The Lost Wolf's Destiny

Again, Lucas saw the woman’s face, as clear in his mind as if he knew her. Once more, his wolf came alert, the strong tug of something—attraction?—apparently affecting not only the man, but the beast, as well. Not good. And not only irrelevant to his mission, but a distraction he didn’t need or want. He had revenge on his mind, not lust.

Shaking his head, he forced his thoughts back to Jacob Gideon, the devil incarnate. Who knew what Jacob really meant to do, what experiments and torture he planned to inflict on the helpless small child, all in the guise of healing? If they were anything like what he’d done to Lucas, his own son, and to Lilly, his own daughter, they would be brutal. Truth be told, after seeing how delicate and weak the little girl appeared to be, Lucas doubted she’d be able to survive. His sister certainly hadn’t.

Pushing away the still-raw wound, he wondered what Jacob planned to do with the mother once he killed her child? A grieving mother would not only understand the depths of his betrayal, but would crave vengeance, no matter what the cost. Grimacing, he didn’t want to imagine the special something Jacob had planned for her, as well. No matter what she was, Jacob couldn’t help but notice her startling beauty.

Growling low in his throat, Lucas again pushed back his wolf. He had a job to do, and perhaps his wolf self would be helpful in that. Either way, no matter what, Lucas knew he had to get them out. As quickly as possible.

He made one more slow circle around the ranch, just to make sure. Sanctuary was unguarded. Good for him, bad for Jacob. But then again, he reminded himself, who the hell would really want to break in to Sanctuary? Especially if they’d never been given a reason?

Again Lucas pictured the small girl’s wan face and her mother’s tired, hopeful beauty. His fists clenched. He had to save them. He would save them, no matter what the personal cost.

It had taken him three days to make the drive. But then, he didn’t know exactly when the woman and her child had arrived here. If it had been directly after the newscast, that would mean they’d been under Jacob’s roof for seventy-two hours. Who knew what had already happened to them? He’d seen the look of desperation in the mother’s eyes. She’d obviously tried everything and was now reduced to grasping at straws. Jacob Gideon’s blatant brand of faith healing drew only the truly hopeless or the truly lost.

He wondered if she’d yet begun to figure out how things went. They’d probably had enough time to realize they weren’t exactly guests, but prisoners. And that Jacob might not be the benevolent prophet of God that he claimed to be.

He had one plan. Break in. Find the woman and her child. Get them out. And annihilate anyone who stood in his way.

Savagely, he realized he actually hoped that Jacob decided to stand in his way.

The woman might not believe him, but he’d have to take that chance.

His motorcycle, which had long been his primary form of transportation, wouldn’t work for getting them out. He’d need something larger, a car or truck or van.

He’d deal with that later. Right now, he’d gotten the lay of the land.

Driving past the gate for the last time, he gunned the motor and headed into town and the motel room he’d reserved by phone. He’d come back tonight under cover of darkness, go in and take a closer look.

Briefly, it occurred to Lucas that Jacob might have set a trap for him, using the woman and child as a lure to bring in his prodigal son. But as soon as he had this thought, he dismissed it. Too many years had passed and for all Jacob knew, Lucas was dead. Not once in all that time had Lucas attempted to make contact with the man who’d raised him. Despite the evidence of his bruised and battered young body, he hadn’t even gone to the authorities and reported Jacob for child abuse. He’d suspected they wouldn’t believe him or, if they did, Jacob’s silver tongue and powerful influence would convince them otherwise.

Full of guilt and sorrow, all Lucas had cared about was putting as much distance as possible between himself and Sanctuary and the man who had killed his twin sister.

After parking in front of his rustic motel room, he checked in and received his key. Next to the motel, a flashing neon sign advertised a café. His stomach growled. He needed meat, lots of it, red beef, hamburger or steaks, something with lots of protein to feed the animal inside him.

Using his key, he unlocked his room door and went inside. The musty odor of stale cigarette smoke mingled with the lingering smell of bleach. The scents, no matter how offensive, barely registered.

