The twins’ parents contacted us nearly an entire day later. While they had the address for the safehouse, there was no way for us to contact anyone in the outside world. There were no telephones in the entire house, and our own cellphones were lost or broken during the chaos.
“They won’t come here,” Kieran reassured me. “Maverick’s men could be anywhere. Coming here would only bring trouble.”
Even though I cherished these hours with the twins, they were wrought with anxiety. I couldn’t help but feel like the world was holding its breath, waiting for the next move to be made. Maverick had clearly made the first move, ordering my capture along with Kat and the twins. It was our turn, but we were in no position to do anything.
Both Kat and Zack stayed in their rooms for most of the day, managing to come downstairs at different intervals. While it might’ve been chance, I had the distinct feeling they were completely avoiding each other. I thought back to last night and the interaction between the two of them, wondering if something more might’ve happened once she shut the door behind them.
Eve had actually stayed in the living room all night. The twins and I had come downstairs to find her wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, with various snacks littered around her. While she didn’t go into further detail, Eve mentioned her large family and the closeness between them all.
The day passed slowly, but the twins had their ways of distracting me. In truth, I think they needed the distraction as well. I knew that not only were they worried about the countless white wolves within Maverick’s walls, but they were also worrying about their own pack. Actual war-it’s not something an eighteen-year-old ever thinks they might experience. Where the concept was once concrete in my mind, I now couldn’t wrap my head around it. Even with the confusion and guilt, I knew I’d remain strong. It wasn’t just about me and my freedom anymore; it was about the freedom of thousands.
I was finding it hard to sleep that night, even after hours spent in their embrace. I listened to the ringing in my ears when the silence became too deafening, staring up into the darkness that cloaked the ceiling. The twins had both fallen asleep already, even though I knew both would wake from little more than a whisper.
I was the first to hear the feather-light knock on the door. Both Ethan and Kieran woke up, awareness already forming in their eyes.
You could have easily convinced me I was dreaming when Kieran opened the door to reveal a pale-looking Zack leaning against the frame. The three of us were silent long enough for Zack to roll his eyes and come walking in. I could feel how he forced himself to stand upright, to shove and bottle his pain until his entire body throbbed.
“Look, Kat’s the one who knows all of the medical stuff,” I told him, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re going to have to get over being around her so she can fix your wounds. I’ll only end up doing more damage, and the twins even worse.”
“I am not here for medical attention,” he said through clenched teeth, his eyes hardened into sheets of ice. “I am here because this is the only way to speak with you without her overhearing. As you’re well aware, she’s difficult to get along with. I don’t need her interfering in these plans, not when they can tip the scales in this war.”
“We’ll go back to the part where Kat is the difficult one later, but explain this plan,” I toned my snarl down into a venomous whisper. “Staying in the shadows only works for so long, Zack, especially with something this big. This isn’t just about rescuing a few white wolves; it doesn’t just end with that. Not anymore.”
“I understand clearly what’s going on, more than you know. I’m all but signing my fucking death warrant,” he grunted, walking slow and stiff to the couch across the room. There was pain in his stiff movements, even if they looked formal and polite. Shadows hung in the depths of his eyes, and his emotions were just as blocked as they had been when he was sober. “I fully intend on coming out of the shadows, at the right moment. When you take my father’s head, I will be the one to bring him to his knees.”
As much as I despised Zack and only tolerated him for the sake of this war and Kat, this was what we needed. We needed the upper hand, an advantage against the most powerful person in our world.
“What’s your plan?” Ethan was the first to ask, his once carefree face now hardened from equal parts loathing and determination.
“First, I need you to tell me something,” Zack said, his eyes directly on me. “How is it that my father found out about our involvement with rescuing your mate here?”
I figured Carlos hadn’t had the time to tell Zack, what with him getting dragged off and tortured, but the two actively worked together, which meant I trusted him with the truth.
“A white wolf that Maverick brought, she saw the memory in my mind when she touched me,” I explained as best I could, recounting the woman that had bumped into me.
“Claire. She works for my father willingly. You’ll find that not all white wolves are unhappy with their positions. They thrive just as much on cruelty as my father,” Zack said darkly. “The only good thing out of this, Claire can only see a single memory at a time, and she has to know what to look for. My father must have fed her the information about your missing mate, and she followed the path in your head.”
“This is a good thing, how?” Kieran asked, sitting beside me on the couch. I sat between my twins, thankful that I wasn’t still tossing and turning in bed. Hopefully discussing war plans would help calm my mind. “Maverick has no reason to trust you knowing that you helped us.”
“Claire’s abilities are like watching a recap of a television show. She can’t hear your thoughts or most of the conversation. The longer she keeps contact with you, the more details she can get. She must’ve seen just enough for my father to assume guilt,” he explained, his eyes peering out the window to the darkness that peeked between the curtains. “Which means he’s still clueless about my involvement with the white wolves. He also has no knowledge of our agreement or the reasons behind my helping you.”
“You’re going to feed him a story, something that would put you in the clear,” I pieced it together, feeling my stomach sink for both Kat and Zack. “You’re going to go back.”
“Yes, I am going to go back. I plan on leaving tomorrow night,” he answered smoothly, his eyes betraying nothing. “I will tear his pack down from the inside, while you gather your armies.”
That small shred within me that still housed the fearful human girl-she wanted to run for the hills. It was becoming all too real for her, some magical fantasy turned dark and bloody. She had signed up for the endless, eternal love-not magical enslavement, murder, and lies.
“How-how does war work?” I asked plainly, even though the question itself wasn’t stupid in the slightest.
“Packs always formally announce acts of war against one another. They’re recorded so we can always remember our history,” surprisingly, it was Zack who explained. I liked to think that he wanted to speak, to distract himself from whatever mess was going on inside of his head. “At times, an Alpha will challenge another to single combat, to save their packs the pain and loss of war.”
“I don’t suppose Maverick would be interested in single combat?” I suggested with a brittle laugh that quickly sputtered out.
“My father will not show such courtesy. He will use every ounce of power at his disposal, even if it means sending his warriors to their deaths,” Zack said in a gravelly voice. “Most of the warriors are just a formality, bodies to protect the white wolves that are his most powerful.”
“What’s this story you plan on giving to Maverick?” Kieran asked, his dark eyes like bright orbs in the poorly lit room. “I assume it’ll paint Sophia and me as the enemies.”