by C. Larsen
"Yeah," I admit, taking a deep breath. "I do. I've never felt this way about anyone before."
“Not even...?" She leaves the question dangling, obviously reluctant to say Caiden’s name.
“No, not even him." It’s hard to love someone who reminds you at every turn that he doesn’t feel that way about you.
"So..." she sounds uncharacteristically hesitant. "Are you going to stay in his pack then?"
"Oh, um, no, I don't think so. We've been talking about me joining Madelyn’s coven though."
"You'll be leaving us again?" Sadness leaks into her voice.
“I'm not really sure. It all depends on what happens tomorrow, I guess." I tell her about the meet happening, James’ offer, and Gray’s plan to get them all to agree to a truce. She listens patiently through it all, but I can sense her anxiety.
“So both packs are going to be here tomorrow? They’re forming an alliance?"
“Don't worry, Ari. They’re not coming here to hurt any of you. No one wants a war. But maybe when the coven hears about the alliance, they'll come to their senses and agree to a truce. With the way my soul-binding ability has been improving, I can at least offer Mirowski protection against the packs breaking the truce. When the werewolves learn what I can do, it should be enough to make then think twice about attacking the coven. If all goes as planned, we'll have a truce settled by the end of the day.”
“Well, let's hope it all goes as planned then." I hear someone, presumably Ethan, calling her name. She calls back that she'll be right there. “Gotta go, Em. Good luck tomorrow. Let me know how it goes!"
Gray picks me up early Saturday morning. My heart lifts just seeing his lazy smile and bright, silver eyes. I can't keep a grin off my face despite the anxiety.
He immediately wraps his large hand around mine, his thumb making circles on the inside of my wrist. "How are you feeling this morning, luna?"
"Nervous," I say, but I have to admit that his touch is going a long way towards helping to calm me.
"It'll be fine. You'll see. I have just the thing to settle your nerves."
"Yeah, what's that?" I ask, my voice husky with desire.
"Peppermint pancakes," he says with a wink.
My smile freezes on my face. Gray takes in my expression. "There's another IHop right outside of town. Didn't want to risk having to leave again before I get my breakfast."
I let out the breath I've been holding. "Right. Let's go."
When we get to the diner, I break into a grin. Max is waving wildly at me. Miles, Isabel and Grant are sitting with him at a huge booth.
"Because of the meet, James gave permission for some of the pack to spend the day in town. Max insisted on coming down early to see you."
"Emerson!" He runs to me, his tiny arms squeezing me around my waist. "Nikolay said I could come here for the meet! Maybe we can play hide and seek before it starts! Miles and Isabel aren't as much fun to play with as you."
"Why? Because you can't beat them as often?" I ask, laughing.
He makes a face. "Mile cheats. I think he peeks," he whispers to me, eyes narrowing at Miles, who grins unrepentantly.
We all settle in and give our orders to the waitress. She seems stunned as we devour plate after plate piled high with pancakes and bacon. Even little Max finishes off several plates by himself. Gray finally gets his peppermint pancakes, which are just as disgusting as they sound, even if he won't admit it. Once everyone is full to bursting, we sit around the table talking and joking. The others catch Gray and me up on news from Ashwood. According to Grant, they seem to have settled their issues with the Northern pack and there haven't been any more attacks since we left.
My cell rings, interrupting Max in the middle of a story about finally beating Grant at knock-hockey the other day.
Glancing at the caller ID, I feel my eyebrows pop up in surprise. Why would Ethan be calling me?
"Hello?"
"Emerson, is Arianna with you?" He sounds out of breath, a frantic note to his voice.
"No, why?"
"I can't find her. I woke up and she was gone."
"Maybe she just went to the store. Have you tried her cell?"
"Of course I did," he says in irritation. "She's not answering."
"What about Caiden? Maybe he's seen her."
"No, he’s here with me. She wouldn’t have left without telling me. And when I went down to the living room, one of the end tables was knocked over. I think… I think she was taken." Fear makes his voice higher than usual.
"Taken? Taken by who?"
