Chapter Sixteen

Landon had just finished lacing up his sneaker when the sound of a branch snapping caught his attention. Looking up, he expected to see some of the guards from earlier. Instead, a group of four men he had never seen before fanned out in front of them. Dressed in camo, they were all armed with rifles and every one of them was currently trained on Landon and Jai. Landon had no idea what was going on or what to do.

Glancing over his shoulder, he tried to locate one of the guards, but he didn’t see a soul. They had either all gone on a coffee break or the militant wannabes had already dealt with them. Landon’s blood ran cold. God, he hoped the guards were all right. The thought of anyone else dying because of him was something he didn’t want to even think about. Too many people had given their lives for him. It needed to stop.

Why were they here? Had Gregory found him? He could imagine the monster hiding away, just out of sight, waiting to drag him back to his own personal hell. Just the thought of it caused his body to shake and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“You gentlemen seem to be lost. Is there something we can help you with?” True to form, Jai took charge of the situation with his normal flair.

One of the men lowered his rifle and stepped forward, looking them both over with an assessing eye. “Which one of you is Landon Parker?” he barked.

Landon’s heart stopped. He’d always known that this day would come, but he’d hoped he’d have more time. A quick look around confirmed that running wasn’t going to be an option. With no sign of the guards, and four men against the two of them, any attempts to overpower them would fail. The best he could hope for was that when they took him, they would leave Jai behind.

Jai shocked him a moment later when he stepped forward, bold as brass and not a trace of fear. “I’m Landon Parker. How can I help you?”

What the hell? Landon had no idea what Jai was up to, but he knew he wasn’t going to like it. He must have made a noise because Jai shook his head and glared him into silence.

“Well, boys. Looks like this is gonna be an easier job than we thought.” The smile the man directed at them was anything but friendly. “It seems you wandered a bit far from home, Mr Parker. Alec and Dr Gregory have been very worried about you. We’ve been tasked with helping you get back safely.”

“I don’t know, guys. I’m kinda liking the new digs. The change in scenery has been good for my health. I think I’d rather stay.”

“Well then, it’s a good thing that your wants didn’t come up in conversation when we were sent here to retrieve you. Now, if you would come with us without making a big noisy fuss, we can be on our way.”

“Why the hell do you think I would willingly go with you anywhere?” Sassy Jai was making his appearance and wasn’t pulling any punches.

Camo Man sneered. “Because I’m going to guess you don’t want us to hurt the rest of your precious fag-lovin’ Pack. You start screaming, we start shooting. Easy enough for you to understand?”

Jai’s fists clenched, making it clear just what he wanted to do to the asshole with the gun. They didn’t have much in the way of options. All Landon knew was that he couldn’t let them take Jai. Gregory would know Jai wasn’t who he said he was the moment he saw him. When the guards realized that he’d lied about his identity, he doubted his friend would live through his punishment. There had to be something he could do.

The men moved in with restraints dangling from their hands and Landon knew he was out of time. Using every bit of his strength and concentration, he focused on the mate bond, sending out a cry for help. He didn’t know what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t the deafening howl that rent the air and echoed around them. It grew louder and louder until it was like being in the center of a snapping, snarling Pack of wolves. His first thought was that maybe one of the guys had finally spotted them and the rescue team was on their way, but a quick look around showed that they were still alone, save for their would-be captors.

“Damn it!” the leader barked. “Someone must have seen us. We’ve got to get out of here before the whole fucking Pack descends on our asses. A face-off with Kellan fucking Reeves is not part of the plan. Grab him and let’s go.”

“What do you want us to do with the other one?”

Camo Man gave Landon a lecherous look. “Bring him with us. I don’t want to leave behind any witnesses who are able to give out our descriptions. Besides, the guys are always onboard for a little fresh meat.”

The guards laughed and Landon’s stomach rolled at the idea of any of those men putting their hands on him. He could hear raised voices from inside the House and knew the rest of the Pack were on their way. Unfortunately for him and Jai, they weren’t going to get there in time. Landon noticed a determined gleam in Jai’s eyes then all hell broke loose.

