“He claims he’ll return Bart to us instead of Nero…if I hand you over to him.” I shook my head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  Vance chuffed, his gaze meeting mine. “I’ll go. Get the boy back to his mum.”

  “Your brother isn’t just a human anymore.” I looked over at Jett. “He’s got all our shifter enhanced senses and strength, but he’s still human.” I ground my teeth and forced the words out. “He claims Nero isn’t the only defense contractor working on a super soldier program.”

  “Shit.” Vance’s eyes widened. “That dumb-ass.” He ran a hand down his face. “You think he wants to kill me?”

  “No.” I waited for him to meet my eyes. “I think he wants you to bite him.”

  CHAPTER 26

  Naomi

  Over three hours had passed since I last heard from Asher. I’d sent two texts with no response, and I was seriously starting to lose my shit. While I sat there, my brain played a constant loop of worst-case scenarios. What if I lost both Bart and Asher?

  Ugh. I was going to vomit.

  I got up, pacing Kaya’s living room for the millionth time.

  She came out of the kitchen and stood in front of me, blocking my path around the room. “Ben’s asleep. I’m more than capable of watching him snooze. He’s safe with me.”

  “What are you saying?” I searched her eyes.

  “You’re not really a sit-at-home-and-wait-for-the-men-to-save-the-day kind of woman.” She squeezed my hands. “Letting me keep an eye on Ben doesn’t make you a bad mother.”

  “I feel like I’m being torn in half. If I’d been watching the boys instead of being all tangled up in Asher’s arms, none of this would’ve happened.”

  Kaya raised a brow. “Or you could be dead, and Bart could still be missing. Don’t play the ‘what-if’ game. You’ll drive yourself nuts.”

  “I can’t sit here staring at my phone, but I can’t leave Ben, either.” I looked over at my sleeping little boy. “What if they come for him, too?”

  Kaya held up her cell. “I already called Gage. He’s coming over and bringing his boys, so Ben will be distracted.” Her gaze locked on mine. “Do what you need to do. I’ll keep Ben occupied and safe.”

  If Gage was here, too, I wouldn’t be leaving Kaya without backup. I could find Asher and help him bring Bart home. I hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Kaya.” I stepped back. “I’ll text you once I know something.”

  “You better.”

  I grabbed my coat and checked my pocket for my throwing stars. I had a gun at the ranch, and with any luck, maybe Asher would be there. For all I knew, maybe he’d already have Bart with him.

  Then I could kick his ass for not texting me back.

  When I drove up to the ranch, all the cars were gone. My heart sank. I didn’t really believe I’d find Asher and Bart here, but that hadn’t stopped me from hoping. I got out of the car and frowned. My nose told me Asher had been here recently. His scent lingered, along with Vance’s, Shane’s, and Jett’s. But none of them were here now.

  I unlocked the house and turned off the alarm. “Anyone home?” I shouted.

  Hearing no reply, I got busy filling another clip for my Glock. I slipped my shoulder holster on and put my jacket over it before holstering my gun. I slid the extra clip into the pocket opposite my throwing stars.

  Since the guys weren’t at the ranch, I figured I’d try the Wolf Pack bar next. In the distance, my keen ears caught the rumble of an engine. I peered out the window, frowning as a silver Mercedes stopped at the gate.

  The security speaker popped and hissed. “I see your car. Looks like we have two choices. You can let me in, or I’ll ram the gate.”

  I clicked the button. “Who the hell are you?”

  He chuckled. “Pardon me. I didn’t realize I was speaking with the lady of the house. I’m Brad Newport.”

  Oh fuck. The guy ranting about government experiments and running for the Senate was on my doorstep. “I’m on my way out for an appointment.”

  “I see. If it’s about finding your little boy, I may be able to help.”

  My heart stopped for a second, and my mouth went dry. This bastard was involved. And if he had information, I couldn’t let him get away. I was heavily armed, and as a werewolf, I’d have no trouble physically overpowering him if I needed to.

