“You weren’t supposed to, not if he was doing his job. He was within visual range at all times, until there were a few complications.” Mr. Jacobs retook his seat as Evan came to perch on the edge of her desk.
Caroline started a list of people she’d need to contact even as she listened to the conversation.
“I underestimated my girl. I didn’t think she’d actually leave civilization. Once she and her guide left their second stop, the guard couldn’t find a way to follow them without being noticed.”
Not with them heading to the birthing grounds in northern Alaska, not unless her guard had wings. Caroline opened another screen, sending off an IM. “Evan, I can get Shaun’s flight plans from the airport—there’s a wolf in the traffic-control division. I assume we want to keep this on the quiet, or are we calling in the RCMP?”
The wolf-in-a-suit and Mr. Jacobs exchanged confused glances.
“Royal Canadian Mounted Police—the local authorities. If Gem’s been kidnapped—”
Jacobs frowned. “No police. It’s a shifter situation. I want it dealt with quietly if possible. We’ll go to the humans as a last resort.”
About what she figured. It had to be some shifter-ego-mojo thing, but they never seemed to want to use the proper system. “Then may I ask what kind of manpower you can provide?”
“To assist in recovering them?”
Caroline nodded. “If we’re not contacting the police, I want to know we’re not going into this blind and getting them both killed, not if they have actually been kidnapped. Shaun’s a good friend, and I enjoyed Gem’s company while she was here.”
Mr. Jacobs narrowed his gaze, the sweet old man disappearing and the predator of his wolf showing through. “You think I would do anything to harm my daughter?”
“Caroline…” Evan’s tone warned her off, then he shrugged and that damn grin of his was back in place. In other words, he mustn’t have thought she was in too deep of shit, but she was going to have to talk her way out of this one alone.
Bastard. Another test? She was so going to mix something nasty into his coffee tomorrow morning.
Caroline straightened her spine and maintained eye contact with Mr. Jacobs even though she wanted to duck behind Evan and hide. “Respectfully, I think you aren’t from around here, sir. This isn’t the civilized south, and we’re not talking about hopping on a bus or in a cab to get to wherever they are. It’s not about money, although our pack resources aren’t unlimited. If you’ve got help available—that changes our game plan.”
Jacobs relaxed back, his eyes bright. Feral. “You find out where they are, young lady. I have the wolves, and the funds, to get the damn fools who snatched my girl and make them sorry they ever started anything with me and my kin. You’ll find we’re not all that civilized when it comes to people threatening our families.”
They stared at each other for a moment, and Caroline relented. She’d dealt with enough wolves over the years to know when one was bullshitting her. The old man really was trying to provide what he thought was best for Gem.
“Let me make a few calls.” Caroline tilted her chin at Evan. “I’ve got a list for you as well. You’ll have to speak to the Alpha in Dawson—he won’t talk to me.”
Evan nodded, and the two of them got to work.
Gem woke to see dust motes floating past in horizontal lines, the sun shining in through the tiny slits in the windows enough to show her that she was alone in bed. There was a warm spot where Shaun had lain by her side all night.
Maybe falling asleep last night had been a bad idea, but she’d been one step away from falling over. Not much dignity in that. Although maintaining her dignity was the least of her worries at the moment.
She hopped off the cot, stretching and shaking her fur into place before following Shaun’s scent into the back of the building.
“Well, good morning, sleeping beauty.” He knelt and caressed her, scratching behind one ear, and Gem snorted at him. Wolves were allowed to snort, right?
He looked much better than he had yesterday, the bruises fading, the cut above his eye sealed over and healing already. She butted him with her head, wishing for the millionth time they could speak to each other like a regular mated pair, sharing thoughts mentally.
“I’ve been examining our home. It’s actually quite lovely, and I think I spotted a mistake our kidnappers made. If you wouldn’t mind staying in wolf for a moment?”
She shook her head and followed as he guided her to another section. The corridor led inward, away from the exterior walls. The building was large enough there were no windows in this section.
“I think someone had adapted this DEW Line for science experiments before it was abandoned. The bears who stuffed us in here must be Alaskan or Northern Yukon born. They did an awesome job making sure your average wolf would be stuck like a fish in a barrel.”
Shaun tugged open a half-size door and squatted, pointing into a small square opening.
Gem sat on her haunches. Oh fudge, she bet she knew where this was going. He’d called her insane before. It was his turn for the label if he thought she’d go along with this without some sweet-talking.
She was going to make him say it, because volunteering to crawl into a black, spider-web-filled metal box when she didn’t know where it went?
“I can’t fit. A bear damn well can’t fit, but you can. This is part of the heating system. The central furnace—they simply ran the ducting along the floors. We only need to get to the other side of this wall, and from what I saw as we were entering, there’s a good chance there’s a break in the exterior and you can get outside. Once you’re free, we’ll work on how you can spring me.”
Gem nodded, then ignored him and paced back to the “bedroom”. The duct was a great idea. An awesome idea. She had no issues with any of it.
But first she was going to have breakfast, just to get up her nerve.
She jumped on the bed and shifted before reaching up for a hug. Shaun tugged her against him, his hands nice and warm as they stroked her bare back. “I thought you were going to crawl through the ducting right away.”
She squeezed him hard, then looked around for her robe. It was crumpled and dirty, and she couldn’t be happier to have something to tug on to give her the illusion of protection, at least for a little longer. “No, you suggested I go right away. I want something to eat, please, and maybe a washroom?”
Shaun kissed her nose. “I’m sorry. I was so excited when I started looking around that I didn’t even think—”
She stuck her palm over his mouth. “You know what? You don’t have to do it all—have all the answers, solve all the puzzles. Work with me, just like you taught me on the trail. Right?”
Shaun caught her wrist in his fingers, nibbling on her fingertips for a moment. “My apologies. You’re right. I’m used to being the one in charge—excursions, and all that. But since this is my first kidnapping, I should totally follow your lead—oof.”
Gem shook out the knuckles of her left hand. “You have wonderful abdomen muscles.”
“If you want to examine them, feel free to use your tongue, not your fist.” Shaun pointed behind her. “They left a cooler with food in it. Shall I make you a sandwich while you use the little girl’s room? It’s around the corner to the left. A lovely plastic bucket complete with TP and a squirt bottle of sanitizer.”
She stood for a moment until her sense of the ridiculous hit hard. She’d run for miles in wolf form, made love on the side of a mountain. Sat by a fire under the midnight sun.