“Me too, baby. I was sweating bullets. I hope I didn’t hurt your hand. I couldn’t keep from squeezing it.” He picked it up and kissed her knuckles after he started the ignition.
“I’m still shaking.”
“I will be until this is all over.”
“It’s going to be a long drive alone in the car with your grandfather.”
“No kidding.”
“I wasn’t expecting someone so frail. I imagined him being tall and built and domineering.” Heather reached across the console to set her hand on her mate’s thigh, not wanting to miss a single opportunity to touch him. She glanced out the rear window as they drove away.
Marcus must have read her mind. He lifted his other hip, pulled out a cell, and handed it to her. “Text Jerard. Tell him to have Alex pick you up at my house after we’ve left. Plan B.”
“I didn’t expect them to let you go back to the house.” Heather opened the throwaway phone and texted. “I know you didn’t really want to go back there.”
“Yeah, I didn’t expect that, either. I guess my sweet grandfather didn’t want to rock the boat and risk me not going with him willingly.”
“Do you think he would have taken you by force if you hadn’t agreed?”
“I’m sure of it.” Marcus kept his gaze peeled on the road in every direction. His family followed close behind them, but Heather knew he was nervous about NAR following also.
“Don’t worry. They’re trained professionals. They won’t get caught. Besides,” Heather held up the phone, “I told them where we’re going. And there’s no chance they can lose us with the tracking device you have.”
“I know. You’re right.” He glanced at her again. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She swallowed.
“Please be careful. Don’t do anything to get yourself dead.”
“Same goes for you, mutt. I’ve grown to enjoy your company, even lying like an animal at the foot of my bed.”
Marcus smiled.
Good. She’d hoped to lighten the mood a bit.
“I’m going to leave you the keys to my house and car. If anything happens…”
“It won’t.” She squeezed his arm. “It can’t.”
He nodded, and his left leg tapped rapidly on the floorboard. “I’ve never been so nervous in my life. Not even shifting for the first time and facing you at the Spencers’ made me as nervous as this.”
“I know.” She couldn’t agree, though. She’d been pretty fucking nervous when the Romulus kidnapped her. That week had been ten times worse than this. At least this time, NAR was in the rearview mirror, ready to jump in and save the day. She’d had no hope last time. She’d known she would die in that basement, and that had made a permanent dent in her psyche.
“I need more time.”
“I know that too.”
Marcus pulled into the driveway of a quaint little house. They’d only gone a few miles, as Heather had known they would. “This is it. It isn’t much, but I didn’t have many needs before I met you.” He turned to her and took her face. “Do whatever you need to here after I leave. What’s mine is yours. If it makes you feel better, go through my things.”
She nodded. She would never do that, but she couldn’t speak right then.
Marcus kissed her and then opened the door without breaking her gaze. “I guess we should go in and gather my shit. Unless you want me to take nothing that makes any sense, you better help me. I’m liable to stuff a rug and two potholders in my suitcase instead of clothes.”
Heather got out on the other side. “I’ll make sure you’re adequately packed.” Though she had no idea how she could do a better job than him. She knew he’d only said it to give her something to think about besides his departure.
His family pulled up behind them, and his parents exited the car. Carl had driven. Lora climbed from the back seat and stood beside the car wringing her hands. She took Carl’s arm when he stepped toward the house. “Give them some privacy, dear. They just mated.”
Carl glanced down at where his mate held his arm. For a moment Heather thought the man might backhand her. He stiffened and opened his mouth. Apparently thinking better of it, he nodded. “Don’t take more than a few minutes, Marcus. It’s a long drive.”
Melvin remained seated in the vehicle. Heather shuddered as she pictured Marcus’s grandfather staring at her back as she followed Marcus to the house.
She held it together until they got inside, and then she leaned against the door and exhaled. “God, that man is intense.”
Marcus turned around and pressed himself against her, flattening his palms on both sides of her head. “Leave that asshole outside so we can enjoy the last few minutes together.” His lips descended as she licked hers. When he kissed her, he consumed her, making the kiss powerful enough she wouldn’t soon forget the feel of his lips on hers. He cocked his head and angled to get a deeper position. His tongue teased the inside of her mouth, battling against her own as though they could remember each other’s tastes longer if they could make the kiss more intense.
When he pulled back and set his forehead against hers, he was breathing heavily. His hands cupped her face. “You’re the most important person in the world to me. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“Take care of yourself,” he repeated for the dozenth time. Abruptly he stood and grabbed her hand to lead her down a short hall. He didn’t say anything.
Obviously it was his bedroom. His scent lingered even after a month of absence. Perhaps I’ll stay for a while and breathe him in after he leaves.
Heather sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Marcus grabbed a suitcase from the closet and tossed several items from every drawer into the luggage.
She smiled. He would indeed be shocked by what he’d packed later, but she couldn’t manage to help. She wanted to watch him instead, memorize every move he made, the way his muscles flexed as he pushed on the contents to make more room, the way his jaw tightened as he realized he’d stuffed too many items inside.
When he finally shut the suitcase and set it on end on the floor, he stepped into her space. He hesitated, staring at her. “I want to flatten you on my bed and make love to you again.”
