Page 18 of Blood Pack Beginning (Pack #5)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cyrus and Diego, along with Pierrot and Anabel, set off as soon as one of the SUVs was ready. It initially seemed like an impossible task; the late hour meant a lack of garages open for service. However, once Thaddeus arrived at the compound and received a briefing of all that happened—which led to a scary moment where it seemed the vampire might snap—the man, through some magic that involved a commanding tone and money offered, managed to convince a mechanic that it would be worth their while to fix the tires.
Thaddeus also got in touch with Nathan to ask him about Xander’s pack, a phone call he allowed Cyrus and Diego to listen in on.
“Sorry to call so late, however we have a situation,” Thaddeus stated soon as Nathan answered with a gruff, “Now what?”
Thaddeus provided Nathan with a recap of what they knew, finishing with, “When was the last time you spoke to the alpha of the Woolly Pillars Pack?”
“A few weeks ago. At the time, Xander and his people were fine. Claimed they’d not been hit by the disappearances other packs experienced and blew off my warning to keep an eye out for trouble,” Nathan replied.
“You believed him?”
“Why would he lie?” Nathan retorted.
“He might not realize he did if his free will was compromised.”
The remark led to Nathan snorting with disdain. “Vampire mind tricks might work on the weaker Lycans but not an alpha.”
Judging by the crease of annoyance on Thaddeus’ brow, he didn’t agree. “I would think you would be more concerned about the fact he’s been in communication with the traitor in my flock.”
“Maybe instead of worrying about Lycan business, you should be looking inward. Seems to me you’re the one with the problem.”
“Which I am trying to resolve, despite your lack of cooperation,” Thaddeus’ tight reply.
“I think I’ve already done enough for you,” Nathan’s harsh response. “I gave you permission to form a pack with the strays, even sent more than a few your way, and this despite the fact my people would string me up if they knew about our tenuous alliance.”
“Keeping the packs in the dark about the existence of vampires and the threat we face is doing them a grave disservice. What happened to informing them so they could better protect themselves?”
“The alphas are aware.”
“And did they take the news seriously?”
“No. A few asked if I’d been treated for ticks recently.”
“And was this Xander one of those who scoffed?” Thaddeus pinched the bridge of his nose.
“As a matter of fact, he’s one of the few who didn’t.”
“You don’t find it odd that this Xander didn’t mention knowing Monty when you told him about vampires?”
“I’m sure he had his reasons. And keep in mind, until now, you and your flock were supposed to be our allies. Xander would have had no reason to suspect Monty was up to no good.”
“You need to warn him that Monty is a traitor and is possibly en route to his compound.” At the time, they’d not yet confirmed that destination.
“I doubt one vampire can manage to do much damage to a pack Xander’s size, but I’ll give him a holler,” Nathan offered without enthusiasm.
“As mentioned, Monty might have a young male Lycan with him by the name of Omar. Omar’s brother is very keen on securing his safe return.”
“From what you said, the kid left of his own free will. We had an agreement about not forcing anyone to be a part of your pack.”
“An agreement that still stands. I wasn’t asking to have the boy returned but more wanting to ensure his wellbeing to reassure his brother.”
“I’ll mention the kid to Xander, but I doubt he can help. Last time we spoke, Xander agreed to ban outsiders from the compound. Even if this Monty is on his way there, neither he nor the young pup will end up inside.”
Cyrus could see the frustration on Thaddeus’ face as Nathan blew off every warning.
“Anything you can do would be helpful,” Thaddeus replied politely, yet icily.
The pair hung up, and the vampire eyed Cyrus and Diego. “I’m afraid that conversation was rather useless. Nathan seems determined to downplay the danger.”
“I don’t get it.” Cyrus shook his head. “He knows firsthand the trouble his dad caused. Saw what happened to those wolves Roderick turned. I don’t understand why he’s not taking this more seriously.”
“I don’t know.” Thaddeus shrugged. “Perhaps he thinks with the queen and Morpheus dead that another monstrosity like Roderick won’t occur.”
“But he knows about the master Morpheus mentioned, right?” Cyrus questioned.
“I told him, but that doesn’t seem to have made a difference. On the contrary, he seems to have convinced himself that this is now more of a vampire problem than one affecting the packs.”
“More like he doesn’t give a shit because it’s rogues and dormants mostly being affected,” Diego grumbled.
“Do you think he’s going to contact Xander and warn him?” Cyrus asked.
“Even if he does, I think it still best if you both were to pay your pack a visit. Although, keep in mind, you may have difficulty entering the compound and speaking with your alpha.”
