Cat of a Different Color

Chapter Eight

Richard Lowell was huge and intimidating. The man easily reached six-foot-four. Broad, powerful shoulders matched the massively muscled arms crossed over his chest. Pale blue eyes stared coldly at Adrian from a face that had seen hard times. There was a scar that ran the length of his left cheek, an angry red one that let Adrian know it was still new, probably within the last few weeks. Since he was the new Pack Alpha, odds were he’d received it during a dominance challenge. Long bright red hair was tightly bound by a braid that went all the way to his waist. He wore black jeans and a dark blue sweater that strained against his massive chest. “What do you mean you’re leaving to bring back the other female?”

Belinda was being discharged from the hospital. She’d been in a full day longer than Sheri. She’d refused to go to a halfway house, opting instead for physical therapy on an outpatient basis. “Both women are at risk, Belle because she pushed Sheri out of the way of the car. I think it’s best to have them both under the same roof, especially since Belle can’t protect herself right now. Gabriel will guard Sheri while I fetch Belle.”

“I don’t think that’s wise.”

Adrian stared at the huge Pack Alpha. “You’re here. Are you telling me that Parker will be able to get through you, your Marshal, his second, my second, and two other wolves to get to my mate?”

“I’ll send one of my wolves to fetch the female.”

Adrian rolled his eyes. “Sure, right. Belle would take one look at your guys and scream her head off. No offense but she doesn’t know any of you guys from Adam, and she has reason to be cautious of Wolves right now.”

“But she trusts you, since you’re Pride.” Richard still stared at him coldly. “Then have one of my men go with you, or send your Second.”

Gabe flushed. “She won’t go with me, either.”

Richard looked at the sheriff briefly before returning those cold eyes to Adrian. “Meaning that the female can’t trust the peacekeepers of her Pride?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose; the headache he’d woken up with that morning was only getting worse. “Look, there were some issues between Belle and the rest of the Pride that we’re still resolving, and none of them are her fault. She trusts very few people right now. I just happen to be one of them.”

He looked around the room at the five Wolves and three Pumas. “Sheri isn’t leaving this house, and she’s one of the few Belle trusts. Emma and Becky are dealing with the vandalism of their store. Max and Simon will be going with me to get Belle, and, no, I will not send them alone; the threat is to both of them as well. Gabe will protect my mate. I’m asking you to stay here and help him with that. If you can’t I’ll make other arrangements.”

The power rolling off of Richard was different from the power that Max exuded with such ease. The man was incredibly strong, but the difference between the independent, strong-willed power of the Pride Alpha and the dominant hammer the Pack Alpha wielded as he tried to bludgeon Adrian into submission were completely different. Richard didn’t give a fuck what Adrian wanted. He demanded obedience with his force of will. He probably always got it, too.

But not today.

Adrian knew he was right. He was acting on his instincts as his Pride’s Marshal, not as a Puma with a mate in danger. The thought of sending Max and Simon to the hospital alone gave him a major case of the panics. He stared the Alpha down, not budging an inch as Gabe clutched his head and groaned. Sheri curled up in a ball, whimpering at the power rolling through the room.

“Let it go, Rick, he’s not going to budge,” the Pack Marshal said with a smile as his second joined in with some head clutching and groaning of his own. The other wolves were all cowering on the floor at their Alpha’s display of temper.

The power Richard had been wielding abruptly cut off. “You are a stubborn man,” Richard said softly.

“I’m my Pride’s Marshal, and every instinct I have says it’s dangerous to send Max after Belle without me.”

Richard stared at him for a long moment before nodding once. He turned to his Marshal. “Secure the area, Ben. Let me know when the Pride Alpha and Beta arrive.”

The man nodded once and motioned to the other wolves. They left the house, presumably to “secure the area” to their Alpha’s satisfaction.

“Thank you.”

The other man finally smiled. “No problem.”

Adrian shook his head and sat next to Sheri. He gathered her close, not surprised when she tucked her face into his shoulder. “As soon as the others get here I’ll leave. Belle will sleep here, with us, until Parker’s dealt with. You’ll be able to fuss over each other to your heart’s content. Okay?”

She nodded.

“Head hurt, princess?”

She shook her head.

Richard knelt in front of them, his ice blue eyes soft as he looked at the trembling woman. “I promise you, Parker will not lay a finger on you while you are under my protection.”

Sheri looked up at the huge man. She bit her lip, uncertainty in her eyes as she stared at him. “May I see you?”

