Pride's Pursuit (a Wolf's Pride novel, book three) (13 page)

The mood in the vehicle is somber as we listen to the hard voices coming through Officer
Sanford’s radio. When the PTF relay coordinatesand mention they’ll be sending out scouts
before a full blown attack, my dry throat cracks.

Officer Sanford flicks off the radio and stares straight ahead.
“The panthers have taken over
one of the mansionsthey’ve invaded.We need to move.”
My father puts the SUV into gear and pulls onto the Interstate. Silence ensues as we drive,
each and every one of us lost in our own thoughts. I stare blankly out the window, and lean my
head against the backrest, but when the chemical scent emanating off the treated leather seat fills
my nostrils itreminds me I’m sitting on dead animal flesh. My entire body stiffens.
Thinking of dead animals has me worrying about the feral panthers we’re about to
encounter and the final fight that will surely ensue between cat and dog.
As I mull that over, I continue to watch the scenery speed by and close to an hour later, my
father pulls off the highway. He takes a long winding stretch of secondary road for a good thirty
minutes before turning onto another path that will lead us to the lair.
Before we reach the sprawling estate, we pull the vehicle off the road.Since we’ll have to
complete the last of the journey on foot, and try to approach undetected, we camouflage the
vehicle in the trees, and wait for complete darkness before stepping onto the shoulder of the
road.
We trek forward and when we round a corner and see the sprawling mansion at the crest of
a winding hill, Gem’s eyes flicker beneath the rising moonlight. I watch her breathe deep to pull
all the scents into her lungs.
“They’re here,” she announces and all eyes turn on her. Her eyes meet Logan’s and they
exchange a knowing look before she exhales a breath of relief and says, “And they’re alive.”
I don’t need to ask to know she’s talking about Malcolm and the rest of her pack. I almost
breathe a sigh of relief right along with her, but resist the urge. While Inow know they’re still
alive, I also know it would be premature of me to believe they’re going to walk away from this
unscathed.After all, there’s still a chance the PTF will get to them first.
Officer Sanford tucks his radio into his vest, and when I see his holstered gun, it reminds
me of the one tucked in my waistband. While it might not kill a panther, I know it will slow one
down.
This time Logan takes the lead, and picks up a pebble to test the metal gate surrounding the
mansion. When no sparks light up the night sky, we walk the perimeter until we find the best
spot to climb over.Once we’re all inside, we make our way forward, all the while looking for
signs of danger.
As I scent the air, I can’t help but think how this feels so eerily familiar to me. Nor can I do
anything about the bad feeling tainting the blood in my veins. Logan stops abruptly, and when
my feet come to a resounding halt behind him and I catch the tang of his tension, I put a
reassuring hand on his warm back.
When he turns to look at me the rancid tang of panther saturates the air and I can feel his
wolf growling and clawing to break free, but we all know it’s too soon to untie the tethers and
release our primal sides.
Keeping downwind we move with stealth and as we stalk forward I wonder if the panthers
are in the mansion alone, or if they’re with their handlers. It also makes me wonder what the
handlers use to control them. For us wolves it was microchips, collars, abuse and intimidation.
With the mansion in full view, I look around at all the manicured shrubs and towering trees
strategically placed in the back courtyard. My glance comes up empty, and while I know there
isn’t a single PTF officer in sight, itdoesn’t mean scouts aren’t on their way.
“They’re inside,” Gem whispers.
I lower my voice to match hers.“Can you reach them?To find out what we’re up against?”
“I’ll try but I have to shift.”
We all stand back while Gem calls on her wolf. A moment later her long nails rake the
ground and a tormented whine sounds in her throat as she paces the exterior and tries to make a
mental connection with her pack.
When she comes back to us, she shifts back to human and pulls her clothes on.“I can’t
reach them,” she whispers, real fear on her face.“They’re not in wolf form.”
“Then we have no choice but to go in blind.” I look at my father.“You and Officer Sanford
stand guard out here and signal if you see anything.” When they nod I turn to the others and say,
“As soon as we get in, Logan and I will go in search of them. Stone, you and Gem will have to
cover for us.”
Stone’s nostrils flare.“I don’t think we should separate.”
