Chance saw the milky-eyed wolf racing toward him. Blood in the snow, growls, gnashing teeth, yelps, bodies crashing into bodies, surrounded him as if in slow motion. Chance lashed out. Smoke charged, slamming him into the air and depositing him a good ten feet away. Air rushed from his lungs as two wolves jumped on top of him.
He struggled to stand, Smoke stood over his head, fangs bared, bloody, and dripping. Smoke’s howling growl vibrated through Chance like a fit of evil laughter. His jaws closed over Chance’s throat.
It would not end this way.
Then Chance heard a responding growl, a battle cry from his mate. Smoke heard it, too, and answered, releasing Chance to the other two wolves still holding him down.
Olivia came charging in wolf-form and body-slammed Smoke, hurling him into the air. Damen came, bloodied and limping, and jumped the two wolves chewing on Chance. Trevor rushed past, and Chance hoped it was to aide Olivia.
Chance struggled to his feet and ran as fast as he could to find Olivia…but they were gone. Trevor, Olivia, and Smoke.
Chance woke still feeling the prickles of the premonition through his body. He slid out of the chair and sank to the floor. A sudden urge to check on Olivia overtook him when the door opened. He saw their feet from below the table, Olivia, Jasmine, Dir, Trevor, and Damen filed in. Lightheaded and dizzy, he managed to pull himself next to the chair. Olivia and Damen rushed around the table to aid him, followed by the others.
“Chance!” Olivia’s hand immediately went to his forehead, while Damen grabbed Chance under the arms and lifted him into the chair. “What happened?” Olivia asked, voice trembling. “You look positively pale.”
Before he could answer, Trevor spoke up, “I recognize the signs… Boss-man had a premonition.” Everyone’s focus went from Trevor back to Chance. “So, what’s in store for us in the near future?”
Chance sat there dumbfounded, not knowing what to share. His tongue still prickled and felt thick inside his mouth.
“Everybody, take a seat. Let our Alpha catch his breath,” Jasmine directed, pushing and prodding everyone away.
Olivia sat next to him and Damen took the chair on his other side. Everyone’s expectant gaze settled on him, without even realizing the pressure they placed on him. He didn’t want to share this one, as with most of his visions, they weren’t meant to be shared. He’d simply change up something in the premonition to ensure it didn’t happen how he saw it. They’d go after Smoke now so Olivia wouldn’t follow. She would never risk the younglings by changing into wolf-form. They’d set up another pack to search for Jase.
“We’re going after Smoke.” Chance paused a moment, allowing it to sink in as he’d never left one of his own in a compromised position before now. “Jasmine, I’d like you to work with the pack closest to Victoria Russell’s location, providing we get that information. We’ll ask them to help us out on this one until we can apprehend Smoke, his pack, and rescue Lindsey. Jase is highly trained to handle himself in this kind of situation. I’m sure Victoria feels like she’s bit off more than she can chew with Jase. No pun intended.”
Everyone chuckled a moment and then grew serious.
Chance scanned the faces of those who meant the most to him, each wearing their own expressions of concern over their two current situations. He’d never been more challenged or torn in his direction of focus as now. He needed to place his worry about Olivia on stand-by and get on with his responsibilities to his pack and the LIIA.
“Okay, Jasmine filled me in earlier on the information you all found on Smoke’s location. We’ll need to act fast. I’d like another satellite look at the area and leave after we pack our gear. But first I want to hear about Jase. Trevor, talk to me.” Chance stood, his system gaining its momentum back.
Trevor ran through everything from the moment he and Jase met Ria until Jase’s vanishing with all four of the vampires. “So what did you find, Jasmine?”
Everyone turned toward Jasmine.
“You’ll never guess where I ended up finding the most information…in our own LIIA case files. Victoria Russell has been around for a long time, even though the past twenty years or so she’s flown under our radar. That is until the past eight months, and then with Jase’s disappearance.” Jasmine jumped up and walked over to the big screen, flicked a switch, and then powered up her computer. Her fingers tapped over the keys, and suddenly a picture of a brown-eyed brunette beauty hit the full screen. “Is this the woman you saw, Trevor?”
Trevor skidded out of his chair and walked over to study the monitor. “It’s her face all right, but last night she had short blonde hair striped in hot pink.”
