“You loots funnys. Lites my mommy.”

  We all raised our eyes to look at Pyper who was rubbing her sleepy eyes. Alex leaned down a little and for once the little bear did not cower from him. I didn’t know what he had said, or done to gain her trust so fast, but whatever it was, it seemed to work.

  “What do you mean, Princess?”

  “Mommy gots mads, too. Her mates them bad peespoles run offs.” Her face fell and tears brimmed her eyes. “Them mates her go away.”

  Alex shook his head and ran a finger along her cheek.

  “They will pay for that, I promise you.”

  “Come on, sweet girl. Why don’t we go take a nap?” Sheri asked. Pyper shook her head and tried to get out of Sheri’s arms. Her little body wiggled so much I thought Sheri would lose her grip on her.

  An idea hit me, then. I looked up at the squirming little girl.

  “I have an idea. I think Mari and Talia could use a rest as well. Pyper could stay with them and make sure they get their sleep. Can you do that? Can you lay with them and make sure they rest, lass?”

  Pyper stilled in Sheri’s arms and nodded her head. Both Talia and Mari grumbled, but neither said anything. Joshua and I stood up and moved into the cabin. I knew Mari was pregnant, and since Pyper was able to detect our baby, I have no doubts that Talia was indeed pregnant as well. It was just one more reason to protect them, at all costs. I moved to lay Mari on the right side of the bed as Joshua laid Talia on the left. We covered them both with blankets.

  Sheri moved in and sat Pyper on the bed between the girls. “Here is a cover for you, in case you get chilled. Now, you watch them, okay?”

  Pyper nodded and laid between the girls. Her little yawn made us all grin. They would all be out in no time. I leaned down and kissed Mari’s lips softly.

  “Sleep well, love.”

  “I love you,” she smiled, her eyes already closing.

  “Aye, lass. I love you, too.”

  With that, I turned and made my way from the room and back out the cabin’s main door. We had to get things sorted, fast. The girls needed to be protected and we needed to be somewhere else to do that. This place had been compromised once already, we couldn’t let that happen again.

  11

  Marissa

  I watched as the men around us loaded up backpacks and tugged them on. Well, let’s rephrase that. The vampires and a few of the shifters were doing this. The rest of the pack were getting things in order to start up the mountain. A few of the shifters have already shifted to their beasts and were ready to head out and scout our paths.

  The plan, as it was explained to Talia and I, was simple. We were going to hike up the mountain and across the border. From there we would meet a friend of Daddy’s who would have a few trucks waiting for us. Then we would drive to some meeting point and board a boat that would take us across the water to Alaska.

  Uh, color me not happy. I hated, hated, hated boats. They were big, fishy smelling things and, I’ll be honest right now, I wasn’t up for that. The mere thought of the smell made me want to puke.

  “Maaaaaawi!!!!” Pyper’s giggly shriek has me scanning the yard for her. I chuckle when I see her, pushing her way through the shifters legs in order to escape Thor. No one says anything, but I can see the goofy grins they’re trying to hide. I shake my head and stand up. When she gets close I scoop her up and kiss her cheek.

  “I’ll save you.” I spun and blocked Thor from jumping up on her. “Down.”

  “You’re spoiling all of his fun.”

  I looked up and grinned at Talia.

  “Taya! Tor not geds me!”

  “I see that, pretty girl.”

  Talia kisses her cheek and we bring our attention to the men around us.

  “Come girls, we’re ready. This is for you, little one,” Sheri hands Pyper a doll she had made from an old T-shirt and some yarn she’d found in one of the cabins.

  Pypers’ face lights up with a big grin as she reaches for the doll. “Tank you!” She hugs it to her and lays her head on my shoulder.

  “You’re most welcome. Oh, girls, here. I m ade a sling pouch for you to use while carrying her. It’s like the ones the other women have.”

  “That’s a good idea. Even if she shifts to walk, she’ll tire so quickly.” Talia nodded with a sigh. “I’m already tired myself.”

