Page 57

57

Hale

Fingering the collar around my neck as I watch over Inda and Zach sleep, I wonder if I made the right choice. Alpha Amelia promised that the silver in the collar would block out the pack link and make it seem like we were unconscious and unreachable while she sent out men to save our little girl, and I believe her.

It was Trevor’s idea to sneak past Ivory Fangs’ borders to gain better insight, but when I saw the she-wolf guarding the pups, I knew that sleaze had scented her and decided he wanted to have some fun.

“Darling?” a muffled voice calls out, and I rush to the other side of the cell, taking Inda’s hand.

“Hi dear, just rest,” I say soothingly to my mate, watching her eyes open. I knew that when she realized we were imprisoned in a cell, she’d begin to have a panic attack, and I was right.

Inda begins to hyperventilate, her eyes shifting around the surprisingly clean cell. I pull her into my arms, pressing her face into my chest, and pray that my scent will calm her down.

“What...what happened?” she manages to ask with a gasp, pressing closer to my body.

“We lost the attack,” I answer, running my fingers through her strawberry-blond hair. It’s such a unique shade that Kaylee had asked me about it, wondering if it was natural, and I admitted without thinking that it was—our sweet daughter Cleo has just the same shade.

Kaylee seemed surprised by that but mentioned she would have someone bring a brush and a hair tie for Inda to use, along with some food. I was skeptical that they’d actually feed us, but the fresh sandwiches brought five minutes ago proved just how kind this pack is to prisoners.

“Are they going to kill us? What about Cleo?” Inda begins to sob, her voice cracking as she asks about our pup. I sighed, wishing I could take out the picture of our little three-year-old to hand to my mate, but I’d given it to Alpha Amelia to make copies to help her men identify Cleo.

“Hale,” a voice calls out from behind the cell door. I recognize it as Lucas’ and stiffen.

He was one of the wolves who had fought off the attack. At the time, he was his large black wolf barreling through the fight, but I remembered his scent. Learning that he was one of my interrogators earlier had shocked me to no end, but I did my best to keep my fear from showing.

“I’m coming in,” he continues, the door opening slowly a second later. Inda is pressed against me, her body shaking in fear as Lucas draws near. He’s the one Ramos wants dead the most. Why, no one knows, and I doubt Lucas would tell me anyway.

“Aunt Amelia sent me to tell you that men have been sent out. It will take ten days at the most to save your Cleo,” he says, his voice softening as he holds out a small picture frame. “Kaylee thought the picture needed something to protect it better.”

With shaky hands, I thank him and take the picture back. Inda stopped sobbing and turned her head to look at Lucas. His face may be blank of emotion, but I no longer feel the hatred and anger he had before. He eyes my mate with curiosity before returning his gaze to me.

“Aunt Amelia also says to rest up. Tomorrow, you’ll be moved to the packhouse and guarded day and night. We have something we would like to ask you all later, but it’s been a long day, and we all need some sleep and food.”

With that, Lucas leaves the cell, and Inda pulls away to stare at me.

“What happened while we were unconscious?” she asks, voice shaking. I sigh, turning to look at Zach, who is still fast asleep. The doctor who’d created the drug that knocked us out had come to check on all of us, a frown on her face when she checked over my brother-in-law. It seems the drug affected him the most, even after giving him the reversal drug. She’d said he would be awake within an hour—that hour was almost up.

“I’ll tell you everything after Zach wakes up. For now, you should eat,” I answer, scooping Inda into my arms and carrying her to the other cot. She doesn’t protest when I sit her there alone and move to the small table where the food sits, along with a pack of prenatal pills. I pick up two of the sandwiches and the pack of pills and bring them to my mate.

“Is...is it poisoned?” she asks skeptically.

“No. I already ate my share, and the guards outside said all I need to do is knock and ask for more food and water if we need any,” I state. Inda nods, her eyes shifting to the pack of pills in her hand before she looks at me with concern.

“What are these for then?” she asks. I smile, looking down at her flat stomach.

“Cleo is about to become a big sister.”

Inda’s eyes widen with shock as she looks down at her stomach. A mix of happiness, worry, and fear crosses her features before her gaze returns to mine.

“They had a doctor come tend to our wounds after interrogating me, and she asked if we knew yet. You should eat, love, and take one of the pills. Our pup needs it.”

Still looking shocked, Inda picks up her sandwich and stares at it.

“I made a deal with them,” I say before my mate can ask another question.

“What sort of deal?” Turning around at the sound of the gruff voice, I find Zach slowly sitting up on his cot with a hand to his head. I sighed, deciding to answer only after handing him food as well before settling beside Inda, making sure both were eating.

“Ivory Fangs and I made a deal. They’re going to save Cleo from Alpha Rodrick and Luna Stella’s grasp, and in turn, I’ll help them with their battle against Oak Fur.”

After stating this, I explained in detail what happened after we were rendered unconscious. By that point, both Inda and Zach realized they had collars around their necks, and it took another round of explaining what the collars did. When I finished explaining our situation, the cell door opened again, and the guard, whom I learned was named Simon, walked in, placing another basket full of food on the table and taking the now empty one. We waited for the door to close before resuming our discussion.

“So what are we going to do now?” Zach asked, taking a bite from a brownie that had been sent with the second basket of food. Goddess, the food is so much better than what we got at Canine Sun, and I’m starting to think being captured was the best thing that could happen to us.

“I’m not sure. I think we’ll be asked to join the battle after they save Cleo,” I guess, feeling Inda lean against me.

“Will we?” she asks, her words quiet. It seems Inda has accepted our situation.

“If they allow us to join either Ivory Fangs or Oak Fur under Kaylee and Lucas’ reign, then yes,” I reply, watching a smile spread on Zach’s face.

“They plan to take Oak Fur from Alpha Ramos?” Zach asks, and I smile.

“They do.”

“Then count me in. If the food for prisoners is this good, imagine what being part of a pack like this would be like.”

I laugh at Zach’s reply and settle in beside my now-sleeping Inda. We were forced to come here against our wishes to keep Cleo safe. But now, staying here or even following Kaylee and Lucas to a new pack will be our choice if they ask tomorrow.