Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Leon
We finally arrive at the property’s west gate.
The authorities have the place surrounded.
They even have a helicopter flying above, taking aerial shots.
One of the local news stations also has a chopper circling nearby, keeping far enough away from the official one.
I shake my head, disgusted at how they’re just here for the next big headline.
“Fucking vultures,” I curse. No doubt, they are live streaming this entire thing. Law enforcement cars line the entire road, having blocked any traffic coming up or down the mountain. State and local officials scour the entire place.
Thane is out of the car first, followed by Rhen.
We are all feeling antsy, made worse because the bond offers us little in the way of Harlow’s wellbeing.
We know she is alive, and that’s all we care about right now.
Once we get her out, we can deal with the aftermath.
Yet her mental state will be another thing entirely.
Corbin has seven mates, like Jake does. Harlow just had a baby and will struggle to shift. She is also Omega and powerless against commands since she hasn’t taken Thane’s serum or marked us yet. I know Thane will ensure both those things happen the moment we get her back.
I follow Thane and Rhen as I climb out of the car, while Raidon checks the fences.
I peer at the drone viewscreen the authorities show us.
Heat projections show some of them deep inside the mansion.
The others aren’t visible, likely somewhere too deep for the heat vision to penetrate as half the house is embedded inside the mountain.
State officers have scoured the perimeter, trying to find a way in. “How long until the federal officials arrive?” Rhen asks. The man gulps, glancing at Thane nervously.
“Still two hours out,” he explains.
Thane looks at the reinforced gates. “That’s too long,” he mutters. His emotions are all over the place. He feels like he’s failed us all, but mostly he feels like he failed to protect Harlow.
“The explosives team sent in drones and equipment earlier. The entire fence line is wired underground. Even the tunnels leading in.”
“There has to be some way in,” Rhen snaps, snatching the man’s tablet as he takes control of the drones.
“We searched everywhere,” the man tells him.
“You can’t have. Corbin wouldn’t lock himself in with no way out. He will expect us to barge in, so there has to be an exit, some type of escape route,” Rhen argues.
“The only way in, other than through these gates, is the tunnels, and they are all wired with explosives. We aren’t even sure if there are explosives waiting for us inside the mansion.”
“Can’t we drop in?” Thane asks, pointing to the helicopter above.
The man sighs and shakes his head. “Not unless you want to fry. Those nets covering the top, they aren’t for keeping the birds out.”
Thane and I look up.
“They can’t cover the entire place,” Thane mutters.
Rhen steps closer, using the drone to show us that they do, in fact, have the entire place completely covered in nets.
“If you drop in from above, you’ll be barbecued. They’re covered with barbed and razor wire. And see here?” Rhen shows him a huge panel on the wall as the drone hovers just above the netting. “Electrically charged,” Rhen tells him.
“Yeah, we lost two drones in the nets before we figured that out,” the man states as Thane growls.
“So, what? We wait for the federal authorities to arrive? That will be too late,” Thane snarls, eyeing the high fences.
“We have no choice. We have to wait,” Rhen says.
“Maybe Leo—” Thane cuts me off before I can finish.
“For all we know, Leo’s getting ready to fucking mark her. He is Corbin’s mate, Leon! Would you go against me? Kill me?”
I clench my jaw and look away, knowing that would be impossible for me, but Thane hasn’t done the things Corbin has.
“We have his daughter,” I tell Thane.
“Yes, but he knows I won’t kill her! And the council would never allow for her to be killed. So, basically, we’re sitting ducks while they do god knows fucking what with our mate!”
“Leo had to have a way in. He said so himself, he could get in through the tunnels. Send the fucking drones back out.”
The man quickly nods, taking the tablet from Rhen and using his radio to talk to the other men as Thane starts taking his clothes off.
“What are you doing?” Rhen asks him.
“Finding a way in!” Thane snarls before shifting, and I see Raidon rush over.
