Chapter Twenty-Four
They lost track of time, getting bogged down in numbers and entry points.
“If the Pack Council get enough support, we’ll just walk right in,” James said.
“That’s a big if,” Ben replied, struggling to keep his attention where he needed it. The look in Adam’s eyes was haunting him. He shouldn’t have taken that tone with him, shouldn’t have dismissed him out of hand like that. Adam was hyper-focused on Tobias but as James and Seb and everyone else kept saying, looking for Tobias was like looking for a ghost. He’d never been anywhere the FW had looked for him. Any lead they’d followed had hit a dead end.
But Terrance, and Eagle Creek’s Alpha before him, had a direct line to Tobias somehow. That was the information they needed.
The door opened and Ro spoke from the threshold, Nathan in his arms.
“Ben, have you heard from Adam?”
“Isn’t he with you?”
“He went back to your house to get some things. But it’s been two hours. He hasn’t come back, and he’s not answering his phone. And I think Luke must be with him because I can’t find him either.”
That got not just his attention but James’ as well. Ben pulled out his phone and rang Adam. It rang out and went to voicemail, so he left a message. Beside him, James was calling Luke.
“Why don’t I go check your house? Maybe they just got caught up with something?” Seb said and stepped from the room.
“What would he need from the house?” Ben wondered out loud. “We brought enough to last us a week.”
“Maybe something for Xander? Toddlers need a lot of stuff,” Ro said.
Seb came back into the room, staring at his phone.
“I don’t think he’s gone home. There’s a message from Byron with a name, number, and an address. Byron rang before he sent it and the call lasted for over five minutes. Ro, I don’t suppose you spoke to him?”
The Omega shook his head.
“What’s the name and address,” Ben asked.
“Lacie. The address is in Mongrave.”
“Shit. That’s what Adam was trying to tell me.”
“What? Who is she?” Seb asked.
“If it’s the same Lacie, then Adam has spoken about her. She worked with Tobias when they were kids. She taught Adam and Luke to read.”
“That was her?” James said.
“Casey mentioned her too, when Adam was asking him about other people who looked after him. It sounded like it had been a long time since Casey had seen her.”
“So, she might not be involved with Tobias anymore?”
“There’s one sure way to get answers. I’m calling Byron,” Seb said and left the room again, Ro on his heels.
“Mongrave’s a ten-hour drive from here, if that’s where they’ve gone. Why the hell would they go without telling us?” James asked. Ben knew what he was really asking. Why would they go without us?
“Adam tried to tell me. I… I didn’t listen.”
“Why would he take Luke with him? It’s not safe for two Omegas to travel alone.”
“He was upset. He might not have been thinking straight.”
Seb returned. “Byron confirmed he talked to Adam then sent on the information.”
“Then we have to assume that’s where he and Luke have gone. We need to go after them.”
He made for the door only to have his way blocked by James.
“The Pack Council want to move on Gray Valley first thing tomorrow. If you want to have a claim on Gray Valley’s leadership, you need to be in this fight, Ben. I can go after Adam and Luke. I’ll take Seb or Sam with me.”
Shaking his head, Ben stepped back towards the window. It was growing dark already and his mate was out there, alone.
“What use would it be, having a Pack without my mate and children? He’s my Omega and he might be running headlong into danger. My parents tried to put Pack before family and look where that got them. I won’t make the same mistake.”
They got lost just after dawn, only a few miles from their destination. It was hard to be so close and yet still so far. Adam was determined that Noah wouldn’t spend another night without them. They stopped for directions from a passing farmer.
“You won’t find much out in that direction. Just a dirt track and an old house. You see people come and go now and then but they’re not friendly folk.”
The farmer peered across Adam to where Luke sat. “Are you sure you boys have the right address?”
“We’re sure,” Adam was quick to say. “Our uncle has always been a bit of a recluse.” It made him sick to his stomach to refer to Tobias as family but it seemed enough to allay the farmer’s suspicions. The last thing they needed was humans getting involved.
“Alright. Well, you need to turn around, take a right at the crossroads and look out for a left turn about two hundred yards down that road. After that, just keep on the track until it ends. The house is in the woods.”
They thanked him and Adam turned the car around, following the directions. They turned into what was barely a track, the trees encroaching either side. It came to a point where they just ran out of road.
“I guess we’re walking from here.”
