Cracked (13 page)

Chapter Nineteen

A
ngelo met Geoff at the compound gate. Bear was with Sarita, so he took Mac as his bodyguard. Geoff managed to look excited and annoyed at once, a kid in a candy store playing it cool. His eyes widened as they drank in the sight of what was basically the wolf capital of the world. Finally, the veneer of annoyance cracked, and he grinned at Angelo.

“Damn, Zalez.” The FBI specialist rubbed his hands together with delight. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many wolves in one place. This is awesome!”

“Dude. We’re people.” Angelo smiled at his friend’s enthusiasm, “We aren’t so different from you.”

“Sure, ‘cause I can just snap my fingers and turn into a dog.” Geoff rolled his eyes. “Oh, by the way…” He gestured his two companions forward. The woman had long blonde hair in a ponytail, and the man looked like a television stereotype of an FBI agent. He was handsome, fit, and dangerous-looking. After studying him for a moment, Angelo realized why he looked dangerous: he moved like a wolf.

“Agent Moss and Agent Poulton. They’re the go-to guys—sorry Moss—on the First Blood.” The two agents nodded.

“Poulton—why do you move like a wolf?” Angelo asked.

“My dad is a wolf. My mom’s human. I was raised with Dad’s pack.” He shrugged.

“I have a human brother and sister.” Mac reached out to shake the man’s hand. “They weren’t raised among pack, but they visit us pretty often. Nice to meet you.” Then he turned to Moss and shook her hand. Angelo led them all to the library, sending a thought out to his mate.

Querida, we’ll be in the library; join us whenever you’re ready.

I’ll be there in a few.
Her sweet voice echoed in his head as they rode the elevator up to the library. Mac made the introductions, getting the agents settled in at the table where Monica and Fionn were going over some reports from other wolves around the country. Sarita and Bear arrived a few moments later. Angelo took in a sharp breath as a wave of pride swelled over him. Sarita was wearing a blouse that showed off her new ink—ink that had been getting quite a bit of attention around the compound over the last few weeks. It seemed his sweet mate was starting to acknowledge her own place in the hierarchy of the Amazon Pack.

“My mate, Sarita.” Angelo introduced her, smiling broadly as she said her hellos. His mate. His fierce, wild, little mate who was going to save the world.

“Pleased to meet you all.” She sat down at the table, looking at the FBI agents. “What can you tell me about the First Blood?”

“You’ve killed one of them?” Poulton was eyeing her tattoo. She nodded. Angelo could feel her reticence, so he interrupted.

“We need to know what their weaknesses are. If they attack during the eclipse…”

“You’re familiar with their hierarchy?” Neubacher looked from Sarita to Angelo as he spoke.

“Yes, the ranking female, a few servants, and then sub-servants, right?” Angelo felt his brows furrowing.

“Exactly. The ranking female is sort of like a hive queen. The others derive their power from her. They return their own power to her.”

“So, if she has no power…”

“None of them have power.”

“So, we need to incapacitate her somehow,” Sarita mused.

“You can’t kill her,” Moss said intently, looking at Sarita. “You must not kill the Ahne—it would be genocidal—even if it didn’t kill the others, it would destroy them.”

“I’m not strong enough to kill her.” Sarita frowned. “Even if I were…”

“No.” The agent shook her head. “You must not.”

Sarita snarled at the blonde woman, baring teeth. Angelo felt a flicker of dread at the base of his spine as he watched his mate shift her claws and point at the FBI agent.

“You don’t know who I am or what I have done. You will refrain from judging my character or I will have you thrown out of this compound.”

Geoff quirked a knowing smile at Angelo. “‘Though she be but little, she is fierce,’” he quoted.

“Thank you, William Shakespeare.” Sarita cut her eyes away from Agent Moss for a moment.

“Enough,” Angelo interrupted. “My mate will not extinguish an entire species. Let’s have a little faith in each other, Agent Moss.”

“I’m sorry, Sarita. You’re right. I don’t know you,” the agent relented, remaining surprisingly calm in the wake of Sarita’s aggression.

“Let’s move on, shall we?” Fionn suggested, drawing their attention towards him. “Sarita is, of course, the Usher. But it’s likely that the rest of our wolves will be fighting the First Blood. Let’s talk strategy.”

The FBI task force wasn’t the only group to join them at the compound over the weeks leading up to the night the full moon would be eclipsed. A small group of wolves from the
Sur Califas
Pack joined them, led by Angelo’s cousin Luis. All of them bore tattoos marking their allegiances not just to
Sur Califas
, but to the human gangs they belonged to as well. While their presence seemed to unnerve Angelo, he grew resigned to it. They would be strong allies when the Blood-Drinkers made their next move.

Sarita came to a nervous acceptance of her new status among the wolves and took to wearing tops baring the upper part of her chest. As more wolves offered her their obeisance, she became more invested in living up to their hopes for her. While plagued by self-doubt, a steely resignation began to manifest in her.

The night before the full moon, Angelo and Sarita ran together as wolves. That night, their play held a fierce edge, running faster, pouncing rougher, exhausting and depleting the nervous energy sweeping through them.

