Raber Wolf Pack Book Three (9 page)

After we eat, Zara, Kenly and I start
practicing,
for lack of a better word. I feel like all we are doing is wasting time. I stare at the glass of water…and stare…and stare. Nothing. Not one damn thing. Just like before. Nothing has changed now that I’ve found my mate. Nothing but the sex, which is hot. Seriously hot. But right now there is no time for that either.

The males are in Xavier’s office going through papers looking for a better connection between Camp and the Lobo pack. I wish they would find something. Hell, I wish this whole thing was over.

“Dammit!” Zara yells, a few feet away from me.

She’s been trying to get her light power—we don’t even know what to call it so we went with generic—to work. Kenly has yelled at her, called her names, anything to make her angry. She even said some things about Xavier, but I could tell it killed Kenly to say them and Zara got angry, but not enough for any light shows.

“I think we need a break,” Kenly says, exasperated.

And I agree with her. We are getting nowhere. Kenly has tried on both Zara and me to get us to do stupid shit by just telling us. We laughed a lot, but that’s as far as anything went.

“We need to figure out what our trigger is,” I state the obvious. “Who can we talk to, to find out?”

Both Zara and Kenly look at each other. “Marvin,” they state in unison.

“But aren’t your grandmothers going to see him?”

“Yes, and they’re probably still there,” Zara says, setting her feet on the ground and rising. “I think we should go over with them. See if he can get more when we are all together.”

Kenly and I rise also. “Agreed,” we say simultaneously, and smile. The smile dies when a huge explosion rocks us. The three of us put our hands over our heads, ducking to the ground and having no idea what the hell we are protecting ourselves from.

Are you okay?
I hear Thor through our link.

I think so.
I scan the group. “Everyone okay?” Both the females come out from under their hands, shock deep on their faces.

“Yeah,” Zara says, brushing her jeans off from the grass, dust and debris scattering around.

“Holy shit,” Kenly says, and I look in her direction then up to where she is focused.

The large waterfall that I have to say lit up the entire landscape of the den is gone. Blown to shreds, parts of the rock still exposed but all of the water...gone. What the hell?

“Max told me that is the water supply for the pack. What the hell is going on?” Kenly says, astounded.

I’d suggest you get out here. The waterfall is blown,
I think to Thor.

Fuck. Get inside. Now.

What’s going on?
I ask him through our link.

No fucking clue. Get inside
, he orders this time.

“We need to go in,” I say to the females who are already on the move and must have heard their own orders from their mates.

“Hurry.” Zara moves quickly with all of us on her heels.

As we enter the den, wolves are moving swiftly all over. Xavier is barking out orders for wolves to find out what the fuck is going on and demanding views from surveillance videos, or something like that. Zara moves to his side and Kenly and I follow, needing that connection to our mates.

“We need to head out. You three stay here,” Xavier barks at Zara, Kenly, and me.

“What? No, Xavier. I need to go with you,” Zara says, looking up into a stony-faced Alpha.

“Me too, Max,” Kenly adds.

Xavier cuts each of them off before I can mutter the same thing. “No. You stay here with Sabrea.”

Then it hits me. He’s making them stay because I can’t shift. Because I’m the one that needs protecting. If I could, we’d all be going out on the hunt for what happened. Fucking hell. The deep pit of not being good enough opens wide in my gut and begins to suck me down its vicious hole.

“I’ll be fine here. There will be wolves that will stay behind. Please don’t worry about me,” I plead with Xavier but am hoping that Thor sees my plight. This isn’t fair to the others. They’ve done nothing wrong, and I don’t need a fucking babysitter.

Xavier looks to Thor who nods. “Fine. But you stay in the den, Sabrea. Do not come out for any reason, no matter what you hear or feel through your link with Thor. We’ll let you know as soon as we find something.”

I let out a partial breath. Part of me is happy that Xavier isn’t giving them babysitting duty while the other is upset that I am missing out on the action and not close to Thor. Fuck. Talk about a double edged sword. But I can’t let them be left behind because of me. I have got to figure out this shifting thing. It was always important to me to shift, but now it’s more so.

“I’ll stay here,” I promise to Thor. He bends down, giving me an all too brief kiss, and they’re all gone. Shit.

