by Meg Ripley
“I know. I just really hope you’re wrong. No offense.”
“None taken.” He decided to leave most of the camp set up instead of taking the time to disassemble it all and take it with him. If things went poorly and he lost a bit of equipment, well, he could replace that some other time. He and Audra headed down the trail to the Jeep, and she guided him through several short cuts that brought them in a wide circle around the clubhouse. He kept his eyes peeled for anyone he recognized from the pack, especially Nate or one of his upper members.
They made it to the Silver Saddle Motel with no incident and very little conversation. Flint felt the tension in the air, heavy between them and so palpable, it was practically a third passenger. He wanted to reach out to her, to convince her that everything was going to be all right, but he didn’t even know that himself.
When Hudson opened the door to the motel room, he seemed unsurprised to find Audra standing there next to Flint. “Come on in.”
She hesitated slightly, but still she didn’t run. Flint took in the typical hotel room with a single king-sized bed, a TV on the desk, and two chairs by the window. “Audra, this is Hudson and Leona, two other members of the SOS Force. Relax, kitty cat, she knows.” He held up a hand to Hudson, who’d raised a blonde eyebrow. “And this is Audra. Her brother Nate is the Alpha of the pack.”
“We’ve heard a bit about you,” Hudson replied as he held out his hand. “You’re one of the main subjects of conversation with your pack right now.”
Audra bit her lip, but Flint could tell she was still trying to maintain that hard exterior she always wore. No doubt her time with him had affected that somewhat. “Hopefully it’s nothing bad.”
Leona shook her head as she went to the little coffee maker in the corner and poured them each a cup. “I wouldn’t say that. Why don’t you sit down?” She gestured at the two chairs by the window. A round table sat between them with a laptop on it. The computer looked normal enough, but Flint knew better than to imagine any gadget Hudson had was normal.
The lion opened it, and when the screen lit up, Flint could see that he’d already pulled up a program. He gave Flint a meaningful look. “I won’t go into the details of how I got this information, but the most important part is that you hear it.” He tapped the touchpad.
A crackle of static filled the room for a moment, for which Hudson apologized, but then voices took over the track. “I’d say it went pretty well. The guys did a great job of looking like the victims. We’ve trained them well.”
Audra’s eyes widened. “That’s Richard,” she choked.
Hudson simply nodded.
“Good,” came a second voice on the recording. “But don’t count on this taking care of all our problems. I heard a rumor that some of the other packs are actually teaming up now, having discussions to figure out what to do. I received an invitation to one of these meetings, and I was able to give them an excuse, but I don’t like the sound of it. I’d hoped to divide and conquer more than anything.”
Audra looked like she was going to be sick, and her eyes found Flint’s. “That’s Nate. But they can’t be saying what it sounds like. I mean, this could all be taken completely out of context.”
Leona, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, gave her a kind look. “There are hours’ worth of track that we can go through. This is just one of the most recent ones, and they all seem to point to the same thing. What Flint has told you is true.”
Her mouth a hard line, Audra turned back to the computer.
Richard was speaking again. “—can deal with those packs as we see fit. I think our other problem right now is that sister of yours. I never thought she’d be the troublemaker for us, but the fact that she disappeared right when things were hitting a climax is a bit suspicious.”
Flint watched her face. She was trying to keep it neutral, but he could see a thousand different emotions flicking through her eyes.
A sigh emanated from the speaker, and then Nate spoke. “I asked her to check out this new guy. I think she’s just taking it a step further than necessary, that’s all. She’s been through a lot with this divorce. We need to cut her some slack.”
“Yeah, that’s fine, but don’t forget that taking over all this territory was your idea. You can’t let sentimentality stand in your way now, or else you’re throwing everything out the window.”
“Fuck off,” Nate retorted. “I’m not getting sentimental. I just don’t think Audra is all that important to the grand scheme of things, other than doing a few little assignments for me here and there. She’ll do whatever I ask her to do, and she won’t ask me why. In the end, she’ll see that what I’m doing is for the good of the pack. And if she doesn’t, well, then I can take care of her.”
Audra was on her feet and headed for the door.
Hudson stopped the recording. “I had my doubts about letting her in on this. What do you think she’ll do?”
Flint scratched his stubble. “Considering your little device that’s supposed to keep her from contacting the rest of her pack fell off, there’s no telling.”
“What? Damn it!” Hudson pounded his thigh with a fist. “Did it happen during a shift? Or did she get in the water?”
“You can get back to your drawing board on the adhesive some other time. I’ll give you a report later, once I’ve figured all this out.” Flint headed toward the door to go after Audra.
“I can talk to her,” Leona volunteered.
He held out a hand to stay her. “It’s all right. I’ve got this.”
Audra hadn’t gone far. She stood just outside the motel room, leaning against the porch railing. A breeze toyed with the ends of her hair. Though her eyes looked out over the parking lot, Flint highly doubted she was seeing the trucks and SUVs parked in front of their respective rooms.
“I know that was hard to hear,” he said as he approached her, wary of just what her reaction would be. His wolf was reacting to her presence again, but in a different way than when he was aroused. It was angrily gnashing its teeth, craving the blood of whomever had hurt her. “Are you all right?”
