Chapter 10

ZACH

Zach glanced around warily, his eyes identifying all the directions an assault could be launched from.

They were standing outside an abandoned warehouse, smack in the middle of the industrial sector of the city.

It was dusk, and there were very few workers around, most of them having left for the day for the safety of their homes.

Zach subtly lifted his head, aware that every movement was being watched, and scented the air.

The stench of Gray Wing was strong, mingling with that of the few humans that continued to loiter.

Zach turned to look at Jonathan and Deirdre standing behind him, both lieutenants silent and expressionless as they watched their alpha’s back.

Zach hated that they were basically acting like his bodyguards, but Alex had argued the possibility that this was all an elaborate attempt to endanger Zach’s life.

In the end, Alex had threatened to tie Zach to a chair and come there himself if Zach didn’t take appropriate precautions.

“They’re expecting a fight,” Zach remarked quietly, making sure his voice didn’t carry. “There’s too many of them.”

Jon nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning the area thoroughly. “Our own soldiers are in position, hidden downwind.”

“Good.” Zach’s eyes were fastened on the open door of the warehouse in front of them.

There was no movement or even sound, and Zach felt apprehension run through him. What exactly were they going to find in there?

They hadn’t received any information on Anna’s welfare since Blake Williams called to inform Zach of her whereabouts.

The other alpha had sworn that she was fine and unharmed, but Zach wasn’t going to believe that until he could see her for himself.

“Deirdre, lead us in.”

The lieutenant nodded, immediately walking ahead of Zach. Jon fell into step behind Zach, ensuring that his alpha’s back was covered.

They stepped through the door. Zach’s eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting and fastened onto Blake, who was standing in the middle of the room, his second at his side.

Zach looked over them quickly before shifting his gaze around the place, taking note of any locations that would make a good defense or, in the worst-case scenario, an escape route.

The trio finally reached the middle of the room, stopping across from the Gray Wing shifters.

Jon and Deirdre positioned themselves so that their bodies were angled with their backs slightly to Zach, giving them clear views of the rest of the warehouse and the open door behind them.

“Thank you for coming, Thomas.” Blake’s voice was smooth and casual, but it grated against Zach’s nerves.

He felt his eyebrow twitch slightly in irritation but kept his expression impassive as he gazed at the other alpha.

The silence stretched out, and after a moment, Blake looked away, unable to maintain eye contact.

Zach felt smug at the action, knowing it was an admittance that he was the more dominant of the two shifters.

“Where is my pack member?” Zach tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

He relaxed his shoulders, appearing to look casual even though every muscle in his body was tense, ready to spring into action at the slightest threat.

“She is unharmed, as I promised. Anna is just in the back room over there.” Blake casually indicated a door over his shoulder.

“You’ll have to excuse all of our security measures, but we were unsure of how your pack would react to the, uh, the incident.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, neither he nor his second making a move to retrieve Anna.

Zach felt his anger simmer dangerously, and something must have shown on his face because Blake lowered his head slightly to avoid looking at Zach head-on.

“Look, we just want you to understand that Gray Wing had nothing to do with this. The pack members that were involved have been suitably”—he paused, smirking maliciously at his second—“punished.”

Zach had reached the limit of his patience, a snarl leaving his lips as he snapped, “Get our pack member out here now.”

Jon shifted slightly, and Zach felt a hand grab his shoulder, a reminder to keep his cool. He continued talking, a little more calmly.

“No retribution will be meted out today, but of course, I’ll be speaking to Anna before anything is decided officially.”

Blake attempted to stare Zach down, but he broke away with a growl, snapping at his second to go get Anna.

The four of them waited in tense silence for a minute before he returned, pulling a rope that was tied around Anna’s wrists.

She was blindfolded, stumbling as the second pulled the rope, but he didn’t let up or even look behind him.

Zach growled deeply, his eyes roving over Anna.

