Chapter 13
Remi paused on the path he was taking through the woods. It was almost too easy to follow. The scent of the roast his target had spilled all over himself in his efforts to either attack Emmalyn, or leave the scene, left a trail a child could follow. Shaking his head at the ineptness of the fool, he sighed at the lack of challenge and started walking again.
Hey, we’re on the way, Havoc sent to Remi through their psychic connection.
Remi’s brow wrinkled. For what?
To help you track this bastard down, Havoc answered.
Definitely not necessary. Tracking this guy is a joke. All you have to do is stick your nose in the air and sniff — follow the smell of pot roast.
Havoc hesitated for a second, then… Oh. Well, want to have some fun before we kill him?
What do you have in mind?
Kiernan and Shawn are with me. Let’s herd him around for a while. Then let’s let him see us shift, then the real chase begins.
Remi snickered to himself. Could be fun. He deserves more than a little cruel and inhuman torture.
Agreed. We’ll be there in a little while.
~~~
Emmalyn was tucked safely in bed, with Barron, Everly, Analise and Bam sitting around the bed, quietly watching her. Since they’d gotten her home and tucked in bed, she seemed to be resting better. No more little whimpers.
Everyone else was in the living room, doing their best to deal with the fact that they’d almost lost one of their own that night. Not to mention the fact that the man responsible was still out there, though he was being hunted by some of their most capable.
Brandt half leaned/half sat on a bar stool, with a beer in his hand.
Tempest was in the kitchen putting things together for everybody to snack on while they waited for news of Emmalyn, or the capture of the man who’d tried to kill her.
“How long are you going to sit there and pretend that you are okay with waiting for everything to play out without you?” Tempest asked.
Brandt looked over at his mate. “Me?”
“Yes, you. You know I’m talking to you.”
“I’m holding the fort down. Making sure everyone here is safe.”
“I know, all the while being antsy because you’re here and not out there.”
“A little, yeah. You’re right. But it’s just one man, they don’t need my help with this,” Brandt said.
“Showing faith in them,” Tempest said.
Brandt nodded. Then he looked at Tempest, really looked at her. “You feeling okay? I know you used some of your strength to help Emmalyn.”
“I’m good. I promise. Is that why you’re staying near?”
“Aren’t I supposed to worry about my mate?”
She walked over and pecked his lips as she went by with both hands grasping platters of food. “I worry about you, too. But I promise, I’m okay.” She smiled at him and continued on into the living room where she set the food down before returning to the kitchen to finish cleaning up her mess.
“How’s your family, baby?” Brandt asked.
Tempest looked up from the counter top she was wiping down. “They’re good.”
“That doesn’t sound convincing.”
“Really, they are. They want me to bring you for a visit next time.”
“But?” he asked, knowing she was holding something back.
“Nothing about bringing you to visit. I’m just worried about Boon.”
“He’s your uncle, right?”
“Yes. But he’s more like my bestie.”
“Why are you worried?”
“He’s so lonely. He’s practically becoming a hermit. He won’t tell me that, but I can feel it.”
“Bring him here to visit for a while.”
“I can’t. He’s obviously not human.”
“Oh, the horns…”
“Yeah. I mean, I guess I could glamour them, but I’ve offered before and he’s flat out refused.”
“I know this is a crazy question, because I’m pretty sure you already know, doesn’t he have a mate?”
Tempest focused on Brandt, her attention almost making him uncomfortable because she hesitated so long before answering. “He does. But she’s not there. He’ll have to leave home to find her. He doesn’t want to leave home, he said if he was meant to have a mate, she’d be there because he doesn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“Where is she?”
“Here,” Tempest said hesitantly.
Brandt with a surprised expression on his face, opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.
“Is there any beer in there? I could really use a drink,” Kaid called out, as he headed toward the kitchen.
“Same!” Bane said, falling in behind Kaid as they wandered over to dig through the fridge.
“Who?” Brandt whispered to Tempest while Bane and Kaid raided the fridge.
She started to answer, but at that moment someone knocked on the door, and Avaleigh jumped up to answer it before anyone else had a chance to respond.
