Page 36 of Cats and Dogs

Chapter 17

The Lake Cabin

The coffee hadn’t been used to mask a trail, as much as to give him a clear one; he distinctly recognized the scent of various Vergas enforcers at the border of the Wyvern territory, his brother's amongst them, but all the other trails had been tempered, except one.

"It's a trap," he told Ian without ambiguity. "But I can handle my brother, and Jas' scent is pretty clear, too. Go wake up your Alphas and strengthen your defenses. I'll be in touch."

"No way are you going in there by yourself," said Ian.

The trail had led them to one of the abandoned cabins; the one furthest from the pride house, closest to the lake.

"I am," Hunter replied. "Jason's alone with Jas. And for what it's worth, he's my brother. We might not be close, but I doubt they'd send him for a kill order."

He wasn't really sure about that. After all, Jason had been part of the crew hunting Lola. But what he didn't doubt was that if he didn't turn up alone, Jas was going to get a set of fangs or claws through the throat.

He'd seen Jason kill on order without hesitation.

"Alright. Ian, stay here as back up," Coveney ordered. "No other wolf gets into the cabin. Hunter, if you need help, you call out. Understood?"

Back up. Had he ever had back up? Someone who he knew would come help if he needed it.

Not in a long time.

It was a nice feeling. Hunter nodded before crossing the ten steps that separated him from the doorstep of the cabin.

"What do you mean, Jas was kidnapped?" Christine asked, eyes wide. "It's Jas."

Other than Ace, she was the strongest female in their pride and she was such a great enforcer. Blending in, being sneaky, was her forte. Plus, she could mute her vibes and pass for a regular better than anyone else she knew. Christine couldn't comprehend how she could have gotten herself kidnapped.

"By Jason Force," Coveney said, letting them in on her location and condition. "We can't smell any blood and she was definitely breathing. Hunter went in; he thinks his brother wants to talk."

Rye said nothing as he got up but they could all feel the intensity of his rage. He wasn't pissed; he was downright enraged. Feeling the start of his shift, Christine stepped in instinctively, and outstretched her hand, placing it on his shoulder.

Then, Ace's words came back to mind, and she frowned, realising what she was doing.

She was willing him to calm down, thinking, "It's all right, just breathe," all while clearing her own mind to breathe as slowly as she could.

Under her palm, Rye's shoulders stopped trembling, and his shift was interrupted. There was still anger in his eyes, but he didn't look like he was about to burst out of the house and kill everything that moved in his path anymore.

Christine turned to Ace, who winked at her, mouthing, "Badass."

Man. Ace hadn't lied to make her feel better. Christine was doing something to keep the peace, although she'd never consciously noticed it before.

"Let's not be blind, here," Rye said. "There's every possibility that this could be an elaborate trap. The Vergas could have planted Hunter here as a way to get us out of the way and go for Lola. We need to be smart about this."

Christine had always loved and respected Rye, from the day he'd invited her to hang out, but she almost hated him for even suggesting that.

"Unlikely," Ian said.

Ace and Coveney both nodded in agreement.

"I agree. Unlikely, but it's not impossible, so our priority is the pride house. Recall Theo and Luke from patrol," the Alpha male ordered. "Wake up everyone, except the kids. I need everyone around the house. Christine, stay with Lola. Ask Clari to stick to the kids' floor, too."

Christine opened her mouth to protest, but Ace beat her to it.

"I'll stay with Lola. Chris needs to be on the frontline this time."

She did need it, truly, although she couldn't explain it to herself. She would have begged to be allowed to go out there and help.

Help him, and prove that he wasn't the slimeball Rye believed him to be.

If she was wrong, she needed to be there anyway, so she could strangle him with her bare hands.

The strength of her feelings made no sense to her because Hunter Force was a stranger. A hot stranger, but a stranger, nonetheless.

And yet, she couldn’t shake it.

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