Spirit Wolves - 22. Chapter 22

With the news of Caleb's betrayal, Sebastian immediately turned to Zev. “Are you alright?”

Zev looked dazed. He shook his head and let Ben enfold him, dropping his head to his chest. His alpha was a traitor.

Realizing how it looked he tried to reassure the upset shifter. “Zev, it’ll be okay. We’ve got you.”

If Caleb truly was a traitor, then Elijah’s cover was blown. Caleb knew they had planted Elijah. That also meant Wayne and Sandi might be in danger too. Christ on a cracker, this was bad.

Sebastian had to act quickly. He yanked his phone from his pocket and sent out a mass text to his pack, knowing every able-bodied man and woman would respond to his call.

Next he called Rosalie, who answered on the first ring. He asked her if Silas and Jack were around. It took a few minutes, but when they joined in, Sebastian relayed what they had just found out. It was easy to hear the disbelief and disappointment in Silas’ voice when he expressed his surprise.

“Silas, do you think there are other shifters in your pack that are compromised? We need reinforcements that we can trust.”

“I don’t think so. There aren’t very many in this pack capable of hiding a lie. I’m sure Caleb must be masking his scent. I can’t trust my nose anymore though, one of the pitfalls of getting old. I know Ronan can be trusted. That boy doesn’t have a deceitful bone in his body. I’ll get him to help round up some help for you. How long do I have?”

“I need them here yesterday,” Sebastian replied, his response more than emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

“Alright, Jack and I will have a group on the road within a couple of hours.”

Sebastian ended the call and sighed.

“We’re going to war, aren’t we?” Hunter stated what appeared to be a fairly obvious rhetorical question.

“Looks that way,” Sebastian answered. “We’ve got work to do. Lisa, thank you so much for your help. I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“Nonsense! If everything that you’ve told me about these assholes is true, then they need to be stopped. We can’t run the risk of all of humankind finding out about us. It would be the beginning of the end for all supernaturals. I’ve got some friends who will help. Let’s figure out where we can get everyone gathered together and I’ll call them. Most can be here by tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you,” Sebastian said. He was so grateful for her and hoped she knew it.. “So does anyone have any ideas where we can find somewhere to gather a bunch of pissed off, ready to fight shifters?”

You could hear a pin drop for several heartbeats until Ben spoke up.

“What about the ski resort? We can see if they have one of those rooms that are used for conferences and weddings.”

“Call them and see if that’s an option. Let them know I’ll pay whatever extra fees are necessary. We’ll need it first thing in the morning, so see if they can provide breakfast. We can let them know how many later today,” Sebastian said.

“Do I need to book any rooms too?”

Sebastian shook his head. “No, anyone who makes it tonight can sleep here. It won’t be the first time I’ve turned a house into a den.”

Hunter looked up from his phone. “Kellan and I will make a run down to Coeur d’Alene. There’s a Costco. We’ll stock up on food and supplies.”

Ben got Sebastian’s attention and muted his phone. “They can accommodate us. They need your credit card.”

Sebastian grabbed his wallet off of the counter and handed Ben the card so he could take care of securing the space at the lodge.

The next few hours were spent getting the house ready for a convergence of wolves. While Hunter and Kellan made the food run, the other four rearranged furniture to maximize the available floor space. Lisa pitched in, helping to clean and moving stuff around.

They cleared out the shed at the back of the house. It was full of random yard crap, most of which they got rid of. Clean, it was big enough to easily accommodate twenty or more wolves.Sebastian’s call for reinforcements would bring a small army to the house.

He texted Hunter and asked him to stop at a thrift store and get as many blankets and comforters as he could. Wolves weren’t too picky about where they slept as long as they were warm and dry.. Their human sides, however, would appreciate the extra soft layers between them and the hard floor.

Checking the cameras again, he saw there wasn’t much activity at the old mine. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Earlier Sebastian sent a text to Wayne, and so far there had been no response. That was worrisome.

Hunter and Kellan returned midafternoon. After unloading the truck, they accepted Ben’s help and immediately started cooking in anticipation of an influx of people. They were expecting about twenty shifters this evening and another forty or fifty by morning. With everyone arriving at different times, it was easier to have food available and already cooked so they could heat it up as they came in.

As the afternoon wore on, Sebastian became increasingly worried that something happened to Wayne and Sandi. It was in the back of his mind that there was a possibility that they were in cahoots with Caleb. He kept his concerns to himself for the moment, not wanting to worry the others.

