by Mary Rundle
Searching his twin’s face, Sawyer could see Mac’s pain reflected there along with his plea. Sighing, he gave in. “Okay, Mac, I’ll listen to Jackson’s plan.”
Giving his brother a grateful smile, Mac turned back to Jackson. “Please go ahead.”
Nodding at Mac, Jackson continued. “Dylon’s plan has been approved by me and Hunter’s mate, Fionn, so please keep that in mind when you hear it. Dylon, if you will…”
Standing up, Dylon began. “It’s a three pronged attack with each one just as important to the success of the mission as the others. In about twenty minutes, Fionn will receive a text from his uncle with an address. He’ll then have less than five minutes to appear there in order to prevent his uncle from harming Hunter.”
“How can that happen?” asked Robin. “What if the location is on the other side of the world? What’ll happen to Hunter if Fionn doesn’t make it in time?”
“He’ll make it in time because he has a portal that can transport him anywhere in the world within seconds,” Dylon replied. “While he’s doing that, a small strike force will arrive outside the place where Hunter’s being held, waiting for the signal to attack.”
“Who’s in the strike force?” asked Sawyer.
“Me, Cody, Zane, Dakota, Slate and Colton,” Dylon said. “The second prong involves the protection of the grounds of the Blackwood Pack. You, Robin, Mac, Mason and Carson will each lead groups of enforcers and will be assigned to an area by Steel, who you’ll report to. Jackson and Ian will be responsible for protecting everyone in the house.”
“What about the pups?” asked Theo.
“I’m assigning you and Norm to them, Theo. I have complete faith in the both of you to keep the pups out of harm’s way,” Dylon said.
“What about me?” asked Quin. “I want to help, too.”
“I was hoping you’d help me,” Jackson said.
“I can do that,” Quin replied, shyly
“What about Logan?” asked Sawyer. “Is he going to be doing anything?”
“He’s in the third prong,” replied Dylon, “along with Kieran, but their mission is confidential so I can’t say more than that.” Then he looked at the remaining two pack members and said, “David, you are assigned to Jackson. If communication is interrupted, I need you to get messages from Jackson and Steel to the others. And you Adam, your job is to wait until you’re needed somewhere to fill in if a problem arises. Any questions?”
“Yeah,” said Sawyer. “How are you planning to protect Fionn from someone who obviously means to do him harm? Sending him in alone might be okay in your book, but I owe it to my brother to protect his mate. If you save Hunter but Fionn is killed, you are, in effect, signing my brother’s death warrant.”
“Fionn won’t be alone,” replied Dylon.
Arching a brow, Sawyer’s disbelief showed on his face. “Huh…so who’s going to be with him?”
“Sorry, that’s con…”
“Confidential…I know,” snorted Sawyer. Then looking at his brothers, he said, “Guys, come on…are you really going to support a plan that sends Hunter’s mate in by himself?”
“But that’s not true, Sawyer,” Quin said, softly. “Dylon said someone would be going with him as protection.”
“I agree with the plan,” Mason said. “From everything I’ve heard, it’s well thought out, giving us the best chance of rescuing our brother.”
“Sorry, Sawyer, I’m with Mase and Quin,” Mac said.
“As I am, too,” said Robin. “Even if you could come up with a better plan, I see two problems with that…one, time…it’s running out because as I understand it, if Fionn doesn’t make the deadline, our brother will pay the price. And two, Fionn has already approved this plan and since he’s Hunter’s mate, we are bound to follow his wishes.”
Robin was right, Sawyer had to admit to himself, and since all his brothers were in agreement except for him, he acquiesced. Nodding his head, he said, “Fine, I’m in.”
Chapter 41
Steel stood. “Everyone who’s been assigned to the enforcers, follow me.” After seeing Mac, Mason, Robin, Carson, and Sawyer rise, he strode out of Jackson’s study, leading them across the great room and outside where his head enforcer waited. “For those of you who don’t know, Groose is in charge of our enforcers. Is everything ready?”
“Yup,” Groose responded. “I divided the men into seven groups and stationed them along the western border wall.
“Is that the only way they can get to us,” asked Sawyer.
