He didn't even flinch. "Get dressed, we're going to see Grant." With cat-like grace, he rolled off the mattress and began to put on his clothes. She ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her, thankful she made it before she broke down.
Heart-wrenching sobs tore though her, and she had to bite the back of her hand to stop herself and muffle the noise. She washed her face with the cold water from the tap, biting her lips until they bled just to stop herself from crying further. Taking a deep breath, she began to dress in the clothes she had left in the bathroom. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she took a deep breath. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry anymore.
A loud shout followed by a thud interrupted her thoughts. "What the..?" She whipped her head around. The noise came from the room. Yanking, the door open, she rushed out of the bathroom.
"What? Mother!"
Victoria was in the room, standing over Nick, who was lying motionless on the ground. There was a tall, broad-shouldered blonde man behind her, who seemed familiar. "Hello Cady."
"You!" She rushed as her mother, wanting to hurt her for ruining her life. But the tall man grabbed her by the waist and hauled her back.
Victoria tsked. "My dear, that's no way to behave towards people who have come to save you!"
"Save me? Save me?" Her voice was high with tension. "You ruined my life!"
"I told you I would do anything to have you back," Victoria nudged the unconscious Nick with the toe of her stilettos. Cady cried out, reaching for Nick. "Don't worry dear. Just a bit of knock-out potion. It probably won't last long seeing as I didn't bring enough, so we should get out of here now."
"Why would I come with you?"
Victoria motioned to the tall man, who let Cady go and walked towards Nick. He picked up Nick by his neck and pinned him against the wall. "Because, my dear, if you don't, Daric here will crush your precious Lycan's throat."
Cady's eyes widened. "Don't! Please don't! Put him down," she pleaded to the blonde giant. "I'll come with you," she whispered, defeated.
Victoria's face broke into a smile. "Good. And just in case you have some bright idea of trying to escape or call for help, Daric here will be staying behind until we're safely in the car. Now," she held her hand out. "Be a good girl and take my arm, and smile while you walk out with me."
***
Victoria led her out of the room, down to the ground floor and out the lobby. They stopped in front of a blue sedan, and her mother unlocked the car, pushing Cady into the back before settling into the front passenger seat. She took out a phone, tapped on the screen and settled back.
About 10 minutes later, the tall blonde man casually strolled out of the hotel and got into the driver's side.
"I recognize you!" Cady realized. "You're the man at the coffee shop...my wallet! Did you steal my keycard?"
The man said nothing, but started the car instead.
"Smart girl," Victoria scoffed.
"Where are we going?" Cady asked. "Why aren't you tying me up or blindfolding me? Isn't that what you do when you kidnap someone?"
Her mother laughed. "Well, my dear, first of all, I had to make sure that the staff and the cameras at the hotel saw you leaving with me willingly," she explained. "Next, I don't need to tie you up. You've got nowhere to go now, don't you see? Do you think you can go back to the Lycans, after all the 'evidence' we planted? It's your face on the videos, your keycard used to enter the building. You were also in that 'accident' with that almost killed that Lycan driver. You can't even explain your whereabouts when I planted the bomb because we made sure all the cameras around the diner weren't working that night." Cady gasped. Victoria continued. "If you do go back to them, they'll take you to the High Council and they will find you guilty. You'd be tossed out like garbage at best, and burned at the stake at worst for attempted murder of several Lycans and killing that employee."
Cady felt her chest tighten, her stomach dropping. That was their game. She was so stupid, falling right into their hands. They weren't going to take her by force, but make sure she had nowhere else to go. Instead of taking her away, they took the clan from her. And judging by the hatred she saw in Nick Vrost's eyes, they succeeded.
***
Grant ran a hand through his hair in frustration as Alex finished his explanation. Alynna remained on the other end of the couch, her arms crossed and her face inscrutable. "And this is what we have so far?" His eyes remained transfixed on the laptop screen, at Cady's face.
"Yes, Primul," Alex shut the lid of the laptop. They'd all seen the footage enough times now, and each time they played it, it was like being betrayed all over again.