Early evening arrived with the first wave of shifters. It was the group that Silas and Jack had pulled together with Ronan’s help. Jack Porter greeted everyone and quickly enveloped his son and Reilly into a bear hug.

Sebastian saw Reilly’s forehead wrinkle with worry when he caught sight of Nick and Shawn getting out of one of the SUVs. Kellan’s brothers were barely on the cusp of adulthood, not old enough in his mind to be dealing with all this danger. They probably hounded their father into letting them come. His gaze shot to Kellan who was also frowning at his young siblings.

Kellan’s dad leaned over and whispered in his ear. His shoulders dropped. No doubt his father was explaining that all young wolves grow up, like Kellan once did. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and Kellan looked resigned to the fact. They were growing up, almost adults. There wasn’t really anything he could do about it. Sebastian was sympathetic. Never an easy feat.

There were twenty-four able-bodied shifters in this group. They had crammed into three large SUVs. All of them were relieved to get out of the cramped space they had been confined to for several hours.

Nearly half of the contingency came from Sebastian’s pack, including Doc, who looked worried as he spoke quietly with Sebastian. The remainder were members of Caleb’s pack that Ronan and Silas had recruited. Everyone had been truly shocked to hear of Caleb’s treachery. The easy-going redhead seemed to be taking it pretty hard. He had a bit of hero worship going on for his Alpha.

All day there had been very little activity at the mine site. While it didn’t necessarily mean that something was wrong, it wasn’t exactly good news either. All it did was increase everyone’s anxiety.

That anxiety spiked when Sebastian’s phone rang, showing an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?”

After a brief pause Sebastian put the phone on speaker. It was Wayne.

“Sebastian, you need to watch out for Caleb, he’s working with Alberts and Belland,” Wayne said, his voice hushed and hurried.

“We already know. Are you and Sandi okay?”

“For now, but they took our phones. I sort of borrowed this one from one of the guys they sent to bring us food. I’ll delete the call, don’t worry. He’ll just think it fell out of his pocket.”

“You guys need to get out of there as soon as you can.”

“We’re working on it. They moved us to the main house so the pack could ‘lend their support in this trying time’. What a bunch of bullshit. They’re watching us pretty close, but believe me, Reilly’s brothers? Well, let’s just say they’re more than a few instruments short of an orchestra. Dustin got left behind and he’s pissed that he drew the babysitting straw. He’s gonna make a mistake. As soon as he does, we’re gone.”

“Just be careful, and be smart,” Sebastian told him.

“That’s why I have Sandi with me. She’s the one who made it a point to memorize the new phone numbers. You guys be careful too.”

Sebastian ended the call and his shoulders dropped slightly, releasing a bit of the tension that had built up. Reilly leaned into his side. Sebastian pulled him close, inhaling deeply and planting a kiss on top of his mate’s head. His wolf thumped his tail.

“I’m glad they’re okay,” Reilly murmured.

Sebastian relished the brief moment of connection before getting back to business at hand.

New arrivals from both packs were fed as they came through the door. A group of Lisa’s friends arrived as well. The younger shifters volunteered to sleep in the shed, letting the older ones have the comfort of the house. The shed wasn’t too bad, a few space heaters warmed it up enough to be comfortable for wolves. They huddled together for comfort.

Most everyone had settled down by ten o’clock. Ben and Kellan were talking quietly in the kitchen as they cleaned up.. Once they finished, they joined their mates and caught a few hours of sleep.

The house started coming to life around five a.m. Ronan was the first up and got the coffee started. Hunter and Kellan bought disposable insulated cups with lids and as each pot was done, cups were filled and immediately claimed by sleepy shifters.

The living room looked as if a fur ball had exploded. After everyone shifted back to human, blankets and comforters were hauled outside to be shaken out and a few of the pack swept up as best they could. Who knew wolves shed so much while they slept?

The banquet room would be ready for them to use at six-thirty. Food would be brought out at seven. When they got to the lodge they were directed down a hallway. It wasn’t ideal, there was no way of soundproofing the room, so Sebastian assigned two of his pack members to stand by the doors to make sure no one was let in while they discussed saving Elijah and putting a stop to the whole operation.

It wasn’t long before the room was filled with the scent of breakfast items the hotel provided, buffet style. Conversation was quiet while everyone ate and waited for the rest of the shifters to arrive.

