“Yes, Mistress, I will be sure to pass that along.”
“I apologize again, Mistress,” Cameron said. No doubt Lilly had lit into him like fire after his insulting response. “I had no right to give instructions to your staff without your permission. I am still learning my role as Alpha. Plus, your role is new to me as well and I am accustoming myself to the fact La Patron is mated with a den. I hope you will accept my apologies and I accept any punishment you deem worthy of my offense.”
Jasmine glanced at the stack on her desk and knew she would be working later than she planned. “Join the guards who left their posts to follow your instructions in the gym after they finish their shifts. Help scrub the floors on all three levels.”
Lilly’s mouth opened and then snapped shut before turning to the side with a small grin.
“Yes Mistress,” Cameron said in a resigned tone.
“I made an exception for you last night and today and allowed you in the compound. You knew it was locked down.”
“I didn’t realize that included us. You mean we cannot come back and forth while La Patron is away?”
“No one, not even my mother, is leaving or returning to this compound while Silas is away. Believe me it is better for everyone. I don’t have the same level of control that he does and if something goes wrong I could bring down the mountains or something.” She tried to inject some levity in to what was a serious situation.
“I understand. I wanted to be close and available in case you needed me. I hoped to show La Patron he can trust me in his absence,” Cameron said in a quiet tone.
“If he didn’t trust you, you wouldn’t be Alpha,” Jasmine countered.
Cameron scoffed. “I’m Alpha because Tyrone didn’t want the job and everyone knows that. He would’ve won the challenge and that’s probably the real reason the full blood backed down.”
“Well then, do your job,” Jasmine said disliking the whine in his voice. “You have the entire state of West Virginia to clean up. Go meet your pack, introduce your bitch, tell them what plans you have to take this state and them into the next century. Be a good leader to the pack in his absence and that will send the right message, not issuing orders in his compound. That won’t gain you any points with anyone.”
“Yes, Mistress. Once again, I apologize and will remember my place. May I be excused?”
Tired of the delay, Jasmine released him. He fell to the ground with a thud. Standing slowly, he turned to face her and bowed from the waist. Lilly came to stand next to him and bowed as well.
“You are both dismissed,” she said into the quiet.
“Yes, Mistress,” they said as one.
Chapter 7
They had been at the drill site for three hours, darkness had settled with a swiftness. The extra lighting had been late in arriving slowing them down. Just as Silas decided to drag the wolves away, he heard a soft click and reacted without thought. Jumping up, he pulled the twins with him and within seconds placed an energy shield around them. Looking down he gazed at the swinging arms and legs of Alpha Samuel and the wolves. Turning slightly, he met Asia’s sad and resigned gaze. Seeing the defeated look in her eyes ripped through him. He had failed them all. If the ring he wore from Dr. Passen hadn’t neutralized whatever hold his enemy had on those wolves, he wouldn’t have been distracted. But they had responded when he pulled the wolves of the invisible ones who had infiltrated the circle. Even now he was amazed at how many of his brethren his enemy had compromised. His heart ached at the sight of so many weak and sickly wolves.
“Son of a bitch blew the lab,” Tyrone said in awe as Silas lowered them to the ground.
“Can you reach Leon?” Tyrese asked testing the ground with his foot as he peered through the dust and rubble toward the large, gaping hole.
Silas didn’t answer, instead he sent waves of inquiry through the debris, searching for his Alpha, and Asia. It troubled him when there were no replies. Inhaling, he clenched and unclenched his fist and did a search again.
“Samuel? Asia?” he waited for a sign that they had survived the fall. In his peripheral vision he saw a group of Samuel’s men come closer to the crater like hole.
“Sir, may we begin a search below?” One of the men asked. When Silas turned he noticed it was Borian.
“Scan for more bombs first,” he said even though Leon’s detector had not picked up anything below ground.
Borian nodded. “Yes, Sir. Then we may proceed with the extraction?”
“How will you get down?”
“This part of the ground appears stable.” He tapped the ground with his foot. “We’ll bring in the cranes and lower a few men down at a time. We had two nearby in case we needed to lift out prisoners.”
“What if there are more bombs we can’t pick up?” Silas asked.
“Then we all die. But leaving my Alpha below is not an option…Sir.”
Silas nodded, glad for Samuel’s foresight on having the cranes nearby. It made things easier and they could move quickly. “Okay, sounds good.” Besides, he didn’t have a better idea or plan. “There is a lot of concrete and steel in the way, you’ll have to move some of that as well. Set up the lights so you can see better. Get a couple of dump trucks up here so we don’t leave a mess for the humans. Also get more men up here to help.”
Borian nodded, opened his mouth and then closed it. “Sir?”
“Yes?” Silas looked at the Beta fairly sure he knew what was bothering the man.
“I’ve been trying to reach my Alpha, but he nor his wolf is answering.”
