The ride was comfortably silent with only Lucian giving directions to the driver ever now and then.
I had my eyes closed as my head found shelter on Lucian's shoulder. He wasn't the fluffiest or softest of teddy bears, but he'd still do.
The road became uneven under the tires causing the car that we were in to sway from side to side and I knew immediately that we've entered the unpaved woods.
I didn't know where we were going but I trusted Lucian.
Soon, the car stopped making me open my eyes and straighten up in my place to look out the window.
To my surprise, we were back at Lucian's cottage, the one he brought me to when I was injured.
"It's safer here than anywhere else I know." Lucian whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine at how close he was.
I nodded my head and opened the door since I was the one sitting at the edge, Lucian hot on my trail.
"Is there a certain way you want me to use in dealing with him?" Ryan asked as he pointed his thumb to the unconscious man on the car floor.
Lucian and I turned to look at him.
"Lock him up and interrogate him to find out who sent them." Lucian replied sternly as he glared at the man. His muscles were tense, and he was clamping his fist so tight that his knuckles turned white.
I hurried to his side and held his hand before slowly opening his fist and intertwining our fingers.
Lucian instantly calmed down as his body relaxed and he took in a deep breath.
"On it!" Ryan answered with a wink and a salute before closing the door.
I watched as the car swivelled around and drove away.
Lucian and I started walking to the cottage hand in hand.
"You can go rest inside if you want, I'll be watching TV or something in the living room." Lucian said, turning to face me as we entered.
I shook my head. "I won't be able to rest until this is all over. Let's get it done with as soon as possible." I replied with a sigh.
Lucian nodded and kissed my forehead before we both went to sit on the couch in the living room.
I didn't get the chance to fully admire its blue and white interior the last time I was here.
The fireplace, the painting, and the long vase. It was relaxing and felt very homey and comfy to spend an afternoon in peace.
I reached for my backpack and got out the envelope that I got from the locker.
"What's this?" Lucian asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"That's what they were after. I found it in a locker at the train station." I explained.
Lucian said nothing and watched as I nervously started opening the package. I actually feared what it might hold inside and how it would affect me later on.
Once I opened the folder, I reached with my hand inside to get out its contents.
The first thing that I was able to get was a stack of CDs, held together with an elastic band.
Both Lucian and I shared an overly confused look but none of us said a thing.
I placed the CDs on the makeshift table in front of us and reached for the next item.
I got out a big folder, almost the same size as the envelope.
I placed that too next to the stack of CDs.
I then looked inside the envelope to check if there was something else and my eyes caught sight of a small folded paper at the very bottom.
I reached for it and got it out before unfolding the paper and reading it.
The handwriting was oddly familiar, but I decided to not jump to conclusions yet.
It read:
To my beautiful daughter, If you already found this, it means that I'm not amongst the living anymore and I'm terribly sorry that I left you.
I'm also sorry for getting you involved into all this, but I had no one else to trust. I need you to be very careful with what you have in your hands since this folder will turn our werewolf world upside down.
I've discovered critical information that you'll find on both the CDs and the folder that you have.
It'll be best to just burn them down and never speak of them to anyone. It's for your safety and own good. Just throw them away.
I'm begging you April, don't get involved.
With love,
Your father.
I didn't notice that tears were streaming down my face until Lucian's worried voice sounded in my ear.
"Rose. What happened baby? What did the paper say?" He asked as he placed his hand on my back for comfort.
"I-it's a noted from my father, warning me about the c-contents of this envelope and to not get involved." I hiccupped between sobs.
I wasn't crying because of anything other than the mere fact that I missed my parents terribly.
I missed our fun times together, our trips and movie nights. They were the best parents anyone could wish for and they were taken away from me unfairly.
And now, while I read this, I was able to hear his voice again in my mind and see his face as if he was right there. The pain was back, and it felt like the incident just happened in front of me all over again.
"Your father?" Lucian asked. "Is he..." He trailed off.
A sob escaped my lips, giving him the answer he needed.
"I'm so sorry." I heard him whisper as he pulled me to his chest. He had his arms around my body and used his hand to run it down my hair soothingly.
"I miss them." I sobbed, feeling pain surge through my body.
I don't know for how long I remained there sobbing silently but it wasn't long before I got a headache and I felt my tear buds dry out as no more tears left my eyes.
Lucian didn't move an inch as he kept his hold tightly on me. The whole time he was whispering sweet nothings into my ear and telling me that everything will be alright, that it'll all be okay and that he'll always be there by my side.
I needed that. After seven, long, agonising years, I needed those words and those pats on the head.
I soon, raised my head from its place on his chest, my eyes catching the large wet area on his shirt, probably from my tears.
"How are you feeling baby?" He asked as his hands cupped my face, his eyes never leaving mine.
I sniffed an un-ladylike sniff.
"I'm better." I replied weakly, my voice hoarse. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me Rose. That's my job as your mate, to always stand by your side." Lucian said with a small smile making my heart skip a beat, or maybe two.
"Maybe you should stop this Rose. You don't know what you're getting yourself into and even your father warned you stay away." Lucian suddenly said.
I pulled my head away from his hold and looked in front of me.
