“A calm they may have manipulated, forcing The Three into a high security compound in the middle of fucking nowhere in Oregon while they carry out an attack in Spain,” Lucien clipped impatiently.

Abel looked questioningly to Callum.

Callum felt his eyes and said, “They weren’t unaware of the compound’s existence. Which means the attack at Jian-Li’s restaurant may have been a play to get us there.”

“Which would also mean, if we moved, now that The Three are together, they can assume we’d do it as one, they’d know where we’re moving from, can manipulate where we’re moving to, and they’d be in position to pick us off,” Abel returned.

Callum’s jaw got tight which meant Abel’s guess might be right.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

“I’m more use to you elsewhere, Lucien,” Cosmo stated.

“You are,” Lucien agreed. “Move out all vampires and wolves, but leave the wraiths.”

Abel watched Cosmo nod right before a blinding pain shot through his head.

He tensed, his head jerking automatically as if the pain was a physical blow, and he lifted his hands so he could press his palms to his eyes, where the pain kept burning.

“Abel,” Callum called.

The pain shot through again, so severe, nausea tore up his throat and he had to swallow against vomiting as the agony bent him double.

“Abel!” Callum bit out, and Abel felt hands on him.

He shirked them off, the pain in his head so bad he was unable to bear touch.

Still bent double, he snarled, “Don’t touch me, man.”

“This ever happen before?” he heard Lucien ask, to which Xun answered, “Never.”

“Smell anything?” Callum asked, and Ryon answered, “Nothing.”

“Wolf,” Callum ordered, and Abel sensed them transforming to wolf as the pain shot back, worse this time, taking him down to his knee.

“Fuck,” he spat, digging his palms into his eyes in an effort to quell the pain.

“Talk to us, Abel,” Lucien demanded from close.

“Jesus, fuck, pain, fuck, bad” was all Abel could force out before it happened.

The pain vanished, and the instant it did, the clearing and beyond was lit with a blue flash that illuminated the space, straight to the heavens.

Everyone tensed and Abel’s head shot back as he watched sparks fly in the trees and heard things crashing through them.

“Prepare,” Lucien growled as Abel got to his feet, ready to jump to wolf.

But Hook was running into the trees.

“Careful, Hook!” Abel shouted.

“Fuck!” Hook shouted back. He bent, straightened, and turned to the clearing holding something up in his hand. “Camera! Fried now, but fuck!”

“Go, now,” Lucien ordered, turning and sprinting to his ATV, still calling out commands. “Gather the cameras. Cosmo, compound. You’ve been made.”

Everyone was running. Then everyone was on ATVs. A fuckuva lot faster, they got to the SUVs, hauled ass climbing in, and took off.