Finding Chrissten

Chapter Three

Hank sat on the floor in the corner of his bedroom, his back against the wall, and watched the bed. Chrissten was sleeping, but not soundly. Every few minutes she would whimper or mutter something he couldn’t quite make out.

He wanted to go to her and take her in his arms, promise to protect her from anyone and anything that wanted to harm her. Yeah, like that would go over well. She’d probably wake screaming and bring all the other males running.

Still, a guy could dream. He liked the idea of her lying in his bed, sleeping on his sheets, her head cradled by his pillow. Yeah, she belonged there. If he couldn’t hold her in his arms he could at least wrap her in his blankets.

Outside the city went on as normal. Cars and trucks sped up and down the street. People walked to and fro, all going somewhere in a hurry. Someone yelled in the distance. Music from the club two floors down vibrated the floorboards beneath him.

Inside the apartment, life was anything but normal. He couldn’t believe Chrissten was in his bed. Of course, he wasn’t there with her, but that didn’t matter. He had all the patience and time in the world.

No one would understand the instantaneous attraction he’d felt for Quinn’s sister. He wasn’t certain he totally understood it himself. He sure as hell wasn’t about to tell Quinn or any of the other males of the pack.

All he knew was that Chrissten stilled the restlessness inside him. She was like a missing piece of a puzzle, completing him.

It sounded corny as hell and he’d never say the words out loud, but they were true.

Hank had always relied on his instincts to guide him. Had done so long before he’d known what he truly was. And right now his instincts were screaming at him that this was his woman. His mate.

Problem was she’d been brutalized, held captive and claimed by another male.

But Hank had always been good at figuring out problems, and he wasn’t a quitter. He’d find a way to deal with all the myriad difficulties ahead.

The priority right now was Chrissten’s health.

His head jerked up and he stared at the open doorway. “How is she?” Craig came into the room and crept over to stand beside the bed, staring down at his older sister. His expression was one of love and concern. His eyes were red rimmed. He was still wearing the same shirt he’d worn yesterday and it looked like it had been slept in.

“She’s sleeping.” The minute they’d gotten Chrissten back home early this morning the women had taken over. They’d bathed her and checked her injuries before dressing her in a nightgown and popping her into bed.

He’d offered his apartment and bed for Chrissten as all the others were occupied. With all the new folks taking up residence here space was at a premium. He didn’t give a shit about sleeping on the floor. Wouldn’t be the first time. If his years in the army had taught him anything it was that he could sleep anywhere. It soothed the anger in him to know he was doing something concrete to help her.

Chrissten had been sleeping on and off ever since Meredith and Bethany had put her there. Hank glanced at his watch. The bar would be closing soon. In a few hours Chrissten would have been free for almost a day.

“She’s been through so much.” Craig swiped at his eyes. Hank’s chest tightened as he watched the younger man reach out to touch his sister only to pull back. They were all afraid to touch her. Her skin was mottled with bruises and needle marks punctured her arms, a testament to how much she’d been abused.

“She’s tough or she wouldn’t have survived. She’ll get through this.” Hank had to believe that. Anything else was unacceptable.

“Yeah, she’s always been tough.” Craig turned aside and sank down on the floor beside him. “What about Brian?”

They hadn’t talked about what their next step was. Hank assumed that Damek would be contacting them as soon as the club shut down for the night. Hank wanted to know what Damek had learned from the fucking crazy doctor, and he knew the rest of them wanted to know too.

“I’ll take care of Brian.” He hadn’t meant to say the words out loud. Not yet. He had no claim to Chrissten and might never have one. Chances were she’d never accept him or any other male. Not after what she’d been through. But that didn’t matter. He wanted her safe and that meant Brian had to die. Craig was her brother. Her blood. Hank wanted to prove himself worthy of Chrissten to her kin.

Craig stared at him, his gaze all too knowing for a human male. He removed his wire-rimmed glasses, polished them and slipped them back on. “I believe you will.”

Before Hank could respond, he felt someone else entering the apartment. Quinn’s scent wafted ahead of him. Damn room was getting more and more crowded by the minute.

Quinn had been back and forth checking on his sister every half hour. He’d sat by her side for the first eight hours, his eyes never leaving her face. It had been painful to watch.

Hank felt a twinge of jealousy, which shamed him. He’d wanted to be the one sitting by her, holding her hand and reassuring her when she woke.

Thankfully, Bethany had come to his rescue when she’d come to drag her mate away to rest. Chrissten’s recovery wasn’t going to happen overnight. They were all in this for a long haul.

