Authors: Dixie Lynn Dwyer
Tags: #Romance
“She’s not here. Leave now. You are not welcome here,” William stated firmly.
The stranger smiled, showing off his elongated incisors and mocking her mate.
He turned slowly in her direction, and she tried to squat down lower.
“She is right there waiting for me.”
“Get away from her!” Kyle screamed as he launched himself toward the stranger. Before he could make contact, another wolf blocked his path. The stranger moved closer, and as her mates tried to stop him more wolves attacked. They were outnumbered.
“Take my hand, princess. Your destiny awaits,” he stated, appearing in both wolf and human form.
“No!” she heard someone scream then saw Brennan tackle the stranger toward the ground as they shifted completely into wolf form. Echoes of fierce growls and screams of pain overtook the pleasant sounds of Celtic music. The air reeked of death and blood with her castle as the backdrop for a massacre.
“No, let him go. Please let him live,” she screamed just as the evil wolf ripped Brennan’s heart from his chest. He held it in his paw, the bloody beating heart of her closest friend and ally.
“Brennan!” she cried, feeling her whole world begin to shatter.
She glanced toward the others and they all lay dead, her men, her mates, and her last dying hope of returning home.
* * * *
Ava awoke with a start. She clutched the comforter to her chest and attempted to calm her breathing. Immediately William and Kyle were by her side attempting to calm her.
“What is it, Ava?” William asked.
She turned to him, grateful that it had just been a nightmare and that her lovers were still alive. She grabbed on to him and hugged him to her, inhaling his scent and feeling safer by the second as the others joined them on the bed. Each man kissed her, touched her, and showed her that they in fact were real and present. However, deep inside her there was an ache, a feeling of foreboding as if something terrible was wrong. Brennan? She needed to contact Brennan to ensure that he was safe.
William caressed her cheeks and prompted her to look him in the eyes.
“It was just a bad dream, Ava. You haven’t had a good sleep in days.”
“It was a crazy dream. Oh God, it started off so nice, so beautiful. I was back home in Ireland. I was at the castle.”
“It’s okay, baby. Calm down and catch your breath,” Sean told her.
“It sounds like it was a good one. You thought it was real?” Kyle asked.
She nodded. “You were all there. You were trying to protect me when someone attacked you. There were a bunch of wolves and you were all outnumbered. Brennan tried to stop the one wolf from taking me and he was killed. Oh God, I hope Brennan is okay,” Ava stated, feeling as if the dream was possibly real but had yet to happen.
“It’s okay, Ava. Brennan is fine. Walt spoke to him early yesterday morning,” William added as he caressed her chin.
She felt slightly better but not nearly as convinced that everything was okay.
William stared into her eyes. She locked gazes with his hazel eyes and held on to him.
“Would it make you feel better if we contact him and ensure that he is okay?”
“Yes! Oh yes, Willy, thank you!” she exclaimed as she hugged him then began to kiss his neck, his cheeks, and finally his lips. The comforter fell from her body as William and Kyle caressed her back and smiled at her.
“A proper good morning is in order before we start our day,” William stated then covered her mouth with his lips as he lowered her back down to the bed.
Ava stood by the picture window in the living room looking out across the wooded area. She knew that William was in the other room trying to track down Brennan. There still wasn’t any word on him, even after she gave up other telephone numbers and contacts to those she believed still worked in the castle. William and his brothers tried to reassure her that everything was fine, but she knew things weren’t fine. Kyle had come into the living room a short time ago and told her that William was still trying to get in touch with Walt. She had a bad feeling as she thought about what could possibly be keeping them from contact.
Ava took a sip of tea and thought about the night her father had been killed and how Brennan helped her to escape. The moment she entered the secret passage her world had changed. She was no longer a princess living in a castle with dreams of grandeur and hopes of proving to her father that she indeed had what it took to eventually take over the company. Instead she was shoved into a world of covert operations, secret aliases, and criminal activity all for the sake of survival. Why had Brennan insisted that she remain hidden even in the States? Did he believe that Fenly had enough power and stronghold to take her from the States back to Ireland and force her into a wedding she would eternally refuse? Brennan was her last living connection to her home.