“Yes,” answered Groose. “The other three sides are impassable—high mountains.” Then, turning to Steel, he said, “As soon as you’re ready, we can head out and introduce your cousins to my enforcers.”
“Let’s go,” Steel replied. “We don’t know exactly when they’ll attack so I want everyone in place as soon as possible.”
“Right,” Groose said, heading over to some all-terrain vehicles. “There’s one for each of you,” he said, handing out walkie-talkies before climbing onto his. “Steel, you’re first and I’ll bring up the rear.”
Waving that he understood, Steel gunned his ATV, aiming for the path that ran parallel to the border wall.
~/~/~/~/~
After his mate left with Carson and the cousins, Jackson turned to Theo and Norm. “Guys, Daniel and the twins are with Oracle in the playroom. Cody has set up the portable cribs in there, so after you give them their bottles, they should fall asleep quickly.”
“What should we do if one of the attackers gets into the house?” asked Theo.
“I don’t think that’ll happen, but if it does, your job is to protect the pups at all costs…whatever it takes,” Jackson said.
“Don’t worry, Alpha,” Norm said, puffing out his chest. “No one will get past me.”
“I’m counting on it,” Jackson said, smiling at the bears. “Now, go. Let me know if you have any problems.”
“C’mon, pooh bear,” said Theo, grasping Norm’s hand. “This will be good practice for when we have our own cubs.”
“Cubs?” Norm asked dubiously. “As in more than one?”
“Poor Norm,” chuckled Jackson as he watched Theo lead him out of the study. “Good thing they love each other.” Then, turning to Cody’s mate, he asked, “Is everything ready?”
“Yes,” Dylon responded. “Fionn, you know what to do when you step out of the portal, right?”
“I do,” Fionn responded. “But you better make sure your team gets to Hunter right away.”
“Don’t worry,” Dylon said, “We’ll have him free in no time. Just make sure you stay within a step of the portal so you can step back in when you get the signal.”
“Right,” Fionn said.
“Good,” Dylon said, glancing at his watch. “Time to go, guys.”
Zane hugged David, whispering in his mate’s ear, before looking over at Jackson. “Promise you’ll keep him safe?”
“I will, you have my word,” Jackson replied.
Holding Slate’s hand, Dakota led his mate over to join Dylon and Cody. He was nervous about the fighting that might ensue if the plan failed, but as his hand settled protectively on his belly, his mate’s wolf howled in response, reassuring Dakota that no matter what, their pup would be safe.
“Maximus is with Lily, Samuel, Sofia, Ian, and Mom,” Colton said, as he rose and walked over to Dylon.
“Noted,” Jackson replied, “They’ll be okay, Colton.”
“I know.”
Dylon looked at Fionn. “C’mon, you’re gonna be okay.”
Swallowing his fear, Fionn rose slowly, trying to quell the butterflies in his stomach. I will be strong for my mate…I can do this…for Hunter…for us. Then he was embraced by Kieran, and felt the love his friend was giving him swirl throughout his body.
“Fi, you can do this…trust in the love you and Hunter have,” Kieran whispered. After feeling Fionn calm down, he stepped back, giving him a reassuring smile.
Nodding,
Fionn suddenly found himself being hugged tightly by Quin.
“Please be safe, Fi,” Quin murmured, “And bring my brother back.”
Patting Hunter’s brother on the back, Fionn said, “I will…promise.” Then after Quin gave him one more squeeze, he joined Dylon and the group who were going to help him save his mate.
After they left, Jackson looked at Logan, “You and Kieran better get going.”
“C’mon, macushla,” Kieran said, “Your eagle eyes are needed.”
Now only Quin, David and Adam remained. Jackson smiled, trying to relieve some of the tension he saw in their faces. Once again Jackson was impressed with Dylon’s strategic abilities; he’d divided up the weakest members of the pack, assigning each to one of the three strongest Alphas. The pups were safe with Oracle and the two ghost bears, his mother, Ian and Sofia were protected by Maximus and these three were his responsibility, not that he’d ever tell them why. None of them had ever been in a fight and, while they were trying to put on a brave front, he could smell their fear. Time to change that. Sending out some of his soothing Alpha Power, Jackson was pleased to see his charges relax somewhat. Now was the time to take their minds off the looming battle. “David, how’s your computer training coming along?”
