Kara's Wolves (22 page)

“See, it just goes to show you they have no balls.”

“Yeah, well, in any case, they were pretty clear about what they intended to do with
your
balls if you didn’t back off.” Jake chuckled at his own pun.

“I’m not worried about those two. Look, we have it all worked out this time. I told you, Justin and Trevor took Kara to their parents’ house. My plan is foolproof. Are you gonna help a guy when he’s down or not? It’s like they’re holding her hostage.”

“Of course we are, man.” Rich spoke with his mouth full and then used his sleeve to wipe pizza sauce off his lips. “You’d do it for us, right?”

“That’s the spirit. Now finish up so we can get going. I want to be at their place in the wee hours of the morning, setting our trap.” Barry clapped his hands in front of him and tried to make his little pep talk sound inspiring. These losers were beginning to wear on him, but they were the only losers he had, and right now any help was better than no help at all.

Chapter Fifteen

Justin followed Trevor out of the room early the next morning, softly closing the door behind him. Neither of them could sleep. “Man, I love that woman.”

Trevor only chuckled.

They’d only been asleep a few hours, but Justin was itching to go check on their property. Something didn’t seem right.

When they entered the kitchen, Justin immediately noticed an air of tension. His father stood at the counter drinking a cup of coffee with a furrowed brow. His three brothers, Ryan, Charles, and Michael sat around the table, as well as Stephen Williams, Justin’s uncle, who he now knew was a friend of Kara’s father. They all looked up at once and Stephen stood. “Justin. Trevor.” He reached to shake their hands.

After quick formalities, Justin began. “What’s going on?” His brothers looked wiggly and concerned. Did someone drag them out of bed?

“Your father called a few days ago,” Stephen motioned toward where Richard Masters leaned against the counter, “to fill me in on the threats you’ve been receiving.

I’ve been keeping an eye on your property since you two headed out here last night, at least the eastern side.”

“Thanks, man. We appreciate any help we can get at this point.” Trevor ran his hands through his tousled hair in a gesture Justin was used to seeing. His signature move of frustration.

“I know you’ve found a mate. I spoke with Kara’s father last week. He and I have been friends since college. He … knows.” Stephen paused.

“So we gathered,” Justin began, “when we met him Sunday. Clearly he wasn’t in the dark about us.”

“Anyway,” Stephen continued, “early this morning before dawn one of my men came to tell me he saw a few wolves wandering around in the woods between our properties, staking things out. He didn’t confront them, as he was alone at the time, but he did say he’d seen one of them in the woods before.” Stephen’s scrunched his eyes and his lips thinned in anger.

“I can’t believe how bold this guy is. Does he actually think he could win in a duel against the two of us?”

Justin began to pace.

His father stepped forward and set down the cup of coffee he was nursing. “There’s more.”

Justin froze and turned to stare at his father. His tone was menacing.

“Sit. Both of you.” Richard Masters was serious. He motioned to both Trevor and Justin as he took his own seat at the head of the table. “There are … things you don’t know. Things you need to know. All of you.” Justin’s father looked pointedly around the table while Trevor and Justin took the unoccupied chairs.

“Richard,” Stephen began, “let me.”

His father nodded and wrapped his hands around his coffee.

Justin held his breath and waited, a fine layer of sweat forming on his forehead.

What the hell was going on?

“We figured out who Barry is.” Stephen spoke in a firm voice and leaned forward on his elbows. “Bartholomew Welsh.”

“Who the hell is he? Never heard of him.” Justin couldn’t help but interrupt.

“I know, and that’s our fault. We, your father and the rest of the elders, thought it best. At the time. There was no reason to upset you.” Stephen paused and took a breath.

“Upset me about what?” Justin wanted to scream. The tension in the room was thick.

For once, his brothers were all silent.

“Not
you
, so much as Trevor.” Stephen turned to face Trevor. “This is about your parents.”

“My parents? What about them? They died in an accident, right? When I was five.”

Trevor glanced at Justin with fear in his eyes.
“Do you know what this is about?”
he silently spoke through the bond.

Justin could only shake his head and return his attention to Stephen.

