“Fine.” I turned my attention to the building again.
My body reacted before my mind processed. Her scent filled my lungs, and I swung open the driver’s side door.
“Charlie!” I shouted, sprinting for the front door where several people were staring at the beautiful silver wolf. But it was the men in black coming through the front door who worried me the most.
Garrett was instantly beside me. The wolf hesitated her next step and turned to look at me. I waved my arm to the side. “Run!”
The soldiers saw us, too, and then they saw her. Before she could move an inch, half a dozen furry red darts hit her chest, and she yelped before shuddering and falling to the concrete.
People were yelling and scattering every which direction, but Garrett and I just kept running toward her.
The soldiers were close, too, but I’d die before letting them take her from me. What in the gods was she doing out here anyway? Crawley would be getting more than an earful when I got back.
They shot a few times at us, but knowing they were coming and being on the move made them easy to duck to one side or the other to avoid the darts. We reached Charlie’s body first, and I scooped her up off the road and ducked down through an alley that led around the large building. Garrett rotated his body and hauled butt back to the car.
He’d seen me take the alley, and I knew he’d be waiting on the next street over. Boots pounded behind me, but I stayed focused on listening for the whir of air preceding a dart. Two more narrowly missed my shoulder before Garrett squealed the truck to a stop right in front of me. I yanked open the backseat door, tossed Charlie more roughly than I intended, and climbed into the front, closing the door behind me just as another volley of darts pinged the closed windshield and metal of the door.
“Go!”
He pressed his foot to the floor, and we left.
Nothing had been accomplished. We didn’t know the plans the soldiers had for the Mason pack. But we did now know that Charlie was more pissed than we’d first estimated. Not only had she followed us, against our orders, the woman had tracked us across fifteen miles of city. Managing that when your prey was in a vehicle was impressive.
She loved her pack, but she’d lost everything. It’d been unfair to think she wouldn’t go postal when she realized we left her. We’d told her we were a team, but when we’d been tested, we’d failed her. Though she hadn’t really been alone—Crawley had been outside her door—it was still a betrayal, one that would cost us dearly. I was just grateful we’d been able to grab her before they did.
“You fucking bastard!” The words hit hard, but not like her heel to my stomach.
Air uuumphed from my lungs, and I gasped to refill.
“Both of you!”
I took in the beautiful vision of her lovely naked body, and she withdrew immediately, curling into the opposite corner of the truck like a crab hiding in its shell. She wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged her legs against her chest. Her scent soothed my wolf. We’d both been worried our error in judgment had cost us our mate.
“I’m sorry.” The words were bitter in my mouth, but the truth. She deserved the truth.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it. You lied. The pack is falling apart because Victor is lying to them about the fate Xerxes promised. And you lie to me. After you told me you wouldn’t leave, you did! What kind of fucking asshole does that? I deserve better.”
Her eyes glittered with anger. Not hatred, thank the gods. But she was spitting mad and well within her rights to be so.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte,” Garrett echoed from the driver’s seat. “We were trying to pro—”
“Save it,” she spat out. “Just drive. When you get to the big oak tree on the long driveway, stop and let me out.”
My eyebrows scrunched together. “Why?”
“My clothes are in the tree, genius. Anything else I need to explain, past the fact that I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and going on missions? If you had just let me go with you this morning, none of this would’ve happened.”
“We know,” Garrett and I said at the same time.
“I’m really pissed at you. At both of you.”
Neither of us spoke again. We both knew she was right. A part of me wanted to beg for her forgiveness, but the hard part of my heart justified my actions and wouldn’t let me.
My cell phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, surprised to see Rose’s name blinking on the face.
“Rose?” I said, swiping the answer box.
“Travis. We are on our way back with Sochi.”
“So you got her out. That’s good. Is she okay?”
“Physically, she appears in good health. She is pregnant, and Riza said she was only sixteen, so that worries me. But both their heartbeats are steady and strong. She’s in some type of induced coma. Whatever he had her on is taking a long time to leave her system.”
“She’s still out?” I asked.
“Yes. We plan to drive non-stop. We need to cross the border quickly so Killían already called ahead to his old contacts. They let the platoon at Vicksburg Bridge know to expect us. We’ll cross there later tonight and, hopefully, be in Ada by late tomorrow afternoon.”
“Good. No one got hurt?”
“Everything worked as planned. For once, he wasn’t a step ahead of the game. He realized mid-way through the meet, but by then it was too late,” Rose continued.
I chuckled. “I guess that means Calliope hasn’t lost her charm in her old age.”
“I heard that, asshole.” Calliope’s voice hollered out from a few feet away from Rose’s phone. “Do I need to show you my charm when you get home?”
I didn’t reply. Home was with Charlie. Not in Sanctuary. Only if the pack she’d loved and protected for nearly a century kicked her to the curb would Sanctuary ever be my home again. I hadn’t realized how attached I’d gotten to everyone. My chest tightened, and I took a slow breath.
“How is your mate, Travis?”
