Savage Sanctuary 2: Panther Moon (17 page)

night of her change, he’d moved into the guest room but was planning to head back to

his own place, his own life first thing in the morning.

I’ll miss him,
Trea said to her mate using the cooler-than-heck telepathic connection.

Hudson’s arm went around her.
I know, honey. He’s a good friend to us. Always will be.

Think he’ll find someone?

Here’s hoping. I just know that it’s a comfort to me knowing that if anything were to happen
to me, he’d—

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Panther Moon

Shh. Don’t say it! Not ever.

His laughter swept softly, like a physical caress, through her mind.

While they’d been having their little private moment, Max and Rio were talking so

she brought herself back and listened. “It was the damndest thing,” Max said quietly. “I hooked up with several warriors from the Midwest Tribe and we began to stalk bars in

the area. Walter Creek likes his booze.” He stretched out his long frame, crossing his booted feet at the ankle. “He had a regular haunt so it wasn’t hard to sit nearby and listen in on his conversations. Nothing at all was ever mentioned about Trea or the

murder of our parents.” Max shrugged. “Maybe he thought the story of people who

turned into panthers seemed too implausible for the crowd he hung out with. Who

knows?”

“And he just disappeared?” Hudson asked.

“Yeah. Weird. We’d planned to grab him when he was alone but normally Creek

hung out with groups. One night he didn’t show up to meet his drinking buddies.

Another panther detail was assigned to watch his mother’s house and he just

disappeared. Titus called and told me about the traps they’d found here and suggested my time could be better spent here. The Chicago panthers will keep looking for him.”

Rio took a sip from his glass. “Titus filled us in on the traps in the area. Altogether, seven traps were found and sprung and thank the gods no one was hurt. The scent of a

human is strong in the woods. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re back. We can use all the help we can get in tracking this dude.”

Trea didn’t want her reunion with her brother marred by this talk of traps and

murder. Leaning forward a bit, she smiled at her brother. “Are you staying, Max? What have you decided?” Max was her only remaining family and she didn’t realize until

now how important his answer would be.

Max glanced from her to Hudson. “I’m turning in my resignation at the Houston

PD. Had a long talk with our king before I came over here tonight. He has offered me

choice of several plots of land on which to build and the offer of work at Declan Tech.”

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He looked from Rio to Hudson and back again. “Looks like I’ll be working security with you two.”

Hudson tipped his beer in Max’s direction. “Good news, brother. We can use a man

like you. Welcome aboard.”

“My problem now is finding a place to stay,” Max said. “I don’t want to impose on

Titus and Mahara.”

“You can stay here. With us.” Trea thought her smile would crack her face. Having

her brother here would be a miracle but then Max shook his head, grinning.

“And impose on a newly mated couple? Hell no! I’m not that big an ass.”

“Reconsider,” Hudson said flatly. “You’d only be here long enough to build your

own place. We’d like having you.”

“Thanks but no, Hudson.”

Rio leaned forward, propping his elbows on the tile-topped table. “I have an idea.

I’ll be heading back to my place in the morning. Why don’t you bunk with me? I have

plenty of room.”

Max sat thoughtfully for a moment before finally grinning. “All right, Rio. That

sounds like a good plan. Maybe sometime tomorrow you could come with me to scout

some locations on which to build. You know the area a lot better than I do.”

Rio opened his mouth to speak but suddenly his cell phone rang and conversation

halted. Trea watched Hudson’s eyes narrow briefly as Rio answered.

“Titus?” Rio paused. A grim expression crossed his face. “Be right there.” Another

pause as he looked between Hudson and Max. “Yes, yes, they’re here.” Alarmed, Trea

went still. Rio’s lips formed a hard line as he listened to Titus. Finally, he nodded. “If you insist. Max and I will be out right away.”

When Rio disconnected he looked around the table. “A teenaged boy was caught in

another trap. He’s hurt but since he has recently gone through his first shift, he’s

healing fast.”

