Violet (The Silver Series Book 4)

by Cheree Alsop

  “We destroyed Base Omega,” I pointed out. “There's no starting over.”

  He smiled. “Even now, Dr. Verus and my comrades are driving north to a new facility that's ready and waiting.” His eyebrows lifted. “We always have a backup plan; you should know that by now.”

  Jaze moved to stand on my other side while Jet slowly paced around to flank the guards by the children. They kept uneasy eyes on the werewolf. Knives flashed in Jet's hand and I knew it was only a matter of time before the metal tasted blood.

  My stomach tightened. “There's no way. Kaynan threw the doctor into a room with half our bombs. He couldn't have survived.”

  The man lifted an eyebrow mockingly. “Oh really? And did your brother watch the room at all times to make sure the good doctor was never assisted out?”

  I thought of my run to the desert with the children and Kaynan's journey down to level six. I shook my head, but knew what I had seen. “Dr. Verus was unconscious. How would anyone know he was there?”

  “Security cameras,” the man said with an infuriating calm given the fact that Rafe was a step away with a look on his face as though he wanted to hasten the man’s departure from the earth. “The good doctor’s long gone by now, untouchable and in vehicles you couldn’t possibly trace.”

  Jaze tipped his head to the side and regarded the Commander with steel in his eyes. “You mean the four black SUVs we blew up on the way here?”

  The man's face paled and he stared back and forth from Jaze to Rafe as though debating whether the Alpha told the truth. When neither looked anything but completely serious, his mouth fell open. “It can't be!”

  Jaze shrugged. “Given Colleen and Kaynan's danger, it was the only option we had.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “I guess that puts a little damper on your backup plan.”

  A wail escaped from the man’s throat and he lunged at Jaze. Jet was there before anyone could blink and had the man in a headlock on the sand in the space of a heartbeat.

  “Take them away,” Jaze said in a low growl.

  Jaze’s militia bound the guards. A few minutes later, several vehicles pulled up and more Hunters and werewolves got out along with government officials in suits; there was little for them to do but haul the guards into the vehicles and leave.

  “Where are they taking them?” I asked; I knew their faces would show up in my nightmares along with everything Kaynan had shown me.

  “It's up to the government,” Jaze replied, eying the suited men with distrust. “But any they don't take will be escorted to the Hunter's prison in the mountains.”

  The thought of chambers the Hunters once used to lock away werewolves made me shudder. Rafe's arm tightened around my shoulders and I leaned against him. He rubbed my arms and heat ran through my body at his touch.

  “We'll take the children to one of the safe houses and help them get home,” Jaze continued.

  Several Hunters were already helping children into their SUVs. The kids looked happy and it was obvious they were being treated with kindness. The twelve year old girl that had been so much help with the others waved at me before she climbed into one of the vehicles next to her brother. I smiled and waved back, relieved that at least something good had come from Base Omega.

  Chapter 17

  Rafe helped me into the helicopter, then took the seat on my right side next to the window. Kaynan was still unconscious in his wolf form, so Jet set him carefully on the floor of the chopper. Jaze positioned a headset over his ears the best that he could to block out the sound. He then sat next to me and shrugged. “Worth a try, I guess.”

  I gave him a grateful smile and accepted the headset the pilot handed me.

  “Well done,” a familiar voice said.

  I looked up to see Agent Sullivan in the front seat. He turned and gave me a thumbs-up that I felt too exhausted to return. He didn't seem concerned by my lack of response. “I knew you could do it.”

  “But at what cost?” I asked, looking down at Kaynan's still form meaningfully.

  “A dear one,” Agent Sullivan replied. He was looking out at the cars loaded with children and I felt a bit better. “Two of those kids are mine.”

  His voice was thick with emotion and I stared at him. He turned back and met my eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Wh-why didn't you tell me? What if we didn't save them, or we didn't know they were there, or-”

  He cut me off with a sad smile. “I was under direct orders not to influence your task in any way. Besides,” he sighed and turned back to the window. “If I had let them know my emotions were compromised, I would have been pulled from the mission.”

