Chapter 452

Chapter 452

Dane

“What the fuck was that? Looking through Ryken’s kitchen window, I see thick smoke seeping up into the sky. I almost knock Calihan over trying to get out of the door. Ryken sweeps him up just as Blair appears asking what the noise was. I don’t answer her and disappear out the door in the direction of the explosion.

The packhouse was in bits. Half the building was crumbling as my pack worked quickly to put out the flames. The remainder of the roof barely hangs on as more bricks tumble down.

Then I see my mate, sitting on the grass, staring up at what was left of our home.

Dropping down by her side, she doesn’t say a word.

*Were you inside?” I didn’t know where she was planning on taking Kade. She shakes her head

Where is Kade?’ Aero asks. I scan the grounds and don’t see him.

*Neah, where is Kade?” I mutter as people continue to run around us

“He did this.” She whispers.

“What are you talking about?”

*He blew up our home.” She pats her wrist. “He was wearing something. Like a watch, but it had a button. Cooper got to him.”

“Neah….”

*He blew up our house!”

“Let’s get you out of here.” I lift her into my arms. She doesn’t fight it. It seems like she is in some kind of shock. I take one last look at the packhouse and head for Eric’s home. Thankful that the twins were with them and not in the house. I link everyone that is normally in the house and I am grateful when I get everyones check in. The house had been empty.

Eric is on his way out when we arrive. “What the hell was that? Is she okay?”

“I need to use your house.”

“Of course.”

I put Neah on the sofa and listened to her mind working overtime. She is so angry. The tips of her claws poke out of her finger tips. I didn’t understand how a kid could have the ability to blow up a house that big. But her mind insists it’s Kade. That Kade had been promised something from Cooper.

“What happened out there?” Mallory asks quietly.

*The packhouse has been blown up.”

“What?”

*Kade blew the house up.” I repeat Neah’s words, still partly in disbelief

*Seriously?”

I nod as I watch my mates eyes slowly darken. Nyx was close to the surface again.

“Where is the little shit?” Mallory demands

“I don’t know.”

“He ran off.” Neah mutters. “He ran off after we were knocked to the ground.”

She swings her legs around and sits up. The darkness of her eyes fading until they were their usual soft blue.

“He was talking about Cooper and promises. The guy told Kade they could be free and that I would ruin them. He said Cooper picked him, not Dorothy and not his brother.”

“Dorothy?” I ask. “Was Dorothy a target of Coopers?”

“I don’t know.” Neah shakes her head at me. “I should have ordered him to take it off.” She rubs her hands over her eyes and when she takes them away, I see how they are full of tears. “I got him to tell me. He said that Cooper told him when the time was right, to push the button. Because I didn’t know what the watch was, I tried to stop him and he pressed it anyway. I should have ordered him to stop… I don’t even know if anyone was in the house… I could have stopped him.”

Guilt was radiating off of her and Mallory sits down next to her, putting an arm around Neah’s shoulders. “He is a kid, none of us would have expected him to do that.”

*I should have. Ordering adults is so much easier. I could have stopped him and this wouldn’t be happening.”

“It would have happened anyway.” I mutter

“He’s right.” Eric confirms. “Whatever was used to blow up the house, has probably been in the house for some time. But clearly it’s something scentless or we would have sniffed it out. When the fire is out. I will gather a team and we will do a sweep, see what we can find.”

“At least you and the boys weren’t in it.” Mallory sighs.

*And no one else was in the house either.” I confirm to Neah. “They were all out. Everything we lost can be replaced and rebuilt. No one was hurt.”

*The boys,” Neah mutters, looking at Mallory. “Are they okay?”

*Asleep. They slept through the explosion.” Eric smiles reassuringly.

Neah nods. “Ryken keeps linking me, asking where his son is. How Am I supposed to tell him that Cooper got to Kade? That Kade blew up the packhouse?”

“I will handle it. Tell him I’m on my way back.” I press my lips to hers and wipe away the lingering tear on her cheek.

Passing the packhouse, I see that the flames are almost out. But there was nothing salvageable. The whole thing would need tearing down and rebuilding.