Chapter 6

The night seemed to last forever. His talk with Zaiden had helped a bit, but not enough to take the edge off. By three in the morning, Lucian had given up and had begun to prowl the house and then the grounds. Each time he happened upon someone, they jumped as if fearful of his presence. When had that happened? Was it only since Zenya had failed to come home, or had it started slowly, and he was only now noticing? One more thing Zenya had to answer for.

Zaiden had managed to set up a meeting between Colby and Lucian at Windsong. The damn lynx-shifter liked to control everything. Did he really believe those at Windsong could stand up to a focused attack by the Baihu Clan? Lucian wandered through the night and looked up at the moon. Was Zenya somewhere safe staring up at the same moon?

The thought of Zenya sharing the same moon made him imagine holding her in his arms on the balcony of their room. He could feel his cock harden. How could he miss the embrace of a woman he had yet to hold? Oh, he'd had plenty of erotic dreams in which she'd starred but he'd done nothing more in the real world than offer her a chaste kiss on the cheek. He hadn't lived like a monk for the whole time she'd been gone, but he had never once exposed his barbs and for the past several years had gone without completely. Well, not completely but he hadn't touched a woman or had one touch him in a very long time.

His sexual frustration and need only spurred on his anger at Colby, at Zenya, and at the world.

The following morning Lucian was pacing restlessly when his men began to assemble at the plane for the short hop from their home on the mainland to Windsong, just outside of Mystic River on Kodiak Island. When they landed, there was an SUV waiting to take them down to Colby's impressive manor house. While Colby's home might be more elegant, Lucian didn't think as a fortress it would stand up against an outright assault from the Baihu Clan.

They were shown to Colby's study. Upon entering the room, Colby stood and gestured to an arrangement of coffee and tea on a credenza to the side of his desk as well as an elaborate display of pastries on a silver tray.

"Gentlemen? Refreshments?"

Lucian growled, leaned over the desk, and swept the pastries onto the floor. Colby seemed both nonplussed and unimpressed as he sat down in his chair. "A simple no would have sufficed. So, pleasantries aside, what is it I can do for you, Lucian?"

Colby's tone was level, but there was no mistaking the threat level that lay beneath it. It was now Lucian's turn to be unimpressed.

"I want my mate…"

"Don't we all," said Colby in a bored tone.

"Don't think to push my buttons, lynx-shifter. You either have her, or you know where she is. I demand that you either hand her over to me, or give me all of whatever information you possess."

"What makes you think I even know who your mate is? Is she a tigress from your clan? If so, I would suggest losing her was rather poor handling on your part."

Lucian growled. "I'm warning you, lynx-shifter."

"You know," Colby all but purred. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I think being a lynx-shifter is the best thing of all, but don't think to threaten me in my home, Lucian. I assure you, you won't like the consequences. Now, why don't you sit down and have a nice cup of coffee? Might I suggest decaf?"

"You're in league with the Shadow Sisters. Everyone knows it. Normally, I wouldn't care, but they have snatched my mate and spirited her away."

"I have never known the Shadow Sisters to snatch anyone who didn't want them to do so. If your mate chose to spurn your advances, you might want to look at the behavior that caused that."

"Give her back," Lucian roared, pounding the desk with his fist.

"I don't have her."

"But you know where she is."

"Actually, I don't. That doesn't mean I couldn't find her if I wanted to, but I really don't have the girl."

Lucian sat back. So, the lynx-shifter wanted to deal. "How much would it take for you to want to?"

"It's not your money I need, Lucian. I have more than enough money."

Ah, so that was the point of this little farce. The lynx-shifter wanted the Baihu Clan's strength. Lucian nodded his head. "All right, Reynolds, I'll deal. If you return Zenya Hale to me, the Baihu Clan will throw in with your Resistance and help you take down the Shadow League."

"Really? Just like that? Dear god, I thought you would drive a much harder bargain or perhaps offer me more."

