“They did it? They’re safe?” I gasped, hands covering my mouth as I stared at Kieran, happiness tinged with confusion. “Why were you feeling grief?”
“We lost some of our men out there,” he grimaced. “Normally Ethan and I would break the news to their families ourselves, but Ethan’s not here, and home is too far.”
“I’ve been a ball of worry this whole time,” I admitted with a sigh. “Now that we’ve held up our end, Zack has to hold up his. I couldn’t live with myself if we had to kill him, especially since he’s Kat’s mate. Maybe you could rough him up a bit and bring him to her; she might like that.”
“I wouldn’t do that to her without her approval,” Kieran assured me with a small smile. It went against his instincts to leave a threat alive, but he couldn’t go around eliminating High Table members. “We will-”
A soft knock interrupted us, and a note card slid under the bedroom door.
Kieran motioned for me to wait as he hurried to the door. Whoever had left the note was gone before he could unlock it.
“What does it say?” I asked eagerly, assuming it was from Zack.
“Guards are distracted for fifteen minutes. Meet in room 312,” Kieran read aloud in his deep voice. “Looks like Zack got the message.”
“How did he find out so quickly?” I wondered.
“I gave Zack a disposable phone and had the men message him,” Kieran explained with a shrug.
“Seemed easier than sneaking a message.”
“That was thoughtful of you,” I remarked, a smile playing on my lips involuntarily.
Kieran raised an eyebrow. “Thoughtful?”
“Yeah, helping Zack out like that,” I replied, nearly laughing.
“You joke at the worst times,” he sighed, a hint of amusement in his dark eyes.
Anticipation thrummed through me as I thought about Ethan’s return and what might happen next.
We brought Kat along as we made our way to room 312. The note was accurate; the two guards were absent, likely confused about their location in the lobby.
Inside, the room was already well-lit. Zack Billford sat in an armchair, holding a glass of scotch.
He looked too composed to be a drinker, but the half-empty bottle told a different story.
“You all look terrible,” Zack commented dryly.
I refused to let his comment sour my already improved mood. I bit my tongue, but Kat seemed particularly feisty today. I’d almost forgotten how sharp she could be when she was tired.
“It’s hard to sleep when your best friend’s mate’s fate depends on sneaking a group of white wolves out of a psycho’s territory,” Kat snapped, pointing a finger at Zack’s chest. I sensed his slight darkening of his eyes and an undercurrent of something fierce and hungry in his emotions.
He said nothing to her, only looking down at the inch that kept her finger from touching his chest. He raised an eyebrow, his seafoam eyes locked onto hers.
“Also, there’s another issue,” Zack said, turning his attention away from Kat to Kieran and me.
I felt Kat’s anger deflate as she stepped back from Zack. His emotions, like his father’s, were odd, and I could sense how he affected Kat. I also knew that Kat had some kind of effect on him.
“Is this about my brother?” Kieran practically snarled, and I found myself digging my nails into the soft fabric of his t-shirt.
“No, that’s a separate matter,” Zack sighed, waving his hand. He shifted his gaze from Kieran to me. Since he’d shown up at the cabin, Zack’s stare had had a strange effect.
While most people would have looked away at some point, his gaze was unwavering. It was sharp and focused, a weapon in its own right. “My father has learned about the missing white wolves. He has no evidence of who was truly involved, but we’ll face repercussions if he even suspects our involvement.”
“We’ll hold up our end; he won’t suspect anything from us,” Kieran assured him, and I nodded in agreement.
“Very well. There’s something else you should know,” Zack began, looking uncomfortable.
“Griffin Allard has rallied against you, and it’s gaining traction. Witnesses are turning against you. Griffin expects the High Table to vote today on your place in our world. It’s also my understanding that Nick Fox will side with Griffin in this argument. As long as my father remains unaware of our actions, I assume he’ll side with you.”
I wasn’t surprised by Griffin’s actions; I could feel his absolute disdain for me. It was only natural that he’d retaliate in some way, though I’d expected something more violent. Nick Fox’s stance disappointed me, but it wasn’t shocking news.
That left Damion Baron and Carlos Caddel, and I had no idea how either would vote. Carlos seemed inclined to support me, but talk of an alliance could have been a ruse. Damion seemed to favor logic, leaving me uncertain. The man had proposed experimenting on me, after all-how could I predict his decision?
