Bonded by Nicky Charles
His move obviously took the Lycan by surprise for it hesitated and that was all the opening Reno needed. Rather than wasting time fighting, he launched himself over the animal’s head, used its back as a springboard and took off. He had no idea where he was going but any place was preferable to his present location, or so he thought until he realized he was heading straight towards the upper edge of the depression where the leaders were gathered.
Trying to make a sharp turn, he gasped, surprised to feel the ground beneath him begin to slide down the slope. The soft dirt and loose gravel were giving way under his scrambling feet. He spread his toes wide, trying to gain a firm footing but the freshly excavated ground continued to slip and he found himself skidding out of control, caught in the midst of a landslide.
Over and over he tumbled, small rocks coming loose and rolling down around him, hitting his back and shoulders, bruising his legs as he careened out of control. First one and then another banged into his nose and he yelped, his eyes watering from the pain. Dust rose up around him, filling his eyes and nostrils. Coughing and sputtering, he struggled to catch his breath, to see where he was going, to stop his mad descent.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, his unplanned ride was over. The world was still. The dust settled. Shakily he got to his feet, his whole body throbbing from the beating it had just taken. He blinked rapidly, shook his head to clear his vision, and then cursed the fates. He’d landed just a few feet from Victor!
Force of habit had him glancing about even though he already knew there was no means of escape. Those that had been chasing him closed in from behind and the Purist leaders formed a wall in front. Not liking being at a disadvantage with the others towering over him, Reno shifted into his human form.
“Mr. Smith. I confess to being surprised that you decided to join us in such a manner.” Victor gave him a mocking nod. “I was expecting a more… subtle… approach. But perhaps the rumours of your greatness are just that, rumours.”
“Subtlety is over-rated. I prefer a more in your face method.” Reno hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and took a casual stance while rapidly calculating the odds that he’d make it out of this alive. Right now, it appeared to be around zero.
“Strange, but to me it appeared you were at my feet.” Victor snickered.
“Well, you rate damned low in my book so ground level seemed about right to me.” Reno shrugged and then barely ducked in time to miss the blow that came at him from the right. One of Victor’s men apparently had taken exception to his comment.
“You need to show respect for an Alpha.” The man growled and took another swing. Reno blocked the blow while delivering one of his own that left the fellow on the ground wheezing for breath. When the others moved in closer to come to their comrade’s aid Victor barked out a command.
“Enough! We have more important matters to deal with than this one.”
“Did you say his name was Smith?” One of the Purist leaders—the one called Roberts who had questioned having a permanent meeting spot—asked. He looked nervous. “As in Reno Smith, from the ACS?”
“One and the same.” Victor answered shortly and turned away as if not wanting to acknowledge the other man.
“ACS? Here?” The one who was more dominant raised his brows and the rest of the group murmured uneasily.
“Not to worry, Burchard. Smith’s appearance here has nothing to do with Lycan Link or the ACS. He erroneously believed one of my females had formed an attachment to him.”
Reno kept his face bland while frowning inwardly. Did Victor actually believe that or was it a tale he was spinning to the others to save face?
“Why he’s here no longer matters,” Roberts pointed out. “The problem is that he is here and must have put the puzzle pieces together. He knows we’re Purists and can identify us. After all, the man’s not stupid.”
“Thanks,” Reno gave the man a mocking bow, wondering what they might do with him. Would they kill him now or tie him up and kill him later? Not much of a choice but he’d take the latter since it provided a window of hope. You never knew when events might turn in your favour.
Victor sighed. “Smith’s nothing but a minor annoyance. I plan to get rid of him once we are done with our meeting.” He jerked his head towards his men. “Tie him up.”
“No.” Roberts stepped forward and Reno noted with interest the challenge in the man’s voice.
“No?” Victor stiffened and lifted his chin.
“Deal with him now before he has a chance to escape.” Roberts folded his arms and widened his stance.
“Fine.” Victor snapped out the word, likely disgruntled at this interruption to his moment of glory. His ice blue eyes looked even colder than ever. “DaSilva, go and—”
“And,” Roberts interrupted. “You should be the one to do it. You’ve been spouting your hatred of Enforcers and the ACS for long enough. All talk and no action; that’s how it looks from where I stand. When was the last time you even went hunting and made a kill?” The man paused and looked Victor up and down before jeering. “It’s as if you don’t even want to get your paws dirty.”
Victor narrowed his eyes and a few of the other leaders chuckled at the verbal jab.
“Brother Roberts has a point.” Burchard clasped his hands behind his back and cocked his head to the side, studying Victor. “Those who make up my inner circle not only preach returning to our roots, they model it through their deeds. I don’t recall seeing you in wolf form recently. When was the last time you spilled blood?”
Reno noted the muscle working in Victor’s jaw and the unmistakeable gleam of glee in Roberts’ eyes. Apparently, a power struggle was going on within the Purists’ hierarchy.
Silence descended on the group. Even the weres behind him, who had been milling restlessly about, stilled. Victor’s gaze slowly moved over those assembled, his lip curling in disdain when he looked at Roberts.
