by Ruby Dixon
His brows furrow and he glances at the front of the old, burned-out building. "That's kinda odd, because they normally do."
My senses prickle. We all go quiet and no one steps foot inside the store. Even Gabe seems to be waiting for something.
"I don't hear anyone," I say softly. "Shouldn't we hear people?" Even in Fort Shreveport, there are children shrieking and playing, and the slam of doors and a million other sounds of a few dozen people living in close quarters.
Here, it's just quiet as a tomb, the only sound the wind ruffling my hair.
"I don't like this," Gabe says, and his hand slides to his gun.
I let go of Liam's hand and pull my shotgun out of my holster, checking the barrel to make sure it's loaded.
"Wait here," Gabe says to me.
"Fuck you," I retort, readying my gun. "I'm not a little girl waiting for a man to save her. If my brother's in there and there's a problem, I'm going in."
"Fine, then." He slips around the back of the store and doesn't wait for me to follow.
I move after him, and Liam's at my side without even asking. Wait here. Fucking really.
We move around to the back of the building and there's a big ten-foot-tall chain-link fence with barbed wire across the top. There's a gate that's shut, but not locked. Inside, a lone chicken wanders across one of the alleys of the storage blocks. I can see row after row of units, most of them decorated and spray-painted, some clearly being used as dwellings. One on the far end looks like it's set up as a barn and I can see the back end of a cow.
But…there are no people.
"Hello?" Gabe calls, putting a hand on the gate. He opens it without a hitch and then steps inside. "Mika? Jennifer? Simone? Bill?"
No response. Cold fear washes over me. Where's my brother?
Better yet, where is everyone?
I look over at Liam, my frustration and fear about to bubble over.
He's calm, though. Liam kneels on the ground, his hand to the earth, and then he raises his fingers to his nose, breathing in the scents. "There are many people that live here," he murmurs. "But they're all gone."
"All of them?"
"Their scents are at least a day old." His nostrils flare and he looks up. "They passed through this gate. A lot of them, at once."
"Do you smell Benny?" I have to ask, even though I dread the answer.
"He's with them," he tells me. He tilts his head ever so slightly, then sniffs his fingers again. "There's an odd flavor to their scents."
"What do you mean, odd?"
Liam shakes his head. "I can't place it. Just…odd. I've never smelled such a thing before."
That could be anything. Liam's not human, and they could all have found a skunk for all we know. I tell myself that it's nothing. That Benny's fine and there's no need for me to worry. I take a deep, steeling breath and then go into the fort, my gun in my hands.
The fact that Liam falls into step behind me is depressing. It tells me before I even go down the very first “street” of the storage compound that there's no one here. Liam's so protective that if there was a hint of danger, he'd never let me take the lead. They're really all gone.
I blink back tears of frustration as I stalk down the alleyway. The storage units are all lined up like rows of mini-garages, and once upon a time, people used to park their trucks or cars in these alleys so they could unload their stuff into the rented storage space. Now the alley is covered in colorful sidewalk chalk drawings and the doors have been spray-painted with colorful scenes instead of the old plain orange they were before. Chickens scatter as we walk through and I move toward one “house” with a pull-rope at the bottom and lift it. The storage unit opens and reveals a cozy little nest someone's made for themselves. There's a bed with an old mattress, a rack full of books, and a shelf full of canned goods. There's even a vase with fresh-picked dandelions that haven't yet started to wilt. The bed is made.
But no one's here.
I turn around to look at Liam in frustration. "I don't get it. They left their chickens and their food?"
"And the cow," Gabe calls, jogging up to meet back up with us. "I did a quick circle around the fort, but no one's here."
I don't tell him we already figured that out. "Raiders?" I ask. "Nomads? Why would a bunch of families abandon their settlement?"
"No clue," Gabe says, and his face is drawn, his mouth a flat line. "They had a lot of children, families. They wouldn't just up and leave."
"Can't be raiders," Liam says, and there's a hint of strain in his voice, as if speaking up this much costs him. "They would have stripped the place and killed the chickens."
