Chapter 3
GREY
Cael releases a chuckle under his breath, the sound grating on my nerves. “I really wish I could stay and watch how this all unfolds,” he muses. “Our little seer is a firecracker.”
“She’s not ours,” I tell him again.
But one look his way confirms he’s just trying to piss me off.
“Yes, the commentary earlier, plus all the growling, made that clear.”
“I haven’t growled.”
“You have,” he informs me, his bright eyes glittering with knowledge. “Perhaps not vocally, but the growl was felt.” He cocks his head. “It’s a good thing I like you too much to accept that challenge from your wolf.”
I scoff at that. “I wasn’t challenging you, and if I was, we both know I’d win.”
One of his dark brows inches upward. “Last time we sparred, it was a tie.”
“Because I didn’t have anyone or anything to fight for.” I look at the bedroom door. “That’s changed over the last month.”
“The last month?” Cael echoes, feigning confusion. “Did I fall into a time warp?”
I fold my arms and return my focus to the asshole across from me. “You know Z-Clan wolves are fated. And you know she’s mine. So stop trying to piss me off and be helpful instead.”
His expression clears, his royal mask falling into place. “I am helping. You just don’t realize it yet.”
I stare at him.
He stares back.
“I hate your games.”
The mask cracks, his lips curling a little into a smile. “You’ll love this one, G.”
I shake my head. “No, I won’t, C.”
He lifts a shoulder, then reaches for the drink Ashlyn left for him on the table. It’s not water, but a beer from my mini fridge.
And not just any beer, but one from the pack I put in there specially for Cael.
Clever seer, I think, suddenly a lot more tired than minutes ago.
“She doesn’t know where Nikiski is,” I say, grabbing my water—I don’t care for alcohol—and taking a long drink. “So we’re no closer to finding her.” I can’t help the subtle hint of bitterness in my tone. Reading those journal entries gave me hope.
I finally thought we might be close.
And now… now I don’t fucking know where to begin. Again.
Cael sets his bottle down. “She might not know a distinct location, but she’s seen visions of where you need to go. Just give her time to share them, and perhaps it’ll give you the clues we need.”
I dip my chin, agreeing with him even as the bitterness spreads through my veins.
It’s not Ashlyn I blame, but myself.
I had one job that night.
One task.
“Grab Nikiski.”
That’s all my mother asked me to do.
But when I went into my sister’s room, Spruce was there waiting for me.
His lips parted into an evil grin, his green eyes glittering with triumph.
Than he fucking disappeared with our sister in his burly arms, mere seconds before Cael’s father shadowed into the compound with his Elites.
My father died horribly that night, a fact that’s never bothered me.
But Spruce’s betrayal has forever plagued me.
My own fucking brother.
He took Nikiski to the slave trade—to fucking Prince Tadhg—in exchange for a job. Then Spruce died for his trouble.
Selfish. Fucking. Prick.
“I know that look,” Cael says, his voice dragging me back to the present. “Stop thinking about him.”
“He was my fucking twin.”
“I know.” His vibrant irises run over me. “You got all the good traits; he got all the bad. And he’s dead. Let’s focus on the one that matters—your sister.”
I hate when Cael is the voice of reason.
I hate even more that I expected him to say Ashlyn at the end of that sentence.
Because my priorities are fucking confused.
I’ve spent a literal lifetime trying to find my sister. I know she’s alive. I can feel it in my soul. Just like I sensed when Spruce was killed.
All I’ve desired is to save her from whatever hell she’s currently experiencing. It’s all I’ve lived for.
Until a few weeks ago when a pair of pretty blue eyes looked up at me from a damn screen.
Fate ensnared me by the knot, and here I am, floundering like a damn pup.
I finish my water and set it on the table, then note that Ashlyn barely touched her food. Fuck. I stand without comment and head toward the bedroom, determined to call her back out here to eat. And maybe to apologize.
Because I hadn’t meant to chastise her.
However, her disappearance brought back some harmful memories.
And for a moment, I thought I’d lost her, too.
“Scared” was too polite a term for how I felt when I learned about her disappearance.
Still, I shouldn’t have commented on her choice of being a martyr.
So, I’ll apologize… then coax her to eat.
Only, as I open the door, I realize she’s already tucked herself in—robe and all—in the middle of my big bed. Her blonde hair is fanned over the pillows, her lashes resting prettily against her porcelain cheeks.
But there’s a lone tear clinging to one of those lashes, the sight of it stirring an ache in my chest.
Did I put that there? Or did something else? I wonder, suddenly wanting to slay whatever made her cry. Myself, included.
