30. Chapter Thirty

Riaz paced.

Claws tore up the dry earth, the gritty dust polluted the air around his wolf, clinging to his fur and coating it in sandy brown. The animal sneezed off the debris, growling at the interference.

Yet, even as the animal, his thoughts were torn.

Cortana's rejection yesterday had painted a bleak picture of his future: one where he endlessly pined for a mate who cared nothing for him. Her icy disregard for his attempts at courtship, interspersed by brief and occasionally bittersweet periods of intimacy, had wounded him in a way he couldn't fully comprehend.

His tragic past continually tarnished his present, and this was no different. Rejection of any kind only served to cinch the ever-present noose around his neck. His human family had seen to that.

Teeth bared, Riaz's wolf shook his coat to rid himself of the harmful memories.

Forgive her, one voice said. She's scared, that's all.

Riaz knew the still-forming mating bond made for emotions volatile; he'd seen as much in himself. Without meaning to, he'd pressured her with his advances, and she lashed out.

Fear fisted in his chest, a shiver racing beneath the inner layer of his wolf's fur and tearing at his control. Snarling, Riaz lifted his voice to the wilds of the Colorado night, resenting his need for solitude. Only feet away from the den, his angry aura had dissuaded any wolf from approaching him.

A whimper escaped him as he forced himself to be frank. Cortana had every right to leave—and he wouldn't stop her. In the deepest, most jaded part of his soul, Riaz could admit the truth of it: he didn't think he could take that kind of rejection.

Not again.

Riaz had to make things right. He had to apologize for pushing her, for continuing to reach toward her when she clearly needed space to figure out what this new connection meant. He could wait; he could be patient. He owed it to both of them.

Shifting, he rolled his shoulders in an attempt to relieve the tension that'd settled there. He retreated to his quarters to wash away the grime, ensuring that when he met his mate, he wouldn't be covered in dust. Moments later, he was striding through the den, scenting the air for her.

His nose led him to her quarters, but when he knocked, no one answered. Dread spiked through him, and he opened the door to check her wellbeing.

Empty.

Riaz glanced around the room for any clues to her whereabouts. Neat piles of clothing were set out on the dresser, perfectly folded. Make up products, though Riaz doubted she needed any, were arranged in formation on the vanity.

The pristine bed covers held only a hint of two imprints at the foot of the bed.

Finding no answers, he turned to leave when his eye caught on a glint of white on the desk in the corner. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked over for a closer look.

The varnish was worn along the decorative edges and chipped paint spiderwebbed over the delicate comb. Clearly, it was well loved. He picked it up gently, turning it over in his hand to see if he could identify the make or how old it was. Was it Cortana's? She could certainly afford something newer and more effective.

Why did she use something—

"What are you doing?" The accusatory tone was hurled at him from the doorway. Turning, he caught sight of Cortana, her eyes wide with anger. "Don't touch that!"

Fear and pain tinged every word, and he instantly felt like he'd been intruding. Which he was. Frowning, he placed the treasure back on the countertop, putting his hands up in a placating move.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to snoop."

Sneering at him, she hastened toward the comb, grabbing it and placing almost reverently in the inner compartment of her handbag, like it was made of glass. Then, over her shoulder, she cast, "You have no right to go through my things, wolf."

The man attempted to rein in the temper of the wolf who was bristling and defensive at her tone.

"Why are you even here?" She turned on him, fisting her hands on her hips. "Why are you in my quarters in my absence?"

"When I knocked you didn't answer, and I thought—"

"So, you think that you can just barge in if I don't answer? What if I was changing?"

"I—"

"And why did you think you have a right to touch my things, Riaz? You think you have some claim over everything in your den, people and possession alike?"

She'd drawn nearer to him, challenging his wolf by glaring at him, unblinking. Tingles raced down his spine with the need to shift and defend his territory, the need to reinforce his dominance.