I sit on the couch watching the others file out. “I’ll get you something to drink,” Stella says from the doorway. It’s very nice but I feel a bit odd, having someone wait on me. I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself. I’m not completely incapacitated.

“I can get it.”

“No!” I’m a bit stunned by her outburst and she must register the shock on my face as she looks down apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I’m just a mess. I can’t believe someone did this. I mean that is our water supply and…” She shakes her head as tears well in her eyes.

I stand immediately and go over to her, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug, which she falls into. Her tears fall to my skin, only making me hug her tighter. Even though I just got into this pack, I feel her pain, making me ache deeply, too.

She pulls away swatting the tears from her eyes then wiping her hand over her face, like they are some pesky gnats or something. “Like I said. I’ll get you something to drink. It will give me something to do.” I nod, accepting that she needs a break and happy that I can give her that small thing.

“I’ve gotta pee. I’ll be right back,” I tell her, moving away from the living room and down the hall.

Three doors down is a large bathroom with several stalls. It’s the communal one that everyone uses when they are anywhere on the main floor together. Twenty stalls line each side with six huge industrial strength sinks in the front as I walk in. I go into the stall and shut the door. Locking it, I sit down and do my business, the nerves of the day weighing heavy on my shoulders.

The door opens and shuts with a click and I breathe in deep.
Marissa
. Her smell instantly invades my nostrils and my stomach roils. Fucking bitch. She is just like my sisters, always thinking she’s entitled to everything. Stupid.

I do my business quickly and open the stall door, wanting to at least set my eyes on her. Marissa is leaning against the wall with a smug smile adorning her face. Well, this isn’t going to be pretty. She’s itching for something. I move to the sink, washing and drying my hands and ignoring her, but knowing her every breath and movement. Whatever her issue, she’ll talk when she feels like it. If she has the balls.

Unfortunately, she is standing by the wall next to the door and she needs to get the hell out of my way in order for me to leave. I move in front of her and stare her straight in her calculating eyes, giving her a look of my own.

“Move please.” Yep, I go the polite route. I’m not feeding into her. I know she’s pissed and I have no doubt that she’s ready to show me what she’s made of since embarrassing her earlier. I keep my body on alert, just waiting for it.

“Aww. You said please. How cute.” Her hands come up and I know she’s going to try to push against my chest so I sidestep them quickly. She falls a step forward, losing her balance and growling. “I’m going to fucking enjoy this.”

“What, watching me walk out of the bathroom?” I shrug. “Well, whatever floats your boat, I guess.” I keep my eyes focused on her, knowing that she’s not anywhere close to being done yet. She snarls, telling me I’m not wrong. But I can’t help the smartass comments coming out of my mouth. It’s like verbal vomit. And truth be told, a little fun. Well, until her claws come out. Then I won’t be laughing.

“You stupid bitch.” She comes forward just as I land an uppercut that sends her flying to the other side of the bathroom. The crack of her jaw echoes through the space.

“What?
This
again?” I ask coyly. Nothing like poking the bear…or wolf. I giggle inside at my little joke. Not that this is the time to be laughing at all and I need to watch my back before I end up dead. But if it gets her talking, stalling her and giving me some time, I’m in.

“I take you out, then
you
all die. Pretty much a sure thing.”

I still at her words. Now what in the hell is this? What the hell is she getting at?

“What do you mean, we all die?” I ask.
Thor, get into the bathroom,
I tell him through our link.

What’s wrong?
he asks.

Marissa is losing her shit and something is really wrong
, I reply and turn my attention back to Marissa.

“You are so fucking stupid. My only duty to the Lobos is to rip one of you female’s throats out, then I can be Alpha female. And with your pathetic excuse of a defect, you’re an easy mark,” she growls, coming at me again, this time with claws out and ready. I’m a bit caught off guard this time from what she said and she snags my shirt, slitting a huge hole in the center of it, but I get away, barely.

She doesn’t pause, just comes back again with another swipe, this time getting my jeans. But I lay out a vicious kick to her gut, sending her flying into the wall with a crash. Some tile from the wall falls to the floor with her in dust.

