Foxy Lady

Chapter Nine

Eight hours later, at a quarter to midnight, Ty, Sean, Monty and Grady waited outside an abandoned motel on the edge of town. The seedy outdoor building had one truck parked in its lot. The lights in the parking lot didn’t work, and the dank smell of disuse made it plain that the neglected place hadn’t seen visitors in a while. Sean’s reconnaissance had shown them two Hunters in an upstairs room adjoined to the one in which Meghan and Jason sat, tied to chairs, bloodied and beaten, but alive.

He couldn’t help being glad Julia and Gabby had stayed behind. If Julia saw her sister tied up in a place like this, in Meghan’s current condition, she’d shit a brick.

But at least they only had the two men to worry about. The pair hadn’t moved for several hours. They hadn’t made any calls, and they hadn’t received any visitors. The Hunters occupied a corner room on the second floor. On the side of the building, an overhang protected the hotel’s dumpster.

Ty and his friends waited by the large bin, and Ty tried to keep a calm head. He had to be cool and in control for Julia. God, he loved her so damned much. Nothing would hurt her if he could help it.

He had a hard time believing Ned Williams Senior and another male he hadn’t met were behind this kidnapping, but he’d spotted them earlier with his own eyes. Hell, he’d watched a fucking basketball game with the senior Williams. How could he not have sensed a Hunter so close?

“Don’t worry about it, Ty. They’re hard to detect,” Monty said softly, using the mental pathways of the Ac-taw. He wagged his silver tail as he sat atop the wide trash bin and kept his head cocked, listening for any sign of trouble.

Grady curled his tail around his legs. He sat on the cold hard ground, his eyes flashing with anger. Like Monty, he’d shifted into his animal spirit, a cinnamon-colored mountain lion. Sean perched high on a telephone pole next to them, a golden eagle watching the hotel with piercing eyes. Only Ty remained in a man’s form, gun in hand, ready to go into action as soon as the moon disappeared behind the clouds again.

They had to make the funniest sight. A man, a wolf, a cougar and an eagle. Sounded like the beginning of a very bad joke.

Grady rumbled, “No offense, Ty, but what the hell are you doing taking a mate? When did you have the time? I just saw you on Sunday and you were happily single, or am I wrong?” He studied Ty like a bug under a microscope.

Monty scoffed. “Come on, Grady. You know he’s always had it bad for Julia. Never could take his eyes off her in school.”

Ty answered, “Shut up, Monty. You were too busy staying out of school—suspended—to know jack shit about me then.”

“Yep,” Monty continued. “Used to moon over her like a strung-up calf needing its momma. Julia, look at meeee.”

The tension remained high, but the burst of humor lightened it.

Then Monty’s smile left him. “Ty, you sure not calling in the wolf pack was a wise idea? Gray wolves are good for something, you know. We take Hunter business very seriously.”

“Normally I’d say yes. But I want Shifters I can trust on this. And no offense, but your pack is trying to gut one another half the time. I’m never sure who’s even in charge anymore.”

“You have a point. And no offense taken. They’re not my pack any longer.” Monty smiled at Grady. “I’m a pussy now, haven’t you heard?”

Overhead, Sean sputtered with laughter.

Grady glared at Monty. “I hate that,” he muttered and glanced up at Sean. “Shut it, bird, before I have chicken for dinner.”

Sean didn’t bat an eye. “Chicken for dinner? Please. I could slice you from tooth to tail with one swipe of my talons. Hell, my wingspan is longer than your entire body…you big pussy.” He ruffled his feathers, a shot of bird laughter Ty shared.

Grady interrupted. “A bunch of comedians. A fur ball and a featherbrain. Now how about we get back to rescuing Meghan?”

Ty added, “And Jason. Looks like the outsider needs help as well. I shouldn’t be surprised Ned turned on his own son, but I am.”

“How do you know the kid’s not in on it?” Monty asked.

“Instinct. He would do anything for Meghan. I don’t buy him hurting her.” He frowned.

The wind whipped, and the clouds covered the moon. Black night filled the sky.

