Page 26 of The Brooding Alpha's Mate
It was going to be no small task. We were filled beyond capacity, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. It was either this, or just tell them to go on their way, which was heartless and also impossible for the youngest of them.
At least the apartment crew had finally been placed in permanent housing. If they’d still been here, I wasn’t sure what we’d do, but we’d have figured it out. The team always did.
“They’re gonna be pissed,” Hammer said almost gleefully.
“I don’t think pissed even broaches it,” Sutton, another bear said, and then fist-bumped Aziz.
“Guys, this is all great, but Dean’s still at large,” I reminded them.
Pop Tart’s arm came around my shoulder. “We have to take the wins where we have them.”
He was right. We did. But knowing that Dean was still out there had me on edge in a way it didn’t for them. We had turnedhis beast into a ticking time bomb, and that time bomb was going to be delivered to my mate if Dean had his way.
My bear pushed forward, pleading with me to find and kill him. I wanted that too, but being part of a team meant following the plan we all agreed on. I was smart enough to know that I was currently thinking with my heart and not my brain. That was a recipe for disaster.
“Hey, Maverick. Maybe circle my property… I mean, make sure it’s safe.”
He looked at me like I had three heads. It took a second for me to figure out why.
“I mean the safe house.” I wasn’t sure that my property would ever be safe again. My name would be attached to this, and even if that pride was decimated to extinction, there were others who would look at me as a threat.
Aziz looked at me, pity in his eyes. “You need to believe that Fate doesn’t make mistakes. They’re not going to give you Colson only to take him right away.”
I wanted to believe that was true. I needed to believe that was true. But my anxiety refused to allow me.
“Please, Maverick.” I ignored Aziz. “Can you handle this? Just circle it tonight. See if there’s anyone there.”
His dragon had a view none of us did. Normally, I wouldn’t ask a shifter to do something like that, something so specific to their beast. There was nothing normal about right now.
“Yeah, I can do that. Hutch has his hands full here, and Lachlan is hanging out with Jack and the other mate’s children… I’ll make it work.”
I wasn’t sure how I would repay him, but I vowed to myself.
We went back to finalizing the phase of the plan…getting the information proving embezzlement and wire fraud to the human agencies. We didn’t get very far; a blood-curdling scream came through the door.
I didn’t recognize it, and at first, I thought that was great—because it wasn’t my mate. Then the guilt set in, because why would it be great no matter who it was?
I was hit with abject terror as Chad rushed to us, his arm bloody, tears streaming down his face.
“Colson! Dean—” he cried out. “Dean was here.”
I raced to him. Not to give him the comfort he was looking for but because I needed to know what had happened.
“Colson. Where is Colson?” It hurt to breathe.
“Dean took him. He’s gone.”
“What do you mean he’s gone?” My hand partially shifted, my bear ready to tear Chad open. It took all of my strength to contain him.
“We went outside, because we needed to…he was helping me because…there was a thing.”
I closed my eyes and attempted to gain more power from my beast.
“And Dean showed up. I tried to help, I did, but he was too strong for us. He drove off in a truck. Colson in the back.”
“How did he find us?” Hammer looked pointedly at Chad. What was he seeing that I didn’t?
“That’s… I didn’t want to be left behind when you rescued everyone. I promise you, I didn’t mean any harm.” And then he started sobbing violently.
