Chapter 5 - Brad
When I see Alisha’s face fall, I immediately want to get in Mitchell’s face. I keep my cool, though, because I get the feeling he really is trying to be nice by warning us.
Probably used up every last drop of tact in his body.
It reminds me that Eccles can be a prejudiced town. After all, this is where Scarlett was ostracized for years, and I know the class divide is still a severe problem.
I say my goodbyes to the elders and get Alisha out of there as soon as possible.
She looks so miserable that my heart just goes out to her, especially after all the suffering she’s gone through over the last few years.
When I met her, she was obviously carrying a great sadness that she never shared.
Now it looks like a fuck ton of trauma was dropped on top of it.
And that was entirely my fault.
As we get into the car, I want to ask her about the incident and why Mitchell’s words hit so hard, but I know she’ll probably just clam up even harder.
What can I do to make her feel better?
Then I remember that her house had been full of plants.
She kept indoor pots in every room, and hanging baskets on the patio overflowing with herbs and flowers.
Her outdoor gardens were a flourish of chaos, runners, vegetables, and blooms breaking free of their beds to slowly overtake the overgrown lawn.
I let the silence deepen between us as I pull out onto the street.
I don’t think anything I can say would be well-received right now, and I think it would be better to surprise her by pulling up at the garden.
Anticipating her happy face when she sees the place gives me a warm feeling, and it makes me realize my urge to please her isn’t selfish—I genuinely want to see her happy.
Glancing over at her several times, I see her nervously chewing on her lower lip, her beautiful violet eyes narrowed as she looks idly out the window. I can sense the weight of her thoughts and a heavy dose of pain.
I have to make it up to her. I don’t know how, but I will!
Turning into the wide stone gates, I pull the car into a sweeping drive that leads to a parking lot beside the main entrance. Alisha blinks, sitting up suddenly as if waking up from a deep sleep.
“Where are we?” she asks.
“Come on, I’ll show you.”
We both get out of the car, and I reach for her hand. Alisha lets me take it, even though her eyes are fixed on the sign above the entrance.
“Memorial garden?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m not sure who it is supposed to remember, though. I just know it was started by the first settlers to the town and expanded on since then.”
“Why did you bring me here?” she asks with a gentle smile.
“I remember how much you love plants,” I answer. “And I just thought you needed cheering up. I haven’t actually been here before. I only know about it because of my connections to the other pack and the supply chain details.”
Alisha chuckles softly. “That sounds boring.”
I give a little huff in agreement. “Yeah, it is. Why don’t we go inside and check the place out?”
She nods enthusiastically, and we walk through the gates together.
The second Alisha steps into the main courtyard, her dark mood lifts.
It’s as if a light switches on inside her, making her skin glow and her eyes sparkle with amethyst depths.
A light, warm breeze washes over us, teasing her hair and bringing a beautiful smile to her face.
I don’t say a word, not wanting to spoil the moment for her.
I’m just happy she’s still holding my hand.
Alisha turns towards the nearest laneway, and we walk up the northern edge of the garden, following a gently winding pathway in a long curve. She stops several times to bend down and smell the flowers, or crush herbs between her fingers to enjoy the tangy scent.
“It’s so quiet here,” I say absently.
“Yes,” Alisha answers. “Just the singing of the birds, the whisper of the wind, and all the happy little contented voices.”
“What?” I ask, slightly alarmed.
“Hmm?”
“What voices?”
She frowns, looking down at the rose bloom she’s admiring. Her fingers gently graze the delicate white petals.
“I don’t know,” she replies. “It just sounded right. Now that I think of it, I can’t really hear anything…but for a moment, it felt like I could hear people talking far away, or softly singing.”
“Maybe there’s a function here,” I say with relief. “They hold picnics and other events in the garden, so maybe something is happening nearby.”
“Probably,” Alisha agrees, turning her attention back to the flower.
I don’t know. It sure looks to me like she’s communicating with it in some way. But is it talking back?
I follow Alisha up the winding path, watching her drift back and forth across the track as she examines all the flower beds, shrubs, and bushes. Every now and then, she mutters under her breath, and I start to wonder what I’ll do if she actually starts talking to the vegetation.
It could be worse, I guess. It would still be damn scary if they answered.
There is a sudden, surprised shriek from the nearby line of bushes where Alisha just disappeared. Nearly jumping out of my skin, I clear the distance in one frantic leap, landing beside Alisha and grabbing her arm to shove her behind me.
“Stay back!” I yell.
