Igmutaka filled her with power once again as she settled back to wait, watch, and protect. Anton and Stefan slipped quietly over the wooden railing and landed without sound in the soft grass below the deck.
Oliver? Anton and Stefan are moving toward your position.
Got it. I see them. Thanks.
Mei stayed put. She would guard the babies with her life. Besides, she had a terrific view of the action from her spot here on the wide deck. If the men needed her, she was close by. She watched Stefan and Anton race across the front lawn, two silent, deadly shadows drawing closer to the three men standing beside the SUV. There was no moon, but her leopard eyes saw everything with perfect clarity.
Two of the intruders carried rifles. The third slung a large bag over his shoulder. They moved silently toward the house, walking single file, close to the dark perimeter where landscaping met forest.
There was a swirl of light and dark and the third man, the one at the rear holding the bag over his shoulder, disappeared. The two walking ahead, paused. For a brief moment it appeared they weren’t certain they’d lost their partner.
Suddenly, two dark wolves charged out of the forest, moving so quickly even Mei was startled. Each one took down his target. Mei heard a deep grunt, a sharp snap that could only have been bone, and then silence. She reached out for Oliver. Are you all right?
Yes. We got three of them. I thought I saw a fourth guy get out on the opposite side of the car, but there are just three here.
One of the baby monitors near the door crackled with static. A baby cried out. Alex! The sound ended so quickly the silence shivered. Mei whirled around and leapt through the open window. She raced down the hallway. A dark shape hovered over Alex’s crib.
Oliver! There was a fourth man. He’s here. In the house!
She caught the intruder’s scent, the acrid odor of fear and unwashed human. How had he gotten past her defenses? She was alone, the only one here now, to guard the babies.
Igmutaka roared within. Mei’s powerful haunches bunched beneath her and she covered the distance from doorway to crib in less than a heartbeat.
She locked her jaws on the intruder’s throat, heard a sharp snap. Her weight bore him to the floor. He landed in a heap. She figured he was dead by the limp sprawl of his body, the awkward twist of his head in relation to his shoulder, but she kept her jaws clamped tightly around his throat. Her breath huffed loudly through her nostrils. Saliva and blood soaked the man’s shirt.
She felt the power of the spirit guide lending her strength, giving her the knowledge she needed to kill.
She was not nearly so alone as she’d feared.
When Mei was certain the intruder was dead, she shifted and checked on Alex. He lay in his crib, silent and unmoving. His eyes were open and he was awake, though he seemed groggy. His rosy lips were tightly clenched around a strange pacifier. Mei pulled it out of his mouth. It was sticky, covered with some kind of syrup and it had a strong medicinal odor.
Alex whimpered, a small, thin wail so unlike his usual rowdy cry. Mei set the pacifier on the table beside Alex’s crib and raced across the hall to Lily’s room.
If one intruder had gotten past her, there might have been another.
Anton’s daughter slept on, unaware of the drama playing out around her. Mei ran back to Alex and carefully lifted him out of his crib. Silently she cried out again to Anton, to Stefan and Oliver, sending her mental voice in a commanding shout.
Within seconds she heard the sound of nails scrabbling on wood as three wolves raced up the stairs to the deck. The noise changed to pounding feet, and she knew they had shifted to get through the front door.
Mei held Alex’s warm little body against her shoulder with one arm and ran back into Lily’s room. Anton’s baby girl slept on, but her sleep was the typical relaxed sleep of a tired baby. Alex, though, felt limp and unresponsive.
He had to have been drugged.
Mei glanced up as Stefan raced toward Alex’s room. Anton and Oliver reached Lily’s room at the same time. Oliver followed Anton through the open doorway. Anton went directly to Lily’s crib. The light went on across the hall. Mei called out, “Stefan! Over here. I’m in Lily’s room. I’ve got Alex.”
Oliver stopped beside Mei and put his arm protectively around her waist. Before she could explain what had happened, Stefan called out her name.
“Mei?” Stefan burst through the door. He sounded frantic and she knew he’d seen the body of the dead intruder beside his son’s crib. “Where’s Alex? What the fuck happened?”
“I’ve got him.” Mei carefully handed the baby over to his father.
“Thank the Goddess.” Stefan let out a relieved sigh, cuddled Alex against his bare chest and gently rocked the sleepy infant in his arms. Tears rolled silently down Stefan’s cheeks as he murmured quiet words of encouragement, as much to himself as his son.
“I think he’s okay,” Mei said, peeking around Stefan’s shoulder, “but he’s really groggy. The guy in there stuck a pacifier in his mouth to keep him quiet. It’s sticky and smells familiar, like it had cough syrup on it. Something to keep him quiet, I guess. I don’t think it was poison, but he’s awfully sleepy.”
“I’ll go call the doctor.” Anton took one last glance at Lily and raced back out the door.
Oliver slipped away from Mei and went into Alex’s room, but returned to her within seconds. He put his arm around her waist again and held her close. She turned and wrapped both her arms around his neck and burst into tears.
Oliver held her tightly and soothed her with soft words of encouragement. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You did great. He’s dead. Neck’s broken and he won’t hurt anyone again. The babies are fine. Alex will be fine. Don’t cry.”
Oliver brushed Mei’s tangled hair back from her eyes and held her tightly against his chest. He looked over Mei’s shoulder and caught Stefan’s eyes. “How’s the baby?”
“I think he’ll be okay. He’s beginning to stir, so he’s not completely knocked out. His breathing sounds normal. I wish Xandi was here. She always knows what to do.”
“Can you reach her?” Mei raised her head from Oliver’s shoulder and sniffed. “Does she know someone tried to kidnap your son?”
Stefan nodded. “She knows. She and Keisha should be here any minute.”
Anton stepped back into the room. He’d slipped a pair of flannel pants on but his chest was still bare. “Here. Give this to him if he’ll take it. It’s Xandi’s breast milk, some she had in the freezer. I nuked it in the microwave. It should be warm enough.” He handed a small baby bottle to Stefan. “The doctor said to wake him up and watch him, make sure he’s just sleepy and not acting sluggish or getting worse. Get some fluids into him to dilute whatever he was given. This should work until Xandi gets back.”
Stefan took the bottle from Anton and placed the soft nipple against the baby’s lips. Alex opened his eyes and stared at his father. Finally he sucked on the rubber nipple. From the indignant look on his face, it was obvious he knew this was not Mom, but he was hungry enough not to fight it.
He was also completely awake now, and definitely more alert.
“He’s taking it,” Stefan said. He glanced sideways at Anton, who now held Lily in his arms. “Thank you. Mei, Oliver, I can’t thank you two enough. If anything happened to this little guy…”
“The same from me.” Anton raised his head, but his eyes were on Stefan. “I never realized…”
“How