by Kit Lane
Get it together, Alex.
I don’t know how long I thought about the wolves. I should have been making plans for what faced me on the other end of the tunnel, but the more I thought about it, the more nebulous it seemed.
What are you running from? Go back to your alpha!
No! I kept going. This was the only way to save them.
What felt like an eternity later, I was tired. My feet ached, and my pace had slowed. Aunt Ruth said it would take five hours to walk through the mountain. How long had I been walking? I spent a lot of time on my feet, but mostly preparing and cooking food. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d walked for any length of time; now it was for survival.
My mouth was dry. I felt around in the backpack Aunt Ruth had given me, grateful she’d thought of the supplies, and drew out a bottle. I squinted at it in the low light. Gatorade. What else? I fumbled in the bag again and drew out an energy bar. I pulled a face at the high sugar content, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. I uncapped the bottle, drank half of it, feeling the cool, sugary liquid slide down my throat. Then I tore open the wrapper of the bar with my teeth. Five minutes later, I was feeling much better. I stuffed the trash in my bag and took a deep breath. I could do this.
Or you could go back!
I was damn sick of inner me.
Chapter 34 - Kyle
We’d found our Quinto, and my Cinco had fallen apart as if a kid had kicked a sandcastle. Matt was on the bed, trying to be strong but obviously exhausted. Alex was nowhere to be found, nor was Aunt Ruth. And Ronin and Lee had fought and vanished. My mind still boggled at the thought.
What the hell do we do now?
The purple marks under Matt’s eyes made my decision.
“Stay here.” I didn’t usually give my alpha orders, but he needed to rest. “I’m going to find Lee and Ronin. Then we’re going to retrieve our Quinto.”
Matt gave an approving smile. “Find her quickly. I think we’re running out of time.”
I shifted as soon as I opened the door. The staff weren’t fazed by wolves in the house, although I did hear Kay muttering about shedding. I had offered to help vacuum up the hair, which seemed to soothe her ruffled feelings.
I sent out calls to Lee and Ronin, but neither of them answered. Both were probably sulking. Lee’s scent was easy enough to pick up as he’d followed the route I had around the house, and I found him talking to Aunt Ruth by the stables. He was scowling, but that was normal for him at the moment. Lee ruffled the fur behind my ears as I joined them. I enjoyed the ear scratch for a moment, then I shifted.
Lee cocked his head. “Did Matt send you to find me?”
I shook my head. “No. I told him to rest while I found you and Ronin. Where’s Alex?” I addressed the question to Aunt Ruth.
“She’s gone.”
“Where?” My tone was terse. I wasn’t in the mood to play games with the Fae.
“She won’t tell me,” Lee said, “but I bet she’s behind those gates.”
I furrowed my brow. “What gates?”
He pointed at a wall of ivy and honeysuckle. “Those gates.”
“I can’t see any… oh!” It was as if a ripple passed over my eyes and suddenly I could see the gates he was talking about. “This was your magic?”
Aunt Ruth inclined her head. “Once you know they’re there, the magic fades.”
“And Alex is behind them?”
“Alex is long gone.” She gave me an implacable stare.
I ignored the flare of fear from her words and turned to Lee. “Where is Ronin?”
“How the hell do I know?” he snapped.
I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to add a black eye to Lee’s split lip.
“Ronin, quit sulking and get your furry butt here!”
A distant ping told me he’d gotten the message. I hadn’t kept it private and I saw the muscles twitch in Lee’s jaw.
I scowled at him. “Get over it. We’re getting Alex back. We’re a Cinco and we’re going to act like it.”
His fists clenched and I was prepared for him to take a swing. We’d sparred together for years. I knew it would be an even match. He knew that, too.
Lee dragged in a deep breath, then he said, “Then we’ll die. You saw what they did to Matt.”
“Yeah. I did. I also know Alex saved Matt while we were going to run like scared pups.”