Back inside their suite, Sarita pushed Angelo against the door, snarling, “Love me.”

“I do,” he promised, taking her lips in a fierce kiss. He tried to show her with that kiss all the emotions tangled inside him. He drew her back to the bed and made love to her, bodies coming together in a clash of fear and joy. When she cried out his name in ecstasy, he shuddered deep, and whispered hers.

In the long stretch of night before the dawn, they shared hopes for what life would be like, normal life, in New York when her task was complete. Shyly, Sarita told Angelo about her hopes for her art career, and he resolved to be at home more, and travel less. With something to look forward to in the days to follow, the coming night didn’t seem quite as frightening nor as final.

Chapter Twenty

T
he air outside the cave was cool, but Sarita could feel the warmth emanating from within. Gerard stood by her side, peering into the darkness. Behind them, she could hear her wolves—and when had she started thinking of them that way?—moving into position throughout the woods. Angelo and Mac took positions close to the cave; she could feel her mate’s presence so close.

Querida,
his voice whispered across her senses.
I love you, my Sarita. I’m so proud of you.

She smiled, pouring her love between them through the link to him.
I’ll see you right here when this is over, mate. I love you.
His touch faded from her mind, and she heard him communicating with Luis and the wolves he’d brought from L.A. Their loyalty to him was fierce, double-fold. Though he felt shame for the life he’d lived before his wolf joined him, it had readied him for wielding this power, the loyalty of packmate to packmate. They honored him as much for who he had been as for who he was now.

Sarita.
She felt the velvet-soft touch of her mother’s mind, then
Sarita…
the startlingly bright clarity of her uncle. When she turned, they were at her side.

“Just because you’re the Chosen One, doesn’t mean you’re alone.” Fionn swept her into a hug. “You are worth everything we went through.”

“I’m so proud of you.” Bianca’s hug was fierce and strong. “My little warrior. I wish Sara could see you, I know how proud she’d be.”

“I still don’t know what to do,” she whispered as Jack, Ted, and Monica joined them. “Daddy.” She hugged her father tightly. She felt the touch of Monica’s hand in her hair, felt her uncle Ted flick her ear, and suddenly tears were flowing.

“I still don’t know what the choice is.” She looked around at her family, felt her mate’s love pulsing reassurance like the thread of a heartbeat.

“We have faith in you. You’ll make the right one.” Ted pressed a kiss into her hair. “I’m going to go join Kathy. She’s with Angelo, pretending to be you.”

Sarita nodded as he slipped away.

“We’ll be right out here,” Monica reassured her. Another nod as she watched her family scatter around the mouth of the cave, shifting to take their wolf form.

The sun was edging down below the horizon, and the moon was rising. Sarita could feel the moon’s tug, calling her wolf to the surface. She stripped down and let her shift take her. She felt Gerard’s presence beside her.

Together they walked into the darkness.

Angelo could hear the snarls and howls down the hill, and knew the moment the Blood-Drinkers began their attack. He could feel the icy-coldness of their presence, and knew the wolves farther down were fighting for their lives.

Ready, Lo?
He felt Kathy’s bubbly presence, knew the risks she was taking.

Thank you, Kathy.
He pushed the thought toward her, and she wagged her tail at him. He felt Ted coming up behind them, and they started moving toward the sounds of fighting: the growls and snarls, the shouts of Blood-Drinkers.

It didn’t take long for a Blood-Drinker to come their way. Ted and Angelo immediately took a defensive posture in front of Kathy, snarling and snapping their teeth. It was Lukas, the Ahne’s servant. His fangs were fully extended, and his eyes glittered with malice as he tried to move between the two male wolves. Angelo snapped at his leg, fabric and flesh tearing before a foot caught him, kicked him away. The Blood-Drinker was strong: Angelo flew backwards, hitting a tree. Snarling, he leapt to his feet again to see Ted grappling in a state of semi-shift with the tall creature, teeth and claws clashing. With a deep growl, Angelo launched back into the fight.

Sarita could feel anger pulsing through her, the heat of the battle outside, knew her mate was engaged in some form of combat. She shook off her fear and walked toward the hot spring that Gerard told her was the mouth to another cave. She whined back at him as she touched a paw to the hot water. It wasn’t any hotter than a hot tub, but steam rose from it, and she knew prolonged exposure would be uncomfortable.

She could feel the tug of the moon getting stronger, and knew the eclipse was approaching. Again, she tried to shake off the fears that accompanied the sounds from the hillside.

Embrace that fear, Sarita. Turn it into something useful,
her big Guide growled at her. She let another lupine whine roll through her teeth, and she stepped into the water.

Immediately, she felt the pull of the Goddess’s presence. She swam toward it, trying to find the tunnel Gerard had told her would be there, but as she swam along the back edge of the cave, she found nothing.

Gerard, it’s not here.
She felt panic rising in her. She had to find it, she couldn’t give up. Stepping back onto solid ground at the edge of the pool, she shook herself, taking back her human form. She dove under the water, feeling with her hands until she found it. Her lungs ached; she rose to the surface.

