Fragile Bonds

by Adelaide Walsh

  "Bullshit. We're going. No complaints. Shoes on. Let's go."

  "You can't tell me what to do." I was just being surly now.

  The wicked smile the twisted his lips made me think that I might, in fact, very much want him to tell me what to do. The image of him, all coffee and cream skin and a body cut from marble looming over me just before he landed a very well-aimed slap. Heat flooded the core of me and as I forced myself out of the sexual haze of memory, only to watch pupils set in metallic gold dilate. No. He couldn't know what I'd been thinking about.

  "I can smell you, reinita." He bared his teeth and I was suddenly looking into the face of a predator.

  I sucked in a breath, my breasts swelling under the primal stroke of his gaze.

  “You keep looking at me like that and we won’t be going anywhere but upstairs.” The gravel in his voice vibrated through me. But he let go of his hold on me, only to grab my hand and drag me to the mess of my shoes to the right of the door.

  I jammed my feet into sneakers, nabbed my purse from the small table in the entrance way and followed the Bear alpha out the door.

  Chapter 12

  "So, you going to tell me where we are going?" I asked from the passenger seat of a big black SUV that just screamed diplomat.

  "Patience, reinita, you'll survive if you let me take the lead for a minute."

  I rolled my eyes. Could you be any more arrogant? He grinned, every inch the self-satisfied, proverbial king of the castle. I supported my head in my hand as I leaned into the passenger door, watching my beautiful Bogotá whip by, turn into the lush greenery of the deep rainforest. The roads became rougher the further away from the city we got. The leaves and trees of the rainforest fighting an unending battle to reclaim the concrete paths in the name of the jungle. Despite the beautiful, sunny start we'd had to the day, a misty rain began to fall, fogging up the windows as it evaporated into a frothy fog.

  We'd made the drive thus far in silence, the sexual tension between us fading in the time it took us to get to the car. The confined space of the vehicle did nothing but give me a hyper awareness of just how little I actually knew about the man sitting beside me. Logic aside, there was a hum of awareness strung between us that made it feel like we'd had more time together than we actually did.

  As the trees overhead merged to create a thick canopy, Joaquín broke the silence. “Do you get visions often?"

  "No, never. Well..." I stopped to consider just how much I should giveaway here, and then just decided to stop fucking caring. "I've had this knowing all my life. Always kinda been in the right place at the right time."

  He gave me a side-eyed glance. "Bet that's a helpful little trick."

  "It has saved my ass a time or two."

  "Yeah? Like when?" The unhidden curiosity in him obliterated the tough alpha image and I was overwhelmed with the thought of this wild, competent man as a small boy. So, I told him a story.

  "I was once in Balkadahr in Afghanistan, covering a deployment of aid workers from Colombia. The whole city was being almost constantly bombed and the little field hospital the doctors had set up had to be moved daily to avoid the damage.

  “They were doing a really good job, too. They were helping people. Mostly civilians, but also the occasional downed soldier who needed help right away but wouldn't make it to a safer base. The guy in charge was ex-Mossad, and he was doing everything he could to keep his people safe.

  “One day, we all had helped to move the camp. Based on the airstrikes that had been happening all night we were in a good spot, figured we'd be safe for at least the day. We were just about as far out of the city as we could get and still be able to get electricity and have access to the allied supply drops. The move had taken all night, everyone was exhausted, most the doctors were sleeping in shifts. I'd just helped get a little ward set up for the few kids they were taking care of, when I just had this...feeling. It was so strong and it happened so fast. It definitely wasn't a vision, nothing like what you saw, it was just an overwhelming sense that I had to move.

