Climbing the Ladder (18 page)

medium, not even Mesa could explain how Junie did what she did for the clan. “Man, that’s a

pain in the butt, keeping Kody out of trouble. Then what does Mesa do?”

“Everything.” Junie grinned. “He knows all the members of the clan and what they can

contribute. He enforces the law, such as it is. He provides for all of us.”

“And then you’re stuck with me.” Hooray. Sometimes Sammy just wanted to whack

Kody in the head for choosing her and complicating so many lives.

“What? Stuck with you? You’re going to be a great Alpha. You just have to learn some

stuff.”

“Like what? God, Junie, I’m so lost, and I keep trying to not freak out.” Sometimes she

thought she’d be okay, but sometimes…she was so scared.

“Like how when Mesa gets this growly he’s just freaking out, too. He’s scared. He hasn’t

been this mean since Kody left.”

Sammy sighed. “I won’t let anything happen to him. I won’t let anything happen to any

of you.” This was her family. Hers, damn it.

“I know that, silly.” Junie hugged her impulsively. “You and Mesa just need to get used

to each other. It takes time. He loves you already.”

She kissed Juniper’s cheek, grinned. “Love or hate, one, hmm?”

“It’s close, just like they always say.” They walked for a bit, the silence comfortable if

not comforting.

Something was bothering her, something itching between her shoulder blades.

“What is it?” Junie glanced at her, that eyebrow going up again.

“Something’s wrong.” A deep growl built inside her.

Junie immediately started to scan the trees around them. They’d walked a good ways

from the outskirts of town.

“Run, Juniper.” She smelled something wrong, then something stung her neck and she

reached for it, tearing the dart out. “Run!”

Juniper yelped, spinning in a circle before falling to her knees. Too damned late.

She bit the air, growling, the edges of the world going black. “You leave her alone!”

“Don’t worry, Alpha bitch. You’re the one we want.” She saw the cloudy image of that

Alicia woman’s face in her field of vision before a cloth covered her eyes.

The blow that landed on the back of her head made the darkness behind her eyes red, for

one, bright second, then it was gone.

“Kody? Baby?” Mesa was starting to worry about Sammy. He hadn’t thought she was

that mad when she left. He’d figured she just needed to cool down, and he’d let her go because he’d needed that, too. God, his head hurt.

It was getting on to dusk, though, and she wasn’t back. Kody wasn’t making supper

either. Where the hell was everyone?

He headed up the stairs; maybe Kody was napping, just hiding out an…

Oof.

He tripped on something halfway up the stairs and went down hard. When he righted

himself he realized it was Kody he’d tripped over. Kody, who was out cold on the stairs, a dart sticking out of his neck. A tranquilizer dart.

“Kody! Shit. Kody, wake up.”

Nothing.

Not a bit of response. Kody’s eyes were rolled back in his head, a hint of foam at the

corner of his lips. He slapped that dear face hard before he even stopped to think, needing Kody to open his damned eyes.

“Mesa! Mesa! Juniper’s missing.” Grandma Minnie’s voice was panicked.

“Kody’s unconscious. Someone tranqed him. Fuck.” His head hurt so bad he thought it

might kill him.

“Where’s Samantha?” Grandma Minnie’s voice cut like a razor.

“I don’t know! I was coming to ask Kody. She went for a walk.” He picked Kody up,

heading downstairs instead of up on shaking legs. He needed to leave Kody with Granny and

find Sammy and Junie.

“Kody?” Minnie came to him, hands on his head, eyes closed for a long, long minute and

his mind cleared for a single blessed second. “Get Canyon.”

Mesa ran. He ran as fast as his human legs could carry him, because he had to be able to

talk to tell Canyon what the hell was going on.

Canyon, bless him, was already halfway to him, eyes glowing hot in their sockets.

“Mesa!”

He grabbed Canyon to steady himself. “Sammy and Junie are gone. Kody’s out cold. I

need you.”

“Were they together?” Canyon drew him toward Juniper’s cabin, the door closed, no

smoke coming from her fireplace.

“I don’t know. Sammy went for a walk…” Mesa’s head throbbed, and he swallowed bile.

“She was mad. We fought.”

“She wouldn’t try to leave. Junie loves her, says she’s trying hard.” Canyon’s nose was

working.

