32. Vivianna
VIVIANNA
My words sent the room into uproar, the Crimson pack demanding answers while my men stood behind me in defense, but Maria, Luis, and Christian just stared at me. Irritated with the way this whole discussion was going I threw out my alpha energy.
“Enough. Everyone take a seat and let’s figure out what the hell is going on.” Everyone but my men flinched under the pressure of my will, taking their seats and shutting the fuck up. “Now, would someone like to explain to me like a reasonable adult what just happened?”
Neveah shot me a cold look as she jutted her chin at me. “We’ve been trying to search those mountains for over a year, but every time we do Jason’s men rain down on us. We’ve lost a lot of good men and women trying to discover that location and you just got it handed to you.”
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes trying to manifest what patience I could.
“Ignoring the fact that I had to torture the man, he did not hand over the location to me. Faulk didn’t even know where to send me to start looking; he just gave me the area to start with.
Whatever imagined advantage you think I have, you’re wrong. ”
Most of them had a grace to look apologetic at their outburst, but I didn’t hold it against them. War was bound to get messy and tensions were high.
“What do you know about the area?” I asked the leaders.
Luis scratched at the scruff on his cheek before he answered.
“Not much I’m afraid. We found out that there was something at that location, but it’s so well hidden and guarded it’s impossible to get close.
There was a man who left Jason’s forces when he got caught for having mated with a human and had children.
He kept them a secret for years, but once he was found he fled, but not before he passed through our pack and told us what little he could. Then we helped him to vanish.”
“Tim,” I said, sitting down shocked that I had unknowingly stumbled on the one person who could help me.
“How you managed to find him so quickly, cachorro, is beyond me. We hid him in plain sight and up until you no one has been the wiser,” Maria mused with a pleased smirk on her face. “I even had a charm placed on his store that would keep other werewolves away.”
“Beloved, what are they talking about? Do you know this man?” Tristan asked as he placed his hands on my shoulders and started to massage them with his thumbs.
“He’s the man who gave that giant bag of jerky.
My stomach led me to his shop, and I happened to be discovered by his grandson.
Tim pleaded with me to keep him out of things and not to make him pick a side,” I sighed knowing that I was going to have to go back there and talk to him.
“He knows more than he’s letting on doesn’t he...
that’s why Jason wants him dead so badly. ”
Christian leaned forward on the table and rested his head in his hands. “Yup, we’ve always known that, but we hoped by helping him out he would return the favor, although that doesn’t seem to be working out for us at the moment.”
“I’ll see what I can do in that regard, but I don’t want us to put all our hope in one man. What else can we do?” I challenged.
“How good are your skills really, Darius?” Christian asked.
“If you’re asking can I get into Grayson Industries database then yes, I can.
Then we can use that information to filter out what’s true and what’s gossip.
I’d bet there might even be some information tucked away somewhere about this hidden base,” Darius answered the thrill of the challenge glinting in his eyes.
Christian grinned, giving Darius a thumbs up. “I knew I wanted to be like you when I grew up.” This caused the group to laugh, getting everyone to relax a little more. “Neveah, how was the meeting with the new recruits last night?”
“We had twenty show up and some reach out saying they weren’t ready to commit, but I just think they need a good kick in the ass.
Two of them are low-level employees for Grayson, but they think there are a few people above them they might be able to turn.
There is a lot of unrest going on with Vadik back in the states for so long, he is even more ruthless than his brother.
If he doesn’t like something there’s no second chances, just death,” Neveah shared sliding over a list with random gibberish written on it.
“None of these companies are major players, but something is better than nothing.”
“Good work, where did you have the next meet up set?”
“Loveland...”
Christian’s face fell into a scowl. “Neveah you know that is far too dangerous. That city is much larger and closely watched since they raided your last meeting there six months ago. Our argument of us being able to keep them from getting caught flies out the window if they— you know— get caught.”
“I disagree. This is the best time to go back, they think they won and scared us away, but I’ve kept contacts there working behind the scenes this whole time.”
Christian shot to his feet his anger and alpha energy whipping out slamming into Neveah.
“You did WHAT?. How could you compromise us like that? I know you lost Nathan in that raid, but this is wild and impulsive, even for you. You keep claiming that you’re ready to lead a pack of your own, but this proves to me that you have a long way to go,” Christian then turned on Luis.
“How did you not know what your daughter was doing? She could have killed us all— hell she might even be the reason that you got attacked on the last mission.”
I could tell that Luis was caught between wanting to defend his daughter and agreeing with what Christian was saying. “She is not a child, and we both agreed to put her in charge of recruitment. Neveah reported directly to you, why didn’t you notice what was going on?”
