by Holly Hook
“He is that powerful. I saw what he did to Brie.” He turns to me, worry blossoming in his eys. “Have you ever seen him do it before?”
Yikes. Cayden knows me too well. We square off right there in the parking lot and I bite my lip, which gives Cayden the answer he needs.
“How many times has he threatened you, Brie?” I hear the bottom go out from under him.
I gulp. “When you went to infect Brett, I felt so bad that...I felt so bad that the Savage King almost took over, and Edwin took action to stop it. I couldn't really blame him much at the time, since I thought he was doing it to protect everyone else around me. He told me to keep it secret. And I did because I thought he was our last line of defense.”
“He's not willing to take the risk anymore,” Cayden says, keeping his hands at his sides. He paces in front of me as if shielding me from the rest of the world.
I'm a risk. Even he admits it. I swallow, trying to hide the tears. Just like Callie, I'm tainted.
“You're not mad that I didn't tell you?” I ask.
“You're so selfless, Brie. Putting yourself in danger to keep everyone else safe.” I can't read the tone in Cayden's words.
“Do you approve or not approve?”
“Everyone,” Leonora says, walking over from the road. “I called the pack for you and they said they're coming. The Colling Wolves, I mean.”
“Leonora, thanks. You don't have to be my secretary.” I should be giving the orders.
“You're such a huge help,” Cayden adds. “Hey—there's Noah.”
He and Olivia walk out from behind the gas station, hand in hand. I can only assume he's been trying to calm Olivia down, whose eyes have a red, upset tint. Jealousy brims inside me but I hold it down for their sakes. Just because my life's on the rocks doesn't mean I'm going to drag them with me. That's something Brett does.
“So, what's down?” Noah asks.
“Everything right now. Well, if Brett shows up we'll have one thing going right for us. So far he still seems to be alive. But does he know where we are?” I look to Everly and Remo, who hang near the SUV.
“He's a Wolf now and should be able to smell where we all are,” Everly says.
I keep forgetting. “Yeah,” I say. “I hope he gets here if he wants to get his sister back. It'll take the entire pack to do that. The cult has done nothing but make their wards around their territory stronger. The Savages, too. They're expecting us.”
We wait for another fifteen minutes, and just when I hear the distant motors of a caravan coming from the direction of Colling—that has to be the rest of the pack—I also smell the faint burning hay and poison that marks Brett. Even turned, he retains some of that scent, which combined with his new scent makes him smell like a burning field that's suffering from a spreading fire. I wonder if it will ever go away.
Brett approaches through the woods, still in his dark robe, hanging his head like he can't bear to face me. He could have run back to the cult. Cayden freeing him could have ruined everything, but it didn't. Then I remember that he can't run back to the cult. Brett has nowhere to go except for us.
“Brett,” I say.
He lifts his head and scowls at me. I'll let him keep what man pride he has left.
“We're going to go and get your sister, but you have to help us get her back. I know you won't go back to the Savages now. But we're willing to meet our end of the bargain and we won't hurt her.”
“I sure hope so,” Brett snarls. He approaches and stops at the picnic table on the edge of the parking lot. This gas station has lots of them, plus woods and trails. It's clear he won't come any closer. That's fine. I don't feel like getting drained.
“Look, I know it's important to you. But I don't know if we can keep her away from the Savages and the cult,” I say. “She might be with them out of her own free will. I'm sorry to tell you that.”
“She's still in danger,” Brett says, looking into the trees.
A white van pulls into the gas station. I smell more foresty scents. The other Nobles are arriving. We'll set out soon to nab Karina. And then, with luck, we'll have Brett's help in reaching Remus again and warding off the Savage King.
Cayden speaks for me. “I know she is. That whole cult's in danger. If the Savage King takes over, he's going to use them as dog chow before he moves on to the rest of the world.”