As the men approached, ready to take him into custody, Jai let out a deafening roar. Throwing his weight into the man closest to Landon, he tackled him to the ground and quickly rolled back to his feet.

“Run!”

Jai turned fast and made a break across the yard toward the woods, clearly trying to lead the remaining men away from him.

Landon knew the smart thing to do would be to run for help, but there was no way in hell he was going to abandon his friend to those monsters. It didn’t matter that the chance of freeing Jai was almost nonexistent. His wolf was riding the edge of his control and logic was no longer part of the equation. He tore off his shirt and jerked down his jeans, ready to unleash his wolf. He was going to make them pay for hurting his friend.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Jai’s scream echoed across the lawn. “Run, god damn it! Find Noah and Dax. Go!”

Landon’s decision was made for him a moment later when one of the men tackled Jai to the ground, ending his run for freedom. Grabbing a handful of his hair, the man dragged Jai to his feet and delivered a solid punch to his stomach that had him bent over and gasping for breath. Another man appeared behind them, holding a long syringe that he quickly plunged into Jai’s vulnerable throat. His eyes widened and his body went as taut as a guitar string as whatever vile concoction had been in the syringe spread through his veins.

“Run.”

Landon could just make out the word as it crossed Jai’s lips before his body went slack and his eyes rolled back. Crashing to the ground, his body began to convulse and the drug’s effects took hold. Watching helplessly while his friend seized, Landon did the only thing he could do. He ran.

The move seemed to catch their assailants by surprise because it was nearly ten seconds before Landon heard muffled curses followed by the sounds of pursuit. People were forever underestimating him. They saw his size, saw his build and made the mistake of assuming that because he was smaller than most male Shifters that meant he was weaker. While Landon might not be bench pressing a semi anytime soon, he could run with speed that few could come close to meeting.

Landon sped across the lawn. His pursuers never stood a chance. The bullet that whizzed by his head moments later told him that they had realized the same thing. Ducking his head and pulling his arms in close to his body, he tried to make himself as small a target as possible while still maintaining enough speed to keep them off his ass. Another bullet ricocheted off a nearby tree, splintering the wood and sending a spray of shards pelting down on him. At least a handful hit their mark, embedding themselves in the soft flesh of his arms and legs.

The pain was immediate and severe, but there was no help for it. Stopping wasn’t an option. Instead he pushed forward, running toward the sound of trampling feet in front of him. The Pack was on their way. Thank God. If he could just make it to Noah and Dax, everything would be okay. His mates would help him save Jai.

Landon careened around the corner of the house and was nearly bowled over when the Pack surged into the backyard, with his mates leading the charge. Closing the distance, Landon threw himself at Noah, wrapping his arms around his neck in a stranglehold. Two sets of thick arms banded around him, surrounding him with the protective strength of his mates.

“Jesus fucking Christ, baby! You scared the shit out of us. What the hell is going on?” The angry words did nothing to hide the fear in Noah’s voice.

“Men—in the backyard,” he gasped. “Gregory sent them. They’ve got Jai. Have to save Jai.”

A rage-filled roar split the air as Dylan raced past, his face a mask of fury. Ryker and the rest of their team fanned out behind him. Dressed in full gear, they looked like they were prepared to commit murder, and probably were.

“We’ve got to go.” Squirming free of his mates’ hold, Landon took off running in the direction he’d last seen Jai, his mates left with no choice but to follow.

By the time they reached the spot, the backyard of the property was filled with people. There were Pack members in the woods, both in human and wolf form, searching the underbrush. Two men were on the ground under heavy guard. Landon immediately recognized them as two of their assailants. Hands tied behind their backs and bleeding freely from a multitude of wounds, they wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Landon searched the crowd, frantically. His stomach dropped when he saw no sign of Jai and no sign of Dylan.