“I can’t…” Mesa grunted, going to his knees. “Something is wrong, bro.”

Canyon barked once, and Angie came running from the cabin next to Juniper’s.

“Canyon?”

“Get him home, get Jack and Rick guarding the door. Something’s happened to Sammy

and Junie.”

“What? What happened?”

Mesa blinked at her, hurting so bad he couldn’t fucking focus. Shit, he felt drugged,

almost.

Canyon was the one that managed to answer. “They went for a walk, maybe? Shit, I don’t

know. Kody’s out like a light, gone, you know.”

“Fuck. I knew that she was trouble.”

“She’s not trouble!” Mesa roared. His mate was so strong.

“Shut up. Not her. Alicia.” Angie’s growl was deep. “She headed off into the woods

earlier with a tranq gun. Said she was looking for that cougar that’s been working the territory. I should have known. She hasn’t been interested in hunting lately.”

Angie’s eyes landed on him. “At least not hunting anything that isn’t the Alpha slot.”

“Which way, Ang?” Canyon puffed up, the man impossibly huge.

“North, toward the cliff face. Watch your back. There’s no coming back from this. This

is…bigger than Clan.”

Mesa growled at her words, at the thought that Alicia might hurt his lady and his sister

for something as ridiculous as a mating that wasn’t hers to desire, rage building in his chest. “I can come.”

Canyon shook his head. “You’ll get in my fucking way. Stay here, see to Kody.”

“Find them. Bring them home.” He snarled, and Canyon nodded, taking off like a shot.

He let Angie help him up, feeling completely disoriented. Shit, some Alpha he was.

“Come on, Mesa. Let’s go. Kody needs you.” The world was spinning wildly and he

couldn’t make his legs work right.

“I’m trying.” He didn’t growl at Angie. She was a good girl. “When you get Jack, help

find Alicia.”

“I will. As soon as you’re home.” Angie kept him moving.

“I know, I know.” He felt useless. Something was happening to Sammy, something that

had her confused and sick to her stomach. She was hurting, too, and trapped. Scared.

Kody must be coming up out of it, right? God, he hurt.

Damn it. He should be out there hunting her, but he had to protect Kody, too. If Alicia got

to him, Mesa and Sammy would go down, too.

MESA!
The scream sent him to his knees again, Kody’s utter panic slamming into his

brain, then disappearing.

Angie dragged him the last ten feet to his house as he buckled, fiercely protecting her

Alpha. He could only vaguely hear her shouting at him.

He slumped down on Kody, breathing hard.

“Kody.” He kissed Kody’s mouth, which was a little blue. “Baby.”

Hurt. She’s hurt. Scared. Mesa. Mesa, please
. He heard that. Inside his soul.

“Canyon is finding her.” He had to stay with Kody, keep Kody grounded so they could

find Sammy. Somehow that was important.

Minnie’s hand combed through his hair. “He will. He will. Hold on, boys. You have to be

strong for her.”

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, panting, holding Kody, when a banging came to

the door.

“Mesa! Mesa, she attacked Juniper! That bitch killed Juniper!”

Mesa raised his head, staring at the door. Where the fuck were Jack and Mike?

It was Alicia, tearing her hair, screaming.

There was no way. No way Sammy would hurt Junie. Sammy treated his baby sister with

gentle hands.

It was Kody that growled, though, eyes still rolled back, showing white, even as his teeth

bared.

An answering growl rose in his throat, and Mesa fought his wolf back as he pushed to his

feet. “Where is she?”

“She’s run. She must have bashed Juniper and ran. I found Juniper’s body in the woods; I

came back to get you.”

Minnie rumbled softly. “My girl isn’t dead.”

Mesa made it to her, his hand on her throat. “Where is she?”

“She ran, Alpha. I swear to you.”

Kody’s voice was clear as a bell.
Liar.

Liar.

Sammy loved them.

“I know you’re lying.” He could hear Sammy in his mind, too, now. Screaming for them.

His girl needed him. This piece of shit hurt his lady, his mate, and then his baby sister. He

snarled, shook her harder. “Where is she?”

Canyon’s voice sounded. “Granny! I have Junie. I need you.”

Grandma Minnie moved faster than he would have thought she could. Mesa wanted to go

to Canyon, but he had to deal with Alicia.

