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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body sliding across

we careen onto a narrow road I hadn't even noticed. The sudden turn sends a jolt of adrenaline through

the constant itch of magic

the seatbelts?" I mutter,

the truck's exterior. It's a small forest here, much more densely wooded than the places we've passed on our

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

the picturesque setting that captures my

of pack

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wolves emerges to meet us, their expressions grim and their bodies

weapons.

Westwood I know. This is a war

fully engage the parking brake. My eyes scan the gathered faces, searching desperately

"Kellan!"

I can even catch my

He holds up a hand, silencing my barrage of questions. "Ava, there's a lot we need to discuss before

a hospital, but none of these cottages scream hospital to me. And unlike the Fae Ward. I doubt there's magic

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into a giant

confirms, but

"And he's... stable.

complicated."

Complicated doesn't begin to cover the chaos we've been through.

behind Kellan catches my eye. Another wolf-it takes

reunion of brother and sister would be touching

Vester?" I ask, noticing the absence of Vanessa's mate among the

me towards a small cabin set apart from the others. It looks

glance back, seeing Marcus and Vanessa being led in a different direction by Ryder. The separation makes my skin prickle, and I

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263 Ava, The Compound

with me for so

is weird.

as we approach the

the doorknob. "Ava, I need you to understand

"Protect us from what?"

eyes meet mine,

in them is staggering. "From forces that want to tear us apart. Both from outside... and

revealing 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 like a