  “There was a kid in the bed I was standing right in front of, probably about 8 years old. He'd lost the lower part of his leg when a building came down on him and his sister, but he was doing so well. Nobody had any idea where his family was, if they were even still alive, but he was doing so fucking well. He had a smile like sunshine and every time I walked in the room his face would just light up. Kid had lost everything but damned if he wasn't going to be ok. So, I had this feeling, and just grabbed this kid out of the bed, and ran. It happened so fast; I didn't even have time to think about what I was doing. One of his doctors was coming into the room right at that second and I literally ran him over. He was on his ass outside the tent screaming at me about taking the kid, the kid was screaming about having the IV basically ripped out of his arm. It just happened so fast. So fucking fast. And right at that moment something outside the tent exploded, sending shrapnel through the canvas walls of the tent, just destroying the room.

  When I went back a few minutes later, the bed that kid was laying in, was just a pile of twisted metal. If had stayed there, I would have been dust. That doctor I knocked over sends me a Christmas card every year." Joaquín's eyes were wide as I told the story. "Thankfully, no one got hurt, that time."

  "What happened to the kid? You know, after."

  I loved that he asked about the kid. That his mind went there first.

  "He was fine. Healed up perfectly. The Red Cross fitted him with a prosthetic and got him into a good refugee camp, way far away from the bombings."

  "Shit."

  "Yeah."

  He was shaking his head, clearly struggling to process the story. This always happened though. Dating in my profession was hard. Men tended to see a woman differently when they realized there was more to her than a set of boobs.

  "I think what you do is pretty fucking amazing."

  The open praise threw me off. Again. I was realizing that Joaquín had more than just that overbearing alpha dimension. He was deeper than that.

  "You gonna tell me where you're taking me?"

  "You mean you can't tell by now?"

  "Obviously we're heading toward the den but where, specifically?"

  He grinned again, in that toothy way of his that made me think about sharp teeth and claws.

  "It'll be a surprise."

  "Fine," I yielded on that line of questioning. I was a journalist. I knew when to find a new angle. "What were you doing at my mom's house?"

  He tossed one arm behind my seat back and I couldn't help but recognize the possessive nature of the movement.

  "It seemed like you needed a little...motivation to talk to me. You got a big chink in your armor, reinita. I knew right where to hit you."

  "Oh, do I?"

  He just thought he knew me so well.

  "Yeah. You're so fuckin' loyal. No way you'd let mamma Rojas face off with a Bear and not step in."

  "You think you got me all figured out, don't you?"

  "Not even a little bit, reinita. But it got you in my truck, didn't it?"

  I blew out a defeated breath. We passed through two security checkpoints before Joaquín drove through a concealed entrance in the side of a rock formation. This was deeper into den territory than I’d ever been and so far, it seemed like a desolate, albeit well secured, stretch of forest.

  The tunnel spit us out in an ultra-modern underground parking garage filled with a fleet of these heavy duty, black SUVs, as well as a number of other cars and trucks in a variety of other colors. There were even what looked to be several dune buggies parked in one corner. The garage was large, but by no means large enough to serve the entire population of Bears that were living here since the recall was announced.

  “How many of these garages are there?” I asked, looking around and spying a rather ostentatious yellow Lamborghini casually parked between a budget sedan and a beat-up pick-up truck.

  I was instantly fascinated by the mechanics of this pl
ace. How the economics worked, what the social structure was like. Every changeling group was different, some were more open than others, but Las Furia was a notoriously private package. Nobody had ever infiltrated the pack deeply enough to walk away with a functioning knowledge of the inner workings. Or at least, no one had ever published that knowledge.

  “So observant, mamma.”

  Obviously whatever respect I had gained that granted me entry into the heart of den territory had not been enough to garner me unlimited access to information. Damn. Joaquín parked the SUV and I hopped out before he could round the car and open my door.

  Together, we walked through the well-lit expanse of the garage and as we did so, I noted a little army of surveillance cameras dotting the roof. No blind spots.

  “How do you guys get power out here?”

  I had not seen a single power line on the way out here.

  “Solar mostly. Few other things for redundancy.”

  “So that’s clearance level D info is it?”