~/~/~/~/~
Still feigning unconsciousness, Hunter hoped to glean some information from his attackers every time they checked on him. So far, it was working; he learned Fionn had escaped and was now back home. In between his captors’ visits, he worked on escaping the restraints holding him prisoner, but with little success. Shaking his head in disgust, he swore he’d never again brush off his wolf’s warnings about Fionn being in danger. It was his fault for overriding the first warning when his mate’s uncle approached them in the hallway, and then, the second that preceded the attack when the elevator doors opened. I should never have second-guessed my wolf. The outcome could have been fatal. Thank the gods Dylon got to Fionn just in time.
Right now, though, regrets would get him nowhere. Hunter prodded his wolf again, hoping the drug had worn off and he’d finally be able to talk to him—he was running out of time. Sighing in relief, he watched as his wolf stood, shaking out his fur before glaring at Hunter. He deserved his wolf’s anger but there wasn’t time for reconciliation—he needed some answers and dealing with a smart-ass wolf with an ‘I-told-you-so’ attitude wouldn’t help him get the answers he sought. Suddenly, he realized what would. Vowing never again to hesitate using the power the goddess of the moon gave him, he promised his wolf he’d always listen to him about any danger to their mate. Once he did that, Hunter got his answers.
~/~/~/~/~
Following Dylon, Cody, Colton, Dakota, Slate, and Zane into Dylon’s office, Fionn tailed slowly behind the group, not paying attention until everyone came to an abrupt halt. Looking up, Fionn smiled at a woman he hadn’t seen since she helped him hide his hoard from his father. Now, she was here, willing to help him rescue his mate. “Hi, Mystia,” he said, softly.
“Hello, mon bébé, congratulations on your mating.” Then seeing the fear in Fionn’s face, she said, “Don’t worry, Hunter will be back with you shortly.”
“I hope so. Thank you for coming.”
“Always, mon bébé,” Mystia replied, before looking at Dylon. “Should we get started?”
“Yes. According to Fionn, his portal can be modified so he and someone else can use it, correct?”
“Yes,” Mystia replied. “Do you want it restricted as to who the other person is…for instance, that only his mate can accompany him?”
“Right now, I need it to be unrestricted,” replied Dylon.
“Fionn, are you in agreement?” asked Mystia.
“Yes, but when my mate is back with me, I want it restricted to just me and him.”
“Fine,” Mystia said, “Please call for the portal.”
Within seconds after Fionn silently said the words, his portal appeared. Glancing at the witch, he asked, “Now what?”
“Enter your password, please,” Mystia said.
Stepping over to the screen, Fionn typed it in, then turned back to Mystia. “Done.”
“Good, now place your hand on the screen, wait for it to turn red, then type in the following…” Mystia then moved close to Fionn, whispering the words in his ear.
Obeying her instructions, Fionn entered in the secret code she’d given him and watched as the portal turned red, pulsing for a minute before it returned to its normal appearance. “Can I use it now with another person?”
“Yes,” Mystia said, “Do you want to try it?”
Remembering what happened when his father entered it, Fionn nodded. “I think so, but are you sure? I don’t want anyone to die.”
“I promise, no one will die, mon bébé. I’ll show you,” Mystia said, then stepped into the portal.
“No, wait!” Fionn exclaimed, afraid for Mystia. Holding his breath, he watched and, when nothing happened, he exhaled in relief.
“Satisfied?” Mystia asked and, after seeing Fionn nod, continued, “Even though your portal has been modified to allow a second person, only you can operate it.”
“The same way as before, right?” asked Fionn.
“Yes,” Mystia replied. Then looking at Dylon, she asked, “What else do you need?”
“I need a portal that will allow the rest of us to arrive outside the place Hunter is being held,” Dylon explained, waving at the other people in his office.
“Do you know where it is?” asked Mystia.
“Not for sure,” Dylon said. “But I will as soon as the uncle sends its location to Fionn, which should be any moment.”
Nodding, Mystia waved her wand, silently uttering the words of a spell and another portal appeared before them. “As soon as you enter the location, it will be ready to use.”
