Alex threw both hands over his heart. “Who? Me? But I’m an angel.”
I knew he was just teasing, but my curiosity was piqued. “Are you really?”
“Am I really what?”
“An angel.”
Alex craned his neck over one shoulder and then the other. “I don’t see any wings…”
I kicked some rocks in his general direction. “Don’t be a smarty pants.” I felt a little stupid for asking. After all, when I was here, he just felt like Alex. The idea of him hanging out on white fluffy clouds, wearing hippie sandals, and playing a harp was beyond stupid. But what were the other options? He’s dead. Really, truly dead. There may have been some doubt in my mind in the beginning, especially when I thought the wolf stalking me was Alex instead of Liam, but even then I think a part of me knew he was really gone. So, when a dead boy is still having conversations with living folks he’s either an angel or a ghost, right? “I just don’t understand how this can happen. Are you in heaven now? Is this heaven? Or is it like some in between place where the living and dead can coexist?”
Alex plopped down on the ground. “You ask too many questions.”
I sat down beside him, although in a slightly more dignified fashion. “You don’t answer nearly enough.” It must be a genetics thing. He and Liam were certainly two peas in a pod when it came to telling me stuff.
Since he couldn’t really argue the point, he just smiled and plated a tiny kiss on my temple. We sat there, side by side, for a long time, not saying anything as we watched Nicole chase butterflies.
“How have you been?” he asked after a while.
I lifted my face up to the sun whose warmth I shouldn’t have been able to feel. “What? You don’t get to spy down on me from your lofty perch? No crystal balls wherever it is you go when you’re not here?”
“You know how sometimes your parents will ground you from your phone, and sometimes they ground you from going out with your friends, and sometimes you’re so grounded you’re not allowed to even think about leaving your bedroom?”
“Never happened to me, but I remember those things happening to Jase.”
“I was so grounded I couldn’t even think about thinking about leaving my bedroom. No contact with anyone. No one told me what was going on. They let me know you survived the Alphas, but that was it. I don’t know where you’ve been or what’s happened since the last time I saw you.”
“I’ve been spending a lot of time with your brother.” I picked up a pebble and rolled it through my fingers. “Remember when you told me that if we got to know each other we would end up being friends?”
“I remember saying something to that effect.”
I let the pebble fall back to the ground. “You were so remarkably wrong it’s not even funny.”
Alex’s eyebrows knitted together. “What happened?”
I ended up telling him all of it. I told him about the trial, and the one-two punch of having both Mrs. Matthews and Jase turn on me. I told him about the epic battle to get me free. I even tried to outline our entire road trip, though I couldn’t quite remember everywhere we went or the order in which we got there. “And now we’re part of the Latino Bloods or Mexican Crypts or whatever gang Diaz is running.” I took a deep breath and looked out over the lake, keeping Alex’s face in my peripheral view. “Liam is carrying on the Cole tradition and won’t tell me what is going on. He told me it’s none of my business, that I’m just a pawn.”
“You are not a pawn.” When I kept my focus on the lake where the sun was both rising and setting, Alex took my chin in his fingers and turned my face to his. “You’re not a pawn, Scout. Yes, this is something big. It’s bigger than you or me or Liam, but that doesn’t mean you’re not important. You’re hugely important, and not just for the part you’re supposed to play. To me, Talley, Charlie, your family, and tons of other people, Liam included, you’re important because you’re Scout. We care about you and believe in you. We’re putting our faith and the future in your hands.”
I looked down at the hands in question. Half my nails were broken and there were stains from making the kids Jell-O. “I’m pretty sure you screwed up there.”
His smile was radiant. “Not possible.”
“Your devotion borders on insanity. You know that, right?”
He just kept smiling. “Give Liam a chance, okay? He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and has some trust issues. It’ll take time.”
It would take a miracle. “I’ll try.”
“That’s all anyone can do.” He squinted at the sun. The day had already turned into morning, something only possible in this crazy place. “You’re going to wake up soon.”
