by Kit Lane
“I’m sorry,” Ro snarled.
“Not good enough.”
Ronin growled under his breath, but I refused to drop his gaze. “I didn’t mean to start a fight.”
I felt my way cautiously through the mire of the conversation. “It’s good Alex has a champion, but you can’t let it cloud your judgement.”
“I don’t think any of you are thinking of it from her point of view,” he muttered.
“What do you mean?”
“A week ago Alex was a caterer, a human, living out her small life, but she was happy. We told her she was part of a wolf pack and the daughter of a traitor. Told her her life was forfeit and kidnapped her.” He ignored my protest that we were rescuing her. “Now she finds out she’s not human and her traitor father is possibly alive.”
“She’s had a busy week.” It was meant to be a lame attempt at humor, but from his sour expression, Ronin didn’t find it funny. I gave up trying to lighten the mood. “What do you want us to do?”
“I’m going to find Alex and get the hell out of here.”
I, not we.
“You want us to split up?”
“You don’t want us to stay together?” he shot back.
“I don’t know,” I said, knowing it would provoke another scowl. “I can barely walk, Ro. We get away from here and I’m the liability.”
“Then she and I can go,” Ronin said.
“Where to?”
He hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t know either.”
The fact was we were woefully unprepared for a great escape. We had no plan and a divided Cinco. I was so weak, I just wanted to shift and sleep for days. Anything to avoid being force-fed more of that damned broth.
The door opened and Kyle came in, shifting from wolf to human.
“Did you find her?” Ronin demanded.
Kyle shook his head. “She’s vanished. I don’t get it. Her scent was so strong and then it vanished.”
“Where’s Aunt Ruth?” I had a feeling the Fae had a hand in Alex’s vanishing act.
“I saw Lee. He’s gone to find her.” Kyle turned to Ronin. “He said you hit him.”
“He deserved it. I’ll find the Fae.” Ronin stalked out, leaving Kyle staring at me.
“What just happened?” he asked.
I shrugged. “You know what, I’ve no fucking idea.”
Some alpha I was. Weak, useless, and unable to lead my Cinco.
Chapter 31 - Alex
Leaving my alpha was the hardest thing I’d ever done. I felt his anger and confusion down to the marrow of my bones. But it was the right thing to do. This way they got a chance to live their old lives.
I tried to shut out his emotions as Lee had taught me. Somewhere along the passage of that week, I’d stopped thinking of myself as Alex Rieke, orphaned human, caterer. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was, but I’d left that life behind.
Wolves I’d never met wanted to kill me because of my father. It didn’t make sense to old me, but new me understood that was the wolves’ way. Kill all the offspring so the traitor line can’t continue. My wolves would be there to protect me, but at what cost? The attack on Matt made me realize there was no quarter. Matt was the son of a wolf leader, and still they went after him. Better my life than theirs.
It took me a while to find the back door of Aunt Ruth’s house. By back door, I meant the tunnels that led for miles underground through the hills. The entrance was by the unused stables. I’d found them as a child and had frightened my parents half to death while they searched for me through the dank tunneling. I’d quickly gotten bored and unable to find my way out, I’d curled up and had gone to sleep. Aunt Ruth hadn’t mentioned them while we were there, so I prayed they were still intact.
I didn’t meet anyone as I headed for the entrance. I knew Matt would’ve called the boys as soon as I’d left him, so I didn’t have a lot of time.
The stables were in better condition than I remembered as a child. Aunt Ruth had converted them into small offices and workrooms. I’d always wondered why she didn’t keep horses. I’d once asked her and she said horses were scared of her. I thought she’d been joking, but it turned out she was being literal. Horses were scared of Fae. This had been an enlightening week.
“Where’s the damn tunnel?” I muttered under my breath.
