Chapter 86
F*ck, we’re five hours from the hotel and even farther from the High Table.” Kade hissed under his
breath, quickly shoving a handful of waters into our small cart.
If it weren’t for the weight of everything looming down on me, this moment would’ve been hrious.
We had woken uppletely naked, as all werewolves do when they shift back into human form. We
had trudged through the woods for an hour before finding an actual paved road—with actual street
signs. Hiking through the forest,pletely naked—it’s not something I’d do again given the option.
Half an hourter, we found the only full-functioning store in this little town.
Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.
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 ce 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 curling stench of rotten
fruits and spoiled meat. I wasn’t sure what Kade was looking for, but gasped when he darted out from
behind our hiding spot. I remained rooted in ce, unable to force myself to move.
Call it cowardly, but I wasn’t exactly ready to streak naked through a parking lot in mid-day. I had to
give it to Kade, even with his bulky frame, he was pretty stealthy. No one had seen him; all were too
preupied within their own little bubbles.
Moms fussed over their small toddlers, others were on their cellphones or transfixed within their own
little worlds.
Kade 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 during her fuss, hadn’t bothered closing her trunk. Kade dug through her bags quickly,
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 tough, 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 broughtughter bubbling in my chest whenever I tried to make
sense of it.
“Anyone see me?” Kade murmured roughly, making me jump. I hadn’t seen him darting back over
towards me, hiding behind cars until he was close enough to sprint.
“Mm, I think that ser mom back there saw you.” I teased half-heartedly, “She practically swooned,
nearly lost control of her cart.”
“A ser mom?” Kade snorted, a shimmer of yfulness in his eyes. I swallowed heavily when his
words made my eyes drift lower. “In that case, I probably did her a favor.”
Kade handed me a t-shirt that was nearly five sizes toorge, but I wasn’t about toin. It was
better than standing naked in broad daylight. Kade slipped on an identical shirt and a pair of loose
basketball shorts. We were both barefoot and coated in mud—hopefully they didn’t refuse us at the
entrance.
“I feel bad about stealing from thatdy.” I grumbled, following behind Kade as the two of us darted to
the front of the Mini Mart.
“I thought you’d say as much.” Kade replied, his lips twitching into a little smirk. “I have her te
number; I’ll make sure we pay her back.”
Fifteen minutester, we stood within the brightly lit Mini Mart.
Kade looked like a bear pushing along a child’s shopping cart as we putted down the aisles.
The Mini Mart seemed like the main store in town, the ce you went when you needed just about
anything. They had an entire grocery section, along with appliances, clothing, and even some little
furniture pieces.
Kade was currently stuffing the cart full of drinks and small snacks. As much as we wanted to run in our
wolf forms, whoever hade after us would now be searching the forests. Even in human form, we
had toy low.
When we realized Mini Mart had a clothing section, we reced what we had stolen from thedy. We
needed something with a hood, something that would help us blend andy low.
Kade looked up at me through his darkshes 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 that touristy type c**p. I
snickered and giggled when Kade was left with nothing but a tie-d*e sweat shirt two sizes too small. My
giggles were reced with quick looks of surprise and hunger.
Kade found a pair of cargo shorts that fit him well enough. The sweatshirt was big enough to fit over the
large muscles that graced Kade’s body, but they left absolutely nothing to the imagination. I could see
every indentation of his abs through the cheap thing. The sweatshirt was light in color, made from
shades of blue, purple, and pink. Kade 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.” Kade 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 ck hoodie I wore was low enough to cover my bottom. Kade grumbled a bit when he realized the
ck 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, recing it with whatever we could. We used one another as a distraction, as an anchor.
There was something neither one of us wanted to admit, something we both knew without fail.
Alec wasn’t d**d, we would know if he were. I could feel my connection to him like a fishing wire,
endless in length and stronger than anything I had ever experienced. That l**k was not severed. The
earth would shake if one of my twin’s left me, I was sure of it. He was very much alive, but we could
only hope the same for Tori.
Kade 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 option when it came to potential assassin’s and High Table
spies.