  I clicked the button to open the gate.

  He parked his car beside mine and got out. His gray pinstriped suit was perfectly tailored to his frame. He looked younger in person than he did in the commercials on television, tall and slender with sliver flecks in his dark-brown hair.

  I opened the front door as he approached. He hesitated and took a slow breath. His eyes locked on mine. “You’re alone.”

  I shrugged, grateful I was wearing multiple layers of clothes and a jacket. He wouldn’t be able to see the goose bumps rising on my arms. But that didn’t really matter right now. What I wanted to know was how he could have possibly known there was no one else here.

  I checked his scent—human. “I’m well armed if you decide to try something stupid.” My voice was clipped, hopefully hiding my desperation to find Bart. “Now tell me where my son is.”

  He chuckled. “You’re in no position to demand anything.” He sobered, a cold glint in his dark eyes. “Did you and your pack really think blowing up the Nero headquarters would end the government’s obsession with super soldiers?”

  He stepped into my personal space, and I drew my gun without hesitation. Instead of backing off, he lunged forward, grabbing at my wrists. We struggled for control of the weapon. How the hell was this human so strong?

  I slammed my knee into his groin, and he finally dropped to the floor with a guttural groan. Pulling back the slide on my Glock, I kept it aimed right at his head. “Don’t move, asshole.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Asher

  I was about to tell Vance there was no way we were agreeing to the swap, when a bolt of shock and fear shot through my entire body. That otherworldly connection with Naomi was back, and this time, I didn’t fight it. If she needed me, I welcomed it.

  As my surroundings changed, I focused on details, unsure how long the tie to her would last. The ranch. I looked down and frowned. Naomi’s hands were aiming a gun at the guy I’d only seen on television—Brad Newport.

  Her scent filled my lungs, possessing me and lighting a fire of rage in my chest. This asshole was threatening my mate.

  “Shit.” I blinked, and I was back in the Wolf Pack Bar. Fuck. “Shane, we need to get to the ranch. Now.” I turned to Vance and Jett. “Follow us. Naomi’s got Brad Newport.”

  Vance frowned. “I thought she was hiding out with Kaya and the other cub.”

  “Me too,” I said. “Let’s move.”

  I made record time getting back to the ranch, and my Jeep skidded to a stop beside a Mercedes. I hit the ground running, gun drawn and ready. My leg throbbed, but I hardly noticed. Naomi was all that mattered.

  Shane was right behind me, and Jett rolled in a second later. I didn’t catch Vance’s scent, but I didn’t wait to look for him. I didn’t wait for anything.

  I couldn’t.

  Safe or not, my mate needed me, and right now, that was all I could concentrate on. I threw the door open to find the candidate for senator sitting on one of the barstools, his hands up and Naomi’s gun aimed at his chest.

  Her eyes met mine, and my wolf howled. She was safe. I strode across the room and stood beside her. “What’s he doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  I clenched my jaw. “It happened again.”

  She seemed to understand without me having to explain, which was good since we had an enemy in our kitchen. Naomi was the only person who knew about the strange new ability surfacing from inside me.

  “Be careful.” She tipped her head toward Newport. “He’s stronger than he looks.” Her attention shifted my way for a second. “He says he knows who has Bart.”

  I looked at the politician. “So do we.”

  Surprise flashed in Newport’s eyes.

  Naomi’s head snapped in my direction. “Then let’s go get him.”

  “It’s not that simple.” I studied Newport again. “How’d you know where to find us?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” He shook his head and straightened his suit. “I came to make a deal with the lady, but if you’ve already recovered her boy, then I guess I’m too late.”

  In the distance, two engines rumbled. Hummers. Shit. He must’ve had a security detail. Time was running out.

  I moved around the bar, grabbed the lapels of his expensive suit, and jerked him in close, my voice dropping to a dangerous rumble. “Micah told us about another defense contractor developing super soldiers. Do you work for them?”

