An Everlasting Bite (15 page)

“No.” He sighed. “Nera is only lucky your scent has grown more sensitive. If not, we’d be picking pieces of her up from the front lawn.”

“Yuck!”

Briggs laughed softly, leaned back to look at her. “You did well, darlin’.”

The pride shone off his face, and she couldn’t deny it didn’t feel nice. Still though, she was too surprised to feel pride, and furthermore, didn’t believe she deserved it.

Nonetheless, her new gift had her stunned. “I can’t believe I smelled that.”

Briggs arched a brow and added strength to the proud look. “Your scent is strong.”

His look turned incredulous. “Valor hadn’t even caught the scent.”

Wow, that comparison knocked her off her axle. She hadn’t really even considered that. Could her new gift give her abilities that even Valor didn’t have? She found that hard to believe.

Whatever it is, it’s a blessing. As much as Rynn would have liked to see Nera blasted into a million pieces, she just was not that cruel. Saving her felt right.

Feeling all warm and cuddly, she snuggled back into Briggs and he reciprocated by tightening his arms around her. If only they could stay like this for hours, but no, they had this insane situation to deal with. “Looks like whoever has Kali knows where we are staying.”

Briggs sighed. Maybe she wasn’t the only that needed comfort. “And they’re going to great lengths to not have her found.”

“I’d say.” Rynn laughed at the obvious. “To blow up Nera’s car…”

Briggs cut her off. “Not Nera’s.”

She leaned back a little, looked up at him. “What?”

“It wasn’t Nera’s car.” He snuggled her back into him, held the back of her head so she stay against him. “It was Dante’s. They were coming with us.” Before she could say a word about it, he sighed again, deeply. “I believe it best that you go back to Utah, darlin’.”

Her gaze met his instantly. “You’re not suggesting that I leave you?” It surprised her that it wasn’t fear she felt. When he’d suggested a thing before, she was so frightened at the idea of it. Not now, the only thing she felt was pissed off.

He brushed a finger across her cheek, gave her a classic Briggs reassuring glance.

“It’s not safe for you here.”

She pushed away from him and poked his chest with her finger. “I. Am. Not.

Leaving. You. Briggs.”

He looked as if he was about to speak and she nailed him with a look that said he’d die if he did. Slowly, a smile spread across his face.

If steam shot out of her ears, she wouldn’t have been surprised. Why is he enjoying himself? “This is so
not
funny.”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled her toward him and took her into one of his
what’s my name again
kisses. When he tore his mouth from hers, her entire body trembled and not from adrenaline.

“All right, love.” He gave her a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Just stay close to me, always.”

She nodded. The big lug thought he could send her away. The whole Alpha bit seemed natural to him but he better get used to disappointment because it’d never work.

Right then, Rainer walked back through the door, carrying the waffle cone bowl with the rim surrounded by milk chocolate, ice cream, brownies, nuts and hot fudge. Drool escaped the corner of her mouth. She pushed Briggs away and he laughed as he moved aside. “Yum, yum, yum—oooohhh…that looks good.”

Rainer looked annoyed as he walked toward her. “As you requested, here is my debt to you. Do you accept it?”

Rynn’s grabby hands reached out. “Gimme, gimme, gimme.”

“We need to head off,” Valor said from the doorway. The earlier incident couldn’t slow them down, they had a good lead with the location they’d been given and it had to be followed. “Are you done here?” His eyes twinkled at sight of Rynn with her sundae.

She took her last spoonful, licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah, I’m done.”

Briggs sat, amused as he watched her experience ice cream orgasm. He might have been jealous of the little moans, if he didn’t have the ability to make her moan louder. His little wolf loved food and he found the trait simply adorable.

“Good,” Valor smiled.

Briggs reached for the bowl in her hands. As he pulled, Rynn didn’t let go. He laughed. “Not done then?”

She smiled, abashed. “Sorry.” She grabbed the spoon again, which rested in the empty bowl. “There’s just some chocolate there.” She scrapped the bowl dry. After a finally lick, she placed it on the table. “Okay, I’m done now.”

Briggs placed the bowl on the table, took her hand as they stood and they walked out of the room. “Any progress?” he asked Valor.

He shook his head. “None.” Then, he gave them a curious look. “Something is not adding up here. I cannot figure out how they placed the bomb on the car without my scenting them here?”

Briggs hadn’t even considered that, but Valor was right. He should have scented other wolves on the property. Briggs frowned, stuck in the thought himself and concluded there was only one assumption. “Dante has been around town. Maybe he was being followed.”

Valor pondered that for a moment, then he’s expression turned agreeable. “I suppose that is possible.” He gave Briggs a glance he’d seen a thousand times. “For the life of me, I cannot comprehend who would do this. Why they would be so intent on keeping Kali hidden?”

Briggs snorted. “Someone with a death wish.”

“Either there is more going on here that Hendrix hasn’t told us or Kali has gotten herself into some serious trouble.” Not waiting for a response, Valor spun on his heels and headed toward the front door.

