Her eyes glittering in determination, Angel left the bathroom and made her way to the door. Opening it, she took one last look at the bedroom before walking out and closing the door quietly behind her. She needed to regroup with her team. There had to be a way to locate her family, even if she could not connect with one of them, she just had to find it.
She was surprised to see that the house was quiet and empty. She appreciated the fact that her team and the pack had let her grieve in peace. She’d needed the time to scream out her frustration, and let go of some of the pent up emotion she held in so tightly, but now she was ready. Ready to fight for her girls, for her mate, and for her future.
11
The General’s men came for them a few hours later. Chase stood when they opened the door to the cell, a low snarl crawling up the back of his throat. One of the men grinned, tossing some clothes on the floor in front of him, followed by a pair of tennis shoes. “Put those on, mutt,” he sneered, “unless you would like to keep walking around with your dick hanging out. Personally, I prefer the pants.” He glanced over to where Jade still sat on the floor with the girls, a cocky smile spreading across his face as he leered at her. “You, on the other hand, I would love to see naked. Maybe we can have some fun later.”
Chase sprang at him, claws out, and felt a brief moment of satisfaction when he caught flesh and smelled blood. The man cursed loudly, jumping back and slamming the bars shut on them. “You are going to regret that,” he grunted, clutching his arm tightly as blood dripped on the floor. Flipping off the others who were laughing at him, the man turned and stalked away shouting back, “The General wants us gone soon. Be ready.”
Chase waited until they all left before bending over to pick up a pair of jogging pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. He quickly put the clothes on, followed by the shoes, wrinkling his nose at the foul stench of the male who he had just sliced open. They were the filthy asshole’s clothes, which pissed Chase off. The only reason he was wearing them was because he didn’t want to freeze his balls off, and he did not plan on hanging out with the General’s boys for long. The shoes were half a size too big, and the clothes fit loosely, but they would do.
“I can’t read him,” Jade whispered.
“What?” Chase asked, looking over to see stark fear in her eyes.
“I can’t hear his thoughts,” she murmured, her gaze moving past him, and then skittering swiftly around the cell, as if afraid they weren’t really alone. “They must have given me a drug to prevent me from using my gifts. I can’t reach anyone. Not Trace, Jinx, or Angel. I’ve tried and tried, but something is blocking me. Has Angel connected with you?”
Chase slowly shook his head as her words sank in. “No, not in days,” he admitted.
Her brow wrinkling in confusion, Jade questioned, “Days? You make it sound like she does it often.”
Chase sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Facing away from her, he placed his hands on his hips and said, “She does. At least a couple of times a week, if not more. I don’t think she knows that I can tell, but I feel it. It’s…nice. I like having her there.” He didn’t like it. He fucking loved it. It was the only time he ever felt close to her. He hated it when she left and he was once again surrounded by loneliness.
“I’m sorry, Alpha.”
The shame and guilt in Jade’s voice had him turning around and moving quickly across the floor to kneel beside her. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Jade.”
Jade hugged Faith close, the child somehow managing to sleep through everything, as was her sister. Her chin quivered, and she gulped before saying, “It’s all my fault. Mine and Jinx’s. If it wasn’t for us, my mom would have let you claim her a long time ago. She thinks she has to take care of us first.”
“As she should,” Chase interrupted harshly. “Her children should always come first. She wouldn’t be the woman that I want to be with, the woman that I am so damn proud to call my own, if she didn’t put you first.”
“But you have always said you would both be stronger together.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “and I still feel that way. A united front is always stronger in my opinion. You have to remember, Jade, that your mother and I are both alphas, leaders of our own packs. We are both very powerful alone, just think of what we could do together.” Cupping her face gently in his palm, he went on, “I will never fault your mother for putting you children first in her life. She would do anything for you, as would I.”
“Because you are my alpha,” Jade whispered, biting her lip as she waited for his response.
“No, Jade. Because you are my children, too,” Chase corrected. “All of you.”
“All of us?”
“All of you,” Chase reiterated, and then clarified, just in case she was still unsure. “You, Jinx, Hope, and Faith.”
Jade clasped his hand in one of hers, closed her eyes, and nodded. “Good,” she whispered softly. “Good.”
“They are going to be back soon, sweetheart.”
Jade’s hand tightened on his. “I know.”
“I need you to stay vigilant,” Chase told her quietly. Leaning in, he hugged her close and placed his lips close to her ear. “They are moving us somewhere, which gives us a chance to escape. If you get an opening, you take the girls and run. Don’t look back. Just get the hell out of here and home to your mother.”
“No,” Jade argued, “I won’t leave you.”
“I’m not planning on sticking around,” Chase promised, “but if something does happen, you need to put your sisters first, Jade.”
“Sisters.” She breathed the word in awe.
“Yes.” He nuzzled the top of her head lightly before moving back. “They’re coming.”
Jade’s emerald eyes hardened with resolve as they met his. “I will not let them hurt my sisters.”