  “Agreed.” Sheri patted Talia’s hand in sympathy. “Guess you should have gotten more sleep last night.”

  The knowing look on Sheri’s face has Talia’s cheeks heating up. I laugh softly, then blush when she levels that same knowing grin at me. Yeah, yeah, I should have, but I can’t deny my mate. Period!

  “Pyper, who do you want to go with first?”

  She looks between us and points at me. Good choice since I already had her in my arms.

  “Okay, then. Let’s get this on you, Mari, it will lighten the load a little bit. She’s so little, it should be the perfect match for you both to use anyway. It can go on the front or your back. In case she wants to sleep and you don’t want to lose the feeling in your arms.” Sheri grins, proud of her joke.

  I chuckle and, with her help, we get Pyper burrowed down into the pouch.

  “Snug as a bug.”

  “Sug as a buds!”

  Sheri kisses Pyper’s cheek and double checks that the sling is on properly before she moves up to where her mate is standing in wolf form.

  “Is everyone ready?” Daddy’s voice fills the yard. “We will have to keep a steady pace in order to reach our rendezvous points on time.”

  “Boats suck…”

  “Marissa Lynn, no lip from you,” he retorts.

  I grumble. “I’ll make sure to puke on you, then…”

  Talia laughs and we start walking behind the first group heading out into the woods. Dem was part of the scouting party that has already left. I wasn’t a fan of that but, whether I was or not didn’t matter, I was out voted. Thor’s big head butts against my leg and I look down at him.

  “I’m okay, buddy, let’s go. Your Dem Dem is out here somewhere. Maybe we can find him on our way.”

  A trek over the mountains. It’s easy, they said. We can do it, they said. Well, right now they can all kiss my lily white ass.

  Talia had Pyper by the hand. She had wanted to walk for a little bit. Her bear needed to work off a little pent up energy. Thor was by her side. Anytime she stumbled trying to get around the roots and limbs blocking parts of the path he was there to steady her. I couldn’t help but grin. My pup was a good boy.

  Ugh, vampires and shifters alike get tired. Admittedly, it does take a lot to wear either of us down, but happens just the same. I’m tired, grumpy, and dammit, I need to pee so bad my stomach is cramping. I watch as Pyper starts to wiggle where she’s standing. We had been told to wait here in a small clearing so a few of the scouts could go back out ahead of us. We were less than a mile from the meeting place, apparently.

  Why we didn’t just keep going, I’ll never know.

  I moved to sit on a downed tree and bent forward, trying to convince myself that I really didn’t need to pee... in the woods. I could wait for a boat, smelly or not, so I could pee in a toilet.

  “Taya! I needs go potty!” I heard Pyper whine, causing me to sit up.

  “Okay, pretty girl. Come on, we can find a spot to go potty.”

  “I need to pee, too.”

  “Me too,” Talia laughed softly.

  “Do you still have the wipes you snagged from the packs earlier?” I asked as we went into the woods just off the trail.

  “Yeah, I slid them into the sling. Just in case someone finds more berries and wants to squish them before she eats them.”

  We both laughed at that. Bears loved berries and Pyper was no exception to that. She had found them twice, now. They were yummy, too. I took some wipes from Talia when she offered them to me. I smiled as I watched Talia take Pyper and go into a set of bushes to her left. I continued a few feet passed them. I made a small hole, and carefully squatted down to pee. The feeling of instant relief had me closing my eyes. I could breathe again.

  I thought everything was going well, until I heard Thor growl. I jerked my pants up and was turning to look for him when I heard another snarl.

  “Talia!”

  “That wasn’t me.”

  I took off towards the clearing and my dog. Talia called Thor back to her, but I didn’t stop. She met me a few seconds later at the edge of the clearing where I had stopped. Pyper wasn’t with her, neither was Thor. She had also removed the sling from around herself. I looked around and Talia shook her head. Good plan.

  “Well, if you would bring me the child and come along quietly, I might let you live, once the King is through with you all that is.” The vampire had the nerve to look us up and down, as if we were nothing more than children ourselves. The crest on his breast was the emblem of the King. I sneered.

