Page 10

K ai

I leaped into the woods surrounding the mill. Alert for any movement, any hint that Patterson was nearby. The only things I sensed were the forest animals. I glimpsed behind me, curious if Wyatt was having better luck, when the feeling of dread filled me. My stomach churned, a low growl reverberated inside my chest, and the hair on my back stood. Something wasn’t right. I took off toward the building and headed for the front, before shifting. I spotted my clothing next to the tree and quickly pulled on my jeans, then ran for the doors. When I entered the large foyer, I stopped and listened hard for my brothers and sister. I could hear them above, two or three floors up. I spotted a door leading to the stairwell and ran for it. It didn’t take me long to find Wyatt and Miggs.

Wyatt saw me and frowned. “What is it?”

I didn’t know how to answer him. The feeling hadn’t subsided. “Where’s Fostine?”

“Here,” a soft voice said from behind. I turned my head and saw my sister moving toward me. “I thought you had sentry duty?”

“Something’s wrong,” I bit out, fighting off the urge to throw up. “Did you find anything?”

“Nothing tangible,” Wyatt grumbled. “There was something on the second floor though. A scent.”

“Dad’s?”

“Yeah,” Miggs answered. “He might’ve been here, but he’s not now.”

My heart sped up. “How long ago do you think?”

“The scent was no more than a day old,” Miggs answered, watching me as if I’d lost my mind. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Fuck!” The knife-to-the-gut feeling intensified, and I let out a howl of rage, then punched the wall.

Wyatt closed the distance between us. “What is it?”

I shook my head, attempting to clear the fog. It didn’t help. “I don’t know.”

“The separation from Lily,” Wyatt mused, offering that as a reason for my sudden freakout session.

“Lily,” I breathed her name, let it linger in my mind. I closed my eyes and reached for her, but there was nothing. Only a black screen. I hadn’t made the exchange. Could that be why I wasn’t able to feel her presence? “We need to go back,” I announced, the feeling of dread gathering so fast it nearly suffocated me.

Wyatt nodded, ushering Fostine and Miggs to follow. “You think something happened to her?”

“I—I don’t know,” I answered. And the not knowing was killing me. “I just feel...”

“Listen to your gut, brother,” Wyatt urged, picking up his pace.

Soon, we were on the road back to town. The closer I got, the better I should’ve felt. The tension only continued to build until an imaginary freight train sped uncontrollably through my brain, splitting my skull in two.

By the time we reached the café, I’d driven my claws into the armrest, shredding the leather. As the front of the little diner came into view I saw police lights and a paramedic in the parking lot. Several people stood around, trying to get a glimpse inside the small restaurant. “What the hell?”

Wyatt cursed and shoved the car into park. “Remain calm,” he warned.

My only thought was of Lily. I tore out of the vehicle and ran for the front doors. I pushed an officer out of the way and yelled, “Lily!”

“Kai,” a shaky, feminine voice whispered.

I looked to my left and saw Tessa on a stretcher, reaching for me. I moved up beside her, took her hand in mine. She shook, tears were on her cheeks. And there was a large bump on the side of her face near her eye. “What happened?”

“Three men. They had guns.” Her lower lip trembled. “They took Lily.”

I cupped her cheek, noticing bruises forming around her left eye. “They did this to you?”

She grimaced and looked away. “I’m sorry. Tried to stop them.”

Wyatt drew up next to Tessa. “Was one of them wearing glasses and sporting a goatee?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” she answered, her troubled gaze landing on Wyatt. “Seemed like the boss.”

I stared at Wyatt. “Patterson,” I bit out. “And he has Lily.”

Wyatt stiffened, then turned his attention back to Tessa. “Do you have somewhere safe to stay?”

“I’ll be fine,” she replied, frowning at Wyatt. “I’ve told the cops what I know, but I’m worried for Lily. It was like they knew her.”

They knew she’d been staying with me, more like it. And took her because of it. What was Patterson planning? The terrifying possibilities were endless. I stifled the urge to howl and instead focused my energy on finding her. My mate. I strode into the café, ignoring the police attempting to stop me, then inhaled. Too many scents lingered in the air. Above them all was Lily. The sour smell of her fear nearly sent me into a rage. I closed my eyes and focused, separating her from the others. A few seconds passed before I was able to catch it. Musky. Damp, like wet moss. “Patterson,” I mumbled. The bastard’s days were numbered.

