Into the Unknown (Werewolf Wars, #2) (21 page)

“Hey,” Daniel said, quietly popping his head into the bathroom. “Those guys aren’t going to be down for long. We need to go.”

Natalia nodded as she shut the water off. “I only need a moment.” Swallowing, she grabbed a tissue and wiped underneath her puffy red eyes. She rolled her shoulders back in an attempt to steel herself; she needed a cool head to deal with this situation. After giving herself the little bit of time she needed, she marched out of the bathroom and picked up her distressed baby boy. She gently soothed him for a moment before placing him into his car seat. With Adrian taken care of, she swiftly folded up the pack and play and gathered everything she could grab.

Natalia froze as she walked into the front room; the three men were wrapping Preston’s body in a sheet. The once pristine white cloth was now stained crimson. A shudder rolled through the she-wolf and nausea curdled in her stomach. She had to look away for a moment so she could breathe; the way her chest tightened at the sight left her breathless.

She opened the door and peered outside, checking to see if the coast was clear. The yard was empty. Her heart jumped in her throat as she spun around to tell the guys that Malakai was on the loose. But the warning died in her throat when she saw Preston lying on the floor near the TV.

His chiseled jaw was set, but his face remained surprisingly peaceful. Bile rose up in her throat, and she choked as her mother’s face flitted through her mind. In her peripheral vision, she saw the three men hoist Preston’s body off the floor and cover his face. Gene was supporting the departed wolf’s shoulders and head, Vincent his torso, and Daniel, his legs.

“What about the mess?” Daniel asked as they walked steadily to the door.

“Leave it,” Gene said hoarsely, his red-rimmed eyes finding hers. “Juarez’s men can be the ones responsible for cleaning up their mess. Let’s get Preston home. I need to call Devon and let him know what’s happened once we get on the road. We’re going home.”

***

G
ene tensed behind the wheel as three SUV’s pulled out, surrounding them. The drive had been uneventful so far. He hoped to keep it that way. The seat creaked as Daniel and Vincent both turned to look out the windows. Vincent, who sat in back with the baby and Natalia, climbed up on the seat, kneeling over the headrest to see out the back window. Daniel craned his neck from the passenger seat as he leaned onto the dash trying to make out the SUV in front of them. Natalia, meanwhile, leaned over Adrian’s carrier, clenching the handle tightly.

“They’re ours,” Vincent said after a long moment.

Gene nodded as he read the numbers off the license plate in front of them. Shifting his seat, he let out a long breath. They would be home within the hour, and he could already feel a heavy weight pressing down on his shoulders. His face felt stiff and his eyes, swollen, but he couldn’t appear weak to his pack. Regardless of the losses, he had to stay strong. He had to be the alpha.

The highway was quiet, much like the car. Its occupants all sat silently. Whether they had nothing to say or didn’t know what to say, he couldn’t be sure. The engine hummed, and the radio played quietly in the background. It was some sad ballad that Gene wasn’t familiar with.

Gene’s cell phone rang, filling the car with the cheerful sound of bells chiming in the distance. He picked his phone up from the center console and sighed, answering the call.

“Dev,” he said quietly.

“Hey, we’re right behind you.”

Gene nodded, even though his cousin more than likely couldn’t see the motion. “Thanks.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Devon said, his voice thick. “We’re going to figure this out.”

“We’ll talk when we get back,” Gene said, hanging up the phone and dropping it into a cup holder.

“I know this isn’t the time, Gene, but—when you have a chance—I learned some things that you need to know,” Daniel said.

“Tell me now,” Gene replied gruffly. Anything to take his mind off his brother. But, Gene couldn’t help remembering that he was now alone; everyone in his immediate family was dead. The emptiness of it all threatened to consume him. Clutching the wheel tighter, he glared at the open road as his pulse thrummed in his ears. “Well?” he prompted when Daniel didn’t respond.

Daniel cleared his throat, “I questioned one of the two guys I took out in Houston. They told me a group of Juarez’s men have been staying in Abilene. At an old abandoned house just outside of town. They are just waiting for Juarez’s word to attack.”

“How many?” Gene asked.

“They told me about fifty.”

