Rescue in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) (18 page)

The brothers would never hesitate to help out the local law enforcement, but man, did it suck when they were tracking a dead person. Serg much preferred search and rescue to recovery.

“That bad?” Jaxon inquired after several seconds of silence.

“Much worse.”

Serg froze. A niggling suspicion he wasn’t going to like this climbed up his spine.

“Three women are missing. All with similar descriptions, all in the last twelve hours, and all from a location where they shouldn’t have had a problem.”

“That’s not unusual. They probably wandered off the path and hunkered down for the night.” Micah spoke, but Sergius grabbed the porch railing in preparation for the rest. Something was very, very wrong.

“They weren’t together.”

“What?” Jaxon sat on the porch swing with a thump.

“Exactly. They don’t know each other, weren’t on the same hikes, aren’t with people who’ve ever met, and they aren’t even in the same general vicinity in the park.”

“Shit.” Serg gripped the wood under his hand and stared at the ground. “McKinney.”

“That’d be my guess. What I don’t understand is why? You boys ran him off two nights ago. I didn’t expect to see him again for a while.”

“It’s Juliana.” Rage boiled in Serg’s veins, a slow burn that grew stronger.

“Why? What do you think he wants?”

“I don’t quite get it myself. But he wants her. Of that there’s little doubt. He’s never lured a woman away and left her alive.”

“A search party is organizing now. They’ll have to divide into thirds.”

“They won’t find those women. He set this up. He wants the three of us to separate and leave Juliana alone.” Serg leaned against the side of the house.

“He isn’t being very subtle about it.” Hardin slapped his hat against his leg and began pacing.

“He doesn’t have to. He knows we won’t turn you down.” Serg ran his hands through his hair, pulling the strands so tight his head hurt.

The Durham brothers were soft when it came to people’s lives. And McKinney knew that. This was a setup. But what could they do—let some woman die on the off chance another was in jeopardy?

“Fuck.” Serg paced in the opposite direction from James, clenching his fists at his sides.

The door swung open with a long squeak. Juliana stood there, a knowing look on her face. She hadn’t missed a beat. How could she? Serg’s emotions were running so high she couldn’t have overlooked the mental images if she’d wanted.

“I’ll stay with the sheriff. It’ll be fine. We can go into town. I’ve been wanting—”

Serg stopped his pacing and turned toward her with a snarl. “No fucking way. Not going to happen. I won’t risk it. We’d be playing into his hand, just as he wants us to.”

“And your plan is?” She stuck her hands on her hips and cocked her ass to one side in challenge. “Look, I’m sure you’re right. This vampire guy seems to have set us up, but he would also assume the sheriff would be working with search and rescue, not be left babysitting the damsel. We’ll go straight to the police station. How dangerous can that be?”

“She’s got a point, bro. What do you have in mind? Clock’s ticking.” Jaxon headed for the stairs. “Gotta make a decision and get going.”

Serg had no doubt McKinney had set this up. None whatsoever. He just needed to outsmart the asshole at his own game. “Okay, let’s head to town, leave Juliana in the police station with Hardin and then split up to find the women. God, let them be alive. We’ll rendezvous back at the station.”

What the fuck are you up to, vamp
?

Hardin headed down the stairs too. “I’ve an even better idea. I’ll give you three the coordinates. You can head out in your truck and get this show started. I’ll take Juliana with me to the station.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a notebook and ripped out pages. “I’ll give you all the info you need.”

“Perfect. See, it’ll be fine. Let me grab a few things. Be right back.” Juliana turned to the house and disappeared, leaving Serg staring at the door.

He waited for her on the porch while the others headed for the driveway. His skin crawled. Fur rose. How was he going to keep Juliana safe?

In less than a minute she returned.

“Ready.” She set her dainty hand on his shoulder and reached up on tiptoe to kiss him. Instead of letting her plant a chaste peck on his lips, he hauled her in for a hard, demanding act of possession.

“I can’t live without you.”

“It’ll be fine. It’s not like a vampire can just waltz into the police station in the middle of the day and drag me away.”

“I don’t like it. This reeks.”