“Things are chaotic here, Rose. There’s an emissary from Xerxes trying to convince the pack to pick up and join his side. Waving a fucking white flag one second and trying to murder the three of us in our sleep the next.”
“How are you, Travis?” the Sentinel asked, pressing deeper.
“I’m glad you’ll be here tomorrow, Rose.” I would be. The Sentinel of Sanctuary was a mother figure to most in the town. She might not always act all lovey-dovey, but she was the glue that held everything together. She was the heart and soul of the place, and without her, it would collapse into chaos. With her, it was a beautiful hub of loyalty and friendship.
“We’ll see you then. Tell her you love her.” The line went dead before I could comment on her last words. She always knew. That was Rose. Somehow, the universe just made sure she knew how everything was going. Though she asked how things were, it was just her way of being polite. More than likely, she already knew the answer. Something about living in town with her made a person connected to her.
I shoved the phone back into my pocket and caught Charlie’s gaze.
“Why would she tell you that?”
Of course she’d heard. Lycans could eavesdrop from a half mile away. She was barely two feet from me.
“Because it’s the truth, Charlotte,” Garrett said before I could. “We love you more than anything in this world. Finding you was Fate’s way of giving us another chance to have a fulfilling life. When our family died, we lost everything. Even our hope.”
“You lied.”
“Travis won’t admit it, but we were scared to bring you with us. You’ve been so emotionally volatile. Two of your own tried to kill you. Your uncle is still trying to steal the pack from under your nose. And Xerxes has Lycans out on the warpath for your blood, and we just couldn’t… we just couldn’t drag you out into this. We needed to know exactly what we were up against and—”
“And we are used to doing everything ourselves,” I finished.
/> She turned her head away from me and stared out the window. “Pull over here.” Her words were flat. Her pulse was steady. I wanted more than anything to know what she was thinking, but she was masking it.
Garrett put the truck in park, and she opened the door. Her hips rocked with each step, showing off her round ass as she walked away. A second later, she’d ducked beneath the branches and was completely hidden from view.
“This can’t happen again, Travis.”
I nodded. He’d been against leaving her at the beginning, but I’d convinced him otherwise. The blame sat squarely on my shoulders, and I could feel its weight bearing down.
A few moments later, she appeared in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a flopping pair of unlaced combat boots. When she slid into the back seat again, I saw the bulge of a handgun on her back. I peered through the window past her, trying to see through the leaves and branches. A locker room. It was where they left clothes when they shifted. Very convenient.
Garrett started forward again, and within a couple of minutes, we could see the front of the lodge. A large black SUV was parked, and several men were leaning against the back and side of it.
“The guys are here,” Garrett said.
Chapter 30
CHARLIE
“Of course your friends arrive while we’re gone. I’m sure Victor is having a great ol’ time riling everyone up over this.”
“Charlotte,” Garrett growled. “We need the help.”
“I know,” I mumbled, staring at the hodgepodge of guys hovering around the big black SUV. I recognized a couple of them from my visits into Sanctuary, but couldn’t remember any names.
Our truck stopped, and I climbed out behind Garrett. Travis walked around the opposite way and greeted the men. Two were similar in size and looks, blonde, green eyes, and smiles that probably melted panties right off of women, although the one on the left was a little bigger and tougher looking than his counterpart. Both were taller than my mates, but not by much.
“Brogan.” Travis shook the giant’s hand on the left. “Have you met Charlie before?” He gestured to me, and I nodded, stepping forward.
“Seen in passing,” the big man answered, “but not officially met. It’s lovely to meet the woman who kept these two simpering like puppies left out in the cold. It was good for them to wait. Made the gett’n all that much better.”
I couldn’t help the smile that crept across my face. Pissed at my mates or not, I liked this guy.
“This is my cousin, Liam. Don’t let his good looks fool you; he’s a devil if there ever was one.”
“It’s nice to put a face with the name, Charlie.” The second blonde giant extended his hand, and I shook it before turning to the other two men standing to the side.
They were both average size for a Lycan, which meant six-foot-five or so. But one had blazing red hair and blue eyes, while the other was wearing two days’ worth of black scruff and had curls that I’m sure women wanted to sink their fingers into. His brown eyes were dark and cold, like he’d seen more than his fair share of pain over the years. I wondered how old he was. Streaks of gray hair were scattered around his temples.
“Maddock,” the red head said, stepping forward. He nodded his head, but didn’t extend his hand. “My cohort is Douglas. He’s not much of a talker, but he’ll chew ass like a hungry lion in an arena.”
My eyes widened at the imagery. Maybe he could chew off Victor’s ass. “Thank you for coming, but why are you standing in the parking lot?”
“Your people weren’t that keen on letting us in,” Brogan answered.
“Where’s Finn?” Travis asked.
“Finn’s mate is in labor,” Liam said, stepping closer to the group. His deep voice was gravely and made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
“We’re missing Teagan’s baby?” Garrett asked.
“She’ll probably already have it before we sort out your mess here and get back,” Liam answered.
“Who do we have to kill to get the ball rolling?” Douglas stepped forward.
