Pack Council
Chapter Three

Kurt pulled up behind Colt's abandoned car. The little red Mustang appeared to have been there for some time and the sight was eerie. He turned toward Clint, who sat in the passenger seat beside him. "We have to replace him," Kurt said quietly. "He's done so much to bring the Church down."

Clint nodded. "I know. I'll have better luck if I shift. Hopefully, I'll be able to track his scent even with the fresh snow."

If anyone could, it would be Clint. He had been the hunter of their unit. While Kurt had led them on the missions, Clint's exceptional scenting had saved their lives numerous times.

Kurt peered through the windshield ahead of them. The sheriff's SUV was next to Colt's car and the sheriff and Tony were shoveling snow off the roof. Beside him, Clint was removing his jacket and pulling his sweater off. Their gazes met. Kurt saw the same worry in Clint's expression as he knew was in his.

"I'll replace him," Clint promised.

Kurt gripped his arm. "Be careful. This could be a trap. To see who comes looking for Colt."

"I'm not about to let myself get captured again. Sara would never let me leave the house."

"Yeah, and I won't be too happy about it, either," Kurt warned. He stepped out of his truck while Clint continued to undress. By the time he had made his way carefully around to the other side, a huge white wolf was pawing at the window. He opened the passenger door and Clint hopped out in his wolf form.

Clint in his shifted form was a massive beast, one of the biggest shifters Kurt had ever had the privilege of seeing. Clint's biggest strength, though, was his tracking ability. He was known as the best hunter from any shifter species. They needed that ability now if they were going to replace Colt after all this time. Several inches of snow had fallen since Colt's car had been left. Clint circled the vehicle several times before stopping in front of the driver's door. Once Clint had started his exploration, Sheriff Webb and Tony had stepped back. Kurt joined them at the side of the road. All that was left was to trust Clint to do his job.

Clint pawed at the snow first in front of the door before he buried his head. He sneezed as he lifted up and glanced over at them. He then took off around the car and toward the wooded area. Tony began to follow, but Kurt caught his arm. "Let him do his thing first. He'll alert us if he replaces anything," Kurt told him.

Tony looked like he wanted to argue but ended up just nodding. Tony's brother Cain was also known as a good hunter, so he should be used to how the shifted needed the space to concentrate.

Standing out in the cold, the snow falling steadily, Kurt started to pray. If Colt was still out in the elements, hopefully he had shifted. That would be the only way Colt would survive. As a human, possibly injured, Colt might even be dead. Kurt didn't want to think like that, though. Colt had been too close to town and reaching the Council compound. But if Colt had been able to shift, then he would also have had the opportunity to get back to safety and call Tony. Finding Colt's vehicle abandoned did not bode well for his situation.

It seemed like an hour before Kurt saw Clint running back toward them. In reality, it had been less than ten minutes. Clint reached him and snarled then took off down the road.

Kurt rushed to his truck to follow. "Stay here," he called back to the other two men. It wasn't possible to communicate when in shifted form but Kurt and Clint had been partnered for so long, Kurt could read Clint's cues. He'd found something, but things were not looking good for Colt. Just in case Colt was found but didn't make it, Kurt wanted to check out the situation before Tony arrived.

Clint was traveling at a good pace and Kurt kept his truck following behind. He covered a mile before Clint veered off once again. Kurt pulled over and waited. He had to wait another twenty minutes. Clint reappeared and disappeared in front of the large trees. Kurt watched as his friend seemed to be desperately pawing at the ground before running around again.

He'd lost the scent.

"Damn!" Kurt slammed his hand against the steering wheel.

Kurt gave Clint another fifteen minutes but knew they were as far as they would get. If he didn't call Clint back, his friend would keep at it until he froze to death. Leaving the truck running with the heater blasting, he stepped out and whistled. Clint's ears perked up before he started trotting over. Kurt hurried around to hold the passenger door open so Clint could jump up inside. Kurt slammed the door closed and made his way back around the truck.

He yanked open his door. Clint was already back in human form and was pulling on his jeans. Kurt waited until Clint had dressed and was holding his hands in front of the heater vents.

"What did you replace?"

Clint shook his head. "I don't know why Colt pulled over. But I can scent him outside the car and running to the wooded area. There are two other traces that joined him there, but they didn't go back to Colt's car. They came here. Then I lose his scent completely. I can only guess that there was another vehicle. I followed the odor of another vehicle to here."

