like even one small piece of this. I’ll be nearby. I’ll be watching. If he tries anything... I’m coming for you. Don’t think that I won’t be hunting you for the rest of my life if he somehow gets you away.”
My sinuses burned and I fought back tears, since that was my greatest fear—disappearing again and not having anyone look for me. It had taken forever to free myself the last time, when no one bothered to help or even care that I’d dropped off the face of the earth, but at least with Henry looking... It wouldn’t last forever. I could survive whatever torments Rocko dreamed up, as long as I knew Henry searched for me.
I started for the door before I lost my nerve. “Thank you.”
“Ophelia,” he said, and I hesitated, looking back. Henry turned so grave I feared what he might have said. Instead, he made a fist and placed it over his heart. “You are strong enough to handle this. Whatever strength you think you see in Deirdre and Nola—you are more their equal. I promise you. We will beat him and he will never bother you again.”
I almost choked but managed to nod, clenching my jaw against the emotion that threatened to completely break me down, and fled through the door before I raced back to hide in his arms. I had to do it. There wasn’t any choice. I had to face Rocko and get Silas back, and maybe earn my place in their pack—or in the coven that Deirdre seemed to offer.
If Henry believed I was strong enough to do it, then I was. I believed in him as much as he believed in me. If I couldn’t have that confidence in myself, then I could borrow from his. I squared my shoulders and strode to where Nola and Deirdre lingered near one of the dark sedans that the pack seemed to accumulate. Miles still argued with his mate, but she only smiled at me. “Ready?” she asked, and got into the car.
I wasn’t ready. I definitely wasn’t. But sometimes we didn’t have a choice on whether we were prepared for a big obstacle or not. Sometimes time ran out and we had to do the best we could.
I just hoped, for Silas’s sake, that the three of us in the car would figure it out in time.
Chapter 36
Henry
Henry would have lost his mind when Ophelia walked out of the house to confront Rocko on her own if he hadn’t already had a backup plan in place. Which was why he and Evershaw told Mercy a stern “no” to haring off after the trio who thought they were going it alone. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Deirdre and Ophelia and Nola. He trusted them all the way to his bones. Mostly.
He didn’t trust the damn sorcerer for a second. There was no way a bastard like that would let Ophelia get away a second time. He wouldn’t stick to any agreements made. Smith had been clear on that when Evershaw called him to discuss the matter, and even though Deirdre had almost hexed the alpha for it, Henry knew it had been the right decision. Of course, it was easy for him to think that, since he wouldn’t be paying the price like Evershaw would.
Evershaw stormed back into the house, slamming the door hard enough that it bounced off the frame and then broke the hinges to collapse with a thud on the floor. Mercy’s eyebrows arched as she looked from the door to the alpha, then said cheerfully, “So what’re we doing, boss?”
It took the alpha quite a while of just snarling and growling before he quieted enough for Henry to say, “Smith and his friends are setting up a perimeter. We need you set up to cause a distraction when we give the signal—stay to the east of the empty lot. Dodge, James, go to the west. Evershaw, Todd, and I will take the south.”
Mercy grinned and clapped her hands. “A distraction. I like that. Do you have anything in particular in mind?”
“You and Sadie can figure it out.” Henry nodded to the two wolves. “Get moving. Make sure Deirdre and Ophelia don’t see you.”
Todd ignored Evershaw as the alpha continued to rip apart furniture in the living room, and Henry refrained from pointing out that going on a rampage in the witch’s house would just create more trouble later. Todd clicked his radio and nodded to Henry. “The trackers