Briggs and Rynn followed. None of it made sense to him either. He suspected the answer would only be found when Kali was. As they exited the house, the others waited by the cars. Dante’s SUV, now gone, pleased Briggs. There was no need to have a visual memory of his mate nearly killed by the explosion.

Once spotted, Echo raced forward and wrapper her arms around Rynn in a fierce hug. “That was something brave on your part.”

Rynn patted her back, embarrassment not only showed on her face, but flew through their bond. “As I keep telling everyone, I just acted. It wasn’t a thought. If it had been, I would’ve run in the other direction.”

Echo backed away and kissed her cheek. “Still brave.” She looked Rynn over from her head to her toes and even spun her around once. “You’re not hurt at all, are you?”

Rynn smiled a glorious grin. “Better than okay, I just had the best ice cream known to man.” She gave her belly a rub.

Echo laughed loudly. “Your request provided some good laughs around here.”

“Echo, nuff’ talkin’, woman,” Sayer shouted, from the car. “Let’s go.”

She rolled her eyes. “Briggs, take note. Never talk like that.”

Briggs chuckled, gave her a nod. Not like he needed to be told. He took Rynn’s hand again and led her to the new borrowed SUV.

She slid into the back and he joined her, just as she inhaled deep. “Mmmm, fresh air never smelled so good.”

An understatement. He’d had enough of bombs exploding and his mate being in danger. Just as he settled back in his seat, Dante drove off.

The SUV whipped through the rural roads of Plymouth until they stopped at a house located downtown. The voices of the shoppers drifted along the wind only a short distance away. In front of him, the two story home sat in a quiet neighborhood, but wasn’t anything to look at. Vinyl siding, worn shingles and cracked pavement. Made sense that whoever was doing the job that involved such apprehensible actions obviously needed the money.

Without pause, Valor lunged from the car and started up the drive. Quickly, Briggs did the same and looked back at Rynn. “Stay here until I come and get you.”

He didn’t wait for a response, he ran up behind Valor, just as he made it to the door.

With a hard kick, the door flew open and he charged in. Only two men stood inside, shocked expressions on their faces. With more than enough Alphas here, the men didn’t hesitate and dropped to floor in submission.

Briggs poked his head back out the window and waved Rynn in. Immediately, she hopped out of the SUV and trotted toward him. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

He nodded.

She breached the doorway, the sense of fear that gripped her fled. The two men cowering on the floor were nothing to fear, and he sensed none of it from his mate. The one man was a skinny wimpy looking guy, if his employment involved computers, Briggs wouldn’t have been surprised. The other was a chubby guy, rough-looking, who obviously cared more for the X-box than he did for his own appearance.

Rynn glanced at Briggs, confused. “They’re not gorgeous?”

Not at all the reaction he expected. He didn’t know if he liked her looking at other men in that regard. In fact, he knew he didn’t. “And why are you asking that, love?” His tone came out as he intended, not happy.

She shrugged, smiled innocently. “It’s just—you’re all…” she pointed around to the other men in the room, “…very easy on the eyes, if you know what I’m saying.”

Briggs’ tension drifted away. She made a valid point and he had yet to explain this to her. “It’s because we’re all Alphas—bred from long lines of powerful wolves.” He winked. “They tend to carry the looks as well as the strengths.”

“Oh,” Rynn said softly.

When Briggs glanced back, Valor stood over the men, with no misunderstanding that if they moved they’d regret it.

Rynn took a long deep breath, then tension filled within her and his breath shuddered from the intensity of it. His gaze snapped to her, just as she said, “She’s been here.”

Hendrix rushed toward Rynn, grabbed her by the arms and turned her to face him.

“You scent her?”

Briggs growled deep. If he wanted to keep his arms, he had one second, to get his hands off her.

Hendrix immediately let go and gave Briggs an apologetic look. He looked back to Rynn, gently. “Is she still here?”

Rynn shrugged. “How should I know? I do smell that peachy creamy scent of hers.”

She glanced at Briggs. “Do you smell that?”

He inhaled, all he smelled was a house that needed to be cleaned and old food. How could werewolves live in such a state? He suspected they’d grown used to it. It disgusted him. “No darlin’, I can’t.”

Rynn looked at Valor. He shook his head.

Hendrix’s eyes watered, if only for a moment. Quite quickly, he’s face filled with rage as he turned his attention to the two men on the floor. “What have you done with my daughter?” he shouted. “Is she injured? Where is she?”

Fear rose on both of the men’s face as understanding set in. “We don’t know where she is,” one of them said.

“You better hope like hell you can find her.” Hendrix lunged for the guy. Sayer stepped forward and blocked his path.

“He is not lying to you.”

Rynn nudged Briggs and he looked down to find her curious gaze. “How does he know that?”

He leaned down toward her, kept his gaze on the two men and whispered, “Alphas are bonded to their packs. Sayer would scent out a lie if he was telling it.”

“Wow,” she quipped. “That’s kinda neat. It must suck being a teenage wolf, unable to tell a lie. Sure takes the fun out of the teenage years.”

