SEALed Embrace (11 page)

Mac
cracked his neck. “I’ve never gone back on a deal before, but I’ll tell them
the woman is too well protected for me to get to her. Money only goes so far.
Sometimes, there are more important things at stake. Like integrity. I didn’t
serve my county, but I’ve aided many over the years as a gun for hire. As far
as I’m concerned, that makes us brothers. And if there’s one thing more
important than money, it’s family.”

Garren
nodded.

“You
need me, you call.” Mac pulled a white business card out of his pocket and set
it down on the bathroom counter. “Day or night, I’ll be here fast as I can.
Don’t try to go up against the alpha on your own because he won’t come at you
head on. He’ll have someone sneak in from behind, giving him the upper hand.”

“Noted.
And thanks, Mac. I owe you one.”

Mac
laughed. “Trust me, lion. You don’t want to ever owe me one. I always collect
on my debts, and it may not be something you want to do.”

Garren’s
mouth tightened. “You’re sparing my mate’s life. I can never repay you for
that, but if you ever need help with something, you come find me. Doesn’t
matter what it is.”

Mac
nodded. “I’ll remember that.” His gaze flicked down to Isi. “You watch over her
and keep her safe. Not many women will look at this face,” he said, pointing to
his scar, “and not run in fear. She faced me and fought back. You’ve found a
very worthy woman.”

Garren
tightened his arms around Isi and stepped out of Mac’s way as the mercenary
passed them by. He watched the shadow cross through the bedroom and then
vanish. Lifting Isi in his arms, he set her down on the bathroom counter and
pushed her hair out of her face.

“Are
you all right?”

She
nodded. “I wanted to call out to you, but he threatened to kill you if I made a
sound.”

“Isi,
you can always call for me. I don’t care what some asshole threatens. I need
you to believe that I can protect you, that I can handle myself enough not to
get killed. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes,”
she said softly. “Do you really think Alpha Henry was behind my abduction?”

“Yeah,
sweetheart. I really think he’s behind everything.”

“What
are we going to do?” she asked, looking up into his eyes. “I know you don’t
want to leave things unfinished, but the longer I stay here….”

“The
more danger you’re in.” He sighed. “We’re going to have to up our game. The
full moon is tomorrow. Will your pack shift and hunt together?”

She
nodded.

“Then
we’ll strike tomorrow. I’d really love to know who arranged your abduction and
Mac’s contract, but maybe they’ll make themselves known. Someone is going to be
surprised tomorrow when they see you’re still alive, unless Mac contacts them
tonight. I’m hoping he holds off a bit. The element of surprise is always a
good thing.”

“Let’s
get some sleep,” Isi suggested. “I won’t leave the bed again, I promise.”

He
fingered the t-shirt hanging to her knees. “While I prefer you naked, I’m glad
you thought to put on my shirt before you went to the bathroom. I don’t think
I’d have kept my cool if I’d seen his arms around you while you were naked.”

She
smiled. “I was cold.”

Garren
leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead before picking her up and
carrying her to the bed. Once he had her tucked in, he crawled in beside her
and pulled her into his arms. He hoped she’d be able to sleep after the attempt
on her life, but he knew he wouldn’t. Garren couldn’t afford to let his guard down
twice in one night. No matter how delectable his mate was, he had to keep his
head screwed on straight and maintain his focus if he wanted to take down the
men responsible for harming her.

Once
this was behind them, they could celebrate and spend a week in bed if that’s
what she wanted. Until then, he’d have to keep his dick in his pants.

Chapter Six

Isi
munched on a sandwich the next afternoon while Garren went over the game plan
with the two teams. Everyone gathered around the island in the middle of the
kitchen, a map spread out on its surface. She half listened as he detailed when
they would strike and how it would go down. A nervous energy flooded her
because she knew her friends would be present and she didn’t want them to come
to any harm.

“Garren,”
she said. “What about Tomi, Hailey, and Grace?”

“What
about them?” Dallas asked.

“I
don’t want them to get hurt when you attack the pack. What if they get in the
way? Or what if Alpha Henry uses them against me? He knows I would do anything
to keep my friends safe, even give myself up.”

Garren
looked from her to the men surrounding him. He pointed to Lee. “You go after
the women. Gather them up and bring them here.”

“What
if someone comes after them while we’re attacking the pack?” Parker asked.

“I’ll
stay and guard the women,” Eli offered.

“I’ll
stay too,” said Colton.

Garren
looked at the others. “I’ll need the rest of you with me. I’m taking Isi. No
offense to Eli and Colton, but I’m not letting her out of my sight. I’ll make
sure she’s armed in case she needs to defend herself, but she’s going.”

Isi
watched him as she took another bite. She wasn’t sure how she felt about being
“armed”. She’d never really dealt with weapons before and was worried she’d end
up hurting herself instead of anyone who attacked her. Maybe he’d give her a
gun. Surely she could just point and shoot? It couldn’t be all that hard.

