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A few months after Kade had made his home on the outskirts of Northarbor and Sweetwater, I’d lucked upon a tree that overlooked his house, to the side of his backyard. In front of it, and partially shielding my tree from view, was an evergreen. I’d made a perch in a tree and slowly had made it into a treehouse that was cleverly disguised by the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees. I stored a few things there. An emergency first aid kit, a thick blanket, a lockbox with battery packs, made up the equipment that I kept in the treehouse covered by a heavy duty tarp. All of it was warded with runes, so it couldn’t be seen unless you had an activation word.
I got myself settled, boredom quickly settling in. There was no chance of hearing anything this far away, even with my wolf’s incredible senses, so I streamed some anime on my phone that I’d watched a few hundred times before so I could check on the house every couple of minutes.
Blake seemed agitated, and I guessed that he and his enforcers had lost Rincoln again. There was no telling how many that the man had on his side now. I hadn’t been able to get into pack territory since I was covered in magic and hadn’t declared myself in the area when I’d arrived.
Technically, I should report to a pack right now, the Sweetwater one, since they were slightly closer and that meant I fell under their jurisdiction. Couldn’t though, and I’d take the punishment when it came.
Hours passed, then it got dark. Each of the inhabitants of the house settled down. Axel took the first watch, and I snuck around the house to check on everyone.
Kade was safely wrapped up in Blake’s arms, sleeping somewhat peacefully. Occasionally, Blake woke and had to soothe his mate. Tendrils of jealousy unfurled as I watched them together.
After midnight, Axel woke Kaine as he slept on the couch. I watched from a couple of bushes that lined the street as Axel headed to the spare room to get a few hours’ sleep.
I was certain that if someone was to make a move, it would be then. Kaine watched TV on low and scrolled his phone. I set a look away ward, a silencing charm, and checked that my scent was locked down tight. The magic of the wards would hopefully shield my magic use.
Now just to wait for shit to head south.
Another hour passed before I heard the sounds of a vehicle rolling in, the lights pouring over me as they approached the house. The look away charm worked to make sure I was invisible to human eyes. They’d turned off the engine. Then the two men pushed it towards Kade’s house, stopping just outside at the curb.
One approached the door that opened before he got to the front stoop. Kaine stood illuminated by the dim light of the hallway. He stepped back to let the other man in, who promptly was pushed back. Kaine tried to invite him in, but that didn’t work, since the spell only allowed Kade to give entry to his home.
They argued in low voices until the man waiting with the car approached them, phone to his ear. They passed a bag over along with a gas mask, then went back to wait by the car.
I watched Kaine enter the living room, pull on the gas mask, and activate the bag. A spell pouch dropped to the floor where some sort of vapor started to rise from it, quickly filling the room and moving deeper into the small house. It took maybe ten minutes, but it covered all of Kade’s home in the spell. I rushed around to his bedroom window and saw that Kade no longer moved in a light doze, now deeply asleep.
Moving swiftly, I returned to the front of the house. Kaine came to the front door and threw two sets of car keys to his companions. “Move the vehicles and disable them so they can’t follow when they wake up. Move the van closer so no one sees.”
“How long we got?” The stocky one asked the one he’d arrived with, a lanky, mean looking motherfucker.
“An hour tops, depending on their tolerance to magic,” he said with a shrug.
They moved the vehicles, and I pulled out my phone and began recording. Kaine moved back into the house and I left the safety of the bushes, trusting Poppy’s magic to hide me from sight and hearing. As soon as they were parked, I put a tiny tracker under the wheel arch of the van and would connect it to my phone as soon as I stopped getting the proof we needed to end Rincoln.
Standing in what should be the full view of the door, I watched Kaine carry Kade over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes to the waiting van, the side door open and ready.
The only reason I left Kaine to live was that he was careful as he placed Kade in the back on a bundle of blankets. I could have sworn I heard him say, “I’m sorry,” as he closed the door and settled their fate.
“Let’s get him to Rincoln,” the stocky shifter said.
They got in the van, started the engine, and drove away with Kade.
Wasting no time, I stopped my recording and sent it to my council contact marked urgent. I needed to follow the van, but I had to leave Blake with something.
Dashing back to my treehouse, I found some paper and wrote a brief note, ever thankful that Poppy had formed the alarm spell with a password so I could get into the house without setting it off. It deactivated the alarm so was only to be used in dire emergencies such as this one. I placed the note on top of the discarded blanket, sure that Blake would spot it easily:
Don’t trust any of your enforcers. I’m tracking Kade. Hired by the council. Roan.
I also left my number and hoped Blake would be willing to work with me since I knew I could help reunite the mates. So much depended on it.
Hours later
After delaying as best I could, I headed into the location that Rincoln had sent me. I’d already been there waiting hours before staking the place out, trying to get a sense of numbers.
When I’d left the note for Blake, I’d followed Kaine to the house where they were keeping Kade, but now I had to make it look like I’d made the ten-hour drive from Greenbriar on my motorcycle. I couldn’t arrive too quickly or Rincoln would be suspicious.
They needed to hear my approach, so I’d driven my bike a distance away and ditched all my concealment spells, nullifying them, then buried them deep so they couldn’t be found. Now they’d see, hear and smell me coming.
As I started up the engine to head back to the house, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
