Chapter 98


    “Men like Marcus are always hiding something, always.” Kade said, his voice not cruel and demeaning,


    but factual. “They have piles upon piles of skeletons in their closets. They might let you see a few, but


    they will never give their full hand.”


    Apart from the muffled heavy metal music sting from Ava’s headphones, the inside of the sedan was


    silent. The purr of the engine as we coasted down the highway was the only thing to be heard.


    The emotions that sat within this small confined space, were beginning to give me a headache.


    Only Ava seemedpletely at ease, so utterly joyful that she was like a Tylenol to my aching head.


    Her teenage ignorance and excitement for danger felt good, like a reprieve from the weight of everyone


    else’s emotions.


    Tori and Zayne were so aware of each other that every shift, every exhale or sound that came from one


    had the other reacting.


    Zayne still had an irond grip on his emotions, but Tori was practically an open book. While I still


    could only see through that small crack in Zayne’s emotions, I was definitely beginning to pick up on his


    social cue’s as well. Anytime Tori sighed or yawned, his fingers would twitch. Her phone vibrated


    against the leather seat of the sedan, and when she answered a call from her dad, Zayne’s entire body


    went stiff.


    After a few moments, he turned his eyes to the passing forest and spoke.


    “That reminds me of something my father would always say.” He mused, and though his voice was


    thoughtful, that cold edge still remained. “Never reveal your full hand.”


    We stewed in his words for the next twenty-five minutes. Had we been fools to trust Zayne? Sure, he


    had willingly stepped into a vehicle with us–but here we were, driving to some unknown location with


    the hopes of getting Alec back. Was Zayne revealing his full hand? No, I highly doubted that.


    By the time we turned into a run-down neighborhood with more abandoned houses than livable ones, I


    had made my decision. I had told myself hundreds of times that the twins were worth risking everything


    for, and now I needed to back those words up.


    The houses had the structure and design to have looked really nice, nicer than anything I had ever


    lived in. It was clear funds dried up because some housescked small things like paint or a front


    porch, while others were missing windows, and doors.


    I would walk into thispletely blind, trusting someone who has every reason to put me in chains,


    because Alec and Kade are my only true weaknesses.


    “Where are we going?” I asked Kade, who had passed the neighborhood altogether.


    “We’re going to the next street over. There’s a heavily wooded area in between the two, which we can


    use as cover to get into the house.” Zayne responded before Kade had the chance, which I suppose


    made sense. This was his n after all.


    “Wouldn’t Marcus put wolves in the forest?” I asked a bit confused.


    “As I said previously, I gathered as much information as I could on this ce.” Zayne said harshly,


    which made both Kade, Tori and I narrow our eyes. For just a moment, I wished Zayne could feel


    emotions, because he’d see how close he just came to bing roadkill. While Zayne was aplete


    a*****e and snob, he was actually fairly intelligent and quickly tried to rectify his mistake. “This ce


    isn’t supposed to exist. He’s ced men inside the house, and some in a neighboring one, nothing


    more. Anything else would draw attention. Too many different scents lingering around.”


    “Mm, I feel as though I’m qualified to give you advice, since I am on Aurora’s good side.” Tori’s tone


    was sickly sweet, and I knew that meant trouble. The tension between them was steadily growing,


    especially now, forced in such a small space together. I was practically drowning in Kade’s scent, and


    knew that any inkling of desire from me would set off his own. Though I couldn’t tell exactly what Zayne


    felt, I knew he had to be affected by her presence. Tori continued without missing a beat, smirking at


    him through the mirror. “She’s going to take your dad’s ce on the High Table and knock your a*s


    down a peg. You might want to be just a bit more respectful.”


    Zayne’s icy eyes turned hard as he red at Tori. With his golden hair and baby blue eyes, his


    expression shed with his looks. A guy like him wasn’t meant to brood and grimace, it gave him a sort


    of rough edge to his beauty.


    Just as Zayne opened his mouth to start what I’m sure would be a huge argument, Kade pulled into the


    pot hole ridden driveway of one of the abandoned houses. This driveway wrapped around the house,


    leading straight to the back. It would provide us cover for the sedan, which looked out of ce in a


    neighborhood this decrepit.


