Chapter 144

Alyx

His plan was working.

Sabrina was dead, and it was Matt’s fault. He almost couldn’t believe his luck. He knew she'd cause some chaos at the party, and that the Peacekeepers would have to get involved, but he didn’t think Matt would actually kill her. It worked in his favor, though. Sabrina was a pain in the ass. He was grateful he didn’t have to deal with her anymore.

He watched Matt and Celeste leave the party. Matt had this expression on his face like someone had kicked his puppy, and it sent a jolt of pleasure through Alyx. It was rare he cared enough to hate someone, but he hated Matt. It was a stronger emotion than he was used to, and he almost didn't know what to do with it.

There was something about watching him suffer that just made a dark place inside of Alyx sing.

Either way, his plan to drive Celeste and Matt closer together was working. He watched Matt pull out of the parking lot, then he ran through the trees to the road. He’d put a tracker in Matt’s car, and he had the app open on his phone. They were heading for Celeste’s house.

He wheeled his motorcycle out from under the cover of the trees and swung his leg over the seat. He didn’t bother with a helmet. Someone like him didn’t really need it. He could get in an accident and still walk away from it, right as rain.

He drove to Celeste’s neighbourhood and parked in the shadows. Matt’s car was parked down the block in Celeste’s driveway.

Alyx waited and watched the car. He didn’t know if they were coming back out, or if they were spending the night together in her house, but it didn’t matter. As long as they were together. As long as she was comforting poor, sad Matt.

They re-emerged a while later, Matt with a bag in his hands. He put it in the backseat and got in the car. Celeste slid into the passenger seat, then they took off down the road, heading in the other direction. Alyx gave them a bit of a head start before he started his bike and followed them.

He didn’t want Matt to know he was being followed, so he kept a careful distance. Occasionally, he checked his phone, but Matt stayed on the highway. They were heading out of town. To where, Alyx didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. This was better than he could have hoped for. He needed them to spend more one-on-one time together, and now they were going away.

Alyx noticed them pull off the highway, and he followed suit. They drove down a desolate country road for a few miles, Alyx far enough behind that he couldn’t even see their headlights. He checked his phone, not sure where they were headed. Suddenly, Matt turned, and his car stopped moving.

Alyx eyed the stationary dot on his phone, slowing his bike down to a crawl. He stopped when he saw the neon sign up ahead. They were at a motel.

He grinned and pulled his bike over to the side of the road. Unfortunately, he couldn’t risk staying at the motel. Matt might notice, and then his plan would fall apart. Instead, he got off his bike and wheeled it into the woods. He hid it behind a tree and covered it with piles of underbrush until it was well hidden from the road.

He hiked a bit closer to the motel and settled down with his back to a tree. The wind was icy, and he shivered in his leather jacket.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

He quickly stripped out of his clothes and piled them in a neat stack on the ground. Then he let the shift come over him. He curled into a ball and put his head on his paws, his eyes on his motel. He could just make out the edge of Matt’s car, his eyesight enhanced now.

His thick, brown coat protected him from the wind, and he settled into a comfortable trance, never taking his eyes off the car. Night descended, and the sounds of the forest surrounded him. Somewhere an owl gave a mournful hoot that echoed through the trees.

He didn’t allow his eyes to close. He didn’t sleep, even as the night lengthened.

Eventually, the darkness gave way to dawn. He stood and stretched, his muscles contracting. Matt and Celeste appeared just after dawn. They put their bags back in the car, then pulled away from the motel.

Alyx shifted and pulled his clothes back on. He checked his phone to see what direction they were headed, then went back to his bike. Fifteen minutes later, he was heading in the direction Matt and Celeste went. He stopped when he noticed them turn. He slowed and followed the curving path until Matt pulled into a parking lot.

He stopped his bike again and wheeled it into the trees. This time he hiked closer to them, standing just within the cover of the trees. He stared at the nondescript building, a frown on his face. Apparently, nothing happened between them last night. Even though they had the entire place to themselves. He just had to hope their next location proved different.

Alyx watched them leave, then waited ten minutes before he approached the diner. He got a table in the corner and ordered himself a pile of food. He was starving. All the while, he watched the blue dot moving on his phone. They were headed into the wilderness, which suited Alyx just fine. In fact, it would make his job even easier.

Celeste didn't even know who she was. She didn’t know how important she was to all of them. Sometimes it made him want to laugh, other times it made him want to put his fist through a wall. She was weak and oblivious, not at all what he suspected when he was assigned to her. He’d been hoping for a bit more excitement. A bit more mystique.

Celeste was just ordinary and boring. Nothing to write home about. His brothers didn’t believe him. Alyx was easily bored and rarely impressed by other people. He especially hated humans, something many of his brothers shared, though to a lesser degree. But they’d find out soon enough. Celeste, contrary to what they all believed, was nothing special.

He took his time with his coffee, studying the map. He was happy to put some distance between him and them. His bike was fast, and he liked the feel of the wind tearing at him.

He paid the old, frumpy waitress, not bothering to tip. The man at the counter eyed him with a frown, but Alyx didn’t pay him any attention.

His bike was where he left it, and he pushed it back onto the road. Someone gave him the middle finger as they tore by in their truck, swerving to avoid him, but Alyx just laughed. Humans were so pathetic.

He took the opportunity to speed, whipping past that truck, and disappearing down the long stretch of road. The wind tore at his hair and cut through his thin long sleeve. He hadn’t bothered to zip up his jacket. This was one of the only things that ever made him feel alive. That, and running with his brothers. He was the fastest of them all. Alyx always had been, and they all called him Speedy.

Sometimes, he really missed them. His family wasn’t exactly loving, but they were a thousand times better than the people he was forced to be around at school. His brothers were the only ones he really cared about.

A squirrel cut across the road, and he swerved at the last moment. The bike rattled beneath him, but he held on true, and it eventually righted itself.

It took a few hours, but he eventually caught up with them. Matt and Celeste were parked and had been for a while. He hid his bike again and hiked over to their car. What he saw rise through the trees stopped him in his tracks.

“Oh my God,” he breathed. It wasn’t the biggest house he’d ever seen, nor was it the most impressive, but he knew what it was right away. The Peacekeepers had hidden bases everywhere, and he would bet all his money that this was one of them.

He grinned and settled down near the edge of the property. The hours moved slowly, but he didn’t mind. His older brother was going to be proud.

Night descended, and the stars emerged before he saw Matt and Celeste again. They came out onto the back deck and started stripping off their clothes.

Alyx grinned and leaned back against the tree. They got into the hot tub, disappearing from his line of sight. Things were going exactly as he planned. Now it was only a matter of time before he completed his mission, and he could return to his family.

He couldn’t wait to go home.