44

"Well that went swimmingly," Savannah grumbled.

"I'm not surprised," Talei shrugged as they entered the house and flopped onto the living room couch together. "Hal can be a very protective mama bear when she needs to be."

"Hal? You know her? Who does she think she is, anyway? So stuck up and impolite. Couldn't she tell I'm a strong Alpha?"

Talei laughed, her mirth not shared by the fuming Savannah. "Sure. Halcyon is Phoenix's older sister; practically family to Zion. They go way back, and she'd do anything to protect him and his pup. That's why I'm not surprised she gave you such a cold shoulder. You are hunting him down, after all."

"I'm doing it for his own good. He'll be in far worse trouble if anyone else catches him," Savannah explained emphatically while wondering for the hundredth time if she was doing the right thing.

"Keep telling yourself that, girly. But you wanna know what I think?" Talei looked at her mischievously.

Savannah began shaking her head. "Not really..."

"I think you're crazy about him and this distance is killing you."

"What? I am not! It is not," Savannah grabbed a pillow and tried slapping the goofy smile off Talei's face. "I'm just..."

"Just...?" Talei prodded. "Come on, out with it. You miss him terribly, don't you? Miss his soft cuddles and hot kisses. His dreamy smiles. The way he corners you in his bedro--"

"Don't you dare!" Savannah pushed the cheeky rogue shewolf off the couch, then jumped up and stormed away to the sound of Talei's high-pitched laughter.

She found Niko and Darek working on something together in the dining room. They'd spread out electronics and hand tools all over the table, and had their heads bent over a small device.

"Whatcha doing?" She peered over their shoulders, her mind only half in the moment while the rest was planning what to make for dinner. Was there anything edible left in the fridge? When had the rogues last gone shopping for fresh supplies?

"A new microchip," Niko said, his voice slow and distracted as he soldered a delicate wire onto a green metallic board.

"A real processor this time," Darek added. "We're making it powerful enough to connect with the new Nebula satellite. Then we should be able to tap into its surveillance cameras and track Zion's every move."

"Sounds good," she nodded her approval, not really understanding a word they said.

"Hey, I just got off the phone from Ryan," Cale said as he walked into the room and joined her at the table.

"Yeah? Any good news?" she looked up expectantly, desperately wanting to hear something that would lift her mood.

"Well, good news is, he found copies of your photos on Lord Alistair's phone and on a backup hard drive. He's deleted them, but bad news is there's still the original source. Whoever sent them to Alistair is still out there and could easily send it again to any other Council member."

Savannah sighed, sinking into a chair and letting her shoulders fall. She knew this already in the back of her mind. "If someone wants to discredit me, they'll find a way to. We can't help it. I need to face the consequences of my mistakes if it comes to it, so I'll be prepared. Anything else?" She looked at him knowingly.

Cale shook his head, the movement almost imperceptible as he tilted it in Darek's direction. Sorry Alpha, nothing yet about the other thing you wanted.

Savannah nodded. I knew it was a long shot, but if Victor is right, there has to be some evidence among the Council or elite Alphas of their plot against the Vinn queen. Tell Ryan to keep looking, and I might just give him a pay rise.

Sure thing, Cale smiled while typing the response on his phone. A few seconds later, he chuckled. Phoenix wants a pay rise, too.

That'd be right, Savannah grinned. Remind him he gets the girl if he keeps up his good behaviour.

Cale grinned in agreement before heading upstairs to shower.

Niko flicked his eyes to her inconspicuously while Darek was engrossed in the electronics before them. The frown she gave him in return answered everything he needed to know.

"I think we need another transistor here. You got any more pnp's?" Darek asked aloud, making Savannah nearly jump from the unfamiliar voice.

"Hmm," Niko looked over his supplies. "Can't seem to find one," he groaned, raking his fingers through his hair and leaving it sticking up at odd angles.

"Maybe there are some in Zion's lab?" Savannah piped up, trying to be helpful. "I remember seeing these sorts of things in neat little organisers on one of his shelves down there." Picking up a small metal component, she twirled it between her fingers and wondered just what on earth it actually did. How could this tiny thing help them find Zion?

Niko raised his eyebrows. "You want to go down to Zion's lab?"

She lifted her own in challenge. "Sure, why not. It's not like he's put a padlock on the door, right?" With that, she headed downstairs and flicked on the lights to his basement lab. It was just as she remembered it, yet the workbenches in the middle of the room were covered with trays, boxes, tools, and materials.

