by Sadie Moss
She shrugged, looking so resigned it broke my heart. “Rhys took the worst of it. Our dad just never really liked us very much. He didn’t seem to like Mom either. That’s why she left. She told us she’d come back, but… Strand came first.”
I wanted to cry. To hit something—or someone. I didn’t care if it was Rhys and Sariah’s shithole of a father, Doctor Shepherd, or any one of dozens of other people whose abuse and neglect had made this all possible.
But instead, I just walked to the edge of the bank and sat down, letting my feet linger in the water as I shook my head sadly. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised most of us don’t have happy origin stories.”
“You neither?” Sariah crept closer, sitting a few feet away from me on the bank. She kept the sheet in her hand, twisting and untwisting the fabric.
I chuckled hollowly. “If you’d asked me three months ago, I would’ve said it wasn’t that bad. I mean, sure, I was stuck inside all the time, but I had doctors that cared for me, a mom who loved me. Finding out that was all a lie… hurt. So even though the memories themselves aren’t bad, they feel painful because none of them are real. Does that make sense?”
She nodded, her blue eyes burning with intensity as she stared at me. She reminded me of Rhys that way—when he focused his attention on me, it felt like getting hit with a spotlight.
“Sometimes this doesn’t feel real.” She gestured to the quiet, sunlit woods around us. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up back in that place.” Her head drooped, and she bit her bottom lip. “I don’t want to go back there, Alexis. I’d die before I’d let them take me again.”
I wanted to tell her not to say things like that, but before I could, the two most honest words I’d ever uttered slipped from my tongue.
“Me too.”
Her gaze met mine again, and a soft smile spread across her face. As if it was a relief to hear that, to know she wasn’t alone.
We sat and talked for a while longer, and she told me more about what life had been like at Strand. About the tests and physical challenges they were forced to undergo, and the times in between tests when they were left locked in that large basement room for days at a time.
Every word she spoke seemed to lift a little more weight off her shoulders, and I was glad to see her unburdening herself. But as she spoke, the acidic burn of anger refused to leave my chest, spreading through my body until my arms felt leaden and my stomach roiled.
The happy daydreams I’d shared with Jackson the night before had seemed so real, so possible. But they weren’t. No better future was possible for any of us until we could live without being hunted. Until we could live without fear.
And the only way that would ever happen was if Strand were destroyed.
Chapter Eleven
“What’s this?”
I blinked at the two mattresses laid side by side on the floor. The bed frame was gone, so the sleeping area in our small room had effectively become lower and wider.
“We talked Val into giving us an extra mattress.” Noah quirked a smile at me. “Everyone knows the five of us share a room, and it’s really only fair. We’re not taking up much space, so at least we can get another bed.”
“Yeah. Now nobody has to bunk on the floor, and we don’t have to take turns getting to sleep with you.” Jackson grinned, jumping up on one of the mattresses and landing heavily. There wasn’t much bounce to them.
My brain snagged on the words sleep with you, and my body flushed from head to toe. Then I realized there was probably a good chance he meant actual sleep, and my blush turned to one of embarrassment. What had I thought he had in mind? Me having sex with all of them? The idea sent a spiral of heat through my stomach that landed right in my core, and I bit my lip.
Jackson cocked his head at me, a sinful grin tugging at his lips as if he could see right inside my brain to the terrifying, thrilling images flashing through it. But he didn’t comment, just flopped down onto the mattress and held his arms out to me.
As if pulled by a magnetic force, I walked over and crawled up beside him, tucking myself into the crook of his body and resting my head on his bare chest.
Rhys kicked off his shoes and tugged off his shirt before sitting on one side of the double-wide bed. As he lay down, he reached over and pulled me out of Jackson’s grasp, rolling me toward him instead until my whole body was pressed flush against his muscular frame. Our faces ended up inches apart, and his blue eyes danced with heat and humor as he gazed into mine.
