Juan (The Juarez Pack Book 1) Read online

  “I’m taken.”

  “It’s just a drink. How bout one of your guys?” Loretta asked turning her attention to his males. They all looked away finding everything more interesting than her.

  “They’re working.”

  “What did you say happened to Amee?”

  “She’s disappeared.”

  “I hope she’s okay. Tell her I miss her,” the girl said showing she was decent after all.

  “I will,” Juan said as he signaled his males. There was no reason to stay here anymore. They had all the information these people knew and it was almost nothing. The only thing he had really gained were some insights into his mate. He now knew she was well thought of, almost universally, she was far stronger than he’d realized, and she was far too good for him.

  Once they were out of the compound, they headed to the restaurant where they would meet the others from their group. It served Tex-Mex and had many of the dishes Juan and his males loved. They sat there eating, drinking beer, and giving each other a hard time until the others arrived. They came in and sat down but all but The Man avoided his gaze.

  “So, it looks like you discovered the reason she went to the doctor. Do you care to tell me?”

  “Perhaps it is better done in private,” The Man said.

  “Is it of a sensitive nature?” Juan asked.

  “Highly personal,” The Man agreed.

  They stepped away from the others, far away to avoid their supernatural hearing. “The doctor didn’t wish to tell us until I told him we represented her mate. Juan, she is with pups. She is expecting your babies.”

  Juan felt pressure on his head and his dizziness washed over him. “Pups? She is expecting pups?” he asked even though he understood. He had not worn protection that night but only twice and she was pregnant. He burned with anger because she had to be showing. They had not just abducted his mate, they had abducted his children too.

  “He didn’t know anything else. The babies are healthy and he estimated them to come in two months.

  “Access all her records, anything you can find at all. Even the remotest trace. Also check all flights starting from the time she left the doctor and focus on private flights. I’ll call Ariel, we need some help.”

  He pulled out his phone even though he just wanted to rant and carry on about the unfairness of life. There was no doubt he would find her but she’d been in the hands of those vile slavers for almost a week now. Not even wanting to think about what they may have done to her, thoughts slipped through anyway. She was alive, he just knew she was, but was she mentally whole and physically unharmed? The last call he made was the one he dreaded the most.

  “Dad, she’s been taken by Los Lobos.”

  “I’ll gather the best of our fighters and join you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I could do no less, my son.”

  This had been a fucked up situation from the get go, partly due to his actions, but it had brought him and his dad closer. They’d never really understood each other but they did now. There had always been love, but it was strengthened and he knew it would continue to grow. He didn’t mention the kids, there was no point in sharing that pain yet. Pups were something he was still coming to terms with himself. Not whether he wanted them, he did, but how he could deal with their possible loss on top of the threat to his mate. It seemed more than he could bear.

  The Man lead him back in and the relaxed atmosphere of before was fraught with tension. Whether the others just sensed the anguish of those that knew, or if they all now knew, he couldn’t say.

  “I’ve found something,” the twins each said and then they looked at each other’s screens. Corde came over to him and handed him his notebook.

  Fury washed over him as he viewed the picture of his mate with the caption proven breeder. She was there biggest lure for the auction. They even knew she was a white wolf. There was no mention of the fact that she was mated, but wolves of this ilk wouldn’t care. Her swollen belly and large breasts were noted in the picture. Any doubt he may have had about her condition was removed.

  Plans swirled around in his head and he needed more help. He called Damon McDougal even though he’d only met him once. Telling Corde to send Damon the ad about the auction, he listened as his phone rang. It was an unhappy Damon that answered.

  “What!”

  “Sorry to disturb you but I have information on a major wolf slave ring.”

  “Do I know you?”

  “Yes, this is Juan Juarez. I am mated to Amee and she was abducted. In my attempts to find her, we happened across an ad where they are attempting to sell her and dozens of others including humans and other supernaturals. I thought you would want in on this.”

  “Damn right I do. Send me the ad.”

  “You should already have it in your email.”

  “Goddess damn them all. I found it, my god is she carrying?”

  “Yes, twins.”

  “This must be stopped. I’ll get a team together and meet you. I’ll text you the details just before we arrive.”

  Damon had hung up, but Juan had more help on the way which made him feel better. “Let’s get in the air so we’ll be waiting when everyone else gets there. Someone reserve us a room somewhere that won’t draw attention,” Juan instructed.

  He saw Lorde open his notebook. The Man was already on his laptop researching something that would help them. “Got the rooms covered,” Lorde yelled so everyone would hear him.

  They all got up and left as a group. They headed to the two SUV’s they had rented when they had arrived. The plane waited ready to take off the moment they were loaded. Once they were all on, Juan had Corde alert the pilot. They were racing down the runway in seconds. Corde had to hustle to get his seatbelt on before they lifted skyward. There was no time to spare as he clicked it just as they lifted off. The crazy wolf would have taken a bow had he had time. Everyone else kicked back waiting for the signs to go off and the pilot to announce that they could take their seatbelts off. The second he did, notebooks and laptops came out all over the plane. Juan could do alright on a notebook, but he let the professionals do the research. They didn’t need his paltry skills and he would kick back hoping to catch some shut eye. Once they got there, his surveillance skills would be needed. That was an area where he could shine. The IT boys would get their chance to rest then while he and several of the others would get to work. The Man would take charge because his skills were the best of all.