By eight o'clock nearly eighty shifters were gathered, most having traveled through the night. Sebastian hoped it would be enough for what he was going to propose.

When everyone had eaten their fill, Sebastian nodded at the four shifters whom he had assigned to guard the doors. When it was as secure as it was going to get he stood at the front of the room and addressed the pack.

“Thank you all for coming. I’m not sure if you’re all aware of what is going on, but there are at least two members of the High Council that are involved in a kidnapping and sex trafficking operation. Over the past few years, young pups have gone missing. They were taken and most likely experimented on and exploited. Harold Alberts and Oswald Belland capitalized on what was most likely an accidental discovery of how to stop a youngster’s change in mid-shift. We believe they are selling or possibly prostituting these young pups out to deviants. We’re pretty sure they include humans.”

There was an angry rumble that ran through the crowd.

Sebastian continued. “We planted a shapeshifter into the pack that we know is responsible for the discovery. It’s my mate’s old pack, run by his father Peter Nichols. Nichols had help from some top scientists. We’re not sure how far along they are, but we do know that they need to be stopped.”

This time a rumble of agreement rippled through the crowd.

“What do you need us to do Alpha?” A voice rang out from the back.

“What I’m about to ask of all of you is dangerous. I will not hold it against anybody if you choose not to participate. From the blueprints we have, there is only one way into the main building where Elijah is being held. The back way through the old mine itself is not feasible. We’re going to go in through the front door. We hit them fast and we hit them hard. I’m hoping that if we take them by surprise it will give us an advantage, which we desperately need. We really have no idea of how many people are currently in there and whether or not they have any weapons.”

The lights dimmed and the large screen behind Sebastian lit up with an image of the mine and its surroundings. Using a laser pointer, Sebastian highlighted the approaches they would use.. He, Reilly, Hunter and Kellan would drive up to the front door and barge right in. Zev and Ben would take half the available wolves and come in from the ridge. Ronan and Jack would lead the rest and come in from the east side of the property. The forest was thicker there, thick enough that the security patrols couldn’t get their snowmobiles through the vegetation. Wolves, however, wouldn’t have a problem slinking through the brush.

“How soon did you want to do this?” one of Lisa’s friends asked.

“As soon as we can get everyone into place.”

Not one single shifter backed out. Everyone vowed to see this through. It was a determined group that spent the remainder of the morning dividing into two teams and studying their approaches. Each team had a few members who would stay in human form. They were highly skilled marksmen and would provide gun power as backup in case they encountered a fire fight. Two sharpshooters were among the ranks and used satellite images to decide that one would be positioned on the ridge to cover the front and the other near the old mine entrance, which was supposed to be tightly secured. Without being able to check it themselves, Sebastian wanted to make sure all bases were covered, just in case someone on the inside tried to escape. He knew if he was holed up inside a facility like the one they were planning on storming, he would want a plan B escape route. Alberts and Belland didn’t get this far by throwing caution to the wind.

The most difficult part would be getting nearly eighty shifters into place without alerting the locals. It wasn’t like they could shift right there and let their wolves cover the terrain. They ended up packing as many people into as few vehicles as possible. In the end, they managed to get everyone into six of the largest trucks. They used the vehicles as cover to shift, and considering that wolves generally took up less space than humans, they managed to get ten to twelve wolves into the trucks that had protective covers over their beds. The remainder, including the marksmen, stayed human and squeezed into the extended cabs.

Thankfully everyone was parked at the farthest end of the big parking lot where they were less likely to be noticed. By the time the group was loaded up and ready to head out, a light snow had started to fall.

Sebastian would keep in contact with Zev, Ben, Jack and Ronan, who would coordinate the attacks from their sides once they were in position and got the go-ahead from Sebastian.

Doc, in a sneaky maneuver, declared that he would need two shifters to help him set up a makeshift hospital back at the house. There were sure to be injuries and he had packed a bunch of supplies, preparing for almost anything. He volunteered Nick and Shawn to help him. Reilly caught the sly wink that Doc shot at Sebastian. No wonder Kellan hadn’t put up a huge stink, Jack must’ve told him about this plan yesterday. Nick and Shawn knew better than to argue with Doc, but the look of disappointment on their faces was clear.

Sebastian was the last one to leave the parking lot. Reilly sat in the passenger seat and Hunter and Kellan were in the backseat. No conversation was necessary, each man lost in his own thoughts, mentally preparing themselves for what they might encounter.

