Chapter 83 by Cara Anderson

Ch. 83 A Beautiful Dream

Colton’s POV

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The rickety little shack, one strong wind away from being reduced to firewood, was exactly as Charlie described it, and exactly where the map had so helpfully noted it would be.

If we had just happened upon the structure while venturing through the woods, I wouldn’t have trusted its structural stability enough to wander inside. But considering it may be all that stood between me and my mate, I was willing to risk just about any eventuality, even being buried under a pile of rubble.

“Let’s go.” Clay blew out on a long exhale.

“You two,” Cary pointed at a couple of the warriors accompanying us, “come with us. As soon as we find the entrance underground, wave the others in and follow us down.”

The two hulking men looked as if we’d asked them to voluntarily lay their necks on the guillotine, as untrusting of the shack’s probability to remain upright as we were. Nonetheless, they heeded their Alpha’s order, dutifully filing in behind us.

Once inside, it was immediately clear no one was meant to just “happen upon” the place and certainly weren’t meant to brave going inside if they did. Because anyone entering the dilapidated shanty would no doubt notice the nearly pristine looking oriental rug with a rippled bulge in the middle was unmistakably out of place.

“Whoever was here last wasn’t too concerned about keeping their hideout hidden.” I observed.

“Not like this place is big enough to hide an underground entrance.” Cary shrugged. “Help me pull it back.”

Clay jumped into action, taking one corner of the carpet while Cary took the other. The pair of them scooted backwards while the rest of us coughed at the plume of dust they stirred up. As soon as the air cleared, the trap door set amongst the floorboards came into view. So did the key-coded lock meant to keep us out.

“Fucking fuck fuck!” Cary’s string of expletives reflected the general consensus on the matter.

“We have guns and explosives, We can blow it to hell!” Clay offered.

“I’m willing to bet the entirety of the pack’s coffers there’s a guard on the other side of that door. We blow anything and they’ll sure as hell know we’re coming.” I pointed out.

“I don’t see a way we get in without giving up the element of surprise. We don’t have time to come up with a better idea. I say we go for it. Anyone disagree?” I couldn’t fault Clay’s logic.

“We get inside, and deal with problems as they come.” Cary agreed.

“Let’s do it.” I concurred.

I waved one of the warriors over with his firearm, explaining the plan. We bravely chose to stay inside, though the walls were likely to topple at the loud crack of gunfire. Failing this, we’d all have to evacuate in favor of a second, more powerful attempt involving a small stack of C4.

“Might want to back up, Alphas Can’t promise the bullet won’t ricochet.” He warned.

We all three took a hulking step backwards, ducking into a crouch as if we could anticipate the bullet’s path with any accuracy. As it turned out, we were in more danger from the shards of splintered wood flying than the bullet itself,

Cary leapt forward, tearing at the shattered planks and slipping his hand under the edge of the trapdoor. I wasn’t sure how much of his wolf strength he used in prying it open but it appeared to lift away effortlessly.

“Colton, wait!” I heard Clay hiss as I dropped through the opening.

But now that the first obstacle was cleared, I was going to rush headlong into the second and every one after that until I found Mallory. She wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me and it was my responsibility to rescue her. Not that I wouldn’t willingly accept my brothers’ help. I just wasn’t going to let them risk more than necessary by going first.

My feet hit a flat surface, a brightly lit landing at the top of a stairway as it turned out. As expected, a guard had been posted there, but as fate would have it, the keypad hadn’t been the only target the bullet hit. He laid there,

staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes, a trickle of blood pouring from his temple.

“Well that’s unfortunate.” Clay muttered, dropping down behind me and huddling into the compact space. We could have questioned him. He might’ve been inclined to tell us where to look with the right motivation.”

“That ship sailed.” Cary grunted. “Only the fires of hell can motivate him now.”

“Good! I hope he’s burning!” I grunted.

We descended the stairs, the footsteps of our warriors resounding behind us. The staircase opened up into a gargantuan foyer. Another, far more opulent staircase with gold-rimmed railings swept up the opposite side of the room, in direct contrast to the utilitarian passage we’d just vacated. If I wasn’t so desperate to find my mate, I might have taken a moment to appreciate the lavish decor.

“This place is enormous. We need to split up.” Cary suggested. “Colton take the ground floor and first level. Clay and I will start at the top and work our way down.”

Our warriors split off into groups, each of us taking a handful with us for back up. Clay and Cary peeled off, bounding up the stairs two at a time. An unshakable uneasiness settled like a pile of rocks in my stomach. It was too quiet. Quade’s warriors should have swarmed us by now and the fact that they hadn’t didn’t sit right with me.

I wanted to chalk up our lack of opposition to his narcissistic belief he’d hidden his tracks too well for anyone to ever find them. And maybe that was partly true. But my instincts were assaulting me with thoughts of all the other reasons he might leave such a depository of wealth unprotected.

Reasons that involved acts he didn’t want witnesses for.

“Spread out. Use stealth and don’t engage unless absolutely necessary. If you find anything, link me so we can devise a plan.” I instructed before waving them on.

My wolf hearing told me they weren’t likely to encounter trouble on the ground floor that appeared to be mostly open living space. There was most likely kitchen and dining areas on this level but a smart person wouldn’t hide there. With that thought in mind, I ran up the first flight of stairs to begin my exploration.

The staircase opened into an impossible long hallway lined with firmly closed doors. I tried the doorknob nearest me to find it locked. Stepping across the hall, I found the corresponding door in the same impassable state. Which left me with a conundrum.

