Force of Nature Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4) (58 page)

Phil was suddenly there. His magic to move quickly like he could made it possible, and for the first time in ages, he was glad for this one ability. He took the phone from her and closed it. He held her while she cried and wondered if he could tell her to buck up and go to where his Holly had been. She seemed to get herself under control and led him to the boutique around the corner, talking a mile a minute as she walked.

“We were going to surprise you with a naughty nightie. Well, she was. I was simply talking her into it. She said you got all manly with her clothes and maybe you’d slow down if she bought you something sexy. I didn’t see the logic in that, but she seemed to think it would work.” She took a deep breath. “I’m babbling, aren’t I? I do that when I’m scared. Or nervous. I think I’m both. She’s my sister-in-law, I know, but I love her like we’re really of blood. I suppose we are if you—”

He laid his hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, love, but I need answers. If I take my hand away, can you answer only them? I promise I’ll let you babble the next time.” She nodded then burst into tears.

“I’m so sorry.” He held her again as they moved into what looked like a nightmare.

Police tape was everywhere. He didn’t understand why there was so much of it until he really looked. Displays were knocked over and clothes shredded. There was broken glass on the trashed clothing and he spied a nightie that made him think of Holly. There was a sticky substance on the floor and some of the walls, and it took him several seconds to realize it was blood. He looked at CJ when she sobbed.

“She fought so hard to save those two women. They were screaming so…she even tried to reason with her, but she kept laughing at her. I thought…I actually thought to contact you both, but there was some sort of block on me.”

“She held your mind. Holly’s too. She is Anye, she was here. She has Holly.” He walked over to a covered body. He nodded to the cop and it took him several seconds to realize it was Connor. He took back the sheet.

The woman, a young girl really, had had her throat ripped out. She’d bled out so quickly that even if a paramedic had been standing next to her, he wouldn’t have been able to save her. Her throat was literally gone. He moved to the other sheet and saw that this girl’s chest had been torn in much the same fashion as the other one. Her heart was exposed and while not beating now, Phil could see that it had been exposed while still moving. He covered both women up and stood. That’s when he saw the paramedics working.

“It’s that cop, the one that’s been helping you. They don’t think he’s going to make it. He’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Phil rushed to him. He slid into the mind of all of EMTs and had them move back. Myles heart was nearly stopped. He either acted now or the man would die. Phil kneeled down and leaned to Myles’s head. “I’m so sorry, my friend, but I can’t let you go this way. I need you too much. Not just for this, but for your friendship.” Phil opened his vein at his wrist and lay it over the dying man’s mouth. “Drink from me. Take into you my life and live as a shadow of the darkness. Stand as my child, learn from me.”

He didn’t need to say the words to convert the man, but he felt comfort in them. Phil was afraid he was too late when his life giving blood slipped down his chin. When a hand suddenly appeared and held Myles’s nose, he was surprised to see Austin there.

Neither of them said a word as the man drank. When they could see that he was getting stronger, Phil took his wrist away and sealed the wound. He had to find his Holly.

“He won’t die. My brother and parents are coming to watch over him. But I can’t…I have to find her.” Austin stood too, anger in every pore of his body. “I’ll find her. You have to believe me.”

“I do. And if you think this bitch is taking part of my family and I’m going to sit idly by, then you’re as nutty as a fruitcake. Tell me where her scent is the strongest and I’ll have all I have to help you.”

He should have expected the hug. He’d been around these wolves enough to know that hugging was as much a part of them as taking a breath. When he could stand on his own after having all the wind squeezed out of him, he pointed to the counter.

Austin went to the counter. Then he looked around the room to be sure no one was watching. Phil watched as the alpha shifted, his muzzle appearing as he leaned down and took a deep breath of the scents Phil knew were there. When something touched his leg, he looked down to see Myles staring at him.

“Don’t speak. You’ve been hurt badly.” He touched the man’s hand, which now lay over his chest. “I’m going to…to change you. Do you understand?”

Phil saw the confusion and didn’t make any effort to clear it up. He didn’t want to have to explain what was going to happen nor did he have the time. When Myles opened his palm, Phil looked at it.

