John gazed at the road ahead, unconvinced, but he wouldn’t regret his time with Eva.
“Bass was angry at me loads of times for being late to shift when I was sneaking about with Regan. Don’t feel bad, John. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thanks, Ty.”
Traveling through the dark, his eyes were on the road, but his mind remained with the golden-haired woman he’d left in his bed. John marveled at the gift he’d been given—even his wolf was satisfied and had given up pushing for a mating bond. Because as she’d gazed at him, her skin flush with desire, he’d seen more than lust in her eyes. Eva had true feelings for him. Emotions which he knew scared her, yet she hadn’t turned away. He had to trust as they moved forward, she’d carry on being brave, and they’d face the intensity of their bond together.
***
John paused, Tyler and Noah behind him doing the same. He then glanced across at Cage’s group and indicated they’d each take one direction. Cage nodded his approval, and they split off silently and wove through the trees, ghosts haunting the night.
Dawn beckoned on the horizon, the gray haze of daybreak coating the forest around them as they crept around the outer edge of the Indiana pack’s land. At halfway, John halted, looking back at Tyler and John with a raised brow, both returned the expression, agreeing with what he’d sensed so far—no soldiers stood guard around the edges of the land.
Resuming their pace, the three of them soon met Cage and the others at the opposite end, and a quick signal from Cage confirmed they’d too sensed no pack presence.
With a tilt of his head, Cage pointed deeper into their territory and raised a questioning eyebrow. John nodded in return, the three-manned groups becoming parallel in formation as they crept deeper into the territory. John’s ears strained for sound, his nose scenting the air for fresh scents, but as they walked, nothing was found. Pausing once again, after a moment, the groups split again, curving around the land, only to find nothing.
Once they’d traveled out of earshot of anyone they may have missed, the six of them convened.
“I think we should go deeper, get a glimpse of their housing before leaving,” Cage murmured.
“Only way we’re going to know for sure,” John agreed. “Move together until we reach the center?”
“Yes, then split and meet up at the opposite end.”
John had become used to working with River Run, their interaction normally seamless. As long as everyone made an effort to not overstep boundaries and take control of the other side, tensions where next to none. The extra training together had helped many, and the frequent joint pack meetings further helped them all navigate the new territory. It also helped that John liked and respected Cage.
“What if we run into trouble?” Mia asked.
“Take them down as quickly and quietly as possible,” Cage suggested. “If the worst happens, at least one group needs to return home and relay what’s been found.”
“Let’s not get caught then,” Tyler suggested.
Smiles and nods answered in return.
“Have you thought about what we’ll do if we find a shell of a pack left behind after Castor’s stripped it bare?” Noah asked.
Several of them sighed because they knew it was highly likely Castor had done just that. He’d already proven he didn’t care if innocents were hurt; this was about power and greed only.
“I guess all we can do is observe what we can and then regroup and discuss it further,” John answered. “Right, let’s do this before the sun’s fully on the horizon.” Already the grayness of daybreak was lifting to make way to the pink of a new dawn.
With John and Cage leading together, the group of six moved with care, their feet silent as they tread over the undergrowth, wolf gazes taking in every facet of detail they passed. Reaching the small clearing, which housed a few tattered tents and worn cabins, John studied his surroundings, and at first glance, it appeared as if the area was empty, but as the group split and curved around opposite sides of the housing, they spotted the life within.
“Two guards. Did you count the same?” John asked once they’d regrouped.
“Yeah, but was it me, or did they seem like they were keeping people in, not out?” Cage answered.
“Seemed that way to me,” Tyler agreed, his voice thick with the anger of his wolf.
“I heard a baby crying. There’s more than likely other kids inside,” Mia added. Her claws slipped free. “I say we go in and show them what happens to bullies.” Her smile gleamed as bright as her deadly claws. “About time I got my claws into some Indiana blood.”
“Two will be like a walk in the park for the six of us.” Noah grinned. “I say we make it harder and go in blindfolded.”
The group laughed gently before turning serious once again.
“What happens to whoever we find inside though?” William asked. “For all we know, there’s just women and children in there.”
“Women can be lethal, William,” Mia noted, wiggling her claws.
Lifting up his hands, he smiled. “Never said they couldn’t be.”
“We need to ring Bass and Jackson.” There was no point freeing these people if their only protection was the guards holding them hostage, and they had nowhere else to go. It was a decision that could only be made by their alphas, and hopefully, the two alphas made the same choice; otherwise, they’d have a problem on their hands.
Cage nodded as he brought his phone out of his pocket. “Call together, decide together, yeah?”
John held up his phone. “Agreed. Ty, Noah, keep your eyes peeled while I talk.”
Cage gave
