Pack 11 - Wolf Whisperer Page 8

  Chapter 6

  Mac waited in silence until she concluded the call, gripping the phone and never uttering anything else except a whispered and choked goodbye at the end. Finally, she closed the cell. When she raised her head and looked at him, bleak sorrow darkened her gaze.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, pointlessly, since it was perfectly obvious she was not.

  Mouth working, she tried to speak, and finally settled on shaking her head.

  Somehow, he knew what she was trying to say. “They’ve taken someone else, haven’t they?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “One of my cousins. Ian’s sister Katie.”

  Though he didn’t know if she would welcome his comfort, he was unable to keep from reaching for her. Instead of embracing her, he touched her arm.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what this must be like for you, having to stand by helplessly while your family is snatched, one by one.” But he did know. His children had been stolen in exactly the same way. Pain stabbed him at the thought.

  Narrowing her eyes, she studied him. He braced himself for a suspicious question, but instead she lifted her chin.

  “We’re no longer standing by doing nothing,” she said, her mouth set in a hard line. “Just like you have never stopped looking for your children.”

  He dipped his head, acknowledging the truth of her words.

  “And we’ve never been helpless,” she said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You Pack people think you have us pegged, but you don’t know the half of it.” Her voice wavered. Looking away, she cleared her throat.

  “Are you all right?” he asked again, not knowing what else to say.

  “Yes. No.” She spoke the contradictory words as if trying to make up her mind. “Sorry. I’m a bit of a mess right now.”

  She took a deep breath before continuing, “That phone call was from my mother. This is the first time we’ve spoken since my father died twelve years ago.”

  Surprised, he raised a brow. “You haven’t spoken to your own mother in twelve years? That seems a bit extreme, doesn’t it?”

  With a shrug, she discounted his words. “It wasn’t safe.”

  “Hmm.” He let that one go. “Neither one of you appeared to have much to say to each other after all that time.”

  She gave him a small bleak smile, making him wonder if she was aware of how desolate she looked.

  “Mom didn’t have a lot of time to talk,” she said. “But that’s okay, since I’ll be seeing her soon.”

  Aware he had to tread very carefully, Mac nodded. “What do you mean?”

  “My family is getting together. While I’m not sure that’s a good idea, nobody asked for my opinion. Since my dad died, my uncle Danny has been calling the shots.”

  “Getting together? Which means there’ll be more than one Tearlach in the same place?” A prickle of excitement filled him. If all the Tearlachs gathered, then maybe… He couldn’t help but wonder if his children would be there.

  Kelly appeared oblivious to his train of thought.

  “Exactly. Since two of us have been taken, they’ve realized this isn’t going to stop. My uncle has called a meeting.” Twisting her hands together, she sighed. “I’m worried the abductors will find out about it and it won’t be safe for anyone.”

  “I agree with you there,” he said, relieved that she had finally seen reason. “We can make it safe.”

  “How?”

  “Let me make a phone call. The Protectors need to know about this. Your family needs assistance. They can help. It’s a win-win. The Protectors will be glad to provide security.”

  “No.” Her sharp tone matched the look she gave him. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Letting anyone find out will be dangerous. No one needs to know about this. No one, most especially not them. Do you understand?”

  “Then you shouldn’t have told me.”

  “That’s why I didn’t give you any specifics,” she retorted. “Now, are you with me or against me?”

  Since arguing would be pointless, he slowly nodded. “I’m with you.” She was wrong, but until he could prove that to her, she wouldn’t understand. Plus, he didn’t want to jeopardize the possibility that he might be able to see—and take back—his children.

  “I probably shouldn’t have even told you,” she continued in a brisk voice. “Now I have to decide whether to bring you or drop you off somewhere.”

  Crud. She had to bring him. And he couldn’t let her even begin to suspect why.

  Feigning disinterest, he looked out the window. “I’d be happy to wait in the car while you attend your meeting.”

  “That won’t work,” she said immediately. “I’m afraid to let you out of my sight.”

  “I don’t even have a cell phone,” he pointed out.

  “True, but there are still payphones here and there. The last thing I need is for you to find one and call your buddies. I can’t put my family at risk like that.”

  He hid a smile. She was smart, he’d give her that. However, if he called in anyone at this point, it would be one or two of his friends to act as reinforcements in helping him rescue the twins. Nothing more, nothing less. If she and her people didn’t want the Protectors’ help, he wasn’t going to foist their services on them.

  Though, until now, he’d been completely up front with her, she didn’t need to know that he’d be on her side only for as long as it suited him. If push came to shove, if it came down to her and the Tearlachs versus getting his children back, she had to know what he’d choose.

  He had to believe she’d do the same.

  “It seems to me you’ve already decided what to do with me,” he said, keeping his voice neutral.

  She gave him another cutting look while she drove. “True. I don’t trust you not to tell the Protectors. Especially if your children are involved. That’s why I haven’t told you the location.”

  He kept quiet, waiting, wondering if she’d realized his plan.

  Finally, she sighed. “But you’re right. I have to keep you with me, though I honestly don’t know if they’ll let you in. Especially when they learn you were married to Maggie.”

