Page 65

65

Kaylee

The night is quiet as the vans slowly drive along the gravel path toward the Oak Fur borders. We’d agreed to arrive in groups of five every hour until every wolf in our small army was present. Sebastian drives us through our final stretch while Carrie instructs him through their link. We must be careful, or Oak Fur will learn we’re here.

[Titus is here with us. His men and ours are getting into their formations,] David says in our link, making me sigh with relief.

Titus had been late joining us after leaving Ivory Fangs to solve a problem in their pack. It turned out Ramos had sent his own men to spy on Growling Heart, which led to two wolves being captured while the rest were slaughtered for thinking they could attack Titus’ pack. I’m glad he made it on time to help with our own slaughter tonight.

[We’ll be there in about three minutes,] I answer, eyes scanning the woods closing on either side of our van. Being so close to Oak Fur is putting me on edge, and I won’t be able to calm down until we make it to our rendezvous point.

Feeling the sparks of the mate bond, I look down to see Lucas has taken my hand in his. He squeezes it gently, his touch helping calm me slightly while we sit in the van, preparing for any ambush that may happen.

Luckily, nothing happens as the van drives through a small opening that reveals a clearing with vans lining the right side. Grinning, I take a deep breath and celebrate accomplishing the first step of our plan—completing the journey here in one piece.

Sebastian parks the van beside the others, and we slink out into the clearing, the fresh air circling us. Simon and Lucas quickly help unload our van, bringing out some of the specially designed injection guns. I remind Sebastian and Carrie to lay low and stay safe—that if Amelia gives them the signal to run, they run and make their way back to Ivory Fangs with the other omegas. After giving them their warning and thanking them for driving us, Simon, Evette, Lucas, and I made our way to the others already gathering in the center of the clearing.

“Glad to see you made it,” Titus says with a smile, Daisy at his side.

“Weren’t you the one running late?” I tease back, hugging my brother-in-law. Daisy lets out a chuckle, taking her turn to hug me. Behind her, I spy Avery and her mate Jamal in the corner, talking with Ash, Devon, and an unfamiliar male.

“Who is that?” Lucas asks as he, too, notices the wolf. Everyone turns to look at the small group, and I can see the displeasure on Titus’ face for a moment. He opens his mouth to answer, but another voice calls out first.

“One of Devon’s friends helping the operation,” Amelia answers, her voice coming from behind me. “He and the other wolves helping us are linking each other to let us know when it’s safe to attack.” Warm arms surround me, and that familiar rose perfume fills my nose. “I’m glad you made it safely,” she adds.

Amelia’s voice is filled with relief, and I can’t help but relax into the motherly love spreading through the family bond. I turn around and hug her back, feeling a strong hand on my shoulder, and notice David standing just beside Amelia and me.

“I knew trusting Sebastian and Carrie to drive you two was a good idea,” he chuckles as Amelia and I end the hug. Amelia then explained that they’d arrived with the first group, along with Ash, Devon, and the three wolves we’d brought along from Canine Sun. They sit on a fallen log, their eyes searching the clearing.

“Have our wolves brought back Cleo yet?” I ask, worried something might have gone wrong.

“Just wait,” David answers, a smile on his face.

The sound of an approaching vehicle follows his words, causing everyone but Amelia and David to tense up. My group was the last to show, so how could another vehicle join us so soon? We all watch the entrance, many of us slinking closer to the trees where the shadows provide more cover, but the three wolves watching over Hale, Inda, and Zack whisper something into their ears.

Inda is the first to react, the she-wolf climbing to her feet and bolting towards the entrance to the clearing just as a black minivan comes into view, stopping just to the side of our only entrance and exit to the clearing.

The doors open, and a wolf I recognize, James from Ivory Fangs, steps out, holding a little pup in his arms. Inda is quick to take the pup from him, holding her tightly to her body as quiet sobs cause her to shake. Our wolves did it. They rescued little Cleo.

Hale and Zach are quickly beside Inda, the two men silently crying as they take turns checking on Cleo. James had left them in the care of four other men before coming to stand beside us, the young male looking tired yet happy.

“I’m glad to see a pup returned to her family,” Lucas says with a grin, wrapping his arms around me. I know he’s thinking about our own pup growing inside me and feeling the relief any father would feel seeing a pup unharmed and safe with their loved ones. I can’t even imagine Inda’s relief as she cradles her daughter with Hale. The two wolves look over at our group and mouth a ‘thank you’ to us.

“It was a simple job, really,” James says, arms crossing over his chest as he turns to look at the family of four. “Canine Sun wasn’t as organized as we thought it would be.”

The alpha pair was distracted celebrating the arrangements for their new daughter,” Eddison chimes in. “We kept hidden in the trees watching the pack until everyone became too drunk to notice anything.”

“I’m glad to hear that everything went smoothly. Did you do what I asked?” David asks, his tone turning serious. Lucas and I look at each other, curiosity reflecting in our eyes. A simple blood lust we rarely feel from David radiates off him, and I wonder just what he asked Eddison to do.

“I did. Roderic and Stella are both dead. We made it look like a murder-suicide,” Eddison answers as James laughs.

“We learned that Roderick had a mistress, so we planted everything on her dead corpse,” James added with a smile, fist-bumping Eddison.

“Good. Now that they’re dead, their pack won’t be able to help Oak Fur,” Amelia says, her eyes twinkling with happiness. “Now, I want you two to watch those four. Alexander will be taking off their collars so they can listen to the pack links for us in case Canine Sun does come to Oak Fur’s aid. The rest of us will need to prepare for our attack. Midnight is quickly approaching.”