Hank had agreed to take a turn watching her, reminding them he could nap anywhere, even standing up, thanks to his stint in the military. They weren’t leaving her alone, not for a minute. Not with Brian still on the loose.

If Chrissten were his mate he’d stop at nothing to find her. Of course, the difference between him and Brian was that he’d never do anything to hurt her. Males like Brian sickened him. You couldn’t force love and acceptance. They were gifts that, when offered, were to be treasured and guarded with your life.

“She’s still sleeping.” Quinn sounded worried as he strode across the room. He reached down and tugged the covers more fully over Chrissten, tucking them carefully around her.

“It’s going to take her time to recover,” Craig pointed out.

Hank felt like an interloper with the rest of her family here. As much as he wanted to stay, he forced himself to his feet. “I’ll go downstairs and help with closing. I’ll be back later.”

Quinn nodded but all his attention was on his twin. Hank could feel Craig’s eyes on him as he silently left the room. He closed the apartment door behind him and hurried down the stairs to Haven.

The music had stopped but there were still some patrons milling about, chatting and finishing their drinks. Hank helped Kevin and Isaiah herd them toward the front door. It took another twenty minutes, but finally they were gone. Then came the long wait while the few human employees on staff got their coats and said their goodnights.

Meredith slipped her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. “How is she doing?”

He shook his head. “Sleeping. I guess that’s probably the best thing for her right now.”

“She needs to eat more.” Meredith mothered them all and had slipped into the role naturally with Chrissten. Quinn had managed to wake her long enough to get a bowl of soup into her earlier today, but other than that, she hadn’t eaten a thing. They were all concerned.

“We can try again later. Maybe some of those nutrition shakes or something like that, to help build her energy.” He should have thought of that earlier and run out to the store.

“That’s a wonderful idea.” Meredith gave him a squeeze. Hank leaned into her for a minute, kissing the top of her head. She’d taken him into her home when he’d been lost and treated him like a son. She’d given him a place to belong and he loved her for that.

“Are you okay?”

That was the problem with someone knowing you so well. Even though outwardly he was the same, she sensed his emotional turmoil. “Yeah, I’m fine. I want to know what Damek found out.”

She nodded and took a step back. “We all do. He should be here soon.” Thankfully, she seemed to accept his explanation at face value. He didn’t want anyone to know what he was feeling for Chrissten. Not yet. It was too soon.

Work was the way to take his mind off things. Hank had never been afraid of hard work and pitched in with closing down the club. It didn’t take the pack long to have everything in order—kitchen and bar shut down, floors and tables scrubbed cleaned.

With the lights dim, they all sat around several tables, waiting. Hank listened with half an ear to the various conversations floating around him while he wondered how Chrissten was doing.

Kevin and Meredith were discussing food and liquor shipments. Isaiah, Michael and Benjamin were speculating on what Damek had found out. Teague was trying to coax Neema upstairs to bed.

A solid thump vibrated through the front door of the bar. Isaiah rose from his seat, strode across the room and yanked the solid oak door open. Damek stood there, impeccable as always in one of his designer suits. Isaiah raised an eyebrow.

Damek shrugged in response. “You’re always complaining I never knock.”

“Since when do you listen to me?” Isaiah held the door open. “Come on in.”

The air thickened and the short hairs on the back of Hank’s neck stood on end. The animal part of him was aware he was in the presence of a predator. Shadows seemed to fill the room. Damek made his way to Meredith and kissed her cheek. Isaiah flexed his hands by his sides but managed not to rip the vampire away from his mate. Hank admired his restraint.

It occurred to Hank that the vampire enjoyed baiting Isaiah, but not in a mean way. It was almost playful, which was strange coming from such a powerful creature. Of course, Isaiah might be one of the few living beings that didn’t seem impressed or intimidated by the vampire.

“What did you find out?” Isaiah demanded.

Hank sat forward, not wanting to miss a word of what Damek had to say.

“The doctor gave up all his secrets before he passed on.”

Satisfaction filled Hank. He was fiercely glad the sonofabitch was dead.

Damek wandered around the bar, perusing the artwork on the walls. Hank wanted to shake him and tell him to spill everything. But he didn’t have a death wish.

“The doctor was mentally unstable, but incredibly intelligent. Maybe the two go hand in hand.” Damek traced his index finger over the frame of large painting by a local artist. “He was also filthy rich. His parents were old when he was born and they were both dead by the time he was eighteen, leaving him all their money. He went to the best schools and had advanced degrees in chemistry and genetics. He was also a medical doctor.”