“I know.”
“But I’ll be back.”
It was my turn to smile and surrender to faith. “I know.”
***
When I woke up, I felt light and happy. I smiled throughout the day, even when the baby’s diaper exploded all over her clothes. Okay, maybe I didn’t exactly smile during that horrific experience, but I didn’t scream or panic, so there was a definite improvement.
As the full moon started approaching again, I found myself drifting back towards Liam. I was still frustrated, angry, and confused, but Wolf Scout missed her friend. I think the same must have held true for Wolf Liam, because in the days leading up to the full moon he began showing something that could’ve been mistaken for kindness. By the time we were in a borrowed car driving out to find a place to run, I could actually stand to be around him for more than five minute at a time.
That night was much like the first time we ran together. Wolf Scout took over almost completely without Talley there to rein her in, and food being of the kill it and eat it variety. Liam and I spent the majority of the night alternating between pouncing on one another in surprise attacks and nuzzling our noses into each other’s necks. The most amazing part of the night was I somehow slept through part of the Change. Liam and I had curled ourselves into a miniature wolf pile after we ate our fill of squirrels for the night. I thought I would just lay there and rest up a bit, but I found myself waking up in immense pain. It took a few moments for my brain to process what was happening, but once I realized I was Changing back, it was almost over.
Liam was waiting for me once I got my clothes back on.
“I have donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and two boxes of Pop-Tarts,” he said as I made my way towards the car.
“Seriously? When did you get that?”
He shrugged. “I Changed about an hour ago.”
An hour ago the sun hadn’t been anywhere near up.
“What flavor of Pop-Tarts?”
A box came flying towards my head. I snatched it out of the air and looked at the label. “Hot Fudge Sundae? That isn’t a Pop-Tart flavor, it’s an ice cream treat.” I grabbed the already open box sitting on the hood of the car. “What’s this one?” I looked down at the words “Hot Fudge Sundae”. I knew my glare was nowhere near as impressive as one of his, especially since I couldn’t keep the corners of my mouth from lifting at the sight of his guilty expression. “Some of those donuts better have jelly on the inside,” I said, leaning back against the car, so close to him our sides grazed.
“A full dozen,” he assured me as I opened up the box emitting a sweet raspberry scent. “And there is even a half dozen of sprinkles.”
“But I don’t like sprinkles.”
“Oh yeah.” His grin was both shocking and breath-taking. “It’s me that likes those, isn’t it?”
This time I couldn’t even pretend to glare. “Let me guess, almost all those breakfast sandwiches you spoke of are cheese free?”
His grin grew and for the first time ever I was able to see a resemblance to Alex that went beyond physical appearances. “If you wanted cheese you should’ve Changed earlier and went with me instead of being a lazy sleeping wolf.”
“Sorry, Super Shifter, that isn’t in my nifty bag of supernatural tricks.”
“It cou
ld be.”
“Is this going to be another lecture--?”
“You know, if you would put a little more effort into getting control--”
We argued the entire way back. He was obnoxious and self-righteous. I was resolute and snarky. As the Houston skyline formed on the horizon, Liam made some ridiculous assertion, and I realized I was laughing for the first time in a long, long time.
Chapter 7
We arrived in Texas in a nice, respectable Honda Civic. We left in an asphalt-colored car the size of a modest yacht. I’m not sure, but I think the aim was to blend into the road, Invisible Jet style.
“The kids are going to miss you,” Diaz said as we were loading up.
“I’ll miss them, too.” The little demons had used the dark powers of cuteness to worm their way into my heart.
Diaz reached in his back pocket and pulled out an overstuffed envelope. When he passed it to me I noticed the bills were hundreds, not tens or twenties.
“What is this?” I asked, afraid I was getting ready to be asked to deliver a package filled with cocaine or semi-automatic weapons disguised as Elmo dolls.
“You think I don’t pay my nannies? You did good work for us. The kids love you. Xavier even says he's going to marry you.” Diaz grinned as if we were old friends. “His mama has been using it to get him to eat his vegetables. She tells him he’s going to have to get big and strong if he’s ever going to take you from your man.”