“I’ve received some reports on her through the LIIA France sector,” Chance added. She’d been in a few LIIA reports he’d seen lately, but he was so wrapped up in Smoke and his rogue pack, Chance never considered taking on her case. “She’s got an unusual ability—”
“Yeah, she can compel Lycan and what’s more, she isn’t affected by our blood,” Trevor broke in, turning away from the face on the screen. “And I didn’t realize it until it was too late.”
“By what you described as Jase’s reaction to this woman, it sounded pretty much like how Jase is around all females, shy, yet smitten. I wouldn’t have realized any different…and it sounds like it all came down too fast for anyone to really question,” Dir added. “Plus the fact she didn’t gag with her first taste of Jase’s blood. Nothing gave her away.”
“Damn, she worked Jase like she couldn’t draw enough, licking her lips and calling it sweet.” Trevor growled and his body shook.
Olivia walked over to him, grabbed his hand, and led him back to his chair. Something Chance would have to get used to, her behavior with the males of his pack. His possessiveness of her would need to take a back seat as well. She calmed Trevor with a touch of her hands to his shoulders. Chance’s blood roared to life from the action, but he remained where he stood, afraid to move, fearing what he’d do to Trevor for allowing Olivia to touch him.
Chance caught Olivia’s gaze, and she smiled at him, melting heat rushed into his chest. He watched Trevor’s shoulders sag and his shaking subsided, both of their wolves buried once again.
Jasmine stepped away from the computer and led Olivia to her vacated chair, next to where Chance stood. “There you go, honey, no need to wander too far from your mate.” She patted Olivia’s shoulder and then walked back to the computer.
Jasmine always seemed to know when her Alpha wanted to pounce on a pack member, in fact, every member of his pack seemed in-tune to him and protected each other, as well as protecting him without attacking his authority…or ego.
Her fingernails clicked away at the keys and more photos appeared on the monitor, a number of large males and fewer females, plus a couple mansion-type buildings. “These are members of Victoria’s Clan…she’s actually their Alpha or leader and is gaining status among the LIIA as a vampire of interest. It appears the number of members has drastically increased in her clan, and she’s been connected to another Lycan disappearance, besides Jase.”
“Is there a way to track her location?”
“These two buildings are known locations of where Victoria and her groupies reside…and both are only a couple miles from each other in the Yukon Territory of Canada.”
“I’m not familiar with any LIIA packs in that area. Maybe a few Lycan can do some surveillance on those locations before we decide the best way to rescue Jase.” Chance walked over to Jasmine. “Could you do some satellite imaging investigation for us so we can understand their patterns? Record everything of importance.”
“Sure thing.”
“How about bringing up Smoke’s location for us right now so we can see what’s going on there.” A couple chairs scraped the floor until everyone could view the full wall-screen. “I haven’t asked in a while about the Total Eclipse formula. How’s that coming along?”
“Slow.” Jasmine’s fingers clicked away as she spoke. “Jase had some difficulty getting one of the ingredients, and the process time producing a finished compound is much longer than we first thought. With Jase gone, it’s going to hold it up even longer, I’m afraid.” Snowy tree tops came into sight on the big screen. She worked her magic, zooming in the focus. “Oh, my wolfin’ ass, look at that.”
Three snowmobiles, each loaded with one male and one female, by the looks of the slight forms behind the males, sped away from the cluster of small buildings. Jasmine followed as far as the satellite range would reach.
“By the trajectory measurements, it looks like they are headed across the border to Wyoming. What the hell would they be doing taking three women with them in that kind of weather condition, unless those are Lycan females? But the way they are suited up, I’d say they aren’t. If they’re headed to Wyoming on snowmobile, it takes a few hours to reach Rutskin.”
“We’ll figure out our plan in the air. Jasmine, let Sheridan Airport know we’ll be flying in this afternoon…we’re leaving in one hour, everyone load up.”
Smoke
Smoke listened as the three snowmobiles took off, heading into town for the drop-off to Reed. He’d called the remaining three creodonts of his pack into the community building. They all appeared restless, ready for the next go round with the females, only this time they’d really have their hands full. Twelve females to satiate would keep them all occupied while Smoke went hunting for Lindsey.
