Hunted (5 page)

“I knew better. I knew neither of my parents would have killed themselves. They were both healthy and believed our numbers too few to diminish them with unnecessary deaths. I tried pressing the issue but I was just a kid to most of the other clan members, even to the members of my home pride.

“Then Michael decided he needed to do something to secure his place as our alpha. So he tried to claim me as his mate. He didn’t give a damn that I was still grieving, nor did he care that I had absolutely no desire to be his mate. He was the alpha and, according to him, it was my duty to submit. He wouldn’t listen when cooler heads in the clan reminded him I was not yet of legal age either by normal law or by clan law. All he cared about was the fact I was the only child of the previous clan leaders.

“I won’t go into all the details right now.” I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready to trust Matt and the rest with everything that had happened. “Let’s just say it got bad enough that I packed a few things and ran. I figured he’d come after me and he did, or rather he sent trackers after me. They’ve come close over the years to capturing me, but never as close as today. If Matt hadn’t turned up when he did, I’d be sedated, secured and on my way back to Northern California.”

And to a fate much worse than death, but I didn’t want to think about that just then.

Sharon nodded, her expression hard. “You’re an alpha. Why haven’t you returned to claim leadership for yourself?”

I didn’t answer right away. For one thing, I wasn’t sure how to respond. Would any of them understand that I hadn’t realized I was an alpha? I’d been on the run for so long and had been isolated from pack and pride all that time. Since leaving California, my main goal had been to steer clear of others of our kind. So I’d had no one to compare myself with. To me, I was still that young shape-shifter, only a few years into my shifting, who had fled the clan.

To my surprise, Matt answered for me. “Shar, she’s been running all this time, trying to stay off Jennings’ radar. I’m betting she hasn’t been around another of our kind in anything except passing since she left home.” When he looked at me for confirmation, I nodded. “You should have seen the look on her face when I basically asked why a female alpha was on her own and not part of a pride and clan. She looked like I’d just hit her with a two-by-four.”

“He’s right. Until that moment, I’d never even considered I might be an alpha. I’ve spent all these years doing my best to hide what I am. Guess I did a good enough job that I hid it even from me. I still haven’t wrapped my head around it.”

And it was something I’d have to think about. If I really was an alpha, I could go back and challenge Michael. Unfortunately, there was another disadvantage of being on my own so long besides not realizing just how strong I was: I hadn’t been able to shift regularly. Nor had I kept in fighting trim, especially not in my shifted form. If I were to show up and challenge him now, I’d lose and then I’d be exactly where he wanted me, a member of his clan and subject to his whim.

“So what are you going to do?” a slender man with thinning blond hair asked.

“Rico,” Matt said, a hint of impatience in his voice.

“Sorry. I’m Rico Garces.” He blushed slightly.

“I’ll be honest. I don’t know what I’m going to do. In the past, when I’ve felt the trackers getting close, I’ve simply packed up and gone on the run again. This is the first time in a very long while that they’ve gotten this close to me. Part of me wants to run just as far and as fast as I can. But another part, the sane part, wants to accept your clan leader’s offer of protection, at least until I know more not only about how they found me but also what they did to make the taser hurt me like it did.”

“I have one question,” Stefan said softly from his place on the sofa to my right. “How did you happen to be there when all this was going down, Matt?”

That was something I’d like to know as well. I twisted slightly in my chair so I could watch him.

“Sheer luck. I was leaving the office and had just gotten in my car when I scented a shape-changer I wasn’t familiar with. It was followed almost instantly by fear and then anger. I figured we had a rogue in the area hunting a normal. The last thing I expected was to find a tracker, much less three of them.

“Anyway, I went tearing through the garage, hoping I got there in time to prevent a slaughter. When I saw Finn here trying to get away, all I knew was I had to make sure those bastards didn’t get their hands on her. It didn’t dawn on me who she was, or who those bastards were, until we were well away from that parking garage.”

“Thank God you were there,” was all I could say.

“I’d say thank God you didn’t hesitate when I told you to get into my car.”

