Chapter 20 Rory
Rory
“They must know by now that Devraj somehow escaped,” Seb said.
“Unless it’s a trap.” Kit’s voice crackled through my phone’s speaker. “And they’ve released him deliberately to lure Terrier to them.”
I’d given Seb and Kit the full rundown while Maxwell took guard duty downstairs.
“Teddy was reading Dev’s thoughts. He’s being honest.”
“That doesn’t mean it isn’t a trap, Terrier! He just might not know it!”
Seb’s voice cut through my brother’s agitation. “I’m also concerned that he might have a tracker implanted on—or in—him. I suggest you burn the clothes.”
“That’s not going to help if they’ve implanted a tracker into his skull,” snapped Kit.
“We’ve been staring at the picture. If they were just draining cerebrospinal fluid, you’d expect a simple puncture wound, maybe one stitch at most. But that…
” He trailed off. “The three of you could be in grave danger. You all need to come home, now.”
“Is that an order from Noctule?” I asked flatly.
Silence stretched across the line.
Eventually Seb spoke. “I’ll always prioritise the safety of my team, but if Terrier and Teddy are happy to continue, I agree with their assessment that it could be helpful to remain a little longer.”
Kit’s sigh was audible. I could picture him scowling in his chair, frustrated but unwilling to challenge Seb directly. “It’s worrying Dev doesn’t actually remember escaping. He only regained control of his consciousness after he’d ‘escaped’ and attacked you.”
“Yes, I know. It’s all very worrying. That’s why we need answers.”
“Magpie is searching for information about that cluster of buildings as we speak. You can expect an update from him shortly.”
“So what are we thinking about this ‘pack gathering’ tomorrow?” asked Seb. “Has the whole event been orchestrated to gather intelligence on shifters in the area? Or possibly, are they planning on snatching up over a hundred wolves?!”
Kit inhaled sharply. “Surely not.”
“Who knows?” I said. “That’s why we can’t just walk away right now.”
“If Callum specifically wanted you there tomorrow, that isn’t good.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised, and Kit laughed like I’d told the most hilarious joke.
“I need to get back to Teddy, but um, are you free for another few minutes Kit?”
I hoped my meaning was clear—I wanted him to take his phone, and leave Seb’s office.
There was some sort of muttered conversation between the pair of them, then Kit said, “Uh… sure.”
Scuffling sounds, a door closing.
“What is it?” Kit said, voice dripping with curiosity. We weren’t the sort of siblings to have secret, clandestine chats.
I took a breath. “Can a mate bond screw with someone’s mind? Like, force the other person to feel attracted to them?”
“What? A mate bond? Rory, mate bonds don’t work like—” There was a long pause. “Wait, do you think you have a mate bond with Dev? And that sent him crazy?”
“This is nothing to do with Dev.”
“What?”
“Just answer the question!”
Kit’s voice turned sharp, bitter. “I one hundred percent know it certainly doesn’t work like that.”
Something in his tone made my breath catch. “What? What do you mean? How do you know?”
“Why the hell are you talking about mate bonds right now?”
Silence stretched as I searched for the words to tell him that my wolf had decided my archnemesis was the perfect choice for a life partner.
Then suddenly—
“Fuck. Do I owe Peacock twenty quid?”
“Umm…” I grimaced. “Maybe?”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. Seriously?! Teddy? And you? You and Teddy? How…? What?! Christ, is there something in the water up there?!”
“But listen. Do you know how to break a mate bond? This whole thing was an accident, and I’m worried Teddy will hate me for it.”
“I don’t know anything about that.” His voice went quiet, sad even. “Sometimes I wish there was a way to turn it off.”
“Huh?” Why was he again talking as if he had firsthand experience? “Ages ago you told me that relationship you had with that other soldier… You said you hadn’t had a mate bond!”
“That’s true. I don’t mean with them.”
My brain struggled to process what he was saying. “Well, who do you mean, then?!”
“Do you want me to come up there?” Kit asked suddenly. “Because I will.”
Well that was a subtle change in conversation.
“No,” I said firmly, my heart swelling at the conviction in his tone. “I’ll see you soon.”
Hanging up, I made my way downstairs. Maxwell, now sitting in the armchair with his laptop open, looked up at me, and his face broke into one of those rare, genuine smiles that transformed his entire expression. Something warm and settling flowed into me—like coming home after a long journey.
The realisation slammed into me, stealing my breath.
I didn’t want to break this bond. Not even a little bit.
