18. Morgan

Chapter 18

Morgan

True to Shan's word, we all crammed into the tiny kitchen where they held a pack meeting. The room still smelled like pancakes from breakfast, but my anxiety had my stomach so twisted, I didn't think I could ever eat again. Everyone was perched on benches, counters, or leaning along the wall to discuss what was going on and to vote on what actions we were about to take. No one seemed overly surprised by the fact that danger was coming; if anything, they seemed resigned.

Shan laid a paper map of the region out on the table, and Jude narrowed down the location of the lab, based on the memory of his escape. I could sense the lingering disquiet in him, forced to dredge up his past trauma.

The plan involved asking Dylan's father to supply them with weapons, armor, and surveillance equipment, then to ask the surrounding packs to volunteer manpower. Shan was somber but spoke with decisiveness, and I found my nerves easing. He was a natural leader. No surprise, the vote was unanimous in their Alpha's favor. It was obvious to me that they trusted him implicitly, even in the face of war. What was surprising, though, was that I was given a vote too.

"Morgan, how do you vote?" Shan asked, turning those copper eyes on me.

"But I just got here," I said, shaking my head and trying to back away, before finding myself bumping into Jude's firm chest.

Shan just smiled at me. "But you're here to stay, and whatever happens tomorrow, it will impact you too. What do you say?"

I sighed, leaning into Jude for comfort and strength. "I'm with you," I said with absolute certainty, and Jude set his hands on my shoulders, squeezing gently. It probably should've scared me how quickly I'd gone all in with these virtual strangers, but honestly, it was the first time I'd truly felt at home somewhere. Even growing up, I hadn't really belonged there. My parents had never known how to relate to me, and I'd never been very good at making friends. I was always the loner, the outsider. Now, I felt entirely at peace, so it was an easy decision to do whatever it took to protect my new family.

Everyone was being so nice to me. If I thought I would feel left out as the only human, I was wrong. If anything, it made everyone curious, and they went out of their way to be incredibly kind. It would take a while to get to know everyone, but the one name I would never forget for how it kept ringing in my ears was Vesta.

Vesta had stood out from the crowd, for obvious reasons. I mean, the woman was at least 70 years older than anyone else, but it wasn't just that. She emanated some kind of power that I could only describe as ancient. When she was introduced to me, she took my hand, her skin soft and dry, and I swore I felt a tingling current travel all the way up my arm to my chest. She didn't even say anything, just stared at me, smiling in this all-knowing way. Her eyes were a milky white, but she still managed to stare directly into my soul. As off-putting as it was, it was also kind of nice.

The two of us sat there in silence together. I could honestly say I'd never done that with anyone before. There always seemed to be this need to fill the silence, but I didn't feel that even once with Vesta. I lost track of how much time passed. Eventually, Jude set his hand on my shoulder and leaned in. "It's time to go. "

"Already?" Though when I looked outside, it was later than I thought.

Vesta nodded and patted my cheek. "It was so nice to see you again, Morgan." For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what she meant, because we'd never met before.

I'd barely had time to settle into my new home, and it was already time to head out again. I thought for sure I was about to get left behind, considering the whole pregnancy thing and my mate being an overprotective alpha, but whenever I stepped more than a few feet outside his reach, my morning sickness began to return. Thankfully, Jude seemed to feel the same way about being away from me. He'd simply lifted me into the back of the truck, before sliding in beside me.

The drive back to Fairhome felt ridiculously long, but that might've had something to do with how I was overheating in the back of the truck wedged between Jude and Dylan. Tristan was driving, Shan in the passenger seat up front, his elbow propped on the window ledge. Even with the window cracked to bring in a breeze, the truck's cab quickly started to stink a bit. I tried to be discreet about holding my breath, but I was soon called out on it.

Dylan chuckled beside me and nudged me with his elbow. "It smells a bit like wet dog, doesn't it? "

I choked on my laugh, because yes, it was exactly that. Jude narrowed his eyes at me in mock offense, so I leaned into him and took a big old whiff of his neck. "But he's my wet dog," I said, laughing when he tried to tickle me.

