Finding Me (Pack Bardot Book 2) Read online

  Finding Me

  Pack Bardot - Book 2

  M.K. Harper

  Copyright © 2020 M.K. Harper

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN-13: 9781234567890

  ISBN-10: 1477123456

  Cover design by: Art Painter

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

  Printed in the United States of America

  To my granny, Mavis Katherine Harper. The original MK. Thank you for taking such good care of me for as long as you could. I hope you're looking down and proud of the woman I've come to be.

  Foreword

  I'm not even sure where to start, but I'll go with THANK YOU! I still can't believe how well Finding You, my first published work, is doing. I never imagined I'd sell more than a few copies here and there, so for it to have spread so organically is mind-blowing. I started writing this series to take a break from adulting. I wanted to laugh and feel all the warm and fuzzy's. Dax and Linden did that for me.

  I never intended for there to be such a gap betwereleases, but L I F E. The final book is being written right now, so I can promise the wait won't be nearly as long for the conclusion to their story. Again, thank you all so much for the kind words and reviews. They truly make my day!

  H A P P Y R E A D I N G !

  Chapter 1

  Daxton

  The faint smell of gasoline and gunpowder has me shaking my head, trying to get away from the nauseating scent, but it only further assaults my already tender skull. With a groan, I roll, and damn near retch, before collapsing on my back. My hands absentmindedly fist the ground beneath me, the crunch of leaves making it obvious that I’m somewhere outside. With great effort, I peel back one eyelid, cursing at the bright sunlight. At a much slower pace, I ease into an upright position and blink rapidly, trying to get my eyes to adjust to the sudden onslaught of daylight. My heart is racing and my body is urging me to move, to react, but my head is still hazy and I don’t understand why I feel this way. I just know that I do. Taking in my surroundings, it’s apparent that I’m pretty deep in the forest bordering pack land. How the fuck did I get here? I rub at my temples, trying to relieve the pressure that has my head in a vice grip so that maybe I can make sense of what the hell I’m doing lying in the dirt.

  The last thing I can fully remember is stumbling down the cliff and Linny’s adorably shocked face when everyone screamed Happy Birthday at her. A faint smile graces my lips at the image. My girl is not a fan of surprises. I mentally flicker through the rest of last night’s memories. Pop made a speech, Linny blushed. Then we found her and Caulder holed up under one of the tables, mid food fight. I snort, then wince from the stab of pain as my brain rattles. Those two are something on their own, but put them together and it’s a damn whirlwind you can’t help but get caught up in. At some point, we got cornered with Allana and her folks. I barely recall her pulling me away to talk about something. But what I can remember, quite vividly, is Linny looking pissed and heartbroken all at once as I walked away from her. Fuck.

  As if just now truly processing the scents lingering in the air, my heartbeat slows to a near stop before rioting against my rib cage. I scramble to feet, only to falter, still too unsteady to hold myself upright without the help of the tree next to me. With a few calming breaths, I start to stumble forward. Now that I’m a bit more awake, I can tell that my senses are slightly muted and if I didn’t know this land like the back of my hand, I’d probably be staggering around for hours before making it back to civilization. Something is wrong. Something is very fucking wrong. If there were ever a time I wished those Hollywood fables about werewolves were true, it’d be now. That crazy, rapid healing would be super useful at the moment. I’ll likely burn off whatever I’ve been given quicker than a human, but it’s still not fast enough. As it stands, the only thing I’ve got are some enhanced senses that come and go with the cycle of the moon, and they’re currently all but useless.

  By the time I start to regain some of my strength, it feels like I’ve been walking for hours. As soon as I hit the edge of my parents’ place, it’s like an attack on my senses. Everything that was dulled is now overwhelming. The gasoline and gunpowder are sickening, but it has nothing on the scent of blood wafting off the ground. Something really awful happened here during the hours I’ve lost and I’m absolutely terrified to find out what that was. The raised voices coming from inside the house are a jumbled mess, but my feet finally start to fucking work. I make a quick sprint across the yard and up the front steps. Throwing the door open like a mad man, I’m met with several pairs of shocked and tear-filled eyes.

