by Charlie Tran
"What's this about?" Glenn tilted his head to the side, asking the question all of us wanted the answer to.
"I saw them outside. The people that are gonna get us all out of here," Silver warned.
"What? What's going on?" Forest asked, worry in his voice.
"Yeah, what he said." I peered down at my mate only to receive a frightened look from him as he stared up at me.
"Reese said that they're raiding the club tonight. We've gotta make sure to get the wolves in the back out so they can run."
"Shit. That's why Carl was walking around tonight. He usually stays only at the back door or the pens." Glenn sighed."But, why do we gotta do anything? If the cops are gonna free us, why can't we just wait until they do for us to all be free of this hell hole?" I nodded in agreement. Couldn't we just wait for the raid?
Leaning back against me, Silver turned to face his new friend. "No, if they're even remotely involved in this sting, I'm scared they could be implicated. The cops know that some of them are Grey Brotherhood, so what's to keep them from assuming we all are? Or even me? And you guys are technically customers here, so what if they arrest all of you? We've gotta get them out and get out with them."
"Wow, you've really thought this out." I smiled, though it faded at the harsh looks everyone sent my way. I was only trying to lighten the mood. Yeesh.
"There's not much else to do when you're stuck in a room all day until you're told to go whore yourself out for the night." Silver pouted, his words wounding me in more ways than one. I swear, anyone who touched Silver was gonna get it.
"Let's hurry."
"How are we gonna sneak out back with such a large group?" Glenn took all of us in. Three of us, Jason, Jude, and I, were much larger than the other three. It'd be easier for them to go, but for us?"
"There might be no sneaking. If no one is down the hall, I say we run for it. I'm sure we don't have much time." Silver pushed away from my gentle embrace, headed to the door and opened it up just a crack.
"Let's go. Right now. Right now!" he whispered harshly, and his form started to blur for a moment, lowering even further until he rested on all fours. The dazzling silver of his coat reflected brightly against the dim lighting in the room before he took off, the others having already shifted, and several wolves began to bolt out the door with me taking up the rear, now on all fours too. The pads of our paws were softer than our footsteps would have been, and our heads were low as we scrambled down the hall, following after Silver, and now Glenn, who took up the lead beside him.
Silver yipped, tossing his shoulder forward into the old metal door that opened with a loud rusty whine. The sudden blast of cold air was far too chilly, and I was thankful for the fur that kept us warm for the moment. He didn't waste any time, running toward the cages full of people, our people, inside. Some were shifted as wolves, huddled into balls within, while others were in their humanoid shapes, shivering and shaking from the frigid temperature. Silver hopped on top of a cage, pawing at it to wake up whomever was inside. Most of the cages had padlocks on the outside, but it didn't stop them. I skidded to a halt, watching as Glenn ran for one of the larger cages, his maw wrapping around the bars, and began to pull. Jude was the first to join him, followed by Jason. The three of them tugged at the front door over and over again, dragging it for a moment as the bars began to dent and warp at their force. I shook myself out of my stupor, acutely aware of the overwhelming stench. My snout wrinkled at the scent and at the wet, mushy feeling under my paws around some of the cages.
How could they keep people captive like this?
Silver hopped off of the cage, the wolf inside shakily rising to his paws as my mate followed the actions of his friends, and I joined in with him. Forest was already there pulling as hard as he could with as much strength as he could possibly muster. This cage was a bit smaller than some of the others, not as bulky, and both of us latched our jaws around the bars, pulling on the door as forcefully as we could. The wolf inside seemed to understand what we were doing, and he stepped back as far as he could before ramming forward and shoving his head into the door to assist us in breaking the lock.
Suddenly, there was a loud snap and crash to my right. I turned to look as best as I could while still yanking on the cage door. The wolf the other three had been trying to free was finally out of his cage. He had reared back onto his hind legs, pawing at the air and letting out a loud howl before he turned to the others, still locked in their cages, and began to help.