It started off playful, his fingers pinched at my knees, but my giggling quickly transitioned to a moan when his hand slid up my thigh, dangerously close to my thickening cock, and he tipped my head back and claimed my mouth in a sensual kiss. Now, I was no exhibitionist, but in that moment, it was like I'd entirely forgotten where we were and who else was in the truck with us. If it weren't for the seatbelt holding me down, I wouldn't have hesitated to crawl into his lap and have my way with him.

Until someone cleared their throat, and I pulled back with a gasp, slapping a hand over my face. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry. I got… a little carried away."

"Ahh, to be newly mated again," Tristan said wistfully, waggling his eyebrows at his mate in the rearview mirror.

"Eyes on the road, buddy," Dylan sassed, but he was grinning slyly, no doubt remembering it with sexy, dirty fondness.

We stopped only once to grab some greasy takeout—to cover up the wet dog smell, Tristan said, but I suspected it was just because he loved the French fries. Apparently baby agreed, because I started devouring those tiny burgers like it was my job.

Heading back to the city seemed like the worst idea imaginable, considering the state of how we'd left Eric and that his group of fanatics were actively searching for us, but Jude assured me that we would be in the safest place imaginable. I'd expected a police station or military base, or maybe even a bank with a heavy vault for us to lock ourselves up in. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be a nightclub.

Tristan pulled up at the curb, and we piled out onto the sidewalk. I was eternally grateful for the breath of fresh air, which I took into my lungs with a deep inhale, but I'd forgotten how cold it was. Jude was at my side in a second. He forced my arms into the sleeves of my jacket and zipped it up, then plopped a warm knit hat on my head. "Can't have my little human getting frostbite." He booped my nose with a finger, then pressed a too-quick kiss to my lips.

The building was pretty nondescript, with a giant neon sign that said Hair of the Dog. "Is that supposed to be a joke?" I asked Jude from the corner of my mouth. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or not.

He followed my line of sight, and his lips quirked. "So I've been told. "

It was still early, but as we stood there, a couple patrons headed in, and the deep thrum of bass was noticeable when the bouncer opened the door to admit them. I had so many questions, the least of which was what the hell we were doing here. Shan had said we were picking up our "supplies" from Dylan's dad, but a nightclub seemed like an odd place to do this kind of business. I'd expected a rat-infested warehouse or at the very least a dark alley.

I'd expected Shan, as the Alpha, to take lead, but it was Dylan who stepped forward to the head of our little ragtag group of shifters (and one human), marching up to the bouncer. Dylan cut an imposing figure, dressed in tight black leather pants, his hair slicked back with product, arms dangling at his sides where his fingertips glinted with razor-sharp claws, and the bouncer, though significantly larger, had the good sense to look wary as we approached. Me, on the other hand, hardly looked like much of a threat, considering my heavy snow boots, sky-blue puffy jacket, and knit hat topped with a pompom tugged so far down that it nearly covered my eyes.

"Evening, gentlemen. Can I see—" the bouncer began, trying to pull on an easygoing smile, but Dylan cut him off with a feline hiss.

"Don't waste your time on us. We're here to see my father. "

"Your…" Even from where I was tucked into Jude's side, I could see the man gulp. "You're Joe's son?" Dylan nodded, and the man's dark skin went a shade of ash gray.

Dylan patted the burly man on the shoulder on the way past him, nudging him out of the way and opening the door himself. "He's expecting us."

We walked single-file past the bouncer who looked awkward as hell, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck like he couldn't decide what to do. In the end, he just went back to his post, and the door shut behind us with a heavy click.

I was no shifter, but even I could pick up on the vibes in here. My skin prickled, and all the hair on my body stood up on end. Jude's arm tightened protectively around me. "Stay close," he bent low and growled in my ear, his wolf's eyes alert and aimed at the crowd.

"Are these all shifters?" I asked in awe, trying to get a good look, my curiosity getting the better of me, but Shan moved in front of me. Tristan and Dylan boxed me in on the other two sides, blocking my view. "You guys are no fun," I whined, rising up on my tiptoes to peek. "Can I at least have a drink?"

"No," they all replied at once, shepherding me straight past the dance floor and through a door behind the bar .

We marched as a group up the narrow flight of stairs. It was so dark once the door closed behind us that I could barely see, but when I nearly missed a step, Jude was there to catch me. His hands found my waist with such ease that I was sure he could see in the dark. The perks of being a wolf, I supposed.

