The Failed Rejection
Chapter 40

Braxton pov

Braxton spent the plane ride joking around with his brothers, but the second they touched down in Philadelphia he was all business. They checked into the closest hotel to the shitty club as possible, unfortunately it was still a block away. The club Blue Moon was a shifter club located on the outskirts of town.

The location was mainly boarded up industrial buildings. It definitely wasn’t a go to spot unless you were a supernatural. It was a perfect spot for the auction. The auction was on Saturday night, Braxton and his brothers had arrived on Wednesday. They spent the whole week scoping out the club. Denali even managed to get a job as a bouncer.

It was just pure luck, on Thursday night there was a bad brawl that turned ugly. Denali who was the beta of his pack stepped in, and saved the bouncers a*s. Brax didn’t know what started the fight, but a vampire had a sudden wave of bloodlust. The bouncer, who was a large bear shifter tried to break it up. The vampire was angered and got the bear shifter in a headlock fully intending to rip his head off. Denali managed to intervene, and the owner offered him a job on the spot.

Denali’s been able to get them some inside information, but not much. This club is playing a lot of things close to the vest.

It’s Friday morning, Alpha Killian, and Axel will be arriving shortly and the brothers don’t have much to report. They only have the following.

1. They managed to get a sort of inside man.

2. They know the people are not at the location.

3. The owner of the club is obviously in on it.

That fact is being heavily debated by Denali, who f*****g loves the guy since he started working there. Other than that they had nothing.

“No wonder they almost killed me last time, we have nothing on these guys,” Brax said in frustration.

“Don’t say that Brax, these guys obviously have been doing this for years. They are pros at it by now,” Dash tried to boost his ego.

The alphas finally made it to the hotel, and they started to give the run down of the situation. Brax gave a quick summary of what him and his brothers accomplished while they were here. While Brax didn’t agree, Killian thought he had accomplished a lot.

“Your brother is right, these bastards have been at this for a long time,” one of the wolves that came along told him. Killian must have noticed his confusion. “I’m sorry,

I’m Brad. Penelope and Lili’s brother.”

“Nice to meet you, you work with the council right?” Braxton asked. Brad nodded,

“Yeah, I hadn’t been here very long when I got the call. Alpha Brooks gave me permission to go,” Brad said and the name brought him up short.

“Where have I heard that name before?” Braxton asked his brothers in the mindlink.

“I don’t know, but I’ll do some digging,” his brother Dash responded.

“Here,” Brad said and tossed everyone a burner phone. “There is a good likelihood that your cellphone will be taken away during the auction. Make sure and get everyone’s new burner phone number programmed in. It especially important since not everyone has a mindlink.” Brad told everyone, it was clear this man had been doing this type of thing for a long time.

“All right, Cam you will be my muscle tomorrow alongside Brad,” Killian started.

“No, I have to be in there,” Brax said firmly.

“Braxton, you can’t go you will get made,” his brother Denali was trying to reason with him.

“No! I have to be in there,” Brax said firmly.

“What if you get recognized?” Killian asked

“Can’t you give them a story that you found me in the woods and I have no memories. It is mostly true,” Braxton pleaded.

“You sure you want to risk it?” Killian asked. “This is your op, I’m just here to help.” Brax looked over everyone in the room,

“I’m positive.” His brothers g*****d but Killian backed him up,

“Okay, it will be Braxton, Brad, and me going into the club. Denali is our inside man. Whose got the perimeter?”

“Me,” one of the wolves said.

“Me too,” Cam tells the room.

“I found the perfect place for a sharpshooter’s nest,” Brad started and looked at the map that was on the coffee table. Brad quickly pointed to a building that was adjacent to the club.

“Here, this building on the fifth floor gives perfect line of sight to the club. I’d do it, but you need me inside alpha.”

“I’ll do it,” alpha Axel volunteers.

“He needs a spotter,” Brad tells the room.

“I’ll do it,” Dash offers.

“All right the most important thing is we find the location of the victims, that’s the one thing we still haven’t been able to figure out,” Braxton says with a voice full of frustration.

“Everyone have their assignments?” Killian asked. The group of men nodded,

“Let’s get to work.”

.

Finally the night of the auction was here. Braxton was full of nervous energy. He preferred the random rogue attacks, where you didn’t have to sit and wait.

“Calm down, the time will come soon enough,” Killian told him.

Denali left for the club around seven as he had for the past several nights for his shift. The men working the perimeter and surveillance left shortly after. The men left in the hotel were only him, Killian, and Brad. They had about an hour left to kill.

“The owner is being pretty anxious tonight,” Denali had mindlinked him.

“The owner is acting off,” Braxton relayed to the men. Killian pulled out his phone and send out a group chat.

Killian: target assumed to be on site

Braxton’s phone blew up with responses. Everyone was still okay. Braxton waited impatiently for another thirty minutes.

“People are arriving Killian,” Brad stated suddenly.

“Let’s go,” Braxton said standing up.

“No, we wait just a little longer,” Killian said.

“Why?”