It only took a minute for Silver, Forest, and I to bust open the cage with the wolf's help until he too went to open the other cages.
We were already four cages down in a matter of minutes, the freed wolves taking turns helping the others out when the back door slammed open.
"Hey… Hey, what's going on back here?!" a voice shouted at us. While the rest of us froze at the sudden intrusion, Jude didn't hesitate, rushing forward with his teeth exposed. He slid to a halt in front of the man, snarling and barking at him to back off. He barked louder as a bouncer I'd never seen stepped toward him, threatening him with a fist before I ran over toward him, growling.
The others of our pack saw this, and all rushed to Jude's side, barking, growling, with drool spilling over our fangs onto the freezing, disgusting floor. We began to take a few menacing steps toward him, and he started to back off.
"Fuckin' dogs!" he shouted, and just when I thought he was going to run away, he faked us out, spinning on the balls of his feet to lunge straight toward Jude.
'Shit!' I thought, jumping out of the way as his large looming body shifted in midair into that of a wolf, his mouth open as he leaped straight for Jude. Our Alpha backed out of the way as the bouncer hit the floor, and I took the chance to jump on him. I landed right on his back, my claws scratching at his fur and hide as he yelped out in pain. My teeth sunk straight into the back of his neck, the skin too thick and tough there for me to do anything fatal, but he yelped, walking backward and thrashing his hips side to side trying to get me off of him.
"Stop! Everyone, stop!" another voice shouted from down the corridor. Silver's ears perked up, his tail starting to wag as five officers burst into the room, each using a flashlight in one hand to guide them while drawing their firearms with the other.
"Let him go, or we'll shoot!" one man shouted, his knees practically knocking together. I let him go. A frightened man bearing a weapon was scarier than a snarling wolf in any situation. And judging by their uniforms, including full body gear, I knew they were the officers Silver had told us were coming. But we hadn't finished freeing everyone from their cages, and now we were stuck.
Jude howled, drawing the cops’ lights to focus on him, and as he did, Silver bolted. He rushed right past them, sprinted down the hall, and we followed. I heard Jude let out a loud yelp, whimpering as though he'd been kicked as the officers started to shout for him to halt. I glanced behind me as we kept running to be certain my pack was still following behind us. They were on my tail, though Jude limped with each stride. A couple of the freed wolves were behind us as well, following us to wherever it was Silver was headed.
We turned, aimed straight for the beaded exit that would lead to the exterior, and burst through it. There were people running and scattering all over the place, some on the ground on their knees, their wrists bound in handcuffs.
"Where do you think you're going?! Freeze!" an officer shouted, spying our troupe running past them. But we didn't stop. Silver led us through the fray toward the front door as another cop next to it attempted to slow us down. But we weren't stopping for anyone. My mate slammed himself into the door that lead to the main floor and it flung open, stopping abruptly against a body. I could only see legs from behind the door, a pool of blood, and two officers surrounding the figure. The bouncer who’d asked for the password.
Still, we didn't stop. Through the muck and bloody trail our paw prints left behind, we ran until we were out the front door. Silver stumbled, the snow so thick now it was
hard to see where the curb started underneath it all. His body rolled, and I ran to his side, nudging him with my muzzle to get him to stand up.
Jude, Forest, and Jason ran immediately to the left, racing down the street as a few other wolves, some shifted and some humanoid, sprinted out of the entrance to the club.
"Come on, come on," I begged him, now on my knees instead of on my paws. Silver shook his head, stumbling to stand on the pads of his feet before he took off. I lifted onto mine, running next to him, trying to stay in sight of him as his fur began to blend in with the thick flurry of snow that blew all around us. In the distance was the slamming of car doors. Jude must have parked all the way out here.
Concerning the other wolves who had fled, I had no idea where they would run off to. I stopped and turned around to stare off into the distance, watching as their pelts disappeared into the darkness.
