25. Kezia

The child was hurting. We didn't like it when the child hurt. This human caused her pain, and this human would pay for that.

"You killed the old human?" we asked him. We remembered him; he had his hands on us. We had not liked that.

"Was he in the truck?"

We turned to look at the alpha, our eyes narrowing. He had put us into a deep sleep.

We did not like that either.

"Alpha, we will deal with you next."

The alpha did not look as afraid as he should. He would know fear.

"The night they took her," he said to us clearly. "Was he in the truck?"

We shook our head. "No. There were only three humans that took us." We looked back at the human. "But there was another voice." Looking at the alpha, we thought back. "Three humans but four voices."

"Bluetooth," the alpha murmured to the beta. He returned his gaze to ours. "We need to know everything he knows," he told us, the meaning clear. "Do whatever you need, but…" We watched him as he took a deep breath. "Keep it from her."

We raised our head and faced the alpha straight on. As we assessed him and considered who and what he was, we recognizedthis was the alpha we respected.

"She slumbers," we told him.

"I'll be waiting when she wakes," he told us firmly. "Do not doubt that."

We'd see.

We moved in front of the human, bending to look him in the eye. The white wolf moved within us, and we felt our eyes change color to the amber of the wolf. His eyes widened in fear and horror as our nails extended into claws and our fangs grew.

The human scrambled backward, his back hitting the wall, and he tried to dodge to the side.

Silly, silly human.

We smiled at him.

"What secrets are you hiding?" we murmured, moving forward. We didn't care that the wolves were here. Wolves were predators, and they knew how to hunt.

We did not mind them seeing how we hunted.

"I remember your friend prayed to his God and wept." We ran a claw down the side of his face, smelling the blood as it ran from the cut we made. "Will you weep?"

"What the fuck is she?" the human shouted past us to the alpha behind us.

"Justice."

That pleased us.

"Get us answers," the alpha spoke to us.

That did not please us, that he would order us, but we would play his game.

For now.

"You killed the old one?" He nodded rapidly. We tried to remember, that there had been the old one with huts in the woods and the other one who worked in the place with all the chemicals. We did not like the chemical smell. "The one in the bar?"

"They're dead."

The child would cry. She had liked them. They had helped her. For that, we took his kneecap.

His screams were amusing, but when we looked at the alpha, he rolled his hand as if to say hurry up. The alpha was beginning to annoy us.

"What do you want to ask?"

"When we caught him," the alpha spoke, "he had three guns filled with silver bullets. I want to know where the knowledge of silver bullets came from and who gave them to him."

"Silver burns," we hissed as we turned back to the whimpering human. "You will tell us everything."

When we finished with the human, we turned to the alpha and his beta. The beta had lost color and looked wild about the eyes, but the alpha…oh, the alpha stood strong.

The alpha walked up to us and picked the half-dead human from the floor. With a quick snap, the human's neck broke. The alpha faced us, and we got ready to fight him.

His Will surrounded us, and we fought against his power. But his power was so strong. His Will too strong.

Sleep, Moonstar.

* * *

I wokeup in the guest bedroom of Cannon's house. Completely disoriented, I didn't know what day it was or how I got here. Struggling to sit up, I saw the glass of water and the protein bar. Drinking my water, I got out of bed, not liking how weak my legs felt. What had happened?

I was in sleep shorts and a tank, with my hair braided over my shoulder, and I patted it self-consciously. It was a far neater braid than I ever managed.

After I'd been to the bathroom and brushed my teeth because my mouth felt as dry and musty as a desert, I came out of the bathroom, ready to go in search of answers when I found Cannon already in the room.

"What happened? Is he dead? How long was I out for?"

Cannon held his hand up to stop my questions and pointed to the bed. "In."

"There's nothing wrong with me," I insisted but somehow still managed to find myself climbing back onto the bed.

"Just humor me," Cannon grumbled, taking a seat at the side of the bed. "How do you feel?"

I thought about it, checking how I felt. My wolf was sleeping. Running my hands over my legs, I shrugged. "Good."

Cannon nodded. "Eat your protein bar."

"Why is there no food?" I asked him with a grin. "I thought I was predictable. I thought my appetite was a source of your amusement?"

Cannon's eyebrows raised briefly as he looked away. "I've got a lot to tell you." His voice was subdued. "You'd be better off lying down."

