Chapter 59

** Hours before Lori's kidnap**



"Alpha... Vara is waiting in the foyer with a guest."

Sabine raised her eyebrows.

"Vara?"

She said as she dropped the file she was holding.

"Send her in. Immediately."

Sabine barked and the woman nodded. Sabine began to smile, she knew Vara was not dead, she could feel it in her bones. That was why she didn't start looking for a replacement and she didn't inform her pack, because she knew Vara would be back.

Few moments later, Vara walked in with a tattered young man next to her.

"Vara..."

Sabrina breathed as she stood up from her chair and threw her hands over her.

"Alpha."

Sabine broke away to take a look at Vara, she looked thinner, she looked like she had been through hell in the past couple of days. Her face was stark and gaunt. Visibly, she didn't seem to have any scars but Sabine could smell an injury from her. One that was sick and rotten and not healing.

Vara needed medical attention. Asap.

She turned to the man next to Vara. The man shivered slightly, he looked like a dump too. Smelled like one too, Sabine thought as she flared her delicate nostrils.

Sabine turned to Vara with a question in her eyes and Vara nodded.

"I've brought you something... as a peace offering..."

"I know that I failed you..."

Sabine shook her head.

"No. No. I never saw it that way... I was worried for your safety..."

She said and Vara nodded.

"We were outnumbered. Gabriel himself was there..."

Sabine shrugged.

"Let us discuss that later. Who is this peace offering you have brought for me?"

She asked and Vara smiled.

"This is Jared. Lori's brother."

Sabine raised her eyebrows.

"Oh really? Interesting..."

Vara nodded.

"Wait until I tell you more..."

"There's more?"

Vara nodded.

"Yes. I went to a great deal of length looking for him. He was hiding from Gabriel..."

"Oh... he was?!"

Sabine asked and Vara nodded.

"Seems Gabriel is enacting revenge on his mate's behalf."

Sabine muttered and Vara nodded.

"He had interesting things to tell me... About Lori's past... I think he can be of very good use to us."

Sabine glared at the man, he was slightly shivering now.

"Indeed."




*******************


Elliot didn't think he had ever been so angry in his life, the anger coursing through his veins. He felt the urge to break something, but he also knew that he needed to run.

He wasn't going back to DC. No, not like that.

He had to run. Draco was distracted, making calls, Elliot took it as his chance, he didn't even pack a bag.

Out in the streets he contemplated where to go, but he had no choice as he pulled up his phone and called his brother.

"Meet me at the grove. I'll come pick you up."

Barely an hour later, Lyle was already at the bar, rushing towards his brother.

"What did he do to you?"

He barked out as he held his brother's face.

Elliot shrugged as he pushed Lyle's hands away.

"It's nothing..."

"Nothing?! Tell me what went wrong Eliot!"

Elliot sighed.

"He found out... he found out that you were alive."

Lyle froze.

Well. That did put a huge dent in his plans.

He had been counting on Gabriel's ignorance, planning a sneak attack was best. He wanted to strike without Gabriel ever seeing him coming. That was his plan all along.

But now it was ruined. No worries, he would come up with another. He still already knew so much that his brother was not aware of.

"Oh god.... Does that mean he's coming for me?!"

Lyle asked, feigning shock.

Elliot shook his head.

"We have time to hide. You have time to hide."

"He's going to be too worried about Lori and her safety right now. I say we leave the state right now and come back when everything has died down."

"Wait wait wait! We can't leave now... not yet."

"Why?! You wanted to leave earlier... you told me yourself!"

Elliot said and Lyle nodded as he scratched his head.

"I know. I know. You're right but I have some things to clear up."

"You don't understand Lyle, he will come for us, we need to leave now!"

"Calm down Elliot! I know you're worried but trust me, there's no way Gabriel will find us. You can crash at my place for a few days... you're going to hide there for a while until I figure out my next plan."

Lyle stood up from the stool, pulling his trench coat together.

"Let's go."

He beckoned his brother.

He looked at Elliot again.

"You didn't bring anything with you?"

He asked and Elliot shook his head.

"There wasn't time to grab anything."

"I was scared I was going to get hurt."

Lyle nodded.

Fair enough.


About an hour later they arrived at an apartment in the city after Lyle made some calls, Elliot had explained everything that happened to him and he knew that it was only a matter of time before Gabriel caught up to him.

Lyle had only stayed there a few times since he arrived. He had been staying at Sabine's place for a while now but he didn't want his brother to know that he was involved with her.

He would have to keep it hidden.

The apartment was small and dark, with worn out furniture and dust settling on the surface, it wasn't even really his, he was just renting it for the month. Luckily his payment had not ended, at least not yet.

"This is where you stay?"
Elliot asked as he looked around and Lyle nodded, removing the empty food boxes on the sofa.

He had not cleaned in a while.

Lyle grimaced.

"Im sorry... it's not much really... but you can stay here for the meantime."

Elliot shrugged.

