He couldn’t formulate words as to how much that trust meant to him. They’d all agreed that it would be too much to have her parents and her mates there just in case emotions got the best of them and it hurt their escape plan or distracted their fighting. As the three of them were so newly mated, it made sense for Bram and Shane to go and her parents to stay behind. But if they didn’t find her within a certain time limit, Maddox and Ellie would be leading the charge to find their daughter.
“She’s close,” Bram breathed. “We should stop here and go the rest of the way on foot just in case.”
Kameron stopped the car and tilted his head. “There are humans around.” His voice was a low growl. “And since there isn’t a town on the map, I have a feeling we’re going to need to fight our way in.”
Shane cracked his knuckles. “Good.”
They formulated a plan and got out of the SUV quietly. Though he wasn’t as trained as the others when it came to using all of his new senses, he was still a former elite soldier and could carry his weight.
They crept through the forest, and he ignored the sound of the wind in the trees and the animals going deathly quiet around four large predators within their midst. It was only a two-minute hike. But with each step closer to Charlotte, Shane felt as if it took far longer.
When they got to the edge of a clearing, the four stopped and crouched down behind a large row of bushes to look at the structure up ahead.
She was in there. He could feel it.
He looked over to mouth something to the others, then shot his attention back to the doorway of the large grey building in front of them.
“Holy hell,” Kameron whispered. “Your mate is one fucking tough wolf.”
Shane let out a growl, and the four of them moved as one to make sure Charlotte would be able to make it out completely. Blood covered her from head to toe, and she gripped a crimson tipped knife in her hand. She was about a quarter of a mile away, but he could see her clearly.
He couldn’t tell exactly where she was hurt, but his wolf howled to get closer.
“Get the guards on the side that are coming for her, Shane,” Bram ordered. “I’ll get the ones on the other side if Kameron can get the ones in the middle. Walker? Get Charlotte out of here.” Bram paused. “No survivors. Not this time. We can’t.”
It echoed Gideon’s and Kade’s earlier assessment, and Shane knew things were changed once again.
Though Shane didn’t want anyone else to take Charlotte, he knew Walker would be the best bet as it looked as if she desperately needed a Healer. As soon as the final words had left Bram’s mouth, the three of them were off, taking care of what they needed to.
The three men on the side of the building Shane ran to were familiar.
Too familiar.
He’d fought alongside these men, battled insurgents by their side when they’d been in war. He’d saved their lives, and he knew they had done the same for him. They had been his brothers in arms, and he’d thought brothers of his soul.
He had been wrong.
Oh so fucking wrong.
When he came into their line of sight, they looked shocked for a moment then raised their guns to shoot.
The betrayal of that action slapped at Shane, but he ignored it. They had betrayed their country, betrayed Shane, and betrayed their own sense of honor.
He was a wolf now, and had a new set of priorities that should have aligned with those in front of him, but not any longer. These men had signed their death warrants, and Shane would do what he had to in order to protect his people.
Before the soldiers could get off the first round, he had one guy down, his neck snapped. Shane’s wolf was at the surface, guiding him as he learned to blend his old knowledge with his newly developed skills.
He took down the other two easily enough, though one bullet did graze him. It burned like hell, but he ignored it. After taking a look around and deciding that was the last of them for now, he went back to the front of the building to see if he could help.
The others had been busy, their wolves in their eyes as he made their way to them. Walker was on the ground, Charlotte in his arms as he worked on Healing some of her wounds.
Shane went to his knees at Walker’s side. “Char,” he bit out.
She smiled painfully at him. “I got out myself.” She words were hoarse, and he couldn’t help the pride that flowed through him.
“Hell yeah, you did.”
“We need to get out of here,” Kameron growled as Bram hurried toward them. Relief covered Shane’s mate’s face for a moment before he was all wolf once again. “I don’t know how many others are in the building or who could be coming. We don’t have any time.”
Walker picked up Charlotte and held her close. “I’m not her Healer, and my magic shouldn’t be working at all, but it is enough that she should be good until we get her to the Redwood Healer or until Gideon brings her into the Talons. The mating bond with you is making things a little funky, but I’ve stopped most of the bleeding.”
Charlotte sighed and reached out for Shane. “Get me to the Talon den and I’ll let Gideon finish it. We have to go.”
Shane’s wolf howled with purpose, and he kissed Charlotte’s bloodstained hand before squeezing it. “Let’s get you home.”
They were sitting ducks where they stood, but Charlotte was safe for now. She’d somehow saved herself, and for that, he knew she would always have a renewed sense of worth within herself she might have doubted before.
But things weren’t over. Montag had to be creeping around, perhaps even watching them now, and that meant they needed to move. Shane wouldn’t feel safe until they were within their den wards, surrounded by his Pack and those he trusted.
As they ran back to the SUV in order to head to the Talons, he let those words filter through his brain. So much had changed since he’d first learned of the shifters, and yet, he knew this was how it was always supposed to be.