She turned so quickly that he expected her to throw out a fist and punch him in the jaw. Instead, she buried herself against his chest and sobbed.
Instinctively, Flint put his arms around her. She fit so perfectly, tucked up under his chin, and he felt the long and lonesome howl rise up from his inner wolf. It was audible only in his mind, but it was absolutely there. “Audra, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault my brother’s a power-hungry maniac.” Her voice was muffled against his shoulder, his shirt growing damp from her tears.
“No, but still.” She felt so good in his arms, and yet he knew he had no real right to hold her. “I’m sorry for trying to keep you out there in the woods with me, too. I was only trying to keep you safe. And, truth be told, I wanted to let myself believe that there could be something between us.”
“Oh, Flint.” She shook her head and let out a small laugh as she smoothed his t-shirt across his chest. “I just don’t even know what to think of you or about any of the rest of this right now.”
“You don’t need to think about me,” he said softly, wishing it wasn’t the truth. He’d made his way into her life for the sake of the mission, and he’d gotten much further than he ever should have. Right now, she needed to focus on her pack and her family. “You’ve got the proof you asked for. What do you want to do about it?”
Her fingers were still splayed on his chest, but he could feel her retreating ever so slightly as she thought. Soon enough, she took a full step backward and out of his embrace. Flint felt a pang of grief as she did so, knowing that he could have held on as hard as he wanted to and he’d still have to let go.
“I guess I’ll have to go back in there,” Audra said, straightening her shoulders and wiping her face. “I’ve got work to do, and I should be grateful that someone is here to help me do it.”
He saw the plea in her eyes, and Flint had no ch
oice but to agree. It was part of his mission, but he would’ve gone to the ends of the Earth to help her now. Flint stepped aside to open the motel room door. “We’ll need them for this. Let’s go.”
12
Audra looked down at her cell phone as the Jeep bumped along. As her marriage to Luke was falling apart, she’d known that her life was about to change. It certainly had, but even more than she’d imagined. She knew she’d have to figure out where she wanted to live. She knew she’d need to find a good job that would give her decent shifts so she could still have plenty of time with Randy. And, even though she didn’t like thinking about it, she knew she’d have to work out some sort of custody arrangement with Luke. All of that had loomed heavily over her just a week ago, but that mountain had been reduced to an anthill after sitting in a remote motel room with three strangers from the SOS Force and figuring out how they were going to overthrow her own brother.
“Are you all right?” Flint asked from the driver’s seat. He’d asked her that a lot over the last few hours.
She couldn’t blame him. Audra had been quiet and withdrawn, and even she knew that wasn’t normally like her. “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind.”
He gestured toward her cell. “Did you get a hold of them?”
“Fortunately. She said they’d keep Randy with them and stay home. Mom tried to ask me a bunch of questions, but I managed to get around them without really telling her anything.” She hated keeping this from her parents, but Audra also knew they’d be absolutely devastated once they found out just what Nate was doing. Right now, they needed to concentrate on the pack as a whole, and she could talk to her family about it later.
“Good. Less for us to worry about, then.”
Audra stretched her feet and looked out the window, trying to keep her focus on Randy. She needed some sort of motivation to go through with this, and there was nothing that could keep her going more than her son. As crazy as all of this was, she knew that Randy needed a safe place to come to. Even if she decided to take her son and go all the way to Fort Collins, Audra wanted him to be able to come back to his home pack. Flint had told her what it was like for him not to have that. He hadn’t gone into great detail, but she could see how much it affected him. He was a good man despite that, but it took getting through that tough exterior to bring his true self out to the light of day.
“Do you really think this is going to work?” she blurted out. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to doubt you or your friends. But I can’t say I’ve done anything like this before, and I don’t feel very confident about it.”
Flint reached out and trailed the back of his finger down the side of her leg near her knee. It was a small gesture but an intimate one, and it made her entire body focus on that one tiny point of contact. Her wolf was confused enough as it was already, but that simple touch made her want to throw herself on Flint’s mercy and do whatever he asked because he would make it all okay. The notion was ridiculous, of course, but no one ever said wild creatures were logical.
“If I didn’t think it would work, or that at the very least it had a good chance of working, then I wouldn’t have gone along with it.”
“Okay.” That was good enough because it had to be. Flint—and now Hudson and Leona—were the only true allies she had, and Audra was in a position of needing to take what she could get. No, it wasn’t just that. She trusted them. She’d only known them for a very small amount of time, but Audra knew in her heart they truly wanted to help. It’d been easy enough to like Hudson and Leona, who were obviously just as dedicated to each other as they were to the idea of helping clans and packs throughout the country.
They pulled up to the clubhouse, and everything looked completely normal. The porch lights were on and several cars were parked down the side of the long driveway. Audra sat forward in her seat, watching for a sign of her brother.
“What is it?” Flint asked, sensing her tension.
She grabbed her hair and wound it together in one hand before tossing it over her shoulder. “I guess I thought there would be something more to this. I mean, as desperate as Nate seemed for me to get home, I imagined he’d be running out the door right now.”
