There’s a close-up of a big cock on the computer screen when we all cram into my cabin.

“Ha!” Tito says, pointing at it with a triumphant grin on his face. “I knew it!”

I turn to Bryce with a frown on my face. “Is that what you brought us in here to see?”

Bryce shakes his head, looking flustered. “No, but there are a lot of pictures of his dick on here for some reason.”

Tito is still boasting behind me. “Everyone made fun of me, and look. I. Was. Right.”

He reaches over Bryce’s shoulder and hits the print button.

“I told you that Vesuvius kept pictures of his dick on there,” he says as the picture prints. “I’m not the only one. I told you all and you didn’t listen!”

He grabs the printed picture of the big dick and holds it up, clearly pleased with himself.

“I love being right!” he says.

“It doesn’t happen very often,” Caleb mumbles.

“Exactly!” Tito says with his chest thrust out. “That’s why I have to savor it. I knew I was right!”

He’s so happy that he kisses the picture. “Now who looks like a dumbass?” he asks with a grin that’s overflowing with pride.

Caleb shakes his head. “You just kissed Vesuvius’ cock so we’ll let you decide.”

Tito looks at the picture and frowns as his thunder fizzles out.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that,” Zoe says, looking down at the carpet.

“We’re all going to pretend we didn’t see that,” Lachlan says as Tito wipes his mouth on his sleeve.

“Anyway,” I say, rolling my eyes as I turn back to Bryce. “What else was on the USB besides dick pics?”

Bryce’s fingers start flying across the keyboard and thankfully, the dick pic disappears.

Classified military files and copies of email exchanges start popping up on the screen. “What is it?” I ask, leaning forward to get a better look.

Bryce gulps. “It’s not good. Vesuvius is making a deal with the US military.”

“What kind of deal?” Kneecap asks.

“I just skimmed over it,” Bryce says, looking nauseous. “It seems there’s a secret branch of the military called the Special Shifter Unit. It was deactivated a couple of years ago when the head of it, General Samson, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. They’re trying to reboot it, and Vesuvius is helping.”

“Why is that bad?” Lachlan asks.

“Vesuvius is in charge of getting the shifters for the program,” Bryce explains. “He’s signing up the crews in town to participate against their will.”

“Shifter slavery,” I whisper under my breath. The boys hear it and I can feel the sudden tension in the room. I’ve heard about it before. There are some crews in Colwood, Montana who were part of a similar military program, maybe the same one. The Vega Brothers, The Clawed Squad, and The Wilde Crew—I know they had been involved in the program, having to travel around the world and fight as mercenaries against their will.

So, that’s what this has been all about. He’s created a safe haven for shifters so that he could easily gather them together and pluck out any crews that he needs.

Bryce pulls up an email correspondence. “Here are some of the names he’s targeting.”

My stomach turns when I see the familiar names: The Clayton Rock Bounty Hunters, The Bedlam Bears, The Diamond Brothers. Then I see ours: The Grisly Grizzlies.

“But that’s you guys,” Kennedy says. Her face looks pale as she stares at me in shock. “They’re trying to make you into slaves of the military?”

I keep reading the email exchange and feel like I’m going to throw up by the time I get to the end of it. Vesuvius is planning on kidnapping our mates and using them as leverage to get us to do his bidding. This is not good.

“They’re planning on kidnapping us?” Abigail asks, her voice rising in panic.

“What?!?” Caleb shouts, pushing to get closer to the computer screen. “They’ll have to kill me first.”

I always had a bad feeling about those dragons, especially Vesuvius. He always appeared to have dark ulterior motives. I just couldn’t figure out what they were. Now I know, and it’s worse than I ever could have suspected. Using mates to throw shifters into slavery and force them to kill? That’s horrible. They have to be stopped.

“Is it just Vesuvius?” I ask. “What about the other two dragons, Galeras and Kilauea?”

Bryce does a quick search of the files for their names and one email pops up. “He’s talking to the new general who’s in charge of the program. General Hunt.”

“Read it out loud,” Ronin says from the back of the room. “I can’t see.”

