Chapter 45 Harland
HARLAND
Watching Marcus amass the vast resources of his pack and direct them toward getting Warren and Max’s brothers out of Florida made Harland regret his decision to keep himself removed from the greater vampire community.
If he’d had a network of friends and alliances, he might have had something to contribute beyond his own meager vampiric abilities.
“They’re giving us an opening,” Odin said from the screen of Marcus’s computer.
Marcus and his district alphas were on a conference call with the alpha council, discussing the path forward.
“They claim to have no record of the flight being diverted, and they’re insisting that General Taylor is not involved.
According to official records, the base outside of Tampa is under the control of a private contracting operation. ”
“In other words, we have the all clear,” Marcus said.
Odin nodded. “Officially, it’s not a military base. If we storm it, which they expect us to do, any casualties will be swept under the rug.”
Harland reached for his laptop and browsed the most up-to-date file they had on the Florida program.
From what they now understood, the program was the brainchild of a general named Harvey Taylor.
Taylor had partnered with a genetics company with the intention of creating enhanced humans.
Showing his narcissism, he’d used his own sperm for the project, hiring women to donate eggs and act as surrogates.
The embryos had been genetically altered by splicing in werewolf genes and then implanted.
From the notes they had obtained through hacking the military files, the program had been a failure.
Rather than enhanced humans, the genetic alteration seemed to yield full werewolves.
Once the higher-ups in the military got wind of the project, they shut it down and tried to hide the blatant violation of the human-werewolf treaty.
Marcus was working on finding out which higher-ups had actually authorized the use of werewolf genes, and Harland had no doubt that they would be dead within the week.
Odin was the one to ask the question that everyone was wondering.
“Are we going to Florida?”
Marcus looked grim, but he nodded.
“The base has to be a safe zone. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been diverted there. We’ll airlift in a small team and take the base, get our people, and helicopter out.”
“I’d like to lead the incursion team,” Odin said. “I have experience storming military installations and taking down paramilitary werewolf groups.”
Marcus granted his request while announcing that he would lead the extraction team.
Confident in Marcus’s ability to handle the planning, Harland left the room to find Max. He could feel his mate’s turmoil across their bond, and though he wanted to be there to oversee the plan to get Warren back, he didn’t have anything to contribute.
Comforting Max was something he could do right now that would make a difference.
Following the sound of Max’s grunts through the house, Harland found his mate in the gym absolutely demolishing a punching bag hanging from the ceiling.
Max attacked the bag with a frenzied growl, pummeling it and releasing his rage into every punch.
“Feel better?” Harland asked when Max collapsed against the bag, swaying with it and panting for breath.
“No. This is so fucked.” Max stepped back and shook out his hands, his movements fast and agitated. He punched the bag again. “My biological dad is an egomaniac psycho who wanted to create super soldiers using his own sperm.”
Max kicked the bag, overextending his leg and falling over. He jumped to his feet and hit the bag hard enough that the hook holding it in place was ripped out of the ceiling.
He glared down at the bag now lying sideways on the floor. “I’m not even a real werewolf.”
That wasn’t acceptable. Harland went to him, grabbing him from behind and pulling him toward his chest.
“Feel that?” he asked, sending his love and reassurance across the bond.
Max struggled with sensing the bond, but Harland knew that it wasn’t because he was any less of a werewolf. He was just too used to suppressing his wolf and everything it told him. It was something that would get better.
“Yeah,” Max muttered, leaning back against Harland’s chest.
“And this?” Harland took Max’s hand in his, guiding it up to his neck where Max had claimed him.
Max stroked Harland’s throat, tracing along the edge of the bite he’d placed there with a happy rumble.
“Yeah.”
“Those mean that you are a real werewolf.” Harland kissed his temple. “It doesn’t matter how you were made.”
Max turned and looked at him. His eyes were wide and trusting. “We’re going to get Warren back, right?”
Harland kissed his forehead. “We are. Marcus is planning the extraction as we speak.”
“Can I go?” Max asked.
“Do you think you should?” Harland asked.
He understood why Max would want to – he wanted to – but they had to let Marcus plan it. Harland hoped that Marcus would ask him to come – that his speed could be useful – but he wouldn’t insist on going. The stakes were too high for egos to get in the way.
“No,” Max muttered. He turned around and rested his forehead against Harland’s. “Are they planning it right now?”
Harland nodded.
“Then let’s go listen.”