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Adrian parked in the first spot he found inside the Gallize two-story Spartanburg headquarters built a long time ago. The location provided parking out back, but the Guardian liked his people to park inside the compound for multiple security reasons.
A burden had lifted off his soul now that he no longer felt conflicted over being true to Leonard and fair to Jaz.
You abandon golden wolf! Mad Red shouted in Adrian’s mind for the zillionth time. Adrian had given up answering the wolf. Every word he said got cut off.
Why did his wolf care about Jaz’s when he’d been willing to kill every other shifter animal?
But his wolf had been calm and nice to Tarski last night after Jaz’s wolf knocked some sense into Adrian’s wolf.
His wolf shouted, Go back to golden—
Adrian’s head ached and he missed Jaz.
He gripped the steering wheel to keep from bashing a window and yelled back telepathically at Mad Red. Shut up, dammit. What the hell do you care about another wolf when you’ve tried to kill the animals of our friends? Not just my friends, but yours too. Shifters who watched our back in dangerous places overseas.
Obstinate silence filled his mind for the first time in over an hour.
Adrian should be thankful for the mental break, but he felt as if he’d just failed his wolf again.
He hadn’t wanted to leave Jaz either.
Having his wolf remind him nonstop of how much it hurt to walk away from her drove him to the end of his patience. He couldn’t live this way when every day got worse.
Jaz’s words came back to him. “... accept that healing is within reach. Your bond is damaged, but just think back to when you first met your wolf and how you built that bond. Start with one step at a time. Don’t expect to heal overnight. Give if you hope to receive. Show your wolf you still care and tell him how you need his help.”
He’d left late from her apartment but made up the time while driving. He still needed to be upstairs in less than two minutes, but this internal battling had to end.
He swallowed and took a breath.
For Red and Jaz, he’d try what she’d suggested. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to look her in the eyes again and admit he hadn’t put forth any effort to fix his bond.
That would be the same as saying his wolf didn’t matter to him. Jaz would interpret that as Adrian unable to step up and be the man he wanted her to see in him.
Calming his inner voice, he told his wolf, Please believe me when I say I want to go back this very second. I will go back and help them. No, we will go back to help them. Jaz believes there’s hope for us if we mend our bond. I ... want that more than you can know.
Swallowing a thick lump in his throat, Adrian’s voice broke when he said, I miss you ... Red. I miss what we were before. We did our job and saved that hostage. I know you blame me for us ending up in that cage, but I would never do that to you. If I could have kept you safe and free, I would have willingly given myself to the enemy. I’m sorry. We can’t change what happened. We’ll always carry the scars, both of us, but we could try to survive for Jaz and the golden wolf, Tarski.
His wolf said nothing.
That hurt, but Adrian would be strong for both of them as long as he could.
Maybe Mad Red needed time ...
No! His wolf’s name was Red. From this minute on, Adrian would only call his wolf by the name his wolf had earned through love and friendship.
He and his wolf had survived many harrowing situations.
Why had he given up on them this time?
Adrian knew the answer. He’d been too mired in his own misery and just as angry at what happened in that cage to see Red’s rage as his wolf needing him.
Jaz had opened his heart and his mind. She had some serious mojo healing, but she could only do so much.
She couldn’t heal someone unwilling to heal himself.
From this minute on, he wanted a chance to live for Jaz and his wolf. He had to earn that future. She’d laid the responsibility at his feet to mend the bond with Red, and hell ... she’d been right.
It was Adrian’s place, as the human expected to be in control and to have his animal’s back in areas that would be unfair to expect of his wolf.
Like repairing their psyche.
A sense of calm came over Adrian. He now had a purpose when he’d been wandering around aimlessly, waiting for the end.
He accepted the challenge of saving his wolf and himself, regardless of how Red reacted.
Jaz’s words grew and expanded in his mind. Give if you hope to receive.
He had to be the one to show patience first. It wouldn’t be easy and he might not succeed every time Red yelled at him, but he had to try to bring his wolf back.
If not, they would both lose.
Slamming his car door, he rushed inside, pausing to confirm his identity since only his recent teammates knew him by sight.
He caught surprised looks as he passed open doors on his way to the mission room. He’d never been to this new building. It even smelled new, but still looked pretty old on the exterior.
He doubted the building had multiple below ground floors back when the two-story structure had first been erected.