They got out and Adam peered into the woods surrounding them. In the distance, he caught sight of a chimney stack.
“There,” he said, pointing. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” his brother said and Adam knew the next words from his lips would be James and Ben.
“Noah’s here, Luke. We’re so close.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s mine. I just know.” And he did. It was like he could feel Noah’s presence nearby.
Luke yawned as they walked but the chill in the morning air woke them both.
“What if Tobias is here?” his brother asked.
“There’s two of us and one of him. He’s probably not, though. There’s no car.”
Still, Adam kept his eyes and ears peeled. They had to be careful.
But as they neared it, all he heard from the house was silence.
He tried the door, but it was locked. It didn’t take much effort to force it open, just a heave of his shoulder while Luke looked on. There was no sound from inside when they stepped in and he began to worry that not only was Tobias not there, but neither was anyone else.
“If it’s like where we lived, there’ll be stairs going down,” he said, as much to remind himself as Luke. The rooms on the first floor were mostly empty, giving the impression of a house long abandoned. The stairs up looked rickety, with holes in the floorboards, so Adam bypassed them, looking for a way down.
“Adam?” Luke called from the other room. “I think there’s a door behind here.”
Luke was standing by an empty bookshelf, dragging it away from the wall.
“Let me,” Adam said.
“I’m pregnant, not helpless,” Luke replied.
Between them, they got the shelf away from the wall, revealing the door behind it. There was no handle, just a keyhole.
“Step back,” he told Luke, then kicked the door, twice, three times. The fourth time the wood around the lock splintered. One more kick and Adam was able to pull the door open.
Behind the door were stairs leading down into the dark.
“I think you should stay up here,” he said to Luke.
“I don’t know…”
“If anyone comes, yell, and I’ll come back up.”
“Okay, Adam.”
Alone, he climbed down the stairs, letting his hands trail along the wall looking for a light switch. He didn’t find one until he reached the bottom. Flicking the switch turned weak lights on, illuminating a livable floor in the house. A bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom. And, at the end of a short corridor, a door bolted shut. It was eerily familiar, all of it. Like the place he’d grown up, only wrong in odd ways; the carpet a different shade, the doors too close together and the toilet and sink had switched places. He knew which way to go though. The only way to go. Down that little corridor to that room. He’d had nightmares about a room just like it. This door wasn’t locked, just bolted with two metal bolts. Listening, he couldn’t hear much. But if no one was there, why bolt the doors?
He heard a sound as he slid the first bolt free. Not the sound of the metal catching on the door but a sound like someone scurrying for cover. He pushed back the second bolt and pulled the door. It opened with a creak and beneath that he heard a shushing sound, an almost inaudible voice.
Light filtered into the room from the open door but also from a single tiny window, high up on the wall opposite the entrance.
Stepping into the room, he saw the small forms huddled together in one corner.
“Shh,” the quiet voice said again. “You gots to be quiet or he’ll be mad.”
Two baleful eyes peered at him from the corner. A boy of around six or seven, Adam guessed. He had his arms around another child, the two cuddled together as if for warmth, like he and Luke had done.
“Noah?” he called, stepping forward.
Two blue eyes looked up before the little Omega struggled out of his protector’s arms. “Dada!”
A surprised Duncan let him go and Noah stumbled forward. Adam was there a second later, swooping Noah into his arms.
“My baby, my baby boy. You’re safe now. I’m here to take you home.”
Noah clung to him, letting out a sound of happiness, upended by a sob.
“That’s it, I’ve got you.”
He knelt with Noah in his arms, looking over at Duncan who was still curled in the corner, watching him with anger and suspicion.
“Hi, it’s Duncan, right?”
The little boy nodded.
“Duncan, my name is Adam. I’m a friend of Casey’s. I’m here to take you to him.”
At first, Duncan didn’t move but then Noah spoke.
“Dada, can we go home to Papa and Xander?”
“Yeah, baby, that’s where we’re going. And Duncan can come too. His brother Casey is with Xander.”
Duncan had uncurled and was sitting in the corner watching them curiously.
Adam stood slowly, lifting Noah, and stepped closer to him. He held out a hand.
“It’s okay, Duncan. You don’t have to be scared. Take my hand and I’ll bring you to Casey.”
Duncan scooted forward and stretched out one small hand towards him. Adam caught it in his, noting how his own hand engulfed the much smaller one. He mentally revised Duncan’s age down. Five. Maybe four.
