Chapter 13

Annie did as Nick instructed her when they arrived at the abandoned warehouse. She stayed behind him, gripping the knife he'd given her tightly in her right hand, while her left held onto his lightly. They entered that way, Jeremy leading the group while Nick followed behind him, Annie right on his heels. In truth, she was a little nervous for what would be waiting for them inside. Not that she'd admit as much to Nick.

"It smells as if they've been gone for at least a day," Jeremy announced, after they found the place empty. The others starting spreading out, covering more ground.

"Doesn't look like they've deserted the place, though," Nick commented, eyeing up the furniture and the beer cans littering the table. Annie had moved up beside him at that point, pocketing the knife as she moved her right hand to interlock with his left. The place, even empty, gave her the spooks.

Joey hesitantly approached the metal cage that took up the center of the room, the one he had been held hostage in. Annie couldn't help but feel for him. It had to be a hundred times worse for him, returning to where he had been held hostage. Where he had been drugged and tortured. She couldn't help but notice how Nick subconsciously pulled her closer when he eyed up the cage, before pulling her away from it when Jeremy told them to search the room for anything useful.

Annie was going to disconnect herself from Nick, in order to help with the search, but Nick kept a tight hold on her hand. Even with the Mutt's gone, he wasn't comfortable letting her leave his side. Not in an unknown environment. Not when images of Annie being tied up in the cage had infiltrated his mind. That could have been her fate had the Mutts succeeded in kidnapping her. Thankfully she didn't resist, turning to follow him as he moved toward an old desk to start his search. It didn't take him long to come across the pictures.

"I found something," Nick called out as he and Annie flipped through the photographs. There were ones of Elena and Logan in Toronto, proving that the Mutts had been watching the whole pack for a while now. It wasn't until they got towards the end of the photos that picture after picture of Annie started showing up. They went back as far as when she had first come to the pack, at the age of 15. They'd been watching her for the past six years.

"They want the girls. It all started with Annie. Elena became a focus after she turned." Logan stated after looking at the pictures. "I need to return to Rachel. She's pregnant. I'm going to have a son."

Jeremy let him go after that, but Annie wasn't really paying attention to what the others were saying. She was too busy staring horrified at the pictures of her younger self. They'd been watching her ever since she came to America. It was because of her the focus shifted to the pack. She should have stayed in Italy. Her coming to Stone Haven had put the entire pack in jeopardy.

"Their main target has been the pack, and Annie. The emails prove that. Elena might be an add-on, but their main target seems to be Annie." Jeremy stated, pulling Annie out of her thoughts as he took the photograph of her younger self in his hands.

"But no one knew about me. Only my father, and he was dead before any of these pictures were taken. How did they know?" Annie murmured softly, confused as to how the Mutts even knew what she was within hours of her being in the country.

"I don't know. We'll find out though. I promise." Laying his hand gently on Annie's shoulder, Jeremy gave a reassuring squeeze before he tucked the photographs in his jacket pocket and gave the order to leave. They'd gotten all the information they could out of the hideout.

"I should never have come. I should have stayed in Italy and none of this would have happened. Everyone would be safe." Annie's words had Nick rising from his seat and cupping her face in is hands.

"Non bisogna mai dire. Tu appartieni qui, con noi, con me." He murmured firmly, only releasing her once she nodded her head. When Jeremy turned back, noticing the two pups lagging behind, he barked out his order once more. It was time to leave, they could have their moment in the car, or better yet back at the house where they were safe.

"You didn't have to yell, they would have followed us," Antonio commented when Jeremy climbed into the driver seat beside him.

"Annie's already hurt. Staying longer would risk the safety of her and the pack." Jeremy defended. He wasn't fooling Antonio. If Jeremy had thought it unsafe to remain in the warehouse, he would have ordered everyone back to the car. Jeremy's reaction had strictly been that of a father who wasn't ready to let his little girl be the adult she had grown into.

...

Annie stayed the night in Nick's room, needing his relaxing scent to calm her down. She fell asleep wrapped up in his arms. He hadn't let her go since she mentioned she should have stayed in Italy. As if he was afraid she'd run if he released her for a moment. Truth was, Annie wasn't strong enough to run away. She'd miss the pack to much. She'd miss Nick too much. At one time she had been used to being a lone wolf. Now she was far too accustomed to family life to ever go back to running alone.

When she woke up, Nick was gone. It wasn't a complete surprise, seeing as he was the one Jeremy gave the task of driving Joey to the airport to. Still, she had hoped he'd wake her to say goodbye. Instead she woke to her senses being surrounded by his scent, yet with his side of the bed empty. It was a cruel return to reality.

Instead of getting dressed and heading downstairs, Annie stayed curled up in Nick's blankets, pulling his scent around her as she tried to forget about everyting that had gone wrong. It wasn't really working, but she kept trying until she heard Nick returning. Before she could untangle herself from the blankets to throw on some pants, having slept in one of Nick's shirts, the doorbell was ringing. When she discovered it was the Sherriff at the door, Annie stayed rooted to her spot. She wasn't in the mood to lie about how she had gotten her injuries.

