Chapter 19
“Shatter.”
I spun, jumping out of my skin at the sound of Roxy’s voice. I was in the parking lot, and Roxy was hurrying toward me, wearing a cream winter coat with a bag slung over her shoulder.
“Hi!” I said.
“Where are you going?” she asked, surprised.
“Nowhere.”
Roxy frowned, eyes narrowing. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.” My voice was far too high pitched.
Dammit.
It was Saturday morning, and I was sneaking out. It was the culmination of all of my plans. And (partly) the reason I’d been banging my alphas every night this week. Except Dusk, who was banned from my nest for the time being. But if they weren’t so worn out, there would be no way for me to have snuck out with the new boots Ransom had gifted me last night.
“Where are your alphas?” she asked.
“I got new shoes, I was going to try them out…” I trailed off pathetically.
“Well. I’m coming. There’s a really nice coffee shop that just opened?—”
“You can’t,” I said quickly, edging back. “But I’ll be back to study later.”
Roxy’s eyes narrowed even further, then she was tucking her phone into her bag and striding after me.
“Oh. No, really. You can’t.” Shit. I glanced around. I was sure I didn’t have much time to get away before one of them noticed I was gone. “I mean. You won’t have fun.”
“I don’t care.”
Oh bother. How could I get rid of her?
“It involves… bussing. And a lot of walking,” I said. Not a lie.
I’d mapped out my entire route before my phone had broke again.
“You’re leaving campus?” she asked, but I covered her mouth instantly.
“Shh!” There was no way I was getting rid of her. I could see it in her eyes. “You can’t tell anyone.”
“Your pack doesn’t know?” she asked when I finally removed my hand.
“It’s top secret.”
“But the Lincoln pack are after you—you said Dusk was worried it wasn’t safe.”
“If you come, you have to keep everything secret.”
“My lips are sealed,” she said.
“And you have to turn off your phone.” I’d looked it up on the internet, and apparently if they were switched off, it was harder to track them.
Roxy was already tugging out her phone. “Done. But we aren’t bussing anywhere. I have a car.”
I chewed on my lip, considering that. “Well…” That did sound better.
“Do you know the address?” she asked, dragging me to where she was parked..
“Yes. It was going to take about four hours on transit, but it shouldn’t be as long to drive.”
“I’m surprised you got away at all. They’re like barnacles,” Roxy said as I climbed into the passenger seat of her little blue car. I smiled as I spotted a Christmas tree dangling from the rear-view mirror.
“Oh. It was a lot of work. I had to make them really tired—and I still almost woke Umbra.”
Roxy snorted as she turned on the engine. “Make them really tired?” she asked, giving me a side eye. “Is that why you haven’t been available for studying evenings this week?”
“Maybe.”
Well, that, and I’d been collecting all I needed to know for this trip. I had a folder in my bag with everything important. I tugged out the paper with the address and handed it to her.
“I did a great job,” I said smugly as Roxy copied it into the GPS.
“And you’re sure Dusk doesn’t have some crazy way of tracking you?” she asked.
“Boots!” I declared, showing her my fresh new ones. “But I got Ransom to buy me new ones. The seduction thing is really…”
I trailed off at the look on Roxy’s face.
Oh.
I think she’d been joking.
“I suppose I really shouldn’t be surprised,” she snorted.
This trip ended up being a lot more fun than I’d expected, thanks to Roxy. Otherwise, I’d have been a big ball of worry for the entire bus ride.
“Why a bus and not a taxi?” Roxy asked me as we turned onto a country road that marked the last stretch. “It’s not like the pack doesn’t have the money.”
“Buses are safer, I think,” I said. “Once, a taxi driver kicked me out in the middle of nowhere because of my scent…” My blockers had worn off accidentally. “I had to walk for a really long time to find a bus.”
Roxy frowned. “That’s… horrible.”
After I’d left the estate, I’d been alone for months. It had probably been the loneliest time of my whole life, waiting for the start of term, when I knew I’d reach my mates.
I shoved back the thought. I shrugged stiffly. “I just stuck with public transit after. It’s always a bit easier to lie low in crowds…” Plus, the pretty beta I’d stolen the suitcase from had also had a city-wide transit pass.
I realised Roxy had given me a side-eye the way she often did when I brought up stuff like that.
“It’s better now. The bite balanced my scent,” I said reassuringly.
I spent most of that time hiding out and scouting Rookwood Academy. I avoided interacting with people, but sometimes, I’d bus back and forth on my favourite routes when I was lonely. Those were always the quiet residential routes, with fewer passengers who were mostly elderly. Elderly people often didn’t have as sharp a sense of smell, I thought, and they weren’t as quick, so even if I did have a blocker mishap, I would be much more likely to be safe.
Plus, there had been one lady I’d seen a few times, and she always offered me bran cookies. I would take them back to the little attic I was hiding in at the time and make them last all week, pretending I had a grandma who’d baked them just for me.
My nerves grew as the GPS told us we were nearing our destination. But it wasn’t until Roxy pulled up the long gravel driveway of the great estate that my anxiety really hit.
The gates were open, though that wasn’t uncommon. This place was shielded by its isolation from the rest of the world more than anything.
“What is this place?” she asked, peering out at the sprawling gardens and perfectly trimmed lawns. It was late fall, and autumn leaves covered glistening grass, leaving many of the beautiful trees bare.
“It’s where I used to live,” I said quietly. It was the place that might offer me answers.
We got out of Roxy’s car, heading up the stone steps to the huge brickwork arch framing a large dark wood door. Taking a deep breath, I lifted the heavy knocker.
The man who answered was everything I remembered. He wore the burgundy suit I’d seen so often, right down to the patch on the breast I’d watched Aunty Lauren sew on one day while we watched a movie together. His hair was more salt than pepper, but otherwise he was the same.
“Shatter?”His eyes went wide as he took me in. “You’re…” He gathered himself. “What are you doing here?”
“Uncle.” I took a breath, hugging my bag close to my chest. This was it. The last shot I had at answers—answers no one else could give. “I need your help.”