He spluttered, but I ignored him as something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. A low, almost-black furred wolf hesitated in the tree line.
“Get over here,” I ordered.
Ronin stalked over and shifted. He folded his arms and stared at me, ignoring Lee.
I glared at all three of them, yes, Aunt Ruth too.
“You two are going to kiss and make-up.” I pointed at Lee and Ronin. “I mean it. Too much has happened for you to be at each other’s throats.”
They glanced at each other and their gazes sheered away.
I coughed pointedly.
Ronin chuffed and finally managed, “Sorry I hit you.”
I stared at Lee. “Your turn.”
He opened his mouth as if to protest, then he muttered, “I was an asshole.”
I waited…
“Sorry for being an asshole,” he muttered.
“Better.” I turned to Aunt Ruth. “Where’s Alex?”
She raised an eyebrow, staring at me as if I was dirt under her heel. “Why should I tell you, wolf?” Ronin and Lee both growled low under their breath. She gave them an icy look. “Have you got something to say?”
I spoke for them. “Aunt Ruth, we’re running out of time. We need to find Alex and get out of here.”
“She’s safer without you.”
“How can you say that?” Ronin burst out. “She needs us to protect her.”
“One woman can hide much better than one woman and four wolves.”
“She’s not a woman,” he growled. “She’s half-wolf and half-Fae, and the daughter of a traitor. She’s got a fucking target on her back.”
“Which you put there,” Aunt Ruth pointed out, and I flinched at her honesty. She was right. From the moment we’d recognized her scent, we’d painted a bright red target on her.
Lee’s sigh seemed to have been dragged up from the soles of his feet. “If we find her, how do we get away from here?”
Aunt Ruth stared at him for a long moment before she answered. “Follow her through the mountain. There’s a car waiting on the other side for her. The tags won’t link back to here.”
“Then what?” Lee asked.
“That’s up to you, Communicator. Once you’re away from my mountain you’re out of my protection.”
I thought about what she’d said. “You said follow her through the mountain?”
“There is an extensive network of tunnels. She’s following a route to the other side.”
“She’s got a good lead ahead of us,” Ronin said, a deep frown between his eyes.
I had another concern. “I don’t know if Matt can manage the journey.”
“Only one way to find out.”
We all turn at the low rumble next to us. Matt stood there, Kay at his side.
“You were supposed to be resting,” I said reproachfully.
Matt gave a wan grin. “I thought you might need a hand knocking heads together.” He waved at Ronin and Lee.
I turned to Lee. “Well? What’s it to be? We find her as a Cinco, we split up, or we stay here. What’s it to be?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ronin open his mouth, but Matt waved him to silence.
Lee looked shocked and a little betrayed. “Why is it my decision?”
“Because you’re the one member of the Cinco who doesn’t believe in us staying together,” I said.
“You were unsure, too,” he accused.
“Yeah, I was. But she saved Matt. We saved Matt as a team. I have… concerns, but mainly the idea of Alex being alpha. Matt will always be my alpha, but we can sort
that out later.”
Lee snorted. “If we survive.”
“If we survive,” I agreed quietly. “It’s your decision, Lee.”
Chapter 35 - Alex
I was so tired and had gotten to the stage I didn’t think I could take another step. I felt as if I’d been walking for hours and yet there was no sign of it ending any time soon. The dim light continued ahead of me, and I no longer paid any attention to the squeaks and rustles of creatures disturbed by my slow progress.
One step after another. I opened my eyes, shocked to discover I’d fallen into a doze as I walked. What if I’d turned around as I slept and was walking back into the tunnel? I stopped, turned to look behind me. The tunnel was dark. Ahead of me the light waited for me to continue. I swallowed down my fear. I had to take a chance, trust in Aunt Ruth to get me through this. Most important, I needed to stay awake.
“One. Two. Three.” I counted the steps out loud.
