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"I wouldn't worry about that," Pasha said with a smile.
"Where is he now? Erolyn." Hana asked.
"Dead. I checked his territory, and it's gone. We hid it well, but I'd still be able to find it if it were there. I checked where his human form would be but couldn't find a trace of him. My guess is that he was at Mount Waris when you were there. He took you, experimented, and changed you."
"And I was probably involved in his death," Kal finished, sitting heavily in the seat beside him. Hana moved beside him, interlacing her fingers with his.
Pasha nodded. "I skipped a lot of details, but he was extreme with his research. As I said, he was obsessed. He had you for half a year, and I can't imagine what he put you through. It might explain why your true form is so powerful. You likely learned a lot from what he'd done to you."
Kal had no memory of any of this, but her words rang true to him. Had he actually killed Erolyn?
"Back to my point, you are an unknown in the eyes of the families. You are strong and growing rapidly. This makes you a threat and a target. I suggest you train diligently. You'll need it."
"What if we join one of the families?" Hana asked. "Will they really protect us if they think we're Freiji? How would they if our territory isn't connected?"
"They'll send Freiji to your territory to support you. Distance means very little in the wandering realm. The moment you call for help, they will come. But that also means that you would have to rush to their aid. You'd also be at the whims of the leader. If you have offspring, he might dictate who they mate with. You'll be bound by the families and be limited to the number of pups you can have."
"So, we sacrifice our freedom for protection," Kal growled. "Why didn't Niko tell us this?"
"Because it's not in his best interest. Whether you join the family or not, you will serve as a lightning rod for the families. His father, Lukas, wants your strength for the war to come. And it will come, one way or another. For Niko, having you join is a benefit, not a necessity."
"Is that why you're here? You want us to join your house instead?"
"No. If you join me, the war will start with my family. If you join Lukas, the war starts there. If you join neither, the war starts here. What I want is an answer on how to revitalize the bloodlines, and for that I need to make sure you stand a fighting chance. The bigger the variable, the more hesitant everyone will be to push the button and the more time we have." Pasha paused and looked at Kaylie who was rubbing her shoulder and Natalie and Hana who had taken his hands. "Besides... I like your pack."
"...what have I gotten us into?" Kal asked, his shoulders drooping.
###
Chapter 35
Allison took a steadying breath before the door to the adjoining room. Things were rapidly spiraling out of control. As if werewolves weren't enough, now a war between unknown monsters was heading their way, all because of Kal.
Kal was the key. The reason it was all happening. He needed to be eliminated.
Hesitation clouded Allison's mind.
What if Kal hadn't ordered the attack? What if the werewolves had done it and he wasn't involved? What if his presence really was changing them? Letting them control themselves? What if his sisters had been willing participants? What if he wasn't the monster they thought him to be?
She shook her head.
Stay focused. Save the innocent first. Sort out the mess later.
She grabbed the handle to stop her hand from trembling. She swung the door open and entered.
"Melissa, we have to go."
Melissa rose from her seat warily. "Why? What happened?"
"They're on their way. They know where you are. They're coming. We have to get you somewhere safe."
Melissa darted glances around the room. She licked her lips nervously. "Where?"
"Get in the car, we have to move. Bethany set up an emergency site in the woods. We'll head there, then Bethany will draw them off. We'll be safe, but we have to move. Now."
"Right. Right, of course."
Melissa followed after Allison quickly, heading outside and into the car where Bethany waited. They climbed in and took off without a look behind.
Silence filled the car. A glance back showed Melissa breathing fast and shooting glances out of the window.
Doubt filled Allison once more. Could they really do this? Should they?
She met Bethany's eyes briefly. Her steely determination bolstered her. She nodded. They had to do this.
***
Allison pulled Melissa up past the downed tree following their hike. Bethany had left with the car to alert Kal and draw him in. The others should already be in position.
"We're almost there," Allison said as she settled her backpack again. "We'll stay the night and head out in the morning."
"What about my sisters? Are you going to save them?"
"We can't, not right now at least. We need help. We'll meet up with some others. I promise, we'll get them back."
The lie burned a hole in her stomach.
They continued the hike in silence, only the gentle crunch of pine and dry branches accompanying them. Eventually a small campsite came into view, nestled below hills to the north and west with clear sightlines from above.
