Pack Community (Were Chronicles) (5 page)

They reached the first cave and Dawson went first. While he nosed around the opening, Gray watched his back, keeping every one of his senses open to any danger around them.

Dawson looked back at him and Gray nudged him to go ahead. He didn’t smell any others around so it should be pretty safe.

Gray stayed outside while Dawson searched the cave. After the bobcat came out and shook himself, they moved along to the next one.

It was another hour of searching, the two of them growing more and more frustrated, before they picked up a scent that should not have been there.

Gray smelt another wolf.

He lowered himself to the ground and growled low in the back of his throat. Dawson turned to him and followed his direction.

This was what they’d been looking for—a sign that someone had been up there. It could have just been a lone wolf, but Gray didn’t want to take a chance.

Gray stood watch as Dawson moved farther up the canyon, which was becoming steeper until even Dawson had a little trouble with his footing. Gray stayed close, though, giving Dawson room but still offering the security he would need to concentrate on any scents.

The two of them followed the faint trail for another half an hour before Dawson stopped and rested. Gray sat close by, on watch. When he felt a nudge and Dawson dipped his head, he understood the message to change back to human.

Once both men had gone from animal to human, they shared a troubled look.

“Wolf and feline,” Gray shared.

“Yes, the farther up we go it gets stronger.” Dawson shook his head. “The beginning of the trail was a lot harder to find. Now that we’re getting closer, it’s like they’re waving around their scents. I don’t know whether they got careless or if they don’t care if we find them.”

“A trap then?” Gray asked, as he’d had the same thought.

“I don’t know,” Dawson admitted. “But I have a bad feeling.”

Gray nodded. “So do we turn around and get help or should we go further?”

They stood thinking for several minutes before Dawson spoke again. “There’s something else. One of the scents. I know it.”

“From town?”

“No…” Dawson started but was interrupted by a low menacing growl.

Gray moved without even having to think about it. He jumped in front of Dawson, shifted, and blocked the other man from the wolf slowly approaching from a ledge just overhead.

The dark wolf was bigger than Gray, but he had no doubt he could handle him. That was until another growl reached him from behind. He felt the disturbance in the wind as Dawson shifted into his feline form, and the two of them backed up against each other.

Gray watched as they were stalked. The muscles in his legs flexed as he prepared to defend. He was less than ten feet from the wolf. He couldn’t tell how close the other one was but the stiffness from Dawson’s body told him it wasn’t far.

Gray took a deep breath. The other wolf watched him and, just as Gray prepared to jump, the larger wolf launched itself off the ledge.

Gray caught the wolf in mid-air and they went down hard. The wolf could fight, that was for sure. Gray was in good shape from being a cop and as protection for his Alpha, but the wolf he fought was good—very good.

They nipped and bit as they rolled around. He couldn’t take his eyes off his opponent but he hoped the commotion from the side was Dawson faring better than him.

Gray just managed to stop himself from being pinned by teeth around his neck. He pushed off the other wolf, dragging his claws against the underbelly of the enemy. The black wolf snarled at him and went for him again when the small body of a bobcat knocked into the wolf.

Dawson had come to his aid. Gray rose from the ground as Dawson backed the wolf up. Gray was just ducking in for another attack when he stopped at the loud and vicious roar of a cat.

They froze and glanced up at the feline above them. A bobcat, similar to Dawson but just a little bigger, was within striking distance.

The cat roared again before he started to shift.

“Stop!” the now naked man ordered. “Shift.”

Gray glanced at Dawson but his attention was frozen, staring up at the stranger. He nudged his partner, asking what they should do. Did he know the other shifters?

He nudged Dawson harder and finally Dawson shook himself and nodded. They stepped back together to get more distance from the strangers before they started their shifts.

The two they had fought were back to human just as Gray and Dawson finished.

Gray looked over the others warily. The wolf he’d fought was a big guy—huge and muscular with tattoos down both arms, his chest and abdomen. The big Semper Fi tat over his heart was testament to where he had received his training. The one that Dawson had taken on was about Gray’s size, clean-cut, and looked like a typical soldier. Then he took in the man still on the ledge above them. He was tall but thinner than his partners, though still muscular, and his demeanour screamed leader.

“Dawson,” the man greeted and jumped down, landing gracefully on his feet.

Dawson had once again gone tense beside Gray. “Casey.”

Gray watched the interaction. Casey moved slowly towards them and Gray didn’t like the way Dawson started to shake.

He shuffled his feet and tried to make himself bigger and block Dawson.

The man coming towards them put up his hands. “Dawson…”

Gray was unprepared for Dawson to come around him and punch the man. His head snapped back. Before he recovered, Dawson hit him again. Gray grabbed Dawson’s arms and pulled him back as the other two men started forward. But the man he’d assaulted held up a hand.

“It’s okay.”

Dawson didn’t even try to break free of Gray’s hold. Instead he stood there, breathing hard, and glaring daggers at the other man.

“I know what you must think…”

“Save it, Case,” Dawson snapped. “I’m all right, Gray. You can let go.”

Gray still wasn’t sure but he dropped his hold anyway. Maybe they could get some answers.

Dawson straightened. “You all have just assaulted an officer of this county and his consultant. I would like an explanation before I haul all your asses in to jail.”

The two wolves bristled before they were waved off. “RJ, Mike—please meet my brother, Dawson.” Then he walked towards Gray and held out a hand. “Casey Williams.”

Gray cut his eyes to Dawson, who barely nodded his confirmation. Gray shook hands, noticing the power of the cat close to the surface. “Gray Mason.”