My man…? Oh. Yeah. Good thing we’re hermits. I would’ve totally blown that cover in less than twenty-four hours.
“Tell him I’m keeping my options open.”
As surprised as I was to actually get paid for a job I didn’t think was optional, Liam seemed more surprised when I added it to the stack of bills he got for what I chose to believe was changing tires and air filters. He tried to give it back, telling me I earned it, but I argued that he’d been my sugar daddy for months. The least I could do was throw what I had into the general finances.
Like before, our route held no rhyme or reason. I’m not sure Liam even knew exactly which direction to head each time we left a gas station or motel. Then again, maybe he did, since three days after leaving Texas we found ourselves in Cincinnati, crossing the bridge into Kentucky.
“Oh the sun shines bright on my Old Kentucky Home…” I sang under my breath, but had to stop when my throat closed up. It was stupid, really. Northern Kentucky is nothing like Lake County, but the Welcome to Kentucky sign might as well have said “Welcome Home, Scout!” for all my heart knew.
We pulled off once we got to the famous “Florence Y’All” water tower and found a gas station. I was forced to stay in the car, despite my overly full bladder, while Liam ran inside. When he returned he had a University of Kentucky knit hat and a map.
“Put this on,” he said, tossing the hat in my lap. “And you’ve been getting lax with the sunglasses. Don’t take them off again.”
I did as he asked, but pouted the whole time. The threat of being recognized had dropped drastically over the last few weeks. No one involved in the case was optimistic about my recovery, and with no new leads, the media moved on to the next big story. Currently they were all about some lady who tried to kill her husband because, according to her, he was an alien sent to destroy the earth.
“I look ridiculous. It’s a cloudy October day. No need for a hat or sunglasses.”
He didn’t respond, just studied his map.
“Where are we going? I can probably help.” When Jase and I were kids, Dad’s idea of a fun game was to memorize the location and county seats of all the counties in Kentucky. This is the sort of thing that happens when an educator is allowed to raise children. I found it ridiculous at the time, but now I can pretty much navigate my way across the state with just a few road signs as guides.
Of course, Liam didn’t think he needed my help, which meant we had to pull onto the side of the road to check his map more than once. We took back roads through Pendleton County (county seat Falmouth); Harrison County (Cynthiana); and Nicholas County (Carlisle). Once we passed into Bath County, I started getting nervous.
“Listen, I know I’m not always up-to-date with my Shifter knowledge, but I think we’re closing in on Matthews Pack Territory,” I said, referring to Talley’s father’s pack, who lived in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. “Unless you’re not telling me something about how they’re really on our side, I think you should reconsider trespassing. Those guys pretty much hate me.”
Liam, being Liam, only grunted in response. Over the next forty minutes I laid out several very reasonable arguments for why we should turn around, but he was either deaf or ignoring me. He didn’t say another word until we pulled into a packed-to-capacity parking lot somewhere in Red River Gorge.
“Ummm… What are we doing here?” I asked, not really expecting a response.
“Going for a hike.”
“Hiking?”
“Yes, hiking. We’re going to walk around on trails through the mountains and enjoy nature.” He looked towards where the well-worn path met the parking lot. A family in full outdoorsy regalia stood arguing, the dad emphatically pointing towards a map while the woman hooked her thumb back towards the trail. “Or maybe we’ll make our own trails. We are Shifters after all.”
It was a good thing we were in excellent shape, because it took some creativity and effort to avoid the crowds. The clouds had given way to a wonderfully sunny autumn day, and the trees towering up to the sky boasted leaves of brilliant reds and oranges. It was a perfect day for hiking, hence the overwhelming number of people.
“Come on,” Liam said, offering me a hand. My legs were just a few inches too short to scale the jagged outcropping of rocks where he stood. “We’re almost there.”