Allison glanced around but wasn't able to make out the others. Good.
Allison set Melissa up in one of the tents, showing her how to keep the fire going and how to prepare water and food.
"Listen, I'm going to be roaming around, keeping an eye out and checking in with Bethany over the radio. She should be back before sundown. Just stay here."
Allison hesitated once more watching the terrified Melissa stare out into the woods.
This wasn't right. None of this was right.
"Melissa, take this."
Allison pulled the revolver from her back and handed it to her.
"If anything comes, just shoot this. It'll be loud enough to scare just about anything, and I'll be close by."
Melissa's hands shook as she grabbed it, but she nodded.
***
The ground was cold, though the tarp she lay on kept her dry. Allison leveled the AR on the outcropping of rocks in front of her, sighting the camp. Melissa sat by the fire, a small dot to the naked eye, but clearly still anxious through the scope.
"Bait is set, car is crashed. I'm heading up." Bethany's voice came through clearly on the earpiece.
"Roger that," another voice came over the earpiece. "We're set up. We'll wait on you before shooting."
"Wait until the pack arrives. We'll need to take them out all at once. We can't let any get away."
Allison closed her eyes and tried to settle her stomach.
###
Chapter 36
Kal's world spun as he read the words again. The phone shook in his trembling hand.
I know what you did. You're a monster. I'm leaving town. You'll never see me again.
"Kal? Kal, what's wrong?" Natalie asked worriedly when he suddenly froze at the table.
Kal panicked. He needed to talk to her, to explain what was happening. But the call was blocked. He tried to text. Blocked.
"Kal?" Natalie placed a hand on his leg and leaned over to check. She paled. "Oh my god."
"Kal!" Kaylie yelled as she raced downstairs. "Kal, Melissa! She... she... Kal, we have to find her!"
Hana let out a strangled sob as she checked her phone.
"What's happening?" Jason asked, his head snapping between the three of them.
"It's Melissa," Natalie told him. "She knows. She's running."
"We have to find her," Kal said as he practically ran toward the door. "We... we have to explain."
"Wait," Kaylie grabbed his arm. "Where are we going to look? How are we going to find her?"
Kal shook loose and put on his jacket. "I don't know. I don't... we have to go. We have to find her."
"Wait, can you check her location?" Natalie asked as she rushed to the door. "You're all on the same plan, right? Even if you're blocked, you can still find it."
Kal stopped and wrestled to get his phone out again.
"Wait, I got it!" Kaylie shouted. "It's in Rawley Springs. Route 33. She's heading west."
"We'll come, too," Ava called as she and the others rushed into the kitchen. "I'll call Uncle Bill. He should be in that area setting up the emergency shelters."
"Okay, we have to go." Kal practically tore the door off its hinges.
Natalie chased after him with Kaylie, jumping into the car just as he revved the engine. They hadn't even put on seatbelts before he peeled out of the driveway.
***
The sun cast long shadows by the time they entered the mountain passes of Route 33. Few cars were on the road.
Kal didn't care. He only eased up on the gas when Kaylie called out potential speed traps.
"Dad said he's on the road now, heading to where the phone stopped moving."
"How far?"
"Twenty miles," Kaylie said as she checked the phone. "It hasn't moved in a while now."
"What's there?" He didn't receive an answer. "Kaylie? What's there?"
"Nothing," she finally said. "There's nothing there. It's just road."
The steering wheel creaked as Kal clenched his hands.
"Please, please let her be safe," Kal pled under his breath.
***
Kal didn't even hear Bill talking as he leapt from the car. The smashed wreck of a car had gone headfirst into a massive tree after skidding off the road. He smelled Melissa. He smelled blood.
Kal barreled past Bill and Carol, tearing the bent car door from its hinges.
Airbags had been deployed. Blood covered them. Melissa.
Kal sniffed and bolted for the trees. A scrap of fabric. More blood.
Kal ran into the woods, following the traces.
Faster. He had to go faster. Where was she? Was she hurt?
Trees whipped past. Branches slashed at him. The scent led him. Animals scurried. Bushes snapped as he barreled through them.
Melissa.
###
Chapter 37
We're here to save people. Save them from the things we know are out there. If I can save even one more person, it's worth it.