“Hey!” Jackson propped himself up on his elbow with an indignant look on his face. “What the fuck?”
“I just figured she was safer over here with me. Don’t want her bashing her head on anything else.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. One little bump on the head and I’m gonna pay for it forever.”
“Yup.”
“Rhys, I’m really okay,” I insisted, though I could tell by his grin that he wasn’t as worried as he was pretending to be. They’d all seen me come through much worse, and although I used to worry that I was the weak link in our little pack, I didn’t feel nearly as helpless as I once had. “It was my own fault. I tipped my head back in a… a moment of passion, and—”
“You never injured yourself during a moment of passion with me,” he shot back.
“Yeah, maybe that’s because you’re not doing it right.” Jackson smirked.
“Believe me, I’m doing it just fine.”
“Looks like it’s going to be a restful night, huh, Scrubs?” Noah flashed his gorgeous, crooked smile as he crawled up between me and Jackson, ignoring Jackson’s incensed squawk.
I grinned, turning onto my back so I could look over at the blond-haired shifter. He and Rhys encased me like a perfect sandwich, and I felt small and protected in their embrace. Jackson pressed close to Noah, reaching an arm over him to rest his hand on my stomach. Noah grimaced, and Jackson laughed, which made me laugh.
But the laughter died in my throat when I looked up and saw West hovering by the door, staring down at us. The look on his face was one of such intense longing that I felt it down to my bones. As soon as my gaze met his, he swallowed and looked away, and it felt like the sun had blinked out. The men continued to joke and tease each other, their warmth surrounding me, but I couldn’t ignore the dip in my stomach.
“Guys,” I said softly. “Make room for West. He’ll sleep here too, right?”
At my quiet words, the banter around me stopped, and everyone turned to look at him. I could sense the same worry I felt for him radiating out from all my mates, and he shifted uncomfortably under the weight of our stares.
Rhys was the first one to move. I knew how protective and possessive he could be, so I was surprised to feel his hold on me loosen. Maybe I shouldn’t have been though. He loved West like his own soul.
As if drawn against his will, West slowly walked forward, kicking off his boots and peeling off his shirt. He dropped to his knees at the edge of the mattress, his gaze darting from me to my other three mates before landing on me again. It stayed there as he crawled up the hard-packed mattress, settling into the space between me and Rhys.
He tucked his head into the crook where my neck met my shoulder, burying his face in my hair as his arm slowly stole around me, his hand caressing the dip of my waist. I was still wearing a shirt, so we weren’t quite skin-to-skin, but we were close enough it made sparks dance through my entire body. Unable to resist, I brought my hand up to caress his arm, watching the muscles bunch and flex under his dark skin.
For a few heartbeats, nobody said anything, as if we were all afraid to break this fragile, perfect moment. I could feel the conflict raging inside my mate, his desire for closeness battling with his fear of it.
Please stay, West. Stay with me.
He pulled away slightly, and I braced myself, schooling my features to hide the disappointment on my face. If he wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t make him feel worse about that.
But he didn’t leave. Instead, my mate let out a deep si
gh, and I felt his whole body relax, melting against the curves of mine like he was finally home.
A tear leaked from the corner of my eye, but I didn’t wipe it away, didn’t move at all. I kept my breathing slow and even, keeping my raw emotions hidden. West didn’t need them right now. He just needed normalcy. This. Us.
I tilted my head and caught Rhys’s eye. He was propped on his elbows a few inches away from West, and he dipped his chin in approval.
“So…” I said, continuing to draw soft patterns on West’s skin with my fingertips. “How are Marcus and Walker doing in their training? They seemed like they could handle shifting pretty well already, so at least they’ve got that down—even if Marcus struggles with it a bit.”
My mates picked up immediately on my attempt to switch the focus away from West to an easier topic. Jackson nodded enthusiastically.
“They’re doing well. We did some combat training with them, and they’re both regaining their strength. They’re smart too. Picked shit up fast.”
