by Lacey Thorn
So much had been left undone after the attacks five years ago. Nicholas had told her that Laramie had reached out, asking for casualty reports and news of any remaining females. Many of the elders had used the interest in remaining females to fuel the fear that the Holloways meant to keep them for themselves. Nicholas had been the sole elder to believe otherwise.
“Seeing us, knowing we exist, is going to change everything,” Sidia whispered to Koby.
“It already has,” he told her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.
Chapter Eleven
Sidia and Jaeda opted not to go into the office with Laramie, Koby, Slade and Holt while they spoke with Caleb. Sidia wasn’t sure Caleb would be able to concentrate on the conversation if they were in the room. So she and Jaeda had taken the last load of Declan’s stuff downstairs. Instead of heading back up to start on Brock’s, they’d both decided to stay in their rooms. Jaeda had taken the book Sidia had brought. It had been one of their mother’s favorites, a classic she’d often read to them as children. Little Women for her little women. Sidia had read it numerous times herself over the last five years.
Sidia decided to sort through the rest of her bag. She should have unpacked it completely when she’d taken her treasures from home out of the front pocket. There was the back compartment where she kept extra clothes and food. Water bottles were stuffed in the side pockets and cash was tucked away in the hidden front zipper lining, in case she had need of it.
She set the bottles on the dresser, unzipped every pocket and upended it on the bed. She shook it a few times for good measure then scooped her hand inside to make sure nothing remained. She found the inner liner and took out the wad of bills, placing them on the dresser, as well. She sorted the food from the clothes, piling it on the side then shook out each garment. An envelope fell out of her folded jeans and landed on the mattress. Her name was on the front in Nicholas’ handwriting.
Her hand shook as she reached for it. When had he put it in the bag? She’d never noticed it before, and she’d been taught to check her bag weekly to make sure her food hadn’t expired and the water was still good. Had he put it in the night they were attacked? The night he was killed? Had he known he wouldn’t make it?
She sat on the corner of the bed, envelope cradled in her lap. These were the last words Nicholas would ever speak to her. She remembered the last time she’d looked at him, heard his voice.
“Remember what I’ve taught you. Trust no one, and I mean no one, except the Holloways. It’s what we should have done from the beginning. Maybe, your bear will take a shine to one of them. You’d be well taken care of with a Holloway as your mate.”
He’d be more than happy to know she was mated to Koby Holloway, that she was safe and protected as he’d always wanted and believed the Holloways would do.
She stuck her fingernail into the edge and slit the envelope open carefully. There were sheets of notebook paper folded inside. She tugged them free and smoothed them out. There was one word on the top, her name.
Sidia,
If you’re reading this, it means I didn’t make it. So many people have been lost for the foolish dreams of a bitter fool. I figured it all out too late to save myself, but hopefully, I can save the remaining members of our pack.
It was your brother, Malachi, who set me sniffing in the right direction. I didn’t tell you I’d contacted him. I’m sorry to say that I allowed him to believe none of you survived. It was better for him. Had he known, he would have come back immediately, putting all of you in more danger.
Your brother left to investigate a rumor, one Matthew Holloway never believed, much to the detriment of our pack. I believe if Matthew’s sons had known of this threat, they would have acted and the outcome would have been far different.
I tried to convince the others to contact Laramie, but none of them would listen. I couldn’t figure out why, until I made contact with Malachi.
There’s another pack, Sidia. They have been in existence for centuries, living as humans as so many other shifters have done. Your brother has made contact with them, but he’s not the only one. Someone else did, too. Someone whose plans are to use them to make a new pack, one where he can lead.
I only contacted two elders with this knowledge. I said I had suspicions. I mentioned your brother to neither of them. Emmett and Lawrence were the ones I contacted. I feared it was one of them. I’m ashamed to say my first thought was that Emmett was responsible. Instead, I’m responsible for his death. It was Lawrence. He plotted, he planned, and he created an alliance with our enemies to wipe us out, starting with Matthew Holloway.
I failed my pack by not going to Laramie as my instincts screamed at me to do. I failed you and your sisters by not taking you to the Holloways myself. I don’t know what has become of your oldest sister. I fear what Lawrence may have done with Xandra. She’s been at his mercy for five years, and none of us ever saw what he was capable of. Send the Holloways after her immediately, after all the survivors. I’m not sure why he let any of you to remain alive, or why he agreed to letting the elders act as guardians. All I can figure is that it must have played into his agenda somehow.
I’m hoping when you read this, you will already be with the Holloways. If not, get this to them as soon as you can. Tell them. Get Xandra out. Get them all out. I don’t know if any other elders are involved, but what I’ve set in motion puts everyone in danger again.
Malachi is in Washington State. I asked him to wait thirty days before he contacted Laramie. I thought I had more time. I thought we were safe. Maybe, that was Lawrence’s plan all along, to persuade us to let our guard down. Maybe, that was how he planned to take out the rest of us. I don’t know, and now, I’ve left it all in your hands. I’m sorry for that.
Go to them, Sidia. Give Laramie my letter. They’ll protect you as I have failed to do. I’m sorry. I should have done more.