Before he had been a soldier because that had been the only thing he imagined he could be. He’d formed connections to others, but never as strong as they could have been. Now he was a wolf, mated to a man and a woman he knew he loved, though he had yet to say the words. And he was on the run from a man he had thought he respected enough to die for in the heat of battle because things were never as he thought they were.
His world had shifted, and yet he knew he could live with the outcome.
He just prayed that he would live long enough in the end to make sure the others knew it had been worth it to become wolf the way he had.
The war was here, and they were on the front lines.
And no matter what, Shane would do anything to protect his Pack and those he loved.
Anything.
ELEVENTH HOUR
“It’s not over,” Montag spat. “It can’t be over.” He looked into his tablet at the man on the screen and cursed.
McMaster shrugged and looked as if he hadn’t a care in the world, as if their plan with the shifters hadn’t just failed spectacularly. They were on a secure channel that they had both assured themselves was unhackable, so they were able to speak freely.
Of course, McMaster never spoke too freely. He always spoke in half-truths, and it pissed off Montag to no end. The other man was too polished, too squeaky-clean for the cameras he loved so much.
Montag hated working with him, but he was desperate. The female wolf shouldn’t have been able to get out as she had, and because of his fucking weak crew, he’d lost his final asset.
“You tried, and you failed.” McMaster waved his hand. “You’re done for, Montag. You’re on your own here.”
“You fucking bastard.”
McMaster raised a pristine brow he probably had waxed weekly. “Watch your words.”
Montag slammed his fists onto his desk. “You made promises, McMaster. You’re going to help me finish what we started.”
“It’s over,” McMaster said cooly. “You’re on your own.” He cut off the feed
, and Montag threw his tablet against the wall.
He needed McMaster to help with his part of the deal, or Montag would have to take things to the next level.
He wasn’t sure the world was ready for that.
But if he had to, he’d watch the world burn before he let it go into the hands of the mongrels who called themselves part human.
He’d do what he must.
He’d make the final strike.
And when the wolves went to their knees in surrender…he’d kill them.
All of them.
No mercy. No weakness. No more wolves.
Not even the one he thought he could make.
Not even Shane.
Chapter Fifteen
The car ride was excruciating, but Bram could do nothing but sit in the front seat and look back at his mates. Walker worked to Heal Charlotte as much as he could without technically being bonded to her as Healer to Packmember. Bram cursed himself for not having the Redwood Healer with them, but they hadn’t had the time to grab Mark and bring him along.
As it was, Walker was doing as much as he could, and as soon as they saw Gideon, they would become Talons. They’d waited for things to settle long enough. Bram’s only family was Shane and Charlotte so while he would miss what he had before, he knew his future was with the Talons. And even though Charlotte had been holding off because of the family that had taken her in, even she had said it was time.
Soon, they would be Talons, and Charlotte would be able to be fully Healed from her ordeal.
And, hopefully, they would have enough time to do all of that before the shit hit the fan and Montag found them.
Charlotte let out a hiss, and Shane hovered over her since she was in his lap. Her feet were over Walker as the Healer did his best to do what he could. Bram hated being so far away from her, and because he couldn’t think of anything else to bring her closer, he said the only thing he could.
“I love you, Charlotte. I’m so fucking proud of you. I love you so fucking much. You too, Shane. I’m sorry I didn’t say it before. I love you both. Thought you ought to know since I almost waited too long as it was.”
The noise in the SUV dropped at his words, and Shane barked out a confused laugh. “Well, this seems as good a time as any to say I love you both. I was going to wait until we weren’t covered in blood and bruises but that doesn’t seem to be often.”
Both Walker and Kameron snorted, but Bram only had eyes for Charlotte.
Tears slid down her cheeks, but she gave him a watery smile. “I love you both, you know. You should have figured that out already.” She inhaled. And now that we’ve embarrassed our poor Healer and Enforcer, let’s talk about all of that later. Okay?”
“I kind of like how she said our,” Kameron said with a grin. The man didn’t grin often, so Bram was surprised to see it. “The Pack is going to love having you. I’d feel bad that the Redwoods are going to lose you, but they took our sister since she mated Finn, and they took Quinn, too, so I’m kind of over it.”
Bram opened his mouth to say something, but the SUV braked quickly, and he braced himself. “What?” He turned in his seat and cursed.
They were right outside the Talon den, and the wards were holding, but...
It seemed Montag had worked fast.
Too fast.
And they weren’t alone.
Montag had brought a fucking tank to a battle with wolves. He must have had everything locked up and ready to go the moment he needed to attack the Talon den. And while the wolves could hide behind the wards, Bram knew they wouldn’t. Not with the barrier as weak as it was. With the humans knowing that shifters existed, the magic that helped feed the wards was slowly fading away.
And because Gideon knew this, many of the Talon’s strongest were already outside the wards, ready to fight those who had come to take over their Pack.
“We need to help them,” Charlotte pleaded, breaking the silence.
“Absolutely not,” Bram growled. “You were just fucking tortured. You need to get behind the wards and stay safe.”
“Fuck you, Bram. If you think I can do that, then you don’t know me at all.”
