Chapter 168

It took a few days to get to our destination. We spent the nights in different motels. I had nightmares every night, but I always woke up in Matt’s arms. Every night, we arrived at the motel late and passed out within moments, then had to be up early to get on the road again. We were taking a round-about way back to town, just in case the Crescent wolves were on our tail.

It was the afternoon of the third day when we finally pulled into a curving driveway. We were on the outskirts of town. The driveway took us on a winding path between the trees, and was so hidden from the road, I hadn’t even realized until we were on it that a path was there. The Jeep bounced as it rolled over rocks and down sharp dips.

The house at the end was smaller than the cabin Matt took me to, but still impressive. It was a traditional cabin-style, and there were others interspersed through the trees.

A few cars were parked outside the main building, including a motorcycle and Matt’s sedan. He winced when he saw it, his eyes going to the tires. It wasn’t exactly meant for off-roading like the Jeep was.

Seth pulled up behind Matt’s car and jumped down. A moment later, the front door opened, and Jenna came running out. She leaped into Seth’s arms and peppered him with kisses. The rest of us climbed out slowly, and Matt came forward to take my hand.

Then another person walked outside, and my heart skipped a beat. Fiona took one look at me, then ran across the grass.

I took a step forward, and she barreled into me. Matt steadied us with a hand on my shoulder, then moved to the side to give us some space.

Fiona was crying, and she held me tight. “Oh my God, you’re here!” she said, leaning back to grin up at me. I glanced over her shoulder to see Enzo and Nina walking toward us. Matt glanced at them, then tensed.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, taking a step back.

Fiona put her hands on her hips and stared at me down. “Right now, I’m just happy you’re safe, but we’re going to have it out later. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me there were werewolves! You bitch.” She punched my arm playfully.

I gaped at her. “But how?”

Nina reached us, a small smile on her face. “She wouldn’t leave us alone. When you didn’t come back to school, she demanded to know where you were. Where Matt was. She followed us around everywhere. Eventually, we thought it best we just told her.”

“I almost got eaten by a rogue,” Fiona said cheerfully.

Jack seemed to choke on air.

“Um…” I gave Matt a look. He just shrugged. “Okay then.”

“Well, let’s get inside. Everyone is waiting for us,” Nina said, gesturing for us to follow her.

Matt frowned when Nina glanced at him. There was a clear tension between them, and I made a note to ask him what happened the next time we had a moment alone. Enzo gave Matt a pleading look, but Matt just turned away.

Fiona linked arms with me and led me toward the building. “This place is so cool,” she said. “It’s like being at a werewolf summer camp.”

Jack made another choking sound behind us. I glanced over my shoulder to find him walking with Matt, an incredulous look on his face as he watched Fiona.

“Um, sure,” I said, turning back to my friend. “I’m glad you’re taking the werewolf thing so well.”

“Oh, well, I was a little freaked out at first. But I came around. You’re a werewolf, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Cool.”

I smiled. Leave it to Fiona to lighten the mood. She squeezed my arm, giving me a knowing look. I smiled and let her lead me into the house. It was a classic cabin, with a set of swinging kitchen doors, and a big room with picnic tables. It likely was a summer camp at one point but had been taken over by the Peacekeepers. Most of the tables were littered with tech, or weapons of all sorts.

People crowded around a table at the other end of the room. Ted walked over to a tall brown-haired man I didn’t recognize and kissed him. They sat together on the bench, and Ted started talking animatedly to him. On the other side of the table sat a girl and a guy that looked so much like the guy Ted kissed. It was uncanny.

Jenna and Seth were also there, along with a few boys I recognized from Matt’s hockey team. They all looked up as Fiona and I walked closer, giving me curious looks.

“Come on,” Fiona said, leading me to the table next to them. “We’ll sit here.”

I climbed onto the bench beside her, and Matt slid into the space on my other side. Jack took up a spot across from us. After a moment, Seth and Jenna sat down with us as well.

“Alright,” Nina said, coming to stand in front of the tables. Enzo stood a few paces behind her but didn’t speak. Maybe he was her second, the way Kai was Ronan’s. The thought of them made a sick feeling curl in my gut, and I pushed the memories to the back of my mind.

“Alright, so we need to talk,” Nina said, glancing at me. “We got Celeste back, but we need to consider the likelihood of war. The Crescent wolves aren’t going to be happy that she got away. We need to protect her and the town.”

“How did you get away?” the man that looked like Ted’s boyfriend asked. “It was impossible to get in there. Then we saw the compound collapse.”

“Um…” I swallowed hard. “I may have done that.”

A stunned silence followed my words.

“I used my powers.”

“Powers?” Enzo asked.

“Well, they took me because I’m the Maiden, right? They were training me to access my powers, my connection to the earth. Well, I figured it out.”

Nina gave me an impressed look. “I see. Well, if any of them survived their house collapsing, and I don’t think we’re lucky enough for that not to be the case, then we need to expect retaliation.”

“I’d definitely expect that,” a familiar voice said. My muscles locked up as Zoe rounded the corner, her blond hair tied back in a braid.

Her eyes slid to mine, and she gave me a tight smile.

“They’re going to retaliate at the first moment,” Zoe continued. “You can count on that.”

I was too shocked to focus on her words. Then a snarl ripped from my throat, causing Fiona to lean away from me with wide eyes. I clambered out of the booth, my wolf rising. I was going to kill her. I didn’t care why she was here or what she was up to.

My fangs and claws descended, and I took a step forward.

“Celeste, stop,” Nina said, her voice low, commanding. “Stop.” But she wasn’t my Alpha. None of them were. I didn’t belong to any pack. She didn’t have the power to give me commands.

The shift came over me completely, and a snarl ripped from my throat. Then I lunged at Zoe.