  “Dax! Oh my god!” Before I can even process what’s happening, Lana has herself wrapped around me like a damn koala. The contact makes my stomach roll. As politely as possible, I peel her off of me and push her aside.

  “What the hell happened?” My throat is scratchy and I’m desperate for a glass of water. But mostly, I want my hands on Linny. I need to see her with my own two eyes.

  “Dax?” Ma stumbles through the herd of people gathered in the living room. There’s dried blood caked on her arms, all but confirming my fears. “Oh, thank God. We thought you’d been taken, too.” Tears trail down her cheeks, but her words have me frozen in place. That one word in particular. I can’t even find the strength to move across the room and comfort her, even though I can see she desperately needs it.

  “What do you mean too?” I know my wolf is shining through, but I can’t rein him in at the moment. I don’t even need her to answer the question, because deep down, I already know. But when she finally does speak, my heart drops to my stomach like a lead weight.

  “It was Pack Ames. They took Linden, Dax.” Ma barely whispers the most painful words I’ve ever had the displeasure of hearing. A sob sounds from the back of the room and my head flies up, seeing Grace and Chevy huddled together. In the very back of my mind, I release a mental sigh at seeing that they both seem to be okay and made it through whatever happened. Physically at least, mentally is a whole other ballgame. My vision has grown hazy, my breathing labored. I can feel myself swaying, not from whatever had me passed out in the woods like an amateur at his first kegger, but from the horrifying realization that my girl, the love of my life, has been taken right out from under me. They wouldn’t do this; they wouldn’t go this far. Even as I try to talk myself out of this nightmare, I know it isn’t true. Because yes, they absolutely fucking would. Moving on autopilot, I turn and stumble back out the door, my chest tightening unbearably with each step. If I can just make it outside, maybe I’ll be able to breathe. I barely make it off the steps before I sink to my knees. An animalistic roar tears out of me, my hurt and rage needing an escape.

  This isn’t real, it can’t be.

  My hands find their way to my head and I tug at the ends of my hair, rocking back and forth as tears flood down my face. My already throbbing skull protests against the added pain, but I welcome it. I fucking deserve it. There is no scenario that could ever justify why this happened, especially while Linny was under my protection in Pack Bardot territory. As her mate, I’ve failed her spectacularly. I swore she would be safe with me, that I’d protect her. Oh, God...the fucked up things they do to women. I can’t let that happen to her. I’d die before living with that torment. I don’t know how long I sit there, lo
st and falling apart before Ma’s voice penetrates my bubble of grief.

  “Daxton Elias...I know this is devastating, but you’ve gotta pull yourself together. This isn’t helping Linden. I need you levelheaded so that we can come up with a game plan.” The last thing I feel is levelheaded, but I don’t bother telling her that. She’s right. Me losing my shit on my parents’ front lawn isn’t helping Linny in the least. It seems like it was just yesterday that I drove up with her and she met my family, her family, for the first time. We’ve only just begun; we haven’t had nearly enough time together. I can’t lose her. I won’t. With a few deep breaths, I wipe my face with my shirt and push the guilt threatening to swallow me whole to the side so that I can focus on getting my girl.

  “Where’s Pop?” I ask. Ma’s eyes well with tears and I can feel that wave of panic start to flood back. She must see where my imagination has taken me because she quickly interjects.

