Angus

by Sydney Addae

  Nathaniel grinned. “We are blessed by the Goddess with the pair of them. I cannot imagine pack without my Alpha.” He looked at the La Patron tattoo on one arm and the KnightForce tattoo on the other. The remainder of the ride was in silence as Angus thought of his return to the compound in the morning. Unless Silas had something special for him to do, Angus would work in his lab on some of the old equipment from The Liege.

  In several of the past raids, Silas had confiscated a lot of weapons from the Liege, one item was a collar used on full-bloods to subvert their will. Angus tinkered with the collars to see if they could be modified or disabled by a remote he’d created to free the full-bloods who had been forced into servitude. Last week, he’d added crystals to the mix to see if they would offer additional energy. So far nothing worked, but he sensed he was close to a breakthrough. He would ask Hawke to go over what he’d done so far, see what he’d missed.

  When they arrived at Chan’s compound, Angus assisted Nathaniel by taking the prisoners to the underground cages. It took a few minutes to get them registered, identify their packs, and settle them inside the cages.

  Nathaniel shook his head as he followed Angus outside. “Those last two have been at this for a while.”

  Angus looked over his shoulder at the man. “Yeah? What’d you find out?”

  “The older one, Bitman, started some trouble in Pennsylvania. Alpha Samuel wants him returned for dispatchment. He’s sending Blue for him. The rest don’t have warrants or records. Alpha Chan will deal with them,” Nathaniel said as they moved away from the building.

  Crescent Blue had been another superior KnightForce trainee. From everything Angus heard, Samuel was more than pleased to have the agent on his team. “That’s good. We can’t save them all, some refuse to reform.”

  Thankful Chan was in another part of the state and he didn’t need to play politics, Angus followed. He was tired and ready to return to the compound in West Virginia. He had no opinions on how the Alphas handled their jobs as long as they obeyed Silas.

  “Dinner?” Nathaniel asked.

  “No, go home to your mate and enjoy the evening. I’ll head to the hotel, grab a bite in town, and call it an early night. I’m flying out first thing.” He stopped, faced the young pup, and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Like I said before, you’re doing a great job, La Patron and I are both pleased how you took down the rebels without bloodshed. You have done us both proud.” He embraced the pup and stepped back.

  “Thank you, Sir. This has been a great experience, hunting with you. I’ve learned much and appreciate your patience and training. If you ever need me, I am at your disposal.” He nodded and walked toward his vehicle. Angus headed toward his truck. “Silas?”

  “Chan has contacted me with the good news. Samuel is glad Bitman, one who’s escaped him for many years, will return for justice. All in all, you did a good job,” Silas said.

  “Nathaniel took the information given and tracked all four rebels, today he brought in the last two. I remained in the shadows watching, just as I’m sure you did.” Angus pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward town.

  “Actually, I didn’t watch this time. Adam was involved in a football game at school and I cheered him from the sidelines. You’ll need to see his next game in two days, he’s a natural athlete.”

  Angus laughed. “What was it? Some kind of little league? And is it fair for La Patron to cheer his son and not the others? What did Jasmine say?” He imagined Silas watching his pup on the field. No doubt he tried and failed to tamp down his pride and enthusiasm.

  Silas snorted, the sound snaked through their connection. “Yes, just teams from within the school playing each other. I didn’t plan to go but Adam asked. Jasmine said we’d discuss how to handle it later because me watching caused problems.”

  Angus frowned. Problems? How?” He turned into the parking lot of the hotel and parked near the front.

  “As you said, is it fair for the Alpha to cheer only his son? Other little ones cried, some played so hard they were hurt. Adam made a mess of things trying to show off after he saw me. You’ll need to go and watch for me since I’ve been banned for now.”

  Angus laughed at Silas’ sad tone. “Banned? Has Jasmine approved my attendance?” He headed toward the lobby and then to the elevators.

  “Yes, she suggested you go. Somehow she believes you’ll behave better than me and the twins.”

