I was midway through my second month of captivity when Zoe came into my cell, a half-smile on her face.“Come on,” she said, gesturing for me to follow her. “You’re getting a better room.”I didn’t move at first. As much as I hated this room, it was familiar. Regardless of how nice Zoe seemed, I didn’t trust her. I didn’t trust any of them.Then again, a new room could mean they were getting lax. Maybe they thought I was getting used to this place. Getting complacent. I was still training without complaint. Still sitting through awkwar
Three months had passed, and I still hadn’t manifested any powers. I knew Ronan was growing impatient, that Alyx and Jeremy were supposed to do anything they could to get me to show some form of power, but nothing had happened. It didn’t matter how many times they beat me up, or got me to shift into my wolf, I was still just ordinary.Maybe they got it wrong, I thought. Maybe I’m nothing special.That didn’t bode well for me. I didn’t know what they’d do to me if I never showed signs of the powers my mother had, but I didn’t think it would be good. It was clear, considering how much time had passed, that no one was coming
JackHe walked further into the forest, his back tense, and his hand on the gun at his side. Jack wasn’t taking any chances. Spending three months in close quarters with a bunch of wolves hadn’t warmed him to them. He didn’t trust any of them, and they didn’t trust him.The trees bent in the heavy wind, branches cracking. Leaves littered the ground at his feet, brown and curling with frost.He wore a thick leather jacket, but it didn’t protect him from the wind as much as he would have liked. His muscles were tense from the cold, and from the unease. A
AlyxAfter removing his clothes, Alyx let the shift come over him. He fell to his knees, the bones in his body cracking and reforming. Even though many years had passed since his first shift, it still hurt. But it didn't faze him like it did when he was little. A moment later, he stood on four wide paws. His ears twitched as the sounds of the forest washed over him.Behind him, Jeremy did the same. He nuzzled Alyx’s flank a moment later, wagging his wide tail. Alyx nodded his head at the guards, and the gate opened. He tore out into the forest, Jeremy nipping at his heels.They started on the usual loop, the ground soft beneath his paws. Snow swirled down from the sky, gathering in his fur, and sticking to the bare branches of the deciduous trees. Tall pines and blue spruce rose to the sky, dotted with bits of snow.They left paw prints behind them in the thin layer of white, tearing up clouds of it as they tore past. Alyx knew he should be weary of ice, but he was having too much fun
I trailed after Noah as he led me toward Ronan’s office. He was reserved, glancing back at me now and then to make sure I still followed him. He was the least talkative brother, even more so than Jeremy. Trying to get something out of him was like pulling teeth. That, coupled with his complete lack of interest in me, made him my favorite.He stopped in the hall outside of Ronan’s office. Every day I had to sit and have lunch with the boss, filling him in on everything I did that day in training. What I’d accomplished, and, more often, what I hadn’t. His expression ranged from mild disappointment to sheer annoyance to outright hostility. The fact that I hadn’t been able to access my powers since that first day annoyed him to no end.I'd been at their compound for almost six months. Six months of training. Six months of waking up in a cold sweat from my nightmares. Six months of struggling to prove myself to no avail. I spent every night sta
The compound crashed to the ground, trapping people in the rubble. I didn’t let myself feel a twinge of guilt as I lost sight of Alyx and the guard. That was for later.I dragged myself to my feet and climbed over the ruins of the garden wall. On the other side, the compound was in chaos. People ran toward the house, their shouts cutting heavily through the winter silence. Others were sprawled across the ground, bleeding or crying.I ran past them, heading for the front gate. No one noticed me. Most of the people here didn’t know what I looked like, and the ones who did were too focused on helping the people trapped in the house.The guards at the gate hadn’t left their post, though.“I need to get out,” I said, panting as I ran up to them. “Ronan’s orders.”The taller one eyed me, a frown crossing his face. “I don’t know you.”“That’s not my problem.”
I didn’t wake until the car shut off, and Ted carefully nudged my arm. I shot upright and lashed out. He winced as my punch landed hard on his shoulder.“Jesus, Celeste,” Jack said.The memories slowly trickled back in. I was in the car with my brother and Matt. I was safe.“Sorry.” I gave Ted a sheepish look.He waved me off. “Don’t worry about it. Good hit.”I nodded and peered through the front window. We were parked outside a motel. The neon sign gleamed blue and pink in the dim light. It wasn’t snowing anymore, but mounds of it covered the parking lot. A light was on in the office and in one room. Aside from a single red Toyota, we were the only ones here.“We’re going to stop here for the night,” Seth said.“Okay.”I got out of the car and stretched my arms over my head. Everything felt sore, and I rolled my neck. Using that much power too
AlyxHe groaned and clawed his way toward the light. A moment later, Alyx managed to shove the stones off him, and he breathed in the winter air. Around him, the house lay in ruins, and his heart rate spiked.What the hell?One moment he was standing in his room, and the next the house was shaking around him. If he hadn’t shifted then, he might have died. His arm was broken and a few of his ribs, but they snapped back into place with a loud crack. He yelped and forced the change to come over him.He had to find the rest of his family.The compound was in chaos, and people rushed toward the rubble, looking for survivors. Wolves could survive a lot, but a ton of concrete landing on you would kill anyone. He was lucky the way the stones fell, making a gap for him to cower in. That, and his room was on the top floor. All of theirs were, but he didn’t know where his brothers had been.He crawled over the rubble, calling out his brothe