---Anders' POV---

It was amazing to see how many inmates instantly agreed to the plan. A select few had been lucky enough to find their mates here,  or were sent off along with their mated but most of the shifters that remained, were like Vaughan.

Mated and separated, living in constant fear for that one misstep that could lead to their Fated's doom. Even if the inmates listened and obeyed Red Hill's commands, there was still the chance that their mates stepped out of line or the wolves got bored and attacked. The what ifs were stacking up against them but with the plan that we had come up with, we could thwart the Red Hill's pack plans with cheeky ease.

You see, the wolves were like high school bullies, targeting you where it hurts but not expecting any resistance. They went after the opposition's mates, knowing that no sane man or woman would risk losing their other half.

Even worse, they didn't give a damn that they went after innocent pups either. They had threatened multiple children, often having the children in the background as they made the call. It was easy to intimidate someone when their loved one was so close to harm.

Obey, or else...

Currently I was practicing on holding open as much portals as possible, knowing that I needed to hold on for as long as possible. I'd had to try and focus on multiple energies to locate all the inmates' mates at the same time.

If my timing was off, if one of the mates was saved too soon, it could lead to a deadly cascade. The wolves would know that we were trying to save the mates and they'd start slaughtering them one by one.

My eyes flitted to the side, where Benji was watching with narrowed pupils, anxiety clear in his expression. He too would have to dart through one of the portals, as he had informed me about his sister.

And she most likely wouldn't leave without her mate.

A sigh slipped my lips as tension knotted the muscles in my neck and shoulders. I'd have to cope with all these people residing on my territory, adding even more for an unknown amount of time until we could pin down the wolves and end their tyranny.

On the other end, as soon as we dealt with the wolves, the inmates would be free to go. Not all of them were guilty, most of them hadn't even done anything that warranted jail time. Those that had committed actual crimes were in for small, petty crimes.

The corruption of the wolf pack reached far. And it was time to stop it. With a soft sigh I released the portals, shivering from the powers snapping back into place. I needed a little break before I continued.

A warm cheek pressed against mine, purrs rumbling through Benji's chest as I pulled him in my lap. His eyes gleamed with joy and pride, his purrs intensifying when I leaned in for a kiss. For a moment are tongues tangled, chasing one another before he drew back with a shiver.

"Hmmm, the pack won't know what hit them." Benji shivered, nails digging in the back of my neck before he relaxed his hold and sighed. "I'm sure you have enough connections to make work of the pack once everyone's safe?"

I nodded, inhaling Benji's sweet fragrance and pulled him closer until he was almost in my lap. My body instantly heated up at the proximity but I focused on the task at hand, no matter how interesting it would be to prolong our break.

"There are people still indebted to me and I'm quite certain that a lot of the inmates family prides, packs or groups will come to their aid once the mates have been saved." I explained, watching as my adorable mate nodded his head before he frowned slightly.

"I'm sure that Dana's mate will come to our aid too but... we need to save those mates first. And I guess those portals are hard to maintain?" He frowned as I nodded to his question, fingers tapping restlessly against his arm.

"Teleporting them to us is out of the question, I take it?" Benji asked and I scowled, crossing my arms. "If I were to teleport there, then it would be easy, as I only need to have the location in mind. But teleporting other people to my location would mean I need to know exactly how they look, envision them as it were."

I sighed, rubbing a hand through my hair. "If I were to teleport an unknown person to my location without envisioning them properly, a lot of things could go wrong. I could drag the wrong person, I could pull them towards the wrong location, I could change my mind halfway to whom I'm pulling and end up tearing them in half..."

Benji paled at the thought, no doubt imagining the gruesome aftermath it would give.  He looked up, closing his eyes to let the sun caress his face while he thought deeply.

"What are the limitations on your teleportation skills?"

Looking over my shoulder, I sighed as Vance stopped a few steps away, a scowl on his face before he clarified, "I've heard of demons being able to teleport large groups, which would benefit this operation."

Annoyance sparked through my senses while I grumbled, "Even if I'm able to teleport large groups, there's no way all the mates are holed up in the same location. I couldn't teleport individually to them as the wolves will realize what happens and-"

Vance smirked, baring his large canines before he huffed as if he were in his polar bear form. "I'm not talking about teleporting the mates to us. I'm talking about teleporting us to them." I scowled, because honestly what good would that do? I'd teleport the inmates to their mates and I could teleport them back, seeing as I knew who they were. Hell, I've lived among them for countless of years.

The polar bear seemed amused as he leaned against the porch of my house, smirking and shaking his head. "You're forgetting a cardinal rule for teleportation, hybrid." He drawled with amusement. "Anything, or rather, anyone you touch during teleportation-"

"...gets teleported as well. Vance, you genius!" Elijah crowed before lunging in his mate's arms. The polar bear growled happily, nuzzling the buck's hair while his eyes gleamed with happiness. He shot me a look when I let out a soft chuckle before rubbing my hands through my face.

"That could work. Teleporting the inmates is instantaneous and pulling them back with their mates should be a piece of cake. If any of the wolves manages to find out and grab them before teleporting..." 

"We'll deal with them once they land here." Vance finished off with a cruel smirk, baring his teeth in the process. I smirked right back, feeling my throat burn with thirst. All the inmates needed to do was think of their mates as I teleported them, and they'd end up right next to them. I'd have to do multiple teleportations if they were mated with kids and the wolves had thought of separating the kids from their parents but, it could work.

"How about a simple test?" Benji spoke before walking over to Elijah and grabbed him by the hand. Tugging the buck along, under the narrowed gaze of a silently fuming Vance, Benji ran a few feet away till he was at the edge of the woods. "Teleport me back!"

Closing my eyes, I thought of my mate and searched for that knot of power in the back of my head. Reaching for the sensation and feeling the rush of powers flood my veins, I opened my eyes to find Benji right in front of me, grinning as Vance was already stomping over to drag Elijah away from my mate.

"See, it worked! We can do this and save everyone without exhausting you! I mean, you might still get a headache from having all the inmates in your mind but it'll be fine, right?" Benji jumped up and down, only calming down when I pulled him against my chest and nuzzled his hair.

"Yeah, this'll work just fine. The portals would've been too draining and a lot could've gone wrong with that plan. If the wolves caught on to our plan and prevented the couple from reaching the portal, they'd be doomed... Now, the only thing those mutts can do, is hang on for the ride."

Vance smirked and so did I. I knew that the inmates would have no qualms with ending those despicable lives. "You've also given me an interesting idea to solve the aftermath." The man paused, blinking before grinning, his blue eyes gleaming as he instantly understood.

"The pack is nothing without its hierarchy... if you teleport away their superiors, they'll run around with their tails between their legs, not knowing what to do." 

"Exactly." I grinned, feeling Benji's purrs rumble through his chest while Vance and I chatted. Soon, very soon the island would be mine once more and I couldn't wait to expand my home and build  it to suit my mate.

But first, we'd break down the Red Hill's pack and change its foundations. Their corruption would end today.

A.N. its a short one but I'm still sick and not feeling well at all. Currently on heavy antibiotics and hoping they'll fix this mess. Hope you enjoyed the chapter <3