“Since we still have to wait for Angel to get back to us. I have two aircraft on standby. I was thinking of asking Ash to send one first to pick Aaron up and find a way to get him back home. The second one which is piloted by Ash himself is to take you, me, Isabelle, Jason, and whoever you want to come with us to my ranch while the wreck here is cleaned. Then the watercraft is to return everyone back when it is safe. Or what do you think?”
“It’s a good plan. I will ask Darrow and Wulfrun if they would like to join us, Hallec and Tiana are in charge of getting everything back in order. I hate to leave them to handle all the work. We have three aircraft debris to clear and more than a thousand dead bodies to dispose of. We had to quickly pack them to the grave site in the woods, so the humans wouldn’t see them. I’m kind of torn about what to do with the b
Cole watched as Aaron’s eyes fluttered open and he jerked up into a sitting position, an act which he evidently regretted, because his hands shoot up to hold his head, and then he groaned. And as if noticing he wasn’t alone, he lifted his eyes gingerly and they skipped from one masked face to the other. Cole folded his arms, watching him, not wanting to expose his identity just yet as he moved to stand at the foot of the makeshift hospital bed – which was an old mattress thrown over a wooden bench. “Glad to have you join us, Aaron, we were beginning to get quite impatient. I understand you have a message for us?” Xavier started as he came to stand on one side of the mattress. Jason joined Cole at the foot of the bed while Darrow, Wulfrun and Hallec stood across from Xavier. Aaron swallowed and his hands shook visibly. “I was supposed to make a deal….” he said in a shaky tone. “Let’s hear it,” Xavier replied. Hallec shifted on his feet, causing Aaron to shoot his attention in hi
Isabelle looked down onto the widespread land beneath them. It was morning now and the entire ground was covered with thick layers of snow. A massive log cabin stood at the centre of vast grassland with pine trees and thick tall trees framing the clearing. The cabin was mainly built with sturdy logs and glass partitioned windows. The front of the house was hexagonally shaped with reflective glass. Cole had made it so for security reasons. Despite his tight security systems he still took precautions in the house's architectural design. The back of the house had ridges of a camping tent arranged a few feet from a large fire pit. The area had been cleared of snow and the pile left framed the grounds. But the walk paths were still dusted with freshly fallen snow. The scene made a smile spread over Isabelle’s beautiful face. She had never felt a sense of serenity as the one that filled her inside now. Men in a somewhat military getup paroled the grounds at a strategic spot. For the fir
Tiana and the three gammas that rode with Aaron helped to lift him off of the craft and Ash quickly rushed forward to help. Cole could see he was in a lot of discomforts. His face was hatched with pain. He gestured to them to give him a second as he strode inside the cabin with Isabelle. She lifted her face from his chest to look around, looking up at the high ceiling and noting how exquisite the house was. Cole placed her on a big, plush leather couch and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I will be right back, if you are up to it, explore the place. But please, love, don’t fall off,” he said. Isabelle nodded. Cole paused for about a second before dropping a kiss on her lips. “Give me ten minutes, I will be back to take care of you,” he said. She nodded. Cole left then, and joined the others, leading them to a shed outback. Isabelle noted she could see everything happening from the inside, but couldn’t see the inside of the living room from the outside. She sighed and sat up, thi
Amèlie took her time to clean up Aaron in case he had been infected or exposed to any foreign substance before sewing him back up. She then injected him with antibiotics. Afterwards, Cole helped her to hold his body up while she wound a thick bandage around his stomach, he gave her a grateful nod. “Is he one of yours?” Amèlie asked. Cole nodded. She must have seen the worry in his eyes because she added, “He is going to be fine. He is very lucky. And whoever put that inside him, must want him alive because they put it outside his stomach sack, but nonetheless, it was still a dangerous move.”“I imagined they were desperate—” Cole said.“I guess we will find out now what Rufus has been up to, and what Angel wants,” Xavier said, gesturing to the items in Hallec’s possession. “So, when do we leave?” Jason suddenly asked, sounding impatient. Every eye in the room settled on him. “We have to wait for Angel to call us first,” Darrow said in a firm tone.“Guys, my brother is with that
"You sound like Xavier. But I understand…" Hallec said and then a smile stretched his lips. "You might want to leave before people get the wrong idea," he said. Cole arched an eyebrow at him and Hallec laughed. "Wow… I didn't even know you can do that.""Do what?""Make a joke," Cole said, causing Hallec to chuckle. Before going back outside to join Ash. he took another flight of stairs to the uppermost deck. There was only one room spanning the entire floor and he walked to the double door. Pushing them open, he peered inside. The bedside lamp was put on, and it illuminated the open floor room. Isabelle's sweet, lavender scent, filled the room, and the mix of it with the warm, and woodiness of the decor, made him inhale deeply. He walked inside and went to kneel by her side, watching her sleep. He lowered his face and touched his lips to hers. "Come to bed," Isabelle whispered against his lips. "I need to take care of something, give me a few minutes, okay?"Kay… but hurry back,