“Maybe
you should bring my friends here now. If they’re home close to the gathering
time, I suspect Alpha Henry will make sure they are present for the full moon
run tonight, even if two of them can’t shift and run with the pack. He makes
Hailey and Grace remain behind to watch everyone’s clothes and set up a table
of food and drinks.”

“I’ll
go get them now,” Lee said, pushing away from the island. “Might not be a bad
idea to fill them in about what’s going on.”

“Tell
them to pack their things,” Isi said. “I don’t want them going home again. When
we leave, they leave with us.”

Garren
watched her with a raised eyebrow, but he didn’t correct her.

“They’re
moving in with us?” Parker asked his lips twisted.

“No,
they’re going to take the second house,” Garren said. “I know we talked about
using it for work purposes, but I think this is more important.”

Dagan
snorted. “Yeah, because your mate wants them. You can’t sit there and tell me
you care one way or another if they come with us.”

“They’re
important to Isi. That makes them family.” Garren’s look said that was his
final word on the matter, and Isi had a feeling his word was law with his team.

Lee
ducked out of the kitchen and Isi watched as the other men shared a look.

“Maybe
you aren’t thinking objectively,” Dagan said.

Garren
growled. “Are you questioning me? Do you think you can do better?”

Dagan
held up his hands. “No. I just… are you sure you want Isi there?”

“If
they don’t see her, they won’t realize their attempt to kill her last night has
failed. I want everyone looking for the faces that show surprise at seeing her
tonight. Those are the ones we take down first and then we go after the alpha.”
Garren looked at his men. “We end this tonight.”

“What
happens to the pack when you take out the alpha and his men?” Isi asked.

“One
of his sons will either take over, or the pack will scatter. Hopefully, we’ll
be leaving them to a better life than the one they have now.” Garren folded his
arms over his chest. “Regardless, your friends are welcome with us.”

Isi
smiled her thanks, tossed her plate in the trash and then walked up and kissed
him on the cheek. Colton made kissy noises at them and she laughed when Garren
flipped him off. Giving her mate’s bicep a squeeze, she hurried out of the
room, not even caring when she noticed she had a shadow. Isi stepped out onto
the porch and settled on the swing as Dagan came outside. He leaned against a
porch post and surveyed the area.

“If
they think I’m dead, I’m sure I’ll be safe. Until tonight anyway.”

He
shrugged. “What if Mac told them he failed? Ever think of that? We’re hoping
for the element of surprise, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to get it.”

“True.”
She sighed. “I’ll be glad when all of this is over and I can have a fresh
start. No more stares and whispers. No more feeling inferior.”

Dagan
came forward and knelt at her feet. He took her hands in his. “Isi, you’re far from
inferior. Garren wouldn’t love you the way he does if you weren’t an amazing
woman.”

She
smiled sadly. “He doesn’t love me, Dagan. He hasn’t even said he cares about
me. I know he’ll watch over me because I’m his mate, but it’s only biology at
this point. I always wanted something more, but I don’t think I’ll ever have
it.”

Dagan
squeezed her hands. “Trust me. I know that lion better than anyone, and he
loves you. He’d never think twice about walking out of here without ending this
if he didn’t feel something. He’d be devastated if he lost you, Isi. You didn’t
see the look on his face when we found you. All it took was one sniff and he
knew you were his mate. I’ve never seen him be so gentle with anyone before,
and I’ve known Garren a really long time.”

“You
really think so?” she asked, feeling hope for the first time since meeting her
mate.

“Yeah,
I really think so.”

She
smiled and hugged Dagan. “Thank you.”

“Dude,
don’t let Garren see you getting that close to his mate,” Parker said as he
stepped outside. “He’ll tear you to shreds.”

“What’s
up?” Dagan asked, pulling himself away from Isi.

“Lee
just got back with the women. The pack is already starting to gather. Garren
wants us to head out in an hour so you need to get your shit together.”

“Come
on, Isi. Time to go inside so we can prepare.” Dagan pulled her to her feet and
nudged her toward the door. “We can’t stand out here with you and prep at the
same time.”

Isi
allowed him to herd her inside and she went in search of her friends. She found
them gathered in the living room, whispering to each other, each with a bag at her
feet.

“Lee
said we’re leaving tonight,” Tomi said, her arms crossed. “A little advanced
notice would have been good. I’m leaving a ton of shit behind.”

“You
can buy new things,” Isi told her. “But this is a once in a lifetime
opportunity.”

“She
has a point,” Hailey said. “I’m going to miss my adoptive parents, but they’ve
been acting strange lately. It’s definitely time to get the hell out of here.”

Grace
wrung her hands. “Will we see our families again? I left a note, but… Mom will
worry about me.”

Tomi
snorted. “Gracey, you’re how old? Don’t you think it’s time you ventured out on
your own? You might find you like independence.”

Grace
didn’t look too certain. She’d been coddled her whole life by her father and
was close to her mother. But at the same time, Isi agreed with Tomi. It would
be good for Grace to get out on her own, and she wouldn’t be completely alone.
She’d have her friends to support her. It was obvious her mate wasn’t part of
the McGraw pack, so maybe she’d have a chance to find him by venturing outside
of the pack territory.