Briggs couldn’t help himself, he smiled.

“Tell us what you know.” Valor’s commanding tone brought his focus back. The computer geek shrugged which sent his skinny shoulders to rise almost to his ears. “Not much of anything. We gave the girl and a group of guys a place to stay. A couple days ago the others did not return, and that’s when Colbat left with the girl.” He nodded toward Cashton. “He was one of them who stayed here.”

So far, they were indeed being truthful. Identifying Cashton’s involvement only proved that. Briggs could only assume the reasons this Colbat left, is because he suspected his friends were dead.

“What about the girl?” Valor asked. “Did she appear frightened?”

“Frightened?” The men exchanged a surprised look, then met Valor’s gaze again.

“Sorry, I think we’re missing something here. The young girl that stayed with us was very comfortable, happy in fact. She didn’t appear to be harmed in anyway if that is what you’re insinuating.”

Hendrix began pacing the room, glancing at the floor then to Valor, and the men on the ground. Finally, he stopped, fixed the guys with a hard look. “Who is this Colbat?”

Both men laughed. Not a smart move Briggs thought. Hendrix too, didn’t approve.

Rage burned in his eyes. Valor quickly stepped in. “It’d be wise to explain.”

“Sorry, we don’t mean to make light of the situation,” the computer geek said. “But Colbat is from your pack.”

Hendrix sucked in an angry breath that nearly rumbled along the floor with contempt. “My territory?”

The other man nodded and avoided Hendrix’s eyes. “That’s what he said, but he’s not a friend of ours, he’s Cashton’s buddy.”

When every pair of eyes landed on Cashton, he said, “We’d met a while back through Dathan. Just a short time ago, he contacted me, wanted to come to Minnesota and needed a place to crash. He asked if I knew anyone who could keep them hidden.”

Dante snorted a thoroughly disgusted sound. “And you didn’t ask hidden from what?”

“Sounded exciting.” Cashton’s voice fell with shame. “So, no I didn’t ask questions.”

Finding it a little coincidental, something nagging at Briggs. “Was there a reason Colbat had chosen Plymouth?”

Cashton shrugged slightly. “If he had a reason, he didn’t say.” He inclined his head toward the men on the floor. “Hoby and Lanien are pals from way back. I asked if they could shack up with them for a while.”

Valor hummed a moment, then asked, “Did they look to be a couple?”

“No,” gamer extraordinaire, Hoby said. “But one thing I can tell you is that Cobalt is mated, or so he said. He appeared to be more of a protector to her, if I had to say.”

Valor’s brows rose. “Protector?”

Briggs could understand his reaction. The deeper they got into this, the more peculiar it became. If Briggs had no sense of the meaning behind this before, he definitely didn’t now.

Danika interrupted with a small cry. “Enough talking about this, they know nothing.

We need to move on, find my baby.” Her gaze landed on each of the Alphas, pleading, then looked back at Hoby and Lanien. “Do you know where they have gone now?”

Briggs stole a quick glance at Valor to see if he was going to stand for such an interruption. Normally, he wouldn’t. Instead, of finding an angered Valor, he only looked intrigued. She did pose a good question. He figured that’s why Valor tolerated the outburst.

“They never said,” Hoby replied. “They left a couple days ago, said they needed to move on and appreciated that we put them up, even left a few extra bucks for their troubles.”

Valor leaned toward them, all Alpha. “We have been attacked recently, more than once. Are you responsible for that?”

Both Hoby and Lanien glanced at each other with blatant confusion, then answered in unison, “Hell no.”

Valor glanced at Sayer, who shook his head. He frowned, straightened up and met Cashton’s gaze. “So, at the time, when you heard of the impending violence, you left?”

Cashton nodded. “I hadn’t known at the time all the information regarding this. I was looking for a little adventure, is all. When Colbat told me that we were expected to kill wolves coming into the Minnesota territory, I booked it.”

Briggs found that statement as ludicrous as he’d ever heard. “And they let you?” No wolf, Alpha or not, would release anyone if they knew they had goods on them.

“It wasn’t their choice,” Cashton answered. “When I heard of his plan, I left, just like that, and have been glancing over my shoulder ever since.”

Valor appeared satisfied by his answer, looked at Hoby and Lanien. “Did they say anything useful while staying here?”

“Nah,” Lanien replied. “Honestly, they weren’t here much. The girl would go off on her own a lot.”

Rynn leaned against Briggs, her hip looked for support to carry her weight. He suspected she grew tired. It’d been a long couple of days and he could feel her tiredness.

To aid her, he wrapped arm around her waist, pulled her closer. The moment he did, she gasped and her arousal wafted through the air.

Briggs looked down at her to find rosy cheeks and hooded eyes. God, she smelled luscious. Her arousal was full of heat and the scent across the air, rich and thick. He could spend an hour just letting the scent taunt him. The Alpha in him roared to see her squirm with need. The moon had given her reaction, but it did him too. He could hardly wait until tonight when he could spread her, taste her, and sink himself deep inside her.