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As the trucks and cars pulled up, and their drivers started getting out and leaving their vehicles wherever they happened to be, Lucien started toward Havoc.

The smile he wore was forced and strained.

When he reached Havoc’s truck, he leaned over and into the driver’s side window, putting his nose right up against Havoc’s.

“Because my mate cares about you, I will not remove your head from its body. But you ever talk to me like that again under any circumstances, there’s going to be a show for everybody else to watch. ”

Havoc smiled back and pressed his nose against Lucien's. “Want to play now?”

“Absolutely. Get the fuck out and we’ll do this now. Then I’ll go save MY mate and explain to her that I had to teach you your place before I could come save her and that’s why I’m late.”

“Problem?” Maverik asked, as he walked by and reached out tapping Lucien on the back of the head.

“Your son seems to think he can speak to anyone he chooses, in any way he chooses. Not everybody puts up with that shit,” Lucien said.

“Havoc, get your ass back in place and stop provoking Lucien.”

“I can take him,” Havoc said.

“Maybe. Maybe not. He’s a dangerous fucking male. He might just drag your Wolf down into his underwater den and let you drown and rot there if you piss him off too bad.”

“We don’t have time for this! Don’t y’all get it?!” Havoc demanded. “We got to go!”

“And picking a fight with somebody that can obviously hold his own is going to speed things up?” Maverik asked.

Havoc slammed his mouth shut but if his expression could speak, he’d be telling them all off.

“Stop taking your anxiety out on Lucien and get out of the damn truck while we figure out what’s happening,” Maverik ordered.

Kaid finally came walking up behind Maverik and stood there waiting for everyone to gather. “Stop it, Havoc.”

Brandt walked over, and didn’t even spare Havoc a glance. “Stop your shit, Havoc. We’re all concerned.”

“How you know he didn’t start it?! He could have just got in the damn truck and we’d be gone already,” Havoc complained.

“I told him to hold you here,” Brandt said.

“The fuck for?” Havoc asked. He looked at Lucien. “You believe this shit? We got to go, people!”

Kiernan and Shaun arrived in one of Brandt’s work trucks that had been assigned to them, and they got out and joined them, prepared to do whatever was necessary.

Barron arrived shortly after them. He got out of his truck and stalked right past everybody to come to a stop in front of Emmalyn. “Really? Really, Emmalyn?” he demanded.

“I had to talk to Lucien,” she said haughtily, turning her face just enough to not have to look at him.

“You just want me to spank your ass, don’t you? You don’t get to go off on your own without telling me about it first! And you sure as fuck don’t get to go off after Hellen to track down the fuckers that tried to kill him!” he shouted, pointing toward Lucien.

“It might not be them. She’s just thinking it might be.”

“Go home!”

“No!”

“Yes!” Bam bellowed as he approached them. “Go home! Now!”

“Daddy!”

“Do not ‘Daddy’ me! Go home. You are in no condition to be putting yourself at risk.”

“You can’t make me. I’m not a child.”

He raised an eyebrow, and Everly stepped out from behind him. “Come on, Emmalyn,” Everly said.

“But Mom!”

“Who’s going and who’s staying here to keep Emmalyn and anyone else from joining in and making the whole attempt at keeping Hellen alive a failure?” Brandt asked.

“I’m going,” Bam said.

“Same,” Maverik and Kaid both said.

“We’re going,” Kiernan and Shaun said.

“I’m going,” Lucien said.

“I’ve been trying to fucking go!” Havoc just almost snarled.

A car pulled up and parked behind Barron’s truck. Remi got out and came walking up as they all watched him, then quietly came to a stop and just stood there with his hands tucked in his pockets.

“You should stay here, Remi. You’re not in any state of mind to be out there and unable to think straight.”

Remi huffed a laugh. “The only thing I’m in any state of mind to do is to be out there burning shit to the ground.”

“Might help to have a Dragon there,” Kaid said.

“Especially if they’re as cutthroat as you said, Lucien,” Maverik added.

Brandt looked Remi in the eye.

“I have to talk to Bailey tonight. I can’t see any way this will go in my favor. I really, really need to let off steam. I’m angry, but I’m not out of control,” Remi said.

“Alright. If I call you off, though, you retreat,” Brandt said.

“I always do.”

“Kiernan, why don’t you stay back. You and Barron will be here to hold down the fort.”

“Ronan’s at my house, too. He’s not to be underestimated, either,” Havoc said angrily, pissed that they’d still not gotten on the road.

“We got Bane and Daniel across the road, too,” Kaid said.

“You’re sure?” Kiernan asked.

“Definitely. We’ll take Shaun with us.”

“If you end up needing more hands, just send me a message and I’m on the way,” Kiernan said.