Adrian started, his Puma snarling. “Seeing” Richard meant nose to nose, not something he felt comfortable with.

Richard looked at Adrian, then looked back at Sheri. “I can understand your nervousness, considering it was Wolves who attacked you. If it will make you feel more comfortable, by all means, um,” he frowned, slightly confused, “see me.”

Adrian sat back and forced himself to allow his mate to get close to the big, bad Wolf.

Sheri stared at the large red-headed man in front of her and tried to remember that he was there to help.

The fact that he smelled of Wolf didn’t help much. His coldness and his power only made her more afraid.

But when he’d knelt in front of her and tried to reassure her she’d known he understood. He only seemed cold. Every instinct she had told her that this man would sooner gnaw off his own paw than hurt a woman. She didn’t know how she knew that, she just did.

Maybe it was in his scent, or the way he immediately grasped her problem and tried to fix it in the only way he knew how. By opening himself up to her examination he allowed her teeth and claws dangerously close to his unprotected eyes and neck, something he would never do if he felt threatened in any way. It reassured her in a way nothing else could have.

She leaned in close and allowed their noses to almost touch. She felt Adrian’s tension and knew he wouldn’t appreciate it if she actually made contact with the other man.

Pale blue eyes stared at her from a battle-worn face. The initial layer of frost hid a nature more deeply compassionate and caring than any she’d ever seen before, mixed with a fierce determination to protect those he considered under his care. It was easy to see. She’d seen it in Adrian’s eyes once too often to mistake it.

But it was different in this man. Where Adrian was content to slide through until his special abilities were called for, this man was always “on”, always aware of what was happening with and to those people he considered his. If her mate hadn’t had the threat of Parker to fuel his power, he’d have been groaning right alongside Gabe.

“I can see why she is your mate now,” he said, staring into her eyes. What he saw there, she had no idea, but it seemed to reassure him just as much as what she saw reassured her. “She sees deeply, more deeply than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“But I was still fooled by Rudy.”

He went cold again, hiding himself behind icy eyes. “Just because you can see deeply doesn’t mean you always think to look.”

He stood up, towering over them, and stared at their joined hands. “She’ll be safe with us. Go get the other female.”

And he turned and walked into the kitchen without a backward glance.

Sheri tapped her fingers nervously on her legs. She was watching television, trying to distract herself until the others returned. Richard’s utter stillness wasn’t helping, either; it wasn’t relaxed at all. It was the stillness of a predator waiting for his prey to come within striking distance. He stayed away from windows and doors, making sure she did the same, and he kept between her and the doors and windows the few times she moved. He inspected every room she went into before she entered it. He’d detailed his Marshal and men to outside guard duty. His Marshal had agreed, as he felt it was his job to guard them both. In short, he acted the perfect bodyguard. Gabe was outside with the other Wolves, since he was familiar with the wooded territory behind Adrian’s house and they weren’t.

Her cell phone rang. An amused chuckle came from over her shoulder as he heard her ring tone.

“Where did you find that?”

“On a website that had Looney Tunes sound waves,” she answered as she dug her phone out of her purse.

He chuckled some more as Sylvester the Cat’s voice said once again, “You’re darn tootin’, Buster. You did see a pussycat!”

“Hello?”

“Hello, Sheridan.”

She felt her blood run cold as Rudy’s soft, growling voice filled her ears. She looked up at Richard, hoping he could see the expression on her face, but his back was to her. “Hello, Rudy.”

“I hear you’ve been a busy, busy girl, Sheridan.”

She licked her lips as Richard moved to look out one of the kitchen windows. “Yes, I have.”

“I’d love to get together, discuss what you’ve been up to. Do lunch, maybe.”

“Sorry, my social calendar is booked full through two thousand sixty. Maybe some other time.”

“Really? Because Giordano would just love it if you joined us.”

She froze. “Adrian’s not with you.”

“No? Have you spoken to him since he left for the hospital?”

Richard turned back to stare at her but was too far away for her to see his expression. “No, I haven’t.”

“Tell you what, Sheridan. I’m a generous guy. You get on the phone and call him, see how he’s doing.

I’ll call back in five. Just to see if you’ve been able to get a hold of him.”

The connection cut off.

With shaking hands and voice she filled Richard in as she dialed Adrian’s cell. No answer. She tried Max’s, and then Simon’s.

No answer.