“It’s quite right,” a deep but feminine voice rises from the thick scrub. “I was just startled.”
For a moment, my entire world starts to crumble as logic leaks out of it like mortar running between the solid bricks of accepted fact.
The bush is fucking talking!
Before I can start to really panic, a woman stands up on the other side of the bushes. She’s tall and slender with a light tan and long, ash-blond hair.
“Oh, hello, Alpha Bradley,” she says in her melodic voice. “How lovely to see you here.”
“Have we met?” I ask.
“No,” she answers, smiling. “But I know who you are. I’ve seen you at events.”
“Of course,” I reply, taking a couple of steps back and keeping Alisha behind me.
The woman comes out of the bushes, carrying a small bucket in one hand and shears in the other. She’s dressed in loose pants and a long-sleeved shirt in thin, white fabric, and wears a wide-brimmed hat on her head.
“I’m Grace Fenton,” she says, dropping her shears in the bucket and holding out her hand. She frowns, shakes her head, takes off her gardening gloves, and tries again. I shake her hand warily.
“And who might you be?” Grace asks, looking behind me.
“I’m Alisha,” she answers shyly, coming forward to shake hands.
“I’m in charge of the garden,” Grace says. “We have a few gardeners, but I’m the head keeper. I’m out here practically twenty-four-seven, so if you need a guided tour, I’m your girl. Is there anything I can do for you, Alpha?”
“No, nothing specific. I just wanted to bring Alisha to see the plants.”
“No worries. I can show you around right now, if you’d like,” Grace answers.
“Just a moment,” Alisha says, gesturing to Grace’s bucket. “Were you taking cuttings from that bush?”
“Yes, I was,” Grace answers. “I want to start some more of this one, and we have a couple of hybrid flowers, so I was going to try for more of those.”
“You shouldn’t be cutting at the stalk,” Alisha says, going over to the bush to show her. “But at the first node here.”
“Interesting,” Grace replies, leaning forward to look closely at the branch. “What’s your reasoning for this?”
“Well, cutting at the base of the stalk is more like trauma, and it’s hard-edged, tougher to sprout from. The node is a natural growth point, more likely to bud, and less damage to the plant.”
“This makes perfect sense!” Grace exclaims. “I need you to come and look at the hyacinths! I can’t get the cuttings to bud. Maybe you can tell me why!”
“My pleasure,” Alisha says, and the girls turn to walk briskly up the path.
I follow along behind, wondering what I’ve gotten myself into. Mercifully, my phone rings, and I snatch it out of my pocket.
“Hello?” I answer gratefully.
“Hey,” Rex says. “I need you to come in.”
“I’m retired, Rex. I shouldn’t have to hear those exact words.”
“Okay, then. I need to talk to you about the pack business, you being my co-alpha.”
“Fuck, alright. When?”
“Now. I’ve got some boys meeting at the bend of the main track between the towns.”
“Okay, I’ll be there soon.”
“Over and out.”
Jogging to catch up with the girls, I can see they have their heads together and are talking in earnest.
I really don’t want to break this up, but I can’t leave Alisha alone.
“Hey, girls,” I say, catching up. “I have to go and meet Rex. Alisha, you better come—”
“I’m staying,” she tells me firmly. “I’m perfectly fine here. Don’t worry about me.”
I look between the two of them, struggling with my feelings. I don’t want to leave her, but the place seems so quiet and peaceful, I can’t imagine anything happening here.
“She’ll be fine,” Grace says, smiling. “I need her, anyway. I may never let her out of my sight.”
“Okay, then,” I answer. “I won’t be long, and call me right away if you need me.”
The girls slip straight back into conversation as if they have forgotten my existence, and I jog back to the truck so I can drive out through the rough track that meets between the towns.
It’s a short drive, and when I get there, Rex, Luke, Shawn, and Daniel are waiting for me.
“What’s the good word?” I ask, getting out of my truck. “If it is good, that is.”
Rex sighs. “Well. It isn’t bad. At least, not yet.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, a bit more sharply than I meant to.
I brought Alisha here to keep her safe. The last thing I need is the ancient spirit blowing the place up.
“There have still been interesting heat signatures around the mountains,” Rex says. “And generally, when that happens, hot spots light up on the rock as well.”
“How are the science guys going on that front?’
“They keep giving us a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo that basically means they have no fucking clue.”
“Right,” I mutter, chuckling. “How about the heat signature, then? Have we investigated it?”
“It keeps moving,” Luke says. “We sent out a team, but the satellite marked it flowing through a cave system, staying ahead of us. It moves like a…well, a…”
“Snake?” I say, laughing.
