Out of Smoke and Ashes Read online

  “Harder!” she gasped, to Brodey and Cail both.

  The men responded, Brodey driving his cock deep inside her, bottoming out with each stroke while Cail released her only to take another, harder bite into her flesh.

  Another wave of pleasure assaulted her. For a moment, her mind was filled with a vision of the four of them, standing together over a crib. Before she could see what lay inside the crib, her mind slammed back into her body as another orgasm took her breath away.

  “Fuck yeah!” Brodey let out a final grunt as he came, his juices filling her.

  She didn’t have time to catch her breath. Cail rolled her onto her back again, this time putting her legs up on her shoulders and pressing her thighs against her chest.

  “You want it hard, baby?”

  “Uh-huh!”

  He didn’t waste any time. At this angle, it felt like he could plow her pussy even more deeply than Brodey had. But his body rubbed against her swollen clit with each stroke and quickly sent her over the edge of another soaring climax.

  “That’s it, baby,” he said. “One more for me. Give it to me.”

  His balls slapped against her ass as he drove his cock into her, harder, faster, until she couldn’t hold back and another orgasm sent her flying again.

  “There you go. That’s it.” He quickly caught up, adding his load to her cunt before falling still. He tenderly kissed her. “I love you, babe.”

  Already, she felt sleep groping for her again. “Love you, too, Cail.” She fumbled in the dark and found Brodey and Ain on either side of her. “Love you guys, too.”

  From their mumbled replies, she could tell they were quickly returning to sleep, too.

  A good, hard fucking is the best insomnia cure.

  Ever.

  Chapter Six

  After getting home and saying good-night to everyone, Carla lay awake long after the house went silent and still. Her mind raced, refusing to shut down.

  She had never told anyone about that little exchange in the delivery room between her and Maureen.

  Not even Elain.

  In fact, she hadn’t thought about it in years. She’d actually forgotten about it as she went through periods of vacillating between despising Liam and wishing he’d come back…for both of them.

  Despite her exhaustion, Carla only lightly dozed. Every time sleep started to take hold of her system, dreams about Maureen’s last days filled her head, yanking her back into wakefulness again as she didn’t want to relive the horror of watching her friend waste away before her eyes.

  And to have Maureen give her blessings for her and Liam to pursue a relationship…that was almost too much to hope for. Sure, she and Liam had gone out together a few times since his return, and it seemed like there was definitely a connection between them, but he’d made no move or mention of taking it any farther than just good friends.

  She didn’t want to get her hopes up. She didn’t even know if Liam felt that way about her.

  Although I sure hope he does.

  She’d given up her disbelief about shape-shifters and magick and things she thought resided only in the realm of fairy tales and Hollywood. Her life, and her view of the Universe, was forever changed.

  And if the shape-shifting wolf decided he wanted to pursue her, she wouldn’t be tough to catch.

  Then again, I’d look like a cougar compared to him. He looks like he hasn’t aged a day, and I look old enough to be his mother.

  That thought saddened her.

  With her thoughts roiling around in her head too loudly for her to successfully sleep, she finally gave up. Even though outside the last remnants from the wedding had been cleaned up, the house was an unholy disaster. Not to mention the refrigerators were dangerously empty with the house full of out-of-town guests of the predatory shifter sort, with voracious appetites to match.

  Elain and Ain had given her a household credit card and insisted she use it instead of her own money for the wedding expenses and grocery trips.

  It’s something to do to keep me from going crazy.

  It was a little after eight when she finally got out of bed, grabbed a shower, and headed out to the kitchen. She didn’t bother starting coffee, not wanting the aroma to wake anyone else before they were ready. She grabbed a notepad and pencil and quietly worked her way through the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator, as well as the refrigerator and freezer in the utility room.

  They were out of nearly everything. She knew the shopping trip was just an excuse to buy herself some nonthinking time. She didn’t deny that.

  In fact, she welcomed it.

  She retrieved her purse and keys and quietly let herself out of the house a little before nine.

  * * * *

  Trent and Ken took turns watching the property. Most everyone had disappeared after the wedding. Their best guess was they were with the mother to be, or out-of-town guests had gone home.

  Eventually, they suspected, most of the residents would return to the house. They hoped the Lyall men and Elain Pardie would go on a honeymoon, leaving the human woman unprotected.

  Maybe, for once, they’d catch a lucky break.

  Trent was keeping watch, hidden in some trees across the road and a few tenths of a mile west of the Lyalls’ driveway. When he saw their target leave the ranch and drive past him, alone in the car, he couldn’t believe their luck. He whipped out his cell phone as he ran to where he’d hidden his car.

  Ken sounded sleepy when he answered. “What?”

  “She’s on the move. Alone. This is our best opportunity.”

  Ken immediately sounded awake. “Where is she?”

  “She just left and is heading toward town. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “I’ll be in the car in two minutes. Call me as soon as you know.”

  * * * *

  Carla glanced down at her gas gauge. She had enough to get into town, but she’d need to fill the tank before heading back. As she neared the gas station, which was on the other side of the road, she opted to wait.

  I’ll hit it on the way back. Then she wouldn’t have to cross traffic twice.

