Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

BEN

A familiar scent woke him from a fevered dream. Ben lay on the cold metal floor with Connor curled around him protectively. The slow, steady breaths against Ben's neck made his shoulders relax despite their terrible situation.

But Ben's heart thundered in his chest. Something was wrong.

He took a deeper breath, recognizing the earthy smell of decaying wood and damp leaf mold, and the unique, slightly sweet scent of lichen growing thick on wet tree branches.

With a start, he realized the truck was no longer moving.

"Connor," he whispered, shaking his shoulder.

Connor immediately jolted upright with a snarl. Taking a few moments in the darkness, he asked, "What is it?"

"We're here," Ben said. "Vaughn's territory."

That smell… the bright scent of raindrops on moss; it had once been his favorite smell. Now, it leaked through the sealed truck door to torment him.

Connor pulled Ben close, rubbing his arms as if to shield him from the outside. "I'm with you, no matter what," he rumbled.

Ben tilted his head back, seeking Connor's mouth in the darkness. Connor kissed him, hard and claiming.

The truck door opened with them still pressed together.

Craven waved his hand in front of his hand in a show of disgust. "Separate the lovebirds before I throw up," the second ordered.

Several wolves clambered into the truck and pulled them apart. Ben resisted the need to fight as he was jostled to the door and made to jump down onto a dirt road. He would wait for the right chance.

His gaze lifted to the towering forest all about them. At this time of year, there should be jays squabbling and singing from their nests, but the forest was eerily quiet. The only sound came from the rattle of Connor's chains as he was shuffled out between two large wolves. They'd bound his wrists to a chain around his waist, too, but nothing in Connor's stance said he was cowed.

Damn fool alpha was going to get himself killed.

The wolves marched Ben and Connor behind a long stone building that was probably the pack house. A clearing stripped down to bare mud awaited them. Several large holes in the ground marked the area, all with wire mesh covering the tops.

A cage for prisoners.

For there to be so many meant Vaughn regularly kept captives or unruly wolves in the ground.

Craven pulled back the wire covering one of the holes, grinning. "Welcome home, sprite."

A wolf kicked Ben in the lower back, sending him tumbling into the hole.

Ben landed hard on his shoulder, although it was better than Connor, who couldn't put his hands out to protect his fall. The alpha grunted and rolled onto his back, winded.

The wire dropped over the top of their wooden cage with a bang.

Craven peered down at them and dropped a large spitball into the dirt beside Ben's leg.

Ben glared up in hatred.

"Have fun down there," Craven called out, laughing as he walked away.

Helping Connor to sit upright, Ben carefully wiped away the dirt from Connor's face.

"Thank you, mate," Connor murmured as he caught his breath.

The endearment made Ben's heart sing, despite their circumstances. "Let's get these off you," Ben said, searching the chain. He found a padlock in the chain at Connor's waist. He gave it a frustrated tug.

"We'll figure it out," Connor said, leaning against the dirt wall.

"You don't have to coddle me, Connor. I know we're pretty screwed right now," Ben muttered, sighing.

"Mmmn, at least we're together."

Ben scowled, running a careful look over Connor. "How hard did you hit your head when Vaughn took us?"

Connor only smirked. "Our pack knows there's only one place Vaughn can go. They'll be here soon."

"Will that be before or after Vaughn turns me into powder he can snort?"

Connor shook his head. "He needs you alive, Ben. He's learned from his mistakes. Ash is finite."

Ben thought of the blood Craven wiped from him. "So Vaughn's going to, what, harvest my organs?" He heard his voice grow a little hysterical.

"Not if he wants to keep you healthy. And he will. You're no use to him sick or dead. He wants a renewable resource."

"Gross." Ben studied Connor. "Why bring you as well, though? You're too much trouble."

Connor smiled. "You know just what to say for my ego." He moved, trying to find a comfortable spot. "More like it's to keep our pack in line. Vaughn knows Oakford protects our own. He didn't want me leading the chase."