  Angus laughed again. “Reese and Rone were at the game? A little league game? Bless the Goddess. Please tell me Adam’s team won or that he scored in some way or did something worthy of my sweet sister’s wrath?”

  “According to my Sweet Bitch, it’s not about winning.”

  Angus snorted. “It’s always about winning, otherwise why bother to play?”

  “Exactly. But she says it’s not about winning, which was the answer given to the losing team,” Silas said.

  “Ouch. Adam’s team lost?” He unlocked his room door and went inside.

  “Yeah. But he had so much fun losing, I had to cheer him on.” Silas laughed.

  Of all four pups, Adam was the easiest-going. He loved playing games, sports, hanging outside, and pulling pranks. Whereas the other three had seriously high IQs, Adam was smart, just not as smart as his den-mates and that didn’t seem to bother him in the least.

  “I can see that. What did the others say of the game? Did they watch?” He could see Renee, his artsy niece, and Jackie, his serious strategist, either cheering Adam on or sitting with an electronic tablet in the stands.

  “They were there, I’m not sure how much they saw. Jackie and Renee played on their tablets, David and Sarita watched and talked mostly. None of them cheered, which made me and the twins so noticeable.” Silas laughed. “It was all good fun. If Adam or any of the others participate in sports or anything in the future, I don’t want to miss it because I’m La Patron. I’m their father too. If they need me, I’ll be there, and everyone will need to adjust.”

  Angus smiled as he propped his feet on the sofa. “Of course, pack wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “The plane will be there in a few hours, you’ll be home in the morning.” It was a statement, but Angus answered anyway.

  “Yes, I’m hungry and tired. After I eat, I plan to get some rest, get an early start. Should see you a little after breakfast.”

  “Good, good. Everything okay? You and Chan get along alright?”

  “Yeah, only saw him once, last week when I got here, no problems. He stayed out of Nathaniel's way, let him do his job.” Angus knew Silas was more concerned about him and the arrogant Alpha bumping heads, but that would never happen. At least Angus wouldn’t start anything.

  “Appreciate that,” Silas said, sounding relieved. “Eat, get some sleep, and get on the plane. See you in the morning.”

  “Sounds good, talk to you later.” They disconnected. Angus ordered two medium rare steak dinners and a bottle of red wine. He hopped in the shower before the food arrived, and was drying his hair when room service knocked on the door.

  Inhaling the tantalizing scent of the half-cooked meat teased his nostrils. His stomach growled in anticipation. After the server left, Angus attacked the food with the zeal of a starving man. Minutes later, two large T-bones littered the plate. He tossed back the red wine as if it were water. Hunger sated, he pulled back the cover on the king-sized bed and lay face down. His thoughts settled on the collars in his lab, the necessary adjustments to the remote, and Adam’s football game. With a smile, he fell asleep.

  “Wake up. Angus, I have need of you,” the deep voice said as it peeled layers from the sleep-induced fog surrounding Angus’ thoughts.

  Rolling onto his side, Angus tried to return to the dark comfort only a deep sleep provided. Something sharp pierced his side. Snarling, he sprung up, prepared to fight, and looked around. When he saw nothing, he gazed at the red dot on his abdomen that pulsed with pain. Inhaling, he sought the culprit as he turned around the room.


  “Who’s there?” he asked when he couldn’t identify any scent.

  “I have need of you.”

  “Who are you? Show yourself,” Angus said, looking up at the ceiling and then around the small space.

  A large black wolf emerged from what appeared to be a cloud in the middle of the room. The huge beast, with glowing emerald green eyes made brighter in the dark, walked slowly toward him. When he closed the distance to an arm’s length, he stopped, giving Angus time to focus on what had to be the most realistic dream ever.

  “I have need of you.” The words didn’t come from the black wolf’s mouth, nor was it a private mental transmission like Angus had with Silas and other pack members.

