”

“Why didn’t you kill her? If it were my child I’d have killed her.” Xan growled.

Brien looked at him. “Would you have? Put yourself in my shoes, and imagine if Breezy all the sudden became different. Or maybe my mate was always that way. I don’t know. I just know she was my truemate, and then suddenly she was a monster, but inside she was still my mate. The only one for me. However, I couldn’t stand to look at her. What she did was unforgiveable, but I couldn’t take her life. I stared at my children, and realized it was them or her. I chose them, hands down. So I exiled her. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of her in twenty years. Imagine what it’s like to have a mate and not have a mate.” He pressed a fist to his chest.

“I don’t know, man.” Xan ran a hand over his face, feeling older than his thirty-five years. “I need to talk with Kellen. If you want to see Breezy she’s down with Lyric and your boys. We’re on lockdown here I assume you realize. Nobody is allowed to leave.”

The old man nodded. “Yeah. I came when Shaw called. Coti allowed me to come in after a thorough search. Damn wolf is just this side of crazy himself.”

Xan couldn’t help but smile. “Tell Breezy I’ll be back to see her in a little while. If she needs me, holler out.” He tapped his head, wincing at the pain the other wolf couldn’t hide. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to never be able to connect with his mate. That short period when Breezy was unconscious felt like an eternity to him.

He waited till Mr. Mattice disappeared around the corner before he went in search of Kellen. His eyebrows winged up as he entered Kellen’s and his office, to find the men Rowan had brought in, along with Rowan sitting around the war table. The chair to Kellen’s right sat empty since it was his, a glass tumbler waiting to be filled. Damn, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what happened next.

“All right, let’s just lay it all out. What am I not gonna like, boys?”

Sully’s electric blue eyes glanced up at his spot from across the table. His mixed heritage obvious with his dark skin, short cropped black hair and baby blue eyes. “I ain’t been a boy since I left my mama’s belly, son.”

“Ignore Sully. He tends to be melodramatic.” Coyle folded his massive arms in front of him. “I on the other hand was never a boy. My mama said I came out screaming like a motherfucker.”

Xan thought Sully and Coyle could be brothers except for their eyes. Coyle’s were as black as night.

“We done with the chit chat, ladies?” Kayan said from the other end of the table. The Polynesian was clearly the leader since Rowan had stepped down from the Phantom Team.

Grunts of assent were given from around the room.

“Good,” Kellen said. “I didn’t get a whole lot from the little wolf, but I do know that your mate was specifically targeted.”

His heart nearly stopped as he listened to what Kellen told him he’d learned. “So they have humans and wolves working for them?” He asked, needing to be clear. “Do we know their numbers? Location?” His wolf threatened to come out. It took monumental effort to keep him locked down. The need to race out of the room and see for himself his mate was safe pounded at him.

“Go see to your mate, Xan. For now we are going to work up a plan of action. With what we have here, I can guarantee it don’t matter if we are outnumbered, they don’t outman or outwolf us.” Kellen’s claws lengthened. His blue eyes became that of the alpha. Xan was sure the men in the room had no real idea what they were dealing with when it came to the leader of the Iron Wolves, and for their sake, he hoped they never crossed him or the pack.

“I’m going to do just that. I won’t be worth shit unless I can reassure myself and my wolf she’s good. Even knowing she’s with her brothers and dad, I can’t shake this feeling something is off.” He downed the glass that kept getting filled thanks to the guy named Oz. With a final salute of his empty cup, he stood and left without a backward glance. Need and want sizzling through his veins.