"We've got to assume that Colt's cover has been blown and he's in danger," Kurt declared.

"Yeah, I agree. He got out of his car and ran but was picked up here. He might not have walked back to the vehicle parked here on his own. I can get very small traces of blood and the scent of others."

"Damn," Kurt cursed before turning the truck around and heading back to Sheriff Webb and Tony.

Clint remained peering around the area as if he'd be able to will Colt to appear. Kurt wished he could.

He slowed as he spotted the Mustang and the sheriff's SUV. The sheriff was inside his vehicle while Tony remained pacing beside Colt's car. Tony was a shifter so he'd be okay a little while outside in the elements, but they needed to get him safe and warm back at the Council compound. There was no telling how Colt's cover had gotten blown, which put Tony in immediate danger.

As far as Kurt was aware, the Church didn't know that Tony was in town.

If anything happened to Tony, the entire shifter world would be turned upside down. Tony standing on the stage with the other shifters being the first to reveal what they were had been history-making.

As Kurt had gotten to know Tony better and better, he couldn't think of a man who'd sacrificed so much for shifter rights. Tony had made the rounds on television arguing and debating against people who'd hated him for what he was. He'd fought while showing the public that shifters were human as well.

Kurt didn't want to deliver the bad news, but Tony had a right to know.

They needed to come up with a plan.

Where was Colt and how could they rescue him?

He pulled up in front of Tony. Sheriff Webb climbed out of his vehicle. Clint followed behind Kurt.

The four of them stood in front of Colt's car.

"Well?" Tony asked. The look on his face showed that he wasn't expecting good news.

"I followed his scent until I lost it. I believe some sort of car picked him up," Clint said.

"Someone driving past?" Tony asked. "Car trouble?"

"No," Clint responded. "He ran from this point into the woods. He was being followed. I don't think he entered the other vehicle of his own free will."

"Fuck," Tony spat. "He was taken."

"We think so," Kurt agreed. He laid his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"What do we do now?" Tony asked. The desperate edge in his tone tore at Kurt's heart.

"We figure out where he is and we go and get him back."

Tony sighed. "It's my fault he's in this position."

"No, son." Sheriff Webb patted Tony's back.

"It's true," Tony insisted. "I was in Colorado meeting with Alphas to see which Packs would come out to the public. Colt was there with his Alpha. Colt is Austin's Beta and while I was in town, the felines attacked several of us, including Austin's girl. Well, they'd meet and he was trying to convince her to become more, which she eventually agreed to. I was shot and Colt wanted to replace out who the felines found out about us from."

"Colt made the decision to get involved because it was the right thing to do," Kurt corrected. He didn't know Colt well, but he was certain he was speaking the truth.

"He wanted to impress me," Tony said. He shook his head before wiping at his eyes. "I was attracted to him the moment we met, but I was so used to being in the public eye I ignored how I felt and him. It wasn't until Cain showed up to take me home that I realized what I was missing out on. Cain had Emily and I was letting Colt slip through my fingers."

Which was why Tony had been able to advise Kurt on his situation with Savannah.

"Tony," Clint spoke up. "I've met Colt. Sure, I don't know him as well as you do, but I get the feeling he'd have wanted to take on this assignment, no matter what. That's just the type of guy he is. He wants to protect everyone and, yes, that includes you. So, let's not let him down."

"You're right," Tony agreed. "I need to call Colt's Alpha and my brother. And we need to figure out where they'd take Colt. Hell, we need to figure out who 'they' are."

"And we will," Kurt promised.

"We'll replace him," Clint stated firmly.

"I'll call and have one of the guards come pick up Colt's car," Kurt said. "Why don't you and the sheriff head to the compound? We need to update the Alphas and you can make your calls." Tony ran his fingers over the hood of Colt's Mustang before walking away.

Kurt waited until he and the sheriff had driven off before he turned to Clint. "We need to replace him quickly. There is no telling what the Church is doing to him to get whatever information they can." "If they torture him, he has a lot of intel to give up."

"I know," Kurt said. "I don't think he'd betray Tony or any of us, but we don't know what the Church is really capable of."

Clint shivered. "I don't want to replace out."