"I was curious." His words were curt, his jaw clenched. "You clearly treasure this comb, but you don't like it when I touch your hair. I thought there might be a link."

"It's a comb, Riaz," Cortana hissed. "From someone I actually cared about."

It was a slap in the face, and his wolf went off the deep end. "And you don't care about me, is that it?"

"Argh!" She threw her hands in the air, flabbergasted. "You're no better than Renata, marking your territory like you own me! I don't belong to you."

In that instant, Riaz succumbed to the rage that bubbled beneath his skin. Eyes blazing orange, the wolf crashed through his defenses, unspent darkness out in the open, caustic emotions barreling through their nascent mating bond with the force of a battering ram.

"Is it even hard for you? Do you even have to put any effort into denying me? In pretending you're so much better than I am?"

"I told you—I'm not your pet, Riaz." His name in her mouth was a scathing sound. "I don't do relationships. If you fell in love with me, that's your own problem, not mine."

"Do you have feelings in that dried up old heart of yours, Pet?" He closed the distance between them. "Do you even remember what it feels like to care about someone other than yourself?"

"Like you're one to speak!" Cortana spat. "You only care about other people, and you're too afraid of yourself to ever be alone! What kind of alpha is too afraid of his own shadow to go on a run by himself? To sleep alone? You're a coward!"

He barred his teeth, every inch of him shaking with anger, the need to shift barely suppressed. Turning away, he muttered darkly, "There's only so much a man can take, Cortana."

"Can't take the heat, huh? When things get rough, Riaz gets going?"

He stiffened, the words shredding what little dignity he had left. Deep hurt resonated within him, the kind of pain that marred the spirit. Fisting his hands, haunted eyes turned to regard her, his snarling lips soundless. The predator was seething.

Cortana didn't stop, regardless of the pain she was causing.

"I see you for what you are, Riaz." And then she spoke the words that broke his heart: "A coward in wolf's clothing."

He held the icy blue gaze, watched as she lifted her chin in anticipation of his wrath. But her burning venom had the opposite effect. It tore down the last of his walls and exposed the vulnerable man beneath.

The anger that'd been building disappeared, taking with it any trace of the confrontational wolf thirsting for violence. Void of all emotion save despondency and a deep, visceral hurt that warred with Cortana's need to lash out, he cast his eyes down and closed them in a long exhale. He'd had enough.

Regret funneled through their mating bond. "Riaz—"

"Get the hell out of my den."

Once infused with mirth and laughter, his voice was drained of every ounce of what made Riaz him.

Cortana couldn't help but try to voice her apology once more. "I'm so—"

"Get. Out." This time more firmly, the man behind the mask finally meeting her gaze. Broken. Fundamentally. "You're no longer welcome here."

Riaz didn't stay for her response.

Coward.

No word had ever sliced him so deeply.

Wolf snarling beneath his skin, he tore into his office like a man possessed. Relaxed? Never again. Soft? Rough edges would be his new exterior. Cowardly? No one would use the word to describe him from this moment onward.

Things crashed into the waste bin; papers were stuffed into folders, cabinets dragged in and filled alphabetically. All the things he had kept for their sentimental value went out the door with a curt word to Gadriel to trash them.

In two hours, he'd rage-cleaned his office from top to bottom, seeing each worksurface for the first time in remembered history. Everything was organized and settled into its proper place—whatever that meant.

By the end, his wolf has appeased, and the man was spent.

Collapsing into the office chair that sat awkwardly behind the empty desk, Riaz put his head in his hands. Now was no time for weakness—and it never would be again.

A hollowness he'd never experienced before had settled on his soul, a black oil slick that coated everything and choked the light from his eyes. He had been informed by one of his puzzled betas that Remmus had teleported Cortana back to New York following his decree.

It left him bereft. But he'd spoken the words, not she.

Palms pressing painfully into his temples, he allowed the roar in his soul to overtake the noise of the world. For so long, he'd avoided entanglement and rejection, only to be foiled by a mating bond that was destined to never be fulfilled.

