Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

" W hat do you mean? How the hell did this happen?" Bo asks.

His raised voice urges me to take the stairs two at a time. Bo barks into the phone, pacing the length of the living room.

I turn to Kirk who shakes his head.

"Did he say anything before they found him?" He purses his lips. "Useless."

Swearing he disconnects and tosses his phone on the couch.

Risking his wrath, I catch his angry gaze. "What happened?"

He grimaces. "The prisoner is dead."

"What?" I whisper.

"He committed suicide in his cell."

Cadoc slams his hand down on the table beside him. "Bull."

Bo scowls. "So we're back at square one."

"How did he die?" A strange sadness settles in my chest.

"Hanged himself with his bed sheets."

Chills run over me. "What were they so desperate to keep hidden?" I ask.

"How the hell are we supposed to find out now?"

Bo's explosive temper makes me flinch. He kicks a wicker basket across the room, and it crashes into a wall.

Fell leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "We can go back to the last place we saw him and see if he left a clue."

"It's not the worst idea," Cadoc admits.

Bo jabs his fingers at me. "We barely got her out alive the first time."

"This time we travel as wolves. It'll be dark soon, no one will be looking for us," Fell says.

"I'm sure they've already ransacked that place," Bo argues. "It's a risk we don't need to take."

Fell straightens. "Do you have a better plan?"

Bo looks away. "Not yet."

Fell snickers. "Yeah, cause that's helpful."

"You got something you want to say?" Bo's body tenses and he stands taller.

"Enough. Bo, go take a walk. Fell quit baiting him." I point at Fell. I can only handle one asshole at a time. "Fighting is getting us nowhere."

"Fine." Bo stalks to the door and yanks his coat off one of the hooks. He shoves his arm into one sleeve and a small piece of paper flutters to the ground.

"What's that?"

Bo turns to me. "A coat."

"No." I point to the small square. "This. It fell from your jacket."

"I don't know." Bo picks up the parchment, unfolding it. I gasp at the sight of the triangle.

He flips the sheet over.

"Fenrir's blessing."

I rush toward him.

"It's coordinates." He holds it up. Cadoc scans it.

Is it safe to follow these? "Where do you think they lead?"

Kirk's fingers fly over his phone. "Somewhere in the woods."

"We have to go," Fell says.

"It could be a trap." Cadoc frowns.

"Maybe, but it's all we have," Kirk says.

"If we go, we do it smart." Cadoc strokes the stubble on his chin

"What does that mean?" I peer at the grim faces

"We go in armed and cautious. No rushing head first into danger, Brat." He pins me with his intense gaze.

"I don't do that?—"

"You need to understand how important you are," Bo adds.

"No more being careless." Fell's eyes darken with frustration and a hint of fear.

Cadoc stares me down. "If we tell you to run, you do it."

"I have never been a coward, and I'm not about to start now."

"You're not equipped to deal with the things we might encounter." Cadoc gentle condescending voice, makes the situation feel dire.

"Teach me then." I won't cower.

His eyebrows lift. "It's hard work?—."

"I've never been afraid of that." I square my shoulders, holding his gaze.

"You'd have to curb that mouth to hear me during training."

"Done."

His lips twitch. I'm not backing down.

"We'll start tomorrow. Tonight, you show me how well you can follow orders. Consider this your first lesson."

I press my mouth shut. I walked right into the trap and he sprang it like a pro.

"Fine."

"Let's get suited up." He narrows his gaze. "It'll show you what you're in for."

He takes me to the training room. Shock steals my voice as I view the mats, body bags, and rows of weapons hanging against the wall. "This is a serious set up."

"We've been busy setting up a training space since we moved in."

I hear the pride in Cadoc's voice.

We walk across the space, and I wonder what the hell I signed myself up for.

My body already aches in anticipation of the beating I'm about to take. This is nothing like my morning yoga classes and runs with my roommate.

"It's not too late to change your mind." Cadoc studies me.

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Stubborn, Brat." Cadoc laughs. The humor leaves his eyes. "Can you use a weapon?"

"I can shoot a gun, and I'm handy with a knife. A girl alone in the world has to protect herself."

"Demonstrate."

"Now?"

"Yeah." He opens a drawer, revealing a custom display case. Knives of various, lengths, metals, and thicknesses range from Bowie knives to switch blades and tactical ones.

