Page 120 of Chasing Savannah

Naomi caught her. She always did, and always had. When there was no one, there was always Naomi and Charlotte. A wave of calming energy entered her body and she shuddered under its power. She looked up at her cousin with wide eyes.

“Is that you?”

Naomi nodded.

“It’s over, Nay.”

“You would give them up?” Naomi whispered.

“I’ll do anything to keep Jamie safe.”

“She wins if you give up, Savi.”

“She has my son, she’s won already. Do you think the prowl will want me as Fela with this threat hanging over their children?” She turned her back on her cousin.

“Then end the threat.” Naomi clenched her fist. “Find her and end her.”

Rage suffused her, her power filling the room. Naomi was right in at least that. She would find Antoinette and she would end her. But if one part of her prophecy came true, could she risk staying Fela if the rest was a possibility?

She wiped the tears from her face. She would think about that only after she got her son back safely. She had to push everything else aside. She went into the bathroom and washed her face. Naomi gave her a critical once over when she came out.

“I’m ready.”

Naomi nodded and they went back into the living room. Charlotte was standing over the kitchen table with her grandfathers and mates hovering over a tablet. She walked closer. Derrick pulled her into his side with one arm and kissed the top of her head.

“So I found them here in this area. It’s just a few miles off our territory and as far as I know, no one owns that territory.” Charlotte used her fingers to zoom in on the tablet.

“Uh-uh, someone does own that territory. It’s a small prowl, an older one, they met with grandfather years ago.” Brielle corrected.

“There were no scent markers on that land, and we went in pretty far to get them. They were holed up on an abandoned farm.” Charlotte told them.

Carlos looked to Brianne. “Did you try and contact the alpha from that area when we were meeting with the other prowls?”

Brianne nodded. “Charlotte’s right. No one was on that territory.”

Brielle hummed and studied it more. “You think they moved?”

“Or were wiped out.” Carlos said grimly.

“Why take the land and not mark it?” Derrick puzzled.

“That close to our land, they knew we’d recognize the scent.” Jeremiah sighed.

Savannah stiffened at his side and his panther went alert. He pulled her closer and rubbed his chin in her hair, hoping to calm the riotous feelings flooding their mating bond. He couldn’t decipher the different emotions, not with Carlos’ anger so dominant. He was worried for Jamie and Ian both, but stayed calm and fought to keep some semblance of control over his emotions. Last thing he wanted was to add to Savannah’s stress.

He wanted to pause, and pull her aside and check in with her. Something was off. He knew them keeping Antoinette’s involvement a secret from her was a risk. His gaze went back to the map on the kitchen table. It was a tiny territory, was the prowl that inhabited wiped out as a part of someone’s plot against them? It brought home the reason he’d wanted to build such a big prowl. The smaller ones were always at the mercy of territorial disputes.

“Do you think we should start at that farm and track the scent from there?” Carlos asked, cutting into his musings.

“It’s what I would do, Felix. It’s the last place we found them and they were holed up there. So I would bet it’s one of their safe houses.” Charlotte straightened and put her hands on her hips.

Carlos looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “We could send Charlotte and another enforcer ahead of us, go in stealth.”

“Are you willing to take the risk, Charlotte?” He turned to the young enforcer.

He pushed aside his feelings to get into Beta mode. It was the only thing he could do to keep his fear and the weight of his memories from crushing his mates in the mating bond. He needed his focus on the cubs and getting them back safely. He rolled his shoulders as he waited on Charlotte’s answer.

“Yes.”

“I’ll go with her.” Brielle announced.

“Call us as soon as you find them. We’ll plan our attack once we know where they are.” Carlos closed the tablet.

“We’re going full attack?” Brianne asked.

Derrick’s panther rumbled, his chest vibrating. “Can you handle the fall out we’ll get from it?”

Brianne nodded. “Fuck the council.”