“And no one ever went looking for her because of it,” Jenny whispers, her voice barely audible. She looks at me and offers me a faint smile. “You don’t remember this, but you and I used to be best friends. We would play together all the time. We’d run around shifted, biting each other’s tails.”
As soon as she says it, a memory surfaces in my mind. I see exactly what she means. Both of us, young wolves, running around the yard of our houses while my parents watched.
Thane returns with a group of people around him. He hands Roderick and Jenny clothes he gathered for them, and they both slip into them as everyone else files into the room and stares at me.
“I guess you must have figured out by now that Thane is your cousin. He’s my firstborn,” Roderick says, clapping his son on the shoulder. “But there are some other people I’d like you to meet.”
He walks over to the group of people and introduces me to his wife, Penny, and their other children, Izzy and Rose. My aunt and my cousins.
I’m overwhelmed by seeing them, and it takes every ounce of strength not to burst into tears. This is my family. They might not be my parents like I thought I’d find, but they’re my family nonetheless.
Zeke, Nora, and Tara all stay with me as we take a seat at a table and talk to my relatives. Declan heads off with Roderick and Thane with Cole and Kyran. I don’t need to ask what they’re doing to know they’re talking about Axiom now.
Penny tells me stories about my family. That my parents were childhood friends all their lives. When both of them were eighteen, they realized they were mates, and they sealed their bond quicker than anyone she’d ever seen.
My younger cousins, Izzy and Rose, are fifteen and sixteen, so they don’t even remember me. But they’ve heard stories about my family and me their entire lives. Jenny has a lot to say about growing up with me—some of her fondest childhood memories involved running around with me and causing trouble.
Even though I still feel the sharp pain of finding out I’ll never get to reunite with my parents, to let them know that I’m okay in spite of everything, I feel good. Everyone is welcoming and warm, and they take us on a tour of the territory. I see all the places Jenny told me we used to run around. When I touch trees along the way, flashes of memories come back to me.
I start coloring in the details of my life before Axiom. Before the torment and the pain and the loss. I was happy with a family who loved me and friends who cared about me. They did everything right to make sure I was safe.
One night changed everything. One night with a cruel business that didn’t care about the lives they were destroying.
The others come to find us as we sit in Penny’s kitchen while she makes lunch for us all. All of them have a serious look in their eyes as they rejoin us.
“Declan just told me about everything they’ve uncovered about Axiom. They kidnapped one of our own,” Roderick says to his family, standing behind me and resting a hand on my shoulder. “They killed my family. We won’t let them get away with this.”
“We’re going to launch an attack in three days,” Declan declares. I feel the energy in the room shift, and I don’t know how to respond.
Now that I have my family and Zeke, I don’t want any of them to be in danger. But I’m angry. Axiom took everything from me, and I want that entire building demolished.
As I look in Roderick’s eyes, then at Zeke’s, I can tell they want the same thing. And I know that soon enough, we’ll have it.
Chapter 14
Zeke
Roderick,Thane, and a myriad of the strongest fighters from Echo Ridge have been staying in the house with us. Kyran’s clan is close enough that they don’t have to sleep over, but they have come to visit every day at dawn to plan.
The past three days have been hectic. All of us have huddled together over our dining room table with papers and hand-drawn maps that Addison did her best to recreate for us sprawled out. We’ve gotten into arguments about plans, with egos constantly butting heads.
We finally came up with a plan we all agreed on. The best part of it is that Axiom has absolutely no idea we’re coming.
Our scouts have ensured that. We’ve had eyes on the facility this entire time to make sure we know what they’re planning. This place is highly militarized, yet we haven’t seen any more armored vans or increased security.
One of the most alarming instances reported back to us was a bus, almost resembling a prison bus, pulling into a garage. They couldn’t tell for certain, but they worried that other people might be on it.
That they’ve captured more shifters in the wake of Addison leaving.
We’re going to make sure they get out safely if they’re there. Every person in that facility who’s had a hand in harming Addison or any other shifters will feel the pain they’ve inflicted on others.
I’ll make damn sure of that.
The hours of the day tick by, and when the sun is beginning to set and night is upon us, we know it’s time to leave.
“Can’t I come with you?” Addison asks, holding a map. “I know I’m not an experienced fighter, but I know this building. I can lead you guys through like a tour guide.”
“That’s what this is for,” I remind her, holding up a scanned copy of the hand-drawn map she made for us all. “Besides, I wouldn’t be able to focus if you were there. And someone needs to stay here with Nora to keep an eye on her.”
