“We need to go tonight.” Tasha urged. “What if something happens to them?”
Lindon looked at the floor. “Lock made his choice. What makes you think he wants you to put yourself in danger to reverse it?”
Tasha blinked back tears. “He probably doesn’t want that, but I can’t help it. He’s my mate.”
Lindon took a sip from his cup of water, thinking for a moment. “We can’t just break in there, no matter how many alphas we have. The second they see us coming, they have the most powerful of counter systems. No alpha can break in, especially the dungeon. I’m sure many have tried.”
Tasha swallowed hard. It couldn’t be hopeless. “I need to find him. He’s my mate.” She stood, ready to go gather her stuff. “Someone just give me the address.”
Rowan stood up to get in her way. “We can’t let you do that. We can’t let another of you die or put yourself at risk. It would just be an endless cycle of sacrifice.”
Tasha snarled at the thought of anyone stopping her. Just the thought of something happening to Lock put her in touch with her inner wolf. And that wolf knew she needed to do something.
That somehow, against the odds, she could save her mate.
“Move out of the way,” Tasha said. She heard something scratching and looked back to see Lindon scribbling something behind her. “I need to go find him. Both of them. And if you all can’t help, then—”
“That’s not fair,” Misty said. “A lot of people count on Rowan. He can’t just walk into a death trap. Neither should you.” Her eyes were pleading, but Tasha couldn’t afford to listen.
She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew. She could help Lock and Fifi.
Rowan shook his head, looking regretful. “No. I can’t get out of the way. Out of respect for Lock and Fifi, who both did so much to keep you safe. As an alpha, it’s my job to—”
“I understand,” Tasha said finally. “I shouldn’t have pushed.” She knew now she was being selfish. That Rowan had family and others depending on him, and despite him being willing to do a favor for her and her family, he couldn’t go risking his life.
Especially when it would be hopeless.
She didn’t know why it felt like she could do it even if no one else could, but she did.
She took a deep breath and felt the flow of lavender.
“Oh,” Rowan said as his eyes glazed slightly. “I see. Well, nothing I can do about that.”
Lindon stumbled forward, catching Misty and guiding her gently to the ground. He stayed up the longest as both Misty and Rowan began snoring. “I knew what you were going to do. I once gave my life for Misty, and I would do it all over again. Here’s the address. Good… luck.” And then he went down too, softly slumping onto the ground and sleeping with the others.
Tasha felt a bit bad for doing it, but they would be safe right now, and she could do what her heart said she should.
Just like Lock had.
Perhaps they really were meant for each other after all.
Chapter 19
Tasha was glad Lindon had given her the address because she definitely wouldn’t have found the place on her own.
She’d taken the keys to one of the family’s many cars in their big garage and headed out into the mountains. After a couple hours’ drive, she’d turned up a secret road she never would have seen if she wasn’t looking for it. Lindon had scribbled a few notes to help out.
She parked at the base of the hill that led up to the compound, thinking there was no way she could just drive up without being seen.
Not that she really knew how she was going to walk up either.
She stepped out of the car and focused on Lock being in trouble so she could transform into her wolf.
As the change took hold, she felt that overwhelming sensation of bursting out of her skin as she felt herself land on the ground on all fours.
As she breathed the air in deeply, she felt excitement surge through her. It was refreshing to be so connected to herself, and it made her feel as though she could do anything in the world.
Even free two stubborn wolf males who thought they had to save her.
She crept up the hill, keeping an eye out as she moved from bush to bush, but it was dark out and she didn’t see anyone.
Several gleaming white buildings, connected by small structures, rose up in front of her, and she sniffed again to see where Lock had gone.
Her eyes darted to a small building far from the others and a little lower to the ground. She crept that way, keeping to the bushes.
As she got closer, she heard the sound of voices. Looking up, she saw guards in front of the door. Would she be able to make them sleep?
Lacey had said the Tribunal had wolves with extra powers who could resist or ignore alpha powers like hers. So she would have to be fast since her sleep wasn’t instant, except with very weak wolves.
She narrowed her eyes, and as she got a closer look, she realized they were carrying some kind of gun in a holster on their waist. It didn’t look at all like a regular gun, so Tasha assumed it was something just for taking down powerful wolves.
Dammit.
As she was trying to figure out what to do, she heard one of the men say something as he pointed in her direction.
Her heart started to race as he came over toward her, still talking to his companion.
“I think I heard something over here,” the man said. “I’m going to check it out real quick.”
“Be careful,” the other guard said. “Don’t get jumped.” He pulled out his weapon. “I’ve got my gun out just in case.” He laughed cruelly. “Don’t get caught in the crossfire.”
Tasha grimaced at how little they valued life.
But as the guard came closer and she tried to stay low to the ground, she trembled, knowing they would soon see her. Her white fur would be clear in the moonlight once the guard had an overhead view.
As she listened for his footsteps, she weighed her options. Could she be fast enough to put him to sleep?