He noted the dirt covering the visible skin of her face that was only disturbed by tear tracks, the messy, unbrushed hair, and the raw, red skin that was peeking out from under the ropes that bound her wrists together.

Anna tripped, going down on one knee with a cry, and Blake’s second swung around with a frustrated growl.

He reached out a hand to grab her roughly, but just before his fingers could clamp around her arm, everyone in the room froze.

Zach became aware of the loud growling that was echoing throughout the room. At around the same moment, he realized the noise was originating from his own chest.

The second glanced fearfully between Zach and his own alpha, his fingers hovering just above Anna’s arm.

Blake cleared his throat, slowly approaching the two and gently helping Anna off the ground.

He walked Anna to Zach before quickly backing away with his palms held up in a gesture of peace.

“Here, she’s returned in one piece, so let’s be done with this mess.”

Zach ignored him, sweeping Anna into his arms.

She was stiff until she caught his scent, and almost immediately, he felt her body sag in relief against his.

Zach glanced at his two lieutenants, who both nodded at his silent communication before he turned on his heel and strode out of the warehouse without another word.

He was aware of Jon and Deirdre following him, ensuring that no Gray Wing members made a move toward them, and he was aware of the other alpha’s eyes following them as they disappeared through the door.

However, he ignored all of it, his focus completely on the woman trembling in his arms.

No one spoke until they reached the SUV. Zach quickly slid Anna into the back seat before hopping in next to her.

Deirdre took the passenger seat while Jon got behind the wheel. He wasted no time before peeling away from the warehouse, tires screeching.

Zach felt some of the tension leave his body as they left Gray Wing behind, and he turned to Anna so that he could remove the bindings from her wrists.

He rubbed the raw skin gently before reaching up to remove the blindfold.

Large green eyes blinked up at Zach, filling with tears before Anna launched herself at Zach.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, her body shuddering as she gave in to the sobs racking her frame.

Zach pulled her fully into his lap, his arms curling around her body.

“Deirdre, tell everyone to fall back except for two,” he murmured softly as he cupped the back of Anna’s head, his hand stroking over the knotted hair.

“I want them to follow the Gray Wing alpha and see what he does next.”

After a while, the sobs stopped racking Anna’s small body, and she fell quiet as she rested against Zach’s chest.

He continued to stroke a hand over her head, watching as the scenery outside soon turned from urban to the forest, his feeling of contentment increasing the closer they got to the den.

He glanced down at the sleeping Anna, his eyes trailing over the long eyelashes resting on her pale, dirty cheeks and the bags under her eyes that made them seem bruised.

Zach smiled softly, relief and pride blooming within his chest. She was a strong girl, no matter what she thought.

She hadn’t given in to her emotions until she was safe, and Zach was inexplicably happy that his arms meant safety to her.

He relaxed against the car seat, enjoying the weight of her small body against his as he thought about everything that had happened over the past couple of days.

Steph had contacted him the moment that Piper had informed her that Anna was missing.

Zach had felt like someone had sucker-punched him in the gut before a feeling of helplessness had overtaken him.

He had taken a long time to calm down, his wolf raging at the idea of anyone taking his mate and hurting her.

He had known, almost immediately, that Gray Wing was responsible. Who else could have possibly been that stupid?

Zach had quickly organized an emergency meeting with the lieutenants at the den, making plans for Alex to take over for him while he went to the city to help search for Anna.

At Alex’s insistence, Zach had waited impatiently for a search team to be put together, and after everyone had piled into the cars, Zach shifted.

He ran behind Deirdre’s SUV, knowing that there was no way that he could think clearly until he let some of his aggression out somehow.

Close to an hour later, he started to slow down and had mind-linked Deirdre to pull over.

Once they had arrived at the pack house, Jon had set up a command center for the search team in a conference room.

There was an array of monitors, all accessing CCTV footage and trying to catch sight of Anna and where she could have gone.

