“Okay, I can admit this is starting to be concerning,” Felix says.
I stand up and start moving to the door. “Great, then let’s go get him.”
“Wait,” Blaze says.
I spin around and glare at all of them. “I will not wait. I’ve been waiting long enough. Now, let’s go get him.”
Griffyn stops me by grabbing my arm before I can walk out the front door. “Anna, it’s too dangerous. We need to take this slow.”
I glare at him until he looks to the others for help.
“Griffyn is right. If something happened to Aksel then we need to be smart about this,” Felix pleads.
Slowly, I move back to my seat and sit down, stiffly.
“Tap into your bond. Is he in pain? Dying? Anything that requires us to march in there with no plan?” Rion asks.
I want to bare my teeth at all of them. Something about this feels wrong. My instincts are screaming that Aksel isn’t coming back.
But, I have no proof so I grit out, “No.”
“Let’s reach out to the director and find out if he knows anything.” Felix looks at Blaze as he says it.
Blaze grunts but grabs his phone. His large fingers move deftly over the screen.
Rion places a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I offer him a weak smile in return.
As Blaze raises the phone to his ear, we all fall silent, our ears straining to catch any hint of news about Aksel.
“Speaker,” Griffyn whispers.
Blaze complies so we can all hear.
The air in the living room is thick with tension, and I find myself holding my breath.
The phone rings once, twice, before the director’s voice fills the room. “Hello?” he says, sounding genuinely surprised by the call.
“Director, it’s Blaze,” he says, his gruff voice betraying a hint of concern. “We’re trying to find Aksel. Do you know anything?”
“How did you get this number?” He grunts.
Blaze looks at all of us confused.
“Sir, it’s me, Blaze Varon.”
“Take me off your damn list.” This doesn’t make any sense.
There’s rustling on the other end of the line as if the director is moving around. Then, we hear a door shut, followed by an almost imperceptible sigh.
“Listen,” the director says, his voice low, urgent. “Your entire team is wanted by the council. Aksel has been placed under arrest.”
“Arrest?!” Blaze’s eyes widen, and I can see the telltale flicker of flames in their depths, a testament to the dragon shifter’s rising anger. “What the hell for?”
“Apparently, the council determined that Aksel’s father’s death wasn’t an accident,” the director says hesitantly, as if unsure of how much information to disclose. “And they believe the Alpha Team is responsible.”
“Us?” Blaze snaps. “You’re saying they suspect us? Aksel, Griffyn, Felix, and me?”
As he speaks, my heart clenches with fear, and I can’t help but glance around at my guys, their faces a mix of disbelief and concern. The air is thick with uncertainty, and I find it difficult to breathe.
