Blood Enforcer (Wolf Enforcers Book 2) Read online

  She was never going to get back to sleep. She’d been trying for hours, ever since Glenna had attacked her on the dreamscape. She left the borrowed bed and went in search of the kitchen.

  She shut her door and nearly ran into Adam.

  “Oh!”

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “What are you doing here, in the middle of the night?”

  “I check in, roam the halls now and then.” He grinned at her look. “It comes from working at the school for so many years.”

  “Oh.” They walked to the main hall together.

  “And you? Did you get her to tell you?”

  “I tried, but I couldn’t get her to trust me again.” She knew the frustration from her scene with Glenna leaked into her voice. She was just too tired to keep it down.

  “So, he’s still out there. And now the council will have someone else try to break that poor girl. Damn it!” The anger in his voice came as a surprise.

  “I didn’t realize you cared about her so much.”

  “I’m sorry.” He blew out a breath. “I’m passionate about our species. As head shaman I see the problems we have. Every member of every pack is precious. Especially someone who might bring new blood into our world. We’ve been interbreeding for so long, it’s not healthy.”

  “I tried, but she’s progressed too far into the change. No one can do anything until she’s through it.”

  “There’s nothing you can do now but wait.” He patted her arm.

  She shook off his hand. “But I’m failing the council, I’m failing our people, and I’m failing Glenna. She’s so vulnerable. And that creep is out there too. And if she doesn’t go through the change well, or she get’s broken by another dreamwalker, we may never find him.”

  “But didn’t you say it was likely she didn’t know anything anyway?”

  “I honestly don’t think she does.” In the kitchen, Serena put on the kettle for tea. “I saw what she remembered, and it was monsters. No faces, not even really wolves, just wolfish monsters.”

  “Well, then. All you can do is take care of the moment.” Adam got out the mugs and set them on the counter. “So, what are you going to do now?”

  “I have to face the council in the morning and fight for Glenna’s right to come to her memory in peace. She deserves a chance at a sane life.”

  “That won’t be easy. Your council is desperate.”

  “I know. But if I don’t do this, they’ll send someone else in, someone who will force her to face what’s behind that wall. And if that happens she’ll break.”

  “We can’t have that. Our packs need every one of us. Every single one is important, from the dormants to this new member.” His face was shadowed. Suddenly he smiled and touched her shoulder, his darkness hidden again. “I know you’ll do what’s right for your patient, Serena. And the pack.”

  Serena stared at him. She’d been leaning on him so heavily, she hadn’t even questioned if she should be. Adam seemed to be so strong, to carry the weight of his position with good cheer, but under his calm demeanor she suspected lay some personal demons. And she wasn’t sure now who had the upper hand, Adam, or whatever shadowy secrets he carried.

  Chapter Forty-four

  Sam tensed. Blood pounded through his veins. He needed to tear into someone, anyone, and Alastair was perfect. This man wanted his mate—he would tear him to pieces. “Get ready to fight, Alastair.”

  The spelltalker was pale and shaky, but he brought his hands up in a defensive position.

  “Sam.” Caleb stepped between them. “You don’t want to do this. You want Glenna to have the best chance of being found.”

  Sam pulled back, shaking his head and trying desperately to separate from his wolf and the desire to rip his challenger’s throat out. “I’m her best chance. Not him.”

  Caleb rested his hand on Sam’s shoulder. Sam whipped around, ready to take out the other wolf, but Caleb held firm. “We don’t have time for this. Glenna needs you.”

  Glenna. Soft, sweet, sexy Glenna. She was tougher than he’d expected, but right now she was so vulnerable. “I can’t go back to the cabin. I need to get to her.”

  “Don’t sweat it.” Caleb gave both Ian and Alastair a long even look. “You and I will take the suits to a drop off, then we’ll head straight to the location. Ian and Alastair will need back up.” He angled his body back so that he and Sam both faced Alastair. “Right, Alastair?”

  “Right.” Alastair gave Caleb a look that would have frozen hot coals. “Drop these losers off with their car. I’ve fixed their memories. They remember getting jumped, but not specifics. And definitely not anything about wolves or any of us.”

