“Hello, Gerard. What an unpleasant surprise,” her savior retorted.
Her mystery man’s voice was pleasant to the ears, but held a bite to it. The two men were obviously not friends.
“Move out of the way, Donil, and let us have our prey.”
Prey? What did he mean by that? Wait a minute, was he talking about her? Didn't he know it was illegal to hunt humans? Laylah was starting to get that helpless feeling and along with it, a little anger at her current situation.
“She’s nobody’s prey, Gerard. Take your flunkies and get off my land.”
Donil shifted position and kept himself in front of Laylah.
Gerard snarled and his gang shuffled about. “No can do. The boss wants her, the boss gets her. Get him, boys, and bring me the girl.”
“With pleasure,” growled the giant man who had been the grizzly bear.
Laylah squeaked in fear as the nude men charged. Mid-air, they slammed into something invisible that bounced them away, tossing them several feet. In disbelief, she stared at Donil and wondered who he really was.
“Very impressive, Donil. I see the rumors about you are true. You are strong. But I didn’t come here to lose.” Gerard growled low and his gang stopped where they were.
Laylah felt the hairs stand up on her body and she shivered. A faint pressure touched her and suddenly her body grew heavy. Fear hit her and she struggled to remain upright but her body refused to work as she was forced to the ground. “Help me,” she whimpered.
“Don’t worry, I will,” Donil assured her.
“Ha! Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Donil. You’re weak, like the rest of your family,” Gerard sneered.
“You can be such an idiot, Gerard. Maybe that’s why your Alpha really keeps you around.”
Laylah was amazed her protector could remain so calm and still be standing. Her own heart was racing. She wanted to live, not die on a hilltop.
“Go home, Gerard, and take your pups with you.”
Gerard tried to stare down Donil and lost. “This isn’t over.”
“Oh, of that I’m sure. Send my regards to your Alpha.”
Gerard gave an impotent snarl, barked orders to his men and they all changed back into animals and ran away with super speed toward the west.
Once they were gone, the invisible force that had pinned her down vanished. Laylah made an attempt at rising but was too spent. “Please.” She didn’t know what to ask for but she needed help.
Donil turned and squatted down, putting his face close to her. She found herself lost inside his gaze. Blue eyes, not sea blue but not dark blue either, stared at her in concern. He grimaced, breaking the hold his gaze had on her.
Laylah gulped, blushed and ducked her head, confused by her reaction to him. Why did she feel so hot? Her heart was racing, but she wasn't scared. What was happening to her? She knew her cheeks had to be a bright pink because she was extremely uncomfortable. She yelped when his fingers touched her ankle.
“Sorry about that. It’s broken. I need to get you to a doctor right now.”
Laylah clutched at his arm. “Please. Jacques needs help. He was bleeding and…and.” Her body began to shake so badly her teeth chattered. “What’s wrong with me?”
“You’re going into shock.”
“Shock? Oh, is that why I feel lightheaded?” Her vision swam and Laylah knew she was going to do something silly. “I think I’m going to faint.” She moaned, not liking the dizziness.
Donil scooped her up. “I’ve got you, Beautiful. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Oh, good.” She sighed, closed her eyes and let unconsciousness take her.
Chapter 19
The clacking of Zina’s heels echoed in the hallway of the Brayshell Community Center. Her army had gathered and eagerly awaited orders to begin their takeover of the Council and Le Croix Industries. With still no word from Gerard whether or not they had the girl, Zina was growing impatient. Her ear comm rang and she turned it on. “Speak.”
“My Alpha, we are en-route to you.”
“Very good, Gerard. I will see you when get here.” Zina turned and held up her hand for silence.
“Many of you have been with me since the beginning. We suffered a major setback thirteen years ago, but we learned valuable lessons from that failure. And now we are here, ready and strong to take down the Council who branded us traitors and outcasts.
“No longer will we be dominated by our brethren who believe themselves superior to us while not being subject to the same rules they hold us accountable to. No longer will we allow abominations to be born and cherished as if some great gift from God. No longer will we allow the humans to control our lives with their antiquated laws that show their fear and prejudice.
