screamed at me, but I climbed the steps, Zane taking my hand as I went.
“So what’re we…”
Nero’s words died as he heard the steady whup, whup, whup of the chopper that was flying towards us. I stood stock still as the spotlights swam, then settled on us.
There was an outcry below us, the pack slow to respond and Jai even slower, so he didn’t understand when I reached out to him.
I love you, always you, I said to him, feeling his fear, then anger rise when he worked out what was about to happen. Look after Janey, look after Buster and Max, and when I can, I’ll come for you. I’ll fight those old fucks for you.
What have they done?! he shot back. No, Shan! NO! I’ve only just found my way back to you! No, no…
Rabbits run, Jai, I said.
The forced wind of the helicopter buffeted my hair and my clothes, sending up clouds of dust until it and the aircraft settled.
“Son!” a voice said, a tall, solid man jumping out of the chopper, running towards Caleb, then stopping. “Son!” This time it was a confirmation, a celebration as he wrapped his arms around the wolf shifter, Caleb limp with shock in his arms.
“You’re the American shifters that have been reported missing from the lion and jaguar prides?” a clipped voice asked us, and when I turned, I saw a man in uniform consulting his clipboard.
“And my mate,” Nero said, taking Kazimir’s arm.
“And mine,” Zane said, doing the same to me. “Gaden’s… He’s a warrior and fought at our sides. He needs an extraction.”
“Done,” the man said with a nod. “Let's get everyone inside. Whatever’s going on down there, looks like it’s getting hostile. Alpha?”
“Of course, let’s get you on board. We’ll need blankets and water? Food?”
“We need to go, Dad,” Caleb said, shooting an eye over his shoulder, watching as I did as the pack moved to stop Jai from getting to us.
I watched that as I was put in the helicopter, as I was strapped in. My vision began to blur as the rotors picked up speed again, going to a complete teary mess by the time we rose above the ground. My head rested back against the cushioned seat, a hand grabbing mine moments later.
This is how it has to be, I told Jai as the connection grew weaker. And this is how you destroy that place for good. I relayed the self-destruct sequence to him, showing him the size of the explosion it would create.
He tried to hold on to the link, to roar down it all of his protests, but I shut him down, everything down, until finally, my mind was my own. I went completely limp, held up only by the safety harness as we flew the fuck away from Harvest Grove.
Chapter 37
Stone Williams, aka alpha, aka Caleb’s dad, rushed us to a massive suite he’d rented for just this purpose after the helicopter landed on the freaking roof of the hotel. I looked out at the array of bright lights, stretching out way too far for my mind to get around. This was the big smoke, yet I felt nothing. I didn’t get much of a chance to look at it as we were whisked down a private elevator to the hotel room.
‘Room’ was an overly modest description of it. It looked like it spanned the whole top floor, with rooms everywhere, but the one we all streamed towards was the bathroom. Stone looked at me and Kazimir with a question in his eyes, but said, “I’ll leave you to it. There’ll be clothes just outside the door when you’re done. I’d like my doctor to look you all over.”
“Dad…” Caleb gritted out.
“Maybe in the morning, then.”
He gave me one last look and then walked out of the massive bathroom.
“Well, this is obviously shifter made,” Zane said, opening the glass door and sticking his head in the shower recess. “What?” He looked at us quizzically as we all hung back, following our eyes to the transparent walls and then took a step back. “Oh.”
“It’s a shower,” Kazimir said, pulling away from Nero. “Not a cage, and we’ve already shown we can break out of an actual one, so I’m not letting a mere bathroom appliance defeat me. Plus, I'm fairly sure I have entrails in my hair.”
“You do,” Zane retorted shakily. “I didn’t want to say anything.”
“So kind. Well?” Kazimir asked, a challenge clear in those brown eyes.