Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Caleb dresses up for the meeting. His black suit hugs his muscular frame, fitting snugly yet not inappropriately so. It must be custom. He’s wearing a crisp, white button-down underneath. It’s his tie that captures my attention, though.
I laugh, stepping closer to get a better look. The light-blue fabric is covered in tiny animals.
“Wolves?” I ask.
“Of course.” Caleb smirks, straightening out his tie as he gives me a quick scan.
I’m wearing black slacks. Caleb bought them for me shortly after we met, but I’ve never had a reason to wear them. I tucked a fitted, white button-down into them. It’s the nicest top I own, the fabric silky and expensive.
“We match,” I say, gesturing between us. “Are you sure I shouldn’t wear something more, I don’t know, feminine?”
Caleb shakes his head. “I’m introducing you as my female alpha, and we’re discussing war. You’re expected to wear something practical.”
I look down at my black shoes. They’re shiny and flat, and they have a good grip. Quite practical.
Caleb leads me outside and into my car. It’s nice not to drive. Caleb always handled that when we were together, and while I thought driving was fun and exciting at first, it’s grown tedious. I quickly realize we’re heading in the opposite direction from his office.
“Where are we going?”
Caleb sighs. “Everett is avoiding finding his mate. It’s a long story, but he refuses to meet in public spaces. There’s a small building about an hour outside the city. It’s the only place he’s willing to meet.”
I nod. “Will only alphas and their mates be there?”
“No,” Caleb says. “Some have chosen to bring their high-ranking wolves with them, and Maverick has chosen to bring the two children viable to become the future alpha of his pack.”
I’m strangely calm when Caleb finally pulls up to the building. It’s a small spot, clearly once used as an office building. It’s thankfully right off what was once a busy road, sparing me a long walk from the car to the entrance.
There’s a car dealership on the left, but the lot is empty.
“How innocuous,” I say as Caleb pulls into the parking lot.
Caleb shrugs. “Blame Everett.”
“Every shifter in there is going to know that I was a member of HPAW and tried to kill you,” I say.
Caleb hums, considering my words. “Yes. They’ll also know that HPAW has been systematically abusing you since you were a child.
Some will be skeptical, but most will understand the position you were put in.
Plus, your marking is healing. There’s no denying that our bond remains and you’re my rightful mate. They’ll show you respect.”
“And if they don’t?”
“I’ll see to it that they do.” Caleb grabs my hand, bringing it to his mouth. He kisses my darkened mark, his lips lingering. “You can do this.”
I force myself to take several calming breaths before unbuckling my seatbelt and stepping out of the car. Caleb is by my side in an instant, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. It’s comforting, and I hold my chin high as we walk toward the building.
Caleb doesn’t hesitate to push open the front door, barging his way inside.
Ah, fuck. There are more people here than I expected. At least forty shifters are present, and most of them are arguing. The alphas are easy to pick out. They stand a head taller than the others, and they seem to be the loudest.
The alpha closest to us draws my attention. He’s also dressed up, donning black dress pants and a tucked-in button-up shirt, but the shirt is at least two sizes too small. His broad shoulders are tugging against the fabric, threatening to rip the seams.
Behind him are two teenage boys, one about sixteen and the other several years younger. Maybe twelve. It’s hard to tell. Both are taller and bulkier than human boys, making it nearly impossible to guess their ages.
They stand stiffly behind the large alpha. This must be Maverick, and the two children behind him are the ones who may someday take over his pack. When will they know for certain who will take over? A question to ask Caleb at a later date.
Maverick turns toward Caleb and me, and then he’s in front of us. He stands toe to toe with Caleb, but he’s smiling. I can’t tell if they like one another or not.
“You’re late,” Maverick grunts.
Then he turns to me, an odd glint in his eye as he looks me up and down. I sneak a peek at his marking—crisp white and full of jagged lines like Sash’s and Logan’s.
“You must be Evelyn,” he says.
Caleb wraps his arm around my waist, holding me close. He’s making a statement. “Yes. This is my mate, Evelyn Johnson.”
Maverick quirks a brow. “I’m pleased to hear it.” His slight smile falls. “I need to speak with you, Knox. Privately.”
Caleb’s answer is immediate. “No.” He looks around the room. “There isn’t time.”
“It’s important.”
Caleb tightens his grip on my waist. I spot a familiar face in the back of the room. What the hell is Adam doing here? He’s standing by himself, not partaking in the several arguments surrounding him. If anything, he looks bored.