  He laughed as he pulled open the utilitarian metal door, and the sound was a deep, rumbling melody that just felt good.

  “Public knowledge, reinita.”

  I mocked him in my head. Jerk.

  I expected the door to lead into a sterile stairwell, but was surprised to find myself in a red stone cave with a ceiling that soared so far above our heads that I had to tilt my head all the way back to get a good view of the stalactites growing there.

  Well placed spot lights kept the area bathed in a soft, orange light and a series of tiny red LEDs lit the edges of a well-worn path winding through the cave interior. The topography of the organic formation of the cave system meant that the corners and offshoots of the cave were shrouded in dark shadows. The impact was staggering.

  We walked the cave path in meandering spirals for a good ten minutes before we came to an area that segued into secure entry bay. A security checkpoint met us, manned by two soldiers in military uniforms. Both men addressed Joaquín formally, but it didn’t appear that there was any form of technical security blocking our entry to the heart of the den by way of a massive cage elevator.

  “Manual security only?” I asked as we stood in the flickering lights of the lift.

  He just ignored me. I had so many questions and not getting any answers was killing me. Killing me.

  When the doors of the lift opened, the petite, blonde form of Rora was waiting for us. Hands on her hips, and unmistakably pissed off.

  “So glad you’ve decided to join us,” she hissed at her alpha. Joaquín flashed a panty-dropping grin. Entirely unrepentant. “You do realize that we’re in the middle of the most severe political crisis in the pack’s history? You can’t just take off like that!”

  “I’m alpha. I can do what I want.”

  She slapped a hand to her face. I knew, unquestionably, that she was older than him, despite the fact that both of them looked to be in their late thirties.

  “I could kill you.”

  “Probably,” he shrugged, as if the idea of being taken out by a small, lightly muscled female didn’t seem the least bit shocking to him. “But you’d miss me.”

  Rora, apparently, did not find her alpha funny. “Your assistant is about to have a heart attack. Check in with her.”

  She closed the distance between us and smacked me on the back.

  “Good to see you, Adriana.”

  And on that sad excuse for a greeting she turned and stomped off down a brightly lit hallway, flanked on both sides by towering glass windows obscured with the natural foliage of the forest outside.

  “Got busted for sneakin’ out?” I asked, as deadpan as I could while being lost in awe at this place the man next to me effectively presided over. He made a face which pulled a giggle for me. “I didn’t think she’d realize.”

  For the first time in two weeks, I laughed. And it felt good. When I finally got myself under control, I swiped at my eyes it was to find Joaquín looking at me in a way that I couldn’t quite attach a name to. I felt...claimed under his gaze. He extended his hand, and I reached out, clasping my hand around his.

  Whatever was happening between us, it felt like something solidified in that moment. Like that fine thread connecting us was pulled taught.

  Together we walked through this strange and beautiful amalgamation of sleek, modern technology and the enchanting brutality of the rainforest.

  Chapter 13

  The den was incredible. Humans didn’t often get a chance to experience this part of the changeling experience. For political relations, the Bears hosted diplomatic guests in a small, dedicated compound on the fringes of den territory. The actual den, however, was reserved for the beating heart of the pack. Walking through this place I realized, that the Bears existed in a complex and incredible version of a military society. The den operated very much like the most sophisticated military bases I’d ever seen. With a few key differences.

  The Bears’ stronghold was split into what appeared to be barrios, all built into the natural cave systems and ravines that honeycombed this area. In most places, the natural ceiling of the cave was preserved, but the rock cover ebbed and flowed throughout the space in organic formations. Where the rock would give way to open air the space was sealed from the elements with custom cut planes of some kind of glass that fit the gaps so perfectly it appeared as if it had been poured into place. The effect was a space swamped in the natural light that filtered through the canopy of trees above, but from the air, would keep the headquarters nearly invisible to surveillance. Even the most advanced satellite cameras could not penetrate the dense vegetation that claimed the depths of the Amazon.

