Out of the Shadows (23 page)

Daniel recoiled back like she’d shot him with it. “Why the
devil do you have that?” He exclaimed.

“Shhh!”

Perhaps she could just wave the gun
around while they all pranced out
, she mused. Everyone certainly
seemed terrified of it.

“We don’t like guns,” Daniel remarked, eyeing the device.

“I’ve noticed.”

“Can you please put that away?”

Lark checked the safety and slipped it back into her purse.

“So your dad and the other alphas
are still talking? How many men are there in the house?”

“The house is manageable. It’s getting out of the house that
presents a problem. If we don’t sound the alarm and send everyone running to guard
the main house, we’ll be caught for sure. Especially with there being six of
us.” Daniel picked up a piece of paper from his desk and a pencil, drawing
something hurriedly on it.

“The problem is we are here,” he said, holding up the paper.
“Vincent and Marcus here,” he pointed to a square on the paper. “Devon and his
men will be somewhere here until the alarm sounds.” Daniel’s fingers moved to a
squiggly line at the top of the paper.

“And all the little stick figures represent guards,” Lark
surmised.

“Yeah, but not just one guard. They’re usually in a
contingent of two or three.”

“What if we created our own diversion?” Lark asked the
wheels in her head turning.

“Like what?”

Lark closed her eyes, wondering how Emmett ever thought to
pass Daniel off as an alpha. The guy couldn’t come up with a plan to save his
life. She’d always been under the assumption leaders needed to think on their
toes.

“Okay, we have the gun,” she said, walking to the window,
and throwing the curtain back to survey the area.

“What are you doing? If someone sees you…”

Lark pulled back closing the curtains.

“Where is your dad’s office in
correlation to where we are? Could I
get a shot off into the office?”

“What? Are you going to kill him?” Daniel whisper yelled,
his face draining of all color.

Lark contemplated the idea for a moment
. S
he wasn’t a
killer, nor was she a marksman by any means. Granted he was a horrible man, but
he would be unarmed and it wasn’t who she was. She would only ever take a life
if it was the last resort.

“No, just startle them to sound the alarm. I’m assuming that
would work?”

Daniel shook his head yes, wiping the sweat from his
forehead with the back of his hand.

“You would have to climb out into
the tree to get the shot off. Can you even handle that thing?”

Lark smiled, rolling her eyes.

“My dad taught me how to shoot a
gun.” He may have been a doctor, but he’d also been an avid hunter. She wasn’t
as familiar with the handguns, but was certain she could use it.

“Alright,” Daniel replied after a long moment. “Once the
alarm sounds I’ll get everyone else. You’ll need to climb back in and wait for
us.”

He went to the window, unlatching the locks and carefully
removing the screen. He stuck his head out, swiveling it back and forth for a
long minute before he turned back to her.

“There is no one there.”

Lark inhaled sharply, her mouth dry, and hands clammy.
Steeling herself, she dug the gun out and tucked it into the belt loop of her
jeans. She peeked out the window, grasping one of the branches as she scooted
out onto the window sill. Carefully, she stood and edged out onto the thick
tree limb.

The warm night air didn’t help her already sweaty hands, but
she pressed on towards the trunk. A bright white light illuminated from one of
the windows. Nervously, she wiped one hand on her jeans then the other.

Focus.

Eyes clamped shut she counted to ten, forcing her spinning
mind to calm down. Her heart thrummed wildly in her ears as she drew the gun
out with shaking hands. All she had to do was shoot. She leaned against the
branches reinforcing her stance. With trembling fingers, she unlocked the
safety and pulled back on the chamber. Aimed at the corner of the window
, w
ith her gun
clasped tightly, she slowly pulled the trigger.

The loud bang of a gun ripped
through the night air. Devon jolted out of his thoughts, eyes flicking in the
direction of the McKinley house. He was certain the sound had come from that
direction. Sharp wails filled the night sky as the alarm sounded at the manor.
This
isn’t part of the plan.

Judging by the ridiculously late hour, he concluded that
something had gone wrong and they had been forced to improvise. He just hoped
that Lark hadn’t used the gun for her own protection. While wolves were scared
of the weapon, it wouldn’t derail a whole pack.

He turned to his men who appeared to be as tense as he was.
They stood, ears alert
,
and legs flexed ready to take off at a
moment’s notice. Half were on four paws, the other on two feet. With a flick of
his wrist, they all sprinted towards the commotion.

Devon had chosen to stay in his human form, in case anyone
got injured. The pack he carried on his back was heavy and bulky, but he was
determined to keep pace with the others. In fact, he was leading the pack of
humans.

They could move at inhuman speeds on two feet, but nowhere
near as fast as they could on four. The wolves in front of them slowed to a
crawl as they approached the outskirts of the property. Devon and the others
caught up to them as they branched off in the tree line, sniffing the ground
with their ears perked.