“So, you’ve been working with Lobos?” I ask.

Marissa is lying on the floor, getting back up a little slower than before. Maybe I broke something. One can only hope. I can’t believe this bitch is working with the enemy. And I can’t believe she’s stupid enough to think she’s going to be Alpha of their pack. Surely she’s not that delusional to think that the alpha doesn’t have an actual mate out there.

“Damn right. They knew all about you six before you did.” Marissa comes at me and though I move quickly, I take a slice to the shoulder, the blood leaking down.

Thor!
I scream. “How?” I ask her, making my way over to the sinks, leaving myself room to move.

“Heavens, this pack is the stupidest pack ever!” she yells, throwing her hand out exuberantly. Then a catty grin comes across her lips, like she’s proud that she knows information that I should know and don’t. “Camp,” is all she says before lunging at me. I kick out, hitting her straight in the chest and knocking her back into the wall. Never thought I’d be so grateful to my sisters for all the practice over the years.

“Camp?”

Marissa huffs out a huge breath, rising. “Camp has spent a pathetic amount of time researching wolves and he went to Donte with what he found. Camp and Donte did have a common denominator after all. Xavier’s father killed both of their family members. Camp didn’t know who the Barren pack was, but Donte did.” Marissa is seriously losing it. Xavier’s father didn’t kill Camp’s father, the Lobos did. I keep that in and let her keep talking since she’s in the mood, but she comes at me and I dart away. “Donte set his plan into motion and gave Camp the easiest job, to take out Kenly. Instead, he started a media frenzy, giving the wolves’ way too much exposure and failing to come through. He’s lucky he’s still alive. Hell, Alpha is pissed that none of his wolves came through in killing any of the three of you, but he won’t be pissed at me.” She smirks, brushing her hands against her jeans and rising up fully. “I figured I take out the weakest link, you, and everything falls into place.”

She brushes her hands together like it’s a done deal. I suck in all the information that she just gave me because it is seriously a lot. She definitely has enough confidence in herself that she’s going to kill me.

Thor! Marissa is in bed with Lobos. Where in the hell are you?

Two minutes
, he thinks.
Are you okay?

For right now.
My pulse ticks hard and I try to stall some more. “I don’t understand why you would turn on your pack,” I say and she laughs loudly.

“I was supposed to be alpha female of this pack. Me. Not that caged-up freak,” Marissa growls. “Your time is up, story time is over.” She charges toward me, snapping her elongating teeth. I move quickly with an elbow to the ear then a knee to the jaw. She’s back up against the door so I move farther into the room.

My wolf inside is going feral, clawing at the glass box and trying to escape. She slams her head hard and I feel a headache coming on. Not what I need right now, but I don’t have time to make nice with her. I try to suck it back. I’m pretty sure that I may not be leaving this room alive if Marissa fully shifts. Fuck me. That can’t happen. I won’t let them win. I know too much now.

“You fucking bitch!” she screeches.

Fear hits as Marissa shifts into a golden-brown wolf, salvia dripping out of her mouth and down her chin. I have no way out of here. The door is behind her and there are no windows leading out anywhere. I will not give up. I have too much fight in me.

Thor!
I hope that he can get here in time.
Marissa is in wolf-form and going to kill me. You need to get here now!
Even through our link I’m sure he can feel my fear and anger.

At that moment, Marissa pounces hard, pushing me onto my back with a loud thud. Her claws dig into my flesh, but I kick, hit, and elbow as hard as I can, trying to fight back and landing some pretty good blows. My wolf is so fucking angry. She’s beyond angry, something I’ve never seen from her before. She snarls and chomps, banging her head on the glass, willing herself out. I will her out, too, with all my might, but each time she bangs her head, piercing pain slices through mine. I try not to let it throw me off any more since I’m already at a disadvantage.

Marissa swipes again, this time her teeth coming down as well, but I move my head before she gets a bite of my flesh. She backs off just enough to knock me down and then stands on my chest, her claws pressing in with her weight. Well, hell. I’ve been here before and the only reason last time ended with me in one piece was because Thor smelled me. But there is no sign of him and I’m too pumped to even try to listen to whatever is in my head except survival. I must survive. I have to survive.