Chapter 47

It felt like her face was vibrating. Deva opened her eyes and then felt the warm body pressed up against her. She smiled and then realized the feeling was her phone. Moving the heavy arm off her waist, she found the phone tangled in her top and answered it. “Hello.”

“Deva.” It was Kenzo. “I’m about a half mile behind them. They didn’t wait until dawn to start moving.”

She sat up and looked around. “Okay. How long until you’re here?”

“They’re not rushing. Might be an hour. I need a status update on the one at the camp.”

Taggart sat up and gave her a curious look. She tried not to be distracted by his messy hair and how sexy he looked with sleepy eyes. “Okay. I’ll get my stuff on and go out and look.”

“I’m hanging back. Hadleigh is circling around, keeping an eye on them, and Wynter is out there somewhere.” He sounded amused.

“. Did Calum tell you what Taggart found?” She took the shirt Taggart held out.

“Yeah. Let’s hope is translates into something useful. Text me after you look. I’ll hang back until you do.”

“Is there a plan?” Taggart set her pants in her lap as he moved around, looking for their clothes.

“Take them without getting shot.”

Deva cringed. “Um. Okay. I’ll message you shortly.”

“Copy that.” He hung up.

“They no wait for light.” He chuckled. “We almost sleep and miss action.”

Deva jammed her arms into her top and then realized the sleeve was stuck inside it. “They were supposed to wait for dawn.”

“They probably cold.” He leaned over and kissed her shoulder as she wrestled to get the sleeve turned right side out. “Was very warm here.”

She felt her face get hot. Pushing her arms into the sleeves, she pulled the top down and shoved the sleeping bag out of the way to get her pants on. Laying down, she shoved her legs in and then shimmed them up over her hips.

Taggart knelt there, smiling down at her. “You look sexy in morning.” He said something softly in his own language.

“Shush, none of that right now. We need to check on the camp.”

“I know. Is no going away in few minute.” He dropped down to lay beside her, propping his body up on his elbow. “I just say good morning to my beauty mate.” He leaned down and kissed her mouth softly.

She ran her hands over his messy hair. “Morning.” She smiled. “Now stop distracting me.”

Taggart sighed and sat up. “We do work now, and I distract later, yes?”

Deva laughed quietly. “How do you plan to do that when we’ll be back at the factory surrounded by a hundred people?”

“We borrow this tent and go out to the forest.” He winked at her.

Deva pulled the white suit up over her pants and then moved to kneel and get her arms into it. “I might consider that idea.”

“Really? Is good one?”

She bit her lip and shook her head. “No, not really. Like the hundred team members won’t know what we’re up to taking a tent for a run.”

He shrugged. “Is no their business what mate and I do.” He pulled his jacket on. “I go look. You put things in bags. We go when they done.”

Deva had forgotten they’d have to lower everything back to the ground after they’d shut down those men. “Okay. I’ll pack it up and leave it in here.”

Taggart opened the rifle case and pulled it out. “I be back in seconds.” He unzipped the tent and went outside.

She stopped moving entirely and looked at the material he’d zipped back up. Touching the mark on her neck, she smiled slowly. She was mated. Irrevocably so. Biting her lip, she got up on her knees and started to untangle the sleeping bags and clothes.

When she had both rolled up, she stopped and stared at them. She had to tell her mom, which was okay. She’d be happy. Probably thrilled. Now she wasn’t going to have a choice. She would have to take Taggart home to meet them. How was she going to explain to him that she didn’t bring her job home? She was always so careful not to say anything that would let her family know how bad it was outside of the clan lands.

She heard Taggart muttering and hurried to pack the rest up. Family and all that was going to have to wait. Right now, they had to get these men without anyone getting hurt. Dropping the bag, she turned and grabbed the white suit and her jacket. If she wasn’t out there to stop him, she knew he was going to rush down there and do something he felt was necessary.

She got out there just as Taggart was getting comfortable with the rifle. Picking up the binoculars, she knelt beside him and looked through them. “What’s going on?”

“Is packing up the camp.” He said quietly.

“Will he be done before they get there?” She hoped not. They needed them all in one location. She found the camp and watched the man pulling things out of the tent and setting them in a pile. “I’ll message Kenzo and let him know. Can you see them? Look for Hadleigh. She’s above them.” Setting the binoculars on her legs, she pulled her phone out and opened up Kenzo in her contacts. Quickly she told him he was packing up the camp. While she waited for a reply, she looked at Taggart. He lay there without movement. Was he even breathing? She wasn’t sure. Her cat moved through her, and Deva recognized the possessive feeling her animal was having.

