Page 57 of Emerald Flame
The foyer already looked like it would be stunning once it was completed. A beautiful marble tile had been laid on a portion of the floor and the wall to the left showcased a massive waterfall feature protected by a layer of clear plastic sheeting.
Impressive.
She heard Warren mumble a few choice words, then,They strip people of their money and their lives then think some good-looking stone can make up for it all.
More choice words followed.
Kiara couldn’t have agreed more.
She let Warren lead the way. At the end of the hall, she jerked to a stop, Warren with her, when two men suddenly rounded the corner. They wore jeans and tanks. Both were sweating and had sawdust clinging to their damp skin. Neither looked happy. Each had a grim set to his jaw and compressed lips. Green flames marked their necks and cheeks.
Warren relaxed instantly but it took her a little longer. He set them back in motion. Though she’d only been close to him for two nights, her levitation was in full-sync with him. The slightest pressure of his hand on her waist told her which direction he intended to move. It was like a dance they’d perfected over several years.
Once at the intersection of a broad main hall, she could hear more voices coming from opposite directions. She saw bare cement floors, walls ripped out, more plastic sheeting in different locations. The ceiling was bared with all kinds of pipes and ducting exposed. Standing, portable spotlights lit each work area.
Wolves, both men and women, labored everywhere. Though the smell of the dust was strong, all of it was tainted with emerald flame. Flame markings on throats and necks confirmed a forced, societal addiction to the drug.
A sudden barrage of gunfire and not too distant, had Warren pulling her tight against one of the walls.
Her heart hammered hard in her chest.What was that?She could hear shouting.
He was using his body as a shield as he listened intently. She planted her hands on his hips to try to calm down.
She felt him relax.We’re okay. Some asshole of Julio’s is flexing his muscles. He’s saying something about moving the bricks faster.
She thought it incredibly stupid to fire a weapon for such a reason.
Over the years, she’d been among many groups of wolves, sometimes in the formalized packs like Warren or Fergus’s compounds, or in clubs like Ralph’s. When wolves were allowed to thrive, there was a vibe that felt like freedom, even contentment despite the hardships Five Bridges presented.
What she felt within Julio’s combined packs was akin to death. Hope didn’t live here, not when slavery, drugs, and the self-interest of one man ruled the night.
Warren drew back, but looked down at her.Hey. What gives? We can leave right now if you want to.
She met his gaze and searched his eyes. How silly that her heart ached just looking at him.It’s not what you think. I’m not afraid. Well, I mean, yes, I’m shaking right now. But that’s not it. Warren, do you feel it, too, the despair in this place?
He cupped her face with one hand and thumbed her cheek.Like fire on my skin.
It’s the opposite of the Caldion Pack, isn’t it?
I’d like to think so. When wolves are allowed free will, it’s air to our kind.In the distance, a table saw started up again. The low voices of wolves murmuring behind torn up walls eased through her spell. Then another burst of gunfire.
Yet, all she saw was Warren and his green eyes. What was that saying about the eyes being the gateway to the soul? That’s what she saw, all that he was as a compassionate leader of his wolves. That’s why she stood here, in the middle of the enemy’s lair, risking her life. Warren had inspired her for a long time.
There’s something I want to tell you.
Again, he gently touched her cheek.What’s that?
She felt as though she was laying her own soul bare, but she continued anyway.You’re the reason I built the refuge in Savage Territory and where I placed it. I wanted to be near the man who had saved a warlock.
He frowned slightly.What warlock?
He would need reminding. For him, it had been all in a night’s work. But she’d seen her kind slaughtered for less by wolves from Savage.
You were about to leave a crime scene in Elegance where a wolf had been assaulted by a drugged-out warlock. It was maybe two-and-a-half years ago now. You’d already sent the wolf back to Savage to recover. You were just getting into your SUV to take the warlock to the Elegance station to have him locked up, when several wolves flew in from Savage wanting revenge for the attack.
I remember now,he said.But I don’t recall you being there.
I was a few yards away, inside my shield. I’d been trying to get that same warlock into rehab. The wolves were going to kill him, but you didn’t let them. You actually talked them down and in doing so you saved a warlock’s life. That’s why I’m here. I thought, maybe, if that kind of compassion resided in one of the most powerful alphas in Savage, then there might be hope for Five Bridges. That’s when I started my rescue work. You were the reason. I’ve been trying to emulate you all this time.