Because he suddenly realized he did have an amendment to his plan. Pretty much foolproof. Because no matter what Jacob might or might not expect from Lucas, he wouldn’t expect him to return as a wolf, the very thing that made him a demon in Jacob’s eyes.

Inside, Lucas’s wolf growled with approval. Decision made, he turned around and left the room to head toward the café. Now he would eat to make sure he was strong enough for the change. After, he might try to catch a few hours of shut-eye before nightfall.

Tonight, he’d return to the place that haunted his nightmares. Tonight, he would change and let his inner beast free. And this time, he would succeed.

He nearly laughed out loud. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him. It was fitting he go there as wolf. With his amplified senses—especially scent and night vision—he’d have the advantage. Jacob might have put the woman and her daughter out there as bait, using them to lure his son back. Or he might not. Either way, Lucas would find them and set them free. And in the process, he’d find a way to expose Jacob Gideon for what he truly was.

Once Lucas was done, once he got the woman and her daughter out, he’d make sure Jacob never hurt anyone else ever again.

Chapter 3

The next morning, after a fitful night trying to sleep, Blythe rose before dawn, craving coffee. The nightstand clock showed it was a little after five. A search of the room revealed no small coffeepot, like the ones in some hotels, so she reluctantly gave up on that idea.

Since Hailey was still sleeping, she moved quietly, aware her daughter needed all the rest she could get. The bad heart made Hailey tire quickly and suddenly. She’d collapsed a few times, unable to catch her breath. Each time that had happened, Blythe felt her own chest constrict, the horrible aching fear for Hailey, her frustration that she could do nothing to help her baby girl.

Crossing to the dresser, she took a T-shirt and undergarments, plus a pair of jeans. The idea that the clothing—all exactly the right size—had been purchased with her in mind, made her wonder. What if Jacob didn’t want guests to have their own things because he was trying to break the guests’ connections to the outside world?

As soon as she had the thought, she shied away from it. Her only concern had to be for any chance to heal Hailey.

Ah, well. She supposed this was their way of attempting to make her feel welcome.

Once inside the bathroom, she quietly closed the door and located a fluffy white towel. One thing she was learning about Jacob Gideon’s Sanctuary was that he didn’t skimp on luxuries.

Turning on the shower, she stepped under the hot spray with a sigh. The water felt good and she let herself relax.

Once she was clean, she dried herself off and brushed her teeth. She towel dried her hair as best she could, not wanting to use the blow-dryer that had been so thoughtfully provided, in case the noise woke Hailey.

She had a bit of her own makeup that she’d brought with her in her purse, so she applied that. Finally, she considered herself ready to face the day. Opening the door, she went to wake her daughter.

But the bed was empty. Hailey was gone.

Stunned, Blythe stood for a moment in shock. How could this be? She’d heard nothing, and surely Hailey would have screamed if some stranger had entered the room and taken her. Wouldn’t she?

Why? Why would anyone take her baby? What the hell had she done? She should never have come here.

Cursing under her breath, Blythe rushed to the door and tried the knob. Locked.

Damn them.

“Help!” she shouted, pounding on the door with her fists. “Help!”

But no one came. She hit the door until her fists were bruised. She kicked, pummeled and body slammed it, but the thick wood held.

Then she remembered the walkie-talkie. That girl—what was her name?—Ginger, had said to use it if she needed anything.

Scooping it up off the nightstand, Blythe flicked it on. “Ginger?” Her voice vibrated with barely contained fury. “Ginger, come in.”

Nothing but static answered her. Desperate now, she tried every channel, and when she received the same lack of response, she tried again. Her inner wolf snarled in fury.

She barely restrained herself from slamming the useless piece of equipment into the wall. Finally, she tossed it on the bed, crossed to the window and drew back the curtains. To her relief, there were no metal bars on the window. At least she wasn’t in that much of a cage.

But a closer examination revealed that the windows did not open. Effectively, she was trapped inside the room.

That was what they thought. Seething, she searched the room for a heavy object she could use to smash the glass. They’d taken her daughter. For what reason, she didn’t know, nor did it matter. The abduction, the locked room, the stupid walkie-talkie that didn’t work—none of it made sense.