His ‘mate' would rather hurl insults and push him away than want to work through things together. He couldn't fall into those relationship patterns again.

She'd made him out to be the fiend his family thought him all those years ago, their panicked fear and subsequent wrath gouging his soul irreparably. Although she remained unaware of his checkered past, Cortana had crushed what little remained of that broken soul.

The deadliest poison was the spoken word, spewed from a sharp tongue.

"Riaz?"

Rousing himself to respond, he looked up. "Ava."

"You're not yourself."

It was the understatement of the century. Between Riaz's scathing new temper and his inability to contain the vitriol within, he'd become someone unrecognizable. That didn't mean he'd admit it to his beta.

"Gee, thanks, Ava. Your keen powers of observation continue to astound me."

He turned on the sleek laptop Gadriel insisted on updating for him every couple of years. He'd get started on the schedule the pack would follow religiously from now on.

"You aren't even trying to hide behind humor anymore."

Riaz stopped his attempts at organization to glower at her. "What's it to you, beta?"

"Can a beta not care for her alpha?" Riaz's features hardened but he didn't respond. Nonplussed, Ava continued, "You've sent Cortana away. Would that happen to be why your tail is in a twist?"

"Get out of my office, Ava."

"Is that a command, alpha? Are you using your dominance to avoid my question?"

Eyes flashing the blazing orange of his wolf, Riaz growled, "Don't push your luck."

But she did anyway. "You see, I happen to know quite a bit about heartbreak. And I can tell when my alpha is experiencing loss. Sorrow. Whatever you want to call it. Why have you sent away your mate?"

"Because she's rejected me!" Temper reigniting, Riaz slammed his hands into the desk, a crack forming beneath the pressure. "It didn't matter that we shared something special—that I opened up to her and she was the one who initiated anything physical. Every time I inched closer in response, she would take a gaping step back and glare at me for the intrusion. There's only so much a man can take."

Something akin to pity crossed Ava's features. Grief hung heavy around Riaz' neck, a stone pitting in his stomach as he sank into the abyss of bitter memories. He collapsed backward into his chair.

"For what's it's worth, I'm sorry, Riaz."

He studied her for a moment, noting the lines of strain around her mouth and eyes, and the alpha in him immediately focused on her wellbeing. "Take the long scout through the mountains, Ava. You don't need to be here to see the mission through."

Relief erased the tension in her shoulders. "Thank you. I—I've been contemplating moving in with Gwennie while that Raeth is here."

"I'm sorry, Ava." He shook his head. "Anything you need, let me know. It was never my intention to make you uncomfortable in your own home."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Inviting him to stay was the right move. Our political affiliations shouldn't suffer because I have a case of the heebie-jeebies."

Riaz knew it was more than mere superficial dislike; her fear originated in her childhood, just like his. "Go. I'll take care of the den and our people."

And with that, she was gone.

Minutes later, Gadriel appeared at his door. Before he had a chance to start, Riaz informed him, "I've already gotten my hide handed to me by Ava. If your wish to file a complaint, you can put it in there."

He motioned to the garbage can, and Gadriel beamed. "No complaints here, boss. Just a warning."

"What of?"

"There's movement at the warehouse." Looking at his phone, he forwarded Riaz the images his scouts had sent just a half hour ago. "But we can't tell if it's incoming or outgoing."

Frowning, Riaz studied the blurry pictures. "They must have been spooked by our intrusion the other night. We need to gather supplies and set the charges now in case they empty it."

Gadriel saluted him. "Aye aye, captain."

He quickly addressed a text to Drake and Aidan, the two original masterminds of this mission, notifying them of his intention to level the Citizens' structure.

Aidan's reply was a simple thumbs up. Drake's first thought was to his wife. Keep Toni safe. She likes to watch the fireballs.>

A wave of grief rolled through him. When Cortana had been here in his den, he'd enjoyed waking up and seeing to her needs. He'd liked protecting her—even if she didn't need it—but now he'd never fully experience what Drake had. Cortana had judged him unworthy.

