Chapter 38
Cody could smell fresh air, but they were still inside the mountain. The group was moving slowly with frequent stops to give the weakened shifters some rest. Each time they halted, Cody saw Kieran check on his friends to make sure they were all right before moving on to the pups. During one rest stop, Cody found himself and his mate each holding a wriggling, fussing pup. He smiled at the sweet face scrunched up, getting ready to let loose a howl. Tucking the pup under his chin so he could hear Cody’s heartbeat and humming softly while rubbing the baby’s back, Cody got the pup settled down.
Dylon followed Cody’s example until he too, had his pup silent. When he sensed his pup had fallen asleep, Dylon sat down on some rocks on the side of the tunnel. He buried his nose in the baby’s hair and inhaled his scent.Wow, my pup smells great. Do they all smell this way?Not ever having been around babies, he had no idea what to expect but it seemed as if his mate did.Well, of course he does. He has his nephew.
You are only partially correct. I had eight younger siblings not including Colton and Carson who are younger than me. I had lots of practice.Cody sat down next to his mate as they conversed through their mind link.
So, you like pups, huh?
Yeah, I do. I never viewed it as a chore and was always happy to help Jackson with our younger brothers and sisters. As far as I was concerned, it was a lot better than doing dishes, or other chores. I still miss them so much.
I know you do. But the Fates gave you Daniel and soon you’ll have Colton and Ian’s pup to spoil.
I know, I can’t wait. Oops, time to go. If you haven’t guessed it, Slate is bossy.
Bossier than Steel?
Definitely! Just watch.
Resuming their march, Cody and Dylon kept the sleeping pups in their arms for the rest of the way. Finally, the rag-tag group of shifters stumbled out into the fresh air. Looking around, Cody remembered seeing this in a vision and knew they were safe.
Kieran was again checking on all his friends and the pups. Once he was satisfied they were all right he turned to Slate, saying, “We need to get to a safe and warm place. The sun will be setting in a couple of hours and it gets very cold up here in the mountains. I got you out of there, so what’s your plan to get us out of here?”
Slate’s jawed dropped at Kieran’s attitude. Turning to Cody he asked, “I’m missing something here. Where’s the gratitude?”
Cody chuckled softly. “I think he’s spot on. Kieran did save you by showing me where you were and where to find the keys to unlock your shackles, not to mention showing us a way out of there without anyone losing their life.”
“I got this Slate,” Dylon said. Retrieving his phone from a pocket, he dialed Steel’s number. “Hello…hello, Steel? Can you hear me? Okay then, we need you to send the helicopters I requested.”
“Did you get everyone out?” asked Steel.
“Give me the phone,” Slate grumbled. Then picking up where Dylon left off, he said, “Bro, everyone is out but I need some helicopters right away. According to my rescuer, the sun will be going down soon, and it will gettoo cold for the pups and the others to be on this mountain. I see a flat area that can serve as a landing pad. How soon can you get them here?”
“Zane found the opening to the tunnel using satellite photos so I moved the helicopters close by. As soon as Dylon emerged from the tunnel, Zane picked up his phone signal so I ordered the choppers airborne. You should see them in about 10 minutes.”
“Thanks,” Slate said, “we’ll be ready. I’ll talk to you when we get everyone settled. Where are we going after we land?”
“I’ve made arrangements for everyone at a hotel close to the airport. See Turk when you land. I’ll talk to you later. Oh wait, Jackson wants to know if Cody and Dylon are all right?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. They can call you from the hotel. I see the choppers. Talk to you later.” Slate hung up and handed Dylon his phone. Turning to Kieran, he asked, “Does all that meet with your approval, sir?”
“Yes, thank you very much,” Kieran said before turning to Cody and Dylon. “Do you want me to take the pups now?”
“Uh-uh, they’re sleeping so let them be. We’re fine,” Cody said. He watched as the young man continued to make his rounds, offering a hug, a pat on the back, a smile while wrapping the old and ragged clothes of one of his friends tight in an effort to ward off the cooling air.What an extraordinary shifter! The Fates were right, I had to save him.As far as Cody could see, Kieran never put himself first during this entire rescue even though he’d suffered the worst abuse of any of them.
The noise of the helicopters grew louder as they came closer. Two finally set down while the others hoveredabove, waiting for their turn. Cody saw Kieran help the oldest and weakest shifters in first before picking others to join them. Once filled, the chopper took off and Kieran moved to another, loading all the pups except the two in Cody and Dylon’s arms. Cody chuckled softly as Kieran ordered Slate around. Finally, Cody, Dylon, the two pups, Slate, and a handful of enforcers stood before Kieran awaiting orders since Slate had long ago given up any hope of remaining in command.
When the last helicopter was loaded with the rest of the group, Kieran climbed in and, after taking one last look around to make sure he’d missed no one, he sat in the last remaining seat and smiled.I did it! I saved all my friends and the younglings. I promised them I would and I did.Smiling to himself, he looked forward to sleeping in a bed again instead of a cage.Wow! I’m free! I’m finally free!Glancing down at his torn and shredded clothes, he wondered if his rescuers would let him buy a new pair of pants, a shirt and some shoes. He needed them to get a job, after which, he’d pay them back.
He was sure Cody would lend him some money. He’d been so relieved when he’d felt his presence down in the dungeon. Kieran wasn’t sure at first if it was a friendly spirit, but figured he had nothing to lose. The auction was only a few days away and he didn’t want any of his friends sold like he’d been. So, he took a chance and showed the spirit all the prisoners, even the new wolves in the south dungeon.
He thought about the day he found the tunnel leading to the outside, looking at it as a stroke of luck, and he’d been tempted many times to escape with the pups and his friends. But he always came back to the same problem—what would they do once they got out? He knew his friends wouldn’t be able to walk very far carrying the pups, so he did nothing, waiting for an opportunity. Itwas only by chance he’d heard Arald talking to his head enforcer about someone flying in to rescue the newest prisoners. As soon as he heard that, he figured time had run out for some of his friends. Finding the spirit was like salvation—and a very welcome surprise.
Slate took charge when they landed, getting everyone checked into their hotel rooms and ordering food. Then he sent Turk and his men out to buy new clothes for everyone including diapers for the pups. He asked Kieran about what the pups would need and, in the end, Slate put the pups, Kieran, Cody, and Dylon in the presidential suite and made sure there were enough cribs. When his men came back with a truckload of supplies, he sorted it out and dumped all the baby stuff with Kieran.
Now alone in his room, he called his brother.
“Hello?”
