Page 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

ARES

A QZZZZZZAAQd would get them inside the warehouse.

Ares' nostrils flared as he took in the dank, musty odor. Duncan pried the rusted metal grate open enough for them to slip through, leaving jagged edges threatening to snag their clothes. He glanced at Theo and Santiago, nodding before squeezing into the opening.

The faint glow of their phone lights barely illuminated the space.

Ares moved carefully, on high alert for any sign of danger.

Moisture slicked the walls, covering them in a thick layer of slime, making every step treacherous.

Shallow water sloshed around their ankles, its murky surface concealing who knew what.

As they progressed deeper into the tunnel, the air grew thicker, heavy with the stench of decay and stagnant water. Ares fought the urge to gag, focusing instead on the steady rhythm of his breathing. Behind him, Theo coughed, and Santiago gagged and spat on the ground.

"Are you sure this is the only way in?" Theo croaked.

Duncan chuckled and shook his head but didn't say anything.

The tunnel seemed to stretch on, twisting and turning like the bowels of a great beast. Ares lost all sense of time and direction, trusting Duncan's guidance as they navigated the labyrinthine passages, he realized that if Duncan screwed them, he would never figure his way out again.

Every so often, they would pause to listen, straining for any sound that might indicate they'd been detected.

Duncan tapped Ares' shoulder. "We're here."

Ares peered ahead toward a faint square of light in the distance and spotted the outline of a metal grate similar to the one they'd entered through. Duncan produced a small tool from his pocket and worked on the bolts holding the grate in place.

With agonizing slowness, they eased the grate open, wincing at every creak and groan of protesting metal.

Ares exited first, hauling himself up into what appeared to be a dimly lit storage room.

Boxes and crates were stacked on top of each other haphazardly around them, providing ample cover as Theo, Santiago, and then Duncan emerged.

Duncan checked his phone. "Shift change is in two minutes."

They crept towards the door, pausing to listen for movement.

Ares eased the door open, peering into a long, sterile hallway.

Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting harsh shadows across the concrete floor.

He sniffed the air, and his wolf growled.

The scents of shifters mixed with chemicals and gun oil.

Easy, boy. We don't want to make a bigger mess than necessary.

Though truthfully, Ares was willing to slaughter, maim, or torture anyone he had to to get River back.

Moving swift and silent, they made their way towards the main storage area. Ares' heart pounded, every nerve on edge as they rounded each corner. Voices sounded in the distance, growing louder as they approached.

Just as they reached the door, Ares held up a hand. Voices carried from the other side of the steel door, low and gruff. He honed in on their words, ignoring the sounds of machinery in the building.

He sniffed the air. Two males.

"... shipment's late again," one growled. "Rudy's going to rip someone's ball off if this keeps up."

"Better them than us," another chuckled nervously. "I don't trust him. Rudy thinks he's untouchable, but Titan would gut him if it suited Titan's purpose."

Ares exchanged a look with Theo. His wolf growled at the mention of Rudy's name, the beast demanding action. Duncan was becoming more trustworthy than Ares had anticipated.

The other guard snorted. "As long as Rudy keeps the guns and suppressors moving, he's safe. But did you see how much was in the last shipment? They've got enough suppressors now to dose half the damn continent."

"Not me," said the first guy. "I ain't never taking those things. Screw that. I'll leave before I let them force me to take those."

"You think Titan will let you go? You've obviously never met him."

They'd been right. Titan was using suppressors on his rogues. Ares gestured for Theo and Santiago to ready themselves at the opposite side of the door while Duncan edged back toward the shadows, keeping watch on the room they'd come from.

Theo raised three fingers, silently counting down.

On one, Ares shoved the door open, slamming it against the wall and catching the two wolves inside off guard.

The first rogue hardly had time to turn before Ares surged forward, shifted mid-leap, and sent both of them crashing into a stack of crates.

Theo and Santiago followed like shadows, their claws slashing the second guard's torso before he could draw his weapon. The sound of gurgling filled the air as blood spattered across the floor.

The first guard struggled under Ares' weight, managing to shift partially before Ares sank his teeth into his neck. The body went limp, and Ares rose, shifting and wiping blood from his mouth as Santiago and Theo fanned out looking for more threats.

Theo trotted back and shifted. "Clear."

Duncan's dark eyes darted between the bodies on the floor and Ares' blood-streaked form. "That was fast," he muttered.