“I've had that happy thought myself,” Brett says, tapping the wood of the picnic table with his fingers. He still refuses to look at us. “My sister might not realize it, but I do. I only stayed because I can't help her dead. That's why she needs to get out. She'll hate me, but that's the way it has to be.”
I detect hurt in his words. This won't be easy for Brett. “Once we have her,” I say, “we have to keep her over here, and how do we do that with someone who's great at magic? She was able to call your father to me last time we had her captive.”
“I don't know,” Brett says, though he nods like he does know. Cayden frowns at me.
“You want us to infect her, too?” I ask. “That's pretty extreme.”
“Do what you have to do,” Brett says. “She's a piece of work. Hey, it worked on me, so maybe for her it'll be the same. Unless she wants revenge and doesn't care that she dies. She and my father were closer than I was to him.”
My throat dries. I look into the trees as if the shadows there can jump out and grab us. I won't think of--”How likely is that?”
“I don't know. She gets broody sometimes and stays to herself.”
I shake my head at Cayden. “This might be too dangerous.”
“Look,” Brett says. He's desperate. And he also rises from the picnic table and dares to face me. “Getting my sister out is what matters. We'll talk about the details later. Can't we?” As if he senses my authority, he calms his tone and lowers his shoulders. “Get her over here and I will help you ward off Romulus. There really is a graveyard of Noble Royals where I think you'd have better luck connecting to Remus.”
“You're not feeding us bull?”
Brett shakes his head. “What other choice do you have?”
He looks right at me when he speaks now. And I hear no hesitancy in his voice. He's telling the truth, or at least he thinks he is. Not too many people can lie to me and sound convincing. I thank my senses.
“Then we'll continue the deal,” I say. “I'm sorry if we have to infect Karina, but you're right that it might be the only way. And believe us, we don't like doing it.”
Cayden nods with vigor. He backs away from the picnic table as I wave Brett to the growing group near the entrance of the gas station. Now's the time to figure out how to pull this off.
Chapter Eleven
When we all gather, I wave everyone away from the front of the gas station so we don't get busted for loitering. That, and a large group will attract attention. Since it's no longer tourist season, that's even worse for us. Thankfully there are plenty of picnic tables.
I count how many of us there are as we sit. Two dozen. The Colling Wolves have all stayed together despite us chasing out Lawrence and Abigail. The official story? They became disgruntled and told me they were leaving the pack. Kaylin left soon after to follow her mate, and no one stopped her, but her twin, Hayley, remains behind and sits not far from Cayden. I wonder every day if anyone questions the story. Two of the older men, Don and Ron, still look at me like they can't believe I bested Lawrence in a challenge.
I'm still on some shaky ground. I stand closest to the parking lot, putting my back to the road while Everly watches for any sign of Edwin. At least we'll smell him coming unless he can borrow some of Alex's masking spray. Then we're screwed.
“Everyone,” I say. “We need to venture into Savage territory and rescue Brett's sister from the cult. She is being forced to participate against her will.” That part's a lie but it's the story Brett wanted me to tell, even if I suspect she has no problem being in the cult. “We plan to keep her on our side by infecting her--”
“In
fecting a cult member? We try to avoid that,” Don says.
“I know,” I say. “But it has the best chance at keeping her away from the other cult members forever. If we succeed, Brett here will tell us how we can find Remus and defeat the Savages. We have to take the chance he's giving us. That can help save someone I know, too.” I think of Callie again, holed up in a motel room alone.
“I recommend it,” Noah says from the sidelines.
Brett shrinks back as the whole pack, the thirteen men and women who make up the remainder of the Colling Wolves, look at the young guy in the black robe. He makes no eye contact with anyone. Just his smell tells everyone what's happened. Maybe he shouldn't have dressed like the cult. As if he realizes this, he pulls his robe off to reveal a green T-shirt and jeans. That alone lowers the tension level.
