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Our nostrils flare as we pick up the scent from the trees, noticing the worn earth just a few paces in front of us. We’re close to the route they take around the bunker and definitely closer than the cameras are placed. They shouldn’t be able to scent us here, but we can’t linger much longer. If they do their rounds again, we have to have enough time to let the smell dissipate, otherwise, they’ll be onto us before we have the chance to get out.
Our heart jolts as an alarm blares near the entrance, and we ready ourself for a hasty retreat until the bear shifter, still in human form, pulls his phone from his pocket and shuts it off.
“Hourly check time,” he shouts, strapping his rifle across his back as he strides into the clearing. The bears draw closer, and one of them shifts, their massive limbs transforming into a still pretty hairy human.
“I don’t understand why we have to check inside. It’s not like anyone’s getting in there on our watch,” the second man says. He picks up a second rifle from where the first man was standing before meeting him near the entrance.
“You really want Aldric to chew your ass out?” the first man says, scowling beneath his grizzled beard. The second man winces almost involuntarily at the mention of the alpha’s name. “That’s what I thought.”
The two bears, still in their animal form, stand on either side of the door, ready for anything as the first man moves a branch out of the way, revealing an alarm panel on the side of the corrugated metal building.
We shift impatiently, our eyes glued to the number pad as excitement buzzes through us. This is it. This is what we need. We had no idea that there was even an alarm to contend with, and now—now we’re here to see the passcode.
The man types the code in quickly, his finger pounding them one by one. My breath catches as my enhanced vision captures every number—nine-seven-six-three. A light above the number pad flashes green, and the two men go in, leaving the two bears to keep watch. A few minutes pass as they must be searching the bunker, making sure no one has gotten inside.
It doesn’t look like there are any more guards here than we spotted on the camera, so either Monte isn’t working with the bears, or they just didn’t think we’d find this place.
We keep repeating the numbers to the alarm system in our head, a constant loop as we wait for the two shifters to return. Any information we can get now will help us, including how long their usual checks last. If we time the distraction at the bears’ compound shortly after they’ve done their sweep, they might not leave anyone behind when they go to help defend their home.
I use my count of the code to help gauge how much time has passed, estimating at least five minutes when they return, the hairy, naked man exiting first.
“Let’s do a final sweep before our replacements come,” the first man says as he slams the door shut and retreats to his place back in the bushes, his gun at the ready. The second man groans but falls to his knees, preparing to shift back into his bear form.
Shit. We have to go NOW.
We glance around at Arsenio, and his head dips in agreement, already sensing where our thoughts are. Our steps are careful and our eyes to the forest floor, making sure there are no fallen branches that might give us away as we make our retreat, and stick as low to the ground as possible, gliding slowly yet surely over the earth while the bears are closer to the bunker still. We make our way back the way we came, sticking as much into the bears’ land without getting caught in order to gauge how far it would be from the entrance.
Knowing this will let us know how far the bunker sits between the entrance to the forest and the Langley compound—the final piece of the puzzle we need before we plan our attack.
Chapter Thirteen
Arsenio
Wekeepourattentionfocused on the forest surrounding us as we make our way out of the Langleys’ land and back into the park, my senses still on high alert. We aren’t safe yet, not until we’re back in that armored van and pulling into the driveway of the Whitlock compound. We let Sky take the lead since she’s been on this land before, letting her gauge the distance to the bears’ home, but our vigilance never wavers. We’re getting our girl home safe, even if that means we don’t.
Our heart thunders in time with our steps, and my wolf beams with pride as we watch our mate. She’s fucking strong—both of heart and body, her powerful legs keeping pace with us easily. We would’ve never known she’d been disconnected from her wolf just a few short weeks ago. Once we’re near the parking lot, we relax slightly. My wolf grumbles his discontent at the night being over so quickly, and I can’t help but agree, though I wish we were able to run under different circumstances.
We yearn to lose ourselves in the forest, the scent of fresh earth and pine tickling our nostrils as we run freely beside our mate. We’ll have to take what we can get for now though, because tonight is not that night. We can’t afford to let our guard down, not when doing so might cost our mate her life.
The bond thrums between us, and I let the connection relax me, reminding myself that she’s safe. The bears had gotten far too close to us for my comfort, and we barely made it out of there in time. A few more moments and our scent would’ve lingered by the time they got near our hiding place. We’d both been distracted as we neared the bunker, and we nearly crossed their scent trail because of it.
We can’t let that happen again.
Light flickers to life in the distance as the deep rumble of an engine ignites. Our vision adjusts to the sudden glow of headlights, and we glance to Skylar, realizing she must have let her betas know we’re here through the pack link. Our chest tightens at that thought, as an ember of jealousy sparks to life before we quickly snuff it out, reminding ourselves that we can’t rush this. Despite how much we wish we shared that connection with our mate, that final step can’t be pushed, especially when we have no part in it.
Knowing Everett and Skylar, that might take some time to work through, especially with how stubborn they can both be.
We pass through the last line of trees, right where we left the vans. The gravel crunches under the pads of my feet as I make my way to the driver’s side. The shift comes on easily, my wolf form fading away as my human limbs take their place.
Wasting no time, I yank the door open and grab my clothes, hurriedly pulling on each piece as I face out towards the trees. If I take my time, if I chance a glance towards my gorgeous mate, her supple skin glowing in the pale moonlight, I know I won’t be able to stop myself this time.
Despite the warm pull at the center of my chest begging me to close the distance between us, to feel her soft, warm lips beneath mine, the possessive growl of my wolf keeps me at bay. After getting so close to the bears, I need to make sure she’s safe, and I can’t guarantee that until we get home.
I pull in a deep breath as I shrug on my leather jacket and slip my boots back on, giving her a few extra moments. I try to keep the image of her long, lean legs out of my mind from last night when she’d allowed me to take her panties off for her—panties I still have, thank you very much—revealing her soaking wet pussy for me and the rest of her mates as Everett coaxed those delicious sounds from her lips.
I shake my head, half-heartedly attempting to dispel the images now burned into my memory, but it doesn’t work. Instead, it only seems to spur my imagination on, filling in the details of what I wished would have happened next if we weren’t in this situation, if we didn’t have what seems like the world breathing at our necks, just waiting to take us down.
“Are you ready?” Skylar’s voice shocks me from my bubble, and I turn to face her, almost wishing I’d given in to my thoughts, and caught a glimpse of her before she got fully dressed.