“Not really an accident, no. As you know, your father was a physician. And your mother was a nurse. They were quite a team and very helpful to our kind. Any time someone in the pack needed medical attention, they were always there. You know it’s nearly impossible for us to seek outside medical help and keep our race a secret.”

“Of course. What happened to them?” Trevor’s impatience for Stephen to get on with the story was evident in his tone.

“Mind you, this was twenty-three years ago. Our pack didn’t yet own quite as much land as we do now. There was a lot of surrounding land other packs and lone wolves occupied in the area.” Stephen cleared his throat and continued. “One such family was Barry’s. His mother and father, Betty and Bartholomew Welsh, lived on a patch of land several miles from here with no connection to any particular pack. One night, about two o’clock in the morning, a young man, Barry as it turns out, showed up at your parents’

house pounding on the door.”

“I remember it. I remember the pounding and the screaming. I’d forgotten.” Trevor stared straight at Stephen and Justin ached for the little boy who’d endured whatever the rest of the story would entail.

“It wasn’t completely unusual. After all, your father was a doctor. Dr. John Shields.

It happened from time to time. When he let the young fellow in, he could barely understand him. Barry was scared. He managed to tell your parents his mom was in labor at home and his dad didn’t have the money to pay for help, so he hadn’t intended to take her to a hospital. But something was wrong and his mom had been screaming for several hours. Barry didn’t think it was right. He had snuck out and come to get the doctor. Ran all the way in human form. Not thinking of anything but getting someone to help his mom.

“Of course your parents hurried to get over there,” Stephen continued to address Trevor. “They were afraid your mother might be needed too, so they dropped you off here with Richard and Nancy, and headed to the small farmhouse. We know everything I just told you from the quick explanation John gave before they left.

“What happened next is not as certain, but we did manage to piece together most of the story.” Stephen stood and walked over to the counter to refill his coffee. After taking a slow sip, he sat back down. No one spoke. No one breathed it seemed. Justin stared around the table at the wide eyes of all his brothers and the troubled gaze of his best friend.

“John and Mary took Bartholomew Jr., Barry, with them back to his place, but he apparently he ran off when they arrived, not wanting to hear any more of his mother’s screaming. He was only fifteen at the time. It would have been very traumatic for such a young man.”

Stephen lifted his head. “Hours later when Dr. Shields and Mary didn’t return, Richard called the police who arrived on the scene to find a hostage situation.

“Barry’s father was screaming and waving around a gun. Apparently he was quite crazed. His wife must have already died before John and Mary arrived. And the baby, too. It was a breach birth. She’d lost too much blood. John tried desperately to convince Bart nothing could be done for his wife. Barry’s father, however, demanded John ‘fix’ his wife and child. John was unable to calm the crazed man and obviously unable to bring his wife back to life, so Bart, the older Bartholomew, shot them both and then turned the gun on himself.”

“Oh my God.” Trevor shook his head back and forth. Justin reached over to place his hand on his friend’s arm.

“So,” Justin began, “are we to believe this fifteen-year-old kid is all grown up now and seeking revenge against Trevor for the supposed crimes of his parents? He thinks it’s their fault his family is dead?”

“That would be my guess,” Stephen stated.

Richard coughed. “I’m guessing he wants to hurt Trevor like he’s been hurt, by going after his bondmate and you.” He looked pointedly at Justin.

“What should we do now?” Justin looked at his father before turning his gaze to Stephen. Their input would be his most valued asset.

His father stood and headed over to the counter. Moments later he returned with a map of the area and spread it out on the table.

Ryan spoke up and stood to peer over the map. “We split up. Search the area. There are many of us and only a few of them. We know they’re in the area. Uncle Stephen’s men just saw them this morning.”

“I’ll go with Ryan,” Charles said.

“You boys are right.” Richard motioned to the youngest Masters. “Michael, you come with me. Justin, you with Stephen. Trevor, you stay here. The women aren’t even up yet. Let’s head out in pairs and scout the area until we find something. We’ll meet back here in two hours. Sound good?”

Stephen reached to begin removing his shirt. “I’ll stop by the barn and set up several other groups to scout the area.”