Slowing when he neared the door to the room he believed to be the correct place, Adrian prepared for whatever waited.
Stepping inside, disciplined energy reached out to his in a non-threatening way. He still felt it thump his chest. A ferocious power that had been around for at least three-hundred years both tested his and welcomed him.
And that jolt was nothing compared to what the Guardian kept in check.
His boss stood at the end of a long conference table where the room expanded to Adrian’s right.
Grizzly shifter and good friend, Justin looked up from the computer he’d been bent over. No one doubted he had a massive bear inside that linebacker body. He folded his arms ripped with muscle and leaned back, smiling. “Hey, bud.”
Adrian sent his friend a nod, but his nerves got to him. These people expected the best for him and from him. Pressure piled back on his shoulders. Jaz remained front and center in his mind. He should be thinking of his team first, but she’d taken up residence there and everyone else followed. Still, he didn’t want to let his team and Guardian down.
Not that he liked the idea of being caught between his people and Jaz, but he would not turn his back on her.
Is this how Justin had felt when he tried to defy the Guardian to get to Elianna? That bruiser had been smiling at something when Adrian walked in. Being that Justin was recently mated, Adrian would bet the joy in that smile had been for his mate, Elianna. That had worked out, but Justin had been willing to face anything to keep her. He ended up detained in Wyoming with Adrian and Rory while the Guardian fulfilled his promise to her father by delivering her safely to Justin’s old bear clan in Louisiana.
A force to be contended with, Elianna made good on her deal with her father and still figured out how to end up with Justin.
“You coming in or going to stand there the whole time?” Hawk called out from the closest end of the table, hovering near a box of donuts. Though not a Gallize, Hawk still shifted into his namesake, a supersized Swainson’s Hawk. He lifted a donut covered in powdered sugar that sprinkled the table as he took a bite around his grin.
In human form, Hawk claimed to be six feet tall and no one called him on the lie. He topped out at no more than five-eleven, if that. But he packed plenty into that frame and above his ears. He had a perpetual could-give-a-shit attitude on a face that saved him from being bored or alone when they had time off overseas. He flew anything asked of him from airplanes to helicopters. From what Adrian had seen of maneuvers the guy executed overseas, Hawk could probably pilot a space shuttle.
“Sorry. Glad to be back.” Adrian walked over and took a seat across from Hawk. He glanced past Justin to another wolf, based on the scent.
The Guardian gaze tracked along with his. “Adrian, this is Vic, a recent addition to our team here in Spartanburg.”
Vic had to be wolf, but something told Adrian it was more than wolf. At six feet, maybe an inch over that, this shifter had no smooth spot on him, as if someone had sculptured him with an axe and hammer. Plenty of muscles, but a casual observer might underestimate his lanky body. No nonsense short brown hair and steel-blue eyes that gave nothing away. Adrian would bet this guy’s happy and pissed expression couldn’t be told apart.
Adrian and Vic exchanged nods, the general salutation of males who didn’t know each other.
Hawk slid the box of donuts to Adrian, who hadn’t eaten anything this morning, but Vic snaked his hand out fast and reached past him to yank out an iced donut with speckles.
“Where’d you get your manners?” Hawk grumbled. “I gave that to Adrian, then he gives it to you. That’s how it works around a table. Got it?”
Vic answered by shoving the entire donut in his mouth and chewing it in silence.
Adrian snorted and lifted out one for himself. “Thanks, Hawk.”
“Custard? Nobody eats those,” Hawk complained.
Justin asked, “Then why bring it? You’re the one who bought them?”
“Watching bad personal choices amuses me.”
The Guardian cleared his throat.
Along with the rest of the guys, Adrian’s attention went immediately to their boss, whose eyes showed a strained look of patience.
When silence fell, the Guardian said, “Thank you for coming in right away, Adrian.”
“As if I would ignore your call?” He smiled at his boss, unlike the last time he met with the Guardian and Justin. Those days in Wyoming seemed a long time ago even though he’d only recently been freed. But for the first time in months, he felt like a Gallize. Like he belonged again.
The eagle shifter almost smiled in return. “I hate to call you in when I agreed to allow you time to help your friend. But there have been three missing women in the Hickory area in the past weeks and one in a town called Clarenceville.”