“Stone,” I begin, “I can take care of myself.” I prepare to say more, to tell him he needs to
trust in my strength instead of trying to be it, but then shut off my thoughts, knowing any
argument on my part is futile.It doesn’t matter what I say because I know Stone will risk his
life—and the lives of the others if need be—in order to protect me.While I don’t want that to
happen, can’t let that happen, I know there is nothing I can do to change the alpha wolf so set in
his ways.
I work to address his worries.“It makes more sense for us to separate.” When he gives me a
quizzical look, I pause for a moment and try to deliver my next words as delicately as I can.
“We’ll need to communicate from separate rooms, and since we’re the only ones who can do
that in human form…” I let my voice fall off because from the hurt look on Logan’s face I know
I’ve said enough.
After a good show of agitation Stonesays, “Fine, just keep yourself open to me,” and with
that he turns to Gem. We all walk the deathly quiet path leading to the back door and my father
jimmies the lock and slides it open.
Once we’re inside the pitch black mansion, I step over broken glass and notice how
ransacked the place is. I take another quiet step and the fetid odor of cat clogs my throat. But
this time I don’t dare breathe through my mouth and miss their stealthy approach.
Gem inhales, then points to a door leading to the basement and that’s when it occurs to me
Malcolm and his pack are being held in the same kind of underground prison I once was.
When I see the broken keypad I communicate with my eyes and Logan and I both step
toward it.
With Logan’s body close, we enter a dark tunnel leading to the underground chambers and
when it feels like the walls are closing in on me, a very sick feeling mushrooms inside me.
I feel Stone probing my thoughts.“
Listen, Pride
.”
With my senses finely tuned I hear the soft purr of cat coming from the ventilation system,
and even though it should give me a measure of comfort to know the felines are asleep, it
doesn’t. Instead my skin begins to prickle and every wolf instinct I have warns of danger. And
this time I’m going to listen.
Thanks to my encounter with Nova, I know better than to ignore my primal side. The last
time I disregarded my natural intuition I walked straight into a trap and nearly ended up dead.
I swallow hard and reach out to Stone who is watching our backs from the other room.
“
Something’s not right.It shouldn’t be this easy
.”
“
Yeah, I know
.”
“
Can you see them? Can you tell how many are there
?”
“
I need to get closer
.”
“What’s going on
?”
Logan whispers from beside me.
“The cats are asleep so we need to move fast.”
Logan grips the doorknob leading to the basement and we both cringe when the hinges
whine in response.
We instantly stop moving, stop breathing, and I take a moment to surf through the images
in Stone’s mind, but for some reason part of his thoughts are blocked. My stomach lurches
because I know he’s keeping something from me.
“
I count at least a dozen cats
,” Stonesays, “
But I have no idea if there are more.”
With no time to think about Stone’s secrets, I peer into the basement and get my head back
into the game.If we’re up against a dozen cats, the odds aren’t in our favor, but if we can free
the seven members ofLogan’s family, then at least we stand a fighting chance. As I think about
that an ominous shiver moves through me, and Logan puts his hand on my back.
“Remember what you promised me, Pride,” he says.
I don’t answer, instead I begin a slow descent. A second later I catch a very distinctive
smell. I exchange a look with Logan before he hurries down the remaining stairs ahead of me
and with my heart racing, I follow behind.
When we reach the bottom, Malcolm pushes off the cold cement floor, climbs to his feet,
and grips the metal bar imprisoning him.
“Logan,” he hurries out.
“It’s okay, Malcolm,” Logan says and checks the lock. “We’re going to get you out of
here.”
Panic races through me as I watch the six other wolves jump at our voices and move in
beside Malcolm in the packed cell.
I peer at the heavy lock.“Malcolm do you know where we can find a key?”
“Don’t need one,” Logan says and pulls what looks like two fingernail files from his back
pocket. He grins.“Tricks of the trade. I stole them from your father’s bathroom.”
While Logan works the lock I give each wolf a quick once over. When I see the metal
collars on their necks, and see some sort of electric current running through them, dread takes
hold of me because I know. I knowhow they’re being controlled.
Electric shock.
But removing the collars will have to wait, because I need to get these wolves to safety
before the cats awake. Feeling suddenly very anxious, I call out to Stone.
“
We found them. Logan is working the lock
.”