  “He’s alive, but it was close. Took some buckshot to the back. The stubborn man tried running after Linden with a body filled with lead.” She shakes her head, but I know Ma’s never been prouder of the man she married and chose to make a life with. Fuck, me either. While I went off with Lana to try and make her see reason for the thousandth time, I left my mate exposed and vulnerable. And now she’s in danger, left at the mercy of monsters. Instead of letting my shame pull me back under, I channel all of my emotions into the one that will get results. Anger. My blood starts to boil beneath my skin and my wolf is howling to be set free. To exact revenge on whoever would dare take our mate and harm her. I know the real blame lies with me. I should’ve been there and maybe the outcome would’ve been different. Pop might not have been hurt. Those thoughts aren’t doing me a lick of good, though. The girl I love is scared and alone right now and that kills me. My mind is conjuring up all sorts of shit that could be happening to her, but I can’t go down that road. It’ll break me if I think too much about it. Instead, I’m going to figure out a way to get Linny back or I’ll die trying.

  “What’s the damage, who did we lose?” I ask, knowing I don’t really want to hear the answer, but we’ve gotta start somewhere. Based on the amount of blood littering the ground, it’s safe to say we lost a few.

  “Three are dead and about half a dozen are injured, your father being one.” It looks like my mother has aged several years in the span of a single night. I’ve never seen her look more drained and wearier than she does right now. I imagine having your mate almost killed, your future daughter-in-law kidnapped and your son presumably missing as well, will do that to a person.

  “What happened exactly? The last thing I remember is walking off to talk with Lana and then I’m drawing a blank.” Frustrated doesn’t come close to how I’m feeling, knowing there are parts of my memory missing.

  “I’m not positive on the specifics because I’d already gone inside to put Caulder to bed, but from what I gather, Pack Ames showed up and all hell broke loose. They had masks on, but that did little to hide their stench. Most of the pack held their ground, but Linden was grabbed when she saw your father get shot. Before they left, the cowards doused our dead in gasoline and tossed a match on them. They only burned for a moment before other pack members were able to extinguish the flames.” That explains why I smelt gasoline. Ma’s lip trembles and another part of my heart cracks wide open. Those fuckers are going to suffer for the pain they’ve caused my family. Lycans follow strict burial ceremonies, and for Pack Ames to burn the bodies of our fallen is beyond abhorrent. Every time I think they can’t reach a new low, they prove me wrong.

  “It was pretty chaotic, but over within minutes. It’s clear they came with the sole intention of taking Linden. We’ve gotta get her back, Dax.” I scrub a hand down my face, fighting back the sting of tears threatening to fall, yet again. God knows there’s no one, aside from Linny, who could reduce me to the mess I currently am. I gotta get my shit together. Every second that passes is another second that my girl is left in their hands. I manage to climb to my feet, with Ma’s help, still slightly dizzy from the disaster of my mental state.

  “Let’s get you some food and water. We need everyone at their best. Lord help us, this is gonna start a war.” Ma sighs and leads me back in the house. After she’s shoved several glasses of water at me and a piece of toast, I take a few minutes alone in the bathroom to gather my wits. The house is still full of pack members, everyone waiting for some sort of insight as to what the hell happens next. Splashing my face with water, I chance a look at myself in the mirror. I’m so disgusted with the man staring back at me that it’s hard to hold my own gaze.

  “I’m coming for you, baby. I swear it,” I whisper, emotion clogging my throat. I can only pray that somehow, someway, Linny knows that I won’t stop until I have her back. Twisting my neck to help ease the tightness, I unlock the door and head back out. Pop’s door is cracked, so I take a quick peek inside. I’m not prepared for the sight that awaits me. My father, our Alpha, has never once shown a hint of weakness. Now he’s laid up, half drugged and incapable of helping his pack. When he does finally wake, he’s gonna raise hell. Quietly shuffling closer, I take one of his massive hands in my own. Today was supposed to be so different. Pop would have officiated mine and Linny’s bonding ceremony. I can almost hear the jokes he’d likely crack, helping ease Linny’s nerves. It shouldn’t have been anything less than the best day of our lives. Instead, we have fallen and injured pack members, and the one person this day should have revolved around, has been taken by a bunch of sick fucks who don’t deserve the Lycanthropy they’ve been blessed with.

  “Itty Bitty,” Pop grits out on a pained groan. He’s not even conscious, and Linny’s still his main concern. She’s completely wrapped us all around her little finger. She’s so easy to love, it happened effortlessly. Just slipped right in and stole parts of each of us.

