Cloaked in Secrecy

by T. F. Walsh

  Momentarily glancing over his shoulder at the camera above the booth pointed in our direction, he shifted his back to it and stuck his hand out. I stuffed the euros into his palm. A sleight of hand with money guaranteed you anything you wanted in this part of the world.

  A quick count of the money, and his head jerked up. “This is half the usual.”

  I rubbed the chill in my arms, doing nothing but spreading the cold through me. “That’s all I have.”

  Some had been stashed in the car, but we might need that later on. And I didn’t want to use Father’s bank account. It would leave a trail. Though, with the camera at the booth, the police would know we crossed anyway.

  “Please.” I refused to glance back, despite the howl of sirens in the city behind us. “The circus is crossing over to Romania in a few hours, and I’ll make sure they pay you double.” My limbs shivered uncontrollably, and my teeth chattered.

  “I just received an alert to shut the border.” He stared at me. With the mess clouding my thoughts, for the life of me, I couldn’t pinpoint his expression, especially with his hooded eyes. It sent all kinds of mixed signals.

  If the border closed, we’d be stuck in Bulgaria and hunted down by the police.

  “Triple, and you have a deal,” he said.

  My breaths refused to leave my lungs. “Done.”

  His fingers curled around the money. He stuffed his fist into his jacket, spun on his heels, and hurried back into his booth. I presumed that was a good-to-go sign, so I rushed back into the van, slamming the door shut to stop warmth from escaping. I blew hot air into my cupped hands.

  “So? What’s going on?” Enre asked.

  “We wait and pray he lifts the barrier. Then we’re free to go.”

  After five minutes, I was still shifting in my seat.

  “What’s taking so long?” Nicolai asked from the back.

  I shrugged and peeked behind me. Nicolai remained in the back, shrouded in shadows.

  When I turned back around, the barrier was lifting, and the heaviness in my chest eased. We were driving again.

  Damir stayed close to our bumper as if worried we’d leave him behind. I kept glancing in the side mirror, holding my breath, and that’s when I saw the flash of blue and red lights appear in the distance.

  “Oh, crap.”

  Enre checked his rearview and side mirrors. No one made a sound during our crossing.

  “They’re shutting down the border,” I said.

  The beating of my heart refused to slow. With us clear and moving forward, I scooped out my cell. I sent Sonia a text telling her the border was closed and to delay crossing for a day. I felt horrible changing plans on Sonia again, but better they sit tight for another day than wait in limbo near the border and draw unwanted suspicion.

  A pair of stone towers flanked the road as we entered the actual Danube steel bridge that connected Bulgaria to Romania. The metal railings of the bridge swooshed past us, lights guiding our path along the two-lane motorway. On either side of us, night claimed the river. A large sign with the word Romania printed on it appeared in the distance alongside the blue-, yellow-, and red-striped flag.

  As we approached the exit booth, the barrier rose.

  Once we entered Romania, a sense of calm crept over me. I slouched in my seat, and Enre’s arms relaxed on the steering wheel. We had made it across. I couldn’t believe it. Still, no one breathed a word.

  An hour into the drive, Enre pulled into a gas station. He made sure to park at the side of the building, not far from the toilets.

  Out of the car, I stretched my body, unable to take my eyes off Enre, who strolled into the store. He’d risked so much for us. How could I ever repay him? Damir parked nearby and climbed out, also heading for the store.

  The moment Nicolai slipped outside, I dragged him into a hug, no matter how horrible he stunk of perspiration, dirt, and smoke. “It’s great to have you back.”

  He still wore his clothes from the day he was caught by the police, bloodstains concealed by filthy patches. Small-time detention centers didn’t waste money on prison clothes. Soot marred his face and hands and was smeared across his nose. It was obvious he’d been in a fire.

  “I still can’t believe what happened, you know,” he said. “I thought I’d die in that bus.” The pain was raw in his eyes. “And Father … ” His words ended abruptly, his gaze falling to his bare feet. “What happens now?”