Before she'd left, Cortana had given Gadriel the charges she developed for the plant. That last small snub rubbed Riaz the wrong way, but he couldn't fault her. He hadn't wanted to see her off for good reason.

By the time they'd gotten the charges activated and ready to plant, Remmus had returned. The Raeth relaxed into a lazy position, his shoulder propped in the armory's doorway. "Taking out the big guns, huh?"

"No sense in getting a water-gun to do a bazooka's job."

Remmus' mouth stretched into a face-eating grin. "I'll happily offer my services. I thoroughly enjoy blowing things up."

"Appreciated." Riaz nodded. "We leave in ten."

"Where's your pretty blonde? I could feel her hatred of me pouring off her in waves, and I'd love a chance to change her mind."

The alpha in Riaz instantly snarled. "Leave her be, Raeth."

The other man raised his hands in surrender easily enough. "No harm meant, wolf. I'll take my whippings elsewhere, and the pretty blonde can glare at me from afar."

"Convoy's ready when you are." Gadriel's arrival cut through the tension between the two men.

Remmus whistled. "You're just gonna waltz in through their pearly gates?"

"We've been accessing the location from a back road a half-mile from their yard," Riaz explained, carefully setting the detonators into a padded case. "We'll go through there."

"If you prefer, I have a much more expeditious way of setting your charges." A cocky grin brightened the Raeth's features. "One that doesn't require the use of your deplorable gas-guzzling automobiles."

"And that is?"

"A handy Raeth gift called teleportation."

Deep suspicion took hold in Riaz's mind. "You've been there before?"

For once, the Raeth lost his mirth. "You think I'd bring Toni here without surveying the area first and knowing what was at stake? I did my due diligence. Didn't survive eight centuries without it."

It was Riaz's turn to feel sheepish. "Touché."

Taking advantage of Remmus' offer, the three of them were at the manufacturing plant only minutes later. They did a quick reconnaissance to ensure the night covered their approach, but found no one patrolling the perimeter. There were no guards visible outside the facility. He didn't like this sudden and suspicious good fortune; not one bit.

"Odd," Riaz growled under his breath.

"I'll teleport to the building," Remmus said, "and give you the all-clear."

With that, the Raeth dematerialized and appeared next to the building before Riaz could reply. Gritting his teeth together, Riaz glowered at the fool from across the field, hoping the other man's eyesight would catch a glimpse of his antagonism.

Instead of withering beneath the alpha's anger, Remmus responded with a wink and a mocking salute before prowling along the wall and soundlessly slipping inside.

Nothing happened.

Gadriel and Riaz waited, holding their breath as their ears strained for movement or mayhem within the building. Each crouched defensively, their muscles coiled in anticipation and primed to race toward the building in backup if need be. Seconds turned to minutes, and Riaz's wolf became restless.

A shiver of air caressed them from behind, raising his heckles. It was the only warning before Remmus said, "Nada, boys."

Jumping to his feet with a snarl, Riaz whispered, "What the hell, Raeth!"

"No one's there." Giving him a casual shrug, Remmus put his hands in his pockets. "Emptied out. Belly up. Closed for business."

Gadriel shook his head, confused. "Nothing's there?"

Remmus' lips curved into a sarcastic line before he glanced at Riaz. "Should I give him a cookie?"

Riaz sent him a mirthless smile, then refocused on the abandoned building before them. He should've known this would be the case after he and Cortana had gotten caught a few days ago.

"No guards?"

"Not a soul, my friend." The humor vanished. "And all technology has been removed or deactivated."

It was deserted. When they made it inside, Riaz confirmed the Raeth's comments: nothing was left. The furnace control board had been completely removed. All the machinery had been uprooted. Even the vending machines they'd spotted on their first recon mission had vanished.

It was completely and utterly empty.