  “If you turn and leave now we may let you live,” I shot back.

  He hissed, his fangs gleaming as his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

  Talia growled and in the blink of an eye she was in her panther form. Her black fur spiked along her neck as she opened her massive jaws and snarled at him. He at least had enough sense to take a step back, but his shrewd eyes never left her.

  “You are only going to make this harder on yourselves-”

  His words were cut off when Rixon, Talia’s uncle, slammed into his side. I hadn’t seen him coming, he was just suddenly there. The snarls of the men almost drowned out Pyper’s scream. Talia and I took off running through the woods, back past where I had last seen them and through the other side of the trees. Thor stood, his ruffled fur standing on end, his jowls dripping with drool as he snarled at the thing standing before him. Pyper clung to his back, the sling keeping her tightly in place.

  “What the actual fu…” I trailed off as the thing in front of us morphed into something smaller, a woman with red eyes.

  “Good. I get to kill you before I take that little demon to the King.” Her eyes narrowed as I gave Thor a command and he slowly backed up to where I stood. Talia and I moved to put ourselves in front of Thor and Pyper.

  “I think not. The last two he sent didn’t fare so well. What makes you think you have any advantage over them, or us for that matter?” I cocked a brow, my hands going to my hips.

  The thing hissed at me. Her features started to change and I moved my hands. The wind swirled around us, trees snapped and, before she had time to react, a branch from a tree above her speared her through the back. It burst through her chest and embedded itself into the ground. She fell forward and hung there, her body going limp.

  Talia snarled at me.

  “What? I am in no mood for this crap today.”

  Talia shifted and for once had managed to keep her clothes on, in relatively one piece. She moved to take Pyper from the sling and cradled her close to her chest. She was whispering to her. Poor kid was crying. I hated this bitch, if for no other reason than that she had scared little Pyper.

  I moved closer to the body of the thing before us. She looked almost identical to the women we had fought in the yard at the hideout. I wrinkled my nose and poked at her. I wanted to be sure she was dead. I wasn’t in the mood for her to spring up and say boo.

  “Is she the same as the others?” Talia slipped up beside me. I glanced at her and then turned to see Pyper hanging around Thor’s neck. My gaze went back to the trees around us.

  “Yeah, she smells the same. Her eyes sure as hell are the same as theirs were.”

  “MARISSA!”

  “NATALIA!”

  We spun at the shouts of my father and Uncle Trenton. They burst through the trees and we both were still standing by the dead body of this thing. Joshua and Dem followed behind them.

  “We’re fine,” I called out with a huff.

  “Why didn’t you stay in the clearing? What happened?”

  Maybe it’s the adrenaline, or my hormones that are out of whack, but I was sick and tired of being questioned like I was a fucking toddler. I snarled as the men came toward us.

  “We had to fucking pee. Is that okay with you? I am so fucking sorry for not squatting in the middle of the clearing. Bad enough there was a big fugly vampire trying to rip our heads off, then this thing showed up and tried to take Pyper. Just cut the crap, already. We are not little helpless damsels in distress that need our big brave men to rescue us all the damn time. We can handle our own shit.”

  I stalked off and moved back towards the clearing. I heard snarls and more shouting and I wanted to see what in the hell was going on. I was not standing behind the lines anymore.

  I heard Talia call to Pyper. I’d leave her to be there for the little bear, for now. I wasn’t calm, I could feel the energy in me buzzing already. Dem’s hand slid into mine. Calm seemed to flow through me and I let out a shaky breath.

  “It’s alright, love. Calm ya self. I’ve got ya.”

  His words were followed by him squeezing my hand.

  Calm. I could do calm, right? Maybe. I would try at least. We walked into the clearing and found Rixon standing over the vampire from earlier. A dagger was clamped in his hand.

  “Rixon, what say him?” Uncle Trenton asked as he brushed passed us. His hard gaze had the vampire under Rixon’s boot cringing.

