Hunger of the Heart (Wolves of Ravenwillow Book 1) Page 19

  Shoving past his betas, he reached Rebecca before she was half way across the kitchen. Encircling her wrist, he was surprised when she fought against his hold, refusing for her steps to be halted. Transferring his hands to her upper arms he jerked her against his chest, preventing her from pulling from him.

  “Stop this.” he bit out. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  “Let me go, Eric.” she whispered with a dark tone. Her voice was lethal and sharp. She expected him to obey her, not that he had any intention of doing so.

  The look she gave him had every muscle he possessed locking up. Almost instantly the smell tainted scent of fear and desperation wafted from her pours. She was afraid of him? Why? Though his beast demanded in the back of his mind that he reassure her and do what he had to make her feel safe once more, he knew now was not the time. If Jason and Chris were correct, every second they stayed here was like walking around a firing range with a target on their backs. They had to get out of there and get to the safety of the lodge. Once they were all safe, he intended to explain everything to Rebecca. He would tell her what he was and what she was to him.

  Hardening his features, he shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere unless I say so. Keep fighting me and you will see just how ruthless I can be.”

  Still squirming and fighting his hold on her arms, her eyes narrowed on him. “Then don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Before Eric could discover what she was planning, pain exploded through his groin and throughout his whole body. Instantly his hands fell away from her to cup his aching balls that her knee had just kissed hard. When she spun away toward the door, he snarled, not bothering to conceal his wolf’s reaction. Brushing the pain aside, he straightened and went after her.

  Before she could grasp the doorknob, he grabbed her from behind. His arms wrapped around her chest like two steel bands, pinning her arms to her sides as he lifted her kicking feet off the floor. Backing away from the door, he snarled.

  “Don’t ever do that to me again.” he hissed at her ear, rage coating his every word.

  Carrying her back toward the kitchen, he ignored the confused looks from Jason and Chris. Setting her down on her feet but still holding her tightly, he was just about to rail at her when something had him shutting his mouth. The air around them suddenly felt thick and clouded. Something was wrong. Looking to his betas, he saw that they sensed it too. With a wary look, Chris approached the widows by the sink. Instantly his body shot ramrod straight. Jerking around he shouted, “Get down!”

  Before the words could fully leave his mouth, the windows of the dining room and kitchen exploded, raining glass everywhere. Jason and Chris moved to shield Travis that had frozen in fear before crumbling to the floor. Shoving Rebecca down, he pressed her against the side of the fridge, shielding her from the direction of the window. Gunfire rang through the air mingled with the terrified cries of his mate and his children. Instantly, Eric felt ice shoot through his veins.

  “Emma…Where’s Emma?!” his sharp gaze looked everywhere for his precious daughter but he couldn’t see her. Chris was struggling to hold Travis still as the young boy fought to flee from his pinned position on the glass littered kitchen floor. Jason looked everywhere but he couldn’t see anything either.

  “Daddy!” a small voice screamed. Head shooting toward the voice, he saw Emma cowering beneath the dining room table. Her small body shook as tears flowed down her redden face. His gut twisted at seeing his daughter trapping right in the middle of the line of fire.

  Our pup! His wolf cried in fear as he fought to get to his offspring. Before Eric could spring forward to protect his daughter, Rebecca shot from his shielding body and ran through the line of fire.

  “Rebecca!” he yelled over the loud gunshots. He managed to snag her ankle and bringing her to the floor just before she used her other foot to kick him across the face, forcing him to let her go. He watched with terror as his mate scrambled to her feet and rushed through gunfire to get to Emma. Bullets struck the walls and the kitchen counters all around her as she rushed forward. Flitching and ducking her head as she ran, Rebecca threw herself on the floor, sliding through the mess of shattered dishes and glasses until she reached Emma. Emma instantly launched into Rebecca’s arms, wrapping her small arms around Rebecca’s neck as she continued to wail.