"No time to waste," Ares growled. "Where to?"

"This way." Duncan gestured toward another door at the far end of the room. The four of them moved efficiently, weaving through narrow rows of boxes and crates lit up by buzzing fluorescent lighting. Every turn felt more claustrophobic than the last, but Ares' determination fueled him forward.

His wolf surged, clawing to take over.

Kill. Kill. Kill.

He couldn't give in yet. Soon. I'll let you kill them all soon.

They reached another door, this one heavier and reinforced with multiple locks. Duncan cursed under his breath as he examined them.

"Can you open it?" Theo kept watch down the aisle as footsteps echoed in the distance.

"Give me a second." Duncan pulled a phone from his pocket and texted someone.

Ares' wolf's restlessness bled into him until he couldn't control himself.

He snarled and gripped the reinforced handle in both hands.

"Wait-" Duncan started, but Ares didn't listen.

With a guttural growl, Ares' muscles strained as he wrenched at the reinforced door, the metal groaning under the force of his strength. The locks gave way, and the door flew open with a resounding crash.

The group surged forward into a small antechamber, their eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. A bank of elevators stood before them, their polished doors reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights overhead.

"Third floor," Duncan panted. "That's where Rudy will be."

The elevator arrived with a soft ding, its doors slid open, revealing a plush interior that seemed wildly out of place in the industrial setting.

They piled in, tension crackling between them as the elevator began its ascent.

Soft music played over the speakers, and Ares glimpsed himself in the mirrored walls.

Blood splashed his torso and face. His gaze slid to his neck, and he touched the mark River had left on his skin.

He stared at the marks and then reached for the ribbon that connected them.

It remained intact. Those two little things, scars and a ribbon, were the two things he held on to hardest. Having those two small reminders spurred him on in his determination to find her.

Ares' heart pounded. His wolf clawed at the surface, desperate to make someone pay for what had been taken from them.

The elevator slowed to a stop, and Ares tensed. As the doors slid open, he glimpsed movement in the hallway beyond. He launched forward, shifting mid-leap, and attacking without thought.

Ares' powerful jaws snapped down on the throat of the nearest male, cutting off his cry of alarm. Theo and Santiago were right behind him, their own shifts fluid and practiced as they engaged two more rogues.

Duncan hung back, watching the Lycans tear through Rudy's men with brutal efficiency. Blood spattered the walls, the sound of snarls and breaking bones echoing through the hallway.

Amid the melee, a booming voice cut through the din. "What are you idiots doing out there?"

Ares' head snapped up, his golden eyes locking onto the hulking figure of Rudy at the end of the hall. The rogue Alpha's face contorted as he recognized the intruders.

"You," Rudy snarled, already shifting. "I should have known you'd come sniffing around."

Ares growled, stalking forward as the last of Rudy's men fell. Rudy completed his shift, his massive brown wolf form filling the narrow hallway.

The two Alphas collided in a fury of snapping jaws and slashing claws. Rudy was strong, but he was a shifter, and Ares was a Lycan. A Lycan fueled by desperation and rage.

They tumbled down the hallway, a whirlwind of fur and fangs. Rudy's claws rake across Ares' flank, but he hardly registered the pain. His world narrowed to a singular focus- slaughter Rudy.

Ares and Rudy crashed through a pair of double doors, tumbling into an opulent office space. The stark contrast between the industrial corridors and this lavishly furnished room jarred him, but Ares had no time to dwell on it. He rolled to his feet, snarling as Rudy lunged at him again.

The two powerful wolves circled each other, eyes locked, muscles coiled and ready to strike. Rudy made the first move, feinting left before darting right, his jaws snapping shut inches from Ares' throat. But Ares was ready, twisting away and sinking his teeth into Rudy's shoulder.

Rudy roared, and Ares charged forward, using his superior bulk to slam Rudy into an ornate bookcase. Books and trinkets crashed to the floor as Rudy struggled to regain his footing.

Ares pressed his advantage, his enormous paws pinning Rudy to the ground. Rage pulsed through Ares, fueled by thoughts of River and all she had endured because of Titan and his traitors.

In a blur of motion, Ares' jaws clamped down on Rudy's throat. Rudy thrashed and snapped, but Ares held firm, slowly increasing the pressure, enjoying the terror in Rudy's eyes.