Zach didn’t ask Jon how he had gotten access to the footage, and Jon didn’t volunteer to offer the information.

Before long, although Zach had argued differently at the time, they had found the footage of Anna coming out of the shopping center and sitting on a bench.

She had sat there, looking exhausted, for around five minutes before suddenly sitting upright, her head jerking as she looked around.

She had been looking in confusion at the entrance to the shopping center when a woman approached from the opposite direction.

Even through the grainy camera footage, Zach was able to see the similarities between the two women and that the unknown woman looked haggard and unkempt.

She had spoken to Anna, who had jerked her head around to look at the woman.

Zach wished there was sound because, barely a minute later, the woman had grabbed Anna’s arm and started forcibly dragging her down the street.

Anna hadn’t fought back at all, but knowing some of Anna’s history, that wasn’t a complete surprise.

A brief moment of doubt had caused Zach to wonder if Anna had decided to go back to Gray Wing, but in less than a second, he had shaken the doubt off.

There was no way she would have willingly gone back, not after everything they had done to her.

Leaving Jon to trace Anna and the other woman’s movements on the monitors, Zach and Steph sat down with the search team to come up with a plan of action.

Just then, Blake had called, saying that he had something that belonged to Zach.

He claimed that his pack members, Anna’s family, had acted without his authorization and that he would return Anna without expecting anything in return.

Zach took everything Blake had said with a grain of salt because the timing of this kidnapping was just too damn convenient.

Anna’s treatment in Gray Wing, the timing of her transfer to Silver River, and then this kidnapping…

Something was completely off, and Blake had refused to elaborate on the reason Anna had been taken.

Despite his doubts, Zach was desperate to get Anna back and had agreed to meet with the other alpha with limited soldiers, no weapons, and no casualties.

Anna groaned in her sleep, shifting on Zach’s lap and drawing him back to the present. He pulled her tighter, his lips pursed into a tight line.

He knew that Blake was up to something and that this, whatever it was, wasn’t over yet.

The Gray Wing alpha had been too eager to make sure that the two packs remained on good terms, something that had never concerned Blake before, considering he was an egotistical jackass who had always wanted to be the top alpha.

He had plagued Phillip, the previous Silver River alpha, by interfering in their business and financial dealings.

Blake had constantly tried to push Silver River’s influence out of the city, but he had never been successful, and it had angered them.

When Zach had been forced to take over as alpha at sixteen, Blake had grown even bolder and increased his attacks tenfold.

They had managed to keep him at bay, but it had been a relief after Jonathan had joined the pack.

He had educated himself so that he could launch his own attacks on Gray Wing, which was one of the reasons he mostly resided in the city.

Gray Wing had always been on the lookout to one-up Silver River. That was why this whole situation didn’t make sense. Blake had returned Anna without asking for anything in return…

As the vehicle pulled up to the den’s large garage bay, Zach pushed the thoughts away, deciding that he would deal with the Blake situation later.

He watched as the camouflage doors, situated inside the rock face of the mountain, slowly rose.

Jon moved the car inside, finding an empty parking bay among the ten other identical SUVs that filled the garage.

As the sound of the engine was cut off, Jon jumped out of the car and quickly walked to the back door. He leaned in to gently take Anna from Zach’s arms and lift her out of the car.

He stepped backward and waited as Zach climbed out and approached him. The alpha gently took Anna back, cradling her high against his chest.

He quietly thanked his lieutenants for their help before telling Jon, “Take a day if you need to before you head back. We’ll meet for a debrief later tonight.”

They both nodded, and Zach turned, walking through the garage until he reached the door that led farther into the den.

Zach glanced down at Anna, who hadn’t stirred at all. The light from the hallway seemed to highlight the dark rings under her eyes.

Zach felt a fresh surge of anger toward Gray Wing and everything that they had done…not just in the past few days but throughout her entire life.

He was still missing a lot of details on everything she had been through, and as she snuggled deeper into his arms, he was determined that he would find out soon.