I pick the backward s blade folding knife with the spider edge blade.

It's similar to the blade I always carried in college. I made sure I was ready to fend off attacks on my own if they happened. The assault numbers are sickening for young women in college.

I spent plenty of Saturday mornings in self-defense classes. I never used my full strength, but it kept me limber and taught me moves I wouldn't have known otherwise.

Cadoc moves to the center of the room and waves me toward him. I keep a few feet between us, sizing him up.

Cadoc darts forward, grabbing a hunk of my hair. I move into his hold, ball my hand into a fist, and swing down toward his groin.

He jerks out of the way. His grip loosens. I chop at his neck. Cadoc evades me. I use the interruption to swipe at him with the blade.

I kick his instep. He swears, releasing me to dance away and circle back. I track him, moving my body in opposition to his.

I lunge forward. Using the flat side of my hand to go for his neck, I bring the knife up on the opposite side. He dodges and grins.

"Nice job, Brat."

"I'm not even touching you."

"I'm not the average person." He comes toward me, tackling me to the ground.

I kick my legs and bring my knife hand to my side, controlling the blade, and making myself a difficult target. I manage to catch him in the stomach with my foot.

Rolling with the blow, he kneels and smiles. "You've got a nice base to start from."

"I've taken plenty of women's self-defense classes in my time."

"Good girl."

It's criminal how soft those two words make me.

"Are we okay?"

"As long as you keep this blade on you, we're square. Choose another bigger one that fits comfortably in your hand to hook onto your belt."

Unlike werewolves of legend, our change is magical. The clothes aren't destroyed during the transformation.

However, the price we pay for the gift is the pain we still experience.

"Go get dressed. We'll leave here within the hour. Once we're in the forest we'll shift."

"Not before?"

Cadoc frowns. "I'm not convinced we aren't being watched. We've swept the house for cameras and bugs, but I can't shake the feeling we're under surveillance."

"But you took me on the front porch." I think back to the blankets he'd covered me with and how he fucked me.

"They'd only see enough to be jealous. One whiff of your sweet pussy would have them salivating anyway, Brat." Standing he offers his hand. I take it allowing him to pull me up.

"Be quick." He slaps my ass. I jog away with adrenaline running high. There're few things I hate more than feeling helpless. This is a good reminder.

I control my destiny, not the other way around.

Thirty minutes later, we're loping through the woods. Hopping over tree limbs, we follow the path Cadoc and Kirk mapped out.

It feels good to run on all fours without worry of being discovered. Our forested area has a distinct smell, ancient, clean, and powerful.

I can taste the tangy citrus energy on my tongue. Savage power gathers like an imminent storm. I hope when it breaks, we're on the right side of the damage.

We passed the familiar spaces some time ago. This land is forgotten, untouched, and wild. There are no signs of our people. The tall trees and overgrown moss carpets are hauntingly beautiful.

My eyesight has improved since I accepted my position as a child of Fenrir and keeper. The earthy scent of fresh soil and blooming wildflowers tantalizes my nose.

Is this what I missed when my senses were dulled? I'm fully alive for the first time and our grim task doesn't take away the joy that bubbles up inside my chest.

Easily, I keep up with the men. There's no more slow-poke Ylva hindering our pace. Kirk Yips. I feel his joy and pride at the happiness I'm feeling through our bond. I return the call. Cadoc howls.

Bo and Fell answer. We join in. For a moment, I feel united, like a proper clan. We slow to a trot as a ramshackle wooden structure appears through the trees.

The old, worn wood and the crude windows are covered in layers of filth. Did we get the direction correct?

I sniff. Wait. I recognize that scent. It's the man from the restaurant. We shift. Four legs become two. Muscles shift, and rearrange as our point of view changes to that of a creature on two legs. Cadoc takes the lead.

"Bo, come with me to scout the surrounding area." Cadoc points at us. "You two stay here and keep an eye out."

Nodding I grip the knife sheath clipped to the utility belt. Cadoc and Bo circle around to the back of the dwelling. I remain still as we all scan the darkness.

They return. "It smells clear," Cadoc says.

Bo wrinkles his nose. "And it looks like a filthy hovel from where I'm standing. If we're not careful we'll catch the plague."

Really? I turn to Bo. "You are an absolute snob, your highness. We're in the middle of nowhere. What did you expect the place to look like?"

