“Fuck, we’re five hours from the hotel and even farther from the High Table,” Kieran muttered under his breath, quickly shoving a handful of water bottles into our small cart.
If it weren’t for the gravity of the situation, this moment might have been hilarious.
We had woken up completely naked, as all werewolves do after shifting back into human form. We trudged through the woods for an hour before finding a paved road with actual street signs. Hiking through the forest naked was not something I’d choose to do again. Half an hour later, we found the only full-functioning store in this little town.
Apart from the faded lettering, “Mini Mart” on the sign at the front of the parking lot, there was no other indicator of what this place might be. I was expecting a gas station but was surprised to see people emerging from the store with carts full of groceries and other items.
The two of us hid behind a small dumpster area, trying to ignore the stomach-churning stench of rotten fruit and spoiled meat. I wasn’t sure what Kieran was looking for, but I gasped when he darted out from behind our hiding spot. I remained rooted in place, unable to force myself to move.
Call it cowardly, but I wasn’t exactly ready to streak naked through a parking lot in the middle of the day. I had to give it to Kieran; even with his bulky frame, he was pretty stealthy. No one saw him; they were all too preoccupied within their own little bubbles.
Moms fussed over their toddlers, others were on their cellphones, and everyone seemed lost in their own worlds. Kieran hid behind a mini-van that was overflowing with motivational bumper stickers. The trunk was open, and a cart full of groceries sat unattended beside it. The woman had forgotten her wallet inside the store and hadn’t bothered closing her trunk. Kieran quickly dug through her bags, snatching up two that seemed to fit his needs. He rummaged through the front of her vehicle, moving even faster than before.
Part of me wanted to laugh, to cackle so loudly all attention was drawn our way. Here we were, missing a mate and brother, absolutely naked in the middle of nowhere, stealing from some poor woman’s car. It was an impossible situation, one that brought laughter bubbling in my chest whenever I tried to make sense of it.
“Anyone see me?” Kieran murmured roughly, making me jump. I hadn’t seen him dart back towards me, hiding behind cars until he was close enough to sprint.
“Mm, I think that soccer mom back there saw you,” I teased half-heartedly. “She practically swooned, nearly lost control of her cart.”
“A soccer mom?” Kieran snorted, a shimmer of playfulness in his eyes. I swallowed heavily when his words made my eyes drift lower. “In that case, I probably did her a favor.”
Kieran handed me a t-shirt that was nearly five sizes too large, but I wasn’t about to complain. It was better than standing naked in broad daylight. Kieran slipped on an identical shirt and a pair of loose basketball shorts. We were both barefoot and coated in mud-hopefully, they wouldn’t refuse us at the entrance.
“I feel bad about stealing from that lady,” I grumbled, following Kieran as we darted to the front of the Mini Mart.
“I thought you’d say as much.” Kieran’s lips twitched into a smirk. “I have her plate number; I’ll make sure we pay her back.”
Fifteen minutes later, we stood inside the brightly lit Mini Mart. Kieran looked like a bear pushing along a child’s shopping cart as we moved down the aisles.
The Mini Mart seemed like the main store in town, the place you went when you needed just about anything. They had an entire grocery section, along with appliances, clothing, and even some small furniture pieces. Kieran was currently stuffing the cart full of drinks and snacks. As much as we wanted to run in our wolf forms, whoever had come after us would now be searching the forests. Even in human form, we had to lay low.
When we realized Mini Mart had a clothing section, we replaced what we had stolen from the lady. We needed something with a hood, something that would help us blend in and stay low.
Kieran looked up at me through his dark lashes and snarled quietly, “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” I sniffed, trying to keep my eyes centered on his face.
Mini Mart didn’t exactly have a wide selection of clothing, and most of it was touristy stuff. I snickered and giggled when Kieran was left with nothing but a tie-dye sweatshirt two sizes too small. My giggles were replaced with quick looks of surprise and hunger.
Kieran found a pair of cargo shorts that fit him well enough. The sweatshirt was big enough to fit over his large muscles but left nothing to the imagination. I could see every indentation of his abs through the cheap fabric. The sweatshirt was light in color, made from shades of blue, purple, and pink. Kieran actually looked really good in those soft colors, even with the harshness of his eyes and face.
