Bloodrose (3 page)

My pulse was racing. Ren kissed me again, but I felt like I was in the arms of a restless spirit that haunted me and not the lover I wanted.

“Wait,” I whispered. “Please wait.”

“Don’t,” he said, moving his mouth over my neck. “Don’t do that, Calla. Don’t try to leave. Just be here. Be with me.”

Couldn’t he see it? There was no here. This place was empty, full of nothing but sadness and—if we lingered—death.

“Ren,” I said, pushing at him gently but firmly. I was beginning to panic but didn’t want to show it. Every word, every move had to be chosen with the utmost care. If I said the wrong thing, I might send Ren running back to the Keepers. While I couldn’t be with him the way he wanted, not here, not now—maybe not ever—I wasn’t going to lose him either. “It’s not safe.”

“What?” He straightened, blinking at me. “Oh. Oh, of course. Look, Calla, I’m sorry about the other girls. I know that must be strange for you, and it wasn’t fair, but I swear I was always careful. I’m completely healthy. It’s safe.”

I stared at him and then burst into laughter.

“I’m not lying,” he said, looking slightly injured by my outburst.

“No,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “I believe you.”

“Good.” He smiled and leaned in for another kiss. But I squirmed away; the passion that had caught me off guard when I’d first found Ren wouldn’t snare me again. This place was dangerous for both of us.

“No,” I said again. “I meant it’s not safe because the people who built this house want me dead. We’re using time we don’t have. We need to go.”

“Not yet.” He reached for me. “We aren’t in danger. No one comes here. Not ever.”

His words made me shiver as I wondered how many times Ren had come here. How often was he forced to be a lone wolf rather than the pack’s alpha?

“Yes, yet.” I sidestepped to dodge his hands. “Adne’s waiting out there. Your sister.”

Ren’s expression transformed, desire and frustration giving way to amazement.

“My sister,” he murmured. I made a mental note of his reaction, which I might need again. Ren’s alpha instincts—his need to claim me—could be diverted by Adne. She was the family he
truly
needed. His sister was the only link to a past that offered him salvation from the brutality of Emile. From the pain of knowing his mother had been killed by the Keepers and that he’d never known his real father.

“We can talk about this when we’re back at the Academy.” I hurried to fix my clothes, trying to ignore the guilt that tore through me. It was hurtling at me from both sides—I didn’t know what I’d say to Ren once we got out of Vail and I didn’t know what I’d tell Shay about what had transpired here. My own feelings were a jumbled chaos that seemed impossible to untangle.

“You’re not getting out of this,” he growled, pulling me against him. “I’m not letting you go. Not again.”

“I know,” I said, not resisting when he kissed me, wondering just how deep a hole I was digging myself into. But I was afraid that saying anything to counter Ren’s hopes would make him change his mind about coming with me. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Good.”

I felt him smile through the kiss.

We left the bedroom, hurrying down the stairs. When we reached the front door, he paused, turning to look at his surroundings.

“It’s a shame,” he said. “It really is a nice house.”

“There are more important things in life than houses,” I said, reaching for the doorknob.

He put his hand over mine.

“There’s one more thing I need to tell you before we go,” he said.

“What?” I asked in a clipped voice, wanting to get back to a safe place and away from the seductive spirits that lingered here.

He leaned down, lips brushing my cheek as I opened the door. “I like your hair.”

BACK IN WOLF FORM,
I quickly led Ren away from the graveyard of homes. As we neared the tall pines ringing the site, I skidded to a halt. Lifting my muzzle, I tested the air, wanting to be sure we hadn’t been watched or followed.

I already told you no one comes here.
Ren nipped at my shoulder.
Ever.

I looked at him, my skin crawling beneath my fur as I again wondered how often Ren had been to this place. Ren’s life had more loneliness than I’d ever imagined. I hoped I was about to fix that.

I trotted toward the forest.

Adne came out to meet us, approaching cautiously. Her eyes were wide as they settled on Ren.

“All good?” she asked in a light tone, but her voice cracked a little.

I shifted forms. “Yeah.”

Ren tilted his head, looking at Adne. He padded toward her, sniffing the back of her hand when she extended it. I wasn’t sure what he’d recognized, but his tail wagged. He shifted into human form.

“Ariadne, this is Renier Laroche.” I sidestepped so they were facing each other without me in between.

She smiled and said, “Adne.”

At the same moment he said, “Ren.”

They blinked at each other, then laughed. I looked back and forth between them. Ren’s tall, muscled form was not anything like Adne’s. She was a wisp of a girl whose stature belied her ferocity. But they shared something. My chest burned when I realized they both looked like Monroe. In the short time I’d spent with the Haldis Guide, he’d proven himself the best leader I’d ever known. We would all miss him in the fight to come.

“I’m glad Calla convinced you we’re the good guys,” Adne said, her voice more confident now.

Ren nodded. “I’m sorry about your father.”

“Our father.” She hesitated and then took a step forward, reaching her hands toward Ren.

He wrapped her small, slender fingers in his. They stood like that for a moment. Then Adne leaned into him, resting her head against his chest.

Ren looked startled, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her.

He had to clear his throat before he could say, “You know, I always thought it would be cool to have a kid sister.”

“Be careful what you wish for.” Adne looked up at him and grinned. “I’m kind of a brat.”

Ren laughed.

I couldn’t help myself. “She’s not kidding.”

“Thanks, Lily.” Adne glared at me, but she was laughing too. “What do you say we continue trading insults where we’re less likely to be in mortal peril?”

“She calls you Lily?” Ren was gazing at her, astonished.

I groaned. “She does.”

“Great minds.” He flashed a wicked smile at me before winking at her.

