Chapter 103: Chapter 103

“How are we supposed to come up with an escape plan an hour before our final meeting?” I hissed once we were all within the confines of our suite.

“Darling, my parents and I have been thinking of an escape plan for at least a week.” Ethan chuckled, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. “Ever since we found out the High Council wanted to meet you, we started planning. Axel and Thomas have been helping too. I’m sure they’ve come up with something by now.”

Liam was tossed onto the sectional, sporadic fluttering of his eyelashes being the only sign that the sedative’s effects were wearing off. All eyes turned to Liam as a hoarse murmur escaped his lips. Aly was by his side in seconds, checking him over in a way she had done three times before.

“He’s fading faster, should be lucid in an hour.” Aly said, her words reassuring.

The first thing on my list was to get some food, then I’d contemplate hunting David Zoe down and removing him from his position on the High Council.

“‘If only your little fantasy were attainable.'” Ethan’s thoughts merged with mine, and I blushed at the laughter in his voice. “‘But I did enjoy the part where you ruthlessly blew David Zoe’s head off.'”

“If you don’t like my fantasy…” I started, but was interrupted when the door to our suite swung wide open.

The twins’ parents were the first to barge in, their faces twisted in concern and worry-filled eyes. The door was locked, but they had their own key to get in. It made it safer to have constant access to each other, especially after what had happened in the last hotel.

Her mother’s blonde hair was pulled up into a neat bun, and while her classy skirt and jacket were professional, I could see how rattled she was. Her father was much better at hiding his emotions, just like his sons. His black hair was combed to the side, and his navy suit made his eyes appear even darker. His eyes scanned the room for half a second before landing on Liam. There was no surprise there, only painful and dazed relief.

“I knew it, you’ve got him.” His mom exhaled; her eyes wide as she looked down at her unconscious son. The hand placed against her chest trembled, although her eyes hardened considerably. It was her husband’s hand on her shoulder that kept her from rushing forward to embrace the son she believed she had lost.

Surprisingly, when she turned to speak, it was me she spoke to.

“Do you know who took him?”

“David Zoe was responsible,” I replied without hesitation, trusting them enough to know my words would never leave the room.

“That man uses his money and power to breathe down our necks, to keep us under his thumb.” She snorted, fury emanating from both her emotions and her eyes. After a deep breath, she continued. Her movements were a bit rushed, which led me to wonder if something else had happened. “Listen to me, I don’t know how you rescued him or when, but the whole hotel is on silent alert. Guards are everywhere right now, posing as employees and witnesses. I believe… I believe he knows you’ve rescued my son.”

“No matter how this final meeting goes, I won’t rest until David is permanently eliminated from the High Council and stripped of his position as Alpha.” I promised, infusing all the courage I could muster into my words.

The door opened again, letting in Axel and Thomas. While it didn’t surprise me to see Thomas give me a smile and a wink, I was surprised by the distinct lack of anger emanating from Axel.

“What’s that look, Sussan?” Axel drawled out the words slowly once our eyes met. The corners of his lips twitched a bit as he continued. “You do know I have a partner too, right? I’m very aware of the lengths one would go to for that person.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, but I felt a bit uncomfortable as a strange feeling shot through me. Axel would never win Father of the Year, but he had left his partner and daughter to come help me. Even if it was for selfish reasons, he had stuck around with me until now.

“David Zoe says there’s been a breach in the hotel’s security and one or more intruders might be in the building.” Axel continued. “Clearly, it’s a cover-up, disguising the fact that his captive has now been rescued.” Axel went on. “While I’ll never like my daughter being in danger, I realize she wasn’t given these abilities to live an ordinary life,” he turned his gaze to Ethan, “I hope you’ll protect her at all costs, but I’m relieved to see that your brother is alive.”

I could feel how those words physically hurt him, but once they were spoken, the tiniest spark of respect lit up in Ethan’s eyes.

“Sussan.” It felt like it had been years since I last heard his voice, and every muscle in my body reacted to the sound. I spun around, so fast that I nearly tripped over the coffee table. My knee hit the plush carpet, and my hands came up to cradle the sides of his face. His beard brushed against my palms, and his eyes fluttered as he whispered my name over and over again.

“He’ll be fully awake soon.” I told everyone in the room, not bothering to tear my gaze away from Liam. His brows were furrowed, but they relaxed as I ran my fingers through his hair. “We can’t leave yet, not just yet.”

“The final meeting has been moved up, Sussan,” Thomas said, frowning as I turned my head to look at him. “We only have twenty minutes to get there.”