“Kai,” Fostine whispered, gaining my attention. When our gazes connected, she said, “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I should’ve ... I should’ve—”

“Survived,” I stated. “And you did. Your knowledge will lead us to him. And Father.” I paused, then added, “Patterson took Lily to get to me. That’s not on you, little sister.”

She wrapped her arms around her middle, then uttered, “I smell him. It sickens me.”

“Me, too.”

“And the other two that he was with,” she confided, her face pale. “I recognize them as well.”

My gut clenched at seeing my sister’s reaction to the men. “And?”

“They are the worst of the bunch, Kai.” She stared down at the scarred tile floor. “The sooner we find her the better.”

Images of Lily being tortured fled through my mind, nearly crippling me. “There will be no easy death for them.”

“Good,” my sister shot back, “we’re on the same page then.”

I closed my eyes again and tried to connect with Lily. I hadn’t made the blood exchange and I didn’t truly believe I could reach her mental pathway, but something zipped over my nerve endings, startling me. Lily? Fear slammed into me. Not mine. Hers. For the first time in my existence, I embraced my dark nature, and left the cage door open. There would be no mercy.

“You have her scent,” Fostine reminded him. “Maybe get a direction from that?”

“No,” he ground out, “I smell her inside, but in the parking lot there was nothing. Like there’s something blocking it.”

A commotion in the parking lot spurred me and Fostine into action. Once outside I caught Wyatt lifting one of the officers into the air. “Wyatt!”

My brother spared me a look filled with ice-cold fury. “Stay out of this.”

In two strides I was beside him. “Let Brandon go, goddamn it. What the hell has gotten into you.”

Brandon cursed. “All I said was that Tessa needs to be seen by a doctor.”

Fostine sidled up next to Wyatt. “Why is that a bad thing?”

“Creeg will see to her.”

Wyatt’s reaction was so out of character that we all just stared, unsure how to defuse the situation. Then it struck me. Could Tessa be Wyatt’s mate? “Miggs, call Creeg and tell him to be ready.”

“Yeah, sure,” he quickly agreed, pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket.

“Tessa,” I said, gaining her attention. “Creeg has all the latest equipment. You’ll be in good hands, I assure you.”

“I don’t doubt that, but—”

I leaned closer in order to keep my next words private. “Wyatt needs to see to your care. He won’t relax until you agree to go with us. I promise, you are in no danger.”

She glanced back at Wyatt, who still held Brandon off the ground, then let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, whatever.”

I looked at Brandon, as well as the EMT. “You heard her. She’s refusing treatment.”

“That’s not wise, Ma’am,” the young EMT said. “She could have—”

“Kid, if you value your life, stop talking,” I ordered.

Tessa seemed to catch onto the severity of the situation and reached for Wyatt, clutching his forearm. “Wyatt, won’t you please take me to your clinic?”

My brother’s head snapped around, as if coming out of a trance, then dropped Brandon on the ground. “You agree?”

“I do.” Tessa smiled, although I could see it was forced. “Always wanted to see the infamous Ravenbriar estate anyway.”

“It’s more of a compound,” Miggs argued. At Wyatt’s glare, Miggs shrugged and kept his mouth shut.

I nudged my chin toward Brandon. “I know you need a statement from Tessa. Would it be possible to come out to the house?”

“Fine.” He threw his hands in the air. “This is nuts, but fine!”

“In about an hour,” I added. “Give Creeg time to assess her injuries.”

Brandon nodded. “Wyatt, do I have your permission to come onto your property?”

Wyatt nodded, his gaze stayed on Tessa. “You will come alone, Brandon.”

It wasn’t a request and Brandon knew it. The officer shuffled off, then went to work dispersing the crowd of onlookers. Wyatt gently lifted Tessa off the gurney and into his arms and made his way to the car.

“Go, both of you,” I muttered to Miggs and Fostine. “We’ve made enough of a scene.”

Fostine seemed frozen though. “I’ve never seen Wyatt lose control in public like that. What’s gotten into him?”

Miggs snorted. “You can’t figure it out?”

Fostine stared, dumbfounded.

Miggs nudged his chin toward our alpha. “I’m thinking she’s not just any old waitress to him.”

“His mate?” Fostine inquired, her gaze straying toward Tessa. We all watched as Wyatt gently placed Tessa into the backseat of the car, then slid in beside her and slammed the door shut. “Geez, our house is going to get mighty crowded.”

