Chapter 26

Lawrence POV 

With his knife flashing like a predator's teeth in the low light, the leader lunged. As the blade slid perilously near my ribs, I planted my feet firmly and pushed Camilla behind me. Ancient and primordial, my instincts roared, demanding that I keep her safe at all costs.

I growled, "Stay back," with the distinct authority of an Alpha in my voice. Even Camilla was stunned by my tone, but the leader merely smiled, unconcerned.

He flicked the knife between his fingers and sneered, "You think that tone scares me?" "Knight, you are nothing. Just a disgraced Alpha who faces the prospect of death."

I clenched my jaw, but I didn't fall for his trick. I moved a little instead to better protect Camilla. With their footsteps resonating in the vast emptiness of the warehouse, the remaining members of the group closed in. For most, the odds were stacked against me, but I wasn't most. They had no idea what they were up against.

"What do they want?" Camilla's voice trembled behind me, her breath brushing against my back.

I glanced over my shoulder for a split second. "They want me."

"Why?"

"Not the time for questions, Camilla," I responded sharply, evading a swift swing from the leader's blade. The knife struck the edge of my shirt, ripping the cloth but missing flesh. My gaze went back to him as adrenaline shot through my veins. "You won't get what you came for."

The leader chuckled darkly. "We'll see about that."

He lunged again, but I was faster this time. I twisted, trapping his wrist and wrenching the knife from his fingers. The sword clattered on the floor, its piercing ring echoing like a warning bell. The room exploded into mayhem as his soldiers charged.

One of them lunged for Camilla. She shrieked, her dread piercing through the air like a blade of its own. Fury poured through me. I swung my arm, making contact with the man's jaw with my punch. He collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

"Run, Camilla!" My voice broke with intensity as I yelled. "Get out of here now!"

"No!" she screamed back, her eyes glimmering with defiance despite the lines of terror that marked her face. "I'm not leaving you!"

She scurried to the side, her hands fumbling for a weapon, before I could counter. Her tenacity was inspiring and frustrating. Even though Camilla wasn't a warrior, she was nevertheless standing her ground.

A second assailant approached, his hand aiming for her. With a painful thump on his arm, she swung a corroded metal pipe that she had picked up off the floor. He staggered back, yelping in pain.

I mumbled, "Nice swing," as I narrowly avoided a blow to the head.

"Focus, Lawrence!" Her voice was firm but breathless as she shot back.

With his eyes burning with rage, the leader regained his balance and came at me. When our bodies collided with enough force to take our breath away, I met him halfway. With raw, unrelenting rage driving every blow, we struggled, fists flying.

"You should've stayed away!" he shouted, his breath hot against my cheek. "You don't deserve this pack, this family!"

I was sensitive to what he said, but I kept it to myself. Rather, I rammed my knee into his abdomen, causing him to stagger back. I responded icily, "You don't get to decide what I deserve."

I caught a glimpse of Camilla battling another man out of the corner of my eye. He caught the pipe this time and yanked it out of her hand as she swung it again. As he lifted the weapon, poised to strike, panic gnawed at my breast.

"Camilla!" With a yell, I separated from the leader.

I caught the man by the collar and threw him across the room as I got to her in time. He smashed into a stack of old crates, the wood splintering under his weight. When Camilla's wide eyes locked with me, the mayhem temporarily subsided. She opened her mouth to speak, but the leader's voice cut the moment short.

"Enough!"

We turned to see him standing near the door, his chest heaving. He clutched something in his palm, and my blood raced cold. It was a telephone. He held it up, revealing the screen to me. A real-time video feed showed Mira and George dozing off in their hospital room. In the corner of the picture, a man I didn't recognize was observing them.

With a tone full of hate, the leader declared, "Knight, make one more move, and they'll pay the price."

With a gasp, Camilla's hand shot to her mouth. "No," she said in a whisper. "You wouldn't"

"Try me," he broke off, his eyes meeting mine. "You believe you can keep everyone safe? Your significant other, your children, your priceless pack? You only have one man. You're not going to win.

As I considered my possibilities, my thoughts raced. The thought of my kids stopped me from tearing him apart, despite every instinct telling me to do so. They would be in danger if they made one mistake. I couldn't take the chance.

"What do you want?" Despite the fury raging inside of me, I asked in a firm voice.

He grinned, obviously taking pleasure in his advantage. "You. Out of the picture. Forever."

With clenched hands, Camilla took a step forward. She spat, "You're a coward." "Using children as leverage while hiding behind threats? You're pathetic."

The leader's grin wavered, but it returned swiftly. "Sweetheart, say what you want. However, your Alpha here is aware of my correctness.

The sound of sirens pierced the night before I could reply. The louder the sound, the darker the leader's face.

I remarked, "Looks like your time's up," with a faint undertone of delight.

He gestured to his guys with a frown. "Knight, we'll finish this another time. You can count on it.

Camilla and I were left alone in the warehouse as the group vanished into the darkness. The tension persisted, oppressive and oppressive. I turned to face her, but she gave me a hard slap across the face before I could say anything.

"How dare you keep me in the dark?" Her voice cracked as she shouted. "How dare you put our children at risk?"

I touched my cheek; the agony in her voice was far worse than the sting of her smack. "Camilla, I didn't"

"Don't," she interrupted, her eyes welling with tears. "Don't you dare make excuses?"

Sharper than a dagger, her words sliced right through me. I wanted to tell her everything and explain, but I was stopped by the expression in her eyes. It was more than simply rage. Fear was the cause. And I was to blame.

"Let's go," she finally said, her voice hardly audible above a whisper. "We need to get back to the kids."

As I followed her out of the warehouse, I gave a slight nod. As we entered the night, the sirens became more and more loud, but all I could hear was my failure reverberating in my mind.

The scene that met us when we got to the hospital chilled my blood. The sheets had been tossed aside, and George's hospital bed was vacant. Mira stood in the corner, her eyes wide with fear and her face pallid.

"Daddy," she muttered, her voice shaking. "They took him."