Chapter Thirteen

I was tackled to the ground before the scream completely left my mouth. I landed with a hard Oof! and looked up to see Logan had been the one to sack me. Then I looked behind him to see a familiar looking black arrow sticking into the wall directly where my left shoulder would have been. I really hope these people don't convert to guns anytime soon.

Logan got off of me and let me return to my feet. I was too concerned with what was on William's bed to thank Logan for saving my life. Besides, by the time this was all over, I had a feeling there'd be a lot more thanking to do.

"Where is he?" Kat asked worriedly from behind me.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I snapped without regret and walked over to his bed, I crouched to where I was closer to the evidence. The blood was my brother's as was the tuft of blondish hair. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." I moaned. My brother could be dead right now. I rocked back on my heals and pushed my messy hair out of my eyes mechanically.

Kat and Logan brushed past me and examined the blood, they whispered to each other but I was too shocked to care what they said. My brother might be dead. My brother might be dead. My super-analytical, pain in the ass, temperamental, scientific kid brother was missing.

Logan squatted down to my level as Kat continued to look around the bed. His blue eyes connected with my green ones, "Kaine," He said softly, "William isn't dead. Not yet anyway. There isn't enough blood on the sheets for that."

I understood what Logan was saying at once: If Willy wasn't dead, than he was out there somewhere. That only made me feel slightly better, but at least it gave me a purpose, enough that I pushed myself off the ground and tried to snap myself out of my self-induced pity party.

I had to find him. And kill those flowery smelling bastards in the process.

I didn't notice earlier that the window stood open, just like in the movies when someone is kidnapped and the white lacy curtains are waving in the breeze. That must've been where the arrow had come in from.

"What do we do?" I asked quietly. I had processed what was happening, but I was still trying to grasp the situation.

Kat issued orders, "Logan, use your nose and see if William's or the lilac scent trails go anywhere. Be careful, the archer might still be out there. Kaine, you and I are going to make phone calls." Logan and I nodded and then Kat grabbed my arm and towed me into the living room.

She sat me on the couch and looked firmly in my eyes, "Kaine, William is going to be okay. The Pack will help you anyway we can. Understand?" I managed a nod. "Good. Call your paren- better make that your dad, and tell him only that you and William both have gone back with Logan and I, no need to worry them quite yet. Tell him you'll be home sometime tonight. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am." I joked weakly. Kat was like a drill sergeant under pressure. I on the other hand was flipping between going into trauma-induced shock and running outside and kicking someone's ass. Rather it be the lilac bastards or an innocent bystander.

"Okay," Kat continued, "I'm calling my parents and telling them what happened. When we're done, we are gonna call the Russians."

We both flipped out our cells and, thank god, noticed we finally had a signal. I dialed Dad's work number and waited for him to pick up. I let out a relieved sigh when I got the machine. I hadn't been sure I could lie to him about something this big in person. I left a semi-shaky message that said Willy and I'd be home later from the Danvers. Then I hung up.

I waited for Kat to finish up with her parents. She paced back and forth between the small coffee table and the kitchen doorway. She talked low, but I could hear most of the conversation.

"No mom, we're all fine. We didn't want to drive home in the storm so Kaine told us to stay here for the night. We had no signal anywhere to call."

Elena's voice came through, "At least you're safe. Why do you sound so upset, Katherine?"

Kat looked at me sideways then resumed her pacing, "Kaine's brother, William, he was kidnapped sometime last night. We smelled those damn lilacs again and Kaine opened his door, nearly got shot- again- and then she noticed he was gone and all that was left was some blood and hair."

Elena asked softly, "Is he dead?"

Kat shook her head even though her mother couldn't see her, "No, not right now. There wasn't enough blood for that. Logan's following a scent now. We're about to call the Russian Pack to see what they can tell us. How soon can you get here?"

I heard keys jingling on Elena's end, "I don't know, soon? There are trees down everywhere. We'll be there as soon as possible. Be safe."

"Okay," Kat hung up.

Kat looked at me and said, "Dial their number," A little quieter, only to herself she said, "I only hope they know something."

I had dialed and within two rings I heard Roman's voice call out the Russian hello, "Zdravstvuite?"

"Roman," I realized how my voice trembled and made sure to continue on stronger, "It's Kaine again."

"Kaine! Good to hear you again. What do I owe the pleasure?" He asked warmly. He definitely didn't sound like he had signed mine or my brother's death warrant. At least we can cross him off the suspect list. That left us with… no one.

