“Dad, please. We have to do this.”
“No, you don’t. I already have two missing pups. I don’t want you and your brother to endanger yourselves like this. Let the others handle it and come home. You know they’ll call with news as soon as they can.” When he didn’t reply, his father’s voice took on an added urgency as he spoke again. “I don’t want to argue about this but you being so reckless is a pack issue as well. You’re next Alpha. Behaving in this manner is foolish. I know you’re worried, I do. We all are.”
“I know, I get that, but just try to see this from my standpoint. We know where they are, we’re already on the way there. Jason, Ryder, Wayne, and their men are going in there, not us. We just want to be there when they rescue them. Try to understand that.”
“I do understand that, but you and Ryan could still be in danger just being there. Scott, please, don’t make me pull the Alpha card here and order you to come home. Do it on your own. I don’t want to issue a command to do so.”
“Then don’t,” Scott snapped. He’d tried to explain why he and Ryan needed to be there but the Alpha wasn’t listening. While his temper had been getting better since Emily had come into his life, it had been building ever since her kidnapping. It was miraculous he hadn’t exploded before now. Still, he didn’t want to upset his father any further and reigned in his wolf before he said anything harsher. “We’ll call when it’s over. Bye.”
He disconnected the call and then shut his phone off. Seeing the turn of Ryan’s head, he looked to his brother and the pair locked eyes for an instant before Ryan’s view returned to the road before them. In the quick exchange, he saw everything he felt reflected back at him.
“Dad has a point,” Ryan said flatly. Undoubtedly, his shifter ears had heard every word, even as Scott hadn’t put the call on speaker. “We could still be in danger and you are next in line for Alpha. Maybe you should go home.”
“Fuck you,” Scott snarled. “Don’t you dare start that shit up, too. There’s no fucking way I’m backing down. You’re going and so am I. To fuck with being the next Alpha, who gives a shit? All that matters is getting them back and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Ryan didn’t reply but Scott caught the tiny upturn at the corner of his mouth. “And what’s so fucking funny about what I just said?” he demanded gruffly.
“Nothing,” Ryan replied. “It’s just I’m amazed you stayed calm for as long as you did.” A moment passed in silence, with Scott staring at Ryan whose eyes remained glued to the snow-covered highway. He knew Ryan had more to say and impatiently waited to hear it, hoping it wouldn’t piss him off further. Ryan shot him a quick sideways glance before he spoke again. “You’ve changed, you know, since Em’s been with us.”
“I think we all have.”
“Sure, but not as much as you. She’s softened you.”
It was his turn to glance sideways at his brother, only his look was accompanied by narrowed eyes. Ryan caught it out of the corner of his eye and waved a hand.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m not calling you soft. I said she softened you. Tempered you. Made you less of an asshole.”
“Thanks,” he shot back sardonically.
“I don’t say it much but you know I love you. You are an asshole though, and you know that, too. What I’m trying to say is she changed you in a good way. You’re not angry all the time like you used to be. It’s certainly easier to work with you now.” He sighed slightly. “Not that we’ve been working much lately, or doing much of anything, really.”
Ryan wasn’t complaining about not working. Like Scott, he’d been too worried to even think about opening the bakery. The pair had also been so lost in their concerns for Emily, Ashlynn, and Nathan that they hadn’t even spoken to each other much. Realizing how much he’d missed spending time with Ryan, Scott clamped a hand on his shoulder. Yeah, they’d been fucked up but Ryan had spent time with their parents and with Zack and Dustin. Scott hadn’t. After ensuring his mother was okay, he’d wrapped himself in a self-pity bubble and hadn’t let anyone in, not even his family. He was an asshole.
“Listen, I’m sorry I’ve been so cut-off, it wasn’t right and, yeah, I’m an asshole. I do know it. But I shouldn’t have shut you out. We should’ve been there for each other. We’re both going through this. I guess ... I don’t know, I guess Emily binds us, but it’s not just that. We’ve always been close. I don’t know why I’ve been the way I have.”
