“Well, don’t! You know darnn well, Paige wouldn’t betray us.” My voice shakes. “She’s my mate. Your future Luna and Jaxon’s mother. She’s mine. She didn’t do this.”
Remy swallows hard and nods once. He knows I won’t listen to his opinion on this a second longer. I won’t have him accuse my mate of anything.
The tension breaks when the door swings open behind us.
Chap 34
Ronnie rushes in, breathless and red-faced, his eyes wild, until they land on the table and he stops dead.
His eyes drop to Callen, splayed out pale and bloody with three dart wounds still oozing around fresh gauze. A healer leans over him, whispering something urgent, while another injects him with something to slow the spread of the toxin.
“Oh goddess,” Ronnie chokes, stumbling backward, hand flying to his mouth.
He doesn’t make it to the bin before he’s sick, retching into the corner of the room. His whole body shakes like the sight of Callen physically broke something inside him. I get it. I feel the same way.
Ronnie wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve and turns to me, his face full of horror. “How did they get that close? How the hell did this happen?”
“We’re still figuring that out,” I grit out. “Right now, I need you focused. I need you steady.”
He nods, swaying a little, but holding it together.
I turn toward Parker. “Take Ronnie and two of your best. Pull the kids from the school, now. Do it quietly. I don’t want a panic.”
Parker’s face hardens. “On it. What about Paige?”
I hesitate. My wolf growls low in my chest. The idea of her alone, even for a second, makes my instincts scream, but at the same time, I don’t want her anywhere near this. She’s human. They have no reason to go after her, but I won’t settle until I see her. Plus, Jax needs her. I need her.
“Get Paige too. Bring her back here. I want her and Jaxon in our house and under guard before sundown.”
Parker nods and turns to leave, motioning to Ronnie. He lingers for just a second, casting one last look at
Callen, then follows.
I step outside, dragging in a breath of fresh air like it might clear the storm inside me. It doesn’t.
I turn to the remaining guards. “I want the perimeter patrols doubled. Rotate every three hours. If you even think you see movement, you raise the alarm.”
“Alpha.” They nod in unison before taking off.
Being Alpha means control. It means staying objective and calm, but right now, all I feel is panic. My brother is barely clinging to life on a healer’s table. My son is at a school on the other side of town. My mate is in a house alone, probably scared out of her mind, and someone knows our secret.
My fists clench so tightly I feel my claws pierce the skin. I hadn’t even noticed my hands partially shifted. again.
I don’t know how they found us. I don’t know how they know about my son, but now they do. They’ll come for him.
No.
Not while I’m breathing. They won’t get near him.
I storm back inside the healer’s cabin, Callen’s unconscious now, twitching they’ve pumped him with.
Pain despite whatever drugs
I walk to his side and grab a damp cloth, pressing it gently to his forehead. His skin is on fire. It takes everything I have not to fall apart.
“You held them off, Cal,” I whisper. “You saved us. I swear, I won’t let them touch what you fought to protect.”
Remy appears beside me, quieter now. “We’re going to find who did this.”
“We’d better,” I breathe. “None of us are safe until we’ve taken every last one of them out.”
**Paige’s POV **
The knock on the door is urgent. I’m already on my feet before it comes a second time, with my heart hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat.
I peek through the spy hole and then wrench the door open to find Parker standing there, dried blood crusted down one side of his face.
“Oh my god,” I gasp, reaching out to touch his face without thinking. “Are you okay?”
Parker closes his eyes at my touch and nods, cupping his hand over mine.
“The others?” I ask, afraid to hear his answer. in a
They’re okay,” Parker says quickly, his voice low. “Callen’s in a bad way, but alive.”
My knees almost give out. Parker’s hands land on my hips to steady me and I grip the doorframe to stay upright, the wave of relief crashing over me so fast it makes my eyes sting.
“Come on,” he urges. “We’re getting Regina and the kids. Ryder wants you and Jaxon at our place. Under protection.”
“Okay” I nod. “But let me get you a cloth first. You’ll scare the kids turning up like that.”
I rush into the kitchen before he can respond. I grab a clean towel and run it under the tap. I wring it out and turn back, only to find Parker is now right behind me.
“Sh’t,” I breathe. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
“Sorry.” He says, looking guilty as he takes the wet towel from my hand.
He wipes it over his face and then gives me a look. Silently asking if it’s better. I shake my head and I hold my hand out. He places the towel in my hand and I slowly bring it up to his face, like he might flinch away from my touch. He doesn’t. His eyes watch me with an intensity I don’t know how to interpret as I wipe the blood from his temple.
“Is this yours?” I ask, my voice shaky.
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