Page 11 of Group Hug
“Knowing what’s at stake,” Kor said, “I think he will. But it’s all we’ve got for now. I’ve called Aisling in to fill in the gap on the Council. We’ll still be down one, but it’ll be enough to keep things running. Francisco is working on security detail now, calling in some of the Omega spies from the city, and we’re vetting the team so we can get eyes on the people Lior and Marion have sent in. We plan to make a public display of a few, but not all of them.”
It was wise. Not ousting them publicly was smart, but making a public display of a small fraction would be enough to possibly set the others at ease, making them believe they hadn’t been caught. It didn’t really matter, though. This was going to explode far past the borders of Corland. Far past the borders of America—if I was reading the signs right.
“By tomorrow, I’ll have Danyal with me, and then I’ll make plans to get him home,” I said.
Kor hummed softly. “Don’t be in too big a hurry. Let him recover from whatever it is he’s gone through.”
I swallowed thickly. “Has Talia…or even Zane, said anything?”
“Talia says Danyal feels fine. She said she knew when Zane was slipping but Danyal’s still there, sending her pulses every now and again in the pack bond. He’s okay.” Those last words from Kor almost sent me to my knees. “Just get him out before he’s not.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded. “I will. Just…fuck. Maybe send a prayer to the gods for me?”
He laughed, but the sound wasn’t mocking or cruel. “I haven’t stopped since the day you left, Mikael. Just promise me you’ll keep yourself safe too.”
I hadn’t gotten the chance to know Kor as well as I should have, but I would remedy that if given the chance. He was a good person. An even better Alpha. A privilege to serve under. “Do you want me to keep in touch?”
“Only if it’s an emergency. I’ll be off the grid, but you won’t be alone.”
I squared my shoulders, then ran a hand down my face to help collect myself. “Neither will you. Talk to you again.” It was the only promise I was willing to make before I ended the call.
Marching back into the main room, I felt the eyes of everyone on me, even those who were trying not to look. Hervé must have absolutely overheard the entire conversation, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was they saw me as I was—powerful and ready to take on this fight.
“Tell me what we’re doing next,” I commanded. “I’m ready to end this.”
Hervé stood up straight, then re-tied his dreads at the nape of his neck. “Then let’s begin. We have a long way to go.”
Chapter
Eleven
DANYAL
Iwoke to the sound of screaming. For a moment, I thought it was in my head, because I’d been plagued with nightmares since the night we arrived at the compound, but it wasn’t long before I realized whatever it was, it was coming from another wing. I’d been restless since leaving Ivan’s room, and I’d hoped to interrogate Mari when I got in, but she was fast asleep, and I wasn’t cruel enough to wake her.
I had no idea what Kasher and his humans were doing to her, and I wasn’t going to add to the stress. After all, the baby was my responsibility now—both survival and care. I didn’t know what would happen when she went into labor, but I knew the time for that was close.
And I didn’t want to risk us being here when it all went down.
Another scream dragged me out of my thoughts, and I threw my legs over the side of the bed. Peering out of the door, I was only half-surprised not to find a guard there. But Kasher knew better, of course. I wouldn’t run without Mari, and Mari was in no shape to go like this. We wouldn’t get far if we tried, and they might not kill her when we were caught, but they would make her sorry.
Taking a breath, I followed the sounds of whimpering through a maze of corridors, and eventually came to a door with a heavy lock. It took nothing at all to break it, and I wondered if it was a test—or maybe Kasher’s men were too arrogant to believe one of his feral Wolves was capable of getting out.
The metal snapped under my hands, and I pushed the door open, rearing back at the smell.
It was filth—unwashed skin, vomit, and excrement layered on top of each other. The place was a cell, and in the center was a Wolf on all fours with his hair hanging over his eyes. It was the creature from before, the one at Kasher’s command. He gnashed his teeth as I stepped closer, so I let my claws and fangs drop, hoping maybe my Omega scent would affect him.
He wasn’t an Alpha, but Betas still felt small pulses of need to protect us.
After a beat, the growls quieted, and I could see blood dripping down his thighs. Rage rushed through me, but I managed to beat it back as I closed the distance and fell to a crouch. The Wolf snarled a little, but he let me push his hair back, let me turn him so I could see the gaping wound in his gut.
Claw marks.
His hands were filthy, so I had no idea if he’d done this himself, or if he’d been tortured by another feral one of us.
Closing my eyes, I breathed out, then I pushed to my feet and left the room. His whimper followed me, but I didn’t let it distract me. I found a bathroom not far off, so I soaked a handful of towels in the warm running water, then covered them with liquid soap and dragged them back down the hall.
The Wolf gave a startled huff as I knelt down again, but he didn’t protest as I began to clean him off. The layers of filth revealed olive-brown skin, shredded and scarred, but intact. His gaze met mine, and I saw the person beneath the pain and torture begging to come out.
