Gabriel chuckled and gave my hand a squeeze. I was taken aback by the action, but didn't say anything.
I heard it before I saw it. The sound of the engines was enough to make me go deaf. I was shocked that Gabriel wasn't hunched over screaming in pain; that's how loud the cars were.
"Take these." Gabriel fished around in his leather coat pocket and pulled out earplugs.
I thanked him quietly before giving Cassiel his and then stuffing mine down into my lobes. Once each of us was ready Gabriel took my hand again and led Cassie and I into the crowd.
There must have been over fifty cars with twice the amount of people packed into this vacant car lot. Spotlights were hooked onto roofs of about four trucks and that shone enough light onto the ground so I didn't have to depend on Gabriel so much, which made me glad.
I noticed right away that Gabriel seemed to know exactly where he was going. If I was a judge of body language I assumed that quite a few people knew Gabriel too. Cassiel wasn't kidding earlier when he said that Gabriel wasn't a stranger to the back streets of the city. He'd obviously left out some details of his growing up years when he'd told me stories.
"Hey, Ben!" I hadn't been paying much attention and Gabriel's booming voice made me jump. I spun around and followed Gabriel's gaze.
A man with bleach blond hair spun around. Only a second went by before he came running up to us. "Hey Gabriel!" I watched as they clapped hands and then did this weird man handshake type thing.
Cassiel came up to me. We exchanged glances, but neither of us spoke because Gabriel beat us to it.
"Have you seen Owen around?" Gabriel never broke eye contact with the man in front of him until Ben tilted his jaw down.
"He's near the back. His car's bright green – you can't miss it." Ben laughed as if remembering something.
Gabriel nodded, "Thank you."
"Yeah." I heard Ben say as Gabriel led us further into the crowd. I held tight to Cassiel's hand and dragged him along behind me. I went where Gabriel led me and let my eyes wander.
I could tell all these people were werewolves, although I didn't know any of them. They obviously weren't part of Leo's pack.
Most of them looked like the modern London population; colored hair, multiple piercings, and crazy wardrobes.
Two engines revved and I winced as the sound ripped through my ears. I tried to instinctively press my hands against my ears, but both Gabriel and Cassiel were determined to make me suffer. They held firmly to my hands.
I peered through the crowd as I saw flames burst into the air. Two cars stood in what looked like a track. A tree of two sets of lights stood in the center of them a few feet in into the track. I watched as the two top yellow lights turned on. Then, the rest of the lights turned on.
Once the bottom light, a green one, flashed both the cars were gone. My insides vibrated because of the intensity of the engines.
Soon they were out of sight. I heard the crowd cheer, but I had no idea who won.
"Gabriel, it's been a while." I spun around and the first thing I saw was the bright green car. Ben had been right. It was blinding to look at. I had never seen that bright of a green before!
Gabriel kept me close and I did the same to Cassiel, "A long while."
The man who Gabriel was talking to was fairly large. He was taller than Alexander but didn't have as much hair… or maybe it just seemed like that because of the color. His hair was actually white, but I knew it wasn't from age. He must have dyed it. "How has life been?"
"It's been a lot better." Gabriel stated gruffly.
The guy stiffened and stepped down from the hood of his car. His strides were long and graceful… and intimidating, "Yeah, I heard about what's been happening. Sorry about your mid-ranking pair."
I watched Gabriel and the guy, who I assumed was Owen, and I knew they had a history together. They were pretty comfortable, or as comfortable as Gabriel got, and didn't seem to be sizing each other for a fight.
"You could help fix it." Gabriel told him forcibly, "I need to know where they're at."
"And you think I know?" The guy looked amused, but I saw the glint in his eyes that told me he was studying the black haired Durand.
Gabriel growled lightly. The growl wasn't threatening. It sounded more amused. "I know you know."
The guy seemed to have found something in Gabriel's expression because he lost his fake casual exterior and an alpha power replaced his features, "Listen, Gabe, you're my pal. But this isn't the type of thing I want to get out."
