Laurie’s Wolves(51)

“What?” Zach’s heart rate increased. “What do you mean? Someone intentionally did this? How?” He’d considered several possibilities where Laurie’s intuition was concerned. None of them involved malicious intent. Though he shouldn’t have been surprised, considering everything that had happened in the last few days.

Mark shrugged. “Someone called the station. Must have been feeling the guilt of association. Your condo was broken into through a rear window that wasn’t locked. The burners on the stove were all opened. The house has been filling with gas for hours.”

He turned to face Laurie. “Not sure how you knew to stay out of that condo, but good thinking.”

“What do we need to do?”

“Fire department’s on their way. They’ll go in and handle the gas. You folks need to put several more yards between you and the condo until it’s safe.”

Zach nodded and tugged Laurie with him.

Melinda and Trace joined them as Corbin pulled up and hopped out of his truck almost before he shut the engine off. He was in his uniform, his face hard and determined as he approached. “What’s happening?” He glanced around when sirens again wailed in the distance.

“Gas, apparently,” Zach filled him in.

“A leak?”

“No.” Laurie shook her head. “Intentional.”

Corbin inhaled sharply and held up a hand toward the officers heading their way. “How do we know this?”

“Anonymous caller,” Trace added.

Melinda fumed, a groan filling the air as her face turned red. “I’d like to get my hands on the ignoramuses who think they’re God’s gift to the Earth.”

“Get in line,” Laurie added.

Corbin followed Trace toward Deputy Zimmer’s car. The three of them entered a quiet heated discussion.

Zach could only imagine how irate Corbin would be. The man had to be exhausted from staying up all night, and now he’d been called to drive almost an hour to get to his mates and find out they were in even more danger than last night—though realistically Zach realized Corbin got there in closer to thirty minutes.

The fire department pulled up, sirens blaring.

And that was the end of keeping things quiet.

Neighbors on both sides of Zach’s apartment stepped outside. It was almost seven in the morning by then. The police escorted them away from their homes to a section of the parking lot.

Several people shot looks toward Zach, but he didn’t meet their gazes. He wasn’t in the mood to explain himself right then. In fact, even though he’d lived in the condo for a year and a half, he hardly knew most of the neighbors. It was possible any one of them had instigated the threat against him and his mates.

Trace returned to his side. “I’ll go explain what’s happening to the onlookers.” He patted Zach on the back. “Corbin’s going to talk to the firemen.”

Zach nodded as he watched two men from the fire department approach the front door. Corbin handed them a set of keys.

Moments later, the condo was open, the windows were being lifted, and a third fireman lugged a giant fan toward the entrance. He set it facing out and proceeded to blow the gas out of the condo.

Laurie took Zach’s hand and squeezed. “Sorry.”

He glanced down at her and then wrapped his arm around her small frame. “For what?”

“For bringing all this into your life.”

“Are you kidding?” He squeezed her against him.

“No. You didn’t ask for this. Hell, you never asked for a mate at all. If I’m completely honest, I knew in my soul what would happen when I met you. I even knew already that we would be looking for a third. I should have turned away. I’m ruining your lives. Yours and Corbin’s.”

“Woman, cut it out. That’s crazy.” He spun her around to face him and grabbed her shoulder with one hand and her chin with the other, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m certain Corbin would agree. Stop it. This is no more your fault than the weird weather.

“You may think you’re causing problems, but you aren’t. You also didn’t bring a snowstorm to the mountain. This is all part of a bigger plan. It seems we’re pawns in Fate’s grand scheme, but we’re not in control. She is. We can do nothing but follow our instincts and go where She leads.” He bent his knees a bit to bring them closer, face to face. “I’m just as convinced of the opposite where you’re concerned.

“I believe we would be in a heap of trouble without you. There’s a shift in the atmosphere—no denying that. Whatever it is, you have a role. We all have a role. All we can do is follow our guts and take one day at a time.”