Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

ORION

A n hour in, I found an old gas station right off the freeway. It was closed and locked up, the lights off. I couldn't see an alarm anywhere, though, and when I busted the window on the back door, nothing happened. Zane stood behind me in a half-crouch, his nostrils flaring like he was trying to scent trouble.

It was unsettling to see him like this, and it made me want to drive back to the compound and claw the skin from the bones of any human who had ever laid a hand on him. I wasn't sure what they had done, and a small part of me was petrified that there was no coming back from this.

Was this what Danyal had been terrified of? Was this what Kor wanted the rehab facility for? A long-term care unit for the Wolves who could never fully come back from the labs.

My fingers trembled as I led Zane in through the little storage closet, and I glanced around a second time for cameras, but the place looked ancient. I was pretty sure most of the food was long-past the expiry date, but all I really needed was a place to wash him and a couple of non-perishables for the road.

There was a bathroom at the far end, and I didn't bother with the lights as I hunted around for some towels. They were industrial and rough, but Zane didn't put up a fight when I ran them under water, then filled them with soap until the suds were dripping down my arm. He snarled a little when I began to clean him, but he was more like a petulant child than anything.

He growled and huffed like a wolf, and he whimpered when I moved the cloth over his torn skin on his wrists and ankles. His neck had also been rubbed raw, so I only paid that a little bit of attention, figuring his shift would heal him eventually.

Probably.

Hopefully.

Assuming he still could.

"I hate this," I said when I eased his head over the sink. I had a small cup, and I managed to scrub away some of the grime from his scalp. "I hate that I have to do this. I want to tear their hearts from their chest."

He made a small whuff sound—agreement, I supposed. I wondered how much of him was in there that was capable of understanding my words.

My chest ached.

"Alright," I said, easing him back up as straight as he was willing to stand. He shook his head hard, spraying me with water, and I shielded my eyes until I heard him stop. He'd lost some weight, but he still had most of his bulk, though if it had taken me any longer to find him, he would have been damn-near starving. "I need to check you for a tracker."

It was the only other thing Nadya had taught me to look for. A tiny scar in an unobtrusive little area like between his toes or in his groin. Zane didn't put up a fight as I eased him to the ground, and he lay pliant as I ran my fingers over him. It didn't take long to find it, lodged in his hip, and I used my claw to carve a line and drag it out.

His only complaint was a soft whimper, and I fought the urge to lean in and lick the wound as I put a clean towel over it. I left the tracker on the edge of the sink, then pushed to my feet. When I offered my hand, Zane stared at me for a long moment, then he took it. His claws scraped along my wrist, and I found the urge to tilt my head and submit to the yellow flash in his eyes.

"We need to find you something to wear," I said, shaking out of my daze. "I hope to the gods this house in Canada has supplies, but for now…" I trailed off, moving back into the shop.

To my chagrin, the only thing they had was a small display of board shorts and t-shirts with the state logo. The Zane I knew would have carved me to pieces if I'd suggested something so absurd, but this feral wolf with sad Alpha eyes simply let me move him around like a puppet. He watched me intently, almost like he was waiting for some sort of command, and I realized maybe he was.

"I'm going to fix this," I said when I got the shirt over his head. I used my fingers to arrange his hair back to the way it was, and I let them trail along his jaw. He made a soft noise and attempted to nuzzle me, but I couldn't let him. Not yet. Not in that gods-forsaken little roadside shop. "Let's get some food and we can hit the road."

Zane stayed put while I filled a couple of bags with water, dried meat, and as many snacks as I thought either of us could stomach. I popped the register and took a handful of cash, not letting myself feel guilt over doing what I had to.

Hooking the bag over my wrist, I turned back to him and held my hand out. Zane sniffed the air, then crossed the distance and pushed his body close to mine. It was almost overwhelming, which I wasn't expecting. I hadn't reacted that way to any other Alpha after taking the serum, and since I was damn near to my second missed dose, I expected the urge to be less.

Only with Zane, it seemed to grow with every passing minute.

"Come on," I said, forcing myself to focus. We crept out the back, and I settled him in the car before I dug around in the trunk and found a couple of old blankets. They smelled like spilled motor oil, and they were probably full of bugs, but it was all we had. I shook them out, then laid them on the seat and watched as Zane nuzzled into them.

He was more animal than man, and I felt a desperation to reach out and try to pull him back. He didn't deserve this. He didn't belong like this.

What they'd done to him…

I breathed out, the sound trembling in my chest, then I slammed the door and got back behind the wheel. We had hours to go and could only afford stopping to piss and fuel up. The border was too close and too far away, and I still wasn't sure we'd make it there alive.

The sky was just barely beginning to lighten as the border to Canada came into view. There was a single car ahead of me on the approach, and I hesitated because I was only going to get across if I played this right. I didn't know what Kor's contact looked like, or if they knew who to expect, and panic started to simmer in my veins before a hand appeared to my left and waved me over.

My heart was beating hard in my throat as I came to a stop, and I looked over to see a man with pale skin and dark, human eyes, in a uniform. "Passport?"

I reached over for the few things I hadn't left behind at ComTech, and handed off the fake passport, my lungs tight and unsure. I didn't know if this was the man, or if this was simply a border agent who would most definitely take a look at the battered, feral Wolf in the backseat.

"Purpose of your visit?" he said.