  “Thanks, man. Ian, load my phone with the address, we’ll be right behind you.” Caleb tossed his phone to the beta and bumped Sam hard with his shoulder. “Let’s go.” They walked back into the warehouse to load the unconscious feds into the truck.

  “What the hell was that?” Sam growled. “I don’t want to waste time doing this.”

  “You don’t want to waste time tearing out Alastair’s throat either.” Caleb opened up the back of the fed’s SUV. “We’ll be ten minutes behind them, tops. With Alastair recovering from spellcasting Ian will have to drive like his mother was in the car. We’ll catch up.”

  “What’s in this for you? Why are you helping me?”

  “It’s not you, man. It’s the pack. The sooner we get your girl back, the sooner we can go back to what we should be doing, and get out of the spotlight.”

  Ian ducked his head into the warehouse. “Catch.”

  Caleb’s hand shot out for the cell phone. “We’ll be right behind you.”

  Ian nodded, waited just a beat longer, checking visually with Sam. Sam could smell his indecision. Shit. He was failing at finding Glenna, and failing his beta too. Caleb would be taking over his position in the enforcers, even with his crap attitude.

  “Ian, wait.” He jogged over to his beta. “It’s okay. We’ll clean up here, drop them at some park and we’ll be right behind you.” He thumped Ian’s shoulder and the other man’s head came up.

  “Alastair’s a jerk,” Ian said quietly. “I don’t trust him.”

  “Me neither. But he would have been an alpha had he been a shifter. He’ll lead. Just relax until I get there.”

  Ian nodded.

  “Ian!” The beta tensed at Alastair’s shout. Sam calmed his instinct to defend his territory from the spelltalker. Ian was his responsibility.

  “Go on. You’ll be fine.” He forced an easy grin. “The way Caleb drives? Ten—fifteen tops—and I’ll be there. We’ll get her back.”

  Ian grinned and went outside.

  “Can you handle this?” Caleb knelt next to one of the unconscious feds and freed him from the chair. “Alastair isn’t the threat and neither am I.” He stood up, pulling the fed over one shoulder. “I need to know, man, if you’ve got my back.”

  “Just get the suit into the truck and let’s get this done.” Sam walked over and began freeing the second fed’s ropes, leaving him cuffed. “I can handle it. I made it through the fever before.”

  “Yeah, and I heard you nearly lost it.”

  “When you go through it, you’ll have something to say. Until then, unless you’re tossing horseshoes nearly doesn’t mean jack shit.” He picked up the second fed and tossed him in the back seat with his friend. “I didn’t lose it. I...” The jazzy sound of the blues sang out of the floor of the truck. “What the...”

  “Nice ring tone, man.” Caleb went after the last agent, flipping Sam the bird at his dirty look. Sam grabbed his phone. He looked at the screen.

  “I don’t believe it.” He answered it. “Where are you?”

  “Sam?” Glenna’s voice hiccupped out. His teeth clenched.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Sam,” she whispered. “He’s here. I can hear him. He tracked me.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I jumped out of the car on I-70.” />
  “I’m coming to get you.” He ran over to the SUV, blood pounding in his temples. He wrenched the front door open. Keys, no keys.

  Caleb tossed the last agent into the back of the SUV. “Is that her?”

  “Glenna, tell me where you are.”

  “I don’t know!” she quietly wailed out. “Shh. I think he heard me.”

  “Hide, Glenna, run and hide.”

  “Sam?”

  “I hear you, sugar. I’m coming to get you.”

  “Hurry. I hear him.” The line went dead. A howl ripped out of Sam, echoing off the metal roof and sides of the warehouse.

  Caleb threw the last agent in the back, right on top of the others. “That was her? Where is she?”

  “I don’t know, but if we can trace the signal and get close, I’ll find her. She said she jumped out of a car on I-70. That’s a highway, for Christ’s sake.” Visions of Glenna, bleeding and running from Marsden had him balling his fists so tight, his nails cut into his palms.

  “No worries, man. Give me her number. We got someone who can track her.”

