Donovan looked for Claudia as soon as they returned to his farm. Her car was in the drive as well as several others including Astra's and Domino's. She had to be around somewhere. They won't let her go out alone. He killed him if they did.
He motioned for Mal to go upstairs to clean up while he searched for his wife. She had a tendency to do what she wanted even when he asked her not to. He never ordered her. He tried once, and she made him sleep on the front porch. Now he merely asked politely to get her to do anything.
He Headed down to the panic room, listening intently for any sign of distress. He was glad he didn't hear anything, but that silence was nerve-racking. Where was his wife? Her car was here and he could smell her, but where was she?
Doing his best to keep his temper in check, Donovan walked down the stairs. Once he pushed the door open, he smelled her and food. He glanced back at the kitchen, but he hadn't smelled any cooking when he walked in. Claudia must've ordered food and had it delivered so she wouldn't have to go out. She was very adaptive and creative when she wanted something.
He stood in the doorway and watched for a long time. Claudia was eating with the three rogue wolves as if nothing was wrong. She didn't care that these three had caught some problems and even deaths. But here it was his wife treating them as if they were hers. Her compassion truly astounded him sometimes.
She sat with her back to the women's cell and ate in peace, chatting with him as if she did so they responded to her and con, answering questions she posed to them. They seemed to fall for her charms. If she were werewolf, she would be an omega because of her nature.
"We could kill you, you know?" One of the girls said. She shoveled food continually. "It wouldn't be too hard."
"You're right; you could," Claudia agreed. She put the spoon in her mouth to clean it. "But she won't."
The man laughed. "You and your husband have been good to us even though we've been complete shits."
Claudia turned around to face them. "I know why Lydia did it, but why did you two come after her? What does Belizia have on you?"
"It's not Belizia ," the other girl said. "Dupree sent us. We didn't mean to kill your wolf. He caught us by surprise, and Travis reacted before I could say anything."
" Travis, what does Dupree have to do with this?" Donovan sat on the third step and propped his chin up in his hand. Claudia was doing an excellent job so he didn't need to be there. The others could smell him, but he won't disturb them.
Travis pushed his trash to the cell wall and sat back. "It's like Alexa said. When Belizia sent Matt and Lydia to collect the Firebird, she told him to do whatever they needed to do to get them. So they started killing people, numbers going up one by one each time. Their victims were scattered haphazardly. The only one who meant anything was the last one, the girl."
"Dupree sent us to collect the Firebird and clean up their mess. Once we knew he was the mate to one of your husband's wolves, we had a change of plans. We may be rogue wolves and Mercenaries, but we have a code. We don't hurt werewolves' mates or children," Alexa said.
Claudia nodded. "So Dupree wants the Firebird as well. Why?"
"All we know is the Firebird is powerful enough to make the Fae and other magic can act stupid," Lydia added. "Belizia hired Matt and me on the pretenses that she would get us out of the country. She promised we wouldn't have to return to Alistair."
Alexa hissed as Donovan's head came up. "You're one of the packmaster's wolves?"
"We weren't in his primary pack. Matt was the son of Destin Westbrook, Alpha of the secondary pack." Lydia shuttered momentarily. "He was a brutal man, always beating Matt for the dumbest things. When Matt first changed, he doted on him until he realized Matt wasn't going to listen to him. Then he got worse."
"So you asked Belizia for help?" Claudia asked.
Lydia nodded. "She said all we had to do was find someone and she'd get us away from him."
"Did she tell you to kill people?"
"She picked them out, and all we had to do was kill them. She'll wipe our scents and we'd wait . The more you didn't react the angrier she became. Then she got sloppy."
Claudia tapped her fingers on the floor as she thought. Donovan was aware she was trying to make the best decision for these kids. None of them look to be out of their 20s yet. They were just starting out. Claudio wanted to give him the best possible chance.
"What do you want to do, dear?" she asked.
Donovan stood and came down the stairs. The younger wolves looked scared but they had to have known he was there. He held his hand out so Claudia could stand. When she did, she wrapped her arms around his waist and dropped her head to shoulder. He could feel her indecision in the way she held him, but he had no answers for her until he had more information.
"What would you have me do?" He asked. He watched the two in one cell before turning his to the other. They at least had the respect to turn their gazes away. "What does your gut say, Claudia?"
"I think they're just pawns. They'll be killed regardless of the outcome," she said.
Donovan called success, three pairs, and make sure they understood the consequences. They hung or heads in a feet making the offer agree with his wife.
"Travis, how did you end up in Dupree's employee?" he asked.
"We owe several thousands to another. Dupree bought our debt. We took missions to pay it off," the young man said.
Donovan ran his hand up and down Claudia's back. "I'll take care of it. But in return, you get out of the country. I'll contact an alpha I know in Spain. He'll take you in. If I ever hear about you doing anything like this again, I'll make sure you pay."
