Vader rolled his shoulders, ignoring the angry sounds his wolves made over seeing Gwen in Xander’s arms, and made his way across the woods. He couldn’t blame his wolves for the reaction. Gwen was theirs to protect and comfort. They wanted to fight for the right to do so. They refused to sit on the sidelines again while Xander was the one with their true mate.
At the moment, Xander’s embrace was the safest place for Gwen. The Winchester alpha wouldn’t allow harm to come to her, and Gwen’s safety mattered more than Vlad’s feelings.
With a sharp tug on the mystical cord connecting him to the three wolves—gray, Arctic, and black—and a low metaphysical growl, he put the animals in their place. No doubt they’d make their discontent known again, but they understood the danger. Not only were there still armed shifters in the woods, but the approaching storm left them uneasy.
Even with the winter gear Gwen had worn, she’d be at risk for frostbite or worse, death, if they had to hike out of here. Either Xander or Vader would have to carry her, allowing their higher metabolism to warm her, and leaving the other to act as guard.
The one thing they had going for them was the knowledge that Dante would come for them. Not being able to call him didn’t change that fact. Dante would simply follow the signal of the tracking device embedded in Vader’s foot. He’d had the chip installed several years ago while working with Shifter Affairs.
Because of the danger associated with the role he’d held, the chip had been the latest requirement in the humans’ attempt to safeguard their agents. After leaving the agency, he’d considered digging it out because he hadn’t wanted the group to know where he was, what he was doing. Dante had convinced him to leave it in. Good thing too.
Vader glanced at the house. Gwen likely had a similar device implanted somewhere in her body. Chipping had become common practice among the trafficking groups. Vader only hoped she knew where they’d placed it. Otherwise they’d have to wait until a scan could be done on her. That would leave them at risk for being tracked. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do about it.
Vader circled the property, keeping several hundred feet between him and the structure where Gwen was being held. Only one other shifter hid in the woods, a male who likely belonged to the Ulgran clan. He shared Reno’s features but not his size.
The lanky bear shifter crouched in the woods was likely a beta or a youth. The distance between them prevented Vader from determining which label applied to him, but seeing the male on guard concerned Vader. It wouldn’t take much for him to eliminate the lanky shifter. Reno would know that. Yet, this weak male was the only one on guard.
The uneasiness gripping Vader grew. This turn of events convinced him the Ulgran clan was up to something. Why? Maybe Xander was right and it had to do with this guy Gwen wanted to rescue. If he were so important to her, however, why was she still a virgin?
Unless they’d been purposely kept apart?
Whatever the reason, his instincts warned him to tread carefully. When it came to fighting, he didn’t question his gut feelings. Women, though? He’d screwed up more times than he could count to ever trust his instincts.
He turned his attention to the enemy, a battle he could win. Vader purposely stepped on a twig, snapping it and yanking the other shifter’s gaze to him.
The male grinned and tapped a button on the phone lying at his feet, no doubt telling Reno of Vader’s presence.
The trap he’d sensed earlier had found them. Vader cursed and rushed forward. The bear shifter didn’t move. He sat there, watching Vader run toward him.
A low growl from Vader’s white wolf, the calmest of the trio, stilled his steps. He opened himself to the animal, allowing it to the edge of his consciousness. Details he hadn’t noticed registered in his mind. The sharp scent of gasoline invaded his nose. His vision grew clearer, allowing him to pick out minute details of his surroundings.
Next to the shifter’s phone on the ground, a gun and a syringe sat on top of a men’s health magazine. The sight of the weapon didn’t surprise or concern Vader. Bullets couldn’t harm him for long. The syringe did, however. While no drug could kill him—he needed to lose his head or heart for that—he could be knocked out. Depending on the dose of whatever was in there, he could be unconscious for seconds or hours. No amount of time was acceptable.
He reached out to Xander. His ex-friend needed to know of the danger awaiting them.
“What?” Xander’s voice drifted into Vader’s mind.
A pop sounded. Crackling came next, followed by a loud whoosh.
Vader whipped his head in the direction of the sound. A flash of white brightened the helicopter that had been left feet from the house. Flames raced in a straight line toward the house.
A snapping twig behind him yanked his gaze back to the bear shifter. The male pointed the rifle. Fired. Vader ducked.
“A trap. Run.”
Xander didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. Vader shared his soul in that instance, a disturbing yet useful connection. Xander’s determination was clear. He’d save Gwen. Vader didn’t need more than that. His ex-friend would do anything for her.
The bear shifter fired off another round. Vader leapt, avoiding the bullet and closing the distance between them. His claws slid into place. Fangs filled his mouth.
With a swipe of his hand, he knocked the weapon out of the shifter’s grip. The male head-butted Vader, momentarily blinding him. Vader blinked hard. His wolves guided his motions. He grasped the bear shifter’s wrist before he could shove the syringe into Vader’s chest and squeezed, shattering the other shifter’s bones. A shriek tore from the male’s throat.