But Hailey, Hailey. Even if they needed to take her somewhere alone to heal her, why would they steal her away like this, without consulting her mother?

Hefting the weight of the chair, which was too lightweight, she roamed the room, her blood humming with an adrenaline-fueled combination of fury and fear.

The lamp was also useless. She couldn’t lift the desk. No doubt her captors had thought of all this, planning the furnishing of the little cell carefully.

Then she spotted the mini refrigerator. Lifting it a few inches off the ground, she realized she might have to struggle to lift it, but since it was the heaviest thing she’d found, it would have to do.

Sliding it out from under the desk, she unplugged it, then hefted it in her arms and carried it over toward the window.

She braced herself and heaved the fridge at the window.

It hit, bounced back toward her and dropped to the floor, the door flying open and bottles of juice and water going everywhere. Blythe stepped over the mess. The window looked the same.

With maybe a tiny crack, a chip, where the edge of the mini fridge had hit.

Wondering if the noise would alert someone that she was trying to escape, she took the cheap, lightweight desk chair and wedged it under the door handle. It might not be good for breaking glass, but at least it would deter entry into the room for a little while. Because there was no way in hell she would let anyone stop her.

She had to save Hailey. No matter what.

Resolute, determined, she bent over, scooped the fridge up, and heaved it again, aiming roughly for the same spot.

Success! This time the window shattered.

But not neatly, not the way windows broke in movies. Instead, there was a ragged hole in the middle, with jagged shards of glass sticking out everywhere.

Carefully, she knocked them out until the window opening appeared both safe and large enough for her to climb through.

Heart still hammering in her chest, she peered out. And remembered that she was on the second floor. She’d have to climb out and let herself hang from the ledge and drop to the ground, hoping she didn’t break a leg or any other body part.

Climbing up, she scanned the outside area, trying to see in the predawn darkness beyond the glow cast from the outside landscaping lights.

As far as she could tell, no one was out there. But then, even if someone was, she would still do it. No way was she staying locked in the room while they had her baby.

Once she was free, she planned to change to wolf form and go hunting.

Knocking away the last remaining shards of glass, she gripped the windowsill, feeling slivers cut into her palm.

Slowly she swung her legs up and over, scrabbling for purchase on the stucco, until she hung all the way out, unsure exactly how far up she was from the ground.

Then she let go and fell.

* * *

In his wolf form, Lucas had spent hours cautiously roaming Sanctuary, keeping low to the ground and staying in the shadows. He saw no guards, no hint of heightened security. Letting his nose guide him, he followed the scents, almost netting a plump rabbit for his dinner, but he’d already eaten in the café.

Oddly enough, the only scents he detected were those of wildlife. Almost as if the people who lived within the luxurious stucco house never set foot outside.

This would not have surprised him. In fact, he wouldn’t be shocked at all to learn Jacob kept them all prisoners, or so brainwashed they didn’t take a single step anywhere without his approval.

The night had edged its way toward morning and the sky had begun to lighten. Lucas drew closer to the sprawling house. Sanctuary’s inhabitants still slept, and all remained quiet.

As he debated leaving so he could shift back to his human form, a light came on in a room on the second floor.

He froze, half expecting someone with a high-powered rifle to appear and start taking potshots at him.

Belly low to the ground, he backed up, keeping to the edge of the landscape lights, until he felt confident he couldn’t be seen.

The drapes remained drawn and nothing else happened. He’d just about started to lose interest when the curtains flew open and she stood there in plain view.

His heart skipped a beat. Her. The woman he’d come to rescue, the mother of the little girl. The one who was like him.

While he’d watched, she disappeared from view. Pulse racing, he waited, hoping she’d reappear. Instead, a few minutes later, she threw something at the glass, something large and heavy, obviously attempting to break it.

Lucas bared his teeth. Jacob must have locked her in. But she was getting out, using whatever means necessary to make an exit. Lucas approved.