  “We find a new home. The rest of the pack will join us shortly. It will work out for us in Transylvania. This was Father’s plan, what he wanted.”

  His head jerked up as if startled. “I don’t want to lead the pack, Alena.”

  I nodded. This was uncharted territory for us, and so much relied on Enre now. We were in his hands, but for once, I had no doubts about him. I trusted he had our best interests at heart. However, he wasn’t the alpha of his pack—Daciana might not want us.

  “I’m not too sure what happens now, but we’ll get through it. I’ll take charge of the pack temporarily.” In all honesty, I didn’t want to run the pack, either, but what other options remained? And I refused to let everything Father had worked so hard for go to waste.

  Nicolai took me into his arms, rubbing a palm down my back just like Father used to do. I wiped away my tears. Breaking from our hug, I nudged him back into the van. “Wait in there, and I’ll get the keys to the toilets so you can clean up a bit.”

  I hurried into the store and bought several bottles of water, a towel, beef jerky, a belt, socks, and a Welcome to Bucharest sweatshirt for Nicolai. I grabbed several cupcakes too.

  After Nicolai had washed up, we got back on the road. Silence filled the van again. In the early-morning hours, we reached the capital of Romania, Bucharest, before the sun put in an appearance. We passed huge glass buildings. There were offices, villas, and other modern structures. The traffic was heavy, and the side of the road was littered with cars, probably from drivers intent on overtaking other vehicles.

  Enre swerved the van, barely missing a dog, and cursed under his breath. “I feel sorry for all the strays in this city.”

  I gripped the door handle, my pulse on a rampage, convinced we’d hit something before we made it out of the jungle of chaos. Behind us, Damir stayed closer.

  “Let’s take the dogs with us.” Nicolai piped up. Why didn’t his suggestion surprise me?

  Enre half snorted, probably thinking Nicolai was joking around. I didn’t have the heart to break it to Enre that Nicolai meant every word, even piling our car with stray dogs.

  Driving through the city, we passed rows of cement apartments, balconies adorned with satellites. I could never live cooped up in such blocks. I pitied the people who did. We passed one historical building, complete with sculptured goddesses flanking the front gate. I made a mental note to return to Bucharest and discover what else this city offered.

  When Enre glanced at me, his mouth morphed into a grin, the edges of his eyes creasing. “You all right?”

  I studied his hard jawline, the exhaustion beneath his eyes, and his curled shoulders. “What is Daciana like?”

  “She’s unlike any other wulfkin you’ll ever meet. Strong, independent, and she’d sacrifice her life for another wulfkin without a second thought. And she would have preferred to be born a human.” He shrugged. “But we all live with our demons.” He nodded to himself as if recalling memories between the pair. And I recalled Lutia’s words about Enre having a crush on Daciana. Had that only been in Lutia’s warped imagination?

  “What’s the likelihood Daciana will be open to sharing her land with us?”

  “Very high. She’d never turn away a wulfkin in danger.” Not a hint of doubt or hesitation accompanied his response.

  “Sounds positive.”

  “You two have a lot in common. At the last Lunar Eutine, Daciana also transformed from moonwulf into wulfkin, and similar to your advanced healing, the moon goddess also blessed her. She has this heightened sense. With a si
ngle touch, she can tell you a wulfkin’s true intent. Whether they’re lying or being honest.”

  I glanced down at my hands. I wasn’t wearing my gloves, and I didn’t feel the slightest exhaustion after healing both Enre and Father with my ability. And the healing seemed different, almost as if I drew energy from around me, not within me. Did that explain the bent trees? It both terrified and intrigued me, though any gift from the moon goddess must be a blessing.

  “Handy ability,” Nicolai said from the back.

  “Yeah, we better keep her away from you,” I said, “or she’ll reveal each time you lied about letting Mila out of her cage or when you snuck out of the circus to attend discos.”

  Nicolai released a loud huff, followed by Mila’s whining sound.

  Then I gifted Nicolai with two cupcakes and Enre with one. He reached over to take it from my palm, but Mila’s snout shoved forward from the back of the van and snatched it out of my hand in one bite, paper holder and all.

