Crossroads

by Jennifer Ann Reed

  “Lucian!” My yell echoed throughout the house. “Lucian!” Everyone inside thundered into the kitchen as Uncle Kalen entered and shifted next to me.

  “What in the world, Kitra?” Uncle Kalen’s eyes examined every inch of me. He probably thought I was crazy due to my sudden mood change, but I didn’t care.

  “I know what to do.” I bounced on the balls of my feet and smiled like the cat who caught the canary.

  “Care to share, Sparkles?” The left side of Ryn’s lips lifted.

  “You know where the gate is located.” Lucian’s face scrunched as he regarded me. “Right, Lucian?”

  “Yes, but why is this important, Kitra?” How could he not follow my hint?

  “Our entire focus has been on keeping me safe. This isn’t about me anymore. It’s time to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Many confused faces eyed me like Uncle Kalen had. “Take the fight to them and guard the gate.” Duh. It wasn’t hard to understand.

  Silence was my answer as they mulled it over. Lucian walked forward and grabbed my arms. Did he think I was an idiot?

  “Brilliant.” The alpha kissed my forehead and smiled.

  “I knew my girl was a true warrior.” Ryn shook his head, grinning like a fool.

  “My girl.” Caden shot playfully over his shoulder.

  “Chad, call the reinforcements and tell them about our change of plans.” Lucian crushed me into a bear hug. “This Little One is the smartest of us all.”

  Pride warmed my soul. Lucian thought my idea was brilliant enough to follow and each person viewed me as their equal. Finally, I was one of them. It was all I’d ever wanted. My ego was vindicated. Now all we had to do was win.

  Chapter 22

  T HE MANOR’S DINING room was stifling and filled to maximum capacity with Lucian’s leading Wardens and my Guardians. There were even a few standing in the doorway, waiting to hear Lucian’s instructions for the upcoming nights on watch, but I observed each unknown face. Many were curious to see a hybrid, while others were stoic watching their alpha’s movements. We didn’t know when Aelfric and the Dark Ones would strike the gate so we were preparing for an extended stay in the outdoors. It didn’t bother me to be away from the luxuries of civilization. My wolf was suited for the outdoors.

  What I was uncertain about was asking the people standing in this room and those outside gathering supplies to fight for us. The pack protected their own, but we were asking them to lay down their lives if need be. We had already lost comrades in the last battle against Aelfric and we’d probably lose more. I didn’t want to ask these people to leave behind their families. Their decisions weren’t up to me. I knew that. I just didn’t want my plan to lead to any deaths.

  Austin kept my hand grasped in his in an attempt to offer me comfort, but it didn’t help. He felt my turmoil as if it were a living, breathing entity inside his body. I tried to erect a wall around my emotions, but they seeped through cracks I wasn’t able to fill. A palm landed on my shoulder and a sense of belonging washed over me. Ryn.

  I tilted my head back and gave my golden haired fairy a tight lipped smile. He was used to battle situations and anything involving military-like tactics. I wasn’t and I understood my Guardians had trained with drills similar to what we were planning, but war was different. Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed for any of us.

  Another hand landed on my other shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Home. Caden peered down at me with understanding shining on his handsome face. He and Ryn stood behind me and kept the more inquisitive onlookers at bay. My soulmates were night and day in their differences and another thought occurred to me. What if I lost one of them? Or both? How would my soul react? I was already attached to Caden, but Ryn was also important to me. When had the fae knight wiggled into my heart without me even knowing it?

  As Lucian unrolled an ancient map of the surrounding landscape near the Manor and the morbid thoughts I was flirting with were averted.

  “This.” Lucian pointed to a valley between two mountains. “Is where the gate is located. The path behind the estate leads directly to it. John made sure we’d have direct access to it if the need arose.”

  “We’ll be traveling in small groups.” Chad’s tree trunk arms lifted and he counted off our groups. I’d be traveling in the last group with Lucian, Chad, my uncle and my Guardians. “Those of you in charge of getting supplies to our camp will leave first with a group of specialized Wardens for protection and will set up our perimeter. If you run into trouble, you know what to do.” He shared a knowing look with the others.

