Chapter 174

[ 1,569 words ]

Elliot

“Alpha,” one of my enforcers, Jayden calls out. “At the gate, it’s Gita and a human.”

I jump into action and head to the front gate of our territory. There is already a small crowd there including Gita and her parents.

Sage turns around her eyes going wide when she recognizes me. “Elliot, oh thank God!”

My enforcers look at her, some curiously, some shocked that she’s addressing me with such familiarity.

Of course they are, we don’t normally associate with humans, my wolf says.

I look over at her, the dirt stained clothes and small rips and tears in her clothes and then I look at Gita who is in a similar state.

“What happened?”

“Two sick bastards tried to take her,” Sage says.

Ransom comes up behind me. “Fuck. Let’s get you guys inside.”

He goes up to her and brings her towards our enforcer building, tipping his chin to Gita’s parents to bring her in.

“Lock down the perimeter. Everyone else heads inside their houses until further notice,” I say to the enforcers.

“Consider it done,” Sigrid says. “Kiara will go check on the females.”

I nod.

When I enter the building Sage is studying her surroundings with sharpness that tells me she isn’t just the grieving mother I originally thought.

Kiara is fitting a bandage to her forearm.“You should be fine in a few days. I gave you a shot to prevent infection just in case.”

“Thank you.”

“Gita, what happened,”

The juvenile sets her chin. “I went searching the woods to see if I could pick up Ashlynn’s scent. Or find something she left behind.”

“We already sent…” I look at Sage, “people put to search.”

“But they don’t know her like I do. They don’t know where she would hide.”

The girl has a point so I give her a small nod, wanting to focus on the current issue.

“What happened when you were looking for her?” I ask.

“I was searching in the woods when I smelled them. Two males came out of nowhere. I knew they were wrong. They tried to talk to me but I noticed one of them was getting closer while they did.”

Her father growls and her mother holds Gita closer.

“I tried to run and they started to chase me. They knocked me down and I fought them but they were too strong so I screamed. Then shots rang out and hit the floor and she saved me.”

“Thank you,” Gita’s mother says, with tears in her eyes

I turn to Sage. “You shot in her direction?”

“It was a warning shot,” she says with no remorse.

“You could have hit her,” I say.

“No I wouldn’t.”

“It’s not your first time using a gun,” Ransom confirms.

“I served in the Marine Corps for ten years as a scout sniper,” she explains.

I raise a brow. “You failed to mention that.”

“How is that relevant to finding my son? We both only provided the details needed.”

She gives me a pointed look, one that tells me she suspects this is more than just a gated community.

I think I like her, my wolf admits.

I look at Ransom and he gives me a small nod.

“Thank you for telling us what happened Gita. Go and get some rest. We’ll be there later to check on you.”

She nods and her parents take her out of the room.

I take a seat across from Sage. “What do you think you know?”

She smiles. “This is a pack. You’re a shifter. An Alpha most likely.” She looks at Ransom. “Not you. You’re human. But Ashlynn, she was a shifter.”

“You say it like it doesn’t matter,” I note.

She shrugs. “Does it? She’s a child and he was taken with my child. I think that is more important. And if I have the help of a pack searching for my son then his chances of survival increases.”

It’s a pretty story, but I need more. Given that state of things I have to be sure who this woman is.

“How did you find out about us?”

For a second her stoic mask drops and I see the pain in her eyes.

“Dante’s father was a shifter. They killed him. I ran. Left the country. I started a new life here. Opened a bakery. We were fine before all of this. Safe.”

“So Dante—” Ransom starts.

“Is half shifter,” Sage finishes for me.

“And you didn’t think it was important to mention?”

“Why would I?” She studied my face for a moment. Several emotions cross her face until one consumes it, fear. “They’re not human, are they?”

Ransom nods his head as if to say, tell her.

“No they aren’t. We believe they are part of an extremist group who has some serious prejudice against humans.”

“What do they want to do with them?”

“Do you want the truth? It isn’t pretty.”

“I’d prefer it,” she says.

“There has been a series of murders. All shifters being targets.” I pull my phone out of my pocket and pull up the video. “Then a few weeks ago we found this video on the dark web.”