Gabe grunts.
He's right, I realize. Raiders wouldn't leave a thing, especially canned food. "They're not captives, then. Where did they go?"
With a heavy sigh, Gabe rakes a hand through his hair as Scooter leans against his leg. "Hell if I know. Maybe they ran out of water and had to leave?"
"Then why not take the chickens and food?"
He shakes his head, telling me without words that he has no answers. I don't either.
I gesture at the dog at his feet, who’s wagging his tail and completely not helpful in the slightest. “Is he good at tracking people?”
Gabe gives me a weird look. “I don’t know if you noticed, but Scooter’s not good at a lot of things. His brains are pretty scrambled. When I found him, he had a massive boot mark on his head. Don’t think he’s been right ever since.” He touches the dog’s ears, as if to reassure him.
Scooter just looks at Gabe, tail wagging and tongue lolling, as if they’re having a fun walk instead of hunting for answers.
God. So he’s useless, just like the rest of this trip.
I stalk out of the unit that was once someone's home and jog down the alley, looking for signs that Benny's been here. I make it all the way down to the end of the units, and even though I know I won't see anyone, I open each door that I can, hoping for a note, or signs of a struggle.
Fucking something.
Anything.
But there's nothing. If Gabe had never said there was a settlement here, if there weren't cows and chickens and canned food and abandoned beds…
I drop to my knees, crouching. I can't even cry. I'm just…blank inside. Empty. I don't know what to think.
A hand touches my hair and then Liam's crouching beside me. "Andrea," he murmurs, his hand sliding to my shoulder. "They were here. They left. Don't let this upset you. We'll just follow their scent trails."
I rub my forehead and then get to my feet, putting my gun away. "I'm just so tired. How can one boy get so far so quickly?"
I know the answer to that, though. He was on a bike ahead of us. Meanwhile, I waited at the fort hoping he'd come back. And then I took my sweet time coming after him, because I foolishly thought he'd be on foot and I've been eager to spend time with Liam. I've been kissing him and making out with him when I should have been walking through the night to go after Benny.
And look where that's gotten me—I'm falling in love with a guy that can't return it because he'll lose his mind, my brother's nowhere to be found, and Liam's still on the verge of losing his shit anyhow.
This is just a shitshow.
Liam puts his hands on my shoulders, sensing my despair. "We'll find him, Andrea. I made you a promise."
I lick my lips, nodding, and then impulsively fling myself into his arms. I bury my face against his chest, letting him comfort me. I love that his big arms wrap around me and he strokes my hair, murmuring soft noises to soothe me. In his arms, I do feel better.
And then I remember just how much he's struggled lately and I feel like the world's biggest asshole. How selfish am I? I slide out of his grip and force myself to walk away, as if I'm on a mission. "Let's find the scent trail again," I say. "Just to make sure."
"Of course." Liam says nothing about my quick retreat. Maybe he realizes it's for the best.
I cross my arms and follow behind Liam as he heads back
toward the front of the compound. He moves to the front fence, steps through the gate, and then continues out for a few feet. "That way," he says, pointing off in a new direction, past the broken buildings and down the road in the opposite direction from which we came.
"North," I murmur. "Okay, then."
"What's that way?" Gabe asks, coming up behind me and nearly making me jump out of my skin.
Liam is silent. He looks at me, waiting.
"That's where they went," I answer, my expression guarded. "Whoever left this fort behind, they went as a group and headed in that direction."
"You can see their tracks?" Gabe kneels down to the dirt and studies it. "I don't see anything."
"Just trust me."
Gabe gets to his feet and I notice his gun is holstered again. He rubs his jaw, where stubble is growing in. "North's where New Fort is. Something must have happened here and they went back. That has to be what it is."
"New Fort? Great. That's where we're headed, then. We'll go introduce ourselves to whoever's in charge there." This stupid little trek my brother’s gotten us into will just have another stop, and then hopefully we’ll be done.