"If it's as bad as I think it is, Tony is going to blame himself for anything that is happening to Colt," Kurt said.

"We better replace him then," Clint declared.

"Before they kill him," Kurt added.

****

Savannah wasn't used to being the one left behind and in waiting mode. Normally, she would be out searching for a missing person or investigating a crime. Being on the other side was difficult. She watched as Sara and Cecil packed up the leftovers and cleaned the kitchen. They didn't speak, just moved in and out of chores, trying to stay busy. They worked well as a team, probably from getting plenty of experience at the shop. While Savannah had a million questions running through her mind, Sara and Cecil didn't pause long enough for her to ask them. She wasn't sure bringing up her fears would be a good idea, though. Savannah saw the worst of what people did to one another. As a cop and now deputy, she'd seen some pretty bad things. Sara and Cecil worked in a coffee shop in a small town. Even though Sara's dad was the sheriff, he also tried to protect her from all the bad in the world. Savannah didn't want to upset either of them further, so she kept quiet.

Ryan had shifted just after Kurt and Clint had left. He'd wanted to patrol around the house in his animal form. Savannah hadn't witnessed a shifter transformation before and had found it astounding. She hoped to see Kurt in his animal form one day. Ryan had declared the area around the house safe. That made Savannah feel a little better, but there was no way she would be able to relax until the men returned.

Ryan added logs to the fire as they sat around the living room. The front door opened and they all jumped to their feet. Clint came in first, looking cold and miserable. Sara went to him and put her arms around his waist. Savannah caught Kurt's eye as he entered and could see they didn't have good news.

"I'll grab you some hot coffee to warm you up," Cecil offered and left the room.

"How are you doing?" Savannah asked Kurt when he reached her side.

"It's not good," he informed her quietly.

Cecil came back into the room, holding two steaming mugs. Clint sat in the large chair and Sara perched beside him on the arm.

Ryan and Cecil sat next to one another on the love seat so Savannah led Kurt over to the couch.

As Clint filled them in, Savannah reached over and grasped Kurt's hand. He glanced at her and smiled. She turned her attention back to Clint. It was obvious that the man was upset.

"Tony is staying at the Council compound and we just have to wait to see what they want us to do," Kurt told them after Clint was finished. "As of right now, we've been told to stand down."

"It's already been half a day since he missed check-in. Shouldn't we at least go up to the Church's property?" Ryan questioned.

Kurt shook his head. "I don't want to wait either, but we have to follow orders."

The mood in the room grew more somber after that.

"I'm going to take Cecil home," Ryan said, standing. "It's an early morning start for him and Sara."

Sara nodded. "Yeah, we're going to open an hour before normal with the weather and for all the early morning shopping specials. Black Friday is a big deal even here."

"Make sure you keep an eye out for any trouble," Kurt said to Ryan.

"I won't leave him alone until I drop him off at the shop in the morning," Ryan replied.

"I'm going to take off too." He set his cup on the table. Savannah rose with him. She didn't have any plans, but Clint and Sara needed some time alone.

Everyone said their goodbyes, accepting containers of food Sara and Cecil had packed up.

Savannah followed Kurt out of the door, hoping for at least a kiss. He was parked behind her and stopped at her vehicle. He turned to her when they'd reached her bumper.

"Do you want...?" He trailed off.

Savannah leaned into him and cupped his face. "Yes." She wanted anything Kurt could give her. It had been a long night waiting to see if he was okay. If she hadn't known before that she was growing to have strong feelings for him, having to sit and wonder had driven the point home.

"My house?" he asked softly.

"I'll follow you there," she assured him.

Kurt pressed their lips together and Savannah melted against him. Even with the cold specks of snow falling lightly around her, she would have happily stayed there forever, letting Kurt kiss her.

Kurt drew away and Savannah's lips continued to tingle. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Savannah unlocked her door and climbed into the cold interior. She waited until Kurt backed up before starting the engine and following him at a slow pace. They only drove a couple of blocks before Kurt was pulling into the driveway of a nice-looking house. She pulled in next to him and turned off her car. She hadn't been driving long enough for the heater to warm the interior, so she was still shivering when she pushed the door open.

Kurt waited for her at the front of her vehicle and held out his hand as she approached. They walked together toward the front door. She patted her pocket with her free hand, making sure she had her phone in case the sheriff called her in. Luckily, she'd charged the phone earlier that morning while she had been cooking her dishes for the meal.