“Val wanted us to show them the ropes of the camp too, like she did for us when we got here,” Noah added. “She says they’ll be ready to start patrol duties tomorrow.”
“That’s good.” I inhaled, the combined scents of all my men mingling in my nostrils. “And how do they seem… emotionally? I mean, I know everybody here has their own past traumas they live with, but do they seem okay?”
Noah cocked his head, considering. “Yeah. I think so. They’re definitely survivors. They seem more interested in putting their energy toward future safety than past pain. Which makes sense, but it also makes it a little hard getting answers from them about what the complex in Wyoming was like.”
“Did they know Terrence Cole was dead? Had they noticed any changes?”
Fear chilled my blood as I asked. The Strand experiments were a long way from ending, or even slowing down. Now that Doctor Shepherd was in control, what would their next move be? How many more shifters would they create and destroy? And how long would it be before they felt confident enough in their “product” to start selling shifters as weapons?
“Yeah.” Rhys’s tone was sharp as a blade. “Marcus said there was a rumor going around their complex that Strand was going to consolidate all the current test subjects in one place. Less of a testing facility and more of a holding cell, really. They wanted to make room for a fresh batch of new blood.”
An involuntary shiver wracked my body, and West’s grip on me tightened. He wasn’t participating in the conversation, but I knew he was listening.
“Shit,” I muttered. “It’s starting. They’re ramping up testing and production.”
“Sure looks that way.” Jackson grimaced with disgust. His amber eyes appeared darker than usual in the lantern light that flickered across the room. “Good thing Alpha Elijah made sure none of the Lost Pack will get involved. Keeping our heads stuck in the sand will totally keep us safe, right? And who cares about the rest of ’em. Let them fend for themselves.” He flopped onto his back. “Fucking idiot.”
I sighed. “He’s not an idiot. He’s just scared. And he’s letting that override everything else.”
“Aw.” He slipped his arm over Noah’s head to ruffle my hair. “See? This is why we like you, Alexis. You can hand a guy his entire ass one day and still have sympathy for him the next.”
I scoffed, leaning into his touch. “Alpha Elijah? I didn’t hand him his ass. It was probably more like a chihuahua barking at a German Shepherd.”
“Well, that’s one badass chihua—”
Before Jackson could finish speaking, a scream echoed from down the hall. It was distant, faint—but the panic and fear it held turned my blood to water. All of us froze for a second, eyes wide and heads cocked, until the first voice was joined by a second.
Then, like a rubber band breaking, we sprang into action. I scrambled off the bed, not even bothering to put my shoes back on. The men ignored their boots and shirts as we raced for the door. West reached it first, yanking it open and peering out into the hall.
“It’s clear.”
The corridor was dark; it was late, and the crank-lanterns were dying out slowly. The screams and shouts in the distance continued, a dull roar punctuated by sudden spikes in pitch or volume. Up and down the corridor, other doors opened and other shifters stuck their heads out.
As we started down the hall, Sariah ran out of her room. Her black hair was in a braid, and little tendrils of escaped strands flew across her face as she turned to us. “Rhys? What’s going on?”
“We don’t know.” He wrapped his hands around her upper arms, moving her back toward the door she’d just come from. “Get in your room. Stay there.”
“No. No!” Her eyes widened, a look of half-panic and half-determination crossing her face. I knew that feeling. She was terrified of coming with us, but more terrified of being left alone.
Men and women pushed past us as they headed toward the disturbance. Rhys shot a look down the hall then back at his sister. Then he let out a stream of curses, his lips curling up in a snarl. “Fine! But stay close. Do not leave my fucking side.”
She nodded mutely, and the six of us turned and sped off down the hall. The concrete floor was cool under my bare feet, each step on the hard, unforgiving surface jarring, but I pumped my arms, racing as fast as I could to keep up with my mates’ long strides.
When we burst through the door into the cool night air, I saw it immediately, bright orange against the blue-black sky.
Fire.