  When bullets pinged off the tipped over chairs and the table; inches from two females, Eric felt his hold on his wolf slip. Shooting across the distance, with one hand he threw the table toward the shattered windows, shielding his women as he reached them. Grabbing Rebecca by her waist he jerked her up into his arms and with her; Emma as well.

  “Get out now!” he shouted to his betas as they rushed toward the door, Chris holding Travis in his arms as they ran. Following behind them, Eric shot out of the front door, leaping from the porch in a single jump. In the distance he could see the camouflaged forms of several men with rifles moving to chase them.

  “Get to the lodge now!” he ordered as Jason and Chris rushed to their truck, shoving Travis in the back seat.

  Rushing to his hummer, he opened the driver's side door and all but tossed his daughter and mate into the passenger seat across the space. Leaping into the seat, he jerked the keys from the visor above. His hummer roaring to life, he slammed on the gas, sending them flying over the drive way at a break neck speed. Spraying gravel behind him, he kept his gaze on his betas that followed close behind him as they sped down the road. Never when he looked back did he see anyone following them.

  Glancing at Rebecca, he saw that she held onto Emma like she was a lifeline as his daughter did the same. Emma continued to bury her face against Rebecca’s neck, wailing like a wounded animal. His wolf reacted strongly to the sound of his child’s distress. Accepting that he couldn’t comfort Emma while they were still in danger, he turned his attention to the dazed expression on Rebecca’s face. Was she in shock?

  “Put a seat belt around you both.” He ordered, hoping his hard tone would shake her out of her shock.

  Nodding, Rebecca reached out with her free hand, jerking a seatbelt around her and Emma as she pressed them back against the seat. With her movement, another scent joined the collection of fear and adrenaline in the vehicle. Blood.

  Stilling, his sharp gaze looked over his daughter’s shaking form. It wasn’t Emma—it was Rebecca. “Are you injured?” when she didn’t respond, he snarled loudly. “Answer me, damn it!”

  Flashing her eyes at him with anger at his harsh tone and language in the presence of his daughter, Rebecca responded, “I am fine. Don’t worry about me.”

  Don’t worry about her? In what universe would that even be remotely possible? He nearly lost her several times when she’s charged into a rain of bullets to protect his daughter and she said not to worry? Panting he fought to keep his temper under control. He wanted to rail at her, shake her and hold her close till the image of bullets striking around her disappeared from his memory.

  Someone had attacked his family in his home. No one came after his family and escaped unscathed. This wouldn’t go unpunished. The peace seeking Eric was gone. The calm and yielding Eric was gone. He was out for blood now.

  15

  With his mind boiling with a deadly combination of worry and rage, Eric paced back and forth across the conference room at the lodge. At the sound of the door opening behind him, he spun around and instantly strode forward. Standing in the open doorway stood Jason with a hard look in his eyes.

  “How are they?” Eric asked anxiously, his words emerging harsher than he intended.

  Upon arriving at the lodge over an hour ago, he’d roared at every one of his pack members until Healer Terra had been brought to look at his children. The quiet doctor had eyed his mate with obvious disgust on sight and doing so had sent Eric’s temper skyrocketing.

  After snapping at the wolf shifter to do her job, his mother had forced Eric to leave the infirmary, out of concern that he would upset Travis and
Emma more with his outbursts. The image of Rebecca’s face as he’d been forced to leave the room had caused him to freeze. She’d looked at him with fear in her eyes as Emma still clung to her like a baby monkey. Though she had eyed him warily as he left he couldn’t help but remember the small look of longing that hid deep within her gaze.

  Deep down he’d worried that in all the chaos that she’d seen a hint of his beast. Was that why the scent of her fear swam around her like a cloak? Staying from his mate instead of going to her and refusing to leave her side until her fear had subsided had been agony. He’d denied his beast’s instincts for too long where Rebecca was concerned. He could allow himself to lose her because of her fear. He needed to get back to her.

