Claire’s POV
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When we arrived at the hospital, I was surprised to find that it was well protected. There were guards stationed inside and outside of the building, with ID checks at the main entrance, and then again on Len’s floor, and finally into his room.
Xavier was inside Leo’s room, allowing only staff he personally recognized to enter. He seemed relieved to me, even as he said, “Nothing’s happened yet. We’ve been on high alert since ceiving Gideon’s message. so far, everyone has checked out just fine. No intrusions. No one even looking around.”
That seemed strange. Surely the attackers would want to try something before Gideon returned home?
“Maybe we scared them off,” Xavier said. “When they saw us tightening our defenses, maybe they decided to even try it.”
“I don’t know,” I said. It was possible, certainly. But now that this had happened, I had some questions about the nature of that information leak. How easily had the guards come across it? Had it been properly hidden? Or had it been purposefully left in the open to be seen?
And to be found…?
It didn’t matter now, I supposed. We were here, so we would help. I gave directions to the warriors, adding their number to the guards already positioned around.
“Thank you for coming,” Xavier told me when most others had fanned out. “Sometimes I believe Alpha Gideon trusts you more than anyone in this pack. I don’t mean that in a self–deprecating way. I’m just glad you are here.”
I nodded. I was sure Gideon trusted Xavier, but he knew Xavier couldn’t hold everyone off on his own. There were still too many turncoats in this pack, too many untrustworthy people. It wouldn’t do to lower our guard at all.
I stayed with Xavier, guarding as I had trained to be until Gideon arrived, rushing through the hospital hallways.
He walked into the room, saw the two of us and Leo, and then exhaled in relief. “I’ve never been happier to be wrong.”
I’d been avoiding looking at Leo for too long, worried that if I did, I would give into despair. My poor little boy looked so weak and small in that big hospital bed. It was all I could do not to just go to him and hold him in my arms.
Instead, I watched as Gideon walked to him and placed his hand on Leo’s head like he was checking Leo’s temperature. We stayed like that for a moment. Then Gideon lowered his head and looked back at me, and then at Xavier.
“It’s been quiet?” he asked.
“Yes,” Xavier said. “Almost too quiet.
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Chapter 137
“Could the guards have gotten the date wrong when they uncovered the leak? Lasked Though Xavier and Gideon seemed to be relieved, my nervous heart was still in my throat. I didn’t feel comfortable with anything that was happening here.
“No.” Gideon said. “The message was clear and direct.”
“How clear?” I asked him, suspicious again.
Gideon looked at me for a long moment. “You think this was some kind of set up?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It could be. But without knowing the real target, we ca be sure. Do you think they‘ hit the pack house instead?” I glanced at Xavier. “Did you leave guards there?”
“A few,” Xavier said. He looked to his Alpha. “Is it possible Leo isn’t the real target?”
“Maybe,” Gideon admitted. “Redirect some of our guards. Keep the checkpoints here, and scan the perimeter. Don’t let anyone lower their guard. The enemy could be waiting for that too.” Under his breath. Gideon grumbled, “I hate espionage.”
I agreed, even if I was sometimes the one to partake in it.
Soon after, my phone rang. Seeing it was Ivan calling, I answered it.
“I don’t want to alarm you,” Ivan said.
“You can’t find Nova,” I said, realizing that in my panic, I hadn’t called him. “I’m sorry, I should have told you.”
“You know where she is?”
“She tried to stowaway,” I said. “I sent her back to the pack with one of the warriors. They should be back soon. Maybe she conned him into getting her ice cream first.”
“I’ll go out to the border to greet them,” Ivan said.
That gave me relief. “Thank you, Ivan.” Realizing that Gideon was glancing at me, I cleared my throat and corrected myself, “Alpha Ivan.”
Gideon looked away.
“She’s angry with me,” I told Ivan, my voice softer. “She didn’t want to go back.”
“I’ll talk with her,” Ivan said, and I hoped it would help. I rarely fought with Nova. This new rift between us
was tearing me apart.
“Thank you,” I said.
After I hung up, Gideon looked at me again. “Nova okay?”
I nodded. “She didn’t want to stay put. She’s been worried about Leo.”
“I can understand that,” Gideon said
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Chapter 137
“Me, too,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean I can allow it
“No,” Gideon agreed.
“How did the lawsuit go?” I asked him. “Is that where you were? The Royal Pack?”
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“Yes,” he said. “And it went well, though the Alpha King insisted I offer Darius more food. He ruled in my favor, so I get to keep the pack. Daphne is furious, of course, which is how my guards uncovered this leak Even if her plans were thwarted this time, we need to stay on high alert. She’s not going to give up.”
I knew that was true, and inwardly vowed that I would stay to protect Leo asong as he needed me to
Nothing and no one was going to hurt my children.
Nova’s POV
My kidnappers took me a far way from home. For the first bit of the journey, they carried me on their back. But then, when we reached a different road, they put me in the trunk and started driving.
It wasn’t like when I had stowed away in Mommy’s car. Then, I had been nervous but excited too. I had never felt in danger. This time, I was just scared.
I should have stayed home. I should have listened to my mom. I had wanted to help her with Leo, so she wouldn’t worry anymore. Instead, now I was just one more cause for her worry.
I’d made everything worse.
I lost track of time when I was in that trunk. It could have been a few minutes, it could have been hours. Though it felt like a long time, I wasn’t sure.
Eventually, the car stopped, the trunk popped open, and one of the kidnappers grabbed me by the shirt and dragged me out of the car.
We were at some kind of house. It was like an old farmhouse with a beat up roof and slanted siding. The field in the back was overgrown.
I thought about running, but one of the kidnappers kept his hand on my shoulder, firm, a vice grip. He was sure to tighten it if I even looked like I wanted to run. His grip was already bruising. I didn’t want him to break my arm.
He pushed me up the stairs of the house and then inside.
A well–dressed woman was standing in the living room, her back to me. As she turned, I recognized her.
Daphne.
I lifted my chin, defiant and trying to be brave like my mom and Uncle Ivan. “My mommy will come for me.”
Daphne laughed. “Oh, sweetie, I’m counting on it. That’s the point, don’t you see?”
My body felt like it was sinking, even as I was standing still, not moving at all.
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Chapter 147
Daphne grinned as she continued, “And when she shows up here, we’re going to kill her
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