“Come on, sweetheart, grab your gear. I don’t know if these guys had back up, but we need to get moving. We have to try to figure out how they’re tracking us.” Putting all of her stuff in a pile, Declan scanned it again, nothing. “Shit, this doesn’t make any sense. Here honey, hold on to this,” he said, handing her the scanner. “I’m going to grab my stuff. Wait for me by the door. I want to go out first, okay?”
“Yep,” she replied.
Peyton stuffed her clothes into her bag, grabbed her laptop and the scanner, and waited for Declan to reappear. He came back into the room and placed his bag down by her feet.
“Okay honey, I’m going to check things out. I’ll come back and get you when it’s all clear. Don’t move from this spot, okay?”
“Yep.”
When Declan came back to get her, Peyton fumbled all the things she was trying to hold, inadvertency setting the scanner off, and it beeped. It would have been comical if it weren’t so serious. Both Peyton and Declan’s eyes widened. Peyton wasn’t the one who had been bugged, Declan had been. They found the small transmitter under the collar of his jacket.
“God damn it. Okay, honey, we need to run a scan over the rest of my stuff.”
Doing so, they found four other trackers.
“Okay, shit, this isn’t good. Here’s what we’re going to do, I don’t want to alert the fuckers who are tracking me that we found the transmitters. So, we’re going to take a page out of your playbook. There’s a twenty-four-hour restaurant down the road. We’re going to slip these little babies onto someone else. Then we’re going to call a meeting with the rest of the group because we’ve been compromised, big time.”
The bug transfer went off without a hitch, and Peyton got some amazing pancakes for the trouble. Declan was quiet. He sent a text to all his teams, telling them to scan for bugs. When all of them came back positive, Peyton had to ask him to stop the car. She had no idea what it was, but the Alpha vibe was suffocating her, and she needed some fresh air before she passed out or puked, neither a pleasant thought.
“Declan, can you pull over for a second, please?”
“What, sorry, are you okay, Peyton? Shit, honey, you don’t look so well.”
“Please, Declan, can you pull over?” When they finally got to the side of the road, Peyton jumped out of the vehicle. Breathing the fresh air was helping, but when Declan came around the car, she had to stop him.
“Declan, sorry, but you need to stay away from me, right now. You’re putting off some unyielding vibes. And shit, I’m so sorry, but until you calm down, I need you to stay away from me. The alternative won’t be pleasant, sir. My body can’t decide if it wants to puke or pass out. I’m so sorry, I just, please, can we just sit here for a bit?”
“Fuck, sorry, honey, give me a minute.”
Declan paced back and forth, taking deep breaths. Peyton could physically feel the change in the air. The Dragon was calming down, but no less pissed. It was so weird.
“Do you want to talk about it, Declan?”
“Fuck, I don’t know. It looks like every team has trackers. I’ve ordered full sweeps. I just can’t figure out how it happened. One team would be understandable, although unacceptable, but it can be justified. Not all six teams though. They’re located all over the country. Shit, it would take an army just to track one team, let alone all six. Fuck, this is no good. Honey, hate to say it, but your mission is scrapped. I’m calling everyone in. We need to get to the airport, scan the plane, and get the hell out of here. Once we figure out what’s going on, we can try again.”
Peyton was disappointed. They needed the information from Davis’s server, but Declan was right, they were compromised. Three men had died, and she wasn’t willing to take a chance on more blows coming.
Chapter 19
They scanned the plane thoroughly and to Peyton’s relief, didn’t find any more trackers. The flight to the Alpha base was short, less than an hour, the drive a bit longer. The when they pulled up the drive was almost as good as seeing Wyatt again. Zeus was sitting in the middle of the driveway, a big doggie grin on his adorable face.
“What the fuck is that?” Declan yelled, slamming on the breaks and swerving to miss the waiting dog. Peyton just laughed and jumped out of the car. Declan went to grab her arm, but it was too late. He was screaming now, “Are you fucking nuts? Get back here!”
Peyton ran to meet up with her old friend, skidding to her knees, arms held wide, hugging her best friend. Zeus reciprocated with doggie kisses and wiggles. It took her a couple of minutes to notice the huge man standing behind Zeus.
