The Touch of Her Hands [The Wind River Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  As Zack watched, a slight orange glow formed around her hands, highlighting each finger. With her eyes closed, she breathed in and out steadily. It was like she disappeared into her own little world. Medina groaned and then visibly relaxed. His head sank back onto the ground as he sighed.

  After a couple of minutes, Aurelia gasped and pulled her hands away. If anything, she was even paler than before. “How is it?” she asked.

  Medina moved his leg up and down and laughed. “It’s all better, girl. Damn, I’ve seen you do that before, but it never fails to amaze me. You fixed it.”

  “What’s going on?” Zack asked. Medina sighed and awkwardly got to his feet. He pulled up his pants, fastened them, and then reached to help Aurelia stand. Zack frowned when she swayed slightly. “Is she all right?”

  Medina nodded. “The healings always take something out of her, some more than others. This was minor compared to some of the things I’ve seen her do.”

  “It’s time for you to tell me the truth. What are you doing out here? I know you came from the building because you left the door open.”

  “I had to. I needed a way back in where nobody could see me.”

  Zack crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m waiting. What’s going on?”

  “He’s helping me escape.”

  Zack frowned and looked at the girl. “Escape from what?”

  “The government,” whispered Aurelia.

  “I couldn’t leave her in there any longer, man. They’ve been holding her here, against her will.”

  “Why?” asked Zack.

  “Because of my gift.”

  “Your gift? I don’t understand.”

  “She can heal people with the touch of her hands,” said Medina. “It’s not a scam. You saw it for yourself. They found out what she can do and they wanna know more. Hell, they’re keeping her drugged most of the time. They’ve been running all kinds of medical tests when she’s unconscious. I’m afraid of what they’ll try to do next. They can’t figure where her power comes from.”

  Zack knew all about having abilities one had to keep secret. “How did they find you?”

  Aurelia’s eyes filled with tears. “I’d been able to heal my brother’s small cuts and bruises since I was about five. When my father accidentally backed over his dog, I healed him right there in the driveway. Up until then, I’d kept it to myself, but my father was a witness this time.” She wiped at her eyes. “At first, he was afraid of me, but then he began to wonder how he could benefit from my gift. He wasn’t discreet, and before he could make any real plans, the government made him an offer. Basically, you could say he sold me. They gave him money and a small piece of land and then took me away to live in their labs.”

  “How long ago?” asked Zack.

  “Five years. I was nine years old when I last saw my family.”

  Medina grabbed Zack’s arm. “Please, you’ve got to let her go. They’re planning to transfer her soon, and I might not be able to go with her. She deserves a chance at life.”

  “Where were you taking her tonight?”

  “My cousin is waiting about a mile from here, through the woods. He’s gonna get her out of the country and take her someplace they’ll never find her. I was gonna go back inside and make it look like she’d escaped.”

  “Was Raulston in on this?” asked Zack.

  “No, but I knew I could get by him. He’s been drinking on duty lately.”

  Zack turned away and walked a few feet. When he turned back, his gaze settled on Aurelia. His coyote wanted closer, wanted to protect the little girl. Nobody should have to live their life as some kind of specimen. “For this to work, It’s gonna have to look like both of us were taken unaware. I wouldn’t be able to explain how she got past me while I was on patrol. You’ll have to knock me out and then go back inside and do whatever you can to make it look like you were overpowered.”

  Medina smiled. “Then you’ll help us?”

  Zack sighed and nodded. Aurelia moved quickly and threw her arms around his waist. “Thank you, oh, God, thank you. Bless you, sir. I’ll never forget you.”

  Zack cleared his throat and pushed her away. “Go on and get her to your brother. I don’t wanna know where you’re going. I’ll be waiting by the back door. When you get back, we can set the scene.”

  Medina holstered his gun. “Thanks, Wind River. I’ll owe you, man.”