“Ava! Willy is on the phone with Walt. Come,” Sean told her as he held out his hand. She immediately set the teacup down on the table, took is hand, and hurriedly followed him into the study.
* * * *
“I understand completely. We will get packing and head out. We’ll meet you at the rendezvous point in twelve hours. Yes, she is right here.” William locked gazes with Ava. “Make it quick. He’s on the run and we need to get moving, too.”
Ava was scared as she took the phone from William.
“Walt?”
“Yes, honey, it’s me. I don’t want you to panic. Let the Declan pack take you to the safety of their fellow pack’s territory. I’m going to meet you there.”
“Where is Brennan? We can’t contact him?”
Walt was silent a moment, and Ava felt the tears reach her eyes.
“His position has been compromised. My intel says he’s either being held prisoner or dead.”
“No! Oh God, no, Walt, he can’t be dead.” She cried out as William covered her shoulder with his hand.
“Listen to me, Ava, there are others out there that can’t be trusted. Your only hope of survival is to allow the Declan pack and their allies to protect you and keep you in hiding. You need to leave now.”
“I want to know who has Brennan.”
“Leave it alone, Ava. This is not a battle for a princess.”
Ava became angry as she looked at her men and absorbed Walt’s words.
“I am not a princess, and this is my battle. If Brennan is in Ireland and being held prisoner then that is where we will head.”
“No, Ava. Do not head back to Ireland. It isn’t safe.”
“This must end, Walt. Fenly and his associates will continue to kill and manipulate until they are successful in taking over. This is beyond the money, Walt. This is about principle and about the O’Brian name. My name. I will not stand by and allow Fenly to take over. William will call you when we’re on the road. I want details and I am not taking no for an answer.” She closed the phone up and slammed it down on the desk. Her men stared at her, looking angry and about to reprimand.
“What is it that you think you’re going to do, Ava?” Sean asked cautiously.
“I’m tired of being the hunted. Brennan is the only family that I have left. I won’t leave him to die.”
“We need to get moving. We’re running out of time. I just got a text from Van and he says fifteen minutes,” Mick said, interrupting them
“We’ll discuss this further in the SUV. Let’s move Ava now,” William said, taking her by the elbow and ushering her out of the room. Twenty minutes later they were on the road headed to another location.
* * * *
Ava sat on the large boulder talking with Walt as the others stood by.
“So what you’re saying is that whoever arranged the meeting with Brennan was involved with this secret organization you’re all involved in?” Ava asked.
“Yes. It’s the Secret Order of the Brothers of Were. It not only helps to protect the sanctity of the Circle of Elders, it also enforces the laws established by the Circle and all Alpha were packs around the world. There are suborganizations, but the Secret Order is the largest,” Walt explained.
“Not every Alpha male is asked to be part of this organization. There are only twenty men who stand as actually warriors. There are several hundred underneath those men, and of course the main leader is King.”
“What do you mean by King? Like royalty or something?” Ava asked.
“The King is unknown to most members of the Order. This is to ensure anonymity and restrain other organizations or rogue packs from engaging in a hostile takeover,” Walt stated.
“Well apparently not everyone got that memo,” Ava replied sarcastically.
They were silent a moment.
“We have our suspicions of who may be behind Brennan’s disappearance or abduction. My men are working on this as we speak. I should have a definite by tonight,” Walt stated.
“I still don’t understand why they would want Brennan. He’s just a butler and good friend of my family.”
“He’s more than that, Ava. Your father ensured that he had a position in the Order. As far as I know, he’s higher than most of us. This was to ensure your safety if anything ever happened to your father. We’ll have to ask Brennan just what position he was appointed as soon as we find him,” Walt stated.
“Well then, you all better work on making flight arrangements because we’re all going to Ireland to find Brennan,” Ava replied, and all the men stared at her, including Fagan pack.
* * * *
“Well, Walt, what’s the latest?” Samantha asked as she sat in the main office with her mates and her grandparents.
“As you predicted, Ava has declared she will fight and head to Ireland.”