My hand flew to my mouth, and I whirled to face Travis. What the fuck? I mouthed, narrowing my gaze.
“Douglas, we don’t—”
The big dark-haired man smirked. “It were just a thought.
“Killing isn’t always necessary in all situations, Douglas,” Maddock growled.
“If so, I’m calling it,” Douglas said, his mouth curving into a wickedly frightening smile.
His Scottish accent distracted me slightly from the fact that he wanted to know whose head was on the chopping block.
“I’ll tell you what,” I said. “If that fucking emissary from Xerxes shows his face at this lodge again, you can kill him.”
The big man cracked his knuckles and nodded. “Verra good.”
“So are we going to go in or just stand out here jawing?” Brogan asked, gesturing to the front door with a wave of his hand.
“Come on,” Travis said, as we all moved toward the front door together.
“Who’s the punk watching us from the trees?”
I whirled in time to see a flash of black disappear for a moment before reappearing on the hill behind the small grove of oaks.
“Follow him quietly. I’ll track.” Travis said, motioning to Garrett. “Watch out for darts. Brogan and Liam, take Charlie inside. We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“Hell no!” I leaped away from the group, but not fast enough. The blond giants had their big paws wrapped around my arms before I could take a second step. Fucking bastards! “Travis! Garrett! You will pay for this.”
Travis stalked toward me, the power of the alpha rippling from his skin. “You will do this,” he growled. “I cannot focus on the soldiers and you at the same time. Go with Liam and Brogan. Do not leave their side. For. Anything.”
My wolf wanted to roll on its back and show my belly. Going against a direct alpha order was like trying to make yourself jump into a vat of molten steel. It just wouldn’t happen.
I stared at the ground, refusing to look him in the eye.
“Do you understand, Charlotte?”
Charlotte? He used my full name. He’d never called me Charlotte. I looked up and saw the pain… the fear he’d spoken of. He knew he was cheating by using the alpha magick to exact obedience, but I understood. And it was enough to forgive him. And Garrett.
“Yes.”
Garrett kissed my forehead and whispered that he loved me in my ear before running after Travis, Maddock, and Douglas.
“I love you both, too, you big idiots.” It wasn’t more than a whisper, but they both turned after I spoke and looked at me for a moment before continuing after the spying soldier. Their focus was on tracking, but they had been listening.
They’d always listened to me. Anything and everything.
They’d left Ada when I told them to go.
Came back when I called.
Fought for me.
Stood by me.
Loved me.
Tears ran down my cheeks, and I covered my mouth to muffle a sob. I didn’t want to lose them. What would I do without them? I loved them so much. If I’d just left when Victor tried to take the pack over, we’d be safe in Sanctuary.
But where would my pack be?
Dead?
Or worse?
“It’ll be alright, darling,” Brogan said, putting a gentle hand against the small of my back. “Let’s find you something to sip on. Maddock and Douglas won’t let anything happen to your boys. Gods, Douglas by himself could slaughter a whole army.”
“He seems a little on the scary side,” I admitted between sobs.
Brogan’s lips pushed out as he thought about my statement. “He hasn’t had the easiest life and has learned to channel his pain against those who deserve it.”
“He kills people.”
“Yep,” Liam said, opening the door for me. “But only people who deserve it.”
Somehow, even with both of them assuring me o
f Travis and Garrett’s supposed safety, I still worried.
“I need them to come back.” I said as they led me through the foyer into the living room. People stood to the side, silent as we walked through, but the looks they gave Brogan and Liam were dagger sharp.
“They will. Where’s your room? You look like you could lie down for a few minutes.”
Crawley entered the living room from the kitchen. “Charlie, I—I was only—”
“It’s fine, Crawley. It’s not your fault. If I hadn’t gone out the window, I would’ve clawed a hole in the wall.”
He nodded, but I could feel his guilt weighing him down. His alphas had entrusted him with their most precious possession, and I’d slipped through his fingers.
I approached him and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I promise not to run again.” It was nice to have someone in the pack trust me and my mates. His loyalty through this transition had made everything just a little easier.
He nodded and stepped to the side so I could continue up the stairs. “You go with her. I’ll bring some food up.”
The men exchanged a few more words, but I just wanted to rest, like Brogan said. I wanted to try and forget that Travis and Garrett were out there with those crazy Lycan soldiers. My feet climbed the stairs, plodding forward until I reached the top.
I opened my door and walked to the bed. Rubbing my heels together, I worked the combat boots off without reaching down for them. They clunked to the floor. One loud thump followed by another echoed through the empty room.
My mates’ voices were present in my mind—their whispered words of adorations and shouts of my name as they filled me, body and soul. “Come back to me,” I whispered, lying back on the bed and snuggling into the pillows coated in their scent.
Chapter 31
GARRETT
We followed on foot, just far enough back that the soldier wouldn’t be suspicious. When we reached a small house about four miles from the lodge, I looked at Travis and frowned. A dozen vans and trucks were scattered around the front, but I counted only six heartbeats. Where were the rest? The windows were boarded over, but that wouldn’t hinder my ability to hear inside.
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