Chapter 54 Safe

*Ethan*

"Well, are you going to answer me?" I was waiting for Andrew to tell me where Diana and Harley were. I saw a moment of panic in his eyes which quickly turned sinister.

"Alpha Ethan, you kill me, you will never find them." This mage had some nerve.

"Diana, where are you?" I try to mind link with her. I waited for a response, but I didn't get one. She couldn't hear me. It meant she was at a distance.

"I know what you are doing Alpha Ethan, you are trying to mind link with her. You will not be able to reach her. You are not powerful enough." Andrew laughs at me.

"Well, there are ways to get a wolf like you to talk." I gesture to Wyatt. "Get the black bag from my room. You know what bag I'm talking about." He nods his head. "Anyone have a blind fold?" Lucas comes over and takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and folds it. He then couches down beside Andrew and ties it around his eyes.

"There, Ethan. I don't want to touch him. He might have gifts we don't know of." Lucas stands up.

"Alpha, here it is." Wyatt came out with my small black bag that had tools and handcuffs made of silver except for my black cloth gloves which I use when I needed to handle the items in my bag. I put on the gloves and take out the handcuffs. I place it on his wrists. It starts burning his skin almost instantly. He screams.

"What is going on here?" The familiar voice of the Elder. My men parted to give way to her while Colt helped her, his hand holding hers.

"Your ward here has Diana and Harley hidden somewhere. Did you know he was a mage?" Lucas asked her. She shook her head.

"Andrew, are you the mage that was able to escape the Council? You are the one still concocting that vile elixir? That elixir was one of the reason's why we had forbidden wolf and human relations. A half-breed's skin is the main ingredient of the elixir." She clicked her tongue in disgust. "Now, you have taken the two half-breeds. Do you know the one you took is the black wolf who is wolf above all other wolves? She will kill you." We heard the fear in the Elder's voice. She actually cared for him? She wasn't totally self-absorbed like we all thought. Or maybe she was only thinking of herself.

"She is trapped, Elder. Without me, she can not escape. Now, please tell your friends to stop torturing me. It will not help their plight. The child will surely die." The Elder laughed, like she heard a joke. We all stared at her, not understanding why she was laughing at a time like this.

"You are a foolish man. I always wondered why you did not go back to your clan. I caught glimpses of your thoughts when you had let your guard down and have known you know who your father is. Well, I have always thought you were foolish, especially when I found out who your mate was." She laughed again, but this time it was full of scorn. " Oh yes. I saw glimpses of you in his thoughts. However, he had purposely blocked the thoughts of you being a mage. If I had only known..." She shook her head in disbelief. "Your lover's sentence was overturned by me. I had him executed when the other Elders had wished him to be sentenced to life imprisonment. I assume you did know, the half-breed you kept was also his lover." She smiled malevolently. Elder Allen was a woman of deceit. Lucas was looking at her, bewildered. He also was stunned Elder Allen could be this deceitful.

"No! You lie!" Andrew moved, angry at what the Elder had just said. His movement caused his his skin to burn again as his wrists came in contact with the silver. He screamed in pain.

"You are my gravest mistake. I shouldn't have kept you alive. When my sister gave birth to you, insane that she was, I should have done the noblest thing...I should have killed you. If I did, you wouldn't have become a scoundrel, a mage aiding the rogues. You and your mate are trash!" The Elder's lips twisted in utter disgust. "You will learn who you are dealing with, Andrew. The half-breed woman is someone you should fear."

"Get her out of here. She isn't helping." I heard Michael tell Jonathan. They were both panting. Jonathan took the old lady from Colt and led her back to her room. "Colt, make sure the Elder doesn't leave. I doubt if she's telling us the whole truth." Colt nods his head and follows Jonathan and the Elder. "We searched everywhere. Nothing. I think they're both underground. I asked the chefs at the kitchen and they said there's a basement in this mansion. They just don't know where the entrance is," Michael said. Ah, the basement. I turn to Andrew who was actually crying. Whatever the Elder said about his mate had caused him anguish.

"How do we get to the basement? Where is the entrance? You better talk or I'll wrap a silver chain around your neck and hang you."

"I will never tell you unless you agree to my terms. Anyway, once the rogues notice I have gone missing, they will come for me.That elixir is vital to their operations. I am important to them." He was able to compose himself a bit, yet the tears flowed down his cheek.

"Well, they haven't noticed you have gone missing...yet. It'll be a day or two before they notice. That's enough time for us to torture you so you can talk." I take out a syringe from my small black bag. "And so you won't put up a fight, I'm going to inject you with a potent dose of wolfsbane. Just enough to keep you lucid, but strong enough to keep you restrained."

"No, please no. Not wolfsbane. It will make me sick." He actually had the nerve to beg.

"Then tell me where are they?" I saw him hesitate. "WHERE ARE THEY?! Where is my mate and my cousin?!" I yell at him.

"We're here, Ethan." We all turn around to see Diana, carrying Harley. She puts him down. " I need your help. There are people downstairs in a prison. I need you to see if he has keys on him. Most of the doors require his security code but the prison cells need keys to open." I hand the syringe to Wyatt and rush to Diana. Oh my gosh. I thought I wouldn't be able to find her.

I take her into my arms and kiss her. I forgot everyone was behind me. All I knew was fear of being away from her. It was a few minutes until I heard someone cough.

I parted my lips from hers. I didn't want to turn around. I was caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I decided to bend down instead and check on Harley.

"How are you, kiddo? Were you scared?" He shook his head. "Why don't you go to your mom. She's been sick with worry." He nods his head and walks to their room. I couldn't face the people behind me just yet. I knew my face was red from getting caught kissing Diana. I needed to calm down a bit.

