Orion
“There’s no need for anyone else to come with, the pilot and myself will get along just fine,” I said waving off the idea of an extra person.
Chad grimaced like he was waiting for me to hit him or something before he spoke again, “I do apologize alpha, but it would seem that Alpha Darius won’t let you take the helicopter without another person to...watch your back.”
“Fine,” I sighed letting my head fall back, feeling the need to be overdramatic about the situation. “Why would it matter that I’m far older than him and have three times the life experience— if he wants to be the den mother I’ll just have to let him. Any other requests from the overbearing alpha?”
“No, that was it,” Chad answered with a hint of a smirk on his lips. “The helicopter will be ready in ten minutes.”
Turning on my heel, I raced back up to our rooms so I could grab the few things I needed for this trip.
It had been over a century since I’d been back to where I hid my books right under the noses of humans.
If they had any idea of the history and knowledge hidden away in plain sight, the world would be a different place.
Which is why this was such an amazing hiding place and I hoped that they would be exactly where I had them last. The building had been restored a few decades back, but my sources claimed they didn’t remove anything.
It took two hours to fly where I needed to go and the chilly winter night was perfect for keeping people moving right along to their destination.
I’d rented a motorbike to weave my way through the streets of Amsterdam with my newly acquired shadow.
When I’d gotten on the helicopter the soldiers, Simmons and Talbot, didn’t ask questions and just took me where I directed.
Once we landed, I made sure not to lose my new friend Simmons and get him in trouble with Darius, even though I would have loved to ruffle his fur.
As we got close to the final destination, I pulled off onto a side alley and parked the bike, this last bit we would need to do on foot.
Creeping up to the massive building, I heard a gasp behind me.
“Alpha, I don’t mean to pry but are we really going to break into the Rijksmuseum?” Simmons asked, his body rigid with uncertainty.
“Now is it really breaking in when you have a key?” I inquired, pulling out said keycard from my pocket and waving it in the air. “We just need to avoid security, but if we don’t then well, I have a pass for that too. Trust me, we’ll be in and out before you know it.”
The man looked at me like I was crazy— which let’s be honest— I might be.
Walking around to the back of the museum, I headed for the maintenance doorway plaster with a sign saying employee’s only.
I quickly glanced around, spotting the cameras that I knew would be there, but I wasn’t worried, Darius and his men could manage to erase all that.
Besides, I wasn’t stealing, just taking back what was mine in the first place.
Swiping my key and waiting for the buzz I pulled the door open and made to enter, but my shadow stopped me. “It would be wise to let me go in first, Alpha. I’m charged with your safety whether you feel you need it or not.”
Giving him a bright smile and a flourish, I let him enter before me.
Once he scoped out the maintenance room, he waved me in and we started off into the museum.
I of course, had to lead since he didn’t know where we were going, but I had to pause before we entered into a new room for him to check it out.
“What exactly do you think will be lying in wait for us here in the museum? No one has any idea that I’ve hidden things away here or that I would even be coming tonight,” I mused as I leaned against the entryway of the next room.
“It’s not that I think someone is going to attack, it’s that I would like to be the one the guards catch so they don’t shoot you,” Simmons answered, causing my brows to touch my hairline.
“You do realize that we are both werewolves and I would heal easily from a gunshot wound from a normal bullet,” I pointed out.
Simmons paused and turned to me. “Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn, but you are family to my Alpha and he’s lost his mate. There is no way that I will make him suffer losing another person of his family or pack right now.”
“Oh…oh.” I gasped covering my mouth once it hit my brain. “Do you have a crush on Darius?”
Simmons screwed up his face like I’d just told him I wanted to lick an outlet.
“Fuck no. Alpha Darius saved my family from being attacked by the Russian wolves. I lost my father in that battle as he was trying to protect my three little sisters. I know what it feels like to lose someone and not be able to do anything about it. I’m just trying to repay him for what he did for us by protecting his family. ”
“That is very gallant of you... boring but gallant,” I sighed as we finally made it to the Cyprus Library. “Now stand by the door and make sure we don’t get caught, and no peeking to see where I’ve hidden my treasure.”
Once I was sure my gallant friend was doing as I asked, I slipped deeper into the library and climbed the stairs up to the third floor.
This room was just like I remembered from when it was first constructed.
I’d talked the builders into making me a secret compartment in the back of one of the bookshelves.
I had to hand it to whoever was maintaining this place, there was not a speck of dust on these shelves and everything was in pristine condition.
Wandering down the aisle to the outer wall, I stopped a few feet before the end and took a seat on the floor.
Slipping on the white cloth gloves I had in my jacket pocket, I started to pull books off the bottom shelf until I could get to the secret panel.
Using a magnet, I pulled the panel off revealing a metal safe door, which I entered the combination so it would pop open.
The sight of the leather bound journals, books, and scrolls made me breathe easier.
