For the Good of All (Law of the Lycans Book 7) (35 page)

The attempted cure hadn’t been completely successful, unfortunately.

As he’d watched her shake with fever, delirious and near death, he’d been moved with an unfamiliar pity. Or maybe it had been an act of chivalry. As one of the nobility, chivalrous deeds
were
expected of him, after all. Whatever the case, he’d broken his own rule of non-interference, and now she also bore the scent of the jaguar. He, too, had given her blood to keep her alive. Afterwards, he’d deposited her at the home of a local family, expecting she’d soon revive and be on her way. Yet, for some reason his blood hadn’t completely cured her either. Maybe being part witch was the difficulty. Or, more likely, it was the bullet still lodged in her leg. Prompting the family to bring her here had been his last attempt to help her. If the nun couldn’t save her then it was the will of the gods that she died.

He turned to the young girl that was hovering nearby.

“You may leave.”

“But Sister Bernita said—”

“And I say otherwise.” He fixed her with a pointed stare. “Go. Do something over there.” Once he’d shooed her away, he sat down on the stool near the patient’s cot to study her.

She was still pale with dark shadows under her eyes. He leaned forward and touched her forehead. It was cool, no sign of fever. Her chances of survival seemed higher now. His hand lingered on her face then brushed her hair back, tucking a few strands behind her ear. Interesting. Some of the tips were blue, others were pink. Had one of her spells gone wrong? Surely no one would do that to their hair on purpose.

Had she been well, she’d be pretty enough, he supposed. Strong, given that she’d survived a jungle trek, and determined. He was impressed that, even badly wounded, she’d managed to hide herself away under a bush. If circumstances had been different, if the wolf hadn’t covered her in his scent… No. That was just a passing fancy. She wasn’t a jaguar and besides, his interests lay elsewhere.

He eased back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If Stone delivered on his promise to get rid of the other Lycans, he’d have to bring the man here. The woman—Christina—wouldn’t be strong enough to move for a day or two. That meant the Lycan would linger in the area. Well, he’d just have to help transport the woman out of the jungle. It was an inconvenience but couldn’t be avoided. Lycans in his territory were not acceptable, and he wanted them gone as soon as possible. A female jaguar had passed through the territory recently and Esteban hoped to claim her. Having other shifters in the area would be too distracting to the courtship process.

Esteban stood and signalled for the young woman, Anna, to approach. “You can tell the good sister that I’ll be back to check on this patient soon.”

“Sí, señor
.”

He left the infirmary, nodding to the guards as he exited the compound. They crossed themselves as he passed and the corner of his mouth twitched. The locals had created quite a folklore around him, whispering that he could magically appear and disappear, that he was one of the ancient gods come back to life, that he lived in a palace deep in the jungle. The stories were amusing and somewhat true. Of course, no one ever said as much to his face likely fearing his wrath would rain down upon them. He made no effort to dispel that fear. It was useful.
Los capos de dragos
avoided him, too, and he enjoyed his solitary existence...for the most part.

Once out of sight of the orphanage, he shifted forms and headed towards the edge of the jungle where he’d instructed Stone to meet him. Hopefully, the Lycan had been successful.

Stone sat in the jeep, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for Esteban. He was later than he’d planned. The police had been milling about, questioning the man who had been tied up and everyone else in the vicinity. It had taken some work to sneak back into the hotel, ditch the waiter’s uniform and gather his own clothes without being seen. There was only a slim chance that anyone would recall the incompetent waiter who’d doused guests with water earlier in the day, however he wasn’t taking any chances. Being detained was the last thing he needed right now.

Admitting his failure to dispose of Dante was going to stick in his throat. Esteban would lord it over him, he was sure. But there was a bigger issue at hand and he’d need the cat’s assistance to deal with it.

Organ harvesting from unwilling participants. The very idea made him ill. It had to be one of the vilest crimes out there.

Yes, sometimes the impoverished were coerced into selling a kidney. It wasn’t completely ethical but at least they were consenting adults. But this went beyond that. There’d been talk of children! That a Lycan would stoop low enough to be involved in such an activity had him seething with rage. His wolf was almost uncontrollable, its eyes red, lips curled back to expose its fangs.

When we find him, we’ll show no mercy. Justice shall be served. His lungs will be ripped out for every set he has stolen. His heart, his liver, his kidney. I will tear him to shreds one piece at a time.

Stone let the animal rant. It was what he’d be doing himself if he didn’t have to plot his next move. Dante wasn’t in this alone. The Sister Denise that had been mentioned at Mendoza’s home was likely Deirdre. It would be too much of a coincidence if it wasn’t.

Deirdre. In his mind, the woman was no longer his sister. There was no pack connection left. He’d shown her mercy once based on the past. Never again. He would kill her with no more compunction than he’d squash a mosquito. Nothing could justify what she was doing. Nothing.

His phone rang. It was Reno.

“What happened with you and Dante?” Reno didn’t even say hello.

“The bastard managed to out manoeuvre me.”

“He’s good.”

“I know. I’ve been chasing him for over a year. Every time I’d get close, he’d pull another trick out of his sleeve.”

Reno grunted in agreement. “And what about the buyer? Saul, I think you said his name was.”

“I’ve no idea. I didn’t see him anywhere. He likely saw the crowd around the truck and left as fast as possible. Did you manage to get hold of an official agency to track him down?”

“The U.S. government is on it.”

“Good. Now if I can just get my hands on Dante and rip his heart out—”

“Listen, if you catch Dante give me a call before you kill him. I have a few questions for him.”

“Sure. I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks. Any luck finding Tina’s body?”