  Fortunately, Publix wasn’t very crowded that early in the morning. It didn’t take her long to fill one shopping cart, and as she left it parked by the registers, she quickly realized maybe she should have brought someone to help her.

  Like Liam.

  Chiding herself for her wishful thinking, she blasted through the rest of her list. Nearly six hundred dollars later, two bag boys helped her push what ended up becoming three carts full of bagged groceries out to her car, where they helped her load it.

  “You feeding an army of hungry wolves?” one of them joked.

  She hoped her face didn’t redden too much. “More like hungry termites,” she said. “Lots of out-of-town guests.” She got back into the car and glanced at the gas gauge.

  Oh, yeah. Need to fill the tank.

  * * * *

  Trent and Ken, in separate vehicles and on the phone with each other, watched her pull out of the Publix parking lot and head north.

  “How you want to do this?” Trent asked him as they both followed her.

  Ken wasn’t sure. “We need to stop her before she gets back to the house. Box her in or—”

  “Hey,” Trent interrupted. “She’s stopping.”

  They both pulled into the gas station. “Perfect,” Ken said. “I’ll pull up at the pumps on the other side. You come up behind her and shove her into the van and I’ll take off. You follow.” He circled around, keeping an eye on her as she got out of her car. She turned, rooting through her purse, which she’d set on the driver’s seat.

  “Roger.”

  Ken hung up and pulled up next to her. Glancing around, he opened the middle driver’s side door of the minivan and pretended to be getting something out. What he was doing was prepping the handcuffs he’d pulled from his pocket.

  Trent quickly walked up and, before she could protest, grabbed her and her purse. He pressed his
gun into her ribs and hurried her between the pumps to Ken’s minivan. “Don’t scream, lady,” Trent said. “We don’t want to hurt you.”

  Ken slapped the cuffs on her and shoved her into the back, crawling in with her. He slammed the door shut and climbed behind the wheel, speeding off and hoping Trent hurried his ass up. He wasn’t worried about them being identified by law enforcement, because they had fake New York plates on their vehicles.

  Abernathy left nothing to chance.

  He showed the woman his gun. “Stay quiet and behave,” he warned her in his most menacing voice, “and we won’t hurt you.”

  He watched in the rearview mirror as her eyes widened. “Who are you? Why are you doing this? I’ll give you my money—”

  “Shut up,” he growled. “We don’t want your money. We were sent after you. Just shut up.”

  They returned to the hotel. Ken parked in the back of the lot and waited for Trent to pull up alongside him. “How are we doing this?” Trent asked.

  “Go grab our stuff from the room and let’s get on the road. I want to be out of here before they miss her.”

  * * * *

  Elain felt a thousand times better when she awoke early that afternoon. She was curled against Ain, who still slept soundly next to her. She guessed Brodey and Cail, along with her dad, must have headed out to the barns at some point. She knew Blackie and Callie had gotten up earlier to leave to make their flight back to Maine. No doubt Mai, Micah, and Jim were also still asleep.

  The house sounded oddly silent.

  A feeling of disquiet swirled in her gut. She got up, used the bathroom, and pulled on a robe. She found the kitchen deserted except for a note on the counter from her mom.

  Going for groceries. Be back soon.

  She called her mom’s cell phone, a little disturbed when she didn’t answer.

  Elain glanced at the clock and found it was after one. Knowing she was worrying for nothing, she still called Cail on his cell.

  “Morning, gorgeous,” he greeted her.

  “Hey, what time did you guys get up?”

  “Um, about nine thirty. Why?”

  “Is my dad with you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Had Mom left for the store by then?”

  “We never saw her. Saw her note on the counter. Why?”

  She stared at the note. “I don’t know. Just nerves, I guess. She didn’t answer her phone when I called. She’s not back yet.”

  “Maybe she’s got her hands full or she’s driving. You know she won’t answer her phone if she’s driving.”

  “True. Thanks.”

  “Hey, that’s all you wanted?” She caught the feigned disappointment in his tone, making her laugh.

  “Sorry. I did want to call my brown-eyed love puppy to say good morning.”

  “That’s better, babe.”

  She smiled as she hung up, then sent her mom a text. Just making sure you’re all right.

  An hour later, with no reply to two more texts, and no answer to her phone calls, Elain allowed her worry to bubble to the surface.

  Ain had spent the time after getting up on the phone in Cail’s office, doing Clan business. Elain caught him between calls. “I’m really worried about Mom. It’s not like her not to respond to texts or calls.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “Maybe she’s getting her hair done or something.”

  She shook her head. “No, this just doesn’t feel right.”

  He cocked his head. “Seer feeling or just gut instinct feeling?”

  “Does it really matter?”

  He nodded. “Go wake up Micah and take him with you. I’ve got four more calls to make.” He stared at a yellow legal pad full of notes. “I’m beginning to think Blackie is even more of a sadist than I first thought by asking me and Mark to be on the Clan Council.”

  “What?”

  He laughed. “Misery loves company.”

  She went down to the bedroom Micah, Jim, and Mai now resided in and knocked. “Micah? I need to talk to you.”

