~.~
Amber
A half hour later, the cab I hailed pulls up one block away from the warehouse.
Mouth dry, I pay the cabbie and start walking. Dusk presses upon the concrete buildings; litter is scattered the street. Graffiti covers several of the buildings. The warehouse in question, though, has a fresh paint job and tall, electric fences.
I hesitate.
What if this doesn't end well? Who will help Sedona?
I pull out Garrett's phone, which I snagged from the dresser in the hotel before I left. Scroll through his contacts to one called Dad
I punch it.
A deep voice that sounded remarkably similar to Garrett's answered. "Hi, Son."
"Hi Mr. Green. My name is Amber Drake, I'm a, uh, friend of your son?"
"What's going on, Amber?" Power vibrates through the phone, and I almost drop it. Garrett wasn't kidding when he talked about alpha dominance.
"Sedona was kidnapped, and Garrett, Trey, Jared, and I followed her down to Mexico City. Garrett and the guys went to a warehouse, but I believe they've been captured as well. I'm outside, ready to go in and rescue them, but had to call someone and tell them what was happening first."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Garrett's neighbor."
There was a pause, and I knew what he wanted to ask. "Human, yes." Psychic. I still can't say it. "Garrett planned to call you if he needed reinforcements. If you don't hear from me or Garrett in the next few hours, you need to come and bring both packs."
"I will be on a plane tonight with reinforcements. You sit tight until we get there."
"I'm already at the warehouse. I'm going in."
"No. Stay where you are until I get there." Clearly, the elder wolf is as bossy and protective as his son. "You will not go in alone. Wait until I arrive."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Green, but I have to go, I'm already here. I just wanted to get you the address in case I don't return. I'll text it."
"No, dammit-"
I end the call and silence the phone. It flashes with Dad again, immediately, while I text the address to the warehouse, but I ignore the call and drop the device in my pocket. Before I lose my nerve, I force myself to cross the street and head towards the warehouse. I might be crazy, but it's what the situation calls for.
I open my mind to my intuition as I approach the forbidding concrete building. It hits me with a wave of nausea. My entire body shudders.
Which door? I ask, and let my attention drift. Left of the building.
Striding toward the door on that side, I scan the eaves for cameras. I don't know what to look for, but it appears clear.
I pull out the tools Garrett dropped in my purse the night he taught me to pick locks, take a deep breath, and imagine I'm back outside my apartment, Garrett's comforting bulk at my back.
Slow and steady, Counselor.
I hear a noise and drop the pick. Crouching, I wait. Spanish words and the smell of cigarette smoke waft my way. I grab the knob to pull myself up, and it turns. I almost laugh out loud. My intuition brought me to a entry that wasn't locked.
Inside, a long, dark hallway stretches ahead. Male voices come from a lighted room halfway down, along with the murmur of a television. If I go down the hall, I'll have to walk right past it.
I force myself to move, creeping like a wolf. Turns out the light in the hall comes from a window in the door. I duck under it and run the rest of the way down the hall. It dead ends into another entryway. I try the knob. Locked.
Fumbling in the dark, I palm the tools and insert them.
You can do it. I imagine Garrett's large hand closing over mine, guiding me.
Click. First tooth down. I hold it in place and press the second, then third, and ease the door open. Metal shelves house rows of cages. Most are empty, but four are occupied by enormous wolves.
Growls greet me. I slip inside and shut the door quickly, telling my heart to calm down. I'm in the wolf den, now. My basic instincts scream at me to turn and run from the roar of wild animals captive in this cavernous space. The warehouse must be soundproofed because I heard none of this outside.
Eyes glow and fangs snap at me as I go by. Which one is Garrett? I look for the large gray wolf from my vision. I don't see any white wolves, which means Sedona's not here.
I edge closer to a silver wolf in a cage but hesitate. Its eyes are yellow. Garrett's eyes turn silver.
I hear a horrible snarling to my left and whirl. An enormous silver-gray wolf throws himself against his cage, snapping and snarling.
"G-Garrett?"
The wolf launches at its cage, slamming his shoulder into the wires. Silver eyes. I recoil from the snapping jaws and gleaming teeth. It can't be Garrett; he wouldn't try to attack me. Except, I recognize those eyes. I know it's him.
I try to think rationally but can't bring myself to step any closer. This giant, terrifying animal snapping at the bars has no humanity.
"Garrett?" I try again.
A croak from several cages down reaches me. "It's him. He's freaking out because you're in danger." I identify the voice. Down the row, a naked human form curls in a cage. Jared.
"Is it safe to let him out?" I ask, my spine unraveling as Garrett snarls again.
"I don't know." Jared's face contorts in pain. He throws his head back, his human form swallowed by an explosion of fur. Seconds later, a wolf stares at me.
Garrett's wolf lets out a half growl, half roar, and Jared's wolf whimpers and tucks tail. Goose bumps rise on my arms.
