by Anya Byrne
Of course, he wasn't one to fool himself, but he also didn't want to draw any conclusions from one single episode. "It could be nothing."
"I suppose." Erdi didn't seem to believe his own words. "If it is something..."
Jensen got up and steadied himself against the bathroom sink. "We'll deal with everything one step at a time. Besides, I already told you I'd love to have a baby with you."
That silenced Erdi, although Jensen could tell the man still had doubts. He didn't really blame his mate. Erdi's family history wasn't the best one to say the least, and he would never forget—especially not since he carried the proof of it so visibly in his scars. Even so, when Erdi met Jensen's eyes in the mirror, Jensen found hope shining in his lover's dark orbs.
He was very tempted to kiss his mate just because of that look, but given that he'd just thrown up, that wasn't a very good idea. To distract himself, he ran the water in the sink and reached for his tooth brush.
Erdi didn't leave, instead settling his chin on Jensen's shoulder, his hands settling on Jensen's waist. Jensen rolled his eyes. "You're really going to stand there while I brush my teeth?"
"Why not?" Erdi grinned, and his palms slid over Jensen's belly. Jensen couldn't help a small shiver. He didn't know how he hadn't realized before, but they were both still naked. Jensen hadn't gotten the chance to get dressed before he'd been forced to rush to the bathroom, and Erdi clearly hadn't bothered, perhaps too concerned for Jensen to do so.
Either way, the end result was that Jensen was propped up against the bathroom sink, his naked ass flush against Erdi's erection.
Suddenly, there was nothing he wanted more than to relive the night before—and the evening before that. Although yesterday at lunch, Erdi had been particularly creative, so maybe that was a good option too. Heck, Jensen wasn't picky, as long as he got Erdi to touch him.
Unfortunately, before Jensen could get his wish, the sound of the phone ringing interrupted them. Jensen tensed. They contacted the pack on a regular basis, but it was pretty early for just a routine call. Had Saul finally figured out the identity of Jensen's attackers?
Erdi kissed Jensen's shoulder and pulled away. "I should take that."
Jensen nodded. "I'll be with you in a minute."
Erdi left the bathroom, presumably to find the ringing sat-phone. Jensen quickly rinsed his mouth—he had a feeling he wouldn't get the chance to do it after this call—then joined his mate.
The moment he stepped inside the bedroom, he knew something was very wrong. He could read Erdi very well even on a regular basis, but this time around, the man's stricken expression would have been very obvious for anyone.
"What's the matter?" Jensen asked, his heart in his throat.
Erdi ended the call and faced him, his eyes filled with glum determination. "We have a problem. Alicia and the kids are missing."
****
Erdi had never liked waiting. He hated not having the answers, and he felt exposed when he needed to rely on someone else for them. As a former member of a silencer guild, he was used to it, but it always made him uncomfortable, like the other shoe would drop any moment now.
The only reason he'd managed to stay calm in the past few days was because his mate was safe with him. Even the guilds would have trouble finding them here, and they would not risk breaching the pride's territory for anything other than an official issue. To be completely sure he wouldn't be taken by surprise, Erdi regularly went on patrols and had some non-lethal traps set in the vicinity of the area. No one approached, not even the owners of the land.
So... Jensen was safe. Given that Erdi's mate might very possibly be pregnant, Erdi couldn't feel guilty for dropping everything to achieve that goal. What Erdi hadn't counted on was the possibility that Jensen hadn't been the main target to begin with.
The moment Erdi ended the conversation, both he and Jensen shot into action. They cleaned up and got dressed as quickly as possible, shoving everything they absolutely needed in their bags. Technically speaking, Erdi had no responsibility toward Alicia Cook and her children, but they were family for Gavin, for people who'd welcomed him—a silencer—in their pack. They were innocents who didn't deserve to be hurt because someone had decided to use them against Gavin. Erdi had to do something to help.