  I frowned, thinking hard. “Does that mean all of those children have parents that are werewolves?”

  “One parent,” he corrected. The helicopter's blades started to spin and brush and sand were battered away from the chopper. “I'm assuming Dr. Verus thought children who already carried the gene in part would be easier to fuse.” He looked at me searchingly. “I assume he was wrong?”

  I nodded. “Dr. Verus confirmed that none of the child experiments had been a success.” I swallowed and continued, “His clone experiments weren’t successful either.”

  Agent Sullivan let out his breath in a rush. “I can’t express to you what that means. The government knows of werewolves and is infiltrated by more than we care to acknowledge, as Jaze has learned to use to his advantage.” Jaze agreed with a slight tip of his head, his eyes on the landscape below. The agent continued, “But an army of genetically created werewolves is more than we are prepared to deal with.” His eyes creased at the corners when he smiled. “You may have saved more lives than you realize.”

  My mind reeled and I fought down the urge to phase. I wanted more than anything to be away from helicopters, guns, agents, blood, and anything that reminded me of the labs. Rafe took my hand and tightened his grip reassuringly. I leaned my head against his shoulder as the cars beneath us disappeared rapidly behind the dunes.

  “Where are we going?” I asked after several minutes had passed.

  Rafe looked at me, his golden eyes light beneath his headset. “To see your parents.”

  My heart leaped in my chest. “They're okay?”

  “They said to tell you they'll have lasagna and spaghetti on when you arrive,” Agent Sullivan said into the headset.

  Tears of relief spilled down my face at the thought of my mom cooking our favorite foods, my dad no doubt preparing fresh orange juice to go along with it. I smiled and felt the tightness in my chest from all that I had seen dissipate at least for a brief time. I was going home.

  ***

  Kaynan had come to in the helicopter and phased back to human form when he heard where we were going. Needless to say, there were a few uncomfortable moments while everyone scrambled to find him some suitable clothes. He quickly pulled on some flight pants, then Jet took off his black shirt and my brother grinned as he pulled it over his head. “Better to hide weakness than give them an easy target,” Kaynan said. Jet laughed, then looked surprised that such a sound had come out of his mouth.

  “Take this,” Agent Sullivan said. He slipped out of his tailored suit coat and handed it over.

  Kaynan shook his head. “It’s too nice.”

  The agent merely smiled. “I owe you much more than just a piece of clothing. Take it as a memento of my appreciation.”

  Kaynan shrugged into the coat and looked rather sharp by the time we landed despite his bare feet. I wiggled my toes, relieved to be out of the bomb shoes I had feared would explode if I took a wrong step. The beat of the helicopter blades pushed against the trees and they waved back and forth as though in welcome. Kaynan stepped out of the helicopter. I followed him across the lawn so achingly familiar I wanted to lay down in the grass as I used to do when I was young.

  Kaynan reached the porch and walked slowly up the steps as though he never thought he would get the chance to do so again. I knew the feeling and blinked back tears before they could fall.
>
  Rafe stepped from foot to foot nervously as we waited for everyone to reach the porch. I squeezed Rafe's hand, surprised to find it cold and clammy. “They're going to like you,” I reassured him quietly.

  His brow creased. “How do you know?”

  The worry in his voice made me smile. “Well, you're you.”

  Kaynan let out an exasperated sigh that sounded very much like his old self. “What she means is, you helped her learn how to control her phasing, saved her life on more than one occasion, and helped bring her back home. They're definitely going to like you.”

  Rafe gave him a grateful smile.

  I looked back at Agent Sullivan who waited close to the helicopter. “You sure you don't want to come in?” I asked.

  He gave a small smile. “As good as I'm sure your mother's cooking is, it won't be as wonderful as feeling my little ones' arms around my neck and seeing the joy on my wife's face when I bring them home. I'm must decline, but plan to take you up on that offer someday.”

