Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Tucker

"What the fuck did you just do?" I demand, fury raging through me, realizing we were no longer in the clubhouse.

"I . . . I'm sorry, Tucker, but I couldn't let them hurt you. Or anyone else." Tears stream down Lake's cheeks. In the little time I've known her, not once have I seen her cry or felt her anguish.

Still, neither breaks through my anger.

Pulling away from her, but keeping a hand on her waist, I glance around to see where she's taken us. Standing in the middle of a red and black haze. The ground looks charred, and the trees burned. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur.

Fuck.

She's brought us right to the realm of the Drakon King. What was she thinking?

I get her fear, but it doesn't give her the fucking right to take us away in the midst of danger springing up around us. She sure as fuck shouldn't have brought us here to the very damn place that holds the creature that wants to take her from me.

"You need to get us the fuck out of here, Lake," I tell her.

Lake nods and glances around, her brows drawn together. "They're close."

"Who's close?" I demand and reach out with my senses, smelling only that of the fires burning and sulfur.

"My dad and uncles," she answers. "I can feel them." She presses her hand to her chest, right above her heart. "I don't know how to explain it. I just feel it."

Nodding, I focus on the other scents, the ones the stench of sulfur and fires cover. She's right. Not far, I can smell the scent of shifters. Granted, I can't say for certain that it's her family.

With us this close, we could go ahead and at least see just how close before we get the hell out of the place. It's bad enough that the very air is going to absorb into mine and her skin. We aren't going to be able to get the stench off us for a while. It's already singeing my nostrils with its pungent scent.

I take Lake's hand, holding a finger up to my lips, giving her the sign to keep her mouth shut. She nods and does just as I do. I'm surprised at the fact she can move without making a noise. I guess her dad and uncles at least taught her something.

Together, we make our way about a mile before coming to a tower of sorts that was broken and charred. I draw Lake to a stop when I spot the dragon sitting perched up on a large boulder, not on the other side of the tower. The three-headed beast looked as disturbing as the one I'd seen the other night. What the fuck is up with these ugly creatures? I thought dragons were supposed to be mystical and beautiful. These beasts are just plain ol' ugly.

"Tucker," Lake murmurs so quietly, I'm lucky to hear her call my name.

"If we get to them, think you can get us all the fuck out of here before that thing sees us?" I ask, a plan of action forming in my head.

"I think so." That's not exactly the answer I'm looking for, but I'll take it.With us being this close to them, there's no way in hell she's leaving without them.

"Then let's go, little Fae, and you best hope that we don't get eaten before we get to them." I grunt and start walking, not giving her a chance to say another word.

I'm still pissed with her, and that's not going to change. Not until I get her the fuck out of here and can be sure that my brothers are safe. This bullshit can't be happening. I sensed the danger just outside the clubhouse right before the she'd took us away.

Fuckin' made us vanish right out of my room. I didn't even think it were possible.

The very fact she'd been able to do it in the first place astounds me. She'd only just come into her gifts. Yet, she's growing stronger with every breath she takes. Orpheus's words ring in my head about the prophecy and how she needs me. Without me, things for her could go very wrong, and I won't let any of that happen.

Not again.

Together, Lake and I move around the tower, edging closer with each step to the door. The smell of shifters becomes stronger, and the scent becomes intangible. It's more than just a few shifters inside. All of them remained quiet. Barely even breathing.

I give Lake's hand a squeeze and move through the open doorway, only to come to a halt as I take in the cell that's holding no less than twenty shifters, all of them tigers.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

This isn't what I expected.

"Daddy," Lake whispers and starts forward, but I squeeze her hand, stopping her before she can do anything more.

"Easy, little Fae," I tell her, hoping like fuck that beast can't hear us.

Already, I can hear the shifting in its breath.

Callum's eyes go from Lake to lock on mine. He doesn't speak a word. He just stares at me with hard eyes. His body is scarred worse than I'd ever seen on a shifter.

" You have to unlock the door and get us out of here ," he mouths. " Magic won't work in here ."

How the fuck . . .

I shake my head and reach into my pocket. I'm not about to ask him right now. I'll wait until we're in the clear. I pull out my knife and move to the heavy wrought-iron door. Lake stays right at my side, her hand touching my lower back. Keeping constant touch, like she knows I need her to do this.

I can feel her emotions. I hear her thoughts in the back of my mind like a whispering echo. She's upset and blames herself for the condition of those behind the cell walls. If I weren't trying to get us the fuck out of here, I'd take the time to reassure her everything was going to work out. Right now, however, time is of the essence.

I work the lock until I hear the clink of it unlocking. Stepping back, I fold the knife back up and shove it in my pocket. Taking Lake's hand in one of mine, I yank the cell door open with the other and move back a handful of steps. One by one, each of the tigers in the cell steps out, eyeing me cautiously.