  It wasn’t hard to convince himself to take orders from one of his males. He wasn’t so arrogant that he would risk Amee’s life over his own ego. He braced himself for what he might find once they got to her. It was unlikely she’d be untouched, and while the thought made him want to kill those wolves, it didn’t stop him from wanting her. None of this was her fault, if anything he was to blame for pushing her and not doing things right.

  The trip went fast because somehow, he managed to sleep. Once off the plane, they headed to the hotel where they had several rooms. The Man had arranged a meeting room which was a private dining area of the restaurant on the bottom floor of the hotel. Somehow he already had blueprints for the building she was kept in and pictures of the grounds.

  “I’d like to go in and talk to her,” he asked.

  “You know that the risk is too great. What if she gives you away accidently? They’ll move her away quicker than you can blink. How will that help her?”

  Juan knew The Man was right. “I’ve another question. How’d you get that nickname?”

  “When I worked for the government they would say he’s the man to go to, he’s the man in the know. Eventually, it just became The Man.”

  “Makes sense. When do we go in?”

  “Once our back up comes through. No unnecessary risks for our future alpha. Odds are good one is a boy.”

  “Alright, so what do we do now?”

  “Rest, once this starts there won’t be no rest until it’s done.”

  “R
est it is.”

  Juan went to the room assigned to him and he took a long shower in the hottest water he could stand. It did help relax him and he felt soothed even though worry was still in the back of his mind. At least he could feel like he was doing all he could do. Sometimes the best thing was to wait until the time was right.

  It was a few hours later that he woke to a knock on the door. He jumped up to open it glad that he hadn’t slept naked as he usually did. Once the door opened it was his dad that came in and he offered him the chair while he sat on the end of the bed.

  “I hope the trip went well,” Juan said.

  “Was there a small detail that skipped your mind when last we spoke?”

  ”I didn’t want you to feel the same worry I did. I thought telling you now would be time enough.”

  “I didn’t matter, I looked at the ad on the way here. Her condition is obvious and if I’m not mistake a result of the time you bonded?”

  “Yes, it looks like she’ll carry like a she-wolf because she was already changed before we bonded.”

  “We’ll get them out. Everything will be alright. Damon will be here in an hour or less and then the Los Lobos will be hit harder than they’ve ever been before. I want you to be careful and not let emotion rule you. Your mate and your children need you.”

  “I don’t think she believes that.”

  “Maybe she’ll give you a chance since you’re saving her?”

  “Before I knew about the pups, I was going to let her go if that’s what she wanted. Now I don’t think I can.”

  “Wait until we’ve freed her and see if a relationship develops. I can’t imagine she would want to deprive you of your children or them of their heritage.”

  “I wish I could believe that, but I think that was exactly what her intentions were.”

  Yeah, he sounded pitiful and maybe he did deserve her ire, but those were his children too. Regardless of what she decided, she needed to make room in their lives for him. He would free her and then he would see what happened. It wasn’t like he had any other choice. Would Damon try to step in? It was doubtful and even if he was tempted to, they were mated and the council wouldn’t tolerate interference between mates.

  Juan dressed and he followed his dad down to the hotel bar. They shared a drink and talked until they were alerted to Damon’s arrival. The wolf himself walked in moments later with his witch on his arm. Their path was straight to Juan and his dad. Juan looked at the small redhead at Damon’s side. He’d heard many stories about her and her abilities. While it wouldn’t hurt to have her with them, he was surprised Damon had been willing to bring her knowing the risks.

  “I can fight in many ways, including magic. I’m far more of a danger than in danger,” she smirked. Had she read his mind? “I can’t read minds, but I can read expressions.”

  “I didn’t mean to offend, wolves normally don’t risk their mates,” Juan said.

  “You’ll have to change your thinking if you want any hope of convincing Amee to stay,” she observed.

  “She can’t be planning to fight. She’s about to have two pups,” Juan countered.

  “She won’t always be pregnant,” Marissa expressed.

  That was true. Would his mate expect to be allowed to participate in dangerous missions? “When I met her a year ago I would have sworn she had no idea how to fight.”

  “You’d be wrong. Not only is she well versed in hand to hand and small weapons, she did ROTC and reserves through four years of college. She considered going in the military full time, but her parents didn’t want her to go. I think she’s regretted listening to them,” she admitted.

  Juan was surprised his mate was as G.I. Jane as most white wolves. Maybe there was a compromise in there like working security once in a while. It would be worth some sacrifices to have his mate at his side. Two pups would keep her busy too. It would work out, he just had to believe it.