Her heart pounding with fear, she started to dial Emma’s number. When the cell phone rang again she jumped. She fumbled it open. “Hello?”

“Well, Sheridan? Were you able to get in touch with any of them?”

“No,” she whispered, terrified beyond belief.

“That’s odd, because I could have sworn I heard his cell phone ringing.”

The gloating triumph in his voice sent shards of terror straight down her spine.

“What do you want?”

“Hmm. Well, my men are getting hungry. Are you sure you won’t join us for lunch?”

She whimpered. Wolf packs in the wild had been known to eat lone pumas.

“I tell you what, sweetheart. I’ll arrange it so you can get away from the Neanderthal who thinks he’s guarding you. You leave the house, come quietly with me, and maybe I won’t feed Giordano to my packmates. Deal?”

Before she could answer Rudy disconnected.

“Don’t even think about it.”

She looked up at the large Pack Alpha. Menace rolled off him in waves. “I have no choice.”

“Then don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re leaving this house without me.”

The sound of a gunshot cut off anything else she might have said. A cry of agony was swiftly followed by another gunshot.

“Shit! Wait,” Richard said. “This must be what he was talking about. Move to the front door, I’m right behind you.”

She saw him pull something out from behind his back and figured it must be a gun. At least she hoped it was a gun.

She moved around the couch to grab Jerry’s harness but Richard’s hand stopped her. “Leave him. He’ll be safer.” She nodded her agreement and moved to the front door, opening it slowly.

A third shot rang out before it was open all the way, startling her. She heard Richard groan just before the large man fell, knocking her to the ground.

“Get up, Sheridan, let’s go.”

Rudy grabbed her arm and dragged her to a car. “Be grateful I don’t have much time,” he said as he shoved her in the car, “or I’d have made sure the big fucker was dead.” He got in behind her, crowding in close to her. “Drive,” he snarled to the man in the driver’s seat.

“Get off me,” Sheri said, trying to push him away from her. Another shot rang out, and this time Rudy cursed.

“Not on your life. You’re mine again, and there is no way in hell I’m letting you go.”

When he began ripping at her clothes she began fighting. A vicious slap stunned her long enough for him to rip away her sweater. She thought briefly about shifting but she was still mostly clothed. Getting tangled in her jeans would merely make her more vulnerable.

So she fought him with teeth and claws as he bit and snarled over her, praying that Adrian would arrive before Rudy got to finish what he’d started.

Max pulled up outside of Adrian’s house and snarled. “Problems.”

“No shit, Sherlock, what was your first clue?” Simon snarled back, climbing out of the Durango. “What the hell happened here?”

Gabe stepped out onto the porch, gun in hand. “Two shots out back, one out front. Richard’s down but not out. One dead, one wounded, both ours.”

“Sheri?” Adrian growled.

Gabe shook his head. “Not quite sure what happened but as soon as the shots rang out she took off for the front door. One of Rick’s men saw her go but wasn’t close enough to get to her. Rick tried to stop her but got taken out. We’ve got a license plate, and a Wolf followed the car for as long as he could before he had to double back.”

“Where the hell were you?”

“Trying to get to the sniper.”

“And?”

“He got away when I heard the shots out front. I shot at the car just as they took off, but missed the damn tire.”

“FUCK!” Adrian shouted. Both hands clenched in his hair. “What the hell was she thinking?”

A pained growl erupted from the Pack Alpha where he sat on the porch floor. “Rudy told her he had you. She couldn’t reach you, so she believed it. Is your cell phone on?” A dish towel was pressed against his shoulder and soaked through with blood.

“She is in so much trouble when I find her,” Adrian growled as he checked his cell. “Yes, it is.”

“Yours too?” Richard pointed with his chin to Max and Simon.

“Yup.”

“After what happened at Wallflowers? Damn straight it’s on.”

“Check in the car, see if there’s an RF jammer somewhere,” Gabe said to one of the Wolves. The man nodded and went to look.

“What the hell is an RF jammer?” Simon asked.

“Radio frequency jammer. Really illegal just about anywhere, but something a mechanical engineer would know how to build,” Gabe answered.

The Wolf came back quickly with a small yellow device the size of a deck of cards. “This is why no one could reach you.”

“Okay, Adrian, think! Where is she?” Max demanded.

“How the fuck should I know?”

Max glared at him as Simon went to the Durango and helped Belinda out. “You’re the Marshal. She’s pride. Where is she? ”

He concentrated on his mate, his eyes turning gold as he felt where Rudy’s hands were on her body.

