45

"Hey! Call me an idiot one more time," he pointed a finger at her angrily, then he frowned, studying her more closely. "Did you...did we...?" he motioned between them, a smile growing on his face as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yuck! Are you seriously asking me that? Who's the pervert now?"

At his lecherous grin, she leaned closer and knocked him on the back of the head.

Savannah watched, amused, as the detective fell back onto the couch unconscious.

"What?" Talei shrugged when everyone stared at her. "He's less ugly when he's out cold."

____

"I don't understand this. Your dad offered me full use of his jet for the entire weekend. And now you crazy kids just want to strand me in Hierapolis?"

"Nothing of the sort, Uncle Jacks," Cale soothed, slapping his hand goodnaturedly on Alpha Jackson's shoulder. "We're just making a quick stop in Kingston, and then we'll be back in no time. Besides, it gives you more time to spend with Aunty Alice. I know how much she loves shopping, so she won't mind an extra day or two in the city."

"Shopping. That's what I'm worried about," Alpha Jackson frowned and raked a hand through his windblown blond hair. He looked seriously from Savannah to Cale then back again. "We've only been here a few days and already she's spent half our bank account."

"Listen, Uncle, I wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't important," Savannah told him respectfully, trying to smother a laugh.

"I know," he sighed heavily, then eventually grinned and tousled the top of her head like he always used to do when she was a pup. "Stay safe, okay, Kiddo? And take care of Rabbit Food. I'd hate to have to tell Gamma Roman that you all died in his own plane while it was in my care." He gave Cale a serious look.

"How many times have I said don't call me that!" Cale growled despite Jackson's laughter. "But sure, we'll be careful." He climbed the stairs and entered the jet, then settled into the cockpit and began running through his pre-flight checklist.

Niko bowed his head and pressed his hands together, "Thank you, Alpha," then followed Cale. Talei shoved Tony up the stairs who was complaining about a fuzzy head, Darek strolled up breezily like he was enjoying a vacation, and Savannah took up the rear with a grateful yet serious smile for Jackson.

Once they were all seated, Cale taxied down the runway and took off quickly, understanding Savannah's urgency to reach Kingston. He could feel the anxiety through their bond even without having her breathing down his neck in the cockpit.

"Your detective better be right about this," Niko said when she joined him in the cabin with the other passengers.

She looked over to where Tony was strapped in a seat, his head pressed to the window and snoring loudly. Talei had made sure he would make no more disgusting comments during the flight. "We don't have to trust him. Just use the information he was willing to share."

"I just hope you know what you're getting into." Niko's voice held a warning, his eyes darkened with caution.

"I'll be fine, especially since you've all got my back," she smiled easily, despite the doubts growing like an unseasonal storm in the pit of her stomach.

As soon as they landed a short while later, they split up to cover more ground. Niko and Darek checked out the places they'd seen the other rogues, hoping to find and follow them back to their base of operations. Talei and the detective went in search of a lead Tony had about the silver rogue, while Cale and Savannah shadowed Roma and her security detail as she shopped in the city and enjoyed the tourist sights. But even with all their sharp eyes and keen senses, neither of them found any trace of Zion or his gang.

"Maybe he's not going to show," Talei suggested from the back seat of their hire van. They'd been parked on the street outside the music awards venue since mid afternoon, having watched the celebrities arrive, show off their attire and bling before disappearing into the ritzy exhibition centre for a night of food, celebration, and revelry.

"Don't sell him short. He'll be here, I can feel it in my guts," Tony spoke around a mouthful of deep fried spring rolls.

"At least someone's feeling confident," Savannah muttered, looking at him with a queasy feeling in her own stomach.

"Always," he grinned. "Besides, we have a plan B in case everything goes pear shaped."

Savannah gave Talei a look of alarm. "Do I even want to know what that is?"

The blonde rogue shrugged. "Probably not."