Heather gave a brief nod. She wanted that too. It wasn’t going to happen, though.
“Stay right here until I’m gone. I can’t stand the idea of you watching me pull away.” He inched closer, took her in his arms, and pulled her close. “Have I mentioned I love you?”
“Many times.” She smiled.
He kissed her quickly and stepped back, his fingers the last part of him she had contact with as he stretched their arms out and stepped away.
She fought to hold back a gasp as their fingertips parted and her arm fell to her side.
Marcus picked up the suitcase and walked out of the room without another word.
She listened as his hastened footsteps hit the hardwood floor on the way to the front door.
She imagined him composing himself in the seconds after he stopped walking but before he opened the door.
And then, just as quickly, the door closed, and she was left in silence. She sat for several minutes in that exact spot, her eyes closed as she heard the engine of the car come to life and pull away. Marcus would drop his parents back off at home and then start the long drive to Minnesota with his grandfather. She fought to breathe properly, finally scooting back and lying on his bed. She buried her face in his pillow and inhaled his scent. Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t sob. She let them fall silently.
When the front door opened again, she didn’t flinch. It would be someone from NAR. She heard Alex’s voice from the front room. “Heather?”
She didn’t move yet, taking in the last seconds of her time in Marcus’s space.
Footsteps grew closer. They stopped. “You okay?” Alex’s voice was gentle.
Heather pulled herself to sitting, brushing the moisture from her eyes. She nodded. “I will be. Let�
�s get going. I don’t want to lose him.” She lifted her gaze to Alex.
He opened his mouth to say something.
“Don’t even give me any bullshit about taking me along. If you thought you were going to stash me with someone and go without me, you’re crazy.” She stood, resolved. She wiped her hands on her jeans and straightened her spine. “I’m going with you. Don’t argue with me.”
Alex nodded, his mouth curving up in a half smile. “Of course you are.”
Chapter Eleven
Heather stared out the window, watching the trees go by, although she realized she hadn’t actually seen anything since they’d left Marcus’s house. Several reserves had come to get her. Someone returned the rental car for her, and now she sped down the highway in the backseat of an average-looking, nondescript black sedan with Alex and another member of NAR, Silas.
She knew they were only miles behind Marcus, and it comforted her to know it. Alex had a constant reading on his location. They could thank the Romulus for the tip on embedding a GPS tracker in Marcus’s arm. They’d inserted it beneath his armpit in the fatty tissue of his bicep, though where they managed to find fatty anything on Marcus she didn’t know. But that’s what the man who’d inserted the chip had said.
They drove for three hours before Marcus stopped moving, undoubtedly to get lunch. Heather was antsy the entire time they were stopped. They pulled over at a gas station, filled the tank, and proceeded to pretend to study a map while they waited for Marcus to move again.
Heather’s entourage grabbed sandwiches from the convenience center. Heather couldn’t swallow even a sip of water.
“You have to eat something, Heather,” Alex said. “Marcus will kill me if I don’t take good care of you.” He tried to smile. Or maybe he actually did. But she was zoned and unable to pick up sarcasm with ease.
“I will. But not now. Don’t worry. I won’t waste away.”
As soon as Alex declared, “They’re on the move again,” they climbed back in the car and kept going.
Alex texted the other members of NAR every time they stopped and then resumed the chase, letting them know where they were and any time they changed highways.
Jerard was in one of the other cars. Heather was impressed the elder was going with them.
Marcus had not taken his cell phone. He’d intentionally left it behind with Heather. That way she would have access to all his contacts, and he would have one thing less to worry about having confiscated from him upon arrival.
Heather couldn’t imagine the amount of stress he was feeling trapped in a car with his godforsaken grandfather, who had nothing but bad intentions with regard to his only grandchild.
She tried to rest her eyes for a while, but every time she closed them, she pictured herself in that basement for the longest week of her life. In the month since her rescue, she’d come a long way toward healing, but it all came back to her now that Marcus was about to face such an unknown fate.
Alex pulled over at another gas station several hours later. Heather was about to wet her pants by then, but she hadn’t dared ask to stop. Putting even an extra half mile between her and Marcus made her uneasy.
“They must have stopped for gas. We’ll fill up here ourselves and use the facilities. If either of you needs anything, go ahead and grab it. Who knows how much farther we have to go.” Alex stretched as he stepped from the car.
Heather and Silas headed inside and returned quickly. Silas had grabbed snacks and drinks. He passed a Gatorade to Heather. “You at least need something in you.” He smiled warmly. “I know your stomach must be ready to revolt, but at least drink. When we see Marcus again, he’s going to be livid enough we let you come with us. If he finds out we didn’t feed you, he’ll have a conniption.”
Heather took the yellow drink and got back in the car. Silas was right, but she was afraid she would need to vomit if she drank. Bile stayed high in her throat, threatening to erupt at the slightest provocation.
The phone rang as they pulled back on the highway, making Heather jump in her seat.
Alex answered it on Bluetooth. “Jerard.”