I sighed and answered, "We've been having some, ahh, problems here lately," Understatement.

"What kind of problems?" Roman asked, sincerely sounding worried.

I chuckled drily, "I've become a human archery target, that's what. Even on the Danvers property. And my brother has been kidnapped."

He gasped, "Kaine! Who doing this? You find brother yet?"

"I was hoping you could give me some clues to the first question, and as for the second we're working on it."

Roman paused, "Are you implying I sent assassins?" His voice got softer, more deadly.

"No!" I realized that must be what it sounded like to him, "Not at all! I only was hoping that you could remember something that would help us find William and the lilac bastards." That's what I had taken to calling them.

"I have no information more than I said-" He stopped himself and continued on a different course, "Wait! You say lilacs?"

"Yes, that's what the people doing this smell like," I said wearily.

"Your mother always smell like lilacs!"

I looked at Kat who until now had been looking out the window. Now she looked at me with wide eyes. "What does that mean?" I asked Roman and Kat at the same time.

"I not know. But fact sticks out to me now." Roman sounded as if he was searching his memory for anything else.

"Is that all you can tell me?" While I appreciated the information it didn't tell me much. I knew my mother was dead, and even if she wasn't, I doubted she would be trying to kill me and my adoptive brother with a bow.

"I afraid so, I sorry I cannot provide more." Roman sighed.

I almost said good bye before I thought of another possibility, "Roman, did you tell anyone about me? Anyone at all?"

He considered the question, "No, just me, and my beta, Sasha."

I looked at Kat to see where to proceed. She shook her head and mouthed don't pursue it.

I nodded in understanding, though I was curious to see where she was going with it, "Okay, thank you for your help, Roman."

"You welcome, Kaine. If you need extra wolves, no hesitate to call me. I will always help you." Roman paused, "I sincerely hope you find you brother."

"Me too," I breathed. "Goodbye Roman." I hung up.

"Kat," I started, "Why didn't you want me to ask about Sasha?"

She looked back out the window, "Politics and psychology." Kat said simply and walked past me to open the door.

Before I could ask what the hell she was getting at, Elena, Clay, Jeremy and Logan walked through the front door.

Elena looked at me with sympathy in her eyes, she didn't stop and instead continued down the hall following Kat. Clay also followed, only his head was set on a swivel as he checked the place out, his head sometimes dipped as he tried to catch a scent. Jeremy followed last and his head was set straight ahead. The only reason I knew he knew where he was was because his nostrils occasionally flared and his head would slightly tilt when he heard something.

I stood up to follow them and Logan appeared at my side.

"Are you okay?" He whispered.

I nodded, "For now. I just hope we can find him." That was as inadequate description.

Logan nodded agreement. He looked down the hallway further to where his Pack was. Then he pulled my arm to stop me, "What are we going to tell them?"

"About what?" I asked stupidly.

Logan gave me a look, "About our situation?"

With everything that was going on, I had totally forgotten about our… relationship. I shrugged, "I don't know. At this point, I've got other things on my mind," I said it truthfully, not cruelly. Logan understood what I meant.

"Okay, I'll take care of it then." He concluded. We walked forward again.

Everyone was crowded in William's room. I was once again overcome with grief at the realization that my brother was gone.

Clay was sniffing the window sill and then he jumped out and walked towards the thin tree line. His head still swiveled around the yard. His boots sloshed in the mud from the storm last night. The mud was spattering the back of his pant legs and the hem of his shirt.

I turned back to what was happening inside. Elena sniffed the sheets and consulted with Kat about something. I thought I heard the name 'Sasha' and a couple words like 'mole', 'trail', and 'kidnapper'. They were really good at keeping their voices quiet.

Across the hall in my room, Logan and Jeremy had their heads together in a heated discussion. I didn't hear anything other than 'her' several times, but I figured they were talking about me.

I stood in the hallway looking like a lost duck for a few minutes before everyone was being herded back into the living room.

"Logan," Elena asked, "Did you get anywhere with that scent?"

Logan shook his head, "Not really. William's trail ends at the sidewalk where I guess he was put into a vehicle. The lilacs stop halfway there."

"So obviously," I started pacing the room, "the lilac bastard," I received a couple of meaningful looks so I changed my vocabulary, "I mean person can control their scent. So when they do smell like flowers, they're doing it to taunt us." I looked at the couch where the senior Pack members sat, "I assume you haven't seen anything like that?"