“There’s a there?” I asked between grunts. Good grief, rock climbing was so not my thing. “I thought we were hiking. You know, walking through the woods. Enjoying nature.”
His response was the predictable glare.
Once we reached the mouth of a cave sitting atop a 400 foot drop-off, Liam stopped dragging me over the mountain. He paced about, exploring the inside as far as the sunlight would allow and looking over the edge of the cliff it opened up onto. After thirty minutes, I couldn’t take it any longer. I wasn’t so much afraid of the cave as the things I could hear moving around inside, and the sight of Liam so close to a life-ending plummet made me slightly ill.
Leaving Liam at the Bat Cave, I went off to do some exploring of my own. I didn’t go far before I found a tree with a bench-like branch. It looked funny and inviting. The sun warmed me as I stretched across it like a lazy cat. Usually, I don’t find lounging across trees super-comfortable, but something about the way the light played through the leaves and the way the breeze kissed my skin lulled me into complacency, allowing my heavy eyelids to get their way and slam shut.
But when a familiar scent came floating through the air, they flew back open, and it wasn’t Human Scout peering out from their depths.
I was nearly silent as I lowered myself to the ground and slunk through the trees. He wasn’t alone. A girl trailed behind him, her hand clasped in his. It wasn’t the Alpha, but she was a Seer. I could feel it.
He didn’t know I was there until I sprung, and by then he only had time to turn halfway before impact. Since we were on the side of a mountain, we rolled several feet before stopping with him on top. He didn’t stay there long. I flipped him back over, a primal roar leaving my throat. I pinned his lower body with my legs and then, with absolutely no finesse, started swinging.
“Scout! Stop!” The voice was familiar, but I refused to listen.
Betrayer! Wolf Scout bellowed inside me.
“Scout, it’s Jase!” She was standing too close. My elbow caught her in the stomach, but still I didn’t stop until I was grabbed from behind, two arms of steel trapping my arms by my side as they lifted me off the ground.
“Breathe,” he whispered in my ear, breaking through the rag
e. “Deep breaths. In and out. Relax.” And I did. I closed my eyes, pulled air slowly into my lungs, and relaxed against the broad chest I was hoisted against. When I was back to something that could pass as normal, Liam dropped me.
“You okay?” he asked, standing above Jase. “Anything broken?”
“Just my entire face.” My brother took Liam’s hand and pulled himself up. Talley was immediately there, her fingers tracing over his nose, cheeks, and chin.
“I think your nose is broken again,” she said once she finished her physical assessment. “You’re not having any trouble talking, so your jaws are okay. Of course, I don’t really know how to diagnose a brain injury.” She held up three fingers. “How many fingers do you see?”
“I don’t think I’m the one you need to be testing for a brain injury.” He looked over Talley’s shoulders and met my eyes. “Hey, Sis. Nice to see you, too.” He rubbed his jaw, which was already starting to swell. “Out of curiosity, what the hell was that?”
“You helped them.” The fight was completely gone out of me. My words were laced with weakness, a feeling of defeat overwhelming me. “They were going to kill me, and you helped them.” I blinked back the tears, refusing to let them fall. “You were going to let me die.”
Jase’s fury, which was growing instead waning, focused on Liam. “What is she talking about?”
“You should know,” I answered. “You were there. Maybe it didn’t stick out in your mind like it did mine, but there was this trial…” I took another of those deep breaths, this time to calm the human instead of the beast. “You know, I can’t do this. I’m done.”
I stood up and started back towards where I thought the trail might be. I made it about three steps before a hulking behemoth stepped into my path. I took a step to the right. He mirrored my movement. I took a step to the left. Once again, he moved with me.
“What’s wrong with you?” Liam honestly looked a little lost.
“He told them...” Yet another deep breath. “Jase’s testimony was one of the things that helped the Alphas convict me. He sold me out to join the Alpha Pack and become Sarvarna’s boy toy. Now, please let me by so I can get the hell away before I succeed in ripping his pretty face from his head.”
Fate Succumbs Page 5