“Whoa, hold on, Aunt Avaleigh!” Brandt called from across the room at the same time Daniel reached out to intercept her. He glanced toward Tempest. “Later?
Tempest nodded.
“What?” Avaleigh asked. “They knocked. People coming to hurt you don’t knock politely.”
“Yeah, they sure as hell do. Especially when they want you to think they’re not there to hurt you,” Daniel said.
Brandt walked over and pulled back the curtain, peering outside from the window closest to the door. He opened the door wide inviting in Natalie and Vince. “Y’all come on in.”
“Once Avaleigh texted me that Emmalyn was here in bed but still unconscious, I made Vince bring me over here,” Natalie said. “I know Delilah has medical training, too, but I just needed to be here to help if I was needed.”
“Thank you for coming. I know the basics, of course, but I’ve never worked trauma,” Delilah said. “Other than standard vitals, I’m not familiar with the trauma she’s been through.”
“I am, more than I care to admit. Can I take a look at her?” Natalie asked, looking from Brandt to Delilah and then Avaleigh.
“Yeah, come on. I’ll take you in,” Brandt said.
Brandt tapped on the bedroom door lightly and opened it. “Hey, Natalie’s here. Can she take a look at Emmalyn?”
Barron looked up at Brandt, his brain cells barely firing.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Everly said.
Barron looked over at Everly while she spoke, then nodded. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”
“I’m gonna go back and help in the kitchen,” Brandt said.
Natalie first checked her vitals, then took out a stethoscope and listened to her heart. Afterward she checked her blood pressure. “Her blood pressure is a little low.”
“He drugged her,” Barron said.
“Do you know with what?” Natalie asked.
Barron looked at her like she was crazy.
“Of course you don’t. Sorry,” Natalie said as she checked Emmalyn’s finger tips, then folded back the bottom of the quilt and comforter covering her and checked her toes. “Her finger tips and toes are purplish, and splotchy, but that indicates the blood is flowing back into them. That’s good. You probably won’t know for a few days if there’s any permanent damage or not.”
“We don’t even know for sure what happened. We’re just lucky they found her,” Everly said.
“She’s not going anywhere alone ever again,” Barron stated matter-of-factly.
Everly smiled.
“He’s right. She’s not,” Bam said firmly. “And neither are you!” he said, pointing at Analise.
Everly reached out and patted Analise’s hand to reassure her.
“She’s got a wound on her head,” Analise said quietly.
Natalie covered Emmalyn’s feet and moved up to the head of the bed to check Emmalyn’s head wound. “Can I have a damp cloth?”
“Sure, I’ll get it,” Everly said. She came back moments later with a warm cloth and handed it to Natalie.
Natalie used it to gently clean away some of the dried blood to get a better look at the wound. “It looks like it’s already started healing.” Natalie gently prodded the wound feeling for any deformities on the skull. “I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary.”
“He used the freezer to bash her head,” Barron said.
Bam started snarling softly.
“Dad and Daisy healed her, and Tempest helped, too. I’m pretty sure that her skull would have been healed if it was damaged,” Analise said.
“I’m going to check for a concussion,” Natalie said. She opened her bag and took out a flash light. She lifted Emmalyn’s eyelids one at a time and checked her pupils for dilation and response time. “If she’s concussed, I’m sure it’s already been tended to. Especially with Bam and Daisy and Tempest all three healing her. The low blood pressure lets me know she’s still got whatever drug he gave her in her system, but it’s not dangerously low.”
“She’s going to be okay?” Barron asked.
“I’m not able to see the future, Barron, but in my opinion, she will. All you can do is wait for her to wake up,” Natalie said. “Sleep is good for trauma victims, though. Their bodies need sleep to heal.”
“Thank you for checking her for us,” Everly said.
“Of course. I wish I could do more.”
Everly raised her head and looked toward the living room like she could see into it to see whose voices had joined those already there. But then she realized who it was she was hearing — Maverik and Valerie had arrived. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “I’m going to get a drink of water and a little something to nibble on. You should all do the same while Emmalyn’s resting.”