“Because she didn’t tell me.”
“Well, she didn’t tell me either, otherwise you would have known,” Luis snapped slamming his fist on the table.
Standing, I shoved my chair back glaring, at the whole table.
“This is why you have been failing, not because you don’t have enough men.
It’s because you don’t trust or communicate with each other.
I’m going to talk to Tim, while I do that, I hope you take the time to sort this shit out or my mates and I will do this on our own. ”
Trusting that my mates would follow, I headed out the front door and stopped, waiting at the end of the driveway. An arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I was pulled against a chest, filling my nose with fresh mountain air and pine.
“How can we trust them to help us find Hope when they don’t even trust each other?” I murmured into Rik’s shirt.
“Sweetheart, this is the way the world has taught us to be, everyone looking out for themselves. Until you came along, we were not that different, yes Tav, Koit, and Darius were my friends, but except for Koit, I wouldn’t say that I trusted them with my life.
Now I trust them with yours, and that is not just because we are mated to you but over the time you were gone we learned that if we didn’t trust each other, we could trust no one,” Rik answered in a way only Rik could.
“Be honest, you got that off a fortune cookie or something, right?” Koit asked with laughter in his voice. “I mean seriously, no one actually talks like that but you.”
“You saying I’m wrong?” Rik challenged as I lifted my head to see him scowling at his brother.
Koit grinned as he shook his head. “Not at all, everyone knows it’s better to agree with you.” With a wink, Koit dodged out of the way of a snowball that came hurtling out of nowhere. “Gonna have to try harder than that, Darius.”
“Don’t let these idiots fool you. We were a disaster with you gone, but we managed to get a few things right along the way,” Darius commented pressing a kiss to my forehead. “So, where are we off to my queen?”
“Tim’s shop is in town,” I said, unable to hold back my smile at these men I called mine.
It didn’t take us long to drive into town, and park further down the street so we could wander our way to Tim’s shop without it being too obvious.
Bentley dragged me into a shop that was an herbalist and natural pharmacy.
The shelves were filled with bottles and jars of dried plants that Bentley got all excited about.
“You know some of this is hard to find in Europe, do you think I might be able to bring some back with us?” Bentley mused as he opened a jar to smell the contents.
I tried not to chuckle at how serious he was about the question, like it was the same as trying to smuggle in hardcore illegal drugs. “I don’t know, but I’m sure we can find out. Who knows, we might even be able to order them and have them shipped directly to us... wherever that ends up being.”
Bentley quickly turned back to me grabbing one of my hands. “I said something to upset you, didn’t I?” He cursed under his breath and scrunched up his face in disgust. “Why can’t I just keep my mouth shut about things, I always say something wrong.”
I squeezed his hand causing him to look at me.
“Darling, you’ve done nothing wrong. I love to see you so excited by all this, just because I’m not in the best place doesn’t mean I want you in this darkness too.
Seeing you finding joy in something so simple reminds me that eventually I will too.
As for home, my home is with the seven of you and our daughter, whether we return to Kursar or Europe at all it doesn’t change where home is. ”
Bentley pulled me against his chest and kissed me, showing me with his actions how he felt about me.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him tight, wishing I could chase away his doubts.
When he pulled away from our kiss, he rested his head on my shoulder for a moment before we headed out of the shop and walked over towards Tim’s.
The jingle of a bell announced our arrival, bringing who I would guess to be his wife out from the back. “Welcome, can I help you find anything?”
“Hello, is Tim around by chance? I stopped by the other night to ask about a custom order, and he said to come back if I had the final information for him,” I answered hoping this was believable on any level.
Her brow creased in confusion, but she nodded and headed into the back room. Expanding my hearing I listened as Beth relayed my message, it took Tim a moment, but he seemed to catch on. “It’s alright honey, I just forgot to tell you about it is all.”
Moments later, Tim walked out and I sent out a tendril of power so that I might reconnect with him again and guarantee he knew who I was. “Tim, it’s nice to see you again. I have a few more questions and some better answers for you as well.”
“Of course, come on back to the office so that way I can pull up the order,” Tim played along escorting us further into the shop. “I’m not sure all of you can fit in here though.
“That’s alright, Darius, Tristan if you could stay with me, please,” I requested as I took a seat in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk.
Tim closed the door behind himself and slowly sank into his chair. “I thought it was agreed that I wasn’t going to pick sides in this matter, so what brings you back here?”
“Let me tell you a story and if by the end of what I have to share you don’t want to help me I’ll walk away forever, all I ask is you listen with an open mind,” I bartered.
Tim rubbed his bald head as he thought over my request. “Fine, I’ll listen.”