“As bad as it sounds, I think that’s the smartest thing to do,” I frowned. “That’s what Maverick is trying to do, show the world that we’re the bad guys. If his own son shows up telling a story about how we held him against his will, it’ll give Maverick even more reason to believe it.”
“Then what’s the story?” Kieran grunted, some of the hardness in his eyes eroded as he looked down at me.
“Well-we caught Zack off guard and attacked him. We forced him to help us get Ethan back and left him in one of the hotel rooms when we were finished,” I suggested, knowing that the story had holes. It was the best I could come up with at three in the morning.
“He’s going to torture me regardless, so I better get my stories straight,” Zack said evenly, devoid of emotion. What hurt me the most was how nonchalant he sounded, as though that kind of punishment was normal growing up.
“Won’t he just use Claire on you once you get back home?” I pointed out, knowing that could ruin his plans before they even began.
“Once I’m in my father’s pack, I have allies of my own. There are a lot of protective abilities among the white wolves, and more than enough owe me a favor or two,” he replied, his gaze fixed on the window. “We’re going to need more details. If you and Kieran subdued me, why did I not simply mind-link my father or his men?”
I paused for a moment, piecing together the steps. “We used silver on you, enough to knock you out and cut your connection to your pack,” I explained slowly, feeling the pieces click together in my mind.
“Up until we went there, you had no clue the house existed. Won’t Maverick know that?” Kieran interjected, raising a valid point.
“I’ll tell him I’ve known about it the entire time,” Zack shrugged, meeting Kieran’s eyes. “I know he purchased it nearly a year and a half ago, and who the buyer was, which will be proof enough for him.”
“Once we had Ethan back, we left you in one of the hotel suites. We knew you couldn’t miss this meeting or it would draw attention, so we injected you with just enough to knock you out for an hour. It wore off in time for the meeting, which you then showed up for. You didn’t have the time to tell Maverick what happened, because the meeting had already begun,” I concluded, somewhat proud of our fabricated story.
“What about Eve? Won’t he know from Sophia’s memory that she was there as well?” Kieran added.
“Your cynical nature is really proving handy on this one, brother,” Ethan smirked from beside me.
“How long did Claire touch you for?” Zack asked sharply. “I need you to be as accurate as possible.”
“It couldn’t have been for more than a few seconds, but there’s no way for me to know for sure,” I replied, meeting his gaze without flinching.
“It’s a risk we’ll have to take,” he said firmly. “She was with Kieran for the first half. Let’s hope that’s the part that Claire viewed.”
While I wasn’t thrilled about sending Zack back to his father, it wasn’t a terrible plan. If it worked, it would give us the upper hand we desperately needed. In the end, it was Zack’s choice to make, but something still bothered me-a nagging feeling in my chest, persistent and unsettling.
“Why can’t we tell her, Zack?” I asked abruptly. “She understands just as well as anyone that you make your own choices. If this works, it could change things, but it’s your risk to take.”
“She will know nothing about it, Sophia,” he snapped harshly, his cool demeanor turning bitter. I sensed next to nothing from his emotions, the wall he had erected around them impenetrable. “I don’t want her mixed in with what I am doing, and not for the sentimental reasons I’m sure are going through your head right now. She has no place in any of this. I might be stuck working with you three, but she is a distraction I never asked for.”
I wasn’t sure if he noticed that last part had slipped out, but his anger was palpable. The twins stiffened on either side of me, but I quickly motioned for them to remain calm.
When Zack had first showed up at the twins’ cabin, I had felt absolutely nothing from him. The wall around him was thick granite, impenetrable and solid. After meeting Kat, the rock began to chip and erode; seared by her intensity and passion.
That wall around him was going to shatter, and I only hoped Kat would be free from the explosion when it did.
Against my better judgment, I pushed again. He was finally doing the right thing, standing up to Maverick in the one way that mattered. He was stepping into the light and accepting his role in creating this new future, but I still couldn’t fathom why Kat couldn’t be a part of this new future with him. One where Maverick wasn’t there to exact control over him, where he was free to choose Kat.
“What you’re doing doesn’t make any sense, Zack. Did Maverick mess you up that badly that you can’t see what you’re giving up? She’s literally meant for you, in all of your ignorant, stubborn, asshole ways,” I scoffed, hardening my face as anger flashed in his eyes. “We’re trying to change things for everyone, to create something new and better. There is no reason for you to be doing this to her. She deserves better, and yet she’s saddled with you.”
Anger sizzled and burned through the cracks in his wall, though his emotion wasn’t scalding like Kat’s. Zack’s anger was laced with ice and frost, bitter and biting.
“I don’t have to explain anything to you, not a single fucking thing,” he snapped, his voice dripping with rage.
Standing abruptly, hands clenched at his sides, he didn’t even spare a glance at the twins as he turned and walked stiffly from the room.
Just as he opened the door, I spoke loud enough for him to hear.
“Your emotions come out when you’re drunk, Zack. You can’t hide that.”
The door clicked shut, sending the room into silence once more. Zack’s plan was a risky one, but in my mind, Kat had a right to know. She was a part of this mess, hunted by Maverick simply for being important to me. While I supported Zack’s choice, I knew I couldn’t lie to Kat.
My hope about war meetings and sleep had come true. Wedged between Ethan and Kieran, with nothing more than their body heat and a thin sheet to keep me warm, I floated in that blissful space between sleep and wakefulness.
Sunlight daggers jolted me awake, pain and confusion clouding my mind. Struggling against grogginess, I groaned and pushed myself upright.
“Get dressed, sweetheart,” Kieran grunted, moving faster than usual.
A shirt and jeans were tossed onto the bed, but I struggled to process it all. Instead of questions, I took a few minutes to dress. Ethan strolled over to help, a smirk on his face.
“You’re a heavy sleeper,” he teased, guiding my arms through the shirt holes.
“What happened?” I asked, fighting the haze in my voice.
“Yeah, something happened,” Ethan grunted, his demeanor serious now. “Zack left last night.”
Like a bucket of cold water, I was fully awake from that point onward. Ethan and I descended to a furious Kat, her anger directed mostly at Kieran.
“Were you going to tell me that he planned on leaving?” Kat snapped, her eyes narrowed.
“I was going to tell you, I swear,” I interjected, stepping forward. I felt her anger and betrayal, sharp and painful. “He said he wasn’t leaving until tomorrow night. I thought it could wait until morning. I didn’t know he would leave a few hours later.”
She looked skeptical, her doubt piercing my chest. I masked the hurt, hoping she could see the truth-that I wouldn’t keep something like this from her, especially about her own mate.
“The moment Zack told us his plans, Sophia decided she would tell you,” Kieran spoke up, meeting Kat’s gaze unwaveringly. “On our honor as Alphas, Sophia intended to inform you before Zack left.”
Her suspicion slowly faded, taking the pain in my chest with it.
The rest of the day was tense, the feeling of the world holding its breath growing stronger.
As the clock struck ten, the tablet on the table erupted in shrill alarm. Initially annoying, it escalated when the sound connected to the television speakers.
Ethan dashed into the room, carrying a forgotten plate of food. The screen remained blank, until a click activated the television mounted on the wall. Bright light flooded the room, revealing Carlos Caddel’s face. He stood a few feet from the camera, his onyx hair disheveled and jacket torn.
“Hello, Sophia. If you’re receiving this message, it means I am dead.”