Gabe shakes his head. “I should go with you. They’re not big fans of strangers and would just as soon as put a bullet in you as shake your hand.”
I don’t like that Gabe has to accompany us. He’s a really nice man and I don’t think he means harm…but Liam’s already on edge and the more that Gabe’s around, the more feral Liam seems to get. I don’t tell him that we don’t need him to track Benny down. Now that Liam’s got his scent again, we can find them easily. “No thanks—”
“They won’t let you through the gate,” Gabe warns.
“I don’t want to go through the gate,” I tell him, exasperated. “I just want my brother.”
“Even so. I’m going.” He crosses his arms over his chest and gives me the same look I’ve given Benny a hundred times before, that protective older sibling knows best look.
I know he’s right, but I hate it because it’s making Liam crazy. Frustrated, I tug on my braid and stalk back inside the compound, scanning the place and looking for something I could use as an excuse not to have Gabe come with us. Some sort of item that might tell them we come from Fort Justice, a symbol or a seal, an old family photo that someone will recognize…something. There’s got to be a way to protect Liam and send Gabe on his way.
How did trying to find my brother turn so incredibly complicated? I rub my forehead in frustration as I walk, my temples throbbing. I just want Benny home so I can scream at him a little for scaring me like this…and then hug him for hours on end. As I walk, I head toward the back of the compound. There’s a second gate back here, and greenery. I’m drawn toward it, and see the healthy vegetable patch that these people are growing. It’s not covered up or protected, which seems silly to me, but the plants are thick and healthy and their tomatoes are clustered with bright red, ripe fruit.
I don’t understand why they’ve abandoned so much food. It doesn’t make sense, and I need to make sense of this. I need to understand why they’ve left this place behind and packed up to head off to another fort. I move past the rows of tomatoes and see cucumbers, beans, carrots, and even some cantaloupes. Oh wow. It’s been years and years since I’ve had cantaloupe, and I move toward them as if drawn. I want to take one and bring it back to Fort Shreveport with me so we can have the seeds. A small one, so it won’t destroy food that others are waiting on…not that anyone’s here. I pick my way around the vines crawling the ground, looking around.
And that’s when I see them.
Graves.
Fresh graves.
Not just one, but several. I count them as I get to my feet, pulled forward by a mixture of horror and fear. Seven graves, all with freshly turned dirt and little metal crosses at the head of each one with a name hastily scribbled across the front.
Please don’t be Benny’s name. Please don’t be Benny’s name.
One by one, I force myself to read each grave’s marker. Jennifer Proust, aged thirty-seven. Rebecca Smith, aged forty. Avery Graham, aged three. Doug Graham, aged thirty-one. Melissa Graham, aged twenty-eight. Will Hamilton, aged fifty. Brad Proust, aged fifteen.
I stop at that last one, my heart skipping a beat as I read it over and over again.
Brad, not Benny.
It’s not my brother. It’s not. But it’s clear it’s the newest of the graves, and a little choked sob escapes me.
“Andrea.” Liam’s at my side, his hands roaming all over me. “I can smell your fear. What is it?”
“It’s not Benny,” I manage through sniffles. “But for a moment, I thought it was…”
“Shhh,” he murmurs, and pulls me close to him again. And again, like the weak idiot I am, I burrow in his arms for comfort instead of pushing away. It just feels so right, so automatic, to go to him for comfort. I press my face to his shirt, breathing in his warm scent, feeling his arms around me. This is real, I remind myself. No matter what happens, Liam’s with you and it’ll be okay.
“What the fuck is this?” Gabe’s harsh voice interrupts us, dragging me back out of my reverie in Liam’s arms.
I reluctantly pull away, gesturing at the graves to Gabe. “I found these. They look new.”
He crouches in front of them with Scooter at his side, reading the names with a look of disbelief on his face. “Fuck. Jennifer? Will? Avery?” He rubs a hand down his tanned face and when he gets to his feet, he looks ten years older. “I was just here two weeks ago. I saw them. Said hi to Jennifer. Brought a toy for Avery. Everyone seemed all right.” He shakes his head. “I don’t understand this.”