    The actual garage was nothing more than a hollow shell of rotted wooden nks and poorly done


    cement. Still, we pulled up to the lopsided structure and parked. Judging from the markers in the


    ground, there was supposed to be a fence surrounding the backyard. It was just another unfinished


    thing in this neighborhood.


    It was an easy ten-minute trek through the small forest that separated the neighborhoods backyards.


    We stopped a few feet from the forest line, peering at a row of abandoned houses.


    There was one at the center that seemed just a bit more put together than the others. There were


    sheets covering the windows, like make-shift c******s. Another positive note was that the house actually


    had a door. As my eyes scanned a few more houses down, I noticed nearly the same thing. Two


    houses that looked just a hint nicer than the others.


    “There’s two houses. One has Alec, the other is where the guards stay. It’s inconspicuous, and keeps


    them from traveling back and forth.” Zayne pointed out the two houses, “The one at the center has


    Alec. Ava and I are going to the house with the guards, we’ll incapacitate them while the three of you


    scope out the house that has Alec. There will be guards, so you need to make sure you’re not seen. Do


    not go inside the house, not until Ava and Ie back.”


    “So, I’m supposed to trust you with my life?” Tori scoffed, her fiery curls shimmering in the morning


    light. “Not a d**n chance, Novak.”


    “There has to be someone there with Ava. Someone strong enough to protect her.” Zayne snarled


    back, his eyes narrowing on Tori’s rigid frame.


    “I’ll go with Ava.” Kade spoke up surprising even me. He barely nced at Zayne as he said, “You can


    go with Aurora and Tori.”


    ‘You do know this could end horribly with those two paired together, right?’ I told Kade, letting my


    thoughts mesh with his own. Both he and Alec were like a constant stream in my mind. I could tap into


    their thoughts at any point if I chose. Since he had been taken, I hadn’t been able to feel Alec’s stream


    of thoughts. It made sense–Zayne had said they would’ve kept Alec sedated.


    ‘I have faith Zayne cares enough about his life to pull this off.’ Kade’s thoughts had an angry edge, but


    he managed to hold it together for Alec and I. ‘He’ll try to resist the mate-bond, and he will fail. It could


    still end badly, but there’s no point in walking on eggshells around them.’


    ‘I suppose it would be nice to see her chew him out again.’ I sighed, resigning to my fate.


    “Ava, get those headphones out.” Zayne huffed, clearly trying to reign in his patience. Once her


    headphones were finally put away, and she was back in reality, Zayne went over the n. “Kade and


    Ava will call when they’re leaving the packhouse. We’ll have about twenty minutes to get Alec and get


    out.”


    “I’ll try and give us more time if I can, but I can’t exert myself too hard.” Ava chirped, pulling a stick of


    gum from her pocket. She certainly looked older than a teenager, but still carried that air of not taking


    anything too seriously. She let out augh, “Not going to be very helpful if I’m atose myself!”


    “Ava, focus.” Zaynemented under his breath, as though he had done this countless times before.


    His eyes darted up to Kade momentarily, “Keep her on track. She gets distracted easily.”


    “Will do.” Kade nodded bluntly.


    “Over dramatic, much?” Ava snorted, narrowing her heavily lined eyes. They were blended and smoky


    in a way that showed she had incredible talent. It was a far cry from the choppy blended look I had


    once tried when I was fourteen. “I miss one guy and it’s–“


    “Like I said, keep her on track.” Zayne bit out through clenched teeth. He passed Kade one of those


    disposable phones and continued, “Use this to keep in contact. We’ll let you know of any guards we


    see.”


    “And what about our faces?” Tori asked, her typically friendly voice was hard and callouses. “Unless


    Ava can erase memories, we can’t let them see our faces.”


    “I’ve got that bit covered. Seem’s like I’m here to do most of the work.” She quipped, throwing her


    comment in Zayne’s face. Ava rummaged through the bag at her hip and pulled out five pieces of ck


    cloth. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    “Really?” Tori chuckled, holding up the scrap of fabric. They were your typical burr’s masks, with the


    eye and mouth holes.


    “They do in a pinch, always keep one on me.” Ava winked, blowing a mint-green bubble before popping


    it with her teeth.


