Page 75 of Never Tamed
That thought burns a hole through my skull. We’re going to find her, because these pelts are a brutal reminder of what we’ve lost, but I have to believe she’s alive.
We. The thought clangs around in the midst of our footsteps stomping through snow. Somewhere along the line, Mathis and his wolves have become mine. And damn it if I’m not proprietary over them. Maybe it happened with the mate bond, maybe not. I’m not sure.
I only know when we shift into wolves and haul ass back home, the lack of preparation doesn’t feel as intimidating anymore.
The sun’s setting by the time we cut out of the forest around the old YMCA camp. Noble comes out to meet us with his cell phone ready and Hendrickson behind him.
Schematics, yes. And maps. And old images of the site plans uploaded to the city’s servers.
But sleep comes, the way it does. I nestle between Noble and Torin when Mathis announces his unwillingness to rest.
He’s going over the maps again, and again, until his eyes bleed. Dax takes off to the woods with a piece of me trailing after him. There’s nothing I can do for them, I think as I snuggle into Noble’s familiar warmth.
Not tonight, anyway.
But tomorrow…
The five of us pile into an SUV with Mathis at the wheel and Noble navigating from the middle seat. The old address of thewarehouse, the thought of the city, feels like I’m stepping into a different life. A different world.
The rescue we’re launching is flimsy at best. A handful of wolves follow us in two more SUVs and something shifts inside of me.
It’s not excitement.
I’m not sure what to call it but I strap myself in and lean toward the dash, licking my lips. Maybe it’s vengeance and I’m looking for a better way to dress up the package, to make it more palatable.
Maybe I’m thirsty to pay Andras and his pet bitch back for the damage they’ve caused. The pain they’ve inflicted can’t go without retaliation. I’m not saying I’m the one to do it—
My head fills with whispers and I shut all my mental doors.
Scratch that. I am the one to do it. There’s no one else in this world like me.
I have the go ahead from the Moon Goddess, don’t I? She personally sought me out with a mission, and if I’m not the one to put a stop to this now—
Done. There’s nothing else. There's no happily ever after. There will only be pain and escape and loss.
“The VPN keeps my connection secure.” Nobe holds out his phone to show Mathis. “There’s no way Andras can track us through our software footprint. Even if he wants to.”
“You sure?” I ask, my teeth chattering.
“I’ve taken precautions. We’re about forty minutes out. It looks like that part of town hasn’t been tapped for redevelopment yet.”
Torin scoffs. “It would have been if we hadn't been interrupted.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Mathis blows us off. “Fucking march of progress.”
Our hastily gathered soldiers follow us. Dax rests in the trunk space rather than sit in the front with the rest of us. He’s silent, too silent, and I wonder if his head’s lost to that damn song again.
There aren’t enough of us to make a difference, and we know it. We’ll fight like demons to get our omegas back, though, and to leave Andras with a message: his reign ends now. Anyone who uses terror to gain power over others shouldn’t be allowed to continue.
“Thinking about neutering him, sweetheart?” Mathis asks at whatever feeling I’ve sent down the bond. “The idea has merit.”
“Gladly.” My knee bobs and I slap a hand on it. “Whatever it takes.”
I don’t know much about the liquor they used to make at the factory and that feels important.
The last time I’d seen it in person, Rudy was dusting off his last box. One of the bottles cracked around the seal and filled the break room at the bar with such a reek I gagged.
Rudy insisted the stuff was better tasting than it smelled. He was absolutely wrong.