"You'd hunt me down, Connor?"

Connor looked at him squarely, blue eyes gleaming. "Of course, Ben. To the ends of the world, if you like."

Ben felt his cheeks grow hot. "Sounds like hunting is your love language."

The alpha's blue eyes darkened. "Just for you, Ben."

Ben wanted Connor to take him in the water again, although next time in their private grotto where it was private and warm. Foolish wolf didn't stand a chance.

But first they needed to get out of this mess.

It was quiet overhead, like Vaughn didn't bother to station guards to keep watch. The slant of the sunlight on the dirt wall indicated it was sometime in the early afternoon. Ben pressed against the dirt, knowing they were too far down to attempt to dig their way out.

He looked skyward, scowling at the wire covering. He stood and jumped, stretching his arms up. No surprise that he was too short. "Get your ass over here and help me."

Connor smirked as he leveraged himself upright.

Still scowling at the wire covering, Ben nudged Connor against the dirt wall and kicked off his boots before climbing his wolf like a tree. He stood on Connor's shoulders and stretched his fingers towards the wire.

"Come on, you stupid bastard luck," he muttered under his breath. His fingers barely scraped the edge of the wire. "Move a little to the left, Connor."

Connor shuffled a few steps, somehow keeping Ben perfectly balanced.

There!

A break in the wire where rust broke through. Ben stretched, muscles straining, and hooked it with his finger and bent it downwards. It was as long as his forefinger. Ben wriggled it back and forth, gritting his teeth.

"Ben," Connor whispered, his voice strained.

"Just a few more moments—hah!"

The metal broke loose and bounced off Ben's head before landing in the dirt. Ben jumped from Connor's shoulders, grinning triumphantly.

"Boots back on first," Connor said. "We don't know when they're coming for us."

Ben huffed but quickly obeyed before picking up the small piece of wire. He grabbed Connor by the hips and turned him about.

"You a lockpicker, Ben?" Connor asked, blue eyes bright with bemusement.

"No," Ben grunted, jabbing the padlock aggressively. "But you've been a lucky son of a bitch for months now."

"Only because I met you, mate, not because you're a luckbringer."

Ben briefly looked up at him, seeing the warmth in Connor's eyes. He flushed. "Yeah, well, you need me to be a luckbringer right now." He spat on the padlock as if that would make any difference. He forced himself to slow down, working on blind hope. He had no idea what he was doing, but?—

Something in the padlock clicked open.

"Fuck me, Ben," Connor breathed in amazement.

Ben jumped to his feet, about to yank the padlock away when a shadow fell over the top of their cage. He quickly stepped back, fearful the enemy knew what he achieved. Gazing up, Ben stilled.

Vaughn glared down at them. "I don't have time for your bullshit, Stone. Tell me how you did it."

Ben and Connor shared a look.

"Might want to be more specific, asshole," Connor called up. He looked relaxed as if they weren't in a hole surrounded by murderous wolves.

"Craven promised the sprite's blood was powerful," Vaughn muttered. He looked stressed, like something was wrong.

Ben really hoped so. "Was that before or after I knocked Craven out using a toilet bowl?" he called up.

Vaughn's dark eyes glittered. "Your luck's tainted, sprite. I need to know—is it because Stone owns you?"

Ben glanced sharply at Connor. "He doesn't own me."

Vaughn sneered. "Stone's played you for months now. All that time, he's been twisting your luck around his claws." His black gaze moved to Connor. "Tell me what you did, Stone, and I'll go easy."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Sounds to me like you're running out of time. Bad luck coming to roost, Vaughn?"

Vaughn scowled heatedly. He stepped back. "Fuck this, I've waited long enough. Get them up here," he ordered.

Wolves hurried to obey, pulling back the wire cage and dropping down a ladder.

Vaughn waved impatiently for Ben to climb up, but Ben pressed against the dirt wall.

"Go fuck yourself, Vaughn," Ben spat.