“I command it,” I say after sucking in a breath and bracing myself. “What we need is to have a distraction draw the Savage Wolves on one side of their territory. Then the rest of us go in, grab Karina, and get out.” I try to keep my gaze off the thirteen year old boy, Allen, who sits beside his mother. Sending him into battle is wrong, but he leans forward, eager, and I know numbers are needed.
“I could drive on the edge of the Savage territory and draw attention,” Noah says.
“No,” I say. “You could get bit or hurt.”
“I'll be in my car.”
“I know, but the place is full of dark spirits who would make your car break down and leave you stranded,” I say. “Remember what Brett did that night when we were leaving Teeyah's?”
Brett lets his head thump to his table. I can see why he's sitting way in the back, and alone.
Noah frowns as Olivia whispers in his ear, “You are not going.”
“Those dark spirits could hurt any of us,” Noah points out.
“But if you get bitten by a Savage, you're screwed,” I say. “None of us would be able to help you and you'd end up like Matthew. Well, not quite, but close. Or worse, they'd just plain kill you. They don't care about human life. All they care about is killing and getting on top. That's their nature.”
“Listen to her,” Cayden says. “The Savages care about nobody, not even their own kind. They're from all the parts of nature that make you question if life has any meaning.”
His words are powerful, washing over the group and making Noah balk. Cayden's hit the nail on the head. He's had his night and knows what the Savages really mean.
Noah says nothing.
“Okay,” I say. “The Savage territory is several miles to the west of here, and believe me, you'll smell the border. One group needs to distract the Savages and lead them far away from us. I don't know how many there are now or how infection happy they've been.”
Olivia rises. “My mom works at the hospital that would serve that area,” she says. “There are a couple of small towns in their territory, and she says there's been a rise in dog bites and maulings lately.”
I've forgotten about Dr. Bertram, who works in the ER. And that guy I smelled one night who had traces of rotten wood. Of course the Savages will replenish their numbers after we've killed several of them, and since I doubt they ever live long enough to reproduce, infection would be the easiest option.
“How many?” I ask, glad she's here. Yes, I'm glad Olivia's here.
She frowns. “I asked, and she said she's seen a dozen cases in the past few months. Not all of them would be Savage Wolf bites, of course, but I bet some of them were. She's scratching her head and I can't tell her the truth.”
“These are just the reported ones,” Noah adds.
“Most of the bites are given to deer hunters,” Olivia adds. “People who are out in the woods all the time.”
“So the Savages are smart enough to know who to target,” I say. This is just great. And if the Savage King takes over, things will only get worse.
“But they're not smart in other ways,” Don says. It's clear that among the Colling Wolves, he's the mouthpiece. I've figured that out by now. “The distraction tactic might work. But if the cult is as dangerous as you say, you'll need more numbers to cope with them. How many are left?” He eyes Brett with thinly veiled hatred. If we hadn't turned Brett, the Colling Wolves would have destroyed him already.
“I was lucky number thirteen, so twelve,” he says. “Including my sister. Watch out for High Priestess Artemis. The old woman. She's the leader now and she's even better at magic than my sister is. In fact, I think she and Karina are getting close.”
“That's nice,” I say. Artemis. Wasn't she the goddess of the hunt or the moon or something? Appropriate name.
“Brett, how much can you...help us if we get your sister out of there?” I ask, heart racing. I never told Brett to keep his flap shut about the Savage King possessing me or Callie and the Colling Wolves don't know about that. The realization hits me like a truck of nerves and my mouth goes dry.
“High Priestess Artemis does most of the heavy duty magic. She used a piece of Callie's dried blood to bind Romulus to her. I know. Nasty. I don't know how she did it, but I think she used the aid of the dark spirits we've all been feeding, so if I can get them to back off, that might help.”
I want to slap Brett. Everly looks at me in shock. I ignore her.
“Callie?” one of the Colling Wolves, Natalie, asks Don. “The cult bound Romulus's spirit to her?”
“Earl said she went to visit her parents,” Don says.
