Chapter 5

Walker

I"d slept in a chair last night and woke up with my muscles kinked. Popping a couple ibuprofen hadn"t really helped. Did it ever? I knew a quick shift would fix it, but there was too much at stake. The risks too high for me to do that.

Instead, I donned a new pair of sunglasses and headed out to smile, shake hands, and pretend like a bunch of people locked in cages around us was perfectly normal.

Taylor and I hadn"t attended an auction like this before. I hadn"t even known such a thing existed. It disgusted me. From the second we arrived, something felt off. I couldn"t put my finger on it. But something was definitely not quite right.

As we wandered around, I tried to put a smile on my face but my anxiety seemed to grow the closer we got to Nate. I was certain it was just nerves tinged with guilt. I understood why he was doing this, but I hated it. We all did.

Taylor nudged and me shot me a look.

"I"m okay," I assured her. "Just studying our options," I added, should anyone be listening nearby. "There"s a lot to choose from."

We stopped at the next cage and spoke with the witch, asking him to show us his powers. He did it with a smile, and I couldn"t help but sense it was all for show. No one wanted to perform under these conditions. Well, maybe Nate. He was a bit sick like that though, only ever knowing a life of captivity.

Moving on to the next one we took our time strolling through the lines of cages. There were so many of them. In a normal auction setting you saw one or two at a time, and while the evening could run long, it was harder to grasp just how many witches were there. Being here with them all on display at once was overwhelming me. We simply couldn"t save them all. And how many more places like this were there?

Approaching Nate"s cage made my anxiety rise even more. The hair on my neck stood up and a sort of chill ran through my body.

Suddenly, I noticed the cage right next to his. We"d been a bit indulgent to lessen our own guilt by giving Nate the largest we could find. But this one was every bit as big and spacious as his. That"s when I noticed a small, beautiful woman and two young kids who couldn"t have been more than six years of age.

There was something captivating about the woman, and I couldn"t stop staring as something inside me began to stir.

"A mother and her two pups?" I asked. "Are they to be sold together?"

"Something like that," one of her keepers said.

"Are they all witches?" Taylor asked.

"Yes."

I removed my sunglasses and really looked at her. She was the most beautiful woman I"d ever laid eyes on, and I instantly grew angry over her situation. I knew I had to save her. Screw everyone else here, this woman and her children needed our help. They needed my protection. Something feral roared within me.

Mine, my wolf growled, causing my steps to falter by the fierceness and knowledge of who she was to me.

She gasped and stepped back as she stared back at me. The look in her eyes told me she knew who I was to her too. Then she pulled the children to cover her like a shield. Against me? My wolf roared angrily at the thought.

At first I thought that roar had escaped me, though I was desperately trying to keep my composure.

A mate? I had a mate?

The sound hadn"t resonated from me though, but from her, causing everyone to take a step back.

"Can you show us your powers?" Taylor asked as if everything was perfectly normal and my whole world hadn"t just shifted on its axis.

"She needs more room," the little boy with her said, but I didn"t miss the way he smiled up at her and winked.

"Open the door and let her out," I surprised myself by saying.

I couldn't stand there a second longer and see my mate locked up in a goddamn cage. I was seconds from sprouting fur and losing it.

"You heard him. Do it!" Taylor demanded.

There was no way she could know who this woman was. She probably just assumed that I was deciding on this one because she knows I have a soft spot for children.

The door slowly opened and my breath caught in my throat as she stepped forward.

"Grab the brats," one of the men said.

The startled look on her face and the anger that transformed her was a sight I would never forget. With a loud roar, she shifted, but not into any animal I"d ever seen. She had the lower half of a cheetah, wings of black feathers that spanned at least ten feet wide, two extra arms like Eagle"s claws, and the face of a wolf. My wolf, I realized.

What the hell had they done to her?

"I give you the beast!" one of the men yelled proudly.

Taylor"s jaw dropped open. In all these years working with Westin Force, I"d only ever heard of such a strange creature once. And I"d certainly never seen anything quite like her.