“Him,” Myles whispered. “Him.”

There was a small scrap of material in his hand. He started to reach for it when his hand closed again. Phil reached into Myles mind and settled it before he could speak to him.

Him? You mean there was a man here with Anye? Can you let me see what he looked like?
Phil searched through his memories and with it, the man’s emotions and pain.
I’m so sorry, my friend. You shouldn’t have had to deal with them.

Myles had been shopping for a baby gift. He’d been looking for something to give to CJ and Austin’s new babies when he’d seen her walk into the little store with Holly. He walked in just as Holly shot at the older vampire. The girl at the counter was already dead and Jose was feeding from the one that now lay on the floor.

“Myles, get back,” he’d been told by CJ. He looked toward her and saw her standing near the far wall. She looked frozen there to him, but the first bullet hit him in the shoulder. He looked at Holly to see why she’d shot him, when another bullet hit him in the belly. Pain tore at him, yet he knew that if he went down, he’d be more of a hindrance than help, so he pulled his own gun and shot at the vampire. Holly didn’t have her gun pointed at him but at the woman.

Myles never got the chance to fire. Jose suddenly had him lifted up and before he could do whatever it was he’d planned, Anye spoke.

“He’s a buddy of Phil’s. Don’t kill him, but do make it so he will die. I want the bastard to suffer like he did me. Just…I don’t know, mess him up really bad in the guts. That will be painful to the prick too.”

“You telling me how to do my job? I got news for you, I’ve been messing people up for a long time. In fact, it’s sort of a hobby of mine.” The laughter made the skin on Phil’s arms crawl. “You should try to get this over with soon, love; the cops are on their way.”

Jose had turned Myles in his arms and slammed him several times against the wall. Phil could feel each time he hit as though he was the victim instead of his friend. Pulling out of his mind, Phil put Myles to sleep and contacted his mother again.

He’ll need to be fed again. I can’t…I have to save my strength in case Holly needs me.

You go. I’m nearly there. I’ve brought your brother with me too. Rolland is going with you and your father. But the others will help with—
He felt her sob.
Bring her back whole, Phil. I really like this girl.

Phil didn’t take the material, but lifted Myles’s hand to his nose. He could smell them, both men on it. But what he hadn’t expected was the blood. Moving the material, he saw a small drop of blood there so he leaned down and licked it. It wasn’t anyone he’d drank from before and knew it had to be Jose. He had him now.

Chapter 18

Holly couldn’t move very much and when she did, it was nearly painful enough to make her want to black out. She peered around the small box she was in and tried to think about anything other than the fact that she knew she was in a coffin.

It was lined with silver. If she reached up to touch the lid she got burned. She’d learned that the hard way. The padding under her wasn’t very thick and she knew that if she tried to move too much, it would fall through. Holly thought that if the bedlike cot she was lying on were to fall to the bottom of the casket, she could land on something that would kill her.

Then there was her throat. The bite wasn’t big. She’d only been bitten enough that she bled. Holly tried to seal it with her own saliva, but all it did was burn a little and nothing more. Blood was pouring from her, too much for her to live much longer if she didn’t get help. Holly reached for Phil and hit a wall. Then she thought that she was in a steel room or underground. Holly so didn’t want to think of that right now.

The lid opening suddenly made her flinch. The sudden light burned her eyes, and before she could focus on whatever had unearthed her, she was being tossed against a wall.

“There she is just like I told you. Didn’t I tell you that I’d get her for you? Now you owe me big time. When can I expect payment?”

Holly didn’t say anything as Anye crowed.

“You said she was a wolf. All I see is the bitch that was getting my job. There isn’t any earthly reason for me to pay you if all I got is a stupid female.”

Holly knew that voice. She turned slightly to see how he was involved and saw her boss, Eli Blair, there.

“Don’t look at me like you didn’t know. I’ve been trying to kill you off for months.”

“Why?” she whispered. Her throat hurt more when she spoke so she decided to do it as little as possible. Trying to stand made her dizzy, but the look on his face was worth every pain she had to endure. He was terrified of her.

