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

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

me from the constant itch of magic under

seatbelts?" I mutter, rubbing my elbow where it smacked against

the winding 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 the places we've passed on our

in the sight before us. A cluster of cabins nestles against rolling hills, the structures weathered but sturdy. A

not the picturesque setting that captures my attention. It's the

of pack

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263 Ava: The Compound

group of wolves emerges to meet us, their expressions

weapons.

isn't the Westwood I know. This is

stop, 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

"Kellan!"

rush towards him, questions tumbling from my lips. before I can

a hand, silencing my barrage of questions. "Ava,

a hospital, but none of these cottages scream hospital to me. And unlike the Fae Ward. I

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into a

confirms, but his tone does

he's...

complicated."

begin to cover the chaos we've been through. I need to see Lucas, to touch him,

behind Kellan catches my eye. Another wolf-it takes me a while

would be touching

ask, noticing the absence of Vanessa's mate among

set apart from the others. It looks more like a guard post than a home, and my

in a different direction by Ryder. The separation makes my skin prickle, and I scratch at my arms furiously in an attempt to get rid of

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263 Ava, The Compound

me for

is weird.

we approach the cabin's door. "Why

on the doorknob. "Ava, I need you to understand

"Protect us from what?"

meet mine, and the

in them is staggering. "From forces that want to

dominates the small space, covered in maps. and documents. The walls are