"I've never seen anything like it," Taylor said, echoing my thoughts exactly.

I couldn"t look away as I stared up at her.

In the blink of an eye, chaos erupted. She"d grabbed the kids and had taken flight as people ran screaming. Weapons were fired trying to stop her. This only angered me further.

Mate! my wolf howled.

I"d never really let myself believe I"d find her, though I knew a part of me was always searching for her. Now I had, and I was about to lose her forever.

I wanted to cry out in agony. I wanted to beg her to return. I needed her to know that I would protect her no matter what because even though she was indeed a beast, she was still mine. I couldn't say or do anything, though, as I watched it all in horror.

Then suddenly, she turned and dove back towards us.

"Get down!" Taylor yelled grabbing at me as she hit the ground along with everyone else around, but I"d just stood there in shock.

Suddenly, sharp claws locked around my armpits and lifted me into the air. They didn"t hurt me in any way, just held me like a vice around my shoulders and arms. Then I was flying.

"Walter!" I heard Taylor scream.

"What the hell just happened?" Tarren asked through coms.

"Some beast of a witch just flew off with him," Taylor replied, and I couldn"t help but scold her for breaking cover.

"Tay, remember your role," I told her.

She scoffed.

"Dude, you"ve just been kidnapped and that's what you"re worried about?"

"Are we able to track him?" I heard Silas asked.

"Yes, sir," Tarron confirmed. "Coms are currently holding, too."

"We"re going to get you back," Silas assured me, but even as he did, his voice began to break out.

"She"s flying fast. He"ll be completely out of range soon. Don"t worry, we can still track . . ." His voice faded, and I just prayed he was going to end that sentence with "they can still track me despite losing coms."

It took a moment before reality truly set in, and by then, we were flying over the Caribbean Sea, or was it the Gulf of Mexico? I didn't know for sure where one stopped and the other began, but it seemed like a strange thing to think about at a time like this that a hysterical giggle welled up and escaped me.

This was insane and couldn"t possibly be real. I had to have been drugged or was stuck in some weird-ass dream I didn"t know how to escape. Nothing about it made sense, so my brain couldn"t quite grasp what was actually happening to me.

The air was cool, but my inner wolf kept me warm enough. As we flew, I started to relax and just enjoy the views. Aside from an occasional ship, I mostly saw blue with a scattering of small islands. It was beautiful from this vantage point and quite peaceful.

I had forgotten all about the kids who were riding on her back until they both screamed.

"Lindsey!" the little boy screamed as I watched in horror as he slowly slid off of her and fell through the air.

My heart raced and a fear like I"d never experienced before gripped me.

She altered her course to go after him. I could feel her claws loosen around me and knew she was trying to grab for him the same she"d done to me. Panic set in and I wasn"t sure if it was my panic or hers.

As we got close to him, I reached out and grabbed him, pulling the child close to me as he wrapped his arms around me and held on for dear life.

"I"ve got him," I shouted, needing to assure her as well as myself and the kid.

"Don't let go!" he begged.

"You"re safe," I assured him.

I had no idea how long I could hold onto him like this, but I knew I would do everything I could to keep him safe.

A short time later, we approached a tiny island, and I realized she had dropped to a lower elevation. She circled the island three times before softly landing us on the beach. There had been no sign of life anywhere. We were stranded on a deserted island.

When she let go of me, I dropped just a few feet as the boy and I rolled onto the sand. She lowered herself to allow the girl to climb off and run around to check on her brother.

"Dante! Are you okay?" the girl asked.

"I"m fine. He saved me," the kid said like he couldn"t believe it.

The girl looked at me for only a second. I noticed the tears streaking down her face. And then she threw herself into my arms.

"Thank you for saving him."

She started to cry hysterically as I held her.

The beast walked away and then sat there staring at us.

"He"s okay. We"re all just fine. I won"t let anything bad happen to you," I told her.

"You can"t trust him, Maya. He"s a Collector, remember?" the boy said.

