“The earthquakes,” Char mumbled. “Ella can move things. That’s her gift.”
“You hit the nail on the head. That feels right. That’s why Drake’s holding Ella, and attempted to bump off Wolf when he came looking for her.” Iris nodded. “I hate kidnapping assholes,” she added.
“Me too amiga,” Marisol agreed.
Cain repressed a growl. Trip wore a similar foul expression as he held onto Marisol. Bastian was certain there was a story there, but it would have to wait.
“So, Ella can move things with her mind,” Coso mused out loud. “If that’s true, then I think she saved Wolf’s life.”
Char’s hand covered her mouth to repress a sob.
Bastian didn’t know how Ella saved Wolf, when the explosion leveled everything around her, but then again, he didn’t know how any of this was possible.
Wolf
“Char, stop yelling at me,” Wolf groaned.
“He’s awake,” Char said to someone. “I can’t believe you went rushing into a jackal stronghold. You should’ve brought me along, like I told you.”
Wolf cracked his eyelids to see his sister’s peeved face.
“I didn’t know the jackals were holding…Ella.” Wolf struggled to sit up as her name crossed his lips.
“Don’t be stupid,” Cain growled as he pushed Wolf back down. “You’re going to open those wounds back up.”
“They’ve got her,” Wolf snarled, as he glared at his friend.
He didn’t know why Cain was here, or even where here was. What Wolf did know was that he had to rescue Ella from the jackals.
God only knows what that bastard’s done to her.
“I would suggest you calm down.” Wolf recognized Coso, the desert alpha. “You were all but dead in that canyon. The Great Wolf looked kindly on you once, but don’t test Isa’s favor. One of those bullets struck you in the heart, then reversed course, and your ticker knit back together before you died. So, don’t throw your second chance away being stupid.”
“Ella,” Wolf whispered. He’d felt her intense energy surround him before he passed out in the desert.
“Yeah, it was Ella,” Iris confirmed as she smiled sympathetically.
Wolf knew Ella was amazing. Apparently, everyone else knew too, now.
“We’re going to get her back,” Cain promised.
“Damn straight we are,” Vick rallied.
Wolf was happy to see who all had come to his aid.
“I know we will,” he growled.
“We need to be cautious with how we move forward,” Coso insisted. “Jackals may not outnumber the wolf and feline breeds across the territories, but most of them reside here in Nevada. That means they pose a formidable force in this region.” Coso paced back and forth. “Drake’s not going to let us just walk in and take the female he covets.”
“It would be just like Drake to use this as an excuse to start a war. All his people would back him if they thought the other breeds had stolen his mate,” Bastian snarled.
Wolf nearly leapt off the couch, at the mere suggestion the fucking jackal wanted to mate his Ella.
“Seriously man?” Cain smacked a hand on Wolf’s forehead, affectively pinning him to the couch.
A deep feral growl rumbled through Wolf’s chest, but it petered out as a wave of dizziness struck.
“Wolf, we’re going to get her,” Iris said sincerely.
Those words gave Wolf the most comfort yet. If anyone knew it was Iris.
“Drake may not let a Shifter into his casino,” Iris said as she tapped her chin with that funny look Wolf had seen before.
Iris glanced pointedly from Abuela to Marisol, her smile widening.
“Iris, I know you’re hatching something. The answer is no,” Cain snarled vehemently.
“I agree, it’s too fucking dangerous,” Trip growled.
“Mijo, I think I’m old enough to make my own decisions,” Marisol’s grandmother admonished Trip.
“Mi amore, I don’t ever get to have fun,” Marisol pouted. “Let the girls play, and I’ll let you do that thing you’ve been begging for,” she demurred seductively.
Marisol played Trip like a fiddle. Wolf could only imagine what she was bribing him with. Knowing Trip, it was something raunchy.
“I can’t ask you to do this,” Wolf insisted.
Wolf appreciated the offer. He knew what the three amazing women were capable of, but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself, if anything happened to them.
Wolf clenched his fists. He hated how useless he felt. He needed more time to heal from getting riddled with bullets, but Ella needed him now.
“Cain, this is the only way, without starting a war,” Iris insisted sweetly. “Just hear me out. We won’t be alone.”