“Me either, but if my brother’s at New Fort, that’s where we’re going.”
“I’m going, too,” Gabe says immediately.
I touch Liam’s arm, feeling him tense. “We don’t need the help, really. You can go back. I imagine Lester and the others will be waiting on you.”
But Gabe shakes his head. “I had friends at this fort, no matter what happened. I knew these people. I need answers.”
I want to argue with him, but weirdly enough, I understand. Seven people don’t just die in the space of a week. A settlement doesn’t just up and abandon their home and leave behind all their supplies. Something strange is going on and I’m getting more worried for Benny by the day. Truth is, I can’t stop Gabe from coming with us, no matter how much it bothers Liam. “If you—”
Liam’s hand clenches on my arm, and his body goes taut.
My words die off and I forget what I’m saying. “Liam?” I whisper, worried when he remains completely and utterly still.
“The dragon’s coming. The female.” Liam turns toward me, his face hard and unreadable. “We need to take shelter.”
“You’re sure?” I ask, and then feel stupid. Of course he’s sure. He can smell her from a dozen miles away. “We’ll stay here until she goes, then.”
“What?” Gabe asks, moving in front of us. There’s a look of disbelief on his face, and open skepticism as he looks between me and Liam. “What do you mean, a dragon’s coming? How do you know?”
“Just trust me, he knows.”
Gabe’s gaze settles on Liam, on his sunglasses and hat, his golden skin and slightly otherworldly features. His eyes narrow. “What are you?”
Liam just smiles, baring his fangs. He pulls off his sunglasses, revealing dark, whirling eyes streaked with gold.
Gabe stumbles backward, reaching for his gun.
A growl erupts in Liam’s throat, as if there’s a silent challenge he’s all too ready to acknowledge.
“No! Stop! Both of you stop it!” I push in front of Liam, spreading my arms wide before Gabe can get some crazy idea about shooting him. I don’t know if that kills dragons when they’re in their human form, but I’m not taking any chances. “He’s with me, okay?” I tell Gabe. “He’s a good guy. That’s all that matters.”
“That’s not all that matters,” Gabe spits,
his hand hovering over his gun. His gaze darts between us, and I can tell he’s wary. Something tells me he could shoot both of us and it wouldn’t keep him up at night. He’d do it, just to keep Lester and the others safe.
“Liam’s…different. Okay? But he’s on our side and you don’t have to worry.” I reach back and Liam puts a protective hand around my arm, as if claiming me.
“What is he that he can talk with them?” Gabe asks again. “How does he know what they’re up to?” His gaze moves to Liam. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
Liam just laughs and pulls me closer to him. “Does it matter?”
17
LIAM
Heat courses through my blood.
I stare at the male with a wild grin on my face, a challenge in my eyes. I’m daring him to try and take Andrea from me, to try to get between us, to threaten her. Just give me an excuse to tear his throat out and I’ll do it.
It’s clear the male wants my female. He watches Andrea closely and casts her admiring looks when he thinks I’m not paying attention. Well, let him just try and take her from me. He’ll figure out soon enough that she’s my mate—
But no.
The realization is like a slap in the face.
Andrea cannot be my mate. I cannot claim her. Ever.
It would be far wiser for me to back away and let him pursue her. She deserves to be happy with a strong male at her side…but I cannot do that. I can’t back away. I can’t let her go to another man because everything I am, everything in my spirit roars in agony at the thought of my female being touched by another man.
This thing between us is no good. It’s only going to cause pain for both of us…but I can’t walk away from her, any more than I can give her over to the human Gabe.
So I do my best to ignore him as I walk inside the abandoned encampment with Andrea. It’s full of old scents, many of them tinged with a strange flavor that I don’t recognize. I don’t care about that right now, though. I only care about getting her to safety before the red female that pushes so oppressively at my mental walls appears and attacks this settlement.