ChangingPaths (21 page)

Sniffling a bit, Rain took her own deep breath and closed
her eyes. Harmony watched as the Change came over her and felt her own body
aching as her baby turned into a wolf. Harmony had tied a human, knowing a wolf
would not be bound by the feeble bonds. She watched in pride as her daughter
used sharp teeth to bite through the bindings. Scrambling to her paws, Rain
shook off the clothes along with the rope. She nuzzled her mother, whining
softly.

“Go, baby. Go and don’t look back. Run, baby, run fast.” The
little wolf yipped in reply then bolted out of the dilapidated house. Closing
her eyes, Harmony fought more tears. At least her baby was safe.

“Oh Gareth, I do love you so…I’m so glad you’re safe too,”
she whispered in the cold, empty cabin, curling up to try to keep warm.

Running as fast, as hard as she could, Rain avoided the low
branches of the close-set trees. She knew she had to find her way to the road.
She tried hard to remember everything Gareth had told them about tracking,
about finding their way through the woods. Shit! Why hadn’t she paid better
attention? Her mom might die because she’d been laughing with Julie.

Rain heard the sound of an engine. Yes! The road had to be
that way. Sliding to a stop, she turned sharply to the right then started
running again. She had to find the Alpha and get him to save her mom. Her mom
couldn’t die!

Keme got out of his car slowly. He’d come back with an
invitation from his mom for the Johnsons to join them for a bonfire. But
something didn’t feel right. Though the living room lights were on he had the
feeling that the cabin in front of him was empty. Moving up to the front door,
he stopped when a sour smell hit his nose. He coughed then snorted, trying to
blow that scent away.

But the odor stayed. It was oddly familiar. Then he froze.
Rain had told him about her dad. He had a bad feeling that smell had something
to do with the other man. He knocked hard on the door, leaning against it to
listen for any movement inside.

“Rain? Mrs. Johnson? Anyone home?” he called out loudly as
he knocked again. Their car was right there, so they couldn’t have gone far. Leaving
the porch, he headed around the cabin toward Rain’s bedroom. He stopped again. That
smell was stronger here. Then fear gripped him hard. Shards of glass stuck up
from the window frame where someone had thrown something through the window or
somehow broken it. Levering himself up, he saw glass on the floor inside. He
smelled fear. Rain’s fear.

Keme spun around to race back to his car then stopped. He
debated about going to the lodge or back home for help, cursing himself for not
charging his cell phone. He’d left it at home not expecting to need it.

Pausing with his hand on the door handle, he heard another
car coming fast. He ran around to the woodpile to grab a piece of wood. If that
was Rain’s dad he’d do whatever it took to save her.

Keme was holding it like a bat when the dark-green sedan
zoomed in, gravel flying when it shuddered to a stop. The passenger-side door
flew open. Keme let go of his weapon along with the breath he hadn’t realized
he was holding. Relief shot through him as Gareth ran straight up to him,
grabbing both of Keme’s arms.

“Where are they?”

“I don’t know. I came back…” He stopped talking because Rion
joined them just as Gareth turned to jump onto the porch. Pulling his keys out
of his pocket, Gareth unlocked the door then threw it open.

All three of them stood in the living room, sniffing the
air. They took in the empty room. None of them spoke at the sight of the blood
on the floor. Keme ran for Rain’s bedroom, probably hoping to find Rain hiding
inside, while Gareth headed straight for the kitchen. At the anguished sounds
coming from Gareth, Rion and Keme rushed to join him. Rion reached out for his
brother but paused at the sight of even more blood.

Gareth turned to them, his eye glowing silver. His voice was
a low, vicious sound. “Keme, get to the res, tell Pete what’s happened. Rion,
go to the lodge. Find Micah.”

Gareth stripped as he talked. The other two scrambled to
catch up with him, shedding their clothes fast. Rion grabbed his brother’s arm,
shaking it slightly.

“Gareth, don’t do anything stupid. Come with me to the lodge.
We need the Alpha. We’ll find them together.”

“That bastard has my
mate
!” Even though the last word
was more growled than spoken, Keme felt the anguish in Gareth’s words.