On the verge of totally losing his mind, he finally spotted Ryker off to the side, speaking rapidly into his cell phone. His sandy-blond hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, but a few rebellious pieces had broken free and were teasing the hard edge of his jaw. His eyes were narrowed, his anger causing their normal pale gray coloring to darken to near black. He held himself stiffly, his wide shoulders back, his muscles bunched tight and at the ready. Ryker’s whole stance exuded power and control. This was no lone wolf standing before them. He was a leader, an Alpha, waiting for his opportunity to strike.

As they approached, the troubled frown on the man’s face did nothing to quell the dread building inside him. Ending the call as they drew closer, Ryker let out a string of curses. Landon’s breath caught in his throat and panic started to take hold. Dax wrapped an arm around his waist and offered support and they reached their target.

Noah stepped forward in true Alpha fashion. “Jai?”

Ryker shook his head. “Gone.”

“Any idea which direction they’re headed?”

“No. I’ve got men out in the woods searching, but Jai’s scent stops dead at the tree line. It’s like he just vanished into thin air. Whoever had Jai was already gone before we got here. They left those two assholes behind to provide cover. They seemed pretty surprised that there was no escape plan set up for them. As of right now, those two morons are our best chance of figuring out where they’re taking Jai. Unfortunately, at the moment, they’re refusing to talk. I’m hopeful that they’ll change their mind after spending some time in an interrogation cell. I plan to handle their interrogations myself.” Ryker’s jaw clenched and his eyes hardened with cold fury.

It was difficult to reconcile the hard, angry man in front of them with the kind, slightly withdrawn man Jai had told him about. Landon found his anger surprisingly reassuring.

“How’s Dylan?” Landon was worried about the Beta.

“He’s a mess. He’s out in the woods now, leading the search. If anyone could find Jai’s scent, it would be him. Dylan lives and breathes for Jai.” Ryker shook his head dolefully. “If we don’t get Jai back, I think we’re gonna lose both of them.”

“We’re going to get him back.” Just the thought of the alternative made Landon’s heart hurt.

Ryker gave him a determined smile. “You’re damned right we are! I’ll keep you guys informed on our progress.”

They said their goodbyes and Landon allowed his mates to lead him away to a more secluded section of the yard. Dax took him by the shoulders and pulled him to his chest, holding him tight next to his heart. Noah moved in behind, draping his big body over Landon’s back until he was completely surrounded by gorgeous male Shifters.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been as scared as I was when we heard your Call. I thought my heart stopped.” Dax spoke the words against Landon’s skin as he feathered kisses along his forehead. “I love you so damn much. If something happened to either of you, there would be nothing left of me. I’d be a fucking ghost.”

Landon was confused. Pulling back from his mates’ embrace, he squinted at Dax. “Call? What’s that?”

“Basically, you sent out an SOS to every Shifter in nearly a five mile radius, asking for help.”

“I don’t understand.”

“We didn’t either, until Ruby explained it. Comes with being an Omega, I guess. Omegas are considered sacred and it’s the Pack’s duty to protect their Omega. The ability to Call makes it so an Omega can reach out to their entire Pack in a time of need. It’s kind of cool, if you think about it.”

“Kind of weird, if you ask me,” Landon muttered.

Noah turned him around to face him, cupping his face in his hands. “Weird or not, it’s what let us know that you and Jai were in trouble. If it hadn’t, both of you would be lost to us.”

“It should have been me.”

“Excuse me?” Dax’s question was filled with disbelief with a fair amount of belligerence.

“They were here for me.” He kept his head down and his eyes on his shoes. “Alec and Gregory hired them to find me and bring me back. Jai lied and told them he was me. You have no idea what Gregory will to do him when he finds out that he’s not me.” He scrubbed roughly at his face when tears began to stream down his cheeks. “I shouldn’t have let him do it. If I had gone with them, they might have roughed me up, but I would have survived. What kind of person lets his friend make a sacrifice like that?”