Ten minutes later, they were out of the house and hiking down the mountain. The car was where they'd left it, and they both slid inside, the tension between them so thick he could have cut through it with a knife.
"It's my fault, isn't it?" Jensen asked.
Erdi stopped before he could shake his head, since his mate wouldn't appreciate empty reassurances. "There is a possibility that the person who was after you noticed them when the four of you were together, and decided to try to lure you out through them, but I don't think that's the case."
He started the car and headed back toward the city, musing over everything that had come to mind since he'd received the call from his Alpha. "I always thought this whole thing was highly suspicious. Given the circumstances, neither you, nor Alicia, Kyle and Jack would be a priority for silencers. Gavin had already demonstrated his intention to keep his distance from them insofar as it was possible, and the two of us mating would cancel any potential issue on the werewolf side. If your attacker was a human, though... Why would Gavin's family be targeted? You don't really know them, do you? Their better bet would be your adoptive parents or people you know from the orphanage."
Jensen went a little pale, and then fumbled with his cell phone. Erdi set his hand on Jensen's knee. This was the worst possible time for something like this to happen, and a selfish part of Erdi hated that his mate would have to suffer through the stress inherent to the situation. But he'd never manage to convince Jensen to stay behind, so he had to go with the second best thing—encouraging Jensen. "They're fine. Saul made some arrangements so that they'd be safe."
Jensen let out a deep breath. "Right. You're all quite resourceful, despite having such a small pack."
If not for the seriousness of the circumstances, Erdi would have smiled. "It's not a 'despite'. It's a 'because'. In any case, I have a bad feeling about this."
Jensen arched a brow, as if to say "seriously?" and Erdi elaborated. "I just... I'm worried about the consequences of this whole thing. Like you said, we're a very small pack."
Erdi hoped he was wrong, but it was just one more reason why he wanted to make haste to come to his Alpha's aid. Saul had said he and Dean were attempting to track down Alicia's kidnappers, but Erdi's experience would definitely come in handy. However, it would take far too long for him to drive there.
Erdi didn't waste any time in going through with the one idea he had. He'd never relied on someone other than a member of his guild, but this time around, there was no other way. He asked his mate to pass him his cell phone from the glove compartment and dialed the one contact who might be able to help him.
Ian answered his phone at the third ring. "Hey, Erdi. What's up? Everything okay?"
The shifter obviously realized everything was not okay, since otherwise Erdi wouldn't have called him. Not to mention that the circumstances were volatile enough to make everyone involved wary.
"Sorry about this, but I need another favor. I'll owe you one."
Ian paused. Perhaps he was getting tired of pulling strings for Erdi. Not that it was easy for Erdi to ask for help, and for a second time at that, but he had to do it—for his pack, his mate, Alicia, and the children who'd done nothing wrong.
"Sure," Ian finally said. "What do you need?"
****
A few hours later, Erdi and Jensen finally met up with Saul and Dean. Erdi's gambit had paid off, and Ian had provided them with a private jet without too much fuss. Apparently, that sort of thing was very easy compared to coaxing a pride of shape-shifter felines to accept and shelter a werewolf silencer and his mate. Who knew?
Despite this success, however, Jensen was wary, and very concerned. They hadn't been contacted by Dean and Saul again�
��not that they could have been, on the plane. Jensen couldn't stop thinking about what Erdi had told him earlier. He hoped Erdi had been jumping at shadows and the pack was ready for anything that might come their way.
They definitely hadn't been ready for Alicia's kidnapping. The four of them met two blocks from Alicia's address, in a small park. Saul and Dean looked morose and didn't even greet Erdi and Jensen. "We lost track of whoever took Gavin's family. It's almost impossible to follow the scent through the city," Saul told them instead.
"Do we know who it was?" Erdi inquired in the same no-nonsense tone.
Dean shook his head. "We were unable to approach the actual scene because of the human police. Drawing attention to us would've been incredibly risky."
