Chapter 24

T he next few hours pass in a blur of arguing and planning, but we are finally on our way to find Garett. I wanted to go alone, as the message had stipulated, but was quickly shot down. Now, I'm sitting in my car with Seb and Killian, with Alex at the wheel.

"This is probably a trap," I mutter as I stare out of the car window.

They refused to let me drive, protesting that I was too injured. They all wanted me to stay behind, stating that I was what Shadow Pack wanted and they didn't want to risk them getting me. I had swiftly informed them that I would be going, and if they somehow left me behind, I would just follow them. If they were looking for backup from Tori, they were disappointed, as she had just shrugged and told them I would find a way to get there anyway so they might as well take me. Isa and several of the pack defenders had wanted to come along. Even Alpha Mortlock had wanted to help, which warmed my heart. Eventually, it was agreed that the pack couldn't be left undefended in case this was a trap, especially so soon after the last attack. Besides, the alpha is needed with his grieving and vulnerable wolves.

"That is exactly why we didn't let you go alone," Alex retorts as he drives towards the address sent to me.

The message contained the address where I was to meet them, specifying that I was to go alone and that they wanted me in exchange for Garett. A second message had shown a graphic photograph of Garett, who had clearly been beaten. I try to control my breathing as the image flashes through my mind again, trying to contain my anger.

"They probably won't expect you to bring us. From what you have told us about Shadow Pack, they isolated you and made you distrust anyone. You've always been a lone wolf because of it, so they are hoping you'll run straight to them and sacrifice yourself for Garett without saying a word to us," Seb says from his seat next to me in the back of the car, his hand in mine.

Annoyingly, what he is saying makes sense, as that is exactly what I was going to do. If I'd seen the message before Tori, I would have snuck out on my own and done exactly that. Killian snorts from his seat and turns to look at me over his shoulder.

"We all know you're the self-sacrificing kind. Do you really think we would let you go on your own?" he asks as I gape at him in offence.

"I am not the ‘self-sacrificing' kind!" I retort, having no idea what they are insinuating. "I run away from every situation that makes me uncomfortable," I continue, not sure why I'm saying any of this out loud.

Alex looks at me through the rearview mirror and gives me a slight smile.

"You only run away from commitment. If someone is in need, you would sacrifice yourself for them," he tells me firmly, and I realise there is some merit in what he is saying.

"You accepted the challenge to defend me at the pack social, and you ran into a fight without thinking to protect Jessica, even though you knew there would be dire consequences for you. Plus, you're a nurse. I would call that self-sacrificing," Seb chips in with a squeeze of my hand.

Huh, maybe they are right. I chew on my thumbnail as we get closer to the abandoned warehouse I have been directed to. I know, cliché, right? The plan for us is to abandon the car a few miles out. The guys will shift into their wolves downwind and follow behind as I walk to the warehouse in my human form. They debated about this, but I argued that Shadow Pack will probably be watching out for me, and if they walk in with me, they could do something to harm Garett. Seb was the one who suggested that they should follow behind in wolf form to make sure I wasn't ambushed. I tried to convince him to stay behind. I'm worried he is going to get hurt against such dominant wolves, but Alex spoke up for him and said he should come. He has been different since the attack, quieter, but more than that he feels different, stronger, more powerful.

I glance over at him, worry gnawing in my chest. He feels my gaze and turns to smile at me. It's a soft smile meant to comfort, but I see the grief in it, and there is a new hardness about him.

The car pulls to a stop, and I take in a deep breath, calming my nerves and calling up the anger that has been boiling in me since the attack. I must now put on a mask. This is nothing new for me, but this time, I must convince Shadow Pack that Garett is nothing more than a possession, taken without permission, that I am now here to reclaim.

The woods are silent, save for the sound of my feet against the ground. I can't see or hear the guys. They have done a good job of silently tracking me. If I didn't know they were following me, I wouldn't know they were there. The abandoned warehouse is in front of me, and I look around for any signs of movement. This is an odd place for a warehouse. It must have been a privately owned building, as no company would store their merchandise out here in the middle of nowhere.