"Diana, where are the people locked up?" Lucas was behind me. I could hear the stern tone in his voice. "I found the keys in his pocket."

"Sorry about that, Dad. We are mates you know." Diana looked a little flustered from our public display of affection. "Anyway, they are about several floors down. The hidden door is in the laundry room and the security code for all his security panels is 112475. He has a laboratory and an office down there."

"Ethan, get that man chained up. Michael, call Jonathan so he can accompany us to the basement. Athena is at the view deck. I'll tell her to prepare something warm for the people to eat." Lucas then puts his hand on my shoulders and another on Diana's. "Just keep the PDA low key okay? I'm happy you guys are getting along. Hugs and kisses on the cheek. That's all I ever want to see. Got it?" We nod our heads.

"Dad, I'm coming with you. The people trust me. Ethan, sweetheart, keep that man locked up. I need to talk to him later. Oh, by the way, a truck is on its way here. We can get the people home through the truck."

"A truck?" Lucas and I say together. Great. We have company.

"Yes. Onyx says we'll be seeing an old friend."

________________

*Diana*

I entered the vault while covering my nose. The smell was awful. I told Harley to stay outside and keep watch.

"Help us, I beg you. Before he takes us and kills us." A young woman, maybe in her early twenties, cried aloud. I looked at all the eyes staring at me. They were all begging.

"Do you know how to open these cells?" I asked them. I didn't see any security panels.

"He has keys." A young boy said. He was a teenager, maybe around fourteen. I sighed.

"That means I have to go back up and find him. He left us in his office. I have people topside who can help us. Can you guys wait here? I'll keep the vault door open. I promise. I will be back with those keys."

"Do you have something to eat? He hasn't fed us for days," the young boy said.

"I'll check his office. Wait here." I walk out of the prison area, take Harley's hand and head to the office to find something to eat. I find a small refrigerator hidden in the cabinets of his bookstand and beside it, some snacks, chips and cookies still in their packaging. I take all of it and ask Harley to carry it while I carry some bottles of water. We head back to the prison cell and distribute what we had to all the people. They tore of the wrappers and started stuffing the food in their mouths.

"I'll go get those keys. I promise I will be back. Don't worry. You're safe now."

"Thank you. I'm so happy you found us," another woman said.

I take Harley and guide us to the elevator doors and punch in the security code. We enter and head back up to the laundry room. Once we got to the grand staircase, I could hear Ethan speaking. He was very angry. I carry Harley up the stairs and see Ethan's men, my father, Uncle Mike looking down at something. Then I heard Ethan's loud voice.

"Then tell me where are they?" Ethan pauses for a moment waiting for an answer. WHERE ARE THEY?! Where is my mate and my cousin?!" Ethan had a syringe in has hand. From my vantage point, he apparently was threatening the butler.

"We're here, Ethan," I say, loud enough for all of them to hear. They all turn to face me and I saw they had tied up the butler who was now blindfolded. Smart. No way for him to hypnotize anyone with his eyes covered. I put down Harley beside me. "I need your help. There are people downstairs in a prison. I need you to see if he has keys on him. Most of the doors require his security code but the prison cells need keys to open."

Ethan gives Wyatt the syringe and rushes towards me, relief in his eyes. I thought he was just going to hug me, but he pulled me in his arms and kissed me right in front of everyone. I knew my father wasn't going to like it, but when his lips met mine, all rational thought went out the door.

I welcomed the kiss. All of Ethan's longing was in that kiss. I felt myself melt in his arms until I heard my dad's cough.

Ethan suddenly pulls away from me and I open my eyes to see my father not liking what he had just witnessed while Uncle Mike had a big grin on his face. He hit my dad on the back to make him lighten up, but my dad just glared at him. Uncle Mike backed away from him with a "Oops. I'm sorry." kind of look.

Ethan, instead of facing my father, bent down to check on Harley. I saw my father bend down to check the butler's pockets and fished out a smartphone and a set of keys. He dangled them in the air in front of the butler's face. The butler's face scrunched up into a maddening frown. There was no way the butler could salvage his operations now.

"Diana, where are the people locked up?" My dad approached us. I could hear the disapproval in his voice. "I found the keys in his pocket."

"Sorry about that, Dad. We are mates you know." I know my explanation sounded lame, but it was the only one I could come up with at the moment. "Anyway, they are about several floors down. The hidden door is in the laundry room and the security code for all his security panels is 112475. He has a laboratory and an office down there."

"Ethan, get that man chained up. Michael, call Jonathan so he can accompany us to the basement. Athena is at the view deck. I'll tell her to prepare something warm for the people to eat." Then my dad puts one of his hands on my shoulders and the other on Ethan's. "Just keep the PDA low key okay? I'm happy you guys are getting along. Hugs and kisses on the cheek. That's all I ever want to see. Got it?" We nod our heads.

"Dad, I'm coming with you. The people trust me. Ethan, sweetheart, keep that man locked up. I need to talk to him later. Oh, by the way, a truck is on its way here. We can get the people home through the truck."

"A truck?" Lucas and Ethan say together. I could see the panic in their eyes. They probably were thinking the worst.

"Yes. Onyx says we'll be seeing an old friend. She says to stay here so I can shift with family and friends tomorrow. After the mating ceremony is over, we can drive to the Hamptons to the Elder's main estate in time for the Christmas Ball. Which reminds me, I need a ballgown."

"Seems she has this all planned out, huh?" My dad looked at me, impressed.

"Yes, Dad. All the way to my becoming Alpha of the Lotus Pack. But first, we send these people home. Have the rooms ready. They need to take a shower before they leave."