Needing some fresh air, Savannah opened the sliding door and hopped out. She'd been cooped up in that musty smelling van for too long, and needed space. Darek and Cale had been chatting easily in the backseat, trading stories and ideas about information systems technology, Niko and Talei were upfront whispering quietly about the price of gold and whether they should make another investment or not, while Tony had been smirking at Savannah the past hour, his eyebrows doing some weird thing that she guessed was meant to attract her.

She'd had enough, the stress of if their plan would succeed or not putting her on edge. So many things could go wrong, the least of which was not finding Zion or being able to stop him from doing something irreversibly stupid.

The rubbish that drifted around the quiet alley she walked down scuffed under her boots, the sound of her footsteps sending gutter rats scurrying. Tipping her head back, she strained to see the stars, hoping for even a glimpse of something familiar.

Instead, she saw a hand descending from the darkness a fraction of a second before it wrapped around her mouth and yanked her back into the shadows.

"Why did you lie to me, Alpha?"

The deep voice sent shivers prickling over her skin. Jerking back, she grabbed the brawny arm, ducked under his shoulder, and twisted his hand behind his back. "How'd you find me, Pierce? I think that's the question here, don't you?" she growled against Alpha Pierce's ear.

"Stop acting so smart, Savannah." Pulling free, he stood toe to toe with her and glared down his nose. "You know I have the best trackers. Besides, did you really think you could use my satellite and get away with it?"

"Plus, he's got me working for him." Another man stepped out from behind Pierce and gave her a confident smile. "I can crack the best encryptions."

Savannah recognised him as Joe, the guy from Alpha Asa's pack who Petrinna was interested in. She snorted at them both, leaning back and crossing her arms when the gruff Alpha advanced too close for her liking. In the darkness of the alley, Pierce's scowl appeared even darker and more intimidating. The black leather jacket he wore gave him an especially sinister appearance. "I achieved my purposes. So what if you found out eventually? No harm done," she shrugged.

"Except I uncovered how far you've fallen. Lying to me, and to the Council. Collaborating with rogues. Breaking the Alpha alliance. You've got a lot of explaining to do." Pierce crossed his arms over his broad chest as he scolded her.

Rolling her eyes, she was about to scoff at his ridiculous accusations before remembering they were all true.

Pierce continued in an authoritative voice, "And if that isn't bad enough, you failed to mention just what the Silver Rogue means to you."

"I--"

"Why couldn't you just say he was your mate? Maybe if I knew, I'd have been more understanding."

She laughed at this. "You? Understanding? Did I just bump my head and wake up in an alternate reality?"

"He's really not that bad--" Joe began, but shut up when Pierce shot him a deadly look.

"Savannah, I'm being serious," Pierce rumbled in his deep voice, his severe expression softening a bit. "Just because I haven't found my mate yet, doesn't mean I'm completely insensitive to the notion. I could have helped you."

"Well, it's okay now. We've got this under control. We're about to find Zion and stop him from doing anything reckless."

"You mean like how his father killed five Alphas?"

The condescension in his voice made her hackles rise. "Hey, you don't know the full story!" She pointed her finger in his face.

"Actually, I do. I read the files you transferred over my private network, and it all finally makes sense."

"Excuse me?"

"Of course, I didn't know what I was seeing until I got a hold of your little cyber detective. Didn't take much to make Ryan squeal."

Joe nodded in agreement. "Pretty wimpy, but otherwise a smart pup."

"What did you do to my brother?" Cale stormed into the alley at the exact moment Ryan's name was mentioned. Before Savannah could react, he sent his fist flying into Alpha Pierce's jaw.

"Cale!" She lunged and pulled him back from the Alpha before he could create any more trouble. Such disrespect could result in his head being ripped off.

"No, no, it's okay. I guess I deserve that," Pierce chuckled, rubbing his jaw and working it back and forth. "Don't worry. Your little brother is okay. I'd be more worried about what the Council will think once you give them the evidence confirming Victor Forrester's story."

