Gage

by Emilia Hartley

  “I did,” Connor said, stepping forward.

  “And who the hell are you?” Crunch asked.

  “He’s my boyfriend,” Tess said.

  “Can someone relevant tell me who these people are?” Crunch was getting frustrated.

  “That’s my sister, Tess. This moron is Connor,” Alex said, pointing at Connor, “He’s the leader of my old pack.”

  “Why did you bring ‘em here?” Crunch wondered.

  “They were on the run from the hunter,” Alex said, “I couldn’t just let them get shot on the road.”

  Crunch sighed and motioned to the silver haired man to his right.

  “Scab, get a fire goin’. It’ll be cold soon and with children around we should probably get something cooking. There’s a lot I need to hear.”

  Scab hopped to it and before long the fire raged in the middle of the clearing and the smell of fresh barbecue wafted about the camp, causing everyone’s mouths to water. Connor and Alex joined Crunch by the fire to chat. The large biker settled himself into his favorite place on his tree stump while Alex sat to his left on a fallen log. Connor stood with his arms crossed on the other side of the roaring fire.

  “So you’re seriously thinking about going into the bear den to talk to their alpha? What do you think that’ll accomplish except for your early death?” Crunch scratched his head as he spoke, trying to make sense of it all.

  “What else am I supposed to do? There are people fighting and dying and the least I could do is try to talk some sense into the one person who could end it,” Connor urged.

  “See what I mean?” Alex said, breathing a heavy sigh.

  “Listen, Connor. This guy was willing to rally every bear on the mountain to his cause so he could wipe out all the wolves. Anyone capable of doing something as crazy as that isn’t interested in talking,” Crunch continued.

  “But, he talked to me and Alex after the last fight ended,” Connor said.

  “For what? To gloat about his win? Why did he start the fight if all he came to do was talk?” Alex shouted.

  “Alex is right, though. If you had your head on straight you’d know that,” Crunch added, holding up his giant hand to quiet Alex.

  Connor let out a frustrated shout. All was silent save for the crackling of the fire in the fire pit and the hissing of meat roasting on a nearby barbecue. Twilight set in and the center of the grounds basked in the final light of the day before the shadow of darkness filled the void.

  “When are you going to stop complaining about what my plan is and start suggesting something that might actually help?” he said, turning back to the two men. Connor wasn’t hearing options, only complaints.

  Crunch and Alex looked to each other, and Alex shrugged.

  “What if you take the time to find out who actually killed his wife before meeting him? At least if you have that piece of information he won’t kill you right away,” Crunch suggested. Crunch rubbed the wax from his ears and flicked what came out to the ground before taking a swig of the beer he’d had sitting on his knee.

  “How the hell am I going to find that out?” Connor asked snidely.

  “You’ve already talked to every den for two hundred miles. There are only so many wolves that would have been near bear territory at the time,” Alex replied.

  “The closest den to the bear territory is the old Moon Runner den. Are you suggesting that someone from my own pack killed the bear alpha and is hiding among us?” Connor asked.

  “That’s not what I’m suggesting at all,” Alex said.

  “Then what are you suggesting,” Connor asked in frustration.

  “Crunch, do you know where she might have been killed?” Alex asked. Crunch scratched at his beard, thinking hard before answering.

  “From what I’ve heard around the area, she was found out on the other side of the mountain,” he said.

  “There aren’t any packs that live on the other side of the mountain. That land is mostly wilderness and trees and nobody can make a living off that,” Connor said, waving his hand at the notion.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Crunch said. Alex and Connor perked up. “You see, during the winter time my old motorcycle gang used to make a home on the far side of the mountain. Since nobody goes around that area when the snow hits, it makes for some easy living.”

  “So you think that someone from your old motorcycle gang killed her?” he asked.

  “As much as I like to think they wouldn’t, I don’t know what’s gotten into their head these days. If I were to guess, I’d think Torque and a select few of his die hard groopies might be behind all this. He’s always pushed for leadership of the gang and he finally managed to edge me out,” Crunch said.

  “So Torque is the new leader? How many of them are there?” Connor wondered.

  “Maybe around thirty,” Crunch thought, “but who knows. A lot of the boys up and left the gang when I was pushed out. Might be around twenty or so now.” Connor nodded but Crunch didn’t look too happy about the idea that was brewing in their heads. “Not all of them are bad,” he said, “There’s no guarantee it was Torque, but if you do manage to find the one that’s causing trouble then would you at least leave the rest of them alone?”

  “I make no guarantees,” Connor said.

  “Where the hell are we even supposed to find them?” Alex asked.

  “Are you kidding?” Crunch asked, “I led the damn gang for years. Hell, I even found that spot. Are you going to stand around listening or are you going to find me a map so I can show you?”

  “Now you’re talking. Let’s do this,” Connor said. He grabbed the map from the glove compartment of the truck and held it out to Crunch who started drawing on it with a marker. Map in hand, he turned and looked at Alex.

  “Wait, you want to go right now? The food is almost done,” Alex said.