“So he had all the skills he needed to do experiments on his own.” They all turned to look at Quinn who was standing in the doorway. Hank’s heart began to race. Who was with Chrissten?

He stood, planning to go upstairs. They couldn’t leave her alone. And being with Craig didn’t count. The male might be her brother but he was also human and no match for a pureblood werewolf if Brian found a way to get to Chrissten.

“Is Bethany with her?” Meredith went to Quinn and hugged him. That was Meredith, mother to them all.

Quinn nodded and Hank was able to subdue the urge to race to Chrissten’s side. Not that Bethany would be a match for Brian either, but she was stronger and faster than Craig and could at least run for help.

Quinn was staring at Damek, obviously eager to know what the vampire had learned. “What else do you know?”

“Many things,” Damek replied. “Phillip Morton had everything he needed but the muscle to pull off the job.”

Hank wanted this conversation done so he could go back upstairs to watch over Chrissten. But first he had questions he needed answered. “What I want to know is how he discovered werewolves even exist? And what were his experiments all about?” The whole business had been nagging Hank since the very beginning.

“Good questions.” Damek inclined his head in acknowledgement. “It seems that one of your brethren fell into the hands of the military about ten years ago. They killed him and started studying him. Unfortunately for them, their funding was cut and they had to abandon the project. The official word is that the creature was a genetic anomaly, nothing more.”

Hank’s blood ran cold at the thought of the military running experiments on his pack. He knew firsthand how ruthless those at the top could be. They thought of nothing and no one but themselves. If they thought they could use werewolf DNA to produce super soldiers, nothing would stop them.

“Shit.” Isaiah raked his hand through his hair.

“Not to worry. I have names and locations. I’ll be paying them all a visit. If there is any damaging information out there, I’ll make sure it’s destroyed.”

“Why?” Hank crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the vampire, wary of his help. “Why would you do that? Risk yourself?”

“I have lived a very long time, my friend. If they come to believe in one myth it is not that far a stretch to believe in others. I’ve dealt with this kind of problem before.”

“Okay. Damek will handle the military problem.” Isaiah pinned them all with a level stare. “That leaves us with Brian.”

“It’s bigger than that, I fear.”

Quinn strode toward Damek, stopping right in front of him. “How much bigger?”

Damek sighed. “There is a pack of six males, including Brian, who are living here in the city. They want females and don’t care how they get them. From what I was able to steal from the doctor’s mind, he’d already experimented on one poor female before Chrissten. He made the mistake of giving her to the pack. He wanted to see how all the males would interact with her. They ended up killing her, and her death wasn’t pleasant.”

Hank swallowed the bile that surged up from his stomach to his throat. He could only imagine the abuse that poor female had endured. Death would have come as a blessing in the end.

“That’s why he kept my sister in the lab.” It wasn’t a question, but Damek answered Quinn anyway.

Damek nodded. “He couldn’t afford to lose another specimen.”

“But how did he find Brian and his pack?” Hank asked. Most werewolves kept a low profile and that meant keeping their true identities from humans. You couldn’t exactly find them listed in the yellow pages.

“He found them the same way I found the bounty hunters, didn’t he?” Craig dragged himself into the room, practically asleep on his feet. “He looked online and hacked into their sites.”

The corners of Damek’s mouth turned upward and his eyes glowed almost red. “Exactly, my smart human friend. He knew if there was one werewolf out there chances were there were more, and someone had to know about them. It seems everyone has an online presence these days. Everyone stays connected.”

Craig managed a wan smile. “I have my moments.”

Hank took control of the conversation again. “So he found the bounty hunters and through them the wolves.”

“Couldn’t have been that easy,” Michael pointed out. “The doctor was human. They wouldn’t have trusted him.” He turned to Craig. “No offense.”

“None taken.” Craig pulled a chair from one of the tables and sat down. He rubbed a hand over his face, almost dislodging his glasses in the process. “He would have had to look for the wolves, maybe lure one of them to a meeting with a promise of a female. That would eventually arouse the interest of some male enough so they’d at least check him out.”

“Precisely.” Damek seemed to flow across the bar to stand by Craig. Quinn stiffened and moved until he was standing directly behind his brother.

Damek waved Quinn away. “How many times do I have to tell you I will not hurt your brother? Unlike you werewolves, I enjoy the company of humans.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Quinn stared down the vampire, who shrugged, totally unconcerned. Craig just shook his head at the two preternatural beings standing beside him. Hank thought he looked more bemused than afraid.