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Reilly reached over and put his hand on Sebastian’s knee. He needed the contact. His day of reckoning was upon him and the knowledge that he was going to have to face his family had his heart rate spiking. They had caused so much pain and suffering, and not just physically. The mental and emotional torment had been brutal. Instinctively Sebastian’s hand covered his and squeezed. In such a short time his mate knew him so well.

Sebastian pulled the truck over when they were outside of Nichols’ territory. The mine facility was only a couple of miles away. They waited for the texts that would let them know the other two teams were in place and ready to go.

Twenty minutes went by before Sebastian’s phone beeped. Zev and Ben were ready. Ten minutes later Jack signaled his team was in place. Sebastian looked at Reilly and then turned his gaze to Hunter and Kellan in the back. His hand reached out to the middle and Reilly placed his under it, then, Hunter and Kellan placed theirs underneath as well. It was silently understood that a few miles away, Zev and Ben were holding hands too. Sebastian’s energy was palpable as his wolf released a wave of emotion. Pride, determination, confidence and strength flowed through Sebastian and into the others, bonding them together into one unit, ready to fight.

“Let’s do this,” Sebastian said, breaking the contact and shifting the truck into drive. They knew the moment they passed the invisible line delineating the border of Nichols’ territory. Reilly felt it, a slight change in the air pressure, pushing heavier on them. The truck gained speed, covering the last half mile as fast as Sebastian dared. The teams knew to start moving in as soon as the truck was in sight.

As soon as the truck came to a stop, Reilly leaped out and ran for the door to open it. Earlier, Sebastian had gone through the footage from the other day when they saw the large crate delivered. He’d managed to zoom in on the keypad and got the code to unlock the door. When Sebastian called out the numbers, Reilly shook his head in disbelief. His fucking father used his mom’s birthday. Arrogant son of a bitch.

Reilly poked the numbers, hoping that if his mom’s energy was still around, she would help protect his newfound family. A loud buzz indicated the door was unlocked and he flung both doors open, kicking the door stopper down on one and holding the other open. The three others shifted, leaving a trail of shredded clothing behind. They were barely through the front entrance when they were joined by dozens of wolves, streaming down from the ridge and through the dense forest on the east side of the property.

Inside, chaos erupted. The commotion drew out humans and shifters alike, heads poking out of offices only to quickly retreat. Doors slammed and locks were thrown. Growls and snarls were heard as the shifters inside swiftly called on their wolves to protect what they considered theirs.

Reilly shifted once everyone was inside and quickly entered the mayhem. Dodging sharp claws and gnashing teeth, he let his nose lead the way. He was never so grateful to have that particular sense back. It was the only way to tell the difference between friend and foe.

The facility was heavily populated, more than they expected. It was a good thing they had attacked with as many shifters as they had. It seemed as if Alberts and Belland had planned a defense response if needed. Wolves, obviously trained to fight, took up positions guarding the stairways to the other levels.

Reilly caught up to Sebastian as he fought three decent sized wolves. Jumping into the fray, he managed to latch his jaws on to the neck of a large gray and black wolf who’d been trying to get to Sebastian’s underbelly. No fucking way was anyone going to rip out his mate’s innards!

Reilly’s wolf attacked, biting down hard on the enemy’s throat until warm blood sprayed from the jugular vein he’d managed to tear. The blood squirted out with each heartbeat, each pulse less forceful than one before it as the life quickly drained out of the beast.

Reilly’s head whipped around, hearing a sharp crack, followed by a high pitched yelp. Sebastian snapped the neck of one of the wolves and had the other pinned by the throat. The yelp turned into a whine as the wolf went limp, submitting to his superior.

Reilly was in awe of his mate. The gorgeous black fur was ruffled, hackles raised, making the Alpha seem much larger. His tail weaved back and forth a few times, the silver, white and mahogany strands on the end seemed to shimmer. His white legs were streaked with blood, none of it his. Sebastian was the most terrifyingly beautiful sight Reilly had ever seen.

Sebastian let go and the defeated wolf was herded down the hall by one of Sebastian’s pack who’d just shown up. They were all under orders that any wolf that submitted would be allowed to live. Reilly felt Sebastian give him a quick sniff, making sure he was unharmed, then licked some of the blood that was streaking his muzzle.

Reilly gave Sebastian a nudge, and then stood up on his hind legs, front paws pushing the bar to open the door to the stairwell. Together they made their way down to where they thought Elijah might be held. Several other pack members followed them, ready to fight whatever was ahead.