“Now,” Ty ordered.

Sean flew to land on top of the roof over the room, their lookout, while Grady and Monty darted up the stairway and stopped, waiting on either side of the outside hall, just out of sight around the corner from the room.

Ty made as much noise as possible as he walked up the stairway, past Grady and Monty, down the hallway and halted at the door. He deliberately put himself at risk to distract the Hunters.

He banged on the door. “Hey! Williams! I’m here to talk.” He fingered the gun tucked into his back.

The door swung open to reveal a long barrel pointed right at him. The man he didn’t recognize stood with Ned Williams Jr. Junior? What the hell?

“Roderick. Finally,” Ned said with a grim smile.

Ty had been expecting the senior Williams. “Where’s your dad?”

The other man holding the rifle motioned for him to enter and get down. “He’s around. On your face, hands spread wide.”

Ty slowly laid down and stretched out his arms on either side of him.

Ned grabbed Ty’s gun and patted him down. He also kneed Ty in the side and in the small of his back.

“Fuck,” Ty swore.

“Not too close, Junior,” the man warned. “Roderick, you even blink wrong, I’ll shoot you.”

Closer, closer. Come on, asshole.

Ned leaned down again.

Ty tensed, already moving when the rifle cracked. A slug entered his calf, the burn like fire across his leg. But it didn’t stop him. His arm shot out and wrapped around Ned’s neck.

Ty squeezed hard. “I’ll break it.”

The man with the rifle shrugged. “Cost of doing business. Hunter’s loss.”

“Uncle Gil!” Ned gurgled, pulling at Ty’s tightening forearm.

“We told you to go home. Your daddy warned you not to follow, but you wouldn’t listen. And now this. At least die with dignity, Junior.” Gil shook his head. Just as he tightened his finger on the trigger, a huge mountain lion jumped through the open door and slammed into him.

The round entered the wall an inch above Ty’s head.

Grady roared and clamped his mouth over Gil’s neck while Gil fought to stab Grady with a knife he’d pulled out of his boot. He managed to plunge the knife into Grady’s side before Monty arrived. The wolf quickly assessed the situation, hooked his teeth into Gil’s hand and bit hard.

Gil yelled out in pain and continued to fight.

Ned, however, stood frozen in Ty’s grip, no longer protesting his lack of oxygen.

“Where is he?” Ty asked.

Ned didn’t answer, still staring in shock at the gory scene taking place in front of him. Grady hissed as he gnawed through flesh to bone, ripping Gil’s neck clean out. Monty spat out Gil’s hand that now lay several feet from Gil’s dead body.

“Your fucking father. Where is he?” Ty snarled.

“Not here. You won’t find him before he kills all you freaks,” Ned spat. “So much for your big plan, Uncle Gil. Gil Williams, the great Hunter, is fucking dead.” Ned laughed hysterically.

Ty applied enough pressure to knock Ned unconscious. He grabbed the gun Ned had taken from him and hurried through the door to the adjoining room. A corner of the floor looked ragged and broken, and he wondered if that’s how Ned Sr. had managed to leave the room without detection. Jason sagged in his chair, but Meghan screamed around her gag and fought to break free of her ropes.

After quickly untying her, Ty hugged her tight. “It’s okay, Meghan. I’ve got you.”

She struggled against him, and it took him a moment to hear her. When he did, he felt the blood drain from his face.

“He’s going after Julia. Ned Sr. and four other Hunters are going to kill her. Kill her and skin her. A new trophy for his wall.”

Gabby paced, unnerving Julia. “I don’t know. They told us to stay here. Maybe if we give them more time they’ll call.”

Julia scowled. “It’s been a half hour. And we’re just supposed to do what Ty says? Why? Because he’s a man and we’re women?”

Gabby’s wry smile boosted Julia’s confidence.

“Look, you stay here in case he calls back. I’m going to shift and sniff out anything I can. The motel where they’re keeping Meghan is only a short distance from here.”

“Just be careful.” Gabby hugged her then resumed her pacing.

“Always.”