  “We do?”

  “Yeah, those dormants are worth their weight in gold.”

  “Yeah, well tell Marcus that.” He handed the phone to Caleb who made the call.

  “It will take some time,” Caleb said. Let’s get these guys dumped and get my ride and we’ll get moving.”

  “But she could be anywhere.”

  “Yeah, but we know the agents were taking her to the Western Slope. We’ll head that way on I-70.”

  Sam put his hand out. “Keys.”

  “No way, man. I’m driving this one. You take the Jeep. The way you’re pumping testosterone you’ll be shifting before we get there and I don’t want these guys to be torn up before we can dump them.”

  “Screw you.”

  Caleb gave him the keys.

  “Drive fast, Caleb. She’s in trouble.”

  “I’m on it, man. I’m on it. You just stick behind me, we’ll get rid of these guys, then I’ll be with you. We’ll get her.”

  Sam held his anger down. He’d need it later. As soon as he saw the man who’d put his mate in danger, he was going to be all teeth and no mercy.

  Chapter Forty-five

  Sam jumped out of the Jeep. Night had fallen and they were finally at the top of the mountain where the cell tower was located. Glenna’s call had come from somewhere near here, but there was no sign of her.

  He stripped off his clothes and tossed them in the back. Caleb did the same.

  Testosterone pumped through his system at the thought of the other alpha tracking his mate. “She’s mine,” he growled.

  “She’s yours, bro. I’m not challenging you.” Caleb backed off, ducked his head in a gesture more suitable to a beta, like Ian. “But if she’s got that agent tracking her, you need me.”

  Sam growled, forcing his wolf, himself to behave. He was having trouble separating his human side from his animal side. He only prayed he could keep it together long enough to save Glenna. “You’re right. Sorry.” The words struggled off his tongue.

  He had to find Glenna and see her safe before it was too late. The fever had already begun to erode his ability to function well with the other alpha. He knew how this worked, although last time it had crept up on him, surprising him. Soon the need to claim her as his mate would rob him of all his control. Once that happened he’d be too close to the claiming, and his need would drive him until he either sated it in her flesh, or he lost himself in the wild.

  They shifted, Sam glorying in the relief of finally being an animal with an animal’s sure instincts. The wolf in him didn’t have any doubt they could find and rescue Glenna. He put his nose in the air, sniffing for any trace of his mate. Caleb shifted into his coal black wolf, staying by the SUV, letting Sam take the lead.

  The cell tower’s range was for the most part limited by the surrounding mountains, but reception in the Rockies could be tricky. There were gaps where the reception would pick up and then be dropped a few feet later. Standing on a rock could give you the extra few feet needed for cell contact. They just had to hope Glenna was in range of the tower and not somewhere far away in a freak zone.

  Sam began a circular search pattern, lifting his head at regular intervals to sniff the air. He and Caleb worked their way away from the road through the rocks and trees, slipping down steep slopes covered with loose rocks and pine needles. He could barely see Caleb’s black shape in the dark, but he knew he was there, a black shadow to his own pale gray wolf. They’d stopped at a creek when they heard the scream.

  Chapter Forty-six

  Glenna panted, trying to think past her pounding heart. She’d nearly fallen down another ravine in her scrambled rush away from Marsden and his gun, and now she teetered near the edge.

  She held a hand up trying to keep the glare of his flashlight from blinding her.

  “Nowhere left to run, little girl.” He aimed his gun at her, waiting for her to try to escape. “If you go any further you’ll drop at least a hundred feet, maybe two.”

  “Better for me to fall than to go with you.”

  “Calm down now. You’re sick. Let me help you.” His wheedling voice ground in her sensitive ears.

  “No, you’re just a liar. I’m not sick, I’m fine.” She bared her teeth at him and growled.

  “Look at you, that’s the illness talking. You think you’re becoming a wolf, right?” He took another slow, calculated step toward her. She automatically backed up, slipping on the loose dirt and rocks on the edge.

  Doubt flashed through the piece of her that was still human. But the wolf part of her smelled his lies on the breeze. “Fuck you.” She took another step away, careful not to drop over the edge.