Chase leaned down and gathered Hope in his arms, then offered a hand to Jade. Pulling her up beside him, Faith clutched tightly to her, they turned to face the General’s men together.
12
Angel found her team back in the conference room they’d originally started in. Jaxson had his laptop open and his fingers were flying across the keys. Not bothering to look up, he said, “I’m checking all flight plans in and out of Denver for small planes, or anything not chartered by a major airline.”
“I’ll check all of the small airports within a hundred mile radius.”
Angel stepped to the side quickly as a young woman rushed into the room, sliding into the seat next to Jaxson and setting her laptop down in front of her. “Thank you, Becca.”
Becca, a scientist RARE had rescued the year before from one of the General’s facilities, glanced up at her, her bottom lip trembling. “He needs to be stopped, Angel. He has hurt so many people. I can’t stand it. I will put a bullet in his heart myself if I have to.”
Angel felt the determination in the other woman and caught a brief glimpse of her thoughts. Walking over, she placed a gentle hand on Becca’s shoulder. “Sacrificing yourself is not the way.”
“It is a sacrifice I am willing to make,” Becca vowed, reaching up to cover Angel’s hand with her own. “I refuse to live in fear of that monster. If I can somehow get back into his good graces, I could help you from the inside. We could make it so he never hurts anyone again.”
“Bullshit,” Jaxson muttered from beside her. “There is no way we are letting you go back to work for that man, Becca. Now stop trying to be a damn martyr, and start typing. We have people to find.”
Becca glared at him, but Angel tightened her grip on her shoulder. “He’s right, Becca. There is no way you are going back there.”
Becca stiffened, but didn’t respond. Lowering her gaze, she opened up her laptop and began her search. Angel gently squeezed her shoulder one last time before letting go. There was nothing she wanted more than to get her family back and bring the General down, but she refused to sacrifice an innocent in the process.
“Alpha.”
Angel turned to see Sable motioning to her from the doorway. Closing the distance between them, Angel raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“We have a problem.”
“Talk to me,” Angel ordered, shutting the door to the conference room behind her to ensure some privacy.
“A council enforcer is in Chase’s office,” Sable said, turning to walk down the hall toward the front door of the building. Angel followed quickly as Sable continued, “When he didn’t show up to their meeting, they decided to send someone here to see what was going on.”
“I don’t understand,” Angel replied, stopping in the middle of the hall. “Why is this a problem? It is a good thing, right? The women can go with the enforcer, and we can concentrate on finding Chase and the girls.”
“I don’t think they want to go,” Sable whispered.
“What? That doesn’t make sense? Aren’t they the ones who asked for help?”
Sable glanced back down the hall when the door to Chase’s office opened and Bran stepped out looking in their direction. “All I know is that last night Alanna acted like she didn’t want to go anywhere else. Chase was supposed to talk to her this morning, but obviously that didn’t happen. Come on. We need to hurry.”
“Stop!” Angel ordered, gritting her teeth in annoyance. She didn’t have time for this. She had to find Chase and the girls.
“Angel,” Sable said softly, “Chase takes what we do very seriously. He is the one who talks to the council. He picks out the ops we run, scopes everything out himself first before making the decision on whether or not to accept them. Then he brings us in. If he agrees to take on a mission, it is because he feels very strongly about it. He wanted to save Alanna Miller, which means we have an obligation to that woman and her friend, even if Chase isn’t here. As acting alpha, those women are now your responsibility. They need you. We all need you.”
Angel looked into her dark eyes, eyes filled with a steady determination, and she knew Sable was right. She did need to finish this mission for Chase. It was what he would want her to do. However, she wasn’t one to run from a council enforcer. No, they ran from her. “A person could learn a lot from you, Sable,” she said quietly.
Sable’s lips turned down into a frown. “Then why the hell are we still standing here?”
“Because,” Angel replied, leaning in close, “we aren’t the ones that are going to be leaving.” Turning on her heel, Angel stalked down the hall to Chase’s office. Nodding to Bran as she passed him, she didn’t bother to introduce herself to the man standing just inside as she entered the room and walked around the desk to sit in Chase’s chair. “Gentlemen,” she said, raising an eyebrow as she looked at first Bran, and then the enforcer, “what’s the problem?”
“There is no problem, Angel,” Bran bit out, scowling at the enforcer. “I was just telling Mr. Reeves that the alpha is unavailable at the moment, and he will get back to him when he can.”
Angel crossed her legs and rested her arms on the large desk in front of her, knowing the move made her look deceptively casual, when she was anything but. “Reeves? As in Dominic Reeves?”
His eyes narrowed shrewdly on her. “Angel? As in leader of RARE?” He answered a question with a question. Smart man, but not smart enough.