Chapter Twelve
“Fuck me,” Jackson murmured, his face going slack with horrified awe.
Two buildings on the south end of the base were ablaze. The shouts and screams came from that direction, and other shifters joined us as we raced toward the burning buildings.
One was an old mess hall, used as an indoor training space now. But the other was a barracks. Several of the pack Elders lived in that building, along with Alpha Elijah.
I gasped for breath as a vise squeezed my chest. The fire was already raging, the flames feeding on old wood like a dying man at his last meal. As we neared, heat licked my face and smoke clogged my lungs. There was no pleasant pop and snap of a campfire—this fire burned with a whooshing, cracking sound, shooting puffs of smoke and sparks into the air like fireworks.
A throng of people gathered near the buildings, shouting and screaming or staring up in mute shock. Several were in wolf form, padding anxiously back and forth as they whined. I spotted Val’s auburn hair shining in the flickering light and darted over to her, shielding my face from the heat of the fire with one arm.
“What happened?” I shouted.
“I don’t know!” Her eyes were wide. It was the first time since I’d met her that I’d seen her truly afraid. “I was in my quarters when—”
She broke off as a plume of flame billowed from the window of the building.
How was the fire so big already? How had no one noticed it until now?
“Is anyone inside?” West demanded. When Val didn’t answer, staring at the building with wide, panicked eyes, he grabbed her shoulders. “Val. Is there anyone inside?”
She nodded woodenly. “Alpha Elijah. I think. I haven’t seen him. And two of the Elders are unaccounted for. Simon and Joelle.”
“Where are their rooms?”
“The alpha is down the main corridor, sixth door on the right. Simon and Joelle share a room down a side hall.” As she spoke, her gaze stayed locked on the burning building. I could see the wolf inside her, see its animalistic terror of the force of nature before us.
West let go of her, turning to us. Plenty of people were gathered around, but no one seemed to know what to do.
“We need to get the fire out. Or at least contain it, stop it from spreading. I don’t know what happened to Alpha Elijah and the Elders—they could’ve been barricaded inside their rooms by falling debris or passed out from smoke inhalation. I’m going around the back to see if I can get in that way
and get them out. I need one of you to come with me.”
“One?” I shrieked, panic nearly stealing my breath. I didn’t want to run into a burning building, but my gut rebelled at the idea of letting two of my mates go in there without me. “I’ll go!”
“No fucking way,” Rhys growled, letting go of Sariah to grab my arm before I could run toward the burning barracks. “I’ll go.”
“No! It should be me! I’m smaller than all of you! I can fit in tight spaces. And my wolf is bigger, stronger—”
“Your wolf can’t fight this. She’ll only panic. Fuck, that’s what’s happening to everyone here.” Noah cast his gaze around the assembled shifters before tugging me from Rhys’s hold. “We need to get people organized. We need water and sheets. Will you help me, Scrubs? They’ll be okay. They can handle this.” He shot a look over my head to Rhys and West, who nodded grimly.
Tears stung my eyes, leaving cool tracks down my cheeks as my heart fluttered in my chest like a trapped bird.
No. No, no, no. They couldn’t do this.
But I saw the look on all my men’s faces. It was the same look that had made me fall in love with them in the first place. The determination to help others, the willingness to risk themselves for what was right.
How could what I loved most about them be the same thing that might take them away from me?
I threw myself at Rhys, pressing my hands to his bare chest. My fingernails practically dug holes in his skin as I glared up at him. “Do. Not. Fucking. Die in there. Or I will kill you.”
For a second, the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. He grabbed my chin in one hand, gripping hard as he bent down to kiss me fiercely. Then he let go and stepped back, joining West. My tallest mate’s mocha skin glowed in the firelight, and a thousand emotions seemed to flicker over his face as he caught my gaze. But before I could say anything, the two of them turned and raced around the side of the building.
“West!”
My scream cut through the night air, my voice ragged as my heart tried to crawl up my throat.