Keme didn’t wait for the twins to argue over anything else.
Turning, he ran out of the house. He shifted as he ran. Keme was never gladder
that he’d been practicing just that move to try to impress Rain. Now he only
hoped he’d get a chance to show it to her.

Rain gasped for breath as she reached the road that led to
the lodge. She was breathing so hard she could hear her heart beating in her
ears as her breath whistled in and out of her snout. She leapt to the ditch
just as a truck turned onto the road behind her. Trembling in the shallow area,
she watched as the vehicle stopped. The familiar scent hit her just before the
Alpha and his mate got out of the cab. Micah approached her slowly, his brow
furrowed.

“Rain? Are you all right?” The concern in his voice made her
whimper.

Shaking her head, she shifted to stand before him just as
Olivia reached her side, putting an arm around her. “Breathe, sweetheart, you’re
safe, just breathe.”

Olivia had matched her own breathing to the calm words. Rain
felt calmer in response. But her heart still thudded in her chest. Rain swiped
a hand across her face then started talking. She knew she was babbling but she
couldn’t seem to stop. Words, emotions, it all poured out of her as she told
them what happened.

Micah’s face changed, his expression becoming stony even as
the color rose in his face. He tilted his head back then Rain heard him in her
head.

I call the protectors of the Pack. Attend me now. Come
quickly and come as wolves. Those who do not shift, bring weapons! Our Packmate
has been attacked and is in danger. Come now!

Just as that mental shout faded, a white wolf came streaking
through the woods. Rain thought it was Gareth at first, so she pulled away from
Olivia. Rain started toward him only to stop as he shifted. Disappointment
lanced through here when she saw it was Rion.

“Micah, Gareth has started tracking. Keme has gone to the
res to get help. I can follow Gareth but I don’t know how long he’ll be able to
follow the scent. He’s too emotional.” Rion sounded angry to Rain. Then she
realized he must be scared.

“But I am not.” Kaj’s voice came from behind them. “Together,
my brother wolf, you and I can find him. With our sister wolf’s help we will
rescue her mother.” Rain gaped as Kaj nodded toward her. His voice sounded so
smooth, so convincing in her head. He’d called her sister. She knew then that
she truly had people who would help her no matter what. They’d take care of her
mom and make her dad leave them alone.

She nodded. Micah told her to Change so she did. She shifted
back to her wolf just as everyone around her started stripping and shifting.
Rain realized she’d been butt-naked in front of them all. She hadn’t thought
about it or even cared.

Micah gave orders for some of the Pack to go to the road,
some to block various paths and back roads. Still more were to return to the lodge
and the cabin to protect the ones left behind.

Then he nodded to her.
Lead the way, little one. We will
follow you and we will find your mother.

Rain took off back in the direction she’d come with the
Alpha, his mate, Kaj and Rion all in hot pursuit. When they reached the road
Keme, Pete and Aunt Willow met them. Keme got as close to her as he could to
put his head near hers as they flew down the road.

You okay? I was so worried about you.

I’ll be okay. But we’ve got to get to my mom. He’s been
hitting her and I’m afraid he’ll kill her when he finds out I’m gone.

As the group of wolves drew closer to the place Rain remembered,
she saw a white shape flitting ahead of them through the trees. She knew
exactly who it was. Doubling her speed, she yelled in her head.
Gareth!

The wolf turned so fast he nearly did a flip then came
barreling toward her. He shifted, so did she too. She ran into his arms. As he
hugged her tight, she sobbed. “You’ve got to save my mom. He’s got her—”

“Take a breath, pup. I’m going to get him.” The rest of
their “rescue group”, as she thought of them, reached them. Rain took a step
back, pointing toward a crooked pine tree.

“The place is just back through there. There’s another bent,
scraggly tree and then a sort of clearing. Mom’s inside and he left to go get a
car. He’s planning to take us to Mexico.” She caught her breath as she looked
at Gareth and then at Micah. “I am not moving to Mexico!’

No, you’re definitely not!
Olivia sent the thought to
her then shifted. “Okay, sweetie. Here’s where we step back and let the men
move in. Not that we can’t kick butt in our own right but they can do it a bit
harder. You come with me.”

