“Guys—” Wren said, but before he could say anything else Trace interrupted.
“I think I speak for everyone when I say there is zero fucking chance in hell we aren’t a part of taking this jackass down.”
“Hear, hear,” Ash said, flicking a lighter open and running a finger through the flame.
“I wanna see the goo machine,” Black said, bouncing on his toes like a manic pixie, but Wren saw the look in his eyes. He wasn’t there for the ick. He was there to mess shit up the way only he could.
“I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” Wren said.
Hart shook his head. “Hurting one of us is hurting all of us.”
“I second the Live, Laugh, Love sign with legs,” Heir said, pointing a thumb at him.
“We just want to help, Wren,” Saint said softly. “We know… I think it’s out in the open now that Da…Teddy is your person. But he…he’s also ours. So please, let us help.”
Wren felt his eyes burn and he looked away for a second. He wanted to be the hero for Teddy, but he also wanted him safe, and there was strength in numbers. Packs were always stronger than lone wolves.
“Okay.” He nodded. “Fix and Eerie?”
“Stayed behind to try and get as much information as they can,” Saint said.
“Good cursebreaker, bad cursebreaker game,” Wren said. It wasn’t a bad combination.
“More like good cursebreaker, absolute lunatic who would probably just torture information out of people if left unsupervised,” Trace said.
“That’s why we left him supervised,” Saint said with a grin. “Fix seems like he can handle himself and Eerie at the same time.”
“So what’s the play, pipsqueak?” Ash asked him.
“I’m going back to the warehouse to try and retrace their steps,” Wren said.
“Good plan. I’ll drive.” Trace nodded and charged forward, the rest of their teams falling in line and slowly making their way to their cars, piling into whichever one they got to first.
Wren ended up squished next to Echo in Hart’s pristine sedan.
“I like the name Teddy,” they whispered through their suit, gloved fingers twined together in their lap.
Wren looked at them and felt warmth settle in the pit of his stomach.
“I do too,” he whispered back, and Echo offered a scared smile.
“I also, um…I fed Sable,” they said. “I asked Saint and he said to give him red meat and such. I had to put on gloves and then shower and disinfect after, but he seemed to like it. He slept in my room. He sheds a lot so I vacuumed and all, but I don’t mind! He butts his nose into my stomach when I start panicking. It helps. I think.”
Wren watched them struggle to get the words out but manage anyway and he felt a rush of affection bloom in his chest. Echo was one of the good ones in the world. Wren could sense it. And clearly so could Sable.
“Thank you,” Wren said, and Echo looked up, their eyes wide. “For taking care of Sable. And for being here. Being so brave.”
“I’m terrified,” they said softly.
“Me too,” Wren said, omitting that he wasn’t scared for himself. But he was scared that he might be too late to help. Scared that he might not be too late but would be helpless and have to watch Teddy disappear.
Scared that he wouldn’t be getting him back this time around.
“But for Teddy…” he said, and Echo nodded.
“For Teddy,” they agreed, just as Hart parked his car behind Trace’s and they all piled out.
“What are we looking for?” Ash asked.