His boss walked down the long side of the room through a wide space left between the table and the wall. “Human law enforcement reported the disappearance, then canceled the missing persons alert. The woman in Clarenceville left a voice message with her employer at a bar indicating she had left due to being pregnant. When SCIS could find no leads on two missing female shifters, they began reviewing human missing persons reports on the chance that a lone female shifter might have been hiding among humans, which would make them an easy target.”
Adrian fought not to react to hearing the name of the town where he’d found Jaz. Volunteering anything right now would end with him having to explain about Jaz.
Until he had reason to bring her up, he’d keep her out of this. He asked, “When did that woman at the bar go missing?”
Justin spoke up. “Ten days ago.”
Jaz talked as if she’d just arrived in Clarenceville.
Adrian’s shoulders dropped with relief. He saw no connection there.
Taking his usual place at the head of the table, the Guardian said, “SCIS thinks it could be a Black River pack abduction. We’re developing a relationship with SCIS via Cole’s mate, Tess, but she’s not back at work yet. She’s just relaying messages. I’d like you to take Vic and Hawk to investigate all these disappearances, Adrian.”
Keeping his voice casual, Adrian asked, “Why me? Why not someone whose been back on the streets longer and ... hasn’t had issues?” The last time the Guardian saw him in Wyoming, Adrian’s wolf had been dangerously unstable. Even so, the Guardian believed Adrian had done all he could in seclusion and put him on a team for Scarlett in a training capacity. He’d shown improvement, but he saw better options than him sitting around the table.
Or had someone learned about Jaz being in Clarenceville?
If so, had they tied him to her after she’d partnered with him to help Scarlett and Gan?
No way would Scarlett give up Jaz and Gan put Scarlett first, as it should be with a mate.
Still the timing of this was suspicious.
He had to know if this involved Jaz at all.
Justin gave the Guardian a look and received a hand gesture for Justin to take over. “The reason Tess isn’t back with SCIS yet is because she’s having bad all-day morning sickness with her pregnancy. Cole doesn’t want to leave his mate, which I’m sure you can understand.”
Gallize mates were revered and every Gallize male shifter would put his life down to protect anyone’s mate. What would Jaz look like pregnant with his baby? Whoa. Where’d that come from?
Shoving his wandering mind back on track, Adrian asked, “Is Tess okay?”
“She’s good,” Justin said, laughing. “She’s probably better than Cole, but every time she has morning sickness in the afternoon he panics. He doesn’t have any idea what to do and she tries to send him to work, but he’s worthless when he’s away from her. She believes she’ll be fine once she gets through her first trimester.”
Adrian cocked an eyebrow at him. But could he say he would be any better than Cole? No. “I wouldn’t laugh too much, bear. You’ll probably be in the same boat soon.”
Justin cupped his forehead. “I sure as hell hope so. Eli’s all over my damn ass about getting her pregnant.”
“Language, Justin,” the Guardian admonished, but with humor in his voice.
“Sorry, sir.”
The perpetually antagonistic Hawk, at least with his Gallize peeps, had a custard-covered grin. “Maybe you’re not doing something right. Need some tips?”
Justin growled at the non-Gallize shifter. “Not from you, bird boy.” Then he froze and glanced at the Guardian. “Sorry, sir, that wasn’t meant to be derogatory at winged shifters.”
Releasing a long, exasperated-sounding sigh, the Guardian said, “Can we please get this done?”
“Yes, sir!” echoed around the room.
Adrian hid his smile, but it felt good to be back among his people. Poking at Justin had released that uncomfortable tension in the air.
Justin returned to the discussion. “What little intel we’ve received points to wolf shifters, which is why SCIS thinks it’s the Black River pack. Having you and Vic, along with Hawk for air support and observation, made the most sense.”
“I can see that,” Adrian admitted, starting to relax a little and feeling good to once more be treated as one of the team. He didn’t kid himself. The Guardian would not send him out on a mission alone, but he was being given the lead. He could not fail his boss, who continued to believe in him.
“In addition to that information, my mate, Eli, has had a new vision involving you.”
There went Adrian’s happy place. “What was it?”
“Do you remember meeting her when you were in Wyoming and the vision she had after touching your wolf?”
“Kind of. After you left, Cole and Rory brought it up. They said she put her hands on me and calmed my wolf, then told everyone my wolf is just as screwed up as I had been saying.”