“How reliable is his word?” If their numbers were small enough, they could take them out before backup arrived. Gene saw red; he wanted vengeance for his brother—wanted to make Juarez pay for taking his only living family member away from him.

Daniel sighed and shifted in the passenger seat. “He was one of my dad’s men. A trusted man. He was going to help me meet up with Juarez, but then he got the call about you guys and...”

“Why were you going to meet with Juarez?” Gene asked, glaring at Daniel. He gritted his teeth as his lip curled up in anger.

“Juarez set me up. My family is at your ranch, Gene. Emily, my mom—I don’t want to see them get hurt. Or Vincent,” he added, turning to his brother in the back seat.

“And what about your other brother?” Gene muttered under his breath.

“Devon either,” Daniel amended. “They’re the only family I have, Gene. I wanted to protect them by getting to the bottom of this. I helped you today. I saved Natalia.”

Gene glanced to the rearview mirror. Natalia pursed her lips and nodded her head.

“It is true,” she whispered.

“There’s something else. We’re not the first pack that Juarez has targeted. There is another pack in Louisiana. Down in the Bayou of New Orleans. I guess they’ve been at war for a long time, and, at the moment, Juarez is focusing his attention on them,” Daniel explained.

A tick formed in Gene’s jaw, and he grumbled under his breath as the pieces started coming together. Juarez had told him of his plans to go to Louisiana; now he knew why. The question was, was it to help with the fight or declare victory?

––––––––

N
atalia’s head thudded against the window, and her eyes shot open. Turning from side to side, she let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. The car jumped beneath her as they made their way down the long gravel driveway. The bright overhead light surrounding the wooden porch shone out like a beacon welcoming them home.

The porch swing swung lightly as Lark rose to her feet, a thick blanket wrapped around her tiny frame. She stood on the edge of the steps with a forlorn expression on her face as they pulled up. Natalia imagined she probably had a similar expression. Her eyes inadvertently drifted to the open cabin where Preston’s body lay wrapped in a bloodied white sheet.

A chill zipped down her spine, and she closed her eyes, fighting back a sob. Her body bobbed forward as the car stopped abruptly in front of the large home. Natalia opened her car door and stepped out; she was careful to avoid the bags and pack and play that were tucked under her feet. Her body stiff from the long, cramped ride, the she-wolf tried to work the kinks out by raising her arms above her head.

Lark slowly walked down the stairs toward Gene, pulling him into a tight hug. Whispers filled the air, but she couldn’t hear what the other woman was saying to him. Natalia wanted to soothe and comfort Gene that way but she didn’t know what to say. With everything that had happened, she wasn’t even sure if he wanted to speak with her. Preston’s death wasn’t her fault directly, but it was because of her that they were in this situation. Blinking back tears, she watched as Devon addressed Gene, clapping him on the back as they hugged briefly.

Her chest tightened, constricting painfully as she reached into the car and unlocked Adrian’s seat from the base. Again, her eyes caught sight of the crimson sheet. Flustered, she quickly yanked out Adrian’s carrier—along with their belongings—and headed to the door.

The screen door creaked as she tugged it open. Claire and Emily’s heads both popped up as she entered. Claire rose to her feet, slowly walking toward her.

“You must be exhausted. Can we help you settle in?” she asked, looking to Adrian.

Natalia sucked in her bottom lip, eyeing the woman who she’d blamed for her imprisonment only a few months ago. Claire’s eyes looked tired, dark circles curving beneath her hazel eyes. Her grayish-brown hair was pulled up into a bun with loose strands falling into her face.

“Do you mind?” Natalia asked after a long moment.

Claire smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Of course not. It’s been a long night for us all.” Gently taking the bags from her hand, Claire led the way up the stairs.

“Thank you,” Natalia said as Emily followed up after them.

Claire opened the bedroom door and set the cases on the floor by the dresser. Natalia glanced around the room, the green comforter and soft mattress calling out to her.

“How are you holding up, dear?” Claire asked.

“I am okay,” Natalia said.

“And Gene?”

“He is angry and sad,” Natalia whispered, setting Adrian’s carrier on the floor next to the bed.

Claire picked up the pack and play and lifted it out of its bag. Placing it on the floor, she began to set it up.

“Anger is good. It will help drive him to stay strong for the pack.”