She slowly stiffened in my arms and pulled away.

"I"m not a Collector," I tried to tell them, but the two of them just glared at me.

Maya suddenly looked around. "Where"s Lindsey?"

"She walked down the beach. She probably shifted and is resting. She has to be tired." Then he turned to scowl at me. "Thanks for saving me, but you can't have her. We"re free now. We're never going to be part of your collection."

I had to admit, I was impressed by these two half-pints. They spoke well above their years and with a fierce protectiveness for my mate. There was no way they could possibly know who she was to me, but their mom was special and mine. That made these two mine too.

"I"m not collecting you or your mom."

"She"s not our mom," Maya blurted out. "We aren"t siblings either."

"Yeah, Lindsey just protects us. We"re family," Dante explained. "That"s what family does. They look after each other."

"Lindsey taught as that."

My heart fluttered. There had to be good in her for her to adopt and protect these two innocent children.

"I"m not going to hurt you. I"m one of you. Well, I"m not a witch."

I started to take my clothes off to show them.

Maya shrieked. "Pervert!"

"You"re disgusting. Get the hell away from us. Lindsey should have dropped you in the ocean."

I sighed but quickly stripped and then shifted before them.

Their eyes widened in shock at the appearance of my large wolf.

"He"s a shifter?" Dante asked.

"A wolf," Maya added as she walked over to pet me. "Hi boy."

Internally I groaned. I wasn"t anyone"s damn pet.

"Get a stick, Dante. Maybe he wants to play fetch."

That was it. I shifted back and crossed my arms to glare at her. "I"m not your pet. I"m just showing you that I"m a shifter too."

"Are you sure you don"t want to play fetch?" Dante asked, looking disappointed when I snarled at him.

"It could be fun. We"ll probably be here a while," Maya said.

I pulled my boxers back on but left the rest of my clothes on the beach. The kids were right, we could be here for a while and that meant I needed to get us shelter and food. They were just kids and it was now my responsibility to take care of them.

And where the hell was Lindsey?

"We"re going to need to build a shelter and gather food. Can you two help me with that?"

They both nodded.

"Okay, you two go and gather sticks and palms, but don't wander off and stay together. You got it?"

They both nodded again, seeming a little surprised that I would ask for their help.

I couldn"t think about all that had happened. I just needed to focus on survival.

Much to my surprise, they listened and got to work immediately.

I couldn"t help but notice just how pale they both were. I imagined they"d lived hidden away indoors their entire lives. That worried me with the sun here. The faster I could construct a shelter, the better. But they"d need food too.

I walked down to the edge of the water and took off my boxers and tossed them to where I didn"t think the water would take them away. Then I dove into the crystal-clear water. The salt stung my eyes at first, but they adjusted quickly. There was a massive school of fish swimming nearby in the corals. I moved quickly and grabbed up as many as I could, tossing them back onto the shore and praying they made it. When they broke up and swam away, I came up for air and walked back to the beach. Ten fish awaited me. They weren"t huge by any means but would do as a meal, at least. I could hunt something bigger later.

I put on my boxers once more and walked back to where I"d left the kids. They had a large pile of debris already waiting for me.

"Good job."

"Mister, look what we found. Can we eat it?"

I inspected the fruit Dante held up to me. Mango.

"His name"s Walter Grimes, a well-known Collector," Maya said.

I snorted and tossed the mango back to the boy. "Good find, kid. And it"s Walker, actually. That was just a cover name."

"Why would you need a cover name?" she questioned.

I suspected little got past this girl. I didn"t know what her powers were, perhaps some sort of truth teller.

"Because I"m not a Collector," I told her honestly.

Even before Lindsey had whisked us away, I"d already known I would rescue the lot of them. So there was no harm in telling them the truth. As far as I was concerned, they were free now.

"If you're not a Collector, what were you doing there?"

"Rescue mission."

"Huh?"

"Have you ever heard of Westin Force?"

"No," they said in unison.

