Baine
Baine paced from one end of Syphers living room to the other as they waited anxiously for Soren and the others to return. All his well thought out plans were for naught now. No way in hell was he not going to be here when they got back. The kids needed help, the kind he could give. He was a cop for a reason, and nothing, not even his stubborn ass mate was going to keep him from doing his job.
‘You’re making me nervous, sit down and chill the hell out.” Sypher demanded from his seat on the leather couch a few feet away. “They’re fine, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Fine?” Baine cried out incredulously. “Soren is on the way here with two kids we know nothing about, other than people are after them. You do realize how much trouble that could get the pack in right? But, that’s not all. My mate was alone with two kids when someone came after them. That’s not okay, that was stupid and it shouldn’t have happened.”
Sypher cocked one eyebrow but didn’t say anything which only pushed Baines rage higher. He was Alpha, he should have known better. He gets helping the kids and finding them a safe place, but this is not the way to do it. “And you let them do this type of shit?” Baine demanded of his best friend.
“Fuck no,” Daegan snarled. “I didn’t know anything about it until he told us a few minutes ago. I know the damn law, I wouldn’t have allowed it to go down like this. If I’d known, we’d have gotten those kids and done it without running the risk of breaking laws for kidnapping and shit.”
“I understand where you guys are coming from I really do,” Sypher began as he stood up and faced the two men. “We’ve been doing this a long time and didn’t think how it would affect you guys. For that I’m sorry, we’ll change how we do things. Next time you two can tell us how to do it without breaking any laws and still allowing us to help the kids, deal?”
Daegan sighed and nodded, “You have to remember we know the laws, it's not like we can claim ignorance and get away with shit. And I’m not saying what you guys have been doing is wrong, but there's a better, safer way to do it.”
“They’re here,” Sypher announced with a sigh. “This is going to be interesting.” He muttered as he led them out of the room.
Baine scowled as he stormed after his Alpha to meet his mate for the first time if the asshole hasn’t already run and hidden, he thought darkly. If that was the case he wouldn’t be held accountable for his actions when he tracked the man down and beat some sense into him.
Never in a million years did he think he’d have butterflies dancing in his stomach, but that's exactly what was happening the closer he got to where everyone was meeting. He wiped his sweaty hands on his jean-clad legs and laughed at the absurdity of it all. He wasn’t a hormone driven teenager anymore, but he’d be damned if just the thought of seeing Soren in person didn’t make him feel like one.
As excited as he was, he was also scared shitless. He was about to come face to face with his destiny. The one person the fates had decreed belonged to him and no other. The person he’d been secretly searching for his entire life, the one he thought he was never going to see. Especially once he was locked in that cage. There he thought he’d sit until he took his last breath.
He wasn’t sure if he could feel the tension in the air from Baine and his anger over the situation being handled so poorly, or if it was because he was only seconds away from inevitable. Before he could question if they rounded the path they were on and came face to face with his mate and the two kids.
There wasn’t enough air, he was suffocating from lack of oxygen, he was going to die before he’d even gotten a chance to say hi to Soren.
“Breathe,” Sypher whispered in his ear from beside him. “Take a damn breath, you asswhore.”
Baine gasped out a laugh as he realized he’d been holding his breath the whole time. He’d just been so overwhelmed, his freaking gorgeous, stubborn, lickable mate was standing only feet away.
“Holy shit on a shingle,” he said softly, “he really is my mate.”
“Why did you bring him here?” Soren whispered brokenly, “Why would you do that?”
Baine’s heart cracked at the tortured words that cracked through the night like a whip. He could feel the pain that wracked his mate's soul, could feel the longing that burned inside for them to be one. Worst of all he could feel the determination to stay as far away as possible.
“For more reasons than I can explain right now,” Sypher said with a sigh as he stepped forward and squatted down in front of the children. “I’m Sypher, the Alpha of Pack Phoenix.”
Jaren stepped forward, “My name is Jaren, this is Sarina. Why did you send him to get us?” The boy asked suspiciously.
“Jaren, stop.” Sarina snapped as she pushed her way around the boy and faced Sypher. “He’s protective of me, but I know we’re supposed to be here.”
Daegan knelt beside Sypher and cocked one eyebrow, “Care to explain what you mean and how you came to be alone on the streets just the two of you?”
Sarina smiled, “I can see things, I know things. I saw all of us standing here, saw the Alpha extend his offer of protection.”
“Okay, and what about how you ended up on your own?” Sypher repeated.
This time it was Jaren who answered, “I met Sarina in the last group home we were in. I’d been there for a while before she showed up though. The people in charge of the home were told to keep her isolated from the rest of us. We were banished to the second floor and told to stay. I’d seen Sarina from a window when they’d pulled up and something told me I had to watch her. That she was in danger.”
“He was right too, they were using that home as a holding spot. That’s what I heard them say.” Sarina interrupted.
“A holding spot for what?” Baine asked as he finally tore his gaze away from Soren.
“They wanted to use what I could do, they were selling me to some group to help them fight. That’s all I heard them say. It didn’t make sense to me though.”
“I knew she couldn’t stay when I heard their plans, so that night I snuck out and took her with me. We’ve been running ever since.” Jaren finished.
“Soren, how do you want to handle this?” Sypher asked as he stood and faced his Beta. “They can stay at the pack house for now, or we can find other arrangements.”