Nicholas
The papers crumpled in her fist as she clenched them and took off at a run.
Xandra! She needed them to get a hold of Declan and Brock immediately. They were in greater danger than any of them had imagined. Oh, God! What had Lawrence done to her? Was her sister still alive?
She burst into Laramie’s office. Koby met her at the door, gripping her upper arms and pulling her to him.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“You have to read this,” she panted, holding out the letter. “It was Lawrence.”
“What?” Laramie asked, reaching them and taking the letter. He skimmed it, the rumble growing in his chest. His gaze flew to hers. “Where did you find this?”
“Nicholas hid it in my backpack. I just found it when I dumped everything out today. I didn’t know it was in there.” Her gaze met Koby’s.
“It’s okay,” Koby said, hugging her close. “What is it, Laramie?”
“Lawrence is the one who planned the attacks.”
“Lawrence?” Jensen bellowed incredulously. “What would he possibly have to gain by extermination our pack?”
“According to Nicholas, we’re not the only pack in existence,” Laramie said.
“There’s another bear pack?” Matheus asked.
“My brother has made contact with them,” Sidia said. “He’s supposed to be in contact with Laramie soon.”
“Malachi?” Jaeda said. “You found our brother?”
“Nicholas did,” Sidia said, realizing Jaeda must have followed her mad dash upstairs. “There’s more, Jaeda.”
“Lawrence has Xandra,” Jaeda realized, hand flying to cover her mouth. Holt moved behind his mate, pulling her close and holding onto her.
“Get Declan on the phone now,” Laramie ordered.
“Already on it,” Slade said. “It keeps going to voicemail.”
“Try Brock,” Laramie thundered.
“It’s doing the same,” Jensen said.
“Declan and Brock are smart,” Laramie stated. “They won’t be fooled easily.”
&n
bsp; “Send the alert code,” Koby ordered. “You know as well as I do that, depending on where they are, they may not respond to a call right away. God knows, you guys are always reminding me of that. Send the code, and they’ll check in no matter what.”
“Send it,” Laramie commanded.
They stood in silence. Sidia stared at the clock. One minute passed. Two. Five. Ten. Fifteen.
“Shouldn’t they have responded by now?” Sidia whispered.
“It depends,” Koby answered. “Many things could be preventing them from getting in contact right away.”
“But the code,” Jaeda argued.
“It just means they need to check in as soon as they can,” Koby said. “Declan and Brock are smart. Declan is one of the best trackers among us. They’ll find Xandra.”
“Lawrence wouldn’t have killed her,” Laramie claimed. “Chances are he took extra precautions with his care of her. She may not even know he’s the one behind everything. Keeping her was his perfect cover. He wouldn’t want to lose that.”
Sidia nodded, meeting Jaeda’s eyes then looking away before her sister’s tears could overwhelm her. She glanced around, taking note of who was missing.
“Where did Caleb go?” she questioned.
“He headed back home,” Laramie told her. “He’ll be packing up and heading back here. I’m not convinced Rocco is dead. Until we know for sure what happened to him, I want Caleb and his father close. Lawrence knows his days are numbered. He would have known as soon as Nicholas contacted him.”
“He has nothing left to lose,” Matheus whispered. “That makes him even more dangerous.”
“He’s running to his new allies,” Laramie declared. “He’ll need their help to attack again. He won’t find it as easy this time. I’ve called Chance, Wood, Fletch and Milo after speaking with Caleb. The other women have been found and are on the way here.”
“Thank, God,” Jensen approved. “The sooner the better.”
Sidia glanced back at the clock. “It’s been half an hour.”
“They’ll call,” Koby assured her, and as if his words were magic, Slade’s phone rang.
“Declan?” Slade said as soon as he answered then he nodded.
“Put him on speaker,” Laramie ordered.
“What happened?” Declan demanded, his voice filling the room.
“Are you safe?” Laramie demanded.
“What?” Declan’s voice went soft, the tone sounding deadly. “You used the emergency code to check on me? What the fuck are you thinking?”
“There have been developments you and Brock are unaware of,” Laramie said. “Where are you? Have you found Lawrence or Xandra?”
“We have Xandra,” Declan said. “No sign of Lawrence.”
Sidia sagged against Koby. “Is she okay?”
“Your sister is fine,” Declan said. “She knows who did this, Laramie.”
“We all do,” Laramie replied. “Get back here, Declan, as quick as you can.”
“We’re on our way now. I would have called sooner, but Xandra had my pack and didn’t tell me my phone had gone off.”
They all heard feminine grumbling in the background, and Sidia found herself grinning at her sister. Xandra hadn’t lost any of her spunk from the sound of it.
“We’ll be back in a few days. Our tracking took us farther away than I anticipated. We’re backtracking now to return to where we left the SUV. I’d say three, four days tops,” Declan said.
“Watch your backs,” Laramie ordered. “Stop for no one.”
“What else is going on?” Declan demanded.
“There are more people, more shifters, involved in all this than we thought,” Laramie instructed. “We’ll go over everything in more detail when you get here. Just get here quickly.”
“Damn it!” Declan thundered. “I don’t like not knowing, Laramie.”