  “I’ll find her, Pop,” I whisper back. Not wasting another second, I leave the room just as quietly as I entered it and head back towards the living room where everyone is still gathered.

  “I...I think we were drugged,” Lana wails from the couch where her parents are trying to soothe her. “Dax and I were talking, but then someone wrapped a cloth around my face. I saw him trying to fight them off before I passed out and then Dax bolted through the trees, but I think he was so disoriented that he ran the wrong way.” I grind my teeth together, another wave of rage pouring over me. I vaguely remember what Lana’s describing. It makes sense, considering how far into the forest I’d been when I finally woke up. Not to mention my muted senses and the pang of urgency I felt. My wolf obviously knew something terrible had happened, but my human side still needed time to catch up.

  “Pack Ames clearly knew when to strike. There’s no way it was a coincidence this happened the night before mine and Linny’s bonding. We need a plan. Does anyone have any intel on the layout of their pack grounds?” My eyes scan the group in front of me, praying for any morsel of information we can come up with. Heads shake and several faces are awash with pity. Half of them probably think my mate is a lost cause, knowing what we do about Pack Ames and just how depraved they’ve become. Well, they’re in for a rude awakening.

  “You know we have no such knowledge, Dax. Otherwise, we would have infiltrated those mutts a long time ago.” Liam Stilwell pipes up from the back. I hate that he’s right.

  “You can’t seriously be considering going after that girl. If we retaliate, it will start a war!” Barron has barely gotten the last word out of his mouth when a haze of red fogs my vision. I’m not even aware of my actions until I’ve got him pinned against the wall by his throat.

  “Say one more disrespectful thing about my mate and I’ll fucking end you.” My words come out a vicious growl, my wolf surging forward.

  “Idiot,” Liam grumbles. Yes, idiot indeed.

  “If you think that I’m not going to get my mate back, you’re sorely mistaken. And anyone who stands in my way, I’ll happily go through first. You unders
tand?” I shove Barron against the wall again, his head jolting from the force.

  “Dax!” Lana cries out dramatically. “What has gotten into you? Let him go! Ever since she showed up, you’re an entirely different person.” Dear God, I may actually murder someone today. My own pack members, no less.

  “Allana,” Ma’s quiet, commanding voice she so rarely has to use grabs everyone’s attention. “Watch your tone. In fact, all of you need to think twice before you speak to my boy with anything less than the respect he deserves. Need I remind you, that until Carder is well enough, Dax is your acting Alpha and you will treat him as such.” Her steely tone leaves no room for negotiation. The air in the room seems to shift, and as one, nearly every pack member bares their neck in submission. Barron’s lip lifts in a barely discernible snarl as I drop my hand from where it’d still be encasing his throat. He finally relents and tilts his head, albeit reluctantly. Fuck me. I hadn’t even thought about what Pop being injured meant. The last thing I need right now is to have the fate of our pack in my hands. My thoughts are all over the place and I don’t want to lead these people, our family in every sense, into war. But there’s not a chance in hell I’m going to leave my girl at Pack Ames’ mercy a second longer than I have to.

  “Look, the last thing I want is to bring more death to our door. But I’m getting Linny back, with or without the help of the pack. The decision is yours. No one will look down on you if you choose to sit this one out. We’ve had reasonable peace for a long time, and I understand not wanting to upset the already fragile balance we have with Pack Ames. But, if we’re honest with ourselves, we all know it was only a matter of time. We should’ve done something about them years ago. Like Liam said, if we had any intel on their compound, we likely would have already intervened. Unfortunately, this is where we are. Completely unprepared and having to go in blind. This is your chance to walk away if you don’t want to be a part of this. If you choose to stay, I can’t promise that you’ll come out on the other side with your life.” My eyes meet every person’s in the room. Some of them flash that luminescent gold, their wolves taking charge, eager to divvy out our particular form of justice.