“Like hell they will,” Theodore growled, throwing the small knife he had held in his hand. “If you live, you can inform the Collector that I will no longer be doing business with him.”
The figure across from him grunted as the blade bit into his side. A muted snarl ripped through the air and Theodore knew he had just made a serious mistake. Reaching for the gun at his waist, he reeled backwards when a massive gray wolf hit him in the chest.
*.*.*
The snowy owl circled the huge mansion several times before landing in a tall Douglas fir among the line of trees at the edge of the back lawn. The Collector didn’t shift – not yet. Caution was bred into the large owl. A slight movement near a lower window caught the owl’s attention. It followed the shadowy figure of the male as he checked the back door to make sure it was secure. Through the glass, the Collector could see the man’s face – the Hyena.
Disgust welled up inside the Collector. Another movement, this one near the road, pulled the Collector’s attention away from the house for a brief moment. The owl’s excellent eyesight picked up the four vehicles that drew to a stop.
Several men exited the three black SUVs. Three men quickly shifted and disappeared into the shadows. The fourth male walked to the truck parked in the lead. Even from over a hundred yards away, the owl could see the face of the woman as she stared out the window – Tracy Bearclaw.
The owl ruffled its feathers. The situation was far more dire than the Collector had originally suspected. The Bearclaws and the Secret Service were already here. That could only mean one thing: the human woman had a device on her that allowed her to be tracked.
A movement several trees over caused the owl to lift off the branch and soar back above the house. The Collector didn’t land again until the lights inside the house flickered. One of the Secret Service men was cutting the power to the security. Wyland’s security personnel must have realized it was an area of potential weakness and modified it to warn of any type of tampering.
Almost immediately, thick shutters closed over the windows of the first two floors. Irritation flared inside the owl. The men were good, but they had just alerted Wyland to their presence. The Collector started to glide down closer to the house when the sound of glass breaking drew the Collector’s attention to an upper level window. Turning in a tight circle, he caught sight of a slender figure gingerly stepping out onto a narrow ledge. The figure could only be one person – the missing human female.
The Collector watched as the female grasped the decorative molding to steady herself when she stepped out onto the narrow ledge. From this height, he could see that she was trying to get to one of the trees. The Secret Service menagents were on the other side of the huge house, unaware that Ella was escaping her captors on this side of the house while they were trying to rescue her.
A cry caught in the owl’s throat when Ella started to slip. Unable to grasp the molding and the lance, she released the lance. The owl instinctively dove for the falling lance, catching it several feet above the ground before soaring back up over the house.
Turning back in the direction of the street, the owl focused on alerting the two waiting near the truck. In less than a minute, the owl swooped down and landed on the nearby streetlight. Bending forward, it released the lance and watched as it spiraledfell to the ground where it landed with a loud clatter in front of the truck.
The owl locked gazes with Ty Bearclaw for just a second before he took off. A quick glance told him that the grizzly knew and understood what he was trying to tell him. With a loud screech, the owl zoomed in on the figure who was climbing into the tree before calling out another warning when a large dark shape suddenly appeared in the window that she had just exited.
*.*.*
Ella’s heart pounded as she climbed onto the thick branch and pulled herself along it until she could stand. The branches were slick from the unusual snowfall. Forcing herself to focus on what she was doing, she worked her way to the trunk of the tree. She had just made it when she heard a savage snarl. Turning, she swallowed when she saw Abe lean out of the window through which she had exited just minutes before.
Ella slid around to the other side of the tree and began working her way down. Her hopes that Abe wouldn’t hear or see her were dashed when he snarled again. She had descended a little over ten feet when the branches above her shook. Glancing up, she saw the massive, black form of the beast gripping the branch.
Fear gave her the adrenaline she needed to overcome her panic. Her mind cleared and she focused on getting to the ground as fast as she could. When she was less than ten feet off the ground, she jumped.