“You also can’t leave a woman stranded in the forest, lost and cold. I know you. That’s
why
I know you.”

“Why do you always have to be so fucking right?” He smiled at her and smashed another hard, rough kiss to her mouth. “Don’t you dare take any chances, got it?”

“Yes, master.”

“Ha, ha. You’re about as good at being submissive as I am at being a ballerina.”

“Can’t wait to see your tutu, cowboy.” She flicked his hat over his eyes and grabbed his hand. “Daylight’s not going to pause for us, big guy.”

The cars were already running. Serg opened the sheriff’s passenger door for Juliana, helped her in and leaned in for one last kiss. He turned his gaze to James. “Don’t let anything happen to her, ya hear?”

“Never.” Hardin nodded.

Sergius watched as the cruiser pulled down the gravel road. His brother’s truck slowed down next to him, barely long enough for him to jump onto the footboard and swing inside.

Goddamn vampire.

Serg grabbed one of the three bags the sheriff had given them, each with a photo, a page of info and a few items of clothing belonging to the missing women. He withdrew the piece of paper and stared at the info. The woman he would be tracking had gone missing yesterday afternoon, but it hadn’t been reported until the middle of the night. She’d wandered away from her friends to snap a picture and disappeared.

Was McKinney controlling every woman’s mind?

He peered down at the picture of a blonde woman with deep blue eyes. Anna was her name. She looked so happy. He prayed he’d find her alive and in the same spirits.

“Juliana?”

“I’m here.”

“Just checking.”

“I’m fine. Just concentrate on finding the missing hikers and getting your butt into town.”

Serg stared out the window, gripping the items in his lap so hard his knuckles hurt. This was too orchestrated. He didn’t like it.

Fifteen minutes later, he’d stowed his clothes in the usual pack, shifted and made his way toward the coordinates he’d read in the truck.

Sergius had picked the woman missing closest to town, where Juliana would be.

When he reached the coordinates, he caught the woman’s smell and tracked her instantly. She’d headed north, off the path, just like Juliana. Why? How did a man—well, at least someone who seemed to be a man to his victims—manage to get a vulnerable woman to leave the safety of a known trail surrounded by friends and fellow hikers and head out unprotected and alone into the trees?

He’d never known McKinney to use such powerful mind control. But apparently he had used it to lure Juliana the other day, and now three other women. Did the damn vamp have some new power? Or perhaps Serg and his brothers just hadn’t ever had the opportunity to witness this ability firsthand.

The thought made him shudder, even in wolf form.

Where are you, Anna?

Her scent grew stronger. She wasn’t as far into the trees as Juliana had been.

“Have you found her yet?”
Sergius’s heart beat faster at the sound of his mate’s voice in his head.

“Not yet. You okay?”

“Fine. Still driving.”

He was getting closer. And thank God. Anna was still alive.
Death
had a completely different scent, one that couldn’t be mistaken.

Minutes later he came to the entrance to a cave.
Of course
.

“I’m not far now. She’s in a cave.”
He communicated this info to Jaxon and Micah before going inside. It was time to shift and get dressed. Women didn’t usually find him to be of much comfort in wolf form.

“Got it. Seems like the case here too. Be careful, bro. This has to be a trap.”
Jaxon was also still in wolf form. Serg could sense his pounding heartbeat, indicating he was running.

“I’ll keep you posted.”
Micah had stopped, but he too hadn’t shifted yet.

Once dressed in his usual jeans, T-shirt and hiking shoes, Serg ducked into the cave and paused the few seconds it took to adjust his eyes to the light. He raised his head and took a deep breath.

A muffled moan reached his ears. Prickly pin spikes stabbed along his shoulders. McKinney wasn’t here… Hadn’t been for a while. But that didn’t change the fact that Serg had to save this woman.

“Anna?” He spotted her in a corner, huddled on the damp ground. As he dashed toward her, he continued speaking. “It’s okay. I’m with search and rescue. You’re going to be okay.”

As he reached her side, she turned her face to him, eyes huge and frightened. He could smell her fear. A wide strip of duct tape covered her mouth, and he gingerly tugged it from the sensitive skin of her cheeks, wincing as he did so.