“I’m sitting right here,” Barron said.
“You want me to bring you something to eat?” Everly offered.
“No. I’m good,” he said, nudging his chair closer to the bed so he could be as close to Emmalyn as possible.
“I’ll take something. I’m kind of drained,” Bam said.
“I’ll bring you something,” Everly said.
“Analise?”
“No thank you, Mom. I’m fine.”
“I’ll be right back. Okay?” she asked, making it a point to make Analise and Bam answer her and take notice that she said she’d be right back.
Bam and Analise looked up at her, knowing she’d said she’d be back twice, and was repeating herself.
“Okay. Are you alright, Mom?” Analise asked.
“I’m fine. Just want you know I’ll be back.” Everly walked out of the bedroom and flashed a quick, tight smile at everyone as she moved through the living room and into the kitchen.
Maverik left the living room and walked over to her. “Hey. You good?”
“Hey. It’s killing me to just stand beside her bed and wait for her to wake up. I need to be doing something.”
“Same,” Maverik said. “That’s why we’re here. Getting antsy waiting to hear they caught the fucker.”
“I know the feeling. There’s nothing I can do for Emmalyn here. I’d give anything to be out hunting that bastard that did this to her,” Everly said.
“Yeah, I figured you’d be feeling like that,” Maverik said.
Everly looked up at him.
Maverik looked at the door, then at Everly again, as though showing her how close it was. “I saw you protect Bam all those years ago. You’re not the type of female to wait for a male to handle shit for you. I know you can handle yourself.”
“Damn straight I can. And this asshole hurt my child.”
“I’m thinking of slipping out and joining the hunt,” Maverik said. “Valerie’s here, she’s got Harley. Everybody else is here to provide a united front. They won’t even notice we’re gone.”
“The boys are already out there. They’ll find him.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. They have a tendency to announce themselves. Too damn loud, giving away their locations. Maybe if we slip in all quiet like, we can surprise the fucker after he’s already waited them out. Seems to me it’s only right you get to take your revenge.”
“As much as I relish the idea of making him suffer, I have to take care of Bam. Make him something to eat,” Everly said, trying to talk herself out of it, more than Maverik.
“Do you?” Maverik asked. “Do you really?”
“Yes,” Everly answered. “He’s drained after healing Emmalyn.”
“Avaleigh, would you mind putting together a little something for Bam and taking it to him?” Maverik called out while keeping his eyes on Everly.
“Of course! And thank you for giving me something to do,” Avaleigh said as she got up to join them in the kitchen.
Maverik walked over to the side door on the opposite side of the kitchen and opened it just enough to be able to tell it was opened. “You coming?” he asked Everly, his voice low.
Everly glanced back toward their family sitting around Barron’s house, waiting for Emmalyn to wake, and Avaleigh already coming toward the kitchen. She darted for the side door. “I sure as hell am,” she said as she slipped through the barely opened door and Maverik followed, pulling the door closed behind them.
~~~
Maverik stopped Everly at the bottom of the outside stairs. “I’m thinking I’ll shift and lead us to him. You don’t. You just follow me.”
“Why?” Everly asked.
“Because they’ve found him by now, or we’ve done a piss poor job of raising them. They gotta be toying with him. So, if a woman strolls into sight, he might just make a grab for her to try to protect himself.”
“And then I can shift and tear his throat out,” Everly said.
“Only partially rip it out. We don’t want him to die too quickly.”
Everly smiled coldly. “Lead on, Maverik. I’ve spent enough time wishing I could do this. It’s time to see it through.”
“You just follow along. I’ll go slow so you can keep up in human form. When you see me slink off and intentionally break away from you, we’ve found him. Then it’s up to you to lure him in. I got your back if you need me. I’ll let the boys know what’s coming so they don’t try to protect you.”
~~~
Remi soared low over the trees in the darkness of the night. Their property covered just under a hundred acres and it was no problem to keep the human they were hunting corralled and on familiar territory. His Dragon was black and blended into the darkness easily. For someone to see him, they’d have to be on their land and within a close vicinity to Remi. Remi knew only one person was close enough for that at the moment… the bastard who’d attacked Emmalyn.