“
You’d better hurry. I think a few of the cats are stirring.
”
Hoping for an ally, I ask,“
Does Gem recognize the one she encountered
?

My heart jumps when the lock clicks open, and Logan pulls on the metal door to release the
caged wolves.
Keeping my thoughts open to Stone, and without giving consideration to what he might find
in my head, I gesture toward the stairs and step forward to take the lead.“We need to move.
Fast.”
I listen to joints groan in protest as I rush up the steps, and take a quick peek over my
shoulder to see Logan herding them from behind, and realize that’s just like Logan, always
keeping watch over his pack. When we reach Stone he ushers us all outside.
The cool night air breezes around us and we all remain silent as we quickly retrace our
steps, but the second we turn the corner of the mansion, the world around us flips upside down
and my heart leaps into my throat.
“Going somewhere?”
When I see the cruel face of a handler, his dark eyes brutal and unafraid, my wolf yelps and
the sound prompts her into action.
Acting purely on instinct, I make a move toward him but don’t miss the smug grin aimed
my way.“I don’t think so,” he says, and when he pulls something from his pocket, something
that reminds me of a tracking device, Malcolm and the others howl out loud and drop to their
knees in excruciating pain. When I see a flickering blue glow flashing in the dark night I know
they’re being electrocuted.
Fury erupts inside me and I tear off my clothes, the sound of my bones crunching and
grinding cutting through the night as my wolf takes shape. Just as I’m about to put a stop to his
abuse once and for all, the handler’s cats pounce out the door behind us, awakened by the
tortured howls echoing off the distant mountains.
I look at the collars around their black necks, and can only assume they’re controlled by a
different device. If only I could get my hands on it. I take a moment to consider the odds and
even though they don’t stack up in our favor, there isn’t one wolf among us about to tuck tail
and run.
The wolveswho’ve travelled to the compound with me take that moment to shift, joining
me in animal form. I hear Officer Sanford draw his gun, but as the sleek black cats form a wide
berth around us, protecting their master, he’s unable to get a clear shot. He also knows better
than to waste a bullet on a panther just yet.
Everything inside me tightens because I know this fight can only end in bloodshed, and
only one species will be walking out of here today.
A movement from my peripheral vision gains my attention, and my wolf reacts to danger a
second before I do.This time I don’t stop her, because this time Iheed my father’s advice and
understand she has to do whatever it takes to protect her family. And nothing, not even me, can
hold her back from doing it.
When light floods the area, sharp teeth flare and green cat eyes glisten beneath the
illumination as it pounces.With an attack well underway I hear Sanford’s gun ring out. But I
can’t think about who’s been shot, because I’m about to be hit. In a movement that takes the
panther by surprise, I dodge the stealthy animal seconds before it lands on me. I hit the ground
hard and the sweet smell of autumn grass fills my senses as I roll across the manicured lawns to
gain purchase. I jump to my feet, my long nails piercing the soil as I watch the other wolves in
my pack face their own attackers.
All around me I hear growls and whines as dog faces cat. Deep in the shadows where the
floodlight can’t quite reach, I catch a glimpse of Officer Sanford as he goes after the handler,
gun drawn and aimed atthe man’s back.
Somewhere in the distance a gunshot rings out and there is a small part of me that registers
the sound, registers that it’s not from Sanford’s gun. But my brain is too preoccupied with the
fight to comprehend what that means.
The cat climbs to its feet and shakes the daze from its head but I don’t give it time to fully
clear its rattled brain. I jump through the air and land on top of it with a thud. It bares its teeth in
retaliation and when its sharp nails claw my fur and slice my flesh wide open I go for its jugular.
I clamp down but beforeI can draw blood I’m attacked from behind.
I’m tossed through the air like a tattered rag doll, the world around me spinning out of
control, but I manage to land on my feet and when I do I let loose a thunderous growl, my wolf
preparing her counter attack.
Looking hard and feral, both cats circle me and I use that moment to assess the situation.
Drawing on everything Logan taught me while we were hunting in Olympic Park, I take in their
stance, and when I notice the position of their back legs, I know they’re preparing to pounce.
And I know what I have to do. My wolf crouches low, waiting for the perfect moment to make
her move.