***

ANNA

Anna blinked her eyes open, feeling as if her eyelids were covered in sandpaper. She was sick of waking up and feeling like she had been hit by a truck.

She glanced around as she sat up, relief flooding her on seeing the familiar room. She was home.

Anna couldn’t wait to get into a hot shower, her muscles protesting as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.

She could tell without even looking that her hair resembled a bird’s nest and her lips were extremely dry and cracked.

Anna didn’t want to even imagine what the rest of her looked like.

She started moving toward the bathroom when she heard a noise like two plates banging against each other.

She froze, her heart racing as she stared at the archway that led to her kitchen.

She couldn’t see anyone, but the noise had definitely come from there.

Anna started looking around frantically, wondering what she could use as a weapon.

She started to picture Blake, naked and covered in the blood of her parents. Could he have penetrated the den? What if he was here to take her back?

Or maybe to kill her, like her mother…

Anna yelped in fright when Zach suddenly appeared in the archway, holding a tray of food.

He gave her a curious look before moving farther into the room and setting the tray on the bed.

He slowly moved toward her, like he was approaching a wild animal, reaching out to touch her arm.

“Anna, what’s wrong?” he asked gently. “Your heart is pounding.” Anna placed a hand over her chest, where she could feel the truth of his words.

Slowly, as if calmed by his nearness, the thundering was settling into a steady patter.

“I... I didn’t realize that you were here. I thought, for a second, I thought that maybe Blake had…”

She trailed off, feeling a bit ridiculous voicing her fears out loud. “You made me breakfast?”

Zach looked at her with compassionate eyes before offering a crooked smile and leading her back toward the bed.

“It was supposed to be breakfast in bed, but you ruined that a little bit,” he joked as Anna sat down and picked up a bit of toast with jam on it.

“Where did you get all the food from? My cupboards were pretty bare before I left.”

Zach glanced at her, his eyes glinting mischievously as he sat next to her on the bed.

“I raided the kitchen stores and got thoroughly told off for it, I’ll have you know.”

Anna laughed, enjoying his playfulness while it lasted. It would only be a matter of time before he got down to business and started asking questions about everything that had happened.

She smiled as she watched Zach swipe a piece of toast, raising her eyebrows when he demolished it in two bites.

He shrugged at her before taking another piece.

“I haven’t eaten. I can make you some more if you like.”

“No, that’s okay,” she replied, picking up a glass of orange juice and taking a sip. “I’m not too hungry.”

Zach nodded thoughtfully, finishing his second piece of toast before looking around the room.

“I like your taste in furniture. The room looks way better,” he remarked and Anna looked around in shock.

How had she not noticed that all the furniture had been delivered?

There was a black entertainment unit in the corner with a small flat-screen TV perched on it. Facing it was a gray settee with blue floral cushions in each corner. A maple wood coffee table with a flower on it sat in between the TV and settee.

There was a touch lamp on either bedside table. Anna eyed the closet door, making a mental note to go through it as soon as Zach left.

She couldn’t even remember what clothes she had bought!

“I didn’t even notice when I woke up. How did it all get here?”

“Once it got delivered here, Piper set it all up.” Zach sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees.

“She was feeling pretty guilty. She felt like if she had just gone with you when you left, you wouldn’t have gotten taken.”

“I’ll talk to her.” Anna sighed softly. “It’s definitely not her fault that I have a psycho family.”

“We need to talk about it, Anna. I need to know what happened so that I can decide what we’ll do next.”

Anna nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but Zach interrupted her before she could start.

“All of it, Anna. Not just the kidnapping but before you came to Silver River.” He looked at her, his expression grim.

She swallowed hard. “I know, Zach. I should have told you before, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I think something more serious than just your ‘psychotic family’ is going on here.” Zach stared at Anna seriously. “And I think, maybe, the key to figuring that out lies in your history.”