The Gift of My Mate (Siberian Volkov Pack Romance Book 9) (11 page)

Warmth suffused Margot’s chest and she blinked back tears. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“Hey, no crying. You’ll ruin your makeup and Mathis will be angry with me,” Esme said in a worried tone. “This is a night of celebration. I’ll come over and visit sometime next week. We can talk more about educating our young pups. I’d love to hear your insights.”

“I’d like that very much,” Margot said.

Esme squeezed her hand and then left the room. Margot hurried to get back to the party. She dried her hands with one of the towels when a feeling of doom came upon her, stealing her breath. She felt faint and began to tremble.

“Margot, what is it? What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know, something is wrong. I feel sick.”

The door opened and Mathis rushed in. Esme stood holding the door open, looking concerned.

“Come here. Let’s get you someplace you can sit,” Mathis said.

Margot nodded and her stomach rolled. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I feel like I might throw up.”

“You will not throw up,” Mathis said, catching her gaze and giving her a telepathic push.

“I hate it when you do that but in this case, however, thanks. I feel a little better.” Margot leaned against her mate. What was wrong with her that she felt so ill?

They walked into the ballroom and to a small sofa by the wall. Mathis sat with Margot, his arm around her shoulder. “Just breathe, baby.”

Esme followed them to the sofa. “Can I get you a glass of water?”

“Just give me a moment,” Margot said.

“Mademoiselle Martin,” one of the staff came up, “I have a call for you. The man said it was an emergency. If you will follow me, I will take you to the nearest house phone.”

“Did the party say who was calling?” Mathis asked rising from the seat and towering over the man.

“No, sir. He said she must hurry, because of the emergency.”

“The caller was a man?” Mathis asked pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

“Yes, sir.”

Mathis flipped his thumb over the phone’s surface. He looked at Margot. “The alarm is going off at the house. There are intruders on the property.”

“The children,” Margot gasped.

Margot braced herself to take the call. Mathis would listen in, and had already gone to the switchboard office. Her hand trembled as she picked up the phone.

“Hello?” she asked, trying to keep her tone calm, when inside she panicked.

“Hello, Margot. I’m quite annoyed with you, my dear. So you need to listen very carefully to what I say, or I’m afraid your newest charity case will suffer.”

“Samuel? What charity case?”

“Why the children, my dear. Don’t be obtuse. I quite like the blue Ferrari you purchased for the one little boy. I, of course, like my cars full sized.”

“What do you want me to do?” Margot trembled. This mad man had the children, he knew about Nuvuk’s toy car. He was inside the house.

“I want you to come to me. I have been trying to rescue you from your father’s clutches. The kidnapping, the bombs, but you keep thwarting me. So, this is your last chance, darling. I know this supposed engagement is more of your father’s doing. Tell me, it was your father’s idea,” Ouelette hissed with rage.

“You know my father so well. Of course this party was his idea,” Margot said, afraid to contradict him, but not lying at the same time. Ouelette seemed to be able to sense when someone lied to him. Something about his brain was different from other humans. When his stalking began, she tried to give him a telepathic push to leave her alone. It didn’t work.

“I’m waiting at the house you’re using to keep these little orphans,” he said, his voice calmer. “Come now. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to them. Oh, and give your bodyguard the slip. You need to come alone, my dear. Hurry now, I grow impatient.” With a click the phone went dead.

“He’s got the children,” Margot said, bursting into tears.

“No, he doesn’t,” Mathis said walking up and taking Margot into his arms. “The safe room has been activated. He may be in the house, but the children are in the safe room. I would bet my life on it. I wish Susan would answer her cell phone.”

“What is the plan?” Parker asked. “We’ve got to save my new grandchildren.”

Margot wiped her eyes and looked at all the people waiting to help, Jared and Esme, Granger and Brenda, her parents, and many others of the pack surrounded them. They could do this. The pack would save her children.

“We take out Ouelette, and whoever he has with him,” Mathis said.

§

The limo sped down the highway. Mathis glanced at Margot and frowned. Her face was pale and she wrung her hands.