Gritting my teeth, I back out of the room and quietly shut the door again, then turn to find Cael right behind me with an intent expression on his face.
“What are you doing?” I demand.
“Making sure you don’t do something foolish.”
“Like what?” I ask him, suddenly enraged by his lack of trust. “I know how to respect an Omega, Cael.”
He considers me for a moment, nods, and takes two steps back. “I know you do, G. Or you usually do, anyway. But you seem… off your game.”
“Off my game,” I repeat with a snort. “You play games, Cael. Not me.” I move around him, done with this ridiculous conversation. “Don’t you have a sector to run?”
“I do,” he replies, following me back to the kitchen and watching as I start cleaning everything up. “I also came to give you a present.”
“Words of advice?” I guess. “A knife to stab you with?” I look back at him. “Maybe a gun for a new round of target practice, whereby you offer yourself up as said target?”
He huffs a laugh. “Always so creative. And you couldn’t hit me, even if you tried.”
“I could,” I promise him. “I never miss a shot.” It’s one of my many talents.
He grins. “There’s my best friend. Good of you to make an appearance. I was beginning to worry.”
I shake my head at him. “You’re a fucking menace, Your Majesty.”
“I am,” he agrees, then sets a watch down on the counter.
The sight of it makes me growl.
Cael knows how I feel about metal against my skin.
And while I can concede that the high-tech gadget has its uses, I fucking loathe wearing watches.
He knows this.
Just as he absolutely knew I hadn’t worn one when I left to retrieve Ashlyn.
Hence the reason he’s brought me one now.
Fuck.
“Wrong on all accounts, I’m afraid.” His words are light, poking fun at my guesses while trying to tame my reaction to his gift. “I know you hate them, Grey, but it’ll help you keep me informed on your progress. Plus it’s added security.”
I grunt. “I can handle myself.”
“While I agree, I think we both know this is the smart play—for her.” He glances at the bedroom door.
Like I need to know who he means.
Or maybe I do.
Her could also apply to Nikiski.
Maybe it applies to both.
I don’t fucking know, but I’m extremely unamused by this “gift” of his. Being practical is a moot point. I don’t have to like it just because he’s right.
“Alternatively, you could bring our little seer back to Lunar Sector, if you prefer,” he murmurs.
I narrow my gaze. “Refer to her as ours one more time,” I dare him.
His grin grows into a full smile. “Good luck, Grey. And try not to be too hard on our little seer, yeah?” He disappears before my fist can meet his jaw, the bastard’s chuckle a residual echo in the air that has me growling in annoyance.
“Asshole,” I mutter, aware that I’ve called him that more than once this hour.
The watch lights up with a message, creating a translucent screen above it. I snort when I read the note as it appears one word at a time. Love you, too, brother.
I know he hasn’t bugged my lair. He just anticipated my insult.
Because he knows me well. Too well, in fact.
A sigh leaves me, and I focus on finishing up in the kitchen. Ashlyn is going to need something better to eat tomorrow. Something nutritious and filling.
Too bad all I have are canned and boxed goods in the pantry. I rarely ever visit this safe house, keeping it stocked with just the essentials—like water for me and beer for Cael.
Maybe I’ll go for a run in wolf form and see what I can catch. Or fish in the pond out back.
I grab the back of my neck and stretch, my body far tighter than it should be.
A shift could be good.
I’ll just have to ensure my presence isn’t sensed by anyone nearby. Or maybe go several miles away for my run so I don’t lure anyone back to the cave.
Hmm. I stretch my arms over my head, then go check on Ashlyn again. She’s still tucked into a ball, sound asleep in my bed.
It’s the only one in this lair.
Which means we’re going to have to share it.
Fortunately, it’s big enough for us both.
But I can’t join her in my current mood. I need to run off some steam.
So a run it is, I decide, pulling off my shirt and laying it on my couch as I return to the living area. My pants and boxers follow.
Fully naked, I find a notepad and a pen to write a note for Ashlyn—letting her know where I’ve gone—then grab Cael’s present and shadow to a nearby tundra. The terrain makes it easy to spot potential threats. The terrain could also be useful for “losing” this precious piece of metal.
Alas, Grey’s right.
So I slide the damn thing onto my wrist and growl as the magical metal melts into my skin. It feels like a damn noose around my neck, reminding me of a previous life.
Of a collar that suffocated my aura.
Growling, I engage my shift, aware the device will transition with me. Fortunately, it doesn’t throttle my powers. It just… aids them. A different kind of tech.
My white paws touch the earth a few seconds later, my wolf eager and ready for a sprint.
So I let him go.
Enjoy the wind in my fur.
Free my mind.
And simply… exist.