Page 40 of Frost and Fate
Gideon shouted orders. “Darren, you and Lance get a team together and secure the perimeter. I want to know there were no breaches. Put everyone on lockdown. No one in, no one out unless they’re a part of our team.”
“Yes, Alpha.” They spoke in unison.
“And Darren, get in contact with Peyton. I want him on all the cameras monitoring this building from every angle he can. If he sees something, he reports to you immediately. Lucas? Aaron?” Gideon continued.
“Here, Ulric.” Aaron’s face was as still as stone. The usually quick-witted jokester was dead serious as he awaited his orders. Next to him, Lucas stood silently.
“Aaron, I need you to gather your most recent recruits. You will join Lucas and his team in the search and recovery of the girls. I want every inch of the property searched. See if you can find any survivors and then move the girls inside.”
Aaron visibly swallowed. “Yes, Alpha.”
Gideon then turned to Matlena and Brona. “Are the wards still active?”
“Yes,” the older woman responded assuredly.
Gideon looked at the women apologetically. “I am sorry to do this, but I need you to screen the bodies as they arrive. They know we will bring the girls inside and out of the public eye. I need to know there isn’t some kind of trap or dark magic involved. Aria will be with you for protection.”
Brona lifted her hands to her face, tears pooling in the corners of her turquoise eyes. Matlena’s eyes held a look of fierce determination. “We will be there.”
Romani stepped forward. “I will go with the recovery teams. They may need to make a quick exit if there’s trouble.”
Gideon nodded gratefully. “Thank you. Leah will remain here with Laurie and Nova. Nova is not to leave this apartment.” Leah acknowledged his order. After a final look around, Gideon added, “Be careful. No one moves alone out there. The Collectors may very well be waiting for us outside these walls. Protect each other.”
“Yes, Alpha,” the group answered as one.
“Now let’s move.” With that final command the group sprang to action.
Laurie was already on the phone. “Deanna? Where are you? Something’s happened, keep the boys inside. I’ll come as soon as I can.” Laurie’s hands shook as she hung up the phone. Nova watched the others as they quickly departed. She was sick to her stomach. It felt as if her lungs were being filled with cement. The weight of every dead girl outside piled on top of her.
“I should just go outside. They want me. This is about me. Those girls are dead because of me.” She bolted toward the door, but Leah was quick to block her path.
“Nova, you heard Gideon. We are not leaving this apartment.” Strong hands gripped Nova’s shoulders. She flailed around, thrashing her arms.
“They are all dead because of me!” The temperature in the room plummeted as an icy wind ripped through the apartment. Tears poured from Nova’s bleary eyes. “I have to go. I have to get down there. I need to see. I need to stop this!”
“Laurie!” Leah shouted. “Snap out of it! We need you.” The shivering blonde swallowed and regained her composure. She stepped forward and closed her eyes. Nova suddenly felt warmth creeping in from every side. She fought it with everything she had. She didn’t want Laurie’s help. She didn’t want to feel better. This was her fault and she deserved to suffer. Laurie’s lovely face was pinched in concentration.
“She’s fighting me,” Laurie said through clenched teeth. Nova was focused. She could feel the ice flowing through her. Laurie’s power paled in comparison. She turned on the woman, determined to swat her away like a fly. Before she could make a move, her world turned upside down. Nova slammed down onto the hard floor, knocking the wind from her lungs. Leah loomed above her, a hand pressed down hard on Nova’s chest. Black eyes glowed through the snowy mist that had enveloped the penthouse.
“Now,” she shouted at Laurie. With one final mental push, Laurie cleared Nova’s barriers. The shock of Leah’s unexpected attack had thrown her off guard and ruined her concentration. A rush of warm calming energy flooded through Nova’s veins. It seemed to fill her with light and an overwhelming sense that everything was going to be all right. The frigid winds subsided. Leah let out a sigh of relief as her eyes returned to their usual shade. She offered Nova a hand up.
Nova took it gratefully. “Thank you. Thanks to both of you.” She looked back and forth between the two women. Embarrassment crept up her neck. “I am sorry about that.”
Leah placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“I guess my magic still gets the better of me more often than I’d like to admit.”
Laurie smiled and embraced Nova. “Your magic is a gift. You will learn to work as one. I promise it will not always be so hard.”
Nova swallowed. The two women headed to a nearby couch to sit, while Leah remained standing. The tenseness in her posture showed she was ready for battle, ready for whatever was coming next.
Nova felt so helpless up here. She understood their reasoning, but still wanted to do more. For now she would have to wait, pray, and hope everyone was safe down below.
ChapterNineteen
The lycans worked efficiently. They had been able to assemble their teams and lock down the complex within half an hour. It was a reminder to Darren of why they trained so hard and how important it was to do so. After securing the inside perimeter, they went outdoors. The scene that met the lycan teams looked like something out of a horror film. The second Darren exited the complex his senses were assaulted by the smell of blood and decaying flesh.
The victims were scattered all around the property. The first girl he saw was a small, young brunette. She had long dark hair and large blue eyes that stared up at him accusingly. Her body was so badly mangled that he couldn’t have guessed the original color of clothes she was currently wearing. Deep crimson covered her broken form. The lifeless woman lay at an unnatural angle with her lower body rotated nearly completely around while her upper body remained forward. It was obvious her spine and pelvis had been badly broken before her body had been rearranged.
