Michael
MICHAEL
They were miles away from Taiga, hurried on by the Shifters waiting in the forest when they felt the shockwave from the explosion. It was enough to knock some of the hybrid children to the forest floor.
staggered and braced himself against a tree, clutching the toddler in his arms tight against his chest.
The youngster started to cry, a hiccupping wail. “Ears hurt!” he moaned.
“Come here, precious little man,” Cas cooed, gently extricating the toddler from ’s grip. “Little Shifter ears can be very sensitive,” she explained softly before turning away, murmuring gently to the boy.
The tremor subsided, and the Shifter pack members spread out among the hybrids, who were confused, disoriented, and many of them drugged. Explanations and directions were given to keep moving, that there were vehicles hidden not far away that would take them to a safe place. That they just needed to wait a little longer to ensure any stragglers arrived before they would start to move out.
leaned against a tree, trying to ignore the murmuring. What was he supposed to do? At least holding the kid had given him some sense of purpose. Now …
He looked around, wondering where Gretchen had gotten to. She and the blonde girl, Ellis, had taken charge of the older children. He found them huddled together a few yards away.
“Hey!” he called out to them. Gretchen glanced up, her face determined. Although determined to do what, he had no idea. He felt like just putting one foot in front of another was all the determination he had space for.
“Hey yourself,” Ellis said, wrapping an arm around one of the girls, whose eyes were wide and darting. These kids had never seen this forest before. The forest that surrounded the facility they’d been born in.
The realization of the trauma these kids were being put through. Kids who were just like Jack.
“You mentioned our … you mentioned Jack before?” asked. Gretchen’s face paled as her eyes snapped to him, her lips tight.
Determined not to let herself fall apart over Jack, he thought.
“Sure did,” Ellis agreed, giving the girl a squeeze before extricating herself and trotting over to him.
“Was he inside there?” he blurted. “Did he go in with you?”
Ellis thought for a moment. The only sign of tension in her was a tiny tick in the side of her neck.
This Drinker is a master at hiding her real feelings.
“He did enter with us, but he didn’t go in with us … if that makes sense,” she began, her lips curled in a small smile, her eyes remaining a completely unreadable aqua. “We all had our own mission, and he had to separate from us as soon as we drove into the place.”
She flashed a toothy grin. “But don’t worry. Farida will have made sure that he got out. I bet in no time they’ll catch up with us, and we can all travel back to Shifterville together.”
’s head reeled. What mission had Jack had in that place? Had it been dangerous? Had he been injured? How could this girl be so certain Farida would get him out alive?
“He’ll be okay,” Gretchen said softly but firmly beside him. He blinked, then looked down at her. She had that fierce expression on her face again. “He’s going to be okay. He didn’t … we didn’t do—”
“Ellis!” a deep, male voice shouted from somewhere in the trees. The girl’s head snapped up, and her eyes lit.
“Roman!” she cried out, running towards the voice. ’s stomach jolted. Roman was …
“Oh my God!” Gretchen gasped. “Daph?”
And then she was running, and was staring after her. Toward the new group who’d just arrived.
His eyes widened. Daphne was emaciated. Her cheekbones looked like wings on her face, her shoulders jutted, her clothing hung from her. But she smiled broadly and wrapped her arms around his wife.
“Gretch,” Daphne said, her voice strong, even if her body looked so frail. ’s eyes fell on Harvey, and the blood drained from his face.
Harvey’s leg was twisted unnaturally, and he was leaning on the tall, black-haired man—Roman—and his skin was gray and sunken.
“Need to get him straight into a truck to rest,” Roman grunted, turning back and meeting eyes with a beautiful brunette.
’s chest ached when he realized it was Blaire. A girl he’d known her entire life.
She looked just the same but also completely different, if that were possible. And beside her, gripping her forearm, was Jude. He was thin and drawn, but that fierce, dangerous glint in his eyes was still there, and it landed on .
“Hello again,” he said, his voice smooth … was there a hint of a warning in it? Had he decided was an enemy after he’d visited the dungeon?
“Jack and Seven?” Blaire asked, glancing from to Ellis, who had called over a pair of Shifters to take Harvey to a vehicle.
That muscle in Ellis’s neck twitched again, but her expression remained placid as she shook her head.
“Not yet,” she said sunnily. Like at any moment Jack was just going to waltz through the trees, smirking that smirk of his.
Blaire’s expression was defeated.
“What about … what about Farida?” she asked, her voice lowering.
Ellis shrugged, opening her mouth to reply.
“Bodies!” a Shifter shouted as they raced towards Ellis. “Three bodies, in the river. One of them has braids like your Drinker. Over this way!”
’s chest lurched as Ellis and Blaire raced after the man. Gretchen gripped his hand, stopping him as he turned to follow.
“It won’t be him,” she told him firmly. “It’s someone else.”
Determined to pretend that nothing bad could ever happen to Jack.
He gave her hand a squeeze, saying nothing. There was nothing he could say that would help.
They followed the commotion to the riverbank. In addition to Farida with the braids and the tall, slender form of the hybrid Seven, there was a large male. His face was swollen from injuries and the water, and he was dressed in the jumpsuit of a Taiga prisoner …
But the golden hair was unmistakable.
Gretchen’s wretched sob echoed through the trees, and he held her, watching with a sort of detached, floating feeling. His ears rang as Roman, and Blaire, and the male, Jude, fell upon the bodies, hurriedly ensconced them in one of the waiting trucks, and took off into the forest.
Jack. It had been Jack.
This last sight of the boy he had raised would forever be burned into his brain. Bloody, bruised … broken.