"Give me that," Caiden's voice interrupts. He grabs the phone from Ethan. "Emerson, is Gray with you?"
"Yeah, why? You aren't suggesting that he had anything to do with this—"
"No,” he interrupts me. “But we need him here."
"What? Why?"
"He's a werewolf. Maybe he can smell whoever took her. Track her."
"We'll be right there," I say before hanging up.
"Gray, we have to get to Arianna's house."
Gray is already up, throwing some bills on the table to pay for breakfast. Thanks to werewolf hearing I don't have to waste time explaining. Everyone at the table already knows what's going on.
"We're coming," Grant says.
We all pile into Gray's Hummer and take off for Arianna's.
"Shouldn't one of us tell Nikolay what's going on?" Miles asks.
"Not until we know something," Grant answers, his eyes meeting mine. He's afraid Nikolay might have had something to do with Arianna's disappearance. I can't deny the thought crossed my mind as well. If he wants me to stay in Ashwood Creek badly enough, I wouldn't put it past him to sabotage the truce however he can, especially since Gray and I haven't had a chance to propose our latest plan. If the coven and pack pose enough of a threat to me, even Madelyn will agree with him forcing me back to Ashwood.
When we pull up to Arianna's house, Ethan watches us all warily, lines of tension ringing his eyes and mouth. Gray holds out a hand for us all to stay back while he approaches the front door.
His nostrils flare as he searches for a familiar scent. I know the moment he recognizes it. His eyes meet mine, horror and anger and fear all mingling together. Without thinking, I join him, needing to see for myself.
The scent sends tingles of rage down my spine. My wolf surges up, saliva filling my mouth as fangs lengthen, the desire for revenge so strong I'm afraid I might fully shift.
"Caroline is back."
Chapter 45
Both Caiden and Ethan turn to me, faces pale.
"Caroline took her," I repeat, my voice deep with rage.
"Can you track her?" Caiden asks, looking at Gray.
"Yes, but I'll have to shift." His eyes meet mine. I nod, signaling that I'm in control. He can shift without having to worry about me losing control.
Grant and the others follow Gray inside the house to complete their own transformations. I want to join them, want to hunt her down with them, but I stop myself. Caiden and the rest of the coven don't know I'm a werewolf. And with the truce hanging by a thread right now, I'm afraid that exposing myself could tip it in the other direction. Or at least that's what I tell myself. But I know the truth, deep down. If I changed now, Caiden and Ethan would know what I am. I know I can't hide it forever, but I'm not ready to cross that bridge right now. Caiden and Ethan have only just gotten on speaking terms with me. I'm not ready for them to hate me just yet.
"Why would she do this? She doesn't have a problem with Arianna? Why would she kidnap her?" Caiden asks to no one in particular.
"To get to me," I hear myself say.
Ethan turns to me with a glare. "She must have heard you're back in town. If anything happens to her, I swear to God, I'll kill you myself."
I meet his eyes with a glare of my own. "You can try." My wolf surges up, violence clouding my mind, making it difficult to think. Rage is already pounding through my veins with the knowledge that Arianna is in trouble. Ethan's thre
ats might just be the thing that pushes me over the edge.
*Calm down, Em,* Gray's voice sounds in my mind as he exits the house in wolf form. *He's just upset. Ignore him and head in with the others to shift. You'll be better able to protect yourself in wolf form.*
I shake my head. *I don’t want to upset the truce,* I tell him. *Things are too precarious right now. I need them to agree before I tell Mirowski about my were’ blood. Otherwise, they might call the whole thing off before we even have a chance to make our case.*
By the look he gives me, I know he doesn't believe it any more than I do, but he doesn't fight me on it.
"Shut up, Ethan," Caiden says, oblivious to the private conversation going on between me and Gray. "If Caroline is after you, then it's too dangerous for you to come with us," he says, turning to me. "Stay here—we'll follow Gray and the others."
