Guardian Bears: Lucas (12 page)

L
ucas made
his way slowly through the woods, warily watching the shadows. It was dark under the trees, despite the full moon overhead, and he took his steps carefully.

I probably don't need to worry about booby traps, but there's no point in taking chances.
If these wolves were killing for hire, there was no telling what else they might get up to, and his Army-trained instincts made him pay attention.

Nothing stopped him on the way to the coordinates the wolf had given him. It was far enough into the woods to be well away from prying eyes, but not far enough to make the walk difficult. And in the woods he could be confident that he'd notice anyone else lying in wait. There was only one trail, and his bear could only smell one scent ahead of him.

The trail led to a small clearing, lit by moonlight. Waiting there, leaning casually back against a tree, was one of the wolf shifters who had tried to grab Emily the day before. It was the blond man, his long hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a leather jacket and watching the woods, his eyes never still.

Lucas waited in the shadows, watching him. The man seemed alert and cautious, and didn't show any annoyance at the wait. Lucas had to admire that professionalism. But there was something in the man's posture, a tension he couldn't quite identify. It didn't look like a man expecting an attack, nor someone standing as bait for an ambush. Whatever was troubling him, it wasn't the danger he was in.

Only one way to find out what he's thinking,
Lucas thought.

Stepping out of the shadows, Lucas showed himself. The other man looked at him but didn't react, letting Lucas approach until he was almost in arms reach. The two men stared at each other, the wolf letting Lucas speak first.

"Let's make this quick," Lucas said. "I don't want this to be a problem."

"Neither of us do, that's why we're meeting like this." The other man shook his head, still looking conflicted. "I don't want any problems in the community, and you don't want to take on a whole pack – better for us both to sort this quietly."

Lucas nodded, uneasy. That sounded good, but there was still that odd tension.
Does he think I'm going to attack him or something?
But wasn't a fear of him that was bothering the wolf. His posture wasn't defensive, wasn't frightened – he was wary, yes, but anyone sane would be so close to an angry man Lucas' size. Whatever he was nervous about, it wasn't Lucas.

"You got a name?" Lucas asked, trying to get a feel for what was bothering the man.

"You can call me Dominic," he said. "And of course I know who you are, Lucas. So. Let's get on with this, shall we?"

"We've already got a deal, Dominic. I've got the laptop here: take it, call off your wolves, and we're done."

"Sure, sure. We can work on that. But, you know, were going to need some compensation for calling off my guys."

The way he spoke wasn't quite right. Something, an edge in his tone, bothered Lucas, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was as though he didn't like what he was saying.

Just get this over with
, Lucas told himself, resisting the urge to look around for other danger creeping up on him. His senses were keen, and no one was going to get close.

"You're getting the laptop," he said, snarling. "All the evidence of what you did, gone. Hell, if you can track down Tanner's accounts maybe you can even get some of your money back. Miss Shaw won't talk to the police, so you don't have anything to worry about there. What more do you want?"

Dominic's face twitched, a flicker of emotion showing through his reserve. He wasn't happy about something. Again, that feeling that something was wrong filled the Lucas, and he narrowed his eyes as he stared down at the wolf shifter.

"That's not how this works," Dominic said, straightening. "We can arrange for her to be safe, but it's going to cost you. We don't do anything for free."

Lucas' hands balled into fists, and he felt his bear's rage filling him.
What the hell? I'm letting them off easy. If it wasn't for Emily, if I didn't need to keep her out of harm's way, I'd be tearing this asshole's head off right about now.

"You don't get it," he said aloud, not trying to conceal his anger and frustration. "I'm not here to negotiate, I'm not here to pay you some for kind of protection. I'm giving you a chance to walk away from this, from breaking the Compact, without any more trouble than you've already gotten into. Don't be an idiot, take the damned deal."

Was that regret showing up on the man's face? Lucas couldn't be sure in the darkness. Whatever the wolf was feeling, he shook his head.

"I wish I could take it, man. I really do. But that's not going to work. We don't surrender, we fight for what we've got."

That undercurrent in his voice was finally clear to Lucas. Dominic wasn't sure of himself, he wasn't confident in what he was doing. A moment of honesty gave him away: Lucas could hear that he genuinely did wish he could take the deal. The fact that he
couldn't
take it could only mean one thing.

"You're not the Alpha, are you?" Lucas snarled, finally spotting the trap. He'd been focused on spotting an ambush, but the danger had never been waiting in the woods. The trap was springing elsewhere.

Emily!
Cursing himself for leaving her on her own, he turned, rushing for the path. Before he could take two steps, though, Dominic's arms were around him and the man's weight slammed the two of them into the cold hard earth.

Lucas roared, swinging a short, powerful punch at the smaller man's head. But Dominic was no fool; rather than take the hit, he let go and rolled aside, coming to his feet with an easy grace. His eyes flashed in the moonlight, and Lucas could see his hesitation vanish. The man was clearly more at home in a fight than he had been in a conversation.

I'll give him a fight,
he thought, rolling to his feet and facing the wolf shifter.
A quick one – he's not going to keep me from my mate.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," Dominic said, sinking his weight low and circling. "I really am. This wasn't my idea. But Victor said to keep you here, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Gotta do what your Alpha says, huh?" Lucas snarled back, stalking closer. Dominic's face twitched and he nodded, not looking happy about it.

"Alpha's word is law unless someone challenges him. Doesn't matter what I think of his plans. Victor's in charge for now, and that's that, even against the Compact."