“We’ll make him listen,” Cyrus stated. He paused before adding, “Could Xander have been compromised? Nathan seems pretty sure it’s impossible, but…” He hesitated, and Diego took over.
“Xander lied to Nathan. I know for a fact people have gone missing. Have been for months. Seven, by my count, last we were there. Why just before we left to visit Moon Dew last month, we had three disappearances in a week. Two males, one female. The gossip mill claimed Leslie ran off with Perry since they were dating, and as for Tom, the other missing guy, given his drinking problem, it was assumed he got picked up by the cops for pissing in public again. But Leslie’s mom insisted she wouldn’t have left like that, and as far as I know, Tom never contacted the pack for bail.”
Thaddeus frowned. “That is concerning because I see no reason for an alpha to intentionally lie unless he’s hiding something.”
“Or he’s been ordered to keep quiet,” Cyrus muttered.
The vampire drummed his fingers before slowly saying, “You’ve both tasted Sasha’s blood, right?”
Cyrus shifted foot to foot before admitting, “Yeah.”
“That will provide you with some protection, but there is a way I can offer more.”
“Roderick’s ashes?” Cyrus made a moue of disgust. “Sasha claims you already snuck some in our food.”
“That was to ensure that if you had been touched by Roderick we could shut and lock the door to anyone else entering your mind. No, what I’m talking about is a step that would bind you to me. It will require you renouncing your current pack and pledging to my Blood Pack.”
“Making you our alpha,” Diego clarified.
“Yes.”
Not an entirely shocking suggestion, and something Cyrus and Diego had been thinking of, especially now that were bound to Sasha. Packless Amir had already said he’d do it. He’d just been waiting for the next full moon when Thaddeus planned to do a group pledge with the Lycans who wanted to join.
“How does agreeing to take you as our alpha help?” Diego asked.
Fangs flashed as Thaddeus grinned. “The words to the pledge are only ceremonial, but the blood you’ll ingest, my blood, will bind you to me and make it almost impossible for another to claim.”
“Um, no offense, boss, but I’d rather keep my link to Sasha rather than have one with you,” Diego blurted out.
“That bond will remain. After all, you are mated. All my blood will do is protect you from the unknown. We never could have predicted Roderick becoming an alpha Lycan-vampire hybrid and wreaking as much havoc as he has. Unlike Nathan’s wait-and-see attitude, I prefer to cover all bases and be prepared for anything.”
Cyrus glanced at Diego, and the pair shared a silent exchange before saying, “We’ll do it.”
Hence why they ended up kneeling on the carpet, repeating some mumbo-jumbo about serving and protecting and then exchanging blood with their new alpha. Tasty, but not as yummy as Sasha’s, nor did they feel any different afterwards. Hopefully, it would work as intended.
By the time that was all said and done, the SUV was ready to go, and they headed for it, with Thaddeus saying, “Soon as the next vehicle is ready, I will send reinforcements, as I have a feeling there will be trouble. If the odds are stacked against you, wait for them.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Diego quipped, but Cyrus remained silent. He wasn’t about to make a promise he couldn’t keep. If people were in danger, especially Sasha and Amir, he would act.
He and Diego didn’t go alone. Anabel and Pierrot would also be going, with the latter declaring he’d drive. Fine by Cyrus, who chose to nap during the long drive. He woke when they reached the motel where they were supposed to meet up with Sasha and Amir.
“There’s Sasha’s car,” Pierrot murmured as he parked beside it.
The parking lot and the motel strip showed no sign of life at this late hour. Windows were dark, and no one wandered around outside as they piled out of the SUV. The room number Amir had texted showed the drapes pulled tight and no lights inside. Odd, because it seemed unlikely they’d be sleeping, especially since Amir most likely flagellated himself for his brother’s actions. Omar did so like digging himself holes, which he then expected Amir to fill.
As they stretched from sitting so long, Diego nudged Cyrus. “Think the big guy finally got laid?”
Cyrus sure hoped so. Getting involved with Sasha, or any woman for that matter, might be just what Amir needed to finally tell his fuckup of a brother to deal with his own self-induced shit. Wild how Lorelei and Amir could be so responsible in direct contrast to Omar.
While Cyrus and Diego headed for the door, Pierrot and Anabel appeared to be scenting the air. It took Cyrus but a millisecond to figure out what caught their attention. He smelled Lycan, and it wasn’t Amir—or Omar, for that matter.
Diego reached the door and knocked, only to frown as his light tap swung it open. “It’s not latched,” he stated, stupidly stepping inside before checking for danger.
