Chapter Sixteen
Max kept one eye on the heartfelt reunion and another on the driver of the car. But Parker was on it, snatching the phone from the driver’s hand as he yanked him from the vehicle. The other shifter surrendered, very aware that he was outnumbered.
Next to the car, Michael was still locked in an embrace with his brothers. Andrew didn’t look familiar but Griffin… he’d met the omega before, he was sure of it.
Michael pulled away, glancing back at him and over to Parker.
“What now?”
“We get you home,” Griffin said. “And go from there.”
A second car pulled up, and Max tensed, ready to shift again.
“It’s okay,” Drew called out. “They’re with us.”
More shifters got out, the scene a little chaotic. He was surprised when it was Griffin who brought things to order.
“Ro, put our friends here in the trunk of their car, leave their phone with them, and dump them and the vehicle somewhere out of the way.”
An alpha from the second car stepped forward, going to Parker’s side as the alpha stood over the two unconscious shifters.
“They have tranquilizers,” Parker pointed out, “if you need them.”
They waited until the alpha had driven away, the drugged and subdued driver in the trunk with his unconscious friend.
“We’ll travel back in a convoy, for safety,” Griffin continued. “Mark, you take point. Parker, can you take up the rear?” Both shifters nodded their agreement.
“Michael, you’ll ride with me. Drew can drive. Max, we’ll need you, too. I need to know everything that’s happened since you last contacted me.”
Max nodded sharply, knowing there was an awkward conversation coming.
They piled into the cars, Max sitting in the back with Griffin, Michael sandwiched between them.
“So,” Griffin started.
“Max’s head was hurt, getting me out,” Michael said, anticipating what his brother would be asking and maybe trying to make it easier for Max. “He lost his memory. He doesn’t remember some stuff.”
“Parker mentioned that,” Griffin said smoothly. “I’m hopeful I can fill in some blanks from my side and between the three of us, we might be able to piece together what happened.”
Griffin explained about the last time he’d seen Max and the last messages Max had sent him.
“I don’t remember much of that,” Max admitted. “Except you talking to me, telling me how important it was that we played this right. I’m sorry, I know I screwed that up.”
It was clear the plan had never been to bust Michael out of there like some crazy prison break.
Griffin rubbed a hand across his eyes.
“You took the only option open to you, Max. There wasn’t time to create a new plan. If you’d waited, Michael would have been gone. And we’d never get near him once he was in Virgil and Antoine’s hands.”
Max felt Michael shiver and put an arm across his shoulders. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Griffin or by Andrew who was watching them through the rearview mirror.
Michael explained as much as he knew about Max’s arrival at the house until they fled that night. Then the two of them told the story of fleeing to the cabin, recovering from their injuries, then running again once they’d been found.
“And then we met Parker and… you know the rest,” Max said.
“Yes,” Griffin agreed.
“Will they keep coming after me?” Michael wanted to know.
“No.” Griffin sounded more certain than Max thought was reasonable.
“Why not?” he challenged. “They wanted him badly enough to chase us across the country.”
“Because they know trying to take someone from us will start a war. They want to control us, not destroy us.”
“Why is that? Why are you worth all this trouble?”
Griffin smiled but it wasn’t pleasant.
“We’re good at what we do. Those alphas trained me, and I used that training to build our pack from the ground up. We’re a force of nature, and they want a controlling hand. They’ve come after me, my family, and now Michael. We’ve beaten them at every turn.”
The words hung heavy in the air, and Max could feel Michael’s tension.
“Wow,” Max said. “When you make an enemy, you don’t choose lightly, do you?”
From the front, Drew laughed, the sound breaking the tension.
Griffin groaned, running a hand over his face.
“Sorry, it’s been a tense few days. We had no idea where you two were or why you hadn’t made contact or turned up at the arranged meeting point. I’ve been fearing the worst.”
“Sorry we worried you,” Max said. “I just didn’t remember enough to know what to do next. We’re lucky I remembered how to get to Parker’s or we’d still be running blind.”
“Michael is lucky he had you keeping him safe.”
“I really am,” Michael agreed, yawning widely. “Max had no idea who I was but he still protected me.”
“You both look exhausted,” Griffin said. “I think that’s enough questions for now. Try to rest.”
Michael nodded and settled back against him. Max could feel both brothers watching them but he was too tired to worry about how it looked. Michael was safe. Michael felt safe. And that was all that mattered.
Griffin made a call to tell someone they were close to home. They pulled up at a gate which opened as they arrived and drove down a long driveway, surrounded by trees, before a large house came into view.
“What is this place?” Max asked, his voice waking Michael who’d been dozing.
“This is Briar House, the home of our pack,” Griffin explained.
“Is this really your pack?” Michael wanted to know, sounding sleepy.
“He founded it,” Drew told them. “Brought everyone here, got them working together. And now he leads it.”
They stepped out of the car, Max glad for the chance to stretch his legs. Parker’s truck pulled in behind them and the alpha got out.
“I don’t think we were followed,” he said.
“They know where to find us,” Griffin replied. “But I don’t think they’ll dare.”
“Right. Well, Max and I should be going. We have quite the drive ahead of us. And I want to get home in case there’s any further trouble.”
Max took an automatic step toward the alpha, but he hadn’t counted on Michael’s response. The omega, tired and confused, whirled around and launched himself toward Max.
“No, please. You said you’d stay. You can’t leave.”
Max caught hold of him, drawing him closer. “I did agree to stay for a while. If that’s okay?”
He looked from Parker to the others. The alpha smiled as if knowing that would be his response.
“Of course. If this is where you need to be right now, then I have no objections.”
Griffin’s reply was slower.
“If Michael wants you to stay then you should stay.”
Max nodded, feeling Michael take a shaky, relieved breath next to him.
“Thank you,” the omega said.
Max couldn’t honestly say who he was talking to but the omega’s gratefulness was obvious.
“Let’s get inside. Parker, why don’t you come in and have some food then we’ll send another vehicle back with you to make sure you get home safe.”
“I’ll get him sorted,” Mark said, leaving Griffin and Andrew free to show Max and Michael inside.
He could see from the looks on the brothers’ faces that they weren’t exactly ecstatic about his presence. Max thought he understood. They finally had their brother back, and Michael was clinging to him like a buffer, a strange alpha he’d only just met.
Well, he could weather their discomfort. Michael was his priority. He’d got him home, now he had to make sure he was safe.