Cole, Xavier and Ash scouted the grounds before each decided to take a breather. "We still have about… three hours… before the meeting," Xavier reminded. "I need a bath. See you guys around…" Cole said. "Let me check on doc., see you," Xavier said and headed back to the shed. "I'll just … hang around… Boss," Ash said. Cole sighed, halt his strides and beckoned to him to follow him inside. Ash promptly obeyed. Once inside. Cole saw Tiana sitting on a corner couch with a mug in hand and a book opened on her lap. She raised her face when the two men entered. "Hey!" Cole called in greetings. Tiana grinned and with the sudden twinkle in h
Cole shuddered from the aftermath of his lovemaking with Isabelle, held her to his side, and within seconds he was asleep. Isabelle tried to withdraw from his arms to give him the much-needed space to sleep comfortably but the arm he wrapped around her only tightened. She smiled to herself, snuggled firmly against him, and with her head lying on his chest, she fell asleep too. When an alarm sounded from Jason's phone much later, Cole’s eyelids flicked open and he stared up at the barnlike ceiling design. He thought the crackling of dry wood burning in the hearth mingling with the sound of Isabelle’s soft breathing was the best natural sound to wake up to. He lifted his head a little from the pillow to peer down at her, his eyes adoring her features for about a second before he reached for the phone making the officious sound to put it off. Although the sleep was short, he felt well rested. As a serviceman who was used to going undercover, short naps were a gift you learn to cherish.
Xavier sat down like a bird perching on the edge of the leather seat. His jaw clenched tightly in somewhat anger. Cole watched him take calming breath as he shut his eyes. When he opened them he appeared calm. His eyes settled on his drink placed on the table in front of him but it didn’t seem like he could see it. He carried a faraway look like someone in deep thought. Cole picked up the cup with his free hand, and nudged him on the forearm, making Xavier look up and focused, his dark gaze was turbulent. Cole wondered what a man like Xavier had seen in his lifetime and what he had to do to continually heed the call of his people. "Here," Cole said, offering him a drink. Xavier lowered his gaze to the golden liquid, took the glass cup and downed the drink. Cole poured more for him. Xavier sighed. "What does it say?" Wulfrun asked. "The usual— albeit coded. He wants me to come to get them out," Xavier said. "When?" Jason asked. Xavier look at the phone and reached for it. H
“No!” Rufus yelled, Cole turned to him and smash the butt of his gun against his head, causing his forehead to bleed. “You fucking injected my woman with wolfbane, and dared to try and kill Aaron!” “You bastard! You killed my son!” Rufus cried loudly in evident anguish. It was clear he had lost his mind. “Oh, I intend to off all your fucking sons! You idiot!” “That’s a shame—” a voice sounded from the doorway. Cole looked in the direction and saw a man that looked like Rufus holding Opaline by the throat, and when Isabelle startled forward, he brandished a gun at her. Isabelle stopped. “If any of you animals move, I will drop this and we will all die...” the newcomer said, using the barrel of his gun to tap on a grenade he held against Opaline’s throat — the very type Ash used a few minutes before, everyone stepped back except Isabelle. “Hello, Cole Miller, your father was an arrogant asshole, but I still liked him, I was looking forward to meeting you. The way he talked about yo
“Oh, hell, no! Not on my watch!” Cole muttered and ran to the open space, ignoring the fact that he was left defenceless, trusting Jason and Ash to cover him. Isabelle gaped at him, watching as he opened fire on the guards by the doorway. Isabelle watched in frozen horror as two bullets hit him on the chest, and another on the shoulder, Cole only grunted hard but pressed forward. He didn’t stop until there were no more guards still left standing by the doorway. “Is this guy on drugs?!” one of the Weres asked with disquiet. “He is fucking insane!” another interjected. “Yes, he is,” Jason said with an admiration that made Isabelle smack him on the shoulder. “Sorry,” he said in a whispered plea, and then added, “but only the insanity part. I wouldn’t have him any other way!” He smirked and pushed away from safety to join in. Ash and his men joined him. A new wave of guards came out from the house and the other side of the woods, brandishing automatic guns at Cole and the rest o
Angel let go of the man and offered him the water. He snatched the bottle and gulped down the water, then he eyed Angel before he took the steak and gorged it down his throat. Isabelle passed another bottle of water to Angel and the other Were directed his gaze passed Angel to settle on her. The pain that cloud his eyes at the sight of her made her swallow. “They killed her... raped her to death...” he growled and then whimpered in obvious pain, curling up on the floor. Angel grabbed him by the shoulders and snarled “And if you don’t get your shit together, you will never be able to avenge her! Get a hold of yourself, Wolfe, or this will be it for you! I don’t fucking have all night!” Angel said, barring his teeth. The other wolf nodded and fought to contain his emotions. Angel then offered him a change of clothes, and he accepted it. Isabelle and the other ladies moved back to allow the rescued Weres to change, and then one of the Were asked, “Why does this human smell like