"God, what a mess!" Grant stood up. "And Cady..." He was obviously hurt by the betrayal, but hadn't had a chance to process it yet.
"I hate to sound like a broken record," Alynna walked up to Grant. "But, can't we find another explanation?"
The Alpha shook his head. "I want to find another explanation too, Alynna," he placed his hands on her shouldering comfortingly. "I swear, I do. I would do anything for a logical explanation or one that absolves her. But all the evidence is here. I..." he paused.
There was a loud, insistent knock on the door to the suite. Alex walked over and opened the door. "Al Doilea?"
Nick burst into the room, rushing to Grant. "I'm sorry, Primul, she got away."
"Got away?" Alynna asked. "Who?"
"Cady," he said the name with such distaste it made Alynna flinch. "I confronted her in the her hotel room, and then...I don't quite remember, but I opened the door and there were two people standing in front of me. That's the last I remember. They probably hit me with a potion of some sort."
"Are you ok?" Grant asked.
"I'm fine," Nick assured him. "I woke up and I was on the floor and she was gone. I was about to take her here so we could interrogate her."
"Did she say anything else when you confronted her?" Alynna inquired.
"No...I mean, she said she didn't do it, of course. Said she was at The Met during the Blood Moon attack, but had no alibi for this morning." Nick relayed. "But she admitted that her mother was a witch, yet claims she didn't have any powers of her own. I wouldn't be surprised if it was her mother who got her out. I remember one of the people who knocked me out was a woman."
Although Nick's face didn't betray any emotion, the tension in his body language was evident
"I'm sorry Nick" Grant shook his head. "I should have told you. I knew about her mother. Father told me, and asked me to keep it a secret. He probably never thought she would do anything. And now two people are dead..."
"It's not your fault Grant," Alynna cried. "You were probably a kid when he told you that secret! Years ago! How could you know that this would happen!"
"You knew she was a witch?" Nick's voice turned angry.
Alynna gasped in shock and Alex tensed. No one would dare raise their voice at the Alpha, least of all his right-hand man. Yet Nick could barely contain his rage.
Grant put his hand up. "It's ok," he said to Alynna and Alex. "He has every right to be angry at me. Her mother was a witch, Nick. She was human and had no powers, as far as I knew. And I don't think Michael or Luther would have kept her so close if they believed she was dangerous."
Nick's hands were balled into tights fists at his side. "You knew! And yet you let her come to me on Blood Moon!"
"What was I supposed to do, Nick?" Grant's voice was even, but the barely controlled anger simmered on the surface. "Let you transform in a hotel full of people? Let you go insane or die? Hurt or kill people, including Cady herself? Expose all of us?"
"Hold on, hold on!" Alynna put herself between the two Lycans, who looked like they were ready to tear each other apart. "What are you talking about? Can you please explain-"
"It doesn't matter!" Nick crossed his arms and backed away from Grant and Alynna.
"Nick...was caught outside during the Blood Moon without access to a safe room," Grant explained. "With Ca
dy. There was only one way to control the shift and Cady..."
"Cady provided it," Nick finished.
Alynna's jaw dropped, realizing what he meant. "See! How could she betray us when she...she did everything she could to protect you!"
"To protect herself and their plan to destroy us!" Nick finished. "That's a moot point anyway. Cady is gone, we're obviously under attack. We need to inform the High Council."
"I'll call them right now," Grant fished his phone from his pocket with a defeated sigh.
"No! Wait!" Alynna put her hand on Grant's. "Please! Please Grant don't do it, not yet!"
"Why?" Nick asked, directing his anger at the young Lycan woman. "She's guilty. Other clans need to be warned. The witches need to pay. You know nothing about how this works and how we-"
"Don't talk to my wife that way," Alex warned the Beta. "She's one of us, and has worked damn hard to be part of this clan."
Before Nick could say anything, Alynna touched her husband's arm. "Alex, Nick please. We can't tear ourselves apart right now. If the witches are out to destroy us, then we need to stick together."