I didn’t care about the house. The only thing that mattered was Lily. I needed to get to her, but there were zero leads. The horrors she would endure at the hands of Patterson turned my stomach. I started toward the diner again, but Fostine stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. I turned and glared. “What?”

“There isn’t much you can do here.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” I pointed toward the waiting car. “Let me know if Tessa has any information that could help.”

She nodded. “Good luck, brother.”

Once she was gone, I went back into the diner. There had to be something. Anything. I couldn’t lose her.

****

L ily

“Oh, God,” I groaned, blinking to bring the room into focus. A prison cell? I was on a cot, covered in a grey wool blanket. A toilet in one corner and bars. The walls were cement blocks. No window. No way to tell if it was day or night. It all came back in a wave of images. The diner. Seeing Tessa go down. Men carting me off. What the hell was going on?

An imaginary axe hammered at the back of my head over and over, bringing tears to my eyes. “Kai,” I breathed out.

“What did you say?”

I stiffened. That voice, so like Kai’s, but deeper, rougher. I slowly sat up, then put my feet on the floor and stood. The room tilted like I was on a teeter-totter. I reached for the wall and steadied myself, then went to the bars. “Who are you?” I called out, unable to see anyone. Only a hallway. I craned my neck and spotted a metal door at the far right end.

“You know my son,” the voice stated. “I can smell him on you.”

Son? “Are you ... are you Kai’s father?”

Silence met me. The other man was suspicious of me.

“Kai saved me. I was in a car wreck and he pulled me out, got me medical help.”

“Creeg?”

Now I was the suspicious one. What if it wasn’t their father? What if it was a trick to pry information out of me? “What is your name?”

“Calm yourself. I mean you no harm.”

“I’m in a cage. Hard to be calm under the circumstances.”

“Yeah, I know,” he grunted. “I’m Lucian Ravenbriar.”

“You could just be telling me that to get me to confide in you.”

“Smart woman,” he mused. “I can understand what Kai sees in you.”

“Tell me something only Lucian Ravenbriar would know.”

A beat of silence filled the area. Just when I thought he wouldn’t answer, the mystery man said, “Did Kai tell you how he got the chipped tooth?”

“He did,” I answered, still suspicious.

“Fighting with Wyatt. He fell face first, landing on a rock sticking out of the ground.”

I knew the man could’ve heard the story from someone else. A friend of Kai’s. Even one of the people at the diner. I didn’t think that was the case. He sounded too much like Kai. “You’re their father,” I surmised. “The one who’s been missing.”

“I am.”

“They’ve been searching for you. They haven’t given up. They won’t.”

“Thank you for telling me that,” he replied, his voice hoarse with emotion. “Are they well?”

“They are.”

“So, Kai saved you, huh?”

“He did. Gave me a place to stay, too. They’ve all been wonderful.”

“How did Patterson get his hands on you?”

“He ... he came to the diner. Attacked the waitress there and grabbed me.” I pressed a hand to the back of my head. “I think I was drugged.”

“Yes. He’s fond of needles.” He paused, then added, “Do you care for Kai?”

My face heated. Even though I couldn’t see the man it was still embarrassing to discuss my budding relationship. “I do. He’s more than a helpful stranger.”

“What is your name?”

“Lily Hall.”

“Well, Lily, it’s nice to meet you. The circumstances are unfortunate.”

“How long have you been here?”

“At this particular location? Only about twenty-four hours. A prisoner of Patterson’s? I believe a little over two years.”

“God, I’m so sorry,” I quietly offered. “Why did he take you?”

“That’s a much bigger discussion. For now, I need you to do something for me.”

“I’m not sure what I can do.”

“Closer your eyes and reach for Kai.”

“Huh?” Had the man lost his mind? Possibly, considering all he’d been through. I didn’t want to imagine the awful things Patterson and his sick goons had done to the man.

“Just trust me. I need you to do this.”

“Close my eyes and reach for Kai? Like telepathically?”

“Something like that, yes.”

“I don’t believe in all that stuff, but it’s not as if it could hurt.”

“You have nothing to lose,” Lucian replied. “Try to focus on his face. Picture him in your mind. What he was wearing when you last saw him. The way he makes you feel. Open your heart to him.”

