*‘We’re almost to the river. Felix should be here somewhere*,’ Dad mind-links.
I slow down as we come to the river, and I see Felix step out from behind a tree and bow his head to me. “Everything is clear. The pack house is two miles northeast from here,” he says, then shifts.
I nod my head and motion for everyone to follow.
‘*Is Catherine behaving*?’ I ask Harry, who is guarding her in case she tries anything.
‘*She seems nervous*.’
‘*Keep her close*.’
‘*Yes, Alpha*.’
Felix slows down, and we take position behind trees and bushes as the secret pack house comes into view. There are men patrolling outside, and I can see they’re carrying guns.
I shift back and turn to the group, who all shift back as well. “They’re carrying rifles,” I whisper. “We all need to be extremely careful. Those bullets are probably laced with wolfsbane that can stop us from shifting and healing.” I explain. “Felix, were they carrying weapons last night?”
“No, they were unarmed.”
“Something doesn’t feel right,” I say. “I think we should turn back.”
“We’re already here. Let’s just watch and see what they do,” Alpha Pollux says.
“Where’s Catherine?”
“Here,” she whispers and comes forward.
“Are they always armed?” I ask.
“No, hardly ever. Something must have them spooked.”
“Would they know you’re missing?”
“Definitely,” she says, worried. “Please, Alpha, I need to get my father out. If they think I’ve turned, they’ll kill him.”
“Is there any other way in?” Ryna asks.
“Yes, there’s a side door, but it leads to the main area on the bottom floor. You can’t get past them without being seen.”
“Has anyone got any ideas?” I ask, looking around the group.
“We need a diversion,” Beta Castor says.
“There’s no way to cause a diversion without someone possibly getting shot,” Dad says.
We all duck down when there’s a sudden explosion, and we look around frantically to see where it came from.
“It’s coming from the main part of the territory,” Felix says, panicked.
The guards patrolling the area run towards the explosion as the main doors of the old barn open, and lycans start running towards it as well.
Catherine tries to run towards the barn, but I stop her. “Stop. This has to be a trap. It’s too convenient.”
“I don’t care. I have to get my father!”
“Why wouldn’t he be with the others that just ran off?” Tony asks.
“He was badly injured not long after he was banished. He can’t run well in his lycan form,” she explains.
“We need to make a decision, Alpha,” Alpha Pollux says. “We either go in, or we go home.”
I look around the group and back to the pack house. “Okay, fine. We’ll go in, but everyone is to be on high alert. Alpha Pollux, I want you and the warriors to stay in the main room and keep a lookout. Harry and Tony, I want you and the crescent warriors to try to find their arsenal, find out what we’re up against. Catherine, You need to show me where to access the basement, then Beta Castor and Rich will help you get your dad out. Gamma Alex, Ryna, and I will check out the basement.”
Catherine nods and starts running towards the barn, and we all follow her.
When we get inside, we all split up and Dad, Ryna, and I follow Catherine until we get to a door near the back of the barn.
“This is it. We were never allowed access down here, so I don’t know what you will find, but it probably won’t be good. We could hear screaming down there at all hours of the night.”
“Thank you, Catherine. Now find your dad and get as far away from here as you can,” I tell her.
“You’re really letting us go?” She asks, surprised. “This isn’t a trap?”
“I swear to you this isn’t a trap. You can leave, and no one will stop you.”
She looks at me for a moment and then runs back towards the front of the house.
Dad opens the door, and we’re hit with a sickly smell.
“Goddess, what the fuck is that?” Ryna asks, pinching his nose.
“It smells like a mix of blood and wolfsbane,” I gag.
“And passionfruit,” Dad says.
Ryna and I give him a confused look. “I can’t smell any passionfruit,” I say.
“Me either,” Ryna says.
“Mate,” Dad growls, and rushes into the dark room.
“Holy shit,” I gasp as we follow him.
We find a set of stairs and dad rushes down them, and kicks open the steel door at the bottom. The smell is even worse down here, and it takes all of my willpower not to throw up. Lights suddenly flicker on, and we’re rooted to the spot in shock as we look around the room. There’s dried blood everywhere, with chains hanging from different parts of the ceiling, and a large steel table in the middle of the room, with small trolleys next to it, covered in different instruments.
“Goddess,” I whisper, as my eyes travel to the other end of the huge concrete room and find six large steel dog cages lining the wall. I take a deep breath and the smell of butterscotch hits me. “No… That’s not possible,” I whisper, as I take a step towards the cages.
