by Jana Leigh
Ryan and she had taken over leadership for the meantime, and so far, no one had questioned that. But they were cats in a dog pound and sooner or later, they were going to have a few issues.
Ariel looked around for her husband, they had still not found Blaze, and he was getting more and more worried. The places they had not been able to get to were where the worst damage was. Anyone who had been that close to the blast was going to have serious injuries. She could not think about that right now, she needed to focus on taking care of the people that were here.
Ariel walked over to the small female Alpha, Cami, her mates were among the missing also. She leaned down and checked the IV that was hooked up. Cami began to stir and Ariel began to hope that she was coming out of it. From what they could see, she had a broken arm and leg on the right side of her body. It had to be how she landed. Probably had a few broken ribs on that side too, but until they X-Rayed her, they would not know.
She was next on the list to go to the clinic. Ariel knew the wolves wanted at least one of their Alphas to live.
Cami groaned and raised her hand to her head. “What the fuck just happened? I feel like I have a six day hangover and was hit by a bus.” Ariel didn"t want to because the seriousness of the situation but she chuckled. “Cami, its Ariel. You have been in an explosion.” She said calmly.
Cami"s eyes popped open and she tried to sit up. “Where are my kids and my mates?” She cried out and then sank back from the pain.
Ariel paused for a minute, how did you tell a powerful wolf that she had no idea where her family was in this devastation without getting her head ripped off her body? It was going to be a difficult discussion to say the least. “Cami, right now, we are not sure where they are. We have every wolf, cat, bear, and bird looking for them. The wing the babies were in was not damaged but we are unable to reach the floor they were on. Ryan is looking for your mates right now. Do you know where they were when the explosion happened?”
Cami laid there stunned. “Explosion? Shit, Casey! Jo! Where the hell is everyone?”
“We are still getting people out. Casey and her mates are over there. Jo is right next to you. Tey is still missing. We are trying. Do you know where they were when the explosion happened?” Ariel asked again.
“Uhh, most everyone was in the birthing room. The babies were in the nursery. Shit, why can"t I think? I was going to find Quin and Jaden when I felt the ground shake.
They would have wanted to be there for the birth. I think they were down in the security room. Blaine was with them. Trinity and her parents, Oliver, Spencer and one of your cats were in the meeting room on the other side of the security room.” Cami said and grimaced again.
“Trinity?” Ariel said and frowned. She would have remembered someone by that name, it was pretty. In fact, it was one of the names she had picked out for when she and Ryan had a child.
“She is one of the Chosen. Came this morning with her parents. Long story.” Cami muttered and then looked to the side to her best friend who was still not awake. “Jo?
How bad is she?”
Ariel looked at the other woman and frowned. “We aren"t sure; most of you have at least one broken bone, and a few burns. Jo has a leg broken like you. We aren"t sure about the rest. We are waiting for the nurses to move you to the clinic. Jordan is in there now, she is critical.”
Cami turned to her quickly again. “Oh shit, I forgot about Jordan, she"s human. How bad is it?”
“Internal bleeding, burns, I"m not sure what else.” Ariel said sadly.
Cami closed her eyes and finally the reality hit her and she began to sob. Ariel bent down, took her good hand, and squeezed. “We will make it through.” She whispered.
“You are the only Alpha right now, you have to be strong.” Cami nodded through her pain and then opened her eyes. “Who is in charge right now?”
“Ryan and I are the highest ranking shifters in the compound. We have locked it down completely, no one in or out. Guards are posted all around. And we have the people who were in the compound at the time of the explosion helping with rescue. We can"t call in the humans. Right now we don"t know who to trust.” Ariel said.
Cami nodded and then said, “Call this number. 555-225-5421. Ask for Big dog.” Cami said and then held up her hand weakly when she saw the smirk on the cat"s face. “Yeah, yeah, heard them all. Jaden thought it would be funny.” Cami said and then tears gathered again in her eyes. “They will know what to do. It"s the rest of the Denver Pack; the guards will allow them in. We have to find the children. Send Shane up to the nursery, he is an eagle shifter. Call the clinic and tell them they are going to have to get Casey out of here soon.” Cami said and looked at her friend who was panting and sweating. “She can"t have the babies in the fucking parking lot.” Ariel nodded and rose up with the walkie-talkie and began relaying Cami"s orders. They listened while everyone responded. People were beginning to move faster when they realized their Alpha was awake. She was small, but held a lot of power. She also held the hearts and admiration of all of her Pack.
“We need a list. I need to know who is where. The Chosen and their mates need to be taken to one spot. I don"t care if it is the clinic or one of the houses. It may be best to use the Bed and Breakfast. Just get people moving us. We can"t be exposed and out in the open much longer. This had to be Braden"s handy work, the little pecker. When I get my hands on him I am gonna twist his nuts off! Next, call the closest shifter communities. We need reinforcements. There is a Pack in Wyoming and a small den of bears in the mountains.” Cami"s voice began to get stronger. The Alpha was finally getting herself together. Ariel was glad; she would play second fiddle to her any day of the week and twice on Sundays, she thought and looked around at the people who were working. Ryan and she were going to have a nice long talk when all of this was over.