  “No.” Newport knocked my hands away. “I’m trying to stop them.”

  “By kidnapping a little boy?” I shoved him off the stool, shaking my head. “Get the fuck out of my house, and if you ever come near my family again, no amount of security will keep me from killing you.”

  Newport scrambled to his feet as two black Hummers rolled up to the gate. Spittle flew from his lips. “It may take years, but I’m going to expose all of you for the animals you are.”

  I shook my head. “We didn’t have anything to do with government experiments.”

  “Do you know how many soldiers have died in these laboratories?” Newport backed up toward the door. “And the rise in wild animal attacks during full moons? You’re murderers.” Disgust shined in his eyes. “The American people have a right to know. And I’m going to tell them.”

  He opened the door and Jett started to follow, but I caught his elbow. “Let him go.”

  Jett frowned. “He knows too much.”

  My gaze locked on Jett’s. “Until we find out exactly what he knows and how he knows it, we can’t risk it.” I gestured to the armed security detail at the gate. “He’s a public figure, and those Hummers aren’t here by chance. He’s baiting us to get some kind of violent footage. That’s why he paid Nero to abduct a werewolf. Imagine catching a shift during a full moon. We can’t play his game.”

  “Shit.” Jett shook his head slowly. “You’re right.”

  Naomi holstered her gun and came over to stand beside me. Her hand slid into mine. “Take me to Bart.”

  I scanned the room and glanced at Jett. “Where’s Vance?”

  “He didn’t come back with me. He wanted to check on Kaya.”

  I purposefully had not told Vance where we’d found Micah. I knew the jaguar well enough to know he’d go straight to his brother and trade himself for Bart. You didn’t rack up as many kills as Vance had without it leaving behind some scars and a deep well of guilt. Did he have a death wish?

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

  “Can you all give Naomi and me some space?” I requested.

  Jett and Shane nodded and stepped out the front door. I embraced Naomi, kissing the top of her hair. “When that vision hit, I was so damned scared.” I pulled back. “Why were you here alone?”

  “Bart is my son. I couldn’t just sit on the sidelines and hope you’d rescue him.” She looked up at me, and for the first time since I’d known her, she seemed distant. “You’re my Alpha and my mate, but you’re not my keeper.”

  “No, I’m not.” I cocked a brow. “Didn’t realize you thought I was.”

  She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. You said you know who has Bart. Let’s bring him home.”

  “It’s not that simple. The human who took him is Vance’s half brother, and he’s got all our heightened senses and strength, without an animal spirit to ground him.” I waited for my words to sink in. “He wants to trade Vance for Bart. We were in the middle of coming up with a plan when I saw you struggling with Newport.”

  “Seriously?” She slid her hand free of mine. “Vance is one of Nero’s deadliest assassins. He can protect himself from a human, even one with shifter powers. Bart is a scared little boy. Seems like a simple choice to me.”

  “I think we can save Bart without losing Vance in the trade.” It fucking hurt to see the distrust in her eyes. I crossed my arms. “This guy only took the job for Nero because he wanted to get to Vance. He’s not interested in turning Bart over to be experimented on.”

  She shoved me back a step. “You’re betting Bart’s life on some stranger’s motives? Never mind. I’ll find him myself.”

  I caught her wrist as she turned for the door. “Wait,” my wolf growled, a compulsion that filled my voice. “Come with me to Kaya’s. We’ll pick up Vance and arrange a meeting.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, meeting my gaze with tears welling in her dark eyes. “If something happens to him…”

  “I swear we’ll bring Bart home.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I love those boys like my own, but we need to do this the right way. You heard Newport. They’re aching to find a way to expose us to the world. And if they can catch us being violent, that only furthers the narrative they want to sell to the world—that shifters are dangerous.”

  Gradually, she nodded. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

  There was something different in her eyes now, a barrier between us, almost like a shield. For the first time since I’d known her, Naomi was shutting me out.