Snarling, Vaughn ordered wolves down into the hole. Ben tried to stop them from touching Connor, but both he and Connor were quickly carried up and dumped in the mud at Vaughn's boots.

"Out of respect from one alpha to another, I'll ask you a final time," Vaughn said to Connor, who was kept on his knees by two wolves. "How did you bind the sprite's luck?"

Connor blinked in surprise. "I did what? "

Ben burst out laughing. "You smoked too much ash, Vaughn. Connor doesn't have my luck—if he did, he wouldn't be here!"

"I go where you go, Ben," Connor said quietly, not taking his eyes off Vaughn.

Ben gaped at him.

"He did something to you, sprite," Vaughn spat.

Connor tilted his head contemplatively. "Either my pack is on the border, or the thing that sent you scurrying across the country hunting Ben has happened."

Vaughn stared down at them, eyes hard as onyx.

The quiet spread, leaving Ben unsettled.

"Bring them," Vaughn said finally, turning to stalk into the trees.

A wolf twisted Ben's arm behind his back, high enough for his shoulder to burn. Claws dug into his neck as he was pushed into the forest behind two wolves who half-dragged Connor between them. Ben's gaze briefly dropped to the padlock at Connor's side, but he couldn't tell if it was still unlocked.

Ben tried not to think about their surroundings. Everything felt slightly different, with trees and undergrowth having changed over the years. But the smells… a lump formed in his throat. His people should be here, flitting unseen between the trees, realizing the danger these infiltrators presented. Sprites weren't warriors, but they were good at hiding.

Then a strange scent caught his attention. Something wet and bitter, with putrid decay underneath. Like rotting bodies washed ashore after a lightning storm.

The group rounded a thick stand of trees.

Ben dug in his feet, not wanting to take another step. "No…"

Before him spread out a large, deep pool bordered by smooth stone. The stagnant water was too murky to reveal the alcoves and secret caves Ben knew lay hidden under the surface. Slimy brown algae clung to the edges of the cursed water. The stench of rotting meat and foulness saturated the air even after all this time.

A massacre site.

Ben made a soft, hurt noise.

"Vaughn, you fuck," Connor breathed, realizing where they stood. "How could you not have known?"

Vaughn sniffed. "That's the thing, Stone. I knew all along this was a sprite grotto. The little assholes would have never given up their territory."

The wolves looked nervously at the pool, even their instincts telling them not to go any closer.

"Now it's a handy place for people who defy me," Vaughn said. "Keeps everyone in line."

Ben shuddered, trying not to gag.

Vaughn was suddenly in front of him, fisting Ben's hair to wrench his gaze up. "Give yourself to me."

"W-what?" Ben stared into hard black eyes.

"Whatever Stone did to claim you, reject it now," Vaughn said. "I can let him live."

Ben flicked his gaze to Connor. "Claim?"

Connor held his gaze, his expression carefully blank.

"Connor didn't claim me. He helped me," Ben said.

It took him months to realize Connor's end game; to have Ben grow strong and capable in a fight, despite how it increased the chances of Ben leaving him.

Connor's blue eyes turned warm.

Fingers scraped along Ben's scalp.

"It's cute you think so, sprite. What Stone really did was steal your luck."

Ben met Vaughn's black eyes. "Connor can't steal what's always been his. He's my fated love. My beloved."

He might never have met Connor were it not for the slaughter of his clan. Maybe Ben would have always felt an emptiness eating away at him, an ache for something he didn't know was missing.

More likely, his luck would have conspired in other ways for him and Connor to meet. They were fated, after all.

Connor smiled. Mine , he mouthed.

Warmth burst within Ben.

"How unfortunate for Stone," Vaughn said, releasing Ben with a hard shove.

Ben stumbled back a pace, grabbed once more by a wolf.

Vaughn stalked behind Connor, and without any warning or fanfare, kicked him into the pool.

" No!" Ben screamed as Connor disappeared into the depths.