Bryce clears his throat. “This won’t fly with my brothers, Galeras and Kilauea,” he reads. “They’re more traditional, so the deal must remain between us.” Bryce pulls up the next email. “Then, General Hunt says that he wants his first crew ready for deployment by the end of the summer. He asks who Vesuvius has in mind for the first team. This is what Vesuvius answers: I have a crew of grizzly bear shifters in mind. Five of the six bear shifters have their mates. The alpha is the only one left, but I have a strong suspicion who his mate is. I’m devising a plan to bring the girl back to his alpha, and then they’ll be ready.”

“Wow,” Kneecap says as he rubs his big chin. “I wonder who he’s talking about.”

“He’s talking about us, you dolt,” Tito says, shaking his head.

I’m staring at the screen in shock as the boys argue behind me. Vesuvius brought Kennedy here? It doesn’t make any sense. She came here by herself.

My mind starts flooding with questions. Was this all part of Vesuvius’ plan? Is he actually going to let us leave or are we playing into his hands? Is he planning on kidnapping our women?

We fell right into his scheme. I don’t know how much of this was orchestrated by Vesuvius, but I now know that we’re dealing with someone who is playing on another level. We were playing checkers and he was playing chess.

“We have to move fast.” My heart is pounding in my chest. He wants to kidnap our girls. He wants to turn us into mercenary slaves. We’re all in danger.

“Caleb,” I say, turning to him. “Go with Bryce and warn the Bounty Hunters. Bring them back here as quickly as you can.”

He nods with a frown on his face. “If I knew we were going to have action tonight I wouldn’t have eaten thirty-six hot dogs. Ugh.”

“Lachlan,” I say, turning to my best friend. “Go tell the Bedlam Bears. Tito, you go to the Bearskinn Inn and tell the Diamond Brothers. Try to convince them to come here and help. Ronin, I need you to go around town and grab any shifter you can. The police station, the firehouse. Go to the bars and restaurants. Grab anyone who’s willing to help out.”

“What about me, boss?” Kneecap asks, looking ready for anything.

“I need you to take the girls into the forest and hide them,” I say as my pulse races. “Kneecap if they come…”

“They won’t get through me,” he grunts with a fierceness in his eyes.

I nod. “I pity the shifter who tries.”

“What are you going to do, Maximus?” Lachlan asks.

It kills me to leave, but it’s the best chance we have at fighting off what’s coming. “I have to go to Colwood. The Vega Brothers, The Clawed Squad, and The Wilde Crew will want to know that the military program they destroyed is starting back up. We could use their muscle and some of their military expertise.”

I would send Tito or Ronin or anyone else, but Thorn and the other alphas will only listen to me. They’ll move quickly if the word comes from me.

Everyone is staring at me with a worried look in their eyes. I have to say something to inspire them. As alpha that tough job belongs to me.

“We’ll be okay,” I say with a hard swallow. “Be smart. Be vigilant. Do your tasks fast and then get back here as quickly as you can. Vesuvius said that we can have until tomorrow at sundown to leave. Let’s hope they don’t show up until then.”

The boys turn to their mates with hugs and kisses and words of comfort.

I turn to Kennedy who’s trying hard to hold in her tears. She’s always been so brave.

“It’s going to be okay,” I say as she melts into my embrace. I breathe in her delicious scent as I kiss the top of her head. “You’re my mate now and nothing is going to hurt you.”

“I’m your mate,” she says, smiling as she looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “I could die happy tonight knowing that.”

I kiss her softly on the lips and hold her a little tighter. “Nobody is dying tonight,” I say. “At least no one in this room.”

I hold her for another long moment, letting the boys enjoy their mates as well. “All right,” I say in my firm alpha voice. “Everyone move out. Let’s do this right.”

I take one step toward the door when the phone rings. The shrill sound cuts through the room, turning my body cold.

I swallow hard and hurry over, grabbing it as it rings for a second time.

“Hello?”

Breathing, then a whisper. “Bledsoe is headed your way.” Click.

Rigs. He made good on his promise.

“Who was it?” Lachlan asks with a worried look on his face.

I turn and face them. “We’re going to have some company.”