Chapter Fourteen
The morning brought more surprises with the arrival of Axel.
“Ax! It’s good to see you. Does your Dad know you’re here?” Seth didn’t think Shane would have let Axel join them, not when he’d been so vehemently against their plan.
Axel shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t tell him. He’d have pitched a fit. I heard you’re planning a rescue? Or, as my dad called it, a massacre.”
“Nice to know Shane has faith in me. I’m really glad you’re here.” Seth pulled Axel into a quick hug. “Have you seen my Dad?”
“Yesterday, just before I left.”
“How is he?”
Axel's face said it all. “He’s fading, Seth.”
“I wish I could be there, by his side, but I have to bring Lucas home.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
Seth filled Axel in then went to make the phone call that would kick-start their whole rescue mission. Hunter had wanted to do it, but Seth knew it had to be him.
Throwing Zane’s name around in the same breath as his father got him a lot of traction and within minutes he had Zane on the other end of the phone.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m Seth, the guy whose little brother you’re holding. The guy whose father you stabbed in the back.”
“I thought I’d have seen you long before now, big brother. Lucas keeps telling me you’ll come for him. And yet, you’re not here.”
“You have something I want. And I have something you want.”
“What could you possibly have that I want?”
“Your mate.”
There was a pause, Zane’s breathing the only sound audible.
“My mate?”
“Yeah. You know. The pregnant one. The one you stashed in that lighthouse. What was his name again…”
“Darius. You have him?”
“Don’t worry, he’s being well looked after, for now. Let’s talk deal.”
He could hear Zane issuing orders in the background, the sound muffled. Sending someone to check on the lighthouse no doubt.
“What kind of deal?”
“I don’t like to keep people in love apart. And my mother is quite fond of Lucas, god knows why. I propose a trade. Your pregnant mate for my brother. The way I see it, you’re getting the better deal, two for one, the loves of your life and all that. All I’m really getting back is the competition.”
Zane was silent at first then agreeable. “Okay. When and where?”
“We’re ready to go, Z, you just name the time and place. We’ll be there.”
“How many of you?”
“Three plus your mate.”
“Fine.” He could hear the satisfaction in Zane’s voice. He thought Seth was naive, dumb. Zane had no idea what was coming for him. “I’ll text you the location.”
“Great doing business with you. Oh, and Zane, I want my brother back unharmed or your mate won’t be so lucky.”
“He’s just a kid, Seth. What do you think I am, a monster?”
“Well, you did kill his father in front of him.” No use letting him know Angus was still alive. Let him think Seth was acting out of grief.
“A necessary evil.”
“No argument from me about the word evil. I take issue with necessary. I hadn’t planned to take over the pack for at least another decade or two. You’ve really put a dampener on my twenties.”
He could tell Zane was getting tired of their conversation and irritated by Seth’s manner. Good. Then he wouldn’t think twice about taking the actions that would lead to his downfall.
“Until tomorrow, Seth.”
“Right back at you.”
Ten minutes later the text came through and he raced to find Hunter.
“Well?” the alpha asked, a baby balanced over each shoulder.
“He took the bait. We have an invitation right into the arena for all four of us.”
Seth took a baby from him while Hunter glanced over the text. “He must think you’re an idiot.”
“Oh, he does. And he’s not the first. A lovable idiot which, hopefully, means he won’t kill me on sight.”
The baby in his arms gurgled. “What’s that Milo? I’m too pretty to die? So true, kiddo.”
“That’s Brody,” Hunter corrected.
“Oh.” Seth’s face fell. He really thought he was starting to tell the littermates apart.
“He’s just teasing you, that is Milo,” Cade corrected as he walked in. “He’s got Brody.”
“I have?” Hunter asked, looking down at the baby in his arms with confusion. “Oh, so I do. Hey, Brody.”
“I still think the ID bracelets are the way to go,” Seth said as he rocked Milo, the baby cooing at him.
“We’d have to get elastic ones to account for the shifting and there’s no way they’d stay around their wrists. Plus, they chew everything.”
“Huh, just like puppies.”
“Speaking of babies, Joe seems to think you worked a miracle on Dara last night. He’s very attentive to that little bundle of his.”
Seth waved that off. “I didn’t do much, just told him it was okay to let all those feelings out that he’d been bottling up. I think he was just scared stiff trying to hold it all in.”
“Did you and he talk about your—”
“Vacation plans for next year? Not yet. We’ll get right onto that.”
“Seth—”
“If I hear the word connection one more time.” He winced. “Damn. Too late. What, Cade? What do you want to know?”
“Does he know that you know?”
“…that I know that he knows? Sure. The connection has been acknowledged, in triplicate, and the correct forms will be signed and sent to—”
“Seth,” Hunter grumbled. “Be serious.”
“I’m about to walk him into Red Fang’s lair, Hunter. And me, and you, and Axel. If I don’t joke about this, I’m going to lose my mind. I may have already lost it given that this is my plan and it’s batshit crazy.”
He dragged a hand down his face. “But sure. If we survive, Dara and I will totally have a conversation or twenty about us and you know, stuff that may be tying us together.” He wasn’t saying the c-word again.
“What about the baby, will he go with you?” Cade asked.
“He’s staying here,” Seth said at the same time as Hunter said “No.”
“Even though it’s Zane’s baby?”
“He’s Dara’s baby. Zane doesn’t give a damn. He only wants Dara for one thing and that isn’t his baby-making skills.”
Cade nodded in acknowledgment, seeming relieved.
“Speaking of Dara, I’m going to go update him. We should get the group together, go over our plan. They want us there tomorrow for the exchange.”
“I’ll round them up. We’ll meet at the clinic.”
“Thanks. See you there.”
Dara wasn’t at the clinic and neither was the baby. Joe was quick to point Seth to a quiet spot by the river where the omega was sitting with his brother Ollie, the baby cradled in his arms.
“Seth, you’re just in time,” Ollie said. “We were going to do a quick naming ceremony before you leave and then a proper one when you all get back.”
Seth liked the vote of confidence that they’d be returning. He wasn’t feeling all that certain about that, not where he was concerned, anyway.
He plonked himself down next to Dara.
“What name are you going with?”
Dara glanced down at the baby then upward. “I was thinking of Skye.”
“Skye? Cool. Giving him ambitions.”
Seth sat side by side with Dara while Ollie cupped some water from the stream and wet the baby’s head. “Welcome to River Den, little Skye. May you have good fortune, a long life, and much love.”
“True love,” Dara added softly, squeezing Seth’s hand and leaning down to press a kiss to Skye’s forehead.
He straightened up and turned to Ollie. “Could you take Skye back to the clinic? I need to talk to Seth.”
“Of course,” Ollie said, brightening. “Come here to uncle Ollie, little guy.”
They sat in awkward silence for a minute.
“It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind about going,” Seth said at last.
“What? No—I’m ready to see this through.”
“Okay, good. But I wouldn’t blame you if you weren’t, not with Skye to think about.”
“That’s not why I want to talk to you. It’s your plan.”
“What about it?”
“I think it needs a little tweaking. I… have an idea.” Dara turned to face him, hope shining in his eyes.
“I am all ears,” Seth said.