Justin paused before heading out the door and glanced back at Trevor. “We’ll find him, man. Trust me. This will all get worked out.”

Barry stopped in his tracks and reached out to grab his cohorts. “It’s time. Surely someone has caught our scent by now. Stick to the plan. We’re going to shift and then I want you two to wander around looking like you’re staking the place out for another hour after I leave, then you can both cut out and we’ll meet back at the hotel.”

“How is this gonna to work again?” Jake was dumber than a barn.

“It’s a decoy, man. Shit. Don’t you know anything?” Chances were Rich didn’t know what he was talking about either, but he looked awfully smug with his big word “decoy”.

“Like a fake duck when huntin’?” Jake smiled like he’d just discovered America.

“Something like that, sure.” Barry was losing his patience. “Just do as I said.”

“Where will you be, man?”

“Grabbing the prize. The spoils of war, so to speak.” Barry couldn’t help but pump out his chest a little at the thought.

“And what’s in it for us?”

“Yeah, man, what’s in it for us?” Jake echoed.

Barry beamed. “You get to stay with the blond at the hotel while I go finish up the job.”

“Awesome.” Rich grinned. “Can we, you know, mess with her a little bit?”

“Not a fucking chance, dude. Hands off.” No way was Barry going to let these varmints touch his prize. “Your job is to guard her.”

“Well, shit.” Jake threw his hunting hat down on the floor. “That ain’t no fun. How is we benefittin’ from this?”

Barry threw in the piece de resistance. “She has friends, man. Roommates. Two of them. Hot chicks, too. I’m sure she’ll set you both up once she’s rescued from hell. She’ll be so grateful for all we’ve done for her; she’ll do anything to show her thanks.”

“Awesome. We’re on it. You can count on us.” Jake reached down to grab his hat.

I sure hope so.

Trevor paced the front room of the house waiting on word from the men. It was early still. Nancy had wandered into the kitchen and made more coffee for him while he caught her up on everything happening. Of course she knew the story of Bartholomew, but she hadn’t been aware of this morning’s development.

“Trevor,” Nancy began in a calming voice. “Relax. They’ll find him.”

“I know. I just hate waiting here doing nothing. I should have gone with them.”

Trevor wrung his hands in front of him and continued his pacing. His stomach was in knots. A crazy man had threatened his new family. His best friend and his woman. And here he stood doing nothing.

A piercing scream tore through the air.
Kara
. God almighty. Trevor ran through the living room and down the hall. Fear climbed up his spine. If anything happened to her…

When he came to a stop in front of the room he’d shared with her just an hour ago, he found the door locked. “Kara?”

Silence met him, but he could still smell her. His mate.

Adrenaline pumping, Trevor stood back and then rammed the door, shattering the frame as the wood buckled and fell into the room.

Nothing. The window stood wide open, the curtain fluttering in the breeze.

Trevor could hear Nancy and Tessa screaming behind him, but he wasted no time.

He ran for the open window, shifting midair and bounding through it toward the ground.

He couldn’t be more than a few seconds behind them. Where were they?

*

Justin had taken off at a run with Stephen on his heels. They’d moved at a breakneck pace to reach the farmhouse in attempt to catch the roving wolves trespassing on his property.

Anger pressed Justin on faster and faster. He paused every now and then to raise his snout into the air, but found no trace of scent indicating any other shifters were in the area. After circling the property in a spiral, the two stopped to catch their breath.

“No one’s here, man. They must’ve left. We better swing back to your dad’s place
and check in.”
Stephen turned away to get started.

“Wait,”
Justin cleared his head to listen.
“Fuck! Trevor? Where are you? What
happened?”

Trevor was screaming at Justin through their connection. The bond was even tighter since they had mated. Justin could not only “hear” what Trevor was communicating, but also feel his fear, his anxiety. In fact, he’d sensed it a moment before Trevor had spoken.

“He’s got her.”

Justin began running as fast as possible even before Trevor finished his thought.

*

Kara had bolted upright from a deep sleep. What time was it? A glance at the window told her it was morning. Her skin crawled. The hair on her arms stood on end.