“Lucien and Serge are patrolling the perimeter, so keep a watch out,” Mathis said into the cell phone to Jared and the others. When you get to the property line, park and shift. Be careful not to get shot, I’m sure these men have guns. I’ll signal Ujarak as soon as I’m close enough to link telepathically with him.” Mathis would finish Ouelette once and for all. His reign of terror was over.

Suddenly, Margot’s cell phone rang. She struggled to get it out of her purse and looked at the number. “It’s Susan.” She quickly answered the call. “Susan, are you all right? Are the children all right?”

“Where are you, my dear? I grow weary of waiting for you.”

“I’m in the car now. I’m coming, Samuel. Please don’t hurt the children.”

“I hear fear in your voice. That’s good. You just bought your children more time. Hurry, Margot.” She stared at the phone and then turned a stricken look at Mathis.

“He has Susan’s phone.” Her voice quivered.

Mathis saw red. No one should be able to scare his mate, not now, not ever. Containing his rage, he forced his voice to come out calmly. “All that means, honey, is that Susan didn’t take her phone down into the safe room with her. Remember that she had to carry Cybille. She probably left her phone on the counter, or it fell from her pocket, when the alarm sounded.”

Margot nodded, while biting her bottom lip.

“It’s going to be okay, Margot. What does your heart tell you about the children? Do you feel danger to them?”

She stared out the window a moment. “Not really, not if I concentrate really hard.”

“So, you know in your heart, you know the children made it to the safe room. I can tell you that Ujarak made it as well, and if he did, then Susan did. He wouldn’t leave her behind. Now, I need you to stop doubting, and get ready to do your part. When the limo stops you will open the door. I will spring out and take down whoever is watching the entrance. You will stay inside the vehicle. Close the door once I’m out, and JP will drive you to safety. Esme, Brenda, and your parents will be waiting for you at the bridge over the creek. You will go there and wait for me. Do you understand?”

Margot nodded. Mathis reached up and undid his tie, then started to unbutton his shirt. In a few minutes he was completely naked and called the shift. White lights swirled around him, in moments a huge white wolf sat on the seat.

Margot wrapped her arms around his neck. “Stay safe for me, Mathis. I can’t lose you. I want all of my family back, safe and sound.”

Mathis nodded and licked her face, his heart bursting with love for this woman. The limo slowed as it neared the bridge over the creek. The two SUVs that followed swerved to the side and parked. The doors opened, and wolves jumped out. Mathis thumped his tail. These humans thought to go against a bunch of lycans. They would never know what hit them.

“Slow down, JP. Give them a chance to get into position,”
Mathis sent to the driver.

§

“What do we do now, Uncle Ujarak?” Tikaani asked from inside the safe room.

“We wait, so everyone needs to get comfortable. Margot and Mathis will be coming soon. Let’s see what we can do to help them when they get here.”

Ujarak studied each monitor. “I see at least six men outside. Nope, make that five. I think one of the Sable Guards took one out. Plus, the five men in the house.”

“Hey, what is that man doing in my room?” Tikaani asked his voice outraged.

“He’s looking for you, silly. Once they don’t find you upstairs, they’ll come looking down here. Don’t worry, the whole pack will come running to protect you, and I’m sure your daddy will be leading the way.”

“Ujarak, I’m not sure it’s good to let him watch the monitor,” Susan said, rocking the baby. “Mathis is going to take these guys apart for threatening his family. Do you really want them to see that?”

“Okay, Suzie-Q, I hear you. Right now, I’m collecting information. Once Mathis gets here, I’ll turn the monitors off.”

“Aww, I want to fight, Uncle Ujarak. These bad men came into my house,” Tikaani said.

“What do you have in mind?” Ujarak asked, surprised at the vehemence in the ten year old’s voice.

“Daddy Mathis can see in the dark, and the bad men can’t. We should turn off all the lights,” Ukiuk said, taking Tikaani’s hand.

“That’s an excellent idea, Uki. We’ll wait until your daddy gets here before we do. That way, the bad men will be surprised.

“Yay, bad man go home,” Elisapie said, clapping her hands.

“Don’t worry, cupcake. Your daddy will make sure they go away,” Ujarak assured her.

