“What’s going to happen?” Sofie lowers her voice, as she looks in the direction that Ashton’s disappeared off to.
“Ashton’s going to remind everyone exactly why he’s the Alpha.” The firm set to Lindsey’s jaw tells Sofie that—whatever is coming—it’s not going to be good for Gus.
***
Ashton is grimly silent on the journey over to the quarry. He drives at breakneck speed; but, by the time they arrive, the diggers are already at work, and there’s a small crowd gathered.
“Looks like we arrived a little late to the party,” Lindsey says distastefully, her eyes zeroing in on Luke who is doing his favorite thing—holding court with the camera crew.
Sofie feel Ashton tense up next to her, and she puts a warning hand over his. However, he clearly has no intention of playing nice this morning. Gus’s betrayal has angered him too much for that. He jumps out of the car, Sofie and Lindsey hurrying behind him. The poachers are getting their equipment ready, laughing and joking together, looking for all the world like they’re having the time of their life. Warner catches Sofie’s eye and winks cheekily, as he waves his shotgun at her in greeting.
She knows that he’s toying with her. They know that she doesn’t agree with what they’re doing, and they’re more than happy to rub the fact that she’s been overruled in her face.
Ashton wastes no time heading straight to Luke. He squares up to him, and his tallness and broadness makes Luke look like an adolescent boy next to him. “You mind telling me what the hell you think you’re doing, friend?” Ashton’s voice is low but full of strength, and Sofie wonders if she just imagined Luke shying away from the force of his presence.
“Friend now, is it?” Luke twists the unfamiliar word in his mouth. “Before you do anything stupid, friend, I should probably remind you that right now you’re on live television.” Luke nods to the various cameras that are wending their way around the site. “You wouldn’t want to do anything to draw attention to yourself, would you? Not a guy that’s so protective of his privacy as you are.” Luke gives him a knowing look and tries to turn away, but Ashton catches hold of his arm.
“Leave this place. This is the one and only warning you’re going to get. If you send your hunters into those woods, you’ll have to live with the consequences, whatever they may be.” Ashton’s expression is set firm in stone. He stares Luke down, unflinching. It’s obvious that what he’s saying isn’t an empty threat.
A spasm of nervousness passes over Luke’s face, his eyes twitching. However, he recovers quickly, plastering the arrogant, entitled expression back on. “You’re not in any position to threaten me, Wyoming. I could buy and sell you and your little friends a hundred times over, just like I did with Sofie.” Luke’s eyes drag over Sofie’s back, as she talks to Darwin, out of earshot. “Besides, why are you so concerned about these wolves? Friends of yours, are they? I guess that would explain the smell.” Luke fans at his nose, looking at Ashton as if he were something unpalatable.
Ashton takes a step toward Luke, ready to use him as a punching bag, despite the press around but a strong hand on his arm stops him. “Ash, back off. He’s not worth it.” Lindsey’s grip on his shoulder is like a vice. She’s strong, but he’s stronger. He could shake her off if he wanted to, but he knows that she’s right, and he allows her to pull him a step back.
“That’s it, barfly, rein him in. If he so much as sets foot on this site again, I’ll have him arrested.” Luke spins on his heel, walking off in the opposite direction towards his hunters without looking back.
“One day, that guy is going to get what’s coming to him, and I want to be the one to give it to him.” Ashton stares daggers into Luke’s retreating back. If looks could kill, Luke would be about six feet under.
“You will, but now is not that day. Come on.” Lindsey pulls him back over to the pick-up truck. “Let Sofie do her thing and see where she gets to.”
Sofie is on the other side of the site, desperately trying to persuade a still-shaky Darwin to help her. “We have to stop the poachers from going after the wolves. You and I both know that what Luke’s doing isn’t right.”
Darwin looks at her sadly, passing a shaky hand over his eyes. “He doesn’t want to know. It’s out of our hands, Sofie.”
“I know you don’t believe that. You’re the one who always said I should fight for what I believe in. I know that you don’t agree with these poachers hunting down the wolves.” She looks at him—desperately hoping that despite everything that’s happened over the past few days he’s still the Darwin that she remembers.
