Chapter 14 Casey
Casey
I leave a note before I disappear onto my mountain. There are some places I can go to hide where I don’t think they will find me, but giving them their freedom will help matters and keep them happy.
Am I running? Yes, of course. It’s not that I thought we were starting to become friends or that the attraction was mutual.
It was a huge kick in the teeth, a brutal reminder that their will is not their own, and that, if they were to choose, I wouldn’t even be in the running.
Am I embarrassed? Most assuredly, but, worse, I feel like I’ve betrayed the fragile trust we’ve built.
My chest gets tight, and I stop, turning to look down at the incredible views. I can’t see the town, but I can see the packs lands. They will be out tonight, but they won’t come here.
Well, most won’t, but there’s always one or two idiots who try and end up lost and needing to be rescued. But with my five house guests, there is less chance. The presence of alphas intimidates others without even knowing why. They will sense the threat and stay away tonight.
The pine needles are soft underfoot, not yet turned crunchy. The grass is thick and lush from the rains we’ve had. There are flowers that are closed up, but I know that, come the daylight, they will cover the entire area in a sea of pink, yellow, and white flowers like a blanket.
The moon has risen in the sky. I stare at the fat, waxy orb.
Why am I like this? Why would I be so cursed to be so weak and so strong?
I can’t hide my omega side forever; my heat will come.
It’s inevitable, and then if I still haven’t found freedom…
I will be at my pack’s mercy, and they won’t have any.
I’ve survived two of them locked in my basement with toys and various creams and teas that dull the heat. But the last time I emerged, I found Benson and Liam on my mountain, unable to explain what they were hunting. It has been the wake-up call I needed.
Frieda spent forever concocting the perfect blend that would steal the danger out of me and just leave me writhing in my own self-pity. Dulling the heat, suppressing the overwhelming scent. No wolf and no fury.
An omega without a wolf. Who ever heard of such stupidity?
I hear a howl and turn away from the moon. It’s echoed by another and another. I listen carefully and realise that I can identify them easily. Khaos called first, answered by Angel and Riot.
I tilt my head back and let out my own human wolf song. It drifts into silence. The night seems so much more alive knowing they are out there.
With a last look at the view, I head up further.
There’s one place on this mountain where I can get the herb I need for this brew, and I can only find it under a full moon.
I wish Frieda had removed some of her spells that hid her secrets on the mountain, but she was paranoid, and for good reason.
The town hated her, the wolves even more so.
The last thing I want to do is hurt them or sexually assault them because my heats got me all twisted up. It’s worth braving the danger to protect us all. I’m grateful Frieda showed me how to find it at all.
I walk across a fallen tree, refusing to look down at the forty-foot drop into a crevice there is no way out of.
Falling down there would be a death sentence.
The familiar path lulls me into complacency.
Once I get to the cliff, I smile grimly and tighten my backpack straps.
I throw myself at the cliff wall, dragging myself up.
Three feet. That’s all I make before Angel slams into me. I hit the ground hard, my arm going numb, but Angel’s fur is standing on end. He’s crouched low, his teeth bared and ears pinned.
“Angel?”
How did he find me so fast? I look around for the others, but it’s just him and me. There’s been something between us for a while now. The fear morphed into something deeper, like an understanding. He knows what I am, and I know what he is, and we both guardedly accept each other.
But this…the rage surprises me.
He lunges forward and snaps; I dart back against the cold stone and sit there, stunned by his aggression.
I grab my bag and stand up; I reach for the wall again, but, this time, I have to dive out of the way of teeth.
“What the hell, Angel!”
He snarls, but it’s echoed by another. Hazard trots over to us, his tongue hanging out in a way that I have never seen another wolf do before. It’s far too dog-like an expression, and most wolves wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that face.
But he looks adorably pleased. He noses Angel, who calms down and then turns to me before raising his head and looking up at the wall.
“I need to go up there.”
Angel growls and moves on stiff legs even closer. Apparently, that is not an option. Pushy, pestilent wolves.
Hazard looks up at the cliffs and then suddenly puts his head between the wall and me and shoves me away from it.
“What are you doing?” I shriek. “I have to get up there.”
They don’t let me go, just bully me further and further away from the cliff.
“Stop, come on, I have to get up there. What are you doing?”
It’s cute, though, and Angel hasn’t interacted this much with me in ages, and despite the fact that I need to stay away from them, I don’t want to. I’m lonely.
Hazard jumps away from me, dipping into a play bow. Angel chases him. I follow, walking behind them through the dark forest.
When I get to the tree line, I suck in my breath and stand there, poised, one hand on a cool tree trunk as I watch.
The meadow is silver blue, reflecting the light of the enormous moon, but I’ve never been here before.
Wrath darts out from the other side, racing so fast he’s a silver blur. Angel and Hazard wrestle and play. It’s like seeing versions of them that I’ve never seen before. Even Khaos comes down and runs with them.
I stare until I can’t silence the ache in me. I shift behind a tree, leaning up against it, my fist to my mouth to silence the muffled cries.
I thought I was resigned to my fate.
Wolfless.
I march back the way I came because I need that plant. I throw myself at the wall, climbing it with all the skill and practice I’ve developed over the years.
It takes me another three hours to get to the little cave. The plant grows in the sandy soil outside. It’s a tiny plant with delicate leaves and white blossoms. I harvest enough to get me through the next few months and then pause. Something musky and hot hits me.
I stand up slowly, backing away from the cave.
