My body froze. That was the most important rule in our world. Shifters didn’t harm humans, followed closely by never revealing ourselves to the humans. How Shawn was still alive after killing one didn’t make any sense to me.
“What happened?” I asked.
“It was an accident. I didn’t mean to hurt her.” He ran his hands through his onyx hair. “The whole night had been a mess. I should have just gone home when I had the chance, but I was young and stupid.”
I waited patiently for him to be ready. I didn’t push for the answers I so badly wanted. It was enough that he was even willing to help me.
“My friends and I had gotten fake IDs for our eighteenth birthdays. We frequented a bar about an hour away from the Catskills. We’d been going there for a few months. Nothing ever happened. We played pool, stuck to ourselves, and had a few beers before going home.
“I met a girl one night. She was human. I knew better, but she was hot and wouldn’t leave me alone. My friends left, and I stayed. I had my own car and I wasn’t ready to leave the girl. We had more drinks and when I woke up in the middle of the night, the girl I had been with was lying dead beside me.”
As irritated as I was that he’d been stupid enough to try to hook up with a human, I knew he’d probably tortured himself enough over the years.
I kept my voice calm when I spoke. “What did you do next?”
“Declan was standing above me. I thought I was a dead man. He had every right to kill me on the spot, but instead, he said he had a proposition for me. He’d cover up what I’d done in exchange for my help. I didn’t even question what he wanted. I barely even knew who he was, but I wasn’t ready to die. I took the deal.
“The following weeks, I watched the news, but nothing ever surfaced about the girl. He’d kept his word. A month later, I got my first call. They came sporadically. Nothing ever major. Mostly, he wanted Elijah’s schedule or to know things we were up to. A few times, I made deliveries for him. I had no idea what I was delivering, but I didn’t ask questions. I was still alive.”
“When did you become more involved?” I asked.
“About six months ago. The tasks got riskier. The information became harder to get, and I was putting a lot on the line. I tried to tell him I’d paid my debt. We were even, and I was done, but then the threats to my family came. He had pictures of my mom and baby sister at the park. I couldn’t risk them. My dad died right after my sister was born. I’m all they have.”
Tears filled his eyes. I was having a hard time deciding how I felt about Shawn. He had done some terrible things, but for good reasons. I understood, but at the same time, I didn’t. I would have never allowed myself to be in that situation to begin with.
I tried to sit a little straighter, but the chains were still wrapped tightly around me.
“I have a plan, but you’re going to have to let me out. Do you have your phone still?”
He nodded.
“I can call Aiden. I’m sure he knows I’ve been taken. I’ll tell him I’ve found help, but he has to get your family first. As soon as he has them safely within the pack house, you have to promise to get me out of here. We’ll call my dad and Liam. They’ll meet us somewhere, and we can regroup before coming back here to get Declan.”
Shawn stood, pacing the room again. He was struggling with his decision. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.
“Let me help you,” I implored, trying to convince him this was the only way. “Declan won’t ever stop using you if we don’t beat him. It’s now or never for you. If I die, so does your chance of having a normal life again. Your family will always have to look over their shoulders if Declan lives.”
He stopped pacing. “I don’t care if I live, but you have to promise my family will be safe. I know what I’ve done is unforgiveable. All of it. But they shouldn’t have to pay the price for my mistakes.” He pleaded with me as if he was already dying.
I leveled my stare on him. “I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure your mother and sister are protected. Aiden will listen to me. Nobody will touch them in the pack house.”
He sighed and pulled out his phone. “They haven’t left yet. When they do, only a handful of guards will still be here. We can make the call as soon as they do.”
I held back my smile. I was going to get out of the hell hole. I sent all the love and longing I could to Liam. I fully opened our bond back up, not wanting to hide any of the happiness I felt for him. I hoped he felt some peace at knowing I was okay. I would see him soon.
I could feel Liam’s response. He was confused and still rightfully angry. I’d call him as soon as we hung up with Aiden. As much as I wanted to call Liam first, I had to give Shawn a reason to continue to trust me. Calling my mate before securing his family was not the way to do that.
A short time later, Shawn slipped from the room to check if Declan had left. I’d have to find a way to warn the pack as well. Maybe they could leave before Declan’s crew arrived.
When Shawn came back in, he was sheet-white, nerves getting the best of him. “It’s clear. Are you sure about this?”
I nodded. “Everything will be okay if we can get outside these walls. Did Sam go with Declan?”
I really wanted a chance to gut that asshole.
“He was sent somewhere the first night you arrived. I haven’t seen him since.”
Shit. I hoped he hadn’t gone back to the pack. I didn’t want him anywhere near my family.
Shawn began to undo my restraints. Once my hands were free, he handed me his phone. “Make the call. We won’t leave this room until I know my family is safe.”
I dialed Aiden without responding.
“Where the fuck are you, Shawn?” Aiden’s dark voice snapped.
“It’s Taya. Shawn is helping me, but we need you to do something first.”
“Where are you? Liam is losing his shit. I was almost ready to fly out there. Does he know you’re okay?”
