Chapter 36
Liam
The text from Dante threw every alpha instinct into high gear.
Elijah compromised. Danger. Get out now!
I knew something bad happened, and my priority was to keep Celeste safe.
“What is it?” Vigo panted, his muscles taut as he sensed the danger.
“Dante said we’re in danger and need to leave now. Celeste is a target.” I said, and before I was even done talking, Vigo was halfway up the stairs to get her. Sterling’s face went ice cold when he heard the words.
“Fuck. This is bad. Do you have any weapons?” He asked, and I shook my head.
Sterling raced to his bag, then pulled out a gun.
I was surprised, but I shouldn’t have been.
“I know what to expect from Gideon. Comes from working so closely with a monster for so long.” He checked the weapon, then threw me a steel pipe.
“I only have one. And if we’re up against who I think, we are in a very bad situation.
” He said, looking unsure for the first time.
“What do you mean?” I asked, and Sterling looked at me with a sobering look.
“When Gideon first planned to get rid of you all, he already had bids put out to several packs. He wanted to get your pack out of the way, make it look like an accident. If Dantes says we are in trouble, that Elijah is compromised, then we are in immediate danger - likely from one of the hired packs. But unless Dante told Elijah where we are, I don’t know how he could have found us. ”
“Fuck!” I yelled, crawling toward the window and looking out. I didn’t see anyone yet. “Can we get somewhere safe?”
“Yes!” Celeste cried out, Vigo leading her down the stairs and using his body as a shield. “My friend Bella has a safehouse nearby, we can go there!” I nodded, grabbing her bags and checking for our phones.
“Wait.” Sterling said quietly, motioning for us to stay still. “I see something.” He was peering out the other window, his gun drawn up. “Someone - a team - they are surrounding the perimeter.” His words fell like lead.
“How many?” I asked, texting our private security back at the house to see if we could get help down here.
“Two, so far. But there could be more. I-” His words were cut off as we heard a shattering of glass.
“Positions,” I said, already standing. Sterling was up before I finished the word, chambering a round. Vigo slipped toward the back hallway like a shadow. Celeste froze mid-step, coffee cup in her hand, eyes flicking from me to the front windows.
“Trouble?” she asked.
“Trouble,” I confirmed, shoving the coffee out of her hands and into the sink. “Stay behind me. Don’t argue.”
The first shot didn’t come from outside - it came from Sterling, low and controlled, a single suppressed round through the cracked window toward the shadow moving along the side fence. The figure dropped.
“Three more, coming from the East,” Vigo’s voice came from the back, calm but clipped. “All armed.”
We didn’t have to ask who sent them. It was exactly as Sterling warned. These were professionals.
For the next few minutes, it was a quiet war.
There were silenced shots, shattering glass as we waited and took out the rogue pack that was coming after us.
I kept Celeste behind me, the kitchen table flipped to block the door as we tried to count the number of people who were after us.
Then, I heard a sharp hiss from Sterling as he reloaded.
A body fell before the man ever made the porch.
Then… stillness.
“Clear?” Celeste whispered.
I didn’t answer. My gut felt something was wrong. Too wrong.
The back door slammed open, shouts from Vigo and Sterling as they engaged someone else in the yard.
The sound of a boot on hardwood behind us spun me around.
It was an armed intruder, an alpha so big that even I was shocked.
He was masked, wearing a black jacket, and raised his gun, pointing it at Celeste.
She was behind me, in clear range of the intruder.
A shot rang out.