That’s when I hear Stone’s distressed howl. I spare him a glance and darkness churns in his
eyes seconds before he turns from me andtears the head clear of the cat he’s battling with.
Blood spills across the grass and rouses the hunger in the courtyard.
From my peripheral vision I catch a glimpse of another vicious pantherheaded Stone’s
way, but he rushes to my aid instead of fighting. The second he movesfrom the cat’s line of
sight, it turns its attention to Gem, who is already backed up against the wall and outnumbered.
“Stone, no!”
I cry out.
“I’ve got this.”
But he keeps coming my way, his single minded
focus to save me at everyone else’s expense clearly placing Gem in danger.
My cry gains Logan’s attention. He lifts his head from the cat he killed and a split second
later he’s flying through the air. His growl is fierce, his look dangerous. A moment later he’s
jumping, and pivoting off the side of the house to barrel toward the string of cats about to tear
into Gem. When Logan hits with the power of a speeding truck, they all tumble like bowling
pins and he’s able to pull Gem to safety.
A cry of relief crawls from my throat and from the distance another shot rings out.That’s
when real fear hits becauseI instantly know what’s going on.
The scouts have arrived.
Stone intercepts the cats aimed my way, and when a third enters the fight, I know I have to
do something. I try to go for him but a shot punctures the ground in front of me. When the bullet
pummels the earth, dirt flies up to meet my face and I crouch low. My father comes toward me,
his muzzle awash with blood and the scent of his breath is so foul it turns my stomach
A forth cat joins the fight against Stone, and when his cries echo around me, I make another
move to go, but the gunfire coming from the mountain halts my motion. My brain races and my
pulse beats against my throat like mad. I have to do something but if I step into the line of fire
I’ll surely get shot and then won’t be of any use to anyone.
Before I know what’s happening, Logan is running at breakneck speed, his wolf so swift his
image blurs as he rushes by. I blink against the hurried flash and time seems to stand still as he
moves with purpose, his powerful claws and fangs tearing the panthers off Stone and sending
them flying through the air one by one, saving Stone from imminent death.
With his body a battered mess and his fur coated in blood, Stone climbs to all fours. A
second later the two alphas stand side by side, and the combination of power as they join forces
is enough to make my wolf howl. As they form an alliance to combat our enemy I know in a
battle of life and death nothing or no one can stand a chance against these two wolves.
The second I hear another zing of a bullet I duck, and when it flies past my face, parting my
hair on the side, my wolf growls.
Knowing Gem is safe, and Logan and Stone have things under control, I duck behind a
bush and consider the angle of the shot. I quickly shift back to human, grab my gun off the pile
of clothes I discarded earlier and shoot for a tree on the south side of the mountain.That’s when
I see the PTF Officer turn in the direction of my bullet. That moment of inattention is all I need.
I rush toward the metal fence, shifting back to wolf as I jump it, and using my exceptional speed
I rush up the mountain and pounce.
The PTF officer lands with a hard thud, and frantically yells for backup as he grips my ruff
and tries to wrestle me off.But I’m too strong. I know it, and from the horrified look in his eyes,
he knows it too.
I snarl at him, and his face goes pale. Then, with every intention of debilitating him, I clamp
my jowls around his neck and puncture his skin. Since my goal is to slow him down, not kill
him—I still hold out hope that I can provewe’re not all monsters—I purposely miss his jugular.
When fresh blood saturates the air, I life my muzzle and howl at the black sky. Knowing
this man no longer poses an immediate threat to those I call family, I climb off his body and
leave him to his own fate.
But when I turn and come face to face with another officer, and find a gun pointed directly
at my head the world around me slows to a crawl.
The minute I look into his hard eyes I realize how naïve and foolish I’ve been, because
from everything in the way those brutal eyes are glaring down at me I know there is nothing I
can to do convince himall wolves aren’t monsters.
This is a war I can’t possibly win.
As I stare down the barrel of a gun my life flashes before me, and I think about the remorse
I spotted in my father’s eyes the night we were outside the mountain den. At the time I thought
it was because of something he’d lost, or something he was going to lose. But I now understand
the remorse lingering below the surface was for me and what I was going to lose.
Hope for a normal life.
