Logan's Acadian Wolves

Chapter Twenty-Six

Interesting, the Mistress thought. She watched through the tall grass as the red wolf pinned the white one. Absurdly strong and alpha, Wynter might be more difficult to kill than she’d anticipated. The Mistress knew her intellectual acuity far exceeded her physical capabilities. This was exactly why she needed the virus to bring the Acadian Wolves to their knees.

She snickered, amused by their show of dominance. It was a farce. The Mistress, through her loving command, would teach them all what true domination looked like. No more challenges would exist under her sovereignty. Her fanged beasts would cower as would the bloodsucking paranormals who sought dominion over wolves. The Directeur had met her needs nicely, doing her bidding as she saw fit. But even he would become obsolete once the Mistress snared control of the pack. For now though, she’d indulge his fantasies.

Fascinated by Wynter’s shift, the Mistress drooled in anticipation of the day she’d kill the abomination they’d created. Wynter’s blood was ready, thoroughly metamorphosed by her transformation. It belonged to the Mistress. Like a ripened grape, it was time to pluck it off its vine, crush its flesh and strain the juice. Yes, it was time to reap what she’d sown. She smiled in delight. Enjoy your victory, little Red Riding Hood, the cold embrace of death will be coming for you soon.

Logan swore out loud when he read the tattered note: I’m coming for her soon. Enjoy your last days. The Scientifique is mine. Who the hell could have walked onto his land and shoved it under his front door? He snapped a picture with his phone and messaged it to both Chandler and Devereoux. Afterward, he immediately called Dimitri and insisted they run a background check on the owner of the known lab locations. Frustrated, he couldn’t sit back and wait for Devereoux to figure out who had taken Wynter. They’d find the killer on their own, without the vampire.

He asked Dimitri to scrub the laptop again before turning it over to Wynter. They’d analyze every last email, every last byte of data to see if there was a pattern to the flow of information. The hardest decision Logan had to make was not telling Wynter about the ominous message that’d been left for them. She’d been through so much distress over the past few months; he didn’t have the heart to worry her. There wasn’t a thing she could do about it anyway.

As expected, Wynter had been exhilarated when he’d shown her the newly created lab. It was the least he could do, considering the circumstances. Immediately, she started taking blood samples, not only from herself but from both him and Dimitri. At his request, Chandler donated his blood as well, and Emma’s samples had been sent by FedEx from New York. Obsessed and determined, Wynter worked day and night.

Selfishly, Logan wanted more time with her, but the lab provided her with a welcome distraction, keeping her safely in his home. Even though the killer had found out where she was staying, Logan had increased security, ensuring no one could get into the house without his permission. The place had been sealed tight, preventing further attacks. It’d be a cold day in hell before they took her from here, he thought.

The most difficult task for Logan had become resisting his growing need to mate. Each time they made love, he fumbled to tell her how he felt. Goddess, he loved her. But he wanted the memories of their love to be untainted, and right now, they both were obsessed with the killer. Their mating should be extraordinary and peaceful, not laced with the flashbacks of hatred and death.

For the past two days, Wynter had done nothing but work and make love. As wonderful as it was, she still hadn’t told Logan she loved him again. Always on the tip of her tongue, she felt as if she was waiting for the right moment. She kept thinking it would be when they mated but he’d delayed it. She wasn’t sure of the technicalities of mating, but her wolf was not at all happy. Logan told her that he wanted to wait until they caught the killer. But a small part of her questioned his decision. Why didn’t he want to mate with her now? Her wolf didn’t understand and neither did she. Why hadn’t he told her he loved her? Admittedly, she felt his love every time he smiled at her or caressed her hair, but something about those three little words…she needed to hear it, to tell him. Hell, she needed to tell the whole damn world.

As she looked at the data, she held her excitement with bated breath. While her own blood had showed abnormalities compared to typical wolf samples, unusual gene markers indicated significant anti-viral capabilities. She’d extracted the genes, inserting them into Emma’s samples. As impossible as it seemed, her blood had irrevocably irradiated the virus. Given that random mutations could occur within human populations, she considered that perhaps somehow Emma’s immune system had been weakened. As she’d known, Emma’s blood, as hybrid, didn’t register as pure wolf. Her human genes adulterated the wolf genes which provided immunity. A miniscule variation existed within the genetic code. Her initial assumption that Emma had been deliberately infected appeared to be a less plausible theory than random mutation.