Callum steps forward first, not looking at his daughter, and I feel the hurt inside her that he hasn't looked at her again. But I get his reasoning. He's a warrior, and she's his weakness. His daughter. Just as she would be mine, as my mate, I'll kill anyone who gets in my way.

I nod to Callum, then jerk my chin toward the entrance of the tower. Time to get the fuck out of here. Moving to the door, I peek out to see that the three-headed beast is still asleep. Thank fuck for that. Smoke rises from the thing's nostrils.

Holding tight to Lake, I motion for everyone to proceed toward the burning woods. Once we're far enough away, I'll see what Lake can do about getting all of them and us out of here.

Time is of the essence, and it's only a matter of time before we're found if we don't get out of here soon.

Finally, we all reach the burning woods, and I look to Lake. "Think you can do it, little Fae?" I ask her quietly.

Her emotions are swirling through her and around her. There's no way none of those surrounding us can't feel it. She's projecting a bit more than my liking.

"Yes," she finally murmurs and plops to the ground, sitting with her legs crossed and eyes closing. I open my mouth to say something when I realize what she's doing. She's connecting with the earth.

A moment later, she stands, her eyes opening, a slight haze over them. She reaches out, and suddenly, our very surroundings begin shifting. The particles of the world strip away, circling around us all until they come to a halt once again. Getting my bearings, I quickly realize we're back at the clubhouse, and the back door opens to Corbin along with my other brothers standing there.

"Everything good, brother?" Corbin asks, brows drawn up, his eyes darting behind me. "What the fuck?"

"I was able to bring us back to when we were outside when you came out to get to me," Lake announces quietly, lets my hand go, and rushes to the clubhouse, past the others, and inside.

Her pain is more than obvious.

"The hell happened?" Justice demands as Abel pushes forward.

"How the fuck . . ."

"You're Cassius's son," Callum announces from behind me, his voice grated and sounding like he hadn't spoken in years.

"Tucker, you wanna explain what the fuck is happening here?" Corbin demands, not giving Abel a chance to confirm or deny.

Knowing we don't have time, I shake my head. "Sorry, Prez, but we don't have time for explanations. I'll fill you in after we deal with another problem. Let's get everyone inside."

Corbin holds my gaze for a moment before nodding. "Get ‘em in here then."

Turning toward the shifters behind me, I meet first Callum's gaze, then his brothers, and then those standing around. "Once we get inside, we'll discuss what's going on. That is after we deal with another problem."

Callum nods and motions for his brothers to move. They do as he says, and the others follow, but Callum doesn't. Instead, he stands closer to me. "I need to see my daughter again."

"Right now, your daughter is hurting and doesn't understand why you were cold toward her when we first found you. You didn't even acknowledge her with a look," I tell him.

"I know. But I still need to see her." Callum grunts.

"Let me deal with the threat looming ahead, then I'll see what I can do," I tell him and turn toward my Prez. I close the distance between the two of us. "Don't have to give more, but Lake took us away through the strands of time. Ended up in the Drakon King's realm. Found them, got them out, then she brought us back to before the reason she took us away."

Corbin blinks once, shakes his head, and lets out a breath. "Fuckin' hell. Let's get the fuck inside, and you can tell me the rest."

"Will after we get rid of the dragons that should be here any second."

"You've got to be kidding me," Justice snarls.

"Fraid not." I grunt.

"You've nothing to worry about right now," Karsyn announces, appearing next to Corbin out of thin air.

Fuck, I hate when she does that. It's not often now that she's learning to control it.

"What do you mean, Syn?" Corbin asks.

"Lake did what the Earth and Moon Goddesses wanted her to do. And in doing that, it stops a battle from happening. The Drakon King called his dragons back to him the moment time shifted, altering the outcome," Karsyn explained.

"Meaning she saved the club from being killed?" I state in question rather than asking out right.

"Exactly." Karsyn gives me a small smile. "Don't be mad at her, Tucker. She was doing what she had to do."

I don't bother giving the woman a response. She doesn't give me a chance to anyway as she looks at Callum.

"You must be Lake's father. Come on in, and we'll get you something to drink and eat, then get you some clothes to change into," she states and looks to Corbin. "I called Harmony and asked if she could come by with Cyrus. I figured you'd want to fill him in on what's going on. I might have also asked them to stop at the store and grab some clothes that would fit."

"Of course you did," Corbin grumbles and shakes his head. "I'll text Cyrus." Putting an arm around his mate, he ushers her back down the hall.

"She's a witch," Callum states, sounding confused. "Karsyn is more than just a witch. She's an earth witch who is able to speak with the Goddess herself. She's also a hell of a lot more powerful than you might think a simple earth witch could be," I inform him.

"As is my daughter. You don't realize just how special she is," he says, moving down the hall, following after my Prez and his mate.

I stay planted just inside the back door. Those words ring in my ears.

Just how special is Lake? What else could be hidden in the depths of my little Fae?