"All right," I whisper, and crouch so my head is lower than Garrett's wolf. "Hey, it's me. Amber."
My hands shake as I reach for the lock. He's right there, though, snarling through the bars at me.
"Would you mind backing off a bit? You're scaring me."
He throws his shoulder against the gate of the cage again.
"I need you to calm down, or I won't be able to concentrate. We have to get out of here so you can find Sedona, remember?"
Another half roar, and I cringe on the ground. Maybe mentioning his sister wasn't a good idea. Garrett's wolf paces back and forth, stopping to gnaw on the silver bars and bellow in pain.
I resist curling into a ball and pulling my shirt over my head like a child hiding from a monster. At any moment, Garrett's captors could come back here and find me. Then I'll be in a cage, too. If I'm lucky.
"We need to get out of here. Let me help you," I plead, careful not to make eye contact. Garrett's wolf chuffs but refuses to back away as I start to use the tools. His stare makes the hair on the back of my neck rise as I fiddle with the padlock.
As soon as I open the gate, Garrett launches out. I drop to the floor. He hurtles over my head, landing on all fours in a so-fast-he's-a-blur move that nearly makes me pee my pants. The giant wolf sniffs me up and down. I close my eyes, stifling a whimper. A satisfied chuff blows my hair back, and when I open my eyes, he's moved on. I guess he decided not to eat me. He lopes to the hallway and stops in front of it, growling.
"Okay, just a minute." I run to Jared's cage to spring the lock. The gray wolf, smaller than Garrett, is still frightening. One snap of those ferocious jaws, and I'll lose a limb.
Once he's out, he catches my purse strap in his teeth and tugs me to a third cage.
"Trey?" The gray-and-brown wolf licks my fingers through the cage as I fumble with the lock.
Garrett growls from the door again, and I rush to open it for him. With a furious roar, he and Trey barrel down the hall, towards the office.
"Senorita," a voice calls from a cage. "Sueltame y te ayudaré." The cage of the yellow-eyed wolf now holds a naked man, whose black-eyed stare is no less intimidating than his wolf's.
Jared tugs my purse strap, but I resist.
"He says if I set him free, he will help us," I tell Jared, who stills as if considering. He cocks his head at me.
"I think we can trust him." My intuition comes as a warm feeling in my gut this time.
Guns fire down the corridor. I scream, dropping to the floor and scrambling back. Jared thrusts his body between me and the entryway. A grunt of pain, and he shifts again to human form.
I reach out a hand but don't touch him. Muscles ripple under his tattoos. He stands, and I keep my gaze on his face, but not before I notice taut six-pack abs etched into his tanned skin.
More shots blast through the hall.
"We need to help them," I cry, but Jared catches me before I can run forward.
"I don't think so, Counselor. Garrett would kill me if I left you unprotected."
"We have to do something."
"I-help," the strange wolf offers again.
"Give me the lock pick." Jared holds out his hand. He heads to the cage but halts me when I try to follow. "Amber, stay back."
What is it about these werewolves thinking they can give me orders? As soon as we're out of here, I'll remind them I'm the one who saved their fur-covered butts.
Another gunshot rings out, and I flinch.
Okay, maybe the saving is a team effort.
"Hurry," I say. Jared approaches the cage, hands up as if showing he has no weapons. With slow, careful movements, he starts to pick the lock. The stranger heads to the back of the cage. I notice both guys keep their eyes averted from each other.
Let the record reflect: Wolves are into power games. Because that's definitely what's going on here. Even little ole human me can sense it.
A rumbling sound comes from the hall, just as Jared gets the lock free on the strange wolf's cage. He springs back when the cage gate swings open.
I turn to figure out what's making the sound in the hall. In stalks Garrett's wolf, looking ten times bigger, eyes glowing like a demon's. It prowls forward, raising a nose to sniff the air, and then leaps over me, landing in front of Jared and the stranger. Wet spatters onto the ground. Something dark and liquid drips from the wolf's maw and side.
Blood.
Garrett's wolf roars. Jared cowers, and the Mexican wolf drops to his side to show his belly.
"No," I shout, and rush forward like a crazy woman. "Don't hurt them."
"Boss." Trey staggers in, naked, human form also covered in blood. "Easy, man."
Garrett's power rolls through the room, sending me to my knees. Jared and Trey drop to the floor. The stranger jumps back in the cage, in wolf form, and rolls on its back with a whine of submission. His eyes roll with terror.
"Garrett, come back to me." With effort, I raise my face. Whatever alpha weight he's throwing around, it affects me, but I can fight it. I stagger to my feet and approach the giant gray wolf, palms turned out. "Please. I need you."
Another roar, and Garrett starts to shift. It takes longer than usual, but he appears, his head bowed, face twisted. When it's done, his chest heaves like he's done an Ironman. His muscles are slick with red, and his eyes still glow silver. I scan his torso to see if any of the blood is his and gasp when I see a bullet wound.