“So where do we find Brian and the rest of his pack?” That was the question Hank wanted answered. He wanted to start hunting. The sooner the threat to Chrissten was removed the easier he’d rest.

“I have several names and addresses I plucked from Dr. Morton’s brain. He reached into his pocket, drew out a piece of paper and handed it to Craig. “You could check them out first. See if they are rentals or owned property. If they’re owned, you might be able to track down other properties they have.”

Craig surged to his feet, paper held tight in his hand. “I’m on it.” He disappeared down the hall and into the office. Seconds later they could all hear the tapping of computer keys as Craig began his search.

“What about the bastard who experimented on my sister?” Hank was glad Quinn voiced the question he wanted answered.

Damek smiled, but there wasn’t anything pleasant about it. Hank’s wolf began to whimper inside him. “The poor man. His brain exploded. Too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing. I was tempted to leave his body where it dropped but decided the authorities didn’t need to find a decaying body at some point in the future. I took care of it.”

None of them asked what he’d done to the body. None of them cared. Dr. Phillip Morton was no longer a problem.

Damek whirled around and headed for the door. “I will take care of the military problem. You handle the wolves. And see if you can manage it on your own. I do have various business interests to run.” With that final insult, he was gone, lost in the shadows.

“Bastard,” Isaiah muttered.

Meredith laughed. “You know you like him.”

Her husband’s eyes lightened as they landed on her. “I’m not admitting anything.”

Hank had a lot to think about. “I’m heading up. I’ll sleep on the floor and keep watch.”

“You’ll come get me if she wakes up.” Quinn’s command raised his hackles, but Hank managed to shove his nasty retort back. This was Chrissten’s brother, her twin.

“Will do. Let me know if Craig finds anything useful.” He wanted to know the second they had a possible location for Brian and his pack of rogues.

Quinn nodded. “It will soon be time to go hunting.”

Hank knew they’d need all of them to defeat a pack of six pureblooded werewolves. But they’d do it. There was no other choice.

He took the stairs two at a time, eager to get back to Chrissten. The apartment was dark and quiet. He could smell the two women in the bedroom, hear their even breathing. He crept as quietly as he could into the room. Bethany was sitting next to the bed in a straight-backed wooden chair. It was from the kitchen set. Quinn must have dragged it into the room for her. Bethany didn’t look comfortable.

Her hand was entwined with Chrissten. It occurred to him that Bethany was the only one of them who could really understand what Chrissten had gone through. She might have only been held captive a fraction of the time but the fears were the same.

He touched Bethany lightly on the arm and she jerked away. Terror filled her eyes for a brief second before clearing away. Anger filled Hank. No woman should have to live with such fear.

There was no hint of the fury he was feeling when he whispered to her. “Why don’t you go rest? Quinn can fill you in on everything. I’ll watch over her tonight.”

Bethany rose from the chair and stretched. She put her hands on her back and moaned. “That’s not a comfortable chair.”

“I’ll move one in from another apartment in the morning.” Bethany, Meredith and Neema would all be taking turns sitting with Chrissten. They needed to be comfortable. He should have thought of that and taken care of it. He didn’t have much furniture, didn’t need it, but the women needed more comfortable accommodations.

“It’s okay. I managed. A little discomfort is nothing.”

He supposed it wasn’t, not compared to what she and Chrissten had been through. Bethany touched Chrissten’s hair lightly. The other woman didn’t move.

“She’ll get better. In time.” Hank didn’t know who Bethany was trying to convince, him or herself. She dropped her hand back by her side. “You’ll come get me if she wakes.”

“I’ll call you,” he promised. “But I won’t leave her alone.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “You think she’s in danger here. That Brian will try to get her.”

He didn’t want to frighten her, but Bethany needed to know the truth. “If she was mine I wouldn’t stop until I found her.”

Bethany stilled and studied him for what seemed to be an eternity but was probably only a few seconds. “You’re right.” She went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Take good care of her.”

“I will.” That was an easy promise to make. He’d kill anyone who tried to harm Chrissten.

When they were alone, he pushed aside the chair and settled into a sitting position on the floor beside the bed. His jeans were old and comfortable. His long-sleeved shirt was soft and warm. He kept his sneakers on in case he had to move in a hurry.

He reached out and touched her arm where it had pushed out over the blankets. The mottled bruises were an abomination. But with rest and good food she’d start to heal more quickly. She and her wolf would grow stronger and help one another.

“I’m here. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you.” He lowered his head to the mattress beside her, closed his eyes and slept, secure in the knowledge he’d wake if anyone neared the room.