“Now is the time for all pure Weres to rise up and let their voices be heard. Our deeds will blaze across the world, showing the way for the lost to make their way back to the light. We are superior to all others. We are the best, the strongest, the brightest, the most powerful! They will kneel before us or be crushed underneath our feet!”
The assembled men and women roared with one voice, bloodlust in their eyes as Zina worked them into a feverish pitch. “We will no longer skulk in the shadows, waiting for our day in the sun. We are the future and it is here! Our time is now! Rise up, my brothers and sisters, and let us take what we are owed!”
“Zina! Zina! Zina!” The chant swelled in volume until it shook the walls.
Zina's smile grew wider when she heard a vehicle pull up outside. “And my friends, we shall begin with the abomination that started it all--the daughter of Henry Le Croix!”
Zina turned, hand outstretched to the door that opened to reveal Gerard and the men who had gone with him. Her eyes narrowed and she stormed toward Gerard, her hands changing to claws. The other men flinched except for Gerard and Alexis who stood stoically in the face of her wrath.
“Where…is…the…girl?” Zina was nose to nose with Gerard.
“We ran into a snag, my Alpha. Donil Silentshadow was there protecting her. He used his Alpha shielding. We couldn’t get to her.”
Zina backed up a step and, with a furious swipe of her claws, ripped Gerard's shirt and flesh. “Why did you not call for backup?”
“You set a strict deadline. You told us not to deviate, my Alpha.”
She gave him a vicious slap that staggered him. The entire building had gone silent as the gathered Weres watched in fear.
“I told you that I needed that girl! Without her, Henry will not bow down and the Council will back him. You are a disgrace, letting one newbie Alpha stop the five of you!”
“My Alpha!” Gerard’s face was bleeding from the slap. Her claws had cut into his cheek. “Donil may be new to his Alpha powers, but he is stronger than most. Alexis and I combined our powers and still couldn’t get past him.”
Zina’s fury was still hot, but she listened to what Gerard said. This could change things. If the Silentshadow clan sided with Le Croix, she might be defeated. No, she could not allow this alliance. Once again, it was the abomination’s fault.
She moved away from Gerard and came to stand in the center of the small stage. “Listen, my people. This is a taste of what we can expect. A pure Were turned on his fellows for one reason only--to protect an abomination that shrouds itself in deceptive innocence and beauty, but underneath is the downfall of all we hold dear. If even our strongest is susceptible, it is even more vital that we get rid of the problem. I want volunteers for a mission to take the abomination from its minions so that we can be rid of it! Who wishes this honor?”
“I do!” a voice shouted from the assembled.
“No, I want it!”
“Good, good. I will make my selection and tomorrow we will set the plan in motion. Let us hunt and celebrate what it means to be pure!”
Still ignoring Gerard and his disgraced group, Zina led the way outside to the forest that stood behind the community building. She flung back her head and
howled as she threw off her dress. Smoothly she transformed into the tan and brown wolf form that she gloried in. Sleek, lean and lethal. All around her humans were turning into various animals. She howled again, announcing the hunt and the predators as one entered the forest.
Chapter 20
By the time Henry arrived in Invarnash, his Betas and Enforcers had made it to the mansion and freed all the employees. Jacques was being tended by the Le Croix family doctor. Ignoring the greetings of the household staff, Henry strode inside to the den. He found Jacques lying on the table cursing the doctor.
“Mason, how bad is he?” Henry demanded as he came to a stop a few feet from doctor and patient.
“He’s going to scar. They used silver to line the tear and that kept him from healing properly. He needs eight hours of sleep and he’ll be good as new. I’ve removed all the silver too.”
“Hurt like the bloody blazes,” Jacques snarled. “Can I get up now?”
“One second.” Mason tied off the last stitch and cut it. “You’re lucky we got to you in time. You might have died from silver poisoning if we’d been an hour later. As it is, your body’s going to be sluggish from the silver that is in your blood. It will be expelled in a few hours. Rest, now. I’ll give you a sedative and pain meds.”