“Why? Are you fucking nuts? Of course you are. You had to die because I hate competition. You, my dear, were better than me, and I just can’t stand that. Especially when it’s a woman.” He started pacing. “Do you have any idea how much ribbing I endured because of you? How much the men admired you for your skills? Shit, it was like they were ready to build a fucking statue to you. I couldn’t stand it anymore, and when that last assignment didn’t get you killed….” He shrugged. “I took matters into my own hands and tried to find someone who knew you. That’s when this bitch showed up.”

“He’s going to use you and abuse you,” Anye said gleefully. “He and I have worked out a deal where I’m going to keep you for a while, until Phil shows up, then I’ll heal you and you will belong to him. See? Everyone is happy.”

Except for her. Holly tried to reach for Phil again, and nothing. Now she was getting scared. Not only that, but she was reasonably sure that whatever Blair’s plans for her were, they didn’t involve her going back to work for him. Holly tried to think. Dizziness wasn’t just an occasional thing now but a constant reminder that she was dying. Holly thought about letting them think she passed out, but was afraid of the reality of it. They would kill her if she did.

“Shift for him. I know you can, I’ve seen you do it. Shift for him and let him see you are a wolf.” Anye kicked her in the ribs then backed away before Holly could grab her. “Shift, bitch, now.”

Holly knew that if she shifted, she’d be a wolf for an hour, no less. She also knew that the wound at her neck would heal, but she was very weak so it would only slow her down, not help. Then something occurred to her. Austin and Dallas. If she shifted, no matter where she was, they could hear her. She stood up by sliding against the wall for support.

“She leaves. I don’t do tricks and she’s a fucking bitch.” Anye lunged at Holly, but she grabbed her by the neck and tossed her away. It cost her a great deal and she tried her best not to show it.

Blair stared at her for several seconds. When almost a minute went by he finally spoke. “Leave us.”

“She is trying to get us to separate so she can try and kill us one at a time. Don’t you see?” Anye let her beast go and it made Holly’s snarl along her skin. This was not good.

“I said leave us. I’m the one with the money. Besides, I have a gun with silver in it and I’m not opposed to killing her.” He pulled the gun and looked at her until Anye left the room. Of course, she did kick Holly once again. The door closed with a click.

“You won’t get away with this. They know who you are and will be able to find you without any problems.” She didn’t move toward him. She was sure she could get to him before he fired, but wasn’t going to take the chance.

“Is that how you became so good? Using your special powers to find your targets? I would imagine that it was so easy for you.” He nodded to the floor. “Sit down.”

She slid to the floor but stayed on her feet. She wanted to be able to move when she needed to. She waited for him to tell her to shift again. When he did, she let her beast go.

The power was immediate. Her entire body surged with it. As soon as she felt her wolf fully out, she reached for her brother.