“Speaking of!” Lucien said, hitting his own temple with the heel of his hand as he glared at Brandt.

“Oh, yeah. Shit,” Brandt said, walking over and placing his hand on Lucien’s shoulder. He gripped Lucien’s shoulder firmly, while staring into his one good eye.

Lucien knew what Brandt wanted — he wanted a pledge of loyalty, and he was waiting for Lucien to give it unasked. “It’s going to give you complete access to what’s going on in my head,” Lucien said.

“If I was that kind of Alpha. I might get an inference here and there, but I really don’t give a damn about what came before. It’s just so that we all remain connected.”

Lucien briefly eyed the group of males, and Emmalyn and Everly.

“They can only read you if you let them,” Brandt said.

Lucien nodded. “It’s not that I don’t want the connection, it’s just that it’s been a long, long time since I was connected to anything.”

“And now you’re connected to our Hellen.”

Lucien smiled. “Hell…” He released a deep breath and nodded.

“I vow my loyalty. I vow to stand with you and each one of the clan,” he hesitated and looked over toward Kaid and Maverik, “or clans,” then his gaze landed on Havoc, “even Havoc. I will give my life to protect any and all that matter to our clan. And I will kill any who try to harm my Hell, or get between me and my Hell.”

Brandt chuckled and shook his head, then he looked directly into Lucien’s eye again.

Lucien looked back, giving him access to everything he was and had ever been.

When the pain started, Brandt winced and ground his teeth together as he tried to maintain control.

Lucien clamped his jaws together tightly, but refused to look away.

Then suddenly, he heard Brandt’s voice in his mind.

“That’s it, you’re one of us. Welcome home,” Brandt thought to him, though Lucien could hear the strain, even in his head voice.

“It’s bad in here,” Lucien said.

Brandt nodded. “But it’s not anymore. You got us.”

Lucien gave more of a huff than a sigh, and lifted his own hand to clamp down on Brandt’s shoulder.

Then another voice slammed into his head. “Can we go NOW?” Havoc shouted in his mind.

“Yes, asshole,” Lucien thought back to him.

Havoc grinned and started for his truck.

“Barron, you and Kiernan stay in touch with Bane and Daniel and Ronan. I expect no trouble at all. They don’t even know us. Keep yourselves open in case Hellen reaches out to any of us as well. We’ll stay in touch, too. And heads up, if Bailey shows up looking for Remi before we get back.”

“We’ll see her at my place if she does. We’ll take care of her,” Kiernan said.

Remi released a little growl.

Shaun smirked at him.

“Is there going to be an issue between the two of you?” Brandt demanded.

“Nope. Not from me. I haven’t done a damn thing I shouldn’t,” Shaun said

“Remi?” Brandt asked.

“No! I’m fine,” Remi snapped.

Lucien had already walked away, leaving whatever issue lay between Remi and Shaun to Brandt.

He made it to Havoc’s truck and slammed the passenger side door as he got in.

He leaned across the middle of the truck to yell through the open driver’s side window.

“Y’all follow us. We’ll park a few miles away and hike in on foot.

They’ll notice even one vehicle, much less several if we drive in too close. ”

“Just keep updating so we know where we’re going,” Brandt said.

“Hey! Let me get in the back,” Maverik said, jogging toward Havoc’s huge four-door F250.

“Same,” Kaid said, following Maverik.

“Come on, rest of y’all can ride with me,” Bam said, walking toward Everly’s SUV.

He stopped to kiss Everly and glare at Emmalyn.

“You will not give your Momma a bunch of shit over this. You will go home with Barron and your Momma and you will deal with your reality instead of thinking you’re invincible. ”

Emmalyn glared at her father, but she knew better than to contradict him.

“Em?” Barron said.

“I’m coming,” she snapped with more than a little tone.

They waited until Bam, with Brandt riding shotgun, and Remi, and Shaun in the back, pulled out and followed Havoc’s vehicle.

Then Barron, Em and Everly got in Barron’s truck and headed to Barron and Emmalyn’s home.

When they were almost there, Emmalyn shook her head disbelievingly.

“It’s just not fair. This is nothing for me.

Why am I having such a hard time keeping my emotions together?

I still can’t walk into Hellen’s home, which is fucking ridiculous!

Not to mention, I should be able to help my sister without falling apart.

I’m all over the damn place! I hate it! I cry for no reason… ”

“Honey, you went through a lot,” Everly said. “Give yourself time to heal. It wasn’t all that long ago.”

“I was better last month! I'm getting worse! And I’m getting fat! I need to start being more active or something. And y’all need to stop treating me like a baby!”

Everly, who was sitting in the back, and Barron who was driving, shared a look in the rear view mirror.

“Emmalyn? When was the last time you had a period?” Everly asked.