“Like you want to devour me in this very store,” Kieran retorted, swatting at my bottom as he passed.
My choice of clothing hadn’t been much better, but they were severely limited in the size department. The shorts I wore were a few sizes too small and fit more like underwear than anything else. Luckily, the black hoodie I wore was long enough to cover my bottom. Kieran grumbled a bit when he realized the black hoodie wasn’t in his size. I’m beginning to believe he has an aversion to color.
We had been bantering back and forth since entering the Mini Mart. I think we were both trying to ignore the emotions we felt from one another. We were trying to push aside that crippling panic and fear, replacing it with whatever we could. We used one another as a distraction, as an anchor.
There was something neither of us wanted to admit, something we both knew without fail. Ethan wasn’t dead, we would know if he were. I could feel my connection to him like a fishing line, endless in length and stronger than anything I had ever experienced. That link was not severed.
The earth would shake if one of my twins left me, I was sure of it. He was very much alive, and we could only hope the same for Kat.
Kieran paid for our things with a twenty he stole from the stranger’s van. I couldn’t help but feel the more we tried to blend in, the more boldly we stood out. An elderly couple let us use their cellphone to make a call. We figured they were the least likely to be potential assassins or High Table spies.
I let out a shaky sigh when the twins’ dad picked up the phone. Kieran and I locked eyes, both of us acknowledging the relief that bolstered through us. We would feel the same when we got Ethan and Kat back-because we would get them back.
“They’re both alright, Sebastian and Williams too.” Kieran sighed, running his fingers through his hair. The action disrupted the hood on his head, making him grumble. “Clearly, you were the target. They most likely took Ethan and Kat when we slipped away.”
My throat constricted at the thought, and all of those pesky, pent-up emotions bubbled to the surface. Blame, sharp and blunt like an old butcher’s knife, raked across my skin.
“Don’t do that, sweetheart.” Kieran grimaced, pulling me into his arms. He had never been one for lengthy, sweet words, but he always gave me what I needed. “We would do anything for you, but I need you to be strong for Ethan and Kat. Someone from the High Table is behind this, and we will make them pay.”
I let myself be weak for a few moments, to drown in the pain that hid beneath my skin. A few seconds, that’s all I would allow myself. I would be useless to Ethan if I let this break me. Kieran gave me those seconds, holding me tightly. I didn’t cry; I couldn’t when Kieran was giving me the strength of his emotions. Love so gentle from such a beast of a man, it was purer than anything I had ever felt before.
We’d arrive at the High Table meeting by the skin of our teeth, if we were lucky. Time had already been lost fleeing from the hotel, and we had yet to leave neutral territory. I wouldn’t even allow myself to think too hard on that. Kieran and I had enough to worry about without factoring bounty hunters and rogues into the mix.
Kieran and I needed to travel to the next town over. It was almost an hour away, but Sebastian had a friend there who would take us to the next hotel, seven hours away. I wasn’t anywhere near trusting Sebastian to that extent, but what other choice did we have? I was willing to do just about anything to get Kat and Ethan back.
We took a cab to the next town, heading to an address given by Sebastian’s friend. We pulled into the parking lot of a small hardware store and waited. Sebastian’s friend turned out to be the owner of the hardware store. Kieran and I sat huddled in the back of his pick-up truck for seven hours, growing stiffer and more irritable as the sun rose and finally set. The truck smelled of tobacco, which wasn’t unpleasant. The cigars Sebastian’s friend smoked smelled sweet like honey and bourbon.
We traveled under the radar, which made me feel both free and exposed. Blending in was our best option for the time being, but I missed the security of three sedans full of guards. As Kieran chatted with Sebastian’s friend in hushed tones, I closed my eyes and let my mind drift. I kept a firm hand around the tether that connected Ethan and me, waiting for something, anything-a movement or flutter down the bond that would chase away the poison pumping through my heart.