He looks around him, like he’s concerned about being overheard. “It’s my fault. This is my fault.” He looks so guilt-ridden that Sofie has to resist the urge to give him a hug. “Lying in that hospital bed, I had a lot of time to think and look back at what happened. I think perhaps that I was wrong.”
Sofie frowns, not understanding. “Wrong about what? It wasn’t a wolf that you saw?” She looks around, panicking a little as she sees that the hunters are getting ready. They don’t have a lot of time until everyone moves out into the woods.
“No, I know what I saw.” Darwin is definite about that. “But I don’t think that it wanted to hurt me. The more I think thought about it, it almost seemed like the wolf was trying to tell me something, to communicate in some way. I know that sounds crazy…”
“No, it doesn’t sound crazy at all.” Sofie squeezes his hand, encouraging him on.
“When I was doped up on whatever they gave me to calm me down, I had these dreams. But they felt so real, as if they were happening, not just images from my subconscious.” Darwin hesitates to carry on, looking like he’s afraid Sofie is going to think the old coot has finally lost it; but, she nods for him to continue. “I see the wolf’s eyes in my dream, and they look almost…human. I can’t explain it but I know that we shouldn’t be doing this, that it’s wrong. But it’s all my fault.”
“Darwin, what are you talking about? You didn’t do this. You were frightened, that’s all. You didn’t tell Luke to go out there and start rounding up the wolves like cattle.” Sofie, looks earnestly at Darwin, trying to make him understand that he has no reason to feel guilty. “We have to talk to Luke, to try to persuade him that he can’t do this.”
She’s about to start leading the older man over to their boss, when Darwin plants his feet and shakes his head sadly. “I can’t cross Luke, especially not in such a public way.” As he says the words, he looks a little afraid.
“Why? What do you mean?” Sofie holds her breath, knowing that she’s not going to like the answer.
Darwin sighs deeply, resigning himself to share whatever it is that he’s been trying to cover up. “Luke is a dangerous man to have as an enemy. He knows more about all of us than you can possibly imagine. He has details about my divorce...”
Sofie loses her temper; there’s only so much wallowing she can take when there are lives at risk. “Darwin, are you seriously telling me that a few unsavory details of your divorce are as important as the culling of an entire pack of animals for profit?”
“It’s not like that, Sofie.” He seems to be of two minds over whether to explain what he’s so afraid of or not, but her expression tells him that he’s not getting away with anything other than the truth. “Luke likes to have his people in his pocket. It means he doesn’t have to compete with other companies for employees, and he doesn’t have to worry about pesky things like unlawful dismissal or sexual harassment.” He looks pointedly at Sofie, making clear that he knows exactly what Luke’s intentions with her have been.
Sofie finds herself blushing, hating that Luke’s pursuit of her has become such a well-documented fact; but, she forces herself to concentrate on the issue at hand. “What does this have to do with anything?”
“If I publically stand up to Luke about this, I risk losing everything, not just my job. If it meant throwing my career away, that’s something that I could deal with, but I can’t lose my family.” Darwin looks
down at the floor, overcome with emotion.
“Lose your family? What do you mean? Luke doesn’t have that kind of power.” As Sofie says the words, she knows how untrue they are. She thinks, Money gets you all the power that you need, and Luke is one of the richest men this side of the Atlantic.
“I had a job offer, a professorship in DC, something that I always wanted. But before I even had a chance to really think about it, Luke called me into his office and told me that he had all sorts of information on me and my divorce and that I should remember that in case I forgot my responsibilities to Shale. He never mentioned my job offer, but it was clear that’s what it was all about. I didn’t question how he knew about it, just figured it’s a small industry and Luke has a lot of friends in high places.” Darwin shrugs, but his expression tells Sofie that he wishes he hadn’t been so trusting. “Then, as the site visits weren’t going so well, he started increasing the pressure. Shale isn’t doing so well; it hasn’t been for a while. I guess Luke is worried about his money tree. He told me that we better find a viable oil and gas site soon—or else.”
