The light turned off, and I shut my eyes and deepened my breathing. He stopped at the end of the bed, and then the mattress dipped as he lowered himself on the other side. His scent washed over me, pine with a hint of mint thanks to his toothpaste.
"Goodnight, bunny." He rolled over, and I resisted the urge to turn and look at him.
He wasn't that close to me, which was both a relief and a bit of a letdown. I suppressed my sigh.
He fell asleep quickly. As soon as a soft snore came from him, I slid out of bed and grabbed my shoes. If he woke up in the middle of my escape, he was going to lose his shit.
I waited until I was outside the door to put on my shoes. No one was in the main room and the lights were dimmed. I tip-toed down the stairs, flinching at the sound and wishing I wouldn't have put on my shoes yet.
I focused on the front door, my goal clear. I rushed to it, unlocked it, and nearly cried in frustration as it made a horrible squeaking sound. If they caught me, they'd never let me out of their sights again.
So far, I was undetected, and I just hoped I could make it into my car before they caught me. My plan was to park just outside pack territory and shift, if my body would let me. My wolf senses were better suited for being stealthy.
What the hell was I thinking? I wasn't suited for any of this. I'd just discovered I was a wolf, and now I was going to go on a rescue mission like I was some badass alpha boss bitch.
Climbing in my car, I wondered what Carly had meant about me being an alpha. There was only supposed to be one alpha in a pack, and now two wolves from completely different packs had said it.
My car started with a soft purr, and I quickly turned on the defroster and my windshield wipers. The snow was falling at a slant, but the visibility was still decent enough to drive. If I’d waited another half hour, the visibility would have been zero.
I was doing this, whether it was a good idea or not. My gut told me I needed to save my mates before it was too late.
Chapter Five
Eli
I'd fucked up. Without thinking out a better plan, I'd written the note and hidden the key at the bottom of the food. Dante and his minions—all who I once considered family—watched me closely, but not close enough.
Dante's plan to take over the pack was well thought out. He had enough wolves with weapons on his side that he could keep away those of us that would fight back. He'd also had enough forethought to buy dog food.
I couldn't stop the groan that escaped as I regained consciousness after Joseph had tied me up to a chair and knocked me out. It was the middle of the day and light streamed through the living room window; the trees teasing me with their gentle movement in the breeze.
The house was quiet besides the faint sounds of birds chirping outside. I considered shifting, but the ropes were tied tightly in several places that would leave my wolf bound to the chair as well. Plus, I had one last key hidden and shifting would ruin that.
"Look who's awake." Joseph's taunting voice drew closer, but I didn't dare turn my head. The smell of ham, swiss, and mustard on sourdough hit my nose, and I stifled a moan.
I was starving.
"No response? That's a shame. I was going to share my sandwich with you, but since you're ignoring me, I'll eat the whole thing myself." He set his plate down on the coffee table and then my chair was turned around so I was facing the couch instead of the window. "That's too nice of a view for a treasonous omega."
He picked up the plate and pinched a piece of crust off, holding it to my lips. Just as I was opening my mouth, he dropped the small morsel and laughed.
"I need food." My stomach panged in hunger. It must have been twenty-four hours since I last ate anything.
"You don't need anything, pretty boy." He sat down on the couch and took a big bite of the sandwich, shutting his eyes and moaning as he chewed.
As soon as I was free, I was going to kill him.
"Question." He set the sandwich down, and I couldn't help it, I was obsessed with the way the ham was piled and how his bite made the perfect indentation in the bread. "Did you really think Cole and the stray were going to escape?"
My eyes burned with tears and I swallowed down the lump that had formed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do." Dante came from down the hall. I hadn't even heard a door open; I was so focused on not losing my shit. And the sandwich. I was focused on the sandwich. "Joseph, what are you doing? I told you to bring me his sister."
Joseph took another bite. "She's gone. Her and Manny have no tracking on them." Dante snatched the sandwich and plate from him and dropped them on the table.
I could have kissed Manny for making sure my sister got away safely. Dante had always had it out for her, even in human form. Omegas were supposed to be cherished, not treated like dog shit on the bottom of his boot.
"Where's Ivy?" They hadn't said a word about her, and I wondered where they had taken her. My worst fear was that she was dead or badly injured somewhere, scared and alone.