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“We should sense when Ava wakes up. We felt it as soon as she lost consciousness,” River said.
“But a heads up will be great, too. Just in case,” Ryder added.
Lexie grimaced and nodded. “The Network has sent out an alert for any teams in the area to assemble. They’re going to gather at a rendezvous point and wait for our signal to approach. They’ll time it to arrive as we do. We’re going to land the helicopter right on their motherfucking lawn. Sam’s just reached the farm. Damon and his pack are ready. They’re all coming, including Maia. She insisted they were stronger together and refused to stay behind. They’ll be here soon.”
“Good. Let’s get everyone on the move. It’s time to make Maven and the Palace pay,” River said, as he clapped his hands impatiently.
“I can help with that,” came a deep voice I’d never heard before from behind us, and we all spun in place. I realized with a sinking gut that with everyone preparing to leave, nobody had locked the front door. Or was even watching it.
A tall, imposing man, clad in black and wearing a balaclava with a skull painted on it and a dark hood, stood in the entry foyer to the Palace. He had a rifle strapped to his back, but his hands were up. Heavy silver rings glinted on his fingers. One looked like a matching skull. River and Ryder immediately moved to flank him, but he let out a low warning growl and powerful dominance flooded the room. He didn’t attack anyone with it, just warned them back.
“He’s a prime alpha,” River said stiffly, shooting a look at Wolf. Wolf didn’t react immediately. He just took a deep breath as he scented the air before a slow, feral smile spread across his face.
“The sniper,” he growled. “I remember your scent from that first night in town. I wondered when you were going to show up again.”
The prime alpha reached up and slowly pushed the hood back, then peeled the skull balaclava off his head, revealing wavy brown hair mostly pulled back off his face, a dark beard, and surprisingly kind brown eyes.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, too. Wolf,” he said with a thick accent I couldn’t place, and Wolf tilted his head in sudden confusion. “Sorry, I couldn’t introduce myself the last time. I wasn’t ready to reveal my identity. I still had work to do.”
“What kind of work?” River growled.
“The kind that requires a gun with a scope and a long barrel,” he replied, perfectly calm. He could have been discussing the weather.
“You’re the Ghost,” Ryder breathed out with a sigh. “We’ve followed the chatter about you on the dark webs.” All the alphas had tiptoed around River and Ryder when they showed up, including Sam and Damon. I didn’t even want to know how lethal this alpha was if Ryder was fangirling over him. The prime alpha just grunted in acknowledgement.
“Welcome to the team,” I said. Whoever he was, he’d taken out the Palace alphas during the attack on the town. He clearly wasn’t a fan of theirs, which made him a potential ally of ours. At this stage, we’d take any help we could get. He nodded at me and gave me a curious once over. Both River and Ryder noticeably stiffened, but neither made a move to shift in front of me, although I saw River’s hand twitch by his side. I appreciated their restraint. I knew their alpha instincts would have them feeling protective after just claiming me. Even if it was a platonic claim. “What should we call you?”
“Ghost works fine, for now. We don’t have time for more,” he said.
“How can you help?” River asked him tersely, still tense. He didn’t seem to trust easily, at least not anyone outside of his pack. It made his ready acceptance of Wolf, Nick, and me feel significant.
“I can get you in the house without setting off the alarms or activating the titanium barricade that would slam into place, sealing off the master rooms. Which is where they will take your omegas. I just need you to provide a distraction outside first.”
“Oh, I think we can manage that. I’m very distracting,” Lexie said. Pala reached out to put a hand on her, as Ghost’s eyes danced with humor. She shook her head at herself when she realized what she’d said and how it sounded.
“Why would you help us?” River asked, not letting up on his blunt questions.
“I have my reasons. They’re personal.” His eyes shuttered suddenly, as if someone had closed the blinds behind them, and the humor disappeared.
“What else do you need, apart from a distraction?” Sadie asked as she stepped out from the hallway to his left, flanked by her mates. I could sense the rest of the omegas gathered behind her, but couldn’t see them in the dim hallway.
Ghost stiffened and drew in a deep breath. He turned slowly in her direction as his nostrils flared and he let out a strangled groan.
She stilled under his gaze and her mates closed in around her. I knew that feeling. Intimately.
The sound of vehicles pulling into the driveway and the whir of a chopper in the distance broke the intensity that had settled over the room.
“The cars are here, and that’s Sam on approach,” Lexie said. “He’s early. He must have flown like the devil was chasing him.”
“We need to move,” Wolf growled, as he shifted restlessly.
“I’m bringing the omegas out now,” Sadie said. “We’re ready to go.” Ghost stayed riveted in place, as she stared at him for a heartbeat, then another. Before she closed her eyes briefly and pulled herself together.
“Let’s go,” she said over her shoulder. She only spared one laden glance at Ghost, who had focused his entire attention on her, as she passed him by. I could almost feel the magnetic pull between them. Then she was out the door and gone, as a stream of omegas followed her. Miles and Owen brought up the rear, with Miles carrying Emma. Ghost didn’t look at a single one of them. His eyes tracked Sadie all the way to the PMV as everyone sprung into action around him. When Sadie finally disappeared into the vehicle, I walked up to his side, as Wolf tracked my own movements.
Ghost looked shell-shocked and seemed as if he needed a hug. I wanted to reach out to him, but I didn’t want to rile Wolf any more than he already was right now.
“What’s her name?” Ghost asked me quietly, but didn’t acknowledge me beyond that. “And where’s she going?”