  Connor was flustered, but the smell of fresh barbecue filled the air and he salivated, fresh meat was dripping from the bone waiting to be devoured.

  “Maybe in a few minutes.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Tess was frustrated that Connor made up his mind about going so quickly. She wanted to keep him close. She couldn’t fathom the thought of him getting caught or maybe even killed by the other wolves. It was just another enemy he was willing to make and another worry that wouldn’t leave her mind.

  Tess tugged at Connor.

  “Can we talk?” she asked.

  Connor excused himself from his food. Tess pulled him along, leading him to the edge of camp, out of earshot of everyone else. She had things that needed to be said and he needed to hear them.

  “Why the hell are you going off on another crazy mission? You can’t keep doing this!” she screamed just below her breath. Her desperation was echoed in her voice. Connor bowed his head in shame.

  “I have to,” he replied, “It’s my job as alpha.”

  “You have a bunch of other people you could send to do this for you. This isn’t something you have to do by yourself. You have to know that,” she cried.

  “It’s not how I was raised,” he replied, “The alpha is the one that does the dangerous things so that the rest of the pack can rest easy.”

  She beat her fist against his chest.

  “How am I going to rest easy if you die?” she started, “Every day it’s something new. Hunters, crazy bikers, bears, what’s next? I can’t take this anymore,” she said. Her tears streaked down her cheeks and she rubbed her nose with the edge of her shirt. Connor opened his mouth to say something but stopped.

  He lifted her chin so she could look into his eyes again.

  “I love you,” he said, “I want to make our world a better place for you …” his hand rested on her stomach, “… for us. I’m one of the only people who can. I can’t trust anyone else to solve this problem right now.”

  “But, why now,” she asked. He kissed her on the cheek.

  “My dad raised me for exactly this purpose. Rain or shine. I might be
the one in charge but I don’t feel like I understand what it means. I can bark out orders but I don’t think that makes me the one capable of being the head of the pack.”

  She continued to sniffle as her head fell into his chest. His heart beat quickly. She hoped it wouldn’t be the last time she’d have the chance to feel it. It reminded her of that calm, glassy lake with the breeze calmly cradling their bodies in the moonlight. She wanted to be back there.

  “I wish I could tell you how much I just want things to be the way they were. How much I want to just lie with you under the stars again, or how much I just want to run away with you and forget the world; you are what matters most to me,” he said.

  “Why can’t we,” she said, speaking into his chest, “why can’t we just leave it all?”

  He hugged her close and felt her body shake with every sniffle. She wasn’t bothering to hold back her feelings anymore. Everything she’d bottled up while at the den came pouring from her.

  “I wonder that same thing,” he replied, “Yet deep down I know that if we don’t save the rest of the pack, they’ll have to shoulder my burden. Someone else will have to rise up and answer the same questions I have right now. And, another family will be at risk when I could have just fixed everything.”

  Tess rubbed the tears from the corner of her eyes and looked up at Connor. He lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips. She urged for more and pushed herself in tighter.

  She felt so small in his arms, so protected, but she knew the feeling wouldn’t last. Deep down she knew he was right; he made a commitment to protect the pack from any threat. However, that didn’t mean she had to like it.

  “I want you to go back to Cliff Walker den,” he said, “Take Cynthia, and the rest of the girls there as well. They may be bears but they’ll be safer there. Can you do that for me?”

  Tess shook her head no.

  “We’re safe here. Crunch is a strong fighter and if Cynthia is here I doubt any harm will come to us.”

  “Fine,” Connor sighed, no longer able to argue, “Stay here if it makes you feel safe. We’re going to get Torque and make him give us some answers. If we get them then maybe, just maybe, we can convince the bears to end all the fighting.”

  “Promise me you’ll come back,” she said.

  “I promise,” he said. He held her close again. Tess didn’t believe it for a word. Neither of them wanted to let go, they wanted to savor the moment they were spending together. Tess made a memory of his scent, hoping she’d have a chance to smell it again.

  Alex walked over to join them. Tess rubbed at her eyes to try to push away the tears. Her brother had seen her upset many times before but this time she felt so naked.

  “Are you two finished?” he asked.

  Connor nodded as he reached his arm around Tess’s shoulders. They walked together to join the rest of the group.

  “What’s the plan?” Alex asked as they rejoined around the morning fire.

  “We’re going to find Torque, when we do we’re going to make him answer every question we have. Once we know who the real killer is we can capture them and maybe try to talk some sense into the bears so we can end this war,” Connor said confidently.

  “Well, I hope you boys have fun with that,” Crunch said, “I’ll be staying right here.”

  “Can you at least take care of the girls?” Connor asked.

  Crunch grunted and spat on the ground which Connor only assumed meant yes.

  “I’m going too,” Samantha chimed in.

  “Why?” Alex asked.

  “So I can punch this Torque guy in his stupid face for starting all this shit,” she replied.

  Connor and Alex glanced at each other. Would it be safe to bring a bear along on their trip? She was the only one that knew how to get to the bear den, if they’re going straight there then maybe she would be an asset.

  “Sounds good enough to me,” Connor said with a shrug.