I can feel the air displacement. The changes in the brush over my skin, the scents that are throwing more and more information at me. Why can I smell things I shouldn’t be able to?
There is something in the cave, something big.
My mind supplies the answer; bear.
I back up slowly as the first rumbling roar splits the night.
Freida told me not to run, but I have to get away from it or I’m going to be ripped apart. I back up, desperately moving slowly but steadily, but, for every step I take, it takes two.
The dark peels away from it as it steps into the moonlight, displaying the massive form. Its mouth is open, revealing deadly teeth and a huge tongue. Its eyes are fixed on me. It’s angry, I’ve invaded its territory.
I try to remain calm and think, but it’s hard. I don’t want to die here.
There’s only one choice left.
I whirl and race for the cliff, but the bear gets there first, cutting me off. I back up, frustrated and scared. There’s so many things that can go wrong running in the dark. I don’t know these forests well, but I’m going to have to take my chances.
With a prayer to whoever is listening, I dart into the forest left of me, running unchecked through the dark.
My chest aches, and I can’t breathe properly. My side is on fire, and my calves are cramping.
The bear is following. I can feel each step reverberating through the ground and air. I don’t belong here, but the bear is part of every part of this world.
I duck and barely escape the paw that swats at me, but I roll to the right, and I’m up and running again.
I skid to a stop, looking out at another massive cliff. I almost ran right off it. A whimper escapes me. I run along the edge. It’s sloping down, but I can’t see well enough to run flat out, and the bear is gaining.
The bear roars, and I whirl, throwing myself backwards. I hit the ground hard and it charges. This is it. It’s over.
I wish I’d done so many things. The bear stands up, roaring, huge paws with enormous claws slashing the air. I scramble back, but it’s not going to save me.
A black shape darts in and attacks the bear viciously, making it roar and drop to all fours, trying to shake it off. The snarls and roars are deafening.
Riot, oh, god, it’s Riot.
The alpha is thrown across the empty space; he scrambles on the edge of the cliff and leaps, and I watch with my heart in my throat, not even daring to make a simple squeak. But he lands on his feet and growls his warnings as he stiffly approaches the bear, putting himself between us.
He’s…saving me. I exhale in a rush, unable to look away from him.
The bear swipes, but Angel slams into it from the side, knocking it off its feet. The white wolf attacks with a savagery that borders on insanity. He is beautiful in his movements, but so, so deadly. I don’t know that he needs anyone else to help him take down this bear.
Khaos attacks from behind, a behemoth of a wolf, using sheer strength and power. He bites into its haunches, and the bear screams.
I can see it’s looking for a way out. This fight is too much and not what it’s expecting.
Hazard dances in front, distracting it, lunging forward and back, and he is pure joy and glee as he dances.
I’m transfixed and shocked by how fast it has all happened, but Wrath appears beside me, hoisting me up into his arms. He holds me to his chest and simply walks us away. Ten minutes later, the others join us, ranging around us.
“Is the bear alive?” I ask urgently.
“Of course, the bear’s alive,” Khaos growls.
Wrath stops and sets me down. The first thing I notice is that I don’t have the bag. I almost say I want to go back, but I turn and find Khaos standing so close we’re almost touching.
“Are you out of your mind?”
I lift my chin.
“You are human, you can’t defend yourself, and you came up here on your own, for what? Some weeds?”
I open my mouth and close it, glancing at Angel.
“I needed them; it’s medicine, and I’ve made this trip hundreds of times. That’s the first time that cave has had a bear in it.”
Khaos grabs my shoulders and shakes me twice. “Do I need to chain you up? I fucking will. I’ll lock you in shackles and spoon-feed you if it means you are safe.”
“What happens if I die?” I say and watch him fall silent. “What happens if I die and you get to go free? And that’s the answer.”
His mouth opens and closes, but he shakes his head sharply. “That is not an option.”
“Death is always an option.”
“NO!” Khaos bellows, and then he’s got my face in his hands, and his lips are on mine, his tongue pressing into my mouth, stroking mine and leaving me mindless.
I cling to him, holding him to keep me upright.
Holding on because, surely, this is a dream, but then no dream ever felt this good.
I can feel the heat of his skin, the taste of him, the scent of pine, the way his huge hands wrap around my back, pulling me up against the hard planes of his body, making me feel tiny.
He pulls back. “You will live. I command it.”
What?
He lets go and growls before changing in front of me. He flicks an ear at me and then lopes off, leaving me under the furious and watchful eyes of Wrath and Riot.
I sit down in the grass, staring out at the clearing.
“You’re not supposed to care about me. Don’t save me.”
A hand slams into my throat, sending me backwards in the grass. Wrath straddles me, staring down, his face in shadow.
“You don’t get to tell us what to do. What if you died, and we were just trapped, waiting forever while your corpse rotted?”
I stare up at him. Of course, I didn’t think of that. Just the thought of them stuck waiting and waiting until the bracelet was picked up sends horror chills over my scalp.
“You’re right; it was inconsiderate of me,” I concede.
He groans and squeezes my throat, cutting off the next words I try to say.
“I want to hear you howl; I want to see you smiling. I care about you; we all do. We’re going to save you for us and for you. So, don’t be reckless.”
Though his words melt most of me, another tiny part stares into his eyes and wonders how much he’ll hate me when he finds out what I am and that they have lost their choice to decide if they want me.
Now, it’s just a matter of time until my heat decides for all of us.