  “Who are you?” Angus suspected this creature had appeared for decades in his dreams but wanted to be sure.

  The wolf shook his large head and a second later, a tall, muscular male with long white hair and close-cropped beard stood in front of him. Dressed in a long burgundy robe, his visitor crossed over to the lone sofa in the room and sat. “You know who I am. You call me Grandfather. Now sit and listen.” He waved imperiously to the desk chair. His luminous green eyes watched Angus until his butt met the fabric of the seat.

  Sitting here, watching, seeing the wolf from his dreams was quite unbelievable, shocking really. His mind reeled as he took in the relaxed demeanor, the long hair, and inscrutable face. Unable to comprehend, he looked at the rumpled bed and half-empty glass of water from dinner. He pinched his thigh and looked back to see if he was still there. He was.

  “Grandfather?”

  The older man nodded. “As I said, I have need of you.” He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling as if gathering his thoughts.

  Fascinated, and unable to utter a word, Angus stared at the legend come to life. Should he ask about his lost Alpha? The full-blood had walked off one day and never returned. Or was Ulric supposed to be the Alpha of his old pack all along? He’d always wondered if he was supposed to challenge the wolf for the Alpha position, but his heart was never in it. Had he failed his heritage in some way by not stepping up for the Black Wolf? Why hadn’t grandfather ever reached out to Silas? More importantly, what did he want with Angus now?

  “There has been a breach,” Grandfather said slowly.

  Immediately Angus thought of his research and then the crystals he used in his chameleon bracelets which allowed the wearer to assume the identity of another, search memories or determine the composition of objects. Silas’ greatest concern was the bracelet falling into the wrong hand. Since Angus was the sole creator of the chameleon he incorporated several safety measures into the bracelet but nothing was 100% full-proof. “Breach?” He needed more information before he said anything.

  “Yes.”

  Angus didn’t know what to think but refused to say another word until he knew more. Seconds ticked and neither spoke. He looked at the empty wine bottle and plates on the table before turning back to his uninvited guest. Grandfather’s eyes glowed an eerie green as they met his. “Tomorrow you will return to the place of your birth, there is something you must do there.”

  “My birth?” Angus frowned. Plias was the last place he would willingly visit.

  “Yes.” The older man stood and looked down at him. “Tomorrow. You must arrive before the next morning or it could be too late.”

  Standing, Angus peered into eyes so like his own. “Has my Alpha approved this journey?” If Grandfather was a full-blood patriarch, he understood Angus couldn’t just fly off without permission from Silas, and that hadn’t happened.

  “No, and he cannot know.” Grandfather held up his hands. “You must trust me on this.”

  The man asked the impossible. Angus crossed his arms. “No.”

  “If you do not do exactly as I say, your mate will die.”

  The steely words slammed into Angus with the force of his grandfather swinging a baseball bat into his body. Air escaped as he tried to speak around the block of shock lodged in his throat. “Mate?”

  “Yes. It’s important that you return to your pack lands and travel to a place I will show you. Unfortunately, you cannot tell anyone of this, and your link with your Alpha will cease once you leave this country.”

  Mate? Die? How could this be? Surely the Goddess would have told Silas. His Alpha would know something “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Angus asked to stall for time. He needed to think. How could he leave the country without telling his brother?

  “Have I ever lied to you before?”

  “Not that I recall. But I don’t know you, not really. You come to me in my dreams and talk to me. Now you tell me to abandon my Alpha, go to a place I swore never to return, and save someone my beast and I have no idea actually exists,” Angus said.

  “True. In time Silas will know, but not now. I do not have time to prove the truth of my words, you will either believe me or not. But if you wish to save her, you’ll meet me at the old training grounds in 24 hours. A flight has been booked for you, but you must leave now to catch it.” He paused and the light dimmed in his eyes. “If you tell your Alpha that I have come to you with these instructions, you forfeit the right and ability to rescue your mate. When I tell you I cannot say more, it’s because I cannot. Even this visit may be misconstrued as interference.”