Their Pride may be in for a move. She was not leaving Jordan and Blaze here with so much going on.
Ariel took all the instructions and then walked quickly to make sure they were carried out. Adele and Blaine"s mother had things under control for now. She stopped to check on Casey and smiled when she saw that her mates had moved themselves around so that they were helping her as much as they could. A nurse came bustling to the cots and said that Casey was being moved immediately to the clinic. Ariel smiled. When Cami said jump, everyone asked how high. It was great. Ariel could learn a lot from this female.
Chapter 7
Braden finally reached the Rogue headquarters. He entered the place smiling and Roarke rushed up to greet him. “Master, I have just arrived myself. We have all the scanners and radio working so we can tell what is going on.” He said quickly and then looked around the room and pointed to the men who were hunched over computers and radios. “We will have reports soon.”
Braden frowned and said, “I want them now. It has been at least an hour and a half since the explosion. Things should be coming in; at least they should know if people are dead or not.”
Braden thought the whole way down here. If he managed to take out the Alphas with this blast, it would make their jobs so much easier. Quin and Jaden were in the security room when the blast went off. He heard them. Now he just had to wait for the confirmation. The rest of the Chosen would be injured or worse, he could easily step in and become the new Alpha, none of the Chosen would be in any condition to challenge him. In fact, even if Quin lived, Braden could challenge him and he would win. An Alpha could not refuse a challenge. It was one of the oldest laws on the books. He should have killed Oliver years ago and been done with it.
Braden often thought maybe he over planned for the situation. If he had killed Oliver years ago, the New Council would never have been formed. But, he had not wanted to look like the asshole he knew he was. Some of the shifters were going to have to be taught a lesson about loyalty and obedience. But he would do that behind closed doors.
Many of the shifters who wanted to remain hidden would accept him, but they would not like it if they knew he
was torturing people who disagreed with them. Although that is exactly, what he was going to do.
One of the peons who pledged his obedience turned to him excitedly. “Master, they are talking about the wounded now.”
Braden walked to the radio and listened. He roared in frustration when he heard that so far all the Chosen had survived, although they were injured. Finally, he heard the two Alphas Quin and Jaden were missing. At least that was something. He hoped by the end of the day their deaths would be confirmed.
He waited to hear about his mates and then yelled again in frustration when he heard that Jordan was in critical condition in the clinic. Her list of injuries was extensive.
Lacy was just removed from the triage to the clinic. She seemed to be a little better off, although she had a few broken bones. Shifting would help her. He stepped back and contemplated his next move. Right now would be the perfect time to get his mates, while the chaos was fresh. Then he would provide them with all the care they needed.
Of course, they would be grateful and beholden to him. Yes, this may work out in his favor. Now he had to think of a plan and quick. Strike while the iron was hot. He was sure the Alphas had not had enough time to get the word out yet of his role in the murders of the humans yet. They had found out just a few hours before the explosion.
Besides, with all the chaos, he may have an easier time getting in the compound and back out without anyone noticing.
They had said that Cami was awake, but wounded. She would be in no condition to make any orders. With no one in charge at this moment it was a prime opportunity. He turned to Roarke and said, “I need a few of your best men. We are going back to Milliken and getting my mates.”
Roarke frowned and thought for a moment before he opened his mouth. He knew what would happen if he disagreed with The Master. It had only taken one time for him to be beaten before he realized that The Master did not accept anyone questioning him.
“Master, Jordan is very injured. How will we take care of her?” Roarke said.
“Reggie"s mother, of course, she is more than capable of first-aid.” Braden said and waved his hand in dismissal.
Roarke wanted to roll his eyes but he held himself back. The woman was bat shit crazy, all the Rogues new it. That is why they left her alone as much as possible. “Sir, have you visited her recently? She is a little checked out.” Braden swung back around and raised his hand like he was going to hit him. “You will do as I say. Now, have the men ready to leave in the next thirty minutes. I want my mates where they belong, at my side. I don"t trust those hacks at the compound. Hell, they will probably try to take her to surgery and fix her themselves.” Roarke nodded and bowed his head. He was going to keep his opinion to himself about this. Roarke had little hope that Braden would be able to get back into the compound.
Even with their Alphas missing, they would be locked down tighter than a tick. The Master did not give them enough credit. Soon he was going to have to talk to Braden about his misconceptions regarding the Chosen. Time and time again, they had been thwarted for getting what they wanted. Braden was going to have to pull back and regroup before he attacked again. There was no other way. Maybe with a failure today The Master would finally listen to him.
Braden walked from the room and went to prepare for his mates arrival. They would be happy here. With their combined powers, he would have no problems taking over the New Council. Once he did that, the rest was only a step away. Braden would be the leader of all the shifters and have powerful allies to obtain his human domination.
