Calum pulled the bag with his phone out of his pack, then tossed the pack into the car. His hands were shaking, and he was exhausted, having never run that fast and far in animal or human form. It had taken him a lot longer than he would have liked to find the direction his car was in. Popping the trunk, he went to get something to eat and some water. Then what? He had no idea.
He chewed the dry protein bar without tasting it as he looked back up the mountain. He couldn’t just drive away and leave Dale up there, or the other two if they were also chained to a wall. Shaelan, he couldn’t leave her either. He shook his head and tossed the rest of the bar into his trunk as he opened the bottle of water. Why hadn’t he made her come with him? What was going to happen to her when they discovered he was missing? He growled as he pictured her swollen mouth and bruised jaw. If someone had done that to her for having his scent, then what the hell would they do to her if they found out she’d helped him escape?
Drinking the entire bottle, he crunched it up in his hand and then pitched it in the trunk as well. “Fuck.” He rubbed his hands over his face and heaved out a breath. Dropping his hands onto his hips with a smack, he looked around him. He couldn’t go back up alone; he’d already proven how useless that was.
What if…she’d gotten Dale out? Would he even be strong enough to shift and hightail it out of there? He’d looked pretty run down. “Shit,” he hissed out a breath between his teeth. “Could this get any more fucked up?” Sighing loudly again, he slammed the trunk and went and climbed in the driver’s seat. He had to get help. Closing the door, he started the car, then grasped the steering wheel and glared at it.
Looking out the window of the car, he tried to think this through. This was what he did, he was the enforcer of the group he’d grown up with. When there was a situation, he came up with the plan. This was the situation of all screwed up situations. As it stood right now, he had no plan and no idea what to do.
“Fuck!” He smacked his palm against the wheel and turned the car off. How long were these damn herbs going to be in his system messing him up? He wasn’t at all comfortable with the possessive feelings he had toward Shaelan. He would protect any female, been raised to do nothing less than that…but this…this was on a whole new level. He’d tried to ignore it as he booked it down the mountain, but even on four legs it nagged at him to the point he’d stopped a few times, debated about running back. Which was the stupidest thought he’d ever had…in his life.
He grunted. “If it’s so stupid, why the hell are you going back up there?”
Shaking his head, he got out of the car and went to go get some protein bars and water to put in his pack. He’d be calling in the cavalry before he moved from this spot, this time. Have some back up en route in case he didn’t make it back. Again. Where could he send them though? He jammed the bars and water into his pack as his eyes surveyed the various outcroppings and plateaus he’d just come down. Had to be somewhere he could watch for them, and others. He was not getting shot again. The thought of being chained up…he’d go out fighting this time. To the death, if need be.
Staring at the phone, he waited until there were bars and sent his location. He typed quickly, trying to fit it all into a short message that he hoped they’d figure out. Only he could end up on a mountain where the signal seems to come and go with the breeze. Hitting send the second time, he prayed it got to them and wasn’t lost floating around on a signal in the clouds for the next thirty years.
Sealing the phone in the bag, he put it back into the pack and zipped it up. He had to stay on two legs for most of the foreseeable future. He didn’t know what area they stalked to shoot animals full of darts, but surely, they wouldn’t shoot a man. Would they? Grabbing his sunglasses, he shoved them on his face and hoped he didn’t look anything like that green-eyed, naked man they’d chained up.
He had to check that Shae was okay and then get back to the lookout location, where he hoped they would join him after he’d left the directions in his car. Even if Devin used his jet to get here, it would still take them a day, at least, maybe more, depending on what was going on back home.
If they had managed to get Dale out, Calum figured he’d drag him back down the mountain, even it meant he was away from Shae, to get his clansman to safety. As much as he didn’t want to leave her—why the hell that was he’d figure out later—he felt the obligation to look out for one of his own men, first.
Shae paced past Nona again.
Nona sighed, “You have me almost praying someone gets sick, so we have an excuse to get outside of these walls.”
Stopping, she clutched her head between her palms. “I know. I’m sorry. I just…” She went back to the window and looked out it. “What’s going to happen when they discover him missing?”
Nona shrugged. “They probably already have by now.” She motioned to the window. “What do you see going on down there?”
Checking again for anything that seemed out of the ordinary, she crossed her arms to hug herself. “Nothing unusual.”
Nona chuckled. “That’s what you want to see. Now if you see them hiking up that hill in this direction, then we have something to worry about.”
“Do you think he made it?”
Nona made a thoughtful noise. “Size and shape that one was in, he’d probably run all the way home by the time they found his empty cell.”
Shae nodded and hoped so but didn’t at the same time. She’d felt ill and jittery since she had watched him disappear into the weeds.
“Are you okay, child?” She heard the chair scrape back on the floor, then Nona was beside her pressing a hand against her forehead. “You’re quite warm.” She turned Shae’s chin and looked into her eyes, then poked her in the arm. “Mmm.”
Shae grimaced. “What is it?”
Nona gave her an odd look. One Shae couldn’t identify. “How are you feeling? Aside from worrying they’re going to find out you let their green-eyed man go?”
Shrugging, she huffed out a breath. “I’m just anxious and have the jitters.” She scowled. “Hasn’t exactly been a normal last few days.”
“Was quite the homecoming.” Nona continued to stand there and look at her. “I’m afraid we may have stirred the pot too soon.”