Keeping my steps strong and my shoulders back, I make sure I appear confident as I stride towards the old building. A feeling of foreboding hangs over me, and I can't shake it. I know we are walking into a trap, and I can only hope that Seb is right and they will be expecting me to come alone. Chemicals burn my nose and obscure my senses as I try to pick up their scents. I can hear shuffling and some low murmurs coming from inside the building, so I know several people are inside.

As I step over the threshold, a tingling sensation runs across my body. Shit. I've just set off some sort of magical ward. If I was human, I wouldn't be able to feel it, but anyone with supernatural blood would be able to feel that. Dread lines my stomach, and I turn to face the doorway I just walked through. Reaching out my hand, I curse as it hits an invisible barrier, confirming my suspicions. Once someone has crossed the ward, they cannot leave unless the one who controls it allows passage or dies. Meaning I'm trapped. It also confirms that Shadow Pack has no intention of letting Garett go, even if I comply with their whims. I suspected as much, but it's still a blow to my stomach.

"I can hear you, little wolf. Come in," Alpha Black calls.

Fighting against the urge to turn and run, I straighten my back and walk down the corridor into the main room of the warehouse. It's a large and mostly empty room, filled only with people and a single chair in the centre. There are about a dozen wolves in the room, one of which is the traitor Marcus. The alpha and Terrance are standing by the chair, and I meet their smirking faces, keeping my eyes away from the slumped figure on the chair. I want to run to Garett, fall to my knees, and beg for his forgiveness. The nurse part of me is desperate to assess his injuries, worried about his laboured breathing. However, I can't show any of that. Any sign of affection will be viewed as a weakness, and I can't let them see how I care for him, as they will use that against me.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" I state, looking over my enemies with a coldness in my eyes I rarely let show.

I see some of the wolves in the room flinch under my gaze, but if it affects the alpha or Terrance, they don't let it show. In fact, the alpha's smirk grows, as if he knows I'm putting on a front.

"Are you ready to come home with us and take your rightful place among us?" Alpha Black asks. A knowing look has entered his eyes, and it is making me nervous.

"I'm here to reclaim what you have taken from me." I keep my voice firm and nod toward Garett.

I still keep my eyes off him, although the temptation to look, just to check that he's okay, is almost overwhelming. Especially because at the sound of my voice, he's been trying to lift his head, making pained noises and struggling against his bonds. I know he's trying to get to me, to protect me from these monsters who call themselves family. I know I'm going to have to say and do things in this room that will hurt him, but my main priority is keeping him safe, and I hope he understands that.

"You expect me to believe you have no feelings for this bear ?" Alpha Black questions with a laugh and a shake of his head.

His tone makes it clear what he thinks of me sleeping with a different race of shifter. Terrance has a similar disgusted expression on his face and is looking at Garett with hate in his eyes. It's not hard to guess that Terrance was the one to dole out Garett's beating. Another reason for me to kill the bastard. My wolf growls in agreement, eager to tear him apart for all he has put us through.

I feel a shudder run through me as magic brushes over my skin as my guys pass through the magical barrier. Part two of our plan has begun. Three snarling wolves dart into the room and start attacking the shifters. They would have felt the ward on their way in, so they will know we have to kill whoever controls the ward if we have any hope of leaving here alive. We may be outnumbered, but we have surprise on our side.

The shock on Terrance's face is almost comical, and the alpha looks impressed.

"I'm surprised at you, little wolf. You accepted help. Perhaps the lone wolf is ready to settle down after all. I guess it's a good thing I installed the wards then." He smirks.

I shrug my shoulders. None of this is news to me. I suspected he wouldn't just let us walk out. The magic had been a surprise though.