  “Just a minute,” he sleepily replied.

  When he answered the door, his hair mussed up and wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, she felt badly about pulling him from sleep. “What’s up?” he asked.

  “Mom’s sort of MIA, and—”

  He seemed immediately awake. “She’s what?”

  “She left a note she was going to the store, but that was a few hours ago, and she’s not responding to texts or calls. I want to go look for her. Ain told me to ask you to go with me. Please?”

  He nodded. “I’ll be ready in three minutes. We’ll take my truck.”

  It was more like less than two minutes later, he hurried into the living room, still zipping up his jeans and his sneakers untied. Then they were on the road and heading toward Arcadia.

  “Where does she shop?”

  “She always goes to Publix.”

  “We’ll go straight there first.”

  They were less than a mile from the turnoff to the store when they spotted a commotion at a gas station across the road. Several deputies, as well as Arcadia PD, were parked around a vehicle at the gas pumps.

  She grabbed his arm. “Micah! That’s Mom’s car!”

  He made a bouncy illegal U-turn across a grassy median, making another car honk as it swerved to miss him. Elain was out of the truck and running toward the car before he even had it shifted into park.

  The area had been cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. When she tried to duck under it, a deputy grabbed her by the arm.

  “Ma’am, you can’t go in there.”

  She turned the full force of her Alpha on him, making him let her go and step back as she snarled. “That’s my mother’s car!”

  Micah caught up with her and grabbed her arm. “Whoa, calm down,” he muttered. “Don’t go all rabid wolf on the po-po. They tend to not like that.”

  A detective walked over. “Ma’am, did you say this is your mother’s car?”

  “Yes. Carla Taylor. What happened?”

  “How did you find out about this?”

  “About what? She left a note she was going grocery shopping, and when she didn’t come back or answer her phone, we came looking for her. Where is she? Is she okay?”

  He didn’t answer her questions. He focused on Micah. “And you are?”

  “Her cousin.”

  “I need to get some information from—”

  “Fuck that noise! Where’s Mom?”

  Another deputy walked over. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him. His name tag read Cpt. Jeurgins. “Elain Lyall?” His intense amber eyes seemed to study her.

  “Pardie-Lyall, yes.”

  He glanced at Micah, then back to her. “Let’s keep the barking to a minimum, ma’am,” he said. “Detective Juarez and all of us are doing our best.”

  It slammed into her then why she knew him. He’d been at the wedding.

  He was a wolf shifter. She’d been too upset to practice the techniques Cail had worked with her on recognizing a shifter.

  She took a deep breath and nodded. Micah slipped his arm around her shoulders and gently squeezed.

  Detective Juarez questioned her about what little she knew leading up to the moment her mom was abducted. Then asked her to follow him into the convenience store.

  In the manager’s office, they showed her several security video feeds, taken from different angles. It showed two men abducting Carla.

  “Wait,” she said as she had them pause the video. Her eyes narrowed. “That’s the same minivan that was at the wedding!”

  “Are you sure?” Detective Juarez asked.

  “Yeah. They pulled out in front of us as we were taking Lina to the hospital. And…”

  She barely stopped herself in time from saying the next part out loud.

  “And?” Juarez asked.

  She swallowed hard. “And I’m sure of it.”

  She looked at Micah. His brow furrowed as he made the connec
tion. If that was the minivan at the wedding, then the men who grabbed her mom were likely working for Abernathy. It would be too much of a coincidence otherwise.

  Inside Elain, the Alpha wolf stormed, wanting vengeance, wanting to rip the two men open from the throat down. She trembled, struggling not to break into a rage in front of everyone.

  Behind her, Micah put his hands on her shoulders. “Breathe,” he whispered into her ear. “Don’t lose it. Hold on. I’ll call the guys. Just hang on.”

  All she could do was nod as tears spilled down her face. Fear and rage warred within her, fueled by the Alpha wolf.

  She knew if she opened her mouth she’d unleash a chilling howl mirroring the feelings in her soul.

  It frightened her.

  And bless Micah’s heart, he’d understood.

  She heard him on the phone and didn’t try to listen to what was said. The images were burned into her brain, good, clear face shots of both the abductors.

  Then she heard Jeurgins softly talking with Micah but didn’t pay attention to what they said to each other, either.

  All she cared about was finding her mom and getting her back safely.

  Twenty minutes later, Ain ran into the office. Micah grabbed him by the arm and quickly whispered into his ear for a moment. The anger on his face melted to worry as he pulled Elain into his arms.

  “Relax, mate,” he whispered into her ear. “I’m here. Lean on me.”

  She burst into relieved tears as the Alpha wolf inside her curled into a tight ball and settled down at his edict. This time, at least, she welcomed the order.

  “Thank you.”

  She let him take over with the cops. Cail, Brodey, and Liam arrived a few minutes later.

  * * * *

  Even if Micah hadn’t talked to him, Ain had immediately sensed how closed to being out of control Elain was. Heat shimmers of fury washed off her body, only visible to other wolf shifters. Once he’d edicted her, something he didn’t want to do but knew was the only way to keep her from exploding, she’d immediately settled down, tightly glued to his side.