Page 71 of Alpha Awakened
Ice watched Hazard until he disappeared from sight around the side of the largest cabin. Out of nowhere, the back of Ice’s neck prickled with unease and his chest tightened. He realized that he didn’t like that he couldn’t see Hazard. He wanted his eyes on the omega to make sure that he was safe. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but stand there and wait until he reappeared.
It didn’t take long. Hazard moved swiftly through the settlement. Minutes later, he came trotting back over to them. Ice let out a breath, the tension in his shoulders relaxing.
The leader looked at Ice.
“He your mate?” the alpha asked him.
“No,” he coldly replied.
“It’d be nice to have an omega as pretty and strong as that one join our pack.”
Ice’s upper lip curled away from his teeth in a silent snarl and he barely managed to hold back a possessive growl. “That won’t be happening,” he said tightly. Hazard wasn’t his mate. But that didn’t mean this fucker or anybody else would be getting their hands on him. Hazard belonged athisside.
When Hazard reached them, he spoke to Ortiz telepathically. Ice heard him too.
He’s not here. Trail goes east.
Ortiz nodded.
Hazard shifted back to human form and began to redress. Once he was ready, Ortiz spoke to their leader again.
“We’ll let you get back to your people. Have a good evening.”
Together they backed up. Across the way, the leader and his group turned back toward their settlement. Except for two of the wolves. They stayed in place. Once their squad reached the tree line, the wolves began to follow them.
“Ice, keep an eye out and make sure they don’t follow us once we’re out of their territory,” Ortiz ordered.
“Roger.”
They moved east through the forest, following in the general direction that Cortez would have taken. After about a mile, the wolves stopped tailing them and turned back. Ice let the major and the others know.
“Our escort is gone.”
“Good,” Jax said. “Didn’t like them at our back.”
They continued walking, with Hazard taking point to follow Cortez’s scent trail. A few minutes later, Ice picked up the faint sound of an eighteen-wheeler.
“You hear that?” Jax asked.
“Vehicles,” Ice answered. “We must be approaching a road.”
Soon after, Ice spied a two-lane highway through the trees. They emerged from the forest and went up a slight embankment to reach the road. Another big rig rumbled past, blowing back hot exhaust in Ice’s face.
“Fuck,” Ortiz spat out the curse. “He either hitched or had someone pick him up. We won’t find him here.” She got on the comm link. “This is Major Ortiz to command. Send ex-fil to Highway Eighty-Six mile marker thirty.”
Ice shared her frustration. Cortez kept eluding them and he was sick of it. But for now, there was nothing they could do.
* * *
Back at Fort Grove, Hazard stepped off the plane with his squad. The afternoon sun burned bright overhead as they crossed the tarmac. In the distance, he noticed a lone figure running toward them, waving his arm in the air to get their attention. Hazard squinted against the sun, trying to make out who it was. “Isn’t that Gibbs’s aide?”
Ortiz raised a hand to shield her eyes. “It is. What the hell is he doing?”
They wouldn’t have an answer until the aide reached them. So instead of going to the armory to gear down, they changed direction to meet him.
“Colonel Gibbs wants to see you all in the briefing room right away,” the aide said as soon as he reached them.
“What’s going on?” Ortiz asked.