It was fine until I lost count, and then I cursed in every language I could think of. It made me feel better for about five minutes, but then tiredness overtook me again, and tears welled up, to slip down my cheeks. I wept in the darkness, longing for one of the wolves to be with me, to be able to lean on them in my moment of weakness.
My eyes were gritty and my cheeks sore by the time I’d finished crying. I felt around in the backpack. Good old Aunt Ruth. She’d included a pack of paper tissues. At least I could wipe my eyes and blow my nose.
Somewhere in the perpetual darkness, I’d made a decision. I couldn’t return home. That was obvious. The Elders knew where I lived now and I would be killed as the daughter of the traitor. I had to trust Aunt Ruth would keep my business running for me. I had enough savings to last for a few months, if I lived frugally, so I wouldn’t starve. The one option left to me was to find my father, if he was still alive. He was the only person who could prove his innocence.
But first, he needed to answer to me. Why had he let me think he was dead? Why had he left me alone in the world? I sniffled again and fought back the tears. I squared my shoulders and quickened my pace. I would not fall apart. I would not!
I squinted at the tunnel ahead. The light seemed, well, lighter. I could definitely see the walls better and there was that pine needle smell that had been at the start of the trek. Finally! I got a spurt of energy and rushed forward, almost tripping over my feet in my haste to reach the exit. I stumbled out into the night sky, squinting, even the light of the moon and stars too much for my eyes.
As promised, there was a vehicle parked by the entrance.
“Thank you, Aunt Ruth.”
I took two steps toward the car when a dark figure emerged from the other side. Fear leapt into my throat. I retreated back, not knowing where to run.
“You took your own sweet time,” Matt grumbled.
He was joined by another figure and two wolves.
I stared at them, speechless.
“Stunned into silence.” Even in the darkness I could see Matt’s wicked grin. “It’s a good look on you.”
“You’re being mean,” Ronin chided. He smiled at me. “I’m glad you’re here. We were worried you’d lost your way. Matt was ready to send out the search party.”
He pointed at the two wolves by his side. Kyle and Lee gave me wolfy grins but they didn’t change back.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I finally found my voice.
“Waiting for our Quinto. Now we’ve found her we can go.”
“No. No way. You’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to stay at Aunt Ruth’s and recover.”
“Uh… no.” Matt folded his arms across his chest.
I could see a glimmer of the old Matt in the soft shadows of the moonlight. Even so, I knew he wasn’t strong enough to hurtle into the night, who knew what chasing us. “You have to,” I said. “This is my fight, not yours.”
Matt opened his mouth to speak but Ronin cut him off. “It’s our fight, Quinto. We’re a Cinco, and we need to stay together. We’re stronger together. Now we need to get the fuck out of here before someone finds us. You and I are going to drive. Matt’s going to sleep—you are, don’t argue—and Lee and Kyle are going to protect us.”
I shook my head but they both stared back. I didn’t seem to have an option. “What happens if I refuse?”
“You’re not going to do that. Now get in the vehicle.”
Matt slid the back door open and the two wolves jumped in. He climbed in after them. Ronin slid behind the wheel. I hesitated, but in the end what else could I do? I wasn’t walking for another five hours through the tunnels back to Aunt Ruth’s house. I opened the passenger door and climbed in next to Ronin. He gave a grunt of satisfaction, and I realized he’d been expecting more of an argument from me. I turned to my pack.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You must have thought about it in the tunnels,” Matt said wearily, and I realized that previous show of energy had taken everything out of him.
I nodded. “I need to find my father.”
“Then that’s where we’re going.”
“How did you get here?” Matt wasn’t strong enough to have run over a mountain.
“Aunt Ruth drove us here.”
“She drove you here?” I walked for hours and they did—what?
Ronin’s mouth quirked into a grin. “I told her you’d be angry.”
Angry? I was way past angry. “I walked for hours through those tunnels.”
