by Jenny Tia
“Alpha Hughes. Alpha Select Burrows,” Leroy hissed, his s’s lisping.
He lowered his head in respect, and we returned the gesture. My wolf’s hackles were up, and I still had my suspicions about Leroy, but I was prepared to put them aside and give him a chance if it meant we got closer to finding the humans.
Alpha Hughes pulled out a topographical map of the area and Leroy traced it with his long, bony finger until he stabbed at the paper.
“Right there. That’s where I tracked them to.”
Hughes and I glanced at each other while Nic peered over my shoulder at the location. “That’s deep woods. Very deep.”
Leroy nodded. “It’s dark in there. No light gets through the canopy. No way they could be spotted from the air by hawks.” His voice seemed to break when he mentioned the birds of prey.
“How many humans did you see?” I asked.
“At least fifty.”
I glanced at Nic and he nodded, understanding my command without us having to speak. He left to get other shifters to check out the location and confirm what the snake shifter was saying; before we trusted him on his word.
“Anything else?” I asked.
“Oh, plenty.” Leroy pushed his long hair back from his face. “I was able to sneak through their base. They look ready to pack up and move at any time, but there were some signs they’d be staying there for a while too… A huge woodpile near their fire pit, a big store of foraged food. And the armory…”
“Armory?” Alpha Hughes asked, leaning forward eagerly.
Leroy nodded. “They’re heavily armed.”
“Heavily?” I asked.
“Very, very heavily. Rifles, yeah, but also automatic weapons. Grenades. World war level armaments.”
I took a sharp breath and closed my eyes. “Great.”
Alpha Hughes ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Thank you, Leroy. You’ve been of great help.”
“Wait.” We looked at him and a sly, toothy smile spread across his face. “I haven’t told you the best bit yet.”
“Oh?”
“I heard their plan. I heard a lot, actually. This time, they plan to kill. But they’re not targeting the public.”
I frowned. “Who then?”
“They want to take down the pack Alphas.”
I turned to Hughes, but he kept staring at Leroy. “Any idea how they’re going to do that?”
Leroy shrugged. “Not exactly… They made it clear they’re not going to kill the Alphas, though. They’re just going to debilitate them.”
“Debilitate them how? Without physical injury?”
“They didn’t say.”
Alpha Hughes groaned, frustrated.
“I know,” I said. They both looked at me, and I swallowed dryly. “I know how they’re going to do it. They’re going to take the Alphas’ mates. Or kill them. An alpha is at his weakest when his claimed mate is taken from him, isn’t he?”
Alpha Hughes’s eyes widened, and his face lit up. He slapped me on the back. “Oh, Cas. I think you might be right.”
Leroy nodded in agreement.
So we had the location of the humans, and we knew what they were planning to do. Alpha Hughes sprang into action with an air of relief and confidence flowing off him. But I felt far from relieved. It was a blessing I hadn’t yet claimed and mated Julian—that was the type of connection the humans would be targeting. But even so, I was a knot of anxiety, a tightly coiled spring until I got approval to travel to Goldleaf. To protect my mate. To bring him home.
20
Julian
Life in the bunker truly sucked. The place was a warren of corridors, dorms, kitchens, and common areas, and big enough to house thousands of shifters. In a way, it was big enough to feel like I had some privacy and space. But it stank like stale wolf sweat, and it was also easy to get lost in. It took three days before I finally pinpointed Stef in the corner of one of the kitchens.
He was sitting on a stool, slumped against a wall, looking completely spent. The fluorescent lighting stripped the color from his face, and by contrast, the bags under his eyes looked darker than I’d ever seen them.
I pulled up a seat and sat close to him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the humans.” There was no reason to keep my voice down. Alpha Truitt had told everybody what was happening. For the first day, the halls of the bunker had echoed with quivering voices as everybody talked about what it meant that humans were back and targeting us.
For once, I wanted nothing to do with the speculation. Two months ago, I would have jumped at the chance to gossip with the local greengrocer about government fuckups and conspiracy theories. Now, I wanted to avoid the topic altogether.
Stefan sighed and slumped against the wall. “It’s not like telling me about the humans would have changed anything. You didn’t know they’d attack us, right?”
“No, I had no idea about that.”
“Then I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“I forgive you. I would have snapped at me too.”
He chuckled a little then sighed once more with exhaustion.
“Have they been working you hard?” I asked as I took his hand in mine and squeezed it.
Stefan rolled his head to the side to look at me. “Not really. But I’ve been volunteering every hour of the day so I don’t have a moment to stop and let everything sink in.”
“Still itching?”
“Yeah. I think we all are.”
I agreed. On the second day, the talk had quieted down while the reality of our situation really started to register. No one had any idea how long we’d be down here. Alpha Truitt had said it might only be a few days, but there were enough rations for months. And now, on the third day, there was a new buzz of discontent in the air. We were wolves. We were meant to run. Being underground felt like being imprisoned, and we were anxious to get out.
Stefan sat up and slapped my knee. “Hey, I saw your brother earlier. He was looking for you. Said he wants to apologize.”
I groaned and leaned my head back against the wall. “Great. He found out I’m not barren then?”
