Chapter 7
Undertaker left me in that cell for hours. I didn’t have my phone, and it aggravated me that I had to keep kicking away rats in this hellhole. I was dirty, thirsty, tired, and worried about Crow. When he figured out that I was missing, he would lose his shit. Worse, he might do something stupid to get me back. I could handle that if I wasn’t so sure Undertaker might try to kill him.
“Hey,” I yelled for what had to be the twentieth time. “You can’t keep me in here forever!”
“Actually,” a soft voice contradicted, “I think he can.”
Surprised, I blinked, rushing to the bars to stare as best I could through the gaps. To the left, down one cell, a young woman with blonde hair styled in braids waved. She looked as dirty and exhausted as I felt. “Hi. How long have you been here?”
“I’m not sure. Weeks?”
Shit. “Did Undertaker kidnap you?”
She shook her head, backing away from the bars.
“Hey! Sorry! We don’t have to talk about that.”
She moved close again, resting her forehead against the cool metal. “I’m Rebecca, but I like to be called Rebel.”
Cute. “My name is Bella. Nice to meet you, Rebel.”
“Is it? Really?”
“Meeting you? Yes. Being here? Hell no.”
The corners of her lips twitched like she fought a smile. It was hard to tell in the dim light.
“Do they ever give us water?” I asked as my mouth felt dry.
“Twice a day. Sunrise and sunset. That’s when they give us food, too.”
I didn’t ask what they provided.
“You’ll get out of here.”
“Why do you say that?” I wondered.
“Because you stood up to him. He liked it.”
She heard that conversation with Undertaker.
“He hurt my sister.”
“He’s hurt a lot of people.”
Yeah, I bet. That was probably why she was here, too. Maybe he killed someone she loved.
I opened my mouth to reply when I heard the sound of metal creaking and a key turning the lock at the top of the stairs. I could see far enough down the length of the cells to make out the bottom of them. Concrete. We were at least fifteen feet below ground level.
Heavy boots thundered down the stairs as the beast heaved his bulk in my direction. “You’re being set free,” he announced as he stopped in front of my cell.
“Why? Am I getting my retribution now?”
He snorted. “Something like that.”
What the hell did that mean?
Undertaker shoved a key into the lock, pausing as he stared at me. He seemed to be considering something. “When I open this gate, you should run.”
I didn’t want to ask. Nothing good would come from his answer. I felt it deep in my bones. This wasn’t freedom. It was a test. Or maybe, an opportunity. “Should I be asking questions? Do they matter?”
“No,” he growled, “but I will tell you that your vindication is out in my forest if you can survive long enough to obtain it.”
So, yes, a test. I had to survive whatever awaited me. “Can I have a lighter?”
He tilted his head to the side, thinking it over. “Just this one item. That’s it.” His fingers plucked a metal lighter from his pocket. “Here.”
I took it from him, shoved it deep into the front pocket of my jean shorts, and cracked my neck. Jumping up and down, I prepared my body to run. I had grown cold and stiff in that cell, but now adrenaline began to pulse through my veins. “I’m ready.”
“Bella Hart?”
“Yeah?”
“You might be the first to make it.”
The first? Shit!
He opened the gate, and I rushed past him, running for the stairs, climbing them quickly, and shooting out of the underground cells at nearly top speed. The sudden light almost blinded me, but I forced myself to focus on the line of trees ahead.
And that was when I heard it. Multiple howls. A chorus that rose in pitch and lengthened in duration as if they bayed at the rising sun instead of a moon. I pumped my arms and legs, desperate to reach the edge of the forest.
Undertaker told the truth. I was bait. The hunt had begun, and he invited his entire pack to participate.
I made it to the trees and didn’t stop, knowing I had to keep moving. When I slowed down, they would find me. There was no guarantee they weren’t close now, but I had to try to outrun the wolves.
If I hadn’t known what Undertaker and his club were, this would have been a shock. Crow prepared me for this when he described his bond to his crow. Wolves shared a bond with their human side, too.
My lungs began to burn as I heaved air into them. I couldn’t keep this up. I wasn’t in terrible shape, but I didn’t run marathons either. A painful twitch in my right side slowly got worse as I slowed, pausing for a few seconds to listen. Somewhere, I heard water trickling over rocks.
There had to be a river or a lake close.
If I wanted to survive, I had to mask my scent. I probably smelled like that jail cell, and my clothes stunk. The wolves would pick up on that odor.
It didn’t take long to find the stream that spilled into a lake. I could tell from where I stood on the bank that it was deep in the middle. I’d always been a good swimmer. I decided to take my chances with the water over the wolves.
It was fucking cold as I stepped into it, going slow in order not to splash and cause too many ripples on the surface. The sun would rise high soon, around the time I’d reach the other side. A swim that should wash most of the stench from my clothes. It would be hot, and I’d dry off quickly.
This had to work.
When I finally waded out far enough to submerge my shoulders, I ducked under the surface and began to swim underwater. The temperature didn’t bother me with the consistent movement, but my shoes felt heavy, forcing me to travel slower.
I surfaced before I wanted.
My gaze bounced around the lake, but I didn’t see anyone. No wolves. No animals. Just a clear blue sky, trees, and a bright summer sun. This would have been nice if I wasn’t on the run.