“How did he expect you to do that? We can’t magic up a goldmine of oil!” Sofie barks out a laugh, yet again amazed at Luke’s unbelievable arrogance.
“He doesn’t care about how you get what he wants, just that you get it. That’s why this site is so important to him. The amount of oil underneath these rocks is enough to save Shale and keep Luke in his private jets for a very long time. There’s no way he’s going to give it up.” Darwin’s shoulders sag, and he avoids Sofie’s gaze, knowing what he’s going to find there.
“What does Luke have on you, D? What is it that’s got you so on edge?” Sofie looks past Darwin, towards the pick-up truck where Lindsey and Ashton are watching her intently. She wonders if their wolf super-hearing means that they’re listening in as well. She hopes for Darwin’s sake that they’re not.
Darwin hesitates briefly; but, he knows that there’s no point in holding anything back—not now. “He doesn’t have anything on me, but that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of making something up. He’s threatened to frame me for adultery. He knows that if it came out in the divorce proceedings that I was being unfaithful that I would lose everything; not just possessions or money, but my daughters would never forgive me. They already think that my family comes after my work. You know we’re not as close as I would have liked.” Sofie nods, remembering all the conversations she and Darwin had about his daughters. “If they thought that I was capable of hurting their mother that way, that would be it. They would never want to see me again.” Darwin takes in a shaky breath. “I can’t leave Shale or Luke will deliver on his threat. I can’t come up against him about anything because Luke will deliver on his threat. There’s no situation here where I’m not fucked.”
Sofie squeezes her mentor’s shoulder as she looks at him, seeing how defeated he is. It explains a lot about how angry and how unlike himself he’s been in the past weeks. What Luke has done to Darwin only makes her hate him more—if that were even possible. “It’ll be okay, Darwin. We’ll work it out. It’ll be alright.” She tries to comfort him, but they both know that they’re ants, and Luke is the boot. Sofie catches sight of Finn, waving him over and gently handing Darwin over to him. She doesn’t want to leave the old man alone—not in the state that he’s in.
As she hugs the older man, she looks over his shoulder and shakes her head at Ashton and Lindsey. She’s failed, the wolves are on their own now. Ashton doesn’t waste any time. He calls the one person in the pack—outside of Lindsey—who he trusts most.
“Hector…yeah, I know. That’s why I need you. I need you to get your ass into the woods, find Lola, and shadow her. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid, keep her out of sight and, at the earliest opportunity remove her from the situation. I don’t care how you do it, just do it.” Ashton finishes his call, communicating to Lindsey just with a look that they need to get moving.
He looks back over towards Sofie, expecting to see her with Darwin; but, she’s making her way towards Luke, striding with purpose. Her shoulders are set, her head down.
“Dr. Braun, what a lovely surprise.” Luke turns around, arms open wide as if he expects her to step into them.
She doesn’t move, and Luke lets his arms drop. “I’d like to go with you and the others on the hunt.”
Luke looks at her quizzically, like he’s wondering what she’s up to; but, his need to believe that she’s on his side outweighs his suspicions. “Well, that’s wonderful news, Sofie. I’m so glad you’ve decided to see sense.” Luke seems genuinely pleased, taking it as a signal that she agrees with what he’s doing. She tries not to shy away from him, as he leans in and starts talking about the rifles they’ll be carrying. As she looks into his eyes, she realizes that he’s excited about what they’re about to do. He actually wants to kill something.
Sofie sees Ashton take a few steps towards her, as if he’s about to intervene but, almost imperceptibly, she shakes her head, signaling that she’s not in any trouble. At first, that doesn’t seem to satisfy him, but Lindsey is on hand to talk him down. Whatever she says, it works. She and Ashton slope off, quietly. Sofie knows that they’ll be watching from a distance, making sure that nothing happens.
Before they disappear, Sofie hears a voice filling her head. It’s Lindsey. She turns, and her friend is staring straight at her. Don’t do anything stupid. Nothing stupid and nothing brave. Don’t be a hero, Sofie. Her voice is calm, but her warning is clear.
