Sierra Cartwright - Doms of Dark Haven

“Eva here didn't come to Dark Haven tonight to play. She was being followed.

I'm pretty sure by Abraxas.”

As one, they all looked at her.

“Dark suits? Bad haircuts?”

She nodded at Brian, noting his expertly cut hair. He probably spent more on his hair and tan than she did on her clothing in a year.

“Damn it, Harte. We've stayed under their radar till now.” Patrice shot a glare in her direction. Eva bit her lip and kept her mouth shut. “Now we'll have to contact the rest of the pack and make sure everyone goes on alert.” She had a phone out and was rapidly texting on the tiny keyboard.

“She couldn't have known that we were here, Patrice,” Kevin said mildly. That didn't seem to soothe her or her mate. Both glowered at Eva.

“I'm going to take her in hand tonight, teach her a little about our world.”

Yeah, Professor Harte Sommers probably had some lovely things on his syllabus for her tonight. Eva glared at the opposite wall. She felt a subtle wave of power and glanced up at Harte, who was gazing at her. His expression gave nothing away, but she knew he was reacting to her disrespect.

“I don't want you guys leaving. I think they've got a tracker after her. If that's the case, it'll be fixated on her. Don't do anything to draw their attention when they show up. Just get their scents, memorize what they look like, and take note of when they leave. When they go, we go too.”

“Hunting?” Patrice sat a little straighter. Brian had a chilling smile on his face. Kevin studied his linked fingers.

“I'm calling Chase Montenegro. It's about a two, maybe a three-hour drive from Truckee. With his people, we'll have the manpower to deal with the hunters.”

“Why call in those freaks?” Brian looked angry. “We can handle it! Our people can be in from Calistoga before Chase can come down from Truckee!”

Harte narrowed his eyes and glared at the other man. Brian wilted visibly.

“Do you question my judgment, Brian?” His voice was soft and threatening.

Once again Eva felt that wave of power wash over her skin. This time it was stifling and ominous. She swallowed hard. She'd tasted his amusement and maybe his lust; she didn't ever want that anger directed at her.

Eva thought they might fight, but after a long, tense moment, the blond man backed down. He did so a bit grudgingly. Eva was not impressed. Surely Harte had better candidates for his beta?

“Why should we help her?”

Harte folded his arms and looked at Patrice. He didn't bother to answer. Like her mate had, she backed down, gaze gliding away. Eva could smell the woman's anger. She shifted to her knees, ready to leave and face the hunters on her own. If this was pack life, she didn't need it.

“It helps us to help her, Patrice.” Kevin looked up at the alpha, seeking permission to continue. Harte nodded at the omega. “She might be their primary target, but they'll eventually find us, unless we deal with them quickly.”

“Shut up, Kevin. You agree with every fucking thing he says!” Patrice yanked sharply at the leash that she still held. Kevin looped his hand and clasped the leather leash, tugging back so that he had slack.

“Yes. He's my alpha.”

This was the first time Eva had ever seen pack dynamics at work. It wasn't that different from other situations she'd been in. Patrice, Brian, and Kevin were like angry siblings, challenging their parent and each other.

Eva cleared her throat. “What's a tracker?”

Patrice snorted contemptuously. “They're the scum of the earth. That's what.”

Eva ignored the other woman and looked at Harte.

“Trackers are a product of the labs, Eva. They're usually human mixed with a shifter of some sort, often coyote or wolf. Sometimes they even splice canine genes into the mix, mostly for the sake of developing a tracker that fixates on a scent.”

“Are they shifters like us?”

“Nothing like us.” Brian's voice was low and feral, filled with hate. She looked from the beta to Kevin. His skin was flushed. Something about this conversation was bothering the young omega. Suddenly her skin prickled, and she shivered. She looked up at Harte and spoke.

“They're here. Inside the club.”

“Damn. I meant to have you downstairs before this.” Harte rose and helped Eva to her feet. His hand lingered on hers, and the expression on his face was intense. “I don't want her alone. You three stay close to Eva while I call Chase. Take her downstairs. Try to get her into one of the theme rooms till I come down. Kevin, since you two are both bare skinned, before you leave this room, make sure you cover her scent.”

Brian stifled a smirk, and Patrice growled in anger. Kevin scooted closer to Eva and threw his arm over her bare shoulders. She went rigid—partly in embarrassment, partly in fear. He patted her arm, and she relaxed as the warm musk of his fragrance mingled with her own. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Hopefully he wouldn't pee on her.

“How did you know they were here, Eva? Did you scent them?” Harte studied her carefully. His nostrils flared, and he glared at Kevin. The omega was following his orders, but the alpha wasn't reacting well to Eva's proximity to him.

Eva grinned and snuggled closer to Kevin.

She shrugged. “Don't know. I felt them outside when I was leaving work. This was the same.”

Harte crossed to the door and opened it slightly so he could peer out. “It's damn crowded.” He waited for a moment.

“Bingo. Two black suits are headed to the bar. Since they saw you in that cloak, they aren't going to be looking for you nearly naked.” He smiled smugly. Eva growled, and Kevin laughed.

“Okay, get her down the stairs. I'll be there in a minute.”

Within a second, Eva was surrounded by three warm bodies; Kevin kept an arm around her waist, Brian led, and Patrice followed. She was painfully aware that they looked like a pair of dominants with their subs in hand. They moved to the right and started toward the stairs.

“You've never been to a dungeon before?” Kevin felt good next to her. Warm and comforting. When she shook her head, he continued, “Okay, don't be freaked.

It'll be quieter down there, but the scents will be stronger. Your wolf will react. Just stay calm.”

She swallowed hard, nodding. As they approached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the steady, rhythmic sounds of leather on flesh. The occasional moan or squeal jolted her. She took a deep breath and then wished she hadn't. The air was redolent with sex and adrenaline. Next to her, Kevin also took a deep breath. He shivered, and she was fairly certain that it was delight that moved him. The front of his breeches tented outward.

The dungeon had a hushed atmosphere, and nearly everywhere she looked, Eva saw bodies. Bodies on wooden frames, bodies on swinging contraptions. To her left, a naked man was strapped to an X-shaped cross. Another man had a flogger in either hand and moved so quickly that the floggers seemed blurred. The sub's back was red and welted, but he seemed oblivious. In fact, he seemed to be in a state of bliss.

“Sub space,” Kevin whispered. “He's moved past the pain into an altered state.” She nodded and wondered if it was like a runner's high.

“Wait here. I'll see if there's an empty station.” Brian didn't speak above a whisper. Judging by the intensity on the faces of those playing nearby, it would be bad to break their focus.

Kevin moved her against a wall, and automatically she turned around, then realized that they stood with their backs to a window. To her mortification, a couple writhed on a bed just on the other side of the glass. She turned back quickly, her cheeks hot with embarrassment.