If Mallory was behind one of those doors, I needed her to know I was here. But if I started banging and hollering, it might draw unwanted attention as well. Ultimately, it was a chance I would have to take.

“Mallory! Mallory, it’s Colton. Are you in there? We’re here for you, baby. Make some noise if you hear me!” I shouted, banging on doors up and down the hall.

I was halfway down the corridor and already any hope I held of finding her was fading light a candle in the wind. I forced myself to move from one door to the next, despite my dwindling faith. Then suddenly, the high-pitched wail of a woman reached my ears.

“Let go of me, fucker!” She screamed in a weak but raspy voice that sounded peculiarly familiar. I took off at a run, toward the source of the commotion only to find the hall I was in teed off into another interminably long hallway. Veering left, I ran until the shrieking she-wolf came into view, struggling in the grasp of two massive male wolves.

“Darcy?” I questioned stupidly, because of course it was her.

Even with her face swollen beyond recognition I would know the woman I’d spent two years of my life with. It wasn’t confirmation of identity I needed so much as to establish what I was seeing was real and not a nightmare I’d somehow gotten lost in.

“Colton! Colton, he’s got her!” She croaked out through parched, bleeding lips.

“Shut up, bitch!” One of the wolves covered her mouth with his hand then threw her against the wall when she bit him,

Darcy hit the ground with a hard thunk that echoed through the narrow space but I couldn’t spare her another glance.

I took advantage of the momentary distraction to launch my attack on the two behemoths in front of me. Kai was front and center in a flash and my claws were ripping at the wolf Darcy bit before he had a chance to recover.

Slinging his bloody windpipe from my hand, I stared down the other wolf. He had more warning than his comrade in arms and had already loosed his own claws, his canines dripping venom as he snarled at me. A split second passed as we glared at each other then we closed the space between us in a heartbeat.

My claws tore into the flesh of his arm while his sank into my ribs. I roared in pain but forced him back, preparing for another collision. He came at me again, but something in his path threw him off balance. I caught him by the throat as he fell while my other hand punched him in the chest. I relished the agony on his face when I squeezed his heart in my hand, but not as much as I enjoyed watching the light leave his eyes when I ripped it from his chest.

“You’re welcome.” Darcy choked out then groaned.

I looked down to see her outstretched leg, the one she’d used to trip my opponent. Tossing the still warm heart on the floor, I crouched in front of her.

“I-. I’m sorry.” She managed through gritted teeth before she passed out cold.

“Clay, Cary! She’s here!” I linked my brothers, racing down the hall the way the men had dragged Darcy from.

I banged on doors and called for Mallory with no response. Just when I’d resolved to go back and shale Darcy awake, I heard an ear-splitting scream followed by snarls and growls.

“Mallory!” I bellowed, pounding furiously on the barrier that stood between me and my mate. “Mallory! It’s Colton! Baby can you open the door?”

But the room had grown ominously quiet, the kind that sent ice skittering down my spine. I threw my body against the door, slamming into it with my shoulder over and over again but it wouldn’t budge. I could hear Clay and Cary running toward me but I didn’t stop, desperation replacing all rational thought.

“Brother, stop!” Cary slammed me against the wall and pinned me there. ” You aren’t helping her by beating yourself to a pulp uselessly trying to break down that door.” He chided.

“She’s in there and she was screaming! He’s in there with her! We have to get to her,” I heard the hysteria in my voice and I knew they felt it too.

“Shoot the lock!” Clay ordered the warrior who’d just arrived with the gun.

“No!” I panicked. “What if it hits her like the wolf we found in the stairwell?”

The warrior stepped up to examine the door, putting his ear to it and knocking. I wasn’t sure what he was listening for but he must have been satisfied with what he heard. He stepped back with a confident expression.

“That door is made of hollowed out metal. I can disable the locking mechanism without the bullet penetrating.” He affirmed.

“How certain are you?” Cary demanded.

“Ninety-nine point nine percent.” He answered resolutely.

“Are we willing to bet Mallory’s life on that one-tenth of a percent?” The bark in my tone betraying just how little I like that idea.

“What choice do we have? She could be dying in there, bleeding out. We don’t have time for another plan.” Clay countered.

“Do it!” I ordered the man with the gun.

The ping of the bullet was surprisingly quiet. After all we’d gone through to get to Mallory, I’d expected some kind of booming announcement to foreshadow our success. But I didn’t stop to contemplate it, barreling through to be the first one through the door.

Nothing could have prepared me for the scene that greeted me. Mallory laid on the carpeted floor, a study in blood and fur. Flesh still clung to her claws and one glance at the groaning man lying beside her left no doubt where it came from, Quade was literally sliced to ribbons, one hand mangled and hanging from his wrist at an unnatural angle.

“Mallory!” I dropped to my knees beside her, placing her head in my lap.

My brothers surrounded us, all three of us stroking her hair, her face, her fur- lined arms. Clay and Cary spoke to her in whispered words, coaxing her back to us. But all I could do was weep as I surveyed all the harm I’d caused her to suffer.

“Mate!” Kai whimpered in my head.

And as if my wolf calling to hers had been the siren’s call she needed to rouse her from sleep, her eyelids fluttered open. She stared at me longingly for a full minute before her lips parted and her hand reached up to caress my face.

“A beautiful dream.” She sighed contentedly.

Then her hand dropped away and she drifted off again.