Page 16 of Coyote Underground (Monsters of New York #9)

Tough Decisions

A na Sofia

“You want me to what?” I ask, my eyes wide, staring at Diego in disbelief. “You’ve been doing everything in your power to protect me from danger, and now you want me to walk right into it?”

“I know how bad it sounds, princess. I promise we won’t be far from you. Yes, there will be some risk, but I don’t know how else to distract them so we can save Valerie,” Diego argues.

I shake my head, trying to understand what he’s asking me to do. “Bait. You want me to be bait for the men who kidnapped my sister, the ones I thought had killed her.”

“I don’t like it either, buttercup, but he makes a good point,” Lorenzo defends Diego’s stance. I’m not sure how to argue with them anymore.

“If it’s the only way to get Val back, I’ll do it. I trust you guys to keep me safe,” I agree. I can’t believe I’m going to give myself up to the monsters who took my baby sister. But I mean it when I say I trust my pack. They would never let anything happen to me.

We may not be in love yet, but I feel like we’re heading there. And I can tell from how protective and possessive they already are of me that they care a lot. There’s no way they would willingly put me into a situation where they can’t protect me. Right? I have to trust them.

“Okay, let’s go over the plan one more time before we get some sleep,” Isaac insists. I love how he’s not leaving anything to chance.

****

I saac

Once we’ve been over the plan a dozen times, we decide that sleep is in order.

Tomorrow will be a long day, and hopefully will end the way we want.

The three of us stay with Ana Sofia until she falls asleep.

Then we head into the sitting room to talk.

I’m not thrilled about this plan, and can see way too many reasons to argue about it.

“I know what you’re gonna say, and I agree with you,” Diego says. “But I don’t know how else to get Valerie out of there without proper backup.”

He pulls me into his arms and presses a kiss to the top of my head. It’s been a while since we’ve been intimate, and the gesture melts my heart.

“I can’t stand the thought of losing her,” I whisper against his chest. Zo wraps his arms around both of us and we stand there for a while. “I love you both, but I’m falling for her hard, and I don’t think I will survive if something happens to her.” The admission brings tears to my eyes.

“While I can’t tell you that everything is going to work out exactly the way we want, I can say we will protect her with our lives, Zac,” Diego says quietly.

“And you know we love you,” Zo adds. They’re both right. I know the three of us would give our own lives to protect Ana Sofia, and I know Zo and Diego love me. I’m pretty sure all three of us are half in love with our new Omega already, and that’s not just from pheromone influence.

“We should get some sleep. I don’t want her to wake up alone and think we’ve abandoned her,” I say, turning back to Ana Sofia’s bedroom.

Before I can walk through the door, Diego grabs my hand and spins me around, pulling me back to him.

“We will get through this. And we will bring Valerie home. Then our family, our pack, will finally be our main focus,” he says.

His eyes lock with mine for a moment, then he dips his head to capture my lips.

It’s a quick kiss, but holds so much promise.

When he breaks the kiss, I nod and walk through the door.

I’m not surprised to see that Zo snuck in the room while we were distracted and is already snuggled up beside Ana Sofia. Diego steps back, letting me climb in beside our Omega, then gets in the bed on my other side. The four of us together is a nice feeling, and I hope it lasts.

****

D iego

Sleep doesn’t come easy for me, especially after Zac’s admission.

I hate that he second-guesses my plan. Even more that I’m reminded about my own doubts.

I can’t see another way to do this. And that scares me.

I trust Ana Sofia to play her part, and I trust us to protect her.

But we know virtually nothing about the EV, and that terrifies me.

If we go into this situation with guns blazing, who’s to say we’ll actually be able to save anyone?

I can’t tell the others that I got visual confirmation that Valerie is alive, because then I’ll have to show them the photos I was sent by my guy.

The poor kid has been roughed up, and will definitely need therapy if we get to her in time.

I make a mental note to contact Dr. Evans and have her ready for Valerie when the time comes. It may be good to get the entire pack in for a few sessions, after what we’re about to do.

People who usually hire us tend to think we’re monsters, and maybe we are. We get the job done, no matter the cost. But I refuse to let my pack suffer over what we’ll be forced to do tomorrow to save Valerie. I just hope it’s not too late.

I can’t help watching my pack sleep as my mind races. As their head Alpha, it’s my job to make sure they’re safe. Yet, I’m the one asking Ana Sofia to put herself in danger so we can save her sister. Is that fair? I don’t know. Maybe we should call the whole thing off and figure out another way.

But I’ve been over everything so many times, and if we take time to find another way, we’ll miss the shipment.

I can’t risk losing Valerie, because I know how badly that will hurt Ana Sofia.

Without backup from the SRA, this is our only option.

I’ll just have to deal with the fallout from it after it’s all over.

As my mind worries over this problem, I realize I’m staring into my Omega’s eyes.

I can’t tell if my stare is what woke her, or if she’s struggling with this situation as much as I am.

I need to find a way to get her back to sleep so she’s rested for tomorrow.

The concern that fills her eyes melts my heart. I have to protect her, no matter what.

****

A na Sofia

I’m not sure what wakes me, but I glance over and find Diego staring at me over Isaac’s head. The sorrow in his eyes nearly breaks my heart. I want to reach out to him, but can’t without waking our Beta. And with the dark circles under Isaac’s eyes, I don’t want that.

“Are you okay?” I whisper. Moonlight caresses his features, and I’m momentarily jealous that I can’t do the same. I’m falling hard for these guys, and it scares me.

He nods. “Just thinking about tomorrow. I have to be prepared for anything.”

“You need to get some sleep. We can’t go into this thing tomorrow at less than one hundred percent,” I whisper back.

“You’re right. I’m having some trouble falling asleep, that’s all,” he insists. “Where did you hear that, anyway?”

“My Alpha is pretty smart,” I answer. He’d told me that exact thing when I’d claimed to be too wired to sleep tonight.

And I know he’s right. But sleep is not coming easy to either of us.

I woke up for a bit while they were talking in the sitting room.

It helps to know they’re struggling with this as much as I am. “Please try to sleep,” I insist.

Diego nods, then drapes his arm around Isaac and rests it on my hip.

The movement makes Lorenzo snuggle closer.

I love this feeling and want to hold onto it as long as I can.

I watch Diego for a bit, then he closes his eyes and his breathing slows.

When I’m sure all three of my men are asleep, I close my eyes and let the darkness take me.