Everything was here and no one had messed with it as far as I could tell.
That is until I took everything out and a yellowed brittle folded page fluttered to the ground.
Picking it up, I carefully opened it to find a handwritten note:
My Son,
I hope this finds you in time to stop what I’ve seen. Your mate and the children she carries need you.
In my vision I couldn’t see much, but what I can tell you is that they are keeping her underground. The only other helpful information was a symbol of a shield with a wolf howling at the moon on it.
I’m so sorry I didn’t get to meet her before I died or the chance to be able to tell you this in person, but you know the rules of our kind— never talk about your death.
It is close upon me, but it eases my pain to know this will help you and your new family.
I’ve entrusted this to a friend to send it to be found where and when you will need it the most.
I love you my son,
Mother
My hands shook as I read the letter for a second time, trying to make sense of what it was saying.
My mother had died when I was just a hundred years old, locked away in a castle, held prisoner by a wicked man who knew what talents she possessed.
I’d tried to save her, but I wasn’t strong enough at that time in my life and I’d refused to allow Okami to surface, still pissed that he even existed inside me.
How the hell did this letter end up here of all places?
I’d only used this spot for a hundred years.
That isn’t what we should be worried about at the moment. Your mother gave us clues to find our mate, I suggest we get back home where the others can help.
My wolf was right, there was time to figure out how a letter that had been written over three hundred years ago ended up here.
Quickly, I put what I came here for into the backpack I’d brought, then replaced the books back on the shelf.
Not wanting to worry about taking the steps, I vaulted over the railing falling the three stories and landing crouched on the balls of my feet before my watchful shadow.
“We’ve got to get out of here and quick, no time to scout ahead,” I said as I shot off into the museum.
Halfway back to the exit we were spotted.
“Stop,” a guard called. “Alert, we have two intruders in the building, shut down all exits and send backup.”
Ignoring the portly guard, I grabbed Simmons arm and dragged him after me when he stopped to deal with the guard. “There’s no time, that will only make matters worse if we can’t get out of this fucking building.”
It didn’t take us long to lose the guard, seeing that we were faster than the average human.
When we made it to the maintenance room, I shoved against the safety bar on the door trying to thrust it open, but it was locked.
Taking the keycard, I swiped it, but the panel just blinked red lights at me, letting me know the system was shut down as well.
I headed out of the room with Simmons right on my heels as I charged towards the window at the end of the hall.
I grabbed a stand that held velvet ropes blocking people off from this area and tossed it through the window.
“Fuck man, could you be any louder?” Simmons growled at me, keeping an eye out behind us.
Sirens sounded as the police swarmed around the front of the building, their red and blue lights glowing in the night.
“Feel like a swim?” I asked peering down at the river below us.
“What about the books you grabbed?”
I grinned at him and patted the bag on my back. “It’s waterproof of course, I knew this might happen, so like any good thief I was prepared.”
“You’re fucking crazy, Alpha,” Simmons muttered shaking his head. “No wonder why they decided you needed backup.”
His outburst made me laugh as I vaulted out of the window and into the river below.
The water was frigid and the only things that kept it from freezing over was because it was always moving.
Pulling my backpack off I shifted into my wolf clasping the bag in my teeth, knowing that my fur would keep me warmer and be the perfect disguise.
Hard to catch a man when all you see is a large white dog.
Simmons followed suit and we made our way back to where we left the helicopter.
When our pilot saw us running towards him as our wolves he started the engine and was ready to take off the moment we leapt in.
Not feeling the need to return to my human form, I curled up around the bag that held the note and all the information we needed to figure out what magic Viv might possess.
Allowing my eyes to close I dozed off until I felt myself fall into the in-between space where I saw my visions.
Viv appeared before me, belly swollen with child, blood dripping from her hospital gown, and the fury of an avenging goddess radiating from her. I could see her wolf shimmering in her eyes as she locked on to whoever her prey was before her.
“You cannot keep me here,” she declared, her voice holding so much power her alpha will vibrating around her. “I will be released or you will all die.”
“Please my child, you need to calm down, this much activity isn’t good for the babies. Who knows what damage you might have already caused with this much power flowing through you,” Dr. Faulk pleaded, kneeling in front of her.
Viv started to growl as her fingers shifted into something that resembled claws. “Do not presume to tell me how to protect my children.”
“No, you mustn’t shift, that will cause your babies to be aborted. I understand you are upset and scared, but we need to think of the babies, we can’t lose them.” Dr. Faulk begged falling on his face, grabbing her ankles.
Just as Viv was about to say something else the color drained out of her face and her body began to shake.
Fluid and blood started to trickle down the inside of her legs as she clutched her stomach.
“No, please, no. Not now, you can’t come now.
You’re not safe, you need to stay in there until I’ve made it safe for you.
” She looked up and seemed to meet my gaze, almost as if she knew I was standing there watching her. “Find me.”