"Not this." Bo's voice drips with disdain.

"Look." I point the glowing triangle. The closer we get the brighter it becomes. The front door swings open. The paper bursts into flames in Bo's hand.

"Shit." he releases the slip too slow, and shoves the singed fingertips into his mouth.

"That was an elaborate welcome." Cadoc peers into the darkened space.

We step across the threshold and a strange burnt yellow glow begins to form in the small space. Fenrir's blessing covers the inside of the shanty.

Cautious, Cadoc steps inside. He nears a lantern with pieces of flint beside it.

"He was incredibly committed to living off the grid," Bo he looks around. His face is twisted in disgust.

"Or he was that old." Fell lifts a copper kidney-shaped canteen.

"Why would he not have been a part of the pack?" Kirk asks.

"I don't know," A spark catches onto the wick. Light illuminates the small space.

Beautiful depictions of wolves on handmade papyrus in chalk and ink hang on the walls. A cast iron cauldron hangs in a corner of the fireplace.

"He's been living here off the land a long time," Fell observes.

A twinge of pain hits me. I understand what it is to be alone in the world.

"And not always alone." Kirk nods his head at a large drawing of a woman with kind eyes.

"What do you think happened to her?" Impressed, I study the crisp lines, and detailed shading.

"Old age? Maybe a run-in with a bear out here?"

Fell gives possible answers.

"None of this explains why he was looking for me, or even how he found me."

We investigate the room. A dim glow stands out on the ground beneath a small wooden table. Crouching, I touch place my hand over the strange spot on the floor. A cold draft caresses my palm.

"The energy feels different here." I knock on the ground. It echoes.

"It's hollow." Fell shoves the table aside and brushes his hand over the area to remove the dirt. The floor shifts.

An old burlap sack's been painted to blend in with the floor. Pitching it, he reveals a metal door with a round handle.

"What in the Nancy Drew mysteries is going on here?" I whisper.

Kirk clears his throat. "Something tells me all our answers are going to be behind this door."

"I'm afraid to find out what would make a man this devoted to protecting it," Bo says.

Cadoc knocks. We wait in silence, straining to hear the sound of something stirring.

"Nothing." I bite my lip.

"Grab the lanterns, we're going down." Cadoc opens the door with ease.

A waft of stale air slaps us in the face. I cough as the dust kicked up. Holding out the lantern, I look down and find an underground tunnel.

"I'll go first," Bo volunteers. "If your gigantic shoulders aren't going to fit, we want to know before we're down here, Cadoc." Prick.

Bo takes the lantern and disappears down the hole. My stomach clenches and I hold my breath as he begins to crawl, dispersing earth. I hear clumps falling like raindrops.

If anything kills him, I want it to be me, not something lurking in the darkness.

"Oh, it gets bigger, and opens up into a cave," Bo's voice drifts up a few moments later, and the tension in my spine eases.

"You can all fit through the tunnel. It's actually been well maintained. Send Princess next. I don't want her up there in that creepy shack alone."

"Careful, I might think you're starting to care," I fake the playful tone to hide how concerned I was about him. I lower myself into the cold, tight tunnel opening.

My hands brush over the packed earth. With only the beam of light to guide me, I'm forced to trust him. The trek is spooky as my shoulders brush damp earth. My hand swipes a cobweb, and I jerk.

Just focus on what's ahead of you. Don't think about the walls boxing you in. I breathe easier when the area widens. Seeing Bo at the end of the tunnel is a massive relief.

He helps me stand and I exhale.

"Okay Princess?" He smiles crookedly. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark."

"I'm fine, your Highness." I pat his chest and smirk. "You have dirt on your face though."

Scowling he swipes at his cheek, spreading the dust. I giggle. He lifts his sweater and my laughter dies in the face of his six-pack with a happy trail disappearing into his pants. I admire the muscles until he lowers his top and I peer away.

"You can look anytime you want, Princess."

Heat floods my cheeks. I ignore his teasing. The rest of the clan joins us and we walk forward. When we exit the cave, I marvel at the large arches carved into stone.

The wall closest to us is covered in runes depicting the story of Fenrir in beautiful drawings. A massive statue of a great wolf makes me gasp.

I study the drawings. "What is this place?"

"A temple to Fenrir."

I stumble away, bumping into Fell. The Volva stands a few feet away.