“Is someone there?” I hear someone ask weakly.
“Mate,” Dad growls again and rushes towards the cages.
‘Mate,’ Enyo whimpers as Dad tries to pull the cage doors off.
“Switch… There’s a switch on the wall,” someone says, and Ryna rushes over to try to find it.
I’m frozen to the spot as I take another breath, and the distinct smell of butterscotch fills my senses. I look over the cages as the eyes of the chosen shine from behind the steel cage doors, but it’s the bright green ones that have my attention.
“Andreas?” I say as a sob escapes me.
“I knew you’d find me,” he says weakly, then collapses against the cage door.
“Andreas!” I scream as I run towards the cage. I try to pull the door open, but it won’t budge. “Ryna, hurry! Find the switch!”
Finally, the doors open, and I catch Andreas before he hits the ground.
“We’re here to help,” Ryna says, as he approaches the other cages.
“No! No! You’re going to hurt us!” one man says as he cowers in the back of the cage.
“Just kill me!” the woman in dad’s arms screams.
“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m your mate, I would never hurt you,” he whispers softly as he brushes her hair from her face.
“Ryna, get them all out. We’re right behind you,” I tell him, and then I force my aura out. “You’re safe with us. Follow Ryna, he will take you to safety,” I order them, then drop my aura.
Slowly they come out of the cages, and Ryna helps them out of the room.
“No! Just kill me!” Dad’s mate screams as she pounds against his chest, and we realise she’s chained to the cage.
“Calm down!” I shout at her, using my aura. But it doesn’t seem to work.
“Athena get Andreas out, I’ll get these chains off her and be right behind you,” he says to me as the she-wolf scratches at his face.
“No, I’m not leaving you Dad, we’ll get them out together,” I say, but I start to feel dizzy.
‘*Alpha, Gamma, something’s wrong, we can smell gas up here now*,’ Tony mind-links.
‘*GET EVERYBODY OUT*!’ I link back, then open up the link to everyone. ‘*EVERYBODY GET OUT! SOMETHINGS WRONG*!’
“Athena! GO!” Dad yells at me, as he pulls at the chains around his mate’s wrists.
“NO! LET ME HELP YOU!” I yell as I reach over to help him pull at the chains.
“Athena,” Andreas mumbles weakly and I look down at him and I can see blood coming from his nose.
“Goddess, what is happening?!” I scream as I pull harder on the chains.
“ATHENA! GO! PLEASE!” Dad yells at me as one chain finally comes loose. “I’ve got this! I’m right behind you!”
I feel weak as I lift Andreas from the ground and put him over my shoulder as Dad breaks the last chain around his mate’s neck and lifts her over his shoulder as she screams and kicks and hits him.
I stumble forward, as my vision doubles, and I steady myself on the wall. I hear a door slam open from behind us, and as I turn to see what is happening, Dad pushes me out of the way as a bullet whizzes past my head.
“Athena, run!” Dad yells as he places his mate on the ground and tackles the shooter.
“Dad!” I scream as he wrestles with the shooter on the ground, the shooter still trying to aim the gun at me.
“ATHENA! GO!” Ajax roars, causing me to jump.
I turn to run as another shot is fired, and I look back to see Dad getting up from the ground, the shooter on the floor with a wound to his chest. “Athena I’m fine! Go!” He yells.
I run through the door and up the stairs, stumbling now and then as my vision worsens. When I finally make it up the stairs and then into the main room, the air clears slightly, and that’s when I smell the gas. I continue to run out the front doors, and I can see everyone gathered near the tree line.
I rush towards them, my vision slowly coming back with the fresh air, and I turn to make sure Dad is okay, but he’s not there. I focus on the door, and I see him slowly coming up the hallway, but there’s blood coming from his leg.
“DAD!” I scream as I carefully place Andreas on the ground and run back towards the barn to help him, but before I can get there, the barn explodes, and I’m thrown backwards from the force of the explosion, hitting my head as I hit the ground, knocking me unconscious.
I wake up a few moments later, my ears ringing as I hold my head, and I groan as I try to sit up. I can hear muffled yelling as people rush over to me, and I suddenly remember what happened. I push people away from me as I get up and try to run to the barn. “DAD!” I scream, but someone holds me back, and I turn and roar at them, making them let me go. I run towards the barn, but the flames are too high, the damage extensive, and I drop to my knees, covering my face with my hands as I sob.
He’s gone.