  CHAPTER 28

  Naomi

  I stayed focused on the snow-dusted Red Rocks as Asher drove toward Kaya’s place. If I looked over at him and the angle of his determined jaw, his rough hands gripping the steering wheel, my emotional wall would crumble. It was tough to keep myself together being this close to him and breathing in his scent.

  When Asher and I had become werewolves, it had been us against the world, and now I’d allowed him into my heart and my wolf had recognized him as her mate. Walking away was going to take every ounce of strength I had left.

  My anger and worry for my boys were all I had to bolster my will to walk away. Asher had been offered a deal to bring Bart home, and rather than take it, he’d gone back to the Wolf Pack Bar to regroup and protect Vance. He said he loved the twins like his own, and while that could be true, his actions made on thing crystal clear: Asher had a pack to care for now. I was all my boys had.

  And if I could hold tight to this mother’s rage, I’d be strong enough to leave Sedona behind. I had to try to give them a childhood free of safe rooms and kidnappings, a childhood they deserved.

  He parked in front of Kaya’s house and glanced over at me. “Look, I know you’re pissed at me, but we’re going to bring Bart home.”

  I managed a stiff nod, without allowing myself to turn his way. “Then we’re leaving.”

  “All right. Where do you want to go?”

  I cleared my throat and finally stole a look in his direction. “I mean me and the boys.”

  Before he could reply, I got out of the Jeep. Chickenshit, yes, but if I looked at him any longer I might lose my resolve.

  He stood on the other side of the Jeep. “What?”

  I didn’t need to see the shock on his face. It was plain in his voice. I didn’t answer.

  “Wait.” He caught up with me before I made it to Kaya’s front door. Asher put himself between me and the house, his gaze heavy, pain in his dark eyes. “Naomi, talk to me. What the hell is going on? Why are you shutting me out?”

  “Why?” I searched his eyes, my heart tearing in two. “Don’t you see what’s happening? This isn’t going to go away after we find Bart. We won’t be able to pretend we’re a happy family. There’s a man running for Senate who has abilities he shouldn’t have, and he’s determined to show the world we’re dangerous. They’re not going to stop coming for us, and my boys are the soft underbelly of this pack.”

  I wiped an unwanted tear from my cheek. “It sucks that I finally found a good man and fell in love and now I have to walk away, but I have to protect my children.”

  He held my shoulders in a tight, desperate grasp. “I’ll go with you. The pack can find another Alpha.”

  “No, they can’t. You’re the best hope for the future. Without you, there’s no way they’ll pull together and stop whatever Newport and Nero are cooking up. You need to stay, Asher, and be the leader you were born to be.”

  “No way.” He shook his head. “You believed in me, even when I didn’t.” His eyes shone with emotions I wished I could hide from. “I love you, Naomi. I’ve never said those words to anyone else. You’re the missing half of my heart and soul. If I ever truly become Alpha, it will be with you at my side or not at all.”

  “I love you, too, and this is tearing me up inside, but I can’t keep living this way.” I searched his eyes as another tear slid down my cheek.

  “What’s the plan, mate?” Vance came out of the house, and I did my best to dry my face before turning around.

  Asher moved forward, putting himself between me and Vance, shielding me.

  God, why couldn’t we have met before we were bitten? We could’ve had a normal relationship—courtship, marriage, kids, everything—and our biggest concern would have been property taxes.

  Asher took out his phone. “I’m going to text Micah that we’re coming. When we meet him, I’ll do the talking. And you’re not going anywhere with your brother alone.” Asher’s voice was firm, all business.

  I stepped up beside my mate, doing my best to keep my voice even. “While you two keep him busy, I’ll find Bart.” If my son was stashed near the meeting place, I’d recognize his scent.

  Vance’s gaze flicked between us, his smile fading. Maybe I wasn’t covering up my emotions as well as I thought. His tone softened. “I feel like I’m missing a piece here.”