The loud crashing above her head had her rolling to her feet. Her ankle protested, but she ignored it and began running as fast as she could toward the street in the distance. She could see several vehicles through the trees. If she could get there, perhaps Ty would see her.
Ella bit back a cry when she tripped over a root. Rolling, she scrambled to rise back to her feet. The slippery ground seemed to mock her efforts. She twisted in terror when she heard the sound of heavy breathing behind her. Rolling onto her back, her eyes widened in horror as Abe’s massive figure barreled toward her. His eyes were red with rage, his long yellow teeth flashed in the dim light cast by the streetlights, and his powerful muscles bulged as he came closer.
Her fingers desperately searched the ground near her for a weapon, but all she felt was snow. A sob rose in her throat, choking her scream. Inside her, rage and despair fought when he rose up on his back legs. Her lips parted to draw in a breath when another dark shape suddenly barreled out of the darkness and struck Abe with enough force to send him across the driveway.
Ella’s eyes widened when the enraged grizzly bear rose up and roared. Ty! Ty had come. Tears filled Ella’s eyes when she saw his head briefly turn to look at her. Her hand rose and a barely audible sob slipped from her before she could stop it. The loud growl to her left caused her to start in surprise. She rolled to a sitting position just as a slightly smaller emerged from the trees. It charged past her.
Ella struggled to her feet at the same time when Abe swung out and hit the smaller grizzly with one of his massive fists. The bear released a fierce cry as it rolled to the side and collapsed. Ella knew deep down that the smaller bear had to be Tracy.
Her heart was in her throat as she watched Ty charge Abe. He came in low and used both his weight and his sharp claws to strike out at the gorilla. Ella skirted the two as they faced off, each assessing the other. Unable to look away, she kept her gaze locked on the two beasts as she struggled to get out of their way.
Gripping the rough bark of the tree, Ella steadied herself as she worked her way over to Tracy where she lay motionless. She ignored the biting cold of the snow on her hands and the dampness seeping through her clothing when she fell to her knees beside Ty’s sister. Instead, she concentrated on seeing how badly Tracy was hurt.
Ella carefully ran her hands over the soft fur covering Tracy’s head. She paused when she felt a slight sticky wetness that didn’t feel like snow. Lifting her hand up, she saw it was stained red. There was a cut near the temple, but it didn’t feel like it was too deep. Scooping up some snow, Ella pressed it against the cut to help stop the bleeding and to keep it from swelling too much.
Next, she ran her hands down along the grizzly’s side. A slight moan from Tracy told her that her ribs were either broken or badly bruised. She released a sigh when Tracy suddenly lifted her head, shook it, and released a soft growl.
Ella stroked Tracy while her gaze returned to the two males. In the few minutes that she had spent checking over Tracy, the two were once again locked in battle. She bit her lip to keep from crying out when Abe wrapped his arms around Ty and lifted him off the ground. Ty roared out, both of them snapping at each other’s neck. Abe didn’t release Ty until Ty dragged his claws across both of Abe’s shoulders, leaving deep, gaping gouges along the gorilla’s back.
Ella struggled to her feet when A
be struck out at Ty, hitting him in the side with a tremendous force. Ty raked his left claws along Abe’s chest. The incensed gorilla swung his fists at Ty again, missed, then swung around and gripped him from behind. Ella screamed when Ty fell backwards. Abe had his long arms wrapped around Ty’s neck and was squeezing him.
Frustration, fear, and rage swept through Ella. She glanced feverishly around for a weapon. She jumped when her lance suddenly appeared, piercing the ground in front of her. Looking up, she saw a huge, snowy owl staring down at her from the thick branch of a Douglas fir. Whispering her thanks, Ella grabbed the lance and jerked it out of the ground. Now, it was time for her to show the beast what humans were made of, especially when their mates were under attack.
A loud war cry escaped her and she ran forward. Raising the lance, she pierced Abe in the shoulder, then wrenched the lance free. Ella fell back a few steps when Abe released Ty and fell to the side with an enraged scream. Ty rolled to his side, heaving as he tried to draw air into his starving lungs.