Julia quickly stripped off her clothing and let her animal spirit take over. She embraced the call of her fox and trotted out the back door Gabby held open. And froze in place.

There, at the base of the steps, stood Ned Williams Sr., a pistol aimed right at her.

“Yessirree. I knew you’d shift soon as you felt safe. Been waiting for hours, though. What with your menfolk gone, I swore you’d hightail it out of here sooner.” He stepped forward and Julia growled as she backed up into the building. Ned Sr. stopped inside the back door and included Gabby in the conversation. “Gabby, glad to see you. Makes this a lot easier. Julia, you change back right now. Slow-like, or I’ll put a bullet in her brain.” He aimed the gun at Gabby.

With no choice, Julia turned human once more. She stood tall in front of Ned Sr., wishing she wore more than skin, especially when four more men entered behind him. Two of them looked Ned Sr.’s age, but the other two were younger, larger, and seemed more threatening.

Oh shit. We are really screwed. She backed away and stood next to Gabby, who tried to block the men’s view of her. Nudity didn’t normally bother her, but under the strangers’ stares, she felt dirty.

“Uh-uh, Gabby. Let us see that pretty sister of yours.”

“Damn, Ned. We hit the mother lode.” One of the men tipped back a hat with the tip of a large knife. He had mean eyes, a nasty smile and smelled like the oil he’d used to clean his knife.

The others laughed.

“Nice tits. I can see why my boy took a hankering,” Ned said as one of the men closed the door behind them. “Finely put together, ain’t ya?” Ned’s beady gaze snaked over her form and lingered between her thighs. “So you’re foxes, huh?”

He acted as if he had all the time in the world and crossed to sit on a chair, facing her.

“You saw that I am.”

“Her too?” He gestured to Gabby. “You all skinwalkers?”

Julia and Gabby exchanged a glance. Skinwalkers?

Ned Sr. nodded. “Thought so. You people killed my daddy in the middle of a hunt. Think it was a wolf that did him in. We have a few of you mounted down at the field house. Harry does nice work.” He motioned to one of the older men with him. “After we have some fun with you two, I plan on putting you in my bedroom. You’re a pretty little fox, Julia.”

The others snickered.

“Figures you need five men to fight two women.” Gabby snorted. “Old man like you? I doubt you’ll give us any problems. The younger ones will, maybe even that old coot.” She gave Harry a quick glance. “But you? I’d be surprised if you know what your cock is for anymore other than pissing.”

Ned’s face reddened with anger.

Holy shit. When the hell had Gabby gotten such a vulgar vocabulary? And why the hell did she have to use it here?

“Shut up, Gabby,” Julia growled.

Gabby shook her thick hair, fluffing it around her face. “You think she’s pretty? I’m much better looking.”

Julia didn’t know what Gabby thought she was doing, and she didn’t want to know. Too much attention had shifted to her younger sister.

“Gabby—”

“Hard to tell how pretty you are, dressed in so many clothes.” One of the younger men nodded at her clothing. He stood with his rifle over his shoulder.

“My tits are much bigger.” Gabby stripped out of her clothes in record time and shoved her chest forward. “See?”

Dumbfounded, Julia tried to think of what her sister meant to do. Getting naked usually preceded shifting… Shifting. Finally comprehending the sly glance Gabby shot Ned Sr., the only man pointing a weapon in their direction, Julia threw herself into the role.

“This is not the time for theatrics, Gabrielle.”

Gabby turned to face her, her hands on her hips. “Oh please. It’s never the time. And I’m sick of your jealousy, always having to be the center of attention. Let’s face it, I’m prettier than you, more popular, and much, much faster, on two feet or four.”

“Uh, wait—” Ned Sr. tried to wrestle back control of the situation.

Gabby wouldn’t let him. Julia had to hand it to her, the woman had a gift for theater. Like Meghan, drama must run in the blood.

“I could have any of these men like that.” Gabby snapped her fingers. “Can you say the same?”

“You bet.” Julia glanced at one of the younger Hunters. “You. Come here. Show her I’m the one you want. And have I mentioned what I can do with my tongue?”