"You... I... What evidence?" Savannah stammered, looking back and forth between the two wolves.

Cale never took his eyes off Pierce, his jaw clenching and unclenching with barely controlled energy. "I just got off the phone with Ryan. He was clearly rattled from you making him squeal," his voice roughed with a low growl as he said this. "But he found it. He found messages between the Alphas about removing a certain roadblock to their plans."

"Roadblock?"

"Obviously a code name for the Alpha Queen of Vinlarhk," Pierce informed her. "They wanted a direct trade alliance between our continent and the northern provinces, but the Vinn royal family has always opposed the idea. Alistair himself was pushing for the deal to go through."

Cale nodded. "He must have kept the private correspondence on file, and that's how we can prove their plot to kill the queen."

Savannah was relieved to finally know the truth, but then a whole new set of questions presented themselves. "But why would they want to do such a horrible thing? Murdering the queen?"

Pierce shrugged as if the notion wasn't anything astounding. "The queen was young and new to the throne. Everyone thought she would relax the family's strong stand against the matter."

"When she didn't, I guess the greedy wolves grew desperate," Cale added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"And Alistair was behind it?"

Pierce turned to her, surprised. "Is it too hard to believe he wanted Vinlarhk's wealth and resources for himself? Forgive me for speaking ill of the dead, but he always was a self-centred prick."

"Oh, tell me about it. I never liked him," Savannah agreed, clasping her hand on Pierce's shoulder in camaraderie, then quickly removed it at the dark look he sent her.

"This is big. We have to tell the Council straight away," Cale said, shifting from one foot to the other impatiently.

"Yes, but not right now. We have to tell Zion. This is what he's been fighting for for so long. Justice for his father. Once Victor is vindicated from his actions that saved the queen's life, he can finally receive freedom. They'll be so happy!" Savannah clapped her hands together. "But first, we need to find Zion."

Almost as if the mention of his name incited action, Talei came running down the street with Darek and Niko on her heels. "Guys, the guests are finally leaving the party. It's time to move!"

"And who is this interesting creature?" Pierce inquired menacingly as he looked Darek up and down, his nose scrunching up as he smelled his human scent.

"He's our civilian consultant. He helped us track Zion's gang to this location," Niko said, defending Darek with a touch of fatherly pride in his voice.

"And who are you?" Darek asked with almost as much arrogance as the Alpha. Leaning closer, he took a sniff of Joe and lifted his eyebrows. "And why do you smell like ladies' perfume?"

Savannah nearly laughed when Joe turned red.

"I uhh.. I was just on a.." he stammered.

"On a date with my best friend? Is that what you're having trouble saying?" She cocked an eyebrow knowingly.

"We're just friends!" Joe protested.

"Yeah, I've heard that before." She rolled her eyes before shaking off the laughter and motioning down the street. "Let's go."

They all followed Savannah back to the venue, watching from across the crowded street as the well-known celebrities slowly exited the foyer of the grand exhibition centre. Mingling with fans kept the wolves hidden, able to watch not only the celebrities, but also the security that ringed the perimeter. If Zion was going to pull off a heist, he must have a pretty good plan of getting past so many guards.

"There she is!" Talei squealed and bounced on her toes, getting a little too much into the character of a crazed fan.

"She's even hotter in real life," Darek said in awe as they all watched Roma Garcia walk out onto the red carpet, her black gown glittering with dozens of sequins and jewels.

The necklace around her neck stood out prominently, the large crimson ruby in the centre surrounded by a sea of deep blue sapphires. It truly was a masterpiece, evidenced by the flashes of paparazzi as they again took photos of the glamour.

A tingle of awareness trickled down Savannah's spine, alerting her of her mate's presence close by. Her eyes darted around the crowd, honing in on all the faces in microseconds, scanning for familiarity. But everywhere she looked, all she saw were strangers.

"Come on, Zion, where are you? I can feel you," she whispered, locking eyes with a few men but never finding the hazel irises she so desperately wanted to see.