Her mission to find transistors was cut short the moment she saw mannequin heads sitting on the benches. They were plastered with flesh-coloured material, some shaped into complete faces, others partial prosthetics that were undeniably meant to alter one's appearance.

A shiver ran down Savannah's spine.

Oh no...

She hadn't realised the mind link was open until Cale came running down the stairs, Niko and Darek hot on his heels.

"What is it?"

She pointed, drawing their eyes to the mannequins. "If Zion has gone deep in disguise, we're never going to find him via facial recognition." A heavy despondency settled over them all. "No matter how good the satellite images."

_____

"Slow down, will you?" Talei huffed, struggling to keep up with Savannah's brisk stride.

The Alpha kept running, hoping the concrete sidewalk under her feet wasn't doing any permanent damage to her knees. Normally she ran on spongy grass and soil that helped absorb the impact, so once again she found herself cursing the city. "You wanted to join me, so quit complaining," she threw over her shoulder.

The rogue following her swore under her breath. "Do all Alphas train this hard? You're like an ostrich, no joke."

Savannah couldn't help bursting into laughter. "An ostrich?" The silly comparison was something her crazy friend Petrinna would say. The thought made the smile slip from her face. How she wished she could go back to old times when the biggest thing she had to worry about was keeping rogues out of her territory's borders. Now, she had to keep the worst rogue out of her heart.

"I get why you wanted to run, but we're not training for a marathon. We should head back."

Talei almost sounded whiny, and Savannah contemplated ditching the blond in the river that they ran alongside. It would slow her down enough for Savannah to get some peace and quiet while running with her own thoughts.

"I couldn't stand hanging around the house a moment longer. Cale will notify me if they find anything."

The guys had eventually got their super computer microchip up and running and connected to a powerful satellite. They'd been downloading live images for the past few hours, scanning every face that showed, but had no hits on Zion or the rest of the gang.

It was depressing, to say the least, besides time-consuming, laborious, and utterly futile.

"We could order take-out."

"I'm not hungry."

"There's this new Thai restaurant a couple blocks from here. They make the best massaman chicken."

"What part of--Wait!" Savannah stopped and raised her hand, nearly smacking Talei to the ground as the rogue ran straight into her.

"What now?" Talei rubbed her nose.

"Follow me," Savannah ordered, slipping down a small street and turning a corner after carefully peering around the side of the building.

"What do you think I've been doing for the past--"

"Shh!"

Talei rolled her eyes at Savannah's bossiness, then peeked over her shoulder as they crept from the shadows and began casually strolling down the sidewalk. In the distance, she recognised Darya's school, and beyond that Darya and Halcyon walking hand in hand to their car. After a few blocks of following them, Talei grew suspicious. "Are you stalking Zion's daughter? I thought Hal made it clear--"

"I'm not stalking her," Savannah interrupted, her tone deadly serious.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm stalking the man who's stalking her." Jerking her head towards a car that was slowly pulling into a spot on the opposite side of the street to Hal's house, Savannah made her point very clear. The driver, a man who appeared to be middle aged with very balding hair, had his eyes glued to Hal and Darya as they unlocked their front door.

"Ohhh, gotcha," Talei nodded, understanding the situation now. "Right. Well, let's do this, shall we?"

"Wait, what?"

Before Savannah could stop her, Talei was crossing the street. She watched aghast as the rogue leaned down to the driver's window and knocked boldly.

"Hey mister, you got a minute?"

The window rolled down, allowing the driver to smile and give Talei a greasy onceover. The rogue shewolf was definitely appealing in her sports bra and body-hugging tights.

She leaned even closer. "I need your help with something. Do you think you could spare a moment? My car broke down over there through the alley," she said in a low voice, her eyes holding his in a seductive trance.

"Sure. I'm good with cars, sweetheart," the driver agreed with a crooked smile as he pushed his door open and got out.

"That's what I thought," Talei winked, leading him into the shadows.

Savannah was waiting for him, and shoved him up against the wall the moment he stepped within reach. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" she growled, pressing her forearm firmly against his neck.

The man's eyes widened, his pudgy face growing red. "I'm HCPD!"

Savannah loosened the pressure, confused at his bold declaration. "HC- what?"

"He's a cop," Talei explained, tugging her back until the man was standing freely, rubbing his throat and glaring at Savannah.

"I could have you arrested for assaulting an officer," he told her angrily, then he turned to Talei, "And for soliciting."

Talei blinked her eyes innocently. "I would never--!"

