Page 67 of Alpha Wolf's Arranged Bride
“No. Not our guys or anyone from WS. I got the code from Brad, same as you. I’ve been waiting for a while, and no sign of him.”
“I’m here,” Brad announces from the tree line. “I’m sorry, I had to run a long way to contact the head office, then get back here.”
“Brad!” I rush over and grab his shoulder, disturbed by the haunted look on his face. “What happened?”
He looks away, his blue eyes unfocused as he stares into the forest.
This man was my second-in-command for ten years and became squad leader when I retired. I’ve never seen him shell-shocked like this.
“I don’t even know,” he whispers hoarsely. “It was dark. We were moving in. The guys up front were carrying guns and wearing quick-clip armor, just in case things got rough.”
They went all out, even though it was supposed to be recon and capture.
Shadows will only wear shifter-proof armor and carry guns in the worst possible situations so they can use the best of both their wolf and human skills. Usually, a team will focus on one or the other and only bring out our most complex gadgets for extremely dangerous missions.
“The first line was about twenty feet ahead of us. I think they had just come level with the stone. Azarian and his woman were sleeping in the middle of it, completely exposed. We should have been able to surround and capture them without any trouble at all.”
“Sounds like there was a whole pile of trouble,” Malcolm mutters.
Brad nods. “The guys on the front line started to scream. I could smell the burning flesh. Then there was laughter—a woman. Vanessa, I assume. There was this line of fire. It moved through the air like a snake. All the first contingent got dragged onto the stone, and they… melted.”
“What?” I mutter, my head serving up all sorts of gory pictures of what that might have looked like.
“I can’t describe it any better than that. It was like their blood was boiling, and they melted as if they were made of candle wax. Their guns, their armor—everything melted into a great big puddle, sizzled, and fried into smoke.”
Brad blinks, finally, and feeling comes back into his eyes, even though he still looks pale with shock.
“What now?” I ask a million questions burning on my tongue, but I know now isn’t the time to ask them.
Soldiers don’t ask why or figure things out. They get their orders, and they act.
Brad shakes his head, and I poke him in the chest.
“What are your orders, soldier!” I bark.
Instantly, his eyes clear. “Head office has authorized an emergency order,” he says. “The town of Rose Hollow is to be used as a temporary base. Wolf’s Shadow will be arriving in force, and multiple special-forces contingents will be stationed around Eccles to barricade them in.”
“Rose Hollow is going to be used as a base?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yes. There is nowhere else close enough with the resources we need. The threat has been deemed great enough that anyone in the surrounding area is permitted to receive information to protect themselves and other civilians.”
“Shit,” I mutter. “I’ve got to get home!”
“Yes, you do,” Malcolm says. “And I’m coming with you. Brad, what’s next for you?”
“We’re first line now,” Brad says, his eyes clearing. “Marcus, Daniel, Shawn, and Luke are at vantage points in theforest. I’m out to join them. I’ll report back to WS so they can deploy.”
“I’ll be in town,” I reply. “Ready for the backup to arrive.”
Brad and I shake hands, then I turn and shift, leaping into the woods. Malcolm follows close behind, and we reach my car in minutes. As I gun it back into town, Malcolm lets out a low whistle.
“Don’t kill us on the drive back,” he grumbles.
“I’m not getting taken out by a car wreck,” I say, yanking my Mercedes around a sharp bend. “But my family, and my pack, are sitting there blissfully unaware that anything is happening, and there is a force of pure evil rising up in the next fucking town!”
I drive straight to the school and find Scarlett and Jarrod in the art room. While I explain the situation to the teachers, I text the elders to meet me in the square.
“Rex, what happened?” Scarlett says as the teachers start moving the kids to the hall.
