139

It’s exactly what it sounds like,” Kat swallowed heavily, taking another chug from her second glass of water.
Other than severe dehydration and low blood sugar, Kat was virtually unharmed. Her biggest injury was the bump on her forehead, a result of her tumble when the gas had spewed into the room. She was incredibly lucky, especially considering the sudden influx of white wolf kidnappings over the last fifteen years. The High Table had been hiding it for quite some time, but it was surprising what Kieran could uncover when motivated by the kidnapping of his twin.
While I was beyond elated that she was alive, there were a few things I was struggling to come to terms with. She had little to no information about where she and Ethan had been taken. They had both passed out from the gas, and by the time Kat had awoken, Ethan was gone. A wave of disappointment surged through me at that, so strong that the floor shifted beneath my feet. I tried and failed to cloak my emotions from Kieran and welcomed him when he came to stand behind me. His arms wound around my waist and anchored me here, keeping me from floating away to where Ethan might be.
Kat stayed in a room with rough walls and dirty floors, with the constant stench of mold and mildew in the air. She was able to narrow her location down to a basement, but that didn’t help much. The room had been fortified with silver, embedded in the walls and floor to cause her the utmost pain. The only relief she had was from a shabby cot that sat a foot from the ground. Before she had a chance to learn anything new, Zack Billford showed up to her rescue.
“Trust me, he didn’t plan to be there,” Kat scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. I could tell from the way she scrunched her nose that Zack Billford was fairly low on her list. “The stuck-up prick made that very clear. He only let me go because he knew Ethan would be enough to string you along. Speaking of which, he wants a meeting with the two of you.”
“A meeting with us?” I hissed, my eyes flashing murderously at the thought of getting him in a room with Kieran and me.
“Don’t even think about it, he was specific about the requirements,” Kat grunted and rolled her eyes. She was still flushed red, but that often happened when she faced someone she absolutely loathed, and it was not hard to loathe Zack Billford. “He made sure to let me know he had a few white wolves helping him. They’d know if you told anyone else or came with back-up.”
“Fucking great,” Kieran snarled under his breath. I could feel the tension in his jaw and shoulders as if it were my own, which some of it truly was. “He most likely wants to demand terms for Ethan. Those terms might include you, sweetheart. Which means, war might be coming sooner rather than later.”
His body was smooth stone when I ran my fingertips along the underside of his wrist. It comforted me that my touch made him soften and made some of that fury seep from his bones. I was still afraid, but that fear reminded me of what I had to lose. I hadn’t had this strange family for long, but I had grown more attached than I ever thought possible, and there was no way I would go down without a fight.
“I know, and I’m ready for whatever comes,” I told him, letting him feel the sincerity behind my words and the ruthlessness that would come when I faced our enemies.
“I’m not trying to interrupt this moment or anything, but there is something else.” Kat swallowed heavily, her eyes averted and glued to some speck of dust on the wall. After a few moments, she looked at the two of us. I couldn’t make anything out through the haze of emotions she was feeling right now, none out of place for what she had been through. “I want to be at this meeting. The asshole thinks he can’t trust me because I’m not close enough to you two. I want to prove him wrong.”
Who was I to question Kat’s hatred towards Zack Billford when I was building up an unhealthy amount for his father?
Nearly an hour later, the three of us were dressed and silently inching our way down the hall towards where we planned to meet Zack Billford. It was incredibly risky and could even be cataloged as a very stupid move. We were meeting in a foreign territory, completely under his whim and terms. We were walking in absolutely blind. Kieran was more than confident Zack wouldn’t try anything.
“His father isn’t confrontational, at least not around certain people,” Kieran explained, “He’d be pissed if Zack fucked with either one of us, especially something this serious. Clearly, he doesn’t want his father to know about this meeting, so he’s going to want it to stay under the radar.”
I had decided to remain in my slate grey dress, despite the attendants’ request to help me change into another. Kieran wore a pair of black slacks and a black dress shirt. Under any other circumstances, I’d be completely enamored with his attire. He looked absolutely drool-worthy, with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, exposing hardened arms with a spattering of onyx hair. Kat had showered and changed as well and was looking a million times better.
