Page 23 of The Brooding Alpha's Mate
He reached for the butter. “Your dad really knew what he was doing with this recipe. They smell delicious.”
As much as I’d have loved to talk about my father, we had more pressing matter
“And speaking of knowing what they’re doing, the team’s coming here. I don’t know how many, and I’m sorry. I know it might be overwhelming, but they have news about Dean, and if they’re coming here, it means we’re not quite safe yet.”
He put his hand on mine on the table.
“It’s okay. I may be scrawny, but I’m tough.”
“Oh, you’re the toughest omega I know, 100 percent.”
They arrived hours later. It wasn’t everybody, only Hammer, Sloan, Maverick, and Aziz. We all sat around the table.
Maverick was the one who explained in detail what they learned about the lions’ “businesses” and that they had a plan. They were going to take them apart from the inside.
I didn’t understand the ins and outs of the technology component of it, but the end result was that they would be bankrupt and looking at some federal charges.
That was ideal, because the shifter powers that be would never allow them into prison. The chances of us being found out were far too great. A timely death before the verdict was given. And I was glad for it. They deserved it. They deserved to suffer.
Whatever that made me, it made me. I didn’t care. They abused my mate, and for that, I had no mercy or grace.
“Sloan,” my mate, looked across the table. “Can you go over the part about the house slaves again?”
“Well, there’s nothing specific, just to the house slaves, we’re going to make sure that we get all the slaves out before the arrests.”
“Do you have the names? Can you tell me, is Chad okay?”
Sloan shook his head. “We don’t know that much detail about any of them. Most of the information we have is through computer hacking, and they didn’t really keep records on that.”
“Okay.” My mate grabbed my hand.
He was very much not okay, nor was the information he gleaned. But when he told me he was strong and pushing through…he’d meant it.
“I want to help rescue the omegas.” This was important to my mate. There was no way I could sit around and not try and help.
A chorus of noses came at me.
“Let me restate it. I’m going to help rescue the omegas.”
Hammer stood up. He was taking his position as leader and wielding all of its authority. I’d only seen him do it twice, but standing up meant a command was coming.
“You need to stay here with your mate. That’s your job. That’s your responsibility. No one can protect him like you, and right now, this is the safest place he can be.”
Colson stood up next, not even pretending to be intimidated by our leader. Everyone, including Hammer, looked at him like he’d lost his ever-loving mind.
And maybe he had, but if they had a problem with it, they’d have to go through me.
The room filled with my bear’s scent, and Hammer gave me a look and said, “Do. Not. Even.”
Great. Things were going from bad to worse.
“I need to go.” My mate was not backing down. “I know that place better than anyone, and I need to get Chad out of there. I’m sorry if I’m breaking whatever protocol you have here, and I don’t mean disrespect. I need you to understand that Chad and I promised each other. I could never live with myself if I didn’t at least try.”
Hammer sat down with a long sigh. “As much as I want to win this one, I’m not going to, am I?”
He looked directly at me. “No. I’m pretty sure none of us are, other than Colson.”
“Fine. But you will obey when we’re there and not do anything reckless.”