The thought of severing this connection, of losing this constant awareness of Maxwell’s presence and emotions—though it would undoubtedly be challenging—made my stomach lurch with something approaching panic.
What did that make me? Some sort of supernatural stalker who’d trapped an unwilling victim? But Maxwell had said he didn’t want me to stay away. He’d chosen to get closer to me, over and over again.
“Everything alright?” Maxwell asked, voice tense.
“Yeah, just… Kit being Kit. Seb says we can keep going for now.”
Dev now housed Freddy in his lap, and was gently stroking him. Seemingly Freddy had forgiven him for the whole flinging incident last night. Dev grinned at me. “He bit me twice, then decided we were mates again. Fickle little bastard.”
“That’s Freddy for you. Zero loyalty, maximum chaos.”
Maxwell cleared his throat. “So, Felix just emailed us. Shall I summarise what he’s found?”
“Shoot,” I said.
“So, Highland Heritage Trust,” Maxwell said. “They do have an online presence, though it’s pretty minimal. Working email address, basic website—nothing fancy.”
I perched on the arm of his chair, close enough to read over his shoulder. Our bond hummed contentedly at our proximity, which was both distracting and oddly comforting.
“Here’s the interesting bit,” Maxwell continued.
“Felix tried to hack into their email system but he’s hit a wall.
Triple verification security, military-grade encryption.
That’s not normal for a small heritage organisation.
” Maxwell scrolled down. “Also, the Highland Heritage Trust doesn’t just own that one building.
They’ve got seven other properties scattered across the Highlands. ”
“Seven?!” Seven other properties meant more potential holding sites, more places Dev’s captors could have moved other victims. “What was the original purpose of the first building?”
“Used to be a teaching hub for children. Closed down almost a decade ago, after some sort of funding deficiency.”
“Doesn’t sound like they’d casually have padded cells and operating theatres in a teaching hub.”
“Felix managed to pull the original architectural plans,” Maxwell said, bringing up a blueprint. “Two-storey building, basic layout. No basement shown on any of the official documentation.”
Dev shifted, his expression troubled. “I’m absolutely certain I was kept underground. The way sound carried, the smell of the air, even the temperature.”
Maxwell hummed. “It’s entirely possible there are underground levels that aren’t on the official plans.”
“How exactly did Carrie come to know about this building?” I asked Dev.
Dev scratched behind Freddy’s ear. “After Ewan went missing, an old friend contacted her. Someone they knew—who insisted on remaining anonymous—worked there briefly. They wouldn’t talk to Carrie directly, only gave her friend basic information: that building, and that the Thorne family were involved. ”
I barked a laugh. “I’m not surprised.”
But I was surprised. My mother took immense pride in being a shifter. She wouldn’t want them cut open, even shifters from other packs.
Then again, how much did I really know her? I’d left shortly after I turned twenty. Maybe desperation had driven them to compromise their principles.
The thought made my stomach churn.
“All we know for sure is that Callum’s involved,” Maxwell said. “Which doesn’t surprise me. The man has ‘prick’ written all over him.”
“So, are we going to check out this building?” I said, at the same time my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Unknown
Is this your number? It’s Isla. Let me know if you have any time to hang out or go for a run. Hope you’re enjoying the cottage!
“It’s my cousin Isla wanting to meet me.” I chewed my bottom lip, considering. “Actually, it might be a good idea to bring her in on this. She might be helpful. She’s much more in the know about my family than I am, and she keeps reaching out to reconnect.”
Maxwell glared at me through his glasses. “Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“We can’t trust that she won’t tell Edina everything we’ve discussed. She’s ultimately her alpha, after all.”
I shifted on the chair arm, feeling a spike of frustration flow through our bond. “Yeah, but Isla’s different. You heard her. She hates the pack almost as much as me. She barely comes back here.”
“That doesn’t mean she won’t feel obligated to report back,” Maxwell said, “or feel unable to lie if your mother directly asks her. I’m not a shifter, but my understanding of these things is that pack loyalty runs deep?”
I couldn’t help my hackles rising. Maxwell, daring to educate me on shifter politics?
We stared at each other, Maxwell pursing his lips together in a stubborn line. But underneath, I caught flickers of genuine worry—not just about operational security, but about me walking into another potential trap.
The weight of that concern, flowing warm and steady through our connection, deflated my anger.
“Fine,” I said, shoving my phone away. “But if we end up needing insider information tomorrow and don’t have it, I’m going to be insufferably smug about being right.”
Maxwell’s mouth twitched. “I can live with insufferable smugness.”