He gives a dismissive shake of his head. "It's nothing."
Jared and Trey rise slowly and put themselves between their alpha and the strange wolf in the cage who's still whimpering his submission. I notice they have matching wolf paw tattoos on their shoulders, like Garrett's. Must be a pack symbol.
"Garrett," I say, a bit breathless. He might be back in human form, but his predator self is still running the show. "What happened?" I ask at the same time Jared says, "The raiders-"
"Dead," Trey answers us both. "They're all dead."
Garrett wipes the blood from his mouth and flexes his fingers into fists.
I look away, to distract myself from what Garrett's done. They were bad guys; they deserved it. It's still a lot for our second date.
"Did you find out anything about-?" Jared asks.
"No." With a roar, Garrett picks up a nearby cage and hurls it. "I lost control." Hearing the bitterness of self-censure, I step forward, longing to comfort him. But I don't know how.
He paces a few swift strides away, turns, and paces back, stabbing his fingers through his hair. "No one left to question now," he growls. His voice is barely human.
"What about him?" I tilt my head toward the strange wolf. He creeps forward and jumps lightly from the cage. Head lowered to the floor, he whines, as if waiting for permission.
"Shift," Garrett growls.
The strange wolf contorts and changes into human form. I keep my eyes above his waist. Ribs show through his brown skin, and his eyes are hollowed out with dark circles. Long hair falls around his eyes. I wonder how long he's been held prisoner.
Garrett prowls a circle around him. I step forward, between them, and he growls, picking me up with an arm around my waist, spinning, and setting me down behind him. Trey and Jared close in at his sides, making a human wall of protection, me behind it.
I clear my throat. "Do any of you speak Spanish?"
"You can translate from back there," Garrett rumbles.
I roll my eyes. "Señor, did you see a white wolf? Small female?" I ask in Spanish, raising my voice to get through the wall of wolf-men.
"La Americana? Si." he answers.
I scuttle around to Jared's side to see the man, but Jared throws an arm out, keeping me back.
"Don't. Touch. Her," Garrett growls.
Jared drops his arm. "Not touching, Alpha."
"Where is she? Do you know where they took her?" I ask in Spanish.
"They sold her to the Montelobos. In the jungle."
I translate his answer. "Where in the jungle?" I ask sharply. "Do you know?"
"Monte Lobo."
Oh. Well, of course the Montelobos live in Monte Lobo. That's almost too easy. I pull my purse off my shoulder and thrust Garrett's phone at Trey. "Monte Lobo-in the jungle. Get Kylie on it."
After a glance at his alpha, the wolf grabs my phone and takes off. Jared goes with him.
"Is there anything else you can tell us?" I ask the stranger in Spanish, and repeat in English for Garrett's benefit.
He shakes his head. "Ask him how big their pack is, how strong."
I translate the question to the stranger.
"More than one hundred wolves," he says. "Well defended."
"Gracias, señor."
"A ustedes." He gives a half bow, backing away.
Jared walks in, dressed in cargo pants he must've found. He tosses clothes to Garrett and the strange wolf, who wrinkle their noses but dress quickly. "I found keys to their van outside. Trey's still trying to get through to Kylie, but we should get out of here."
"Will you be safe if we leave you?" I ask the strange wolf in Spanish.
He nods, explaining in rapid Spanish that he's from a small coastal town but has a strong pack there.
"All right. Gracias," I tell him, and we head out, down the hallway.
"Cover your eyes," Jared murmurs.
Before I understand what he means, a large warm hand closes over my eyes and an arm cinches around my waist. The way my senses leap up, I know it's Garrett. He's not gentle but steady and strong. My feet lift off the floor. I try not to think about the metallic smell of blood as Garrett carries me down the hall. Or what I'm not seeing.
Focus on Sedona.
Once we're outside, he drops me to the ground, and I take deep breaths.
Garrett spins me around and peers into my face with all-silver eyes. "Are you hurt? Tell me you're not fucking hurt, or I'll go back and kill those guys a second time."
The violence of his assertion ought to frighten me, but it doesn't. It's for me. All that passion is for me. "Not hurt," I whisper.
He yanks me against him, crushing my body to his so tightly I can't breathe.
"Easy, Alpha," I choke.
He releases me abruptly and paces away, as if afraid to be too near me.
Trey trots up to us, cell in hand. "I don't have a cell signal to get through to Kylie. Let's go to the hotel, and look it up ourselves."
Garrett nods, grim. "I need to call my dad for reinforcements. We're not going into Monte Lobo alone."
"I already did," I admit, wincing as six pairs of glowing eyes swing to me. "I wasn't sure I would make it out of the warehouse, and I didn't want to…" The low growling coming from Garrett's chest warns me I'm worrying his wolf again. "Your dad's on his way."