God, if she died out here, it really would be for nothing. Lock and Fifi would never see her again. She couldn’t stand it.
She felt something warm emanating from her and it felt like the air around her was shimmering, but perhaps that was just her unshed tears.
No, something was definitely different, and she could sense it in the air, even though it was scentless and tasteless.
“Nothing here,” the man said, and Tasha looked up in shock to see that he was staring straight down at her. As if he couldn’t see her at all.
She looked down at her paw still in front of her. Why was she invisible to him but not herself?
She crept slowly to the side, in shock at the fact that his eyes didn’t follow her until the bush she was in moved.
“What was that?” The other guard stepped forward, holding his gun. “I heard that.”
Both of them looked around, but neither saw her.
Feeling emboldened, Tasha stepped out into the clearing with nothing obscuring their view of her and moonlight streaming onto her fur.
Both men looked around frantically for her, and a deep smile curled Tasha’s lips.
Whatever was happening, it must be her other alpha power.
It kept anyone from seeing her.
The irony wasn’t lost on her as she took a few steps toward the doors where Lock’s scent stopped.
“I hear footsteps,” one of the guards said, reaching for his radio. “Something isn’t right here. I need to call—”
Do it now, something inside her said, and she focused hard, feeling the lavender scent fill the air. She put all of her energy into it and saw the men try to fight her power, stumbling as they pointed their guns around, trying to find whoever was affecting them.
But it was too late, and they both slumped to the ground, hard.
Thankfully, the one who’d been about to use the radio hadn’t had a chance to, and Tasha snorted at him as she walked by his prone body.
As she nudged the door open, she felt a sense of invincibility, as if this were where she was supposed to be all along.
She wasn’t just a wolf. She was a strong wolf, a unique wolf, and as if she had always been living in a dream and woke up now, she felt she was home.
Perhaps it was the scents wafting from the back of the jail cells. One like lavender and musk, one like burnt vanilla.
The people she cared about were in here, and she had the ability to get them out.
She glanced at the cells on either side of her, noticing the men sleeping inside didn’t even stir as she passed them.
She heard voices from the end of the hall and crept slowly forward, not letting her pads make a single noise on the floor.
Two people were arguing, and she recognized one of the voices.
Lock.
Did that mean the other was… Fifi?
As the cell where the men were arguing came into view, she saw the back of Lock’s head, which was easily distinguishable by his red hair. And when she saw the man sitting across from him, she gasped.
“Did you hear that?” The man who had short blond hair the same color as hers and a beautiful face that she recognized instantly, deep within her heart, looked around them. “I thought I heard someone gasp.”
Lock looked around too, and Tasha felt a welling of love and warmth at just seeing his face.
She glanced back at the doors, wondering when the guards would be up or when someone would notice they were missing.
But she didn’t want to make herself known just yet. She wanted to watch her brother just for a second without him knowing she was there.
He was tall, slender, but muscled. The hard planes of his face were contrasted with soft, full lips, big eyes that were a luminous grayish-purple, long lashes, and a pointed chin.
As she stared at him, memories came back in waves, and she knew she had seen him at various points in her life.
A blond head at the back of her high school graduation. A purple sparkle in someone’s eye as they winked from across the street. A beautiful face glancing at her from the back of a limo.
Somehow, despite all odds, he had been in her life.
And now she was here to save him.
She caught her breath when he turned in her direction, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Tasha? Are you there?” It was Fifi.
She couldn’t afford for them to see her. Not yet. She crept back to where she’d left the guards and used her paw to pull out his key ring, picking it up in her mouth.
Then she headed back into the jail, using the scent of lavender as she went to keep the prisoners asleep as long as possible.
“Is it just me, or are keys floating toward us through the air?” Lock asked, stepping up to the bars.
God, she wanted to punch him—and hold him and hug him for even caring enough to do this for her brother.
When she reached them, she felt the air return to normal around her and knew she was visible once again.
Fifi stared at her, eyes widening, his hands wrapped around the bars. “Oh my God, Tasha.” Tears welled in his luminous eyes. “I never thought I would see you again.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Lock said, but she could see in his amber eyes that he was glad she was. “You should be home and safe.”
“This is my home,” she said, looking up at him. “It’s wherever my family is, and you two are my family.”
“How did you get past the guards?” Lock asked, taking the keys from her and gently unlocking the cell door so she could join them. “How the hell did we not see her?”
Fifi fell to the ground, throwing his arms around Tasha’s neck. “I wanted to see you so badly.”
Tasha felt tears in her own eyes. “I saw you all along, but I didn’t know it.”
Fifi pulled back. “You remember?”
“Bits and pieces,” she said. “God, I wish I had clothes so I could change back into my human form and give you a hug.”
“One second,” Lock said, creeping out of the cell. He crossed to a cabinet at the end of the hall and pulled it open. He reached in and pulled out a blue pile of clothing. “It’s not perfect, but that’s the set a female prisoner would use.”