When Dylan opened the door at the top, we stepped through into an office that just screamed evil-villain-lair chic. It looked almost as large as the club downstairs, and one whole wall was made up of windows that looked down over the dance floor, the flashing colored lights reflecting off the ceiling. Every inch of the place was black, from the floor of polished granite that glittered like the night sky, to the massive desk that nearly dominated one entire wall. There was an area for socializing, with a low coffee table and several squishy-looking couches made of the most buttery leather I'd ever seen. It didn't look like we'd have time to enjoy them, though, as a man walked toward us wearing a designer suit. If he weren't smiling, I would've been terrified for my life. He looked enough like Dylan that I knew it must've been his father, but there was a hardness to him I instantly distrusted. This was not a man to piss off.

"There you are! Glad you could make it," he said with slick charm, giving Dylan a hug .

"Hey, Dad. Thanks for the help on such short notice."

"I just wish you would let me do more." He gave Tristan a hug next, then shook Shan and Jude's hands. He paused when he saw me clinging to Jude. "You're new." His nostrils flared on an inhale. "Human?" he said, raising an eyebrow and glancing at Jude perhaps a bit skeptically. I tensed, waiting for him to criticize me, but he seemed to know better. Instead, he said, "Welcome to the family," then took my hand and bowed, kissing the back of it. "Call me Joe."

I cleared my throat, drawing my hand back as gently as I could so I didn't cause offense. "Morgan."

Joe stepped back, gesturing out the window to the dance floor below. "So, how do you all like my new club?"

We moved farther into the room, and I stared down at the undulating mass of people. It wasn't until now that it really hit me how quiet it was up here. They must've soundproofed the hell out of these walls.

"Looks the same as the last time I was here," Dylan teased with a smile, shrugging.

Joe grinned back. "The best kind of investment is the one that doesn't need to be upgraded in order to turn a profit." His smile slipped as he let his gaze move over us. He stopped on Shan. "I have what you asked for. Are you sure you know what you're doing? "

Shan tipped his chin up. "We're protecting our home. I'm surprised you of all people would question that."

"Not questioning, just making sure you're not in over your head. I would gladly offer you more men, more firepower. I would raze those human parasites to the ground if you'd let me—no offense," he blurted, eyes flicking to me.

"None taken. I hate to think I share a species with those… slugs." I needed to work on my insults.

Joe smiled kindly at me, nodding in approval. "Would anyone like a drink?"

Before I could nod, Dylan said, "Sorry, we're in a hurry. We have no clue how much time we have to work with, and the kids are at home."

"Very well. You can pull the truck around back to load up, and I'll send a few of my guys first thing in the morning to help protect your family while you go do what you have to do."

"Dad—" Dylan began, shaking his head.

"I insist," Joe said, those eyes flashing a deep bronze color. "I won't leave my grandson unprotected.

It looked like Dylan was going to argue, but Tristan put a hand on his arm. "Thank you. Your help is appreciated."

After farewells, we headed back the way we came, emerging on the snowy sidewalk once more. While we piled back into the truck, I heard Dylan grumble, " Dammit, Tristan, you know how I feel about my dad's business. I don't want those thugs near the kids."

"Hey…" Tristan pulled Dylan into an intimate embrace, their foreheads together, eyes closed. "Gods forbid something should go wrong, we would be glad to have the best bodyguards money can buy. At least we know they won't hesitate to shoot."

No one disagreed with that argument, and a dark pall fell over the group as we pulled around to the back of the club and loaded up unmarked boxes of gear and supplies, strapping them down so they wouldn't shift in the flatbed while we drove.

There was no denying we were about to get our hands dirty.

It had been a long day, and this deep in the winter, there weren't a whole lot of sunlight hours. It was dark long before we'd headed back to the woods. In the warmth of the truck's cab, I found my eyelids getting heavy and soon gave up the fight with sleep. The morning sickness might have passed after being reunited with my mate, but the hormone changes were here to stay, and I was fucking exhausted .

I woke up when the truck began to slow, the ticking of the turn signal loud in the oppressive silence in the cab. I sat up from where Jude had rested my head in his lap, and I wiped drool from my cheek, blinking in confusion. "This isn't home… Where are we?"