“Okay, here goes,” I answered, feeling ridiculous that I was listening to a faceless stranger in the hopes that I could call Kai with my imaginary mind-cellphone. I let my eyes drift shut, then did as Lucian suggested and brought up an image of Kai. The way he’d kissed me when he’d dropped me at the auto shop. The feel of him in my arms. His strength. His taste. Like a wild thunderstorm.

“Say his name in your mind. Over and over, like a chant.”

Kai, can you hear me? Kai, please, I’m scared.

“Keep going, Lily. Don’t stop. His name. Imagine his touch. Picture his dark eyes, the way they watch you.”

I drifted into a meditative state. Saying Kai’s name until I was practically screaming it inside my head. A tingling sensation washed over me, and something brushed my mind. As if I wasn’t alone. As if...

Kai?

Lily? You’re alive?

Yes. How is this happening?

Later for that. Where are you?

It’s like a prison. There are cement walls and bars for doors. I hesitated only a moment before adding, Your father is here. He’s alive.

Good. How long were you in the van? Minutes? Hours?

My hopes plummeted. I was drugged, Kai.

Warmth filled me, as if Kai had embraced me. It chased the chill away. I’ll find you, Lily. Stay strong. I’ll find you both.

I’m scared. I hated to admit my weakness, but being caught by a crazy scientist was way out of my realm.

I know, my love, but you must stay strong. Listen to my father. He will help you.

I thought of Tessa. Seeing one of Patterson’s men hit her with the gun. Is Tessa...

She’s alive. Creeg is treating her.

A noise in the hallway broke my concentration, then the connection was lost. Kai? Kai! It was useless. The only link I had to Kai, severed. God, he could be a million miles away for all I knew.

“Don’t let Patterson know you can reach Kai,” Lucian said in a rushed whisper.

“I won’t,” I promised, listening as footsteps grew closer. I went to the back of the cell, pressing my body into the far corner, then waited. Dread filled me when one of Patterson’s men came into view. The one who had hit Tessa. He saw me hovering like a cornered mouse and smiled.

“Patterson wants to see you,” he explained, pulling a set of keys from his pocket.

“Why?”

He never answered, simply unlocked the cell and slammed it open. “Let’s go.”

I didn’t budge. Whatever lay outside the cell was far worse. I could feel it.

He rolled his eyes. “Always the same bullshit.” In two strides he was standing in front of me, blocking my exit. The fist came out of nowhere, sending me to the floor. A kick to my middle had me doubling over. Bile rose and tears rolled down my cheeks.

“Get up!”

I forced my body to comply, getting to my feet and pushing down the pain. I watched the man in front of me. He liked it, I realized. Enjoyed hurting me. The knowledge turned my fear into anger.

He shoved me from the room, prodding my lower back with his gun. “Go,” he ordered. “The doc is eager to play with you.”

When we passed the other cell, I turned my head and saw the man calling himself Lucian. He had a skeletal build and dark hair that hung limp and greasy past his shoulders. His pale skin was a testament to the many days spent confined to the darkness. God, he didn’t look much older than Kai and I didn’t know how that could be possible. He stood in the middle of the cell next to mine. Rage in his light-grey eyes as he watched the man drag me away. Lucian Ravenbriar had survived two years. Two long years at the mercy of monsters. The very least I could do was fight to stay alive.

I could hear Lucian screaming at the guard, goading him to turn and take his anger out on him instead. The guard was impervious to Lucian’s taunts. He only kept walking, his gait steady and his gleeful expression unwavering.

They walked up a set of stairs to another floor. Another row of cells. All appeared empty until they reached the last one. A tall, muscular man stood against a wall, his arms stretched above his head, chains wrapped around his wrists. A pair of filthy, worn jeans his only clothing. Black hair draped around his shoulders and fell in limp clumps. I had to be imagining things because his eyes were the brightest shade of purple I’d ever seen. He tilted his head toward the ceiling and a low growl emanated from his chest, then I was jerked swiftly away.

“Trust me, he’s not someone you want to make friends with,” the guard muttered, his eyes wide in fear, sweat beading along his forehead.

I wondered if I’d ever see the man again. If I’d ever see Lucian again. Would any of us even survive? I forced my focus back on Kai. He would find me. I had no doubt. And I would help him by learning everything I could about the place Patterson was holding me. Every little detail, and I would relay it all back to Kai. At least it was a link. It gave me an advantage. And in the end, that link would be Patterson’s downfall.