“Then haul ass and get here,” Laramie thundered.
“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Declan stormed. “Don’t use the code again to check up on me.”
“Don’t forget who your alpha is,” Laramie warned.
“Never, brother,” Declan murmured, and they all heard the soft click of the phone disconnecting.
Sidia could tell Laramie was pissed, but he refrained from saying anything, instead turning to leave the room. Xandra was on her way. Malachi would call soon. They’d all be together again. Sidia had her mate, and soon, she’d have the rest of her family. Plus, they now had a name for the traitor who’d brought all this on them. Justice was on the horizon. The fact there was another pack of bears was something she couldn’t wrap her mind around yet. Still, she understood what it meant. The future was filled with possibility.
Chapter Twelve
Koby brought a tray of food with them when he and Sidia returned to their bedroom that evening. No one had been in the mood to sit down for dinner. Laramie had disappeared after speaking with Declan. Matheus and Slade had gone out on a perimeter check. Holt had taken Jaeda with him to check the cabins surrounding the main lodge, making sure each was fully stocked and ready to go. Koby and Sidia had gone to the kitchen and cooked venison chili, leaving the pot simmering on the stove for others to eat as they wanted.
He set the tray on the bedside table, taking care not to spill anything as he did. Sidia sat on the bed with a bounce. She’d cycled between joy, worry and sorrow since she’d brought the letter upstairs to share with them. He’d done his best to keep her distracted while they were cooking. He’d told jokes, played music and spun her around the kitchen in dance after dance. She’d needed it. They both had. He was ready for all of this to be behind them. He’d like to take her somewhere, so the two of them could be alone. No interruptions.
“That smells so good,” she said. “I’m starving.”
He handed her a bowl then took the plate of cheese wedges and crackers and set it on the bed beside her.
“Beer?” he asked, holding one of the bottles out to her.
“Mmm,” she nodded, her mouth full of food.
He popped the tab on hers and handed it to her. Then did the same with his and grabbed his bowl before joining her on the bed. They ate in silence, both enjoying the spicy taste of the chili. He took her bowl when she finished and set everything back on the tray out of the way. He leaned back on the pillows, and Sidia curled into him, head resting on his chest, her fingers twining with his over his belly.
“I keep going back to when the elders all showed up at our den,” Sidia said. “Trying to remember if there was anything Lawrence might have said or done. Anything at all. I come up with nothing.” She pushed up, rising on her elbow to look down at him. “I don’t get it. Why would Lawrence do this? What could he possibly have to gain? He’s an elder! He had a respected place in our pack. Why would he do this to us?”
“I don’t know. We probably won’t know out until we find him. My guess is it has something to do with this other pack that exists. Do you think your brother will wait the full thirty days to call?”
“I’m not sure. Nicholas didn’t tell him Jaeda, Xandra and I survived. He thinks his entire family is gone. I don’t know who he’s found or where exactly he is in Washington.”
“Don’t worry. He’ll call, and when he does, we’ll make sure he knows.” Koby tugged her back down until her head was on his chest again. He combed his fingers through her short locks, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. “Everything’s going to be okay,” he promised. “We’ll find Lawrence, and he’ll pay for every life he took.”
She nodded, her hand running up and down his chest.
“I know you and your brothers were devastated when your dad was killed. Then the attacks happened.” She paused as if unsure how to ask what she really wanted to know.
“Why didn’t Laramie do more in the aftermath?” Koby offered.
“Yes,” she agreed, rolling over so she half-lay on him, fist propped on his chest while she met his gaze. “Why just let everything go? I get that you all th
ought the females in the pack had been wiped out. But there is still a pack without us, and that pack still needs its alpha. Probably even more so.”
“Laramie called all the families. He was hell bent on finding out how our father had been captured. It didn’t make sense that the great Mathew Holloway could be taken by hunters. Not him. Never him. It didn’t add up. We were still looking into that when the attacks happened. Calls came in. People reporting the dead. We went to the closest homes, but it was the same. All the females, no matter their age, had been killed. The young, the old, the already mated. Entire families wiped out. I’ve never seen my brother so angry.”
“So what happened? Why has it been five years with no real response from Laramie?”
“Why would you think we didn’t respond?” Koby asked.
“You did? Nicholas never said anything.”
“My guess is he couldn’t. He was ordered to protect you, and part of that protection was keeping you hidden from us. We went to every family, checking in with them, seeing what if anything they needed. We spoke with the elders. I spoke with Samuel and Donovan myself. I never had a clue they were hiding someone. They both looked me in the eye and lied. A lie of omission, but still a lie.”
“I didn’t realize,” Sidia whispered.
“You were hidden. Laramie himself went to see Nicolas. He was there, on the mountain, while you were hidden somewhere his senses couldn’t pick up on you. There’s no excuse for Nicholas not coming forward then. No matter what excuse Lawrence fed all the elders, they should have known better. Laramie may not have had a formal ceremony when he took over as alpha, but they all knew he’d accepted his role. They saw it in the aftermath. What the elders did was another betrayal. We can put the blame squarely on Lawrence, but they all have to accept their responsibility.” He didn’t waver as he held her gaze. “Nicholas knew that.”