I couldn't get a read on his tone, but his heartbeat was steady and there was no fear in the air. "Visiting friends."

He hummed, then stepped to the left to glance down in the backseat. For a moment, it felt like the walls of the universe were closing in on me, then he turned and went back to his booth. I held my breath until my lungs burned, and after a beat, he returned with my passport and something small—a palm-sized cardboard box.

"Enjoy your trip, sir."

I took the box and met his gaze, and it was only then I saw it: understanding. He knew who we were—what we were—and why we were there. "Thank you," I told him.

"Might want to veer to the right, sir. Avoid unnecessary roadblocks."

Nodding stiffly, I rolled up the window and didn't look back as my foot hit the gas, and I put the enemy behind me. I was on the road a while before I glanced back to see Zane, but he was as asleep as he had been when we left the little gas station. His breathing had evened out a few hours on the road, and I was grateful he was able to find some peace.

I could only imagine how precious little he'd gotten in the compound. My stomach rolled with nausea when I thought back to the way I had found him, and from the look of it, I was sure they had kept him that way the entire time—on all fours, collared, imprisoned.

Even if he did regain himself when this was over, I wasn't sure he'd ever be the same Wolf he was before. Our people were going to come back transformed—bitter, maybe afraid. I'd seen enough of it in the men we'd sent home after battle, but this was so much more.

This was isolated, calculated torture for the humans' gain.

It had to be stopped.

Forty-five minutes in, I passed a rest area sign, and I figured it was enough time and miles between myself and who or what might have followed us to the border. I was desperate to know what the agent had given me, but I was too afraid to look while we were vulnerable.

I pulled over, and it was only then I heard Zane stir for the first time. I checked my mirror again as I looked for a parking space far from any of the other cars, and his eyes met mine.

"You feel like talking?" I asked softly as I put the car in park.

His lips parted, and I saw his fangs were still elongated. He was still mostly mindless, mostly feral. My stomach sank a little as I turned in my seat and offered him a hand. He nuzzled me like a cat, a deep rumble in his chest almost like a purr as he nosed my palm, then he settled back under the blanket and watched me without much expression.

I tried to keep my rage at a low simmer, but it was difficult. I hated feeling impotent, and knowing I couldn't get my claws on these humans was killing me.

"Okay, I'm gonna see what our Fearless Leader has left for us, and then we'll figure out where the hell we're going." I used my blunt nails to tear at the tape, then pulled the lid open and found a small black phone, a key, and a folded-up piece of paper with a hastily scribbled note.

Right now, the Canadian government isn't cooperating with the humans in the US, especially regarding Wolves crossing the border. It will take us at least a week to get a team out there to bring you home, but there will be plenty of supplies, clothes, and a medkit at this address, and you can move freely around the town. There has been some local anti-Wolf sentiment by some of the older residents, so try to keep to yourselves. Use this phone to check in with me once a day.

-Kor

Seeing his writing was a small balm, allowing me to breathe a little deeper. I glanced back at Zane, then picked it up and dialed. It was going to be ridiculously early in Corland, but I didn't think he'd mind, and that was confirmed when he picked up, sounding on the verge of hysterical.

"Orion?"

"I'm here. I've got him." I almost laughed, my body desperate to find a way to release some of these emotions, but I held it in. "We're in Ontario somewhere, about an hour past the border."

He swore softly under his breath, and even over this distance, I felt a pulse of emotion in the bond. "I knew you were fine. I…I could feel you were fine, but…" He trailed off, and I didn't ask him to finish his thought. "How is he?"

I glanced back at Zane, who was still staring at me blankly. "Alive. Fucked to hell. Jesus, Kor, they…" I couldn't bring myself to go into detail. Not without knowing if Zane could understand me. "I found Bryn."

The silence between us stretched out impossibly long, and when he spoke, his voice was full of fear. "What happened?"

"I killed him," I said. "The shit they'd done to him…by the gods, I didn't even recognize him. I don't know what the hell they did, but he was…" I swallowed thickly. "It was bad. He was mindless until I bit him."

Kor said nothing for a long while, but I could feel his fury, his grief, his pain, his desire for violence and revenge. It simmered between us, joining mine, and in that moment, I knew if we had been given the chance, we could have taken them all out.

"Zane isn't as bad, but I'm assuming it's because they hadn't had him long enough. They were fucking trying though."

"You're safe now," Kor said, his voice clipped. " He's safe. Has he said anything to you?"

"He's not really capable of speaking right now. He's almost entirely feral. He tried to rip my throat out when I first got there, but I think he recognized my scent, and my…" I stopped then and flipped the mirror down, staring at my eyes that were still flaring orange. Fuck. I cleared my throat. "I don't know if he knows who I am, but he knows I'm safe. I'm gonna see how bad the injuries are when we get to this house."

"Alright." He was quiet again. "Tell him I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner. Tell him…"

"I'm sure he knows," I interrupted, "but I will."

The line went dead, and I knew it wasn't personal. Kor needed to process, and I needed to get the hell on the road. The little phone had GPS, and the house was already in the app, so I hit the button and was relieved to see we only needed to drive another forty minutes.

Turning in my seat, I stared at Zane who stared back. "Do you need to piss? I'd really rather not have to wash that smell out of this car."

He said nothing, gave me no indication he understood me at all, so I let it go. Turning back in my seat, I settled back, and tried to keep myself motivated to finish the rest of the drive.