I hunted around ivy clad pillars and broken-down walls, getting increasingly frustrated. The only other way off the estate was by car, and there was no way one of the boys wouldn’t be waiting for me there. Then, just as I was about to give up, I slipped and fell on my knee. As I cursed the universe and her babies, I raised my head to see a large wooden gate half covered by ivy and sweet honeysuckle. I had a sudden flashback to me as a kid, seeing the gate open and being excited to go through it. This time there would be no parents searching for me.
Would the boys even care that I’d gone? I swallowed back the lump of self-pity in my throat. It was better for all of us.
The gate was firmly closed this time. The door didn’t want to budge although the handle turned with ease. I yanked on it hard but the door didn’t yield an inch.
“You’re running away.”
I turned to see Aunt Ruth watching me, a pale shade of her usual immaculate self. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her face was ashen, deep circles under her eyes. Her dress was creased and dirty. She could have been decades older; all the life had been drained out of her.
“Aunt Ruth, I—”
She interrupted as if she hadn’t the time for my feeble protestations. “You’re leaving your Cinco.”
“They’ll be safer without me.”
“Yes.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then I blinked. “You agree with me?”
She shoved her hands into her pockets. “I do. The further you are away from the rest of the Cinco the safer they are. But what about you? You can’t go back to your old life, and you’re not prepared for starting over, are you? How are you going to get through the tunnels? What are you going to do for money, clothes, a job?
“I don’t know. I haven’t worked out all the kinks yet.”
“You haven’t worked out anything,” she said drily. “You just took off without thinking through the logistics.”
“I can’t stay. One of them will find me.”
She gave me a look which suggested I’d lost my brain as well as my sense. “My magic is hiding us.”
“What am I going to do, Aunt Ruth?”
“Follow the tunnel lights. I’ve told it which way to send you. At the end, there’ll be a car for you. You’ll find what you need in the car for the next few days.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Thank you.”
She nodded, although her eyes had a suspicious gleam.
“Where shall I go?”
Aunt Ruth pursed her lips. “You’ll think of somewhere.”
I frowned at her cryptic response, but before I said anything, the gate was opened and she’d ushered me inside.
“The tunnels will take about five hours. Don’t dawdle.” I quailed at the thought of walking for so long, but she handed me a bag. “Supplies to keep you going.”
She kissed me on the cheek. “You grow more like your mother every day.”
Tears brimmed over again, I hugged her and then the gate was closed and I was left facing the entrance to the tunnel. I squared my shoulders. “Time to start a new life, Alex.”
I dashed away the tears with an impatient hand.
Chapter 32 – Lee
I had stalked away from Matt’s bedroom, furious at Ronin for being so gullible, furious at Alex for tearing the Cinco apart, but if I was being honest, furious at myself for lashing out at wolves I’d considered my brothers since we were pups.
As I roamed through the house hunting for the Fae, my hands were clenched into fists and the nails dug into my palms. I kept them longer as I played the guitar and the pain broke through the haze of anger.
Where was Aunt Ruth? W
here the hell was Alex? I took deep breaths, feeling my wolf shift restlessly inside me. If I shifted I could find them quicker, but I was angry and the Fae wouldn’t respond well to a wolf’s anger.
As I reached the kitchen, Kay came out of a side room, her eyes reddened and grief-stricken. Some of my anger ebbed as I remembered she had lost family.
“I… uh… have you seen Aunt Ruth or Alex?” I asked as gently as I could manage, considering every part of me was bristling.
Kay shook her head. “I’ve not seen the hybrid, and I’ve not seen Ruth since she brought back Raelie.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said awkwardly.
She gave a curt nod and fresh tears welled up in her pale green eyes. “If I see her, I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.”
“Thanks.”
I went to walk away, but Kay stopped me.
“You’re wrong.”
“What?” I stared at her, not comprehending.
“Dividing your strength. You need to stay together. You are only strong as a Cinco.”
“You saw what they did to Matt. Pack tried to kill him.”
“And you stopped them as a true Cinco. If you let her go alone or with the shaman, you won’t have enough strength to stop an attack.”
