Chapter 26

26

M y escape isn't nearly as triumphant as I thought it'd be. I call my wolf forward as soon as I rush into the cover of the forest outside the hunters' cabin, intent on using her speed to put as much distance between me and this place as possible, but my inner animal and I are decidedly not on the same page. Though she knows we need to get away from here, she doesn't want to leave our mate behind.

I can't deny how strong the pull of the bond is. The further I get from where I left Cam, the harsher the tug in my chest becomes. Still, I force my wolf to push on, even when I can tell it's breaking her. Even as the sound of a pained howl echoing from the way I came nearly breaks me .

Rationally, I know I can't turn back. I have to keep pushing on if there's any hope of making it home. Once I'm safely there, I'll have plenty of time to agonize over tonight's revelations and curse fate for tethering me to my mortal enemy. I'll be able to sort all of this out and decide what I'm going to do. Until then, I need to put him out of my mind completely and focus on getting to the six-pack territory.

Just keep going.

Every sound in the forest has me on high alert, my heart thundering riotously in my chest as my paws pound against the earth like a chaotic drum beat. I'm running on pure adrenaline, my lungs burning under the exertion and my muscles straining. I might've escaped that cell, but I'm not in the clear yet. The hunters will be coming after me. My capture only proved how vulnerable I am without the strength of my pack, and I won't let them catch me on my own again.

My wolf leads the way, her internal compass guiding us through thickly forested areas and along the outskirts of sparsely populated towns. I cross creeks and highways, picking my way through heavy brush and sprinting across open plains. I don't think, I just keep moving.

I lose all sense of time as I push my body to its absolute limit. The moon sinks lower in the sky, and the inky blackness of night begins to give way to the pale glow of dawn. I try to pace myself, alternating between a slow jog and all-out sprints, but as adrenaline ebbs, exhaustion sets in.

Just a little further.

That's what I've been telling myself every mile of this journey, despite having no grasp on how many are behind me or how many more I actually have to cover. The pads of my paws are shredded and bleeding. My muscles are stiff, cramping with dehydration. My body is dangerously close to giving out, too broken down to heal itself, and while I know I need to rest, I refuse to give up until I make it home.

My mind is starting to play tricks on me. The forested landscape I've found myself in is somehow both foreign and familiar, and I vaguely wonder if I've been going in circles. The sharp edge of a rock slices into one of my front paws and I stumble a step, a feeble whine slipping from my throat when I lose my footing and collapse to the ground. My teeth clack together painfully and my muscles scream under the effort to push myself back up to stand.

I barely make it another step before I stumble again, and this time, I don't have the strength to get back up. My brain is saying to keep pushing, but my body won't cooperate when I'm this physically depleted. I need to rest and heal, but I can't. I can't…

Suddenly, a voice tickles the back of my mind, so muffled that it sounds as if I'm underwater. Distantly, I register that it's coming through my wolf's mind-link, calling out to me by name- and for a second, I wonder whether I'm imagining it. I'm delirious enough at this point that it's possible.

Then two wolves spring into view, and I nearly weep with the relief of recognition. They bound toward me, nosing at my limp body and whining in distress, but I'm so out of it that I can't make out their continued attempts at communication through the mind-link. My wolf is barely hanging on by a thread. She must decide we're safe now, because a heartbeat later, she cedes control completely. The air shimmers as my bones snap and rearrange, returning me to my human form while my inner animal tucks herself away in the back of my mind to recover.

I'm so fatigued that my body is beyond the point of pain. I'm numb. Black spots cloud my vision as the other wolves shift, then a pair of strong arms thread beneath my naked, shivering form and lift me from the ground.

"Hang in there, Aves," my friend Lo coos, stroking my hair away from my face gently as her mate cradles me in his arms. "You're going to be okay."

The last thing I hear before I lose consciousness is the deep rumble of Javi's voice as he curls me securely into his warm chest, murmuring, "You can rest now. We've got you."

When I start to come to, it's like grasping for a sliver of light in the darkness. My mind slowly stirs, my senses awakening with the realization that I'm lying on a soft bed, enveloped in the familiar, comforting scent of home. I don't open my eyes. Instead, I sink my fingers into the soft fabric of the duvet, clinging to the feeling of peace and safety. If this is just a dream, I want it to last a little longer.

