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She nods. “Definitely. I’ve brought them food before. This is it.”

As I climb over the balcony railing, I hope I won’t scare the women so badly they scream and give away what I’m up to.

I twist the handle open, the mechanism crunching under my hand as the lock breaks.

And I slide the door open, nudging the drapes aside as I stick my head in.

This room is a mirror of the last, except the bunk beds are on the opposite side of the room. There are no tables for playing cards in this room, and there are no staring omegas. Just sleeping ones in the bunk beds.

I lean back outside and meet Lisa’s gaze. “Wait here,” I whisper. “I won’t be long. If you see anything, cough quietly.”

She nods and crosses her arms, facing the forest in the distance, and likely keeping her eyes open for any Raleighs out on patrol tonight.

I enter the omega’s room, moving quietly and quickly.

I go to the first bunk bed, crouch beside it, and rest my hand over the omega’s mouth.

Her eyes fly open in alarm.

I hold one finger to my lips and lean in close, whispering. “I’m getting you out of here. Scream and we’ve blown our one chance. Can you wake the others and pass the message on?”

After a long suspicious look that soon fades, she nods.

Slowly, I pull my hand from her mouth, bracing myself for her scream. When she doesn’t scream, I move on to another bed to wake the next sleeping omega while she does the same.

Between us, it doesn’t take long, not more than five minutes.

No one makes a single sound as we climb out through the balcony window to the backyard.

As the omegas stand shivering slightly in the brisk night, I turn to Lisa. “Are you ready?”

She looks nervous, but she nods.

The omegas are quiet, wary, but look at me, ready for my next instructions.

“I’m going to shift,” I tell them. “Follow me and I’ll get you as far away from the house as I can. If we see any trouble, fall back and let me deal with it until I give the sign we continue, okay?”

They nod.

I step out of my pants, drop into a crouch, and reach for my wolf.

He bursts free eagerly.

After one brief glance at the women behind me, I lead them away from the sleeping house and into the dark forest, hoping we don’t run into a patrol, but ready to fight to the death to get them free.

23

AERIN

I’m sitting in the passenger seat of Mack’s car, under strict orders not to get out, no matter what I see or hear.

Clary is in the driving seat, and he seems to be handling the speed of events much better than I am.

I had expected his pack from New Mexico to arrive to help free Leah and the kidnapped omegas.

I had not expected members from the other packs also missing their omegas to descend on the small, two-bedroom house in the suburbs.

The neighbors must have wondered if we were having a party with all the cars parked outside.

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