Ethan's eyes blaze with fury. "If Caroline wants Emerson, then what will she do to Arianna when Emerson isn't there? You can't put Ari at risk like that. We told you to leave," Ethan snarls to me. "You shouldn't have come back. Now someone else is going to pay the price, again. And you're just going to hide out and let her fend for herself?"
"Of course I'm not going to do that," I growl through gritted teeth. "I'm coming. If Caroline wants me, she's going to find out I'm not such easy prey."
“It too dangerous,” Caiden protests.
"It's not your decision," I snap. "I'm not letting Ari pay the price for my mistakes the way Lydia did. It's me she wants."
As the others finish changing, Caiden silently watches me. We don't speak, but I can feel the anger and guilt coming off him in waves. Ethan paces back and forth, anxiety and fear strong in his scent.
Grant and the others exit the house, all in their wolf forms. The sight of little Max preparing to take on one of the strongest, most evil witches I've ever encountered sends a shiver of fear through me. Once again, I feel the pull to shift, to run with them, to help protect them. But I know from experience that Max and the others are more than capable of taking care of themselves.
Caiden and Ethan, on the other hand, are severely outmatched. No, better I stick with them until we figure out exactly what's going on.
*We found some of the girl's blood in the house,* Grant tells me. *It wasn't much, so hopefully she's not too hurt...*
A growl bursts from my chest before I can stop it and I feel my eyes shift with rage. Then Gray is there, his large body brushing against mine, forcing me to look down and meet his eyes. As soon as our gazes connect, my wolf settles and stops fighting to come out.
*We won't let anything happen to her,* Gray vows. *Follow us, but keep your distance. The moment we have any information, I'll let you know and we'll figure out a plan.*
I nod, getting myself under control. I force my wolf back down. Not too far, though. I don't lock her up completely—I may need her soon.
"What's happening, Emerson? What's he saying?" Caiden eyes Gray warily, as if afraid he'll attack me any moment.
"They found some of Arianna's blood inside the house."
Ethan's face drains of color, eyes widening in horror.
"Not a lot," I hurry to reassure him. "Not enough to indicate that she's badly hurt. But we need to hurry. Gray and the others will follow her trail. We'll hang back a little and wait for their signal."
*Get the Hummer started,* Gray tells me. *The others will ride with you until we get out of the neighborhood.*
I open the back of the SUV and put down the seats so Grant and the other werewolves have room to ride. Gray's right: at this time of day, one wolf might be able to move around unnoticed, but a pack of them would definitely draw attention. Even if Gray is spotted, with his black fur, he could be mistaken for a large dog. But if all five were seen together, there's no way they'd be overlooked.
A raven caws from somewhere in the trees. The wolves pile into the Hummer, only Gray remaining outside to follow Ari's scent.
Once all the werewolves are settled in the truck, I turn to Ethan and Caiden. “Get in. Gray will track her. We'll follow in this."
They look at each other, then look at the four huge wolves crowded in the back.
"We'll follow you," Ethan says.
My chest pulls tight as they turn away and get into Caiden's car. They can't even tolerate being in the same vehicle as the werewolves, even when they're risking their lives for Arianna.
I shake my head and we all head out, following behind Gray. I constantly scan the houses, praying no one decides to look out the window as we pass.
Once we're clear of the neighborhood, Gray sticks mostly to the tree line. I pull over just outside of town to let the others out. They follow Arianna's scent along the road, then the trail cuts off onto a narrow service road, too narrow for Gray's massive Hummer. I park the behemoth on the side of the road and signal for Caiden and Ethan to do the same.
"We'll follow on foot from here." I lead the way, easily following Gray's scent.
"How do you know we're going in the right direction?" Ethan asks after a few minutes of silent jogging. He's holding a stitch in his side, panting with the effort of keeping up. Caiden is just as out of breath. I slow down, giving them a chance to catch their breaths. "They could be anywhere in these woods right now." Ethan rests his hands on his knees, breathing hard.
"As long as they don’t go too far away, I’ll be able to stay in contact with Gray," I say, tapping my head. It’s not technically a lie. Gray could contact me, assuming he’s close enough. They don’t need to know that I’m actually following Gray’s scent.