Once more Lucian pounded his fist on the desk. "Damn it, Reynolds. You give me Zenya, and I'll give you what you need to defeat the League."

"What's the alternative, Lucian? Seriously, are you going to threaten to back the League? You might be foolish enough to think they'll win, but you're not callous enough to help them do it."

"Give her back, Reynolds. She's mine."

"Have you claimed her? My sources tell me you have not, and she doesn't want to be with you. She's a lovely girl. Given your boorish behavior, I don't blame her."

"She's mine. I am her alpha and her fated mate." Lucian stood. "Do we have a deal or not?"

"Not."

"What?" Lucian bellowed, not believing he was hearing what he was hearing.

Colby got to his feet. "I said, no deal. Well, actually what I said was ‘not.' I don't peddle in flesh—just about everything else but not that. Even if I knew where Zenya was, I wouldn't tell you. But I do know those who most likely do. If you were to join the resistance, I would promise to give you my best efforts to plead your case to them. Whether or not they would even speak to Zenya or try to persuade her to your cause, I cannot say."

"I'll give you a month. If you're able to get that bunch of rogue females to turn her or the information over to me, the Baihu Clan will back you. You're right. I would never join the League, but if I don't have Zenya in my bed within the month, I will do everything in my power to destroy the Shadow Sisters once and for all and I will take Windsong apart brick-by-brick in search of her or the information I seek."

Turning on his heel, he stalked out of Colby's office and commandeered the SUV to take him and his men back to the plane. No one tried to stop them as the stairwell to the plane was pulled up and locked into place, taxied down the runway and took off, banking back to the southwest.

"Bastard," Lucian said as he poured himself a drink.

"It's a bit early for that, don't you think?" asked Zaiden softly.

"What is it the song says? It's five o'clock somewhere."

"What now?" asked Zaiden.

"I want you to run a check for veterinary licenses approved since Zenya graduated. Look for Zenya or an initial Z for the first or middle name. I know it's a family name, and it is meaningful for her."

"Only those from UC Davis?"

Lucian shook his head. "No. I rather imagine the Shadow Sisters are able to get her a phony degree. When you look at licensing, it can get trickier. Some of those state agencies can be a major pain."

"This could take a while…"

"We have a little less than a month. I will have her, Zaiden, and neither the Shadow Sisters nor Colby Reynolds will deny me that."

"Yes, alpha."

Ten days later, Zaiden joined Lucian as the latter worked on questions he had about the business plan for their craft beer. He looked up as Zaiden entered.

"You have something?" Lucian asked, pushing the business plan away.

Zaiden picked it up. "What do you think?"

Lucian grinned, indulgently. "I think they need to dream bigger. Now what do you have?"

"It took a lot of digging, and I mean a lot of it, but I think we've found her. She's in Manteo, North Carolina."

"Where the hell is Manteo?"

"It's a small town on one of the barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, commonly known as the Outer Banks."

"You're sure?"

"As sure as we can be. We tracked her down and got hold of some of their CCTV footage…"

"They have CCTV cameras?"

"After a fashion, but it really doesn't matter. That software you had us get for identifying someone by their gait? We got a hit. When we started digging, we started finding little cracks. I told our tech guys to stop. I didn't want her contact in the Shadow Sisters to get wind of it."

"Good man. I'll leave for this Manteo within the hour. Have the plane readied."

"How many of us do you want with you?"

"Zero. If I need backup, I'll have the pilot. I need you to stay here and look after the clan. I fear in my obsession to return your sister to us, I have let things slide. Don't think I haven't realized all you and the others have done to help me and to keep the clan safe."

"It was our pleasure to be of assistance."

"Maybe so, but you all have my gratitude and my pledge to do better by all of you once I know Zenya is safe and back here at Ice Storm."

It took Lucian no time at all to pack his old Navy SEAL duffle and head to the plane. He jogged up the stairs, tossed his bag onto one of the couches, and then sat down.

"I have Manteo, North Carolina plugged into the navigation. We're about eight hours out, but it looks to be smooth sailing. We've plenty of food and drink on board."

