9. Caja

Chapter 9

Caja

A gunshot rings through the night, the sound one I recognize from home.

Sometimes Omegas escaped.

But it was always only temporary.

I duck down on the path, my wolf's ears flattening as I try to determine where the sound came from. Only to hear another soon after. Then a ferocious growl. And howls .

So. Many. Howls.

I shiver, my fur standing on end.

Where's Enrique?

Bullets can't kill our kind, just momentarily debilitate us. But that debilitated state could be long enough for someone to cut off a head and permanently kill a shifter.

Is Enrique hurt?

I pause on the steep incline to look up to where we parted ways. My bottom lip snags between my teeth. Should… should I go back? Does he need me?

How could I help? I wonder in the next breath, my stomach twisting at the thought.

I… I have claws and teeth… but I've never fought anyone. And I won't stand a chance against an Alpha, let alone a pack of them.

No.

I need to keep going and do what Enrique said. That's what he told me from the beginning—to do what he says, when he says it.

And he said to go down to the water and hide.

Swallowing, I continue my trek, my wolf's paws digging into the earth to help me balance on this severely angled decline. It's not a cliff, but it's bordered by one.

My wolf peeks over the edge, eliciting a tremble deep within. I've never experienced a height like this before, but I'm not a fan.

Another shot rings out, the echo of it skittering down my spine. Or that's what it feels like, anyway.

Moons, please let Enrique be okay.

I force my wolf to move, our paws quivering against the ground.

I'm nearly to the bottom when an explosion rings out, causing me to freeze.

Roars follow, then a shadow appears at the top of the cliff. It's a massive wolf with dark fur and bright gold eyes.

Those eyes lock on me as his lips pull back in a menacing snarl. I hear it as clear as though he were next to me. Then he tips his head back and howls.

Oh, Gods…

My insides quiver, my stomach clenching even harder.

I scramble the rest of the way down toward the water, suddenly needing to cool down. Because my veins are on fire. And my wolf… my wolf wants to let go. To force me back into human form.

No, no, no, I repeat as I sprint into the lagoon. The chill does little to dispel the heat overwhelming my nerve endings.

It's like an inferno is eating through my very being.

I roll around, trying to calm the roaring flames. But they're all consuming.

And the growls…

Gods, the growls…

I whine, my wolf disappearing as my human form forces its way out.

A scream rips through my throat, the pain of the shift leaving me helpless and useless in the water.

What's happening to me?

"Move!" Enrique snarls, his mouth suddenly at my ear as his hands grab my hips.

I try to obey him. But I… I can't. It's too much. The howls. The growls .

I… I…

A vibration overtakes me as something warm cradles my head. Enrique…

He's purring.

He's here.

He's alive.

But the world is spinning. Moving too fast. And I'm still too hot. Too… too overwhelmed.

The purr intensifies, Enrique's arms resembling muscular bands around my torso.

Or I… I think those are his arms.

Before I can truly determine the source of the bands, they're gone. And the purring disappears, too.

"I'll be back for you," I hear him say.

I open my mouth to reply, but a boom rattles through every inch of my body, making it impossible to speak.

The world goes completely dark.

Then glitters of moonlight peek at me through the ceiling.

Where am I? I marvel, twisting as much as my stomach will allow. It turns out not to be much because a spasm rings through me, causing me to curl into a ball once more. Owwwww.

Tears form in my eyes, watering my vision.

Water , I think, clinging to that word. There's water… beneath me.

I… I seem to be on some sort of slippery rock. My hand trails along it, the cool texture a welcome reprieve against my hot fingertips. Some of the flames seem to be dying off, my chest no longer burning with unspeakable heat.

I sigh, my eyes falling closed as I draw indiscernible objects against the rock.

Time passes.

Minutes. Hours. I'm not really sure.

I'm lost in a daze, my limbs falling numb.

Then another pang hits me in the stomach, stirring a moan from deep within.

Gods, it hurts!

Every part of me aches, breathing new life into the fire inside me.

A scream lodges in my throat, my hand covering my mouth. Then I bite down on my palm in an attempt to hold it all in. I've experienced agony before. I know how to silence myself. But Gods, this is unlike anything I've ever experienced.

I roll off the rock, then flail as my body is submerged in chilly water. A gurgling sound bubbles around my ears, my arms moving wildly while my hands search for something to grab on to.

Rock , I think, my nails digging into the surface as I try to pull myself up. Then my knees scrape against more jagged edges under the water, drawing blood. But I don't care, I kneel on the rough surface, my head above water and my arms on the stone I just rolled off of.

Or I assume this is where I fell from.

I blink, some of the surrounding area appearing around me. There's more light now. Not that I should need it; my night vision is usually really good. But there are streams of sunlight coming from far above, illuminating the cave around me.

It's… it's a little oasis.

There are waterfalls trickling in along the walls, splashing into the lagoon I'm now kneeling in.

My insides clench again, but not as violently as before, the water seeming to provide a temporary reprieve.

I shuffle a little to sit on my feet, the water hitting just above my breasts. It's not deep, at least not where I am.

I suspect it might be a similar depth all throughout this underground utopia, but I don't feel comfortable enough to explore. Who knows when that agonizing sensation will hit me again? And if it is deeper elsewhere, I may drown.

Swimming isn't a talent I ever mastered.

Moving again, I sit down and tuck my knees to my chest, then rest my chin on top. The water covers me from the neck down, providing me with even more relief.

Slowly, I start to feel more like me. More focused. More… aware.

Where's Enrique? I wonder, glancing up at the daylight streaming in again. It's definitely been hours since he left. And I haven't heard anything other than the roaring in my head for a while.

Now, all I hear is the trickle of water.

It's soothing, but not as soothing as Enrique's purr.

"I'll be back for you," he said.

When? I want to ask now. And where did you go?

I swallow.

What if he doesn't come back?

I can go a long time without food and water. But… but I'll have to venture out eventually. If I can even find a way out , I think, frowning as I scan the walls again.

I don't see an obvious exit.

Am I trapped in here? The hairs along my nape stand on end, my mind recalling the explosion I heard after Enrique promised to return for me. I can't remember what followed, the only sounds ones driven by my agony.

What if he sealed this cave somehow?

What if the rocks fell by accident?

Was it a cave-in?

I bite my lower lip once more, my heart pounding in my chest.

Panicking isn't going to help, but neither is sitting here in this lagoon.

Pushing upright, I take a step, wanting to explore, only for flames to overwhelm me once more. A cry escapes me as my knees give out, and the watery haven instantly engulfs me in its cool kiss.

I shiver, more tears trekking down my cheeks.

What's wrong with me? I feel so weak. So helpless. So… so… hot .

My eyes widen.

Heat .

Gods, I'm so na?ve.

I'm going into heat .

My Alpha stopped the suppressants earlier this month with the anticipation of delivering me to Alpha Carlos. He wanted my heat to be explosive .

And now… now it's finally happening.

In a cave.

On an island in the middle of nowhere.

Filled with growling and howling Alphas.

I curl my legs into my chest and press my forehead to my knees, my breath fanning across water right below my face.

I'm going to die here, I realize.

Because there's no escaping my fate.

Once my estrus hits, I'll be a mindless mess.

And those Alphas… those Alphas are going to knot me to death.

Unless Enrique returns for me.

If he's even alive…