Ella watched as Ty struggled to rise to his feet only to fall back to his side. She could tell he was dazed from lack of oxygen and who knew what kind of injuries. She stepped between him and Abe. The gorilla was rising to his feet. His left arm hung at his side.
“You will not harm me or my mate,” Ella sneered, holding the lance in front of her. “I will kill you if you try to attack again.”
Abe snorted and snarled. Ella refused to be intimidated when he flashed his teeth at her. Instead, she showed him hers, hissing at him. Her body tensed when she saw him change his position. It was obvious he was going to attack again. Bracing herself, she refused to move and leave Ty defenseless.
An inhuman roar filled the air when Abe reacted to her challenge. He rose up on his back legs and pounded his chest with his good arm before he charged her. Ella bent down and thrust the lance forward at the same time that two shadowy figures appeared from behind the trees.
She heard the whispering sound of discharged guns. Abe jerked and his body twisted. His injured arm swung out, striking Ella along her left side and sending her flying through the air. She landed with an audible thump almost eight feet away, rolling until she came to a stop against one of the thick tree trunks.
Lying on her side, she blinked. It was hard to stay focused, but it looked like Abe was lying on his side with the long lance sticking out from it. Ella tried to lift her head, but it suddenly seemed an impossible task. Slowly, the darkness grew and she knew she was finished. A single warm tear escaped and slid down her cheek. This world was not ready for humans.
Chapter 26
“How is she?” Tracy quietly asked, coming to sit down next to Ty at the dining room table downstairs.
“Quiet and withdrawn,” Ty answered, staring into his cup of coffee. “I’m worried about her. She hardly eats, hardly speaks, and sleeps a lot. It’s been two weeks since she was kidnapped and I feel like I’m losing her, Tracy. I don’t know what to do.”
“Maybe you should see if Ben can come back over,” Tracy suggested, looking up when her parents came into the room. “Good morning.”
“He was here this morning,” Ty muttered under his breath.
“Good morning,” they both replied, looking around the room with a frown.
“Where’s Ella?” Lena asked, smiling at Martha when she placed a cup of coffee in front of her.
“She’s asleep,” Ty murmured as he moodily stared down at his own untouched cup. He fingered it before looking up at his mother. “I need help. I’m worried about her.”
“Oh, Ty,” Lena replied with a look of sorrow.
“You don’t have to be worried,” a soft voice came from the doorway.
Ty’s head jerked around. He pushed his chair back and rose to his feet when he saw Ella standing in the doorway. She was holding a small stuffed bear in her arms. Ty recognized it as one of the toys Ben gave his patients when they were in the hospital.
He watched as Ella bit her lip and looked away from them because they were all staring at her. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. Instead of turning away from him as she had the past two weeks, she leaned against him and released a long sigh.
“Good morning,” Ty whispered, holding her tightly against him.
Ella turned her face into him and rubbed her nose against his chest. Warmth flooded him when she wrapped one arm around his waist and squeezed him back. He leaned down when he heard her softly murmur.
“How are you feeling?” Ty asked.
“Good, scared, pregnant, confused, worried,” she paused for a moment before she leaned back to look up at him with a thoughtful expression. “I think that is about all of them.”
“That’s good…. Wait a minute! Did you say pregnant? Good, scared, pregnant…,” Ty repeated, his hand raised as he checked each word off. His voice died as he stared first at his finger, then down at her. “Pregnant! A cub! We’re having a cub!”
He bent and gently picked up Ella, holding her close against his heart and burying his face against her neck. A shudder ran through him when he felt her warm tears against his cheek. He pressed a kiss against her neck before lifting his head so he could stare into her eyes when she slid her hand down to his cheek.
“I love you, Ty,” Ella murmured. “Whatever happens, I want you to know that.”
Ty’s face tightened in concern. He glanced over his shoulder. His parents and Tracy were avidly listening to their conversation while trying to pretend they weren’t. His gaze locked with his mother's.