“No, to both. We have to find Laylah.” Jacques swung his legs over the side of the table and swayed.
“Look, Jacques. I did not spend the last thirty minutes patching you up so you can go undo it by chasing down the girl!”
“She is not just some girl! She is Henry’s heir and daughter. Besides, Gerard was the one who came here to kidnap her.”
“What!” Henry’s roar made Jacques and Mason wince, but it was his intense gaze boring into Jacques that had Mason backing away from the two men.
“He was here with a wolf I didn’t recognize, some young leopard and Alexis the Grizzly.”
“Wait, you mean, the infamous Alexis Grizzly Bear, known for his successes as an assassin?” Mason interjected, looking horrified.
“Yes, that one. There could have been more but they were the ones who took me on.”
“Why did they want Laylah, Jacques?”
“Henry, they wanted to take her to Zina.”
Henry threw back his head and let out a hair-raising howl that spoke of death and rage. He ignored Mason and Jacques, who sank to their knees, heads lowered in submission.
Henry stopped and snarled, “That bitch never could leave well enough alone!” He looked up as Naiya, Thaniel and Boris entered the room at a run.
“Alpha?” Naiya glanced from Mason to Jacques and then to Henry. “Is it true, my Alpha? Did Gerard take her? The trackers say they’ve followed her scent and it went into the forest as did Gerard and his gang.”
“I just got here and do not have all the reports. Bring Byron to me now.” Henry turned to Boris. “Contact the Council. Let them know that a certain meddlesome she-wolf is back.” He went to his desk and sat, ignoring everyone. He knew they would carry out his orders.
The staff hurried from the room to do his bidding. Henry turned on the communication console and accessed his work files. He decided he might as well be profitable while waiting. A few minutes later, Byron arrived, followed by Naiya, Boris, and Jacques.
“Well?” Henry impatiently waited on Boris’ response.
“My Alpha, the Council has been informed. They said “no bloodshed” but that force is allowed to retrieve what is yours.”
Henry slammed his fist down on the oak desk and watched a crack appear. “Of course they protect Zina. Her father still sits on the Council, doesn’t he?” Bitterness filled his tone.
“Yes, my Alpha, he does, though there is talk of replacing him soon.”
“Is that so, Boris? Good to know. Now, Byron, you are my best tracker. Find Laylah and bring her back here.”
“Henry, please, my Alpha, let me do it!” Jacques stepped forward with a grim look of determination. “It is my fault she fled the house. I should be the one to bring her back.”
“Permission denied. Byron is more than capable. You need to figure out how they got through a security system that costs me millions to maintain. If Zina’s people can get in here, then my other properties are vulnerable. I use the same company for all my security work. I refuse to be blindsided again.”
“But!”
“I have spoken. That is all. Byron, go with Naiya. She can give you something of Laylah’s to track her by. I want results, People. Dismissed!”
Henry noted their departure and Jacques’ disgusted look. “Going to challenge me, old friend?”
They stared at each other for a long time before Jacques lowered his gaze. “No…Alpha.”
It didn’t escape Henry’s notice that Jacques purposefully left off the “my” in his reply. He was going to have to keep Jacques under surveillance. His friend was good and brilliant with strategy. Jacques was also a very strong Beta with the potential to be Alpha. Yes, he would keep an eye on his Chief of Security. Henry waited until Jacques left and pulled out his ear comm to check on Delilah and his interns.
~***~
Donil Silentshadow regarded the unconscious girl in his arms and a soft smile lit his face. She was beautiful with that olive skin, red hair and green eyes filled with innocence and pain. Such a contradiction, but an intriguing one at that. How Henry Le Croix could have produced such a child boggled the mind. Of course, one couldn’t forget Helena Le Croix, the mother of the girl he held. Helena had been sweet-natured and gorgeous but when angered, possessed all the fire of her panther side.