The men stared at her, looked at one another, and relaxed their stances. All but Ned Sr., who frowned at the group. “Hell. This don’t make no sense. You two, shut up. Harry, Mike, tell your boys to—”

“You don’t tell us what to do, Ned,” one of the boys argued. “We got two naked women right here. You want to skin her after? Fine. First I’m getting a good fuck.”

Gabby huffed. “Good? Try great. Once we’re done, you won’t be thinking of skinning me. Now her, on the other hand…”

“You bitch!” Julia yanked her sister by the hair, pulling her close.

“Shit. Catfight.” The other younger man pulled up a chair and watched, enthralled.

“You got that right. Now!” Julia yelled and shifted in seconds.

Gabby did the same, and they attacked Ned Sr. and the other male holding a gun. Julia bit Ned Sr. hard, then scratched his throat and face. She kicked him off his chair and went for another set of unfamiliar hands as they tried to pry her from the man.

The men might have expected a smaller fox. No one anticipated tangling with a full-grown cougar. Gabby roared and bit and swiped at everyone.

A shot fired and Gabby shrieked. Julia tried to help her but could only gasp as a knife slashed her shoulder and grazed her throat. She yipped in pain.

“Gabby! Are you all right?”

“I’m hit, but I’ll live. Can’t say the same for that motherfucker.” The cat launched herself at the man who’d shot her and ripped his throat out.

Two of the men were scratched but moving. Ned Sr. still struggled on the floor, whimpering as he cradled his windpipe.

The burn on Julia’s shoulder throbbed, but she had to grab the gun that still sat way too close to Ned.

Before she could reach it, the window crashed inward and a huge golden eagle went for one of the men looming over Gabby. A wolf followed him and rushed inside to stand over another of the men, growling in warning. A loud roar signaled Grady was near, but it was Ty who entered through the broken window first, the fox darting nimbly over broken glass and bodies to get to her.

“Julia! Baby, you okay?”

She opened her mouth to woof a yes when Ty leapt over her onto Ned Sr. Ty bit the man’s hand, forcing him to release the pistol he’d been holding. Snarling and barking, Ty ripped into Ned Sr. until all that remained of the threatening Hunter was a bloody mess.

Monty quickly turned human and rushed for a phone. Julia dimly heard him calling someone before she started to waver on her feet. “Gabby. She’s hurt,” she tried to warn Ty, but had trouble focusing to send thoughts past the pain in her neck.

Monty’s voice rose. “Christ! Guys, call for help. Julia’s bleeding, bad. Bastard cut her throat!”

Ty shoved him away. “Come on, baby. You have to stay awake. Shift so you can speed the healing. Please, Julia. I can’t lose you. Not now. I love…”

She tried to hold on, to tell him how much she loved him as well, but she faded and heard nothing more.

Ty experienced fear like he’d never felt before. His life, his very future, flashed before his eyes as he watched Julia collapse in front of him. Turning human once more, he put pressure on the wound at her throat, amazed at how much it bled. She’d been moving all over the place, covered with spatters of blood when he’d first come through the window. He’s assumed most of it came from the men she’d fought, since she moved without pain. He hadn’t noticed more than her wounded shoulder.

Monty panted by his side, one hand holding a cell phone to his ear. “No shit, Doc. We’re in Whitefish. I need aid for a small female fox. Throat slashed, shoulder damage. She’s looking bad.” He paused and glanced over at Gabby, who was protected by a growling Grady. “We also have a mountain lion who’s been shot. Not life threatening. Looks like she took a bullet in the left flank. Yeah, we need you now.” Monty disconnected the call. “Idiot. Why the fuck would I be calling on the emergency line if it wasn’t an emergency?”

Ty held tight to Julia and used a bandage someone handed him to help staunch the blood flow from her wounds. It seemed like hours passed while he whispered for her to wake up. The others moved around him, but nothing touched him except the terror of living without the woman he loved.

When she moaned under him, his heart nearly stopped. Hope made him lightheaded. “Julia?”

“Ty?” she whimpered.

