“Hey, you okay?” Stupidest question ever,but I didn’t know what else to say.
Gavin just looked at me affirming thefact that it was indeed a stupid question.
“I mean … are you going to be okay?” Ilightly brushed the matebond, relieved to feel it was open but I didn’t prodfor fear of him clamping back down on it.
Gavin’s hand came up to tuck a dark lockof hair behind my ear. “I’ll be fine,” he said to my relief. “Once that bastardis dead,” he added with a growl and then turned, giving me his back.
Crap.
I was hoping to be at least forty yearsold before I had mate problems like this. Doing what I did best, Icompartmentalized my Gavin drama like a man would and focused on the task athand. My mom and dad were being held as government prisoners and lab ratsnearby and I was going to fix that.
“Gretchen!” I called out with a smile andcrossed the moss-covered ground to hug my coven leader. The moment her armswent around me, I felt her healing spirit take a little bit of my anxiety away.
“Thanks for coming,” I whispered in herear. Her arms tightened and I inhaled her familiar scent, letting the lavenderwrap around me.
Gretchen pulled back and met my gaze. “Thewitches have stayed silent for long enough. If the humans want a war then wewill side with the wolves.”
A lump formed in my throat and I nodded.“Thank you.” It was a huge gesture. The witches helped the wolves in the waragainst the vampires but not openly. The human public didn’t know the witchrace existed nor did most of the government. Only those on a need-to-knowbasis. Clearly, they were using dark witches now to help enslave the wolves sothe human government knew enough.
“Where’s the camp?” I asked, getting downto business.
It was Muriel who answered, tossing her white-blondehair over her shoulder. “They have a dozen shipping containers on the openfield of the neighboring farm. The containers are lined with silver and havebars on the windows. The entire encampment has a twelve-foot-high electrifiedchain-link fence. I’ve already seen three witches roaming the border of theproperty outside of the fence, but I didn’t sense any more. Inside, there areover twenty highly armed human guards.”
Well, it wasn’t exactly going to be awalk in the park. …
The rest of our coven filtered outsideand I nodded to them, counting twenty in all. I liked these odds. Theysurrounded me and I knew Gretchen had already shielded this place and that Icould speak freely.
“Okay. Here’s the plan. Our pack mate Alexais going to bring down the electric fence, but I need the coven to bring in athick fog so the guards don’t see anything. My mom is going to unlock and freethe wolves and I will cut a hole in the fence and set them free.”
Everyone nodded and I pointed to Jaxon,following my gut on this next part. “Jax, I need you to film everything, put itup on every social media site there is. I just can’t believe that all thehumans are okay with the way our people are being treated.”
Jaxon grinned. “I’ve got my drone in thecar. I’ll get aerial footage.”
“Perfect,” I concluded.
Gretchen cleared her throat. “That soundslike a fine plan, dear, but once we free over a hundred werewolves, how exactlyare we getting them out of here? I don’t think your Range Rover can hold thatmany.”
Shit. Double shit. Mama didn’t tell methat, and I hadn’t thought of it. She just said that things happened quicklyafter I got them out.
“Umm, Mason will be working on that.” Ilooked to my cousin.
Mason had been staring at Gretchen with alost look, no doubt dreaming about getting ahold of some witches’ wine. As soonas I said his name he straightened up.
“I saw a big rig at the farm a mile back,it was unloading hay. I’ll try to reason with him,” Mason offered.
Gretchen smiled and reached into herpocket. She pulled out a baggie full of powder. “We’re done trying to reasonwith the humans, honey. Throw this in his face and take the truck by force.”
All of our jaws collectively dropped.Gretchen was in battle mode and I’d never seen her so … badass. Mason took thepowder, which I guessed was sleeping powder, and nodded to her before puttingit into his pocket.
Gavin hadn’t said a word, just stoodthere watching all of us. I knew I wouldn’t have the time to keep an eye on himduring the breakout, so I decided to pair him up with Mason.
“Gavin, can you help Mason get the rig?”I also knew that giving him a task would busy his mind and keep it off ofdarker things.
He nodded, and after a quick kiss to mycheek, Gavin and Mason were gone. Lastly, I looked at my best friend. “Avery,you’re on medical. There … There might be casualties. Let’s keep them to aminimum.”
Avery frowned. Her mom was in there, our UncleMax, our pack. I didn’t like it either, but the reality was that some peoplemight die today. Mama said three. I was hoping it was a lie or an oversight.Avery simply stood straighter and nodded. We were ready. In that moment, I couldn’thelp but think of Nahuel; where he was, if he was okay.
Gretchen’s hand on my arm pulled me frommy thoughts. “The dark witches have sensed us. Let’s do this.”
