leaned back and crossed his arms. "I can get in. Theo too. Sam's human, so if she parks and looks at a map, she could probably get away with it. Just leave the phone on like she's asking a friend for help because she's lost."
"No," I told him. "This is not the kind of thing that teenagers should be handling. I agree that those kids need help, but there's a reason all of you have parents."
"Then what about the bears?" Gabby asked. "They won't smell like wolves. We know where Jonah's being kept. We can show them how to get in, get out, and bail before the pack knows what happened."
"And I'm guessing all of you forgot about the chains?" Ian demanded.
Xander shrugged. "Bolt cutters. Pax has a pair. Wasn't that thick of chain. More for holding a dog and less for logging."
Ian's jaw clenched. "I don't like it."
"And you still know it has to happen," I said, reaching up for his hand. "Can you really live with the idea of those kids being killed because Damon wants to get even with us? We have to help them."
"He wants to get even with me," Ian countered. "Not you, not even this pack. He hates me, and he's turning people to get his revenge? No, I'm not ok with it, but I hate the idea of risking the members of my own pack even more, Elena. This is a stupid idea."
"So help me plan it better." I crossed my arms and lifted a brow.
He just closed his eyes, sighed, but then my Alpha nodded. "Fine, but you're the one driving the car, and you can't do it alone."
"No, I think this is something for my Sisterhood," I decided.
CHAPTER 49
* * *
"No," I said again, making Elena glare at me in frustration.
This debate had been going on and off since the kids had come back last night. I loved this woman more than I could put into words, but she simply refused to listen to reason. Her heart was in the right place, but the problem was that my mate had no clue how to fight. She shouldn't need to! She had us.
Still, she'd played through almost every possible scenario for how to get that high school boy out of Damon's trailer and into Wolf's Run. She kept talking about how frantic his mother must be, and I got it. I could actually understand her concern, because I felt it too. The difference was that I knew that her life was worth a hell of a lot more than his - at least to me.
So, we'd discussed it last night until our voices were closer to yelling than talking. That was when Lane had snarled at me that we needed a break. I'd been sent home by my betas. Lane and Seth had spent the night. Trent, Pax, and I, however, had kept talking about it, because we really couldn't go into Damon's territory. If we could, this would've been a lot easier.
So, this morning I'd come over and made breakfast as a peace offering. She'd accepted it, and then immediately went right back to trying to save those people. I loved her dedication. I adored her stubbornness. I was, truthfully, in awe of her bravery. Sadly, there was just no good solution for what was going on over in the Hidden Forest pack.
"Ok," she breathed, sitting down at the table across from me. "So, how would you do this, Ian?"
It was the closest she'd come to giving in. "You won't like it," I warned her.
"Tell me anyway," she mumbled, reaching up to rub at her forehead.
"So, you'd need to buy a case of beer and put both Gabby and Olivia in the cutest grungy clothes they have - "
"What?!" she roared, shoving back to her feet in an instant. "Are you fucking insane?"
I heard the thudding of Lane's feet a split second before he burst into the room, but I ignored it. "You asked. I'm simply answering your question, and I did warn you that you wouldn't like it." I tipped my head at her chair. "Please, Elena? I'm hoping that if I lay this out, you can think of a way to do it even better."
"Bunny?" Lane asked.
"I'm fine," she promised, dropping back into her chair. "I'm also trying to decide if it's too early to start drinking whiskey."
Lane just moved behind her to rub her shoulders lovingly. "You know I'm going, right, Ian?" he asked.
I nodded. "I assumed you