He knew it could never happen. Knew I could never change the minds of so many. Knew
I’d have to keep the wolf side of me alive and remain in kill or be kill mode if I wanted to
survive in this harsh world.
When I hear the pin drop, I make a move to bolt, even though I know I can’t outrun a silver
bullet. But since my survival instinctsare strong and it’s not in my nature to go down without a
fight, I dig my nails into the ground to gain leverage.
As the bullet engages and speeds toward me I howl, and in the instant before I move, I’m
shoved to the ground, my head hitting hard against a rock. Pushing through the pain and nausea,
I hear the bullet hit flesh, hear the howl of an injured wolf before it drops to the ground in the
spot I was just standing, taking the hit that was meant to be mine.
“No!” I yell when I see my father roll down the hill, leaving a thick trail of blood in his
wake. The world around me goes into slow motion and I jump up, knock the officer to the
ground, and swipe at his neck with my long, deadly talons. As he gasps for breath, I leave him
to his own fate and rush after my father.
He tumbles down the hill and lands with a hard thud against the side of the gate. I hurry to
him, my head spinning and my stomach in knots.
I look at the puncture wound and watch the flesh around the opening turn black, and there is
nothing I can do to stop the bleeding, nothing I can do to keep the poison from invading his
body. I go down on my haunches and push at him with my muzzle.
“
Papa,
” I cry frantically.
“
Pride
,” he says, and his voice is so low and so strained I can barely hear him.
“
Papa, please…”
“
I never meant to hurt you
,” he says.
“
I know
,” I manage past the lump in my throat. And I really do know. He only ever meant
to protect me and he did it the best way he knew how.
His tongue flicks out to wet his mouth and I can tell he’s losing h
is fight to speak.“
I hope
someday you’ll forgive me,
” he murmurs.
“
I do
,” I say and think about how Logan once told me that someday soon I’d learn all about
forgiveness, because forgiveness is about love, and this man really does love me.“
I do forgive
you. Please, don’t die. You can’t leave me. Not now.”
“
I have to go Pride.I’ve had to go for quite some time now. I’m just glad I got to know you
first
.” As soon as the words leave his mouth understanding rolls through me.
He’s dying.
The foul smellI’ve noticed coming from his breath is the scent of death. SinceI’ve been
imprisoned my whole life, I’ve never known a wolf to die of old age or natural causes before
and had no way to identify the sour aroma. But Logan knew, and he wanted to protect me from
it for as long as he could. He knew I had to learn about love and forgiveness and find my place
in this world before I could dealwith the harsh reality of my father’s fate.
“
I forgive you, Papa
,” I say again, and when I put my paw over his, all the answers fall into
place. Staring down the face of death is what prompted him to change his life around. It made
him want to right all his wrongs.
“
I’m going to go be with your mother now
,” he says, and attempts a smile before saying, “
I
hope she can find it in her heart to forgive me, too.
” With that he exhales his very last breath
and my heart clenches so hard, the pain cuts through my body like a serrated knife.
When I feel the life leave him and he returns to his human form, a big hiccupping sob
crawls out of my throat and reverberates off the mountain. Through watery eyes I look beyond
the gate to see Logan rushing toward me. He sidesteps all the dead panthers and his big paws
turn red as they sink into the blood soaked grass.
“
Pride
,” he says and comes closer, the look in his pewter eyes sad, mournful, but seconds
before he reaches the gate, a vicious cat jumps the fence from behind me and clamps down on
his jugular.
Logan puts up a hard fight but there isn’t much he can do as the cat gives a savage shake of
its head and tears into his throat. I can hear the cords on his neck popping and when sharp
canines sink indeeper, Logan’s powerful, streamlined body drops to the ground. The warm
scent of fresh blood sprays my face and fills the night air.
“
No
!”
It takes less than a split second for me to understand the boy I mated with is going to die if I
don’t do something. As that reality hits, I let my wolf off her leash. I might not be an assassin
any longer, but my wolf knows what she has to do.
Before anyone can react, I jump the fence and rush the powerful cat, and when it turns
sharp teeth on me and bites through my shoulder a scream lodges in my throat. With everything
happening so fast, my brain can barely keep up. I feel like a bystander watching my wolf as she
lets her rage power her attack and knock the cat clear off Logan’s body.