Gabriel glanced at me and I pleaded with him, with my eyes, to try harder to get the information.
"Owen, I need this." Gabriel quickly turned back to the taller man, "They're my pack and, "He paused and gestured to me with his head, "she's their daughter." The man's eyes widened in shock and he turned to me.
"The born?" He studied me with a careful gaze. It wasn't a perverted look though; it was more like he was trying to remember something. I met his gaze bravely when his eyes made it up to mine.
Gabriel tightened his grip on my hand and I squeezed it back, "Yes."
"What does that have to do with anything?" I whispered harshly to Cassiel.
"We're both in the dark on that one." Cassiel replied just as harshly.
Owen chuckled deeply, "She's close to her change."
"Yes." Gabriel paused for a second, "Do you know where the mid-ranking pair are?" I hated the way he named my parents. It made them seem like just anybody instead of the people who raised me.
The man grew serious again, "All I can tell you is that Zak Maryland is in charge of them. I don't know anything else."
Gabriel nodded stiffly; trusting the man's word. "Thank you." Then he applied pressure to my hand and we started to turn back into the crowd.
"Hey Gabe,"
We all turned.
Owen glanced at me before turning to Gabriel, "Keep a close eye on that one. She's got a strong wolf in her."
Gabriel pulled me close and wrapped his arm possessively around my neck as he laughed, "Yeah. I know."
I would have rolled my eyes if I hadn't been previously occupied. Zak Maryland. I had never heard of him. The name sounded American, but it could have been English or even Australian. I wondered if Gabriel knew the guy, but I didn't ask. I kept my mouth close because I knew it'd be easier to get information out of him later. Like Michael, he was easier to talk to when he was tired.
"Come on." Gabriel was once again leading me through the crowd.
"That's it?" I asked stubbornly while trying to keep up with Gabriel's long strides. "That's all we came here for? Aren't you going to ask other people?"
Gabriel stuck out his jaw in annoyance, "I don't trust any other people."
"But couldn't we just ask around and, I don't know, compare that with the information that Owen gave you?"
Gabriel pulled my arm and I jerked into his chest. "Stop yelling." He ordered through gritted teeth. "I can hear you just fine without you broadcasting our business to every werewolf in this lot."
"Sorry," I grunted; I hadn't even realized I had started to yell. It was just a reflex because of all the noise around me.
The crowd that surrounded us broke out into frenzy.
Then, suddenly, Cassiel dropped my hand.
"Cassie!" I spun around and saw that the blond, youngest, Durand was nowhere to be seen. Instead I saw werewolves, mostly men, running like they were set on fire. I followed them with my eyes as Gabriel pulled me firmly against him.
I heard Gabriel swear, but I barely paid any attention to him.
Then, Gabriel swore again.
I heard someone howl in pain and I jumped slightly. Gabriel held tightly to both my arms and pushed me into the crowd. I scanned the crowd for Cassiel, but there were too many people.
We shoved our way through the crowd and I found myself staring into the center of the circle everyone had formed. Inside it were four men beating the living crap out of each other.
"Tell me w
here they are!"
My jaw dropped. "Oh my god."
"Shit. And I thought you'd be the one to cause a scene." Gabriel grunted angrily.
My brother swung another punch towards a man with a nose ring and I heard a popping sound. Blood flowed from the man's nose, but my brother didn't stop.
Then two men fell at my feet. Gabriel half picked me up as he pulled me out of the way.
"Michael, for god's sake control yourself!" Gabriel yelled. The order sounded more like a joke than an actual order.
Michael shoved the man off him and got to his feet, "What the hell is she doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" I challenged. Michael's eyes snapped to mine. I wasn't scared, even though my beta looked like he was ready to rip someone's head off. Then, after a second I shook my head, "It doesn't matter! We have to find Cassiel!"
Michael's blazing eyes turned to his brother, "You lost Cassiel?"
"He ran off! It wasn't my fault!" Gabriel roared.