She takes it with the stiffness of someone who knows there is nothing good on the other side.

Ransom and I are silent as she watches.

Then she looks up with the well trained air of a soldier who’s been exposed to horrible things.

“You think these are the people who have my son.”

“We believe it’s more than likely.”

Then she says something that takes me by surprise.

“They won’t find Dante an easy target.”

“You’ve trained him,” I realize.

“Of course I did. After what his father’s pack did to him I wouldn’t leave my son unprotected.”

A moment later, her worlds really sink in.

My wolf raises, outrage and disbelief making his fur stand on end.

“Did you just say the people who killed Dante’s father were his pack?”

“Yes.”

That’s the most disturbing act of violence I’ve ever heard within a pack.

To harm your own, to kill them, is deplorable.

“What pack?” I ask.

Needing to know if there are other enemies lurking about for the juvenile.

“The Luciari pack in Greece. That is where we meet. There Alpha, Alfonso had a very strict view about intermingling with humans. And when he found out his nephew had claimed and impregnated a human he was furious.”

An outraged growl slips out. There are many dark spots in our history but the archaic restrictions between humans and shifters is the one that leaves the widest trail of pain.

“I’m sorry that happened to you, “Ransom soothes, “But we will find Dante.”

“Yes we will.”

“We?” I say in disbelief.

“If you think I’m going to let my son be some sick side show attraction then you’re not as smart as I thought you were,” she looks down at the phone again. “I know someone who can make a bug to track down the server.”

This is big.

It’s also a risk.

To introduce a human who has a shifter son into the fold is safe. She has a reason to keep our identity safe. But to allow another human close, is another thing altogether.

“I won’t tell them anything, they can transfer the system and you can have someone you trust use if,” she says as if she readingy mind.

I take back what I said. I do like her, my wolf says.

“Alright. Do it,” I say. “But you remain here. On my territory.”

Her spine straightens.

Ransom is quick to rush in and smooth things over, “Since you helped Gita, we need to make sure you’re not targeted. It’s safer for you on pack lands.”

“How long?” She questions

“Just until we get Dante back,” he says

I can hear the lie in my princesses voice as he speaks but luckily Sage doesn’t seem to.

Well can’t just leave the kid without the protection of a pack, but I can sense Sage’s reluctance to have her around the very same kind of people who turned on her deceased mate.

It’s understandable.

“Okay, but I want him back,” she says, crossing her arms. “And I need to leave to shut my bakery down temporarily.”

“Your gun?” I ask.

“One of your men confiscated it from me like I was a fucking active shooter.”

“Done,” I say.

Ransom goes to the door and whispers something to the enforcer manning the door before coming back.

“We’re going to have a guest room set up for you in our cabin if you are comfortable staying with us,” Ransom says.

“Sure that would be fine,” she sighs.

The door opens and IIya, our combat specialist, walks in.

“Your weapon,” he says reluctantly, handing the gun back to Sage.

She takes it from him without a word, opening the chamber and checking the barrel with expert efficiency.

Once she’s satisfied with everything she says, “Thanks.”

Before IIya can turn to leave, I stop him.“ Sage this is IIya, one of my best enforcers and a combat specialist.”

“Hello,” she says with a hint of confusion in her voice.

“IIya will be your guard as long as you hear. Hell go with you into town and take you anywhere you need.”

“Alright.”

“No argument?”

“No. Why would I fight something that makes sense? Two people together is harder to target than one alone.”

“Sensible.”

“Desperate,” she holds my stare. “I’ll do anything to get my son back.”

IIya’s eyes flick to Sage then back to me.

“Can you take Sage to our cabin and show her to the third room?”

He nods before holding the door open for her.

“I’ll contact my acquaintance and get the program for you by tonight.”

“Alright. We’ll be home tonight. If there’s anything you need don’t hesitate to ask IIya,” Ransom says.

She gives us one last look before walking out.

“The goddess is working overtime for us, Princess.”

He sits in my lap. “Looks like it.”

Now, all I have to work on is getting him to accept our bond.

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