  “Mila. That wasn’t yours.”

  She licked the icing off her nose.

  Enre laughed. “It sure did look good.”

  “No food is safe around that food-muncher extraordinaire.” Funny how the smallest actions easily squashed the pain riding inside me, even if only for a moment.

  “You can have mine,” Nicolai said.

  “Nah, you enjoy it,” Enre said. “I’m fine.”

  A cop whizzed past us in the opposite direction. My breath hitched. They chased a speeder, not us. Taking a shaky inhale, I glanced over at Enre and offered a nervous smile. His pale face reflected my mood.

  Even though Enre promised us Daciana was reasonable, what if he was wrong? What if she only wanted her existing pack? We outnumbered them, so she might see us as a threat. Emotions knotted my insides into an untameable mess.

  Well, I guess if she said no, then we’d continue onward from city to city as we had with Father, until we located another place to call home. And the thought had me wondering how I’d feel about leaving Enre behind. It was ridiculous, of course … Except, he’d endangered himself to help us when he didn’t have to. Would Enre roam the countryside with us while we hunted for a place to live?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  ENRE

  Exhausted, I drove through the Carpathian woods. The sight and fresh scent of the tall pine trees reminded me how much I missed home. Snow coated the curvy path as we made the slow, slippery climb up the mountain. The bumpy ride had everyone in the van jostling around. Damir kept close behind us.

  Soon enough, we emerged into an open area, clear of trees, where the Transylvanian pack house lay. My gut tightened. For the past few days, I hadn’t been sure I’d see home again.

  The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, lighting up the snowy yard and roof. Smoke billowed out of the chimney of the cottage-style building. Sandulf’s old Land Cruiser sat in the driveway. Daciana had swapped her old car for Sandulf’s.

  Nicolai stuck his head out between our seats. “Wow, this place looks like it belongs in a fairy tale.”

  Unbuckling my seatbelt, I said, “Stay here a moment. Let me see who’s home.”

  Outside, I inhaled fresh kindling on the breeze and hurried along a pebbly path shoveled clear of snow. Cheerful curtains hung at the windows. Someone had been keeping house, though I suspected it wasn’t Daciana. Probably Boltof, the oldest in the pack. The last time I was home, we’d finished repairing the laundry room after our battle with the dracwulf. Now, no one would suspect such a fight took place here. Any human stumbling into this area might have mistaken it for a getaway home or some hippie hangout.

  The crunch of snow drew my attention to the back of the house, out of sight of the van. I turned the corner and found Daciana approaching, her arms filled with wood for the fireplace. Dressed in jeans, knee-high snow boots, and a furry coat the color of night, she seemed a world away. The breeze blew through her brown hair. She stopped on the spot, her head jerked up, and her gaze landed on me.

  “Enre.” Tossing the timber to the ground, she ran toward me.

  She hugged me with the warmth and comfort of a sibling welcoming me home. Strange how the last couple of weeks had changed me. Despite Daciana’s choice to love a human, I was happier for her now than I ever had been. I guess it came with my own happiness.

  Breaking our hug, she said, “Thank the moon you’re home.” She smacked my arm. “I hate it when you pull this shit and go off on your own. Why didn’t you talk to me first?”

  “Because you would’ve stopped me, and don’t say you wouldn’t have. I can see it in your eyes even now.”

  She shook her head. “You’ll have to tell me everything over dinner.”

  “Well … ” I started, and her furrowed brow stole my words. “You’re not going to like this … ”

  The narrowing of her eyes reminded me of the multitude of times she’d pushed me away, making it clear we weren’t meant to be together. She’d always have a place in my heart, but not in the way Alena made my pulse skip, or the way my wolf instantly responded to hers, or how my every thought was consumed by her.

  “Most of the Bulgarian pack will be arriving in the next couple of days,” I said.

  Daciana’s cheeks paled. “They’re attacking?”