  “Definitely.” I waved and he waved back. “Good luck,” I called.

  “I don't need luck,” he said with a wink. “I have you two.” He turned back to the helicopter, then paused. “By the way. You’re officially deceased per government records, so we’re going to have to work on some alternate identities. In the meantime, try not to get pulled over or anything or we’ll have a heck of a time explaining why you’re still alive.”

  “Yes, sir,” I replied with the grin that had refused to leave my face since I found out we were going home.

  He ducked into the helicopter the same time that the screen door behind me opened.

  “Oh my goodness,” Mom exclaimed. “You're home. Thank goodness you're home.” She turned and called behind her, “They're here! Get the lasagna out of the oven!”

  “Lasagna?” Kaynan repeated; a smile played about his lips even though his eyes remained tight.

  “I'll always make lasagna for you,” Mom replied. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, then saw me and held open an arm. I ducked underneath it and closed my eyes, relishing the strength of my mother’s embrace.

  Dad appeared at the door and held us all, his strong arms comforting. “I'm so glad you're safe,” he said with a sigh.

  “Me, too,” Kaynan replied, his voice troubled.

  Mom was the first to step free. She looked at the others behind us and her eyes locked on Rafe. “I don't believe we've been introduced,” she said, falling back into her country manners.

  I smiled. “Mom, this is Rafe, he-”

  She brushed past me and hugged Rafe so fast he barely had time to shoot me a surprised glance. “Jaze told me everything you did. You'll always be welcome at our house,” she said in a tight voice as she fought to keep from crying.

  I shot Jaze a glance and he pretended not to notice, though the corners of his brown eyes creased.

  Kaynan smiled a shadow of his familiar grin. “I don't know if Rafe’ll dare come back if you keep hugging him like that, Mom,” he pointed out.

  She stepped back with a frazzled look on her face and blustered an apology, but Rafe shook his head. “It's alright. I'll take whatever hugs I can get.” I slipped an arm around his waist and he pulled me close. We followed Mom and Dad into the house, and the familiar scents of home lulled me into the hope that it was all over.

  The lasagna was a ghost of scraps in the pan and only a few leftover strands of spaghetti had escaped Jet's careful attention by the time we pushed back our chairs. We stayed around the table drinking orange juice and lounging with full bellies as exhaustion seeped into our limbs.

  Jaze tipped his head at my wrist. “What's with the wrist bands?” he asked.

  Kaynan and I exchanged a glance. Before I could say anything, he held up his wrist. “Just tracking bracelets. It's part of our agreement with Agent Sullivan. We go free, and they can keep an eye on us to make sure we're not in trouble.”

  I nodded in agreement, but knew by the look on Rafe's face that he didn't believe us. The others seemed to accept the explanation without question, but Rafe's fingers lingered on the round metal band and the bulge that made up the pill box in the middle. I was relieved he didn't push the matter, but hated the taste of the lie in my mouth. I could only find relief in the fact that not telling my parents the truth would keep them from worrying.

  ***

  “I apologize again for the death of your alpha,” Agent Sullivan said.

  Whines escaped the covered cages in the cargo truck and Rafe touched one of the corners, his eyes damp. “The way of the wolf is to accept what has happened and move on. They don't dwell in the past because there's nothing they can do to change it.” He met the agent's eyes. “I would change it if I could, but there's nothing left except to move on. I'm just grateful they can return to their forest.”

  “Your forest,” Agent Sullivan said. At Rafe's look, he reached into his new jacket pocket and held out an envelope, then he glanced at me. “Well, actually it belongs to both of you.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked. Rafe handed me the envelope, his eyes still on the agent. I opened it and scanned the letter. The contents made my heart soar. “The government is giving us the forest? Why?”