Recognizing him from the video conference, Peyton didn’t want to stop getting the love from her fur baby, but felt she’d better at least make an attempt to greet the true Alpha of the Alpha team, Jackson ‘Jacks’ Thorp. A very pregnant Ryleigh peaked out from behind him, to the big man’s dismay. Peyton just laughed.
“Hi Peyton, welcome home,” Ryleigh greeted. “Bas thought you might want to see a familiar face when you got here, so he went and picked up this big guy.
“Thanks, this was one of the best welcomes I could ever think of,” Peyton said, rubbing her friend. “Is there somewhere you would like me to put him? I know not everyone likes to have dogs in their houses.”
“No, we’re pet-friendly,” Ryleigh laughed.
Jacks growled.
“Kommen, Zeus,” Peyton commanded.
He followed her into the beautiful house, but stayed close to her heels. Peyton had trained him to know Bastian’s scent, but she was still a little unsure of how he would react to all the Shifter vibes. Shit, she hadn’t reacted all that well herself.
Ryleigh led her into a large family room and motioned for her to take a seat on a comfortable-looking, leather couch. Peyton chose to take the only seat she wanted, on the floor right next to Zeus. She wondered about Hera and Brut, but Zeus was special. He was her first puppy and one of the loves of her life. If she couldn’t have all three, Zeus would definitely do.
Jacks filled Declan and Peyton in on what was happening.
“Bas, Wyatt, and Cash are in the air,” he said. “Ryleigh is tracking them, and we should expect them by dinner time. We found thirty nasty little bugs, all attached to clothing. Bastian reported two on his field jacket. We’re assuming the bugs were transferred, but Wyatt and Tory are currently looking into it. Tory didn’t have any trackers in her things or on her person, well, except for the one Ryleigh had placed.”
“You tracked your own operative?” Peyton questioned.
“Yeah, sorry, but I would like to talk to you about it as well,” Ryleigh said. “All The Holly Group agents have been implanted with trackers. Wyatt and Tory developed them and are also the only ones able to activate them. I would like you to consider getting one implanted. They are safe and non-invasive, but they can save your life. It did mine.”
“I’ll do it,” Peyton replied. “You had me at Wyatt and Tory created. I’m fine with getting the tracker. With Judy and the suits out there determined to find either Bastian or me, I would feel safer if Wyatt had a way to find me if something happened. But now that I think about it, I wasn’t bugged, yet they still hunted us down. Who are they really after? Also, if Bastian had two bugs on his person, why didn’t they hunt him down instead of us if he’s who they’re really after?”
“All good questions,” Jacks said. “We’re trying to figure them out, but until Wyatt and Tory get back to examine the tech, we’re at a standstill.”
A stunning lady walked in, carrying an adorable little girl. Peyton recognized her as well. This was Emma and little McKenna. Zeus’ tail started beating the floor a mile a minute. He really wanted to go to Emma and the baby, but he was so well trained, he stayed glued to his spot, even though it was becoming harder and harder for him to do so. Peyton had never seen him this way before; it was funny, actually.
“Hi, Emma, it’s nice to finally meet you in person,” Peyton greeted. “Do you, by chance, happen to be afr
aid of dogs?”
“It’s nice to meet you too, and no, I’ve been dying to get my hands on that beautiful creature since he showed up, but Dalton wouldn’t let me.”
“Well, it’s okay now,” Peyton guaranteed. “I can assure you Zeus won’t hurt you; he’s trained as a PTSD dog, among other things. He’s very gentle.”
Dalton looked dubious. Peyton could tell he wanted to protest Emma going anywhere near her big baby, but Emma had other ideas.
“Sorry, babe, but you said as soon as Peyton got here, I could play with him.”
Dalton was going to say something, but Peyton gave him a reassuring smile and said, “Gehen.” Zeus bounded to Emma, all happy doggie wiggles, but he never once made her lose her footing or invaded her space.
Emma hugged, scratched, and rubbed all over the happy dog. Dogs have a sixth sense about people, and he seemed to have picked Emma. From what they had told Peyton, Emma needed him as much as he needed her.