Vader’s gray wolf lowered his head and lifted his lip on a silent snarl. The warning directed Vader’s actions a second time. He dropped to the ground, pulling the bear shifter’s body over him.
Another pop sounded, softer than the last one. The male’s body Vader used as a shield jerked. The bear shifter’s mouth opened on a garbled scream. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his muscles went lax.
Vader tossed the unconscious body to the side and scanned the trees, looking for the shooter. Shadows engulfed the woods, offering too many places for danger to hide. He opened himself completely to his wolves, allowing them to partially merge with him and embracing his werewolf form, an unnatural and painful state where he was half man, half beast.
Thick, short hairs poked through his skin. The pressure in his chest increased as each dominant animal stretched his skin. They didn’t fight. They made room for each other, working together. In this instance, they had a common goal—Gwen’s safety.
A rustling of leaves he never would’ve noticed without the enhanced hearing of all three wolves combined caught his attention. He moved toward the sound, running faster than any mere human or single shifter could. With the power of three predators fueling him, he was the ultimate warrior.
He wrapped one clawed hand around the shooter’s throat and used the other to grab the male’s arm, snapping his bones as he’d done to the bear shifter. The shooter’s eyes widened. His jaw dropped, revealing a mouth full of dental fillings and crooked teeth.
A human. This wasn’t the first time Vader had encountered one who exploited their own kind, but the disgust never lessened no matter how many times he crossed paths with one.
Vader snapped the worthless human’s neck and dropped his limp body, then ran for the house. The sound of an ATV starting ripped a snarl from his gray wolf. Two ATVs had sat behind the home. Reno likely escaped on one.
Losing one ATV meant either he or Xander would have to shift and run. Somehow, he didn’t think the Winchester alpha would volunteer for the job. It also left them with at least one enemy unaccounted for.
“Is it safe?” Xander’s question slipped through Vader’s mind.
As his alpha, even if Vader refused to acknowledge him as such, Xander could join their minds at any time, as long as they were close, without needing Vader’s permission. Unfortunately, the same didn’t apply to Vader. He was merely a dominant, a male who was supposed to concede everything for his alpha. Once before, he’d done that. The decade Xander had been married to Elizabeth had been the worst of Vader’s long life. Never again would he sit on the outside looking in.
Vader scanned the woods. No movement. No unusual scents. Only the crackling of the flames engulfing the helicopter reached his ears. “Yes. For the moment.”
“Good. We’re coming out.”
A minute passed before Xander and Gwen rushed out the front door. A drawstring sack was slung over Xander’s shoulder while Gwen carried a bundle of blankets. She zeroed in on Vader. Her pace quickened.
“You’re safe.” Gwen dropped the blankets and threw herself into his arms, not even blinking an eye at his nakedness.
They didn’t have time for tender moments, but he enclosed Gwen in his embrace, savoring the feel of her and ignoring Xander’s scent on her skin. For just a second, Vader wanted to hold her, then he’d let her go.
Xander picked up the fallen blankets and moved behind Gwen, blocking her body with his. The living shield he provided gave Vader precious more seconds. He squeezed Gwen tighter before forcing himself to release her.
“Reno took off on one of the ATVs.” Xander motioned toward the remaining ATV with a jerk of his chin. “But it looks like he left us one.”
Vader glanced in the direction Xander indicated. “Probably has a tracking device.”
“My guess is Gwen does too.” Xander echoed Vader’s earlier thought.
“Yeah. We’re going to have to cut it out. Hope she knows where it’s at.”
“We can ask her after we put some distance between us and this house. My wolves are anxious. Edgy. They want us to move.”
“Then, we move.” Vader wouldn’t question Xander in this regard. An alpha’s instincts were sharper than other shifters’. He had the spirit of their pack influencing him, even if Xander could only officially connect with the Winchester pack’s spirit during the full moon’s celebration.
Xander took Gwen’s hand. Vader took her other one. Then they ran to the back of the house, keeping her as close to their bodies as possible. No danger greeted them on this side of the building, nor did his wolves alert him of any threats.
They headed toward the shed a couple hundred feet behind the home. No shots fired. Nothing in the woods around them moved. Only the crackling of flames carried through the night.
Trepidation settled over him with the ease of their escape. He cut a quick glance at Xander. While he ran with them, his gaze remained locked on the house.
Several feet from the shed where the ATV sat, Xander hooked an arm around Gwen’s waist, lifting her and tucking her against his chest, then he bolted toward the ATV and dove behind the vehicle with Gwen clinging to the front of his body.
Vader followed. He rounded the ATV just as an explosion rocked the house behind them, spewing flames and debris into the air. Vader arched over both Xander and Gwen, shielding them with his body.
The stinging bite of ashes and debris rained over his bare back. He didn’t move. Better his than Gwen’s. Or Xander’s. It irritated Vader, but his instincts demanded he protect his alpha, whether or not Vader wanted to admit to belonging to the Winchester pack.