It was a town; nothing too fancy, just a paved two-lane road cutting through a collection of homes, a general store, and a gas station, where we were currently pulling up to park. There was none of that rural come-on-in-for-tea vibe. If anything, I felt a very clear fuck-right-off. It was probably the beefy man who stepped out of the gas station armed with a shotgun. He had brown hair past his shoulders and a braided beard down his chest. Along with the bulging tattooed biceps on display in his tank top, he looked like some kind of Viking—one who didn't give a shit that it was winter.

"Uhhh…" I shifted uneasily, suddenly feeling incredibly claustrophobic trapped in the back seat of the truck between Jude and Dylan. Why didn't they look nervous? Beyond Jude putting a possessive hand on my thigh, he seemed cool as a cucumber. "Shouldn't we be going? I don't think we're welcome here."

"It's fine," Shan said, rolling down the window. "They knew we were coming, and they know better than to break the treaty. Isn't that right, Pacey? "

The Viking grunted and jerked his head toward the gas station. "He's in back."

They opened the doors and started hopping out, but I had a distinct rule about following armed strangers. "You know, I think I'm good right here. You guys go ahead without me. Fill me in on what happened when you get back."

Jude leaned back into the truck while the others walked toward the gas station to give us some semblance of privacy. He took my hand, rubbing his thumb over the pulse point at my wrist. "Hey, it's okay, Mo. If you don't want to come, you don't have to."

"I don't?" I asked suspiciously, and when he shook his head, I asked, "Then why are we here?"

"This is Silas's pack, where Brody lived before he came to us."

I frowned, thinking about what I'd been told about this pack. Jude hadn't wanted to ask them for help, but Shan and Brody had pushed for it. "And will they? Help, that is."

Jude shrugged all casually, but I could see the tension in his body. "Maybe."

We needed them to join us in protecting our forest. I was just one man, one human at that, and there was a good chance they would laugh at me, or worse, see me as part of the problem. But I was the only one who had really talked to Eric, besides Jude. I was a witness to his attempted kidnapping, to the guns, the trucks, the plan they had in place. My pack needed me to try. "I'll come," I said quietly, and Jude reached for me, sliding me off the seat and into his arms.

"Thank you," he whispered into the crook of my neck as he held me tight. He was scared. I didn't know how I knew, but I did, just as clearly as I knew my own emotions. It was like a piece of him was inside me, like we shared space, not with our bodies but with our souls.

"Come on, let's get this over with," I said, feeling more relaxed but still wary. I was really looking forward to the quiet time we could spend together once this was all over.

With Jude's arm draped over my shoulders, I wrapped my arms protectively around my stomach. It was way too early to be showing, but I knew my baby was in there—and I had a sneaking suspicion that every other shifter here knew it too. Jude had been able to smell the change in my hormones. Would it protect me in some way, marking me as off-limits in whatever dispute these packs had? Or would it make me more vulnerable, like some kind of pawn to be used as a tool or bargaining chip?

The inside of the gas station smelled like grease and rubber, the gray tiled floor sticky with some unknown substance I didn't want to think too hard about. The front was empty, but there were voices coming from an open door to the back.

When we stepped through the doorway into a kind of break room, all heads turned to look at us. There were maybe half a dozen strangers, all large and glaring. It made my skin crawl, and I instinctively tilted into my mate. His chest rumbled with a low growl of warning.

A man at the back of the room chuckled. "You're letting humans into your pack now? This should be interesting." He was leaning his hip on the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't much older than I was, but there was a certain air of authority that seemed to radiate off him. He had bright red hair and piercing green eyes, his freckled skin pale. Individually, his features were quick stunning, but when you added the row of jagged scars running down his cheek and neck, he lost any hint of innocence he might've had otherwise.

He pushed off the counter and crossed the room with a couple swaggering steps, his lean muscles obvious through his tight shirt that looked to be a child's size small. "Silas," he said, holding out a hand. "And you are?"

But when I went to shake his hand, Jude stopped me with a hand on my wrist, glaring at Silas. "You won't speak to my mate. "

Silas withdrew his hand, laughing, but there was a glint in his eyes I didn't like—it almost looked like jealousy, even though it made no sense to me. "Like I said… interesting." He went back to the counter and hopped up, his boot heels thudding against the cabinet below. "All right, now that we're all here, why don't you go ahead and tell me what was so urgent. And why the hell couldn't we discuss this over the radio?"