  “He was sent to fetch the little one. Talia and Mari were to be,” he looked around and shook his head before he continued, “handled, by any means necessary.”

  I growled, but was held in place by Dem’s arm going around me.

  The vampire under Rixon seemed to pale when he looked my way. Talia moved up to stand beside me.

  “Is Pyper okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “You should have given that monster to me. She is-”

  Rixon’s boot across his neck made him wheeze. Rixon growled out a word and the vampire seemed to vibrate in pain. A silent scream rendered him useless until the Prince called Rixon off.

  Talia had stalked forward but was stopped by a large wolf. Joshua was not happy about his mate being any closer to danger. Her fingers curled into his scruff as she leaned over him to snarl at the vampire under her uncle’s boot.

  “You are the monster here.”

  The vampire tried to crawl away from her but, once again, Rixon stopped his movements.

  “Your eyes.. No…”

  Talia straightened and looked back at me with a smirk before she turned back to him. Her shoulders came up in a shrug. We were something special now, Rixon had explained it to us a few times already. It was weird, and a little odd, but hey, evolution was a bitch.

  “Rixon, dispose of our problem. Everyone else, load up and let’s move out. We have to get moving. The trucks are on the way up the ridge. We have a boat to catch.”

  “Boats suck, have I mentioned that?”

  I groused but followed Talia to where she left Pyper and Thor. At least a truck meant we could sit down. I was seriously tired of all the walking bullshit.

  12

  Demetrius

  Seems Alex and the Prince are both full of surprises.

  We’d made it to the trucks and most of the wolves crashed. Mari, Talia and Pyper were among them. I’d stayed with the Prince and Alex, as that was my place, but my mind had wandered more than once to my mate.

  When we had arrived to where I expected us to be, it was someplace completely different.

  My brow rose as I looked around.

  “Your Highness?” I questioned.

  “Relax, my boy. We are where we are supposed to be. Plans changed and I had to keep that between only Alexander and myself. Nothing against you, my boy. It’s strictly a safety precaution.”

  “All is clear, Brother. We should make quick work of getting everyone on the plane.”

  “Well, everyone except our traitor that is.”

  The Prince’s words had me spinning towards him. Traitor? Who would be so fucking stupid? A growl escapes me as I turn back to face Alex.

  “Who?”

  Alex said nothing, he simply turned and walked toward the other trucks. Once everyone was unloaded and moved to the waiting plane two of the guardsmen, two trusted vampires, lost their heads for being spies and nothing more.

  I now see why they’d made absolutely no mention of a plane ride. This would have been the perfect ambush spot.

  Though they’d thought they'd had the perfect ambush spot back in the woods just across the Canadian border, the girls quick thinking and the work of Rixon taking down the King’s guardsman was the only reason the situation had played out as well as it had. They’d put both Mari and Talia in danger, not to mention little Pyper.

  I’d loaded the plane, moved to sit with Mari and held her throughout the flight. The flight to Alaska had gone smoothly, well it was uneventful, anyway. The plane ride had at least put us closer to the veil and the Castle that lay just on the other side of it. This would all end soon.

  I watched the girls as they watched Pyper play with Thor. The big dog was in Heaven as he chased the little bear around. The big goof let that little girl - in either form - climb all over him, pull at his tail, anything she wanted. A smile tugged at my lips and I shook my head.

  “You know this will be your life for years to come.”

  I glanced up to where Alex stood. The Prince was right behind him. He sat down beside me and sighed.

  “I’ll be honest, I’m scared that the suspicions are true,” I scrubbed a hand over my face.

  “You’ll be a great father.” The Prince clapped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

  I wasn’t so sure about that.

  “I agree. But then again, if he’s not, I will rip him into tiny pieces and scatter him in the garden.”

  I rolled my eyes and cursed under my breath. They both let out deep laughs that garnered the girl’s attention. I shook my head and chuckled with them.

  “You know, you suck at being the loving father-in-law.”

  “You’re still alive, so don’t cut me out just yet.”

 

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