CJ eyed the syringe filled with morphine.

Doc withheld it, waiting for Darien to give him the go-ahead.

“Damn it. I didn’t have anything to do with it, but after we found out Elizabeth had gone to the airport in a hurry, we went back to Mr. Winston’s and the guy that Eric had talked to on the slopes was there. He asked to talk to Eric alone. Of all of us, Eric was always the angriest at Darien for everything that had happened. As I said, he wouldn’t even consider just coming to Darien and asking to rejoin the pack.

“So I was worried and went to listen at the door. I heard the guy say he knew Eric had a grudge against the Silver pack. The guy said his employer wanted to bring back the woman Tom was with—Elizabeth—on a private plane and asked Eric if he wanted in on the job.” Everyone’s eyes were glued to CJ.

“What did he say?” Tom asked threateningly.

“I don’t know. I heard Brett and Sarandon coming down the hall, and I had to get out of there. The creep left right after that.” CJ said, looking pained. “Eric might still be angry about our father, but no matter what, I don’t believe he would have agreed to help kidnap Elizabeth. He couldn’t have. We were trying to help Elizabeth! We were still trying to find the guy that hurt her on the slopes only hours before this guy showed at Mr. Winston’s.”

“I recognized all three men who kidnapped me,” Elizabeth said. “No one else took part in my kidnapping in Canyon.”

CJ looked at Elizabeth gratefully.

“You should have told us about the kidnappers’ plan,” Tom said through gritted teeth.

“I wanted to,” CJ said, “but I didn’t want to rat out Eric. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Where are your brothers now?” Darien asked. “Still at Mr. Winston’s place?”

“I don’t think so,” CJ said. “After Elizabeth left, we argued about what to do. I wanted to find another way to get back in the pack. Eric said maybe we should just give up altogether. I left the cabin in my wolf coat to run through the woods, and that’s when I heard the plane in trouble. Since the snowstorm hit and I didn’t go back to Mr. Winston’s, they’re probably out looking for me. They could be anywhere.”

CJ winced at the pain in his leg.

“Give him the morphine,” Darien said to Doc, wishing that CJ had stayed with the pack, but still not positive his cousin hadn’t been involved in any of the pack’s recent troubles.

Tom certainly looked like he could just about strangle CJ. He whispered something in Elizabeth’s ear and moved to leave. Elizabeth followed, casting CJ a sympathetic look, and they walked out of the hospital room.

Darien shook his head. “And knock him out before you break the leg,” Darien added.

“You got it,” Doc said.

Darien turned to Peter on the way out. “Let me know when he wakes up. All right? Come on, Jake.”

As they headed out of the hospital, Jake said to Darien, “I think he was telling the truth.”

“I don’t know. If our cousins were looking for a way to get back in the pack, why scout out the human farms? I feel like there’s something we’re still missing. Let’s go home and learn what more we can from Tom and find out how Elizabeth ended up with him in the woods during the blizzard.”

“You know he’s got to have mated her by now.”

Darien smiled. “If Silva thought she was done knitting baby booties, she’s got another thing coming.”

Chapter 25

When Elizabeth was dressed in a warm, blue wool sweater, jeans, and a pair of comfy slipper boots, she and Lelandi joined Tom and the others in the living room. Tom wished he hadn’t been so antsy about Elizabeth taking so long. But he suspected they’d had a lot of girl talk and Lelandi had gotten the whole story from Elizabeth.

Noticing how tense he was, Sam, Radcliff, and Kemp had cast amused looks at each other, but they hadn’t dared say a word.

Tom quickly handed Elizabeth a plate with a ham sandwich, chips, and a pickle. “Compliments of Sam.”

They took their seats, Elizabeth sitting as close to Tom as she could without being on his lap. He loved how she wanted to be as near to him as he wanted to be to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she ate her sandwich.

“So the next step is to find CJ’s brothers,” Lelandi said.

“I… think we need to find North.” Elizabeth bit off the end of a pickle spear.

“North?” Sam said. “How do you know about him?”

Elizabeth looked at Sam. “My father was in the red pack when Bruin was pack leader.”

Lelandi frowned at her. “When? I… never met you.”

“I guess I was a well-kept secret. Did you know Sefton? And Quinton?”

“Why, yes. They were in the pack. Quinton’s brother was said to have died. That’s why Quinton was raising Sefton, his nephew.”

Elizabeth stiffened a little. “I guess that explains why the pack never had anything to do with us. We didn’t exist. Quinton was my uncle and Sefton my half brother, though he wouldn’t wish to admit it to anyone.”

“I can’t believe they conned all of us. But… you knew North?” Lelandi asked.

“Yeah. I was running in my wolf coat one day, and North followed me home. He was curious about who I belonged to. When he learned I was related to Sefton and Quinton, he was shocked. Quinton found out North was coming to see me and threatened him with bodily harm. That was the last I saw of North. Recently, he discovered evidence that could prove my uncle’s part in my parents’ murders and learned where I’d ended up. I wanted the evidence to turn over to Hrothgar so my uncle could get his just rewards.”