Retribution (Moonstruck Genesis #4)

Chapter 14

SEAN CINCHED down the straps on a stuffed backpack then checked his weapons. All the other Wolves did the same. The women waited nearby, corralling the children. Hannah, Jacey, and Annie checked their own weapons. All the Wolves were going on the rescue mission. That meant the women had to fend for themselves. Finally ready and armed to the max, the Wolves said their goodbyes.

Rudy cupped Izzy’s cheek in his hand. “You will go to your mémé, láska .” She nodded, rubbing her soft skin against his rough.

“Yes. We’ll go. Mémé has called the cousins. They will be there. We’ll be fine.” Her eyes shimmered and her lashes fluttered to hide her tears. Rudy bent his head to kiss the diamonds caught on her eyelashes.

“We’ll be back, láska . It is time to end this.”

Nearby, similar conversations and kisses occurred. Danny kissed Sally and their little girl, who flung chubby arms around her daddy’s neck.

“Wuv wu, Daddy.”

“Wuv wu, baby girl. Momma too.”

Mac ruffled Liam’s hair. “Take care of your mom, son.” His gaze remained on Hannah and he winked at her eye rolling and “oh really” expression.

“Will do, Dad.”

Mac spared a glance for his son, who sounded far too eager. Hannah stretched on her toes to rub her cheek against his and whisper in his ear.

“Izzy has cousins. Female cousins.”

He just managed to bite back the groan. He’d been mated so long, Mac had forgotten the surge of hormones a young wolf suffered whenever a member of the opposite sex walked by. He would have to sit Liam down for The Talk when he returned from the rescue mission.

At the edge of the clearing, Jacey leaned against Nate, her arms around his waist. “I love you.” The big Marine said nothing, but his arms tightened around her back. She leaned back so she could see his face. “We’ll get through this, Nate. I promise.” The haunted expression in his eyes broke her heart. “If we need to leave when you get back, we will. We’ll go somewhere else. Someplace where you never have to pick up another weapon, never have to hear Black Root’s name ever again.”

That statement elicited a growl and feral red flashed in the back of his eyes. Breathing deeply, Nate forced his muscles to relax. “No. I have to stay. I have to deal.” He leaned so that his forehead rested against hers. “I love you, Jacey. You’re what keeps me breathing and moving and waking up each day.” Her arms tightened around him.

“You need to talk to Mac, Nate. When you get back. This is more than just…” She didn’t want to say the word. “It’s PTSD. You know that right?”

“I know, baby. I know.”

She pressed her lips to his and murmured into the kiss, “Just come home to me. No matter what. Promise me. Promise me, Nate.”

A breath shuddered through him. When he said the words, his voice was dragged from the very bottom of his soul. “I promise.”

Sean had Cody up on his shoulders and the boy was making “ Ewwww ” sounds as Sean kissed Annie. With one hand, he lifted the boy off and placed him on the ground, all without breaking lip contact. Laughing, Annie pushed him away.

“Go blow something up, honey.”

Beaming, Sean happily agreed. “Your wish is my command, sugar.”

Liz and Lightfoot’s goodbye was more sedate. Michael kissed his son’s forehead then with one arm holding the toddler and the other circled around Liz, he tugged her in for a deep kiss.

“I’ll be back.”

She smiled up at him and held out her arms for their son, Micah. “I know. I’ll be here.” She blinked and laughed. “Oops. No, I’ll be at Miz Fontaine’s place. Go raise some hell, Michael.”

With reluctance, the Wolves turned away from their families and joined Nate where he waited at the edge of the woods. It was time to hunt. As they filtered out of sight, Hannah marshaled her troops. They packed up what they’d need, stashed everything into two SUVs, and strapped the kids in.

Izzy drove one, Hannah riding shotgun. The kids, herded by Sally and Liam rode with them. Liz, with Jacey riding shotgun, and Annie in the back, drove the second vehicle. Their job was to act as rear guard. If Black Root had found Antoine’s cabin, they could have easily located the Wolves’ encampment.

When they arrived at the Fontaine’s home place, they were met with armed guards. These men were human, but they’d aligned with the Wolves. Izzy’s grandmother had married a Wolf and their son, Antoine, inherited the Wolf gene. Izzy had married a Wolf. The family had stood with them more than once. Just like the pack, the Fontaines and Dumonts were loyal.

If something happened to Mac and the Wolves, they’d be relying on the close-knit Cajun clan until Hannah could get everyone to safety. She cast her eyes heavenward and muttered, “You damn sure better come back to me, Ian McIntire. I’ll fuckin’ kill your ass if you don’t.”

FRASER KINCAID walked the length of the dock like he owned the place. The two guards shadowing him were sloppy and that irritated the bloody hell out of him. It was bad enough that wanker Weylin had gotten involved with this shite, but to drag him in was a pisser. His escort marched him into the squat, concrete building, and he stepped into pandemonium.

A man lay on a gurney, dead eyes staring at the ceiling, his severed arm draped across his chest. “What the feckin’ hell, Weylin?”

“Feckin’ hell is right, Fraser. Where the bloody hell have you been? Everything is going to shite.”

Kin reined in his anger. Weylin, never known for being the most stable, was inches away from losing it. Did the other men here know what Waylin was? Would they know what he was? He couldn’t take that chance. He grabbed Weylin’s arm and shoved him against the block wall with enough force to knock the wind out of the man.

“Focus, Weylin. Tell me what’s happened.”

“Fuckin’ doctor. She wanted that damn Wolf in half-state.”

He stopped breathing for a moment. A Wolf caught between human and animal forms was the nightmare wolfman Hollywood special effects prayed for. In half-state, a man had no control. He reacted strictly on instinct, and that instinct was to lash out and kill whatever was close.

“Tell me what the bloody blue blazes is going on here.”

A woman’s shrill shout interrupted. Weylin pushed Kin away and headed in the direction of the voice. Kin followed. At first, he thought she was hysterical before realizing she was ranting in anger. It didn’t take much of her tirade for him to fill in the blanks and made him regret ever answering his cousin’s call. Black Root was bad shite. On the battlefield and off. He’d heard rumors of their clandestine experiments, but the more he learned, the more he wanted to kill Weylin.

“You let him change,” the doctor screamed. Spittle flew from her mouth, coating Weylin’s face.

“He fuckin’ tore the arm off my man, bitch. I’m goin’ back there and shootin’ the fuckin’ wanker.”

The doctor shoved Weylin. He shoved her back. Kin stepped away. He didn’t have a dog in this fight and fully intended on turning around and getting the hell away. Then the first explosion rocked the building.