“I feel you eyes on me,” Taggart said with a note of amusement.

“Would you rather I don’t look at you?” She bit her lip.

“No is okay you do. I just need to watch the backs of team down there and no be think about licking you whole body.”

Her face felt hot. “Sorry—I…” Her phone buzzed. She opened the message. “Shoot.” She hissed.

“Shoot what?” He said quickly.

“Oh. Nothing, I meant that like as not good thing is happening.”

Taggart looked at her. “What is happen?”

“One of them shifted. Kenzo isn’t sure he can keep track of him and the one walking.”

“Shifted to what animal?” He got to his knees took the binoculars out of her lap and raised them to his eyes.

“I don’t think Kenzo has a lot of time for texting.’ Her phone rang. She answered it quickly. “We’re going to comes so I can stay moving,” Kenzo said.

“Okay.” Deva nodded and tapped the speaker, adjusted the volume, and set the phone in front of her so Taggart could hear what was said.

“The one walking isn’t in any hurry, so I think the other one just wanted to chase down a bite to eat.” Kenzo sounded out of breath.

“Hadleigh is still circling.” It was Wynter. “Mine are strolling along like they don’t have a care in the world.” She sounded bored.

Deva picked up the rifle Taggart had set in front of them and got down on her stomach. Lifting it, she looked through the scope at the camp. “The one here is packing up.”

“Hadleigh said if they move to the next area, they’re only a half hour from the factory road,” Wynter said in a hushed voice. “We have to make sure they don’t get any communication out.”

“Did any use phone today?”

“One of mine talked to the others and said they were going back to camp,” Kenzo answered.

“Just the call from your guy,” Wynter replied.

“Okay. If they do this the smart way, they’ll wait and report in or whatever after they’ve gotten to the next location.” Deva hoped they had some degree of intelligence.

“I agree. No sense reporting you found nothing.”

“I see Hadleigh. You get closer to camp.”

“Okay. Keep the talking to a minimum so they don’t hear us.’ Kenzo whispered.

“Go it,” Wynter said.

“Is animal he shift to?” Taggart spoke quietly.

“A damn hyena,” Kenzo replied quickly.

Taggart said something in his own language very fast. “He is for Efem. We no –” More words no one could understand.

“I don’t know what you just said.” Kenzo was talking so softly it was hard to hear him.

“No kill him,” Taggart said.

“One of his team is from the hyena clan. Efem came over to find the traitors.”

“All right. He lives, Wynter.”

“I guess they all get a pass today because we don’t know if they’re all the same clan. I hope your man dishes out pain, Taggart.”

“He do what he need to do,” Taggart answered. She heard him get up. “I pack up.” He walked away. “Deva, no shoot to kill. Take out leg if important to slow him.”

“Okay.” Deva wanted to look and see if he was all right, but she didn’t want to take her eyes off the camp area. She didn’t want to take out any legs or shoot anyone, but if Kenzo and Wynter ran into trouble, she would. If this was going to be a regular thing, she was going to request a rifle with tranq darts. It had been years since she’d picked up a rifle, and in the last few weeks, she’d had one in her hands three times.

The call was quiet. No one was talking now. Deva glanced at it to see that it had been fifteen minutes. She looked around her. She hadn’t even realized she’d been lying here that long. It was probably a lack of sleep. She smiled.

“I can see the camp,” Kenzo whispered. “They really picked up the pace.”

Deva’s spine stiffened. She searched the area around the camp but couldn’t see Kenzo or the man he was following. As she moved back in the direction of the man packing up, something ran out into the open. She caught up with it and then followed it. “Taggart.” She knew he’d hear no matter how softly she said it.

She heard him come up beside her.

“I see him.” He moved away. “I get other rifle in case we have need.”

Deva exhaled and kept her body relaxed. When today was over, she really needed to pause and think about her career choice. When she’d signed up to work with the Alliance, transport, and clan coordination seemed to be the thing for her. Somehow, she was part of ops now and honestly didn’t think she was cut out for the intense moments that filled her whole body with tension.

“I don’t know where Wynter went.” Kenzo hissed.

Deva puckered her lips and moved slowly to check the area. “I see the two guys she was following.” She checked behind them and then beside them and didn’t see her anywhere.