    The house that held Alec also had a driveway that wrapped around the house. There was a backyard,


    with an actual fence that reached about halfway before stopping altogether. There was also a concrete


    foundation for a porch out front, with crappy wooden stairs leading up to the base.


    I was anxious now, practically twitching and shaking as we neared closer and closer. My soul knew


    what my body and mind couldn’t figure out. I could feel Alec nearby. Even though I couldn’t feel that


    connection between us, I knew he was here. I was sure I could feel the thud of his heart even as we


    stalked silently across the dewy grass. Perhaps I was just hearing things, but I clung to the hope that I


    would see him again, that he wouldn’t be torn from me before we could truly have a life with one


    another.


    “It’s alright.” Tori whispered, cing a hand on my back. “I know you’re getting a bit antsy, but we’re


    going to get him.”


    ‘I’m beginning to regret leaving you.’ Kade’s sigh sounded in my head, ‘Say the word and I’ll turn right


    around.’


    ‘No, just finish what we came here to do. I can keep it together, I promise.’ I assured him, sending a bit


    of warmth and courage his way.


    “Judging from the extra zed look in your eye, I’d say Kade just dropped in.” She giggled, the first real


    laugh I’ve heard from her since she had met her mate.


    My head snapped up, towards said mate. Every muscle in his body seemed to lock in ce as our


    eyes met, and it was like we had a conversation through gaze alone.


    My eyes said, ‘I know what you just felt. You can’t deny it, and you can’t write it off.’


    His eyes were dark, and held the promise of a thousand meaningless threats that failed to instill even


    an ounce of fear within me. Not that Zayne Novak wasn’t worth fearing, but I trusted my mates and


    their family implicitly.


    “Extra zed?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.


    I didn’t change the subject for Zayne’s sake, but for Alec’s. The three of us needed to focus, and wait


    until Ava finishes whatever it is she does.


    We crept up to the front of the house, sticking low as we walked towards the backyard. Sitting in a


    partially finished garage was a rather new looking SUV. There was arge hole in the backyard, square


    in size, and what looked to be the start of an inground swimming pool.


    A sliding ss door sat out back, and we were all careful to avoid being seen by anyone lurking. We


    kept low, waiting and waiting until my insides twisted with anxiety.


    When the dull buzz of the phone vibrating sounded, I let out a little huff of relief.


    “Ava’s finished, they’re on the way.” Zayne murmured to the two of us, his eyes scanning the house as


    we all crouched low.


    It was then I actually noticed what he was wearing. Every single time I had seen him, he wore a tailored


    suit. This was the first and only time I had ever seen him in a pair of pants and a simple long sleeve t-


    shirt. While I’m sure his t-shirts are three times the price of my own, they looked ordinary. It was


    another jarring, strange thing inparison to his bitter personality.


    Ten minutester, we could hear as Ava and Kade approached.


    Ava’s pale skin was a bit red, and her eyes looked somewhat dted. Her clothes were ruffled, and her


    hair a bit messy. Whatever her abilities were, they took a physical toll.


    ‘What is her ability?’ I asked Kade, just a tad curious considering she’s the second white wolf I’ve met.


    ‘You’ll have to wait and see.’ Kade’s response was instant, and full of amusement.


    “There’s a bathroom window low to the ground. That’s the best way in.” Zayne said in a sharp voice,


    nodding towards the side of the house.


    We managed to creep past the sliding ss door, towards the other side of the house. Kade, Ava, and


    I had just walked out of sight, around the corner of the house, when the sliding ss door mmed


    open.


    A gasp threatened to leave my lips, but I managed to mp them shut in time. The three of us ttened


    ourselves against the house, our hearts pounding in sync. Even Ava’s faux rxed demeanor


    shattered at the thought of truly getting caught–even she knew the risks.


    Tori’s emotions were thest thing I expected to feel, but what was even stranger was that they weren’t


    negative emotions. She felt surprised, and safe, even if she was still furious and hurt.


    I couldn’t dissect her emotions even if I wanted to, because the moment the ss door opened, a gust


    of air emerged from the house. Stale cigarettes, mold, cheap beer, takeout food, and the stench of


    body odor. In the mix of that cluster of scents was one I recognized–one that was partially my own.


    “Alec.” I gasped, leaving my ce against the wall to follow his scent.