Cole signalled to Ash to wait with his team, beckoned Jason, mind linked with Isabelle to follow him then asked Xavier to mind link with Hallec, Darrow, Wulfrun, Opaline, and Tiana to come with them. The chosen Weres followed Angel closely, heading into the side woods to a secluded area about 5 minutes walk from the house, but it only took the Weres three. Angel brought them to a clearing in the woods and Cole could see a large iron grate-like shield, spanning about five meters of the grounds. Angel climbed atop it, looking down into the hole. Xavier went to join him, and Cole and Jason followed. Looking down through the iron bars, Cole could see an iron ladder leading down into a pit and the stench was killing. “Heavens! This is where they are?!” Xavier asked with gritted teeth, his anger was evident
The following morning Cole and Xavier asked to speak with Ash privately, and shortly after the other man peered into the study before entering. Xavier was standing by the window and Cole was by the liquor cabinet. “Thanks for honouring our call Ash—” Cole said and almost bit his tongue for the nonsense. It was quite obvious he wasn’t comfortable speaking with another man about his choice of a partner. Heck! If it weren’t for the impending mission he would have let whatever the two were playing at work itself out. What’s the point of living if you have to keep it safe all the time? A deep frown formed a groove in between his eyebrows. It was plain he would not be a perfect person to discuss the topic of ‘the birds and bees’ when the time comes. He evidently sucks at it. He doubted Isabelle would approve of him telling their kids to explore as much as they want. He wasn’t a parent yet and that scenario had him imaging an angel giving him a disapproving glare. He shook his head as if th
A gentle tap on the door woke Cole up and his eyes automatically went to the wall clock. He sighed. He had fallen asleep curled up with Isabelle in front of the fireplace on the duvet he had dragged from the bed. Lying there and chatting with her about their future felt right. It felt beautiful and now he just needed to go and secure that future for all of them. He disengaged from her and she turned her face to hold his gaze “Xavier needs me...” Cole said, lowering his head to plant a kiss on her lips. “Okay,” she said. Cole got up and quickly threw some clothes on before leaving the room when he got downstairs all the Weres were there including Ash. Cole sighed. He figured if Tiana hadn’t told Ash yet who she was he would have to be the one to do it or speak to Xavier about it. The last thing he needed was a surprised lover, freaking out at the wrong time and messing up their mission. He nodded a greeting to everyone and walked in the direction of Alexander’s office he had
She walked to the bathroom door that was at a corner of the opposite wall to the door she came in through, and slowly pushed it open, leaving it just slightly open. Cole was under the shower and his entire body was lathered and on display. Isabelle’s heart shook. He stood under the shower with his hands pressed to the wall as the water washed off the soap slowly on his body. Isabelle allowed her eyes to follow the flow down his deliciously sexy body. It reminded her of the time back at his cabin when he had washed her body and made her wash his too. “Touch me...” his raspy voice echoed in her head, and she leaned against the door frame watching him as her body flamed up for him. Cole heard the adjoining door open and knew she was coming before she got to the bathroom door. He could feel her gaze on him and could smell her excitement. The thought and the scent of her, mingled with her arousal affected his body in an unbelievable way. It was as if he could feel exactly what she was f
“Belle?” Xavier called, causing her to snap out of her musings. She realised everyone had sat down and she was the only one standing by the open French door like some social recluse. She flashed a smile that she hoped didn’t appear as a grimace and went to take the seat next to Xavier and Amèlie. The others started to eat, and low murmuring filled the room. They were all so aware of the male servants, standing by, and close to the side walls, evidently there to wait on them, but that didn’t make it less awkward. When she continued to sit still without reaching out to eat, Xavier gave her a gentle nudge with his leg, and she winced delicately, before reaching for her food. They were first served with an appetizer and Isabelle slowly tasted the chicken soup before she started to eat. They were on the main course dish when Cole entered the room. Two male servants quickly went to serve his appetizer, placing it by the head of the table. “I am sorry. I have been quite a terrible host.
With chest heaving, she breathed through parted lips returning his scrutiny. Cole took the seat beside her. Reaching for her hand, he held it firmly in his and then leaned into her and took her lips in a searing kiss. Isabelle gasped, confused by his actions, but he didn’t stop. The taste of whiskey on his tongue mixed with coffee coupled with the effect of his drugging kiss made her gradually lose herself in the kiss and it wasn’t long before she completely forgot why she was scared and where she was.When he finally let go for her to breathe, her eyes searched his smouldering ones before darting to the open window shield behind him. She found then that they were airborne, and the plane had stabilised. She swallowed. “I’m sorry, I haven’t—” she said. Cole raised his hand to brush a knuckle against her cheek. “Don’t do that… Don’t apologise to me. I'm sorry, I should have realised, and come sooner,” he replied and the tears she had been fighting to hold back spilt down her face. ‘