Hopefully, they'd make it out safe.
"Hurry up, Lucas!" Jude shouted at me as he slid into the driver's side of the car, slamming the door behind him, bringing me out of my hesitation to continue. The back passenger door was still ajar, and I ran for it, diving inside headfirst and landing on Jason’s and Silver's laps before the door was slammed shut and Jude sped off as fast as he could.
18
Silver
I leaned into Lucas' chest, letting him hold me as he rubbed one hand gently up and down my back, his head resting atop mine as I snuggled my face against him. Finally, the nightmare was over, and I didn't have to spend another second in the filthy club worried about having to give my body away to a stranger.
Jude's house was quite cold, and I was thankful for the massive hoodie he had given me to help keep me warm as we waited for the heater to kick in.
"I'm sorry we weren't able to do anything sooner," Jude said sorrowfully. He was standing behind the couch Lucas and I sat on. Reaching over the back to place a hand on my shoulder, he gave me a reassuring squeeze.
"It's just good to have you back, honestly. Hopefully, those guys will take the remnants of the Grey Brotherhood down once and for all," Forest said, kneeling in front of me and placing his hands onto my thighs. "I hope they didn't hurt you."
"We should have killed Leon while we were on the hunt for Declan," Jason snorted, pacing back and forth with his arms folded over his chest, lost in his own thoughts. It seemed he liked to take revenge on those who hurt the people he cared for. And while there was no longer a need for that revenge, it felt good to know that he cared for me too. For all of my pack.
A wail echoed from the back room, and Forest gave me one final pat before standing up and heading straight for his room to console Willow. The poor thing. When we first arrived home, George left, having watched him all night long. He was recovering phenomenally after being poisoned. Poor guy, he didn't deserve to be dragged into this.
"I wish we could have gotten Glenn out of there." I sniffed, closing my eyes to blink away the tears of regret that were threatening to pour down my cheeks. "I promised him we weren't gonna let him get stuck."
"Well, maybe he got out. He seemed... resourceful enough." Lucas snickered. "He really had a way with himself, the way he was all over Jude when that bouncer walked by. I'm sure he had enough practice selling himself to win over any cop. He'll get his way out of jail."
I pulled away from him just far enough to glare down at him.
"That wasn't cool," Jude said, stepping away from us as well. "You really need to learn how to keep your jokes to yourself. Those comments aren’t necessary right now."
"Jude's right." I shook Lucas’s hands off of me and stood up. "You never know when to shut up sometimes. That's why I wanted to get away from you in the first place."
"Oh, come on. We just got back and already you want to start fighting with me? Typical," Lucas huffed, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips as though he was battling to keep it at bay.
"Fuck you, Lucas. I can't stand you sometimes!" I didn't need to hear that! I stormed off to the room was staying in. Even if Lucas was still in there, I needed some breathing room.
I’d sworn to Glenn that I'd help him out if he helped me, and I had failed. I would do anything in my power to protect him because I owed him. He had helped me out since I first arrived at the club, and I felt obligated to return the favor.
"Silver. Come on!" I heard my mate shout from behind me, the squeaking of the springs in the sectional's cushions telling me he had gotten up and was following me-again. Just when I wanted some alone time. "I said wait!" Lucas called again, jogging up to get closer to me.
I walked even faster and spun around to try and slam the door in his face, but he was already too close when I turned. He reached for my hand as I went for the doorknob, grabbing onto my wrist and walking me backward until the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed and I was planted down onto my butt.
"I'm sorry, okay? The conversation was just getting a bit too dark for my liking. You can't be mad at me right now, not after everything we went through."
"What did you go through that I haven't had worse? You don't know every little detail that went on!"
"Because you won't tell me! You always walk away from me when I say something you don't like. You're so sensitive all the time, and I'm sorry for trying to make you laugh. That's the only way I know how to make it better!"
"But it's not better, and nothing's gonna make it better right now. Especially your dumb jokes!"