“Because you’re not complete without her. Same as me.” Ryan blew out a harsh breath. “Do you want to hear the craziest thing? We’re out of our minds with worry, right? I mean, of course we are. Just thinking about what might have happened to them, fuck, I haven’t slept much, and the nightmares ...” Scott felt the slight tremble under his hand and felt worse about ignoring Ryan. “But the fucked-up part is I actually envy Nathan. I mean, I know they’re all going through hell, but at least they’re together. At least he and Em have each other.” He shook his head. “Told you it was fucked up.”
“Yeah, but I get it.” Scott squeezed Ryan’s shoulder before letting go. “This has been a messed up time but we’re going to get them back.” He looked out his window to the passing scenery.
“Are we?”
His head whipped back to see Ryan’s tear-filled eyes. “Fuck, I hate saying that but, well, nobody’s talking about it but they might not still be alive. Especially Nathan,” his brother added. “They have no use for men. And what if Emily fights back?” He sniffled. “Fuck. I don’t want to think it, but what if we get there and they’re dead?”
“No. They’re alive. We’d know if they weren’t.”
“How?” Ryan asked, barely above a whisper.
“With our bond to Emily we’d feel it, we’d know. And Nathan is our littermate, so again, we’d know it. We’d feel it.”
After wiping at his leaking eyes, Ryan focused on the road again and nodded slightly. Scott didn’t think his brother believed his words but didn’t push him. Hell, he didn’t quite believe his words either. He couldn’t count how many times he’d begged the Universe to protect his mate and siblings. So many times, he’d tossed the same concerns Ryan had just brought up around and around in his mind and each time he’d try to convince himself that if one of them had died, he’d know. Could he though, really? Was that just his frazzled mind trying to convince him that this horrible situation would have a happy outcome? That somehow he was entitled to that happiness, that it wasn’t fair to lose his loved ones. Well, it hadn’t been fair for Jason to lose Trina and then have Naomi taken from him. It hadn’t been fair for any of the women taken by the rogue pack or their families. What was so damn special about him that he deserved a happy ending?
As tears stung the back of his eyes, and a sharp pang tore through his heart for the hundredth time in the past few days, he again looked out the window. Maybe he wasn’t entitled to a happy ending and wouldn’t get it. Perhaps the others were all dead and he and Ryan were actually on a recovery mission and not a rescue one. It could happen. He dug his fingertips into his thighs and clenched his jaw tightly, desperate to keep the tears at bay. Losing it wouldn’t help Ryan any and certainly wouldn’t change anything. The harsh reality was they had a fifty-fifty chance of finding their mate and siblings alive. Closing his eyes against the increasing painful pressure in his chest, he once again silently begged the Universe to spare his loved ones.
***
“I’ll be fine,” Brady assured Jess for at least the tenth time since Ryder had called him. He’d quickly donned his uniform and arranged a rendezvous point with both the Edmonton and Saskatoon teams that were providing backup. Garrett had insisted Ryder’s team wait for the backup before engaging the rogue pack and Brady, based on Ryder’s tone over the phone, wasn’t certain his commander would do so. The thought of those men being in peril had him wanting to race there himself but he had strict orders to arrive with the two SASS units.
Surrounded by thick forest, the l
ocation disclosed by Mark was close enough for Ryder and the others to drive to. Brady and the Edmonton SASS unit were to fly as close as possible, meet with the Saskatoon team, and then go to the site en masse. While not thrilled with having to leave Jess so soon after their mating, he was eager to end the rogue pack and rescue the kidnapped shifters. She, however, appeared devastated by his imminent departure.
“But it’s so dangerous,” she insisted, her eyes misting.
He had to leave, but drew closer to her and kissed her lips tenderly. She pressed against him and, as he thought each time she did, her body seemed moulded especially for his. When she trembled slightly under his arms, he tightened his hug.
“My job is dangerous,” he said softly, “and you have to get used to it. Just remember, I’m careful and I’ll do anything to return to you.”