“Yeah,” Daniel agrees. “It really does, but if the heat signature is anything to go by, this thing is fucking huge.”
“Is it solid?” I ask, concerned. “Is it giving off life signs, or showing up as dense matter in the scans?”
“No,” Rex answers. “Just intense heat. However, it doesn’t leave scorch marks or anything like that. It’s like a ghost. The science guys can’t figure out how it can be that hot and not burn everything in its path. Very occasionally, we find a burnt trail, but not often.”
“Damn,” I mutter. “So, what can we do?”
“Nothing,” Rex answers with a small grin. “Sloan is practically tearing her hair out.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, she’s got an army and nowhere to show it off!”
All of us laugh a little, and I feel tension rising in my gut. These guys are my best friends, my brothers. I’ve bled with them, shed tears with them. If I don’t tell them about Alisha, it will feel too much like a lie.
“Look, Rex,” I say, running a hand nervously through my hair. “I’ve got to tell you something.”
“What is it?” Rex asks, looking at me with concern.
“I, uh, I have a mate, now.”
“When did this happen?” Rex answers, looking pleased.
“Last night, actually.”
“Fast work,” Luke remarks with a low whistle.
“No, it’s not like that,” I hurry to explain. “I met her a few years ago, on the mission outside Vegas.”
“Oh,” Rex mutters, and all of us shoot nervous looks at each other.
“That was a hairy one,” Luke says.
“Yeah, it was,” I reply. “I was stupid to get involved with her. It was when I was undercover at the dive bars, and I ended up crashing at her place a few times. I didn’t compromise the mission, though.”
“I know you would never do that,” Rex says. “We got out of there clean with the intel we needed, and shut down a black market ring that was in danger of exposing us all. It was a job well done.”
The thought strikes me again that I met Alisha in the bar I was casing. It was full of nasty types and magical creatures doing stuff they shouldn’t. I had always wondered what a defenseless human was doing there.
“So, how did you end up together?” Luke asks. “Did she just drop out of the sky?”
Maybe. I hope not.
“I found her in the woods south of Eccles,” I answer, leaving out the part about how she could see the town, even though it’s magically shrouded. “She had some troubles and was hiking out to get away from them.”
“That’s an amazing coincidence,” Daniel remarks.
“Yeah,” I agree. “I thought I’d never see her again, so I was pretty blown away. The thing is, she needs to lay low for a while, so I’m going to be keeping her by my side until the whole thing blows over.”
“And then what?” Luke asks.
“They get married,” Rex says, making a little hand motion of people walking down the aisle. We all laugh.
“Will you?” Daniel asks.
I shrug. “We’re just getting to know each other again right now. I’m keeping my mind open.”
“You know this isn’t the best time for this,” Rex says, a hard note entering his voice.
“I do,” I retort just as sternly. “And I’m not going to hear any reprimands over it. I let her down once, and I’m not going to do it again.”
“I completely understand,” Rex says more softly, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I always hated that rule myself. Obviously, we don’t want to endanger civilians, but we should be able to bend the rules of secrecy a little for people we trust.”
“There has been a lot of loss over the years,” Luke mutters.
A brief, intense silence falls as if our thoughts have become so heavy, they are weighing down the air itself. I’m sensing a deep pain from Luke, and I wonder if all of us have little secrets the others will never know.
I wouldn’t blame them one bit if they did. I knew I was doing the wrong thing by getting involved with Alisha, and I was going to have to keep secrets from everyone, but worst of all was the guilt of leaving her behind.
“We should get going,” Rex says. “We are sending out another team this afternoon. I just wanted to give you a rundown on the new intel, because the anomaly came from Eccles, and it’s staying close to the town. Even though it moves around through the mountain, it isn’t leaving that cave system.”
“Great. My neighbor is a nuclear-powered ancient snake,” I sigh. “What else could go wrong?”
Immediately, my phone rings, and I curse softly.
I know better than to tempt fate like that.
“Alpha Bradley? It’s Grace.”
“Hi, Grace,” I answer. “You can just call me Brad.”
“Ok, fine. Brad. This is probably nothing, but I thought I should tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“Well…I can’t find Alisha.”
“Excuse me?” My voice rises several octaves.
“She was here, talking to some of the others. Now she’s gone, and I’m not sure where she went. I’m just checking the far end of the garden now—”
“I’ll be there as quickly as I can!” I yell, running for my truck.
If I have fucked up again and she’s gotten hurt, I really will never forgive myself this time.