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“Fuck!” Hudson went to his feet. “I thought all the kids were told to stay away from

the woods!”

“They were. Our teenagers are no different from the human ones. Don’t listen to a

damn thing.”

“Where was he found?”

“South woods. Titus wants Max and me to head out there.”

“You aren’t going?” Trea asked her mate.

Hudson shook his head. “My place is with you. Tom Hawkins is here and looking

for you, sweetheart. He doesn’t know about the rest of us or what we’re going to do to him should we find him. Yeah, I want to find the bastard and end him for what he has

done but you are my first priority.”

After giving her brief, hurried hugs, both Max and Rio jogged out to the driveway,

climbed in Rio’s truck and took off toward the south woods. Trea stood, Hudson at her side, watching dust kick up behind the vehicle as it raced away. Hudson’s arm went

around her and gladly, she leaned against him, absorbing his strength. It was hard to imagine the pain the boy felt as the trap snapped around his ankle. The agony.

“That poor kid.”

“I know,” Hudson said. “He’ll heal though. That’s the main thing. Damn traps.”

Together they turned and headed toward the backyard. Anger, a heavy, burning

thing, rose up inside her. She wanted this done. Wanted it finished. They’d just reached the deep end of the pool when a familiar voice boomed out at them.

“Gotcha now, you little bitch!”

Trea spun toward Hawkins’ voice, noted the rifle in his hands and then a blast

shook the air as he fired the weapon. A scream froze in her throat as Hudson’s body

flew backward. Blood blossomed on his chest as he fell in a crumpled heap near the side of the pool.

“Hudson!”

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Her blood froze in her veins as terror clawed through her belly. Braced to run to

him, she spared a single glance at Tom Hawkins. He’d broken into a trot, an evil grin on his face but she had to get to Hudson. Was he dead? Gods!

Just as she turned to run, she caught sight of the heavy rifle butt as it swung in her direction. Hawkins was upon her and then there was time for nothing as the wood

connected with her head and the world went black.

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Hudson lay flat on his back, wincing at the pain in his chest. His first realization

was that he was alive and then, the second coming instantly, was that Trea had been

taken. Panic blasted through his mind but he was weak, much too weak to open a

channel of communication with her. There was nothing but emptiness in his brain.

Concentrating on his wounds, he stared briefly into the night sky and then closed his eyes. The bullet had penetrated his lung, cracking two ribs on its journey into his body.

That was easy enough to figure out. A few more inches and the gunman would have hit

his heart and that would’ve been the end of him.

Forcing chaos from his mind he focused on the wounds, thankful for the fact he was

a two-hundred year old shifter, and among the most powerful of their species. He

would heal quickly but not fast enough for his peace of mind. Trea was out there

somewhere with a lowlife bastard bent on killing her. The very idea of this monster

destroying her bright light left him desolate but he shoved the fear to the back of his mind. No time for it now. He had to heal himself before he could do a damn thing

toward getting her safely back.

In the face of the terror he felt, Hudson closed his eyes and focused on the location of the injury. Pain ripped through his body as he forced movement of the bullet and

within ten minutes or so the deadly ammo pushed its way through his lungs and to the

surface of his skin. Hudson expelled a breath, weakly reaching up to catch the piece of lead with his fingers. Breathing in, out, in, out, he lay perfectly still until he felt the wound begin to close. Once he’d managed to regulate his breath, he cautiously sat up

and tried to open the mental path of communication with his mate. Little time had

passed since Tom Hawkins had tried to gun him down. That was good. It gave him

time to track the bastard. He knew Trea was alive. She had to be. Hudson had no doubt 123

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in his mind that if she’d been murdered, he would know it. Shaking the horrible

thought from his head, he concentrated.