Tasha noticed Fifi and Lock were both wearing something similar. “All right, both of you cover your eyes. I’m going to change back and put this on.”
They did, and Tasha quickly transformed, missing her wolf for only a second while she pulled on the rough prison clothes. They’d even included a bra and underwear.
“Well, great,” Fifi said. “Now we’re all arrested. A great big family reunion.”
Tasha ran into his arms, and he almost purred as he wrapped his arms around her. “God, it’s good to finally be able to say hi.”
Fifi rested his chin on her head, taking in a breath like he was savoring everything about the moment. “It is, though I wish we were in a better place.”
Tasha felt Lock waiting and pulled back to hug him too, holding him for a long moment as Fifi looked on before she pulled him in for a three-way hug.
“Shouldn’t we be focusing on escaping?” Lock asked as they finally all broke apart. “How did you even get in here? How did we not see you coming?”
Fifi was quiet as he took a seat on his bench again, looking tired. “Tasha has maybe the most unique alpha power. She can release pheromones that prevent her from being seen. It’s like being invisible, but it’s just our brains malfunctioning.”
“No kidding,” Lock said, staring at her wide-eyed. “Did it hurt you? Did it drain you?”
Fifi sighed. “She did it when I first held her, and I knew she couldn’t stay in our world. She would be experimented on, tortured, used as an assassin like I was, but for even worse things. As a young teenager, I had been restless in my post. I helped my mother deliver, and since the delivery weakened her, I spent a few weeks taking care of my sister. When the Tribunal came to get a report from me on her abilities, I lied. I said she had only the same power as I did. I said that I was tired of working for them and I wanted out. But that I would stay and they would always have perfect leverage on me if they would just let her go to the human world.”
“I can’t believe you did that,” Tasha said.
“I wanted to help you,” Fifi replied. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Tasha felt herself tearing up once again.
“All right, that’s all well and good, but we still need to get out of here. Which will be easy now that we have an ace in the hole.”
Fifi grinned. “Never thought Tasha would be the one to save us.”
“Well, I did,” Tasha said. “At least so far.” She looked around. “I don’t know how long people will sleep.”
Fifi grabbed the key ring and used one of them to deactivate his collar, and Lock did the same. Both of them stretched, looking taller and stronger now that they weren’t restrained.
“Should we go?” Tasha asked. “Before anyone wakes up on us?”
Fifi looked at Lock. “We are at the Tribunal at night without collars.”
Lock smirked. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
Fifi nodded. “Tasha just gave us our only chance.”
“Wait a minute,” Tasha said, stepping forward. “Don’t I get a say in this?”
Fifi nodded. “Do you want to come with us while we unleash hell on the Tribunal for everything they’ve done? For all the time we’ve been apart, for all the people they’re hurting?”
“Oh, hell yes,” Tasha said. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 20
Lock couldn’t have been prouder of his mate for being so badass, even if he hated that they were in this situation at all.
He also hated that this was the perfect opportunity to shake up the Tribunal, because his mate might be in danger the whole way.
But looking over at Tasha, who seemed to have a confidence he’d never seen before as the three of them walked out of the prison together, he knew things would be okay
.
She was here. She wasn’t mad at him. She’d gotten to meet her brother… They were just a few dead Tribunal wolves away from a happy ending.
They crept around the side of the main building, and Fifi and Tasha released wave after wave of lavender in case any of the guards were up.
Lock realized how much Fifi truly loved his sister, since the only thing holding him back from doing this earlier was the fact that she was in harm’s way.
Even now, Lock was aware they couldn’t take down the whole Tribunal, but they could take some down, and it would be enough to foil at least a few of their plans.
And create a weak spot where someone like Rowan could step up if he wanted to.
Then things would change gradually and there would still be turmoil in the wolf world, but maybe there would be a chance for things to finally be okay.
When they reached the main door, Lock peeked in and didn’t see anyone.
Fifi opened a door and scented the air and then slipped inside.
As they made their way up a marble staircase, walking past sleeping guards, Lock felt a bit of apprehension.
“Where are we going?” he whispered.
“Shh,” Fifi said, putting a finger to his mouth as he crept along the wall to a large set of double doors. “Okay, when I’m in there and I’m… doing what I’m doing, an alarm is going to go off that will wake anyone affected by my sleep power. I need the two of you to create a distraction so I can finish up and get out. Tasha, you make sure you’re invisible and put as many people to sleep as you can. Stay mobile. Lock, you reflect back any powers you see coming toward you. Get outside, and I’ll meet you there.”
“What are you going to do?” Lock asked as Fifi cracked his neck ominously and put his hand on the doorknob of the bedroom.
“I’m going to kill the man responsible for this mess,” he said. “He’s used my skills for a lot of years. I think he deserves to finally see them up close and personal.”
Lock suppressed a shudder and put an arm around Tasha as Fifi went into the room. Lock could sense she was nervous, but there was confidence in her as well.
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