  “Once at camp, our group.” Lucian motioned to us and himself. “We’ll be positioned next to the gate’s entrance. All other groups are tasked with being our first line of defense. We don’t know how long we’ll be stationed in the valley so pack accordingly.” His gaze shot to Allie and his lips lifted. “Only bring the essentials.” Yeah, we all knew the fiery fairy thought her entire closet was essential. “You’re dismissed.”

  Two hours later, our group was ready to move. We’d been on our way to the gate, but Allie held us up. She repeatedly argued with Lucian about why her five bags were essential, but was finally reduced down to one. Chad’s smile turned wicked when he faced the group once Allie was ready to go.

  “We have to move fast.” The Dire Wolf version of the Hulk bit his plump lip and eyed the three fairies and two female hunters as Uncle Kalen shifted to his russet brown wolf and Lucian shifted to a black wolf peppered with gray. The backpacks they wore were absorbed just like their clothes. Got to love shifter magic. “You won’t be able to keep up so you’ll need to hitch a ride.”

  “Absolutely not!” Austin feet spread to shoulder width apart as his arms crossed.

  “Then stay here.” Chad’s gray wolf burst forth and Gwen moved slightly behind her mother. Yeah, I’d be doing the same to my uncle, but he was already in his other form. Lucian was the largest of our group because he was the alpha, but Chad was a close contender in size and a terrifying sight. His muscles transcended to his shifter form and made him appear as if his wolf took steroids.

  “I call Curtis!” Allie skipped to my shaggy haired Guardian as he dropped his yellow wolf to the ground for her to hop on.

  “Wait. Where’s Elder Dylan?” I picked at my fingernails and looked for his tailored suit. Only my closest friends knew my wolf was white and Lucian kept it from the rest of the pack so I hesitated shifting.

  “Went to the coven to rally the vamps for the cause.” Linc pulled his bag onto his shoulders. “You with me Tink?” Austin and Linc had become best friends since Austin was injured in our last battle with Aelfric, but it didn’t stop him from grumbling about being a cat person as he stomped over and climbed onto the back of the brown wolf with hazel eyes.

  “I’m with Sparkles.” Ryn moved to my side and Caden’s eyes narrowed. “What? You expect me to ride with you?” Caden huffed and shifted into his midnight wolf and trotted next to his father. Lilly ended up riding with Uncle Kalen and Gwen chose Zander’s brown wolf with dark eyes.

  “Let’s do this.” Ryn rubbed his hands together bouncing on the balls of his feet. Several eyes faced me and I sighed. Fine. I was no longer able to delay the inevitable. The rest of the pack would find out sooner or later. I shifted and a howl pierced the air.

  Chad slid to a stop in front of me and flipped over on the ground, exposing his huge stomach in submission to me. See, this is what I was afraid of. After the legend of the white wolf had been explained to me, I knew reactions like Chad’s were sure to follow. They believed white wolves brought peace and revered them. Too bad all I’d brought with me so far was destruction.

  Lucian growled and Chad whimpered as he moved to the back of the line and Ryn situated himself below my shoulders. Uncle Kalen explained Lucian would be in the front of the line for defense purposes with the rest of us in the middle. Lucian, our alpha and commander, decided Chad was to watch our rear and would be positioned at the end. I’d asked why this formation was
chosen and Uncle Kalen explained that Chad was one of the strongest wolves in the pack. Lucian wanted us between them, keeping me protected. Usually, I’d have had a snarky comment about my need for protection, but today I chose to keep my mouth shut. They were implementing my plan to guard the gate and many lives depended on it working.

  We traveled in single file along the path at a trot with Uncle Kalen and Lilly in front of me and Caden behind me. Ryn continually threaded his fingers into my fur and traced the shell of my canine ears. His magic seeped under my skin and I shivered. I wanted to nip at him, but we were told to stay silent. Caden flanked me and butted Ryn’s hip, showing his teeth and coming to my rescue. The golden fairy held his hands up in surrender and stopped exploring my wolf form.

