“Oh my God, really? You knew and…” Wendy started, but Nick held up his hand to stop whatever rant she was going unleash on the boy.
That explained the guilty look. Apparently he knew them and assumed they wouldn’t really do anything serious. James couldn’t hold that against him, too much. “Where are they?” he demanded.
With a slight look of shell shock, Tristan answered for him again. “He killed them.”
Zander flinched, and Nick seemed to relax. James thought the kid was going to need to work on his control. It was a werewolf’s instinct to hurt anything or anything that hurt their mate. Sometimes murder was justified. James had killed Silvano for trying to bind Lily, and he had no regrets. However, he wasn’t sure that Zander slaughtering omegas were exactly justified when their capture might have served them better.
“Wendy, why don’t you take Tristen to get cleaned up, looked at, and clear up any confusion,” Nick told his daughter.
She gave him a nod and helped Tristen up. When they were out of human earshot, Nick clapped his hand on Zander’s shoulder, which just made the boy flinch once more. “Seeing as you’re trying to turn over a new leaf and the omegas were your group for a long time, I am not going to hold the fact you knew the vampire was bribing them against you. However, I need to ask. What more are you holding out on us?”
James was glad to see Zander actually, think before answering instead of automatically claiming that he wasn’t. “I believe that’s it. Vincent wanted to buy the omegas. Isaac was their leader, but he didn’t go into specifics. He was just excited to stick it to the higher ups. I do know he tried hard to get me on board. I don’t know if it’s because it’s what he wanted or because of something Vincent had said or done.”
“This is the last time, Zander,” Nick warned him. “The last time I allow you to withhold something from you and give you clemency. Next time it’ll be the standard punishment exile or execution. Understood?”
Zander lifted his chin and gave his alpha a small nod. “Yes, Alpha. I understand completely. I’ve made my choice, and there won’t be a next time.”
“Did any of them get away?” James asked once Nick appeared satisfied and Zander shook his head side to side.
“We need to work on your control,” Nick told him. “Prisoners would’ve been better than bodies.”
“They would never tell you anything. Isaac was good at painting you as the arrogant alpha that didn’t give a shit about the omegas. They’d rather die,” Zander told him.
Hot emotion flashed in Nick’s eyes, telling James that more than anything else bothered him. Nick obviously cared about his people and that some of them tried to slander that, upset him. Clearing his throat, Nick looked at Zander. “Get cleaned up. I want you with me when we go into town. Besides Bonnie, you’re the only one I have that knows something about Vincent and may be the only one who will be able to pick up on anything wonky,” he told him.
“Wonky?” Zander asked with a snicker.
“Problem?” Nick said, with a glower but there was a hint of humor on the edge of his lips.
“No sir,” Zander said, giving him a quick salute.
“Smart asses,” Nick said with a scowl. “I’m surrounded by smart asses, and I blame your mate! She started all this!”
James laughed and shook his head. “So go yell at her about it,” he shot back.
“Like that ever did me any good,” Nick complained then shook his head with a laugh.
It was almost two in the afternoon when the bomb squad team came back, and the road to town was clean and free. James, Lily, Nick, and Zander were already ready. Bill, Donovan, and James’ dad all decided to come with them as well. Nick brought in three more wolves, and they were on their way. Split into the same two SUVs used earlier. James, Lily, Zander, Nick, and Bill were in one. Donovan, James’ Dad, and the other wolves were in the other.
The ride was silent, everyone seemed lost in their own world as drove into the now ghost town. “What do you think he did with the nonpack people?” Lily asked, gawking out the window.
“Vincent probably let his people drain them,” Zander replied darkly. James didn’t need to see his face that the guilt still was eating him up. The idiot never really stopped to think what siding with the vampire would cost him.
“And we’ll make him pay for each life lost,” Bill vowed.
They stopped at a small, unassuming building that served as a jail, local court room, and other judicial offices were the best-starting place. It was located at the center of town and if things turned ugly gave them plenty of escape routes.
“Alright, this is how we’re going to do this,” Nick said, handing a two-way radio to Bill.
“Bill and I will each lead a team through the city. Each team will be made of four people while two remain here at the base. We will check every building that has a basement or its windows cover. This needs to be thorough and quick. If you find a vamp deal with it quickly and move on. We only want to take the top leeches as a prisoner. To hell with the rest,” Nick explained.
Bill passed around two photographs. “The man as some of you may know is Vincent. He is our primary target. The woman is Veronica, she is our secondary target. She’s a researcher and has done more research on Lily than her, or I am comfortable with. We want her alive preferably,” he started when some of the wolves snickered. Bill gave them a stare that was fit for an alpha. “Now is not to make jokes about whether a vampire is living or dead,” he snapped.
The wolves quieted down, and he continued. “As I said, we prefer to have her alive, but dead is acceptable. What isn’t acceptable is her slipping from our grasp again. We only have a couple of hours before it gets dark and the more vamps we take out before then, the better. The night is their element, and we’re not exactly sure how many are out there.”
“Zander, Lily, and James are with me,” Nick said.
“Mitchell, Donovan, and Lisa are with me,” Bill joined in. “Clarence and Andre, you two are to remain here. Keep the cars running and an eye out for anything that moves.”
“At least, this time, they’re not separating us,” Lily whispered to James.
“Just can’t stand to be away eh?” he teased her.
She didn’t join him in the teasing but very seriously said, “Bad things happen when we’re separated.”
He took her hand and gave it a little squeeze. “So this means you’re stuck with me then?”
Finally, she returned his smile. “I guess it does.”
“This is creepy,” Lily said as they left the house they’d currently been searching. “Like Creepy with a capital C kind of creepy.” She trodded down the steps and looked at the empty street. “It’s like something straight from Stephen King. I’m warning you all at the first sign of a Langolier, I’m tripping your asses so they eat you first.”
“A lang-what? Do you ever talk like a normal person?” Zander said snidely.
“A Langolier, you know Stephen King…” Lily replied then at the look of confusion still on his face she scowled at him. “Ugh! Ignorant little brat, try reading a book! And I am normal! I am so normal! I’m more normal that all of you put together!”
“You keep yelling like that you’ll wake the vamps up,” Nick said coming out of the house. “And if you’re what’s considered normal then we’re all doomed.” He lifted his nose and sniffed the air. “You’re right, though. This is creepy and if the langoliers come it’ll be me tripping your ass. Hell even without them, I may still trip your ass.”
“It never ceases to amaze me that I, James Lacrosse, am the one having to tell everyone to play nice,” James jumped in.