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She frowned. “I don’t think it should be me. They told me that I didn’t matter as much to his plans. So, if either of us should run away, it should be you.”
“No, Tavi. There’s no telling when they’ll come back—it might be too late for me when they do.”
“Bryn, no, you can’t think like that—”
“Tavi, I have to!” Now I was the one snapping. “I don’t like thinking about dying or leaving Night without a mate, but I have to be pragmatic,” I said, my voice cracking at the end. “I have some strength now, but in a day or two, who can say? Even now, I don’t think I’d make it as far as you would. I wish I didn’t have to put this on you, but I don’t think we have a choice.”
She was quiet for a few moments, considering my words. Finally, she nodded. “Okay,” she muttered. “I hear you. I don’t like it, but I hear you.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page.” I took a deep breath and gathered my emotions. We had something here. Maybe it would work and maybe it wouldn’t, but at least it was something to try. “Okay, I think we should have a sign or something before we start. Maybe I’ll blink three times.”
“That could work—”
Heavy, running footsteps entered the tunnel, the awful sound silencing our plans. Troy, Samson, Harlon, and a fourth man entered the tunnel. Samson and Harlon each had a syringe in their hand.
“Ladies,” Troy said, his voice a sick purr, “let’s all take a trip.”
We screamed as they approached with their needles, but of course, our efforts were in vain. Later, I would only be able to recall hard, rough hands grabbing me and the sting of the needle in the uninjured side of my neck, and nothing more.
8
NIGHT
My wolves and I stood along the Canadian border in Kings pack territory. It was dark, and crickets and cicadas were lending their voices to the night. The wind whispered through the leaves and between the trunks of the trees and bushes around us, carrying the scent of autumn. Soon, it would be fall, soon the leaves would change and fall to the forest floor, and I was determined to see the season change with Bryn and Tavi by my side.
Though I had a plan in place, though I was surrounded by a dozen members of my pack, I didn’t feel better. I wouldn’t until I had eyes on my family, until I had Bryn in my arms again.
Along with Dom and the rest of my team, I darted into the thicket of trees, silent as moonlight. Evan had returned to the Kings’ compound, and he’d sent a message back to us. He’d learned of a potential location for Bryn and Tavi—a cave near the Kootenai, one that was rarely used because it was out of the way of most foot traffic. The moment I heard the news, we all shifted for the trip.
My wolf and I hadn’t been on the best terms, but tonight, we were in sync. We both believed without a doubt that Bryn would soon be with us again; we just needed to stay strong a bit longer. I was glad that Dom had convinced me to bring so many wolves. I preferred to go in as stealthily as possible, but I didn’t want to take unnecessary chances with Troy.
Soon, we reached the mouth of the cave. We all crouched low in our wolf forms, approaching the cave without so much as a snapped twig or a crushed leaf. As we neared the entrance, I smelled Bryn. Her sweet, earthy scent was like the most intoxicating perfume. It made my wolf vibrate with pleasure. She was here. She had to be!
But there were no wolves guarding the cave. Despite Bryn’s scent, it seemed abandoned. They couldn’t be on break or in between shifts. Troy wouldn’t be so stupid as to leave the girls unguarded... The thought sent a sharp stab of dread through me that pinned me to the spot. Bryn and Tavi weren’t here.
“This doesn’t look good, Night,” Dom said, speaking through our telepathic bond. “He must’ve moved them already.”
“We should investigate the cave.” I wasn’t just speaking to Dom, but to all of my wolves. This was easier to do in my wolf form, but my Alpha powers weren’t coming to me as naturally as they usually did. “There might be some indication of where Redwolf took them.”
Two of my men stood outside the cave while the rest of us entered. Tavi and Bryn’s scents were all over the walls, as well as Troy’s. But there was no sign of the girls. All we found were traces of blood splatter and shackles left in the cave walls. The sight made Dom and I tremble and growl with rage, and the rest of my wolves, too. They had known Tavi as long as I had, and Bryn had easily endeared herself to them. The girls were their family, too, and none of us took this most recent failure lightly.
Finally, we forced ourselves to leave. Staying in the cave would only make us angrier, and there were no clues to where Troy would have taken them. As we neared the entrance, I reached out to my men outside.
“How’s it look out there?” I waited, but didn’t receive a response. I glanced at Dom, who met my gaze with a grave look of his own. Shit.
We upped the pace, bursting from the cave to find Troy standing in his human form with two dozen wolves backing him. The wolves we’d left as sentinels lay bloody at Troy’s feet, but they were still breathing.
I shifted to my human form, but Dom and the rest of my team remained in their wolf forms. Dom stuck close to my side as I walked toward Troy, ready to jump in at a moment’s notice.
“I can’t say I’m happy to see you, Night,” Troy said. I wished so very badly that I could rip the smirk right off the prick’s face.
“Where are Bryn and Octavia?” I demanded.
“You just missed them. I took them to a secure location because, you see, I was enjoying Bryn far too much to just let her go back to you.” His tongue ran over his lips and his canines, which were sharper than usual. “You know, I’ve never tasted blood so sweet. I had a filling meal for dinner, and then I had Bryn for dessert.”
I growled before I could stop myself. Damn him. Damn him. “I’ll make sure you pay for every mark on her before I kill you, Troy.”
“Ohh. I’m shaking. You pose such a large threat with just a handful of men behind you.”