“We’ll deal with it,” I sighed after a moment of silence, straightening my shoulders. “They can try, but my life won’t be dictated by a damn vote.”
“It’s time for you to uphold your end of the deal, Billford,” Kieran growled, suppressing a snarl that threatened to escape.
“Getting your brother isn’t going to be as straightforward as I made it seem,” Zack huffed, rolling his eyes as Kieran stepped forward, growling.
“Enough,” I snapped, grabbing Kieran’s arm firmly.
I fixed Zack with my fiercest glare, which seemed to give him pause-no small feat considering his usual composure. “Do you have a death wish? Stop messing with him, or I won’t bother holding him back. As dire as your situation may be, we have bigger concerns right now.”
“I said it wouldn’t be easy, not impossible,” Zack retorted, adjusting his suit with irritation. “It took time to gather the intel I needed. I had to ensure no trace led back to my father. There must be no evidence of our involvement today.”
“Our involvement?” I queried slowly.
“Unless you have someone else in mind to assist me in rescuing your mate,” Zack stated flatly. “Turns out security is tighter than I anticipated, and my contact can only handle so much.”
I exchanged a meaningful look with Kieran, silently confirming we were both on board.
“We’re in,” Kieran nodded decisively. “Now, who’s this helper you’ve got lined up?”
“She’s already here,” Zack replied, nodding toward one of the bedrooms. “My father’s unaware of her presence, and it needs to stay that way. If he connects the dots…”
“She’s a white wolf, isn’t she?” I interjected, unable to contain my curiosity.
“Yes,” Zack confirmed after a moment’s pause, swiftly steering the conversation in a different direction.
“Ethan is being held half an hour from here, in River Lane,” Zack continued, his tone serious. “It was meant to be a bustling city, but financial troubles turned it into a patchwork of half-hearted homes. Many are abandoned, and that’s where your brother is being kept.”
“He’s been that close this whole time?” I breathed out weakly. “I haven’t sensed anything through our bond.”
“Once they saw the mark on his neck, they likely kept him sedated,” Zack explained with a frown. “I doubt he’s been conscious for much of his captivity.”
“When are we leaving?” Kieran demanded, his impatience matching mine.
“Now, if you plan to slip past your guardians,” Zack advised. “If you want to inform them, give it an hour or so.”
“They’re going to kill us,” I whispered to Kieran from the back seat of the sedan we arrived in. “Sebastian will never let me hear the end of it.”
“I’ll silence him if you want, sweetheart,” Kieran smirked from the driver’s seat.
Kieran drove the sedan, with Zack as the passenger-quite an awkward pair compared to the three of us in the back. Yes, I said three.
Zack’s ally was a teenage white wolf named Eve. Despite her youth, she projected an older aura in her fishnets, pleated skirt, and torn t-shirt. She seemed cool, though I found it hard to believe her when she claimed Zack wasn’t all that bad.
Zack’s one redeeming quality was that the white wolves he enlisted were volunteers; they worked with him willingly. For years, he had been helping wolves escape his father’s grasp, though he’d never directly challenged the man.
I sat between Eve and Kat as we sped down the highway. Despite my repeated attempts to learn more about Eve’s abilities, she refused to divulge anything until the time was right. She seemed more excited about my own abilities and the potential of becoming a ‘soul-eater’. I could hear music blasting through her headphones, grateful for the distraction.
Countless questions raced through my mind until I couldn’t hold them back any longer.
“Does this house belong to the High Table?” I asked Zack, my thoughts racing.
Zack fell silent for a moment, and through that momentary crack in his usual facade, I sensed a flicker of concern.
“The deed is under Arnold Fox’s name,” Zack finally replied slowly. “I’ve been reviewing all of my father’s documents, and this one caught my attention. He often places assets under others’ names to shield himself. This deed is likely meant to divert attention to Arnold should Ethan be rescued or escape. I have another contact who can extract memories from objects, and she confirmed what I suspected.”
“But that’s not all you wanted to say, is it?” I pressed, hoping for honesty rather than his usual defensive stance.
Knowing a man like Zack wouldn’t appreciate me probing his emotions, I refrained from mentioning them.
Zack sighed heavily. “I oversee all my father’s operations, even the less savory ones. I had no idea he owned this house, let alone its purpose. As his second-in-command and heir apparent, I’m beginning to wonder what else he’s kept hidden from me.”