CHAPTER4
When they walked back into the kitchen, everyone sat around the table waiting for them, expectant faces looking at them like they held all the answers.
Michael drew in a breath and let it out slowly, drawing composure around him like a shield. He and Isaac were the alphas here. Regardless of whether the remainder of his pack still saw him as their alpha, Michael had told them he started the CEG. Naturally, they’d look to him to have a plan.
He chanced a glance at Isaac and found him staring back. The slight nod he gave him was the encouragement Michael needed. “I received an update while we were outside. The HRU have been focusing on places connected to Cole and Nick.”
A murmur rippled around the table.
“Fuck!” Cole spat, gripping the edge of the table. “My sister and brother?”
Michael sighed. There was no easy way to say this. “They’re unharmed.” He turned to Nick. “As are your parents, but they’ve both had visits from Paul’s team.”
Nick swore under his breath and Cole shuddered, no doubt both imagining what Paul and his team were capable of. And they weren’t wrong. Everyone here had committed treason in the eyes of the law, and as the head of the HRU, Simon would stop at nothing to uncover their whereabouts. As alpha, Baker would have to be seen to back him up.
“But they’re all alive, right?” Nick asked. “You’re absolutely sure?”
“Yes,” Michael assured them. “I can’t say the HRU will have gone easy on them because they won’t. They’ll have used every tactic they possess to terrify them into revealing anything they know. But unless they’ve taken them in for questioning—which they haven’t,” he added quickly, “then they won’t have been harmed physically.”
“Just scared to fucking death,” Cole grumbled, and Michael didn’t argue because that’s exactly what would’ve happened.
He turned to Nick. “They’ve also interrogated members of your pack and your alpha.”
Nick scrubbed a hand over his face. “Bollocks.I should’ve been more careful that night.” He looked up at Michael, expression wary. “Did they take anyone in?”
Michael met his gaze. As much as he wanted to reassure him, he wouldn’t lie. “I don’t know. The person who texted me was waiting to find out. I can’t risk contacting them, so we’ll have to wait for confirmation. I’m sorry.”
Nick stood abruptly, chair flying backwards as he stalked across the room to look out of the window. “There’s others in my pack.” He didn’t need to spell it out.
“I know,” Michael said softly. “Hopefully Sebastian will be able to protect them.”
Nick’s head snapped around to stare at him, eyes wide. “He’s a part of this?”
“Yes.” Michael’s smile was tinged with sadness. “Alpha Cox and I are old friends. He’s not the pushover Simon seems to think he is.” Simon didn’t have the authority to haul in an alpha for questioning. He’d have to go through Baker and present their evidence to the Shifter Alliance Party council for that to happen.
But if he managed it...
They’d all be in fucking trouble.
“Also,” Michael said, wishing he didn’t have more bad news for them. “The HRU are planning to come here.”
He looked to Isaac, silently asking him to step in because Michael could reassure them all he wanted, but this was Isaac’s terrain, and it was assurance they needed right now.
“We can hide you,” Isaac said from where he leant against the doorframe, voice as calm as if he was discussing the weather. “Somewhere not even the HRU will be able to find you.”
“But our scents are all over the place,” Aaron said, fidgeting in his seat.
The faint scent of fear lingered in the air, and Michael didn’t blame them for being frightened. Discovery meant death for some of them.
Isaac pushed off the door frame and walked further into the kitchen. “They are.” He agreed. “Which is why we’re going to move you all now.”
Michael raised an eyebrow because he was pretty sure Isaac had insisted they didn’t need to leave only moments ago. “Where to, exactly?”
Isaac motioned for them all to follow him and turned to leave the kitchen. He led them towards the back of the house and into the library.
Michael looked around, noting nothing out of the ordinary. “Here?” he asked, frowning. Whatever Isaac was thinking, Michael struggled to see it.
Isaac snorted. “Yes, because trained members of the HRU would never find you all in the library.” Before Michael could respond, he walked over to the huge fireplace in the centre of the room and reached inside.