He was just encouraging Duncan up, the little boy moving to a crouch, when he spoke.
“Tobias.”
“Don’t worry about him. We’ll be long gone before he knows we were here.”
“Adam?”
He jumped and turned at Luke’s shaky voice, letting go of Duncan’s hand.
Luke stood just inside the doorway, bleeding from a cut on his head. And standing with a knife pressed to Luke’s throat was the man he’d long feared to see.
“Tobias.”
“Hello, Adam. My sons have returned.”
He stepped back, pushing Duncan behind him with one hand as Tobias shoved Luke further into the room.
“Have you forgotten your lessons, Adam? Put that child down. And get on your knees.”
Adam didn’t move at first, but Tobias tightened his grip on Luke and his brother had one hand protectively around his stomach. Adam detached from Noah and set him on the floor, ignoring his son’s cry of fear as his little hands clung to him. Then he dropped to his knees next to him, not taking his eyes from Tobias.
“Good, I see you haven’t forgotten all your lessons.”
Tobias shoved Luke forward. “Get over there next to him.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, Adam could see Duncan kneeling too. Noah was still on his feet, crying and clinging to Adam, pressing his face into Adam’s clothes, convinced that his father would protect him. But could Adam protect him from Tobias? He’d never been able to protect Luke, not really. And no matter how far away he’d gotten, Tobias had still got his hands on Noah.
“Get on your knees, Noah. Like I taught you.”
Noah continued to cry and whimper.
“Your knees,” Tobias shouted, his hand slapping against the wall. The sound made all of them jump. Adam forced his mind to search for a solution. Help was hours behind them, too late to be of any use. It was up to him.
Tobias stalked across the room, bearing down on them, Noah in his sights. Adam forced Noah behind him, seeing Luke shielding Duncan out of the corner of his eye as he drew on his wolf. A flash of adrenaline eclipsed the pain as the change took hold, faster than it ever had. He launched himself at Tobias, seeing the look of surprise on the man’s face for a moment before he was on him.
But Tobias was stronger than he expected and, with a grunt, he threw Adam off him and Adam skidded across the floor. Tobias stalked after him, his face a mask of fury.
“You’ll pay for that. And so will your son.”
With a bravery Adam didn’t know he possessed, he growled at Tobias, baring his teeth. The threat was clear. Touch my son and suffer the consequences.
“You’re no match for me, Adam. I know you, remember? I raised you. You wouldn’t dare stand up to an Alpha. Every instinct in your body is telling you to obey me. And you will.”
Adam felt a flash of fear. Was he right? About what Adam was, what Adam could do? But from the other side of the room he could hear Noah’s cries, and the sound gave him a sense of clarity he’d never felt in Tobias’ presence before. He growled again, low in his throat, and saw the moment Tobias realized his mistake, his miscalculation. The man’s eyes widened and Adam went for him, jaws snapping at his throat.
Tobias tried to force Adam off him again, but only succeeded in loosening his grip. There was a flash of metal. The knife. Tobias pressed it against Adam’s neck even as Adam’s jaws closed around his.
A shout carried across the room. It was a voice he’d know anywhere. Ben.
There were suddenly lots of people in the room, lots of voices, cries from Luke and Noah. Adam didn’t let go of Tobias, not until human hands had taken the knife and Ben’s voice urged him away. Then he went straight to Noah, who wrapped his little arms around Adam’s neck and sobbed into his fur.
Then Ben was there, and Noah threw himself into his Papa’s arms. Adam changed back, struggling to catch his breath, and Ben reached for him, pulling him into their embrace, Noah held safely between them.
“How are you here?” he asked between sobs. “You were hours behind us.”
“We got on the road the second we realized where you’d gone. We were never far behind you.”
“But you’re supposed to be taking back Gray Valley.”
“All I care about is you, Adam. And Noah and Xander. Without you, there’s nothing. It wasn’t my Pack I lost as a kid. It was my family. Winning back Gray Valley was never going to fix that.”
As they held each other, Adam looked around the room. Tobias was gone, but he could hear him yelling in the distance. James cradled Luke in his arms as he checked the wound on his head. And Seb crouched in front of Duncan, talking to him softly. He saw the moment the Alpha got through to him when Duncan took his hand and let Seb pick him up.
“Can we go home now?” Noah asked plaintively.
“Yes,” Ben said, “we’re all going home.”