Justin scowled. “No, she didn’t, wolf. She specifically said, ‘Wolf must live so wolf save life. Must save person necessary to shifters.’ She was talking about all of us, including the boss.”
Hearing that bear shifter call him wolf sounded like old times. Adrian appreciated that far more than everyone tiptoeing around the messed-up one in the room. He said, “I was paraphrasing Eli’s words about my wolf. Her accent is much more adorable than you trying to repeat her words verbatim.”
“You saved yourself from having to pick your ass up off the floor by complimenting her,” Justin said in warning tone.
“Back off, bear. Just ribbing you.” Adrian smiled.
Justin tapped his fingers then allowed a half grin. “Good to have you back even if you are more annoying than before.”
Sitting forward with his arms on the table, Adrian said, “I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do that is important to all of the Gallize.”
Back to business, Justin explained, “When Eli gets a vision, it’s not a simple road map. She gets bits and pieces, but her visions always come true. Always. That’s why we’re taking whatever she gives us seriously.”
Lifting his hands in surrender, Adrian said, “I’ll absolutely take what she says to heart the same I would for any mission intel. So, what’s this new information?”
“She said you were searching for a woman, who is involved in all this.”
Adrian hoped no one picked up on his heart rate that kicked up before he could force his body to stay calm. He waited for another shoe to drop with her visions.
Her bear mate said, “This morning when she knew nothing about what SCIS would ask us an hour later, Eli said the red wolf must be sent to find the wolf king harming women he steals.”
“Where are these women being taken from?” Adrian asked, sensing this had to be in the southeastern area.
The Guardian took over. “The best we can determine, she’s speaking about the locations that match what SCIS gave us. They seem to be in the general Hickory, North Carolina area. Elianna said one bad wolf was dead, but more still hunt the women for a king.”
“A king?” Adrian sorted through what had been said. “Did Eli give you any idea who she thought this king in her vision was?”
“She has no idea,” Justin said. “However, we believe she could be talking about the elusive Blood King, who rules a pack of wolves. He’s supposed to be a splinter group of the Black River pack.”
“You don’t sound too sure,” Adrian pointed out.
“We’re not sure,” the Guardian answered and walked around the far corner of the table, turning his scary eagle eyes on everyone in a sweep of the room. From what the Guardian once told Adrian and his team, a shifter who lived a long time often ended up with the animal’s eyes fixed in the human form. That man had seen three centuries, which explained the permanent eagle eyes.
Vic had been quiet until then. “We’ve tried to find this Blood King for a long time, even before I went overseas. No one believed the rumors until SCIS caught one of his wolves, but that guy killed himself before they could interrogate him.”
“What?” Adrian asked. “How does a shifter kill himself while incarcerated. He had to be wearing a titanium collar to keep him in human form, right?”
“Yep. He used his claws to slash his femoral artery in his thigh. His collar had been chained to the wall and he had wrist cuffs, but he could push his claws out. He kept slashing until he’d bled out. That’s how they found him the next morning.”
Hawk interjected, “I’m thinking that had to be better than what the Blood King would do to him if they released the wolf shifter. Rumor has it this Blood King is another level of ruthless. Plus, Tess and Scarlett suspect there may be another traitor inside SCIS.”
Adrian had heard about Scarlett contracting for SCIS, which was how she met Tess before Cole and Tess mated.
Holding his hands out in a what-do-you-expect motion to Hawk, Vic said, “That organization uses jackals for security. Enough said.”
“Good point,” Adrian allowed.
Jaz had mentioned Kaiser trying to kidnap Daisy. What had happened to that woman? He’d ask Jaz when he saw her again.
On second thought, he’d call the bar and ask her.
Was that just an excuse to hear her voice?
Maybe. Probably.
He had no guilt over admitting that to himself. He’d have a phone mounted to his head if he thought he could hear her voice at any minute of the day.
Could those jackal shifters who were trying to kidnap her friend from the bar be involved? Or were they associated with SCIS and tracking the female for another reason?
Shit fire, that would point a finger in Jaz’s direction.
No one here had mentioned SCIS hunting a woman who fit her description. Had SCIS given his team all the intel?
Adrian needed to get in touch with Scarlett but keep her out of this mess. Jaz would kill him if he dragged Scarlett into the middle of all this. She’d have to wait behind Gan, who would find a way to do worse for putting his mate at risk.
