Chapter 111 Chapter 111
He watched Gage pace by again, and figured he’d give him a few more minutes. Turning, he looked to Devin, who hadn’t moved a muscle since he went and stood in the entrance. He hadn’t seen Jake or Jesse, both had gone outside and not yet returned. It was hard, the unspoken commonality among all male shifters was when they had a problem to work through, or an emotional upset, they shifted and ran it off. Being here, shifting was too dangerous, so that left them trying to sort it through the hard way. A way, he’d recently learned, that was not easy at all.
The biggest problem he was having right now, he hadn’t yet told them everything. They didn’t know about what happened to the captives once ‘released’, and he hadn’t found a way to explain to them about Shaelan’s existence, or the fact that the alpha was her father.
Pushing away from the wall, he went over and looked at the water and the bottles of whiskey beside it. Having tasted the potent brew, he opted for water. Getting a cup full, he turned back and saw Kelsey coming toward him. She stopped a few feet away, and it was then he realized she completely understood the way it was in the life of a shifter now. Mated females didn’t get too close to males, aside from their mates.
Hopefully Kelsey and Rayne would help fill in some blanks for Shaelan. Her village had taken the shifter norm and misconstrued it, or created some bastardized version, and he wasn’t sure what rules or protocol they followed, if any at all. That’s why he wanted the girls to come, his patience only went so far when it came to explanations.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Devin would come personally, not just send others, and he knew Gage would arrive as well. He didn’t know Kelsey and Rayne as well as the men, but he knew enough to understand that there was no way their mates would be coming without them.
He blinked, realizing that Kelsey had spoke to him. “Sorry?”
She gave him a sweet smile. “I asked if you were okay?”
“Yeah.” He motioned to Gage still pacing around. “I’m giving them time to absorb what I told them before I pile on more.”
Brows furrowed, she glanced at her mate. “There’s more?”
Nodding, Calum finished what was in his cup. “Unfortunately, but the waves of anger coming off them was getting a little intense, so I thought I’d wait before continuing.”
“A bad kind of more?” Rayne asked as she got up.
Taking a deep breath, he debated on lying to them, but decided it wasn’t worth it. “It’s not good.”
“Let’s get on with it then.” Devin said from entranceway. “Jake and Jesse are standing watch, so if we can move close to the door, they’ll be able to listen.”
Calum moved without comment to his pack and pulled out his phone, then went and sat by the doorway. If he stayed on his feet any longer, he was going to drop. Sitting on the ridge all day watching for them, and wondering about Shaelan had exhausted him, both emotionally and physically. More than once he wanted to go to the village, but didn’t want to take a chance on anything happening to his friends that were here because he’d called.
When he realized Gage and Devin were looking down at him, he sighed, this wandering mind thing was getting to be a bit much. Both of them looked like they were barely holding it together, he could see the rage brewing. Unlocking his phone, he brought up the pictures, and without a word of warning he handed the phone to Devin.
“Am I looking at what I think I am?” Devin asked, his voice shaking with emotion barely held in check.
“Its where they take the captives after they’re done with them.” He couldn’t look at the women to see their faces, or he might lose it. “Gene was on the top, collar still on...” He glanced quickly to Gage as he studied the pictures. “With a bullet hole in his head.”
Kelsey and Rayne both gasped. He closed his eyes unable to watch another female hurting over this. “I still have to go and bury him.” Opening them, he watched Gage hand Jake the phone where he now stood in the entrance.
“We’ll do it together after this is resolved.” Devin said icily. He stood with his hands on his hips staring at the dirt under his boots. “Those bones could be any number of clan members reported missing over the years. The alliance will have records of any jags missing.” He shook his head. “I don’t know if they can ever be confirmed though.”
Calum shook his head. “I don’t know if they have records of any kind, they don’t exactly ask your name and address when you regain consciousness and are chained to a wall.”
Gage squatted down and looked at him. “They have to have some kind of help, or warning system or… something.” He looked up to Devin who agreed with him. “If they got you, they had to have help. You’re a ghost on four legs when in the bush.”
“They’re in the trees, that’s how they get the drop on you.” He shook his head, “but, yeah they have to have someone warning them, I doubt they sit in trees all day waiting for a chance that a shifter wanders by.”
“What about that voodoo vibe in the village?” Kelsey asked quietly.
Nodding, Calum still avoided looking at either woman. “I thought about that village too, while I cooled my heels today watching for you to get here.”
“The Alliance will dig into it.” Devin heaved a loud sigh. “So, what are we going to do?”
“Can you go in as a representative of the Alliance and hold them accountable?” Rayne asked Devin.
He shook his head. “Even if I’m holding a copy of the blood oath in my hand, I doubt that would get us far. The elders that made the pact, won’t still be living.” He rubbed his forehead. “This mess is the alliance’s fault, they just gave up and it got out of hand…” his voice trailed off, no one needed to be reminded how out of hand it now was.
“How many people are there?” Gage shrugged, “can we get in without being seen?”
Calum took his phone when a somber-faced Jesse stepped inside with it. “It’s a big village, too many for us to handle alone, from what I saw.”
“Do we call for more backup?” Devin wondered.
“I don’t know.” Calum rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m exhausted and can’t think straight. Marilyn and the medicine woman said to give them a few days to get their ducks lined up…” he shook his head at Gage when he raised an eyebrow to him using that phrase, “so I’m guessing they’ll start from the inside and we’ll have to see how far they get.” He thought of Shaelan, all he wanted to do was see her to make sure she was safe.
“What else?” Gage asked with a hard edge to his voice. “What else haven’t you told us?”
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and dropped his head down. “My mate is in that village.”
Gage stood up, “and you left her there?”, he was close to roaring.
Opening his hands, he gave him a blank look. “I couldn’t stay and end up back in chains. What the fu…”