Ch. 129: He's Here

CHAPTER 129:
Jake~
I should have been staying out of it. I was trying to. But it was so hard to watch the redhead who clearly had feelings for Rachel get so close to her. Yeah, I’m a jealous wolf. What can I say? At least I could hold back.
Giving them their privacy as much as I could I stood over as a protector. I nearly ran over when Ally fell over. But somehow it had been Rachel that had pushed her into sleeping. I stood there with questions swimming in my head when the Fae and Rachel got even closer and then touched knees.
MINE, Aamon roared in my mind, prompting my legs to start walking on their own towards them to stop this.
But I held back. They spoke for a minute and he gestured to Ally before they connected their hands and the next second their heads were slumped to the sides. Asleep already. Looking for something. Likely to find Nick somehow. If his own mate was unsuccessful, I had some doubts about them being able to find him without her… But then again this was Rahcel, and her abilities weren’t something to underestimate. Maybe she could amplify the Fae.
Her gift being what it is, everything else makes so much sense. Why the Incubus and that obstinate warlock were so focused on her, drawn to her. The boost she gave us out there on the battlefield that first day was incredible. The downside of course is that for the rest of her life, she’ll likely keep drawing creeps out. Beings who can sense her deep well of power and what she could do for them. The mere idea of it made me snarl aloud before I could stop it.
I had thought at first that the Goddess made Rachel for me, to make me even stronger when we needed it. But the more I think about it, I think I was made for her instead. To keep those bastards away from her who would try to lock her up or use her. To defend her when she needs someone, to care for her and make sure the people around her were there for the right reasons. I could be that for her. I want to be that for her.
I watched my amazing mate squint her face in concentration. She continued to surprise me. And Goddess, I love her so much. Once this business with The Collective is over, we can leave if the pack won’t accept her. I love my family, but if they can’t see what I see, then I’ll give it all up. No question. I can put Nick’s dad in charge and they can fight among themselves for Alpha. I’ll be with Rachel. Maybe we can travel and look for other packs of mixed backgrounds. Maybe Nick and Ally would want to come. H*ll, Evan too. Even this Fae could tag along if he wanted, as long as he recognized my place in Rachel’s life. My mind spun with possibilities and these imaginary scenarios really didn’t feel so bad.
After a few minutes I see Rachel let go of one of the Fae’s hands and she grasps Ally’s wrist firmly. The movement makes me get closer. Could they have found something?
I feel a tug from our bond and I rush the rest of the way. I’m holding her when she opens her eyes. She’s smiling at me and I lose my breath, totally forgetting who is around and why I rushed over. I feel her pulling a tiny bit of power from me, she likely needs more to replenish whatever she spent just now.
“We know where he is,” she said, her grin widening. “Can you get a few guys ready?”

Evan~
I don’t know why I keep coming here. Why I came here this time.
I know why, Xavier grumbled in my mind.
I didn’t respond. Instead I sat down on the floor right in front of Amber’s cell. I rested my head on the bars in front of me and let go of one long shaky breath.
“Evan, what is it?” she immediately wakes up, her voice concerned.
My heart squeezes. She is so in tune with me that she woke up from a deep sleep because I’m upset. It isn’t fair. To be gifted someone like this. Not when I can’t accept her. When we could never work.
I breathe a few more deep breaths, counting in my mind. I feel her rush forward when I don’t respond.
Her hand wraps around mine. I’m holding onto the bars between us. The physical boundary and symbolic reminder of why this can’t work. But her touch cools me, calms my mind.
“It’s Nick,” I say hoarsely. I clear my throat and look up at her. “He’s missing.”
Her eyes narrow but she doesn’t say a word. She gives me space to continue.
“I was told to stay here, but I feel like I should be out there looking for him. I’m not built for sitting still like this. Waiting.” My last word comes out as a whisper.
Amber doesn’t say a word, just squeezes my hand. After a heartbeat she whispers, “I would help, if I could.”
“Would you?” I ask dryly.
I glance up at her just in time to see her reaction. Hurt. I’ve hurt her.
“I would,” she says shakily. “I know we don’t talk about all this much,” she says, gesturing slightly with her head to the cell she’s in. “But I want you to know, I would help. I will always help you. I know how important Nick is to you. That makes him important to me too.”
I push away from the bars and she doesn’t resist. She lets go. I step back and face away from her, my hand pulling through my own hair.
“You don’t know how badly I wish I could believe that,” I say, my words biting out.
I can’t bear to look at her, knowing that these words cut deep too. And she doesn’t make a sound as I walk off, dreaming that things were different.

Rachel~
The speed I was growing my powers should have been making me nervous. But it felt so natural… there’s no way to explain it. These feelings are coming more strongly and they guide me. So when I went in with Kyle and located Nick, I knew what to do. I pushed Nick into sleep. From wherever he was. And I knew to grab Ally. So I brought her along, back the way I had just come.
The look of relief on Ally’s face when she met Nick in the dream space melted me. They embraced and exchanged a few private things before I had gotten down to business.
We had Nick describe everything he could, and while it wasn’t much. I knew I could figure it out. So when it was time to let go, I let Kyle walk Ally back while I stayed behind and felt around. I somehow made it to the next person, and the next, and when I passed through them and saw things, it all came together. I have been here before. Carmel by the Sea. I recognized the Dr. Seuss museum a few blocks away.
I woke up and before Kyle could ask me whatever he wanted to ask, Jake was there, answering my pull. This weird way I traveled out of Nick’s dream had exhausted me, and Jake was already there, offering to fill my cup. I should be surprised at that. But looking at him, watching his serious gaze lighten when I told him the news, I knew for certain that it wasn’t a surprise. That he belongs with me. We were supposed to do this together.
It was only a few minutes before we were all gathered back into the car and on the way south. Jake informed his pack warriors where to meet us as well. It looked like they would get there first since they’d all gotten a head start by heading back down south earlier. So they were going to explore the area and see what they could figure out.
“If anyone needs to sleep to recharge before we go into… whatever this is, I would say try to sleep now,” Jake said aloud to the car.
And while Kyle nodded, I knew none of us would be able to sleep, not until we saved Nick.
It was about an hour later that we had to stop for gas while Jake took a call. It seemed I was right. Some scouts were able to confirm that some vampire had taken over an abandoned church. They couldn’t link Nick or pick up his scent, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. Nick described some intense cell he was being kept in. But the location matched, and with some other mysterious figures showing up, they were even more convinced.
Jake ordered them to stay where they were until we got there and to call if something changed. We wouldn’t be within range for the link to work for a while more. And so we got back into the car and continued to speed down the highway.
A little over an hour later and we turned off the highway into the quiet town of Carmel. Jake’s packlink was working at full capacity again and we learned that some scout had gotten nearly inside only to discover that the link didn’t work. This had to be it then. It was the same weird blocking that Jake had experienced up at the abandoned bar.
As we neared the location, Jake slowed the car down and swooped into a parking spot on a main street. We piled out of the car and made our way over to the alleyway the pack members were waiting in. Jake squeezed my hand for a moment before walking over to join his Beta. I lingered behind to give them all some space. While I wanted to help, I didn’t want to get in the way of their command structure, and I was more needed with Ally anyway.
“Hey” I checked in with her, nudging her shoulder.
“He’s here, I can feel it,” Ally said, one hand on her amulet. Her eyes darkened and she added, “I’m going to kill that bastard vampire.”
The ease of which she said that sent a shiver down my spine. But it was no more gruesome than what she had been doing out on the battlefield all those weeks ago. I knew how serious that statement was.