Chapter 36

Adam.

Everett was right - if Adam turned to violence, it would likely push Ella away forever. Adam couldn't bear the thought of Ella leaving again. They were meant for each other - Mates. So Adam gathered the council together and they made a plan.

They gathered together in the pack house with Ella sitting next to Adam on the right. Clint glowered from Adam’s left side, his usual spot being taken up by Ella.

“All due respect, Alpha, but why is she here?” Clint asked, gesturing to Ella.

Calmly, Adam replied, “My mate is here because she spent the most time with Cassius. She knows his hideouts better than any of us, as well as his mannerisms.”

He reluctantly nodded, but continued to glare at Ella, arms crossed. Adam brought the meeting to order and deferred to Ella to start.

“You’ve been with him the most. What can you tell us?” Adam asked Ella, turning to her and reaching out to her hand.

She gripped his hand with a small smile. Ella looked nervously around the room before taking a breath.

“Cassius… Orion and I met up multiple times. There are three places within the woods that I know for sure he frequents. One of them Adam has already found - the alcove. So that leaves the other two.”

“How do we know there aren’t others?” a council member questioned.

“We don’t,” Adam answered plainly. “But the probability is small. A man like Orion wouldn’t stretch himself so thin.”

“How do you expect us to determine which one to raid?” Clint asked. “We can’t send parties to both locations. We’ll be too vulnerable to our heart if we do that.”

“We will send scouts to each location,” Adam responded. “One stealthy werewolf for each location, making sure to remain undetected.”

Adam gave Ella’s hand a quick reassuring squeeze.

“Once we know for sure where Orion is hiding, our strike team will get into position. Ella and two other female warriors will be stationed nearby to rescue the children. They will need to be close-combat skilled warriors in case a fight breaks out while the twins are still within range of Orion.”

There were nods of assent around the table. Clint reluctantly nodded as well. “It’s a concrete plan,” he conceded.

Adam turned to his Beta with a smile of respect. “I’m glad you approve. I need you by my side during the attack. I need someone I can trust utmostly.”

A look of shame crossed Clint’s face for a brief second before turning to one of joy. Despite the way he had been treating Ella and talking to Adam lately, Adam still trusted Clint with his life. He knew Clint only had his best interest at heart.

***

Ella.

“Let me be one of the scouts. I know the places better than any of your warriors,” Ella insisted.

Adam shook his head, his lips forming a thin line. “I can’t risk him seeing, or worse, capturing you. It’s much safer if I send Lou and Kara. They’re trained in stealth, plus, Orion wouldn’t know right off that they were scouting. But if he saw you, he might do something drastic.”

“More drastic than kidnapping our children?!” Ella asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. He could kill them. Or capture you too. Or flee, giving us no chance for a surprise attack such as this one.”

Ella sighed. She knew he was right, but she hated having to wait even more. It seemed that was all she did now - wait helplessly.

She paced back and forth in the council’s meeting room, waiting for news to come back from the two scouts - Lou and Kara. Ella chewed on her thumb nail nervously, her eyes downcast to the floor.

Her head shot up as her wolf noticed them both approaching the pack house. She rushed to the doors, wanting to meet with them as soon as possible.

Lou entered first, followed closely by Kara. Her eyes bore into the scouts as she waited for their report. To Ella, it seemed like they sat there for ages before opening their mouths.

“They weren’t at the eastern hideout,” Lou announced.

“But they were at the second one,” Kara added. “And the werewolf Lia was with him.”

Ella gasped slightly. She had figured Lia had a hand in the kidnapping, but had hoped she was wrong. Ella might not have liked Lia, but she felt even worse she had entrusted her children so foolishly to her.

She nodded, gesturing for Kara to continue her report.

“The twins weren’t within sight, but I sensed two pups nearby. They’re quite frightened.”

Anger and worry gripped Ella - her precious children were all alone, scared, not knowing what would come next. Tears came to her eyes, threatening to overflow once again.

“Thank you, Kara,” Adam said, dismissing them both.

He turned to Ella, gathering her in his soothing arms. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get Aaron and Emme back and make Orion pay.”

Ella leaned into him, sniffling. “They must be so scared. I wish I could hold them and tell them it will be okay, just like you’re doing for me.” She tilted her head up, resting it in the crook of his neck.

“I know,” he breathed, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. He squeezed gently and reassuringly. “We’ll get the forces in place and attack as the sun goes down. You and two female warriors will infiltrate the area while my warriors, Clint, and I attack from the front. You get our children out of there as quick as you can. We’ll take care of Orion, and this time there will be no coming back for him. I promise that.”

Ella nodded slightly, not wanting to move out of the comfortable embrace. She breathed in his scent, inhaling deeply through her nose. The musky smell calmed her.

“Rest up,” Adam commanded, nudging her toward his quarters within the pack house. “I’ll come get you when we’re ready.”

He gave her a reassuring smile as she hesitantly walked away, looking over her shoulder at him one last time.