She started to sob uncontrollably, gasping for air, her jumbled words spilling on top of each other, unintelligible.

“You’re okay now. No one is going to hurt you.” He assessed the rest of her and made quick work of untying the ropes around her arms and then her legs.

When she was free, she scrambled crab-style back into the wall behind her. Poor woman was petrified.

“I’m going to take you back to your family. You’re going to be fine.” He attempted to soothe her, hoped his words were gentle.

“That’s what the last guy said, and look where that got me.” Her voice was barely audible. She shook her head back and forth.

Ah, so that was his ploy. Pretend to be helping. “Tall guy? Pale? Dark hair to his shoulders?”

“Yeah. How’d you know that? Are you with him?”

“No, but lots of people are out searching for him. He’s…wanted.” It wasn’t really quite true, but it would make her see reason, hopefully.

“He bit me.” She leaned her neck to one side. Sure enough, his telltale marks were right at her jugular
. What is that fucker’s plan?

“Geez, I see. Are you okay now? We need to get going.” He wasn’t even considering letting her know the bite had been the work of a vampire.

“I passed out. When I woke up I was here…in the dark…alone.” Her breaths were slowing down.

They needed to hurry. “Can you stand?” Sergius grabbed an arm and helped her to her feet. She shook beneath his grasp.

She was wobbly, but she managed to right herself and took several cautious steps forward, shaking free of his grip. “I can manage. Just get me out of here.”

Gladly
.

Sergius moved with a purpose, one foot in front of the other, desperately trying to keep a pace she could handle while his blood pumped hard through his veins, demanding that he shift and get to his mate. They were only about a half mile off the path—not far at all, unless you were weak, tired, hungry, thirsty…and human.

Serg radioed the deputy in the area while they walked. “I have Anna. She’s okay. We’re heading toward the road.”

Silently he reached out to Juliana.
“I found her.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yes. We’re heading back. I’ll meet up with you soon.”

“’K.”

“Are you at the station yet?”

“No. There’s a tree in the road. The sheriff is about to move it.”

“A tree?”
Sweat ran down his forehead even though it wasn’t very warm yet.

“Well, more of a branch. No biggy. See you soon.”

“I’ll hurry. Please be careful.”

She didn’t respond, but he figured she was dealing with the obstacle. A tree? He tried to shake his arms to release the unease.
Calm down. This is a national forest. Branches fall across the road every day.

It took only fifteen minutes to reach the main road and meet up with a cruiser.

Anna had remained relatively quiet during the short hike. She didn’t let down her guard the entire way, and he couldn’t blame her.

Serg spent the majority of that time communicating silently with his brothers, who were experiencing similar ordeals—two other women, each bound in the same manner, each bitten, each in a cave.

As soon as Anna was safely delivered into the arms of the cop, Serg briskly waved off the man he only knew in passing and darted as fast as possible out of sight. He could get back to Juliana faster in wolf form, and he intended to do just that.

The bastards had played right into his hands. Brilliant, really. He’d simply ambled through the forest, grabbed the first woman who looked delicious and tucked her away in a cave. The quick little taste he’d taken from her jugular had eased his thirst and hardened his dick to new heights. Hmm, maybe he
could
sip from a woman without killing her. Good practice.

In just hours he’d repeated the process in two more corners of the mountains.

All he had to do then was hunker down for the night, a short distance from the wolf cabin, and wait for the show to begin with first light.

It was a gamble, but he had a hunch the do-gooder wolves would take the bait and be forced to abandon the redhead while they saved the day once again from the big…bad…vampire.

It wasn’t long after the sun came up that he watched the local sheriff pull up to the house.

The long-distance binoculars he used were incredibly accurate and kept him from getting too close and blowing his location as he watched the redhead climb into the cruiser. A smile spread across his face. Perfect.

He figured with no other alternative, the Durhams would be forced to leave the redhead in the hands of the fine, upstanding sheriff. Keeton wandered down to a spot in the road in the direct path to town and casually dragged a long branch across the gravel.