Gwen held the needle cover between her teeth and tapped the syringe against the side of her wrist to get the air bubbles out. Molly watched her without saying a word.
Gwen smiled, hoping to reassure her sister. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Our guide said it’s only a forty-five-minute drive to Maggie’s lodge. She’s expecting us and has a room already set up just for you. I told her how much you like homemade waffles so she’s promised to have a batch ready for when we get there.”
Molly blinked big pale-blue eyes at her. Over the time they had hidden on her boyfriend’s private boat, Gwen had tried everything to get her to talk. Nothing had worked. She honestly couldn’t blame Molly for being upset. So was Gwen.
Her stomach churned with the memory of what those lion shifters did to their parents. Gwen had stood at the top of the stairs, too far away to help, but Lena had shielded Molly’s eyes against the sight of their mother being attacked. Too bad she couldn’t have blocked out the screams or her stepfather’s bellows as he’d tried to fight his way to his wife’s side. When the shifters had unleashed their claws…
No, Gwen couldn’t think about it anymore. Those horrible minutes had sickened her. Only, they’d affected Molly more. Changed her. And Gwen hated seeing the deadened look in her little sister’s pretty eyes as a result.
She wiped Molly’s arm with an alcohol pad, more to get the dirt off than for site prep, and injected the chemical that masked her cat’s scent. Gwen looked over their remaining supply and tried to stay calm. With the decreased dose she’d been using, they might have enough for another day. Once they were safely inside the lodge, Molly’s scent wouldn’t be as noticeable. Besides, it was the neutral zone. No shifters were allowed to live there.
Not bothering to put a bandage on since the little pinprick would heal completely in seconds, Gwen put the supplies away and helped Molly into her light jacket. Late summer in Alaska wasn’t exactly cold but compared to the eighty-degree weather they’d left behind, it was chilly.
Molly didn’t seem to mind the temperature, but stood still while Gwen fussed with the sleeves, rolling them so they didn’t cover her fingers. The too-long jacket was the only one they could find in the small store they’d stopped at in Anchorage.
Gwen grasped Molly’s hand, adjusted her heavy backpack, and slipped out of the bathroom.
Gwen grinned at their handsome guide. “We’re all ready.”
The blond hunk motioned toward a tall silver-haired man leaning against a dented SUV. “I’ve got to head back into town so Andy will take you out to Maggie’s place. He just started a couple of days ago, but he knows the way and has got your bags already loaded.” The guide smiled at her. “You’re in good hands.”
Molly’s grip tightened, squeezing Gwen’s fingers. Gwen met her sister’s eyes. The panic etched into them sped Gwen’s pulse.
“Do you have to go to the bathroom, after all?”
Molly nodded.
Once in the restroom, Gwen knelt and gripped Molly’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
Instead of speaking, Molly pulled a blue crayon from the side pocket of the bag and wrote one word on the wall.
Bear.
Dread landed hard in her gut, churning it until the small dinner they’d had threatened to come up.
So much for the darn neutral zone.
She swallowed hard and allowed self-pity to rise for a moment before she had to put on her responsible hat and become Molly’s protector again. She should be back in her dorm enjoying her first semester of grad school, not running from hordes of shifters who wanted to destroy her little sister’s future. Life, however, wasn’t always fair, and she wasn’t one to run from a problem, even if she had no idea how to solve it.
She dug out her cell. No service.
Great, just great. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves and considered her choices.
“Okay.” She paused and took another steadying breath. “He won’t smell anything funny with the shot I just gave you. It’ll be okay. It’s only a short drive, and I still have Lena’s present.”
She took Molly’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Let’s get this over with.”
Devin ended the call and grinned. Lena’s cabin was only thirty minutes from Xander’s pack lands. Xander’s brothers, along with a couple of his sisters, were already headed out there to pick up Gwen and Molly.
Devin could reunite Lena with her sisters before the day was over. As soon as he did, he was taking his little human to bed. He felt like a newly matured male who’d realized what was so appealing about the opposite sex. But the only girl he could see when he closed his eyes was the woman upstairs.
He’d had hundreds of pairs of legs wrapped around his waist—couldn’t fathom why he’d bothered with any of them. None of those females had been Lena.
“Lena, I’ve got good news,” he called out.
Silence met him.
He cursed and took the stairs three at a time. The sensual blast of music that hit him when he opened the door would’ve made a great background to their lovemaking if the female he needed more than his next breath was actually here.
“Lena!”
Devin ran out the backdoor and caught her scent on the breeze. It took every ounce of control he had to stop his cats from emerging. Her quaint little neighborhood didn’t have enough shrubbery to hide him from passersby. Instead, he followed on foot to the spot she must’ve gotten into a car. He stared at the curb, and the truth slammed into him.
She’d left him.
Devin pulled out his phone, dropped it twice—thankful Mira had insisted he get one of those cases for it—but finally managed to dial Kade.
“Yeah,” Kade mumbled.
“She’s gone.”
“What?”
Claws emerged and tiny hairs poked through his skin. His lion’s body slithered under his muscles, pushing, trying to get out. Its head slammed into his chest, fangs gnawed on his insides.
He couldn’t let his lion out. After what he’d done to Lena, he didn’t trust himself to lose control. The swing sets and family dogs in the yards he’d passed reminded him of the danger he posed. He wasn’t stable. Wasn’t fit to be around people.
Wasn’t worthy of Lena.
She must’ve realized it, must’ve sensed how messed-up he was. He had to get her back, to convince her she could soothe him. All she had to do was stay with him. He felt normal when he could breathe her in.
“Lena ran while I was on the phone with you. She left me.” He growled, his voice more animal than man.
An older human with age spots covering his face frowned, no doubt hearing Devin’s bellowed words. The male grabbed his cane and shuffled down the driveway across the street from where Devin stood. His lion, which had been trying to break free, turned its head and focused on the approaching human. The approaching threat. His lion bared its fangs, and its low, menacing growl crawled up its throat, shaking Devin’s body.
No! He refused to harm another human.
He took the only option he could. He ran toward Lena’s house.
Once inside her home, he slid down the closed door. Hair sprouted over his body, and longer fangs filled his mouth. Colors faded from the world, and so did his grip on the lion’s leash. “Help…me.”
He dropped the phone as the big cat burst free. His roar of outrage shook the walls. He heard Kade’s curses and order to shut up. He would’ve liked to do exactly that. It wasn’t going to happen. The best he could do was stay away from the windows and pray Lena’s neighbors didn’t investigate.