  “Call me Zack, please.” He motioned toward the woods. “Go on and get moving. You’re wasting time.” He stood and watched as the two of them hurried toward the northern border of town. Just before they disappeared into the trees, the girl turned back and gave a small wave. For some reason, his stomach clenched. For a moment, he fought the impulse to chase after her, and then turned to make his way back to the building he was supposed to be guarding. It was definitely going to be a long, cold night.

  Chapter 1

  Present Day

  Zack moved into the pack’s meeting lodge and took a seat near the back. He’d been all ready to head home for a relaxing weekend off when Alpha Remus had called an emergency pack meeting. Remus had inherited his title when his father died, but Zack had no doubt the six-and-a-half-foot mountain of a man could hold his own in any challenge for his position.

  He looked around and spotted his brothers, David and Eric, along with their mate, Laynee. No one that didn’t know her would ever suspect she was blind.

  “Hey, bro. Any idea what this meeting’s about?”

  Zack turned and watched his brother Macon slide into the chair next to his. “No, I just finished my shift when I got word.” He worked security for the pack and walked regular patrols making sure they had no trespassers. “Must be important though.” He nodded toward the front of the room. “Vanard is here with Koril.”

  “Damn,” said Macon. “It must be bad for Vanard to be here.” Vanard was the head elder in the Wind River Pack, and he had a lot of influence with any decisions concerning the safety of the pack members. Koril had been the head of pack security for over thirty years.

  “Everyone settle down, please.” Remus Wind River moved to stand on the raised platform at the front of the room. “We need to get started right away.” When everyone quieted he continued. “We have a situation. For months we’ve heard the stories of missing pups from packs in the surrounding areas, and now the nightmare has come to us.”

  Zack’s eyes widened as the scent of fear permeated the room.

  “I’ve got Brenner, Victor, and Kinnith out leading search teams,” said Remus.

  “Who’s missing, Alpha?” asked Macon.

  “Jeremy and Marianne’s girls, Celia, Dyane, and Kelly.”

  “How old are they?” asked Zack.

  “Three, four, and five,” said Remus.

  “Too damn young to recognize a threat,” said Zack.

  Remus nodded. “Their mother stopped by to visit with Nanita. They left the girls playing in the yard while they put together some refreshments in the kitchen. I’m told the oldest girl has always been very responsible about looking after her sisters. When Lyssa came in, they asked her to bring the girls inside. Lyssa hadn’t seen them. So, whoever took them got in and out of pack lands in a matter of minutes. They were alone in the yard for approximately a half hour.”

  “Could you pick up any scents?” asked Zack.

  Remus shook his head. “Nothing but Lyssa, and to a lesser degree, Nanita and Zebron. There weren’t even any tracks.” He paused and ran his fingers through his shoulder length hair. “I want some more search teams organized. They can’t have gotten very far hauling three little girls. I’m guessing the pups have been drugged to keep them quiet. No way would they go quietly if a stranger was trying to take them away. I put in a call to the National Council and they’re sending some of their enforcers to help out, but they weren’t very encouraging. This brings the total missing pups to twenty-two. That’s not counting the two recovered in the woods up in Canada.”

  Zack frowned. “Are they
still suffering from some illness, Alpha?”

  “As far as I know, yes.” Remus glanced at Koril and nodded.

  Koril moved to the front of the room. “Macon, Zack, David, and Eric. I want you boys to gear up and move out. You’ll head north, along the river. Keep your eyes and ears open and be ready for anything. We’re dealing with hostiles, and as far as I’m concerned, they’re expendable.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “The rest of you without children join me in the kitchen. I’ve got a map with grids worked out. We’ll see how much territory we can cover.”

  Remus raised his hand. “Those of you with pups, consider the pack on lockdown. Nobody is to be out without an adult present. Now, let’s get moving.”

  Zack stood and followed Macon to the door. They were quickly joined by Eric and David.

  “We need to pick up some gear and drop Laynee off at Mom’s,” said David. “I don’t wanna leave her alone with all this going on.”