“I know.” Her voice was barely audible, even to his sensitive ears.
“We’re together forever now,” he said as he stroked her head, his fingers gliding over her golden locks. Even in the dimness of the bedroom, her hair shone, almost as if it echoed the brightness inside her. She’d said she’d felt empty before they met and while he believed her, he couldn’t think of her as anything less than the perfection he held. His arms itched to hold her forever, his heart begged him to listen to his arms, but his mind informed him time was tight and he had a rendezvous to make. The lives of so many depended on a united strike and he had to do his part to facilitate it. He kissed the top of her head and then stepped back, sliding his hands down her arms to hold her hands.
“I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Call me when you can. I know you don’t want me to worry but I will. Maybe in time I’ll get used to this but please, this time, call me.”
“I will,” he vowed. “As soon as I can, I’ll call you.”
With a smile and a quick squeeze of her hands, he then left the bedroom, grabbing his bag as he did, and then hurried from the apartment, for if he slowed, he’d change his mind and rush pack to his mate’s arms. He expelled a resigned breath as the elevator door closed. Jess was worried but she herself had encouraged him to keep his job, to have something that was his, that, as close as they were, they shouldn’t get lost in one another as they needed to retain their individuality. As the elevator slowly descended, he acknowledged the wisdom of her advice. Leaving her still hurt like a bitch though, and he wondered if it would ever get easier.
Chapter 6
“He’s almost there,” Ryder announced to the group behind him. Levi and Hank had driven Mark to the rogue pack’s compound with Wayne and Ryder following behind in a vehicle, Scott and Ryan behind them. Mark had explained it was a plot of secluded land willed to him and Logan years before, when their grandfather died. Upon arrival, the sight of several newly built structures on the land indicated Mark had been correct about the location. The drive had been excruciatingly long to Ryder, with too much time to think about what they might find here. Wayne had been uncharacteristically quiet but then had been since the kidnappings. Ryder supposed they should’ve talked about the mission but really, there hadn’t been much point in doing so. Wayne knew as well as he did that they could be entering a horrid situation. He only hoped the Tremblay brothers had prepared for the worst.
With Brady on the way, after rendezvousing with both the Edmonton and Saskatoon SASS units, backup was close but not close enough for Ryder. He’d wanted to wait for backup before Mark went in, but the others had outvoted him. While he shared their worry over those held by Logan, and was just as eager to end the rogue pack, Mark’s plan didn’t sit well with him. No matter how many times he attempted to convince himself it was a solid plan, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Mark was still being deceitful, and with the group of men he comprised grossly outnumbered by the pack, the situation was much too unclear for his liking. If Mark was setting them up, they’d be dead long before backup arrived.
“Do you think he’ll stick to the plan?” Ryan questioned.
“He’d better,” Scott growled in response.
Ryder listened while Hank assured the brothers that Mark had a mate in peril and wouldn’t do anything to endanger her further. That was true, but Ryder couldn’t be sure Mark would be as concerned for the other kidnapped shifters. No matter how Mark had attempted to justify his shooting of the suspect, Ryder could only see him gunning down an unarmed shifter. At this point, he couldn’t trust Mark, and put little stock in his former teammate’s word.
He glanced to his side at the sound of someone shuffling in snow and spotted Wayne crawling closer to him. Hank and the others were standing behind him, in a grove of trees, hidden from the view of anyone at the compound. Ryder was belly-down in the snow, wearing the same white camouflage as all the men present. As Wayne settled his huge frame beside Ryder’s, he sighed deeply.
“How long do we give Mark before we head in?”