The famous singer was almost to her limo on the sidewalk when she suddenly screamed and clutched her neck. Instantly, her bodyguards tightened around her, shielding her from the public.

"A...a bee! I've been stung by a bee!"

Savannah heard her gasp despite the cries of shock and excitement that erupted from the fans.

"I'm... allergic."

Fear engulfed Savannah. She knew just how badly an allergic reaction to a bee sting could end. She caught glimpses of Roma clawing at her neck, arching her head back trying to take deep breaths as her throat swelled.

"We need paramedics, now!" A guard called out, sending another scurrying off.

An old man from the crowd stepped onto the red carpet, brushing past the security that was holding back the tide of people. "I'm a doctor. Maybe I can help." He pushed his spectacles further up his nose then knelt beside Roma who had crumpled on the ground, her shoulders heaving as she struggled to take a breath.

Savannah watched as he produced an epipen from his leather satchel and removed the cap.

"I'll do it," another man growled, pushing the doctor aside in a rather rude move.

Savannah stared in confusion as Alpha Pierce then knelt beside the singer, hovering over her like a most concerned family member. His movements were gentle as he jabbed the epipen into Roma's thigh, cradling his other hand behind her head and lowering her to rest comfortably on his knee. Savannah knew the injection of epinephrine would give Roma some relief until proper medical help arrived, but why on earth had Pierce jumped in to do it? Wasn't the doctor handling it just fine?

Speaking of the doctor, where was the older man with greying hair and a kind face? Savannah looked around only to find him melting back into the crowd. As if he felt her gaze on the back of his head, he turned. His eyes met hers for a brief moment, but it was enough to give her an answer.

"Zion?" she whispered, but he was already gone. "Zion!" This time she shouted, her heart kicking into a frenzied pace as he slipped away from her. She couldn't let him get away!

"Where? Where is he?" Talei asked, scanning the crowd as quickly as Savannah was.

The Alpha could only shake her head. "I don't know." No matter how hard she focused her senses, and felt the fragile bond between them, she couldn't find him. People shoved up on all sides, restricting her movement and search. "He was here, but...now he's just gone."

"My necklace! It's gone!"

The shrill cry drew her attention back to Roma Garcia. The singer was sitting up, breathing much easier while Pierce massaged her back, but her fingers were on her bare throat.

"The ruby has been stolen! I repeat, the ruby has been stolen!" one of her guards barked into his radio, alerting his entire unit. His men fanned out into the frenzied crowd, drawing weapons and ordering everyone to stay in place while they searched.

But it was futile. There was no way they could catch someone who could have easily slipped away in the mayhem.

When shots fired from military grade weapons, Savannah knew everyone was in deep trouble.

"Are they... are they Ayame's weapons?" she asked Cale as he ran to her side. Ducking low behind a concrete retaining wall, they took cover from the gun fire. He nodded his head gravely, and when she saw how pale his face was, the truth dawned on her. "These aren't regular security guards at all."

"Hell's Saints! They've surrounded the block. We have to get out of here," Niko yelled at them, motioning to their van as screaming people ran in all directions. There were still bullets flying, gunning down those who were trying to flee the horrible nightmare.

"This is crazy! Oh my goodness!" Darek shrieked as he huddled beside Cale and Talei, waving his hands wildly above his head. "We're gonna die!"

"Keep your head down, you idiot!" Cale grabbed him and yanked him further out of the line of fire. "We'll make a run for it when the coast is clear."

"No! We have to find the silver rogue. He's behind all this, I know it!" Tony shouted, clutching Savannah's arm and hiding behind her like a pathetic coward.

"I caught traces of Tas and Chayton's scents," Niko quickly told her, his voice breathless. "We can probably follow them, but not if we're killed by the Saints. This is obviously a set-up." He tried tugging her away, but she couldn't seem to move.