“So, what do we do now?” the last of his advisors wanted to know.

I’d almost forgotten about him. He was almost as small as Stefan but, where the doctor appeared small and non-descript, he looked like he could go ten rounds with any of us and win. There was something about him, something dangerous. It was as if he barely had his animal form under control. I’d known people like that growing up. They’d often served as my parents’ enforcers in pride and clan. Then they had reminded me of the berserkers of legend. Always ready for a fight and, when finally angered, hard to control. But they had been loyal almost to a fault and they had been the first to leave the clan after Michael Jennings took over.

“Daniel Gillespie, my right hand,” Matt supplied.

“Your enforcer, unless I miss my guess.” Let them see I knew the dynamics of a strong clan.

“Yes,” Gillespie confirmed. “I met your parents several times. You have the look of your mother.”

I swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

“But you do present a problem for the clan.”

“That’s enough, Danny!” Matt snapped.

“No. He’s right. I do present a problem. If I stay here and accept your offer of protection, I put you in direct conflict with Michael. We all know that.”

“I’m already in direct conflict with him,” Matt said simply. “He sent people into our territory without asking permission or giving us warning. If he wants trouble, he already has it.” He pushed out of his chair and paced the length of the room before coming back to stand next to my chair. “Damn it, he violated our territory. Worse, he’s been hunting her, an alpha female, and lying to the other clans about why. I will not turn her over to him, nor will I force her to go on the run again.”

“Matt, they’re right to ask these questions. That’s why you have them as your advisors.” I waited until he nodded, some of the tension leaving his expression. “None of you have any reason to trust me. All I can say is that you have my word that I didn’t mean to bring trouble to your clan. I never wanted trouble with Michael. I simply didn’t want to be forced to be his mate. That’s just as true today as it was so long ago.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re one of us, Finn.” Sharon got to her feet and moved to stand to my left, opposite her brother. “We’ve heard some of the stories coming from the Northern California clan and none of us have liked them. If Matt hadn’t offered you shelter, I would have.”

“As would I,” Stefan said.

“Then it’s settled.” Matt looked at his sister and uncle, his expression reflecting a gratitude I shared. “Danny, make sure there’s extra security around the house and at Finn’s apartment. Use your contacts with the cops to keep an eye on the airports. I want to know where the trackers are. Hell, I want the trackers.”

“Understood.” Gillespie got to his feet and moved to stand before me. “Despite what you might think, I am glad you’re here. Your parents were good to me when I was just starting college. I’m glad to have the chance to repay their kindness by helping their daughter now.”

“Thank you. My folks were good people. I only hope I do them proud one day.” Tears burned my eyes and I blinked them back.

“I’d say you already have, ma’am.” He gave a nod and, a moment later, he was gone.

“Matt, let me know if you need anything,” Garces said as he stood. “I’ll touch base with my contacts and see if they can tell me anything.”

“Thanks, Adam.”

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easily,” Sharon commented once Garces and Stefan had left. “You’re going to need some clothes, Finn. I’ll pick some up for you.”

“Thanks.” Just then, that sounded better than almost anything. I really couldn’t go around in a robe until Matt decided it was safe for me to go to my apartment.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Matt, make sure she gets some rest.”

Rest? I wasn’t sure I’d be able to rest until I knew for certain the trackers were far away from here.

I was up before the birds, literally. Of course, that’s not hard to do when you don’t sleep. It didn’t matter that I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Nor did it matter that I knew I needed to rest to allow my body to finish healing. Whatever the trackers had tainted the taser barbs with had slowed the natural healing process. There were still moments when I moved wrong and pain reminded me of what had nearly happened the day before. It also reminded me just how much I had come to rely on the rapid healing shape-changers usually enjoyed.

None of which helped improve my temper.

But that wasn’t why I was up at this ungodly hour. Well, not entirely at least. I’d spent much of the night thinking about what had happened--and what could have happened had Matt not shown up when he did. I hadn’t been exaggerating when I told Sharon that I’d have been sedated and secured--read bound and gagged--and on my way back to Northern California if the trackers had managed to get their hands on me. The fact they’d risked the tainted barbs spoke volumes about just how desperate Michael had become.

