“Your complaint has been noted and passed to the relevant parties,” Paul answered, but the look in his eyes told Isaac exactly how much good he thought that would do. “And you’ll be here until the HRU decides to release you.”
With that, he left, closing the door behind him, and Isaac sagged against the windowsill.
What the fuck am I going to do now?
He hoped Michael had a plan, because locked away in the HRU, Isaac was all but helpless.
And he hated every fucking second of it.
* * *
Michael walkedinto the kitchen and threw his phone down onto the table. “Mother-fucking bastards!”He kicked the nearest chair so hardit flew across the floor and clattered into the cupboard. “By the Goddess, if they hurt a fucking hair in his head, I’m going to kill every one of them involved.”
“I take it things didn’t go well?” Sam ventured, putting his hands up when Michael snarled at him. “I’m just asking.”
“No. Instead of putting it to a fucking vote, Simon went to individual council members and got them to sign off on a full interrogation for Isaac. Davidson said there’s nothing they can do because it’s already been approved.”
“What about Isaac’s formal complaint? Surely, they have to address that first?”
Michael growled. “Apparently they only just received it and are looking into it.” He leant against the worktop, shoulders slumped. “Davidson said he and the others could fight for it to be heard, but then they’d be tied up in council meetings for the next few hours when I need them to be organising their packs and coordinating with the humans. In the meantime, Simon has free fucking rein to do what he wants.”
“Can’t Baker stop him?” Nick asked. “What’s the point of him being there if he can’t control his own pack?”
Michael instantly bristled at the slight. “It’s complicated,” he ground out. “If he goes to the council and admits Simon went to them without his consent, then he looks like a piss-poor alpha without the respect of his pack. They could decide to remove him as alpha, and who do you think would be waiting to take over?”
Nick growled and pushed his chair back, making it screech. “He’s such a fucking bastard.”
“Simon’s clever and manipulative, and if we don’t stop him, he’s going to be in charge of the McKillan pack and a large chunk of the council.” Not to mention they’d all end up in prison if he managed to break Isaac.
He dragged the pen and paper towards him. All the numbers on there had been divided up between them. “Are we all clear on the plan?” Such that it was. Michael had never liked relying on luck and hoping for the best, but they didn’t have much of a choice now.
Everyone nodded.
“Call who you need to. Expect pushback as no one is fucking ready for this, but explain the situation if they’re not already aware. Make them see how critical it is that we move fast. Tell them the plan. Any problems, come get me and I’ll take over.”
It was already five hours since Isaac had been taken. Thirty minutes since four members of the Shifter Council had authorised a full interrogation on him. And Michael was at least four hours away from reaching him.
A lot could happen in that time.
Snatching his slightly dented phone off the table, he walked out into the warm summer evening and made his first call.
* * *
Michael pulledon the black T-shirt he’d borrowed from Isaac’s wardrobe. It still smelt like him, and he closed his eyes, catching and holding onto the scent, willing his heart not to shatter.
They were going to get him back.
They had to.
Grabbing his phone, he tucked it into the pocket of his black cargo trousers, also Isaac’s, and took one last look round the room. The bed covers lay rumpled from that morning.
I should’ve never let him go to London.
The thought made him laugh, albeit tinged with sadness because Isaac was as strong an alpha as Michael had ever known. He wouldn’t put his own safety before that of his pack or the others they were fighting to free. Not for something he knew wasright.
Not even for me.
And Michael would never ask him to. No matter how much he wanted to keep him safe.
