CHAPTER8
“Ifucking hate waiting.” Cole’s declaration was met with murmurs of agreement from everyone else.
Waiting was the fucking worst.
Michael paced the cave, again, knowing he was likely driving everyone mad with his restlessness, but unable to shake it off.
A glance around the cave told him that they were minutes from telling him to stop. A week ago no one would’ve dared say that to him, but now? Michael wondered who would crack first.
“For the love of the Goddess, Michael, would youStop. Fucking. Pacing.” Sam spat the last three words through gritted teeth and Michael smirked to himself.
Of course it was his brother. He was surprised he’d lasted that long.
He stopped his pacing though and leant against the cave wall near the entrance. “Sorry,” he muttered, not looking back but hearing the collective sighs, nonetheless.
Looking out to sea wasn’t much better. The stretch of beach called to him, begging for him to shift and run along it, sand underfoot, the sea breeze ruffling his fur. The sun was out in force, the sky a beautiful cornflower blue that made the sea sparkle in invitation.
But no, they had to hide inside the fucking cave while Paul and his team roamed around above them doing fuck knew what. He cracked his neck from side to side and shook out his shoulders.
“You look like you’re preparing for a fight,” Sam said, coming to stand beside him.
“I wish.” Anything would be better than all this waiting.
“What do you think they’re doing up there?”
Michael blew out a breath. “If I had to hazard a guess? Paul’s team will have spread out to comb through the grounds, check out all the homes of Isaac’s pack and any other buildings. If I was Isaac, I’d have sent a couple of people with them to keep an eye on things.”
“And Paul?”
Michael glanced at him and grimaced. “Paul will be with Isaac. Probably in the main house. He’ll want to get a feel for the place, for Isaac, before searching it thoroughly when the rest of his team join him.”
Sam chuckled. “I expected maybe a vague answer.”
Michael scoffed. “I was their alpha, Sam. I know HRU protocols.”
Sam was silent for a minute. “Will they be all right?” he asked softly and glanced upwards. “The HRU aren’t known for being gentle.” He seemed to realise who he was talking to and winced. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologise to me.” Michael turned to face him. “I knew what they were capable of.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And I did nothing to rein them in.”
Sam went to speak, but Michael shook his head. “Don’t.”
He could repeat thatitwasfor the greater goodforever, and it still wouldn’t change the fact that he’d allowed Simon to mould the HRU into his own personal torture squad. They did what they wanted, usually without consequence, and didn’t give a fuck about scaring the shit out of humans. Or shifters. Innocent or not.
“Do you think they’ll find us?” Sam nudged his foot. “How good are they, exactly?”
Michael thought back to the tunnel entrance in the library. “They’re well-trained. If it were anyone else, I’d say there was a good chance of them discovering us down here. But this is Isaac.” He grinned, imagining him sitting with Paul somewhere in the house with Paul trying every trick he knew to tease information out of him, and Isaac neatly sidestepping every attempt. “He knows this house inside out, knows all its secrets, and he’s been hiding people here since the CEG was first formed.”And it’s not the first time he’s had to stay strong under pressure. “They won’t find us.”
Sam looked at him, and Michael sensed he wanted to believe him, but didn’t quite. “Trust me, Sam. I’m not saying it to make you feel better. I’m saying it because I trust Isaac with my life.” He lowered his voice. “No matter what Paul and his team do up there, Isaac won’t break.”
He faced the sea again, concentrating on the waves gently washing up on the sand as he willed his heart to calm down. Because he knew exactly the tactics Paul could use against Isaac, and if he let himself imagine it for one second, he’d be racing back up the tunnel to rip Paul’s throat out.
And then they’d all be fucked.
* * *
Isaacleant against the wall of his small operating theatre as Paul took his time walking around inspecting everything.
“Quite the professional setup you’ve got here.”