But who had genetically modified her own blood? How did they do it? All the time she’d lived in captivity, had they been working on the genetic alteration suspecting it would cure Emma’s affliction? If that was true, Wynter’s blood had been cultivating for weeks as if she were a human petri dish. No wonder they wanted her so badly. But how would they know if their experiment had worked? They couldn’t have known she’d shifted for sure, could they? If they knew she’d successfully shifted, they’d want her back…her blood. Like a possession to be owned, they’d seek out their experiment and wouldn’t stop until they had her back. With the virus and the antidote, they’d be able to blackmail, extort and torture others at will.

Startled by her discovery, Wynter inserted the needle into her vein. As she collected the vials, Logan knocked on the door. It was time to tell him. She wanted Jax to personally take her blood to Emma. She’d send the instructions for delivering her plasma in the right dose.

“Hey sweetheart…whoa, what ya doin’ there?” Logan asked.

“It’s my blood. I’m doing my final tests. I was right,” she confirmed with a tight smile.

Logan kissed her cheek and quickly backed away, giving her space to finish. He took a seat at her desk next to where she was standing, grabbing a container of bandages off of a tray.

“I need to get this blood to Emma.”

“Okay.” Logan’s brow creased with worry. Her heartbeat raced, and he could tell she’d come to some kind of conclusion he wasn’t going to want to hear.

“They won’t stop looking for me, Logan. They’ll need my blood. They created me…my wolf,” she began.

“I won’t let them have you. They can’t get you here,” Logan interrupted. “Listen to me; that bastard may have done something to you, but that doesn’t change who you are inside.”

“Don’t you see? My genetic structure’s been altered. I’m not like you. I’m not human. I’m a monster.”

“No, you’re not. Stop with this. You’re perfect the way you are. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

Wynter shook her head. Her small smile never reached her eyes, because she knew the truth about what they’d done to her. She loved him so much. She loved that he didn’t care what she was or that her genetics weren’t quite wolf or human. But she knew her next suggestion wasn’t going to go over well. With a small tug, she withdrew the needle from her arm, applying pressure with cotton to the pinhole in her flesh. Later, she planned on extracting more blood, increasing the quantity to pints. If something happened to her, she wanted to make sure there was enough of her blood for future research…for a cure. She steeled her resolve and wiped the bead of sweat from her forehead.

Without asking, Logan readied a Band-Aid. He gently took her arm and applied the dressing.

Wynter blew out a breath, and looked up into his concerned eyes.

“I think we need to use me as bait.” There, she’d said it.

“No,” Logan told her firmly, without missing a beat. What the hell had she been thinking? So not happening, he thought.

“Please, Logan, just hear me out. He’s coming for me. They’re coming for me. It could be more than one person. Léopold said he made other vampires. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to just wait here like a sitting duck. We could use me to draw him out, then you and Léopold could catch him. It’s the only way…”

“No,” Logan repeated. He released her arm and took note of at least fifty vials of blood, Wynter’s blood.

“But why won’t you listen? I’m telling you that I’m what they want. I’m their antidote. They won’t give up. I don’t know how they figured out that my blood would cure Emma. They could already have samples of my pre-shift blood. I didn’t test it, but it’s possible that even then my cells could have cured the virus. If we set up a trap…you could be there. I wouldn’t be in any real danger.”

“I said no.” Logan slammed his palm onto the desk a little harder than he intended. He wasn’t so much angry with Wynter as he was with the entire situation. But she needed to understand how serious he was. He didn’t want her wandering off and doing something foolish that could put her and the whole pack in danger.

“And for the record, I am listening. But as Alpha, I’ve made the decision. You will not be used as ‘bait’ as you so casually put it. I’ve asked Dimitri to track down the IP address locations of every incoming and outgoing email on that laptop. Within the day, we should have the information we need to look at patterns, possibly identifying where they went next. We cannot risk having something happen to you. No, let me rephrase that, I will not risk having something happen to you.”

He glanced again at all the blood-filled tubes. “I’m already concerned something’s happening to you. What the hell is with all the blood, Wyn?”

“I’m fine,” she dismissed him. Standing too quickly caused her to wobble. He rushed to her side and placed her back in the chair.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing?” Logan knelt before her and exposed her inner arm sporting the bandage.