"Oh I don't mind... just grateful I found somewhere to stay."

Lyle nodded.

"I'll set up the bedroom for you."

He said as he walked out of the living room.

Elliot settled in one of the couch and checked his phone. At least ten calls from Draco and four threatening texts from him. Elliot had blocked his contact for the time being, Lori's too but he quickly unblocked it so he could send her an apology text.

What he said was wrong... on all levels. He should have never have brought up her past. Especially in that way.. especially when he knew how much it hurt her.

Besides, without Lori Gabriel might have still found out about Lyle. And he was wrong to have kept it away from Gabriel, even if he was only doing it to protect his brother.

He crafted an apology text and sent it to her.

Then he sent another. Then he decided a call would be better so he could explain himself.

No answer.

Lyle came out of the room at that moment.

"Who are you calling?"

He asked and Elliot sighed.

"It's Lori. I said some pretty mean things ri her before I left... I feel bad."

Lyle nodded.

"The two of you are close?"

He asked and Elliot nodded.

"Yea... we are. We keep each other company and all... I took out my anger on her."

Lyle sighed.

"Well... I know you want to apologize but I think it's best you refrain from contacting her from now."

"But..."

He hesitated and Lyle cut him off.

"I'm serious. In fact... give me your phone... I need to check for bugs... it's probably not safe for you to be carrying it around since Gabriel might have it tracked."

"He can do that?!"

Elliot exclaimed and Lyle scoffed as he stretched his hand.

"He's powerful. You know he can."

Elliot handed the phone after unlocking it.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Clear my head."

He murmured and Lyle nodded.

"Good. I'll go get you some supplies. Get something for us to eat too."

"You like Chinese?"

He asked and Elliot nodded.

"Sure."


Lyle came back an hour later with food and supplies just like he had promised. Except he got them all from Sabine.

She was the first person he ran to the minute he left the apartment and she sounded very pissed that his brother had somehow let Gabriel found out that he was still alive.
They lost their element of surprise, now, Gabriel would be ready for him. For them.

He must have also already figured out that he wasn't working alone.

He dropped off the supplies and left, telling Elliot he had some business to attend to and won't be back till the next day. He held on to Elliot's phone, lying that it was bugged and he had to destroy it.

That was another lie, but his brother ate it up and just stayed in the apartment like he asked him to.

He went through the phone, his brother had a lot of friends... but the closest seemed to be Lori. He had taken pictures of her and Lyle wondered if his brother had developed a crush on the woman.

She was gorgeous. Black hair, hazel eyes and sensuous lips, it was a pity that she was involved in such mess.

Nevertheless he continued with his plan and sent her a text.

It was risky. Extremely risky going to the penthouse that Gabriel and Lori were staying but from the little he could infer from the urgent texts Draco had been sending to Elliot, Draco was out looking for him and Gabriel wasn't home.

Yet.

He went into the lobby in disguise and waited for at least thirty minutes after he had sent the message for Lori to come to him.

He had almost given up. Almost did till he saw her coming from the elevator and he stood up and walked up to her.

The first thing about her that hit him was Gabriel's scent on her. Around her, surrounding her, it infuriated him.

They had mated then... which would make hiding her even more complicated than before.

He had to act fast and get her out of there.



*****************************


Vara looked up from her phone. It was the address. She was in the right place.

A pretty house in the suburbs. How cute. She thought as he looked back.

She had brought back up this time... only on a hunch. Four able bodied men from her own pack.

She was feeling much better now, coming back home and into the welcoming hands of Sabine had relieved her of all her stress and worries. Her wound also seemed to be healing better after she got  proper treatment.

But with news reaching them that Lyle's cover was blown, Sabine sent her on another errand to pursue.

A particular lead that Jared had given her. She didn't like the guy... he gave her the creeps and he spoke about his sister like she was his rival.

It was a good thing that they were not related because she couldn't imagine someone being so vile and evil to his own sister.

He didn't even have any justifiable reasons for hating Lori, but he seemed pretty determined to end her.

He had been useful though... very useful.. apparently the creep had been doing a lot of digging on his sister.

Visiting the hospital she gave birth, gathering hospital records, spying on the Fullers, visiting the nurse who was in charge of Lori and he had come to a very interesting conclusion.

Lori's son wasn't dead.

He didn't think he wasn't dead. He believed it.

And at first Sabine had wanted to dismiss the information as useless. Of what use was it to her? She was after Gabriel's downfall, nobody else's but Gabriel.

But then she had slept on it and decided that it was actually very useful information. A secret weapon.

One that they could use against Lori. They could bend her to their wishes and make her do whatever they wanted...

But they had to find out if it was true first.

Vara pressed the doorbell.

Few moments later a woman came out and opened the door.

"I'm sorry who are you?"

She asked softly and Vara stared at her from head to toe.

She took a generous sniff in the air.

She could smell baby powder.

"Vara"

Vara said as she smiled.