Rain hesitated, watching Gareth flow back into his wolf
form. Aunt Willow moved up beside Olivia. She shifted. Her aunt wrapped Rain
into a tight hug, saying, “You heard the Alpha female, Rain. Come here to stand
with us.”

Rain leaned into Willow then nodded. She moved with them as
the rest of their group followed directions. Keme hung back only when Kaj
barred his way with a soft growl. The two males shared some private
conversation then Keme moved to the females. He stayed in wolf form. Rain was
glad they had him. Their group moved quietly through the woods, following the
Pack.

The cabin came in sight, a big, black SUV parked haphazardly
in front. Tom was yelling at the top of his lungs. Shouting at Harmony to tell
him where Rain had gone, how she’d gotten away. A sharp cry rent the air and
with a loud growl Gareth ran full tilt at the door, knocking it off the
remaining hinge before skidding into the cabin. He’d outrun the rest of the
group, but Rain gaped as the Pack moved in fast. They moved so silently. She
jumped, as did Willow and Olivia when shots rang out. Rain choked back a
scream.

Harmony stared through swollen eyes as a familiar white wolf
burst into the cabin. She tried to tell him to stop but the words froze in her throat
as he shifted then started toward Tom. She screamed in rage when Tom lifted the
gun he’d been beating her with to shoot Gareth twice in the abdomen. She
screamed again as Gareth fell to the floor.

More shapes filled the room, all of them growling but Tom
laughed maniacally as he raised his gun to shoot more of them. She looked at
her mate, lying lifeless on the floor. Harmony got slowly to her knees.
Strength she didn’t know she possessed surged through her. That bastard hadn’t
just beaten her daughter, he’d shot her mate!

The growl that came out of her throat startled everyone else
into silence. Harmony suddenly felt as though her skin was too tight. She didn’t
take her eyes off Tom as she started moving toward him. Suddenly everything was
brighter, everything smelled different. When she lunged toward him, she was
shocked to see paws instead of hands. Tom screamed as she took him down but his
screaming stopped suddenly as she latched on to his throat. She shook him three
times. Hard.

She felt as well as heard his neck break. Dropping the
lifeless piece of shit on the floor, Harmony ignored the carcass as she moved
toward her mate, whining softly in her throat. She sniffed him then nudged him,
trying to get him up. All she could smell was blood. Her head whipped around as
one of the other shapes in the room started toward her. A vicious growl ripped
from her throat.
No!

Her panic-driven thoughts came in short, erratic bursts. The
human now hid behind wolf. The shock of shifting for the first time had short-circuited
her brain. Other males. Threats. They would kill her injured mate. She curled
her lips back to show her teeth. wolf took full charge with the scent of blood
in the air and the threats against her mate from the others.

Wolf didn’t care who they were or that the other was dead.
Wolf only wanted to protect. She tried to keep them all in sight, her head low
and her eyes moving quickly from one to the next. Too many, too close. She
wanted them away from her mate.

The others moved slowly but still she growled. Wolf was in
full protection mode. No one would harm her mate again. She took her eyes off
them only to nudge the male at her feet, giving a short whine when he didn’t
respond.

When they got too close she lunged, teeth bared. Fur flew as
she caught the ruff of one. Shaking, she crouched beside her bleeding mate. She
hacked fur from her mouth. She whined at her mate again, shoving him with her
nose. If she could get him up they could escape. The other wolves now stood too
far away for her to attack them. She would have to abandon her mate to get to
them. Nothing would make her do that. Nothing.

The wolves shimmered in front of her. She didn’t recognize
the two-leggeds as friends. There were no friends now. Only foe. And she would
do what had to be done. Ears flat back, she panted while searching for any way
to get them both out. They were
not
going to harm her mate! She had
killed the one who had hurt him. She growled again, snarling and snapping at
the others, keeping them away.

Movement in the doorway caught her eye. Harmony whirled to
face this new threat as some of the males dragged the dead man away. The scents
calmed her. That one was her own pup. The other two were females. One moved
toward her but one of the males stopped her. Harmony whined softly again. As
her rage cooled, her human side fought to get out but wolf was still in
control. The movement of the man reaching the other female made her scrabble
back to a safer distance. Her mate lay beside her now. His scent faded as his
blood drained.