“I said I’m fine.” She pushed at his hand and looked away. Admittedly, she’d taken too much blood, but with her preternatural healing, her sense of balance would quickly return.

“Talk to me, Wyn. What’s going on?” Logan shook his head. Damn stubborn little wolf.

A tear threatened to fall from her left eye and she deftly captured it with a finger.

“I just…I know that they aren’t going to give up. I don’t know about Emma’s illness. If it’s a random genetic abnormality, then it could happen to another hybrid. The chances are small but I just thought if I stored enough of my blood…I didn’t have any bags here or an IV, so I started with the vials…” Stupid, stupid idea, she thought. A cloud of desperation rained overhead.

“Baby, look at me.” Logan waited until her red-rimmed eyes met his. “This virus, we only know of one wolf, one hybrid who’s been affected. You told me yourself that you don’t believe it’s mutated yet. Jax will get your blood to Emma. He can be there within the day. As for all this blood…” Logan paused and glanced to the vials.

“It’s admirable that you want to store it for future use in case we need it. I get that. But you can’t beat yourself up about this. Nor should you turn yourself into a pincushion. If you want to store some bags, we’ll order the IV supplies and make it happen and do it later. Right now, though, you need to take care of yourself. You’ve been working nonstop, barely eating or sleeping. I need you,” he told her lovingly.

“I’m just so worried. Something’s going to happen. Something bad. I can feel it. I need to make sure there’re enough samples of my blood in case…” She knew Logan only wanted to protect her, but the overwhelming sense of foreboding shadowed her thoughts.

Logan refused to admit his visions. It was a dark part of him that he’d openly share with her once she was safe. Last night, the nightmare had surfaced once again. This time, it was clearer; Wynter’s face, her neck splayed open. He screamed while the life drained from her body. Refocusing, Logan rubbed her knee and placed his forehead on her thigh.

“I know you’re worried. But you have to trust me.” He raised his head and took her hands into his. “I’m not going to use you as a lure. I love you too goddamn much. You’re not just my mate, you’re everything to me.”

Wynter’s heart caught in her chest. He loved her. As the words fell from his lips, she took his face into her hands, and he kissed her palm. “I love you too. My Alpha, I love you so much.”

Logan pulled her down into his embrace, kissing her forehead, her cheeks and finally claimed her soft trembling lips. Gently, he coaxed her mouth open, his tongue found hers and they lost themselves in their love, reaffirming their future. Hearts bursting with passion, they took their time exploring and tasting each other.

Logan tore his lips away, pressing his forehead to hers. Chest to chest, their lips were mere inches away from one another.

“I want you to know how badly I want to mate with you. I love you more than life itself. But when we complete the ritual, it’ll be without fear, without death. Our day, Wyn; it will belong to no one else but us, do you understand?”

“Logan, I’ve never felt like this in my life. I wondered why…why we hadn’t. I don’t understand it all but my wolf…she’s there. I want to be your mate in every sense of the word.”

“And you will be…forever.” Logan captured her lips again, pouring reassurance and love into their kiss. Visions be damned, no one would take her from him…not ever.

The next day Fiona called the house asking if Wynter could go into town to shop. As much as Wynter wanted to get out, she and Logan decided that it wasn’t safe for her to leave. At Fiona’s suggestion, Logan reluctantly agreed to a short boat ride, allowing the girls to do some crabbing. He figured they all could use an hour or two relaxing. After being cooped up in the house, their wolves were going stir crazy. He hadn’t told Wynter yet, but he and Dimitri had narrowed down a few locations where they suspected the killers might have been. Tonight, they planned, along with Devereoux, to do reconnaissance.

When Fiona contacted Wynter, she felt relieved that a member of the pack showed interest in getting to know her. Before they left, she and Fiona ate a light brunch, discussing Dana’s passing and also Luci’s challenge. Wynter had been worried that other females would read her aggression as being unfriendly, but Fiona showed no animosity. Rather, she explained that even though she and Luci were friends, it was the way of wolves. She did, however, thank her for showing mercy and not killing the she-wolf.

By the time she’d made it down to the dock, Wynter’s optimism had returned. The winter sun beat down, warming her exposed skin. Logan brushed a kiss to her cheek, helping Wynter onto the boat. She spied the red and white race vessel, wondering how fast it would go. As she made her way onto its deck, she settled into a comfortable leather seat. Fiona followed her, bringing a bushel of branches she’d secured into a tarp. Wynter knew it had something to do with the crabs but wasn’t sure for what. Drinking in the sight of Logan preparing for launch, she couldn’t help but notice his well-defined pecs that strained against his white t-shirt. As he pushed on his sunglasses and went to work, Wynter smiled at how totally unaware he was of his uber-sexy presence.

