Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,141

all over - and getting it right this time. This felt like the perfect way to do that. Maybe it was extreme, but all of my friends seemed convinced that I wouldn't have a problem. The only reason I was worried was because of my own insecurities, and I wasn't going to let them control me anymore.

I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be free! I had always longed to have my own independence, but I'd never been the loner type. So far as I could tell, this was the best of it all. I'd have nearly magical powers - even if they insisted it wasn't magic - and it just felt right. This place felt like exactly where I belonged, and my pack was quickly becoming the family I'd longed for.

But the arrival of a client ended our lunch a few minutes early. I headed up front to handle her issue, and Lane promised he'd clean up for me. He also dawdled a bit, making it clear he wasn't ready to go. It was cute. Just as I was finishing the client's information change and running her card for the back due balance, the front door opened again. Ian strode through, glanced at the flowers, and smiled.

"Alpha," the client greeted him.

"Hey, Lisa," he said. "Don't let me interrupt."

"Just finishing," she promised as I handed her the receipt to sign and a copy for her own records. "Looks like someone had a good Valentine's Day."

"Just trying to spoil our mate," he agreed, tipping his head as she left.

Which was when Lane stepped out from the back. "You already missed lunch," he teased.

Ian chuckled. "Well, there goes my idea to steal her away." But he was smiling. "I was thinking we should do dinner at my place toni - "

The ringing of his phone cut him off, and it wasn't the usual ringtone. A look of confusion took over Ian's face as he pulled it from his pocket and swiped at the screen. He answered with his full name, and then his entire body froze.

"Olivia?" he gasped, pulling the phone from his ear to put it on speaker.

"Ian!" the girl hissed, refusing to do more than whisper. "There's a - " A rattle of pops in the background obscured her voice. "He's shooting!"

"Fuck," Lane snapped, turning for Ashley's office.

My blood froze, my heart stopped, and I forgot to breathe. I could feel tingles racing across my body even as my mind stalled out, but Olivia kept going.

"I'm with Gabby and Roman, but he's in the halls. I don't know what to do and I can't get my mom!"

Then my daughter's voice came over the speaker. "It's Mason. He doesn't know where we are, but he's running in the halls. Ian, you have to call the cops."

"Where are you?" Ian demanded, looking up at Lane.

"The biology class storage closet," Roman said, proving the three of them were together. "I'm texting my mom. Gabby's backpack is still in the class with her phone." Then there was another burst of shots. "Fuck, he's coming," Roman breathed.

Then the call went dead. I cried out, unable to stop myself, because what did that mean? What had just happened to our kids? I could feel the tears in my eyes. I couldn't breathe. I had no idea what to do, and my hands were shaking so hard I was completely useless.

But Lane was on the phone. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he sounded intense. Ashley had her keys in her hand as she headed straight for me. Ian just turned, his eyes finding mine, but I could barely process all of it. All I knew was that my child had just become a statistic. That was supposed to be a good school. She'd told me the boy was weird, and I'd been worried about normal bullying?

"I got her," Ashley said. "Go, Ian. Just fucking go!"

And before I knew it, the guys were running out the door. Ashley just grabbed my arm and hauled me from my chair. Without slowing, she snagged my purse with her other hand, draped it over her shoulder beside her own, and then began tapping at her phone while dragging me outside.

"Dad?" she said into the phone. "Emergency. Shooting at the school. We're moving, but the office is yours. Call all the parents. Every one of them. Elena's orders."

"What?" I asked as she put her phone away.

Ashley just pulled me faster. "We're going to make sure our pups are