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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263 Ava: The Compound

"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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263 Ava: The Compound

Vanessa curses, her body

narrow road I hadn't even noticed. The sudden turn

me from the constant itch of magic

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

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

catches as I take in the sight before us. A cluster of cabins nestles against

setting that captures my attention. It's the

bustle of pack

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263 Ava: The Compound

Instead, a group of wolves emerges to meet us, their

weapons.

Westwood I know. This is a

parking brake. My eyes scan the

"Kellan!"

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

He holds up a hand, silencing my barrage of questions. "Ava, there's a lot we need to discuss before I can take you to him." My stomach drops.

in a hospital, but none of these cottages scream hospital to me. And

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into a giant

confirms, but his tone does little

"And he's... stable. But

complicated."

in 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

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

sister would be touching if I weren't so focused

absence of Vanessa's mate among the

jaw tightens almost imperceptibly. "Come with me," he says, guiding me towards a small cabin set apart from

Ryder. The separation makes my

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263 Ava, The Compound

me for

is weird.

we approach the cabin's

need you to understand that everything we're

"Protect us from what?"

eyes meet mine, and the

want to tear us apart. Both from outside... and

door, revealing a spartan interior. A table dominates the small space, covered in maps. and documents. The walls are bare except for a few