  “Travis had a few cuts from the broken glass on the kitchen floor, but all injuries on him have already begun to heal. According to Dr. Terra; other than shock from the event, Emma is unharmed. She hasn’t let go of Rebecca even for a second. Even when Dr. Terra requested that Emma let go so she could be fully examined, Emma still held onto your human like a lifeline. Dr. Tessa obvious didn’t like that Rebecca was forced to stay as she looked over your daughter.”

  Eric found his gritting together at the actions of the young, sour faced doctor. He knew why Dr. Tessa disliked Rebecca on sight, but it didn’t do anything to cool his temper. Wolf shifters were highly mistrusting of humans and with good reasons. But still; it didn’t change a thing for him. Rebecca was his mate and he didn’t like the thought of Rebecca being hated because of deeds of other human long dead.

  With a heavy weight settling on his chest, he shook his head at the hopeless truth that loomed ahead of him. The truth was; even if he was successful in turning her, his pack would never accept Rebecca as his. Even if his mate had been a shifter of a different species instead of a human, wolves weren’t known for accepting outsiders within their rants.

  He already could predict the mirroring looks of disgust on the elder’s faces when he would present Rebecca to them. Without a doubt, he knew that they would prefer to kill her than accept her. The only way he could prevent further discord within his pack and assure her safety was to…let her go.

  No.

  His fists clenched at his sides until his claws sliced into his palms at the thought. No one would separate him from Rebecca, not even himself. The pack would accept her in time, if not; he would exile any that refused.

  Stepping further into the room, Jason ran an exhausted hand through his long ruffled hair. “Anyhow; your mother helped Rebecca take Emma and Travis to the kitchen for a treat to calm them down. While Tessa was looking at your pups, we—” Jason’s words were suddenly cut off as Eric stormed away from him with a distracted expression.

  “What did Dr. Tessa say about Rebecca’s injuries?” when Jason didn’t answer, Eric slowly turned at the waist to look at him. His beta seemed to find the long conference table interesting as he avoided Eric’s gaze. “Jason?” Eric said taking a slow step closer, his muscles tightening with every step. He’d never lashed out at one of his betas before, but Jason’s refusal to answer him was pushing it.

  Sighing, Jason rubbed tiredly at his face before he replied, “I don’t know.”

  Eric’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you don’t know? I left you to guard her and my pups.”

  “I tried to talk her, but she refused.”

  Almost positive that he knew what Jason was telling him, Eric still found himself asking, “Refused what?” his words echoing with a growl.

  “She claimed that she was fine and didn’t need looked over. Dr. Tessa didn’t seem concerned so she allowed Rebecca to leave with your pups and your mother.”

  Eric’s eyes flashed with light as his wolf rose up at the thought of his mate walking around injured because a member under his control thought she wasn’t worthy on concern. “I ordered for Dr. Tessa to examine all of them. What was unclear about that?” he hissed out in a low voice.

  With a snarl, Eric turned his temper on the table to his right, slamming his fist into the center of the wood. With a loud boom, his fist struck the table so hard that it split in half, as he lifted his hand the two halves fell apart with a creaking groan before hitting the floor.

  “Whoa. Isn’t that the third table you’ve had to put in this room?” a deep teasing voice said from the doorway.

  Spinning around, Jason and Eric’s eyes fell on the man that stood leaning against the door frame casually. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Eric took in his old friend; Mark. Mark; a cougar shifter was one of the few different shifters that his pack tolerated. For years, Mark had helped Eric by being his level headed ambassador to other Alphas across the different shifter territories.

  Taking note of Mark’s appearance, Eric couldn’t help but notice his friend looked…tired. His usual dark blonde hair had grown out, carelessly shoved away from his face. His tan skin along his jaw was covered in thick stubble. Dark lines of weariness circled Mark’s eyes, seeing this seemed to pull Eric from his rage.

  “How long have you been standing there?” He bit out gruffly.

