There was a loud crash and Gage jumped to his feet. From dreaming about … he couldn’t remember … to wide awake in an instant. His vision remained blurred with sleep for a half a second before he was able to focus.

“Ash,” his voice was still croaky from disuse. There was an edge of confusion evident. His brother was breathing heavily. The male’s eyes were wide, they held a wild edge. Gage could scent anger; that and the acrid smell of fear.

Sweat dripped from Ash’s brow. “Get moving,” he screamed, the muscles standing up on either side of his neck. “They have them!” His brother’s face twisted with both anguish and disbelief as he shouted, “Those fuckers took my family!” Then he threw his head back and roared. A sound so deafening that Gage was forced to cover his ears with his hands.

Gage frowned. Half a dozen questions raced through his mind all at once. “Who has them? By them, I’m assuming you mean Alice and the children?” He tried to keep his voice even and to remain calm despite the adrenaline that coursed through him.

Ash thread his fingers through his hair, fisting his hands. "Fuck!" he growled as he doubled over, still clutching his hair. "Oh my fuck!" The words were laced with anger and disbelief. There was more there though. He could hear the pain and utter devastation. "There is no time, we must leave now." The scent of fear grew stronger, almost choking him. He'd never seen his brother like this. Never. That was saying something since Ash had lost a mate and a child before.

Gage felt his heart-rate pickup. He reached for the jeans that lay discarded next to his still rumpled bed and tugged them on, one leg at a time. "Tell me what happened." There was still a rasp in his voice.

Ash was pacing the room, his eyes moving from left to right. His jaw was tightly clenched. “They’re gone. When I came back outside, they were fucking gone. All four of them. Like they’d vanished into thin air.” He sounded broken. Completely destroyed. His red-rimmed eyes glistened.

“Are you sure they didn’t go for a walk or something? Maybe—”

“No!” Ash snarled. “Those fuckers took them. There was no scent trail. It was as if they disappeared into the ether. I know it was them. What the fuck do they want with my mate? With innocent children? The twins are still cubs. Ethan is a boy … just a little boy.” His voice broke with emotion. Ash wiped at his eyes with frantic, angry swipes.

“Take me to where it happened.”

“No!” Another loud snarl. “We have to go after them now.” Again, his eyes darted around the room. His muscles bulged. His teeth were sharp. If he became any more agitated, Ash would shift. The male’s fur would be just beneath the surface of his skin, prickling, his nail beds would be tingling. His gums would feel much the same. Then he snarled, turning on his heel. “I’m done talking. Done waiting.” Ash roared again. This time, louder than before as he rushed for the door.

Gage grabbed his arm. He needed to talk some sense into the male. He could understand why his brother was so frantic, so out of his mind, but running off half-cocked was not going to solve anything.

Ash yanked himself free and headed out the door. This time when Gage gripped his arm, Ash turned and popped him one on the side of his jaw with a meaty thud. Dull pain exploded and he staggered back a few steps.

Four males stood a little ahead of Ash. Probably attracted by the noise. “Stop him!” Gage yelled but none of them moved.

Just then, Ward rounded the bend. The male lived next door so he no doubt heard the commotion. “What’s going on?” He was frowning heavily.

“My family was taken.” Ash’s voice was deep and hoarse. So close to shifting that his muscles were thicker and roped. Even those of his throat.

Gage needed to talk some sense into him. “Go after them how? Where would we even start?” He couldn’t begin to understand what was going through the male’s head. Couldn’t begin to understand what he was feeling.

“We have to do something! Please.” He turned and gripped Gage by the forearms and squeezed ‒ hard. Any more pressure and his bones were going to snap. “We have to.” His brother turned to Ward as he let go.

“Fuck!” Ward growled.

“Take us to where this happened. We need to try to figure this out. To figure them out. Maybe they left some sort of clue,” Gage said.

“That’s a good idea.” Ward nodded.

“It happened right outside the house. Ethan wanted to play outside. The boys were napping in their stroller.” Ash clenched and unclenched his fists. He spoke quickly. “I went back in to get us another cup of coffee and when I returned, they were gone. Gone!” he repeated the word, his eyes becoming wild, his face contorting in anguish once again. “The stroller too. Fucking gone! Like before, there was no scent. No prints. Nothing at all.” Ash swallowed thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbed. “It was just like when Meredith was taken.” He ground his teeth. “Alice has been beside herself with worry and now she’s gone too. What the fuck …” His brother wiped his eyes before the gathering wetness could fall. He sniffed hard.

Gage could remember that moment all too clearly since he had been with the human healer at the time of her abduction. The incident had taken place only five short days ago. The beast that had taken her was big, strong and faster than anything he’d seen before. He was lucky to be alive. “Sounds like it’s them.” There was no other explanation.

“Yes, it does.” Ward’s jaw was tight. His eyes bright. The male was probably thinking how it could have just as easily been his own family. “With all the extra scouting parties, this still happened.” He shook his head. “They’re confident fucks.”

Suddenly someone screamed and a loud snarl followed. The noise came from some distance. They all turned towards where the sound had come from. There was another blood-curdling scream and they took off, adrenaline pumping. Hackles raised.