Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Riot

I lie awake, staring at the ceiling, my body tense with anticipation. The weight of Raura’s soft form beside me is both comforting and unsettling. I can’t stop replaying what happened between us earlier – the feeling of her skin against mine, the taste of her lips, the urgency of our movements. A shiver runs through me at the memory.

You’re such a fucking asshole!

I berate myself for the lack of control. I’ve spent years mastering my impulses, keeping my desires leashed. Yet with Raura, everything feels different, primal. The wolf inside me stirs in her presence, drawn to her in a way I can’t fully comprehend.

But I can’t afford such distractions, not now. Our escape plan consumes my every thought. We have to get out of this place before Parker forces me into that fight – the idea of battling a child, no matter how formidable, turns my stomach. I won’t do it. I can’t do it. There are limits to how far I can go before I lose my soul in this place. This is the line in the sand.

But there’s more to it. The threat to Raura’s safety is what finally broke me. For too long, I’ve allowed Parker to manipulate me through my sister, dangling her life like a bone before a starving dog. But putting Raura in the crosshairs was a step too far. I won’t let her suffer the same fate.

I won’t let him touch her!

My jaw tightens as I think of the risks we’re taking. If we fail, there’s no telling what horrors await us. Yet staying means certain torment for Raura…and for me, a fight that would splinter what little remains of my humanity. And who knows what would come after that?

We need to leave.

There’s no doubt in my mind.

The sound of footsteps fades outside our door, signaling the changing of the guard. This is our window. I gently shake Raura awake, pressing a finger to her lips to silence any words. Her eyes widen as she remembers, and she nods, slipping from the bed to retrieve her clothes.

It’s time.

I take a steadying breath and move to the door, every sense alert for any sign of trouble. This is our one chance at freedom. Failure is not an option.

Testing the door handle, I feel a flood of relief as it opens smoothly. The cells remain locked during these transitions, but I’ve suspected that all the doors in the facility unlock. At least, I’ve been praying they all do. Being in this suite has been a blessing in disguise. Parker’s plan to manipulate me has worked in my favor.

I step out into the hallway, my senses heightened as I scan our surroundings for threats. Raura emerges behind me, her presence a comforting warmth at my back.

Despite her outward calm, I can sense the fear simmering beneath the surface. The way her nostrils flare ever so slightly, the subtle tightening of her muscles – these are the tells only another wolf would recognize. But she follows my lead without hesitation, her trust in me humbling.

We move swiftly yet silently, my ears straining for the slightest sound that could betray us. The path ahead is clear for now, but I know the cameras are recording our every move. It doesn’t matter – by the time anyone notices, we’ll be long gone.

Moving quickly down the main hall, I feel Raura pull back as I take a side door and veer away from the route out. She’s probably been through here enough times to have a vague lay of the land, too. But I know more.

“What are you doing?” she whispers, confusion furrowing her brow.

I shake my head minutely, pulling her closer to murmur in her ear. “We need to disable the security system first. I’ll explain later.”

Her breath catches, realization dawning. The detour adds precious minutes to our escape, increasing our chances of being discovered. But without shutting down their defenses, we’ll never make it past the outer perimeter. And we’ll never have the time that I need.

Raura’s fingers tighten around my bicep, her jaw set in determination. The fear is still there, lurking beneath the surface, but her courage outshines it. With a nod, she gestures for me to lead on.

Pride swells in my chest as I turn toward the security hub. She’s so damned brave – the fighter I knew she was from the first moment I saw this.

We can do this.

We have to do this.

Our freedom depends on it.

Moving with purpose, we quickly reach the heavy door that leads to the Enclave’s inner security workings. I breathe a sigh as I open it and see it unoccupied. I’ve been certain that the entire contingent of guards clears out on this rotation – a time of day that’s least likely to pose a threat. Still, it’s been mainly a theory of mine. Until this moment, I wasn’t quite sure.

I’m also not quite sure of the banks of buttons and displays that greet us as we walk in.

“Shit.” I don’t know where to start.

“What is this place?” Raura breathes, looking around.

“Parker’s paranoia playground,” I mutter, standing before the main desk and running an eye over the countless gadgets. It doesn’t take me long to find it. The man’s so predictable. Of course he’d label it after the official term for a missile attack.

“Get ready,” I tell Raura, grabbing her hand a second before I flick a series of red switches, then hit the large red button labeled “Defcon 1.”

“What—?” she blurts but doesn’t get another word out because I’m hauling her behind me as I sprint for the door. A blaring alarm goes off a second after we get through it. The lights in the hallway switch from white to flashing red.

“Move!” I yell, charging ahead, dragging her behind me. She’s stumbling but managing to keep up as I set a blistering pace to the corridor that leads to my outdoor training area. It’s the quickest way out, and if my predictions are right, the guards will be rushing to assemble at the main entrance. With any luck, they won’t be thinking about us. As much as Parker has this particular system in place, in all the time I’ve been here, it’s never been activated.

“Riot!” Raura is trying to keep up, but she’s flagging, and we don’t have time. Pausing for a fraction of a second, I lean down and scoop her over my shoulder, then hit a turn of speed that makes my eyes water.

We reach the secondary access point out of the place a second before a high-pitched whine cuts through the air. And then there’s the sound of sharp clanging that ripples through the Enclave. There’s barely a foot between us and the door when a heavy metal shutter slams down. Huge bars slide over it and snap into place. The alarms are still jangling inside, loud klaxon calls.

I set Raura down, running a hand over her to check that she’s unharmed.