They’d located him a while ago, and were simply biding their time, terrifying him. Doing their best to torture him mentally before they finally got their hands on him to do it physically as well.
Remi rode the air currents down to the ground and landed heavily, causing the ground to tremble. He threw back his head and released a spine-tingling roar. Swinging his massive head left and right to get a better look at the woods around himself, his Dragon couldn’t suppress his grin as Havoc’s Wolf burst into the clearing, snarling and foaming at the mouth.
You got him pinned down again? Havoc asked.
Yeah, he’s here, in this clearing. I can smell his fear.
Same. But we have to drag it out a little longer.
Why? Remi asked. I’m about to drag his ass out here and get it started .
Kiernan and Shawn stepped out of the shadows and trotted toward them. When do we get to draw blood for what he’s done? Kiernan asked.
We have to hold off for a little while. My father just let me know he’s on his way, Havoc said.
What does Uncle Mav want? Remi asked.
He said to hold off until he gets here.
This is our fight, Remi insisted.
That’s what I said. He said we’d understand when he gets here, Havoc explained.
You think Emmalyn’s coming? Kiernan asked.
If so, she’ll sure as hell get the kill. In the meantime, let’s freak him out a little more , Havoc said, shifting into his human form again in clear view of the entire clearing.
“I smell the human,” Havoc growled out.
Kiernan and Shawn shifted and raised their noses in the air, too. “I want the heart,” Shawn snarled.
“The heart is mine!” Havoc shouted.
“You always get the heart! I want it this time!” Shawn insisted.
“You take the tongue,” Havoc offered.
“I want the kidneys, too,” Shawn bargained.
Remi shook his huge body like a dog after a bath, his body shrinking down and returning to his human form in full view of the man they’d relentlessly tracked, herded, hunted and taunted since they’d found him shortly after leaving Hellen’s house. “I want a leg. I’m so tired of the puny little pieces of meat and bone. I want a whole leg! And the liver!”
“It’s the eyes for me. They’re my favorite… the way they burst on your tongue… I can’t wait! And an arm!” Kiernan said, licking his lips and doing a hell of an imitation of Sir Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.
~~~
Harland lay still, carefully controlling his breathing, the beating of his heart, and even his adrenalin responses to being chased by a herd of monsters. Thankfully, his training with the FBI had taught him to control all his body’s natural responses to stressful situations. No one had ever been able to break him during interrogation training, and he’d lied to the whole damn department for more than two years. They had no idea the skills he’d developed. Not even these creatures would be able to locate him. He was so far advanced they’d never be able to get the upper hand. He’d been elusive enough to keep two steps ahead of them since they’d picked up his trail. Several times it had been really close, but he’d managed to shake them each time. He’d had to change direction several times, which brought him back closer to the house he’d stashed Emmalyn’s body in than he cared to be, but it was that or allow the freaks of nature that hunted him to get even closer to him. And that wasn’t going to happen.
He looked down at his body, disgust pouring from his every pore. He hated working in the field. And the state of his dress was just an example. First the stupid bitch had to leave the damn cord to the appliance she’d cooked her dinner in draped over the corner of the kitchen island to snag on his hand as he walked quickly through the kitchen. Then the contents of her Crockpot spilled out and splashed his pants and the sleeve of his shirt. Which is no doubt what attracted these freaks of nature to him. They smelled the food.
He shallowly inhaled, doing his best to keep his respiration levels so low they couldn’t be detected by the creatures. His first impulse at catching his own scent was to retch. In order to dampen the scent of the meat on his clothing, he’d found what he’d thought was a small scum covered pond and tried to submerge himself in it. After he’d gotten to the middle of it — only about twelve feet across — did he realize it was a mud hole. For swine! And the stench wasn’t just mud. Swine, especially wild swine, are filthy animals who excrete waste into their own watering holes.
He slowly released a breath, willing himself to endure these circumstances, just a little longer. Eventually they’d lose interest and wander away. Maybe one of the fucking swine would cross their paths and these monsters would take out after it, giving him the opening he needed to make his getaway.