He looks good, though. I’ve only ever seen him in ratty clothing, but he looks clean in his black dress pants and crisp, white shirt. His clothing even looks ironed. He owns an iron? I doubt it. He probably snuck into my apartment and stole mine.
“If there’s something you wish to say to me, you may say it in front of my mate,” Caleb insists.
Maverick’s face screws up. He clearly doesn’t wish to speak in front of me. I step aside, pulling out of Caleb’s grasp.
“Adam’s over there.” I point to the wallflower. “I’m going to go say hi.”
I’m politely excusing myself, and Caleb better take the fucking opening. I’m not interested in this room witnessing a pissing contest between Maverick and Caleb, especially over whether or not I should be privy to a private conversation. I’ll earn the other alphas’ trust with time.
Caleb shoots me a pained glance. I grab and squeeze his hand, trying to silently convey that I’m not upset.
“I’ll be quick,” he promises. Then he turns and practically shouts Adam’s name, capturing the attention of the entire damned room. I wish to wither away as Caleb points to me, his eyebrows raised.
Adam places a hand in front of his mouth, hiding a laugh as he nods at whatever Caleb is silently saying to him.
I force the stiffness out of my joints as I walk toward Adam. I’m going to kill Caleb later.
“You don’t look like shit for once,” I say by way of greeting.
Adam shrugs. “I can clean up when the situation calls for it.”
There’s a stack of chairs and a folded-up table pushed up against the wall behind him. He moves for one but freezes when he takes notice of my frosty glare.
“I can stand,” I snap.
Adam raises his hands, palms outward. “Okay. No need to get your panties in a twist.”
“What’re you doing here?” I ask. “What have you—”
An ear-piercing noise cuts off my words, and before I can even try to figure out what it is, Adam’s tackling me to the ground. He’s obscenely heavy, and I land on the floor with a hard thump just as the wall nearest us implodes.
Adam takes the brunt of the explosion, and the table leaning against the wall flips over the top of us.
He grunts as it cuts through his back, pressing him further into me. What the hell? Adam curls his arms around my head, tucking my face into the front of his shirt as the room around us bursts into chaos.
The high-pitched noise only seems to grow in volume. Adam cries out, burrowing his ear against the ground.
This is HPAW.
I cup my hands over Adam’s ears, hopefully dulling the noise, as gunfire explodes within the room. Where is Caleb?
I attempt to wiggle free from Adam, but another loud explosion causes him to tighten his grip, preventing my escape. I press my hands harder against his ears as the incessant high-pitched screech grows louder.
It makes my head hurt, but it doesn’t affect me nearly as much as it does the shifters.
Adam cups his hands over mine, pressing them harder against his ears, before lifting his head and looking around. His eyes are wide as he scans the room, flickering from person to person. I do the same, unable to comprehend what I’m seeing.
Humans in masks and full tactical gear storm in through the blown-out exterior wall. Wolves lunge for them, but it’s clear they’re struggling by the way they shake their heads and press their usually pointy ears flat against their heads.
The soldiers fire at the wolves, most landing at least a few hits before they’re taken down and torn apart. The shifters who are hit cry out, the pained whines that pour from their throats like a stab to the heart.
I find Caleb.
He’s in his wolf form at the front of the carnage, but his eyes are on me. His entire body is angled so he never loses sight of me, despite the vulnerable position it puts him in.
“I need to get you out of here,” Adam shouts. It’s hard to hear him over the carnage. “Don’t fucking fight me, Evelyn, and don’t let go.”
I continue cupping his ears as he curls a hand under my butt, urging me to wrap my legs around his waist. I do so, holding him tightly as he prepares to jump up and run.
Caleb continues to watch us, and he makes brief eye contact with Adam before dipping his chin and lunging at a soldier who gets too close.
Bile rises up my throat. What is happening? How did HPAW know about this meeting, and how did they get this far onto shifter land without being detected?
Adam jumps to his feet and takes off in the opposite direction from the fighting. He runs inhumanely fast, despite carrying me, and I tuck my face against his chest and squeeze the sides of his head for dear life as he pivots left, jumps over a knocked-over chair, and nears an emergency exit.
Not many wolves are attempting to flee. Judging by the sheer number of torn pieces of clothing on the floor, most have shifted.
Caleb told me the noise prevents shifters from transforming into their animal forms, but this wasn’t a room full of regular shifters. These were the alphas and leaders, the men and women with the most dominant wolves.
We make it only a few feet from the door when another explosion rattles my teeth. It’s from where we’re headed, and I make eye contact with a flying piece of metal just moments before it smashes into my skull.