  I’m not sure how long we jogged, but soon Lucian ramped up our speed into a run. After I leaped over a small downed tree and he almost fell off, Ryn leaned forward and held on tight. The added weight of carrying someone left me panting, but I refused to show weakness and pushed forward. Birds flew above us, moving south and the sun shone brightly past the scraggly bare branches of the majestic trees.

  We slowed as the path descended over a hill and Lucian came to a full stop. We stood at a forked path and I was reminded of my nightmares. Both paths were well lit, but the one to the left had thorny vines creating a wall on both sides. The path to the right rose over a hill and I shuddered.

  Kitra? What is it? Caden brushed up against my side.

  What’s over that hill? I faced the path diverting to the right.

  A sheer cliff dropping off into Fallen Lake. Linc’s answer made my shivering worse. I had to get a hold of myself. The dream wasn’t real.

  Fallen Lake? Why is it named Fallen? Weird facts sometimes helped me get control of my emotions.

  A cave collapsed hundreds of years ago and filled in with water. Caden’s snout bumped mine. Why are you nervous about the lake?

  Just a dream I had about running in the woods and falling into water. It was nothing serious. I shook myself and Ryn gripped me with his thighs to keep from being thrown.

  Let’s go. Lucian’s alpha authority prickled my skin. It was weird having his voice in my head, but the alpha was able to talk to anyone in his pack telepathically.

  Lucian led us down the path to the left. Wouldn’t you know he’d take us down the foreboding one from my dream? Even the thorns warned us to stay away. We walked cautiously down the trail after Allie harped about being scratched and bleeding. I didn’t blame her. I had a few stinging places of my own after racing through the rough terrain.

  An hour later, we arrived at camp. The path lead to a large circular field with smaller concentric circles formed by overgrown shallow trenches which appeared to have small rolling hills inside each circle. We followed the path to the heart of the field and trudged up the last hillside. At the top, two thin trees twisted around each other and bent to the ground, creating a natural arch. Black leaves sprouted from the entwined branches and gave the unnatural formation a dark ethereal glow. This was the gate?

  Ryn slid from my back and I shifted back to standing on two legs. My spine popped from my neck to my hips after carrying his weight for so long. I inched closer to the trees. The gate was unusual and not what I’d pictured. I could look through the arch and see the other side of the field. The only thing out of place was the color of the leaves.

  The others shifted as I touched one of the black trees and pulled my hand back with a hiss. The wood was scorching and my pink skin puckered from the burn. Why had it burned me? I watched as my wolf healing erased the evidence and Uncle Kalen rushed to my side inspecting my now unblemished hand.

  “Don’t touch it.” Too late for that sound advice, Uncle Kalen. “The spell keeping it closed can kill you if you’re not careful.” Definitely wouldn’t be touching the weird bough again.

  “Why are the leaves black?” Gwen stood at my side, staring up at the odd sight.

  “It’s because the prison is in a different realm.” Lucian pulled a tent from his pack.

  “Like Faerie?” Lilly wrapped an arm around her daughter.

  “Faerie is its own world.” Ryn picked up my pack and took the tent from it. “It was created by our magic as a place for us to be safe from other Supernaturals or so our history states.”

  “The realm we sent the prisoners to is a shadow version of Earth. The fae showed us how to open the gateway and push them through.” Lucian stood and glanced at the archway. “It’s a cold and desolate place which they deserve. Get your tents up and meet me when you’re finished.” The change in subject gave me whiplash. Wasn’t he going to tell us more about the gate? Lucian walked down the hill and left us with our mouths hanging open.

  “He’s not keeping anything from you.” Uncle Kalen opened his own bag. “Only the original Council members know how it was created. John and Meghan took it to their graves.” I had so many questions and it was infuriating not to have them answered. Apparently I wasn’t the only one in the same mood when I scanned our group. No one was happy with the explanation, but what could we do?

  Uncle Kalen was giving Ryn the stink eye and I took my things from Ryn and put my tent up next to Uncle Kalen’s brown monstrosity. It looked like something that came out of the back end of an animal. Uncle Kalen pointed to the other side of the hill and Ryn sighed while packing up his things to move. At least Uncle Kalen wasn’t trying to kill him.