I felt nothing down the bond, but I wouldn’t let that discourage me. The bond was still there, still present and alive. I managed a pitiful nap filled with nightmares and whispered threats before finally giving up on the idea of sleep. Once night had completely taken over, Kieran and I were squished together on a very lumpy motel mattress. The quality didn’t matter, just as the cigarette-smelling blanket had no importance. This place, it was just a stepping stone-a waiting room until we were able to find Ethan and Kat.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms that night, still wearing those cheap clothes from the Mini Mart. When I slept with the twins, there was no room in my head and heart for nightmares. My soul seemed to know there was something missing. The nightmares weren’t bold and vicious but whispered on razor-sharp blades that stung my eyes and made my heart ache.
That morning, we survived on stale bagels and some chips from our shopping trip yesterday. The coffee the motel offered was dark and a bit burnt, but it helped dull the fact that Kieran and I both slept horrendously.
Sebastian, Williams, and the twins’ parents arrived at the hotel the night before. A team of the twins’ security patrol had turned around last night and met us at the motel where we stayed. From the motel, we had a remaining four-hour drive. Every time I glanced at the GPS, I found myself more on edge. We’d arrive with minutes to spare-minutes. That was not enough time to prepare myself, to figure out the right words to say that would buy me my life.
The Oakland was the nicest hotel in town, and glittered like the crowned jewel of the city. Shaped like a fin, it jutted from the earth as though it were breaching water. Shimmering windows were visible from the outside. There were a few statues outside the hotel, giving it a modern vibe.
The moment the sedan pulled into the parking lot, our security team unleashed themselves onto us. Spewing from every corner of the hotel and surrounding lot, they gave Kieran and me a small berth as they escorted us into the building. Kieran and I were stuffed into the elevator, with six guards stationed around us. Like before, we had the entire floor to ourselves.
Sebastian, Williams, and the twins’ parents were in our suite when we arrived. My stomach twisted painfully, and I thought I might spew the gas station snacks from my stomach if I had to endure the gut-wrenching worry that the twins’ parents felt. You can imagine my surprise when both their mom and dad pulled me in for a hug, telling me how glad they were that I was safe. There was no blame-no accusations. It was my fault Kat and Ethan were taken; that wasn’t up for argument. It was me they wanted.
“There will be time to catch up after this mess is sorted,” the twins’ mom huffed, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. Her eyes softened when she saw the surprise on my face. “I’m glad you’re safe, Sophia.”
My heart was hammering as I was passed from person to person, starting with the twins’ mom. She led me into one of the bedrooms, fussing over my knotted hair and sleep-filled eyes.
“They’ve postponed the meeting a few hours,” the twins’ mom called out. Her voice echoed throughout the bathroom, meshing with the sound of water spilling from the showerhead. I was taking what might be the world’s shortest shower and was out before three minutes had passed.
“They’ve postponed the meeting? Then why are we in such a rush?” I exhaled, raising my voice above the loud whir of the hairdryer. The twins’ mom wielded it expertly, using a round brush to dry my lengthy hair into soft waves.
“The date of this meeting was supposed to be confidential,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “The information was leaked, along with what you are. There have been surges of old families arriving. There might only be five families within the High Table, but they allow witnesses. Useless witnesses, bought off by most of the families, but there are a few honorable ones left. All of the families in attendance are gathering before the meeting, and you’ll both be expected to attend.”
“This whole thing sounds rigged from the beginning,” I grunted when she brushed through a particularly thick patch of knots.
“Perhaps. You might get a lead on where Ethan is, or who has taken him,” she spoke quietly, her voice steely and her eyes dark. A feral mother whose cub had been ripped away, she was nearly as vicious as I.
“We’ll find him,” I promised her, my voice strong and resolute. I let my own fury flash in my eyes, crazed but calculated. I would not break, not for these people. I was relieved when she changed the subject, but it was difficult to let the tension flow from my shoulders.
“It was awfully convenient that a vote was cast to delay the meeting,” she murmured under her breath. Our eyes locked through the mirror I sat in front of. “Maverick Billford called it to a vote; two other families agreed.”
“Why? Why did they delay the meeting? I’m sure it wasn’t for my sake.” I laughed dryly.
“Zack Billford was running late,” she told me, not bothering to conceal the double meaning of her words. “It seems he was stuck in traffic.”
Coincidences were elusive and rare, especially in this twisted world.