  “As a wolf sanctuary.” He winked. “Or a werewolf sanctuary as needed. They agreed that we needed to do something to thank you for risking your lives to destroy the labs.”

  My breath caught in my throat. “But a whole forest?”

  He smiled. “It'll be considered a national forest, but the fences around the perimeter will entitle it an endangered animal reserve with a fine of a thousand dollars to anyone who trespasses; that way no one will bother you.”

  I didn't know how to express my thanks, but Rafe looked eagerly from the agent to the wolves, politics and boundary lines the least of his concern. “Can we let them out now?”

  The agent eyed the cages with a shred of doubt. “At least wait until we leave. I wouldn't blame them if they don't forgive us. We'll be back for the cages long after you're gone.”

  Rafe supervised the unloading of the cages, and the wolves began an eager chorus of yips and barks when they smelled him. We waited until the truck and Agent Sullivan's jeep were gone, then opened the first cage. The tawny mother wolf leaped out, her four pups close behind.

  They had lost some of their puppy fat, but they gamboled about with enough energy and zeal it was obvious they would suffer little from the effects of the confinement. The mother wolf, the mate to the alpha they had killed, was a different story. While she looked happy to see Rafe, her eyes swept the edge of the forest and it was plain she wanted to find her mate.

  We let out the rest of the wolves, phased into our wolf forms, and joined them in an overjoyed frolic around the small clearing. The pups kept up the best they could, but the mother wolf waited by the trees, impatient to return to the den. Rafe and I knew we couldn't put off the inevitable any longer.

  We led the way slowly along the creek bed toward the den. The pups bit at leaves and dried twigs as we passed, and it took a long time to herd them up the faint game trail through the woods. When they neared the grove that housed their den, though, even they stopped playing and walked resolutely forward. We paused at the edge of the clearing and let the mother wolf enter.

  She walked to the fallen alpha's side, his chest sunken and eyes closed, the effects of decay absorbing him back into the forest where he belonged. She touched his muzzle gently with hers, then lifted her nose to the sky and let out a soft, mournful howl. After a minute, the pups pushed past and sat at their mother's feet, mingling their sweet, high voices with hers in a tribute to their father.

  Rafe and I watched with the other wolves, hearts heavy as we gave them time to mourn. After a few more minutes, a low howl rumbled from Rafe's chest and he closed his eyes, his face bathed in moonlight and the notes of his mourning painfully beautiful on the soft night air. The other wolves joined him, and I followed at the end to mingle my voice w
ith theirs, the loss of the alpha tight in my chest.

  The female eventually lowered her muzzle, touched her mate's side with her nose one last time, then led her pups away from the grove haunted with memories of fear and pain to a place more suitable to raise her little ones.

  We followed the pack slowly, watching the pups as they stumbled over sticks and around rocks. The big sable male nipped at his brother and sisters to start a game of tag, and they raced between their pack's legs, tripping up their elders who didn't rebuke them for the trouble.

  ***

  Rafe and I sat together watching the snow fall outside the cave that now made up both our living area and the wolves' den. With the alpha gone, Rafe had chosen to have the pack move in with us. The pups still played, but their legs were lankier, their fur thick with winter hides, and they were beginning to show slivers of the wolves they would become.

  The sable male was more dominant than the rest, and Rafe had already taken over the alpha's duty of training him to lead the pack. Earlier that day, we had helped overtake an elderly moose that wouldn't have lasted the winter. It had been the pups' first hunt, and now they all lounged around the cave with full bellies and pleased expressions on their faces.

  I pulled the bear blanket closer around my shoulders and leaned against Rafe. He never seemed to feel the cold, and smiled at me contently with one arm around my shoulders and the other braced on the cold stone floor. Snowflakes drifted down through the dusk outside the entrance, white spots amid the darkening grays of the forest evening. An owl hooted somewhere in the shadows and a mouse close to the entrance of the cave squeaked in fear. The alpha pup cocked his head at the sound, but even he was too full to investigate.