Chapter 5
Lachlan
My phone had been smashed in to a million pieces and tossed in the trash shoot. To be honest, it was quite therapeutic. I didn’t usually give much credibility to hitting or pounding things like that, but I may have to reconsider and do some further research on it.
Using Taylor’s phone, I was able to get back in touch with Siggy. He had my siblings in a safe, undisclosed location, and the mysterious car hadn’t shown up again since. That was certainly a relief, but I didn’t think I would fully relax until they were out of the country. The problem with that was I didn’t trust anyone to move them like that, which meant I was going to have to do it myself, but I also couldn’t stand the idea of leaving Tilly behind to take them home. It was a conundrum, but for now they were at least safe, or as safe as could be.
Bravo team came bursting through the door as I was just hanging up from my latest call with them.
“I’m going to blow those sonofabitches up when we find out who’s behind this,” Baine said.
They all gathered around the table in the dining room where I was already sitting.
I wasn’t technically a part of Bravo, not even fully on loan to them at the moment. They were just the suckers stuck with babysitting me. I knew everyone was terrified I was going to run off half-cocked and do something stupid. It was why I’d been holed up in this ridiculous penthouse for the last few days.
“What’s going on?” Taylor asked before I could.
“Woody checked in and said one of the Tribes his team went to check out was just gone. It’s like they vanished. Patrick’s calling in with an update. Thought it best if we were all here for it,” Silas explained.
I started to get up and move to my bedroom before they told me to go to Taylor and Grant’s where the dampener was setup so I couldn’t eavesdrop.
“Stay,” Silas said. “I know you’re going to need to hear this too.”
I sat back down and the others filled in the empty seats.
When his phone rang, I jumped a little as nervous energy lit my body. I had the strong urge to get up and start pacing again, but somehow I refrained.
“Patrick, you’re on speaker. I have my full team plus Lachlan here.”
“Good. I’m afraid I have some disturbing news.”
“More disturbing than a vanishing Tribe?” Baine asked.
“You mean the one Charlie team found? Or the one Eliott’s group just found.”
“There’s more?” Silas asked.
“There more. It would appear the Collector’s also attacked Ravenden back here in the States.”
Everyone went quiet and then questions exploded all at once.
“Settle down, I may be able to provide some answers.”
“You’re in Ravenden? Why? Isn’t your mate basically about to explode? She was enormous the last time I saw her,” Tarron said.
“I won’t tell her you said so. And yes, the baby is due in three weeks. But also, this was that important. With all of you gone, I had to recruit some of the interns to assist me. With Collector activity at an all-time high, we had to check on our allies. We all know the ravens are of particular high interest to the Collectors.”
“Cut to it. What happened?” I asked.
“There was an attack, a very calculated one and I fear that perhaps it’s being used on the Tribes as well. I’m sending over information through a secured email.”
Mine dinged first, well, Taylor’s.
“Go ahead and open it,” she told me.
I nodded and clicked the link.
There was a full report on fires set throughout Ravenden, fires that were causing an airborne toxin that was paralyzing people as vans pulled up and gathered the fallen. It was like something out of a post-apocalyptic novel.
I shuddered trying to decide if that or being shot with a tranquilizer was worse.
“Did Charlie find fires throughout the Tribe?” Jake asked.
“They did. I just got off the phone with Woody who confirmed it.”
“Well that at least explains that. These fires are knocking out, not killing though, right?” I asked.
“Correct.”
“So where are they taking them? That must be a pretty big facility. How is this flying under our radar?”
“That’s an excellent question, Lachlan. I have a team working on that as we speak. How are you holding up?”
“As well as can be expected, sir.”
The others chuckled.
“Actually, he’s doing remarkably well,” Grant praised. “I know I would not have handled his situation with nearly such grace. I doubt any of us would.”
“Good. Let’s try to keep it that way. We have enough chaos on our hands right now.”
“I’ll try my best,” I said dryly.
The rest of the meeting I spent quietly observing. It was what I was best at.
Afterwards, the team stuck around and chatted and teased each other like brothers. I’d had that with Delta before coming here. It made me miss the guys, even if I was still angry with them.
Unable to stand it any longer, I excused myself and retired to my room, but as I passed by Chelle’s door, I found her peeking out and trying to listen in.
She started to close it when she realized I’d just busted her, but I stopped her.
“It’s okay. You should be kept in the loop too.”
“I wasn’t exactly trying to eavesdrop. I just wanted to know if there were any updates on my sister, or my family. I haven’t been allowed to contact anyone. Has my family been notified that I’m okay? Has Aiden? Are the King and Campbell Tribes okay?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have any answers to those questions, Chelle. But, I can find out and make sure they’re all informed.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. I’m only sorry you had to ask. These are things I should have kept up on without you having to ask. I’ve just been so focused on Tilly and my own family. I really am sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s okay. I know I’ve been angry in general, and especially at you. That whole auction thing was so humiliating, but I don’t mean to be a bitch. I guess I’m grateful you bought me? That sounds so icky.”
“Yeah. It’s all good, though. I’m happy to have purchased you, but just so we’re clear, I don’t believe any person can own another. I did what I had to do to get you out of there and maybe selfishly too.”
“Selfish how?”
“Well, I’m hoping things will go back as originally planned and you’ll go on to mate Aiden.”
“Removing that responsibility from Tilly so you can have her?” she guessed.
“Something like that. I’m sorry. It’s a terrible thing to say. No one should ever be forced into mating someone they don’t want to be with.”
“But you’d still rather it be me than my sister?”
I sighed. “I really am an arse.”
“I’m not convinced of that. You’re really my sister’s true mate, yeah?” Chelle asked.
“I am.”
“And you’re sure of this?”
“You’ve clearly not met your true mate if you have to ask that.”
“No, I haven’t. As a kid I used to dream he was Aiden. I hated him so much, but a part of me sort of loved him too.” She scoffed. “Weirdass childhood fantasies. And then suddenly Dad tells me that he needs me to step up and mate him, not just for our Pack, but for our entire Tribe.”
“You were conflicted.”
She nodded.
“Is that why you went out on that run the night he arrived?”
“Yes. I knew he was coming. There was a part of me excited to see him but also a part that was repulsed and so angry at the idea. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“I know.”
“I mean it, Lachlan. You’ve been good to me, and if you’re Tilly’s mate then that makes you family.”
She sobbed when she said her sister’s name.
I pulled her into my arms and just held her while she cried.
“I’m going to find her,” I promised.
“What if. . .”
“No. There are no what ifs. I am going to find her.”
“She’s lucky to have you.”
“You’re wrong. I’m the lucky one.”