"You're not so clean yourself." Savannah scoffed and jabbed a finger at the man. "Why would a cop be stalking a little girl, huh? Tell me that!"

"I wasn't stalking her! Well, maybe I was," he amended when the Alpha stepped closer with a menacing scowl on her face. "But I just wanted to keep an eye on her, to approach her and ask a few questions when the time was right."

"What kind of questions?" A cold feeling crept over Savannah's skin, an intuition that she wasn't going to like the answer.

"I've been tracking a high profile criminal for the past few months. And I'm close. Real close. I believe that little girl is his daughter. She's the best lead I've had in days."

"Does this criminal have a name?"

"He goes by 'the silver rogue', like what the heck does that even mean? Gangsters these days..." the man rolled his eyes. "Hey, have either of you heard of him?"

"Might have heard the name on the streets," Talei said with a straight face, while Savannah's heart pounded wildly. "What else do you know about him?"

"Not much, just that he's a mastermind when it comes to stealing stuff. The smartest thief I've ever encountered. I've never seen his face, though. It's rumoured he likes wearing disguises. Could be anyone walking past ya on the street, know what I mean?"

"Maybe," Savannah replied blandly. "Tell me, cop--if you really are a cop." She said the title with suspicion. "If one was to try and find this master thief, where should they look?"

The man produced a badge and ID from his coat pocket, confirming his profession. "Senior detective Howard Antonius. But you can just call me Tony." His eyes darted side to side, checking the street for unwanted ears. "We're fairly certain he's currently after precious stones. Or more specifically, the Gem of Catalya."

Savannah's eyebrows rose to disappear under her fringe. "That's an awfully intriguing name. What kind of gem is it?"

Tony rocked back on his heels as if settling in to narrate a gripping story. "It used to be known as--"

"Lava Mount Ruby."

"Ah, yes, exactly." Tony gave Talei an annoyed look. "Until recently, it resided on the Islands in a private collection. But right now it's here on the continent in the possession of a well-known celebrity. Apparently, she's going to be wearing it for the music awards this weekend. All the paparazzi will be there, but it's the perfect time to steal a gem. You know, distractions and diversions. Gonna be an epic showdown if we catch this guy." He grinned like a kid in a candy store. "If you're looking for some easy cash, I could use all the help I can get. Plus," he looked Savannah up and down, "I might be willing to overlook a few charges."

She crossed her arms at his insinuation. There was no way a pudgy human cop was going to charge her for a crime.

"You sound very confident," Talei narrowed his eyes on him. "How can we trust you? You were, after all, stalking a minor."

Tony's face might have darkened a few shades, but it was hard to tell in the shadows of the fading daylight. It seemed he too was crossing some lines while working undercover. Rubbing his hands together, Tony shifted uneasily on his feet. "Listen, I'm your real deal. Got my own family to look out for. I just want to make the streets safer. So are you in?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to accept your help in finding my mate," Savannah told him bluntly, then reached out and pinched the back of Tony's neck.

His body crumpled, falling into Talei and almost knocking her to the pavement with his weight.

"What the hell was that for?"

"I doubt he was going to follow us willingly," Savannah explained to a shocked Talei. "So to save time, I knocked him out."

"Is he dead?" Talei asked while struggling to hold Tony up before shoving his limp, pudgy body away from her.

"Oh, please. You've never seen Zion do this kind of thing?" Savannah wrapped her arms around his midsection and threw him over her shoulder, then proceeded to carry him back towards his car.

"Yeah, but that was with wimpy Alphas. Who knows what permanent damage it might cause to a human." She scrunched up her nose while emphasizing the word like it was something nasty.

"He'll be fine," Savannah assured while stuffing him into the backseat of his car. Sliding into the driver's side, she wiped fried chicken grease from the steering wheel before driving them all towards their house.

Good news! Cale mindlinked her as they got close. We found footage of Tas and Chayton in a city not far from here.

Great! she replied. We've got a surprise for you all, too.

After dragging the unconscious cop inside the house, they managed to calm a panicking Niko and a hysterical Darek.

"What were you thinking? He's a cop! Do you know the type of trouble we could get for this?" Niko tugged on his hair, pacing the living room while staring at a snoring Tony with concern.

"Hey, he wanted our help in catching the silver rogue, so I just went one step further and brought him here so we can do this on our terms. He'll be fine once he wakes up." Savannah tried reassuring them all.