Allison's mind echoed with her father's words. Always the first in, always the guardian. And here she was, luring humans into a trap, intending to kill them.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she took a steading breath.
They weren't humans. They were werewolves. They had to be put down.
Her gun swayed as her hand trembled.
Could she have done it if it were him? Could she look him in the eyes, and pull the trigger? Didn't he deserve a chance, even if it was hopeless?
Crashes like someone driving a truck through the forest at high speed sounded in the distance. No roar of an engine, only the smashing of brush and the snap of tree limbs as something moved toward them. Something far too fast.
"Get ready." Bethany's steady voice came over the earpiece. "Hold until they are all in sight. Don't let Kal get Melissa. He's the primary threat."
Every conversation they'd overheard through the videos ran through her head. Every 'what if' scenario rushed through her mind. Every passing moment that the thundering crashes approached, her resolve wavered.
"What the hell is that noise?" Dale asked into the comms. "It's practically flying toward us."
"Keep your sights on the camp, Dale. Just fire on a target when we fire. You'll be fine." Elle spoke those calming words, but they meant little to Allison.
Nothing moved that fast.
Allison checked the camp through the scope. Melissa stood, gun in hand, shaking in fear.
Her stomach dropped. What the hell were they doing using her as bait?
It was almost here.
Allison pressed the butt of the rifle against her shoulder and steadied her aim.
###
Chapter 38
Melissa hands shook as she aimed the revolver into the darkness as the crashing grew closer.
This was it. He had come for her. The thing that wasn't Kal. It wasn't him.
Her hands trembled as she thumbed back the hammer.
It wasn't him. It wasn't.
A shape rushed toward her too fast to make out, nearly a blur before it stopped at the edge of the camp. Melissa willed her fingers to pull the trigger, but they stopped, frozen at the sight of him, panting desperately, worry and fear in his eyes.
"Melissa? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" His words fell over themselves as he stepped closer. "Did you crash? Please, tell me you're okay."
Melissa stepped back, waving the revolver. He only now seemed to notice it, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Melissa, please, you don't need that. Please, let me explain."
She swallowed heavily, a lump in her throat that wouldn't go away.
"Did you kill him?" Her voice broke, the gun trembling again. "Did you kill my brother?"
"No! No, Melissa, it's me. I'm Kal. I... I know it's confusing, I don't fully understand it myself, but I'm still me."
Melissa shook her head stepping backwards.
It's not him.
"No. No, you're not him. What you did to them... I saw. I know."
He took a step closer as she retreated. "Melissa, it's me. I swear. Please." He was in tears, panic and fear playing in his eyes. "I can explain. We can all explain. I'm still me. They're still them."
Tears blurred her eyes. "No. Kal wouldn't have abandoned me. He wouldn't have left me. Not again. He wouldn't have taken my family. He wouldn't have left me all alone."
It's not him.
"Melissa, please. It's not like that. I love you so much. You're not alone. Please."
Her eyes stung. She could barely see straight. The gun trembled in her hands. He came closer, his hands reached out toward her.
Was it him?
The gun began to lower as he approached.
His eyes. They were the same. Amber pools of warmth and concern.
###
Chapter 39
Faster. Faster.
Natalie stormed through the brush, Kal's figure having disappeared in the distance. She'd caught her father's cries just before she'd taken off after him.
Hunters. Trap.
Her legs burned as she pumped her arms.
Faster.
Her strides grew longer. Her muscles bulged as her legs pumped. Fabric tore. The world grew sharper.
Faster.
His scent was in the air. Fear, terror, panic.
Faster.
Her arms hit the ground, spurring her on. Trees whipped by, blurring as she passed them.
Faster.
Her head bobbed as she cut through the forest, leaves and branches slapping against her fur.
Faster.
A shot rang out in the forest, the muzzle flashing in the distance.
Faster. Please. Faster.
The familiar scent of silver and gunpowder stung her nose. She charged toward the source.
Faster.
###
Chapter 40
Allison's finger froze over the trigger as the shot rang out from her right. Kal staggered back in her sights. Melissa dropped her gun and rushed to cover the distance between them. Another shot rang out, driving Kal to one knee. Instead of collapsing he dove onto Melissa, shielding her and pulling her away.
The snap of a twig beside her was the only notice she received before a massive golden blur launched itself at her. She instinctively raised her left arm to shield herself, only to have a drooling maw clamp down on it.
