Chapter Seventeen
Caleb stepped out into the darkened lot behind Devil’s Den, a garbage bag in hand. He sucked in a breath, still impressed by the temperature.
August had started, and even since July, he’d really been feeling the difference between LA and Glendale. Hell, it was the middle of the night, and it was still in the high eighties. The Valley of the Sun for sure.
Caleb made his way over to the large green garbage bin and tossed in the bag. The heavy metal closed with a loud bang. As much as he liked owning his own place, he was always amused by how in the end, there was nothing glamorous at the end of the night but cleaning and taking out the trash.
His phone rang, and he yanked it out of his pocket immediately. The call was from Remy. The guy might be a little too carefree and took too many risks at times, but he was hands down the best scout in the pack.
He tensed. Maybe Remy had fallen into some trouble. The last thing they needed was to be two wolves down.
“What’s up?” Caleb said, keeping his voice calm. Showing any weakness or fear to a pack member wouldn’t help.
“I’ve got a twenty on their hideout,” Remy said.
Caleb let out a low growl. After what the True Sons had done to Thomas, he wanted a little revenge. No. He wanted a lot of revenge.
The True Sons had threatened him, threatened his woman, and threatened his pack. They were too cowardly to face them openly, like real wolves, so he’d show them the power of a real werewolf pack.
“You sure about this?” Caleb said. “If they spotted you at all, it could be a trap.”
“One-hundred percent. It’s a warehouse across from the drive-in. I saw the whole pack ride in there together.” He rattled off the exact address.
“Shit. And they didn’t see you or smell you? You sure?”
“Too much wolf stink around here for them to pick up one more scent. But it’s not just the place. They’re still here. Every last bastard and the alpha himself.”
“Shit. Okay, keep an eye on them, and call me immediately if they leave. I’m going to gather the rest of the pack. We’re going to end this tonight and show the True Sons that they don’t fuck with our pack.”
Caleb pocketed the phone and sprinted back into the building and then up the stairs. There was just one thing left to handle. He didn’t want to leave anything to chance as far as the True Sons were concerned.
He threw open the door to the apartment. Sarah sat on the couch in a nightgown, checking the internet on her phone.
Caleb inhaled deeply. The berry scent of her new shampoo mixed with her natural Blooded scent. After this was all done, he’d have to celebrate with Sarah in bed.
“Something wrong?” she said, a concerned look on her face.
“No, something very good.”
“Oh?”
“Remy found where those bastards are hiding,” Caleb said. “I’m gonna gather the pack, and we’re going to go and end this crap.”
“You mean kill them all?” Sarah said softly.
He shrugged. “Hey, they want to run, they can run. I’m not going to sit here and let them torture my pack with silver or shoot at my woman. They started the war. I’m just gonna end it. If they are smart, then it won’t have to end with anybody dead.”
Sarah swallowed and gave him a shallow nod. The fear in her blue eyes stabbed at his heart, but he needed to do this. It was the only way his packmates and Sarah would ever be safe. The True Sons were not the kind of men you could negotiate with.
They wanted blood. They’d get blood.
Caleb nodded to the door. “You’re going to lock yourself in here and make sure you have the gun handy.”
Sarah rubbed her arms. “You think they’ll attack Devil’s Den?”
Caleb shook his head. “Probably not. They got the entire pack there, and we’re going at them in force. You see, I’m not interested in ambushing lone pack members. That’s the coward’s way, not my pack’s way.”
“Then why do you want me to stay here?”
“Because I can’t be sure, and I don’t want to take any chances since I won’t be here,” Caleb said. “Especially when it comes to your safety. If someone does come, you empty the clip into them, run downstairs, and drive the hell away. Wolves are fast, but they can’t keep up with a car, and they’re not going to risk going after you with people around.”
“What if they just don’t care?”
“Then a very angry dragon might show up, and that’s gonna end badly for them. But I’d like to avoid reptile involvement if we can.”
Sarah nodded slowly. “I’ll keep the gun by me.”
“Good. Then I can go after the bastards without worrying about you.”
Sarah gave him a shallow nod. He rushed over to her, leaned over, and gave her a kiss. She let out a soft sigh after he broke the kiss.
He could see in her face how worried she was, and he’d like to tell her that something like this might never happen again, but this is what it meant to be a wolf: defending your pack and territory. If they were going to have a future together, then she needed to accept and understand that.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon,” Caleb said. He walked to the door.
“I’ve fallen for you, you know,” Sarah said softly.
“So?” He halted and looked over his shoulder. “I’m a pretty easy guy to like.”
Sarah chuckled. “I’m just saying… don’t get hurt. I… I love you.” Her face reddened, and she looked away.
“Then I have a reason to come back.” He opened the door and stepped through.