Kurt unlocked a newly painted door and ushered her inside. The warmth of the house immediately began to sink into her. She sighed as Kurt helped her take off her jacket. He hung it on a hook next to the door before doing the same with his. They pulled off their boots, leaving them under the coats, and Savannah rubbed her hands over her jeans as nerves kicked in.

Her heart pounded and while she knew what she wanted, taking a lover was always awkward at first. She wished she could just grab Kurt, yank him close and lose herself in him.

But romance didn't start that way. She had to control herself until the dance was complete. Some men didn't like women who initiated sex. So, Savannah pushed her cravings aside and glanced over at Kurt.

He smiled. "I can make a fire. Would you like to sit and have something warm?"

She could think of many things that would warm her up. Instead of naming them for him, she nodded. "Sounds good."

He led her into a large, open and comfortable living room. She took a seat on the soft couch and watched him openly. Kurt bent in front of the stone hearth to start arranging wood logs into the wide fire pit. His jeans stretched nicely across his ass and Savannah had to bite her lip to swallow back a moan.

Her body already ached for him. Hell, who was she kidding? She had been craving Kurt's touch since their first kiss.

Kurt straightened and turned toward her. He ran his eyes slowly over her body. Savannah managed not to squirm under his gaze. The direct stare had her almost desperate to make a move.

"Come here?" It was a question, his voice low and husky.

Savannah rose and stepped closer even as he started forward.

"I want you," he confessed. "I don't want to make a fire. I want to feel you under me. I want to make love to you."

Her stomach clenched and her breathing quickened. They weren't touching...yet. She boldly met his eyes. "Yes."

They came together. Their mouths latched while they used their hands to feel and touch.

"Come to bed with me," he murmured, lifting his lips just an inch from hers.

"Now," she agreed. "Please, now."

His grip was gentle yet firm as he took her hand and pulled her out of the room and through the hallway. They reached the open door of his bedroom and crossed the threshold.

Savannah turned and placed her arms over his shoulders. Kurt gripped the back of her shirt to hold her close. This time the kiss was slow and full of promise. Savannah ran her hands over Kurt's wide shoulders and down his strong back. He lifted her off her feet as he stepped closer to the bed.

She looked up, her gaze caught the large painting in front and she gasped. "Kurt!" she exclaimed. "That is amazing!" It was a picture of wolves standing tall during the setting of the sun. It was just so powerful.

She turned to Kurt, seeing him in a new light. The wolf inside him was a part of him she needed to get to know. Savannah had kept the fact that Kurt was a shifter in the back of her mind, but seeing how much pride he must feel to have the magnificent picture above his bed made her realize that she wasn't just with a man. Kurt was so much more.

His eyes glowed with appreciation. "When I saw that I had to have it. Just felt the connection," he admitted. "The artist is from a small Pack in the panhandle of Texas. When the shifters first came out, some of her paintings were removed from museums in protest."

"How terrible," she murmured. She peered back at the powerful work of art.

"Instead of getting angry or stopping painting, she embraced the hate being thrown at her and continued to create. I was lucky enough to replace this one. Her work is some of the most in demand in the art world now." "I can understand why," Savannah agreed.

"You're the first to see it," Kurt told her. "Other than Clint, because he helped me hang it. But you're the first that I wanted to share it with. It's personal to me, of how a Pack is stronger together than as lone wolves."

Moved by his words, she wiped at her eyes. Not only was the man standing in front of her good-looking, smart and kind, but he had a romantic side as well. Savannah had no idea how she'd gotten so lucky in grabbing his attention. "That's so great," she told him and leaned forward to kiss him along his neck. "I'm glad I'm here to see it."

"Me too." He smiled and pulled her close again. They took their time undressing each other. When they were finally both naked and panting, they climbed on top of the dark comforter that covered the bed.

Savannah lay back as Kurt covered her body with his. His teeth scraped down her neck and she arched with passion. Kurt's calloused hands felt wonderful as he mapped her body. Him learning her weaknesses and exploiting them made her shudder with need. Her moans filled the room. She shook, heart pounding, electricity shooting through her. "Please!" she begged. If she didn't get him inside her soon, she was going to burn up. "Not yet," he whispered, placing a kiss on the inside of her thigh. "Not yet."

