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Winter was in that warehouse. He was as sure of that as anything he’d ever been involved in. Why would they leave her there unattended? They wouldn’t. There had to be at least one guard, if not several more, inside with her.
Hanging back, he spoke quietly into the radio. “I’ve found where I think they’re holding Winter.”
“Can you tell if she is alive?” asked Colby anxiously.
Sean stilled his racing thoughts and the adrenaline coursing through his body. “Yes. I can feel her. She’s not using the link, but I can tell she’s there, and she isn’t dead.”
“If they’re shifters, they may be using an iron collar to keep her snow leopard in check, as well as impeding the effectiveness of the bonding link,” said Colby. “We’re at the sheriff’s office waiting on Jax and a couple of volunteers. Dash remembers a group of four or five strangers at The Workshop earlier this evening, but they said they were just passing through and left long before Winter did.”
“That might be a coincidence, but it’s worth checking out if they used a credit card.”
Colby chuckled. “They used cash, and there is no coincidence. In case you missed it, Mystic River isn’t on the way to any place. The only reason you end up here is because this is where you wanted to be.”
“I’m going in to take a closer look,” said Sean.
“Campbell? This is Sheriff Miller. Do not, I repeat do not, approach the warehouse. Wait for back up.”
Colby chuckled. “Clearly our Kodiak bear sheriff does not understand the nature of feline-shifters in general and snow leopards, in particular. I will try and educate him on the way there. Just be careful.”
“Will do,” said Sean with a smile, not understanding how two men he was supposed to have been so close to could not see past Colby’s bad guy façade to the intelligent, honorable man who had seen the Shadow League coming long before anyone else. He understood what Colby had done in pushing people away to keep them safe, but how had those same people not seen that ruse for what it was?
Whether the lynx-shifter liked it or not, Winter had seen through the disguise and through her eyes, Sean had seen it as well. Colby’s need for deception and keeping his true nature hidden was about to have to come into the light. Not only did Winter need a seat at the table, the alpha of Windsong not only needed a seat, but he also needed to be leading the damn group.
It was Winter, at Colby’s instigation, who had set up the vast, global intelligence network and Colby and Winter seemed to have their finger on the pulse of what was going on and what was at stake.
Sean turned off the speaker of the two-way radio so it couldn’t inadvertently give him away and began to creep down toward the warehouse, praying he would hold his mate in his arms once more.
CHAPTER17
WINTER
Winter ignored the black hood and iron collar just as she ignored the prevalent musk of those who had kidnapped her. The fact that they had done so pissed her off royally. How had a bunch of weasels—because that’s what their scent identified them to be—managed to sneak up on her? Her thoughts about her mate had been an indulgence and she should never have let them distract her. She’d have to work on that.
Deciding that she no longer wanted to fight this thing that was between them was the first step. Telling him and finding out if he felt the same way was the second. She was sure that once she was certain of their future, she would be able to focus on what was important. Well, that wasn’t true. Her mate and their future were important, just not as immediate as the other issues. She realized now that Sean had given her a future.
She’d never dared to let herself think about what would happen next. She was so preoccupied with gathering intelligence and staying alive in dangerous situations that she had given up on wondering what the future might hold for her. Now, not only did she think about it, but she also wanted there to be something. It was important, and she hoped that the future she was beginning to envision might be with her mate.
They dragged her out of the vehicle. She made her body heavier by relaxing and not offering them any resistance. Most people didn’t realize that it was harder to move an unconscious or inert body than one that was fighting with you. With the latter, you could use the person’s own energy to bolster your own.
She was tossed onto what felt like feed sacks of some kind. They were hard and uncomfortable, but the contents weren’t solid. She rolled up into a sitting position. She could overhear four men speaking. She wasn’t close enough and they weren’t loud enough for her to make out their words—just four distinct voices that she could make out. There seemed to be a small argument and from what she could tell, three or more of them left, going their separate ways.
The footsteps approaching her sounded like they came from one man. The stench of his musk made her think it had to be a striped polecat, a wolverine, or a skunk. The smell was rancid and grew stronger with each step.
The man snatched the hood from her head, and she blinked at the bright, overheard fluorescent lights, trying to get her eyes to focus. She glanced around without moving her head. From what she could see, she was in an older warehouse that had seen better days.
“Bet you didn’t expect to see me, now did you,” the little man asked.
Not knowing if he knew the extent to which she was involved in Colby’s operations, she decided to play dumb. “I should have recognized the smell. I don’t recall your name, but I do remember you hanging around The Workshop for the past few months. Sometimes you had a few friends with you.” Winter sniffed openly. “Wolverine, I’m thinking. I had it narrowed down to three different species.” She sniffed again, “Yep, definitely wolverine.”
The man backhanded her. “You thought I was a skunk? That’s not only stupid, it’s downright insulting.”
“Hey, I had a hood on, and you weasels tasered me. That hurts, by the way.”
“Good. You should be grateful you’re still alive. There was some discussion about that, but the boss seems to think you might know more than you’re letting on. I told him you were just some dumb bimbo hiding up at Windsong and sucking Reynolds’ dick whenever he wants it. Lucky bastard. That’d be the life—alpha of a rich, powerful clan getting all the pussy he wants.” He laughed at his jest. “She-cats—pussy, get it?”
Winter nodded. “You’re a clever one, you are,” said Winter sarcastically—a tone that seemed to be lost on the wolverine-shifter. “He does have something of an insatiable appetite.”
“Rumor is your true alpha has showed up to claim you. Has he mounted you yet?”