Finally, the dangerous shower waned. He hopped to his feet and scanned the destruction. One side of the house had been blown away, along with part of the roof. Had Gwen been inside, she would’ve died. And Xander? Only the loss of his head or heart, accidentally or on purpose, would take out a Royal, but regenerating a limb took time. It also hurt. While Xander healed, he’d be vulnerable.
“They tried to kill us.” Disbelief choked Gwen’s words.
Vader glanced at where she lay, propped on her elbows under the shelter of Xander’s body. “You sound surprised.”
“Reno promised to return me to—”
“They’re all lying pieces of trash,” Vader snapped. Gwen flinched and dropped her gaze. Regret choked him. He couldn’t soften his tone, though. “Why would you believe anything that comes out of their mouths? You’re dispensable. You’re—”
“Gwen’s trying to save someone she cares about.” Xander cut him off, giving him a warning look to drop his attitude. Vader knew the expression well from those centuries when they’d been inseparable. “That takes courage. It’s not her fault Reno lied to her.”
Vader shoved away from them and gathered the blankets Xander had dropped in his haste to protect Gwen. She’d need the additional layers for the night ahead of them. “You’re right. It does.”
She took the blankets from him, shaking off the ashes covering them. “I don’t trust Reno. Not entirely. But I did believe what he’d said about returning me.”
“You know Reno well?” Xander asked.
“Not really.” A shiver shook her body. She clutched the pile of blankets to her chest. “But the virgin hunt was his idea. I was told he’d be punished if he didn’t return me. And Reno doesn’t like pain.”
Vader rested his fingers against her arm. Splotches of dried blood—all Xander’s—covered the dirty jacket she wore. She’d need to lose it once they cut out her tracking device. They couldn’t risk the scent of Xander’s blood drawing a shifter to them. As predators, the stench of blood equated weakness that could be exploited.
“I want to know more about this man you’re so anxious to save, more about what you suffered, but we need to move.” Vader looked into her eyes, grateful she didn’t glance away as she’d done for years. “Reno will be back to collect Xander’s body before he heals or finish him off once and for all. We need to be far away from here before then.”
Gwen looked at Xander. “Why would—”
“To demand money for his return, or they’ll expose him for his participation in the hunt?” Vader shrugged. It was the only thing he could come up with. The Winchester pack was the largest and strongest of the Royal wolf packs. To shame them in the eyes of the shifter community would be a devastating blow. “Who knows, but I’m not letting it happen. Nor will I lose you again.”
He stretched out on the ground and looked under the ATV before popping the engine cover and scanning the inside. With a modified elongated nail, he removed the tracking devices from under the wheel well and beneath the seat.
“There. Should be safe.” He met Xander’s impassive gaze. “Take Gwen and head northwest. There’s a lake about ten miles out. There are hunting cabins around it.”
The moment the order was out of his mouth, Vader regretted it. A dominant didn’t order an alpha around. Ever. Even if the command stemmed from his desire to protect his alpha. And Xander was his alpha. Pissing and moaning about it didn’t change the truth. Unless he was willing to sever the mystical tie linking him to the pack—to Xander—and join another pack, binding his soul to their communal group, he was a Winchester.
Xander held his gaze for a long moment, then worked his jaw back and forth. “Deeper into the forest? With a storm approaching?”
Vader breathed a sigh of relief over Xander’s nonaggressive response. Getting into a dominance fight with Gwen’s safety at risk couldn’t happen. “Yes. They won’t be expecting that. It’ll buy us some time. We need all we can get, because unless Gwen knows where they planted the tracking device on her body, we’ll need to strip her and examine her for any lumps or scars, then cut it out. We’ll need shelter to do that.”
Gwen’s eyes widened. “Tracking device?”
“Yes.” Xander turned Gwen’s head toward him with a finger against her cheek. “You don’t know where they implanted it, do you?”
She shook her head, and Xander nodded before meeting Vader’s gaze. “You’ll run ahead and look for shelter.”
Not exactly delivered as a question, nor as a command. Xander phrased his statement more as a confirmation, as if he fully expected Vader to have anticipated running recon. The assumption reminded him of a time, before Elizabeth, when they’d been able to accurately guess at each other’s actions and motives.
“Yes.” Vader nodded.
“Good.” Xander lifted Gwen, setting her on the ATV’s seat, then draped the blankets around her. With her bundled, he slipped in front of her and reached back, urging her closer with a hand at the base of her spine. She snuggled against Xander and linked her arms around his waist.
The sight tore a low growl from his wolves. Vader ignored the animals, grateful his seven hundred years of life allowed him the ability to do so, and stepped back.
Xander started the ATV, then met Vader’s gaze. “And this time, let’s not fail Gwen.”
Whether he referred to the fact that they’d both given up on her in Alaska, thinking her dead, or how they’d failed her soul in both previous lifetimes when she’d crossed their paths, Vader didn’t know. He did, however, agree with Xander.
“Never again.” He’d do the right thing for her, being the male she needed, even if that meant sharing her with another man.