Both Lycans seemed to stand down, moving away from each other. The young woman turned back to Grant. "Can't you keep a lid on this for a bit? Give me a few days."
"Alynna, I know you like Cady, but the evidence is all there," Grant reasoned.
"But there's something off about it! I can feel it!" Alynna looked pleadingly at him. "Do it, please. For me? For her? There must be part of you that's screaming that this is all wrong!"
Grant looked to Nick, who said nothing. The Alpha knew his stance though, seeing how he blindly hated all witches. Alynna, on the other hand, looked at him with such conviction in her eyes, he had to relent. "I can do 48 hours, and no more. If the Lycan High Council finds out we deliberately withheld information from them, they will not look on it kindly. Especially if more Lycans are hurt."
"Thank you Grant!" she hugged her brother. "I'll get to the bottom of this."
"And if it turns out she did betray us?" Grant posed.
Alynna swallowed a gulp. "I promise, I'll let you know either way."
Chapter Twenty
Cady watched the landscape as they seemed to drive for hours, but the truth was, it had only been about 45 minutes. She recognized their route and they were headed either upstate or to Connecticut. No one knew exactly where witch covens hid out - their kind was more of a loose association rather than an organized community like the Lycans. Not that witches hated each other, it was just the way things were, at least that's what she remembered. Luther explained that Victoria belonged to a small coven from upstate, composed mostly of her own family members.
The ride was silent and neither Victoria nor Daric had paid her much attention, even when she asked them questions. They kept driving on, further and further north until she couldn't keep track of where they were anymore. If only she had thought to slip her phone into her bra or something, but there was no time. Not when that blonde brute was ready to crush Nick's neck. Nick...Oh god. She would never see him again. She didn't know if she wanted to weep with sadness or joy. The way he treated her those last moments was too cruel, even for him. But couldn't she blame him. Those awful witches, what they said about his parents. Vasili must have told him, of course, as he witnessed the execution of his son and daughter-in-law's murderers. That bitter old man probably planted seeds of hate into the young boy.
The car slowed down and they pulled into a gas station. "I need to fill up," Daric explained.
"Don't be too long, darling," Victoria flirted.
Daric ignored the witch, stopping the car in front of the gas pump. He opened the door and walked into the convenience store to pay.
Cady's heart began to pound. Her mother seemed distracted, typing out messages into her phone. Glancing at the door, she realized that Daric had left it unlocked. Was this it? Would this be her only chance of escape? They were the only ones at this station in the middle of nowhere. I have to try.
After hesitating briefly, she quickly grabbed the door handle, jerked it open, and jumped out of the car.
"Cady!" she heard Victoria scream behind her, but paid her no mind. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, in no particular direction except away from the car. A burst of speed propelled her across the gas station, but suddenly, an invisible force slammed into her. She flew high into the air, and dragged back to the car, pinned against the metal body. She tried to wave her arms, but found herself unable to move.
"Where are you going, little one?" Daric asked as he walked towards her. He had his hand up at her, as if he held her. "Tsk, tsk. There's nowhere you can run to, don't you see?" He moved his hand slightly and she felt the invisible grip loosen. Still, she remained rooted in the spot. "Don't even try to escape. I may not be so merciful next time."
Cady's eyes widened with terror and she nodded meekly.
"Now, go into the car," he motioned to the car door, which swung open by itself. She meekly entered and the door closed, the locks clicking into place with a wave of Daric's hand. "I won't be making the same mistake."
She slumped in the back of the car in defeat.
***
Alex had to drag his wife to bed that night, but he simply couldn't stand by and watch while she ran herself into the ground. She ranted and raged against him, claiming that she needed all 48 hours Grant gave them and didn't he think Cady deserved a fair shot? He reasoned that she needed rest and the only way to help Cady was to come back to the problem with a fresh set of eyes in the morning. Alynna was so angry at him, she slept in the other bedroom of their apartment.