  They moved into a meeting room where all the leaders were so they could plan their take down of the Los Lobos. Damon had a big hard on for them having dealt with them years before and only being able to deliver a punishing blow at the time. Now he wanted to wipe them out of existence. Juan liked the idea of them all being killed or sent to the council’s special prison. It was a just punishment.

  Los Lobos were a rogue group of the worst of the wolves. They were criminals and psychopaths who had found sanctuary in a dangerous part of Mexico. The leaders weren’t even Mexican, many were rejects from U.S. packs that had slunk away swearing revenge someday and stealing females from the very packs they had once been part of so many years ago. There was no honor or sympathy among these vile mangy mutts and they cared only for themselves and making more money to live the good life with. They could not be allowed to continue and the council had committed to their eradication completely.

  Damon introduced his crew, most of which normally hunted Chief, a dreaded vampire criminal who had introduced a dangerous drug to supernatural and humans alike. Only vampires were said to be immune to its effects. That might be because it was the vampire blood mixed in with the drug that made it so powerful. It was not just the blood of any vampire, but that of old masters whose very blood thrummed with power.

  There was Dare, Will, Nicky, Harry, Cole, and Cage along with group of soldiers that just hung back waiting for the time to go. Juan had heard of all of the crew that Damon had introduced and while Will looked like she could eat nails, Harry looked sweet and cuddly. What the hell were they doing bringing someone like her along? He had no chance to ask before they headed out with a plan in mind. It was too late to question her inclusion on the team and he could only hope the delicate youngling wasn’t injured.

  They drove closer to the area the auction would take place in two days. The plan was to go in tonight and take everyone out. The people aka merchandise would be set free, the miscreants killed or sent to jail and Damon would decide if they wanted to set up a sting for potential buyers or not. He was considering it since these auctions had gone on for some time and victims might be tracked through the buyers. If they were new buyers, they would be taught a lesson and heavily fined. The council was always looking for ways to fill their treasury. They parked a mile from the location and broke off into groups each with a specific task. All team members had earpieces to keep in contact with the group in case anything developed that would change the plan.

  Juan took a deep breath to fight the adrenaline that threatened to take him over. He could see the same need for blood on the faces that surrounded him. It was hard to understand how a wolf could abuse females and children when most were hardwired to protect. Yes, sometimes alphas skirted the line torn between their need to possess and their need to protect, but it was inconceivable to injure and harm for cold hard cash. That deserved a punishment that would be meted out joyfully by every alpha present. A fight was often celebrated anyway, this one would be enthusiastically delivered and the result rejoiced.

  They moved silently and their dark uniforms helped conceal. Their smells would be hard to distinguish among all the selected slaves in what he could only describe as pens. It became clear to him that this was previously the site of a cattle auction. It had been left the same only instead of cows, now people populated the enclosures. Misery radiated out from the place and even someone with no empathic skills could pick up on it. This location drowned in despair.

  Juan closed his eyes and concentrated on his mate trying to tap into their bond to locate her. It was almost like he could feel her but she seemed to be all around him. He was so close and yet the auction was huge and females were crammed into the pens by the dozens. Suspecting she would be alone, he had his men begin herding the victims to the medical personnel who would be helping them while he moved on to look for Amee.

  Working his way around the perimeter, he was taking out guards right and left. Harry, who turned out to be a powerful witch, restrained and removed them as they searched. It turned out she and Amee were good friends. There were
plenty of guards, they just weren’t very good. He thanked the goddess for that as they continued around until they had covered the whole area around the edge of the auction. His mate must be in the inner pens or even inside the building.

  It wasn’t ideal but since she was the main event for the auction, he wasn’t surprised. Harry moved in and he followed her. His plan was to get around her before she ran into a guard but it didn’t work out. “Hey, big guy. Is this where the auction’s gonna be tomorrow?” she asked,

  “Yeah, but you’re not spose to be here,” the guard said.

  “I got an early invite. Where’s that white wolf being kept,” she whispered seductively.

  “Over that way. I’ll let you see her if you give me a feel,” he mumbled with a leer.

  Harry said something Juan couldn’t catch and pointed at the guard and he was gone. Maybe she wasn’t as helpless as she looked. She headed in the direction the guard had pointed. Juan couldn’t deny she was pretty effective. They took out a couple more guards, there seemed to be more as they got closer to Amee’s location.

  “Honey are you okay?” Harry asked.

  “Harry, oh my God, is that you?”

  “You bet your sweet ass and your mate is here too. He found you and called in the troops,” Harry explained.

  “Oh,” Amee said apparently struck speechless.

  “Step back and I’ll get you out of there,” Harry warned.

  One quick spell and a whole appeared in the bars. “I have a couple friends with me to,” Amee offered. Two little girls stepped out in front of her.

  He’d known there were children here but he’d not yet seen them and it just pissed him off when he did. “We found her and there are two small kids,” he reported into his earpiece.

  The kids had pissed him off but he was even madder when he looked at his mate. She was filthy and looked exhausted. Her belly rumbled and he’d bet she hadn’t been fed. A strong protective urge rushed through him like nothing he’d ever felt before. He growled and he was ready to soak in blood.