I nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. Easy to defend, tucked away. I like it.”
“You and your pack are welcome to join us there if you want. My son already said he’d welcome you all in.”
The thought of hiding my pack in a secure bunker was appealing. For an instant, I imagined the screams of children and women as they were dragged onto buses and vans to be hauled off to a quarantine facility. I chewed at my lip for a few seconds. “I’ll give that a lot of consideration. If nothing else, we may send the elderly and children to you, along with some of our own food and water. We’ll see. I’d like to exhaust all other options before going that route.”
Tiago tilted his head in acceptance. “Understood. The offer is open and standing. I’m gonna go see if there’s anything I can do to help out.”
“Sounds good. Thank you, Tiago. Seriously. Thank you.”
Tiago grinned as he headed out the door. “Don’t thank me yet.”
When he was gone, I looked at Maddy. “What do you think?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Do we want to hide underground?”
She was, of course, desperate to fight back. So was I. The thought of hiding went against everything I stood for, and it seemed Maddy was of the same mind. But I still had to think about the weakest of my pack. Not everyone could fight. Some were young, others old or sick. How could I sit here in the open? We had fencing and cameras, but if the National Guard or something showed up, they’d drive right over the chain links and pour into our lands. The fence was more a show for the pack psyche.
“Plus,” Maddy continued, “these underground bunkers have to be in the government records. I know it sounds great, but it’ll be easy for them to find.”
I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t thought about that. “Good point. All good points. I’m not gonna tell anyone else this, but as tucked away as we are here, this still isn’t an easy place to defend.”
Before Maddy could respond, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and froze. I looked up at Maddy, who’d seen the name as well. She’d never met him but had heard enough about the guy to have the same look of surprise I had. Donatello. I’d gotten his number from Luis and stored it on my phone. I had no clue, however, how he’d gotten my number.
After a slight hesitation, I picked up the phone and answered. “This is Nico.”
“Good day, Mr. Lorenzo. How does life find you in these trying times?”
I huffed out a laugh. “It finds me about three steps away from getting royally fucked. How does it find you?”
Donatello chuckled. “Many in my position dislike crass language, but I’m not one. I’m calling to see what you plan on doing to… how to put this… un-fuck yourself?”
“Well, currently, a pack of bear shifters has offered us sanctuary in an underground bunker.”
Donatello sighed. “How very… dark. I prefer the sunlight, my friend. It does wonders for the soul. Especially the Caribbean sun.”
Maddy cocked an eyebrow and mouthed the words, “What is he talking about?”
I shook my head at her, unsure myself. “Well, a vacation does sound nice, but we aren’t really in the position to turn down help. It looks like it’s either run or go underground… literally.”
“You see, my wolfish friend, that is precisely why I’m calling. I extend a branch of sanctuary for you and yours.”
“Me and mine?” I asked dumbly, not quite following what he was saying.
“Let’s put it succinctly, shall we? I am… ugh, I hate saying this, but there is no other way. I am, for want of a better word, very,veryrich. I don’t go out looking for publicity the way the Musks and Zuckerbergs do, but I hold my own with them when it comes to my fortune. That amount of money allows me certain… shall I say… extravagances that I can enjoy. One of those is a small island in international waters near the Caribbean Ocean. I want to offer you the chance to bring your pack to the island. It is not overseen by any country on earth. We have an airstrip, a boat dock, a helipad, and housing for over a hundred guests. What do you say, my friend?”
My jaw dropped. Maddy had an equally shocked look on her face. The silence went on for too long, but I couldn’t even findthe words to answer him. Finally, I coughed to clear my throat and said, “Donatello?—”
“Call me Don, my dear man. My parents were very droll when it came to naming me. No need to be that formal.”
“Uh, okay. Don. I appreciate the offer, but I have to ask. Why are you helping us? Aren’t you worried you’ll get in trouble? Shifters aren’t really on everyone’s good side right now.”
Donatello chuckled again. “Nico, there are things the average person doesn’t usually know, and there are some that are inherent. One of those inherent things everyone knows is that money is power. I have money… lots of it. These royals you are at war with have money as well, but they don’t match what I have. I have power, and the world does not touch people like me. I do admit that sounds conceited and aloof, but… c’est la vie. I could publicly announce that I was bringing your pack to my island, and no one would touch me. That is not a fear I have.
“Now, when you ask why I’m helping, there are a few reasons. The simplest? I enjoyed your company when we visited New York. Two? Your friend Luis did me a very big favor some years ago, and even though I helped you get to Europe, I don’t entirely think my debt is paid yet. The final reason? Well, how can I say this without giving too much away? Hmm, I guess you could say a little birdie told me to.”
Shaking my head in disbelief, I said, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say nothing yet, my friend. My contacts tell me that the forty-eight-hour deadline is not set in stone. There is still some dissent within the governments of the world over how this must be handled. There are voices speaking out, as drowned out as they are right now. It may look like these royals have a stranglehold on the situation, but you do have some time. However, all you need to do is call. I can have cargo helicopters sent to your pack lands, and your entire clan will be liberated to aprivate airfield. From there, I will bring you to my island abode. I am but a call away.”
