Page 68 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
“What?” Felix turned with a snarl, his fists bunching.
Nicolas’ jaw tightened. “I don’t think it’s Red Teeth.”
“What? Who the fuck else would it be?”
“I can’t scent him anywhere,” Nicolas said. “This isn’t his style. And then there’s the gas…when have you ever known Red Teeth to use chemical warfare?”
Indeed, the air was thick with the residue. The canister, military issue, as Nicolas had said, lay dented in the corner. The furniture had been tossed aside. There was glass in the rug. And the envelope of photos still lay where it had fallen, half-splayed open, images of Cassie and the boys scattered like ashes.
Felix picked one up.
Cassie laughed, one hand on Danny’s shoulder.
The red cross bisecting her face made his vision blur.
“They were watched,” he said quietly. “This wasn’t a chance attack. They were watched. Followed.”
“It doesn’t make sense that this is Red Teeth,” Nicolas said again, stepping inside. “From the looks of these photos, it seems likeCassiewas the target.”
“But Rick was also taken,” Felix said. “This gas is specifically designed to take shifters down. He wouldn’t let himself be taken without a fight; this knocked him out. Maybe this envelope was meant for me.”
“Then why was it in Cassie’s room?” Nicolas said. “Why not take the boys when he had the chance? Why risk taking Rick? Why not just kill them here?”
“Perhaps he wants to hold them for ransom.”
Felix’s fists clenched. “Or Rick was already compromised.”
“You think he turned?” Nicolas asked, his voice incredulous.
Felix paused, scraping a hand down his face. His wolf was howling within him, desperate to find Cassie, to get her back. He wasn’t thinking straight. “No. No, I think he was taken down somehow. There’s no blood anywhere. He was unconscious before Red Teeth took them.”
“Felix,” Nicolas said, laying a hand on his shoulder, “I really don’t think this was Red Teeth.”
“Who else would it be?”
Nicolas looked out the window. “I don’t know. But whoever they are, we’ll find their trail. We’ll hunt them down. And we’ll get Cassie and Rick back.”
Felix nodded once, his blood roaring in his ears, and the walls of the house seemed to be shrinking around him. He stepped out into the hallway. The scent of Cassie’s fear still lingered, driving his instincts wild. A broken mug on the floor, likely knocked over in the struggle. Her bag was by the door, only half-packed, her shoes still by the stairs.
She hadn’t expected to leave in a hurry.
“She was on her way to your house,” he whispered, more to himself than to Nicolas. “She hadn’t left yet.”
“Which means whoever came, came fast,” Nicolas said. “They knew exactly when to strike. Probably watched me leave. Waited until she was alone.”
“Except she wasn’t alone,” Felix said darkly. “She had Rick.”
The implication hung in the air.
If Rick had failed to protect her…
If Cassie had been harmed underhiswatch…
Felix turned toward the door.
“I’m getting her back.”
“We will,” Nicolas said, “we all will. Some of the boys are headed over; they’ll pick up the trail.”
