Chapter Thirty-Eight
Iran out of the cabin, straight to the cliff, and faster than I thought possible, I was crawling out from underneath the gazebo.
I barely had a moment to think before Nix was shifting and pushing us to run as fast as we could to the med tent.
I don’t even know how much time I had spent back at the cabin, and I will never regret the time I spared there, but I knew the council was on its way and I needed time to get everything in order.
What are we going to do? Megan’s question almost had me skidding to a stop because I had no idea. I mean, they know every wolf that's in the Silvermoon pack, don’t they?
Nix ignored us as she kept running. We were almost at the tent when an idea started to form in my mind. I relayed the ideas to my wolves, and they both chuckled. Nix finally graced us with her opinion. If they are stupid enough to fall for it, then they deserve everything coming their way.
We sprinted out of the trees lining the clearing with the tent, and I pushed forward, stepping out of Nix’s form and into my body.
“Well…” I walked into the tent and looked at the broken bodies still waiting to heal.
“Let’s hope they are too full of themselves to realize the trap before it snaps shut on them. ”
Rowan stood and walked over to me. “What trap?”
I stretched my neck as the last twenty-four hours hit me like a wall, but I pushed through it.
“I just thought of something that might work for the council. But I have questions, and I can only hope that you are the man to ask.” I smiled up at my mate.
He was staring at me expectantly, but instead of asking the questions I had, I reached up and slipped my arms around his neck as I leaned in and kissed his lips.
He pulled back after kissing me, and he smiled. “What was that for?”
“No reason. I just wanted to kiss my mate.” I kissed him again, but a soft cough had me pulling away. I looked behind Rowan only to see my father struggling to sit up. “Daddy.” I rushed to his side and pushed him back down. “You need to rest.”
He coughed again. “I rested enough.” He started to laugh but Ronnie walked up with his still pregnant mate.
“Lying unconscious under a pile of rocks doesn’t count, you idiot,” Ronnie snarled as I knelt next to the cot he was on.
“Uncle Ronnie is right.”
My dad shook his head. “I don’t have time to rest. The council is almost here.”
I closed my eyes for a second, fighting the urge to smack him. “I’m only holding back because you are already hurt, but if you say one more stupid thing, I will swing.” I turned my shifted eyes on my father, and he threw his head back and laughed.
“You would hit your wounded ol’ man?”
“In a heartbeat.” I nodded to the empty cot next to my dad. “Sit, Tina, you look about ready to burst, and I have to tell you, I’m not great with pregnant women.” I grinned as Rowan tilted his head.
“The twins?”
“Safe, sound, and Goddess blessed.” Before my dad could ask, I turned to him and answered. “Mom is safe and sound too. She is exhausted but keeping everyone in the cabin safe until we deal with all this bullshit.” I turned back to my mate. “The lupine extract?”
He pointed to the bags around the tent. “All hung. Healing should kick back in within the next two hours.”
“Two hours?” I was surprised it would take that long.
The doctor had walked up as Rowan opened his mouth. “The slower the drip, the less painful it will be to work it out of the system.”
“You didn’t do that with Ronnie.” I pointed out.
The doctor smiled. “I would have if I had had the option. I did low and slow with you.”
Ronnie groaned. “That’s what the burning was?” The doctor nodded.
I turned to Rowan. “Do we have two hours?”
Rowan nodded. “We should still have about three.” A ringtone rang out with a soft drum.
Rowan pulled out a sleek phone and answered.
“Yes?” He listened for a few minutes and then hung up.
“We have less than one hour.” My dad grunted as he pushed up again.
“The council landed by plane. If they were running, we would have less time, but they demanded a car.”
My dad looked at Ronnie. “Call Trey, delay as much as possible.” Then he turned to the doctor. “Turn everyone up. We don’t have the time to be gentle anymore.”
The doctor moved to my father’s bag first and showed the rest of us how to open it fully. Then we all split off and ran around the room to every wolf and opened their infusion.
The last one was a frail-looking woman, and I felt bad. “I’m sorry I have to do this.” I opened her I.V. and watched as she paled, and shook.
She gasped but just closed her eyes. “It’s okay. We all understand.” I patted her hand and stood. Her arm snapped out and grabbed me. “We are going to make it through this, right?” Her eyes were full of pain and worry.
“I don’t know.” I wouldn’t lie. “But I know we will do everything we can to keep you all safe.” She nodded once before releasing me.
