John POV
"Where are we going?" Marcus asks me, and I glance over at him as I pull out of the garage and onto
the street.
We were going to meet Kalen outside the city.
"To meet up with Kalen," I tell Marcus.
"I just don't get why Carter would take Macey.We should be telling Valen.He will find out, and he won't
be happy we kept this from him," Marcus tells me, and I chewed the inside of my lip.
Everly had enough on her plate, and I didn't want to ruin what would should be a joyous moment for
her and Valen with this news.
Kalen believed the same thing and didn't want to taint the day even more for them at this time.We could
handle this, assuming Kalen was able to pick up her location.
That was the concerning part.We had lost her, and her phone was switched off, so we couldn't even
track it with the cell towers.
"John, either you tell me what is going on, orl am contacting Valen," Marcus snarls at me, and I turn the
radio down as we leave the city limits.
"Carter is Macey's mate.She bargained herself to get Ava back.We were supposed to ambush him, but
then the council interfered, as you know, and ruined our plans.We thought we had it under control." I
tell him.
"Wait, what? And you kept this from us? From the pack?" he yells, and I glare out the windscreen.
"Yes, because Macey asked us too! Think about it, Marcus.Think about what I just said," I snap back at
him.
Marcus falls quiet before he gasps, my words finally sinking in.
"Everly and Zoe wouldn't have allowed us to kill him, " he murmurs, looking at me, and I nod.
Macey knew that, and she was right.
"Did Macey ask you to keep this from them?" Marcus asks, and I nod again.
"Fuck! So what now?" he asks with a growl.
"We find Macey and Carter and...."
"You kill him, and it will kill Macey! We have to figure out something else.Everly will never forgive either
of you for this," Marcus says, sitting back in his chair and clutching his hair.
"And you will keep it to yourself. Valen will tell Everly," Marcus growls at me.
"And he should!"
Marcus snaps, and I glare at him before pressing my lips in a line.
"I asked for your help, not your judgment! Either keep quiet, or I will leave you on the side of the road," I
tell him.
Marcus curses and shakes his head.
"So, where are we headed?"
"To meet Kalen.We put a tracker on Macey, but we lost the signal.Kalen said you're good with tech.We
need you to up the frequency, expand it," I tell him, pulling into a service station just outside the city
limits.
I jump out, popping the cap and filling the car up.
"What sort of tracker is it?" Marcus asks, climbing out of the car when I see his eyes glaze over.
I keep filling the car up, knowing he is being mind linked when he sighs.
Glancing at him, I see him shake his head.
"Zoe?" I ask him, and he nods, scratching the back of his neck and glancing around.
"Yeah, she wants to know what is going on," he tells me.
"What did you tell her?"
"The same thing that I am helping you, that we are looking for Carter, but she is suspicious.She knows
Macey would never leave Taylor for one or not answer her calls.She also doesn't understand why
Carter would take her," Marcus says when the pump clicks, telling me the tank is full.
"And you won't tell her. She hasn't contacted Valen or Everly?" I ask him, and he growls, not happy
about lying to his mate.
"No, she said she would wait until I know what is going on," Marcus tells me, and I let out a breath of
relief.
The last thing we needed was Everly out here looking for Macey after having a C-Section.
"Explains why she had us sign all those documents. I can't believe this.We need to find her! I come
back without her.Zoe will fucking kill me."
"We will.And Zoe won't.Besides, you're her mate," I tell him, and he laughs.
"I diot.There is a reason Macey didn't tell them.She knew their reaction and that Zoe and Everly
wouldn't allow it.She knew Zoe would sacrifice her own mental health by allowing him to live so she
could.Those girls are a package deal, John.Their bond outweighs any mate bond," Marcus tells me and
I nod, going int o pay for the fuel.
I swallow.
He is right.
I couldn't return home to my daughters without Macy.I owed them both this much.I owed my Claire to
fix what I broke, owed her for destroying our family and her.
Something I would live with for the rest of my life, but I would not live with knowing I destroyed Everly
more.I Macey wasn't just a rogue friend.
She was as much a sister to my daughter as Ava was.
Therefore, she was mine, too.
And I won't make the same mistakes of the past.I protect what's mine, and if that means bringing
Macey home, I owe them, girls, that much.
Walking out, the weight of the situation weighed heavily on me.
We couldn't fail.I had to bring her home to her daughter, to mine.
Starting my car, I pull onto the old highway heading for the old power station where we were meeting
up with Kalen.
"If we can't pick up her location by the end of the weekend, we tell Valen, just give them the
weekend.They don't need this stress right now."
"No, you have 24 hours, or I am going to Valen with this.I can hold Zoe off for a day or so, but after that,
she will go to Everly."
Marcus says, and I suckina breath before nodding.
Kalen would be angry, but it was looking like we had no choice.
We needed to find Macey and needed to bring her home.
Macey didn't have to fight for me and save me in the forsaken attack, yet she did.
I owe her my life, and I will lay it down for her if needed, just like I would give my last breath if it meant
bringing my Claire back.
Now we just needed to find her.
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