"Thank you, Charlie. Make sure you put the plane on autopilot when you can to ensure you have time to eat and hydrate. I am trained and licensed to fly the plane myself so if you need a break, let me know."

The somewhat shocked look on Charlie's face reminded Lucian he needed to do better by his people, as he did his mate.

Charlie flew the plane with sure handling. They encountered no turbulence, and he made use of a strong tailwind, allowing them to land within about seven hours of takeoff.

"Zaiden found us an Airbnb two towns away. Plenty of room for the two of us and a hangar where I can get the plane out of sight. He also arranged for an SUV, and both are under another name."

Lucian smiled. "My beta is a very thorough man, and as always I am in his debt."

"I'll make sure the plane is fueled and ready to go. If it comes down to it and you're coming in hot, give me a heads up and I'll be waiting. I can have this plane off the ground too fast for anyone to stop us. I flew combat missions overseas. I can fly with the best of them."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but good to know if it does. Why don't you let them know we've landed safely, take care of the plane, get something to eat—I'm sure Zaiden had food delivered—and get a little shut eye. I'm not planning to do much for a day or two. I want to know the lay of the land and confirm that it's Zenya."

"Thank you, Alpha."

Lucian nodded and headed out to the SUV. Once inside, he plugged in the address for Zenya's house. He also had the address of her clinic but wanted to see where she lived first. The small cottage that had been purchased was charming, which was real estate lingo for small. He found a secluded place to park and then made his way unseen to her home.

Defeating her simple alarm system didn't present much of a challenge, and he walked through the space, studying the things that made it uniquely Zenya. Her scent lingered in the air, and his cock began to throb behind the fly of his jeans. She had made a lot of progress. The house was almost completely furnished and decorated. It was a bit feminine for his taste, but that told him most likely his mate remained a virgin. He would have to remember that when he finally claimed her as his.

It was almost noon. Zaiden said her clinic closed at noon on Saturdays, and it was her turn to work. Most likely she would be home soon. He walked through the space again, ensuring he left it as he found it. He then restored the alarm so no one would be able to tell it had been interrupted and retreated to the SUV.

Lucian headed into town, looking for a place from which he could observe her clinic. She was just coming out the back door when she spotted a beat-up cardboard box. She squatted down and stood back up, returning inside the clinic and emerging wearing what looked like a protective glove. This time when she approached the box, she made a low, reverberating purr as she reached in and pulled out a mangled and severely injured bobcat. At first it hissed and spit at her, but gradually her gentle nature won the wildcat's trust.

One of the techs came out. "Oh my god, Zenya. That thing will hurt you. I'll get the tranquilizer gun. You can put him down, and I'll shoot him in the flank."

"There's no need to do that. He's going to be fine, aren't you, pretty boy," she crooned.

The tech laughed. "Do you know how many of the eligible men around here would kill to have you talk to them that way?"

"Far too many. What they haven't realized is that all he wants is my help. I want nothing in return from him, so he will let me nurse him back to health without getting all tongue-tied and goo-goo eyed."

"I'm just saying you'd have your choice of men. Do you want me to stay?"

"No, I don't think anything will require surgery, and it doesn't appear he's in danger. I'll set him up with food and water in the crate in my office. Would you mind meeting me in the morning to do x-rays and a more thorough exam?"

"Not at all, boss lady." The woman came to her and laid her hand on Zenya's arm. "You have a kind heart. See you in the morning."

She was good at her job, and the tech was right. Zenya was kind. Did he really have the right to claim her without her consent? Lucian shook his head. Of course he did; she was his fated mate. If she planned to work on the bobcat in the morning, he could pick up some surveillance equipment and install it in her home while she was out.

He watched until she finally came out of the office, rubbed the back of her neck and got into her Jeep. Lucian followed her back to her home and watched as she let herself in. Once he knew she was safely inside, he headed back to the Airbnb. It wouldn't be long before he had her in his bed back in their home.