Flint made a face that she couldn’t quite see in the dim light as he turned away from her to open his door. “That’s all right. Our plan doesn’t really start until we get inside anyway.”
Audra led the way up onto the porch as Hudson and Leona joined them. Deep down, she knew this was the right thing to do, but it still felt wrong. Nate was her brother. She didn’t know how she’d ever get past that part of it.
The door swung open just as she reached forward to punch her code into the electronic lock. Nate filled the doorway, his eyes angry as he took in the small crowd standing on the porch. “Audra. Are you all right?”
“Of course I am,” she said, forcing her lips to spread out and turn up. It was the fakest smile she’d ever shone, but she knew it was necessary.
“You didn’t answer your phone, nor did you come home when I asked you to.” He kept his hand on the doorknob.
Audra could tell that this was already going poorly. She’d advocated for talk and discussion, for hashing everything out democratically. But Nate didn’t look like he was feeling particularly judicious. She pushed past him and into the clubhouse. “Don’t be so silly. I just needed to go off the grid and get some fresh air for a bit, and Flint here was nice enough to help me get it. Now, I’m glad you’re here, because there are a few things I’d like to talk to you about.”
“What about your new friends?” Nate sneered at Hudson and Flint as they followed her into the house. The lion kept his head and shoulders back, confident that he was allowed there regardless of just what the Alpha thought. That wasn’t going to sit well with Nate, but none of this would.
“They’re part of what I’d like to talk to you about. Do me a favor and call everyone in, especially Richard and your other associates. This is pack business, and it’s important.” Audra stood just inside the living room, feeling incredibly awkward considering how much time she’d spent in this home.
“If it’s pack business, then the three of them need to get out,” Nate growled, thumbing toward the door. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, Audra, but I don’t like it.”
“If anyone’s trying to pull anything, Nate, it’s you. Now, please do as I ask and call everyone else in. I’ve got things to say and I’m not going to repeat myself half a dozen times just because everyone else is too lazy to get off their asses.” The longer this took, the more nervous she was getting. Flint had offered to do all the talking and take care of this for her, but Audra knew she had to be the one in charge. She didn’t like it, but this was her brother and her pack. It was her problem.
“Fine.” Nate shook his head as he charged off toward the basement.
Hudson and Leona jumped into action as soon as the Alpha was gone. The bag over Hudson’s shoulder was unzipped, and he set up the same laptop she’d seen in the hotel room. Leona moved rapidly as she placed several wireless speakers around the room, even taking care to hide a few of them where their placement wouldn’t be as obvious. She winked over her shoulder as she tucked one behind a photo frame on the mantle.
Flint didn’t move other than to turn his head toward Audra. She knew he was watching her, but she refused to meet his gaze. He was just waiting to see how well she was taking this, and the truth was the last thing she wanted him to know. She wasn’t taking it well at all. This was her brother, regardless of what he’d done. But Flint was armed to the teeth, even though he didn’t look like it, and she felt like a traitor.
“All right. Fine. Here we are.” Nate emerged from the basement with Richard right behind him. Chris, Jeremy, Ryan, and Nick joined them a moment later.
Audra swallowed. These were all the top members of the pack. Somehow, in her mind, it would’ve been easier if some of the others had been around as well, ones who weren’t necessarily in Nate’s pocket. “What about ever
yone else? You can’t tell me the pack is down to six people.”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “No longer including yourself, little sister?”
She saw the challenge for what it was. Nate knew she was there to call him out. Maybe he’d sent the rest of them away on purpose. “You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t think I do.” He strode forward until he was directly in front of her, his arms crossed in front of his wide chest, towering over her. “Or maybe I do know what’s going on here, and I don’t like it. You know, Richard warned me about you coming back. I think it’s best if you get out whatever’s on your chest and get it over with.”
This wasn’t exactly how she’d imagined it. Audra had hoped Nate would be happy and relieved to see her, and that he’d be willing to sit down and talk about things like adults. That didn’t look like it was going to happen. She pulled in a deep breath. “It’s come to my attention that you’re not fulfilling your responsibilities as Alpha. You’re putting your pack in danger. I’m asking you to quietly step down so that the members can vote on a new leader.”
Nate’s laughter filled the room, and the other men soon joined him. “I think the emotional roller coaster your divorce has put you on has sent you over the edge, Audra. I do what’s best for everyone around here. Just look at us, this place, and our financials.”
She didn’t want to do this, but now he was starting to piss her off. She took a step toward him, pushing her point. “Financials don’t mean shit when your members are dying!”
“Hey, that’s not my fault.” Nate’s amused stance was quickly overtaken by a threatening one. His cheeks colored deeply as his jaw flexed. “Are you actually trying to blame me for the attacks on our pack?”
“I don’t have to blame you.” Audra flicked her finger in the air. Hudson hit the button on the computer, and Nate’s voice blasted loud and clear throughout the room. It was the same conversation they’d played for her back at the motel, and Hudson assured her he had more evidence to keep the recording going until everyone was convinced.