His lips ghosted over her pussy. Savannah spread her legs wider and lifted her hips, asking-no, demanding that he stop teasing.

The first swipe of his tongue between her plump folds had her breath shuddering out of her chest. She cried out, her body going tight. "Kurt..."

She almost screamed when he buried his head and started to lick, suck and finger her pussy. She bucked her hips and clawed at his shoulders as her body was thrown into ecstasy. Her mouth went dry and she climaxed.

He still had two fingers deep inside her as he moved his body back up. She grabbed at his head and kissed him passionately as he settled between her legs. His hard cock left a trail of pre-cum on her hip as he rubbed against her. She lifted her legs around his waist and cradled him close.

"I can get a condom if you want me to," he whispered.

She didn't. She wanted Kurt to mark her from the inside. "I thought shifters didn't have to use them." Savannah was sure she'd read that somewhere. She was still panting and barely managed to get the words out.

"I can carry or pass on diseases, but there is still pregnancy to worry about," he told her.

"I have that covered,” she admitted. The birth control that Savannah used was a five-year IUD that she didn't need to worry about. She wanted kids one day, but not yet.

"So?"

"Come inside me," she whispered. "Please."

They stared into one another's eyes as he removed his fingers and slowly slid inside. She arched, taking him deeper. Kurt pumped his hips, withdrawing before pushing forward once again.

"Oh God," she managed. He filled her. His long thick cock was perfect.

Kurt closed his eyes as he plunged deep and stilled. It was obvious that he was trying to be gentle.

Savannah didn't want gentle. She hadn't had a lover in a long time, but it felt like she'd waited forever for Kurt. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to his ear. "Make me scream," she ordered.

He shuddered.

"I mean it. I want to feel the proof that we've been together."

Kurt moaned then withdrew before thrusting hard.

That was better. "Yes!"

"Yes," he repeated. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her, then started to really move.

Over and over. Retreat and thrust. The rhythm was steady with long, deep strokes.

Savannah could get lost in those clear eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that he saw her, really saw her. He knew who he was with.

Lifting her hips, she met each and every thrust.

Even though she'd already climaxed once, Savannah felt the tingle from her clit through her entire body.

Kurt could move. Instead of unsteady rapid plunges, he shook the bed frame with his power and the speed at which he took her was impossible to follow. Savannah dropped her head back on the soft pillow and just gave herself to him. She cried out in passion, spurring him on.

When her orgasm slammed through her Savannah barely managed to hold on to his shoulders. All the thoughts in her mind whited out and she wasn't even sure that she could see.

Kurt rode her through the tidal wave. Sweat had beaded on his forehead. If he was still holding back, she might die from the pleasure.

She wanted to feel him lose control, to push him past all thought. She clamped her inner muscles down and bowed forward. It worked. Kurt swore before his thrusts became erratic and sped up. His hips snapped quickly and he tightened his grip as he rode her faster, harder. She lifted her hips, arched her back and just let the feel of him pounding into her command her body.

Kurt threw his head back and yelled, coming hard.

His warm seed filled her pussy and she sighed when he collapsed on top of her.

Savannah rewrapped her arms around his shoulder to hold his head to her breast. Her heart was pounding so loud that he had to have been able to hear it.

She didn't know how long they lay there before he lifted his head and smiled.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," she murmured. In fact, she felt loose and sated.

He shifted his hips and she moaned. Her clit ached from the overwhelming amount of pleasure she'd been given. He pulled out and she wanted to complain, but that would have taken too much effort.

"I need a nap," she told him.

Kurt laughed. "That sounds good." He cupped her face. "You'll stay?"

She blinked up at him. Oh, Savannah wasn't going anywhere. Not till morning at least. "I'm staying."

"Good." He flopped over to the other side of the mattress. "I say we take a nap then warm up some of the food from earlier."

"Damn," Savannah cursed. "I left my Tupperware in the car."

"So did I," Kurt said. He groaned. "Somehow Sara's going to know."

Savannah giggled. That was probably true. "It'll be okay out there. It's probably colder in the car than inside your fridge."

"Good point." He turned to his side and nuzzled her neck. "I'll get up in a minute and go get them. Do you need a drink or anything else?"

Savannah hummed. All she needed was to feel Kurt's arms around her holding her close.