"How did you get here?" Glancing around I look for another entrance.

She smiles. "I am always where I'm needed most. You've met my husband."

I tilt my head toward her. "You're what now?"

"I sent him to you. I couldn't share information when I'm constantly being watched, so he had to come in disguise."

He died. "Oh," I cover my mouth. "I am so sorry"

She cackles. "They didn't kill him. I made sure of that." Her eyes flash with anger, and I wonder if we've underestimated her all this time.

"We've been here a long time. I watched this pack rise and fall. I stayed out of it until I was called to do otherwise." She sounds weary.

"What do you mean?" I study her face, missing the message she's trying to deliver.

"Let me show you." She smiles gently, leading us further into the cave.

We stop at a statue of a female beautifully carved with a wolf at her side. "What is this?" I wait patiently for her to respond.

"Skadi. We've tried to keep the old ways alive down here. Having my gifts, I feel more connected to the magic that makes us possible. As the others in the pack looked to the future and modern ways, I held on to the old."

"The goddess of skiing and the hunt. Also, a goddess who understands the need for revenge." She brushes a hand over the wolf at Skadi's feet, and studies me pointedly.

Passing more statues, we reach another opening. A small dwelling carved into the mountain greets us. "This is my home, but the place you seek is beyond." Leaving her home, we enter a smaller cavern. She lights two scones. In the light I see a temple.

Intricately carved life-sized stone statues of Fenrir sit on either side of a large stone altar. Large pieces of Black Agate rest on either side of a brass bowl with sweet grass and the nine sacred herbs. The magic in this place sparks something inside me. My hands tingle and my ears ring. We're in the presence of some serious power.

"I've heard Fenrir's call my entire life, but I've never been one of his chosen children. Not like you. I've waited a long time for you to be revealed to me."

"And now?" Cadoc's voice is respectful, but firm.

"Now your clan has been chosen. I've fulfilled my task of keeping the hearth burning. This is your space to commune with him and receive the counsel you're going to need."

Kirk looks from me to the Volva. "Do we win?"

She turns to him. "The paths are great and varied. None of us is on a course already set."

Bo's shoulders slump. "You don't know then?"

"The future lies with you," she holds her hands out, palms facing us.

Bo hums. Forehead lined, and lips thinned, he looks thoughtful.

"Soon, you'll believe in something more than yourself."

Her peaceful knowing has Bo silently shifting his weight. That's an impressive trick I want to learn.

She lifts her head, hearing something we can't. "I'm needed elsewhere. This place has the answers you seek."

She walks away leaving me more confused.

Fell scratches his head. "Did you get any of that?"

"I think—there's something here we need," Kirk says.

The scones flicker in the room and the temperature drops. I shiver. A deep cold settles into my spine. Prickling energy crawls over my skin like bugs. Clouds form from our breath.

Kirk presses closer, sharing his body heat. I glance around as my stomach cramps.

"Did you feel that?" I whisper.

"Yes." Bo scans the area, as Cadoc sniffs.

Cadoc's brow furrows. "Smells like rotting flesh."

I cover my mouth with my hands, breathing shallowly.

The blood leaves Fell's face, and his eyes grow haunted.

"Fell?"

"They're coming. Again," his voice cracks.

"Who?" A rush of wind fills the cavern.

"The Shadows." Fell's thrown across the room. I scream as the light is blotted out.

Moments later, I'm yanked to the ground.

With the wind knocked out of me, I struggle to breathe. A heavy weight rests on my chest.

Sharp claws rake down my sides and I flail trying to throw my invisible foe off me. My fingers brush against the cool metal of the stick protruding from my braid and a surge of power builds inside me.

I twist and pull it free and a shrill scream blasts in my ear. The heaviness lifts and I see a line of light shining through the shadow floating above me.

The ground rumbles. Kirk leaps in front of me in wolf form. A brilliant golden light explodes from the soil. Dirt explodes. An invisible force throws back.

A massive wolf launches itself into the darkness. His powerful jaws slice through the forms, devouring the ones who don't flee.

Tilting his head back the spectral wolf throws his head back, releases a howl I can't hear, but feel deep in my soul. Our knees fold.

Energy surrounds me, tightening on me like a rope. I'm slipping into my wolf form before I realize it. Bones rearrange, muscles flex, and fur explode.

The energy recedes leaving us in wolf form.

They circle me.