Jensen mused over their predicament. "I could hack into their files and see if they have any suspects. Police procedures are slow, but if they can give us a clue, we might be able to track Alicia down faster."
"Good thinking, Jensen." The scowl on Saul's brow smoothed a little. "What do you need?"
"I have everything I need right here." And everything already in place, although he didn't tell them that.
For someone like Jensen, it was always a good idea to keep an eye on authorities. He'd never actually had problems with cyber crime departments, but that was only because he knew how to cover his tracks. Most of the time, an individual like him wasn't as visible as organized hacking groups, especially since he preferred to keep a low profile. As such, it wasn't his first time sneaking a peak at files he shouldn't be looking at.
His first foray into something like this had been risky at best, and extremely rash in reality. Since then, Jensen had dug up a number of access codes he could use, most of them belonging to older officers on the force that wouldn't check their logs or find anything suspicious—if there was something to be found once Jensen was done.
He worked quickly, inputting the commands with the ease of practice, fueled by both adrenaline and the need to help. His laptop soon spat out the info he needed. There was a file on Alicia Cook and her two children, and for once, it helped a lot. One of her neighbors had heard alarming noises and had called the police, but by the time anyone had intervened, she'd already disappeared. However, nearby cameras from a supermarket had caught a visual of Alicia Cook's ex husband loitering in the area a few hours before the event.
Saul cursed. "Of course. Of course it's going to be that asshole." He cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to enjoy having a little conversation with him."
Obviously, Saul had a grudge of his own against Martin Cook, although Jensen knew better than to ask about it. "There's currently no sign of him. If he did take Alicia and the children, he's probably on the move. I could hack into other feeds, but it'll take far longer than this."
He didn't know if Erdi and the other werewolves had a better way, and he didn't want to deceive them by promising quick results. To a certain extent, he felt relieved, because this kidnapping suggested Jensen hadn't been at fault for any of it. And maybe it was selfish of him to think of that now, but he couldn't help it. The guilt had been crushing him ever since he'd first heard the news.
Naturally, it was too soon to be optimistic about anything—and that was eloquently proven when both Dean and Saul went pasty white. "Alpha?" Erdi asked, immediately alarmed. "What's the matter?"
"Gavin," Saul replied.
"Will," Dean said at the same time.
Jensen's insides froze, Erdi's earlier words flashing through his mind once again. Oh, no. Just when they thought nothing worse could happen... If Willow Cove had been attacked, there was no telling what the consequences would be. Jessie had already been in a delicate condition. Would he even survive it?
The memory brought Jensen's mind to the possibility of his own pregnancy, but he decided not to mention it. Saul and Dean were already too agitated. They reached for their cell phones and tried to call, but there was no answer.
"We need to go back to Willow Cove," Dean said, his hand clenching around the device.
"But we can't leave Alicia and the boys," Jensen piped up. He was almost worried he'd spoken out of turn, because as things stood, Saul and Dean's focus was definitely on their mates and children.
Somehow, though, Saul still managed to process what Jensen was saying. "Of course. We'd never abandon them. We'll have to split up."
It wasn't as easy as that, and all of them knew it. "If the pack is in danger, though," Erdi offered, "you two can't handle it alone. Andreas and Finn are already there, and if the two of them have been overwhelmed, it means the enemy is well-prepared."
Dean nodded. "We need reinforcements."
They looked at each other, silence falling between them, thick with impatience and tension. Saul and Dean were practically vibrating out of their skin, wanting to rush to their mates' assistance, but this plan was important. They had to settle everything if they were to have any hope of success.
Finally, Erdi let out a sigh. "It looks like we don't have a choice. We're going to have to call in silencers."
Chapter Eight
Since his brother's departure, Finn had been left more or less in charge of their little pack. He took his responsibility very seriously, and kept a close eye on the area around the cabin. It was highly unlikely that someone would decide to attack them, but that didn't mean the risk didn't exist at all.