"I knew this would be a trap. Not even you travel without backup, so why shouldn't I?" I ask with a shrug, trying to ignore the snarls and growls coming from the fighting wolves around me. Terrance has joined in the fight now. I don't like that he's out of sight, but I keep my eyes trained on the alpha. "So, you have a mage doing your dirty work now?" I query, keeping my voice even.

"I bought the wards off a mage. He didn't even know what they were for," he answers with a shrug.

This puts me at ease a little. Mages have the power to put certain spells into objects or paper. For example, a ward spell like the one used here could be put onto paper to be activated in the desired place at a later date. The thought of Shadow Pack having direct access to a mage was a worry, so the fact he probably just bought this on the black market, while surprising, is not as disastrous. I am surprised that Shadow Pack is buying spells from mages though. Alpha Black is more racist towards other supernatural races than most shifters. I guess he takes a break from being a bigot when it suits him.

I start taking small steps towards the alpha. We need to wrap this up quickly. Killian and Seb are covered in bite wounds, and Alex is cornered by two smaller wolves—Marcus is one of them—but the room is littered with the bodies of Shadow Pack. I'm so focused on the alpha that I fail to realise that Terrance is about to grab me until it's too late. Caught in a bear hug, I try to struggle out of the hold using the technique Killian taught me, but I can't shift my weight.

"Call off your wolves," Alpha Black demands.

He may have me trapped, but as I look around, I see we have the upper hand—we're winning. Killian has killed his opponent and is now helping Alex finish off the two who had him cornered.

I laugh, which turns into a grunt as Terrance squeezes me harder, but I find that I don't care what they do to me. As long as my guys get out of here, Shadow Pack can do whatever they like. Huh, guess I am self-sacrificing after all.

"We will kill your precious bear ," Terrance whispers cruelly into my ear.

My stomach twists, but I know that was their plan anyway. I try to keep my face neutral, remembering the role I am playing. I attempt to shrug, but it's difficult with my arms trapped by my sides.

"I don't trust you. Plus, I told you. I don't care. I just came to retrieve my property." The words burn my mouth as they come out.

I know I've made a grave mistake when the alpha smiles at me. I know that smile. It's a cold, evil smile, like he is going to enjoy this moment.

"Then you won't care if he's dead or alive."

The world slows down, and before he has even finished his sentence, I'm on the move. Calling down to the dark part of my soul, I bring forward my shadow self. I let go of the hard-earned control that usually keeps that part of me on lockdown and let her take full control. With all my inhibitions gone, my shadow self acts faster than those in the room can blink.

My body ghosts out of existence, slipping from Terrance's hold, darting forward to the alpha. We watch as his hand slowly moves towards Garett's exposed neck with a blade he must have had concealed somewhere. I grip the knife, and my body returns solid as I twist the knife from his grip, slicing across his neck. I watch numbly as my father's blood covers me and he falls limply to the floor.

"Ari…" Garett's broken voice breaks me out of my stupor.

I spin around and drop to my knees in front of him, placing my hands on his face, needing to feel him, to know he's okay. I press my forehead to his, relief spreading through me. Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots through my head and a wave of dizziness nearly knocks me to the ground.

I've gone too deep, let go of too much control. There's a price to be paid with Shadowborn powers. I can feel the Shadow Dimension tugging at my soul. I don't know what will happen on the other side. Grief surges through me at the thought of losing the guys just as I am beginning to acknowledge that there may be something worth fighting for.

"I love you, Ari," Garett whispers tiredly. I hear the love in his voice even after everything that has happened.

My heart warms, and I find I don't mind sacrificing myself if it means that Garett and the guys are safe.

"I love you too," I whisper to him, my eyes filling with tears. I lean forward and press a kiss to his lips.

With a cry, I feel my soul being ripped from my body as I fade into the Shadow Dimension.

For an odd moment, I seem to hover above myself, and I get one last look at the people who have become everything to me in such a short span of time. The last thing I see is my lifeless body with the guys running to surround me and Garett, who's still restrained to the chair screaming my name.

Now all I know is darkness.