Darkness surrounded Chrissten. She was safe here. No one could hurt her. She floated along. Content. She didn’t know where she was and didn’t care. Nothing could touch her here.

She felt something brush against her arm. It wasn’t much, but it made her frown. Was someone else here?

Panic threatened to overwhelm her.

She had to run. Had to get away. There were bad things out there. Someone wanted to hurt her. She fought to open her eyes but couldn’t lift the heavy lids.

“I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you.” She heard the words, but it took her a few minutes to understand them. She took a breath and her nostrils were filled with him—soap and sandalwood and a hint of musk. She took another breath, pulling it deep into her lungs. She knew this male.

She struggled to put a face with the smell but couldn’t.

No matter, she trusted him. He’d come and found her when she’d been lost. Her brother had been there too. Or at least she thought he was.

Thinking was too hard. Her memories jumbled.

She didn’t hurt and she was warm and safe. That was all that mattered. He was with her and she trusted him to keep his promise.

Darkness closed around her again and she welcomed it with open arms.

The shadows concealed Damek as he waited patiently for the group to disperse. He hadn’t left, as they’d assumed, but merely melded with the darkness. Waiting. He sighed with pleasure when the last light was turned out and only the security lamps remained on. He did so love the darkness.

The light tapping of fingers on a keyboard drew him down the hallway to the office where Craig sat working. The human’s fatigue pulled at his fragile body, but he fought it. Damek admired Craig Lawton’s sense of loyalty and family. It was a rare and valuable trait.

Craig sat back in the desk chair and grabbed a sheaf of papers he’d already printed. Damek stepped out of the shadows. For some unknown reason, he wanted to talk with the younger man. “Have you found anything?”

Craig startled and the paper he was reading jerked in his hands, dragging the sharp edge over one of his fingers. “Damn.” Blood welled on the human’s finger. Hunger surged to life within Damek as he stared at the crimson drop.

“I thought you’d gone.” Craig’s heartbeat jumped and, for the first time, Damek felt a frisson of fear from the human. It saddened him even though it was to be expected.

Damek reached into his jacket pocket and drew out a crisp, white square of linen. The human simply stared at it.

“Go on,” he offered. “It’s clean.”

Damek read the younger man’s embarrassment as he took the handkerchief and wrapped it around the tiny cut. When it was no longer visible, Damek relaxed slightly, although the sweet lure of blood still lingered in the air.

“Thanks.”

Damek inclined his head. “You’re very welcome. No need to worry about the blood. I’m not that kind of vampire. I only eat when invited.” He didn’t know why he couldn’t resist the little barb. Perhaps it was because Craig had been so easily accepting of him and he felt slighted by the assumption he’d jump on him at the first sight of blood.

Of course, the human was right to fear him. He was a vampire, after all. But it still hurt him in a way he hadn’t thought he could still be hurt. It was disconcerting to say the least.

Craig laughed. “Sorry about that. I’m just tired.” He raked his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end. “If you need to eat or feed or whatever you call it, all you have to do is ask.”

Damek was struck dumb by the offer. It was made easily and without reservations. As a vampire, he could feel all Craig’s emotions and there was no coercion, no sense of fear, only pure, sincere generosity.

“I’m humbled by your offer, but I’m perfectly fine. I tend to use blood banks in these modern times.” Blood was much easier to come by these days, especially since he owned a private blood bank. But it was cold and almost lifeless when he drank it and lacked the power of fresh, warm blood.

Craig removed the hanky from his finger and inspected the cut. It had already stopped bleeding. “That makes sense, but the offer is there if you ever need it.”

“Why?” Damek truly wanted to know, wanted to understand why this human would give something so precious so freely.

“Because you’ve done everything you can to help my family and you’ve asked for nothing in return.”

Although it should have been impossible, Damek felt his face getting warm. Damned if he’d blush like some fledgling. He was a vampire, damn it. Lord of the night. Feared by one and all.

Except, it seemed, by this particular human.

Damek inclined his head in acknowledgement. The dawn was coming. He could feel it in his bones. Time was short. “If you ever need anything from me, call the number on the card I gave you. Day or night, it is no matter.”

“You can move around in the daytime?” Damek heard the curiosity in Craig’s question but wasn’t about to answer. His secrets were his own. Keeping them had allowed him to stay alive for hundreds and hundreds of years.

“Day or night,” he reiterated. With that, he faded back into the shadows and disappeared. He left the club behind him, making sure the door was locked. As he hurried through the city streets toward his home, he could feel the dawn snapping at his heels.