Page 28

MACK

M ack stared out of the helicopter as they flew over Russia, heading for the Finland border. They didn’t bother with headphones. Only Kurt wore them so he could communicate with the pilot who they’d just met.

How Brayden had arranged it so quickly, Mack had no idea. But he had, and they were almost out of the country.

Thank fuck.

However, they were still flying over the country, and at any point, they could be shot down.

Sure, they wouldn’t die unless taken by surprise and the entire bird—along with all of them in it—were blown to pieces. Could happen. But even if they could teleport in time, there was a chance of a serious injury which would need healing time.

Mack was going to assume, given a nuclear war was about to happen, Russia wasn’t the ideal country to choose for a relaxing spa and massage weekend.

Neither, if it escalated, would anywhere on the planet.

All he was focused on was crossing the fucking border and getting to Ella.

Thank God, Mack had gotten hold of Marcus to arrange for her to be evacuated along with the other high-ranking members and the royal family.

She’d messaged to say she was on the plane, which Mack appreciated, but right now he was gripping his pack and weapons ready to teleport or jump. Whichever was the best action if Russian jets turned up.

“Fuck, this is stressing me out.” Oliver groaned.

“Ten minutes,” the pilot yelled.

Mack’s knee bounced up and down as he watched the horizon. If they didn’t get shot down by Russian fighter pilots, then the sun might get them.

What a fucking day.

“We’ll make it,” Kurt said, kicking his leg.

“Cool. Then get incinerated by a nuke. Yay.”

“Yeah, wasn’t on my bucket list either.” Ben rubbed his jaw.

“Fucking humans.” Oliver shook his head and lifted his boot to re-tie his bootlaces.

Risky.

Mack wasn’t taking his eyes off the ball. If something happened, he was teleporting to one of the fields he could see in the distance.

The clock kept metaphorically ticking.

His fellow warriors’ heartbeats were bang, bang, banging around him.

“Three minutes,” the pilot updated.

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Logan ran a hand over his face.

“Incoming,” the pilot shouted as a Russian jet appeared on either side of them.

“Fuck.” Kurt shifted on his seat and ripped the headphones off.

The aircrafts closed in on them.

“What the hell are they doing?” Ben leaned back, turning his head.

“Let’s fucking move,” Mack yelled, glancing at Kurt.

“One minute,” the pilot yelled. “I think they are escorting us. I think.”

“Watch their weapons. Those Gatling guns move an inch, teleport immediately,” Kurt instructed, not moving his eyes from the one on his right as he pointed at the other jet.

Mack locked onto it and counted.

Sixty.

Fifty-five.

Forty-five.

Thirty.

Someone cursed.

Twenty.

Ten.

The wing flaps moved, and Mack’s heart skipped about three fucking beats. Preparing his body to teleport, he counted the last few seconds.

Three, two, one.

“We’re out of Russian airspace,” the pilot yelled as the two jets rolled away and down, disappearing.

“Fuck me. I don’t care if we’re semi-immortal, I just lost about three hundred years of my life.” Mack moaned, sinking back into his seat.

“Same, fuck. Same.” Ben leaned his arms on his thighs and ran a hand over his hair.

“Just had an update that the plane is waiting on the airfield. We’ll be there in twenty minutes,” the pilot said.

Mack closed his eyes.

He was one step closer to Ella.

To think he was a gym owner and personal trainer not long ago. Now look at his life. He was a Moretti warrior, a hybrid wolf shifter and about to bond with the beautiful girl next door that he’d loved all his life.

Only one of those things was on his vision board—which he didn’t actually have.

Pulling out his phone, he flicked through photos of her that he’d taken over many years. Most when she didn’t notice. Sitting on a jetty, kicking her legs. Blowing bubbles with her friends at a pool party when she was wearing a yellow bikini, looking so damn sexy he’d almost left the party.

It hadn’t been easy ignoring his feelings for her.

He was glad he’d had a conversation with his father and said he loved him. Now they were in safer territory, he was able to process what was happening and it was stirring emotions.

Everyone—every fucking one—in the United States was in the firing line. Mack had only overheard what the prince had yelled through the phone, but everyone knew that a nuclear war was catastrophic.

Tears prickled his eyes as he lifted his fist to his forehead and rubbed. He locked gazes with Kurt, who looked just as haunted.

“They’re all going to die.” His voice sounded a little insane even to him.

The SLC nodded.

“And we can’t do anything.”

Logan clamped his hand down on Mack’s arm and squeezed. “Let’s just get to Italy.”

He glanced at Oliver and Ben, who were expressionless.

“It’s not just the US, is it?”

Oliver shook his head.

As Ari’s head assassin, he’d taken over Ben’s role when he became an SLC. They were closer to human politics than the royal army and had been extremely helpful during the past months.

“Nine countries have nukes. Russia, China, and North Korea will partner, leaving the United States, United Kingdom, France, Israel, and India. Then there’s Pakistan.” Oliver shared.

“Fuck me.” Mack felt sick, physically, like he was going to throw up.

“It will happen fast. No one will suffer for more than a split second.” Logan added. “If it’s any consolation.”

“Yeah, but...the planet will be fucked. Species wiped out. Vampires. Humans.”

Kurt kicked out his legs and crossed them. “Yeah, well, if we created it, then we all deserve it. Maybe the next intelligent species will be...more fucking intelligent.”

Mack thought about Ella, about his mom, brother, all the millions of people on the planet who weren’t involved in politics or crime like the Nikolay’s of the world.

They didn’t deserve it.

These powerful people were deciding life for everyone else. It wasn’t right.

Thirty minutes later, they were running up the stairs of the plane. It took another ten minutes to get in the air.

I’m coming Ella.

Mack had never prayed in his life, but he did now.

Please, God, Budda, whoever, please let me get back to her in time.