“You had no other choice.” Noah glared down him. “Jai knew the risks. He also knows what you are and how important you are to Dax and me. We need to have you with us. We wouldn’t survive without you, Landon. Without you, we have no home. We love you.”

“You do?”

Dax chuckled. “Baby, it’s a good thing you’re cute because sometimes you’re not real bright. Of course we love you.”

Landon frowned. “How would I know that? Neither of you said anything.”

“Sweetheart,” Noah replied patiently, “all you have to do is open your eyes. Look at my face and tell me what you see.”

Landon wasn’t sure what he was supposed to see until he locked eyes with Noah and lost his breath. No words were exchanged. They weren’t needed. Those blue eyes told him more than words ever could. As he took in the warmth and love that burned out from those eyes, he felt like an idiot. How could he have overlooked something so vital? A glance at Dax showed the same emotions reflected in his eyes.

“You love me.” It wasn’t a question. It was as simple and as complicated as that.

“Of course. You belong to us.” Dax grinned. “Love’s part of the package.”

Trapped by the power of Dax’s happiness, Landon offered him a small smile. He was momentarily halted by the rightness of this moment. Both of these gorgeous men were destined to be his. Despite everything they had been through, they had managed to find each other and were now here, together. The odds against them had been great, but fate had obviously been working in their favor.

“I can’t tell you how lucky I am to have the both of you in my life,” Noah said. “Whether you believe it or not, you both saved me. A mate is a gift. Two are a miracle.”

“We believe you, Noah. You show us every day.” There wasn’t a drop of hesitation in Dax’s voice.

“Thank you.” Noah’s tone was suspiciously gruff.

Moisture gathered in Landon’s eyes. “Promise me that we’ll get Jai back. Promise me we will find him alive and that everything will be okay.”

Noah gave him a gentle smile. “You know I can’t promise that, baby. What I can promise is that we will do everything within our power to get him back safe and whole. Hopefully the trackers will come back with some information to give us an idea on where to start looking. There’s not a lot to do until they get back. Jai is a strong wolf. If anyone could survive something like this, he could.”

“I just want him to have a chance to experience what we have together. Jai deserves happiness more than anyone I’ve ever met. Everything he wants is just sitting there, waiting for him. All he needs to do is forgive and take it.”

“I promise, sweetheart,” Dax said softly. “We will give it everything we have to make sure he gets that chance.”

Landon gave him a bleak smile. “I hope that will be enough.”

“We do what we can and for the rest, we have to have faith,” Noah assured him. “Trust me, it works. It’s what brought the two of you into my life and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

“Oh, babe. You always say that you’re not the hearts and flowers kind of guy and then you go saying shit like that and now you’ve got me in danger of losing my man card by getting all misty-eyed.” Lowering his gaze, Dax discretely wiped at the moisture that was gleaming in his eyes.

Landon was less reserved as he practically threw himself into Noah’s arms. Holding onto Noah’s neck, he pulled him into a soul-searing kiss that practically curled his toes and left them both panting for breath.

“Thank you,” Landon said reverently. “I can’t say it enough and I’ll never be able to repay you for what you’ve done for me. The two of you saved my life.”

“There’s no repayment between mates.” Noah’s tone was firm. “You are our Omega. Our heart.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind a bit of repayment,” Dax interjected, “as long as it was done in sexual favors.”

Noah laughed. “There you go listening to the little head again.”

“Hey,” Dax groused, “don’t judge. If we were all listening to my little head, we would be up in our bedroom with Noah and me balls deep in Landon right now. But I get it. You two would rather sit around and talk about our feelings and shit. Good times.”

Landon glanced between them and couldn’t fight his smile. After all the suffering and heartache of his past, he finally had a home and family of his own. He was complete for the first time in his life and though they still had a long fight ahead of them, he had faith that they would win in the end. In his heart he knew, Jai and all the others who had been taken would eventually be found and Charles Steele’s reign of fear and madness would soon be coming to an end.