He was out patrolling when he saw the approaching cars. Black vans, several men visible through the windows. Finn headed back toward the cabin as quickly as he could. This could have been nothing, just a coincidence—if this particular road hadn't really led elsewhere but to the cabin, and into the forest.
Thankfully, in his wolf form and with the advantage of knowing the terrain, he was faster than the vehicles. He entered the cabin through the back door, bursting into the kitchen.
Gavin was there, feeding Shannon. The baby immediately started to fuss when Finn entered the room, and Gavin scowled even as Finn shifted. "What is it?"
"Someone's coming," Finn replied. "Several cars. We need to get out of here."
Gavin paled, Shannon's bottle sliding from his limp fingers. He took a deep breath, and just like that, he was in control again. Holding his son securely in his arms, he said, "I'll tell everyone else. We'll be out in a few minutes."
"That won't be possible," William said from the doorway.
Finn turned toward his father's mate and his heart fell at William's glum expression. "Jessie."
William nodded. "We can't move him. If we even make the attempt, there are very high chances that he'll lose the twins."
"That might happen anyway if we're attacked here," Finn replied, hating himself even as he said the words.
"I know." William clenched his jaw. "I just—"
The decision was taken out of their hands when the sound of approaching vehicles alerted them to the presence of the men Finn had seen. "It's a moot point now. Barricade all the entrances. We'll protect ourselves as much as we can, and we'll contact Saul and Father."
Gavin quickly retrieved his cell phone to deal with the latter part of the plan, while Finn started moving around pieces of furniture to block the doors. William went in search of the rest of their pack, and judging by the curse Finn heard from the other room, he ran into Andreas first.
In mere minutes, they had the cabin barricaded as well as it could be. Unfortunately, Gavin couldn't contact anyone—not even Jensen or Erdi. "There seems to be some sort of interference. I can't get through."
"They'll know something is wrong anyway," William said, his tone decisive. "We'll just have to hold on until they send in reinforcements."
Finn wished he felt that confident, but all he could think about was Parker. His mate's face was pale, his hand resting protectively over his belly. Jessie was the most vulnerable one out of all of them, but Parker wasn't much better.
He shook himself and focused on what needed to be done, not on the emotions sabotaging his reason. "Andreas, you and I will be watching the main e
ntrances. William, you stay with Gavin, Jessie and Parker."
William nodded. "I'll see my targets better from higher up anyway."
Finn couldn't even begin to address that. His father's mate had made similar comments before, but Finn had never actually seen him fight. He'd hoped he wouldn't have to, but apparently, he'd been too optimistic when it came to the auspicious beginnings of their new life.
Trusting Will to know what to do—the man had been protecting his son for as long as Finn had been alive—Finn directed his attention toward his own self-appointed task. There were already men surrounding the cabin, and they'd likely try to burst inside any moment now.
Confirming his guess, a spray of bullets swept over the kitchen. Finn ducked and avoided the attack. Only one of them actually hit him, but it relieved Finn more than worried him. It wasn't silver. Thank the moon for small mercies. The culprits behind this operation didn't know about a werewolf's weak points.
Of course, that only confused Finn since he couldn't imagine what human—for it had to be a human—would attack them out of the blue. It had something to do with Alicia, but what?
The questions would have to wait, though, because several men dressed in black forced their way into the kitchen. The furniture was too frail to keep them in check, but now that he knew their weapons couldn't really hurt him, Finn let them come in.
Once they were inside, Finn attacked. Obviously, the men were shocked at having some random naked guy lunge at them, but that didn't stop them from shooting at him again. They were professionals, Finn realized, but human, like he had guessed. They might have never fought werewolves before in their lives.
Finn moved too fast for them to actually manage to hit him, despite the cramped space in the kitchen. They didn't have too much time to use their guns anyway, since Finn made quick work of them. One dash forward, a few dodged bullets, and two men went down. He used their bodies as a meat shield while he handled the others. It must have taken less than a minute, and all the while, Finn's attention remained partially on what was going on in the other rooms.