“Yes,” she responded, her eyes never leaving his. “Angel Johnston. Leader of RARE. Alpha mate to Chase Montgomery. And the person in charge when my mate is otherwise indisposed.” And the man standing in front of her was not a council enforcer. Everyone else in the room was under the impression that he was there because he had orders to take the women back to the council for interrogation before they were placed with another pack, but she knew exactly who Dominic was. Son to Dante Reeves, one of the most respected, and long-standing members, of the shifter council. She knew at well over four hundred years, Dante was one of the oldest wolf shifters around. Dominic himself was pushing three hundred. She also knew that Dominic had become alpha to his wolf pack when his father accepted the council position so long ago. What she didn’t understand, was why he was at the White River Wolves compound. However, if he wasn’t going to be honest with her, she was not above getting the information her own way.
“I’ve heard of you,” Dominic said, bowing his head slightly to her. “The council is impressed with your abilities, as am I.”
“Thank you,” Angel replied, as she very lightly touched his mind. What she found just pissed her off, and she quickly slipped back out, not allowing her anger to show on her face in front of the others. “I understand you are here to check on the women who were rescued recently.” That was bullshit. He didn’t care about the women. All that mattered to him was what one of them could do for him. He’d found out about them through something his father had mentioned in passing, which never should have happened. The woman was important, a gift to be revered, not used and abused. And she was now Angel’s to protect.
“Yes,” Dominic agreed, and he was good, very good. Even she almost didn’t scent the lie when it left his mouth. If she hadn’t just taken a quick tour of his very complex and manipulative mind, she may have even believed him. Fortunately for her, she knew what game he was playing.
“Sable, bring the women to me.”
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Sable said quietly.
“Now,” Angel ordered, turning her gaze to the woman. Sable looked as if she might argue, but instead turned on her heel and left without a word. “Bran, give us some privacy, please.”
“I will be right outside.” Meeting his gaze, Angel nodded in understanding. He might be willing to leave the room, but he wasn’t going far. He would be there if she needed him. With one last look at Dominic, Bran left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. She could feel his anger, but knew he would never disobey a direct order from his alpha. And right now, that was her.
Angel stood, placing her hands lightly on her hips, her legs spread slightly apart. Fury rolled off her in waves as she ground out, “Just what the hell do you think you are doing?”
Dominic walked over to the window, his back to her, gazing out into the darkness. “I’m not sure I know what you mean?”
“You know damn well what I am talking about, Dominic Reeves,” she replied in a low voice. “You come here portraying yourself as an enforcer, which we both know you are not.” When he shifted to look at her in surprise, she snapped, “Yes, I know who you are, and I know exactly why you are here.”
Dominic sighed, turning to face her, “Look Angel…”
Suddenly, the door opened and Nico and Phoenix walked in, not bothering to close it behind them. Each took a position near Angel, their eyes cold and unyielding as they stared at Dominic. Bran stood right outside, watching, his arms folded over his thick chest.
“No, you look,” Angel growled, walking over to stand directly in front of Dominic, uncaring who was witnessing their discussion now. Before, she had thought to settle this quietly and send him on his way, but now she was just pissed. She had given him a chance to come clean, and she wasn’t giving him a second one. “These people, this pack, they are my family now. You will not use them, or the women you supposedly just want to protect, for your own personal agenda. I won’t allow it.”
“The council…”
“Don’t you dare try and throw the council in my face,” Angel snarled. “I know this is you, not them.” Taking a step closer, she went on, “Trust me, I don’t give a shit who you are, or who you are related to, you do not want to go against me.” Letting her fangs drop and her eyes go wolf as the full extent of her power radiated around her, she ground out, “Stay away from my pack, Dominic Reeves. Or you will answer to me, and not even the council will be able to save you. Do you understand?”
For the first time since she had walked into the room, Dominic let his anger show. “Dammit, Angel, I need that bear!”
Angel heard a soft gasp from the open doorway, but her eyes never left the man in front of her. “Both of these women are under my protection now.
They are a part of the White River Wolves pack, and no one, and I mean no one will touch them.” When Dominic glanced over to the women, his feet shifting slightly, she grinned, “Do it. I dare you. See what happens when you fuck with what’s mine.”
Glaring at her, Dominic snarled, “This isn’t over, Angel.”
Angel didn’t bother responding. She knew it wasn’t, and she didn’t blame him. Dominic was a good man, and an even better alpha. He was just trying to protect someone he loved, and he thought one of the women Chase had rescued could help. Unfortunately, it would put the woman in danger, and Angel could not allow that. She let him get to the door before she said softly, “Dominic.” He stopped, keeping his back to her, stiff and unyielding. “If you need help, all you have to do is ask.”
He stood proudly, shoulders back, head held high, as he replied, “There’s nothing you can do to help if you won’t let me have the bear.”
“Not going to happen.”
She watched as he looked down at the young woman standing just a few feet from him, before turning and leaving without another word.
“He’s in so much pain,” the woman whispered, reaching out as if to tell him to stop.
“There is nothing you can do for him. His pain runs far deeper than anything you can fix, sweet bear.”
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