  “Easy, girlie.” His flashlight dipped away from blinding her face to light up the chasm at her feet. “That’s not a good way to die.” Far below she could hear the creek tumbling and splashing on large chunks of jagged rocks. This wasn’t the wide, slow water she’d crossed earlier in the day. This section was narrow and deep, and the sides of this drop wouldn’t be an easy roll with a tree to catch her. This one would be straight down.

  “Neither is being shot at. Put the gun down and maybe I won’t tear you apart.”

  “Try again, girlie.” He laughed and took another step.

  Glenna struggled with the urge of the change pulsing in her blood. The thinking part of her still retained some control, and it said to talk her way out. But the emerging wolf inside of her desired nothing so much as to tear him limb from limb, revel in the taste of his blood.

  He rested the flashlight on a rock, aiming the beam in her direction, and took a small step closer. “Easy does it. Let’s do this the right way.” He reached for her arm.

  Lips pulled back in a snarl and she lunged.

  Bang! The hot sting of the bullet grazed her shoulder. Glenna yelped. Her whole body twisted in mid-air from the pain of Marsden’s bullet. She came down too near the edge of the cliff, just catching a rock with her scrabbling fingers as she slid off the edge.

  Her feet swung in mid-air, her fingers and hands gripping desperately at the sharp rock.

  “Hang on.” Marsden dropped his gun to the side and knelt down, reaching down for her. “Grab my hand.”

  “I can’t.” Her fingers were getting tired as her muscles cramped. He was close, so close. She could smell his sweat and it pushed aside any fear of falling. All she wanted was to get to the top of the cliff and kill this man who had dared to shoot her.

  He leaned down further and got a handful of her sleeve. Bracing his feet and pulling, he hauled her up to the edge. She clutched at him, scratching with her feet trying to feel solid ground. Just a few more inches and she’d have enough purchase to go for him.

  She was nearly to the top and she saw his face. His lips were pressed tight together with effort. Her lip pulled back and her muscles tensed to spring. In the light of the flashlight, his face blanched. He let her go and dove fo
r his gun, and she slipped down, her hands grabbing at loose rocks and small wiry weeds. She was going over and this time she knew, he wouldn’t be helping.

  A howl rang in the distance. Hope sang through her veins, giving her a fresh surge of energy. It was Sam. He’d come for her.

  “I’m here!” She scrambled to try to find purchase for her feet, loose rocks and dirt skittering down the steep drop behind her.

  She smelled them before she saw the smooth, silent shapes emerge from the forest. Sam’s grey wolf raced up, his fangs exposed. He growled, attracting Marsden’s attention while the other wolf shadow snuck up the edge of the ravine.

  “What the fuck?” Marsden reached down again and grabbed her arm. Muscles straining he pulled her one-handed up to stand beside him and pressed the icy cold metal of the gun barrel to her forehead. “Stay away or I’ll shoot her.” His head turned from side to side in an attempt to avoid the glare from his own abandoned flashlight and see the glowing eyes of what was coming for him through the dark.

  Sam smelled of aggression and the hunt. Glenna’s lips pulled back in a feral grin. He’d come for her.

  She struggled with Marsden, fighting to get her feet under her and get to Sam. His arm gripped her like a vise. She dug her fingers in and pulled, trying to loosen the choke hold he had on her throat.

  Smooth and silent, the other wolf rose up from the edge of the ravine to their right. He moved behind them, shoving the two of them away from the cliff and knocking Marsden to his feet. Marsden’s hand flew up and another wild shot rang out.

  Sam’s teeth were in Marsden’s throat, and suddenly she was free and falling heavily to the side.

  There were sounds of ripping and tearing and gurgling. And then silence filled with the metallic scent of blood.

  Sam’s fierce howl rent the darkness, joined by the other wolf’s. The urge to celebrate the kill and howl with them swelled tight in her chest. And a howl ripped out of her throat.

  Their howls died away into the night. Sam walked up to her. She hadn’t realized before how tall he was in this form. His wide head was at her waist and he lifted it up, snuffling all over and whining.