Chapter 34
E verything had been going so well. I was content and comfortable.
So, when Carter had come back into the cabin, I had scrambled off the couch and made a beeline for him, pausing when I saw his unhappy expression.
“Is everything okay?” I’d asked. His displeasure was obvious in his scent—something was upsetting him.
His news that the landslide had cleared had been…confusing. A few months ago, when I’d arrived at the cabin, I assumed that the second that it happened, I’d be running down the mountain to find my family. Only now, I felt rooted to the spot. Could I really leave? I was happier than I had been in a long time. I didn’t know what I was going to be walking into.
We piled into one of the vehicles to drive down the mountain a bit and get a cell signal. They had even brought laptops, so they could check emails. Before today, we’d all been so distracted that we hadn’t even thought to check the state of the roads. We’d all been so blissfully happy.
No one said a word on the drive down. We’d hardly spoken to each other since Carter returned with the news. I sat in the passenger seat, wringing my hands. I want this , I had to remind myself.
So, why did it feel like someone had died and there was an intense mourning happening?
“Your brother will be happy to hear from you,” Carter assured me, gently grasping at my upper thigh as he drove.
I nodded. I knew he would be. That wasn’t what I was anxious about.
Once we were in signal range, but still far away from civilisation, Carter held his mobile in his hands.
“Do you want me to call, or do you want to do it?” Carter asked, turning to me. The cab smelled amazing, all their scents mingling in a way that made my mouth water. The idea of not having them in my life made my stomach twinge uncomfortably.
I shook my head. “I don’t want to,” I said. “You do it.”
Carter picked up the phone and dialed the phone number the sheriff had given him, putting it on speakerphone. A bright, chirpy voice came through almost immediately.
“Hello, welcome to Claremont Haven. How can I help you today?”
Carter cleared his throat. “Hi, yes, I live in the Little Peak region. Urm, I’ve been isolated for the last few months due to landslides, but…” He paused, turning to look at me with a confused expression. “How do I even talk about this?” With a sigh, he turned back to the phone. “Does the name Juniper mean anything to you?” he asked, cocking his head to the side, like he was grasping at straws.
I frowned. There was no way the person on the phone would know who I was. I was going to have to explain in copious detail who I was before they could do anything to help me.
The voice on the other end of the phone gasped. “Yes, we are aware of that name. May I ask why you’re calling regarding it?” The voice was tinged with suspicion.
They knew my name? Did that mean Lavender had gotten to safety? She had told the others I was okay? A weight lifted off my chest.
Carter cleared his throat again, and from the back seat, Dylan and Asher leaned in. “So, a few months back now, I was out foraging, and I came across Juniper. She was injured, she was malnourished, and I brought her back to our cabin that me and my pack have in the woods. There was no way we could get her off the mountain, and we have been completely without signal until most of the landslides and inclement weather cleared. Now we’ve gotten signal back, we wanted to reach out and try to figure out how to get her help.”
There was a moment of silence before the voice said, “I’m going to transfer you to our head keeper. Please stay on the line.” They quickly disconnected before another voice picked up only a moment later.
“Hello, this is Keeper Leroy. May I take your name, young man?” The voice was gruff and older in nature.
Carter looked between us. “My name is Carter. We live at Little Peak—you know, up on the mountains—and I believe you’re the nearest Haven to us. I got your information from the local sheriff.”
“Yes, we are the nearest haven to you guys and we do know of the name Juniper. Are you saying she is with you now? Why isn’t she calling us herself?” Leroy’s tone was urgent.
“I’m here,” I said quietly. “I thought it best Carter explained the situation because I wasn’t really sure about the signal and all that. But I’m here, and I’m doing good,” I said, my voice stammering slightly.
“This is really Juniper?” Leroy asked.
I nodded, then realised he couldn’t see me and spoke again. “Yes, it’s really me. I was kidnapped by Alec Morrison and kept in a basement somewhere in dense woodland. I met another omega, Lavender, who helped me escape. We split up, and that’s how I ended up here.”
Everything was going to change, and I wasn’t sure if I liked that.