“Ah, the Wolf Council’s representative,” Casey said with a smile. “Didn’t think you’d get here so quick.”

Gray stiffened but Casey just grinned.

“Follow us. I think we have some explaining to do.”

Casey led the way back up into the canyon. Dawson and Gray walked side by side, with the two wolves bringing up the rear. Gray didn’t like strange wolves at his back and he stayed on alert. He needed to know what was going on. They obviously knew who he was.

The path was well hidden. He and Dawson probably would have found it but only in shifted form and by scent. Casey called out as they approached a cave entrance. A small but sturdy man edged out.

Dawson and Gray both took fighting stance and prepared to shift.

“Stop.” The power behind that voice had everyone freezing. “We are not enemies.”

Gray gasped when the person belonging to the voice walked out of the darkness. After months of searching, he now stood face to face with Prince Zachary, the leader of the felines.

“What the hell!” Gray growled. He had been away from home for months in hopes that they would be able to rescue the Prince and stop a war between the two species.

“Grayson.” Prince Zachary bowed his head in respect. “We have much to speak about. Please come sit with us.”

Gray’s feet started to move before he had even realised it. It was a shock just how much pull the Prince had. He felt a little better with Dawson at his back.

The Prince motioned them to the pallets of bedding on the cave floor. Gray sat warily and noted the Prince eyeing Dawson. “Dawson Williams.” He held out a hand.

Dawson looked uncomfortable but grasped the Prince’s hand. He let out a small unmanly squeak when he was pulled into the arms of the Prince.

“I have wanted to meet you for so long. Your brother has told me stories of this canyon and your family for many years. Forgive me, but I feel like I already know you.”

Dawson cut his gaze to his brother. Casey shifted a little on his feet. It was interesting, this family dynamic, but Gray was getting impatient. He wanted to know what was going on and he wanted to know
why
.

Prince Zachary released Dawson, who sat down quickly next to Gray. Gray gripped his shoulder to show support while the others nodded. Dawson nodded back in thanks.

“Before you is RJ Cross, Mike Jackson”—he motioned to the two wolves—“and Jesse Grimes.” He waved his hand at the small feline shifter who was still eyeing them.

“Also let me convey my great appreciation to the Wolf Council for everything they have done for me and my people over the last few months,” Prince Zachary started.

Gray bit back mentioning just how much they had done only to have the Prince found just fine.

“Until last week I was under imprisonment by a few of my trusted advisors,” Prince Zachary told them. “They would discuss the wolves’ involvement in the search. Even had pictures of all of you. That was how I knew who you were.”

“We were tracking Zach also and almost ran into one of your other teams. It seemed like we were getting much of the same information,” Casey added.

“If you were going after the Prince, why didn’t you let the team you saw know? Don’t you think that would have helped with the search instead of everyone covering the same ground?” Dawson questioned.

Casey shook his head. “We didn’t know who to trust. We kept getting close but they would pull out and move before we got there.”

Gray could understand that—he really could—but that didn’t help him feel less frustrated. “So instead of letting us know you had the Prince safe, you continued to run and lead us here?”

“We weren’t trying to draw you in. When we went in for Zach, there were only a few guards. We want everyone responsible.”

“Okay.” Gray agreed with that strategy. “Why tell us now?”

“You’re good,” Casey complimented. “And I know I can trust Dawson.”

Dawson snorted. “You don’t know anything about me, Case. You left. We haven’t heard from you in years.”

Casey frowned and scooted closer to his brother. “I’ve kept an eye on you and Beth as best I could. My unit does a lot of work out of the country, and the rest of the time we protect Zach. I had people watching.”

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better,” Dawson drawled bitterly. “You’ve had people spying on me.”

Casey tried to respond but the Prince cut him off. “It’s one of the reasons we’re here. Anyone who knows I’ve been rescued will have no doubt your brother was involved. He wanted to make sure you and your sister were safe—that they didn’t try to get me through you.”

“Why would anyone come after us?” Dawson asked suspiciously.

Chapter Five

Gray knew he was staring but he couldn’t help it. Dawson’s brother was mates with the feline Prince. He hadn’t seen that one coming.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Dawson jumped to his feet.

Casey rose and crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s my mate.”

Dawson shook his head and looked over at Gray. “This is nuts.”

Gray climbed up. “Makes sense, though.” He glanced over at Casey. “That’s why you kept getting close. You could feel him through your bond.”

Casey nodded. “I was on a mission when he was taken. Only a few people knew that we”—he waved indicating the group around him—“weren’t in the residence. I knew it had to be someone we trusted behind the kidnapping.”

“Who was it?”

It was the Prince that answered. “My cousin Raphael. He was one of my advisors.”

“Dawson, come on, man. We need to hear the rest of this.” Gray tugged Dawson back to sitting down. He noticed, when Casey sat, it was closer to the Prince.

“I mean no disrespect to you, Prince Zachary, but this is just a lot to take in. If you’re mated to Casey that means my sister and son really are in danger.”

“They are being protected. I have an old major that used to be in the unit looking out for them,” Casey assured his brother.

“What…? Who?”

Casey smiled. “Claude.”

“From the inn?” Gray had to ask. He’d felt the power and strength from the man. “He’s not a wolf or a feline.” He glanced at Dawson for confirmation.

The tattooed wolf, who had until then remained quiet, chuckled.

Gray glared at him.

“Hey, it’s okay, man. I never could figure it out. Finally, right before our last tour together, I asked him.”

“Well…?” Gray prompted when the man didn’t continue. He found both he and Dawson were leaning forward.