  “No.” I took her hand and drew her toward a wooden bench Botolf had crafted from a dead log. Brushing the snow off, I guided her to sit and joined her. “It’s much more complicated.” And then everything from the last couple of weeks poured out, from Nicolai’s capture by the police, him murdering humans without knowing, to Maxim’s struggles to find a safe home for his pack, Mila, Kalina’s revenge, and the whole bus incident. I even told her about Alena, and how she made me feel, which was completely unlike me. But it seemed nothing would stop the words from steamrolling out.

  “Their pack has nowhere to go,” I said. “I thought they might share our land. I can build Nic a cage to make sure he never gets out again during the full moon. Either Nic or Alena will lead their pack, or maybe I could … ” When Daciana didn’t say a word, my voice stopped flat. “Or we could propose to them that we merge the packs and you become the overall alpha. You can then run the biggest pack in Europe.” I stood and paced in a small circle, nerves licking the length of my spine. “They’re vulnerable, but a great group of wulfkin who’ve had a string of bad luck in finding a home.”

  I glanced over at Daciana, who sat there, her eyes on the house and hands gripping the bench.

  “Say something,” I said.

  When she looked my way, a new expression met mine; one filled with desperation, pain, and guilt. “I didn’t even want to be alpha of our pack, why would you think I want to lead the biggest?”

  “Easy. You don’t have to merge with their pack as long as you are okay sharing the land with them.”

  She lifted herself from the seat with the grace I was used to witnessing in Sandulf and even Maxim … a true alpha, controlling one’s emotions, which I always failed at miserably.

  “Definitely, they’re welcome to share the land.” Her words were strangled. I couldn’t pinpoint the sentiment behind her voice.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Your father.” She fell silent, staring at me. Then she went on, “He’s here, in the house. I’ve had to entertain the prick since yesterday.”

  Dread seeped into my veins. Fuck!

  Daciana hugged herself, her eyes darting around in a nervous way. “I told your father I wanted to hand the pack over to you and asked him if he’d officiate at the ceremony.”

  A bulldozer of emotions slammed into me. It was difficult, but I doubted Father would have been thrilled with Daciana’s request. He believed wulfkin deserving of alpha status had to claw their way to the top.

  “Why would you want to give up being an alpha?” The idea was foreign to me. I’d dreamt of the position for too long. Perhaps because of the overshadowing pressure to have my own pack by the age of twenty-five or I’d die.

  “I plan
to live with Connell in the city, continue my research on saving wild animals, and scout for our pack. I know this puts me at the bottom of the pack rank, but I don’t care.” She smiled briefly and shrugged. “Sandulf had hoped to give you the pack all along anyway. If you’ll still have me, this is what I choose.”

  “Of course I’ll have you. You’re not going anywhere.” I opened my arms and took her into an embrace, rubbing her back, realizing how difficult this decision must have been for her. Thinking back to the trials she went through to save her relationship with her human, standing up to Sandulf and killing him, it wasn’t a surprise. Though it still struck hard. I didn’t share my concern that my father might not agree with her. First, I’d pay him a visit.

  Daciana broke away. “This also means you no longer have to worry about not meeting your end of the Varlac pact. There’s no reason for your father to challenge you and demand your death since you have your own pack now.”

  My spine stiffened. “You’re doing this for me?”

  Her voice was stern. “No. I’m doing this for me, but we’re both benefiting from it.” This was the Daciana I remembered so well.

  “I don’t give a shit about my father. He can rot in hell.”

  An icy wind blew, threatening snow again at any moment.

  A smile spread across Daciana’s lips, but it vanished in a second flat. She lifted her head and sniffed the air. “Someone’s here. Wulfkin.”

  The wind fanned across my back. I found myself smiling and turned around. “A few of the pack came with me.”

  Alena walked around the corner of the house, her arms over her stomach, followed by Nicolai and Damir. Mila already pounced toward me, kicking snow behind her. My eagerness to tell Alena she was welcome, along with the whole pack, tickled the back of my throat.

  Mila lunged at me, her huge paws crashing into my shoulders, and she pushed me down in the snow. Her wet tongue licked my cheek. I couldn’t stop the laughter. “Down, Mila.”