Enemy Mine

Chapter Ten

Diskant Black was fighting a losing battle. His beasts were restless, trying to overtake the man. They too felt the loss of Ava’s presence in his mind. The absence was devastating, making him believe the worst. But he couldn’t be a heartbroken pussy, crying in his Wheaties instead of taking control. He had to be strong, to figure out what had happened to his mate. Then he’d bring her home, tan her pretty little ass and chain her to the bed.

He continued pushing the strongest animals inside of him away—the wolf, cat and grizzly—listening to the voice on the other end of the phone. There was finally a chip in Zach’s armor, a panic when he relayed the news. Diskant heard the words but it took several seconds to put them together. Ava and Trey had gone to the store down the street ten minutes before. The men on the rooftops didn’t realize something was wrong until it was too late. They were unable to get a visual but knew something had happened because the police showed up minutes later.

Diskant ended the call without saying goodbye, scrolled through his phonebook and dialed Kinsley MacGregor. Ironically enough, he’d just left the Alpha panther’s home after discussing security in the area.

Diskant didn’t want to leave his home but what he wanted might not matter. His location put him and the pack at risk, no matter how many guards he posted around the area. His pride had gotten in the way of common fucking sense.

Kinsley answered on the second ring. “Just can’t leave me alone, can you? What do you want this time?” His Scottish brogue was thick, his vowels extended.

“There was an altercation at the convenience store down the street. Trey and Ava went inside and didn’t come out. I need you to contact your sources at the police department and find out what you can.”

“Bloody hell,” Kinsley muttered. “I’m on it.”

The line went dead and Diskant ended the call, taking deep breaths. He glanced up when Emory walked into the kitchen. The newly mated male had gotten dressed. Diskant felt the brush of Emory’s wolf, could sense it reaching out to his. It was a damn good thing Emory was a born Alpha and managed to reach through to Diskant when he had. Otherwise…

Hell, who knew what might have happened.

“Ava and Trey went to Becker’s,” Diskant said, knowing Emory was familiar with the store. “Something happened while they were inside.”

“Trey?” Emory went still. “He’s with her?”

Shit. In his worry for Ava, Diskant hadn’t considered how Emory would react to the news his brother might be in trouble. Before he could respond his cell rang, the shrill noise echoing inside the kitchen. Diskant answered the call and placed the phone to his ear.

“Talk to me.”

“The police have a report of an assault on a wee female,” Kinsley said, talking quickly. “Apparently a man dragged her out the back with another male in pursuit. Everyone was too frightened to follow but a passerby reported seeing a van leaving the premises.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“The man who took Ava.” Kinsley took a deep breath. “The manager said he was dressed like a cowboy. That sort of attire does draw attention around here.”

Diskant snarled, his temperature rising.

Shepherds. Here. In his city.

“Contact the prides,” he growled. “Tell them what happened and instruct them to send out patrols in their areas. The fuckers are back in the city. We have to alert everyone.”

“Anything else?’

“Keep me up to speed on what the police find. We need to stay one step ahead of them.”

“Consider it done.”

Diskant hung up and had started scrolling through his phonebook again when he heard Emory talking. He lifted his head, listening to Emory’s conversation on the landline.

“Warn the pack, put them on alert and get your ass here.” Emory returned the phone to the receiver and turned to Diskant. “Nathan’s going to contact the pack and head over. You need him right now.”

What an understatement. Without Ava, his grip was slowly slipping. As a Beta, Nathan could help him alleviate his anger. He took deep breaths, collecting his thoughts. Ava wasn’t dead. Shepherds wouldn’t kill her if they could use her as leverage. He just had to be patient. Ava had to be unconscious, that was the only way to sever their mental connection. When she came to, he’d be able to find out where she was.

It was only a matter of time.

“I brought you something,” Emory said, holding out the map Trey had warned him about. “Mary said her parents gave this to her as a way to avoid members of her family.”

Diskant opened the map, eyes darting over the marked areas. Jesus, they were everywhere. He laid the paper on the dining room table and pointed at one of the markings. “What are these?”

“Where Shepherds reside. I’d wager they’re the locations of compounds.”

He froze, stunned as he stared at the map. If what Emory said was true, shifters had just gained an enormous advantage over the hunters who wanted to destroy them.