“Oh yeah, I made sure word got to your family about your heat. Just wish I’d been there to see their faces.”
I laughed and crossed my arms over my chest as I imagined how shocked they would have been. “Yep, damn, me too. But an apology sounds pretty good. Know where he went?”
“Yeah, he said your family is in common area B. Down the hall, past the sickbay, and left before you get to those big bathrooms.”
“Want to come?”
“Nah. Seeing you has helped me calm down. I think I might go to the meditation room and actually take a moment to uh, consider this new reality we find ourselves in.”
I stood up then gave Stef a hug, which he returned, and then I made my way to area B. As I wandered down the halls, grunts and groans of alphas and betas going at it on omegas flooded in from the dorm rooms at either side. It wasn’t a full moon that was fueling their lust for once, but I guessed a rough fuck would be a good way to get your wolf’s frustration out. I peered into one of the doorways and saw two off-duty alpha protectors taking an omega at the same time. They were all buck naked and glistening with sweat. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the top alpha thrusting into the omega’s slick hole, and I felt a flush of blood rush from my head to my crotch. I wet my lips but dragged myself away and continued down the hall, wondering what had happened to me. I used to be disgusted by such a public display, and now I was hungry for my mate to take me like that.
Ah. That’s what had happened to me. Casius…
I was thinking about him and smiling to myself when I took the left after the sickbay, and then spotted my family across the common area. Just my mom and dad were there, looking more stressed out than I’d ever seen them before. Which was saying a lot, considering how angry my mom had been my entire life.
I noticed they were talking to somebody. I assumed it was my brother,
but as I got closer I saw it was a stranger. She had long, dark hair, and a pained look on her face.
My mother was scowling. “You wouldn’t know anything about it!” she said, snapping at the other woman.
I grimaced. The poor woman was probably on the receiving end of one of my mom’s mood swings. But then my father stepped in.
“Stop. Before Julian hears about this.” His growl reverberated around the common area, and the sound of it twisted my stomach. I rushed forward, shoving myself into the scene.
“Before I hear about what?”
My father’s face fell, and he looked stricken. My mother was silent, her cheeks slack and pale, her gaze focused on the floor. I frowned and stared at her, waiting for her to snap at me. But she didn’t budge. It was like somebody had died.
I clutched my chest. “Is everyone okay?”
No one would look at me except for the woman with the dark hair. Exasperated, I turned to her to ask for answers. But the moment our eyes locked, I was given what I was searching for. What I’d been looking for my whole life.
Her wide eyes were wet with tears and her chin trembled as she looked me over with a small smile tugging at the sides of her lips. There was a slight dimple in her chin, her cheekbones were high, and her hair was thick with unruly curls that looked like they could never be tamed…
She looked…exactly like me.
I blinked, and then a warm, safe feeling moved through me as I stared at the woman and noticed the bright color of the fabrics wrapped around her shoulders, her oceanic scent. I experienced something I’d sometimes felt with my father and my brothers, but never with my mother. A small familiar pull, deep in my gut.
I didn’t need anyone to tell me who she was. I knew, in every part of my body. And so did my wolf. It howled in acknowledgment, and I fell to my knees, releasing a short cry of amazement.
The woman followed, kneeling and reaching out to me. Out of nowhere, a man approached and stood between us. I craned my neck to look around his thick thighs as he spoke to the woman in a low, warning growl. “Get up, Alana.”
She didn’t budge. She stared at me while a tear ran down her cheek, and then my mother smiled brightly.
My mother…
“Alana, our children are waiting.”
Searing pain ripped my heart as my mother broke eye contact with me and allowed the man—presumably her husband—to pull her to her feet. I held my chest and watched as she followed him, dragging her feet and looking back at me with her eyes locked on me until she vanished into the crowd.
I stared at the space where she had just been. My heart thumped so hard I felt it reverberating against the palms of my hands. I sobbed, but it wasn’t of sorrow. It was of relief.
It all made sense. My whole life… My place in my family… My mom.
But still, there were questions. I turned to face my parents who were puffed up with their arms crossed, still refusing to look at me.
“Tell me everything,” I demanded.
Mom glanced at Dad, who looked and me and opened his mouth and then closed it again.
“You owe me an explanation.” My voice was calm and steady. Somehow, I didn’t feel angry. Maybe it was the relief overpowering the nasty, sharp emotions under the surface. Or maybe I just didn’t care all that much. I sat down and looked up at them with pleading eyes, eager to know what had happened that had brought us to this place.
My dad cleared his throat. “Before I met your mom…”
I waited for him to finish. But he didn’t speak. I waited for what felt like an eternity, and then I abruptly laughed. My parents jumped in shock and stared at me with wide eyes. I simply chuckled and shook my head at them in amazement.
“Before you met my mother, you had a child with another woman. The woman who was just here,” I said for him.
He grunted to confirm what I’d said, while my mom glanced at me cautiously, eyeing me off like I was crazy for being so flippant about it. I smiled at her, and her frown deepened.
“Mom. We’ve never had a bond. And I always blamed myself for that.”