Austin, you have to find Phil now. I’m in big fucking trouble here and I think that this slimy bastard is going to shoot me.

~~~

Austin stopped pacing and grabbed him. Phil thought the man was in pain, but when he turned to look at him with the most heinous smile, Phil took a step back.

“I have her. She’s shifted and is telling me to get to you.” Austin grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from the counter and began writing things down. Phil leaned in and started reading the cryptic notes.

Coffin. Blair. Bitch Anye. Walls of steel and silver dust. Superman???

Austin turned to him and looked worried. “She said she’s bleeding at her neck that she thinks Anye did it to have her die slowly. She wants to know what to do.”

“Tell her to seal it with her saliva and—” Austin was already shaking his head. “She tried that, I take it. Tell her that her blood should heal her if she simply cut…wait, you said she had shifted. Wouldn’t that take care of it?”

He had no idea. There were things he knew about wolves and packs, but really not a lot about how they healed. He looked at Austin as he shook his head again.

“A bite won’t heal if it’s from a vamp. Not sure why, but there you have it. I told her about the blood. She said when she shifts back, she’ll try it. But she said to tell you to get your ass to her. She needs your Superman suit.”

Superman suit? Phil was pacing when something else occurred to him. She was speaking to her brother but not him. Steel walls would have blocked him. Blair meant her boss was there. He was more than likely working with his company to have her eliminated. But that really didn’t make any sense either. Superman suit. Then it hit him.

“My armor. She needs my armor. Guns. There are guns there and Blair is trying to…fuck. How do I get to her? Can you find her?” Austin nodded then shook his head. “Which is it, big boy, my patience is about at its end.”

“I can find her, but only so far. If I can get you to where I think she is then you’ll have to find her yourself. I can track as a wolf, but that’s not help much in a steel room with silver dust. It will kill me and her if she inhales it.” Austin took off his shirt and handed it to him. “My pack is coming. Connor will take care of this mess for us and your buddy Myles is headed to my house. There’s a basement addition we had put in for you to visit.”

Phil didn’t register much other than he was going to find his mate. He nodded absently and then turned to Connor. He needed to make sure there was someone there when Holly was brought home. He didn’t want just anyone taking care of her.

“I will have Clint there. I know you don’t fully trust him, but he is my friend. I knew him from…it’s been a long time, but I trust him.” Connor stepped closer. “I also have taken in your new friend Alexander. He’s been checked out. Also, there is a missing person’s report on him that I’m taking care of. Luckily, he has no one looking for him other than another vet. I think it’ll be easy to have him die, don’t you?”

Phil nodded. He didn’t particularly care for the vamp, but he had helped Austin and Holly. He turned around when the room seemed to expand around them. Austin was standing in the doorway to the back room as a huge wolf.

The wolf didn’t go unnoticed, but Phil was able to take care of the scare he’d caused. Once he and Dallas got Austin to the car and in the back, they took off in the direction that he’d said he had to go. When he slowed at a stop sign, Austin came up front and clawed at the window. Phil lowered it and the big wolf leaned out.

If the situation wasn’t so grave, Phil might have laughed. He was driving down the road with this big fucking dog hanging out the window with his tongue hanging out and his face flapping in the wind. He chuckled when he glanced at Dallas in the rearview mirror.

“If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, I’d not say it out loud. He is very touchy about his appearance.”

“Why is he doing it then?” Phil turned left when Austin barked twice. It was a system that he’d worked out with him before they knew Dallas was coming along.

“He can smell her. Even if you take him hundreds of miles from home, if he can ride like he is now, he can get back. Dogs are much the same way. It’s why when people take their dogs out into the woods and drop them off, some of them return. They get the scents on their tongue and can simply go in reverse.”

Phil decided that when this was over, he was going to sit down with this pack and learn all he could. He was family now and he thought he should know. He turned right at the next intersection when Austin barked again. Dallas’s phone ringing startled them both.

“Fuck,” he said when he closed the phone. “That was Gordon. He’s taking Alexis into the hospital. She’s in labor. She couldn’t wait one more day, could she?”

Phil laughed. “No, she couldn’t. But hers and Gordon’s child will be a blessing when this is finished.”

Phil turned when Austin indicated, then stopped the car when Dallas told him to. He went around and opened the door for the big animal, and waited while he sniffed around. He was about ready to yell at the stupid mutt when he went to the same area three times until he took off running. Phil went with him. He could hear Dallas close behind.

They ended up in the middle of a field. There was nothing; no tire marks, no house, nothing to indicate that Holly was anywhere close to them. She could be anywhere. He closed his eyes and reached for her and felt the smallest of connections.

“She’s here. Somewhere…I don’t know how close, but here.” He dug deeper, reached further, and found her again. He turned to Dallas when he cleared his throat. He turned to his left when he was suddenly knocked down. He started to throw Austin off when he heard a sound.

It was Anye. She was standing in the field not twenty feet away from them. He hadn’t seen where she came from, but if she was here then they were on the right path. He watched as she disappeared and still Austin didn’t move. It wasn’t until Dallas stood over them that Austin moved off him.

“Did you see where she came from?” Dallas asked. Phil shook his head. “We can track her. If she came on foot. I know you vamps have a mode of travel that we don’t have. It’s hard to track—”

Phil hit the ground, covering his head with his hands. Holly. It was Holly and she screamed for him. He looked at Austin when he whimpered. “She screamed for me. We have to find her now. She is in a great deal of pain.”