Running with Rogues

CHAPTER 66 - IN WHICH ALL PRETENCES AT CIVILITY ARE GONE

"It's a packmeet, not a back alley fight," Hayden muttered after a long pause. "Goddess above. None of you need weapons."

We all ignored him.

Before very long, we'd stopped again. This time on a long, grassy verge where several other people were already parked. They were all big, expensive cars. But there was no one around save for a small group stood near a field gate.

Hayden was out of the car before any of us. He didn't wait for permission. Didn't even glance back. He made an effort to walk across the grass, not run, but when he got there, he collided with his father forcefully enough to make the man take a step backwards. It was a fierce embrace - the likes of which made me feel a tiny bit bad about my role in the kidnapping.

When they broke apart again, slowly, reluctantly, Jace was looking his son up and down, checking him over. Hayden was completely oblivious. He'd been looking for his mother amongst the group. But she wasn't here. And why on earth would she not be here? It was a chance to see her son. Unless she knew she'd be seeing him soon anyway...

My aunt wasn't there, either, even though she was the Beta female and had every right to be. It was just Jace, his Beta and two guards. Something was off about this. And when Jace lifted his gaze to stare at me, his jaw was set and his eyes were steel. I was getting the impression that he was not planning to let Hayden leave with us once this was over.

"Morning, Alpha Jace," I called, making sure there was a smirk on my lips, just to shake him of his irritating confidence. "Nice day, isn't it?"

His answering smile didn't even get near his eyes. He had one arm around Hayden's shoulders protectively. "A little too warm for my liking, Luna. Shall we go inside?"

"Yes. Of course. After you."

I didn't want them behind me. And Jace didn't kick up a fuss about that. He and Hayden and his pack members began heading towards the half-ruined building where our fates would be decided.

What was the plan? Have his Luna spring Hannah during the packmeet, based on information Hayden gave him? If so, they'd be very disappointed. Mam wasn't stupid. She knew they'd find a way to communicate, and she was moving the camp today to make sure that anything Hayden knew was useless.

While I was thinking that over and growing increasingly wary, Hayden had dropped back to walk beside me, much to his dad's alarm. Those icy blue eyes bore into me with soul-sucking intensity. Jace didn't understand why his son would willingly get within ten feet of me.

"Thank you for this," Hayden murmured to me. "Really. I know it wasn't an easy call for everyone to make, but just ... thank you. I won't forget it."

All smiles. All content. If there was a plan to free him, I reckoned it was safe to assume he knew nothing about it. Either that, or I'd vastly underestimated him and he was mocking me. He was back with his dad again before I could decide either way.

And then there were arms encircling my waist, pulling me into a warm body. Liam kissed my neck, just below the jaw, laughing when I let out the tiniest of squeals. He'd taken me by surprise. I'd been expecting total seriousness from him today.

"It'll be fine," he told me. "You'll see. We got all worked up over nothing."

He thought that the other Alphas would have already confronted him if they'd caught our scents at the campsite. I wasn't so sure. Either way, we'd find out in the next hour or so.

"I hope so," I murmured, letting my head rest against his chest.

The church where the packmeet was being held was not really a church at all. I didn't think it had been used for its intended purpose for a hundred years or more. The tiny spire was crumbling, the glass was broken in a lot of places, and the bricks were crawling with ivy.