“I know. We’ll see what we see when we get down there. First, we have to clear out a path through steel and concrete, so let’s get started.” He clapped Borian on the shoulder and stepped to the side. They blew the lab…that possibility never occurred to him or Jacques. Although it should have. If there was something of value that they couldn’t move, it was simpler to destroy it. Silas had to re-evaluate his enemies.
“They’re bringing in the cranes,” Tyrese said coming to stand next to him. “I’d like permission to go below on the first crane to assess the damage and organize a search team.”
Silas gazed around the woods. Tyrese vibrated from the force of his fury which clouded his judgment. “Inhale.”
Tyrese’ head snapped up from staring at the hole in the ground. Frowning, he took a deep breath, froze and then turned slowly to his right.
Silas nodded. “We may have a fight up here. I am sending Samuel’s men down. You and Rone stand sentry near the cranes, keep them safe.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I will be here to assist if necessary.” He inhaled again picking up a different scent. A full blood wolf, but different. This wolf had been in the woods the entire time watching. Silas intended to be free in case the wolf grew tired of sitting on the sidelines.
Rescuing those from below was a slow process. The heavy cranes crashed through the trees and remained a good distance from the fall site. It was a testament of how well Samuel ran this state that no police or news trucks showed up. Once the equipment was in place each crane lowered two men who were packed with first aid equipment and collapsible stretchers. The idea was to have first aid available in case they came across anyone who needed it before they began excavating. The next few drops were filled with laborers to strap the concrete and steel for removal. Two large dump trucks pulled up on the opposite side of the hole just as the first load of concrete was pulled up. Over the next few hours the laborious process of clearing a path to search for survivors crawled at a tortoise pace. Tempers flared and Silas or one of the twins acted as referee.
“Samuel?”
“Sir?”
Silas exhaled with a sigh of relief. “Your men are on their way to get you and the others. Start talking to them through your link.”
“Yes…Sir.”
“Asia?” Silas called and grew more concerned when there was no response. Not only was there no response, there was nothing from her wolf either.
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“I contacted Leon, he’s okay. He’s looking around. Gotta love technology that keeps a wolf going after a fall like that,” Tyrone said walking up to him.
“I’m not getting anything from Asia and she’s got more technology than any of them.” Silas gazed at the hole wondering if she was hurt or worse. Jasmine would be real upset if Asia died out here.
“Give her some time, she may be in a place where nothing can get in or out,” Tyrone said. He turned sideways to Silas and spoke through their link. “There’s five modified breeds in the woods. But there’s a strange full blood out there too, just sitting, watching. It’s like the breeds don’t see him. You think they’re together?”
“No.” Silas wasn’t sure how he knew that, he just did. The full blood watching them was different from any wolf he had met before and that made things interesting.
“What do the breeds want?”
“I don’t know, should I ask them?” Silas asked smiling.
“Well, that would be nice.”
Silas slapped him on the shoulder. “No, it’s not time to play yet. We need to get our people out the ground. If by some miracle there is anything of value left below, we need to excavate it as well.”
Tyrone nodded and walked off swinging his arms in a circular motion. They were all keyed up and a battle or run through the woods would be just the thing. Unfortunately, they could do neither right now. Silas walked the circumference of the hole still amazed at their tactic. What were they trying to do?
Kill him? Falling twenty, fifty or hundred feet would not have accomplished that. Stop him from accessing the lab below? What was down there? Equipment? People? He had no idea.
The news that the wolves who had surrounded him just before the explosion were dead hit him hard, although he had known that was a strong possibility. Samuel’s men who wore the collars were alive and picking their way through the debris while waiting for help to arrive.
“Silas?”
He closed his eyes briefly as her voice eased him. “Sweet Bitch.”
“What’s wrong?”
He released a long sigh and told her what happened.
“Have you scanned for more bombs?”
“Yes.”
“The twins?”
“They’re fine, spoiling for a fight, but okay.” They would’ve been okay even if they had fallen, but saving them had been a natural reflex. Family. Bit by bit he was becoming more and more a family man.
“Asia?”
He exhaled. “I have not heard from her or been able to reach her. Tyrone thinks she may have fallen into an area where she cannot receive or send messages.”
“Does that make sense? I mean are there places like that?”
“Well, yes –”
“What if they caught her again and slipped one of the collars on her? She could be lost in plain sight and you wouldn’t pick up her signal. Someone needs to go and look for her.”
“We are looking for her. We have cranes and are sending teams down right now.”
“Yes, I heard that. But…are they looking for her. You said there was some friction in the ranks, they might not really care to search for her.”
“That’s not how it works. She’s wolf. We don’t leave ours behind. We’ll find her.”
“Okay. I’m trusting you on this, Silas.”
He scanned the horizon, noticed the full blood hadn’t moved and spoke. “I know. I know. We got our hands full here with the rescue. A few people have been pulled up and sent to the hospital, but it will be a long night. I’ll talk to you later when I know more.”