He pondered all these things and more as he gently laid the girl down in the backseat of his car. He needed to stop calling her Girl, Donil admonished himself as he got in and drove toward his home. En route, he contacted his mother to explain what had happened. He laughed when she chided him for the near fight and she assured him she would be ready to treat his guest’s injuries.
The drive took thirty minutes and soon Donil was turning down a dark, unlit road. He followed it until it dead-ended in front of a large log house. Several lights were on inside.
Donil got out of the car and waved a greeting to the two women who stood on the porch steps. Carefully he got Laylah out, cradled her close to his chest and went up the stairs. He ignored his sister Mya’s pissed look and his mother’s chuckle as he went inside. His mother’s office was at the far end of the house and that’s where he took Laylah. His mother was a doctor, specializing in Weres, though she helped humans too. Many came to her when they had nowhere else to go.
“Donil, put her on the examination bed so I can take a look at her.”
“Yes, Mom.” Anxiously, he laid his precious burden down and stepped back to let his mother do her work.
“Hm. Looks like someone hit her.” She pointed to the large bruise on Laylah’s right cheek. She ignored Donil’s angry growl. “Her ankle is fractured but it can be repaired. I see other scrapes and bruises but nothing life-threatening.” She checked her patient’s vitals, took some blood samples and X-rays of the ankle.
She made notations on a chart before turning to Donil. “I’m going to give her a sedative to keep her under while I reset the bone and put a cast on. Don’t want her to wake up in the middle of that.”
“Good idea, Mother. I really need to talk to you after you’re finished here.”
“Yes, Dear. Now go, get cleaned up and I’ll be ready to give you more details on your lady friend.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Donil kissed the cheek she offered him and headed for his room.
The shower calmed Donil and he did feel better. It also helped ease…other things. His previous girlfriends had been plentiful and some he’d actually been serious with for more than a month. At twenty-two, he was still single but, for the first time, he’d felt something different. Being around Laylah affected him like nothing else had. It wasn’t just her appearance. She was gorgeous, but there was more to her. Things were hidden deep, even slumbering.
They called to him, made him want to help her access them.
Grinning, he went to the kitchen where he knew his mother would be. It was her second favorite spot in the house, the first being her office where she treated her patients.
“There you are, my lad. Come. Sit. I made you a hot ham and cheese sandwich.”
Donil laughed. “You know me too well, Mother.” He slid into a seat. “Mm, you melted the cheese, just right. Ah, yes, this will hit the spot.” He took a bite, savoring the taste. It was the simple things in life that made him happy.
“Well, my boy, the good news is that her ankle has been reset and put into a cast. Other than the bruise on her face, minor scrapes and cuts and slight dehydration, she’s fine.”
“I hear a “but” coming.” Donil put down his food.
“Not really a but, more a question. Do you realize who she is, Donil?”
“Yes, Mother. I do. She’s Henry Le Croix’s daughter.”
“You did a good deed and saved her life, but given your past history with Henry Le Croix, I’m afraid that your kindness will backfire.”
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take. Mother, Gerard was one of the hunters chasing the girl.” Donil saw her surprised look but he continued. "And he had Alexis with him as well.”
“That means Zina is in the area. That is bad business all around. We need to have our people be prepared. Just in case.”
“I defer to your wisdom in such matters, since my experience is limited. I know that Gerard was intent on grabbing Laylah. No way was I letting that go down.”
“Donil, she told you her name? When did that happen?”
He caught his mother’s sly look. Holding up a hand to forestall any more questions, Donil quickly answered.
“I know her name because I read the society papers and her name was under a picture she was in.” He hoped that would satisfy his curious parent.
“Ah, right. The society papers. Speaking of guests, yours will be awake in the morning. You need to get some sleep yourself.”
Donil finished off his sandwich, gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to his mother’s office first. He needed to check on Laylah. He stood by the bed and stared at her for several long minutes. She was resting peacefully. Donil was glad. She deserved it after the harrowing day she’d had. Smiling, he left and went to his own room.