Page 45 of Enter the Lair
“You tried to kill him.”
Aiden opened his eyes.“I knew I would die.I wanted some of the others to make it out.I failed.”
Devon sensed Aiden’s anger for failing.His guilt.Devon knew those feelings well.This man didn’t care about his own life, only the innocent members of his pack.“My family will come for me.Razel is going to die.”
“Good.Tell them to cleanse this pack.Wipe it from existence.There are two good men.I humbly ask that you spare them.Allow them to move on and find a healthy community.”
Devon was stunned by Aiden’s request.“Only two?”There had to be twenty to thirty coyotes in the pack.
“Razel killed all the elders, including their mates.He feels that women who can no longer bear children are useless.Our current generation hasn’t mated yet.He’s killed most of the decent men in our pack.The two I’m telling you about only pretended to serve him in an effort to save me.I’ve asked them to leave.They won’t.I’m hoping once I’m dead they’ll move on.”
Aiden slipped into unconsciousness before Devon shook him awake.This was the first decent coyote he’d ever met.If Aiden represented what his species should be, there was no way he was going to let him die.“Do you know where Razel is getting the weapons?Where he keeps them?”
“No.None of us had heard of such a thing before he shot my father and took over the pack.He kept me mostly sedated between beatings until a month ago.That’s when he injected me with this new shit.He said it was a gift from his friends and it would be interesting to see the effects.”
Devon’s mind raced.A month ago.This drug was new yet the tranquilizer and the masking agent were the same as the ones used by Cyril.Was Razel connected to Kallan or buying the weapons from someone who was?
Devon could scent the truth in every word Aiden spoke.He was giving Devon everything he could before he died.He wanted to deny Aiden’s claims he was dying, though sniffing the air, he scented only the man.
“I will find a way to get you out of here.”
Aiden spoke with cold acceptance.“There’s no point.My animal is dead.I can’t shift, so another pack won’t accept me.I have nowhere to go.”
“There has to be something.”He didn’t want Aiden to give up.
“I wish I could fight with you.See Razel brought low for the destruction he has caused, but I will take solace in knowing he was brought down by a good man.A healthy lair.”Aiden sighed before slipping into unconsciousness once more.
Devon felt Sarah connect with him.She wasn’t close yet his relief was as palpable as hers.He sent her warmth.Love.Reassurance.He was rebuffed by her need to hunt.Her resolve.His mate was coming for him.But his pride was overshadowed by fear.Knowing she wouldn’t be alone was of little comfort.She had no idea of the mess she was leading his family into.
He spoke to the sleeping Aiden.“We have to get out of here.”
* * *
Sarah had placed her jacket on the back of the wooden chair.She sat at Lucy’s kitchen table, watching Talen pace the room with his phone in his hand.He displayed the agitation she felt.They had found the site close to Galen’s that showed signs of a struggle yet no scent except Devon’s.
Hunter and Liam were following Kallan’s team.The rest of the family was searching for Devon.The hole in Sarah’s chest was painful as if she’d been stabbed in the heart.She had thought that if she lived by a better standard than her father, she would overcome her family legacy.She was wrong.A Marksman destroys everything in its sights.
Her relief was overwhelming when Devon reconnected with her.It was faint, far away, but she needed that reassurance more than she cared to admit.“I have him.”
Talen was around the table kneeling beside her instantly.“Where is he?”
Sarah shook her head.“It doesn’t work like that.I can feel him.I can’t read his mind.He’s...concerned.I don’t think he’s hurt.”
Talen encouraged her.“I need you to explain your connection.How do you know he’s concerned, but not hurt?”
“We’re always connected.I have learned to associate his emotions with certain stimuli.I know what his pain feels like.”It was hard to put into words.She was just learning herself.
“That’s good.Can you recall all the emotions Devon felt just before he disappeared?”
Sarah thought about the moments before she lost the connection.“Yes, I remember all of it.It’s strange.”
“Our cats have an identic memory,” Talen explained.“They record everything they feel, hear and see.In human form, we can connect with our animal and recall that information when needed.”
“Alright, how does that help us?”
“Think about Devon’s emotions before you lost contact.What were they?”
Sarah shivered through the recall of negative feelings.“Anger.Betrayal.Loathing.Hate.”