Heather exhaled. The leader of the free shifters, as she’d come to think of him, spoke. “Where are you?”
“Middle of nowhere, Minnesota, best I can tell,” Alex responded jokingly. “We went through Minneapolis and then headed northwest on Highway 94 about an hour ago.”
“Not having any trouble following the tracking device?”
“No. And it’s still moving north. I’ll let you know as soon as we stop.”
“Good. Keep me informed. I’m about thirty minutes behind you.” Jerard cut the connection.
“Are we there yet?” Heather said to lighten the mood, more for herself perhaps than the others.
“Almost.” Alex smiled at her in the rearview mirror.
It was another hour before the GPS stopped moving. Heather had been watching the red dot on the black box sitting on the dashboard for so long her eyes hurt. When it stopped, she sat forward.
Silas pulled off the road about half a minute later. “We’re only about a half mile from Marcus. Let’s wait for backup, and then we’ll spread out and see what the area looks like. We have about five hours of daylight left.” He pulled his cell out and dialed. “Jerard. We stopped. We’re only a few miles from North Dakota. We’ll wait here for the rest of you to arrive and then scan the area. It looks like Marcus turned right just ahead of where we are, so that means he went about a half mile off the highway.”
“Got it. Inform the others. We’ll see you soon.”
Alex texted everyone else.
Heather wanted to shift and run toward her mate. Her body called to act. She had to fight her inner wolf to keep it at bay. Now was no time to shift. In human form they could approach and get a better view of the facility. Shifters could scent other shifters far easier in their natural form than when they took the shape of men and women. The last thing they wanted was to attract attention and cause any suspicion from the Romulus.
They didn’t even know how many men were at this research center yet. Until they knew for sure what they were up against, Heather knew no one was going to do anything rash.
Heather paced next to the car while they waited for the rest of their party to arrive. Three more vehicles pulled off the highway half an hour later. They easily slid deep into the tall grass and down a short decline in the embankment to keep the cars out of sight.
Twelve reserves plus the two men Heather arrived with pulled out maps and studied the precise location of Marcus’s chip.
Jerard leaned over. “Whatever the place is, it’s not on any map.”
“Could we pull it up with a satellite image?” Silas asked.
“Probably, but not as quickly as we’d like and not without creating suspicion. I don’t have those kinds of connections in the human world.” Jerard stepped back. “Though it’s seeming more and more like we’re going to need them.”
Heather leaned against one of the cars. The fact shifters were considering revealing themselves to the outside was huge. She never expected to see something like this in her lifetime.
Although according to what Marcus heard from his grandfather last month, humans were already informed. At least whoever was funding the Romulus. And whoever was funding the Romulus was on the side of evil.
“Okay, let’s spread out and surround the place. Silence your phones and text when anyone sees anything worth noting.” Alex pointed at groups of men and paired them off. “Heather, you’re with me and Silas.”
Thank God they didn’t intend to leave her behind. She’d have given them the riot act.
•●•
Marcus was exhausted. The drive alone would have made him tired under any ordinary circumstances, but when he factored in the old man next to him for the last eight hours, he was about to stab himself. The man yammered incessantly about the importance of family and the need to ensure the continuity of their species.
Undoubted
ly his aim had been to manipulate Marcus into being more receptive to whatever experiments the man was conducting at his medical facility.
When Melvin was convinced he had Marcus sufficiently lured into his net, he moved on to the value of making wolves stronger and more self-sufficient so no threat from humans or any other species on Earth would be insurmountable to them.
Marcus listened closely, even though he would have rather tuned the man out hours ago. He needed to hear everything to be the most informed and to gather the most intel for NAR.
Finally, Melvin had fallen asleep for a while, and Marcus hadn’t dared make a single noise or even turn on the radio, relishing the silence and praying the man took the longest afternoon nap possible.
His grandfather awoke as though on cue and directed Marcus the last few miles to the compound, as he referred to the place.
Marcus’s first impression was shock at the size of the facility. He’d imagined a white, hospital-like building with several stories. Instead he faced a single-story spread painted a deep green that covered so much area it had to be at least twenty-thousand square feet. And that didn’t begin to consider how far underground it extended. The building blended in with the foliage with its green coloring, and Marcus was certain it was no accident.
When he emerged from the car and stretched his legs, his grandfather did the same on the other side. Marcus didn’t round the car to aid the man. For one, he’d rather not get so close, and for two, Melvin wasn’t the sort of character to take kindly to the assumption he required assistance.
Marcus followed his grandfather through an ordinary door on the side of the building. He wondered if it were the front entrance or a random side door. He saw no evidence to indicate any particular part of the building was a welcoming front.
The minute they entered, Marcus understood where he got the impression the building would be white. It had been Allison Watkins, Daniel’s mate, who informed NAR she remembered a stark white medical setting. Indeed the inside was completely white, from the ceiling tiles to the floor.
Marcus tried to hide his shock as he followed his grandfather down a long hall and into an office. Melvin rounded a desk and plopped down, pushing a button on the phone to the right. “Cathy, please bring us some sandwiches and some water.”
Betrayed (Wolf Gatherings Book 6) Page 14