“This is going to be hard if that guy doesn’t shift back,” Kenzo sounded winded and Deva wondered what he was doing. “Wynter, I’m hoping you’re just hidden and can’t talk. I’m going as soon as they’re all within ten feet of each other. Deva, Taggart, you have overwatch. Don’t let them shoot us.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes.” A woman said. “I had Illias patch me in.” It was Hadleigh, and there was no mistaking she was running while she spoke.

“As soon as they’re in ten feet of each other, Hadleigh, we go in.”

“Kay. I’ll be there.”

Deva felt Taggart lie down beside her but kept her sight on the man and the animal at the camp. Why wasn’t he shifting back?

“If no can take a leg, fire warning shot and hit close by,” Taggart said softly.

She didn’t answer him. The less said, the more focused she’d be on those on the ground.

“I see the camp. A Hyena?” Hadleigh sounded annoyed.

“We no kill. He’s for my Efem to handle.” Taggart whispered.

“No problem. I’m not a fan of the clan, so you can do whatever you want with him.”

“A few more seconds,” Kenzo whispered.

“I’ve got the one packing up,” Deva said.

“I take red hair one walking in,” Taggart announced.

“I’ve got the one I’m following. Hadleigh, take the one with the redhead, and Wynter, wherever you are, handle the hyena.”

“Will do.” Wynter’s voice was barely more than a whisper.

Deva slowed her breathing and focused on the man standing beside the tent he hadn’t taken down. He was talking over his shoulder to the man still in his animal form. She forced her shoulders to relax. There was nothing worse than the kick of a rifle against ridged muscle. Her father had taught her to keep the butt against the shoulder but keep the muscles flexible to absorb the kick, not block it. She really wanted to not have to use it at all.

Inhaling slowly, she placed her finger in front of the trigger and was prepared to pull it. A blur went in front of her target, and it took her a second to refocus to see it was a large polar bear that had rushed the hyena—who was now lying there looking up at her.

The one by the tent was too shocked to react for a moment. If he wasn’t educated in the area, he probably thought this wild animal attacked his friend—there weren’t any wild polar bears here. When Deva saw him reach beside him, she wasn’t taking a chance and let him shoot Wynter. She fired at the tree a foot from him. The sound of it echoed, and the man froze and raised his hands.

“That’s it. Hands in the air. No one make any stupid moves. My friend over there has no problems pummeling you into the ground.” Kenzo said.

Deva moved to see that the one Hadleigh followed in had his hands in the air. The guy beside him was sprawled on the ground face-first.

Kenzo stood there in his jeans and boots, no shirt or jacket, and had a rifle pointed at the other man.

Wynter backed away from the hyena, and all Deva could see what her shake her head. She must have growled or something at him because now a naked man lay there in the snow.

“That has to be cold, man. Get up and get over here.” Kenzo said calmly.

“You watch they okay.” She heard Taggart get up. “I put gear in cloth to lower to ground.”

“I got it.”

“Illias, if you’re lurking on our call, we need a pickup for these gents. I’m sure you have a way to find our location.”

“I’ve already sent a team in your direction.” Illias answered. “Calum says good job, everyone.”

Deva grinned. She had no idea that Illias was on the call. He must have added himself when he’d linked Hadleigh in.

“We’ll have to walk this lot out…”

“Or we can drive,” Hadleigh said.

Deva adjusted her angle and saw her standing there holding a white tarp in her hand. Beside her were three snowmobiles.

“That will get us closer to our own.” Kenzo stated. “You can go shift back, Wynter.”

Deva watched the large animal run back toward the trees. She’d never seen any from that clan. She looked big, even from up here.

“Hadleigh, in my pack, over there are tie straps, can you grab them for me?”

“Love to.”

She heard Taggart walk over beside her.

“You say when is okay for Deva to stand down, Kenzo. We need two so to lower the pack to ground.”

“Just as soon as Hadleigh binds their wrists and rids them of any weapons, you’re clear Deva.”

“Okay.”

“If they have rides there, do you want me to send the team to the truck with another trailer?” Illias interrupted again.

“That’s works, Illias,” Wynter answered.

Deva watched Hadleigh confine the last one and then blew out a breath and got to her knees. She turned to see Taggart had the gear almost secure in the canvas. She saw the two cases for the rifles sitting there and got up to put them away.

Taggart paused and looked at her. He assessed her from boot to hair and then winked at her, followed by a grin. Deva smiled back and felt better than she had in a long time.