The sleek Cigarette purred as Logan fired up the engine. Guarding Wynter was his priority. There was no way he’d let her go out on the lake by herself with Fi. She’d been right about them coming for her. Despite not seeing the threatening letter they’d delivered to his home, she knew. If he didn’t discover the lab’s location with the new intel, it’d just be a matter of time before they attacked. A strike in broad daylight was unlikely, but the hum of the six hundred horsepower engine put his mind at ease. Another boat would be hard pressed to outrun his speedboat if they tried.

Unbeknownst to Wynter, Logan had assigned Jake to take up the north shore where Fiona planned on laying her crab trap. A trained sniper, he’d scan the area for trouble. Zeke took his post, fishing at the old Hanover dock, a mile off from where they’d set out to make their stop. It seemed like a lot of work for one run out to the lake. But Wynter was wound tight, and he felt his wolf pacing in response. Their self-imposed seclusion was taking its toll on both of them. He wasn’t built to stay indoors for days at a time. Even in the city, he’d get out, running as a human. His dream home felt like it had turned into a prison. The fresh air would do them all some good, and later in the evening, he and Dimitri would resume the search for the killer.

By the time they reached the open lake, Wynter felt as if a weight had lifted. The high speed boat ride had been exhilarating. It was as if the wind against her face had blown away her cobwebs of worry. It wasn’t lost on Wynter how much trouble Logan had gone to so they could get out of the house. Part of her knew he just wanted to get her out of the lab so she’d stop obsessing about the virus. Her work would never be done, she thought. Regardless, it warmed her heart that he’d protect her and go to such great lengths so they could all have a few fun hours in the sun.

Soon, they’d reached their destination, and Logan cut the engine. The long, thin dance boat bobbed in the open water. Logan gave the go ahead to the girls. He took Wynter’s hand and helped her up the steps so she could lay out on the bow. She shook off her shoes, preferring to go barefoot. Even though it was February, the weather was expected to go into the eighties, so she’d thrown on a bathing suit underneath her clothes. Carefully, she trod onto the smooth fiberglass, laid out an oversized beach towel and sat down. Fiona trailed behind her, carrying the large bound bundle of sprigs.

“Hey, girl, can you hold this rope for me?” Fiona asked, letting the blue tarp fall open onto the bow.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh this? It’s Wax Myrtle. I’m goin’ bunch it up and throw it into the lake.”

Wynter gave her a confused look and glanced back to Dimitri and Logan who didn’t look at all surprised. She thought it funny that with such an expensive shiny toy, he could have cared less that Fiona had just laid out a huge canvas on it. She loved that no matter his means, at the end of the day, Logan was down to earth. No pretenses, what you saw was what you got.

Fiona began to tie up the branches and continued. “Yeah, the pre-molt crabs love this stuff. They crawl in and then we’ll come back later, pull it out and shake ’em out. Normally, I’d haul this mess in my little skiff, but since that’s not an option today, Logan said I could bring it here. Anyway, about the crabs, we catch ’em before their shells return, then we’ll eat soft shell crabs.”

“Oh,” Wynter said, amazed. “So…uh…how did you learn to do this?’

“My daddy. Some folks sell ’em. I just eat ’em. Tasty little critters,” she commented as she worked to bale up the plants. Plucking off a leaf, she crushed it and handed it over to Wynter. “Smell.”

Wynter took the gooey green mixture and sniffed. She thought better of commenting about Fiona’s father, remembering what Logan had told her. “Mmm…nice.”

“Yeah, isn’t it? They’ve been using it for hundreds of years. It’s our way.” Fiona eyed Wynter as she continued to handle the aromatic plant. “You really are a city girl, aren’t ya?”

“Born and bred. I may not know how to catch crabs but I can get you from Midtown to Soho faster than anyone else…even at rush hour,” she joked. “Have you ever been to the Big Apple?”

Fiona tightened the knots. “Um, yeah. Was there a few years ago. Art show…a charity event. I’m very interested in new artists. I have a little gallery in the quarter. Well, it’s more of a natural herb and art gallery combo. I’m technically the pack healer, but that doesn’t pay the bills,” she quipped.