  Married to Maggie. Not Caleb and Isobel’s father.

  At her words, he bit back the urge to correct her and bowed his head, rubbing the back of his neck while he tried to think. Maybe Kelly, never having been a mother, didn’t truly realize the depth of a parent’s love and dedication to their children.

  He had to get into the meeting, even if the twins weren’t there. Finding out who’d been the one to take them and where they were being kept hidden would be the first step toward recovering them.

  “You know,” he said slowly. “Though you might not think I realize exactly how rare this meeting is, I do. And I think you don’t understand how dangerous it will be if your adversary learns of it. Does your family comprehend the risks?”

  “Yes, of course.” She bit her lip, indicating she still wasn’t happy. “Why do you think we scattered after my father’s death? The location of the meeting is not only secret, but will be heavily guarded.”

  This was a new one. “Guarded by whom?”

  “My people. We have our own trained fighters, I’m certain.”

  Which meant she really didn’t know for sure.

  “And you haven’t told them about me?” he asked.

  “Not yet.” This time, she didn’t bother to try to hide the suspicion in her eyes. “Mac, what are you planning?”

  “Me?” He feigned innocence, aware she’d probably see right through him. “Nothing.”

  She sighed. “Look, I told you I’d look into what happened with your children, but I’m going to have to tell my family who you are, especially since I’m bringing you near them. So clear your mind of any plans involving heroic child snatching.”

  “Look,” he said slowly. “You have to realize I can’t promise you anything, especially where my children are involved.”

  �
�But—”

  “On this, there will be absolutely no compromise,” he interrupted. “Knowing what you know about me, I still don’t understand why you didn’t get rid of me before now.”

  “I couldn’t,” she said in a small voice.

  Ruthless, he continued, wanting no further lies between them. “Kelly, I’m truly grateful to you. I’m glad to be with you, glad to help in any way I can, but you have to know my kids come first with me. Forever and always.”

  “Of course.” Her mild tone surprised him. “I completely understand and I respect you for it. My family used to be important to me, as well.”

  Used to be. He wondered if she realized how harsh that sounded. “If you get what I’m telling you, then I still don’t understand your reasoning for keeping me around. Mind explaining?”

  “Not now. As for understanding, in good time, you will,” she answered, her voice dark. “All too soon, believe me.”

  “You make it sound…dark. As if it’s something horribly awful.”

  “Maybe it is.”

  “If so, then I’d rather be prepared. Why not simply tell me now and be done with it?”

  She shook her head. “Maybe later.” The finality in her voice told him she’d finished discussing this particular topic.

  Another bit of mystery and, from the stubborn set of her chin, one she wasn’t budging on. Since he had more important things to focus on, such as using her to locate his children, he let that one go, for now. She’d said later. He’d hold her to that.

  They passed a semitruck painted to look like a giant American flag. As they pulled up alongside him, the truck driver honked his horn. It played a few bars from the song “America the Beautiful.”

  Mac grinned, exchanging a glance with Kelly, glad to see the trucker had been able to coax a reluctant smile from her.

  “That was weird,” she said, still smiling.

  He thought of telling her she needed to smile more often, but decided that wouldn’t be welcome. Maybe it would be better to keep things on a strictly businesslike level from now on. That way no one got hurt when the inevitable letdown took place. Which it would, eventually. Even he could see that far ahead.

  “All right, then. Tell me this. What does your family hope to accomplish?”

  “What do you think?” She sent him a wry look. “I mean, they’ve already taken two of us now, both females in their early twenties.”

  “Does anyone have any idea why?”

  “No.” She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “There have been no ransom demands, nothing.”

  “And you’re sure this wasn’t just a random thing like what happens in the human world? Jealous boyfriends, stalkers, something like that?”

  “We’re not allowed to have boyfriends,” she told him.

  His mouth fell open. “Not allowed? By who?”

  “By our law, Tearlachs can only mate with Tearlachs.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was never told—I guess they thought I was too young. I was only sixteen when the family split apart. Now that I’m twenty-eight, you’d think someone would have bothered to fill me in, but no one has.”

  “Tearlachs aren’t allowed to mate with regular shifters?” he repeated, still more than a little stunned.

  “Yes. And you must realize this. That’s why Maggie was ostracized by her family, by our family. Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”

  He hadn’t. “Maggie spoke little about her family. From the way she talked, I assumed her parents were dead.”

  “Nope. Her father is my uncle Danny. He and her mother, Audrey, are very much still alive. But because of Maggie’s disobedience and marriage to you, they told her she was dead to them.”

  “I met some of her family,” he protested weakly. “Not her parents, true. But I met her brother.”

  Kelly stared at him, obviously surprised. “You met Reggie? That’s odd, since he never struck me as much of a lawbreaker.”

  “He obviously loved his sister more than some stupid rule,” he retorted.

  “Maybe so.” To his surprise, she agreed. “It’s hard to follow laws when you don’t know the reason for them.”