"I'm glad you did," Darek grinned mischievously as he sat on a chair opposite Tony, staring at the detective like an unblinking cat. "This guy has been on my trail for months. He thinks I'm involved in illegal imports and reselling computer parts on the black market."

Talei lifted an eyebrow suspiciously. "Are you?"

"Yeah, but that's beside the point."

"Oh goodness," Cale groaned, hanging his head and rubbing his forehead. "We're doomed. Why is everyone around me acting like idiots?"

"Hey, I beg to disagree." Savannah crossed her arms and glared at her Gamma.

"Says the one who knocked out a cop." Talei motioned to Tony who was still unconscious on the couch.

"And like you didn't just proposition him in the alley—"

"You what?!" Niko bellowed, his eyes bugging as he glared at the rogue showolf.

"You have a problem with that after what we just used the satellite for?" Darek asked him, chuckling with a secretive shake of his head.

Savannah looked between them with exasperation until Cale filled her in.

"I found these two perving on some women sunbathing on a beach. The surveillance cameras take extremely clear pictures, if you know what I mean."

Savannah held up her hand for him to stop. "I don't think I want to know any more."

"Darek was the one spying on the women. I was monitoring a shady guy selling ice cream along the boardwalk," Niko defended himself. "I recognise him from somewhere. Maybe in a drug deal we busted a few years back."

"Whatever." Savannah shook her head. "Let's just get back on topic. You said you found Tas and Chayton?"

"Yeah, in Kingston," Darek said.

"That matches up with what Tubby Tony told us," Talei mused as she kicked his foot. The motion sent a ripple through the detective's prone body and jiggled his belly. "The music awards are held in Kingston every year. Roma Garcia is already reported to be there." Holding up her phone, she showed Savannah a low quality image of the famous singer strolling through the city streets.

Despite the casual clothing and zero make up, Savannah could tell the woman had all the right features to make it big with fans across the continent--full lips, doe eyes, and silky black hair that flowed around slender shoulders. She was elegantly poised, exuding confidence from her toned frame that proved hours of fitness and dedication to health. She was enough to make most humans envious of her lifestyle, status, and class.

"Roma Garcia? I love her music!" Darek grinned, proving Savannah's deduction. "Plus, she's got this prototype iPhone from Apple that I've been dying to get my hands on. Her celebrity status is an automatic endorsement of the brand, so the technology they've given her is nowhere near ready for market production. I'd love to get a closer look at the tech--"

"We're not going there to steal her phone!" Savannah interrupted him, stomping her foot lightly to emphasise her point.

"Yeah, just the ruby from around her neck," Talei muttered and rolled her eyes, making it clear what she thought of the plan.

Savannah threw her a dark frown. "We're not stealing that either. Just following it until we catch up to Zion."

"Ruby? What's that got to do with Zion?" This time, it was Darek who was puzzled.

"Apparently, she's going to be wearing the Lava Mount Ruby in a necklace to the awards dinner. The detective suspects Zion might make his move then. It's our best chance of finding him, so we have to hurry since the event is this weekend," Savannah explained.

"Could I at least get her autograph?" Darek looked at her hopefully.

"Oh, could you shut your annoying mouth for like five minutes?" Cale glared at him with an unusual amount of dominance. Darek lifted a hand as if to slap the annoyed look off his face, but at Savannah's deadly growl, he stopped. So instead, he narrowed his eyes at Cale, his expression steely with obvious threats.

Cale just grinned in amusement, knowing the human had no chance against him, a Gamma wolf. His passive response only poked Darek all the more, and Savannah watched as his fists clenched in barely veiled control.

Niko was oblivious to the fight that was simmering around him. "The city is about five hours drive from here," he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"We don't have that kind of time. We need to get there asap." Savannah punched her hand into her palm. Anything to relieve the tension growing inside.

"We could fly," Cale suggested.

Niko shook his head. "The closest domestic airport is here in Hierapolis. So unless you have a private jet..."

Cale grinned at Savannah. "Actually, we do. My dad owns a learjet so we could definitely travel to Kingston in style."

"And arrive at the private terminal to a red carpet welcome like all the A-listers? Sounds like my kind of ride," Talei grinned like a pup on their birthday.

"We're not there to party, Tal. We're literally flying under the radar on this mission," Niko scolded. "We have to stay lowkey."

"Did someone say KFC?" Tony suddenly sat up, his eyes flying open with alertness.

"Lowkey, you idiot! That seems to be something you're not good at, am I right?" Talei scoffed, rolling her eyes at the stupidly confused look on the detective's face.