“If she goes, the pack will leave us alone,” I argued.
The raised eyebrow the wood nymph gave me made me feel a small pup again. “You are thinking like a man and not like a wolf. Pack is everything, Cinco is everything. You support Alex, stay together and prove her father’s innocence.”
It occurred to me that Kay must have known Alex’s father. “You don’t think he was a traitor.”
She shrugged. “I have no interest in wolf justice.”
“But you just said—”
“I saw Alex’s mother go against every law the Fae believe in, to stay with him; even at the risk of being exiled from the Fae homeland. I saw the wolf crumble as he was called traitor, and only survive with the Fae’s help.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Is that why he was never found? The Fae hid him?”
Her smile was somewhat vicious. “You wolves are infants compared to the Fae. Your magic is puny.”
That was a yes, then. It occurred to me I’d gotten more information out of the wood nymph in one short conversation than I had out of Aunt Ruth in the entire week we’d been there.
“I need to find her and Alex.”
“Go outside,” she said shortly, and walked into the kitchen, leaving me alone and just as confused.
I stared after her, then shook my head, and headed out of the back door, leading to the stables. I hadn’t taken two steps before I met Kyle in his wolf form. He shifted, took one look at me and his expression darkened. Before I could step away, he cupped my face in his hand.
“What happened?” he demanded. “Who hit you?”
I pulled away, embarrassed at the amount of attention he paid to my split lip. “Ronin.”
His mouth hung open. “Ronin? You’re joking!”
I shook my head. Yeah, yeah, peacemaker and all that. “We had a fight.”
“I can see that. What about?”
“He wants to go with Alex.”
“You don’t agree with that?” he asked, cautious as if he wasn’t sure how I was going to react.
“I think he should stay with us. She’s the one putting us in danger.” I ran my hand through my hair. “He disagreed.”
Kyle pressed his lips together. “But he hit you!”
“I probably provoked it.” I had to be honest. My anger had boiled over and I paid the price. “Did you find Alex or the Fae?”
Kyle shook his head. “Their scent is really strong all round the house, then suddenly it disappears.”
I frown. More Fae magic? “You go find Matt. See if Ronin has calmed down. I’m going to stay out of the way for a while. They can’t have gone far.”
Kyle nodded and squeezed my shoulder. “I know you want what’s best for us.”
He made the smooth transition into wolf and disappeared around the corner of the house. I stared after him for a long while, not focusing on my surroundings. The stronger the Fae magic, the less easy it was for me to use the network. I’d kept my use down to a minimum, believing we were safe here, hidden by Aunt Ruth’s powerful magic. The death of the wood nymph proved we weren’t as safe as we’d believed. I needed to find a place I could work, away from the Fae influence and away from the rest of the wolves.
I wandered down toward the stables. Alex had said when she’d come here as a child the stables were disused, but now they had been turned into small offices and workshops. There was a strong sense of Fae magic here and it made my wolf restless. I hushed it absently. I took in the buildings covered in ivy and honeysuckle, the set of wooden gates ahead. They were large, blocking my view. I took a step toward them, then turned away. Nothing interesting behind the wooden barrier. Why waste my time? But…. I had to look, stepped forward, and then turned away again. Okay, that was interesting. There was something discouraging me from investigating the gates. I edged closer, ignoring the suggestion to leave. The magic started to get annoyed as I disobeyed it. It was a disconcerting feeling; to have magic angry at me. My stomach rolled and I swallowed against the nausea. I was about to give up when one of the gates opened. I searched for somewhere to hide and squeezed between the edge of the stables and a tumble-down pillar.
Aunt Ruth strode out of the gates, a worried expression on her face. They shut behind her with barely a whisper. She brushed past me so closely I could have reached out and touched her, then she headed to the house. I sighed in relief. Once she was gone, I could investigate what she was keeping hidden.