“My God, this isn’t good, Samantha. If Fenly or his associates capture her…” Lady Marie began to say, but Samantha quieted her down.
“Grandmother, Ava must follow her destiny. She is as strong as Alex had hoped for and as determined,” Samantha stated.
“Alex? What does Alex have to do with this?” Walt asked.
“I have said too much. I cannot interfere, but there is something I can offer,” Samantha added.
“What’s that?” Walt asked.
“Reinforcements. Contact Dustin the moment that you have the itinerary, flight schedule, et cetera. Fagan Pack and Dolberg pack will meet up with you in County Clare. Fennigan pack will be there to greet you all and provide safe quarters as you conduct your intel.”
“Fennigan pack!” everyone exclaimed in shock. Samantha knew she would get such a reaction. The men of Fennigan pack lived in Ireland and were true warriors. Only problem was that there were six of them and they were a wild bunch.
“Yes, Fennigan pack. Declan, you and the others will need them when the time comes. Now get going and notify us immediately when your plans are set,” Samantha stated before Walt hung up the phone.
Her men looked at her, and so did Lord Crespin and Lady Marie.
“I would love to share what I know, but be certain that I sent them forth with every weapon I can think of without ‘technically’ interfering.”
“Should we go, too, Sam?” Adam asked. He was so kind to want to help.
“You should stay here on the estate. Lord, make the other Alphas aware of a potential invasion.”
“Potential invasion? What are you talking about, Sam?” Lord Crespin asked.
“I am afraid that if Ava and her mates fail, then Fenly and his associates will come at us with all they have,” Samantha added.
They were silent a moment until Lady Marie spoke.
“As not to bend the rules, Sam, what if we made some inquiries into those individuals in the Circle who voted down eliminating Fenly? Perhaps this might assist the Declan wolves if they knew precisely who else was aiding Fenly?”
Samantha thought about it a moment.
“Call your cousin Sunny. I’m sure he’ll be able to take care of this,” Samantha told Adam.
The men laughed as Adam made the call.
It was early evening when William and the others realized that they were being followed. He spoke to his brothers through their mind links, not wanting to frighten Ava. Then his cell phone rang.
“We’ve had company for a while now, Willy. Would you like to share your plan?” Van asked. Willy chuckled then glanced into the rearview mirror at Ava. Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder through the back windshield then forward again.
“I was just deciding whether or not to face them or make a run for the airport. I’m thinking that I’d rather have them believing that we’re here in the US as long as possible.”
“But you’re concerned for your woman?” Van asked.
William glanced at Ava through the rearview mirror then replied to Van.
“Of course I am concerned for her safety. If our guests are of the wolf, our best bet will be to shift. That will leave her wide open for an attack.”
“Not if we head a little out of the way and about twenty miles north. There’s a large conservation forest on the map Randolph just pulled up. We can park the vehicles, pretend like we’re camping out, then shift and take them out.”
“We don’t know how many there are, Van,” Willy replied.
“I’m going to pull ahead of you and let Bently and Baher out to see what numbers there are. They’ll let me know and we can decide.”
“Sounds good. Let’s do it,” Willy stated then closed up the phone.
“Will Van’s brothers be okay?” Ava asked.
“They will contact their brothers if they get into trouble,” Sean told her.
“How? There was no cell signal. Do they have walkie-talkies or something?” she questioned.
“They will converse through their mind link, Ava,” Sean stated, and Ava looked very confused.
“Mind link? You mean they can communicate through their…” She hadn’t finished her sentence as she absorbed the reality of such capability. She blushed then lowered her head.
Mick leaned into her and Willy smirked.
“That’s right, sexy. It’s just another perk to how wonderful we can make you feel in bed.” He kissed her cheek then nuzzled her neck.
“Oh God, you’re crazy, Mick,” she whispered, sounding breathless.
“Save that for later. Let’s figure out what we’re going to do with Ava while we take care of the guests,” William interrupted. He wasn’t purposely trying to be a downer. He was worried about his family. The thought startled him. With Ava, his brothers, and eventually cubs, that was exactly what was at stake here…his family.