I suddenly felt very unsafe. I was standing, more like sandwiched, between two very pissed off werewolves. My muscles froze and I stopped breathing as Michael stepped even closer.
"I'll deal with you when we get home." He growled at his brother. Michael's grip was the opposite of his tone as he wrapped his hand securely around my arm. His hand was warm and gentle. Then he pulled me against him protectively. "Get Josh to the car and we'll find Cassiel."
"Did you find out anything?" I asked Michael as he turned me with him and moved us through the crowd.
I could tell that Michael was barely listening to me. He didn't answer me. I knew the very moment that he found Cassiel. His eyes widened slightly and he pressed his lips together in annoyance.
We half jogged around the crowd and I grabbed Cassiel's hand once he was in reach. "Don't ever do that again!" I ordered him as I pulled him towards me. He leaned against me and half laughed.
"Weren't you with my other brother the last time I checked?" Cassie sent Michael a questioning look.
"You've missed a lot."
Cassie glanced over his shoulder, "Maybe, but I did see Josh beat some guy up until he was unconscious."
"Stop talking and walk." Michael demanded.
I held tightly to both of them as we weaved our way out of the car lot. Soon we were running through the labyrinth of alleyways.
"Does Gabriel even know where you parked the car?" Cassiel asked. We exited the alley and were soon on a main London street. Well… I didn't know about Main Street. But at least there were streetlights.
"Josh knows where it is." Michael said shortly.
I let Michael lead me around like a dog on a leash and I drifted into thought.
"Does the name Zak Maryland mean anything to you?" I asked after a while. I looked at Michael out of the corner of my eye, but didn't see anything comforting in his eyes. He didn't seem to be effected by the name.
"No."
I turned away when Michael's eyes glanced my way.
"He has my parents." I whispered. Then, with more force behinds my words, I said, "I'm going to call Vlad when we get home."
"Why would he know anything? He's in America." Cassiel thought aloud.
I shrugged, "Vladimir has never let me down before. He'll find out who the man is." I paused, "And he'll find where my parents are."
Chapter Twenty-One
I sat numbly in the back seat with my forehead pressed firmly against the glass. The hum of the engine was enough to put me to sleep, but I couldn't close my eyes. I couldn't relax. I could only keep thinking.
Quentin and Elizabeth were warriors and fighters before they were my parents. They had always put the safety of the pack ahead of their relationship with me. I had grown to accept that, but they were still my family. I loved them. They were my pack, and that made it my job to protect them. More than half of me knew the idea of me going out and finding my parents was insane. It was stupid, because I couldn't win a fight with Gabriel, let alone Nicolais or one of his men.
But I still had the need to do something.
Cassiel's hand fell on my own, which was resting on my thigh, and he laced his fingers through mine. My eyes snapped to his. He was practically giving himself whiplash as he gestured to the front.
My eyes flicked to Michael, who was behind the wheel, and I saw the reason behind Cassiel's hysteria.
"You're going to snap the steering wheel in half." I commented smugly. Cassiel's elbow jabbed into my rib and I jumped. With one look in the youngest Durand's direction I silently relayed the question, 'what?'
"I hadn't meant for you to be so blunt." Cassie hissed in my ear. I wondered why he bothered. The entire car could hear every breath we took, so it didn't matter how softly we spoke, because they'd take notice.
Michael's deep growl made both of us turn our attention back to the front of the jeep. "I just don't understand what you were thinking." His tone was controlled, but I heard the rage behind it. He was obviously having some trouble applying his anger management skills to this situation. "Why would you take the pups to the LUR?"
I ignored the fact that he hadn't been talking to me and glared at the side of his face, "I'm sorry…" I drawled out, "pups?"
What the hell did that mean? Sure, we hadn't gone through our changes yet, but still, we weren't four years old anymore!
Michael paid no attention to me, but I noticed the skin along his jaw was growing white from the tension he was applying to his mouth. "It was irresponsible, Gabriel."
"You're just upset because I was the one to introduce them to the backstage packs of London." Gabriel grunted mockingly.