  Tess raised her hand to join but was shot down by Connor immediately with a sideways glance.

  “Tess, don’t say it. You’re having our child and the last thing you should be doing is running around and fighting,” he said.

  She closed her mouth and accepted her fate.

  “Get in,” Connor said, pulling the truck keys from his pocket, “we need to go now.”

  “I thought I was taking the bike for this one,” Alex asked.

  “We don’t have the time to gas up every twenty miles. Just get in the truck,” Connor said.

  Tess took one last moment with Connor, her eyes watching him listlessly.

  “You better come back,” she said. She planted another kiss on his lips.

  Beside them, Cynthia handed a stuffed basket to Alex which he tossed in the cabin of the truck.

  “Leftovers,” she said. Cynthia leapt on him like a horny dog. Tess almost didn’t want to keep watching but couldn’t look away. She tilted her head when they didn’t stop. Their hands were all over, it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

  “Ahem,” Connor coughed.

  Samantha was already climbing in the truck and she braced the food on her lap. Connor eased into the driver’s seat and twisted the ignition to start the truck. Alex got the hint, finally pulling away from his woman. Tess giggled at the sight. He hopped in the passenger side and rolled down the window to plant one more kiss on his Cynthia’s cheek.

  “I’ll see you soon,” he said. Cynthia smiled back, eliciting an eye roll from Tess.

  “This is going to be fun,” Samantha said as the truck started to pull away.

  “Right,” Alex replied rolling his eyes, “that’s one word for it.”

  The loud truck eased its way down the dirt path with Crunch watching them from behind.

  CHAPTER 12

  “This is pretty good,” “I’ve been missing my sisters cooking,” Alex said, “Cynthia just burns everything when she cooks. I end up having to make everything myself.”

  Connor nodded, savoring every bite of the food he brought along for the ride. Their destination was a ways off, according to Crunch’s map. The small basket of barbecue still steamed between the three of them on Samantha’s lap.

  “Sometimes I wonder if she does it on purpose,” Alex added.

  Connor chuckled while tossing a chicken bone out the window. Tess was an amazing cook no matter what she made.

  They followed the twisted road around the mountain. The trees were just beginning to gain back their spring coats and Samantha marveled at the beauty.

  The roads were mostly washed out and getting around the mountain was tricky at best. They’d had to backtrack more than couple times and Connor was growing frustrated. It didn’t help that Alex was full of questions and Samantha was full of words.

  “What are you going to do when we get there?” Alex wondered. “It’s not like we can just show up to the front door and ask to see this guy.”

  “I’m going to ask them a few questions,” he replied.

  “They usually aren’t the talking type, according to Crunch,” Alex said.

  “They’ll answer my questions,” Connor said.

  “Look at that one!” Samantha said, pointing at a nearby tree, silhouetted by the light of the early morning dawn. They’d driven all night. The sun hadn’t quite crested over the horizon, but it would soon.

  “I thought we could just sneak our way in, we might get lucky and catch him by surprise,” Connor replied. Connor wasn’t concerned even if a fight broke out. The only thing on his mind was the mission in front of him. That’s how he was raised by his father, nothing else matters but the success of the mission.

  He thought back to those years where his father would give him a task and wouldn’t allow him home until it was complete. He remembered the nights he would spend laying under a hastily made shelter to block out the rain, or the nights where the rain stopped bothering him because it had become his only friend.

  He laughed at his youth. His father was dea
d; nothing he could do would bring him back. The lessons he’d taught Connor seemed to do almost nothing to prepare him to lead.

  “Catch him by surprise?” Alex laughed.

  “I don’t see you coming up with any brilliant ideas,” Connor snapped.

  “Do either of you even know what this guy looks like?” Samantha wondered.

  Alex looked to Connor and they both shook their heads.

  “That’s what I thought,” she said, “Maybe you should just prowl in and try to figure out which one is Torque first before coming up with a game plan.”

  Connor was sad to admit it but she was right.

  “This is it!” Alex said, “The lake cabins are just through this small patch of forest. We better ditch the truck.” They double checked the map, to make sure this was their destination. It was.

  Connor screeched the truck to a halt on the loose gravel then pulled over, but not before making sure the vehicle was pointing back where they came.

  “In case we need to make a hasty getaway,” he said, “Samantha, you should probably watch the truck.”

  “I’ll be ready for you,” She nodded, she seemed glad to have a task that didn’t involve suicide.

  Connor and Alex stripped off their clothing while Samantha watched, not even trying to hide her curiosity. Connor tossed his shirt into her face before sliding off his jeans.

  He inhaled deeply; this was what wolves lived for. His muscles stretched and tore as the wolf took over, only to knit themselves back together as he fell to all fours. His sense of smell heightened and he could make out the dense musk of the other shifters nearby. He could also smell salt; they were near a salt water lake, they were definitely here.

  Connor shot through the forest toward the smell of the lake, Alex nipped at his heels, keeping pace with ease. Connor marveled at the ability of what he’d come to know as a primal. Part of him wished that he could have had that power. He could have put it to good use, instead of it being wasted on a lone wolf like Alex.