“I’d love to see it sometime, the art. I haven’t spent much time in New Orleans, but it really is very unique. You can feel the history speaking to you, if you know what I mean.”

“So Wyn, how are you doing? What I mean is, how do you like being a wolf?” Fiona changed the subject, hurling the bundle overboard. A red bullet-shaped crab float tugged at the surface. She folded up the tarp.

“I’ve only shifted once, but yes. Logan, he’s…” She gave him a backwards glance. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the sunglasses but suspected he was watching her. Wynter searched for the right words to describe her situation, unsure how much to share with the young she-wolf. Fiona seemed friendly but she also was friends with Luci. “He’s been very supportive.”

“Ah, is that what you humans call it? Supportive? I bet he’s been very supportive…all day and all night long, huh? Just look at that mark on your neck.” Fiona rolled her eyes and relaxed against the side of the boat.

Wynter laughed and absentmindedly traced her fingers over her shoulder. She looked over again at Logan who smiled at her. Deciding on honesty, she turned back to Fiona.

“He’s my mate.” There, she’d said it. She’d told one person, a friend, about Logan. And it felt freeing and girly. She wished Mika was the first friend she’d told. But Fiona had been kind enough to bring her out on the water, care about how she was doing.

“And?” Fiona drawled with a wicked smile.

“And what?” Wynter asked coyly.

“Do you love him?” Fiona whispered as if she was getting ready to hear a national secret.

Wynter knew Logan could hear every word of their conversation but still, Fiona insisted on whispering. It struck Wynter as funny and she began to giggle, as did Fiona. Just as she was going to respond, something caught her attention. To the east, a medium-sized, black sailboat drifted toward them.

“Hey, that boat over there. He’s coming toward us,” Wynter observed with a growing panic. As far as she was concerned, any stranger was a potential threat.

Logan pulled out the binoculars. A man in white shorts and a pink polo shirt struggled with the sail control lines while a woman lay on the blood-tinged deck. He suspected she was down with a boom injury. Even experienced sailors were susceptible to accidents, but by the look of things, the man on deck appeared confused, lines strewn every which direction. Damn fools. Too many times an overconfident wannabe rented too much of a boat and ended up needing rescue.

“A tourist,” Dimitri offered, after taking a look for himself.

“Yeah, probably,” Logan hedged. He opened a storage hatch and pulled out his Beretta. The Alpha and his beta exchanged an unspoken conversation at the sight of the weapon. “Just in case.”

“Here she comes. About fifty feet off. She’s gonna hit starboard,” Dimitri warned. He pulled open the back storage compartment and pulled out a couple of boat fenders. He handed one off to Logan and they tied them to the cleats to prevent damage.

“Hold on there. Girls, sit tight,” Logan told them as the boat approached. He fired up the engine and then unlocked the safety on the gun. The sailboat slowed as it approached, lightly bumping their speedboat.

The stranger looked to be in his early twenties. His preppy shirt was dotted in crimson stains. The woman on deck laid still, her face away from them.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, mister. The boom, it just snapped. Now my girlfriend’s hurt. I swear I’ve had a few lessons, but I can’t seem to figure out this radio,” he blabbered.

It was a good show, Logan thought. Still, something seemed off. He could hear the hum of the other boat’s engine. He sniffed. More than two scents filtered through the air, both vampire and human. Logan knew that although vampires could be extraordinarily dangerous at night, they were rendered virtually human during the daytime.

“We’d be happy to call it in. Anyone else on board?” Logan inquired.

“No sir, just me and my girl. Listen, she took a bad hit to the head. You wouldn’t happen to have a first aid kit? This boat’s a rental. I can’t find anything,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

Liar. Logan tightened his grip on the gun.

“D, get on the radio and call it in,” he directed.

Never taking his eyes off the man, Logan looked at the woman splayed on the deck, using his peripheral vision. Dammit, she lay unmoving. He hated to leave someone in peril, especially in the middle of the lake, but he’d send another boat to investigate. His immediate concern was getting Wynter away from the stranger. The sailboats glided side by side so that the bows were even, and Logan wrapped his hand around the throttle. But before he had a chance to gun the boat, Fiona quickly stood up and jumped over to the other boat.