“The strongest alpha always enters the room last. While that will be the sellers, we can be second last,” Killian said while still sitting down. Braxton sat back down mulling over the wolf’s words. Braxton looked at Alpha Killian, he could obviously learn a lot from this Alpha wolf. He just had to set aside his ego, for the sake of his pack Brax was willing to do it.

Braxton was still deep in thought as Killian suddenly stood up.

“Time to go.”

“Yes Alpha,” Brad said and the three of them headed out of the shitty little motel. Brad drove them the three of them in the large SUV, while Braxton rode shotgun.

They quickly made it to the shitty club and exited the vehicle. Braxton had to open the door for Killian like he was his boss, not an equal. The trio were ushered past the velvet rope and led into the club. Braxton was immediately hit with an overwhelming smell of sweat, alcohol, and arousal. Goddess he hated these places, Braxton could feel his bear trying to block out the overpowering smells attacking him at once. While bearshifters weren’t like wolf’s who have a great sense of smell, being a white bear made his sense of smell better than most.

A bouncer met and lead them past all the gyrating bodies on the dance floor to the bathrooms. Then they went past the bathrooms down a long hallway. The bouncer knocked on the door, and the door was opened by his brother. Killian, Brad, and himself walked through the door. It was shut behind them.

“I have to take your phones,” Denali said not breaking character. The there of them handed over their cell phones with no resistance. Braxton watched as his brother took their phones and put them in a lockbox then placed the key in his pocket.

“I also have to frisk you,” Denali told him and walked over to them and did a light frisking. Braxton was armed to the teeth, and Denali knew it.

“You are good to go,” Denali said after blatantly ignoring their weapons. Denali went to the door and opened it gesturing for them to enter.

Braxton enters to see a room full of shifters. He can smell wolf’s, rogues and pack. Braxton can tell there are feline, bears, and vampires in the room. Braxton looked closely but couldn’t get a read on the two men in the corner, they looked to be fae or dragons.

Everyone was milling about, but Killian walked into the room like he owned the place and sat down. They were all brought a drink of what looked to be a Johnny Walker. Braxton brought it to his lips when the door opened. His whole world stopped when Penelope walked through that door. Braxton forgot how gorgeous she was, even in her simple black leggings and long sleeve t-shirt. That girl still took his breath away. Penelope quickly scanned the room, seeing Killian and then She walked determinedly toward their direction. Penelope’s eyes broke away from Killian and met his for a brief moment.

“Mate,” his bear growled in his head. Penelope gave him a look of pure joy, followed by a look he couldn’t understand. Then his brother announced her as Killian’s mistress and his bear roared in agony.

“No, no, no, this can’t be happening,” he thought to himself as he watched Penelope sit down on Killian’s lap. Then he watched the both of them, and it was awkward just to watch it. This wasn’t two people who were familiar with each other’s bodies. Then Braxton looked at their eyes and could see they were slightly glazed over, Brad’s as well. She should have been able to mindlink her alpha if she was in the club. Braxton tested that theory by trying to get ahold of his brothers. He was blocked.

Suddenly without warning Penelope was thrown off of Killian’s lap, and he yelled at her. It took everything in him not to growl at Killian and rip his head off for disrespecting his mate. Braxton picked her up and walked out of the room.

“Little wolf you want to tell me what you are doing here pretending to be your brother-in-laws mistress?” Braxton asked with a voice laced with threat. Penelope looked over to the werebear guarding the door.

“Umm,” Penelope said nervously.

“Don’t worry about my brother,” Braxton told her.

“Brother?!” Penelope said shocked.

“Yes brother,” he assured her. Penelope looked at Denali and he gave her a smile. One which she returned, and Braxton couldn’t help the rise of jealousy.

“Little mate, look at me and tell me what is going on!” Braxton said.

“Mate?!” Everyone in the room asked. For the first time Braxton noticed there was a male he didn’t recognize.

“Who is this?” Brax asked.

“Are there people listening in?” Penelope diverted the conversation back.

“Listening devices? There are none in this room, or in the one we just came from. They don’t want any proof of their illegal activities. Also we were only able to get my brother in place, so don’t trust any one.” Braxton told her. “So who is this?”

“Doctor Noah Logan, I’m her ex-mate,” the wolf said which caused his anger to go through the roof.

“Please Braxton not now, we have to deal with this,” Penelope said begging him to understand.

“Okay, but we will talk about it when this is all over,” Braxton said. The door opened again and Brad came out.

“The large tv came on, the auction is getting ready to start.”

“You have to get back in there Braxton,” Penelope told him. Braxton was torn.

“You are going in there Brax while I’m going with Penelope,” Brad declared. Braxton looked at the councilmen.

“Alphas orders, I know the council best.” Braxton nodded, and then looked at his second chance mate. He picked up this tiny little wolf and pulled her to fit his body.

“You stay safe little wolf.” Penelope looked at him with love in her eyes.

“You too LB.” Braxton pulled her in for a k**s and marveled at the shocks from the mate bond. This woman was everything he was fighting for, and he couldn’t wait until this was all over.