“For fuck sake,” Raidon says, ripping his shirt off and tossing it to me before shedding his pants.
“Fool will get himself killed,” he snaps, shifting into his huge bear-like wolf and taking off after Thane.
Rhen shakes his head, snatches the man’s radio, and walks back to the car when Thane’s phone rings.
I pull it from his discarded pants to see that it's Jake calling.
“Hey, Jake,” I answer, knowing it’s up to me to tell him what’s going on.
Somehow Zara found out what happened and wants to come help Harlow, despite having just given birth to three babies.
I know Jake has his hands full with her, and this is not going to help matters.
I quickly explain everything before I hang up and call Elaine to check on Scarlett.
Elaine answers after only two rings, as if she was waiting by the phone for one of us to call.
“Hey, Ma. How’s Scarlett?” I ask.
“She’s asleep on Pop’s chest. Any news? Have you got her back?”
I sigh. “No, and now we’re stuck waiting. Leo escaped to try to help, but Thane has his doubts.”
“As he should. Leo is Corbin’s mate, and mate bonds are hard enough to go against, let alone your Alpha’s command.” I nod, falling silent. “Harlow will be alright, Leon. You’ll get her back, and she’ll be fine. She’s durable. All Omegas are. We have to be,” Elaine says.
“Yeah, I know. I just worry about the state she’ll be in when we find her,” I admit, glancing back up at the mountain mansion.
“Where’s my son?” Elaine asks.
“Chasing Thane. He’s trying to find the tunnel Leo used to get inside.”
“Is that about my dad?” I hear Emily ask in the background.
“No, it’s Leon. He’s checking on Scarlett,” Elaine says. She must have pulled the phone away from her ear since her voice is not as loud.
“And my father?” she asks, and Elaine sighs.
“He escaped and went back to Corbin,” Elaine tells her, and I hear the girl whimper.
“No, no! My father wouldn’t abandon me. Dad only agreed to be Corbin’s mate to protect me, so he could get me out of rotation and away from my mother. He wouldn’t run back to him, knowing Thane would get rid of me for betraying him.”
“Thane would never put you in rotation, and even if he tries, Harlow and I won’t allow it. Your father knows this!” Elaine tells her.
“He also knows I don’t stand a chance without him. He wouldn’t risk it,” Emily tells her.
“What does she mean?” I ask Elaine.
“Leon wants to know what you mean,” Elaine says.
“He knows Mom would come for me.” My brows furrow in confusion. I don’t even have to ask Elaine to question her, she just does.
“So? She is your mother.”
“Doesn’t mean she’s a good one. I’ve been her pawn since she realized I’m Omega.
Dad raised me. Tried to convince her I’m Alpha blood, not Omega.
Why do you think he got fired for stealing those drugs from the practice?
They were pheromone blockers. He was never selling them.
She got me back after that, though, and she offered me up as a feeder as soon as I came of age. ”
“Your mother sold you to the vamps?” I hear Elaine ask.
“Yes, Omega blood is addictive. When Mom found out I’m Omega, she offered me to the vamps.
Mom was a rotation Omega and had three other children before me, but with regular Alphas.
Since they were all born Omega too, the Alphas didn’t want them.
Dad intended to keep her as his mate when I was born, but she refused to give up the lifestyle. ”
“And where are your siblings?” Elaine questions.
“I don’t know. Mom sold off my two sisters to be raised by other Alphas for breeding.
My brother was sold to the vamps. Dad tried to find them for me.
It’s one of the reasons he met Corbin, because of his links to the vampire community.
So, when he found out I’m Omega, he tried to hide it with the blockers, but Mom found out.
Then Dad bought me off her. He borrowed the money from Corbin.
In exchange Dad had to become his mate.”
“My god,” Elaine gasps. Her story is absolutely horrifying. No wonder Leo asked Thane to take her. But it reassures me that Leo will come through for us. You don’t join an Alpha Pack for your kid to turn around and risk her life, especially knowing she is Omega.