Everyone shook their head but Jeremy. He had this far-off look in his eyes. Then he spoke up, "I remember Jaime talking to Paige on the phone. Paige said something about a new grimoire her and Lucas had found. Paige said there's a spell in it that covers up scents. Jaime volunteered us to test it."

Elena looked at Kat, "Katherine, call Paige and Lucas, ask them about it." Kat left to do the task.

"Paige is a witch and Lucas is a sorcerer, right?" I asked. I thought I remembered Kat telling me that after my first round of Changes.

Logan answered, "Right."

"Well then," I was starting to piece together what little bit of information we had, "Whoever is doing this either is or has the help of a witch or sorcerer."

Elena nodded.

"Okay… Have any of us seen this person do anything werewolfy? Like excess strength or speed?" I continued on my train of thought.

Clay responded, "They had to be pretty quiet and fast to take your brother out of here with three of you here the whole time."

"Right," I murmured, "Also, unless they drugged Willy they'd have to overpower him. And he puts up a decent fight."

Elena spoke up, "His blood was clean, he wasn't drugged. But the hair was left there intentionally, it wasn't an accident. So the one doing the dirty work quickly gained the upper hand."

"When I was on that run getting shot at, I didn't hear him at all until he was shooting. Also, he kept pace with me the whole time I ran."

"Well than that means it's either a werewolf or a vampire." Elena deduced.

"Vampire?" I asked, Kat hadn't told me much about vampire's other than that they do eventually die.

Elena nodded, "They don't leave a scent at all, but they don't have any extra strength. The kidnapper may have bit your brother to knock him unconscious. I don't know how they would have kept pace with you in the forest though." She looked at Clay and muttered, "I can't believe we didn't think about that earlier."

"Wait," I interrupted frantically, "A vampire may have bit my brother? What does that mean?" Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with visions of William turning into a vampire with the long fangs and slicked back hair.

"He won't turn into a vampire if that's what you mean." Elena assured me, "Vampire's have a sedative in their saliva. If they bit him, he'd only fall asleep, nothing drastic."

Relieved, I summed up our discussion, "So the lilac people are either a werewolf with the help of a sorcerer or witch, or they're a vampire."

Kat came back in the room and returned her cell phone to her pocket. "Cross off possibility number one. Lucas said the spell doesn't work on people. It's limited to inanimate objects, which makes it virtually useless. Lucas sounded very disappointed. "

"So that narrows it down to every vampire in the world." We came so far.

Logan disagreed, "Why aren't we thinking of the obvious possibility?" He asked everyone in general.

"And that would be?" Kat asked.

"That mutt scientist. He's the one that started all this to begin with. I'm sure he would want Kaine back if he had the chance." Logan explained.

"Then why wouldn't have he taken her back years ago?" Clay questioned.

"The mutt might've lost track of her. Since she's Changed a lot more people know about her, maybe he knows now too." Logan retorted.

"Okay, even if that was true," I started, "why would he want Willy?" That was my main concern at this point.

Everyone thought about the question. Kat answered, "Hostage or blackmail?"

"So if I don't give myself up than he'll do something to my brother?" Ultimatums suck.

Elena nodded, "Sounds like a mutt."

"Well then shouldn't he contact me?"

Elena nodded again, "Yes, probably anytime now."

"So what? We wait until then?" I wasn't good at waiting. Patience definitely was not a virtue I possessed.

"What else can we do? Maybe when he calls he'll slip up and tell us something that will give us a lead." Elena aimed pointed looks at my clothing, then at Logan's and Kat's. "Right now though, you three change your clothes and we'll go home. Kaine, you're coming too."

After the events of this morning, I think it was excusable that I was still in my pajamas. At least to me it was. Logan went into the bathroom (it was an unspoken rule that no one was to go into William's room) to change into his clothes from yesterday. I changed in my room into a clean pair of jeans, a Hartford Lions t-shirt from my old school and a white sports jacket.

Logan and I returned to the living room while Kat changed in my room. Elena and Clay were outside doing something. I perched on the edge of the recliner and Logan sat on the end of the couch closest to me. Jeremy- on the other end of the couch- silently appraised us with his dark eyes and I got the impression that he knew something.

I confirmed my suspicions when I very quietly asked Logan, though my gaze was firmly set on Jeremy, "You told him huh?"

Logan nodded.

"You gonna tell your parents?" I asked.