“How do I operate it?” asked Dylon.
“Once everyone is in it, simply say, ‘now’ and when you exit, you’ll be at the location. To come back, it works the same way,” Mystia explained.
“Thanks, Mystia,” Dylon said.
“Anything else?”
“Nope, we’re good.”
“Then I’ll pop down to see Jackson. Good luck,” Mystia said, before disappearing.
~/~/~/~/~
“What do you mean he’s not awake?” asked Eideard MacDùghlas, his eyes boring into the leader, sitting across from him in his office. “Shit, you probably gave him too much…is he dead?”
“No, his heartbeat is strong…and we didn’t give him too much. If anything, it was less than it should have been for a shifter his size.”
“Humph.” Eideard drummed his fingers on the desk. So far, nothing had gone right, all because the mercenaries he hired hadn’t done what they’d guaranteed. Fucking wolves…I should have known not to hire them. When he complained to their Alpha, all he got was a promise they’d make it right. Bullshit! After being told about the ordered attack on the Blackwood Pack, Eideard feared what the High Council would do to him if innocents were killed. That’s when he came up with an alternative plan, but now, even that was in jeopardy.
Glancing at his phone, Eideard noted it was nearly time to send the text to his nephew. He was counting on using the mate to prevent Fionn from doing anything foolish but that wasn’t going to work if Hunter looked like he was dead. “Can you give him something to wake him up?”
“Possibly, but I can’t promise it’ll work…it might kill him.”
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Eideard weighed his options, thinking of other possibilities, before saying, “Go ahead.”
~/~/~/~/~
Fionn couldn’t stop his leg from jiggling as his nerves got the best of him. Time was moving so slowly while he waited for his uncle’s text and yet, at the same time, he felt it rushing by every minute Hunter was gone. He wanted to check on his mate again, but Dylon refused his request, afraid his uncle would find out if Hunter reacted to Fionn’s virtual presence. The quiet surrounding him wasn’t helping
matters; there weren’t any diversions to keep his mind off the upcoming rescue. So to distract himself, he began to continually go over the instructions Dylon had given him. Deep in thought, Fionn jumped when his phone signaled an incoming text. When he read it, his heart began to race.
“Is that from your uncle?” asked Dylon.
“Yessss,” Fionn hissed.
“Forward it to me, please,” Dylon said, setting the timer on his phone. After standing, he grasped Cody’s hand, helping him up. “Ma moité, do you have the syringe from Ian?”
Holding it in one hand, Cody smiled at his mate. “Don’t worry, babe, everything will be just fine.”
Giving his mate a quick kiss, Dylon then looked at Fionn. “How about you Fionn? Ready to get your mate back?”
Nodding vigorously, Fionn rose, his nervousness dissipating as the love he had for Hunter took its place, giving him the confidence needed to carry out his role. When Dylon first explained the plan to him and Jackson, it called for the uncle to be taken and handed over to the High Council for punishment but Fionn objected; it would still keep him and his mate on edge, never knowing if there’d be another attempt to hurt them. So now his uncle would die, as he should, for everything he’d done to Hunter and Fionn. Standing beside Dylon, Fionn summoned his portal— then stepped in it with Cody.
~/~/~/~/~
Once his attackers closed the door at the top of the steps, Hunter raised his head, searching the room to make sure he was alone. He finally had the last piece of information he needed, confirming what he’d thought—the uncle was using him as bait to lure Fionn. Now with time running out and, in total agreement with his wolf as to what to do, Hunter did what he should have done at the courthouse. “White Knight!” A flash of brilliant light filled the room and all of his restraints fell to the ground.
Rising, Hunter raised his right hand in which a silver sword had appeared. Pointing it at the opposite wall, his eyebrows arched in surprise when a bolt of lightning emerged from its tip, ending at the spot his eyes were focused on, sending the stone there crumbling onto the floor. Looking over his left shoulder, he saw a huge white wing; checking his other side, he found its mate. Flexing his back muscles, he watched as the wings rose, spreading out until they were fully extended and grinned at the power he felt in them. Looking down, he smiled when he saw the skin-tight white pants he was wearing.