  Zack nodded. “Understandable. I’ve got all my gear with me since I just came off patrol. Why don’t I head out now? I’ll take the main path down to the river, and the three of you can catch up by cutting across the school property. If you hurry, we should just about meet up at the forks at the same time.”

  Macon frowned. “You sure you’re up to another shift so soon?”

  “I’m fine. We need to get the pups back. There’ll be plenty of time for rest later.”

  David placed his hand on Zack’s shoulder. “When you get to the forks, wait at least fifteen minutes. If we haven’t shown up by then, move on and we’ll catch up.”

  “Will do.”

  Erick clasped his hand on Zack’s arm. “Good luck, bro.”

  Zack laid his travel bundle on the ground and then stripped off his clothes. Shutting his eyes, he let the change wash over him. In less than a minute, a large, reddish-gray coyote maneuvered his head through the straps of his pack and took off for the river. It took about a half hour of running before he reached the fresh, pungent smell of the clover on the muddy bank. The frothing gurgle of the swiftly moving water nearly drowned out the sound of the birds. His nose to the ground, Zack made his way north, following the twisting, musty trial. He couldn’t pick up anything but the scents of his own pack mates. It took him about three quarters of an hour to cover the ten miles to the forks. It was a lot slower than he normally traveled, but he didn’t want to chance missing any signs of the missing pups. When he arrived at the forks, his three brothers sat waiting. He pulled out of his pack and quickly changed back to his human form.

  “Anything?” Macon asked.

  Zack shook his head and glanced at his mismatched family. Between the four of them, they represented a wolf, coyote, bear, and a falcon. Surely, with that much going for them, they could find three small children. “Macon, why don’t you take to the skies and see if you can spot anything? The rest of us can shift and fan out to see if we can pick up any signs.”

  Macon nodded and began stripping off his clothes. A minute later, he spread his wings out to their five-foot width and took off into the clear, blue sky. He cawed twice and headed north.

  David stuffed his pants into his bag. “You think there’s any chance?”

  Zack growled. “There’s always a chance. Let’s get moving.” He let his animal out, squirmed into his pack, and moved down the path, lifting his face to let the light and shadow dance across his skin. The wind ruffled his hair as his paws made their way over the uneven ground. Eric moved past him, the beat of his wolf’s paws against the path rhythmic.

  He could hear David’s bear behind him, noisily foraging through the brush. He’d gone nearly twenty miles when Macon swooped down from above, cawing loudly, over and over. He tilted his wings twice and then flew east so Zack quickly followed. He didn’t know where David and Eric were. They’d split up to cover more ground a short distance from the forks.

  When he rounded the next bend, he stopped and listened. He could hear something, maybe the cries of a child. Quickly he veered off the path and followed the haunting sound. The closer he got to the hillside, the louder the cries. Zack threw back his head and howled, warning his brothers he’d found something. Moving closer, he saw a small cave. The cries appeared to be coming from inside.

  The smell of animal musk was strong inside the damp interior of the cave. The stone floor littered with dead leaves and twigs. And there, curled up in the corner, were the missing three pups. Zack moved closer, not wanting to frighten the traumatized babies. He stopped when the smallest of the three looked up.

  She gave a small smile and struggled to her feet. Her chubby legs moved swiftly as she made her way across the damp cave, her arms thrown wide. “Doggy,” she cried, throwing her arms around Zack’s neck. The child buried her face in the coyote’s hair and sobbed.

  The oldest girl stood up. “My name’s Kelly. Are you one of my daddy’s pack mates?” Zack managed to nod without dislodging the small child. Kelly sobbed and bent down to her sister. “Come on, sissy. We can go home now. You have to get up.” She turned her tear-ravaged face up to Zack. “I think she’s sick. She won’t talk to me.”

  Zack licked the little girl clinging to him on the cheek and then moved back and shifted. He wasn’t crazy about being naked around children, so he quickly grabbed his bag and pulled on his jeans. He picked up little Celia, carried her over to her sisters, and knelt down. My name is Zack, and the alpha and your daddy sent me to find you.”