Maybe this reunion wasn’t such a good idea after all. But something inside me that had felt hollow since the attack on Vail was giving way to a comforting warmth. Hope.

“So how are we getting out of here?” Ren asked. “Do you have a car? Or a snowmobile?”

Adne pulled the skeans from her belt, flipping them high in the air and catching them again. “Just wait till you see your sister’s mad skills.”

When Adne first started to weave, Ren shifted back into wolf form, ears flattened, snarling at the lights that sparked through the air. She paused, glancing over her shoulder.

“This is a lot harder if you interrupt me. I don’t want to have us landing in Greece instead of Italy.”

Ren’s bark was full of surprise. I smiled at him and he changed forms.

“Italy?” He stared at me. “That’s a joke, right?”

“No joke,” I said. “I haven’t seen much yet, but what I have seen is beautiful. It’s on the Mediterranean coast.”

“I’ve never seen the ocean,” he murmured.

I threaded my fingers through his. “I know.”

Adne turned from admiring the finished portal and looked at us. Her eyes flitted to our clasped hands and she threw me a questioning glance. I averted my gaze. Her question was one I couldn’t afford to answer.

“You ready?”

That question I could answer. “Let’s go.”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Ren asked as I pulled him forward. I didn’t know if he was dragging his feet to give me a hard time or if the portal actually made him nervous.

“We only lose one out of every five travelers,” Adne quipped, stepping behind us and shoving us into the light.

On the other side of the portal Ren was gripping my hand so tightly it hurt. I shook my fingers free, flexing them.

“Sorry.” A blush slid over his cheeks. “Where are we?”

“My room,” Adne said, closing the portal.

“This is the Academy,” I said. “It’s where the Searchers live and train.”

“The Searchers live in Italy?” Ren frowned.

“Sometimes.” Adne looped her arm through his.

“Where are you going?” I asked, hurrying to chase her through the door.

She called over her shoulder, “We need to tell Anika about this right away.”

“Really?” I was already nervous about introducing Ren to the Searchers. Working our way up to Anika struck me as a more appealing idea.

“Trust me,” Adne said, sensing my anxiety. “The sooner we tell Anika about this, the less trouble we’ll be in. Hopefully.”

“Great,” I muttered.

Ren was staring at the walls of the Academy just as I had when we’d first arrived. His body was tense; I could see the tightness of his shoulders and back. I couldn’t blame him. This place reeked of Searchers—and theirs was a scent we’d been trained to recognize as a threat.

When we reached the doors of Haldis Tactical, Adne squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and knocked.

I heard muffled voices on the other side of the doors; a moment later one door opened, revealing a Searcher I didn’t know. She eyed us suspiciously.

“We need to speak with Anika,” Adne said before the woman could question us.

“We’re in the middle of Council,” the woman said stiffly.

“I’m aware of that.” Adne straightened to her full height, which wasn’t very tall, but she managed to appear menacing. “This is an emergency. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

The woman pursed her lips. “I’ll inquire as to whether she’ll see you.”

“She’ll see us.” Adne pushed past the now-sputtering woman. I threw her an apologetic glance and darted after Adne, taking Ren’s hand and pulling him into the room with me.

Anika and about a dozen other Searchers were gathered around the table. I didn’t recognize most of them. Connor was there, as were Ethan and Silas. They were all watching Logan. The Keeper leaned against the table, looking far too much at ease for my liking.

“Like I said.” Logan took a drag from his cigarette. “I don’t know that I can reveal the location of Shay’s parents without further reassurance about my own safety.”

Anika was rubbing her temples. “Would you please put that out? I don’t want to ask again.”

“I’m simply acting according to my current circumstance.” Logan blew a smoke ring, scenting the air with tobacco and cloves. “I thought prisoners were always granted a cigarette before their execution. And since you all keep threatening to kill me, I believe I should always have this small luxury afforded to me as long as my life is at risk. Don’t you?”

Ren and I growled in unison when Logan gazed at us, a slow smile curving one corner of his mouth. He began to laugh, shaking his head as he took another drag off his cigarette. Silas stared at us openmouthed. Connor stood up as Adne approached the table. He frowned at her, but then his eyes found Ren and me.

“Holy shit,” he breathed before turning to Adne, his voice quickly becoming a shout. “What the hell did you do?!”

Adne balked but gave him a steely look. “What I had to.”

“Ariadne, what’s the meaning of this?” Anika had risen.

Adne opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, a snarl ripped from the room. I heard a crash as a chair was thrown back, smashing into the bookshelves behind the table.

“What is he doing here?” Shay’s face was like a thundercloud. He didn’t bother to come around the table. He was over it in a single leap, leaving me no time to launch into an explanation.

The air around Shay rippled, tinged with the rusty hue of his rage. I caught the scent of Ren’s own fury, sudden and violent, as he stepped in front of me, blocking Shay’s approach. It was an act of possession, as unmistakable as if he’d thrown a gauntlet at Shay’s feet. Ren was an alpha, and he was reclaiming his place.

He dropped to the ground, a massive charcoal wolf snarling at the golden wolf, who bared his own fangs, bristling, muscles bunching as he prepared to strike.

I tried to speak, but it was as if an invisible hand was strangling me, my words choked off by own rising horror.

The Searchers were drawing their weapons. Swords slid from sheaths; daggers flashed in the sunlight. Crossbows took aim. At Ren.

Shay launched himself forward, slamming into Ren. They tumbled across the floor, a mass of teeth and claws slashing out from golden and dark bodies. The furious struggle moved with such speed as the rival alphas tore at each other that their figures blurred, becoming a play of light and shadow. Fortunately for Ren’s sake, the lock of their limbs around each other made it impossible for any of the warriors to take a clear shot.