  Interference? What was going on, he thought. “How do you know this is my mate? I’ve never met or had an inkling of her.” He still couldn’t wrap his mind around traveling across the world to rescue someone he didn’t know without his Alpha’s permission. His wolf leapt at the idea of their mate being in danger and urged him to follow the Black Wolf’s advice immediately.

  “Just as I know your pain over the loss of your parents centuries ago, and then the loneliness you experienced for decades because of Ulric, I know your mate. She will die if you do not move quickly and catch the plane tonight.”

  “I cannot leave and not tell my Alpha.” He recalled the pain Silas felt when Angus had been unconscious months ago and refused to put him through that again.

  Grandfather sighed. “Tell him you must leave but cannot tell him of the emergency, tell him your connection will be lost once you enter certain locations, tell him you will contact him when you are done. That is all. You cannot discuss me, your mate, or anything else I have told you.”

  “That’s easy, you haven’t told me anything,” Angus grumbled as he threw his clothes into his luggage.

  Grandfather returned to his wolf form and sat on the floor with his head on his paws watching Angus pack. When he finished, Angus met the canny old wolf’s stare. “I’m ready. Did you call me a cab as well?”

  “No. You have to return your rental car anyway. Get a move on.” And with those parting words, Grandfather disappeared.

  CHAPTER 3

  “Ow,” Shyla said, placing her palm on the side of her head as she tried to see through the dim, dusty fog. As she spoke, the blood stopped flowing while the wound on the side of her head healed.

  “What just happened?” No one answered. “Anybody here?” She placed her hands on the floor and pushed up. Shaky, it took a moment to realize wherever she was, it didn’t accommodate her five foot, ten inches. As the dust settled, she saw more of what appeared to be a ballroom or library, she wasn’t immediately certain which.

  Musty odors tickled her memories. “Library,” she muttered as her fingertips grazed cool, smooth stone with writing engraved down one side. She leaned in to see the letters and gasped at the beautiful craftsmanship. Long, gracefully curving letters created by a master to stand the test of time, held her speechless.

  “Beautiful,” she whispered in awe. Holding onto the column, she tried to see what lay behind her. The moment her hand reached forward, a light flicked on, highlighting a row of books. Looking down she assumed the walls stood around 20 feet tall and she stood behind the rails of the highest row. Although the rest of the room was still dim, she assumed she’d fallen into a master library or something similar
to what she kept at home.

  Home.

  Her home didn’t allow intruders into her chambers, but someone or something had broken through centuries of protection. But why? Better yet, who? Think. Think, what happened before the light? The scroll, she was reading the information. Was it the scroll? Stomach quivering, she placed her hands on her hips as she spoke. “Okay, I’m here, what now?”

  Nothing.

  Shyla stepped to the side, entered small alcove and stretched. Arms raised, her fingertips brushed against something and it fell. Dust rose and billowed around the small object, surprising her because everything looked so clean. Stooping, she picked up the thin, deep red leather-bound book, and flipped it over.

  She swiped the cover with her palm, and tried to read the title. The words seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite grasp what they meant. Opening the book, she stared at the same wording as the title. Normally she’d love to unravel the mystery of the book, but the urgency of her situation made her unsettled. A ladder was lodged a few feet from the alcove where she stood.

  Scenting the air, she allowed her beast to come closer to the surface and tried to contact her mother. When there was no answer, she tried her local pack leader, and then Alpha Jayden, through their mental link.

  There was nothing. No link. No connection. No communication. Shyla’s heart raced with the knowledge she was utterly alone without family or pack to help. Mouth dry, she was desperate for some solution to this odd, maddening situation.

  “Goddess, please help me. I don’t know what to do, or where I am. I need your help to get home.” Silence met her request. As her eyes adjusted to the fog she made out more of the cavernous room. Unlike the chamber at home, the atmosphere had a malevolent feel.