Chapter 8
At one fifty-fivein the afternoon, I caught the sound of an approaching vehicle. My pulse quickened, and I leapt to my feet, my hand instinctively moving to my side, where I usually kept a weapon. Of course, I had no weapons right now, thanks to Adrian. But it was called muscle memory for a reason.
I hurried to the nearest window and peeked through a slit in the blinds. A white, nondescript van pulled up in front of the house, its windows completely blacked out. Before anyone stepped out, I returned to Avery and nudged her awake. She hadn’t slept deeply—tossing and turning—so she came awake instantly, her eyes flashing open and darting to me.
“Someone’s here,” I said. “I’m hoping it’s your people.”
She scrambled off the couch and stole her own peep through the blinds. A moment later, she stepped back and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms. “Yeah, that’s them. The extraction team.”
“You’re sure? Adrian’s people could use a van too.”
She shook her head and yawned, then pried apart the blinds and pointed at the front windshield. “See the bobblehead on the dashboard? That’s one of our markers. We couldn’t very well stamp the words ‘New Orleans Werewolf Pack’ on the side, now could we? So we used that instead.”
I narrowed my eyes and peered closer. “Is that?—”
“The Wolfman,” she said, chuckling. “Clever, hey?”
It was something alright. “Let’s let them in and get this done. The sooner we get Gabriel somewhere more secure, the better I’ll feel.”
“Agreed.” Avery hurried to the front door, but didn’t pull it open like I’d expected. Instead, she waited for a soft, and deliberate, knock. Two raps, a pause, two more raps, a pause, then a final knock.
A smile curled her lips, and she pulled open the door to reveal what I assumed were two pack members. Both turned to her, relief flashing across their faces.
“Avery, thank god,” one of them said. He stood taller, his broad-shouldered frame barely fitting through the door. He stepped inside with purpose and gathered Avery into his arms. His gaze briefly flicked to me, his curiosity evident in his arched brows. “We’ve been searching everywhere since you disappeared.”
“It’s good to see you, Daniel,” Avery said before reaching behind him to grab the hand of the second werewolf. Another male, narrower in build but taller than Daniel. “And you too, Matthew.”
“Girl, we had no idea where you were!” Matthew said before wrenching Avery out of Daniel’s arms and pulling her close. “What happened?”
Avery’s face darkened. “I’ll fill you all in later. No point in me retelling the story more than once.”
Both nodded, then turned to face me. “And you’re Sam’s sister-in-law?” Daniel asked.
“Maddie,” I said, offering my hand.
I shook with them both, noting that neither squeezed too little or too hard. I actually appreciated that. Usually, werewolves loved to test their strength against one another, but these two didn’t seem interested in that custom.
“I understand you have a vampire here?” Daniel asked.
“My mate, Gabriel,” I replied. “He’s asleep upstairs. I don’t know how familiar you are with vampires, but?—”
“We can’t let the sunlight touch him. Yeah, we know. New Orleans loves vampires. We do our best to keep informed about them.” Matthew turned and jogged back to the transport van, pulling open the back doors. “We have what we hope is the right equipment.”
“You hope?” I asked, stepping out onto the porch. The sun immediately stabbed my eyes, and I lifted a hand to shield against it. After three days of being kept in a dark, dank prison cell, the daylight hurt.
“Well, truthfully, we’ve never transported a vampire before. Never had a need to,” Matthew said. “But we spoke with Sam, and he assured us this would work.”
My hand flew to my stomach, and I pressed hard to ease the fluttering. Avery had asked someone to call them, but hearing that it’d been done, that they’d spoken to them, quickened my pulse. “You spoke to Sam? And Lucy?”
“Just Sam, ma’am, but he wanted us to pass along his relief that you’re alright. He and Lucy should already be at our alpha’s house waiting for you.”
“Wait, what?” My heart skipped a few beats, and I reached behind me, gripping Avery’s arm for support. “They’re here, in New Orleans?”
Matthew frowned, as though shocked by my reaction. “Yes, ma’am. When Sam heard you were here, he said they’d come immediately.”
Tears sprang to my eyes, and I had to blink them back. The thought that my sister might be here cracked open a gaping hole in my chest. They’d come. For me.
Sensing my distress, Avery broke my hold on her arm and patted my shoulder. “How about we get your man taken care of, and then we can take you to your sister?”
I jerked a nod. “Yeah. Yeah. That would be great.”
Matthew unloaded a large duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder before heading back inside. I trailed after them, my body trembling with nerves. Lucy loved me. I knew that without a doubt. But she was an alpha of her own pack. And the rules were clear among werewolves—we didn’t stray into each other’s territory. At least, not without just cause. Obviously, her relationship with the New Orleans Pack was quite different considering she and Sam were mates, but coming here meant leaving her pack. She had a rather capable second, of course. But it still meant the world that they’d come for me.
Once upstairs, Matthew and Daniel set to work. They unzipped the duffel bag and pulled out what appeared to be a massive blanket.
“UV-blocking,” Matthew told me as he shook it out and laid it on the floor.
Together, Matthew and Daniel lifted Gabriel off the bed and onto the floor with a gentleness that belied their strength. Gabriel couldn’t feel anything right now, but I still appreciated their care, considering everything he’d gone through the last three days.
They wrapped him tight, ensuring the fabric protected every inch of him from potential sunlight. Then, with Matthew at Gabriel’s feet and Daniel at his shoulders, they lifted him up.
“The neighbors might be watching,” I said as they carried him down the stairs.
“Could be. But vampires are public knowledge, and it isn’t illegal to transport one,” Daniel retorted.