“Not yet but I have a strong lead.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Stone ended the call, idly wondering what Reno wanted to question Dante about. The man was as slimy as they came so who knew what crime Reno was trying to pin on him.

A movement in the bushes drew his attention. Esteban.

Stone climbed out of his vehicle and waited for the cat to become human.

“Well?” Once again the feline wasted no time with social niceties. That suited Stone just fine.

“Dante got away.”

“Really?” The man’s mouth curled derisively but Stone cut him off.

“We have a bigger problem here than you being ticked off over sharing your territory.”

Esteban narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“There’s an organ trafficking ring operating in the area and it appears it’s planning on targeting children.”

“Children?” Esteban’s face darkened. “What proof do you have?”

Stone related what he had discovered. How the cat would react, he wasn’t sure. Felines tended to be solitary creatures who were difficult to deal with.

When the facts had been relayed, Esteban shot him an accusing look. “This is your fault. Filthy Lycan dogs have been nothing but trouble since they appeared here.”

“You can’t lay this all at our feet. Yes, it appears a few Lycans are involved but who else is in the mix is anyone’s guess. There’s good and bad in all species, Esteban. If you want to get right down to it, this could be your fault.”

“Mine?”

“You say this is your territory, but this has been going on right under your nose for who knows how long.”

“I don’t involve myself in the affairs of other species.” Esteban crossed his arms, a haughty look coming over him. “That has never been the jaguar way.”

“No. You just prowl around with your nose in the air never helping anyone. You could have helped the Lycans at the embassy, spared the two pups from being orphaned.”

“I helped the witch.”

“The witch?” Stone blinked, momentarily thrown off by the announcement. “You helped Christina?”

Esteban tightened his jaw, appearing reluctant to say more then finally he nodded. “I did. I found her still alive hiding under a bush. She was delirious, fevered.”

Stone closed his eyes as a pain seemed to pierce his chest. “At least she didn’t die alone. Thank you for that.”

“You realize you haven’t completed your end of the bargain yet. Those Lycans are still at large.”

Any softening of feeling Stone might have had towards the Jaguar ended. “I know and you won’t tell me where her body is until I do.”

“That was our original agreement; however, I’m feeling benevolent.” The jaguar looked away, lips pursed. “What if I told you she wasn’t dead?”

There was a beat before Stone reacted, his brain not even processing what he’d just heard. Then it sank in. “What?” A myriad of emotions raced through him. Shock, relief, joy, anger. “She’s alive and you didn’t tell me?” A rumble rose in his throat and he took a threatening step forward.

“When we spoke, I wasn’t sure she would live.” Esteban gave a shrug. “It would have been cruel to tell you she was alive only to have her die before you saw her.”

“Cruel?” Stone opened his mouth but no words came out. Rage and disbelief at the man’s gall waged inside him.

“You can thank me later for my consideration of your well-being. In the meantime, I suppose you’d like to see her?”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take me to her this very instant before I kill you.”

“If you kill me, you’ll never know where she is, will you?” Esteban coolly raised one brow.

His wolf growled in frustration and Stone did nothing to suppress the sound.

Esteban sniffed. “Fine. I’ll take you to her but you’ll need to exercise some patience.”

“She’s far from here?”

“Relatively speaking, no. However, Sister Bernita locks the gates at sundown and no one is admitted until dawn the next day.”

“Sister Bernita? Christina is at the orphanage?”

Esteban nodded. “She was dropped off there this morning. The bullet in her leg was preventing her from healing. The good sister performed surgery today to remove it.”

Stone recalled one of the guards saying there was someone at the gate who needed medical attention. While he’d been up to his ankles in shit and pushing a recalcitrant cow, Christina had been just yards away. He could have held her, been with her during surgery. Instead he’d left her behind...again.

And yet, if he had stayed, Dante would have sold that man to an organ trafficker. An innocent life had been saved and now there was a chance that the trafficking ring might be broken.

For the good of all. He could almost hear Christina saying the words. She would have wanted him to go if she’d known.

But now… He gave a decisive nod. In the morning he would be at her side again, and this time not even a pack of hell-hounds would keep him away.

Chapter 16

Tina tried to swallow. Her mouth was dry; her tongue felt twice its usual size. Her eyes seemed to be stuck shut and her mind was muzzy, as if her brain were surrounded by bubble wrap and the thoughts couldn’t move about or connect to form any kind of sense. That was okay. She liked bubble wrap. With a bubble wrapped brain, you could float along all warm and cozy and safe.

She hadn’t felt safe in a long time. Exactly why, she wasn’t sure. Random thoughts faded in and out; bullets, drugs, jaguars, wolves. Being too hot, too cold. Pain, fear. At times she’d called out for help, seen visions of a stony mountain, forbidding and icy yet she’d known it meant safety if only she could reach it. The sight had never lasted though. More often, darkness had surrounded, insidiously creeping closer, invading her being, stealing her energy. It had become harder and harder to push it away. Giving in had begun to seem easier than fighting the inevitable.

The darkness was fading now, a pleasant glow filling her soul. She could relax and drift, no worries or cares, just her and her bubble wrap of safety. Sleep beckoned but a vague throbbing in her leg was making itself known. A bell chimed in the distance and faint sounds began to reach her ears. Someone must be popping her bubbles, trying to make her brain wake up and face reality. She frowned not wanting to leave her present state.

A hand touched her brow; a cup pressed to her lips. She swallowed the offered water, the dryness in her mouth receding. Calm and quiet returned for a moment only to be abruptly swept away by a voice. Loud, deep, filled with emotion.

“Christina.”

The mountain had returned and now the bubble wrap around her brain was dissolving. She forced her lips to move. “Bubble wrap.”