“You’re certain?” Be certain.

“I am.”

“We have to contact the Alphas in nearby areas,” Diskant said, studying the map as he started formulating a plan. The packs could catch Shepherds off guard, using surprise to eliminate the compounds at the same time. It would take a lot of preparation but if it worked it would change everything. “They need to know what we’ve found.”

“Agreed.” Emory leaned over the table, studying the map as well. “I’ll have Nathan work on a list of the exact locations.”

Diskant nodded. “We need to make copies.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Diskant had to restrain the feral creatures inside of him as he spoke, forcing them to submit to his will. “Ava is alive. I’d feel it if something happened to her. That means the Shepherds who took her want something. They’ll be contacting us soon to negotiate terms.” He tapped the paper. “We can use this as leverage.”

“If you tell Shepherds about this, they’ll spread the word. Once they relocate the information will become meaningless.”

Like hell. “Not if we strike while the iron is hot.” Diskant ripped his eyes away from the table and looked at Emory. “I’m going to contact the Alphas in our area and instruct them to reach out to the prides and packs. In turn they can dispatch shifters to investigate and take out any compounds they find. If we attack each location within forty-eight hours the odds are they won’t have time to warn anyone.”

Emory didn’t seem convinced. “How do you figure that? The minute they get wind of what we’re doing they’ll scatter.”

“No they won’t.” Diskant grinned menacingly, revealing his fangs, his beasts eager for blood. After they found his mate, the war was on. “Because they’ll all be dead.”

Trey came to awareness when he landed on an unforgiving surface. His head was swimming, making simple thoughts hard to latch on to. A loud click resonated in his ears, making the pounding in his temples a thousand times worse. Instinctively he took a deep breath. The air was earthy and dank, indicating he was underground.

Where in the hell was he? How had he gotten here?

The events that put him in a precarious situation returned: the store, a van, Shepherds.

Ava.

He held his breath when he heard low male voices, listening carefully to their hushed conversation.

“Keep this one caged. If things don’t go according to plan, we’ll need him.”

“Are we going to keep him sedated?”

“It’s probably best. We don’t want any problems.”

Problems. Shit.

He released the breath he was holding, relaxed and dredged in a lungful of air. Ava’s scent was sweet, like cinnamon and sugar. He searched for that unique fragrance, sifting through the stink of stale water from rusty pipes, the musky scent of dirt and the individual scents of the Shepherds in the room. For a moment he caught a small whiff of what he was searching for, but the smell was faint.

Damn. Was he picking up her scent off the Shepherds’ clothing? Or was she somewhere close by?

The shuffling of feet told him he couldn’t open his eyes to get a layout of the place. If they realized he was awake they’d put him under. This was so not fucking good. Diskant would go crazy when he discovered Ava had been taken. Her safety was now Trey’s responsibility. No matter what happened, he had to make sure he got her out alive.

Even if that meant dying in the process.

Remorse flowed through him, staggering in its intensity. There was a very real possibility he could die, his life cut short when he’d finally found a reason to greet each day. Images of Sadie flooded his mind, combined with a crushing weight in his chest. He wanted to find her, talk to her and pick up where they had left off. Now he didn’t know if it was possible or if he’d ever see her again.

Anger rolled through him, and he wasn’t aware he was growling until he heard someone striding in his direction. Trey opened his eyes and stared through the bars of the cage he was trapped inside, meeting the gaze of a Shepherd with a gun in his hand. He snarled and prepared to stand and the gun went off, sending a dart directly into the center of his chest.

Still woozy and off balance, Trey sank back to the ground, shaking his head. He tried to keep his eyes open, knowing there was no time to waste. Instead his lids drifted closed and his arms became heavy.

Just before he surrendered to oblivion, he allowed himself one final recollection of the mate he’d lost but never truly had. She’d been like a wounded fallen angel staring down at him, her blue eyes reflecting the misery he’d caused her. He wished he could take it back, if only to see the pain replaced with the desire.

He sank into a dark void, no longer able to fight the drug rushing through his bloodstream. As he did, he repeated her name in his mind, holding on to it like an anchor.

Sadie, Sadie, Sadie…