Saved By The Alpha
Chapter 29

I woke up in a cold sweat, my sides heaving as I bolted upright. The room was still dark around me, and Iris was sleeping peacefully by my side. I reached up and rubbed my neck — the mark was still there, just like it ought to be.

At least I didn’t wake her,I thought ruefully, glancing around. Nothing seemed out of place. Another nightmare? But then I usually remembered those.

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

I frowned as I realized my phone was buzzing. I slipped out of bed, squinting at the dark floor. I found my slacks a few feet away and fished my cell phone from the pocket. Maverick’s name flashed across the screen, and my heart dropped into my stomach as I swiped across the screen to pick up. “Hello? Mav?”

Dead air greeted me on the other line.

Maybe he just butt-dialed me.

“Hello?”

I heard a vague, rasping noise — the longer I listened, the more it became apparent it wasn’t just fabric rustling across the microphone or the sound of someone who’d accidentally dialed and wandered away. “Maverick! Maverick, what’s wrong?”

Someone g*****d, and it sounded distant. Far away. Wet.

It dawned on me all at once.

Oh shit. He’s hurt. And if he’s hurt— BELLA!

My heart plummeted past my feet and into the floor. “Hang on, Mav,” I hissed into the phone. “Just. Just hang on. We’ll be right there.”

I hung up and spun around, but Iris was already out of bed, hurrying to pull clothes on. “What’s going on?” she asked, looking frazzled and worried. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my throat feeling thick. I tried to swallow the rising dread down but to no avail. “He didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak.”

“Call him back,” Iris said, breathless. “Eli, call him back. Bella…”

“I know,” I hissed, hopping on one foot as I pulled my trousers on as fast as I could. “I know.”

I called him back as Iris grabbed our things from the room, opening the door for me as we hurried down the hall. I’d deal with checking out or whatever fees later — it didn’t matter. As we reached my car, she tried to hand me the keys. “You drive,” I said, shaking my head. I’d tried to call back four times now, and he still hadn’t picked up. My hands were shaking. “I need you to drive.”

Iris took one look at me and nodded. “Okay,” she said, unlocking the car and tossing out stuff in the back seat. “You just tell me directions, and I’ll get us there as fast as I can.”

I felt a swell of appreciation at that moment as I slipped into my seat. No sooner had my as*s touched the leather than Iris threw the car into reverse, almost peeling out of the driveway. The only good thing about getting the call in the middle of the night was that we didn’t have to combat any traffic…and Iris clearly wasn’t afraid of breaking a few speed limits, either.

As I glanced over across the front seat, I took in the steely determination on her face and took a deep breath. Something bad had happened. I knew it, but I couldn’t let it get to me. If Maverick was hurt, if Bella was…

I shook my head.

They were both going to need us and at our full capacity.

Iris turned onto the highway. “Hold on to your butt, babe,” she said. “Time to let these horses sing.”

What was easilya twenty-five-minute drive had been whittled down to less than fifteen. Some might call Iris’ driving aggressive, but I would venture on impressive. She clearly needed a faster car than the one she had — but those were all thoughts for later.

She hadn’t even put the car in park before I was throwing the door open, stumbling up the driveway toward the safe house. Iris was only a stride or two behind me.

The front door was cracked open, and I nearly choked on my own tongue at the sight of a boot barely visible in the hall. As I shoved the door open, I recognized the staring, long-dead face of one of the guards stationed here tonight. I hated myself for thinking it, but I was relieved it wasn’t Maverick, Clay, or Jaxon.

Iris grabbed my wrist before I could bolt inside. “Be careful,” she hissed. “Someone might be waiting for you.”

I lifted my head and sniffed the air. The strange scents were already starting to fade, but one prevailed over all the others: b***d. I j3rked my arm away and raced inside. Maverick wasn’t far. He was on the living room floor, lying on a dark stain on the rug. I swore and stumbled over myself, falling to my knees. “Oh, what the f**k, Mav,” I choked, my hands hovering over him. I was no doctor, but even I could make out the three bullet holes in his ch3st.

Iris had followed after me, and I could hear her suck in a breath. “Where’s Bella?” she whispered as if she were afraid to hear the answer.

Mav’s eyes fluttered open, and he opened his mouth. He tried to speak but only managed to cough, little flecks of b***d spattering against his l!ps. “Shh,” I said, squeezing his arm.

When I looked back at Iris, she was already racing up the stairs, looking for the little girl. “F**k. F**k,” I g*****d, trying to rack my brain for what to do. It was one thing when I had been shot, but this? I wasn’t a medic!

I need a medic!

I fumbled my phone out of my pocket and dialed the first person I could think of. Pick up, pick up, pickup pickup pickup!

“Hello?” At that moment, Remus’ groggy voice was one of the best sounds I’d ever heard. “Eli?”

“Remus,” I gasped. “Someone found the safe house. They shot Mav. Bella’s gone.”

“F**k,” Remus swore, all traces of sleepiness quickly disappearing. “F**k. We’ll be right there.”

The line went dead. I didn’t need him to say anything else. I turned my attention back to Mav. “Just hang on,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest. Iris thundered back down the stairs, still calling Bella’s name. I could feel cracks spider-webbing across my heart with each call, Iris’ voice getting more and more desperate.

Mav made a low noise and twitched one hand. It took me a moment to realize he was motioning me closer. I leaned in. “Gone,” he croaked, his voice sounding wet. “Raven…” He was cut off by a cough.

“Raven Brothers?” I guessed.