"I can't Lucian. I'm already halfway through, and I'm not backing down now." I replied with a shake of my head.
"Rose please-" He started but I cut him off.
"No! I'm not backing down Lucian." I said as I stood up from my place.
Lucian sighed. "Fine. But let's get Hugh and Freya here, we'll need all the help we can get." He said.
"On my way." I heard Hugh say into the earpiece, not needing for me to ask him to come, Freya probably the same.
The feeling of guilt started taking over me as I turned to look at Lucian.
I was being unfair to him with all the secrecy. He's helping me with something he doesn't even know what it is. He's endangering himself without even knowing the reason behind it.
I was starting to rethink showing him my face and telling him everything about my revenge mission. He's already deep into this mess.
I opened my mouth to say something when the knock sounded on the door.
Lucian went to open it and in came Freya.
"Rose!" She squealed as she ran to me and engulfing me in a hug.
"It's so glad I was able to meet you again." She said happily.
A small smile escaped my lips.
"It's good seeing you safe again kiddo."
"I'm not a kid." She huffed and pulled back, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Okay Gabby, I'll be checking on you in a while. Okay. Have fun." Our heads snapped to the direction of the door as Hugh came in, his phone against his ear.
"Okay. I love you." He finished before hanging up and putting the phone in his pocket.
"I see the whole gang is already here." He stated once as he approached.
He walked up to me and pulled me into a hug earning himself a growl from Lucian.
"How are you feeling Rose? Did you get hurt while fighting?" He asked as he searched for any injuries.
I shook my head. "No. I'm fine." I replied with a small smile.
Hugh ruffled my hair, but Lucian quickly pulled me away.
"I think that's enough physical contact with my mate." Lucian growled as he emphasised the word 'my'.
Hugh narrowed his eyes at Lucian.
"Okay. Let's get this started." Freya said loudly as she clapped her hands together.
Thanks to her, we avoided a fight between two wolves and the tension between them was relieved.
"Yes." I chimed in as I turned to the CDs and folder that laid on the coffee table.
"I'll set my gear up." Hugh mumbled as he sat on the couch near an electricity socket.
"I'll start setting up too." Freya said as she sat on the armchair next to Hugh.
"Let's see what's inside that folder." I told Lucian who nodded and sat on the floor with me.
I reached for the folder and opened it.
There were a lot of papers inside. Many of them were bank accounts, buying and selling documents, and some were profiles of many important wolves in the werewolf community.
Lucian was looking in some papers while I looked in others when he suddenly gasped.
"Da hell is this!" He yelled half in shock and half in anger.
We all turned to look at him.
"What happened?" I asked with slight worry.
"Those aren't just any normal buying and selling documents." Lucian gaped out as he looked at me with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I reached for the papers in his hands.
I growled angrily and clenched the papers in my hands tightly.
"Those worthless bastards!" I snarled. "They're human trafficking. They're selling humans as slaves to the highest bidders and only recently did they start selling werewolves too."
Freya gasped loudly.
"Not only that, but they're also shipping illegal nuclear weapons and drugs into our community." Lucian continued.
"Why? What do they want with it?" Hugh asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"That's what we want to find out." I replied.
"Do you think what happened with the WinterHails has something to do with it?" Freya asked making both Hugh and I growl at the thought.
I quickly searched through the profiles that I have and there it was, the profile of Marcus Pierre, alpha of the Silverstone pack.
"It is." I snarled out.
Lucian sighed. "Who else's profile is there?" He asked.
"Kevin Green, Martin Hunt, Oliver Becker..." I read.
"Those are all from the werewolf council." Lucian murmured.
Another name caught my eye making it widen larger than a UFO.
It can't be....
If Lucian knew he'll be devastated.
I decided to keep what I found out to myself for the time being and maybe tell him when the time is right.
"Does father know about this?" I heard Freya ask making my head to snap quickly towards her.
Lucian sighed. "I don't know. But I'm sure if he did, he would've already done something about it."
Freya nodded.
"But how can we connect those men to the trading. We need solid proof." Freya asked after a while.
"With those." Hugh answered almost instantly as he waved the CDs in front of him.
He got up from his place and went towards the TV with a cable.
"I'll connect my laptop to the TV so that you can all see." He explained.
It only took him a couple of seconds to plug in the wires and start whatever he wanted to show us.
Freya and I gasped simultaneously.
All the dealings and bidding were all recorded on those CDs.
In the videos almost all the men whose profiles were in the folder were seen perfectly clear.
Except one...
All four of us were watching the videos with perplexed expressions.
It was unbelievable how heartless those men are, and to think that they too have daughters and sons of their own probably the same age as the children they were selling and buying as slaves.
"It appears that the human bazaar happens in secluded warehouses or in someone's villa." Hugh stated. "But the weapons get shipped in through the port." He continued.
"Which port?" Lucian asked.
"The Saint Marine." Hugh replied as he tapped on the keyboard of his computer, zooming in the sign with the port's name in one of the videos for us to see.
"Hey baby," Lucian called as he leaned closer to me.
"Wanna go on a cruise trip?" He asked with a smirk and a glint in his eyes.
He is definitely my type of guy.