I sat cross-legged on the bed, and I saw his flat look. "Best I can do when you look and sound like that." I heard the defensive tone in my voice and was relieved when I saw his small smile.

"You've been gone a long time," he told me.

I'd been about to take a bite of the snack, but my hand lowered when I saw that he wouldn't meet my eye. "How long?"

"Two weeks."

The protein bar bounced off my lap and onto the floor. "What the fuck?"

"Moonstar took over when you learned of Lottie's passing," Cannon began. "Do you remember?"

I remembered the pain of grief and then…nothing. "Sorry."

Reaching out, he patted my knee. "I'm sorry for your loss. I think she meant a lot to you."

Wiping the tears away, I nodded. "Maggie and her, they took me in. Maggie gave me a job, and Lottie gave me somewhere to sleep." Rubbing my nose, I stared at his hand on my knee. "They cared. I was, I was…"

"Happy."

Looking up at him, I nodded. My shoulders lifted and dropped. "I was happy with them."

"They were your friends." Cannon took his hand off my knee, and I mourned the loss. "It's not your fault what happened to them." He glanced at me briefly. "If it's any consolation, and I know it won't be, their deaths were quick."

He let me cry. He didn't move to console me. He kept himself on the edge of the bed, rigid. It was for that reason that my tears dried up quickly while I pushed my pain down, realizing there was worse to come.

"What else did he tell you?"

"Your ability to come back so often to his fighting ring made him suspicious. Bullet?" I nodded. "Bullet had heard a rumor, a folktale of werewolves that some friend of his had said was more than a fable, he'd seen one. We know the humans have their tales, but years ago, this friend had smelted silver and formed bullets. And went hunting."

"Oh my Luna." My hands were pressed into my stomach.

Cannon nodded. "Killed mostly wolves, I think, but he caught and maimed a shifter. Silver slows down the shift. Your guardian calls it binding. It binds us to the form we are in when we're shot, but it's not permanent. It does slow us down, and that's what can be fatal."

"It slows us down enough to bleed to death?"

Cannon nodded grimly. "It would be an excruciating way to die, because, well, as you know, it burns."

"What happened to the shifter that was caught?"

Cannon rolled his head on his shoulders. "He was let go."

I gaped in surprise, but again the alpha's look was grim. "Why don't I think that's a good thing?"

"Because it isn't." Inhaling deeply, Cannon sucked his teeth. "According to Vance, a deal was made."

"A deal? What kind of monster makes a deal with a human who has silver bullets?"

Cannon met my question head-on. "Bale's father."

My gasp reverberated around the room. "Fuck off."

Cannon huffed out a laugh. "Let me tell the story first," he teased with the first real smile I had seen from him since I woke. "Stefan was a man of limited thinking. I remember that's how my father described him when I was younger, and trust me, given that Rek was as small-minded as they come, that's quite the insult." Cannon's hand was back on my knee, and I wasn't sure he was aware he had reached out to me. "Stefan struck a bargain: he would provide shifters for them to hunt, and they would use their silver bullets if he ever needed them."

My hand clutched Cannon's. "Tell me this is a lie."

Cannon was shaking his head. "No, it all adds up." Pulling his hand away, he rubbed his face. "Did you know your mother was Anterrio Pack?"

My heart felt as if it stopped. "Wh-what?"

"I spoke to your shaman while you slept," Cannon spoke softly. "He has told your brother what we've uncovered. Your mom was Anterrio Pack, and it's possible she was to be wed to Bale."

"Bale murdered my parents?" I was aware I was shouting.

"I can't prove that, Kezia."

"Can you prove he didn't?"

He blew out a breath. "No."

I was out of the bed, heading to the bedroom door, when Cannon lifted me off my feet and put me back down on the bed.

"Cannon!"

"Think!" he scolded me as I struggled. "If not about yourself, for your brother."

That stopped me cold. "Kris? Is he okay?"

Cannon eased off me and sat back, allowing me to sit up once more. "Yes, but he must be careful, Kezia. We don't know if Bale was involved, but your brother is in the best place to find out." He saw I was about to speak when he raised a finger to my lips. "And your brother is mated to Bale's daughter. Kris will not put Cass at risk, and honestly"—Cannon shook his head—"I don't envy him that conversation."

"You have to get him."

Cannon grimaced. "Trust me, I was halfway there to do exactly that."

"But?" He looked at me, and I rolled my eyes. "I know there's a but coming."

"Kris talked me out of it."