Ever so subtly Victor pulled his shoulders back. When he spoke, his words were measured, his tone having an edge of derision. “Some might feel the need to prove themselves with endless shifting. They spend their time and energy on pointless hunts that have no benefit beyond the enjoyment of blood sport. I, however, prefer to devote myself to furthering our cause through the gathering of intelligence and the acquisition of more members. In the end, would you prefer a secure shelter or a dead stag?” He looked back at Burchard and quirked an eyebrow.
Tension was palpable as those gathered glanced between the three main players in the confrontation. Roberts’ face was red. Burchard lowered his brows and Reno was sure he heard a collective gasp. In fact, he readied himself assuming a leadership battle would ensue and it might allow him an escape opportunity.
Unexpectedly, Burchard relaxed and let out a bellow of laughter. “A point to Victor, Roberts, though your dead deer might be useful as emergency rations. Victor, can you install a freezer in your underground shelter so we can store Roberts’ contributions to the cause?”
“Perhaps.” The corners of Victor’s mouth curled ever so slightly and he nodded.
Burchard was clever, Reno decided. The man seemed to have baited the two in order to judge their reactions and then defused the situation by turning it into a joke. Was Burchard looking for a second in command and were these two both up for the job? If so, Victor had come out the winner though his subtle challenge towards Burchard in front of the other Purists might blow up in his face. A second in command needed to be strong and clever but not too ambitious or the leader would fear being usurped.
The tension within the group eased but Reno knew his own fate had yet to be decided. He scanned those gathered wondering if he had one minute or one hour left to live. Flicking his gaze over the surrounding countryside, he caught sight of a flash of movement on the slopes above. Narrowing his eyes, he could almost swear he’d seen someone with red hair but that was ridiculous. Brandi was safe in the tunnels, wasn’t she?
While Reno puzzled over what he’d seen, Vic
Chapter 28
Brandi, Peter and the others had spent the last hour working their way up the mountain, circling around and above the meeting spot that Victor was using. By keeping downwind, they’d managed to avoid detection and were now hunkered down to assess the situation and hopefully locate Klaus and his men.
The wind was picking up speed, yet another rainstorm on its way during the unseasonably wet summer. Bits of leaves and dirt whirled in the air as grey clouds, rolling and heavy with precipitation, slowly moved in obscuring the bright blue sky. Brandi shivered as the air became cooler. She was hungry, tired, and most importantly, worried about Reno. At one point her mental control had slipped and she’d opened her connection to him. There’d been a strong feeling that he was in danger, his senses on high alert. It had been intense enough to spike her own anxiety and send adrenaline surging through her system.
Anxiety had clawed at her stomach and she’d longed to linger in his mind, to really know what was going on, to perhaps even help, however she’d forced herself to pull back. Not only wasn’t it ethical, but it could even be dangerous to Reno. While he’d never shown signs of being aware of her mental bond to him, she didn’t want to chance that it might somehow distract him. A split second of him wondering why there was a niggling in his mind—a moment of inattention—could prove to be his undoing.
Brandi wrapped her arms around her body and compressed her lips tightly. Leaning back, she felt the rock she was hiding behind pressing against her, its surface hard and rough. Somehow, its unyielding nature was comforting right now as everything else in her life seemed to be unravelling. She eased back even more and stared unseeingly at the ground while mulling over the situation.
Reno was an Enforcer, trained to deal with dangerous situations. He likely had several tricks up his sleeve and would easily outwit his pursuers. The sense of danger she’d picked up on was likely just a result of him being overly alert and ready for any eventuality. She tried to squeeze some comfort from that fact, despite the sense that something… unpleasant… was about to happen.
“I wonder where Klaus is.” Aran was next to her scanning the slopes for any sign of their Alpha. Presently, they were all gathered in the shelter of several large boulders some distance up the mountain from where Victor was holding his meeting. By peering over the top they could just make out that a number of vehicles were there and a fairly large contingent of weres seemed to be milling about. According to Katie, Klaus should be somewhere around here waiting for the right moment to enact his plan.
“I’m right here,” a voice came to them out of nowhere and they all turned to see Klaus emerge as silently as a shadow from behind a large tree several yards away. “The question is why you are here?” He folded his arms and stared down at them, his expression twisted with displeasure.
“We’ve come to help.” Peter rose to his feet.
“Dammit, Peter!” Klaus snarled at them. “I gave you—all of you—orders to stay put until this mess was taken care of. I didn’t spend months working to keep your families safe and you alive just to have you walk into the middle of a group of bloody Purists! Are you trying to get yourselves killed or are you just plain stupid?”
Brandi winced. Even though the man hadn’t raised his voice, his words were cutting. She bit her lip and berated herself for not stopping the humans from coming. In her worry over Reno, she’d neglected her duty and…
“Actually, you didn’t say to stay there,” Peter pointed out, a muscle working in his jaw. “You only said it was a safe place to wait. No direct command was given.”