Then Aunt Ruth stopped, and turned on her heels. “I know you’re there, wolf.”
Knowing it was futile to stay hidden, I stood up and faced her. “Where’s Alex?”
The Fae’s lip curled. “She’s gone.”
I was amazed at the worry that flooded through me. Isn’t that what I’d wanted? Is it?
Chapter 33 - Alex
It wasn’t the tunnel that bothered me. It was the deep, uneasy feeling in my gut. It had started when I’d disobeyed my alpha’s instruction to stay, and now, the farther I got from him, the only thought in my head was to run back to Matt and the rest of the Cinco.
I forced the next step and the next, heading deeper into the tunnel system. I wasn’t afraid of the dark or confined spaces, and as tunnels went, it could have been worse. At the start, it was dry and smelled of leaves and pine needles. I was reluctant to leave daylight behind me, but there was an unnatural low-level lighting which seemed to precede me. I followed it as Aunt Ruth had said, hoping it led me in the right direction.
The sick feeling intensified. I should’ve been with the wolves. My place was by their side.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I muttered. “You barely know them.”
It didn’t seem to matter to my insides. Matt was alpha. The wolves were home. I needed to turn around and rejoin my Cinco.
It was going to be a hard slog through the mountain if I fought my inner thoughts the whole way.
I took a deep breath and tried a logical argument. “They were in danger. We’re all safer if I leave. Aunt Ruth agreed.”
My insides howled its disagreement. I placed a hand over my stomach. It was like having another being inside me, who was deeply angry with me. I told it to hush and strode on as quickly as I could before I gave in and ran back to the Cinco.
I lost track of time in the tunnels as I placed step after careful step. I had nothing to tell the time and I grew bored of counting. I’d left the smell of leaves and pine needles behind and now I’d become accustomed to the smell of dank dirt. It was still dry enough though, and I tried to ignore the squeaks and rustles of small animals around me. I was in their territory. If they stayed out of my way, we’d be fine.
Inevitably, my thoughts strayed back to who I’d left behind.
I missed the wolv
es. After a week of being with them, the thought of being alone was almost painful. Again, ridiculous. I’d been alone since my parents died. I liked my own company.
You like theirs more.
I didn’t need my mind giving an opinion. But it seemed determined to. My Cinco was laid out bare as I considered each wolf, starting with the alpha. As he’d slept, recovering from the attack, I’d been able to spend hours watching him, unable to take my eyes from his strong face and broad muscled shoulders, leading to a tapered waist and thick-muscled thighs. I’d never been attracted to jock-types, but Matt got his strength from being a wolf, not running up and down a football field. The fact he survived being almost torn apart showed his strength of mind and body. He was a contrast to the sensuousness of tall, lean-muscled Ronin, and yet I found them both desirable. Ronin was obviously attracted to me, and I felt the same way. He was beautiful in mind and body. In the darkness, with no one to see me, I flushed at the thought of Ronin pressing me down into the mattress, then it was Matt. I bit my lip as other parts of me registered their interest.
Focus, Alex! This wasn’t the time to be thinking of sex.
I transferred my thoughts to the last two wolves and swiftly realized that was a mistake. I’d admired the compact strength of Kyle, the most graceful of the wolves as he hunted to keep us fed. He was small, compared to Matt and Ronin, but no less handsome, with haunting amber eyes. He’d been oblivious to my study, focused on his prickly concern as he worried about everyone, particularly his alpha. And finally, stunning Lee with cheekbones I envied and thick black hair. I knew he didn’t like me, and sometimes I felt he needed a good slapping. My insides growled again. Okay, not a slapping. I’d never reacted to anyone like Lee. I felt like a forties movies star around him. All clipped tones and unresolved sexual tension.
God, I was attracted to Kyle and Lee too. What the hell did that make me? I’d had that vision before, of all five of us in bed together, all their attention focused on me. I staggered a little, flinging out a hand to steady myself against the damp wall of the tunnel.
