I’d forgotten about the cuffs. Seeing them gave me a visceral reaction at first, but then I reminded myself I could take them on and off at will. Slipping them on, I nodded to them.
“We tried to go back for her, snuck out many times, but—” Rab’s voice croaked as he looked down at sleeping Astra in his arms.
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. She needs some fluids and food, but she’ll be okay.”
Arrow bowed deeply to me, Rab did the same, clutching Astra to his chest.
“It’s our honor to have you lead us, Alpha,” Rab said.
Emotion clogged my throat. We were in a six-foot-tall, four-foot-wide hedge. This was not an ideal space for bowing, but they did it anyway.
“Thank you.”
When they stood, they turned and started to walk deeper into the hedge, toward where I assumed the bunker was.
“Where is Sawyer?” I asked again, deciding this time to be more insistent no matter what he said.
“Shhh … will tell you inside. Vampires.” Rab pointed to the hedge wall, and I chewed on my lip.
He was delaying … which meant it was bad.
If Sawyer was dead, I would feel it, right? I mean we were mates, imprinted. I would feel it…
Panic suddenly gripped me.
“He’s alive, right?” I blurted out in a whisper-scream.
“He’s alive,” Arrow answered.
I nearly sagged with relief.
Then what’s the big deal?I wanted to blurt out, but instead I followed them on through the tunnel. I just wanted to see my mom, and my baby, and Sawyer. We ran inside of the hollow hedge for what seemed like forever, until finally the boys stopped. There was a crouched figure up ahead, sitting cross-legged on the ground before a giant set of storm doors.
‘How the hell did Sage find this place?’ I asked Rab.
‘We keep a scout out here twenty-four hours a day. She blew up a fey’s car to create a distraction and the scout saw her and brought her in.’
Blew up a fey’s car. That sounded like Sage.
I was just glad she and Creek were safe.
As we approached, the scout stood, and I was relieved to recognize someone. Quan, one of Sawyer’s closest friends.
He nodded to me, and wordlessly opened the storm doors, careful to be as quiet as possible to reveal a set of steep stairs.
As Arrow passed Quan, they did a bro fist bump and it warmed my heart to see the Paladin and city wolves working together so nicely. Rab looked back at me and caught me smiling at the two of them.
‘Don’t get excited. Not everyone here gets along. There have been fights to the death, and you are coming into an angry, hungry group of wolves who feel abandoned by their leaders. Prepare to prove yourself, Alpha.’
His words shocked the shit out of me.
Prove myself? I just fucking did that for the past year in the woods, alone.Hungry?Didn’t they have enough food? Sawyer said there was enough for two years or something. I followed him down the steps, what must have been thirty feet, and the storm doors shut above us. When we reached the flat open room, two lights flickered on the walls to reveal a giant, circular airlock.
I was still stuck on Rab’s warning. Abandoned? He said the wolves felt abandoned by their leaders. “Wait, why would they feel abandoned? Sawyer has been here with them the whole time, right?”
Rab stopped, handing off Astra to Arrow. “Get her to medical,” he said, and the vault door opened with a hiss. Through the crack in the door I saw a giant concrete hallway. My mom held Creek, feeding him a bottle, and Sage had her arm around Raven. They were both talking to my dad, waiting to greet us.
A smile pulled at my mouth, and I went to step forward, forgetting all about my earlier question, when Rab stopped me, and let the vault door close again.