Allison screamed as her arm snapped, the powerful jaws crushing her bones. Her world spun as with a shake of its massive head it flung her across the ground.
Somehow her pistol was already in her other hand. She raised it and fired, but the golden wolf slid easily between trees, avoiding the shots. More shots rang out followed by screams.
###
Chapter 41
Kal grit his teeth, a horrible pain lancing through his chest. He barely heard her cries over the blood pounding in his ears. He clutched Melissa to himself, shielding her as he tried to bring her to cover. His leg dragged behind. His arm was numb. He couldn't breathe, each gasp of air followed by blood being coughed up.
It didn't matter. He had to get her to safety.
"Melissa, get to cover. Run back to the road."
"Kal! Kal, you're bleeding!" Melissa cried as he half carried, and half dragged her to the trees.
Kal collapsed just behind a large tree. His vision was narrowing.
"Run. Please, Melissa. Run."
She shook her head, desperately pressing down on the hole in his chest.
"Melissa. Please. You have to get out of here."
More gunfire erupted, but from where he couldn't tell. It sounded like it was all around him. Screaming and gunshots.
"Kal, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't leave me," Melissa cried as her fingers were stained red with his blood.
"Please," he said weakly. "Run."
She shook her head again, firmly pressing down on the wound. Tears streamed down her face, but she wouldn't move.
Kal managed a deeper breath, not immediately wracked with coughs. He took one more. And then another.
"Please, please don't leave me," she pleaded, doing her best to keep pressure on his wound. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't go."
Kal blinked quickly, clearing his vision. The edges snapped back into focus.
Rustling behind Melissa caught his attention. A giant wolf emerged, golden fur and bright blue eyes.
Natalie.
She changed as she rushed to his side, her lithe, naked form reappearing just as she kneeled beside him.
"Please. Save him," Melissa begged. "I'm sorry. Just, please, save him."
Gunshots erupted once more after a short silence. They were drawing closer.
"We need to get him back to the road," Natalie said as she lifted one arm over her shoulder. "Melissa, get his other side. We need to get him away and treat him."
Melissa nodded, wiping her tears on her sleeves. She grabbed his other arm, and they helped him to his feet.
"Kal, come on, we have to go," Natalie said as she guided him forward. "Kal, please."
His legs were heavy, but he forced them on. The first steps were the hardest, but soon they fell into a quick rhythm, taking more weight off them. Soon he was moving at a brisk pace, blood no longer flowing as freely from his chest and no longer coughing up with each breath.
The air stank of blood and sulfur, even from here.
"Natalie!" someone called from behind.
Natalie slowed, looking back over her shoulder.
"Here!"
They set Kal down against a tree, applying pressure to his chest again.
Bill and Daniel caught up quickly, both with hunting rifles and casting glances backward. Monique helped Jason as he stumbled after them, blood pouring from his arm.
"They're falling back." Daniel set up by another tree and kept a lookout. "Not pursuing."
"Please, help him!" Melissa cried. Her hands trembled as she held them down on his wound.
"God damn it," Bill muttered as he kneeled beside Kal. He dropped his backpack and fished out a medical kit. "Pull up his shirt, let's see how bad it is. Best I can do is field dress it until we get back to the car."
Natalie tore open his soaked shirt, revealing a raw and scarred wound.
"What?" Melissa touched his chest hesitantly. "I saw you get shot."
Kal grunted as she pressed her fingers around the wound. "Easy, that hurts like hell."
"We are going to have a lot of words after this, young man," Bill growled as he passed the kit to Natalie. "You put my entire family at risk. If they hadn't shot you, I'd have done it myself."
Kal didn't have anything to say. Bill was right. He should have stopped and listened. If he had, neither he nor Jason would be in this shape.
Bill handed Natalie a spare shirt from the pack, which she quickly slipped on, before stalking off to Monique, who was busy cleaning and dressing Jason's arm.
"Are you... okay?" Melissa asked softly. Her green eyes wavered as she gazed at him, but she didn't recoil as he gently enveloped her hand in his.
"I think so." Kal winced as Natalie swabbed his wound and bandaged it. "I'm sorry for scaring you. I didn't know that I could do that."
"What are you?" Melissa asked softly.