Matt laid a hand on my shoulder. Even without turning around I knew it was him. “I think she wanted you out of the way to talk to us.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. She knew we were unsure of what to do. We all felt differently. Once you were gone, she had time to talk to all of us and find out our true feelings.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what they had to say. “And what are your true feelings?” I wasn’t stupid. I knew only one wolf really liked me, really wanted to be with me. Did I want to hear them reject me out loud?
Chapter 36 – Ronin
The relief when Alex stumbled out of the tunnel almost drove me to my knees. Despite Aunt Ruth’s reassurances that she was being guided through the mountain, I felt like I didn’t draw breath until I saw her there, in one piece.
I wanted to rush forward and hug her, but Matt had things to say and I wasn’t sure Alex was ready to listen. I couldn’t blame her for being skeptical about us. We were Cinco, but we weren’t completed and it showed. Unless the Elders changed their minds, we never would be as one.
I heard the fear in her voice as she asked us about our true feelings for her. I had no doubt in my mind.
“I love you, Quinto. You are one of us.” I laid my feelings bare in my mind, so she could see I was telling the truth.
She squeezed my thigh, her fingertips brushing very close to the apex of my legs. I squirmed under her touch, my body reacting instantly.
Behind me, Matt sighed. “You’re thinking about that, now?”
Alex snatched her hand back as if she’d been stung. I reached over and laced my fingers through hers. “Ignore him. He’s just jealous.”
Matt growled. I grinned at Alex.
She turned to face the others, but she didn’t let go of my hand. I got the feeling she was hanging on for security. “What about the rest of you? I need to know where I stand with you all. We stay together, or we go our separate ways here.”
“I’m with you,” Matt said, and his tone was firm, despite the weariness in his voice.
Alex gave a curt nod, but I sensed she was pleased by his ready response. She looked at Kyle and Lee, who were curled up by Matt’s feet. “And you guys?”
“I go where Matt is,” Kyle said. He sounded almost apologetic. “But I think we should stay together as a team. We are pack.”
“Even me?” Alex pushed, seeming to need a more definitive answer.
“You are pack,” he said, as firm as Matt.
“Lee?” she asked gentl
y.
I sensed everyone holding their breath, waiting for his answer.
“Pack.”
He didn’t say any more, but I breathed a sigh of relief. Lee was quiet, but he’d been one of my best friends since I was a pup, and was invaluable to the team. I didn’t want to lose him.
I sensed waves of doubt coming from Alex, but Lee said again, “We are pack. Cinco. I won’t change my mind.”
She sighed, but I could tell she was smiling. “That sounds good.”
“Why don’t you and Matt sleep?” I suggested. “You must be tired after walking through the tunnels.”
“That’s a great idea,” Matt agreed from the back seat.
Alex murmured her assent and leaned against the back of the seat. Matt dropped into a deep sleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes. Now he was unaware, I sent a stream of healing to him. He’d gotten crankier about receiving help, feeling he should be able to manage by himself. I was going to ignore that nonsense, even if I had to be sneaky about it.
“You know he’s going to kill you if he catches you trying to help him,” Lee murmured in my head.
I snorted. “Like he’s going to catch me.”
“It’s your funeral.”
There was a chuckle from Kyle and then I sensed them both flanking Matt, supporting and guarding him. Whether he liked it or not, his Cinco would take care of him.
There was little traffic on the highway and I kept my fingers tangled with Alex’s. She squeezed my fingers and then relaxed. I sensed the moment when she finally drifted to sleep. I kept my hand where it was, hers warm in mine. Wolves’ hands tended to be rougher than a human’s. We spent a lot of time on four paws, after all. Alex’s was softer than mine but strong, and it was obvious she worked with her hands. I appreciated the reassurance of her touch. No matter what the others thought, I wouldn’t let her go again.
We reached our destination by dawn. I was exhausted, and despite Matt’s growling to the contrary, he needed somewhere flat to sleep. Lee checked the network, decided it was quiet enough for us to take the chance of stopping for a while. We weren’t in a known wolf territory.