She grimaced and went to say something, but I held up my hand to stop her.
“It makes sense to me now, and I no longer have to blame myself. It’s not my fault. We just aren’t kin.”
“But you’re still my son.”
“Of course I am.” I swallowed down a surge of grief that came to the surface with a memory of how badly she’d treated me. I was her son. She should have taken care of me, no matter what. Learning that she wasn’t my biological kin didn’t change that. It didn’t make me forgive her. It just felt like a puzzle piece clicking into place.
I was about to ask for more information about the woman—my kin mother—when I sensed movement at the other side of the common space, near the entrance to the hallway. I lifted my head to see what the commotion was about, and immediately sprang to my feet when I felt a different, more intense tug in my stomach.
I was moving too fast for my mind to comprehend what was happening, shoving my way through the crowd, down the hallway, past the sickbay, past the dorms, toward the entrance of the bunker. Following that tug. My heart raced when the colorful linen fabrics of Goldleaf fashion gave way to a tighter density of gold and silver protector uniforms. I could smell him…
And there, a head taller than the other shifters, there he was… My mate.
Casius scanned the crowd, his eyes flicking over faces, his nose raised to the air, looking, sniffing for me. I raised a hand and shouted as I pushed forward, and he immediately saw me.
His serious expression gave way to a huge smile, accompanied by a joyful laugh. He gently pushed people aside and moved toward me. The flow of the crowd brought me to him, and we were practically thrown together by the push of people around us who were rushing toward the entrance.
I fell into his embrace and sobbed in relief for the second time that day. I buried my nose into his thick chest and desperately breathed him in as he ran a hand over my curls and kissed the top of my head. He inhaled my scent, and then let out a satisfied moan as I practically melted against his body. People bumped us from all sides, but his size kept us in place, like an island among a rushing river.
I pulled back and looked up at him with wide, amazed eyes. “What’s going on? Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t stay away,” he said, lifting my chin.
My heart began hammering as he kissed me, and I whined in protest as he pulled away. I wrapped my arms around his neck and urged him down for one more kiss. It was a little chaste for what I needed right then, but it did help settle some of my nerves, which felt like a thin stream of electricity was running through them.
When he released me, I glanced around at the crowd that was becoming frantic. Goldleaf locals with bags on their backs were pushing past protectors. Families were yelling out to each other from other ends of the corridor, coordinating places to meet on the outside.
I saw Nic standing behind Casius, keeping an eye on everyone who came close to us.
“Seriously, Cas. What’s going on?” I asked.
“Goldleaf has been secured. I’ll escort you home.”
I looked up at him and frowned. “I’d be excited to get the hell out of here, but this seems sudden… It’s safe, right?”
Casius leaned in and whispered in my ear, “I’ll explain on the way home.”
He took me by my shoulders, and we turned to join the tide of Goldleafians pouring out of the bunker.
The natural sunlight stung my eyes as we ascended up to the Den, and I blinked rapidly to clear my vision. I took a deep breath and sighed as we made our way across the Den.
“The scents out here are like a literal breath of fresh air. God, I have a lot to tell you.”
“It was getting kind of musty down there, huh?” Casius chuckled, pulling me closer to him.
“If ‘musty’ is a kind way of saying ‘stinky’, then sure.”
I felt a tug to my left and turned to follow it. Th
rough the crowd, I caught sight of long, dark curls, and my heart ached. I pulled away from Casius to move toward her at the same time she spun around and met my eyes. A smile broke between us and we stopped in our tracks.
Casius urged me forward, but I didn’t budge.
“Julian? What’s wrong?”
I expected her to keep walking with her mate, but the woman—my mother—hurried through the crowd toward me. Casius wrapped his arm tight across my shoulder and pulled me against him defensively. But she didn’t seem to notice him.
I felt Casius stiffen as the woman came right up to me.
“It’s alright.” I placed a hand on his chest and felt him relax under my touch.
The woman clasped her hands in front of her. “My name is Alana Song… Do you know who I am? Do you know why I was talking to your parents?” Her voice quivered as she spoke, but her gaze was steady.
I nodded.
Casius sucked in a quick breath. “Shit.” He placed a steadying, comforting hand on my shoulder, and I appreciated the affection behind it.
“I would like to explain…what happened,” Alana whispered, an edge of pleading and apology in her lilting voice. “I hope you’ll hear what I have to say?”
I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. I leaned back into Casius’s touch as I clenched and unclenched my fists. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to hear what she had to say… Did I want to know why she gave me up? Why she dumped my dad? Why she didn’t come for me sooner… Was I ready to hear that?
Lucky for me, my fated mate was a bad-ass Supreme Alpha Select who made the right decision for me.
He cleared his throat and leaned forward. “You can give your contact information to my second, Nicolas Black, and we’ll be in touch if Julian wants to talk.”
Casius looked over the crowd to find Nic, then snapped his fingers to summon him over, pointing to Alana. Nic raised his hand in acknowledgment, but he seemed to be distracted by someone and stayed put. Alana watched with wide eyes then nodded to Casius before making her way toward Nic. She looked back for just a second, and my wolf whined softly as she was swallowed up by the crowd.