  The barrios of the den were spread out in something like a crescent moon shape, all stemming of a large central cavern, and, in some cases, each other. The main cavern housed a thriving market, small businesses, even compact offices, theaters, restaurants, an entire, functional economy—one I’d had no idea even existed—all fashioned out of a neutral colored lightweight substance. Every building, if you could call it that—they were more like installations, like temporary divisions of the space rather than permanent properties—I touched, trying to figure out what comprised it.

  Finally, I asked. “What is this stuff? I’ve never seen anything like it before?” My fingers brushed over the smooth, hard material splattered with a thousand subtle variations in color. It felt like plastic, but lighter, and it sounded almost hollow when I stopped in front of a small produce shop to examine it.

  “It’s a sustainable material. Made out of compressed organic material. Mostly coffee grounds actually.”

  “This place is incredible. Is it new? Everything looks like temporary structure.”

  He pulled me away from the grocery, lacing his fingers through mine.

  “It’s not new, but it is temporary. We don’t have as much space as most cities, so we needed a way of accommodating growing and changing populations in a way that would let us keep the den secure. Nobody here owns any property. Space is doled out based on need and it’s constantly changing.”

  “It’s amazing.” I looked around in wonder as we moved through this busy strip. That center barrio which he told me went by the name of Punto Cero, served as a city center for the den. Although not nearly as big or densely populated as Bogotá, the den was bustling.

  Joaquín dragged me through the buzzing atmosphere, through a towering natural stone arch. On the other side of the arch, was an impressive tunnel. There were fewer people moving through this area.

  “Does this lead to residential areas?” I asked, trying to get my bearings. Despite the natural light in the main areas, being underground like this made it easy to lose your sense of direction.

  “Some,” he answered vaguely, “I want to show you something, reinita, but first I need to find my assistant. Rora was right, Bella must be on the verge of an aneurysm. I was supposed to be back here after my meeting last night. I may have skipped out on a breakfast appointment to pay a visit to
mamma Rojas.”

  He winked at me as he pulled me through a heavy steel door leading off the passage and into an attractive reception area.

  “I thought the alpha did what he wanted.”

  “He likes to tell himself that.”

  The voice that interjected came from a tall, lithely built woman in an expensive suit, her smart heels clicking on the polished stone of the floors as she sashayed over to us.

  I instantly hated her.

  Joaquín tossed an arm around my shoulders, tucking me into his side.

  “Adriana, this is Bella. My drill sergeant of an assistant. Bella, Adriana.”

  Bella fisted her hands around the tablet she held and thrust her hip out in annoyed impatience.

  “Joaquín, we had a briefing this morning.”

  “I had an errand to run in the city. Let’s reschedule, darlin’.”

  The endearment struck me and I let my mind wander to whether the connection I felt to Joaquín was actually and unique as it felt.

  “It’s already been rescheduled, and you will show up this time or I’ll throttle you.” She poked him in the shoulder with one, red-tipped finger. “Stack of papers on your desk needs to be handled today, and you have a patrol meeting with Rora and Arc after dinner. We still have—” she paused as she gave me an assessing glance, whatever it was she’d concluded, I could tell by the way she wrinkled her nose, was not flattering— “gaps that need to be filled. Do not miss it. Since you’ve deigned to grace is with your presence today, I will let Augustina know you’re here. You missed the lunch meeting with her and I’m sure she will be more than happy to put you in your place.”

  “I’ll be in my office.” He grinned after her as she shoved past us, deliberately shoulder checking me.

  Yep. Bella was something else. When the door swung shut behind her I looked up Joaquín, the action feeling like an intimate one, restricted as I was, by his hold.

  “Well she seems like a peach.” He smiled down at me and before I could pull away, had captured my mouth in a laughing kiss that turned my blood molten in an instant. He was still chuckling when he came up for air and asking, “jealous?”