"I could get used to coming home and finding you in my bed," Nick commented in a falsely lighthearted tone as he shut the door behind him.

"What's going on Nick? Why is the Sherriff here, again?" It worried Annie, all the attention they were getting from the local police as of late. If they kept poking around, they were going to find something at odds here.

"It's about Braxton. FBI's on the case. Apparently they found LeBlanc's prints on the body." Nick explained as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. Though he had tried to seem calm when he entered, his muscles were clearly bunched and visible beneath his black tee. It had Annie inching closer to him, placing a reassuring hand on his arm.

"I take it we're not going to Toronto then." The plan had been to leave as soon as Joey was safely on his way to Vancouver. Jeremy didn't like Elena only having Clay to protect her. And seeing as Annie was still a target, they were all going to go on a road trip to get the pack back together.

"We're going, as soon as the FBI clears out." That could take hours. Which meant hours of Nick being on edge. He didn't do well when cooped up. It was that thought that had Annie tugging on Nick's arm until he fell back beside her on the bed. Before he could say a word, Annie pulled him down to her, distracting him with a kiss. It was a much better way for them to spend their time than Nick tensing and pacing. Nick seemed to think so as well, as he raised his hand to Annie's neck, tilting her head for better access. He only stopped when he moved his other hand to Annie's torso, causing her to hiss in pain. Caught up in the moment, he had forgotten about her injuries.

"This isn't the best way to avoid strenous activities," Nick gasped as he forced himself to pull away. It was so damn easy for him to get caught up in Annie. "We should head downstairs, check in on what's going on." Get them around witnesses so he wouldn't be as tempted to jump Annie. Not that seeing her dressed in just his T-shirt did anything to dampen the temptation. He quickly threw her jeans at her, hoping it'd help with his self control once she was fully clothed. She was in no condition for any...strenous activities.

It took a while for Annie to make it downstairs, and when she did she immediately went to sit beside Antonio on the couch, curling up alongside the arm. She hated to admit it, but Antonio had officially surpassed her in his recovery stage. It was moments like the one with Nick upstairs that had her wishing she had the full healing abilities of the other wolves. As it was, she didn't. And now Nick seemed even more keyed up than before. Taking his frustration out verbally on Elena's human boyfriend and even Jeremy himself. Antonio was quick to scold him for that. He'd raised his son better than that.

"Come on Nick, help me find my passport," Annie interrupted the tense silence that had fallen between the three men. It would be best to separate them until the police were gone. They didn't need any more attention to be called to the pack, and a family feud might do just that. Thankfully Nick followed her down the hall and up the stairs to her room. He knew it was all a ruse on her part to get him away from Jeremy and his father, so he simply slouched on the bed while Annie went to her desk to 'look' for her passport.

Annie always knew what he was feeling, and how best to handle him when he was in his various moods. It was like her superpower, she was always able to get him to calm down. Joey had been right, Nick was lucky to have Annie in his life. Her insistance last night, that she should have stayed in Italy, had him picturing what life without Annie in it would be like, if he'd never met her. It sufficed to say, Nick didn't like thinking about that.

"I want you to stay close in Toronto," Nick announced when Annie had found her passport, moving to tuck it into her purse that rested beside him on the bed.

"How close?" Annie murmured, surprising Nick as she stepped between his legs and rested her hands on his shoulders. "This close?"

Nick was currently unable to speak. After that morning he was already riled up, so all he could manage was to move his arms gently around Annie's waist, pulling her closer to him. Though it still wasn't close enough for him. He had to remind himself she was still hurt.

"I'm not going to run off, if that's what you're afraid of." After last night, Nick had been openly paranoid that she would leave the pack for Italy, or some remote place, to save them. But she wasn't naive enough to think the attacks would stop if she ran now. Perhaps if she'd never come to America at all, but now that they've started, the Mutts wouldn't stop until they got everything they wanted. Including retribution on the pack.

"Right now, I'm afraid of what I'll do if you don't back up a few feet," Nick addmitted. The urge to take her then and there was getting stronger with every wiff of her scent that wafted his way. His response had Annie's heart beating faster. After a moment she finally stepped away, forced to be the stronger of the two at the moment.

"The agents are leaving the property," Antonio interrupted from the doorway, causing Annie to blush at how close they'd come to being caught in an even more embarrasing position. "They got a call that LeBlanc was seen crossing the Canadian border. Meaning the Mutts might already be in Toronto. Get ready to leave."

And with that he was gone, off to get his own passport, not even noticing the tension in the room he just left. Or at least, not commenting on it. Grabbing her bag, Annie moved to slip on the clossest shoes, which happened to be her leather boots, before following Nick downstairs. He'd already had his passport in his back pocket, had retrieved it as soon as he'd been told they were going to Toronto.

