Free Into the Light by Tami Lund Page A

except at the woman, who scrambled to dress herself. “We have possible news about the lightbearer.”
    Quentin’s interest was immediately piqued. “What news? From Vegas?”
    Mike shook his head. “From out near the border of the territory, near the highway. Where the humans tried to build that industrial park, fifteen years ago or so.”
    Quentin flicked a glance at his human bed partner, but she was too busy admiring her image in the mirror to pay any attention to their conversation.
    “What of it?”
    “Couple of trackers were out there, sniffing around, searching for the lightbearer. They saw Vincent Bearrans and his cousin, Freddy, out there. Vincent gave him a car.”
    “So?”
    “There were two other beings in Freddy’s SUV.”
    Anticipation thrummed through Quentin’s system. The prospect of capturing the lightbearer again held more appeal than sex.
    “They didn’t get a solid look. Didn’t want to get too close, to spook them, or let them pick up their scent. But they said it was a male and female. Male wore a straw cowboy hat. Female wore a scarf over her hair.”
    “I don’t suppose they determined the color of her hair?” No shifters in his pack had blonde hair, so if they claimed the woman had blonde hair…
    “They couldn’t tell.”
    “Where are the male and female now?”
    Mike rubbed the back of his neck and looked distinctly uncomfortable. Being the bearer of bad news to Quentin could well get one killed, if he was in that frame of mind.
    “The trackers let them go. They followed Freddy instead,” he added hastily.
    “And where is Freddy Bearrans now?”
    “In the basement, waiting for you to question him.”
    Quentin rubbed his hands together. It was better than nothing, he supposed. He glanced at the human woman.
    “Stay here,” he ordered. “I’ve decided I’m not done with you yet,” he said just before he and Mike left the room together.
    * * * *
    He abused Freddy until he was slicked with sweat and so exhausted he was certain he could not lift his arm to take another swing. Still, Freddy would not tell Quentin anything about his son. He directed one of his guards, a massive shifter that everyone called Butch, to continue the work Quentin started. Unfortunately, Freddy was rendered unconscious before he could give up any information.
    “Is he mated?” He didn’t bother to keep up with the personal lives of his pack members. He didn’t particularly care, so long as they all obeyed him unconditionally.
    “Yes,” Mike answered. “Her name is Lisa. They have a young pup, and she is due to whelp their second soon.”
    Quentin wiped sweat from his brow and started up the stairs. “Bring him. Let’s call on his mate.”
    * * * *
    Lisa and her pup were not at their home. It took precious hours for Quentin’s trackers to figure out that her parents had a home tucked into the woods up on a mountain. It was still within pack territory, as required by the pack master, but remote enough that it would not be on anyone’s radar when they conducted their search for Tanner, after he escaped with Quentin’s lightbearer. Quentin grudgingly respected his son’s choice of hiding places, as he sat in the passenger seat of a full-size truck, Butch at the wheel, two other guards seated in the extended cab, and Freddy’s unconscious, abused body lying in the bed.
    Once he saw her in person, Quentin vaguely recognized Lisa as one who used to spend a great deal of time with his son, before Tanner left the pack. Which meant she and her mate had almost certainly spoken with Tanner before he left this last time and taken the lightbearer with him.
    “Freddy,” she screamed when two of Quentin’s guards dragged her mate into the house and let him fall to the floor in the middle of the living room. Quentin allowed her to drop to the floor next to Freddy’s head, gave her just a moment to determine that he was, indeed, still alive, and then he motioned for his guards to pick her up and