“Shift back for me, baby. Please. You need to turn. I know it hurts, but you’ll stop bleeding when you do.”

She groaned. Tears filled her eyes and she whined with the pain, but slowly, her fur receded, her eyes changed back, and her claws and fangs retracted. A woman’s flesh trembled under his hands.

“Thank God.” He cradled her to his chest, shaking with relief. “Hell, Julia, don’t do that to me ever again.” He stroked her over and over as he whispered how much he loved her. How much he needed her.

“Ty?” she asked in a scratchy voice.

He kissed her forehead and met her pain-filled gaze.

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.” She smiled and closed her eyes.

Later in the early a.m., back in Cougar Falls, Julia lay in Ty’s bed, in his house, under the supervision of an Ac-taw nurse Ty insisted remain close by. He sat in the living room with Gabby and the others. His friends stood around, quietly discussing the repercussions of the night’s events.

Monty passed by him on his way to the kitchen, most likely to replace the empty beer bottle he carried. “Hey, Ty. The Order’s got it covered.”

Ty nodded. The gray wolves had contacts in the government and local law enforcement. Instances like these normally went through the wolves. By tomorrow, no one would know anything about the Hunters they’d encountered, living or dead. He didn’t want to know how they handled the situation, only that they did. He now thought he had a better appreciation of why the council tolerated the Order’s animalistic chaos. Wolves were good for something, after all.

“Thanks, Monty.”

Monty nodded and left for the kitchen.

Grady sat down next to Ty, a huge smile on his face. “So you and Julia, huh? I never thought the vixen could fight as well as she did. She really tore into those guys.”

“She sure did,” Ty said with pride. She and Gabby had held their own, and he couldn’t be prouder of either one of them.

“Yeah, I always liked Julia.”

Ty growled. “If you value your health, don’t like her so much.”

Grady chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’s all yours. I’m holding out for a cat.” He glanced at Gabby, full of wonder. “She is so hot. Holy Christ, when I saw her animal, I nearly had a coronary. I thought Gabby was a fox. I mean, a literal one. Not just a hot piece of ass.”

Gabby turned and glared at him. Then she sniffed and turned back to Sean, who had the nerve to wiggle his brows at Grady, taunting him.

“The Easton women seem to have that effect on men.” Ty knew it wasn’t his place to divulge Gabby’s secret, but the time had obviously come to tell one and all. Though he and his friends had remained quiet about just what they’d seen this night, the truth would come out sooner than later. For his own part, he didn’t want his own child to grow up ashamed of any part of his or herself. He’d be damned if he’d let assholes like Lynn and Harry Easton oppress Julia and her sisters any longer.

Grady continued to stare at Gabby while he spoke to Ty. “Still, it must be nice, finding a woman all your own.”

“It is. I just have to figure out a way to keep her. Julia’s a little different than what the silver foxes are used to. I’m not sure we’re going to stay with the clan.”

Grady finally looked at him. “No shit? Well, you know you’re welcome to live with us. Most of the councils in the other clans seem to be filled with pricks, sorry to say. Hell, except for us cats, and that’s because there are so few of us, every clan in town seems to have issues. The raptors are undergoing a major change after half their leadership fucked their way around rules. You silver foxes are stuck on yourselves, with all that heritage crap. The bears are growing so distant from the rest of us I wouldn’t be surprised if they started their own town, and don’t get me started on the wolves. Aside from Monty, the gray wolves annoy the shit out of me.”

“Yeah, well, they’re good at that.”

“You should come stay with us. You know Burke sure as hell won’t care, especially now that you have Julia. He’s pretty possessive about Rachel, not that I blame him. She’s so good for him, you know? It’s nice to have a female cat around the house. She doesn’t tolerate his attitude.” Grady grinned. “We could use more women at the ranch. I like Julia. You I could tolerate if I had to.”

“Keep it up, kitty.” Ty laughed at the finger Grady shot him. “Seriously, though, Grady. Thanks.”

