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 sliding across

road I hadn't even noticed. The sudden turn

the constant itch of magic

out the seatbelts?" I mutter, rubbing my elbow

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

before us. A

not the picturesque setting that

bustle of pack life? The children

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263 Ava: The Compound

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

weapons.

the Westwood I know. This is a

the door before Marcus can fully engage the parking brake. My eyes scan the gathered faces, searching desperately

"Kellan!"

can even catch my breath. "Where's Lucas? Is he okay?

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

these cottages scream hospital to me. And unlike the Fae Ward. I doubt there's magic here that turns

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into a giant

Kellan confirms, but his tone does little

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

complicated."

been through. I need to

Another wolf-it takes me a

of brother and sister would be touching if I weren't so focused on my own

ask, noticing the absence of Vanessa's mate

apart from the others. It looks more like a guard post than

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

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263 Ava, The Compound

been with me for so long. Being

is weird.

we approach the

his hand on the doorknob. "Ava, I need you

"Protect us from what?"

meet mine, and the weight

them is staggering. "From forces that want to tear us

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