Page 46 of Bonded and Betrayed
The man shuffles off without another word and walks towards the back of the house.
“What in the world …” Seline vocalizes my thoughts exactly. The man pauses just before he’s about to turn the corner and looks back at us, beckoning us forward with an impatient wave.
“I guess we’re following the man who was just holding us at gunpoint,” I say numbly, holstering my gun as I climb back into the car and shut the door, the others doing the same. “Sounds about right.”
I put the car back in drive and question my sanity as I follow the driveway around to the back of the house. I’m not sure what I expected to see, but it definitely wasn’t the man sitting on his back porch in a rocking chair with the shotgun placed by his feet. I put the car in park and open the door warily, scanning the distance before I motion the other to follow.
“Good, now get out here so you can tell me what your plan is,” the man says, tapping his fingers on the thick, carved wooden armrest.
“We’re a bit confused.” I hop out of the car, leaving the engine running and the door open just in case we need to make a hasty retreat.
“I’m not talking to you,” the man sneers before focusing on Silas as he stops at my side, the two of us standing at the base of the wooden stairs while Seline and Sam keep watch near the car. “Silas, what’s your plan with the bears?”
“You know about the bears?” Silas asks. “Sorry, who are you, and how do you know who I am?”
“Of course I do,” the man huffs. “I’m Louis. Didn’t Godric tell you about our arrangement? I’m assuming that’s why you’re here.”
“Godric is dead,” Silas says on a pained rasp. It must not get any easier saying those words aloud.
Louis shakes his head, his frown deepening as he lets that information sink in.
“I worried that might be the case when I saw you pull up,” Louis sighs. “But there’s work still to be done. I’ve kept the place running while keeping the bears away from the farm with the help of a few shifters in the family on my wife’s side. That was the deal I had with Godric in exchange for us living in his house.”
“Your wife is a shifter?” I ask, my brows furrowing. Louis is clearly a human, but not many shifters reveal their true nature when they fall for humans.
“Yup, which is why we wanted this property,” Louis says. He glances back at the house where his wife must be right now. “She’s part of the Draven pack. Godric had been helping us find places along the Endcliffe border for years so we could live together, and she could still be close to her family. He was a good man.”
“He was,” Silas agrees, sharing a moment of silence over the late Alpha.
I keep out of it, not wanting my point of view to taint their memories. I barely knew the man, but after what he put Skylar through after her mom’s death, I have very little respect for the man or the alpha.
“Well, there’s a few different ways into the forest,” Louis explains, pointing out in the distance. Silas and I turn to look out over the cornfields, the long stalks potentially planted to ensure more cover for anyone trying to access the forest under cover. “There’s a path that was created through the trees. It’s wide enough for a car, but overgrown enough so the bears wouldn’t become suspicious. But once that’s used the bears will know about it and know the threat this place actually poses to them.”
I glance back at the man, knowing what that would mean for him and his family. They would have to leave their home now if we chose to go that way. But there’s no fear in his eyes, no plea to choose another option. He went into this arrangement knowing he might have to up and leave at the drop of a hat, giving up his chance to stay close to Endcliffe for his shifter family.
“No,” I declare, shaking my head. “We came prepared to shift and go through the forest by foot, plus there might be another time we need the driveway.”
“I was about to say, I think you might need a few more reinforcements than you’ve got to take the bears out,” Louis huffs out in amusement.
“Exactly,” I agree. “Now that we know we have the option to transport our packs through here, we can plan for our next attack, but for now, we can’t let them know the path exists.”
“Good,” Louis says and stands from his chair. “Since that’s all settled, you can go ahead and park your car in the garage over there, and I’ll rake out the tire tracks in case they have anyone drive by. They usually leave us alone out here, but you can never be too careful.”
Louis points to a white painted garage on the other side of the field.
“Thank you,” Silas says, and I nod in agreement.
“Now get going,” Louis shoos us off as he grabs a rake from beside the back door. “Just don’t lead them back here.”
“We won’t,” I promise, and climb back into the car, already forming a plan in case the bunker explosion isn’t enough to split their focus. We can’t afford to give up this access point, not when both our packs are depending on us.
Isentaquicktext to Arsenio and Sky before I shifted, letting them know we were able to go through the farm. Our conversation with Louis raised even more questions about what Godric was planning, but we can’t focus on that right now. I can tell Sky everything as soon as we pull this off and get out of here in one piece. But now it’s time to shift.
We stick to the trees, keeping a wide berth between us and the pathway to make sure our scent isn’t anywhere near it. Wind rushes through our fur, exhilarating us as we silently tread over the brush, the nearly full moon shining brightly above us as the only light guiding us on our way. Our wolf form lets us easily navigate the forest while the only thing slowing us down are the packs strapped to our sides. Each of us tied the bags onto us, the design specially fitted for our animal forms. We each carry our explosives and guns, ready to set them up according to our plans.
Our heart pangs as we think of our mate, wishing we could be there with her right now, but the mate bond warms us, reassuring us that she’s still with us, even if we can’t be beside her physically right now. The four of us wind through the trees, keeping our formation wide in case anyone catches a scent. I have no doubt that there are guards surrounding the compound, so we’ll have to set up the charges quickly and take them out when need be. We have to hope that their security isn’t that tight, and they rely mostly on their secluded position to keep them safe. Our scouts reported that most of their guards are stationed along the main road. It makes sense since that would be the main source of a threat.
The others move out as we approach the compound, the overhead lights shining brightly on the rusted shipping containers. A corrugated metal barrier surrounds the containers—a makeshift fence with barbed wire strung along the top. I push down the memories as we come to a stop behind the treeline and scan the distance for any sign of guards. Skylar nearly lost her life the last time we were here. The sight of that bear sinking its claws into her back still gives me nightmares. I almost lost her before I ever truly found her, before we forged an unbreakable connection. Tonight is for her, for our fallen pack members, and for those still with us, so no one has to suffer that fate again.