Devon and his comrades followed close behind. Ears open, he
didn’t hear anything but his fellow pack-mates. Relieved, he pushed forward
onto the familiar property.

***

Lark scrambled back in through the window, grasping Daniel’s
hand firmly as he hauled her into the safety of the bedroom. Shrill sirens
sliced through the air, causing her to cringe. She checked the gun and tucked
it back into her pants, covering it as best she could with her black v-neck.

“I’m going to get Emily. Stay here,” Daniel said, rushing to
the door.

“Can I help?” Lark asked, not exactly thrilled to stand
around and wait.
What if something happens?

Daniel squinted at her as if thinking before shaking his
head yes. He opened the door, turning his head in both directions before
leading the way down the corridor. Lark followed behind, walking lightly on the
tips of her toes.

Shouts echoed up the stairwell as they neared. She balled
her fists, ready to fight if need be. Thankfully, everything appeared to be
taking place downstairs.

Daniel lurched forward, scurrying across the opening at the
top of the stairs. Lark darted after him, adrenaline rushing through her veins.
They entered another hall and climbed another set of stairs. A door with a
padlock stood before them
. S
he watched Daniel search his pockets, procuring
a key.

“What are you doing?”

Lark froze, pulse roaring in her ears, as her and Daniel
both turned.

“I’m putting her with the others,” Daniel said, his voice
surprisingly calm, despite the beads of sweat that dribbled down his brow.

The man nodded with a sneer at her before turning and
padding down the hall. Daniel let out a long puff of air, and jammed the key
into the lock. The door swung open, and they shuffled in closing the door
behind them.

Lark surveyed the corridor of closed doors, surprised by the
length of the hall. Though she couldn’t really judge since she hadn’t seen the
outside of the house, she realized it had to be massive.

Daniel led them down to a door on the right, twisting the
key in the lock before opening it.

“Thank god,” Emily exhaled, flying off the bed. “I was
beginning to wonder.”

“Come on,” Daniel said, wrapping an arm around Emily’s
shoulder as he guided her from the room.

“You get the girls
.
I’ll talk to Natalia,”
Emily whispered.

Daniel nodded and hugged Emily briefly before unlocking the
door in front of them. He then darted down the hall.

“Natalia is going to need some coaxing,” Emily explained.

Lark watched as Emily slowly opened the door, both hands
held up in the air.

“Natalia,” she said softly.

Lark caught sight of the woman who was curled into a ball on
the bed. Her brown eyes darted between the two of them.

“We’re going to get out of here, make a run for it. Come
with us.” Emily extended her hand to the woman.

Slowly, Natalia sat up
. H
er long brown hair fell in
soft waves, cascading around her face.
Her d
oe eyes widening as she
stared at them.

“It will be safe. There is another pack with my brother’s
cousin in Abilene,” Emily whispered.

Natalia breathed heavily, her chest heaving as her knees
stretched out revealing her extremely swollen belly. Lark remembered Gene’s
story behind the gun he’d given her. Natalia couldn’t shift while pregnant. Between
the two of them, they would seriously slow everyone else down.

Natalia seemed hesitant, her gaze fixed on something behind
them.

“We have to go,” Lark tried urgency slipping into her voice.
“You’ll be safe, you and the baby. Come with us.”

Emily’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. “Please, we
have to go before my dad finds out what we’re up to.”

The bed creaked under her weight as she shifted, pushing up
onto her feet.

Lark searched the room, finding a pair of crocs in the
corner. They weren’t exactly practical, but better than being barefoot.

“Here,” she said, rushing over to pick up the shoes and hand
them to the wolf.

Natalia looked at the shoes as if Lark were offering her a
vile of poison. Glaring, she took the shoes, dropping them to the floor and
slipping her feet in.

“Are we ready?” Daniel whispered as he popped into the room.

“How are we getting out?” Emily asked.

Daniel sighed, eyes darting to Lark.

Lark frowned; she’d only seen the outside from the window.
Having never been here before she couldn’t even begin to think of a plan to
escape.

“What was the original plan?” Lark questioned. Panic flooded
her senses, breath quickening
as
she tried to contain it. Surely he
had another plan.

“To go out my window,” Daniel said.

“Is there another way out?” Lark asked.

Daniel glanced around the room for a long minute.

“I think so, follow me.”

Lark held her breath as the floor boards creaked beneath
them as they followed Daniel into the hall. They crept toward a closed door,
which
then
Daniel
eased open. Ushering them in, he shut the door behind them. He took long silent
strides to the window; he lifted it up and peered out.

“Come on, I’ll help you guys down,” he said reaching out for
Natalia first.

Natalia’s hand shot out like a claw, swiping down his face.
Daniel cried out and stumbled back, fingers flying to his face. Long red
streaks marred his face as tiny droplets of blood oozed out.

“I’ll go first,” Emily said pushing forward.

Daniel nodded gripping her hand and hoisting her onto the window
sill. Maddie and Amelia went next.