Justin had just finished showing a map of the southeastern United States projected on a screen, pointing out the locations where female shifters had gone missing.
Turning to his boss, Adrian asked, “Is Gan in active duty yet?”
Heads turned his way, but the Guardian didn’t appear to find his question odd. “Not yet. Scarlett is getting to know the other female mates. She and Gan will complete their bond soon. He’s ready to do it immediately, of course.”
Everyone in the room chuckled. Gan had wanted to bond at the tiger shifter compound when he found out all he had to do was ask her to be his mate.
Of course, when a Gallize did that, energy burst around them, bonding into a united force.
The Guardian continued, “I think Scarlett is taking her time so she can work with Gan and his tiger, plus I want them to enjoy this chance to get to know each other better. She’s clearly ready to finish the bond as well.”
That solved one problem.
With those two out of the picture, Adrian would not worry about Scarlett getting involved and ruin this special time for Gan. That tiger shifter had been imprisoned his entire life until escaping just before the Guardian called up his Siberian tiger. Gan had to learn control and accept being a shifter when he’d hated the shifters that had guarded him his entire life.
His opinion of shifters changed with falling for Scarlett.
With no new weight added to his conscience, Adrian surge ahead. “What’s the plan?”
Justin ran down a few more points then looked up from his computer. “That’s it. Call in if you need anything.”
“Got it.” Adrian stood. “Everyone ready to get rolling?”
Justin’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and read a text, then looked at Adrian. “Scarlett asked if you could meet her and Gan at the Twilight John’s bar. She said she and Gan had a question you would understand. I’m guessing it’s to do with Gan’s tiger. He probably trusts you more than anyone else after spending time in Wyoming with you.”
Adrian found that humorous. His wolf and Gan’s tiger tried to kill each other the entire time, but they discovered mutual respect during the training mission with Scarlett.
Justin asked, “Can you do that before you leave?”
Adrian lifted his shoulders. “Sure, if I have time.”
“You will,” the Guardian confirmed. “That will allow the three of you time to prepare before heading out.”
“Sounds good,” Adrian replied, then told Vic and Hawk, “I’m packed. Why don’t you two meet me outside the bar in an hour?”
“Copy that,” Hawk said and left with Vic.
With that settled, Adrian headed for the door.
The Guardian’s eyes swung to him. “How are things with your wolf?”
At one time, Adrian would have said they were still a hopeless case and he had accepted that he couldn’t continue with a damaged bond, but not anymore.
Hadn’t he decided to fight for his wolf?
Maybe Red had heard his dark thoughts and willingness to give up so many times he’d pulled away from Adrian and death.
“My wolf is doing his best,” Adrian replied with a hint of confidence. “Red and I are working through this.”
Adrian caught Justin’s heart rate jack up. He stared at Adrian with hope in his gaze. “Really?”
Justin, Cole, and Rory had fought to keep Adrian alive even when he begged to be put down. He’d missed out on a true blood family as a child, but he had these friends, who were closer than blood.
“Yep.” Adrian didn’t want to say his wolf had gone completely dark on him since his last words in the parking lot, but neither would he show a weak front.
Red mattered. He deserved Adrian’s loyalty.
The smile Justin gave him flowed through the energy in the room. Even the Guardian had a thoughtful and upbeat look on his face. If Adrian didn’t repair the bond with Red, he’d let even more people down this time.
He left the room quickly but managed not to run all the way to his SUV.
Had Jaz contacted Scarlett already? She wouldn’t have had time to leave and reach a new location. Even then, she’d procrastinate for a day or two before her conscience forced her to follow through on her agreement.
Instead of making himself nuts wondering, Adrian found the number for the bar in Clarenceville by the time he entered the parking deck.
When a raspy female with a smoker’s voice answered, he asked if he could speak to Janet.
“That woman bussing tables? Hell, she didn’t even last two days. Never showed up today.”
Jaz might have a reason to come in late, Adrian reminded himself. She had no phone to make a call. Plus, he realized Jaz wouldn’t leave without making sure Thea was safe.
He asked, “What about Thea? Is she available?”
“Nope. They both took off and left me shorthanded. Come in tonight. We got half-priced beers and a good bartender. Better worker than those two.”
Ending the call, Adrian stood next to his truck and pushed down the first wave of panic.
Thea had also disappeared.