As the three of us walked down the hall, I kept her sandwiched between Kieran and me. As much as I needed the reassurance of my mate, Kat needed it more. Her rescue had been mere chance, and she was lucky to be standing here right now. I briefly wondered if she had the chance to talk to her parents, but decided not to mention anything.
Zack had given Kat a specific floor, room, and time. It wasn’t too difficult sneaking away from the guards that attended us. Most of the men were Ethan and Kieran’s, which meant they wouldn’t disobey an order from one of their Alpha’s. Kieran simply told them to give him some privacy for half an hour. Most would assume Kieran and I wanted some alone time in between the stressful moments we endured, which was exactly what we wanted.
Most of the heavy traffic in the hotel was on the first and second floors. The three of us saw little to no one on the upper floors of the hotel, which only served to make things more ominous. We turned corners and walked past end tables with blooming vases of flowers before finding the room we searched for. I could hear the individual breaths of each one of us as Kieran knocked on the door. The sound was near silent, the sound of a heartbeat, and yet someone on the other side must’ve heard it. We all stepped back as the door opened and Zack Billford appeared on the other end.
“Well? Once you’re finished gawking, I’d appreciate it if you came inside,” he said smoothly, his voice laced with just enough venom to suit his expensive clothes and perfect hairstyle. This made Kat snort and Kieran bristle. Despite the desperate desire to tear his head off, I made it through the door with my sanity intact. The hotel room was similar to the others, though the layout was entirely different. The furniture was still plush and modern but held some comforting elements.
Zack glided across the room in his grey suit. The white tie he wore around his neck reminded me of his icy personality. He looked like a male model in a suit, all pretty and smooth. The only thing off-putting was the sour look etched onto his face. It seemed vastly out of place for someone with his looks.
Kat bristled, and I anticipated the words that came from Zack’s mouth.
“Don’t act surprised to see me here,” Kat snorted, waving him away with a hand. Even though she radiated pure malice towards Zack, she refused to meet his eyes. If Kieran noticed the same, he let nothing on. “You’re just a puppet for your cruel dad. Get on with what you needed to say, and let’s be done with it.”
“Since you’re under the impression you know everything, I’m beginning to live for moments to prove you wrong,” Zack sneered, looking both handsome and ignorant.
“Oh, I’m under the impression I know everything?” Kat snarled, placing her hands on her hips as she stared down Zack Billford.
Zack’s crystal clear eyes darkened, and his handsome persona looked just a tad more murderous. Kat matched his anger, and judging from the growl building in his chest, she had won.
“You stubborn, insufferable-”
“Enough. You’re wasting our time if this is why you’ve called us here. My mate is missing, and you played a part in it,” I snapped, feeling the last of my collective patience fracture.
Zack’s attention was pulled from Kat, and I was surprised to see some of that anger vanish. It was replaced with unwavering suspicion. I wanted to laugh for a moment. He was acting as though we were the bad guys.
“I assume she fed you what I told her,” Zack spoke quietly yet firmly, content to completely ignore Kat altogether. She seemed happy doing the same. “I didn’t trust her, so I fed her what I figured she’d expect.”
“You lied?” Kat snorted, breaking their silent battle in record timing. Her voice turned sickly sweet, “Bullshit, Billford. You told me you only let me go because I was useless. Ethan was all they needed. Why would they need a tag-along friend?”
“I lied, but not entirely.” He shrugged, not even turning to meet her eyes. That made her fume, her pale skin erupting in flame. She was holding back; I could feel it in the way she attempted to reign her emotions in.
“It was necessary to keep Ethan from drawing attention. You were the least conspicuous option,” Zack explained calmly, his tone unwavering despite Kat’s mounting ire.
“The least conspicuous-” Kat began, her voice rising in indignation.
“What role did you play in Ethan’s abduction?” Kieran’s voice sliced through the escalating tension, his eyes locked on Zack’s with unwavering intensity.
Zack met Kieran’s gaze evenly, a calculating expression crossing his features. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken threats and unyielding resolve.
“I played my part,” Zack replied cryptically, his tone suggestive of deeper complexities. “Now, I propose a deal. You assist me, and I’ll ensure Ethan’s return.”