There had still been no sign of Alberts, Belland, Reilly’s father or brothers, but there were still a lot of places left that they hadn’t accessed yet.

They attacked as soon as they opened the door at the bottom of the stairwell. It was apparent that the defenses were quickly put into place. Belland brought in wolves that had been trained to fight. It was all Reilly could do to defend himself. He was locked into a fight with a wolf nearly as big as Sebastian. The brute strength of the animal threatened to overwhelm him more than once. A sharp pain burst across his flank as his attacker dug in with his sharp claws, before adding teeth that punctured his skin. Streaks of red appeared, marring the white fur.

“Fuck that!” Reilly thought. A quick flash of pain was nothing compared to the agony he had survived when his own family had tortured him. It was, however, enough to get him pissed off, and being pissed off gave him a burst of energy that had his smaller, more agile body twisting around. He leaped to the side and pushed off the wall, propelling himself over the larger wolf. As soon as he hit the floor he dropped down low and rolled onto his back. When the bigger wolf turned to attack, Reilly was right there, sliding under him, raking his claws along the unprotected soft belly, eviscerating the beast in one long swipe.

The fatal injury claimed the wolf in only a few heartbeats. Reilly stood up and shook himself off, blood, both his and the other wolf’s sprayed out onto the walls.

A sharp bark caught his attention. Kellan’s wolf had just dispatched a pair of brown wolves and Hunter was handing off another who’d submitted. Sebastian was panting heavily, having defeated three wolves that had attacked him simultaneously.

The battle had been raging for at least an hour. Slowly but steadily Sebastian’s impromptu army gained the upper hand. The number of submissions increased as their opponents realized that they were outnumbered. By the time the dust had settled, the facility’s population had decreased by seventeen deaths. Thirty-eight others were alive, having surrendered willingly. The majority were the scientists and support personnel that had been involved in the day to day operation of the place. All of the dead had been hired for protection.

Sebastian’s crew had not gone unscathed. They lost four of their own, three from Caleb’s pack and one of Lisa’s friends. Everyone else sported cuts and bruises, along with a few broken bones. All were injuries that would heal quickly, leaving no permanent marks.

Still in wolf form, Sebastian and Reilly surveyed the damaged group. Hunter and Kellan picked their way through the battered crowd followed by Zev and Ben, and when they joined their Alpha and his mate, a gasp went up from more than one of the captured shifters.

The four wolves, interwoven coloring mirroring each other, plus the two blond wolves with similar highlights, made for a spectacular sight. There was no doubt that the connection between them was strong. The air vibrated with the energy. The captured wolves barely dared to breathe.

Sebastian let the group get a good look at them before shifting seamlessly back to his human self. The other five followed suit and they were just as imposing standing there naked. Ronan and Jack came in with arms full of medical scrubs. They had raided the laundry area and confiscated whatever clean clothes they could find. A few wolves had to go shirtless, but soon everyone was dressed as best they could be.

When Reilly shifted back to human, his left hip was scored with three long, angry looking red welts. The bleeding had stopped. The redness and soreness would be gone by tomorrow.

They gathered all of the wolves that had submitted their surrender in the large common area. They had still not come across Elijah. Alberts, Belland, Nichols, his sons and Caleb were unaccounted for as well.

Sebastian looked around the room at those who surrendered. “Who is the medical staff here?” He demanded.

After a moment’s pause, probably to weigh the pros and cons of speaking up, a tall, but stocky man spoke up. “I’m Gary Powell, the head researcher.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed as he pinned the man under a scathing gaze. “Gather your staff in the corner. I want some answers,” he growled.

It took a few minutes, but eventually six shifters owned up to being part of the medical group. Powell identified three research assistants, and two ‘handlers’. He explained that it was the handlers job to take care of their subjects. They made sure they were fed, kept clean and drugged into obedience.

“Where are the pups?” Sebastian’s tone was deadly.

Powell hesitated, not sure who he considered more dangerous, Sebastian or Alberts. He chose wisely when he answered, “They’re on the bottom sub-level.”

Another level? It hadn’t been on the blueprints, so it was pretty safe to assume that the sub-level had been created long after the blueprints had been drawn up. They had known that there was a chance that the information they had obtained could be wrong, they had just hoped that it wasn’t the case.

“How do we get there?” Reilly asked. He wasn’t the only one who could see that Sebastian’s temper was simmering at the surface and it wouldn’t take much to ignite it.