I gasp. Cadoc and Kirk have white triangles on their flanks. When the shadows don't return, they shift back.

Bo looks around, panicked. "What the hell happened?"

"You received Fenrir's blessing. Look at your arm." I tap my arm. They shove up their sleeves they find the mark on their forearm.

"Why only us?" Cadoc gestures to him and Kirk.

"It's obvious, isn't it? You've bonded with her," Fell's voice is sullen.

His distraught expression tugs at my heart.

"We're meant to be her protectors. The closer we bind ourselves to her, the better," Kirk reminds him.

"Are you okay?" I crawl over to Fell, running a hand through his silken hair. "You knew they were coming before we did. How?"

"I don't know. I felt my stomach bottom out and I knew."

I study his face. "When we were kids, your predictions always came true."

"That doesn't mean anything, Ylva."

"I think it might."

"I think I know what those things were after." Bo walks over to the bottom of the altar and brushes away dust.

He pulls the long-handled item with a notched circle and string on the end free.

"It's a sun compass," Cadoc says.

"How is this helpful?" Bo sneers. The dial rotates, and writing forms on the circular piece.

Watching, I wait for the markings to make sense. "What is it doing?"

"I don't know." Bo tilts the wheel to the left. Numbers take shape.

"Coordinates," Cadoc replies.

"To what?" I wrinkle my nose. "Where?"

"Nothing yet." Cadoc studies the dial. "There aren't enough numbers."

Kirk looks at Cadoc. "It has to be important for them to come after it."

Bo looks grim. "I'm more concerned about how they're tracking us."

"They're afraid," Fell peers into the distance, and his voice drops an octave.

"Fell?" I place a hand on his arm.

"They know we're close."

Bo steps forward.

I hold out my hand.

I keep my voice soft. "Close to what?"

Fells' brows dip. "The start of their ruin."

Cadoc steps closer, careful not to touch Fell. "Who are they?"

"The other children." Fell turns his gaze to me. "They've been looking for you for a long time, and now they know exactly where you are."

"How?" My lips quiver. Fear seeps into my pores.

Fell tilts his head. "The l—." His mouth drops open and a horrible strangled sound escapes.

"Fell." He pitches forward, and Bo steps forward, catching him.

Shocked, I grip Bo's arm, silently thanking him.

"I don't like this." My voice wobbles like a loose tire.

"Join the club, Princess."

Kirk shudders. "Someone or something was talking through him."

"No, he's always been like this. It's a deeper knowing." I frown. "It's hard to explain."

"You trust it?" Cadoc nods at the man slumped in Bo's arm. "Trust him?"

"I want to." I run the backs of my knuckles across Fell's cheek.

"That's not a yes," Kirk's warm breath caresses the nape of my neck.

"There's more going on with him." I lower my head, feeling like I've thrown him under the bus.

"And we need to get to the bottom of it. Because he's looking a lot like a leak," Cadoc places a hand on my shoulder.

I jerk my head up. "You don't know that."

"And you can't prove otherwise," Bo adds.

Kirk holds up his hands. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

"Our number one priority is keeping you safe. Even if it's from one of us," Cadoc squeezes my shoulder and removes it.

I hate the sympathy in his eyes. I look away. "We'll figure it out."

"We're running out of time?—"

"What would you suggest then, Bo? Because leaving him behind isn't an option. If we want to survive this we need to think about the group, not us as individuals."

His nostrils flare. I hold his heated gaze.

"You can feel the truth in what I'm saying."

Bo's jaw ticks. "Ego won't serve us here," I say.

"Neither will idiocy," Bo counters.

"Did you just call me stupid?" I growl in the back of my throat, and the asshole laughs.

"If the title fits. You're adorable when you're angry, Princess."

I dig my sharp nails into his arms and he hisses.

"I like it rough. This is like foreplay."

Releasing him I turn away My heart knocks against my ribs. He wakes something dark and feral inside me.

"It's time to go before they come back. Take care of the sundial, Bo. It called to you for a reason." Cadoc taps Fell's cheek and the other man's eyes open.

"What happened?"

"You blacked out for a minute there," Kirk holds up a finger. "Follow this for me."

As Doc gives him a quick examination his earlier words replay in my mind. Someone's been looking for me. Why now? I've gone from being invisible to being the main attraction.

What will this mysterious person do now that I've been found?