The ever-present desert wind had ruffled his fur as he’d watched and waited, heart pounding in expectation. Again, she’d heaved something at the window. This time, the glass shattered. He’d held his breath while she picked the shards clean, climbed up on the windowsill and let herself hang. She let go a second later.

Watching closely, he’d felt relief when she climbed to her feet, apparently unhurt. He saw no sign of her child. What had happened to the little girl? Surely she wouldn’t just leave her there, would she?

She took a few steps toward him, obviously unable to see very well in the darkness. When she moved outside of the perimeter of landscape lights, she stopped and began shedding her clothes. What the...his heart stuttered. Had she already gone mad, after such a short time with Jacob?

Then she dropped to all fours, completely naked. Watching, he cocked his lupine head, puzzled. And then...and then...the air around her changed. A thousand tiny pinpricks of lights danced in the atmosphere, circling her, surrounding her. The hair on his back rose as he realized what he was witnessing.

He was watching her change.

The intimacy of the act was not lost on him. Thirty years old and he’d never seen another being go from human to wolf. This was by choice.

Others hunted in packs. Lucas hunted alone. Despite numerous invitations to join the huge, global Pack of Shape-shifters, he trusted no one. He’d declined and mostly they’d left him alone.

Exactly the way he preferred.

Now this. Was this how he’d appear to others? He’d never seen anything so amazing.

A moment later, the sparkling lights faded away and she stood in the darkness, muzzle raised to the sky, a wolf with a shining pelt of pure white. He sucked in his breath. Unusual, even he knew.

As his human self had reacted to her face, even on the television, his wolf self responded even more strongly to her in lupine form. He fought back the urge to bound over to her and begin the elaborate play that would mark the beginning of the mating ritual. Mating?

He’d have to let her know he was there, at least. If he was going to help this woman, he’d have to make her aware of his presence.

Moving quietly, carefully, he circled around, making sure he stood upwind of her, letting the breeze carry him to her sensitive nose. He could tell the instant she scented him—her entire body went still, ears pricked forward. And then she swung her head around and, with her superior lupine night vision, spotted him.

She growled, low in her throat, a warning.

To show her he was no threat, he did not move. Though he refused to adopt a submissive posture—he submitted to no one—he was careful not to make direct eye contact and he kept his head low.

Slowly, she circled around him, taking in his scent. He knew she’d be able to detect his human aspect, and would discern that he was not fully wolf, not a wild animal that had happened upon her by accident. No, she’d realize he was a Shape-shifter and had come here on purpose.

After she’d taken his measure at a distance of a few feet, she came closer. Her hackles were raised, though his had settled.

He let her get close, keeping his stance relaxed, neither threatening nor subservient, just friendly.

When she ran, at first he did not follow. But, when he realized she was heading for the front of Sanctuary, he knew he had to stop her.

Though she couldn’t open the door, there were windows. If she got inside as a wolf, they’d slaughter her. He understood she wanted to get to her daughter, but this was not the way. Unfortunately, he couldn’t speak and explain. Instead, he ran full out, slamming into her hard enough to send her flying.

Snarling, she leaped to her feet, going on the offensive. But rather than attacking him, she tried to dodge him in order to get past.

The sky continued to lighten. Soon, the sun would rise over the horizon, making them easy to pick off with a high-powered rifle. He knew this. Unfortunately, she did not.

They battled again and again. He, careful not to draw blood. She, not caring in her desperation. She came at him again and again. But he blocked her every time.

After a few moments of this, she spun away and ran in the opposite direction.

Stunned, at first he didn’t follow. Belatedly he realized she was running away from him, when he’d come all this way to save her.

He barely caught up with her. They crossed the boundary of the land, reached the road and she swerved. Running parallel to the street, she headed toward town. Soon she’d find where he’d parked his bike, hidden away from any headlights under some tumbleweeds and brush.

Had she thought this out, her escape? She had no clothes and when she changed back to human, she’d need something with which to cover herself. As a stark-naked female out in the wee hours of the morning, she would be placing herself in grave danger.

