Chapter Nine
Carter
The dim lighting of Carter’s parents’ dining room was soon filled with the low murmur of banter and laughter. Seven huge figures sat around the expansive wooden table, eating up all the space in the room.
“Remember that time in Berlin when you almost got us killed, Carter?” Max joked.
Carter rolled his eyes, chuckling. “I told you, that waiter was suspicious!”
“I think he was more interested in getting your number than planting a bug,” Max said, fighting a grin.
There was general laughter around the table, but Carter caught the wink Max sent his way. They’d been through a lot in the few short months they had known one another, and their camaraderie was evident.
“You know, Max,” Logan started, his wolfish grin evident even in his human form, “you’re a fine one to talk. That time in Berlin, you moved just like a cornered mouse.” He smirked, taking a sip of his water.
Max smirked back. “Oh, really? Last I checked, I was the one who saved your tail.”
Arlo, always the smooth one offered up a toothy grin, “It would’ve gone smoother if you just let me take a dip in the river with them.”
Seb let out a hearty laugh that could shake the ground, much like his bear form. “Can you imagine the look on their faces, seeing a shark in the river with them? I would have paid good money to see it.
Toby laughed along with them. “I wish I’d been there. I miss out on all the good stuff.”
As the laughter subsided, a heaviness settled in Carter’s chest. His sister was still imprisoned, and every joke felt like a betrayal. He cleared his throat, trying to shift the atmosphere.
“Thanks for coming, guys. Means the world to me.”
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Max said.
“We’ve got your back, man,” Ethan replied. “Always.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” Carter said, genuinely touched. “But I also can’t shake the guilt. Every second we spend here, my sister and the other shifters are suffering. We need to act fast.”
“We will,” reassured Max, his usual jovial demeanor gone, replaced by steely determination. “We’re here, and we’re not leaving until we get them out. All of them.”
But it was Ezra, the enigmatic one of the group, who brought the real weight. He leaned forward, his intensity undeniable. “We have a job to do. Every moment counts. Let’s strategize.”
His directness was no surprise. Ezra was a force of nature, and when he wanted something, he pursued it with an unmatched determination. It was impossible to miss the gravity in his words.
Carter nodded, taking a deep breath. “Alright, let’s get to work.”
After meticulously mapping out their plan, the thick blueprints and detailed sketches sprawled across the dining table were accompanied by the heaviness of anticipation in the air.
Each man knew what was at stake, but no one was more invested than Carter—his sister meant everything to him, and he was determined to ensure her safety.
The soft knock at the door was unexpected, drawing the attention of all seven men. Carter’s eyes instantly softened as he recognized Emily through the frosted glass. Opening the door, he stood aside to let her come in.
“Thank God,” he said around a sigh. “You got out of there.”
She nodded. “By the time I got there, the situation had resolved itself so I didn’t need to hang around.”
“Everyone, this is Emily, my mate.” Carter’s voice was gentle, protective even and he was sure no one could have missed the level of pride in his voice as he introduced her.
Max offered her a friendly nod, his tiger-like gaze assessing. “The brave soul who’s been helping our kin. It’s good to finally meet you.”
Logan greeted with a hint of a playful smirk, “Welcome to the lion’s den.”
Emily chuckled nervously, evidently feeling the weight of all the gazes on her, and especially the curious eyes of Ezra who simply nodded in acknowledgment, a little more reserved than the others.
“I’ve brought this,” she said, handing over a sleek, black key card. “I stole it earlier. It belongs to Dr. Harrington. With it, you should have top clearance. You can use it to get through all the doors inside.”
Carter’s face lit up, taking the card. “Emily, this...this is a game changer. Thank you.”
She nodded, meeting Carter’s eyes, the two sharing an unsaid understanding. “Just promise me you’ll be safe.”
He hesitated, then whispered, “I promise.”
She took a deep breath, “I’ll be waiting at home for you.”
The atmosphere between them grew thick with emotion. Carter leaned in, their lips meeting in a desperate kiss, the weight of the coming night heavy on them both.
Seb cleared his throat, reminding them of their audience. Carter reluctantly pulled away, giving Emily’s hand one last squeeze. “We need to go now. We’ve got work to do.”
Emily nodded, eyes misty. “Good luck.”
As she left, the team immediately sprang into action, the banter from earlier replaced with a sharp focus.
“Let’s roll out,” Logan said, his wolf’s determination shining through.