“I’ll help you,” Lark offered turning to Natalia.

Natalia reached a shaky hand out, grasping Lark’s hand
tightly. Carefully Natalia maneuvered herself out of the window and into the
thick branches of the tree. Despite her swollen belly, Natalia moved with ease
and grace shimmying from one branch to the next.

“Go ahead,” Daniel said. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Lark accepted his offered hand and
grabbed hold of a thick branch. The sticky night air greeted her as her clammy
hands slid along the tree. Relief tinged with fear coursed through her veins
. T
hey were
out of the house, now they just needed to find Devon.

***

Devon swung a deafening blow and stood back watching as one
of Emmett’s enforcers fell limply to the ground. They had swiftly taken out the
four guards before they could alert anyone else to their presence. He motioned
to the wolves to stand guard at the two entrances of the barn, before snatching
the ring of keys from the deceased guard.

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you,” Marcus stated
as he clung to the wrought iron bars. The straw shuffled beneath him as he
moved to the door ready to get out.

“Yes, took your time didn’t you
?
” Vincent
rolled his eyes, but Devon could see the relief on his face.

“Stop griping and come on,” Devon snapped as he undid the
lock and popped the door open.

“What’s going on with Emily?” Marcus asked, his eyes darting
around the empty barn.

“Not sure, but I’m sure she is fine,” Devon said, placing a
hand on Marcus’ shoulder. “
Daniel
’s supposed to meet us here,
hopefully any second now.”

After several long moments of pacing across the warped dirt
floor of the barn, Devon felt a quiver of terror over take him. This was taking
far too long. Daniel should have been here by now. Something else must have
gone wrong. He refused to lose Lark now, he didn’t know what he would do if
Lark and Emily didn’t make it out alive.

Lark was important to him, he cared about her — liked her,
more than liked her. What the emotion was he didn’t know, but she was special.
Instead of looking at him like he was different or worthless, she made him feel
wanted and challenged him.

Footsteps squeaking across the dewy grass drew his attention
to outside the barn. With long quick strides he covered the short distance to
the door. The breath he’d been holding left his lungs as the small group
approached.

“Emily,” Marcus whispered, brushing past him and bursting
out into the open. He ran to her and grasped her to him twirling her in a
circle as they embraced.

Not exactly subtle
, Devon
thought, eyes scanning the open terrain. Satisfied there was no danger, his
gaze drifted back to the group, instantly spotting Lark.

Her arm was wrapped around a pregnant woman’s shoulder.
Lark’s blue eyes met his a small smile spreading across her face.

He ignored the urge to follow in Marcus’ footsteps and stood
firm in his spot. Now was not the time to lose focus. But damn it
,
he wanted
to pull Lark into a tight hug and never let her go.

“What took so long?” Devon asked, annoyed, as Daniel
approached.

Devon frowned, taking in the angry red scratches that marred
his face. They appeared to be human, but Lark wasn’t a scratcher, she was a
puncher.

Daniel shifted nervously on his feet.

“Long story, we need to hurry. I’m
sure Emmett is in the process of dispersing his men. Things did not go as
planned and we had to improvise.”

“Devon,” Lark said, stopping in front of him, bottom lip
caught between her teeth.

“Lark,” he whispered, she dropped her arm from around the
other woman and embraced him in a tight hug. Devon wrapped his arms tightly
around her, enjoying the feel of her pressed safely against him.

“Mom?” Vincent asked eyeing the four women, then his
brother.

“I never got to talk to her…I…” Daniel trailed off.

Lark stiffened against Devon as howls erupted into the night
air.

“Come on,” Devon took her hand in
his and pulled her towards the tree line.

“Wait,” she said, tugging him back. “Natalia.” She motioned
to the pregnant woman.

Devon took in the scared woman
. H
er aura
stank of fear, permeating the air with a soured milk stench. Her wild brown
eyes glared at him, gleaming with a tinge of yellow. Soft pants escaped her
fine lips, and
her
hands clutched her swollen belly.

“We need to go,” he said, extending his hand to her.

She recoiled away like he’d smacked her; a little more
yellow flooded her eyes.

“Word to the wise,” Daniel paused, indicating the marks on
his face. “Don’t touch her.”

“Fine. Come on, we’re going.” Devon pointed to the tree line
the two younger girls already darting off in that direction.

Lark pulled away from him and tucked Natalia’s arm around
her slender shoulders again, baring most of the pregnant woman’s weight. Devon
gritted his teeth, irritation rolling through him. He just wanted to get Lark
to safety.

The wolves flanked them as they hobbled towards the tree
line at a rapid walk-run pace. Marcus, Emily, and Daniel raced ahead catching
up with the two younger girls already secluded by the dense tree line.

The brush enveloped them, but he could hear the pounding of
paws against the soft earth. He took Lark’s hand and pulled her along forcing
the duo to move faster. It wouldn’t be long before the wolves picked up on
their scent and discovered their deceased brethren in the barn.