It was the king who finally spoke. “I do not know anything about fate, except that it has brought me my mate.” Rising from the couch, he stood behind his wife, cutting an imposing figure as he crossed his arms over his chest and towered over Sabrina. “Do you really think that is what needs to happen?”
Her throat went dry, but she managed to say, “I know it.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Then perhaps we should let it happen.”
“Karim?” Deedee asked. “What are you saying?”
“Habibti, I have spoken to your brother, Wyatt,” Karim said. “Things are being set in motion as we speak.”
“I need to go back.” She didn’t know how, but she just knew it. “I have to be there when it all happens.”
“I cannot go with you or allow my wife to go,” Karim said. “But I will have my plane prepared and have two of my own personal guards to go with you.”
The knot in her chest loosened with relief. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” the king said, a dark brow raised. “Now, I must make preparations.” He tilted his head at the two women and pivoted on his heel, then left the room.
“Do you really think you can save them?” Deedee asked, a worried look on her face.
“I … yes.” She bit her lip. At least, she hoped so.
Chapter Fourteen
The moment they touched down in New York, Cross knew something was up. He could feel it in the air, a charged electricity that made his wolf stand at attention, its ears flattening forward and twitching its muzzle and lips.
Before they left Kentucky, he had called his father and Lucas to get permission for the three Lone Wolves to accompany them and bring them to the secret Guardian Initiative Headquarters hidden inside one of the pillars of the Brooklyn Bridge. Though the Alpha was hesitant, Cross vouched for Ransom and his wolves, telling them that Gunnar insisted they needed to be there.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” Snake said as he waved his hands to steady himself as they arrived in at the GI headquarters. Cross had chosen to transport them to the basement garage, away from the flurry of activity happening upstairs.
“I think I’m gonna throw up,” Hawk moaned and heaved. Ransom, on the other hand, snorted impatiently.
“Welcome back.” Daric stood a few feet away, the Alpha standing next to him, feet planted shoulder width apart and shoulders held back stiff.
“Dad, Alpha,” Cross greeted, then gestured to the three men behind him. “This is Ransom, Snake, and Hawk.”
“Welcome to New York.” Lucas’s tone was not welcoming or warm, but there were formalities to follow whenever a visiting Lycan from another clan or Lone Wolf came into a territory. Usually, Lycans would need permission to enter a territory, unless they had a formal alliance. Lone Wolves, having no territory, occupied a gray zone that didn’t require them prior authorization to go to any clan’s domain, provided they acknowledge the Alpha.
Hawk and Snake, perhaps sensing the Alpha’s dominant nature, immediately bowed their heads and showed their tattoos that signified their Lone Wolf status. “Thank you for welcoming us, Alpha,” Snake said in a deferential tone.
Ransom, on the other hand, took his time pulling his shirt from his waistband to show Lucas his tattoo. He muttered something under his breath, and for a moment, Cross thought he saw contempt in his eyes, which was strange because as far as he knew, the two men had never met before.
If Lucas thought Ransom’s greeting wasn’t sufficient, he didn’t say anything. “Let’s go upstairs,” the Alpha said. “We have a lot to discuss.” His gaze briefly drifted back to Ransom before he turned around and headed to the elevators. Daric, Cross, and the three Lone Wolves followed him, and soon they were on their way to the central operations room.
A flurry of activity greeted them as they stepped out of the elevators. It had been this way since yesterday, when Lucas had decided they were no longer waiting for the mages to attack them.
Waiting by the elevator was Wyatt Creed, who managed their operations. “Alpha,” he greeted, before his light green gaze flickered to the newcomers, but he made no comment about them. A few years younger than him, Cross had known Wyatt since he was a child, as he was Deedee’s younger brother, and they had all been neighbors. The younger Creed had always been kind of stuck up, though that had gotten worse after his grandmother had convinced him to attend a fancy boarding school in England.
Cross quickly introduced the Lone Wolves, then asked Wyatt, “What’s our current status?”
“Alynna’s upstairs with Cliff, Killian, and Arch,” Wyatt explained. “They’re mobilizing all the forces we have, plus additional support from our allies. Your father is ready to transport them if we need backup.”
“How are we on finding their location?” Cross asked. When he left last night, there was still no news, but Lizzie assured him she would find them.
“Lizzie’s close,” the Alpha answered. “But nothing solid yet. Let’s go check in with her.” Lucas crossed the room, and they followed him to one of the enclosed offices at the back of the room. The Alpha opened the door and gestured for them to follow him inside.
His cousin, Lizzie Martin, was seated behind her desk, tapping furiously on a keyboard. As the head of tech for GI, anything technology related was under her jurisdiction. She was a genius hacker, not to mention, a hybrid who had the power to control and communicate with computers—a technopath. Usually, Lizzie had a smart retort or quip when people came into her office. That, or she was playing pranks on the phone. But he knew she must really be working hard as she barely looked up at them as she continued to tap furiously on the keyboard.
“Any luck, Lizzie?” Lucas asked.
She sighed dramatically then leaned back into her beat-up leather chair. “Strohen’s information was solid and helped me find the right