“Fiona,” Wynter cried, grasping into the air as she tried to pull her back. Wynter rushed to the side of the boat nearest to Fiona, extending her hand to her, hoping she’d jump back. “What are you doing? Get back here.”

Too late, Fiona had already gone to the woman. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m going to help her.”

Logan had been so focused on the man, he hadn’t had a chance to stop Fiona. What the hell did she think she was doing? Pack healer or not, she’d better get back on the damn boat. Both he and Dimitri tensed at the sight.

“Fi, back on the boat now,” Logan demanded, never taking his eyes off the stranger.

“But I can help her. She’s still breathing. It may just be a concussion.”

“Not a question. It’s an order. Get your ass back here now,” Logan growled.

Wynter observed the interaction, scrutinizing the slain woman. She swore that she wasn’t breathing. Her hands looked too pale…gray. What kind of healing did Fiona think she was doing? That woman was dead.

“Logan,” Wynter croaked into a gust of wind. Could he, too, see the woman was not alive? Confusion swept over her.

Logan could not understand why Fiona, a naturally submissive she-wolf, was defying his direct order. There was no time to contemplate her punishment. No, the only decision was to leave Fiona on the sailboat. He knew Dimitri wouldn’t be happy, but he needed to get Wynter to safety. Something wasn’t right.

Fiona busily fussed with the woman, flipping her over onto her back, blocking their view. It appeared she was attempting some kind of resuscitation.

“I need help,” Fiona said, ignoring Logan.

The stranger knelt next to Fiona as if to provide assistance, then yanked her upward toward him. He pulled a gun, aiming it at her head. Using her as a human shield, he kept her in between him and Logan.

“Let her go,” Logan demanded. He pointed his gun at him, but couldn’t get a clear shot off.

“No, I don’t think I will,” he laughed. “Do you know what a silver bullet can do to a wolf’s brain? Messy, messy. She may survive. Maybe not though.”

“It’s two against one, asshole, put the gun down,” Logan insisted. He sensed Dimitri behind him, who’d also aimed a gun.

The stranger continued to laugh. “You kill me, I kill the girl.” He pulled Fiona’s hair, making her scream. “Tell you what; I’ll make a trade. This girl for that one.” His eyes fell onto Wynter.

“Not happening,” Logan snarled.

Wynter began to crouch backwards. She’d gone too close to the other boat when she’d gone to retrieve Fiona.

“Don’t move, Wynter,” the stranger called out to her.

Wynter froze. How did he know her name? Oh God no, they really are here for me.

“I have sharpshooters on land,” Logan explained coolly. “You’ll never get away.”

As if Logan and Dimitri weren’t in the boat, the man continued to speak to Wynter. “You want to save your friend, doctor?”

“What?” Wynter gasped.

“I said; do you want to save your friend here? You know these wolves aren’t as tough as you’d think. Not so hard to kill them, really. With silver in her brain, it’ll take her months to recover. No, a shift won’t fix this so easily, I’m afraid.”

“Don’t listen to him, Wyn,” Logan yelled.

Wynter looked up at Fiona, whose cheeks and neck were streaked with tears. She couldn’t quite see her eyes because her head had been wrenched backward.

“What do you want from me?” Wynter screamed at him. It felt as if a black tunnel was closing in, she couldn’t escape. She couldn’t live with the blood of another wolf on her hands. It was her fault they’d come to Logan’s pack. Her responsibility. She should be the one to die, not Fiona.

“But you already know the answer to that, don’t you, Dr. Ryan? Shame to kill this she-wolf, but we will. In fact, we’ll take out this whole damn pack if we have to, but I guarantee you this, it will not end. You belong to him. He will not stop. I know he’ll take special pleasure in killing your Alpha. Don’t think we can’t get to him. We left him a note the other day…right at his door.”

Shocked, Wynter looked over to Logan. No, it couldn’t be true. Logan would have told her.

“Wynter, don’t listen to him,” Logan cautioned. Wynter’s face had gone white. “Get away from the side of the boat.”

The stranger laughed maniacally. “I see the great Alpha is keeping secrets from his mate. It’s true. The very night you shifted, we were at his house.”

“Logan?” Wynter questioned. When he didn’t answer right away, she knew it was true. They’d been at his home? Dear God, if they could get to her there, there’d be nowhere they couldn’t find her.

“Wynter, listen to me, now. It was just a note. No one was in the house. Fiona, she’ll be fine. She’s a strong wolf.”

