VIVIANNA
The guys and I decided it was best to split all of us up between the three SUVs that we were taking.
That way if something happened, we weren’t together.
It was unclear if Vadik knew about the guys, but I wanted to operate under the assumption that he did.
As we drove, I reached out to the mortuary where Violet was and gave them a heads-up that someone could come sniffing around their place, looking for her.
Diane didn’t know anything about it, but if Vadik already knew we did the job, it would be the first place he would send people to look.
Now that I’d gotten her back, there was no way in hell he was ever going to touch her again.
Orion drove the car while I looked over the latest images from the satellite overhead, trying to keep on top of what was happening.
It seemed that no new people showed up and there was a routine to their patrol of the area, but never more than three people entering or leaving the building.
So either there weren’t that many, or more of them were in wolf form, slinking around the swamplands.
Thankfully, this was more to the west where the ground was firmer, but still full of bogs and swampy areas, making it harder to come at them but not impossible as a wolf.
You might want to take a good roll in the muck. The golden fur is kind of a dead giveaway to who we are.
That’s a good point, and I know how much you love to have a good roll.
Hey, it was way too cold to be rolling around in things. You should be thanking me for my restraint. Now, on the other hand, it’s a survival tactic.
You sound far too happy about that, my friend.
People pay a lot of money for mud baths. I’m just making sure our skin keeps that youthful glow now that we’re a mother.
I snorted at that but couldn’t help the grin that crept over my face.
Being a werewolf might not have been what I planned in life, but it saved me time and time again.
Then, having lost my wolf for that time I was pregnant, made me realize just how much she was a part of me.
I had felt hollow without her commentary going on inside my head—not that I’d ever tell her that.
It’s fine, I heard you, anyway. Love you too, girl.
Rolling my eyes, I refreshed the screen, only to see a black Hummer now sitting outside the warehouse.
Darius said there would be about a twenty-minute delay in the images and my heart rate started to increase, knowing that car didn’t mean anything good.
Was it Vadik? Did he decide to finally show up and deal with me personally?
I was ready for a fight, but I didn’t think he would be there waiting to see what move we made to set a trap.
Did this mean that the lab hit hurt him worse than we thought?
“Darius, did you see the Hummer?” I asked but shared the question with all my mates.
“Was just about to reach out to you about it. Do we change our plan? These men aren’t up for a battle with Vadik.”
“No, we need to see this through. If we don’t get them today, he’ll kill them to show me I can’t play him. Either way, right now, he wins in one way or another, but we’d absolutely lose if we walk away from Kate and Neveah,” I said, rubbing my forehead.
“Do I tell Christian?” Darius asked since he was in the car with him.
I thought that over for a minute then shook my head. “No, not until we can for sure confirm that he’s there. It could be backup or just someone higher up the food chain. We can’t risk Christian going off script in a blind rage.”
“Agreed,” Orion added. “Christian is a solid guy but not when it comes to Kate. She is his ultimate weakness.”
“We are ten minutes out from our meet point. Maybe we’ll be able to catch a glimpse of who might have joined them in the next few images,” Darius reasoned.
We all sent our agreement and tried to remain calm, knowing that this fight just got all the more challenging than it already was.
By the time we parked on a small side road that had a lookout point, the updated images hadn’t given us more information. That meant the upcoming surveillance that we gathered was all the more important.
“Remember to keep your senses alert, and communication quiet. Send us any information you might have through the pack link. If you get caught, use the call sign salvation and try to give us an idea of what we’re dealing with so we can help you.
In the event you get taken, keep the pack link open as long as you can.
There are some among us that have skills to track you much faster if they have that to follow, so don’t let them knock you unconscious if you can help it,” Darius instructed. “Any questions?”
“What do we do if we spot them, and we have the chance to save them?” one man spoke up.
“It’s a trap and the last thing you should do,” I called out. “If it looks or feels too easy, that’s because it is. Remember, this man is the master at getting you to play into his hands, lulling you into a false sense of safety. I’ve seen it myself, time and time again.”
