CALIFF
“I’m not comfortable with you joining us. Let me take care of this. Just wait for us here.”
“No, Califf. I’m coming with you. I may not be as strong as you and don’t have enhanced senses, but I could help.”
“Let her go,” her father said, giving his daughter a gun. “Take this.”
She smiled at Sebastien. “Thanks, father.”
“Just stay by his side and don’t get distracted.” He then looked at me. “Take care of her.”
“I’ll be fine, father.”
“With my life.” I still didn’t like it, but we just got back together, and I didn’t want to make her look incapable in front of everyone. I knew she could take care of herself, and she learned how to fight before I met her, but she was my Luna.
“Are you guys ready?”
I turned to Zarah. “Yes.”
“I don’t wanna be a hassle, Califf, and that’s why I did a short course because, at times like this, you could use a lot of help.”
“I know, baby.” I kissed the top of her head. “I trust you.”
We joined Calder and Everlee.
“Why do you have a gun?” I asked Zack.
“I don’t wanna risk shifting if we walk into the trap.”
“I’m coming with you,” Alessandro said. Before I could question him, he added, “Alpha King’s order.” He was here to protect Shadow, which made me feel a lot better.
“I will portal you to Calder’s apartment. I got the exact location. You only have ten minutes. Set your timer. The moment it hits ten, I will open a portal for twenty seconds. Once you’re late, you will be left there and find your own way back home.”
“Ready.” I nodded at Zarah. “You should be careful here. Maybe they already find out how we get into another place, and we don’t know what we are walking into. They could be waiting for us. And we might not be coming alone.”
“We got your back,” Sebastien declared. “Good luck.”
Zack and Alessandro swept the perimeters when we got into Calder’s apartment. Calder and I sniffed his apartment for scents that shouldn’t belong there.
“It’s clear,” he affirmed.
“Zack?” I asked through our link.
“Just stinky human scents. We’re coming back.”
I nodded at Calder to open his stock room.
“You girls are okay?”
“It’s him?” Shadow picked up a framed photo on the photo table, which I didn’t get a chance to see the last time we were here.
“Yeah. That’s him.” He unlocked the door. “I need a hand here.”
“Let me.”
“No, Cal. Be the lookout. Babe, help me.”
Everlee went to help Calder.
“Why not me? Because I’m not strong enough to lift a box?”
I scoffed. “Really, baby? You’re stronger than most women and men.”
“I miss living in an apartment. The small personalized space that makes me more human.”
“I don’t mind the house in Southhampton.” I smiled.
“Because you were born rich, Alphasshole.”
“But I never had a house on my own. I own a luxury apartment in the city, but I still live in the pack house, and our house is not even close to being done. We should check brochures for color schemes by reading Architectural Digest or Homes & Gardens magazines, but look where we are. Sneaking into someone’s apartment because wherever we are, threat follows.”
“You didn’t sneak out, brother. The owner is here.” Calder dropped two boxes on the floor. The dust flew everywhere. “Sorry. It’s been years since I last touched them.”
“Okay. How many are there?”
“Seven boxes in total. These two are the old files.”
“We’re taking these two.” I checked the timer on my watch. I picked one box and brought it to the coffee table. “Bring those five. We’re checking them here while-”
“Guys, we got company,” Zack announced through the link. Seconds later, he and Alessandro entered the apartment.
“How many?”
“At least five. How did they find us? I had no idea. It seems that they know how we operate.” Zack grabbed his gun and tucked it on his back jeans.
“What’s the plan?” Shadow asked me.
“If they knock, I will open the door, but the moment I see a gun, I’ll signal,” said Calder.
“That’s not a good idea,” Everlee protested, hiding herself against the kitchen wall.
Shadow and I entered the bedroom while Alessandro and Zack remained in the living room with Calder.
“You both are my guests. Just be ready.”
“Got it.” I nodded at Calder.
The doorbell rang. My heart pumped hard, and I saw the fear in Shadow’s eyes.
“It’s gonna be okay.” I mouthed at her.
“I know.” She mouthed back.
I didn’t hear the door open, but gunshots with silencers.
“Alpha, they’re shooting.”
“I heard that. Is Calder okay?”
“Yes. He stood at the corner, not behind the door, when he went to open it.”
I looked at Shadow. “Stay here. They need my help.”
“I can’t stop you, can I?” She offered her gun.
“No, babe.” I pushed it back. “You need that. If anything happens, save yourself.”
I hadn’t reached the living. A loud growl erupted, and a large brown wolf lunged at the human with a gun. Then Zack shifted, too, and bit another human on the leg and threw him against the wall. The man whined in pain, and then he picked up his extra gun on his thigh, but a shot was fired behind me, hitting the man directly in the chest.
I looked over my shoulder.
It was Shadow. “You’re welcome.”
A backup arrived. Three men walked in. The man in his sunglasses in the center looked familiar, the same man in the photo, but older, in his black combat gear and baseball cup.
“Uncle?” Calder called him in shock, confirming everything we suspected.
“Kill them all,” the old man ordered in a deadly, inhumane tone.
Alessandro jumped into the first man, but Kain aimed his gun and shot him, but missed it.
Alessandro dropped to the floor with a thud when the first man fired on him. Shadow shot the other guy.
Kain shifted his aim at Shadow- the other man at Zack. With my heart in my throat, scared of killing my mate, adrenaline kicked up in my veins, and my body burned inside.
Fury clawed its way up my throat. My eyes began glowing, and I felt my fur spreading, every claw and fang coming out- my wolf took over. I shifted fully, my clothes shredded.
I caught a glimpse of another black wolf running towards the other man with Kain.
Consumed with my desire to taste blood, I growled in vicious anger. My nose flared. My eyes narrowed, and I had only one target, and it was locked.
Deep in my mind, he would not leave this apartment alive. And I hurled at Kain, landing his weak ass on the floor.
“You think you can kill me?” he barked at me, smirking. “Why isn’t your mate shifting?”
I would love to claw off that fucking smirk on his ugly face as my anger grew inside my skin. He may be Calder’s uncle, but he was the enemy. Snarling, I bit his arm and felt my teeth dig deep into his flesh, making him scream in pain. The gun dropped.
His blood tasted different, nastier. He must have taken something, expecting a wolf to bite him. I spat it out, and he sniggered despite his arm was bleeding. I sniffed him- he was not a werewolf. Not a human either. He was something else.
More anger stirred. Without remorse, I bared my teeth, snarling at him, and my next bite would be his neck.
“Don’t kill him!” Shadow yelled before I could tear off his jugular. “We need him alive. It’s merciful to kill him instantly.”
I just couldn’t get enough. I marked him just like he did every dead werewolf they killed. I slashed the side of this face, reminding him of his mistake, targeting every one of us.
“Kill me! Don’t listen to her-” he screamed, but Shadow stomped her boot on his face, knocking him out.