“Call Ben,” Ty demanded in a harsh voice. “I want to see him now!”
“Ty,” Ella started to say, her voice dying when he turned and gave her a fierce look.
“I want to talk to him,” Ty stated.
“He’ll be here in ten minutes,” Lena said with a smile. “We couldn’t help but overhear your wonderful news. Congratulations, Ella. I can’t believe that Art and I are finally going to be grandparents!”
Ty gently set Ella back on her feet so that his mom could give her a hug. His worried gaze swept over Ella’s pale face. She smiled at his mom and stepped into her arms. He stepped back when his sister and dad stepped forward to wish Ella congratulations.
His gaze remained fixed on Ella’s face while his mind was still reeling from her announcement. He knew he was grinning like an idiot, it was hard not to when his bear was doing a jig inside him. Well, he was doing it as well, but still, his bear was strutting his stuff like he was the one responsible for everything.
He started when he heard the doorbell. Ty strode out of the dining room and down the hall to the front foyer, and got there just as Martha opened the door. His footsteps slowed when he saw a woman and several men standing at the door. The moment it opened, the woman stepped forward with a folded white piece of paper. Ty automatically reached for the paper. The second his fingers closed around it, the men surged forward into the house.
“I say, who do you think you are?” Martha demanded, trying to stop the men.
“Are you Ty Bearclaw?” The woman asked in a brisk tone.
“Yes,” Ty growled, turning to glare at the woman even when over a dozen men in black began to spread out in different directions around him. Some started up the stairs while others began moving through the rooms off the foyer. “What is this all about?”
“My name is Agent Marsha Crane. You’ve been served by the Central Species Intelligence Agency, Department Of North American Species Protection,” the woman explained.
“What the hell for?” Ty demanded, glaring at the paper in his hand. He opened it and scanned the document, his face paling before turning a dark red. “Like fucking hell you’re taking my mate!”
“Mr. Bearclaw, this is not a request,” Agent Crane stated in a cool tone.
“How in the hell can you claim my mate is a national security risk?!” Ty snarled in a loud voice.
“Ty!” Ella cried out, struggling to break free of the two men who held her one on each side. “Le
t me go!”
“Do you know with whom you are dealing?” His father shouted in an angry voice, fighting to get by several men blocking his way.
“Yes, Mr. Bearclaw, unfortunately we do,” Agent Crane informed him, staring curiously at Ella.
“Let me go,” Ella snapped again, this time kicking out.
Ty watched as Ella slammed her foot into the instep of the man on her right. The man’s hand loosened on her arm at the unexpected attack. She flung herself back against the agent on her left, kicking the agent on her right again, this time in the stomach.
Ty and his bear reacted to the threat against their mate with a natural, primitive instinct. Reaching out, he shoved the woman standing between him and his mate to the side before grabbing the man still holding Ella. Adrenaline flooded his body and he could feel his bear struggling to break free. He wrapped his arms around the man,man’s throat, Ty lifted him off the ground, and threw him into two others who had come forward to help restrain Ella.
He shielded Ella’s body with his own, shielding her protectively against the wall. A low, feral snarl escaped him when several men moved cautiously closer. He could feel the bones in his face beginning to shift and the nails on his hands grow.
“Stop!” Agent Crane ordered, lifting a hand to the men. “Mr. Bearclaw, we don’t want to hurt the human, you, or your family. We’ve been ordered to take her in and we will do so. I respect your family’s relationship to the President, but even she is governed by the laws set forth by our government. If you continue, the female could get hurt.”
“She is my mate!” Ty responded in a fierce, guttural voice. “She carries our cub.”
Marsha Crane drew in a sharp breath and gazed back at Ty in surprise. It was obvious that this was a shock and would change the rules somewhat. Children, even those yet to be born, strongly incited the protective instincts of all shifters. It was a fundamental aspect of what kept the many different kinds of shifters bound together as one civilization.