When no one else spoke up, we took that as the matter was settled.
“Let’s head out. Keep in your groups of two and stay alert.” Christian ordered, spurring everyone into removing their clothes and tossing them in the vehicles.
Once everyone was shifted, we spread out to circle the warehouse that was another five miles east of where we parked.
We didn’t want to give them a clue that we were coming by having them stumble onto our cars parked too close when no one else was in the area.
Orion and Tristan stuck with me, knowing that I was going to be a valued target if we were discovered, and none of my mates were willing to risk me getting taken again.
Taking my wolf’s advice, I did roll in a good and muddy spot, turning myself into what could only look like the Swamp Thing.
Orion followed suit, being so white, but Tristan was the perfect mottled brown and gray to blend with the shadows of the forested swamplands.
The bog added a new challenge to our senses but once our noses got used to it, filtering it out was easier.
Moving silently was much harder to manage.
Thankfully, we had a few miles to figure it out before we would get close enough to worry about getting caught.
The three of us fell into a comfortable formation, with me out front while they flanked me out a little further to observe our surroundings better.
This was the first time I’d held such a large pack link and it hummed in the back of my mind, reassuring me that it was still active and ready to use.
Like Maria had told me before she left to help at the mortuary where Violet was, I just needed to trust my instincts.
“Cachorro, you were born to be a Dama and are filled to the brim with magic we haven’t seen in over two hundred years. Trust yourself, your wolf, and those mates of yours. They won’t steer you wrong,” Maria instructed.
I frowned at her. “Why didn’t I have this magic when I first shifted?”
“You did, but because you didn’t trust yourself or your wolf, you couldn’t access it.
Once you two started to truly become one and mated with your men, owning up to who you were meant to be, it was easier to access.
Not that you had a clue what to do with it, since you’re still all over the place with it.
Intention, cachorro, that is the key. Think it, know it, believe it, and watch what happens,” Maria said, patting the top of my head like I was a small child.
“Now, go kick the bastard’s ass. I’ll make sure your little one is safe. ”
Maria might be batty, but I trusted her completely, and not having to worry about more than what was about to go down was exactly what I needed.
Swimming across one of the deeper rivers we’d come to brought us a mile outside of where we wanted to be.
It also meant the ground became firmer, explaining why they picked this spot to build in the first place.
Rolling in the mud once more to cover what the river washed off, we spread out, slinking into the underbrush as we started forward.
This was the part that could make us or break us.
Once spotted, the surprise was gone, and we’d have a mess on our hands.
“Rolling in the mud was a smart move, beloved. I can’t scent or see you hardly at all in this coverage,” Tristan shared with me.
You better tell him that was my fucking idea.
Tell him yourself. You’ve done it before.
Good point. I can’t trust you to remember and if it saves our life, I’m gonna lord this over you ‘til the day we die.
“Don’t fear, sassy one. I will not forget your cunning skills.” Tristan chuckled as my wolf shared her achievements.
He always says the sexiest things. That man thinks I’m cunning—he’s getting a blow job tonight for that.
Can we make it out of this alive before we start planning the rest of our evening?
Ye of little faith.
I let out a chuff at her retort but paused when I caught a scent off the wind. “You two smell that?”
“Fucking wolfsbane. Do you think they planted it? If that’s the case, then this isn’t just a random spot they picked, it’s one of their hideouts,” Orion growled.
Reaching out to the pack link, I spoke, “Be alert, there is wolfsbane in the area. We just came across a patch of it. This is what it looks like if you haven’t come across it before.
” Trusting in my growing powers, I sent the image through the pack link and felt everyone’s response as they received the image.
“This also means that we might be infiltrating one of their hideouts and not just a holding area. Keep your eyes open and ears on swivel. This just got harder.”
As much as I didn’t want to scare them, they needed to know what they were dealing with. The men we brought with us were everyday locals that were willing to fight for their own, but they were no soldiers, which put us at a slight disadvantage.