“I
want you to be happy,” Isi said. “If it will only make you miserable to leave,
then you can stay. I’ll miss you, but I don’t want to hurt you for anything in
the world.”

Grace
sighed. “No, I’ll go. Maybe Tomi is right. Maybe this is what I need.”

“So.”
Tomi propped her hands on her hips. “The men are leaving us here with guards.
Are we supposed to just sit here and let the big, bad, men protect us?”

Isi
smiled. “Why don’t you ask them for a gun?”

Tomi
huffed. “I think I will.”

Before
anyone could stop her, she marched out of the room. Isi looked at Hailey and
Grace with raised eyebrows. “Does she actually know how to fire one?”

Grace
nodded. “She’s been going to the shooting range a few towns over at least once
a week for the past few months. She tried to get me to go with her, but guns
really aren’t my thing.”

Yeah,
Isi couldn’t see the soft and gentle Grace shooting anyone. If someone came to
kill her, she’d probably just ask where would be most convenient, or worry
about getting blood on the floor. She knew her friend had a backbone because
she’d seen it one time, but it only came out under extreme duress. Maybe being
around Garren and his men would be good for Grace.

Colton
poked his head around the door. “Isi, Garren needs you.”

Rubbing
her hands up and down her thighs, she blew out a breath and went to the
kitchen. She saw Dallas fitting Tomi with a gun and holster before turning her
gaze to her mate. There were several weapons spread out in front of him and she
wasn’t sure which one she would get. No way he was giving all of them to her.

He
beckoned her closer. “Tomi said you’ve never fired a gun before. This one,” he
said picking up a large gun, “has a lot of kick, but it’s more accurate than
the smaller ones. I want you to promise me you’ll shoot to kill if someone
comes after you.”

Her
hands shook as she reached for the weapon. It was heavy in her grip, but she
held onto it. Garren wrapped something around her waist, then took the gun from
her and slid it into the holster. He picked up a wicked looking knife and
strapped it to her thigh.

“If
someone comes in close, you can use the knife. But if it’s a man, I want you to
go for the gun first. Anyone stronger than you can easily get the knife away,
but you can blast them with the gun before they get that close.”

She
swallowed hard and nodded. “Got it.”

“Are
you ready for this?” he asked.

“I
think so.”

Truthfully,
she wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready for it. The events of the past few days had
shown her she was stronger than she thought and that she was a fighter, but the
thought of killing someone made her nauseous. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to
pull the trigger when it came down to it, but there was only one way to find
out.

They
loaded up into two vehicles and drove to the gathering place, stopping at the
outer ring of cars near the woods behind Alpha Henry’s home. Isi fought her
nerves, but her hand trembled in Garren’s as they approached the gathered
wolves behind the large home. She saw her parents across the way, the
disapproving looks on their faces letting her know which side they’d chosen. Before
she could process what was happening, the men surrounding her had launched
themselves at some of the men and women in the pack. Rapid fire blasted her
ears as she watched the wolves fall one after the other.

Her
eyes were wide as Garren charged toward the alpha, shifting mid-air into a
gorgeous black lion. The massive paws kicked up dirt as he bounded forward,
intent on his target. Henry had a sneer on his face as Isi’s mate neared him,
but the look was quickly wiped from his face when Garren began to attack, paws
outstretched, claws unsheathed.

She
wasn’t sure where to look first. She didn’t want to tear her gaze away from
Garren, but the hairs on the back of her neck rose, telling her that danger was
near.

Isi
looked around the pack and saw a woman bearing down on her. Rebecca had hated
her for as long as she could remember. Isi watched as the compact human body
exploded into that of a snarling she-wolf. The beast charged her, saliva
dripping from its jaws.

Isi
fumbled with the gun at her side, her heart pounding in her chest. Just as the
wolf leaped toward her, she jerked the gun free and pointed it at Rebecca. She
only had a split second to check the safety before the wolf was on her. Slamming
her eyes shut, braced for impact, Isi squeezed the trigger. A yelp filled the
air and Isi opened her eyes. The wolf lay on its side, glaring at her with more
hatred than she’d have thought possible.

She
moved closer, the gun still clasped in her shaking hands. When she drew near,
the wolf lunged at her, the teeth embedding in her ankle. Isi cried out and
fired two more rounds into the beast. The jaws went slack and she stumbled back
a step. Around her, things began to quiet and she frantically looked for her
mate. She needn’t have feared though. Garren, back in his human form, stood
over the alpha. The old wolf’s throat was slit from ear to ear, his blood spilling
out onto the ground. Her parents stood behind him, a look of disbelief on their
faces. They had chosen the losing side, and yet they were still standing. But Isi
didn’t have to process it just then, so she jerked her gaze back toward Garren.

Isi
ran toward her mate. She flung her arms around him, knocking him back a step.
Garren wrapped her tightly in his embrace, kissing the top of her head.