“He’s gathering everyone, possibly trying to flush us out.” Ethan grimaced, giving his unconscious brother a long look. His voice was hard and flat. “It’s not safe leaving him here. Not when David can send a squad of men to come and take him.”

There was another knock on the door that caught everyone’s attention. Whoever was on the other side of the line knocked once, then twice, and then continued in a rapid succession of knocks that sounded almost like a tune.

“Waiting for someone?” Axel asked, squinting at the source of annoyance on the other side of the door. He approached the peephole and looked outside before turning to Ethan and me with a puzzled look on his face. “It’s a girl, her hair is… green?”

“It’s Lucy! Let her in,” I exclaimed at Axel’s comment turned question. As soon as Axel opened the door, Lucy burst in like a gust of wind. Her tangled headphones slipped onto the carpet as she practically ran inside. After pushing back a few strands of her green hair from her forehead, she raised an eyebrow at all of us.

“Mmm… Hi. Were you trying to catch me?” Lucy teased, poking her black-painted nails against her chest. “Seriously, it’s me who’s doing you a favor. It’s not me who wants to play babysitter for a drug-addicted kidnapped Alpha. Think about that next time you make me wait in the hallway for eons.”

“There’s a lot to unpack with that.” Aly sighed, sitting down on the couch next to Liam’s sleeping form.

“Do you know this wolf?” Axel asked, a bit sarcastically, giving Lucy a look that she gave back threefold.

“Of course, she knows me. She wouldn’t have let me in if she didn’t. “Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes before looking at Liam. “So, is he going to be comatose all day, or am I going to have someone to talk to?”

“What… what are you talking about, Lucy?” I asked, completely clueless about what she was trying to say.

“What do you mean, what am I talking about?” She retorted, clearly a bit cranky today. “Nicolas asked if I could babysit your hunky companion while he’s drugged up, so you can figure out if the five idiots will let you live beyond sunset.”

“He never told us that.” I furrowed my brows, turning to Ethan. “Did he send us a note?”

“No, not that I or any of the guards received,” he answered, looking as concerned as I was.

“Talk to him about it the next time you meet, but I’m here now. Let me do what I came here to do.” Lucy insisted, already starting to untangle her seemingly indestructible headphones. “Besides, it’s not like you can’t use the help.”

“Is there a reason you’re particularly snarky today?” Aly asked, just as bold as Lucy. There was no malice in Aly’s eyes, just partially amused curiosity.

“All the employees are tied up with this stupid meeting,” Lucy huffed, her eyes widening a bit as she realized what she had just said. “Not that your life isn’t important or anything, but do they really have to vote on it? Anyway, Nicolas didn’t mention anyone escorting me through the employee areas and up to your suite. So I hid under a food cart until they got me on this floor. Do you know what’s at the bottom of a food cart? Food. Old, gross food.”

“There’s a shower and spare clothes if you want to freshen up,” I offered, thankful for Nicolas’ help even if I was reluctant to fully trust him.

“I’m sorry, but are you sure you trust her to take care of Liam?” The twin’s mother asked, legitimately concerned for her son.

Lucy turned and looked at me, clearly expecting my answer. I didn’t exactly trust Lucy, and I think she knew that, but I also wouldn’t gain anything by hurting Ethan. We of our kind were being enslaved, used as weapons by cruel Alphas with severe superiority complexes. They could sit behind their walls and watch from their thrones as wars were fought and won with the b***d of many. Though we didn’t trust each other, we knew without a doubt that we were on the same side.

“She’ll keep him safe,” I promised the twin’s mother, hoping she could see the trust in my eyes.

Fifteen minutes later, all but Lucy and Liam, we left for our final meeting with the High Council.

I had left Liam a note, pinned to the coffee table along with a bottle of water.

«Liam,

I wish I could be there when you finally wake up. Things have been a mess without you, and when things finally settle down, the three of us will take some time off. I need to get over the fear of losing you, just like I’m sure you have some things to sort out too. It’s better for you to stay in the room while we endure the final meeting. Lucy is an ally, it’s safe to be around her. David already knows you’re free, but not who helped you. Today’s the big day they debate whether I’m too dangerous to live, like a rabid animal. No matter the outcome of today’s meeting, we’ll come back for you immediately after.

Always yours,

Sussan»

The only thing I had learned from my time so close to our species’ government was that we desperately needed a new one. I still had mixed feelings about Sven Ross, and Robert Reynolds was also a mystery. I knew without a doubt that David Zoe and Jason Harper needed to go, along with their illegal operations.