The boy had youthful plans about what he would be when he became an adult. This was the way of the young. When you got older, you wanted things to settle into place and stay sane so you could stop struggling and get on with living. Changes were happening to Stewart rapidly, and the boy was adapting to them with incredible grace. The changes happening to Reed were occurring faster than the Black Wolf alpha could handle. Every day seem to hold surprises and more struggle than he wanted to deal with.
Feeling both empathy and admiration for him, Katarina reached over and linked her fingers with Reed’s. His large hand instantly swallowed hers, but neither his size nor his power threatened her or her wolf. Instead, she enjoyed being close to his strength. She liked the idea that he wanted to share all he was with her. Reed Black Wolf was definitely the most worthy male she’d ever invited to her bed.
When they arrived at the compound, it was literally a ghost town. Everything was closed up and secured. The only heartbeats within hearing distance were the four of them.
They used a public restroom located on the edge of the area, then Brandi passed off her vehicle keys to one of her team members, while the others scattered through the compound searching and checking the area.
Agent Nano Wolf definitely left no stone unturned.
Onboard the aircraft they’d flown to Colorado in, Brandi got everyone settled and took off quickly. What surprised both her and Reed was that they were heading back to Alaska.
“Did they give reason for detour?” Katarina asked Reed when they were airborne.
Reed shook his head. “Not that I heard, but I think it’s a good idea to check on things there. I think she and Gareth want to make sure all their security measures are in place before we head out on the rescue mission. I heard her and Gareth talking about how your abductors had given up too easily. I agree with that.”
“Da. Me too,” Katarina said. “It will be good to see Yana. I missed her. All my life I have no family. Now I do. It is strange feeling.”
Reed reached over and took her hand. “I’m glad you two found each other.”
Katarina nodded. “I think I sleep on trip.”
“Sorry I wore you out. I didn’t think about us having company so early.”
Giggling, Katarina shook her head. “You are like young wolf. Does that not please you?”
Reed leaned his head back. Did it please him? “It took me hundreds of years to slow down. I have no strategy for speeding back up. It pleases me that I could outlast you.”
Katarina opened one eye. “You have bad memory, Temptation. Is this ego problem again?”
Reed chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Maybe. Did I at least keep up?”
Katarina closed her eyes again and smiled. “You are only male in my entire life to come close. This is best compliment I can give.”
“I’ll take it,” Reed said and fell asleep with a smile on his face.
They landed at the airport in Anchorage when they were met by yet more people who worked with Brandi and Gareth.
“Does whole government work for you?” Katarina asked as they walked toward yet another military-like vehicle with a driver ready to pass over the keys. She grinned when Gareth kissed his mate goodbye and got into a different one. “You lose partner. Does he hate plan?”
Brandi laughed at being teased. “Gareth is stopping in Wasilla on the way. He has to prevent an uprising before Matt gets involved. Kent and Aggie have threatened to run away if we don’t let them come too. My kids aren’t used to being apart this long. It will be fine, I hope. Aggie will be fine, but Kent can be a shit starter. I must keep tabs on him.”
Katarina chuckled as she climbed into the front next to Brandi. Reed had insisted on sitting in the back. “Get Susan and Jon to watch them. Your little alpha will be calm around bears if he has strong survival instinct.”
Grinning, Brandi nodded at the suggestion. “Honestly, I’m more worried about how they’ll feel about Stewart. He was already bigger than them when we left, but now he’s all but an adult.”
“Is it hard?”
“Watching them go through all these crazy fast changes? Yeah, it’s really hard,” Brandi admitted.
“I meant whole motherhood thing,” Katarina said.
Brandi lifted an eyebrow. “Is your biological clock ticking?”
Katarina laughed. If it was, she wouldn’t tell anyone. She’d find