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“Hopefully it’s enough to pay off Leon. That’s all that matters right now.” Nudging her with my elbow, I tip my head toward the front door and speak loudly enough that anyone watching will think Lucia needs a moment to gather herself, and will leave us alone. “Come on. Let’s get some fresh air.” It works. Nobody approaches us as we head toward the exit.
Like a lamb to the slaughter, Lucia trails along behind me, like she’s unsure whether it’s a better option to die here with all of us, or go with Leon. In the end, she chooses her mate.
“Did you really reject him?” I snap as we reach the van. “And you didn’t follow Ethan to the bridge on the night Leah was attacked, did you? You were already on your way to pick-up Toby.”
Defiance shines in her eyes. She adores Toby. They’re like two peas in one fucked-up pod. Dave grabs her arm, yanking her into the rear seat beside her mate and securing her hands behind her back.
“They were fully mated, it’s not an easy bond to break,” Leon’s smile turns wicked as he slips from the van into Dave’s car, “which is why Toby here is going to be very cooperative and make sure I get paid what I’m due.” He points a finger in the now-snarling Toby’s face, warning him to behave. Pocketing both sets of keys, he smirks, “Especially since it looks like I have to leave this one behind. I really had hoped she’d go into heat by now. But Lucia will do instead.”
My blood runs cold as I realise he’s talking about me. That really was his plan for me.
“Tick, tock.” Leon looks at his watch pointedly and back to the bustling hotel. “You have two minutes. You can spend it trying to stop me from leaving, which we both know isn’t going to work, or you can get everyone out to safety before the place goes up. Your choice.”
My eyes dart from the van containing the explosives to Lucia’s panicked expression as Leon slams his door closed and turns on the ignition. Being nothing more than a broodmare to Leon is a fate I’d wish on no woman, but choosing between Lucia and the room full of innocent men and women inside is a no-brainer.
I don’t give the car a second look as I turn on my heel and run inside. She made her bed, she can lie in it.
Leon reverses out of the parking spot at top speed, and I hear, rather than see, him gunning it down the long winding drive. My feet barely touch the steps as I burst through the front door, straight into Marie.
“There’s another bomb. Here. It’ll go off in less than two minutes.” Marie’s eyes widen as the warning bursts from me. “Get everyone out,” I begin shouting, “OUT!”
“Move to the back exit immediately!” Blake’s voice booms out and immediately his alpha command gets everyone moving.
“Where’s Ethan?” Marie’s voice breaks through the swell of noise, “Belle, where’s Ethan? Is he okay?” I wince, not sure how to tell her I have no idea. She loves him like he’s her own and guilt consumes me that I haven’t done better at keeping him safe.
“I don’t know. I think he’s okay, but I don’t know.” After burying my emotions since Leon told me what happened, my eyes fill with tears. “I rejected him, and the bond is so weak… I can’t tell if that means he’s alright or I just can’t feel him anymore.”
Marie was all for me infiltrating the bear clan, but we never openly discussed whether I needed to reject Ethan. It probably did save our lives in Leon’s bar, but if I’ve lost him now anyway, was it worth it?
“It’s going to be alright, Belle. He’s fine. I know it.”
Her confidence is rock solid and it bolsters my own. He must be safe. I won’t allow myself to think about anything else. I hope she can see the gratitude shining in my eyes because I really needed to hear someone say that.
We nod at each other, both understanding that now isn’t the time to freak out; we need to be strong. Splitting up, we dive back into the chaos to make sure each and every person here makes it out. I lose sight of her as I run into the bathrooms, banging on doors and making sure people know how urgent it is.
All the time, the clock in my head is running down. I finally run out the door, cursing, knowing there are still people trapped in the upper levels. Praying we’ve done enough and they won’t be hurt, I race outside, spotting the crowd of shifters huddled there, my stomach twisting with fear for those left inside.
51
ETHAN
Turning up the curving, tree-lined driveway that sweeps toward the luxury resort hosting this year's alpha conference, I bang the steering wheel with my fist. Billy confirmed Leon and Dave were bringing Belle here, but he didn’t seem to know any more about his father’s plans. Billy assured me Carla is safe, so the only thing left to do is make sure Leon doesn’t hurt anyone else.
And get my mate back.
As the hotel comes into view, a cloud of dust billowing from behind a vehicle driving way too fast obscures my view, but I’m relieved to see the building looks to be in one piece.
Leon. It has to be. With narrowed eyes, I watch as the vehicle speeds in my direction. He’s running.
ETHAN: Everyone okay? Is Belle there?
REX: What the fuck is going on Ethan? Everyone’s evacuating. Something about another bomb
ETHAN: FUCK!!! Belle? Is Belle there?
REX: Who the fuck is Belle?
Rex falls silent for a second but I can feel his displeasure even from this distance.