I briefly consider that I've died and gone to heaven, but then I remember how I punched a one-way ticket to hell when I started sleeping with the enemy, securing my damnation each time I let him make me come. Nothing will absolve me of my sins, especially when I don't regret committing them. I did what I had to in order to survive. Given half the chance, I'd do it all over again. I clearly don't belong amongst the angels.

I finally work up the courage to blink the sleep from my eyes, a shaky breath of relief leaving my lips as I confirm that this isn't all a dream. I'm in my bedroom at the Goldenleaf packhouse, surrounded by all the comforts of home. I actually made it. I'm safe.

I'm still groggy and exhausted, so it takes me a second to fully get my bearings as I shift my weight on the mattress and look around. That's when I realize I'm not alone in here- there's a chair pulled up beside my bed, my twin brother currently reclined back in it with his feet propped up on the mattress, passed out with his neck bent at an awkward angle. Even in sleep, his brow is furrowed, his lips drawn in a tight frown. That's Maddox Kessler for you- perpetually brooding and angry at the world.

I suppose he has a reasonable excuse this time, though. My capture couldn't have been good for his raging abandonment issues.

The sound of shuffling footsteps in the hall draws my attention across the room, and moments later, Sloane appears in the doorway, her moss-green eyes flying wide when they meet mine. She opens her mouth to speak, but clamps it shut again when I raise a finger to my lips and flicker a glance in Madd's direction .

"He's barely slept since you've been gone," she whispers as she tiptoes toward me, rounding the other side of the bed. "He's been going crazy."

"I figured as much," I mumble as I push up with a wince. I scooch across the mattress and swing my legs over, Sloane's arms immediately wrapping around me in a tight hug.

"We were so worried," she sniffles, the sound of her voice muffled against my hair.

I thread my arms around her slender body, my eyes sliding closed as I give her a squeeze. It's so surreal to be here with her right now. There were moments when I wondered if I'd ever see my best friend again.

"How long was I out?" I ask as I finally let go, allowing her to take a step backwards and meet my eyes once more.

"Twelve hours, give or take. You were in pretty bad shape when Javi and Lo brought you in."

"Shit," I hiss, scrubbing a hand over my face. I feel the grit of dirt beneath my palm as I do, realizing that I'm in desperate need of a shower.

"The medics came by to check you out and pump you full of fluids, but even when they said all you needed was rest, Madd refused to leave," Sloane continues, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb her mate's slumber.

I glance over my shoulder at my brother, my chest constricting as I consider how distraught he must've been over the past weeks. Swallowing thickly, I swivel my head back around to face Sloane, her eyes rounded in concern.

"Are you… do you wanna talk about it?" she asks carefully.

I blow out a breath, pressing my palms into the mattress at either side of my hips and pushing up to stand. "I need to shower," I murmur, avoiding her gaze.

She steps backwards to give me space, nodding in understanding. "Sure, go ahead. I'll just wait here in case he wakes up."

I offer Sloane a tight-lipped smile as I slink past her, grabbing some clothes from my dresser on my way to the en-suite bathroom and closing myself inside. Everything's exactly how I left it- my toothbrush is still resting on the edge of the sink, my facewash is still uncapped from the last time I used it- but the girl staring back at me through the mirror is practically a stranger. My skin is pale and filthy, my hair is matted, and my eyes lack their usual sparkle. I'm me, but I'm also… not .

Cringing at my reflection, I turn away, leaving the fresh set of clothes on the edge of the counter and stripping out of the oversized t-shirt and shorts someone must've put me in to sleep. Then I crank on the shower, waiting impatiently for the water to warm before stepping beneath the spray.

I scrub my body until my skin is reddened and raw, shampooing my hair twice before combing copious amounts of pear-scented conditioner through with my fingers. I adjust the temperature of the water to cold before rinsing it out, and by the time I towel off, dress in clean clothes, and brush out my long, silken tresses, I'm feeling more human than I have in weeks. It's amazing how such a simple ritual can soothe my battered soul.

By the time I step out of the bathroom, my brother's awake and on his feet, standing beside the chair he was resting in with his arms wrapped around Sloane. He lifts his head and the second our gazes collide, something inside me cracks open, tears springing to my eyes.

"Aves," he croaks, his own eyes glassy and brimming with anguish.

Sloane presses up on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on Madd's cheek before untangling herself from his embrace. "I'm gonna go get your parents and let them know she's awake," she says quietly to him, shooting me a smile of encouragement as she turns to start for the door.