“I’m going to fucking kill him.”

“Good. Where are they?”

“In a car, still moving. He’s…” Adrian snarled, holding back the primal scream of his Puma with difficulty. “I think he’s trying to rape her, and she’s fighting him.” She’d lost her sunglasses somewhere along the way and the pain of the sunlight in the car was excruciating. He felt like both of his eyes were being stabbed with knives.

“Can you smell anything?”

Adrian found himself belted into the front seat of the Durango. A large red Wolf leaped into the back seat, a shoulder wound bleeding sluggishly all over Max’s leather upholstery. Another Wolf, this one smaller and a lighter red ( Ben, the Marshal his Puma whispered) joined the larger, wounded one. He sniffed, but the smell of blood and Wolf nearly overwhelmed him.

“You have to use her senses, not yours. What does she smell?”

“Why don’t you try this?” Adrian growled.

“I would if I could but I can’t. I’m not the Marshal.”

He took a deep breath and tried once again to reach his mate. She could smell Parker, the driver, and her own blood as Parker’s claws ripped into her soft flesh…

And the smell of the Susquehanna River.

“Shit. She’s about fifteen minutes away, somewhere near the Susquehanna.”

Max took off in a squeal of tires. “Think he’s heading for Harrisburg?”

“Not sure. If he picks up I76 he could move into Ohio or further east towards Philly.”

“Then we have to catch him before he hits the highway.”

His cell phone rang. “Gabe.”

“I’m on my way, following an alternate route. Consider yourselves escorted by the police.”

“Thanks, dude.”

“No problem. I can fucking feel what he’s doing to her. The son of a bitch.”

“We’re cutting him off before he gets to the highway.”

Gabe sucked in a breath. “We’ll never find them if he takes her out of state.”

“No shit.”

“He heads east and he can pick up I95.”

“I know.”

“I’m calling in a few favors. Trust me, he won’t get much further.”

Adrian stared at the dead phone in his hands and wondered what his Second was up to.

“God damn it! Stay on the fucking road, Steve!”

“I’m trying, Rudy, but there’s a bunch of fucking yahoos with trucks blocking it!”

Rudy lifted his head from her breasts with a growl. He’d just succeeded in getting her jeans off her, leaving her completely naked. “Go around.”

“What the hell do you think I’m doing?”

Sheri squealed as shots were fired.

“What the fuck?”

“They’re shooting at us!”

Rudy sat up and pulled out his gun. He peeked over the top of the bench seat and stared out the windshield, and the scent of Puma came through. Those “yahoos” were her Pridemates.

Sheri could barely see, so she stayed down. She recognized the sounds of rifles being fired, and did the only thing she could think of. She hit the floor of the car and covered her head with her arms.

Bullets shattered the windshield, raining glass down on top of her. Rudy cursed again and fired back as Steve tried desperately to go around the roadblock.

“Fuck!”

“What?” Rudy snarled at his driver.

“Tire’s blown.”

She could feel the car fishtail as the driver tried desperately to bring it back under control. “Adrian!” she screamed as loud as she could, firmly convinced he was responsible for this and praying he would hear her over the noise of the gun battle.

Because if he didn’t get her out of there, her Puma would. And then hell would really break loose.

The sound of his mate screaming broke something inside Adrian. “Up there,” he snarled, already ripping his clothes off. He knew the men on the road block were Pumas; Gabe had called him back as soon as he’d set it up. They would do their best to hold Rudy in place until Adrian could arrive and kill his ass.

He shifted right there in the front seat, uncaring that his claws ripped Max’s leather seat. Max reached around him and opened his door and he leapt out, making a beeline for the car Rudy had his mate in.

The snow-white puma came soaring out of the back window with an effortless grace that burned through him. Her bright red eyes were fixed on him with fear, love, relief and hope. She was almost safe.

A gunshot fired.

She stumbled, and went down.

And his heart, missing its core, stopped beating.

He looked from his fallen mate to the man in the car, the Wolf with his mate’s scent all over him, the smoking gun still held in his hands, and realized he had one more task to complete before he joined his mate in death. But even that was denied him as the huge red Wolf sailed past him, leapt into the car and in one strike ripped out the throat of the rogue.

Adrian crawled to his mate and nuzzled at her wound. To his relief she grumbled, and his heart started beating once more.

She lived.

He curled up around her and allowed the Wolves to deal with the remaining rogues. He had more important things to do.