“Okay, I… I love you. Stop beating yourself over this. There’s only so much you can do. Jacques and mom are together upstairs, do you need him?”
Silas thought about it for a moment and decided to allow his friend some time alone with his mate. “Not right now, I’ll call him later.”
Turning slightly to his left he disconnected and compelled the breed who was within a hundred feet of the site. Moments later a tall, muscular, blond haired male was dragged into the clearing fighting every step Silas forced his wolf to take until he came within a few feet. Silas pushed the male to his knees and then looked around the work site.
“Back to work,” he said in a raised voice looking at everyone. “We need to start pulling our pack out.” He waited until the workers resumed their activity and ordered the twins to be more vigilant in case the breed on his knees had partners.
The male on the ground glared up at him, showing fang. Silas laughed at the pathetic attempt to intimidate him. “What are you doing here?”
The male growled.
Silas searched his limited store of patience, and found it was all gone. Within a blink of an eye, he lifted the stupid breed up by the neck and tossed him to the other side of the clearing. By the time the fool landed with a loud oomph, Silas stood above him with his foot on his neck. Silas ripped through the meager mental barriers of the breed and searched for clues.
“You’re looking for Asia?” he murmured surprised. He had forgotten what she’d told him about the other one Tyrese disposed of. The male nodded through gasps of air.
“Why?” He breached the lowered barriers and found nothing. He lifted the male and shook him. “I asked a question.” His incisors lengthened.
The male’s eyes widened and he struggled to break free in earnest. “I don’t know. I’m just trying to collect the bounty.”
“Bounty?” Silas spoke slowly around his crowded teeth.
“Yes. Five million, dead or alive, plus freedom from the Liege.”
“Liege?” Silas hadn’t heard that name before.
The male bit his lip, holding them tight together. Silas rummaged through his mind, the Liege came up frequently. By the time Silas had taken all the information he needed and uploaded it to Jacques, the male whose name was T-Rex, bled from his nose and ears. Silas crushed his throat, and then ripped his head off before tossing his remains into the dump truck.
“Jacques?” he called to make sure everything he had just retrieved from Rex had been received. With the new information on Liege, they had names to target. When he received no response he called again. “Jacques?”
Irritated at the delay, Silas called to his mate. “Jasmine, I called Jacques and he didn’t answer. I don’t have time for this bullshit. I sent information that needs to be verified and cataloged, now. We’re making plans on the run and he’s MIA.”
“Everything okay?” Tyrese asked walking up to him, glancing at the dump truck.
“He was here for Asia, there’s a large bounty on her head plus freedom.”
Tyrese whistled. “How much?”
“Five million, dead or alive. But I think being free from this group is the driving force. Check the woods. I no longer sense the others. There’s probably another way inside and they’re down below looking for her. His jaw clenched as he called her again. “Asia. Damn it, you better answer me. They upped the ante on that bounty. Five million, dead or alive… plus freedom from the Liege, whoever that is. Those who were in the woods have left and I think are in the lab looking for you.” He paused and inhaled. “You do not need to fight this alone, let us help you.”
“She’ll never be free, huh?” Tyrese asked quietly. “Like you said, it’s not even the money, it’s being free that’ll keep them coming.”
Silas nodded, knowing the cost to keep her safe would be high but he would pay it. “Get down there, find her and watch her back. She’s alive, maybe dazed or banged up. Make sure she gets whatever she needs to help her shake these bastards. For some reason they want her bad enough to wipe out their elites. Make sure they do not get what they want.”
Tyrese’s eyes glowed briefly as he bulked, turned and ran toward the hole and jumped without hesitation.
“Rese?” Tyrone asked from across the clearing watching his brother disappear. Silas told him about the bounty as he scanned for more assassins. There were none. The full blooded wolf remained in the same spot,
watching.
Mentally Silas pushed at the wolf. The brush of a large paw hit his chest. Surprised at the strength behind the swipe, Silas gazed into the forest in the direction of the wolf wanting a meeting more than ever.
“Sir,” Borian called. “We’re pulling up more men, did you want to see them before we send them to the infirmary?”
Normally, Alpha Samuel would commend each wolf harmed in service to the pack before they left. Now that job fell to Silas. “Yes, I’m coming.” He turned in the direction of the full blood and spoke. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be waiting,” the low growling voice said through a new link, surprising Silas further.
Chapter 8
After work Jasmine had taken a quick stroll through the gym to see the wolves hard at work scrubbing not only the floors but the walls as well. Each stopped and knelt with their forehead on the ground begging her forgiveness. She acknowledged them with a nod and continued her inspection. The gym was the length and width of a professional football field, and this one had three floors. Tired from a long day of reading grants, she left the gym and headed for her wing.
BirthDate (La Patron, the Alpha's Alpha) Page 7