  “Is this rule possibly tied to the two missing girls? Think about it. If they wanted to break the no-mating-with-others rule, wouldn’t it be more simple to just disappear, rather than risk their family’s censure?”

  “Maybe. But that’s not what happened.” Her tone indicated that was all she wanted to say on the matter.

  He had no choice but to take her word for it. “Fine. Then assuming the two girls’ disappearances were acts of malice, how is your family going to get them back?”

  “I don’t know. That’s what the meeting is for. By coming together, we plan to find them and stop this once and for all.”

  “How?”

  She grinned, surprising him. “At the risk of repeating myself, there are a lot of things you don’t know about us.”

  Of that he had no doubt. Though the report the Protectors had given him had seemed comprehensive, he now believed it wasn’t. Whether intentionally or not—now he was getting paranoid—it was short on information. The Tearlachs had long been a secretive bunch, and he was beginning to realize that what was known about them was only what they’d chosen to reveal.

  They fell into a companionable silence. Though she’d given him no inkling of their destination, this time they were driving in a southeast direction. Definitely not toward the west coast.

  Once she relaxed, she began whistling while she drove. Past cornfields, the tall stalks waving in the ever-present breeze. Through flat prairie and farmland, where the nearest tree seemed miles off and the cloud-dotted blue sky stretched to eternity and beyond.

  Though the scenery didn’t vary much, it felt familiar and comforting. The Heartland of America. Soothing, despite its monotony.

  Her whistling fit right in. Glancing at her, he saw that she was smiling.

  “You’re happy.”

  Shooting him a glance, she shrugged. “Maybe. It’s more bittersweet. I haven’t even talked to my mother or my sister in twelve years. Since my father was killed, I’ve lived like an outcast. It’s been easier not to care. I’m assuming everyone’s life has been the same as mine.”

  “Assuming? You don’t know?”

  She shook her head. “We’ve been forbidden from making contact.”

  “At all? Why?”

  “Less risk of being found,” she said simply. “There are ways of anonymously keeping everyone informed. That’s easy in this digital age. We all have webpages, and we all use an avatar for a profile picture.”

  “So just no personal contact.”

  “No.” She sighed. “Though I have to confess that Bonnie and I cheated slightly. We kept in touch on Facebook, under fake profiles. That’s how I know my sister didn’t have a boyfriend. She would have told me if she’d met someone. Bonnie was alone, just like me.”

  “Then how did your family find out she was abducted? Through you?”

  “No.” Her expression turned troubled. “We’re supposed to post our status weekly, on every Wednesday, without fail. When Bonnie didn’t post, a query was sent anonymously to her webpage address. When that didn’t receive a response, someone called her personal cell phone. My cousin Ian is in charge of maintaining everyone’s contact records. That’s who called me. And who also learned that Bonnie was missing.”

  “So Ian called her cell and no one answered?” He dragged his hand across his chin. “That seems pretty inconclusive to me.”

  Signaling a lane change, she waited until that was complete before glancing at him. “Oh, someone answered. A man. He told us in no uncertain terms that he had Bonnie and if we tried to find her, he’d kill her.”

  As the day dragged on and the miles added up, Kelly began to feel the effects of the sleepless nights and stress-filled days. Her eyelids began to droop and despite her best efforts, she had difficulty keeping them open.


  Mac, ever observant, noticed. “You look like you’re about to doze off. If you want to nap, I’m perfectly happy to drive,” he said. “If you’re planning on driving straight through, you can’t stay awake forever.”

  Another yawn while she mulled this over. Then, surprised to realize she was actually considering it, she glanced at him. “I don’t know…”

  “You’ve got to trust me sometime.” He spread his hands, smiling to take the sting off the words. She couldn’t help but notice the elegance of his hands, the fingers long and slender, made for playing a musical instrument or caressing a woman’s skin.

  Whoa. Her face heated. Where had that thought come from? Must have been her exhaustion messing with her mind.

  Her stomach growled. Maybe it would help if she got something to eat.

  With this in mind, she took an exit that advertised a fast-food restaurant. Pulling into the parking lot, she killed the engine and stretched. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  Just thinking about a big juicy hamburger like the one advertised on the glossy poster in the restaurant window made her stomach growl again.

  “I could eat,” he said. Though he sounded lighthearted, his clenched jaw spoke of his annoyance. Probably because she hadn’t agreed to let him drive.

  As they walked to the entrance, his stomach growled loudly and she smiled. “I can tell.”

  After a moment, he smiled back. Warmth spread through her as their gazes locked. Then she shook it off and reached for the door.

  He beat her to it, holding the door open for her. Hesitating for one second, finally she dipped her chin and brushed past him.

  Inside, they stood next to each other at the counter like a real couple, which felt odd. She ordered a large burger and fries, unsurprised when he ordered twice that amount for himself. After all, he was male, he was a shifter and his body was still recovering from the silver-bullet wound. He’d need to eat lots of protein to keep up his strength.

  Carrying their loaded trays, they found a small table and pulled out chairs across from each other. Not speaking, each unwrapped their meals, chowing down in companionable—and she thought, contented—silence. His earlier annoyance appeared to have vanished.