  Kelly frowned. “But how did we get here?”

  “You don’t remember,” he asked.

  Kelly shook her head so hard her pigtails flew back and forth. “We woke up here and we called and called to Mommy, but she didn’t come.”

  Zack reached down and smoothed his hand over the child lying quietly. Her wide blue eyes stared blankly up at him. He wanted to growl when he felt the heat radiating from her skin. Leaning over, he scooped her up into his arms. “Come on, girls. Follow me. We need to get outside where I can call for help.” Watching them carefully, he slowly led them out into the sunshine and fresh air. Yanking his shirt from his pack, he laid the lethargic child down and pulled out his phone. Before he could dial, his brother landed in the clearing.

  He nodded at Macon. “I’m giving Alpha Remus a call. You fly back and lead them here. Bring the doc back with you. One of the girl’s is sick.” Macon nodded and took off into the sky. Zack hit five on his speed dial and waited for the alpha to answer his phone.

  “Report,” Remus said gruffly.

  “I found them in a cave about thirty miles from their house. Macon is on his way to guide you in.”

  “Why aren’t you just bringing them home?”

  “The middle girl is sick.”

  “Hold on,” said Remus. Zack could hear him telling someone to get the doctor. “What’s wrong with her?” asked Remus.

  “I don’t know. She’s feverish and kind of out of it. She doesn’t seem to know what’s going on around her.”

  “What about the other two?”

  “They seem okay for now, but I was worried about exposing them to the other children when we brought them back.”

  “Did they say what happened?”

  “Only that they woke up in the cave. They don’t know how they got here.”

  Remus cursed. “Stay with them and I’ll get Doc out there as quick as I can. Did you catch the scent for who took them?”

  “No, Alpha. I found them when I heard them crying. Actually, Macon heard them first and pointed me in the right direction.”

  “Understood,” said Remus. “We’ll see you soon.” Zack disconnected the call and pulled out several candy bars and a couple of bottles of water from his pack.

  Kelly’s eyes lit up when he held out the candy. “Thank you. We’re awfully hungry.” She opened the bar and broke it in half. He smiled as she offered the larger piece to her little sister.

  Zack chuckled when the chocolate disappeared in two bites. He offered them the bottled water and glanced up when Davi
d ambled through the trees. “Stay back, David. One of the girls is sick and I don’t know if she’s contagious or not. Better not risk it. I’ve contacted Remus and they’re on their way. You and Eric watch the perimeter and try to pick up any unusual scents. When the others get here, you can head on home.” The huge bear wagged his head and moved back into the trees.

  “Is my mommy coming?” asked Kelly.

  “I’m not sure, honey. But I know Alpha Remus is on his way and he’ll get you to your mommy really fast.”

  Kelly sighed. “Okay.” She got down on the ground and curved her body around her smaller sister. The youngest of the three came and pulled at Zack’s pants leg until he picked her up and held her against his chest. Zack looked off into the trees. Come on, Alpha Remus. We need that doctor now.

  * * * *

  Remus watched Tehran quietly close the bedroom door. He’d been the pack’s only doctor for close to forty years and still looked to be in his fifties. Their shifter genes slowed down their metabolism prolonging their lives long past the normal human lifespan. “Well, what is it?”

  Tehran sighed and rubbed his fingers up and down the bridge of his nose. “Their symptoms are the same as the pups Alpha Cardston found in the woods a few weeks ago, only you found your pups quicker.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means we have a big problem. The other two children have spiked a fever.”

  “So, it’s contagious.”

  Tehran shook his head. “I don’t think so. I found pinpoint holes in all three girls on their upper thighs. I can’t say for certain that Alpha Cardston’s pups had them. Hell, I can’t even be sure he looked for them.”

  “What do pinpoint holes have to do with them being sick?”

  “They’re injection sites, Remus. Those children were injected with something, and I have no idea what.”

  Remus felt the thoughts in his head jumble as a growl escaped his lips. “Are you telling me that somebody injected something into those sweet children to make them sick?”