“Not yet. I need you to go get Shawn’s mother and sister. As soon as they’re safe, we can leave here. I’ll call Liam next, but you have to promise me you’ll go get them now. Text his phone as soon as you have them.”
“Taya, he’s our traitor. You know that, right?”
“I do, and it’s a long story, but I don’t have time. Just go get them. Please.”
He sighed. “Fine, give me ten minutes.”
“Make it five.” I hung up the phone before he could argue and glanced at Shawn. “Where are we? I want to call Liam and have them meet us.”
He rattled off an address that I texted to Liam before dialing his number. I held my breath, anxious to hear his voice.
“This is Liam.” His voice was broken. All happiness sucked from it.
“Don’t say or do anything that tells anyone I’m on the phone before you answer this question. Is Sam with you?”
He snarled. “Taya, where are you? Sam hasn’t been here since you went missing. We assumed he had taken you after Jessica woke up and told us the truth, but we had no proof. Are you okay? Whose phone is this?”
I smiled. “I can only answer one question at a time, dear. I’m okay. I texted you where we are, but don’t come here. Meet us south of here. We only have a small opening when we can leave.”
“Who is we?” He didn’t sound happy that I was with someone else.
“Shawn. He’s from your old pack.”
“Get the fuck away from him! He’s working for Declan.”
I rolled my eyes. He was so overprotective. “I know that, babe. He’s been guarding me. It’s a long story, but we need to leave. I’ll call you when we’re in the clear. If you don’t hear from me within the hour, feel free to charge in like the bull in a china shop I know you can be.”
His voice lowered. “I love you, Taya.”
“I love you, too. Now, hurry up.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
I almost forgot. “Wait. I’m going to text you another address. You need to send some of our teams there. It’s where Declan is headed next if he hasn’t already arrived.”
He gave me his word he’d take care of it and then we hung up. I handed the phone back to Shawn. Aiden still hadn’t texted back, but I wasn’t worried about it. I knew he was hurrying.
Shawn checked his phone, and I stood from the chair for the first time in almost a day. My muscles screamed at me as I stretched, but it felt amazing.
I walked around the room, enjoying the freedom to move limbs. Several minutes later, Shawn’s phone sounded from a text.
He opened the screen and smiled. “He sent a picture. Let me go do more checking and see where the others are. If we can avoid them, we will, but you may need to fight your way out of here.”
I grinned. “That’s not a problem for me.”
He slipped from the room as I waited impatiently. I was ready to smell the outdoors, feel the wind against my skin. Shift to my wolf form. All the things I wasn’t certain I would do again after I woke up tied to that chair.
The door cracked open, and Shawn motioned for me to follow him. “I only saw two guards. I’m going to put cuffs around your hands behind your back, but I won’t lock them in case things go sideways. I think it’s our best chance of getting out of here without having to fight our way out. Try not to look happy about leaving.”
I laughed. “I’ll play my part. Don’t you worry.”
I reached my hands behind my back and flinched as the cold metal touched my skin. He pulled my arms tight together as he gripped my hands with one of his and put the other on my shoulder.
“Sorry, I’m going to be rough.”
“Just get us out of here, and I won’t care one bit,” I said.
He directed us down a hall, then through a living room of sorts. There was no traditional furniture. Just chairs and plastic tables with papers spread out on them. When we left that room, a man I hadn’t seen yet stood sentry at the door.
“Where are you going with her?” he demanded.
I struggled to get out of his grasp, pretending I didn’t want to be anywhere near Shawn.
His grip tightened. “Declan needs her at the other pack. He wants to move the fight there. I said I’d take her.”
The guard eyed me, then Shawn. “They took all the vehicles. How are you going to do that?”
“Declan said there was another one on the east side of the property, an old farm truck. I’m going to drag her through the field and use that.”
“Alright, do you need help?” The guy raked his eyes down my body. “I wouldn’t mind taking her off your hands while you got the truck.”
I snarled and ripped myself from Shawn’s grip. No need to pretend there. Before I could get very far, Shawn snagged me by my hair and threw me back. I landed on my ass and one of my cuffs slipped off. I rolled sideways and fixed it before the guard could notice I wasn’t actually locked up.
“I think I’ll take her,” Shawn said as he yanked me up.
I winced and lowered my head into submission. It killed me to do so, but I just wanted to get out of the house.
The guy moved out of our way without another word and we walked right outside. Shawn didn’t loosen his hold. We kept up the show until we were out of sight from the house and any of Declan’s guards who might have been watching.
I slipped off the cuffs. “Is there really a truck?”
He shook his head. “We need to shift and run. Call Liam first and then we don’t stop until we find them.”
I took the phone from his out stretched hand. As I hit dial on the phone, a voice had me stopping from putting it up to my ear. Instead I slipped the phone in my pocket and hoped Liam would hear and they’d hurry.
“Nobody is going anywhere,” Sam barked. “Did you really think it would be that easy? Declan’s not stupid. Tonight was a test, and you failed.”
I turned to find Sam and three others, including the man who had just let us walk out the front door, standing before us.
We were outnumbered, and I was weak, but I refused to go back into that house. I would fight my way out of our current situation or die trying. I mentally said my goodbyes to my loved ones. There were no other options for me.