Logan shrugged, "Eventually."

I looked at Jeremy, he stared back. "So…," I began awkwardly, "You know…"

Jeremy nodded; his eyes took on a little twinkle, "Yes."

"Do you have any… thoughts… on the matter?" Beside me, Logan laughed softly.

The former Alpha shook his head, "It's not my place to have any. Although it does make sense if you're the only other female werewolf unrelated to Logan."

"Hmm…" I thought about what he said. Did that mean he approved of disapproved? Not that there was anything we could do about it either way.

Kat returned to the living room during my contemplation, and then Clay stuck his head in the front door. "Ready to go."

We headed outside. I got into my truck, Kat and Logan took the jeep back, and Jeremy, Elena, and Clay took a blue Sedan.

My radio was cranked to almost the highest as I listened to one of those pointless morning talk shows. What threw me off was that while my life seemed to be crumbling down around me, the world still went right on along. There were no cataclysmic weather patterns, no genocidal terrorist attacks, nothing other then an attempted homicide a few towns over. A jealous husband shot his cheating wife. As callous as it sounded, it wasn't my concern. Just like no one else seemed to care about what was happening in my life, except for a select few anyways.

I told myself that if I was going to have any emotional outbursts they best be done now in the privacy of my truck. Either I was still replenishing my tear reservoirs or I was too tired, but I didn't cry or anything. I was quite proud.

After the forty minute long drive, our train of vehicles finally pulled into the secluded driveway of Stonehaven. Behind the large house, bare leaved trees glittered with morning dew, temporarily blocking out all other thoughts. As I got out of the truck, I was tempted to just run straight for them and loose myself in the dense trees.

Then the reason for my visit came rushing back into my head like the snap of a rubber band. William. I had to get my little brother back. Blood relative or not, I loved him.

"You coming?" Kat called from the porch. I hadn't realized that I had been still staring at the woods.

I nodded and ran up the steps to catch the screen door. Before I walked into the well heated den of Stonehaven, I hadn't understood how cold it was outside. You could see your breath.

In the den, everyone was seating themselves. I sat on the floor, my back propped up against a wall. I watched as the kindling Clay had put on the fire caught. Small flames danced over the thin twigs.

Offhandedly, I wondered how many of Clay's students would think he was so brilliant or so gorgeous if they knew the truth about him. For that matter, how many of his colleges? I almost laughed as I pictured the faces of the lecture attendees as Clay ripped his shirt off and Changed. Anamorphic cultures indeed.

"He hasn't called," Elena snapped my trance with the statement, not a question.

I knew the kidnapper hadn't, but I checked anyway, "No." I thought of Willy in a small, dank cell- god knows where- getting tortured because of me, unable to call for help… "Wait!" I cried and jumped up, instantly getting everyone's attention. "Did any of you see his cell phone on his nightstand?" I looked everyone in the eyes. The Pack shook their collective heads.

Brimming with hope, I punched in William's number. He always kept his phone on the nightstand. I moved it once and he freaked out on me, saying he'd never be able to find it if anyone moved it.

A beep alerted me that someone had answered on the other line but it was silent. "Hello?" I said panicky.

"I'm surprised it took you this long, Kaine," a deep voice answered that raised goose bumps on my skin. "I thought I put more brains in your head than that." The man tsked tsked.

"Where the hell is he?" The amount of steel in my voice surprised everyone, evident in the various faces that intently studied me and my phone.

I could hear the smile in the man's voice as he said, "It's such a cliché, but you sound exactly like your father did." Something in his voice was off, but the slight static on the phone made it unidentifiable.

My rage was smothering me, "Where is my brother?"

"Oh William's right here. Care to say hi?"

I heard rustling then a small voice, "Kaine? Oh, it hurts so bad," my brother whimpered and it almost broke my heart to hear him in such pain, but I was too angry.

The phone returned to the man, "See?"

If it was possible, my voice got even scarier, "I will hunt you down and kill you! Bastard! You Fucking Asshole!"

I would have gone on for much longer if the man hadn't cut me off, "There's your mom!" He sighed wistfully. "Your mother was a lovely woman," he sounded so sincere I almost gagged. "And Kaine, you don't have to hunt me, I'll tell you where I am. All I want is you back. You were my finest creation."

I hurled a half-dozen more curses at him before I regained my ability to speak, "Or you'll kill him," I spat.