"Why are you such a baby right now?!"
"Because I'm pregnant, you asshole!" I screamed back at him, clutching myself as he finally let go of my wrist. The silence that fell around us was heavy.
"You're... pregnant?" he asked, turning to fall down next to me, his weight hitting the bed and causing me to bounce a bit. My arms shifted from hugging my sides to covering my belly.
"Yeah," I whispered hoarsely.
"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"I honestly didn't know until I arrived at the Gilded Heart."
"I wish you'd said something sooner. I can't believe it. After Forest just had one, and now there's another pup on the way?"
"I'm sorry." That's all I could offer him-my apologies. I knew he didn't want a baby. He wasn't mature enough to handle something like this.
“Why? Why are you so sorry? We did this together. And we're gonna raise him together, right?"
"Huh?" I turned to him to find his eyes piercing into mine, and instead of responding with words, he retorted with a kiss. I was surprised, to say the least, and didn't reciprocate immediately. But his kiss was warm, welcoming, and started to put me at ease.
After everything, the only solace I could find was in my mate's arms.
"I love you, Silver," he said between kisses, his pecks trailing to the corners of my face, up my cheeks, near the corners of my eyes. "And I'll love our baby too."
"I love you too." I sighed, my lids falling shut as I turned my head to catch his lips again, pulling him into a deeper kiss.
Glenn, the other wolves, Leon… All of that could be put aside. Right now, this was about Lucas and me. And our unborn child.
His hands trailed to the bottom of the hoodie I was wearing. Lucas gave it a tug before sliding his hands underneath, resting them on my stomach.
"Get on your knees," he whispered into my ear, and my flesh tingled at his breath tickling my earlobe. I shuddered and didn't question what he had planned as I moved off the bed, sliding down to the floor on my knees. From behind, Lucas pushed me forward by the shoulders, making me plant onto my hands as well. Gasping, his fingers found purchase on my hips, sliding down the tiny shorts I still had on, allowing them to fall to my knees.
I felt his breath near my butt, and I blushed at how close he was to me back there. His palms slid down to either side of my butt, spreading it apart, when I suddenly felt something warm and wet lapping at my hole. I gasped again, planting my face in my hands as I leaned forward onto my elbows, allowing him to expose me even further.
Fuck,
this was the Lucas that I had missed and loved.
His tongue continued to delve into me, my back arching at the sensations of each and every lick before he retracted. I was a mess already, huffing and puffing into the floor.
"Lucas," I whined, as the warmth from his tongue was pulled away, replaced with something much firmer. His member pushed its way inside, and I couldn't help but to buck back onto it, our skin slapping against each other loudly in the quiet room. I glanced over my shoulder to see him pounding into me, pulling back half way before pushing back in with a desperate eagerness I had rarely seen in him. His pants were slouched around his thighs, in such a hurry he hadn’t even removed them.
"I’ve missed you," he hummed, leaning his body over mine while still moving in and out. His kisses returned to my shoulders and fell across my neck while his hands wrapped around my midsection. "Don't leave me ever again," he huffed, each thrust becoming more frantic than the last.
"I won't. I won't ever." I growled suddenly, slamming my hips back against him, just as eager and desperate for him to remain buried deep inside me.
I wriggled my hips as his thrusts became shorter, barely pulling back as he stuffed himself into me. I didn't think I could take any more before I burst. I could feel myself making a mess, my upper body on the floor, my cum making the wood slick as Lucas continued to thrust into me.
"Not yet, not just yet," he huffed, his kisses turning into stings of pain. His teeth embedded partially into my neck near where he had left the mate mark on me before. The mixture of pain and pleasure drained me of every last drop of seed I had left, and I squeezed myself tightly around him. Whether he wanted to cum or not, I was going to make him. I kept squeezing, and even after expelling myself on the floor, I continued to push back onto him until he started to swell within me.
