“C’mon,” I said to the others, too low for the Heller’s to hear. “We’re getting out of here, getting you home.”
“What?” Nero asked with a frown, but when I took off for the steps on the side of the building, they all followed, leaving Jai behind.
Every step felt like knives were stabbing into my feet, my heart, and I broadcast that to the old men, not pulling my punches, hitting them with exactly how it felt. This is wrong! my body screamed at me, but I climbed the steps, Zane taking my hand as I went.
“So what’re we…”
Nero’s words died as he heard the steady whup, whup, whup of the chopper that was flying towards us. I stood stock still as the spotlights swam, then settled on us.
There was an outcry below us, the pack slow to respond and Jai even slower, so he didn’t understand when I reached out to him.
I love you, always you, I said to him, feeling his fear, then anger rise when he worked out what was about to happen. Look after Janey, look after Buster and Max, and when I can, I’ll come for you. I’ll fight those old fucks for you.
What have they done?! he shot back. No, Shan! NO! I’ve only just found my way back to you! No, no…
Rabbits run, Jai, I said.
The forced wind of the helicopter buffeted my hair and my clothes, sending up clouds of dust until it and the aircraft settled.
“Son!” a voice said, a tall, solid man jumping out of the chopper, running towards Caleb, then stopping. “Son!” This time it was a confirmation, a celebration as he wrapped his arms around the wolf shifter, Caleb limp with shock in his arms.
“You’re the American shifters that have been reported missing from the lion and jaguar prides?” a clipped voice asked us, and when I turned, I saw a man in uniform consulting his clipboard.
“And my mate,” Nero said, taking Kazimir’s arm.
“And mine,” Zane said, doing the same to me. “Gaden’s… He’s a warrior and fought at our sides. He needs an extraction.”
“Done,” the man said with a nod. “Let's get everyone inside. Whatever’s going on down there, looks like it’s getting hostile. Alpha?”
“Of course, let’s get you on board. We’ll need blankets and water? Food?”
“We need to go, Dad,” Caleb said, shooting an eye over his shoulder, watching as I did as the pack moved to stop Jai from getting to us.
I watched that as I was put in the helicopter, as I was strapped in. My vision began to blur as the rotors picked up speed again, going to a complete teary mess by the time we rose above the ground. My head rested back against the cushioned seat, a hand grabbing mine moments later.
This is how it has to be, I told Jai as the connection grew weaker. And this is how you destroy that place for good. I relayed the self-destruct sequence to him, showing him the size of the explosion it would create.
He tried to hold on to the link, to roar down it all of his protests, but I shut him down, everything down, until finally, my mind was my own. I went completely limp, held up only by the safety harness as we flew the fuck away from Harvest Grove.
Chapter 37
Stone Williams, aka alpha, aka Caleb’s dad, rushed us to a massive suite he’d rented for just this purpose after the helicopter landed on the freaking roof of the hotel. I looked out at the array of bright lights, stretching out way too far for my mind to get around. This was the big smoke, yet I felt nothing. I didn’t get much of a chance to look at it as we were whisked down a private elevator to the hotel room.
‘Room’ was an overly modest description of it. It looked like it spanned the whole top floor, with rooms everywhere, but the one we all streamed towards was the bathroom. Stone looked at me and Kazimir with a question in his eyes, but said, “I’ll leave you to it. There’ll be clothes just outside the door when you’re done. I’d like my doctor to look you all over.”
“Dad…” Caleb gritted out.
“Maybe in the morning, then.”
He gave me one last look and then walked out of the massive bathroom.
“Well, this is obviously shifter made,” Zane said, opening the glass door and sticking his head in the shower recess. “What?” He looked at us quizzically as we all hung back, following our eyes to the transparent walls and then took a step back. “Oh.”
“It’s a shower,” Kazimir said, pulling away from Nero. “Not a cage, and we’ve already shown we can break out of an actual one, so I’m not letting a mere bathroom appliance defeat me. Plus, I'm fairly sure I have entrails in my hair.”
“You do,” Zane retorted shakily. “I didn’t want to say anything.”
“So kind. Well?” Kazimir asked, a challenge clear in those brown eyes.
Gaden tossed down his blanket without a word, stepping into the massive shower area, and turned on the water, placing his hands on the wall as he let it run over him. Kazimir did the same, though he grabbed the soap and began to sing some song in another language as he scrubbed, Nero taking it from him and washing his back.
“What about you?” Caleb asked. “Did you want a shower?”
I nodded, unwilling to vocalise anything. If I did, the tears, the screams would come. I was more than a fish out of water, I was a fish swimming in scalding acid, screaming for what I’d lost.
He seemed to sense this, his hands moving to my clothes and waiting for a second before unbuttoning the stupid fucking shirt. Zane pressed against my back, reaching around to undo the pants, and they threw the uniform about as far away as it could go before leading me into the shower.
There is a special pleasure that comes from being washed and cared for. I felt like a child, something that would have usually rankled me, but not now. I wanted to give control of me to someone else, to have them make the decisions, take away the pain, make it better.
Alpha Williams wanted to talk when we came out, but I think he took in our bedraggled state, our shell-shocked eyes, and decided against it. He did say one thing though.
“Tomorrow, we’ll be flying out for the States. Nero’s family and Zane’s are all desperately awaiting the return of their sons. Attachments have obviously been forged,” he said, his eyes lingering on my multiple mate marks and the one on Kazimir. “I just need to know what your plans are, Shannon.”
Everyone’s eyes were on me, and they felt heavy, intrusive, but this needed to be done. Once I said the words, the balls would be in motion and I would be safe again, we would be safe again.
“I’ll go with my mates,” I said, taking Zane’s hand, then Caleb’s, “if I can. The way we left, I didn’t exactly pack a passport.”
“That won’t prove to be a problem,” he replied, looking at me, then Kazimir. “I’ll put the paperwork in motion. We’ll leave early in the morning, so if you can, get some sleep.”
The soft grey light coming in through the floor to ceiling windows felt reassuring, but the cool, clinical style of the room was off putting. Where was the wood worn smooth by Nan’s hands, Mum’s, and mine? Where were the hand crocheted rugs? The bundles of sage? The clusters of crystals? Where were the heavy steps of my dogs as they ran towards me, sniffing and thrusting their muzzles at me, dying for a pat? A sob fought its way past my lips as the tears came. Where was Janey? Where was home?