Now I give Brett a glare, only to get a confused shrug in return. Or maybe it's just a cocky shrug. I don't know.
“Nobody is going to hurt her,” I say, trying to smooth over the situation. A ripple of nerves goes through the pack. Thanks, Brett. Next he'll mention how Edwin wants to kill me and how the Noble Order is falling apart. “Callie won't hurt us. She's staying away on purpose and will keep staying away until we can help her. Now, Karina. We get her to come over here with us.”
“She won't,” Brett says. “The cult is her life. Our best bet is to get my sister out so I can convince her she needs to be on this side of things. Because I'm not leaving her alone with those people.”
“You want to make your sister help us?” I ask. Brett has a better chance than I do.
“Well, with her talent, she has the best chance of standing up against Artemis's magic,” Brett says.
It's the best we have. I swallow. “I want every fully grown Wolf to participate in the distraction. Half of us will distract the Savages and half of us will go in and find Karina. Brett will come with the Karina group.”
“I can't go back there,” Brett says as if I'm a moron.
“I can't either,” I point out. “The cult won't know the difference in you if you're covert enough. And you know where all their meeting places are.”
Brett shuts up. No one protests but Allen looks at me like he wants me to step down. I don't care. After Wyatt, I will not risk his life. Seeing something like that again will tear Cayden apart. With that thought, I look at my mate, who still stands beside me. His eyes thank me. He was worried about the same thing.
“We need to set out before it gets dark,” I say, eyeing the sky. Late morning. “I bet those dark spirits are stronger at night.”
* * * * *
At least we have vehicles and the gas station is gracious enough to have a nice, big, old fashioned map. And better yet, the lady working the counter still finds her magazine more interesting than her job. Not that I can blame her.
Cayden and I study the map. I find Breck easily—its got a red sticker on it—and as I trace my finger to the west, to where the Savages have their camp, I find mostly just forest and mountains. For the first time I realize we've never determined how big the territory is, only where the border closest to us lies. Near where I think their territory starts, there's a tiny dot on the map—Windy Corner--and a few obscure roads through the woods. Nothing, really. And yet the Haydes have an old mansion there.
“Brett.” I wave him over from the other side of the gas station.
“Yes, your highness?”
I hold back my sigh. “How big is the Savage territory?” I inject plenty of command into my words.
Brett balks, but jabs his finger onto the map, tracing a circle maybe ten miles wide around Windy Corner. “Most of the people in that little town have been turned by now,” he adds. “Or killed.”
“That's nice.” I imagine Windy Corners turning into a ghost town in no time. Savages are so violent they usually don't live long.
“Some of the people there have been turned within the past couple of months, and they're still struggling with it,” Brett says.
“In other words, they're not completely bad yet,” I say.
“But they will be,” Cayden adds.
“Since when do you side with him?” I ask.
Cayden just shrugs. The air thickens again. “He can take some of those dark spirits off us, and that might help.”
“I'm not the one who put them on Cayden in the first place,” Brett says. “The cult did that. That's why Karina, if I can convince her, would be a big help getting them off permanently.” Then he lowers his voice. “And getting the Savage King off you and Callie, too.”
“Speaking of that, we don't want everyone knowing she has that spirit attached to her,” I say. “Or me. If the Noble Order falls apart, it's over. Do you got that?”
Brett pales. “Got it.”
I turn away, trying to cast off the sense of satisfaction I'm feeling. Bossing others around isn't something Remus would have smiled on. So I nod to Cayden and put my finger on the map. “We'll put half the pack on this side of the territory. There's a road over here.” I trace my finger along a narrow, almost invisible line.
“That's a hiking trail,” Brett says. “The Savages patrol around there, too, looking for victims.”
“Then we'll send half the Colling Wolves there. Minus the kid. That works out well. The rest of us will go in through the usual way past that fallen tree, get Karina, and get out. Brett, is the cult meeting today?”
“I don't know,” he says.
“Do you have any clue, man?” Cayden asks.