Had it only been a few moments ago that they’d declared their love for each other? This was what happened when three dominant wolves mated.
“Well, I don’t think we’re going to have a lot of time to make a different decision,” Shane put in, his attention on what was going on outside the vehicle. The SUV was hidden behind a group of trees, but Bram knew they couldn’t hide forever. “Montag’s people are moving forward.”
“We need to move,” Kameron ordered. “Walker, get ahold of the Redwoods just in case the others haven’t been able to. Charlotte, you stay beside Shane the entire time. Got me? You’re both not up to a hundred percent, but you’re better together. Bram? You’re with me. Let’s go.”
Thankful the other man had a plan, but still slightly bristling at the orders, Bram hopped out of the SUV behind the others. Before they could head off in their respective directions, however, Bram tugged Shane to him, kissing him full on the mouth.
“I love you, do you understand that? You don’t get to die on me tonight, not when I just found you.” He kissed Shane again, aware the others were staring him. Yes, Bram didn’t speak often, but when he did, it mattered.
He turned and pulled Charlotte gently to his chest, kissing her softly. When he pulled back, his wolf was close to the surface, ready for what was next. “Protect him. Protect yourself. Believe in who you are. You are one of the best wolves I know, and I know you can do anything. But don’t fucking die on me. I love you, Charlotte.” He kissed her again before watching his two mates leave to their positions along with Walker while he let his wolf come even closer to the surface.
“Let’s do this,” Kameron growled.
“Till the end,” Bram agreed.
The explosion rang in his ears, and Bram growled. As soon as he and Kameron had gotten to Gideon’s side, the Alpha let his wolf into his eyes and slashed his palm. Bram did the same to his and slammed his hand to Gideon’s.
His Pack bond to the Redwood severed; the feeling of being sucked into a vacuum forcing him almost to his knees before the mating bond wrapped around him, anchoring him until the Talon Pack bond slammed into place, bringing him into the fold. This new Pack was rougher than his old one, it tasted different, smelled of other scents he didn’t understand, but he didn’t care.
He’d learn this new bond and this new Pack later.
For now, he would fight alongside them, bleed with them, show them that he was now theirs. And because he was a Talon, Walker would be able to Heal him fully if needed, and the Alpha and others would have Bram’s immense strength during the battle.
“Thank fuck,” Gideon growled. “I already brought Charlotte in. Now, let’s do this. Brie is behind the wards because she’s pregnant, but you know damn well she’d be fighting next to Charlotte if she could.”
“Understood.” And he did, though he honestly wanted everyone safe and wrapped in cotton wool at the moment.
“What are they saying? Why are they here?” Kameron asked.
Gideon growled under his breath. “They showed up here right before you did. They must have had the fucking tank concealed and on a truck of some kind. They haven’t said anything, but I guess actions speak louder than words.”
“We’re fighting,” Bram said. It wasn’t a question, but Gideon answered anyway.
“We’re fighting.”
Again, the explosion rang out in his ears, but it wasn’t from the new bond. Montag attacked first, his people coming at them with guns and knives. The wolves were faster, but only just.
Because this wasn’t the full force of the government and only Montag’s people, there weren’t as many humans as there could have been. But there were still twice as many as there were wolves on the field. The Redwoods were on the way, but they might not get there in time.
Bullets sprayed past Bram’s head as he fought
two soldiers, hand-to-hand. Gideon fought at his side, the Alpha a force to be reckoned it. Bram rolled to the ground as a brown-haired man slammed into his side. He kicked at the other man, and Gideon pulled on Bram’s shoulder, helping him to his feet.
Bram growled, his claws out. He fought next to his Alpha, battling not only for his life but also for his people, his Pack. No matter how many people they fought, more kept coming. Bram honestly started to worry they might never find an ending to this.
Beside them, Brandon fell to the ground. A bullet had hit the Omega’s side. Gideon growled even louder, and Bram did the only thing he could do: he protected his Alpha.
He wasn’t an enforcer anymore, but he would damn well act like a lieutenant and keep his new Alpha alive.
Parker, who had been at the Talons to speak to Gideon, went to Brandon’s side, helping the other man up. Brandon yelled at him, and Bram couldn’t tell what it was about. The other wolves shouted at one another, Parker trying to lead Brandon behind the den’s wards, and Brandon not wanting to leave. Finally, it seemed the two decided to fight alongside one another rather than with each other.
A bullet whizzed past Bram’s ear, and he pounced on another soldier, tearing the gun from his hands.
So far, the tank had been quiet, not letting out a single shot, and Bram could only pray it was there for show and not to take them out.
A wolf could outrun a bullet if they were up to full strength and saw it ahead of time.
They couldn’t live through a tank.
Right as he went to take out another soldier at Gideon’s back, he fell to his knees, his ears ringing so loudly he couldn’t catch his breath. A helicopter lowered itself, large speakers blaring an ultrasonic sound hanging out of its open doors. Blood seeped through Bram’s fingers when he pressed his hands to his ears.
Holy hell. Every single wolf—including Gideon—was down, the wavelength too much for their sensitive ears.
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