Maverick nodded. I swore and started to pull back, but he reached for my hand. I frowned. “Was there someone else?”

He nodded again. As I leaned in, he !icked his l!ps. “—ck.”

“What?” I frowned, trying not to get frustrated with him. He was clearly in pain. Clearly — no, I wouldn’t think of that. “Who?”

Maverick coughed and tried again. “Brock,” he said weakly. “General. And Brock.”

Brock? Brock? Does he mean my mother’s mate? I thought my dad sent him back to London!

I jerked back, eyes wide. “How is this possible!?” Mav met my gaze steadily, offering a slow shrug before groaning again. Suddenly, my conversation with Hannah Locke several days ago came rushing back to me.

“I never met the general. I don’t know who he is. I just know he’s part of the packs, okay? That’s all I know.” Packs. Packs! Shit! He must have had someone on the inside to help him out! Someone in Longbow!

Time sped up after that.It could have taken Remus ten minutes to get to the safe house, or it could have taken an hour, and I wouldn’t have known the difference. Dr. Hayes was only minutes behind him. Though the man looked like someone had dragged him through a bush on his way out of bed, he was nothing but business the moment he laid eyes on Maverick. If I hadn’t seen what he’d done for Iris, I’d have been more concerned.

“It’s silver,” the man groused, already reaching into his field kit. He motioned to a woman who’d come along with him. I could only assume she was his nurse.

“You’re in good hands,” I assured my friend, getting out of the pack doctor’s way while he cut open Mav’s shirt to better inspect the wounds. “It’s going to be fine. I promise.”

“Sorry,” Mav rasped, his eyes fluttering open and shut between stuttering breaths. “I’m sorry, El. I tried—” He inhaled sharply as the doctor swabbed something over his skin.

“I need you to stop talking now…” He paused, looking at me.

“Maverick,” I filled in. “His name is Maverick.”

“I need you to stop talking now, Maverick,” Dr. Hayes continued, his voice firm but gentle. “This is going to hurt, but I’m going to make it as quick as possible, you understand?”

Mav gave a small nod. I gave his hand one last squeeze. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I whispered fiercely. “Absolutely nothing. You better be here when I get back, you understand?”

“Yes,” Mav whispered.

Dr. Hayes shot me a dark look, and I released Mav’s hand, finally stepping away to give the man room. I retreated to the kitchen. Iris and Remus were huddled together, the alpha speaking to someone on the phone.

When Iris noticed me, she stepped over.

“What’s going on?”

She nodded toward my half-brother. “He’s gotten on the phone with Seff,” she explained. “I guess his friend was able to track Luna’s location when she was kidnapped, but…” She trailed off, looking a bit helpless.

“What? What is it?”

“The security feeds were cut. He really doesn’t have a lot to go on. He was able to find Luna using her cell phone and the towers it pinged off, but…” She shrugged. “Bella doesn’t have a cell phone.”

“Brock does,” I blurted out.

Iris furrowed her brows. “What does Brock—”

“Brock was here,” I rushed out, cutting her off. “Mav said he was one of the people who jumped him.”

Iris looked shocked. “Brock? Are you sure? I thought you said your father sent him back to London!”

I shrugged, feeling helpless at that moment. “I don’t know,” I answered. “Mav could barely talk…but Hannah had said packs to us the other day. She must have meant there was someone on the inside of Longbow, too. Someone Brock had flipped.” The mere thought of a traitor among my packmates made my gut roil, but I couldn’t dwell on the ‘how’ for too long. Bella was in grave danger.

I turned to my half-brother. “Remus! I have a number. Give your friend this number.” I rambled it off as soon as he made eye contact.

It was all I could do not to cross my fingers and start bouncing in place. It had to work. That was all we had. We didn’t know who the general was or any of the other Raven Brothers’ members who might have been here, but we knew Brock, and he certainly wouldn’t know about any of Remus’ friends or their tricks.

Please work. This has to work.

An entire age passed before Remus looked back up. “He’s got a location,” he hissed, already hurrying toward the door. Iris and I followed after him as guards filtered in, securing the house and Maverick from any further attack.

“Does he know where Brock is?” Iris asked, already reaching for the driver’s door.

“Yes,” Remus confirmed, slipping into the back seat as I rushed to hop in on the other side. “But what I don’t understand is why your mother’s mate would be participating in all of this. What the hell does he have to gain? He didn’t know a thing about the Silver Streak Pack until a little over a year ago!”

“I don’t think it’s about Silver Streak,” I hissed as Iris started to back out of the driveway. “Gage just tried to take over Longbow, and Brock was definitely trying to help him. Gage is a beta. He was probably going to suggest Brock replace my father, that bastard. That’s probably been their plan all along. Gage has been making allies, probably all over the world, just for this. Of course, Brock played along. Why wouldn’t he? He thought he was going to be a pack alpha, Gage’s puppet or not.”

“But why now?” Iris asked.

It only took me a second to consider. “Money,” I growled. “He wants whatever treasure the Crescent Moon Pack is rumored to have. With Dr. Brenner out of the way in our custody, it’s all Brock’s for the taking…and all that they can probably salvage from Project Night Moon without the scientists.

Brock’s going to need it, too. I can’t imagine my father would trust Gage with jackshit after the stunt he pulled, and Brock doesn’t come from much on his own. Whatever he had, he was getting it from my uncle or my mother, and he’s not going to have any of it — not anymore.”

Iris growled, twisting to look back at Remus. “Where are we going?”

“Georgetown. Due north.” He gave Iris a toothy grin. “Punch it.”