Trea? Answer me. I’m okay. Where are you? Honey, please answer me.
The frantically issued telepathic questions were met with an ominous silence. No, not dead. She

couldn’t be dead but obviously he’d knocked her out or something. Without hesitation, he got to his feet and ran toward the house plotting possible means of attack. Racing toward the weapons cabinet he kept in his den, he unlocked the doors and withdrew

several types of guns and a hunting knife. Most likely he’d come at Hawkins in panther form but it didn’t hurt to be prepared for any eventuality. He wasn’t a fool. Hawkins was armed, dangerous, and out for blood. Trea’s blood.

Wasting no further time, he ran to his truck and pulled out of the driveway as he

punched in Rio’s number on speed dial. The second Rio answered, he apprised him of

the situation knowing Rio, Max and the other shifters would join in the rescue efforts.

Once again, Hudson opened his mind.
Trea! Answer me.

Hudson? You’re
alive
? Thank the gods!
He heard her weeping and the sound of it broke his heart but he had to urge caution.

Don’t let him see you cry. Do you hear me?

Y-yes. I’m a rock. Tell me how you are.

I’m fine. Bullet is gone, missed my heart. Right now I’m just worried about you. Again,
honey, don’t let on about this conversation to Hawkins. He knows you are a shifter but knows
nothing about the rest of it. We don’t want to clue him in on that fact.

Not stupid.
Hudson heard her sniffle but knew she was desperately trying to hold it together.

He gentled his telepathic voice.
No, you’re not, darlin. Are you hurt?

Bump on the head knocked me out for awhile but I’m okay now.

Where are you?

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There was a pause.
I’m tied up against a tree. In a clearing. He has his truck lights on to
light the area. Hudson, he’s just sitting here staring at me. I don’t think he quite knows what to
do with me. A big plus is that he’s swigging whiskey from a bottle.

He’s getting sloshed, huh? That could be a good thing. Tell me what landmarks you see.

Quiet fell for a second or two and he knew Trea was gathering information from

what little she could see beyond the glare of the truck’s headlights.
A creek. There’s a
creek to my left.

Good girl. I think I can pinpoint exactly where you are. Hold on. If he decides to talk, oblige
him. Talk back. Just keep him preoccupied until I get there.

Hudson?

Yeah, honey.

I can’t shift. My hands are tied to a tree. He has ropes tied around my ankles too. Can’t
move at all.

Sit tight,
he murmured grimly.
I’ll be there soon. Be prepared for anything. I’m not afraid
of the ass but he’s armed. He’s dangerous.

Hurry, Hudson.

On my way.

Once the connection was broken, he dialed Rio and told him to send the others to

the area around Baldy Creek, which ran through Sanctuary property. Stealth was

paramount. Rio knew the drill and so did Max. The warriors of the tribe would find

him, surround him, give chase and let the chips fall where they may. Hudson didn’t

give a shit how they brought Tom Hawkins down but caution was important as long as

he held a rifle trained on Trea.

Roughly twenty minutes later, his heart pounding at a furious rate, he spotted the

glint of headlights near the bank of Baldy Creek. He didn’t want to alert Hawkins to his presence so he parked some distance away, shut off the engine. Tucking a pistol into the waistband of his jeans and placing a hunting knife in a sheath attached to his belt, he took off on foot, his preternatural speed eating up the distance.

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Peering around a tree near the clearing, he spotted Trea instantly then focused on

Hawkins who took a swig of whiskey from a half empty bottle. Hawkins dragged his

forearm across his mouth then sneered.

“You always thought you were too good for the likes of me.”

“No, no, I—”

“Shut the fuck up, bitch. But you’re no better than an animal.”

Even in the semi-darkness, Hudson saw rage suffuse her pretty face. “You’re the

animal. You! You shot my parents down in cold blood.”

“Hell, woman! They were panthers. Just animals. But once I figured out what and

who they were I wasn’t sorry. It’s just too bad their bodies disappeared before I could make some money from my discovery.”

“Bastard!”

Hawkins laughed. “I have you now though, don’t I? Haven’t quite figured out how

to go about this but I reckon someone would pay me some pretty good money for proof