I was on the other side of the room when another call came in.
This time it was Ronnie. “Trey. Good. Have they questioned anything yet?” He was quiet for a few more seconds.
“Bring the car to the opposite side of the airport and wait until they decide to run instead.” He waited a few more seconds.
“Exactly.” Ronnie sighed. “Thanks Trey. Oh, and call when they leave.” He hung up his phone and sank down next to my dad. “He will let us know.”
Rowan made it back to my dad’s bed at the same time as I did. “Did your guys say whether or not they brought any guards?”
Ronnie puffed out his cheeks. “The guards are on a different plane. Apparently, the council thinks they are too good to travel with the help.” Ronnie laughed, but it was empty.
“That’s what they are waiting for right now.
The guards’ plane left about thirty minutes after the council members.
So, they are waiting for them to arrive. And they ordered a bus and a limo.”
“A bus?” I turned to Rowan. “Why would they need a freaking bus?”
Rowan looked almost grey. “They probably mobilized the entire council guard.” There was a soft drumming again, and Rowan pulled out the black phone. “Yeah?” He was silent for a few seconds. “We have men at the airport. Bring everyone back here. Good.” Then he hung up.
“Bring who here?” I furrowed my brow.
“My elite guards.” Rowan said slowly, as if he was confused by my question.
“Why are they here?” I lifted an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t they still be at the capital?”
Rowan walked over and felt my forehead, like I was sick. “Are you okay?” He leaned down. “I sent my guards here years ago, to watch over your dad’s pack and Carly…remember?”
I stood there confused until a memory bubbled up. We were on a call when I first told him about Carly. “That was during my first year of school. They have been here since then?” He nodded once. “But who watched over you in the capital?”
Rowan frowned. “No one…that’s why I pretended with Verity…I couldn’t exactly push back when I had sent my warriors away.” My mouth dropped open. “I thought you knew.”
I just shook my head, and then I turned to my dad. “Did you know?”
My dad shook his head slowly. “No…I mean, well, yes, I knew he sent guards here for Carly, but once we set Carl and his pup up at the cabin, I never saw them again.” My dad turned to my mate. “We assumed they went back to you.”
Rowan shook his head. “I kept them around here, working behind the scenes to keep Carl and Carly safe, making sure they had food, especially once you all hid in the Agora.” I felt like a bitch.
All the hatred I had built up when, if fact, he was just trying to stay alive.
Rowan cupped my face and turned me to him.
“I know you are beating yourself up. But don’t. ”
“But I hated you for so long and then the entire time you were protecting my pup. My family. My pack.” He smiled. “That’s what any king would do. Not to mention, I was head over heels in love with you and that just added another layer.” He kissed me. “Do you still hate me?”
I shook my head. “Of course I don’t. I love you.” I smacked him. “I’ve always loved you…even when I hated you.”
He kissed me again. “You are my mate, and even when I hated you, I still loved you too. Even if I didn’t love you, even if we were never mates, I would have sent my guards to protect Carly.
She is the Shaman, and she can’t fall into anyone’s hands.
So don’t feel bad.” He booped my nose and then turned to my dad.
“They will be here within ten minutes.” My dad’s mouth dropped open. “They are running.” My dad just nodded.
“Well then, let’s figure out how the fuck we are going to survive this fucking shit show.”
I raised a hand like I was in school. “Does the council know who is in this pack? Like everyone?”
My dad furrowed his brows. “I don’t know. Ronnie, Tina, and me, they know for sure. Why?”
“Because I have an idea. But I need to know exactly who they know and who they don’t, and then I need the rest of you to hide.” I turned to Rowan. “Including you.”
Rowan stared at me for a few seconds before his eyes tightened. “I don’t want to leave you alone with them.”
“I know. But they will be more arrogant if it’s just me.” I smiled as I rubbed my hands. “And that’s how we can catch them.”
I told my father to relax as Rowan and I started getting to work.
Any and every abled bodied wolf came from the house to help break down the med tent.
I had the guards move the wolves still healing to the med building in the farthest rooms. The ones that were healing but able to move on their own shuffled towards the pack house.
“Amy, everything is broken down here.” Ronnie huffed out a breath. “The doctor headed back to the hospital with the people taking longer to heal, though your father refuses to go anywhere except the pack house.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Where is he?”
Ronnie shuffled a foot. “I had Greyson put him into his bedroom.”