Chapter 9
Chapter nine
Ricky
Following Fin back to the pack house on Channing’s bike was depressing. She told me once the bike had been her mother’s, and it was well maintained, but she was the only one who should be riding it.
Channing King was about a decade younger than me, and I’d always seen her like the little sister I didn’t have.
She was the pack’s little sister, and when Fowler left after high school, me and Rel looked out for her.
Even through Chan’s stubborn early teen years when she didn’t need anyone’s help. We didn’t listen and showed up anyway.
We’d all been sent on runs for hygiene products and ice cream before she could legally drive. Hell, I’m the one who took her to the tribe to talk to Val in her teens when she wanted to learn more about being an omega and her heats. I’d do anything for that girl.
Fin likely felt the same, but as her parental figure outside of her Gramps. I knew he wouldn’t stop looking for her, and I would be right by his side on the hunt.
Parking, we weren’t even off our bikes before Gramps was wheeling down the ramp with Rowen, Cam, and Rel behind him. I was glad they were there to protect him.
“I thought–” Gramps started, looking at the small motorcycle I stood next to. He could probably hear Chan’s bike from a distance and thought it was her returning home.
Merle looked deflated at my being there instead of her, and I felt like shit. We should have called or texted to update them at the hospital, but we wanted to get back here and regroup. “Sorry, Gramps.”
“Let’s go inside,” Fin suggested.
We started towards the porch and Rel grabbed the handles on Gramps’ wheelchair since he wasn’t moving. Shit, I didn’t know if he could take another loss. He lost his wife, his daughter-in-law, and his son already, and his grandson, Fowler had left for a decade.
Even though she was off at college, Channing was his rock.
We went inside to the large main room with its vaulted wood ceiling and stacked stone fireplace, but none of us sat on the comfortable leather couches.
Fin started pacing and I decided to let him update the group since he clearly needed to vent his frustrations with the situation.
I’d do that when I got to beat the shit out of the MacTaryns.
I’ve been wanting to do it since they tried to attack Fowler’s mate, Riley.
Hell, I’ve wanted to do this since they started bullying Fowler and Riley in school.
“The twins grabbed her when they were leaving the casino and scented her heat,” Fin explained as everyone took a sharp breath at the news. “We lost them,” he added in a low voice before looking at the picture on the mantle of the last time we were all in the same place.
The pack crowded into this room last Christmas when we took the picture.
It had the King family with Channing grinning widely with Riley and his mom beside them.
Fin and his son Rowen were close to Rowen’s partner Cam, with Rel and I on the edge beside the tree.
Channing made sure they had stockings for all of us, and it was a happy day because of her youthful joy and hospitality.
When Fin didn’t go on, I filled in the blanks. “Kono Dasan tried to stop them but they pinned him under his bike and got away.”
Fin nodded and finally looked back at the group. “We went to the hospital but just missed them. Their sister was there and said they were going to celebrate their dad dying and being the new Alphas.”
“Janessa?” Rowen asked. “She was a couple grades behind me and always way too smart for her family.”
“I heard she was off at college to be a doctor or something,” Cam added. They always knew the local gossip from the cafe. “Her family disowned her for leaving.”
“Well I exchanged numbers with her,” I told them. “She promised to text if she got wind of her brothers.”
“Well I guess we have our answer on what would happen when Jed died,” Rel commented. “They dance on his grave together.”
“Always so poetic,” I couldn’t help teasing my friend. The moment called for levity.
“I’m going out to Lakeland to look for her,” Fin said, his tone brokering no argument. “Someone should stay here to keep an eye on the house.”
He meant keep an eye on Gramps, but wasn’t going to say that and make the old alpha fight us on staying put.
“I’ll come with you,” I volunteered. I didn’t care if he told me no, I was sticking to him until we found Channing and got her safely home.
“We shouldn’t have anyone in the pack traveling alone right now. ”
“Agreed.” Fin nodded but looked at his son. “Rowen, you and Cam stay here.”
“Of course,” Rowen agreed, taking Cam’s hand as they stood side-by-side with determined expressions.
My friend couldn’t shift into a wolf—I’d only seen his octopus when we went swimming—but he was much stronger than your average man.
And he’d want Cam safe too. “We have a change of clothes upstairs, so we won’t need to leave until this is resolved. ”
“I’ll call into work,” Cam said, pulling out their phone and texting one-handed. “And someone needs to call Fowler and Riley.”
“Rel, can you check on Riley’s mom and call them?” I asked, thinking of the other non-shifter member of our pack. Patty didn’t have heats, but she lived alone down the road and Riley would kill us if his mom was hurt. “Maybe suggest she stay here as well?”
“I can do that,” Rel agreed, turning toward the door. “And then I’ll keep patrolling around the house.”
“Perfect,” I grabbed his upper arm and squeezed. Rel stopped moving and met my eyes. “Be safe.”
“Always am,” Rel replied with a crooked grin.
Fin stepped up beside me. “Retreat if anyone gets close, Aurelius. You understand?”
Rel nodded solemnly and left the house. Waving my goodbyes while Fin hugged Rowen and whispered something in his ear, we left the house together. Without a word, I took his offered helmet and hopped behind Fin on his bike.
He stopped at his house to grab a bag, but didn’t bother changing out of his garage jumpsuit. It would be an easy piece of clothing to carry when we shifted. We all had go-bags at our houses, and I assumed Fin’s had food and water along with clothes and straps to hold it in wolf form.
Fin handed me the bag to wear on my back and started his bike. We didn’t need to waste time going to my place to retrieve my bike when stashing one would be less work than trying to hide two of them. It had already been almost two hours and the sky was getting dark with the red and orange sunset.
We rode north along the lake to the casino where Channing had been snatched, then turned southwest toward Lakeland.
It only took a few miles before the stench of the bears hit me.
For some reason, a wolf-shifter omega smelled good to them, but the bears smelled terrible to us.
Though I wasn’t sure I’d ever met an omega bear shifter.
Well, Janessa didn’t smell too bad. Earthy. Maybe it was the drugs and alcohol the other MacTaryns used that made them smell worse.
Tapping Fin’s shoulder, he nodded and sped up around a slow van. We were getting close to the turn off to the small town where the bears lived. Our town of Blue Lake had just over two-thousand residents, but Lakeland only had two-hundred. And half of them were related to the MacTaryns.
We wouldn’t be welcome, and I didn’t give a damn.