Madd crosses the room to me in a few long strides, throwing his arms around my body and yanking me into his hard chest. All the air leaves my lungs on impact, his warmth leeching into my bones and his familiar scent wrapping around me like a security blanket. I can't hold back my tears any longer- they spill down my cheeks, soaking into the fabric of his faded black t-shirt.

"I never stopped looking," he rasps, clutching onto me like he's afraid if he lets go, I'll disappear.

"I know," I whisper, winding my arms around his waist and squeezing him tight.

Madd pulls back just enough to look down at me, his expression contorting to rage when he sees the tears streaming down my face. "They're fucking dead, all of them," he growls, unwinding his arms from my body to cup my face in his callused palms. His eyes lock with mine as he swipes the moisture from my cheeks with his thumbs. "I'll rip them apart piece by fucking piece, you hear me? They'll be begging me to put them out of their misery by the time it's over, but I'll make sure that they can never hurt you again."

I shake my head, choking back my emotion. Shit , I have so much to tell him. So much that I still need to sort out in my own brain. But right now, I just want to freeze this moment in time and commit those angry eyes and that menacing scowl to memory. I know he means every word he says because my twin is a straight up psychopath. He's a psycho that loves me beyond measure, though, and I wouldn't trade his crazy ass for anything.

"Not if I kill them all first," I joke, wiping at my nose with the back of a hand.

His lips curl into a grin and I crack a smile of my own, laughing through my tears as my parents burst into the room.

"Avery!" Mom gushes, rushing toward me. She elbows Madd out of the way, wrapping me up in a hug so tight that it threatens to choke the life out of me while Dad presses in from the other side .

"Hey, baby girl," he coos, leaning over to drop a kiss on my forehead. "You gave us a hell of a scare, you know that?"

Mom reluctantly loosens her grip enough for me to spin toward my dad, and he hugs me just as tight, whispering how glad he is that I'm finally home. I swear his hair has gotten even more grey in my absence, but it suits him. My mom sheds rare tears of vulnerability as she clasps my hand tightly in hers, swearing to deliver vengeance to my captors.

The entire reunion is emotionally overwhelming, and as if he can sense I'm about to lose it, Madd breaks up the hug-fest and tugs me away, urging my parents to give me room to breathe. He guides me to sit on the edge of the bed and everyone else settles in around me, Sloane reappearing with a bottle of water. She hands it over and I gulp down the entire thing in a matter of seconds.

"Your aunt and uncle are on their way," Mom provides, perching on the edge of the bed beside me. "Your cousin, too. If you aren't up for visitors yet, I can try to hold them off, but I can't guarantee Theo will listen. Or River, for that matter."

I snort a laugh, shaking my head. "That's fine by me. I'm excited to see everyone, it feels like I've been gone forever."

Her eyes round in sympathy as she reaches over to set her hand on top of mine. "All that matters is that you're home now," she states, giving my hand a little squeeze.

My brother and dad start filling me in on what's been going on since I've been away, telling me how everyone came together to form search parties and scour the woods day and night. As eager as I am to catch up on what I've missed, there's a dull burning in my chest that I can't ignore, growing stronger by the minute. My inner wolf whines in distress as she tugs on the fragile threads of the mate bond.

He's in pain. I don't know how I know, I just do- I can feel an echo of Cam's agony through our fated bond, and the more I try to ignore it, the more insistent my wolf is that we can't. Something's wrong. He's suffering, and I have no idea what to do about it.

I can't go back for him. I just made it home; I'm finally safe. He's still the enemy, even if he's also my mate. But fuck … how can I just leave him there if he's in trouble? What if he truly didn't know what he was until last night?

Even after the Beast let her go, Belle went back to save him...

The roar of motorcycles outside jolts me from my inner turmoil, my mom springing to her feet in response.

"Sounds like they're here," she announces, extending an eager hand toward me. "Do you wanna come downstairs?"

I nod, donning my best fake smile as I take her hand and allow her to pull me up from the edge of the bed. Dad, Sloane, and Madd get to their feet, too, all five of us starting for the door.

As I step out into the hall, there's another sharp pinching sensation in my chest, reminding me that even though I escaped that cell, I'll never truly be free. Not from my obligations, not from my choices. Not from the godforsaken pull of the mate bond ripping me apart from the inside.

Freedom is nothing but a bittersweet lie.