Honest complaint or a play for time and sympathy?
Lucas didn't know and didn't much care. Whether he was being honest or not, it was an attempt to keep him off balance and to delay things.

A look into Dominic's eyes told him that much – the man was loyal, and whether he believed in his mission or not, he'd committed to it. Dominic would do whatever he could to keep Lucas busy.

He hung back, watching Lucas, and Lucas knew that he couldn't afford to wait him out. Dominic was only here to delay him, so every second he took over the fight was a victory for him. Lucas didn't have the luxury of time.

So he charged. Head down, without subtlety, he rushed the wolf, hoping to catch him by surprise. And he did – Dominic just barely twisted aside, and the impact of Lucas' shoulder still sent him spinning back a couple of steps.

Before he could recover his balance, Lucas was on him. Grabbing Dominic by the shoulders, he slammed the man into a tree with his full strength. Against a human, that would have ended the fight, but Dominic was made of sterner stuff and drove a punch into Lucas' ribs hard enough to make him let go.

They closed again, lashing out with brutal punches, and Lucas was surprised by how powerful the wiry young man was. He hit like a freight train, and would have overpowered anyone else quickly. Not Lucas, though. He gave as good as he got, fists connecting with the smaller man and driving him backward.

He didn't let up, didn't let Dominic get his breath back, and soon they were both bloodied, battered, and bruised. Lucas knew he could outlast his enemy. Not only did he have a bear's stamina, but he was fighting to save his beloved mate, and nothing, no one, would stand in his way!

Roaring, he leaped forwards again, wrapping his arms around Dominic who was too slow to dodge this time. Together they slammed into the ground, Lucas on top, his weight smashing down on the other man's ribs. Even as they landed, his foe was hammering powerful, punishing strikes into his sides.

Lucas felt a stabbing pain shoot through him as something cracked in his torso.

Looking down at the man pinned under him, he felt a grudging respect for the way Dominic fought. Even outmatched and pinned, the man wouldn't give in. But that respect wasn't going to stop Lucas doing whatever was needed to get to Emily's side in time. With a hiss of pain he reared up, slamming his fist down into Dominic's face with his full strength and weight behind it.

The wolf shuddered, weakened, but still managed to land another jab on the injured rib in Lucas' side. Blinding pain shot through Lucas.

But he didn't need to see the shifter pinned under his weight to hit him. Roaring in pain and rage, Lucas rained punches down, letting his anger and frustration out in a series of punishing blows. By the time his sight returned, his foe was lying still, face bloody and breathing ragged.

Lucas pulled himself up unsteadily, wincing at the pain in his side and gingerly probing it.

Cracked, not broken
, he thought.
Not that it matters. There's no time to get medical attention. Emily needs me.

He looked down at his defeated opponent, considering leaving him there. Then he shook his head.
Can't leave someone in the woods unconscious,
he thought, frowning.
Not if I can carry him out. But so help me, Dominic, if you slow me down, I'm going to dump you and you can fend for yourself.

* * *

E
mily sat fretting
at her table, waiting for Lucas' call.
How long is this going to take?

A glance at the clock told her she'd only been waiting for half an hour. At best, Lucas would be meeting the Alpha right now. The call might come any minute, or she might have another hour to wait. She groaned at the realization.

Why is it so much harder to wait now, when it's nearly over, than it was when I was in danger?

She got up and poured herself another coffee, then looked at the cup.
Drinking caffeine is probably not helping,
she admitted, setting the cup down again.

Outside, she heard a sound. She couldn't tell what it was, but something about it drew her attention. Something felt wrong. She tried to tell herself that she'd been jumping at shadows for weeks, that it was nothing, just a cat or something. But the fear felt more real than ever.

I'd better check, just in case
, she thought, heading to the living room window.

She was half way across the room when the front door crashed open under a booted foot. For once, Emily's reflexes kicked in instantly. She leaped away from the door, running full speed for the bedroom as figures rushed into the living room behind her.

The window slid open easily, and a small part of her was amused at how used to fleeing through the window she was getting. Someone was close behind her as she flung herself outside, rolling as she hit the floor, and scrambled to her feet.

A huge man stood in her way, grinning nastily down at her. Before she could change direction, he had her in his grip.

She struggled wildly, forgetting any kind of skill, and he just laughed, gripping her arms so tight that she cried out in pain. He was strong enough to immobilize her easily, and her struggles were useless.

"There's an alarm on the door," another voice said from inside the apartment. "Let's get out of here."

Emily had the terrible feeling that if she let them take her away, her life was over. But she couldn't fight this man – he was nearly as big as Lucas, and as strong. There was only one thing that she could think of to do.

"Help!" It was galling to be reduced to screaming for help, but she didn't let that stop her, shouting as loud as she could.

Maybe Tom'll hear me
, she thought. He wasn't exactly the man she wanted to rescue her, but as much as she didn't like him, being dragged off by a gang of werewolves would be much worse.

Before she could shout again, her captor smacked her across the face. The impact was enough to silence her, and she tasted blood.

"Shut up," the big man growled. His voice was rough, nasty, and held an anger that frightened her. He sounded like he'd been angry for a long time, like it was a habit for him.

"You're lucky we don't just kill you here," he continued. "Don't make me regret keeping you alive."

He didn't give her a chance to reply, simply lifting her and slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Without seeming to notice her weight he carried her to one of a group of black cars parked in front of the building. Lights were coming on in some of the houses, and Emily hoped that someone was seeing this, was even now calling the police. But everything was happening so quickly, and before she could think, her captor had flung her into the back of the nearest car and gotten in beside her. His glare froze her in place.