Shan glanced back at Jude, and my mate gave the go-ahead for his Alpha to take lead. "Hunters are coming. There's a group of men who like to consider themselves scientists, performing experiments on shifters, and they're in the market for new test subjects."

An electric silence filled the small room. Silas narrowed his eyes, reading between the lines. "And how do you know this?"

When Shan didn't answer right away, Jude spoke up. "Because I was born in their lab; I escaped a few years ago. The Grim Wilds pack took me in, gave me a home."

"And I'm guessing they weren't so glad to see you go. So, why don't you go back to them? Once they get their precious toy back, maybe they'll leave the rest of your pack alone." Silas scoffed and waved a hand dismissively. "This sounds like a you problem. What does it have to do with me? "

Hot indignation burned through me. He would hand my mate over to those monsters? "How stupid can you be?" I snapped, stepping forward before Jude could stop me. "Or are you just a coward?"

Several of Silas's wolves rounded on me, one even daring to take a snap with sharpened teeth, fur erupting from his neck. Jude's arm clamped around my waist faster than I could blink, dragging me behind him, putting himself in front of me like a shifter shield.

"Now, now," Silas purred, all charm, holding a hand up to call off his dogs. "I'd like to hear what the brave little human has to say."

I set my hand on Jude's back and could feel the skitter of his body as he teetered on the edge of a shift. "It's okay, let me talk," I whispered, tiptoeing around him but remaining close.

"And now do I get to know your name?" Silas asked, arching a brow at Jude as if daring him to get in the way again.

"My name is Morgan." Jude wrapped his arms around me like a cage, which made it hard to move, but it was clearly the only concession he was willing to make.

"And why do you think I'm so stupid , Morgan?"

"You think that this isn't your problem, but it is! First of all, the hunters don't know exactly where we are, and they might just as easily stumble on your pack as they would ours. Secondly, these guys have weapons—lots of ‘em—and they know enough about shifters to know how to take you all down. Every shifter in these woods is in danger."

"And yet, here you are, human ." Silas spat out human like it was a bad word. His lip curled, revealing a pointed canine. "It sounds to me like you've led the threat right to our front door." He narrowed his eyes, his extended claws digging into the counter and leaving gouges. "How do I know you aren't working for them? How do I know you're not their spy? Maybe we would be better off killing you right now before you can reveal our location to them."

Before Silas or his men could make a move, my new packmates all stepped in front of me, creating a solid wall of vicious shifters around me, blocking me from view. Jude's arms tightened, and I let out a high squeak. I was sure later I would be really flattered that they were protecting me without a second thought, but right now, all I could think was how I was about to get them all hurt or killed.

"Wait!" I shouted, and for a second I was worried I wasn't loud enough to be heard over the snarling. "Stop!"

There was a pause, everyone crouched, waiting for someone to make the first move. "You haven't heard our plan yet," I said. I was so proud of how steady my voice sounded.

"I'm listening," Silas said after a tense moment, though his voice sounded garbled, as though speaking through a mouthful of fangs.

Shan cleared his throat, regaining his composure as he straightened his posture. "They're likely going to make a move soon, before we have a chance to relocate. We want to take the fight to them before they do."

Silas's incredulous laugh seemed to defuse a little of the tension. "You expect us to raid this facility after you've told me how well armed they are? They'll be prepared. That's suicide."

"I promise it'll be a fair fight, because in case you don't feel like our wolves are enough, we'll be armed too." Shan actually smiled, as if he had a secret that he was dying to share. It seemed to have the right effect.

Silas signaled for his men to back off. He dragged his tongue across his lip hungrily. "Is that so?" We almost had him. I'd just met the guy, but already I could tell this was the kind of guy who lived for the fight, and it was obvious he had a bone to pick with humans. This could be his only chance to do something this epic. "And the human… How can you convince me he's not a spy, and we won't be walking into a trap? "

Everyone looked to Jude. "Morgan is my fated mate. Just ask Vesta, she led me right to him."

I saw the moment this information hit home. They clearly knew the shaman and respected her. Just like that, I was an accepted member of the Grim Wilds pack.

Shan had been prepared for this, and while I knew he didn't want to make the offer, he wasn't above a little good old-fashioned bribery. "And when we're through… the weapons are yours."

Silas's grin widened, revealing the conniving predatory he was. "Looks like you have yourself an army."