Chapter 15 - Astrid

I raced through the trees, looking over my shoulder periodically to make sure Rand wasn't chasing me. But all that lay behind me were the trees zipping past. The only smells were those of the forest. The only noise was the crunch of branches and leaves beneath my paws.

My mind spun, trying to get a grip on what happened as I panicked, unsure of the next steps. Telling Rand had been a last resort. I thought he would listen to me. I'd been wrong.

Eventually, I came to a halt by a large tree, one with distinctive claw marks around the base, scratches that would only be noticeable if you knew to look for them. I looked around, sniffing the air to make sure one last time that I was really alone. I'd done my best to hide my trail, knowing the handcuff on the banister wasn't going to stop him for long, but I'd been hasty and panicking, and I was worried someone would be able to follow my trail.

After a long minute of hearing and smelling absolutely nothing suspicious, I shifted back, panting as I forced myself not to cry even as tears began to spill over. I leaned against the tree, feeling the rough bark against my back.

How could I have been so stupid? I should have known this would happen. I couldn't blame him, but it still stung. Bile rose in my throat as I tried to figure out what to do. I'd risked Thea's life by telling Rand, hoping that he would help me, or at the very least, help Thea, even if he never wanted to see me again. But I had gambled and might lose both of them now.

I should never have come here in the first place. It was my fault any of this had happened.

A cool wind blew through the trees, and goosebumps ran up my arms. I shivered, then forced myself to straighten. This was my fight, my mess. I had to fix it. I wasn't going to let my sister die. And I couldn't let Ansel and the others kill the Silver Wolves.

I took a deep breath, letting my wolf fill me with rage and energy as I plotted my next steps. Get Thea. That's what I had to do first. Once I got her, I could get her safe, then figure out how to stop Ansel.

My first instinct would have been to ask someone for help. But who could I go to? Rand's reaction told me there was no way in hell I could go to the Silver Wolves. For all I knew, they'd kill me the instant they saw me. They didn't seem the type, but I'd clearly misjudged Rand and Ansel. It seemed as though I wasn't the best judge of character.

No, I was on my own. And the clock was ticking. I needed to find out where he was keeping my sister.

Where would he keep Thea, though? At headquarters? Headquarters didn't exactly have prison cells, at least none that I was aware of. Would he take her somewhere else? Did he have somewhere else? Knowing him, he probably did, though I had no idea where they might be.

I needed to think in basic terms to start. I knew his headquarters had small bedrooms there. Ansel slept there sometimes, as did some of the other higher-ups. I'd seen the bedrooms once before. They were pretty spartan—very cramped with no windows. They would work to keep someone prisoner in a pinch. And if Thea wasn't there, I could try to sneak into Ansel's office to look for any evidence of any other hideouts he might have.

I glanced up at the sky, the moon overhead. If I timed it right, I could get there around the time Ansel left to stage his attack on Brixton. Headquarters wouldn't be as closely guarded. The only problem was that if I was wrong about where he was holding Thea and I had to search somewhere else, that would give Ansel all the time he needed to send the order to slit Thea's throat. Then, everything I'd done, everything I'd put on the line, would have been for nothing.

But I didn't have another plan. If I didn't try, Thea would die, anyway.

I couldn't think about the future, what would happen after I rescued Thea— if I rescued Thea. There were too many variables. And thinking that far ahead would only get in the way. I needed to keep strong. First things first—get the hell out of these woods and go to Ansel's headquarters. If Thea was there, break her out. If she wasn't, then find out where the hell he was really keeping her and go there. Anything that happened after that didn't matter. Not yet, anyway.

Shakily, I stood to my feet, wiping the tears I hadn't realized had been streaking down my face, a new sense of purpose flooding my veins. At the very least, I knew what needed to happen. I had a game plan. Sitting here sulking over what I'd done, over who I'd lost, wasn't going to do any good.

Pushing thoughts of Rand to the back of my mind, knowing he was lost forever, I turned to look at the tree. Crouching down, I dug right beneath the claw marks. After a few minutes of carving out the dirt, I found a canvas bag wrapped in plastic. An emergency bag, in case I needed to make a quick getaway. Food, water, clothing, and a spare phone. Everything I needed.

Thoughts of Thea and regrets about Rand swam through my mind as I tugged the bag out of the earth, clumps of dirt spraying everywhere. I yanked off the plastic, hands still trembling.

I took a deep breath, trying to center myself one last time. Then, when I was certain I had enough of a game plan and enough of a grip, I shifted, picking the bag up in my mouth. Turning, I sprinted through the trees to save my sister.