You don’t have to worry about me, Linds. I’m a lot of things, but a hero is definitely not one of them. All Sofie does is think the words to herself, her eyes still on her friend. She can tell from the look that Lindsey gives her that she’s heard her.
Sofie doesn’t have time to question how it’s possible for Lindsey to communicate like that with her, telepathically when she’s not even were. The hunting party is about to set off, and the camera crews are going to be right behind. Sofie sends up a prayer to a god that she’s never believed in, asking for some kind of protection for her friends.
Finn lifts his hand from his vantage point where he’s standing with Darwin, a little apart from the others. He mouths something to her, but she can’t be sure what he’s trying to say. He’s too far away. It looks like, Be careful.
***
Luke insists on staying glued to Sofie’s side as they make their way through the woods, slowly advancing behind the hunters. She’s refused the offer of a rifle but now she wishes she hadn’t—if only to have something to protect herself with in case Luke gets any ideas.
The day goes on and the excitement from the morning starts to wear off, as there’s no sign of any wolf activity. The disappointment coming from the news crews and the hunters alike is palpable, and it’s the best feeling that Sofie has had all day. Gus isn’t stupid, and she’s hoping that he’s come to his senses and has called Lola out of the woods.
The team is about to wrap things up for the afternoon, making sure they get back to the drilling site before dark. The last thing any of them want is to run the risk of being out in the middle of the wood when night falls.
Sofie breathes a sigh of relief. It seems that Lola has managed to keep her distance and hasn’t been found. Just as they’re all about to turn around and head back, Luke looking apoplectic, like a spoiled kid that didn’t get the birthday present he thought he deserved, everything changes.
“Hold up!” Warner is crouching in the mud, looking intently at something. “We’ve got a print.” He keeps his voice low, but the glee in his voice is clear. He’s found what they’ve been looking for. Sofie’s stomach drops into her feet; this is not good.
Warner and Cash give each other a look, like the hunt is finally on, and they signal for the others to follow them at a distance, quietly. She feels rather than sees Ashton’s presence in the trees to her left. There’s not even a rustle from the leaves, but she knows that he’s there, observing what’s going on, making
sure that the people he cares about are protected.
Suddenly, there’s a sound, like a whistle but about a hundred times more shrill. Plus, it’s loud, really loud. Sofie covers her ears with her hands, and turns to see where the awful noise is coming from. It’s Luke and he’s holding something in his hand, something that’s allowing him to make that god-awful noise. He’s smiling that smile that makes her nervous. It usually means that he’s just got his own way, that he’s won.
It only takes a few moments for Sofie to figure out what’s going on. As she peers out into the wood, she realizes that the sound isn’t for her or the other humans. It’s for the wolves, and it’s working. She can see a wolf loping out of the darkness. It’s a chocolate colored female that must be Lola. Sofie can’t figure out why she’s walking towards them instead of remaining on the outskirts of the wood, hanging back and watching.
But when Sofie looks at Lola again, she sees that her eyes are misted over, as if she were hypnotized. The poachers are already lifting their rifles and the camera crews are going crazy behind her. Luke’s eyes light up like Christmas, and Sofie feels like her heart is about to stop.
She has to do something. She can see what’s going to happen; it doesn’t take a genius. She knows it’s not going to end well for Lola, not well at all. She remembers Lindsey’s words about not doing anything, but she can’t just sit back and let it happen. There’s no way. Sofie doesn’t even really think about what she’s doing, she just reacts and does what she needs to.
“Stop!” She barely recognizes her own voice as she screams at the hunters, running forward as quickly as she can and putting herself between the poachers and Lola in her were form. Lola still seems to be only half-conscious of what’s going on around her. Whatever the thing was that Luke had used to whistle, it was still having an effect.
Sofie stands her ground, taking in the expressions of the people around her. From the corner of her eye, she sees Ashton holding Lindsey back, her eyes distant, as if she were drawn to the sound, as well. He locks eyes with Sofie, and the worry in his face is clear. It’s only then that Sofie really comes to grips with the danger that she’s in.
Thunder (Alpha Love - a Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 3) Page 19