Just as Rudy's struggles began to weaken, Santiago rushed to Ares.

"Ares. We need him alive!"

No. Kill. Revenge.

With tremendous effort, Ares forced his beast to release his grip.

His wolf writhed and tried to retake control, his howls becoming more desperate for vengeance.

But Ares forced him back and shifted. Rudy collapsed to the floor, wheezing and coughing.

He shifted as well but stayed on his hands and knees, blood dripping from the puncture wounds on his neck.

"Where is she?" Ares demanded.

Rudy looked up, confusion mingling with the pain and fear in his eyes. "Who?"

Ares grasped a fistful of Rudy's hair, yanking his head back before punching Rudy in the face. Rudy's bones crunched under his fist. "Don't play games with me. My mate. Where are you keeping her?"

Rudy's brow furrowed. "The High Luna? She's not here."

Ares' grip tightened, eliciting a pained gasp from Rudy. "I know that asshole. Where is she?"

"With Titan, I assume."

"Where?" Ares demanded. "Where has Titan taken her?"

Rudy's eyes darted between Ares, Santiago, and Theo, panic evident in his eyes. "I... I don't know," he stammered. "Titan doesn't share that information with me. I just handle shipments."

Ares exchanged a glance with Theo.

"Then perhaps you'd like to tell us about those shipments," Theo said. "Where are the drugs going?"

Rudy's eyes widened, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "I can't... Titan will eviscerate me."

Ares leaned in to Rudy's ear. "And what do you think we'll do if you don't?"

The room fell silent for a moment, the only sound Rudy's ragged breathing. Then Ares drove his fist into Rudy's kidneys. The Alpha doubled over, gasping for air.

"That was a warm-up," Ares growled, hauling Rudy upright once more. "Now, let's try again. Where are the shipments going?"

Rudy spat blood onto the plush carpet, his defiance crumbling under Ares' relentless stare. "Canada," he wheezed. "The main distribution center is in Canada."

Ares extended his claws into Rudy's skin, drawing blood. "Be more specific."

"A... a mailbox place," Rudy gasped. "Montreal. That's where we send paperwork and the bulk of the suppressors. From there, it gets distributed to wherever Titan wants it."

Ares' mind raced, connecting the dots. Montreal. It made sense- close to the border, access to major shipping routes. And if Titan were operating out of Canada, it would explain why they'd had such a hard time tracking him down.

"Why does he want so many suppressors?" Santiago asked.

"I don't-"

Ares slammed his fist into Rudy's mouth, and Rudy groaned before spitting out a tooth. "Lie all you want," Ares said. "I'll just keep punching until every tooth is gone. Then I'll move on to bones."

"He wants to control the rogues," Rudy groaned. "The suppressors are supposed to help him keep them compliant."

"But why does he need such huge shipments?"

"He's stocking up."

"For what?"

"For when he takes back the throne."

There it was. Titan didn't just want River; he wanted the throne, and he was determined to keep it at any cost, even if it meant drugging shifters and Lycans to keep them in line.

"The address of the mailbox place," Ares demanded. "Give it to us."

Rudy hesitated, and the internal struggle played out across his face. With a growl of impatience, Ares crushed Rudy's hand, bending his fingers back until the bones snapped.

Rudy screamed, his body convulsing against Ares' iron grip.

"16249 Meganese Ave."

"How do we know he isn't lying?" asked Santiago.

"Because it's right here," Duncan chimed in from behind them.

Ares turned to find Duncan typing away at Rudy’s laptop.

"Shipping info is here in his shipping account."

"Are there any other addresses in there?"

Duncan scrolled through the screen and shook his head. "Nothing."

Ares swore. The address for the shipments was fine, but clearly, River wasn't being held at a shipping and mailbox business.

"What are you going to do with him?" Duncan pointed at Rudy.

Kill. Kill him. Kill-

Stop. You aren't helping.

Ares studied Rudy before giving a sharp nod to Theo.

Theo didn't hesitate; he moved with precision and punched Rudy in the temple.

Rudy crumpled to the floor.

Ares exhaled harshly as he ran a hand through his hair. Every second wasted was another moment River was in Titan's grasp. And with the new information about his plans… River was in worse danger than Ares had imagined.

"Tie him up. We'll take him with us." Ares strode for the elevator.

Hold on, River. I'm coming.