Hunter's Heart (Alpha Pack #4)(51)

"That's a tall order." Ryon shook his head. "I don't like it. I want her to stay here."

"I'll make this simple-without both of you, the op will fail. You know I don't interfere with free will, but I'm stating the facts. The decision is up to you two."

"If we don't go?" Ryon asked.

"Maybe one day we'll get another shot at the antidote, and the rest of the files, but that day will be far into the future. In the meantime, lives will be lost without that information-some of them close to us."

"Jesus. You play hardball."

"Again, your choice."

He met Daria's gaze, read the determination there. She was fit, knew the outdoors, could handle herself in that environment as well as he could, probably better. If he left her behind, put their lives before others, it would cause a rift that might never heal.

"We'll do it."

The relief and gratitude on her face was his reward. He just hoped that information was there, as it was supposed to be. That putting his mate at risk was worth it when they saved lives.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I won't let you down."

"I'm not worried about that. It's me letting you down that has me afraid. Stick with me all the way, okay?"

"You bet."

Nick rose. "You've got an hour to pack, and you'll study the map on the way. Take enough supplies for a two-day hike going and coming." He winked at Daria. "A piece of cake for our wildlife biologist."

She started out, and he caught her arm. "I'll just be a second."

"I'll wait down the hall."

Once she was gone, Ryon posed his burning question. "Will I come home from this op alive?"

"I don't know," the commander replied honestly.

"But you wouldn't tell me if you could?"

"Something like that." His voice was strong. "But I do know that you need her on this one. If she doesn't go, the op will fail. And you won't make it home at all."

"Christ," he muttered. "Better get moving, then, right?"

"I'll help you as much as I can from here. You need me, just speak to me."

"I will." He shook his boss's hand, then gave him a slight smile. "Until I get home."

"You bet."

Yep, it must suck to know the future.

In that moment, Ryon wouldn't trade places with Nick for all the money in the world.

. . .

Aric and Jax had dropped them off miles from August Bradford's estate with the promise that Ryon would keep in touch, and promise to contact them the instant he knew they were ready for extraction. In advance if possible.

The plan was to pick them up in the same spot. But plans had a way of going FUBAR.

Ryon thought Daria endured the helicopter ride pretty well, considering her white-knuckled fear of flying. She'd gripped his hand tightly the whole time, face ashen, but never commented. After they'd been dropped off, they had hiked the rest of the day, slept that night. Got up and hiked again. While hot, sweaty, and itchy, the trip was uneventful. Scarily so. That should have been his clue that things were about to go tits up.

Getting onto the estate was nerve-racking but surprisingly simple. Daria knew the secret places to hide, the guards' routine. She knew the best route inside, and that the best time to breach the premises was around two in the morning, when the men on watch were sleepy and complacent from guarding such a remote place where nothing ever happened.

Positioning himself in the shadows beside the French doors of the bedroom where she had stayed as a child, he used a claw to cut the glass. Reached inside and unlocked the bolt. Then he gave her a kiss.

"Be careful," he mouthed.

"I will."

And then she was gone. The wait stretched out, interminable.

. . .

Dammit straight to hell and back again.

Daria hunched over, intent on the computer screen, fingers tapping a staccato rhythm on the keys. If her uncle or one of his minions caught them here, in his private study, they would make certain she and Ryon disappeared without a trace. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gotten away with murder-but these days August didn't have Gene Bowman to plot with, and the Pack was on to him.

August was going to pay for his part in what he'd done to Ben.

On the heels of that thought, a pair of sad blue eyes haunted her, steeling her resolve. She had resisted Ryon, denied their mating in the beginning, causing them so much grief before she understood-hurting her mate was the same as hurting herself.

She hadn't believed she had a place in his world. Hadn't wanted to accept that she had no say in her own life and he had taken that as rejection.

But she would make it up to Ryon now by helping him and his team see this through. And then August, the bastard, would hang. Beaten at his own despicable game.

Even better than a bullet to his brain.

Right. She'd keep telling herself that, and one day the lie might wash.

"Come on, come on . . ."

The annoying security box popped up again, demanding the correct password. Obviously her dad had been wrong about which one would get her inside. They needed her uncle's medical research notes, his "black book" with the names of his contacts, quantities and dates of massive drug shipments. Drugs that were harmful to shifters, caused addictions of all sorts-and some that created mutant horrors like what Ben had become.