“I found it!” She shouted at Bear. “It’s underwater. I’m going to have to swim in my human form.” She felt his rumble of assent, and she dove again, knowing her protector would guard the cave’s mouth.

Lukas was wearing down Angelo and Ted by pieces. Neither had taken a bleeding injury, though Ted was favoring one of his back legs. Angelo felt the Ahne’s presence before he saw her, felt her whisper-cold as she brushed past them and seized Kathy. She lifted the little wolf from her feet and held her up by her throat.

“A decoy. How…sweet.” The cold, lilting voice was as startling as it was soothing. She shook Kathy like a rag doll, and Kathy shifted back to her human form.

“Maybe I’m sweeter than that little Murphy kid—did you ever think of that?” The hoarse voice filled with bravado. “I come from a powerful family too. I have gifts. Don’t you want to be friends with me?” Kathy turned on the charm that had made brothers and sisters out of countless wolves. “I bet you wonder what kind of secrets my sweet little self has carried around the last hundred years, hmm? The last Appalachian. The last Kirk. We were a powerful family in our time.”

“You don’t want to fight me, little one?” The Ahne smiled, showing her sharp teeth.

Kathy shifted her own teeth. Angelo wanted to shout, but in his wolf form all he could do was growl. Lukas landed another kick to his ribcage, and he yelped back the pain.

It looked like slow motion as the Ahne stroked Kathy’s face, pulling her body into an embrace.

Kathy wrapped her legs around the taller woman, rubbing against her as if they were lovers.

Kathy, don’t…
Angelo pushed the thought toward her, but she ignored him, nuzzling her face into the Ahne’s neck, baring her throat to the Krönen’s bite.

The underwater tunnel was crushingly, numbingly black. Sarita wasn’t a strong swimmer, but she wasn’t completely useless either. She just hoped she could make it through before the eclipse began—or before she ran out of air. She let a little trickle out of aching lungs, wished they had thought to bring diving gear. Finally, the blackness gave way to a dull pulse of light, and she kicked hard toward it.

She could taste blood in her throat, the ache in her lungs pushing blackness into her eyes when she finally felt no ceiling above and kicked hard toward what she hoped was up.

Air, cloying in its stillness, rushed into her lungs, welcome for all the staleness of it. For long moments, she dragged it in, willing back the tight, piercing headache and the edges of blackness around her eyes. She felt her animal side reaching for dominance, and she welcomed her wolf, dog-paddling for the shore with shaking limbs.

Angelo saw Kathy’s back arch as if in ecstasy when the Ahne’s teeth sank into her neck, body undulating, pulsing against her. He saw the flash of Kathy’s own teeth as she marked the Krönen, a wolf bite on the shoulder. Snarling, the Ahne pulled back.

“You tempt us with secrets, little wolf, but you are vacant and not so sweet.” She hissed, lowering Kathy to the ground. He recognized the superior smirk as Kathy swiped at her mouth and spit out the Ahne’s blood. She’d succeeded in keeping her head private, even with Ahne’s teeth in her throat. He hoped her temptation had bought Sarita enough time. He felt a cold hand gripping the scruff of fur on the back of his neck, felt himself being lifted. He let out a howl as Lukas delivered another shattering punch to his ribs.

Sarita heard the muffled howl, and she knew her mate was injured. She threw back her own head in a howl, needing him to hear her, to know she knew he was there.

My love. The eclipse, it’s starting.
She felt his voice in her mind.

Are you okay?
She heard a cracking noise that might have been gunshots. She had no way of knowing how far she was from the surface, how far her swim had taken her from the entrance to the cave. She froze in a moment of terror at the thought that her mate might not be okay, might be fighting for his life.

I’m fine, querida, just a broken rib, already healing.

Relief flooded her at this. A broken rib would hurt, but it was nothing his wolf couldn’t handle.

She looked around the cave, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. She saw the crack in the back wall, felt it beckoning. She padded over to it, touching it with her nose. The rock was firm, warm, but there was more, a give to it. She lowered her head, pushing. As she pushed her skull into the wall, she felt it give more, as if the crack were filled in with dirt and pebbles. She started to dig, back arched, pushing the dirt behind her. She dug frantically, throwing dirt, feeling more give to the heavy air.

Dimly, she heard splashing behind her, but she kept digging, hoping it was only Bear behind her, she didn’t have time to look.

She felt something then, a breath, a push, a wet wolf nose pushing against her own, dirt moving away from her in two directions as she dug harder. When she stopped digging and opened her eyes, she was looking into the white-furred face of the Goddess.

My little Usher.
The voice in her head was warm, bright, and full of love. She began digging harder, felt the moment the last of the rocks and dirt gave way. The air felt almost normal as she closed her teeth around the scruff of the other wolf’s neck and pulled.

Angelo’s eyes hadn’t adjusted yet, but he heard Bear bellowing as the Ahne and Lukas tugged him into the cave. He heard gunshots, knew Geoff and his team had joined the fray. He felt wet heat against his fur.