Gabby took that moment to join them. Her limp was more than noticeable. The nurse had seen Gabby’s leg and proclaimed it already on the mend. The bullet had passed clean through and Gabby had shifted from cat to human and back again a few times to speed her healing. What would normally take weeks would likely take days to get better.

“Should you be walking on that so soon?” Grady frowned.

She ignored him. “Ty, I’m so glad you found Meghan and Jason. They’re bruised, but they’ll heal, thank God. Meghan’s sleeping soundly now, but when she wakes up, she’s going to want to be with Jason again.”

They’d called Jason’s mother, anonymously, and given her his whereabouts after dropping Jason at an after-hours clinic. They left him after being assured he’d make a full recovery. At worst, he had some bruising and a few cuts that needed healing. Much like Meghan, who currently was sleeping off her ordeal in Ty’s spare bedroom thanks to a prescribed sedative.

“I’m so glad Meghan’s okay. What they could have done to her…” Gabby trailed off, and her eyes filled again.

Grady stood and gently led her away, offering her comfort in his arms. When he turned, Ty noticed the bloodstains on his shirt.

“Grady, make sure you get that looked at.”

Grady nodded and tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid Gabby’s interest in his wound. When the woman started chastising him for not caring for his own injuries and called for the nurse, she reminded Ty of Julia. Always trying to take charge.

He winced when he stretched out his left leg. Talk about taking care of injuries…

Sean loomed over him, shaking his head.

“What now?” Ty grumbled. “You know, as much as I appreciate all your help tonight, honesty compels me to tell the truth. You birds are a real pain in the ass. The hawk inside caring for Julia nearly snapped my head off when I asked her to stay a while.”

“You mean when you told her to stay. And yeah, Nurse McKane snapped, because she’s been trying to see to your leg but you won’t let her.” Sean stared down at him, too quiet.

“Hell. I’ll deal with my leg once the rest of you are—”

Sean and Monty hauled him to his feet and dragged him down the hallway toward the bedroom.

“Moron.” Sean stood a head taller than Ty and had a broader back and bigger arms. The bird probably watched himself lift weights and flexed at all hours of the day. The thought made Ty grin.

“The rest of us are fine,” Sean said. “Well, Monty and I are. We have a few cuts that have already started to heal. I think Grady’s knife wound is deeper than he’s let on.”

“I heard that,” Gabby snarled from the other room. “Grady Chastell, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“With me?” Ty heard Grady answer. “Darlin’, I’m just fine. I—”

Then Monty kicked Ty’s calf and streaks of pain shot through his leg to his brain, shorting out all thought.

“Yep. Bullet’s still in there.”

“Asshole,” Ty wheezed. “You could have just asked.”

Monty smiled, showing sharp white teeth. “Now, Sheriff. As a concerned citizen of Cougar Falls, I feel it’s my duty to see to it that our most senior lawman is taken care of.”

Sean had to add, “And as a member of the Raptor Clan, I feel it’s my duty to make sure you don’t abuse Nurse McKane. The woman just wants to do her job, so let her look at that leg or I’m filing an official complaint.”

“With who?” Ty felt like he was being dragged to the guillotine.

The look on Nurse McKane’s face was positively evil when he entered between Sean and Monty. The old bird smirked at him. “Oh good. Now let’s get a look at that leg.” She held up a needle. “This will dull the pain while I dig out the bullet.”

Feeling woozy, Ty let them carry him to the bed, where he lay down next to Julia.

“It’ll be okay, Ty,” she whispered, drowsy but aware as she looked at him.

Ty confessed the truth in a whisper, wishing the others weren’t standing so close. Shifter hearing made secrets virtually impossible in town. “It’s not the pain I’m worried about.” He cleared his throat. “It’s the needle.”

Sean and Monty burst out laughing.

Nurse McKane rolled her eyes. “Typical.”

“Do it for me, Ty. I need to know you’re okay.” Julia threaded her hand through his. “I’ll be right here with you.”

He squeezed her hand tight and stared up at the ceiling as Nurse Ratched stepped closer. “Right here with me. Don’t leave.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“I love you, baby.” He swore when the needle pierced his leg and made the mistake of looking down.

He passed out cold.