Any moment now, she’d be at the mound that hid his bike. He barked at her, once, a warning. To his surprise, she slowed her pace, first from an all-out run down to a lope, then a trot. And finally, she stopped and faced him.

When he caught up to her, he sat, keeping a few feet between them, not wanting to encroach on her space.

Shaking herself all over, as though removing water from her fur, she made a sound between a growl and a whine, and initiated the change back to human. Pausing for a second, aware he always changed back to a man fully aroused, Lucas did the same.

As soon as he was human again, he turned his back to her and crossed to his bike to retrieve his clothing. But before he could put it on, he heard her behind him and turned, shielding himself with his clothes.

“Who are you? I don’t have time for this.” Standing tall with her hands on her well-shaped hips, she vibrated with rage and seemed completely unashamed of her nakedness. Worse, she either didn’t see or didn’t care that when he’d shifted back to human, he was completely aroused. It was always this way with him. He didn’t know if this was normal among his kind, or if he was some sort of aberration. He’d never cared enough to find out.

Having the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen face him unclothed only made things worse. Holding his clothing in front of his arousal, he literally had to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and yanking her to him.

“Are you with them?” she snarled. “Working for that damn Sanctuary? My daughter might be in danger. I’ve got to get her back.”

“I don’t work for them. I came to help you. I’m on your side,” he said, wincing at the cliché and wishing his voice sounded less husky and more authoritative.

“Are you? Then you’d better talk,” she ordered. “And quickly. I need help. Jacob Gideon has taken my daughter.”

“I thought he would.”

Scowling at him, she shook her head and began backing away. “You work for him, don’t you?”

“No.” He snarled the word. “But I’m well aware of what he’s like.”

“Do you have a phone?” she asked, holding out her hand. “I need to call the authorities and get them out here. I want my daughter and I want her now.”

“It’s not going to do any good,” he told her, realizing she wouldn’t believe him. “Here.” He tossed her his T-shirt. “Put this on and let me get dressed and then we’ll talk.”

Though she caught it easily, she made no move to pull it over her head. Instead, she stood glaring at him with suspicion.

Hell. With a shrug, he turned his back to her and yanked on his shorts and then his jeans, wincing as he tried to tug the zipper up over his swollen body. When he turned back, she still clutched his T-shirt, quietly watching him dress.

With a shrug, he uncovered the motorcycle.

When he’d finished, he looked up to find she finally wore his shirt. On her, it was as long as a minidress, covering her, though the thin cotton did little to hide her lush shape or her engorged nipples.

Damn. What the hell was wrong with him? What was it about this woman that made him want her so intensely?

He indicated his bike. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather have our discussion as far from here as possible. Pretty soon his goons are going to realize you’ve escaped and come looking. I’m thinking you don’t want to be found. At least, not yet.”

What he’d thought was calm rationality clearly enraged her. “Are you crazy? Since you were on the property, you must be one of Jacob’s men. What’d he do, tell you to persuade me to leave my daughter? I won’t.”

“You can’t get her back alone. Jacob has hundreds of loyal followers. They will stop you. In fact, they might hurt you. We need to go get reinforcements.”

“There’s no way I’m walking away and leaving Hailey in danger. Look, I just escaped. Jacob has no guards—at least none that I could see.”

The sun rose, bathing them with bright yellow light. Lucas winced. “Jacob is no fool. If he went through so much trouble to get your little girl, he’s not going to let you take her back without a battle. Look, I promise you I know what I’m talking about. I escaped from there once myself. If you go back on your own, they might kill you. And that would leave your kid with no one to fight for her. Is that what you want?”

She wavered, clearly not understanding. “I’d like to call the police. They’ll help me.”

“No, they won’t. Jacob has the entire town in his pocket. And I didn’t bring my cell with me.”

“What are you saying?” she cried, her narrowed gaze telling him she didn’t believe him. “You honestly expect me to just take your word and believe that there’s no hope?”

“Oh, there’s hope.” Once again, he indicated his motorcycle. “But you’re going to have to come with me. Evading capture is the only way you’re going to get your daughter back.”