“I have no idea what that means.” Which she decided was normal. Half the time, she really didn’t understand what Nona was saying when she used her little sayings.
“It means I think you’re coming into the change.” She blew out a breath. “We may have caused it by sending you to…” She clasped her hands together. “…the time you spent with your Calum.”
My Calum? She’d ponder that later. “You mean my…?” She lifted a hand, not knowing how to say it without turning three shades of red. “I’m starting to change into a cat because of being near another cat?”
“Mmm.” Nona nodded slowly. “Something like that.” She, too, turned to look out the window. “Your mate can bring that on faster.” She gave a small shrug. “Or could just be your age and it’s your time.”
“I doubt he’s my mate.” Although the thought pleased her immensely. “You guys said that was almost unheard of now.”
“In the clan, yes, but he’s not from here, is he?” She turned and went into the kitchen.
Shae watched her then turned back to the window. She couldn’t just stand here and keep turning this over and over in her head, she’d have a breakdown. “I’m going to go for a walk, Nona.”
“Seems a good idea, child, I’ll get dinner started,” she called from the kitchen.
Standing at the back of the room, Gage looked around at all the leaders and members of other clans that were present. Things were finally coming together to shut Tomas down, and he couldn’t wait for the day it all came apart for the crime family that had wreaked havoc among the clans for close to four decades, maybe longer. They didn’t have the exact date it started or anything, just an idea when shifters started disappearing.
Turning, he smiled to see Kelsey and Rayne standing back observing all the alphas in the room. Honestly, if any of them knew those two women like he did, they’d be afraid. His phone vibrating in his pocket had him pausing to pull it out. He opened and read the text, then read it again. Glancing over at Devin, he saw he was frowning at his phone too. Waiting for him to look up, he motioned to the exit with his head. Devin nodded and started walking in that direction.
Stepping out into the hall, Devin turned and looked at him. “Did you…”
Gage nodded and looked at his phone again. “Yeah…” He scowled at the message again.
“What does it mean?”
“What’s wrong?” He looked up to see Kelsey and Rayne coming out the door.
“Message from Calum.”
Rayne looked relieved; Kelsey smiled. “So, he’s okay?”
Gage looked at Devin, then back to his lovely mate. “Uh…we don’t know…”
She frowned. “What does the message say?”
He glanced at his phone and read the message one more time. Pinging location. Directions in my car. Send females and backup! DON’T SHIFT! “He’s either in deep shit or…”
“…having a bachelor party.” Devin finished for him.
“What?” Rayne and Kelsey exchanged a look. Then, Rayne went over and pulled the phone out of her mate’s hand to look at it.
Gage stood there, his arms crossed and watched them both study the message. They didn’t understand…
“Calum doesn’t ask for backup…ever…” Devin said in a quiet tone.
Gage nodded. “He is the backup…”
“…the quarterback, wide receiver and fullback…” Devin stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
Rayne gave him a blank look. “In non-sports lingo, please.”
“Did you get the ping…or whatever?” Kelsey asked glancing at the phone over Rayne’s shoulder.
Devin sighed. “Yeah, at the same time as the text.”
She looked at the phone once more. “So…he’s sent you the location of his car and from there further directions to where he is.”
Nodding, Rayne continued, “He needs backup, but shifters are in danger of being discovered there, so they stay in two-leg form…”
“…and women are needed to either look less suspicious…” She glanced at Rayne.
Rayne grimaced. “Or there are other women involved and a feminine presence is required…”
Devin gave Gage a wide-eyed look then threw up his hands. “How…the hell…did you get all that from his cryptic message?”
Rayne shrugged, a slight smile on her face.
Going over, Kelsey wrapped her arms around Gage’s waist and leaned against his chest. “So, when do we leave?”
Gage looked down at her. “Oh, no. You’re not going anywhere…”
She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him for a moment. “Are you going?”
He looked at her mouth then back to her eyes. “Yes.” He knew there was a trick in here somewhere, just by the expression on her face.
“Then I’m going,” she stated as she stepped back from him.
He shook his head. “No. Absolutely…”
“What if my cycle returns and you’re off on some mountain?” She raised both eyebrows at him and dared him to answer. “We don’t know how often it will for me, yet.”
Gage looked to Devin, who shook his head, he was on his own with this one.
“Should you be going into some unknown situation…with your social standing?” Rayne asked her mate.
Devin frowned at her. “It’s Calum. Period. End of discussion.”
She huffed out a breath. “Fine, then. When do we leave, and who else are you bringing?”
“We?” He glowered.
Rayne went over and leaned into him, her voice soft. “Yes, Kelsey has a very valid point. I’ve never yet come into…whatever it is you call it with a wolf. What if that happens and I don’t know what to do or…”
He raised a hand to stop her from saying the next part. “Fine. But if one hair on your head so much as gets a split end, I’m taking it out on Calum’s…hide, once we find out what the hell is going on.”
Rayne turned to look at Kelsey. “We need good shoes this time.”
Kelsey nodded. “Yes. And food! No wildlife snacks.”
Devin looks at Gage, then snarled. “I’ll go fill Dad in and you—” He pointed to Gage. “—find two more males to take with us.”
Gage nodded his head once. “Scary or stealthy?”
“Both,” Devin barked as he went back into the gathering.