Her eyes are wild in the predawn light.

“What…what was that?” she gasps.

“Lockdown,” I tell her, looking around. We’ve come out onto the plateau where I’ve trained every day for all these years. It’s a wide, bare space surrounded by towering pines that lead down the mountainside. The place is deserted…thank fuck. It looks like I may have been right. There are no guards in sight up here.

“Lockdown?” Raura is confused, and I can’t blame her. I’ve barely told her anything about this plan.

“Parker has a system in place in case of a nuclear attack.” I give a sort. The guy’s an ass.

“Nuclear attack?” Her eyes are wide.

“The man’s a lunatic,” I tell her. “He has this place prepped for a nuclear war. If the system is activated, the Enclave gets locked down for twenty-four hours. Nobody can get in or out during that time.”

It’s time that we need.

“And we’re outside.” Raura is looking around.

“Yes.” I take her hand, leading her through the giant outdoor fitness park where I’ve trained for the past ten years. The familiar structures take on unearthly shapes as we weave through them now: high beams, monkey bars, and clambering walls that bear the marks of my hands and feet…my sweat…

I’m leaving it behind me.

There’s a flood of disbelief as I realize the enormity of what we’ve just done.

Think about it later!

“We have to shift.” I face Raura. “We’ll move faster as wolves. Also, we’ll handle the weather better – the snow gets deep around here.”

She nods silently, not questioning me. Again, she’s putting her safety in my hands without hesitation.

“There’s a path that leads beyond the fence line past the training equipment. It’ll take us down the mountain.”

“Is it safe?”

“I’ve used it often during my runs. I’ve never been all the way to the valley, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine.” I cup her cheek. “We’re going to make it.”

“I know,” she says, smiling. “You’ve gotten us this far, right?”

“It’s just the beginning.”

“Well, it’s a good beginning. Thank you.”

We stare at each other for a moment, the weight of it hanging in the air between us. “Go!” I tell her.

Raura stands before me, her chestnut eyes locking onto mine with a mix of determination and trust. She nods once, then closes her eyes. A shimmer ripples through her, starting at the crown of her head and flowing downward like water. Her clothes slip from her body, falling in a soft heap around her feet as her limbs elongate and reshape.

Her bones crackle softly as they shift, fur sprouting in waves across her skin, the color of rose gold under the faint moonlight. Her transformation is seamless, almost graceful, and I can’t help but be mesmerized. Within moments, where Raura once stood is now a beautiful wolf with a sleek pelt that seems almost luminescent. Her chestnut eyes remain the same – fierce, intelligent, unyielding.

She shakes herself once, her fur rippling in a rosy wave, then trots across the plateau with an elegance that leaves me breathless. I follow her, my gaze fixed on the spot where she disappeared into the tree line. The path she took is one I’ve memorized through countless runs, each step ingrained in my mind.

Turning back for one last look at the Enclave, I feel a strange mix of triumph and emptiness. It’s hard to believe that after all these years of fighting, bleeding, and enduring Parker’s cruelty, it might finally be over. But this place has been my prison for so long that leaving feels almost surreal.

A sudden rustling sound snaps me out of my thoughts. I spin around just in time to see two guards emerge from behind a cluster of trees.

What the fuck?

They must have been on patrol when the alarms went off. Why the hell didn’t I think about that?

Shit.

My heart pounds as adrenaline surges through my veins. I tense, ready for a fight, my fists clenching instinctively. The guards’ eyes widen as they spot me.

“It’s the Beast!” one yells. “Get him!”

The other raises his weapon and fires before I realize what’s about to happen. I’ve been so focused on getting out that this has taken me completely by surprise.

Idiot!

The bullet hits my thigh with a searing pain that makes me stagger. It’s silver – Parker’s preferred method for dealing with shifters. The slug lodges in the muscle, sending a wave of agony through me as the poison spreads through my veins.

No! Not now!

Not when freedom is so close I can taste it.

In a blur of motion, I lunge forward, tackling the guard. We crash to the ground in a tangle of limbs, and I throw a swift punch that catches him squarely in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

The other guard fumbles with his weapon. I’m already on my feet despite the pain, closing the distance between us with a snarl. But each movement feels like I’m dragging myself through molasses as the silver saps my energy. He brings the barrel of the gun up, ready to take aim, and my vision is beginning to blur. I take a stumbling step forward, dropping to one knee.

Fuck!

It’s like I’m made of lead when I try to stand, my mind swimming with pain that hits me in waves.

A flicker of triumph color’s the guard’s expression as he aims down the rifle’s sights at me. And I can’t fucking get up.

Get up, goddammit!

But my body refuses to obey me. I’m panting with exertion, sweat cooling on my skin. I go tense as I wait for the bullet that will end me.

Until a sound catches my attention – paws pounding against the ground. Raura’s wolf form charges back toward us with surprising speed.

“No! Run!” I yell hoarsely.

She doesn’t listen.

Raura leaps at the second guard with a ferocity I didn’t know she possessed. Her teeth sink into his arm as he cries out in pain and surprise. With a swift movement, she pulls the guard to the ground and finishes him off with a vicious bite to the throat. His scream turns into a gurgling rasp as blood pulses from the wound. Raura’s wolf form stands over him, lips curled back in a snarl until the light fades from his eyes. She releases her grip, panting heavily as her muzzle glistens crimson.

She’s fucking magnificent.

Breathing heavily, I look at Raura in awe. She’s saved my life when I was certain it was over.

I owe her everything now.