ANDREW POV The trickle of water trickling down the walls of the tunnel fills my ears. Xander and his mother are saying something, but I pay them no mind, Demitri too busy pacing. ‘He’s near,’ my wolf whispers, more alert than he has been in days. All of our wolves have been resting more than usual preparing for the disasters to come. ‘Cerberus is near.’ ‘They’re alive?’ I ask, breathing in a sigh of relief, nearly running into someone's back as the others pause. The possibility of seeing Theo again frazzles my mind, my heart thudding. “This is the door.” Camilla’s voice breaks through the storm of emotions clogging my brain. Without apology, I push through the others standing in front of me as Xander is opening the door. Without thinking, I step forward, a mystical force pulling me to the ladder. Like a trolley on a track, I have only one direction in mind, and the scent I have been craving for weeks. I hear the muffled sounds of others talking, but I barely pay attention. My hand
XANDER POV The man standing a few feet away stares like he has seen a ghost. The sound of others trailing up the ladder has me moving. Lachlan’s eyes moving to the person venturing their way up. “Luna.” His head tilting in respect, the action sending another surge of fury to my fingertips. How many people knew she was alive? “You knew she was alive?” Fletcher growls, asking the questions I am too enraged to find. The others making their way inside, while Camilla stands with defiance, her chin tipping in the air. No shame or hidden regret. “Until a week ago and a half ago,” the demoted Gamma stutters, sensing the tension in the air, as he glances around the warriors who’ve enclosed around him. Everyone moving so silently, our bracelets working wonders. He doesn’t realize until it’s too late. “I thought she was dead. Everyone did. Until Cain brought that girl…then she showed back up a few days ago.” His confession has me reeling with the possibility that I this really is the mother
XANDER POV “Fletcher, you and I will-” I start, looking up from the map, the words failing as I see his guilt-ridden face. “What?” The question lashing out like a whip, not in the mood to deal with more. We have been here nearly ten minutes from the time the last person entered the room. “Charity made us promise to stick together,” Matt grumbles, looking none too happy about the responsibility. “And when did she become the fucking Alpha?” I sigh, exasperated, but I can understand her worry. “Fine, whatever. Andrew is with me, then?” “I would prefer that, anyway. I made a promise to my mate,” Andrew includes, his chest puffing with pride. His words not taking me by surprise, the pair is made for each other. If we weren’t in the middle of this nightmare, I’d be celebrating their union, but more important matters loom. “Well then, it’s decided,” I agree, dividing the other warriors in the room. Pairing rogues with pack members so that we all have a way to communicate with each other.
XANDER POVThe smugness of his voice has Ares pushing forward, wanting to get his paws around his throat and end his worthless life. A rage unlike anything I have ever known, my Alpha energy swirling around the room like a firestorm.“Bringing me back here was a mistake,” I growl, forcing more of my aura onto the others. My gun still raised, as the others from my group navigate the waiting area.“Unfortunately, it’s the only way I can get what should be mine,” Cain snarls, shouting through the mask he wears. I can tell that he is desperately trying to match my energy. The fog in the room clearing giving me a better view.His men haven’t advanced in the slightest, clearly affected by my presence. Standing there like frozen statues. Taking notice, Lachlan and Theo rearrange themselves around, giving themselves a better advantage.“I should have known you would be involved in this, Walsh,” Cain comments dryly.“I’ll always support the rightful Alpha,” Lachlan puffs out in pride. “Especia
THEO POV I didn’t miss the shift in Drew’s energy when I flinched away from him, rushing out before he closed it off. My mate, a smile lighting my lips at the thought. If only we were home, rather than in hell, otherwise I would have taken him in my arms and marked him right then. Claiming Andrew Tyler as mine for the entire world to see. My mark sitting upon his skin where the collarbone and neck collide. Instead, we are stuck here, where the thought of being touched by anyone makes me recoil. I swear to the Goddess when I get my hands on that worthless piece of shit, Zachary; I am going to tear him to shreds. Cerberus hasn’t been vocal for the last few days, choosing to reserve his strength. The most activity I’ve seen from him was to claim Andrew as our own before retreating to the corners of my mind, looking to recover. Not that I blame him. The whole thing isn’t over yet, and if the plan goes awry, I might need him later. Leaning against the damp wall, I shiver, soaked clothe
ANDREW POV Cain’s body lands with a splatter, his fingers twitching slightly. Taking a page from Matt, I raise the weighted piece of metal wrapped in my hand. Aiming at his head, I pull the trigger; the shot ringing out in deafening the sensitive hearing of the wolves in the room. The bullet crashing through his skull at point blank range, crimson spewing everywhere. Xander’s stare burning holes in my flesh, but I shrug, not caring. “Better to be safe than sorry. We have enough ghosts returning from the past to haunt us. We don’t need another.” “Alpha,” Lachlan says, calling our attention, the pair of us turning to him as he nods toward the door on the opposite end of the room where Camilla stands. The look upon her face has Xander forgetting whatever he was about to say. The words evaporating like water on a hot summer day. Whatever the woman has to stay, it’s not good, based on the shake of her head. Xander, dashing toward the room like a tropical storm. Fear wrapping around him
XANDER POVMy heart stops seeing the look on Camilla’s face standing in the doorway of a room in the far corner. Ares is eerily silent, but we also remain pain free. As if floating in an out-of-body experience, I am at Nora’s side. The entire time between the lobby and here was a blur of seconds.Her breaths are shallow, and eyes closed, cords, and IVs still connected to her. Panic raising in my chest, a snarl escaping as my fingers wrap around them, ready to remove them, when a screech halts me just in time.“STOP!” Camilla rushing forward, her hands prying mine from Nora’s arm gingerly. “There is a dialysis machine attached, and the IVs are working to flush her system.”“You….how..?” I stutter, listening for Nora’s heart beat. Sighing in relief when I find it followed by the faintest flutter. The pup, our pup. The lavender scent that I love wrapped around me like a blanket.“I had to learn how to do something when I left here,” she murmurs, barely looking at me as she tends to my ma
THEO POVThe beeping has stopped, and the IV’s removed yesterday, but Andrew has demanded the human doctors to keep me another night. Poor man, even humans, can feel the animalistic and dangerous energy lurking underneath our surface. They caved rather easily, too. My mate can be pretty persuasive when he wants to be.“Are you ready to leave this place?” Drew’s voice cuts through the train of my thoughts. His head snuggled in my chest as I run my fingers through his soft hair. He hasn’t left my side in the three days I have been stuck in this room.“I was ready yesterday,” I whisper, kissing the top of his head.“I know and I am sorry about that,” his bright blue eyes looking up at me. “I just wanted to make sure that you were actually okay… you know that, right?”“Of course, I would have done the same,” I murmur, my finger pads running along his scalp. “But I am ready to go home, Drew. Although there are some things I need to do before we fly out.”“Xander?” he asks, already understa