"Dammit." Wolf roaring to the surface, Riaz glanced at Gadriel. "They've been tipped off. We need to inform Aidan and Drake of the developments."

"Just did, wolf."

Blinking, Riaz frowned at the Raeth. "What?"

"I'm a technopath. I sent them texts."

"From your mind?" Gadriel gapped.

"Yep. Happy to be of service." Remmus' chipper response was clipped short by the hasty teleport that landed them all back in the den armory. "Home sweet home."

Dizzy, Riaz shook his head to clear it. "A little warning, Raeth."

"A little gratitude, wolf."

The taunting smile on Remmus' face only added fuel to Riaz's temper. Equal parts amusement and aggravation dueled inside him, but in the end, he waved a dismissive hand.

"We need to figure out where they've taken it."

"None of the tech was left." Remmus mused, manifesting an apple in his hand and taking a big bite. Between mouthfuls, he flippantly added, "Anybody we can torture for the info?"

Riaz raised one ebony eyebrow. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you wouldn't be opposed?"

"Meh, what's a little torture and light maiming?"

The response was so laissez-faire Riaz couldn't picture the Raeth auditing the practices in question, let alone dishing them out. He coughed a laugh. "Fortunately, I have an idea."

"Dangerous," Gadriel quipped.

"We literally ran into a guard the other night—I know where he lives." He turned to pin Remmus with a hard stare. "If you're as tech savvy as you say, we can strip details from his cell phone."

"Who said anything about being tech savvy?" Remmus taunted. "I'm a tech god."

***

Crystalline rays of sunlight peeked over the mountain ridges by the time they'd arrived at the nightwatchman's home. Clearly still on third-shift schedule, there was no movement in his home and his car was still parked in the cracked driveway.

A burst of energy tickled up Riaz's spine as he scrutinized the location, and the alpha instantly identified it as a Raeth's gift at work.

"He's asleep, tucked up cozily in his bedroom," Remmus cocked his head. "I can access his phone from here."

"What if he wakes and he's one of those people who checks their phone first thing in the morning? Won't he realize something's going on and raise the alarm?"

"Nah, just call me Mr. Sandman; I've put him even further under. For the next three hours, it'd be easier for him to turn into a mewling housecat than wake up."

The nip of Remmus' energy lingered in the air around them, a static electricity that buzzed and burned against his sensitive skin. Gritting his teeth, Riaz blended further into the dense bush where they'd concealed themselves.

They'd deposited Gadriel at the den before making their way here, knowing it'd be harder to conceal three large males than two.

"There's nothing, Riaz." Disappointment laced Remmus' voice. "A curt email from his boss stating his services were no longer needed." He whistled, long and low. "Hefty severance package that included a strongly worded non-disclosure agreement, though. Our boy here isn't gonna talk to anyone anytime soon."

Riaz cursed under his breath and checked his watch. "I've got a bad feeling about this, but Drake is probably already asleep for the day."

Remmus teleported them both back into the den's great hall. Once more at home, Riaz breathed a sigh of relief to be among his pack.

"Who knows," Remmus said, "our lovely lady Toni might be able to wake him up."

Speaking of the sweet and bubbly devil, she appeared to their right with a concerned look. "Wake who up?"

"Drake."

"We need to speak with him about the plant." Riaz locked eyes with the strawberry blonde. "They cleared out several hours ago and—"

"Riaz!"

The screech caught him off guard. Riaz turned, frowning, as Renata scurried up to him. "I'm so glad you've sent that awful vampire away, that you've seen her for what she is! She was—"

"Enough, Renata!" He warned, instantly putting the more submissive she-wolf on the hind foot. "Stop speaking about Cortana like she's evil incarnate—I've had enough of this!"

Tears misted in Renata's eyes when she recoiled, her features twisting in hurt and bewilderment before she pivoted on her feet and ran sobbing from the great hall in a mess of blubbers and wails.

Good riddance.