The seven men, a united front, piled in two vehicles then made their way to the facility. They parked a short distance away then went the rest of the way by foot, each step echoing with purpose.
The moonlight cast eerie silhouettes as Carter and his team approached the facility, the imposing building looming ominously in the darkness.
The fence was their first obstacle, but with a pair of heavy-duty cutters, they made short work of it, easily creating a gap large enough for them all to slip through.
“Keep your heads down,” Toby whispered, the coyote’s instincts making him especially attuned to the surroundings. “Cameras at two o’clock.”
Carter nodded in acknowledgment, directing the team as they deftly navigated around the facility’s surveillance, using the building’s shadows to their advantage. Logan pointed to a side entrance. With the keycard in hand, Carter swiped it. A soft beep, and they were in.
Inside, the stillness was disconcerting. The sterile hallway seemed to stretch endlessly, lit only by dim overhead lights that buzzed occasionally.
“This is too quiet,” Max muttered, voicing everyone’s unease. His fingers twitched, sensing the vibrations of any nearby movement.
Following Emily’s directions and what they had learned from the building blueprints, they made their way to the basement floor, each step echoing with tension.
But as they approached the cells where the shifters were supposed to be held, they were met with a sight that made Carter’s heart drop—empty rooms.
“No,” Carter muttered, rushing to the next room, and the next, and the next. All were vacant. “They’ve moved them.”
Seb growled in frustration, the bear in him showing his discontent. “How did they know we were coming?”
A tense silence followed before Arlo, always one to voice the unsettling thoughts, spoke up. “Do you think Emily might’ve tipped them off?”
Carter’s gaze hardened, the mountain lion in him bristling defensively. “My mate would never double-cross us,” he snapped.
Ezra nodded calmly. “Then they must have another mole in their ranks, or some other way of knowing.”
“Perhaps she told someone here,” Max said. “Someone she thought she could trust.”
Carter shook his head. “She doesn’t have friends here. She trusts no one.”
Seb sighed. “We need to regroup and re-strategize.”
Nods of agreement filled the room, but Carter’s mind was a whirl of emotions—anger, worry, and an overwhelming urge to protect. He would find the traitor, and more importantly, he would find his sister—even if it killed him.
As the team hurriedly searched the vacant rooms, Ezra’s voice pierced the tension, “Carter, how well do you really know Emily?”
“I trust her, Ezra,” Carter responded, an edge to his voice, but Ezra persisted, the tenacity and hard-headedness of his inner animal showing through.
“Think about it. They could’ve found out she was aiding you, threatened her family again. She might’ve had no choice.”
Carter’s jaw tightened, and the cold walls of the facility seemed to close in on him even more. “Emily wouldn’t—”
But he was cut off when Sebastian suddenly shouted, “Heads up!”
Before they could react, the doors slammed shut behind them, sealing them in the last room of the basement. The realization slammed through Carter’s chest—they were trapped.
Logan growled, his wolf’s instincts on high alert. “Damn it! It was a setup!”
Max, frustration evident in his eyes, kicked at the unyielding door. “We walked right into their trap.”
Toby, darting to one of the room’s small windows, tried to gauge the surroundings outside. “There’s movement out there. Looks like they’ve been expecting us.”
Arlo, always analytical, tried the door’s panel, but it was unresponsive. “They’ve overridden the system. We’re locked in tight.”
A heavy silence descended, only broken by Sebastian’s gruff voice. “Ezra might be onto something. Someone had to tip them off.”
Carter felt a pang of doubt and betrayal that gnawed at his insides. Emily’s face flashed before his eyes—the trust, the connection they’d shared. Was it all a ruse? A play?
Ezra’s voice, softer now, pierced the silence. “It’s not about blame, Carter. If Emily did tip them off, she might’ve had her reasons.”
When Seb began to undress, Carter turned to him, frowning. “What are you doing?”
“We might not be able to get through that door in our human forms, but let’s see how it holds up to the strength of my bear.”
Carter nodded. “It’s worth a try.”
After the shift, the huge bear ran at the door and slammed its entire body against it with a load roar. It didn’t budge. He roared again in outrage and began to pound his huge meaty paws against it. Nothing.
Despite Seb’s best efforts, it was quite evident that they weren’t going anywhere. Carter’s mind spiraled. With his back against the cold, metallic door, despair seeped into his thoughts. How could Emily, his mate, have done this to him?