Cole's Redemption (Alpha Pack #5)(61)

Spotting the soldier she’d spoken to in the corridor just minutes ago, she marched up to him. “Dr. Archer is coming around with their transports. I’m riding with you.”

He opened his mouth to possibly refuse, then reconsidered. “Fine. Just stay out of the way when we get there.”

Like that would happen. But she wasn’t about to say that and risk being left behind.

The twenty-mile ride was the longest she’d ever endured. Every minute was fraught with fear because that was another minute her mate was trapped in the rubble of the motel. Unless the others had managed to dig him out. Please, let him be safe!

But he hadn’t contacted her again, and that filled her with terror. Wouldn’t he have let her know he’d been rescued? She knew the answer. As they pulled into the parking lot and she got her first glimpse of the devastation, cold sickness gripped her stomach. The building was in shambles, little more than the outer walls still standing. Vampires and Pack team members were everywhere, tending to the injured.

She spotted Tarron and Jax first, standing at the edge of the debris field, bent over, tossing aside bricks and Sheetrock. It struck her hard that they were looking for more victims, and her breath caught. They looked up as she rushed to them.

“Where’s Zan? Is he all right?”

Jax’s face was pinched. “Selene, you should have stayed at the stronghold. There’s nothing you can do here.”

Instantly, her internal alarm went off, and she reacted, shoving the wolf in the chest. “Fuck you, Jax! Where is he?”

“Easy,” he said, his tone gentle. “We haven’t found him yet.”

“What? But he contacted me! You should have found him by now!”

“We’re doing everything we can. But . . .”

“But what? Don’t hold anything back from me,” she warned.

His voice was tortured. “He and Nick were bringing up the rear. They didn’t make it out before the bomb went off. And now they’re both missing.”

She stared at Zan’s best friend, trying to process the last part of what he’d just said. “Missing? They have to be here somewhere. I spoke to Zan through our mind link. He said he was trapped.”

“I don’t doubt he was at one time. But we’ve been over almost every square inch of the grounds and we haven’t seen any sign of them yet.”

Shaking her head, she looked out over the rubble. Cast her senses along their bond and tried to feel him. Zan? Honey, I’m here, and they’re looking for you and my dad. Are you still there?

No answer. Zan? The lack of response was more frightening than her mate saying he was trapped. Feeling helpless, she glanced around and saw Noah wrapped tightly in Nix’s arms. She couldn’t help the bolt of envy that shot through her at seeing the men reunited and immediately felt shitty about it. Truly, she was glad the others were safe to return to their loved ones. But she wanted hers safe, too.

She was about to lend a hand and start digging in the debris herself when a vampire trotted over to Tarron. She listened intently.

“Your Highness, one of our wounded, Trace, has just come around and says he saw something important. He’s on a stretcher over there.” The soldier pointed.

Selene accompanied the whole group to the fallen vampire’s side, eager to hear his news. The young soldier’s face was covered in blood and his breath wheezed in his chest. He gazed up at his prince, eyes wide.

“The rogues . . . have to stop them.” A cough rattled his body.

Tarron spoke kindly as he crouched next to the young vampire. “Tell me what you saw, Trace.”

“They took the two shifters. Plucked them right from under our noses. Picked them up and . . . vanished.”

“Oh, God,” she moaned. Suddenly her legs went weak and her mind whirled. Kidnapped. Her mate and her father, taken by those bastards. This couldn’t be happening. “Where would they take them? How do we find out?”

“I don’t know.” Tarron’s jaw clenched in barely concealed anger. “But we’ll find them and make them pay. Especially Darrow.”

“Cut off the head of the snake,” Jax put in, clearly seething as well. “I’m going to enjoy watching Darrow writhe on the ground.”

She gave a humorless laugh. “Not if I get to him first.”

Icy-cold purpose flowed through Selene’s veins. She was going to find her mate and her dad, and then she was going to gut Darrow like a trout.

You hear me, my mate? I’m coming.

Still no answer. But she wouldn’t fall apart yet. She’d know if either of them were dead; she was convinced of that.

She held on to that knowledge. Because if she didn’t, she’d go insane.

Zan awoke to the strange sensation that his arms and legs weighed a ton. He could barely move them, and when he did, he heard a metallic rattling sound. Opening his eyes, he blinked and then squinted, letting his eyes adjust to the gloom. When he did, he knew he was f**ked.

He was in a large chamber, chained to a wall. He’d been left sitting, and he supposed he should be thankful considering that across the dim space, Nick had been left hanging by his wrists, toes just barely grazing the floor.

“Nick?” he called, voice rasping. “Nick, wake up.”

His heart lurched when a figure stepped from the shadows and crossed to him with preternatural speed, striking him on the side of his face. His head snapped back against the wall, making his vision swim. “I was just making sure he’s alive, ass**le,” he growled.