“Are any of you familiar with this area?” Smoke paced in front of the seated trio. Behind them the freshly inoculated females writhed and moaned in ecstasy across the floor of the large room as they pleasured themselves or each other. “I need to know what’s around here that might be used as shelter.”
The scent of arousal rode high through the room. He could see they barely kept themselves in check, their laps bulging, filling the front of their trousers.
Finally, one of them spoke, “Due west and then north, there are a slew of caves. I’ve used a couple in the past. It seems like there was a stream I followed north to find them. They are well hidden. Couldn’t find them in human-form.”
“How many miles from here would you guess?”
“I don’t know, maybe thirty or so.” The brute unzipped his pants and grabbed himself, pumping as if he sat all alone. “Man, I can’t take the arousal in here, gotta get my rocks off.”
The other two watched, nodding.
Before the idiot spewed his cum over all of them, Smoke added, “You’re all responsible for keeping the females safe inside. I’m going to be gone for a few hours. Keep them occupied, but pay attention.” They all scrambled out of their chairs, even the dumbass about to pop. “You’re the only ones here to protect them.”
Smoke watched them trip over naked bodies in their rush to find a ripe hole. The idiot ripped two women away from each other, took the one on her hands and knees, lifting her hips and burying his cock to his balls. The females swarmed the three Lycans…they were all howling in seconds. Smoke discarded his clothing at the door and headed out, locking the door behind him.
In moments he ran as wolf, following Lindsey’s scent, the same way he’d run earlier. Smoke got to the stream and turned north, following it for miles farther than his previous trip. Something in the air stopped him…meat cooking…faint, but there. Then, like an explosion in the air, it filled with Lindsey’s arousal. He followed her scent and it led him to a covered opening.
Smoke crouched outside, listening for any sound within. He sniffed the air and knew Lindsey was inside. He shimmied beneath the pelted door. The room appeared occupied with everything but the kitchen sink. He nosed around, finding no other scent than Lindsey’s, but she wasn’t there.
She can’t be far. Whose place is this?
He snooped around a bit longer for an idea of who the occupant might be, and came across female clothing, sex toys, kitchenware, a nice large bed, small pool of spring water, and a few blade weapons. The fire barely smoked, rising straight up through an opening to the outside directly above it. He looked around for a draw of cool air, the reason for the smoke to vent upward, and noticed a small opening near the spring water pool. Embers glowed indicating the occupants hadn’t been gone long.
Smoke shifted to human-form, easier to search through boxes stored along the cave wall. He found nothing to identify Lindsey’s kidnapper, other than it was a female and she had to be something special living in these conditions without carrying a scent.
With nothing else to go on, other than knowing they couldn’t be far, he shifted back to his wolf-form, determined. He’d follow Lindsey’s scent until he found her, and her captor wouldn’t see the next minute.
Lindsey
After running a couple miles from Bliss’s cave retreat, she led Lindsey to a warm misty cavern with a wide opening. Small ice crystal formations dribbled from its ceiling and rose from the floor. It looked enchanted. Bliss pulled a couple blankets from her backpack and spread them over the floor, one over the other.
“Let me test the temperature before you get in. I can withstand hot, hot, but not sure about your tender flesh.” Bliss peeled her clothes off and dipped a toe into the water, foggy swirls lifted off the surface wrapping her leg. “Oh my gods, you’re going to love this.” She dropped into the pool from the rocky edge and sank to her neck. “Mmmm, how can it get any better than this?”
Lindsey undressed, dropping her clothes in a pile on top of the blankets. She walked to the edge of the steamy pool and stuck her toe in.
“Dang, that feels boiling to me.” The air froze her nipples to painful tight beads and goose-bumps ran rampant over every inch of her. A shiver burst through her, she came close to losing her balance.
“It’s not bad, once you get in. I know it’s not too hot for you, Lindsey, and you need a wash, princess.”
Lindsey had never been called that word before and took it to mean wimpy, too girly. For some damn reason she wanted respect and admiration from this woman. Lindsey jumped in, dropping beneath the surface. Heat seared her skin, her mouth opened in an underwater scream. Bliss’s hands grabbed her around the waist, hauling her up.