That worried me because it didn’t make any sense. He’d had years to consolidate his hold over the clan. So why did he feel like he still needed me? Surely, he’d taken a mate by now. Clan leaders were expected to mate, to help propagate the clan. They didn’t have to take a mate from within the clan, nor did they even have to mate with a shape-shifter. We’d figured out long ago that we were the result of some sort of genetic mutation or recessive gene. We were born, not made. It wasn’t like the movies where a bite or scratch from one of us would create a new shifter. 

And that brought me back to Michael. If he had taken a mate, then why did he need me? Surely he wasn’t continuing the hunt simply because I’d hurt his pride when I ran. I’d known even then how he was one to hold a grudge. But to hold it this long seemed impossible, even for him.

Of course, I had done more than just hurt his pride. I’d used teeth and claws and had drawn more than a little blood in my attempt to keep him off me that last day. Unless I missed my guess, he saw the scars every time he looked in the mirror. It was possible that explained why he hadn’t given up.

There was another explanation. It was possible he’d figured out I was an alpha. If he did, he’d be worried I might come back and challenge him for leadership of the clan. It didn’t matter that it made about as much sense as thinking I’d willingly return to be his mate. But if I hadn’t known I was an alpha until Matt pointed it out, how could he? I knew none of the previous trackers had gotten close enough to sense it. Hell, I’d done a very good job making sure no one like us ever got that close to me.

Now, as I stared out the bedroom window, watching the first rays of sun touching the sky, I was no closer to the answers than I had been since finding myself trapped in the parking garage. But I did have a plan, or at least the first glimmer of one. Whether it would work or not depended on several things, not the least of which was Matt.

Matt.

Just the thought of him had my jaguar stirring. I couldn’t deny the attraction I felt for him. Every time he’d come within ten feet of me last night, my pulse had quickened and it had been all I could do to keep from reaching for him. It wasn’t exactly that I wanted to throw him down on the floor and make love to him--although I’m not sure I’d have objected if he’d suggested it. There had been a need, that was the only way to describe it, to touch him, to be in contact with him. The fact that my jaguar responded as well told me it was more than just physical attraction. If that had been all, it wouldn’t have bothered me on so many different levels, not all of them bad.

For the record, I’m a fairly normal, healthy young woman. Even though I’ve been on the run for years and have done my best not to form attachments, I haven’t been celibate. I’ve been attracted to men before but never like this. Never had my jaguar responded to anyone on this level and that frightened me a little.

Okay, it frightened me a lot.

But it also helped me form a plan. Or the start of a plan. Hopefully one that would finally get Michael to leave me alone.

If I managed to screw up enough courage to talk to Matt about it.

One thing was sure. Nothing would be accomplished by staying hidden in the bedroom.

Ten minutes later, freshly showered and wrapped in the robe Stefan had given me the day before, I made my way to the kitchen. Early as it was, there could be no mistaking the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Thank God. The world would look a whole lot better after I’d had at least a mug to kick-start my system.

Sitting at the table, hands wrapped around a mug, looking about as perky as I felt was Sharon. Dressed in a faded pair of black sweat pants and tank top, hair mussed, there was no mistaking the fact she was as much a night owl as I was. Most of our kind were. Mornings were an anathema we had to live with but we didn’t have to like them.

“Morning.” I moved to the cabinets and began opening them in search of a mug. Hell, I’d settle for a glass, even a bowl, anything that would hold coffee. Fortunately, I found a mug first.

“Morning.” Sharon looked up, pushing back a lock of hair that had fallen across her brow. “You look better, tired but better.”

“Thanks.” I slid onto the chair opposite her. “I didn’t expect to find you here this morning.”
Smooth, Finn
.  

Fortunately, Sharon smiled. “Matt asked me to stay. He had an early meeting this morning and wanted to meet with Danny beforehand.”