“You lie, Alpha. Do you really think I’d bring a knife to a gunfight? These hollow-cavity bullets will mushroom her brain apart with one shot. She’s not going to make it back, not like she used to be anyway. And that’s if she manages to shift afterwards. No, this little girl’s goin’ to pop like fireworks.”

Wynter tried to drown out his words but it was no use. Her own guilt tore at her heart. Was she really going to sit and do nothing while this monster put a bullet in Fiona’s head? God, she loved Logan…so much. Reverting to her training, she considered the known facts, the data. True, Logan would be angry if she sacrificed herself for Fiona. But his boat was powerful, much more so than the small sailboat. Logan would follow, save her and Fiona, too, would be safe. The most important fact was that if she didn’t go, another Acadian wolf would die…at her hands.

“Your choice. What’s it going to be? You or the wolf?” He dug the muzzle into Fiona’s temple and she screamed.

Logan could see that Wynter was lost in her thoughts. Goddammit all, she was considering it. As much as he cared for Fiona, he couldn’t lose his mate. His breath caught and he lunged to restrain Wynter to keep her from going. Dimitri broke for the throttle.

“I’m sorry,” Wynter cried softly as she leapt over to the sailboat. She skidded onto the deck and fell to her knees.

“No!” Logan screamed. “No, he’s going to kill you. Get back here now.”

Wynter’s body collapsed into the rough landing. She scrambled to stand upright but the man kicked her in the stomach. Her face hit the side of the boom, tearing her lip open.

“Let her go,” Wynter pleaded. Her face throbbed but she breathed through it. “You don’t need Fiona…just take my blood. No more…no more…I’ll do whatever you want. Let her go now.”

The stranger cackled wildly and threw Fiona to the floor. With a jerk, the engine roared to life and the boat sped forward. Wynter attempted to push Fiona into the water. If they could get off the boat they’d have a chance.

“Jump,” she told her, but Fiona held tight to a cleat.

Logan tore to the helm and jammed the throttle forward. They hadn’t gotten far. In his speedboat, they could easily catch up and he’d jump over to get Wynter. But his boat lurched only a few feet before the motor died.

“What the fuck? This is a brand new boat,” Logan cursed, banging the dashboard. “Take the wheel.” He jumped in the back to check the inboard. Within seconds, he’d located the source of the issue. “Shit. There’s a nick in the fuel tank fill hose.”

Logan spun and aimed his gun at the tall dark figure that had Wynter by the arm. He knew he could hit him but the man slyly pulled Wynter against him as a shield. Targeting the engine, Logan fired off six shots to the stern. The bullets ricocheted off the screeching motor. As the man instinctively moved to the right to look at the damage, Logan pulled the trigger again, clipping him in the shoulder. He watched the pink-shirted form hit the deck but no longer could he see Wynter, as she too, had fallen.

Pain shot through Wynter’s body as fingers grabbed her hair, pulling her to her feet. The man slammed her up against him, holding the gun to her head. With her back to his chest, she faced Logan whose boat grew smaller as the distance between them widened. A loud gunshot jolted Wynter, and she tried to wretch her body out of his grip. Blood sprayed as more shots rang out. As she felt his grip loosen, Wynter tumbled onto the deck. She clawed at the slippery surface, intending to jump, when the chill of a second voice blanketed her consciousness. As she caught a glimpse of the familiar face, her heart stopped. The Directeur?

A blur of revolting confusion and hopelessness overtook her body. No, this couldn’t be happening. Wynter glanced at Fiona who now sat comfortably, almost peacefully staring toward the horizon. Deception. Betrayal. The Directeur grabbed Wynter, pulling her off her feet into his deadly embrace. She prayed for strength as she let the anger roll through her mind. Anger was good, she thought. It might be the only thing that would save them all.

The sailboat careened away while Dimitri and Logan helplessly watched in disbelief. One fucking hour on the lake. Four men on guard, and within seconds, they’d taken her and Fiona. As they sped off into the distance, the miles-wide freshwater sanctuary hid their path of escape. Logan screamed out to the heavens in agony. His mate was gone.

“Search every goddamned house,” Logan growled.

“I’m sorry,” Dimitri offered.

“No, D. No words. Action. You,” Logan pointed to Zeke and Jake, “every boat. Every pack member needs to be accounted for. I want every wolf up at Marcel’s old place now. I don’t give a shit who’s in the city. Every damn wolf is to get their ass back here immediately,” he ordered. “Someone came into the marina today and cut that hose. I want to see the video now.”

