Tangled

Unshift 263

Unshift 263

263 Ava: The Compound

263 Ava: The Compound

My heart thumps hard, trying its best to knock my ribs out of place with excitement. "Is everyone okay?

What's going on?"

Vanessa's eyes unfocus as she communicates with her mate. Waiting is like being bitten by a squad of fire ants, each prickle against my skin beginning to burn as I squirm, impatient for answers.

"He doesn't want to give any answers until we see him, but he said things are stable." There's an uncertain waver in her voice, but I keep quiet as she speaks with Vester, feeling my own unease building.

Stable.

That could mean a lot of things, and they aren't all good.

Marcus stiffens beside me and I glance out the window, expecting to see something on the road.

Nothing.

"There's a few scouts nearby," he says after a long pause. "Vanessa, you sense them?"

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"Three," she confirms. "I'm not familiar with them, but I recognize them."

"We're about ten minutes out. We'll run into a few

more waves of scouts, staggered so they can stay in contact." He glances at me. "Like a telephone relay."

"Ten minutes?!" Vanessa frowns. "Vester should have been able to reach me a long time ago."

"I should be able to reach the alpha," Marcus agrees. "But I can't."

"Something's wrong." The healer's look of relief is once again replaced by worry. "This isn't right."

"The area's safe, so just relax until we get there. Someone should be able to give us proper answers then."

I hope he's right.

***

"Shit. Hold on!"

The truck lurches violently, throwing me against the door as Marcus slams on the brakes. Gravel crunches under the tires, and I barely catch myself before my face meets the dashboard.

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Vanessa curses, her body sliding across

road I hadn't even noticed. The

itch of magic

hell cut out the seatbelts?" I mutter, rubbing

gravel path ahead. Trees press close on either side, branches scraping against the truck's exterior. It's a small forest here, much more densely wooded than

an eternity of bumps and swerves, the forest gives way to a clearing. My breath catches as I take in the sight before us. A cluster of cabins nestles against rolling hills, the structures weathered but sturdy.

the picturesque setting that captures my attention. It's the

pack life? The

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263 Ava: The Compound

that should animate a community? Instead, a group of wolves emerges to meet us,

weapons.

I know. This is a

and I'm out the door before Marcus can fully engage the parking brake. My eyes scan the gathered faces, searching desperately for anyone familiar. Then I spot him, broad-shouldered

"Kellan!"

him, questions tumbling from my lips. before I can even catch my breath. "Where's Lucas? Is he okay?

so composed, shows the strain of recent days. He holds up a hand, silencing my barrage of questions. "Ava, there's a lot we need to discuss before I can take you

supposed to be in a hospital, but none of these cottages scream hospital to me. And unlike the Fae Ward. I doubt there's magic here that turns

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a giant

but his

me. "And he's... stable. But things

complicated."

frustration. Complicated doesn't begin to cover the chaos we've been through. I need to see Lucas, to touch him, to know he's

my eye. Another wolf-it takes me a while to recognize Ryder, one

sister would be touching if

absence of Vanessa's mate among the

tightens almost imperceptibly. "Come with me," he says, guiding me towards a small cabin set apart from the others. It looks more like a guard post than a home, and my unease grows with

and Vanessa being led in a different direction by Ryder. The separation makes my skin prickle, and I scratch at my arms furiously in an attempt to

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with me for so long.

is weird.

I demand as we

"Ava, I need you to understand that everything we're doing is to

"Protect us from what?"

meet mine,

that want to tear

a spartan interior. A table dominates the small space, covered in maps. and documents. The walls are bare except for a few strategic diagrams and what looks