He lay awake in their bed, unable to sleep. He was conflicted - on one hand, the evidence was clear, but on the other...well...Cady was his friend and he couldn't believe she would do such a thing. And Alynna was his wife, but also a brilliant private investigator with sharp instincts. She saw something they didn't. Sometime in the middle of the night, the door to their bedroom opened, and Alynna crawled into bed with him, seeking his arms and comfort, and cried into his chest. He felt his heart breaking, for his wife and for Cady.
They slept wrapped around each other, until the sun was peeking out in the sky. It was already fall, which meant it was late, but they needed all the rest they could get. They got up, got dressed and went to Fenrir, which was deemed safe by the fire department since there was no structural damage to the building itself. The office was quiet, despite being a Wednesday, but that was because Grant told everyone to take as much time as they needed to process the events.
The first thing they did was track down Dr. Jade Cross. It was easy enough, since she actually worked in the building, as Jared informed them. He put in a call to her office and she replied that she would be up as soon as possible.
"Now," Alynna sat in front of her laptop, a cup of coffee in her hand. "I think we should try to find out more about Victoria Chatraine, and what she's been up to between the separation and now. Can we track down the coven? Where are they hiding? And I should probably brush up on how witches work."
"We don't know much about them, unfortunately," Alex replied. "We don't exactly keep tabs on them, but if Dr. Cross is our expert on all things magical, then she should be able to fill us in."
"Good, now we need-" A knock on the door made her stop. "Come in!" she said in an annoyed voice.
"Alynna!" Liam Henney walked in, briefcase in hand. "I heard about the gas explosion! Are you alright?!"
Alex shot up from his seat. "My wife is perfectly fine," he said in a tight voice.
Liam squared his shoulders, "Well good morning to you too," he said sarcastically. "I don't think we've been introduced."
"No, I guess not," Alex sneered.
Alynna rolled her eyes. "Alex, Liam. Liam, Alex. All done now? Can we do this pissing contest later?" Both men relaxed slightly, though Alex remained standing. "Ugh!" she let out a frustrated groan as she walked over to Liam. "What are you doing here? Oh shit!" she slapped her forehead. "W
e were supposed to have that meeting today! Someone should have told you that we cancelled!"
"It's alright," Liam assured her. "I assumed we wouldn't be able to meet, but I wanted to be here. To come and see what I can do to help."
"That's sweet of you," Alynna was about to place a hand on his arm, but from the corner of her eye, saw her husband tense. She put her hand down. "Uhm, we're kind of busy here with a deadline, I'm really sorry Liam. For your wasted trip."
"Don't worry about it, it's not a wasted trip," he said warmly, which only made Alex growl softly. "I had some excellent results to show you and I wanted to deliver them personally. But, I'll leave you to your work."
"Thank you Liam," she said gratefully. "Why don't you head over to Grant's office? Or I can arrange lunch or something?"
"Thanks Alynna, I'll be fine. But I will pop in and see Grant, if that's ok?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Go ahead and talk to Jared." She led him to the door and closed it behind her. She sent her husband a warning look. "Don't even start with me," she cautioned as she sat on her desk.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Alex gritted his teeth.
"You're going to have to learn to get along with Liam," Alynna said.
A buzz rang through the room and Jared's voice came through the speaker. "Mr. Westbrooke, Ms. Westbrooke, Dr. Cross is here. The Alpha saw her waiting outside and he asked if he and Mr. Vrost could sit in on your meeting as well?
"Of course, Jared," she answered. "Give me a second and send them in."
"No problem, I'll get some coffee as well."
***
When Alynna pictured Dr. Jade Cross in her mind, she imagined an older, matronly lady, maybe a female version of Dr. Faulkner. She didn't expect a pretty young Lycan who was maybe a year or two older than herself, with brown hair tied back into a ponytail and deep green eyes hidden behind glasses. She was dressed like a prim librarian in a long-sleeved polka-dot shirt, a gray tweed jacket, a pencil-cut skirt and ballet flats.
Blood Moon: Book 2 of the True Mates Series: A Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance Page 14