Well, that was frustrating. I wasn"t quite sure how to explain it to them.

"It"s sort of like a group of people who go around saving shifters who need help."

"That"s not real," Dante insisted.

"I"m here, aren"t I?"

"He"s a Collector. He"s lying," Maya reminded him.

"I"m a shifter. You saw me shift into my wolf. Why would a shifter want to collect other shifters?"

"Why does anyone want to collect people?" she asked.

"Touché. You"re pretty smart for a kid. How old are you?"

"She"s five. I"m six," Dante proudly said.

"I"ll be six next month," Maya explained, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You guys are pretty smart for being so young."

It broke my heart to think of all they"d been through and how quickly they"d been forced to grow up.

"Want to help me build a shelter?"

"Like a fort?" he asked hopefully.

"Exactly like a fort."

The first thing I did was dig a pit for a fire and clean the fish while the kids organized the pile of debris as I"d instructed them to. They listened well and did exactly what I asked of them.

Soon we had a roaring fire with the fish cooking on a spit and the base of what would become our home until Lindsey was up to flying us out of here.

Lindsey. My mate.

Where the hell was she?

"Will you guys keep an eye out on the fire for me? I"m going to go check on Lindsey."

Saying her name aloud did something to me.

"She"s sleeping just up the beach," Dante told me.

"She doesn"t get to fly often. It makes her tired," Maya explained.

"Okay, but I"m going to check on her just the same."

I grabbed the T-shirt I"d been wearing under my suit and walked away before they could try and stop me. Neither seemed to think much of it, so I hoped that was a sign that they were already starting to trust me. The both of them seemed very protective of my mate and not at all scared of her beast. That told me a lot about her.

When I rounded the corner, I saw her sleeping in the sand. I scowled when I saw her pale skin already turning pink from the sun. But as I got closer and it dawned on me that she was so exposed and perfectly naked out here, I froze. A mix of horror and desire shot through me.

I took a moment to really look her over. I couldn"t get the beast out of my head, but in her human form she was so beautiful. Blonde hair, pale skin. I knew from before that she had the prettiest blue eyes. Still, the image of the beast kept flashing through my mind, and I was struggling to reconcile the two as one.

What she"d shifted to wasn"t natural.

What had happened to her?

Was she okay?

Could she really control that abomination?

I instantly grew sick to my stomach at the thought. Abomination? She wasn"t an abomination. She was my mate.

I couldn"t help but think of my godchildren. Shelby and Ben had adopted the triplets after Ben had first delivered them and then rescued them from a Raglan facility. Rumors were that their biological mother had been experimented on while pregnant. There were no records of what had been done to her, or her unborn children, and she"d died the day they were born.

Her Pack hadn"t wanted the babies for fear they were abominations genetically altered by the Raglan. Ben and Shelby had chosen to love them anyway, and I couldn't imagine my life without Zachary, Mary Alice, and Nathan.

What if they shifted someday into a creature much like Lindsey? Would any of us love them any less?

I knew immediately that the answer was no. I would love those kids no matter what.

I stared down at my mate.

Could I love her unconditionally too?

I wasn"t yet sure of the answer to that. But I liked to hope that I could overlook the beast within her and grow to love her anyway. She was my mate after all.

"Lindsey," I said softly, not wanting to startle her and enjoying the feel of her name rolling off my tongue. "Lindsey."

She groaned and rolled over, gasping when she saw me and curling up into a ball to cover herself.

In this form she looked so vulnerable it nearly broke my heart and made me want to protect her against anything and everything this cruel world had to offer.

"It"s okay," I said softly, holding out my shirt to her.

She grabbed it and quickly put it on. I was surprised by how disappointed I was. I liked looking at her naked body.

You sound like a perv, I thought.

I scowled at the thought, and she withdrew a little more.

It was hard to fathom how this waif of woman could look so vulnerable one moment and then morph into something so powerful and terrifying the next.

Mine!

My wolf and I were in perfect agreement. And my need to protect her was so strong it scared me.