I waited, my eyes bugging out of my head. "Oh, my Luna! Is that it? You didn't go and get him because my stupid, knuckleheaded brother told you not to?" Tugging at the end of the braid, I gawked at him. "Please tell me that isn't why you left him there!"

"I cannot kidnap the head of security of the Anterrio Pack."

"Why?"

Cannon gave me a dry look. "I just told you why, and your brother asked me to hold back."

"Okay, I get it." I didn't, but I wasn't telling him that. "I'll go back." I got out of the bed again, heading to the closet.

Firm hands gripped my upper arms and turned me back to the bed. "You will not be going back."

"My brother needs me."

"He needs you safe," Cannon chastised me. "Here, I have the proof."

He handed me a phone, open to a message screen.

Kris: I need to think

Cannon: I'm coming to get you and your mate out

Kris: No. She won't understand, I need time.

Cannon: And if you don't have time?

Kris: Keep Kezia away from here, while I figure it out.

Cannon: I don't think I can do that…she's your family.

Kris: Keep my sister safe, Alpha, or I'll hunt you down and take you out

Cannon: If I keep her here she'll do it for you!

Kris: Kezia is smart, smarter than we give her credit for. She'll understand, she'll also bust your balls but keep my sister away from here, Cannon. That's all I ask.

Kris: and also a place to stay when I grab my mate and run…

Cannon: Call for me, I'll be there

Kris: counting on it brother

I read the messages again.

"He called you brother." My tears dripped onto the screen. Looking up, I saw his pain. "I'm scared for him."

Cannon nodded, drawing me close. "I know, I am too."

"We should go anyway."

"Remember he said you were smart?"

I pushed the alpha away. "I am smart. I'm smart enough to know that he's being stupid."

Cannon sighed and tilted his head back. "It's not just that, pup."

"Tell me."

"I send her back, but each time, you're taking too long to resurface." Cannon looked worried. I'd never seen that before today, and I knew I didn't like it. "You must learn to fight her, Kezia. I can't…" He stood, shaking his head as he moved away. "I don't think I can keep doing this, the worry, the not knowing if you'll come back to me, I just—" Cannon ran his hand through his hair, watching me helplessly.

Come back to me.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Cannon cared for me. Actually cared. He cared for my brother. For my family. That was huge, and I was struggling to breathe easily.

Shit. I cared for him too.

Whoa. I really did.

I hadn't expected that, but the realization filled me with warmth, and I needed to show him. To touch him. Kiss him.

Love him.

Getting off the bed, I crossed the short distance to him and wordlessly slipped my arms around his waist. He pulled me tight into his embrace and hugged me back. I felt his cheek rest against my head as he held me, and I felt weirdly emotional.

"She's getting stronger?" I whispered, berating myself for this being what I addressed first.

"So much power," he said in the quiet of the room. "I have to use my Will on you," he said, his hold getting tighter. "I don't like it. And…I think she could resist it. At any time. I don't think I have enough power to hold her."

Looking up at him, seeing the anguish and worry in his eyes, I raised myself a little and brushed my lips across his. "You can't get rid of me," I teased lightly. I lifted his shirt and ran my hand up his back, over his smooth skin. "I keep coming back."

Cannon's eyes closed at my touch. "Fuck, Kezia, you just woke up," he scolded lightly, but when I pushed my other hand against the front of his jeans, his look turned hungry.

"You said I needed to be in bed," I reminded him, popping open the top button of his jeans. "Are we alone?"

Cannon's eyes darkened as I gripped his hard length and began to move my hand. "Yes, we're alone," he growled, "but this isn't what I meant when I said you needed to be in bed."

"It's what I meant," I told him, continuing to stroke him, kissing his neck. "And…and I need to forget for a little while."

Cannon groaned, his hand slipping down my back to squeeze my ass. "Kezia…I need you to be checked by Doc."

"You mean a physical?" I smirked up at him, giving him a light squeeze, enjoying the way his teeth grazed his bottom lip as he watched me with hooded eyes. "You can give me a physical. Right?"

He resisted for maybe five seconds, and then he kissed me, and after that, my clothes came off, and then his came off, and he allowed me to forget everything I'd woken up to as his hands worked their magic on my body, and finally he slid inside me.

Completing me.

When I was with him, he made me feel that I could handle anything, that we could handle anything.

Him and me. Us.

I realized I was no longer hating the sound of that.