“His brother just died,” Natalia scoffed.

Claire gave her a sad smile as she pushed the bed into its full form. “I know. He is the alpha, though. And as an alpha, you must always be strong. He will need his closest friends to support him behind closed doors, though. Gene will need us to be strong with him.”

Natalia frowned, not entirely sure what the woman was saying.

Claire patted her hand. “He will need
you
to help him through.”

“I do not understand. Gene and I...” Natalia trailed off. Yes, there was something there, she reasoned, but they’d barely begun to explore whatever it was.

“You and Gene have a connection,” Claire stated, as if reading her mind. “I can sense the energy around the two of you.”

“You have barely seen me,” Natalia argued.

“True. But there is no denying it. I recognize it because I felt it with my first husband, Devon’s father, and because Emily and Marcus also have it,” Claire said.

Natalia opened her mouth then closed it, not entirely sure what to say.

“It is late. Rest. I can answer your questions another time.” Claire squeezed her hand one last time before pulling away. Turning to Emily, she wrapped an arm around her daughter and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut behind them.

Natalia ran a hand through her tousled brown hair and closed her eyes, trying to make sense of what Claire had told her. Confused and exhausted, she shook her head. She’d figure it out after she’d gotten some sleep.

***

G
ene poured scotch into each of the three tumblers before picking up his own glass and downing the contents in one shot. He winced, the liquid fire burning as it slid down his throat. Pouring himself another shot, he downed that one too. Lark rolled the glass between her thumb and pointer finger, watching as Devon threw back his own liquor.

“How is Sarah?” Gene asked, sitting down in his chair.

Lark sighed and shook her head. “Not good. She locked herself in Preston’s room; she won’t come out or let anyone in.”

Gene nodded and stared at his empty cup, contemplating the benefits of another shot. Pushing the liquor bottle away, he looked from Lark to Devon.

“We need to plan a strike. Daniel knows where Juarez’s men are.”

“Gene—” Lark started, but Devon interrupted.

“I know you’re pissed, but going into something half-cocked isn’t a good idea. We should lay Preston to rest and regroup first,” Devon said, leaning forward so his elbows rested on the desk.

“No!” Gene bellowed, slamming his cup on the desk. The jarring action caused Lark to jump and recoil. “If we wait, we could miss our opportunity.”

“And rushing into something could cause more people to die,” Lark pointed out.

“So could waiting!” Gene snapped. “I’m
tired
of them always attacking us, and I’m
tired
of us being the ones to suffer and die! It’s time to turn the tables. For once, I want to see them running with their tails tucked between their legs.”

“No one’s saying we shouldn’t attack,” Devon reasoned. “But it can’t be rushed; Lark’s right. We need to plan this out first, then strike. When are the men coming in from New York?”

“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t been able to speak with Clive amidst all the chaos. When did you get so calm?” Gene asked.

“I figured one of has to be level headed at all times. Lark helps,” he sighed, taking Lark’s hand in his.

“Daniel claims there are about fifty men here near Abilene,” Gene started.

“In order to make it a fair fight, we would have to leave the women here, completely unprotected. We can’t do that Gene. I’m not going to risk their lives like that,” Devon argued.

Gene gritted his teeth as his blood boiled. His face flushed, and his nostrils flared as he tried to control the rage brewing inside him.

“What if there is another way?” Lark asked, sitting up taller in her chair.

Devon quirked a brow as Gene scowled. “Like what?” Gene asked.

“We could even out the playing field,” Lark suggested.

“How?” Devon asked, eyeing Lark.

Gene leaned forward, interested in what she had in mind. Lark was smart, strong. Even if she wasn’t a wolf, he respected the alpha female characteristics inside her.

Lark bit her lip and turned to Devon. “Hear me out,” she pleaded, causing Devon to clench his jaw tightly. “My dad was an avid hunter and gun collector. I know how to use a rifle as well as a side arm. If I can get to a good location, and we can draw them out—”

“No,” Devon and Gene said at the same time.

Lark exhaled, her blue eyes narrowing as they flicked between the two alphas. “This isn’t just your fight anymore. This war affects Sarah and me; it affects our livelihoods. If we are going to make a move against Juarez, we do it together. We are strongest as a team.”