“Hey, looks like you made a friend for life,” Peyton declared. “When we get some free time, I’ll give you a couple of his commands. Your husband, or shit, sorry, mate, is going to want in on the lessons too.”
“Just what I need, a one hundred fifty-pound slobber maker,” Dalton groaned half-heartedly.
“Hey, Peyton, it looks like Zeus is in good hands,” Ryleigh announced. “How about we go do the blood work I told you about before.”
“Sure, I’m curious to see what my spirit animals are,” Peyton stated.
“Spirit animals?”
“Yeah, Wyatt and the rest of the guys get to change into animals. Since we girls only get the DNA without the benefits, I figured we might as well think of them as guides.”
“Great thought, but you know, it’s a long shot. We aren’t even sure if you have Shifter DNA yet.”
“I know you said I needed the blood test, but Wyatt said we couldn’t be true mates if I didn’t at least have some Shifter DNA.” Peyton pulled back her hair and showed Ryleigh and the rest of them her mating mark.
“Wyatt claimed you, holy fuck. Does Bas know yet?” Dalton asked.
Ryleigh and Emma said, “Congratulations,” and so did the guys, but they all started messing around with how Bastian was going to react to Wyatt doing his little sister. She had to admit they were pretty inventive if not very embarrassing. She really didn’t think Bastian would react badly to her and Wyatt as a couple. She knew Wyatt was his best friend. It might be a little weird, but she hoped he would be happy for them.
Ryleigh ran the test, and it proved Peyton was one of Franklin's babies, but her Shifter DNA didn’t match anyone else. She had only two strands, wolf and tiger. Ryleigh showed her the data they’d collected from Dr. Franklin’s home and explained what she and the others had figured out so far and what they still needed to know. All the children were marked with a conception date and an algorithm they had yet to crack.
Peyton had a few ideas, but she really needed to concentrate on Davis Defense and Judy’s connection with them. That would have to wait until the rest of the team was back. Declan promised they would try to figure out a way to still do the operation, but his team's safety had to come first, and Peyton agreed with him.
Chapter 20
Peyton was exhausted, but her mind wouldn’t settle down. She knew it was because Wyatt was on his way, but she didn’t want to be that girl. She’d been on her own for a long time and needing someone like she was coming to need Wyatt was a foreign concept to her. She was baffled by her behavior the last couple of weeks. Always a loner, except for her dogs or the little time she got to spend with Bastian, she was surprised she was so accepting of the people of Alpha Team. In return, she was equally shocked they accepted and welcomed her with open arms. She wasn’t an outsider anymore, and it felt good.
Only one thing would make it better, and just as she thought it, Wyatt walked into the room. Peyton ran into his open arms, hugging him tightly, climbing his body to get closer. If she could have buried herself in his body, she would have. She hadn’t realized how stressed she’d been without him in her sight. Now that she could see for herself he was okay and in one piece, the walls she had created crumpled. Peyton cried, safe in the arms of the man she had come to love more than life itself. Everyone in the room disappeared. All she knew was Wyatt’s strength, warmth, and love at that moment. That was until a familiar voice broke the spell.
“Hey little sister, don’t I at least get a hello or something?”
Leaning away from Wyatt’s neck to face her smiling brother, Peyton said, “I missed you, and I’m so glad you are okay.” Climbing down off of Wyatt, she walked into her brother’s arms and whispered, “Please don’t be mad. I love him, Bastian, he’s my mate, and he claimed me.”
“Oh honey, I’m not mad, I couldn’t have picked a better mate for you if I had tried myself,” he laughed.
She looked up to see Wyatt’s smiling face, and for the first time, she noticed the large, fading bruise on his jaw. Breaking from her brother, she went back to Wyatt.
“Oh, my God, what happened, how did you get hurt? Were you followed? Did Davis find you and Cash?” The guys all snickered, which only increased Peyton’s worry.
“What happened?” she demanded
“It’s nothing, honey, I’m fine. I promise. I just happened to get stuck in between a hard place and your brother. The good news is he’s given us his blessing.”