I opened my mouth to ask a question, but stopped short when Michael hit the wheel, "Gabriel!"
"Michael, stop acting like you're all high and mighty! You went to the same place we did, and I'm assuming that you didn't ask for permission either." There was a hint of a growl in Gabriel's throat as he spoke.
The air in the car suddenly got really thick. I sucked in a gasp and sunk down in my seat out of submission. I knew a fight was just around the corner.
"Gabriel," Michael warned heavily.
I tensed, and I felt Cassiel do the same, as I waited for Gabriel's response. Knowing him, it would be something smart – something he really shouldn't say.
Gabriel's reply was low with potential violence and thick as he spoke in a language I wasn't privy to.
Suddenly Michael jerked the wheel to the right, and I fell into Cassiel as he pulled the car onto the side of the road.
"Gabriel, get out of the car!" Michael almost broke the door as he shoved it open. I jumped as it slammed shut. Gabriel followed him out with an equal amount of rage.
It was too dark for me to see them clearly, but I made out a vague outline of each of them. "Shouldn't you do something?" I asked my brother.
"There is no way I'm getting in between those two in a fight." Josh said darkly.
I heard the older Durand brothers muffled voices as they yelled, but I couldn't make anything out. I wasn't even sure if they were talking in English.
A few minutes later Michael and Gabriel reentered the car.
"Mikhail, we're sorry. But we were just trying to help find Quentin and Eliza." Cassiel explained. By his soft tone I assumed that he was playing the baby brother card – which had been our favorite 'escape the lecture' move while we grew up. It worked surprisingly well, unless we were talking with Alex or my dad.
Michael growled harshly, and I nudged Cassiel to silently order him to halt all plans of manipulation.
"I'm disappointed, does that counts?" Josh grunted from the front passenger seat.
I couldn't help but scoff, "No, it doesn't. At least I wasn't the one who put the whole parking lot into a frenzy."
"No, you were the one who snuck out the day after our parents were captured by a stark raving mad werewolf!" Josh snapped. He spun around in his seat and glared fiercely at Cassiel and myself.
I glared back, "What? You and Michael asked Alex for
permission?"
He didn't answer.
"You have no right to be disappointed in me." I stated firmly. "Sure, I left the territory, but at least I didn't go out alone. Gabriel didn't let me out of his sight. Doesn't that count as something?"
Josh growled and spun back around in his seat.
"You still disobeyed orders." Michael told me as he drove the car back onto the road. He didn't seem to be as angry now. At least, he didn't sound like he was going to spin around and rip our throats out at any second. So I assumed him and Gabriel settled something while they 'talked things over'.
We were off the highway and I knew we'd be home within thirty minutes. Personally I couldn't have jumped up and down, and did a happy dance at that moment. The tension in his car was as thick as Big Ben was tall. I could barely breathe.
"Who's orders?" I grumbled, silently asking why everyone was being mean to me. It hadn't been my idea to come here. Blame Gabriel!
I saw Michael in the stream of light that the radio shed. He started to turn in his seat, but must have realized that he was still driving and kept his eyes on the road, "Your father's for one! I heard him last night. He told you to stay at the house! Then there was Alexander. He wanted everyone to stay close to home!"
"You didn't! You left! That means that you went against Alexander too!" I yelled back. My insides turned hot and I felt something lurch in my stomach, just below my navel, when Michael finally snapped around.
His gaze was hard and threatening. The muscles along his arms were swelled twice their normal mass and the vein across his neck was twitching.
Normally I would have sat back in fear, and shock. My beta's anger had returned tenfold.
But something inside me wouldn't let me back down.
Another part of me took over my features and I found myself baring my teeth at my pack's second in command. I growled in the silence.
"Elaine, shut your mouth before I go and find duct tape!" I could tell Josh was rolling his eyes at me from the front seat by his tone, "Michael, watch where we're going before we crash into a tree. Try to remember that two people in this car don't have self healing. I don't think Alex would be too thrilled if we came home and told him that we killed the two pups."
Howl (Howl Book 1) Page 28