Chapter 8
Lagon had found six men and one woman. All of them had been severely injured. He was not sure they would all make it. Lagon went back in and searched again. Before he shifted, he wanted to make sure he had gotten everyone out. The people lying on the ground needed medical attention quickly, which made him move faster.
He flew into the center of the debris from which he had pulled the older people. He did not want to miss an elder. They were to be revered. Slowly he picked his way through the papers, boards, and plaster. He could only smell the burning of the building around him. It was frustrating not being able to use his nose to find the people who were still in here.
Moving slowly so he would miss anything, Lagon worked his way father into the flames.
Then it was like he got a breath of fresh air. Something so sweet smelling he almost flew up to see if he could find the smell. Then he realized it was coming from underneath him. He stood there for a moment and thought, it is my mate. It had to be, this was what the Gods told him would happen when he found his mate. He had the irresistible need to find where the scent came from.
He bent over and began throwing things out of his way, regardless of who the hell saw him. His mate was in this fucking mess and whoever they were could be hurt. They could be dying before he even had the chance to meet them.
Finally, he found a shoe; wait, there were two of them. One male and one female. He slowly moved the last of the barriers and saw a large man curled around a small female like he was protecting her. He bent down, smelled them both, and stood in amazement.
They were both his mates. One male and one female. The Gods had gifted him with two mates. The thought had never occurred to him. Lagon had little time to think. He needed to get them out of here. He could see they were both injured, to what extent he had no idea, but if the Gods thought they would give him his mates and then take them away, they were sorely mistaken. He would raise such hell if either of them died; the Gods would have no choice but to bring them back.
He gently picked them up as one and curled them in his large arms. He looked down at their ash covered faces and smiled. His mates. Lagon flew straight up and off to the side where he had left the others. Shifting quickly he snapped his fingers and was suddenly dressed in clean clothes. Rubbing against the dirty building quickly while he began calling, he made sure that he looked disheveled and dirty, like he had been in the building. Soon he would go and get the children and return them safely to the compound.
He heard the pounding feet as the people who were digging through the building on the other side came running.
A large man that Lagon could tell was a cat came around first. He ran to Lagon and put a hand on his shoulder. “Tonight you will be hailed a hero. You saved not only the Old Council members and one of the Chosen, but the Alpha Chosen as well. Not to mention my gratitude for finding my best friend.”
Lagon raised his eyebrows but nodded and knelt next to the woman and man. He wanted to ask who they were, but he wasn"t sure if they were well known. Men rushed to carry all the injured around to the front. Lagon helped the large man with his mates.
He carried the male while Lagon carried the female. She looked so small. He could feel some of her bones shifting against each other where they were broken. Had she been awake, Lagon was sure she would have been screaming in pain. Thank the Gods she was passed out. He would hate to hear either of his mates in that much pain.
One of the men who were standing at the triage pointed to where they should lay his mates. “This is all of them. All except the babies. We have been unable to locate them yet. Cami is getting pissed and impatient. I don"t think I can hold her off for much longer from going back in herself, no matter her pain. She needs to know the triplets are safe.”
Lagon nodded and said, “Babies? When I was in the rubble, I could hear crying. I will show you. It will take a few men to get them out. Why don"t you gather your men and meet me where I laid these people.”
The man"s eyes lit up and nodded. The cat turned to him. “Come back here when you are done. I want to introduce you to the female Alpha.” Lagon nodded and ran off to the side of the house. He quickly changed again and flew directly to his cave. It was only a matter of minutes because of his speed, but he knew he had little time to spare. Grabbing all the children and nannies in the blanket he brought them in, Lagon flew back to the room he had taken them from. Filled with smoke, he gently put them down i
n a closet that seemed the most clear from smoke and covered them up. Once he was sure that they were safe, he jumped out the window, landing just before the men rounded the corner. Thank the Gods he had changed already. That would have been a little hard to explain.
“Up there, it was in that window.” Lagon pointed to where he had just jumped.
The men nodded and quickly grabbed a ladder. One by one, the men climbed up until they were in the room. One of the men cried out, “Here!” And Lagon took a deep breath of relief that they had found them so quickly. It was a matter of moments before the first child was lowered down to waiting arms. The nannies were woken by the rescuers and seemed confused about what happened.
One of the men tried to assure them it was probably the smoke. They needed to be checked out. The children were carried to the triage and Lagon heard a cry from a small female who was sitting in a wheel chair. “Thank you! Please bring them here.” The men took the children to her and she kissed them each. The children looked around wide eyed like they had woken from a peaceful nap. They frowned at the confusion and the smell and then they began to cry. “Take them to the Bed and Breakfast. There is a room already set up for them. Nurses will check them all over. Now where are my mates?”
Lagon smiled at the bossy little woman. She was in obvious pain but refused people fussing over her. She rolled herself to where two men were laying. They were ones he had pulled out of the building. They were the Pack Alphas. Lagon smiled when she took each of their hands gently and whispered something in each of their ears. They were still unconscious and people were readying them to be taken to the clinic but she did not care. She had to tell them something important. He assumed what it was. Because since laying eyes on his two mates he was ready to declare his undying love and devotion.