Enraged, Logan paced as he barked out orders. Someone had betrayed him, he was certain of it. First the car bomb. Now this. No, it wasn’t happenstance that the hose was cut. It had been deliberately done in such a way to allow them enough gas to go out to the lake, but not enough to get back. Whoever had done it knew exactly where they were going and how long they’d be on the lake. It may have been a vampire who’d killed Dana, but it was a wolf who had helped coordinate Wynter’s abduction. No one but one of his own wolves would have had access to his boat.

“The pack will be at Marcel’s soon. You want to ride with?” Dimitri asked, trying to block the emotion he felt emanating from Logan. His Alpha’s caustic rage seethed through his own brain as if they were his own thoughts.

Logan shook him off. As much as he loved D, he couldn’t bear to be near him. He was scarcely containing his beast as his unbridled wrath escalated. It wouldn’t be good for Dimitri to be so close to him.

“I’m taking my bike. You take the SUV.” Logan stopped and rubbed his eyes. “Seriously, D. This ends tonight. I’m going to tear up this entire swamp looking for her. She’s got to be here. Every single marina’s been secured. No one could land a chopper except at the helipad. Jake’s sent men to check the outposts along the lake. No, whoever’s done this is still here.”

“Hey, I’m with ya, but we’re talking about literally thousands of square acres of swamp. In the dark. They could pull off anywhere, skip into a car and be gone.”

“No,” Logan growled. “Wynter’s here. I can feel her.”

“But why would they stay here…it doesn’t make sense. Logan, I think…”

“Because they’re goin’ to kill her. They don’t need her anymore. My guess is now that she’s turned, all they want is her blood.” Logan took a deep breath and blew it out, trying to think clearly. “Text Devereoux. I want him here now. And before you ask, I don’t care how he gets here. Send the bird if you need to. His line is responsible for this fucking mess. I’ll kill him myself if he doesn’t comply and you can quote me on that.”

Dimitri pulled out his phone and started making calls. Logan went to his gun safe that was located in the laundry room. He extracted several guns, ammo, and strapped on a harness. He preferred to go wolf, but he wasn’t taking any chances. In the bayou, his wolf may not be able to get to shore fast enough. A bullet, however, would.

By the time they’d reached Marcel’s home, Logan was convinced he knew who had sabotaged his boat. Ferocious, his wolf sought revenge. Nothing but having his mate back safely in his arms would assuage his rage. He killed the engine and jumped off his motorcycle.

“Hold up, Alpha,” Jake called over to him.

“What’d you find out?”

“I don’t know…it doesn’t make sense,” Jake hedged, incredulous as to what he’d seen on the video.

Luci rushed over to Logan, eyes down. “Alpha,” she greeted.

At the sight of her, Logan lost it. If anyone had reason to attack him and Wynter, it had been Luci. He should have recognized her aggressive behavior. How she’d connected with the vampires, he didn’t know, but he was about to damn well find out why.

“Just where the hell do you think you’re going?” As Luci turned to walk away, Logan grabbed her arm.

Jake stepped between them.

“Jake, get out of my way. This is between Luci and me,” he snarled.

“But Alpha,” Jake began.

“I told you, Luci and I have business.” Logan turned his gaze back to her. “I should have known better than to let you stay in the pack. You’ve been so hot to get in my bed ever since he died. Seriously, did you even care about Marcel? Now listen good, I’m only going to ask you this once. What did you do with Wynter?”

“I didn’t…I swear. It wasn’t me,” she cried.

“Where. Is. She?”

“I didn’t…”

Jake put his hand over Logan’s, risking a fight. He couldn’t let Logan continue after Luci, even though she deserved at least a little bit of his ire.

“Alpha, please. You need to see this,” he pleaded.

“What?” Logan asked. His eyes flared.

“The video. Your boat. Luci didn’t do it. But someone else from the pack is on there…I’m sorry,” Jake said, shaking his head.

“Who? Who did this?” Logan demanded.

“See for yourself.” Jake pulled out his mini iPad, and pressed the play button.

Logan couldn’t believe it. Of all the people in his pack, it made no sense. The person hadn’t even tried to hide from the camera. Instead after they’d cut the line, the perpetrator purposefully stared into the lens and smiled.