I could smell the wolf’s bane from where I was, and it was being pumped into Mathieu’s body.
Wolf’s bane was a flower that could weaken wolves once crushed and its oil extracted. A large amount of it could even prevent us from shifting, making us easy to kill. No wonder they had such a basic lock to keep him trapped. Who knew how much they’d pumped into him.
When I approached him, Mathieu raised his head. His left eye was swollen shut, and his cheek and lip busted. His good eye was barely cracked open, and with the wolf’s bane in his system, his wounds wouldn’t heal as quickly as they usually would.
“Mathieu, I’m going to get you out of here,” I whispered while ripping the straps pinning his arms and legs to the chair. “Where is Colin?”
I hadn’t picked up on his scent since arriving. It was here but faint, which meant he wasn’t around.
“Kaleem?” Mathieu asked weakly. “Where’s Diana? You shouldn’t have come.” He winced when I pulled the needle from his arm, but he looked more worried than in pain. “Where’s Diana?”
“She’s at the pack,” I answered and pulled him up from the chair. “She’s safe.”
When I threw his arm around my neck to help keep him upright, he started shaking his head.
“No. You have to go back. It’s a trap.”
A gunshot rang through the basement, and Killian tumbled down the steps.
“Killian!” I roared, and he got to his feet shakily, a hand on his stomach where blood was soaking through his clothes. “Killian!”
Jackson walked down the steps with a gun aimed at my brother, who staggered back and hit the wall, blood pouring from his gut.
“If you’re wondering why the bullet isn’t being pushed from your body, it’s because it’s made from wolf’s bane. Innovative, right?” Jackson smiled, and my wolf started clawing at my insides. “Don’t remove it soon, and you might die, but oh! You’re here too, Kaleem.”
Jackson’s smile was more of a snarl while aiming the gun at me next. “Welcome to the Bluemoon Pack.”
***
With Killian on my left and Mathieu on my right, I carried them both outside, and Jackson followed us, his gun at the ready.
Bullets made from wolf’s bane weren’t a thing, well, not until now, apparently.
“Hold on,” I whispered to Killian. “Just hold on.”
“Quiet!” Jackson yelled, and Killian started digging into his stomach for the bullet.
“Instead of settling this like wolves with honor, you and your grandfather chose abduction and using guns like the humans that hate us?” I growled, distracting Jackson while we descended the steps, and Killian fell to his knee.
His strength was being sapped away by all the blood he’d already lost and the bullet poisoning him.
“Shut up!” Jackson growled and hit Mathieu with his gun, knocking him unconscious.
Since I was still holding him, we both tumbled, but I caught my balance and Mathieu before we could fall.
Around us, several more wolves appeared, aiming guns at my men to gather us all in a circle, and I lowered Mathieu to the ground gently. Turning on Jackson before I could act, he aimed the gun at my forehead.
“Go ahead,” he growled. “Try what you did in town and see who will be quicker, you or this bullet.”
“I’m not here for you, Jackson. Where is Colin?”
He smiled. “You’re a fool, you know that? Did you really think it would be this easy?”
A few of my men were knocked to their knees, and Jackson started laughing.
“Colin knew Diana would give you his message, and when she did, you’d be the hero you always try to be. You’d come running to save her father, and you’d carry your best men with you.” He leaned forward when Killian started coughing up blood. “Colin’s on his way to your pack right now, if he isn’t there already and with backup. Humans.”
My face dropped, and even Killian went still.