The drive was long, even with Jeremy speeding. Perhaps that had something to do with Annie being stuck in very close quarters next to Nick, who was still a little riled up. She was still wearing his t-shirt and smelling his scent mixed with hers was making it difficult for Nick to stay focused on the plan. He wasn't sure exactly what had kicked his mating senses into overdrive. Perhaps Annie being on the brink of death, or having another wolf look at her like Joey had, or finding out Logan was going to be a father. Whatever it was, he needed to get it under control.

Sensing Nick's frustration, Annie scooted as close to the door as she could, trying to give him space. Nick didn't seem to like that as he immediately reached out for her hand. By the time they arrived in Toronto, both Annie and Nick welcomed the fresh air. They had stopped at Logan's house first, only to find it empty. The only sign that the Mutts had been there were their faint smell, covered up mostly by perfume, and small traces of blood in the kitchen. It had Jeremy ordering everyone back to the car, determined to reach Elena before the Mutts got to her as well.

It turned out they didn't have to go up to her apartment, as Elena was gettign into her car when they pulled up, looking to be in a panic. Before Jeremy could say anything, Nick had taken off, knocing on Elena's window to get her attention before she drove off.

"We have to go. Olsen stabbed Phillip. I called an ambulance, the police probably aren't far behind." Elena rushed out, sounding as frantic as she looked. "Jeremy, they took Clay."

Elena's words had Annie's heart sinking in her chest. The Mutts had Clay. How the Hell had they managed to kidnap the pack enforcer? And what the Hell did they want with him? Annie was under the impression they were in Toronto for Elena. Now Logan and Rachel were missing and Clay was with the Mutts.

"We have to get Clay. If we split up, we can track the Mutts," Annie knew Jeremy wasn't going to go for that plan. Though she couldn't blame Elena for wanting to do everything she could to get Clay back. Whether Elena admitted it to herself or not, she still loved Clay. If Nick had been the one taken, Annie would want to do everything they could to get him back, alive. Annie understood Elena's desperation.

Annie had been right, Jeremy didn't accept Elena's plan. Instead he ordered Nick to go with Elena back to Stone Haven. He was going to have Annie ride with him and Antonio, but Nick interjected, claiming he didn't want Annie out of his sights. Especially not now. Jeremy reluctantly agreed, allowing Annie to climb into the back of Elena's car. He didn't like the idea of putting the two pack members the Mutts wanted the most in one car, making it easier if they tried to ambush them to take both the girls, but he knew Nick was serious: he wouldn't be able to focus without knowing Annie was safe.

Jeremy wasn't blind, he'd noticed the deepening attachment Nick had for Annie. He was growing more protective, more territorial, which was natural. Until he marked her as his own, either in the human ways or the wolf ways, he'd be antsy both with Annie around and with her out of his sight. Between those two choices, it would always be better for them to be together. It wasn't wise to get between a wolf and his mate.

…

Annie was in the kitchen when Santos called Elena, getting ice from the freezer for her ribs. It's not that they hurt more than Annie could handle, but ice would help her to heal. She needed to heal as soon as possible if she wanted to help the pack. Annie was tired of being a liability. With her injuries, Nick had become increasingly protective. If she ever wanted him to trust she could take care of herself, she needed to her ribs to heal so she could defend herself.

Annie came in towards the end of Santos' invitation for Elena to meet him at the diner. It had an uneasy feeling settling in Annie's stomach, which only worsened when the sounds of Clay in pain, being tortured, echoed from the phone. Reaching out, Annie grabbed a hold of Nick's hand, squeezing it until Clay's pain died down. Elena, who had been screaming at Santos to stop it, promised him she'd meet him at noon. Somehow Annie had a hard time believing Jeremy would let her go.

…

"I thought the plan was to force Jeremy to relinquish control, but here we are talking about Elena. A name that seems to come up more frequently than Jeremy's of late." Marston chided. He was beginning to see that Santos had a major obsession with the female werewolf. One that might just get in the way of their plans.

"You didn't hear me say anything when you were talking about taking Annie, did you?" Santos threw back, not appreciating Marston's insinuations. He wasn't the only one interested in a female wolf. Marston had been besotted as soon as he saw Nick's little whore.

"That was different. Your contact wants Annie. She was always part of the plan. Elena is simply an afterthought that was suggested by you." Annie was practically the basis for the plan to usurp the pack. True, Marston wasn't as interested in the part of the plan that involved Annie before he had met her, but at least when he was helping to come up with a way to get to her it was in the interest of Santos' contact. The plan to lure Elena was all Santos.

"What does it matter? As long as we all get what we want in the end?" Santos demanded, not wanting to defend his actions to Marston. He needed to prepare with his meeting with Elena tomorrow.

A/N: recently a lot of ya have been asking for a new chapter. Here it is! Hope you enjoy it :)

Rach

xoxo