"No, no, no, Kaine. I'll try to recreate you. I'll experiment with your brother until I get another you, or he dies." Throughout this entire conversation not once did the mutt sound intentionally malicious, just so truthful it infuriated me.

The Pack hadn't said a word, they only stared.

"Where the fuck are you?" I growled so loud it hurt my ears.

"The last place your Russian friends would look, with the United Kingdom Pack." He chuckled, "In fact, I've even met Clayton, Elena, and Jeremy Danvers."

The three in question sat slack jawed.

My blood boiled, "They let you do this?"

He laughed, "They need new recruits too, I'm providing them with the best there is."

"Oh my God, you sick bastard!" I shouted, "How the hell can you stand yourself?"

"Kaine," he suddenly sounded tired, "I've answered enough questions in order for you to make your decision. What is it?"

An unbelievably stupid one, I thought. "What will happen to me if I do come?"

"Kaine!" He sounded genuinely surprised, "You're considering not coming? What about your brother?"

Of course I wasn't really considering it, but I was going to pump this mutt for as much information as he'd give me. "What'll happen?" I demanded.

"I'll study you, of course!" He chuckled at my ignorance. "Now what'll it be?"

"I'm coming," I gritted out. None of the Pack seemed surprised at my choice, but many of them wore fierce or calculating expressions. "Where are you, asshole?"

"That's what I thought," he said smugly and I wanted to give him the most painful death possible, then call up a necromancer to raise him so I can do it all again. "I'm in Ireland, at the United Kingdom Pack headquarters. Your friends should know where that is."

He paused briefly and continued, "And before you or anyone else gets it in their head to trick me, know that my Pack is ready to fight you and defend me. I hear you look much like your mother. If that's true, I'd hate to see that pretty face of yours marred in battle. Goodbye Kaine." He hung up.

I stared at the tiny phone in my hand for what seemed like eternity. How could something so innocent looking be the bringer of such horrible, life changing news?

Logan suddenly broke out of the shocked silence the whole room was caught in and roared, "That bastard!"

My sentiments exactly. I was just so angry, so incredibly furious that I dropped to all fours, and the cell phone skidded under the couch. I knew I was Changing, yet I couldn't stop it. My rage was feeding it, making it unstoppable.

"Get her outside!" I heard Elena shout.

I felt someone pick me up, from the scent, it was Clay. I struggled in his arms even though I didn't mean to. Soon, I felt cool, dewy grass beneath me and bush branches scratch me as my body racked with shudders.

I tried to calm myself down, but it wasn't working.

That sick, stupid, sadistic mutt! God damn him!

Before I knew it, I was panting in wolf form. My clothes were shredded around me and I internally winced as I realized my favorite jeans were among them. I stuck my head out of the bushes Clay had deposited me in and saw that Kat sat with her back to me. I crept up to her and nudged her with my muzzle.

She turned to look at me, "You alright?"

I shook my shaggy head and stared at her like she'd gone crazy. I mentally shouted, No I'm not fucking alright! What the hell do you think?

She seemed to have gathered what I was thinking. Kat nodded with her head to the house and grinned, "They're calling in the army."

XxXxXxXxX

I quickly- well as fast as I could- Changed back to my human self. "Kat?" I called out.

"Yeah?" She responded.

"I need some clothes."

"Right, almost forgot. Incoming!" She yelled.

A pair of jeans that were slightly too short and a perfectly baggy hoodie landed at my feet. I swiftly pulled them on and stepped out. Me and Kat walked together up to the house.

"So what's this army you speak of?" I asked her as we stepped through the back sliding door.

Kat considered my question, "Well the rest of the Pack for one, and depending on our plan, maybe some other people."

I snorted, "What plan? The only plan we're doing is the one where I go to Ireland and trade myself for my brother. I can handle some pokes and prods from some scientist if it means getting him back."

Kat just gave me a look as we walked into the den.

Elena must have heard my statement because when we walked in she looked at me and said, "I'll admit, we were thinking about letting you do just that." Her expression was completely unreadable.

While it kind of hurt to know these people would knowingly send me off to something like that, I was also happy that I wasn't going to have to fight their decision to keep me from going. "Okay then, if you'd be kind enough to please give me a ride to the air-"

"No!" Logan burst out, "You can't let her walk to her death!"

Clay raised an eyebrow at his son's behavior, "And why can't we? She seems more than happy with that choice."

"Because," Logan stared at his mother and father defiantly, "she's my mate."