“We have the Alpha bond. Me and Sammy and Kody. I know she’s out there. Where did

you put her?” Kody was waking up, coming back to them.

“She did this to us. Mesa. Mesa, please. I would be yours.”

Kody stood on suddenly strong legs, flying at Alicia as he changed, fangs flashing.

Mesa let Kody take her, but stopped those strong jaws from closing on Alicia’s throat.

“You tell me where she is, or I will let him kill you. You have no idea what you’ve done.”

She looked terrified, somehow, that gentle, loving Kody would attack, intend to kill her.

That satisfied something deep in Mesa’s soul.

“She’s caged. She’s dying. She won’t live.”

“You should have killed Kody, bitch, if you didn’t want the bond to hold.” Mesa shoved

Kody aside and bared his teeth. He was through. “You’d better hope she lives. Canyon! Alicia is going to show us where she is. Her scent will be all over it.”

“Mesa…” Junie’s voice was weak, her eyes unfocused, blood covering the dear face.

“She loves you. She fought for me.”

“I know, baby-girl.” He did. He spared a moment to kiss Junie’s nose, bending over her

to praise. “You did good. I’ll find her.”

Kody stood, barking. Now. Now, Mate. Now.

Mesa let Canyon do the manhandling of Alicia. He let his wolf come, instead, scenting

the ground. They had to backtrack the woman’s trail.

As the wolf, he could sense Sammy, too, so clearly. She was furious, hurt, scared, but

awake. Alive.

And calling.

He and Kody followed the call, not even scenting anymore. Instinct would lead them.

Suddenly, Canyon was beside them, claws digging into the dirt as they climbed. His

second had his back, would fight for him and his mates.

Mate! Mate!
Her yelps were in his ears this time, and Kody howled.

She was close now. He could swear he could smell her.

The cage was half crushed, Sammy slamming herself against the blood-stained bars, over

and over.

Mesa barked, but it was Kody who managed to change, naked and human, working at the

lock with shaking fingers.

As soon as he popped it, Sammy burst out, howling furiously, biting the air.

Mesa went to her, pushing at her, licking her muzzle. She growled at him, panicked and

scared, dancing, then he licked again. His lady. She came to him, then, calling out to him, to Kody.

Mesa nuzzled her, vocalizing. She was so good, so pretty, so strong. Kody came to her,

lapping the dried blood from her shoulder, behind her ears.

Home. Kody growled softly. Home, Mesa.

Mesa nudged Sammy, hoping she could walk that far. Canyon fell in with them, right on

his flank. Sammy made it farther than he’d expected, clearing the trees before she collapsed.

Mesa had to fight with his wolf, who wanted to drag her. He summoned the human in

him instead, standing to pick her up and carry her. His arms and legs shook with the effort.

“Alicia?”

Canyon barked, Jack and Rick at the door to his house, the screaming woman in their

hands.

“Get her out of here.” He carried Sammy into the house, where Minnie was waiting,

frowning.

“Grandma… I need help.”

“You have it.” She looked Sammy over, shook her head. “Let’s get her cleaned up and

dosed with something to ease her.”

“Thanks.” He didn’t know where the man took Alicia, and he only cared in that he didn’t

want the bitch around here. He would deal with her later.

Mesa knew he couldn’t make it up the stairs. He got them to the downstairs room, eased

her onto the bed. They curled around her, protecting her, and soon enough Granny was there,

dosing Sammy with a tonic.

Sammy growled softly, head tossing, but she took it. Good. Good. It calmed her almost

immediately, enough that he and Kody could check for injuries. One of her shoulders was hot,

swollen, the shape wrong, and there was a cut by her ear.

Damn. Damn, the pack would have to see her soon, to know she was all right.

Grandma Minnie started packing her shoulder, wrapping it, and once that was done,

Sammy relaxed.

Poor baby. He nuzzled her throat.

Sammy nosed him. Home.

Home.

They were home. Safe.

Together.

Sammy woke with a start, nose working furiously. The sun was pouring in the window,

and she wasn’t in the cage. Bad cage. Bad.

She was in bed. With her mates.

Oh.

She leaned, muzzle digging into Mesa’s ruff.

Mesa rolled to one side, legs kicking out when he stretched. Such a beautiful wolf. She