  Shrugging his shoulders, Mark straightened from his leaning position. “Long enough to see that your temper and habit of destroying furniture still needs work.” Striding across the space to them, Mark nodded respectfully to Jason before reaching into his back pocket. Pulling out a thick, folded envelope, he held it out to Eric with a slight smile. “Signed as promised.”

  “You got your Alpha to align with us?” Jason asked with a note of awe.

  Cougars, like most cat shifters normally were rouges, refusing to form packs. Mark’s Alpha; Theo had managed to convince the nomad cougar shifters of Maine to band together after many of their kind was targeted by human poachers. Mark’s people; like the traditional wolf shifters, kept to themselves, which was why Eric had sought an alliance with them.

  Taking the thick tan envelope from Mark, Eric nodded in acknowledgement. “Any issues obtaining his agreement?”

  Shoving his hands in his front pockets, Mark’s shoulders slumped as though he was carrying a heavy weight. “Sort of. His alliance comes with some conditions and a favor.”

  “What a surprise.” Eric remarked sarcastically with a scowl. “We’ll talk later.” With a dismissive wave of his hand, Eric turned away from him.

  Ignoring Eric’s rude attempt to dismiss him, Mark remained, glancing first to Jason then to Eric’s stiff back. “I heard you had some excitement today? Anything I should know about?”

  For a moment, Eric seemed to simmer in his own thoughts before he answered. “Some cowards came to my house with guns and attacked my home today while my children were there.”

  Jason nodded at Mark’s surprised raised eyebrows. “It's true.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be them once you find them.” Mark murmured with a slight wince. “Any clue who it was?”

  Curious about the answer himself, Eric turned his attention to Jason. “Take Chris and some trusted hunters to my property and see if you can pick up any scents as soon as possible. I will remain here to make sure my pups—”and mate “—are protected.”

  Jason’s mouth opened and closed several times before he was finally able to answer. “As-as I tried to tell you a moment ago, once Dr. Tessa was done with your pups, we went ahead and looked for signs of who attacked you—” abruptly Mark held up a finger and interrupted Jason with a smug grin.

  “Am I the only one that’s going to point out that Eric just said “mate”?”

  Groaning in disgust, Eric realized he must have uttered the word aloud without realizing it.

  So much for keeping it a secret. His wolf said smugly.

  “Yes. I have found my true mate.” He stated reluctantly. Much to his shock, Jason didn’t seem shocked or even surprised by this news. His expression almost seemed as if he’d known already. Stilling, he felt like someone had punched him in the gut. His friends would never let him live this down.

  “So you’re finally admitting it to yourself?” Jason aske
d with a nearly identical smug expression as Mark’s.

  Shoving the envelope in his pocket, Eric moved toward the grinning duo. Yep. He was definitely never living this down. “You knew?” he asked Jason.

  “Of course we knew, Eric. It was obvious from since the first time you introduced us to Rebecca. But we knew if we pointed it out it would only cause you to put more distance between the two of you. You had to come to the realization on your own.”

  “Told you that hard head of you would come back and bite you in the ass one of these days,” Mark teased. “So, where is this mate of yours? I want to offer my condolences.”

  Scowling at the teasing banter, Eric waved Mark’s words away. “As much as I would love to stand around the gab with you like a bunch of old women with nothing better to do, I have a more urgent thing to attend to.” to Jason, Eric said. “I want answers. Who attacked us and how is it we didn’t know they were there until it was too late?”

  “As I have been trying to tell you, Chris and I looked into it already. There were no individual scent traces of anyone on your property.”

  Shocked, Eric shook his head. “That’s not possible.” Beginning to pace back and forth as his thoughts raced, Eric spun back toward his beta with cold eyes. “Everything has a scent. There is no way that there could be nothing! Go over the scene again. Take as many shifters as you need to do it, but I will not let these cowards think they can threaten my family without consequences.”

  “More trackers won’t make a difference, Eric. The only thing we were able to pick up was some sort of scent that I encountered when I was in Darkwood Springs months ago when Doyle Mackenzie had gotten kidnapped.”