“Here’s hoping they don’t think we’re moving a dead body,” I muttered.
Matthew chuckled as he took the last step. “Aren’t we, though?”
I rolled my eyes, not in the mood to correct them.
We hit the front steps, then carried him down to the waiting van and slid him inside, the blacked-out windows providing extra protection.
I climbed into the back next to Gabriel and placed a hand on his chest.
Avery locked up the safehouse, then hopped into the back with me and Gabriel, while Matthew and Daniel took the front. The second Daniel pulled away from the house, my muscles relaxed and I slumped forward, my head hanging. We were on the move, and heading to a more secure place. One where Sam and Lucy would be waiting for me. We weren’t out of the woods yet, but we were close enough that my body was starting to shut down. I needed sleep. And more food. And time to recuperate. I hadn’t been tortured like Gabriel or Avery, but I was still exhausted.
The van pulled into the afternoon traffic with practiced ease.
“Well, kid. We did it.”
My head rose at the sound of Avery’s voice. I caught her gaze and nodded. We’d escaped, somehow, but that didn’t mean we were safe. Nash would track Avery down. She knew all his dirty little secrets. As for Adrian? Well, he clearly had no intentions to forgive or forget. And neither did I. Ultimately, this was far from over.
A little over twenty minutes later, we backed into what I assumed was their alpha’s driveway. Matthew killed the engine, then hopped out and came around the back, yanking open the doors.
“We’re here. How about we get this vampire unloaded and get you two inside?”
“Oh, yes please,” Avery said. “I am dying for a shower.”
A shower sounded like the best thing in the world right now. Until this point, survival had been my only concern, leaving little room to worry about our appearances. But now that we were safe, I could see that we needed a little TLC. Dried mud coated us from head to toe, which merely hid the underlying grime from our time spent in the cages. Our clothes were shredded and filthy, hanging off us in tatters, while our hair was a tangled mess. And honestly, the smell…we were far from fresh. The bayou, for all its natural beauty, hadn”t done us any favors in the scent department, and combined with our lack of access to showers, we were both a walking, talking testament to our recent ordeal.
Avery gripped Daniel’s outstretched hand and hopped out of the van. I followed quickly after, then turned to take in the alpha’s house. It looked like all the other homes in the neighborhood with its faded pastel exterior and wrap-around porch. Large windows hinted at a high ceiling inside, and a pair of weathered columns framed the front door.
Matthew and Daniel stepped past me, Gabriel in their grasp, and carried him inside. Avery was hot on their heels, so I did the same, climbing the few steps up to the front door.
The instant we stepped inside, people came running to greet us with cheers and relieved cries.
Her pack members crowded around her, each vying for her attention, to touch her, wish her well, hug her, welcome her back. It was a whirlwind of embraces and pats on the back and shoulder, physical proof of their close-knit bond.
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but it certainly hadn’t been this. Clearly, Avery’s pack had been eagerly awaiting her return, and they were ecstatic to see her home safe and sound.
I hung back, but scanned the crowd for Sam and Lucy. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I studied each and every face. But when I didn’t see them, I started to wonder: had Matthew misheard? My stomach dropped with the thought.
Just as I was about to excuse myself to follow Matthew and Daniel deeper into the house, to ensure they found an appropriately safe place for Gabriel, the crowd fell silent, and all eyes turned to me, some sparked with curiosity and some with a bit of suspicion. After all, these people didn’t know me.
But then, like a scene straight out of a movie, the crowd began to part, creating a new path. And at the end of this path stood Sam and Lucy. Hot tears sprang to my eyes, and time seemed to slow as my gaze locked with my sister’s. Relief, joy, disbelief—it all crashed into me like a tidal wave.
With a watery hiccup, I staggered forward, each step faster than the last. The moment I reached them, I threw my arms around them both and pulled them into a hug that betrayed my every emotion.
Lucy’s arms were the first to come around me, and I heard her whisper, “Oh, thank god.” Sam was next, his massive frame engulfing the two of us together.
Choked with emotion, my knees gave out, and I sank to the ground, their arms tightening around me as we tumbled into a heap on the floor.
I pressed my face into Lucy’s shoulder, my tears now flowing freely.
“Shh,” Lucy soothed, running her hands gently over my dirt-caked hair in an attempt to offer me some comfort. “You’re safe now.”
Before I could say anything else, a familiar voice called out from behind Sam. “Come on, it’s my turn now.”
I froze in my sister’s arms, a jolt of disbelief catching my breath. Lifting my head, I peered over Sam’s shoulder, and there, leaning against what appeared to be the kitchen doorway, was Jaden. And right beside her, with a rueful grin that could light the darkest night, stood Josh.
For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Then, as if pulled by some invisible force, I scrambled to my feet and launched myself at them. I gripped Jaden hard before turning and doing the same with Josh. Their arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace, one I reveled in.
But someone was missing.
My heart dropped when I noticed the empty space next to Josh. Since I hadn’t found Chris at the warehouse, a part of me had hoped that Adrian hadn’t captured him. But if that was the case, then where was he? Why wasn’t he here?
I pulled back and demanded, “Where’s Chris?”
Jaden’s body stiffened, and the smile fell off her face. I turned to Josh, my chest seizing when I caught the heavy glance he shared with Jaden.
“Where’s Chris?” I repeated, my voice cracking.
Josh’s gaze swung back to me, his eyes now rimmed with red.
I stepped back, my breath quickening as I stared at my friends. They hadn’t said a word, but I saw the truth in their faces, the pain in their expressions, and the tears in their eyes.
“No,” I whimpered.
Josh grabbed my hand and took a breath before he said, “Chris didn’t make it.”