I let out a shaky sigh when the twin’s dad picked up the phone. Kade and I locked eyes, both of us
acknowledging that relief that bolstered through us. We would feel the same when we got Alec and Tori
back—because, we would get them back.
“They’re both alright, Garrett and Julian too.” Kade 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 Alec and Tori when we slipped away.”
My throat constricted at the thought, and all of those pesky, pent up emotions bubbled towards the
surface. me, sharp and blunt like an old butcher’s knife, raked across my skin.
“Don’t do that, sweetheart.” Kade 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 Alec and Tori. Someone from the High Table is behind this, and we will make them
pay.”
I let myself be weak for a few moments, to d***n in the pain that hid beneath my skin. A few seconds,
that’s all I would allow myself. I would be useless to Alec if I let this break me. Kade gave me those
seconds, holding me tightly. I didn’t cry, I couldn’t when Kade 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 to 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. Kade and I had enough to worry about without factoring bounty hunters and rogues
into the mix.
Kade and I needed to travel to the next to the next town over. It was almost an hour away, but Garrett
had a friend there who would take us to the next hotel, seven hours away.
I wasn’t anywhere near trusting Garrett to that extent, but what other choice did we have? I was willing
to do just about anything to get Tori and Alec back.
We took a cab to the next town over, heading to an address given by Garrett’s friend. We pulled into
the parking lot of this little hardware store and waited. Garrett’s friend, turned out to be the owner of the
hardware store.
Kade and I sat huddled in the back of his pick-up truck for seven hours, growing stiffer and more
irritable as the sun crested and finally set. The truck smelled of tobo, which truly wasn’t an
unpleasant smell. The cigars Garrett’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 three sedan’s full of guards provided.
As Kade chatted with Garrett’s friend in hushed tones, I closed my eyes and let my mind drift. I kept a
firm hand around the tether that connected Alec and I, waiting—waiting for something, anything.
Movement or a flutter down the bond that would let me know—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 hadpletely taken over, Kade and I were squished together on a very lumpy motel
mattress. The quality didn’t matter, just as the cigarette smelling nket had no importance. This ce,
it was just a stepping stone—a waiting room till we were able to find Alec and Tori.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms that night, still wearing those cheap clothes from the Mini Mart.
When I slept with the twin’s, 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 des 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 Kade and I both slept
horrendously.
Garrett, Julian, and the twin’s parents arrived at the hotel the night before. A team of the twin’s security
patrol had turned aroundst night, and met us at the motel we stayed at. From the motel, we had a
remaining four hours left to drive. Every time I nced 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 Crestbrook 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 breeching 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 just about every corner of the hotel and surrounding lot, they gave Kade and I a small
birth as they escorted us into the building.
Kade and I were stuffed into the elevator, with six guards stationed around us. Like previously, we had
the entire floor to ourselves.
Garrett, Julian, and the twin’s 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 twin’s parents felt.
You could imagine my surprise when both their mom and dad pulled me in for a hug, telling me how
d they were that I was safe. There was no me—no usations. It was my fault Tori and Alec
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 twin’s mom huffed, giving me a quick
peck on the cheek. Her eyes softened when she saw the surprise on my face, “I’m d you’re safe,
Aurora.”
My heart was hammering as I was passed from person to person, starting with the twin’s 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 twin’s 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 as I
shouted above the loud whir of the hair dryer. The twin’s 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, you’ll both be expected to attend.”
“This whole thing sounds rigged from the beginning.” I grunted when she brushed through a particrly
thick patch of knots.
“Perhaps—you might get a lead on where Alec is, or who has taken him.” She spoke quietly, her voice
steel hard 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 sh in my eyes, crazed
but calcted. 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 dy the meeting.” She murmured under her breath;
our eyes locked through the mirror I sat in front of. “Marcus Novak called it to vote, two other families
agreed.”
“Why? Why did they dy the meeting? I’m sure it wasn’t for my sake.” Iughed dryly.
“Zayne Novak was runningte.” She told me, not bothering to conceal the double meaning to her
words. “It seems he was stuck in traffic.”
Coincidences were elusive and rare, especially in this twisted world.