“What!” Glaring at her brother, she said, “You hit him, why?”
“Well, honey,” to her surprise, Bastian wasn’t the one who answered, Cash was, “when you tell a guy you’re banging his sister, all reason has a tendency to leave a guy.”
Peyton was about to lay into her brother when Wyatt stopped her.
“Baby, it’s okay. We worked it out, and Bastian is on board now.”
Looking at Wyatt, Bas smiled, shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s a guy thing. We’re good now, and I’m happy for both of you. Even more pleased now that you’ll be staying here with us.” He hugged her and then turned her back over to Wyatt.
“Okay, people, I’m starving and fried. I need at least eight hours straight of uninterrupted sleep,” Wyatt declared.
Everyone laughed and agreed. The members of the Alpha team congratulated Wyatt as they left the room. Peyton was still overwhelmed and clung to Wyatt.
“It’s okay, baby, I’m here. We’ll work everything out, but Bas is right, we need food and sleep, so we can start fresh. And to be honest, I can’t wait to get you into bed. I missed you last night more than you’ll ever know.”
Peyton let him lead her out of the room into the common area where everyone was gathering around the table. Wyatt led her to a seat, and Peyton was in awe of how comfortable she felt. Looking around the room, Peyton knew she’d made the right choice. This was right where she needed to be.
The guys were playfully ribbing each other while Emma, with Zeus at her heels, started bringing out dishes from the kitchen. Peyton went to stand and offer her help, but before she could, Ryleigh, Jacks, and Dalton all appeared with dishes in hand. It seemed they had it under control.
It was a simple dinner—chili, cornbread, and salad—but it was more than the food to Peyton; the comradery, love, and friendship could be felt around the room. This was what she’d craved as a little girl, holidays with family and friends. It was almost too much.
Wyatt must have thought she was in distress because his hand rubbed her thigh, and he leaned forward, kissing her cheek.
“Are you okay, baby?” he whispered.
She didn’t answer for a moment, but realized she was more than okay.
“Yes, I’m more than alright. For the first time in my life. I’m perfect.” She was whole.
After dinner, the group disbanded to get their much needed shut-eye, and Wyatt showered her with love and affection until the wee hours of the morning.
Peyton woke several hours later, surprised by how good she felt, but when she noticed she was
alone, she let her mind wonder. Maybe all of this was a little too fast. Maybe now that Wyatt was back with this family of friends, he didn’t really need her anymore. Maybe all of this wasn’t what she thought, maybe she had made her relationship with Wyatt into more than what it was. Doubts sucked, and after a few minutes, she decided she was done with them.
Just like back in the bunker, she was going to go with whatever this was and let it happen. Peyton could feel the rightness of her decision and the feeling of contentment as well. Puzzled, she closed her eyes, and like out of some science fiction movie, she saw a golden line reaching from her mind and soul to something or rather someone else.
It was Wyatt she felt. Deciding to explore the link further at a later time, she jumped out of bed and into the bathroom. They had work to do, all of them. Peyton was more than ready to make sure her family was safe, by any means necessary. She had a plan, and she knew it wasn’t going to be widely accepted, but if executed correctly, Alpha, NAC, and The Holly Group might be ahead of the game for the first time.
Walking back into the common area, Peyton was apprehensive. She knew what needed to be done, but she also knew the men of Alpha Team weren’t going to like it. She needed to get into Davis Defense for at least five minutes. Wyatt instantly noticed her distress and walked right to her.
“What’s wrong, baby? I was hoping you would sleep for a little longer. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed,” he said with a smile.
She contemplated running back into the bedroom and waiting for him, but knew she needed to tell the group about her plan.
“I would have loved that, Wyatt.”
“But?”
“Yeah, but I need to talk with everyone.”
Wyatt looked puzzled, but got everyone’s attention. Peyton was a bit embarrassed, she didn’t like being the center of attention. She was certain her plan would not only help the people in the room and the other teams, but also the people who they had yet to find. Wyatt encouraged her by hugging her close, lending his support. Even though she knew, deep down, it would be short lived, she relished the moment. It was Declan who encouraged her to speak.
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 80