Klaus inhaled sharply at the minor show of insubordination and narrowed his eyes. Peter, however, didn’t cower and after a moment the corner of Klaus’ mouth twitched. The Alpha relaxed his rigid stance, shaking his head and sighing. “You’re as bad as my granddaughter at finding ways around me.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, sir.” Peter gave a slight smile and the tension between them slipped away.
“We’re tired of hiding,” Aran stood up.
“You always said we were full pack members. It’s our right to defend the territory.” Darcy joined the other two.
Klaus looked each man up and down before nodding slowly. “My apologies. You are wolves at heart though sometimes I forget that.” He quickly scanned the area. “Where are the others?”
“We told them to stay behind. If something should happen—if Purists storm the tunnels—they can shift and defend the pups better than we can.” Aran explained.
“Well thought out,” Klaus commended.
“So what’s the plan here?” Brandi kept one eye on the activity below. Something seemed to be going on, but what?
“Over the past few weeks I’ve laid charges all around the entrance to Victor’s underground bunker. Once they’re inside, I’ll give the signal and we blow up the entrance, sealing them inside. I have wolves hidden around here as well in case any Purists escape my trap.”
“I don’t—” Brandi started to protest—the DC officer in her saw a number of problems with the plan—but sounds from below drew her attention again. Glancing over the edge of the rock, she gasped. “That’s Reno!”
Frozen in place, she watched him suddenly burst into view at a dead run only to swerve when a pair of wolves appeared in front of him. He dodged this way and that before disappearing from sight into a small hollow.
Instinctively, she started moving forward to go to her mate’s assistance. Only the restraining hands of those with her held her back.
“Let me go!” She hissed the words, struggling to free herself.
“You’re too far away to do anything,” Darcy insisted. For a human, his grip was strong; the feel of his fingers biting into her arm reminded her that the men who dared join a werewolf pack were formidable individuals, not only in personality but in physical strength as well.
She tensed when the sound of clattering rocks and yelps met her ears. Her gaze darted back and forth, wondering where Reno might be and then suddenly he appeared in a dusty heap right at Victor’s feet! Frantic, she turned towards Klaus.
“We have to do something! He’s totally surrounded now!”
Klaus frowned and shook his head. “I wish we could, but there’s too few of us. If we make a move now, we compromise our plan to capture the whole lot of them.”
“But they’ll kill him!” Her heart was pounding so hard she could hardly hear and her breath seemed as if it were being squeezed from her lungs. It was bad enough when she thought he might be in danger, but to actually see him in need and do nothing about it was tearing her apart. Reno was her mate. If something happened to him she didn’t think she could bear it.
“I’m sorry Brandi. The good of the pack comes before the individual. You know that.” Regret laced Klaus’ voice and he placed what was probably supposed to be a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Your young man was a brave wolf. I liked him.”
Liked! She stared at Klaus aghast. He was speaking as if Reno were already… gone. Twisting away from those restraining her, she turned back towards where Reno was. He’d shifted forms now and was standing with his arms folded, for all intents and purposes appearing casual, almost bored, but it had to be a facade. Victor and a few of the others seemed to be talking while the rest looked on. What were they going to do with her mate? She couldn’t just stand here and watch.
“I need to do something, Klaus! Can’t we at least work our way down so we’re a bit closer? Everyone’s watching to see what will happen with Reno. No one will notice us.” The wind was whipping her hair into her face and she pulled it back, blinking away tears as she appealed to her Alpha.
He didn’t answer at first and she felt the fear and tension inside her growing to the point where she thought she might explode. She dug
After a long moment of consideration Klaus finally conceded. “All right. I suppose there’s no harm in changing our position as long as we keep down wind. If the opportunity presents itself, we can try a rescue, but,” he cautioned, “you have to remember our primary objective is to contain the Purists within the mine and regain control of the pack.”
Brandi nodded, biting her lip to keep her emotions in check. She felt weak-kneed with relief. At least they weren’t turning their backs on Reno. Maybe there was still a chance to save him.
Cautiously, they began to creep closer to Reno’s location. Along the way she caught occasional glimpses of Klaus’ team—pack members she’d known all her life. She noted Emmet and Victoria, Seth and Isaac; weres she’d grown up with. They nodded a brief acknowledgement as she passed by before shifting their gaze towards Klaus. Their loyalty to their true Alpha must run deep if they were willing to stand by him when the rest of the pack had caved to Purist pressure. Brandi wondered how many others were scattered over the mountainside, their coats blending with the rocks and logs they hid by. Both pride and fear filled her. When the moment came, they were ready to move in and take on any of the Purists who escaped Klaus’ trap, but how many would be injured or even killed in the process?
The forest grew darker as the clouds thickened overhead and the scent of impending rain hung heavy in the air. In the distance rumbles of thunder could be heard, the ominous sound reflecting the dread Brandi felt in her heart. The future of her birth pack hung in the balance and the fate of the man she loved seemed doubtful. Scenario after scenario raced through her mind, few of them pleasant. And while she could create fictional situations as a DC officer, there were none in her repertoire that would help out now. She swallowed hard and tried to accept the unpalatable fact that, while the pack had a chance of survival, Reno’s situation seemed hopeless.