Ryder paused before answering Wayne’s whispered question and, despite his mood, felt like smiling slightly at it. Wayne thought exactly the way he did. Hank had already stated that this group would trust Mark to take out Logan on his own and then move in with the SASS teams when they arrived. Wayne’s query was for Ryder’s ears only. He wanted to know at what point he and Ryder would disregard Hank’s plan and act on their own, that of storming in, shooting any rogue shifter they spotted, and rescuing the captives, to hell with waiting for back-up. All they wanted was to recover the others safely. After that, neither cared whether the rogue shifters ended up as prisoners or corpses. While disregarding protocol would undoubtedly result in their dismissal from SASS, that wasn’t what caused Ryder’s hesitancy. They’d already planned to leave the service so even if his pension was at sake, he really couldn’t care less. No, his reluctance lay in an undeniable truth. Wayne and Ryder had inherently devised the same plan. Therefore, so would Mark. If he was setting them up, they’d storm into an ambush, die, and Logan and Mark would escape with their captives.
“We don’t,” he lowly responded. “We can’t trust that Mark won’t serve us up. We have to wait for backup.”
He felt Wayne tense beside him but the big shifter didn’t say anything. Ryder knew how hard it was to wait but saw little choice. If he and Wayne died in vain, it wouldn’t help Ashlynn.
Through his binoculars, he watched Mark move closer to the compound’s gates. A small group of armed men rushed out of a building and toward Mark.
“He’s at the gates,” Ryder announced to the group. “Five armed men just engaged him.”
Mark held up his hands and spoke to one of the men. The shifter nodded to another who opened the gate. The small group then led Mark into the compound and locked the gate behind them.
“Okay, he’s in,” Ryder informed the others. There was nothing more to do but wait. While Ryder had hoped that his observation of Mark would yield some clue as to where Mark’s mind was at, it hadn’t panned out. He was still uncertain if Mark was on their side or not, but could do little about it now. Mark would either follow the plan, kill Logan and help rescue the others, or betray them, side with Logan, and inform his brother of the imminent arrival of SASS. Hoping that Mark’s status as Ashlynn’s mate and his years of being close to Ryder and Wayne accounted for something, Ryder could do nothing more than watch until Mark was led into a building, and out of his sight.
***
At the sound of the door opening, Emily moved closer to Ashlynn, waiting to shield her if something went down. She, Nathan, Ashlynn, and Naomi had agreed to attack if an opportunity presented itself, but she still feared for Ashlynn. Her sister-in-law had become paler by the hour and she was certain Ashlynn was seriously ill.
Fucktard and two other shifters entered the room. As he stood back, the other two passed Nathan’s cell to draw closer to the women. One of them glanced at Nathan.
“Hey pussy, pissed yourself lately?”
The second shifter joined the first in laughter. Emily scowled and fur rose on her arms and shoulders.
Assholes. She’d had enough of them, especially Fucktard, and just wanted it all to end. If only she could shift when close to one of those bastards. She’d tear them to bits. She could practically feel flesh ripping under her claws, hot blood filling her mouth as her fangs sank into a throat. A pain tore through her and she heard Nathan’s gasp as her back bowed and wolf paws rested on the floor. Her wolf paws. She’d shifted.
She shook out her coat, feeling itchy with all the fur that had sprouted instantaneously, and then took a tentative step, certain she’d feel awkward on four legs. That wasn’t the case, in fact she felt great, strong, agile, and in control. Her wolf-form felt natural. Oblivious to her shift, still laughing with his eyes locked on Nathan, the shifter who’d spoken grasped a bar of the cell and, holding keys, reached for the lock. His taunts echoed in her ears. Along with Fucktard, he’d been one of the worst for mocking Nathan. Growling, she leapt.
She heard his surprised yelp as her teeth closed around his hand and she bit down as she thrust her forepaws through the bars to scratch him. At the feel of steel against her teeth, she reared her head back, and her chest crashed against a bar as her legs shot through the bars when the shifter fell back. He screamed as he clutched his mangled hand against his chest. Snarling loudly, she surveyed the damage she’d done. His hand appeared pulverized, and long, deep scratches covered his chest and abdomen. Naomi joined her and, as her friend reached through the bars to pick up the keyring the shifter had dropped, Emily snapped at the second shifter’s hand as he too reached for them.
“Fuck!” he exclaimed as he jumped back and looked to Fucktard.
Saved by Her Wolves Page 17