“In the main lab there’s a breaker panel on the far wall, all the way in the corner. The second to last breaker on the right, flip it and it will open the access door hidden in the wall. There are no guards down there right now. You killed them all,” Powell sneered.

“What about your boss and his little posse? Are they down there too, hiding maybe?”

Powell scoffed. “Hiding? Doubtful. They all left before you showed up. They’re long gone by now.”

Sebastian gave Jack and Ronan orders to secure all the shifters that had been captured. They would be dealt with later.

Sebastian grabbed Reilly’s hand and led the way to the lab, one floor down. Reilly spotted the breaker box immediately and went over to flip the switch. For a moment nothing happened. Then suddenly there was a low rumble of a motor and a floor to ceiling panel opened in the wall, the seams hidden by the old fashioned paneling that had been so popular in the seventies and eighties. Dimly lit stairs disappeared into the lower level.

Next to him, Sebastian froze as a familiar scent hit his nose.

“Milo!” he exclaimed.

Reilly followed as Sebastian ran down the stairs, heedless of what may lie at the bottom. Hunter, Kellan, Zev and Ben were hot on his heels. The bottom of the stairs opened up onto a narrow hallway, doors spaced every ten feet or so along both sides. There were twelve doors on each side, a small window allowing them to see that small room housed a kidnapped pup. They quickly set about opening up all of the rooms. Whatever guards may have been there are gone now.

Inside each and every room was a scared pup. A few were in human form, a few in wolf form, but there were five who were stuck in a half shifted hybrid human/wolf form. Milo was one of them.

Sebastian pulled the young wolf close and immediately the youngster whined and started shaking with relief.

“Shhhhhh. It’s going to be alright. Your mom and dad are going to be so happy to see you,” Sebastian soothed the boy.

Milo whimpered, his vocal cords stuck in wolf mode, unable to form words.

Zev gave a shout at the last door. “Elijah!”

The young shapeshifter, back in his original form, looked a little rough around the edges, but they couldn’t see any obvious signs of injury.

Zev and Ben squashed their friend between them in a huge bear hug. Seeing Elijah sent a wave of relief over Reilly.

Zev looked around at the remaining pups. “Where’s Vann?”

A boy emerged from the last room they hadn’t checked. Reilly knew he was twelve, but he looked younger, more like nine or ten. His eyes held the look of someone who had been traumatized. Reilly’s protective nature kicked in and the need to take care of this boy overwhelmed him. It was like looking at himself at that age.

Gently he put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Big, owl-like blue eyes looked up at him and then over to Zev.

Reilly needed to comfort the youngster.

“Vann, I’m Reilly, that’s my mate Sebastian,” he said calmly, pointing to where Sebastian still held onto Milo tightly. “He’s the new senior Alpha. It’s okay. We’re going to take care of you.”

It was all Vann needed to hear and the dam broke as he threw himself into Reilly’s side, wrapping his thin arms around his waist and letting his tears flow freely.

Reilly let him cry it out.

Ronan and Jack arrived and helped get the younger boys and wolves upstairs. A couple of them were weak and needed help. Overall they needed medical attention, but physically, other than the few who were in a hybrid state, it didn’t seem as if there was anything immediately life-threatening to take care of. Dehydration seemed to be the biggest issue. Doc would have them fixed up in no time. Mentally and emotionally, all they could do at the moment was reassure the pups that they were safe. They still had to figure out who the other pups were and where they came from.

They needed to find Alberts and his minions.

Reilly knew that this long day was about to get longer.

“We’ll find them,” Kellan assured him.

“Yeah, I know, I’m just not looking forward to it.”

Kellan pulled him in for a quick hug before helping the others get the pups outside and into vehicles to be taken back to the house where Donovan was waiting.

Sebastian gave orders to Jack to take Ronan, Logan and Cooper and make sure the facility was secured before getting into his truck.

“Let’s get these kids back to the house so Donovan can look them over. Then we can regroup. I should call Nat Chusi and update her. The Council will have to formally renounce Alberts and Belland. She might be able to help us sort out where these kids belong. It’s gonna be a long night, we’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Sebastian proclaimed.

Reilly sank into his seat as the truck rolled down the road, every muscle aching. The adrenaline had worn off and now he was tired and sore. The soreness would fade soon. He hoped Sebastian’s idea of regrouping included a few hours sleep. He needed to be sharp if he was going to confront his family.