  Allie was having trouble with the frame of her tent and I ended up putting it together after I finished with mine. Once we were all settled, we set off in search of our alpha. Lucian was helping some Wardens stack crates of food while others unfolded square tables. We pitched in and Lucian called a meeting after the dining area was complete.

  Whispers filled the air as multiple eyes stared holes into me. Several hushed murmurs of “white wolf” rushed my ears and Lucian met my gaze, while holding up one hand to silence the crowd.

  “Chad is being honest.” Lucian’s gunmetal eyes never left mine. “A white wolf is among us.” The whispers began again, but this time they were more excited. The crowd pushed to get closer, but Caden and Ryn formed a wall of muscle in front of me. “Stop!” Lucian’s alpha energy silenced them immediately. “Kitra is to be left alone.” Protests rang out, but Lucian continued. “I know you want to be near her, but she’s still just starting to understand what her coloring means to our kind. Be patient and give her time. When she’s ready, she’ll be formally introduced to the pack and we’ll have a celebration to honor her.” His statement seemed to appease them for now.

  I didn’t know how I felt about the celebrations he intended to have. I’d rather not have their attention at all. I put a palm on the backs of both Ryn and Caden before taking a deep breath and moving out from behind them. I may not want their attention, but I refused to hide like a scared child.

  Lucian smiled when he noticed my reemergence. “I thank each of you for your service to our pack, but today is not the day to acknowledge the return of the white wolf. Today, we stand to protect our families, friends, and all we hold dear to us. We are the only thing standing between them and the worst evil the world has ever known.” His voice carried without having to be raised. “I don’t know what tonight holds, or even tomorrow. I can’t tell you all will be well and you’ll survive to see another day. We’ve lost many already, but know this, you were created for a purpose.” Lucian’s hands clasped behind his back as he paused. “Today we will perform the task which the Creator has entrusted us with; we will keep humanity safe. We will keep the world safe. Evil will not prevail.” Water rimmed more than a few eyes of the crowd. “We will not fail! We’re keepers of the Light!”

  As one, their heads tilted back and their united howl filled the air with a determined sound before the meeting was adjourned and Lucian sent us back to our tents. Everyone had an extra pep in their step, but I knew the time of Aelfric’s arrival wouldn’t be long.

  For two whole days, we did perimeter checks, ate, played
games, ate again, did more checks, ate yet again, and hit repeat. When Amara, Elder Dylan, and the vampires arrived and I hoped she’d help end my boredom, but all Amara did was teach me to play poker during the monotony of day to day camp life. It wasn’t until the third night of lying in a sleeping bag that my hair stood up on my neck after I thought I heard a scream. I unzipped my tent and saw a few other heads, including my uncle’s and Lucian's, poking out of their tents. So, I wasn’t the only one who heard the noise.

  Each of us were already dressed. It was a rule Lucian enforced so we’d be ready to fight at any time. I grabbed my katana which Uncle Kalen had packed for me and exited my green tent. Lucian held his pointer finger to his lips and motioned for us to fan out around the base of the hill. We were to be the last defense of the gate if we were under attack, but no other sound met my ears.

  The silence didn’t seem right. The moon hung bright in the starry sky and we were able to see the entire field. Dark bunches were spread throughout the trenches and some had weapons drawn while others had shifted. All of our guards were where they were supposed to be, but nothing stirred. I was facing the forest on the south side of the hill when I saw a shadow blur between the trees. I blinked when I didn’t see it again. Maybe the moonlight was playing tricks on my eyes.

  A cold sweat glistened on my arms and face. What if it was the creature from my dreams? What if Aelfric had already opened the gate and released it? I shook my head and took a deep breath. I was being stupid. We’d know if the gate had been unlocked.

  The shadow flickered among the trees again and I noticed it was shaped like a person. Someone was running through the forest. Another scream echoed over the field and pulled everyone’s attention in its direction, but I kept my focus on the zooming figure as it breached the treeline. I blinked and tried to erase the familiar face racing towards us, but the figure didn’t change. Loose dark waves floated behind a face so much like my own.