It took five more trips to the surface to reach the other side of the lake. After waiting in the water for long minutes, hovering behind a grouping of large rocks, I finally left it.
I swam toward the shore when I noticed a pathway to the right, hidden mainly by overhanging rocks. It was in the path of the sun, but from both shorelines, I would be hidden from view if I hugged the inside wall of tree roots, rock, and packed dirt.
I waded toward that area, hoping my luck prevailed. My shoes were soaked and squished as I walked, but I was clear of the lake. The heat of the day had risen, and I felt my clothes begin to dry. It wasn’t the most pleasant walk. I chafed a little from the denim shorts, and my feet hurt.
But I was alive. I’d made it this far.
And then a howl rose from the trees ahead.
“DO YOU KNOW WHY THE war with the Dirty Death and my club started?” I asked, glancing between Carson and Sadie.
“Fang’s death,” Carson answered. “Undertaker’s son. From what I understand, it was an accident.”
“It was,” I confirmed, “but shit escalated when Undertaker’s property taxes weren’t paid. He lost his land because my father paid them. Rook owns the deed to a hundred acres of ancestral land that the wolves consider sacred ground.”
Carson whistled. “Damn. No wonder he’s so pissed. Rook was a genius. He could sell it back to him or use it to obtain a truce.”
“I’m not sure. He never told me about it. I didn’t know it existed until Gail found the deed in our basement.”
Thinking of my father led me back to Laurel’s visit and the note she’d given me. I reached inside my cut and retrieved it, finally feeling like it was the right time to read it.
Austin,
Son, forgive me for all the deception. I had to follow through with everything down to the smallest detail, or Carrion said you wouldn’t survive.
Oh, shit. Carrion? But when would he have told my father? He wasn’t around when I was a kid. Hell, he wasn’t much older than me. It wasn’t possible.
But then I remember my conversation with Carrion only a couple of days earlier.
“You’ll need to trust me, pres. When the time is right, stay out of it.”
“You’re asking me not to step in and protect my woman?”
“Her life depends on it.”
Fuck! “Carrion. You can’t ask that of me.”
“I have to,” he replied sadly. “If you don’t listen to me, she won’t make it.”
Nooooooo.
“This is war. We’re going to lose people. It can’t be helped. But it’s the specific people we’ll lose that can be altered.”
“Fuck.”
“And that’s a very tiny window open to keep Gail and Bella alive.”
“Are you telling me I could lose my ol’ lady and my sister?”
“Yes.”
I shuddered. Fear slithered down my spine.
“Do what I say when I say so. No hesitation. No argument. Just do it. The clock has already begun to count down.”
Rook must have had a similar experience. I didn’t know how Carrion contacted him, but he did it. There was no other explanation for why my mother would have this letter, written in my father’s handwriting, dated eighteen years earlier.
My gaze flicked back to the letter.
There are things I’ve done, decisions I had to make to keep you and your sister alive. Gail is special.
You need to keep her away from the vargulf. Undertaker’s evil side will covet her. He’ll want to possess her gifts, and he’ll end up killing her.
Right now, we hold a bargaining chip. The deed to his land. Carrion told me the right time to purchase it. It’s all we’ve got to prevent the vargulf from slaughtering us all.
He needs that land. It belonged to his ancestors. Every generation of his pack has been born on those lands. His new offspring need to be born there, too. It’ll drive the rotten magic out and banish the vargulf. Undertaker’s child is a true Alpha male. He’ll lead his pack and bring peace.
This is a lot. I know it’ll sound unbelievable. Carrion seemed to believe you would accept it after Bella was taken. He said it had to be this way.
By the time you read this, your relationship with your mother will be shit. Give Laurel a chance. For me.
She’ll tell you the truth if you’re brave enough to hear it.
I love you, son.
Your dad, Rook
Fuck.
What the hell did Carrion see that prompted all of this?
“Pull over, Carson.”
“Why?”
“I gotta piss.”
“Shit. I do, too.”
He eased the SUV off the road and onto the median, slowing to a stop. I opened the car door and walked a short distance away to a crop of trees.
Once I finished draining my bladder, I called Carrion.
He answered before it rang. Creepy. “Yeah, pres?”
“I read Rook’s letter.”
“Then you know it had to all go down just like this.”
I guess. “What you said about Gail. Is she safe?”
He paused, and I knew if I was with him, I’d see his eyes roll back in his head, and only the white portion would be visible.
“For now.”
“Can that change?”
“Shit can always change, Crow. That’s why I stay connected.”
Connected? “What do you mean?”
“The spirit world. The crows guide me.”
Wow. “Where are they?”
“Waiting.”
“Will they be there when I need them?”
He scoffed. “Always. They’re part of us. You know that.”
“If this is a success, I’ll keep Bella and Gail alive, right? They’ll be okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Who,” I paused and cleared my throat, “Who will we lose?”
“Even I can’t predict that, pres.”
I didn’t like that answer, but I could live with it. “Don’t go dark on me.”
“I won’t.”
We ended the call, and I walked back to the SUV. Carson and Sadie were waiting.
“We’re good. Let’s go.” I climbed inside and shut the door. “Only about an hour left before we reach the pack lands.”