But Baird had gotten away. Guthrie and his brothers went to retrieve their clothes where they had stripped out of them, shifted, and hurried to dress.
“No way to check the car out unless we go back down, take a swim again, and poke around at the wreckage,” Guthrie said to his brothers. “Next best thing is to call their next of kin and let them sort it out.”
“Aye,” both Cearnach and Duncan agreed. Being second in charge of the pack, Cearnach normally would have taken care of the matter, but because Baird had stolen Guthrie’s mate, Guthrie would inform Baird’s pack of the business. As soon as he got into the car, his brothers quickly following, Guthrie wrapped his arm around Calla and hugged her shivering body tightly against his. “What happened,” he asked, “when Vardon and the others arrived?”
“When we heard the car coming, Cearnach went into the woods to shift. When I saw Vardon’s car, I shifted so I could protect myself, but I guess I fainted. I’m glad you’re okay,” Calla said.
“That was the best thing you could have done, Calla, as it turns out. They could have broken into the car and grabbed you if we hadn’t been able to stop them in time.”
Duncan started the car and turned the heat on high, though the Arctic blast from the vents nearly transformed them into frozen statues before the car warmed up. And then, very slowly, Duncan drove back to Calla’s parents’ estate.
Guthrie got his phone out to call Baird’s other older brother, Skinny. He was the biggest wolf in the pack, but normally more even-tempered than Vardon. He was apparently more interested in his artwork than running the pack, but Guthrie wasn’t sure how he was going to take the news. It could go either way.
He had to tell Skinny that Baird and the others had brought this all on themselves, if they were dead—and before any rumors started to circulate that the MacNeills had intentionally taken them out. “This is Guthrie MacNeill. I’m calling to tell you that Baird stole my mate and his car went off the cliffs.” He gave the location. He could hear Skinny’s heavy breathing, but the oldest McKinley wasn’t saying anything.
“After the crash, Baird called Vardon, and he and Robert and your younger brother Oliver came to help him out.”
Calla cleared her throat. Guthrie glanced at her. “Tell Skinny that Baird didn’t bother to try to rescue me from the car.”
Guthrie stared at her for a moment, furious with Baird. “Did you get that?” he asked Skinny.
“Aye,” Skinny said. “The others?”
“Their car went over the cliff as well. Roads are really icy up here.”
“Yeah, but they slid on the ice because they were hightailing it out of here after trying to abduct me yet again and push your car off a cliff yet again,” Calla said, folding her arms and looking cross. Guthrie smiled a little at her. His brothers were grinning.
“Survivors?” Skinny asked.
“Not sure. Baird made it out alive, but he ran off.” Guthrie wanted to say “like the coward he is,” but he was trying his damnedest to be diplomatic since they didn’t need a big fight with Baird’s clan.
“Here, let me have the phone and I’ll tell him,” Calla said, clearly not interested in diplomacy at the moment. “Tell him that we’re mated, but Baird knocked me out and kidnapped me anyway.”
“I heard,” Skinny said. “What of my brothers and my cousin?”
“For all we know, Vardon and Robert could very well be alive. We can’t see them. The car is on its side, and all we can see is the underside. Oliver was thrown free of the vehicle, but he could have only been knocked unconscious. We can’t tell from way up here. Whoever retrieves them will have to swim to reach them, or maybe get some climbing gear and go after them that way. In this sleet, no matter what, it will be a risky business,” Guthrie said.
Skinny grunted.
“We don’t want any more trouble between our clans. Calla is not returning to your pack, and the loan to her parents has been repaid,” Guthrie said.
The phone clicked dead in his ear.
Cearnach let out his breath. “He hung up on you.”
“Aye.”
Guthrie called Ethan next. “How are the two of you doing? We’re on our way there. But it’s so icy that it’s going to be slow going.”
“We’re fine. Glad you’re all right. I take it you’ve got the lass? And she’s okay?”
“Aye. She’s with us and just fine. I can’t say the same for Baird’s brother, Vardon, his cousin, or younger brother.” Guthrie explained what had happened. “As long as we don’t have any accidents, we’ll be to your location in a wee bit.”
“Did you want us to run back as wolves?”
“No. We’ll pick you up.”
“Good. See you soon, but you drive careful, you hear?”
“Aye.” All they needed was to all be stranded out here in the freezing weather.
Cearnach called Ian to update him on everything, putting the conversation on speakerphone. He ended with, “Skinny hung up on Guthrie, so we have no idea how the McKinley pack is going to respond to this.”
“If Vardon’s alive, he might try to stir everybody up like he always does. Or Baird might, if his pack doesn’t actually kill or exile him and his brothers. Not sure about the others. Robert’s kind of a ‘tuck tail and run’ kind of wolf. Oliver is a total yes-man. If someone says fight, he’ll be there, but if he’s on his own, he’ll be out of there. Not sure about the others in the pack. Those who are angry about Baird and his close kin stealing the money may figure it is justice.”
“That’s what I was thinking. We’ll be ready for them if they decide to take this further. What about the ladies?”
“They’re home safe, anxious to get word from you. We still have no electricity. Can you hold out if Skinny and any others intercept you on the road in an attempt to pay you back for this latest calamity?”
“Aye. I’m certain they’ll have the same problem reaching us as we have in returning to Argent Castle,” Cearnach said.
Calla snuggled closer to Guthrie. As soon as they picked up Ethan and Oran, it would be a really tight squeeze in the small hatchback. It seated four comfortably, five was a snug fit, and six was impossible unless Calla stretched out on the men’s legs or someone rode in the trunk. Or maybe if she sat on Guthrie’s lap.