“Don’t even think about blaming yourself for not anticipating this,” Darius said, reaching out. “Our plan is solid for the amount of time we had to prepare. Waiting longer would have made the risk of losing Kate and Neveah for good much higher. We’re doing the right thing.”
I knew he was right, but it seemed like Vadik was always two steps ahead of us, never letting us catch our breath.
We’d decided to stop being reactionary in this rescue mission, but the fear of what could happen made me reticent.
Now was the time to use Maria’s advice. My mates all agreed this was the right move and I trusted them with my life, so we kept moving forward.
Wolfsbane was scattered throughout the area, but thankfully it wasn’t toxic for us to touch in its natural and whole form—not that I wanted to roll around in it.
Finally, we got to the edge of the clearing where the warehouse sat, showing us that we came in along the access road where the cars were parked.
“Should we fuck with the cars so they can’t drive away?” Orion asked. “They aren’t in direct sight of the building and parked in a row so I could keep hidden.”
“No, we just observe for now,” I commanded. “Who knows if they have sensors or alarms on them or something. The Hummer is still here, as are all the other vehicles but we don’t know how many men that equals out to.”
“You’re right, Okami just isn’t a fan of being patient,” Orion muttered.
Just then, three men exited the building, each of them with military-looking rifles, making me question if they were even werewolves.
I don’t know why it made a difference to me, when they sent humans after us at the lab, proving they had no problem using them as cannon fodder.
Since the whole goal was to make werewolves the superior species, I guess it made sense.
Why waste the valuable fighters when you have humans?
“I’ve got three possible humans leaving the warehouse with rifles. Guaranteed, they have silver bullets,” Tristan shared.
“That explains the one I have toward the north making his way back.”
“Yeah, I just spotted one to the east. Must be a shift change or something.”
“Are all the guards here human?”
I took a deep breath before answering that question. “We all know that Jason and Vadik view humans as less than, but it doesn’t change anything other than to make it easier on us. They will kill you given the chance, so don’t let your guard down.”
“Help on the east side, two wolves got my partner.”
Letting my alpha essence burst through the pack link, I located everyone in the area, trying to see who was closest to them. It would appear that the three of us were the best bet to arrive in time to help.
“Let’s go, you two, follow me. We can’t let them get away and sound the alarm we’re out here,” I snapped at Orion and Tristan, bolting off in the direction we were needed. “Wolves are out in the forest. Keep aware of your surroundings. They might be coming up from behind.”
The sound of fighting was like a homing beacon, leading us right to where they were.
Two dark gray wolves were locked in battle with our own, but it was clear they were highly trained and had the upper hand with the surprise attack.
Letting out a snarl, I tossed out my energy, causing all the wolves to pause for a moment, giving us the perfect in to attack.
I barreled into one of them, checking them with my head down, putting all my body weight into my shoulder.
He flew off my wolf and slammed into a tree, taking a second too long to get back on his feet, leaving him open to my assault.
Latching on the back of his neck, I thrashed my head until I heard the sound of a snap, letting me know I broke his neck.
Whirling around to face where I’d last seen the second attacker, I relaxed, seeing Tristan spitting out what used to be the other wolf’s throat.
“Are you two alright?” I asked, walking up to check them over.
The russet wolf limped on his front leg where he’d gotten bit, but it would heal just fine. It was harder to look the other wolf over, being all black, but I didn’t smell any blood coming from him. He must have been the one to call for backup.
“You came to help us yourself,” the black wolf commented as if he was surprised.
I bared my teeth at him. “When I said no one left behind, I meant it. I don’t promise things I don’t intend to uphold.”
“As you’ve proven, but you can’t blame a man for not trusting people at their word, Dama,” he said, bowing his head in submission.
Agreeing with him, I relaxed my stance, accepting his submission. “What direction did the two wolves come from?”
“From behind,” the russet wolf answered. “I was too fixated on watching the man with the gun. I didn’t pay attention to what else was going on.”
“Seems like we might need to go on a hunt to see if there are more,” Orion pointed out, his wolf grinning as his eyes turned black. “I love a good hunt.”