Caiden pants, his hands on his head, sweat dripping down his face. He looks at me strangely as I stand here, barely winded. He's hiked with me enough times through the woods for training to know I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type.
I shrug my shoulders. "I did a lot of running in Ashwood," I say to explain my sudden athleticism.
He raises one eyebrow but doesn't comment. We continue jogging, stopping every now and then for Caiden and Ethan to catch their breath. After almost an hour without a word from Gray, I send him a message telepathically, asking him how it's going. I expect him to answer right away, but when he doesn't, I slow to a walk.
"What's wrong?" Caiden asks, sensing my anxiety.
"I don't know... He's not answering." I try again, but am met with silence once more.
"Maybe he's just busy tracking," Ethan says, eyes shifting nervously to the woods on either side of us.
"No, he would answer me." I close my eyes and concentrate, sending as much energy as I can into it. *Are you okay? What's going on?*
Still nothing. Then I feel something, static almost. But not telepathically. It feels like it's coming in on a different frequency.
Fear fills me, and rage, violent and overwhelming.
The pack bonds! I throw myself open to my wolf, allowing her to access the pack bonds. Gray's pain and rage flood into me.
*Run! It's a trap!* he manages to get out before his wolf howls in pain, agony engulfing his right flank.
Chapter 46
My eyes fly open and I spin to Ethan and Caiden. Before I can say anything, the wind shifts and I let out a curse. The scent tickles my memory, but I can't figure out who it is. All I know is it raises my hackles, filling me with fear.
I grab their hands and pull them into the cover of trees.
*Hide us,* I tell Caiden.
Thankfully, he doesn't ask any questions. Laying a hand on both Ethan and I, he closes his eyes, concentrating. A cold shivery feeling goes through me. When he opens his eyes, he gives me a small nod. As long as we don't make any noise, Caiden's spell should hide us.
"What—" Ethan begins, but I hush him.
*No talking. We’re not the only ones out here,* I tell them both at the same time.
*I don't sense anyone else,* Caiden says.
Instead of getting into why I can smell them, I simply respond, *Trust me. They're there.*
I curse myself for not shifting when I had
the chance. If I had been in wolf form I might have sensed that Gray was in trouble sooner, and maybe even have been able to identify this mystery scent. Now, because I was too afraid to reveal myself to Caiden and Ethan, I'm flying blind and defenseless.
The urge to shift now is nearly overwhelming, but I'm terrified that the few minutes it would take me to complete the change may give away our position and give our enemies the chance to surprise us, and no way do I want to be caught mid-shift. I'd be completely helpless.
My wolf demands we shift, desperate to dive into the fray and help Gary, but I shove her back down. The only way to help Gray is to avoid the trap the rest of them fell into. I try calling Vasily telepathically, but he's too far away. I glance at my cell, thinking maybe I can send a text. My heart plummets. No service. We're too far in the woods.
To Ethan and Caiden I say, *Let's head back to the car to regroup. Something's wrong. Gray said it was a trap. We need to figure out what the hell is going on and call for backup.*
"Arianna is with them," Ethan hisses. "We have to keep going!"
"Emerson is right," Caiden says, glancing around warily. "We have to know what we're walking into."
"It took us nearly an hour to get this far. I'm not going all the way back." Ethan crosses his arms over his chest, jaw set.
"Fine," I hiss. "We'll just back track a little ways, away from the others who are out here. We can't help anyone if we get captured too."
I know how Ethan feels. Personally, I want to rush ahead as well, consequences be damned. The only thing I can think about is Gray in danger, in pain. But I know that rushing in recklessly won't help anything. We need to use caution or there's a good chance that none of us will make it out alive.
Making sure Ethan and Caiden stay close behind, I lead us deeper into the woods, away from the unfamiliar scents. Ethan clomps loudly behind us, no matter how many times I tell him to walk more carefully. I can only hope they aren't close enough to hear him. When I judge we're far enough away, I allow them to catch their breath while I whip out my cell phone.