A part of her wasn't ready to let Zion go so easily. If they didn't capture at least one Saint for questioning, they'd be back at square one. Cale was already weaving across the street to their van, shielding Darek with his body as they ducked and rolled to safety.

"We came here for Zion, and I'm not leaving until we have him," Talei shouted back in echo of her thoughts, but the hard resolve in her voice took Savannah by surprise. She'd thought the blonde rogue would be the first to turn tail and run from such a dangerous gang of outlaws. "It's time for plan B." With a steely look, Talei nodded at Tony.

He grinned, "Sure thing, boss," then pulled a gun from his hip holster and aimed it straight at Savannah.

"What's going on?" Savannah gasped, knowing the question was cliche but it was definitely the first thing that ran through her mind while staring down the barrel of a pistol. Tony's pudgy face grinned at her eerily from the other end, while Talei circled them like a tiger.

"What does it look like?" Talei rolled her eyes and clapped Tony on the shoulder. "Come on, use your brain, Alpha." Her tone was taunting, her eyes cunning.

"Alpha?" Tony squeaked, his hand beginning to shake. "You never said anything about her being an Alpha!"

"Shut up and just shoot her," Talei glared at him. "The poison is strong enough to take down a rhinoceros."

"I...I can't risk it." Tony's hand dropped, the gun nearly falling from his trembling fingers. "I've always heard how strong and invincible Alphas are—"

"Then give it to me!" Talei grabbed the gun from him and shoved him aside. "Such a wuss." With a deadly mixture of ice and fire in her eyes, she aimed directly at Savannah and pulled the trigger.

The Alpha hadn't been expecting much. Maybe a sting from whatever cheap bullets Tony armed himself with, but she should have realised Talei wasn't so stupid. She felt a prick on the surface of her skin, and nearly sagged in relief.

Then a fire engulfed her gut, a pain that started as a punch before radiating out. "What...?" Looking down, she was surprised to not see any blood. Instead, a tiny dart protruded from her shirt where it was embedded in her skin. Her upper body cantered forward before she righted herself as a wave of dizziness rocked through her.

"What is this stuff?" she asked, pulling out the dart and looking at it closely. Her vision blurred, but it passed with a rough shake of her head. Glaring at Talei, she felt the urge to lunge forward and strangle the traitorous shewolf.

"A little cocktail I mixed up myself. I know how much you love a strong drink, am I right?"

Savannah nearly laughed. Amidst the bullets that still whizzed around them, the chaos of Hell's Saints rounding up humans to search, and the screams of injured people as they lay sprawled around the prestigious events centre entrance--Talei still managed to poke fun at Savannah's teetotalism.

The Alpha raised her fist to punch Talei in the face. "You've gotta be kidding me right now--"

With her signature smirk, the rogue shewolf held the gun out and fired again.

Savannah was halted in her tracks. Another round of poison shot through her veins, lighting up her insides like fireworks. "So this is what silver feels like?" she mused, noticing the way it raced through her appendages and left a numbing sensation in its wake.

"That, and a few other things. Let's see...venomous puffer fish, poison dart frog, manchineel tree sap, and--Oh, my personal favourite! Liquid elizenthium."

"But elizenthium is a rare metal," Savannah objected, unsure if she was hearing right.

"Hm mm," Talei agreed. "But this is an even rarer isotope of elizenthium which is liquid in its natural state. Perfect for injecting into even the strongest organisms."

When Savannah blinked lazily and swayed on her feet, Talei cackled a wicked laugh. "What did I tell you about dropping a rhinoceros?" She turned to Tony and elbowed him in the ribs.

The cop paled, shaking his head as he backed away almost apologetically. "I didn't sign up for this! Count me out. I know how dangerous Alphas can be."

Talei stomped her foot, immediately annoyed. Her dark look arrested Tony in place. "And you don't think Lucifer is even more dangerous? I promised him Zion or the ruby. We have neither. This joke of an Alpha is our only saving grace."