Ujarak sat up suddenly watching the monitors. He smiled as Mathis’s limousine pulled onto the property.

“Tell me that everyone is all right!”
flooded into his thoughts telepathically.

“We’re all here, safe and sound, Mathis. Some jerk thinks he owns your house,”
Ujarak sent back.

“Not for long.”

Ujarak heard the growl that followed the thought, and for one tiny minute felt sorry for the men upstairs.

“What is it, Uncle Ujarak?” Tikaani asked, watching as the limo pulled up to the house.

“Your daddy has arrived. Get ready everyone, I’m going to turn out the lights, in three, two, one…”

§

Margot gritted her teeth and reached for the door handle.

“Now,”
Mathis sent telepathically.

She opened the car door. Suddenly, all the lights in the house went dark. Mathis jumped out. Margot closed the door. Mathis leaped at the man who stepped onto the porch from the dark house. Jean Paul turned the car and headed back toward the bridge. She tried to keep Mathis in sight, but quickly lost him as the car pulled away.

“Merde!” Jean Paul swore. A man stepped into their way, holding a gun. “Get down,” JP yelled as he hit the gas.

Margot dropped to the seat. Glass broke. Bullets flew into the car. Jean Paul moaned. Miraculously, they kept moving down the road.

“How badly are you hit?” Margot asked, smelling blood.

“Not too bad. I’ll have you to your parents in a minute,” he said through gritted teeth.

Margot sneaked a peek over the seat. She could see the bridge coming up. The car began to fishtail on the slick surface. “Slow down, Jean Paul, you need to slow down.”

There was no answer.

§

“Ujarak!” Susan cried out.

He turned to look at her and frowned. “What’s the matter with you? You look as white as a sheet.”

“Take the baby, I think I’m going to faint.”

Ujarak jumped up and caught both Susan and Cybille, as Susan collapsed. He lowered them to the floor. Cybille started to cry. Tikaani ran over to comfort her.

“What’s the matter with Aunt Susan?” Nuvuk asked.

“Hopefully, nothing, if that golden thread of light attached to her heart means what I think it means.”

“Oh, I can see it, too. Aunt Susan has found a mate?” Ila asked.

“How come you aren’t her mate?” Uki asked.

“We’re friends. I kind of hoped there might be more to it, but I know how important you lycans take your mating bond. Looks like Susan is meant for someone else.”

“But, who is it?” Nuvuk asked, coming over and patting Susan’s face.

“I don’t know, little buddy. Whoever it is, he must have gotten hurt to make the mating bond snap into place like that.”

“I hope he’s okay,” Elisapie said.

“Me, too, sweetheart. Believe me.”

§

Mathis ripped out the throat of the man who opened the door. Once he heard the rattle of death, he sprang away and into the house. Bullets flew as the men inside saw a flash of white. Mathis dove behind the couch. He crawled close to the floor while sniffing out his next target. Two more men felt his bite before he heard a large crash. A huge black wolf ran into the room. Mathis immediately recognized Jared in his wolf form.

“Go, your mate is in trouble,”
Jared said.
“We’ll finish up here.”

Mathis nodded and ran out the door.
“Margot, answer me. Are you all right?”

“Mathis, the limo rolled. The inside is filling with water from the creek,”
Margot’s panicked voice filled his head.

“Shift! Right now, I’m coming.”
Mathis ran down the road. Guilt assailed him. He’d left the children behind. Still, if something happened to Margot, he wouldn’t be able to live without her. He kept running, praying to the goddess, Asena, that his children would stay safe.

When Mathis got to the creek, Parker and Brenda were dragging JP from the car. Water flowed through the broken windows.

“Margot? Where are you?”

She didn’t answer. He rushed into the frigid water, up to his chest, and made his way to the window of the limo. Peering inside, he couldn’t find his mate. Her silk gown floated on the water, the material snagged on a piece of metal.

“She’s not here, Mathis. She might have been carried downstream,” Brenda said.

Mathis lay back his head and howled, already fearing the worst. Without hesitation, he headed downstream, pausing once in a while to sniff the ground in case Margot had left the water. He had to find her.