"What about me?" Lydia asked. Her voice was small as she stared at him.
"How old are you?" Claudia asked.
"Seventeen."
She slapped her husband's chest. "Donovan, you can't ship her off to another pack. They'll do worse things than just hitting and yelling at her."
"She's right." Astra came in from the exterior door. It was used in case of emergencies, but Astra used it to get away from DOMINO. "They'll do far worse than any other pack. You're one of the good ones. She'll benefit from being here."
Though he understood, Donovan looked sad. "I can't make the decision. Yes, it's my pack, but she attacked and killed six people. I don't have the right to do it."
Lydia frowned, crawling to the front of the cell. She held it and pressed her face between the bars. Her eyes look too big for her face as tears collected in them. She was scared senseless.
"Who will make the choice?" she asked.
"The one you hunted," he said. Her eyes widened at his meaning. "Everett is the only one who can make this decision. I will respect his choice."
"Will he spare her?" Alexa asked.
"Everett has a lenient personality. He loves second chances," Astra said. "But you killed a friend of his. In this instance, I'm unsure what he will do."
Lydia leaned against the bars. "I guess whatever judgment he hands-down will be just."
"He'll try to be."
Donovan put some pressure on Claudia's back then escorted her up the stairs. Astra picked up the garbage and followed him shortly after. She closes the door then tosses the trash. But her alpha knew she was struggling with the answer to the questions the kids posed to them. What would Everett do? No one but Mal could possibly guess that question but they wouldn't ask the other werewolf.
Claudia said about making dinner for a large number of people. She had already eaten but the rest hadn't. She couldn't in good conscience let them make food for themselves. They were better ways to die.
Astra sat at the bar and watched the husband and wife as they cooked together. Donovan wasn't that savvy, but he can make a few things. He could grill just about anything, but he couldn't cook. It was still fun to watch them coexist in the kitchen. One was bossy, and the other just looked like he was in pain.
Mal wondered in looking ragged but smelling good. The shower had all but drained him, but Astra was more concerned with his mental state. Everett was his everything. Being without him has been rough these last several days.
"How is he?" She asked.
Mal sat down beside her and rubbed his face. "He looks good; damn good. He's put on a lot of muscle mass but has trimmed down. I'm pretty sure he's gonna look better than me."
"Newsflash: he already does," Donovan said.
Claudia laughed and slapped her husband with a spatula. "Stop picking on him. You know how he feels."
"And from experience, I know Everett looks better than Malcolm."
His wife cast him a look then went back to cooking. "He's already wound up enough. He doesn't need the two of you picking on him."
Astra snorted. "You better be careful. You'll have more than the Fae looking for him."
Mal ground then rubbed his face roughly. "Does everyone know?"
Donovan poured milk into the pot with his noodles and cheese. He stirred them slowly as they started to boil. "We knew the day it happened, but we weren't going to say anything. Unfortunately, Ezra isn't like the rest of us."
He wasn't wrong. Ezra lived by his own code of law and his own code of conduct. If he saw something that he didn't think was right, he said something. He also didn't believe someone should go in half cocked about something. He made sure they had all the information before they made a decision, and if the decision was wrong, he could say I told you so.
"I'm still trying to figure it out, but if it's what he wants, I'll try to work with it." Mal post, I was looking past Donovan Claudia to the wall behind them. "It wasn't bad, but I'm not sure I can share all the time."
"It's all right to be stingy. You met him first and you're in a good relationship," Claudia said. "Just remember to ask his opinion, and don't force your ideals on him. He's not an object to be possessed."
She cast her husband an irritated glance. Donovan shrank back with a sheepish grin. This had happened in their relationship? How in the world had Donovan lived through it? Claudia wasn't the type to be owned, and she damn sure wasn't an object. It made Mal wonder what exactly had happened before they'd gotten married.
I finished making dinner and we're setting the table in the back door slammed open. Domino and Ezra came in, hauling Strickland between them. Carver followed along with three others. All looked ragged with ripped clothes in various wounds.
Claudia dropped her bowl and went for the first aid kit. Donovan helped get Strickland in a chair as Astra started mopping up the blood trail.
"What happened?" Claudia asked. She sat in front of Strickland and rip his shirt away from the skin.
"Is a damn Fey woman!" Domino yelled. "She's on her way here, and she used Strickland as cannon fodder. She's pissed, Donovan, and I'm not sure if we can stop her."
"She's not going to be the problem," Mal warned. "Ezra, did you sense Dupree anywhere near her?"
The second pulled his shirt over his head and tried to clean off the dried blood. "I didn't, but I wasn't paying attention. Do you think you'll be with her?"
Mal didn't get a chance to answer as the big bay window shattered inward. Strickland pulled Claudia against him as Donovan covered her head with his body. Those standing by the now ruined window were met head on with snarling and growling werewolves, wolves that were not their own.
It took only a minute before all hell broke loose inside the house and outside.