Cyrus rushed to join him, crossing the threshold, ready to fight. Only, there was no threat.
“Place is empty,” Diego stated.
A light switch by the door illuminated the pair of lamps on the nightstands. The bed, while slightly mussed, held no one—but did smell of sex. The room also reeked of blood. Diego darted past a large wet spot on the carpet for the bathroom and flicked on a light. “No one in here but the shower is wet.”
“There’s blood on the floor, and the room smells of Lycan,” Cyrus murmured. “Several of them.”
“By my count, six wolves I don’t recognize, and Monty,” Pierrot declared as he entered.
It led to Diego frowning. “Seven against two, but I’m not seeing any real signs of struggle.”
“Tell that to the blood in the carpet,” Cyrus drawled.
“You think they killed Sasha and Amir?” Diego asked with clear concern.
“I think we’d know if she died.”
Pierrot bent over and plucked something from the carpet. He held up a dart. “I’m thinking they didn’t have a real chance to fight because they were drugged.”
“Drugged so that Monty could take them, which leads me to wonder how he knew where to find them,” Cyrus murmured. His gaze narrowed on Pierrot. “Only a handful of people knew they’d be here.”
Pierrot lifted his hands. “Sheath your claws, wolf. It wasn’t any of us. Let me see if Anabel is back.”
“Back from where?” a suspicious Diego asked.
“Questioning the clerk who checked them in.”
It didn’t take long for Anabel to return with grim news. “The human working the motel desk tattled on Sasha and Amir’s presence. He had a simple geas placed on him that required him to report to someone called Felix anytime a guest checked in or had visitors after dark.”
“Felix, as in Xander’s right-hand man?” Diego exclaimed with wide eyes.
“Doubt there’s another, and the whole after-dark thing implies they were specifically keeping an eye out for vampires,” Cyrus surmised.
“Our traitor was worried we’d track him down,” Pierrot grumbled.
“But why take Sasha and Amir instead of killing them?”
“I don’t know, but I doubt it bodes well,” Anabel grimly pronounced.
“Do you think they were brought to the compound?” Diego asked.
“I don’t know.” Pierrot scrubbed a hand through his hair. “How far from here is it?”
“Couple minutes by car. But I can tell you right now, the gates will be locked for the night.”
“As if we’d be knocking,” Pierrot scoffed.
“If you’re thinking of climbing the fence, then you should know there’s cameras all over, plus patrols. Xander takes the pack’s security very seriously, which is what made it seem reasonable that the missing people left on their own, though odd we never saw footage backing the claims.”
“I do not think we can afford to wait until morning, especially since once the sun rises, Anabel and I can’t assist,” Pierrot pointed out.
Cyrus pursed his lips. “Given Monty’s murderous nature, waiting isn’t an option. Did you ask the clerk if he reported our arrival?” a question directed to Anabel.
“He’d not yet had a chance. He was emerging from the washroom when I walked in, so at least we’d have the element of surprise,” she replied.
“Surprise ain’t worth shit if the guards start shooting at us,” Diego pointed out.
“They’re not the only ones armed.” Pierrot patted the sidearm tucked inside his jacket. They all carried weapons.
“How many would we be facing if it comes to an all-Pack fight?” Anabel inquired.
“About forty, assuming most of the pack are home, but that number includes kids.” Cyrus rubbed his chin. “I’d hate to see the innocent hurt.”
“These security cameras you mentioned, are they linked to a network?” Pierrot asked.
“I’m not sure.” Cyrus’ brow creased as he tried to recall what he’d seen and knew. “The guard booth by the main entrance holds a few monitors for them to watch live footage, but I have no idea if it’s a closed system.”
“I think our first order of business is finding out. If we can loop their cameras, we’ll have no issue entering. To the car.” Pierrot swept out, and Cyrus quickly followed.
“You think you can hack their system?” Cyrus asked when Pierrot indicated he should drive.
“It’s worth a try. My laptop should be capable of doing it so long as the cameras are on an accessible network. ’Course, that said, depending on the complexity of the firewall, it could be hours before I can do anything of use.”
Hours? That wouldn’t do because Cyrus knew Sasha was in trouble. It hit him suddenly, a tickling of his emotions that conveyed anger and a more disturbing hint of fear. Then, an even more worrisome absence of anything, as both feelings disappeared just as abruptly.
He glanced at Diego to see his friend clenching his fists. They exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. If Pierrot couldn’t disable the security, then one way or another, they were going in.